A note on Ca2+ binding to calmodulin

Binding of Ca2+ to calmodulin has been simulated on the basis of a model that assumes two classes, two sites in each class, of Ca2+ binding sites. With properly chosen values of binding constants for the two classes of sites, and with the assumption that certain degree of positive cooperativity exists between the two sites in each class, the overall binding isotherm can be generated so that it appears to be a single-transition, non-cooperative binding curve of four equivalent sites. Thus this model offers a resolution for some of the discrepancies among Ca2+ binding studies of calmodulin.

Kinetic studies show that Ca2+ and Tb3+ have different binding preferences toward the four Ca2+-binding sites of calmodulin

The stepwise addition of Tb3+ to calmodulin yields a large tyrosine-sensitized Tb3+ luminescence enhancement as the third and fourth ions bind to the protein [Wang, C.-L. A., Aquaron, R. R., Leavis, P. C., & Gergely, J. (1982) Eur. J. Biochem. 124, 7-12]. Since the only tyrosine residues in calmodulin are located within binding sites III and IV, these results suggest that Tb3+ binds first to sites I and II. Recent NMR studies have provided evidence that Ca2+, on the other hand, binds preferentially to sites III and IV. Kinetic studies using a stopped-flow apparatus also show that the preferential binding of Ca2+ and lanthanide ions is different. Upon rapid mixing of 2Ca-calmodulin with two Tb3+ ions, there was a small and rapid tyrosine fluorescence change, but no Tb3+ luminescence was observed, indicating that Tb3+ binds to sites I and II but not sites III and IV. When two Tb3+ ions are mixed with 2Dy-calmodulin, Tb3+ luminescence rises rapidly as Tb3+ binds to the empty sites III and IV, followed by a more gradual decrease (k = 0.4 s-1 as the ions redistribute themselves over the four sites. These results indicate that (i) both Tb3+ and Dy3+ prefer binding to sites I and II of calmodulin and (ii) the binding of Tb3+ to calmodulin is not impeded by the presence of two Ca2+ ions initially bound to the protein. Thus, the Ca2+ and lanthanide ions must exhibit opposite preferences for the four sites of calmodulin: sites III and IV are the high-affinity sites for Ca2+, whereas Tb3+ and Dy3+ prefer sites I and II.

Vitreous hemorrhage secondary to juxtapapillary vascular hamartoma of the retina

The authors report an unusual case with vitreous hemorrhage due to a vascular hamartoma of the optic nerve-head and treated by pars plana vitrectomy. Systemic abnormalities included a seizure disorder, periungual fibroma, and intracranial calcifications suggesting systemic tuberous sclerosis. However, the ocular lesion resembled a juxtapapillary pigment epithelial and retinal hamartoma or a capillary hemangioma rather than an astrocytic hamartoma. Vitreous hemorrhage has been reported previously in eyes with capillary hemangiomas and astrocytic hamartomas, but not in eyes with juxtapapillary pigment epithelial and retinal hamartomas. In young patients with vitreous hemorrhage of unknown cause, juxtapapillary hamartomas should be considered in the differential diagnosis.

Kinetics of Ca2+ release shows interactions between the two classes of sites of troponin-C

The kinetics of Ca2+-release from the two high affinity sites of troponin-C (TnC) was studied by the stopped flow technique following rapid mixing with either EDTA or excess TbCl3. The rate constants obtained by the two methods were 2.8 and 0.7 s-1, respectively. For the tryptic fragment of TnC that contains only the COOH-terminal half of the molecule, both methods generate rate constants of 2.2 s-1. These results are consistent with the interpretation that binding of Tb3+ to the Ca2+-specific sites reduces the rate of dissociation of Ca2+ from, and thereby enhances the affinity for, the Ca2+-Mg2+ sites; this, in turn, suggests interactions between the two halves of the TnC molecule.

Retinal neovascularization associated with acute retinal necrosis

Unilateral acute retinal necrosis (ARN), developed in a previously healthy 17-year-old boy. Neovascularization of the retina and optic disc was observed when the opaque vitreous was removed by pars plana vitrectomy. Following surgery there was a rapid resolution of neovascularization suggesting that intraocular inflammation, rather than retinal ischemia, was the cause of new vessel formation. Analysis of vitreous mononuclear cells with monoclonal antibodies and the fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) revealed mostly T cells; a pattern consistent with intraocular infection as the cause of ARN. The pathogenesis of intraocular infection is complex and some patients with ARN may be helped by systemic immunosuppression (ie, corticosteroids).

