The 13C NMR study of the binding of gold(I) thiomalate with ergothionine in aqueous solution.

The interaction of gold(I) thiomalate (Autm) (Myocrysine) with ergothionine (ErSH) has been studied in aqueous solution at pH 7.4. It was found that ErSH forms a ternary complex of the type ErS-Au-tm at a 1:1 mole ratio; unlike other thiols (e.g., cysteine and glutathione) it does not eject thiomalate (Htm) as a free ligand. However, in the presence of glutathione (GtSH), both ligands, ErSH as well as Htm, from the ErS-Au-tm complex were freed. The 13C NMR chemical shifts of C-2 resonance of ergothionine in the presence of Autm shifts greater than imidazolidine-2-thione (Imt) and 1,3-Diazinane-2-thione (Diaz), indicating the stronger complexation of ErS-Au-tm compared to Imt-Au-tm and Diaz-Au-tm.     

Oxidation of melatonin by oxoferryl hemoglobin: a mechanistic study.

Reaction of melatonin with the hypervalent iron centre of oxoferryl hemoglobin, produced in aqueous solution from methemoglobin and H2O2, has been investigated at 37 degrees C and pH 7.4, by absorption spectroscopy. The reaction results in reduction of the oxoferryl moiety with formation of a heme-ferric containing hemoprotein. Stopped-flow spectrophotometric measurements provide evidence that the reduction of oxoferryl-Hb by melatonin is first-order in oxoferryl-Hb and first-order in melatonin. The bimolecular reaction constant at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C is 112 +/- 1.0 M(-1) s(-1). Two major oxidation products from melatonin have been found by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy: the cyclic compound 1,2,3,3a,8,8a-hexahydro-1-acetyl-5-methoxy-3a-hydroxypyrrolo[2,3-b]indole (cyclic 3-hydroxy-melatonin), and N-acetyl-N'-formyl 5-methoxykynuramine (AFMK). The percentage yield of the two major products appears dependent on the ratio [oxoferryl-Hb]:[melatonin]--the higher the ratio the higher the yield of AFMK. The observed stoichiometry oxoferryl-Hb(reduced):melatonin(consumed) is 2, when the ratio [oxoferryl-Hb]:[melatonin] is 1:1, but appears >2 at higher molar ratios. The reduction of the hypervalent iron of the oxoferryl moiety may be consistent with an oxidation of melatonin by two one-electron steps.     

Binding of isotopically labeled substrates, inhibitors, and cyanide by protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase

Binding of ligands to the active site Fe3+ of protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase is investigated using EPR-detected transferred hyperfine coupling from isotopically labeled substrates, inhibitors, and cyanide. Broadening is observed in EPR resonances from the anaerobic enzyme complex with homoprotocatechuate (3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetate), a slow substrate, enriched with 17O (I = 5/2) in either the 3-OH or the 4-OH group. This shows that this substrate binds directly to the Fe3+ and strongly suggests that an iron chelate can be formed. Cyanide is known to bind to the enzyme in at least two steps, forming first a high spin and then a low spin complex (Whittaker, J. W., and Lipscomb, J. D. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 4487-4495). Hyperfine broadening from [13C]cyanide (I = 1/2) is observed in the EPR spectra of both complexes, showing that cyanide is an Fe3+ ligand in each case. Cyanide binding is also at least biphasic in the presence of protocatechuate (PCA). The initial high spin enzyme-PCA-cyanide complex forms rapidly and exhibits a unique EPR spectrum. Broadening from PCA enriched with 17O in either the 3-OH or the 4-OH group is detected showing that PCA binds to the iron, probably as a chelate complex. In contrast, no broadening from [13C]cyanide is detected for this complex suggesting that cyanide binds at a site away from the Fe3+. Steady state kinetic measurements of cyanide inhibition of PCA turnover are consistent with two rapidly exchanging cyanide binding sites that inhibit PCA binding and which can be simultaneously occupied. Formation of the nearly irreversible, low spin enzyme-PCA-cyanide complex is competitively inhibited by PCA. Transient kinetics of the formation of this complex are second order in cyanide implying that two cyanides bind. Broadening in the EPR spectrum of this complex is detected from [13C]cyanide, but not from [17O]PCA, suggesting that PCA is displaced. This study provides the first direct evidence for chelation of the active site Fe3+ by substrates and for a small molecule binding site away from the iron in intradiol dioxygenases.     

