Muscle adenylate kinase in Duchenne muscular dystrophy

On the basis of electrophoretic and enzyme inhibition studies it was postulated that an aberrant adenylate kinase occurs in muscle and serum of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Schirmer, R.H. and Thuma, E. (1972) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 268, 92-97; Hamada, M. et al. (1981) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 660, 227-237; Hamada et al. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 11595-11602). On the basis of the following results we conclude that Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients do not possess an unusual adenylate kinase isoenzyme. In muscle biopsies from five Duchenne patients, the electrophoretic mobility of adenylate kinase and the inhibition of the enzyme by P1, P5-di(adenosine-5')pentaphosphate (Ap5A) was normal. Because of the high SH-group content of the extracts from Duchenne muscle, high concentrations of Ellman's reagent were needed to inhibit adenylate kinase activity in these samples. In Duchenne plasma the adenylate kinase activity was elevated. Like in muscle specimens, the DTNB inhibition curves were shifted to higher reagent concentrations; this was due to a high SH-group content of Duchenne plasma when compared with normal plasma. With respect to inhibition by Ap5A and electrophoretic mobility, Duchenne adenylate kinase in Duchenne plasma behaved like normal muscle adenylate kinase in normal plasma. It was noted that normal muscle adenylate kinase changes its electrophoretic behaviour when mixed with normal or Duchenne plasma. This finding had been considered previously as evidence for the presence of an aberrant adenylate kinase in Duchenne plasma.     

Synthesis of dinucleoside polyphosphates catalyzed by firefly luciferase.

In the presence of ATP, luciferin (LH2), Mg2+ and pyrophosphatase, the firefly (Photinus pyralis) luciferase synthesizes diadenosine 5',5"'-P1,P4-tetraphosphate (Ap4A) through formation of the E-LH2-AMP complex and transfer of AMP to ATP. The maximum rate of the synthesis is observed at pH 5.7. The Km values for luciferin and ATP are 2-3 microM and 4 mM, respectively. The synthesis is strictly dependent upon luciferin and a divalent metal cation. Mg2+ can be substituted with Zn2+, Co2+ or Mn2+, which are about half as active as Mg2+, as well as with Ni2+, Cd2+ or Ca2+, which, at 5 mM concentration, are 12-20-fold less effective than Mg2+. ATP is the best substrate of the above reaction, but it can be substituted with adenosine 5'-tetraphosphate (p4A), dATP, and GTP, and thus the luciferase synthesizes the corresponding homo-dinucleoside polyphosphates:diadenosine 5',5"'-P1,P5-pentaphosphate (Ap5A), dideoxyadenosine 5',5"'-P1,P4-tetraphosphate (dAp4dA) and diguanosine 5',5"'-P1,P4-tetraphosphate (Gp4G). In standard reaction mixtures containing ATP and a different nucleotide (p4A, dATP, adenosine 5'-[alpha,beta-methylene]-triphosphate, (Ap[CH2]pp), (S')-adenosine-5'-[alpha-thio]triphosphate [Sp)ATP[alpha S]) and GTP], luciferase synthesizes, in addition to Ap4A, the corresponding hetero-dinucleoside polyphosphates, Ap5A, adenosine 5',5"'-P1,P4-tetraphosphodeoxyadenosine (Ap4dA), diadenosine 5',5"'-P1,P4-[alpha,beta-methylene] tetraphosphate (Ap[CH2]pppA), (Sp-diadenosine 5',5"'-P1,P4-[alpha-thio]tetraphosphate [Sp)Ap4A[alpha S]) and adenosine-5',5"'-P1,P4-tetraphosphoguanosine (Ap4G), respectively. Adenine nucleotides, with at least a 3-phosphate chain and with an intact alpha-phosphate, are the preferred substrates for the formation of the enzyme-nucleotidyl complex. Nucleotides best accepting AMP from the E-LH2-AMP complex are those which contain at least a 3-phosphate chain and an intact terminal pyrophosphate moiety. ADP or other NDP are poor adenylate acceptors as very little diadenosine 5',5"'-P1,P3-triphosphate (Ap3A) or adenosine-5',5"'-P1,P3-triphosphonucleosides (Ap3N) are formed. In the presence of NTP (excepting ATP), luciferase is able to split Ap4A, transferring the resulting adenylate to NTP, to form hetero-dinucleoside polyphosphates. In the presence of PPi, luciferase is also able to split Ap4A, yielding ATP. The cleavage of Ap4A in the presence of Pi or ADP takes place at a very low rate. The synthesis of dinucleoside polyphosphates, catalyzed by firefly luciferase, is compared with that catalyzed by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and Ap4A phosphorylase.     

