Biochemical characterization of the thioredoxin domain of Escherichia coli DsbE protein reveals a weak reductant

Thioredoxin (Trx) domain is a typical fold functioning in thiol/disulfide exchange. DsbE protein is one of the Trx-domain containing proteins involved in electron transfer for cytochrome c maturation in the periplasm of Escherichia coli. The soluble C-terminal Trx domain of DsbE protein was overexpressed and purified to homogeneity. We herein report biochemical characterization of the structural and redox properties of this domain. During redox reaction, the domain undergoes a structural transformation resulting in a more stable reduced form with a free energy difference (DeltaDeltaG(Redox)) of ca. 5 kcal/mol, but the thiol/disulfide exchange exhibits very low reactivity. The standard redox potential (E0') for the active thiol/disulfide is -0.175 V and the pK(a) value of the active cysteine is around 6.8, indicating that the domain acts as a weak reductant. This implies that the membrane-anchored DsbE protein may provide driven reducing power for the redox reaction in the thiol/disulfide exchange pathway.     

A Pro to His mutation in active site of thioredoxin increases its disulfide-isomerase activity 10-fold. New refolding systems for reduced or randomly oxidized ribonuclease.

Thioredoxin (Trx) from Escherichia coli was compared with bovine protein disulfide-isomerase (PDI) for its ability to catalyze native disulfide formation in either reduced or randomly oxidized (scrambled) ribonuclease A (RNase). On a molar basis, a 100-fold higher concentration of Trx than of PDI was required to give the same rate of native disulfide formation measured as recovery of RNase activity. A Pro-34 to His (P34H Trx) mutation in the active site of E. coli Trx (WCGPC), mimicking the two suggested active sites in PDI (WCGHC), increased the catalytic activity in disulfide formation about 10-fold. The mutant P34H Trx displayed a 35-mV higher redox potential (E'0) of the active site disulfide/dithiol relative to wild type Trx, making it more similar to the redox potential observed for PDI. This higher redox potential correlates well with the enhanced activity and suggests a role for the histidine side chain. Enzymatic isomerization of disulfides in scrambled, oxidized RNase requires the presence of a catalytic thiol such as GSH to initiate the thiol-disulfide interchange. Bovine thioredoxin reductase, together with NADPH, could replace GSH. For oxidative folding of reduced RNase in air with Trx, P34H Trx, or PDI, catalytic amounts of sodium selenite (1 microM) resulted in rapid disulfide formation and high yields of ribonuclease activity equivalent to previously known redox buffers of GSH and GSSG. These results demonstrate no obligatory role for glutathione in disulfide formation. A possible mechanism for the unknown thiol oxidative process accompanying folding and protein disulfide formation in vivo is discussed.     

The CXXC motif: imperatives for the formation of native disulfide bonds in the cell.

The rapid formation of native disulfide bonds in cellular proteins is necessary for the efficient use of cellular resources. This process is catalyzed in vitro by protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), with the PDI1 gene being essential for the viability of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. PDI is a member of the thioredoxin (Trx) family of proteins, which have the active-site motif CXXC. PDI contains two Trx domains as well as two domains unrelated to the Trx family. We find that the gene encoding Escherichia coli Trx is unable to complement PDI1 null mutants of S.cerevisiae. Yet, Trx can replace PDI if it is mutated to have a CXXC motif with a disulfide bond of high reduction potential and a thiol group of low pKa. Thus, an enzymic thiolate is both necessary and sufficient for the formation of native disulfide bonds in the cell.     

