Effects of N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and N-(ethoxycarbonyl)-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline on hydride ion transfer and proton translocation activities of mitochondrial nicotinamidenucleotide transhydrogenase

N,N'-Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD) inhibits the mitochondrial energy-linked nicotinamidenucleotide transhydrogenase (TH). Our studies [Phelps, D.C., & Hatefi, Y. (1981) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 8217-8221; Phelps, D.C., & Hatefi, Y. (1984) Biochemistry 23, 4475-4480] suggested that the inhibition site of DCCD is near the NAD(H) binding site, because NAD(H) and competitive inhibitors protected TH against inhibition by DCCD and, unlike the unmodified TH, the DCCD-modified TH did not bind to NAD-agarose. Others [Pennington, R.M., & Fisher, R.R. (1981) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 8963-8969] could not demonstrate protection by NADH, obtained data indicating DCCD inhibits proton translocation by TH much more than hydride ion transfer from NADPH to 3-acetylpyridine adenine dinucleotide (AcPyAD), and concluded that DCCD modifies an essential residue in the proton channel of TH. The present studies show that N-(ethoxycarbonyl)-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline (EEDQ) also inhibits TH. The inhibition is pseudo first order at several EEDQ concentrations, and the reaction order with respect to [EEDQ] is unity, suggesting that inhibition involves the interaction of one molecule of EEDQ with one active unit of TH. The EEDQ-modified TH reacts covalently with [3H]aniline, suggesting that the residue modified by EEDQ is a carboxyl group. More significantly, it has been shown that the absorbance change of oxonol VI at 630 minus 603 nm is a reliable reporter of TH-induced membrane potential formation in submitochondrial particles and that TH-catalyzed hydride ion transfer from NADPH to AcPyAD and the membrane potential induced by this reaction are inhibited in parallel by either DCCD or EEDQ.     

Mitochondrial nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase: active site modification by 5'-[p-(fluorosulfonyl)benzoyl]adenosine

Membrane-bound and purified mitochondrial energy-linked nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (TH) was inhibited by incubation with 5'-[p-(fluorosulfonyl)benzoyl]adenosine (FSBA), which is an analogue of TH substrates and their competitive inhibitors, namely, 5'-, 2'-, or 3'-AMP. NAD(H) and analogues, NADP, 5'-AMP, 5'-ADP, and 2'-AMP/3'-AMP mixed isomers protected TH against inhibition by FSBA, but NADPH accelerated the inhibition rate. In the absence of protective ligands or in the presence of NADP, FSBA appeared to modify the NAD(H) binding site of TH, because, unlike unmodified TH, the enzyme modified by FSBA under these conditions did not bind to an NAD-affinity column (NAD-agarose). However, when the NAD(H) binding site of TH was protected in the presence of 5'-AMP or NAD, then FSBA modification resulted in an inhibited enzyme that did bind to NAD-agarose, suggesting FSBA modification of the NADP(H) binding site or an essential residue outside the active site. [3H]FSBA was covalently bound to TH, and complete inhibition corresponded to the binding of about 0.5 mol of [3H]FSBA/mol of TH. Since purified TH is known to be dimeric in the isolated state, this binding stoichiometry suggests half-of-the-sites reactivity. A similar binding stoichiometry was found earlier for complete inhibition of TH by [14C]DCCD [Phelps, D.C., & Hatefi, Y. (1984) Biochemistry 23, 4475-4480]. The active site directed labeling of TH by radioactive FSBA should allow isolation of appropriate peptides for sequence analysis of the NAD(H) and possibly the NADP(H) binding domains.     

Inhibition of halobacterial Na+/H(+)-antiporter by carboxyl modifying reagent, EEDQ.

The Inhibitory effect of N-ethoxycarbonyl-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline (EEDQ), a hydrohobic carboxyl modifying reagent, on the N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD)-sensitive Na+/H(+)-antiporter in Archaebacterial H. halobium, was studied. The inhibition time course suggests that a single carboxyl residue is modified by EEDQ. The profile of pH dependence of EEDQ effect and the competitive binding of [14C]-DCCD and EEDQ indicate that EEDQ does not compete with DCCD for the same site but modifies one of the two functional H+ binding sites previously reported [Murakami and Konishi (1989) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 271, 515-523].     

