Studies on aspartase. II. Role of sulfhydryl groups in aspartase from Escherichia coli.

Aspartase (L-aspartate ammonia-lyase, EC 4.3.1.1) of Escherichia coli W contains 38 half-cystine residues per tetrameric enzyme molecule. Two sulfhydryl groups were modified with N-ethylmaleimide or 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) per subunit, while 8.3 sulfhydryl groups were titrated with p-mercuribenzoic acid. In the presence of 4 M guanidine - HCl, 8.6 sulfhydryl groups reacted with DTNB per subunit. Aspartase was inactivated by various sulfhydryl reagents following pseudo-first-order kinetics. Upon modification of one sulfhydryl group per subunit with N-Ethylmaleimide, 85% of the original activity was lost; a complete inactivation was attained concomitant with the modification of two sulfhydryl groups. These results indicate that one or two sulfhydryl groups are essential for enzyme activity. L-Aspartate and DL-erythro-beta-hydroxyaspartate markedly protected the enzyme against N-ethylmaleimide-inactivation. Only the compounds having an amino group at the alpha-position exhibited protection, indicating that the amino group of the substrate contributes to the protection of sulfhydryl groups of the enzyme. Examination of enzymatic properties after N-ethylmaleimide modification revealed that 5-fold increase in the Km value for L-aspartate and a shift of the optimum pH for the activity towards acidic pH were brought about by the modification, while neither dissociation into subunits nor aggregation occurred. These results indicate that the influence of the sulfhydryl group modification is restricted to the active site or its vicinity of the enzyme.     

Reactive sulfhydryl groups in Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase

Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (ATP:oxaloacetate carboxy-lyase (transphosphorylating), EC 4.1.1.49) is inactivated by several thiol- and vicinal dithiol-specific reagents. Titration experiments of the enzyme with 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoate) (DTNB) show the presence of reactive monothiol and vicinal dithiol groups, whose modifications lead to enzyme inactivation. The enzyme is also inactivated by N-(1-pyrenyl)iodoacetamide (PyrIAM), with a binding stoichiometry of approx. 2 mol per mol of enzyme subunit. A high level of pyrene excimer fluorescence is detected on the labeled enzyme, thus implying the reaction of the reagent with two spatially close sulfhydryl groups in the protein. The carboxykinase is not completely inactivated by different vicinal dithiol-specific reagents, thus implying a catalytically non-essential character for these groups. From substrate protection experiments of the enzyme inactivation by DTNB, PyrIAM and vicinal dithiol-specific reagents, it is concluded that the loss of enzyme activity is caused by the modification of both thiol and vicinal dithiol groups in the substrate binding region.     

Sulfhydryl groups of an extramitochondrial acetyl-CoA hydrolase from rat liver

An extramitochondrial acetyl-CoA hydrolase (EC 3.1.2.1) purified from rat liver was inactivated by heavy metal cations (Hg2+, Cu2+, Cd2+ and Zn2+), which are known to be highly reactive with sulfhydryl groups. Their order of potency for enzyme inactivation was Hg2+ greater than Cu2+ greater than Cd2+ greater than Zn2+. This enzyme was also inactivated by various sulfhydryl-blocking reagents such as p-hydroxymercuribenzoate (PHMB), N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB), and iodoacetate (IAA). DL-Dithiothreitol (DTT) reversed the inactivation of this enzyme by DTNB markedly, and that by PHMB slightly, but did not reverse the inactivations by NEM, DTNB and IAA. Benzoyl-CoA (a substrate-like competitive inhibitor) and ATP (an activator) greatly protected acetyl-CoA hydrolase from inactivation by PHMB, NEM, DTNB and IAA. These results suggest that the essential sulfhydryl groups are on or near the substrate binding site and nucleotide binding site. The enzyme contained about four sulfhydryl groups per mol of monomer, as estimated with DTNB. When the enzyme was denatured by 4 M guanidine-HCl, about seven sulfhydryl groups per mol of monomer reacted with DTNB. Two of the four sulfhydryl groups of the subunit of the native enzyme reacted with DTNB first without any significant inactivation of the enzyme, but its subsequent reaction with the other two sulfhydryl groups seemed to be involved in the inactivation process.     

