Ionic control of immobilized enzymes. Kinetics of acid phosphatase bound to plant cell walls.

When an enzyme is bound to an insoluble polyelectrolyte it may acquire novel kinetic properties generated by Donnan effects. It the enzyme is homogeneously distributed within the matrix, a variation of the electrostatic partition coefficient, when substrate concentration is varied, mimics either positive or negative co-operativity. This type of non-hyperbolic behaviour may be distinguished from true co-operativity by an analysis of the Hill plots. If the enzyme is heterogeneously distributed within the polyelectrolyte matrix, an apparent negative co-operativity occurs, even if the electrostatic partition coefficient does not vary when substrate concentration is varied in the bulk phase. If the partition coefficient varies, mixed positive and negative co-operativities may occur. All these effects must be suppressed by raising the ionic strength in the bulk phase. Attraction of cations by fixed negative charges of the polyanionic matrix may be associated with a significant decrease of the local pH. The magnitude of this effect is controlled by the pK of the fixed charges groups of the Donnan phase. The local pH cannot be much lower than the value of this pK. This effect may be considered as a regulatory device of the local pH. Acid phosphatase of sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) cell walls is a monomeric enzyme that displays classical Michaelis-Menten kinetics in free solution. However, when bound to small cell-wall fragments or to intact cells, it has an apparent negative co-operativity at low ionic strength. Moreover a slight increase of ionic strength apparently activates the bound enzymes and tends to suppress the apparent co-operativity. At I0.1, or higher, the bound enzyme has a kinetic behavior indistinguishable from that of the purified enzyme in free solution. These results are interpreted in the light of the Donnan theory. Owing to the repulsion of the substrate by the negative charges of cell-wall polygalacturonates, the local substrate concentration in the vicinity of the bound enzyme is smaller than the corresponding concentration in bulk solution. The kinetic results obtained are consistent with the view that there exist at least three populations of bound enzyme with different ionic environments: a first population with enzyme molecules not submitted to electrostatic effects, and two other populations with molecules differently submitted to these effects. The theory allows one to estimate the proportions of enzyme belonging to these populations, as well as the local pH values and the partition coefficients within the cell walls.     

Enzyme behaviour and molecular environment. The effects of ionic strength, detergents, linear polyanions and phospholipids on the pH profile of soluble cytochrome oxidase.

The activity vs. pH profile for the oxidation of ferrocytochrome c by purified cytochrome oxidase (ferrocytochrome c:oxygen oxidoreductase, EC 1.9.3.1) was investigated as a function of ionic strength (from 10 to 200 mM) in the absence and in the presence of various perturbants: Tween 20, linear polyanions (RNA, heparin, polyglutamic acid) and phospholipids (asolectin, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidic acid and cardiolipin). The activation induced by Tween 20 and "zero net charge" phospholipid liposomes was not pH dependent. On the other hand, linear polyanions and polyanionic liposomes strongly perturbed the pH profile, mostly at low ionic strength, by shifting the pH optimum about 1.7 pH units towards alkaline pH values. This effect was reversed by increasing ionic strength. These observations are interpreted in the light of polyelectrolyte theory. Since these results show striking with membrane-bound enzyme, it is concluded that in vivo cytochrome oxidase is located within polyanionic sites of the micochondrial membrane. The activation broght about by phospholipids may result from two posible processes: creation of a hydrophobic environment by the non-polar tails, preventing autoaggregation; and creation of a suitable polyelectrolytic environment by the polar heads (of non zero net charge), increasing the intrinsic reaction rate.     

Extracellular matrix regulation of growth factor and protease activity

Extracellular matrices bind many growth factors, proteases, and protease inhibitors. These interactions not only localize these molecules to the pericellular environment, but also modulate their biological activities. Recent evidence suggests that some growth factors may be active in vivo primarily in complexes with extracellular matrix molecules and that this interaction may be essential to their activity.     