Characterization of the substrate-binding sites of the mitochondrial nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase

The mitochondrial energy-linked nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (TH) is modified and inhibited by p-fluorosulfonylbenzoyl-5'-adenosine (FSBA). The modification appears to occur at the NAD(H)-binding site when TH alone or TH in the presence of NADPH is incubated with FSBA. However, when this site is protected by NADH, then FSBA inhibits TH more slowly and modifies a different, though specific, site. This second site could be the NADP(H)-binding site. Using [3H]FSBA in the presence of NADPH, the NAD(H)-binding site was modified, and a single tryptic peptide carrying the label was isolated and sequenced. The amino acid sequence of this peptide was Glu-Ser-Gly-Glu-Gly-Gln-Gly-Gly-Tyr*-Ala-Lys. The modified residue was Tyr. The labeled peptide isolated after incubating TH with [3H]FSBA in the presence of NADH could not be completely purified. However, amino acid analysis and partial sequencing made it possible to identify this segment on the amino acid sequence of bovine TH as derived from its cDNA by Yamaguchi et al. (private communication).     

Amino acid sequence of the NAD (H)--binding region of the mitochondrial nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase modified by N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide

Purified mitochondrial energy-linked nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (TH) is inhibited by N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), and NAD(H) protects the enzyme against this inhibition [Phelps, D.C., and Hatefi, Y. (1984) Biochemistry 23, 4475-4480]. The tryptic digest of TH treated with [14C]DCCD showed a single radioactive peak upon FPLC chromatography. This radioactive peak was absent from tryptic digests of TH treated with [14C]DCCD in the presence of NADH. Sequence analysis of the radioactive peak showed that it contained two peptides, one derived from the other as a result of incomplete cleavage by trypsin of a lysyl-glutamyl bond. After further digestion with Staphylococcus V8 protease, the smaller radioactive fragment was isolated and sequenced. The amino acid sequence of this fragment, as determined by manual Edman degradation, was Ala-Glu-Met-Lys. The second residue was modified. Amino acid analysis and sequence studies on the radioactive tryptic peptide mixture indicated that the sequence around the DCCD-modified residue was Glu-Met-Ser-Lys-Glu-Phe-Ile-Glu-Ala-Glu-Met-Lys. In other studies, this sequence has been found in the amino acid sequence of TH as predicted from the corresponding cDNA. The DCCD-modified peptide is near the site of NAD(H) binding, as labeled with radioactive p-fluorosulfonylbenzoyl-5'-adenosine. Furthermore, there is a high degree of homology in this region between the amino acid sequences of the bovine heart TH and the alpha subunit of the Escherichia coli TH.     

Evidence for the presence of one carboxyl group in the catalytic center of D-beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase. Inactivation and binding studies with carbodiimide reagents

D-beta-Hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase D-3-hydroxybutyrate: NAD+ oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.30), a phosphatidylcholine-requiring enzyme, was irreversibly inactivated by a water-soluble carbodiimide, 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDAC) or a hydrophobic carbodiimide, N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD). The inactivation is pseudo-first-order with a kinetic stoichiometry of about 1. Phospholipid-free apoenzyme was more sensitive towards these reagents than reconstituted phospholipid-enzyme or membrane-bound enzyme forms. Reduced coenzyme (NADH) protected the enzyme against the inactivation, while oxidized coenzyme (NAD+) in presence of 2-methylmalonate (a pseudo-substrate) gave a better protection. It was found that the phospholipid-free apoenzyme bound about 1 mol [14C]DCCD. This incorporation was prevented by EDAC, indicating that both reagents react at the same site. [14C]Glycine ethyl ester, a nucleophilic compound which reacts specifically with the carboxylcarbodiimide derivative was incorporated to the enzyme (1 mol [14C]glycine ethyl ester per polypeptide chain), whatever its form, in the presence of DCCD or EDAC. These results indicate the presence of one carboxyl group probably located at or near the coenzyme-binding site and near the interacting domain of the enzyme with phospholipid.     

