Crystallographic analysis reveals common modes of binding of medium and long-chain fatty acids to human serum albumin

Human serum albumin (HSA) is an abundant plasma protein that is responsible for the transport of fatty acids. HSA also binds and perturbs the pharmacokinetics of a wide range of drug compounds. Binding studies have revealed significant interactions between fatty acid and drug-binding sites on albumin but high-resolution structural information on ligand binding to the protein has been lacking. We report here a crystallographic study of five HSA-fatty acid complexes formed using saturated medium-chain and long-chain fatty acids (C10:0, C12:0, C14:0, C16:0 and C18:0). A total of seven binding sites that are occupied by all medium-chain and long-chain fatty acids have been identified, although medium-chain fatty acids are found to bind at additional sites on the protein, yielding a total of 11 distinct binding locations. Comparison of the different complexes reveals key similarities and significant differences in the modes of binding, and serves to rationalise much of the biochemical data on fatty acid interactions with albumin. The two principal drug-binding sites, in sub-domains IIA and IIIA, are observed to be occupied by fatty acids and one of them (in IIIA) appears to coincide with a high-affinity long-chain fatty acid binding site.     

Comparative studies of the binding of some ligands to human serum albumin non-covalently attached to immobilized Cibacron Blue, or covalently immobilized on Sepharose, by column affinity chromatography.

A comparative study of the ligand-binding properties of human serum albumin was performed by the technique of affinity chromatography with the protein attached to immobilized Cibacron Blue F3GA (Blue Sepharose), or covalently immobilized on Sepharose. The binding strength of octanoate, decanoate and dodecanoate is much weaker when human serum albumin is attached to immobilized Cibacron Blue, indicating that the binding sites for fatty acids are involved in the attachment of human serum albumin to immobilized Cibacron Blue. The results revealed additional alterations of the ligand binding when human serum albumin was attached to immobilized Cibacron Blue, involving sites outside of the binding domains of fatty acids. Thus the stereoselective binding of L-tryptophan was abolished, and the resolution of the warfarin enantiomers was impaired. However, the binding strength of warfarin and salicylic acid was rather close to the values observed with human serum albumin covalently immobilized on Sepharose. It is suggested that the availability of the binding sites for L-tryptophan, warfarin and salicylic acid is partially blocked by the complex between albumin and the dye without direct participation in the complex-formation. An alternative interpretation involves an allosteric mechanism brought about by complex-formation between serum albumin and the immobilized Cibacron Blue.     

Bovine serum albumin. Study of the fatty acid and steroid binding sites using spin-labeled lipids.

Three spin-labeled derivatives of stearic acid and two derivatives of palmitic acid have been used to study the structure of the strong fatty acid binding site of bovine serum albumin. The steroid and indole binding sites have been studied using spin-labeled derivatives of androstol and indole, respectively. Paramagnetic resonance and fluorescence quenching data suggest that the fatty acid, steroid, and indole binding sites may be identical. The mobility of the nitroxyl group at C-8 of palmitic acid bound to albumin at a 1:1 molar ratio is unaffected when the carboxyl group is esterified. When the nitroxyl group is located at C-5 on this acid its motion is detectably increased by esterification of the carboxyl group but the magnitude of this change is small. This result suggests that the carboxyl group may play a minor role in the binding of fatty acids to the strongest fatty acid binding site of albumin. When stearic acid derivatives bearing the nitroxide at C-5, C-12, and C-16 are bound to albumin at a ligand to albumin ratio of 1, the order of mobility at 0-30 degrees is C-16 greater than C-12 congruent to C-5. Although motion at the methyl terminus is always greater than at the COOH terminus in the range 0-60 degrees, a simple monotonic increase in chain motion between the two termini is not observed. Arrhenius plots of the motion parameters for these bound fatty acids show two abrupt changes in slope. The temperature ranges for these changes are 15-23 degrees and 38-45 degrees. These results suggest that when one mole of spin-labeled fatty acid is bound to albumin, the protein undergoes a conformational change in each of these temperature ranges.     

