Structural studies of staphylococcal protease. I. Spin labelling of the active site and a comparison with other proteases.

Staphylococcus aureus protease has been spin-labelled at the active-site serine residue with the monocyclic-phosphorus spin label (MSL), 1-oxyl-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-peperi-dinylethylphosphorofluoridate. The electron paramagnetic resonance (E.P.R.) sbectra of the protease in different buffers at various pH's have been analyzed and compared with those of trypsin, subtilisin BPN', and alpha-chymotrypsin under identical conditions. In a given buffer, the shape of E.P.R. signals of spin-labelled staphylococcal protease is unaffected by pH changes except below pH 4.0, at which a gradual loss of conformational integrity of the active site occurs. In bicarbonate buffer and particularly in acetate buffer, the mobility of the label is much more restricted than in phosphate buffer or in potassium chloride solution. The implications of this finding are discussed in terms of a model whereby the label is able to orient towards two different but adjacent regions of the active site. The relative population of the label in each of these orientations is believed to be buffer-dependent. An attempt to correlate the shape of the te.p.r. signals with the pH values of maximal proteolytic avtivity of the enzyme is also presented. These results show that to obtain meaningful information from a comparative spin label study of the geometry of the active site of serine proteases, particular care should be exercised to assure that the different proteases experience identical conditions of pH, buffer, and temperature.     

Identification of koningic acid (heptelidic acid)-modified site in rabbit muscle glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase

The sesquiterpene antibiotic koningic acid (heptelidic acid) has been previously demonstrated to modify glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in specific manner, probably by binding to the sulfhydryl residue at the active site of the enzyme (Sakai, K., Hasumi, K. and Endo, A. (1988) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 952, 297-303). Rabbit muscle glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase labeled with [3H]koningic acid was digested with trypsin. Reverse-phase HPLC revealed that the label is associated exclusively with a tryptic peptide having 17 amino acid residues. Microsequencing and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry demonstrated that the peptide has the sequence Ile-Var-Ser-Asn-Ala-Ser-Cys-Thr-Thr-Asn-Cys-Leu-Ala-Pro-Leu-Ala-Lys. In comparison to the amino acid sequence of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from other species, this peptide is in a highly conserved region and is part of the active site of the enzyme. The cysteine residue corresponding to the Cys-149 in the pig muscle enzyme, which has been shown to be an essential residue for the enzyme activity, was shown to be the site modified by koningic acid. Structural analyses of the reaction product of koningic acid and L-cysteine suggested that the epoxide of koningic acid reacts with the sulfhydryl group of cysteine residue, resulting in a thioether.     

Localization of the substrate and oxalacetate binding site of succinate dehydrogenase.

Succinate dehydrogenase is composed of two subunits, one of molecular weight 70,000, containing FAD in covalent linkage to a histidyl residue of the polypeptide chain, the other subunit of molecular weight 30,000. The fact that substrate, substrate analogs, and oxalacetate prevent inactivation of the enzyme by thiol-specific agents indicates that a thiol group must be present in close proximity to the flavin. Comparison of the incorporation of radioactivity into each subunit in the presence and absence of succinate or malonate shows that both substrate and competitive inhibitors protect a sulfhydryl group of the 70,000-molecular weight subunit. This indicates that a thiol group of the flavoprotein subunit is part of the active site. Similar investigations using oxalacetate as a protecting agent indicate that the tight binding of oxalacetate to the deactivated enzyme also occurs in the flavoprotein subunit, and may involve the same thiol group which is protected by succinate from alkylation by N-ethylmaleimide. It is clear, therefore, that not only the flavin site but also an essential thiol residue are located in the 70,000-molecular weight subunit. A second thiol group, located in the 30,000-molecular weight subunit, also binds N-ethylmaleimide covalently under similar conditions, without being part of the active site. Succinate, malonate, and oxalacetate do not influence the binding of this inhibitor to the thiol group of the lower molecular weight subunit. Using maleimide derivatives of nitroxide-type spin labels, it has been possible to demonstrate the presence of two types of thiol groups in the enzyme which form covalent derivatives with the spin probe. When the enzyme is treated with an equimolar quantity of the spin probe, a largely isotropic electron spin resonance spectrum is obtained, indicating a high probe mobility. When this site is first blocked by treating the enzyme with an equimolar quantity of N-ethylmaleimide, followed by an equimolar amount of spin label, the label is strongly immobilized with a splitting of 64 gauss. It is suggested that the sulfhydryl group which is involved in the immobilized species is at the active site.     

