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R F Pratt

Publications and source records attributed to R F Pratt.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Kinetics and mechanism of the serine beta-lactamase catalyzed hydrolysis of depsipeptides.

Steady-state kinetic parameters have been determined for the hydrolysis of a series of acyclic depsipeptides (ester analogues of acyl-D-alanyl-D-alanine peptides) catalyzed by representative class C (Enterobacter cloacae P99) and class A (Bacillus cereus I, TEM-2, and Staphylococcus aureus PC1) beta-lactamases. The best of these substrates, and the one most used in this work, was m-[[(phenylacetyl)-glycyl]oxy]benzoic acid, whose rates of cleavage could be followed spectrophotometrically. The P99 enzyme also catalyzed the methanolysis of these substrates in aqueous methanol solutions. Quantitative evaluation of the effects of methanol on the kinetics of the competing hydrolysis and methanolysis reactions, and on the product distribution, supports a reaction mechanism involving an acyl-enzyme intermediate whose formation is rate-determining under conditions of substrate saturation. Consideration of the variation of these kinetic parameters with the structure of the depsipeptides and comparison with the analogous parameters for bicyclic beta-lactam substrates suggest that a variety of substrate binding modes exist on this enzyme. The class A enzymes, B. cereus beta-lactamase I and the TEM-2 beta-lactamase, catalyze depsipeptide and benzylpenicillin hydrolyses but not methanolysis. The acyl-enzyme derived from both types of substrate is thus shielded from external nucleophiles; the shielding is therefore not an effect, direct or indirect, of the thiazolidinyl group in the penicilloyl-enzyme. The class A beta-lactamase of the PC1 plasmid of S. aureus is distinctly different from the above two representatives of that class, in that it does catalyze methanolysis of depsipeptides (but not of benzylpenicillin). The methanolysis kinetics suggest that deacylation is rate-determining at saturation, a conclusion supported by the demonstration of an intermediate during the hydrolysis of m-[[(phenylacetyl)glycyl]oxy]benzoate, subsequent to leaving-group departure. The beta-lactamases have thus been shown to catalyze the hydrolysis of specific depsipeptides with comparable facility to that demonstrated by D-alanyl-D-alanine carboxypeptidase/transpeptidases. The former enzymes, however, differ in being unable to cleave the analogous peptides.

Bacillus cereus↗
PubMed1986

Interactions of cephalosporins with the Streptomyces R61 DD-transpeptidase/carboxypeptidase. Influence of the 3'-substituent.

The influence and fate of the 3'-substituent of a series of cephalosporins on their interaction with the DD-transpeptidase/carboxypeptidase of Streptomyces R61 were investigated. Good 3'-leaving groups are eliminated from the acyl-enzyme before deacylation, and hence cephalosporins with such substituents generate a common covalent intermediate. The rate of this elimination reaction in the two cases studied in detail was much lower than from the corresponding cephalosporoates in free solution. Cephalosporins without good 3'-leaving groups yield acyl-enzymes that appear to hydrolyse, leading to enzyme re-activation, faster than those from cephalosporins with leaving groups.

Cephalosporins↗
PubMed1986

Mechanism of inhibition of RTEM-2 beta-lactamase by cephamycins: relative importance of the 7 alpha-methoxy group and the 3' leaving group.

Cefoxitin is a poor substrate of many beta-lactamases, including the RTEM-2 enzyme. Fisher and co-workers [Fisher, J., Belasco, J. G., Khosla, S., & Knowles, J. R. (1980) Biochemistry 19, 2895-2901] showed that the reaction between cefoxitin and RTEM-2 beta-lactamase yielded a moderately stable acyl-enzyme whose hydrolysis was rate-determining to turnover at saturation. The present work shows first that the covalently bound substrate in this acyl-enzyme has a 5-exo-methylene-1,3-thiazine structure, i.e., that the good (carbamoyloxy) 3' leaving group of cefoxitin has been eliminated in formation of the acyl-enzyme. Such an elimination has recently been shown in another case to yield an acyl-beta-lactamase inert to hydrolysis [Faraci, W. S., & Pratt, R. F. (1985) Biochemistry 24, 903-910]. Thus the cefoxitin molecule has two potential sources of beta-lactamase resistance, the 7 alpha-methoxy group and the good 3' leaving group. That the latter is important in the present example is shown by the fact that with analogous substrates where no elimination occurs at the enzyme active site, such as 3'-de(carbamoyloxy)cefoxitin and 3'-decarbamoylcefoxitin, no inert acyl-enzyme accumulates. An analysis of the relevant rate constants shows that the 7 alpha-methoxy group weakens noncovalent binding and slows down both acylation and deacylation rates, but with major effect in the acylation rate, while elimination of the 3' leaving group affects deacylation only.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acylation↗
PubMed1985

Mechanism of inhibition of the PC1 beta-lactamase of Staphylococcus aureus by cephalosporins: importance of the 3'-leaving group.

