NADH-cytochrome c reductase activity in cultured human lymphocytes: Similarity to the liver microsomal NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase and cytochrome b5 enzyme system

A NADH-cytochrome c reductase activity was increased upon mitogen stimulation of human lymphocytes. The activity was not inhibited by antimycin A or rotenone but was specifically inhibited by antibodies elicited against rat liver NADH-cytochrome b₅ reductase or cytochrome b₅. The activity was linear with cellular homogenates up to 5.2 × 10⁶ cells/ml and had abroad pH optimum of 7.7. The presence of 3-methylcholanthrene in mitogen stimulation media had no effect on the NADH-cytochrome c reductase activity but differentially induced the benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylase (AHH) activity. The reductase activity was present in nonstimulated cells and appears not to be significantly increased in activity per cell upon mitogen-stimulation of the peripheral lymphocyte.     

The interaction of NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase and cytochrome b5 bound to egg lecithin liposomes.

Incubation of liposomes prepared by sonication of egg lecithin with the amphipathic form of cytochrome b5 results in the binding of a maximum of 244 molecules of cytochrome b5 per liposomal vesicle. Interactions of the phospholipid with the hydrophobic segment of cytochrome b5 are involved in this binding which does not disrupt the liposome. When a small amount of NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase is bound liposomes simultaneously with cytochrome b5, the two proteins catalyze the reduction of cytochrome c by NADH. A qualitative kinetic analysis reveals that all of the cytochrome b5 interacts with reductase, a result consistent with these protein undergoing translational diffusion in the plane of the membrane. This system and the purified stearyl coenzyme A desaturase provide a model to study the dynamics of protein andlipid interactions in this membrane-bound oxidative sequence.     

One-electron oxidation-reduction properties of hepatic NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase

The one-electron oxidation-reduction properties of flavin in hepatic NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase were investigated by optical absorption spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and potentiometric titration. An intermediate with a peak at 375 nm previously described by Iyanagi (1977) [ Iyanagi , T. (1977) Biochemistry 16, 2725-2730] was confirmed to be a red anionic semiquinone. The NAD+-bound reduced enzyme was oxidized by cytochrome b5 via the semiquinone intermediate. This indicates that electron transfer from flavin to cytochrome b5 proceeds in two successive one-electron steps. Autoxidation of the NAD+-bound reduced enzyme was slower than that of the NAD+-free reduced enzyme and was accompanied by the appearance of an EPR signal. Midpoint redox potentials of the consecutive one-electron-transfer steps in the presence of excess NAD+ were Em,1 = -88 mV and Em,2 = 147 mV at pH 7.0. This corresponds to a semiquinone formation constant of 8. The values of Em,1 and Em,2 were also studied as a function of pH. A mechanism for electron transfer from NADH to cytochrome b5 is discussed on the basis of the one-electron redox potentials of the enzyme and is compared with the electron-transfer mechanism of NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase.     

Identification of the essential cysteine residue of NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase

The soluble catalytic domain of NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase was radiolabeled with [14C]N-ethylmaleimide. Reaction for a limited time resulted in incorporation of 0.41 eq of N-ethylmaleimide and loss of 36% of the enzyme activity. Chromatography on a 5'-ADP affinity column separated the reductase which was modified with N-ethylmaleimide from the unreacted enzyme; the isolated derivative constituted 37% of the total material, was completely inactivated, and contained 1.00 eq of N-ethylmaleimide. Cyanogen bromide cleavage of the derivative demonstrated that radioactivity was limited to a single peptide which contained both Cys-283 and Cys-297. Tryptic hydrolysis of this cyanogen bromide peptide showed that the radioactivity was associated with Cys-283. Automated sequenator analysis confirmed that Cys-283 was the radiolabeled residue. These data demonstrate unambiguously that Cys-283 provides the essential thiol group of cytochrome b5 reductase.     

Kinetic properties of purified sheep lung microsomal NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase.

1. Lung NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase was saturated with its artificial substrate, potassium ferricyanide at approximately 0.1 mM ferricyanide concentration, and the activity of the lung enzyme was inhibited by the higher concentrations of potassium ferricyanide. Ferricyanide at 0.5 and 1.0 mM inhibited the activity of the enzyme by about 20 and 61% respectively. The apparent Km value was calculated as 13.7 microM potassium ferricyanide and 4.3 microM NADH. 2. The Michaelis constants for cytochrome b5 and NADH were determined to be 1.67 and 7.7 microM from the Lineweaver-Burk plots. These results demonstrate that affinity of the lung reductase for its natural substrate is almost 10 times higher than that for potassium ferricyanide. 3. Addition of non-ionic detergent stimulated the rate of reductase-catalyzed reduction of lung cytochrome b5 up to 8.2-fold. 4. Kinetic studies performed with lung reductase by varying NADH and cytochrome b5 concentrations at different fixed concentrations at cytochrome b5 or NADH showed a series of parallel lines indicating a "ping-pong" type of kinetic mechanism for interaction of NADH and cytochrome b5 with lung cytochrome b5 reductase.     

