Extensive studies of the heme coordination structure of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase and of tryptophan binding with magnetic and natural circular dichroism and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy

In order to probe the active site of the heme protein indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, magnetic and natural circular dichroism (MCD and CD) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies of the substrate (L-tryptophan)-free and substrate-bound enzyme with and without various exogenous ligands have been carried out. The MCD spectra of the ferric and ferrous derivatives are similar to those of the analogous myoglobin and horseradish peroxidase species. This provides strong support for histidine imidazole as the fifth ligand to the heme iron of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase. The substrate-free native ferric enzyme exhibits predominantly high-spin EPR signals (g perpendicular = 6, g parallel = 2) along with weak low-spin signals (g perpendicular = 2.86, 2.28, 1.60); similar EPR, spin-state and MCD features are found for the benzimidazole adduct of ferric myoglobin. This suggests that the substrate-free ferric enzyme has a sterically hindered histidine imidazole nitrogen donor sixth ligand. Upon substrate binding, noticeable MCD and EPR spectral changes are detected that are indicative of an increased low spin content (from 30 to over 70% at ambient temperature). Concomitantly, new low spin EPR signals (g = 2.53, 2.18, 1.86) and MCD features characteristic of hydroxide complexes of histidine-ligated heme proteins appear. For almost all of the other ferric and ferrous derivatives, only small substrate effects are observed with MCD spectroscopy, while substantial substrate effects are seen with CD spectroscopy. Thus, changes in the heme coordination structure of the ferric enzyme and in the protein conformation at the active site of the ferric and ferrous enzyme are induced by substrate binding. The observed substrate effects on the ferric enzyme may correlate with the previously observed kinetic substrate inhibition of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity, while such effects on the ferrous enzyme suggest the possibility that the substrate is activated during turnover.     

Dietary Effects on Fitness Components at the PGM-1 Locus of TRIBOLIUM CASTANEUM

The pattern of genetic differentiation among experimental populations of the flour beetle Tribolium castaneum suggested the hypothesis that relative fitness of three genotypes at the PGM-1 locus (or other linked loci) depends directly on diet. This hypothesis was tested by measuring several fitness components (developmental time, survival, fecundity, rate of egg cannibalism) on groups of individuals differing at the PGM-1 locus that were reared on three types of flour (wheat, corn and a mixture of wheat, corn, barley and rye). Flour type had large effects on all traits except larval survival to 3 weeks of age. Relative fitnesses of the three genotypes differed significantly for fecundity. Diet was found to significantly influence the relative developmental times of the three genotypes.     

The interaction of cytochrome c with monolayers of phosphatidylethanolamine

1. The interaction between [(14)C]carboxymethylated cytochrome c and monolayers of egg phosphatidylethanolamine at the air/water interface has been investigated by measurements of surface radioactivity, pressure and potential. 2. On adding (14)C-labelled cytochrome c to the subphase under monolayers with a surface pressure below 24dynes/cm. there was an initial surface pressure increment as the protein penetrated, followed by an adsorption that could be detected only by a continued increase in the surface radioactivity. 3. Above film pressures of 24dynes/cm. only adsorption was observed, i.e. an increment in surface radioactivity with none in surface pressure. 4. The changes in surface parameters with penetration of cytochrome c added to the subphase were indirectly proportional to the initial pressure of the monolayer. With hydrogenated phosphatidylethanolamine the constant of proportionality was increased but penetration again ceased at 24dynes/cm. 5. On compressing a phosphatidylethanolamine film containing penetrated cytochrome c to 40dynes/cm. only a proportion of the protein was ejected on a subphase of 10mm-sodium chloride, whereas on a subphase of m-sodium chloride nearly all the protein was lost. 6. With both penetration and adsorption only a small proportion of the added cytochrome c interacted with the phospholipid films, and initially the amount bound was proportional to the added protein concentration. There was no evidence of a stoicheiometric relationship between the protein and phospholipid or the build-up of multilayers. The bonded protein was not released by removing cytochrome c from the subphase. 7. The addition of m-sodium chloride to the subphase delays the rate of protein penetration into low-pressure films, but the final surface-pressure increment is not appreciably decreased. In contrast, m-sodium chloride almost completely stops adsorption on to films at all pressures. 8. When sodium chloride is added to the subphase below cytochrome c adsorbed to monolayers at high pressures, so that the final concentration is 1m, only a proportion of the protein is desorbed and this decreases as the time of the interaction increases. This indicates that adsorption is initially electrostatic, followed by the formation of non-ionic bonds. 9. Alteration of the subphase pH under a high-pressure film leads to a steady increase in adsorption from pH3 to 8.5 followed by a rapid fall to zero adsorption at pH11. 10. The penetration into phospholipid monolayers at 10dynes/cm. shows a rate that is consistent with the relative electrostatic status of the two components of the interaction as the subphase pH is varied between 3 and 10.5. The final equilibrium penetration shows a pronounced peak in the increments of surface pressure at pH9.0 although a similar peak is not observed in the surface radioactivity. This indicates that more residues of the protein are penetrating into the film at about this pH. 11. Determinations were made of the electrophoretic mobilities of phosphatidylethanolamine particles both alone and after interaction with cytochrome c. 12. The electrophoretic mobilities of cytochrome c adsorbed on lipid particles showed an isoelectric point below that of cytochrome c. This and the observations on the monolayers suggest that, with cytochrome c, protein-protein interactions are weak compared with other proteins.     

