Biomedical subjects

L J Stern

Publications and source records attributed to L J Stern.

62 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1988

Vibrational spectroscopy of bacteriorhodopsin mutants: light-driven proton transport involves protonation changes of aspartic acid residues 85, 96, and 212.

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) difference spectra have been obtained for the bR----K, bR----L, and bR----M photoreactions in bacteriorhodopsin mutants in which Asp residues 85, 96, 115, and 212 have been replaced by Asn and by Glu. Difference peaks that had previously been attributed to Asp COOH groups on the basis of isotopic labeling were absent or shifted in these mutants. In general, each COOH peak was affected strongly by mutation at only one of the four residues. Thus, it was possible to assign each peak tentatively to a particular Asp. From these assignments, a model for the proton-pumping mechanism of bR is derived, which features proton transfers among Asp-85, -96, and -212, the chromophore Schiff base, and other ionizable groups within the protein. The model can explain the observed COOH peaks in the FTIR difference spectra of bR photointermediates and could also account for other recent results on site-directed mutants of bR.

Aspartic Acid↗

PubMed1988

Effects of amino acid substitutions in the F helix of bacteriorhodopsin. Low temperature ultraviolet/visible difference spectroscopy.

Site-specific mutagenesis in combination with low temperature UV/visible difference spectroscopy has been used to investigate the role of individual amino acids in the structure and function of bacteriorhodopsin (bR). We examined the effects of eight single amino acid substitutions, all in the putative F helix, on the absorption of bR as well as formation of the K and M intermediates. Both the absorbance spectra and the photocycle difference spectra of Escherichia coli expressed bR as well as the mutants S183A, P186G, and E194Q all closely resembled the corresponding purple membrane spectra. In contrast the Pro-186----Leu substitution resulted in the loss of the normal photocycle and a large blue shift in the bR state lambda max. Thus, Pro-186 appears to play a critical role in maintaining the normal protein-chromophore interactions, although the pyrrolidine ring is not essential since proline could be replaced by glycine at this position. The mutants W182F, W189F, and S193A did not appear to be directly involved in the bathochromic shift of bR since they all had lambda max's close to that of purple membrane and produced intermediates similar to K and M. However, alterations in the UV and visible difference spectra as well as the appearance of some irreversibility in the photoreactions indicate that these mutants have altered protein-chromophore interactions during the photocycle. Unlike the other mutants examined, Y185F exhibited a red-shifted form of bR and K raising the possibility that Tyr-185 is directly involved in color regulation. In addition, UV difference peaks previously associated with a tyrosine deprotonation were absent in Y185F indicating that Tyr-185 undergoes protonation changes during the photocycle in agreement with recent Fourier transform infrared difference measurements (Braiman, M.S., Mogi, T., Stern, L. J., Hackett, N., Chao, B. H., Khorana, H.G., and Rothschild, K. J. (1988) Proteins: Structure, Function, and Genetics 3, 219-229). Our results suggest that Trp-182, Tyr-185, Pro-186, Trp-189, and Ser-193, all of which are within a 100 degrees segment of the F helix, are part of a retinal-binding pocket.

Bacteriorhodopsins↗

PubMed1988

Vibrational spectroscopy of bacteriorhodopsin mutants: I. Tyrosine-185 protonates and deprotonates during the photocycle.

The techniques of FTIR difference spectroscopy and site-directed mutagenesis have been combined to investigate the role of individual tyrosine side chains in the proton-pumping mechanism of bacteriorhodopsin (bR). For each of the 11 possible bR mutants containing a single Tyr----Phe substitution, difference spectra have been obtained for the bR----K and bR----M photoreactions. Only the Tyr-185----Phe mutation results in the disappearance of a set of bands that were previously shown to be due to the protonation of a tyrosinate during the bR----K photoreaction [Rothschild et al.: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 83:347, (1986]). The Tyr-185----Phe mutation also eliminates a set of bands in the bR----M difference spectrum associated with deprotonation of a Tyr; most of these bands (e.g., positive 1272-cm-1 peak) are completely unaffected by the other ten Tyr----Phe mutations. Thus, tyrosinate-185 gains a proton during the bR----K reaction and loses it again when M is formed. Our FTIR spectra also provide evidence that Tyr-185 interacts with the protonated Schiff base linkage of the retinal chromophore, since the negative C = NH+ stretch band shifts from 1640 cm-1 in the wild type to 1636 cm-1 in the Tyr-185----Phe mutant. A model that is consistent with these results is that Tyr-185 is normally ionized and serves as a counter-ion to the protonated Schiff base. The primary photoisomerization of the chromophore translocates the Schiff base away from Tyr-185, which raises the pKa of the latter group and results in its protonation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1988

Aspartic acid substitutions affect proton translocation by bacteriorhodopsin.

