Molecular basis of enzyme inactivation by an endogenous electrophile 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal: identification of modification sites in glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase

4-Hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), a major lipid peroxidation-derived reactive aldehyde, is a potent inhibitor of sulfhydryl enzymes, such as the glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). It has been suggested that HNE exerts an inhibitory effect on the enzyme due to the modification of the cysteine residue (Cys-149) at the catalytic site generating the HNE-cysteine Michael addition-type adduct [Uchida, K., and Stadtman, E. R. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 6388-6393]. In the study presented here, to elucidate the mechanism for the inactivation of GAPDH by HNE, we attempted to identify the modification sites of the enzyme by monitoring the formation of the HNE Michael adducts by mass spectrometric methods. Incubation of GAPDH (1 mg/mL) with 1 mM HNE in 50 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) at 37 degrees C resulted in a time-dependent loss of enzyme activity, which was associated with the covalent binding of HNE to the enzyme. To identify the site of modification of GAPDH by HNE, both the HNE-pretreated and untreated GAPDH were digested with trypsin and V8 protease, and the resulting peptides were subjected to electrospray ionization liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (ESI-LC-MS). This technique identified five peptides, which contained the HNE adducts at His-164, Cys-244, Cys-281, His-327, and Lys-331 and revealed that both His-164 and Cys-281 were very rapidly modified at 5 min, followed by Cys-244 at 15 min and His-327 and Lys-331 at 30 min. These observations and the observation that the HNE modification of the catalytic center, Cys-149, was not observed suggest that the HNE inactivation of GAPDH is not due to the modification of the catalytic center but to the selective modification of amino acids primarily located in the surface of the GAPDH molecule.     

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase interacts with Rab2 and plays an essential role in endoplasmic reticulum to Golgi transport exclusive of its glycolytic activity

Rab2 requires atypical protein kinase C iota/lambda (aPKC iota/lambda) to promote vesicle formation from vesicular tubular clusters (VTCs). The Rab2-generated vesicles are enriched in recycling proteins suggesting that the carriers are retrograde-directed and retrieve transport machinery back to the endoplasmic reticulum. These vesicles also contained the glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). We have previously established that GAPDH is required for membrane transport between the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi complex. Moreover, GAPDH is phosphorylated by aPKC iota/lambda and binds to the aPKC iota/lambda regulatory domain. In this study, we employed a combination of in vivo and in vitro assays and determined that GAPDH also interacts with Rab2. The site of GAPDH interaction was mapped to Rab2 residues 20-50. In addition to its glycolytic function, GAPDH has multiple intracellular roles. However, the function of GAPDH in the early secretory pathway is unknown. One possibility is that GAPDH ultimately provides energy in the form of ATP. To determine whether GAPDH catalytic activity was critical for transport in the early secretory pathway, a conservative substitution was made at Cys-149 located at the active site, and the mutant was biochemically characterized in a battery of assays. Although GAPDH (C149G) has no catalytic activity, Rab2 recruited the mutant protein to membranes in a quantitative binding assay. GAPDH (C149G) is phosphorylated by aPKC iota/lambda and binds directly to Rab2 when evaluated in an overlay binding assay. Importantly, VSV-G transport between the ER and Golgi complex is restored when an in vitro trafficking assay is performed with GAPDH-depleted cytosol and GAPDH (C149G). These data suggest that GAPDH imparts a unique function necessary for membrane trafficking from VTCs that does not require GAPDH glycolytic activity.     

The active site cysteine of the proapoptotic protein glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase is essential in oxidative stress-induced aggregation and cell death

