Characteristics of sulfhydryl groups of histone H3 from the calf thymus using mercury-containing nitroxyl radicals

The interaction between total histone and deoxyribonucleoprotein (DNP) preparations from calf thymus with mercury-containing nitroxyl radicals in low ionic strength solutions, 2 M NaCl and urea was investigated. It was found that the label is rapidly incorporated into the SH-groups of histone H3 to produce characteristic EPR signals. Titration of SH-groups within DNP demonstrated that in low ionic strength solutions only one SH-group (presumably, the SH-group of the cysteine residue in position 110) is accessible to the reagents. After dissociation by 2 M NaCl, two SH-groups become titrable; however, the EPR spectra point to differences in the conformational state of these two groups. In 4 M urea, these differences are compensated for by structural disintegration. The spin labels may be used for the analysis of SH-groups under different conditions and at different functional states of nucleoproteins.     

Electron spin resonance studies on the conformation and interactions of histories containing cysteine. Histones H3 from calf thymus and H4 from sea urchin sperm.

In this study the spin-label method has been used to obtain information about conformational properties of regions containing cysteine of histone H3 from calf thymus, histone H4 from sperm of the sea urchin Arbacia lixula, and the histone complex H3–H4. It has been found that the microenvironments of histone H3 causing immobilization of the spin labels are sensitive to variations in ionic strength of dilute solutions of phosphate buffer, are partially destroyed by urea, and fully destroyed by proteolytic enzymes. The interaction of spin-labeled histone H3 with histone H4 induces an increase of immobilization of the spin label, indicating an increase in rigidity at the cysteine region of histone H3. The use of a series of spin labels of variable length for histone H3 gives an estimate of 0.8–1.0 nm for the apparent depth of the spin label binding site, a value which does not change upon interaction of histone H3 with H4. Histone H4 from A. lixula sperm causes a similar immobilization of the spin label. As for histone H3, immobilization increases with the ionic strength, and the structures are destroyed by urea and proteolytic enzymes. Upon mixing with histone H3, however, the extent of immobilization appears only slightly changed, and together with sedimentation velocity results, these studies suggest that the spin label attached to histone H4 prevents the complex formation.     

Study by the spin-label method of relaxation properties of protein kinase, its subunits and the catalytic subunit--histone H1 complex

Using the spin label method, the rotational relaxation in solution of adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase and its subunits as well as the complexes of the enzyme with the substrate, histone H1, was studied. The rotational correlation time of the spin labeled macromolecules was measured on the basis of the quantitative estimation of the label mobility in relation to the protein globule. The holoenzyme molecule was found to be a rigid sphere. Whereas the complex of the globular catalytic subunit of the enzyme with a specific protein substrate, the spin labeled histone H1, appeared a flexible formation. The relaxation properties of the histone H1 molecule selectively labeled by the spin label in its globular part were investigated.     

Effect of oligomerization on the properties of essential SH-groups of mitochondrial creatine kinase

