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Biomedical subjects

E E Snell

Publications and source records attributed to E E Snell.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1978

The pyridoxal-binding site in pyridoxamine-pyruvate transaminase.

The enzyme-substrate complex formed between pyridoxamine-pyruvate transaminase (EC 2.6.1.30) and pyridoxal was reduced with NaBH4. After carboxymethylation and tryptic digestion, pyridoxyl-lysine-containing peptides were isolated by a combination of Sephadex and Dowex 50 chromatography. Analysis of these peptides shows the structure around the pyridoxal-binding lysine residues to be Ala-Asp-Ile-Tyr-Val-Thr-Gly-Pro-Asx-Lys(Pxy)-Cys-Leu(Pro2, Gly2, Ala2, Met)(Thr, Leu2)Gly-Val-Ser-Glu-Arg. This structure differs from those found for the corresponding peptides from pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzymes.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1978

The behavior of muscle phosphorylase as a reservoir for vitamin B6 in the rat.

Current belief that vitamin B6 deficiency causes depletion of muscle phosphorylase in animals appears to be erroneous. We present evidence that vitamin B6 deficiency is ineffective in reducing total phosphorylase in gasttocnemius muscle of young rats over a period of at least 8 weeks. Rats that had accumulated high levels of muscle phosphorylase while ingesting diets containing normal or excess amounts of the vitamin retained their phosphorylase after transfer to a vitamin B6 deficient diet. Prolonged deficiency did ultimately lead to enzyme depletion but this was after anorexia had developed and weight loss had occurred. When rats were partially starved for 1 to 4 days (fed 10% of normal energy intake) they lost muscle phosphorylase while retaining alanine and aspartate aminotransferases. When totally starved, the rats lost more phosphorylase than during partial starvation, but completely retained alanine aminotransferase, and lost some aspartate aminotrasferase. We conclude that the behavior of muscle phosphorylase is consistent with the Krebs-Fischer proposal that it acts as a reservoir for vitamin B6 and that starvation, but not vitamin B6 deficiency per se, causes depletion of muscle phosphorylase. It appears that phosphorylase may function as an adjunct ot adipose tissue necessary for the animal to efficiently meet the exigencies of starvation.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed1977

Essential arginine residues in tryptophanase from Escherichia coli.

Tryptophanase from Escherichia coli B/1t7-A is inactivated by the arginine-specific reagent, phenylglyoxal, in potassium phosphate buffer at pH 7.8 AND 25 degrees. Apo- and holoenzyme are inactivated at the same rate, and inactivation of both is correlated with modification of 2 arginine residues/tryptophanase monomer. Substrate analogs having a carboxyl group protect the holoenzyme against both inactivation and arginine modification but have no effect on the inactivation or modification of the apoenzyme. Phenylglyoxal-modified apotryptophanase retains the capacity to bind the coenzyme, pyridoxal-P, but the spectrum of this reconstituted species differs from that of native holotryptophanase. Neither this reconstituted species nor the phenyglyoxal-modified holoenzyme shows the 500 nm absorption characteristic of the native enzyme when substrates are added. These results demonstrate a requirement for specific arginine residues for substrate binding and are discussed in the context of the known conformational and spectal forms of tryptophanase with regard to a possible role for arginine residues in formation of a catalytically effective enzyme-pyridoxal-P complex.

Arginine↗
PubMed1977

Monovalent cation activation of tryptophanase.