The use of poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid) polymers as spacers for isotachophoresis in sieving gel matrices

The electric field strength gradients generated in isotachophoresis (ITP) may be used for the separation of biomolecules. Poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid) (polyAMPS) polymers of a uniform distribution of molecular mass were synthesized and used as novel spacers in ITP. Since these polymeric spacers are strongly acidic species, their ionic charges remain constant over a wide pH range, so that their ionic mobilities are governed solely by their molecular masses and not by the pH of the milieu. A modification of ITP known as telescope electrophoresis was used to separate a number of acidic dyes of varying ionic mobility, using polyAMPS polymers as spacers. The resolution obtained was superior to that obtained by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), due to the focusing effect of the electric field strength gradient. Since these novel polymeric spacers are designed to operate within sieving medium, it was decided to test their suitability for the separation of DNA molecules. DNA molecules up to 1000 bp long were successfully resolved, with a similar resolution to that obtained with conventional PAGE.     

The effect of medium on functional and structural properties of serum albumins. II. The effect of temperature on the N-form of human serum albumin

In order to investigate effects of temperature in the physiological range (from 10 to 50 degrees C) on structural, physical and functional properties of the N-form of human serum albumin (HSA), the temperature dependences of fluorescence parameters of Trp-214 residue of HSA and of the specifically bound dye ANS, as well as of association constants of ANS binding in the primary and secondary binding sites on HSA molecule were measured. The temperature-induced changes of these properties of HSA are essentially dependent on pH (7.0 or 5,6) and ionic strength (0.001-0.008 or 0.2 M NaCl). At pH 7.0 and 0.2 M NaCl the environment of Trp-214 remained invariant at temperature changes between 10 and 50 degrees C. On the other hand, the affinity to ANS of a primary binding site doubled and that of secondary ones halved. These affinity changes seem to be due, are least partly, to the heating-induced dissociation of Cl-ions, which are inhibitors of the primary dye binding. By lowering pH (to 5.6) and ionic strength the temperature-induced changes in the Trp-214 environment were observed. The changes are interpreted as indole group transition into the buried region, inaccesible to water (the "closing" of a structural slit). The affinity of secondary binding sites of ANS was halved.     

Sigmoid kinetics of human erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase

Several disagreements and inconsistencies have appeared regarding whether human erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase exhibits sigmoid or classical kinetics with respect to NADP+ binding. The latest report is that the purified enzyme exhibits classical kinetics while the intracellular enzyme exhibits sigmoid kinetics (H. N. Kirkman, and G. F. Gaetani (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 4033-4038). The various investigations were carried out at fixed pH, ionic strength, and temperature. The steady-state kinetics of crude and purified erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase are reported here at various temperatures, ionic strengths, and pH values and as a function of glucose 6-phosphate concentration. Sigmoid kinetics were observed for both purified and crude enzyme samples at high pH, temperature, ionic strength, and concentration of glucose 6-phosphate with Hill coefficients varying between 1.40 and 1.90. In contrast, at low pH, temperature, and ionic strength, the crude enzyme samples exhibit sigmoid kinetics while the purified samples exhibit classical kinetics despite the high concentration of glucose 6-phosphate. High concentrations of glucose 6-phosphate and factors favoring the enzyme in the dimeric form are necessary conditions for the observation of sigmoid kinetics in human erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. These factors are high pH, ionic strength, and temperature. The observed sigmoid kinetics in this enzyme is explained as arising from tetramer-dimer transitions.     

Topography and chemical reactivity of the active–inactive transition-sensitive SH-group in the mitochondrial NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (Complex I)

The spatial arrangement and chemical reactivity of the activation-dependent thiol in the mitochondrial Complex I was studied using the membrane penetrating N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) and non-penetrating anionic 5,5′-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoate) (DTNB) as the specific inhibitors of the enzyme in mitochondria and inside-out submitochondrial particles (SMP). Both NEM and DTNB rapidly inhibited the de-activated Complex I in SMP. In mitochondria NEM caused rapid inhibition of Complex I, whereas the enzyme activity was insensitive to DTNB. In the presence of the channel-forming antibiotic alamethicin, mitochondrial Complex I became sensitive to DTNB. Neither active nor de-activated Complex I in SMP was inhibited by oxidized glutathione (10 mM, pH 8.0, 75 min). The data suggest that the active/de-active transition sulfhydryl group of Complex I which is sensitive to inhibition by NEM is located at the inner membrane–matrix interface. These data include the sidedness dependency of inhibition, effect of pH, ionic strength, and membrane bilayer modification on enzyme reactivity towards DTNB and its neutral analogue.     

