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C B Kasper

Publications and source records attributed to C B Kasper.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase. Structural basis for hydride and electron transfer.

NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase catalyzes transfer of electrons from NADPH, via two flavin cofactors, to various cytochrome P450s. The crystal structure of the rat reductase complexed with NADP(+) has revealed that nicotinamide access to FAD is blocked by an aromatic residue (Trp-677), which stacks against the re-face of the isoalloxazine ring of the flavin. To investigate the nature of interactions between the nicotinamide, FAD, and Trp-677 during the catalytic cycle, three mutant proteins were studied by crystallography. The first mutant, W677X, has the last two C-terminal residues, Trp-677 and Ser-678, removed; the second mutant, W677G, retains the C-terminal serine residue. The third mutant has the following three catalytic residues substituted: S457A, C630A, and D675N. In the W677X and W677G structures, the nicotinamide moiety of NADP(+) lies against the FAD isoalloxazine ring with a tilt of approximately 30 degrees between the planes of the two rings. These results, together with the S457A/C630A/D675N structure, allow us to propose a mechanism for hydride transfer regulated by changes in hydrogen bonding and pi-pi interactions between the isoalloxazine ring and either the nicotinamide ring or Trp-677 indole ring. Superimposition of the mutant and wild-type structures shows significant mobility between the two flavin domains of the enzyme. This, together with the high degree of disorder observed in the FMN domain of all three mutant structures, suggests that conformational changes occur during catalysis.

Amino Acid Substitution↗

Differential contributions of NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase FAD binding site residues to flavin binding and catalysis.

Transfer of reducing equivalents from NADPH to the cytochromes P450 is mediated by NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase, which contains stoichiometric amounts of tightly bound FMN and FAD. Hydrogen bonding and van der Waals interactions between FAD and amino acid residues in the FAD binding site of the reductase serve to regulate both flavin binding and reactivity. The precise orientation of key residues (Arg(454), Tyr(456), Cys(472), Gly(488), Thr(491), and Trp(677)) has been defined by x-ray crystallography (Wang, M., Roberts, D. L., Paschke, R., Shea, T. M., Masters, B. S., Kim, J.-J. P. (1997) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 94, 8411-8416). The current study examines the relative contributions of these residues to FAD binding and catalysis by site-directed mutagenesis and kinetic analysis. Mutation of either Tyr(456), which makes van der Waals contact with the FAD isoalloxazine ring and also hydrogen-bonds to the ribityl 4'-hydroxyl, or Arg(454), which bonds to the FAD pyrophosphate, decreases the affinity for FAD 8000- and 25,000-fold, respectively, with corresponding decreases in cytochrome c reductase activity. In contrast, substitution of Thr(491), which also interacts with the pyrophosphate grouping, had a relatively modest effect on both FAD binding (100-fold decrease) and catalytic activity (2-fold decrease), while the G488L mutant exhibited, respectively, 800- and 50-fold decreases in FAD binding and catalytic activity. Enzymic activity of each of these mutants could be restored by addition of FAD. Kinetic properties and the FMN content of these mutants were not affected by these substitutions, with the exception of a 3-fold increase in Y456S K(m)(cyt )(c) and a 70% decrease in R454E FMN content, suggesting that the FMN- and FAD-binding domains are largely, but not completely, independent. Even though Trp(677) is stacked against the re-face of FAD, suggesting an important role in FAD binding, deletion of both Trp(677) and the carboxyl-terminal Ser(678) decreased catalytic activity 50-fold without affecting FAD content.

Binding Sites↗

Molecular basis for cell-specific regulation of the NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase gene.

NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (CYPOR), a flavoprotein localized in the nuclear envelope and endoplasmic reticulum of most cell types, is responsible for transferring electrons from NADPH to the cytochromes P450 as well as heme oxygenase, squalene epoxidase, and cytochrome b(5). CYPOR is encoded by a single gene and, similar to many housekeeping genes, has a TATA-less, GC-rich promoter with multiple Sp1 consensus sites. The current work has delineated the importance of multiple cis-acting elements contained within the proximal promoter for basal expression of the CYPOR gene. Transcription factor binding sites within this region included two upstream Sp1 motifs, a SEC element containing overlapping Sp1/Egr-1/CACCC box motifs, and a novel site designated the OxidoReductase Upstream element (ORU). Mutational modification of the ORU element, leading to a loss of protein binding, resulted in an approximately 90% decrease in transcriptional activity in H4IIE cells. Similarly, inactivation of the Egr-1/CACCC segment of the SEC element dramatically reduced promoter activity to less than 10% of wild-type, while mutagenesis of the contiguous Sp1 site did not affect basal transcription. Although both Sp1 sites contained within the minimal promoter were required for optimal expression in H4IIE cells, loss of these sites was compensated for by those Sp1 motifs located upstream of position 206, suggesting that Sp1 was acting as a position-independent enhancer. Hence, the CYPOR promoter was distinguished from the majority of TATA-less promoters in that Sp1 was not a primary transcriptional regulator and by the fact that the Sp1 binding site closest to the transcription start site was nonfunctional. Furthermore, both the SEC and ORU elements were essential for basal expression; however, the ORU element exhibited cell-specific differences in regulatory activity. Thus, several mechanisms appear to be in place to selectively alter the expression of the CYPOR gene.

Animals↗

Two-stage glucocorticoid induction of CYP3A23 through both the glucocorticoid and pregnane X receptors.

Glucocorticoid inducibility of the CYP3A23 gene is conferred by a multisite unit comprising binding sites for several members of the nuclear receptor superfamily of transcription factors, including the chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor COUP-TF, pregnane X receptor (PXR), and hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 (HNF-4). The presence of three binding sites, each of which interacts with more than one factor, contributes to the complexity of the CYP3A23 glucocorticoid-responsive region. Despite the glucocorticoid sensitivity of this gene, direct binding of ligand-activated glucocorticoid receptor (GR) to the CYP3A23 dexamethasone-responsive region (DexRE) is not required for induction. This study demonstrates that DexRE-2 is the key element within the CYP3A23 proximal promoter, conferring ligand sensitivity via its interaction with the PXR/RXRalpha heterodimer. The DexRE-1 and HNF-4 sites are not ligand-responsive, but are essential accessory elements required for full promoter inducibility. In addition to ligand-mediated activation of PXR, the overall induction response involves a GR-mediated stimulation of PXR and RXRalpha expression. Hence, the induction pathway can be divided into two stages. In stage one, maximal induction requires a GR-dependent increase in PXR and RXRalpha expression, and stage two is characterized by direct transcriptional activation of CYP3A23, which is dependent on ligand-activated PXR as well as accessory factors bound at the DexRE-1 and HNF-4 sites. Because multiple proteins bind at each element within the glucocorticoid-responsive region, factors not contributing to ligand responsiveness, such as chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor, may modulate the response through competitive interactions.

Animals↗

Differential glucocorticoid responses of CYP3A23 and CYP3A2 are mediated by selective binding of orphan nuclear receptors.

CYP3A2 and CYP3A23 are two cytochrome P450 genes in rat that are differentially regulated in both their constitutive activities and their responsiveness to glucocorticoids, the prototypic CYP3A inducers. CYP3A2 displays 20-25% of the response to glucocorticoids as CYP3A23 despite extensive sequence homology in their 5'-regulatory regions. Promoter deletion analyses revealed that the CYP3A2 -57 to -168 region, homologous to the CYP3A23 dexamethasone-responsive region, mediated its low level activation. When this region was analyzed by DNase I footprinting, three binding sites were shown to correspond to the functional elements described for CYP3A23: DexRE-1, DexRE-2, and Site A (J. M. Huss and C. B. Kasper (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273: 16155-16162). The CYP3A2 DexRE-2 and Site A elements bear two mismatches each from the CYP3A23 elements but displayed similar binding patterns in footprinting and gel-shift analyses as their CYP3A23 counterparts. The region containing 3A2DexRE-1 has six mismatches and displayed unique footprinting and gel-shift patterns compared to 3A23DexRE-1. Functional assays revealed that four mismatches within the DexRE-1 and DexRE-2 elements accounted for the differential inducibility of the two isoforms. We propose that the reduced responsiveness of CYP3A2 is the result of preferential binding of COUP-TF at the CYP3A2 DexRE-1 site. In contrast, CYP3A23 DexRE-1 associates with an accessory factor(s) that acts in concert with downstream sites to mediate the strong glucocorticoid induction response observed for CYP3A23. Site A mismatches did not influence induction magnitude but were responsible for basal activity differences. Higher CYP3A23 basal activity appears to be due to an E-box in 3A23SiteA that interacts with USF1, a ubiquitous bHLH/leucine zipper transcription factor. This site is disrupted in the corresponding 3A2SiteA. Hence, 4 nucleotide mismatches within two elements account for the difference in glucocorticoid induction, and a single mismatch is responsible for the fivefold difference in the basal activities of CYP3A2 and CYP3A23.

