Analysis of the near-ultraviolet absorption and circular dichroic spectra of parsley plastocyanin for the effects of pH and copper center conformation changes

The absorption and circular dichroic (CD) spectra of parsley plastocyanin (PC) were measured in order to determine the effects of changes in primary amino acid sequence on both the copper center and protein components of the PC molecule. The near-ultraviolet (uv) absorption and CD spectra of parsley PC were found to be qualitatively similar to those of spinach, poplar, and lettuce PC, except for the near-uv CD spectrum of the reduced form at low pH (ca. pH 5.0). The CD spectrum of reduced parsley PC in the 250-265 nm wavelength region changes from positive to negative ellipticity upon reduction of pH, and is characterized by a pKa value of 5.7. This pKa value is the same as that for the protonation of the histidine 87 copper ligand, observed by NMR, and the change in conformation of the copper center. Similar processes are believed to occur in the other PC species at lower pH values. Thus, the pH-dependent perturbations of the near-uv CD spectra of reduced PC are interpreted as due to transitions in the reduced copper center. The increase in the near-uv absorption spectrum of reduced PC can be divided into pH-independent and pH-dependent portions. The pH-independent portion resembles the absorption spectrum of tetrahedral Cu(I) metallothionein, suggesting the presence of Cu(I)-Cys 84 and/or Cu(I)-Met 92 charge transfer transitions in the near-uv absorption spectra of reduced PC. The pH dependence of the absorption spectrum changes and the pH difference absorption spectrum indicate that tyrosine residues may contribute to at least a part of the pH-dependent portion of the absorption increase of reduced PC.     

Plastocyanin conformation. An analysis of its near ultraviolet absorption and circular dichroic spectra.

The near-ultraviolet absorption and circular dichroic spectra of plastocyanin are dependent upon the redox state, solution pH, and ammonium sulfate concentration. This dependency was observed in plastocyanin isolated from spinach, poplar, and lettuce. Removal of the copper atom also perturbed the near-ultraviolet spectra. Upon reduction there are increases in both extinction and ellipticity at 252 nm. Further increases at 252 nm were observed upon formation of apo plastocyanin eliminating charge transfer transitions as the cause. The spectral changes in the near-ultraviolet imply a flexible tertiary conformation for plastocyanin. There are at least two charge transfer transitions at approximately 295-340 nm. One of these transitions is sensitive to low pH's and is attributed to the His 87 copper ligand. The redox state dependent changes observed in the near-ultraviolet spectra of plastocyanin are attenuated either by decreasing the pH to 5 or by increasing the ammonium sulfate concentration to 2.7 M. This attenuation cannot be easily explained by simple charge screening. Hydrophobic interactions probably play an important role in this phenomenon. The pH and redox state dependent conformational changes may play an important role in regulating electron transport.     

Spectroscopic characterization of plastocyanin from hornwort

Plastocyanin isolated from an aquatic higher plant, Ceratophyllum demersum L. (hornwort), has been characterized by electronic absorption, circular dichroism (CD), and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopies. The visible absorption, CD, and EPR spectra of hornwort plastocyanin indicated a complete similarity of blue copper center to those of terrestrial higher plants and algae. However, the ultraviolet absorption spectrum of hornwort plastocyanin exhibited a lower tyrosine (Tyr) and a higher phenylalanine (Phe) content of the protein comparing with other plastocyanins. The ratio of Phe/Tyr residues was estimated to be 9 by amino acid analysis. The hornwort plastocyanin resembles in amino acid composition terrestrial higher plant plastocyanins rather than alga plastocyanins but is peculiar in the content of Phe and Tyr residues.     

