Simultaneous and direct determination of pyridoxal, pyridoxal-5'-phosphate, and pyridoxic acid in serum by derivative synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy

Simultaneous and direct assays of pyridoxal, pyridoxal-5'-phosphate, and pyridoxic acid in human serum are described. The method applied is based on the reaction of these compounds with beryllium in an ammoniacal medium to yield highly fluorescent derivatives. Overlapping of conventional fluorescence spectra is resolved by using second-derivative fluorescence spectroscopy, thus making the use of separation techniques unnecessary. The proposed method is simple (only beryllium and an ammoniacal buffer are needed to develop fluorescence), rapid (the derivative formation is instantaneous and serum treatment only requires deproteinization), and inexpensive (no sophisticated detection equipment is necessary, any conventional modern spectrofluorimeter being adequate for use). The analytical recovery achieved was of about 96% for pyridoxal, 97% for pyridoxal-5'-phosphate, and 100% for pyridoxic acid. Measurements were carried out in a single scan.     

Active-site modification of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase by pyridoxal-5′-phosphate

Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.8) from rabbit skeletal muscle is inhibited by pyridoxal-5′-phosphate. The inhibition observed in steady-state kinetic studies is competitive with respect to dihydroxyacetone phosphate and uncompetitive with respect to NADH. Similar inhibition was found for a series of related compounds which in order of increasing effectiveness of inhibition were: 4-deoxypyridoxine < pyridoxal < pyridoxic acid < pyridoxal-5′-phosphate < pyridoxine and pyridoxamine-5′-phosphate. Pyridoxal-5′-phosphate also reacts slowly with the enzyme to produce an adduct which upon treatment with sodium borohydride results in irreversible modification of the enzyme. The nature of the adduct was investigated by titration of the enzyme with pyridoxal-5′-phosphate, uv-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy, amino acid analysis, and peptide mapping. All such studies are consistent with a single, highly reactive lysyl residue on each enzyme subunit. Protection of the lysyl residue against modification was afforded by the presence of NADH. The modified enzyme, on the other hand, possessed kinetic properties similar to the native enzyme including a nearly identical inhibition constant for pyridoxal-5′-phosphate. Pyridoxal-5′-phosphate, therefore, seems to have two sites of interaction on the enzyme: a reversible binding site competitive with substrate and a Schiff-base site protected by NADH. These properties of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase set it apart from functionally similar enzymes.     

The fluorescence of indoles and aniline derivatives

1. The variations in the excitation and fluorescence wavelengths and fluorescence intensities of a number of indole and aniline derivatives over a wide range of acidity and alkalinity (36n-sulphuric acid to 10n-potassium hydroxide) have been studied. 2. The changes in fluorescence with pH of the indoles and anilines had many characteristics in common, and the most fluorescent species were found to be the non-ionized or neutral forms showing fluorescence maxima at about lambda 350mmu. 3. In 10n-potassium hydroxide most of the compounds examined, except those containing a tertiary nitrogen atom, showed a bathochromic shift in fluorescence wavelength attributable to an anion due to a negatively charged nitrogen, but in strong acid (3n-sulphuric acid) these compounds were non-fluorescent, except the anisidines and the 5-hydroxyindoles. 4. p-Anisidine but not the o- and m-isomers showed excited-state ionization in acid solution. 5. Of the hydroxyindoles only the 5-hydroxy derivatives showed a fluorescence (lambda(max.) 520-540mmu) in acid solution. It is suggested that this fluorescence is due to a proton-transfer reaction in the excited state, and various arguments for this suggestion are given. 6. Stokes shifts for the various ionic and neutral species of the indoles and anilines have been calculated, and the large shifts found with indole and p-anisidine may be due to solvent-solute interaction.     

A fluorescence lifetime study of virginiamycin S using multifrequency phase fluorometry

Using multifrequency phase fluorometry, fluorescence lifetimes have been assigned to the different protolytic forms of the antibiotic virginiamycin S. These lifetimes are 0.476 +/- 0.005 ns for the uncharged form, 1.28 +/- 0.2 and 7.4 +/- 0.2 ns for the zwitterionic form, 1.19 +/- 0.01 ns for the negatively charged form, and 1.9 +/- 0.1 ns for the double negatively charged form. The assignments are based on lifetime measurements as a function of pH, volume percent ethanol, and excitation wavelength. Excited-state proton transfer is taken into account. It is complete at pH values lower than 1, and no fluorescence of the fully protonated charged form is observed. At pH 8, an excited-state pK* increase is calculated, but proton association is too slow to cause excited-state proton transfer. The addition of divalent cations, at pH 9.4, increases the lifetime of the negatively charged form to a value dependent upon the specific nature of the cation (7.58 +/- 0.06 ns for Mg2+, 6.54 +/- 0.02 ns for Ca2+, and 3.74 +/- 0.05 ns for Ba2+). Monovalent cations do not influence the lifetimes, indicating that their binding to the macrocycle does not influence the fluorescent moiety. The model compound 3-hydroxypicolinamide shows an analogous behavior, but the retrieved lifetime can differ significantly.     

