Biochemical characterization of a novel beta-1--3, 1--4 glucan 4-glucanohydrolase from Thermomonospora sp. having a single active site for lichenan and xylan

A bifunctional high molecular weight (Mr, 64,500 Da) beta-1-3, 1-4 glucan 4-glucanohydrolase was purified to homogeneity from Thermomonospora sp., exhibiting activity towards lichenan and xylan. A kinetic method was used to analyze the active site that hydrolyzes lichenan and xylan. The experimental data was in agreement with the theoretical values calculated for a single active site. Probing the conformation and microenvironment at active site of the enzyme by fluorescent chemo-affinity label, OPTA resulted in the formation of an isoindole derivative with complete inactivation of the enzyme to hydrolyse both lichenan and xylan confirmed the results of kinetic method. OPTA forms an isoindole derivative by cross-linking the proximal thiol and amino groups. The modification of cysteine and lysine residues by DTNB and TNBS respectively abolished the ability of the enzyme to form an isoindole derivative with OPTA, indicating the participation of cysteine and lysine in the formation of isoindole complex.     

Inactivation of chicken mitochondrial phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase by o-phthalaldehyde

Chicken liver mitochondrial phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase is inactivated by o-phthalaldehyde. The inactivation followed pseudo first-order kinetics, and the second-order rate constant for the inactivation process was 29 M-1 s-1 at pH 7.5 and 25 degrees C. The modified enzyme showed maximal fluorescence at 427 nm upon excitation at 337 nm, consistent with the formation of isoindole derivatives by the cross-linking of proximal cysteine and lysine residues. Activities in the physiologic reaction and in the oxaloacetate decarboxylase reaction were lost in parallel upon modification with o-phthalaldehyde. Plots of (percent of residual activity) versus (mol of isoindole incorporated/mol of enzyme) were biphasic, with the initial loss of enzymatic activity corresponding to the incorporation of one isoindole derivative/enzyme molecule. Complete inactivation of the enzyme was accompanied by the incorporation of 3 mol of isoindole/mol of enzyme. beta-Sulfopyruvate, an isoelectronic analogue of oxaloacetate, completely protected the enzyme from reacting with o-phthalaldehyde. Other substrates provided protection from inactivation, in decreasing order of protection: oxaloacetate greater than phosphoenolpyruvate greater than MgGDP, MgGTP greater than oxalate. Cysteine 31 and lysine 39 have been identified as the rapidly reacting pair in isoindole formation and enzyme inactivation. Lysine 56 and cysteine 60 are also involved in isoindole formation in the completely inactivated enzyme. These reactive cysteine residues do not correspond to the reactive cysteine residue identified in previous iodoacetate labeling studies with the chicken mitochondrial enzyme (Makinen, A. L., and Nowak, T. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 12148-12157). Protection experiments suggest that the sites of o-phthalaldehyde modification become inaccessible when the oxaloacetate/phosphoenolpyruvate binding site is saturated, and sequence analyses indicate that cysteine 31 is located in the putative phosphoenolpyruvate binding site.     

Conformation and polarity of the active site of xylanase I from Thermomonospora sp. as deduced by fluorescent chemoaffinity labeling. Site and significance of a histidine residue.

A fluorescent chemoaffinity label o-phthalaldehyde (OPTA) was used to ascertain the conformational flexibility and polarity at the active site of xylanase I (Xyl I). The kinetics of inactivation of Xyl I with OPTA revealed that complete inactivation occurred due to the binding of one molecule of OPTA to the active site of Xyl I. The formation of a single fluorescent isoindole derivative corroborated these findings. OPTA has been known to form a fluorescent isoindole derivative by crosslinking the proximal thiol and amino groups of cysteine and lysine. The involvement of cysteine in the formation of a Xyl I-isoindole derivative has been negated by fluorometric and chemical modification studies on Xyl I with group-specific reagents and by amino-acid analysis. The kinetic analysis of diethylpyrocarbonate-modified Xyl I established the presence of an essential histidine at or near the catalytic site of Xyl I. Modification of histidine and lysine residues by diethylpyrocarbonate and 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid, respectively, abolished the ability of the enzyme to form an isoindole derivative with OPTA, indicating that histidine and lysine participate in the formation of the isoindole complex. A mechanism for the reaction of OPTA with histidine and lysine residues present in the protein structure has been proposed. Experimental evidence presented here suggests for the first time that the active site of Xyl I is conformationally more flexible and more easily perturbed in the presence of denaturants than the molecule as a whole. The changes in the fluorescence emission maxima of a model compound (isoindole adduct) in solvents of different polarity were compared with the fluorescence behaviour of the Xyl I-isoindole derivative, leading to the conclusion that the active site is located in a microenvironment of low polarity.     

