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PubMed1991

Inhibition of cytoplasmic aspartate aminotransferase from porcine heart by R and S isomers of aminooxysuccinate and hydrazinosuccinate.

D- and L-aminooxysuccinate were synthesized and evaluated as inhibitors of cytoplasmic aspartate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.1) from porcine heart. L-Aminooxysuccinate was shown to be a slow binding inhibitor of the pyridoxal phosphate form of the enzyme with a Ki of 160 nM and a half-life of the inhibited complex of 8 min. Kinetic analysis revealed that inhibition followed a two-step mechanism in which the last step was rate-limiting. D-Aminooxysuccinate was not inhibitory up to a concentration of 0.1 mM. These compounds were compared to D- and L-hydrazinosuccinate, which are potent slow binding inhibitors of aspartate aminotransferase with Ki values of 1.5 and 0.5 nM, respectively. Models of all four analogs were built into the active site of the closed form of the enzyme. The energy-minimized conformations of both L-isomers bound to aspartate aminotransferase show better geometry for hydrogen bond and ion pair formation than do the corresponding D-isomers. The aldimine double bond formed by the L-isomers is not coplanar with the pyridoxal phosphate ring in accordance with the spectral properties of the inhibitor complexes that are characterized by broad absorbance bands. This lack of planarity was not evident for the models of D-hydrazinosuccinate and D-aminooxysuccinate.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Thermostable aspartate aminotransferase from a thermophilic Bacillus species. Gene cloning, sequence determination, and preliminary x-ray characterization.

The gene encoding aspartate aminotransferase of a thermophilic Bacillus species, YM-2, has been cloned and expressed efficiently in Escherichia coli. The primary structure of the enzyme was deduced from nucleotide sequences of the gene and confirmed mostly by amino acid sequences of tryptic peptides. The gene consists of 1,176 base pairs encoding a protein of 392 amino acid residues; the molecular mass of the enzyme subunit is estimated to be 42,661 daltons. The active site lysyl residue that binds the coenzyme, pyridoxal phosphate, was identified as Lys-239. Comparison of the amino acid sequence with those of aspartate aminotransferases from other organisms revealed very low overall similarities (13-14%) except for the sequence of the extremely thermostable enzyme from Sulfolobus solfataricus (34%). Several amino acid residues conserved in all the compared sequences include those that have been reported to participate in binding of the coenzyme in three-dimensional structures of the vertebrate and E. coli enzymes. However, the strictly conserved arginyl residue that is essential for binding of the distal carboxyl group of substrates is not found in the corresponding region of the sequences of the thermostable enzymes from the Bacillus species and S. solfataricus. The Bacillus aspartate aminotransferase has been purified from the E. coli clone cell extracts on a large scale and crystallized in the buffered ammonium sulfate solution by the hanging drop method. The crystals are monoclinic with unit cell dimensions a = 121.2 A, b = 110.5 A, c = 81.8 A, and beta = 97.6 degrees, belonging to space group C2, and contain two molecules in the asymmetric unit. The crystals of the enzyme-alpha-methylaspartate complex are isomorphous with those without the substrate analog.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1994

The structural basis for the altered substrate specificity of the R292D active site mutant of aspartate aminotransferase from E. coli.

Two refined crystal structures of aspartate aminotransferase from E. coli are reported. The wild type enzyme is in the pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) form and its structure has been determined to 2.4 A resolution, refined to an R-factor of 23.2%. The structure of the Arg292Asp mutant has been determined at 2.8 A resolution, refined to an R-factor of 20.3%. The wild type and mutant crystals are isomorphous and the two structures are very similar, with only minor changes in positions of important active site residues. As residue Arg292 is primarily responsible for the substrate charge specificity in the wild type enzyme, the mutant containing a charge reversal at this position might be expected to catalyze transamination of arginine as efficiently as the wild type enzyme effects transamination of aspartate [Cronin, C.N. and Kirsch, J.F. (1988) Biochemistry, 27, 4572-4579]. This mutant does in fact prefer arginine over aspartate as a substrate, however, the rate of catalysis is much slower than that of the wild type enzyme with its physiological substrate, aspartate. A comparison of these two structures indicates that the poorer catalytic efficiency of R292D, when presented with arginine, is not due to a gross conformational difference, but is rather a consequence of both small side chain and main chain reorientations and the pre-existing active site polar environment, which greatly favors the wild type ion pair interaction.

