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Biomedical subjects

J Feitelson

Publications and source records attributed to J Feitelson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Reactivity of singlet oxygen with tryptophan residues and with melittin in liposome systems.

The reactivity of singlet oxygen, 1O2, with amino acids, polypeptides and proteins has been studied extensively in solution, in micelles and also in vesicles. Here we attempt to examine its reactivity with N-acetyltryptophan amide (NATA), with a tryptophan residue with a long aliphatic chain attached, Trp(CH2)16, and with melittin--a small membrane protein--in a solution containing liposomes. In such a heterogeneous system the sensitizer and/or the tryptophan residue can be located in the ambient D2O, in the liposome membrane or at the membrane-solution interface. The sensitizer meso-tetra(N-methyl-4 pyridyl)porphine tetratosylate (mTPTT) is located in the aqueous phase while hematoporphyrin (HP) is embedded in the membrane. The quenching of 1O2 by the tryptophan residues and by melittin in solution, when using either of the sensitizers, was compared with the data in the liposome-containing system. It was found that the location of the sensitizer and of the quencher in the liposome membrane or in the surrounding solution greatly affects the quenching rate constants of 1O2.

Kinetics↗
PubMed1998

Bacillus thuringiensis and its pesticidal crystal proteins.

During the past decade the pesticidal bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis has been the subject of intensive research. These efforts have yielded considerable data about the complex relationships between the structure, mechanism of action, and genetics of the organism's pesticidal crystal proteins, and a coherent picture of these relationships is beginning to emerge. Other studies have focused on the ecological role of the B. thuringiensis crystal proteins, their performance in agricultural and other natural settings, and the evolution of resistance mechanisms in target pests. Armed with this knowledge base and with the tools of modern biotechnology, researchers are now reporting promising results in engineering more-useful toxins and formulations, in creating transgenic plants that express pesticidal activity, and in constructing integrated management strategies to insure that these products are utilized with maximum efficiency and benefit.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Revision of the nomenclature for the Bacillus thuringiensis pesticidal crystal proteins.

The crystal proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis have been extensively studied because of their pesticidal properties and their high natural levels of production. The increasingly rapid characterization of new crystal protein genes, triggered by an effort to discover proteins with new pesticidal properties, has resulted in a variety of sequences and activities that no longer fit the original nomenclature system proposed in 1989. Bacillus thuringiensis pesticidal crystal protein (Cry and Cyt) nomenclature was initially based on insecticidal activity for the primary ranking criterion. Many exceptions to this systematic arrangement have become apparent, however, making the nomenclature system inconsistent. Additionally, the original nomenclature, with four activity-based primary ranks for 13 genes, did not anticipate the current 73 holotype sequences that form many more than the original four subgroups. A new nomenclature, based on hierarchical clustering using amino acid sequence identity, is proposed. Roman numerals have been exchanged for Arabic numerals in the primary rank (e.g., Cry1Aa) to better accommodate the large number of expected new sequences. In this proposal, 133 crystal proteins comprising 24 primary ranks are systematically arranged.

Bacillus thuringiensis↗
PubMed1997

Reactivity of singlet oxygen toward proteins: the effect of structure in basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor and in ribonuclease A.

The reactions of singlet oxygen, 1O2, with large peptides have been described previously. It was found that even in these systems, which in their native form are generally not supposed to possess a stable structure in solution, the polypeptide does impede the access of 1O2 to the amino acids that react readily with 1O2. Here we describe the 1O2 reaction with two proteins of well-defined structure. The quenching of 1O2 by bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) and by ribonuclease A (RNase A) was compared to that of a solution at the same concentration as those of its constituent amino acids that react readily with 1O2. The proteins were studied in their native form, when partly denatured by splitting their S-S bonds and when fully denatured. It was found that while in the native form the quenching rate constant was seven times lower in BPTI (2.2 vs 15.2 x 10(7) M-1 s-1) and three times lower in RNase A (11.0 vs 32 x 10(7) M-1 s-1) than in a mixture of its constituent amino acid residues, it increased upon denaturation reaching in the fully denatured state the value of the corresponding amino acid mixture. More striking is the effect of the protein structure when comparing the fraction of the encounters between 1O2 and protein, which cause damage to the protein, as reflected in the decrease of its biological activity. This decrease is assumed to be due to the chemical (oxidative) reactions of 1O2 in the protein. In the exceptionally stable BPTI the fraction of such encounters was 0.05 and in RNase A it was 0.2, whereas for the amino acid tryptophan in solution, 0.7 of the collisions with 1O2 led to a chemical reaction.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Reactivity of singlet oxygen toward large peptides.