Geometric isomers of a photoactivable general anesthetic delineate a binding site on adenylate kinase

General anesthetics are a class of drugs whose mode of action is poorly understood. Here, two photoactivable general anesthetics, n-octan-1-ol geometric isomers bearing a diazirine group on either the third or seventh carbon (3- and 7-azioctanol, respectively), were used to locate and delineate an anesthetic site on adenylate kinase. Each photoincorporated at a mole ratio of 1:1 as determined by mass spectrometry. The photolabeled kinase was subjected to tryptic digest, and the fragments were separated by chromatography and sequenced by mass spectrometry. 3-Azioctanol photolabeled His-36, whereas its isomer, 7-azioctanol, photolabeled Asp-41. Inspection of the known structure of adenylate kinase shows that the side chains of these residues are within approximately 5 A of each other. This distance matches the separation of the 3- and 7-positions of an extended aliphatic chain. The alkanol site so-defined spans two domains of adenylate kinase. His-36 is part of the CORE domain, and Asp-41 belongs to the nucleotide monophosphate binding domain. Upon ligand binding the nucleotide monophosphate binding domain rotates relative to the CORE domain, causing a conformational change that might be expected to affect alkanol binding. Indeed, the substrate-mimicking inhibitor adenosine-(5')-pentaphospho-(5')-adenosine (Ap5A) reduced the photoincorporation of 3-[(3)H]azioctanol by 75%.     

Adenylate kinase activity in ejaculated bovine sperm flagella

Adenylate kinase (ATP:AMP phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.4.3) activity was detected in the flagella of ejaculated bovine spermatozoa. This activity provided sufficient ATP to produce normal motility in cells permeabilized with digitonin and treated with 0.5 mM MgADP. In the presence of ADP, adenylate kinase activity was inhibited by P1,P5-di(adenosine 5')-pentaphosphate (Ap5A), an adenylate kinase-specific inhibitor, and motility was stopped. ATP-supported motility was not affected by Ap5A. Mitochondrial adenylate kinase activity allowed AMP to stimulate respiration in permeabilized sperm. Adenylate kinase activity in tail fragments was most active in a pH range from 7.6 to 8.4, and a similar pH sensitivity was observed for this enzyme activity in a hypotonic extract of whole sperm. The apparent km of adenylate kinase activity in permeabilized tail fragments was about 1.0 mM ADP in the direction of ATP synthesis. The fluctuation of nucleotide concentrations in normal and metabolically stimulated sperm suggested that adenylate kinase was most active when the cell was highly motile, although adenylate kinase activity did not appear to be coupled strictly with motility.     

Identification and partial characterization of an adenosine(5'')tetraphospho(5'')adenosine hydrolase on intact bovine aortic endothelial cells.

