On the mechanism of hemozoin production in malaria parasites: activated erythrocyte membranes promote beta-hematin synthesis

The ferriprotoporphyrin IX (FP) molecules released by intraerythrocytic malaria parasites during hemoglobin digestion are converted to beta-hematin and are stored in the parasites' food vacuoles. It has been demonstrated in cell-free medium that the incorporation of FP into beta-hematin under physiological conditions requires a catalyst from parasite lysates or pre-formed beta-hematin. In the present studies, lysates of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes were suspended in 1 M NaOH and were washed with phosphate buffer, pH 7.6. When the cell extracts were incubated with hematin in 0.5 M sodium acetate buffer, pH 5, for 20 hr at 37 degrees C, a large quantity of beta-hematin was formed. To determine whether parasite components were necessary for the beta-hematin formation, normal erythrocyte ghosts were similarly treated with 1 M NaOH and then incubated with hematin. In repeated experiments it was found that, on the average, 70% of the hematin was converted to beta-hematin. Membranes treated with HCl or CH(3)COOH also promoted the formation of beta-hematin, while untreated membranes were ineffective. The possibility that metabolic activities in the food vacuoles of malaria parasites may activate membrane fragments, from hemoglobin vesicles, to promote beta-hematin formation is discussed in this paper.     

The mechanism of beta-hematin formation in acetate solution. Parallels between hemozoin formation and biomineralization processes

Formation of beta-hematin in acidic acetate solution has been investigated using quantitative infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The process occurs via rapid precipitation of amorphous (or possibly nanocrystalline) hematin, followed by slow conversion to crystalline beta-hematin. Definitive evidence that the reaction occurs during incubation in acetate medium, rather than during the drying stage, is provided by X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy of the wet material. The reaction follows a sigmoidal function indicative of a process of nucleation and growth and was modeled using the Avrami equation. Reaction rates and the dimensionality of growth (as indicated by the value of the Avrami constant) are strongly influenced by stirring rate. The reaction follows Arrhenius behavior, and there is a strong dependence of both the rate constant and the Avrami constant on acetate concentration. Acetate may act as a phase transfer catalyst, solubilizing hematin and facilitating its redeposition as beta-hematin. The pH dependence of the process indicates that only the monoprotonated species of hematin is active in forming beta-hematin. The formation of beta-hematin closely parallels many mineralization processes, and this suggests that hemozoin formation may be a unique biomineralization process. Inferences are drawn with respect to the formation of hemozoin in vivo.     

Heme polymerase: modulation by chloroquine treatment of a rodent malaria.

The biosynthesis of the beta-hematin of malarial pigment (hemozoin) is catalyzed by a newly discovered enzyme, heme polymerase, which is described for Plasmodium berghei in this report. This novel enzyme is present in the insoluble fraction of hemolysates of infected erythrocytes but is not present in normal erythrocytes. The substrate is ferriprotoporphyrin IX (FP) released from hemoglobin. At pH 5 and 37 degrees C the enzyme is saturated by 100 microM FP. The pH optimum is between 5 and 6 and the reaction is linear for 6 hours. All heme polymerase activity is destroyed by heating at 100 degrees C for 3 minutes. Chloroquine treatment of malarious mice reduces by 80 percent the activity of this enzyme, without inhibiting release of FP from hemoglobin, and thereby causes excess nonpolymerized, nonhemozoin FP to accumulate. Since the accumulated FP is accessible to bind chloroquine, we propose that it is the mediator of the antimalarial activity of chloroquine.     

A physiochemical mechanism of hemozoin (beta-hematin) synthesis by malaria parasite.

Malaria parasite homogenate, the lipid extracts, and an unsaturated fatty acid, linoleic acid, which have been shown to promote beta-hematin formation in vitro, were used to investigate the mechanism of hemozoin biosynthesis, a distinct metabolic function of the malaria parasite. In vitro beta-hematin formation promoted by Plasmodium yoelii homogenate, the lipid extracts, and linoleic acid were blocked by ascorbic acid, reduced glutathione, sodium dithionite, beta-mercaptoethanol, dithiothreitol, and superoxide dismutase. Oxidized glutathione did not show any effect. Preoxidized preparations of the lipids extracts or the P. yoelii homogenate failed to catalyze beta-hematin formation. Depletion of oxygen in the reaction mixtures also inhibited the lipid-catalyzed beta-hematin formation. Under the reaction conditions similar to those used for the in vitro beta-hematin formation assay, the antioxidants and reducing agents mentioned above, except the DTT and beta-mercaptoethanol, did not cause degradation of heme. beta-Hematin formation was also inhibited by p-aminophenol, a free radical chain reaction breaker. Hemozoin biosynthesis within the digestive vacuoles of the malaria parasite may be a lipid-catalyzed physiochemical reaction. An oxidative mechanism may be proposed for lipid-mediated beta-hematin formation, which may be mediated by generation of some free radical intermediates of heme.     

