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[NO production through catalase and myoglobin, hemeproteins, in vascular smooth muscle].

Catalase, myoglobin and NO-synthase are heme proteins. Catalase is capable of producing NO from azide and hydroxylamine (Ignarro LJ, FASEB J 1989; 3:31-36). Heme is the center of catalyzing the production of NO. Thus, we investigated the mode of vasorelaxation induced by azide and nitrite in the endothelium-denuded aorta of guinea pig or rat. Both agents elicited a rapid relaxation of the aorta in a concentration dependent manner: EC50 values for azide and nitrite were 0.1 microM and 0.1 mM, respectively. These relaxation responses were inhibited by the presence of methylene blue, but not by NO-arginine or L-NMMA. Azide rapidly raised the cGMP content of the muscle, which seemed to precede the relaxation response. The catalase activity of the aorta was inhibited by azide and hydroxylamine with the similar IC50 values to EC50 values for relaxation. Myoglobin was found in the vessel tissue by the immunohistological method. Using a NO-sensitive electrode, the NO production from aortas was detected after addition of azide and nitrite. The NO production from nitrite was shown to precede the oxidation of heme moiety of oxymyoglobin. These results suggest that catalase as well as myoglobin, heme proteins, can be the cellular target for pharmacological agents to produce NO leading to vasorelaxation.

Animals↗

Physical and chemical studies on bacterial superoxide dismutases. Purification and some anion binding properties of the iron-containing protein of Escherichia coli B.

Highly purified iron superoxide dismutase was obtained from Escherichia coli B using a modification of the procedure of Yost and Jridovich (Yost, F. J., Jr., and Fridovich, I. (1973) J. Biol. Chem. 248, 4905-4908). The protein contained 1.8 +/- 0.2 atoms of iron per 38,700 g of protein. We have found that cyanide does not bind to the Fe3+ ion of iron dismutase but fluoride and azide have moderately large binding constants. Optical and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements suggested that 2 fluoride ions could associate with each iron atom with the first having an association constant of approximately 520 M-1 and the second with an estimated value of 24 M-1. Activity measurements yielded an inhibition constant for fluoride of 30 M-1. At room temperature only one azide binds to the Fe3+ (K = 760 M-1) and this does not interfere with superoxide dismutase activity. Upon freezing solutions of iron superoxide dismutase in the presence of excess azide their color changes from yellow to pink. Combined EPR and optical titrations with azide suggest the presence of two binding sites on Fe3+ with only the first being occupied at room temperature and the second binding azide only upon freezing the solution. The results suggest that each Fe3+ ion of this superoxide dismutase has two coordination positions available for interaction with solute molecules but only one is necessary for catalysis of the superoxide dismutation reaction. The EPR, optical, and circular dichroism spectra of the native protein and the various fluoride and azide complexes are presented.

Azides↗

A vacuolar-type ATPase, partially purified from potassium transporting plasma membranes of tobacco hornworm midgut.

An azide- and vanadate-insensitive, N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive ATPase has been partially purified from a fraction enriched with potassium transporting goblet cell apical membranes of Manduca sexta larval midgut. The properties of the membrane-bound ATPase activity were identical to those of the ATPase activity of highly purified goblet cell apical membranes (Wieczorek, H., Wolfersberger, M. G., Cioffi, M., and Harvey, W. R. (1986) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 857, 271-281). 90% of the azide- and vanadate-insensitive ATPase activity was solubilized by C12E10, leaving 90% of the contaminating azide-sensitive mitochondrial ATPase activity in the pellet after centrifugation at 100,000 x g for 1 h. After discontinuous sucrose gradient centrifugation of the supernatant at 220,000 x g for 1 h nearly all of the azide- and vanadate-insensitive ATPase activity was found in the 30% sucrose fraction without contaminating azide- or vanadate-sensitive ATPase activity. Two prominent bands with relative molecular masses (Mr) of about 600,000 and 900,000, both displaying azide-insensitive and N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive ATPase activity, were found in native microgradient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the 30% sucrose fraction. The two bands could not be separated by anion exchange chromatography. Denaturation of both bands resulted in the same polypeptide pattern (five major bands with Mr 70,000, 57,000, 46,000, 29,000 and 17,000) in sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, indicating that they represented oligomers of the same protein unit. Substrate and inhibitor specificities of the partially purified ATPase were similar to those of the membrane-bound ATPase activity, whereas salt selectivity differed partly. Altogether, structural and functional properties of the ATPase strongly resemble those of vacuolar-type ATPases.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Angiotensin II attenuates chemical hypoxia-induced caspase-3 activation in primary cortical neuronal cultures.

