Affinity chromatography of hepatic glutathione S-transferases on omega-aminoalkyl sepharose derivatives of glutathione

In-house preparation of hydrogels for batch affinity purification of glutathione S-transferase tagged recombinant proteins

Background

Many branches of biomedical research find use for pure recombinant proteins for direct application or to study other molecules and pathways. Glutathione affinity purification is commonly used to isolate and purify glutathione S-transferase (GST)-tagged fusion proteins from total cellular proteins in lysates. Although GST affinity materials are commercially available as glutathione immobilized on beaded agarose resins, few simple options for in-house production of those systems exist. Herein, we describe a novel method for the purification of GST-tagged recombinant proteins.

Results

Glutathione was conjugated to low molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) via thiol-ene “click” chemistry. With our in-house prepared PEGDA:glutathione (PEGDA:GSH) homogenates, we were able to purify a glutathione S-transferase (GST) green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein (GST-GFP) from the soluble fraction of E. coli lysate. Further, microspheres were formed from the PEGDA:GSH hydrogels and improved protein binding to a level comparable to purchased GSH-agarose beads.

Conclusions

GSH containing polymers might find use as in-house methods of protein purification. They exhibited similar ability to purify GST tagged proteins as purchased GSH agarose beads.

Partial purification and isoelectric focusing patterns of the buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and the Kedah-Kelantan cattle (Bos indicus) glutathione transferases

1. Glutathione transferases from the liver, lung and kidney tissues of the buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and the Kedah-Kelantan cattle (Bos indicus) were partially purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation and Sephadex G-75 gel filtration. 2. Liver tissue contains the highest enzyme activity when compared to the lung and kidney tissues. 3. The activity in cattle is higher than that in the buffalo. 4. Isoelectric focusing separates the activities into the acidic, near neutral and basic fractions. 5. The focused patterns are different for each of the tissues and in each of the species investigated.

Inhibition and recognition studies on the glutathione-binding site of equine liver glutathione S-transferase

Equine liver glutathione S-transferase has been shown to consist of two identical subunits of apparent Mr 25,500 and a pl of 8.9. Kinetic data at pH 6.5 with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene as a substrate suggests a random rapid-equilibrium mechanism, which is supported by inhibition studies using glutathione analogues. S-(p-Bromobenzyl)glutathione and the corresponding N alpha-, CGlu- and CGly-substituted derivatives have been found, at pH 6.5, to be linear competitive inhibitors, with respect to GSH, of glutathione transferase. N-Acetylation of S-(p-bromobenzyl)glutathione decreases binding by 100-fold, whereas N-benzoylation and N-benzyloxycarbonylation abolish binding of the derivative to the enzyme. The latter effect has been attributed to a steric constraint in this region of the enzyme. Amidation of the glycine carboxy group of S-(p-bromobenzyl)glutathione decreases binding by 13-fold, whereas methylation decreases binding by 70-fold, indicating a steric constraint and a possible electrostatic interaction in this region of the enzyme. Amidation of both carboxy groups decreases binding significantly by 802-fold, which agrees with electrostatic interaction of the glutamic acid carboxy group with a group located on the enzyme.

Characterization of glutathione S-transferases in rat kidney. Alteration of composition by cis-platinum

We have developed chromatographic and mathematical protocols that allowed the high resolution of glutathione S-transferase (GST) subunits, and the identification of a previously unresolved GST monomer in rat kidney cytosol; the monomer was identified tentatively as subunit 6. Also, an aberrant form of GST 7-7 dimer appeared to be present in the kidney. This development was utilized to illustrate the response of rat kidney GST following cis-platinum treatment in vivo. Rat kidney cytosol was separated into three 'affinity families' of GST activity after elution from a GSH-agarose matrix. The affinity peaks were characterized by quantitative differences in their subunit and dimeric compositions as determined by subsequent chromatography on a cation-exchange matrix and specific activity towards substrates. By use of these criteria, the major GST dimers of affinity peaks were tentatively identified. The major GST dimers in peak I were GST 1-1 and 1-2, in affinity peak II it was GST 2-2, and in peak III they were GST 3-3 and 7-7. GST 3-6 and/or 4-6, which have not been previously resolved in kidney cytosol, were also present in peak II. Alterations in the kidney cytosolic GST composition of male rats were detected subsequent to the administration of cis-platinum (7.0 mg/kg subcutaneously, 6 days). This treatment caused a pronounced alteration in the GST profile, and the pattern of alteration was markedly different from that reported for other chemicals in the kidney or in the liver. In general, the cellular contents of the GSTs of the Alpha and the Mu classes decreased and increased respectively. It is postulated that the decrease in the Alpha class of GSTs by cis-platinum treatment may be related to renal cortical damage and the loss of GSTs in the urine. The increase in the Mu class of GSTs could potentially stem from a lowered serum concentration of testosterone; the latter is a known effect of cis-platinum treatment.