Thermodynamic constants for tautomerism, hydration, and ionization of vitamin B6 compounds in water/dioxane

The macroscopic deprotonation constants of phenol, pyridine, p-nitrophenol, salicylaldehyde, 4-pyridinaldehyde, pyridoxine, 3-hydroxypyridine, 5-deoxypyridoxal, pyridoxal, and pyridoxal 5'-phosphate have been determined at 25 degrees C in water/dioxane mixtures. Many of the hydration and tautomeric constants and microscopic pK values of these compounds have also been measured under the same conditions. These values are discussed with reference to Hammett's and Marshall's equations and a general equation that predicts these equilibrium constants in the media under discussion has been formulated. The significance of these findings on the chemistry of vitamin B6 and its importance in the study of the catalytic pathways of vitamin B6-dependent enzymes are also discussed.     

Molecular basis for pH sensitivity and proton transfer in green fluorescent protein: protonation and conformational substates from electrostatic calculations.

We performed a theoretical study to elucidate the coupling between protonation states and orientation of protein dipoles and buried water molecules in green fluorescent protein, a versatile biosensor for protein targeting. It is shown that the ionization equilibria of the wild-type green fluorescent protein-fluorophore and the internal proton-binding site E222 are mutually interdependent. Two acid-base transitions of the fluorophore occur in the presence of neutral (physiologic pH) and ionized (pH > 12) E222, respectively. In the pH-range from approximately 8 to approximately 11 ionized and neutral sites are present in constant ratio, linked by internal proton transfer. The results indicate that modulation of the internal proton sharing by structural fluctuations or chemical variations of aligning residues T203 and S65 cause drastic changes of the neutral/anionic ratio-despite similar physiologic fluorophore pK(a) s. Moreover, we find that dipolar heterogeneities in the internal hydrogen-bond network lead to distributed driving forces for excited-state proton transfer. A molecular model for the unrelaxed surrounding after deprotonation is discussed in relation to pathways providing fast ground-state recovery or slow stabilization of the anion. The calculated total free energy for excited-state deprotonation ( approximately 19 k(B)T) and ground-state reprotonation ( approximately 2 k(B)T) is in accordance with absorption and emission data (相似文献   

Inactivation of avian progesterone receptor binding to ATP-Sepharose by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate

The affinity of progesterone receptor from hen oviduct for ATP-Sepharose was diminished by preincubation with pyridoxal 5′-phosphate. This effect was specific for pyridoxal 5′-phosphate since the related compounds, pyridoxal, pyridoxine, pyridoxamine and pyridoxamine 5′-phosphate, were not effectors. The inactivation was easily reversed by the addition of the primary amine, Tris. However, in the presence of the reducing agent NaBH₄, the inhibitory effect of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate was irreversible. The results suggest that pyridoxal 5′-phosphate forms a Schiff base with a critical amino group, presumably at the nucleotide binding site of the progesterone receptor.     

Molecular heterogeneity of O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase by two-photon excited fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy

O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase, a homo-dimeric enzyme from Salmonella typhimurium, covalently binds one pyridoxal 5'-phosphate molecule per subunit as a fluorescent coenzyme. Different tautomers of the Schiff base between the coenzyme and lysine 41 generate structured absorption and fluorescence spectra upon one-photon excitation. We investigated the protein population heterogeneity by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and lifetime techniques upon two-photon excitation. We sampled the fluorescence intensity from a small number of molecules (approximately 10) and analyzed the distribution of photon counts to separately determine the number and the fluorescence brightness of excited protein molecules. The changes in the average number of molecules and in the fluorescence brightness with the excitation wavelength indicate the presence of at least two fluorescent species, with two-photon excitation maxima at 660 and 800 nm. These species have been identified as the enolimine and ketoenamine tautomers of the protein-coenzyme internal aldimine. Their relative abundance is estimated to be 4:1, whereas the ratio of their two-photon cross sections is reversed with respect to the single-photon excitation case. Consistent results are obtained from the measurement of the lifetime decays, which are sensitive to the excited-state heterogeneity. At least two components were detected, with lifetimes of approximately 2.5 and 0.5 ns. The lifetimes are very close to the values measured in bulk solutions upon one-photon excitation and attributed to the ketoenamine tautomer and to a dipolar species formed upon proton dissociation in the excited state.     