The properties of creatine kinase isolated from bovine heart mitochondria in dimeric (Mr = 84 +/- 6 kD) and octameric (Mr = 340 +/- 17 kD) forms were compared with those of the earlier described hexameric form of the enzyme (Mr = 240 +/- 12 kD). The kinetics of SH-group modification by DTNB, the inactivation kinetics as well as the number of modified SH-groups point to significant differences between the three oligomeric forms of the enzyme. Each subunit of creatine kinase was found to possess one "fast" essential cysteine residue whose modification by DTNB and iodoacetamide led to enzyme inactivation. The formation of an analog of the transition state complex (E--MgADP--NO3--creatine) was paralleled with partial protection of only the "fast" cysteine residue which manifested itself in the decrease of the rate of its interaction with DTNB in all the three oligomeric forms. Dimer association into a hexamer and octamer occurred in parallel with a decrease of the affinity of essential SH-groups of cysteine for DTNB in 50% of the oligomeric molecule subunits. Thus, in the dimer two essential SH-groups were rapidly modified by DTNB at the same rate: k1 = k2 = (23.9 +/- 5.6).10(4) M-1 min-1. Within the hexamer, the rate of modification of 3 out of 6 SH-groups was practically unchanged: k1 = (10.6 +/- 2.3).10(4) M-1 min-1. Another 3 SH-groups in the remaining 50% of the subunits were partly masked, which manifested itself in a 10-fold decrease of their modification rate: k2 = (1.12 +/- 0.28).10(4) M-1 min-1. Within the octamer, the SH-groups rapidly interacted with DTNB only on 4 subunits: k1 = (20.7 +/- 2.2).10(4) M-1 min-1, whereas in the remaining 4 octamer subunits a practically complete masking of essential SH-groups was observed, as a result of which these groups became inaccessible to DTNB. This manifested itself in a 1000-fold decrease of the rate of SH-group modification by DTNB which reached that of non-essential SH-group modification. In has been found that a complete loss of the octamer activity is due to the modification of only 4 SH-groups which interact with DTNB at a high rate. A model for subunit association into a dimer, hexamer and octamer has been proposed. Presumably, 50% of the active centers in the mitochondrial creatine kinase octamer are not involved in the catalytic act.     

Non-equivalency of SH groups essential for the activity of mitochondrial creatine kinase

The properties of SH-groups of mitochondrial creatine kinase existing in solution as a hexamer with Mr of (240 +/- 12) X 10(3) Da, were investigated. The number and reactivity of SH-groups by specific modifiers--[5.5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid), DTNB; 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxo-1.3-diazol, NBD-Cl; 2.2'-dithiopyridine, DTP] were determined. It was found that each subunit of the enzyme hexameric molecule contains two modified SH-groups, only one of which is protected against modification by Mg-ADP, Mg-ATP as well as during the formation of the transition state analog (TSA)--E-Mg X ADP-NO3-creatine--and is essential for the enzyme activity. These six essential SH-groups within the hexameric molecule of mitochondrial creatine kinase may be classified into two groups according to the rate of their interaction with DTNB, NBD-Cl and DTP. The rate constants of modification of three fast and three slow essential SH-groups differ 4-10 times. The kinetics of enzyme inactivation by iodoacetamide (IAA) is biphasic; each phase is characterized by a 50% loss of activity. The inactivation constants differ 30 times; both phases being protected by TSA; consequently, the inactivation is caused by the binding of IAA to the essential SH-groups. The unequal reactivity of essential SH-groups seems to be preexisting. Using a computer analysis, the dependence of the amount of residual activity on the number of modified SH-groups by NBD-Cl and DTNB was studied. The interaction of NBD-Cl and DTNB with the most reactive essential SH-groups in half of the subunits results in the inactivation of these subunits as well as in partial or complete inactivation of the other half of the non-modified subunits. The degree of inactivation of the latter 50% of subunits strongly depends on the nature of the modifier. The inactivating effect of the bound modifier is translated from one subunit to another in one direction. The experimental results point to asymmetrical association of mitochondrial creatine kinase subunits.     

Association-dissociation of histone oligomers. A spin label study

The spin label method has been used to obtain information about conformational changes of histone oligomers taking advantage of the fact that at a low ionic strength and in the presence of other histones about 45% of cysteine residues of histone H3 react with the 3-maleimido-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-1-pyrrolidinyloxyl spin label. For the labeled complexes H3-H4 and H nu the degree of immobilization of the spin label is a function of the ionic strength. This variation is identical for both complexes within a long range of ionic strengths, including the interval of 0.8-2 M NaCl, under which conditions interactions are known to exist between the tetramer (H3)2 (H4)2 and the dimer (H2A) (H2B). This finding suggests a negligible influence of the dimer for modifying the cysteine residue environment of histone H3 on octamer formation. GuHCl treatment at high ionic strength of the labeled complexes gives rise to a non-lineal increase in the degree of mobility of the spin label. This increase, at low GuHCl concentration (0-0.5 M GuHCl), is interpreted as showing a lowering in rigidity for the Cys residue environment, without affecting the general stability of the tetramer (H3)2 (H4)2. At higher GuHCl concentration (2-3 M GuHCl) the increase in the spin label mobility is related to a dissociation of the complexes in single histones. Our results are consistent with the view that the overall structure of the tetramer, as well as its conformational changes during complex structuration or denaturation, are not strongly affected by the presence of the dimer (H2A) (H2B).     