Conformation and microenvironment of the active site of a low molecular weight 1,4-beta-D-glucan glucanohydrolase from an alkalothermophilic Thermomonospora sp.: involvement of lysine and cysteine residues

Conformation and microenvironment at the active site of 1,4-beta-D-glucan glucanohydrolase was probed with fluorescent chemo-affinity labeling using o-phthalaldehyde. OPTA has been known to form a fluorescent isoindole derivative by cross-linking the proximal thiol and amino groups of cysteine and lysine. Modification of lysine of the enzyme by TNBS and of cysteine residue by PHMB abolished the ability of the enzyme to form an isoindole derivative with OPTA. Kinetic analysis of the TNBS and PHMB-modified enzyme suggested the presence of essential lysine and cysteine residues, respectively, at the active site of the enzyme. The substrate protection of the enzyme with carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) confirmed the involvement of lysine and cysteine residues in the active site of the enzyme. Multiple sequence alignment of peptides obtained by tryptic digestion of the enzyme showed cysteine is one of the conserved amino acids corroborating the chemical modification studies.     

Chemical Modification of Specific Active Site Amino Acid Residues of Enterobacter aerogenes Glycerol Dehydrogenase

Enterobacter aerogenes glycerol dehydrogenase (GlDH EC 1.1.1.6), a tetrameric NAD + specific enzyme catalysing the interconversion of glycerol and dihydroxyacetone, was inactivated on reaction with pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) and o -phthalaldehyde (OPA). Fluorescence spectra of PLP-modified, sodium borohydride-reduced GlDH indicated the specific modification of ? -amino groups of lysine residues. The extent of inhibition was concentration and time dependent. NAD + and NADH provided complete protection against enzyme inactivation by PLP, indicating the reactive lysine is at or near the coenzyme binding site. Modification of GlDH by the bifunctional reagent OPA, which reacts specifically with proximal ? -NH 2 group of lysines and -SH group of cysteines to form thioisoindole derivatives, inactivated the enzyme. Molecular weight determinations of the modified enzyme indicated the formation of intramolecular thioisoindole formation. Glycerol partially protected the enzyme against OPA inactivation, whereas NAD + was ineffective. These results show that the lysine involved in the OPA reaction is different from the PLP-reactive lysine, which is at or near the coenzyme binding site. DTNB titration showed the presence of only a single cysteine residue per monomer of GlDH. This could be participating with a proximal lysine residue to form a thioisoindole derivative observed as a result of OPA modification.     

Adenosine cyclic 3',5'-monophosphate dependent protein kinase: fluorescent affinity labeling of the catalytic subunit from bovine skeletal muscle with o-phthalaldehyde