Characterization of plastidial thioredoxins from Arabidopsis belonging to the new y-type

The plant plastidial thioredoxins (Trx) are involved in the light-dependent regulation of many enzymatic activities, owing to their thiol-disulfide interchange activity. Three different types of plastidial Trx have been identified and characterized so far: the m-, f-, and x-types. Recently, a new putative plastidial type, the y-type, was found. In this work the two isoforms of Trx y encoded by the nuclear genome of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) were characterized. The plastidial targeting of Trx y has been established by the expression of a TrxGFP fusion protein. Then both isoforms were produced as recombinant proteins in their putative mature forms and purified to characterize them by a biochemical approach. Their ability to activate two plastidial light-regulated enzymes, NADP-malate dehydrogenase (NADP-MDH) and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, was tested. Both Trx y were poor activators of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and NADP-MDH; however, a detailed study of the activation of NADP-MDH using site-directed mutants of its regulatory cysteines suggested that Trx y was able to reduce the less negative regulatory disulfide but not the more negative regulatory disulfide. This property probably results from the fact that Trx y has a less negative redox midpoint potential (-337 mV at pH 7.9) than thioredoxins f and m. The y-type Trxs were also the best substrate for the plastidial peroxiredoxin Q. Gene expression analysis showed that Trx y2 was mainly expressed in leaves and induced by light, whereas Trx y1 was mainly expressed in nonphotosynthetic organs, especially in seeds at a stage of major accumulation of storage lipids.     

Biological disulfides: the third messenger? Modulation of phosphofructokinase activity by thiol/disulfide exchange

Rabbit muscle phosphofructokinase is rapidly inactivated at pH 8.0 by incubation with low concentrations of oxidized glutathione, Coenzyme A glutathione mixed disulfide, and oxidized Coenzyme A. The inactivation is first order in disulfide concentration over the concentration ranges examined (50-200 microM), and is approximately 8-fold slower at pH 7.0 than at pH 8.0. The substrates ATP and fructose 6-phosphate protect against inactivation while effector molecules such as AMP, cAMP, and citrate do not. The oxidation of the enzyme by disulfides is fully reversible. The equilibrium constant for the reaction Ered + GSSG in equilibrium Eox + GSH at pH 8.0 is 7.1 in the absence of substrates and 2.5 in the presence of 0.1 mM ATP. For comparison, the equilibrium constant for the reaction CoASH + GSSG in equilibrium CoASSG + GSH was found to be 3.1 at pH 8.0. These equilibrium constants for thiol/disulfide exchange are such that modulation of phosphofructokinase activity by thiol/disulfide exchange in vivo is feasible. The ability of the thiol/disulfide ratio in vivo to modulate the activity of the fructose 6-phosphate/fructose 1,6-diphosphate futile cycle is discussed. The possibility is considered that modulation of the thiol/disulfide ratio in vivo may serve as a "third messenger" in response to cAMP levels, and that the activity of key enzymes of glycolysis/gluconeogenesis may be regulated in response to changing thiol/disulfide ratios.     

Selective redox regulation of cytokine receptor signaling by extracellular thioredoxin-1

The thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase thioredoxin-1 (Trx1) is known to be secreted by leukocytes and to exhibit cytokine-like properties. Extracellular effects of Trx1 require a functional active site, suggesting a redox-based mechanism of action. However, specific cell surface proteins and pathways coupling extracellular Trx1 redox activity to cellular responses have not been identified so far. Using a mechanism-based kinetic trapping technique to identify disulfide exchange interactions on the intact surface of living lymphocytes, we found that Trx1 catalytically interacts with a single principal target protein. This target protein was identified as the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 8 (TNFRSF8/CD30). We demonstrate that the redox interaction is highly specific for both Trx1 and CD30 and that the redox state of CD30 determines its ability to engage the cognate ligand and transduce signals. Furthermore, we confirm that Trx1 affects CD30-dependent changes in lymphocyte effector function. Thus, we conclude that receptor-ligand signaling interactions can be selectively regulated by an extracellular redox catalyst.     

Heterodimer formation between thioredoxin f and fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase from spinach chloroplasts

Chloroplast fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) is activated by reduction of a regulatory disulfide through thioredoxin f (Trx f). In the course of this reduction a transient mixed disulfide is formed linking covalently Trx f with FBPase, which possesses three Cys on a loop structure, two of them forming the redox-active disulfide bridge. The goal of this study was to identify the Cys involved in the transient mixed disulfide. To stabilize this reaction intermediate, mutant proteins with modified active sites were used. We identified Cys-155 of the FBPase as the one engaged in the formation of the mixed disulfide intermediate with Cys-46 of Trx f.     

