Binding and fluorescence studies of the relationship between neurophysin-peptide interaction and neurophysin self-association: an allosteric system exhibiting minimal cooperativity

The mechanism of peptide-enhanced neurophysin self-association was investigated to address questions raised by the crystal structure of a neurophysin-dipeptide complex. The dependence on protein concentration of the binding of a broad range of peptides to the principal hormone-binding site confirmed that occupancy of this site alone, and not a site that bridges the monomer-monomer interface, is the trigger for enhanced dimerization. For the binding of most peptides to the principal hormone-binding site on bovine neurophysin I, the affinity of each dimer site was at least 10 times that of monomer under the conditions used. No interactions between the two sites of the dimer were evident. Fluorescence polarization studies of pressure-induced dimer dissociation indicated that the volume change for this reaction was almost 4 times greater in the liganded than in the unliganded state, pointing to a significant alteration of the monomer-monomer interface upon peptide binding. Novel conformational changes in the vicinity of the single neurophysin tyrosine, Tyr-49, induced by pressures lower than required for subunit dissociation, were also observed. The bovine neurophysin I dimer therefore appears to represent an allosteric system in which there is thermodynamic and functional communication between each binding site and the monomer-monomer interface, but no communication across the interface to the binding site of the other subunit. A model for the peptide-enhanced dimerization is proposed in which intersubunit contacts between monomers reduce the large unfavorable free energy associated with binding-induced intrasubunit conformational change. Structural origins of the lack of communication across the interface are suggested on the basis of the low volume change associated with dimerization in the unliganded state and monomer-monomer contacts in the crystal structure. Potential roles for the peptide alpha-amino group and position 2 phenyl ring in triggering conformational change are discussed.     

Contributions of the interdomain loop, amino terminus, and subunit interface to the ligand-facilitated dimerization of neurophysin: crystal structures and mutation studies of bovine neurophysin-I

Current evidence indicates that the ligand-facilitated dimerization of neurophysin is mediated in part by dimerization-induced changes at the hormone binding site of the unliganded state that increase ligand affinity. To elucidate other contributory factors, we investigated the potential role of neurophysin's short interdomain loop (residues 55-59), particularly the effects of loop residue mutation and of deleting amino-terminal residues 1-6, which interact with the loop and adjacent residues 53-54. The neurophysin studied was bovine neurophysin-I, necessitating determination of the crystal structures of des 1-6 bovine neurophysin-I in unliganded and liganded dimeric states, as well as the structure of its liganded Q58V mutant, in which peptide was bound with unexpectedly increased affinity. Increases in dimerization constant associated with selected loop residue mutations and with deletion of residues 1-6, together with structural data, provided evidence that dimerization of unliganded neurophysin-I is constrained by hydrogen bonding of the side chains of Gln58, Ser56, and Gln55 and by amino terminus interactions, loss or alteration of these hydrogen bonds, and probable loss of amino terminus interactions, contributing to the increased dimerization of the liganded state. An additional intersubunit hydrogen bond from residue 81, present only in the liganded state, was demonstrated as the largest single effect of ligand binding directly on the subunit interface. Comparison of bovine neurophysins I and II indicates broadly similar mechanisms for both, with the exception in neurophysin II of the absence of Gln55 side chain hydrogen bonds in the unliganded state and a more firmly established loss of amino terminus interactions in the liganded state. Evidence is presented that loop status modulates dimerization via long-range effects on neurophysin conformation involving neighboring Phe22 as a key intermediary.     

Slowly interchanging conformers of bovine neurophysin-I in the unliganded dimeric state.