Multiple oxidation products of sulfhydryl groups near the active site of thiolase I from porcine heart

The inactivation of porcine heart thiolase I with the disulfide reagents 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoate) (DTNB) and 2,2- and 4,4-dithiopyridine in 0.2 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.5, follows second-order kinetics with rate constants of 2.2 X 10(2), 25 X 10(2), and 5.8 X 10(2) M-1 min-1, respectively. Stoichiometric concentrations of the thiol-oxidizing reagent diethyl azodicarboxylate inactivate thiolase in less than 1 min at pH 7.5. The presence of saturating concentrations of the substrate acetoacetyl coenzyme A or the formation of the acetyl enzyme (a normal catalytic intermediate) results in a significant protection against the inactivation of thiolase by DTNB, 2,2-dithiopyridine, and diethyl azodicarboxylate. All five sulfhydryl residues of native thiolase react with either of the dipyridyl disulfides, but only the equivalent of 3.2 residues react with DTNB even at high concentrations and prolonged incubation times. The reaction of thiolase with DTNB leads to the formation of 1.0-1.4 mol of intrachain disulfide and 0.65 mol of mixed disulfides. After inactivation of thiolase with an equimolar concentration of diethyl azodicarboxylate, 1.2 mol of intrachain disulfide per subunit is found. No cross-linking between the subunits occurs as a result of the reaction of thiolase with DTNB or diethyl azodicarboxylate. The DTNB-inactivated enzyme can be reactivated with excess dithiothreitol while the diethyl azodicarboxylate inactivated enzyme is totally resistant to reactivation by dithiothreitol. There appear to be at least two different ways of forming inactive, oxidized enzyme products depending on the oxidant used, suggesting the possibility of multiple sulfhydryl groups at or near the active site.     

Inactivation of Escherichia coli glycerol kinase by 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) and N-ethylmaleimide: evidence for nucleotide regulatory binding sites

Glycerol kinase (EC 2.7.1.30, ATP:glycerol 3-phosphotransferase) from Escherichia coli is inactivated by 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) and by N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) in 0.1 M triethanolamine at pH 7 and 25 degrees C. The inactivation by DTNB is reversed by dithiothreitol. In the cases of both reagents, the kinetics of activity loss are pseudo first order. The dependencies of the rate constants on reagent concentration show that while the inactivation by NEM obeys second-order kinetics (k2app = 0.3 M-1 s-1), DTNB binds to the enzyme prior to the inactivation reaction; i.e., the pseudo-first-order rate constant shows a hyperbolic dependence on DTNB concentration. Complete inactivation by each reagent apparently involves the modification of two sulfhydryl groups per enzyme subunit. However, analysis of the kinetics of DTNB modification, as measured by the release of 2-nitro-5-thiobenzoate, shows that the inactivation is due to the modification of one sulfhydryl group per subunit, while two other groups are modified 6 and 15 times more slowly. The enzyme is protected from inactivation by the ligands glycerol, propane-1,2-diol, ATP, ADP, AMP, and cAMP but not by Mg2+, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, or propane-1,3-diol. The protection afforded by ATP or AMP is not dependent on Mg2+. The kinetics of DTNB modification are different in the presence of glycerol or ATP, despite the observation that the degree of protection afforded by both of these ligands is the same.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Involvement of thiol groups in the activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase from maize leaves

Purified maize leaf phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (EC 4.1.1.31) was completely inactivated by several thiol-modifying reagents, including, CuCl₂, CdCl₂ and N-ethylmaleimide. The inactivation by CuCl₂ could be reversed by dithiothreitol, suggesting the involvement of vicinal dithiols in the inactivation process.Complete inactivation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase was correlated with the incorporation of two mol (³H)N-ethylmaleimide per 100-kilodalton subunit. The total protection of the enzyme against N-ethylmaleimide inactivation afforded by the substrate, phosphoenolpyruvate, was correlated with the protection of one mol (³H)N-ethylmaleimide reactive residue per mol subunit.The complete inactivation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase by N-ethylmaleimide and the protection afforded by phosphoenolpyruvate against modification suggest the presence of an essential cysteine residue in the catalytic site of the C₄ leaf enzyme.Abbreviations PEP, phosphoenolpyruvate - Mops, 4-morpholinepropanesulphonic acid (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Fundación M. Lillo y U.N. de Rosario).     

