Reaction of p-nitrophenyl trimethylacetate with yeast carboxypeptidase. Evidence for an acyl-enzyme intermediate

The kinetics of the hydrolysis of $\text{p}$-nitrophenyl trimethylacetate catalyzed by yeast carboxypeptidase have been measured under conditions of substrate in excess and indicate that the release of $\text{p}$-nitrophenol in two discrete stages can be observed. A fast release of $\text{p}$-nitrophenol in a concentration approximating that of the enzyme is seen initially, followed by a slow release, corresponding to the “turnover” reaction of the ester. These observations provide strong support for the postulation of a three step reaction sequence including the formation and decomposition of not only a Michaelis complex but also an acyl-enzyme species.     

The involvement of cytochrome P-450 in the NADH-dependent O-demethylation of p-nitroanisole in phenobarbital-treated rabbit liver microsomes.

Addition of $\text{p}$-nitroanisole to a reaction mixture containing phenobarbital-pretreated rabbit liver microsomes brings about an increase the reoxidation rate of NADH-reduced cytochrome b₅. Addition of partially purified cytochrome b₅ to a solution containing microsomes results in a marked increase in both NADH- and NADPH-dependent O-demethylation of $\text{p}$-nitroanisole. $\text{p}$-Nitroanisole also increases the rate of NADH mediated cytochrome P-450 reduction. From these and other results described in the Discussion section, we confirm that electrons required for NADH-dependent O-demethylation of $\text{p}$-nitroanisole is transfered from NADH to cytochrome P-450 via cytochrome b₅ and that cytochrome P-450 is the enzyme which catalyzes $\text{p}$-nitroanisole O-demethylation.     

Mandelic acid-4-hydroxylase, a new inducible enzyme from Pseudomonas convexa

A soluble fraction of $\text{Pseudomonas convexa}$ catalyzed the hydroxylation of mandelic acid to $\text{p}$-hydroxymandelic acid. The enzyme had a pH optimum of 5.4 and showed an absolute requirement for Fe²⁺, tetrahydropteridine, NADPH. $\text{p}$-Hydroxymandelate, the product of the enzyme reaction was identified by paper chromatography, thin layer chromatography, UV and IR-spectra.     

The solubilization of cytoskeletons of human erythrocyte membranes by p-mercuribenzene sulphonate

The disruption of erythyrocyte membrane cytoskeletons brought about by treatment with $\text{p-}\text{mercuribenzene sulphonate}$ (PMBS) has been followed by measurements of turbidity and the binding of ²⁰³Hg-labelled PMBS. After pretreatment with $\text{N-}\text{ethylmaleimide}$ to block readily reactive sulphydryl groups, incubation with [²⁰³Hg]PMBS showed incorporation of approximately 4 moles radiolabel per mole of spectrin and one per mole of actin. The incorporation of radiolabel paralleled the decrease in turbidity, and the labelling of spectrin paralleled that of actin. The kinetics were pseudo first order, and the pH dependence of the observed rate constant indicated a normal $\text{p}\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>a</mtext>}}$ value for the sulphydryl group involved. The calculated second-order rate constant for the reaction of the sulphydryl anion with PMBS, however, was several orders of magnitude less than expected from model compound studies. The results suggest that association between spectrin and actin may result in the steric hindrance of reactivity of a limited number of sulphydryl groups in each protein. Disruption of the spectrin-actin association may then be linked to the modification of the sulphydryl groups.     

Specific in vivo binding of 77Br-p-bromospiroperidol in rat brain: A potential tool for gamma ray imaging

The binding of the gamma labeled neuroleptic, ⁷⁷Br-$\text{p}$-bromosprioperidol, in the rat brain was examined $\text{in vivo}$. This binding parallels the binding of ³H-spiroperidol, in that binding is especially high in dopaminergically innervated areas, is saturable, and is displaced by high doses of unlabeled spiroperidol (1–5). Thus, ⁷⁷Br-$\text{p}$-bromospiroperidol is a suitable ligand for use in gamma ray imaging techniques for $\text{in vivo}$ monitoring of receptor binding.     

Aryl alpha-haloalkyl ketoximes as enzyme modifying agents. The reaction of alpha-haloacetophenone oximes with the active site of papain

$\text{Syn}$-α-chloroacetophenone oxime has been found to inactivate papain rapidly at pH 7 and 25.0^O in a 1:1 stoichiometric fashion as measured by rate assays with $\text{p}$-nitrophenyl $\text{N}$-benzyloxycarbonylglycinate and sulfhydryl group titrations with 5,5′-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid). By the use of a ¹⁴C label in the halomethyl function a similar stoichiometric reaction with papain could be demonstrated for $\text{syn}$-α-bromoacetophenone oxime despite the rapidity of the competitive nonenzymatic solvolysis of the latter compound under the conditions employed. These results indicate that a new class of reactive modifying agents, α-haloalkyl oximes, can be used for the selective alkylation of catalytically essential functional groups in enzyme active sites.     

