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Studies of the dimensions of oligopeptides by singlet-singlet energy, transfer and theoretical calculations. I. Influence of glycine on the dimensions of tetrapeptides.

The efficiency of energy transfer between a fluorescent donor, L-tyrosine, and a fluorescent acceptor, L-tryptophan, has been determined in R'-L-Trp-L-Ala-L-Tyr-R", R-L-Trp-L-Ala-L-Ala-L-Tyr-R", and R'-L-Trp-Gly-L-Ala-L-Tyr-R" in ethanol solution. The protecting groups R' and R" were respectively tert-butyloxycarbonyl and methyl ester. A conformational theoretical analysis of molecules studied has been performed in parallel on the basis of semiempirical conformational potential energy function. In the theoretical models all the side chains have been represented by a methyl group. From the distribution of distances between chromophores obtained theoretically, transfer efficiencies have been computed assuming a random orientation of the chromophores (k-2 equals 2/3). The comparison of calculated efficiencies with the values determined experimentally for the same value of k-2 has been used as a check for the theoretical model. Both experimental and theoretical studies have been shown that the glycyl residue procudes a reduction of dimensions when it replaces in a tetrapeptide a residue with a beta-carbon atom such as the L-alanyl residue. However, only a qualitative agreement between experimental and theoretical values of the efficiencies has been obtained.

Alanine

Singlet-singlet energy transfer along the helix of a double-stranded nucleic acid at room temperature.

An irreversible electronic energy trap has been formed in calf thymus DNA by methylating about 75% of its G bases at position N-7. This has allowed us to measure for the first time the efficiency of transfer of energy along the helix of a double-stranded nucleic acid at room temperature. It is found that about one out of every three photons absorbed by the other bases is trapped. We have also simulated the data with a stochastic model that uses the dipole-dipole interaction to calculate the efficiency of transfer. In order to approximate the experimental results, the model requires that: (i) the fluorescence quantum yield of T, C, and G in DNA be about 2 x 10(-3), which is about two orders of magnitude larger than the value of the fluorescence quantum yield reported for DNA; and (ii) the fluorescence quantum yield of A in DNA be negligibly small. Requirement (i) is consistent with energy transfer taking place before a very efficient fluorescence quenching process sets in, which could be formation of excited-state complexes (excimers) that do not fluoresce appreciably. Requirement (ii) implies a very short fluorescence lifetime for A, which is consistent with the reported absence of a significant number of photoproducts formed by A in DNA. The simulations find that, on the average, the excitation energy takes about 1.2 steps to reach the trap; that is to say, bases that are nearest and next nearest neighbors of the trap are, in effect, the only energy donors. Both intra- as well as interstrand energy transfer (the latter only for the C-trap base pair) make significant contributions. The value of the efficiency for pairwise base-base intrastrand transfer is about 60%, whereas those for base-trap intra- and interstand transfer are 90% and 80%, respectively. The corresponding values for the rate constant of transfer are 2 x 10(11), 1 x 10(12), and 4 x 10(11) s-1. Transfer is inefficient when A is the donor or the acceptor. In addition to the dipole-dipole term, the only other significant term in the expansion of the interaction potential is the dipole-quadrupole term which, however, makes only a small contribution to the overall transfer efficiency. The electron exchange interaction appears to be much less efficient than the coulombic interaction.

Animals

Localization of L11 on the Escherichia coli ribosome by singlet-singlet energy transfer.

Isolated Escherichia coli ribosomal protein L11 was labeled with maleimidyl derivatives of coumarin or fluorescein at the thiol group of its single cysteine, then reconstituted singly or in pairs with other fluorescently labeled ribosomal components. The characteristics of fluorescence from the labeled protein were studied and its distance to other components was determined by non-radiative energy transfer. The distance between probes on L11 and cysteine residues on other proteins or the 3' end of the ribosomal RNAs were found to be: S1, 7.4-8.3 nm; S21, 7.6 nm; 23S RNA, 6.9 nm; 5S RNA, 7.6 nm; 16S RNA, greater than 8.5 nm. Considered together with previously published results these distances indicate that the location of L11 in the 50S subunit is below the lateral protuberance characterized by L7/L12.