The effect of neurophysin dimerization on Tyr-49, a residue adjacent to the hormone-binding site, was investigated by proton NMR in order to analyze the basis of the dimerization-induced increase in neurophysin hormone affinity. Dimerization-induced changes in Tyr-49 resonances, in two unliganded bovine neurophysins, suggested that Tyr-49 perturbation is an intrinsic consequence of dimerization, although Tyr-49 is distant from the monomer-monomer interface in the crystalline liganded state. To determine whether this perturbation reflects a conformational difference between liganded and unliganded states that places Tyr-49 at the interface in the unliganded state, or a dimerization-induced change in secondary (2 degrees) or tertiary (3 degrees) structure, the more general structural consequences of dimerization were further analyzed. No change in 2 degrees structure upon dimerization was demonstrable by CD. On the other hand, a general similarity of regions involved in dimerization in unliganded and liganded states was indicated by NMR evidence of participation of His-80 and Phe-35 in dimerization in the unliganded state; both residues are at the interface in the crystal structure and distant from Tyr-49. Consistent with a lack of direct participation of Tyr-49 at the monomer-monomer interface, dimerization induced at least two distinct slowly exchanging environmental states for the 3.5 ring protons of Tyr-49 without significantly increased dipolar broadening relative to the monomer. Two environments were also found in the dimer of des-1-8 neurophysin-I for the methyl protons of Thr-9, another residue distant from the monomer-monomer interface and close to the binding site in the liganded state.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Molecular properties of the oxytocin/bovine neurophysin biosynthetic precursor. Studies using a semisynthetic precursor

An oxytocin/bovine neurophysin I biosynthetic precursor, [N epsilon-diacetimidyl-30,71, des-His106]pro-OT/BNPI, was synthesized from a synthetic oxytocinyl peptide, 1/2Cys-Tyr-Ile-Gln-Asn-1/2Cys-Pro-Leu-Gly-Gly-Lys-Arg, and native neurophysin by chemical semisynthesis. The semisynthetic precursor contains the entire sequence of the biosynthetic precursor deduced from the complementary DNA structure except for omission of the carboxyl-terminal histidine residue. The covalent structure of the semisynthetic product was verified by amino acid analysis and amino-terminal analysis. Analytical affinity chromatography was employed to evaluate noncovalent binding properties of the precursor. The precursor does not bind significantly to immobilized Met-Tyr-Phe, a hormone binding site ligand. In contrast, the acetimidated precursor binds to immobilized bovine neurophysin II, with a 13-fold higher affinity than does acetimidated neurophysin itself. When a hormonal ligand, [Lys8]vasopressin, was added to the elution buffer at the concentration of 0.1 mM so that a major portion of the immobilized BNPII was liganded, the affinity between the immobilized liganded BNPII and the precursor was enhanced 8-fold and approached the affinity for the liganded (bovine neurophysin I-immobilized BNPII) interaction. The data imply that the precursor can self-associate and that this self-association is closely related to that of liganded neurophysin. The tripeptide affinity matrix data argue that, in the precursor, the ligand binding site of the neurophysin domain is occupied intramolecularly by the hormone domain. The data verify the view that both the self-association surface and hormone binding site are established upon precursor folding. A disulfide stability analysis showed the resistance, to disulfide interchange by dithiothreitol, of semisynthetic precursor but not of neurophysin, as judged by protein association and peptide ligand binding activities, respectively. The results argue that the molecular structure of the precursor is established upon precursor folding and before enzymatic processing that produces mature hormone and neurophysin.     

The composition of crystalline complexes of neurophysin-M with [8-arginine]-vasopressin and oxytocin

Neurophysin-M, a methionine-containing protein that is the major constituent of neurophysin, has been crystallized as complexes with [8-arginine]-vasopressin. Three moles of vasopressin alone or 2 moles of vasopressin together with 1 mole of oxytocin are bound/mole of protein. An amorphous complex of the protein with oxytocin alone contains 2 moles of the hormone/mole of protein. Deamino-[8-arginine]-vasopressin, a highly active basic analogue of vasopressin, is not bound by neurophysin. The primary amino group of both vasopressin and oxytocin is necessary for binding with neurophysin.     