A colorimetric high-throughput beta-hematin inhibition screening assay for use in the search for antimalarial compounds

Antimalarial drugs such as chloroquine are believed to act by inhibiting hemozoin formation in the food vacuole of the malaria parasite. We have developed a new assay for measuring and detecting inhibition of synthetic hemozoin (beta-hematin) formation. Aqueous pyridine (5% v/v, pH 7.5) forms a low-spin complex with hematin but not with beta-hematin. Its absorbance obeys Beer's law, making it useful for quantitating hematin concentration in hematin/beta-hematin mixtures, allowing compounds to be investigated for inhibition of beta-hematin formation. The assay is rapid (60 min incubation) and requires no centrifugation. The beta-hematin inhibition data show good agreement with alternative assay methods reported by four laboratories. The assay was adapted for high-throughput colorimetric screening, allowing visual identification of beta-hematin inhibitors. In this mode, the assay successfully detected all 18 beta-hematin inhibitors in a set of 47 compounds tested, with no false positive results. The quantitative in vitro antimalarial activities of a set of 13 aminoquinolines and quinoline methanols were found to correlate significantly with beta-hematin inhibition values determined using the assay.     

Metalloporphyrins inhibit beta-hematin (hemozoin) formation

Metal-substituted protoporphyrin IXs (Cr(III)PPIX (1), Co(III)PPIX (2), Mn(III)PPIX (3), Cu(II)PPIX (4), Mg(II)PPIX (5), Zn(II)PPIX (6), and Sn(IV)PPIX (7)) act as inhibitors to beta-hematin (hemozoin) formation, a critical detoxification biopolymer of malarial parasites. The central metal ion plays a significant role in the efficacy of the metalloprotoporphyrins to inhibit beta-hematin formation. The efficacy of these compounds correlates well with the water exchange rate for the octahedral aqua complexes of the porphyrin's central metal ion. Under these in vitro reaction conditions, metalloporphyrins 5, 6 and 7 are as much as six times more efficacious than the free ligand protoporphyrin IX in preventing beta-hematin formation and four times as efficacious as chloroquine, while metalloporphyrins 3 and 4 are three to four times more effective at preventing beta-hematin formation than the free protoporphyrin IX base. In contrast, the relatively exchange inert metalloporphyrins 1 and 2 are only as efficacious as the free ligand and only two-thirds as effective as chloroquine. Aggregation studies of the heme:MPPIX using UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopies are indicative of the formation of pi-pi hetero-metalloporphyrin assemblies. Thus, hemozoin inhibition is likely prevented by the formation of heme:MPPIX complexes through pi-stacking interactions. The ramifications of such hetero-metalloporphyrin assemblies, in the context of the emerging structural picture of hemozoin, are discussed.     

Quinoline antimalarials decrease the rate of beta-hematin formation

The strength of inhibition of beta-hematin (synthetic hemozoin or malaria pigment) formation by the quinoline antimalarial drugs chloroquine, amodiaquine, quinidine and quinine has been investigated as a function of incubation time. In the assay used, beta-hematin formation was brought about using 4.5M acetate, pH 4.5 at 60 degrees C. Unreacted hematin was detected by formation of a spectroscopically distinct low spin pyridine complex. Although, these drugs inhibit beta-hematin formation when relatively short incubation times are used, it was found that beta-hematin eventually forms with longer incubation periods (<8h for chloroquine and >8h for quinine). This conclusion was supported by both infrared and X-ray powder diffraction observations. It was further found that the IC(50) for inhibition of beta-hematin formation increases markedly with increasing incubation times in the case of the 4-aminoquinolines chloroquine and amodiaquine. By contrast, in the presence of the quinoline methanols quinine and quinidine the IC(50) values increase much more slowly. This results in a partial reversal of the order of inhibition strengths at longer incubation times. Scanning electron microscopy indicates that beta-hematin crystals formed in the presence of chloroquine are more uniform in both size and shape than those formed in the absence of the drug, with the external morphology of these crystallites being markedly altered. The findings suggest that these drugs act by decreasing the rate of hemozoin formation, rather than irreversibly blocking its formation. This model can also explain the observation of a sigmoidal dependence of beta-hematin inhibition on drug concentration.     

