Factors determining the formation of complexes between alpha-cyclodextrin and alkylated substances in aqueous solutions: a calorimetric study at 25 degrees C

The formation of complexes of alpha-cyclodextrin with cycloalkanediols, monoalkylamines and 1-alkanols has been studied calorimetrically at 25 degrees C in water, in phosphoric acid, pH 1.3, and in phosphate buffer, pH 5.5, respectively. When a complex is formed, calorimetry enables the calculation of both the enthalpy and the association constant, from which the free energy and the entropy of the process can be obtained. A model is proposed to explain the unusual trend of the association parameters for substances having alkyl chains longer than six-seven carbon atoms. The main role played by the different functional groups, and the forces involved in the association process, are discussed in the light of the signs and values of the thermodynamic parameters obtained. The effect of the variation of the aqueous medium on the hydration of the interacting substances and the consequent changes in the association parameters have been investigated. To this end, the thermodynamic parameters for the formation of the complexes between the cyclodextrin and 1-pentanol were determined at increasing concentrations of phosphate buffer. There is an increase in the association constant due to a positive entropy contribution originating from the relaxation of water molecules from the hydrophobic hydration cosphere of the alkanol to an increasingly disordered bulk. Deaquation of the interacting substances is the main factor determining the stability of the inclusion complex.     

A study of interaction of carbonic anhydrase B with water and urea: II. Spin diffusion of associates of protein intermediate state at 4.2 M urea

Formation of the associates of carbonic anhydrase B (pH 5.7, 4.2 M urea, and T = 297 K) as a function of protein concentration and time clapsed after preparation of solutions was studied by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (spin diffusion method). It was demonstrated that the association was a two-stage process. The initial (fast) stage, involving the formation of persistent blocks, was independent of the time elapsed after the solution preparation. A urea concentration of 4.2 M allows the protein molecules to interact with one another to form rather small persistent blocks in combination with solvent molecules, so that the mobility of each molecule remains nearly unchanged. The final (slow) stage is time-dependent and involves the formation of large structures from the persistent blocks. It is shown that parameters G* and S*, which characterize spin diffusion (in protein and solvent, respectively) when it is excited at frequencies remote from the NMR spectral signals, are related to the size probability distribution of the solvent-protein associates and are determined by their collective properties.     

Fatty acid binding sites of serum albumin probed by non-linear spin-label EPR

A novel form of non-linear EPR spectroscopy, viz. the first harmonic absorption spectrum recorded in phase quadrature with respect to the Zeeman field modulation, is used here to investigate spin-lattice relaxation enhancements of nitroxide spin labels bound to serum albumin that are induced by spin-spin interactions with aqueous paramagnetic ions. The advantage of this EPR method is that it is directly sensitive to spin-lattice relaxation and affected relatively little by other spectral parameters (Livshits et al., J. Magn. Reson. 133 (1998) 79-91). Relaxation enhancements by ferricyanide of bound fatty acids (n-SASL) spin-labelled at different positions, n, in the chain are compared with those of different maleimide spin label derivatives attached at the single free -SH group, as well as with those of the spin labels free in solution. It was found that: (1) the encounter frequency of ferricyanide with 5-SASL and 12-SASL bound to serum albumin is more than two times less than that with 16-SASL; (2) the accessibility of ferricyanide to 16-SASL is comparable to that of the more immobilised covalently bound spin labels; and (3) the absolute values of the encounter frequencies for the bound spin-labelled fatty acids are approximately a factor of ten smaller than for the corresponding free spin labels, but the latter show a dependence on position of labelling that is similar to the bound labels. A kinetic scheme that is consistent with these relative differences involves rapid reversible transitions between an 'open' and 'closed' state, in which interaction with aqueous paramagnetic agents is possible only in the 'open' state. The equilibrium strongly favours the 'closed' state, which is further enhanced at low temperatures.     

Membrane water-penetration profiles from spin labels

Spin label hyperfine splittings in mixtures of protic and aprotic solvents are used to obtain association constants K(A,h) for hydrogen bonding to oxazolidine nitroxides. With the Onsager approach to account for the variation in local dielectric constant, these results are used to determine the effective penetration profile of water into fluid phospholipid membranes, from recent electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies on phospholipids spin-labelled systematically down the sn-2 chain. Water penetration is appreciable, depends on chain unsaturation, and is strongly affected by cholesterol.     