Reactions of gold(III) complexes with serum albumin.

The reactions of a few representative gold(III) complexes -[Au(ethylenediamine)2]Cl3, [Au(diethylentriamine)Cl]Cl2, [Au(1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane)](ClO4)2Cl, [Au(2,2',2'-terpyridine)Cl]Cl2, [Au(2,2'-bipyridine)(OH)2][PF6] and the organometallic compound [Au(6-(1,1-dimethylbenzyl)-2,2'-bipyridine-H)(OH)][PF6]- with BSA were investigated by the joint use of various spectroscopic methods and separation techniques. Weak metal-protein interactions were revealed for the [Au(ethylenediamine)2]3+ and [Au(1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane)]3+ species, whereas progressive reduction of the gold(III) centre was observed in the cases of [Au(2,2'-bipyridine)(OH)2]+ and [Au(2,2',2'-terpyridine)Cl]2+. In contrast, tight metal-protein adducts are formed when BSA is reacted with either [Au(diethylentriamine)Cl]2+ and [Au(6-(1,1-dimethylbenzyl)-2,2'-bipyridine-H)(OH)]+. Notably, binding of the latter complex to serum albumin results in the appearance of characteristic CD bands in the visible spectrum. It is suggested that adduct formation for both of these gold(III) complexes occurs through coordination at the level of surface histidines. Stability of these gold(III) complexes/serum albumin adducts was tested under physiologically relevant conditions and found to be appreciable. Metal binding to the protein is tight; complete detachment of the metal from the protein has been achieved only after the addition of excess potassium cyanide. The implications of the present results for the pharmacological activity of these novel cytotoxic agents are discussed.     

Oxidation of melatonin by oxoferryl hemoglobin: A mechanistic study

Reaction of melatonin with the hypervalent iron centre of oxoferryl hemoglobin, produced in aqueous solution from methemoglobin and H₂O₂, has been investigated at 37°C and pH 7.4, by absorption spectroscopy. The reaction results in reduction of the oxoferryl moiety with formation of a heme-ferric containing hemoprotein. Stopped-flow spectrophotometric measurements provide evidence that the reduction of oxoferryl-Hb by melatonin is first-order in oxoferryl-Hb and first-order in melatonin. The bimolecular reaction constant at pH 7.4 and 37°C is 112 ± 1.0 M^-1 s^-1.

Two major oxidation products from melatonin have been found by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy: the cyclic compound 1,2,3,3a,8,8a-hexahydro-1-acetyl-5-methoxy-3a-hydroxypyrrolo[2,3-b]indole (cyclic 3-hydroxy-melatonin), and N-acetyl-N′-formyl 5-methoxykynuramine (AFMK). The percentage yield of the two major products appears dependent on the ratio [oxoferryl-Hb]: [melatonin]—the higher the ratio the higher the yield of AFMK. The observed stoichiometry oxoferryl-Hb_reduced:melatonin_consumed is 2, when the ratio [oxoferryl-Hb]:[melatonin] is 1:1, but appears >2 at higher molar ratios. The reduction of the hypervalent iron of the oxoferryl moiety may be consistent with an oxidation of melatonin by two one-electron steps.     

Binding modes of V(=O)meso-tetrakis(N-methylpyridinium-4-yl)porphyrin to various synthetic DNAs studied by polarized spectroscopy

