Assay of nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenases in mammalian, bacterial, and reconstituted systems

Lack of NAD(P)+ transhydrogenase activity in patients with primary adrenal insufficiency due to NNT variants

BACKGROUND

Pathogenic variants in the nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase gene (NNT) are a rare cause of primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI), as well as functional impairment of the gonads.

OBJECTIVE

Despite the description of different homozygous and compound heterozygous NNT variants in PAI patients, the extent to which the function and expression of the mature protein are compromised remains to be clarified.

DESIGN

The activity and expression of mitochondrial NAD(P)+ transhydrogenase (NNT) were analyzed in blood samples obtained from patients diagnosed with PAI due to genetically confirmed variants of the NNT gene (n = 5), heterozygous carriers as their parents (n = 8), and healthy controls (n = 26).

METHODS

NNT activity was assessed by a reverse reaction assay standardized for digitonin-permeabilized peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The enzymatic assay was validated in PBMC samples from a mouse model of NNT absence. Additionally, the PBMC samples were evaluated for NNT expression by western blotting and reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and for mitochondrial oxygen consumption.

RESULTS

NNT activity was undetectable (<4% of that of healthy controls) in PBMC samples from patients, independent of the pathogenic genetic variant. In patients' parents, NNT activity was approximately half that of the healthy controls. Mature NNT protein expression was lower in patients than in the control groups, while mRNA levels varied widely among genotypes. Moreover, pathogenic NNT variants did not impair mitochondrial bioenergetic function in PBMCs.

CONCLUSIONS

The manifestation of PAI in NNT-mutated patients is associated with a complete lack of NNT activity. Evaluation of NNT activity can be useful to characterize disease-causing NNT variants.

Energy transfer between the nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase and ATP synthase of Escherichia coli

Membrane bound nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (TH) catalyses the hydride transfer from NADH to NADP⁺. Under physiological conditions, this reaction is endergonic and must be energized by the pmf, coupled to transmembrane proton transport. Recent structures of transhydrogenase holoenzymes suggest new mechanistic details, how the long-distance coupling between hydride transfer in the peripheral nucleotide binding sites and the membrane-localized proton transfer occurs that now must be tested experimentally. Here, we provide protocols for the efficient expression and purification of the Escherichia coli transhydrogenase and its reconstitution into liposomes, alone or together with the Escherichia coli F₁F₀ ATP synthase. We show that E. coli transhydrogenase is a reversible enzyme that can also work as a NADPH-driven proton pump. In liposomes containing both enzymes, NADPH driven H⁺-transport by TH is sufficient to instantly fuel ATP synthesis, which adds TH to the pool of pmf generating enzymes. If the same liposomes are energized with ATP, NADPH production by TH is stimulated > sixfold both by a pH gradient or a membrane potential. The presented protocols and results reinforce the tight coupling between hydride transfer in the peripheral nucleotide binding sites and transmembrane proton transport and provide powerful tools to investigate their coupling mechanism.

Undesirable effects of chemical inhibitors of NAD(P)+ transhydrogenase on mitochondrial respiratory function

NAD(P)⁺ transhydrogenase (NNT) is located in the inner mitochondrial membrane and catalyzes a reversible hydride transfer between NAD(H) and NADP(H) that is coupled to proton translocation between the intermembrane space and mitochondrial matrix. NNT activity has an essential role in maintaining the NADPH supply for antioxidant defense and biosynthetic pathways. In the present report, we evaluated the effects of chemical compounds used as inhibitors of NNT over the last five decades, namely, 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan (NBD-Cl), N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC), palmitoyl-CoA, palmitoyl-l-carnitine, and rhein, on NNT activity and mitochondrial respiratory function. Concentrations of these compounds that partially inhibited the forward and reverse NNT reactions in detergent-solubilized mouse liver mitochondria significantly impaired mitochondrial respiratory function, as estimated by ADP-stimulated and nonphosphorylating respiration. Among the tested compounds, NBD-Cl showed the best relationship between NNT inhibition and low impact on respiratory function. Despite this, NBD-Cl concentrations that partially inhibited NNT activity impaired mitochondrial respiratory function and significantly decreased the viability of cultured Nnt^-/- mouse astrocytes. We conclude that even though the tested compounds indeed presented inhibitory effects on NNT activity, at effective concentrations, they cause important undesirable effects on mitochondrial respiratory function and cell viability.

Nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase is required for brain mitochondrial redox balance under hampered energy substrate metabolism and high-fat diet

Among mitochondrial NADP-reducing enzymes, nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (NNT) establishes an elevated matrix NADPH/NADP⁺ by catalyzing the reduction of NADP⁺ at the expense of NADH oxidation coupled to inward proton translocation across the inner mitochondrial membrane. Here, we characterize NNT activity and mitochondrial redox balance in the brain using a congenic mouse model carrying the mutated Nnt gene from the C57BL/6J strain. The absence of NNT activity resulted in lower total NADPH sources activity in the brain mitochondria of young mice, an effect that was partially compensated in aged mice. Nonsynaptic mitochondria showed higher NNT activity than synaptic mitochondria. In the absence of NNT, an increased release of H₂ O₂ from mitochondria was observed when the metabolism of respiratory substrates occurred with restricted flux through relevant mitochondrial NADPH sources or when respiratory complex I was inhibited. In accordance, mitochondria from Nnt^-/- brains were unable to sustain NADP in its reduced state when energized in the absence of carbon substrates, an effect aggravated after H₂ O₂ bolus metabolism. These data indicate that the lack of NNT in brain mitochondria impairs peroxide detoxification, but peroxide detoxification can be partially counterbalanced by concurrent NADPH sources depending on substrate availability. Notably, only brain mitochondria from Nnt^-/- mice chronically fed a high-fat diet exhibited lower activity of the redox-sensitive aconitase, suggesting that brain mitochondrial redox balance requires NNT under the metabolic stress of a high-fat diet. Overall, the role of NNT in the brain mitochondria redox balance especially comes into play under mitochondrial respiratory defects or high-fat diet.

Nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (Nnt) links the substrate requirement in brain mitochondria for hydrogen peroxide removal to the thioredoxin/peroxiredoxin (Trx/Prx) system

Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species are implicated in the etiology of multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson disease. Mitochondria are known to be net producers of ROS, but recently we have shown that brain mitochondria can consume mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in a respiration-dependent manner predominantly by the thioredoxin/peroxiredoxin system. Here, we sought to determine the mechanism linking mitochondrial respiration with H2O2 catabolism in brain mitochondria and dopaminergic cells. We hypothesized that nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (Nnt), which utilizes the proton gradient to generate NADPH from NADH and NADP(+), provides the link between mitochondrial respiration and H2O2 detoxification through the thioredoxin/peroxiredoxin system. Pharmacological inhibition of Nnt in isolated brain mitochondria significantly decreased their ability to consume H2O2 in the presence, but not absence, of respiration substrates. Nnt inhibition in liver mitochondria, which do not require substrates to detoxify H2O2, had no effect. Pharmacological inhibition or lentiviral knockdown of Nnt in N27 dopaminergic cells (a) decreased H2O2 catabolism, (b) decreased NADPH and increased NADP(+) levels, and (c) decreased basal, spare, and maximal mitochondrial oxygen consumption rates. Nnt-deficient cells possessed higher levels of oxidized mitochondrial Prx, which rendered them more susceptible to steady-state increases in H2O2 and cell death following exposure to subtoxic levels of paraquat. These data implicate Nnt as the critical link between the metabolic and H2O2 antioxidant function in brain mitochondria and suggests Nnt as a potential therapeutic target to improve the redox balance in conditions of oxidative stress associated with neurodegenerative diseases.

The rebalanced pathway significantly enhances acetoin production by disruption of acetoin reductase gene and moderate-expression of a new water-forming NADH oxidase in Bacillus subtilis

Bacillus subtilis produces acetoin as a major extracellular product. However, the by-products of 2,3-butanediol, lactic acid and ethanol were accompanied in the NADH-dependent pathways. In this work, metabolic engineering strategies were proposed to redistribute the carbon flux to acetoin by manipulation the NADH levels. We first knocked out the acetoin reductase gene bdhA to block the main flux from acetoin to 2,3-butanediol. Then, among four putative candidates, we successfully screened an active water-forming NADH oxidase, YODC. Moderate-expression of YODC in the bdhA disrupted B. subtilis weakened the NADH-linked pathways to by-product pools of acetoin. Through these strategies, acetoin production was improved to 56.7g/l with an increase of 35.3%, while the production of 2,3-butanediol, lactic acid and ethanol were decreased by 92.3%, 70.1% and 75.0%, respectively, simultaneously the fermentation duration was decreased 1.7-fold. Acetoin productivity by B. subtilis was improved to 0.639g/(lh).

Moderate expression of the transcriptional regulator ALsR enhances acetoin production by Bacillus subtilis

Acetoin, a major extracellular catabolic product of Bacillus subtilis cultured on glucose, is widely used to add flavor to food and also serves as a precursor for chemical synthesis. The biosynthesis of acetoin from pyruvate requires the enzymes α-acetolactate synthase (ALS) and α-acetolactate decarboxylase (ALDC), both of which are encoded by the alsSD operon. The transcriptional regulator ALsR is essential for the expression of alsSD. Here we focused on enhancing the production of acetoin by B. subtilis using different promoters to express ALsR. The expression of reporter genes was much higher under the control of the HpaII promoter than under control of the PbdhA promoter. Although the HpaII promoter highly enhanced transcription of the alsSD operon through overexpression of ALsR, the production of acetoin was not significantly increased. In contrast, moderate enhancement of ALsR expression using the PbdhA promoter significantly improved acetoin production. Compared with the wild-type, the enzyme activities of ALS and ALDC in B. subtilis harboring PbdhA were increased by approximately twofold, and the molar yield of acetoin from glucose was improved by 62.9 % in shake flask fermentation. In a 5-L fermentor, the engineered B. subtilis ultimately yielded 41.5 g/L of acetoin. Based on these results, we conclude that enhanced expression of ALDC and ALS by moderately elevated expression of the transcriptional regulator ALsR could increase acetoin production in recombinant B. subtilis.