Purification of xanthine oxidase from bovine milk by affinity chromatography with a novel gel

Abstract

A new affinity gel was synthesized for the purification of xanthine oxidase (XO, EC 1.2.3.22) from bovine milk. The gel was prepared on a Sepharose 4B matrix on which a spacer arm based on l-tyrosine was covalently attached via CNBr activation, followed by reaction with the XO inhibitor p-aminobenzamidine. The elution conditions of affinity gel were determined at different pH values and ionic strengths. Maximum elution of XO was achieved at pH 9.0 and ionic strength around 0.4. The overall purification for XO was 1645-fold with 20.49% yield. SDS-PAGE of the enzyme indicates a single band with an apparent MW of 150?kDa. The gel provides a simple, rapid and effective useful for the purification of XO. Heat stability was determined on purified XO activity. Xanthine oxidase was preserved up to 70% with activity exposure of 60?°C and incubated for 60?min. These results indicated that the enzyme was heat stable.     

Studies on the mechanism of action of the alkaline phosphatase from Dictyostelium discoideum

The Dictyostelium discoideum alkaline phosphatase was investigated kinetically in an attempt to elucidate its mechanism of action. Analysis of the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl phosphate by stopped-flow spectrophotometry revealed biphasic kinetics, suggesting a double displacement enzyme mechanism. Furthermore, Tris stimulated activity in an uncompetitive manner, a result that was consistent with this interpretation. The enzyme was inhibited reversibly by phosphate at low ionic strength, but the inhibition was irreversible at high ionic strength and the latter effect was enhanced at alkaline pH values. These results indicate that high ionic strength and alkaline pH conditions bring about a conformational change that renders the enzyme susceptible to irreversible inhibition by phosphate.     

The Trypanosoma cruzi virulence factor oligopeptidase B (OPBTc) assembles into an active and stable dimer

Oligopeptidase B, a processing enzyme of the prolyl oligopeptidase family, is considered as an important virulence factor in trypanosomiasis. Trypanosoma cruzi oligopeptidase B (OPBTc) is involved in host cell invasion by generating a Ca(2+)-agonist necessary for recruitment and fusion of host lysosomes at the site of parasite attachment. The underlying mechanism remains unknown and further structural and functional characterization of OPBTc may help clarify its physiological function and lead to the development of new therapeutic molecules to treat Chagas disease. In the present work, size exclusion chromatography and analytical ultracentrifugation experiments demonstrate that OPBTc is a dimer in solution, an association salt and pH-resistant and independent of intermolecular disulfide bonds. The enzyme retains its dimeric structure and is fully active up to 42°C. OPBTc is inactivated and its tertiary, but not secondary, structure is disrupted at higher temperatures, as monitored by circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy. It has a highly stable secondary structure over a broad range of pH, undergoes subtle tertiary structure changes at low pH and is less stable under moderate ionic strength conditions. These results bring new insights into the structural properties of OPBTc, contributing to future studies on the rational design of OPBTc inhibitors as a promising strategy for Chagas disease chemotherapy.     

Further studies on the ionic strength-dependent proteolytic activation of protein kinase C in rat liver plasma membrane by endogenous trypsin-like protease

cAMP and Ca2(+)-independent histone kinase was generated from rat liver plasma membrane in an ionic strength-dependent manner by the action of an endogenous trypsin-like protease (Hashimoto, E. et al. (1986) FEBS Lett. 200, 63-66). In addition to the effect of ionic strength, this proteolytic activation of protein kinase proceeded faster at alkaline pH. In an attempt to identify the activated kinase as the protease-activated form of protein kinase C (protein kinase M), the active enzyme released from plasma membrane was highly purified and characterized. Various properties including Mg2+ requirement in histone phosphorylation, substrate specificity, effects of protein kinase activators, and inhibitors and comparison of catalytic properties by peptide map analysis were compatible with those of protein kinase M reported earlier. Immunoblot analyses also supported the idea that the protein kinase subjected to proteolytic activation was protein kinase C. The subtype of protein kinase C detected in this study was identified as type III enzyme encoding alpha-type sequence from the elution profile from hydroxyapatite column. These results suggest that type III protein kinase C bound to rat liver plasma membrane has an ability to be activated by endogenous trypsin-like protease dependently on the alteration of ionic strength and pH around the plasma membrane.     

