Quinone-induced inhibition of urease: elucidation of its mechanisms by probing thiol groups of the enzyme

In this work we studied the reaction of four quinones, 1,4-benzoquinone (1,4-BQ), 2,5-dimethyl-1,4-benzoquinone (2,5-DM-1,4-BQ), tetrachloro-1,4-benzoquinone (TC-1,4-BQ) and 1,4-naphthoquinone (1,4-NQ) with jack bean urease in phosphate buffer, pH 7.8. The enzyme was allowed to react with different concentrations of the quinones during different incubation times in aerobic conditions. Upon incubation the samples had their residual activities assayed and their thiol content titrated. The titration carried out with use of 5,5'-di-thiobis(2-nitrobenzoic) acid was done to examine the involvement of urease thiol groups in the quinone-induced inhibition. The quinones under investigation showed two distinct patterns of behaviour, one by 1,4-BQ, 2,5-DM-1,4-BQ and TC-1,4-BQ, and the other by 1,4-NQ. The former consisted of a concentration-dependent inactivation of urease where the enzyme-inhibitor equilibrium was achieved in no longer than 10min, and of the residual activity of the enzyme being linearly correlated with the number of modified thiols in urease. We concluded that arylation of the thiols in urease by these quinones resulting in conformational changes in the enzyme molecule is responsible for the inhibition. The other pattern of behaviour observed for 1,4-NQ consisted of time- and concentration-dependent inactivation of urease with a nonlinear residual activity-modified thiols dependence. This suggests that in 1,4-NQ inhibition, in addition to the arylation of thiols, operative are other reactions, most likely oxidations of thiols provoked by 1,4-NQ-catalyzed redox cycling. In terms of the inhibitory strength, the quinones studied formed a series: 1,4-NQ approximately 2,5-DM-1,4-BQ<1,4-BQ相似文献   

5-Hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (juglone) and 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (lawsone) influence on jack bean urease activity: Elucidation of the difference in inhibition activity

The aim of this study was elucidation of the difference in inhibition influence of 5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (juglone) and 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (lawsone) on jack bean urease activity. It was found that juglone acted as a strong, time and concentration dependent inactivator of urease. On the contrary, lawsone showed an inconsiderable inhibition influence. The reactivation of juglone modified urease showed the participation of reversible and irreversible contribution in the inactivation. In the presence of an excess of DTT, urease inactivated by juglone regained 70% of its activity. The reversible inactivation was attributed to oxidation of the essential urease thiols by reactive oxygen species (ROS) realizing during reduction of juglone to seminaphthoquinone. Presence of hydrogen peroxide in the incubation system was proved by direct determination and by application of catalase. The irreversible contribution in the inhibition was assumed as an arylation of urease thiol groups by juglone. The insignificant urease inhibition by lawsone was concluded as an effect of a low hydrogen peroxide generation and lawsone resistance for reaction with protein thiols. It was found that lawsone well reacted with l-cysteine, poorly with glutathione and hardly with urease thiols. The observed sequence was arranged according the rule the more complex thiol the less susceptible for reaction with lawsone. On the other hand, juglone displayed an excellent reactivity towards both thiols and urease. Thus, this indicated a significance of a steric hindrance which appeared when the hydroxyl group changing position from 5 in juglone (5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone) to 2 in lawsone (2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone).     

Kinetics of jack bean urease inhibition by 2,3-dichloro-1,4-naphthoquinone. Elucidation of the mechanism: redox cycling and sulfhydryl arylation