The reactions of singlet oxygen, 1O2, with amino acids and their derivatives have been studied previously. It was found that only five amino acid residues interact readily with 1O2. Here we describe its reactions with the large peptides melittin, neuropeptide Y (NPY) and insulin in their native and in their denatured forms. The singlet oxygen quenching by a polypeptide was compared with that of a solution at the same concentration as those of its constituent amino acids, which are known to react efficiently with 1O2. It was found that the quenching rate by such a mixture exceeded that of the polypeptides in their native form. The ratio of the rate constants for NPY to that of the corresponding amino acid mixture in solution was 0.75. For melittin in its monomeric form it was 0.83 and for a tetramer of melittin (at high ionic strength) it was 0.70. For native insulin the ratio of the rate constants was 0.55. For oxidized insulin with its -S-S- bridges opened the figure became 0.80. However, the quenching by all the polypeptides in their fully denatured form (in the presence of 6 M urea) equalled that of the corresponding amino acid mixtures. Although polypeptides are generally supposed not to possess a stable secondary structure in solution the effects are explained by shielding of some of the reactive amino acid residues in the chain by temporary folding or incipient secondary structures of the native polypeptide.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Reactivity of singlet oxygen toward amino acids and peptides.

Quenching of singlet oxygen (1O2) in D2O-ethanol by the amino acids tryptophan, tyrosine, histidine, methionine, cysteine and their derivatives was measured by exciting the sensitizers rose bengal or meso-tetra (N-methyl-4-pyridyl)porphyrin tetratosylate in the presence of oxygen and the above quenchers in solution. In our polar solvent, containing 75% D2O on a molar basis it was found that (1) substitution of the aromatic ring in indole, phenol and imidazole by the electron-donating methyl group increases the total (i.e. nonreactive and reactive) quenching rate constant by a factor of five to eight. Free or blocked amino and carboxyl groups removed by two methylene groups from the ring counteract the above increase in the rate constant. The reactive quenching of singlet oxygen, which leads to oxidative destruction of the aromatic ring, correlates with the above substitution effects. It has been proposed that the quenching process takes place by formation of an exciplex between 1O2 and the quencher. Thus our results indicate that the better an electron donor the amino acid residue is the more pronounced is the charge transfer contribution in the exciplex formed with 1O2 and the more likely it is to lead to charge separation and hence to a chemical reaction. (2) Oligopeptides in solution or peptide bonds linked to the amino acid residue have only a minor effect on singlet oxygen. It can therefore be expected that the polypeptide chains per se in the protein network will not interact significantly with the single oxygen molecules present.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1991

Migration of small molecules through the structure of hemoglobin: evidence for gating in a protein electron-transfer reaction.

It has previously been shown that the rates and activation energies for migration molecules of different sizes through myoglobin are very similar. The results were interpreted in terms of conformational changes in the protein structure that facilitate the passage of the different molecules to a similar extent. Here we ask whether the quaternary structural changes that accompany the binding of ligands (O2 or CO) to hemoglobin might influence the migration rate from the solution into the protein's binding site. As a model for the R state of hemoglobin, we used the protein in which the Fe protoporphyrin (FePP) in the alpha subunit was substituted by Zn protoporphyrin (ZnPP) and the oxidized heme was ligated by CN-. The T state of hemoglobin was represented by the protein in which all four FePP groups were substituted by ZnPP. The quenching rate of the excited ZnPP triplet state within the hemoglobin by oxygen, methyl viologen, and anthraquinonesulfonate served as a measure of the migration rate through the protein into the binding site. It was found that the activation energies for all three quenchers were very similar and closely resembled those in myoglobin, suggesting that the migration rates are determined by the subunit structure only and that the quaternary configurational changes do not influence the quenching rates. The implications of the results for electron transfer in proteins are briefly discussed.

