[61] Cytochrome c from vertebrate and invertebrate sources

Heat capacity and conformation of proteins in the denatured state

Heat capacity, intrinsic viscosity and ellipticity of a number of globular proteins (pancreatic ribonuclease A, staphylococcal nuclease, hen egg-white lysozyme, myoglobin and cytochrome c) and a fibrillar protein (collagen) in various states (native, denatured, with and without disulfide crosslinks or a heme) have been studied experimentally over a broad range of temperatures. It is shown that the partial heat capacity of denatured protein significantly exceeds the heat capacity of native protein, especially in the case of globular proteins, and is close to the value calculated for an extended polypeptide chain from the known heat capacities of individual amino acid residues. The significant residual structure that appears at room temperature in the denatured states of some globular proteins (e.g. myoglobin and lysozyme) at neutral pH results in a slight decrease of the heat capacity, probably due to partial screening of the protein non-polar groups from water. The heat capacity of the unfolded state increases asymptotically, approaching a constant value at about 100 degrees C. The temperature dependence of the heat capacity of the native state, which can be determined over a much shorter range of temperature than that of the denatured state and, correspondingly, is less certain, appears to be linear up to 80 degrees C. Therefore, the denaturational heat capacity increment seems to be temperature-dependent and is likely to decrease to zero at about 140 degrees C.

Photodissociation of cytochrome c oxidase-nitric oxide complexes

The dissociation of cytochrome c oxidase-nitric oxide complexes was studied by optical spectroscopy at cryogenic temperatures (15 degrees K). With the reduced cytochrome c oxidase-nitric oxide complex, the observations that were reported by Yoshida et al. were confirmed. Photodissociation of the oxidized cytochrome c oxidase-nitric oxide complex did not induce any significant absorbance changes between 350 and 875 nm. With the azide-nitrosyl-cytochrome c oxidase complex, the illumination caused the dissociation of the a2+(3).NO complex to the unligated state a2+(3). Increasing the temperature to 77 degrees K led to the formation of a new complex, probably a3+(3).N3-. The N3(-)-NO-cytochrome c oxidase complex was the only compound for which appreciable photodissociation was achieved by continuous illumination at room temperature (20 degrees C). The effect of illumination was biphasic. In the first phase the a2+(3).NO complex is dissociated and cytochrome a3 oxidized by an electron transfer to CuB. In the second phase nitric oxide, which is still bound to CuB after the first phase, is expelled from the complex by azide, with a concomitant electron transfer from CuB to cytochrome a.

Oxidant defense enzymes of Plasmodium falciparum

We have measured and characterized three oxidant defense enzymes in early and late intraerythrocytic stages of the human malarial parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Isolated early intraerythrocytic stages contain catalase (24.1 mumol min-1 (mg protein)-1) and superoxide dismutase (SOD; 6.3 units (mg protein)-1) but little or no glutathione peroxidase (GPX; less than 2 mumol min-1 (mg protein)-1). Isolated late intraerythrocytic stages of P. falciparum contain slightly less catalase (17.0 mumol min-1 (mg protein)-1) but significantly more GPX (7.7 mumol min-1 (mg protein)-1) and SOD (25.1 units (mg protein)-1). P. falciparum, like P. berghei, probably acquires most of its SOD from its host, since parasite-associated SOD is predominantly cyanide-sensitive, and has the same pI as host SOD. Unlike P. berghei, however, late stages of P. falciparum contain an additional SOD isozyme which is not cyanide-sensitive and may represent an endogenous enzyme. Parasites grown in red cells that have been partially depleted of SOD are more sensitive to exogenously generated superoxide, suggesting some dependence of the parasite on host SOD.

Rate enhancement of the internal electron transfer in cytochrome c oxidase by the formation of a peroxide complex; its implication on the reaction mechanism of cytochrome c oxidase

The oxidation of reduced cytochrome c oxidase by hydrogen peroxide was investigated with stopped-flow methods. It was reported by us previously (A.C.F. Gorren, H. Dekker and R. Wever (1986) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 852, 81-92) that at low H2O2 concentrations cytochrome a is oxidised simultaneously with cytochrome a3, but that at higher H2O2 concentrations the oxidation of cytochrome a is slower than that of cytochrome a3. We now report that for high peroxide concentrations (10-45 mM) the oxidation rate of cytochrome a increased linearly with the concentration of H2O2 (k = 700 M-1.S-1). Upon extrapolation to zero H2O2 concentration an intercept with a value of 16 s-1 (at 20 degrees C and pH 7.4) was found. A reaction sequence is described to explain these results; according to this model the rate constant (16 S-1) at zero H2O2 concentration represents the true value of the rate of electron transfer from cytochrome a to cytochrome a3 when the a3-CuB site is oxidised and unligated. However, when a complex of hydrogen peroxide with oxidised cytochrome a3 is formed, this rate is strongly enhanced. The slope (700 M-1.S-1) would then represent the rate of cytochrome a3(3+)-H2O2 complex formation. From experiments in which the pH was varied, we conclude that the reaction of H2O2 with cytochrome a3(2+) is independent of pH, whereas the electron-transfer rate from cytochrome a to cytochrome a3 gradually decreases with increasing pH. From the temperature dependence we could calculate values of 23 kJ.mol-1 and 45 kJ.mol-1 for the activation energies of the oxidations by H2O2 of cytochrome a3(2+) and cytochrome a2+, respectively. The similarity of the values that were obtained for cytochrome a oxidation both with H2O2 and with O2 as the electron acceptor suggests that the reactions share the same mechanism. In 2H2O the reactions studied decreased in rate. For the reaction of 2H2O2 with reduced cytochrome a3 in 2H2O, a small effect was found (15% decrease in rate constant). However, the internal electron-transfer rate from cytochrome a to cytochrome a3 decreased by 50%, Our results suggest that the internal electron transfer is associated with proton translocation.