Binding of oxytocin and 8-arginine-vasopressin to neurophysin studied by 15N NMR using magnetization transfer and indirect detection via protons

NMR was used to monitor the binding to neurophysin of oxytocin and 8-arginine-vasopressin, 15N labeling being used to identify specific backbone 15N and 1H signals. The most significant effects of binding were large downfield shifts in the amino nitrogen resonance of Phe-3 of vasopressin and in its associated proton, providing evidence that the peptide bond between residues 2 and 3 of the hormones is hydrogen-bonded to the protein within hormone-neurophysin complexes. Suggestive evidence of hydrogen bonding of the amino nitrogen of Tyr-2 was also obtained in the form of decreased proton exchange rates on binding; however, the chemical shift changes of this nitrogen and its associated proton indicated that such hydrogen bonding, if present, is probably weak. Shifts in the amino nitrogen of Asn-5 and in the -NH protons of both Asn-5 and Cys-6 demonstrated that these residues are significantly perturbed by binding, suggesting conformational changes of the ring on binding and/or the presence of binding sites on the hormone outside the 1-3 region. No support was obtained for the thesis that there is a significant second binding site for vasopressin on each neurophysin chain. The behavior of both oxytocin and vasopressin on binding was consistent with formation of 1:1 complexes in slow exchange with the free state under most pH conditions. At low pH there was evidence of an increased exchange rate. Additionally, broadening of 15N resonances in the bound state at low pH occurred without a corresponding change in the resonances of equilibrating free hormone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Expression, folding, and thermodynamic properties of the bovine oxytocin-neurophysin precursor: relationships to the intermolecular oxytocin-neurophysin complex.

Earlier thermodynamic studies of the intermolecular interactions between mature oxytocin and neurophysin, and of the effects of these interactions on neurophysin folding, raised questions about the intramolecular interactions of oxytocin with neurophysin within their common precursor. To address this issue, the disulfide-rich precursor of oxytocin-associated bovine neurophysin was expressed in Escherichia coli and folded in vitro to yield milligram quantities of purified protein; evidence of significant impediments to yield resulting from damage to Cys residues is presented. The inefficiency associated with the refolding of reduced mature neurophysin in the presence of oxytocin was found not to be alleviated in the precursor. Consistent with this, the effects of pH on the spectroscopic properties of the precursor and on the relative stabilities of the precursor and mature neurophysin to guanidine denaturation indicated that noncovalent intramolecular bonding between oxytocin and neurophysin in the precursor had only a small thermodynamic advantage over the corresponding bonding in the intermolecular complex. Loss of the principal interactions between hormone and protein, and of the enhanced stability of the precursor relative to that of the mature unliganded protein, occurred reversibly upon increasing the pH, with a midpoint at pH 10. Correlation of these results with evidence from NMR studies of structural differences between the precursor and the intermolecular complex, which persist beyond the pH 10 transition, suggests that the covalent attachment of the hormone in the precursor necessitates a conformational change in its neurophysin segment and leads to properties of the system that are distinct from those of either the liganded or unliganded mature protein.     

Interactions of bovine neurophysins with neurohypophyseal hormones. On the role of tyrosine-49.

Reaction of tetranitromethane with the lone tyrosine residue of bovine neurophysin I and II, tyrosine-49, gave nitro derivatives of these proteins which were obtained in a highly purified form by preparative electrophoresis. Equilibrium dialysis experiments indicated clearly that oxytocin binding remained essentially unaffected by the chemical modification of tyrosine-49. However, in the case of (8-lysine)vasopressin, the nitrated protein was found to bind only 1 hormone molecule in contrast to the 2 vasopressin molecules bound by the native protein. Ultraviolet absorption difference spectroscopy measurements between 250 nm and 300 nm indicated that upon binding of (2-phenylalanine, 8-lysine)vasopressin, tyrosine-49 of native neurophysin undergoes a change of microenvironment from less to more polar surroundings. Studies of the nitrotyrosyl-49 chromophore of neurophysin by ab sorption spectroscopy in the absence and presence of oxytocin or (8-lysine)vasopressin confirmed this finding. Since dimethylsulfoxide solvent perturbation studies suggested that in the Cys(Me)-Phe-Ile-NH2-neurophysin I complex, tyrosine-49 is more exposed to solvent than in neurophysin I alone, it is concluded that this residue is unmasked by conformational changes upon complex formation.     

