Dynamics of lipid-protein interactions. Interaction of apolipoprotein A-II from human plasma high density lipoproteins with dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine

ApoA-II and dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) spontaneously associate to give three different complexes whose structures are determined by the initial reactant concentration and by the reaction temperature with respect to Tc (23.9 degrees C), the gel to liquid crystalline transition temperature of DMPC. At an initial lipid to protein ratio of 45/1, a single complex (2.29 x 10(5) daltons) is quantitatively formed at all temperatures between Tc - 4 degrees C and Tc + 6 degrees C. When the 45/1 complex is mixed with DMPC liposomes there is lipid exchange but no net transfer of lipid, so that the structure of the complex remains unaltered. At an initial molar ratio of 100 to 300:1, the reaction scheme is more complex. At 24 degrees C a 240/1 complex (1.5 x 10(6) daltons) is formed from a precursor 75/1 complex (3.43 x 10(5) daltons) if excess (approximately 300 mol/mol) lipid is present. The 75/1 complex exhibits lipid exchange in the presence of added DMPC liposomes at 24 degrees C, and both the 75/1 and the 240/1 complex can be converted to smaller protein-rich complexes in the presence of added apoA-II. These results suggest that the initial lipid/protein ratio and the physical state of a lipid or lipid . protein complex determines the composition and structure of the resulting complex and support the view that lipid-protein interactions are stronger than protein-protein or lipid-lipid interactions.     

The reaction of arsenite-complexed xanthine oxidase with oxygen. Evidence for an oxygen-reactive molybdenum center

The effects of arsenite on the reaction of reduced xanthine oxidase with oxygen are determined. The kinetics of the reaction monitoring the return of enzyme absorbance are investigated as are the kinetics and stoichiometries of peroxide and superoxide formation. Although some of the effects of arsenite are qualitatively consistent with expectations based on the known perturbation of the molybdenum midpoint potentials by arsenite, several results cannot be so easily explained. Specifically, arsenite introduces a very rapid phase (kobs = 110 s-1 at 125 microM oxygen) to the oxidative half-reaction which is not observed with the native enzyme. Arsenite also diminishes the amount of superoxide produced and eliminates one-electron reduced enzyme as a detectable kinetic intermediate in the reoxidation pathway. These differences appear to result from the ability of arsenite to greatly enhance the oxygen- and/or superoxide-reactivity of the reduced molybdenum center. This is reflected in the observation that reduced forms of arsenite-complexed xanthine oxidase lacking functional FAD (iodoacetamide-alkylated enzyme and deflavo enzyme) react relatively rapidly with oxygen whereas these reactions are quite slow in the absence of arsenite.     

Acyl chain and headgroup specificity of human plasma lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase. Separation of matrix and molecular specificities

To determine how substrate fluidity and molecular structure independently regulate cholesteryl ester formation, the substrate specificity of lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase with respect to a number of model reassembled high density lipoproteins (R-HDLs) is reported. The R-HDLs are composed of 1 mol % apolipoprotein A-I, 89 mol % of sphingomyelin or a nonhydrolyzable diether analog of phosphatidylcholine (PC) plus 10 mol % of test lipids that are potential acyl donors; a trace of [3H]cholesterol, which permits quantification of cholesteryl ester formation is also included. With respect to the lipid class of the acyl donor, the rate of ester formation decreases in the order phosphatidylethanolamine greater than phosphatidylcholine greater than N,N,-dimethylphosphatidylethanolamine greater than phosphatidylglycerol - phosphatidic acid greater than phosphatidylserine greater than dipalmitin greater than tripalmitin. Within an R-HDL composed of 90% PC ether or sphingomyelin, the relative rates of ester formation are greatest for dipalmitoyl and dimyristoyl PC, with distearoyl PC being almost unreactive; in a solid lipid environment, the rate with respect to unsaturation of the PC is greatest for oleate. In a fluid lipid environment, all unsaturated PCs were utilized nearly equally. All lipids tested were most reactive within an R-HDL composed of an unsaturated PC ether and least reactive within an R-HDL composed mostly of sphingomyelin. These results suggest that the rates of ester formation by lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase are separate functions of the identity and the microscopic environment of the acyl donor. This is the first example of the use of diether analogs for the separation of the effects of macromolecular and molecular structure on the specificity of lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase.     

Use of free energy relationships to probe the individual steps of hydroxylation of p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase: studies with a series of 8-substituted flavins.