A high-frequency polymorphism of NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase in African-Americans

NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase (b5R) is a member of a flavoenzyme family of dehydrogenases-electron transferases that participates in the transfer of electrons from the NADH generated in glycolysis to cytochrome b5. b5R is involved in the steady-state reduction of methemoglobin to hemoglobin in erythrocytes and is also involved in lipid metabolism in other cell types. In a search for mutations of the b5R gene in two unrelated African-American families, a high-frequency polymorphism was detected in the propositi from both families, as well as unrelated normal controls, consisting of a C-to-G transversion in exon 5 that changes threonine to serine at codon 116 (T116S). This is the first polymorphism found in the b5R gene. Using allele-specific PCR on the two propositi, their family members, and unselected populations of African-American, Caucasian, Asian, Indo-Aryan, and Arabic individuals, the C/G polymorphism was found in 26 of 112 African-American chromosomes (allele frequency = 0.23), but not in 108 Caucasian, 46 Asian, 44 Indo-Aryan, or 14 Arabic chromosomes. In preliminary studies, this polymorphism did not correlate with b5R enzyme activity or cause any disease phenotype. It remains to be determined whether this African-specific polymorphism that apparently originated recently in human evolution provides any special survival advantage. Received: 11 April 1996 / Revised: 13 May 1996, 9 August 1996     

Studies on the microsomal electron-transport system of anaerobically grown yeast. IV. Purification and characterization of NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase.

The presence of NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase [EC 1.6.2.2] in microsomes from anaerobically grown yeast was confirmed by its isolation and purification. The purified preparation of the reductase showed an apparent molecular weight of 27,000 daltons. The reductase appeared to contain loosely-bound FAD as a prosthetic group. The reductase required NADH as a specific electron donor, and could reduce some redox dyes as well as cytochrom b5. The reductase, however, could not reduce cytochrome c. Michaelis constants of the reductase for NADH and calf liver cytochrome b5 were 6.3 and 1.5 micron M, respectively, and optimal pH for cytochrome b5 reduction was 5.6. Although some differences exist between the properties of NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase from yeast and from mammalia, the results indicate a functional similarity of the present enzyme to mammalian NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase in the microsomal electron-transport system.     

Propylthiouracil, a selective inhibitor of NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase

Propylthiouracil inhibited the activity of NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase of rat liver microsomes using potassium ferricyanide as electron acceptor. On the other hand, NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase activity was not affected by the compound. NADH-supported reduction of cytochrome b5 was also inhibited by propylthiouracil in the reconstituted system consisting of cytochrome b5 and partially purified NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase.     

Covalent cross-linking of the active sites of vesicle-bound cytochrome b5 and NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase

A water-soluble carbodiimide has been used to promote the formation of amide bonds between carboxyl residues on cytochrome b5 and lysyl residues on cytochrome b5 reductase. The visible and UV absorption spectrum of the purified cross-linked complex was identical with the sum of the spectra of the individual enzymes, and the average apparent molecular weight of the complex, determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis, was within 12% of the sum of the apparent molecular weights of the two monomeric enzymes, indicating that the cross-linked derivative was a dimer containing one molecule each of cytochrome b5 and cytochrome b5 reductase. When reconstituted into phospholipid vesicles, the amphipathic derivative showed substantially reduced Vmax values with the soluble electron acceptors potassium ferricyanide, cytochrome b5 heme peptide and cytochrome c, and with the membrane-bound acceptors amphipathic cytochrome b5 and stearyl-CoA desaturase. The soluble catalytic fragment of the derivative, produced by limited digestion with subtilisin Carlsberg, showed similar decreases in Vmax values with the above soluble acceptors. In contrast, intradimer electron transfer in the soluble fragment, measured by stopped flow spectrophotometry at 2 degrees C was very efficient. Ninety per cent of the cytochrome b5 in the derivative was reduced with a first order rate constant of 51 s-1 upon the addition of NADH; the transfer of electrons from NADH to the reductase FAD prosthetic group, which is known to be the rate-limiting step in the reductase reaction mechanism, proceeded with an apparent rate constant of 57 s-1 under these conditions. These kinetic data show that the enzymes in the complex are cross-linked together at the surfaces involved in protein-protein contacts during electron transfer in an orientation similar to that assumed during electron transfer between the free proteins.     