Efficient one-step production of (S)-1-phenyl-1,2-ethanediol from (R)-enantiomer plus NAD(+)-NADPH in-situ regeneration using engineered Escherichia coli

Background

Candida parapsilosis CCTCC M203011 catalyzes the stereoinversion of (R)-1-phenyl-1,2-ethanediol (PED) through oxidation and reduction. Its NAD⁺-linked (R)-carbonyl reductase (RCR) catalyzes the oxidization of (R)-PED to 2-hydroxyacetophenone (HAP), and its NADPH-dependent (S)-carbonyl reductase (SCR) catalyzes the reduction of HAP to (S)-PED. The reactions require NAD⁺ and NADPH as cofactors. However, even if NAD⁺ and NADPH are added, the biotransformation of (S)-PED from the (R)-enantiomer by an Escherichia coli strain co-expressing RCR and SCR is slow and gives low yields, probably as a result of insufficient or imbalanced redox cofactors. To prepare (S)-PED from the (R)-enantiomer in one-step efficiently, plus redox cofactor regeneration, we introduced pyridine nucleotide transhydrogenases (PNTs) from E. coli to the metabolic pathway of (S)-PED.

Results

The PNTs were successfully introduced into the E. coli strain RSAB. Most of the PNT activities occurred in the cell membrane of E. coli. The introduction of PNTs increased intracellular NAD⁺ and NADH concentrations and decreased the NADPH pool without affecting the total nucleotide concentration and cell growth properties. The presence of PNTs increased the NADH/NAD⁺ ratio slightly and reduced the NADPH/NADP⁺ ratio about two-fold; the ratio of NADPH/NADP⁺ to NADH/NAD⁺ was reduced from 36 to 17. So, the PNTs rebalanced the cofactor pathways: the rate of RCR was increased, while the rate of SCR was decreased. When the ratio of NAD⁺/NADPH was 3.0 or higher, the RSAB strain produced (S)-PED with the highest optical purity, 97.4%, and a yield of 95.2% at 6 h. The introduction of PNTs stimulated increases of 51.5% and 80.6%, respectively, in optical purity and yield, and simultaneously reduced the reaction time seven-fold.

Conclusions

In this work, PNTs were introduced into E. coli to rebalance the cofactor pools within the engineered (S)-PED pathways. The efficient one-step production of (S)-PED plus NAD⁺–NADPH in-situ regeneration was realized. This work provided new insights into cofactor rebalancing pathways, using metabolic engineering methods, for efficient chiral alcohol production.

A high-throughput assay for modulators of NNT activity in permeabilized yeast cells

Nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (NNT) mutant mice show glucose intolerance with impaired insulin secretion during glucose tolerance tests. Uncoupling of the β cell mitochondrial metabolism due to such mutations makes NNT a novel target for therapeutics in the treatment of pathologies such as type 2 diabetes. The authors propose that increasing NNT activity would help reduce deleterious buildup of reactive oxygen species in the inner mitochondrial matrix. They have expressed human Nnt cDNA for the first time in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and transhydrogenase activity in mitochondria isolated from these cells is six times greater than is seen in wild-type mitochondria. The same mitochondria have partially uncoupled respiration, and the cells have slower growth rates compared to cells that do not express NNT. The authors have used NNT's role as a redox-driven proton pump to develop a robust fluorimetric assay in permeabilized yeast. Screening in parallel a library of known pharmacologically active compounds (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke collection) against NNT ± cells, they demonstrate a robust and reproducible assay suitable for expansion into larger and more diverse compound sets. The identification of NNT activators may help in the elucidation of the role of NNT in mammalian cells and assessing its potential as a therapeutic target for insulin secretion disorders.

Anabolic Incorporation of Oxalate by Oxalobacter formigenes

Cell-free lysates of the strict anaerobe Oxalobacter formigenes contained the following enzymatic activities: oxalyl coenzyme A reductase, glyoxylate carboligase, tartronic semialdehyde reductase, and glycerate kinase. NAD(P)-linked formate dehydrogenase, serine-glyoxylate aminotransferase, and NAD(P) transhydrogenase activities were not detected. These results support the hypothesis that O. formigenes assimilates carbon from oxalate by using the glycerate pathway, whereby oxalate is reduced to 3-phosphoglycerate before entering common biosynthetic pathways.

Insulin secretion from beta-cells is affected by deletion of nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase

Nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (NNT) is an inner mitochondrial membrane transmembrane protein involved in regenerating NADPH, coupled with proton translocation across the inner membrane. We have shown that a defect in Nnt function in the mouse, and specifically within the beta-cell, leads to a reduction in insulin secretion. This chapter describes methods for examining Nnt function in the mouse. This includes generating in vivo models with point mutations and expression of Nnt by transgenesis, and making in vitro models, by silencing of gene expression. In addition, techniques are described to measure insulin secretion, calcium and hydrogen peroxide concentrations, membrane potential, and NNT activity. These approaches and techniques can also be applied to other genes of interest.

