Thyroid peroxidase selects the mechanism of either 1- or 2-electron oxidation of phenols, depending on their substituents

Unlike lactoperoxidase and horseradish peroxidase, thyroid peroxidase catalyzed the oxidation of hydroquinone mostly by way of 2-electron transfer. This conclusion could be derived from three independent experiments: ESR measurements of p-benzosemiquinone, trapping the unpaired electron by cytochrome c, and spectrophotometric analysis of catalytic intermediates of the enzymes. The 1-electron flux for hydroquinone oxidation was found to be 15-19% in the reaction of thyroid peroxidase, while it was nearly 100% in the reactions of lactoperoxidase and horseradish peroxidase. From the spectrophotometric analysis of the catalytic intermediates of enzyme, it was suggested that the mechanism of oxidation catalyzed by thyroid peroxidase changes from a 2-electron to a 1-electron type as the substituents at 2- and 6-positions of phenol become bulky or heavy. On the other hand, the mechanism was invariably a 1-electron type when the oxidation of phenols was catalyzed by lactoperoxidase or horseradish peroxidase. These three peroxidases all catalyzed 1-electron oxidation of ascorbate.     

Characterization of a monoclonal antibody to hog thyroid peroxidase and its use for immunohistochemical localization of the peroxidase in the thyroid gland

A monoclonal antibody (30.1.2) to hog thyroid peroxidase was produced, purified, and characterized. The IgG of 30.1.2 formed an immune complex with the peroxidase in a 1:2 or 1:1 molar ratio depending on the IgG to antigen ratio in the incubation mixture. Immune complex formation did not inhibit the peroxidase activity, which was actually activated 2-fold in the 1:1 complex. Studies of the binding of the conjugate of the IgG or its Fab' with horseradish peroxidase to untreated and acetone-treated thyroid microsomes showed that the IgG conjugate could bind to only a very small portion of the total binding sites (thyroid peroxidase) present in untreated microsomes even after prolonged incubation. The binding of the Fab' conjugate to untreated microsomes, on the other hand, increased as the incubation time was increased, reaching 40% of the total sites after 20 h of incubation. These findings indicated that thyroid peroxidase is localized on the inner surface of the microsomal membranes and that the Fab' conjugate, but not the IgG conjugate, can slowly penetrate through the membrane barrier to reach the peroxidase. Immunohistochemical experiments using the Fab' conjugate as a probe revealed that most thyroid peroxidase in the thyroid gland is located in the endoplasmic reticulum and perinuclear cisternae of the follicular cell, although a small amount could occasionally be detected in the apical membrane including microvilli. In contrast to previous reports, no thyroid peroxidase could be found in other cellular structures such as Golgi apparatus and apical vesicles by the immunohistochemical technique employed.     

Complex structures of Thermoactinomyces vulgaris R-47 alpha-amylase 2 with acarbose and cyclodextrins demonstrate the multiple substrate recognition mechanism

Thermoactinomyces vulgaris R-47 alpha-amylase 2 (TVAII) has the unique ability to hydrolyze cyclodextrins (CDs), with various sized cavities, as well as starch. To understand the relationship between structure and substrate specificity, x-ray structures of a TVAII-acarbose complex and inactive mutant TVAII (D325N/D421N)/alpha-, beta- and gamma-CDs complexes were determined at resolutions of 2.9, 2.9, 2.8, and 3.1 A, respectively. In all complexes, the interactions between ligands and enzymes at subsites -1, -2, and -3 were almost the same, but striking differences in the catalytic site structure were found at subsites +1 and +2, where Trp(356) and Tyr(374) changed the conformation of the side chain depending on the structure and size of the ligands. Trp(356) and Tyr(374) are thought to be responsible for the multiple substrate-recognition mechanism of TVAII, providing the unique substrate specificity. In the beta-CD complex, the beta-CD maintains a regular conical structure, making it difficult for Glu(354) to protonate the O-4 atom at the hydrolyzing site as a previously proposed hydrolyzing mechanism of alpha-amylase. From the x-ray structures, it is suggested that the protonation of the O-4 atom is possibly carried out via a hydrogen atom of the inter-glucose hydrogen bond at the hydrolyzing site.     