Separation, stability and kinetics of monomeric and dimeric bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase

The stability of monomeric and dimeric bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase in laurylmaltoside-containing buffers of high ionic strength allowed separation of the two forms by gel-filtration high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A solution of the dimeric oxidase could be diluted without monomerisation. Both monomeric and dimeric cytochrome c oxidase showed biphasic steady-state kinetics when assayed spectrophotometrically at low ionic strength. Thus, the biphasic kinetics did not result from negative cooperativity between the two adjacent cytochrome c binding sites of the monomers constituting the dimeric oxidase. On polyacrylamide gels in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) a fraction of subunit III of the dimeric enzyme migrated as a dimer, a phenomenon not seen with the monomeric enzyme. This might suggest that in the dimeric oxidase subunit III lies on the contact surface between the protomers. If so, the presumably hydrophobic interaction between the two subunits III resisted dissociation by SDS to some extent. Addition of sufficient ascorbate and cytochrome c to the monomeric oxidase to allow a few turnovers induced slow dimerisation (on a time-scale of hours). This probably indicates that one of the transient forms arising upon reoxidation of the reduced enzyme is more easily converted to the dimeric state than the resting enzyme. Gel-filtration HPLC proved to be a useful step in small-scale purification of cytochrome c oxidase. In the presence of laurylmaltoside the monomeric oxidase eluted after the usual trace contaminants, the dimeric Complex III and the much larger Complex I. The procedure is fast and non-denaturing, although limited by the capacity of available columns.

The effect of detergents on bovine cytochrome c oxidase: a kinetic approach

(1) Investigation of the relationship between the detergent concentration and steady-state and pre-steady-state kinetics of cytochrome c oxidase proved to be a valid approach in the study of protein-detergent interaction. (2) Laurylmaltoside, sodium cholate and Triton X-100 influenced the kinetics of cytochrome c oxidase cooperatively at detergent concentrations near their critical micelle concentration. This mode of interaction reflects disaggregation of the oxidase as a result of cooperative binding of the detergent. (3) Addition of increasing concentrations of Tween-80 to the aggregated enzyme caused a more gradual decrease in aggregation of the oxidase, which did not result in a change in activity of the enzyme. This suggests that aggregation of cytochrome c oxidase occurs in a highly regular manner in which no catalytic sites are shielded off. (4) Oxidase aggregates present at detergent concentrations below the critical micelle concentration of laurylmaltoside and Triton X-100 showed considerable activity. Their kinetics were equal to those of the oxidase in Tween-80, suggesting that the protein molecules are aligned in a similar way in all oligomers. Aggregates present in low concentrations of sodium cholate showed turnover rates that were twice as low as those observed with other aggregates. (5) Solubilisation of the oxidase by sodium cholate or Triton X-100 resulted in almost complete inhibition of enzymic activity, whereas the association rate of ferrocytochrome c was almost equal to that found for monomeric oxidase in laurylmaltoside. These results are in agreement with a mixed-type inhibition.

Bovine cytochrome c oxidases, purified from heart, skeletal muscle, liver and kidney, differ in the small subunits but show the same reaction kinetics with cytochrome c

(1) Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate of purified cytochrome c oxidase preparations revealed that bovine kidney, skeletal muscle and heart contain different cytochrome c oxidase isoenzymes, which show differences in mobility of the subunits encoded by the nuclear genome. No differences in subunit pattern were observed between the oxidase preparations isolated from kidney and liver. (2) The kinetics of the steady-state reactions between bovine ferrocytochrome c and the four types of bovine cytochrome c oxidase preparation were compared under conditions of both high- and low-ionic strength. Also the pre-steady-state kinetics were studied. Only minor differences were observed in the electron-transfer activity of the isoenzymes. Thus, our experiments do not support the notion that the subunits encoded by the nuclear genome act as modulators conferring different activities to the isoenzymes of cytochrome c oxidase. (3) The cytochrome c oxidase preparation from bovine skeletal muscle was found to consist mainly of dimers, whereas the enzymes isolated from bovine kidney, liver and heart were monomeric.

1H-NMR investigation of yeast cytochrome c. Interaction with the corresponding specific reductase (L-lactate cytochrome)

1H-NMR spectroscopy has been used to study the modifications of certain characteristic resonances of the Hansenula anomala yeast cytochrome c on binding to its specific reductase (flavocytochrome b2) or to the isolated cytochrome domain obtained from the entire molecule. Normal titration curves are observed for the resonances at 37.8 ppm assigned to heme c methyl 8 and at 19.4 ppm, line of cytochrome b2 spectrum. In contrast, the shifts near 3.2 and 3.4 ppm for trimethyl-lysine resonances of this cytochrome c present abnormal titration curves, saturation being apparently reached at low molar (cytochrome b2)/(cytochrome c) ratio. An interpretation is proposed in terms of shifts due to local conformational transitions induced by reductase binding but not rapidly reversible upon dissociation.