Increased nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase levels predispose to insulin hypersecretion in a mouse strain susceptible to diabetes

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Insulin hypersecretion may be an independent predictor of progression to type 2 diabetes. Identifying genes affecting insulin hypersecretion are important in understanding disease progression. We have previously shown that diabetes-susceptible DBA/2 mice congenitally display high insulin secretion. We studied this model to map and identify the gene(s) responsible for this trait.

METHODS

Intravenous glucose tolerance tests followed by a genome-wide scan were performed on 171 (C57BL/6 x DBA/2) x C57BL/6 backcross mice.

RESULTS

A quantitative trait locus, designated hyperinsulin production-1 (Hip1), was mapped with a logarithm of odds score of 7.7 to a region on chromosome 13. Production of congenic mice confirmed that Hip1 influenced the insulin hypersecretion trait. By studying appropriate recombinant inbred mouse strains, the Hip1 locus was further localised to a 2 Mb interval, which contained only nine genes. Expression analysis showed that the only gene differentially expressed in islets isolated from the parental strains was Nnt, which encodes the mitochondrial proton pump, nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (NNT). We also found in five mouse strains a positive correlation (r2 = 0.90, p < 0.01) between NNT activity and first-phase insulin secretion, emphasising the importance of this enzyme in beta cell function. Furthermore, of these five strains, only those with high NNT activity are known to exhibit severe diabetes after becoming obese.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Insulin hypersecretion is associated with increased Nnt expression. We suggest that NNT must play an important role in beta cell function and that its effect on the high insulin secretory capacity of the DBA/2 mouse may predispose beta cells of these mice to failure.

Purification of a recombinant membrane protein tagged with a calmodulin-binding domain: properties of chimeras of the Escherichia coli nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase and the C-terminus of human plasma membrane Ca2+ -ATPase

A Ca2+ -dependent calmodulin-binding peptide (CBP) is an attractive tag for affinity purification of recombinant proteins, especially membrane proteins, since elution is simply accomplished by removing/chelating Ca2+. To develop a single-step calmodulin/CBP-dependent purification procedure for Escherichia coli nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase, a 49 amino acid large CBP or a larger 149 amino acid C-terminal fragment of human plasma membrane Ca2+ -ATPase (hPMCA) was fused C-terminally to the beta subunit of transhydrogenase. Fusion using the 49 amino acid fragment resulted in a dramatic loss of transhydrogenase expression while fusion with the 149 amino acid fragment gave a satisfactory expression. This chimeric protein was purified by affinity chromatography on calmodulin-Sepharose with mild elution with EDTA. The purity and activity were comparable to those obtained with His-tagged transhydrogenase and showed an increased stability. CBP-tagged transhydrogenase contained a 4- to 10-fold higher amount of the alpha subunit relative to the beta subunit as compared to wild-type transhydrogenase. To determine whether the latter was due to the CBP tag, a double-tagged transhydrogenase with both an N-terminal 6x His-tag and a CBP-tag, purified by using either tag, gave no significant increase in purity as compared to the single-tagged protein. The reasons for the altered subunit composition are discussed. The results suggest that, depending on the construct, the CBP-tag may be a suitable affinity purification tag for membrane proteins in general.

Improved synthesis of chiral alcohols with Escherichia coli cells co-expressing pyridine nucleotide transhydrogenase, NADP+-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase and NAD+-dependent formate dehydrogenase

Recombinant pyridine nucleotide transhydrogenase (PNT) from Escherichia coli has been used to regenerate NAD+ and NADPH. The pnta and pntb genes encoding for the alpha- and beta-subunits were cloned and co-expressed with NADP+-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) from Lactobacillus kefir and NAD+-dependent formate dehydrogenase (FDH) from Candida boidinii. Using this whole-cell biocatalyst, efficient conversion of prochiral ketones to chiral alcohols was achieved: 66% acetophenone was reduced to (R)-phenylethanol over 12 h, whereas only 19% (R)-phenylethanol was formed under the same conditions with cells containing ADH and FDH genes but without PNT genes. Cells that were permeabilized with toluene showed ketone reduction only if both cofactors were present.

Interactions between transhydrogenase and thio-nicotinamide Analogues of NAD(H) and NADP(H) underline the importance of nucleotide conformational changes in coupling to proton translocation

Transhydrogenase couples the reduction of NADP+ by NADH to inward proton translocation across mitochondrial and bacterial membranes. The coupling reactions occur within the protein by long distance conformational changes. In intact transhydrogenase and in complexes formed from the isolated, nucleotide-binding components, thio-NADP(H) is a good analogue for NADP(H), but thio-NAD(H) is a poor analogue for NAD(H). Crystal structures of the nucleotide-binding components show that the twists of the 3-carbothiamide groups of thio-NADP+ and of thio-NAD+ (relative to the planes of the pyridine rings), which are defined by the dihedral, Xam, are altered relative to the twists of the 3-carboxamide groups of the physiological nucleotides. The finding that thio-NADP+ is a good substrate despite an increased Xam value shows that approach of the NADH prior to hydride transfer is not obstructed by the S atom in the analogue. That thio-NAD(H) is a poor substrate appears to be the result of failure in the conformational change that establishes the ground state for hydride transfer. This might be a consequence of restricted rotation of the 3-carbothiamide group during the conformational change.

