Hydrophobized Formate Dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas sp. 101 in the System of Reverse Micelles of Aerosol OT in Octane

NAD⁺-dependent formate dehydrogenase (FDH) was hydrophobized with palmitoyl chloride to give the samples with various modification degrees (2–10). The native and modified FDHs were comparatively studied in the system of reverse micelles of Aerosol OT in octane. Like the native, the modified enzyme displayed three maxima in the curve of dependence of its catalytic activity on the degree of surfactant hydration (the micelle size), which reflect the enzyme functioning in the form of a monomer, dimer, or octamer. The peak corresponding to the functioning of the FDH dimer was found to decrease along with an increase in the modification degree. Thus, the modified enzyme mainly functions in the form of monomer and octamer. The modified FDH displayed membranotropy and revealed the dependence of catalytic activity on surfactant concentration.     

Effect of chemical modification of lipase on the regulation of its lipolytic activity in reversed micelles

Hydrophilized and hydrophobized forms of the lipase from Mucor miehei were obtained by its chemical modification with cellobiose and N-hydroxysuccinimidyl palmitate with a modification degree of 4 in both cases. A comparative analysis of the regulation of the catalytic activities of the native and modified lipases was carried out in the system of reversed micelles of OT aerosol (AOT) in isooctane. The level of catalytic activity of all the lipase preparations in the micellar medium was found to be higher than that in aqueous solution. The chemical modification of lipase did not result in a change in the regulation of the oligomeric composition of the enzyme controlled by the degree of micelle hydration omega0 (micelle size). The kcat dependences on omega0 for each lipase preparation exhibit two maxima, corresponding to the functioning of lipase monomers and tetramers. The changes in the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of the lipase surface significantly affect the character of the regulation of enzyme activity due to changes in the surfactant concentration (the number of micelles). The lipase hydrophobization results in a decrease in the enzyme activation effect with an increase in the AOT concentration in comparison with the native lipase. The lipase hydrophilization dramatically decreases the activity of lipase tetramer when the AOT concentration is increased. The catalytic activity of the monomer of hydrophilized lipase is practically independent of the AOT concentration. Kinetic data indicate a mixed type of activation of both oligomeric forms of the native and the hydrophobized lipase by AOT molecules and the noncompetitive type of the activation and AOT inhibition of the monomer and the tetramer of the hydrophilized lipase, respectively. The English version of the paper: Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry, 2005, vol. 31, no. 6; see also http://www.maik.ru.     

Effect of Chemical Modification of Lipase on the Regulation of Its Lipolytic Activity in Reversed Micelles

Hydrophilized and hydrophobized forms of the lipase from Mucor miehei were obtained by its chemical modification with cellobiose and N-succinimidyl palmitate with a modification degree of 4 in both cases. A comparative analysis of the regulation of the catalytic activities of the native and modified lipases was carried out in the system of reversed micelles of OT aerosol (AOT) in isooctane. The level of catalytic activity of all the lipase preparations in the micellar medium was found to be higher than that in aqueous solution. The chemical modification of lipase did not result in a change in the regulation of the oligomeric composition of the enzyme controlled by the degree of micelle hydration Ω₀ (micelle size). The k _cat dependences on Ω₀ for each lipase preparation exhibit two maxima, corresponding to the functioning of lipase monomers and tetramers. The changes in the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of the lipase surface significantly affect the character of the regulation of enzyme activity due to changes in the surfactant concentration (the number of micelles). The lipase hydrophobization results in a decrease in the enzyme activation effect with an increase in the AOT concentration in comparison with the native lipase. The lipase hydrophilization dramatically decreases the activity of lipase tetramer when the AOT concentration is increased. The catalytic activity of the monomer of hydrophilized lipase is practically independent of the AOT concentration. Kinetic data indicate a mixed type of activation of both oligomeric forms of the native and the hydrophobized lipase by AOT molecules and the noncompetitive type of the activation and AOT inhibition of the monomer and the tetramer of the hydrophilized lipase, respectively.     