The catalytic subunit of adenosine cyclic 3',5'-monophosphate dependent protein kinase from bovine skeletal muscle was rapidly inactivated by o-phthalaldehyde at 25 degrees C (pH 7.3). The reaction followed pseudo-first-order kinetics, and the second-order rate constant was 1.1 X 10(2) M-1 s-1. Absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopic data were consistent with the formation of an isoindole derivative (1 mol/mol of enzyme). The reaction between the catalytic subunit and o-phthalaldehyde was not reversed by the addition of reagents containing free primary amino and sulfhydryl functions following inactivation. The reaction, however, could be arrested at any stage during its progress by the addition of an excess of cysteine or less efficiently by homocysteine or glutathione. The catalytic subunit was protected from inactivation by the presence of the substrates magnesium adenosine triphosphate and an acceptor serine peptide substrate. The decrease in fluorescence emission intensity of incubation mixtures containing iodoacetamide- or 5'-[p-(fluorosulfonyl)benzoyl]adenosine-modified catalytic subunit and o-phthalaldehyde paralleled the loss of phosphotransferase activity. Catalytic subunit denatured with urea failed to react with o-phthalaldehyde. Inactivation of the catalytic subunit by o-phthalaldehyde is probably due to the concomitant modification of lysine-72 and cysteine-199. The proximal distance between the epsilon-amino function of the lysine and the sulfhydryl group of the cysteine residues involved in isoindole formation in the native enzyme is estimated to be approximately 3 A. The molar transition energy of the catalytic subunit-o-phthalaldehyde adduct was 121 kJ/mol and compares favorably with a value of 127 kJ/mol for the 1-[(beta-hydroxyethyl)thio]-2-(beta-hydroxyethyl)isoindole in hexane, indicating that the active site lysine and cysteine residues involved in formation of the isoindole derivative of the catalytic subunit are located in a hydrophobic environment. o-Phthalaldehyde probably acts as an active site specific reagent for the catalytic subunit.     

Inactivation of yeast hexokinase by o-phthalaldehyde: evidence for the presence of a cysteine and a lysine at or near the active site

Yeast hexokinase (ATP:D-hexose 6-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.1), a homodimer, was rapidly and irreversibly inactivated by o-phthalaldehyde at 25 degrees C (pH 7.3). The reaction followed pseudo-first-order kinetics over a wide range of the inhibitor concentration. The second-order-rate constant for the inactivation of hexokinase was estimated to be 45 M-1.s-1. Hexokinase was protected more by sugar substrates than by nucleoside triphosphates during inactivation by o-phthalaldehyde. Absorption spectrum (lambda max 338 nm), and fluorescence excitation (lambda max 363 nm) and emission (lambda max 403 nm) spectra of the hexokinase-o-phthalaldehyde adduct were consistent with the formation of an isoindole derivative. These results also suggest that sulfhydryl and epsilon-amino functions of the cysteine and lysine residues, respectively, participating in the isoindole formation are about 3 A apart in the native enzyme. About 2 mol of the isoindole per mol of hexokinase dimer were formed following complete loss of the phosphotransferase activity. Chemical modification of hexokinase by iodoacetamide in the presence of mannose resulted in the modification of six sulfhydryl groups per mol of hexokinase with retention of the phosphotransferase activity. Subsequent reaction of the iodoacetamide modified hexokinase with o-phthalaldehyde resulted in complete loss of the phosphotransferase activity with concomitant modification of the remaining two sulfhydryl groups of hexokinase. Chemical modification of hexokinase by iodoacetamide in the absence of mannose resulted in complete inactivation of the enzyme. The iodoacetamide inactivated hexokinase failed to react with o-phthalaldehyde as evidenced by the absence of a fluorescence emission maximum characteristic of the isoindole derivative. The holoenzyme failed to react with [5'-(p-fluorosulfonyl)benzoyl]adenosine. The dissociated hexokinase could be inactivated by [5'-(p-fluorosulfonyl)benzoyl]adenosine; the degree of inactivation paralleled the extent of reaction between o-phthalaldehyde and the nucleotide-analog modified enzyme. Thus, it is concluded that two cysteines and lysines at or near the active site of the hexokinase were involved in reaction with o-phthalaldehyde following complete loss of the phosphotransferase activity. An important finding of this investigation is that the lysines, involved in isoindole formation, located at or near the active site are probably buried.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Inactivation of liver 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase by o-phthalaldehyde.

The two activities of chicken liver 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase were inactivated by o-phthalaldehyde. Absorbance and fluorescence spectra of the modified enzyme were consistent with the formation of an isoindole derivative (1 mol/mol of enzyme subunit). The inactivation of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase by o-phthalaldehyde was faster than the inactivation of fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase, which was concomitant with the increase in fluorescence. The substrates of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase did not protect the kinase against inactivation, whereas fructose-2,6-bisphosphate fully protected against o-phthalaldehyde-induced inactivation of the bisphosphatase. Addition of dithiothreitol prevented both the increase in fluorescence and the inactivation of fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase, but not that of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase. It is proposed that o-phthalaldehyde forms two different inhibitory adducts: a non-fluorescent adduct in the kinase domain and a fluorescent isoindole derivative in the bisphosphatase domain. A lysine and a cysteine residue could be involved in fructose-2,6-bisphosphate binding in the bisphosphatase domain of the protein.     