Spectrophotometric determination of de novo hemozoin/beta-hematin formation in an in vitro assay

Formation of hemozoin in the malaria parasite, due to its unique nature, is an attractive molecular target. Several laboratories have been trying to unravel the molecular mechanism of hemozoin biosynthesis within the parasite digestive vacuoles. Use of different assay protocols for in vitro beta-hematin (synthetic identical to hemozoin) formation by these laboratories has led to inconsistent and often contradictory findings. Much of the difficulty may be attributed to oligomeric heme aggregates, which may be indistinguishable in some detection approaches if adequate separation of beta-hemtin is not achieved. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a widely accepted protocol for in vitro beta-hematin formation. We describe here a spectrophotometric assay for in vitro beta-hematin formation. The assay has been validated with the Plasmodium falciparum lysate, the parasite lipid extracts, and some commercially available fatty acids, which are known to initiate/catalyze beta-hematin formation in vitro. The necessity for multiple wash steps for accurate quantification of de novo hemozoin/beta-hematin formation was verified experimentally. It was necessary to wash the pellet, which contains beta-hematin and heme aggregates, sequentially with Tris/SDS buffer and alkaline bicarbonate solution for complete removal of monomeric heme and heme aggregates and accurate quantification of beta-hematin formed during the assay. The pellets and side products in the supernatant were characterized by infrared spectroscopy. No beta-hematin formation occurred in the absence of a catalytic/initiating factor. Based on these findings, a filtration-based assay that uses 96-well microplates, and which has important application in in vitro screening and identification of novel inhibitors of hemozoin formation as potential blood schizontocidal antimalarials, has been developed.     

In vitro beta-hematin formation assays with plasma of mice infected with Plasmodium yoelii and other parasite preparations: comparative inhibition with quinoline and endoperoxide antimalarials.

Formation of beta-hematin in vitro could be catalyzed in the presence of various preparations related to the malaria parasite viz., the cell free homogenate of Plasmodium yoelii, lipid extract of the parasite homogenate, purified malarial hemozoin and synthetic beta-hematin. Plasma from mice infected with P. yoelii also catalyzed in vitro beta-hematin formation with highly significant efficiency. The plasma based beta-hematin formation assay was highly sensitive, as the background absorbance was almost negligible due to absence of any preformed hemozoin. The plasma beta-hematin synthesizing activity was recovered in the lipid extract. The quinoline and endoperoxide antimalarials act by inhibiting hemozoin biosynthesis in the malaria parasite. Therefore, the in vitro beta-hematin formation assay is useful for the screening and identification of blood schizontocidal antimalarials acting through interruption of heme detoxification in the parasite. Quinoline and endoperoxide antimalarials showed about three fold greater inhibition of beta-hematin synthesizing activity in the plasma-based assays as compared to that of P. yoelii homogenate-based assays. The specificity of the inhibition was similar in both preparations. The plasma-based assay therefore provides a better alternative than the parasite homogenate-based assay for in vitro screening and identification of novel inhibitors of hemozoin biosynthesis as potential blood schizontocidal antimalarials.     

Isolation and characterization of a novel banana rhizosphere bacterium as fungal antagonist and microbial adjuvant in micropropagation of banana

