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D F Senear

Publications and source records attributed to D F Senear.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Spectral enhancement of proteins: biological incorporation and fluorescence characterization of 5-hydroxytryptophan in bacteriophage lambda cI repressor.

We have used a tryptophan-requiring Escherichia coli auxotroph to replace the three tryptophan residues of lambda cI repressor with 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan (5-OHTrp). By using a nonleaky promoter, we have achieved > 95% replacement of tryptophan in the repressor. We show that the absorbance and fluorescence properties of 5-OHTrp-lambda cI are clearly distinct from lambda cI repressor and that the fluorescence of 5-OHTrp-lambda cI repressor can be observed selectively in the presence of exogenous tryptophan. We also show that the 5-OHTrp-lambda cI repressor functional properties, as assessed by measurement of binding constants for self-association and for association to operator DNA, and structural properties, as assessed by fluorescence, are indistinguishable from the native repressor. Based on these results, we anticipate that the availability of spectrally enhanced proteins will significantly enhance the utility of both fluorescence and phosphorescence spectroscopies to study protein structure and function in complex interacting systems.

5-Hydroxytryptophan↗
PubMed1991

Determination of binding constants for cooperative site-specific protein-DNA interactions using the gel mobility-shift assay.

We have investigated the question of whether the gel mobility-shift assay can provide data that are useful to the demonstration of cooperativity in the site-specific binding of proteins to DNA. Three common patterns of protein-DNA interaction were considered: (i) the cooperative binding of a protein to two sites (illustrated by the Escherichia coli Gal repressor); (ii) the cooperative binding of a bidentate protein to two sites (illustrated by the E. coli Lac repressor); and (iii) the cooperative binding of a protein to three sites (illustrated by the lambda cI repressor). A simple, rigorous, and easily extendable statistical mechanical approach to the derivation of the binding equations for the different patterns is presented. Both simulated and experimental data for each case are analyzed. The mobility-shift assay provides estimates of the macroscopic binding constants for each step of ligation based on its separation of liganded species by the number of ligands bound. Resolution of the binding constants depends on the precision with which the equilibrium distribution of liganded species is determined over the entire range of titration of each of the sites. However, the evaluation of cooperativity from the macroscopic binding constants is meaningful only for data that are also accurate. Some criteria that are useful in evaluating accuracy are introduced and illustrated. Resolution of cooperative effects is robust only for the simplest case, in which there are two identical protein binding sites. In this case, cooperative effects of up to 1,000-fold are precisely determined. For heterogeneous sites, cooperative effects of greater than 1,000-fold are resolvable, but weak cooperativity is masked by the heterogeneity. For three-site systems, only averaged pair-wise cooperative effects are resolvable.

Allosteric Regulation↗
PubMed1991

Comparison of operator-specific and nonspecific DNA binding of the lambda cI repressor: [KCl] and pH effects.

The effects of proton and KCl activity on the nonspecific lambda cI repressor-DNA interactions and on the site-specific repressor-O(R) interactions were compared, in order to assess their roles in site specificity. The repressor-O(R) interactions were studied by using DNase I footprint titration. The Gibbs free energy changes for binding and for cooperativity were determined between 25 and 300 mM KCl, from individual-site isotherms for the binding of repressor to O(R) and to reduced-valency mutants. The proton-linked effects on repressor-O(R) interactions have been published [Senear, D. F., & Ackers, G. K. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 6568-6577; Senear, D. F., & Bolen, D. W. (1991) Methods Enzymol. (in press)]. Nonspecific binding was studied by using a nitrocellulose filter binding assay, which proved advantageous in this case, due to the relatively weak nonspecific binding, and precipitation of repressor-DNA complexes. Filter binding provided measurements at low binding density where precipitation did not occur. The data provide estimates of the Gibbs free energy changes for nonspecific, intrinsic binding, but not for cooperativity. The KCl concentration dependencies of the intrinsic binding constants indicate that ion release plays similar roles in distinguishing between the operators and in discriminating operator from nonoperator DNA. Binding to DNA is accompanied by net proton absorption. Near neutral pH, proton linkages to operator and nonoperator binding are the same. Differences at acid and at basic pH implicate the same ionizable repressor groups in distinguishing between the operators and in discriminating operator from nonoperator DNA. The results indicate similar overall modes of operator and nonoperator binding of repressor, but implicate indirect effects of DNA sequence as important contributors to sequence recognition.