Reactivities of sulfhydryl groups in native and metal-free aminoacylase I

Aminoacylase I from porcine kidney (EC 3.5.1.14) contains seven cysteine residues per subunit. Three sulfhydryl groups are accessible to modification by 4-hydroxymercuribenzoate (p-MB). The kinetics of the reaction suggest that only one of these groups affects acylase activity when modified by p-MB. Its reaction rate increases 2-3-fold when the essential metal ion of aminoacylase is removed. Modification of metal-free apoenzyme by N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) abolishes its activity without impairing Zn2+ binding. This indicates that the sulfhydryl group reacting with NEM is not directly coordinated to the metal. DTNB (5,5'-Dithio-bis(2-nitrobenzoate), Ellman's reagent) also modifies three sulfhydryl groups per subunit. In this case, the reactivities of native aminoacylase and apoenzyme are not significantly different. N-Hydroxy-2-aminobutyrate, a strong aminoacylase inhibitor, substantially increases the reactivity of the slowest reacting sulfhydryl in both native enzyme and metal-free aminoacylase. It appears that binding of the inhibitor or removal of the metal ion induces conformational changes of the amino-acylase active site that render a buried sulfhydryl group more accessible to modification.     

Identification of subsidiary catalytic groups at the active site of beta-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase by covalent modification of the protein

beta-Ketoacyl-CoA thiolase (acyl-CoA:acetyl-CoA C-acyltransferase, EC 2.3.1.16) is known to possess sulfhydryl groups of cysteines at the active site that are essential for its catalytic activity. Other groups at the active site that participate in the catalytic process were identified by using anhydride reagents which covalently modify the protein by specifically reacting with any amino groups potentially present at the active site. Since these reagents may also react with thiol groups, the enzyme's amino groups were modified after masking the cysteine thiols present by an alkylalkane thiosulfonate-type reagent, methyl methanethiol-sulfonate (MMTS), that selectively formed a disulfide bridge, thus generating an inactive thiolmethylated enzyme. When this procedure was followed, the enzyme could be undoubtedly modified at its amino by the anhydride reagent, leading to a doubly modified protein. The thiomethyl group could then be removed by reduction with dithiothreitol, yielding an enzyme modified solely on the amino residues. The amino group could be unblocked in turn by exposure to acidic pH. The different anhydrides inactivated thiolase, but only acetoacetyl coenzyme A (AcAcCoA) provided any protection against inactivation. When thiolmethylcitraconyl thiolase was reduced with dithiothreitol the enzyme remained inactive, but when the doubly modified enzyme was exposed to pH 5 then the reduction led to formation of an active enzyme. These results are interpreted as demonstrating a role for an amino group at the enzyme active site. A catalytic mechanism is proposed for the enzyme which involves the amino group.     

Chemical modification of mitochondrial transhydrogenase: evidence for two classes of sulfhydryl groups.

Chemical-modification studies on submitochondrial particle pyridine dinucleotide transhydrogenase (EC 1.6.1.1) demonstrate the presence of one class of sulfhydryl group in the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) site and another peripheral to the active site. Reaction of the peripheral sulfhydryl group with N-ethylmaleimide, or both classes with 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid), completely inactivated transhydrogenase. NADP+ or NADPH nearly completely protected against 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) inactivation and modification of both classes of sulfhydryl groups, while NADP+ only partially protected against and NADPH substantially stimulated N-ethylmaleimide inactivation. Methyl methanethiolsulfonate treatment resulted in methanethiolation at both classes of sulfhydryl groups, and either NADP+ or NADPH protected only the NADP site group. S-Methanethio and S-cyano transhydrogenases were active derivatives with pH optima shifted about 1 unit lower than that of the native enzyme. These experiments indicate that neither class of sulfhydryl group is essential for transhydrogenation. Lack of involvement of either sulfhydryl group in energy coupling to transhydrogenation is suggested by the observations that S-methanethio transhydrogenase is functional in (a) energy-linked transhydrogenation promoted by phenazine methosulfate mediated ascorbate oxidation and (b) the generation of a membrane potential during the reduction of NAD+ by reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH).     

Essential sulfhydryl groups of rat liver monoamine oxidase.