On the molecular mechanism of interaction between the neurophysins and oxytocin and vasopressin

Detailed mechanisms are presented at the molecular level for the binding of oxytocin and of vasopressin to their carrier proteins neurophysin (NP) I and neurophysin II. The amino acid sequence of both these is known together with the pattern of disulphide bound formation for the latter. It is suggested that the peptide hormone fits snugly into a deep cavity in the protein carrier, so that the complex forms a globular, water-extruding mass. Features of the mode of interaction determined by experiment [such as the binding of the terminal amino group of the hormone to a carboxyl group of NP, the close binding of tyr and phe of the hormone to a lipophilic region of NP and the close relation of tyr (2) of the hormone with tyr (49) of NP]are built into the model. The differences between NPI and NPII are related to differences between oxytocin (ile at 3) and vasopressin (phe at 3). Finally a number of specific predictions are made that are testable by experiment concerning the X-ray structure of the NP-hormone complexes and the ease and result of chemical modification of specific residues.     

Fluorescence studies of native and modified neurophysins. Effects of peptides and pH.

The effect of neurophysin-hormone interaction on the environment of the single tyrosine of bovine neurophysin (Tyr-49) and on that of the tyrosine of oxytocin and vasopressin was studied by fluorescence; tyrosine-free peptides were used to determine effects on Tyr-49, and acetylated neurophysin was used to determine effects on the hormone tyrosine. Binding increases the fluorescence intensity of Tyr-49 by 130% while the fluorescence of the hormone tyrosine is almost completely quenched. Correlation of these results with those obtained on binding oxytocin or vasopressin to native neurophysin indicates that in the hormone complexes less than half of the fluorescence of Tyr-49 is lost by F?rster energy transfer to the quenched hormone tyrosine. These results support spin-label studies in indicating that the distance between Tyr-49 and the tyrosine of hormone bound to the strong hormone binding site is greater than 5 A. In the absence of peptides, the fluorescence of Tyr-49 increases by 40% on lowering the pH from 6.2 to 2. Titration of the acid fluorescence transition in bovine neurophysins-I and -II, and in bovine neurophysin-II treated with carboxypeptidase B to remove the Arg-Arg-Val sequence at the carboxyl terminus, indicates that this transition is due to titration of a side-chain carboxyl with an intrinsic pK of 4.6. The effects of guanidine, glycerol, and disulfide cleavage on the magnitude of the acid transition indicate that the conformational information necessary for the transition resides within the amino acid sequence adjacent to Tyr-49. Accordingly, the fluorescence acid transition is attributed to decreased quenching by Glu-46 or Glu-47 upon protonation. Glycerol is shown to perturb the glutamate-tyrosine interaction in the absence of general conformational effects. Comparison of the fluorescence low-pH transition with that of the low-pH circular dichroism transition of nitrated neurophysins suggests that the fluorescence and CD transitions reflect related, but not necessarily identical, phenomena. In an appendix, evidence is presented which suggests that the products of carboxy-peptidase digestion of bovine neurophysin-II are the same as two minor bovine neurophysin components, one of which is neurophysin-C.     

DNA-induced conformational changes in type II restriction endonucleases: the structure of unliganded HincII

The 2.1A crystal structure of the unliganded type II restriction endonuclease, HincII, is described. Although the asymmetric unit contains only a single monomer, crystal lattice contacts bring two monomers together to form a dimer very similar to that found in the DNA bound form. Comparison with the published DNA bound structure reveals that the DNA binding pocket is expanded in the unliganded structure. Comparison of the unliganded and DNA liganded structures reveals a simple rotation of subunits by 11 degrees each, or 22 degrees total, to a more closed structure around the bound DNA. Comparison of this conformational change to that observed in the other type II restriction endonucleases where DNA bound and unliganded forms have both been characterized, shows considerable variation in the types of conformational changes that can occur. The conformational changes in three can be described by a simple rotation of subunits, while in two others both rotation and translation of subunits relative to one another occurs. In addition, the endonucleases having subunits that undergo the greatest amount of rotation upon DNA binding are found to be those that distort the bound DNA the least, suggesting that DNA bending may be less facile in dimers possessing greater flexibility.     

