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PubMed1996

The role of His117 in the redox reactions of azurin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The electron-transfer properties of H117G- and wild-type azurin were compared by applying both as electron acceptors in the conversion of 4-ethylphenol by 4-ethylphenol methylenehydroxylase (4-EPMH). The reactivity of H117G-azurin was determined in the absence and presence of imidazoles, which can substitute the missing fourth ligand. In the absence of imidazoles, H117G-azurin reacted directly with 4-ethylphenol; this reaction was abolished in the presence of imidazoles. The enzymatic reduction of H117G-azurin by 4-EPMH was 40 times slower than that of wild-type azurin. The rate of this reaction was enhanced by some imidazoles, diminished by others. In all cases the reduction of H117G-azurin was irreversible. These results demonstrate that His117 is vital for electron transfer and effectively protects the copper site against aspecific reactions.

Azurin↗
PubMed2002

Studies of Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin mutants: cavities in beta-barrel do not affect refolding speed.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin is a blue-copper protein with a Greek-key fold. Removal of copper produces an apoprotein with the same structure as holoazurin. To address the effects on thermodynamic stability and folding dynamics caused by small cavities in a beta-barrel, we have studied the behavior of the apo-forms of wild-type and two mutant (His-46-Gly and His-117-Gly) azurins. The equilibrium- and kinetic-folding and unfolding reactions appear as two-state processes for all three proteins. The thermodynamic stability of the two mutants is significantly decreased as compared with the stability of wild-type azurin, in accord with cavities in or near the hydrophobic interior having an overall destabilizing effect. Large differences are also found in the unfolding rates: the mutants unfold much faster than wild-type azurin. In contrast, the folding-rate constants are almost identical for the three proteins and closely match the rate-constant predicted from the native-state topology of azurin. We conclude that the topology is more important than equilibrium stability in determining the folding speed of azurin.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2002

If space is provided, bulky modification on the rim of azurin's beta-barrel results in folded protein.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin is a blue-copper protein with a beta-barrel fold. Here we report that, at conditions where thermal unfolding of apo-azurin is reversible, the reaction occurs in a single step with a transition midpoint (T(m)) of 69 degrees C (pH 7). The active-site mutation His117Gly creates a cavity in the beta-barrel near the surface but does not perturb the overall fold (T(m) of 64 degrees C, pH 7). Oxidation of the active-site cysteine (Cysteine-112) in wild-type azurin, which occurs readily at higher temperatures, results in a modified protein that cannot adopt a native-like structure. In sharp contrast, Cysteine-112 oxidation in His117Gly azurin yields a modified apo-azurin that appears folded and displays cooperative, reversible unfolding (T(m) approximately 55 degrees C, pH 7). We conclude that azurin's beta-barrel is a rigid structural element that constrains the structure of its surface; a bulky modification can only be accommodated if complementary space is provided.

Apoproteins↗
PubMed1977

Studies of individual carbon sites of azurin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa by natural-abundance carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