Immunological similarity between NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase of erythrocytes and liver microsomes.

In a number of animal species soluble NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase of erythrocytes was compared with membrane-bound NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase of liver microsomes by using an antibody to purified NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase from rat liver microsomes. The results obtained indicated clearly that they are immunologically very similar to each other. The data with erythrocyte ghosts suggested that cytochrome b5 and NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase are also present in the ghost.     

Amino acid sequence of NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase of human erythrocytes

The amino acid sequence of soluble NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase purified from normal human erythrocytes was determined as one approach to understand the hereditary disease of a deficiency of this enzyme. The protein is hydrophilic as a whole, but two regions, from Phe-36 to Ile-71 and from Met-231 to Phe-275, were found to be highly hydrophobic. The sequence of the latter region is particularly unique, and rich in proline (20%). The sequence of the amino-terminal region was very similar to the partial sequences of the corresponding regions of the enzymes from pig and steer liver microsomes.     

Studies on methemoglobin reductase. Immunochemical similarity of soluble methemoglobin reductase and cytochrome b5 of human erythrocytes with NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase and cytochrome b5 of rat liver microsomes.

An antibody preparation elicited against purified, lysosomal-solubilized NADH-cytochrome b₅ reductase from rat liver microsomes was shown to interact with methemoglobin reductase of human erythrocytes by inhibiting the rate of erythrocyte cytochrome b₅ reduction by NADH. The ferricyanide reductase activity of the enzyme was not inhibited by the antibody, suggesting that the inhibition of methemoglobin reductase activity may be due to interference with the binding of cytochrorme b₅ to the flavoprotein. Under conditions of limiting concentrations of flavoprotein, the antibody inhibited the rate of methemoglobin reduction in a reconstituted system consisting of homogeneous methemoglobin reductase and cytochrome b₅ from human erythrocytes. This inhibition was due to the decreased level of reduced cytochrome b₅ during the steady state of methemoglobin reduction while the rate of methemoglobin reduction per reduced cytochrome b₅ stayed constant, suggesting that the enzyme was not concerned with an electron transport between the reduced cytochrome b₅ and methemoglobin.An antibody to purified, trypsin-solubilized cytochrome b₅ from rat liver microsomes was shown to inhibit erythrocyte cytochrome b₅ reduction by methemoglobin reductase and NADH to a lesser extent than microsomal cytochrome b₅ preparations from rat liver (trypsin solubilized or detergent solubilized) and pig liver (trypsin solubilized). The results presented establish that soluble methemoglobin reductase and cytochrome b₅ of human erythrocytes are immunochemically similar to NADH-cytochrome b₅ reductase and cytochrome b₅ of liver microsomes, respectively.     

Structure and properties of the recombinant NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase of Physarum polycephalum

A cDNA for NADH-cytochrome b(5) reductase of Physarum polycephalum was cloned from a cDNA library, and the nucleotide sequence of the cDNA was determined (accession no. AB259870). The DNA of 943 base pairs contains 5'- and 3'-noncoding sequences, including a polyadenylation sequence, and a coding sequence of 843 base pairs. The amino acid sequence (281 residues) deduced from the nucleotide sequence was 25 residues shorter than those of vertebrate enzymes. Nevertheless, the recombinant Physarum enzyme showed enzyme activity comparable to that of the human enzyme. The recombinant Physarum enzyme showed a pH optimum of around 6.0, and apparent K(m) values of 2 microM and 14 microM for NADH and cytochrome b(5) respectively. The purified recombinant enzyme showed a typical FAD-derived absorption peak of cytochrome b(5) reductase at around 460 nm, with a shoulder at 480 nm. These results suggest that the Physarum enzyme plays an important role in the organism.     

Complete amino acid sequence of steer liver microsomal NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase

The complete covalent structure of liver microsomal NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase from steer liver microsomes was determined. Cleavage at methionyl bonds gave 10 peptides accounting for all the residues of the protein. Acid cleavage of the reductase at the Asp-Pro bonds gave three peptides accounting for all the CNBr peptides in the molecule. Subfragmentation of these peptides by chemical and enzymatic cleavage provided overlaps which established all the fragments in an unambiguous sequence of 300 residues, corresponding to Mr 34,110. Limited tryptic digestion cleaved reductase at residues 28 and 119, yielding a preparation having two noncovalently linked peptides having a conformation which binds flavin and retains the structural features essential for NADH-cytochrome b5 activity. A model for the secondary structure of cytochrome b5 reductase is proposed that is based on computer-assisted analysis of the amino acid sequence. In this model the beta-turns are predominant and there is some 25% alpha and 30% beta structure.