Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to G G Chang.
The quenching of intrinsic fluorescence of human serum albumin and pigeon liver malic enzyme by acrylamide was studied after the proteins were denatured to different stages. The progress of protein denaturation induced by guanidine hydrochloride was accompanied by increasing of effective dynamic quenching constant which provides a convenient parameter for monitoring protein conformational change.
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A simple, rapid, and inexpensive procedure for the determination of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase activity is described. The assay is based on a green color formed between PPi and ammonium molybdate in the presence of mercaptoethanol. The sensitivity is in the nanomole range and is comparable with the conventional [32P]PPi-ATP exchange assay. Amino acid, ATP, magnesium ion, and most common reagents do not interfere with the color yield.
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1. Periodate-oxidized NADP, a competitive inhibitor of malic enzyme with respect to NADP, inactivate the enzyme in mild conditions. 2. The inactivation is due to the modification of an essential lysine residue. 3. Two molecules of reagent were found to be incorporated into the enzyme tetramer after extensive modification. 4. Complete protection of malic enzyme from the oxidized NADP inactivation was afforded by NADP and its analogues. 5. The modified enzyme showed increased apparent Michaelis constant for the nucleotide coenzymes but the maximum velocity was decreased. 6. The binding between the modified enzyme and NADPH was impaired.
Human placental alkaline phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.1) was inactivated by periodate-oxidized AMP. The inactivation showed saturation kinetics and could be partially prevented by the substrate AMP or the product inhibitor inorganic phosphate. Oxidized AMP was itself a substrate for this enzyme, with an apparent Km of 0.67 mM. The hydrolytic products of oxidized AMP were identified as oxidized adenosine hemiacetals. Oxidized AMP was also found to be a non-competitive inhibitor with respect to p-nitrophenyl phosphate, with identical Kis and Kii values of 0.15 mM. Our results indicate that oxidized AMP could combine with the enzyme to form a binary complex, followed by reaction with the proximal lysyl amino group to yield a Schiff base. The latter was reduced with NaBH4 and identified by t.l.c. The incorporation of only 1.5 molecules of oxidized [14C]AMP per enzyme subunit resulted in a complete inactivation of the enzyme. The modified enzyme showed higher apparent Km for the substrates and higher Ki for inorganic phosphate, but lower [32P]phosphate incorporation, than the native enzyme. These results support the conclusion that a lysine residue is involved in the phosphate-binding site of human placental alkaline phosphatase.
The reaction of pigeon liver malic enzyme (L-malate:NADP+ oxidoreductase (oxaloacetate-decarboxylating), EC 1.1.1.40) with dicarbonyl compounds (2,3-butanedione, methylglyoxal, 2,4-pentanedione, and phenylglyoxal) resulted in a rapid loss of its enzymatic activity. The inactivation showed pseudo-first-order kinetics for all the dicarbonyls studied. All the log (pseudo-first-order rate constants) vs. log (dicarbonyl concentration) plots had slopes of near one, indicating approx. 1 : 1 reagent-active site complexes. Butanedione inactivation was reversible and was buffer-dependent. Pentanedione-modified enzyme showed a new absorption peak at 310 nM. NADP could completely protect the enzyme from inactivation. Oxaloacetate, ADP, AMP, NMN and adenosine were also effective in protection. Complete inactivation of the enzyme was accompanied by a loss of about six arginine residues per enzyme monomer. Butanedione-modified enzyme still bound NADPH as shown by fluorescence titration, nor was it binding with NADP impaired as determined by equilibrium gel filtration. The arginine residues, therefore, do not function in the coenzyme binding. However, the binding between the modified enzyme and [14C]malate was significantly decreased. These results led us to conclude that the arginine residues of malic enzyme are involved in the binding of the carboxyl group of substrate malate.
