Horseradish peroxidase in ionic liquids: Reactions with water insoluble phenolic substrates

The reactivity of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) with water insoluble phenolic compounds has been studied in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIM][BF₄])/water mixtures. The enzyme retained some catalytic activity up to 90% ionic liquid in water at 25 °C only at pH values higher than 9.0. Activity steadily decreased towards neutral and acidic conditions, as judged by 4-aminoantypirin/phenol activity tests. Inhibition of horseradish peroxidase under neutral acidic condition was due to the binding of fluoride anions released from tetrafluoroborate anion to the heme iron as demonstrated by the sharp UV–visible absorption transition diagnostic of the conversion from a five coordinated to a six coordinated high spin ferric heme iron. Thus, reactions with water insoluble phenols were carried out under alkaline reaction conditions and 75% [BMIM][BF₄]/water mixture. Under these conditions, the distribution of the reaction products was much narrower with respect to that observed in aqueous buffers or water/dimethylformamide or water/dimethylsulfoxide mixtures, and polymeric species other than dimers were not observed. Technical scale preparations of a novel 4-phenylphenol ortho dimer [2,2′-bi-(4-phenylphenol)] with a high yield of the desired product were obtained.     

Decreased protein nitration in macrophages that overexpress indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase

The activity of indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO; E.C. 1.13.11.42) catalyzes the oxidative cleavage of tryptophan to form kynurenine. IDO activity consumes superoxide anions; therefore, we postulated that over-expression of IDO might mitigate superoxide-anion dependent, oxidative modification of cellular proteins in vitro. We prepared and characterized RAW 264.7 macrophages that were stably transfected with either an IDO expression vector or the control (empty) vector. We detected IDO mRNA, protein, and enzyme activity in the IDO-transfected macrophages, but not in the macrophages transfected with the empty vector. To generate superoxide anions in situ, we treated the IDO-and control-transfected cultures with xanthine or hypoxanthine, and then used ELISA methods to quantitate the relative levels of oxidatively modified proteins in total cell lysates. The levels of protein carbonyls were similar in IDO-transfected and vector-transfected macrophages; however, protein nitration was significantly less in IDO-transfected cells compared to control transfectants. In addition, steady-state levels of superoxide anions were significantly lower in the IDO-transfected cultures compared with control transfectants. Our results are consistent with the concept that, besides degrading tryptophan, IDO activity may protect cells from oxidative damage.     

The effect of neighboring amino acid residues and solution environment on the oxidative stability of tyrosine in small peptides

The effects of neighboring residues and formulation variables on tyrosine oxidation were investigated in model dipeptides (glysyl tyrosine, N-acetyl tyrosine, glutamyl tyrosine, and tyrosyl arginine) and tripeptide (lysyl tyrosyl lysine). The tyrosyl peptides were oxidized by light under alkaline conditions by a zero-order reaction. The rate of the photoreaction was dependent on tyrosyl pK(a), which was perturbed by the presence of neighboring charged amino acid residues. The strength of light exposure, oxygen headspace, and the presence of cationic surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonia chloride had a significant effect on the kinetics of tyrosyl photo-oxidation. Tyrosine and model tyrosyl peptides were also oxidized by hydrogen peroxide/metal ions at neutral pH. Metal-catalyzed oxidation followed first-order kinetics. Adjacent negatively charged amino acids accelerated tyrosine oxidation owing to affinity of the negative charges to metal-ions, whereas positively charged amino acid residues disfavored the reaction. The oxidation of tyrosine in peptides was greatly affected by the presence of adjacent charged residues, and the extent of the effect depended on the solution environment.     

厌氧甲烷氧化微生物物质代谢与能量代谢研究进展

甲烷既是一种温室气体,也是一种潜在的能源物质,其源与汇的平衡对地球化学循环及工程应用均有重要意义。厌氧甲烷氧化(anaerobic oxidation of methane,AOM)过程是深海、湿地和农田等自然生境中重要的甲烷汇,在缓解温室气体排放方面发挥了巨大作用。AOM微生物的中枢代谢机制及其能量转化途径则是介导厌氧甲烷氧化耦合其他物质还原的关键所在。因此,本文从电子受体多样性的视角,主要分析了硫酸盐型,硝酸盐/亚硝酸盐型,金属还原型厌氧甲烷氧化微生物的生理生化过程及环境分布,并对近些年发现的新型厌氧甲烷氧化进行了梳理;重点总结了厌氧甲烷氧化微生物细胞内电子传递路径以及胞外电子传递方式;根据厌氧甲烷氧化微生物环境分布及反应特征,就其生态学意义及在污染治理与能源回收方面的潜在应用价值进行了展望。本综述以期深化对厌氧甲烷氧化过程的微生物学认知,并为其潜在的工程应用方向提供新的思路。     

