Development of a spectrophotometric assay for cyclase activity

We describe the development of a rapid colorimetric assay for soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) activity adapted for a 96-well microplate. The assay greatly decreases the analysis time and cost over traditional methodologies based on radio- and immunoassays and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separations. The method does not demonstrate any significant interference with chemicals commonly used for sGC purification and reaction kinetics. The assay converts the inorganic pyrophosphate produced in the cyclase reaction to inorganic phosphate, which is then measured using a modified Fiske-Subbarow assay. We used the assay to compare the reaction kinetics of preparations of sGC from a commercial source with those from our lab with Mg(2+)-guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) or Mn(2+)-GTP as a substrate. The commercial preparation was found to have a specific activity of around 1.5 micromol/min/mg, which is significantly lower than expected, as was the fold-activation upon addition of nitric oxide (NO). Our laboratory preparation had a higher specific activity that was consistent with results from HPLC assays. We determined that the human isoform of sGC is more active in the basal and NO forms with Mn(2)-GTP as a substrate than Mg(2+)-GTP, a feature more similar to rat lung sGC than the more commonly studied bovine lung.     

Probing domain interactions in soluble guanylate cyclase

Eukaryotic nitric oxide (NO) signaling involves modulation of cyclic GMP (cGMP) levels through activation of the soluble isoform of guanylate cyclase (sGC). sGC is a heterodimeric hemoprotein that contains a Heme-Nitric oxide and OXygen binding (H-NOX) domain, a Per/ARNT/Sim (PAS) domain, a coiled-coil (CC) domain, and a catalytic domain. To evaluate the role of these domains in regulating the ligand binding properties of the heme cofactor of NO-sensitive sGC, we constructed chimeras by swapping the rat β1 H-NOX domain with the homologous region of H-NOX domain-containing proteins from Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis, Vibrio cholerae, and Caenorhabditis elegans (TtTar4H, VCA0720, and Gcy-33, respectively). Characterization of ligand binding by electronic absorption and resonance Raman spectroscopy indicates that the other rat sGC domains influence the bacterial and worm H-NOX domains. Analysis of cGMP production in these proteins reveals that the chimeras containing bacterial H-NOX domains exhibit guanylate cyclase activity, but this activity is not influenced by gaseous ligand binding to the heme cofactor. The rat-worm chimera containing the atypical sGC Gcy-33 H-NOX domain was weakly activated by NO, CO, and O(2), suggesting that atypical guanylate cyclases and NO-sensitive guanylate cyclases have a common molecular mechanism for enzyme activation. To probe the influence of the other sGC domains on the mammalian sGC heme environment, we generated heme pocket mutants (Pro118Ala and Ile145Tyr) in the β1 H-NOX construct (residues 1-194), the β1 H-NOX-PAS-CC construct (residues 1-385), and the full-length α1β1 sGC heterodimer (β1 residues 1-619). Spectroscopic characterization of these proteins shows that interdomain communication modulates the coordination state of the heme-NO complex and the heme oxidation rate. Taken together, these findings have important implications for the allosteric mechanism of regulation within H-NOX domain-containing proteins.     

Stereochemical course of the reaction catalyzed by guanylate cyclase from bovine retinal rod outer segments

The stereochemical course of the reaction catalyzed by guanylate cyclase from bovine retinal rod outer segments was investigated using phosphorothioate analogs of GTP as chiral probes. (Sp)-Guanosine 5'-O-(1-thiotriphosphate) (Sp-GTP alpha S) is a substrate, whereas (Rp)-GTP alpha S is a competitive inhibitor (K1 = 0.1 mM), but not a substrate. (Sp)-GTP alpha S is converted into (Rp)-guanosine 3':5'-monophosphorothioate, showing that the reaction proceeds with inversion of configuration at the alpha-phosphorus atom. Km and Vmax for (Sp)-GTP alpha S (at low [Ca2+], 20 nM) are 3.7 mM and 1.1 nmol/min/mg of rhodopsin, respectively, compared with 1.1 mM and 23.1 nmol/min/mg of rhodopsin for GTP. Vmax for the cyclization of (Sp)-GTP alpha S, as for GTP, increases 10-20-fold when the calcium level is lowered. This activity change is centered at approximately 90 nM and has a Hill coefficient of 4.8. The configuration of the metal-substrate complex was determined by measuring the effectiveness of the Sp and Rp isomers of GTP alpha S and guanosine 5'-O-(2-thiotriphosphate) (GTP beta S) in the presence of Mg2+ or Mn2+. (Sp)-GTP alpha S is a substrate with either Mg2+ or Mn2+, whereas (Rp)-GTP beta S is a substrate with only Mn2+. These findings suggest that the substrate is a metal-beta, gamma-bidentate complex with delta screwsense. We also found that the cyclization reaction catalyzed by the membrane-bound guanylate cyclase from sea urchin sperm proceeds with inversion of configuration at the alpha-phosphorus atom. The stereochemical course of the reactions catalyzed by all prokaryotic and eukaryotic adenylate cyclases and guanylate cyclases studied thus far is the same.     