In this study we determined whether caspase-3 is required in mouse cortical neurons for sodium azide-mediated apoptosis. Primary cortical neuronal cultures were treated with a cell permeable caspase-3 inhibitor, DEVD (1 nM-100 fM), prior to sodium azide-induced hypoxia. Treatment with the caspase-3 inhibitor resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in apoptosis, suggesting that sodium azide-induced apoptosis is mediated through a caspase-3 dependent pathway. Levels of cytochrome-c release and caspase-3 cleavage were assayed by Western analysis. Cytochrome-c release and caspase-3 cleavage were observed at 5 h (85.3+/-5.8%) and 8 h (53.4+/-14.9%), respectively. We have previously reported that angiotensin II, acting through the AT(2) receptor subtype, protects cultured mouse cortical neurons from sodium azide-induced apoptosis. We also examined whether the protective effect of angiotensin II is mediated through modulation of caspase-3. Pre-treatment of cells with angiotensin II and the AT(1) receptor antagonist, losartan, reduced levels of sodium azide-induced caspase-3 cleavage by 95.0+/-4.0%. Cells pre-treated with the AT(2) receptor antagonist, PD123319 showed a smaller reduction of caspase-3 cleavage (53.8+/-3.4%). Our findings indicate that sodium azide-induced apoptosis is caspase-3 dependent and that angiotensin II protects cortical neurons from chemical-induced apoptosis by reducing caspase-3 cleavage.

Angiotensin II↗

Structure-function in Escherichia coli iron superoxide dismutase: comparisons with the manganese enzyme from Thermus thermophilus.

The crystal structure of dimeric Fe(III) superoxide dismutase (SOD) from Escherichia coli (3006 protein atoms, 2 irons, and 281 solvents) has been refined to an R of 0.184 using all observed data between 40.0 and 1.85 A (34,879 reflections). Features of this structure are compared with the refined structure of MnSOD from Thermus thermophilus. The coordination geometry at the Fe site is distorted trigonal bipyramidal, with axial ligands His26 and solvent (proposed to be OH-), and in-plane ligands His73, Asp156, and His160. Reduction of crystals to the Fe(II) state does not result in significant changes in metal-ligand geometry (R = 0.188 for data between 40.0 and 1.80 A). The arrangement of iron ligands in Fe(II) and Fe(III)SOD closely matches the Mn coordination found in MnSOD from T. thermophilus [Ludwig, M.L., Metzger, A.L., Pattridge, K.A., & Stallings, W.C. (1991) J. Mol. Biol. 219, 335-358]. Structures of the Fe(III) azide (40.0-1.8 A, R = 0.186) and Mn(III) azide (20.0-1.8 A, R = 0.179) complexes, reported here, reveal azide bound as a sixth ligand with distorted octahedral geometry at the metal; the in-plane ligand-Fe-ligand and ligand-Mn-ligand angles change by 20-30 degrees to coordinate azide as a sixth ligand. However, the positions of the distal azide nitrogens are different in the FeSOD and MnSOD complexes. The geometries of the Fe(III), Fe(II), and Fe(III)-azide species suggest a reaction mechanism for superoxide dismutation in which the metal alternates between five- and six-coordination. A reaction scheme in which the ligated solvent acts as a proton acceptor in the first half-reaction [formation of Fe(II) and oxygen] is consistent with the pH dependence of the kinetic parameters and spectroscopic properties of Fe superoxide dismutase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Bis(azido-kappaN)[(6R,7S,8S,14S)-(-)-sparteine-kappa2N,N']copper(II).