The inhibition by some thiol reagents of partly purified mitochondrial monoamine oxidase (MAO) (EC 1.4.3.4) from rat liver was studied, and the molar content of sulfhydryl groups in the enzyme determined. Sodium nitroprusside and 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) inhibited the enzyme, apparently reversibly, while sodium arsenite was not inhibitory. Concentrations of the respective inhibitors causing 50% inhibition after 15 min of preincubation with the enzyme at pH 7.0 and 37 degrees C are 5.80 times 10(-4) M and 4.35 times 10(-5) M. The thiol compounds cysteine, dithiothreitol, and 2-mercaptoethanol did not inhibit MAO. The average number of sulfhydryl groups per mole of enzyme, determined by reaction with DTNB, increased from 3.6 +/- 0.2 freely reacting sulfhydryl groups (n = 4) to 18.4 to total sulfhydryl groups (n = 2) on denaturation with 8 M urea.     

Molecular and catalytic properties of the acetoacetyl-coenzyme A thiolase of Escherichia coli.

The acetoacetyl-CoA-thiolase, a product of the acetoacetate degradation operon (ato) was purified to homogeneity as judged by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis at pH 4.5, 7.0, and 8.3. The enzyme has a molecular weight of 166,000 and is composed of four identical subunits. The subunit molecular weight is 41,500. Histidine was the sole N-terminal amino acid detected by dansylation. The thiolase contains eight free sulhydryl residues and four intrachain disulfide bonds per mole. The ato thiolase catalyzes the CoA- dependent cleavage of acetoacetyl-CoA and the acetylation of acetyl-CoA to form acetoacetyl-CoA. The maximal velocity in the direction of acetoacetyl-CoA cleavage was 840 nmol min^? (enzyme unit)^?1 and the maximal velocity in the direction of acetoacetyl CoA formation was 38 nmol min^?1 (enzyme unit)^?1. Like other thiolases, the ato thiolase was inactivated by sulfhydryl reagents. The enzyme was protected from inactivation by sulfhydryl reagents in the presence of the acyl-CoA substrates, acetyl-CoA and acetoacetyl-CoA; however, no protection was obtained when the enzyme was incubated with the acetyl-CoA analog, acetylaminodesthio-CoA. Consistent with these results was the demonstration of an acetyl-enzyme compound when the thiolase was incubated with [1-¹⁴C]acetyl-CoA. The sensitivity of the acetyl-enzyme bond to borohydride reduction and the protection afforded by acyl-CoA substrates against enzyme inactivation by sulfhydryl reagents indicated that acetyl groups are bound to the enzyme by a thiolester bond.     

Formiminotransferase-cyclodeaminase from porcine liver. A sulfhydryl essential for the deaminase activity of the bifunctional enzyme

Reaction of the bifunctional enzyme formiminoglutamate:tetrahydrofolate formiminotransferase (EC 2.1.2.5) - formiminotetrahydrofolate cyclodeaminase (EC 4.3.1.4) with the sulfhydryl reagent 5,5'-dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic acid) selectively inactivates the cyclodeaminase. Loss of activity correlates with the modification of two sulfhydryl groups per subunit. The inhibitor folic acid reduces the rates of inactivation and sulfhydryl modification, and protection experiments demonstrate that only one of the two sulfhydryls modified is important for enzyme activity. The results indicate the presence of a cyclodeaminase site on each polypeptide, assuming one sulfhydryl per site, in agreement with a quaternary structure containing identical polypeptides. Modification does not cause dissociation of the enzyme and is reversible with dithiothreitol.     

A study of the dependence of the human erythrocyte glucose transport system on membrane sulfhydryl groups

Summary A brief review of the data relating the glucose transport system and other membrane functions of red cells to surface sulfhydryl groups is presented. The effect of a variety of sulfhydryl reagents on glucose efflux rates from loaded red cells was studied. Neither iodoacetate nor iodoacetamide at 5mm inhibited efflux. Several maleimide derivatives and disulfides inhibited efflux in 0.7 to 2.0mm concentrations. Organomercury compounds, on the other hand, were active in the 0.07 to 0.1mm range. These data suggest that, if sulfhydryl groups are important in the glucose efflux process, they are not equally accessible to the above reagents; and that the primary effect of these reagents may be on structural elements near membrane sulfhydryl groups.     