Recent studies have revealed that the redox-sensitive glycolytic enzyme, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), is involved in neuronal cell death that is triggered by oxidative stress. GAPDH is locally deposited in disulfide-bonded aggregates at lesion sites in certain neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanism that underlies oxidative stress-induced aggregation of GAPDH and the relationship between structural abnormalities in GAPDH and cell death. Under nonreducing in vitro conditions, oxidants induced oligomerization and insoluble aggregation of GAPDH via the formation of intermolecular disulfide bonds. Because GAPDH has four cysteine residues, including the active site Cys(149), we prepared the cysteine-substituted mutants C149S, C153S, C244A, C281S, and C149S/C281S to identify which is responsible for disulfide-bonded aggregation. Whereas the aggregation levels of C281S were reduced compared with the wild-type enzyme, neither C149S nor C149S/C281S aggregated, suggesting that the active site cysteine plays an essential role. Oxidants also caused conformational changes in GAPDH concomitant with an increase in beta-sheet content; these abnormal conformations specifically led to amyloid-like fibril formation via disulfide bonds, including Cys(149). Additionally, continuous exposure of GAPDH-overexpressing HeLa cells to oxidants produced disulfide bonds in GAPDH leading to both detergent-insoluble and thioflavin-S-positive aggregates, which were associated with oxidative stress-induced cell death. Thus, oxidative stresses induce amyloid-like aggregation of GAPDH via aberrant disulfide bonds of the active site cysteine, and the formation of such abnormal aggregates promotes cell death.     

Mechanisms of Nitrosylation and Denitrosylation of Cytoplasmic Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate Dehydrogenase from Arabidopsis thaliana

Nitrosylation is a reversible post-translational modification of protein cysteines playing a major role in cellular regulation and signaling in many organisms, including plants where it has been implicated in the regulation of immunity and cell death. The extent of nitrosylation of a given cysteine residue is governed by the equilibrium between nitrosylation and denitrosylation reactions. The mechanisms of these reactions remain poorly studied in plants. In this study, we have employed glycolytic GAPDH from Arabidopsis thaliana as a tool to investigate the molecular mechanisms of nitrosylation and denitrosylation using a combination of approaches, including activity assays, the biotin switch technique, site-directed mutagenesis, and mass spectrometry. Arabidopsis GAPDH activity was reversibly inhibited by nitrosylation of catalytic Cys-149 mediated either chemically with a strong NO donor or by trans-nitrosylation with GSNO. GSNO was found to trigger both GAPDH nitrosylation and glutathionylation, although nitrosylation was widely prominent. Arabidopsis GAPDH was found to be denitrosylated by GSH but not by plant cytoplasmic thioredoxins. GSH fully converted nitrosylated GAPDH to the reduced, active enzyme, without forming any glutathionylated GAPDH. Thus, we found that nitrosylation of GAPDH is not a step toward formation of the more stable glutathionylated enzyme. GSH-dependent denitrosylation of GAPC1 was found to be linked to the [GSH]/[GSNO] ratio and to be independent of the [GSH]/[GSSG] ratio. The possible importance of these biochemical properties for the regulation of Arabidopsis GAPDH functions in vivo is discussed.     

The C-terminal extension of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase subunit B acts as an autoinhibitory domain regulated by thioredoxins and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide

The regulatory isoform of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is a light-activated enzyme constituted by subunits GapA and GapB. The NADPH-dependent activity of regulatory GAPDH from spinach chloroplasts was affected by the redox potential (E(m,7.9), -353 +/- 11 mV) through the action of thioredoxin f. The redox dependence of recombinant GapB (E(m,7.9), -347 +/- 9 mV) was similar to native GAPDH, whereas GapA was essentially redox-insensitive. GapB mutants having one or two C-terminal cysteines mutated into serines (C358S, C349S, C349S/C358S) were less redox-sensitive than GapB. Different mutants with other cysteines substituted by serines (C18S, C274S, C285S) still showed strong redox regulation. Fully active GapB was a tetramer of B-subunits, and, when incubated with NAD, it associated to a high molecular weight oligomer showing low NADPH-dependent activity. The C-terminal GapB mutants (C358S, C349S, C349S/C358S) were active tetramers unable to aggregate to higher oligomers in the presence of NAD, whereas other mutants (C18S, C274S, C285S) again behaved like GapB. We conclude that a regulatory disulfide, between Cys-349 and Cys-358 of the C-terminal extension of GapB, does form in the presence of oxidized thioredoxin. This covalent modification is required for the NAD-dependent association into higher oligomers and inhibition of the NADPH-activity. By leading to GAPDH autoinhibition, thioredoxin and NAD may thus concur to the dark inactivation of the enzyme in vivo.     

