Isolation of anthglutin, an inhibitor of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase from Penicillum oxalicum.

Anthglutin, a new inhibitor of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, has been isolated from the cultured medium of Penicillium oxalicum and its structure established as l-γ-l-glutamyl-2-(2-carboxyphenyl)hydrazine. The isolation of anthglutin was achieved by ion-exchange chromatography. Anthglutin inhibited γ-glutamyl transpeptidase specifically and the kinetic analysis of the inhibition showed that anthglutin inhibited the enzyme competitively with regard to the glutamyl donor, γ-glutamyl-p-nitroanilide, and noncompetitively with regard to the glutamyl acceptor, glycylglycine. K₁ values were 5.7 μm for the hog kidney enzyme, 18.3 μm for the human kidney enzyme, 13.6 μm for the human liver soluble enzyme, and 10.2 μm for the bound enzyme. After oral administration of [¹⁴C]methionine and anthglutin to rats, no effect of anthglutin was observed on the absorption of methionine in the intestine.     

Occurrence and some properties of a novel γ-glutamyltransferase responsible for the syntheis of γ-L-glutamul-D-alanine in pea seedlings

Occurrence of a novel γ-glutamyltransferase responsible for the formation of γ-L-glutamyl-D-alanine was demonstrated in pea seedlings, and the enzyme was purified 600-fold. The enzyme preparation catalyzed the transfer of the γ-glutamyl moiety of L-glutamine and other γ-glutamyl compounds to D-amino acids. In the formation of γ-L-glutamyl peptides of D-amino acids, L-glutamine served as the most effective γ-glutamyl donor and D-alanine acted as a highly-specific acceptor. The maximum activity of the γ-glutamyl transfer reaction between L-glutamine and D-alanine was observed at pH 9.5 and the apparent K_m values for these amino acids were estimated to be 2.0 and 2.9mM, respectively. This unique γ-glutamyltransferase activity was always accompanied by the catalytic activities of the known γ-glutamyltransferases during the purification procedure.     

Kinetics of the conversion of leukotriene C by gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase

γ-Glutamyl transpeptidase (EC 2.3.2.2) converts leukotriene C to leukotriene D by removal of a glutamyl residue. The Michaelis constant for leukotriene C₄ hydrolysis was found to be 5.6 μM. Under the same conditions the K_m value for hydrolysis of reduced glutathione was 5.7 μM. This suggests that leukotriene C₄ and glutathione may be competing substrates for γ-glutamyl transpeptidase under physiological conditions. The apparent K_I for inhibition of leukotriene C₄ hydrolysis by equimolar amounts of L-serine and sodium borate was 0.8 mM.     

A kinetic study of gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT)-mediated S-nitrosoglutathione catabolism

S-Nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) is a nitric oxide (NO) donor compound which has been postulated to be involved in transport of NO in vivo. It is known that γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) is one of the enzymes involved in the enzyme-mediated decomposition of GSNO, but no kinetics studies of the reaction GSNO-GGT are reported in literature.In this study we directly investigated the kinetics of GGT with respect to GSNO as a substrate and glycyl-glycine (GG) as acceptor co-substrate by spectrophotometry at 334 nm. GGT hydrolyses the γ-glutamyl moiety of GSNO to give S-nitroso-cysteinylglycine (CGNO) and γ-glutamyl-GG. However, as both the substrate GSNO and the first product CGNO absorb at 334 nm, we optimized an ancillary reaction coupled to the enzymatic reaction, based on the copper-mediated decomposition of CGNO yielding oxidized cysteinyl-glycine and NO. The ancillary reaction allowed us to study directly the GSNO/GGT kinetics by following the decrease of the characteristic absorbance of nitrosothiols at 334 nm. A K_m of GGT for GSNO of 0.398 ± 31 mM was thus found, comparable with K_m values reported for other γ-glutamyl substrates of GGT.     