AIM: Isolation and characterization of a bacterial isolate (strain FP10) from banana rhizosphere with innate potential as fungal antagonist and microbial adjuvant in micropropagation of banana. METHODS AND RESULTS: Bacterium FP10 was isolated from the banana rhizosphere and identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa based on phenotypic, biochemical traits and sequence homology of partial 622-bp fragment of 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) amplicon, with the ribosomal database sequences. Strain FP10 displayed antibiosis towards fungi causing wilt and root necrosis diseases of banana. Production of plant growth hormone, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), siderophores and phosphate-solubilizing enzyme in FP10 was determined. Strain FP10 tested negative for hydrogen cyanide, cellulase and pectinase, the deleterious traits for plant growth. Screening of antibiotic genes was carried out by polymerase chain reaction using gene-specific primers. Amplification of a 745-bp DNA fragment confirmed the presence of phlD, which is a key gene involved in the biosynthesis of 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG) in FP10. The antibiotic produced by FP10 was confirmed as DAPG using thin layer chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography and Fourier transform infrared and tested for fungal antibiosis towards banana pathogens. Procedures for encapsulation of banana shoot tips with FP10 are described. CONCLUSIONS: Strain FP10 exhibited broad-spectrum antibiosis towards banana fungi causing wilt and root necrosis. DAPG by FP10 induced bulb formation and lysis of fungal mycelia. Encapsulation of banana shoot tips with FP10 induced higher frequency of germination (plantlet development) than nontreated controls on Murashige and Skoog basal medium. Treatment of banana plants with FP10 enhanced plant height and reduced the vascular discolouration as a result of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense FOC. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Because of the innate potential of fungal antibiosis by DAPG antibiotic and production of siderophore, plant-growth-promoting IAA and phosphatase, the strain FP10 can be used as biofertilizer as well as a biocontrol agent.     

Tail variation of the folding primer affects the SmartAmp2 process differently

Folding primer (FP), together with turn-back primer (TP) and boost primer (BP), is one of the major components of SmartAmp2, a rapid amplification-based method for SNP detection. FP has a unique design where the annealing region is combined with a tail that can fold back. FP tails can be classified as either “strong” or “weak”, depending on the melting temperature and free energy of the hairpin structure. We report that FP tails affect the amplification process differently; by changing the FP concentration, we can increase the amplification reaction speed with “strong tails”. Unlike “strong tails”, concentration change of FP with “weak tails” did not show significant impact on the amplification speed. The comparative analyses using gel electrophoresis demonstrate that the FP type and FP ratio in the reaction change the amplification pattern. The above observations can be used to optimize the reaction and manipulate the reaction speed of SmartAmp2.     

Studies on the structure of NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase complex: topography of the subunits of the iron-sulfur flavoprotein component

A catalytic component of the bovine mitochondrial NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase complex (Complex I) is a soluble NADH dehydrogenase iron-sulfur flavoprotein (FP). FP is composed of three subunits of Mr 51,000, 24,000, and 9,000, and contains FMN and two iron-sulfur clusters. Previous studies by others with the use of various chemical probes had suggested that, except for an access for NADH to the 51-kDa subunit, the FP polypeptides are buried within Complex I and shielded from the medium. In the present study, monospecific antibodies were raised to each of the three FP subunits, and used in conjunction with Complex I, submitochondrial particles (SMP), mitoplasts, and intact mitochondria as sources of antigens. Results of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and 125I-protein A labeling experiments indicated that epitopes from the 51-, 24-, and 9-kDa subunits of FP are exposed to the medium in Complex I and SMP, but not in mitoplasts and mitochondria. Appropriate enzymatic assays showed that none of the antibodies inhibited the NADH dehydrogenase activity of isolated FP or the NADH oxidase activity of SMP. These results have been discussed in relation to the structure of Neurospora Complex I deduced from membrane crystals of the isolated enzyme complex by Leonard et al. [K. Leonard, H. Haiker, and H. Weiss (1987) J. Mol. Biol. 194, 277-286].     

Synthesis and antimalarial evaluation of new 1,4-bis(3-aminopropyl)piperazine derivatives

Synthesis and evaluation of the activity of a new family of 1,4-bis(3-aminopropyl)piperazine derivatives against a chloroquine-resistant strain of Plasmodium falciparum, and as inhibitors of beta-hematin formation, are described. The highest antimalarial activities were obtained for compounds displaying the highest predicted vacuolar accumulation ratios and the best potencies as inhibitors of beta-hematin formation. The most potent compound displayed an activity 3-fold better than chloroquine for a comparable selectivity index upon MRC-5 cells. Therefore, in this series, the replacement of the 7-chloroquinoline group can constitute a strong rationale for further investigation.     