The interactions between water-soluble cationic oxovanadyl[meso-tetrakis(4-N-methylpyridiumyl)]porphyrin (VOTMPyP) and various synthetic polynucleotide including poly[d(A-T)2], poly[d(G-C)2], and poly[d(I-C)2] were studied using absorption, circular dichroism (CD), and linear dichroism (LD) spectroscopy. When VOTMPyP formed a complex with poly[d(A-T)2] and poly[d(I-C)2], a positive CD signal at low [VOTMPyP]/[DNA] ratios (R ratios) and strong excitonic CD signals at above R > or = 0.15 were induced. The appearance of the CD spectra of the VOTMPyP-poly[d(G-C)2] complex were very different: a small negative CD at low R ratios and very small excitonic CD at high R ratios were observed. Considering the facts that the minor grooves of the former two polynucleotides resemble and the major groove of poly[d(I-C)2] is similar with that of poly[d(G-C)2], it is conclusive that VOTMPyP binds to the minor groove of all DNA at lower R ratios while they stack at the outside of DNA at higher R ratios. The binding geometry of VOTMPyP to all polynucleotides studied by LD seemed to be homogenous, irrespective of the R ratio. It has been found that VOTMPyP can have five- and six-fluxional coordination states. Comparing the absorption spectra of VOTMPyP complexed with poly[d(A-T)2] and poly[d(G-C)2], the distinctive absorptions of the five- and six-coordinated species were observed at lower R ratios which centered at 420-430 nm and 442 nm, respectively. While the six-coordinated VOTMPyP favored the poly[d(A-T)2], the five-coordinated species favored the poly[d(G-C)2] at the low R ratios. As the stacked species increased with an increasing R ratio, the six-coordinated species became the major bound species. These observations lead us to conclude that the guanine base' amino group plays a crucial role not only in determining the binding mode of VOTMPyP but also in the conversion of the six-coordinated species to the five-coordinated species.     

Pathway of propionate oxidation by a syntrophic culture of Smithella propionica and Methanospirillum hungatei

The pathway of propionate conversion in a syntrophic coculture of Smithella propionica and Methanospirillum hungatei JF1 was investigated by (13)C-NMR spectroscopy. Cocultures produced acetate and butyrate from propionate. [3-(13)C]propionate was converted to [2-(13)C]acetate, with no [1-(13)C]acetate formed. Butyrate from [3-(13)C]propionate was labeled at the C2 and C4 positions in a ratio of about 1:1.5. Double-labeled propionate (2,3-(13)C) yielded not only double-labeled acetate but also single-labeled acetate at the C1 or C2 position. Most butyrate formed from [2,3-(13)C]propionate was also double labeled in either the C1 and C2 atoms or the C3 and C4 atoms in a ratio of about 1:1.5. Smaller amounts of single-labeled butyrate and other combinations were also produced. 1-(13)C-labeled propionate yielded both [1-(13)C]acetate and [2-(13)C]acetate. When (13)C-labeled bicarbonate was present, label was not incorporated into acetate, propionate, or butyrate. In each of the incubations described above, (13)C was never recovered in bicarbonate or methane. These results indicate that S. propionica does not degrade propionate via the methyl-malonyl-coenzyme A (CoA) pathway or any other of the known pathways, such as the acryloyl-CoA pathway or the reductive carboxylation pathway. Our results strongly suggest that propionate is dismutated to acetate and butyrate via a six-carbon intermediate.     

Oxidation of glucose, ribose, alanine, and glutamate by Leishmania braziliensis panamensis

The metabolism of [1-14C]- and [6-14C]glucose, [1-14C]ribose, [1-14C]- and [U-14C]alanine, and [1-14C]- and [5-14C]glutamate by the promastigotes of Leishmania braziliensis panamensis was investigated in cells resuspended in Hanks' balanced salt solution supplemented with ribose, alanine, or glutamate. The ratio of 14CO2 produced from [1-14C]glucose to that from [6-14C]glucose ranged from about two to six, indicating appreciable carbon flow through the pentose phosphate pathway. A functional pentose phosphate pathway was further demonstrated by the production of 14CO2 from [1-14C]ribose although the rate of ribose oxidation was much lower than the rate of glucose oxidation. The rate of 14CO2 production from [1-14C]glucose was almost linear with time of incubation, whereas that of [6-14C]glucose accelerated, consistent with an increasing rate of flux through the Embden-Meyerhof pathway during incubation. Increasing the assay temperature from 26 degrees C to 34 degrees C had no appreciable effect on the rates or time courses of oxidation of either [1-14C]- or [6-14C]glucose or of [1-14C]ribose. Both alanine and glutamate were oxidized by L. b. panamensis, and at rates comparable to or appreciably greater than the rate of oxidation of glucose. The ratios of 14CO2 produced from [1-14C]- to [U-14C]alanine and from [1-14C]- to [5-14C]glutamate indicated that these compounds were metabolized via a functioning tricarboxylic acid cycle and that most of the label that entered the tricarboxylic acid cycle was oxidized to carbon dioxide.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Binding of AR-1-144, a tri-imidazole DNA minor groove binder, to CCGG sequence analyzed by NMR spectroscopy.