Stereoselectivity of rat liver glutathione transferase isoenzymes for alpha-bromoisovaleric acid and alpha-bromoisovalerylurea enantiomers

The stereoselectivity of purified rat GSH transferases towards alpha-bromoisovaleric acid (BI) and its amide derivative alpha-bromoisovalerylurea (BIU) was investigated. GSH transferase 2-2 was the only enzyme to catalyse the conjugation of BI and was selective for the (S)-enantiomer. The conjugation of (R)- and (S)-BIU was catalysed by the isoenzymes 2-2, 3-3 and 4-4. Transferase 1-1 was less active, and no catalytic activity was observed with transferase 7-7. Isoenzymes 1-1 and 2-2 of the Alpha multigene family preferentially catalysed the conjugation of the (S)-enantiomer of BIU (and BI), whereas isoenzymes 3-3 and 4-4 of the Mu multigene family preferred (R)-BIU. The opposite stereoselectivity of conjugation of BI and BIU previously observed in isolated rat hepatocytes and the summation of activities of enzymes known to be present in hepatocytes on the basis of present data are in accord.

Evidence for the involvement of histidine at the active site of glutathione S-transferase psi from human liver

The inhibition of catalytic activity of glutathione S-transferase psi (pI 5.5) of human liver by diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC) has been studied. It is demonstrated that DEPC causes a concentration dependent inactivation of GST psi with a concomitant modification of 1-1.3 histidyl residues/subunit of the enzyme. This inactivation of GST psi could be reversed by treatment with hydroxylamine. Glutathione afforded complete protection to the enzyme from inactivation by DEPC. It is suggested that a functional histidyl residue is essential for the catalytic activity of the enzyme and that this residue is most likely to be present at or near the glutathione binding site (G-site).

Gamma-glutamylcysteine: a substrate for glutathione S-transferases

A new high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the separation of gamma-glutamylcysteine (GC) from glutathione (GSH) following derivatization with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) was developed using a Vydac C18 column and an acetonitrile-trifluoroacetic acid gradient. When the derivatization of GC, GSH, cysteine, and cysteinylglycine was performed with GSH S-transferase, peak heights for the GC and GSH derivatives were accentuated markedly, suggesting that GC, like GSH, is an enzyme substrate. Subsequently, GC was found to be a substrate for five purified forms of rat hepatic GSH S-transferase. However, the Km for GC was about 6-20 times higher than that for GSH. GSH was a competitive inhibitor of GC-CDNB conjugation, indicating that GC and GSH share the same binding site on the transferase. However, endogenous hepatic GC content in fed rats was only 5.8 +/- 0.1 nmoles/g, three orders of magnitude lower than GSH. Thus, under normal circumstances, GC would not be expected to contribute to detoxification reactions catalyzed by the GSH S-transferases. Its weak interaction with the GSH site of the GSH S-transferases supports the role of the glycine moiety of GSH in enhancing this interaction.