The interaction of carboxyl group reagents with the Rhodospirillum rubrum F1-ATPase and its isolated beta-subunit

The carboxyl group reagents dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD) and N-ethoxycarboxyl-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline (EEDQ) inactivate the soluble Rhodospirillum rubrum F1-ATPase (RrF1). The inactivation is both time- and concentration-dependent and also pH-dependent, being more marked at acid pH. Under the same conditions, N-ethyl-5-phenylisoxazolium 3'-sulfonate causes almost no inactivation of the RrF1-ATPase. Complete inhibition of the enzyme activity requires the binding of 1 mol of DCCD/mol of RrF1. The isolated, reconstitutively active, beta-subunit of RrF1 is affected by the three carboxyl group reagents in a very similar manner to the RrF1-ATPase. Incubation of the beta-subunit with DCCD and EEDQ eliminates its capacity to rebind to beta-less chromatophores. Consequently the DCCD or EEDQ-modified beta-subunit cannot restore ATP synthesis or hydrolysis activities to the beta-less chromatophores. The interaction of the isolated beta-subunit with DCCD and EEDQ is both time and concentration dependent. The elimination of the reconstitutive activity of the beta-subunit by DCCD is accompanied with a covalent binding of about 1 mol of [14C]DCCD/mol of beta and is pH-dependent, showing a half-maximal effect at about pH 7.4. Divalent cations, inorganic phosphate, and to a lesser extent ATP and ADP decrease the binding stoichiometry of DCCD to the beta-subunit. Pretreatment of either RrF1 or its isolated beta-subunit with EEDQ reduces drastically their ability to bind [14C]DCCD, suggesting that in both RrF1 and the beta-subunit, EEDQ and DCCD might react at the same site. The similar effect of the carboxyl group reagents on RrF1 and on its isolated beta-subunit is in accord with the suggestion that DCCD and EEDQ affect the F1-ATPases by interacting with their beta-subunits.     

Interactions of Neurospora crassa plasma membrane H+-ATPase with N-(ethoxycarbonyl)-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline

The carboxyl group activating reagent N-(ethoxycarbonyl)-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline (EEDQ) interacts with the Neurospora plasma membrane H+-ATPase in at least three different ways. This reagent irreversibly inhibits ATP hydrolysis with kinetics that are pseudo-first-order at several concentrations of EEDQ, and an appropriate transform of these data suggests that 1 mol of EEDQ inactivates 1 mol of the H+-ATPase. Inhibition probably involves activation of an ATPase carboxyl group followed by a nucleophilic attack by a vicinal nucleophilic functional group in the ATPase polypeptide chain, resulting in an intramolecular cross-link. The enzyme is protected against EEDQ inhibition by MgATP in the presence of vanadate, a combination of ligands that has previously been shown to "lock" the H+-ATPase in a conformation that presumably resembles the transition states of the enzyme phosphorylation and dephosphorylation reactions, but is not protected by the substrate analogue MgADP, which is consistent with the notion that one or both of the residues involved in the EEDQ-dependent inhibitory intramolecular cross-linking reaction normally participate in the transfer of the gamma-phosphoryl group of ATP, or are near those that do. The ATPase is also labeled by the exogenous nucleophile [14C]glycine ethyl ester in an EEDQ-dependent reaction, and the labeling is diminished in the presence of MgATP plus vanadate. However, peptide maps of [14C]glycine ethyl ester labeled ATPase demonstrate that the labeling is not related to the EEDQ inhibition reaction in any simple way.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Inactivation of rice bran thiamine-binding protein by N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide

The addition of a carboxyl-modifying reagent N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD) to thiamine-binding protein isolated from rice bran resulted in a remarkable loss of its binding activity with [14C]thiamine. Thiamine and chloroethylthiamine substantially protected the protein against inactivation by DCCD, whereas thiamine phosphates did not. Another carboxyl reagent N-ethoxycarbonyl-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline (EEDQ) also inactivated rice bran thiamine-binding protein. Inactivation of the thiamine-binding protein was accompanied by covalent binding of DCCD to the protein as shown by the use of [14C]DCCD. The binding of [14C]DCCD to the thiamine-binding protein was specific, and significantly inhibited by the addition of thiamine. The loss of thiamine-binding activity was proportional to the specific binding of [14C]DCCD. For complete inactivation of the thiamine-binding activity, the binding of 2.46 mol of [14C]DCCD per mol of thiamine-binding protein was required. Furthermore, limited proteolysis of the binding protein by trypsin yielded two polypeptides with molecular weights of 35,000 (large polypeptide) and 12,500 (small polypeptide) which were separated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The binding sites of [14C]DCCD were found to be located on the large polypeptide. These results suggest that a specific carboxyl residue in the large polypeptide releasable from rice bran thiamine-binding protein by trypsin digestion when modified by DCCD is involved in the binding of thiamine.     