Factor analysis of the near-ultraviolet absorption spectrum of plastocyanin using bilinear, trilinear, and quadrilinear models

Factor analysis was used to resolve the spectral components in the near-uv absorption spectrum of plastocyanin. The data set was absorption as a function of four variables: wavelength, species of plastocyanin, oxidation state of the copper center, and environmental pH. The data were fit with the traditional bilinear model, as well as with trilinear and quadrilinear models. Trilinear and quadrilinear models have the advantage that they uniquely define the components, avoiding the indeterminacy of bilinear models. Bilinear analysis using the absorption spectra of tyrosine and copper metallothionein as targets resulted in a two-component solution which was nearly identical to that obtained using trilinear and quadrilinear models, for which no targets are required. The two-component models separate the absorption into tyrosine and copper center components. The absorption of tyrosine is found to be pH dependent in reduced plastocyanin, and the absorption magnitude of the reduced copper center is the same in the four different plastocyanin species. Further resolution is provided by a three-component quadrilinear model. The results indicate that there are at least two different electronic transitions which cause the absorption of the reduced copper center and that one of them couples to a tyrosine residue. It is the absorption of this coupled tyrosine residue which is pH dependent. Correlation of the results with previous studies indicates that it is Tyr 83 which is the perturbed residue. The separation of the absorption of the copper center and Tyr 83 provides spectroscopic probes for the conformations of the north pole and east face reaction sites on the plastocyanin protein.     

Plastocyanin conformation. The effect of nitrotyrosine modification and pH

Plastocyanin isolated from several species including spinach, poplar, and lettuce showed conformational changes both upon reduction and upon lowering the pH as determined by near-ultraviolet absorption and fluorescence measurements. The fluorescence excitation maximum was at 278 nm for all species of plastocyanin measured. In the case of spinach, the emission maximum was at 310–312 nm, similar to a tyrosine residue in solution. The fluorescence intensity increased 22% upon reduction of plastocyanin at pH 7.0. In poplar plastocyanin, the emission maximum was shifted to 335 nm and increased only 10% upon reduction. The 335 nm emission peak observed in poplar plastocyanin is attributed to Tyr 80 which is hydrogen bonded to a carbonyl group on the protein backbone. Tyr 83 was also shown to undergo fluorescence changes upon reduction since the redox state-dependent fluorescence changes decreased for a nitrotyrosine (nitrotyrosine-plastocyanin) derivative of this residue. These results show that the east face of the molecule, which contains both Tyr 80 and 83 as well as a possible binding site [1,2], undergoes conformational changes upon reduction. These conformational changes may be involved in promoting smooth electron transport between plastocyanin and its reaction partners. Both the absorption and fluorescence were found to be pH dependent. The quantum yield for fluorescence increased sharply below pH 6 for both oxidized and reduced spinach plastocyanin. This may be related to the appearance of a redox-inactive form of reduced plastocyanin [3]. The conformational changes observed at low pH may provide a mechanism for control of electron transport by the proton gradient. Low concentrations of CaCl₂ (10 mM) had no effect on plastocyanin fluorescence. However, addition of 2.7 M (NH₄)₂SO₄ eliminated the redox-dependent fluorescence changes.     

Electronic spectroscopy of cobalt angiotensin converting enzyme and its inhibitor complexes

Zinc, the catalytically essential metal of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), has been replaced by cobalt(II) to give an active, chromophoric enzyme that is spectroscopically responsive to inhibitor binding. Visible absorption spectroscopy and magnetic circular dichroic spectropolarimetry have been used to characterize the catalytic metal binding site in both the cobalt enzyme and in several enzyme-inhibitor complexes. The visible absorption spectrum of cobalt ACE exhibits a single broad maximum (525 nm) of relatively low absorptivity (epsilon = 75 M-1 cm-1). In contrast, the spectra of enzyme-inhibitor complexes display more clearly defined maxima at longer wavelengths (525-637 nm) and of markedly higher absorptivities (130-560 M-1 cm-1). The large spectral response indicates that changes in the cobalt ion coordination sphere occur on inhibitor binding. Magnetic circular dichroic spectropolarimetry has shown that the metal coordination geometry in the inhibitor complexes is tetrahedral and of higher symmetry than in cobalt ACE alone. The presence of sulfur----cobalt charge-transfer bands in both the visible absorption and magnetic circular dichroic spectra of the cobalt ACE-Captopril complex confirm direct ligation of the thiol group of the inhibitor to the active-site metal.     