The p-cymene pathway in PseudomonasputidaPL: Isolation of a dihydrodiol accumulated by a mutant

A mutant strain (PL pT $\text{11}\text{43}$) of $\text{Pseudomonas}\text{putida}$ PL, has been isolated for its inability to growth with $\text{p}$-cymene as carbon source. The mutant oxidizes $\text{p}\text{-cymene}$ (and $\text{p}$-cumate) to a compound (λmax 293 nm) which is readily converted to 3-hydroxy-$\text{p}$-cumate by acid. 4-Trifluoromethylbenzoate is oxidized by the mutant to an acid-stable intermediate (λmax 277nm) that has been crystallized. The spectral properties (u.v., i.r., NMR and mass) of this metabolite are consistent with those expected for a 2,3-dihydro-2,3-dihydroxy derivative of 4-trifluoromethylbenzoate. Further support of this structure was provided by elemental analysis and the properties of two derivatives of the metabolite, 4-trifluoromethyl-3-hydroxybenzoate and an acetonide formed with 2,2-dimethoxypropane. The stability of a product obtained by treatment of the dihydrodiol metabolite with triacetylosmate indicates that it is the $\text{cis}\text{-isomer}$.     

A NMR study of the ionization of fatty acids,fatty amines and N-acylamino acids incorporated in phosphatidylcholine vesicles

The ionization of fatty acids, fatty amines and $\text{N-}\text{acylamino}$ acids incorporated in phosphatidylcholine single-walled vesicles has been measured. The guest molecules have been specifically enriched with ¹³C and titrated by using NMR spectroscopy. The apparent p$\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{a}}$ of fatty acids in phosphatidylcholine bilayers is 7.2–7.4 and those of fatty amines are approx. 9.5. These p$\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{a}}$ values depend on many different parameters related to the structure of the lipid/ solution interface, to the composition of the aqueous medium and to the localization of the ionizable groups. A special sensitivity to the ionic strength and to the surface charge has been found. A positive surface charge decreases the p$\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{a}}$ value whereas a negative one increases it, the total range of variation being 2.5–3 units. In a qualitative macroscopic interpretation, it is proposed that p$\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{a}}$ is essentially determined by the low polarity of the lipidic matrix.     

Organophosphorus compounds as active site-directed inhibitors of elastase

Four ethyl $\text{p}$-nitrophenyl alkylphosphonates were studied for the inhibition of elastase. A pH-dependence study using the assay substrate BOC-Ala-ONp or the phosphonate inhibitors showed the participation of an ionizing group with an apparent pK_a of 6.9 and a decrease of reaction or inhibition at higher pH. Out of the four compounds investigated ethyl $\text{p}$-nitrophenyl pentylphosphonate was found to be the best inhibitor of elastase as judged from the value of $\text{k}{}_2\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>I</mtext>}}$. This value, which is the measure of inhibitory capacity, is the highest reported so far for the inhibition of elastase.     

Further evidence for an active center in streptokinase-plasminogen complex; interaction with pancreatic trypsin inhibitor

Earlier work has shown that streptokinase and human plasminogen form a stoichiometric complex in which the presence of a functional active center can be detected by reaction with the active center-specific reagent, $\text{p}$-nitrophenyl-$\text{p′}$-guanidinobenzoate. The complex possesses activator activity, i.e. it catalyzes the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin. Evidence is presented to show that pancreatic trypsin inhibitor abolishes both the activator activity and the ability to react with the active center-specific reagent. This is accomplished, not by displacement of streptokinase, but by the formation of a ternary complex with streptokinase-plasminogen.     

Topology of membrane sulfhydryl groups in the human erythrocyte Demonstration of a non-reactive population in intrinsic proteins

A major fraction of the protein sulfhydryl groups of human erythrocyte membranes can be oxidized to disulfide bonds by the lipid soluble reagent, diamide, and the hydrophilic reagent, tetrathionate. Furthermore, the same fraction also reacts with the monofunctional reagent, $\text{N-}\text{ethylmaleimide}$. About 20% of the SH groups, however, do not react with any of these agents even upon prolonged treatment and increased concentrations.These ‘non-reacting’ SH groups were now localized by a procedure involving blockage of the accessible SH groups by non-labelled $\text{N-}\text{ethylmaleimide}$ or by diamide, subsequent isolation and solubilization of the membranes in SDS and labelling of the now accessible, residual SH groups with $\text{N-[ethyl-2-}{}^3\text{H]}\text{ethylmaleimide}$.The distribution of the radioactivity over the peptide fractions shows that the non-reacting SH groups are mainly localized in the intrinsic proteins, while essentially all of the SH groups of the extrinsic protein, spectrin, are reactive.After solubilization of the membranes with Triton X-100 the non-reacting SH groups became reactive towards $\text{N-}\text{ethylmaleimide}$. It is proposed that lack of reaction of SH groups in the native membranes is due to their localization within the hydrophobic core of the membrane.     