Binding of Streptococcal Lipoteichoic Acid to Fatty Acid-Binding Sites on Human Plasma Fibronectin

The ability of Streptococcus pyogenes lipoteichoic acid and palmitic acid to bind to purified human plasma fibronectin was investigated. Initial studies indicated that intact fibronectin formed soluble complexes with lipoteichoic acid, resulting in a change in the mobility of fibronectin in an electrical field. Fibronectin covalently linked to agarose beads bound radiolabeled lipoteichoic acid in the acylated form but not in the deacylated form. An 18-M excess of fibronectin inhibited binding of lipoteichoic acid to the immobilized protein by 92%. Fibronectin-bound [(3)H]lipoteichoic acid could be specifically eluted with unlabeled lipoteichoic acid, as well as by fatty acid-free serum albumin. Serum albumin, which is known to contain fatty acid-binding sites capable of binding to the lipid moieties of lipoteichoic acid, inhibited the binding of lipoteichoic acid to fibronectin in a competitive fashion. The fibronectin-bound lipoteichoic acid could be eluted by 50% ethanol and various detergents but not by 1.0 M NaCl, various amino acids, or sugars. Similarly, radiolabeled palmitic acid adsorbed to fibronectin could be eluted with 50% ethanol but not with 1.0 M NaCl. Fibronectin adsorbed to a column of palmityl-Sepharose was eluted with 50% ethanol in 0.5% sodium dodecyl sulfate but not with 1.0 M NaCl or 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate alone. The binding of lipoteichoic acid to fibronectin followed first-order kinetics and was saturable. A Scatchard plot analysis of the binding data indicated a heterogeneity of lipoteichoic acid-binding sites similar to that previously found for serum albumin. Nevertheless, fibronectin contains at least one population of high-affinity binding sites for lipoteichoic acid. The binding affinity (nKa approximately 250 muM(-1)) is 2 orders of magnitude greater than the binding affinity of serum albumin. These data suggest that human plasma fibronectin contains specific binding sites for fatty acids and that lipoteichoic acid binds to these sites by way of its glycolipid moiety.     

Interaction of prostaglandins and fatty acids with native and acetaldehyde-alkylated proteins

Using intrinsic and probe fluorescence, microcalorimetry and isotopic methods, the interactions of prostaglandins (PG) E2 and F2 alpha and some fatty acids with native and alkylated proteins (human serum albumin (HSA) and rat liver plasma membrane PG receptors), were studied. The fatty acid and PG interactions with human serum albumin (HSA) resulted in effective quenching of fluorescence of the probe, 1.8-anilinonaphthalene sulfonate (ANS), bound to the protein. Fatty acids competed with ANS for the binding sites; the efficiency of this process increased with an increase in the number of double bonds in the fatty acid molecule. PG induced a weaker fluorescence quenching of HSA-bound ANS and stabilized the protein molecule in a lesser degree compared to fatty acids. The sites of PG E2 and F2 alpha binding did not overlap with the sites of fatty acid binding on the HSA molecule. Nonenzymatic alkylation of HSA by acetaldehyde resulted in the abnormalities of binding sites for fatty acids and PG. Modification of the plasma membrane proteins with acetaldehyde sharply diminished the density of PG E2 binding sites without changing the association constants. Alkylation did not interfere with the parameters of PG F2 alpha binding to liver membrane proteins.     

The disaccharide anthracycline MEN 10755 binds human serum albumin to a non-classical drug binding site

The interaction of the novel disaccharide anthracycline MEN 10755 with human serum albumin (HSA) was investigated by visible absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies and by ultrafiltration. Notably, MEN 10755 binds serum albumin far stronger than doxorubicin. Albumin binding results into a drastic quenching of the intrinsic fluorescence of MEN 10755; a binding constant of 1.1 x 10(5) was determined from fluorescence data. To localize the HSA binding site of MEN 10755 competition experiments were carried out with ligands that are selective for the different drug binding sites of the protein. No relevant competition effects were seen in the case of warfarin, diazepam and hemin, known ligands of sites I, II and III, respectively. Modest effects were observed following addition of palmitic acid that targets the several fatty acid binding sites of the protein. In contrast, extensive displacement of the bound anthracycline was achieved upon addition of ethacrinic acid. On the basis of these results, it is proposed that MEN 10755 binds serum albumin tightly to a non-canonical surface binding site for which it competes specifically with ethacrinic acid.     