We have substituted each of the aspartic acid residues in bacteriorhodopsin to determine their possible role in proton translocation by this protein. The aspartic acid residues were replaced by asparagines; in addition, Asp-85, -96, -115, and -112 were changed to glutamic acid and Asp-212 was also replaced by alanine. The mutant bacteriorhodopsin genes were expressed in Escherichia coli and the proteins were purified. The mutant proteins all regenerated bacteriorhodopsin-like chromophores when treated with a detergent-phospholipid mixture and retinal. However, the rates of regeneration of the chromophores and their lambda max varied widely. No support was obtained for the external point charge model for the opsin shift. The Asp-85----Asn mutant showed not detectable proton pumping, the Asp-96----Asn and Asp-212----Glu mutants showed less than 10% and the Asp-115----Glu mutant showed approximately equal to 30% of the normal proton pumping. The implications of these findings for possible mechanisms of proton translocation by bacteriorhodopsin are discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1987

Structure-function studies on bacteriorhodopsin. IV. Purification and renaturation of bacterio-opsin polypeptide expressed in Escherichia coli.

Expression of the bacterio-opsin gene in Escherichia coli has been described in the accompanying papers. We now describe rapid and efficient methods for the purification of the E. coli-expressed bacterio-opsin. Bacterio-opsin can be extracted from E. coli membranes in a denatured form by using an organic solvent containing chloroform, methanol, water, and triethylamine. The bacterio-opsin, enriched to 30-50% in the extract, can be further purified to 90% by ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Trisacryl or hydroxylapatite chromatography in organic solvents or by preparative sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. In appropriate aqueous phospholipid/detergent mixtures, up to 80% of purified protein refolds and binds retinal covalently to regenerate the bacteriorhodopsin chromophore. When reconstituted into phospholipid vesicles, bacteriorhodopsin from E. coli shows the expected proton pumping activity in response to illumination.

Bacteriorhodopsins↗

PubMed1987

Structure-function studies on bacteriorhodopsin. V. Effects of amino acid substitutions in the putative helix F.

To test structural and mechanistic proposals about bacteriorhodopsin, a series of analogues with single amino acid substitutions has been studied. Mutants in the proposed helix F of bacteriorhodopsin were chosen for investigation because of the probable interaction of this part of the protein with the retinal chromophore. Seven mutants of the bacteriorhodopsin gene were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis, and the gene products were expressed in Escherichia coli. The resulting mutant proteins were purified and assayed for their ability to interact with retinal in phospholipid/detergent micelles to form a bacteriorhodopsin-like chromophore. Four mutants, Ser-183----Ala, Tyr-185----Phe, Ser-193----Ala, and Glu-194----Gln, bound retinal to give pigments with absorption maxima approximately the same as the wild type. Three mutant opsins bound retinal to give chromophores that were blue-shifted relative to the wild type. Two Trp----Phe substitutions at positions 182 and 189 gave absorption maxima of 480 and 524 nm, respectively, and the mutant Pro-186----Leu gave a pigment with an absorption maximum of 470 nm. However, none of the amino acid substitutions eliminated the ability of the mutant bacteriorhodopsin to pump protons in response to illumination.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1987

Bacteriorhodopsin mutants containing single tyrosine to phenylalanine substitutions are all active in proton translocation.

To study the possible role of the tyrosine residues in proton translocation by bacteriorhodopsin, we have replaced these residues individually by phenylalanine. The required codon changes were introduced in the bacterioopsin gene by replacement of appropriate restriction fragments by synthetic counterparts containing the desired nucleotide changes. The denatured opsin polypeptides obtained by expression of the mutant genes in Escherichia coli were purified and treated with a mixture of detergents, phospholipids, and retinal in a previously established renaturation procedure. All of the mutant proteins folded to regenerate bacteriorhodopsin-like chromophores. Three mutants with tyrosine to phenylalanine substitutions at positions 57, 83, and 185 regenerated the chromophore more slowly than the wild-type protein, and two of these mutants, Phe-57 and -83, showed slightly blue-shifted chromophores. When reconstituted into liposomes all of the mutant proteins with single Tyr----Phe substitutions pumped protons at rates and levels comparable to those of the wild-type bacteriorhodopsin. We conclude that single substitutions of tyrosine by phenylalanine do not affect folding, retinal binding, or light-dependent proton pumping in bacteriorhodopsin.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1979

Unilateral blepharochalasis.

True blepharochalasis occurring in young adults and associated with recurrent bouts of eyelid swelling and eventual lid laxity is an uncommon entity. We report the case of an 18-year-old woman who had a nine-year history of unilateral blepharochalasis. A skin biopsy specimen that showed the absence of stainable elastic tissue confirmed the clinical impression, and appropriate surgical correction was carried out.

Adolescent↗