The interaction of monovalent cations with holotryptophanase has been examined by spectral and kinetic methods. Using S-orthonitrophenyl-L-cysteine as a substrate, activation by the following monovalent cations was demonstrated; values of KA (mM, in italics) and Vmax (mumol min-1 mg) aare given in parentheses: Li+ (54 +/- 11.6, 4.3 +/- 0.28), Na+ (40 +/- 0.03, 18) K+ (1.44 +/- 0.06, 41.1 +/- 3.5), Tl+ (0.95 +/- 0.1, 39 +/- 4.4), NH4+ (0.23 +/- 0.01, 57.9 +/- 2.6), Rb+ (3.5 +/- 0.3, 33.5 +/- 1.8), Cs+ (14.6 +/- 2.6, 21 +/- 2.3). It was demonstrated by circular dichroic spectra that the competitive inhibitor, ethionine, interacts with the holoenzyme in the absence of activating monovalent cations, although it does not undergo labilization of the alpha proton. On addition of monovalent cation to the holoenzyme-ethionine complex, a marked increase occurs in absorption of 508 nm resulting from labilization of the alpha proton with formation of the quinoid form of the pyridoxal phosphate moiety of the enzyme-substrate complex at the catalytic center (Morino, Y., and Snell, E.E. (1967) J. Biol. Chem; 242, 2800-2809. The extent of formation of this quinoid intermediate was linearly related to the maximum velocity observed with each cation except NH4+, which was anomalously active. When measured at 500 nm, the change in absorption ranged from deltaA = 0.45 mg-1 of tryptophanase for NH4+ to 0.06 mg-1 for Li+. Two moles of thallium (I) were bound per mole of subunit. The data are most consistent with the interaction of monovalent cation at or near the catalytic center in such a way that it either participates directly in the reaction or is required for the critical alignment of one or more functional groups necessary for catalysis.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1977

Transport and metabolism of vitamin B6 in lactic acid bacteria.

Streptococcus faecalis 8043 concentrates extracellular [3H]pyridoxal or [3H]pyridoxamine primarily as the corresponding 5'-phosphates. Accumulation of pyridoxamine requires an exogenous energy source and is inhibited by glycolysis inhibitors. A membrane potential is not required for transport of pyridoxamine, and an artificially generated potential does not drive uptake in this organism. Based on this and other evidence, it is concluded that S. faecalis accumulates pyridoxamine by facilitated diffusion in conjunction with trapping by pyridoxal kinase. Pyridoxamine-P is not concentrated, but equilibrates with that provided externally. Lactobacillus casei 7469 concentrates radioactivity only from pyridoxal, which appears internally as pyridoxal-P, suggesting that it too absorbs the vitamin by facilitated diffusion plus trapping. The specificity of the growth requirement of S. faecalis and L. casei for vitamin B6 parallels the specificity of the transport systems for this vitamin in these organisms. Lactobacillus delbrueckii 7469, however, which specifically requires pyridoxamine-P or pyridoxal-P for growth, accumulates both these compounds and pyridoxine-P from the medium, apparently by active transport, but not pyridoxine, pyridoxamine, or pyridoxal. While pyridoxal-P and pyridoxamine-P are interconvertible in this organism, pyridoxine-P is not further metabolized, thus accounting for the specificity of the growth requirement. These and previous results show (a) that different organisms may employ quite different transport machinery in utilization of a given external nutrient, and (b) that the specificity of the growth requirement for a given form of a vitamin frequently arises from the specificity of transport, but that internal metabolism of the compounds also plays a significant role in some organisms.

Biological Transport, Active↗
PubMed1977

Increased muscle phosphorylase in rats fed high levels of vitamin B6.

The present study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that muscle phosphorylase may function as a repository for vitamin B6 in the animal. Since a repository would be expected to accumulate surplus material, one would predict that phosphorylase, which contains stoichio-metric amounts or pyridoxal phosphate, would increase in muscle of animals surfeited with the vitamin. Rats were fed a vitamin B6-free diet supplemented with pyridoxine providing levels 10, 1.0 and 0.1 of those recommended by the National Research Council (NRC). At the high intake level, muscle phosphorylase and total muscle vitamin B6 increased steadily and in almost constant ratio for at least 6 weeks, whereas both alanine and aspartate transaminase increased initially, but reached a plateau within 2 weeks. At the intermediate level of pyridoxine intake, muscle phosphorylase also increased, but less rapidly than in rats fed the higher level. When vitamin B6 intake was restricted to 10% of the NRC-recommended level, no increase in phosphorylase concentration occurred during a period of 10 weeks. These results support the hypothesis that muscle phosphorylase acts as a reservoir for vitamin B6 in the animal and provide experimental evidence that muscle enzyme content expands as vitamin is accumulated during high dietary intake.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

D-Serine dehydratase from Escherichia coli. Essential arginine residue at the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate binding site.