酵母羧甲基化及光照甘油醛-3-磷酸脱氢酶在碘化钾溶液中荧光发色团的形成

CM-GAPDH在碘化钾溶液中,NAD~+的存在下,形成发射波长为383nm的荧光物。对照的NAD~+与碘化钾溶液混合不产生荧光物。全位及半位修饰光照酶的内源荧光在碘化钾溶液中的变化与天然酶的有明显不同。两者在碘化钾中都形成383nm的荧光,但全位修饰光照酶形成383nm荧光的最适碘化钾浓度为1.0M;半位修饰的为0.8M。以上结果暗示:383nm荧光物的形成需要GAPDH和NAD~+同时存在,并且与活性部位巯基修饰的多少有关,该荧光物可能位于GAPDH的活性部位。     

酵母羧甲基化及光照甘油醛-3-磷酸脱氢酶在碘化钾溶液中荧光发色团的形成

CM-GAPDH在碘化钾溶液中,NAD~+的存在下,形成发射波长为383nm的荧光物。对照的NAD~+与碘化钾溶液混合不产生荧光物。全位及半位修饰光照酶的内源荧光在碘化钾溶液中的变化与天然酶的有明显不同。两者在碘化钾中都形成383nm的荧光,但全位修饰光照酶形成383nm荧光的最适碘化钾浓度为1.0M;半位修饰的为0.8M。以上结果暗示:383nm荧光物的形成需要GAPDH和NAD~+同时存在,并且与活性部位巯基修饰的多少有关,该荧光物可能位于GAPDH的活性部位。     

Reversible post-translational modification of proteins by nitrated fatty acids in vivo

Nitric oxide ((*)NO)-derived reactive species nitrate unsaturated fatty acids, yielding nitroalkene derivatives, including the clinically abundant nitrated oleic and linoleic acids. The olefinic nitro group renders these derivatives electrophilic at the carbon beta to the nitro group, thus competent for Michael addition reactions with cysteine and histidine. By using chromatographic and mass spectrometric approaches, we characterized this reactivity by using in vitro reaction systems, and we demonstrated that nitroalkene-protein and GSH adducts are present in vivo under basal conditions in healthy human red cells. Nitro-linoleic acid (9-, 10-, 12-, and 13-nitro-9,12-octadecadienoic acids) (m/z 324.2) and nitro-oleic acid (9- and 10-nitro-9-octadecaenoic acids) (m/z 326.2) reacted with GSH (m/z 306.1), yielding adducts with m/z of 631.3 and 633.3, respectively. At physiological concentrations, nitroalkenes inhibited glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), which contains a critical catalytic Cys (Cys-149). GAPDH inhibition displayed an IC(50) of approximately 3 microM for both nitroalkenes, an IC(50) equivalent to the potent thiol oxidant peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)) and an IC(50) 30-fold less than H(2)O(2), indicating that nitroalkenes are potent thiol-reactive species. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed covalent adducts between fatty acid nitroalkene derivatives and GAPDH, including at the catalytic Cys-149. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis of human red cells confirmed that nitroalkenes readily undergo covalent, thiol-reversible post-translational modification of nucleophilic amino acids in GSH and GAPDH in vivo. The adduction of GAPDH and GSH by nitroalkenes significantly increased the hydrophobicity of these molecules, both inducing translocation to membranes and suggesting why these abundant derivatives had not been detected previously via traditional high pressure liquid chromatography analysis. The occurrence of these electrophilic nitroalkylation reactions in vivo indicates that this reversible post-translational protein modification represents a new pathway for redox regulation of enzyme function, cell signaling, and protein trafficking.     