Photophysical properties of dibenzofluorescein and the presence of its tautomers or prototropic forms in organic solvents.

The UV/Vis absorption and fluorescence properties of dibenzofluorescein (DBFL) in organic solvents were measured and used to shed light on the possible presence of its tautomers or various prototropic forms. DBFL in aprotic solvents mainly exists in two tautomeric forms, viz. quinoid and lactone, but neither are efficiently fluorescent. In protic solvents, such as methanol and ethanol, both the monoanion and neutral quinoid are present and showed the highest fluorescence quantum yield. In contrast, DBFL is fully dissociated to the monoanion and dianion in deionized water.     

5-Enolpyruvyl shikimate 3-phosphate synthase from Escherichia coli. Identification of Lys-22 as a potential active site residue

5-Enolpyruvyl shikimate 3-phosphate synthase catalyzes the reversible condensation of phosphoenolpyruvate and shikimate 3-phosphate to yield 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate 3-phosphate and inorganic phosphate. The enzyme is a target for the nonselective herbicide glyphosate (N-phosphonomethylglycine). In order to determine the role of lysine residues in the mechanism of action of this enzyme as well as in its inhibition by glyphosate, chemical modification studies with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate were undertaken. Incubation of the enzyme with the reagent in the absence of light resulted in a time-dependent loss of enzyme activity. The inactivation followed pseudo first-order and saturation kinetics with Kinact of 45 microM and a maximum rate constant of 1.1 min-1. The inactivation rate increased with increase in pH, with a titratable pK of 7.6. Activity of the inactive enzyme was restored by addition of amino thiol compounds. Reaction of enzyme with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate was prevented in the presence of substrates or substrate plus glyphosate, an inhibitor of the enzyme. Upon 90% inactivation, approximately 1 mol of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate was incorporated per mol of enzyme. The azomethine linkage between pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and the enzyme was reduced by NaB3H4. Tryptic digestion followed by reverse phase chromatographic separation resulted in the isolation of a peptide which contained the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate moiety as well as 3H label. By amino acid sequencing of this peptide, the modified residue was identified as Lys-22. The amino acid sequence around Lys-22 is conserved in bacterial, fungal, as well as plant enzymes suggesting that this region may constitute a part of the enzyme's active site.     

Prototropic equilibria, tautomerization and electronic absorption properties of dibenzofluorescein in aqueous solution related to its capability as a fluorescence probe

The protolytic equilibria of 1,2,7,8-dibenzofluorescein in aqueous solution have been characterized by visible absorption and fluorescence spectra. The species involved are identified as dianion, monoanion, neutral form and cation. The neutral form includes both the quinoid and lactone structures. The pK(a)s were calculated by an improved procedure to be 3.14, 4.04 and 6.28, respectively. The absorption spectra for each protolytic form were resolved. The absorption maxima (molar absorption coefficient, x10(5), M(-1) cm(-1)) are 532 nm (0.87) for the dianion, 510 nm (0.39) for the monoanion, 500 nm (0.16) for the neutral form, and 494 nm (0.19) for the cation, respectively. Contrary to the assumption in the literature, we found that the monoanion is highly fluorescent (Phi(f) = 0.66, compared to Phi(f) = 0.25 for dianion) and its molar ratio can reach 50% at neutral pH. It is therefore concluded that under physiological pH conditions the monoanion plays a major role when it is used as a fluorescence probe.     

Specificity and site of action of a mammary gland thioesterase which releases acyl moieties from thioester linkage to the fatty acid synthetase

The lactone (I) of 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaleneacetic acid was developed as a reagent for novel, highly efficient, covalent attachment of an excited-state proton transfer fluorescence probe (i.e. 2-naphthol) to protein amino groups. The lactone (I) was shown to react with amines faster than it was hydrolyzed. Reaction of the lactone (I) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) was faster than its reaction with corresponding concentrations of small organic amines, which suggested that the lactone (I) first adsorbed to BSA and subsequently reacted covalently; data are presented which suggest that this covalent binding occurs at a unique, single site on BSA (i.e., affinity labeling). Equilibrium studies involving instantaneous and time-dependent fluorescence changes were interpreted in terms of a 1:1 lactone:BSA labeling ratio at neutral pH. Steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy of the 1:1 lactone:BSA conjugate and of the conjugate of the lactone with glycine ethyl ester were recorded, compared and interpreted in terms of the microenvironment of the protein-bound fluorescence probe. Applications are suggested for use of this new and powerful procedure for study of the conformational changes and molecular interactions in other proteins.     