Interaction of soluble guanylate cyclase with YC-1: kinetic and resonance Raman studies

The enzyme-soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), which converts GTP to cGMP, is a receptor for the signaling agent nitric oxide (NO). YC-1, a synthetic benzylindazole derivative, has been shown to activate sGC in an NO-independent fashion. In the presence of carbon monoxide (CO), which by itself activates sGC approximately 5-fold, YC-1 activates sGC to a level comparable to stimulation by NO alone. We have used kinetic analyses and resonance Raman spectroscopy (RR) to investigate the interaction of YC-1 and CO with guanylate cyclase. In the presence of CO and 200 microM YC-1, the V(max)/K(m GTP) increases 226-fold. While YC-1 does not perturb the RR spectrum of the ferrous form of baculovirus/Sf9 cell expressed sGC, it induces a shift in the Fe-CO stretching frequency for the CO-bound form from 474 to 492 cm(-1). Similarly, YC-1 has no effect on the RR spectrum of ferrous beta1(1-385), the isolated sGC heme-binding domain, but shifts the nu(Fe-CO) of CO-beta1(1-385) from 478 to 491 cm(-1), indicating that YC-1 binds in heme-binding region of sGC. In addition, the CO-bound forms of sGC and beta1(1-385) in the presence of YC-1 lie on the nu(Fe-CO) vs nu(C-O) correlation curve for proximal ligands with imidazole character, which suggests that histidine remains the heme proximal ligand in the presence of YC-1. Interestingly, YC-1 does not shift nu(Fe-CO) for the CO-bound form of H105G(Im), the imidazole-rescued heme ligand mutant of beta1(1-385). The data are consistent with binding of CO and YC-1 to the sGC heme-binding domain leading to conformational changes that give rise to an increase in catalytic turnover and a change in the electrostatic environment of the heme pocket.     

Structural and functional characterization of the dimerization region of soluble guanylyl cyclase

Soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) is a ubiquitous enzyme that functions as a receptor for nitric oxide. Despite the obligate heterodimeric nature of sGC, the sequence segments mediating subunit association have remained elusive. Our initial screening for relevant interaction site(s) in the most common sGC isoenzyme, alpha(1) beta(1), identified two regions in each subunit, i.e. the regulatory domains and the central regions, contributing to heterodimer formation. To map the relevant segments in the beta(1) subunit precisely, we constructed multiple N- and C-terminal deletion variants and cotransfected them with full-length alpha(1) in COS cells. Immunoprecipitation revealed that a sequence segment spanning positions 204-408 mediates binding of beta(1) to alpha(1) The same region of beta(1)[204-408] was found to promote beta /beta(1) homodimerization. Fusion of [204 beta(1)-408] to enhanced green fluorescent protein conferred binding activity to the recipient protein. Coexpression of beta(1)[204-408] with alpha(1) or beta(1) targeted the sGC subunits for proteasomal degradation, suggesting that beta(1)[204-408] forms structurally deficient complexes with alpha(1) and beta(1). Analysis of deletion constructs lacking portions of the beta(1) dimerization region identified two distinct segments contributing to alpha(1) binding, i.e. an N-terminal site covering positions 204-244 and a C-terminal site at 379-408. Both sites are crucial for sGC function because deletion of either site rendered sGC dimerization-deficient and thus functionally inactive. We conclude that the dimerization region of beta(1) extends over 205 residues of its regulatory and central domains and that two discontinuous sites of 41 and 30 residues, respectively, facilitate binding of beta(1) to the alpha(1) subunit of sGC.     

