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Relation between enzymic catalysis and energy coupling.

The principles that underlie enzyme catalysis also apply to energy coupling processes. A comparison is made between a kinase system that mediates the phosphorylation of glucose by ATP (hexokinase), as the prototype for enzymic catalysis, and the mitochondrial electron-transfer complexes, as the prototypes for energy coupling systems. Induced polarization of chemical bonds and charge separation and elimination are common component events of both enzyme catalysis and energy coupling. Thus, definite limits can be imposed on models of energy coupling; they must comply with the basic principles of enzymic catalysis.

Binding Sites↗

Unisite catalysis without rotation of the gamma-epsilon domain in Escherichia coli F1-ATPase.

Unisite [gamma-32P]ATP hydrolysis was studied in ECF1 from the mutant betaE381C after generating a single disulfide bond between beta and gamma subunits to prevent the rotation of the gamma/epsilon domain. The single beta-gamma cross-link was obtained by removal of the delta subunit from F1 and then treating with CuCl2 as described previously (Aggeler, R., Haughton, M. A., and Capaldi, R. A. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 9185-9191). The mutant enzyme, betaE381C, had an increased overall rate of unisite hydrolysis of [gamma-32P]ATP compared with the wild type ECF1 due to increases in the rate of ATP binding (k+1), Pi release (k+3), and ADP release (k+4). Release of bound substrate ([gamma-32P]ATP) was also increased in the betaE381C mutant. Cross-linking between Cys-381 and the intrinsic Cys-87 of gamma caused a further increase in the rate of unisite catalysis, mainly by additional effects on nucleotide binding in the high affinity catalytic site (k+1 and k+4). In delta-subunit-free ECF1 from wild type or betaE381C F1, addition of an excess of ATP accelerated unisite catalysis. After cross-linking, unisite catalysis of betaE381C was not enhanced by the cold chase. The covalent linkage of gamma to beta increased the rate of unisite catalysis to that obtained by cold chase of ATP of the noncross-linked enzyme. It is concluded that the conversion of Glu-381 of beta to Cys induces an activated conformation of the high affinity catalytic site with low affinity for substrate and products. This state is stabilized by cross-linking the Cys at beta381 to Cys-87 of gamma. We infer from the data that rotation of the gamma/epsilon rotor in ECF1 is not linked to unisite hydrolysis of ATP at the high affinity catalytic site but to ATP binding to a second or third catalytic site on the enzyme.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Rotation of the epsilon subunit during catalysis by Escherichia coli FOF1-ATP synthase.

We report evidence for catalysis-dependent rotation of the single epsilon subunit relative to the three catalytic beta subunits of functionally coupled, membrane-bound FOF1-ATP synthase. Cysteines substituted at beta380 and epsilon108 allowed rapid formation of a specific beta-epsilon disulfide cross-link upon oxidation. Consistent with a need for epsilon to rotate during catalysis, tethering epsilon to one of the beta subunits resulted in the inhibition of both ATP synthesis and hydrolysis. These activities were fully restored upon reduction of the beta-epsilon cross-link. As a more critical test for rotation, a subunit dissociation/reassociation procedure was used to prepare a beta-epsilon cross-linked hybrid F1 having epitope-tagged betaD380C subunits (betaflag) exclusively in the two noncross-linked positions. This allowed the beta subunit originally aligned with epsilon to form the cross-link to be distinguished from the other two betas. The cross-linked hybrid was reconstituted with FO in F1-depleted membranes. After reduction of the beta-epsilon cross-link and a brief period of catalytic turnover, reoxidation resulted in a significant amount of betaflag in the beta-epsilon cross-linked product. In contrast, exposure to ligands that bind to the catalytic site but do not allow catalysis resulted in the subsequent cross-linking of epsilon to the original untagged beta. Furthermore, catalysis-dependent rotation of epsilon was prevented by prior treatment of membranes with N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide to block proton translocation through FO. From these results, we conclude that epsilon is part of the rotor that couples proton transport to ATP synthesis.

Catalysis↗

Optimizing the Michaelis complex of trimethylamine dehydrogenase: identification of interactions that perturb the ionization of substrate and facilitate catalysis with trimethylamine base.