Measurements of electron spin resonance with the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex from Escherichia coli. Studies on the allosteric binding site of acetyl-coenzyme A

Binding of the feedback inhibitor acetyl-coenzyme A to the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex from Escherichia coli was studied by electron spin resonance spectroscopy with the spin-labelled acetyl-CoA analogue 3-carboxy-2,2,5,5-tetramethylpyrrolidine-1-oxyl-CoA-thioester. The spin-labelled compound binds to the pyruvate dehydrogenase component of the enzyme complex and this binding can be reversed by acetyl-CoA, while CoA has no effect. AMP and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, which are both activators of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, exhibit a partial competition with the spin-labelled acetyl-CoA analogue and it could be shown that both activators act essentially by reversion of the feedback inhibition of acetyl-CoA. The binding site for these activators seems to overlap with the acetyl-CoA binding site, possibly by a common phosphate attachment point. No competition for binding to the feedback inhibition site exists with pyruvate, thiamine diphosphate, magnesium ions and with the fluorescent chromophore 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulfonic acid. Thus, the feedback inhibition site proves to be a true allosteric regulatory site, which appears to be completely separate from the catalytic site on the pyruvate dehydrogenase component. The spin-labelled acetyl-CoA analogue binds also to the product binding site of acetyl-CoA on the dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Two binding sites per polypeptide chain with identical affinities on this enzyme component were found and the binding of the analogue can be inhibited by acetyl-CoA as well as by CoA.     

A reactive cysteine in avian liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase

The modification of avian phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase by a variety of sulfhydryl reagents leads to inhibition. The inhibition is related to the loss of 1 highly reactive cysteine residue of the 13 cysteines present in the enzyme. Inhibition by reagents which yield a mixed disulfide was rapidly reversed by thiols. Reagents specific for vicinal sulfhydryl configurations were not potent inhibitors. The cysteine-modified enzyme continues to bind Mn2+ with the same stoichiometry and dissociation constant as the native enzyme. All of the substrates also bind to thiol-modified inactive enzyme. The modification of the reactive cysteine with the spin-labeled iodoacetate derivative leads to inactive enzyme with spin label stoichiometrically incorporated. The EPR spectrum showed an immobilized spin label on the enzyme. EPR studies of the perturbation of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase-bound spin label by bound Mn2+ showed a dipolar interaction between the two spins, estimated to be 10 A apart. The perturbation of the 1/T1 and 1/T2 values of the 31P resonances of ITP by spin-labeled enzyme indicates that this portion of the nucleotide binds 8-10 A from the spin label. These results indicate that the reactive cysteine is close to but not at the active site of the enzyme. The thiol group must be free and in its reduced form for the enzyme to be active. Perhaps modification of this group prevents conformational change(s) upon ligand binding necessary for the catalytic process.     

N-terminal spin label studies of hemoglobin, Ligand and pH dependence.