Alpha1 soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) splice forms as potential regulators of human sGC activity

Soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), a key protein in the NO/cGMP signaling pathway, is an obligatory heterodimeric protein composed of one alpha- and one beta-subunit. The alpha(1)/beta(1) sGC heterodimer is the predominant form expressed in various tissues and is regarded as the major isoform mediating NO-dependent effects such as vasodilation. We have identified three new alpha(1) sGC protein variants generated by alternative splicing. The 363 residue N1-alpha(1) sGC splice variant contains the regulatory domain, but lacks the catalytic domain. The shorter N2-alpha(1) sGC maintains 126 N-terminal residues and gains an additional 17 unique residues. The C-alpha(1) sGC variant lacks 240 N-terminal amino acids, but maintains a part of the regulatory domain and the entire catalytic domain. Q-PCR of N1-alpha(1), N2-alpha(1) sGC mRNA levels together with RT-PCR analysis for C-alpha(1) sGC demonstrated that the expression of the alpha(1) sGC splice forms vary in different human tissues indicative of tissue-specific regulation. Functional analysis of the N1-alpha(1) sGC demonstrated that this protein has a dominant-negative effect on the activity of sGC when coexpressed with the alpha(1)/beta(1) heterodimer. The C-alpha(1) sGC variant heterodimerizes with the beta(1) subunit and produces a fully functional NO- and BAY41-2272-sensitive enzyme. We also found that despite identical susceptibility to inhibition by ODQ, intracellular levels of the 54-kDa C-alpha(1) band did not change in response to ODQ treatments, while the level of 83 kDa alpha(1) band was significantly affected by ODQ. These studies suggest that modulation of the level and diversity of splice forms may represent novel mechanisms modulating the function of sGC in different human tissues.     

Ligand selectivity of soluble guanylyl cyclase: effect of the hydrogen-bonding tyrosine in the distal heme pocket on binding of oxygen, nitric oxide, and carbon monoxide

Although soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) functions in an environment in which O(2), NO, and CO are potential ligands for its heme moiety, the enzyme displays a high affinity for only its physiological ligand, NO, but has a limited affinity for CO and no affinity for O(2). Recent studies of a truncated version of the sGC beta(1)-subunit containing the heme-binding domain (Boon, E. M., Huang, S H., and Marletta, M. A. (2005) Nat. Chem. Biol., 1, 53-59) showed that introduction of the hydrogen-bonding tyrosine into the distal heme pocket changes the ligand specificity of the heme moiety and results in an oxygen-binding sGC. The hypothesis that the absence of hydrogen-bonding residues in the distal heme pocket is sufficient to provide oxygen discrimination by sGC was put forward. We tested this hypothesis in a context of a complete sGC heterodimer containing both the intact alpha(1)- and beta(1)-subunits. We found that the I145Y substitution in the full-length beta-subunit of the sGC heterodimer did not produce an oxygen-binding enzyme. However, this substitution impeded the association of NO and destabilized the NO.heme complex. The tyrosine in the distal heme pocket also impeded both the binding and dissociation of the CO ligand. We propose that the mechanism of oxygen exclusion by sGC not only involves the lack of hydrogen bonding in the distal heme pocket, but also depends on structural elements from other domains of sGC.     

Allostery in recombinant soluble guanylyl cyclase from Manduca sexta

Soluble guanylyl/guanylate cyclase (sGC), the primary biological receptor for nitric oxide, is required for proper development and health in all animals. We have expressed heterodimeric full-length and N-terminal fragments of Manduca sexta sGC in Escherichia coli, the first time this has been accomplished for any sGC, and have performed the first functional analyses of an insect sGC. Manduca sGC behaves much like its mammalian counterparts, displaying a 170-fold stimulation by NO and sensitivity to compound YC-1. YC-1 reduces the NO and CO off-rates for the approximately 100-kDa N-terminal heterodimeric fragment and increases the CO affinity by approximately 50-fold to 1.7 microm. Binding of NO leads to a transient six-coordinate intermediate, followed by release of the proximal histidine to yield a five-coordinate nitrosyl complex (k(6-5) = 12.8 s(-1)). The conversion rate is insensitive to nucleotides, YC-1, and changes in NO concentration up to approximately 30 microm. NO release is biphasic in the absence of YC-1 (k(off1) = 0.10 s(-1) and k(off2) = 0.0015 s(-1)); binding of YC-1 eliminates the fast phase but has little effect on the slower phase. Our data are consistent with a model for allosteric activation in which sGC undergoes a simple switch between two conformations, with an open or a closed heme pocket, integrating the influence of numerous effectors to give the final catalytic rate. Importantly, YC-1 binding occurs in the N-terminal two-thirds of the protein. Homology modeling and mutagenesis experiments suggest the presence of an H-NOX domain in the alpha subunit with importance for heme binding.     