The inhibition of jack bean urease by 2,3-dichloro-1,4-naphthoquinone (DCNQ) was studied at ambient temperature in 20?mM phosphate buffer, pH 7.8. The process was investigated by incubation procedure in the absence of substrate. It was found that DCNQ acted as a time- and concentration-dependent inactivator of urease. The time course of the reaction displayed a biphasic mode. Each phase followed a pseudo-first-order kinetics, however the inactivation rate at the first phase was significantly faster than at the next one. The biphasity indicated the complex mechanism of DCNQ action on urease. Quinones action on proteins has been elucidated as at least two processes: direct arylation of essential protein thiols and/or indirect oxidation of essential thiols by reactive oxygen species (ROS) realising during quinone reduction to semiquinones. The next evidence of the studied mechanism was provided by the reactivation experiment that showed the participation of reversible and irreversible processes in the inactivation. The application of dithiothreitol (DTT) into DCNQ blocked-urease solution resulted in an effective enzyme activity regain which quickly returned to 70?±?10%. The irreversible inactivation of urease was attributed to DCNQ arylation of thiol residues in the protein. On the other hand, it was assumed that the reversible inactivation was a result of the action of ROS such as H₂O₂. Presence of H₂O₂ in the incubation system was proved by an experiment with the use of catalase. The enzyme by the elimination of H₂O₂ decreased DCNQ inactivating influence on urease. The comparison of participation of the fast and slow phase in the inactivation with the percentage of the process reversibility was assumed that the fast period was a result of the arylation mechanism while the slow phase was related to the oxidative influence of H₂O₂.     

The interactions of 9,10-phenanthrenequinone with glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), a potential site for toxic actions

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) catalyzes the oxidative phosphorylation of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate to 1,3-diphosphoglycerate, one of the precursors for glycolytic ATP biosynthesis. The enzyme contains an active site cysteine thiolate, which is critical for its catalytic function. As part of a continuing study of the interactions of quinones with biological systems, we have examined the susceptibility of GAPDH to inactivation by 9,10-phenanthrenequinone (9,10-PQ). In a previous study of quinone toxicity, this quinone, whose actions have been exclusively attributed to reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, caused a reduction in the glycolytic activity of GAPDH under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, indicating indirect and possible direct actions on this enzyme. In this study, the effects of 9,10-PQ on GAPDH were examined in detail under aerobic and anaerobic conditions so that the role of oxygen could be distinguished from the direct effects of the quinone. The results indicate that, in the presence of the reducing agent DTT, GAPDH inhibition by 9,10-PQ under aerobic conditions was mostly indirect and comparable to the direct actions of exogenously-added H2O2 on this enzyme. GAPDH was also inhibited by 9,10-PQ anaerobically, but in a somewhat more complex manner. This quinone, which is not considered an electrophile, inhibited GAPDH in a time-dependent manner, consistent with irreversible modification and comparable to the electrophilic actions of 1,4-benzoquinone (1,4-BQ). Analysis of the anaerobic inactivation kinetics for the two quinones revealed comparable inactivation rate constants (k(inac)), but a much lower inhibitor binding constant (K(i)) for 1,4-BQ. Protection and thiol titration studies suggest that these quinones bind to the NAD+ binding site and modify the catalytic thiol from this site. Thus, 9,10-PQ inhibits GAPDH by two distinct mechanisms: through ROS generation that results in the oxidization of GAPDH thiols, and by an oxygen-independent mechanism that results in the modification of GAPDH catalytic thiols.     

Effects of acrylamide on creatine kinase from rabbit muscle

The mechanism of inhibition of creatine kinase (CK) by acrylamide (Acr) has been examined (in vitro). Within the concentration range of 0 to 1 M, Acr markedly inhibited CK and depleted the protein thiols. Both inactivation and thiol depletion were time- and Acr concentration-dependent. Addition of dithiothreitol (DTT) did not reactivate CK inactivated by Acr. However, CK with 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) pre-blocked thiols can be reactivated by DTT after incubation with Acr. The transition-state analogue also had a significant protective effect on CK against Acr inhibition. We conclude that thiol alkylation is a critical event in inactivation of CK by Acr. Furthermore, Acr binding to CK changed its surface charge, which may be the same effect for the toxicity of Acr towards other proteins.     

Mono- (Ag, Hg) and di- (Cu, Hg) valent metal ions effects on the activity of jack bean urease. Probing the modes of metal binding to the enzyme

