Catalytic oxidation of p-cresol by ascorbate peroxidase

Transient and steady state kinetics, together with a range of chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques, have been used to establish the mechanism and the products of the H(2)O(2)-dependent oxidation of p-cresol by ascorbate peroxidase (APX). HPLC, GC-MS, and NMR analyses are consistent with the formation of 2, 2'-dihydroxy-5,5'-dimethylbiphenyl (II) and 4alpha,9beta-dihydro-8, 9beta-dimethyl-3(4H)-dibenzofuranone (Pummerer's ketone, III) as the major products of the reaction. In the presence of cumene hydroperoxide, two additional products were observed which, from GC and MS analyses, were shown to be 1,1-dimethylbenzylalcohol (IV) and bis-(1-methyl-1-phenyl-ethyl)-peroxide (V). The product ratio II:III was dependent on enzyme concentration: at low concentrations Pummerer's ketone (III) predominates and at high concentrations formation of the biphenyl compound (II) is favored. Steady-state data showed a sigmoidal dependence on [p-cresol] that was consistent with the presence of 2.01 +/- 0.15 binding sites for the substrate (25.0 degrees C, sodium phosphate, pH 7.0, mu = 2.2 mM) and independent of ionic strength in the range 2.2-500 mM. Single turnover kinetic experiments (pH 7.0, 5.0 degrees C, mu = 0.10 M) yielded second-order rate constants for Compound I reduction by p-cresol, k(2), of 5.42 +/- 0.10 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1), respectively. Rate-limiting reduction of Compound II by p-cresol, k(3), showed saturation kinetics, giving values for K(d) = 1.54 +/- 0.12 x 10(-3) M and k(3) = 18.5 +/- 0.7 s(-1). The results are discussed in the more general context of APX-catalyzed aromatic oxidations.     

Oxidation of tetrahydrobiopterin by biological radicals and scavenging of the trihydrobiopterin radical by ascorbate

One-electron oxidation of (6R)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobiopterin (H(4)B) by the azide radical generates the radical cation (H(4)B(*)(+)) which rapidly deprotonates at physiological pH to give the neutral trihydrobiopterin radical (H(3)B(*)); pK(a) (H(4)B(*)(+) <==> H(3)B(*) + H(+)) = (5.2 +/- 0.1). In the absence of ascorbate both the H(4)B(*)(+) and H(3)B(*) radicals undergo disproportionation to form quinonoid dihydrobiopterin (qH(2)B) and the parent H(4)B with rate constants k(H(4)B(*)(+) + H(4)B(*)(+)) = 6.5 x 10(3) M(-1) s(-1) and k(H(3)B(*) + H(3)B(*)) = 9.3 x 10(4) M(-1) s(-1), respectively. The H(3)B(*) radical is scavenged by ascorbate (AscH(-)) with an estimated rate constant of k(H(3)B(*) + AscH(-)) similar 1.7 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1). At physiological pH the pterin rapidly scavenges a range of biological oxidants often associated with cellular oxidative stress and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) dysfunction including hydroxyl ((*)OH), nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)(*)), glutathione thiyl (GS(*)), and carbonate (CO(3)(*-)) radicals. Without exception these radicals react appreciably faster with H(4)B than with AscH(-) with k(*OH + H(4)B) = 8.8 x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1), k(NO(2)(*) + H(4)B) = 9.4 x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1), k(CO(3)(*-) + H(4)B) = 4.6 x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1), and k(GS(*) + H(4)B) = 1.1 x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1), respectively. The glutathione disulfide radical anion (GSSG(*-)) rapidly reduces the pterin to the tetrahydrobiopterin radical anion (H(4)B(*-)) with a rate constant of k(GSSG(*-) + H(4)B) similar 4.5 x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1). The results are discussed in the context of the general antioxidant properties of the pterin and the redox role played by H(4)B in NOS catalysis.     

The reduction of ferrate(VI) to ferrate(V) by ascorbate

The reduction of ferrate(VI) by ascorbate has been studied under anaerobic conditions in the pH range between 6.8 and 11.5 at 24 degrees C. A mechanism is proposed that is consistent with the observed rate constants k11 (HFeO4- + AH-) = (5.6 +/- 0.6) x 10(6) M-1 s-1, k12(FeO4(2-) + AH-) = (1.3 +/- 0.1) x 10(6) M-1 s-1 and the pK(HFeO4- in equilibrium with H(+) + FeO4(2-) = 7.9. Stoichiometric studies show that at high ratios of [AH-]/[FeO4(2-)], one ferrate(VI) oxidizes three molecules of ascorbate to the corresponding ascorbyl (A-) radicals.     