In the title compound, [Cu(N(3))(2)(C(15)H(26)N(2))], the chiral alkaloid (-)-l-sparteine (Sp) acts as a bidentate ligand, with two azide ligands occupying the remaining coordination sites, forming a distorted CuN(4) tetrahedron. The dihedral angle between the N(Sp)-Cu-N(Sp) and N(azide)-Cu-N(azide) planes is 55.3 (2) degrees. Principal dimensions include Cu-N(Sp) = 2.011 (6) and 2.025 (5) A, and Cu-N(azide) = 1.939 (6) and 1.934 (7) A. The mid-point of the N(Sp)...N(Sp) line does not lie exactly in the N(azide)-Cu-N(azide) plane, but is tilted towards one of the N(Sp) atoms by 0.026 A.

Crystallography, X-Ray↗

[Study of intermediate N using mutant forms of bacteriorhodopsin at Asp-96].

It has been found that the N(P, R)-type intermediate of the photocycle is formed in the Asp-96-->Asn mutant at acidic pH. Azide, which strongly activates the M decay in this mutant, allows the N intermediate to be shown also at neutral pH. Under these conditions mutant N decays in a pH-independent fashion. In the presence of azide, the H+ uptake by Asp-96-->Asn mutant bacteriorhodopsin follows the M decay, whereas the N decay occurs at a much slower rate. Two electrogenic stages have been shown to be associated with the M--->bR step in the Asp-96--->Asn mutant photocycle. The faster and slower stages correlate with the M--->N and N--->bR transitions, respectively. In the Asp-96--->Asn mutant, high concentrations of azide are found to increase the M decay rate up to the values higher than those in the wild-type protein, both with or without azide. Such an effect is absent for the Asp-96-->Glu mutant. The activation energies for M--->N and N--->bR transitions in the wild-type protein are equal to 18 and 19 kcal x mole-1, respectively. In the Asp-96-->Asn mutant without azide, the activation energy of the M decay is only 5 kcal x mole-1, whereas in the presence of azide in this mutant the activation energies for M and N decays are 8 and 9 kcal x mole-1, respectively. A scheme of events accompanying the Schiff base reprotonation during the photocycle is discussed.

Aspartic Acid↗

Giardiavirus enters Giardia lamblia WB trophozoite via endocytosis.

As part of our continuing effort in the study of Giardiavirus life cycle, the early events of Giardia lamblia virus (GLV) infection in the trophozoites of G. lamblia WB strain were examined. Electron microscopy showed that GLV particles were initially localized on plasma membrane. As time progresses, GLV was translocated to the peripheral vacuole and then spread to the cytoplasm. Inhibitors of endocytosis such as sodium azide, chloroquine, or ammonium chloride disrupted viral infection when the drug was added simultaneously with the infecting GLV. The inhibitory effect was reduced when sodium azide or chloroquine was added at various intervals after infection. When cells infected for 1 hr were examined by immunofluorescence staining, sodium azide greatly reduced GLV staining signal in general while chloroquine restricted the staining signal to a few bright spots. Significantly more GLV was found in the peripheral vacuoles of chloroquine-treated cells than untreated controls by semiquantitative electron microscopy. In contrast, only a reduced amount of GLV was found in the peripheral vacuoles of sodium azide-treated cells. These results suggest that sodium azide reduces the internalization of infecting GLV, while chloroquine confines the virus in the peripheral vacuoles and, consequently, leads to nonproductive infection. We conclude from these observations that the entry of GLV into the susceptible WB cells in the event of infection is most likely mediated by endocytosis.

Ammonium Chloride↗

Studies of phagocytosis in chronic granulomatous disease.

