Protein dynamics from chemical shift and dipolar rotational spin-echo 15N NMR

The partial collapse of dipolar and chemical shift tensors for peptide NH and for the amide NH at cross-link sites in cell wall peptidoglycan, of intact lyophilized cells of Aerococcus viridans, indicates NH vector root-mean-square fluctuations of 23 degrees. This result is consistent with the local mobility calculated in typical picosecond regime computer simulations of protein dynamics in the solid state. The experimental root-mean-square angular fluctuations for both types of NH vectors increase to 37 degrees for viable wet cells at 10 degrees C. The similarity in mobilities for both general protein and cell wall peptidoglycan suggests that one additional motion in wet cells involves cooperative fluctuations of segments of cell walls, attached proteins, and associated cytoplasmic proteins.     

Platelet-neutrophil-smooth muscle cell interactions: lipoxygenase-derived mono- and dihydroxy acids activate cholesteryl ester hydrolysis by the cyclic AMP dependent protein kinase cascade

Fluid-phase interactions between hematologic cells and those of the vessel wall were studied in order to define a role for lipoxygenase products as cell signals in the control of vascular cholesterol metabolism. A functional parameter for hydroxy acids in this system has not been previously demonstrated. We report herein for the first time a biochemical effect of lipoxygenase-derived eicosanoids in the modulation of cholesterol metabolism in smooth muscle cells. Products of platelet-neutrophil interactions served as cell signals in vitro to modulate cholesterol metabolism. We demonstrate that 12-HETE, 12,20-DiHETE, and 12-HETE-1,20-dioic acid activate both lysosomal and cytoplasmic cholesteryl ester (CE) hydrolytic activities, although no effect was observed on CE synthetic (ACAT) activity. The platelet lipoxygenase product, 12-HETE, was the most effective stimulator of CE hydrolysis in the smooth muscle cell, and its conversion to 12,20-DiHETE and the dioic acid derivative by the neutrophils was not necessary for the activation of CE hydrolase. A 2-fold enhancement on CE hydrolysis occurred and was independent of any "cross-activation" by hydroxy acids on production of cyclooxygenase or other lipoxygenase products. The activation of cytoplasmic CE hydrolysis had a lesser cofactor dependence on bile salts in the presence of 12-HETE. This suggested a reduced requirement for surface-active agents in an enzyme-substrate interaction where enzymes are hydrolyzing insoluble lipid substrates. Moreover, 12-HETE induced an additive effect with several lipolytic hormones in the activation of CE catabolism.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Relationships between chemical structure and inhibition of ADP-stimulated human thrombocyte release of serotonin and platelet factor 4

The inhibitory potencies of carbamoylpiperidinoalkane and N-alkylnipecotoylpiperazine derivatives on ADP-stimulated human blood platelet aggregation, serotonin (5-HT) release and platelet factor 4 (PF-4) release were evaluated. The procedure was designed to allow concurrent determination of all three sets of values. Most compounds were more than twice as potent in blocking PF-4 (X = 91 +/- 1 (S.E., n = 7)%) compared to their inhibition of 5-HT (X = 38 +/- 1(S.E., n = 6)%) release; the one compound which failed to meet these criteria was still decidedly more powerful in impeding PF-4 than 5-HT release. Since the compounds' platelet aggregation-inhibitory values were within the same range as their 5-HT release-blocking potencies, but had a strikingly greater impact in arresting PF-4 release, it is suggested that the platelet plasma membrane and the lining enveloping the dense bodies may share certain commonalities, while the sheathing encasing the alpha-granules may differ from both in a tangible manner.     