Phospholipase A2 hydrolysis of membrane phospholipids causes structural alteration of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor

Thermal perturbation techniques have been used to probe structural alteration of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor as a function of perturbations of its native membrane environment. Differential scanning calorimetry and a technique involving heat inactivation of the alpha-bungarotoxin-binding sites on the receptor protein reveal that there is a profound destabilization of the acetylcholine receptor structure when receptor-containing membranes are exposed to phospholipase A2. The characteristic calorimetric transition assigned to irreversible denaturation of the receptor protein and the heat inactivation profile of alpha-bungarotoxin-binding sites are shifted to lower temperatures by approx. 7 and 5 C degrees, respectively, upon exposure to phospholipase A2 at a phospholipase/neurotoxin binding site molar ratio of about 1:100. The effects of phospholipase A2 on receptor structure can be (i) reversed by using bovine serum albumin as a scavenger of phospholipase hydrolysis products of membrane phospholipids, and (ii) stimulated by incorporation into the membranes of free, polyunsaturated fatty acids. In particular, linolenic acid (18:3(n-3] causes detectable destabilization of the alpha-bungarotoxin binding sites on the receptor at free fatty acid/receptor molar ratios as low as 10:1. Furthermore, alteration of receptor structure by added phospholipase occurs very rapidly, which is consistent with the observation of rapid in situ phospholipase A2 hydrolysis of membrane phospholipids, particularly highly unsaturated phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine. Based on previously published data on the inhibition of acetylcholine receptor cation-gating activity caused by the presence of either phospholipase A2 or free fatty acids (Andreasen T.J. and McNamee M.G. (1980) Biochemistry 19, 4719), we interpret our data as indicative of a correlation between structural and functional alterations of the membrane-bound acetylcholine receptor induced by phospholipase A2 hydrolysis products.     

Characterization of the solution structure of human serum albumin loaded with a metal porphyrin and fatty acids

The structure of human serum albumin loaded with a metal porphyrin and fatty acids in solution is characterized by orientation-selective double electron-electron resonance (DEER) spectroscopy. Human serum albumin, spin-labeled fatty acids, and Cu(II) protoporphyrin IX—a hemin analog—form a fully self-assembled system that allows obtaining distances and mutual orientations between the paramagnetic guest molecules. We report a simplified analysis for the orientation-selective DEER data which can be applied when the orientation selection of one spin in the spin pair dominates the orientation selection of the other spin. The dipolar spectra reveal a dominant distance of 3.85 nm and a dominant orientation of the spin-spin vectors between Cu(II) protoporphyrin IX and 16-doxyl stearic acid, the electron paramagnetic resonance reporter group of the latter being located near the entry points to the fatty acid binding sites. This observation is in contrast to crystallographic data that suggest an asymmetric distribution of the entry points in the protein and hence the occurrence of various distances. In conjunction with the findings of a recent DEER study, the obtained data are indicative of a symmetric distribution of the binding site entries on the protein's surface. The overall anisotropic shape of the protein is reflected by one spin-spin vector orientation dominating the DEER data.     

Binding of the general anesthetics propofol and halothane to human serum albumin. High resolution crystal structures

Human serum albumin (HSA) is one of the most abundant proteins in the circulatory system and plays a key role in the transport of fatty acids, metabolites, and drugs. For many drugs, binding to serum albumin is a critical determinant of their distribution and pharmacokinetics; however, there have as yet been no high resolution crystal structures published of drug-albumin complexes. Here we describe high resolution crystal structures of HSA with two of the most widely used general anesthetics, propofol and halothane. In addition, we describe a crystal structure of HSA complexed with both halothane and the fatty acid, myristate. We show that the intravenous anesthetic propofol binds at two discrete sites on HSA in preformed pockets that have been shown to accommodate fatty acids. Similarly we show that the inhalational agent halothane binds (at concentrations in the pharmacologically relevant range) at three sites that are also fatty acid binding loci. At much higher halothane concentrations, we have identified additional sites that are occupied. All of the higher affinity anesthetic binding sites are amphiphilic in nature, with both polar and apolar parts, and anesthetic binding causes only minor changes in local structure.     