Catalytic reaction pathway for the mitogen-activated protein kinase ERK2

The structural, functional, and regulatory properties of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAP kinases) have long attracted considerable attention owing to the critical role that these enzymes play in signal transduction. While several MAP kinase X-ray crystal structures currently exist, there is by comparison little mechanistic information available to correlate the structural data with the known biochemical properties of these molecules. We have employed steady-state kinetic and solvent viscosometric techniques to characterize the catalytic reaction pathway of the MAP kinase ERK2 with respect to the phosphorylation of a protein substrate, myelin basic protein (MBP), and a synthetic peptide substrate, ERKtide. A minor viscosity effect on k(cat) with respect to the phosphorylation of MBP was observed (k(cat) = 10 +/- 2 s(-1), k(cat)(eta) = 0.18 +/- 0.05), indicating that substrate processing occurs via slow phosphoryl group transfer (12 +/- 4 s(-1)) followed by the faster release of products (56 +/- 4 s(-1)). At an MBP concentration extrapolated to infinity, no significant viscosity effect on k(cat)/K(m(ATP)) was observed (k(cat)/K(m(ATP)) = 0.2 +/- 0.1 microM(-1) s(-1), k(cat)/K(m(ATP))(eta) = -0.08 +/- 0.04), consistent with rapid-equilibrium binding of the nucleotide. In contrast, at saturating ATP, a full viscosity effect on k(cat)/K(m) for MBP was apparent (k(cat)/K(m(MBP)) = 2.4 +/- 1 microM(-1) s(-1), k(cat)/K(m(MBP))(eta) = 1.0 +/- 0.1), while no viscosity effect was observed on k(cat)/K(m) for the phosphorylation of ERKtide (k(cat)/K(m(ERKtide)) = (4 +/- 2) x 10(-3) microM(-1) s(-1), k(cat)/K(m(ERKtide))(eta) = -0.02 +/- 0.02). This is consistent with the diffusion-limited binding of MBP, in contrast to the rapid-equilibrium binding of ERKtide, to form the ternary Michaelis complex. Calculated values for binding constants show that the estimated value for K(d(MBP)) (/= 1.5 mM). The dramatically higher catalytic efficiency of MBP in comparison to that of ERKtide ( approximately 600-fold difference) is largely attributable to the slow dissociation rate of MBP (/=56 s(-1)), from the ERK2 active site.     

Role of histidine 42 in ascorbate peroxidase. Kinetic analysis of the H42A and H42E variants.

To examine the role of the distal His42 residue in the catalytic mechanism of pea cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase, two site-directed variants were prepared in which His42 was replaced with alanine (H42A) or glutamic acid (H42E). Electronic spectra of the ferric derivatives of H42A and H42E (pH 7.0, mu = 0.10 m, 25.0 degrees C) revealed wavelength maxima [lambda(max) (nm): 397, 509, approximately equal to 540(sh), 644 (H42A); 404, 516, approximately equal to 538(sh), 639 (H42E)] consistent with a predominantly five-co-ordinate high-spin iron. The specific activity of H42E for oxidation of L-ascorbate (8.2 +/- 0.3 U.mg(-1)) was approximately equal to 30-fold lower than that of the recombinant wild-type enzyme (rAPX); the H42A variant was essentially inactive but activity could be partially recovered by addition of exogenous imidazoles. The spectra of the Compound I intermediates of H42A [lambda(max) (nm) = 403, 534, 575(sh), 645] and H42E [lambda(max) (nm) = 404, 530, 573(sh), 654] were similar to those of rAPX. Pre-steady-state data for formation of Compound I for H42A and H42E were consistent with a mechanism involving accumulation of a transient enzyme intermediate (K(d)) followed by conversion of this intermediate into Compound I (k'(1)). Values for k'(1) and K(d) were, respectively, 4.3 +/- 0.2 s(-1) and 30 +/- 2.0 mM (H42A) and 28 +/- 1.0 s(-1) and 0.09 +/- 0.01 mM (H42E). Photodiode array experiments for H42A revealed wavelength maxima for this intermediate at 401 nm, 522 nm and 643 nm, consistent with the formation of a transient [H42A-H(2)O(2)] species. Rate constants for Compound I formation for H42A were independent of pH, but for rAPX and H42E were pH-dependent [pKa = 4.9 +/- 0.1 (rAPX) and pK(a) = 6.7 +/- 0.2 (H42E)]. The results provide: (a) evidence that His42 is critical for Compound I formation in APX; (b) confirmation that titration of His42 controls Compound I formation and an assignment of the pK(a) for this group; (c) mechanistic and spectroscopic evidence for an intermediate before Compound I formation; (d) evidence that a glutamic acid residue at position 42 can act as the acid-base catalyst in ascorbate peroxidase.     