Arginine↗

PubMed1997

Noncoded amino acid replacement probes of the aspartate aminotransferase mechanism.

The primary role of Tyr225 in the aspartate aminotransferase mechanism is to provide a hydrogen bond to stabilize the 3'O- functionality of bound pyridoxal phosphate. The strength of this hydrogen bond is perturbed by replacement of Tyr225 with 3-fluoro-L-tyrosine (FlTyr) by in vitro transcription/translation. This mutant enzyme exhibits kcat/values that are near to those of wild type enzyme; however, the kcat/vs pH profile is much sharper with similar pKas of approximately 7.5 for both the ascending and descending limbs. The pKas are assigned to the endocyclic proton of the internal aldimine and to the bridging hydrogen bond, respectively. The pKas in the kcat vs pH profile of 7.2 and 8.7 are assigned to the epsilon-NH3+ of lysine 258 and to the endocyclic protons of the ketimine complex, respectively. Arginine 292 forms a salt bridge with the beta-COOH of the substrate, aspartate. An improvement on the earlier attempt to invert the substrate charge specificity via R292D mutation-induced arginine transaminase activity [Cronin, C. N., & Kirsch, J. F. (1988) Biochemistry 27, 4572-4579] is described. Here Arg292 is replaced with homoglutamate (R292hoGlu). This construct exhibits 6.8 x 10(4)-fold greater activity for the cationic substrate D,L-[Calpha-3H]-alpha-amino-beta-guanidinopropionic acid (D,L-[Calpha-3H]AGPA) than does wild type enzyme. The gain in selectivity for this substrate is at least 4500-fold greater than that achieved in the 1988 experiment, i.e., [(kcat/KM)R292hoGlu/(kcat/KM)WT (D,L-[Calpha-3H]AGPA)] >/= 4500 x [(kcat/KM)R292D/(kcat/KM)WT (L-arginine)]. The value of (kcat/KM)R292D is 0.43 M-1 s-1 with L-Arg while (kcat/KM)R292hoGlu is 29 M-1 s-1 with D,L-[Calpha-3H]AGPA (it is assumed that the D-enantiomer is unreactive). The latter value is the lower limit because of the uncertain value of 3H kinetic isotope effect.

Alanine↗

PubMed1985

The primary structure of mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase from human heart.

The complete amino acid sequence of the mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase (L-aspartate:2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase, EC 2.6.1.1) from human heart has been determined based mainly on analysis of peptides obtained by digestion with trypsin and by chemical cleavage with cyanogen bromide. Comparison of the sequence with those of the isotopic isoenzymes from pig, rat and chicken showed 27, 29 and 55 differences, respectively, out of a total of 401 amino acid residues. Evidence for structural microheterogeneity at position 317 has also been obtained.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1983

The covalent structure of mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase from chicken. Identification of segments of the polypeptide chain invariant specifically in the mitochondrial isoenzyme.

The primary structure of mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase from chicken is reported. The enzyme is a dimer of identical subunits. Each subunit contains 401 amino acid residues; the calculated subunit molecular weight of the apoform is 44,866. The degree of sequence identity with the homologous cytosolic isoenzyme from chicken is 46%. A comparison of the primary structures of the mitochondrial and the cytosolic isoenzyme from pig and chicken shows that 40% of all residues are invariant. The degree of interspecies sequence identity both of the mitochondrial and the cytosolic isoenzyme from chicken and pig (86% and 83%, respectively) markedly exceeds that of the intraspecies identity between mitochondrial and cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase in chicken (46%) or in pig (48%). Based on these values, the duplication of the aspartate aminotransferase ancestral gene is estimated to have occurred approximately 1000 million years ago, i.e. at the time of the emergence of eukaryotic cells. By sequence comparison it is possible to identify amino acid residues and segments of the polypeptide chain that have been conserved specifically in the mitochondrial isoenzyme during phylogenetic evolution. These segments comprise about a third of the total polypeptide chain and appear to cluster in a certain surface region. The cluster carries an excess of positively charged residues which exceeds the overall charge difference between the cytosolic (pI approximately 6) and the mitochondrial isoenzyme (pI approximately 9).

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1984

Radioimmunoassay of aspartate aminotransferase isoenzymes in human serum.