D-Serine apodehydratase from Escherichia coli is rapidly inactivated by butanedione in K+ borate buffer or by phenylglyoxal in K+ phosphate buffer at pH 8, 25 degrees. Pyridoxal-P protects against the inactivation. Modification of the apoenzyme abolishes its ability to bind the cofactor, pyridoxal-P, but the apparent Km for the substrate, D-serine, is not altered. The concentration dependence of the rate of butanedione inactivation in K+ borate buffer indicates that it is a two-step process with one butanedione bound per molecule of apoenzyme to give an inactive complex; half-maximal rate of inactivation is obtained at 37 mM butanedione. Butanedione inactivation is fully reversed following removal of excess reagent and borate. Similar studies with [14C]phenylglyoxal show that in the presence of pyridoxal-P at least 2 arginine residues may be modified without loss of activity. In the absence of pyridoxal-P modification of a single additional arginine residue results in loss of activity. Results with both inactivating reagents thus demonstrate that a critical arginine residue participates in binding of the coenzyme, pyridoxal-P. The stoichiometry of phenylglyoxal incorporation into the enzyme is different in the presence and absence of borate. Under both conditions incorporated phenylglyoxal is slowly lost on dialysis at neutral pH. A possible explanation of these effects is discussed.

Apoenzymes↗
PubMed1976

Histidine decarboxylase of Lactobacillus 30a: function and reactivity of sulfhydryl groups.

Two classes of sulfhydryl groups in histidine decarboxylase from Lactobacillus 30 a can be differentiated by their reaction with 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB). Five cysteinyl residues (class I) of the native enzyme are titrated by DTNB as the pH of the reaction medium is increased from 6.5 to 7.5; the pH-rate profile for their reaction is described by a pKa of 9.2. An additional five thiol groups (class II) are titrated only when denaturing agents are added above neutral pH. Histidine decarboxylase is completely inactivated by DTNB in a kinetically second-order process (Kapp = 660 +/- 20 M-1 min-1 at pH 7.6 and 25 degrees C) which occurs coincident with and at the same rate as modification of the five class-I SH groups of the enzyme, i.e., one thiol group per pyruvoyl prosthetic group. The competitive inhibitors, histamine and imidazole, markedly enhanced the reactivity of these cysteinyl residues toward DTNB; this enhancement is accompanied by a concomitant increase in the rate of inactivation. A single SH group in each of the five catalytic units of histidine decarboxylase is thus implicated as being critical for the expression of enzymatic activity.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1976

Histidine decarboxylase of Lactobacillus 30a: inactivation and active-site labeling by L-histidine methyl ester.

Histidine decarboxylase from Lactobacillus 30a is rapidly and irreversibly inactivated upon incubation with L-histidine methyl ester. The rate of inactivation is first-order with respect to remaining active enzyme and exhibits saturation kinetics with a kinact of 1.2 mM and an apparent first-order rate constant of 0.346 min-1 at pH 4.8 and 25 degrees C. On complete inactivation, 3 mol of [14C]histidine (from L-[14C]histidine methyl ester) and 2 mol of 14C (from L-histidine [14C]methyl ester) are bound in nondialyzable form per mol (190 000 g) of protein inactivated with a corresponding loss of three of the five DTNB-titratable--SH groups that are essential for activity of the native enzyme. Imidazole propionate, a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme, protects against inactivation, loss of --SH groups, and incorporation of radioactivity from both the histidine and the methyl ester moieties of the labeled inhibitor, and kinetic evidence indicates that imidazole propionate and histidine methyl ester compete for binding at the active site of histidine decarboxylase in a mutually exclusive manner. Treatment of the labeled protein with either alkali or hydroxylamine results in the quantitative release of radioactivity. These data suggest that inactivation of histidine decarboxylase by L-histidine methyl ester results from two different modes of interaction between the inhibitor and the active site of histidine decarboxylase; the major interaction involves an essential -SH group.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1976

Ketopantoate hydroxymethyltransferase. II. Physical, catalytic, and regulatory properties.