Properties of the apo-form of the NADP(H)-binding domain III of proton-pumping Escherichia coli transhydrogenase: implications for the reaction mechanism of the intact enzyme

Proton-translocating nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenases contain an NAD(H)-binding domain (dI), an NADP(H)-binding domain (dIII) and a membrane domain (dII) with the proton channel. Separately expressed and isolated dIII contains tightly bound NADP(H), predominantly in the oxidized form, possibly representing a so-called "occluded" intermediary state of the reaction cycle of the intact enzyme. Despite a K(d) in the micromolar to nanomolar range, this NADP(H) exchanges significantly with the bulk medium. Dissociated NADP(+) is thus accessible to added enzymes, such as NADP-isocitrate dehydrogenase, and can be reduced to NADPH. In the present investigation, dissociated NADP(H) was digested with alkaline phosphatase, removing the 2'-phosphate and generating NAD(H). Surprisingly, in the presence of dI, the resulting NADP(H)-free dIII catalyzed a rapid reduction of 3-acetylpyridine-NAD(+) by NADH, indicating that 3-acetylpyridine-NAD(+) and/or NADH interacts unspecifically with the NADP(H)-binding site. The corresponding reaction in the intact enzyme is not associated with proton pumping. It is concluded that there is a 2'-phosphate-binding region in dIII that controls tight binding of NADP(H) to dIII, which is not a required for fast hydride transfer. It is likely that this region is the Lys424-Arg425-Ser426 sequence and loops D and E. Further, in the intact enzyme, it is proposed that the same region/loops may be involved in the regulation of NADP(H) binding by an electrochemical proton gradent.

Two separate transhydrogenase activities are present in plant mitochondria

Inside-out submitochondrial particles from both potato tubers and pea leaves catalyze the transfer of hydride equivalents from NADPH to NAD(+) as monitored with a substrate-regenerating system. The NAD(+) analogue acetylpyridine adenine dinucleotide is also reduced by NADPH and incomplete inhibition by the complex I inhibitor diphenyleneiodonium (DPI) indicates that two enzymes are involved in this reaction. Gel-filtration chromatography of solubilized mitochondrial membrane complexes confirms that the DPI-sensitive TH activity is due to NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (EC 1.6.5.3, complex I), whereas the DPI-insensitive activity is due to a separate enzyme eluting around 220 kDa. The DPI-insensitive TH activity is specific for the 4B proton on NADH, whereas there is no indication of a 4A-specific activity characteristic of a mammalian-type energy-linked TH. The DPI-insensitive TH may be similar to the soluble type of transhydrogenase found in, e.g., Pseudomonas. The presence of non-energy-linked TH activities directly coupling the matrix NAD(H) and NADP(H) pools will have important consequences for the regulation of NADP-linked processes in plant mitochondria.

Interactions of reduced and oxidized nicotinamide mononucleotide with wild-type and alphaD195E mutant proton-pumping nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenases from Escherichia coli

The interaction of reduced nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMNH), constituting one half of NADH, with the wild-type and alphaD195E proton-pumping nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase from Escherichia coli was investigated. Reduction of thio-NADP+ by NMNH was catalysed at approximately 30% of the rate with NADH. Other activities including proton pumping and the cyclic reduction of 3'-acetyl-pyridine-NAD+ by NMNH in the presence of NADP+ were more strongly inhibited. The alphaD195 residue is assumed to interact with the 2'-OH moiety of the adenosine-5'-phosphate, i.e., the second nucleotide of NADH. Mutation of this residue to alphaD195E resulted in a 90% decrease in activity with NMNH as well as NADH as substrate, suggesting that it produced global structural changes of the NAD(H) binding site. The results suggest that the NMN moiety of NADH is a substrate of transhydrogenase, and that the adenine nucleotide is not required for catalysis or proton pumping.

Energy-linked transhydrogenase. Characterization of a nucleotide-binding sequence in nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase from beef heart