We describe the development of a sensitive, specific radioimmunoassay for the cytoplasmic and mitochondrial isoenzymes of human aspartate aminotransferase (L-aspartate:2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase; EC 2.6.1.1). Isoenzymes from human heart tissue were purified to homogeneity and used to raise high-titer antisera in rabbits. We partly purified the antisera by selective column chromatography. The Bolton-Hunter reagent was used to radioiodinate the isoenzymes. The assay requires 100 microL of serum, includes a solid-phase second-antibody separation, and can be completed in less than 3 h. There was no cross reactivity between the two isoenzymes. As little as 5 micrograms (50 pmol) of each aspartate aminotransferase can be measured per liter of serum.

Antibody Formation↗

PubMed1992

Inorganic phosphate binding and electrostatic effects in the active center of aspartate aminotransferase apoenzyme.

The ionization state of the phosphate group bound at the aspartate aminotransferase apoenzyme's active site has been investigated utilizing Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy following the band corresponding to the symmetric stretching of the dianionic phosphate. Unlike free phosphate, when inorganic phosphate is bound at the enzyme's active site, the integrated intensity value of the dianionic band does not change with pH within the studied range, and this value is similar to that for free dianionic phosphate at pH 8.3. From these results, we propose a dianionic state for the phosphate ion bound to cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase throughout the pH range of 5.7-8.3. The presence of other anions such as acetate and chloride or the substrate aspartate and its analogues produces a pH-dependent phosphate removal from the active site which is favored at low pH values. Elimination of the charged primary amine at the active-site Lys-258, through formation of a Schiff base with pyridoxal or chemical modification by carbamylation, also produces a pH-independent phosphate release. These results are interpreted as Lys-258 together with the active-site alpha-helix and other residues may be involved in stabilizing phosphate as a dianion in the apoenzyme phosphate pocket which anchors the phosphate ester of pyridoxal phosphate in the holoenzyme. It is proposed that the dianionic phosphate contributes to the apoenzyme's thermal stability through formation of strong hydrogen bond and salt bridges with the amino acid residues forming the phosphate binding pocket with assistance of Lys-258, and other active-site cationic components.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of aspartate aminotransferase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Diffraction-quality crystals of S. cerevisiae cytoplasmic aspartate aminotransferase have been obtained by the hanging-drop vapor-diffusion method in the presence of pyridoxal phosphate and maleic acid, sodium acetate, ammonium acetate and polyethylene glycol. The crystals have the symmetry of the orthorhombic space groups P212121 or P21212 with unit-cell dimensions a = 130.2, b = 134.6 and c = 98.7 A. Square rod-shaped crystals with dimensions of approximately 0.2 x 0.2 x 0.5 mm diffract to spacings of 2 A. The calculated value of the Matthews coefficient, Vm = 2.4 A3 Da-1, is consistent with four subunits of aspartate aminotransferase per asymmetric unit.

Aspartate Aminotransferases↗

PubMed1988

Abnormal molecules of mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase in the liver of vitamin B-6--deficient rats may be produced in the mitochondrial matrix.

The distribution of mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase (AspATm) in liver cells was studied in rats fed pyridoxine-deficient and control diets. Mitochondrial aminotransferase activity was found mainly in the matrix fraction, with smaller amounts in the outer membranes, intermembrane space and cytosol. The precursor of the enzyme was detected in the liver cytosol of both vitamin B-6--deficient and control rats, and its amount was similar in the two groups. When pyridoxal phosphate was added to the assay system, the ratio of enzyme activity to antigenic activity (E/A) of mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase in the cytosol of both vitamin B-6--deficient and control rats was about 70% of that in the matrix of control rats. On the other hand, the E/A of the matrix enzyme in deficient rats was 53% of that of controls. From these results we concluded that pyridoxal phosphate is not necessary for translocation of mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase into mitochondrial matrix and that abnormal molecules of the enzyme may be formed in the matrix of vitamin B-6--deficient rat liver.

Animals↗

PubMed1980

An immunochemical procedure for determination of mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase in human serum.