A new application of isoindole fluorophore derivative in sitagliptin antidiabetic medication assay: Application to dosage forms and biological fluid evaluation

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 enzyme suppressant is a unique category of oral antidiabetic medication. Sitagliptin (STG) is a perfect member of this category and is pharmaceutically marketed alone or in combination with metformin. Here, the ideal application of an isoindole derivative for STG assay was developed using a feasible, easy-to-use, economic, and affordable method. STG as an amino group donor can form a luminescent derivative: isoindole on interaction with o-phthalaldehyde and the existence of (2-mercaptoethanol) 0.02% (v/v) as a thiol group donor. Excitation (339.7 nm) and emission (434.6 nm) wavelengths were used to monitor the isoindole fluorophore yield; moreover, each experimental variable was carefully investigated and adjusted. The calibration graph was constructed by plotting fluorescence intensities against STG concentrations, and controlled linearity was observed at concentrations ranging from 50 to 1000 ng/ml. The International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use guidelines were analyzed in depth to prove the technique validation. The implementation of the present technique was extended successfully to the evaluation of various types of STG dose forms and spiking samples of human plasma and urine. The developed technique was shown to be an effective, simple, and quick replacement for quality control and clinical study evaluation of STG.     

o-Phthalaldehyde as a probe in the active site of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase

Modification of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase with o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) resulted in rapid and irreversible inactivation exhibiting biphasic reaction kinetics. The kinetic analysis and correlation of spectral changes with activity indicated that inactivation by OPA results from the modification of two lysine and two cysteine residues per subunit of the enzyme. PEP plus Mg2+ offered substantial protection against modification. Some of the effectors also gave appreciable protection against modification indicating that the residues may be located at or close to the active site. Thus, the results indicate formation of two isoindoles showing the proximity of the essential lysine and cysteine residues at the active site.     

Studies on determination of active site amino acid residues in glyoxylate synthetase from potato tuber chloroplasts

A homogeneous preparation of glyoxylate synthetase from greening potato tubers was used to study the functional role of disulphide groups, lysine and tryptophan residues in enzyme catalysis. The formation of a thioisoindole derivative was demonstrated by spectral analysis of the reduced and o-phthalaldehyde-treated enzymes. o-Phthalaldehyde modification resulted in about a 25 % loss of tryptophan emission at 336 nm and the appearance of a 410-nm emission peak characteristic of a thioisoindole. Ferrous iron was capable of generating thiol groups and addition of substrate resulted in a faster disappearance of these thiols. The optimal time for maximum glyoxylate synthesis by glyoxylate synthetase paralleled the disappearance of these thiols. Involvement of lysine and tryptophan residues in the enzyme reaction was demonstrated by the inhibition of activity by pyridoxal 5′-phosphate and dimethyl(2-hydroxy 5-nitrobenzyl) sulphonium bromide (DMHNB), respectively. Pyridoxal phosphate strongly and reversibly inhibited glyoxylate synthetase, and substrate and metal ion provided significant protection against inhibition. The results suggest that the lysine residue may be at or near the active binding site. The lysyl residue formed a Schiff base with pyridoxal phosphate which was stabilised by NaBH₄. Glyoxylate synthetase was also irreversibly inactivated by a tryptophan selective reagent, DMHNB, while substrate provided substantial protection against inactivation. Kinetic analysis and correlation of the spectral data at 410 nm indicated that complete inactivation by DMHNB resulted from the modification of 5 tryptophan residues/subunit, of which one was essential for activity. The available evidence suggests a possible concerted action of enzyme disulphides, ferrous iron, lysine and aromatic amino acid residues in the synthesis of glyoxylate by this enzyme.     