Truncated thioredoxin (Trx80) exerts unique mitogenic cytokine effects via a mechanism independent of thiol oxido-reductase activity

Recently we discovered that a naturally occurring C-terminally truncated thioredoxin (Trx80) is a potent mitogenic cytokine stimulating IL-12 production from CD40(+) monocytes. To further characterise Trx80 we have engineered cysteine to serine mutants of Trx80 corresponding to the active site cysteines of Trx (Trx80SGPS) and to the structural cysteine at position 72 (Trx80C72S). Trx80SGPS and Trx80C72S retained the cell stimulatory activity of Trx80 and increased peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation three- to five-fold in vitro (P<0.01, n=18). Both Trx80SGPS and Trx80C72S significantly stimulated IL-12 and IFN-gamma secretion from PBMCs in the same manner as Trx80 (P<0.01, n=9 and 10). The previously described Trx80 dimer is caused by non-covalent interactions, and not by any intermolecular disulphide bonds.     

Activity assays of mammalian thioredoxin and thioredoxin reductase: Fluorescent disulfide substrates,mechanisms, and use with tissue samples

Thioredoxin (Trx) is a protein disulfide reductase that, together with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) and thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), controls oxidative stress or redox signaling via thiol redox control. Human cytosolic Trx1 has Cys32 and Cys35 as the active site and three additional cysteine residues (Cys62, Cys69, and Cys73), which by oxidation generates inactive Cys62 to Cys69 two-disulfide Trx. This, combined with TrxR with a broad substrate specificity, complicates assays of mammalian Trx and TrxR. We sought to understand the autoregulation of Trx and TrxR and to generate new methods for quantification of Trx and TrxR. We optimized the synthesis of two fluorescent substrates, di-eosin–glutathione disulfide (Di-E–GSSG) and fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled insulin (FiTC–insulin), which displayed higher fluorescence on disulfide reduction. Di-E–GSSG showed a very large increase in fluorescence quantum yield but had a relatively low affinity for Trx and was also a weak direct substrate for TrxR, in contrast to GSSG. FiTC–insulin was used to develop highly sensitive assays for TrxR and Trx. Reproducible conditions were developed for reactivation of modified Trx, commonly present in frozen or oxidized samples. Trx in cell extracts and tissue samples, including plasma and serum, were subsequently analyzed, showing highly reproducible results and allowing measurement of trace amounts of Trx.     