Animals↗

Mechanistic studies on the reductive half-reaction of NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase.

Site-directed mutagenesis has been employed to study the mechanism of hydride transfer from NADPH to NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase. Specifically, Ser457, Asp675, and Cys630 have been selected because of their proximity to the isoalloxazine ring of FAD. Substitution of Asp675 with asparagine or valine decreased cytochrome c reductase activities 17- and 677-fold, respectively, while the C630A substitution decreased enzymatic activity 49-fold. Earlier studies had shown that the S457A mutation decreased cytochrome c reductase activity 90-fold and also lowered the redox potential of the FAD semiquinone (Shen, A., and Kasper, C. B. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 9451-9459). The S457A/D675N and S457A/D675N/C630A mutants produced roughly multiplicative decreases in cytochrome c reductase activity (774- and 22000-fold, respectively) with corresponding decreases in the rates of flavin reduction. For each mutation, increases were observed in the magnitudes of the primary deuterium isotope effects with NADPD, consistent with decreased rates of hydride transfer from NADPH to FAD and an increase in the relative rate limitation of hydride transfer. Asp675 substitutions lowered the redox potential of the FAD semiquinone. In addition, the C630A substitution shifted the pKa of an ionizable group previously identified as necessary for catalysis (Sem, D. S., and Kasper, C. B. (1993) Biochemistry 32, 11539-11547) from 6.9 to 7.8. These results are consistent with a model in which Ser457, Asp675, and Cys630 stabilize the transition state for hydride transfer. Ser457 and Asp675 interact to stabilize both the transition state and the FAD semiquinone, while Cys630 interacts with the nicotinamide ring and the fully reduced FAD, functioning as a proton donor/acceptor to FAD.

Amino Acid Substitution↗

Nuclear receptor involvement in the regulation of rat cytochrome P450 3A23 expression.

Many genes of the cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) subfamily, including several human and rat isoforms, are inducible by glucocorticoids. In the rat CYP3A23 gene, a 110-base pair segment of the proximal 5'-flanking region mediates dexamethasone activation. Three binding sites (DexRE-1, DexRE-2, and Site A), identified by DNase I footprinting analysis, were characterized for their relative contribution to both basal activity and dexamethasone inducibility. Site-directed mutagenesis of DexRE-1 (-144 to -169) and DexRE-2 (-118 to -136) demonstrated that each contained a core imperfect AGGTCA direct repeat, which comprised a consensus nuclear receptor binding site, and was essential for dexamethasone responsiveness but was not required for basal activity. Competition gel shift and supershift analyses revealed that both sites can bind the orphan nuclear receptor chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor. Site A (-85 to -110) was shown to be important for both basal activity and dexamethasone responsiveness. Point mutants displayed a reduced (2-3-fold) induction response, compared with 15-fold for wild-type, which was accompanied by a 40-60% drop in basal activity. Site A was shown to bind the liver-enriched nuclear receptor hepatocyte nuclear factor 4. Our studies demonstrate that the mechanism mediating glucocorticoid-inducible transcriptional activity of CYP3A23 involves multiple binding sites for members of the nuclear receptor superfamily.

Animals↗

Thyroid regulation of NADPH:cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase: identification of a thyroid-responsive element in the 5'-flank of the oxidoreductase gene.