Probing the donor and acceptor substrate specificity of the γ-glutamyl transpeptidase

γ-Glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) is a two-substrate enzyme that plays a central role in glutathione metabolism and is a potential target for drug design. GGT catalyzes the cleavage of γ-glutamyl donor substrates and the transfer of the γ-glutamyl moiety to an amine of an acceptor substrate or water. Although structures of bacterial GGT have revealed details of the protein-ligand interactions at the donor site, the acceptor substrate site is relatively undefined. The recent identification of a species-specific acceptor site inhibitor, OU749, suggests that these inhibitors may be less toxic than glutamine analogues. Here we investigated the donor and acceptor substrate preferences of Bacillus anthracis GGT (CapD) and applied computational approaches in combination with kinetics to probe the structural basis of the enzyme's substrate and inhibitor binding specificities and compare them with human GGT. Site-directed mutagenesis studies showed that the R432A and R520S variants exhibited 6- and 95-fold decreases in hydrolase activity, respectively, and that their activity was not stimulated by the addition of the l-Cys acceptor substrate, suggesting an additional role in acceptor binding and/or catalysis of transpeptidation. Rat GGT (and presumably HuGGT) has strict stereospecificity for L-amino acid acceptor substrates, while CapD can utilize both L- and D-acceptor substrates comparably. Modeling and kinetic analysis suggest that R520 and R432 allow two alternate acceptor substrate binding modes for L- and D-acceptors. R432 is conserved in Francisella tularensis, Yersinia pestis, Burkholderia mallei, Helicobacter pylori and Escherichia coli, but not in human GGT. Docking and MD simulations point toward key residues that contribute to inhibitor and acceptor substrate binding, providing a guide to designing novel and specific GGT inhibitors.     

Some properties of γ-tocopherol methyltransferase solubilized from spinach chloroplasts

γ-Tocopherol methyltransferase occurs in the chloroplast fraction of spinach leaves. Its specific activity with γ-tocopherol and S-adenosyl-l-methionine was 3.91 nmol hr⁻¹ mg⁻¹ protein. The enzyme was effectively solubilized by 6 mM sodium deoxycholate from the membrane fraction of chloroplasts. The activity was maximum at pH 7.5 and 35°. γ-Tocopherol was preferred to β-tocopherol (25:7). The K_m value for S-adenosyl-l-methionine as methyl donor was 9.1 μM.     

Mechanism of the acidosis induced adaptation in renal gamma-glutamyltransferase

Acidosis induces an adaptation in renal γ-glutamyltransferase activity. The mechanism responsible for this adaptation was studied in isolated kidneys from control and chronically acidotic rats perfused with either γ-glutamyl-p-nitroanilide or D-glutamine. The results clearly establish that acidosis increased the utilization of both γ-glutamyl donors and that the adaptation occurs on both the luminal (urine) and antiluminal (blood) border of tubule cells. Acidotic rat kidneys exhibited an apparent Vmax for γ-glutamyl-p-nitroanilide similar to that of the control while the apparent K_m was significantly reduced consistent with an increased affinity of the enzyme for the substrate in acidosis.     

Compartmentation and Activities of Enzymes Involved in the Metabolism of Amino Acids Implicated in Osmoregulatory Mechanisms in Acanthamoeba castellanii1

Glutamate dehydrogenase in Acanthamoeba castellanii is an NAD-dependent cytosolic enzyme. This is similar to glutamate dehydrogenases in Phycomycetes, but very different from the dual coenzyme-specific enzymes located in mitochondria in animals and in mitochondria and chloroplasts in higher plants. Pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P-5-C) reductase occurs also in the cytoplasm in A. castellanii and has very high affinities for L-P-5-C (K_m= 12 μM) and NADH (K_m= 15 _μM). In contrast, ornithine aminotransferase and proline oxidase are mitochondrial enzymes. No proline-inhibited γ-glutamyl kinase was detected while an active glutamine synthetase was found in the cytosolic compartment. Evidence for a mitochondrial transport system for L-proline was obtained. Two possible pathways for proline biosynthesis in A. castellanii are discussed based on information obtained about activities and subcellular compartmentation of enzymes.     