Thioredoxin-1 redox signaling regulates cell survival in response to hyperoxia

The most common form of newborn chronic lung disease, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), is thought to be caused by oxidative disruption of lung morphogenesis, which results in decreased pulmonary vasculature and alveolar simplification. Although cellular redox status is known to regulate cellular proliferation and differentiation, redox-sensitive pathways associated with these processes in developing pulmonary epithelium are unknown. Redox-sensitive pathways are commonly regulated by cysteine thiol modifications. Therefore two thiol oxidoreductase systems, thioredoxin and glutathione, were chosen to elucidate the roles of these pathways on cell death. Studies herein indicate that thiol oxidation contributes to cell death through impaired activity of glutathione-dependent and thioredoxin (Trx) systems and altered signaling through redox-sensitive pathways. Free thiol content decreased by 71% with hyperoxic (95% oxygen) exposure. Increased cell death was observed during oxygen exposure when either the Trx or the glutathione-dependent system was pharmacologically inhibited with aurothioglucose (ATG) or buthionine sulfoximine, respectively. However, inhibition of the Trx system yielded the smallest decrease in free thiol content (1.44% with ATG treatment vs 21.33% with BSO treatment). Although Trx1 protein levels were unchanged, Trx1 function was impaired during hyperoxic treatment as indicated by progressive cysteine oxidation. Overexpression of Trx1 in H1299 cells utilizing an inducible construct increased cell survival during hyperoxia, whereas siRNA knockdown of Trx1 during oxygen treatment reduced cell viability. Overall, this indicated that a comparatively small pool of proteins relies on Trx redox functions to mediate cell survival in hyperoxia, and the protective functions of Trx1 are progressively lost by its oxidative inhibition. To further elucidate the role of Trx1, potential Trx1 redox protein–protein interactions mediating cytoprotection and cell survival pathways were determined by utilizing a substrate trap (mass action trapping) proteomics approach. With this method, known Trx1 targets were detected, including peroxiredoxin-1 as well as novel targets, including two HSP90 isoforms (HSP90AA1 and HSP90AB1). Reactive cysteines within the structure of HSP90 are known to modulate its ATPase-dependent chaperone activity through disulfide formation and S-nitrosylation. Whereas HSP90 expression is unchanged at the protein level during hyperoxic exposure, siRNA knockdown significantly increased hyperoxic cell death by 2.5-fold, indicating cellular dependence on HSP90 chaperone functions in response to hyperoxic exposure. These data support the hypothesis that hyperoxic impairment of Trx1 has a negative impact on HSP90-oxidative responses critical to cell survival, with potential implications for pathways implicated in lung development and the pathogenesis of BPD.     

Study of the thiol/disulfide redox systems of the anaerobe Desulfovibrio vulgaris points out pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase as a new target for thioredoxin 1

Sulfate reducers have developed a multifaceted adaptative strategy to survive against oxidative stresses. Along with this oxidative stress response, we recently characterized an elegant reversible disulfide bond-dependent protective mechanism in the pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR) of various Desulfovibrio species. Here, we searched for thiol redox systems involved in this mechanism. Using thiol fluorescent labeling, we show that glutathione is not the major thiol/disulfide balance-controlling compound in four different Desulfovibrio species and that no other plentiful low molecular weight thiol can be detected. Enzymatic analyses of two thioredoxins (Trxs) and three thioredoxin reductases allow us to propose the existence of two independent Trx systems in Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough (DvH). The TR1/Trx1 system corresponds to the typical bacterial Trx system. We measured a TR1 apparent K(m) value for Trx1 of 8.9 μM. Moreover, our results showed that activity of TR1 was NADPH-dependent. The second system named TR3/Trx3 corresponds to an unconventional Trx system as TR3 used preferentially NADH (K(m) for NADPH, 743 μM; K(m) for NADH, 5.6 μM), and Trx3 was unable to reduce insulin. The K(m) value of TR3 for Trx3 was 1.12 μM. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the TR1/Trx1 system was the only one able to reactivate the oxygen-protected form of Desulfovibrio africanus PFOR. Moreover, ex vivo pulldown assays using the mutant Trx1(C33S) as bait allowed us to capture PFOR from the DvH extract. Altogether, these data demonstrate that PFOR is a new target for Trx1, which is probably involved in the protective switch mechanism of the enzyme.     

Regulation of the catalytic activity and structure of human thioredoxin 1 via oxidation and S-nitrosylation of cysteine residues