Bacterial Proteins

Quenching of singlet oxygen by human red cell ghosts.

Time resolved measurements of singlet oxygen phosphorescence at 1270 nm were made from unsealed red cell ghosts, labeled with 5-(N-hexadecanoyl)aminoeosin and suspended in deuterium oxide buffer. The singlet oxygen emission lifetime was long, 23 +/- 1 microseconds. The lifetime of the singlet oxygen phosphorescence from intact unsealed ghosts was not a measure of the singlet oxygen lifetime within the red cell ghost membrane, however. The prolonged singlet oxygen emission was due to singlet oxygen escaping from the thin membrane into the buffer, since the emission lifetime was significantly shortened by adding azide ion or water to the deuterium oxide buffer. The lifetime of singlet oxygen within the red cell ghosts membrane was estimated by dispersing the ghosts with detergent and then measuring the singlet oxygen lifetime in deuterium oxide buffers containing various dilutions of the dispersed ghosts. Apparent singlet-oxygen quenching constants were measured using four different photosensitizing dyes and two different detergents. The apparent quenching constant was independent of the dye used, but varied significantly with different detergents. Extrapolation of this data to "100%" ghost concentration gave a singlet oxygen lifetime from 24 and 130 ns. A ghost concentration of "100%" was defined as that concentration of red cell ghost molecules which would be contained within a red cell ghost membrane pellet containing no buffer solutions. Most of the singlet oxygen quenching was due to proteins. Lipids extracted from red cell ghosts accounted for only 2-7% of the total singlet oxygen quenching.

Erythrocyte Membrane

Pure exogenous singlet oxygen: nonmutagenicity in bacteria.

Singlet oxygen (1 delta gO2) is the lowest energy-excited state of molecular oxygen, and more reactive than the triplet ground-state molecule. Although singlet oxygen has been implicated in a variety of biological effects, including reactions with DNA or some of its components, evidence for mutagenesis by singlet oxygen has remained unclear. We have previously described a system for bacterial exposure to pure exogenous singlet oxygen that eliminates ambiguity regarding the identity of the reactive species responsible for observed results. Despite the potent toxicity of pure singlet oxygen for several different strains of bacteria, we have found no evidence for mutagenicity of singlet oxygen in 26 Salmonella typhimurium histidine-auxotrophic strains killed to 35% survival. These strains included a variety of base-pair substitution or frameshift target sequences for reversion, including targets responsive to oxidative damage and targets rich in GC base pairs. Some strains combined histidine mutations with one or more mutations affecting DNA-repair capacity. 4 strains possessing the hisG46 mutation also were not mutated when exposed to dose ranges killing less than 28% and up to 99% of the bacteria. The relative frequency of small inphase deletions was assayed in hisG428 bacteria exposed to single oxygen and found to be the same as the spontaneous level. In addition to lack of induction of mutation in these strains, the 8-azaguanine forward mutation assay yielded no evidence of mutagenesis by singlet oxygen in strains killed to 15% survival. No induction of genetic changes by singlet oxygen was seen in an assay for duplication of approximately 1/3 of the bacterial chromosome. Tests for the ability of singlet oxygen to induce lambda prophage in E. coli K12 also proved negative. These studies collectively indicate that pure singlet oxygen generated outside the bacterial cell does not react significantly with the bacterial chromosome in ways leading to base-pair substitutions, frameshift mutations, small or large deletions, large duplications, or damage that interferes with DNA replication and induces the SOS system.

Azaguanine

Singlet oxygen induced mutagenesis of benzo[a]pyrene derivatives.

