Studies on nitrotyrosine-82 and aminotyrosine-82 derivatives of adrenodoxin. Effects of chemical modification on the complex formation with adrenodoxin reductase.

The coordination structure of the iron-sulfur center of the nitrotyrosine and the aminotyrosine derivates of bovine adrenodoxin was investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The reduced form of both modified samples exhibited signals identical with those for the native protein at g= 1.94 and g=2.01. From these results together with optical absorption and chemical analyses, it was concluded that the coordination structure of the iron-sulfur chromophore for both the derivatives was identical with the binuclear tetrahedral structure of native adrenodoxin. The configuration of the iron-binding area in nitro- and amino-adrenodoxin was studied by ovserving the circular dichroism spectra between 350 and 600 nm. The maxima for the nitro or amino derivatives were all identical with those for the native protein but different in the magnitude of their molar ellipticity. The molar ellipticities at 440 nm were 45.8 X 10(3), 14.5 X 10(3), and 9.5 X 10(6) deg cm2 per mol of iron for native adrenodoxin, nitro or amino derivative, respectively. These results suggest that the chemical modification of the tyrosine residue causes a conformational change in the iron-binding area. We have previously reported that the enzymatic activities of these reconstituted nitro and amino derivatives toware cytochrome c reduction in the presence of adrenodoxin reductase and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate were 19 and 7% of native adrenodoxin, respectively. The cytochrome c reductase activities of nitro- and aminoadrenodixin were drastically affected by the ionic strength of the assay medium, as found in native adrenodoxin. Fluorometric titration of the reductase with aminoadrenodoxin revealed that aminoadrenodoxin forms a 1:1 molar complex with the reductase. These results suggest that both the nitro and amino derivatives form a complex with the reductase. The dissociation constants of nitro- and aminoadrenodoxin for the reductase were 6.1 X 10(-7)M and 3.3 X 10(-7) M at mu = 0.04 and 1.9 X 10(-6) M and 2.0 X 10(-6) M at mu = 0.20, respectively. Comparison of these values with those of native adrenodoxin (approximately 10(-9) M at mu = 0.04 and 2.2 X 10(-7) M at mu = 0.20) suggests that an increase in the dissociation constant for the reductase is responsible for the decreased electron transferring activity of the modified adrenodoxins.     

Effects of specific chemical modification of actin.

G-actin has been nitrated with tetranitromethane in conditions that lead to the modification of one tyrosine residue. The reactive residue was found by earlier workers to be Tyr-69. The nitrated actin is conformationally similar to native G-actin, as judged by sedimentation velocity and circular dichroism analysis. A small proportion only is in the form of covalently linked dimers and trimers. The nitrated G-actin will polymerise to form filaments, indistinguishable in the electron microscope from those of native F-actin, but the polymerisation process is slower. Reduction of the nitrophenol group to the corresponding aminophenol leaves the properties of the protein in respect of polymerisation unchanged. When a dansyl group is introduced at the same point, however, the ability of the actin to polymerise is lost. The nitrated actin and its reduced counterpart will also bind heavy meromyosin, and the characteristic arrowhead formation of the bound molecules along the filaments can be seen in the electron microscope. Neither of the modified F-actins, however, significantly activates or inhibits the myosin ATPase activity. The fluorescence of nitrated actin is strongly quenched through the presence of the nitrophenol chromophore. In soluble complexes with heavy meromyosin the fluorescence is indistinguishable from the sum of the separate contributions of the two protein components. There is thus no measurable excitation transfer between any tryptophan residues on the myosin heads, such as that inferred to be present in the ATPase site, and the nitrotyrosine in position 69 of the actin sequence. Implications of this observation are considered in relation to the different interaction sites in myosin and in actin. The activation of heavy meromyosin ATPase by copolymers containing actin and nitroactin in different proportions has been measured, and is not proportional to the fraction of native actin. The results are consistent with the view that the function of actomyosin depends on the interaction of the myosin heads with more than one actin subunit.     

Effects of chemical modification of Anabaena flavodoxin and ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase on the kinetics of interprotein electron transfer reactions.