Amino acid sequences of two tryptic peptides from D(-)-beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase radiolabeled at essential carboxyl and sulfhydryl groups

D(-)beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (BDH) purified from bovine heart mitochondria contains essential thiol and carboxyl groups. A tryptic BDH peptide labeled at an essential thiol with [3H]N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), and another tryptic peptide labeled at an essential carboxyl with N,N'-dicyclohexyl [14C]carbodiimide (DCCD), were isolated and sequenced. The peptide labeled with [3H]NEM had the sequence Met.Glu.Ser.Tyr.Cys*.Thr.Ser. Gly.Ser.Thr.Asp.Thr.Ser.Pro.Val.Ile.Lys. The label was at Cys. The same peptide was isolated from tryptic digests of BDH labeled at its nucleotide-binding site with the photoaffinity labeling reagent, arylazido- -[3-3H] alanyl-NAD. These results suggest that the essential thiol of BDH is located at its nucleotide-binding site, and agree with our previous observation that NAD and NADH protect BDH against inhibition by thiol modifiers. The [14C]DCCD-labeled peptide had the sequence Glu.Val.Ala.Glu*.Val. Asn. Leu.Trp.Gly.Thr.Val.Arg. DCCD appeared to modify the glutamic acid residue marked by an asterisk. Sequence analogies between these peptides and other proteins have been discussed.     

Interactions of the NADP(H)-binding domain III of proton-translocating transhydrogenase from escherichia coli with NADP(H) and the NAD(H)-binding domain I studied by NMR and site-directed mutagenesis

Using the purified NADP(H)-binding domain of proton-translocating Escherichia coli transhydrogenase (ecIII) overexpressed in (15)N- and (2)H-labeled medium, together with the purified NAD(H)-binding domain from E. coli (ecI), the interface between ecIII and ecI, the NADP(H)-binding site and the influence on the interface by NAD(P)(H) was investigated in solution by NMR chemical shift mapping. Mapping of the NADP(H)-binding site showed that the NADP(H) substrate is bound to ecIII in an extended conformation at the C-terminal end of the parallel beta-sheet. The distribution of chemical shift perturbations in the NADP(H)-binding site, and the nature of the interaction between ecI and ecIII, indicated that the nicotinamide moiety of NADP(H) is located near the loop comprising residues P346-G353, in agreement with the recently determined crystal structures of bovine [Prasad, G. S., et al. (1999) Nat. Struct. Biol. 6, 1126-1131] and human heart [White, A. W., et al. (2000) Structure 8, 1-12] transhydrogenases. Further chemical shift perturbation analysis also identified regions comprising residues G389-I406 and G430-V434 at the C-terminal end of ecIII's beta-sheet as part of the ecI-ecIII interface, which were regulated by the redox state of the NAD(P)(H) substrates. To investigate the role of these loop regions in the interaction with domain I, the single cysteine mutants T393C, R425C, G430C, and A432C were generated in ecIII and the transhydrogenase activities of the resulting mutant proteins characterized using the NAD(H)-binding domain I from Rhodospirillum rubrum (rrI). All mutants except R425C showed altered NADP(H) binding and domain interaction properties. In contrast, the R425C mutant showed almost exclusively changes in the NADP(H)-binding properties, without changing the affinity for rrI. Finally, by combining the above conclusions with information obtained by a further characterization of previously constructed mutants, the implications of the findings were considered in a mechanistic context.     

