Electron spin resonance studies of bovine plasma amine oxidase. Probing of the environment about the substrate-liberated sulfhydryl groups in the active site

Crystal structure of a eukaryotic (pea seedling) copper-containing amine oxidase at 2.2 A resolution

BACKGROUND

Copper-containing amine oxidases catalyze the oxidative deamination of primary amines to aldehydes, in a reaction that requires free radicals. These enzymes are important in many biological processes, including cell differentiation and growth, would healing, detoxification and signalling. The catalytic reaction requires a redox cofactor, topa quinone (TPQ), which is derived by post-translational modification of an invariant tyrosine residue. Both the biogenesis of the TPQ cofactor and the reaction catalyzed by the enzyme require the presence of a copper atom at the active site. The crystal structure of a prokaryotic copper amine oxidase from E. coli (ECAO) has recently been reported.

RESULTS

The first structure of a eukaryotic (pea seedling) amine oxidase (PSAO) has been solved and refined at 2.2 A resolution. The crystallographic phases were derived from a single phosphotungstic acid derivative. The positions of the tungsten atoms in the W12 clusters were obtained by molecular replacement using E. coli amine oxidase as a search model. The methodology avoided bias from the search model, and provides an essentially independent view of a eukaryotic amine oxidase. The PSAO molecule is a homodimer; each subunit has three domains. The active site of each subunit lies near an edge of the beta-sandwich of the largest domain, but is not accessible from the solvent. The essential active-site copper atom is coordinated by three histidine side chains and two water molecules in an approximately square-pyramidal arrangement. All the atoms of the TPQ cofactor are unambiguously defined, the shortest distance to the copper atom being approximately 6 A.

CONCLUSIONS

There is considerable structural homology between PSAO and ECAO. A combination of evidence from both structures indicates that the TPQ side chain is sufficiently flexible to permit the aromatic grouf to rotate about the Cbeta-Cgamma bond, and to move between bonding and non-bonding positions with respect to the Cu atom. Conformational flexibility is also required at the surface of the molecule to allow the substrates access to the active site, which is inaccessible to solvent, as expected for an enzyme that uses radical chemistry.

Probing conformational states of spin-labeled aspartate aminotransferase by ESR

Mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase was selectively labeled with various maleimide-linked nitroxide spin labels at the conformationally sensitive Cys166. The mobility of the spin group was found to increase with increasing length of the spacer between the nitroxide and maleimide moiety. The label with the ethylcarbamoyl group, a spacer of intermediate length, responded sensitively to conformational changes of aspartate aminotransferase. The modification with this label decreased the enzymic activity to 30% of its initial value and increased the affinity for various substrates and inhibitors 5-10-fold. Identical ESR spectra were obtained for the pyridoxal and pyridoxamine form of the enzyme. These spectra are complex, consisting of an isotropic and at least two anisotropic components. The spectral complexity is attributed to different modes of interaction of the spin label with its local protein environment giving rise to different motional states. The same changes in the ESR spectra have been observed upon formation of the adsorption complex of the pyridoxal form with a competitive inhibitor and on formation of covalent intermediates of the transamination reaction. Essentially, the isotropic component is converted to a new anisotropic one as the local environment changes due to a conformational adaptation of aspartate aminotransferase. The ESR data are consistent with an equilibrium between two conformational states of the enzyme but inconsistent with individual protein conformations of the various intermediates of the transamination reaction. The two conformational states may be assigned to the open and closed conformations as defined by X-ray crystallography. In the adsorption complex of the pyridoxal enzyme, and in the covalent intermediates, the two-state equilibrium appears to be shifted towards the closed conformation in which the spin label is more rigidly bound, as also suggested by molecular dynamic simulations of the label modelled into aspartate aminotransferase. In contrast the formation of adsorption complexes between the pyridoxamine form and aspartate or maleate was not accompanied by the same shift of the conformational equilibrium.

Hydroxyl radical production in the reactions of copper-containing amine oxidases with substrates

Solutions of porcine kidney diamine oxidase, PKDAO, and bovine plasma amine oxidase, BPAO, were saturated with the spin-trapping agent alpha-phenyl-N-t-butylnitrone, PBN, and incubated with cadaverine or benzylamine substrate, respectively, under aerobic conditions. EPR spectra due to trapped hydroxyl radicals were obtained for both enzymes with no evidence of superoxide formation. Under anaerobic conditions, hydroxyl radicals were formed only when H2O2 was present as well as substrate. Catalase prevented hydroxyl radical formation by PKDAO but not BPAO. The results indicate that hydroxyl radical is produced in the reaction of the product H2O2 with the reduced enzymes and therefore may be important in turnover-related enzyme degradation, but is not a true reaction intermediate.

EPR studies of spin-labeled bovine plasma amine oxidase: the nature of the substrate-binding site

The carbonyl cofactor of bovine plasma amine oxidase (EC 1.4.3.6), recently shown to be 6-hydroxydopa (also known as topa), has been spin labeled to the extent of one label per enzyme dimer molecule, using 4-amino-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl (4-amino-TEMPO) and 4-hydrazino-TEMPO followed by reduction with borohydride. By studying the EPR spectra of the labeled enzyme, it has been deduced that there is no magnetic interaction between the copper and the spin label, and that the spin label is at least 1.3 nm distant from the copper(II) ion in the resting enzyme. The bound label is strongly immobilized, is in a sterically constricted environment, and is not accessible to small anions. Removal of the copper does not alter the EPR spectrum of the label. The results are similar to results for porcine plasma amine oxidase, and show that the copper is not close to, and does not directly interact with, the topa-bound substrate.