The active site sulfhydryl of aconitase is not required for catalytic activity

Previous reports have demonstrated that aconitase has a single reactive sulfhydryl at or near the active site (Johnson, P. G., Waheed, A., Jones, L., Glaid, A. J., and Gawron, O. (1977) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 74, 384-389). On the basis of experiments with phenacyl bromide in which enzyme activity was abolished while substrate afforded protection, it was concluded that this group was an essential sulfhydryl. We have further examined the reactivity of this group and confirmed the result that, when reagents with bulky groups (e.g. N-ethylmaleimide or phenacyl bromide) modify the protein at the reactive sulfhydryl, activity is lost. However, when smaller groups, e.g. the SCH3 from methylmethanethiosulfonate or the CH2CONH2 from iodoacetamide, are introduced, there is only partial (50%) or no loss of activity. Experiments were performed to obtain evidence that these reagents are modifying the same residue. Methylmethanethio-sulfonate-treated enzyme showed an increase in the Km for citrate from 200 to 330 microM. EPR spectra were taken of the reduced N-ethylmaleimide- and iodoacetamide-modified enzyme in the presence of substrate. The former gave a spectrum typical of the substrate-free enzyme, while the spectrum of the latter was identical to enzyme with bound substrate. We, therefore, conclude that modification of this sulfhydryl affects activity by interfering with the binding of substrate to the active site and is not essential in the catalytic process.     

Interaction of pantetheinase with sulfhydryl reagents and disulfides

The effect of many thiol reagents and disulfides on pantetheinase (E.C. 3.5.1.-; pantetheine hydrolase) was studied in the presence or absence of S-pantetheine-3-pyruvate as substrate. Iodoacetamide, iodoacetate, bromopyruvate and N-ethylmaleimide irreversibly inactivate the enzyme at very different rates. Inactivation constants, corrected for the different reactivity of halogeno derivatives with non-protein thiols, suggest the presence of an essential sulfhydryl group in the enzyme and a negatively charged environment near this group. p-Chloromercuribenzoate is the most effective inhibitor; 2-nitro-5-thiocyanobenzoate, o-iodosobenzoate and hydrogen peroxide give a biphasic inhibition pattern, indicating the existence of two sulfhydryl groups whose modification affects activity. Organic arsenicals decrease activity to about 50%. Neutral and positively charged disulfides are effective inhibitors. Substrate protects the enzyme from inactivation, except in the case of negatively charged disulfides, where the presence of substrate enhances the inhibitory effect. Titration with Ellman's reagent or 4,4'-dithiodipyridine under various experimental conditions demonstrated the existence of two sulfhydryls and three disulfides in the fully active enzyme. Pantetheinase may become inactive during purification with concomitant loss of one titrable sulfhydryl group.     

Purification and kinetic and structural properties of spinach leaf NADP-dependent nonphosphorylating glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase

NADP-dependent nonphosphorylating D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.9) from spinach leaves has been purified to apparent electrophoretic homogeneity by ammonium sulfate fractionation, molecular sieving on Sephadex G-200, DEAE-cellulose, and 2',5'-ADP-Sepharose affinity chromatography. The purified enzyme exhibited a specific activity of 15 mumol (mg protein)-1 min-1 and was characterized as a homotetramer with a native molecular weight of 195,000. Preincubation of the purified enzyme with NADP+ resulted in an almost twofold increase in enzymatic activity. The rate of activation was slower than the rate of catalysis, indicating that the enzyme has hysteretic properties. This behavior results in a lag phase during activity measurement of the enzyme preincubated without NADP+. Substrate interaction and product inhibition studies suggest a rapid equilibrium random BiBi mechanism for the reaction. Thiol modifying reagents, iodoacetamide and diamide, completely inactivated the purified enzyme. Inactivation by iodoacetamide exhibited pseudo-first-order kinetics with a rate constant of 0.17 min-1. D-Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate effectively protected the enzyme against inactivation by thiol reagents, suggesting that modification occurred at or near the substrate-binding site. Complete inactivation of the dehydrogenase was correlated with incorporation of 8 mol [1-14C]iodoacetamide/mol enzyme. Total protection afforded by D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate against enzyme inactivation by iodoacetamide was correlated with a protection of 4 mol reactive residues/mol enzyme. On the basis of these results it is suggested that one sulfhydryl group per enzyme subunit is essential for catalysis in spinach leaf nonphosphorylating glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. A kinetic and molecular mechanism for the reaction is proposed.     