Mapping of heme-binding domains in soluble guanylyl cyclase beta1 subunit.

Soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) is activated upon the interaction of NO with heme in the sGC beta1 subunit. To identify the domains contributing to heme-binding, we constructed a series of deletion mutants of the beta1 subunit, and evaluated their heme-binding capability. Deletion mutants consisting of residues 1-120 [beta1(1-120)] and 80-385 [beta1(80-385)] were the shortest mutants exhibiting heme binding among the C-terminal and N-terminal-truncated mutants, respectively. The region common to both beta1(1-120) and beta1(80-385), i.e., residues 80-120, is therefore essential for heme binding, although the residues 341-385 play an auxiliary role in heme binding. Two deletion mutants, beta1(80-195) and beta1(60-195), which include only the essential region, exhibited strong heme binding and spectral properties similar to those of the nitrosyl complex of native sGC. Thus, these heme-binding core proteins may serve as model proteins for future studies on the tertiary structure of the nitrosyl complex of sGC.     

Characterization of functional heme domains from soluble guanylate cyclase

Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) is a heterodimeric, nitric oxide (NO)-sensing hemoprotein composed of two subunits, alpha1 and beta1. NO binds to the heme cofactor in the beta1 subunit, forming a five-coordinate NO complex that activates the enzyme several hundred-fold. In this paper, the heme domain has been localized to the N-terminal 194 residues of the beta1 subunit. This fragment represents the smallest construct of the beta1 subunit that retains the ligand-binding characteristics of the native enzyme, namely, tight affinity for NO and no observable binding of O(2). A functional heme domain from the rat beta2 subunit has been localized to the first 217 amino acids beta2(1-217). These proteins are approximately 40% identical to the rat beta1 heme domain and form five-coordinate, low-spin NO complexes and six-coordinate, low-spin CO complexes. Similar to sGC, these constructs have a weak Fe-His stretch [208 and 207 cm(-)(1) for beta1(1-194) and beta2(1-217), respectively]. beta2(1-217) forms a CO complex that is very similar to sGC and has a high nu(CO) stretching frequency at 1994 cm(-)(1). The autoxidation rate of beta1(1-194) was 0.073/min, while the beta2(1-217) was substantially more stable in the ferrous form with an autoxidation rate of 0.003/min at 37 degrees C. This paper has identified and characterized the minimum functional ligand-binding heme domain derived from sGC, providing key details toward a comprehensive characterization.     

PAS-mediated dimerization of soluble guanylyl cyclase revealed by signal transduction histidine kinase domain crystal structure

Signal transduction histidine kinases (STHK) are key for sensing environmental stresses, crucial for cell survival, and attain their sensing ability using small molecule binding domains. The N-terminal domain in an STHK from Nostoc punctiforme is of unknown function yet is homologous to the central region in soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), the main receptor for nitric oxide (NO). This domain is termed H-NOXA (or H-NOBA) because it is often associated with the heme-nitric oxide/oxygen binding (H-NOX) domain. A structure-function approach was taken to investigate the role of H-NOXA in STHK and sGC. We report the 2.1 A resolution crystal structure of the dimerized H-NOXA domain of STHK, which reveals a Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) fold. The H-NOXA monomers dimerize in a parallel arrangement juxtaposing their N-terminal helices and preceding residues. Such PAS dimerization is similar to that previously observed for EcDOS, AvNifL, and RmFixL. Deletion of 7 N-terminal residues affected dimer organization. Alanine scanning mutagenesis in sGC indicates that the H-NOXA domains of sGC could adopt a similar dimer organization. Although most putative interface mutations did decrease sGCbeta1 H-NOXA homodimerization, heterodimerization of full-length heterodimeric sGC was mostly unaffected, likely due to the additional dimerization contacts of sGC in the coiled-coil and catalytic domains. Exceptions are mutations sGCalpha1 F285A and sGCbeta1 F217A, which each caused a drastic drop in NO stimulated activity, and mutations sGCalpha1 Q368A and sGCbeta1 Q309A, which resulted in both a complete lack of activity and heterodimerization. Our structural and mutational results provide new insights into sGC and STHK dimerization and overall architecture.     