Human cytochrome c oxidase isoenzymes from heart and skeletal muscle; purification and properties

Human cytochrome c oxidase was isolated in an active form from heart and from skeletal muscle by a fast, small-scale isolation method. The procedure involves differential solubilisation of the oxidase from mitochondrial fragments by laurylmaltoside and KCl, followed by size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate showed differences between the subunit VI region of cytochrome c oxidases from human heart and skeletal muscle, suggesting different isoenzyme forms in the two organs. This finding might be of importance in explaining mitochondrial myopathy which shows a deficiency of cytochrome c oxidase in skeletal muscle only. In SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis most human cytochrome c oxidase subunits migrated differently from their bovine counterparts. However, the position of subunits III and IV was the same in the human and in the bovine enzymes. The much higher mobility of human cytochrome c oxidase subunit II is explained by a greater hydrophobicity of this polypeptide than of that of the subunit II of the bovine enzyme.

Kinetic investigations of the reactions of cytochrome c oxidase with hydrogen peroxide

The reaction of H2O2 with reduced cytochrome c oxidase was investigated with rapid-scan/stopped-flow techniques. The results show that the oxidation rate of cytochrome a3 was dependent upon the peroxide concentration (k = 2 X 10(4) M-1 X s-1). Cytochrome a and CuA were oxidised with a maximal rate of approx. 20 s-1, indicating that the rate of internal electron transfer was much slower with H2O2 as the electron acceptor than with O2 (k greater than or equal to 700 s-1). Although other explanations are possible, this result strongly suggests that in the catalytic cycle with oxygen as a substrate the internal electron-transfer rate is enhanced by the formation of a peroxo-intermediate at the cytochrome a3-CuB site. It is shown that H2O2 took up two electrons per molecule. The reaction of H2O2 with oxidised cytochrome c oxidase was also studied. It is shown that pulsed oxidase readily reacted with H2O2 (k approximately 700 M-1 X s-1). Peroxide binding is followed by an H2O2-independent conformational change (k = 0.9 s-1). Resting oxidase partially bound H2O2 with a rate similar to that of pulsed oxidase; after H2O2 binding the resting enzyme was converted into the pulsed conformation in a peroxide-independent step (k = 0.2 s-1). Within 5 min, 55% of the resting enzyme reacted in a slower process. We conclude from the results that oxygenated cytochrome c oxidase probably is an enzyme-peroxide complex.

The effects of pH and ionic strength on cytochrome c oxidase steady-state kinetics reveal a catalytic and a non-catalytic interaction domain for cytochrome c

The influence of pH and ionic strength on the steady-state kinetics of purified bovine cytochrome c oxidase was studied by spectrophotometry. At low ionic strength, increasing the pH in the range between 5.4 and 8.6 resulted in a slight decrease in maximal turnover numbers of the high-affinity and the low-affinity reactions. The high-affinity Km was also found to decrease with increasing pH. The ionic-strength dependence of the steady-state kinetics of positively charged cytochrome c oxidase at pH 6.2 and that of negatively charged cytochrome c oxidase at pH 7.8 were similar; in both cases, high-affinity Km values and high-affinity and low-affinity TNmax values increased with ionic strength. The low-affinity Km was independent of both pH and ionic strength. Above I = 100 mM, no low-affinity reaction could be observed. A description of the electrostatic interactions between cytochrome c and cytochrome c oxidase, based on the overall monopoles and overall dipoles of the two proteins, could not explain our data. We propose that at I greater than or equal to 25 mM such an approximation cannot be used for electrostatic interactions between large proteins, since the assumption that all charges on the surfaces of the reacting proteins would contribute equally to the electrostatic interaction is not valid. A qualitative description of electrostatic interactions between the two cytochromes based on limited electrostatic interaction domains on the cytochrome c oxidase surface was found to be in good agreement with all our data and supports the model of Speck et al. (Speck, S.H., Dye, D. and Margoliash, E. (1984) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81, 347-351), who proposed one catalytic and one non-catalytic cytochrome c binding site. It is proposed that the allosteric effect of the cytochrome c at the non-catalytic site is of an electrostatic nature. At high ionic strength (occurring in vivo), this cytochrome c molecule would then no longer affect the catalytic site, resulting in the absence of the low-affinity reaction.

The superoxide dismutase activity of myeloperoxidase; formation of compound III

The reaction of superoxide anions with myeloperoxidase (donor: hydrogen-peroxide oxidoreductase, EC 1.11.1.7), which results in the formation of Compound III of myeloperoxidase, was investigated. It is shown that myeloperoxidase has a high affinity for superoxide anions because formation of Compound III was only partially inhibited by high concentrations of superoxide dismutase. Furthermore, when superoxide anions were generated in a mixture of both cytochrome c and myeloperoxidase in the absence of Cl-, only Compound III was formed and reduction of cytochrome c was not observed. In the presence of Cl-, Compound III was also formed and reduction of cytochrome c was inhibited. From the results described in this paper we conclude that Compound III is able to react with superoxide anions, probably resulting in formation of an intermediate (Compound I) which is catalytically active in the oxidation of Cl- to yield hypochlorous acid (HOCl). Because Compound III of myeloperoxidase is formed in phagocytosing neutrophils (Winterbourn, C.C., Garcia, R.C. and Segal, A.W. (1985) Biochem. J. 228, 583-592) we propose that, in vivo, myeloperoxidase also acts as a superoxide dismutase, and via formation of Compound I uses superoxide anions in the formation of HOCl.