Crystal structures of human serum albumin complexed with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

The primary ligands of human serum albumin (HSA), an abundant plasma protein, are non-esterified fatty acids. In vivo, the majority of fatty acids associated with the protein are unsaturated. We present here the first high-resolution crystal structures of HSA complexed with two important unsaturated fatty acids, the monounsaturated oleic acid (C18:1) and the polyunsaturated arachidonic acid (C20:4). Both compounds are observed to occupy the seven binding sites distributed across the protein that are also bound by medium and long-chain saturated fatty acids. Although C18:1 fatty acid binds each site on HSA in a conformation almost identical with that of the corresponding saturated compound (C18:0), the presence of multiple cis double bonds in C20:4 induces distinct binding configurations at some sites. The observed restriction on binding configurations plausibly accounts for differences in the pattern of binding affinities for the primary sites between polyunsaturated fatty acids and their saturated or monounsaturated counterparts.     

Structural investigations of stereoselective profen binding by equine and leporine serum albumins

Serum albumin, the most abundant transport protein of mammalian blood, interacts with various nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) affecting their disposition, metabolism, and excretion. A big group of chiral NSAIDs transported by albumin, profens, is created by derivatives of 2-arylpropionic acid. The chiral center in the structures of profens is adjacent to the carboxylate moiety and often determines different pharmacological properties of profen enantiomers. This study describes crystal structures of two albumins, isolated from equine and leporine serum, in complexes with three profens: ibuprofen, ketoprofen, and suprofen. Based on three-dimensional structures, the stereoselectivity of albumin is discussed and referred to the previously published albumin complexes with drugs. Drug Site 2 (DS2) of albumin, the bulky hydrophobic pocket of subdomain IIIA with a patch of polar residues, preferentially binds (S)-enantiomers of all investigated profens. Almost identical binding mode of all these drugs clearly indicates the stereoselectivity of DS2 towards (S)-profens in different albumin species. Also, the affinity studies show that DS2 is the major site that presents high affinity towards investigated drugs. Additionally, crystallographic data reveal the secondary binding sites of ketoprofen in leporine serum albumin and ibuprofen in equine serum albumin, both overlapping with previously identified naproxen binding sites: the cleft formed between subdomains IIIA and IIIB close to the fatty acid binding site 5 and the niche created between subdomains IIA and IIIA, called fatty acid site 6.     

Detergents as probes of hydrophobic binding cavities in serum albumin and other water-soluble proteins

As an extension of our studies on the interaction of detergents with membranes and membrane proteins, we have investigated their binding to water-soluble proteins. Anionic aliphatic compounds (dodecanoate and dodecylsulfate) were bound to serum albumin with high affinity at nine sites; related nonionic detergents (C12E8 and dodecylmaltoside) were bound at seven to eight sites, many in common with those of dodecanoate. The compounds were also bound in the hydrophobic cavity of beta-lactoglobulin, but not to ovalbumin. In addition to the generally recognized role of the Sudlow binding region II of serum albumin (localized at the IIIA subdomain) in fatty acid binding, quenching of the fluorescence intensity of tryptophan-214 by 7,8-dibromododecylmaltoside and 12-bromododecanoate also implicate the Sudlow binding region I (subdomain IIA) as a locus for binding of aliphatic compounds. Our data document the usefulness of dodecyl amphipathic compounds as probes of hydrophobic cavities in water-soluble proteins. In conjunction with recent x-ray diffraction analyses of fatty acid binding as the starting point we propose a new symmetrical binding model for the location of nine high-affinity sites on serum albumin for aliphatic compounds.     

Quantitative structure-retention relationships in affinity high-performance liquid chromatography

In this report the affinity high-performance liquid chromatography data, which were determined on silica-based human serum albumin, alpha1-acid glycoprotein, keratin, collagen, melanin, amylose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate), and basic fatty acid binding protein columns, are discussed. Using a quantitative structure-retention relationship (QSRR) approach the affinity data were interpreted in terms of structural requirements of specific binding sites on biomacromolecules. The unique chromatographic properties of immobilized artificial membrane and cholesterol stationary phases were also analyzed from the point of view of mimicking biological processes. It has been demonstrated that chemometric processing of appropriately designed sets of chromatographic data derived in systems comprising biomolecules provides information of relevance for molecular pharmacology and rational drug design.     