Preparation and spectroscopic studies of cobalt(II)-substituted cucumber basic blue protein "plantacyanin"

The cobalt(II) derivative of cucumber basic blue copper protein "plantacyanin" has been prepared. The visible absorption, circular dichroic and magnetic circular dichroic spectra of Co(II)-plantacyanin are similar to those of Co(II)-plastocyanin, indicating that the stereochemistry of Co(II) is tetrahedral and at least one cysteinyl ligand around Co(II) ion is responsible for the strong charge transfer bands at 331 and ca. 390 nm.     

Selenium proteins in ovine tissues. II. Spectral properties of a 10,000 molecular weight selenium protein

A selenium-containing protein of 10,000 molecular weight, which is absent in muscle of selenium deficient lambs, was purified from the muscle extract of lambs injected with selenium. The absorption, circular dichroic, and magnetic circular dichroic spectra of the protein with and without dithionite markedly resemble the oxidized and reduced spectra reported for cytochrome C. Thus, this protein contains a heme group identical to cytochrome C, and may be a selenium containing cytochrome.     

Lactoperoxidase-catalyzed iodination of horse cytochrome c:monoiodotyrosyl 74 cytochrome c.

Iodination of horse cytochrome c with the lactoperoxidase-hydrogen peroxide-iodide system results initially in the formation of the monoiodotyrosyl 74 derivative. This singly modified protein was obtained in pure form by ion exchange chromatography and preparative column electrophoresis. It shows an intact 695 nm absorption band, the midpoint potential of the native protein, a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum which indicates an undisturbed heme crevice structure, a normal reaction with antibodies directed against native horse cytochrome c, and circular dichroic spectra in which the only changes from those of the native protein can be ascribed to the spectral properties of iodotyrosine itself. This conformationally intact derivative reacts with the succinate-cytochrome c reductase and the cytochrome c oxidase systems of beef mitochondrial particle preparations indistinguishably from the unmodified protein, showing that the region including tyrosine 74 is not involved in these enzymic electron transfer functions of the protein. The circular dichroic spectra of this derivative indicate that the minima observed at 288 and 282 nm in the spectrum of native ferricytochrome c originate from tyrosyl residue 74.     

Dehydration-Induced Molecular Structural Changes of Purple Membrane of Halobacterium Halobium

The nature and extent of dehydration-induced molecular structural changes of the purple membrane of Halobacterium halobium have been studied by absorption and circular dichroism spectra in solution and in oriented membrane films. High glycerol concentrations, exhaustive dry nitrogen gas flushing, and exhaustive high-vacuum pumping were employed as dehydrants. The effect of these dehydrants on the spectra were reversible, similar, and additive. Analysis of the spectral changes observed at maximal dehydration revealed: (a) at least two additional optical states of the bacteriorhodopsin, one at higher energy and another at lower energy than the characteristic dark- and light-adapted states; (b) no change in the dichroic ratio at the visible absorption maximum within experimental error; (c) no change in the polarity of the visible monomeric retinylidene circular dichroic bands; (d) pronounced reduction in the characteristic excitonic interactions among the retinals in the hexagonal crystalline lattice of the membrane; (e) no changes in the native structural anisotropism of the membrane in respect to the orientation of the amino acid aromatic rings of the bacteriorhodopsin; (f) no changes in the secondary structure of the bacteriorhodopsin; and (g) a net tilting of ~20.5° per segment of the helical polypeptide segments of the bacteriorhodopsin away from the membrane normal. A molecular model of the structural changes of the membrane resulting from water removal consistent with these findings can be constructed. Dehydration results in only subtle localized tertiary structural changes of the protein which do not significantly alter its shape or size. However, there are pronounced global supramolecular structural changes of the membrane. Water removal, which is most likely to be from the lipid headgroups of the membrane, disrupts the interactions responsible for maintaining the native crystalline lattice of the membrane resulting in pronounced randomization of the positions of the proteins in the membrane.     

On the various types of circular dichroism induced on acridine orange bound to poly(S-carboxymethyl-L-cysteine).

