Functional equivalence of iron bound to human transferrin at low pH or high pH

Human transferrin was labeled with ⁵⁹Fe at one of its two metal-binding sites (designated A) at pH 6.0. ⁵⁵Fe was then added to site B at pH 7.5. Both isotopes of iron were taken up in equal proportions by human reticulocytes. These experiments do not support the hypothesis that each binding site of transferrin has a different physiologic function.     

Ferrous iron release from transferrin by human neutrophil-derived superoxide anion: effect of pH and iron saturation.

The ability of superoxide anion (O2-) from stimulated human neutrophils (PMNs) to release ferrous iron (Fe2+) from transferrin was assessed. At pH 7.4, unstimulated PMNs released minimal amounts of O2- and failed to facilitate the release of Fe2+ from holosaturated transferrin. In contrast, incubation of phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-stimulated PMNs with holosaturated transferrin at pH 7.4 enhanced the release of Fe2+ from transferrin eightfold in association with marked generation of O2-. The release of Fe2+ was inhibited by addition of superoxide dismutase (SOD), indicating that the release of Fe2+ was dependent on PMN-derived extracellular O2-. In contrast, at physiologic pH (7.4), incubation of transferrin at physiological levels of iron saturation (e.g. 32%) with unstimulated or PMA stimulated PMNs failed to facilitate the release of Fe2+. The effect of decreasing the pH on the release of Fe2+ from transferrin by PMN-derived O2- was determined. Decreasing the pH greatly facilitated the release of Fe2+ from both holosaturated transferrin and from transferrin at physiological levels of iron saturation by PMN-derived O2-. Release of Fe2+ occurred despite a decrease in the amount of extracellular O2- generated by PMNs in an acidic environment. These results suggest that transferrin at physiologic levels of iron saturation may serve as a source of Fe2+ for biological reactions in disease states where activated phagocytes are present and there is a decrease in tissue pH. The unbound iron could participate in biological reactions including promoting propagation of lipid peroxidation reactions or hydroxyl radical formation following reaction with phagocytic cell-derived hydrogen peroxide.     

Functional heterogeneity and pH-dependent dissociation properties of human transferrin.

Human diferric transferrin was partially labeled with 59Fe at low or neutral pH (chemically labeled) and by replacement of diferric iron previously donated to rabbit reticulocytes (biologically labeled). Reticulocyte 59Fe uptake experiments with chemically labeled preparations indicated that iron bound at near neutral pH was more readily incorporated by reticulocytes than iron bound at low pH. The pH-dependent iron dissociation studies of biologically labeled transferrin solutions indicated that Fe3+, bound at the site from which the metal was initially utilized by the cells, dissociated between pH 5.8 and 7.4. In contrast, lower pH (5.2--5.8) was required to effect dissociation of iron that has remained bound to the protein after incubation with reticulocytes. These findings suggest that each human transferrin iron-binding site has different acid-base iron-binding properties which could be related to the observed heterogenic rabbit reticulocyte iron-donating properties of human transferrin and identifies that the near neutral iron-binding site initially surrenders its iron to these cells.     

Different metal-binding properties of the two sites of human transferrin.

Transferrin, the serum serum iron-transport protein which can bind two metal ions at physiologic pH, binds just one Fe3+, VO2+, or Cr3+ ion at pH 6.0. Fe3+ and VO2+ appear to be bound at the same site, designated A, based on electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of VO2+-transferrin and (Fe3+)1(VO2+)1-transferrin. The EPR spectra of (Cr3+)1(VO2+)1-transferrin and of (Cr3+), (FE3+)1-transferrin indicate that that Cr3+ is bound to site B at pH 6.0. Transferrin was labeled at site A with 59Fe at pH 6.0 and at site B with 55Fe at pH 7.5. When the pH of the resulting preparation was lowered to 6.3 and the dissociated iron was separated by gel filtration, about ten times as much 55Fe as 59Fe was lost. The same EPR and isotopic-labeling experiments showed that Fe3+ added to transferrin at pH 7.5 binds to site A with about 90% selectivity.     