Chain length-dependent binding of fatty acid anions to human serum albumin studied by site-directed mutagenesis

Human serum albumin is the most abundant protein in the circulatory system, and one of its principal functions is to transport fatty acids. Binding of octanoate, decanoate, laurate and myristate was studied by a rate-of-dialysis technique. The primary association constants increased, but not linearly, with chain length. The number of high-affinity sites also increased with chain length; octanoate and decanoate bind to one such site, whereas laurate and myristate most probably bind to two sites. Albumin is composed of three homologous helical domains (I-III), which can be subdivided into two subdomains (A and B). For getting information about the positions of the high-affinity sites we produced 13 recombinant isoforms mutated in four different subdomains. Results obtained with these albumins are in accordance with the following model: octanoate and decanoate bind to a single site in subdomain IIIA, laurate binds to sites in subdomains IIIA and IIIB, whereas myristate binds in subdomains IB and IIIB. The results also showed that primary fatty acid binding is sensitive to amino acid substitutions in other parts of the protein. This is in contrast to the effect of amino acid substitutions of genetic albumin variants (alloalbumins). Usually these substitutions, which are situated at the surface of the protein, have no effect on fatty acid binding. Binding of fatty acid anions to different high-affinity sites and the sensitivity of these sites to amino acid substitutions elsewhere in the protein (and perhaps also to other types of modifications) are important factors that could effect simultaneous binding of other ligands, e.g. in patients treated with albumin-binding drugs.     

The effects of bovine serum albumin and oleic acid on rat pancreatic lipase and bovine milk lipoprotein lipase

The effects of bovine serum albumin on rat pancreatic lipase and bovine milk lipoprotein lipase were studied in a system of triacylglycerol emulsions stabilized by 1 1 mg/ml albumin. At concentrations greater than 1 mg/ml, albumin inhibited the activity of pancreatic lipase and interfered with enzyme binding to emulsified triacylglycerol particles. These effects could be countered by occupying five fatty acid binding sites on albumin with oleic acid. Following an initial lag period which increased with albumin concentrations, enzyme activity escaped from inhibition presumably due to saturation of fatty acid sites on albumin with oleic acid. Pancreatic lipase was active at 1 mg/ml albumin and 1 mM emulsion-bound oleic acid in the system. The effects of albumin on lipoprotein lipase were diametrically opposed to the above; enzyme activity was completely inhibited by 0.1 mM oleic acid, it increased with increasing fatty acid-free albumin concentrations and decreased as the fatty acid sites on albumin were filled. At 1 mM oleic acid and no added albumin the enzyme failed to bind at the oil water interface, whereas fatty acid-free or saturated albumin had no effect on binding. It is concluded that if the inhibition of pancreatic lipase by albumin is due to the inaccessibility of the enzyme to an oil-water interface blocked by denatured albumin, then albumin saturated with oleic acid would seem to be protected from unfolding at the interface and more readily displaced by the lipase. Pancreatic lipase and lipoprotein lipase, although sharing a number of common features, are distinct enzymes both functionally and mechanistically.     

The binding of L-tryptophan to serum albumins in the presence of non-esterified fatty acids.

Bovine, human and rat serum albumins were defatted and palmitic acid, oleic acid and lauric acid added in various molar ratios. The binding of L-tryptophan to these albumins was measured at 20 degrees C in a 0.138 M salt solution at pH 7.4, by using an ultrafiltration technique, and analysed in terms of n, the number of available tryptophan-binding sites per albumin molecule, with apparent association constant, k. 2. n and k were 0.90 and 2.3x10(-4)M(minus-1) respectively for defatted bovine serum albumin and 0.87 and 9.7x10(-3)M(-minus-1) for human albumin. Addition of palmitic acid did not decrease n until the molar ratio, fatty acid/bovine albumin, approached and exceeded 2. The decrease in k was small and progressive. In contrast, lauric caused a marked decrease in n and k at ratios as low as 0.5. A similar distinction between the effects on n of palmitic acid and oleic acid and those of lauric acid was seen for human albumin. k for human albumin was not significantly affected by fatty acids under the conditions studied. 3. It is concluded that primary long-chain fatty acid sites interact only weakly with the tryptophan site on albumin and that inhibition of tryptophan binding occurs when secondary long-chain sites are occupied. Primary medium-chain fatty acid sites are distinct from primary long-chain sites but may be grouped with secondary long-chain sites. 4. The relationship between free and bound tryptophan in samples of rat plasma (Stoner et al., 1975) is discussed in terms of a similar but limited study of rat albumin.     

