Circular dichroism studies on the interaction between human serum albumin and thyroxine

Structural Investigations of a New Familial Dysalbuminemic Hyperthyroxinemia Genotype

Background: In a previous study, we found that the amino acid substitution R218H in human serum albumin (HSA) was the cause of familial dysalbuminemic hyperthyroxinemia (FDH) in several Caucasian patients. Subsequently the substitution R218P was shown to be the cause of FDH in several members of a Japanese family. This study attempts to resolve discrepancies in the only other study of R218P HSA and identifies two new Japanese R218P FDH patients unrelated to those described previously.

Methods and Results: Recombinant R218H, R218P, and wild-type HSA were synthesized in yeast, and the affinities of these HSA species for l- and d-thyroxine were determined using fluorescence spectroscopy. The dissociation constants for the binding of wild-type, R218P, and R218H HSA to l-thyroxine were 1.44 × 10−6, 2.64 × 10−7, and 2.49 × 10−7 mol/L, respectively. The circular dichroism spectra of thyroxine bound to R218H and R218P HSA were markedly different, indicating that the structure of the thyroxine/HSA complex is different for either protein.

Conclusions: The Kd values for l-thyroxine bound to R218P and R218H HSA determined in this study were similar. The extremely high serum total-thyroxine concentrations reported previously for R218P FDH patients (10-fold higher than those reported for R218H FDH patients) are not consistent with the Kd values determined in this study. Possible explanations for these discrepancies are discussed.

Mutations in a specific human serum albumin thyroxine binding site define the structural basis of familial dysalbuminemic hyperthyroxinemia

The familial dysalbuminemic hyperthyroxinemia (FDH) phenotype results from a natural human serum albumin (HSA) mutant with histidine instead of arginine at amino acid position 218. This mutation results in an enhanced affinity for thyroxine. Site-directed mutagenesis and a yeast protein expression system were used to synthesize wild type HSA and FDH HSA as well as several other HSA mutants. Studies on the binding of thyroxine to these HSA species using equilibrium dialysis and quenching of tryptophan 214 fluorescence suggest that the FDH mutation affects a single thyroxine binding site located in the 2A subdomain of HSA. Site-directed mutagenesis of HSA and thyroxine analogs were used to obtain information about the mechanism of thyroxine binding to both wild type and FDH HSA. These studies suggest that the guanidino group of arginine at amino acid position 218 in wild type HSA is involved in an unfavorable binding interaction with the amino group of thyroxine, whereas histidine at amino acid position 218 in FDH HSA is involved in a favorable binding interaction with thyroxine. Neither arginine at amino acid position 222 nor tryptophan at amino acid position 214 appears to favorably influence the binding of thyroxine to wild type HSA.

Characterization of thyroxine-albumin binding using high-performance affinity chromatography. II. Comparison of the binding of thyroxine, triiodothyronines and related compounds at the warfarin and indole sites of human serum albumin

High-performance affinity chromatography was used to examine the binding of thyroid hormones and related compounds at the warfarin and indole sites of human serum albumin (HSA). This was studied by continuously applying L-triiodothyronine (L-T3), L-reverse triiodothyronine (L-rT3) or structural analogs of these compounds to an immobilized HSA column while making injections of site-specific probe molecules (i.e. R-warfarin and L-tryptophan). The results were compared with those obtained previously for L-thyroxine (L-T4). Equilibrium association constants and thermodynamic parameters measured by this approach showed good agreement with previous models reported for L-T4 and L-T3 at their high-affinity sites on HSA. This data confirmed that the phenol groups of L-T4 and L-T3 played a significant role in the binding of these compounds at the indole site. Work performed at the warfarin site and with other solutes (e.g. L-rT3) indicated that additional factors, such as interactions through the thyronine backbone or terminal amine and carboxyl groups of these compounds, could also be involved in the binding of thyroid hormones to HSA.

Binding characteristics of a major thyroid hormone metabolite, 3,3',5'-triiodo-L-thyronine, to bovine serum albumin as measured by fluorescence

The interaction between a major thyroid hormone metabolite, 3,3',5'-triiodo-L-thyronine and bovine serum albumin was investigated by fluorescence measurements. The apparent binding constants were obtained at various pHs assuming the equivalence and independence of the interaction sites on the protein from the fluorescence titration curves. The maximum binding was attained at pH 8.0, and the apparent binding constant was (5.28 +/- 0.13).10(5) M-1 with one binding site per albumin molecule. Thermodynamic parameters were also determined from the van't Hoff plot of the apparent binding constants at pH 7.5. The free energy change, enthalpy change and entropy change were -7.70 +/- 0.09 kcal.mol-1, -4.59 kcal.mol-1 and 10.2 e.u., respectively.

6-Nitro-L-tryptophan: a novel spectroscopic probe of trp aporepressor and human serum albumin

The binding of 6-nitro-L-tryptophan to trp aporepressor and human serum albumin has been examined by visible difference spectroscopy and circular dichroism. 6-Nitro-L-tryptophan, prepared by nitration of L-tryptophan with nitric acid in glacial acetic acid, exhibits a visible and near-uv absorption spectrum with lambda max at about 330 nm (epsilon = 7 X 10(3) M-1 cm-1) and a shoulder near 380 nm in H2O. In the presence of trp aporepressor, the visible absorption intensity is sharply diminished. Visible difference spectral titration data give KD = 1.27 X 10(-4) M and n = 0.95 per subunit at 25 degrees C. While 6-nitro-L-tryptophan exhibits no significant circular dichroism between 300 and 500 nm, the complex with trp aporepressor exhibits strong circular dichroism signals, with a negative maximum at 386 nm (delta epsilon = -7.5 M-1 cm-1) and a positive maximum at 310 nm (delta epsilon = +6 M-1 cm-1). Circular dichroism titration data give KD = 1.69 X 10(-4) M and n = 0.90 per subunit at 25 degrees C. The KD values determined spectroscopically are in excellent agreement with that determined by equilibrium dialysis, KD = 1.5 X 10(-4) M at 25 degrees C. In the presence of human serum albumin, the spectrum of 6-nitro-L-tryptophan exhibits a blue shift and an increase in absorption intensity; similar changes are observed in solvents of low dielectric contrast such as 80% aqueous dioxane. Visible difference spectral titration data give KD = 8.0 X 10(-5) M and n = 0.95 for human serum albumin. The complex of 6-nitro-L-tryptophan with human serum albumin exhibits a strong positive circular dichroism maximum at 380 nm (delta epsilon = +9.8 M-1 cm-1) with a shoulder at 310-320 nm. Circular dichroism titration data give KD = 6.4 X 10(-5) M and n = 0.83, in good agreement with the visible difference spectral results. Taken together, our results demonstrate the utility of 6-nitro-L-tryptophan as a spectroscopic probe for tryptophan-binding proteins.