The biologically active dinucleotides adenosine(5')tetraphospho(5')adenosine (Ap4A) and adenosine(5')-triphospho(5')adenosine (Ap3A), which are both releasable into the circulation from storage pools in thrombocytes, are catabolized by intact bovine aortic endothelial cells. 1. Compared with extracellular ATP and ADP, which are very rapidly hydrolysed, the degradation of Ap4A and Ap3A by endothelial ectohydrolases is relatively slow, resulting in a much longer half-life on the endothelial surface of the blood vessel. The products of hydrolysis are further degraded and finally taken up as adenosine. 2. Ap4A hydrolase has high affinity for its substrate (Km 10 microM). 3. ATP as well as AMP transiently accumulates in the extracellular fluid, suggesting an asymmetric split of Ap4A by the ectoenzyme. 4. Mg2+ or Mn2+ at millimolar concentration are needed for maximal activity; Zn2+ and Ca2+ are inhibitory. 5. The hydrolysis of Ap4A is retarded by other nucleotides, such as ATP and Ap3A, which are released from platelets simultaneously with Ap4A.     

Synthetic inhibitors of adenylate kinases in the assays for ATPases and phosphokinases.

1. Procedures are given for the syntheses of alpha,omega-dinucleoside 5'-polyphosphates as inhibitors of adenylate kinases. The following order for the ability of inhibiting pig muscle adenylate kinase was observed: Ap5A greater than 1:N6-etheno-Ap5A greater than Ap6A greater than Gp5A greater than Ap4A greater than Up5A. The synthesis of adenosine tetraphosphate, the starting material for Ap5A, is also described. 2. One molecule of pig muscle adenylate kinase binds one molecule of Ap5A. The difference spectrum of Ap5A-adenylate kinase with its maximum of 5050 M-1 - cm-1 at 271 nm, as well as the fluorescence properties of 1:N6-etheno-Ap5A can be used for kinetic and binding studies. 3. The specific binding of the negatively charged Ap5A was exploited in the preparation of human muscle adenylate kinase. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity with an overall yield of 65%, the absolute value being 70 mg per kg of muscle. 4. The effect of Ap5A on adenylate kinase in extracts of various cells and cell organelles was tested. A ratio of 1:50 (mol/mol) for Ap5A to other nucleotides was used for suppressing the adenylate kinase activity in extracts of mammalian and insect skeletal muscel, of human erythrocytes and of Staphylococcus aureus. A ratio of 1:5 was found to be necessary for the adenylate kinase from tobacco leaves and spinach chloroplasts, and a ratio of 2:1 was needed for suppressing the adenylate kinase from bovine liver mitochondria, human kidney homogenate and from Escherichia coli. Ap5A appears not to be metabolized in any of the above extracts. These results indicate that Ap5A can be used for evaluating the contribution of adenylate kinase to the production of ATP fro ADP in energy-transducing systems. 5. Contaminating adenylate kinase can be inhibited by a concentration of Ap5A which does not interfere in the study of many (phospho)kinases and ATPases. The applications of Ap5A in the assay for nucleoside diphosphokinase and in the study of mechanical and biochemical properties of contractile proteins are representative examples. The use of Ap5A makes it possible to study the effect of ADP per se in such systems. 6. Sepharose-bound Ap5A was used for removing traces of adenylate kinase from samples of myosin and creatine kinase. 7. In the presence of Ap5A the activity of creatine kinase was measured in hemolytic serum of venous blood, in plasma of capillary blood and in samples of whole blood after complete hemolysis had been induced. The clinical significance of these findings are shown for cases of myocardial infarction and muscular dystrophy.     

Complexes of yeast adenylate kinase and nucleotides investigated by 1H NMR.