Trypsin-modified alkaline phosphatase. Formation of apoenzyme monomer and hybrid dimer

The cleavage of an amino-terminal decapeptide from Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase has been previously described (Roberts, C. H., and Chlebowski, J. F. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 729-733) by this laboratory. The modest reduction in specific activity of the modified enzyme is paralleled by an apparent alteration in the Zn(II) affinity at one of the three active center metal ion binding sites. In contrast to the behavior of the native enzyme, formation of the metal-free apoprotein results in an irreversible loss of catalytic activity; phosphohydrolase activity is not restored on addition of Zn(II) and Mg(II). Differential scanning calorimetry and velocity sedimentation data indicate that the apo form of the modified enzyme exists as a monomer form which, while capable of binding Zn(II) does not readily reassociate to active dimer. Processive cleavage of the amino termini of the dimer by trypsin results in the transient formation of a hybrid dimer consisting of cleaved and uncleaved subunits. This species can be directly observed and isolated by taking advantage of the differential chromatographic mobility of the native "isozymes" and the resulting products. Coupled with improved procedures for the preparation of the modified protein, these data indicate that the amino-terminal modification results in alterations in the subunit interface domain and provides a species (the hybrid dimer) for the investigation of the propagation of these effects.     

The principal difference in regulation of the catalytic activity of water-soluble and membrane forms of enzymes in reversed micelles. Gamma-glutamyltransferase and aminopeptidase

The regularities of their functioning of enzyme, water-soluble and membrane forms, in the systems of the reversed micelles of surfactants in organic solvents are compared. Using as examples gamma-glutamyltransferase (in AOT reversed micelles in octane) and aminopeptidase (in Brij 96 reversed micelles in cyclohexane), the principal difference in the catalytic activity regulation of water-soluble and membrane forms is demonstrated. The catalytic activity of the membrane form depends considerably on the surfactant concentration at the constant degree of hydration, whereas the activity of the water-soluble form is constant under these conditions. The catalytic activity dependence on the surfactant concentration is regarded as a test for enzyme membrane activity.     

Properties of a cGMP-dependent monomeric protein kinase from bovine aorta

A form of cGMP-dependent protein kinase (cGK) that was different from previously described cGK was purified from bovine aorta smooth muscle. The partial amino-terminal sequencing of this enzyme indicated that it was derived by endogenous proteolysis of the type I beta isozyme of cGK. On sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, this form migrated as a smaller protein (Mr = 70,000) than the parent cGK (Mr = 80,000), and since the calculated nondenatured Mr was approximately 89,000 compared to Mr = 170,000 for the dimeric native enzyme, it represented a monomeric form of cGK. The monomer bound approximately 2 mol of [3H]cGMP per mol of monomer, although it had only one rapid component in [3H]cGMP dissociation assays as compared to one rapid and one slow component for the native cGK. The specific catalytic activity of the kinase was similar to that of the native enzyme, suggesting that the catalytic domain was essentially intact. The monomeric cGK incorporated significant 32P when incubated with Mg2+ and [gamma-32P]ATP in the presence of cGMP, although the phosphorylation proceeded at a slower rate than that obtained with native cGK. In contrast to previous reports of monomeric forms of cGK, this monomer was highly cGMP-dependent, although it had a slightly higher Ka (0.8 microM) for cGMP than that of the native enzyme (0.4 microM) and a low Hill coefficient of 1.0 (1.6 for the native enzyme). The cGMP dependence of the monomer did not decrease with dilution, implying that the cGMP dependence was not due to monomer-monomer interactions in the assay. The results indicated that the catalytic domain, cGMP binding domain(s), and inhibitory domain of cGK interact primarily within the same subunit rather than between subunits of the dimer as previously hypothesized for dimeric cGK.     