Kinetics of oxidation of aliphatic and aromatic thiols by myeloperoxidase compounds I and II

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is the most abundant protein in neutrophils and plays a central role in microbial killing and inflammatory tissue damage. Because most of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and other drugs contain a thiol group, it is necessary to understand how these substrates are oxidized by MPO. We have performed transient kinetic measurements to study the oxidation of 14 aliphatic and aromatic mono- and dithiols by the MPO intermediates, Compound I (k3) and Compound II (k4), using sequential mixing stopped-flow techniques. The one-electron reduction of Compound I by aromatic thiols (e.g. methimidazole, 2-mercaptopurine and 6-mercaptopurine) varied by less than a factor of seven (between 1.39 +/- 0.12 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1) and 9.16 +/- 1.63 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1)), whereas reduction by aliphatic thiols was demonstrated to depend on their overall net charge and hydrophobic character and not on the percentage of thiol deprotonation or redox potential. Cysteamine, cysteine methyl ester, cysteine ethyl ester and alpha-lipoic acid showed k3 values comparable to aromatic thiols, whereas a free carboxy group (e.g. cysteine, N-acetylcysteine, glutathione) diminished k3 dramatically. The one-electron reduction of Compound II was far more constrained by the nature of the substrate. Reduction by methimidazole, 2-mercaptopurine and 6-mercaptopurine showed second-order rate constants (k4) of 1.33 +/- 0.08 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1), 5.25 +/- 0.07 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1) and 3.03 +/- 0.07 x 10(3) M(-1) s(-1). Even at high concentrations cysteine, penicillamine and glutathione could not reduce Compound II, whereas cysteamine (4.27 +/- 0.05 x 10(3) M(-1) s(-1)), cysteine methyl ester (8.14 +/- 0.08 x 10(3) M(-1) s(-1)), cysteine ethyl ester (3.76 +/- 0.17 x 10(3) M(-1) s(-1)) and alpha-lipoic acid (4.78 +/- 0.07 x 10(4) M(-1) s(-1)) were demonstrated to reduce Compound II and thus could be expected to be oxidized by MPO without co-substrates.     

Oxidation of clozapine and ascorbate by myeloperoxidase.

The kinetics and spectra of the reactions of clozapine with compounds I and II of myeloperoxidase were investigated using both single- and sequential-mixing stopped-flow techniques, steady-state kinetics, and spectrophotometric measurements. The results show conclusively that both compounds I and II are reduced in one-electron reactions with clozapine. At pH 7.0 the rate constant for compound I reacting with clozapine is (1.5 +/- 0.1) x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1) and for compound II (4.8 +/- 0.1) x 10(4) M(-1) s(-1). The physiological pH of 7.4 was found to be optimal for the oxidation of clozapine by compound I. The rate constant for compound I reacting with ascorbate is (1.1 +/- 0.1) x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1) and for compound II (1.1 +/- 0.2) x 10(4) M(-1) s(-1), both obtained at pH 7.0. Experiments with both clozapine and ascorbate present showed that ascorbate acts both as a competitive inhibitor and free radical scavenger.     