Estimation of pK(a) values using microchip capillary electrophoresis and indirect fluorescence detection

Microchip capillary electrophoresis (CE), coupled with indirect fluorescence detection was investigated for estimating the pK(a) values of non-fluorescent compounds. The CE method is based on the differences in electrophoretic mobility of the analyte as a function of the pH of the running buffer. Nine compounds were tested, including several of pharmaceutical importance, with pK(a) values from 10.3 to 4.6. All buffers contained 5-TAMRA as the fluorescent probe for indirect detection. Calculated pK(a) values agreed well with literature values obtained by traditional methods, differing not more than 0.2 from the literature value. The current work on single lane chips demonstrates the principle of microchip CE with indirect detection as a viable method for estimating pK(a) values. However, increased throughput will be required using a multilane chip to enable the approach to be used practically.     

Metabolism of tritium-labelled pyridoxine and pyridoxine 5'-phosphate in the central nervous system

Abstract— [³H]Pyridoxine and [³H]pyridoxine 5′-phosphate have been injected into rats and mice. The uptake in brain tissue has been studied by comparing the concentrations of labelled compounds in serum, cerebrospinal fluid and brain tissue. Labelled pyridoxine passes rapidly into brain tissue, whereas the uptake of pyridoxine 5′-phosphate occurs at a much slower rate. Perchloric acid extracts of brain have been fractionated by ion-exchange chromatography and the distribution of isotope between the different forms of the vitamin has been determined at different times after the administration. The time sequence of the metabolic transformation is: pyridoxine+→ pyridoxine 5′-phosphate → pyridoxal 5′-phosphate → pyridoxamine 5′-phosphate. After the initial transformation period about 40 per cent of the isotope is recovered in each of the pyridoxal 5′-phosphate and pyridoxamine 5′-phosphate fractions.     

pH dependence of tryptophan synthase catalytic mechanism: I. The first stage, the beta-elimination reaction

The pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent beta-subunit of the tryptophan synthase alpha(2)beta(2) complex catalyzes the condensation of L-serine with indole to form L-tryptophan. The first stage of the reaction is a beta-elimination that involves a very fast interconversion of the internal aldimine in a highly fluorescent L-serine external aldimine that decays, via the alpha-carbon proton removal and beta-hydroxyl group release, to the alpha-aminoacrylate Schiff base. This reaction is influenced by protons, monovalent cations, and alpha-subunit ligands that modulate the distribution between open and closed conformations. In order to identify the ionizable residues that might assist catalysis, we have investigated the pH dependence of the rate of the external aldimine decay by rapid scanning UV-visible absorption and single wavelength fluorescence stopped flow. In the pH range 6-9, the reaction was found to be biphasic with the first phase (rate constants k(1)) accounting for more than 70% of the signal change. In the absence of monovalent cations or in the presence of sodium and potassium ions, the pH dependence of k(1) exhibits a bell shaped profile characterized by a pK(a1) of about 6 and a pK(a2) of about 9, whereas in the presence of cesium ions, the pH dependence exhibits a saturation profile characterized by a single pK(a) of 9. The presence of the allosteric effector indole acetylglycine increases the rate of reaction without altering the pH profile and pK(a) values. By combining structural information for the internal aldimine, the external aldimine, and the alpha-aminoacrylate with kinetic data on the wild type enzyme and beta-active site mutants, we have tentatively assigned pK(a1) to betaAsp-305 and pK(a2) to betaLys-87. The loss of pK(a1) in the presence of cesium ions might be due to a shift to lower values, caused by the selective stabilization of a closed form of the beta-subunit.     

Microspectrofluorometry of the protonation state of ellipticine, an antitumor alkaloid, in single cells.