Human hemoglobin was spin labeled with 4-isothiocanato-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperdinooxyl, which is known to bind specifically to the N-terminal alpha-amino groups of proteins and slightly to the reactive sulfhydryl groups. Electron spin resonance (ESR) analysis indicated a partially resolved five-line spectrum, suggesting that the label was attached to at least two different binding sites. Using specific blocking reagents prior to spin labeling, the two binding sites were attributed to the sulfhydryl group of beta-93 (immobile) and the alpha-amino group of the N-terminal valines (mobile). The relative motion of the spin at one set of binding sites was restricted regardless of the state of ligation and pH, while the motion at the other site showed dependence on those parameters, e.g. the spin-labeled N-terminal ends of deoxyhemoglobin have restricted motion at all pH ranges studied, while those of oxyhemoglobin are relatively free to move at the basic pH range, but become more restricted in the acidic pH range.     

Affinity labeling of steroid binding sites. Study of the active site of 20beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase with 2alpha-bromoacetoxyprogesterone and 11alpha-bromacetoxyprogesterone.

To further characterize the active site of 20beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.53) from Streptomyced hydrogenans we synthesized 2alpha-bromoacetoxyprogesterone, a substrate for the enzyme in 0.05 M phosphate buffer at 25 degrees, pH 7.0, with Km and Vmax values of 1.90 X 10(-5) M and 6.09 nmol/min/mg of enzyme, respectively. This affinity labeling steroid inactivates 20beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in an irreversible and time-dependent manner which follows pseudo-first order kinetics with a t1/2 value of 4.6 hours. 2alpha-[2-3H]Bromoacetoxyprogesterone was synthesized and used to radiolabel the enzyme active site. Amino acid analysis of the acid hydrolysate of the radiolabeled enzyme supports a mechanism whereby the steroid moiety delivers the alkylating group to the steroid binding site of the enzyme where it reacts with a methionyl residue. Both 2alpha- and 11alpha-bromoacetoxyprogesterone alkylate a methionyl residue at the active site of 20beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. The enzyme was inactivated with a mixture containing both 2alpha-[2-3H]Bromoacetoxyprogesterone and 11alpha-2[2-14C]bromoacetoxyprogesterone. Following degradation of separate aliquots of the radiolabeled enzyme by cyanogen bromide or trypsin, the protein fragments were separated by gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography. Resolution of peptides carrying the 3H label from those possessing the 14C label demonstrates that 2alpha-bromoacetoxyprogesterone and 11alpha-bromoacetoxyprogesterone each label a different methionine at the steroid binding site of 20beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase.     

Identification of the arylazido-beta-alanyl-NAD+-modified site in rabbit muscle glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase by microsequencing and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry

We have identified the site labeled by arylazido-beta-alanyl-NAD+ (A3'-O-(3-[N-(4-azido-2-nitrophenyl)amino]propionyl)NAD+) in rabbit muscle glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase by microsequencing and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. This NAD+ photoaffinity analogue has been previously demonstrated to modify glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in a very specific manner and probably at the active site of the enzyme [Chen, S., Davis, H., Vierra, J. R., & Guillory, R. J. (1984) Biochem. Biophys. Stud. Proteins Nucleic Acids, Proc. Int. Symp., 3rd, 407-425]. The label is associated exclusively with a tryptic peptide that has the sequence Ile-Val-Ser-Asn-Ala-Ser-Cys-Thr-Thr-Asn. In comparison to the amino acid sequence of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from other species, this peptide is in a highly conserved region and is part of the active site of the enzyme. The cysteine residue at position seven was predominantly labeled and suggested to be the site modified by arylazido-beta-alanyl-NAD+. This cysteine residue corresponds to the Cys-149 in the pig muscle enzyme, which has been shown to be an essential residue for the enzyme activity. The present investigation clearly demonstrates that arylazido-beta-alanyl-NAD+ is a useful photoaffinity probe to characterize the active sites of NAD(H)-dependent enzymes.     

Enzymic synthesis of steroid sulphates. XI. Study of the oestrogen binding site of oestrogen sulphotransferase by affinity labelling with 4-mercuri-17beta-oestradiol.