Reactivity of semiquinones with ascorbate and the ascorbate radical as studied by pulse radiolysis

Free-radical interactions between hydroquinones (QH2) and ascorbate (AscH-) have a profound impact in many biological situations. Despite the obvious biological significance, not much is known about the kinetics of reactions of QH2 and AscH- with their corresponding free radicals, i.e., semiquinones, Q1.-, and the ascorbate radical, Asc.-. Furthermore, a general approach to reliably measure rate constants for the above reactions is fraught with complications. In this work, the kinetic behavior of Q.- and Asc.-, after pulse radiolytic oxidation of mixtures of a series of alkyl- and methoxysubstituted hydroquinones and ascorbate by azide radicals in aqueous buffer, pH 7.40, was monitored in submillisecond range by time-resolved UV spectroscopy. Rate constants for reactions of Q.- with AscH-(reaction [1]) and Asc.- (reaction [2]) were directly determined by using new kinetic procedures which distinguished between reactions [1] and [2]. The results show that the rate constants for reaction [2] vary only within a narrow range from 1.2 x 10(8) to 2.5 x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1) and do not display any pronounced correlation with Q.- structures. In contrast, the value of k1 for nonsubstituted Q.- was found to be (1.8 +/- 0.2) x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1) and decreases with the number of alkyl and methoxy substituents as well as with the decrease of the one-electron reduction potential E(Q.-/QH2).     

DNA helicase RepA: cooperative ATPase activity and binding of nucleotides

The steady-state kinetic parameters of the ATPase activity of the homohexameric DNA helicase RepA and the binding of the fluorescent analogue epsilonADP to RepA have been studied. ssDNA stimulates RepA ATPase activity optimally at acidic pH 5.3-6.0. The sigmoidal kinetic curves in both the absence and presence of ssDNA show strong positive cooperativity for ATP hydrolysis, with oligonucleotides longer than 10mer optimal for ssDNA-stimulated ATPase activity. Fluorescence titrations show that, at 25 degrees C and in the absence of DNA, the binding of epsilonADP to RepA is biphasic with three high (K(1) = 1.54 x 10(6) M(-1)) and three low (K(2) = 4.71 x 10(4) M(-)(1)) affinity binding sites differing by 30-40-fold in binding constants. In the absence of cofactors, RepA melts cooperatively at T(m) = 65.8 +/- 0.1 degrees C and is more stable in the presence of ATPgammaS, T(m) = 68.1 +/- 0.2 degrees C (DeltaDeltaG 0.95 kcal/mol), than in the presence of ADP, T(m) = 66. 5 +/- 0.1 degrees C (DeltaDeltaG 0.29 kcal/mol), indicating that the additional phosphate group in ATPgammaS has a significant influence on RepA structure. A model is proposed in which individual subunits of RepA sequentially and cooperatively perform a multistep ATP hydrolytic cycle.     

Intercalation of proflavine and a platinum derivative of proflavine into double-helical Poly(A)

The equilibria and kinetics of the interactions of proflavine (PR) and its platinum-containing derivative [PtCl(tmen)(2)HNC(13)H(7)(NHCH(2)CH(2))(2)](+) (PRPt) with double-stranded poly(A) have been investigated by spectrophotometry and Joule temperature-jump relaxation at ionic strength 0.1 M, 25 degrees C, and pH 5.2. Spectrophotometric measurements indicate that base-dye interactions are prevailing. T-jump experiments with polarized light showed that effects due to field-induced alignment could be neglected. Both of the investigated systems display two relaxation effects. The kinetic features of the reaction are discussed in terms of a two-step series mechanism in which a precursor complex DS(I) is formed in the fast step, which is then converted to a final complex in the slow step. The rate constants of the fast step are k(1) = (2.5 +/- 0.4) x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1), k(-1) = (2.4 +/- 0.1) x 10(3) s(-1) for poly(A)-PR and k(1) = (2.3 +/- 0.1) x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1), k(-1) = (1.6 +/- 0.2) x 10(3) s(-1) for poly(A)-PRPt. The rate constants for the slow step are k(2) = (4.5 +/- 0.5) x 10(2) s(-1), k(-2) = (1.7 +/- 0.1) x 10(2) s(-1) for poly(A)-PR and k(2) = 9.7 +/- 1.2 s(-1), k(-2) = 10.6 +/- 0.2 s(-1) for poly(A)-PRPt. Spectrophotometric measurements yield for the equilibrium constants and site size the values K = (4.5 +/- 0.1) x 10(3) M(-1), n = 1.3 +/- 0.5 for poly(A)-PR and K = (2.9 +/- 0.1) x 10(3) M(-1), n = 2.3 +/- 0.6 for poly(A)-PRPt. The values of k(1) are similar and lower than expected for diffusion-limited reactions. The values of k(-1) are similar as well. It is suggested that the formation of DS(I) involves only the proflavine residues in both systems. In contrast, the values of k(2) and k(-2) in poly(A)-PRPt are much lower than in poly(A)-PR. The results suggest that in the complex DS(II) of poly(A)-PRPt both proflavine and platinum residues are intercalated. In addition, a very slow process was detected and ascribed to the covalent binding of Pt(II) to the adenine.     