The hydrolysis of cephalosporins containing good leaving groups at the 3'-position [those used in this study were the chromogenic cephalosporin PADAC [pyridine-2-azo-4'-(N',N'-dimethylaniline) substituted on cephalosporin], cephaloridine, and cephalothin], catalyzed by the Staphylococcus aureus PC1 beta-lactamase, proceeds in two spectrophotometrically observable phases. The first involves formation of an acyl-enzyme intermediate while the second involves partitioning of this intermediate between two pathways. One path yields the normal cephalosporoate (3) from which the 3'-leaving group is spontaneously eliminated in solution to give the 3-methylenedihydrothiazine 2, while the second involves initial elimination of the 3' substituent, thus yielding a second acyl-enzyme intermediate, which then hydrolyzes to give the same final product as from the first pathway. The second acyl-enzyme is relatively inert to hydrolysis (t1/2 congruent to 10 min at 20 degrees C), and its formation thus leads to transient inhibition of the enzyme. The partition ratio between hydrolysis and elimination at the enzyme active site could be determined either spectrophotometrically from burst experiments or from measurements of residual beta-lactamase activity as a function of cephalosporin concentration. This ratio varied with the leaving group ability of the 3' substituent (acetoxy greater than N,N-dimethylaniline-4-azo-2'-pyridinium greater than pyridinium) in the anticipated fashion. The inert acyl-enzyme intermediate was isolated by exclusion chromatography and shown to contain the cephem nucleus, but not the 3' substituent, covalently bound to the enzyme. As would be expected, PADAC, cephaloridine, and cephalothin yielded the same inert intermediate. Cephalosporins with poor or no 3'-leaving groups, e.g., dansylcephalothin and desacetoxycephalothin, neither displayed the branched pathway nor yielded the long-lived acyl-enzyme.

Cephalosporins↗
PubMed1985

A direct spectrophotometric assay for D-alanine carboxypeptidases and for the esterase activity of beta-lactamases.

A direct spectrophotometric pH indicator method has been devised to assay the activity of the D-Ala carboxypeptidase/transpeptidase of Streptomyces R61, and which should be of general application to D-Ala carboxypeptidases. The substrate employed is N,N'-diacetyl-L-lysyl-D-alanyl-D-lactate. The method allows the determination of steady-state kinetic parameters, and can also be used for the assay of the esterase activity of beta-lactamases against specific depsipeptides.

Carboxypeptidases↗
PubMed1984

beta-Lactamase-catalyzed hydrolysis of acyclic depsipeptides and acyl transfer to specific amino acid acceptors.

beta-Lactamases from all three classes, A, B, and C, catalyze the hydrolysis of specific acyclic depsipeptide (PhCH2CONHCR1R2CO2CHR3CO2H) analogs of acyl-D-alanyl-D-alanine peptides. The depsipeptides investigated, which are chemically as reactive toward nucleophiles as penicillins, are in general poor substrates, although differences between the classes of beta-lactamases have been observed: the order of effectiveness seems to be C greater than B greater than A. Certain class A and C beta-lactamases also catalyze phenylacetylglycyl transfer between phenylacetylglycyl depsipeptides and specific amino acid acceptors, a type of reaction hitherto identified more closely with D-alanyl-D-alanine transpeptidases than with beta-lactamases. Preliminary indications of an acyl-enzyme intermediate in these reactions have been obtained. These results support the suggestion [Tipper, D.J. and Strominger, J.L. (1965) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 54, 1133-1141] that beta-lactamases are evolutionary descendants of bacterial cell wall D-alanyl-D-alanine transpeptidases.

Acylation↗
PubMed1983

Pre-steady state beta-lactamase kinetics. The trapping of a covalent intermediate and the interpretation of pH rate profiles.

The hydrolysis of sodium 3-dansylamidomethyl-7-beta (thienyl-2')-acetamido-ceph-3-em-4-oate, catalyzed by the beta-lactamase of Staphylococcus aureus PC1, has previously been shown (Anderson, E. G., and Pratt, R. F. (1981) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 11401-11404) to follow the reaction scheme Formula; see text. where ES' is an enzyme-substrate complex in which the substrate has undergone nucleophilic attack at the beta-lactam carbonyl group and P is product. Acid quenching of the reaction mixture has now been shown to yield, in amounts predicted by the rate constants, a covalent enzyme-substrate complex. The liability of this complex in alkaline solution is suggestive of that of an ester. Together, all of these results prove that the turnover of this apparently normal substrate by a class A beta-lactamase involves an acyl-enzyme intermediate. In the case of another fluorescent substrate, dansylcephalexin, no intermediate analogous to ES' accumulated during catalysis; presumably here, acylation of the enzyme is rate-determining. The pH profiles (pH 4-9) of the pre-steady state rate constants for hydrolysis of the former substrate have also been determined. Binding (1/K8) is pH invariant except at low pH where it weakens, probably because of substrate protonation and/or a protein conformational change. The rate constants, k2, k-2, and k3, are pH invariant at low pH but decrease at higher pH in a way which can be described by ionization of an essential acid of pKa around 7.7. This may be the same acid for each constant, being either an active participant at the active site, or a more distant acid which controls an essential conformational change.