The interactions of N-[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]-1-methyl-4-[1-methyl-4-[4-formamido-1-meth ylimidazole-2-carboxamido]imidazole-2-carboxamido]imidazole-2-c arboxa mide (AR-1-144), a tri-imidazole polyamide minor groove binder, with DNA have been investigated by NMR and CD spectroscopy. A series of DNA oligonucleotides with a C/G-containing four-bp core, i.e. CCGG, CGCG, GGCC, and GCGC, have been titrated with AR-1-144 at different ratios. AR-1-144 favors the CCGG sequence. The flanking sequence of the CCGG core also influences the binding preference, with a C or T being favored on the 3'-side of the CCGG core. The three-dimensional structure of the symmetric 2:1 side-by-side complex of AR-1-144 and GAACCGGTTC, determined by NOE-constrained NMR refinement, reveals that each AR-1-144 binds to four base pairs, i.e. at C5-G6-G7-T8, with every amide-imidazole unit forming two potential hydrogen bonds with DNA. The same DNA binding preference of AR-1-144 was also confirmed by circular dichroism spectroscopy, indicating that the DNA binding preference of AR-1-144 is independent of concentration. The cooperative binding of an AR-1-144 homodimer to the (purine)CCGG(pyrimidine) core sequence appears to be weaker than that of the distamycin A homodimer to A/T sequences, most likely due to the diminished hydrophobic interactions between AR-1-144 and DNA. Our results are consistent with previous footprinting data and explain the binding pattern found in the crystal structure of a di-imidazole drug bound to CATGGCCATG.     

Decomposition of hydroxylamine by hemoglobin

The reaction between hydroxylamine (NH2OH) and human hemoglobin (Hb) at pH 6-8 and the reaction between NH2OH and methemoglobin (Hb+) chiefly at pH 7 were studied under anaerobic conditions at 25 degrees C. In presence of cyanide, which was used to trap Hb+, Hb was oxidized by NH2OH to methemoglobin cyanide with production of about 0.5 mol NH+4/mol of heme oxidized at pH 7. The conversion of Hb to Hb+ was first order in [Hb] (or nearly so) but the pseudo-first-order rate constant was not strictly proportional to [NH2OH]. Thus, the apparent second-order rate constant at pH 7 decreased from about 30 M-1 X s-1 to a limiting value of 11.3 M-1 X s-1 with increasing [NH2OH]. The rate of Hb oxidation was not much affected by cyanide, whereas there was no reaction between NH2OH and carbonmonoxyhemoglobin (HbCO). The pseudo-first-order rate constant for Hb oxidation at 500 microM NH2OH increased from about 0.008 s-1 at pH 6 to 0.02 s-1 at pH 8. The oxidation of Hb by NH2OH terminated prematurely at 75-90% completion at pH 7 and at 30-35% completion at pH 8. Data on the premature termination of reaction fit the titration curve for a group with pK = 7.5-7.7. NH2OH was decomposed by Hb+ to N2, NH+4, and a small amount of N2O in what appears to be a dismutation reaction. Nitrite and hydrazine were not detected, and N2 and NH+4 were produced in nearly equimolar amounts. The dismutation reaction was first order in [Hb+] and [NH2OH] only at low concentrations of reactants and was cleanly inhibited by cyanide. The spectrum of Hb+ remained unchanged during the reaction, except for the gradual formation of some choleglobin-like (green) pigment, whereas in the presence of CO, HbCO was formed. Kinetics are consistent with the view advanced previously by J. S. Colter and J. H. Quastel [1950) Arch. Biochem. 27, 368-389) that the decomposition of NH2OH proceeds by a mechanism involving a Hb/Hb+ cycle (reactions [1] and [2]) in which Hb is oxidized to Hb+ by NH2OH.     