Direct observation of the enzyme-intermediate complex of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase by 13C NMR spectroscopy

The interaction of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate (EPSP) synthase, 4,5-dideoxyshikimate 3-phosphate (ddS3P), and [2-13C]-and [3-13C]phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) has been examined by 13C NMR spectroscopy. Although no resonances due to a dead-end intermediate complex could be detected, an enzyme active site specific formation of pyruvate was observed. The interaction of EPSP synthase with shikimate 3-phosphate (S3P) and [2-13C]- or [3-13C]PEP has been examined by 13C NMR spectroscopy. With [2-13C]PEP, in addition to the resonances due to [2-13C]PEP and [8-13C]EPSP, new resonances appeared at 164.8, 110.9, and 107.2 ppm. The resonance at 164.8 ppm has been assigned to enzyme-bound EPSP. The resonance at 110.9 ppm has been assigned to C-8 of an enzyme-free tetrahedral intermediate of the sort originally proposed by Levin and Sprinson [Levin, J. G., & Sprinson, D. B. (1964) J. Biol. Chem. 239, 1142-1150] and recently independently observed by Anderson et al. [Anderson, K. S., Sikorski, J. A., Benesi, A. J., & Johnson, K. A. (1988) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 110, 6577-6579]. The resonance at 107.2 ppm has been assigned to an enzyme-bound intermediate whose structure is closely related to that of the tetrahedral intermediate. With [3-13C]PEP, new resonances appeared at 88.9, 26.2, 25.5, and 24.5 ppm. The resonance at 88.9 ppm has been assigned to enzyme-bound EPSP. The resonance at 26.2 ppm, which was found to correlate with 1.48 ppm by isotope-edited multiple quantum coherence 1H NMR spectroscopy, has been assigned to the methyl group 4-hydroxy-4-methylketoglutarate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Construction of an artificial bifunctional enzyme, beta-galactosidase/galactose dehydrogenase, exhibiting efficient galactose channeling

The in-frame fusion between two oligomeric enzymes, beta-galactosidase and galactose dehydrogenase, is described. The lacZ gene was fused to the 3' end of the galdh gene with a linker encoding only three amino acids. The purified artificial bifunctional enzyme displayed the enzymic activity of both gene products. The hybrid protein was found in two major forms, consisting of four and six subunits, but other forms could also be identified. The molecular weight of each subunit was determined to be 145,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The bifunctional enzyme shows kinetic advantages over the identical native system in conversion of lactose to galactonolactone. A higher steady-state rate and a reduction of the transient time are observed. This phenomenon is especially pronounced at low initial substrate concentrations and when the pH is adjusted to a level at which the galactose dehydrogenase activity is much higher than that of the beta-galactosidase.     

Fetal lamb 3 beta, 20 alpha-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase: dual activity at the same active site examined by affinity labeling with 16 alpha-(bromo[2'-14C]acetoxy)progesterone

3 beta,20 alpha-Hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase was purified to homogeneity from fetal lamb erythrocytes. The Mr 35,000 enzyme utilizes NADPH and reduces progesterone to 4-pregnen-20 alpha-ol-3-one [Km = 30.8 microM and Vmax = 0.7 nmol min-1 (nmol of enzyme)-1] and 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone to 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta, 17 beta-diol [Km = 74 microM and Vmax = 1.3 nmol min-1 (nmol of enzyme)-1]. 5 alpha-Dihydrotestosterone competitively inhibits (Ki = 102 microM) 20 alpha-reductase activity, suggesting that both substrates may be reduced at the same active site. 16 alpha-(Bromoacetoxy)progesterone competitively inhibits 3 beta- and 20 alpha-reductase activities and also causes time-dependent and irreversible losses of both 3 beta-reductase and 20 alpha-reductase activities with the same pseudo-first order kinetic t1/2 value of 75 min. Progesterone and 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone protect the enzyme against loss of the two reductase activities presumably by competing with the affinity alkylating steroid for the active site of 3 beta,20 alpha-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase. 16 alpha-(Bromo[2'-14C]acetoxy) progesterone radiolabels the active site of 3 beta,20 alpha-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase wherein 1 mol of steroid completely inactivates 1 mol of enzyme with complete loss of both reductase activities. Hydrolysis of the 14C-labeled enzyme with 6 N HCl at 110 degrees C and analysis of the amino acid hydrolysate identified predominantly N pi-(carboxy[2'-14C]methyl)histidine [His(pi-CM)].(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Coenzyme binding by 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, a lipid-requiring enzyme: lecithin acts as an allosteric modulator to enhance the affinity for coenzyme

