A spectrophotometric micromethod for the determination of binding of phenol red to plasma proteins of various species

Comparison of broad-scope assays of nucleotide sugar-dependent glycosyltransferases

Glycosyltransferases (GTs) are abundant in nature and diverse in their range of substrates. Application of GTs is, however, often complicated by their narrow substrate specificity. GTs with tailored specificities are highly demanded for targeted glycosylation reactions. Engineering of such GTs is, however, restricted by lack of practical and broad-scope assays currently available. Here we present an improvement of an inexpensive and simple assay that relies on the enzymatic detection of inorganic phosphate cleaved from nucleoside phosphate products released in GT reactions. This phosphatase-coupled assay (PCA) is compared with other GT assays: a pH shift assay and a commercially available immunoassay in Escherichia coli cell-free extract (CE). Furthermore, we probe PCA with three GTs with different specificities. Our results demonstrate that PCA is a versatile and apparently general GT assay with a detection limit as low as 1 mU. The detection limit of the pH shift assay is roughly 4 times higher. The immunoassay, by contrast, detected only nucleoside diphosphates (NDPs) but had the lowest detection limit. Compared with these assays, PCA showed superior robustness and, therefore, appears to be a suitable general screening assay for nucleotide sugar-dependent GTs.

Electrophoretic and chromatographic differentiation of two forms of albumin in equilibrium at neutral pH: new screening techniques for determination of ligand binding to albumin

Analysis of normal human serum by crossed hydrophobic interaction immunoelectrophoresis with Phenyl-Sepharose revealed a biphasic appearance of the albumin peak. The molecular mechanism behind this apparent albumin heterogeneity was investigated. Analysis of defatted purified albumin showed that a major fraction bound to the Phenyl-Sepharose and that addition of ligands (e.g. long-chain fatty acids, bilirubin, sulfonamides and warfarin) before electrophoresis blocked this binding to different degrees. A quantitative relation between ligand binding and the amount of nonbinding albumin was found. Thus the technique might be suitable for screening of ligand binding to albumin. Analysis of serum samples from newborns with hyperbilirubinemia revealed a positive correlation between the fraction of the nonretarded albumin and the bilirubin concentration. By chromatography on Phenyl-Sepharose, defatted albumin was separated into a binding and a nonbinding form and this technique was subsequently used to determine the kinetics of the intramolecular conversion. After rechromatography, each of the fractions could again be separated into two fractions, indicating the presence of an equilibrium. By varying the passage time for albumin on the column or varying the period between the first and the second separation it was possible to calculate the conversion rates. The half-life for the conversion was found to be as long as 1 1/4 h. It is the first time that a conformational change for albumin with such a long conversion time has been described experimentally.

Pharmacokinetics and excretion of phenol red in the channel catfish

1. Disposition of phenol red was examined in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) after oral or intravascular (i.v.) dosing at 10 mg/kg body weight. 2. Phenol red was not detectable in plasma, urine, or bile after oral administration. 3. After i.v. dosing, plasma concentrations of phenol red were best described by a two-compartment pharmacokinetic model with distribution and elimination half-lives of 2.3 and 21 min, respectively. The apparent volume of distribution at steady state (Vss) was 225 ml/kg and total body clearance (Clb) was 658 ml/h per kg. Plasma protein binding was 19%. 4. Biliary excretion was the primary route of elimination of phenol red; in 24 h, 55% of the i.v. dose was excreted in bile compared with 24% in urine. No metabolites were detected in these fluids. 5. The use of anaesthesia during dosing had no effect on the quantitative excretion of phenol red by renal or biliary routes.

Estrogenic activity of phenol red

It has recently been reported that phenol red, a pH indicator present in most tissue culture media, is a weak estrogen that can stimulate some estrogen-sensitive cells. However, the relative impact of phenol red on various cell lines is controversial. We examined the effect of phenol red on several estrogen-responsive cell systems that we use to study estrogen action. These included estrogenic stimulation of progesterone receptor and growth in human breast cancer-derived MCF-7 cells, stimulation of growth in human breast cancer-derived T47D cells, stimulation of prolactin synthesis in primary cultures of immature rat pituitary cells, and stimulation of progesterone receptor in primary cultures of immature rat uterine cells. Estrogenic responses in MCF-7 cells were the most sensitive to the presence of phenol red, while the other three cell cultures showed lesser effects of the indicator. In addition to intrinsic differences in cell responses, there were several other factors involved. These included differences in the estrogenic activity of phenol red-containing media and phenol red itself from different commercial suppliers, and differences in the concentration of free phenol red in final media due to binding of the indicator by serum. Higher concentrations of serum reduced the impact of phenol red on estrogenic responses in primary pituitary cells. Phenol red added to rat uterine cytosol competed with estradiol for binding to the estrogen receptor (relative binding affinity (RBA) approx. 0.001), and the acidic and basic forms of the indicator showed similar activity. Some commercial phenol red samples inhibited cell growth at levels of 100 mg/l; these effects were toxic rather than antiestrogenic, because growth inhibition could not be competitively reversed by an excess of estradiol. The amount of the indicator bound to serum in the final media, the source of the phenol red and the sensitivity of different cell types to the indicator ultimately determine its influence to the response of cells in tissue culture.