Nitric Oxide Causes Glutamate Release from Brain Synaptosomes

Abstract: We determined the ability of pathological levels of nitric oxide (NO) to cause glutamate release from isolated rat brain nerve terminals using a fluorometric assay. It was found that NO (0.7 and 2 µ M ) produced (4 and 10 nmol/mg of synaptosomal protein) Ca²⁺-independent glutamate release from synaptosomes (after 1 min of exposure). Spermine/NO complex (spermine NONOate; a slow NO donor) and potassium cyanide (an inhibitor of cytochrome oxidase) also caused Ca²⁺-independent glutamate release. Preincubation of synaptosomes with 5 µ M 1 H -[1,2,4]oxadiazole[4,3- a ]quinoxalin-1-one (an inhibitor of soluble guanylyl cyclase) had no effect on NO-induced Ca²⁺-independent glutamate release. Ca²⁺-independent glutamate release produced by NO was greater in a low-oxygen medium. NO, spermine NONOate, and potassium cyanide inhibited synaptosomal respiration with a similar order of potency with respect to their ability to cause glutamate release. Because NO has been shown previously to inhibit reversibly cytochrome oxidase in competition with oxygen, our findings in this study suggest that NO (and cyanide) causes glutamate release following inhibition of mitochondrial respiration at the level of cytochrome oxidase. Thus, elevated NO production leading to mitochondrial dysfunction, glutamate release, and excitotoxicity may contribute to neuronal death in neurological diseases.     

N NMR studies of the binding of CN with gold(I) drugs

¹⁵N NMR studies of the interaction of ¹⁵N cyanide ion with gold(I)-thiomalate (Autm) and gold(I)-thioglucose (Autg) have been carried out at pH* 7.40. The chemical shifts of the two ¹⁵N ions containing species Au(C¹⁵N)₂⁻ and RS-Au-C¹⁵N⁻ (where RS⁻ = tm⁻ or tg⁻) were identified at 265.94 and 260.30 ppm, respectively. From the broadened ¹⁵N NMR signals, approximate life times of the RS-Au-CN⁻ species were calculated.     

Anomeric specificity of D-glucose production by rat hepatocytes

The anomeric specificity of D-glucose metabolism in intact hepatocytes remains a matter of debate. This issue was further investigated in the present study, which is based on the quantification of the alpha- and beta-anomers of the 13C-enriched isotopomers of D-glucose generated by rat liver cells exposed to either D-[1-13C] fructose or D-[2-13C] fructose in the presence of D2O. The D-[1-13C]glucose/D-[6-13C]glucose paired ratios found in the cells exposed to D-[1-13C] fructose and the D-[2-13C]glucose/D-[5-13C]glucose paired ratios found in the cells exposed to D-[2-13C] fructose yielded a paired beta/alpha ratio averaging (mean +/- S.E.M.) 79.3 +/- 6.1%. In the case of the isotopomers of D-glucose formed by gluconeogenesis, the D-[2-13C]glucose/D-[5-13C]glucose and D-[3-13C]glucose/D-[4-13C]glucose paired ratios found in cells exposed to D-[1-13C] fructose, as well as the D-[1-13C]glucose/D-[6-13C]glucose and D-[3-13C]glucose/D-[4-13C]glucose paired ratios found in cells exposed to D-[2-13C]fructose, yielded an alpha/beta paired ratio averaging 75.0 +/- 5.8%. Last, in the cells exposed to D-[2-13C]fructose, the beta/alpha ratio for the C2-deuterated isotopomers of D-[2-13C]glucose represented 78.9 +/- 3.7% of that for the C5-deuterated isotopomers of D-[5-13C]glucose. The three values representative of the anomeric specificity of D-glucose production by liver cells were not significantly different from one another, with an overall mean value of 76.9 +/- 3.6%. These findings unambiguously document that the anomeric specificity of phosphoglucoisomerase is operative in intact hepatocytes, resulting in a preferential output of the alpha-anomer of 13C-enriched D-glucose under the present experimental conditions.     

Metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene VI. Stereoselective metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene 7,8-dihydrodiol to diol epoxides

(±)-7β,8α-Dihydroxy-9β,10β-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (diol epoxide-1) and (±)-7β,8α-dihydroxy-9α,10α-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (diol epoxide-2) are highly mutagenic diol epoxide diastereomers that are formed during metabolism of the carcinogen (±)-trans-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene. Remarkable stereoselectivity has been observed on metabolism of the optically pure (+)- and (?)-enantiomers of the dihydrodiol which are obtained by separation of the diastereomeric diesters with (?)-α-methoxy-α-trifluoromethylphenylacetic acid. The high stereoselectivity in the formation of diol epoxide-1 relative to diol epoxide-2 was observed with liver microsomes from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats and with a purified cytochrome P-448-containing monoxygenase system where the (?)-enantiomer produced a diol epoxide-2 to diol epoxide-1 ratio of 6 : 1 and the (+)-enantiomer produced a ratio of 1 : 22. Microsomes from control and phenobarbital-treated rats were less stereospecific in the metabolism of enantiomers of BP 7,8-dihydrodiol. The ratio of diol epoxide-2 to diol epoxide-1 formed from the (?)- and (+)-enantiomers with microsomes from control rats was 2 : 1 and 1 : 6, respectively. Both enantiomers of BP 7,8-dihydrodiol were also metabolized to a phenolic derivative, tentatively identified as 6,7,8-trihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene, which accounted for ～30% of the total metabolites formed by microsomes from control and phenobarbital-pretreated rats whereas this metabolite represents ～5% of the total metabolites with microsomes from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats. With benzo[a]pyrene as substrate, liver microsomes produced the 4,5-, 7,8- and 9,10-dihydrodiol with high optical purity (>85%), and diol epoxides were also formed. Most of the optical activity in the BP 7,8-dihydrodiol was due to metabolism by the monoxygenase system rather than by epoxide hydrase, since hydration of (±)-benzo[a]pyrene 7,8-oxide by liver microsomes produced dihydrodiol which was only 8% optically pure. Thus, the stereospecificity of both the monoxygenase system and, to a lesser extent, epoxide hydrase plays important roles in the metabolic activation of benzo[a]pyrene to carcinogens and mutagens.     

Synthesis and characterization of some anomeric pairs of per-O-acetylated aldohexopyranosyl cyanides (per-O-acetylated 2,6-anhydroheptononitriles). On the reaction of per-O-acetylaldohexopyranosyl bromides with mercuric cyanide in nitromethane

The synthesis and characterization of the anomeric pairs of the per-O-acetylaldohexopyranosyl cyanides of D-galactose, L-fucose, D-glucose, and D-mannose, as well as of 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-2-phthalimido-beta-D-glucopyranosyl cyanide, are described. Cyanation of the readily available, per-O-acetylaldohexopyranosyl bromides with mercuric cyanide in nitromethane, and subsequent purification, gave the corresponding, crystalline glycosyl cyanides with a high degree of 1,2-trans stereoselectivity. Thus, per-O-acetylated aldohexopyranosyl cyanides of the 1,2-trans configuration were obtained in yields ranging from 20 to 79%, whereas the corresponding 1,2-cis anomers were obtained in yields of less than or equal to 8.4%, the ratios of the 1,2-trans:1,2-cis anomers so prepared being greater than or equal to 8.5:1. The principal by-products of these irreversible, cyanation reactions were the per-O-acetylated 1,2-O-[1-(exo- and endo-cyano)ethylidene]aldohexopyranoses, obtained in yields of up to 40%. The structural assignments of the per-O-acetylaldohexopyranosyl cyanides were unequivocally established by elemental analysis, chemical transformation, vibrational spectroscopy, and 13C- and 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Correlations between the physical properties and the anomeric configurations of these C-aldohexopyranosyl compounds are described.     