Purification and Properties of an Exocellular γ-Glutamyl Arylamidase from Bacillus sp. Strain No. 12

An exocellular γ-glutamyl arylamide-hydrolyzing enzyme was produced by a Bacillus sp. in L-glutamate-containing medium. This enzyme was a tetrameric simple protein composed of two heavy subunits (Mr 56,000) and two light subunits (Mr 46,000). It hydrolyzed γ-amido, acyl and aryl bonds in L- and D-glutamyl compounds, and the activity on L-glutamic acid γ-p-nitroanilide was inhibited by the addition of glutamate and γ-glutamyl compounds but not by α-glutamyl compounds. The activity was stimulated by various dipeptides but not by free amino acids, L-Alanine, glycine, L-serine and L-cysteine inhibited the enzyme competitively. Addition of hy-droxylamine had no effect on the activity.     

Purification and properties of betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase from Xanthomonas translucens

Betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase from Xanthomonas translucens was purified to apparent homogeneity by ammonium sulfate fractionation, followed by ion-exchange, butyl-Toyopearl and gel filtration chromatography. The amino acid composition and the N-terminal sequence of 35 amino acid residues were determined. The enzyme was found to be a tetramer with identical 50 kDa subunits. Both NAD and NADP could be used as a cofactor for the enzyme and K_m values for NAD and NADP were 70 μM and 50 μM, respectively. The enzyme was highly specific for betaine aldehyde and the K_m value for betaine aldehyde was 0.19 mM.     

Hydroxycinnamic Acid Transferases in the Biosynthesis of Acylated Betacyanins: Purification and Characterization from Cell Cultures of Chenopodium rubrum and Occurrence in Some Other Members of the Caryophyllales*

An acyltransferase from cell cultures of Chenopodium rubrum was purified 515-fold with a 2.5 % recovery. This enzyme catalyzes the transfer of hydroxycinnamic acids from 1–0-hydroxycinnamoyl-/β-glucose to the C-2 hydroxy group of glucuronic acid of amaranthin (betanidin 5-O-glucuronosylglucose). The invivo products formed are celosianin I (4-coumaroylama-ranthin) and celosianin II (feruloylamaranthin). The enzyme can be classified as l-0-hydroxycinnamoyl-β-glucose: amaranthin O-hydroxycinnamoyl-transferase (EC 2.3.1.-). Its molecular weight was determined by gel filtration column chromatography to be ca. 69.5 kDa. Maximal rate of product formation was found to be at pH 5.6. The isoelectric point of the enzyme was at pH 4.7. The reaction temperature maximum was at 37 °C and the apparent energy of activation was calculated to be 44.5kJ mor^?1. The enzyme showed a V_max of 910pkat (mg protein)^?1 with amaranthin as acceptor and feruloylglucose as acyl donor. The ratios of V_max/K_m values for sinapoyl-, feruloyl, caffeoyl- and 4-coumaroylglucoses were found to be 100:56:56:40. Donor competition experiments support the conclusion that one single enzyme is responsible for the ester formation with the different hydroxycinnamic acids. From the possible acceptors tested, only amaranthin (15S configuration) and isoamaranthin (15R) were esterified with K_m values of 280 and 800 μM, respectively. Catalytic effectivity (V_mix/K_m) was found at a relative ratio 15S:15R of 100:42. Betanin (betanidin 5-O-glucoside) and gomphrenin I (betanidin 6-O-glucoside) were not accepted. Some other acylated betacyanin-containing members of four families of the Caryophyllales were investigated and showed the same type of hydroxycinnamoyltransferase activity with 1-O-hydroxycinnamoylglucose as acyl donor, but with different acceptor molecule specificities.     