Identification of residues in the heme domain of soluble guanylyl cyclase that are important for basal and stimulated catalytic activity

Nitric oxide signals through activation of soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), a heme-containing heterodimer. NO binds to the heme domain located in the N-terminal part of the β subunit of sGC resulting in increased production of cGMP in the catalytic domain located at the C-terminal part of sGC. Little is known about the mechanism by which the NO signaling is propagated from the receptor domain (heme domain) to the effector domain (catalytic domain), in particular events subsequent to the breakage of the bond between the heme iron and Histidine 105 (H105) of the β subunit. Our modeling of the heme-binding domain as well as previous homologous heme domain structures in different states point to two regions that could be critical for propagation of the NO activation signal. Structure-based mutational analysis of these regions revealed that residues T110 and R116 in the αF helix-β1 strand, and residues I41 and R40 in the αB-αC loop mediate propagation of activation between the heme domain and the catalytic domain. Biochemical analysis of these heme mutants allows refinement of the map of the residues that are critical for heme stability and propagation of the NO/YC-1 activation signal in sGC.     

Effect of GTP analogues on purified soluble guanylate cyclase

In our studies with purified soluble guanylate cyclase from rat lung, we have tested a number of guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) analogues as substrates and inhibitors, 5'-Guanylylimidodiphosphate (GMP-P(NH)P), guanylyl (beta, gamma-methylene) diphosphate (GMP-P(CH2)P), and guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP gamma S) were found to be substrates for guanylate cyclase. GTP gamma S supported cyclic GMP formation at 20 or 75% of the rate seen with Mn2+-GTP and Mg2+-GTP, respectively. GMP-P(NH)P and GMP P(CH2)P supported cyclic GMP formation at 10-20% of the GTP rate with either cation cofactor. These analogues were found to have multiple Km values; one Km value was similar to GTP (150 microM with Mg2+, 20-70 microM with Mn2+), but an additional high affinity catalytic site (3 microM) was also observed. Guanosine tetraphosphate (Ki = 10 microM), adenosine triphosphate (Ki = 9 microM) and the 2'3'-dialdehyde derivative of GTP (dial GTP) (Ki = 1 microM) were not good substrates for the enzyme; however, they were potent competitive inhibitors. These GTP analogues will be useful tools for the study of GTP binding sites on guanylate cyclase and they may also help elucidate the effects of free radicals and other agents on guanylate cyclase regulation.     

Nitric oxide-dependent allosteric inhibitory role of a second nucleotide binding site in soluble guanylyl cyclase

The mechanism of desensitization of the nitric oxide (NO) receptor (alpha1.beta1 isoform of soluble guanylyl cyclase, sGC) is not known. Models of the structure of alpha1.beta1, based on the x-ray crystal structure of adenylyl cyclase (AC) suggest the existence of a nucleotide-like binding site, in addition to the putative catalytic site. We have previously reported that mutating residues that coordinate Mg(2+)GTP (substrate) binding in alpha1.beta1 into those present in AC fully reverts GC activity to AC activity. The wild-type form of alpha1.beta1 (GC-wt) and the mutant form (AC-mut, alpha1R592Q.beta1E473K,C541D) were purified, and their sensitivities to various nucleotides were assessed. In using the AC-mut as well as other mutants that coordinate purine binding, we were able to distinguish allosteric inhibitory effects of guanine nucleotides from competitively inhibitory effects on catalytic activity. Here we report that several nucleotide analogs drastically alter sGC and AC-mut activity by acting at a second nucleotide site, likely pseudosymmetric to the catalytic site. In particular, Mg(2+)GTP gamma S and Mg(2+)ATP gamma S inhibited cyclase activity through a mixed, non-competitive mechanism that was only observable under NO stimulation and not under basal conditions. The non-competitive pattern of inhibition was not present in mutants carrying the substitution beta1D477A, the pseudosymmetric equivalent to alpha1D529 (located in the substrate-binding site and involved in substrate binding and catalysis), or with the double mutations alpha1E525K,C594D, the pseudosymmetric equivalent to beta1E473K,C541D. Taken together these data suggest that occupation of the second site by nucleotides may underlie part of the mechanism of desensitization of sGC.     