Regulation of the catalytic activity and supermolecular structure of penicillin acylase from Escherichia coli in an aerosol OT reversed micelle system in octane]

The properties of penicillin acylase from E. coli solubilized by hydrated reversed micelles of Aerozol OT (AOT) in octane were studied. The catalytic activity dependence on the hydration degree, a parameter which determines the size of the micelle inner cavity, represents a curve with three optima, each corresponding to the enzyme functioning either in a dimer form (omega 0 = 23) or in the form of separate subunits--heavy, beta, and light, alpha, at omega 0 = 20 and 14, respectively. Reversible dissociation of the enzyme was confirmed by ultracentrifugation followed by electrophoresis. Preparative isolation of penicillin acylase subunits, their catalytic activity being retained, was shown to be possible.     

The effect of tunicamycin on secreted glycosidases of Aspergillus niger

The catalytic activity of the two stable aggregation states of arginine decarboxylase, a dimer and a decamer, has been examined under a variety of conditions. The specific activity of the dimer was determined at pH 5.2, the optimum pH, over a very broad range of protein concentrations. It was found to be independent of concentration only above 5 μg/ml, and decreased to 0 at 0.02 μg/ml, suggesting that a concentration-dependent reassociation was occurring in the assay. At 0.58 μg/ml, the restoration of activity was time dependent. We conclude that, at pH 5.2, the decamer is active and the dimer is essentially inactive. The activities of the dimer and the decamer were also compared at neutral pH, by using increasing concentrations of either Na⁺, arginine, or protein to induce reassociation. All of these experiments are consistent with the idea that both species are equally active at this pH. Furthermore, the dependence of activity on arginine concentration is not hyperbolic at pH 7.2. The arginine decarboxylase dimer was modified by allowing one sulfhydryl group per monomer to react with 5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid). The modified dimer reassociates less readily than the native form, requiring higher concentrations of any of the three associating agents tried. The modified decamer, at both pH 5.2 and 7.4, and the modified dimer, at pH 7.4, retain approximately 60% of the activity of the untreated enzyme.     

The role of dissimilar subunits of NAD-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase from pig heart. Evaluation using affinity labeling

NAD-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase from pig heart is composed of three dissimilar subunits present in the native enzyme as 2 alpha:1 beta: 1 gamma, with a tetramer being the smallest form of complete enzyme. The role of these subunits has been explored using affinity labeling. Specifically labeled subunits are separated and then recombined with unmodified subunits to form dimers. Recombination of beta or gamma subunits modified by the isocitrate analogues, 3-bromo-2-ketoglutarate and 3,4-didehydro-2-ketoglutarate, with unmodified alpha subunit led to the same activity in the dimer as when unmodified beta or gamma was combined with alpha. Contrastingly, modification of alpha with these isocitrate analogues led to loss in activity either alone or when recombined with beta or gamma. Hence, the isocitrate site on alpha is required for catalytic activity but the isocitrate sites on beta or gamma are not necessary for the activity of the functional dimer. Reaction of isolated subunits with 3-bromo-2-ketoglutarate shows that alpha and the alpha beta dimer are modified at about the same rate as holoenzyme, suggestive of similarity of the isocitrate site in native enzyme and in isolated active entities containing alpha subunit; in contrast, beta and gamma subunits react more slowly. Modification by the 2',3'-dialdehyde derivative of the allosteric effector, ADP, led to loss of activity in reconstituted dimers, independent of which subunit was modified. Reaction of isolated subunits with the dialdehyde derivative of ADP is slow compared to the initial reaction with native enzyme, indicating differences in the effects of ADP on intact enzyme and subunits. The ADP sites on all subunits may thus be important in intersubunit interactions, which in turn modulate catalytic activity.     

Yeast glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Evidence that subunit cooperativity in catalysis can be controlled by the formation of a complex with phosphoglycerate kinase