We report Hammett correlations, using 8-substituted flavins, to clarify the mechanism of hydroxylation by p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase (PHBH). The 8-position of the FAD isoalloxazine ring was chosen for modifications, because in PHBH it has minimal interactions with the protein, and it is accessible to solvent and away from the site of hydroxylation. Although two intermediates, a flavin-C4a-hydroperoxide and a flavin-C4a-hydroxide, are known to participate in hydroxylation, the mechanism of oxygen transfer remains controversial. Mechanisms as diverse as electrophilic aromatic substitution, diradical formation, and isoalloxazine ring opening have been proposed. In the studies reported here, it was possible to monitor spectrally each of the individual steps involved in hydroxylation, because the FAD cofactor acts as a reporter group. Thus, with PHBH, substituted separately with nine derivatives of FAD altered in the 8-position, quantitative structure-reactivity relationships (QSAR) have been applied to probe the mechanisms of formation of the flavin-C4a-hydroperoxide, the conversion to the flavin-C4a-hydroxide with concomitant oxygen transfer to the substrate, and the dehydration of the flavin-C4a-hydroxide to form oxidized FAD. The individual chemical steps in the mechanism of PHBH were not altered when using any of the modified flavins, and normal products were obtained; however, the rates of individual steps were affected, and depended on the electronic properties of the 8-substituent. Increased hydroxylation rates were observed when a more electrophilic flavin-C4a-hydroperoxide (i.e., with an electron-withdrawing substituent at the 8-position) is bound to PHBH. On the basis of QSAR analysis, we conclude that the mechanism of the hydroxylation step is best described by electrophilic aromatic substitution.     

Surface activation of pro-cathepsin L.

Pro-cathepsin L is an inactive zymogen that has been shown previously to undergo autolysis at pH 3.0 to give mature forms of the enzyme. We have now been able to demonstrate that this enzyme can undergo activation at pH 5.5 in the presence of negatively charged surfaces. Activation could also be measured at pH 6.0, but no activation occurred at pH 6.5 or higher. The initiation of activation depends upon the presence of a small percentage of active pro-enzyme, and this is then followed by a more rapid activation to give mature forms of the enzyme. No significant intermediate molecular forms of the enzyme were seen. The time taken for processing of the pro-enzyme to single-chain mature enzyme is comparable to that seen in biosynthetic pulse-chase experiments.     

Effect of substrate and pH on the oxidative half-reaction of phenol hydroxylase

The oxidative half-reaction of phenol hydroxylase has been studied by stopped-flow spectrophotometry. Three flavin-oxygen intermediates can be detected when the substrate is thiophenol, or m-NH2, m-OH, m-CH3, m-Cl, or p-OH phenol. Intermediate I, the flavin C(4a)-hydroperoxide, has an absorbance maximum at 380-390 nm and an extinction coefficient approximately 10,000 M-1 cm-1. Intermediate III, the flavin C(4a)-hydroxide, has an absorbance maximum at 365-375 nm and an extinction coefficient approximately 10,000 M-1 cm-1. Intermediate II has absorbance maxima of 350-390 nm and extinction coefficients of 10,000-16,000 M-1 cm-1 depending on the substrate. A Hammett plot of the logarithm of the rates of the oxygen transfer step, the conversion of intermediate I to intermediate II, gives a straight line with a slope -0.5. Fluoride ion is a product of the enzymatic reaction when 2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenol is the substrate. These results are consistent with an electrophilic substitution mechanism for oxygen transfer. The conversions of I to II and II to III are acid-catalyzed. A kinetic isotope effect of 8 was measured for the conversion of II to III using deuterated resorcinol as substrate. The conversion of III to oxidized enzyme is base-catalyzed, suggesting that the reaction depends on the removal of the flavin N(5) proton. Product release occurs at the same time as the formation of intermediate III, or rapidly thereafter. The results are interpreted according to the ring-opened model of Entsch et al. (Entsch, B., Ballou, D. P., and Massey, V. (1976) J. Biol. Chem. 251, 2550-2563).     

4-Thioflavins as active site probes of flavoproteins. Reactions with sulfite

4-Thioflavins react with sulfite under aerobic conditions to yield highly fluorescent products with absorption maxima around 410 nm. These products have been identified as 4-hydroxy-4-sulfonylflavins, and have been shown to arise from a series of reactions following the O2-dependent reoxidation of an intermediate with absorption maxima at 363 and 465 nm. Under anaerobic conditions, the same intermediate is formed, but decays to a 350 nm absorbing species, which is probably the N(5)-sulfite adduct of 4-thioflavin. A plausible mechanism is described for the formation of the derivatives, and several of their chemical and physical properties are described. Distinctly different results between different proteins are obtained when sulfite reacts with enzyme-bound 4-thioflavins. 4-Thio-FAD-D-amino acid oxidase and 4-thio-FMN-lactate oxidase react rapidly to yield the N(5)-sulfite adducts, as occurs with the native enzymes. 4-Thio-FAD-p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase reacts slowly in a manner paralleling the reaction with the free 4-thioflavins.