The inhibition of urease by heavy metal ions has been habitually ascribed to the reaction of the ions with enzyme thiol groups, resulting in the formation of mercaptides. To probe the modes of metal binding to the enzyme, in this work the reaction of mono- (Ag, Hg) and di- (Cu, Hg) valent metal ions with jack bean urease was studied. The enzyme was reacted with different concentrations of the metal ions for different periods of times, when its residual activity was assayed and thiol content titrated. The titration carried out with DTNB was done to examine the involvement of urease thiol groups in metal ion binding. The binding was further probed by reactivation of the metal ion-enzyme complexes with DTT, EDTA and dilution. The results are discussed in terms of the HSAB concept. In inhibiting urease the metal ions showed a common feature in that they inhibited the enzyme within a comparable micromolar range, and also in that their inhibition was multisite. By contrast, the main distinguishing feature in their action consisted of the involvement of enzyme thiol groups in the reaction. Hg (2+) and Hg2(2+) inhibition was found thoroughly governed by the reaction with the enzyme thiols, and the complete loss of enzyme activity involved all thiols available in the enzyme under non-denaturating conditions. In contrast, Ag+ and Cu2+ ions for the complete inactivation of the enzyme required 53 and 60% of thiols, respectively. Accordingly, Ag+ and Cu2+ binding to functional groups in urease other than thiols, i.e. N- and O-containing groups, cannot be excluded. Based on the reactivation experiments this seems particularly likely for Cu2+, whose concurrent binding to thiols and other groups might distort the architecture of the active site (the mechanism of which remains to be elucidated) resulting in the observed inhibitory effects.     

Autoxidation of extracellular hydroquinones is a causative event for the cytotoxicity of menadione and DMNQ in A549-S cells

Cytotoxicity of 1,4-naphthoquinones has been attributed to intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation through one-electron-reductase-mediated redox cycling and to arylation of cellular nucleophiles. Here, however, we report that in a subclone of lung epithelial A549 cells (A549-S previously called A549-G4S (Watanabe, et al., Am. J. Physiol. 283 (2002) L726-736), the mechanism of ROS generation by menadione and by 2,3-dimethoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (DMNQ), and therefore that of cytotoxicity, differs from the paradigm. Ninety percent of H(2)O(2) generation by both the quinones can be prevented by dicumarol, an inhibitor of NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1), at the submicromolar level, regardless of the quinone concentrations. Exogenous SOD also inhibits H(2)O(2) production at low but not high concentrations of the quinones, especially DMNQ. Thus, at low quinone concentrations, superoxide-driven hydroquinone autoxidation accounts for more than half of H(2)O(2) generation by both quinones, whereas at high quinone concentrations, especially for DMNQ, comproportionation-driven hydroquinone autoxidation becomes the predominant mechanism. Hydroquinone autoxidation appears to occur predominantly in the extracellular environment than in the cytosol as extracellular catalase can dramatically attenuate quinone-induced cytotoxicity throughout the range of quinone concentrations, whereas complete inactivation of endogenous catalase or complete depletion of intracellular glutathione has only a marginal effect on their cytotoxicity. Finally, we show evidence that ROS production is a consequence of the compensatory defensive role of NQO1 against quinone arylation.     

Redox cycling and sulphydryl arylation; their relative importance in the mechanism of quinone cytotoxicity to isolated hepatocytes

Quinones are believed to be toxic by a mechanism involving redox cycling and oxidative stress. In this study, we have used 2,3-dimethoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (2,3-diOMe-1,4-NQ), which redox cycles to the same degree as menadione, but does not react with free thiol groups, to distinguish between the importance of redox cycling and arylation of free thiol groups in the causation of toxicity to isolated hepatocytes. Menadione was significantly more toxic to isolated hepatocytes than 2,3-diOMe-1,4-NQ. Both menadione and 2,3-diOMe-1,4-NQ caused an extensive GSH depletion accompanied by GSSG formation, preceding loss of viability. Both compounds stimulated a similar increase in oxygen uptake in isolated hepatocytes and NADPH oxidation in microsomes suggesting they both redox cycle to similar extents. Further evidence for the redox cycling in intact hepatocytes was the detection of the semiquinone anion radicals with electron spin resonance spectroscopy. In addition we have, using the spin trap DMPO (5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide), demonstrated for the first time the formation of superoxide anion radicals by intact hepatocytes. These radicals result from oxidation of the semiquinone by oxygen and further prove that both these quinones redox cycle in intact hepatocytes. We conclude that while oxidative processes may cause toxicity, the arylation of intracellular thiols or nucleophiles also contributes significantly to the cytotoxicity of compounds such as menadione.     