The protonation state and intracellular distribution of ellipticine were investigated in single human mammary T47D cells by confocal laser microspectrofluorimetry. In the cell nucleus, only the protonated form of ellipticine was detected as a direct consequence of its apparent pK increase upon DNA binding. Both protonated and neutral forms were present in the aqueous cytoplasm, where the pH is close to the drug pK. When cells were incubated in high concentrations of K+, a condition that depolarizes the plasma membrane potential, ellipticine cellular accumulation was reduced. In the cytoplasm, ellipticine was mainly bound to mitochondria, and its protonation equilibrium was shifted toward the neutral form. The fluorescence spectrum of ellipticine bound to mitochondria was insensitive to valinomycin, whereas it was markedly shifted toward the protonated form after carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxy-phenylhydrazone or nigericin addition. Similar studies with ellipticine bound to isolated mitochondria suggest that it behaves as a fluorescent probe of mitochondrial pH in both isolated mitochondria and single living cells.     

Determination of pyridoxal phosphate levels in the brains of audiogenic and normal mice

The concentrations of pyridoxal-5-phosphate in the brains of audiogenic and normal mice were measured fluorimetrically. The brain of the audiogenic mouse (DBA/2J) contains 25% more pyridoxal-5-phosphate than the brain of a control mouse. Intraperitoneal injection of this substance causes a transient increase of its concentration in the brain, lasting a few hours. The substance thereafter is degraded to pyridoxal and pyridoxic acid.     

Identification of pyridoxine 3-sulfate, pyridoxal 3-sulfate, and N-methylpyridoxine as major urinary metabolites of vitamin B6 in domestic cats

Preliminary studies of vitamin B6 metabolism in three adult domestic cats detected very little pyridoxic acid in the urine. At oral doses of 49 to 490 mumol of [14C]pyridoxine hydrochloride, 50% of the excreted dose occurred as pyridoxine 3-sulfate and 25% as N-methylpyridoxine. The identity of these two metabolites was confirmed by isolation from urine and comparison with known compounds. A third compound was identified as pyridoxal 3-sulfate on the basis of chromatographic behavior and fluorescent properties before and after hydrolysis. At pyridoxine intakes of 0.97 mumol/day, the concentration of pyridoxal 3-sulfate in the urine sometimes exceeded the concentration of pyridoxine 3-sulfate. Pyridoxic acid remained a minor urinary metabolite at pyridoxine intakes ranging from 0.97 to 490 mumol/day. Although sulfation of phenol groups and methylation of the ring nitrogen are well-known detoxication reactions, this appears to be the first time such reactions have been observed in normal metabolism of vitamin B6. These observations provide further evidence of the diversity of vitamin B6 metabolism between species. While such diversity complicates the extrapolation of data from animal studies to humans, it does provide a variety of models for examining the influences of various factors on vitamin B6 metabolism.     

Fluorometric assay of pyridoxal and pyridoxal 5'-phosphate.

A new and very sensitive fluorometric method for the determination of pyridoxal and pyridoxal 5′-phosphate is reported. The specificity is based on the reductive amination of pyridoxal and its 5′-phosphate with methyl anthranilate and sodium cyanoborohydride at pH 4,5 to 5,0. Separation of the highly fluorescent methyl-N-pyridoxyl anthranilate was achieved by a combination of column and thin-layer chromatography on silica gel. This method has been applied to the assay of pyridoxal and pyridoxal 5′-phosphate in seruum.     

Effect on the equilibrium between the Na+-form and the K+-form of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase of modification of the enzyme with pyridoxal 5-phosphate

An increase in pH shifts the equilibrium between the K+-form and the Na+-form of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase towards the Na+-form. pK for the proton effect on the equilibrium is decreased by modification of the enzyme with pyridoxal 5-phosphate. The reactivity of the enzyme towards pyridoxal 5-phosphate is increased by an increase in pH. Modification by pyridoxal 5-phosphate of epsilon-amino groups on lysine, which has a pK of about 8 with the enzyme in the K+-form and of about 7.4 in the Na+-form, shifts the equilibrium between E1Na+ and E2 towards E2, and the equilibrium between E2(K+occ) and E2 towards E2, but has no effect on the overall equilibrium between E1Na+ and E2(K+occ). An additional modification of epsilon-amino groups on lysine, which has a pK of 9.5-10 with the enzyme in the K+-form and of about 7.7 with the enzyme in the Na+-form, shifts the equilibrium between E2(K+occ) and E1Na+ towards E1Na+; this is due to a shift in the equilibrium between E2(K+occ) and E2 towards E2, but with no effect on the equilibrium between E1Na+ and E2. The results show that the transition from the K+-form to the Na+-form decreases the pK of lysine epsilon-amino groups on the enzyme, and that the protonation of these groups influences the equilibrium between the two conformations.