The distance between the high affinity sites of troponin-C measured by interlanthanide ion energy transfer

Trivalent lanthanide ions are known to be good substituents for Ca2+ at all four calcium-binding sites of rabbit skeletal troponin-C (TnC). In particular, the visible luminescence of terbium ions bound at the two high affinity sites can be excited via a tyrosine residue. We have carried out energy transfer measurements using Tb3+ as the donor and a number of lanthanide ions as acceptors in order to measure the distance between the two high affinity sites in TnC. Luminescence decay measurements showed that, in the absence of acceptors, TnC-bound Tb3+ decays with a single lifetime of 1.31 ms. In the presence of a good acceptor such as Nd3+, the decay was resolvable into two components of roughly equal amplitude. The first was the same in lifetime as that of TnC-bound Tb3+ alone; the second has a shorter lifetime, presumably due to interlanthanide ion energy transfer. From these lifetimes and published critical transfer distances (Horrocks, W. DeW., Jr., Rhee, M.-J., Snyder, A.P., and Sudnick, D.R. (1980) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 102, 3650-3652), we obtained a distance of 0.92 nm between the two high affinity sites. This distance is consistent with the fact that the two high affinity sites have been located in the COOH-terminal half of TnC and with the proposal that each half of TnC is homologous in structure to parvalbumin (Kretsinger, R. H., and Barry, C. D. (1975) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 405, 40-52).

Metal-binding properties of calmodulin

Metal-binding properties of calmodulin have been studied by using trivalent lanthanide ions as analogs of Ca2+. In agreement with a report published as this work was in progress [Kilhoffer, M.-C., Demaille, J. G., and Gerald, D. (1980) FEBS Lett. 116, 269-272] we found that sites I and II are the high-affinity sites, while sites III and IV are the low-affinity sites for Tb3+. Competition experiments suggest the same preference in binding also applies to Ca2+. With calmodulin selectively nitrated at either of the two tyrosine residues we found that, although both tyrosine groups can transfer energy to the bound Tb3+, the fluorescence of only Tyr-138 is sensitive to metal binding. Direct excitation of bound Eu3+ ions using a laser indicates that all four sites possess very similar microenvironments. These studies demonstrate that the binding properties of calmodulin are different from those of the homologous protein troponir C.

Binding of lanthanide ions to troponin C

Tb3+ and Eu3+ bound to troponin C were detected by (1) changes in the fluorescence of the tyrosine chromophore of the protein or (2) the luminescence of the ions themselves excited by energy transfer from the protein or by direct excitation using a pulsed laser light source [Horrocks, W. DeW., Jr., & Sudnick, D. R. (1979) Science (Washington, D.C.) 206, 1194-1196]. Titrations carried out in the absence and presence of Ca2+ suggest two classes of binding sites (two sites in each class) for the lanthanides, corresponding to the high- and the low-affinity sites for Ca2+. Computer analysis, assuming competition between Ca2+ and the lanthanide, using the binding constants of Ca2+ for TnC [Potter, J. D., & Gergely, J. (1975( J. Biol. Chem. 250, 4628-4633] yields 5.2 X 10(8) M-1 and 9.7 X 10(6) M-1 for Tb3+ and 4.7 X 10(9) M-1 and 5.3 X 10(7) M-1 for Eu3+, for the high- and the low-affinity sites, respectively. From lifetimes of laser-induced luminescence in H2O and in D2O, the number of water molecules coordinated to Eu3+ was two at the high and three at the low affinity sites.

alpha-Chymotrypsin deacylation: temperature dependence of hydrolysis and transesterification reactions

The hydrolysis and transesterification reactions of furoyl-chymotrypsins display nonlinear Arrhenius plots with no apparent discontinuities. Of a number of models considered, the best explanation assumes a temperature-dependent rapid equilibrium between two forms of acyl-enzyme with differing reactivities. Rate constants for the transesterification of alpha-chymotrypsinyl 2-(5-n-propyl)furoate, after normalization for this equilibrium, display a linear free energy correlation with the Taft polarity constants sigma* and volumes of the attacking alcohols.

Fluoroprostaglandins: synthesis and biological evaluation of the methyl esters of (+)-12-fluoro-, (-)-ent-12-fluoro-, (+)-15-epi-fluoro-, and (-)-ent-15 epi-12-fluoroprostaglandin F2 alpha

The synthesis and biological activity of the methyl esters of (+)-12-fluoroPGF2 alpha, (+)-15-epi-12-fluoroPGF2 alpha, (-)-ent-12-flurorPGF2 alpha, and (-)-ent-15-epi-12-fluoroPGF2 alpha are described. Each fluoroprostaglandin has been evaluated from pregnancy interruption in the hamster and smooth-muscle stimulating effects on gerbil colon and hamster uterine strips. All fluoroprostaglandins synthesized were shown to be neither substrates for the 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase nor inhibitors of the enzyme.