The thioredoxin-independent isoform of chloroplastic glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase is selectively regulated by glutathionylation

In animal cells, many proteins have been shown to undergo glutathionylation under conditions of oxidative stress. By contrast, very little is known about this post-translational modification in plants. In the present work, we showed, using mass spectrometry, that the recombinant chloroplast A(4)-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (A(4)-GAPDH) from Arabidopsis thaliana is glutathionylated with either oxidized glutathione or reduced glutathione and H(2)O(2). The formation of a mixed disulfide between glutathione and A(4)-GAPDH resulted in the inhibition of enzyme activity. A(4)-GAPDH was also inhibited by oxidants such as H(2)O(2). However, the effect of glutathionylation was reversed by reductants, whereas oxidation resulted in irreversible enzyme inactivation. On the other hand, the major isoform of photosynthetic GAPDH of higher plants (i.e. the A(n)B(n)-GAPDH isozyme in either A(2)B(2) or A(8)B(8) conformation) was sensitive to oxidants but did not seem to undergo glutathionylation significantly. GAPDH catalysis is based on Cys149 forming a covalent intermediate with the substrate 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate. In the presence of 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate, A(4)-GAPDH was fully protected from either oxidation or glutathionylation. Site-directed mutagenesis of Cys153, the only cysteine located in close proximity to the GAPDH active-site Cys149, did not affect enzyme inhibition by glutathionylation or oxidation. Catalytic Cys149 is thus suggested to be the target of both glutathionylation and thiol oxidation. Glutathionylation could be an important mechanism of regulation and protection of chloroplast A(4)-GAPDH from irreversible oxidation under stress.     

Study of the carbohydrate metabolic enzyme activity of Act. noursei]

Activity of aldolase and threosophosphate dehydrogenase, transketolase and phosphogluconate dehydrogenase in Act. noursei, strain 153 and its inactive mutant 149 was studied comparatively. The enzyme activity of the inactive mutant was investigated in the absence of the antibiotic production and under conditions of reduced biosynthesis of nystatin in this strain after addition of the fermentation broth filtrate of the inactive mutant 369 to the medium. The activity of the enzymes of the hexosomonophosphate metabolic pathway in the active strain 153 of Act. noursei was 2-4 times higher than that of the inactive mutant 149. The activity of the enzymes of the hexosomonophosphate metabolic pathways increased and reached the level of the enzyme of the active mutant. The high level of the enzyme activity of the hexosomonophosphate glycolysis pathway is probably one of the necessary conditions for nystatin production.     

4-Chloroacetylpyridine adenine dinucleotide. A highly reactive and chromophoric affinity label of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from sturgeon

The analogue of NAD+, 4-chloroacetylpyridine-adenine dinucleotide (clac4PdAD+), inactivated the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from sturgeon at a high rate. An affinity labeling was shown to occur with clac4PdAD+. The mononucleotide 4-chloroacetylpyridine 1-beta-D-ribose 5'-phosphate (clac4PdMN+) reacted with the enzyme in a second-order reaction whose rate was much smaller than that calculated for clac4PdAD+ taken as a second-order rate reagent. The rate of the reaction of clac4PdAD+ with the enzyme was determined by stopped flow, using as a probe the long-wavelength absorption maximum (430 nm) formed concomitantly with inactivation of the enzyme. Computer-assisted graphic simulation showed that the clac4PdAD+ analogue could bind to the active site of the enzyme from Bacillus stearothermophilus in a similar manner to that of NAD+, and that the reactive carbon and the reactive thiolate of Cys-149 were within bonding distance. The absorption at 430 nm was linearly proportional to the substoichiometric concentration of clac4PdAD+/mole subunit. Thiol titration suggested the modification of one thiol residue per subunit. The modified thiol was identified by degradation as Cys-149. In contrast to the absorption band generated during the reaction of the 3-chloroacetylpyridine-adenine dinucleotide (clac3PdAD+) with the same enzyme [Eur. J. Biochem. (1982) 127, 519-524; 129, 437-446], enzyme inactivated with clac4PdAD+ and clac4PdMN+ exhibited an absorption maximum at long wavelength which was still present after denaturation. The chromophore is proposed to be the enol form of the alpha-thioether ketone produced by alkylation of the thiolate of Cys-149 by the chloroacetyl group.     