A difference in the affinity labeling of Ca2+, Mg2+-activated ATPases of normal and unc A strains of Escherichia coli by the 2',3'-dialdehyde derivative of adenosine 5'-diphosphate

The 2′,3′-dialdehyde of ADP, obtained by periodate oxidation of ADP, inhibited the hydrolytic activity of the purified Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺-activated ATPase of $\text{Escherichia}\text{coli}$. In the initial stages of the reaction inhibition was due to the reaction of 1 mol inhibitor/active site. When non-specific labelling of amino groups by the dialdehyde was lowered by the simultaneous presence of 15 mM ATP in the reaction mixture, 3 mol “ATP-protectable” binding sites/mol ATPase were found. “ATP-protectable” binding of the dialdehyde was not observed when the hydrolytically inactive ATPase of an $\text{unc A}$ mutant of $\text{E.}\text{coli}$ was used although binding of the inhibitor to non-protected amino groups still occurred. This suggests that the mutant ATPase is unable to bind ATP or that the amino groups with which the dialdehyde reacts in the native enzyme are absent or masked.     

The interaction of chloride ions with human hemoglobin

The immobilization of glucose oxidase, a glycoenzyme from $\text{Aspergillus}$$\text{niger}$ consisting of 16% carbohydrate, has been achieved by oxidizing its carbohydrate residues with periodic acid followed by coupling the activated enzyme to water-insoluble $\text{p}$-aminostyrene. At pH 5.6 and 25°, approximately 60% of the carbohydrate residues are oxidized, but the enzyme retains full activity. No oxidation of any amino acid residue is evident. The enzyme-polymer conjugate derived from this activated enzyme retains full activity and even shows a slightly enhanced thermal stability at 60° compared with the soluble native and oxidized glucose oxidases.     

The use of 2-O-acyl-1-O-sulfonyl-d-galactopyranose derivatives in β-d-galactopyranoside synthesis

Several 1-O-sulfonyl derivatives of d-galactopyranose having a participating benzoyl or p-methoxybenzoyl group at O-2 were synthesized from the corresponding d-galactopyranosyl chloride derivatives by use of silver p-toluenesulfonate or trifluoroethanesulfonate in acetonitrile. The reaction of the $\text{1-O-}\text{sulfonyl-}\text{d}\text{-galactopyranose}$ derivatives with several alcohols in various solvents at different times and temperatures served as model reactions to determine the best conditions for synthesizing stereoselectively β-d-galactopyranosides in high yields. This method was used to prepare, in good yield, several β-d-galactopyranosyl-containing disaccharides.     

Reactions of chitosan: 5. The reaction of chitosan with 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene and determination of the extent of the reaction

The reaction between chitosan and 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene has been studied and suitable conditions established for hydrolysis of the product prior to determination of the extent of reaction by u.v./visible spectroscopy. The chromophore system in $\text{N-(2,4-}\text{dinitrophenyl}\text{)-2-}\text{amino}\text{-2-}\text{deoxy-}\text{d}\text{-glucose}$, the final product from the acid hydrolysis of N-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)chitosan, is unstable to heating in solution in either water or aqueous acid. The temperature of hydrolysis should therefore not exceed 50°C and at this temperature the u.v./visible absorption spectrum of $\text{N-(2,4-}\text{dinitrophenyl}\text{)-2-}\text{amino}\text{-2-}\text{deoxy-}\text{d}\text{-glucose}$ is constant for up to 50 h. Complete reaction of the amine groups is not achieved under heterogeneous or homogeneous conditions, only approximately 50% of the available amine groups undergoing reaction under homogeneous conditions. This restricted reactivity results from the bulky N-(2,4-dinitrophenyl) residues shielding adjacent unreacted amine groups on the same chain, thereby preventing their reaction with 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene. Such intramolecular steric hindrance would be expected to increase with increase in the free amine group content of the sample, due to the increase in the fraction of amine groups occurring in sequence length of two or more, and an inverse relationship between the total initial free amine group content and the percentage of these that react with 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene has been found     

The cytochrome c binding site on cytochrome c oxidase.

Cytochrome $\text{c}$ was chemically coupled to cytochrome $\text{c}$ oxidase using the reagent 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) which couples amine groups to carboxyl residues. The products of this reaction were analyzed on 2.5–27% polyacrylamide gradient gels electrophoretically. Since cytochrome $\text{c}$ binds to cytochrome oxidase electrostatically in an attraction between certain of its lysine residues and carboxyl residues on the oxidase surface, EDC is an especially appropriate reagent probe for binding-subunit studies. Coupling of polylysine to cytochrome oxidase using EDC was also performed, and the products of this reaction indicate that polylysine, an inhibitor of the cytochrome $\text{c}$ reaction with oxidase, binds to the same oxidase subunit as does cytochrome $\text{c}$, subunit IV in the gel system used.     

