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R Hollenstein

Publications and source records attributed to R Hollenstein.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Paracatalytic self-inactivation of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase. Structure of the crosslink formed at the active site.

Oxidation of enzyme-substrate carbanion intermediates by extrinsic oxidants may result in irreversible paracatalytic inactivation of certain enzymes. In paracatalytically modified fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase from rabbit muscle the polypeptide chain had been found to be crosslinked at active-site Lys229 (Schiff base forming with substrate) and Lys146 by a phosphorylated three-carbon moiety [Lubini, D. G. E. and Christen, P. (1979) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 76, 2527-2531]. In the present study, the structure of this crosslink was elucidated by instrumental analysis. Aldolase was paracatalytically modified in the presence of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and hexacyanoferrate(III). The completely inactivated enzyme was digested with pronase. The crosslinked peptide was isolated by gel filtration and reverse-phase HPLC. Mass spectroscopy, 1H- and 13C-NMR showed that a derivative of dihydroxyacetone phosphate forms an amidine with the epsilon-amino groups of the two lysine residues: [formula: see text]

Amino Acids↗

Metal selectivity of clusters in rabbit liver metallothionein.

In mammalian metallothioneins the metals are organized in two adamantane-type clusters with three and four metal ions which are tetrahedrally coordinated by thiolate ligands. The metal selectivity of the metal-thiolate clusters in rabbit liver metallothionein has been studied by offering two ions, i.e. Co(II)/Cd(II), Zn(II)/Cd(II) or Co(II)/Zn(II), to the metal-free protein. The heterogeneous metal complexes thus formed were characterized by electronic absorption, magnetic circular dichroism. 113Cd-NMR and EPR spectroscopy. In the case of Co/Cd-metallothionein, homometallic cluster occupation occurs, with the Cd(II) ions bound exclusively to the four-metal cluster. In contrast, heterometallic clusters were formed for both Zn/Cd- and Co/Zn-metallothionein. Based on evidence from corresponding inorganic structures of adamantane metal-thiolate cages, it is suggested that the major factor governing the cluster type is the protein structure perturbation due to the cluster volume variations. Thus, while metal thiolate affinities are important in the folding process, size-match selectivity is the dominant factor in the metal-loaded protein.

Animals↗

113Cd NMR studies on metal-thiolate cluster formation in rabbit Cd(II)-metallothionein: evidence for a pH dependence.

The formation of two metal-thiolate clusters in rabbit liver metallothionein 2 (MT) has been examined by 113Cd NMR spectroscopy at pH 7.2 and 8.6. The chemical shifts of the 113Cd resonances developing in the course of apoMT titration with 113Cd(II) ions have been compared with those of fully metal occupied 113Cd7-MT. At pH 7.2 and at low metal occupancy (less than 4), a cooperative formation of the four-metal cluster (cluster A) occurs. Further addition of 113Cd(II) ions generates all the resonances of the three-metal cluster (cluster B) in succession, suggesting cooperative metal binding to this cluster also. In contrast, similar studies at pH 8.6, at low metal occupancy (less than 4), reveal a broad NMR signal centered at 688 ppm. This observation indicates that an entirely different protein structure exists. When exactly 4 equiv of 113Cd(II) are bound to apoMT, the 113Cd NMR spectrum changes to the characteristic spectrum of cluster A. Further addition of 113Cd(II) ions again leads to the cooperative formation of cluster B. These results stress the determining role of the cluster A domain on the overall protein fold. The observed pH dependence of the cluster formation in MT can be rationalized by the different degree of deprotonation of the cysteine residues (pKa approximately 8.9), i.e., by the difference in the Gibbs free energy required to bind Cd(II) ions to the thiolate ligands at both pH values.

Animals↗