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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Kinetic studies on turtle pancreatic ribonuclease: a comparative study of the base specificities of the B2 and P0 sites of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A and turtle pancreatic ribonuclease.

Kinetic constants for the transesterification of eight dinucleoside phosphates CpX and UpX by bovine and turtle pancreatic ribonuclease were determined. Both ribonucleases have a preference for purine nucleotides at the position X. However, bovine ribonuclease, like other mammalian ribonucleases, prefers 6-amino bases at this site, while turtle ribonuclease prefers 6-keto bases. This difference in specificity at the B2 site may be explained by the substitution of glutamic acid at position 111 by valine in turtle ribonuclease. These results have been confirmed by inhibition studies with the four nucleoside triphosphates. Inhibition studies with pT and pTp showed that a cationic binding group (P0) for the 5'-phosphate of the pyrimidine nucleotides bound at the primary B1 site is present in turtle ribonuclease, although lysine at position 66 in bovine ribonuclease is absent in turtle ribonuclease. However, the side chain of lysine 122 in turtle ribonuclease is probably located in the correct position to take over the role as cationic P0 site.

Animals↗

Mechanism of ribonuclease inhibition by ribonuclease inhibitor protein based on the crystal structure of its complex with ribonuclease A.

We describe the mechanism of ribonuclease inhibition by ribonuclease inhibitor, a protein built of leucine-rich repeats, based on the crystal structure of the complex between the inhibitor and ribonuclease A. The structure was determined by molecular replacement and refined to an Rcryst of 19.4% at 2.5 A resolution. Ribonuclease A binds to the concave region of the inhibitor protein comprising its parallel beta-sheet and loops. The inhibitor covers the ribonuclease active site and directly contacts several active-site residues. The inhibitor only partially mimics the RNase-nucleotide interaction and does not utilize the p1 phosphate-binding pocket of ribonuclease A, where a sulfate ion remains bound. The 2550 A2 of accessible surface area buried upon complex formation may be one of the major contributors to the extremely tight association (Ki = 5.9 x 10(-14) M). The interaction is predominantly electrostatic; there is a high chemical complementarity with 18 putative hydrogen bonds and salt links, but the shape complementarity is lower than in most other protein-protein complexes. Ribonuclease inhibitor changes its conformation upon complex formation; the conformational change is unusual in that it is a plastic reorganization of the entire structure without any obvious hinge and reflects the conformational flexibility of the structure of the inhibitor. There is a good agreement between the crystal structure and other biochemical studies of the interaction. The structure suggests that the conformational flexibility of RI and an unusually large contact area that compensates for a lower degree of complementarity may be the principal reasons for the ability of RI to potently inhibit diverse ribonucleases. However, the inhibition is lost with amphibian ribonucleases that have substituted most residues corresponding to inhibitor-binding residues in RNase A, and with bovine seminal ribonuclease that prevents inhibitor binding by forming a dimer.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Complex between bovine ribonuclease A and porcine ribonuclease inhibitor crystallizes in a similar unit cell as free ribonuclease inhibitor.

We obtained three different morphologies of co-crystals of bovine ribonuclease A and porcine ribonuclease inhibitor. X-ray quality crystals were grown in 1.3M ammonium sulfate, 100 mM sodium acetate (pH 5.0) and 20 mM dithiothreitol at 21 degrees C. These crystals have the symmetry of the tetragonal space group I4 with a = 133.3 A and c = 86.7 A and diffract to 2.5 A resolution; they have the same symmetry and only slightly different cell parameters than the crystals of free ribonuclease inhibitor. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and the crystal density indicate that both ribonuclease inhibitor and ribonuclease A are present in the crystals. Although small, crystals are suitable for three-dimensional structural analysis.

Animals↗

Mammalian ribonucleases. The absence of a glycosylated Asn-Pro-Thr sequence in horse ribonuclease and the presence of tryptophan at position 39 in horse and dromedary ribonuclease.

Parts of the amino acid sequences of horse and dromedary pancreatic ribonuclease were reinvestigated. The sequence of residues 21-25 in horse ribonuclease is Ser-Asn-Pro-Thr-Tyr or Ser-Asn-Ser-Thr-Tyr. The asparagine in the latter sequence is glycosylated. Horse ribonuclease possesses four additional amino acid residues at the C-terminus, like a number of other ribonucleases. Position 39 in horse and dromedary ribonuclease is not deleted but is occupied by tryptophan.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The role of serine-123 in the activity and specificity of ribonuclease. Reactivation of ribonuclease 1-118 by the synthetic COOH-terminal tetradecapeptide, ribonuclease 111-124, and its O-methylserine and alanine analogs.