Transient state kinetic studies of the MutT-catalyzed nucleoside triphosphate pyrophosphohydrolase reaction

The MutT pyrophosphohydrolase, in the presence of Mg2+, catalyzes the hydrolysis of nucleoside triphosphates by nucleophilic substitution at Pbeta, to yield the nucleotide and PP(i). The best substrate for MutT is the mutagenic 8-oxo-dGTP, on the basis of its Km being 540-fold lower than that of dGTP. Product inhibition studies have led to a proposed uni-bi-iso kinetic mechanism, in which PP(i) dissociates first from the enzyme-product complex (k3), followed by NMP (k4), leaving a product-binding form of the enzyme (F) which converts to the substrate-binding form (E) in a partially rate-limiting step (k5) [Saraswat, V., et al. (2002) Biochemistry 41, 15566-15577]. Single- and multiple-turnover kinetic studies of the hydrolysis of dGTP and 8-oxo-dGTP and global fitting of the data to this mechanism have yielded all of the nine rate constants. Consistent with an "iso" mechanism, single-turnover studies with dGTP and 8-oxo-dGTP hydrolysis showed slow apparent second-order rate constants for substrate binding similar to their kcat/Km values, but well below the diffusion limit (approximately 10(9) M(-1) s(-1)): k(on)app = 7.2 x 10(4) M(-1) s(-1) for dGTP and k(on)app = 2.8 x 10(7) M(-1) s(-1) for 8-oxo-dGTP. These low k(on)app values are fitted by assuming a slow iso step (k5 = 12.1 s(-1)) followed by fast rate constants for substrate binding: k1 = 1.9 x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1) for dGTP and k1 = 0.75 x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1) for 8-oxo-dGTP (the latter near the diffusion limit). With dGTP as the substrate, replacing Mg2+ with Mn2+ does not change k1, consistent with the formation of a second-sphere MutT-M2+-(H2O)-dGTP complex, but slows the iso step (k5) 5.8-fold, and its reverse (k(-5)) 25-fold, suggesting that the iso step involves a change in metal coordination, likely the dissociation of Glu-53 from the enzyme-bound metal so that it can function as the general base. Multiple-turnover studies with dGTP and 8-oxo-dGTP show bursts of product formation, indicating partially rate-limiting steps following the chemical step (k2). With dGTP, the slow steps are the chemical step (k2 = 10.7 s(-1)) and the iso step (k5 = 12.1 s(-1)). With 8-oxo-dGTP, the slow steps are the release of the 8-oxo-dGMP product (k4 = 3.9 s(-1)) and the iso step (k5 = 12.1 s(-1)), while the chemical step is fast (k2 = 32.3 s(-1)). The transient kinetic studies are generally consistent with the steady state kcat and Km values. Comparison of rate constants and free energy diagrams indicate that 8-oxo-dGTP, at low concentrations, is a better substrate than dGTP because it binds to MutT 395-fold faster, dissociates 46-fold slower, and has a 3.0-fold faster chemical step. The true dissociation constants (KD) of the substrates from the E-form of MutT, which can now be obtained from k(-1)/k1, are 3.5 nM for 8-oxo-dGTP and 62 microM for dGTP, indicating that 8-oxo-dGTP binds 1.8 x 10(4)-fold tighter than dGTP, corresponding to a 5.8 kcal/mol lower free energy of binding.     

Dynamics of interaction of vitamin C with some potent nitrovasodilators, S-nitroso-N-acetyl-d,l-penicillamine (SNAP) and S-nitrosocaptopril (SNOCap), in aqueous solution