Glutathionylation of cytosolic glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana is reversed by both glutaredoxins and thioredoxins in vitro

Plants contain both cytosolic and chloroplastic GAPDHs (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenases). In Arabidopsis thaliana, cytosolic GAPDH is involved in the glycolytic pathway and is represented by two differentially expressed isoforms (GapC1 and GapC2) that are 98% identical in amino acid sequence. In the present study we show that GapC1 is a phosphorylating NAD-specific GAPDH with enzymatic activity strictly dependent on Cys(149). Catalytic Cys(149) is the only solvent-exposed cysteine of the protein and its thiol is relatively acidic (pK(a)=5.7). This property makes GapC1 sensitive to oxidation by H(2)O(2), which appears to inhibit enzyme activity by converting the thiolate of Cys(149) (-S-) into irreversible oxidized forms (-SO(2)(-) and -SO(3)(-)) via a labile sulfenate intermediate (-SO(-)). GSH (reduced glutathione) prevents this irreversible process by reacting with Cys(149) sulfenates to give rise to a mixed disulfide (Cys(149)-SSG), as demonstrated by both MS and biotinylated GSH. Glutathionylated GapC1 can be fully reactivated either by cytosolic glutaredoxin, via a GSH-dependent monothiol mechanism, or, less efficiently, by cytosolic thioredoxins physiologically reduced by NADPH:thioredoxin reductase. The potential relevance of these findings is discussed in the light of the multiple functions of GAPDH in eukaryotic cells (e.g. glycolysis, control of gene expression and apoptosis) that appear to be influenced by the redox state of the catalytic Cys(149).     

Removal of distal protein-water hydrogen bonds in a plant epoxide hydrolase increases catalytic turnover but decreases thermostability

A putative proton wire in potato soluble epoxide hydrolase 1, StEH1, was identified and investigated by means of site-directed mutagenesis, steady-state kinetic measurements, temperature inactivation studies, and X-ray crystallography. The chain of hydrogen bonds includes five water molecules coordinated through backbone carbonyl oxygens of Pro(186), Leu(266), His(269), and the His(153) imidazole. The hydroxyl of Tyr(149) is also an integrated component of the chain, which leads to the hydroxyl of Tyr(154). Available data suggest that Tyr(154) functions as a final proton donor to the anionic alkylenzyme intermediate formed during catalysis. To investigate the role of the putative proton wire, mutants Y149F, H153F, and Y149F/H153F were constructed and purified. The structure of the Y149F mutant was solved by molecular replacement and refined to 2.0 A resolution. Comparison with the structure of wild-type StEH1 revealed only subtle structural differences. The hydroxyl group lost as a result of the mutation was replaced by a water molecule, thus maintaining a functioning hydrogen bond network in the proton wire. All mutants showed decreased catalytic efficiencies with the R,R-enantiomer of trans-stilbene oxide, whereas with the S,S-enantiomer, k (cat)/K (M) was similar or slightly increased compared with the wild-type reactions. k (cat) for the Y149F mutant with either TSO enantiomer was increased; thus the lowered enzyme efficiencies were due to increases in K (M). Thermal inactivation studies revealed that the mutated enzymes were more sensitive to elevated temperatures than the wild-type enzyme. Hence, structural alterations affecting the hydrogen bond chain caused increases in k (cat) but lowered thermostability.     

Submicromolar concentrations of palmitoyl-CoA specifically thioesterify cysteine 244 in glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase inhibiting enzyme activity: a novel mechanism potentially underlying fatty acid induced insulin resistance

The accumulation of fatty acids and their metabolites results in insulin resistance and reduced glucose utilization through a variety of complex mechanisms that remain incompletely understood. Herein, we demonstrate that submicromolar concentrations of palmitoyl-CoA inhibit glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH; EC 1.2.1.12) enzyme activity through the covalent thioesterification of palmitate to GAPDH. First, incubation of GAPDH with palmitoyl-CoA (0.5-5 microM) resulted in the dramatic concentration-dependent inhibition of GAPDH enzyme activity. Second, incubation of GAPDH with [(14)C]palmitoyl-CoA followed by SDS-PAGE and autoradiography identified a covalently radiolabeled adduct present at approximately 35 kDa with a stoichiometry of one molecule of palmitoyl-CoA per GAPDH tetramer. Third, mass spectrometric analyses of intact GAPDH treated with palmitoyl-CoA demonstrated the covalent addition of palmitate to the GAPDH protein. Fourth, trypsinolysis of the modified protein revealed that the peptide (232)VPTPNVSVVDLTRC*R(245) was covalently modified. Fifth, the site of palmitoylation was demonstrated to be Cys-244 by analyses of product ion mass spectra. These assignments were further substantiated using different molecular species of acyl-CoAs resulting in the anticipated changes in both the masses of adduct ions and their fragmentation patterns. Sixth, GAPDH palmitoylation was demonstrated to facilitate the translocation of GAPDH to either lipid vesicles or naturally occurring biologic membranes. Since the hallmark of lipotoxicity is the accumulation of fatty acids and their acyl-CoA metabolites in excess of a cell's ability to appropriately metabolize them, these results identify a novel mechanism potentially contributing to the insulin resistance, reduced glucose utilization, and maladaptive metabolic alterations underlying the lipotoxic state.     