Anthraquinones↗
PubMed1991

The effect of the solvent viscosity on the migration of small molecules through the structure of myoglobin.

The migration rate of small molecules through the structure of proteins can be monitored by quenching the light emitted from an excited optical probe located within the protein. In the present study we examined the influence of the solvent viscosity on the migration rate of the quencher anthraquinone sulfonate through myoglobin towards an excited Zn protoporphyrin molecule at the binding site of the protein. The solvent viscosity was increased by adding dextrans of different molecular weight but forming isoviscous solutions. The results demonstrate that the migration rate in the protein decreases with increasing solvent viscosity. This suggests that the fluctuations on the protein structure, which make the above migration possible, are affected by the solvent macroviscosity.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Deoxygenation of solutions for transient studies.

An all-glass vessel which allows a solution to be freed of dissolved oxygen was constructed. The main advantage of this apparatus is the ability to deoxygenate the system without the addition of a reducing agent. This might be desirable in order to avoid possible interactions of highly reactive systems or excited states with foreign additives. Other advantages of the method over the customary freeze-pump-thaw method or vigorous bubbling by an inert gas are (i) the ability to deoxygenate solutions of sensitive biological macromolecules by gentle means; (ii) the ability to add aliquots of reagents to a solution without exposing it to the ambient atmosphere; and (iii) the all-glass vessel's leak-proof quality toward the atmosphere for hours after freeing the solution from oxygen. The apparatus should be useful for spectroscopic, i.e., absorption and emission, studies. It was tested by measuring the 10-ms triplet lifetime of Zn-protoporphyrin which was substituted for the native Fe-porphyrin in myoglobin and the 5-ms lifetime of Zn-octaethylporphyrin in toluene.

Chemistry, Physical↗
PubMed1989

Diffusion of small molecules through the structure of myoglobin. Environmental effects.

The effect of the ambient solvent viscosity on the mobility of small molecules within myoglobin was studied by substituting Zn-protoporphyrin (ZnPP) for the native Fe-protoporphyrin and using it as an optical probe in the protein (ZnPPMb). The quenching of the ZnPPMb triplet state by oxygen, by anthraquinonesulfonate, and by methyl viologen was followed by exciting it with a laser flash and measuring its decay rate as a function of quencher concentration. The quenching rate constants were taken to measure the diffusion rate of the quencher within the protein. At room temperature, these constants were determined in aqueous and in 37% and 55% (by weight) glycerol-water solutions by measuring the ZnPPMb-delayed fluorescence at 606 nm. It was found that although the quenching rate constants varied the activation energies in the protein were very similar for the different quenchers. In aqueous solution, Ea = 6.0-7.4 kcal/mol; in 37% glycerol, Ea = 6.8-7.5 kcal/mol; and in 55% glycerol, Ea = 8.5-9.2 kcal/mol. The quenching rate of ZnPPMb by oxygen was also measured between 190K and 293K in 80% glycerol, and its triplet decay in the absence of oxygen was determined down to 120K in 88% glycerol. In all experiments, the quenching rates in the protein were compared to those of Zn-hematoporphyrin in the same solvent. The results are discussed in terms of Northrup and McCammon's gated reaction theory.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Calorimetry↗
PubMed1987

Quenching of the zinc-protoporphyrin triplet state as a measure of small-molecule diffusion through the structure of myoglobin.