The reductive decomposition of both SNAP and SNOCap by ascorbate in aqueous solution (in the presence of EDTA) was thoroughly investigated. Nitric oxide (NO) release from the reaction occurs in an ascorbate concentration and pH dependent manner. Rates and hence NO release increased drastically with increasing pH, signifying that the most highly ionized form of ascorbate is the more reactive species. The experiments were monitored spectrophotometrically, and second-order rate constants calculated at 37 degrees C for the reduction of SNAP are k(b)=9.81+/-1.39 x 10(-3) M(-1) s(-1) and k(c)=662+/-38 M(-1) s(-1) and for SNOCap are k(b)=2.57+/-1.29 x 10(-2) M(-1) s(-1) and k(c)=49.7+/-1.3 M(-1) s(-1). k(b) and k(c) are the second-order rate constants via the ascorbate monoanion (HA-) and dianion (A2-) pathways, respectively. Activation parameters were also calculated and are DeltaHb++ =93+/-7 kJ mol(-1), DeltaSb++ =15+/-2 J K(-1) mol(-1) and DeltaHc++ =51+/-5 kJ mol(-1), DeltaSc++ =-28+/-3 J K(-1) mol(-1) with respect to the reactions involving SNAP. Those for the reaction between SNOCap and ascorbate were calculated to be DeltaHb++ =63+/-11 kJ mol(-1), DeltaSb++ =-71+/-20 J K(-1) mol(-1) and DeltaHc++ =103+/-7 kJ mol(-1), DeltaSc++ =118+/-8 J K(-1) mol(-1). The effect of Cu2+/Cu+ ions on the reductive decompositions of these S-nitrosothiols was also investigated in absence of EDTA. SNOCap exhibits relatively high stability at near physiological conditions (37 degrees C and pH 7.55) even in the presence of micromolar concentrations of Cu2+, with decomposition rate constant being 0.011 M(-1) s(-1) in comparison to SNAP which is known to be more susceptible to catalytic decomposition by Cu2+ (second-order rate constant of 20 M(-1) s(-1) at pH 7.4 and 25 degrees C). It was also observed that the reductive decomposition of SNAP is not catalyzed by alkali metal ions, however, there was an increase in rate as the ionic strength increases from 0.2 to 0.5 mol dm(-3) NaCl.     

E. coli MEP synthase: steady-state kinetic analysis and substrate binding.

2-C-Methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate synthase (MEP synthase) catalyzes the rearrangement/reduction of 1-D-deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate (DXP) to methylerythritol-4-phosphate (MEP) as the first pathway-specific reaction in the MEP biosynthetic pathway to isoprenoids. Recombinant E. coli MEP was purified by chromatography on DE-52 and phenyl-Sepharose, and its steady-state kinetic constants were determined: k(cat) = 116 +/- 8 s(-1), K(M)(DXP) = 115 +/- 25 microM, and K(M)(NADPH) = 0.5 +/- 0.2 microM. The rearrangement/reduction is reversible; K(eq) = 45 +/- 6 for DXP and MEP at 150 microM NADPH. The mechanism for substrate binding was examined using fosmidomycin and dihydro-NADPH as dead-end inhibitors. Dihydro-NADPH gave a competitive pattern against NADPH and a noncompetitive pattern against DXP. Fosmidomycin was an uncompetitive inhibitor against NADPH and gave a pattern representative of slow, tight-binding competitive inhibition against DXP. These results are consistent with an ordered mechanism where NADPH binds before DXP.     

Spectrophotometric analysis of the protective effect of ascorbate against spontaneous oxidation of tetrahydrobiopterin in aqueous solution: kinetic characteristics and potentiation by catalase of ascorbate action

Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH(4)) is oxidized by O(2) readily in aqueous solutions and physiological concentrations of ascorbate have been shown to inhibit this reaction. In order to gain insight into the mechanism of ascorbate effect, a spectrophotometric analysis was applied for the study of the time course of BH(4) oxidation in the presence of various concentrations of ascorbate and the effect of various temperatures on the apparent second-order rate constant of BH(4) oxidation (k(ox)) in the presence or absence of catalase. In 100 micromol/l concentration, ascorbate alone prolonged the half-life time of 36 micromol/l BH(4) 1.4-fold whereas in the presence of catalase 1.85-fold. In the presence of catalase ascorbate decreased the value of k(ox) to 51 +/- 0.67%, whereas in the absence of it only to 64 +/- 0.77% of control (P < 0.01). The extent of ascorbate effect was not dependent on temperature, at least between 22 and 37 degrees C, either in the presence or absence of catalase. In the absence of catalase the apparent Arrhenius activation energies: 57.02 +/- 0.09 kJ/mol (-ascorbate) and 56.77 +/- 2.21 kJ/mol (+ascorbate) whereas in the presence of catalase: 62.72 +/- 1.37 kJ/mol (-ascorbate) and 59.93 +/- 2.84 kJ/mol (+ascorbate, mean +/- S.E.M., n=3) were obtained. The study shows that catalase potentiates the BH(4)-stabilizing effect of ascorbate. It is concluded that removal of H(2)O(2) generated from BH(4) during oxidation by O(2) prevents a decrease of ascorbate concentration, and in the presence of ascorbate the pacemaker step in the overall reaction is the oxidation of BH(4) and not the reduction of the quinonoid BH(2) back to BH(4) by ascorbate.     