水体硝化体系中砷的解毒机制探讨

硝化是目前废水生物脱氮中应用最为广泛的工艺之一,其功能菌为化能自养型细菌,生长缓慢,对重金属十分敏感。砷是一种剧毒的类金属元素,主要以无机形式的亚砷酸盐[AsO₂^-,As（Ⅲ）]和砷酸盐[AsO₄^3-,As（Ⅴ）]存在,尤以As（Ⅲ）毒性最强。但研究发现,在硝化体系中,高浓度As（Ⅲ）(约400mg/L)未对硝化功能微生物产生明显毒性。深入比较发现,As（Ⅲ）的生物氧化与硝化过程具有一定的关联性。化能自养型As（Ⅲ）氧化菌不仅可在有氧条件下将As（Ⅲ）氧化,还可在缺氧条件下以NO₂^–或NO₃^–为电子受体氧化As（Ⅲ）。而硝化细菌也是典型的化能自养菌,且硝化体系内存在氧气及硝化产物NO₂^–、NO₃^–等电子受体,理论上均可接受电子实现As（Ⅲ）的氧化。本文结合硝化反应特性,综述了As（Ⅲ）在硝化体系下的解毒机制,主要为胞外聚合物的...     

The Oxidative Cost of Acoustic Signals: Examining Steroid Versus Aerobic Activity Hypotheses in a Wild Bird

Vertebrate vocalizations are widespread secondary sexual signals used for mate attraction and territory defence, and variation in signal quality is often condition dependent and impacts reproductive outcomes. Although vocal signal performance is known to reflect various aspects of male quality, few studies have examined the underlying mechanisms mediating its costs and hence its honesty. Using a population of Arctic‐breeding snow buntings (Plectrophenax nivalis), we compared the ‘Oxidation Handicap Hypothesis’, which predicts that testosterone‐induced increases in oxidative stress provide a direct mechanistic basis for ensuring the honesty of many secondary sexual signals, to the ‘Aerobic Activity Hypothesis, which predicts that it is the aerobic activity involved with signal production (i.e. vocal performance or defending a large territory) and not testosterone directly that links signal quality and oxidative stress. Males singing at faster rates had higher levels of both reactive oxygen metabolites and non‐enzymatic antioxidant capacity in the plasma (i.e. without an increase in overall oxidative stress), enabling certain males to produce high‐quality signals while also mitigating the costs of an associated increase in oxidative stress. However, these results were completely independent of plasma testosterone levels, supporting the role of aerobic performance in directly affecting oxidative stress. Although song performance was not linked to reproductive parameters in our data set, our research is the first to test these competing hypotheses in a behavioural trait and results suggest that oxidative stress may be an underlying physiological cost preventing low‐quality individuals from producing high‐quality signals.     

Structures of Arg‐ and Gln‐type bacterial cysteine dioxygenase homologs

In some bacteria, cysteine is converted to cysteine sulfinic acid by cysteine dioxygenases (CDO) that are only ～15–30% identical in sequence to mammalian CDOs. Among bacterial proteins having this range of sequence similarity to mammalian CDO are some that conserve an active site Arg residue (“Arg‐type” enzymes) and some having a Gln substituted for this Arg (“Gln‐type” enzymes). Here, we describe a structure from each of these enzyme types by analyzing structures originally solved by structural genomics groups but not published: a Bacillus subtilis “Arg‐type” enzyme that has cysteine dioxygenase activity (BsCDO), and a Ralstonia eutropha “Gln‐type” CDO homolog of uncharacterized activity (ReCDOhom). The BsCDO active site is well conserved with mammalian CDO, and a cysteine complex captured in the active site confirms that the cysteine binding mode is also similar. The ReCDOhom structure reveals a new active site Arg residue that is hydrogen bonding to an iron‐bound diatomic molecule we have interpreted as dioxygen. Notably, the Arg position is not compatible with the mode of Cys binding seen in both rat CDO and BsCDO. As sequence alignments show that this newly discovered active site Arg is well conserved among “Gln‐type” CDO enzymes, we conclude that the “Gln‐type” CDO homologs are not authentic CDOs but will have substrate specificity more similar to 3‐mercaptopropionate dioxygenases.     