Sepharose-bound tetrameric, dimeric and monomeric forms of yeast glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase were prepared, as well as immobilized hybrid species containing (by selective oxidation of an active center cysteine residue with H2O2) one inactivated subunit per tetramer or dimer. The catalytic properties of these enzyme forms were compared in the forward reaction (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate oxidation) and reverse reaction (1,3-bisphosphoglycerate reductive dephosphorylation) under steady-state conditions. In the reaction of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate oxidation, immobilized monomeric and tetrameric forms exhibited similar specific activities. The hybrid-modified dimer contributed on half of the total activity of a native dimer. The tetramer containing one modified subunit possessed 75% of the activity of an unmodified tetramer. In the reaction of 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate reductive dephosphorylation, the specific activity of the monomeric enzyme species was nearly twice as high as that of the tetramer, suggesting that only one-half of the active centers of the oligomer were acting simultaneously. Subunit cooperativity in catalysis persisted in an isolated dimeric species. The specific activity of a monomer associated with a peroxide-inactivated monomer in a dimer was equal to that of an isolated monomeric species and twice as high as that of a native immobilized dimer. The specific activity of subunits associated with a peroxide-inactivated subunit in a tetramer did not differ from that of a native immobilized tetramer; this indicates that interdimeric interactions are involved in catalytic subunit cooperativity. A complex was formed between the immobilized glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and soluble phosphoglycerate kinase. Three monomers of phosphoglycerate kinase were bound per tetramer of the dehydrogenase and one per dimer. Evidence is presented that if the reductive dephosphorylation of 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate proceeds in the phosphoglycerate kinase - glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase complex, all active sites of the latter enzyme act independently, i.e. subunit cooperativity is abolished.     

4-Aminobutyrate aminotransferase. Conformational changes induced by reduction of pyridoxal 5-phosphate

Conformational changes induced in 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase (4-aminobutyrate:2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase, EC 2.6.1.19) by conversion of pyridoxal-5-P to pyridoxyl-5-P were examined by two independent methods. The reactivity of the SH groups of the reduced enzyme is increased by chemical modification of the cofactor. 1.8 SH per dimer of modified enzyme react with DTNB, whereas 1.2 SH per dimer of the native enzyme react with the attacking reagent under identical experimental conditions. The modified and native forms of the enzyme bind the fluorescent probe ANS, but the number of binding sites for ANS is increased as result of conversion of P-pyridoxal to P-pyridoxyl. After the conformational changes onset by reduction of the cofactor, the modified enzyme binds one molecule of pyridoxal-5-P with a Kd of 0.1 microM to become catalytically competent. The catalytic site of the reduce enzyme was probed with P-pyridoxal analogs. Like resolved 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase, the reduced species recognize the phosphorothioate analog and regain 40% of the total enzymatic activity. Since the catalytic parameters of reduced and native 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase are indistinguishable, it is concluded that the additional catalytic site of the reduced enzyme is functionally identical to that of the native enzyme.     

Comparative study of the regulation of catalytic activity of soluble and membrane forms of enzymes in reverse micellar systems. Gamma-glutamyltransferase and aminopeptidase]

The regulations of functioning of water soluble and membrane forms of enzymes in the systems of reversed micelles of surfactants in organic solvents are compared. By an examples of gamma-glutamyltransferase (in AOT reversed micelles in octane) and amino-peptidase (in Brij 96 reversed micelles in cyclohexane) the principal difference in the catalytic activity regulation of water soluble and membrane forms is demonstrated. The catalytic activity of the membrane form depends largely on the surfactant concentration at the constant hydration degree, whereas the activity of the water soluble form is constant under these conditions. The catalytic activity dependence on the surfactant concentration is regarded as a "test for the enzyme's membrane activity".     

Methionyl-tRNA synthetase of Escherichia coli. A zinc metalloprotein.

The native dimeric form of methionyl-tRNA synthetase of Escherichia coli contains two zinc atoms per dimer, one per subunit. The bound zinc is retained upon trypsin modification which yields a monomer with one zinc atom. The enzymatic activity of both the dimeric forms is reversibly inhibited by 1,10-phenanthroline but not by its non-chelating analogues. In addition, the native enzyme binds two Mn2+ per dimer with a binding constant of approx. 70 micron but no binding is observed with the trypsin-modified monomer.     