Functional heterogeneity and pH-dependent dissociation properties of human transferrin

Human diferric transferrin was partially labeled with ⁵⁹Fe at low or neutral pH (chemically labeled) and by replacement of diferric iron previously donated to rabbit reticulocytes (biologically labeled). Reticulocyte ⁵⁹ uptake experiments with chemically labeled preparations indicated that iron bound at near neutral ph was more readily incorporated by reticulocytes than iron bound at low pH. The pH-dependent iron dissociation studies of biologically labeled transferrin solutions indicated that Fe³⁺, bound at the site from which the metal was initially utilized by the cells, dissociated between pH 5.8 and 7.4. In contrast, lower pH (5.2–5.8) was required to effect dissociation of iron that had remained bound to the protein after incubation with reticulocytes. These findings suggest that each human transferrin iron-binding site has different acid-base iron-binding properties which could be related to the observed heterogenic rabbit reticulocyte iron-binding properties of human transferrin and identifies that the near neutral iron-donating site initially surrenders its iron to these cells.     

Effect of synthetic carrier ampholytes on saturation of human serum transferrin.

We have investigated the effect in solution of synthetic carrier ampholytes on the saturation of human serum transferrin. By spectrophotometric titrations of human serum transferrin with various Fe3+-carrier ampholyte solutions, we demonstrated that under these conditions carrier ampholytes behave as typical chelators, their binding curves being very similar to that obtained with disodium nitrilotriacetate. On performing titration experiments at three different pH values, carrier ampholytes act like nitrilotriacetate at pH 7.5, but the former are more effective iron donors at pH 8.4 and worse iron donors at pH 5.2. Spectrophotometric titrations of isolated C-terminal and N-terminal fragments obtained from human serum transferrin by thermolysin cleavage show no differences between them, and no differences with respect to the whole protein except that they contain half the number of binding sites. In order to determine a site-specificity of iron in the presence of ampholytes, the classical urea/polyacrylamide-gel-electrophoresis technique was adopted. Under saturating conditions carrier ampholyte solutions act mostly on the C-terminal site, whereas desaturating agents remove iron preferentially from the N-terminal site. Our findings support the hypothesis that Ampholine may chelate Fe3+ as well as many other compounds.     

Nonequivalence of the metal binding sites in vanadyl-labeled human serum transferrin.

Vanadyl ion, VO(IV), has been used as an electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spin label to study the metal-binding properties of human serum transferrin in the presence of bicarbonate. Iron-saturated transferrin does not bind the vanadyl ion. Room temperature titrations of apotransferrin with VO(IV) as monitored by EPR indicate the extent of binding to be pH dependent, with a full 0.2 VO(IV) ions per transferrin molecule bound at pH 7.5 and 9, but only about 1.2 VO(IV) ions bound at pH 6. The EPR spectra of frozen solutions with or without 0.1 M NaCUO4 at 77 K show that there are two spectroscopically nonequivalent binding sites (A and B) with a slight difference in binding constants. One site (A site) exhibits essentially constant binding capacity in the pH range 6-9, but the other (B site) becomes less avialable as the pH is reduced below 7. Results with mixed Fe(III)-VO(IV) transferrin complexes suggest that iron shows a slight tendency to bind at the B site over the A site pH 7.5 and 9.0. Only the B site in both vanadyl and iron transferrins is perturbed by the presence of perchlorate.     

The pH dependent properties of metallotransferrins: a comparative study

The dependence on pH of the absorption and circular dichroic spectra of iron(III), cobalt(III) and copper(II) transferrins has been (re)investigated. In the alkaline region, the CD profiles of iron(III) and cobalt(III) transferrin are essentially pH independent up to pH 11; only for very high pH values (pH > 11) is breakdown of the cobalt(III) and iron(III) transferrin derivatives observed, without evidence of conformational rearrangements. By contrast, the CD profiles of copper transferrin show drastic changes in shape around pH 10; these spectral changes, which are fitted to a pK_a of ~10.4, are interpreted in terms of a substantial rearrangement of the local environment of the copper ions at high pH. Although the CD spectra of copper transferrin at alkaline pH strictly resemble those observed upon addition of modifier anions, the mechanism of site destabilization in the two cases is different; at variance with the case of modifier anions, our results suggest that the high pH form of copper transferrin still contains the synergistic anion. A¹³C NMR experiment has confirmed this view. In the acidic region, iron(III) and cobalt(III) transferrins are stable down to pH ~6. For lower pH values progressive metal detachment is observed without evidence of conformational changes; around pH 4.5 most bound metals are released. In the case of the less stable copper-transferrin, metal removal from the specific binding sites is already complete around pH 6.0; in concomitance with release from the primary sites, binding of copper ions to secondary sites is observed. Additional information has been gained from CD experiments in the far UV. The pH dependent properties of iron(III), cobalt(III) and copper(II) transferrin are discussed in the frame of the present knowledge of transferrin chemistry, particular emphasis being attributed to the comparison between tripositive and bipositive metal derivatives.     