Origin of apparent negative cooperativity of F1-ATPase

In order to get insight into the origin of apparent negative cooperativity observed for F₁-ATPase, we compared ATPase activity and ATPMg binding of mutant subcomplexes of thermophilic F₁-ATPase, α_(W463F)3β_(Y341W)3γ and α_{(K175A/T176A/W463F)3}β_(Y341W)3γ. For α_(W463F)3β_(Y341W)3γ, apparent K_m's of ATPase kinetics (4.0 and 233 μM) did not agree with apparent K_m's deduced from fluorescence quenching of the introduced tryptophan residue (on the order of nM, 0.016 and 13 μM). On the other hand, in case of α_{(K175A/T176A/W463F)3}β_(Y341W)3γ, which lacks noncatalytic nucleotide binding sites, the apparent K_m of ATPase activity (10 μM) roughly agreed with the highest K_m of fluorescence measurements (27 μM). The results indicate that in case of α_(W463F)3β_(Y341W)3γ, the activating effect of ATP binding to noncatalytic sites dominates overall ATPase kinetics and the highest apparent K_m of ATPase activity does not represent the ATP binding to a catalytic site. In case of α_{(K175A/T176A/W463F)3}β_(Y341W)3γ, the K_m of ATPase activity reflects the ATP binding to a catalytic site due to the lack of noncatalytic sites. The Eadie-Hofstee plot of ATPase reaction by α_{(K175A/T176A/W463F)3}β_(Y341W)3γ was rather linear compared with that of α_(W463F)3β_(Y341W)3γ, if not perfectly straight, indicating that the apparent negative cooperativity observed for wild-type F₁-ATPase is due to the ATP binding to catalytic sites and noncatalytic sites. Thus, the frequently observed K_m's of 100-300 μM and 1-30 μM range for wild-type F₁-ATPase correspond to ATP binding to a noncatalytic site and catalytic site, respectively.     

Biochemical and structural properties of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase from Geobacillus thermodenitrificans: An enzyme specialized in hydrolase activity

Gamma-glutamyltranspeptidases (γ-GTs) catalyze the transfer of the gamma-glutamyl moiety of glutathione and related gamma-glutamyl amides to water (hydrolysis) or to amino acids and peptides (transpeptidation) and play a key role in glutathione metabolism. Recently, γ-GTs have been considered attractive pharmaceutical targets for cancer and useful tools to produce γ-glutamyl compounds. To find out γ-GTs with special properties we have chosen microorganisms belonging to Geobacillus species which are source of several thermostable enzymes of potential interest for biotechnology. γ-GT from Geobacillus thermodenitrificans (GthGT) was cloned, expressed in Escherichia coli, purified to homogeneity and characterized. The enzyme, synthesized as a precursor homotetrameric protein of 61-kDa per subunit, undergoes an internal post-translational cleavage of the 61 kDa monomer into 40- and 21-kDa shorter subunits, which are then assembled into an active heterotetramer composed of two 40- and two 21-kDa subunits. The kinetic characterization of the hydrolysis reaction using l-glutamic acid γ-(4-nitroanilide) as the substrate reveals that the active enzyme has K_m 7.6 μM and V_max 0.36 μmol min/mg. The optimum pH and temperature for the hydrolysis activity are 7.8 and 52 °C, respectively. GthGT hydrolyses the physiological antioxidant glutathione, suggesting an involvement of the enzyme in the cellular defense mechanism against oxidative stress. Unlike other γ-GTs, the mutation of the highly conserved catalytic nucleophile, Thr353, abolishes the post-translational cleavage of the pro-enzyme, but does not completely block the hydrolytic action. Furthermore, GthGT does not show any transpeptidase activity, suggesting that the enzyme is a specialized γ-glutamyl hydrolase. The GthGT homology-model structure reveals peculiar structural features, which should be responsible for the different functional properties of the enzyme and suggests the structural bases of protein thermostability.     

PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CARNOSINE SYNTHETASE FROM MOUSE OLFACTORY BULBS

Carnosine synthetase was purified about 500-fold from mouse olfactory bulb to a specific activity of approx 25 nmol/min/mg. This is an increase of 800-fold over that previously reported for this enzyme from rat brain and 11 times higher than the most highly purified enzyme from chicken pectoral muscle. ATP was essential for activity and could not be replaced by ADP. NAD had no effect on the synthesis of carnosine. Of the β-alanine analogues tested, the purified mouse enzyme incorporated only γ-aminobutyric acid and β-amino-n-butyric acid into peptide linkage with histidine. Synthesis of carnosine by the mouse olfactory bulb enzyme was competitively inhibited by the histidine analogues, 1-methyl histidine and 3-methyl histidine, with K_i values which were at least 40 times the K_m value for histidine (16 μM). Ornithine and lysine were more efficient β-alanine acceptors than 1-methyl histidine for the mouse enzyme. Enzyme from olfactory epithelium and leg skeletal muscle of mice also showed higher K_i values for 1–methyl histidine than the K_m value for histidine. In contrast, carnosine-anserine synthetase from chicken pectoral muscle gave K_m values for histidine, 1-methyl histidine and 3-methyl histidine, which were all in the range of 4–12 μM. The differences in substrate specificity between the enzyme from mouse and chicken implies alternate routes of anserine synthesis in these species and predicts the occurrence of certain novel peptides in mouse brain.     

Rat Liver Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Kinetics and Assay Methodology

Abstract

In mammals, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is distributed throughout various organs, the highest activities being found in the liver and kidney. However, comparisons of the kinetic parameters are difficult to perform, since the experimental procedures in the enzyme assay vary quite considerably. The present work was aimed at studying the optimal liver COMT assay conditions for determining the kinetics of the enzyme. The COMT assay was performed with liver homogenates from 60 days old male Wistar rats with adrenaline (AD) as the substrate. Time course experiments using 100 μM S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe) and 300 μM AD showed linearity of O-methylation reaction upto 10min. Using 100μM SAMe, V_max (nmol mg protein' h^?1) and K_m (μM) values progressively decreased respectively from 22.1 and 104.8 at 5mindown to 5.8 and 24.62 at 60 min incubation periods. This decrease was not due to end-product inhibition. Using 2500 μM AD, K_m values (μM) for the methyl donor SAMe increased progressively from 174 at 5 min upto 1192.5 at 60 min; upto 30 min of incubation F_max values did not change. When a 5 min incubation period and 500 μM SAMe were used, V_max and K_m values for liver COMT were 63.4 nmol mg protein^?1h^?1 and 261.1 μM, respectively. It is concluded that an incubation period of 5 min and a SAMe concentration of 500 μM provide optimal conditions for the liver homogenate COMT assay.     

Glutamine synthetases from rice: purification and preliminary characterization of two forms in leaves and one form in roots

A relatively rapid five-step procedure was used in purifying to apparent homogeneity the glutamine synthetase from roots and one form of the enzyme (GS_I) from leaves of rice. The steps were: preparation of crude extracts, ammonium sulfate precipitation, filtration on Sepharose 4B, fractionation on DEAE-Sephadex A25, and affinity chromatography on ADP-Sepharose 4B. The purified protein appeared as a single band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Leaf GS_I and the second type of leaf glutamine synthetase (GS_II) formed distinct peaks when eluted from DEAE-Sephadex (step 4). The root enzyme and leaf GS_I were similar in all the properties which were examined. Both enzymes bound to ADP-Sepharose, had similar biosynthetic (18 μmol P/_img protein/min) and transferase (1324 and 1156 μmol γ-glutamyl hydroxamate/mg protein/min) activities, and the same or nearly the same K_m values for glutamate (2.17 mm), Mg²⁺ (4.5 and 5.0 mm), ATP (286 μm), NH₄⁺ (210 and 135 μm), and ADP (3.8 and 5.3 μm). In contrast, leaf GS_II did not bind to ADP-Sepharose and had much higher K_m values for glutamate (8.3 mm), Mg²⁺ (15 mm), NH₄⁺ (684 μm), and ADP (33 μm).     