Pulse radiolysis study of a yeast cytochrome c from Hansenula anomala

The reduction of Hansenula anomala yeast cytochrome c by e-aq and CO-.2 was investigated by pulse radiolysis, at a high reductant to protein concentration ratio. The reactivity of the radicals was studied by observing absorbance changes in the cytochrome c spectrum over the wavelength range 280-600 nm. At pH 7, over the time scale of the radical decays (i.e. 0-4 microseconds for e-aq; 0-40 microseconds for CO-.2s) and beyond, the hemoprotein was reduced without any spectrally detected intermediate between ferri-and ferro-forms. This conclusion was reached by simulation studies based on the direct reduction of the yeast cytochrome c from the ferri- to the ferro-form, yielding a correct fit between experimental and calculated absorbance curves. The reduction rate constants were determined to be 1.0 +/- 01 X 10(10) M-1 S-1 for e-aq and 0.7 +/- 0.05 X 10(9) M-1 S-1 for CO-.2 at 0.16 M ionic strength, pH 7.0 and 20 degrees C, thus not significantly different from other values reported for horse heart cytochrome c. However, in the 360-390 nm region the generation of an additional radical species was noticed. The present experimental data were compared with previously published reports.

Monoclonal antibody to human cytochrome c: effect on electron-transfer reactions

A monoclonal antibody has been produced to an antigenic site on human cytochrome c which includes amino acid number 58 (isoleucine). This area is on the bottom back of the cytochrome, removed from the postulated binding/reaction sites for oxidase and reductase, but in the area of the molecule where an appreciable change in conformation is seen on oxidation-reduction. In spectrophotometric assays, where binding of cytochrome c to the oxidase or reductase is rate-limiting, the antibody gave stimulation of the reductase reaction under some conditions, where the oxidase reaction was inhibited. Also variation of the pH of the reaction medium resulted in differential effects on the oxidase and reductase reactions. Different effects of the antibody were seen when the oxidase was assayed polarographically, as compared to the spectrophotometric measurements. The data show that the binding/reaction sites on cytochrome c for the oxidase and reductase must be different. They suggest that binding of antibody may affect conformational changes in the whole molecule, distorting the binding/reaction sites. Conformational changes may be involved as a control mechanism in cytochrome c-mediated electron-transfer reactions.

Monoclonal antibodies to cytochrome c from Paracoccus denitrificans: effects on electron transport reactions

The effect of a monoclonal antibody to a soluble cytochrome c from Paracoccus denitrificans was tested on the membrane-bound electron-transport system of this bacterium. This antibody (F3-10.2) and one previously described (F3-29.4) (Kuo, L.M., Davies, H.C. and Smith, L. (1984) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 766, 472-482) were deduced to bind to the cytochrome c in the area including amino acid residue number 23 on a loop on the side of the heme crevice. In contrast to the observations with the previously tested antibody, the present data show the second antibody to block completely the reaction of the cytochrome c with cytochrome c oxidase but not that with cytochrome c reductase. Neither antibody has an appreciable inhibitory effect on the NADH oxidase of the isolated detergent-treated membranes. The two antibodies bind in different ways, giving insight into the interaction of a soluble protein with membrane-bound enzymes. The data indicate that the reaction sites on the cytochrome c for the oxidase and reductase moieties of P. denitrificans are different. They also argue against the need for a dissociable cytochrome c comparable to that which functions on the mitochondrial inner membrane.

The oxidation of cytochrome c oxidase by hydrogen peroxide

The reaction of H2O2 with mixed-valence and fully reduced cytochrome c oxidase was investigated by photolysis of fully reduced and mixed-valence carboxy-cytochrome c oxidase in the presence of H2O2 under anaerobic conditions. The results showed that H2O2 reacted rapidly (k = (2.5-3.1) X 10(4) M-1 X s-1) with both enzyme species. With the mixed-valence enzyme, the fully oxidised enzyme was reformed. On the time-scale of our experiments, no spectroscopically detectable intermediate was observed. This demonstrates that mixed-valence cytochrome c oxidase is able to use H2O2 as a two-electron acceptor, suggesting that cytochrome c oxidase may under suitable conditions act as a peroxidase. Upon reaction of H2O2 with the fully reduced enzyme, cytochrome a was oxidised before cytochrome a3. From this observation it was possible to estimate that the rate of electron transfer from cytochrome a to a3 is about 0.5-5 s-1.

