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D E Edmondson

Publications and source records attributed to D E Edmondson.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Covalently bound non-coenzyme phosphorus residues in flavoproteins: 31P nuclear magnetic resonance studies of Azotobacter flavodoxin.

In addition to the 5'-phosphate ester on its flavin mononucleotide (FMN) moiety, flavodoxin from Azotobacter vinelandii contains 2 moles of tightly bound phosphate. One non-coenzyme phosphate group is covalently bound to the protein, as it remains with the protein on acid precipitation, whereas the other phosphate is released. The invariance of the (31)P nuclear magnetic resonance chemical shift of the covalently bound phosphate (-0.8 ppm relative to 85% phosphoric acid) with pH, even in the presence of protein denaturants, implies it is in a diester linkage to the protein. Because no evidence could be found for the presence of covalently bound sugars, nucleotides, or phospholipids, it is suggested that the phosphate residue forms a diester linkage with two hydroxyl amino acids in the protein. The only other suggestion of a phosphodiester linkage in proteins is from previous studies on pepsin and pepsinogen [Perlmann, G. E. (1955) Adv. Prot. Chem. 10, 1-30]. The observed changes in (31)P chemical shift with pH show that the covalent phosphorus in pepsinogen has ionization properties of a monoester rather than a diester. The (31)P resonance of the FMN phosphate occurs at -5.6 ppm in native Azotobacter flavodoxin. No ionization of the protein-bound FMN phosphate is observed since the chemical shift does not change appreciably in the pH range of 5.5-9.5. The chemical shift data suggest, but do not prove, that the coenzyme phosphate in its protein-bound form is dianionic. Chemical analysis of several other flavoenzymes from a variety of sources shows the presence of covalently bound phosphorus in quantities stoichiometric with the flavin content in most of the enzymes tested. Thus, the presence of covalent phosphorus in flavoenzymes may be a general phenomenon with currently unknown catalytic significance.

Apoproteins↗

Identification and properties of the covalently bound flavin of beta-cyclopiazonate oxidocyclase.

Beta-Cyclopiazonate oxidocyclase from Penicillium cyclopium has been previously shown to contain flavin dinucleotide in covalent linkage to the protein. In the present study, a pure flavin mononucleotide peptide was isolated from the enzyme by tryptic-chymotryptic digestion, chromatography on Florisil and on diethylaminoethylcellulose, and hydrolysis with nucleotide pyrophosphatase. The flavin peptide contains 9 amino acids, including histidine in linkage to the flavin, and Asx as the N-terminal residue. The fluorescence of the flavin in the FMN peptide is profoundly quenched even at pH 3.2, where protonation of the imidazole prevents queching of the flavin fluorescence by histidine. This quenching appears to be due to interaction of the flavin with a tryptophan residue, as the quenching is abolished by oxidation of the tryptophan with performic acid. Similarly, the fluorescence of the tryptophan in the peptide is quenched, presumably by the flavin. The flavin of beta-cyclopiazonate oxidocylcase is attached, by the way of the 8alpha-methylene group, to the imidazole ring of a histidine. The aminoacylflavin isolated from the enzyme is identical in the pKa of its imidazole group, in reduction by NaBH4, and in other properties with synthetic 8alpha-(N1-histidyl)riboflavin. The pKa of the histidylriboflavin component of the oxidocyclase is 5.2 before and 5.0 after acid modification of the ribityl chain, as is found in the synthetic derivative. It is concluded that the enzyme contains the N1 isomer of histidylriboflavin and that acid hydrolysis of flavin peptides isolated from the oxidocyclase, while liberating histidylriboflavin, also causes acid modification of the ribityl chain of the flavin moiety.

Amino Acids↗

Identification of the covalently bound flavin of thiamin dehydrogenase.

Thiamin dehydrogenase, a flavoprotein isolated from an unidentified soil bacterium, contains 1 mol of covalently bound FAD/mol of enzyme. A flavin peptide, isolated from tryptic-chymotryptic digests of the enzyme and hydrolyzed to the FMN level, shows a pH-dependent fluorescence yield being maximal at pH 3.5 to 4.0 and decreasing over 90% at pH 7.5 with a pKa of 5.8. Acid hydrolysis of the peptide results in an aminoacylflavin which shows a pKa of fluorescence quenching of 5.2. Absorption and electron paramagnetic resonance spectral data show the covalent substituent to be at the 8alpha position of the flavin as is the case with all known enzymes containing covalently bound flavin. The aminoacylflavin gives a negative Pauly reaction but yields 1 mol of histidine on drastic acid hydrolysis thus showing an imidazole ring nitrogen as the 8alpha substituent of the flavin. The aminoacylflavin differs from synthetic 8alpha-[N(3)-histidyl]riboflavin or its acid-modified form in pKa of fluorescence quenching, in electrophoretic mobility, in being reduced by borohydride, and in being labile to storage, yielding 8-formylriboflavin. In all of these properties, however, the 8alpha-histidylriboflavin isolated from thiamin dehydrogenase is indistinguishable from 8alpha-[N(1)-histidyl]riboflavin. It is therefore concluded that the FAD moiety of thiamin dehydrogenase is covalently linked via the 8alpha-methylene group to the N(1) position of the imidazole ring of histidine.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗

Structural elucidation and properties of 8alpha-(N1-histidyl)riboflavin: the flavin component of thiamine dehydrogenase and beta-cyclopiazonate oxidocyclase.

In addition to 8alpha-(N3-histidyl)riboflavin, 8alpha-(N1-histidyl)riboflavin is also formed during the reaction of Nalpha-blocked histidine with 8alpha-bromotetraacetylriboflavin in a yield of 20-25% of the total histidylflavin fraction. The properties of 8alpha-(N1-histidyl)riboflavin are inditical with those of the histidylflavin isolated from thiamine dehydrogenase and beta-cyclopiazonate oxidocyclase but differ from those of 8alpha-(N3-histidyl)riboflavin. These properties include pKa of fluorescence quenching, electrophoretic mobility at pH 5.0, stability to storage, and reduction by NaBH4. Proof for 8alpha substitution is shown by the electron paramagnetic resonance and electron-nuclear double resonance spectra of the cationic semiquinone form, as well as by the proton magnetic resonance spectrum of the oxidized form. The site of histidine substitution by the 8alpha-methylene of the flavin moiety was shown by methylation of the imidazole ring with methyl iodide, cleavage of the methylhistidine-flavin bond by acid hydrolysis at 150 degrees C, and identification of the methylhistidine isomer by electrophoresis. 3-Methylhistidine is the product from the N1-histidylflavin isomer, while 1-methylhistidine is produced from the N3 isomer. The flavin product from reductive Zn cleavage of either isomer has been identified as riboflavin. The compound obtained on acid treatment of 8alpha-(N3-histidyl)riboflavin (previously thought to be the N1 isomer) differs from the parent compound only in the ribityl side chain, since chemical degradation studies show 1-methylhistidine as a product and a flavin product which differs from riboflavin only in mobility in thin-layer chromatography, but not in absorption, fluorescence, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectral properties. Proof that acid modification involves only the ribityl chain has come from the observations that alkaline irradiation of this flavin yields lumiflavin, that the proton magnetic resonance spectrum of the compound differs from that of riboflavin in the region of the ribityl proton resonance, and that its periodate titer is lower than that of authentic riboflavin. The identity of 8alpha-(N1-histidyl)riboflavin with the histidylflavin from thiamine dehydrogenase and beta-cyclopiazonate oxidocyclase shows that both isomeric forms of 8alpha-histidylflavin occur in nature.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