Oxidative metabolites of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene. Further investigation of the K-region epoxide

Metabolism of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene in rat liver 10,000 g supernatant fraction has been examined by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry subsequent to high-pressure liquid-chromatographic separation of the incubation mixture. In addition to the mono-, di-, and trihydroxylated oxidative metabolites usually associated with the biotransformation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, we observed the formation of a methanolysis product from the K-region epoxide intermediate during the workup procedure. The identification of this compound provides a direct evidence for the presence of the K-region epoxide in the metabolism mixture, and it serves as a convenient means to assay for this metabolite. Moreover, we detected the methanolysis derivative only from the K-region epoxide but none from the non-K-region counterparts. This finding suggests that the non-K-region epoxides undergo facile enzymatic and nonenzymatic hydrolysis and/or rearrangement reactions as soon as they are produced. On the other hand, the K-region epoxide possesses greater stability. It can remain longer in a metabolism mixture and react with methanol subsequently.

Mass spectral characterization of the K-region and non K-region dihydrodiols of 7,12-dimethylbenz (a) anthracene

Dihydrodiols are derived from intermediary arene oxides during the metabolism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. In this study, the mass spectra of the trimethylsilyl ether derivatives obtained from the 5,6-dihydrodiol and 8,9-dihydrodiol of 7,12-dimethylbenz [a] anthracene were compared. The mass spectral fragmentation patterns indicate some key features in distinguishing a K-region dihydrodiol from its non K-region isomer. The 8,9-dihydrodiol, a non K-region metabolite, exhibits a greater tendency to undergo a ring contraction fragmentation process while the K-region 5,6-dihydrodiol participates preferably in other fragmentation pathways. The data presented in this report will be useful in charcterizing K-region and nonK-region metabolic epoxidation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Collagen-induced platelet aggregation and release. I Effects of side-chain modifications and role of arginyl residues

To investigate the mechanisms governing collagen interaction with blood platelets, the effects of side-chain modifications on collagen-induced platelet aggregation and release of serotonin were studied. Since many chemical modifications alter the ability of collagen to form fibers that, according to current theory, may complicate interpretation of data, we eliminated this possibility by using collagen stabilized in a native-type fibrillar structure by treatment with either glutaraldehyde or ultraviolet irradiation. Acetylation, methylation, succinylation, treatment with 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene, 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid or 1,2-cyclohexanedione, and deguanidination with hypobromite were used to modify collagen side-chain reactive groups: amino, carboxyl, hydroxyl and guanidino. Both unmodified monomeric dispersed and fibrillar collagen preparations initiated platelet aggregation and release, although the kinetics and magnitude of the response were different. Monomeric collagen which had been modified by deguanidination, methylation or succinylation, failed to polymerize in physiological conditions and did not induce platelet aggregation and release. However, none of the chemical modifications of stabilized native-type collagen fibers, except treatment with hypobromite or cyclohexanedione, had an effect on collagen-induced platelet aggregation and release. Both hypobromite and cyclohexanedione modified guanidino groups of arginyl residues. Results showed that the ability of a collagen sample to induce platelet aggregation and release of serotonin is dependent on the arginine content of fibrillar collagen. These data demonstrate that manipulation of amino, carboxyl and hydroxyl groups is unimportant as long as the native-type fibrillar structure is maintained, and that arginyl residues are directly involved in collagen-platelet interaction. Moreover, the data suggest that only the arginyl residues in the Y position of the tripeptide unit Gly-X-Y of collagen are responsible.

Double heterozygosity for hemoglobin Camden (beta 131 Gln yields Glu) and hemoglobin S in an American negro

A hemoglobin variant with the slightly fast mobility associated with K hemoglobins was found, together with hemoglobin S, in an apparently healthy 3-year-old Negro girl from Washington, D.C. Her father had the same variant, along with hemoglobin A, and her mother had hemoglobins A plus S. Respective proportions of hemoglobins K and S in the propositus were 66-34. The K variant now has been found to have the structural change Gln yields Glu at position beta-131 (beta-H9); therefore it apparently is identical to hemoglobin Camden reported in trait form in a Negro subject by YATES, BELLINGHAM and HUEHNS (Nature 243: 467-468, 1973).

Quantitative antibiotic sensitivities of ruminal bacteria

Fifteen species of ruminal bacteria were tested against 10 antibiotics in concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 200 mug/ml in an anaerobic tube dilution system.