Intermembrane protein transfer. Band 3, the erythrocyte anion transporter, transfers in native orientation from human red blood cells into the bilayer of phospholipid vesicles

Band 3, the erythrocyte anion transporter, has been shown to transfer between human erythrocytes and sonicated vesicles (Newton, A. C., Cook, S. L., and Huestis, W. H. (1983) Biochemistry 22, 6110-6117). Functional band 3 becomes associated with dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles incubated with human red blood cells. Proteolytic degradation patterns reveal that the transporter is transferred to the vesicles in native orientation. In erythrocytes, native band 3 is degraded on the exoplasmic membrane face by chymotrypsin and on the cytoplasmic surface by trypsin (Cabantchik, Z. I., and Rothstein, A. (1974) J. Membr. Biol. 15, 227-248; Jennings, M. L., Anderson, M. P., and Monaghan, R. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 9002-9010). Band 3 in intact protein-vesicle complexes is degraded by exogenous chymotrypsin but not by trypsin. In contrast, trypsin entrapped in the lumen of the vesicles proteolyses the vesicle-bound band 3 quantitatively. Band 3 remaining in the membranes of vesicle-treated cells and in cell fragments is not degraded detectably by vesicle-entrapped trypsin. These observations indicate that band 3 is unlikely to transfer between cell and vesicle membranes via a water-soluble form or to adhere nonspecifically to the vesicle surface; the aqueous contents of vesicles and cells (or membrane fragments) are not pooled during cell-vesicle incubations, hence no cell-vesicle fusion occurs; and the band 3 associated with the sonicated vesicle fraction is inserted in the vesicle bilayer in native orientation, with its cytoplasmic segment contacting the aqueous contents of the vesicle lumen.     

Immunological evidence that band 3 is the major glucose transporter of the human erythrocyte membrane

We have previously reported that human erythrocyte band 3 contains 90-95% of the reconstitutable glucose transport activity of the erythrocyte membrane (Shelton, R.L. and Langdon, R.G. (1983) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 733, 25-33). We have now found that monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to epitopes on band 3 specifically removed band 3 and more than 90% of the reconstitutable glucose transport activity from unfractionated octylglucoside extracts of erythrocyte membranes; nonimmune serum removed neither. Western blots of whole membrane extracts revealed that the polyclonal antibody to band 4.5 used to isolate cDNA clones presumed to code for the transporter (Mueckler, M., Caruso, C., Baldwin, C.A., Pancio, M., Blench, J., Morris, H.B., Allard, W.J., Lienhard, G.E. and Lodish, H.F. (1985) Science 229, 941-945) reacts strongly with six discrete bands in the 4.5 region. A monoclonal antibody to band 3 also reacts with a Mr 55,000 component of band 4.5. We conclude that band 3 contains the major glucose transporter of human erythrocytes, and that the transport activity in band 4.5 might be attributable to a band 3 fragment. Band 3 is probably a multifunctional transport protein responsible for transport of glucose, anions, and water.     

Phosphorylation and formation of hybrid enzyme species test the "half of sites" reactivity of Escherichia coli succinyl-CoA synthetase

Recent sequencing experiments have identified alpha-His246 as the phosphorylation site of Escherichia coli succinyl-CoA synthetase [Buck, D., Spencer, M. E., & Guest, J. R. (1985) Biochemistry 24, 6245-6252]. We have replaced alpha-His246 with an asparagine residue using site-directed mutagenesis techniques. The resulting mutant enzyme (designated H246N) exhibited no enzyme activity, as expected, but was found as a structurally intact, stable tetramer. Small differences in the net charge of H246N and wild-type enzymes were first detected on native polyacrylamide gels. These charge differences were resolved by using native isoelectric focusing gels to further separate the wild-type enzyme into diphosphorylated, monophosphorylated, and unphosphorylated species. The enzyme species were found to be interconvertible upon incubation with the appropriate enzyme substrate(s). Sample mixtures containing increasing molar ratios of H246N (alpha H246N beta)2 to wild-type enzyme (alpha beta)2 were unfolded and then refolded. The refolded enzyme mixtures were analyzed for enzymatic activity and separated on native isoelectric focusing gels. The hybrid enzyme (alpha beta alpha H246N beta) retained a significant amount of enzyme activity and also exhibited substrate synergism (stimulation of succinate in equilibrium succinyl-CoA exchange in the presence of ATP). Substrate synergism with this enzyme has been interpreted as evidence for interaction between active sites in such a way that only a single phosphoryl group is covalently attached to the enzyme at a given time [Wolodko, W. T., Brownie, E.R., O'Connor, M. D., & Bridger, W. A. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 14116-14119]. On the contrary, we conclude that tetrameric succinyl-CoA synthetase from E. coli is comprised of two independently active dimer molecules associated together to form a "dimer of dimers" that displays substrate synergism within each dimer and not necessarily between dimers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

