Circular dichroism spectra of purified cytochromes P-450 from rabbit liver microsomes

Multichannel circular dichroism investigations of the structural stability of bacterial cytochrome P-450

The thermal unfolding of cytochrome P-450 LIN and P-450 CAM measured in presence and absence of their specific substrates was analyzed by circular dichroism (CD) and the alpha-helix content was estimated. Both proteins show, independent of the presence or absence of the substrates, nearly the same amount of loss of the CD in the peptide region. The comparison of the half transition temperatures determined from different chromophores and different methods indicates a non-two-state transition of the thermal unfolding. For such analysis we developed a new spectrometer, which is capable of measuring the CD simultaneously at all wavelengths in a limited wavelength region.

Heme maintains catalytically active structure of cytochrome P-450

Treatment of purified cytochrome P-450 LM2 and its liposome-bound form with hydrogen peroxide led to complete destruction of the P-450 heme. The apoenzyme thus produced could be reconstituted to catalytically active cytochrome P-450 by incubation with hemin, the reconstitution efficiency being 50% for the soluble enzyme and 80% for the liposome-bound enzyme. The removal of heme from the soluble hemoprotein resulted in a 3-fold decrease in the efficiency of its incorporation into sonicated liposomes. The contents of 5 secondary structure forms in the native, apo- and reconstituted holoenzymes were estimated from their circular dichroism spectra. It was thus found that the helix content increased from 34% to 60% upon removal of the heme from the native enzyme. We suggest that the increase in the helix content leads to a reduction of the incorporation efficiency into liposomal membranes.

Effect of the microenvironment on the tertiary structure of cytochrome P-450 LM2

The relation between microenvironment and the tertiary structure of cytochrome P-450 LM2 has been investigated. No complete relaxation to the most active state of the native enzyme took place in the case of membrane-incorporated hemoprotein with three or four intramolecular cross-links. The spatial organization of the enzyme was predicted to determine the cross-link location on the hemoprotein surface and membrane-incorporated parts of the polypeptide chain. It was concluded on the basis of the predicted structure that hemoprotein has an amphipathic structure and, thus, the greater part of molecule is exposed to the water phase. Not more than one NH2-terminal alpha helix is able to incorporate into the membrane. The location of this region is believed to control the formation of the catalytically-active-conformational state of cytochrome P-450 LM2.

Point mutations at threonine-301 modify substrate specificity of rabbit liver microsomal cytochromes P-450 (laurate (omega-1)-hydroxylase and testosterone 16 alpha-hydroxylase)

Thr-301 of cytochrome P-450 (laurate (omega-1)-hydroxylase) was replaced by Ser, Val, Ile, or Asn via site-directed mutagenesis. The Ser-, Val-, and Asn-mutants had lower laurate (omega-1)-hydroxylase activities than the wild-type P-450. The mutation to Ser did not affect caprate (omega-1)-hydroxylase activity and rather increased caprate omega-hydroxylase activity, but the Val- and Asn-mutants could not hydroxylate caprate. The Ile-mutant was devoid of the hydroxylase activities. The mutation also led to changes in the affinities for the fatty acids and exogenous ligands. Replacement of Thr-301 of cytochrome P-450 (testosterone 16 alpha-hydroxylase) by Ser or Val also affected the activities toward testosterone and progesterone in different ways. These findings indicate that residue 301 of the P-450s plays an important role in determining their substrate specificities.

Secondary structure prediction of liver microsomal cytochrome P-450; proposed model of spatial arrangement in a membrane

The secondary structure of rabbit liver microsomal cytochrome P-450 LM2, rat liver microsomal cytochromes P-450b and P-450e (phenobarbital-inducible), and rat liver microsomal cytochromes P-450c, P-450d (3-methylcholanthrene-inducible) was predicted by a combination of methods (i) identifying the transmembrane parts of integral membrane proteins, and (ii) statistically predicting the secondary structure of globular proteins. The results are similar for all phenobarbital-inducible enzymes and make it possible to construct two structural models with seven or four transmembrane alpha-helices. The cytochromes of the second group obviously form a second structural family with four membrane-spanning alpha-helices. In both cases, a large ectodomain with several consecutive alpha-helices, which may provide the heme-binding pocket, is exposed out of the membrane.

Effects of 50 ppm NO2 gas exposure on physiological functions of rats

When rats were exposed to 50 ppm NO2 gas for 36 h, remarkable changes in some biochemical levels compared with those of control rats were observed. Namely, levels of total cholesterol, ester cholesterol, total lipids, triglycerides, nitrogen of urea, uric acid, glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and cytochrome P-450 of the exposed rats were decidedly different from those of the control rats. Thus, it was suggested that functions of liver are acutely injured upon exposure to 50 ppm NO2 gas, although extensive pulmonary injury resulting from such an exposure may also be responsible for some of the abnormal serum values.