Preparation and properties of a single-sited fragment from the C-terminal domain of human transferrin

A single-sited iron-binding fragment of human transferrin has been obtained by thermolysin cleavage of the protein, selectively loaded with iron in the C-terminal binding site, in a urea-containing buffer. The fragment contains carbohydrate, and hence derives from the C-terminal half of transferrin. Its metal-binding site accepts Fe3+ and Cu2+ with bicarbonate as accompanying anion, but only Fe3+ with oxalate as anion. EPR spectroscopic properties of the fragment are similar to those of the corresponding site in the intact protein. However, iron-binding by the fragment is weaker than by the C-terminal site of the intact protein, particularly at low pH, suggesting that overall as well as local protein conformation influences the metal-binding functions of the site.     

Removal of iron from diferric rabbit serum transferrin by rabbit reticulocytes.

When radioiron-labelled transferrin with 55Fe located predominantly in the N-terminal iron-binding site and 59Fe predominantly in the C-terminal iron-binding site was incubated with rabbit reticulocytes, both radioisotopes of iron were removed at similar rates. Electrophoresis of transferrin samples taken during the course of an incubation, in polyacrylamide gels containing 6 M-urea, showed that iron was removed in a pairwise fashion, giving rise to iron-free transferrin.     

The influence of pH on the equilibrium distribution of iron between the metal-binding sites of human transferrin.

The dependence of the metal-binding properties of transferrin on pH in the pH 6--9 range was investigated by urea/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. Equations are presented for calculating the relative values of the four conditional site constants for the stepwise binding of iron to the two sites of transferrin and for calculating the equilibrium distribution of the protein among the four principal forms, apotransferrin, the C-terminal and N-terminal monoferric transferrins and diferric transferrin. The relative affinity of iron for the two sites and the co-operativity of iron-binding follow characteristic "pH titration' curves. A mathematical model that can account for the former behaviour is presented. In both cases the metal-binding sites are affected by the ionization of functional groups with apparent pKa values near physiological pH approx. 7.4. There is strong positive co-operatively in the release of protons from these groups. The results indicate that pH must be accurately controlled in studies of the differential properties of the two sites of the transferrin molecule.     

Effect of pH and iron content of transferrin on its binding to reticulocyte receptors

The effect of pH on the binding of apotransferrin and diferric transferrin to reticulocyte membrane receptors was investigated using rabbit transferrin and rabbit reticulocyte ghosts, intact cells and a detergent-solubilized extract of reticulocyte membranes. The studies were performed within the pH range 4.5–8.0. The binding of apotransferrin to ghosts and membrane extracts and its uptake by intact reticulocytes was high at pH levels below 6.5 but decreased to very low values as the pH was raised above 6.5. By contrast, diferric transferrin showed a high level of binding and uptake between pH 7.0 and 8.0 in addition to binding only slightly less than did apotransferrin at pH values below 6.5. It is proposed that the high affinity of apotransferrin for its receptor at lower pH values and low affinity at pH 7.0 or above allow transferrin to remain bound to the receptor when it is within acidic intracellular vesicles, even after loss of its iron, but also allow ready release from the cell membrane when it is exteriorized by exocytosis after iron uptake. The binding of transferrin to the receptor throughout the endocytosis-exocytosis cycle may protect it from proteolytic breakdown and aid in its recycling to the outer cell membrane     

pH Dependence of the Efficiency of Binding of Iron Cations to the Donor Side of Photosystem II