Redox-dependent coronary metabolic dilation

We have observed that hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), the dismutated product of superoxide, is a coronary metabolic dilator and couples myocardial oxygen consumption to coronary blood flow. Because the chemical activity of H2O2 favors its role as an oxidant, and thiol groups are susceptible to oxidation, we hypothesized that coronary metabolic dilation occurs via a redox mechanism involving thiol oxidation. To test this hypothesis, we studied the mechanisms of dilation of isolated coronary arterioles to metabolites released by metabolically active (paced at 400 min) isolated cardiac myocytes and directly compared these responses with authentic H2O2. Studies were performed under control conditions and using interventions designed to reduce oxidized thiols [0.1 microM dithiothreitol (DTT) and 10 mM N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC)]. Aliquots of the conditioned buffer from paced myocytes produced vasodilation of isolated arterioles (peak response, 71% +/- 6% of maximal dilation), whereas H2O2 produced complete dilation (92% +/- 7%). Dilation to either the conditioned buffer or to H2O2 was significantly reduced by the administration of either NAC or DTT. The location of the thiols oxidized by the conditioned buffer or of H2O2 was determined by the administration of the fluorochromes monochlorobimane (20 microM) or monobromotrimethylammoniobimane (20 microM), which covalently label the reduced total or extracellular-reduced thiols, respectively. H2O2 or the conditioned buffer predominantly oxidized intracellular thiols since the fluorescent signal from monochlorobimane was reduced more than that of monobromotrimethylammoniobimane. To determine whether one of the intracellular targets of thiol oxidation that leads to dilation is the redox-sensitive kinase p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, we evaluated dilation following the administration of the p38 inhibitor SB-203580 (10 microM). The inhibition of p38 attenuated dilation to either H2O2 or to the conditioned buffer from stimulated myocytes by a similar degree, but SB-203580 did not attenuate dilation to nitroprusside. Western blot analysis for the activated form of p38 (phospho-p38) in the isolated aortae revealed robust activation of this enzyme by H2O2. Taken together, our results show that an active component of cardiac metabolic dilation, like that of H2O2, produces dilation by the oxidation of thiols, which are predominantly intracellular and dependent activation on the p38 MAP kinase. Thus coronary metabolic dilation appears to be mediated by redox-dependent signals.     

PHGPx and spermatogenesis

PHGPx of rat sperm mitochondrial capsule is cross-linked and inactive. The enzyme is in part released in an active form by mercaptoethanol. Treatment with H(2)O(2) of reduced and solubilised capsule proteins, in the absence of any added reductant, results in: i) H(2)O(2) consumption which depends on the presence of both, PHGPx activity and protein thiols; ii) protein thiol oxidation with a stoichiometry of 2 equivalents of thiol per mole of hydroperoxide and, iii) PHGPx inactivation and cross-linking. SDS-PAGE analysis of monobromobimane-labeled proteins, following incubation with H(2)O(2), shows that the oxidation takes place in specific bands in the area of 20~kDa. It is concluded that the protein thiol peroxidase activity of PHGPx is responsible for cross-linking proteins in the mammalian sperm capsule and accounts for the selenium dependency of spermatogenesis.     

Mechanism of Inactivation of Bacteriophage J 1 by Dithiothreitol,Cysteine, Mercaptoethanol,or Thioglycollate

The mechanism of inactivation of a double-stranded DNA phage, phage J1 of Lactobacilluscasei, by reducing agents containing thiol group(s) other than glutathione was studied mainly with dithiothreitol (DTT).

Air bubbling, oxidizing agents, and transition metal ions enhanced the rate of phage inactivation by DTT. Partial oxidation of DTT resulted in a more rapid rate of phage inactivation. In contrast, nitrogen bubbling, reducing agents including high concentrations of DTT itself, chelating agents, and radical scavengers prevented phage inactivation. Fully oxidized DTT had no phagocidal effect. These results indicate that the inactivating effect of DTT requires the presence of molecular oxygen and is indirectly caused by free radicals involved in the mechanism of DTT oxidation. The target attacked by DTT in phage particle was not protein but DNA; DTT reacted with DNA to produce single-strand scissions in DNA, which were the cause of inactivation of phage.

This was true also for L-cysteine, 2-mercaptoethanol, and thioglycollate.

Possible mechanisms by which these thiols fail to inactivate phage at high thiol concentrations are also discussed.     

