Binding to phospholipid vesicles impairs substrate-mediated conformational changes of the precursor to mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase.
Specific labeling of both the mature (mAspAT) and precursor (pmAspAT) forms of rat liver mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase with three different spectroscopic probes (monobromotrimethylammoniobimane, N-(iodoacetylaminoethyl)-5-naphthalene-1-sulfonic acid, and N-(1-pyrenyl)maleimide) was used to assess the possible conformational consequences of the interaction of a mitochondrial precursor protein with lipid membranes by means of fluorescence spectroscopy. The three probes react with the same cysteine residue causing a partial loss of catalytic activity whose extent depends on the nature of the probe introduced. The fluorescence intensity of the attached probes decreases upon addition of substrates or substrate analogues, indicating that the modified enzymes can undergo the open-closed conformational transitions that accompany catalysis. Both unmodified and labeled precursor proteins bind to negatively charged phospholipid vesicles, whereas the mature enzyme is unable to bind. Binding to liposomes does not affect the fluorescent properties of the attached probes. However, addition of the pseudosubstrate alpha-methylaspartate to liposome-bound precursor fails to induce the characteristic conformational changes observed with the protein free in solution. Furthermore, upon binding to liposomes the precursor protein loses enzymatic activity, and the reactive cysteine residue becomes inaccessible to reaction with thiol reagents. In contrast, the presence of liposomes has no effect on the activity, cysteine reactivity, or syncatalytic conformational transitions of the mature enzyme. It appears that interaction of pmAspAT with negatively charged phospholipids prevents the protein from undergoing the conformational transitions required for catalysis, "freezing" the enzyme in a sterically hindered but open-like conformation.