An immunochemical procedure is described for quantitation of mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase (m-AspAT; EC 2.6.1.1) activity in human serum specimens. Antibodies directed against purified soluble aspartate aminotransferase (s-AspAT) from human erythrocytes were produced in rabbits and partly purified. Antibody sufficient for analyses of > 6000 specimens could be obtained from 15 mL of rabbit antiserum; contaminant AspAT activity of the antibody preparation was < 0.4 U/L. Addition of antibody directly to purified AspAT isoenzymes resulted in inhibition of s-AspAT but had no measurable effect upon m-AspAT. Antibody is incubated with serum in the presence of polyethylene glycol for 60 min at room temperature, then 60 min at 4 degrees C, and centrifuged (7000 x g, 4 degrees C, 15 min). No detectable s-AspAT activity remains in the supernatant fluid; thus m-AspAT activity can be measured directly. Precision, both within-day and day-to-day, was < 1 U/L, or 3.0% of residual m-AspAT activity. The method completely removed 1200 U of purified s-AspAT activity per liter; addition of s-AspAT to serum in increasing concentrations of about 500 U/L had no effect upon the measurement of residual m-AspAT activity. Results of the procedure described showed excellent correlation with those by an alternative procedure involving antibodies directed against m-AspAT. Addition of both anti-s- and anti-m-AspAT antibodies resulted in complete removal of serum AspAT activity. Univalent Fab fragments prepared anti-s-AspAT antibodies were capable of directly inhibiting s-AspAT activity without precipitation. Although a homogeneous immunoinhibition assay was possible, the greater precision of the precipitation assay made it preferable.

Animals↗

PubMed1986

Immunocytochemical localization of aspartate aminotransferase and glutaminase immunoreactivities in the cerebellum.

The distributions of glutaminase and aspartate aminotransferase were studied immunocytochemically in the cerebellum of the guinea pig and the rat. In the granule cell layer, both antibodies gave a similar staining pattern. Granule cell bodies were labeled, but staining was also found to lie outside the cell body, associated with what appear to be synaptic processes. In the molecular and Purkinje cell layers, aspartate aminotransferase was concentrated in stellate and basket cell bodies and in terminal baskets beneath Purkinje cells. Glutaminase, however, was not concentrated in these structures.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Import of mutant forms of mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase into isolated mitochondria.

To gain some insight into the role played by certain protein domains in the import of mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase in isolated mitochondria, three protein mutants were constructed by using the plasmid pOTS-mAspAT, which contains the nucleotide sequence encoding for the mature form of this enzyme. Two mutant proteins in which Cys-166 was substituted with either serine or alanine and another protein lacking the nine N-terminal amino acids were all synthesized in a cell-free transcription/translation system. Comparison was made among the newly synthesized mutant proteins and the newly synthesized wild type aspartate aminotransferase with respect to their capability to enter mitochondria. All the mutant proteins proved to be able to enter mitochondria even though with a lower efficiency than the wild type enzyme. Interestingly the thiol reagent mersalyl proved to inhibit import of both wild type enzyme and serine mutant, whereas import of alanine mutant was found to be insensitive to mersalyl, thus showing that Cys-166 is the unique -SH group involved in import. Import of mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase by mitochondria is shown to involve certain protein domains present in the mature protein, two of them being the Cys-166 and the N-terminal regions.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1982

[Practical use of the Multistat III centrifuge analyzer in an improved method for the determination of the activity of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase].

We applied three procedures for measuring aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase activities to the Multistat III MCA. Assay conditions were almost exactly as prescribed by the Scandinavian Committee on Enzymes and the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry. Owing to the overall good performance of the analyzer and its loader module, results of 20 samples will be available in 10 minutes, including preincubation with pyridoxal phosphate. Details of procedures are given; there are no differences in activities of both aminotransferases determined with three methods, allowing the user to take a choice according to personal preference.

Alanine Transaminase↗

PubMed1993

Crystal structures of true enzymatic reaction intermediates: aspartate and glutamate ketimines in aspartate aminotransferase.