Purified nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase from beef heart was investigated with respect to labeling and subsequent sequence analysis of a nicotinamide nucleotide-binding site. A photo-activated azide derivative, 8-azidoadenosine 5'-monophosphate, was used as an active-site-directed photoaffinity label, which was shown to be specific for the NAD(H)-binding site in the dark. Light-activated incorporation of the label in transhydrogenase was accompanied by an inactivation, which approached 100% at the incorporation of about 1 mol label/mol transhydrogenase monomer. As expected from the assumed site-specificity of the label. NADH prevented both labeling and inactivation to some extent. However, NADPH also prevented labeling and inactivation marginally. The oxidized substrates NAD+ and NADP+ were inhibitory by themselves under these conditions, and the substrate analogs 5'-AMP and 2'-AMP were also poor protectors. The NAD(H)-site specificity of the azido compound was thus largely lost upon illumination and covalent modification. Radioactive labeling of transhydrogenase with 8-azido-[2-3H]-adenosine 5'-monophosphate followed by protease digestion, isolation of labeled peptides and amino-acid sequence analysis showed that Tyr 1006 in the sequence 1001-1027 close to the C-terminus was labeled. This sequence shows homologies with nucleotide-binding sequences in, e.g., F1-ATPase. On the basis of sequence homologies with other NAD(P)-dependent enzymes it is proposed that transhydrogenase contains 4 nucleotide-binding sites, of which 2 constitute the adenine nucleotide-binding domains of the catalytic sites for NAD(H) and NADP(H) close to the N- and C-terminals, respectively. Each of these domains has an additional vicinal nucleotide-binding sequence which may constitute a non-catalytic nucleotide-binding site or the nicotinamide nucleotide-binding domain of the catalytic site. The present results indicate that 8-azidoadenosine 5'-monophosphate is kinetically specific for the catalytic NAD(H)-binding site, but reacts covalently with Tyr 1006 of the putative non-catalytic site or nicotinamide nucleotide-binding domain formed by the 1001-1027 amino acid sequence of the catalytic NADP(H)-binding site. Interactions between the catalytic NAD(H) and NADP(H) binding sites, and the assumed non-catalytic sites, may be facilitated by a ligand-triggered formation of a narrow pocket, which normally allows an efficient hydride ion transfer between the natural substrates.

Glutathione reductase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae undergoes redox interconversion in situ and in vivo

Redox interconversion of glutathione reductase was studied in situ with S. cerevisiae. The enzyme was more sensitive to redox inactivation in 24 hour-starved cells than in freshly-grown ones. While 5 microM NADPH or 100 microM NADH caused 50% inactivation in normal cells in 30 min, 0.75 microM NADPH or 50 microM NADH promoted a similar effect in starved cells. GSSG reactivated the enzyme previously inactivated by NADPH, ascertaining that the enzyme was subjected to redox interconversion. Low EDTA concentrations fully protected the enzyme from NADPH inactivation, thus confirming the participation of metals in such a process. Extensive inactivation was obtained in permeabilized cells incubated with glucose-6-phosphate or 6-phosphogluconate, in agreement with the very high specific activities of the corresponding dehydrogenases. Some inactivation was also observed with malate, L-lactate, gluconate or isocitrate in the presence of low NADP+ concentrations. The inactivation of yeast glutathione reductase has also been studied in vivo. The activity decreased to 75% after 2 hours of growth with glucono-delta-lactone as carbon source, while NADPH rose to 144% and NADPH+ fell to 86% of their initial values. Greater changes were observed in the presence of 1.5 microM rotenone: enzymatic activity descended to 23% of the control value, while the NADH/NAD+ and NADPH/NADP+ ratios rose to 171% and 262% of their initial values, respectively. Such results indicate that the lowered redox potential of the pyridine nucleotide pool existing when glucono-delta-lactone is oxidized promotes in vivo inactivation of glutathione reductase.

Flow-force relationships during energy transfer between mitochondrial proton pumps

The effect of inhibitors of proton pumps, of uncouplers and of permeant ions on the relationship between input force, delta mu H+, and output flows of the ATPase, redox and transhydrogenase H(+)-pumps in submitochondrial particles was investigated. It is concluded that: (1) The decrease of output flow of the transhydrogenase proton pump, defined as the rate of reduction of NADP+ by NADH, is linearily correlated with the decrease of input force, delta mu H+, in an extended range of delta mu H+, independently of whether the H(+)-generating pump is the ATPase or a redox pump, or whether delta mu H+ is depressed by inhibitors of the H(+)-generating pump such as oligomycin or malonate, or by uncouplers. (2) The output flows of the ATPase and of the site I redox H(+)-pumps exhibit a steep dependence on delta mu H+. The flow-force relationships differ depending on whether the depression of delta mu H+ is induced by inhibitors of the H(+)-generating pump, by uncouplers or by lipophilic anions. (3) With the ATPase as H(+)-consuming pump, at equivalent delta mu H+ values, the output flow is more markedly inhibited by malonate than by uncouplers; the latter, however, are more inhibitory than lipophilic anions such as ClO4-. With redox site I as proton-consuming pump, at equivalent delta mu H+ values, the output flow is more markedly inhibited by oligomycin than by uncouplers; again, uncouplers are more inhibitory than ClO4-. (4) The results provide further support for a delocalized interaction of transhydrogenase with other H(+)-pumps.