tRNA recognition site of Escherichia coli methionyl-tRNA synthetase

We have previously shown that anticodon bases are essential for specific recognition of tRNA substrates by Escherichia coli methionyl-tRNA synthetase (MetRS) [Schulman, L. H., & Pelka, H. (1983) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 80, 6755-6759] and that the enzyme tightly binds to C34 at the wobble position of E. coli initiator methionine tRNA (tRNAfMet) [Pelka, H., & Schulman, L. H. (1986) Biochemistry 25, 4450-4456]. We have also previously demonstrated that an affinity labeling derivative of tRNAfMet can be quantitatively cross-linked to the tRNA binding site of MetRS [Valenzuela, D., & Schulman, L. H. (1986) Biochemistry 25, 4555-4561]. Here, we have determined the site in MetRS which is cross-linked to the anticodon of tRNAfMet, as well as the location of four additional cross-links. Only a single peptide, containing Lys465, is covalently coupled to C34, indicating that the recognition site for the anticodon is close to this sequence in the three-dimensional structure of MetRS. The D loop at one corner of the tRNA molecule is cross-linked to three peptides, containing Lys402, Lys439, and Lys596. The 5' terminus of the tRNA is cross-linked to Lys640, near the carboxy terminus of the enzyme. Since the 3' end of tRNAfMet is positioned close to the active site in the N-terminal domain [Hountondji, C., Blanquet, S., & Lederer, F. (1985) Biochemistry 24, 1175-1180], this result indicates that the carboxy ends of the two polypeptide chains of native dimeric MetRS are folded back toward the N-terminal domain of each subunit.     

Enzymatic methylation of band 3 anion transporter in intact human erythrocytes

Band 3, the anion transport protein of erythrocyte membranes, is a major methyl-accepting substrate of the intracellular erythrocyte protein carboxyl methyltransferase (S-adenosyl-L-methionine: protein-D-aspartate O-methyltransferase; EC 2.1.1.77) [Freitag, C., & Clarke, S. (1981) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 6102-6108]. The localization of methylation sites in intact cells by analysis of proteolytic fragments indicated that sites were present in the cytoplasmic N-terminal domain as well as the membranous C-terminal portion of the polypeptide. The amino acid residues that serve as carboxyl methylation sites of the erythrocyte anion transporter were also investigated. 3H-Methylated band 3 was purified from intact erythrocytes incubated with L-[methyl-3H]methionine and from trypsinized and lysed erythrocytes incubated with S-adenosyl-L-[methyl-3H]methionine. After proteolytic digestion with carboxypeptidase Y, D-aspartic acid beta-[3H]methyl ester was isolated in low yields (9% and 1%, respectively) from each preparation. The bulk of the radioactivity was recovered as [3H]methanol, and the amino acid residue(s) originally associated with these methyl groups could not be determined. No L-aspartic acid beta-[3H]methyl ester or glutamyl gamma-[3H]methyl ester was detected. The formation of D-aspartic acid beta-[3H]methyl esters in this protein in intact cells resulted from protein carboxyl methyltransferase activity since it was inhibited by adenosine and homocysteine thiolactone, which increases the intracellular concentration of the potent product inhibitor S-adenosylhomocysteine, and cycloleucine, which prevents the formation of the substrate S-adenosyl-L-[methyl-3H]methionine.     