Effect of alpha2 macroglobulin on some kinetic parameters of trypsin.

1. Complex formation of trypsin with alpha2 macroglobulin results in marked changes of the Michaelis-Menten constant, pH optimum and sensitivity to ionic strength in a system using N-carbobenzoxy-glycylglycyl-L-arginine-2-naphthylamide as substrate. 2. In contrasts to the inhibition (50%) observed when alpha2 macroglobulin-bound trypsin is assayed under conditions optimal for the free enzyme, there is minimal reduction of activity when determinations are performed at a substrate concentration and pH optimal for the bound enzyme. 3. The changes in substrate concentration and ionic environment required for maximum activity of alpha2 macroglobulin-bound trypsin are similar to those observed with enzymes embedded in polyelectrolyte matrices and may reflect alterations in the microenvironment of the enzyme resulting from conformational changes of the macromolecule during interaction with trypsin. 4. Enzymatic activity of trypsin towards casein is greatly reduced by alpha2 macroglobulin, even under assay conditions optimal for the bound enzyme, confirming previous findings that access to the active center for high-molecular weight substrates is sterically hindered by alpha2 macroglobulin.     

Macromolecular crowding: an important but neglected aspect of the intracellular environment

Biological macromolecules have evolved over billions of years to function inside cells, so it is not surprising that researchers studying the properties of such molecules, either in extracts or in purified form, take care to control factors that reflect the intracellular environment, such as pH, ionic strength and composition, redox potential and the concentrations of relevant metabolites and effector molecules. There is one universal aspect of the cellular interior, however, that is largely neglected--the fact that it is highly crowded with macromolecules. It is proposed that the addition of crowding agents should become as routine as controlling pH and ionic strength if we are to meet the objective of studying biological molecules under more physiologically relevant conditions.     

Role of invariant water molecules and water-mediated ionic interactions in D-xylose isomerase from Streptomyces rubiginosus

The enzyme, D-xylose isomerase (D-xylose keto-isomerase; EC 5.3.1.5) is a soluble enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of the aldo-sugar D-xylose to the keto-sugar D-xylulose. A total of 27 subunits of D-xylose isomerase from Streptomyces rubiginosus were analyzed in order to identify the invariant water molecules and their water-mediated ionic interactions. A total of 70 water molecules were found to be invariant. The structural and/or functional roles of these water molecules have been discussed. These invariant water molecules and their ionic interactions may be involved in maintaining the structural stability of the enzyme D-xylose isomerase. Fifty-eight of the 70 invariant water molecules (83%) have at least one interaction with the main chain polar atom.     

A study of binding-solubilization of some glycolytic enzymes in striated muscle in situ

The solubilization of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), and alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) was studied in pressed muscle as a function of ionic strength and NADH concentration. The results indicate that these factors affect the binding-solubilization of LDH and GAPDH in a similar way to their effect in dilute homogenized tissue. Alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase was included as a typical soluble enzyme, since we have been unable to demonstrate its binding to subcellular fractions under any conditions. As with homogenized tissue, LDH was less susceptible to solubilization by ionic strength than GAPDH. It was demonstrated that LDH isozymes richer in heart-type subunits were more easily removed from muscle by centrifugation-imbibition than isozymes richer in the muscle-type subunits. This was interpreted as indicating that binding of the enzyme to subcellular structures was a major factor in the restricted removal of these enzymes from muscle, since only the muscle-type subunit is capable of binding to subcellular particles. It was further demonstrated that LDH could be taken up into muscle tissue, depleted in the enzyme, against an apparent concentration gradient. This was also interpreted as binding of the enzyme to the particulate structure of the muscle. Furthermore, this uptake of LDH occurred under conditions of ionic strength (0.25) and pH (7.5) that would prevent binding of the enzyme to the particulate fraction of a dilute suspension of homogenized muscle tissue. Thus, physiological conditions of pH and ionic strength do not necessarily induce solubilization of chicken breast muscle LDH in situ. Data obtained with dilute tissue homogenates, therefore, may not necessarily be easily and safely extrapolated to conditions in situ.     