Relations between high-affinity binding sites of markers for binding regions on human serum albumin

Binding of warfarin, digitoxin, diazepam, salicylate and Phenol Red, individually or in different pair combinations, to defatted human serum albumin at ligand/protein molar ratios less than 1:1 was studied at pH 7.0. The binding was determined by ultrafiltration. Some of the experiments were repeated with the use of equilibrium dialysis in order to strengthen the results. Irrespective of the method used, all ligands bind to one high-affinity binding site with an association constant in the range 10(4)-10(6) M-1. High-affinity binding of the following pair of ligands took place independently: warfarin-Phenol Red, warfarin-diazepam, warfarin-digitoxin and digitoxin-diazepam. Simultaneous binding of warfarin and salicylate led to a mutual decrease in binding of one another, as did simultaneous binding of digitoxin and Phenol Red. Both effects could be accounted for by a coupling constant. The coupling constant is the factor by which the primary association constants are affected; in these examples of anti-co-operativity the factor has a value between 0 and 1. In the first example it was calculated to be 0.8 and in the latter 0.5. Finally, digitoxin and salicylate were found to compete for a common high-affinity binding site. The present findings support the proposal of four separate primary binding sites for warfarin, digitoxin (and salicylate), diazepam and Phenol Red. An attempt to correlate this partial binding model for serum albumin with other models in the literature is made.

Relations between high-affinity binding sites for L-tryptophan, diazepam, salicylate and Phenol Red on human serum albumin

Binding of L-tryptophan, diazepam, salicylate and Phenol Red to defatted human serum albumin was studied by ultrafiltration at pH 7.0. All ligands bind to one high-affinity binding site with association constants of the order of 10(4)-10(5)M-1. The number of secondary binding sites was found to vary from zero to five, with association constants about 10(3)M-1. Competitive binding studies with different pairs of the ligands were performed. Binding of both ligands was determined simultaneously. L-Tryptophan and diazepam were found to compete for a common high-affinity binding site on albumin. The following combinations of ligands do not bind competitively to albumin: L-tryptophan-Phenol Red, L-tryptophan-salicylate and Phenol Red-salicylate. On the other hand, high-affinity bindings of the three ligands do not take place independently but in such a way that binding of one of the ligands results in a decrease in binding of the other ligands. The decreases in binding are reciprocal and can be accounted for by introducing a coupling constant. The magnitude of the constant is dependent on the ligands being bound. In the present study, the mutual decrease in binding was more pronounced with L-tryptophan-salicylate and Phenol Red-salicylate than with L-tryptophan-Phenol Red.

Effects of aliphatic fatty acids on the binding of Phenol Red to human serum albumin

Binding of Phenol Red to human serum albumin at pH 7.0 was studied by ultrafiltration (n1 = 1, K1 = 3.9 X 1-(4) M-1, n2 = 5, K2 = 9.6 X 10(2) M-1). The presence of 1 mol of octanoate or decanoate per mol of albumin caused a decrease in dye binding (dye/protein molar ratio 1:1), which, in contrast with additional fatty acid, was very pronounced: 1-8 mol of palmitate or stearate resulted in a small, and apparently linear, displacement of Phenol Red. The displacement effect of 1-5 mol of oleate, linoleate or linolenate per mol of albumin was comparable with that of the equimolar concentrations of palmitate or stearate. A higher molar ratios the unsaturated acids caused a drastic decrease in dye binding. The different Phenol Red-displacement effects of low molar ratios of medium-chain and long-chain fatty acids indicate that these acids have different high-affinity binding sites. In accordance with this proposal, low concentrations of stearate had only a small effect on the Phenol Red-displacement effect of octanoate. Phenol Red-binding curves in the presence of 1 mol of octanoate, 8 mol of stearate and 6 or 7 mol of linolenate per mol of albumin respectively indicated that the dye and the fatty acids do not complete for a common primary binding site. In contrast, a secondary Phenol Red-binding site could be identical with the primary octanoate-binding site. Furthermore, the primary Phenol Red-binding site could be the same as a secondary linolenate-binding site. Assignment of the different primary binding sites for Phenol Red and for medium-chain and long-chain fatty acids to a model of the secondary structure of albumin is attempted.