The crystal structures of the stable, closed complexes of chicken mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase with the natural substrates L-aspartate and L-glutamate have been solved and refined at 2.4- and 2.3-A resolution, respectively. In both cases, clear electron density at the substrate-coenzyme binding site unequivocally indicates the presence of a covalent intermediate. The crystallographically identical environments of the two subunits of the alpha 2 dimer allow a simple, direct correlation of the coenzyme absorption spectra of the crystalline enzyme with the diffraction results. Deconvolution of the spectra of the crystalline complexes using lognormal curves indicates that the ketimine intermediates constitute 76% and 83% of the total enzyme populations with L-aspartate and L-glutamate, respectively. The electron density maps accommodate the ketimine structures best in agreement with the independent spectral data. Crystalline enzyme has a much higher affinity for keto acid substrates compared to enzyme in solution. The increased affinity is interpreted in terms of a perturbation of the open/closed conformational equilibrium by the crystal lattice, with the closed form having greater affinity for substrate. The crystal lattice contacts provide energy required for domain closure normally supplied by the excess binding energy of the substrate. In solution, enzyme saturated with amino/keto acid substrate pairs has a greater total fraction of intermediates in the aldehyde oxidation state compared to crystalline enzyme. Assuming the only difference between the solution and crystalline enzymes is in conformational freedom, this difference suggests that one or more substantially populated, aldehydic intermediates in solution exist in the open conformation. Quantitative analyses of the spectra indicate that the value of the equilibrium constant for the open-closed conformational transition of the liganded, aldehydic enzyme in solution is near 1. The C4' pro-S proton in the ketimine models is oriented nearly perpendicularly to the plane of the pyridine ring, suggesting that the enzyme facilitates its removal by maximizing sigma-pi orbital overlap. The absence of a localized water molecule near Lys258 dictates that ketimine hydrolysis occurs via a transiently bound water molecule or from an alternative, possibly more open, structure in which water is appropriately bound. A prominent mechanistic role for flexibility of the Lys258 side chain is suggested by the absence of hydrogen bonds to the amino group in the aspartate structure and the relatively high temperature factors for these atoms in both structures.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Aspartate aminotransferase activity in pulp of orthodontically treated teeth.

This study examines the aspartate aminotransferase activity in the pulp of orthodontically treated teeth. Seventeen healthy male and female subjects (ages: 14.5-19.6; mean 16.8 +/- 1.6 years) who needed extraction of the maxillary first premolars for orthodontic reasons were enrolled in the study. One randomly chosen maxillary first premolar, included in a straight-wire fixed orthodontic appliance and supporting orthodontic force, was considered as the test tooth. The contralateral first premolar, included in the orthodontic appliance but not subjected to mechanical stress, was used as the control tooth. After a week of treatment, the dental pulp tissues were extracted from both experimental teeth. Aspartate aminotransferase activity was significantly elevated in the test teeth as compared with the control teeth. These results demonstrate that in the early phases of treatment, orthodontic force application to the teeth can lead to significant metabolic changes in the pulp of these teeth.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1988

Rat cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase: regulation of its mRNA and contribution to gluconeogenesis.

Induction of cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase (cAspAT) was observed in rat liver on administration of a high-protein diet, or glucagon and during fasting. The enzyme activity in the liver of rats given 80% protein diet or glucagon injection during starvation increased to 2- to 2.4-fold that in the liver of rats maintained on 20% protein diet, with about 2-fold increases in the levels of hybridizable cAspAT mRNA, measured by blot analysis using the cloned rat cAspAT cDNA as a probe. No increase in the enzyme was detected in kidney, heart, brain, or skeletal muscle. The activity of mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase (mAspAT) did not increase. Induction of cAspAT was observed when glucose metabolism tended toward gluconeogenesis. The physiological function of the induction of cAspAT is considered to be to increase the supply of oxaloacetate as a substrate for cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) [EC 4.1.1.32] for gluconeogenesis.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Analysis of wild-type and mutant aspartate aminotransferases using integrated rate equations.

A general integrated rate equation was fit to reaction progress curves catalyzed by wild-type E. coli aspartate aminotransferase and the site-specific mutant enzymes, H193Q and Y70F. A nonlinear step-regression code, revised for this study selected from all kinetic constants in a general integrated rate equation for all unbranched enzyme mechanisms with stoichiometries upto two substrates and two products including terms for substrate inhibitions and that of an exogenous inhibitor. For each aspartate aminotransferase enzyme studied only kinetic constants consistent with a substituted enzyme mechanism were found statistically significant, thus the enzyme mechanism and sources of inhibition were determined objectively by statistics. The kinetic constants for wild-type and Y70F aspartate aminotransferase were similar to those previously reported indicating the validity of the integrated rate equation analysis. Minor changes in kinetic constants were observed for the H193Q mutant enzyme suggesting that the catalytic effects of the electrostatic hydrogen bonding network extending from the pyridine nitrogen of the cofactor through Asp-222, His-189 ends prior to His-193.

Amino Acids, Dicarboxylic↗