Standardization of the physicochemical parameters to assess in vitro the beta-hematin inhibitory activity of antimalarial drugs

Intraerythrocytic plasmodia form hemozoin as a detoxification product of hemoglobin-derived heme. An identical substance, beta-hematin (BH), can be obtained in vitro from hematin at acidic pH. Quinoline-antimalarials inhibit BH formation. Standardization of test conditions is essential for studying the interaction of compounds with this process and screening potential inhibitors. A spectrophotometric microassay of heme polymerization inhibitory activity (HPIA) (Basilico et al., Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 42, 55-60, 1998) previously reported was used to investigate the effect of pH and salt concentration on BH formation. The yield of BH formation decreased with pH. Moreover, under conditions used in the above HPIA assay (18 h, 37 degrees C, pH = 2.7), several salts including chloride and phosphate inhibited the process. Aminoquinoline drugs formulated as salts (chloroquine-phosphate, primaquine-diphosphate), but not chloroquine-base, also inhibited the reaction. Interference by salts was highest at low pH and decreased at higher pH (pH 4). Here, we describe different assay conditions that eliminate these problems (BHIA, beta-hematin inhibitory activity). By replacing hematin with hemin as the porphyrin and NaOH solution with DMSO as solvent, the formation of BH was independent of pH up to pH 5.1. No interference by salts was observed over the pH range 2.7-5.1. Dose-dependent inhibition of BH formation was obtained with chloroquine-base, chloroquine-phosphate, and chloroquine-sulfate at pH 5.1. Primaquine was not inhibitory. The final product, characterized by solubility in DMSO, consists of pure BH by FT-IR spectroscopy. The BHIA assay (hemin in DMSO, acetate buffer pH 5 +/- 0.1, 18 h at 37 degrees C) is designed to screen for those molecules forming pi-pi interactions with hematin and thus inhibiting beta-hematin formation.     

Effect of microinjection and two types of electrical stimuli on bovine sperm-hamster egg penetration

These experiments were designed to test the effects of an electrofusion and an electroporation pulse on bovine sperm-hamster egg development. In experiment 1, single motile sperm were injected into the perivitelline space of each egg. A 4,500 V/cm, 30 microseconds fusion pulse (FP) was applied while sperm-egg membrane contact was maintained. It was observed that single motile sperm were rendered immotile immediately after FP application whereas nonpulsed single motile sperm remained motile for up to 36 h postinjection. In addition, both motile and sonicated spermatozoa were injected directly into the ooplasm prior to receiving an FP to determine whether the FP was detrimental to sperm viability. In experiment 2, to induce the acrosome reaction, an 1,150 V/cm electroporation pulse was applied to washed bovine sperm suspended in TALP medium containing 5 mM Ca2+. Treated and nontreated sperm were coincubated with zona-free hamster ova, and sperm-pentrating ability was measured. Results from experiment 1 indicate that FP failed to induce sperm-egg fusion (0/69). FP did not, however, inhibit decondensation or pronuclear formation of sperm injected into hamster egg ooplasm. Single motile sperm injected into the ooplasm resulted in development of both pulsed (19/28) and nonpulsed (21/28) groups. Sonicated tail-free sperm heads injected into the ooplasm resulted in no detectable difference between treated (18/30) and nontreated (19/30) groups. In experiment 2, treatment of sperm with electroporation pulse +5 mM Ca2+ increased zona-free hamster ova penetration scores over nontreated sperm within bulls (P less than .05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The role of the female Syrian hamster protein on the interaction between serum lipoproteins and heparin

We have previously shown the effect of phosphorylcholine-binding proteins from rat (PCBP) and rabbit (CRP) on the precipitation of serum lipoproteins by heparin in presence of Ca2+. The present paper describes the effect of a phosphorylcholine-binding protein from the female Syrian hamster (FP) on the lipoprotein precipitation reaction. The precipitation of lipoproteins by heparin was lower in assays using female hamster serum in which FP is a prominent protein, compared with assays with male serum in which FP is present in very low concentration. Depletion of FP from female serum resulted in increased lipoprotein precipitation. The addition of purified FP to assays using human very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) inhibited the precipitation reaction. The precipitation of lipoproteins was also examined using serum from male hamsters treated with diethylstilbestrol and female hamsters treated with testosterone, treatments known to modulate the levels of FP. Results indicate an inverse relationship between serum FP levels from normal and hormone-treated hamsters and the precipitation of lipoproteins from their serum. The partially desialylated FP when added to precipitation assays using human VLDL resulted in reduced inhibition of VLDL precipitation.     