Covalent modification of chloroplast Photosystem II polypeptides by p-nitrothiophenol

Illumination of the chlorophyll $\text{a}\text{b}$ light-harvesting complex in the presence of $\text{p-}\text{nitrothio}\text{[}{}^{14}\text{C]phenol}$ caused quenching of fluorescence emission at 685 nm (77 K) relative to 695 nm and covalent modification of light-harvesting complex polypeptides. Fluorescence quenching saturated with one p-nitrothiophenol bound per light-harvesting complex polypeptide (10–13 chlorophylls); $\text{1}\text{2}$ maximal quenching occurred with one p-nitrothiophenol bound per light-harvesting complex polypeptides (190–247 chlorophylls). This result provides direct evidence for excitation energy transfer between light-harvesting complex subunits which contain 4–6 polypeptides plus 40–78 chlorophylls per complex.Illumination of chloroplasts or Photosystem II (PS II) particles in the presence of $\text{p-}\text{nitrothio}\text{[}{}^{14}\text{C]phenol}$ caused inhibition of PS II activity and labeling of several polypeptides including those of 42–48 kilodaltons previously identified as PS II reaction center polypeptides. In chloroplasts, inhibition of oxygen evolution accelerated p-nitrothiophenol modification reactions; DCMU or donors to PS II decreased p-nitrothiophenol modification. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that accumulation of oxidizing equivalents on the donor side of PS II creates a ‘reactive state’ in which polypeptides of PS II are susceptible to p-nitrothiophenol modification.     

Intramolecular catalysis. VII: The nature of side chain shielding of the 12alpha-hydroxyl group of steroids

A series of 12α-hydroxy steroids with varying side chains was prepared, and their 24-hour acetylation yields were compared, l2α-Hydroxy-5β-pregnan-20-one ($\text{lb}$) was prepared from 3α, 12α-diacetoxy-5β~pregnan-20-one ($\text{2}$) and also by side chain degradation of 12α-acetoxy-5β-cholanoic acid ($\text{5d}$). 21-Benzyl-5β-pregnan-12α-ol ($\text{1g}$) was synthesized by hydrogenation of the 21-benzylidine derivative of ketone $\text{1b}$. 23-Pheny1-5β-norcholan-12α-ol ($\text{1k}$) was obtained by the Grignard reaction of 2-phenyl-ethylmagnesium bromide and ketone $\text{1b}$, dehydration, hydrogenation and hydride reduction; a similar sequence produced 20-methyl-5β-pregnan-12α-ol ($\text{lm}$). The acetylation results (Table 11) imply that branching at C-20 may be more significant for 12α-hydroxyl reactivity than side chain length or type. An additional compound with an unbranched side chain, 21-nor-5β-cholan-12α-ol ($\text{14}$), was synthesized by a Grignard reaction on the 21-bromo intermediate $\text{11b}$. Acetylation rates determined by glc indicate (Table 111) That compounds with unbranched side chains have 12α-hydroxyl groups about ten times as reactive as their analogs with 20-methyl groups.     

The separation of phage promoter from bacterial lac promoter for beta-galactosidase expression in transducing phage lambda plac5.

The replication defective transducing phage λp$\text{lac}\text{5}\text{O}\text{29}\text{P}$3 carries a portion of the $\text{E.}\text{coli}\text{lac}$ operon in the $\text{b}$2 region of the lambda phage. This $\text{lac}$ operon segment contains the $\text{lac}$ promoter, the $\text{lac}$ operator, and the β-galactosidase $\text{z}$ gene, but does not contain the $\text{lac}$ repressor $\text{i}$ gene. The $\text{z}$ gene can be expressed from both the inserted $\text{lac}$ promoter and the phage promoter. When $\text{E.}\text{coli}$ strain 594 ($\text{z}$^?, $\text{i}$⁺) or JC6256 (Δ$\text{lac}$) is infected by λp$\text{lac}\text{5}\text{O}\text{29}\text{P}$3 in the absence of additional cyclic AMP, β-galactosidase synthesis is shown to be expressed from the phage promoter. When 594 (λ⁺) or JC6256 (λ⁺) is infected by λp$\text{lac}\text{5}\text{O}\text{29}\text{P}$3 in the presence of additional cyclic AMP and IPTG, β-galactosidase synthesis is shown to be expressed from the inserted $\text{lac}$ promoter.The ability to separate the phage promoter from the inserted $\text{lac}$ promoter for β-galactosidase expression will simplify the interpretation whenever λp$\text{lac}$5 is used.