The role of one of the histidine residues present in many adenylate kinases (H36 in the porcine cytosolic enzyme) is highly disputed. We thus studied the yeast enzyme (AKye) containing this His residue. AKye is highly homologous to the Escherichia coli enzyme (AKec), a protein that is already well characterized by NMR [Vetter et al. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 7459-7467] and does not contain the His residue in question. In addition, discrepancies between solution structural and X-ray crystallographic studies on the location of the nucleotide binding sites of adenylate kinases are clarified. One- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used to investigate AKye and its complex with the bisubstrate analogue P1,P5-bis(5'-adenosyl)pentaphosphate (AP5A). The well-resolved spectra of AKye allowed identification of nearly all detectable resonances originating from aromatic side chain protons (12 out of 15 spin systems). From these studies, all aromatic residues of AKec involved in the binding of ATP.Mg2+ have functional analogues in AKye. The AMP site seems to make no contacts to aromatic side chains, neither in the AKye.AP5A.Mg2+ nor in the AKec.AP5A.Mg2+ complexes, so that it is presently not possible to localize this binding site by NMR. The ATP site of AKye is located near residues W210 and H143 in a position similar to the ATP site of the E. coli enzyme. In combination with the recent X-ray results on the AP5A complexes AKye and AKec and the GMP complex of guanylate kinase [Stehle, T., & Schultz, G. E. (1990) J. Mol. Biol. 221, 255-269], the latter one leading to the definition of the monophosphate site, the problem of the location of the nucleotide sites can be considered to be solved in a way contradicting earlier work [for a review, see Mildvan, A. S. (1989) FASEB J. 3, 1705-1714] and denying the His residue homologous to H36 in porcine adenylate kinase a direct role in substrate binding.     

Immunoaffinity chromatography of diadenosine 5',5'-P1,P4-tetraphosphate phosphorylase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Diadenosine 5',5'-P1,P4-tetraphosphate (Ap4A) phosphorylase has been isolated previously using classical protein isolation techniques [A. Guranowski and S. Blanquet (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 3542-3547]. A protein A-Sepharose immunoaffinity column was prepared to simplify the purification procedure. The immunoaffinity column was prepared using specific polyclonal antibodies to Ap4A phosphorylase covalently coupled to protein A-Sepharose with dimethyl pimelimidate by a modification of the procedure of C. Schneider et al. [(1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 10,766-10,769]. The specific activity of the immunoaffinity-purified enzyme showed an increase equivalent to the specific activity obtained by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and hydroxyapatite columns.     

Mechanism of adenylate kinase. Demonstration of a functional relationship between aspartate 93 and Mg2+ by site-directed mutagenesis and proton, phosphorus-31, and magnesium-25 NMR

Earlier magnetic resonance studies suggested no direct interaction between Mg2+ ions and adenylate kinase (AK) in the AK.MgATP (adenosine 5'-triphosphate) complex. However, recent NMR studies concluded that the carboxylate of aspartate 119 accepts a hydrogen bond from a water ligand of the bound Mg2+ ion in the muscle AK.MgATP complex [Fry, D.C., Kuby, S.A., & Mildvan, A.S. (1985) Biochemistry 24, 4680-4694]. On the other hand, in the 2.6-A crystal structure of the yeast AK.MgAP5A [P1,P5-bis(5'-adenosyl)pentaphosphate] complex, the Mg2+ ion is in proximity to aspartate 93 [Egner, U., Tomasselli, A.G., & Schulz, G.E. (1987) J. Mol. Biol. 195, 649-658]. Substitution of Asp-93 with alanine resulted in no change in dissociation constants, 4-fold increases in Km, and a 650-fold decrease in kcat. Notable changes have been observed in the chemical shifts of the aromatic protons of histidine 36 and a few other aromatic residues. However, the results of detailed analyses of the free enzymes and the AK.MgAP5A complexes by one- and two-dimensional NMR suggested that the changes are due to localized perturbations. Thus it is concluded that Asp-93 stabilizes the transition state by ca. 3.9 kcal/mol. The next question is how. Since proton NMR results indicated that binding of Mg2+ to the AK.AP5A complex induces some changes in the proton NMR signals of WT but not those of D93A, the functional role of Asp-93 should be in binding to Mg2+.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Kinetics of creatine phosphokinase and adenylate kinase. A two-dimensional NMR analysis

The kinetics of creatine phosphokinase and adenylate kinase catalyzed reactions were studied at equilibrium by two-dimensional Fourier transform phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance. For the creatine phosphokinase reaction, a pseudo-first-order rate constant of 0.29 s-1 was determined for the transfer of a phosphate group from adenosine triphosphate to creatine phosphate. For the adenylate kinase reaction two slow rate processes were required to describe the experimental results. The conversion of adenosine diphosphate to adenosine monophosphate was found to have a pseudo-first-order rate constant of 1.2 s-1, whereas that for the release of adenosine triphosphate from its enzyme complex occurred at a rate of 14 s-1.     

Phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system. 1H NMR studies on chemically modified HPr proteins

The low-pK tyrosyl residue present in the heat-stable proteins (HPr) of all Gram-positive bacteria studied until now has been labeled by tetranitromethane in the HPr of Bacillus subtilis and Streptococcus faecalis. The nitrotyrosyl derivatives obtained are fully active in the complementation assay. The labeled tyrosyl residues could be identified as Tyr-37 in both proteins. Reinvestigation of the low-pK tyrosyl residue in HPr of Staphylococcus aureus resulted in the same assignment. In all three proteins an interaction between nitrotyrosine-37 and the active center His-15 could be observed, leading to an increase in the pK of His-15 and a change of its chemical shift parameters. The 1H NMR lines of the complete aromatic spin system of HPr of B. subtilis could be assigned by the nitration studies. Labeling of Arg-17 in HPr of S. aureus and S. faecalis by 1,2-cyclohexanedione in the presence of borate ions causes an almost complete inhibition of its enzymatic activity. In the NMR spectrum the labeling of the arginyl residue influences the resonance lines of His-15: two new resonance lines for the C-2 protons of equal intensity are observed, a fact that could be explained by two different conformations in slow exchange. The pK value of His-15 was not changed by the labeling, excluding Arg-17 as responsible for the low pK of His-15.     

Analysis of 31P NMR spectra of enzyme-bound reactants and products of adenylate kinase using density matrix theory of chemical exchange

31P NMR spectra of equilibrium mixtures of enzyme-bound reactants and products of the adenylate kinase reaction (formula; see text) were analyzed by using computer simulations based on density matrix theory of chemical exchange. Since adenylate kinase has the unique feature that the reactants in the reverse direction are both ADP molecules, which are indistinguishable off the enzyme, the density matrix equations are formulated for the ABC + D in equilibrium A'B' + A"B" exchange appropriate for the reaction, in which the interchange of A'B' and A"B" is explicitly introduced. It is shown that the consideration of this interchange is essential to explain the experimentally observed line shapes. By comparison of the computer-simulated spectra with various values for the rates of the exchange with the experimental spectra for porcine adenylate kinase at pH 7.0 and T = 4 degrees C, the following characteristic rates were determined: interconversion rates, 375 +/- 30 s-1 (ATP formation) and 600 +/- 50 s-1 (ADP formation); interchange rates of donor and acceptor ADP's, 100 +/- 30 s-1 (in the presence of optimal Mg2+ concentration), 1500 +/- 100 s-1 (in the absence of Mg2+). It is shown that under the conditions of the experiments the interchange rate is the lower limit of the dissociation rate of ADP (or MgADP from the acceptor site if Mg2+ was present) from the enzyme complexes. The significance of these interchange rates and their values relative to the interconversion rates is discussed with special reference to the role of the Mg2+ ion in the differentiation of the two nucleotide binding sites on adenylate kinase.     

H-n.m.r. studies on the specificity of the interaction between bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A and dideoxynucleoside monophosphates