Armenian hamster female protein (serum amyloid P component). Comparison with the sex-regulated homolog in Syrian hamster

Complementary DNA clones for Armenian hamster female protein (FP) were isolated and the complete nucleotide sequence and derived amino acid sequence were determined and compared with relevant data for the closely related Syrian hamster. Although biosynthesis of preSAP is directed by a 1.0-kb mRNA in both genera and the molecular mass of the primary translation product of FP is identical, the FP gene structure and regulation of expression of FP are different in Syrian and Armenian hamsters. Whereas the direction of alteration in FP mRNA levels is divergent in Syrian hamsters during an acute phase reaction, hepatic FP mRNA levels increase in both male and female Armenian hamsters during inflammation. Regulation of expression of Armenian and Syrian hamster FP genes occurs at a pretranslational level.     

Comparative proteomics of cucurbit phloem indicates both unique and shared sets of proteins

Cucurbits are well‐studied models for phloem biology but unusually possess both fascicular phloem (FP) within vascular bundles and additional extrafascicular phloem (EFP). Although the functional differences between the two systems are not yet clear, sugar analysis and limited protein profiling have established that FP and EFP have divergent compositions. Here we report a detailed comparative proteomics study of FP and EFP in two cucurbits, pumpkin and cucumber. We re‐examined the sites of exudation by video microscopy, and confirmed that in both species, the spontaneous exudate following tissue cutting derives almost exclusively from EFP. Comparative gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry‐based proteomics of exudates, sieve element contents and microdissected stem tissues established that EFP and FP profiles are highly dissimilar, and that there are also species differences. Searches against cucurbit databases enabled identification of more than 300 FP proteins from each species. Few of the detected proteins (about 10%) were shared between the sieve element contents of FP and EFP, and enriched Gene Ontology categories also differed. To explore quantitative differences in the proteomes, we developed multiple reaction monitoring methods for cucumber proteins that are representative markers for FP or EFP and assessed exudate composition at different times after tissue cutting. Based on failure to detect FP markers in exudate samples, we conclude that FP is blocked very rapidly and therefore makes a minimal contribution to the exudates. Overall, the highly divergent contents of FP and EFP indicate that they are substantially independent vascular compartments.     

Isolation and Partial Characterization of a Glycoprotein Complex with Sperm-Receptor Activity from Ciona intestinalis Ovary1

Sperm-egg interaction in the ascidian Ciana intestinalis is mediated by a fucosyl-glycoprotein (FP) component of the egg vitelline coat. FP are responsible for sperm binding, sperm activation and the acrosome reaction. In this paper we report a detailed biochemical and functional characterization of FP purified from the ovaries by affinity chromatography. thic component with sperm receptor activity is a high molecular weight glycoprotein complex (>10⁷) with a protein-carbohydrate ratio of 2:1, which inhibits the binding of the spermatozoa to the vitelline coat and induces sperm activation and the acrosome reaction. Exhaustive proteolytic digestion of FP yields high molecular weight glycopeptides (> 4×10⁵), which contain N-acetylgalactosamine, fucose, galactose and rhamnose. These glycopeptides retain some receptor activity, thus raising the question of the involvement of the polypeptide backbone in the sperm-egg binding process. However, the glycopeptide fraction fails to induce the acrosome reaction: we suggest that the polypeptide fraction plays a role in the induction of sperm activation and the acrosome reaction.     

A homogeneous assay of kinase activity that detects phosphopeptide using fluorescence polarization and zinc

Homogeneous antibody-free assays of protein kinase activity have great utility in high-throughput screening in support of drug discovery. In an effort to develop such an assay, we have used a pair of fluorescein-labeled peptides of identical amino acid sequence with and without phosphorylation on serine to mimic the substrate and product, respectively, of a kinase. Using fluorescence polarization (FP), we have demonstrated that a mixture of zinc sulfate, phosphate-buffered saline, and bovine serum albumin added to the peptides dramatically and differentially increased the fluorescence polarization of the phosphorylated peptide over its nonphosphorylated derivative. A similar FP differential was observed using different peptide pairs, though the magnitude varied. The FP values obtained using this method were directly proportional to the fraction of phosphopeptide present. Therefore, an FP assay was developed using a proprietary kinase. Using this FP method, linear reaction kinetics were obtained in enzyme titration and reaction time course experiments. The IC(50) values for a panel of inhibitors of kinase activity were determined using this FP method and a scintillation proximity assay. The IC(50) values were comparable between the two methods, suggesting that the zinc FP assay may be useful as an inexpensive high-throughput assay for identifying inhibitors of kinase activity.