Some physical, catalytic, and regulatory properties of ketopantoate hydroxymethyltransferase (5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate: alpha-ketoisovalerate hydroxymethyltranferase) from Escherichia coli are described. This enzyme catalyzes the reversible synthesis of ketopantoate (Reaction 1), an essential precursor of pantothenic acid. (1) HC(CH3)2COCOO- + 5,10-methylene tetrahydrofolate f in equilibrium r HOCH2C(CH3)2COCOO- + tetrahydrofolate It has a molecular weight by sedimentation equilibrium of 255,000, a sedimentation coefficient (S20,w) of 11 S, a partial specific volume of 0.74 ml/g, an isoelectric point of 4.4, and an absorbance, (see article), of 0.85. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate and amino acid analyses give a subunit molecular weight of 27,000 and 25,700, respectively; both procedures indicate the presence of 10 identical subunits. The NH2-terminal sequence is Met-Tyr---. The enzyme is stable and active over a broad pH range, with an optimum from 7.0 to 7.6. It requires Mg2+ for activity; Mn2+, Co2+, Zn2+ are progressively less active. The enzyme is not inactivated by borohydride reduction in the presence of excess substrates, i.e. it is a Class II aldolase. Reaction 1f is partially inhibited by concentrations of formaldehyde (0.8 mM) and tetrahydrofolate (0.38 mM) below or near the Km values, apparent Km values are 0.18, 1.1 and 5.9 mM for tetrahydrofolate, alpha-ketoisovalerate, and formaldehyde, respectively. For Reaction 1r, apparent Km values are 0.16 and 0.18 mM, respectively, for ketopantoate and tetrahydrofolate, and the saturation curves for both substrates show positive cooperativity. Forward and reverse reactions occur at similar maximum velocities (Vmax approximately equal to 8 mumol of ketopantoate formed or decomposed per min per mg of enzyme at 37 degrees). Only 1-tetrahydrofolate is active in Reaction 1; d-tetrahydrofolate, folate, and methotrexate were neither active nor inhibitory. However, 1-tetrahydrofolate was effectively replaced with conjugates containing 1 to 6 additional glutamate residues; of these, tetrahydropterolpenta-, tetra-, and triglutamate were effective at lower concentrations than tetrahydrofolate itself; they were also the predominant conjugates of tetrahydrofolate present in E. coli. Alpha-Ketobutyrate, alpha-ketovalerate, and alpha-keto-beta-methylvalerate replaced alpha-ketoisovalerate as substrates; pyruvate was inactive as a substrate, but like isovalerate, 3-methyl-2-butanone and D- or L-valine, inhibited Reaction 1. the transferase has regulatory properties expected of an enzyme catalyzing the first committed step in a biosynthetic pathway. Pantoate (greater than or equal to 500 muM) and coenzyme A (above 1 mM) all inhibit; the Vmax is decreased, Km is increased, and the cooperativity for substrate (ketopantoate) is enhanced. Catalytic activity of the transferase is thus regulated by the products of the reaction path of which it is one component; transferase synthesis is not repressed by growth in the presence of pantothenate.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1976

Ketopantoate hydroxymethyltransferase. I. Purification and role in pantothenate biosynthesis.