Autoradiography↗
PubMed1990

Proton-linked contributions to site-specific interactions of lambda cI repressor and OR.

The effects of proton activity on the site-specific interactions of cI repressors with operator sites OR were studied by using DNase I footprint titration. Individual-site binding isotherms were obtained for the binding of repressor to each site of wild-type OR and of mutant operators in which binding to some sites is eliminated. The Gibbs energies for binding and for cooperativity (in every operator configuration) were determined at each pH (range 5-8). The proton-linked effects clearly account for a significant fraction of the difference in affinities for the three operator sites. The most dramatic effects on the repressor-operator binding interactions are at acid pH, and therefore do not involve the basic groups in the repressor N-terminal arm known to contact the DNA. Also, the proton-linked effects are different at the three operator sites as indicated by significantly different derivative relationships, partial derivative of ln k versus partial derivative of ln aH = net proton absorption (delta nu bar(H)). These results implicate ionizable repressor groups which may not contact the DNA and conformational differences between the three repressor-operator site complexes as being important components to the mechanism of site specificity. The extensive data base generated by these studies was also used to reevaluate the traditional models used to describe cooperativity in this system. The results confirm the lack of significant cooperative interaction between OR1 and OR3 at all conditions. However, the data for some experimental conditions are clearly inconsistent with the (selection) rule, that cooperative interaction between OR2 and OR3 is eliminated by ligation at OR1.

Bacteriophage lambda↗
PubMed1989

Flanking DNA-sequences contribute to the specific binding of cI-repressor and OR1.

The binding of cI-repressor to a series of mutant operators containing OR1 of the right operator of bacteriophage lambda was investigated. Sites OR2 and/or OR3 were inactivated by either point or deletion mutations. The free energy of binding repressor to OR1 in the wildtype operator, delta G1, is -13.7 +/- 0.3 kcal/mol. delta G1 determined for an OR2- operator created by a single point mutation in OR2 is -13.6 +/- 0.2 kcal/mol. In contrast, delta G1 for the binding of repressor to a cloned synthetic OR1 operator containing only 24 bp of lambda sequence is -12.2 +/- 0.1 kcal/mol. When sequence 5' to OR1 is present, the binding affinity increases to -13.0 +/- 0.1 kcal/mol. In addition, the proximity of OR1 to a fragment-end decreases delta G1 from -13.7 to -12.3 +/- 0.1 kcal/mol. These results suggest that the DNA sequence outside the 17 bp OR1 binding-site contributes to the specific binding of cI-repressor.

Bacteriophage lambda↗
PubMed1987

Thermodynamic investigation of monoclonal antibody alkylated nucleoside interaction as a model for epitope recognition on nucleic acids.

The objective of this investigation is examination of the dominant forces that govern complex formation between a series of monoclonal antibodies directed against O6-ethyl-2'-deoxyguanosine. These monoclonal antibodies (coded as ER-6, ER-3, and EM-1) provide the basis for a thermodynamic comparative evaluation of the potentially different forces that stabilize the various monoclonal antibody (mAb) alkylated nucleoside complexes. The binding affinities of ER-6, ER-3, and EM-1 are measured in terms of specific (O6-ethyl-2'-deoxyguanosine, or O6-EtdGuo) and nonspecific (O6-methyl-2'-deoxyguanosine, or O6-MedGuo) antigens, under a variety of experimental conditions, including pH, sodium chloride addition, 1-propanol addition, and temperature, via a nitrocellulose affinity filter assay. The binding isotherms were analyzed via a least-squares routine fit to a two independent binding sites model. The temperature dependence of the van't Hoff enthalpies for the specific O6-EtdGuo interaction ranges from -15.18 to -18.60 kcal mol-1, while for O6-MedGuo the range was extended from -2.72 to -20.66 kcal mol-1. The standard and unitary entropies were negative for those mAb interactions with O6-EtdGuo as well as for ER-6/O6-MedGuo complex formation. However, it was found that the interactions between ER-3 and EM-1 with O6-MedGuo led to decidedly positive entropic values. These results indicate two different dominant forces at work in complex stabilization. The interaction of the three mAb's with their specific antigen, as well as ER-6/O6-MedGuo interaction (nonspecific), may well be controlled by van der Waals type forces, while ER-3 and EM-1 interactions with nonspecific antigen imply formal charge neutralization electrostatics as the dominant force.