The diffusion of small molecules through the myoglobin structure was studied. It has been shown that the fluorescent Zn-protoporphyrin substitutes easily for the native nonfluorescent Fe-protoporphyrin in myoglobin. The quenching rate of the E-type delayed fluorescence of Zn-protoporphyrin in a substituted myoglobin by the quenchers oxygen and anthraquinonesulfonate was used to measure their diffusion from the ambient solution through the protein to the ligand binding site. The quenching rate constant (at 21 degrees C) for oxygen is kq = (9.6 +/- 0.9) X 10(7) M-1 S-1, only 1 order of magnitude less than that for Zn-hematoporphyrin quenching in aqueous solution. The activation energy in the range between 2 and 40 degrees C is Ea = 6.0 +/- 0.6 kcal/mol. The corresponding data for anthraquinonesulfonate are kq = (2.1 +/- 0.3) X 10(8) M-1 S-1 and Ea = 5.8 +/- 0.6 kcal/mol. Taking into account the statistical factor involved in the oxygen quenching of the Zn-porphyrin triplet, the quenching rates are very similar. The data are discussed in terms of the "gated reaction" theory of Northrup and McCammon. The similar rate constants and activation energies indicate that the diffusion rate in the protein is determined by the frequency of the conformational changes that open "gates" for the passage of the quencher through the protein.

Diffusion↗
PubMed1981

Photochemistry and fluorescence of bacteriorhodopsin excited in its 280-nm absorption band.

Photochemical and fluorescence studies are carried out, exciting bacteriorhodopsin (BR) in its 280-nm absorption band. The data indicate that energy transfer takes place, with a quantum yield of 0.7--0.8, from excited tyrosines and tryptophans to the retinyl chromophore. All of the tyrosine and five to six tryptophan residues are completely quenched by the transfer process while one tryptophan is unquenched and one is partially (approximately 80%) quenched. Energy transfer to the chromophore leads to a photocycle identical with that triggered in (light adapted) bacteriorhodopsin by excitation within the visible absorption bands of the chromophore. The emissive properties of BR in the intact membrane are found equal to those of Triton X-100 solubilized BR monomer. The energy transfer data are discussed in terms of the available amino acid sequence and the electron density map of bacteriorhodopsin. Although such data cannot suggest a single fit between the sequence and the density map (one out of the 7! = 5040 possibilities), they do provide a criterion for testing any specific model for the structure of bacteriorhodopsin.

Bacteriorhodopsins↗
PubMed1978

Fluorescence quenching as an indicator for structural fluctuations in liver alcohol dehydrogenase.

N-Acetyltryptophanamide (NATA), when illuminated anywhere within the 280-nm absorption band, has an emission lifetime of 3.1 ns. The tryptophan residues in liver alcohol dehydrogenase (LADH), however, when excited at 280 nm exhibit two lifetimes of r1 = 2.2 and of r2 = 5.7 ns. Excitation at 300 nm yields a single decay of 5.0 ns. It is shown that at the latter wavelength, only the two (equivalent) tryptophan residues buried within the LADH structure are excited. The reaction rate of the NATA fluorescence quenching by ionic and nonionic quenchers is practically independent of the temperature (between 5 and 41 degrees C). The same substances were used to quench the tryptophan fluorescence in LADH. Here (in the same temperature range), the quenching rate decreases drastically with a decrease in temperature. These findings are discussed in terms of conformational fluctuations in LADH, whereby the temporal movement of the polypeptide chains opens channels through which the above quencher molecules can diffuse and reach the tryptophan residues located within the enzyme structure.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed1976

4-Thiouridine, a built-in probe for structural changes in transfer RNA.

The luminescence of an aqueous solution of 4-thiouridine was compared with its emission when forming part of the polynucleotide chain of tRNA. In both cases excitation into the last absorption band at 335 nm yields a weak emission in the 520--550 nm region. However, while in aqueous solution this emission has a lifetime of approximately 240 ns, it increases in native tRNA to tau congruent to 6.6 mus. Oxygen and Cl- ions quench the thiouridine emission efficiently in aqueous solution while Na+ and Mg2+ ions have no influence on it. On the other hand thiouridine which forms part of a tRNA molecule is quite insensitive to Cl- ions and to O2 while its emission is greatly enhanced by Na+ and Mg2+ ions. From these salt effects as well as from data on the temperature dependence of the emission yield and the decay curve, it is concluded that the site of the thiouridine residue is very well protected within the tertiary structure of tRNA. Both permanent changes in the secondary and in the tertiary structures of the polynucleotide as well as dynamic conformation changes can be observed by following the emission characteristics of its thiouridine residue.

Binding Sites↗