A new enzyme, ketopantoate hydroxymethyltransferase (5,10-methylene tetrahydrofolate: alpha-ketoisovalerate hydroxymethyltransferase) has been purified 2400-fold to apparent homogeneity from Escherichia coli K12. It catalyzes the first committed step in pantothenate biosynthesis, the reversible formation of ketopantoate (2-keto-3,3-dimethyl-4-hydroxybutyrate) according to Equation 1, has low Km values for its substrates, and is abent (1) Methylenetetrahydrofolate + alpha-ketoisovalerate in equilibrium tetrahydrofolate + ketopantoate from a mutant of E. coli auxotrophic for ketopantoate. It thus appears to be the enzyme responsible for catalysis of ketopantoate formation in vivo. A previously described enzyme that catalyzes reaction 2 irreversible (McIntosh, E.N., Purko, M., and Wood, W.A. (1957) J. Biol. Chem. 228, 499-509) and does not require (2) HCHO + alpha-ketoisovalerate leads to ketopantoate tetrahydrofolate can be obtained free of ketopantoate hydroxymethyltransferase and is present in equal amounts in ketopantoate auxotrophs and wild type E. coli. We conclude that the latter enzyme is not involved in the normal biosynthetic pathway leading to pantothenate; its function is unknown.

Enzyme Activation↗
PubMed1976

Transport and metabolism of vitamin B6 in the yeast Saccharomyces carlsbergensis 4228.

Active transport of pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine occurs in resting cells of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis 4228 and can lead to intracellular concentrations of free vitamin much higher than those supplied externally. The initial Km for pyridoxine uptake is 3.6 x 10(-7) M at 30 degrees and pH 4.5, which are optimum for growth. Transport is inhibited by many unphosphorylated vitamin analogs, the most effective being 5'-deoxypyridoxine, 5'-deoxypridoxal, toxopyrimidine, 4'-deoxypyridoxine, and 3-amino-3-deoxypyridoxine. Two distinct uptake systems that differ in structural specificity and ionic requirements are present. One, with optimum pH of 3.5, transports pyridoxal effectively, but not pyridoxamine; the other (optimum pH 6.0) transports pyridoxamine effectively, but not pyridoxal. Both systems transport pyridoxine, while neither transports pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. Other properties of these systems are similar, indicating that they share certain elements in common. An initial temperature optimum of 30 degrees is observed for pyrodoxine transport and, at this temperature, an "overshoot" in intracellular vitamin levels, with subsequent decrease to a constant level, occurs with time. It appears that intracellular vitamin, or a derivative, activates the exit mechanism for the vitamin. Exit rates also depend on the resuspension buffer and are increased in the presence of glucose and decreased by azide. Above 30 degrees net uptake of pyridoxine drops initially, then rapidly increases to a second optimum at 50 degrees; the uptake system is inactivated at about 55 degrees. The optimum at 50 degrees apparently results from activation of inflow as exit is rapid and is accelerated by azide. No overshoot was detected at 50 degrees, so it appears that the exit system is not regulated by intracellular vitamin at this temperature. A phase transition in membrane lipids occurs at 30 degrees and may be responsible for the change in properties of the inflow and exit mechanisms above this temperature.

Binding, Competitive↗
PubMed1976

Transport and metabolism of vitamin B6 in Salmonella typhimurium LT2.

Salmonella typhimurium LT2 concentrates radioactivity intracellularly from [3H]pyridoxal or [3H]pyridoxine up to 25 times the external concentration. After 1 min of uptake intracellular radioactivity is found as phosphorylated vitamin B6. The process is sensitive to temperature and is maximally active at pH 8.1, but under the conditions tested it is insensitive to monovalent cations or metabolic inhibitors, and does not require an exogenous energy source. The Km values for uptake of pyridoxine and pyridoxal are 2.0 x 10(-7) M and 1.2 x 10(-7) M, respectively; [3H]pyridoxamine is not transported. Evidence is presented for an uptake mechanism involving facilitated diffusion followed by trapping by pyridoxal kinase. S. typhimurium also appears to lack a periplasmic binding protein for vitamin B6.

Biological Transport, Active↗