The influence of chemical modification of arginine residues (using phenylglyoxal) in ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase (FNR), and of carboxyl groups (using glycine ethyl ester) in flavodoxin (Fld), on the kinetics of electron transfer between FNR and Fld, and between ferredoxin (Fd) and FNR, was examined using laser flash photolysis methods. All proteins were obtained from the cyanobacterium Anabaena PCC7119. Reduction by laser-generated 5-deazariboflavin semiquinone of the FAD moiety of phenylglyoxal-modified FNR occurred with a second-order rate constant 2.5-fold smaller than that obtained for reduction of native FNR, indicating either a small degree of steric hindrance of the cofactor, or a decrease in its redox potential, upon chemical modification. In contrast, no changes were found in the kinetics of reduction of the FMN cofactor of Fld modified by glycine ethyl ester as compared with the native protein. The observed rate constants for reoxidation of Fdred (reduced Fd) by FNRox (oxidized FNR) were dramatically decreased (approximately 100-fold) when phenylglyoxal-modified FNR was used. In contrast to the reaction involving the native proteins, no ionic strength effects on kobs values were found. These results, and those obtained upon varying the protein concentration, indicate that the rate constant for complex formation and the attractive electrostatic interaction between the two proteins were greatly diminished by chemical modification of arginine residues of FNR. When phenylglyoxal-modified FNRsq (FNR semiquinone) was used to reduce Fldox (oxidized Fld), similar inhibitory effects were observed. In this case, the limiting first-order rate constant for Fldsq (Fld semiquinone) formation via intracomplex electron transfer from FNRsq was approximately 12-fold smaller than that obtained for the native FNR (600 s-1 vs 7000 s-1). Again, ionic strength effects were diminished. The glycine-ethyl-ester-modified Fld yielded a limiting first-order rate constant for intracomplex electron transfer from FNRsq to Fldox which was approximately 7-fold smaller (1000 s-1) than that obtained with native Fld, and ionic strength effects were again diminished. These results indicate that complex formation can still occur between modified FNR and native Fld, and between native FNR and modified Fld, but that the geometry of these complexes is altered so as to decrease the effectiveness of interprotein electron transfer. The results are discussed in terms of the specific structural features of the proteins involved.     

Ionic effects on adrenal steroidogenic electron transport. The role of adrenodoxin as an electron shuttle.

We have shown (Seybert, D., Lambeth, D., and Kamin, H. (1978), J. Biol. Chem. 253, 8355-8358) that, whereas the 1:1 complex between adrenodoxin reductase and adrenodoxin is the active species for cytochrome c reduction, the complex is not sufficient to allow cytochrome P-45011 beta-mediated hydroxylations;adrenodoxin in excess of reductase is required. In the present studies, reduction by NADPH of excess adrenodoxin is shown to occur at a rate sufficient to support both cytochrome P-450 11 beta-mediated hydroxylation of deoxycorticosterone, and cytochrome P-450sec-mediated side chain cleavage of cholesterol. Oxidation-reduction potential and ion effect studies indicate that the mechanism of steroidogenic electron transport involves an adrenodoxin electron "shuttle" rather than a macromolecular complex of reductase, adrenodoxin, and cytochrome. The oxidation-reduction potential of adrenodoxin is shifted about -100 mV when bound to reductase, and reduction of the iron-sulfur protein thus promotes dissociation of the complex. The rate of adrenodoxin reduction is first stimulated, then inhibited by increasing salt; the effect is ion-specific, with Ca2+ approximately Mg2+ greater than Na+ greater than NH/+. Similar ion-specific rate effects are observed for both of the cytochrome P-450-mediated hydroxylations, indicating that the same reduction mechanism is required for these reactions. Increasing salt concentrations caused dissociation of the complex; dissociation of the form of the complex containing reduced adrenodoxin occurred at lower salt concentrations than that containing oxidized adrenodoxin. The order of effectiveness of ions in causing dissociation is the same as the order for stimulation of adrenodoxin reduction, suggesting a dissociation step in the mechanism. This proposed model, together with dissociation constants for the form of the complex containing either oxidized or reduced adrenodoxin, allows accurate prediction of the salt rate effects curve. For all ions, an activity maximum is seen at the ion concentration which produces the largest molar difference between associated-oxidized and dissociated-reduced states, and the model predicts the positions of the maxima for adrenodoxin reduction, 11 beta-hydroxylation, and side chain cleavage. Thus reduction-induced dissociation of adrenodoxin from adrenodoxin reductase appears to be a required step in steroidogenic electron transport by this system, and a role for adrenodoxin as a mobile electron shuttle is proposed.     