Isolation and characterization of 101-beta-lysozyme that possesses the beta-aspartyl sequence at aspartic acid-101

In the reaction of the intramolecular cross-linking between Lys-13 (epsilon-NH3+) and Leu-129 (alpha-COO-) in lysozyme using imidazole and 1-ethyl-3-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]carbodiimide hydrochloride [Yamada, H., Kuroki, R., Hirata, M., & Imoto, T. (1983) Biochemistry 22, 4551-4556], it was found that two-thirds of the protein (both the recovered and cross-linked lysozymes) showed a lower affinity than the rest against chitin-coated Celite, an affinity adsorbent for lysozyme. The protein with the reduced affinity was separated on chitin-coated Celite affinity chromatography and found to be slightly different from native lysozyme in the elution position of the tryptic peptide of Ile-98-Arg-112 on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. In contrast with native lysozyme, the limited hydrolysis of this abnormal tryptic peptide of Ile-98-Arg-112 in 6 N HCl at 110 degrees C gave a considerable amount of beta-aspartylglycine. Therefore, it was concluded that two-thirds of the protein obtained from this reaction possessed the beta-aspartylglycyl sequence at Asp-101-Gly-102. As a result, we obtained four lysozymes from this reaction, the derivative with the beta-aspartyl sequence at Asp-101 (101-beta-lysozyme), the cross-linked derivative between Lys-13 and Leu-129 (CL-lysozyme), the CL-lysozyme derivative with the beta-aspartyl sequence at Asp-101 (101-beta-CL-lysozyme), and native lysozyme. In the ethyl esterification of Asp-52 in lysozyme with triethyloxonium fluoroborate [Parsons, S. M., Jao, L., Dahlquist, F. W., Borders, C. L., Jr., Groff, T., Racs, J., & Raftery, M. A. (1969) Biochemistry 8, 700-712; Parsons, S. M., & Raftery, M. A. (1969) Biochemistry 8, 4199-4205], the same bond rearrangement was detected in the same ratio.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effects of substitution of tryptophan 412 in the substrate activation pathway of yeast pyruvate decarboxylase.

Oligonucleotide-directed site-specific mutagenesis was carried out on pyruvate decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.1) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae at W412, located on the putative substrate activation pathway and linking E91 on the alpha domain with W412 on the gamma domain of the enzyme. While C221 on the beta domain is the residue at which substrate activation is triggered [Baburina, I., et al. (1994) Biochemistry 33, 5630-5635; Baburina, I., et al. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 10249-10255], that information, via the substrate bound at C221, is transmitted to H92 on the alpha domain, across the domain divide from C221 [Baburina, I., et al. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 1235-1244; Baburina, I., et al. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 1245-1255], thence to E91 on the alpha domain [Li, H., and Jordan, F. (1999) Biochemistry 38, 9992-10003], and then on to W412 on the gamma domain and to the active site thiamin diphosphate located at the interface of the alpha and gamma domains [Arjunan, D., et al. (1996) J. Mol. Biol. 256, 590-600]. Substitution at W412 with F and A was carried out, resulting in active enzymes with specific activities about 4- and 10-fold lower than that of the wild-type enzyme. Even though W412 interacts with E91 and H115 via a main chain hydrogen bond donor and acceptor, respectively, there is clear evidence for the importance of the indole side chain of W412 from a variety of experiments: thermostability, fluorescence quenching, and the binding constants of the thiamin diphosphate, and circular dichroism spectroscopy, in addition to conventional steady-state kinetic measurements. While the substrate activation is still prominent in the W412F variant, its level is very much reduced in the W412A variant, signaling that the size of the side chain is also important in positioning the amino acids surrounding the active center to achieve substrate activation. The fluorescence studies demonstrate that W412 is a relatively minor contributor to the well-documented fluorescence of apopyruvate decarboxylase in its native state. The information about the W412 variants provides strong additional support for the putative substrate activation pathway from C221 --> H92 --> E91 --> W412 --> G413 --> thiamin diphosphate. The accumulating evidence for the central role of the beta domain in stabilizing the overall structure is summarized.     

1H two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser effect and relaxation studies of poly(dA).poly(dT)

The structure of poly(dA).poly(dT) in aqueous solution has been studied by using 1H two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser effect (2D NOE) spectroscopy and relaxation rate measurements on the imino and nonexchangeable protons. The assignments of the 1H resonances are determined from the observed cross-relaxation patterns in the 2D NOE experiments. The cross-peak intensities together with the measured relaxation rates show that the purine and pyrimidine strands in poly(dA).poly(dT) are equivalent in aqueous solution. The results are consistent with a right-handed B-form helix where the sugars on both strands are in the C2'-endo/anti configuration. These observations are inconsistent with a proposed heteronomous structure for poly(dA).poly(dT) [Arnott, S., Chandrasekaran, R., Hall, I. H., & Puigjaner, L. C. (1983) Nucleic Acids Res. 11, 4141-4155]. The measured relaxation rates also show that poly(dA).poly(dT) has fast, large-amplitude local internal motions (+/- 20-25 degrees) in solution and that the amplitudes of the base and sugar motions are similar. The motion of the bases in poly(dA).poly(dT) is also similar to that previously reported for poly(dA-dT).poly(dA-dT) and poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) [Assa-Munt, N., Granot, J., Behling, R. W., & Kearns, D. R. (1984) Biochemistry 23, 944-955; Mirau, P. A., Behling, R. W., & Kearns, D. R. (1985) Biochemistry 24, 6200-6211].     