Chemical modification of adrenocortical cytochrome P-450scc with tetranitromethane

Selective chemical modification of adrenocortical cytochrome P-450scc, responsible for key stages of steroid biogenesis, with tetranitromethane has been carried out. Nitration of the cytochrome P-450scc tyrosine residues results in heme protein inactivation with syncatalytic loss of enzyme activity. Analysis of the cytochrome P-450scc inactivation kinetics indicates that there are several pools of tyrosine residues, differing in their accessibility to tetranitromethane. The modification of cytochrome P-450scc results in changes in the hemeprotein spectral properties and its conformation which indicates to the involvement of essential tyrosine residue(s) in the heme-protein interaction. Cholesterol and adrenodoxin (high-spin effectors) prevent the inactivation of cytochrome P-450scc with tetranitromethane, i.e., protect the essential tyrosine residue(s) from modification. Possible functions of the tyrosine residues in the cytochrome P-450scc molecule are discussed.

Selective chemical modification of a functionally linked lysine in cytochrome P-450 LM2

Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) has been selectively bound to the epsilon-amino group of lysine-382 in cytochrome P-450 LM2 (RH, reduced-flavoprotein: oxygen oxidoreductase (RH-hydroxylating), EC 1.14.14.1) at pH 8.15. Benzphetamine N-demethylase activity of the reconstituted FITC-modified cytochrome P-450 LM2 was inhibited by 25%. This inhibition has been shown to be due to an impaired electron transfer from the NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase (NADPH: ferricytochrome oxidoreductase, EC 1.6.2.4) to the haemoprotein. The data indicate that cytochrome P-450 interacts with the flavoprotein via electrostatic interactions.

Modification of cytochrome P-450 with fluorescein isothiocyanate

Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) has been shown to be selectively attached to the N-terminus of cytochrome P-450 LM2. The N-demethylase activity of cytochrome P-450 LM2 reconstituted systems modified in this way was inhibited by 25%. As revealed by CD measurements the overall conformation as well as the immediate heme environment of cytochrome P-450 LM2 remained unchanged after attachment of the FITC molecule. The binding affinity of modified cytochrome P-450 LM2 toward benzphetamine and aniline and the cumene hydroperoxide- or H2O2-supported N-demethylation of benzphetamine are maintained. However, the introduction of the electron via NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase (EC 1.6.2.4) is impaired after modification of the alpha-amino group. The extent of reduced modified cytochrome P-450 LM2 in the cytochrome P-450 reductase-supported reduction reaction is diminished and the half-time of the reduction is increased. The diminished reducibility is ascribed to steric hindrance of groups directly involved in the interaction between cytochrome P-450 LM2 and NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase or to blocking of the charge-pair interactions between the alpha-amino group of P-450 LM2 and the respective negatively charged group of NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase. By energy-transfer measurements distances between the heme and the alpha-amino group of 2.65 and 3.97 nm for the oligomeric and the monomeric forms of P-450 LM2, respectively, have been determined.

Magnetic and natural circular dichroism spectra of cytochgromes P-450(11) beta and P-450scc purified from bovine adrenal cortex

Magnetic (MCD) and natural circular dichroism (CD) spectra various complexes of cytochrome P-450(11) beta (P-450(11) beta) and cytochrome P-450scc (P-450scc) from bovine adrenal cortex were measured from 250 nm to 700 nm. MCD and CD spectral contours of cytochromes P-450(11) beta and P-450scc in the Soret and visible regions were, as a whole, analogous to those of cytochromes P-450 from rabbit liver microsomes and also from Pseudomonas putida in their high-spin ferric, high-spin ferrous and ferrous-CO complexes. MCD spectrum of the low-spin ferric P-450scc free from the substrate, cholesterol, was very similar to that caused by addition of 20 alpha-hydroxycholesterol, a reaction intermediate. However, it was distinct from those of the low-spin ferric P-450(11) beta and P-450scc complexes caused by addition of external nitrogenous ligands. The electronic states of the heme in the low-spin ferric P-450 free from substrates seemed to be subtly different from those of low-spin complexes coordinated with external nitrogenous ligands. Soret CD spectra of ferric low-spin complexes were not so different from each other. Upon reduction of high-spin ferric P-450(11) beta or P-450scc, the Soret CD magnitudes increased significantly in contrast with those of other P-450s, the Soret CD magnitudes of which decrease upon reduction. This may reflect an increased proximity of the neighbouring aromatic groups upon reduction of high-spin P-450(11) beta or P-450scc. High substrate specificity of adrenal P-450s compared with liver P-450s can be explained in view of the above findings. THe CD spectra in the near ultraviolet region (250-350 nm) were found to be quite sensitive to the spin change for ferric P-450scc, while the MCD spectra in this region did not reflect substantially the spin state of the enzyme. MCD parameters of cytochrome P-450s were compared to those of other hemoproteins in diagrams describing selected MCD spectral values of hemoproteins so far available and were discussed in connection with the structures of the heme environment of P-450.