The sulphatase of ox liver. XIX. On the nature of the polymeric forms of sulphatase A present in dilute solutions.

Weight-average elution volumes of sulphatase A (an arylsulphate sulphohydrolase, EC 3.1.6.1) from Sephadex G-200 have been determined as functions of protein concentration, pH, ionic strength and temperature. The results are used to calculate the apparent association equilibrium constants for tetramer formation and the associated standard-state thermodynamic parameters. While the apparent association constant decreased from 10(28) to 10(21) M-3 on increasing the pH from 4.5 to 5.6 at ionic strength 0.1, at any particular pH value studied it was relatively insensitive to temperature variation so that deltaH is close to zero and tetramer formation in solution is associated with a positive entropy change. At pH 5.0, increasing the ionic strength from 0.1 to 2 decreased the association constant by a factor of 100. Methylumbelliferone sulphate has no effect on the association of sulphatase A. The equilibrium results are used to define the degree of association of sulphatase A likely to encountered in experiments designed to elucidate its kinetic properties. In the liver lysosome, the tetramer is probably the dominant species. The monomer and tetramer of sulphatase A have similar, or identical, specific activities with nitrocatechol sulphate and 4-methylumbelliferone sulphate as substrates. With nitrocatechol sulphate, sulphatase A shows Michaelis kinetics under conditions where the monomer is the dominant species and non-Michaelis kinetics where the tetramer is dominant. There is apparently a negative cooperativity between the monomer units in the tetramer. In 2 mM sodium taurodeoxycholate and 0.035 M MnCl2, but not in 0.1 M NaCl, the tetramer shows Michaelis kinetics. This is not due to dissociation of the tetramer. The critical micellar concentration of sodium taurodeoxycholate is about 0.8 mM in both 0.1 M NaCl and 0.035 M McCl2 but the aggregation number is greater in the latter.     

Design, synthesis and DNA-binding capacity of a new peptidic bifunctional intercalating agent.

A lysyl-lysine bifunctional derivative of 9-aminoacridine has been synthesized and its DNA-binding capacity established by electron-paramagnetic-resonance study. For this purpose the binding parameters of a spin-labelled aminoacridine probe were estimated and the affinities of the lysylacridinyl-lysyldiamino-octane dimer and of 9-amino-acridine could be evaluated by competitive assays. The competition study provided quantitative results concerning the dissociation constant (KD) of the dimer. The obtained value was closely similar to the KD of 9-aminoacridine determined by the same method and to the KD previously reported for the anti-tumour and antibiotic bifunctional intercalator quinomycins.     

Evidence for a second nucleotide binding site in rat elongation factor eEF-2 specific for adenylic nucleotides

The rat elongation factor eEF-2 catalyzes the translocation step of protein synthesis. Besides its well-characterized GTP/GDP binding properties, we have previously shown that ATP and ADP bind to eEF-2 [Sontag, B., Reboud, A. M., Divita, G., Di Pietro, A., Guillot, D., and Reboud, J. P. (1993) Biochemistry 32, 1976-1980]. However, whether the adenylic and guanylic nucleotide binding sites were different or not remained unclear. To further characterize these sites, eEF-2 was incubated in the presence of N-methylanthraniloyl (Mant) fluorescent derivatives of GTP, GDP, ATP, and ADP. This led to an increase in the probe fluorescence and to a partial quenching of eEF-2 tryptophans in each case. The Mant-derivatives and the unmodified corresponding nucleotides were shown to bind to eEF-2 with a similar affinity. Competition experiments between Mant-labeled and unmodified nucleotides suggested the presence of two different sites binding either guanylic or adenylic nucleotides. A F?rster's transfer between tryptophan residues and the Mant-probe is obtained with both the adenylic and the guanylic Mant-nucleotides, and comparison of the transfer efficiencies confirmed the presence of a second binding site specific for adenylic nucleotides. A sequence alignment of EF-Gs with eEF-2s from different species suggests the presence of potential Walker A and B motifs in an insert of the G-domain of eEF-2s from higher eukaryotes. Our results raise the possibility that a site specific for adenylic nucleotides and located in this insert has appeared in the course of evolution although its physiological function is still unknown.     