Estimating the number of hematopoietic or lymphoid stem cells giving rise to clonal chromosome aberrations in blood T lymphocytes

Quantifying the proliferative capacity of long-term hematopoietic stem cells in humans is important for bone marrow transplantation and gene therapy. Obtaining appropriate data is difficult, however, because the experimental tools are limited. We hypothesized that tracking clonal descendants originating from hematopoietic stem cells would be possible if we used clonal chromosome aberrations as unique tags of individual hematopoietic stem cells in vivo. Using FISH, we screened 500 blood T lymphocytes from each of 513 atomic bomb survivors and detected 96 clones composed of at least three cells with identical aberrations. The number of clones was inversely related to their population size, which we interpreted to mean that the progenitor cells were heterogeneous in the number of progeny that they could produce. The absolute number of progenitor cells contributing to the formation of the observed clones was estimated as about two in an unexposed individual. Further, scrutiny of ten clones revealed that lymphocyte clones could originate roughly equally from hematopoietic stem cells or from mature T lymphocytes, thereby suggesting that the estimated two progenitor cells are shared as one hematopoietic stem cell and one mature T cell. Our model predicts that one out of ten people bears a non- aberrant clone comprising >10% of the total lymphocytes, which indicates that clonal expansions are common and probably are not health-threatening.     

Prediction of clonal chromosome aberration frequency in human blood lymphocytes

We recently conducted a large-scale screening for clonal aberrations among atomic bomb survivors and proposed a model for the gross clonal composition of blood lymphocytes. Here we show an application of the model indicating that the number, m,of clones detectable by cytogenetic methods in an individual is predictable by the equation m= (1.8 + 6.4FG) x FP x n/500, where FG represents the estimated translocation frequency in the 46 chromosome set, FP is the observed translocation frequency with FISH or other methods, and nis the number of cells examined. Application of the equation to the results of seven other reports gave close agreement between the observed and calculated numbers of clones. Since the model assumes that clonal expansion is ubiquitous, and any translocation can be the constituent of a clone detectable by cytogenetic means, the vast majority of observed clonal expansions of these somatic cells are likely the result of random-hit events that are not detrimental to human health. Furthermore, since our model can predict the majority of clonal aberrations among Chernobyl workers who were examined 5-6 years after irradiation, clonal expansion seems to occur primarily within a few years after exposure to radiation, most likely being coupled with the process of recovery from radiation-induced injury in the lymphoid and hematopoietic systems.     

X-ray structures of NADPH-dependent carbonyl reductase from Sporobolomyces salmonicolor provide insights into stereoselective reductions of carbonyl compounds

The X-ray structures of red yeast Sporobolomyces salmonicolor carbonyl reductase (SSCR) and its complex with a coenzyme, NADPH, have been determined at a resolution of 1.8A and 1.6A, respectively. SSCR was crystallized in an orthorhombic system with the space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) and cell dimensions of a=54.86 A, b=83.49 A, and c=148.72 A. On its cocrystallization with NADPH, isomorphous crystals of the SSCR/NADPH complex were obtained. The structure of SSCR was solved by a single wavelength anomalous diffraction measurement using a selenomethionine-substituted enzyme, and that of the SSCR/NADPH complex was solved by a molecular replacement method using the solved structure of SSCR. The structures of SSCR and the SSCR/NADPH complex were refined to an R-factor of 0.193 (R(free)=0.233) and 0.211 (R(free)=0.238), respectively. SSCR has two domains, an NADPH-binding domain and a substrate-binding domain, and belongs to the short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases family. The structure of the NADPH-binding domain and the interaction between the enzyme and NADPH are very similar to those found in other structure-solved enzymes belonging to the short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases family, while the structure of the substrate-binding domain is unique. SSCR has stereoselectivity in its catalytic reaction, giving rise to excessive production of (S)-alcohols from ethyl 4-chloro-3-oxobutanoate. The X-ray structure of the SSCR/NADPH complex and preliminary modeling show that the formation of the hydrophobic channel induced by the binding of NADPH is closely related to the stereoselective reduction by SSCR.     