Phosphorylation of bovine adrenodoxin. Structural study and enzymatic activity

Adrenodoxin is an iron-sulfur protein which functions as a carrier of reducing equivalents in steroid hydroxylation reactions catalyzed by specific cytochromes P-450 in steroidogenic tissues such as adrenal cortex. Purified bovine adrenocortical adrenodoxin was shown to be selectively phosphorylated upon incubation with purified cAMP-dependent protein kinase, whereas other protein kinases were ineffective. The phosphorylation reaction was completed within 45 min at 30 degrees C and resulted in the optimal incorporation of 1 mol phosphate/mol adrenodoxin. Apoadrenodoxin, lacking the iron-sulfur cluster, was also phosphorylated under similar conditions. An apparent Km of 55 microM with a Vmax of 0.3 pmol 32P incorporated min-1 mg adrenodoxin-1 was calculated. Phosphorylation resulted in a striking change in several molecular properties of adrenodoxin, such as electrophoretic behavior and hydroxyapatite affinity, thus providing the possibility of clearly separating phosphorylated from unphosphorylated adrenodoxin. In addition, phosphoadrenodoxin became refractory to mild trypsin degradation, whereas this was not the case with apoadrenodoxin. The phosphorylated site of adrenodoxin was identified as a serine residue; study of peptide products resulting from CNBr and proteolytic cleavages of phosphoadrenodoxin suggested that Ser-88 was the target of the phosphorylation reaction. The influence of phosphorylation upon adrenodoxin activity was examined using cholesterol side-chain cleavage and 11 beta-hydroxylase (11 beta) systems, reconstituted from purified components. Phosphorylation of adrenodoxin resulted in an average twofold decrease in its Km values for the two specific cytochromes P-450 involved. This effect was paralleled by a positive relationship between the degree of adrenodoxin phosphorylation and its ability to support the overall activity of reconstituted side-chain cleavage and 11 beta-hydroxylase systems. Although it remains to be examined whether adrenodoxin is phosphorylated in the intact cell, the present observations suggest that it represents a potential target in the hormonal regulation of the adrenocortical differentiated functions, especially by stimulatory agents acting through a cyclic-AMP-dependent mechanism, such as adrenocorticotropin.     

Effects of chemical modification on enzymatic activities and stabilities

The influence of chemical modification on the initial specific activity, residual activity, and deactivation kinetics of various enzymes is analyzed using a series mechanism. This straightforward multistate sequential model presented is consistent with the enzyme deactivation data obtained from different fields. The enzymes are placed in five different categories depending on the effect of chemical modification on initial specific activity and residual activity or stability. Wherever possible, structure-function relationships are described for the enzymes in the different categories. The categorization provides one avenue that leads to further physical insights into enzyme deactivation processes and into the enzyme structure itself.     

Selective chemical modification of cytochrome P-450SCC lysine residues. Identification of lysines involved in the interaction with adrenodoxin

Selective chemical modification of cytochrome P-450SCC has been carried out with lysine-modifying reagents. Modification of cytochrome P-450SCC with succinic anhydride was shown to result in loss of its ability to interact with intermediate electron transfer protein - adrenodoxin. To identify amino acid residues involved in charge-ion pairing with complementary carboxyl groups of adrenodoxin, cytochrome P-450SCC complex with adrenodoxin was modified with succinic anhydride. Adrenodoxin was then removed and cytochrome P-450 was additionally modified with isotopically labelled reagent. Subsequent chymotryptic hydrolysis of [14C]succinylated cytochrome P-450SCC and separation of digest obtained by combining various types of HPLC resulted in seven major radioactive peptides. The amino acid sequence of the peptides was determined by microsequencing. The major amino groups modified with radioactive succinic anhydride were found to be at Lys-73, -109, -110, -126, -145, -148 and -154 in the N-terminal sequence of cytochrome P-450SCC molecule and at Lys-267, -270, -338 and -342 in the C-terminal sequence. The role of electrostatic interactions in fixation of cytochrome P-450SCC complex with adrenodoxin is discussed.     