Oistrogen sulphotransferase (3"-phosphoadenylylsulphate: oestrone sulphotransferase, EC 2.8.2.4) contains asingle sulphydryl group thought to be at, or near, the oestrogen-binding site. 4-mercuri-17beta-oestradiol, the activity of the enzyme decreased with increasing concentration of the oestrogen derivative. However, some 40% of the activity remained when all the sulphydryl had reacted to form mercaptide. Formation of mercaptide was only marginally decreased in the presence of the substrate 17beta-oestradiol. Other steroids, such as 11-deoxycorticosterone and testosterone, which are non-substrates for the enzyme, were more effective than 17beta-oestradiol in inhibiting mercaptide formation. Bovine serum albumin also reacted with 4-mercure-17beta-oestradiol and the effects of various steroids on mercaptide formation by the affinity label closely paralleled those found for the enzyme. 2t is concluded that the single sulphydryl group in the enzyme is not directly involved in the binding of oestrogen at the active site but is perhaps in closer proximity to a second site capable of binding certain non-substrate steroids.     

Calcium structural transition of human cardiac troponin C in reconstituted muscle fibres as studied by site-directed spin labelling

The in situ structure of human cardiac troponin C (hcTnC) has been studied with site-directed, spin labelling, electron paramagnetic resonance (SDSL-EPR). Analysis of the in situ structures of hcTnC is essential for elucidating the molecular mechanism behind its Ca(2+)-sensitive regulation. We prepared two hcTnC mutants (C35S and C84S) containing one native cysteine residue (84 and 35, respectively) for spin labelling. The mutants were labelled with a methane thiosulfonate spin label (MTSSL) and the TnC was reconstituted into permeabilized muscle fibres. The mobility of Cys84-MTSSL changed markedly after addition of Ca2+, while that of the Cys35 residue did not change in the monomer state or in fibres. The rotational correlation time of Cys84-MTSSL decreased from 32ns to 13ns upon Ca(2+)-binding in the monomer state, whereas in fibres the spectrum of Cys84-MTSSL was resolved into mobile (16ns) and immobile (35ns) components and the addition of Ca2+ increased the immobile component. Moreover, the accessibility of Cys84-MTSSL to molecular oxygen increased slightly in the presence of Ca2+. These data suggest that Cys35 remains in the same location regardless of the addition of Ca2+, whereas Cys84 is located at the position that interacts with B and C helices of hcTnC and interacts with troponin I (TnI) at high concentrations of Ca2+. We determined the distances between Cys35 and Cys84 by measuring pulsed electron-electron double resonance spectra. The distances were 26.0 angstroms and 27.2 angstroms in the monomer state and in fibres, respectively, and the addition of Ca2+ decreased the distance to 23.2 angstroms in fibres but only slightly in the monomer state, showing that Ca2+ binding to the N-domain of hcTnC induced a larger structural change in muscle fibres than in the monomer state.     

Investigation of the active site of human placenta glutathione transferase pi by means of a spin-labelled glutathione analogue.

A spin-labelled analogue of glutathione (sl-glutathione) has been used in order to characterize the active site of human placenta glutathione transferase pi. The sl-glutathione shows a competitive inhibition towards glutathione (Ki = 14 microM). Binding of sl-glutathione to the enzyme, followed by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, gives a Kd of 3 microM and two identical binding sites for dimeric unit. Inhibition of the enzyme, by modification of the Cys-47 residue, completely prevents the binding of sl-glutathione. The same results are obtained by monitoring the binding of glutathione by means of fluorescence spectroscopy. It is concluded that integrity of the thiolate of Cys-47 is necessary to maintain an active conformation of the enzyme able to efficiently bind glutathione into the active site.     

Electron spin resonance and nuclear relaxation studies on spin-labeled glutamate dehydrogenase.