The environments of the aromatic residues (and of the single arginine residue) of azurin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa are investigated by means of natural-abundance 13C Fourier transform NMR spectroscopy. In the case of the diamagnetic Cu(I) azurin, all 17 nonprotonated aromatic carbons (and Czota of Arg-79) yield narrow resonances. Furthermore, a single-carbon amide carbonyl resonance with an unusual chemical shift (peak chi) is observed. The pH dependence of chemical shifts is used to identify the resonances of Cgamma of titrating histidines, and of Cgamma and Czota of the two tyrosines. The resonances of Cgamma and Cdelta2 of the single tryptophan residue (and Czota of Arg-79) are also identified. The pKa values of the two tyrosines are different from each other and higher than typical values of "solvent-exposed" tyrosine residues. Two of the four histidine residues do not titrate (in the pH range 4 to 11). The resonance of Cgamma of one histidine exhibits a pH titration with fast proton exchange behavior and a pKa of 7.5 +/- 0.2. The direction of the titration shift indicates that the imidazole form of this histidine is the Ndelta1-H tautomer. The Cgamma resonance of the other titrating histidine exhibits slow exchange behavior with a pKa of about 7. The imidazole form of this histidine is the Nepsilon2-H tautomer. When going to the paramagnetic Cu(II) protein, only 11 of the 19 carbons mentioned above yield resonances that are narrow enough to be detected. Also, some of the observed resonances exhibit significant paramagnetic broadening. A comparison of spectra of fully reduced azurin, mixtures of reduced and oxidized azurin, and fully oxidized azurin yields the following information. (i) Peak chi arises from an amide group that probably is coordinated to the copper. (ii) The two nontitrating histidine residues are probably copper ligands, with Ndelta1 coordinated to the metal. (iii) The side chains of Arg-79 and the two tyrosine residues are not coordinated to the copper, and Trp-48 is probably not a ligand either. (iv) The gamma carbons of Trp-48, the tyrosine with the lower pKa, the titrating histidine with slow exchange behavior, and three or four of the six phenylalanine residues are sufficiently close to the copper to undergo significant paramagnetic broadening in the spectrum of oxidized azurin.

Azurin↗
PubMed2005

Snapshots of a dynamic folding nucleus in zinc-substituted Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin.

Zinc-substituted Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin folds in two-state equilibrium and kinetic reactions. In the unfolded state, the zinc ion remains bound to the unfolded polypeptide via two native-state ligands (His117 and Cys112). The significantly curved Chevron plot for zinc-substituted azurin was earlier ascribed to movement of the folding-transition state. At low concentrations of denaturant, the transition state occurs early in the folding reaction (low Tanford beta-value), whereas at high-denaturant concentration, it moves closer to the native structure (high Tanford beta-value). Here, we use this movement to track the formation and growth of zinc-substituted azurin's folding nucleus with atomic resolution using protein engineering. The average phi (phi) value for 17 positions (covering all secondary-structure elements) goes from 0.25 in 0 M GuHCl (beta approximately 0.46) to 0.76 in 4 M GuHCl (beta approximately 0.86); a phi-value of 1 or 0 indicates native-like or unfolded-like interactions, respectively. Analysis of individual phi-values reveals a delocalized nucleus where structure condenses around a leading density centered on Leu50 in the core. The diffuse moving transition state for zinc-substituted azurin is in sharp contrast to the fixed polarized folding nucleus observed for apo-azurin. The dramatic difference in apparent kinetic behavior for the two forms of azurin can be rationalized as a minor alteration on a common free-energy profile that exhibits a broad activation barrier.

Amino Acid Substitution↗
PubMed2006

Crystal structure of an electron transfer complex between aromatic amine dehydrogenase and azurin from Alcaligenes faecalis.

The crystal structure of an electron transfer complex of aromatic amine dehydrogenase (AADH) and azurin is presented. Electrons are transferred from the tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ) cofactor of AADH to the type I copper of the cupredoxin azurin. This structure is compared with the complex of the TTQ-containing methylamine dehydrogenase (MADH) and the cupredoxin amicyanin. Despite significant similarities between the two quinoproteins and the two cupredoxins, each is specific for its respective partner and the ionic strength dependence and magnitude of the binding constant for each complex are quite different. The AADH-azurin interface is largely hydrophobic, covering approximately 500 A(2) of surface on each molecule, with one direct hydrogen bond linking them. The closest distance from TTQ to copper is 12.6 A compared with a distance of 9.3 A in the MADH-amicyanin complex. When the MADH-amicyanin complex is aligned with the AADH-azurin complex, the amicyanin lies on top of the azurin but is oriented quite differently. Although the copper atoms differ in position by approximately 4.7 A, the amicyanin bound to MADH appears to be rotated approximately 90 degrees from its aligned position with azurin. Comparison of the structures of the two complexes identifies features of the interface that dictate the specificity of the protein-protein interaction and determine the rate of interprotein electron transfer.