The COOH-terminal tetradecapeptide of ribonuclease A, Glu-Gly-Asn-Pro-Tyr-Val-Pro-Val-His-Phe-Asp-Ala-Ser-Val, and two analogs, [Ser(Me)-123]-RNase 111-124 and [Ala-123]-RNase 111-124, were synthesized by the solid phase method and were purified to chromatographic and electrophoretic homogeneity. Methods are described for the hydrolysis and quantitative amino acid analysis of peptides containing O-methylserine. The peptides were combined noncovalently with RNase 1-118 and examined for ability to regenerate enzymatic activity in the presence of the substrates C greater than p, U greater than p, poly(C) poly(U), and poly(AF). The dissociation constants of the peptide-protein complexes, and the Michaelis constants for C greater than p and U greater than p with the reconstituted enzymes were determined. The data were used to test hypotheses, drawn from x-ray crystallographic and other studies, for the role of serine-123 in the binding of substrates by ribonuclease. It was found that Ser-123- and Ala-123-containing peptides were equally active for the hydrolysis step when measured with C greater than p as substrate and for the transphosphorylation step as measured in the assays with poly(C). The serine and alanine analogs were also equally active for the transphosphorylation step when poly AF was the substrate. With U greater than p as substrate the alanine analog was 4 times less active than the serine derivative and with poly U it was 2 times less active. The semisynthetic enzyme composed of RNase 1-118 and [Ala-123]-RNase 111-124, therefore, shows appreciable selectivity for substrates containing cytosine. It was concluded that a hydrogen bond between the hydroxyl of serine-123 and the C4 amino group of cytidine or the C-7 amino group of formycin is not important for substrate binding and catalytic activity. In contrast, the hydrogen bond between the hydroxyl of serine 123 and the C-4 carbonyl oxygen of uridine contributes significantly to substrate binding and catalytic activity. The data with serine-O-methyl ether at position 123 in the tetradecapeptide were less clear because it was difficult to separate steric effects from the contributions of hydrogen bonding. Substrate binding to ribonuclease was rationalized in terms of a binding energy equivalent to a total of two hydrogen bonds per pyrimidine.

Alanine↗

Thiol-disulfide exchange of ribonuclease inhibitor bound to ribonuclease A. Evidence of active inhibitor-bound ribonuclease.

Ribonuclease Inhibitor (RI) has been purified from pig testis. It contains 30 half-cystines whose oxidation affects its ability to bind and inhibit ribonuclease (RNase). By N-terminal sequence analyses testis RI showed to be identical to that from porcine liver, for which a characteristic all-or-none type of SH-oxidation by 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) has been reported (Fominaya, J.M., and Hofsteenge, J. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 24655-24660). Under comparable reaction conditions, testis RI bound to RNase A did not exhibit this particular type of oxidation; instead, bound RI got intermediate oxidation degrees (up to 14 thiols oxidized per RI moiety) without dissociating from RNase. Moreover, RNase bound to partially oxidized RI was able to express some (15%) of its potential activity (active complex). Only when DTNB treatments accounted for complex dissociation (> 14 thiols oxidized per RI moiety) the released RI molecules exhibited the all-or-none oxidation behavior. By both kinetic and circular dichroism analyses, conformational changes have been evidenced for the transition from the inactive to the active form of RI-RNase complex. Relaxation of RI-RNase binding without major alterations in RI structure is proposed as responsible for complex activation. The results are discussed in terms of a model for the reversible regulation of RNase activity mediated by the redox status of RI.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The reaction of ribonuclease inhibitor with modified ribonucleases.

1. The effect of chemical modification of ribonuclease on its reaction with ribonuclease inhibitor has been studied. 2. Removal of free amino groups from the enzyme with nitrous acid or by acetylation did not affect the reaction. Some changes altered the stoicheiometry of the reaction and ribonuclease S was found to be inhibited linearly by increasing amounts of ribonuclease inhibitor, in contrast with ribonuclease A, which is inhibited in a non-linear way. One derivative of ribonuclease containing dimethylaminonaphthalenesulphonyl groups actually reacted with ribonuclease inhibitor to a greater extent (and linearly) than did the unaltered enzyme. 3. The positively charged histidine at the active site and the active enzyme did not appear to be necessary for the reaction since 1-carboxymethylhistidine-119-ribonuclease reacted with ribonuclease inhibitor to almost the same extent as the native enzyme. In general, any significant change in the conformation of ribonuclease was accompanied by a loss in its ability to combine with inhibitor. The presence of 8m-urea also prevented reaction of ribonuclease with inhibitor. 4. Some characteristics of the reaction of ribonuclease inhibitor, ribonuclease and deaminated ribonuclease with RNA and deaminated RNA were investigated.