The current study demonstrates that T3-activated transcription of the NADPH:cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (P450R) gene is dependent on the thyroid hormonal status of the animal, with both transcriptional and post-transcriptional pathways being important in regulating the cellular P450R mRNA level. The region required for transcriptional activation of the P450R gene by T3 has been identified. Nuclear run-on experiments demonstrated that the effects of T3 on P450R transcription are dependent on thyroid status, with a transcriptional enhancement obtained in T3-treated hypothyroid rat liver (1.8-fold increase) but not in T3-treated euthyroid animals. Transient cotransfection of P450R promoter/chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) constructs and the thyroid hormone receptor beta1 (TR beta1) expression plasmid into rat hepatoma H4IIE cells resulted in a 2.4-fold induction of promoter activity that was both T3 and TR beta1 dependent. Analysis of promoter deletion constructs identified a P450R-thyroid response region (P450R-TRE; bases, -564 to -536) containing three imperfect direct repeats of the thyroid response motif, AGGTCA. Mutational analysis further established that T3 induction was dependent only on the upstream direct repeat, having the sequence AGGTGAgctgAGGCCA. Footprint analysis showed that all three motifs were protected by proteins present in rat liver nuclear extracts, and a direct interaction between P450R-TRE and T3 receptors TR alpha1 and TR beta1 was demonstrated by gel-shift analysis. In vitro binding studies with P450R-TRE revealed the formation of heterodimeric complexes when TR alpha1 was coincubated with either the retinoic X receptor alpha or nuclear extract from rat liver, COS, or H4IIE cells. In addition, placement of the P450R-TRE upstream of the T3-nonresponsive heterologous thymidine kinase promoter resulted in a 2.7-fold transcriptional enhancement that was both T3 and TR beta1 dependent. Previous studies have demonstrated that T3 augments P450R mRNA levels approximately 20-30-fold and approximately 12-fold, respectively, in hypothyroid and euthyroid rats. Hence, for the hypothyroid state, transcriptional and post-transcriptional events contribute to the T3-induced mRNA increases; however, the marked increase in message level in T3-treated euthyroid animals depends primarily on post-transcriptional pathways.

Animals↗

Role of Ser457 of NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase in catalysis and control of FAD oxidation-reduction potential.

Site-directed mutagenesis of Ser457 of NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase demonstrates that this residue plays a major role in both hydride transfer from NADPH to FAD and modulation of FAD redox potential. Substitution of Ser457 with alanine or cysteine decreases the rates of reduction of the substrates cytochrome c and potassium ferricyanide approximately 100-fold, while substitution with threonine produces a 20-fold decrease in activity. No changes are observed in k(m)NADPH, KiNADP+, or flavin content, indicating that these substitutions have no effect on cofactor binding but affect catalysis only. k(m)cyt c values are decreased in parallel with the observed decreases in the rates of the reductive half-reaction. Stopped-flow studies with the S457A mutant show a 100-fold decrease in the rate of flavin reduction. The primary deuterium isotope effect on Kcat for cytochrome c reduction increases from 2.7 for the wild-type enzyme to 9.0 for the S457A mutant, consistent with a change in the rate-determining step from NADP+ release in the wild-type enzyme to hydride transfer in the S457A mutant. The primary deuterium isotope effect on K1 for flavin reduction at high ionic strength (I = 535 mM) increases from 12.2 for the wild-type enzyme to > 20 for the S457A mutant, consistent again with an increase in the relative rate limitation of hydride transfer. Furthermore, anaerobic titration of S457A indicates that the redox potential of the FAD semiquinone has been decreased. Data presented in this study support the hypothesis that Ser457 is involved in hydrogen bonding interactions which stabilize both the transition state for hydride transfer and the reduced FAD.

Base Sequence↗

Transcriptional regulation of the TATA-less NADPH cytochrome P-450 oxidoreductase gene.

Multiple cis-acting DNA sequences regulating expression of the rat liver NADPH-cytochrome P-450 oxidoreductase gene have been identified in transient transfection assays using promoter deletion constructs linked to the chloramphenicol acetyl transferase gene. The TATA-less promoter possesses nine GC-boxes which contain the consensus sequence for the transcription factor Sp1. While loss of the seven distal GC-boxes had minimal effect on transcriptional activity, deletion of the next 35 bp, from -206 to -172, resulted in approximately 90% loss of promoter activity. Contained within this region is an Sp1 binding site indicating that either (1) this particular consensus sequence was essential for transcription, (2) the two proximal GC boxes act in concert, or (3) a yet unidentified regulatory element resides within this 35-bp stretch. In addition, transfection experiments demonstrated that two separate distal regions (-622 to -1167 and -1500 to -2300) contain negative regulatory elements which down-regulate gene transcription in a position-independent manner. Mobility-shift analyses and DNase footprinting identified sequences in the proximal region of the promoter that bound proteins present in nuclear extracts. Four protected segments were observed within the first 100 bp upstream of the transcription start site; these include (1) the region encompassing the transcription start site (-7 to +4), (2) the region normally occupied by a TATA-box (-38 to -18), (3) the bases from -78 to -60 which contain the regulatory element CACC, and (4) bases -105 to -92 which include an Sp1 binding site. Hence, regulation of the NADPH-cytochrome P-450 oxidoreductase gene is controlled by both positive and negative regulatory elements, and, of the nine Sp1 consensus sites, the two proximal sites are sufficient to support basal transcription.