Alcaligenes faecalis↗
PubMed1996

Paramagnetic cobalt and nickel derivatives of Alcaligenes denitrificans azurin and its M121Q mutant. A 1H NMR study.

Using cobalt or nickel to replace copper in native azurin allows one to fingerprint the metal coordination site of the protein. The metal sites of wild type Alcaligenes denitrificans azurin and its M121Q mutant are clearly distinguishable through the paramagnetic 1H NMR spectra of the Ni(II) and Co(II) derivatives. In the wild type azurin, Gly45 coordinates to nickel or cobalt, while Met121 appears as a weak metal ligand. On the contrary, in the M121Q azurin mutant, the metal exhibits a clear preference for the Gln121, which coordinates through the side chain carbonyl oxygen, and Gly45 is not a ligand. Changes in the isotropic shifts and relaxation properties of signals from the Cys112, His46, and His117 metal ligands suggest a movement of the metal ion out of the equatorial plane, indicating that the metal site is tetrahedral. These effects are less pronounced in the Ni(II) M121Q azurin than in the Co(II) metalloderivative. The similarity between the NMR spectra of the Co(II) derivatives of stellacyanin and the M121Q azurin is in agreement with a very similar metal site in both proteins and supports the existence of a coordinated Gln in stellacyanin.

Alcaligenes↗
PubMed2004

Bacterial cupredoxin azurin as an inducer of apoptosis and regression in human breast cancer.

Azurin, a copper-containing redox protein released by the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is highly cytotoxic to the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7, but is less cytotoxic toward p53-negative (MDA-MB-157) or nonfunctional p53 cell lines like MDD2 and MDA-MB-231. The purpose of this study was to investigate the underlying mechanism of the action of bacterial cupredoxin azurin in the regression of breast cancer and its potential chemotherapeutic efficacy. Azurin enters into the cytosol of MCF-7 cells and travels to the nucleus, enhancing the intracellular levels of p53 and Bax, thereby triggering the release of mitochondrial cytochrome c into the cytosol. This process activates the caspase cascade (including caspase-9 and caspase-7), thereby initiating the apoptotic process. Our results indicate that azurin-induced cell death stimuli are amplified in the presence of p53. In vivo injection of azurin in immunodeficient mice harboring xenografted human breast cancer cells in the mammary fat pad leads to statistically significant regression (85%, P = 0.0179, Kruskal-Wallis Test) of the tumor. In conclusion, azurin blocks breast cancer cell proliferation and induces apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway both in vitro and in vivo, thereby suggesting a potential chemotherapeutic application of this bacterial cupredoxin for the treatment of breast cancer.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1999

The effect of pressure and guanidine hydrochloride on azurins mutated in the hydrophobic core.

The unfolding of the blue-copper protein azurin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa by guanidine hydrochloride, under nonreducing conditions, has been studied by fluorescence techniques and circular dichroism. The denaturation transition may be fitted by a simple two-state model. The total free energy change from the native to the unfolded state was 9.4 +/- 0.4 kcal.mol-1, while a lower value (6.4 +/- 0.4 kcal.mol-1) was obtained for the metal depleted enzyme (apo-azurin) suggesting that the copper atom plays an important stabilization role. Azurin and apo-azurin were practically unaffected by hydrostatic pressure up to 3000 bar. Site-directed mutagenesis has been used to destabilize the hydrophobic core of azurin. In particular either hydrophobic residue Ile7 or Phe110 has been substituted with a serine. The free energy change of unfolding by guanidinium hydrochloride, resulted to be 5.8 +/- 0.3 kcal.mol-1 and 4.8 +/- 0.3 kcal.mol-1 for Ile7Ser and Phe110Ser, respectively, showing that both mutants are much less stable than the wild-type protein. The mutated apoproteins could be reversible denatured even by high pressure, as demonstrated by steady-state fluorescence measurements. The change in volume associated to the pressure-induced unfolding was estimated to be -24 mL.mol-1 for Ile7Ser and -55 mL.mol-1 for Phe110Ser. These results show that the tight packing of the hydrophobic residues that characterize the inner structure of azurin is fundamental for the protein stability. This suggests that the proper assembly of the hydrophobic core is one of the earliest and most crucial event in the folding process, bearing important implication for de novo design of proteins.