Location of the maltosyl isothiocyanate binding site on the human erythrocyte glucose transporter

The covalent affinity probe maltosyl isothiocyanate (MITC) has been used previously to identify the glucose transporter of human erythrocytes as a component of band 3. By use of limited proteolysis, the site on the Mr 100 000 protein to which MITC attaches has been localized to a 17 000-dalton region near the center of the polypeptide chain which is intimately associated with the membrane. The erythrocyte anion transporter, which is probably homologous to the glucose carrier, has a corresponding segment which is known to bind the covalent affinity label 4,4'-diisothiocyano-2,2'-stilbenedisulfonic acid [Ramjeesingh, M., Gaarn, A., & Rothstein, A. (1980) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 559, 127-139]. These results suggest that, in addition to having structural features in common, the two carrier proteins may be quite similar with regard to functional organization.     

Fourier transform infrared evidence of proton uptake by glutamate L212 upon reduction of the secondary quinone QB in the photosynthetic reaction center from Rhodobacter capsulatus

The photoreduction of the secondary quinone Q(B) in native reaction centers (RCs) of Rhodobacter capsulatus and in RCs from the GluL212 --> Gln and GluL212 --> Ala mutants has been investigated at pH 7 in (1)H(2)O and (2)H(2)O by light-induced Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) difference spectroscopy. The Q(B)(-)/Q(B) FTIR difference spectra reflect changes of quinone-protein interactions and of protonation state of carboxylic acid groups as well as reorganization of the protein upon electron transfer. Comparison of Q(B)(-)/Q(B) spectra of native and mutant RCs indicates that the interactions between Q(B) or Q(B)(-) and the protein are similar in all RCs. A differential signal at approximately 1650/1640 cm(-1), which is common to all the spectra, is associated with a movement of a peptide carbonyl or a side chain following Q(B) reduction. On the other hand, Q(B)(-)/Q(B) spectra of native and mutant RCs display several differences, notably between 1700 and 1650 cm(-1) (amide I and side chains), between 1570 and 1530 cm(-1) (amide II), and at 1728-1730 cm(-1) (protonated carboxylic acid groups). In particular, the latter region in native RCs is characterized by a main positive band at 1728 cm(-1) and a negative signal at 1739 cm(-1). In the L212 mutants, the amplitude of the positive band is strongly decreased leading to a differential signal at 1739/1730 cm(-1) that is insensitive to (1)H/(2)H isotopic exchange. In native RCs, only the 1728 cm(-1) band is affected in (2)H(2)O while the 1739 cm(-1) signal is not. The effects of the mutations and of (1)H/(2)H exchange on the Q(B)(-)/Q(B) spectra concur in the attribution of the 1728 cm(-1) band in native RCs to (partial) proton uptake by GluL212 upon the first electron transfer to Q(B), as previously observed in Rhodobacter sphaeroides RCs [Nabedryk, E., Breton, J., Hienerwadel, R., Fogel, C., M?ntele, W., Paddock, M. L., and Okamura, M. Y. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 14722-14732]. More generally, strong homologies of the Q(B) to Q(B)(-) transition in the RCs from Rb. sphaeroides and Rb. capsulatus are detected by differential FTIR spectroscopy. The FTIR data are discussed in relation with the results from global proton uptake measurements and electrogenic events concomitant with the reduction of Q(B) and with a model of the Q(B) turnover in Rb. sphaeroides RCs [Mulkidjanian, A. Y. (1999) FEBS Lett. 463, 199-204].     