Identification of residues crucially involved in soluble guanylate cyclase activation

The ubiquitous heterodimeric nitric oxide (NO) receptor soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) plays a key role in various signal transduction pathways. Binding of NO takes place at the prosthetic heme moiety at the N-terminus of the beta(1)-subunit of sGC. The induced structural changes lead to an activation of the catalytic C-terminal domain of the enzyme and to an increased conversion of GTP into the second messenger cyclic GMP (cGMP). In the present work we selected and substituted different residues of the sGC heme-binding pocket based on a sGC homology model. The generated sGC variants were tested in a cGMP reporter cell for their effect on the enzyme activation by heme-dependent (NO, BAY 41-2272) stimulators and heme-independent (BAY 58-2667) activators. The use of these experimental tools allows the enzyme's heme content to be explored in a non-invasive manner. Asp(44), Asp(45) and Phe(74) of the beta(1)-subunit were identified as being crucially important for functional enzyme activation. beta(1)Asp(45) may serve as a switch between different conformational states of sGC and point to a possible mechanism of action of the heme dependent sGC stimulator BAY 41-2272. Furthermore, our data shows that the activation profile of beta(1)IIe(145) Tyr is unchanged compared to the native enzyme, suggesting that Tyr(145) does not confer the ability to distinguish between NO and O(2). In summary, the present work further elucidated intramolecular mechanisms underlying the NO- and BAY 41-2272-mediated sGC activation and raises questions regarding the postulated role of Tyr(145) for ligand discrimination.     

Dissociation of nitric oxide from soluble guanylate cyclase and heme-nitric oxide/oxygen binding domain constructs

Regulation of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), the primary NO receptor, is linked to NO binding to the prosthetic heme group. Recent studies have demonstrated that the degree and duration of sGC activation depend on the presence and ratio of purine nucleotides and on the presence of excess NO. We measured NO dissociation from full-length alpha1beta1 sGC, and the constructs beta1(1-194), beta1(1-385), and beta2(1-217), at 37 and 10 degrees C with and without the substrate analogue guanosine-5'-[(alpha,beta-methylene]triphosphate (GMPCPP) or the activator 3-(5'-hydroxymethyl-3'-furyl)-1-benzylindazole (YC-1). NO dissociation from each construct was complex, requiring two exponentials to fit the data. Decreasing the temperature decreased the contribution of the faster exponential for all constructs. Inclusion of YC-1 moderately accelerated NO dissociation from sGC and beta2(1-217) at 37 degrees C and dramatically accelerated NO dissociation from sGC at 10 degrees C. The presence of GMPCPP also dramatically accelerated NO dissociation from sGC at 10 degrees C. This acceleration is due to increases in the observed rate for each exponential and in the contribution of the faster exponential. Increases in the contribution of the faster exponential correlated with higher activation of sGC by NO. These data indicate that the sGC ferrous-nitrosyl complex adopts two 5-coordinate conformations, a lower activity "closed" form, which releases NO slowly, and a higher activity "open" form, which releases NO rapidly. The ratio of these two species affects the overall rate of NO dissociation. These results have implications for the function of sGC in vivo, where there is evidence for two NO-regulated activity states.     