On the mechanism of p-piperidyl and p-benzyl sulfamyl benzoic acids transport by renal tissue

The uptake of cyclic analogues of probenecid by kidney cortical slices has been studied in detail, in order to obtain more information on the secretory system for these compounds. Both p-piperidyl sulfamyl benzoic acid and p-benzyl sulfamyl benzoic acid were accumulated against concentration gradient, by renal tissue under aerobic as well as anerobic conditions. PAH, phenol red and probenecid competitively inhibited the active accumulation of these compounds by kidney tissue. Aerobic uptake of probenecid analogues was stimulated by succinate and octanoate at low medium concentrations while inhibition of renal accumulation of these compounds occurred at higher concentrations. Both p-piperidyl and p-benzyl sulfamyl benzoic acids like probenecid strongly interact with kidney cortex homogenates. Binding of these cyclic analogues to various cellular constituents of homogenate was efficiently inhibited by probenecid. The binding affinity of probenecid and analogues for kidney tissue, phospholipid vesicles (liposomes) and human serum albumin increased in the order : p-piperidyl sulfamyl benzoic acid less than p-benzyl sulfamyl benzoic acid less than di-n-propyl sulfamyl benzoic acid (probenecid). By contrast to the view put forward by Beyer (1950 & 1954), the results presented in this paper established that probenecid analogues are the true substrates of renal organic anion transport system.

Interaction of phenolsulphonphthalein dyes with rabbit plasma and rabbit serum albumin

Interaction of various substituted phenolsulphonphthalein dyes to rabbit plasma and rabbit serum albumin has been studied by ultrafiltration, equilibrium dialysis and spectrophotometry. The results obtained by ultrafiltration and equilibrium dialysis showed that the degree of binding of these dyes to protein increases in the following order: Phenol red less than bromophenol blue less than bromocresol green less than bromothymol blue. Analysis of binding results revealed that five molecules of bromothymol blue bound very strongly to a molecule of rabbit albumin, whereas only two and three molecules of bromophenol blue and bromocresol green strongly interact with the protein, respectively. It is suggested that strong binding of these substances to protein may be related to the hydrophobicity of these compounds. Finally, an attempt has been made to evaluate the possibility, whether the spectral changes occurred during interaction of dyes to albumin can be utilized for the determination of binding of these ligands to proteins.

Renal handling of phenol red. III. Bidirectional transport

1. The renal excretion of phenol red and other phenolsulphophthalein dyes (bromophenol blue and bromothymol blue) was studied in clearance experiments on anaesthetized rabbits. 2. Net tubular excretion of phenol red reached a maximal value of 8 mumole/min at a plasma concentration of ultrafiltrable dye of about 0.1 mM and was decreased at higher plasma concentrations. Decreases in net tubular excretion at high plasma concentrations were also obtained for bromophenol blue and bromothymol blue suggesting tubular reabsorption in addition to tubular secretion of the dye. Conclusive evidence for reabsorption was provided by administration of probenecid which caused a fall in the excretion of the dyes below that filtered by the glomeruli. 3. Tubular reabsorption of phenol red during probenecid administration appeared to be proportional to the glomerular load and was increased under experimental conditions leading to a decrease of urinary pH. Experiments involving efflux of phenol red from liposomes gave no evidence of a significant role of transmembrane passage by non-ionic diffusion. It is suggested that the pH dependence of the reabsorptive process is the result of preferential reabsorption of the acid as compared to the basic form of the indicator dye across a hydrophilic pathway in the transporting membranes. 4. Clearance ratio of phenol red to that of p-aminohippurate at low plasma concentrations was about 0.3. They low degree of extraction of phenol red from renal plasma is attributed both to tubular reabsorption and binding of the dye by plasma proteins.

Ligand-apomyoglobin interactions. Configurational adaptability of the haem-binding site