Structure of active site carboxymethylated D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from Palinurus versicolor

The structure of active site carboxymethylated D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from Palinurus versicolor was determined in the presence of coenzyme NAD+ at 1.88 A resolution with a final R-factor of 0.175. The structure refinement was carried out on the basis of the structure of holo-GAPDH at 2.0 A resolution using the program XPLOR. The carboxymethyl group connected to Cys149 is stabilized by a hydrogen bond between its OZ1 and Cys149N, and charge interaction between the carboxyl group and the nicotinamide moiety. The modification of Cys149 induced conformational changes in the active site, in particular, the site of sulphate ion 501 (the proposed attacking inorganic phosphate ion in catalysis), and segment 208-218 nearby. Extensive hydrogen-bonding interactions occur in the active site, which contribute to the higher stability of the modified enzyme. The modification of the active site did not affect the conformation of GAPDH elsewhere, including the subunit interfaces. The structures of the green and red subunits in the asymmetric unit are nearly identical, suggesting that the half-site reactivity of this enzyme is from ligand-induced rather than pre-existing asymmetry. It is proposed that the carboxymethyl group takes the place of the acyl group of the reaction intermediate, and the catalytic mechanism of this enzyme is discussed in the light of a comparison of the structures of the native and the carboxymethylated GAPDH.     

Studies on the structure of rabbit muscle aldolase: Amino acid sequence of cysteine-containing peptides

Five cysteine-containing peptides have been isolated in nearly stoichemometric yields from the tryptic digests of the NH₂^? and COOH-terminal BrCN peptides of rabhit muscle aldolase and their sequence determined. Peptides NS1, NS2, and NS3, from the NH₂-terminal part of the enzyme have the following sequences: NS1, Val-Asp-Pro-Cys-Ile-Gly-Gly-Val-Ile-Leu-Phe-His-Glu-Thr-Leu-Tyr-Gln-Lys; NS2, Cys-Val-Leu-Lys; NS3, Cys-Ala-Glu-Tyr-Lys. The two peptides isolated from the COOH-terminal region are: CS1, Ala-Leu-Ala-Asn-Ser-Leu-Ala-Cys-Gln-Gly-Lys and CS2, Cys-Pro-Leu-Leu-Trp-Pro-Lys-Ala-Leu-Thr-Phe-Ser-Tyr-Gly-Arg. The Lys-Ala bond in peptide CS2 was found to be resistant to tryptic hydrolysis. The results provide the basis for assigning the positions of cysteine residues in the polypeptide chain. Cys-72 in peptide NS1 and Cys-336 in peptide CS1 are the residues that form a disulfide bridge when the enzyme is inactivated by oxidation with an o-phenanthroline-Cu²⁺ complex; Cys-287 in peptide CS2 in one of the two exposed residues, while Cys-134 and Cys-149 in peptides NS2 and NS3, respectively, are buried in the native enzyme. All of eight cysteine-containing peptides of rabbit muscle aldolase have now been sequenced, and structural homology of the α and β subunits extended to these regions.     

