Subtype-selective positive cooperative interactions between brucine analogs and acetylcholine at muscarinic receptors: functional studies.
(9/1205)
In radioligand binding studies, it has been reported that brucine, N-chloromethyl brucine, and brucine N-oxide increased the affinity of acetylcholine for M1, M3, and M4 muscarinic receptors, respectively, in a manner consistent with the predictions of the ternary complex allosteric model. We now demonstrate an equivalent ability of these three allosteric agents to modulate the actions of acetylcholine in functional studies in membranes and in whole cells. The enhancing actions of brucine and brucine N-oxide on acetylcholine (ACh) potency at M1 and M4 receptors respectively have been confirmed in guanosine-5'-O-(3-[35S]thio)triphosphate, GTPase, cAMP, and intracellular Ca2+ mobilization assays of function. In general, neither the basal nor the maximally stimulated response to ACh is affected. The subtype-selective allosteric effects of N-chloromethyl brucine on M2 and M3 receptors were shown to be qualitatively and quantitatively the same in guanosine-5'-O-(3-[35S]thio)triphosphate functional assays, in terms of both its affinity and cooperativity with ACh, as those found in binding assays. Neutral cooperativity of N-chloromethyl brucine with ACh on M4 receptor function was also observed, thereby demonstrating its "absolute subtype selectivity": a lack of action at any concentration at M4 receptors and an action at M2 and M3 receptors. The enhancing action of N-chloromethyl brucine on neurogenically released ACh binding at M3 receptors was also detected in whole tissue as an increased contraction of the isolated guinea pig ileum to submaximal electrical stimulation. In conclusion, these functional studies confirm that brucine analogs are allosteric enhancers of ACh affinity at certain muscarinic receptor subtypes. (+info)
Secondary radicals derived from chloramines of apolipoprotein B-100 contribute to HOCl-induced lipid peroxidation of low-density lipoproteins.
(10/1205)
Oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) is thought to contribute to atherogenesis. Although there is increasing evidence for a role of myeloperoxidase-derived oxidants such as hypochlorite (HOCl), the mechanism by which HOCl modifies LDL remains controversial. Some studies report the protein component to be the major site of attack, whereas others describe extensive lipid peroxidation. The present study addresses this controversy. The results obtained are consistent with the hypothesis that radical-induced oxidation of LDL's lipids by HOCl is a secondary reaction, with most HOCl consumed via rapid, non-radical reaction with apolipoprotein B-100. Subsequent incubation of HOCl-treated LDL gives rise to lipid peroxidation and antioxidant consumption in a time-dependent manner. Similarly, with myeloperoxidase/H2O2/Cl- (the source of HOCl in vivo), protein oxidation is rapid and followed by an extended period of lipid peroxidation during which further protein oxidation does not occur. The secondary lipid peroxidation process involves EPR-detectable radicals, is attenuated by a radical trap or treatment of HOCl-oxidized LDL with methionine, and occurs less rapidly when the lipoprotein was depleted of alpha-tocopherol. The initial reaction of low concentrations of HOCl (400-fold or 800-fold molar excess) with LDL therefore seems to occur primarily by two-electron reactions with side-chain sites on apolipoprotein B-100. Some of the initial reaction products, identified as lysine-residue-derived chloramines, subsequently undergo homolytic (one-electron) reactions to give radicals that initiate antioxidant consumption and lipid oxidation via tocopherol-mediated peroxidation. The identification of these chloramines, and the radicals derived from them, as initiating agents in LDL lipid peroxidation offers potential new targets for antioxidative therapy in atherogenesis. (+info)
Cytosolic Ca2+ movements of endothelial cells exposed to reactive oxygen intermediates: role of hydroxyl radical-mediated redox alteration of cell-membrane Ca2+ channels.