The titration curves of the C-2 histidine protons of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A in the presence of several dideoxynucleoside monophosphates (dNpdN) were studied by means of proton nuclear magnetic resonance at 270 MHz in order to obtain information on the ligand--RNase A interaction. The changes in the chemical shift and pKs of the C-2 proton resonances of His-12, -48, -119 in the complexes RNase A--dNpdN were smaller than those previously found when the enzyme interacted with mononucleotides. The pK2 of His-12 was not affected by the interaction of the enzyme with these ligands, whereas, the perturbation of the pK2 of His-119 was clearly dependent on the nature of the ligand. If there is a pyrimidine nucleoside at the 3' side of the dideoxynucleoside monophosphates, as in TpdA and TpT, an enhancement due to the well known interaction of the phosphate in p1, the catalytic site, was found. However, when there is a purine nucleoside, as in dApT and dApdA, a decrease in the pK2 value was observed and we propose that in such cases the phosphate group interacts in a secondary phosphate binding site, p2. The results obtained suggest the existence of different specific interactions depending on the structure of the dideoxynucleoside monophosphate studied.     

Thermostable Pyrococcus furiosus DNA ligase catalyzes the synthesis of (di)nucleoside polyphosphates

DNA ligase from the hyperthermophilic marine archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus (Pfu DNA ligase) synthesizes adenosine 5'-tetraphosphate (p4A) and dinucleoside polyphosphates by displacement of the adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) from the Pfu DNA ligase-AMP (E-AMP) complex with tripolyphosphate (P3), nucleoside triphosphates (NTP), or nucleoside diphosphates (NDP). The experiments were performed in the presence of 1-2 microM [alpha-32P]ATP and millimolar concentrations of NTP or NDP. Relative rates of synthesis (%) of the following adenosine(5')tetraphospho(5')nucleosides (Ap4N) were observed: Ap4guanosine (Ap4G) (from GTP, 100); Ap4deoxythymidine (Ap4dT) (from dTTP, 95); Ap4xanthosine (Ap4X) (from XTP, 94); Ap4deoxycytidine (Ap4dC) (from dCTP, 64); Ap4cytidine (Ap4C) (from CTP, 60); Ap4deoxyguanosine (Ap4dG) (from dGTP, 58); Ap4uridine (Ap4U) (from UTP, <3). The relative rate of synthesis (%) of adenosine(5')triphospho(5')nucleosides (Ap3N) were: Ap3guanosine (Ap3G) (from GDP, 100); Ap3xanthosine (Ap3X) (from XDP, 110); Ap3cytidine (Ap3C) (from CDP, 42); Ap3adenosine (Ap3A) (from ADP, <1). In general, the rate of synthesis of Ap4N was double that of the corresponding Ap3N. The enzyme presented optimum activity at a pH value of 7.2-7.5, in the presence of 4 mM Mg2+, and at 70 degrees C. The apparent Km values for ATP and GTP in the synthesis of Ap4G were about 0.001 and 0.4mM, respectively, lower values than those described for other DNA or RNA ligases. Pfu DNA ligase is used in the ligase chain reaction (LCR) and some of the reactions here reported [in particular the synthesis of Ap4adenosine (Ap4A)] could take place during the course of that reaction.     

Contribution of histidine residues to the conformational stability of ribonuclease T1 and mutant Glu-58----Ala

The pK values of the histidine residues in ribonuclease T1 (RNase T1) are unusually high: 7.8 (His-92), 7.9 (His-40), and 7.3 (His-27) [Inagaki et al. (1981) J. Biochem. 89, 1185-1195]. In the RNase T1 mutant Glu-58----Ala, the first two pK values are reduced to 7.4 (His-92) and 7.1 (His-40). These lower pKs were expected since His-92 (5.5 A) and His-40 (3.7 A) are in close proximity to Glu-58 at the active site. The conformational stability of RNase T1 increases by over 4 kcal/mol between pH 9 and 5, and this can be entirely accounted for by the greater affinity for protons by the His residues in the folded protein (average pK = 7.6) than in the unfolded protein (pk approximately 6.6). Thus, almost half of the net conformational stability of RNase T1 results from a difference between the pK values of the histidine residues in the folded and unfolded conformations. In the Glu-58----Ala mutant, the increase in stability between pH 9 and 5 is halved (approximately 2 kcal/mol), as expected on the basis of the lower pK values for the His residues in the folded protein (average pK = 7.1). As a consequence, RNase T1 is more stable than the mutant below pH 7.5, and less stable above pH 7.5. These results emphasize the importance of measuring the conformational stability as a function of pH when comparing proteins differing in structure.     