Interaction of spin-labeled tryptophan with sickle hemoglobin: probing the microenvironment of the contact sites by spin-probe--spin-label techniques

The spin-labeled tryptophan was used as a structural probe of hemoglobin contact sites. The ESR spectral data indicated that the probe exhibits weak binding to hemoglobin with a dissociation constant of 3.2.10(-5) and 4.0 mol bound per hemoglobin tetramer. The spectrum suggested that the bound tryptophan was 'partially immobilized' with a correlation time reflecting the environment of the tryptophan binding site of 8.2 ns. The topology of the contact sites was investigated by using dual spin-label methodology in which spin-labeled tryptophan and (2H,15N) substituted and deuterated maleimide spin label [2H-15N]MSL covalently-bound to Cys-beta 93 residue were used. The ESR spectral data suggested that the tryptophan binding sites were located within 8-10 A of the nitroxide free radical of spin-labeled hemoglobin. The environment of the contact sites is discussed.

Interaction of spin-labeled tryptamine with monoamine oxidase: probing the microenvironment of the active site by spin probe-spin label techniques

The spin-labeled substrate, tryptamine, was used as a structural probe of the active site of bovine liver monoamine oxidase B (amine:oxygen oxidoreductase (deaminating) (flavin-containing), EC 1.4.3.4). When the reaction was monitored by electron spin resonance (ESR), line broadening effects indicative of binding with an apparent relation to substrate specificity of the highly purified enzyme were observed. The spectrum indicated that the bound tryptamine was 'partially immobilized' with a dissociation constant of 39 microM and 2.2 mol bound per enzyme dimer. The correlation time, reflecting the environment of the tryptamine binding site, was determined to be 6.2 ns. The topology of the active site was investigated by using dual spin-label methodology in which the spin-labeled substrate, tryptamine, and the 15N-substituted and deuterated maleimide spin label covalently bound to the essential sulfhydryl groups were used. The ESR spectral data suggested that the essential sulfhydryl groups are at least 14 A away from the tryptamine-binding site. The environment surrounding both spin-labeled substrates, tryptamine and [2H,15N]MSL, and the motional properties of the enzyme are discussed.

Microenvironment around the essential cysteine residues in chicken liver fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase as analyzed by ESR spin labelling

Chemical modification and electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR) spin-labelling techniques have been employed to investigate the local environment of the essential sulfhydryl groups of chicken liver fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase. The results demonstrate the presence of two distinct classes of sulfhydryl groups in this enzyme. The first class react preferentially with iodoacetate and its spin-labelled derivative, and this results in an increase in catalytic activity, while the second class react preferentially with N-ethylmaleimide and its spin-labelled derivative, and this leads to a decrease in catalytic activity. The ESR spectral data strongly suggest that the first class of sulfhydryl groups are located in a deep cleft of the enzyme molecule, while the second class of sulfhydryl groups are located in a shallow crevice. The environment of the second class of the sulfhydryl groups appears to undergo a significant change after the modification of the first class of sulfhydryl groups by iodoacetate.

Conformation of spin-labeled tropomyosin in reconstituted muscle thin filaments in response to calcium ion and heavy meromyosin

Tropomyosin (TM) exists in thermal equilibrium between a highly structured N state, a partially unfolded X state, and a completely unfolded D state, i.e., N in equilibrium X in equilibrium D. The strongly immobilized electron spin resonance (ESR) spectral component of spin-labeled TM corresponds to TM in the N state and the weakly immobilized component to TM in the X state below the main unfolding transition and to TM in the D state above this transition [Graceffa, P., & Lehrer, S. S. (1984) Biochemistry 23, 2606-2612]. The addition of actin, troponin (TN), and heavy meromyosin (HMM) to spin-labeled TM reduces the ratio of weakly to strongly immobilized labels, indicating a shift in the N in equilibrium X in equilibrium D equilibrium toward the N state. At 37 degrees C, for spin-labeled TM alone K (=X/N) greater than 1.0 with some TM in the D state, K = 0.8 for spin-labeled TM bound to actin, and K less than 0.05 for spin-labeled TM bound to actin + TN +/- Ca2+, actin + HMM + TN +/- Ca2+, and actin + HMM. Thus, actin + TN dramatically shifts the TM structure to the N conformation with little further effect upon addition of Ca2+ or HMM. The temperature at which spin-labeled TM begins to dissociate from a protein complex was determined from the temperature dependence of the ESR spectra.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Studies of the mobility of maleimide spin labels within the erythrocyte membrane

We have confirmed a method yielding reproducible and reliable spectrometric parameters derived from spin-labeled erythrocyte ghosts using nitroxide derivatives of maleimide compounds. The disorder parameter, W/S, was shown to vary with changes in the structure of the label, the conditions utilized for labeling such as ionic strength and erythrocyte age and the presence of drugs such as alcohol and acetaminophen. The nitroxide spectrum was also found to change with increasing and decreasing temperature in an irreversible manner. These findings should permit increased reliance to be placed on the spin-labeling technique when used to monitor changes in membrane lipid or protein assembly.

Essential sulfhydryl groups in diamine oxidase from Euphorbia characias latex

Diamine oxidase from Euphorbia characias latex contains two sulfhydryl groups per mole of dimeric enzyme. The sulfhydryl groups are unreactive in the native enzyme but can be readily titrated by 4,4'-dithiodipyridine after protein denaturation, or anaerobically in the presence of the amine substrate. In the presence of both substrates (diamine and oxygen) they react sluggishly. The sulfhydryl groups show different reactivity toward various reagents, but in every case their modification inhibits catalytic activity. The insensitivity of the native enzyme to specific reagents suggests that the sulfhydryl groups are positioned in the interior of the protein and shielded from the solvent. Their reactivity in the presence of the amine substrate could be attributed to a conformational change occurring upon substrate binding or after substrate oxidation.