Functional properties of the heme propionates in cytochrome c oxidase from Paracoccus denitrificans. Evidence from FTIR difference spectroscopy and site-directed mutagenesis

By specific (13)C labeling of the heme propionates, four bands in the reduced-minus-oxidized FTIR difference spectrum of cytochrome c oxidase from Paracoccus denitrificans have been assigned to the heme propionates [Behr, J., Hellwig, P., M?ntele, W., and Michel, H. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 7400-7406]. To attribute these signals to the individual propionates, we have constructed seven cytochrome coxidase variants using site-directed mutagenesis of subunit I. The mutant enzymes W87Y, W87F, W164F, H403A, Y406F, R473K, and R474K were characterized by measurement of enzymatic turnover, proton pumping activity, and Vis and FTIR spectroscopy. Whereas the mutant enzymes W164F and Y406F were found to be structurally altered, the other cytochrome c oxidase variants were suitable for band assignment in the infrared. Reduced-minus-oxidized FTIR difference spectra of the mutant enzymes were used to identify the ring D propionate of heme a as a likely proton acceptor upon reduction of cytochromic oxidase. The ring D propionate of heme a(3) might undergo conformational changes or, less likely, act as a proton donor.     

Effect of tubulin binding and self-association on the near-ultraviolet circular dichroic spectra of colchicine and analogues

Near-UV circular dichroic (CD) spectra of three colchicine analogues that differ at the C-10 position have been obtained in the presence and absence of tubulin. All three colchicine analogues show dramatic alterations in the low-energy near-UV CD band upon tubulin binding that cannot be mimicked by solvent, but in no event does the rotational strength of the CD band decrease to nearly zero as in the case of colchicine [Detrich, H. W., III, Williams, R. C., Jr., Macdonald, T. L., & Puett, D. (1981) Biochemistry 20, 5999-6005]. The effect of self-association of colchicine and one of the C-10 analogues, thiocolchicine, on the near-UV CD band was also investigated. A qualitative similarity was seen between the near-UV CD spectra of colchicine and thiocolchicine dimers and the spectra of these molecules bound to tubulin. These observations support the previous suggestion that ligands bound to the colchicine site on tubulin may be interacting with an aromatic amino acid in the colchicine binding site [Hastie, S. B., & Rava, R. P. (1989) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 110, 6993-7001].     

Effect of the hinge protein on the heme iron site of cytochrome c1

X-ray absorption spectroscopic (XAS) studies on cytochrome C1 from beef heart mitochondria were conducted to identify the effect of the hinge protein [Kim, C.H., & King, T.E. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 13543-13551] on the structure of the heme site in cytochrome c1. A comparison of XAS data of highly purified "one-band" and "two-band" cytochrome c1 [Kim, C.H., & King, T.E. (1987) Biochemistry 26, 1955-1961] demonstrates that the hinge protein exerts a rather pronounced effect on the heme environment of the cytochrome c1: a conformational change occurs within a radius of approximately 5 A from the heme iron in cytochrome c1 when the hinge protein is bound to cytochrome c1. This result may be correlated with the previous observations that the structure and reactivity of cytochrome c1 are affected by the hinge protein [Kim, C.H., & King, T.E. (1987) Biochemistry 26, 1955-1961; Kim, C.H., Balny, C., & King, T.E. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 8103-8108].     

Identification of the eosinyl-5-maleimide reaction site on the human erythrocyte anion-exchange protein: overlap with the reaction sites of other chemical probes.

The anion-exchange protein (band 3) reaction site in human erythrocytes for the fluorescent/phosphorescent probe eosinyl-5-maleimide (EMA) has been identified. Proteolytic dissection of band 3 in situ indicated that EMA reacts with the membrane-spanning Mr 17K peptide produced by chymotrypsin cleavage of band 3 in intact erythrocytes followed by removal of the cytoplasmic domain by mild trypsin digestion of ghost membranes. Sequencing of the major eosin-labeled peptide obtained from HPLC purification of an extensive chymotrypsin digest of purified Mr 17K peptide allowed assignment of the covalent reaction site for EMA to lysine-430 of the human erythrocyte protein [Tanner et al. (1988) Biochem. J. 256, 703-712]. Hydropathy plots based upon the primary structure of the protein [Lux et al. (1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 9089-9093] suggest that this residue is in an extracellularly accessible loop connecting membrane-spanning segments 1 and 2 of native band 3 in the erythrocyte membrane. Inhibition of sequential labeling of intact erythrocytes by pairs of chemical probes including EMA, the anion transport inhibitor 4,4'-diisothiocyanodihydrostilbene-2,2'-disulfonate (H2-DIDS), and the reactively bifunctional spin-label bis(sulfo-N-succinimidyl) doxyl-2-spiro-5'-azelate (BSSDA) has also been investigated. Each of these reagents affinity labels band 3 when added separately to a suspension of intact human erythrocytes by formation of one or more stable covalent bonds. Prelabeling of intact erythrocytes with EMA reduced subsequent labeling of band 3 by H2-DIDS by approximately 95% and by BSSDA by 90%. Similarly, prelabeling with H2-DIDS reduced subsequent labeling of band 3 by EMA by over 90%, and BSSDA prelabeling reduced EMA labeling by approximately 95%. Therefore, though having widely divergent chemical structures and protein modification reactivities, each of these negatively charged reagents may be competing for reaction with spatially overlapping sites on band 3 which are accessible from the extracellular space.     