Alkylation↗
PubMed1986

Energetics of cooperative protein-DNA interactions: comparison between quantitative deoxyribonuclease footprint titration and filter binding.

Using the binding of cI repressor protein to the lambda right and left operators as a model system, we have analyzed the two common experimental techniques for studying the interactions of genome regulatory proteins with multiple, specific sites on DNA. These are the quantitative DNase footprint titration technique [Brenowitz, M., Senear, D. F., Shea, M. A., & Ackers, G. K. (1986) Methods Enzymol. 130, 132-181] and the nitrocellulose filter binding assay [Riggs, A., Suzuki, H., & Bourgeois, S. (1970) J. Mol. Biol. 48, 67-83]. The footprint titration technique provides binding curves that separately represent the fractional saturation for each site. In principle, such data contain the information necessary to determine the thermodynamic constants for local site binding and cooperativity. We show that in practice, this is not possible for all values of the constants in multisite systems, such as the lambda operators. We show how these constants can nevertheless be uniquely determined by using additional binding data from a small number of mutant operators in which the number of binding sites has been reduced. The filter binding technique does not distinguish binding to the individual sites and yields only macroscopic binding parameters which are composite averages of the various local site and cooperativity constants. Moreover, the resolution of even macroscopic constants from filter binding data for multisite systems requires ad hoc assumptions as to a relationship between the number of ligands bound and the filter retention of the complex. Our results indicate that no such relationship exists. Hence, the technique does not permit determination of thermodynamically valid interaction constants (even macroscopic) in multisite systems.

Bacteriophage lambda↗
PubMed1985

Multiple ion-dependent and substrate-dependent Na+/K+-ATPase conformational states. Transient and steady-state kinetic studies.

The hydrolysis of beta-(2-furyl)acryloyl phosphate (FAP), catalyzed by the Na+/K+-ATPase, is faster than the catalyzed hydrolysis of ATP. This is due to catalyzed hydrolysis of the pseudosubstrate by K+-dependent states of the enzyme, thus bypassing the Na+-dependent enzyme states that are required and are rate limiting in ATP hydrolysis. Unlike ATP, FAP is a positive effector of the E2 state. A study of FAP hydrolysis permits a detailed analysis of later steps in the overall ion translocation-ATP hydrolysis pathway. During the steady state of FAP hydrolysis in the presence of K+, substantial phosphoryl-enzyme is formed, as is indicated by the covalent incorporation of 32P from [32P]FAP. A comparison of the phosphoryl-enzyme yield with the rate of overall hydrolysis reveals that at 25 degrees C the phosphoryl-enzyme formed is all kinetically competent. Both the yield of phosphoryl-enzyme and the rate of overall hydrolysis of FAP are [K+] dependent. The transition E1 in equilibrium E2 is also [K+] dependent, but the rate of transition is differently affected by [K+] than are the above-mentioned two processes. Two distinct roles for K+ are indicated, as an effector of the E1-E2 equilibrium and as a "catalyst" in the hydrolysis of the E2-P. In contrast to the results at 25 degrees C, a virtually stoichiometric yield of phosphoryl-enzyme occurs at 0 degree C in the presence of Na+ and the absence of K+. At lower concentrations of K+ and in the presence of Na+, the hydrolysis of FAP at 0 degree C proceeds substantially through the E1-E2 pathway characteristic of ATP hydrolysis. The selectivity of FAP for the E2-K+-dependent pathway is due to the thermal inactivation of E1 at 25 degrees C in the absence of ATP or ATP analogues, even at high concentrations of Na+. These results emphasize the existence of multiple functional "E1" and "E2" states in the overall ATPase-ion translocation pathway.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