The reaction of glutamate dehydrogenase with two different stable nitroxides (spin labels) is reported. The two compounds contain a carbonyl and an iodoacetamide group as their reactive parts. The carbonyl compound inactivates the enzyme by the formation of a 1:1 covalent complex after NaBH4 reduction of an intermediate Schiff's base. Evidence indicates that the enzyme is modified at lysine-126 in the active site. The electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrum of spin-labeled enzyme indicates a high degree of immobilization of the nitroxide. The binding of reduced coenzyme NADPH is reflected by a change (immobilization) of the ESR spectrum. Nuclear relaxation of bound substrate, oxidized coenzyme, and inhibitor by the paramagnetic group is observed. This shows the existence of a binding site for these compounds close to the active site. The distances of selected protons of the binding ligands to the nitroxide are calculated. The iodoacetamide spin label reacts with several groups, one of which is not a sulfhydryl. The reaction of this particular group causes inactivation of the enzyme. Protection against this inactivation could be achieved with certain ligands. Only enzyme that was spin labeled without such protection caused paramagnetic relaxation of bound substrate and coenzyme.     

Study of the binding of substrates and paramagnetic Mn2+ ions with phosphoglycerate kinase by saturating ESR spectra of a spin-labelled protein]

A single SH-group of phosphoglycerate kinase from yeast was modified by mercury-containing spin label. The saturation curves of ESR spectra of the spin-labeled enzyme were studied. The paramagnetic ions of Mn2+ bound to the centre of ion nonspecific binding or active centre in the complex with ATP can influence the saturation of the spin-labeled enzyme. The saturation curves of the ESR signal of the spin-labeled enzyme in the presence of paramagnetic complex of CrATP were studied. It has been demonstrated that the second nonspecific centre of ATP binding is located at the active site of the enzyme (3-phosphoglycerate binding centre).     

Binding of two spin-labelled derivatives of chlorpromazine to human erythrocytes.

The binding to human intact erythrocytes of two different spin-labelled derivatives of chlorpromazine has been studied. The influence of the positively charged side chain of the drug has been the focus of our attention. The positively charged amphiphilic compound (spin derivative I) is water-soluble up to 80 microM at pH values below 5.9. The apolar analogue (spin derivative II) aggregates in aqueous buffer from the lowest concentration tested. Both spin derivatives undergo a slow reduction inside the erythrocyte. The reduced nitroxides are readily reoxidized by adding a low, non-quenching, concentration of potassium ferricyanide to the intact erythrocytes. The fractions of spin label I and II bound to the erythrocyte membrane or to the erythrocyte-extracted lipids remain constant as a function of the temperature (3-42 degrees C) and as a function of the concentration of the spin label up to 150 microM. E.s.r. spectra of both spin labels show a two-component lineshape when they are bound to intact erythrocytes. Below 35 degrees C for the positively charged spin probe, and below 32 degrees C for the apolar spin probe, the simulation of the lineshape shows that more than 50% of the spectrum originates from a slow-motion component. This slow-motion component is also found in erythrocyte-extracted lipids probed by the positively charged spin label below 25 degrees C. In contrast, no slow-motion component is detected in the range 4-40 degrees C for the apolar spin label in erythrocyte-extracted lipids. In this environment the apolar probe experiences a single fast anisotropic motion with an exponential dependence on 1/temperature. Detailed lineshape simulations take into account the exchange frequency between binding sites where the probe experiences a fast motion and binding sites where it experiences a slow motion. The exchange frequency is strongly temperature-dependent. Characterization of the different motions experienced inside the different locations has been achieved and compared for whole erythrocytes and for the extracted lipids. The biochemical nature of the binding sites (membrane protein/acidic phospholipid) giving rise to the slow-motion component is discussed as a function of the polarity of the spin-labelled drug and as a function of the temperature controlling the fluidity of the lipid bulk and influencing the distribution of the drug inside the membrane.     