Modification of a ribonuclease from Rhizopus sp. with 1-cyclohexyl-3-(2-morpholinyl-(4)-ethyl)carbodiimide p-toluenesulfonate

The carboxyl group in a ribonuclease from Rhizopus sp. (RNase Rh) was modified by a water-soluble carbodiimide, 1-cyclohexyl-3-(2-morpholinyl-(4)-ethyl)carbodiimide p-toluenesulfonate (CMC). From the relation between the extent of modification and the enzymatic activity, it was concluded that at least the modification of two carboxyl groups seemed to induce the loss in enzymatic activity. In the presence of 1 M cytidine, RNase Rh activity was protected from the CMC-modification. Under conditions in which the enzyme was inactivated to 20% activity, about 70% of the enzymatic activity was retained in the presence of cytidine. The inactivation of the RNase Rh pre-treated with CMC in the presence of cytidine with [14C]CMC indicated that the RNase Rh lost its enzymatic activity with the incorporation of about one [14C]CMC. Therefore, it could be concluded that one carboxyl group is involved in the active site of RNase Rh. The binding of the CMC-modified RNase Rh with 2'-AMP was studied spectrophotometrically. The affinity of the modified RNase Rh towards 2'-AMP decreased markedly upon CMC modification.     

Inactivation of the renal outer cortical brush-border membrane D-glucose transporter by N-ethoxycarbonyl-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline

The inactivation of the renal outer cortical brush-border membrane D-glucose transporter by the covalent carboxyl reagent N-ethoxycarbonyl-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline (EEDQ) is studied by monitoring its effects on sodium-dependent phlorizin binding to the active site of the carrier. In the presence of EEDQ, this component of phlorizin binding decreases exponentially and irreversibly with time. The order of this inactivation reaction is very close to 1, indicating that EEDQ modifies the transporter at a single essential site. This site can be partially protected by glucose and by other substrates of the transporter and completely protected by phlorizin, a nontransported competitive inhibitor. By contrast, sodium, a co-transported activator, has no protective effect. The concentration dependence of the protection provided by glucose and phlorizin indicates that the site of action of EEDQ is at or closely related to the substrate binding site on the carrier. The effects of EEDQ on the transporter are mimicked by another carboxyl specific reagent, 1-cyclohexyl-3-(2-morpholinoethyl)carbodiimide metho-p-toluenesulfonate. The rate of inactivation of the transporter by EEDQ increases dramatically with decreasing pH, consistent with the hypothesis that the rate-limiting step in the inactivation process is a reaction with an essential carboxyl group. The properties of this group indicate, however, that it is distinct from the carboxyl group proposed by others as forming (a part of) the sodium binding site of sodium-coupled sugar carriers.     

Identification of aspartate-184 as an essential residue in the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase

The hydrophobic carbodiimide dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD) was previously shown to be an irreversible inhibitor of the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, and MgATP protected against inactivation [Toner-Webb, J., & Taylor, S. S. (1987) Biochemistry 26, 7371]. This inhibition by DCCD indicated that an essential carboxyl group was present at the active site of the enzyme even though identification of that carboxyl group was not possible. This presumably was because a nucleophile on the protein cross-linked to the electrophilic intermediate formed when the carbodiimide reacted with the carboxyl group. To circumvent this problem, the catalytic subunit first was treated with acetic anhydride to block accessible lysine residues, thus preventing intramolecular cross-linking. The DCCD reaction then was carried out in the presence of [14C]glycine ethyl ester in order to trap any electrophilic intermediates that were generated by DCCD. The modified protein was treated with trypsin, and the resulting peptides were separated by HPLC. Two major radioactive peptides were isolated as well as one minor peptide. MgATP protected all three peptides from covalent modification. The two major peaks contained the same modified carboxyl group, which corresponded to Asp-184. The minor peak contained a modified glutamic acid, Glu-91. Both of these acidic residues are conserved in all protein kinases, which is consistent with their playing essential roles. The positions of Asp-184 and Glu-91 have been correlated with the overall domain structure of the molecule. Asp-184 may participate as a general base catalyst at the active site. A third carboxyl group, Glu-230, also was identified.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Carboxyl residues in the iron-sulfur protein are involved in the proton pumping activity of P. denitrificans bc(1) complex.