Light-induced interaction of Fe(II) cations with the donor side of Mn-depleted photosystem II (PS II(–Mn)) results in the binding of iron cations and blocking of the high-affinity (HA_Z) Mn-binding site. The pH dependence of the blocking was measured using the diphenylcarbazide/2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol test. The curve of the pH dependence is bell-shaped with pK ₁ = 5.8 and pK ₂ = 8.0. The pH dependence of the O₂-evolution mediated by PS II membranes is also bellshaped (pK ₂ = 7.6). The pH dependence of the process of electron donation from exogenous donors in PS II(–Mn) was studied to determine the location of the alkaline pH sensitive site of the electron transport chain. The data of the study showed that the decrease in the iron cation binding efficiency at pH > 7.0 during blocking was determined by the donor side of the PS II(–Mn). Mössbauer spectroscopy revealed that incubation of PS II(–Mn) membranes in a buffer solution containing ⁵⁷Fe(II) + ⁵⁷Fe(III) was accompanied by binding only Fe(III) cations. The pH dependence of the nonspecific Fe(III) cation binding is also described by the same bell-shaped curve with pK ₂ = 8.1. The treatment of the PS II(–Mn) membranes with the histidine modifier diethylpyrocarbonate resulted in an increase in the iron binding strength at alkaline pH. It is suggested that blocking efficiency at alkaline pH is determined by competition between OH^– and histidine ligand for Fe(III). Because the high-affinity Mn-binding site contains no histidine residue, this fact can be regarded as evidence that histidine is located at another (other than high-affinity) Fe(III) binding site. In other words, this means that the blockage of the high-affinity Mn-binding site is determined by at least two iron cations. We assume that inactivation of oxygen-evolving complex and inhibition of photoactivation in the alkaline pH region are also determined by competition between OH^– and a histidine residue involved in coordination of manganese cation outside the high-affinity site.     

The effect of pH on yields of hydroxyl radicals produced from superoxide by potential biological iron chelators

The efficiency of conversion of superoxide to hydroxyl radicals was measured by determining the yields of fluorescent hydroxybenzoates. A variety of iron-containing catalysts were tested. Citrate was the only organic salt which showed catalytic activity at neutral pH. Adenine nucleotides had little or no activity under similar conditions. Heme proteins were inactive and any catalytic activity measured with transferrin, lactoferrin, and conalbumin could be explained by free Fe3+ released by the former two at acid pH. Many of the potential catalysts tested showed maximum activity near pH 4.8, where the rate of dismutation of O2-. is highest. This suggests that in most systems the rate-controlling step in the superoxide-driven Fenton process was the formation of H2O2. It was concluded that, with the exception of citrate, none of the biological compounds tested were able to assist the conversion of O2-. to HO. with significant efficiency at neutral pH in homogeneous solutions.     

Spectroscopic and thermodynamic studies on the binding of gadolinium(III) to human serum transferrin

A wide variety of thermodynamic, kinetic, and spectroscopic studies have demonstrated differences between the two metal-binding sites of transferrin. In the present investigation, we have further assessed these differences with respect to the binding of gadolinium, evaluated by UV difference spectrophotometry, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) titration, EPR difference spectroscopy in conjunction with urea gel electrophoresis, and equilibrium dialysis. Combinations of these studies establish that only one site of the protein binds Gd(III) sufficiently firmly to be characterized. In order to reveal which of the two sites accepts Gd(III), we made use of monoferric transferrins preferentially loaded with Fe(III) at either site in EPR spectroscopic studies. Because of the overlap of signals, difference spectroscopy was required to distinguish resonances arising from Fe(III) and Gd(III) specifically complexed to the protein. When iron is bound to the C-terminal site, leaving the N-terminal site free for binding of gadolinium, the difference spectrum shows no evidence of specific binding. However, when iron is bound to the N-terminal site, the difference spectrum shows a resonance line at g' = 4.1 indicative of specific binding, thus implicating the C-terminal site in the binding of Gd(III). The effective stability constant for the binding of Gd(III) to this site of transferrin at pH 7.4 and ambient pCO2 is 6.8 X 10(6) M-1. At physiological pCO2, the formation of nonbinding carbonato complexes of Gd(III) precludes a substantial role for transferrin in the transport of the lanthanide in vivo.     

Alteration of infrared spectrum of serum transferrin by iron binding and lowered pH

Difference infrared spectra are reported for human serum transferrin in D2O as a function of iron binding or increased acidity. Spectral features detected as iron is bound at high pH include difference bands that are indicative of reduced solvent exposure and binding site ligation. More extensive spectral alterations, some of which indicate titration of carboxylic acid groups, are induced in the apo protein by lowering the pH in a manner consistent with that entailed in endocytosis.     