Nitric oxide-induced formation of the S-2 state in the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II from Synechococcus elongatus

In spinach photosystem II (PSII) membranes, the tetranuclear manganese cluster of the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) can be reduced by incubation with nitric oxide at -30 degrees C to a state which is characterized by an Mn(2)(II, III) EPR multiline signal [Sarrou, J., Ioannidis, N., Deligiannakis, Y., and Petrouleas, V. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 3581-3587]. This state was recently assigned to the S(-)(2) state of the OEC [Schansker, G., Goussias, C., Petrouleas, V., and Rutherford, A. W. (2002) Biochemistry 41, 3057-3064]. On the basis of EPR spectroscopy and flash-induced oxygen evolution patterns, we show that a similar reduction process takes place in PSII samples of the thermophilic cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus at both -30 and 0 degrees C. An EPR multiline signal, very similar but not identical to that of the S(-)(2) state in spinach, was obtained with monomeric and dimeric PSII core complexes from S. elongatus only after incubation at -30 degrees C. The assignment of this EPR multiline signal to the S(-)(2) state is corroborated by measurements of flash-induced oxygen evolution patterns and detailed fits using extended Kok models. The small reproducible shifts of several low-field peak positions of the S(-)(2) EPR multiline signal in S. elongatus compared to spinach suggest that slight differences in the coordination geometry and/or the ligands of the manganese cluster exist between thermophilic cyanobacteria and higher plants.     

Bis(sulfo-N-succinimidyl) [15N,2H16]doxyl-2-spiro-4'-pimelate, a stable isotope-substituted, membrane-impermeant bifunctional spin label for studies of the dynamics of membrane proteins: application to the anion-exchange channel in intact human erythrocytes

We have synthesized and characterized an isotopically substituted homologue of the membrane-impermeant bifunctional spin label bis(sulfo-N-succinimidyl) doxyl-2-spiro-4'-pimelate (BSSDP) [Beth et al. (1986) Biochemistry 25, 3824-3832] in which the nitroxide N is substituted with 15N and all of the protons in the doxylpimelate moiety are replaced by deuterons ([15N,2H16]BSSDP). Like its normal isotope homologue, [15N,2H16]BSSDP reacts with the anion-exchange channel in intact human erythrocytes at a site that spans the single extracytoplasmic chymotryptic cleavage site and that overlaps the stilbenedisulfonate site. The narrower line widths in the EPR spectrum of [15N,2H16]BSDP-labeled anion channels allow calculation of a minimum separation of 16 A between spin labels bound at the functionally important stilbenedisulfonate sites on adjacent subunits of an anion channel dimer. The 15N and 2H isotopic substitutions also provide substantial improvement in signal to noise of motionally sensitive regions of the ST-EPR spectrum of [15N,2H16]BSSDP-labeled anion channels in intact erythrocytes. [15N,2H16]BSSDP-labeled anion channels in intact erythrocytes were cross-linked to covalent dimers in the extracytoplasmic domain with the membrane-impermeant cross-linking reagent bis(sulfo-N-succinimidyl) suberate [Staros (1982) Biochemistry 21, 3950-3955], and the saturation-transfer EPR spectrum of these cells was compared with that of cells treated with [15N,2H16]BSSDP but not subsequently cross-linked. The spectra were essentially identical, supporting the hypothesis that anion channel subunits form stable dimers in the membranes of intact erythrocytes.     