Contribution to Catalysis and to Stability of the Essential Cysteine Residue at the Active Site of d-Glucosaminate Dehydratase from Pseudomonas fluorescens

Chemical modification of purified d-glucosaminate dehydratase (GADH) apoenzyme by N-ethyl-maleimide (NEM) and by 7-chloro-4-aminobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBDC1) resulted in the time- and concentration-dependent inactivation of the enzyme in each case. The inactivation followed pseudo-first-order kinetics and a double-logarithmic plot of the observed pseudo-first-order rate constant against reagent concentration proved evidence for an approximately first-order reaction, suggesting that the modification of a single cysteine residue per mole of enzyme resulted in inactivation. Amino acid analysis of the NEM-inactivated enzyme showed that three moles of cysteine residues among six moles per mole of subunit were modified under these conditions, therefore one of the three cysteine residues modified by NEM may be essential for activity. Pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) and D-glucosaminate (GlcNA) protected the enzyme against inactivation by NEM and NBDCI. The apoenzyme was inactivated by EDTA and activity of enzyme was restored by incubation with Mn²⁺ in the presence of PLP. Incubation of the EDTA-treated enzyme with NEM inhibited the restoration of activity. These results suggest that one of the cysteine residues of GADH may be chelated to a Mn²⁺ at or near the active site of GADH, contributing to formation of the active enzyme.     

Inactivation of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase by o-phthalaldehyde

Rabbit liver fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, a tetramer of identical subunits was rapidly and irreversibly inactivated by o-phthalaldehyde at 25 degrees C (pH 7.3). The second-order rate constant for the inactivation was 30 M-1s-1. Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase was completely protected from inactivation by the substrate--fructose-1,6-diphosphate but not by the allosteric effector--adenosine monophosphate. The absorption spectrum (lambda max 337 nm) and, fluorescence excitation (lambda max 360 nm) and fluorescence emission spectra (lambda max 405 nm) were consistent with the formation of an isoindole derivative in the subunit between a cysteine and a lysine residue about 3A apart. About 4 isoindole groups per mol of the bisphosphatase were formed following complete loss of the phosphatase activity. This suggests that the amino acid residues of the biphosphatase participating in reaction with o-phthalaldehyde more likely reside at or near the active site instead of allosteric site. The molar transition energy of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase--o-phthalaldehyde adduct was estimated 121 kJ/mol and compares favorably with 127 kJ/mol for the synthetic isoindole, 1-[(beta-hydroxyethyl)thio]-2-(beta-hydroxyethyl) isoindole in hexane. It is, thus, concluded that the cysteine and lysine residues participating in isoindole formation in reaction between fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and o-phthalaldehyde are located in a hydrophobic environment.     

Synthesis,characterization, and reactions of 2′-, 3′-, and 5′-(2-bromoethyl)-AMP: Potential affinity labels for nucleotide binding sites in enzymes

Two new adenosine analogs, 2′-(2-bromoethyl) adenosine monophosphate and 3′-(2-bromoethyl) adenosine monophosphate, were synthesized, purified by semipreparative high-pressure liquid chromatography, and completely characterized. A new synthesis of 5′-(2-bromoethyl) adenosine monophosphate is presented which facilitates the preparation of radioactive reagent with label either in the ethyl group or the purine ring of the nucleotide derivative. The reactive moiety of these derivatives, a bromoalkyl group, has the ability to react with the nucleophilic side chains of several amino acids. The second-order, pH-independent rate constants for reaction with the side chains of the amino acids cysteine, lysine, histidine, and tyrosine were determined as 3×10^?4, 6×10^?6, 3×10^?7, and <1×10^?7 M^?1 sec^?1, respectively. These data could be use in estimating the rate enhancement observed in modification of a protein by these affinity-labeling reagents. 5′-(S-(2-hydroxyethyl)cysteine) adenosine monophosphate, the derivative expected from exhaustive digestion of protein in which a cysteinyl residue is modified by 5′-(2-bromoethyl) adenosine monophosphate, and S-2-hydroxyethyl)cysteine, the derivative anticipated upon acid hydrolysis of such a modified protein, were synthesized, characterized, and their elution positions from an amino acid analyzer determined. These bromoethyl AMP derivatives are potential affinity labels for enzymes that bind 2′-, 3′-, or 5′-nucleotides such as TPN, coenzyme A, or ADP, respectively.     