Effect of 7-hydroxymethyl-12-methylbenz[a]anthracene and 1,3-bis-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea on enzyme activities and oxidation of glutathione in cultured rat adrenal cells

1. The activities of enzymes participating in the regeneration of reduced glutathione (GSH), and their subcellular distribution were studied in cultured rat adrenal cells. 2. It has previously been shown that the adrenocorticolytic agent 7-hydroxymethyl-12-methylbenz[a]anthracene (7-hydroxymethyl-12-MBA) causes a drastic and selective oxidation of mitochondrial GSH in rat adrenal cells. Treatment of the adrenal cells with 7-hydroxymethyl-12-MBA, resulted in a minor decrease in the content of cytochrome c oxidase, nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase and cytosolic GSH reductase, whereas the activity of lactate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase was unaffected. None of these effects were considered to be responsible for the massive oxidation of mitochondrial GSH induced by 7-hydroxymethyl-12-MBA. 3. 1,3-Bis-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) was used to obtain rat adrenal cells cultures with inactivated cytosolic and mitochondrial GSH reductase. The oxidation of mitochondrial GSH, induced by 7-hydroxymethyl-12-MBA, was not dramatically enhanced by the inactivation of GSH reductase, indicating that this enzyme was not rate-limiting in the regeneration of GSH. 4. Fractionation of rat adrenal cells with increasing concentrations of digitonin resulted in an earlier release of citrate synthase in cells treated with 7-hydroxymethyl-12-MBA compared with controls. These results may indicate damage to mitochondrial membranes as a result of 7-hydroxymethyl-12-MBA treatment.

NBD-Cl modification of essential residues in mitochondrial nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase from bovine heart

Modification of mitochondrial nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (NADPH: NAD+ oxidoreductase, EC 1.6.1.1) with 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD-Cl), followed by measurement of the absorption or fluorescence of the transhydrogenase-NBD adducts, resulted in a biphasic labelling of approx. 4-6 sulfhydryls, presumably cysteine residues. Of these 1-2 (27%) were fast-reacting and 3-4 (73%) slow-reacting sulfhydryls. In the presence of substrates, e.g., NADPH, the labelling was monophasic and all sulfhydryls were fast-reacting, suggesting that the modified sulfhydryls are predominantly localized peripheral to the NAD(P)(H)-binding sites. The rates of modification allowed the calculation of the rate constants for each phase of the labelling. Both in the absence and in the presence of a substrate, e.g., NADPH, the extent of labelling essentially parallelled the inhibition of transhydrogenase activity. Attempts to reactivate transhydrogenase by reduction of labelled sulfhydryls were not successful. Photo-induced transfer of the NBD adduct in partially inhibited transhydrogenase, from the sulfhydryls to reactive NH2 groups of amino-acid residue(s), identified as lysine residue(s), was parallelled by an inhibition of the residual transhydrogenase activity. It is suggested that a lysine localized close to the fast-reacting NBD-Cl-reactive sulfhydryl groups is essential for activity.

Purification and properties of reconstitutively active nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase of Escherichia coli

The nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase of Escherichia coli has been purified from cytoplasmic membranes by pre-extraction of the membranes with sodium cholate and Triton X-100, solubilization of the enzyme with sodium deoxycholate in the presence of 1 M potassium chloride, and centrifugation through a 1.1 M sucrose solution. The purified enzyme consists of two subunits, alpha and beta, of apparent Mr 50000 and 47000. During transhydrogenation between NADPH and 3-acetylpyridine adenine dinucleotide by both the purified enzyme reconstituted into liposomes and the membrane-bound enzyme, a pH gradient is established across the membrane as indicated by the quenching of the fluorescence of 9-aminoacridine. Treatment of transhydrogenase with N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide results in an inhibition of proton pump activity and transhydrogenation, suggesting that proton translocation and catalytic activities are obligatory linked. NADH protected the enzyme against inhibition by N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, while NADP, and to a lesser extent NADPH, appeared to increase the rate of inhibition. [14C]Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide preferentially labelled the 50000-Mr subunit of the transhydrogenase enzyme. The presence of an allosteric binding site which reacts with NADH, but not with reduced 3-acetylpyridine adenine dinucleotide, has been demonstrated.

Inhibition of p-nitroanisole O-demethylation in perfused rat liver by oleate

p-Nitroanisole O-demethylation in perfused livers from fasted, phenobarbital-treated rats was rapidly and reversibly inhibited by sodium oleate (0.3 to 0.6 mM). Xylitol partially reversed this inhibitory effect. The inhibition was not mediated by a direct effect of oleate on microsomal components since concentrations of oleate ranging up to 1.0 mM did not affect p-nitroanisole O-demethylation by isolated microsomes. Infusion of 0.6 mM oleate did not alter the measured intracellular NAD+/NADH ratio but did cause a significant increase in the intracellular NADP+/NADPH ratio. A significant decrease in the ATP/ADP ratio was also observed. Oleoyl CoA inhibited p-nitroanisole O-demethylation in microsomes (Ki about 30 microM), and both oleoyl CoA and palmitoyl CoA inhibited the energy-linked nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase in submitochondrial particles (Ki about 1 microM). Thus, inhibition of mixed-function oxidation in the intact liver by oleate is most likely mediated by oleoyl CoA. Oleoyl CoA inhibits mixed-function oxidation in the intact liver by acting directly on cytochrome P-450 and by decreasing generation of NADPH via inhibition of key enzymes of the citric acid cycle and the energy-linked transhydrogenase.

Catecholamine control of enzymes involved in isocitrate oxidation of rat liver mitochondria

Treatment of rats or liver homogenates with catecholamines (isoproterenol or noradrenaline) increased activities of both NAD+ -dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase and NAD(P)+-transhydrogenase (in the direction of hydrogen transfer NADPH----NAD+) with no change in NADP+ -dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase. These effects were realized via beta-adrenoceptors. Cyclic AMP mimicked the catecholamine action on incubation with liver homogenate. The effects of catecholamines and cyclic AMP were not additive.