Conformational flexibility of neurophysin as investigated by local motions of fluorophores. Relationships with neurohypophyseal hormone binding

Flexibility of various structural domains of neurophysin and neurophysin-neurohypophyseal hormone complexes has been investigated through the fast rotational motion of fluorophores in highly viscous medium. Despite seven intrachain disulfide links, it is shown that some domains of neurophysin remain highly flexible. Dimerization of neurophysin does not affect the structural integrity of the individual subunits, each subdomain being conformationally equivalent within each protomer of the unliganded dimer. The absence of heterogeneous fluorescence anisotropy precludes the existence of a dimer tautomerization equilibrium. Binding of the hormonal ligands to neurophysin dimer promotes a large conformational change over the whole protein structure as assessed by differential alterations of the flexibility-rigidity and intrasegmental interaction properties of domains that do not participate directly to the dimerization/binding areas. The order of free-energy coupling between ligand binding and protein subunit association has been evaluated. Data are consistent with a model in which the first mole of bound ligand stabilizes the dimer by increasing the intersubunit contacts while the second mole of ligand induces most of the described conformational change. Accordingly, the positive cooperativity between the two dimeric binding sites is linked mainly to the binding of the second ligand. The induced structural change is perceived differently by each subunit as assessed by opposite local motions of Tyr49 in each liganded protomer and leads to the formation of a dimeric complex with a global pseudospherical symmetry although containing domains of local asymmetry.     

Influence of neurophysin residues 1-8 on the optical activity of neurophysin-peptide complexes. Direct evidence that the 1-8 sequence alters the environment of bound peptide

Circular dichroism was used to compare the environment of peptides bound to native and des 1-8 neurophysin in order to further elucidate the role of the neurophysin 1-8 sequence in peptide-binding. A very large positive ellipticity (approximately 6000 deg cm2 dmol-1), shown earlier to be induced in tyrosine at position 2 of peptides bound to the native protein, was determined by the present study to be paralleled by similar induced changes in tyrosine at peptide position 1. Deletion of the neurophysin 1-8 sequence led to loss of half of the induced optical activity at peptide positions 1 and 2 and changes in binding-induced optical activity in the protein, the latter partially assignable to protein disulfides. In the mononitrated native and des 1-8 proteins, the optical activity of neurophysin Tyr-49, a residue at the peptide-binding site, was reduced by 80% in complexes of the des 1-8 protein relative to those of the native protein. The results suggest a role for neurophysin Arg-8 in modulating the optical activity at the binding site by directly placing a charge proximal to the binding site and/or by altering binding site conformation. The data provide the first unambiguous evidence of a difference in the environment of bound peptide between the native and des 1-8 proteins.     