Persistent borna disease virus infection confers instability of HSP70 mRNA in glial cells during heat stress

Borna disease virus (BDV) is a highly neurotropic RNA virus that causes neurological disorders in many vertebrate species. Although BDV readily establishes lasting persistence, persistently infected cells maintain an apparently normal cell phenotype in terms of morphology, viability, and proliferation. In this study, to understand the regulation of stress responses in BDV infection, we investigated the expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in glial cells persistently infected with BDV. Interestingly, we found that BDV persistence did not upregulate HSP70 expression even in cells treated with heat stress. Furthermore, BDV-infected glial cells exhibited rapid rounding and detachment from the culture plate under various stressful conditions. Immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated that heat stress rapidly disrupts the cell cytoskeleton only in persistently infected cells, suggesting a lack of thermotolerance. Intriguingly, we found that although persistently infected glial cells expressed HSP70 mRNA after heat stress, its expression rapidly disappeared during the recovery period. These observations indicated that persistent BDV infection may affect the stability of HSP70 mRNA. Finally, we found that the double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) is expressed at a constant level in persistently infected cells with or without heat shock. Considering the interrelationship between HSP70 and PKR production, our data suggest that BDV infection disturbs the cellular stress responses to abolish antiviral activities and maintain persistence.     

Activation by ATP of calcium-dependent NADPH-oxidase generating hydrogen peroxide in thyroid plasma membranes

An H2O2-generating fraction was prepared from porcine thyroid homogenate by differential and Percoll-density gradient centrifugations. The fraction consisted of mainly fragmented plasma membranes as judged by marker enzyme analysis and electron microscopy. The fraction produced H2O2 by reaction with NADPH only in the presence of Ca2+. The Ca2+ concentration for half-maximal activation (KCa) was about 0.1 microM and the Hill coefficient was 2. Sr2+ also activated the reaction whereas Mn2+, Zn2+, and Cd2+ inhibited it. The reaction was enhanced about twice by addition of ATP but not ADP, and inhibited by addition of hexokinase together with glucose to remove ATP. The Km value for NADPH was 35 microM and was less than 1/12 that for NADH. The NADPH oxidation rate was measured and the KCa and the Km were similar to those for the H2O2 production. The stoichiometry between the oxidation and the H2O2 formation was essentially 1. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and KCN did not affect H2O2 production. The fraction catalyzed NADPH-cytochrome c reduction but the activity was SOD-insensitive. These results suggest that H2O2 was not generated through superoxide anion formation. NADPH-dichloroindophenol (DCIP) reductase activity was also observed and DCIP inhibited the production of H2O2. The cytochrome c and DCIP reductase activities were not influenced by Ca2+ or ATP. A unique electron transport system regulated by Ca2+ and ATP exists in the thyroid plasma membrane that produces H2O2. The concentrations of Ca2+ and ATP in thyroid cells may regulate hormone synthesis through activation of the production of H2O2, a substrate for peroxidase.     

A circulating thyroid peroxidase-like substance in healthy human peripheral blood

Circulating thyroid peroxidase (TPO)-like substance in healthy human peripheral blood was studied to clarify the immunological role of TPO. By using a highly sensitive radioimmunoassay system combined with murine monoclonal antibodies, TPO-like substance was measurable in 6 out of 84 sera. Characterization of this circulating substance by gel filtration revealed that the molecular weight of a major peak corresponded to that of trypsinized TPO. From these findings it is possible that peripheral blood lymphocytes are exposed to a low level of TPO as well as to thyroglobulin.