Comparative dynamics and location of chain spin-labelled sphingomyelin and phosphatidylcholine in dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine membranes studied by EPR spectroscopy

The dynamics and environment of sphingomyelin spin-labelled at different positions in the N-acyl chain have been studied in dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine bilayer membranes by using electron spin resonance spectroscopy. Comparison was made with phosphatidylcholine spin-labelled on the sn-2 acyl chain in the same host membrane. Spin-labelled sphingomyelin was found to mix well with the host phosphatidylcholine lipids in both gel and fluid phase membranes. At 1 mol%, mutual spin-spin interactions are no greater than for spin-labelled phosphatidylcholine. In the fluid membrane phase, the effective chain order parameters and polarity-sensitive isotropic hyperfine coupling constants of spin-labelled sphingomyelin display a similar dependence on the position of labelling to those of spin-labelled phosphatidylcholine. The values of both parameters are, however, generally larger for sphingomyelin than for phosphatidylcholine at equivalent positions of acyl chain labelling. This difference is attributed to the different chain linkage of sphingo- and glycero-lipids, combined with an offset of approximately one C-atom in transbilayer register between the respective N-acyl and O-acyl chains. In the gel phase, differences in chain configuration between sphingomyelin and phosphatidylcholine are indicated by differences in spin label spectral anisotropy between the two lipids, which appears to reverse towards the terminal methyl chain end.     

Association of spin-labelled cardiolipin with dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine-substituted bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase. A generalized specificity increase rather than highly specific binding sites

The endogeneous lipid of bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase has been replaced by dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine using cholate-mediated exchange. The lipid-substituted preparation contained less than 1 mole cardiolipin per mole enzyme and possessed full oxidative activity. The association of spin-labelled cardiolipin with such lipid-substituted cytochrome oxidase preparations has been assayed using ESR spectroscopy. An average relative association constant 5.4-times that for phosphatidylcholine is obtained for cardiolipin. Measurements on preparations with increasing contents of unlabelled cardiolipin, introduced during lipid exchange, reveal that this selectivity corresponds to a generalized increase in specificity for all lipid association sites on the protein.     

Segmental flexibility of single-, double-, and triple-stranded polyribonucleotides from the data of spin label method. Formation of the triple-stranded poly(A.A.U) polynucleotide helix

Segmental mobility dynamic peculiarities of poly(U), poly(A) and poly(C) synthetic polymers and their complexes were investigated by spin-label method. Imidazolide spin-label was introduced into 2'-oxi-groups of polymer ribose in correlation: one spin-label on 18-20 bases. Formation of complexes was observed by ESR spectra at two pH: 4.2 and 7.2. Segmental mobility of only single strand spin-labelled polymer segment and in the complex was evaluated by measuring rotational correlation time (tau) determined by dependence of distances between outer wide extrema in ESR spectra from solvent viscosity at different temperatures. It turned out that correlation time tau of single strand structures in a high degree depend on pH and temperature. For three strand structures abrupt increase of tau because of appearance of rigidity was observed. It is possible to evaluate part of triple complexes poly(U.A.A) and poly(U.U.A) existing in dynamic equilibrium depending on pH and temperature by the form of outer wide extrema. Adding of dye to complex of poly(U).poly(A) causes an increase of rigidity of the supermolecular structure. Quantitative characteristics of formed complexes were obtained by simulation of ESR spectra on computer.     

Kinetic studies of Escherichia coli elongation factor Tu-guanosine 5'-triphosphate-aminoacyl-tRNA complexes

A new method for measuring the dissociation rate of the Escherichia coli elongation factor Tu-GTP--aminoacyl-tRNA complex has been developed and applied to the determination of the dissociation rates of ternary complexes formed between E. coli EF-Tu-GTP and a set of E. coli aminoacyl-tRNAs. The set of aminoacyl-tRNAs includes at least one tRNA coding for each of the 20 amino acids as well as purified isoacceptor tRNA species for arginine, glycine, leucine, lysine, and tyrosine. The results reveal that the dissociation rates vary for each ternary complex. Tu-GTP-Gln-tRNA dissociates the slowest and Tu-GTP-Val-tRNA the fastest of all noninitiator ternary complexes at 4 degrees C, pH 7.4. The equilibrium dissociation constant for Tu-GTP-Thr-tRNA has been determined to be 1.3 (0.4) X 10(-9) M under identical reaction conditions, and the absolute value of the equilibrium dissociation constant has been calculated for 28 ternary complexes from the relative equilibrium dissociation constant ratios previously measured [Louie, A., Ribeiro, N. S., Reid, B. R., & Jurnak, F. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 5010-5016]. The association rate of each ternary complex has been estimated from the ratio of the dissociation rate relative to the equilibrium dissociation constant. Tu-GTP-His-tRNA associates the fastest and Tu-GTP-Leu-tRNA1Leu the slowest. By inclusion of Tu-GTP-Met-tRNAfMet in the studies, evidence has been obtained that suggests that the initiator ternary complex does not function in the elongation cycle because the dissociation rate of the complex is very fast.     