Singlet oxygen activates the mutagenicity of several benzo[a]pyrene (BP) derivatives in the absence of mammalian metabolic action. This has been demonstrated using a separated-surface-sensitizer system for generating chemically pure singlet oxygen, eliminating most of the complications that arise with singlet oxygen generation by conventional photosensitization. Salmonella typhimurium bacteria were exposed to singlet oxygen in the presence of certain BP derivatives and the mutation frequency determined with an azaguanine forward mutation assay. The mutation frequency was increased by exposure to singlet oxygen compared to light-only controls for those BP derivatives that were saturated at either the 7,8 or 9,10 positions but not both. The increase in mutation frequency depends on both the concentration of BP derivative and on the dose of singlet oxygen. Mutation frequency was also significantly increased when bacteria were treated with a solution of trans-7,8-dihydrodiol-BP that had been separately exposed to singlet oxygen, unequivocally demonstrating that the mutagenicity is due to the formation of a product of BP derivative oxidation by singlet oxygen and that this product has a lifetime at least on the order of minutes in acetonitrile. The requirement for singlet oxygen rather than some other form of reactive oxygen was confirmed by determination of the gas phase lifetime of the intermediate responsible for activating mutagenicity. This was performed by measuring the dependence of the mutation frequency on the distance separating the sensitizer from the target. This gives a value of 88 +/- 35 ms, which is in excellent agreement with the mean value of 89 ms calculated from previous independent determinations of the gas phase lifetime of singlet oxygen reported in the literature.

Benzo(a)pyrene

Singlet oxygen production by human eosinophils.

Human eosinophils, stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate, were found to produce 1268 nm chemiluminescence characteristic of singlet oxygen. Singlet oxygen generation required the presence of bromide ion. A bromide ion concentration of 100 microM, comparable to the total bromine content of whole blood, was sufficient for the eosinophils to generate measurable amounts of singlet oxygen. For the conditions used (10(7) cells/ml and 10 micrograms/ml phorbol myristate acetate), the duration of the singlet oxygen generation was brief, about 5 min, and the total yield of singlet oxygen was modest, 1.0 +/- 0.1 microM. The cells remained viable after the singlet oxygen production ceased. This is the first demonstration of singlet oxygen production from living cells. The singlet oxygen generated by eosinophils likely results from a peroxidase-catalyzed mechanism, since a purified eosinophil peroxidase-hydrogen peroxide-bromide system was also shown to produce singlet oxygen. The unique properties of eosinophil peroxidase are illustrated by the fact that at p2H 7.0 and with 100 microM bromide, eosinophil peroxidase generated 20 +/- 2% of the theoretical yield of singlet oxygen, whereas under identical conditions, myeloperoxidase and lactoperoxidase produced only 1.0 +/- 0.1% and -0.1 +/- 0.1%, respectively.

Bromides

Diffusion of singlet oxygen into human bronchial epithelial cells.

The respiratory epithelium undergoes morphological and functional changes following exposure to single oxygen. However, mechanisms by which singlet oxygen causes cellular injury are unclear. The present experiments were designed to investigate the possibility that singlet oxygen, a highly reactive species, diffuses into respiratory epithelial cells. Of the various methods for detection of singlet oxygen, the electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometric technique was judged to be most compatible and sensitive for use with cell suspensions. ESR spectrometry was used to monitor the singlet oxygen-mediated conversion of 2-(9,10-dimethoxyanthracenyl)-tert-butylhydroxylamine, (I), to 2-(9,10-dimethoxyanthracenyl)-tert-butylnitroxide, (II), and its corresponding endoperoxide, (III), in human bronchial epithelial cells treated with extracellularly generated singlet oxygen. In a second series of experiments, bronchial epithelial cells labeled with (I) were treated with singlet oxygen in the presence of 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane, a singlet oxygen quenching agent. The addition of this quenching agent eliminated the ESR spectrum corresponding with (II) and (III). This result is consistent with the quenching of singlet oxygen by 1.4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane. Collectively, our results indicate that extracellularly generated singlet oxygen diffuses into human bronchial epithelial cells and that this process is a potentially important step in the cytotoxic action of singlet oxygen to the respiratory epithelium.

Anthracenes

Singlet oxygen formation by a peroxidase, H2O2 and halide system.