Nucleotide and AP5A complexes of porcine adenylate kinase: A 1H and 19F NMR study

Proton and fluorine nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies (NMR) were used as methods to investigate binary complexes between porcine adenylate kinase (AK1) and its substrates. We also studied the interaction of fluorinated substrate analogues and the supposed bisubstrate analogue P1,P5-bis(5'-adenosyl) pentaphosphate (AP5A) with AK1 in the presence of Mg2+. The chemical shifts of the C8-H, C2-H, and ribose C1'-H resonances of both adenosine units in stoichiometric complexes of AK1 with AP5A in the presence of Mg2+ could be determined. The C2-H resonance of one of the adenine bases experiences a downfield shift of about 0.8 ppm on binding to the enzyme. The chemical shift of the His36 imidazole C2-H was changed in the downfield direction on ATP-Mg2+ and, to a lesser extent, AMP binding. 19F NMR chemical shifts of 9-(3-fluoro-3-deoxy-beta-D-xylofuranosyl)adenine triphosphate (3'-F-X-ATP)-Mg2+ and 9-(3-fluoro-3-deoxy-beta-D-xylofuranosyl)adenine monophosphate (3'-F-X-AMP) bound to porcine adenylate kinase could be determined. The different chemical shifts of the bound nucleotides suggest that their mode of binding is different. Free and bound 3'-F-X-AMP are in fast exchange with respect to their 19F chemical shifts, whereas free and bound 3'-F-X-ATP are in slow exchange on the NMR time scale in the absence as well as in the presence of Mg2+. This information could be used to determine the apparent dissociation constants of the nucleotides and the 3'-F-X analogues in the binary complexes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Yeast diadenosine 5',5'-P1,P4-tetraphosphate alpha,beta-phosphorylase behaves as a dinucleoside tetraphosphate synthetase

The diadenosine 5',5'-P1,P4-tetraphosphate alpha,beta-phosphorylase (Ap4A phosphorylase), recently observed in yeast [Guaranowski, A., & Blanquet, S. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 3542-3547], is shown to be capable of catalyzing the synthesis of Ap4A from ATP + ADP, i.e., the reverse reaction of the phosphorolysis of Ap4A. The synthesis of Ap4A markedly depends on the presence of a divalent cation (Ca2+, Mn2+, or Mg2+). In vitro, the equilibrium constant K = ([Ap4A][Pi])/[(ATP][ADP]) is very sensitive to pH. Ap4A synthesis is favored at low pH, in agreement with the consumption of one to two protons when ATP + ADP are converted into Ap4A and phosphate. Optimal activity is found at pH 5.9. At pH 7.0 and in the presence of Ca2+, the Vm for Ap4A synthesis is 7.4 s-1 (37 degrees C). Ap4A phosphorylase is, therefore, a valuable candidate for the production of Ap4A in vivo. Ap4A phosphorylase is also capable of producing various Np4N' molecules from NTP and N'DP. The NTP site is specific for purine ribonucleotides (N = A, G), whereas the N'DP site has a broader specificity (N' = A, C, G, U, dA). This finding suggests that the Gp4N' nucleotides, as well as the Ap4N' ones, could occur in yeast cells.     