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The reactions of pigeon liver malic enzyme (L-malate:NADP+ oxidoreductase (oxaloacetate-decarboxylating), EC 1.1.1.40) with tetranitromethane and N-acetylimidazole have been investigated to obtain information about the functional role of tyrosine residues in this enzyme. Incubation of the sulfhydryl-masked enzyme with tetranitromethane or N-acetylimidazole caused a time-dependent loss of all enzymatic activities of this enzyme. The absorption spectra of both the nitrated and acetylated enzyme indicated modification of tyrosine residues. The enzymatic activity of the acetylated enzyme was reversed by hydroxylamine. No amino group modification was observed. Preincubation of the enzyme with dicarboxylate substrate (or inhibitor), nucleotide coenzyme and divalent metal ions protected the enzyme against these reagents. The acetylated enzyme showed different kinetic properties from the native enzyme. The apparent Michaelis constants for malate and oxaloacetate increase by 2-5-fold. The binding between acetylated enzyme and NADPH was not abolished. These results strongly suggest the involvement of tyrosine residues in the dicarboxylic acid binding of malic enzyme.
The cyanylated derivative of pigeon liver malic enzyme (EC 1.1.1.40) may be prepared by reacting the sulfhydryl groups of the enzyme with 2-nitro-5-thiocyanobenzoic acid in the presence of excess KCN or by replacing the thionitrobenzoate moiety of the thionitrobenzoated enzyme with CN group. The -SCN derivative thus prepared is enzymatically active and is resistant to react with the affinity label bromopyruvate. In the generation of -SCN enzyme from the thionitrobenzoated enzyme, there is a correlation between the [14C] CN incorporation and the activity recovered. The sulfhydryl groups are thus not directly involved in the catalytic mechanism of the malic enzyme. Evidence is also provided to show that the SH groups were not involved in the binding of nucleotide coenzyme.
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The detailed pH and temperature kinetics of human term placenta cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase (EC 6.1.1.16) were studied. The ATP-PPi exchange reaction catalyzed by the cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase was highly dependent on temperature, pH, and ionic strength. The Arrhenius plot at temperatures between 5 degrees and 40 degrees was linear, giving an activation energy of 19 +/- 2.5 Kcal/mol. The pH dependence of the kinetic parameters Km and Vmax was investigated. Apparent pKa value of 6.4 was observed in the pH-dependence of Vmax/Km plot. The pH versus Vmax plot showed two apparent pKa values of about 5.8 and 7.8. Van't Hoff's enthalpies were used to differentiate the nature of the possible groups responsible for the ionization. These results are valuable for the selection of chemical modifying reagents in characterizing the amino acid residues involved in substrate (nucleotide) binding or catalysis.
Incubation of malic enzyme (L-malate:NADP+ oxidoreductase (oxaloacetate-decarboxylating), EC 1.1.1.40) with ethoxyformic anhydride caused the time-dependent loss of its ability to catalyze reactions requiring the nucleotide cofactor NADP+ or NADPH, such as the oxidative decarboxylase, the NADP+ - stimualted oxalacetate decarboxylase, the pyruvate reductase, and the pyruvate-medium proton exchange activities. Similar loss of oxidative decarboxylase and pyruvate reductase activities was affected by photo-oxidation in the presence of rose bengal. The inactivation of oxidative decarboxylase activity by ethoxyformic anhydride was accompanied by the reaction of greater than or equal to 2.3 histidyl residues per enzyme site and was strongly inhibited by NADP+. Ethoxyformylation also impaired the ability of malic enzyme to bind NADP+ or NADPH. These results support the involvement of histidyl residue(s) at the nucleotide binding site of malic enzyme.