Evidence for singlet oxygen formation has been obtained for the lactoperoxidase, H2O2 and bromide system by monitoring 2,3-diphenylfuran and diphenylisobenzofuran oxidation, O2 evolution, and chemiluminescence. This could provide an explanation for the cytotoxic and microbicidal activity of peroxidases and polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Evidence for singlet oxygen formation included the following. (a) Chemiluminescence accompanying the enzymic reaction was doubled in a deuterated buffer and inhibited by singlet oxygen traps. (b) The singlet oxygen traps, diphenylfuran and diphenylisobenzofuran, were oxidized to their known singlet oxygen oxidation products in the presence of lactoperoxidase, hydrogen peroxide and bromide. (c) The rate of oxidation of diphenylfuran and diphenylisobenzofuran was inhibited when monitored in the presence of known singlet oxygen traps or quenchers. (d) Oxygen evolution from the enzymic reaction was inhibited by singlet oxygen traps but not by singlet oxygen quenchers. (e) The traps or quenchers which were effective inhibitors in the experiments above did not inhibit peroxidase activity, were not competitive peroxidase substrates and did not react with the hypobromite intermediate since they did not inhibit hydrogen peroxide consumption by the enzyme. Using these criteria, various biological molecules were tested for their reactivity with singlet oxygen. Furthermore, by studying their effect on oxygen release by the enzymic reaction, it could be ascertained whether they were acting as singlet oxygen traps or quenchers.

Bromides

Bromine derivatives of amino acids as intermediates in the peroxidase-catalyzed formation of singlet oxygen.

Recently, J. R. Kanofsky et al. (1988, J. Biol. Chem. 263, 9692-9696) reported that human eosinophils generated modest amounts of singlet oxygen. In the mechanism proposed, hypobromous acid (made from the peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of bromide ion) reacted with hydrogen peroxide to form singlet oxygen. In contrast, human neutrophils, which generate both hypochlorous acid and hydrogen peroxide, do not make singlet oxygen. The failure of human neutrophils to generate singlet oxygen is due in part to the trapping of hypochlorous acid by endogenous amines. In this paper, I show that amino acids are much more effective traps for hypochlorous acid than for hypobromous acid. Glycine totally inhibits singlet oxygen generation from a model enzyme system composed of chloroperoxidase, hydrogen peroxide, and chloride ion, but causes only a 35% reduction in singlet oxygen generation from an analogous enzyme system containing bromide ion instead of chloride ion. The products of the reaction of hypobromous and glycine (presumably an equilibrium mixture of N-bromoglycine, N,N-dibromoglycine, and hypobromous acid) retain the ability to react with hydrogen peroxide to form singlet oxygen. In contrast, the products of the reaction of hypochlorous acid and glycine do not react with hydrogen peroxide to produce singlet oxygen. Similar results were obtained for L-alanine, L-arginine, L-asparagine, L-aspartic acid, L-cystine, L-glutamic acid, L-glutamine, L-histidine, L-lysine, L-phenylalanine, L-proline, L-serine, and L-tyrosine. Thus, bromine derivatives of amino acids may act as intermediates in the peroxidase-catalyzed generation of singlet oxygen.

Amino Acids

Genotoxicity of singlet oxygen.

Singlet oxygen, 1O2 (1 delta g), fulfills essential prerequisites for a genotoxic substance, like hydroxyl radicals and other oxygen radicals: it can react efficiently with DNA and it can be generated inside cells, e.g. by photosensitization and enzymatic oxidation. As might be anticipated from the non-radical character of singlet oxygen, the pattern of DNA modifications it produces is very different from that caused by hydroxyl radicals. While hydroxyl radicals produce DNA strand breaks and sites of base loss (AP sites) in high yield and react with all four bases of DNA, singlet oxygen generates predominantly modified guanine residues and few strand breaks and AP sites. There is now convincing evidence that a major product of base modification caused by singlet oxygen is 8-hydroxyguanine (7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine). Indeed, the recently reported miscoding properties of 8-hydroxyguanine can explain the predominant type of mutations observed when DNA modified by singlet oxygen is replicated in cells. There are also strong indications that singlet oxygen generated by photosensitization can act as an ultimate DNA modifying species inside cells. However, indirect genotoxic mechanisms involving other reactive oxygen species produced from singlet oxygen are also possible and appear to predominate in some cases. The cellular defense system against oxidants consists of effective singlet oxygen scavengers such as carotenoids. The observation that carotenoids can inhibit neoplastic cell transformation when administered not only together with but also after the application of chemical or physical carcinogens might indicate a role of singlet oxygen in tumor promotion that could be independent of the direct or indirect DNA damaging properties.