A method for observing protein-protein interaction.

A method is proposed for observation of the interaction between charged macromolecules such as proteins. The method is based on the fact that the pK of an ionizable reporter group attached to a macromolecule can be altered by the electrostatic effect of another charged macromolecule which associates with the former. The effectiveness of the method was shown in the study of the association of bovine serum albumin with hen egg lysozyme [EC 3.2.1.17]. The errors inherent in this method in obtaining the equilibrium constant of the association reaction and procedures for their correction are discussed.     

Selective and effective cleavage of RNAs by vinyladenine-vinylamine copolymer.

Poly(uridylic acid) (poly[U]) and poly(adenylic acid) (poly[A]) are efficiently cleaved, via phosphodiester linkage hydrolysis, at pH 8, 50 degrees C by use of poly(vinyladenine-co-vinylamine) as catalyst. The catalytic activity of the copolymer surpasses the value of poly(vinylamine), indicating a significant role of the adenine residue in the copolymer for the effective catalysis.     

Interaction of aromatic residues of proteins with nucleic acids. Circular dichroism studies of the binding of oligopeptides to poly(adenylic acid).

The binding of peptides containing lysyl and aromatic residues to poly(A) in its single-stranded form at pH 7 leads to a change of its circular dichroism (CD) spectrum, which is mainly due to the stacking of the aromatic amino acid with the bases of poly(A). Comparison is made between the binding of peptides having different primary structures which gives indications on the way the peptides bind to poly(A). A method is described which allows the calculation of the binding parameters from CD data. The magnitude of the association constant depends on the size of the aromatic ring and decreases in the order tryptophan greater than tyrosine greater than phenylalanine. The CD amplitude decreases linearly with the concentration of bound molecules. These results are discussed with respect to the role played by aromatic amino acids in complex formation between nucleic acids and proteins.     

The association of acrylamide with proteins. The interpretation of fluorescence quenching experiments

The association properties of acrylamide with a number of proteins in aqueous solution have been investigated by a fluorescence-quenching method previously used in micelles and lipid bilayers (Blatt, E., Chatelier, R.C. and Sawyer, W.H. (1984) Chem. Phys. Lett. 108, 397-400). At pH 7.0, acrylamide partitions between the bulk aqueous phase and the proteins, human serum albumin, monellin and ovalbumin. Comparison with an earlier method of analysis (Sikaris, K.A., Thulborn, K.A. and Sawyer, W.H. (1981) Chem. Phys. Lipids 29, 23-36) confirms the data quantitatively. For human serum albumin at pH 2.2, acrylamide associates according to both partition and binding processes. Equilibrium dialysis experiments performed for the latter system verify that acrylamide associates with proteins.     

Allosteric activation of aspartate transcarbamylase with a fluorescent nucleotide analogue: linear-benzo-ATP.

The interaction of Escherichia coli aspartate transcarbamylase with linear-benzo-ATP has been investigated by means of fluorescence spectroscopy. The fluorescent nucleotide analogue activates the enzyme to the same extent as ATP. Fluorescence polarization has been used to determine the association constant of lin-benzo-ATP with aspartate transcarbamylase (ATCase) which is 5 X 10(-3) M-1 at pH 8.7, at 4 degrees C, assuming six binding sites. This association constant is similar to those previously obtained for ATP at a variety of temperatures, buffers, and pH. The fluorescence emission of lin-benzo-ATP is not quenched when bound to ATCase, which indicates absence of pi interactions between the activator and tyrosyl residues in the protein. These residues have been implicated in the stereochemical mechanism of allosteric interactions in ATCase. Furthermore, this fluorescence behavior implicates hydrogen bond formation between the amino group of lin-benzo-ATP and a nucleophilic center at the enzyme binding site. The fact that lin-benzo-ATP activates ATCase is consistent with a previously published model for nucleotide regulation of the enzyme.     