The role of phospholipid in the binding of coenzyme, NAD(H), to 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, a lipid-requiring membrane enzyme, has been studied with the ultrafiltration binding method, which we optimized to quantitate weak ligand binding (KD in the range 10-100 microM). 3-Hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase has a specific requirement of phosphatidylcholine (PC) for optimal function and is a tetramer quantitated both for the apodehydrogenase, which is devoid of phospholipid, and for the enzyme reconstituted into phospholipid vesicles in either the presence or absence of PC. We find that (i) the stoichiometry for NADH and NAD binding is 0.5 mol/mol of enzyme monomer (2 mol/mol of tetramer); (ii) the dissociation constant for NADH binding is essentially the same for the enzyme reconstituted into the mixture of mitochondrial phospholipids (MPL) (KD = 15 +/- 3 microM) or into dioleoyl-PC (KD = 12 +/- 3 microM); (iii) the binding of NAD+ to the enzyme-MPL complex is more than an order of magnitude weaker than NADH binding (KD approximately 200 microM versus 15 microM) but can be enhanced by formation of a ternary complex with either 2-methylmalonate (apparent KD = 1.1 +/- 0.2 microM) or sulfite to form the NAD-SO3- adduct (KD = 0.5 +/- 0.1 microM); (iv) the binding stoichiometry for NADH is the same (0.5 mol/mol) for binary (NADH alone) and ternary complexes (NADH plus monomethyl malonate); (v) binding of NAD+ and NADH together totals 0.5 mol of NAD(H)/mol of enzyme monomer, i.e., two nucleotide binding sites per enzyme tetramer; and (vi) the binding of nucleotide to the enzyme reconstituted with phospholipid devoid of PC is weak, being detected only for the NAD+ plus 2-methylmalonate ternary complex (apparent KD approximately 50 microM or approximately 50-fold weaker binding than that for the same complex in the presence of PC). The binding of NADH by equilibrium dialysis or of spin-labeled analogues of NAD+ by EPR spectroscopy gave complementary results, indicating that the ultrafiltration studies approximated equilibrium conditions. In addition to specific binding of NAD(H) to 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, we find significant binding of NAD(H) to phospholipid vesicles. An important new finding is that the nucleotide binding site is present in 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase in the absence of activating phospholipid since (a) NAD+, as the ternary complex with 2-methylmalonate, binds to the enzyme reconstituted with phospholipid devoid of PC and (b) the apodehydrogenase, devoid of phospholipid, binds NADH or NAD-SO3- weakly (half-maximal binding at approximately 75 microM NAD-SO3- and somewhat weaker binding for NADH).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Thermal stability of RNA hairpins containing a four-membered loop and a bulge nucleotide

Fourteen RNA hairpins containing a four-membered loop and a bulge nucleotide were synthesized and their thermal stabilities determined. The combined contribution of a four-membered loop and bulge A to the free energy of a hairpin is calculated to be 9.3 kcal/mol at 37 degrees C and successfully predicts the stability of an independent RNA hairpin. The introduction of a bulge nucleotide to the helical stem of an RNA hairpin destabilizes the molecule in a sequence-dependent manner. The individual thermodynamic contributions of a four-membered loop and bulge A, G, and U residues to the stability of an RNA hairpin loop are presented.     

Expression of lipoprotein lipase gene in combined lipase deficiency

The expression of the gene for lipoprotein lipase (LPL) was studied in brown adipose tissue and the liver of combined lipase deficient (cld/cld) and unaffected mice. The mRNA specific for LPL was detected in both animals. Although the size of LPL mRNA in cld mice was similar to that of unaffected mice, the mRNA concentration in affected animals was higher than in unaffected animals. We also studied the LPL gene mutation in cld mice by Southern blot analysis. No restriction fragment length polymorphisms were observed after digestion with 16 endonucleases. These data indicate that there is no gene insertion or deletion, but do not exclude the possibility of point mutation in the LPL structural gene. However, the present results agree with the hypothesis that the genetic defect in cld is not due to a mutation in the LPL structural gene, but instead involves the defective post-translational processing of LPL or defective cellular function affecting transport and secretion of this enzyme group.