Topological aspects of microsomal N-acetyltransferase, an enzyme responsible for the acetylation of cysteine S-conjugates of xenobiotics

Acetylation of cysteine S-conjugates of xenobiotics by microsomal N-acetyltransferase is the final step of detoxicative metabolism leading to mercapturic acid biosynthesis. To elucidate the subcellular site of N-acetylation and the effective mechanism by which the final metabolites are eliminated from the organisms, topological aspects and catalytic properties of microsomal N-acetyltransferase and mercapturic acid biosynthesis in vivo were investigated. Intravenous administration of radioactive S-benzyl-L-cysteine, a model compound of cysteine S-conjugates, resulted in rapid acetylation of the conjugate in liver and kidney to a similar extent. The acetylation was followed by a rapid excretion of the metabolite, a mercapturic acid, into the urine; about 60% of the injected dose appeared in urine within 60 min of administration. Limited proteolysis of microsomal vesicles obtained from liver and kidney by chymotrypsin or trypsin inactivated the transferase by 49-62% and 62-73%, respectively. Proteolytic inactivation of the transferase was not significantly affected by the presence of 0.04% sodium deoxycholate by which the vesicles became permeable to macromolecules due to its detergent action. To determine the sidedness of the active site of N-acetyltransferase on the microsomal membranes, two S-acetyldextran polymer derivatives (Mr 500 000) of cysteine and N-acetylcysteine which represent an nonpermeant substrate and product for this enzyme, respectively, were examined for their effects on the vesicle-associated enzyme activity. Both derivatives inhibited the transferase activity in a dose-dependent fashion; maximum inhibition of the enzyme activity was 40% by the former and 60% by the latter. Sulfobromophthalein strongly inhibited the enzyme activity and this inhibition was completely reversed by adding an equimolar amount of hepatic glutathione S-transferases (ligandins). In contrast to the strong inhibition by sulfobromophthalein itself, its glutathione S-conjugate did not inhibit the enzyme activity. These results indicate that the active site and the protease-sensitive domain(s) of the microsomal N-acetyltransferase are localized on the outer surface (cytoplasmic side) of endoplasmic reticulum and that the ligandin(s) might protect membranous N-acetyltransferase from inhibition by organic anions by binding them and catalyzing the conjugation with glutathione.

Plasma clearance of sulfobromophthalein and its interaction with hepatic binding proteins in normal and analbuminemic rats: is plasma albumin essential for vectorial transport of organic anions in the liver?

To investigate a possible function of plasma albumin in the vectorial transport of organic anions by the liver, the plasma disappearance of sulfobromophthalein (BSP) and its interaction with plasma and liver cytosolic proteins were studied in normal rats and mutant Nagase analbuminemic rats (NAR). After intravenous administration of BSP, plasma BSP decreased rapidly in both NAR and control animals: plasma clearance values of BSP in NAR and controls were 12.45 and 7.40 ml/min per kg, respectively. Gel exclusion Sephadex G-100 chromatography of BSP with control rat serum revealed a protein peak in the void volume and another in the albumin fraction. BSP chromatographed exclusively with the albumin fraction; binding of BSP to plasma albumin occurred stoichiometrically. Similar studies with NAR serum revealed a single protein peak, in the void volume; a small amount of BSP chromatographed with this protein peak. The amount of BSP that chromatographed with NAR serum protein(s) was 8% of that with control rat serum albumin. Sephadex G-100 chromatography of BSP with control rat liver cytosol revealed four peaks of protein-bound BSP in fractions corresponding to the void volume (fraction X), albumin, glutathione S-transferases (fraction Y, Mr 45,000), and fraction Z (Mr 12,000); fraction Y was the major component of BSP binding. Gel chromatography of NAR liver cytosol with BSP revealed three BSP peaks, fractions X, Y, and Z; fraction X was the major component of BSP binding. Total BSP binding by 30 mg of hepatic cytosolic proteins was 4.5 nmol for controls and 10.4 nmol for NAR. Isoelectric focusing of liver cytosol revealed no quantitative or qualitative differences in glutathione S-transferase isozymes between control and mutant animals. Intravenously administered BSP (5 mumol/kg) rapidly appeared in bile as the free form and the glutathione conjugate in normal rats and NAR; 41% and 57% of injected BSP was excreted within 60 min in NAR and control rat bile, respectively. These results indicate that binding of BSP to plasma albumin is not indispensable to transhepatocyte transport of BSP in vivo.