Circular dichroism and absorption spectra are measured on mixed solutions of acridine orange and poly(S-carboxymethyl-L -cysteine) at different pH and P/D mixing ratios. The observed circular dichroism spectra are classified into several types, mainly based on the number and sign of circular dichroic bands in the visible region. Three of them are associated with the absorption spectra characteristic of dimeric dye or higher aggregates of dye. Type I is observed with solutions, of which the pH is acid and P/D is higher than 4, and it has an unsymmetrical pair of positive and negative dichroic bands at 470 and 430 nm. This type is induced on the dye bound to the polymer in the β-conformation. Types II and III are considered to be characteristic of randomly coiled polymers. Type II is exhibited by solutions of P/D higher than 1 at pH 5–7 and has two dichroic bands around the same wavelengths as Type I but with opposite signs and an additional positive band at 560 nm. Type III, shown by solutions of P/D 2–0.6 at pH 6–10.5, has three dichroic bands around the same wavelengths as Type II but with signs opposite to it. The other two types of circular dichroism, induced for the solutions of P/D less than 1 at slightly acid pH, are associated with the absorption spectra of monomeric dye and are observed with disordered or randomly coiled polymer. They have a pair of dichroic bands at 540 and 425 nm, and the signs of these bands are opposite to each other in these two types.     

Structural studies on prolyl hydroxylase. Conformation from circular dichroism spectroscopy

The circular dichroism spectra of purified prolyl hydroxylase [EC 1.14.11.12] in the native and heat-denatured states were obtained at pH 7.8. Analysis of the far-uv spectrum of the native enzyme gave an estimate of 40% alpha-helix, 40% beta-structure and 20% random coil. The near-uv spectrum contained several negative dichroic bands that can be attributed to phenylalanyl, tyrosyl and tryptophyl residues situated in an asymmetric environment in the protein. These bands were not seen in the enzyme denatured by heat. The denaturation was monitored by changes in the alpha-helical content as well as the activity of the enzyme as a function of temperature. The normalized transition profiles with respect to the change in helical content and the loss of enzyme activity were coincidental, indicating the involvement of the alpha-helical segments in maintaining the enzyme activity.     

Circular dichroism of soybean leghemoglobin.

Circular dichroic (CD) spectra of soybean leghemoglobin, and some of its liganded derivatives were measured over the wavelength range of 650 to 200 nm. The heme-related circular dichroic bands in the visible, Soret and ultraviolet wavelength regions exhibit Cotton effects characteristic of each of the compounds examined. The positions of the dichroic bands vary with ligand substitutions and the oxidation state of the iron. All leghemoglobin derivatives, except the apoprotein, exhibit negative circular dichroic bands in the region of Soret absorption. In this region the optical activity of compounds with high-spin moments is greater than that of compounds with low or intermediate spin moments. The ellipticity of the heme band at about 260 nm is also altered by ligand binding and spin state. The dichroic spectra in the far-ultraviolet region indicated a high extent of alpha-helical structure (about 70%) in the native leghemoglobin and its liganded derivatives. The helicality of the apoprotein seems to diminish suggesting a decrease caused by the removal of the heme.     

Circular Dichroic Spectrum of the L Form and the Blue Light Product of the M Form of Purple Membrane

Simultaneously measured low temperature absorption and circular dichroic spectra are presented for different intermediates of the bacteriorhodopsin photocycle in suspension and hydrated film of purple membranes. The data for the L intermediate are in accord with excitonic interpretation of the visible part of the circular dichroic spectrum, suggesting that no large scale structural change of the purple membrane affecting its crystalline structure happens during the L formation. The structure of the membrane, which is disrupted in the M state, is recovered when M is illuminated with blue light at low temperature.     