Interaction of gastrin with transferrin: effects of ferric ions

The sedimentation behavior of 125I-labeled gastrin has been studied as a function of Fe3+ ion concentration and pH. Both sedimentation velocity and sedimentation equilibrium experiments indicated that high-molecular-weight Fe3+-gastrin complexes were formed at pH 5.0 and pH 7.4. Self-association of gastrin alone was observed at pH values below 5.0. 125I-labeled gastrin bound to human serum apotransferrin at pH 7.4. Scatchard analysis of the gastrin-apotransferrin complex gave a Kd of approximately 6.4 microM at 37 degrees C, with two binding sites per molecule of apotransferrin. No significant binding of gastrin to diferric transferrin was observed under the same conditions. The binding of gastrin to apotransferrin was inhibited by NaCl. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that gastrin and transferrin act synergistically in the uptake of dietary iron by the gastrointestinal tract.     

Intravesicular pH and iron uptake by immature erythroid cells

The intravesicular pH of intact rabbit reticulocytes was measured by two methods; one based on the intracellular:extracellular distribution of DMO (5, 5, dimethyl + oxazolidin-2,4-dione), methylamine, and chloroquine and the other by quantitative fluorescence microscopy of cell-bound transferrin. The latter method was also applied to nucleated erythroid cells from the fetal rat liver. A pH value of approximately 5.4 was obtained with both methods and in both types of cells. Treatment of the cells with lysosomotrophic agents, metabolic inhibitors, and ionophores elevated the intravesicular pH and inhibited iron uptake from transferrin. When varying concentrations of NH4Cl were used, a close correlation was observed between the inhibition of iron uptake and elevation of the intravesicular pH. At pH 5.4 iron release from rabbit iron-bicarbonate transferrin in vitro was much more rapid than from iron-oxalate transferrin. The bicarbonate complex donates its iron to rabbit reticulocytes approximately twice as quickly as the oxalate complex. It is concluded that the acidic conditions within the vesicles provide the mechanism for iron release from the transferrin molecule after its endocytosis and that the low vesicular pH is dependent on cellular metabolism.     

The effect of acid pH and citrate on the release and exchange of iron on rat transferrin

The effect of acid pH and citrate on the exchange of iron between binding sites of rat transferrin has been studied. In the absence of citrate, diferric transferrin shows stepwise loss of iron atoms with the first atom of iron released at approximately pH 5.2. Citrate at physiologic concentrations (1 · 10^?3 M) or greater allows random iron removal at pH 6.5 or less. Iron dissociation from monoferric transferrin at acid pH, with or without citrate, is a random process. At pH 7.4, randomization of iron on transferrin takes from 3 to 6 h in the presence of millimolar concentrations of citrate. We conclude that at acid pH and in the presence of citrate concentrations likely to occur in vivo in the rat there is little scrambling of iron bound to transferrin.     

A QM/MM study of the complexes formed by aluminum and iron with serum transferrin at neutral and acidic pH

Serum transferrin (sTf) transports iron in serum and internalizes in cells via receptor mediated endocytosis. Additionally, sTf has been identified as the predominant aluminum carrier in serum. Some questions remain unclear about the exact mechanism for the metal release or whether the aluminum and iron show the same binding mode during the entire process. In the present work, simulation techniques at quantum and atomic levels have been employed in order to gain access into a molecular level understanding of the metal-bound sTf complex, and to describe the binding of Al(III) and Fe(III) ions to sTf. First, hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out in order to analyze the dynamics of the aluminum-loaded complex, taking into account the different pH conditions in blood and into the cell. Moreover, the complexes formed by transferrin with Al(III) and Fe(III) were optimized with high level density functional theory (DFT)/MM methods. All these results indicate that the interaction mode of Al(III) and Fe(III) with sTf change upon different pH conditions, and that the coordination of Al(III) and Fe(III) is not equivalent during the metal intake, transport and release processes. Our results emphasize the importance of the pH on the metal binding and release mechanism and suggest that Al(III) can follow the iron pathway to get access into cells, although once there, it may show a different binding mode, leading to a different mechanism for its release.