Rat brain hexokinase: location of the substrate hexose binding site in a structural domain at the C-terminus of the enzyme

A glucose analog, N-(bromoacetyl)-D-glucosamine (GlcNBrAc), previously used to label the glucose binding sites of rat muscle Type II and bovine brain Type I hexokinases, also inactivates rat brain hexokinase (ATP:D-hexose 6-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.1) with pseudo-first-order kinetics. Inactivation occurs predominantly via a "specific" pathway involving formation of a complex between hexokinase and GlcNBrAc, but significant nonspecific (i.e., without prior complex formation) inactivation also occurs, and equations to describe this behavior are derived. Inactivation is dependent on deprotonation of a residue with an alkaline pKa, consistent with the modified residue being a sulfhydryl group as reported to be the case with the hexokinase of bovine brain. The affinity label modifies three residues (per molecule of enzyme) at indistinguishable rates, but only one of these residues appears to be critical for activity. Amino acid analysis of the modified enzyme indicates derivatization of three cysteine residues; there was no indication of modification of other residues potentially reactive with haloacetyl derivatives. Kinetic analysis and effects of protective ligands were consistent with location of the critical sulfhydryl at the glucose binding site. Peptide mapping techniques permitted localization of the critical residue, and thus the glucose binding site, in a 40-kDa domain at the C-terminus of the enzyme. This is the same domain recently shown to include the ATP binding site. Thus, catalytic function is assigned to the C-terminal domain of rat brain hexokinase.     

Identification of the cysteine residue in the active site of horse liver mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase

Aldehyde dehydrogenase catalyzes the oxidation of aldehydes to acids through the formation of a covalent intermediate. It has been postulated that a cysteine residue could be acting as the active site nucleophilic group. Although N-ethylmaleimide was found to react with many cysteines it was possible by doing the reaction in the presence of chloral hydrate, a substrate analog which functions as a competitive inhibitor, to label cysteine at position 49 in the horse liver mitochondrial enzyme. The dehydrogenase activity was lost as the residue was modified, consistent with the possibility that the residue was an integral component of the active site of the enzyme. Cysteines at positions 162 and 369 also could be modified. It is suggested that cysteine 162 may function as part of a site capable of hydrolyzing nitrophenyl acetate. Details of the second site will appear in the accompanying paper (Tu, G. C., and Weiner, H. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 1218-1222). It appeared that the substrate-binding domain was in the N-terminal portion of the enzyme while the coenzyme binding domain was in the C-terminal portion. During this investigation 133 of the 500 residues of the horse liver enzyme were sequenced. These showed about 95% sequence identity with those of the human enzyme. Inasmuch as both beef and rat liver enzymes also share 95% identity with the human enzyme it can be expected that the results found with the horse liver enzyme can be applicable to all mammalian aldehyde dehydrogenase.     

Interaction of spin-labelled serum albumin with synthetic polymers

Bovine and human serum albumin (BSA and HSA) were spin-labelled (SL-) with 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-iodoacetamido-piperidine-1-oxyl, and e.s.r. measurements were performed in aqueous solutions. E.s.r. spectra of SL-BSA measured at various pH values were essentially different from those of HSA, indicating a difference of the environment around the free sulphydryl (residue 34) in BSA and HSA. The spectrum of SL-BSA did not change by the addition of neutral poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). On the other hand, it decomposed into a mobile component and a less mobile component,by the addition of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI), suggesting the formation of a polyionic complex. The dependence of relative intensity of the mobile component, Rh, on pH was consistent with the complex formation as a function of pH. Rh value for SL-BSA/PAA and SL-BSA/PEI showed a minimum at pH 4.8 and 7.0, respectively, where the ionic interactions occurred rather efficiently. The minimum Rh value was, however, smaller for SL-BSA/PAA than for SL-BSA/PEI, indicating that the environment around the sulphydryl interacted more strongly with the polyanion than the polycation.     