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae proteome of oxidized protein thiols: contrasted functions for the thioredoxin and glutathione pathways

Protein thiol oxidation subserves important biological functions and constitutes a sequel of reactive oxygen species toxicity. We developed two distinct thiol-labeling approaches to identify oxidized cytoplasmic protein thiols in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Inone approach, we used N-(6-(biotinamido)hexyl)-3'-(2'-pyridyldithio)-propionamide to purify oxidized protein thiols, and in the other, we used N-[(14)C]ethylmaleimide to quantify this oxidation. Both approaches showed a large number of the same proteins with oxidized thiols ( approximately 200), 64 of which were identified by mass spectrometry. We show that, irrespective of its mechanism, protein thiol oxidation is dependent upon molecular O(2). We also show that H(2)O(2) does not cause de novo protein thiol oxidation, but rather increases the oxidation state of a select group of proteins. Furthermore, our study reveals contrasted differences in the oxidized proteome of cells upon inactivation of the thioredoxin or GSH pathway suggestive of very distinct thiol redox control functions, assigning an exclusive role for thioredoxin in H(2)O(2) metabolism and the presumed thiol redox buffer function for GSH. Taken together, these results suggest the high selectivity of cytoplasmic protein thiol oxidation.     

Lipid peroxidation, protein thiol oxidation and DNA damage in hydrogen peroxide-induced injury to endothelial cells: role of activation of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase

These experiments are a continuation of work investigating the mechanism of oxidant-induced damage to cultured bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells (BPEC). Earlier experiments implicated DNA strand breakage and activation of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase as critical steps in cell injury. In the current report, a better defined model of oxidant stress was used to investigate DNA damage, lipid peroxidation and protein thiol oxidation in BPEC following oxidant stress. The dose and time response of LDH release following exposure to H2O2 were established. H2O2 was metabolized rapidly by BPEC (t1/2 = 20 min). Hydrogen peroxide-induced increases in thiobarbituric acid (TBA) reactive material were prevented by pretreatment with the lipophilic antioxidant diphenylphenylinediamine (DPPD). However, DPPD did not decrease LDH release. Conversely, pretreatment with 5 mM 3-aminobenzamide (3AB), a competitive inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase, prevented LDH release from BPEC following H2O2 treatment. Dithiothreitol (DTT), a sulfhydryl reducing agent, also prevented LDH release. The effects of 3AB and DTT on H2O2-induced changes in DNA strand breaks and NAD+ and ATP levels were investigated as well as the effect of H2O2 on soluble and protein-bound thiols. As DPPD inhibited peroxidation without preventing LDH release, lipid peroxidation does not appear to play a role in the loss of BPEC viability in response to oxidant stress. As protein thiol oxidation was not caused by H2O2, it does not appear to play a causative role in cytotoxicity, although DTT may protect via maintenance of soluble thiols. H2O2 induces DNA strand breaks, which activate poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase, leading to depletion of cellular NAD+ and ATP and loss in cell viability. This supports earlier studies implicating the activation of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase in oxidant injury to cultured endothelial cells.     

The isolation and purification of a specific "protector" protein which inhibits enzyme inactivation by a thiol/Fe(III)/O2 mixed-function oxidation system

Mixed-function oxidation systems comprised of Fe3+, O2, and electron donors such as thiol compounds, ascorbate, NAD(P)H/NAD(P)H oxidase, and xanthine oxidase/hypoxanthine, catalyze the inactivation of many enzymes. This report describes the isolation and purification of a soluble protein from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which specifically inhibits the inactivation of various enzymes by a nonenzymatic Fe3+/O2/thiol mixed-function oxidase system. When thiol is replaced with another electron donor (e.g. ascorbate), this specific protein no longer protects against iron (or copper)/O2-dependent radical-induced enzyme inactivation. Purification steps included a polyethylene glycol precipitation followed sequentially by a chromatography on DE52 and high pressure liquid chromatography on phenyl, DEAE, and gel-filtrated columns. The final gel filtration step yielded two protein peaks exhibiting protector activity and possessing a Mr of 500,000 and 90,000. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of these two fractions gave a single band at 27 kDa suggesting that these protein species simply represent different oligomeric structures. The protector protein did not possess catalase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, or iron chelation activities. Since the protection activity reported herein is specific for mixed-function oxidation systems containing thiols, we propose that the protector protein functions as a sulfur radical scavenger.     