Azurin↗
PubMed2000

Role of ligand substitution on long-range electron transfer in azurins.

Azurin contains two potential redox sites, a copper centre and, at the opposite end of the molecule, a cystine disulfide (RSSR). Intramolecular electron transfer between a pulse radiolytically produced RSSR- radical anion and the blue Cu(II) ion was studied in a series of azurins in which single-site mutations were introduced into the copper ligand sphere. In the Met121His mutant, the rate constant for intramolecular electron transfer is half that of the corresponding wild-type azurin. In the His46Gly and His117Gly mutants, a water molecule is co-ordinated to the copper ion when no external ligands are added. Both these mutants also exhibit slower intramolecular electron transfer than the corresponding wild-type azurin. However, for the His117Gly mutant in the presence of excess imidazole, an azurin-imidazole complex is formed and the intramolecular electron-transfer rate increases considerably, becoming threefold faster than that observed in the native protein. Activation parameters for all these electron-transfer processes were determined and combined with data from earlier studies on intramolecular electron transfer in wild-type and single-site-mutated azurins. A linear relationship between activation enthalpy and activation entropy was observed. These results are discussed in terms of reorganization energies, driving force and possible electron-transfer pathways.

Alcaligenes↗
PubMed1985

1H NMR studies of electron exchange rate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin.

T1 values of the His-35 C-2 proton resonance of reduced Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin were determined at 25 degrees C and pH values 4.5, 7.3, and 9.0 in the presence of different fractional amounts of oxidized azurin. The C-2 proton of His-35 undergoes very rapid spin relaxation in oxidized azurin because of its close proximity to the paramagnetic copper. In the presence of oxidized protein, the T1 values of this proton in reduced azurin depend on the lifetime of the reduced protein. From the T1 data, the electron self-exchange rate constant for azurin was calculated to be 1.4 X 10(4) M-1 X s-1, 4.3 X 10(3) M-1 X s-1, and 6.0 X 10(3) M-1 X s-1 at pH values 4.5, 7.3, and 9, respectively. At pH 7.3, the C-2 proton of His-35 is in slow exchange between the imidazole and imidazolium forms and gives rise to two separate resonances at 9.39 and 8.00 ppm. By using these two resonances, the electron self-exchange rate constants were determined separately for the two species of azurin for which the His-35 residue is in the imidazole or the imidazolium forms; results showed that both species participate in self-exchange of electrons with equal efficiency.

Azurin↗
PubMed1999

Enhanced rate of intramolecular electron transfer in an engineered purple CuA azurin.

The recent expression of an azurin mutant where the blue type 1 copper site is replaced by the purple CuA site of Paracoccus denitrificans cytochrome c oxidase has yielded an optimal system for examining the unique electron mediation properties of the binuclear CuA center, because both type 1 and CuA centers are placed in the same location in the protein while all other structural elements remain the same. Long-range electron transfer is induced between the disulfide radical anion, produced pulse radiolytically, and the oxidized binuclear CuA center in the purple azurin mutant. The rate constant of this intramolecular process, kET = 650 +/- 60 s-1 at 298 K and pH 5.1, is almost 3-fold faster than for the same process in the wild-type single blue copper azurin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (250 +/- 20 s-1), in spite of a smaller driving force (0.69 eV for purple CuA azurin vs. 0.76 eV for blue copper azurin). The reorganization energy of the CuA center is calculated to be 0.4 eV, which is only 50% of that found for the wild-type azurin. These results represent a direct comparison of electron transfer properties of the blue and purple CuA sites in the same protein framework and provide support for the notion that the binuclear purple CuA center is a more efficient electron transfer agent than the blue single copper center because reactivity of the former involves a lower reorganization energy.