A study is presented on chemical modification of the three subunit Paracoccus denitrificans bc(1) complex. N-(Ethoxycarbonyl)-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline (EEDQ) treatment caused a loss of the proton pumping activity of liposome-reconstituted bc(1) complex. A similar effect, which is referred to as the decoupling effect, resulted upon reaction of N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD) with the complex. Direct measurement of the binding of EEDQ to the complex subunits, performed in the presence of the fluorescent hydrophobic nucleophile 4'-[(aminoacetamido)methyl]fluorescein (AMF), showed that the iron-sulfur protein (ISP) and cytochrome c(1) were labeled by EEDQ, whereas cytochrome b was not. Tryptic digestion and sequencing analysis of the fluorescent fragment of the ISP revealed this to consist of a segment with six acidic residues, among which the highly conserved aspartate 160 is present. Analogous experiments on DCCD binding showed that all the three subunits of the complex were labeled. However, DCCD concentration dependence of carboxyl residue modification in the individual subunits and of proton pumping activity showed that the decrease of the H(+)/e(-) ratio correlated only with the modification of the ISP. Tryptic digestion of labeled ISP and sequencing analysis of the fluorescent fragment gave results superimposable upon those obtained with EEDQ. Chymotryptic digestion and sequencing analysis of the single fluorescent fragment of cytochrome b showed that this fragment contained glutamate 174 and aspartate 187. We conclude that, in the P. denitrificans bc(1) complex, carboxyl residues in cytochrome b do not appear to be critically involved in the proton pump mechanism of the complex.     

Mitochondrial nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase: inhibition by ethoxyformic anhydride, dansyl chloride, and pyridoxal phosphate

Mitochondrial energy-linked nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (TH; EC 1.6.1.1) was inactivated by treatment with pyridoxal phosphate, ethoxyformic anhydride (EFA) or dansyl chloride. NADP and NADPH, but not NAD and NADH, protected TH against inhibition by pyridoxal phosphate, and L-lysine reversed this inhibition. The results suggested modification of an essential lysyl residue by pyridoxal phosphate, possibly at the NADP(H) binding site of TH. EFA and dansyl chloride inhibited TH in a similar manner. The effect of pH on the rate of inhibition of TH by EFA and dansyl chloride was the same, and in both cases addition of NADP and particularly NADPH accelerated the rate of inhibition, while addition of NAD or NADH had no effect. Double inhibition studies, using in one experiment dithiothreitol-reversible inhibition by 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) to protect the thiol groups of TH, and in another experiment lysine-reversible inhibition by pyridoxal phosphate to protect the putative essential lysyl residues of the enzyme, followed in each case by further treatment of the protected TH with EFA or dansyl chloride, suggested that the inhibitions by EFA and dansyl chloride were independent of the inhibitions by 5,5'-dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic acid) and pyridoxal phosphate. The inhibitors discussed above are interesting, because pyridoxal phosphate is the only reagent known which appears to modify an essential residue in the NADP(H), but not the NAD(H), binding site of TH, and EFA and dansyl chloride are the only inhibitors known which appear to react with essential residues outside the active site of TH. It is possible that EFA and dansyl chloride inhibitions involve modification of essential prototropic residues in the proton translocation domain of the enzyme.     

Specific modification of a Na+ binding site in NADH:quinone oxidoreductase from Klebsiella pneumoniae with dicyclohexylcarbodiimide

The respiratory NADH:quinone oxidoreductase (complex I) (NDH-1) is a multisubunit enzyme that translocates protons (or in some cases Na+) across energy-conserving membranes from bacteria or mitochondria. We studied the reaction of the Na+-translocating complex I from the enterobacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae with N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), with the aim of identifying a subunit critical for Na+ binding. At low Na+ concentrations (0.6 mM), DCCD inhibited both quinone reduction and Na+ transport by NDH-1 concurrent with the covalent modification of a 30-kDa polypeptide. In the presence of 50 mM Na+, NDH-1 was protected from inhibition by DCCD, and the modification of the 30-kDa polypeptide with [14C]DCCD was prevented, indicating that Na+ and DCCD competed for the binding to a critical carboxyl group in NDH-1. The 30-kDa polypeptide was assigned to NuoH, the homologue of the ND1 subunit from mitochondrial complex I. It is proposed that Na+ binds to the NuoH subunit during NADH-driven Na+ transport by NDH-1.     