The catalytic mechanism of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenases: assignment and 1H NMR spectroscopy pH titration of the catalytic histidine residue in the 109 kDa Leuconostoc mesenteroides enzyme

The chemical shifts of the C(epsilon1) and C(delta2) protons of His-240 from the 109 kDa Leuconostoc mesenteroides glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) were assigned by comparing 1H and 13C spectra of the wild-type and mutant G6PDs containing the His-240 to asparagine mutation (H240N). Unambiguous assignment of the His-240 1H(epsilon1) resonance was obtained from comparing 13C-1H heteronuclear multiple quantum coherence NMR spectra of wild-type and H240N G6PDs that were selectively labeled with 13C(epsilon1) histidine. The results from NOESY experiments with wild-type and H240N variants were consistent with these assignments and the three-dimensional structure of G6PD. pH titrations show that His-240 has a pK(a) of 6.4. This value is, within experimental error, identical to the value of 6.3 derived from the pH dependence of kcat [Viola, R. E. (1984) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 228, 415-424], suggesting that the pK(a) of His-240 is unperturbed in the apoenzyme despite being part of a His-Asp catalytic dyad. The results obtained for this 109 kDa enzyme indicate that 1H NMR spectroscopy in combination with heteronuclear methods can be a useful tool for functional analysis of large proteins.     

Adenosine(5')hexaphospho(5')adenosine stimulation of a Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+)-release channel from skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum.

Stimulation of a Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+)-release channel from skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum by various adenosine(5')oligophospho(5')adenosines (ApnA, n = 2-6) by a rapid quenching technique using radioactive calcium was studied. Ap4A, Ap5A and Ap6A, as well as adenosine 5'-[beta, gamma-methylene]triphosphate (AdoPP [CH2]P), a non-hydrolyzable ATP analogue, stimulated the Ca(2+)-release channel, whereas Ap2A and Ap3A had no effect. At a concentration of 0.5 mM, the order of stimulation was AdoPP[CH2]P less than Ap4A less than Ap5A much less than Ap6A. As well as having the highest affinity (0.44 mM for half-maximal stimulation), Ap6A showed an extraordinarily high Hill coefficient of 3.3 (1.9 for AdoPP[CH2]P, 2.1 for Ap5A). The stimulating effect of Ap6A was reversible, yet its dissociation proceeded very slowly. Stimulation of Ca2+ release by Ap6A was counteracted by Mg2+ and ruthenium red. A 2',3'-dialdehyde derivative of Ap6A, which is a chemical probe for amino groups, stimulated irreversibly the Ca(2+)-release channel and modified some high-molecular-mass sarcoplasmic reticulum proteins, possibly including the channel protein. Our data suggest that Ap6A stimulates the Ca2+ channel by binding to the activation site of the channel subunit and simultaneously preventing the spontaneous decay of the Ca2+ channel by keeping together two of the four channel subunits by bridging them with its two adenosine groups.     

The binding of adenosine(5'')tetraphospho(5'')adenosine to calf thymus histones measured by non-equilibrium dialysis.

Binding of adenosine(5')tetraphospho(5')adenosine (Ap4A) to histones of calf thymus was investigated by non-equilibrium dialysis. Histone H1 interacts with the dinucleotide via two strong sites and competes with Mg2+ ions. Intrinsic dissociation constants were 1.6 +/- 0.1 microM and 11 +/- 1 microM for zero and 0.4 mm-Mg2+ concentration respectively. Binding of poly(dT) and of other nucleotides to histone H1 was measured in an [3H]Ap4A-competition assay. The tendency to form complexes among nucleotides was highest for bisnucleoside tetraphosphates and decreased in the order poly(dT) greater than or equal to Ap4A approximately Gp4G greater than Ap4 much greater than Ap3A approximately Ap5A greater than or equal to ATP, GTP and dTTP. The co-ordination complex derived from Ap4A and cis-diammine-dichloroplatinum(II) was not reactive. The other histones of calf thymus also bound Ap4A with affinities decreasing in the order H4 approximately H3 greater than H1 greater than H2b greater than H2a. Ap4A stimulated the exchange of histone H1 between nucleosomes, but this effect was referred to ionic strength. It did not bind to assembled nucleosomes. Binding of Ap4A to histone H1 was decreased by salt (NaCl). At physiological saline concentration the value of the dissociation constant is commensurable with the value of the Ap4A concentration in the nucleus and thus indicative of complex-formation in vivo.