Phospholipids chiral at phosphorus. Absolute configuration of chiral thiophospholipids and stereospecificity of phospholipase D

Separate diastereomers of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3- thiophosphoethanolamine ( DPPsE ) were prepared in 97% diastereomeric purity and characterized by 31P, 13C, and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The isomers hydrolyzed by phospholipases A2 and C specifically were designated as isomer B (31P NMR delta 59.13 in CDCl3 + Et3N ) and isomer A (59.29 ppm), respectively, analogous to the isomers B and A of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3- thiophosphocholine ( DPPsC ) [ Bruzik , K., Jiang , R.-T., & Tsai, M.-D. (1983) Biochemistry 22, 2478-2486]. Phospholipase D from cabbage was shown to be specific to isomer A of DPPsC in transphosphatidylation . The product DPPsE was shown to be isomer A. The absolute configuration of chiral DPPsE at phosphorus was elucidated by bromine-mediated desulfurization in H2 18O to give chiral 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-[18O]phosphoethanolamine ( [18O]DPPE) followed by 31 P NMR analysis [ Bruzik , K., & Tsai, M.-D. (1984) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 106, 747-754]. The absolute configuration of chiral DPPsC was elucidated by desulfurization in H2 18O mediated by bromine or cyanogen bromide to give chiral 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-[18O]phosphocholine ( [18O]DPPC), which was then converted to [18O]DPPE by phospholipase D with retention of configuration [ Bruzik , K., & Tsai, M.-D. (1984) Biochemistry (preceding paper in this issue)]. The results indicate that isomer A of both DPPsE and DPPsC is SP whereas isomer B is RP.     

5 K extended X-ray absorption fine structure and 40 K 10-s resolved extended X-ray absorption fine structure studies of photolyzed carboxymyoglobin

A previous extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) study of photolyzed carboxymyoglobin (MbCO) [Chance, B., Fischetti, R., & Powers, L. (1983) Biochemistry 22, 3820-3829; Powers, L., Sessler, J. L., Woolery, G. L., & Chance, B. (1984) Biochemistry 23, 5519-5523] has provoked much discussion on the heme structure of the photoproduct (MbCO). The EXAFS interpretation that the Fe-CO distance increases by no more than 0.05 A following photodissociation has been regarded as inconsistent with optical, infrared, and magnetic susceptibility studies [Fiamingo, F. G., & Alben, J. O. (1985) Biochemistry 24, 7964-7970; Sassaroli, M., & Rousseau, D. L. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 16292-16294]. The present experiment was performed with well-characterized dry film samples in which MbCO molecules were embedded in a poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix [Teng, T. Y., & Huang, H. W. (1986) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 874, 13-18]. The sample had a high protein concentration (12 mM) to yield adequate EXAFS signals but was very thin (40 micron) so that complete photolysis could be easily achieved by a single flash from a xenon lamp. Although the electronic state of MbCO resembles that of deoxymyoglobin (deoxy-Mb), direct comparison of EXAFS spectra indicates that structurally MbCO is much closer to MbCO than to deoxy-Mb.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Covalent modification of the amine transporter with N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide

N,N'-Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) has been previously shown to inhibit the amine transporter from chromaffin granules [Gasnier, B., Scherman, D., & Henry, J.P. (1985) Biochemistry 24, 3660-3667]. A study of the mechanism of inhibition is presented together with the demonstration of covalent modification of the protein. DCC inhibits binding of R1 (reserpine) and R2 (tetrabenazine) types of ligands to the transporter as well as transport. Ligands of the R2 type, but not those of the R1 type, protect against inhibition of all the reactions by DCC, i.e., accumulation of serotonin, binding if reserpine (R1 ligand), and binding of ketanserine (R2 ligand). The ability of a given R2 ligand to protect the transporter correlates well with its binding constant. Water-soluble carbodiimides, such as 1-ethyl-3-[3-(diethylamino)propyl]carbodiimide (EDC), do not have any effect on the catalytic activity of the transporter. A fluorescent hydrophobic analogue of DCC, N-cyclohexyl-N'-[4-(dimethylamino)-alpha-naphthyl]carbodiimide (NCD-4), inhibits at about the same concentration range as DCC. [14C]DCC labels several polypeptides in the chromaffin granule membranes. Labeling of a polypeptide with an apparent Mr of 80K is inhibited in the presence of R2 ligands. The labeled polypeptide copurifies with the recently identified and isolated transporter [Stern-Bach, Y., Greenberg-Ofrath, N., Flechner, I., & Schuldiner, S. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 3961-3966].