THE DISTRIBUTION OF NEUROPHYSINS AND POSTERIOR PITUITARY HORMONES IN THE PORCINE NEUROHYPOPHYSEAL SYSTEM

Specific, homologous porcine neurophysin I and II radioimmunoassays were established together with specific oxytocin and vasopressin radioimmunoassays. The levels of each of these proteins and peptides were measured in acid extracts of individual paraventricular nuclei, supraoptic nuclei, neurohypophyseal stalks and posterior pituitary lobes of 12 pigs in order to quantitate the neurophysin-hormone relationships in the porcine neurohypophyseal system. Neurophysin III was found to be immunologically identical to neurophysin I. Neurophysin measurements by radioimmunoassay were quantitatively validated by scanning densitometry of polyacrylamide gels stained with 0.5% amido schwarz. In the hypothalamic nuclei vasopressin was in 3–4 M excess of oxytocin but in the neurohypophyseal stalk and posterior pituitary lobe the hormones were equimolar suggesting that the rate of formation of vasopressin differs from that of oxytocin. Neurophysin I immunoreactivity was present in a 3:1 molar ratio with neurophysin II throughout the porcine neurohypophyseal system. In posterior pituitary lobes total neurophysins were equimolar to total hormone concentrations. The specific activity (pmol/mg extracted protein) of oxytocin increased 1800 times, vasopressin 560 times and neurophysins about 360 times from the paraventricular nucleus to the posterior pituitary lobe. In the hypothalamic nuclei relationships between immunoreactive neurophysin I and vasopressin, and between neurophysin II and oxytocin were highly significant. In the posterior pituitary lobe each immunoreactive neurophysin level correlated with both hormone levels. Quantification of densitometric scans of stained polyacrylamide gels from neurophypophyseal extracts and immunoreactivity patterns of neurophysins in eluates of sliced, duplicate gels indicated that neurophysin III decreased distally within the neurohypophyseal tract while neurophysin I increased. The results demonstrated that vasopressin was associated with porcine neurophysin I. However, oxytocin may be associated with both immunoreactive neurophysin I and neurophysin II in the porcine neurohypophyseal system if a 1:1 molar ratio of neurophysin to hormone is to be maintained. Neurophysin III contributed to the stoichiometry of this relationship.     

Modulation of dimerization, binding, stability, and folding by mutation of the neurophysin subunit interface

Bovine neurophysins, which have typically served as the paradigm for neurophysin behavior, are metastable in their disulfide-paired folded state and require ligand stabilization for efficient folding from the reduced state. Studies of unliganded porcine neurophysin (oxytocin-associated class) demonstrated that its dimerization constant is more than 90-fold greater than that of the corresponding bovine protein at neutral pH and showed that the increased dimerization constant is accompanied by an increase in stability sufficient to allow efficient folding of the reduced protein in the absence of ligand peptide. Using site-specific mutagenesis of the bovine protein and expression in Escherichia coli, the functional differences between the bovine and porcine proteins were shown to be attributable solely to two subunit interface mutations in the porcine protein, His to Arg at position 80 and Glu to Phe at position 81. Mutation of His-80 alone to Arg had a relatively small impact on dimerization, while mutation to either Glu or Asp markedly reduced dimerization in the unliganded state, albeit with apparent retention of the positive linkage between dimerization and binding. Comparison of the peptide-binding constants of the different mutants additionally indicated that substitution of His-80 led to modifications in binding affinity and specificity that were independent of effects on dimerization. The results demonstrate the importance of the carboxyl domain segment of the subunit interface in modulating neurophysin properties and suggest a specific contribution of the energetics of ligand-induced conformational change in this region to the overall thermodynamics of binding. The potential utility to future studies of the self-folding and monomeric mutants generated by altering the interface is noted.     

NMR analysis of the monomeric form of a mutant unliganded bovine neurophysin: comparison with the crystal structure of a neurophysin dimer

Determination of the structure of the unliganded monomeric state of neurophysin is central to an understanding of the allosteric relationship between neurophysin peptide-binding and dimerization. We examined this state by NMR, using the weakly dimerizing H80E mutant of bovine neurophysin-I. The derived structure, to which more than one conformer appeared to contribute, was compared with the crystal structure of the unliganded des 1-6 bovine neurophysin-II dimer. Significant conformational differences between the two proteins were evident in the orientation of the 3,10 helix, in the 50-58 loop, in beta-turns, and in specific intrachain contacts between amino- and carboxyl domains. However, both had similar secondary structures, in independent confirmation of earlier circular dichroism studies. Previously suggested interactions between the amino terminus and the 50-58 loop in the monomer were also confirmed. Comparison of the observed differences between the two proteins with demonstrated effects of dimerization on the NMR spectrum of bovine neurophysin-I, and preliminary investigation of the effects of dimerization on H80E spectra, allowed tentative distinction between the contributions of sequence and self-association differences to the difference in conformation. Regions altered by dimerization encompass most binding site residues, providing a potential explanation of differences in binding affinity between the unliganded monomeric and dimeric states. Differences between monomer and dimer states in turns, interdomain contacts, and within the interdomain segment of the 50-58 loop suggest that the effects of dimerization on intrasubunit conformation reflect the need to adjust the relative positions of the interface segments of the two domains for optimal interaction with the adjacent subunit and/or reflect the dual role of some residues as participants both at the interface and in interdomain contacts.     