(11/1205)
1. The mode of action of reactive oxygen intermediates in cysosolic Ca2+ movements of cultured porcine aortic endothelial cells exposed to xanthine/xanthine oxidase (X/XO) was investigated. 2. Cytosolic Ca2+ movements provoked by X/XO consisted of an initial Ca2+ release from thapsigargin-sensitive intracellular Ca2+ stores and a sustained Ca2+ influx through cell-membrane Ca2+ channels. The Ca2+ movements from both sources were inhibited by catalase, cell-membrane permeable iron chelators (o-phenanthroline and deferoxamine), a *OH scavenger (5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide), or an anion channel blocker (disodium 4, 4'-diisothiocyano-2, 2'-stilbenedisulphonic acid), suggesting that *O2- influx through anion channels was responsible for the Ca2+ movements, in which *OH generation catalyzed by intracellular transition metals (i.e., Haber-Weiss cycle) was involved. 3. After an initial Ca2+ elevation provoked by X/XO, cytosolic Ca2+ concentration decreased to a level higher than basal levels. Removal of X/XO slightly enhanced the Ca2+ decrease. Extracellular addition of sulphydryl (SH)-reducing agents, dithiothreitol or glutathione, after the removal of X/XO accelerated the decrement. A Ca2+ channel blocker, Ni2+, abolished the sustained increase in Ca2+, suggesting that Ca2+ influx through cell-membrane Ca2+ channels was extracellularly regulated by the redox state of SH-groups. 4. The X/XO-provoked change in cellular respiration was inhibited by Ni2+ or dithiothreitol as well as inhibitors of Haber-Weiss cycle, suggesting that Ca2+ influx was responsible for *OH-mediated cytotoxicity. We concluded that intracellular *OH generation was involved in the Ca2+ movements in endothelial cells exposed to X/XO. Cytosolic Ca2+ elevation was partly responsible for the oxidants-mediated cytotoxicity. (+info)
Characterization of molecular mobility in seed tissues: an electron paramagnetic resonance spin probe study.
(12/1205)
The relationship between molecular mobility (tauR) of the polar spin probe 3-carboxy-proxyl and water content and temperature was established in pea axes by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and saturation transfer EPR. At room temperature, tauR increased during drying from 10(-11) s at 2.0 g water/g dry weight to 10(-4) s in the dry state. At water contents below 0.07 g water/g dry weight, tauR remained constant upon further drying. At the glass transition temperature, tauR was constant at approximately 10(-4) s for all water contents studied. Above Tg, isomobility lines were found that were approximately parallel to the Tg curve. The temperature dependence of tauR at all water contents studied followed Arrhenius behavior, with a break at Tg. Above Tg the activation energy for rotational motion was approximately 25 kJ/mol compared to 10 kJ/mol below Tg. The temperature dependence of tauR could also be described by the WLF equation, using constants deviating considerably from the universal constants. The temperature effect on tauR above Tg was much smaller in pea axes, as found previously for sugar and polymer glasses. Thus, although glasses are present in seeds, the melting of the glass by raising the temperature will cause only a moderate increase in molecular mobility in the cytoplasm as compared to a huge increase in amorphous sugars. (+info)
Detection of mitochondria-derived reactive oxygen species production by the chemilumigenic probes lucigenin and luminol.
(13/1205)
Both lucigenin and luminol have widely been used as chemilumigenic probes for detecting reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by various cellular systems. Our laboratory has previously demonstrated that lucigenin localizes to the mitochondria of rat alveolar macrophages and that lucigenin-derived chemiluminescence (CL) appears to reflects superoxide O2(-.) production by mitochondria in the unstimulated macrophages. In this study, we further examined the ability of lucigenin- and luminol-derived CL to assess O2(-.) and H2O2 formation, respectively, by isolated intact mitochondria. Mitochondria were isolated from monocytes/macrophages differentiated from monoblastic ML-1 cells. Incubation of the substrate-supported mitochondria with lucigenin at non-redox cycling concentration produced lucigenin-derived CL. Luminol-derived CL was also elicited with substrate-supplemented mitochondria in the presence of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The lucigenin-derived CL was diminished extensively by the membrane permeable superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetics, 2,2,6, 6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl and Mn(III) tetrakis(1-methyl-4-pyridyl)porphyrin, but not by Cu,Zn-SOD. On the other hand, luminol-derived CL was not observed in the absence of HRP and was significantly inhibited by catalase. A spectrum of agents known to specifically affect mitochondrial respiration exhibited corresponding effects on both lucigenin- and luminol-derived CL. Taken together, our results demonstrate that with isolated mitochondria lucigenin-derived CL monitors intramitochondrial O2(-.) production by the mitochondrial electron transport chain, whereas the luminol-derived CL detects H2O2 released from the mitochondria. As such, use of both probes provides a comprehensive and clear assessment of ROS production by mitochondria. (+info)
NMR studies of electrostatic potential distribution around biologically important molecules.