Purification and characterization of Escherichia coli xanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase produced by plasmid pSV2gpt

The enzyme xanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase from scherichia coli cells harboring the plasmid pSV2gpt has been purified 30-fold to near homogeneity by single-step GMP-agarose affinity chromatography. It has a K_m value of 2.5, 42 and 182 μM for the substrates guanine, xanthine and hypoxanthine, respectively, with guanine being the most preferred substrate. The enzyme exhibits a K_m value of 38.5 μM for PRib-PP with guanine as second substrate and of 100 μM when xanthine is used as the second substrate. It is markedly inhibited by 6-thioguanine, GMP and to a lesser extent by some other purine analogues. Thioguanine has been found to be the most potent inhibitor. The subunit molecular weight of xanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase was determined to be 19 000. The in situ activity assay on a nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gel has indicated that a second E. coli phosphoribosyltransferase preferentially uses hypoxanthine as opposed to guanine as a substrate, and it does not use xanthine.     

Effect of indomethacin on cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity in myometrium from pregnant rhesus monkeys

Our results indicate that indomethacin inhibits cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase in the myometrium of the pregnant rhesus monkey under in vitro as well as in vivo conditions. Kinetic data on extracts of myometrium from pregnant rhesus monkeys indicated two cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activities. The apparent K_m value for the high affinity enzyme averaged 3.9 μM and for the low affinity enzyme 23 μM; the V_max values averaged 0.56 and 1.4 nmoles cyclic AMP hydrolized per mg protein min^?1 respectively. When indomethacin was added to the myometrial extracts, the activity of the high K_m phosphodiesterase was competitively inhibited, with an average K_i of 200 μM; the low K_m enzyme was noncompetitively inhibited with an average K_i of 110 μM. Experiments on myometrial slices demonstrated that 10 μM indomethacin potentiated the effect of PGE₁ and epinephrine on cyclic AMP levels, presumably by inhibiting the phosphodiesterase activity. The uterine relaxing effect of indomethacin is generally attributed to the inhibition of prostaglandin synthetase activity. However, treatment of pregnant rhesus monkeys with therapeutic doses of indomethacin resulted in a significant inhibition of myometrial cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity in association with uterine relaxation and prolongation of gestation.     

Methionine biosynthesis in isolated Pisum sativum mitochondria

Homocysteine-dependent transmethylases utilizing 5-methyltetrahydropteroylglutamic acid and S-adenosylmethionine as methyl donors have been examined using ammonium sulphate fractions prepared from isolated mitochondria of pea cotyledons. Substantial levels of a 5-rnethyltetrahydropteroylglutamate transmethylase were detected, the catalytic properties of this enzyme being found similar to those of a previously reported enzyme present in cotyledon extracts. The mitochondrial 5-CH₃-H₄PteGlu transmethylase had an apparent K_m of 25 μM for the methyl donor, was saturated with homocysteine at 1 mM and was inhibited 50% by l-methionine at 2.5 mM. At similar concentrations of methyl donor the mitochondrial S-adenosylmethionine methyltransferase was not saturated. Mitochondrial preparations were found capable of synthesizing substantial amounts of S-adenosylmethionine but lacked ability to form S-methylmethionine. Significant levels of β-cystathionase, cystathionine-γ-synthase, l-homoserine transacetylase and l-homoserine transsuccinylase were detected in the isolated mitochondria. The activity of the enzymes of homocysteine biosynthesis was not affected by l-methionine in vitro. It is concluded that pea mitochondria have ability to catalyze the synthesis of methionine de novo.     

Purification and properties of caffeic acid O-methyltransferase from alfalfa root nodules

An O-methyltransferase which catalyses the methylation of caffeic acid to ferulic acid using S-adenosyl-l-methionine as methyl donor has been isolated and purified ca 70-fold from root nodules of alfalfa. The enzyme also catalysed the methylation of 5-hydroxyferulic acid. Chromatography on 1,6-diaminohexane agarose (AH-Sepharose-4B) linked with S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine (SAH) gave 35% recovery of enzyme activity. The K_m values for caffeic acid and S-adenosyl-l-methionine were 58 and 4.1 μM, respectively. S-Adenosyl-l-homocysteine was a potent competitive inhibitor of S-adenosyl-l-methionine with a K_i of 0.44 μM. The MW of the enzyme was ca 103 000 determined by gel filtration chromatography.