Structure and catalysis of acylaminoacyl peptidase: closed and open subunits of a dimer oligopeptidase

Acylaminoacyl peptidase from Aeropyrum pernix is a homodimer that belongs to the prolyl oligopeptidase family. The monomer subunit is composed of one hydrolase and one propeller domain. Previous crystal structure determinations revealed that the propeller domain obstructed the access of substrate to the active site of both subunits. Here we investigated the structure and the kinetics of two mutant enzymes in which the aspartic acid of the catalytic triad was changed to alanine or asparagine. Using different substrates, we have determined the pH dependence of specificity rate constants, the rate-limiting step of catalysis, and the binding of substrates and inhibitors. The catalysis considerably depended both on the kind of mutation and on the nature of the substrate. The results were interpreted in terms of alterations in the position of the catalytic histidine side chain as demonstrated with crystal structure determination of the native and two mutant structures (D524N and D524A). Unexpectedly, in the homodimeric structures, only one subunit displayed the closed form of the enzyme. The other subunit exhibited an open gate to the catalytic site, thus revealing the structural basis that controls the oligopeptidase activity. The open form of the native enzyme displayed the catalytic triad in a distorted, inactive state. The mutations affected the closed, active form of the enzyme, disrupting its catalytic triad. We concluded that the two forms are at equilibrium and the substrates bind by the conformational selection mechanism.     

Chemical modification of SH groups of E. coli phosphofructokinase-2 induces subunit dissociation: monomers are inactive but preserve ligand binding properties

Modification of Escherichia coli phosphofructokinase-2 (Pfk-2) with N-(1-pyrenil)maleimide results in an enzyme form that is inactive. However, the rate of modification is drastically reduced in the presence of the allosteric effector MgATP. The stoichiometry of the label incorporation was found to be 2.03 +/- 0.035 mol of the reagent/mol of subunit, in agreement with the number of titratable SH groups by 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) in the labeled protein. HPLC gel filtration experiments demonstrate that native Pfk-2 is a dimer in the absence of ligands, while in the presence of MgATP a dimer-tetramer transition is promoted. In contrast, the modified enzyme eluted as a monomer and the presence of MgATP was not able to induce aggregation. Although the modified monomers are inactive, the dissociation constants for the substrates and the allosteric effector MgATP, measured by following the fluorescence of the binding probe, are the same as for the native enzyme. Quenching of pyrene fluorescence emission of labeled phosphofructokinase-2 monomers by acrylamide gave downward curved Stern-Volmer plots, with very similar quenching efficiencies for the control and for the fructose-6-P and MgATP-enzyme complexes. These results show the presence of SH groups in the interface of Pfk-2 subunits, critical for subunit interactions, and that conformational changes occurring through the dimers are essential for catalytic activity.     

Chemical modification of Lactobacillus casei thymidylate synthetase with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene and 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene

Previous studies of the pH dependence of sulfhydryl group modification in thymidylate synthetase (W. A. Munroe, C. A. Lewis and R. B. Dunlap, 1978, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.80, 355–360) suggested that a neighboring general base residue enhanced the nucleophilicity of the catalytic cysteinyl side chain. In an effort to identify the latter residue by active site crosslinking, chemical modification of the enzyme by 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene was investigated and compared with results of modification by 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene. Incubation of enzyme with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene led to rapid inactivation and loss of ability to form ternary complexes. Paper chromatography of the acid hydrolysate of enzyme modified with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene yielded two yellow spots, identified as dinitrophenylenecysteine and dinitrophenylenelysine. Specific active site labeling was indicated by substrate protection with dUMP, by the release of 1.65 of fluoride ion per enzyme dimer during inactivation, and by the fact that 70% of the activity was recovered after incubation of the inactivated enzyme with 2-mercaptoethanol, The results of a similar series of studies with 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene indicated quite specific active site modification. The equivalents of fluoride ion released during modification, 3.5 per enzyme dimer, and the fact that thiolysis of the totally inactivated enzyme led to a recovery of only 18% of the original activity provided evidence for active site crosslinking with the catalytic cysteine as one of the modification sites. Characterization of the modified enzyme, its yellow acid hydrolysate fragments, and a variety of dinitrophenylene crosslinked models suggested that 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene had modified the enzyme by crosslinking cysteine and serine residues.     