Malic enzyme from pigeon liver is alkylated by the substrate analogue bromopyruvate, resulting in the concomitant loss of its oxidative decarboxylase and oxalacetate decarboxylase activities, but not its ability to reduce alpha-keto acids. The inactivation of oxidative decarboxylase activity follows saturation kinetics, indicating the formation of an enzyme-bromopyruvate complex (K congruent to 8 mM) prior to alkylation. The inactivation is inhibited by metal ions and pyridine nucleotide cofactors. Protection of malic enzyme by the substrates L-malate and pyruvate and the inhibitors tartronate and oxalate requires the presence of the above cofactors, which tighten the binding of these carboxylic acids in accord with the ordered kinetic scheme (Hsu, R. Y., Lardy, H. A., and Cleland, W. W. (1967), J. Biol. Chem. 242, 5315-5322). Bromopyruvate is reduced to L-bromolactate by malic enzyme and is an effective inhibitor of L-malate and pyruvate in the overall reaction. The apparent kinetic constants (90 muM-0.8 mM) are one to two orders of magnitude lower than the half-saturation constant (K) of inactivation, indicating a similar tightening of bromopyruvate binding in the E-NADP+ (NADPH)-Mn2+ (Mg2+)-BP complexes. During alkylation, bromopyruvate interacts initially at the carboxylic acid substrate pocket of the active site, as indicated by the protective effect of substrates and the ability of this compound to form kinetically viable complexes with malic enzyme, particularly as a competitive inhibitor of pyruvate carboxylation with a Ki (90 muM) in the same order as its apparent Michaelis constant of 98 muM. Subsequent alkylation of a cysteinyl residue blocks the C-C bond cleavage step. The incorporation of radioactivity from [14C]bromopyruvate gives a half-site stoichiometry of two carboxyketomethyl residues per tetramer, indicating strong negative cooperativity between the four subunits of equal size, or alternatively the presence of structurally dissimilar active sites.
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All biomacromolecules are faced with oxidative stress. Oxidation of a protein molecule always induces inactivation of the molecule and introduces a tag to that molecule. These modified protein molecules are prone to degradation in vivo by the proteasome system. Coupling of protein modification and degradation of chemically modified proteins is one of the normal protein turnover pathways in vivo. We call this a 'chemical apoptosis' process, which is one of the early manifestations of programmed cell death. Impairment of the proteasome system leads to accumulation of modified nonfunctional proteins or 'aged proteins' that might cause various clinical syndromes including cataractogenesis, premature aging, neurological degeneration and rheumatoid disease. The metal-catalyzed oxidation of biomacromolecules provides an excellent artificial aging system in vitro. The system is very useful in the characterization of structure and function relationships of proteins (enzymes), especially in those containing metal binding domain(s), because the oxidation is always followed by an affinity cleavage at the metal binding site(s) that allows easy identification and further characterization.
Treatment of 3-aminopyridine adenine dinucleotide phosphate with sodium periodate in the neutral pH resulted in oxidation of the ribose linked to 3-aminopyridine and cleavage of the dinucleotide into adenosine- and 3-aminopyridine-containing moieties. Separation of these moieties was afforded by thin-layer chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, and fast protein liquid chromatography. From fast atom bombardment mass spectra and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, the adenosine-containing moiety was identified as 2'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphate while the aminopyridine moiety was present in a mixture of the hydrated 3-aminopyridine mononucleotide/nucleoside dialdehyde. Separation of the completely oxidized product by Pharmacia fast protein liquid chromatography gave three major peaks corresponding to 2'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphate, 2'-phosphoadenosine 5'-diphosphate and oxidized 3-aminopyridine nucleoside, with minor amount of oxidized 3-aminopyridine mononucleotide. Thus the oxidized 3-aminopyridine adenine dinucleotide phosphate was shown to cleave by two pathways: it may either undergo beta-elimination to give 2'-phosphoadenosine 5'-diphosphate and oxidized 3-aminopyridine nucleoside; or the phosphodiester linkage may be hydrolyzed to give 2'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphate and oxidized 3-aminopyridine mononucleotide. The latter compound may further undergo beta-elimination and eventually give oxidized 3-aminopyridine nucleoside. Hydrolysis could be prevented by storing the sample as lyophilized powder, while beta-elimination was diminished by lowering the storage temperature. We found that the lyophilized powder of oxidized 3-aminopyridine adenine dinucleotide phosphate can be stored at -50 degrees C for several months with minimum decomposition.