Separation of enzymically active bovine cytochrome c oxidase monomers and dimers by high performance liquid chromatography

The aggregation state of two types of bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase preparations in the presence of laurylmaltoside was investigated by high performance liquid chromatography in two buffers of ionic strengths of 388 mM and 45 mM, respectively. At high ionic strength, it was found that the Fowler cytochrome c oxidase preparation was monomeric (Mr = 2 X 10(5)), while monomers and dimers (2 X aa3, Mr = 4 X 10(5)) could be isolated from the Yonetani preparation. Under these conditions there was no rapid equilibrium between the two forms. Covalent cytochrome c oxidase-cytochrome c complexes were largely dimeric, and addition of ascorbate and cytochrome c to the oxidase also promoted dimerization. At low ionic strength (I = 45 mM) in the presence of laurylmaltoside the oxidase and the covalent complex with cytochrome c were largely monomeric. In the steady-state oxidation of ferrous horse heart cytochrome c, the monomeric enzyme displayed biphasic kinetics at I = 45 mM. This suggests that the presence of high- and low-affinity reactions is an intrinsic property of the cytochrome c oxidase monomer.

The concept of high- and low-affinity reactions in bovine cytochrome c oxidase steady-state kinetics

(1) Analysis of the data from steady-state kinetic studies shows that two reactions between cytochrome c and cytochrome c oxidase sufficed to describe the concave Eadie-Hofstee plots (Km congruent to 1.10(-8) M and Km congruent to 2.10(-5) M). It is not necessary to postulate a third reaction of Km congruent to 10(-6) M. (2) Change of temperature, type of detergent and type of cytochrome c affected both reactions to the same extent. The presence of only single catalytic cytochrome c interaction site on the oxidase could explain the kinetic data. (3) Our experiments support the notion that, at least under our conditions (pH 7.8, low-ionic strength), the dissociation of ferricytochrome c from cytochrome c oxidase is the rate-limiting step in the steady-state kinetics. (4) A series of models, proposed to describe the observed steady-state kinetics, is discussed.

Effects of monoclonal antibodies to bovine and Paracoccus denitrificans cytochromes c on reactions with oxidase, reductase and peroxidase

The effects of monoclonal antibodies to bovine and Paracoccus denitrificans cytochromes c (Kuo, L.M. and Davies, H.C. (1983) Mol. Immunol. 20, 827-838) in the reactions of the cytochromes c with cytochrome c oxidase, reductase and peroxidase were studied. Spectrophotometric assays were employed, under conditions where binding of cytochrome c to the enzymes appears to be rate-limiting. Less than stoichiometric amounts of antibodies to P. denitrificans cytochrome c added to the cytochrome rendered some of it nonoxidizable or nonreducible by the P. denitrificans membrane-bound electron transport system and decreased the rate constant with the remaining cytochrome c. The antibodies appear to affect both electron transport reactions (blocking effects) with the oxidase and reductase and binding effects (effects on rate constants) and to distinguish between the two. Different ratios of antibody site to cytochrome c gave different extents of blocking of the reductase as compared with the oxidase reaction. Differences were also apparent in the effect of these antibodies on the reaction of yeast peroxidase and the oxidase with the P. denitrificans cytochrome c. Antibodies to bovine and P. denitrificans cytochromes c had considerably less effect on the reactions of the bovine cytochrome with bovine oxidase and reductase. One antibody was inhibitory to the oxidase reaction with bovine cytochrome c, but not to that with the reductase. Also, an antibody which inhibited the oxidase reaction had no effect on the reaction with yeast peroxidase. The data give evidence that the interaction areas on cytochrome c for oxidase and reductase and peroxidase are not identical, although they may be nearby.

Role of phospholipid in the low affinity reactions between cytochrome c and cytochrome oxidase

The steady-state oxidation of ferrocytochrome c by cytochrome oxidase monitored spectrophotometrically showed that: (1) the kinetics were strictly biphasic with purified enzyme, while mitochondrial membrane-bound enzyme exhibited multiphasic kinetics with extended low affinity phases; (2) the TNmax for the highest affinity phase was as slow as 5-10 electron X s-1 for both preparations, while for the low affinity phases it was about 45 electron X s-1 for the purified enzyme and 150 electron X s-1 for the mitochondrial membrane-bound enzyme; (3) reconstitution of purified enzyme into acidic phospholipid vesicles partially repleted the extended low affinity phases, while reconstitution into uncharged vesicles had no effect.

Reaction of cytochrome c in the electron-transport chain of Paracoccus denitrificans

The reaction of the cytochrome c oxidase (ferrocytochrome c:oxygen oxidoreductase, EC 1.9.3.1) of Paracoccus denitrificans cytoplasmic membranes with the endogenous cytochrome c of the membranes was studied, as well as its interaction with added exogenous cytochrome c from P. denitrificans or bovine heart. The polarographic method was employed, using N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine plus ascorbate to reduce the cytochrome c. We found that overall electron transport can proceed maximally while the cytochrome c remains membrane bound; NADH or succinoxidase activities were not inhibited by the addition of substances which bind the P. denitrificans cytochrome c strongly. In contrast to our observations with the spectrophotometric method (Smith, L., Davies, H.C. and Nava, M.E. (1976) Biochemistry 15, 5827-5831), in the polarographic assays the membrane-bound oxidase reacts with about equal rapidity with exogenous bovine and P. denitrificans cytochromes c. The reaction of the oxidase with the endogenous cytochrome c proceeds at high rates and preferentially to that with exogenous cytochrome c; the reaction with the latter, but not the former is inhibited by positively charged poly(L-lysine). The cytochrome c and the oxidase appear to be very closely associated on the membrane.