Azurin↗
PubMed1997

In vivo studies disprove an obligatory role of azurin in denitrification in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and show that azu expression is under control of rpoS and ANR.

The role of the blue copper protein azurin and cytochrome C551 as the possible electron donors to nitrite reductase in the dissimilatory nitrate reduction pathway in Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been investigated. It was shown by an in vivo approach with mutant strains of P. aeruginosa deficient in one or both of these electron-transfer proteins that cytochrome C551, but not azurin, is functional in this pathway. Expression studies demonstrated the presence of azurin in both aerobic and anaerobic cultures. A sharp increase in azurin expression was observed when cultures were shifted from exponential to stationary phase. The stationary-phase sigma factor, sigma s, was shown to be responsible for this induction. In addition, one of the two promoters transcribing the azu gene was regulated by the anaerobic transcriptional regulator ANR. An azurin-deficient mutant was more sensitive to hydrogen peroxide and paraquat than the wild-type P. aeruginosa. These results suggest a physiological role of azurin in stress situations like those encountered in the transition to the stationary phase.

Aerobiosis↗
PubMed2001

Azurin involved in alcohol oxidation system in Pseudomonas putida HK5: expression analysis and gene cloning.

Expression of azurin in Pseudomonas putida HK5 was examined by immunoblot analysis. Similar amounts of azurin were found in the cells grown into the stationary phase on any carbon sources, including LB medium without alcohol, where no quinoprotein alcohol dehydrogenases appeared. In the early exponential phase, the highest amount of azurin was found in the cells grown on 1-butanol, but here was none in the case of LB medium, suggesting that expression of azurin is cooperative with that of the alcohol oxidase system, especially the system including quinohemoprotein alcohol dehydrogenase IIB. The azurin gene (azu) was cloned and sequenced. azu is monocistronic, and in its promoter region, FNR-binding consensus sequence was found. However, its relative position suggests different transcriptional regulation from that in azu of P. aeruginosa. The molecular weight of the mature protein without copper ion calculated from the amino acid sequence was consistent with the value of the purified azurin measured by mass spectrometry.

Alcohols↗
PubMed2004

Conformational changes in azurin from Pseudomona aeruginosa induced through chemical and physical protocols.

Azurin from Pseudomona aeruginosa is a small copper protein with a single tryptophan (Trp) buried in the structure. The Gibbs free energies associated with the folding of holo azurin, calculated monitoring Trp fluorescence and changes in absorbance on the ligand-to-metal band, are different because these techniques probe their local environments, thereby being able to probe different conformational changes. The presence of an intermediate state was observed during the chemical denaturation of the protein. Upon denaturation, a 30-fold increase is observed in the magnitude of the quenching constant of the tryptophan fluorescence by acrylamide, because this residue becomes more accessible to the quencher. Entrapping the protein in sol-gel materials lowers its stability possibly because the solvation properties of the macromolecule are changed. The thermal denaturation of azurin immobilized in a sol-gel monolith is irreversible, which tends to rule out an aggregation mechanism to account for the irreversibility of the denaturation of the protein free in solution. Unlike the Cu(II) ion, the Gd(III) ion accommodates in site B of azurin with high affinity and the folding free energy of Gd-azurin is larger than that of apo azurin.