(14/1205)
A new experimental approach has been developed to study the distribution of local electrostatic potential around specific protons in biologically important molecules. The approach is the development of a method denoted as "spin label/spin probe," which was proposed by one of us (. Mol. Biol. 6:498-507). The proposed method is based upon the quantitative measurement of the contribution of differently charged nitroxide probes to the spin lattice relaxation rate (1/T1) of protons in the molecule of interest, followed by calculation of local electrostatic potential using the classical Debye equation. In parallel, the theoretical calculation of potential distribution with the use of the MacSpartan Plus 1.0 program has been performed. Application of the method to solutions of simple organic molecules (aliphatic and aromatic alcohols, aliphatic carboxylates (propionate anion), and protonated ethyl amine and imidazole) allowed us to estimate the effective potential around the molecules under investigation. These were found to be in good agreement with theoretically expected values. This technique was then applied to zwitterionic amino acids bearing neutral and charged side chains (glycine, lysine, histidine, and aspartic acid). The reliability of the general approach is proved by the data presented in this paper. Application of this new methodology can afford insight into the biochemical significance of electrostatic effects in biological systems. (+info)
Spin-trapping agent alpha-phenyl N-tert-butylnitrone binds to trypsin and enhances heparin-induced inhibition of amidolytic activity and structural degradation of the enzyme.
(15/1205)
The effects of heparin on trypsin have recently been demonstrated to involve inhibition of catalytic activity and degradation of the enzyme by means of an oxidative mechanism. The possibility that alpha-phenyl N-tert-butylnitrone protects heparin-induced radical formation on trypsin was investigated by measuring amidolytic activity and changes in the structure of trypsin in the presence of heparin with and without alpha-phenyl N-tert-butylnitrone. The results show that alpha-phenyl N-tert-butylnitrone does not only prevent, but it even significantly enhances effects of heparin on the enzyme. This is due to the unique property of alpha-phenyl N-tert-butylnitrone, independently of spin-trapping capacity, to modify the trypsin structure by binding irreversibly to the catalytic triad, at sites distinct from those to which heparin binds. (+info)
Human cytoplasmic aconitase (Iron regulatory protein 1) is converted into its [3Fe-4S] form by hydrogen peroxide in vitro but is not activated for iron-responsive element binding.
(16/1205)
Iron regulatory protein 1 (IRP1) regulates the synthesis of proteins involved in iron homeostasis by binding to iron-responsive elements (IREs) of messenger RNA. IRP1 is a cytoplasmic aconitase when it contains a [4Fe-4S] cluster and an RNA-binding protein after complete removal of the metal center by an unknown mechanism. Human IRP1, obtained as the pure recombinant [4Fe-4S] form, is an enzyme as efficient toward cis-aconitate as the homologous mitochondrial aconitase. The aconitase activity of IRP1 is rapidly lost by reaction with hydrogen peroxide as the [4Fe-4S] cluster is quantitatively converted into the [3Fe-4S] form with release of a single ferrous ion per molecule. The IRE binding capacity of IRP1 is not elicited with H(2)O(2). Ferrous sulfate (but not other more tightly coordinated ferrous ions, such as the complex with ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid) counteracts the inhibitory action of hydrogen peroxide on cytoplasmic aconitase, probably by replenishing iron at the active site. These results cast doubt on the ability of reactive oxygen species to directly increase IRP1 binding to IRE and support a signaling role for hydrogen peroxide in the posttranscriptional control of proteins involved in iron homeostasis in vivo. (+info)