Long-chain Acylcarnitines Reduce Lung Function by Inhibiting Pulmonary Surfactant

The role of mitochondrial energy metabolism in maintaining lung function is not understood. We previously observed reduced lung function in mice lacking the fatty acid oxidation enzyme long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCAD). Here, we demonstrate that long-chain acylcarnitines, a class of lipids secreted by mitochondria when metabolism is inhibited, accumulate at the air-fluid interface in LCAD^−/− lungs. Acylcarnitine accumulation is exacerbated by stress such as influenza infection or by dietary supplementation with l-carnitine. Long-chain acylcarnitines co-localize with pulmonary surfactant, a unique film of phospholipids and proteins that reduces surface tension and prevents alveolar collapse during breathing. In vitro, the long-chain species palmitoylcarnitine directly inhibits the surface adsorption of pulmonary surfactant as well as its ability to reduce surface tension. Treatment of LCAD^−/− mice with mildronate, a drug that inhibits carnitine synthesis, eliminates acylcarnitines and improves lung function. Finally, acylcarnitines are detectable in normal human lavage fluid. Thus, long-chain acylcarnitines may represent a risk factor for lung injury in humans with dysfunctional fatty acid oxidation.     

Polymorphic Variants of Human Rhodanese Exhibit Differences in Thermal Stability and Sulfur Transfer Kinetics

Rhodanese is a component of the mitochondrial H₂S oxidation pathway. Rhodanese catalyzes the transfer of sulfane sulfur from glutathione persulfide (GSSH) to sulfite generating thiosulfate and from thiosulfate to cyanide generating thiocyanate. Two polymorphic variations have been identified in the rhodanese coding sequence in the French Caucasian population. The first, 306A→C, has an allelic frequency of 1% and results in an E102D substitution in the encoded protein. The second polymorphism, 853C→G, has an allelic frequency of 5% and leads to a P285A substitution. In this study, we have examined differences in the stability between wild-type rhodanese and the E102D and P285A variants and in the kinetics of the sulfur transfer reactions. The Asp-102 and Ala-285 variants are more stable than wild-type rhodanese and exhibit k_cat/K_m,CN values that are 17- and 1.6-fold higher, respectively. All three rhodanese forms preferentially catalyze sulfur transfer from GSSH to sulfite, generating thiosulfate and glutathione. The k_cat/K_m,sulfite values for the variants in the sulfur transfer reaction from GSSH to sulfite were 1.6- (Asp-102) and 4-fold (Ala-285) lower than for wild-type rhodanese, whereas the k_cat/K_m,GSSH values were similar for all three enzymes. Thiosulfate-dependent H₂S production in murine liver lysate is low, consistent with a role for rhodanese in sulfide oxidation. Our studies show that polymorphic variations that are distant from the active site differentially modulate the sulfurtransferase activity of human rhodanese to cyanide versus sulfite and might be important in differences in susceptibility to diseases where rhodanese dysfunction has been implicated, e.g. inflammatory bowel diseases.     

Proapoptotic Activities of Protein Disulfide Isomerase (PDI) and PDIA3 Protein,a Role of the Bcl-2 Protein Bak

Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) family proteins are classified as enzymatic chaperones for reconstructing misfolded proteins. Previous studies have shown that several PDI members possess potential proapoptotic functions. However, the detailed molecular mechanisms of PDI-mediated apoptosis are not completely known. In this study, we investigated how two members of PDI family, PDI and PDIA3, modulate apoptotic signaling. Inhibiting PDI and PDIA3 activities pharmacologically alleviates apoptosis induced by various apoptotic stimuli. Although a decrease of PDIA3 expression alleviates apoptotic responses, overexpression of PDIA3 exacerbates apoptotic signaling. Importantly, Bak, but not Bax, is essential for PDIA3-induced proapoptotic signaling. Furthermore, both purified PDI and PDIA3 proteins induce Bak-dependent, but not Bax-dependent, mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization in vitro, probably through triggering Bak oligomerization on mitochondria. Our results suggest that both of PDI and PDIA3 possess Bak-dependent proapoptotic function through inducing mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization, which provides a new mechanism linking ER chaperone proteins and apoptotic signaling.