Animals↗

Dexamethasone responsiveness of a major glucocorticoid-inducible CYP3A gene is mediated by elements unrelated to a glucocorticoid receptor binding motif.

Elements responsible for dexamethasone responsiveness of CYP3A23, a major glucocorticoid-inducible member of the CYP3A gene family, have been identified. DNase I footprint analysis of the proximal promoter region revealed three protected sites (sites A, B, and C) within the sequence defined by -167 to -60. Mutational analysis demonstrated that both sites B and C were necessary for maximum glucocorticoid responsiveness and functioned in a cooperative manner. Interestingly, neither site contained a glucocorticoid responsive element. Embedded in site C was an imperfect direct repeat (5'-AACTCAAAGGAGGTCA-3'), showing homology to an AGGTCA steroid receptor motif, typically recognized by the estrogen receptor family, while site B contained an ATGAACT direct repeat; these core sequences were designated dexamethasone response elements 1 and 2 (DexRE-1 and -2), respectively. Neither element has previously been associated with a glucocorticoid-activated transcriptional response. Conversion of the DexRE-1 to either a perfect thyroid hormone or vitamin D3 responsive element further enhanced induction by dexamethasone. Gel-shift analysis demonstrated that glucocorticoid receptor did not associate with either DexRE-1 or -2; hence, glucocorticoid receptor does not directly mediate glucocorticoid induction of CYP3A23. These unusual features suggest an alternate pathway through which glucocorticoids exert their effects.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Role of acidic residues in the interaction of NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase with cytochrome P450 and cytochrome c.

Site-directed mutagenesis of the acidic clusters 207Asp-Asp-Asp209 and 213Glu-Glu-Asp215 of NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase demonstrates that both cytochrome c and cytochrome P450 interact with this region; however, the sites and mechanisms of interaction of the two substrates are clearly distinct. Substitutions in the first acidic cluster did not affect cytochrome c or ferricyanide reductase activity, but substitution of asparagine for aspartate at position 208 reduced cytochrome P450-dependent benzphetamine N-demethylase activity by 63% with no effect on KP450m or KNADPHm. Substitutions in the second acidic cluster affected cytochrome c reduction but not benzphetamine N-demethylase or ferricyanide reductase activity. The E213Q enzyme exhibited a 59% reduction in cytochrome c reductase activity and a 47% reduction in KCyt cm under standard conditions (x0.27 M potassium phosphate, pH 7.7), as well as a decreased KCyt cm at every ionic strength and a shift of the salt dependence of cytochrome c reductase activity toward lower ionic strengths. The E214Q substitution did not affect cytochrome c reductase activity under standard conditions, but shifted the salt dependence of cytochrome c reductase activity toward higher ionic strengths. Measurements of the effect of ionic strength on steady-state kinetic properties indicated that increasing ionic strength destabilized the reductase-cytochrome c3+ ground state and reductase-cytochrome c transition state complexes for the wild-type, E213Q, and E214Q enzymes, suggesting the presence of electrostatic interactions involving Glu213 and Glu214 as well as additional residues outside this region. The ionic strength dependence of kcat/KCyt cm for the wild-type and E214Q enzymes is consistent with the presence of charge-pairing interactions in the transition state and removal of a weak ionic interaction in the reductase-cytochrome c transition-state complex by the E214Q substitution. The ionic strength dependence of the E213Q enzyme, however, is not consistent with a simple electrostatic model. Effects of ionic strength on kinetic properties of E213Q suggest that substitution of glutamine stabilizes the reductase-cytochrome c3+ ground-state complex, leading to a net increase in activation energy and decrease in kcat. Glu213 is also involved in a repulsive interaction with cytochrome c3+. Cytochrome c2+ Ki for the wild-type enzyme was 82.4 microM at 118 mM ionic strength and 10.8 microM at 749 mM ionic strength; similar values were observed for the E214Q enzyme. Cytochrome c Ki for the E213Q enzyme was 17.6 microM at 118 mM and 15.7 microM at 749 mM ionic strength, consistent with removal of an electrostatic repulsion between the reductase and cytochrome c2+.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Effect of ionic strength on the kinetic mechanism and relative rate limitation of steps in the model NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase reaction with cytochrome c.

