Electron transport phosphorylation coupled to fumarate reduction by H2- and Mg2+-dependent adenosine triphosphatase activity in extracts of the rumen anaerobe Vibrio succinogenes.

Vibrio succinogenes, an anaerobic bacterium, obtains its energy for growth from H2 or formate oxidation coupled to the reduction of fumarate to succinate. Membrane preparations have been obtained from this organism that catalyze the synthesis of ATP during H2 oxidation coupled to fumarate reduction. Esterification of orthophosphate is dependent on electron transfer, as evidenced by the requirement for both H2 and fumarate. Phosphorylation is also dependent on ADP and is destroyed by boiling the membrane preparations. H2 utilized for fumarate reduction and succinate formed are stoichiometric. The phosphorylation is markedly uncoupled by pentachlorophenol and gramicidin, but to a lesser extent by dinitrophenol and methyl viologen. 2-n-Heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline-N-oxide causes severe inhibition of H2 oxidation as well as phosphorylation, but oligomycin or antimycin A has no demonstrable effect. Among several electron acceptors tested, significant phosphorylation is observed only with fumarate. A Mg2+-dependent adenosine triphosphatase activity is present in both the membrane and soluble protein fractions. Highest activity is obtained with ATP as the substrate, and considerably less activity is obtained with other nucleoside triphosphates. The possibility that phosphorylation during "fumarate respiration" may play an important physiological role in the growth of many anaerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria is discussed.     

Reconstitution of escherichia coli succinoxidase from soluble components.

1. The membrane-bound succinoxidase of Escherichia coli was fractionated with deoxycholate into three soluble components, viz. succinate dehydrogenase.cytochrome b1 complex, cytochrome oxidase complex, and a factor identified as a phospholipid-containing component. 2. The dehydrogenase and cytochrome oxidase complexes were partially purified by filtration on Amicon membranes, Sepharose 4B chromatography, and sucrose gradient centrifugation. 3. Reconstitution of membranous succinoxidase, which catalyzes the oxidation of succinate by molecular oxygen by an integrated CN(-)-sensitive pathway, was achieved by mixing the soluble succinate dehydrogenase.cytochrome b1 complex with the soluble cytochrome oxidase complex in the presence of deoxycholate and then removing the detergent by gel filtration on Sephadex G-75. The phospholipid-containing factor stimulated the formation of succinoxidase by about 100% over that observed with the two complexes. 4. Isopycnic sucrose gradient centrifugation of succinate dehydrogenase.cytochrome b1 complex, cytochrome oxidase, and the reconstituted succinoxidase gave buoyant densities (p value) as 1.167, 1.229, and 1.194, respectively. 5. Electron microscopic evidence is presented for the vesicular nature of the reconstituted succinoxidase.     

Dihydrofolate reductase from soybean seedlings: a fluorescence and circular dichroism study.

The fluorescence emission spectrum of soybean dihydrofolate reductase suggests that the emitting tryptophan residues are situated in a hydrophobic microenvironment. The dissociation constants determined from fluorescence and circular dichroism data reveal that the soybean enzyme has a lower affinity for substrates and substrate analogs than that determined for dihydrofolate reductases isolated from other sources. The binding of methotrexate to the soybean enzyme does not affect the binding of NADPH. Similarly, the binding of NADPH has no effect on subsequent methotrexate binding. Polarimetric study indicates that the enzyme has a low (ca. 5%) α-helical content. Addition of dihydrofolate to the soybean enzyme results in the generation of a positive ellipticity band at 298 nm with a molar ellipticity, [θ], of 186,000, whereas the binding of folate induces a negative ellipticity band at 280 nm with [θ] of ?181,000. The qualitative and quantitative differences in the circular dichroism of the enzyme-dihydrofolate and enzyme-folate complexes indicate that the mode of binding of these ligands may be different. The formation of an enzyme-NADPH complex is accompanied by a negative Cotton effect at 270 nm. These studies indicate that the binding of substrates or inhibitors causes significant conformational changes in the enzyme and also leads to the formation of a number of spectroscopically identifiable complexes.     

An active center tryptophan residue in dihydrofolate reductase: chemical modification, sequence surrounding the critical residue, and structural homology considerations.

Dihydrofolate reductase from amethopterin-resistant Lactobacillus casei contains three tryptophan residues and the amino acid sequence surrounding each tryptophan has been determined. Oxidation of one of these residues by N-bromosuccinimide at pH 6.5 can be correlated with the complete loss of enzymatic activity. Following denaturation in urea, the oxidized enzyme was alkylated with dimethyl(2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl) sulfonium bromide. Based on amino acid analyses and absorbance measurements at 410 nm, 2.2 mol of hydroxynitrobenzyl groups was incorporated per mol of protein. Presumably, hydroxynitrobenzyl adducts are formed with the two nonessential tryptophans. From the amino acid compositions of the two major thermolytic peptides containing the hydroxynitrobenzyl label and the partial sequences of two cyanogen bromide peptides containing the tryptophans, it was deduced that tryptophan-5 and tryptophan-129 were modified and, therefore, by difference, tryptophan-21 is the functional residue which becomes oxidized. The amino acid sequence surrounding tryptophan-21 is -Leu-

-Trp-His-Leu-Pro-. In reductases from four other species, this region of the sequence is highly homologous; such a conservation in this vicinity of the primary structure may indicate a functional involvement. The proline residues at positions 20 and 24 may serve to position tryptophan-21 into the appropriate configuration for optimum substrate-binding interactions.     

Interferon-gamma-induced astrocyte class II major histocompatibility complex gene expression is associated with both protein kinase C activation and Na+ entry

Astrocytes can be induced by interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) to express class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens. This study was undertaken to elucidate the intracellular signaling pathways involved in IFN-gamma induction of class II MHC. We examined the effects of Na+/H+ antiporter and protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors on class II expression and Na+ influx in astrocytes. We found that amiloride and ethyl isopropylamiloride, inhibitors of Na+/H+ exchange, blocked IFN-gamma-induced class II gene expression. IFN-gamma stimulated Na+ influx, and this increased influx was inhibited by amiloride. Treatment of astrocytes with the PKC inhibitor H7 also blocked the increase in Na+ uptake induced by IFN-gamma, indicating that IFN-gamma-induced PKC activation is required for subsequent Na+ influx. IFN-gamma treatment produced an increase of total PKC activity, which was associated with a rapid translocation of PKC activity from cytosolic to particulate fraction. H7 and another PKC inhibitor, staurosporine, inhibited IFN-gamma-induced class II gene expression. However, 4 beta-phorbol 12 beta-myristate 13 alpha-acetate, a potent PKC activator, did not affect class II expression. Taken together, our data indicate that both IFN-gamma-induced PKC activation and Na+ influx are required for class II MHC expression in astrocytes but that activation of PKC alone is not sufficient for ultimate expression of this gene.