Investigations on the oligosaccharide units of an A myeloma globulin

The carbohydrate content of an A myeloma globulin was investigated. The carbohydrate content was found to be unchanged when the protein was isolated from the patient over a period of 18 months. The various polymeric forms of the protein contained similar proportions of carbohydrate. The A myeloma globulin contained approx. 2 residues of 6-deoxy-l-galactose (l-fucose), 14-15 of d-mannose, 12-13 of d-galactose, 12-13 of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-glucose (N-acetyl-d-glucosamine), 6 of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-galactose (N-acetyl-d-galactosamine) and 5 of N-acetylneuraminic acid (sialic acid), and these were distributed between six oligosaccharide units all of which were present on the heavy polypeptide chains. The oligosaccharide units showed two kinds of heterogeneity, which have been termed central and peripheral. Central heterogeneity was shown by the presence of three completely different core units, which had the following compositions: (1) 3 residues of d-galactose and 3 of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-galactose, joined to protein by an O-glycosidic linkage between acetamidohexose and serine; (2) 3 residues of d-mannose, 2 of d-galactose and 3 of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-glucose, joined to protein by an N-glycosidic linkage between acetamidohexose and aspartic acid; (3) 4 residues of d-mannose and 3 of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-glucose with a linkage similar to that in (2). The core oligosaccharide units showed peripheral heterogeneity in the attachment of 6-deoxy-l-galactose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-glucose and N-acetylneuraminic acid. Tentative structures are proposed for these various types of oligosaccharide unit. Glycopeptides were isolated in which the sialic acid content exceeded that of d-galactose. Explanations are given for the electrophoretic mobility and staining characteristics of the various glycopeptides.     

Dermatopathic Lymphadenopathy—A Clinicopathologic Analysis of Lymph Node Biopsy Over a 15-Year Period

Forty cases of dermatopathic lymphadenopathy were found in a series of 906 consecutive lymph node biopsies (4.8 per cent).The histologic development and progression of the disease was correlated with the clinical state of the patient.In 35 of 40 cases the patients had active skin disease at the time of the biopsy; one of the remaining five patients had Hodgkin''s disease, one had multiple myeloma and one had secondary syphilis. In the other two, no organic cause was found.In nine cases (22.5 per cent), the histological pattern typical of dermatopathic lymphadenopathy was associated with malignant lymphoma. Except for two biopsies, which showed coexisting malignant lymphoma and dermatopathic lymphadenopathy, no histologic features were found which distinguished patients with malignant lymphoma from the remainder.While the pathogenesis of the lymph node changes remains obscure, the histologic features suggest that it is at least in part an immune response, although the nature of the responsible antigen is unknown.