Study of the binding of substrates and paramagnetic Mn2+ ions with phosphoglycerate kinase by saturating ESR spectra of a spin-labelled protein]

A single SH-group of phosphoglycerate kinase from yeast was modified by mercury-containing spin label. The saturation curves of ESR spectra of the spin-labeled enzyme were studied. The paramagnetic ions of Mn2+ bound to the centre of ion nonspecific binding or active centre in the complex with ATP can influence the saturation of the spin-labeled enzyme. The saturation curves of the ESR signal of the spin-labeled enzyme in the presence of paramagnetic complex of CrATP were studied. It has been demonstrated that the second nonspecific centre of ATP binding is located at the active site of the enzyme (3-phosphoglycerate binding centre).     

Structural characteristics of paramagnetic analogs of enzyme-substrate complexes of phosphorylation coupling factors

Mn2+-ion is linked to isolated chloroplast coupling factor CF-1 via the ATP bridge in the catalytically competent ternary complex as deduced from water proton relaxation rate measurements. Two essential SH-groups in CF-1 protein were modified with nitroxyl mercuric derivative as spin label. The substrate complex Ca2+-ATP is shown to induce the structural transition near the active site to the state with a stronger immobilized spin label. The distances between the paramagnetic metal ions and nitroxyl bound to the protein SH-group were evaluated as being in the range of 5-8,5 A for Cu2+ and 14-22 A for Mn2+.     

Comparative study of D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from frog and pike skeletal muscles]

The purified preparations of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase isolated from frog and pike skeletal muscles were found homogenous under polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Their amino acid composition is similar to that of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from other animal species. The interaction kinetics for frog and pike glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase SH-groups with 5,5'-dithio-bis-(2-nitrobenzoate) (DTNB) were studied. A negative correlation between the thermal stability of the enzyme preparations from pig, pike, lamprey and frog muscles and the reactivity of their SH-groups with respect to DTNB was observed. NAD at saturating concentrations was found to protect the enzyme from lower vertebrates muscles against thermal inactivation in a lesser degree than does the pig muscle enzyme. The weaker protective effect of NAD was observed for lamprey and frog enzyme preparations, which are characterized by a low SH-group reaction ability. Frog and pike apoenzymes are considerably more resistant to trypsin proteolysis than the pig apoenzyme.     

Effect of SH-Specific Reagent 5,5′-Dithobis(2-Nitrobenzoic Acid) on Functional Activity of Components of Adenylyl Cyclase Signal System

Sensitivity of adenylyl cyclase signal system to 5,5′-dithobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) oxidizing SH-groups of cystein residues to disulfide bonds was studied. It was shown that treatment of plasma membranes fractions of smooth muscles of the mollusc Anodonta cygnea and of rat skeletal muscles as well as of homogenate of mouse fibroblasts culture of L strain with micromole concentrations of DTNB led to a decrease of activity of adenylyl cyclase (AC) stimulated by GIDP, sodium fluoride, and, to a lesser degree, forskolin. Dithiothreitol (DTT) partly restored the stimulating effects of GIDP, NaF, and forskolin, the effect of this dithiol being dose-dependent. AC stimulated by biogenic amines—serotonin in mollusc muscles, isoproterenol in rat muscles, and both hormones in mouse fibroblasts—is more sensitive to DTNB than the enzyme stimulated by non-hormonal agents. Thus, the stimulatory effects of hormones decreased dose-dependently in the presence of 10–100 μM DTNB and were almost completely blocked by 250 μM reagent. These effects were partly restored in the presence of 5 mM DTT. The obtained data indicate a high sensitivity of the hormone-stimulated AC to action of the reagents interacting specifically with SH-groups of the proteins components of the AC system. In the rat muscle membranes treated with 25 μM DTNB, no significant rightward shift was observed of the curve of competitive replacement of the β-adrenergic receptor antagonist [³H]-dihydroalprenolol by the β-agonist isoproterenol in the presence of GTP and the affinity of the agonist to the receptor somewhat decreased, which indicates a disturbance of functional coupling of the β-adrenergic receptor with G-protein after treatment with DTNB.     