Study of the Hansenula anomala yeast flavocytochrome-b2--cytochrome-c complex 1. Characterization of fluorescent Zn(II)-substituted cytochrome c

Substitution of Fe2+ for the Zn2+ ion in Hansenula anomala cytochrome c provides a luminescent derivative suitable as a probe for the determination of the interaction of cytochrome c with H. anomala flavocytochrome b2; its light absorption and fluorescence properties have been characterized. H. anomala Zn-cytochrome c appears to be in the form of a stable though non-covalent dimer from molecular weight determinations performed using gel filtration, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions, and ultracentrifugation methods. By contrast, metal-free porphyrin-cytochrome c, the precursor of Zn-cytochrome c obtained upon removal of iron from cytochrome c in cold anhydrous fluorhydric acid, had the same partition coefficient as native cytochrome c through conventional gel filtration. Significant conformational perturbations of H. anomala cytochrome c should therefore follow from Zn2+ incorporation into the porphyrin c moiety. Titrations at low ionic strength with native, tetrameric H. anomala flavocytochrome b2 in the lactate-reduced state showed a simple binding equilibrium (Kd = 0.1 microM at I = 0.03 M, 10 degrees C) with a stoichiometry of one Zn-cytochrome c dimer per protomer of flavocytochrome b2. Quenching of the Zn-porphyrin c fluorescence within this complex was much larger (43%) than reported by other authors using cytochrome c and flavocytochrome b2 from different sources.

Electrochemical approach to the mechanism of urea denaturation of horse heart cytochrome c

The effect of urea denaturation on the electroactivity of horse heart cytochrome c has been studied by differential pulse polarography and cyclic voltammetry at a gold electrode; the gold electrode was activated by 4,4'-bipyridine. Essentially, two redox couples with E'01 approximately equal to 0.25 V and E'02 approximately equal to -0.05 V (vs. normal hydrogen electrode) have been detected. The experimental results have been interpreted on the basis of the existence of equilibria between native and denatured electroactive forms; transitory species have been assumed to appear on reduction. The scheme that we have proposed agrees well with the conclusions obtained previously by other authors on conformational changes. Moreover, the advantage of electrochemical techniques in investigating the denaturation process has been underlined.

The reaction of cytochrome aa3 with (porphyrin) cytochrome c as studied by pulse radiolysis

(1) Using the pulse-radiolysis and stopped-flow techniques, the reactions of iron-free (porphyrin) cytochrome c and native cytochrome c with cytochrome aa3 were investigated. The porphyrin cytochrome c anion radical (generated by reduction of porphyrin cytochrome c by the hydrated electron) can transfer its electron to cytochrome aa3. The bimolecular rate constant for this reaction is 2 x 10(7) M-1 . s-1 (5 mM potassium phosphate, 0.5% Tween 20, pH 7.0, 20 degrees C). (2) The ionic strength dependence of the cytochrome c-cytochrome aa3 interaction was measured in the ionic strength range between 40 and 120 mM. At ionic strengths below 30 mM, a cytochrome c-cytochrome aa3 complex is formed in which cytochrome c is no longer reducible by the hydrated electron. A method is described by which the contributions of electrostatic forces to the reaction rate can be determined. (3) Using the stopped-flow technique, the effect of the dielectric constant (epsilon) of the reaction medium on the reaction of cytochrome C with cytochrome aa3 was investigated. With increasing epsilon the second-order rate constant decreased.

Cytochrome c specific methylase from wheat germ

The cytochromes c of plants (e.g., wheat germ) possess two trimethyllysines, residues 72 and 86. In order to investigate the nature of these methylations, we have purified a cytochrome c specific methylase S-adenosylmethionine: protein(lysine) N-methyltransferase (protein methylase III) from wheat germ 135-fold. The in vitro site of methylation by both the purified enzyme and crude wheat germ extract toward various forms of horse heart cytochrome c was localized by two dimensional peptide mapping, Aminex A-5 column peptide analysis, and CNBr cleavage analysis to be the residue 72 lysine. However, no additional sites, in particular residue 86, were seen to be methylated. Although the enzyme is highly specific toward cytochrome c as an in vitro protein substrate, avian cytochromes c are seen to be much better substrates than those from mammalian sources. The enzyme possesses an extremely low Km for apocytochrome c (1.21 microM), suggesting that methylation may occur before heme attachment in vivo. Various S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine analogues were tested for their inhibitor capability toward the enzyme; it was observed that only the D and L forms of S-adenosylhomocysteine are inhibitors while analogues modified in the adenine or homocysteine moieties do not possess inhibitory capability. Results from the Aminex A-5 column chromatography of horse heart cytochrome c chymotryptic digest showed the N epsilon-methyl-, N epsilon-dimethyl-m and N epsilon-trimethyllysine forms of the residue 68-74 peptide to elute earlier than the unmethylated form. This results suggest that the methylated peptides are less basic than the unmethylated form.