Animals

Quenching of singlet oxygen by human plasma.

Direct measurements of the decay of singlet oxygen phosphorescence at 1270 nm were made in human plasma diluted with various amounts of deuterium oxide. The Stern-Volmer plot of the singlet oxygen lifetimes was linear up to 15% plasma concentration (vol/vol). Extrapolation of these measurements to 100% plasma content gave a singlet oxygen lifetime of 1.04 +/- 0.03 microseconds in human plasma. Biological molecules accounted for 77% of the total singlet oxygen quenching while water accounted for 23% of the quenching. The contributions of various types of biological molecules to the total singlet oxygen quenching were calculated from their plasma concentrations and their quenching constants. Plasma proteins quenched most of the singlet oxygen. Uric acid also quenched a significant amount of singlet oxygen (12%). Tocopherols, carotenoids, ascorbic acid and bilirubin made only small contributions to the total singlet oxygen quenching (less than or equal to 4%).

Humans

Mechanistic investigations of the novel non-heme vanadium bromoperoxidases. Evidence for singlet oxygen production.

Three newly discovered non-heme bromoperoxidases isolated from marine algae were found to catalyze the production of singlet oxygen in reactions composed of the bromoperoxidase, hydrogen peroxide, and bromide. The bromoperoxidases studied were vanadium bromoperoxidase (V-BrPO) from Ascophyllum nodosum, native non-heme bromoperoxidase from Corallina vancouveriensis (which contains vanadium and iron), and the vanadium-reconstituted bromoperoxidase derivative from C. vancouveriensis. These enzyme systems generated near infrared emission, characteristic of singlet oxygen. The emission had a peak intensity near 1268 nm, was greatly increased in 2H2O-containing buffers, and was greatly decreased by the singlet oxygen quenchers, histidine and azide. The yield of singlet oxygen was approximately 80% of the theoretical yield. A unique feature of the non-heme bromoperoxidases distinct from the iron heme haloperoxidases, was the remarkable stability of the non-heme enzymes in the presence of singlet oxygen and oxidized bromine species. V-BrPO turned over multiple aliquots of 2 mM hydrogen peroxide without losing efficiency. In contrast, iron heme lactoperoxidase was completely inactivated after turnover of the first aliquot of 2 mM hydrogen peroxide, and iron heme chloroperoxidase was 50% deactivated. The profile of singlet oxygen formation by V-BrPO and the near stoichiometric yield of singlet oxygen suggest that the mechanism of singlet oxygen formation is the same as the mechanism of dioxygen formation determined by oxygen probe measurements.

Azides

Direct observation of singlet oxygen phosphorescence at 1270 nm from L1210 leukemia cells exposed to polyporphyrin and light.

Near-infrared emission (1170-1475 nm) was studied from L1210 leukemia cells incubated with polyporphyrin (fractionated hematoporphyrin derivative), suspended in deuterium oxide buffer, and then exposed to light. Following pulsed laser excitation, the near-infrared emission decayed in two phases. The first phase of the emission (0-2 microseconds) was principally due to polyporphyrin fluorescence. The second phase of the emission (20-90 microseconds) was due mainly to singlet oxygen. Evidence supporting the assignment of the second phase emission to singlet oxygen included a spectral analysis showing a peak near 1270 nm and reductions in the second phase emission caused by the singlet oxygen quenchers, histidine, carnosine, and water. The second phase emission decayed in a biexponential manner with lifetimes of 4.5 +/- 0.5 and 49 +/- 4 microseconds. Most of the singlet oxygen in the second phase emission was likely due to singlet oxygen that was generated near the surface of the L1210 leukemia cells and then diffused into the deuterium oxide buffer. Direct measurements of singlet oxygen phosphorescence at 1270 nm may prove to be a useful analytical technique for studying photochemical generation of singlet oxygen in cultured cells.

Animals