1. The interaction of the haem-binding region of apomyoglobin with different ligands was examined by ultrafiltration, equilibrium dialysis and spectrophotometry, to study unspecific features of protein-ligand interactions such as they occur in, for example, serum albumin binding. 2. Apomyoglobin, in contrast with metmyoglobin, binds at pH 7, with a high affinity, one molecule of Bromophenol Blue, bilirubin and protoporphyrin IX, two molecules of n-dodecanoate and n-decyl sulphate and four molecules of n-dodecyl sulphate and n-tetradecyl sulphate. 3. The number of high-affinity sites and/or association constants for the alkyl sulphates are enhanced by an increase of hydrocarbon length, indicating hydrophobic interactions with the protein. 4. Measurements of the temperature-dependence of the association constants of the high-affinity sites imply that the binding processes are largely entropy-driven. 5. Binding studies in the presence of two ligands show that bilirubin plus Bromophenol Blue and dodecanoate plus Bromophenol Blue can be simultaneously bound by apomyoglobin, but with decreased affinities. By contrast, the apomyoglobin-protoporphyrin IX complex does not react with Bromophenol Blue. 6. Optical-rotatory-dispersion measurements show that the laevorotation of apomyoglobin is increased towards that of metmyglobin in the presence of haemin and protoporphyrin IX. Small changes in the optical-rotatory-dispersion spectrum of apomyoglobin are observed in the presence of the other ligands. 7. It is concluded that the binding sites on apomyoglobin probably do not pre-exist but appear to be moulded from predominantly non-polar amino acid residues by reaction with hydrophobic ligands. 8. Comparison with data in the literature indicates that apomyoglobin on a weight basis has a larger hydrophobic area avaialble for binding of ligands than has human serum albumin. On the other hand, the association constants of serum for the ligands used in this study are generally somewhat larger than those of apomyoglobin.

Renal handling of phenol red. II. The mechanism of substituted phenolsulphophthalein (PSP) dye transport in rabbit kidney tubules in vitro

1. The uptake of various substituted phenolsulphophthalein dyes by cortical slices of rabbit kidney has been studied in detail in order to obtain more information on the secretory system for organic anions. 2. The rate of initial uptake of dyes and the accumulation after incubation for 2 hr under aerobic conditions increased in the order: phenol red (PR) greater than bromophenol blue (BPB) greater than bromocresol green (BCG) greater than bromothymol blue (BTB), while the reverse order of uptake was observed under anaerobic conditions. There was no difference between the uptake of BTB under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. 3. The accumulation of dyes under anaerobic conditions could be accounted for by binding to tissue constituents. In comparison with PR (Sheikh, 1972), the substituted dyes were found to interact extensively with the 700 G (cell membranes) and cytosol fractions of renal homogenates. 4. Low concentrations of the substituted dyes efficiently inhibited the accumulation of rho-aminohippurate (PAH). The concentration of dye resulting in 50% inhibition of PAH accumulation (KI) agreed well with concentrations estimated to sustain 50% of maximal dye transport (KM). On this basis the affinity of the dyes for the transport system increases in the order: PR less than BPB less than BCG less than BTB. 5. Probenecid, 2,4-dinitrophenol, PAH, octanoate and succinate affected to a smaller extent the uptake and binding of BPB and BCG by renal tissue than that previously shown for PR (Sheikh, 1972). No inhibitory effect of these substances on the accumulation of BTB by kidney tissue was observed. 6. The binding of PSP dyes by phospholipid vesicles (liposomes) and a representative binding protein, human serum albumin, exhibited close similarity to that of binding by renal tissue. Partition experiments involving octanol-water phases indicated that the hydrophobicity of the dyes increased in the order: PR less than BPB less than BCG less than BTB. 7. The results indicate that BTB, despite its inhibitory potency, is not transported by the organic anion system. BPB and BCG are transported to a lesser extent, and interact more strongly with the transport system than does PR. It is suggested that the substituted dyes by virtue of hydrophobic interaction with the transport system reduce the movement of the mobile part of the transport system.

Indicator dyes as probes of electrostatic potential changes on macromolecular surfaces

An indicator dye attached to an electrostatically charged macromolecular surface generally has a pK value (pKb') different from that of uncombined dye (pKf'). The question if changes in (pKb' - pKf'), designated as increment incrementpK, records changes in the electrostatic potential at the binding site has been examined in spectrophotometric and binding experiments, using the interaction of Chlorophenol Red and Phenol Red with human serum albumin and cationic micelles as examples. (1) In serum albumin solutions increment incrementpK is decreased by a reduction of pH. The decrease is correlated with the increase in positive charges on the protein molecule, and the response is attenuated by high ionic strength in accordance with electrostatic theory. (2) Opposite changes in binding affinity to serum albumin and increment incrementpK as a function of pH are observed; the binding of basic (bivalent anion) dye is more susceptible to a change in pH than in the acidic (univalent anion) form. (3) Preferential uptake of the basic as compared to the acidic form of dye is observed by binding to cetyltrimethylammonium chloride and cetylpyridinium chloride micelles (mu equals 0.033, [Cl-] equals 0.033 M). An increase in the ionic strength is accompanied by a positive value of increment incrementpK. The results are consonant with the view that the observed increment incrementpK values reflect changes in the electrostatic potential at the binding site with consequently little, if any, effect on the intrinsic pK. The extension of the method to measure changes in the electrostatic potential at binding sites on cell membranes is briefly discussed.