Studies on the chemical modification of potato (Solanum tuberosum) lectin and its effect on haemagglutinating activity

1. Modification of potato (Solanum tuberosum) lectin with acetic anhydride blocked 5.1 amino and 2.7 tyrosyl groups per molecule of lectin and decreased the haemagglutinating activity of the lectin. De-O-acetylation regenerated 2.0 of the tyrosyl groups and resulted in a recovery of activity. 2. Modification with citraconic anhydride or cyclohexane-1,2-dione did not greatly affect activity, although modification of amino and arginyl groups could be demonstrated. 3. Treatment with tetranitromethane nitrated 3.7 tyrosine residues per molecule of lectin with concomitant loss of activity. The presence of 0.1m-NN′N″-triacetylchitotriose (a potent inhibitor of the lectin) in the reaction medium protected all the tyrosyl residues from nitration and the lectin was fully active. 4. Modification of tryptophyl groups with 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide and 2,3-dioxoindoline-5-sulphonic acid modified 0.9 and 2.6 residues per molecule of lectin respectively with a loss of activity in each case. Reaction of potato lectin with 2,3-dioxoindoline-5-sulphonic acid in the presence of inhibitor protected 2.4 residues of tryptophan from the reagent. Loss of haemagglutination activity was prevented under these conditions. 5. Reaction of carboxy groups, activated with carbodi-imide, with α-aminobutyric acid methyl ester led to the incorporation of 5.3 residues of the ester per molecule of lectin. Presence of inhibitor in this case, although protecting activity, did not prevent modification of carboxy groups; in fact an increase in the number of modified residues was seen. This effect could be imitated by performing the reaction in 8m-urea. In both cases the number of carboxy groups modified was close to the total number of free carboxy groups as determined by the method of Hoare & Koshland [(1967) J. Biol. Chem. 242, 2447–2453]. Guanidination of lysine residues after carboxy-group modification gave less homoarginine than did the unmodified lectin under the same conditions, suggesting the formation of intramolecular cross-links during carbodi-imide activation. 6. It is suggested from the results presented that amino, arginyl, methionyl, histidyl and carboxyl groups are not involved in the activity of the lectin and that tyrosyl and tryptophyl groups are very closely involved. These findings are similar to those reported for other proteins that bind N-acetylglucosamine oligomers and also fit the general trend in other lectins.     

Studies on chemical modification of cold agglutinin from the snail Achatina fulica.

The cold agglutinin isolated from the albumin gland of the snail Achatina fulica was modified with various chemical reagents in order to detect the amino acids and/or carbohydrate residues present in its carbohydrate-binding sites. Treatment with reagents considered specific for modification of lysine, arginine and tryptophan residues of the cold agglutinin did not affect the carbohydrate-binding activity of the agglutinin. Modification of tyrosine residues showed some change. However, modification with carbodiimide followed by alpha-aminobutyric acid methyl ester causes almost complete loss of its binding activity, indicating the involvement of aspartic acid and glutamic acid in its carbohydrate-binding activity. The carbohydrate residues of the cold agglutinin were removed by beta-elimination reaction, indicating that the sugars are O-glycosidically linked to protein part of the molecule. Removal of galactose residues from the cold agglutinin by the action of beta-galactosidase indicated that the galactose molecules are beta-linked. These carbohydrate-modified glycoproteins showed a marked change in agglutination property, i.e. they agglutinated rabbit erythrocytes at both 10 degrees C and 25 degrees C, indicating that the galactose residues of the glycoprotein play an important role in the cold-agglutination property of the glycoprotein. The c.d. data showed the presence of an almost identical type of random-coil conformation in the native cold agglutinin at 10 degrees C and in the carbohydrate-modified glycoprotein at 10 degrees C and 25 degrees C. This particular random-coil conformation is essential for carbohydrate-binding property of the agglutinin.     

Characterization of Ustilago Ribonuclease U2. Effects of chemical modification at glutamic acid-61 and cystine-1 and of organic solvents on the enzymatic activity.