Sulfhydryl groups of rabbit liver arylsulfatase A

Rabbit liver arylsulfatase A (aryl-sulfate sulfhydrolase, EC 3.1.6.1) monomers of 130 kDa contain two free sulfhydryl groups as determined by spectrophotometric titration using 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoate) and by labeling with the fluorescent probe 5-(iodoacetamidoethyl)aminonaphthalene-1-sulfonic acid. Fluorescence quenching data indicate that the reactive sulfhydryl is present in proximity to one or more tryptophan residues. Chemical modification of the sulfhydryl groups does not alter the distinctive pH-dependent aggregation property of the arylsulfatase A. The free sulfhydryls of the enzyme react with numerous sulfhydryl reagents. Based on the reactions of iodoacetic acid, methyl methanethiosulfonate, 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoate) and 5-(iodoacetamidoethyl)aminonaphthalene-1-sulfonic acid with the sulfhydryl groups of arylsulfatase A, it is concluded that free sulfhydryls are not essential for the enzyme activity. In contrast, the observed inactivation of the enzyme by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate or p-hydroxymercuriphenylsulfonate is probably due to a modification of a histidine residue, consistent with previous reports that histidine is near the active site of arylsulfatase A. p-Hydroxymercuribenzoate and p-hydroxymercuriphenylsulfonate are able to react both with cysteine and with histidine residues of the protein molecule.     

Evidence for a reactive cysteine at the nucleotide binding site of spinach ribulose-5-phosphate kinase

Ribulose-5-phosphate kinase from spinach was rapidly inactivated by N-bromoacetylethanolamine phosphate in a bimolecular fashion with a k2 of 2.0 M-1 S-1 at 2 degrees C and pH 8.0. Ribulose 5-phosphate had little effect on the rate of inactivation, whereas complete protection was afforded by ADP or ATP. The extent of incorporation as determined with 14C-labeled reagent was about 1 molar equivalent per subunit in the presence of ATP with full retention of enzymatic activity, and about 2 molar equivalents per subunit in the completely inactivated enzyme. Amino acid analyses of enzyme derivatized with 14C-labeled reagent reveal that all of the covalently incorporated reagent was associated with cysteinyl residues. Hence two sulfhydryls are reactive, but the inactivation correlates with alkylation of one cysteinyl residue at or near the enzyme's nucleotide binding site. The kinase was also extremely sensitive to the sulfhydryl reagents 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) and N-ethyl-maleimide. The reactive sulfhydryl groups are likely those generated by reduction of a disulfide during activation.     

The reactivity of sulfhydryl groups of yeast DNA dependent RNA polymerase I

The number of reactive cysteine residues of yeast RNA polymerase I was determined and their function was studied using parachloromercury benzoate (pCMB), dithiobisnitrobenzoate (DTNB) and N-ethyl-maleimide (NEM) as modifying agents. By treatment with DTNB about 45 sulfhydryl groups react in the presence of 8M urea. Under non-denaturing conditions only 20 sulfhydryl groups are reactive with pCMB and DTNB. Both reagents completely inactivate the enzyme and this effect can be reversed by reducing agents. The sedimentation coefficient and the subunit composition are not affected when the enzyme is inactivated. Two of the most reactive sulfhydryl groups are necessary for activity. The modification of these groups is partially protected by substrates and DNA, suggesting that they are involved either in catalysis or in the maintenance of the conformation of the active site. Experiments with 14C-NEM indicate that the most reactive groups are located in subunits of 185,000, 137,000 and 41,000 daltons.     

Differential response of cysteine residues in pig muscle phosphoglucose isomerase to seven sulfhydryl-modifying reagents

The three cysteine residues per subunit of pig muscle phosphoglucose isomerase show different reactivities toward various sulfhydryl reagents. The organomercurial, p-mercuribenzoate, can titrate two of the sulfhydryl groups under nondenaturing conditions. 2,2'-Dithiodipyridine, 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid), iodoacetamide, methyl 2-pyridyl disulfide, and 2-(2'-pyridylmercapto)mercuri-4-nitrophenol all label only one sulfhydryl group under the same conditions, whereas iodoacetic acid does not react with any of the sulfhydryl groups except when the enzyme is fully denatured. It is concluded, therefore, that charge, rather than steric restraint, is the determining factor for the differences seen in the modification patterns of the enzyme by these reagents. When enzyme was first labeled with 2,2'-dithiodipyridine and subsequently with p-mercuribenzoate, it was found that the latter, in a secondary process, will stoichiometrically react with the anion released by the former after the initial reaction with cysteine. The differences in reactivity of the cysteine residues toward the referred-to reagents have been exploited to specifically modify each of the three individual cysteine residues of pig muscle phosphoglucose isomerase.