NMR and circular dichroism studies of synthetic peptides derived from the third intracellular loop of the β-adrenoceptor

AbstractThe C-terminal part of the third intracellular loop of the β-adrenoceptor is capable of stimulating adenylate cyclase in the presence of phospholipid vesicles via the stimulatory guanine nucleotide binding protein (Gs) [Palm et al. (1989) FEBS Lett. 254, 89–93]. We have investigated the structure of synthetic peptides corresponding to residues 284–295 of the turkey erythrocyte adrenoceptor in micelles, trifluoroethanol and aqueous solution, by using 2D 1H NMR and CD. In the presence of phospholipid micelles the peptides display a C-terminal α-helical region, whereas the N-terminal part was found to be highly flexible

Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance ® , 3(4), 349–360 (2001) Mechanisms of the Effects of Nicorandil in the Isolated Rat Heart During Ischemia and Reperfusion: A 31 P-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Study

Nicorandil (SG75) is a potent K �-channel activator with an additional nitro moiety. In the present study we investigated the potential mechanisms (K �-channel activation and nitric oxide [NO] release) for the effects of nicorandil on isolated perfused rat hearts during total global ischemia using 31 P-nuclear magnetic resonance. After a 10-min control perfusion, hearts were subjected to treatment with nicorandilcontaining (100, 300, or 1000 µM) buffer for 10 min, 15 min of total global ischemia, and 30 min of reperfusion. At high dose (10 �3 M), nicorandil reduced ATP depletion during ischemia by 26 % compared with untreated hearts. Blockade of K � channels by glibenclamide prevented this protective effect. At all doses (10 �4 to 10 �3 M), nicorandil reduced the accumulation of protons during ischemia compared with untreated hearts (pH 6.22 � 0.03 vs. 6.02 � 0.05 in untreated hearts at the end of ischemia). This effect was preserved after blockade of K � channels by glibenclamide. Hearts treated with nitroglycerine before ischemia also showed reduced proton accumulation. Therefore, NO release accompanied by increased coronary flow before ischemia, which is caused by the nitro moiety of nicorandil and nitroglycerine treatment, results in reduced proton accumulation. During reperfusion, a pro-arrhythmic effect was observed in hearts treated with the nonpharmacologically high dose of nicorandil (1000 µM). Thus, we conclude that the effects of nicorandil are caused Address correspondence and reprint requests to Michael Horn

Global expression analysis of the yeast Lachancea (saccharomyces) kluyveri reveals new URC genes involved in pyrimidine catabolism

Pyrimidines are important nucleic acid precursors which are constantly synthesized, degraded, and rebuilt in the cell. Four degradation pathways, two of which are found in eukaryotes, have been described. One of them, the URC pathway, has been initially discovered in our laboratory in the yeast Lachancea kluyveri. Here, we present the global changes in gene expression in L. kluyveri in response to different nitrogen sources, including uracil, uridine, dihydrouracil, and ammonia. The expression pattern of the known URC genes, URC1-6, helped to identify nine putative novel URC genes with a similar expression pattern. The microarray analysis provided evidence that both the URC and PYD genes are under nitrogen catabolite repression in L. kluyveri and are induced by uracil or dihydrouracil, respectively. We determined the function of URC8, which was found to catalyze the reduction of malonate semialdehyde to 3-hydroxypropionate, the final degradation product of the pathway. The other eight genes studied were all putative permeases. Our analysis of double deletion strains showed that the L. kluyveri Fui1p protein transported uridine, just like its homolog in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but we demonstrated that is was not the only uridine transporter in L. kluyveri. We also showed that the L. kluyveri homologs of DUR3 and FUR4 do not have the same function that they have in S. cerevisiae, where they transport urea and uracil, respectively. In L. kluyveri, both of these deletion strains grew normally on uracil and urea

Acid-Base Chemical Mechanism of Aspartase From Hafnia alvei

An acid-base chemical mechanism is proposed for Hafnia alvei aspartase in which a proton is abstracted from C-3 of the monoanionic form of L-aspartate by an enzyme general base with a pK of 6.3-6.6 in the absence and presence of Mg2+. The resulting carbanion is presumably stabilized by delocalization of electrons into the β-carboxyl with the assistance of a protonated enzyme group in the vicinity of the β-carboxyl. Ammonia is then expelled with the assistance of a general acid group that traps an initially expelled NH3 as the final NH+4 product. In agreement with the function of the general acid group, potassium, an analog of NH+4, binds optimally when the group is unprotonated. The pK for the general acid is about 7 in the absence of Mg2+, but is increased by about a pH unit in the presence of Mg2+. Since the same pK values are observed in the pKisuccinate and V/K pH profile, both enzyme groups must be in their optimum protonation state for efficient binding of reactant in the presence of Mg2+. At the end of a catalytic cycle, both the general base and general acid groups are in a protonation state opposite that in which they started when aspartate was bound. The presence of Mg2+ causes a pH-dependent activation of aspartase exhibited as a partial change in the V and V/Kasp pH profiles. When the aspartase reaction is run in D2O to greater than 50% completion no deuterium is found in the remaining aspartate, indicating that the site is inaccessible to solvent during the catalytic cycle