Cyclic AMP Modulates Differentially the Release of Dopamine Induced by Hypoxia and Other Stimuli and Increases Dopamine Synthesis in the Rabbit Carotid Body

We have investigated the effects of different treatments that increase cyclic AMP levels on the in vitro synthesis and release of catecholamines in the rabbit carotid body. We also measured the rate of 45Ca2+ efflux from previously loaded carotid bodies under different conditions. Forskolin produced a dose-dependent increase in the release of [3H]dopamine elicited by a hypoxic stimulus of medium intensity (PO2 = 33 mm Hg) without altering basal [3H]dopamine release (100% O2-equilibrated medium). At a concentration of 5 x 10(-6) M, forskolin increased the release of [3H]dopamine induced by hypoxic stimuli of different intensities; the increase was maximal (498%) at the lowest intensity of hypoxic stimuli (PO2 = 66 mm Hg), averaged 260% for hypoxic stimuli of intermediate intensity and 2 x 10(-4) M cyanide, and was 150% under anoxia. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP (2 mM) and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (0.5 mM) mimicked forskolin effects under hypoxic stimulation. Forskolin (5 x 10(-6) M) also increased (180%) the release of [3H]dopamine induced by 20% CO2/pH 6.6, 2.5 x 10(-4) M dinitrophenol, and 3 x 10(-5) M ionomycin. Forskolin and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine were without effect on the release of [3H]dopamine elicited by 30 mM extracellular K+. Forskolin (5 x 10(-6) M) augmented significantly the rate of 45Ca2+ efflux induced by hypoxic stimuli (PO2 of 33 and 66 mm Hg) and 2 x 10(-4) M cyanide and showed a tendency to increase (20%) the 45Ca2+ efflux induced by dinitrophenol and low pH and to decrease (21%) the efflux induced by 30 mM K+ without altering the rate of efflux under basal conditions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

A 14CO2 ratios method for detecting pyruvate carboxylation

The pattern of oxidative metabolism of pyruvate may be assessed by comparing the steady-state 14CO2 production from four isotopes in identical samples. The assay requires measuring the ratios of steady-state 14CO2 production from two isotope pairs, [2-14C]pyruvate:[3-14C]pyruvate and [1-14C]acetate:[2-14C]acetate. These ratios are defined as the "pyruvate 14CO2 ratio" and the "acetate 14CO2 ratio," respectively. If pyruvate is metabolized exclusively via pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), the two ratios will be identical. Alternatively, if any pyruvate enters the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle via pyruvate carboxylation (PC), the pyruvate 14CO2 ratio will be less than the acetate 14CO2 ratio. If pyruvate enters the TCA cycle only through PC (with oxaloacetate and fumarate in equilibrium) the pyruvate 14CO2 ratio will approach a value of 1.0. An equation is presented for the quantitative evaluation of pyruvate oxidation by these two pathways. We have used this method to detect relative changes in the pattern of pyruvate metabolism in rat liver mitochondria produced by exposure to 1 mM octanoyl carnitine, a compound known to alter the PC:PDH activity ratio. The major advantages of the method are (i) that it provides a sensitive method for detecting pyruvate carboxylation at physiological pyruvate concentrations and (ii) that it provides a method for distinguishing between effects on pyruvate transport and effects on pyruvate oxidation.     

Metabolic pathways leading from amino acids to vitamin B12 in Propionibacterium shermanii, and the sources of the seven methyl carbons