Abnormal phagocyte function in chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is associated with decreased bactericidal activity. Ingestion of serum-opsonized organisms is reported to be normal in these patients. We previously showed that in CGD the expression of C3b receptors (CR1) on polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) is significantly depressed. In this study, we compared the phagocytic activity of the PMNs from normal healthy controls with that of CGD patients and one individual with myeloperoxidase (MPO) deficiency. The ingestion of sheep erythrocytes (E) by PMNs adherent to a glass surface was examined; the E were coated either with excess IgG (E-IgG) or with C3b plus limited IgG (EAC3b-IgG). The PMNs, both in CGD and in MPO deficiency, ingested E-IgG and EAC3b-IgG at levels markedly above normal. C3b-coated erythrocytes were not phagocytosed. Preincubating the PMNs with sodium azide, which blocks MPO, or catalase, a scavenger of H2O2, caused a marked increase in phagocytosis by normal PMNs. Azide had a variable effect on PMN activity in CGD and no effect on the activity in the subject with MPO deficiency. Even in the presence of azide, the ingestion of EAC3b-IgG by the PMNs from the CGD patients was significantly greater than that seen in paired normals [mean phagocytic index (PI), 2.13 for CGD vs. 1.48 for normals; P less than 0.05 by the paired sample t test]. Similar results were obtained with ingestion of E-IgG. Notably, ingestion of serum-opsonized Candida organisms (relatively nondegradable particles) was markedly above normal with CGD PMNs and, in normal PMNs, azide treatment also evoked an increase. In addition, rosette formation of the adhered PMNs with E-IgG was enhanced with CGD and the azide-treated normal PMNs. We demonstrated that this increased activity was not the result of increased Fc receptor (FcR) number, as determined from the binding of a monoclonal anti-FcR antibody. Both the E-IgG rosette formation and the ingestion by CGD PMNs were abrogated in the presence of an H2O2-generating system. In contrast, the phagocytic activity of MPO-deficient PMNs was not altered by exogenous H2O2. These findings suggest that cellular products generated by the H2O2-MPO-halide system down-regulate the rosette-forming and phagocytic activity of PMNs from normal healthy individuals, but not that from CGD and MPO-deficient patients.

Azides↗

Studies on the cellular pharmacology of N-(4-methylphenylsulfonyl)-N'-(4-chlorophenyl)-urea.

The cellular pharmacology of N-(4-methylphenylsulfonyl)-N'-(4-chlorophenyl)-urea (MPCU) has been examined in a cloned line of GC3 human colon adenocarcinoma cells. There was a rapid concentrative accumulation of drug, which could be separated into energy-independent and -dependent phases. Accumulation over 15 sec was linear and temperature dependent, but not energy dependent (azide insensitive). The rate of uptake was a linear function of concentration over a wide range (0.0026 to 5 mM). No saturation kinetics were demonstrated. Steady state was achieved within 10 min, and drug levels associated with GC3/C1 cells exceeded the extracellular concentration by 4- to 6-fold. This second phase "concentrative accumulation" of drug was azide sensitive. When cells were incubated to steady state in the presence of azide, removal of azide (with addition of glucose) resulted in a further uptake of sulfonylurea to a higher steady state. When [3H]MPCU was removed from the medium after achieving steady state, loss of drug from cells was rapid (T1/2 approximately 130 sec), and no tight-binding component was apparent. After achieving steady state, cell-associated drug was lost into drug-containing medium reaching a lower steady state if 10 mM azide (+/- glucose) was added. These data indicate that MPCU may enter cells by a non-saturable energy-independent process (passive diffusion) and bind weakly to some intracellular component or become sequestered to some compartment in an energy-dependent manner.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Evidence for three respiratory terminals in Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes.

The respiration of T. cruzi epimastigotes was studied using KCN (1 mM) and NaN3 (5 mM) as inhibitors and glucose (33 mM) as substrate. NaN3 inhibits 18% and KCN 58% of the oxygen uptake when T. cruzi cultures enter the stationary phase. The azide-inhibition pattern closely follows endogenous respiration pattern throughout the different growth phases. Titration of the oxygen uptake with cyanide and azide, with the results treated as Dixon plots, indicated the presence of: a) one respiratory terminal sensitive to both cyanide and azide; b) another cyanide-sensitive but azide-insensitive; c) a third insensitive to both inhibitors. Ethidium bromide (5 micrograms/ml) treatment caused the disappearance of the azide-sensitive terminal in the stationary phase.

Azides↗

Effect of GLUT1 glucose transporter overexpression on the stimulation of glucose transport in response to inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation.