The mammalian cytosolic/nuclear thioredoxin system, comprising thioredoxin (Trx), selenoenzyme thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), and NADPH, is the major protein-disulfide reductase of the cell and has numerous functions. The active site of reduced Trx comprises Cys(32)-Gly-Pro-Cys(35) thiols that catalyze target disulfide reduction, generating a disulfide. Human Trx1 has also three structural Cys residues in positions 62, 69, and 73 that upon diamide oxidation induce a second Cys(62)-Cys(69) disulfide as well as dimers and multimers. We have discovered that after incubation with H(2)O(2) only monomeric two-disulfide molecules are generated, and they are inactive but able to regain full activity in an autocatalytic process in the presence of NADPH and TrxR. There are conflicting results regarding the effects of S-nitrosylation on Trx antioxidant functions and which residues are involved. We found that S-nitrosoglutathione-mediated S-nitrosylation at physiological pH is critically dependent on the redox state of Trx. Starting from fully reduced human Trx, both Cys(69) and Cys(73) were nitrosylated, and the active site formed a disulfide; the nitrosylated Trx was not a substrate for TrxR but regained activity after a lag phase consistent with autoactivation. Treatment of a two-disulfide form of Trx1 with S-nitrosoglutathione resulted in nitrosylation of Cys(73), which can act as a trans-nitrosylating agent as observed by others to control caspase 3 activity (Mitchell, D. A., and Marletta, M. A. (2005) Nat. Chem. Biol. 1, 154-158). The reversible inhibition of human Trx1 activity by H(2)O(2) and NO donors is suggested to act in cell signaling via temporal control of reduction for the transmission of oxidative and/or nitrosative signals in thiol redox control.     

Increasing the reactivity of an artificial dithiol-disulfide pair through modification of the electrostatic milieu

The thiol-disulfide exchange reaction plays a central role in the formation of disulfide bonds in newly synthesized proteins and is involved in many aspects of cellular metabolism. Because the thiolate form of the cysteine residue is the key reactive species, its electrostatic milieu is thought to play a key role in determining the rates of thiol disulfide exchange reactions. While modest reactivity effects have previously been seen in peptide model studies, here, we show that introduction of positive charges can have dramatic effects on disulfide bond formation on a structurally restricted surface. We have studied properties of vicinal cysteine residues in proteins using a model system based on redox-sensitive yellow fluorescent protein (rxYFP). In this system, the formation of a disulfide bond between two cysteines Cys149 and Cys202 is accompanied by a 2.2-fold decrease in fluorescence. Introduction of positively charged amino acids in the proximity of the two cysteines resulted in an up to 13-fold increase in reactivity toward glutathione disulfide. Determination of the individual pK(a) values of the cysteines showed that the observed increase in reactivity was caused by a decrease in the pK(a) value of Cys149, as well as favorable electrostatic interactions with the negatively charged reagents. The results presented here show that the electrostatic milieu of cysteine thiols in proteins can have substantial effects on the rates of the thiol-disulfide exchange reactions.     

Comparative structural analysis of oxidized and reduced thioredoxin from Drosophila melanogaster

Thioredoxins (Trx) participate in essential antioxidant and redox-regulatory processes via a pair of conserved cysteine residues. In dipteran insects like Drosophila and Anopheles, which lack a genuine glutathione reductase (GR), thioredoxins fuel the glutathione system with reducing equivalents. Thus, characterizing Trxs from these organisms contributes to our understanding of redox control in GR-free systems and provides information on novel targets for insect control. Cytosolic Trx of Drosophila melanogaster (DmTrx) is the first thioredoxin that was crystallized for X-ray diffraction analysis in the reduced and in the oxidized form. Comparison of the resulting structures shows rearrangements in the active-site regions. Formation of the C32-C35 disulfide bridge leads to a rotation of the side-chain of C32 away from C35 in the reduced form. This is similar to the situation in human Trx and Trx m from spinach chloroplasts but differs from Escherichia coli Trx, where it is C35 that moves upon change of the redox state. In all four crystal forms that were analysed, DmTrx molecules are engaged in a non-covalent dimer interaction. However, as demonstrated by gel-filtration analyses, DmTrx does not dimerize under quasi in vivo conditions and there is no redox control of a putative monomer/dimer equilibrium. The dimer dissociation constants K(d) were found to be 2.2mM for reduced DmTrx and above 10mM for oxidized DmTrx as well as for the protein in the presence of reduced glutathione. In human Trx, oxidative dimerization has been demonstrated in vitro. Therefore, this finding may indicate a difference in redox control of GR-free and GR-containing organisms.     