Cephalosporins↗
PubMed1982

Specific chemical modification of the readily nitrated tyrosine of the RTEM beta-lactamase and of bacillus cereus beta-lactamase I. The role of the tyrosine in beta-lactamase catalysis.

The function of the hydroxyl group of the tyrosine residue readily nitrated by tetranitromethane (tyrosine-105) in the RTEM plasmid-derived beta-lactamase (penicillinase; penicillin amido beta-lactam-hydrolase, EC 3.5.1.6) from E. coli and in Bacillus cereus beta-lactamase I has been investigated by chemical modification methods. In the case of B. cereus beta-lactamase I the nitrated tyrosine can be acetylated by acetic anhydride without effect on beta-lactamase activity The nitrated tyrosine of the E. coli enzyme can also be acetylated but in this case beta-lactamase activity is lost in a manner which directly correlates with extent of acetylation. However, deacetylation of the nitrotyrosine does not restore activity. The dilemma created by the latter result has been resolved by development of a new method of tyrosine hydroxyl modification at low pH. The nitrated enzyme is reduced by dithionite and then treated with either carbonyldiimidazole or N-(2.2.2-trifluoroethoxycarbonyl)imidazole, both of which convert 3-aminotyrosine into benzoxazolinonylalanine. That the final modification has been achieved is demonstrated both by classical chemical methods and by employment of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to detect the characteristic benzoxazolinone carbonyl absorption. Further, it is shown that no significant loss of beta-lactamase activity is associated with this modification. Hence in neither the B. cereus or the E. coli enzyme does the readily nitrated tyrosine residue have a direct chemical function at the beta-lactamase active site.

Acetylation↗
PubMed1981

Pre-steady state beta-lactamase kinetics. Observation of a covalent intermediate during turnover of a fluorescent cephalosporin by the beta-lactamase of STaphylococcus aureus PC1.

The pre-steady state kinetics of the hydrolysis of sodium 3-dansylamidomethyl-7-beta (thienyl-2')-acetamidoceph-3-em-4-oate, catalyzed by the beta-lactamase of Staphylococcus aureus PC1, has been studied by the stopped flow method. Fluorescence measurements indicated the presence of two intermediate enzyme-substrate complexes, i.e. at least a three-step mechanism. The disappearance of the characteristic cephem chromophore, which reflects nucleophilic attack at the beta-lactam carbonyl group, correlated with the second step. These results show that an intermediate species with a covalently altered substrate occurs on the reaction path prior to the last step which includes release of product. This intermediate is most likely an acyl-enzyme. The data have been analyzed numerically and the derived rate constants are in accord with the steady state parameters.

Cephalosporins↗
PubMed1980

Inactivation of Bacillus cereus beta-lactamase I by 6 beta-bromopenicillanic acid: kinetics.

The kinetics of the inactivation of Bacillus cereus beta-lactamase I by 6 beta-bromopenicillanic acid are described. Loss of beta-lactamase activity is accompanied by a decrease in protein fluorescence, by the appearance of a protein-bound chromophore at 326 nm, and by loss of tritium from 6 alpha-[3H]-6 beta-bromopenicillanic acid. It is shown that all of the above changes probably have the same rate-determining step. The inactivation reaction is competitively inhibited by cephalosporin C, a competitive inhibitor of this enzyme, and by covalently bound clavulanic acid, suggesting that 6 beta-bromopenicillanic acid reacts directly with the beta-lactamase active site. It is proposed that this inhibitor reacts initially as a normal substrate and that the rate-determining step of the inactivation is acylation of the enzyme. A rapid irreversible inactivation reaction rather than normal hydrolysis of the acyl-enzyme then follows acylation; 6 beta-bromopenicillanic acid is thus a suicide substrate.

Bacillus cereus↗
PubMed1980

Inactivation of Bacillus cereus beta-lactamase I by 6 beta-bromopencillanic acid: mechanism.