Inactivation of calcineurin by hydrogen peroxide and phenylarsine oxide. Evidence for a dithiol-disulfide equilibrium and implications for redox regulation.

Calcineurin (CaN) is a Ca2+-and calmodulin (CaM)-dependent serine/threonine phosphatase containing a dinuclear Fe-Zn center in the active site. Recent studies have indicated that CaN is a possible candidate for redox regulation. The inactivation of bovine brain CaN and of the catalytic CaN A-subunit from Dictyostelium by the vicinal dithiol reagents phenylarsine oxide (PAO) and melarsen oxide (MEL) and by H2O2 was investigated. PAO and MEL inhibited CaN with an IC50 of 3-8 microM and the inactivation was reversed by 2, 3-dimercapto-1-propane sulfonic acid. The treatment of isolated CaN with hydrogen peroxide resulted in a concentration-dependent inactivation. Analysis of the free thiol content performed on the H2O2 inactivated enzyme demonstrated that only two or three of the 14 Cys residues in CaN are modified. The inactivation of CaN by H2O2 could be reversed with 1,4-dithiothreitol and with the dithiol oxidoreductase thioredoxin. We propose that a bridging of two closely spaced Cys residues in the catalytic CaN A-subunit by PAO/MEL or the oxidative formation of a disulfide bridge by H2O2 involving the same Cys residues causes the inactivation. Our data implicate a possible involvement of thioredoxin in the redox control of CaN activity under physiological conditions. The low temperature EPR spectrum of the native enzyme was consistent with a Fe3+-Zn2+ dinuclear centre. Upon H2O2-mediated inactivation of the enzyme no significant changes in the EPR spectrum were observed ruling out that Fe2+ is present in the active enzyme and that the dinuclear metal centre is the target for the oxidative inactivation of CaN.     

Oxidation and generation of hydrogen peroxide by thiol compounds in commonly used cell culture media

Many studies have examined the effects of thiol compounds upon cells in culture (e.g., upon signal transduction and regulation of gene expression), but few have considered how thiols can interact with cell culture media. A wide range of thiols (cysteine, GSH, N-acetylcysteine, gamma-glutamylcysteine, cysteinylglycine, cysteamine, homocysteine) were found to interact with three commonly used cell culture media (RPMI, MEM, DMEM) to generate hydrogen peroxide with complex concentration-dependencies. Thiols added to these media rapidly disappeared, although less H(2)O(2) was generated on a molar basis than the amount of thiol lost. Studies on cellular effects of thiols, especially those on redox regulation of gene expression or protein function, need to take into account that thiols are rapidly lost, and that their oxidation generates H(2)O(2), which can have multiple concentration-dependent effects on cell metabolism.     

NAD-linked, GSH- and factor-independent aldehyde dehydrogenase of the methylotrophic bacterium, Hyphomicrobium X

Cell-free extracts of Hyphomicrobium X showed NAD-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenase activity, provided that NAD addition preceded that of aldehyde. Activity was lost rather rapidly, especially during purification attempts, but this could be partially masked by including a time-dependent restoration step with thiol compounds in the protocol. The nature of the assay buffer appeared to be critical and stimulation occurred on incorporation of K+ ions in the mixture. An even higher specific activity could be achieved by 1,4-dithiothreitol (DTT) treatment of the preparation, followed by removal of DTT, and assaying in the absence of thiol compounds under anaerobic conditions. Exposure of such a preparation to O2 led to a significant decrease in activity within a couple of hours. Immediate inactivation occurred on addition of H2O2, but this could be prevented completely by prior addition of NAD. Since GSH does not participate in the reaction and no stimulating factor was detected, the role of thiol compounds is most probably confined to restoration or prevention of damage to an O2-sensitive, necessary thiol group. Since the same features were found for cell-free extract as for the partially purified enzyme, only one enzyme type seems to be present. Although the enzyme is a general aldehyde dehydrogenase, the kinetic parameters and the specific activity of the cell-free extract for formaldehyde indicate that it may play a role in formaldehyde dissimilation by Hyphomicrobium X. The NAD-linked, GSH- and factor-independent aldehyde dehydrogenase described here appears to be different in several respects from the formaldehyde dehydrogenase of Pseudomonas putida (EC 1.2.1.46) (despite showing similar behavior toward coenzymes and factors) but resembles the aldehyde dehydrogenase from baker's yeast (EC 1.2.1.5).     

