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C H Williams

Publications and source records attributed to C H Williams.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Characterization of lipoamide dehydrogenase from Escherichia coli lacking the redox active disulfide: C44S and C49S.

Lipoamide dehydrogenase from Escherichia coli, a dimeric flavoprotein in the pyridine nucleotide-disulfide oxidoreductase family of enzymes, catalyzes the reduction of NAD+ by dihydrolipoamide. The two electrons are transferred via a redox active disulfide and FAD. Cys44 and Cys49 comprise the redox active disulfide, Cys44 interchanging with dihydrolipoamide and Cys49 interacting with the flavin. Each of these residues has been mutated to serine (C44S, C49S). The altered enzymes showed minute amounts of activity, 0.003% for C44S and 0.012% for C49S using the physiological substrates dihydrolipoamide and NAD+. These very low activities were expected, since the disulfide was no longer present in C44S and C49S, making dithiol-disulfide interchange impossible. However, the enzymes were capable of catalyzing reactions using NADH as the electron donor and alternate electron acceptors: K3Fe(CN)6, thio-NAD+, DCIP, and O2. These activities with NADH indicated that interaction of C44S and C49S with pyridine nucleotides was not affected greatly by the mutation. The pH dependence of the charge-transfer absorbance of C44S gives pKa values of 2.7, associated with titration of Cys49, and 9.5, associated with titration of the acid-base catalyst, His444'. A pKa of 5.1 was estimated for Cys44 in C49S from the pH dependence of its reactivity with methyl methanethiosulfonate. The fluorescence of the FAD in oxidized wild type lipoamide dehydrogenase is markedly temperature dependent, while the remaining fluorescence of two-electron-reduced enzyme is independent of temperature. The fluorescence of the FAD in C44S and in C49S is likewise independent of temperature. The FAD of C44S and C49S is stoichiometrically titrated by 1 equiv of sodium dithionite. However, the FAD of C44S is markedly less completely reduced by 1 equiv of NADH than is the FAD of C49S. Ferricyanide stoichiometrically reoxidizes the FADH2 of both altered forms of the enzyme.

Cysteine↗
PubMed1995

Lipoamide dehydrogenase from Escherichia coli lacking the redox active disulfide: C44S and C49S. Redox properties of the FAD and interactions with pyridine nucleotides.

The cysteines that comprise the active site disulfide in lipoamide dehydrogenase have been individually mutated to a serine residue to give the altered enzymes, C44S and C49S, making it possible to study the redox behavior of the FAD in the absence of the disulfide. The redox potential of the FAD in C44S and C49S was -379 and -345 mV, respectively, at pH 7.0, 25 degrees C. A plot of the redox potential as a function of pH for C49S gave slopes of 57 mV/pH from pH 5.0 to 7.9 and 10 mV/pH from pH 7.9 to 8.8. The plot of the redox potential as a function of pH for C44S gave slopes of 70 mV/pH from pH 5.0 to 7.9 and 4 mV/pH from pH 7.9 to 8.38. The change in the slope at pH 7.9 is associated with the ionization (pKa) of the FADH2 to FADH- in the reduced form of both enzymes. These determinations show that the redox potential of the FAD in C49S, in C44S, and in wild type enzyme is modulated by the electronegativity of its nearest neighbor, hydroxyl, thiolate, or disulfide, and that the flavin is bound more tightly to the oxidized forms of these enzymes than to the reduced forms. The redox potentials of these enzymes determined using NADH and NADPH at pH 7.6, 25 degrees C are as follows: C44S, -350 mV, -369 mV; C49S, -328 mV, -353 mV, respectively. Thus, pyridine nucleotide binding raises the redox potential of the flavin, showing that both substrates bind more tightly to the reduced form of the enzymes, as well as tighter binding of NADH to the enzymes than that of NADPH. Kd values for the binding of NADH and NADPH to oxidized C44S and C49S were determined in pre-steady-state kinetics at pH 7.6 and 25 degrees C, which were monophasic when NADPH was the reductant and biphasic with NADH. The binding constants for NADPH were 660 microM for C44S and 500 microM for C49S; using NADH, the binding constants were 137 microM for C44S and 23 microM for C49S. Fluorescence and absorbance spectrophotometry were used to determine the binding of NAD+ to the oxidized forms of the enzymes as 275 microM and 270 microM for C44S and C49S, respectively.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1995

Mechanism and structure of thioredoxin reductase from Escherichia coli.