Quaternary structure controls ligand dynamics in soluble guanylate cyclase

Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) is the mammalian endogenous nitric oxide (NO) receptor. The mechanisms of activation and deactivation of this heterodimeric enzyme are unknown. For deciphering them, functional domains can be overexpressed. We have probed the dynamics of the diatomic ligands NO and CO within the isolated heme domain β(1)(190) of human sGC by piconanosecond absorption spectroscopy. After photo-excitation of nitrosylated sGC, only NO geminate rebinding occurs in 7.5 ps. In β(1)(190), both photo-dissociation of 5c-NO and photo-oxidation occur, contrary to sGC, followed by NO rebinding (7 ps) and back-reduction (230 ps and 2 ns). In full-length sGC, CO geminate rebinding to the heme does not occur. In contrast, CO geminately rebinds to β(1)(190) with fast multiphasic process (35, 171, and 18 ns). We measured the bimolecular association rates k(on) = 0.075 ± 0.01 × 10(6) M(-1) · S(-1) for sGC and 0.83 ± 0.1 × 10(6) M(-1) · S(-1) for β(1)(190). These different dynamics reflect conformational changes and less proximal constraints in the isolated heme domain with respect to the dimeric native sGC. We concluded that the α-subunit and the β(1)(191-619) domain exert structural strains on the heme domain. These strains are likely involved in the transmission of the energy and relaxation toward the activated state after Fe(2+)-His bond breaking. This also reveals the heme domain plasticity modulated by the associated domains and subunit.     

Crystal Structures of the Catalytic Domain of Human Soluble Guanylate Cyclase

Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) catalyses the synthesis of cyclic GMP in response to nitric oxide. The enzyme is a heterodimer of homologous α and β subunits, each of which is composed of multiple domains. We present here crystal structures of a heterodimer of the catalytic domains of the α and β subunits, as well as an inactive homodimer of β subunits. This first structure of a metazoan, heteromeric cyclase provides several observations. First, the structures resemble known structures of adenylate cyclases and other guanylate cyclases in overall fold and in the arrangement of conserved active-site residues, which are contributed by both subunits at the interface. Second, the subunit interaction surface is promiscuous, allowing both homodimeric and heteromeric association; the preference of the full-length enzyme for heterodimer formation must derive from the combined contribution of other interaction interfaces. Third, the heterodimeric structure is in an inactive conformation, but can be superposed onto an active conformation of adenylate cyclase by a structural transition involving a 26° rigid-body rotation of the α subunit. In the modelled active conformation, most active site residues in the subunit interface are precisely aligned with those of adenylate cyclase. Finally, the modelled active conformation also reveals a cavity related to the active site by pseudo-symmetry. The pseudosymmetric site lacks key active site residues, but may bind allosteric regulators in a manner analogous to the binding of forskolin to adenylate cyclase. This indicates the possibility of developing a new class of small-molecule modulators of guanylate cyclase activity targeting the catalytic domain.     

Characterization of two different five-coordinate soluble guanylate cyclase ferrous-nitrosyl complexes

Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), a hemoprotein, is the primary nitric oxide (NO) receptor in higher eukaryotes. The binding of NO to sGC leads to the formation of a five-coordinate ferrous-nitrosyl complex and a several hundred-fold increase in cGMP synthesis. NO activation of sGC is influenced by GTP and the allosteric activators YC-1 and BAY 41-2272. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy shows that the spectrum of the sGC ferrous-nitrosyl complex shifts in the presence of YC-1, BAY 41-2272, or GTP in the presence of excess NO relative to the heme. These molecules shift the EPR signal from one characterized by g 1 = 2.083, g 2 = 2.036, and g 3 = 2.012 to a signal characterized by g 1 = 2.106, g 2 = 2.029, and g 3 = 2.010. The truncated heme domain constructs beta1(1-194) and beta2(1-217) were compared to the full-length enzyme. The EPR spectrum of the beta2(1-217)-NO complex is characterized by g 1 = 2.106, g 2 = 2.025, and g 3 = 2.010, indicating the protein is a good model for the sGC-NO complex in the presence of the activators, while the spectrum of the beta1(1-194)-NO complex resembles the EPR spectrum of sGC in the absence of the activators. Low-temperature resonance Raman spectra of the beta1(1-194)-NO and beta2(1-217)-NO complexes show that the Fe-NO stretching vibration of the beta2(1-217)-NO complex (535 cm (-1)) is significantly different from that of the beta1(1-194)-NO complex (527 cm (-1)). This shows that sGC can adopt different five-coordinate ferrous nitrosyl conformations and suggests that the Fe-NO conformation characterized by this unique EPR signal and Fe-NO stretching vibration represents a highly active sGC state.