Involvement of Shc in insulin- and epidermal growth factor-induced activation of p21ras.

Shc proteins are phosphorylated on tyrosine residues and associate with growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (Grb2) upon treatment of cells with epidermal growth factor (EGF) or insulin. We have studied the role of Shc in insulin- and EGF-induced activation of p21ras in NIH 3T3 cells overexpressing human insulin receptors (A14 cells). A14 cells are equally responsive to insulin and EGF with respect to activation of p21ras. Analysis of Shc immunoprecipitates revealed that (i) both insulin and EGF treatment resulted in Shc tyrosine phosphorylation and (ii) Shc antibodies coimmunoprecipitated both Grb2 and mSOS after insulin and EGF treatment. The induction of tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc and the presence of Grb2 and mSOS in Shc immunoprecipitates followed similar time courses, with somewhat higher levels after EGF treatment. In mSOS immunoprecipitates, Shc could be detected as well. Furthermore, Shc immune complexes contained guanine nucleotide exchange activity toward p21ras in vitro. From these results, we conclude that after insulin and EGF treatment, Shc associates with both Grb2 and mSOS and therefore may mediate, at least in part, insulin- and EGF-induced activation of p21ras. In addition, we investigated whether the Grb2-mSOS complex associates with the insulin receptor or with insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1). Although we observed association of Grb2 with IRS1, we did not detect complex formation between mSOS and IRS1 in experiments in which the association of mSOS with Shc was readily detectable. Furthermore, whereas EGF treatment resulted in the association of mSOS with the EGF receptor, insulin treatment did not result in the association of mSOS with the insulin receptor. These results indicate that the association of Grb2-nSOS with Shc may be an important event in insulin-induced, mSOS-mediated activation of p21ras.     

Determination of rate constants for nucleotide dissociation from Na,K-ATPase.

A method for determining individual rate constants for nucleotide binding to and dissociation from membrane bound pig kidney Na,K-ATPase is presented. The method involves determination of the rate of relaxation when Na,K-ATPase in the presence of eosin is mixed with ADP or ATP in a stopped-flow fluorescence apparatus. It is shown that the nucleotide dependence of this rate of relaxation--taken together with measured equilibrium binding values for eosin and ADP--makes possible a reasonably reliable determination of the rate constant for dissociation of nucleotide, i.e., determination of the rate constant k-1 in the following model (where E denotes Na,K-ATPase): [formula: see text] All experiments are carried out at about 4 degrees C in a buffer containing 200 mM sucrose, 10 mM EDTA, 25 mM Tris and 73 mM NaCl (pH 7.4). Values obtained for the rate constants for dissociation are about 6 s-1 for ADP and 2-3 s-1 for ATP.     

Influence of pH and ionic strength on the steric mass-action model parameters around the isoelectric point of protein

The ion-exchange equilibrium and the dependence of the parameters in the steric mass-action (SMA) model on salt concentration and buffer pH around the isoelectric point of protein were studied. Bovine serum albumin (BSA, isoelectric point = 5.4) was used as a model protein and DEAE Sepharose FF as an ion exchanger. Finite batch adsorption experiments and isocratic elution chromatography were performed for the determination of the model parameters (i.e., characteristic charge, equilibrium constant, and steric factor). The results showed that pH had significant effects on the parameters. With an increase of pH from 4.5 to 6.5, the characteristic charge increased from 0.9 to 3.0 and leveled off as a plateau at pH above 5.5. The charge groups in the contact region of protein surface were considered to play a crucial role on the characteristic charge. The decrease of pH and increase of salt concentration lowered the absolute value of the zeta potential of the protein surface and led to a decrease of the equilibrium constant. The steric factor remained unchanged at about 31 at pH 5.5 and 6.0 and increased to 44.5 at pH 5.0 and 96.8 at pH 4.5, mainly as a result of the lower adsorption capacity of BSA at pH <5.5. Furthermore, the increase of the molecular volume of BSA at pH 4.5 would be an additional reason for the increase of the steric factor. Taking into account the effect of the pH and salt concentration on these parameters, the SMA model described the ion exchange equilibrium of protein more accurately.