Chemical Phenomena↗

Pancreatic ribonucleases of mammals with ruminant-like digestion. Amino-acid sequences of hippopotamus and sloth ribonucleases.

High levels of pancreatic ribonucleases are found in ruminants, species that have a ruminant-like digestion and several species with coecal digestion. Pancreatic ribonucleases from several independently evolved species with ruminant-like digestion were investigated to test a hypothesis that glycosylation of ribonucleases may have some function in species with coecal digestion and that glycosylation of the enzyme may not be advantageous for ruminants. Ribonucleases from the hippopotamus, two-toed sloth and three-toed sloth were isolated by extraction with sulfuric acid and affinity chromatography. Complete amino acid sequences were determined for the ribonucleases from the hippopotamus and two-toed sloth and a partial sequence for the enzyme from the three-toed sloth. The amino acids 75-78 of hippopotamus ribonuclease were positioned by homology with other artiodactyl ribonucleases. In hippopotamus ribonuclease a heterogeneity was found at position 37, half of the molecules containing glutamine acid the other half lysine. Hippopotamus ribonuclease differs less from pig and bovine ribonuclease than these differ from each other, because more ancestral characteristics have been retained. Although hippopotamus ribonuclease contains all four Asn-X-Ser/Thr sequences previously found to be glycosylation sites in one or more pancreatic ribonucleases, only the sequence Ans-Met-Thr (34-36) is glycosylated in the variant with glutamine at position 37, while the variant with lysine at this position is carbohydrate-free. Both sloth ribonucleases are completely glycosylated at the sequence Ans-Met-Thr (34-36) with a simple type of carbohydrate chain. The amino acid sequence of two-toed sloth ribonuclease shows some interesting coupled replacements.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Characterization of ribonucleases and ribonuclease inhibitor in subcellular fractions from rat adrenals.

1. The presence of two RNA-degrading enzymes, one with optimum activity at pH5.6 (acid ribonuclease) and the other with optimum activity at pH7.8 (alkaline ribonuclease), in rat adrenals has been demonstrated. The acid ribonuclease was localized in the mitochondrial fraction whereas the alkaline ribonuclease was present in mitochondria as well as in the supernatant fraction. Freezing and thawing of mitochondria and treatment with Triton X-100 gave a three- to four-fold increase in acid-ribonuclease activity, whereas the mitochondrial alkaline-ribonuclease activity was practically unaffected. 2. The amount of free ribonuclease in the adrenal supernatant was small. Treatment of the supernatant fraction with N-ethylmaleimide resulted in release of large amounts of ribonuclease activity, indicating the presence of a ribonuclease inhibitor having reactive thiol groups. 3. Considerable amounts of free ribonuclease inhibitor in excess over the bound alkaline ribonuclease are present in the rat-adrenal supernatant fraction. The inhibitor is heat-labile and non-diffusible. A 400-500-fold purification of the ribonuclease inhibitor was achieved by ammonium sulphate fractionation, treatment with calcium phosphate gel and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. It is concluded that the adrenal inhibitor is protein in nature, similar to the inhibitor present in rat liver.

Adrenal Glands↗

Lysosomal degradation of ribonuclease A and ribonuclease S-protein microinjected into the cytosol of human fibroblasts.

We have analyzed the subcellular localization of 125I-labeled ribonuclease A and ribonuclease S-protein (residues 21-124) after erythrocyte-mediated microinjection into confluent cultures of IMR-90 human lung fibroblasts. Microinjected cells were fractionated by two consecutive Percoll gradients, and the distribution of radioactive ribonuclease A and S-protein was compared to patterns for known enzyme markers. Ribonuclease A is localized in the cytosol immediately after microinjection, but thereafter a portion of the microinjected enzyme is associated with lysosomes. We obtained similar results for ribonuclease S-protein except extensive association with a nonlysosomal intracellular structure is also evident. The effects of ammonium chloride on proteolysis indicate that ribonuclease A and ribonuclease S-protein are degraded at least in part by lysosomal pathways. Degradation of long-lived cellular proteins is inhibited by 17% in the presence of serum and by 35% in the absence of serum. The effects of ammonium chloride on catabolism of microinjected proteins are more variable. Inhibition in the presence and absence of serum ranged between 43 and 64% for both ribonuclease A and ribonuclease S-protein. To quantitatively assess the role of lysosomal and cytosolic pathways in the degradation of microinjected proteins, we have tagged proteins with the inert trisaccharide, [3H] raffinose. The radioactive degradation products of such proteins are completely retained within lysosomes since the lysosomal membrane is impermeable to [3H] raffinose coupled to lysine or small peptides. These studies show that ribonuclease A and S-protein are degraded almost entirely by lysosomes while bovine serum albumin is degraded principally in the cytosol. A mixture of rat liver cytosolic proteins is degraded approximately 60% in the cytosol and 40% by lysosomes confirming that both lysosomal and nonlysosomal pathways of proteolysis are important in confluent human fibroblasts.