Binding mode of novel 1-substituted quinazoline derivatives to poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-catalytic domain, revealed by X-ray crystal structure analysis of complexes

In order to clarify the role of the 1-substituent of quinazoline derivatives in their inhibitory activity against poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), two novel inhibitors, 1 [8-hydroxy-1-(3-morpholinopropyl)-quinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-dione] and 2 [8-hydroxy-1-(3-phenoxypropyl)-quinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-dione], were synthesized and subjected to X-ray crystal analysis in complex with the PARP C-terminal catalytic domain (PARP-CD), which requires NAD+ coenzyme for biological function. The nicotinamide-mimicking part of the quinazoline skeleton of 1 and 2 were both located at the nicotinamide subsite of the NAD+-binding pocket in the same manner as previously reported inhibitors: three hydrogen bonds [(Gly-863)NH-O12, (Gly-863)O-HN3 and (Ser-904)O(gamma)-O12] and stacking interaction between the Tyr-907 phenol and the quinazoline ring. On the other hand, the N-morpholinoprop-3-yl moiety introduced at the 1-position of the quinazoline ring in 1 bridged the large gap between the donor site and the acceptor site through a (Met-890)NH-O20(morpholine) hydrogen bond, where the donor and the acceptor sites are classified as the binding sites of NAD+ and the ADP moiety of the poly(ADP-ribose) chain, respectively. In contrast, the N-phenoxyprop-3-yl moiety in 2 formed hydrophobic interactions close to the adenosine-binding site of NAD+, unlike the hydrogen bond such as in 1. As the inhibitory activities of 1 and 2 for PARP were much more potent than those of the unsubstituted nicotinamide analogues, these results suggest that the occupation of the proximal region of the ADP phosphate-and adenosine-binding subsite of the donor site or that of the gap between the donor and the acceptor site by the 1-substituent of quinazoline may increase the inhibitory activity considerably. The nearly equal inhibitory activities of 1 and 2, despite of their different binding modes at the active site, indicate that this 1-substituent is promising in improving the bioavailability of the inhibitor without compromising its inhibitory activity.     

Reaction mechanism for automodification of poly(ADP-ribose) synthetase

The reaction mechanism of automodification of poly (ADP-ribose) synthetase was studied. The synthetase, bound to nicked DNA-cellulose in a small column, was pulse-labelled with [3H]NAD in the presence of Mg2+, and then chased with [14C]NAD under the same conditions after complete washing of [3H]NAD. The poly(ADP-ribose), synthesized on the synthetase molecule, was digested with snake venom phosphodiesterase and analyzed. The [3H]-labeled product (35% of the total product) was identified as isoADP-ribose but [3H]-labelled AMP was not detected. The average chain length was 16.0 and the terminal AMP was detected as [14C]-labelled AMP. These results indicate that the initially attached ADP-ribose unit at an automodification site was successively elongated by the addition of a new ADP-ribose unit to the terminal AMP moiety.     

Modes of binding of 2'-AMP to RNase T1. A computer modeling study.

The modes of binding of adenosine 2'-monophosphate (2'-AMP) to the enzyme ribonuclease (RNase) T1 were determined by computer modelling studies. The phosphate moiety of 2'-AMP binds at the primary phosphate binding site. However, adenine can occupy two distinct sites--(1) The primary base binding site where the guanine of 2'-GMP binds and (2) The subsite close to the N1 subsite for the base on the 3'-side of guanine in a guanyl dinucleotide. The minimum energy conformers corresponding to the two modes of binding of 2'-AMP to RNase T1 were found to be of nearly the same energy implying that in solution 2'-AMP binds to the enzyme in both modes. The conformation of the inhibitor and the predicted hydrogen bonding scheme for the RNase T1-2'-AMP complex in the second binding mode (S) agrees well with the reported x-ray crystallographic study. The existence of the first mode of binding explains the experimental observations that RNase T1 catalyses the hydrolysis of phosphodiester bonds adjacent to adenosine at high enzyme concentrations. A comparison of the interactions of 2'-AMP and 2'-GMP with RNase T1 reveals that Glu58 and Asn98 at the phosphate binding site and Glu46 at the base binding site preferentially stabilise the enzyme-2'-GMP complex.