RNase U2 was purified and crystallized from the enriched culture medium (ammonium sulfate-urea-corn meal) of Ustilago sphaerogena and its characteristics were investigated. Chemical modification of RNase U2 was conducted with monoiodoacetic acid to carboxymethylate Glu-61 and with 2-methoxy-5-nitrotropone to nitrotroponylate the amino terminal residue. The amino terminal residue was modified reversibly by this reagent. Comparison of the 2'-AMP binding in the modified enzyme and the native one showed that Glu-61 is essential for the formation of the enzyme-substrate complex, while the amino terminal residue plays no important role in the enzymatic activity. The enzymatic activity and the structure of RNase U2 in aqueous organic solution were also investigated. The affinity of the enzyme for 2'-AMP, the inactivation by monoiodoacetic acid and the fluorescence intensity were examined. The profiles of the changes in the properties of the enzyme protein were consistent with those in the enzymatic activity. Fluorescence studies of the enzyme suggest that the tryptophan residue is closely related to the activity.     

Antiviral activity of benzimidazole derivatives. II. Antiviral activity of 2-phenylbenzimidazole derivatives

Seventy-six 2-phenylbenzimidazole derivatives were synthesized and evaluated in cell-based assays for cytotoxicity and antiviral activity against a panel of 10 RNA and DNA viruses. The most commonly affected viruses were, in decreasing order, CVB-2, BVDV, Sb-1, HSV-1, and YFV, while HIV-1 and VSV were not affected, and RSV, VV and Reo-1 were only susceptible to a few compounds. Thirty-nine compounds exhibited high activity (EC₅₀ = 0.1–10 μM) against at least one virus, and four of them were outstanding for their high and selective activity against VV (24, EC₅₀ = 0.1 μM) and BVDV (50, 51, and 53 with EC₅₀ = 1.5, 0.8, and 1.0 μM, respectively). The last compounds inhibited at low micromolar concentrations the NS5B RdRp of BVDV and also of HCV, the latter sharing structural similarity with the former. The considered compounds represent attractive leads for the development of antiviral agents against poxviruses, pestiviruses and even HCV, which are important human and veterinary pathogens.     

Studies on phosphoglyceromutase from chicken breast muscle: chemical modification of lysyl residues.

To examine the role of lysyl residues in the activity of the enzyme, phosphoglyceromutase (PGM) from chicken breast muscle was chemically modified with trinitrobenzenesulfonate (TNBS) and pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. Trinitrophenylation resulted in modification of about nine lysines per mole of PGM with almost complete activity loss. Substrate (3-PGA) offered some protection to TNBS inactivation but cofactor (2,3-DPGA) did not. Reduction of the Schiff's base complex between pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and PGM gave irreversible inactivation of the enzyme. Inactivation was due to incorporation of 1 mol of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate per mole of PGM dimer through the epsilon-amino group of a lysyl residue. The effect of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate was specific for intact native enzyme and reaction with only one lysine per dimer was not due to induced conformational changes nor to dissociation of the reacted enzyme. 3-PGA prevented much of the reaction with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate with preservation of 70% of the activity and was a competitive inhibitor of the active site directed reagent. Cofactor (2,3-DPGA) acting noncompetitively, reduced the rate at which inactivation occurred with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. Incorporation of 2,3-[32P]DPGA into PGM irreversibly inactivated with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and NaBH4 was incomplete indicating hindrance to phosphorylation in the modified enzyme. The results indicate that a lysyl residue is located at or near the active site of PGM and that it is probably involved in the binding of 3-PGA.     

The influence of chemical structure on fungal activity. I. Effect of p-chlorophenol and derivatives

Evaluation of 18 p-chlorophenols for fungistatic potency, including as an arbitrary standard the proven fabric mildew-proofing agent, G-4, was performed by the nutrient-agar dish technique using Aspergillus niger as the test organism.Substitution of any alkyl, cycloalkyl, or aryl group in the p-chlorophenol nucleus resulted in significant enhancement of potency as compared with p-chlorophenol. Maximal growth inhibitory response was indicated for o-tert-amyl-, o-benzyl-, o-tert-butyl-5-methyl-, o-cyclohexyl-, and o-phenyl-p-chlorophenols. Over a 1000-fold concentration range, these five derivatives were somewhat more fungitoxic as well as more sporocidal to A. niger than G-4, particularly through the 5 × 10^?5M to 10^?3M dosage range.