Ecdysone 20-mono-oxygenase in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria

The enzyme catalysing the hydroxylation of ecdysone to 20-hydroxyecdysone, ecdysone 20-mono-oxygenase (EC 1.14.99.22), was investigated in the Malpighian tubules of fifth-instar locusts, Schistocerca gregaria. Enzyme activity was optimal at 35 degrees C and pH 6.8-8.0. Under these conditions the mono-oxygenase exhibited an apparent Km for ecdysone of 7.1 X 10(-7) M, a maximal specific activity of 1.1 nmol/h per mg of protein and was competitively inhibited by 20-hydroxyecdysone with an apparent Ki of 6.3 X 10(-7) M. Enzyme activity was decreased in the presence of Ca2+, Mg2+, EDTA and non-ionic detergents. The Malpighian tubule ecdysone 20-mono-oxygenase was localized primarily in the subcellular fraction sedimenting at 7500 g and, on the basis of marker enzyme profiles, was assigned mainly to the mitochondria. NADPH was required for activity, although addition of NADH together with NADPH had a synergistic effect. NADP+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.42) and an energy-dependent NAD(P) transhydrogenase (EC 1.6.1.1.) appeared to be the major sources of reducing equivalents, with the contribution from the 'malic enzyme' (EC 1.1.1.40) being less important. The monooxygenase was characterized as a cytochrome P-450-containing mixed-function oxidase from the inhibition patterns with metyrapone, CO and cyanide; CO inhibition was reversible with monochromatic light at 450 nm. However, the ecdysone 20-mono-oxygenase shows much lower sensitivity to CO inhibition and to photodissociation of the CO-inhibited complex than do vertebrate cytochrome P-450-dependent hydroxylation systems. The concentration of cytochrome P-450 in the Malpighian tubule mitochondria was 30 pmol/mg of protein. The properties of the mono-oxygenase are discussed in relation to hydroxylation enzymes from other sources.

Inhibition of nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase in rat liver submitochondrial particles by dicyclohexylcarbodi-imide and butanedione

Nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase in rat liver submitochondrial particles is inhibited by treatment with NN'-dicyclohexylcarbodi-imide or butane-2,3-dione. Both inhibitions are pseudo-first-order with respect to enzyme activity. The reaction order with respect to inhibitor is close to unity for butanedione, but is significantly lower than unity for dicyclohexylcarbodi-imide.

Enzyme induction by daunorubicin in neonatal heart cells in culture

The effect of the antineoplastic agent daunorubicin on beating heart cells from neonatal rats was investigated with respect to cell damage and induction of enzymes possibly involved in drug metabolism. Of the enzymes assayed DT-diaphorase and glutathione-S-transferase showed a two-to-four fold increase in activity: higher concentrations of daunorubicin inactivated glutathione-S-transferase. Daunorubicin toxicity increased in the presence of dicoumarol, a specific inhibitor of DT-diaphorase. These results indicate that both DT-diaphorase and glutathione-S-transferase may be involved in the metabolism of daunorubicin.

Modification of the thiol residues of pyridine nucleotide transhydrogenase from Azotobacter vinelandii. Activity modulation by the divalent thiol reagent p-aminophenylarsenoxide

1. Purified pyridine nucleotide transhydrogenase from Azotobacter vinelandii contains three thiol residues as judged by titration with 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) under denaturing conditions. 2. In the native conformation of the transhydrogenase only a single thiol residue is titrated. Modification of this exposed thiol does not influence transhydrogenase activity. 3. The two less exposed thiol residues can be reacted in part with either p-chloromercuribenzoate or N-ethyl-maleimide. Modification of one residue leads to loss of 40-60% of the enzyme activity in both the forward (NAD+ + NADPH leads to NADH + NADP+) and reverse reaction. The strong inhibitory action of phosphate ions on the reverse reaction [Voordouw et al. (1980) Eur. J. Biochem. 107, 337-344] is abolished after treatment with p-chloromercuribenzoate. Reaction with phenylmercurichloride or p-aminophenylmercuriacetate causes a similar activity loss without affecting the inhibitory action of phosphate. 4. The interaction of the divalent thiol inhibitor p-aminophenylarsenoxide with transhydrogenase was found to be reversible and is characterized by an association constant of 6.3 x 10(5) M-1 at 25 degrees C in 50 mM sodium phosphate pH 7.50. This reversibility indicates formation of a cyclic dithiolarsinite derivative with considerable ring strain. The activity of p-aminophenylarsenoxide-transhydrogenase is modulated by phosphate and magnesium ions. The activity of the transhydrogenase . p-aminophenylarsenoxide complex in the forward reaction is inhibited by phosphate and stimulated by magnesium ions. The reverse reaction is not catalyzed by the enzyme-inhibitor complex. 5. The presence of an activity modulating site in transhydrogenase which binds phosphate ions and has the two less exposed thiol residues in close proximity is indicated by the results.