Recent evidence from isotope studies supports the view that catalysis by trimethylamine dehydrogenase (TMADH) proceeds from a Michaelis complex involving trimethylamine base and not, as thought previously, trimethylammonium cation. In native TMADH reduction of the flavin by substrate (perdeuterated trimethylamine) is influenced by two ionizations in the Michaelis complex with pK(a) values of 6.5 and 8.4; maximal activity is realized in the alkaline region. The latter ionization has been attributed to residue His-172 and, more recently, the former to the ionization of substrate itself. In the Michaelis complex, the ionization of substrate (pK(a) approximately 6.5 for perdeuterated substrate) is perturbed by approximately -3.3 to -3.6 pH units compared with that of free trimethylamine (pK(a) = 9.8) and free perdeuterated trimethylamine (pK(a) = 10.1), respectively, thus stabilizing trimethylamine base by approximately 2 kJ mol(-1). We show, by targeted mutagenesis and stopped-flow studies that this reduction of the pK(a) is a consequence of electronic interaction with residues Tyr-60 and His-172, thus these two residues are key for optimizing catalysis in the physiological pH range. We also show that residue Tyr-174, the remaining ionizable group in the active site that we have not targeted previously by mutagenesis, is not implicated in the pH dependence of flavin reduction. Formation of a Michaelis complex with trimethylamine base is consistent with a mechanism of amine oxidation that we advanced in our previous computational and kinetic studies which involves nucleophilic attack by the substrate nitrogen atom on the electrophilic C4a atom of the flavin isoalloxazine ring. Stabilization of trimethylamine base in the Michaelis complex over that in free solution is key to optimizing catalysis at physiological pH in TMADH, and may be of general importance in the mechanism of other amine dehydrogenases that require the unprotonated form of the substrate for catalysis.

Binding Sites↗

Aspartate 313 in the Streptomyces plicatus hexosaminidase plays a critical role in substrate-assisted catalysis by orienting the 2-acetamido group and stabilizing the transition state.

SpHex, a retaining family 20 glycosidase from Streptomyces plicatus, catalyzes the hydrolysis of N-acetyl-beta-hexosaminides. Accumulating evidence suggests that the hydrolytic mechanism involves substrate-assisted catalysis wherein the 2-acetamido substituent acts as a nucleophile to form an oxazolinium ion intermediate. The role of a conserved aspartate residue (D313) in the active site of SpHex was investigated through kinetic and structural analyses of two variant enzymes, D313A and D313N. Three-dimensional structures of the wild-type and variant enzymes in product complexes with N-acetyl-d-glucosamine revealed substantial differences. In the D313A variant the 2-acetamido group was found in two conformations of which only one is able to aid in catalysis through anchimeric assistance. The mutation D313N results in a steric clash in the active site between Asn-313 and the 2-acetamido group preventing the 2-acetamido group from providing anchimeric assistance, consistent with the large reduction in catalytic efficiency and the insensitivity of this variant to chemical rescue. By comparison, the D313A mutation results in a shift in a shift in the pH optimum and a modest decrease in activity that can be rescued by using azide as an exogenous nucleophile. These structural and kinetic data provide evidence that Asp-313 stabilizes the transition states flanking the oxazoline intermediate and also assists to correctly orient the 2-acetamido group for catalysis. Based on analogous conserved residues in the family 18 chitinases and family 56 hyaluronidases, the roles played by the Asp-313 residue is likely general for all hexosaminidases using a mechanism involving substrate-assisted catalysis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Catalysis, stereochemistry, and inhibition of ureidoglycolate lyase.

Ureidoglycolate lyase (UGL, EC 4.3.2.3) catalyzes the breakdown of ureidoglycolate to glyoxylate and urea, which is the final step in the catabolic pathway leading from purines to urea. Although the sequence of enzymatic steps was worked out nearly 40 years ago, the stereochemistry of the uric acid degradation pathway and the catalytic properties of UGL have remained very poorly described. We now report the first direct investigation of the absolute stereochemistry of UGL catalysis. Using chiral chromatographic analyses with substrate enantiomers, we demonstrate that UGL catalysis is stereospecific for substrates with the (S)-hydroxyglycine configuration. The first potent competitive inhibitors for UGL are reported here. These inhibitors are compounds which contain a 2,4-dioxocarboxylate moiety, designed to mimic transient species produced during lyase catalysis. The most potent inhibitor, 2,4-dioxo-4-phenylbutanoic acid, exhibits a KI value of 2.2 nM and is therefore among the most potent competitive inhibitors ever reported for a lyase enzyme. New synthetic alternate substrates for UGL, which are acyl-alpha-hydroxyglycine compounds, are described. Based on these alternate substrates, we introduce the first assay method for monitoring UGL activity directly. Finally, we report the first putative primary nucleotide and derived peptide sequence for UGL. This sequence exhibits a high level of similarity to the fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase family of proteins. Close mechanistic similarities can be visualized between the chemistries of ureidoglycolate lyase and fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase catalysis.