Protein influences on porphyrin structure in cytochrome c: evidence from Raman difference spectroscopy

To probe the details of protein heme interactions, we have developed a Raman difference spectroscopic technique, which allows reliable detection of very small, approximately equal to 0.01 cm-1, frequency differences. When this technique is applied to heme proteins, structural differences in the protein which perturb the porphyrin macrocycle may be examined by obtaining Raman difference data on the porphyrin vibrational modes which are strongly enhanced in the Raman spectrum produced with visible laser excitation. We report here Raman difference spectroscopic data on cytochromes c from 24 species. The differences in the Raman spectrum of the porphyrin between the cytochromes c of any two species are small, confirming that all of the cytochromes we have examined have the same "cytochrome fold". However, many small (0.02-2 cm-1) but systematic differences were detected which indicate structural differences among these proteins. These differences could be classified into three different groups and interpreted in terms of different types of structural variations resulting from specific differences in the amino acid sequences. First, direct interactions between near-heme residues and the porphyrin influence the electron density in the pi orbitals of the porphyrin macrocycle. Second, variation in the residue at position 92, far removed from the heme, affects the frequency of the core-size marker line at 1584 cm-1. Third, the conformation near cysteine 14 affects the shape of the Raman mode which is sensitive to the pyrrole ring substituents (approximately 1313 cm-1). From these data we conclude that there are several ways in which the protein amino acid sequence may regulate the oxidation-reduction potential and several ways in which the sequence can modify the binding site between cytochrome c and its redox partners.

The absorbance coefficient of beef heart cytochrome c1

Isolated cytochrome c1 contains endogenous reducing equivalents. They can be removed by treating the protein with sodium dithionite followed by chromatography. This treatment has no effect on the reaction with cytochrome c, nor does it alter the optical spectrum, or the polypeptide or amino acid composition of the protein. Both the titration of dithionite-treated ferrocytochrome c1 with potassium ferricyanide and the anaerobic titration of dithionite-treated ferricytochrome c1 with NADH in the presence of phenazine methosulphate lead to the same value for the absorbance coefficient of cytochrome c1: 19.2 mM-1 . cm-1 at 552.4 nm for the reduced-minus-oxidised form. This value was also obtained when the haem content was determined by comparing the spectra of the reduced pyridine haemochromes of cytochrome c and cytochrome c1. Comparison of the optical spectra of cytochrome c and cytochrome c1 by integration shows equal transition moments for the transitions in the porphyrin systems of both proteins. A set of equations with which the concentration of the cytochromes aa3, b, c and c1 can be calculated from one reduced-minus-oxidised difference spectrum of a mixture of these proteins.

The effect of pH and ionic strength on the pre-steady-state reaction of cytochrome c and cytochrome aa3

(1) In the pH range between 5.0 and 8.0, the rate constants for the reaction of ferrocytochrome c with both the high- and low-affinity sites on the cytochrome aa3 increased by a factor of approx. 2 per pH unit. (2) The pre-steady-state reaction between ferrocytochrome c and cytochrome aa3 did nt cause a change in the pH of an unbuffered medium. Furthermore, it was found that this reaction and the steady-state reaction are equally fast in H2O and 2H2O. From these results it was concluded that no protons are directly involved in a rate-determining reaction step. (3) Arrhenius plots show that the reaction between ferrocytochrome c and cytochrome aa3 requires a higher enthalpy of activation at temperatures below 20 degrees C (15--16 kcal/mol) as compared to that at higher temperature (9 kcal/mol). We found no effect of ionic strength on the activation enthalpy of the pre-steady-state reaction, nor on that of the steady-state reaction. This suggests that ionic strength does not change the character of these reactions, but merely affects the electrostatic interaction between both cytochromes.

Kinetic and equilibrium studies of alkaline isomerization of vertebrate cytochromes c

Equilibria and kinetics of alkaline isomerization of seven ferricytochromes c from vertebrates were studied by pH-titration and pH-jump methods in the pH region of 7-12. In the equilibrium behavior, no significant difference was detected among the cytochromes c, whereas marked differences in the kinetic behavior were observed. According to the kinetic behavior of the isomerization, the cytochromes c examined fall into three classes: Group I (horse, sheep, dog and pigeon cytochromes c), Group II (tuna and bonito cytochromes c) and Group III (rhesus monkey cytochrome c). The kinetic results are interpreted in terms of the sequential scheme: Neutral form in equilibrium with fast Transient form in equilibrium with slow Alkaline form where the neutral and alkaline forms are the species stable at neutral and alkaline pH, respectively, and the transient form is a kinetic intermediate. From comparison of the primary sequences of the seven cytochromes c and the classification of these cytochromes c, it is concluded that the amino acid substitution Phe/Tyr at the 46-th position has a major influence on the kinetic behavior. In Group II and III cytochromes c, the ionization of Tyr-46 is suggested to bring about loosening of the heme crevice and thus facilitate the ligand replacement involved in the isomerization.