Spectral and kinetic studies on eosinophil peroxidase compounds I and II and their reaction with ascorbate and tyrosine.

Eosinophil peroxidase, the major granule protein in eosinophils, is the least studied human peroxidase. Here, we have performed spectral and kinetic measurements to study the nature of eosinophil peroxidase intermediates, compounds I and II, and their reduction by the endogenous one-electron donors ascorbate and tyrosine using the sequential-mixing stopped-flow technique. We demonstrate that the peroxidase cycle of eosinophil peroxidase involves a ferryl/porphyrin radical compound I and a ferryl compound II. In the absence of electron donors, compound I is shown to be transformed to a species with a compound II-like spectrum. In the presence of ascorbate or tyrosine compound I is reduced to compound II with a second-order rate constant of (1.0+/-0.2)x10(6) M(-1) s(-1) and (3.5+/-0.2)x10(5) M(-1) s(-1), respectively (pH 7.0, 15 degrees C). Compound II is then reduced by ascorbate and tyrosine to native enzyme with a second-order rate constant of (6.7+/-0.06)x10(3) M(-1) s(-1) and (2.7+/-0.06)x10(4) M(-1) s(-1), respectively. This study revealed that eosinophil peroxidase compounds I and II are able to react with tyrosine and ascorbate via one-electron oxidations and therefore generate monodehydroascorbate and tyrosyl radicals. The relatively fast rates of the compound I reduction demonstrate that these reactions may take place in vivo and are physiologically relevant.     

Palmitoyl ascorbate: selective augmentation of procollagen mRNA expression compared with L-ascorbate in human intestinal smooth muscle cells.

The effect of 6-O-palmitoyl ascorbate on procollagen mRNA levels, collagen synthesis, and collagen secretion was investigated and compared with the effect of L-ascorbate in human intestinal smooth muscle (HISM) cells in vitro. Collagen synthesis, determined by the incorporation of 3H-proline into pepsin-resistant, salt-precipitated collagen, increased in a concentration-dependent manner in response to palmitoyl ascorbate. There was a twofold increase in collagen synthesis at 2.5 and 5 microM. By contrast, L-ascorbate was required at 4-5 times the concentration for the same response. However, at 20 microM, both palmitoyl and L-ascorbate induced similar 2.7-fold increases in collagen synthesis. Palmitoyl ascorbate induced a 1.6- and 3.5-fold increase in steady-state levels of procollagen I and III mRNA levels respectively, whereas L-ascorbate had no effect. Palmitoyl ascorbate and L-ascorbate induced similar increases in the amounts of newly synthesized procollagen secreted into the medium and in the amounts of collagen types I, III and V accumulating in the cell layer. There was no effect of either palmitoyl ascorbate or L-ascorbate on the activity of a procollagen alpha2 (I) promoter construct transiently transfected into HISM cells. Palmitoyl ascorbate augments HISM cell procollagen synthesis and mRNA levels more efficiently than L-ascorbate. This property may be due to the greater resistance of the ascorbate ester to oxidation and suggests that palmitoyl ascorbate could be an important agent for studies of collagen synthesis in vitro.     

Activity of membranous dopamine beta-monooxygenase within chromaffin granule ghosts. Interaction with ascorbate

The role of intra- and extravesicular ascorbate has been investigated in dopamine beta-monooxygenase (D beta M) turnover using adrenal medulla chromaffin granule ghosts. Resealing of vesicle ghosts with high levels of intravesicular ascorbate leads to viable vesicles, as evidenced from the high rates of the ATP-dependent accumulation of tyramine, Vmax = 14 +/- 1 nmol/min.mg and Km = 20 +/- 6 microM. However, the D beta M-catalyzed conversion of tyramine to octopamine occurs slowly, Vmax = 0.50 +/- 0.13 nmol/min.mg and Km = 29 +/- 18 mM. When ascorbate is present instead in the external buffer, the D beta M rate increases 3.6-fold for a final Vmax = 1.8 +/- 0.2 and Km = 1.2 +/- 0.3 mM. This relatively high rate of enzyme turnover is retained in ghosts resealed with a large excess of ascorbate oxidase, ruling out contamination by intravesicular ascorbate as the source of enzyme activity. The synergistic effect of intravesicular ascorbate was examined under conditions of 2 mM external ascorbate, showing that the enzymatic rate increases 2.7-fold, from 1.2 (0 internal ascorbate) to 3.2 +/- 0.4 nmol/min.mg (saturating internal ascorbate). This result confirms that high levels of internal ascorbate are not damaging to intravesicular D beta M. These studies demonstrate very clearly that external ascorbate is the preferred reductant for the membranous form of D beta M in chromaffin granule ghosts.     