Amidine-Lyases↗

Evidence for distinct roles in catalysis for residues of the serine-serine-lysine catalytic triad of fatty acid amide hydrolase.

Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is a mammalian amidase signature enzyme that inactivates neuromodulatory fatty acid amides, including the endogenous cannabinoid anandamide and the sleep-inducing substance oleamide. The recent determination of the three-dimensional structures of FAAH and two distantly related bacterial amidase signature enzymes indicates that these enzymes employ an unusual serine-serine-lysine triad for catalysis (Ser-241/Ser-217/Lys-142 in FAAH). Mutagenesis of each of the triad residues in FAAH has been shown to severely reduce amidase activity; however, how these residues contribute, both individually and in cooperation, to catalysis remains unclear. Here, through a combination of site-directed mutagenesis, enzyme kinetics, and chemical labeling experiments, we provide evidence that each FAAH triad residue plays a distinct role in catalysis. In particular, the mutation of Lys-142 to alanine indicates that this residue functions as both a base involved in the activation of the Ser-241 nucleophile and an acid that participates in the protonation of the substrate leaving group. This latter property appears to support the unusual ability of FAAH to hydrolyze amides and esters at equivalent rates. Interestingly, although structural evidence indicates that the impact of Lys-142 on catalysis probably occurs through the bridging Ser-217, the mutation of this latter residue to alanine impaired catalytic activity but left the amide/ester hydrolysis ratios of FAAH intact. Collectively, these findings suggest that FAAH possesses a specialized active site structure dedicated to a mechanism for competitive amide and ester hydrolysis where nucleophile attack and leaving group protonation occur in a coordinated manner dependent on Lys-142.

Amidohydrolases↗

Probing the role of metal ions in the catalysis of Helicobacter pylori 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonate-8-phosphate synthase using a transient kinetic analysis.

3-Deoxy-d-manno-2-octulosonate-8-phosphate (KDO8P) synthase catalyzes the net condensation of phosphoenolpyruvate and d-arabinose 5-phosphate to form KDO8P and inorganic phosphate (Pi). Two classes of KDO8P synthases have been identified. The Class I KDO8P synthases (e.g. Escherchia coli KDO8P synthase) catalyze the condensation reaction in a metal-independent fashion, whereas the Class II enzymes (e.g. Aquifex aeolicus) require metal ions for catalysis. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) KDO8P synthase, a Zn2+-dependent metalloenzyme, has recently been found to be a Class II enzyme and has a high degree of clinical significance since it is an attractive molecular target for the design of novel antibiotic therapy. Although the presence of a divalent metal ion in Class II KDO8P synthases is essential for catalysis, there is a paucity of mechanistic information on the role of the metal ions and functional differences as compared with Class I enzymes. Using H. pylori KDO8P synthase as a prototypical Class II enzyme, a steady-state and transient kinetic approach was undertaken to understand the role of the metal ion in catalysis and define the kinetic reaction pathway. Metal reconstitution experiments examining the reaction kinetics using Zn2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, Co2+, Mn2+, and Ni2+ yielded surprising results in that the Cd2+ enzyme has the greatest activity. Unlike Class-I KDO8P synthases, the Class II metallo-KDO8P synthases containing Zn2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, and Co2+ show cooperativity. This study presents the first detailed kinetic characterization of a metal-dependent Class II KDO8P synthase and offers mechanistic insight for how the divalent metal ions modulate catalysis through effects on chemistry as well as quaternary protein structure.

Aldehyde-Lyases↗

Importance in catalysis of the 6-phosphate-binding site of 6-phosphogluconate in sheep liver 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase.