Phase diagram of mixed monolayers of stearic acid and dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine. Effect of the acid ionization

The aim of this work is to study the phase diagram of mixed monolayers composed of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and stearic acid (SA) at different ionic strength and bulk pH of the aqueous subphase. In this way, the effect of ionization of SA on the interaction and thus on phase separation with the DMPC matrix can be analyzed. To this purpose, we first determined the ionization state of pure SA monolayers as a function of the bulk subphase pH. The SA monolayers are nearly fully ionized at pH 10 and essentially neutral at pH 4 and the mixture of DMPC and SA was studied at those two pHs. We found that the DMPC-enriched phase admits more SA if the SA monolayer is in a liquid-expanded state, which is highly related to the acid ionization state, and thus to the bulk pH and ionic strength. At pH 4 the molecules hardly mix while at pH 10 the mixed monolayer with DMPC can admit between 30 and 100% of SA (depending on the lateral pressure) before phase separation is established. The addition of calcium ions to the subphase has a condensing effect on SA monolayers at all pHs and the solubility of SA in the DMPC matrix does not depend on the bulk pH in these conditions. The observed phase diagrams are independent on the manner in which the state of the mixed film is reached and may thus be considered states of apparent equilibrium.     

In vitro study of low density lipoprotein--collagen interaction

Possibility of LDL--collagen complex formation was investigated in vitro by biochemical assay and electron microscopy. Types I and III collagen isolated from bovine thoracic aorta were incubated with human low density lipoproteins (LDL) at physiological ionic strength, pH and temperature. Biochemical quantification showed that 10-20 micrograms LDL (cholesterol) were bound per 100 micrograms collagen, binding of type III being slightly more pronounced (17%) than that of type I (11%). Binding was in inversely proportional to the extent of fibrillation. The increase of ionic strength and pH reduced the binding, indicating the electrostatic nature of the interaction. These observations suggest a possible trapping mechanism of LDL in the extracellular matrix by means of collagen, which may be relevant for the development of the atherosclerotic lesions.     

The interaction of a tyrosyl residue and carboxyl groups in the specific interaction between Streptomyces subtilisin inhibitor and subtilisin BPN'. A chemical modification study.

An ultraviolet absorption difference spectrum that is typical of a change in ionization state (pKa 9.7 leads to greater than 11.5) of a tyrosyl residue has been observed on the binding between Streptomyces subtilisin inhibitor (SSI) and subtilisin BPN' [EC 3.4.21.14] at alkaline pH, ionic strength 0.1 M, at 25 degrees C (Inouye, K., Tonomura, B., and Hiromi, K., submitted). When the complex of SSI and subtilisin BPN' is formed at an ionic strength of 0.6 M and pH 9.70, the characteristic features of the protonation of a tyrosyl residue in the difference spectrum are diminished. These results suggest that the pKa-shift of a tyrosyl residue observed at alkaline pH and lower ionic strength results from an electrostatic interaction. Nitration of tyrosyl residues of SSI and of subtilisin BPN' was performed with tetranitromethane (TNM). By measurements of the difference spectra observed on the binding of the tyrosyl-residue-nitrated SSI and the native subtilisin BPN', and on the binding of the native SSI and the tyrosyl-residue-nitrated subtilisin BPN' and alkaline pH, the tyrosyl residue in question was shown to be one out of the five tyrosyl residues of pKa 9.7 of the enzyme. This tyrosyl residue was probably either Tyr 217 or Tyr 104 on the basis of the reactivities of tyrosyl residues of the enzyme with TNM and their locations on the enzyme molecule. Carboxyl groups of SSI were modified by covalently binding glycine methyl ester with the aid of water-soluble carbodiimide, in order to neutralize the negative charges on SSI. In the difference spectrum which was observed on the binding of subtilisin BPN' and the 5.3-carboxyl-group-modified SSI at alkaline pH, the characteristic features of the protonation of a tyrosyl residue were essentially lost, and the difference spectrum is rather similar to that observed on the binding of the native SSI and the enzyme at neutral pH. This phenomenon indicates that the pKa of a tyrosyl residue of the enzyme is shifted upwards by interaction with carboxyl group(s) of SSI on the formation of the enzyme-inhibitor complex.