Although the kinetic mechanism of the NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (P450R) reaction with cytochrome c3+ has been determined at 850 mM ionic strength [Sem, D.S., & Kasper, C. B. (1994) Biochemistry 33, 12012-12021], this mechanism is no longer valid at lower ionic strength. At 850 mM ionic strength, the mechanism is two-site ping-pong, and reaction at the electron acceptor site is itself ping-pong. As the ionic strength is decreased below 850 mM, the initial velocity profiles begin to show curvature when cytochrome c3+ is the varied substrate. These data are consistent with a mechanism that is still two-site ping-pong, but now with random sequential binding of two molecules of cytochrome c3+ at the electron acceptor site. Decreasing ionic strength also causes a change in rate-limiting steps, with (V/K)cytc and (V/K)NADPH increasing while Vmax decreases (below 500 mM ionic strength). These results are consistent with favorable ionic interactions being important for binding NADPH and cytochrome c3+ and with product (NADP+) release becoming the rate-limiting step in Vmax at low ionic strength. Vmax decreases significantly at higher ionic strength (> 500 mM), while (V/K)NADPH decreases only slightly. The DV isotope effect is largest (2.4) at 500 mM ionic strength but decreases at both low and high ionic strength as steps other than hydride transfer become more rate-limiting. D(V/K)NADPH also decreases at both low and high ionic strength, but to a lesser extent than DV.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Kinetic mechanism for the model reaction of NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase with cytochrome c.

The kinetic mechanism of NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (P450R) has been determined for the model reaction with cytochrome c3+. Although initial velocity studies show parallel patterns, consistent with a classical (one-site) ping-pong mechanism that precludes the formation of a ternary NADPH-P450R-cytochrome c3+ complex, product and dead-end inhibition results suggest a nonclassical (two-site) ping-pong mechanism [Northrop, D. B. (1969) J. Biol. Chem. 244, 5808-5819]. This mechanism is a hybrid of the random sequential (ternary complex) and ping-pong mechanisms, since ternary complexes can form as well as intermediate, modified forms of the enzyme that can be present in the absence of any bound substrate. The complete rate equation is derived for this mechanism, and values for Vmax, (V/K)NADPH, (V/K)cytc, and the corresponding Michaelis constants are presented in terms of microscopic rate constants along with the expected product inhibition patterns (Appendix). Inhibition by NADP+ is competitive versus NADPH and uncompetitive versus cytochrome c3+, while inhibition by cytochrome c2+ is competitive versus cytochrome c3+ and noncompetitive versus NADPH. These inhibition patterns are consistent with the proposed two-site mechanism. This mechanism would give the same initial velocity patterns as the classical one-site ping-pong mechanism, but it allows for the formation of a ternary complex, with NADPH and cytochrome c3+ reacting independently at two separate sites on P450R. The D(V/K)NADPH isotope effect is not affected by cytochrome c3+ concentration, consistent with our assumption (in deriving the rate equation) that binding at the two sites is independent. At the high ionic strength used in this study (850 mM), the mechanism is two-site ping-pong, with the electron acceptor site itself reacting with cytochrome c3+ in a tetra uni ping-pong manner.

Animals↗

NADPH cytochrome P-450 oxidoreductase gene: identification and characterization of the promoter region.

The untranslated first exon and the 5'-flanking region for the rat liver NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase gene has been isolated from a Wistar-Furth genomic library. The remainder of the gene is composed of 15 exons which code for the mature protein and a 3'-nontranslated segment (T. D. Porter et al. Biochemistry, 1990, 29, 9814-9818). The 56-bp first exon resides 30.5 kb upstream from exon two, making the total gene length approximately 50 kb. While the region surrounding the start site (TCAGAGAC) was found to be homologous to a eukaryotic cap signal, the 5' flanking region possesses neither a TATA nor a CCAAT box. Instead it contains five GC-rich hexanucleotide consensus sequences for the transcription factor Sp1. These features clearly distinguish it from genes encoding other members of the mixed-function oxidase system, the cytochromes P450. Primer extension analysis and S1 nuclease mapping identified multiple transcriptional start sites. In many respects, the TATA-less oxidoreductase promoter resembles the promoter regions of dihydrofolate reductase and other housekeeping genes. Northern blot analysis demonstrates that this promoter is modulated by phenobarbital and trans-stilbene oxide, known inducers of oxidoreductase.