The 6-phosphate of 6-phosphogluconate (6PG) is proposed to anchor the sugar phosphate in the active site and aid in orientating the substrate for catalysis. In order to test this hypothesis, alanine mutagenesis was used to probe the contribution of residues in the vicinity of the 6-phosphate to binding of 6PG and catalysis. The crystal structure of sheep liver 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase shows that Tyr-191, Lys-260, Thr-262, Arg-287, and Arg-446 contribute a mixture of ionic and hydrogen bonding interactions to the 6-phosphate, and these interactions are likely to provide the majority of the binding energy for 6PG. All mutant enzymes, with the exception of T262A, exhibit an increase in K(6PG) that ranges from 5- to 800-fold. There is also a less pronounced increase in K(NADP), ranging from 3- to 15-fold, with the exception of T262A. The R287A and R446A mutant enzymes exhibit a dramatic decrease in V/E(t) (600- and 300-fold, respectively) as well as in V/K(6PG)E(t) (10(5) - and 10(4)-fold), and therefore no further characterization was carried out with these two mutant enzymes. No change in V/E(t) was observed for the Y191A mutant enzyme, whereas 20- and 3-fold decreases were obtained for the K260A and T262A mutant enzymes, respectively, resulting in a decrease in V/K(6PG)E(t) range from 3- to 120-fold. All mutant enzymes also exhibit at least an order of magnitude increase in 13C-isotope effect -1, indicating that the decarboxylation step has become more rate-limiting. Data are consistent with significant roles for Tyr-191, Lys-260, Thr-262, Arg-287, and Arg-446 in providing the binding energy for 6PG. In addition, these residues also likely ensure proper orientation of 6PG for catalysis and aid in inducing the conformation change that precedes, and sets up the active site for, catalysis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Proton-coupled electron transfer: the mechanistic underpinning for radical transport and catalysis in biology.

Charge transport and catalysis in enzymes often rely on amino acid radicals as intermediates. The generation and transport of these radicals are synonymous with proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET), which intrinsically is a quantum mechanical effect as both the electron and proton tunnel. The caveat to PCET is that proton transfer (PT) is fundamentally limited to short distances relative to electron transfer (ET). This predicament is resolved in biology by the evolution of enzymes to control PT and ET coordinates on highly different length scales. In doing so, the enzyme imparts exquisite thermodynamic and kinetic controls over radical transport and radical-based catalysis at cofactor active sites. This discussion will present model systems containing orthogonal ET and PT pathways, thereby allowing the proton and electron tunnelling events to be disentangled. Against this mechanistic backdrop, PCET catalysis of oxygen-oxygen bond activation by mono-oxygenases is captured at biomimetic porphyrin redox platforms. The discussion concludes with the case study of radical-based quantum catalysis in a natural biological enzyme, class I Escherichia coli ribonucleotide reductase. Studies are presented that show the enzyme utilizes both collinear and orthogonal PCET to transport charge from an assembled diiron-tyrosyl radical cofactor to the active site over 35A away via an amino acid radical-hopping pathway spanning two protein subunits.

Amino Acids↗

Transition state theory can be used in studies of enzyme catalysis: lessons from simulations of tunnelling and dynamical effects in lipoxygenase and other systems.

The idea that enzyme catalysis involves special factors such as coherent fluctuations, quantum mechanical tunnelling and non-equilibrium solvation (NES) effects has gained popularity in recent years. It has also been suggested that transition state theory (TST) cannot be used in studies of enzyme catalysis. The present work uses reliable state of the art simulation approaches to examine the above ideas. We start by demonstrating that we are able to simulate any of the present catalytic proposals using the empirical valence bond (EVB) potential energy surfaces, the dispersed polaron model and the quantized classical path (QCP) approach, as well as the approximate vibronic method. These approaches do not treat the catalytic effects by phenomenological treatments and thus can be considered as first principles approaches (at least their ability to compare enzymatic reaction to the corresponding solution reactions). This work will consider the lipoxygenase reaction, and to lesser extent other enzymes, for specific demonstration. It will be pointed out that our study of the lipoxygenase reaction reproduces the very large observed isotope effect and the observed rate constant while obtaining no catalytic contribution from nuclear quantum mechanical (NQM) effects. Furthermore, it will be clarified that our studies established that the NQM effect decreases rather than increases when the donor-acceptor distance is compressed. The consequences of these findings in terms of the temperature dependence of the kinetic isotope effect and in terms of different catalytic proposals will be discussed. This paper will also consider briefly the dynamical effects and conclude that such effects do not contribute in a significant way to enzyme catalysis. Furthermore, it will be pointed out that, in contrast to recent suggestions, NES effects are not dynamical effects and should therefore be part of the activation free energy rather than the transmission factor. In view of findings of the present work and our earlier works, it seems that TST provides a quantitative tool for studies of enzyme catalysis and that the key open questions are related to the nature of the factors that lead to transition state stabilization.