Pyridoxylation of essential lysine residues of mitochondrial adenosine triphosphatase

1. Soluble beef-heart mitochondrial ATPase (F₁) was incubated with [³H]pyridoxal 5′-phosphate and the Schiffbase complex formed was reduced with sodium borohydride. Spectral measurements indicate that lysine residues are modified and gel electrophoresis in the presence of detergent shows the tritium label to be associated with the two largest subunits, α and β. 2. In the absence of protecting ligands, the loss of ATP hydrolysis activity is linearly dependent on the level of pyridoxylation with complete inactivation correlating to 10 mol pyridoxamine phosphate incorporated per mol enzyme. Partial inactivation of F₁ with pyridoxal phosphate has no effect on either the K_m for ATP or the ability of bicarbonate to stimulate residual hydrolysis activity, suggesting a mixed population of fully active and fully inactive enzyme. 3. In the presence of excess magnesium, the addition of ADP or ATP, but not AMP, decreases the rate and extent of modification of F₁ by pyridoxal phosphate. The non-hydrolyzable ATP analog, 5′-adenylyl-β, γ-imidodiphosphate, is particularly effective in protecting F₁ against both modification and inactivation. Efrapeptin and P_i have no effect on the modification reaction. 4. Prior modification of F₁ with pyridoxal phosphate decreases the number of exchangeable nucleotide binding sites by one. However, pyridoxylation of F₁ is ineffective in displacing endogenous nucleotides bound at non-catalytic sites and does not affect the stoichiometry of P_i binding. 5. The ability of nucleotides to protect against modification and inactivation by pyridoxal phosphate and the loss of one exchangeable nucleotide site with the pyridoxylation of F₁ suggest the presence of a positively charged lysine residue at the catalytic site of an enzyme that binds two negatively charged substrates.     

Nature of o-phthalaldehyde reaction with pigeon liver fatty acid synthetase.

Pigeon liver fatty acid synthetase (FAS) was inactivated irreversibly by stoichiometric concentration of o-phthalaldehyde exhibiting a bimolecular kinetic process. FAS-o-phthalaldehyde adduct gave a characteristic absorption maxima at 337 nm. Moreover this derivative showed fluorescence emission maxima at 412 nm when excited at 337 nm. These results were consistent with isoindole ring formation in which the -SH group of cysteine and epsilon-NH2 group of lysine participate in the reaction. The inactivation is caused by the reaction of the phosphopantetheine -SH group since it is protected by either acetyl- or malonyl-CoA. The enzyme incubated with iodoacetamide followed by o-phthalaldehyde showed no change in fluorescence intensity but decrease in intensity was found in the treatment of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid (TNBS), a lysine specific reagent with the enzyme prior to o-phthalaldehyde addition. As o-phthalaldehyde did not inhibit enoyl-CoA reductase activity, so nonessential lysine is involved in the o-phthalaldehyde reaction. Double inhibition experiments showed that 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB), a thiol specific reagent, binds to the same cysteine which is also involved in the o-phthalaldehyde reaction. Stoichiometric results indicated that 2 moles of o-phthalaldehyde were incorporated per mole of enzyme molecule upon complete inactivation.     

Identification of lysine residue involved in inactivation of brain glutamate dehydrogenase isoproteins by o-phthalaldehyde

Incubation of two types of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) isoproteins from bovine brain with o-phthalaldehyde resulted in a time-dependent loss of enzyme activity. The inactivation was partially prevented by preincubation of the GDH isoproteins with 2-oxoglutarate or NADH. Spectrophotometric studies indicated that the inactivation of GDH isoproteins with o-phthalaldehyde resulted in isoindole derivatives characterized by typical fluorescence emission spectra with a stoichiometry of one isoindole derivative per molecule of enzyme subunit. There were no differences between the two GDH isoproteins in sensitivities to inactivation by o-phthalaldehyde indicating that the microenvironmental structures of the GDH isoproteins are very similar to each other. Tryptic peptides of the isoproteins, modified with and without protection, identified a selective modification of one lysine as in the region containing the sequence L-Q-H-G-S-I-L-G-F-P-X-A-K for both GDH isoproteins. The symbol X indicates a position for which no phenylthiohydantoin-amino acid could be assigned. The missing residue, however, can be designated as an o-phthalaldehyde-labeled lysine since the sequences including the lysine residue in question have a complete identity with those of the other mammalian GDHs. Also, trypsin was unable to cleave the labeled peptide at this site. Both amino acid sequencing and compositional analysis identified Lys-306 as the site of o-phthalaldehyde binding within the brain GDH isoproteins.     