Structure of the unliganded cAMP-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The structure of TPK1delta, a truncated variant of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was determined in an unliganded state at 2.8 A resolution and refined to a crystallographic R-factor of 19.4%. Comparison of this structure to that of its fully liganded mammalian homolog revealed a highly conserved protein fold comprised of two globular lobes. Within each lobe, root mean square deviations in Calpha positions averaged approximately equals 0.9 A. In addition, a phosphothreonine residue was found in the C-terminal domain of each enzyme. Further comparison of the two structures suggests that a trio of conformational changes accompanies ligand-binding. The first consists of a 14.7 degrees rigid-body rotation of one lobe relative to the other and results in closure of the active site cleft. The second affects only the glycine-rich nucleotide binding loop, which moves approximately equals 3 A to further close the active site and traps the nucleotide substrate. The third is localized to a C-terminal segment that makes direct contact with ligands and the ligand-binding cleft. In addition to resolving the conformation of unliganded enzyme, the model shows that the salient features of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase are conserved over long evolutionary distances.     

Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance studies of the interaction of specifically labeled (90%-13C) oxytocin and arginine vasopressin with neurophysins.

Oxytocin and arginine vasopressin have been synthesized, via solid phase techniques, enriched to 90% ¹³C in the 2-carbon of their C-terminal glycinamide residues. In the presence of an approximately equimolar amount of bovine neurophysin II, the ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance signal due to the enriched carbon in oxytocin shows a broadening which is highly dependent on both the temperature and the concentration of the neurophysin-oxytocin complex. The linewidth varies from 3 hz, observed at a protein concentration of 11mg/ml and a temperature of 37°, to 120 hz for a protein concentration of 65 mg/ml at 6°C. Similar results were obtained with arginine vasopressin. The results indicate that under conditions of low protein concentration and high temperature, the glycinamide residues of oxytocin and arginine vasopressin bound to neurophysin possess significant internal motion, while lowering the temperature and/or raising the protein-hormone concentration reduces this internal motion, probably concommitant with association of the protein-hormone complex into higher molecular weight aggregates.     

The effects of ligands on enzymic carboxyl-methylation of neurophysins

The methyl-acceptor activities of bovine neurophysins I and II for the enzyme protein carboxymethylase (EC 2.1.1.24) were found to be similar and as high as for other previously identified, biologically active protein substrates. Effects on the rate of methylation of these neurophysins were investigated with the posterior pituitary hormone ligands, oxytocin and vasopressin, and the hormone-related tripeptide ligand, methionyl-tyrosyl-phenylalaninamide. An increase in the rate of neurophysin II methylation was observed with both oxytocin and tripeptide. This ligand-induced response did not occur with either native neurophysin I or disulfide-scrambled neurophysin II.     

Conformational changes in phosphoglucose isomerase induced by ligand binding

Phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI; EC 5.3.1.9) is the second enzyme in glycolysis, where it catalyzes the isomerization of D-glucose-6-phosphate to D-fructose-6-phosphate. It is the same protein as autocrine motility factor, differentiation and maturation mediator, and neuroleukin. Here, we report a new X-ray crystal structure of rabbit PGI (rPGI) without ligands bound in its active site. The structure was solved at 1.8A resolution by isomorphous phasing with a previously solved X-ray crystal structure of the rPGI dimer containing 6-phosphogluconate in its active site. Comparison of the new structure to previously reported structures enables identification of conformational changes that occur during binding of substrate or inhibitor molecules. Ligand binding causes an induced fit of regions containing amino acid residues 209-215, 245-259 and 385-389. This conformational change differs from the change previously reported to occur between the ring-opening and isomerization steps, in which the helix containing residues 513-521 moves toward the bound substrate. Differences between the liganded and unliganded structures are limited to the region within and close to the active-site pocket.