Animals↗

Enzyme-substrate binding interactions of NADPH-cytochrome P-450 oxidoreductase characterized with pH and alternate substrate/inhibitor studies.

The pH dependence of the kinetic parameters for the reaction catalyzed by NADPH-cytochrome P-450 oxidoreductase (P-450R) has been determined, using various substrates and inhibitors. All Vmax and (V/K) profiles show pKas of 6.2-7.3, for an acidic group that is preferentially unprotonated for catalysis, and of 8.1-9.6, for a basic group that is preferentially protonated for catalysis. The presence of the wrong ionization state for both of these groups is tolerated more at lower ionic strength (300 mM) than at higher ionic strength (850 mM). Ionization of the basic group has a more pronounced effect on binding of substrate (cytochrome c or dichloroindophenol) than on catalysis, since ionization has only a 2-fold effect on Vmax with cytochrome c, and only a 5-fold effect on Vmax with dichloroindophenol, while (V/K) for both substrates continues to drop at high pH with no sign of reaching a plateau. Therefore, this basic group affects predominantly substrate binding and, to a lesser extent, catalysis. It is most likely located on the surface of the protein at the cytochrome c/dichloroindophenol binding site, near the FMN prosthetic group. The NADP+ pKi profile shows a pKa of 5.95 for the 2'-phosphate of NADP+, which is bound to P-450R as the dianion, and a pKa of 9.53 for an enzyme group that must be protonated in order to bind NADP+.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Interaction with arginine 597 of NADPH-cytochrome P-450 oxidoreductase is a primary source of the uniform binding energy used to discriminate between NADPH and NADH.

Site-directed mutagenesis has been used in conjunction with pH and alternate substrate/inhibitor studies to characterize the interactions between NADPH-cytochrome P-450 oxidoreductase (P-450R) and the 2'-phosphate of NADP(H) that provide P-450R with its strong nicotinamide nucleotide specificity. It is known that the 2'-phosphate of NADP(H) is bound to P-450R as the dianion and that interactions between it and residues on P-450R provide 5 kcal/mol of essentially uniform binding energy (preceding paper in this issue). In order to probe these interactions further, Arg597 of P-450R, which is homologous to Arg235 of ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase that forms a salt bridge with the 2'-phosphate of 2'-phospho-AMP in the crystal structure of that complex [Karplus, P. A., Daniels, M. J., & Herriott, J. R. (1991) Science 251, 60], was mutated to methionine. The mutant protein, P-450R (R597M), does not appear to have a grossly perturbed tertiary structure on the basis of the observation of similar 31P-NMR chemical shifts for FAD (pyrophosphate) bound to it and wild-type (WT) P-450R, although it is more unstable to urea denaturation. P-450R (R597M) has a Km for NADPH that is 150 times that of P-450R (WT) and a Ki for NADP+ that is 240 times that of P-450R (WT). In contrast, the R597M mutation has only a modest effect on the Km for NADH (0.8 WT) and the Ki for NAD+ (2.9 WT), indicating that Arg597 must have been interacting specifically with the 2'-phosphate of NADP(H). The R597M mutation has relatively little effect on kcat for NADPH (1.2 WT) or NADH (0.6 WT), indicating that the mutation is affecting ground and transition states to essentially the same degree, by removing 3 kcal/mol of uniform binding energy. The NADP+ pKi profile for P-450R (R597M) shows a pKa of 5.78 for the 2'-phosphate of NADP+, which is bound to P-450R (R597M) as the dianion, but the pKa of 9.5 for the preferentially protonated enzymic group observed in the P-450R (WT) profile is no longer present. It is argued then that the 2'-phosphate binding pocket of P-450R (WT) has a high positive charge density (> + 2) and that Arg597, which is in this binding pocket, has a highly perturbed pKa of 9.5. Finally, a general theoretical treatment of the thermodynamic consequences of individual and combined perturbations to complementary interacting groups on enzyme and substrate is presented (see Appendix).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