Cell Fractionation↗

Effect of age, weight and adequacy of zinc intake on the balance between alkaline ribonuclease and ribonuclease inhibitor in various tissues of the rat.

1. Deficiency of zinc inhibits growth and also increases the activity of alkaline ribonuclease in certain tissues of the rat (Prasad & Oberleas, 1973). Zn could influence ribonuclease activity by direct effects on the enzyme or its natural inhibitor, or non-specifically as occurs when growth rate is affected by various other factors. These possibilities were studied. 2. Alkaline ribonuclease was shown to be inhibited by Zn in vitro, but the concentrations of Zn required were so high that the enzyme was probably not directly affected by changes in tissue Zn concentration caused by dietary deficiency. 3. At lower concentrations, Zn added in vitro increased the activity of alkaline ribonuclease in tissue homogenates probably by inactivating the inhibitor of the enzyme. 4. Age, weight and particularly food restriction caused tissue-specific alterations of ribonuclease and ribonuclease inhibitor concentrations in liver, kidney, oesophagus, testis and thymus. 5. The ribonuclease activities in liver, kidney and testis of Zn-deficient rats were unaltered in comparison with those of pair-fed rats. In thymus, which decreased in weight in the Zn-deficient animals, there was a concomitant increase in ribonuclease activity, but in oesophagus, the deficiency reduced the activity of ribonuclease. 6. The effects of Zn deficiency upon alkaline ribonuclease and its inhibitor are probably secondary consequences of reductions in food intake or growth.

Age Factors↗

Origin of the duplicated ribonuclease gene in guinea-pig: comparison of the amino acid sequences with those of two close relatives: capybara and cuis ribonuclease.

The amino acid sequences of the pancreatic ribonuclease from capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) and cuis (Galea musteloides) were determined. Both species belong to the same superfamily of the hystricomorph rodents as the guinea-pig. In guinea-pig pancreas two ribonucleases are present as a result of a recent gene duplication, but in capybara and cuis pancreas only one single ribonuclease has been found. A most parsimonious tree of ribonucleases indicates that the gene duplication leading to both guinea-pig ribonucleases occurred before the divergence of guinea-pig from capybara and cuis. This would mean that changes in expression of the ribonuclease genes have occurred in these taxa. Cuis and capybara ribonuclease have no Asn-X-Ser/Thr sequences and are carbohydrate-free proteins. Capybara ribonuclease has leucine at position 114, a position occupied by proline in the cis-configuration in bovine pancreatic ribonuclease.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

First demonstration of lactoribonuclease, a ribonuclease from bovine milk with similarity to bovine pancreatic ribonuclease.

The isolation of a ribonuclease designated lactoribonuclease, with a molecular weight and an N-terminal amino acid sequence identical to those of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease, was first reported from bovine milk. After removal of globulin from acid whey by precipitation with 1.8 M (NH4)2SO4, (NH4)2SO4 was added to attain a concentration of 3.6 M. Adsorption on the ion exchanger CM-Sepharose and subsequently on Mono S by fast protein liquid chromatography yielded pure lactoribonuclease. The enzyme, like pancreatic ribonuclease, was most active at pH 7.5 with yeast transfer RNA (tRNA) as substrate. Lactoribonuclease and pancreatic ribonuclease showed a strong preference for poly(C) over poly(U). However, pancreatic ribonuclease did so with a higher specific activity, suggesting that the two ribonucleases are not identical. No inhibitory effect was shown by either lactoribonuclease or pancreatic ribonuclease toward poly (A) and poly (G). The effect of lactoribonuclease and pancreatic ribonuclease on tRNA increased with the concentration of tRNA. Lactoribonuclease inhibited cell-free translation in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate system with an IC50 of 3.5 nM while the corresponding IC50 for pancreatic ribonuclease was 0.09 nM.

Amino Acid Sequence↗