Alkaline phosphatase in reverse micelles of surfactants in organic solvent]

A dimeric enzyme (alkaline phosphatase from calf intestinal mucosa) was studied in the reversed micellar medium of Aerosol OT (AOT) in octane. The dependence of the enzyme's activity on the hydration degree (on the size of micelles) is a curve with two optima corresponding to the hydration degrees [H2O]/[AOT] = 17 and 25; when the inner cavity radii of reversed micelles are equal to the size of the enzyme's monomer (Mr = 70 000) and of the dimer (Mr = 140 000). Ultracentrifugation experiments showed that a reversible dissociation of the enzyme into subunits takes place as a result of the change of the hydration degree; the first and second maxima corresponding to the functioning of the monomeric and dimeric forms of the enzyme, respectively.     

Affinity chromatography and properties of cGMP-dependent protein kinase from prawn tissues

Using affinity chromatography on 8-(2-aminoethyl)-amino-cAMP Sepharose, the cGMP-dependent protein kinase (ATP: protein phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.37) from tissues of the prawn Palaemon adspersus was purified to homogeneity as demonstrated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The degree of enzyme purification was 11 200, recovery--6.5%; the isoelectric point for the enzyme lies at 5.5. Data from gel filtration and centrifugation in sucrose density gradient suggest that the dimer of cGMP-dependent protein kinase has a molecular weight of 157 000, sedimentation coefficient of 7.2S and a Stokes' radius of 50 A. An active form of the enzyme with Mr = 76 500 (4.5S, 39 A) which apparently represents a subunit of the cGMP-dependent protein kinase was discovered. The activity of the both enzyme forms are stimulated by low concentrations of cGMP (Ka = 1.10(-7) M). The monomer and dimer molecules appear as prolate ellipsoids with axial ratios close to 7. The native cGMP-dependent protein kinase is probably made up of two subunits each of which contains a regulatory and a catalytic sites.     

Reactivation of apo horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase with the monovalent metal ion Ag(I)

Each subunit of the liver alcohol dehydrogenase dimer contains one catalytic and one structural Zn(II) atom. Enzyme with the catalytic metal atoms selectively removed is inactive but can be partly reactivated in the presence of Ag(I) ions. Reactivation results from Ag(1) ions entering the empty metal-binding site in the catalytic center. The specific activity of this silver enzyme reached 24% of the native enzyme. Atomic absorption analysis gave equal amounts of Ag(I) and Zn(II), corresponding to one mole of each metal per monomer. Metal-directed affinity labelling using bromo-imidazolyl propionate showed that the properties of the silver-reactivated enzyme were distinct from those of the native enzyme.     

Isolation and characteristics of functionally active proteolytically modified forms of tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase from bovine liver

Functionally active proteolytic modified form of tyrosyl-tRNA-synthetase has been isolated in a homogeneous form from the bovine liver under incomplete blocking of endogenous proteolysis. The isolation scheme is described. From the data of gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions the molecular weight of this form is 39 +/- 1.5 kDa and from the data of gel filtration under native conditions -84 kDa. Thus, this form as well as the native enzyme is a dimer of the alpha 2-type. As compared to the native enzyme (Mm 2 x 59 kDa) a proteolytically modified form has a fragment of the polypeptide chain about 20 kDa long split out (this fragment is not essential for catalytic activity). The values of catalytic characteristics of the modified form in tRNA(Tyr) aminoacylation reaction (Km = 1.19 microM and kcat = 2.99 min-1) are close to those obtained for the main form of the enzyme (0.69 microM and 2.97 min-1, respectively). Amino acid composition of the low-molecular form of tyrosyl-tRNA-synthetase has been determined. It was found that the fragment split out in limited proteolysis was characterized by very high content of positively charged lysine residues (46 residues). A proteolytically modified form of tyrosyl-tRNA-synthetase possesses, like the main form, the affinity to high-molecular rRNA but it is eluted from the column filled with rRNA-sepharose at lower salt concentration (50 mM KCl) as compared to the main form of the enzyme (100 mM KCl).