A spectroscopic and conformational study of pertussis toxin

The conformation of native pertussis toxin has been investigated by secondary structure prediction and by circular dichroism, fluorescence and second-derivative ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy. The far-ultraviolet circular dichroic spectrum is characteristic of a protein of high beta-sheet and low alpha-helix content. This is also shown by an analysis of the circular dichroic spectrum with the Contin programme which indicates that the toxin possesses 53% beta-sheet, 10% alpha-helix and 37% beta-turn/loop secondary structure. Second-derivative ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy suggests that 34 tyrosine residues are solvent-exposed and quenching of tryptophan fluorescence emission has shown that 4 tryptophan residues are accessible to iodide ions. One of these tryptophans appears to be in close proximity to a positively charged side-chain, since only 3 tryptophans are accessible to caesium ion fluorescence quenching. When excited at 280 nm, the emission spectrum contains a significant contribution from tyrosine fluorescence, which may be a consequence of the high proportion (55%) of surface-exposed tyrosines. No changes in the circular dichroic spectra of the toxin were found in the presence of the substrate NAD. However, NAD did quench both tyrosine and tryptophan fluorescence emission but did not change the shape of the emission spectrum, or the accessibility of the tryptophans to either the ionic fluorescence quenchers or the neutral quencher acrylamide.     

Effect of B-ring substituents on absorption and circular dichroic spectra of colchicine analogues.

Near-ultraviolet absorption and circular dichroic spectra of several B-ring derivatives of colchicine have been obtained in a variety of solvents. The spectra of the molecules in solvent were analyzed and compared with spectra of the molecules bound to tubulin. Absorption spectra of deacetamidocolchicine, deacetylcolchicine, demecolcine, and N-methyldemecolcine [B-ring substituents = H, NH2, NHCH3, and N(CH3)2, respectively] were analyzed by multiple differentiation of the spectrum. It was found that an amine substituent at the C-7 position on the B-ring of the colchicinoid affected the higher energy transition of the near-ultraviolet spectra of the colchicinoid in the absence of tubulin in a manner consistent with a hyperconjugative alteration of this transition. The fourth derivatives of the absorption spectra of all four molecules bound to tubulin were similar to each other and to colchicine. As was true in the case of colchicine, the negative near-ultraviolet circular dichroic band of the aminoclochicinoids was relatively unaffected by solvent, but the molar ellipticity of the band was greatly reduced with tubulin binding. It is concluded that the binding site environments of the B-ring analogues of colchicine, as probed by absorption and circular dichroic spectroscopy, are equivalent.     

Changes in the coordination geometry of the active-site metal during catalysis of benzylpenicillin hydrolysis by Bacillus cereus beta-lactamase II

Rapid-scanning stopped-flow spectroscopy (425-700 nm) has been used to study spectral changes in cobalt(II)-substituted Bacillus cereus beta-lactamase II during the binding and hydrolysis of benzylpenicillin. The experiments were carried out in aqueous solution over a temperature range of 3-20 degrees C. Three metallointermediates have been characterized by their visible absorption spectra. Two of them have visible absorption spectra identical with the intermediates ES1 and ES2 previously observed at subzero temperatures in a mixed aqueous/organic solvent [Bicknell, R., & Waley, S.G. (1985) Biochemistry 24, 6876-6887]. In addition, the branched kinetic pathway observed with the zinc(II) and cobalt(II) beta-lactamase II at subzero temperatures has been shown to occur with the cobalt(II)-substituted enzyme in aqueous solution at above-zero temperatures; thus, at pH 6.0 and 3 degrees C, the rate and equilibrium constants are readily determined for the reaction scheme: (Formula: see text). A third transient intermediate (called ES*) was found to precede ES1 in the pre-steady-state time period. The identity of the intermediates formed in aqueous solution with those previously observed in the cryostudy confirms that the mechanism is not changed either by the presence of an organic cosolvent or by subzero temperatures. Further characterization of ES1 and the steady-state intermediate ES2 at subzero temperatures, where their lifetime may be extended for up to several hours, has involved circular and magnetic circular dichroic studies. The magnetic circular dichroic spectra identify changes in the coordination sphere of the active-site metal during catalysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Changes in circular dichroic and absorption spectra of myoglobin induced by carboxymethylation

Changes in the circular dichroic and absorption spectra were studied on solutions of myoglobin whose histidine residues had been modified by carboxymethylation under denaturing conditions. Carboxymethylation resulted in a dramatic decrease in the molar extinction coefficient in the Soret region indicative of a major change in the heme environment. This was accompanied by a remarkable change in the secondary structure of the protein involving helix-to-random coil transition, indicating that extensive histidine modification prevented unfolded myoglobin from refolding to its native conformation.     