A functional analysis of the pyrimidine catabolic pathway in Arabidopsis

Reductive catabolism of pyrimidine nucleotides occurs via a three-step pathway in which uracil is degraded to β-alanine, CO2 and NH3 through sequential activities of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (EC 1.3.1.2, PYD1), dihydropyrimidinase (EC 3.5.2.2, PYD2) and β-ureidopropionase (EC 3.5.1.6, PYD3).A proposed function of this pathway, in addition to the maintenance of pyrimidine homeostasis, is the recycling of pyrimidine nitrogen to general nitrogen metabolism. PYD expression and catabolism of [2-14C]-uracil are markedly elevated in response to nitrogen limitation in plants, which can utilize uracil as a nitrogen source.PYD1, PYD2 and PYD3 knockout mutants were used for functional analysis of this pathway in Arabidopsis. pyd mutants exhibited no obvious phenotype under optimal growing conditions. pyd2 and pyd3 mutants were unable to catabolize [2-14C]-uracil or to grow on uracil as the sole nitrogen source. By contrast, catabolism of uracil was reduced by only 40% in pyd1 mutants, and pyd1 seedlings grew nearly as well as wild-type seedlings with a uracil nitrogen source. These results confirm PYD1 function and suggest the possible existence of another, as yet unknown, activity for uracil degradation to dihydrouracil in this plant.The localization of PYD-green fluorescent protein fusions in the plastid (PYD1), secretory system (PYD2) and cytosol (PYD3) suggests potentially complex metabolic regulation

Aberrant Cyclization Affords a C-6 Modified Cyclic Adenosine 5′-Diphosphoribose Analogue with Biological Activity in Jurkat T Cells

*S Supporting Information ABSTRACT: Two nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD +) analogues modified at the 6 position of the purine ring were synthesized, and their substrate properties toward Aplysia californica ADP-ribosyl cyclase were investigated. 6-N-Methyl NAD + (6-N-methyl nicotinamide adenosine 5′-dinucleotide 10) hydrolyzes to give the linear 6-N-methyl ADPR (adenosine 5′-diphosphoribose, 11), whereas 6-thio NHD + (nicotinamide 6-mercaptopurine 5′-dinucleotide, 17) generates a cyclic dinucleotide. Surprisingly, NMR correlation spectra confirm this compound to be the N1 cyclic product 6-thio N1-cIDPR (6-thio cyclic inosine 5′-diphosphoribose, 3), although the corresponding 6-oxo analogue is well-known to cyclize at N7. In Jurkat T cells, unlike the parent cyclic inosine 5′-diphosphoribose N1-cIDPR 2, 6-thio N1-cIDPR antagonizes both cADPR- and N1cIDPR-induced Ca 2+ release but possesses weak agonist activity at higher concentration. 3 is thus identified as the first C-6 modified cADPR (cyclic adenosine 5′-diphosphoribose) analogue antagonist; it represents the first example of a fluorescent N1cyclized cADPR analogue and is a new pharmacological tool for intervention in the cADPR pathway of cellular signaling

Plasticity of the tryptophan synthase active site probed by 31P NMR spectroscopy

The functional properties of tryptophan synthase alpha2beta2 complex are modulated by a variety of allosteric effectors, including pH, monovalent cations, and alpha-subunit ligands. The dynamic properties of the beta-active site were probed by 31P NMR spectroscopy of the enzyme-bound coenzyme pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. The 31P NMR signal of the cofactor phosphate of the internal aldimine exhibits a single peak at 3.73 ppm with a line width of 12 Hz. In the presence of saturating concentrations of sodium ions, the 31P signal shifts to 3.97 ppm concomitant with a change in line width to 35 Hz. The latter indicates that sodium ions decrease the conformational flexibility of the coenzyme. In the absence of ions, lowering pH leads to the appearance of a second peak at 4.11 ppm, the intensity of which decreases in the presence of cesium ions. Addition of L-serine in the presence of sodium ions leads to the formation of the external aldimine, the first metastable catalytic intermediate. The 31P signal does not change its position, but a change in line width from 35 to 5 Hz is observed, revealing that this species is characterized by a considerable degree of rotational freedom around the coenzyme C-O bond. In the presence of L-serine and either cesium ions or the allosteric effector indole-3-acetylglycine, the accumulation of the second catalytic intermediate, alpha-aminoacrylate, is observed. The 31P signal is centered at 3.73 ppm with a line width of 5 Hz, indicating that the phosphate group of the coenzyme in the external aldimine and the alpha-aminoacrylate exhibits the same flexibility but a slightly different state of ionization. Because the alpha-aminoacrylate intermediate but not the external aldimine triggers the allosteric signal to the alpha-subunit, other portions of the beta-active site modify their dynamic properties in response to the progress of the catalytic process. A narrow line width was also observed for the quinonoid species formed by nucleophilic attack of indoline to the alpha-aminoacrylate. The 31P signal moves downfield to 4.2 ppm, indicating a possible change of the ionization state of the phosphate group. Thus, the modification of either the ionization state of the coenzyme phosphate or its flexibility or both are, at least in part, responsible for the conformational events that accompany the catalytic process