The flavoprotein thioredoxin reductase catalyzes the reduction of the small redox protein thioredoxin by NADPH. Thioredoxin reductase contains a redox active disulfide and is a member of the pyridine nucleotide-disulfide oxidoreductase family of flavoenzymes that includes lipoamide dehydrogenase, glutathione reductase, trypanothione reductase, mercuric reductase, and NADH peroxidase. The structure of thioredoxin reductase has recently been determined from X-ray crystallographic data. In this paper, we attempt to correlate the structure with a considerable body of mechanistic data and to arrive at a mechanism consistent with both. The path of reducing equivalents in catalysis by glutathione reductase and lipoamide dehydrogenase is clear. To envisage the path of reducing equivalents in catalysis by thioredoxin reductase, a conformational change is required in which the NADPH domain rotates relative to the FAD domain. The rotation moves the nascent dithiol from its observed position adjacent to the re surface of the flavin ring system toward the protein surface for dithiol-disulfide interchange with the protein substrate thioredoxin and moves the nicotinamide ring of NADPH adjacent to the flavin ring for efficient hydride transfer. Reverse rotation allows reduction of the redox active disulfide by the reduced flavin. This requires that the enzyme pass through a ternary complex; the kinetic evidence for such a complex is discussed.

Catalysis↗
PubMed1992

Oxidation-reduction properties of Escherichia coli thioredoxin reductase altered at each active site cysteine residue.

Thioredoxin is a small oxidation-reduction (redox) mediator protein. Its reduction by NADPH is catalyzed by the flavoenzyme thioredoxin reductase. Site-directed mutagenesis has provided forms of the reductase in which Cys135 and Cys138 have each been changed to a serine residue (Prongay, A. J., Engelke, D. R., and Williams, C. H., Jr. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 2656-2664). Cys135 and Cys138 form the redox-active disulfide in the oxidized enzyme. The redox properties of the two altered forms of Escherichia coli thioredoxin reductase have been determined from pH 6.0 to 9.0. Photoreduction of TRR(Ser135,Cys138) produces the blue, neutral semiquinone species, which disproportionates (Kf = 0.73) to an apparent maximum of 29% of the total enzyme as the semiquinone. In contrast, the semiquinone formed on TRR(Cys135,Ser138) during a photoreductive titration does not disproportionate and 70% of the enzyme is stabilized as the semiquinione. Reductive titrations have demonstrated that 1 mol of sodium dithionite (2 electrons)/mol of FAD is required to fully reduce TRR(Ser135,Cys138) whereas 2 mol of dithionite/mol of FAD are required to fully reduce TRR(Cys135,Ser138). The oxidation-reduction midpoint potentials for the 1-electron and 2-electron reductions of TRR(Ser135,Cys138) have been determined by NADH/NAD+ titrations in the presence of a mediator, benzyl viologen. The midpoint potential for the 2-electron reduction of TRR(Ser135,Cys138) is -280 mV, at pH 7.0 and 20 degrees C. Thus, the redox potential is similar to that of the FAD/FADH2 couple in the dithiol form of wild type enzyme, -270 mV (corrected to 20 degrees C) (O'Donnell, M. E., and Williams, C. H., Jr. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 13795-13805). The delta Em/delta pH is -57.1 mV, which corresponds to a proton stoichiometry of 2 H+/2 e-.A maximum of 19% of the enzyme forms a stable semiquinone species during the titration, and the potentials for the oxidized enzyme/semiquinone couple, E2, and the semiquinone/reduced enzyme couple, E1, are -306 and -256 mV, respectively, at pH 7.0 and 20 degrees C. These studies provide evidence that the residue at position 138 exerts a greater effect on the FAD than does the residue at position 135.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Direct expression of active spinach glycolate oxidase in Escherichia coli.

Spinach glycolate oxidase (GAO) was expressed in Escherichia coli using the T7 RNA polymerase promotor. The enzyme accounts for approx. 1% of the soluble protein fraction and is expressed as a soluble and active enzyme. Comparison with GAO expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Macheroux, P., Massey, V., Thiele, D.J. and Volokita, M. (1991) Biochemistry 30, 4612-4619) showed that the GAO expressed in E. coli has identical physico-chemical features to the wild-type enzyme, but is expressed at a level approx. 15-fold higher than in the yeast system.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed1992

Gas chromatographic headspace analysis of sevoflurane in blood.