Catalytic mechanism and interactions of NAD+ with glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase: correlation of EPR data and enzymatic studies

Perdeuterated spin label (DSL) analogs of NAD+, with the spin label attached at either the C8 or N6 position of the adenine ring, have been employed in an EPR investigation of models for negative cooperativity binding to tetrameric glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and conformational changes of the DSL-NAD+-enzyme complex during the catalytic reaction. C8-DSL-NAD+ and N6-DSL-NAD+ showed 80 and 45% of the activity of the native NAD+, respectively. Therefore, these spin-labeled compounds are very efficacious for investigations of the motional dynamics and catalytic mechanism of this dehydrogenase. Perdeuterated spin labels enhanced spectral sensitivity and resolution thereby enabling the simultaneous detection of spin-labeled NAD+ in three conditions: (1) DSL-NAD+ freely tumbling in the presence of, but not bound to, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, (2) DSL-NAD+ tightly bound to enzyme subunits remote (58 A) from other NAD+ binding sites, and (3) DSL-NAD+ bound to adjacent monomers and exhibiting electron dipolar interactions (8-9 A or 12-13 A, depending on the analog). Determinations of relative amounts of DSL-NAD+ in these three environments and measurements of the binding constants, K1-K4, permitted characterization of the mathematical model describing the negative cooperativity in the binding of four NAD+ to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. For enzyme crystallized from rabbit muscle, EPR results were found to be consistent with the ligand-induced sequential model and inconsistent with the pre-existing asymmetry models. The electron dipolar interaction observed between spin labels bound to two adjacent glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase monomers (8-9 or 12-13 A) related by the R-axis provided a sensitive probe of conformational changes of the enzyme-DSL-NAD+ complex. When glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate was covalently bound to the active site cysteine-149, an increase in electron dipolar interaction was observed. This increase was consistent with a closer approximation of spin labels produced by steric interactions between the phosphoglyceryl residue and DSL-NAD+. Coenzyme reduction (DSL-NADH) or inactivation of the dehydrogenase by carboxymethylation of the active site cysteine-149 did not produce changes in the dipolar interactions or spatial separation of the spin labels attached to the adenine moiety of the NAD+. However, coenzyme reduction or carboxymethylation did alter the stoichiometry of binding and caused the release of approximately one loosely bound DSL-NAD+ from the enzyme. These findings suggest that ionic charge interactions are important in coenzyme binding at the active site.     

A divalent-ion binding site on the 16-kDa proton channel from Nephrops norvegicus--revealed by EPR spectroscopy

As purified from the hepatopancreas of Nephrops norvegicus, the 16-kDa proton channel proteolipid is found to contain an endogenous divalent ion binding site that is occupied by Cu2+. The EPR spectrum has g-values and hyperfine splittings that are characteristic of type 2 Cu2+. The copper may be removed by extensive washing with EDTA. Titration with Ni2+ then induces spin-spin interactions with nitroxyl spin labels that are attached either to the unique Cys54, or to fatty acids intercalated in the membrane. Paramagnetic relaxation enhancement by the fast-relaxing Ni2+ is used to characterise the binding and to estimate distances from the dipolar interactions. The Ni2+-binding site on the protein is situated around 14-18 A from the spin label on Cys54, and is at a similar distance from a lipid chain spin-labelled on the 5 C-atom, but is more remote from the C-9 and C-14 positions of the lipid chains.     

Structure-function relationships in immobilized chymotrypsin catalysis

Specific activities and the amounts of active immobilized enzyme were determined for several different preparations of alpha-chymotrypsin immobilized on CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy of free and immobilized enzyme with a spin label coupled to the active site was used to probe the effects of different immobilization conditions on the immobilized enzyme active site configuration. Specific activity of active enzyme decreased and rotational correlation time of the spin label increased with increasing immobilized enzyme loading. Enzyme immobilized using an intermediate six-carbon spacer arm exhibited greater specific activity and spin label mobility than directly coupled enzyme. The observed activity changes due to immobilization were completely consistent with corresponding active site structure alterations revealed by EPR spectroscopy.