Cellular recovery of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity and thiol status after exposure to hydroperoxides

The activity of the thiol-dependent enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD), in vertebrate cells, was modulated by a change in the intracellular thiol:disulfide redox status. Human lung carcinoma cells (A549) were incubated with 1-120 mM H2O2, 1-120 mM t-butyl hydroperoxide, 1-6 mM ethacrynic acid, or 0.1-10 mM N-ethylmaleimide for 5 min. Loss of reduced protein thiols, as measured by binding of the thiol reagent iodoacetic acid to GPD, and loss of GPD enzymatic activity occurred in a dose-dependent manner. Incubation of the cells, following oxidative treatment, in saline for 30 min or with 20 mM dithiothreitol (DTT) partially reversed both changes in GPD. The enzymatic recovery of GPD activity was observed either without addition of thiols to the medium or by incubation of a sonicated cell mixture with 2 mM cysteine, cystine, cysteamine, or glutathione (GSH); GSSG had no effect. Treatment of cells with buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) to decrease cellular GSH by varying amounts caused a dose-related increase in sensitivity of GPD activity to inactivation by H2O2 and decreased cellular ability for subsequent recovery. GPD responded in a similar fashion with oxidative treatment of another lung carcinoma cell line (A427) as well as normal lung tissue from human and rat. These findings indicate that the cellular thiol redox status can be important in determining GPD enzymatic activity.     

Redox regulation of the signaling pathways leading to eNOS phosphorylation

Oxidative stress mediates positive and negative effects on physiological processes. Recent reports show that H(2)O(2) induces phosphorylation and activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) through an Akt-phosphorylation-dependent pathway. In this study, we assessed activation of eNOS and Akt by determining their phosphorylation status. Whereas moderate levels of H(2)O(2) (100 microM) activated the Akt/eNOS pathway, higher levels (500 microM) did not, suggesting differential effects by differing levels of oxidative stress. We then found that two pro-oxidants with activity on sulfhydryl groups, 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) and diethyl maleate (DEM), blocked the phosphorylation events induced by 100 microM H(2)O(2). GSH was not a target thiol in this system because buthionine sulfoximine did not inhibit this phosphorylation. However, down-regulation of cell membrane surface and intracellular free thiols was associated with the inhibition of phosphorylation, suggesting that oxidation of non-GSH thiols inhibits the H(2)O(2)-induced phosphorylation of eNOS and Akt. DTT reversed the inhibitory effects of CDNB and DEM on Akt phosphorylation and concomitantly restored cell surface thiol levels more efficiently than it restored intracellular thiols, suggesting a more prominent role for the former. Similarly, DEM and CDNB inhibited TNF-alpha-induced Akt and eNOS phosphorylation, suggesting that thiol modification is involved in eNOS inductive pathways. Our findings suggest that eNOS activation is exquisitely sensitive to regulation by redox and that cell surface thiols, other than glutathione, regulate signal transduction leading to phosphorylation of Akt and eNOS.     

The 1,4-naphthoquinone scaffold in the design of cysteine protease inhibitors

A series of 1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives diversely substituted at C-2, C-3, C-5 and C-8, prepared by reaction of amines, amino acids and alcohols with commercial 1,4-naphthoquinones, has been evaluated against papain and bovine spleen cathepsin B. These 1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives were found to be irreversible inhibitors for both cysteine proteases, with second-order rate constants, k(2), ranging from 0.67 to 35.4M(-1)s(-1) for papain, and from 0.54 to 8.03M(-1)s(-1) for cathepsin B. Some derivatives display a hyperbolic dependence of the first-order inactivation rate constant, k(obs), with the inhibitor concentration, indicative of a specific interaction process between enzyme and inhibitor. The chemical reactivity of the compounds towards cysteine as a model thiol is dependent on the naphthoquinone LUMO energy, whereas papain inactivation is not. The 1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives are inactive against the serine protease, porcine pancreatic elastase.