We have developed a rapid, simple and precise gas chromatographic headspace analysis for sevoflurane in blood which circumvents problems associated with the high volatility and low blood/gas partition coefficient of this anesthetic drug. Blood standards are easily prepared by volumetric addition of a saturated aqueous solution of sevoflurane. Likewise, internal standardization is achieved using a saturated aqueous solution of halothane. Chromatographic conditions are similar to those commonly used for the analysis of blood ethanol. A simple method is also described for the preparation of stable and precise, aliquots of quality control materials for this assay.

Anesthetics↗
PubMed1992

Inhibition and inactivation of monoamine oxidase by 3-amino-1-phenyl-prop-1-enes.

We have previously shown that E-3-amino-1-phenyl-prop-1-ene (E-cinnamylamine) is readily oxidised by monoamine oxidase (MAO) type B from either rat or bovine liver (Williams et al. (1988), Biochem. J. 256, 411-415) in each case producing a non-linear progress curve which was attributed to inhibition by the reaction product E-cinnamaldehyde. We have now found that although this aldehyde inhibits MAO B competitively (Ki 0.017 mM) this cannot account for the inhibitory process, since during a 60 min incubation with the substrate (0.5 mM; Km, 0.074 mM) more than 95% inhibition of MAO B was observed and the concentration of aldehyde had reached approx. 0.025 mM. Inhibition was relieved either by dialysis or dilution of inhibited samples. The activity of MAO A from rat liver was largely unaffected by E-cinnamylamine. Oxidation of N-methyl-E-cinnamylamine and its Z-isomer by MAO B produced progress curves similar to that obtained with the primary amine, but in these cases inhibition was not reversed either by dilution or dialysis. Partition ratios for the pair of N-methyl isomers with bovine MAO B were calculated to be 1640 (E-isomer) and 1430 (Z-isomer). The time-dependent inhibition process for all three amines obeyed pseudo-first-order kinetics. A tritiated form of N-methyl-E-cinnamylamine, incubated with MAO B from bovine liver, resulted in incorporation of radioactivity into the enzyme. This labelling was stable to dialysis and to SDS-PAGE.

Acrolein↗
PubMed1992

Purification and immunochemical studies of dipeptidyl peptidase IV from bovine kidney.

DPP IV from bovine kidney has been purified and characterized by molecular mass, pI, pH optimum and sensitivity to inhibitors. Polyclonal antibodies to the enzyme protein were used to show the location of dipeptidyl peptidase IV in microvillar membranes of bovine kidney using immunogold labelling by secondary antibody. The same antibodies reacted to DPP IV in Western blots of rat, pig and bovine kidney tissue, but failed to recognise the enzyme in bovine brain. This suggests that dipeptidyl peptidase IV may exist as different organ-specific rather than species-specific proteins.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Properties of lipoamide dehydrogenase altered by site-directed mutagenesis at a key residue (I184Y) in the pyridine nucleotide binding domain.

The binding of pyridine nucleotide to human erythrocyte glutathione reductase, an enzyme of known three-dimensional structure, requires some movement of the side chain of Tyr197. Moreover, this side chain lies very close to the isoalloxazine ring of the FAD cofactor. The analogous residue, Ile184, in the homologous enzyme Escherichia coli lipoamide dehydrogenase has been altered by site-directed mutagenesis to a tyrosine residue (I184Y) [Russell, G. C., Allison, N., Williams, C. H., Jr., & Guest, J.R. (1989) Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 573, 429-431]. Characterization of the altered enzyme shows that the rate of the pyridine nucleotide half-reaction has been markedly reduced and that the spectral properties have been changed to mimic those of glutathione reductase. Therefore, Ile184 is shown to be an important residue in modulating the properties of the flavin in lipoamide dehydrogenase. Turnover in the dihydrolipoamide/NAD+ reaction is decreased by 10-fold and in the NADH/lipoamide reaction by 2-fold in I184Y lipoamide dehydrogenase. The oxidized form of I184Y shows remarkable changes in the fine structure of the visible absorption and circular dichroism spectra and also shows nearly complete quenching of FAD fluorescence. The spectral properties of the altered enzyme are thus similar to those of glutathione reductase and very different from those of wild-type lipoamide dehydrogenase. On the other hand, spectral evidence does not reveal any change in the amount of charge-transfer stabilization at the EH2 level. Stopped-flow data indicate that, in the reduction of I184Y by NADH, the first step, reduction of the flavin, is only slightly slowed but the subsequent two-electron transfer to the disulfide is markedly inhibited.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Convergent evolution of similar function in two structurally divergent enzymes.