Glucose transport is markedly stimulated in response to inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation by cyanide or azide in Clone 9 cells, a rat liver cell line in which only the GLUT1 isoform of glucose transporters is expressed. Here, we examine the possibility that the stimulation of glucose transport by azide is similarly observed in cells exhibiting high basal rates of glucose transport. We stably transfected Clone 9 cells with an expression plasmid containing full-length rat GLUT1 cDNA; nontransfected cells and cells transfected with plasmid alone served as controls. Two clones of cells transfected with the GLUT1-cDNA-containing insert, labeled A and B, respectively, expressed 8- and 20-fold higher levels of GLUT1 mRNA, contained 11- and 23-fold higher levels of GLUT1, and manifested 11- and 17-fold higher rates of glucose transport in the basal state. Upon incubation with 5 mM azide for 2 h, the rate of glucose transport was markedly stimulated in both clones. Moreover, the transient fall in cell ATP content following exposure to azide did not correlate with the magnitude of the glucose transport response. We conclude that in GLUT1-overexpressing Clone 9 cells (i) GLUT1 content and glucose transport parallel cellular GLUT1 mRNA content, suggesting no major translational or posttranslational control of GLUT1 expression and function in the basal state, and (ii) the rate of glucose transport in cells overexpressing GLUT1 is markedly stimulated by exposure to azide. These results indicate that the stimulation of glucose transport in response to inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation is maintained in cells with very high basal rates of glucose transport.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Quantitative histochemical determination of succinic dehydrogenase activity in skeletal muscle fibres.

A histochemical technique was developed for the quantitative determination of succinic dehydrogenase (SDH) activity in muscle cross-sections using 1-methoxyphenazine methosulphate (mPMS) as the exogenous electron carrier, and azide as an inhibitor of cytochrome oxidase. The optimal composition of the incubation medium for the SDH reaction was determined. This histochemical procedure was compared to one using phenazine methosulphate (PMS) instead of mPMS and cyanide instead of azide. The substitution of mPMS and azide resulted in a substantial decrease in the non-specific reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT; the reaction indicator), i.e., 'nothing dehydrogenase' activity. With mPMS and azide in the reaction medium, the production of NBT formazan was linear for at least 9 min during the enzymic reaction. This compared to a non-linear reduction of NBT during the initial stages of the reactions (SDH and 'nothing dehydrogenase') when using PMS and cyanide. The use of both mPMS and azide also eliminated the production of NBT monoformazan which occurred with PMS and cyanide. This procedure was shown to meet various criteria established for the quantification of histochemical reactions.

Animals↗

Specific, covalent binding of an azidoretinoid to cellular retinoic acid-binding protein.

Two C(5)-azido substituted aromatic retinoids were evaluated as photoaffinity probes for studying the mechanism of retinoid action. The secondary azide 1 and the tertiary azide 2 were equipotent with the parent C(5)-geminal-dimethyl substituted aromatic retinoid 3 in stimulating F9-cell differentiation. Both azides bound covalently to cellular retinoic acid-binding protein upon photolysis, but the secondary azide was twice as efficient, likely because of lesser steric hindrance. The covalent binding of azide 1 was specific, since it was inhibited by retinoic acid. Thus substitution of a photolabile group onto aromatic retinoids does not abolish biological activity and affinity for cellular retinoic acid-binding protein.

Affinity Labels↗

Effects of chemical ischemia in cerebral cortex slices. Focus on nitric oxide.

Superfused rat cerebral cortex slices were submitted to a continuous electrical (5 Hz) stimulation and treated with sodium azide (1-10 mM) in the presence of 2 mM 2-deoxyglucose ("chemical ischemia"). Presynaptic cholinergic activity, evaluated as acetylcholine release, was inhibited depending on the sodium azide concentrations and on the length of application (5-30 min). Following a 5-min treatment with 10 mM sodium azide, acetylcholine release was reduced to 45+/-2.3%; simultaneously, there was a 15- and 10-fold increase in glutamate and nitric oxide effluxes, respectively. After restoring normal superfusion conditions, acetylcholine release recovered to 70+/-3.1% of the controls; the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist MK-801 (10 microM) as well as the nitric oxide scavengers, haemoglobin (20 microM) and 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-l-oxyl-3-oxide (150 microM), improved the recovery in presynaptic activity, showing that both glutamate and nitric oxide play detrimental roles in chemical ischemia. On the other hand, the post-ischemic recovery was worsened by the guanylylcyclase inhibitor 1H-[l,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3,-a]quinoxalin-1-one (10 microM), suggesting that the activation of such a pathway plays a neuroprotective role and that the nitric oxide-induced harmful effects depend on different mechanisms. Chemical ischemia-evoked nitric oxide efflux partly derived from its calcium-dependent endogenous synthesis, since both the intracellular calcium chelator, 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (1 mM), and the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (100 microM), substantially prevented sodium azide effects. Nitric oxide efflux was only weakly reduced by MK-801 and was not modified by either the L-type calcium channel blocker, nifedipine (10 microM) or the N-type calcium channel blocker omega-conotoxin (0.5 microM), thus suggesting a prevailing intracellular calcium-dependence of nitric oxide production, although a partial extracellular calcium source cannot be ruled out. These findings show that sodium azide plus 2-deoxyglucose treatment is a useful protocol to induce brain ischemia in vitro and underline the involvement of nitric oxide in the complex events following the ischemic insult.