Evidence for proximal cysteine and lysine residues at or near the ative site of arginine kinase of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stichopus japonicus</Emphasis>

Inactivation of arginine kinase (AK) of Stichopus japonicus by o-phthalaldehyde (OPTA) was investigated. The modified enzyme showed an absorption peak at 337 nm and a fluorescent emission peak at 410 nm, which are characteristic of an isoindole derivative formed by OPTA binding to a thiol and an amine group in proximity within the enzyme. Loss of enzymatic activity was concomitant with an increase in fluorescence intensity at 410 nm. Stoichiometry studies by Tsou's method showed that among the cysteine residues available for OPTA modification in the enzyme, only one was essential for the enzyme activity. This cysteine residue is located in a highly hydrophobic environment, presumably near ATP and ADP binding region. This conclusion was verified by 5,5 -dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) modification. In addition, these results were supported by means of electrophoresis and ultraviolet, fluorescence, circular dichroism spectroscopy and fast performance liquid chromatography. Sequence comparison suggested that this essential cysteine residue maybe the conservative Cys274.     

Chemical modification of xylanase from Trichosporon cutaneum shows the presence of carboxyl groups and cysteine residues essential for enzyme activity

The endo--1,4-xylanase (EC 3.2.1.8) from Trichosporon cutaneum was chemically modified using amino acid-specific reagents. The enzyme does not bear arginines essential for activity, since 1,2-cyclohexanedione and 2,3-butanedione, although they modify the enzyme (after chromatographic analysis), have no effect on its activity. Reaction of the enzyme with tetranitromethane and N-acetylimidazole did not result in a significant activity loss as a result of modification of tyrosine residues. The water-soluble carbodiimide 1-[3-(dimethylamino) propyl]-3-ethylcarbodiimide inactivated the xylanase rapidly and completely in a pseudo-first-order process, and kinetic analysis indicated that at least one molecule of carbodiimide binds to the enzyme for inactivation. A mixture of neutral xylooligomers provided significant protection of the enzyme against this carbodiimide inactivation. Reaction of the xylanase with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid did not result in a significant activity loss as a result of modification of lysine residues. Titration of the enzyme with 5,5-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) and treatment with iodoacetamide and p-chloromercuribenzoate indicated the presence of a free/active thiol group. Xylan completely protected the enzyme from inactivation by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate, suggesting the presence of cysteine at the substrate-binding site. Inactivation of xylanase by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate could be restored by cysteine.     

Adenylyl-(5′, 2′)-adenosine 5′-Phosphate ((2′-5′) pA-A) in Crude Crystals of 5′-Adenylic Acid Isolated from Nuclease P1 (Penicillium Nuclease) Digest of Technical Grade Yeast RNA

Adenylyl (5′,2′)-adenosine 5′-phosphate ((2′-5′)pA-A) was detected in crude crystals of 5′-AMP prepared from Penicillium nuclease (nuclease P₁) digest of a technical grade yeast RNA. While (3′–5′)A-A was split by nuclease P₁, spleen phosphodiesterase, snake venom phosphodiesterase or alkali, (2′–5′)A-A was not split by a usual level of nuclease P₁ or spleen phosphodiesterase. Nuclease P₁ digests of 12 preparations of technical grade yeast RNA tested were confirmed to contain (2′–5′)pA-A. Its content was about 1 to 2% of the AMP component of each RNA preparation. As poly(A) was degraded completely by the Penicillium enzyme into 5′-AMP without formation of any appreciable amount of (2′–5′)pA-A, the technical grade RNA is supposed to contain 2–5′ phosphodiester linkages in addition to 3′–5′ major linkages.