Temperature jump relaxation kinetics of the P-450cam spin equilibrium

The ferric spin-state equilibrium and relaxation rate of cytochrome P-450 has been examined with temperature jump spectroscopy using a number of camphor analogues known to induce different mixed spin states in the substrate-bound complexes [Gould, P., Gelb, M., & Sligar, S. G. (1981) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 6686]. All temperature-induced spectral changes were monophasic, and the spin-state relaxation rate reached a limiting value at high substrate concentrations. The ferric spin equilibrium constant, Kspin, is defined in terms of the rate constants k1 and k-1 via Kspin = k1/k-1 = [P-450(HS)]/[P-450(LS)] where HS and LS represent high-spin (S = 5/2) and low-spin (S = 1/2) ferric iron, respectively, and the spectrally observed spin-state relaxation rate by kobsd = k1 + k-1. A strong correlation between the fraction of high-spin species and the rate constant, k-1, is observed. For a 3 degrees C temperature jump (from 10 to 13 degrees C), the 23% high-spin tetramethylcyclohexanone complex (Kd = 45 +/- 20 microM) is characterized by a ferric spin relaxation rate of kobsd = 1990 s-1, while the rates for the d-fenchone (41% high spin, Kd = 42 +/- 10 microM) and kobsd = 1990 s-1, while the rates for the d-fenchone (41% high spin, Kd = 42 +/- 10 microM) and camphoroquinone (75% high spin, Kd = 15 +/- 5 microM) complexes are 1430 and 346 s-1, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Detection of a tryptophan radical in the reaction of ascorbate peroxidase with hydrogen peroxide.

The reactivity of recombinant pea cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase (rAPX) towards H2O2, the nature of the intermediates and the products of the reaction have been examined using UV/visible and EPR spectroscopies together with HPLC. Compound I of rAPX, generated by reaction of rAPX with 1 molar equivalent of H2O2, contains a porphyrin pi-cation radical. This species is unstable and, in the absence of reducing substrate, decays within 60 s to a second species, compound I*, that has a UV/visible spectrum [lambda(max) (nm) = 414, 527, 558 and 350 (sh)] similar, but not identical, to those of both horseradish peroxidase compound II and cytochrome c peroxidase compound I. Small but systematic differences were observed in the UV/visible spectra of compound I* and authentic rAPX compound II, generated by reaction of rAPX with 1 molar equivalent H2O2 in the presence of 1 molar equivalent of ascorbate [lambda(max) (nm) = 416, 527, 554, 350 (sh) and 628 (sh)]. Compound I* decays to give a 'ferric-like' species (lambda(max) = 406 nm) that is not spectroscopically identical to ferric rAPX (lambda(max) = 403 nm) with a first order rate constant, k(decay)' = (2.7 +/- 0.3) x 10(-4) s(-1). Authentic samples of compound II evolve to ferric rAPX [k(decay) = (1.1 +/- 0.2) x 10(-3) s(-1)]. Low temperature (10 K) EPR spectra are consistent with the formation of a protein-based radical, with g values for compound I* (g parallel = 2.038, g perpendicular = 2.008) close to those previously reported for the Trp191 radical in cytochrome c peroxidase (g parallel = 2.037, g perpendicular = 2.005). The EPR spectrum of rAPX compound II was essentially silent in the g = 2 region. Tryptic digestion of the 'ferric-like' rAPX followed by RP-HPLC revealed a fragment with a new absorption peak near 330 nm, consistent with the formation of a hydroxylated tryptophan residue. The results show, for the first time, that rAPX can, under certain conditions, form a protein-based radical analogous to that found in cytochrome c peroxidase. The implications of these data are discussed in the wider context of both APX catalysis and radical formation and stability in haem peroxidases.