An example of two related enzymes that catalyse similar reactions but possess different active sites is provided by comparing the structure of Escherichia coli thioredoxin reductase with glutathione reductase. Both are dimeric enzymes that catalyse the reduction of disulphides by pyridine nucleotides through an enzyme disulphide and a flavin. Human glutathione reductase contains four structural domains within each molecule: the flavin-adenine dinucleotide (FAD)- and nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-binding domains, the 'central' domain and the C-terminal domain that provides the dimer interface and part of the active site. Although both enzymes share the same catalytic mechanism and similar tertiary structures, their active sites do not resemble each other. We have determined the crystal structure of E. coli thioredoxin reductase at 2 A resolution, and show that thioredoxin reductase lacks the domain that provides the dimer interface in glutathione reductase, and forms a completely different dimeric structure. The catalytically active disulphides are located in different domains on opposite sides of the flavin ring system. This suggests that these enzymes diverged from an ancestral nucleotide-binding protein and acquired their disulphide reductase activities independently.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Communication between the active sites in dimeric mercuric ion reductase: an alternating sites hypothesis for catalysis.

Mercuric reductase, a flavoprotein disulfide oxidoreductase, catalyzes the two-electron reduction of Hg(II) to Hg(0) by NADPH. As with all the members of this class of proteins, the enzyme is a dimer of identical subunits with two active sites per dimer, each composed of one FAD and catalytically essential residues from both subunits. In the enzyme from Tn501, these residues include, at a minimum, FAD and cysteines 135 and 140 from one subunit and cysteines 558' and 559' from the other. With this sort of active site arrangement, the enzyme seems perfectly set up for some type of subunit communication. In this report, we present results from several titrations, as well as kinetics studies, that, taken together, are consistent with the occurrence of subunit communication. In particular, the results indicate that pyridine nucleotide complexed dimers of the enzyme are asymmetric. Since the EH2-NADPH complex of the enzyme is the relevant reductant of Hg(II), these observations suggest that the enzyme may function asymmetrically during catalysis. An alternating sites model is proposed for the catalytic reduction of Hg(II), where both subunits of the dimer function in catalysis, but the steps are staggered and the subunits reverse roles after part of the reaction. An attractive feature of this proposal is that it provides a reasonable solution to the thermodynamic dilemma the enzyme faces in needing to both bind Hg(II) very tightly and reduce it.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1991

Characterization of a cell line derived from rhabdoid tumor of kidney.

Rhabdoid tumor of kidney (RTK) is a rare, highly malignant childhood neoplasm of uncertain histogenesis. Several recent studies have described considerable histochemical heterogeneity among cases of RTK, with confusing combinations of epithelial, mesenchymal, myogenous, and neuroepithelial markers in some tumors. The present study characterizes the histology, ultrastructure, histochemistry, cytogenetics, and oncogene expression in a cell line derived from RTK. The surgical specimen, nude mouse xenograft, and cell cultures demonstrated characteristic intermediate filament whorls by electron microscopy and expressed vimentin (diffusely) and cytokeratin (focally, in hyaline cytoplasmic inclusions) without detectable desmin, Thy-1, or epithelial membrane antigen. S-100 protein was absent in the surgical specimen and heterotransplant, and was seen very weakly and focally in the cell cultures. Light microscopic features of cultures were unchanged by several compounds (tissue plasminogen activator, nerve growth factor, cyclic adenosine monophosphate) which induce differentiation of some other pediatric neoplasms. The growth factor requirements of RTK cultures indicate a cell with mesenchymal features. Insulin-like growth factor-2 mRNA was detected in the RTK and in three Wilms' tumors also studied. Unlike most Wilms' tumors, RTK expresses the c-myc rather than the N-myc oncogene.

Desmin↗
PubMed1991

Aminopeptidase activities present in tissues of Helix aspersa.

1. Tissues of Helix aspersa have been examined for the presence of aminopeptidase activities. 2. Enzyme activities were detected using synthetic peptide substrates containing the fluorescent leaving group 7-amino-4-methyl coumarin. The methods used included continuous fluorimetric assay and activity staining of enzymes in non-denaturing polyacrylamide gels. 3. Several types of peptidase activity were detected, including three distinct aminopeptidases which differ in molecular size and substrate preference.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Evidence for direct interaction between cysteine 138 and the flavin in thioredoxin reductase. A study using flavin analogs.