Novel inhibitors of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase: Covalent modification of NAD-binding site by aromatic thiols

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH, EC 1.2.1.12) is a glycolytic enzyme catalyzing the formation of 1,3-diphosphoglycerate from glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and inorganic phosphate. In cooperation with E3 ubiquitin-kinase Siah1, GAPDH directly participates in the apoptotic death of neurons in Parkinson’s disease. Potential GAPDH inhibitors were screened in silico, and three compounds with high affinity to the NAD-binding site and theoretically capable of forming a disulfide bond with amino acid residue Cys149 were found among cysteine and glutathione derivatives. The inhibitory effect of these compounds was tested on GAPDH from rabbit muscles using isothermal calorimetry and kinetic methods. As a result of experimental screening, we selected two compounds that inhibit GAPDH by forming disulfide bonds with the Cys149 residue in the enzyme active site. Since Cys149 is the key residue not only for the catalyzed reaction, but also for interaction with Siah1, the compounds can be assumed to inhibit the formation of the proapoptotic complex GAPDH-Siah1 and therefore have potential effect against Parkinson’s disease.     

Biotin synthase mechanism: mutagenesis of the YNHNLD conserved motif

Biotin synthase, a member of the "radical SAM" family, catalyzes the final step of the biotin biosynthetic pathway, namely, the insertion of a sulfur atom into dethiobiotin (DTB). The active form of the enzyme contains two iron-sulfur clusters, a [4Fe-4S](2+) cluster liganded by Cys-53, Cys-57, and Cys-60 and the S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet or SAM) cosubstrate and a [2Fe-2S](2+) cluster liganded by Cys-97, Cys-128, Cys-188, and Arg-260. Single-point mutation of each of these six conserved cysteines produced inactive variants. In this work, mutants of other highly conserved residues from the Y(150)NHNLD motif are described. They have properties similar to those of the wild-type enzyme with respect to their cluster content and characteristics. For all of them, the as-isolated form, which contains an air-stable [2Fe-2S](2+) center, can additionally accommodate an air-sensitive [4Fe-4S](2+) center which is generated by incubation under anaerobic conditions with Fe(2+) and S(2-). Their spectroscopic properties are similar to those of the wild type. However, they are inactive, except the mutant H152A that exhibits a weak activity. We show that the mutants, inactive in producing biotin, are also unable to cleave AdoMet and to produce the deoxyadenosyl radical (AdoCH(2)(*)). In the case of H152A, a value of 5.5 +/- 0.4 is found for the 5'-deoxyadenosine (AdoCH(3)):biotin ratio, much higher than the value of 2.8 +/- 0.3 usually observed with the wild type. This reveals a greater contribution of the abortive process in which the AdoCH(2)(*) radical is quenched by hydrogen atoms from the protein or from some components of the system. Thus, in this case, the coupling between the production of AdoCH(2)(*) and its reaction with the hydrogen at C-6 and C-9 of DTB is less efficient than that in the wild type, probably because of geometry's perturbation within the active site.     

Inactivation of rabbit muscle creatine kinase by reversible formation of an internal disulfide bond induced by the fungal toxin gliotoxin

The biological activity of gliotoxin is dependent on the presence of a strained disulfide bond that can react with accessible cysteine residues on proteins. Rabbit muscle creatine kinase contains 4 cysteines per 42-kDa subunit and is active in solution as a dimer. Only Cys-282 has been identified as essential for activity. Modification of this residue results in loss of activity of the enzyme. Treatment of creatine kinase with gliotoxin resulted in a time-dependent loss of activity abrogated in the presence of reducing agents. Activity was restored when the inactivated enzyme was treated with reducing agents. Inactivation of creatine kinase by gliotoxin was accompanied by the formation of a 37-kDa form of the enzyme. This oxidized form of creatine kinase was rapidly reconverted to the 42-kDa species by the addition of reducing agents concomitant with restoration of activity. A 1:1 mixture of the oxidized and reduced monomer forms of creatine kinase as shown on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was equivalent to the activity of the fully reduced form of the enzyme consistent with only one reduced monomer of the dimer necessary for complete activity. Conversion of the second monomeric species of the dimer to the oxidized form by gliotoxin correlated with loss of activity. Our data are consistent with gliotoxin inducing the formation of an internal disulfide bond in creatine kinase by initially binding and possibly activating a cysteine residue on the protein, followed by reaction with a second neighboring thiol. The recently published crystal structure of creatine kinase suggests the disulfide is formed between Cys-282 and Cys-73.