Sea urchin sperm DNP. I. Chemical composition and template properties of DNP

Electrophoretic mobility, amino acid composition and salt dissociation of histones isolated from sperm of sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius and calf thymus cells were studied. The special arginine-rich histone fraction (I) has been observed in sea urchin sperm chromatin, this fraction being absent in calf thymus chromatin. Dissociation of lysine-containing histone fractions from sea urchin chromatin occured in the range of 0.7 to 1.0 M NaCl concentrations. H1 of calf thymus chromatin was totally extracted with 0.6 M NaCl. In the course of a further increase of salt concentrations (up to 1.5 M NaCl) a practically total extraction of histones from sperm chromatin was observed, while about 20% of proteins remained bound to DNA in thymus chromatin after extraction with 2.0 M NaCl. The template activity of non-extracted DNP preparations from urchin sperm was equal to 2-3% of that of totally deproteinized DNA. The template activity of DNP gradually increased at protein extraction from DNP preparations. The hybridization capacity of RNA transcribed on partially dehistonized DNP templates in vitro also increased.     

The role of various amino acid residues in the functioning of NADP-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase from bovine adrenal cortex cytoplasm

The modification of SH-groups in the native isocitrate dehydrogenase accessible to 5,5-dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) is accompanied by the enzyme inactivation. Isocitrate rather than NADP and MnCl2 protects two SH-groups of the enzyme from modification by DTNB and attendant inactivation. The isocitrate dehydrogenase inactivation by DTNB obeys pseudofirst-order reaction kinetics. The number of DTNB-titrated sulphydryl groups does not change after the isocitrate dehydrogenase denaturation by sodium dodecyl sulphate. In the presence of manganese ions isocitrate and to a lesser extent NADP protect isocitrate dehydrogenase from the inactivation induced by 2,3-butanedione, a specific modifier of arginine residues. It has also been shown that the methylene blue-sensitized photoinactivation of the enzyme associated with the photooxidation of histidine residues decreases in the presence of NADP. These data provide evidence for an essential role of the SH-groups, arginine residues and, probably, histidine in the functioning of NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase from adrenal cortex.     

Synchronous conformational oscillations in the titer of sulfhydryl groups in protein solutions. Reversible oxidation as a possible cause of this phenomenon

In solutions of creatine kinase, actin and lactic dehydrogenase oscillations of SH-groups are revealed by three independent methods using three different reagents AgNO3, PCMB, DTNB. The variations of the SH-group titre remain after denaturation of the individual protein solution portions. In the solutions of predenaturated proteins no titre oscillations are observed. Possible cause of the observed oscillations of SH-groups titre may be reversible SH--SS transformation.     

Two structural forms of histone octamer

It has been found that histone octamer of calf thymus (H2A--H2B--H3--H4)2 can exist in two structural states--"loose" (2M NaCl) and "compact" one (4M NaCl). The compact state of the octamer is characterized by screening of part of tyrosyls for quenching effect of ions I-, longer relaxation time of tyrosyls, greater stability of histone H3 towards trypsinolysis, complete absence of interactions between histone H3 SH-groups and parachlormercuribenzoate.     