Catalysis by serine proteases and their zymogens. A study of acyl intermediates by circular dichroism.

p-Nitrophenyl p'-guanidinobenzoate and methylumbelliferyl p'-guanidinobenzoate, which are active site titrants for trypsin, and p-nitrophenyl p'-dimethylsulfonioacetamidobenzoate and methylumbelliferyl p'-trimethylammoniocinnamate, which are active site titrants for chymotrypsin, are also hydrolyzed by the respective zymogens. Hydrolysis in each case proceeds via the formation of acyl-zymogens. The acylation rates for the zymogens are 10(3)-10(7) times slower than for the enzymes whereas the deacylation rates of acyl-enzymes and acyl-zymogens are comparable. These findings are consistent with the idea that the diminished catalytic activity of these zymogens is due primarily to their distorted substrate binding sites. The circular dichroic spectra of the acyl-enzymes show induced negative ellipticities in the region of absorption of the acyl group, due to binding of the group in an asymmetric environment. The circular dichroic spectra of the acyl-zymogens do not, but conversion of the acyl-zymogens to acyl-enzymes changes the circular dichroic spectra to those characteristic of the acyl-enzymes. alpha-Carbamyl-epsilon-guanidinated trypsin is a derivative which resembles trypsinogen in lacking activity toward specific ester substrates but possessing low activity toward p-nitrophenyl p'-guanidinobenzoate. The circular dichroic spectrum of the acyl-enzyme formed during hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl p'-guanidinobenzoate by this derivative resembles that of guanidinobenzoyltrypsinogen, and not that of guanidinobenzoyltrypsin. These circular dichroism studies confirm that the same serine residue is involved in catalysis by both enzymes and zymogens. They demonstrate directly that the acylating group is in a different environment in each and indicate that this specific environment is a determinant in the catalytic activity of each. Thus the circular dichroic spectra of these acyl intermediates provide a sensitive probe of the subtle conformational changes which occur on zymogen activation. The results support the previous conclusion that the major feature of the activation of trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen is the rearrangement of the substrate binding site and that the appearance of a new amino terminus causes this rearrangement.     

Analysis of photosystem II using particle II preparation III. Roles of cytochrome b559 with different redox potentials and plastocyanin in the photosynthetic electron transport system

1. Using the P-II preparation (photosystem II preparation),the functional sites for Cyt-b₅₅₉ with different redox potentialsand for plastocyanin in the non-cyclic electron transport chainof chloroplasts were investigated. 2. In the absence of plastocyanin, the P-II preparation showedno light-induced absorption changes in Cyt-b₅₅₉. However, uponthe addition of a sufficient amount of plastocyanin, remarkablephotooxidation of this cytochrome was observed at room temperature. 3. Parallel measurements of the light-induced absorption changesin both Cyt-b₅₅₉ and plastocyanin revealed a close relationshipbetween them, and indicated that Cyt-b₅₅₉ and plastocyanin arelocated in series on the main path of the electron transportchain involving two photoreactions in PS-II. 4. Difference spectra and action spectra for the light-inducedabsorption changes in Cyt-b₅₅₉ and plastocyanin offered additionalevidence in support of the above conclusion. 5. Analysis of the relationship between the activity of ferricyanideHill reaction and the contents of Cyt-b₅₅₉ of different redoxpotentials showed that both forms of Cyt-b₅₅₉ (i.e. high- andlow-potential forms) play important roles under physiologicalconditions, being on the main pathway of the electron transportchain connecting PS-II and PS-I. 6. To these findings it is possible to give reasonable explanationsbased on our scheme presented previously, which suggested thatPS-II contains not one but two different photoreactions. Thisscheme is much more elaborately supported by this study whichshows the functional sites for Cyt-b₅₅₉ with two different potentials. ¹This work has been supported by a Grant from the Ministry ofEducation (Grant No. 844004), which we gratefully acknowledge.Part of this report has been presented at the Gordon ResearchConference on Regulatory Mechanisms in Photosynthesis, at Tilton,N.H., U.S.A., Aug. 13–17, 1973. (Received June 20, 1974; )