Acrylamide↗
PubMed1997

Measurement of Electron Transfer Rates between Adsorbed Azurin and a Gold Electrode Modified with a Hexanethiol Layer

In this work we report the application of electroreflectance (ER) spectroscopy for the study of the redox reaction of the nonheme protein azurin. Azurin was irreversibly adsorbed on a polycrystalline gold surface modified with a hexanethiol layer. Surface-enhanced resonant Raman spectroscopy (SERRS) demonstrated that the immobilized azurin's copper site remained intact upon adsorption and that it underwent reversible reduction-oxidation. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) data showed that the peak current of the oxidation (or reduction) wave depended linearly on the sweep rate as appropriate for an immobilized species. The formal potential of the adsorbed azurin was 95 ± 8 mV vs Ag/AgCl electrode, nearly identical to the earlier observed value of the native azurin in solution. All measurements were analyzed in the context of Marcus theory of electron transfer. The separation of the reduction-oxidation peaks in the CV data gave an estimate of the electron transfer (ET) rate in the range from 4 to 12 s-1. ER, with light of wavelength of 640 nm, yielded a strong signal at the same potential as the midpotential determined in CV. The frequency dependence of the ER response was consistent with an ET rate of 150 to 200 s-1. Electrochemical impedance measurements indicated an ET rate of the order of 300 s-1. The disparity between the ET rates measured with CV and ER suggests that ET may not be a single-step process. The results also point to the importance of hydrophobic interactions in adsorption and redox transformations of azurin. Copyright 1997Academic Press

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

X-ray Absorption Spectra of the Oxidized and Reduced Forms of C112D Azurin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The oxidized and reduced forms of a mutant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin, in which the Cys112 has been replaced by an aspartate, have been studied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. It is well established that the characteristic approximately 600 nm absorption feature of blue copper proteins is due to the S(Cys112) 3ppi --> Cu 3d(x)()()2(-)(y)()()2 charge-transfer transition. While other mutagenesis studies have involved the creation of an artificial blue copper site, the present work involves a mutant in which the native blue copper site has been destroyed, thus serving as a direct probe of the importance of the copper-thiolate bond to the spectroscopy, active site structure, and electron-transfer function of azurin. Of particular interest is the dramatic decrease in electron-transfer rates, both electron self-exchange (k(ese) approximately 10(5) M(-)(1) s(-)(1) wild-type azurin vs k(ese) approximately 20 M(-)(1) s(-)(1) C112D azurin) and intramolecular electron transfer to ruthenium-labeled sites (k(et) approximately 10(6) s(-)(1) wild-type azurin vs k(et) </= 10(3) s(-)(1) C112D azurin), which is observed in the mutant. These changes may be a reflection of significant differences in electronic coupling into the protein matrix (H(AB)) and/or in the reorganization energy (lambda). These effects can be probed by the use of Cu K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy, the results of which indicate both a decrease in the covalency of the active site and an expansion of approximately 0.2 Å in the Cu coordination sphere trigonal plane upon reduction of the C112D mutant.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1996

Staining of bone aluminium: comparison between aluminon and solochrome azurine and their correlation with bone aluminium content.

The aim of this study was to compare the sensitivity and specificity of the two histochemical stains most commonly used as indirect markers of the aluminium bone content. The clinical study was made in 28 biopsies from patients undergoing haemodialysis and the experimental study in 17 tibias from Wistar rats aluminium overloaded and with different deposits of iron. All samples were stained with aluminon, solochrome azurine and Perls and aluminium bone content was also measured. When the positive cases with Perls were excluded in the clinical study (without iron interference), the trabecular surface stained with solochrome azurine correlated with the aluminium bone content (r = 0.71, P < 0.001). With aluminon, on the other hand, no correlation was found. Solochrome azurine was always positive with aluminium contents greater than 8 micrograms/g. Aluminon was positive over 17 micrograms/g. In the experimental study, the iron concentration, in addition to other parameters, was also measured. As in the clinical study, the trabecular surface stained with solochrome azurine correlated with the aluminium content. If the positive Perls cases were excluded, the trabecular surface stained with solochrome azurine doubled the trabecular surface stained with aluminon (P < 0.001). No intratrabecular aluminon staining was observed while the intratrabecular solochrome staining correlated with the aluminium content (P < 0.001). Solochrome azurine was more sensitive than the aluminon and its lack of specificity can be easily corrected by employing Perls staining to exclude the iron interference.

Aluminum↗