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F Radvanyi

Publications and source records attributed to F Radvanyi.

42 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Site-specific epsilon-NH2 monoacylation of pancreatic phospholipase A2. 2. Transformation of soluble phospholipase A2 into a highly penetrating "membrane-bound" form.

Long-chain lecithins present in bilayer structures like vesicles or membranes are only very poor substrates for pancreatic phospholipases A2. This is probably due to the fact that pancreatic phospholipases A2 cannot penetrate into the densely packed bilayer structures. To improve the weak penetrating properties of pancreatic phospholipases A2, we prepared and characterized a number of pancreatic phospholipase A2 mutants that have various long acyl chains linked covalently to Lys116 in porcine and to Lys10 in bovine phospholipase A2 [Van der Wiele, F.C., Atsma, W., Dijkman, R., Schreurs, A.M.M., Slotboom, A.J., & De Haas, G.H. (1988) Biochemistry (preceding paper in this issue)]. When monomolecular surface layers of L- and D-didecanoyllecithin were used, it was found that the introduction of caprinic, lauric, palmitic, and oleic acid at Lys116 in the porcine enzyme increases its penetrating power from 13 to about 17, 20, 32, and 22 dyn/cm, respectively, before long lag periods were obtained. Incorporation of a palmitoyl moiety at Lys10 in the bovine enzyme shifted the penetrating power from 11 to about 25 dyn/cm. Only the best penetrating mutant, viz., porcine phospholipase A2 having a palmitoyl moiety at Lys116, was able to cause complete leakage of 6-carboxyfluorescein entrapped in small unilamellar vesicles of egg lecithin under nonhydrolytic conditions. Similarly, only this latter palmitoylphospholipase A2 completely hydrolyzed all lecithin in the outer monolayer of the human erythrocyte at a rate much faster than Naja naja phospholipase A2, the most powerful penetrating snake venom enzyme presently known.

Acylation↗

The interaction between the presynaptic phospholipase neurotoxins beta-bungarotoxin and crotoxin and mixed detergent-phosphatidylcholine micelles. A comparison with non-neurotoxic snake venom phospholipases A2.

Certain phospholipase A2 enzymes (E.C.3.1.1.4) selectively inhibit neurotransmitter release from cholinergic nerve terminals. Both specific acceptor proteins and the physical state of nerve terminal phospholipids have been implicated in studies of the mechanism of phospholipase neurotoxin action. Here we have examined the effects of charge on a micellar phospholipid substrate by comparing the enzyme activity and binding of two neurotoxic phospholipases (beta-bungarotoxin and crotoxin) with other non-neurotoxic phospholipases. This has been achieved by altering either the phospholipid or the ionic charge of the detergent in the mixed phospholipid micelle. The neurotoxic phospholipases were only active on negatively charged micelles, whereas the non-neurotoxic enzymes were equally active in hydrolyzing neutral micelles. This distinction was also reflected in binding studies; the non-neurotoxic phospholipases bound to both types of substrate, whereas beta-bungarotoxin and crotoxin selectively bound to negatively charged micellar structures. These experiments suggest that, in addition to the existence of any specific acceptor proteins, neurotoxin binding is also governed by the charge on the lipid phase of the nerve terminal membrane.

Bungarotoxins↗

Determination of phospholipase A2 activity by a colorimetric assay using a pH indicator.

We have set up an assay of phospholipase A2 by a spectrophotometric method, based on the pH change due to the liberation of fatty acids. Among the pH indicators used, phenol red was found to be one of the most sensitive. The activities of different phospholipases A2 from venom and from porcine pancreas were measured by this assay. The results are comparable to those obtained by the pH stat method. This very simple test is rapid, sensitive and especially useful for assaying numerous samples. For quantitative results in absolute units it must be considered that the pH indicator may inhibit some phospholipases.

Animals↗

Interaction of crotoxin and its isolated subunits with spin-labeled fatty acids.

We have investigated the interaction of crotoxin (component A-component B complex) and of its isolated phospholipase subunit (component B) with hydrophobic compounds by ESR, using spin-labeled fatty acids as probes. The phospholipase subunit alone (component B) binds more than three labeled fatty acid molecules/molecule with different affinities, the highest corresponding to a Kd of 10 microM in the case of 5-doxyl palmitic acid. In contrast, the noncatalytic subunit (component A) and the crotoxin complex do not bind fatty acids. ESR studies of the component B-fatty acid complex reveal a strong immobilization of the whole length of the fatty acid chain, strong spin-spin interactions between bound fatty acids, and nonaccessibility of the bound paramagnetic probe to Ni2+ ions. This suggests that the phospholipase component B possesses a hydrophobic cleft which may contain one or two fatty acids. This hydrophobic cleft is not accessible to spin-labeled fatty acids in the crotoxin complex. An overall rotational correlation time of about 200 ns of the phospholipase component B was determined by saturation transfer ESR. This high value is incompatible with the diffusion of a polypeptide of 14,500 molecular weight. The hydrodynamic analysis of the fatty acid-component B complex led us to estimate an apparent molecular weight of 95,000 which reveals that fatty acids induce the formation of polymers (most probably octamers) of component B. We propose a model in which the phospholipase component B exists in two conformational states which differ by their hydrophobicity.

Crotalid Venoms↗

Investigations on the mechanism of action of crotoxin.

Crotoxin, the major toxic protein of Crotalus durissus terrificus, is composed of a basic phospholipase, component-B, and of an acidic subunit, component-A. The crotoxin complex is insensitive to an active site directed reagent, p-bromophenacyl bromide, while its isolated enzymatic component-B is rapidly and irreversibly inactivated. We observed that crotoxin possesses an intrinsic phospholipase A2 activity on monodispersed substrates, indicating that the active site of component-B is not masked by component-A in the complex. The inactivation of component-B by p-bromophenacyl bromide follows pseudo-first order kinetics, with a rate constant proportional to the concentration of phospholipase, as expected for a reaction of second order with respect to the protein. On the basis of a detailed kinetic analysis of this reaction, and of physico-chemical studies of component-B in various experimental conditions, we propose that (1) an equilibrium exists between reactive dimers of component-B and preponderant but non-reactive monomer; (2) component-A protects component-B against inactivation by p-bromophenacyl bromide by preventing the formation of reactive dimers. When comparing the reactivity of component-B with that of other phospholipases, we observed that the enzymes which have not been shown to produce dimers all react with p-bromophenacyl bromide with similar low rates of reaction, while phospholipases which have been reported to form dimers react much more rapidly.

Acetophenones↗