Structural basis of non-specific lipid binding in maize lipid-transfer protein complexes revealed by high-resolution X-ray crystallography

Non-specific lipid-transfer proteins (nsLTPs) are involved in the movement of phospholipids, glycolipids, fatty acids, and steroids between membranes. Several structures of plant nsLTPs have been determined both by X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance. However, the detailed structural basis of the non-specific binding of hydrophobic ligands by nsLTPs is still poorly understood. In order to gain a better understanding of the structural basis of the non-specific binding of hydrophobic ligands by nsLTPs and to investigate the plasticity of the fatty acid binding cavity in nsLTPs, seven high-resolution (between 1.3 A and 1.9 A) crystal structures have been determined. These depict the nsLTP from maize seedlings in complex with an array of fatty acids.A detailed comparison of the structures of maize nsLTP in complex with various ligands reveals a new binding mode in an nsLTP-oleate complex which has not been seen before. Furthermore, in the caprate complex, the ligand binds to the protein cavity in two orientations with equal occupancy. The volume of the hydrophobic cavity in the nsLTP from maize shows some variation depending on the size of the bound ligands.The structural plasticity of the ligand binding cavity and the predominant involvement of non-specific van der Waals interactions with the hydrophobic tail of the ligands provide a structural explanation for the non-specificity of maize nsLTP. The hydrophobic cavity accommodates various ligands from C10 to C18. The C18:1 ricinoleate with its hydroxyl group hydrogen bonding to Ala68 possibly mimics cutin monomer binding which is of biological importance. Some of the myristate binding sites in human serum albumin resemble the maize nsLTP, implying the importance of a helical bundle in accommodating the non-specific binding of fatty acids.     

Fatty acid enhancement of human serum albumin binding properties. A spin label study.

The introduction of a new spin-labeled anionic ligand, 1-gamma-aminobutyrate-5-N-(1-oxyl-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-aminopiperidinyl)-2,4-dinitrobenzene, is reported. Under the experimental conditions, the first molar equivalent of this ligand is 93% bound to human serum albumin. With the addition of palmitate, the free spin label concentration decreases greatly, by almost 80%, in the presence of a fatty acid:albumin ratio of 3:1 to 4:1. The spectral characteristics of the bound spin label are also affected. The changes seen in the intensity of and the splitting between the high and low field extrema are indicative of perturbations of the protein molecule. It is seen then that the binding of each molar equivalent of fatty acid effects the conformation state of albumin and allosterically affects albumin binding properties. Computer spectral subtractions, furthermore, suggest that the binding of the first molar equivalent of palmitate specifically increases the affinity of the first two 1-gamma-amino-butyrate-5-N-(1-oxyl-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-aminopiperidinyl)-2,4-dinitrobenzene binding sites. The present results indicate that fluctuations in serum free fatty acid levels within the physiological range may have a major modulatory effect on the free serum levels of certain drugs and/or physiological substances that bind to albumin.     

Influence of albumin and non-esterified fatty acids on serum prostacyclin binding in pregnancy

We investigated the etiology of the previously documented decrease in serum prostocyclin binding during pregnancy. Addition of albumin to the serum of pregnant women failed to raise binding to non-pregnant levels. Pregnancy serum bound significantly more prostacyclin following the removal of non-esterified fatty acids and the addition of fatty acid free albumin resulted in a rise in binding to non-pregnant levels. We conclude that serum protein prostacyclin binding is affected by both albumin concentration and non-esterified fatty acids.