The flavoenzyme thioredoxin reductase from Escherichia coli contains an oxidation-reduction active disulfide made up of Cys135 and Cys138. Mutations changing each Cys residue to a Ser residue have been effected (Prongay, A. J., engelke, D. R., and Williams, C. H., Jr. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 2656-2664). The FAD prosthetic group of each altered thioredoxin reductase has been replaced with 1-deaza-FAD (a flavin analog with carbon substituted for nitrogen at position 1), 4-thio-FAD (a flavin analog with sulfur substituted for oxygen at position 4), and 6-thiocyanato-FAD. 1-Deaza-FAD-TRR(Cys135,Ser138) has absorbance and fluorescence spectral properties similar to the oxidized form of wild type apothioredoxin reductase reconstituted with 1-deaza-FAD. The absorbance spectrum of 1-deaza-FAD-TRR(Ser135,Cys138) is similar to the spectrum of the two-electron reduced form of wild type apothioredoxin reductase reconstituted with 1-deaza-FAD, indicating that it is a mixture of two species (O'Donnell, M. E., and Williams, C. H., Jr. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 2243-2251). The spectrum of one of these species of 1-deaza-FAD-TRR(Ser135,Cys138) resembles the spectrum of oxidized 1-deaza-FAD bound to wild type apothioredoxin reductase. The other species has an absorbance spectrum with a single peak at 400 nm (epsilon 400 = 11,100 M-1 cm-1) and resembles the spectrum of a thiolate adduct at the C4a position of the 1-deaza-FAD. The equilibrium between these species is pH-dependent, with a maximum of 50% C4a-adduct formation at low pH, and is linked to pK alpha values at 8.2 and 9.3. The absorbance spectrum of 4-thio-FAD-TRR(Cys135,Ser138) resembles the spectrum of the unbound 4-thio-FAD, whereas 4-thio-FAD-TRR(Ser135,Cys138) has a spectrum indicative of a mixture of 4-thio-FAD and FAD, suggesting a reaction between the 4-position of the flavin and Cys138. The binding of 6-thiocyanato-FAD to the apoprotein of the mutated enzymes showed no evidence for a reaction between the thiols and the group at the 6-position of the flavin.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1990

L-lactate 2-monooxygenase from Mycobacterium smegmatis. Cloning, nucleotide sequence, and primary structure homology within an enzyme family.

L-Lactate 2-monooxygenase catalyzes the oxidation of L-lactate to acetate and carbon dioxide. The catalytic mechanism has been extensively investigated but very little is known about which amino acid residues may play a role in catalysis. As a first step toward this goal, the gene for this protein from Mycobacterium smegmatis has been cloned and sequenced. Peptide sequencing data for L-lactate 2-monooxygenase was used to construct three sets of fully redundant tetradecamer oligonucleotide probes, which were hybridized to restriction-digested M. smegmatis DNA. An approximately 3-kilobase pair PstI fragment hybridized with two of the probes. This region was subsequently isolated and cloned into Escherichia coli. From this size-fractionated gene bank, a 3.1-kilobase pair genomic DNA fragment was isolated by colony hybridization to two of the oligonucleotide probes. The complete gene for L-lactate 2-monooxygenase was contained on this fragment as shown by DNA sequencing of the whole insert. The DNA sequence codes for a mature protein that is 393 amino acids in length with a subunit molecular weight of 43,072 (including the FMN). The protein sequence shows impressive homology with the primary structures of two mechanistically related proteins, yeast flavocytochrome b2 (Lederer, F., Cortial, S., Becam, A.-M., Haumont, P.-Y., and Perez, L. (1985) Eur. J. Biochem. 152, 419-428; Guiard, B. (1985) EMBO J. 4, 3265-3272) and spinach glycolate oxidase (Volkita, M., and Somerville, C. R. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 15825-15828; Cederlund, E., Lindqvist, Y., Soderlund, G., Brändén, C.-I., and Jornvall, H. (1988) Eur. J. Biochem. 173, 523-530). For each residue proposed from the crystal structure of glycolate oxidase to be involved in catalysis (Lindqvist, Y., and Brändén, C.-I. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 3624-3628), an identical residue was found in a homologous position in lactate oxidase. Furthermore, most of these residues occur in regions whose sequences are highly conserved between lactate oxidase, flavocytochrome b2, and glycolate oxidase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