The mechanism of the inactivation of Bacillus cereus beta-lactamase I by 6 beta-bromopenicillanic acid, a probable suicide substrate [see Loosemore, M.J., Cohen, S.A., & Pratt, R.F. (1980) Biochemistry (preceding paper in this issue)], is described. Inactivation is accompanied by covalent modification of the protein with the appearance of a characteristic chromophore at 326 nm. Ultraviolet (UV) absorption, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and circular dichroic (CD) spectra of the modified protein, of a modified peptide derived from the protein by enzymatic digestion, and of relevant model compounds suggest that acylation of the enzyme by 6 beta-bromopenicillanic acid is accompanied by rearrangement and cyclization of the inhibitor to a 2,3-dihydro-1,4-thiazine-3,6-dicarboxylic acid derivative, which is the observed chromophore. The acylated residue is shown to be Ser-70. The mechanism of action of beta-lactamase inhibitors is discussed.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1980

Phenylpropynal, a specific, irreversible, non-beta-lactam inhibitor of beta-lactamases.

Phenylpropynal is a specific, irreversible, non-beta-lactam inhibitor of typical beta-lactamases. In the presence of millimolar concentrations of phenylpropynal, the beta-lactamase I of Bacillus cereus and the beta-lactamases of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli become completely inactivated; the beta-lactamase II of B. cereus is not affected. The E. coli beta-lactamase is considerably more sensitive to the reagent than the gram-positive enzymes. A variety of structural analogs of phenylpropynal are much less effective inhibitors. Bovine alpha-chymotrypsin, bovine carboxypeptidase A, and the D,D-carboxypeptidase/transpeptidase of Streptomyces R-61 were not inactivated by phenylpropynal. The inactivation of the E. coli beta-lactamase can be significantly retarded when the good substrate benzylpenicillin is also present. The development of a characteristic chromophore (lambda max 318 nm) during beta-lactamase inactivation suggests that covalent modification of the enxymes is involved; arginine and/or lysine modification is indicated.

Aldehydes↗
PubMed1978

6-beta-bromopenicillanic acid, a potent beta-lactamase inhibitor.

6-beta-Bromopenicillanic acid, which arises from the epimerization of 6-alpha-bromopenicillanic acid in aqueous solution or from hydrogenation of 6,6-dibromopenicillanic acid, is a powerful, irreversible, active-site-directed inhibitor of several typical beta-lactamases (penicillinase; penicillin amido-beta-lactamhydrolase, EC 3.5.2.6); 6-alpha-bromopenicillanic acid, being completely inhibited at less than micromolar concentrations through what is probably a 1:1 interaction. The B. licheniformis exoenzyme is similarly susceptible, while the Staphylococcus aureus enzyme and the Escherichia coli (R factor) enzyme are less so; the B. cereus beta-lactamase II is not inhibited. Very high concentrations (greater than or equal to 0.1 M) of benzylpenicillin, a good substrate, are required to significantly reduce the rate of inhibition of B. cereus beta-lactamase I by 6-beta-bromopenicillanic acid.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1977

Rabbit muscle aldolase catalyzed proton exchange of hydroxyacetone phosphate with solvent.

Rabbit muscle aldolase catalyzes the exchange with solvent of all three methyl hydrogens of hydroxyacetone phosphate. Under saturating conditions, rates of the following processes have been measured: deuteration of hydroxyacetone phosphate in 2H2O (by an NMR method), tritiation of hydroxyacetone phosphate in H2O and 2H2O, and detritiation of tritiated hydroxyacetone phosphate in H2O and 2H2O. It is clear from these measurements (1) that there is no primary kinetic isotope effect and hence that hydrogen abstraction is not rate determining to the exchange and (2) that only one (as the closest integer) methyl hydrogen exchanges per turnover. The argument is made that these observations are mutually exclusive in terms of the accepted aldolase mechanism in the absence of further restrictions imposed by the enzyme. Possible restrictions are discussed.

Acetone↗
PubMed1977

Dietary folate intake and concentration of folate in serum and erythrocytes in women using oral contraceptives.

Conflicting reports regarding the possible effect of oral contraceptives agents (OCA's) on folate status prompted us to evaluate the relationship between dietary folate intake and the concentration of folate in serum and erythrocytes among users and nonsuers of OCA's during two consecutive menstrual cycles. Twenty-two women (ages 19 to 28) had been on combination type OCA's for 4 months or more and a control group of 18 women (ages 18 to 29) had not used OCA's for at least 6 months prior to this study. The serum folate levels were lower in the OCA users than in the controls and the difference was statistically significant on day 5 of the menstrual cycle (P less t-an 0.05) but not on day 20. However, the differences in the erythrocyte folate levels and dietary folate intakes were not statistically significant between the two groups of subjects. There was a consistently higher degree of correlation between serum folate and folate intake among the control women than among the OCA users. Hematological parameters such as hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpusclar hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration and red cell count were similar in the two groups. It is concluded that the use of OCA's produces significantly lower serum folate levels during the first week of the menstrual cycle in spite of adequate folate intake.

Adult↗