Differential oxidation of thioredoxin-1, thioredoxin-2, and glutathione by metal ions

Metal toxicity often includes the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and subsequent oxidative stress, but whether metals have different effects on the major thiol antioxidant systems is unknown. Here, we examine the effects of arsenic, cadmium, cesium, copper, iron, mercury, nickel, and zinc on glutathione (GSH), cytoplasmic thioredoxin-1 (Trx1), and mitochondrial thioredoxin-2 (Trx2) redox states. GSH/GSSG redox states were determined by HPLC, and Trx1 and Trx2 redox states were determined by Redox Western blot methods. Copper, iron, and nickel showed significant oxidation of GSH but relatively little oxidation of either Trx1 or Trx2. Arsenic, cadmium, and mercury showed little oxidation of GSH but significantly oxidized both Trx1 and Trx2. The magnitude of effects of arsenic, cadmium, and mercury was greater for the mitochondrial Trx2 (>60 mV) compared to the cytoplasmic Trx1 (20 to 40 mV). Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) may be activated by two different pathways, one dependent upon GSH and glutaredoxin and the other independent of GSH and dependent upon thioredoxin. ASK1 activation and cell death were observed with metals that oxidized thioredoxins but not with metals that oxidized GSH. These findings show that metals have differential oxidative effects on the major thiol antioxidant systems and that activation of apoptosis may be associated with metal ions that oxidize thioredoxin and activate ASK1. The differential oxidation of the major thiol antioxidant systems by metal ions suggest that the distinct thiol/disulfide redox couples represented by GSH/GSSG and the thioredoxins may convey different levels of control in apoptotic and toxic signaling pathways.     

How Thioredoxin Dissociates Its Mixed Disulfide

The dissociation mechanism of the thioredoxin (Trx) mixed disulfide complexes is unknown and has been debated for more than twenty years. Specifically, opposing arguments for the activation of the nucleophilic cysteine as a thiolate during the dissociation of the complex have been put forward. As a key model, the complex between Trx and its endogenous substrate, arsenate reductase (ArsC), was used. In this structure, a Cys29^Trx-Cys89^ArsC intermediate disulfide is formed by the nucleophilic attack of Cys29^Trx on the exposed Cys82^ArsC-Cys89^ArsC in oxidized ArsC. With theoretical reactivity analysis, molecular dynamics simulations, and biochemical complex formation experiments with Cys-mutants, Trx mixed disulfide dissociation was studied. We observed that the conformational changes around the intermediate disulfide bring Cys32^Trx in contact with Cys29^Trx. Cys32^Trx is activated for its nucleophilic attack by hydrogen bonds, and Cys32^Trx is found to be more reactive than Cys82^ArsC. Additionally, Cys32^Trx directs its nucleophilic attack on the more susceptible Cys29^Trx and not on Cys89^ArsC. This multidisciplinary approach provides fresh insights into a universal thiol/disulfide exchange reaction mechanism that results in reduced substrate and oxidized Trx.     

Redox properties of protein disulfide bond in oxidized thioredoxin and lysozyme: a pulse radiolysis study

We have studied the one-electron reduction of oxidized Chlamydomonas reinhardtii thioredoxin and compared it to that of hen egg white lysozyme, using CO(2)(*) (-) free radicals as reductants. This comparison shows that the thioredoxin disulfide/thiol redox couple has different properties than that of lysozyme: the disulfide radical pK(a) is much lower (around 5 for small disulfides, 4.62 for lysozyme, <3 for thioredoxin). To get a better understanding of the modulation of the thioredoxin redox properties we have constructed the mutants W35A and D30A. Their reduction by pulse radiolysis indicates that W35 strongly controls both the disulfide radical acidity (the pK(a) in W35A is equal to ca. 4), and the thiol reactivity. Asp30 is also involved in the control of proton transfer to the disulfide free radical. In addition, its removal seems to increase the reduction potential of the thioredoxin thiyl/thiol couple. Overall, the reduction properties of thioredoxin confirm its nature as a unique reductant.