Acetylcholine↗

The effect of pH changes on the optical spectrum of oxidised cytochrome oxidase.

The sensitivity to pH changes of oxidised cytochrome oxidase, oxidised oxidase-cyanide and oxidase-azide complexes was investigated by optical difference spectroscopy in the pH region 6.0-8.2. The responses of the optical spectrum of oxidised oxidase and the oxidase-cyanide complex are almost fully developed within some minutes after a pH change of 1-2 units. A blue shift of the spectrum of oxidised oxidase and the oxidase-cyanide complex is observed with decreasing pH, whereas the oxidase-azide complex is almost insensitive to the pH change. From the pH insensitivity of the oxidase-azide complex and the differences in the pH-induced spectral changes of the oxidase-cyanide complex relative to unliganded oxidase, it is concluded that the spectral pH sensitivity in the oxidised enzyme is probably associated with proton binding at or near cytochrome a3 only. Similar absorption changes are observed with the oxidised oxidase on increasing the pH and on the binding of azide to oxidised oxidase at constant pH. It is suggested that azide binding is probably associated with the deprotonation of some ionizable group(s) in the vicinity of the cytochrome a3-CuB site.

Animals↗

Interactions between bioenergetics and mitochondrial biogenesis.

We studied the interaction between energy metabolism and mitochondrial biogenesis during myogenesis in C2C12 myoblasts. Metabolic rate was nearly constant throughout differentiation, although there was a shift in the relative importance of glycolytic and oxidative metabolism, accompanied by increases in pyruvate dehydrogenase activation state and total activity. These changes in mitochondrial bioenergetic parameters observed during differentiation occurred in the absence of a hypermetabolic stress. A chronic (3 day) energetic stress was imposed on differentiated myotubes using sodium azide to inhibit oxidative metabolism. When used at low concentrations, azide inhibited more than 70% of cytochrome oxidase (COX) activity without changes in bioenergetics (either lactate production or creatine phosphorylation) or mRNA for mitochondrial enzymes. Higher azide concentrations resulted in changes in bioenergetic parameters and increases in steady state COX II mRNA levels. Azide did not affect mtDNA copy number or mRNA levels for other mitochondrial transcripts, suggesting azide affects stability, rather than synthesis, of COX II mRNA. These results indicate that changes in bioenergetics can alter mitochondrial genetic regulation, but that mitochondrial biogenesis accompanying differentiation occurs in the absence of hypermetabolic challenge.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Chloride- and pH-dependent proton transport by BR mutant D85N.

Photocurrents from purple membrane suspensions of D85N BR mutant adsorbed to planar lipid membranes (BLM) were recorded under yellow (lambda > 515 nm), blue (360 nm < lambda < 420 nm) and white (lambda > 360 nm) light. The pH dependence of the transient and stationary currents was studied in the range from 4.5 to 10.5. The outwardly directed stationary currents in yellow and blue light indicate the presence of a proton pumping activity, dependent on the pH of the sample, in the same direction as in the wild-type. The inwardly directed currents in white light, due to an inverse proton translocation, in a two-photon process, show a pH dependence as well. The stationary currents in blue and white light are drastically increased in the presence of azide, but not in yellow light. The concentration dependence of the currents on azide indicates binding of azide to the protein. In the presence of 1 M sodium chloride, the stationary proton currents in yellow light show an increase by a factor of 25 at pH 5.5. On addition of 50 mM azide, the stationary current in yellow light decreases again, possibly by competition between azide and chloride for a common binding site. The observed transport modes are discussed in the framework of the recently published IST model for ion translocation by retinal proteins [U. Haupts et al., Biochemistry 36 (1997) 2-7].

Azides↗