The metabolic pathways leading from l-[2-13C]aspartic acid, [2-13C]glycine and l-[methyl-13C]methionine to vitamin B12 were investigated, focusing on the biosynthetic pathways leading to the aminopropanol moiety of vitamin B12 and on the role of the Shemin pathway leading to delta-aminolevulinic acid (a biosynthetic intermediate of tetrapyrrole), by means of feeding experiments with Propionibacterium shermanii in combination with 13C-NMR spectroscopy. The 13C-methylene carbons of l-[2-(13)C]aspartic acid, which is transformed to [2-13C]glycine via l-[2-13C]threonine, and [2-13C]glycine added to the culture medium served mainly to enrich the seven methyl carbons of the corrin ring through C-methylation by S-adenosyl-l-[methyl-13C]methionine derived from catabolically generated l-[methyl-13C]methionine in the presence of tetrahydrofolic acid. The results indicate that the catabolism of these amino acids predominates over pathways leading to (2R)-1-amino-2-propanol or delta-aminolevulinic acid in P. shermanii. Feeding of l-[methyl-13C]methionine efficiently enriched all seven methyl carbons. In the cases of [2-13C]glycine and l-[methyl-13C]methionine, the 13C-enrichment ratio of the methyl carbon at C-25 (the site of the first C-methylation) was less than those of the other six methyl carbons, probably due to the influence of endogenous d-glucose in P. shermanii. The almost identical 13C-enrichment ratios of the other six methyl carbons indicated that these C-methylations during vitamin B12 biosynthesis were completed before the amino acids were completely consumed. However, in the case of l-[2-13C]aspartic acid, the 13C-enrichment ratios of five methyl carbons were low and similar, whereas the last two sites of C-methylation (C-53 and C-35) were not labeled, presumably because of complete consumption of the smaller amount of added label. The ratios of 13C-incorporation into the seven methyl carbons are influenced by the conditions of amino acid feeding experiments in a manner that is dependent upon the order of C-methylation in the corrin ring of vitamin B12.     

Glycine metabolism by Pseudomonas aeruginosa: hydrogen cyanide biosynthesis.

Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a synthetic medium is stimulated by the presence of glycine. Methionine enhances this stimulation but will not substitute for glycine as a stimulator of cyanogenesis. Threonine and phenylalanine are effective substitutes for glycine in the stimulation of HCN production. Glycine, threonine, and serine are good radioisotope precursors of HCN, but methionine and phenylalanine are not. Cell extracts of P. aeruginosa convert [14C]threonine to [14C]glycine. H14CN is produced with low dilution of label from either [1-14C]glycine or [2-14C]glycine, indicating a randomization of label either in the primary or secondary metabolism of glycine. When whole cells were fed [1,2-14C]glycine, cyanide and bicarbonate were the only radioactive extracellular products observed.     

The role of Se, Mo and Fe in the structure and function of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase

CO dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.99.2) catalyzes the oxidation of CO according to the following equation: CO + H2O-->CO2 + 2 e- + 2 H+. It is a selenium-containing molybdo-iron-sulfur-flavoenzyme, which has been crystallized and structurally characterized in its oxidized state from the aerobic CO utilizing bacteria Oligotropha carboxidovorans and Hydrogenophaga pseudoflava. Both CO dehydrogenase structures show only minor differences, and the enzymes are dimers of two heterotrimers. Each heterotrimer is composed of a molybdoprotein, a flavoprotein, and an iron-sulfur protein. CO oxidation takes place at the molybdoprotein which contains a 1:1 mononuclear complex of molybdopterin-cytosine dinucleotide and a Mo-ion, along with a catalytically essential S-selanylcysteine. The latter is appropriately positioned in the SeMo-active site by a unique VAYRCSFR active site loop. In H. pseudoflava the arginine preceeding the cysteine in the active site loop is modified to a Cgamma-hydroxy arginine residue which has no obvious function. The substituents in the first coordination sphere of the Mo-ion are the enedithiolate sulfur atoms of the molybdopterin-cytosine dinucleotide, two oxo- and a sulfido-group. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS), along with the crystal structure of CO dehydrogenase (23.2 U mg(-1)) at 1.85 A resolution, have identified a sulfur atom at 2.3 A from the Mo-ion. The sulfur reacts with cyanide yielding thiocyanate. The corresponding inactive desulfo-CO dehydrogenase shows a typical desulfo inhibited-type of Mo-electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum. Structural changes at the SeMo-site during catalysis are suggested by the Mo to Se distance of 3.7 A and the Mo-S-Se angle of 113 degrees in the oxidized enzyme which increase to 4.1 A, and 121 degrees, respectively, in the reduced enzyme. The intramolecular electron transport chain in CO dehydrogenase involves the following prosthetic groups and minimal distances: CO-->[Mo of the molybdenum cofactor] - 14.6 A - [2Fe-2S]I - 12.4 A - [2Fe-2S]II - 8.7 A - [FAD].