Comparative study of solubilized and membrane-bound acetylcholinesterase of sarcolemma]

Comparative kinetic studies of membrane-bound and solubilized sarcolemmal acetylcholinesterase reveal some difference in concentration-activity curves. A deviation from normal Michaelis-Menten kinetics is found in case of membrane-bound acetylcholinesterase. The solubilization of sarcolemma by a solution of high ionic strength or by sonication normalizes the reaction kinetics. It is shown that the amount of SH-groups in intact sarcolemma available for DTNB in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate, is about twice of that in the absence of sodium dodecyl sulphate. In case of the solubilized fraction of sarcolemma (by a solution of high ionic strength or by sonication), the amount of SH-groups available for DTNB in the presence and in the absence of sodium dodecyl sulphate is similar.     

Effect of of distamycin A on histone H1 methylation, extraction and formation of UV-inducible crosslinks with DNA in the interphase rat liver nucleus

Incubation in vitro of rat liver nuclei in the presence of S-adenosyl[methyl-(3)H]methionine ([(3)H] SAM) leads to incorporation of the radioactive label not only into core-histones H3 and H4, but also into linker histone H1. Addition of distamycine A to the incubation medium stimulates label incorporation into histone H1 ~ in 6 times and into histone H3 ~ in 2 times. The presence of distamycine facilitates histone H1 extraction by polyglutamic acid (poly(Glu)) and decreases of UV-induced DNA-histone cross-links formation. These effects give evidence of weakening of H1-chromatin interaction by distamycin to be results of histone H1 position change relative to nucleosome and(or) disturbance of histones H1-H3 interactions so as these histones are exposed to additional methylation.     

The mechanism of photodamage of eye structures. IV. Changes in the reactivity of crystalline SH-groups during UV irradiation

The kinetics of individual crystalline SH-group modification by DTNB were studied. According to the rates of their interaction with the modifier, the thiol groups in the native protein molecule can be classified as free, accessible, weakly modified and "masked" ones. Denaturation by the detergent (CTAB) caused an increase in the SH-group modification rate. In this case the SH-groups were modified as free and accessible ones. Illumination with UV-light resulted in a decrease in the number of SH-groups, opening of "masked" SH-groups in almost all crystallines except for alpha-crystalline, and essential changes in the SH-group modification rate.     

Immunofluorescence evidence for the absence of histone H1 in a mitotically dividing, genetically inactive nucleus

Antibodies directed against whole histone and purified lysine-rich histone H1 extracted from isolated macronuclei of the ciliate Tetrahymena were obtained and conjugated to fluorescein isothiocyanate. The fluorescein-antibody conjugates were used to directly label Tetrahymena cells. Both macro- and micronuclei were visibly fluorescent in cells stained with anti-whole histone conjugate. However, the anti-H1 conjugate only labeled macronuclei. This in situ demonstration of the lack of positive immunofluorescent staining of micronuclei with anti-H1 conjugate provide further evidence for the absence of H1 in the genetically inactive, mitotically dividing Tetrahymena micronucleus.     

Determination of molar content of creatine kinase in heart mitochondria by SH-reagents

The maximal content of mitochondrial isoenzyme of creatine kinase (CK) in rat heart mitochondria does not exceed 12.5 moles per mole of ATP-ADP translocase. This value was obtained by titration of mitochondrial CK activity in aged mitochondria by 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoate) (DTNB) and 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) and by a more complex and accurate method. The essential thiol groups of membrane-bound mitochondrial CK (and its enzymic activity) can be specifically protected by phosphocreatine (12 mM) + ADP (1-5 mM) against inactivation by DTNB. Mitochondria with protected SH-groups of CK and with groups inactivated by DTNB were repeatedly incubated with DTNB under identical conditions and the number of additionally reacted sulfhydryl groups and the changes in CK activity were measured. The differences in the number of additionally reacted SH-groups correlated with the changes in the CK activity, which made it possible to calculate the molar ratios of mitochondrial CK to cytochrome c oxidase and ATP-ADP translocase (2.16 +/- (0.4): 1:2, respectively).