Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Antonietta Impagliazzo

Publications and source records attributed to Antonietta Impagliazzo.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Redox-state-dependent complex formation between pseudoazurin and nitrite reductase.

Bacterial copper-containing nitrite reductase catalyzes the reduction of nitrite to nitric oxide as part of the denitrification process. Pseudoazurin interacts with nitrite reductase in a transient fashion to supply the necessary electrons. The redox-state dependence of complex formation between pseudoazurin and nitrite reductase was studied by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry. Binding of pseudoazurin in the reduced state is characterized by the presence of two binding modes, a slow and a fast exchange mode, with a K(d)(app) of 100 microM. In the oxidized state of pseudoazurin, binding occurs in a single fast exchange mode with a similar affinity. Metal-substituted proteins have been used to show that the mode of binding of pseudoazurin is independent of the metal charge of nitrite reductase. Contrary to what was found for other cupredoxins, protonation of the exposed His ligand to the copper of pseudoazurin, His81, does not appear to be involved directly in the dual binding mode of the reduced form. A model assuming the presence of a minor form of pseudoazurin is proposed to explain the behavior of the complex in the reduced state.

Alcaligenes faecalis↗

Pseudoazurin-nitrite reductase interactions.

The nitrite reductase-binding site on pseudoazurin has been determined by using NMR chemical-shift perturbations. It comprises residues in the hydrophobic patch surrounding the exposed copper ligand His81 as well as several positively charged residues. The binding site is similar for both redox states of pseudoazurin, despite differences in the binding mode. The results suggest that pseudoazurin binds in a well-defined orientation. Docking simulations provide a putative structure of the complex with a binding site on nitrite reductase that has several hydrophobic and polar residues as well as a ridge of negatively charged side chains and a copper-to-copper distance of 14 A.

Azurin↗

A caged lanthanide complex as a paramagnetic shift agent for protein NMR.

A lanthanide complex, named CLaNP (caged lanthanide NMR probe) has been developed for the characterisation of proteins by paramagnetic NMR spectroscopy. The probe consists of a lanthanide chelated by a derivative of DTPA (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid) with two thiol reactive functional groups. The CLaNP molecule is attached to a protein by two engineered, surface-exposed, Cys residues in a bidentate manner. This drastically limits the dynamics of the metal relative to the protein and enables measurements of pseudocontact shifts. NMR spectroscopy experiments on a diamagnetic control and the crystal structure of the probe-protein complex demonstrate that the protein structure is not affected by probe attachment. The probe is able to induce pseudocontact shifts to at least 40 A from the metal and causes residual dipolar couplings due to alignment at a high magnetic field. The molecule exists in several isomeric forms with different paramagnetic tensors; this provides a fast way to obtain long-range distance restraints.

Azurin↗

Mapping of the binding site on pseudoazurin in the transient 152 kDa complex with nitrite reductase.

Nitrite reductase (NiR) catalyzes the reduction of nitrite to nitrite oxide as a part of the denitrification process. In Alcaligenes faecalis S-6, the copper protein pseudoazurin acts as electron donor to NiR. The binding surface of pseudoazurin involved in the formation of the 152 kDa complex with NiR has been determined by NMR using cross saturation from NiR to perdeuterated pseudoazurin. Due to the transient nature of the complex, saturation effects can be observed on the resonances of the unbound protein. The binding site comprises the hydrophobic area surrounding the exposed copper ligand His81, suggesting that this residue is important for efficient electron transfer.

Alcaligenes faecalis↗