The reaction between cytochrome c1 and cytochrome c

The kinetics of electron transfer between the isolated enzymes of cytochrome c1 and cytochrome c have been investigated using the stopped-flow technique. The reaction between ferrocytochrome c1 and ferricytochrome c is fast; the second-order rate constant (k1) is 3.0 . 10(7) M-1 . s-1 at low ionic strength (I = 223 mM, 10 degrees C). The value of this rate constant decreases to 1.8 . 10(5) M-1 . s-1 upon increasing the ionic strength to 1.13 M. The ionic strength dependence of the electron transfer between cytochrome c1 and cytochrome c implies the involvement of electrostatic interactions in the reaction between both cytochromes. In addition to a general influence of ionic strength, specific anion effects are found for phosphate, chloride and morpholinosulphonate. These anions appear to inhibit the reaction between cytochrome c1 and cytochrome c by binding of these anions to the cytochrome c molecule. Such a phenomenon is not observed for cacodylate. At an ionic strength of 1.02 M, the second-order rate constants for the reaction between ferrocytochrome c1 and ferricytochrome c and the reverse reaction are k1 = 2.4 . 10(5) M-1 . s-1 and k-1 = 3.3 . 10(5) M-1 . s-1, respectively (450 mM potassium phosphate, pH 7.0, 1% Tween 20, 10 degrees C). The 'equilibrium' constant calculated from the rate constants (0.73) is equal to the constant determined from equilibrium studies. Moreover, it is shown that at this ionic strength, the concentrations of intermediary complexes are very low and that the value of the equilibrium constant is independent of ionic strength. These data can be fitted into the following simple reaction scheme: cytochrome c2+1 + cytochrome c3+ in equilibrium or formed from cytochrome c3+1 + cytochrome c2+.

Ionic strength effects on cytochrome aa3 kinetics

1. The occurrence of an optimal ionic strength for the steady-state activity of isolated cytochrome aa3 can be attributed to two opposite effects: upon lowering of the ionic strength the affinity between cytochrome c and cytochrome aa3 increases, whereas in the lower ionic strength region the formation of a less active cytochrome c-aa3 complex limits the ferrocytochrome c association to the low affinity site. 2. At low ionic strength, the reduction of cytochrome c-aa3 complex by ferrocytochrome c1 proceeds via non-complex-bound cytochrome c. Under these conditions the positively charged cytochrome c provides the electron transfer between the negatively charged cytochromes c1 and aa3. 3. Polylysine is found to stimulate the release of tightly bound cytochrome c from the cytochrome c-aa3 complex. This property points to the existence of negative cooperativity between the two binding sites. We suggest that the stimulation is not restricted to polylysine, but also occurs with cytochrome c. 4. Dissociation rates of both high and low affinity sites on cytochrome aa3 were determined indirectly. The dissociation constants, calculated on the basis of pre-steady-state reaction rates at an ionic strength of 8.8 mM, were estimated to be 0.6 nM and 20 microM for the high and low affinity site, respectively.

Lymphocyte specificity to protein antigens. III. Capacity of low responder mice to beef cytochrome c to respond to a peptide fragment of the molecule

Lymph node cells derived from A.TH or A.TL mice primed with beef cytochrome c show striking patterns of reactivity when assayed in vitro for antigen-induced T cell proliferation. Whereas cells from A.TH mice respond specifically to beef cytochrome c or peptides composed of amino acids 1-65 and 81-104, cells from A.TL mice respond neither to beef cytochrome c nor to peptide 1-65, but proliferate following exposure to either peptide 81-104 or to a cytochrome c hybrid molecule in which the N-terminal peptide of beef (1-65) was substituted by a similar peptide obtained from rabbit cytochrome c. Thus, T cells from mice phenotypically unresponsive to beef cytochrome may, in fact, contain populations of lymphocytes capable of responding to a unique peptide, the response to which is totally inhibited when the same fragment is presented in the sequence of the intact protein.

Kinetic studies on isomerization of ferricytochrome c in alkaline and acid pH ranges by the circular dichroism stopped-flow method

The isomerization of horse-heart ferricytochrome c caused by varying pH was kinetically studied by using circular dichroism (CD) and optical absorption stopped-flow techniques. In the pH range of 7--13, the existence of the three different forms of ferricytochrome c (pH less than 10, pH 10--12, and pH greater than 12) was indicated from the statistical difference CD spectra. On the basis of analyses of the stopped-flow traces in the near-ultraviolet and Soret wavelength regions, the isomerization of ferricytochrome c from neutral form to the above three alkaline forms was interpreted as follows (1) below pH 10, the replacement of the intrinsic ligand of methionine residue by lysine residue occurs; (2) between pH 10 and 12, the uncoupling of the polypeptide chain from close proximity of the heme group occurs first, followed by the interconversion of the intrinsic ligands; and (3) above pH 12, hydroxide form of ferricytochrome c is formed, though the replacement of the intrinsic ligand by extrinsic ligands may occur via different routes from those below pH 12. The CD changes at 288 nm and in the Soret region caused by the pH-jump (down) from pH 6.0 to 1.6 were compared with the appearance of the 620-nm absorption band ascribed to the formation of the high-spin form of ferricytochrome c. Both CD and absorption changes indicated that the isomerization at pH 1.6 consisted of two processes: one proceeded within the dead-time (about 2 ms) of the stopped-flow apparatus and the other proceeded at a determinable rate with the apparatus. On the basis of these results, the isomerization of ferricytochrome c at pH 1.6 was explained as follows: (1) the transition from the low-spin form to the high-spin forms occurs within about 2 ms, the dead-time of the stopped-flow apparatus; and (2) the polypeptide chain is unfolded after the formation of the high-spin form.