Catalysis↗

Identification of residues critical for catalysis in a class C beta-lactamase by combinatorial scanning mutagenesis.

Despite their clinical importance, the mechanism of action of the class C beta-lactamases is poorly understood. In contrast to the class A and class D beta-lactamases, which contain a glutamate residue and a carbamylated lysine in their respective active sites that are thought to serve as general base catalysts for beta-lactam hydrolysis, the mechanism of activation of the serine and water nucleophiles in the class C enzymes is unclear. To probe for residues involved in catalysis, the class C beta-lactamase from Enterobacter cloacae P99 was studied by combinatorial scanning mutagenesis at 122 positions in and around the active site. Over 1000 P99 variants were screened for activity in a high-throughput in vivo antibiotic resistance assay and sequenced by 96-capillary electrophoresis to identify residues that are important for catalysis. P99 mutants showing reduced capability to convey antibiotic resistance were purified and characterized in vitro. The screen identified an active-site hydrogen-bonding network that is key to catalysis. A second cluster of residues was identified that likely plays a structural role in the enzyme. Otherwise, residues not directly contacting the substrate showed tolerance to substitution. The study lends support to the notion that the class C beta-lactamases do not have a single residue that acts as the catalytic general base. Rather, catalysis is affected by a hydrogen-bonding network in the active site, suggesting a possible charge relay system.

Base Sequence↗

Autoantibody catalysis: no longer hostage to Occam's razor.

Autoantibody catalysis is now a well-established phenomenon, but the initial finding of autoantibody-catalyzed VIP cleavage was suspected to be an artefact by certain practitioners of designer antibody catalysis, mainly because of conceptual complexities not foreseen in our training about the immune system and about the mechanisms of biological catalysis. Confirmation that antibodies can acquire proteolytic activity by entirely natural means has emerged, ironically, in part from the field of designer catalytic antibodies. Recent studies have provided insight into the molecular strategies whereby antibodies can combine antigen binding with chemical catalysis, and the contributions of innate and adaptive immune mechanisms in the proteolytic activity. The history of this field illustrates the dangers of assuming that novel observations must fit into the simple confines of established theories. Scientific theories are changeable entities, dependent on empirical data and interpretations of the data, and their growth is better served by keeping an open mind.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Nucleobase catalysis in the hairpin ribozyme.

RNA catalysis is important in the processing and translation of RNA molecules, yet the mechanisms of catalysis are still unclear in most cases. We have studied the role of nucleobase catalysis in the hairpin ribozyme, where the scissile phosphate is juxtaposed between guanine and adenine bases. We show that a modified ribozyme in which guanine 8 has been substituted by an imidazole base is active in both cleavage and ligation, with ligation rates 10-fold faster than cleavage. The rates of both reactions exhibit bell-shaped dependence on pH, with pK(a) values of 5.7 +/- 0.1 and 7.7 +/- 0.1 for cleavage and 6.1 +/- 0.3 and 6.9 +/- 0.3 for ligation. The data provide good evidence for general acid-base catalysis by the nucleobases.

Adenosine↗

Nonspecific catalysis by protein surfaces.

Catalytic antibodies are the best available all-around enzyme mimics. They provide a unique experimental approach and some special insights into general questions about catalysis by enzymes. They offer enantiospecific reactions and levels of substrate binding that compare well with typical enzyme reactions, but not--so far--comparable catalytic efficiency. We and others have used the Kemp elimination as a probe of catalytic efficiency in antibodies. We compare these reactions with nonspecific catalysis by other proteins, and with catalysis by enzymes. Several simple reactions are catalyzed by the serum albumins with Michaelis-Menten kinetics, and can be shown to involve substrate binding and catalysis by local functional groups. Here we report the details of one investigation, which implicate known binding sites on the protein surface, and discuss implications for catalyst design and efficiency.

Animals↗

Calcium supports loop closure but not catalysis in Rubisco.

Rubisco (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) catalyses CO(2) assimilation in biology. A prerequisite for catalysis is an activation process, whereby an active site lysine is selectively carbamylated. The carbamyl group is then stablised by a metal ion, which in vivo is Mg(2+). Other divalent metal ions can replace Mg(2+) as activators in vitro, but the nature of the metal ion strongly influences the catalytic activity of the enzyme and has a differential effect on the ratio of the carboxylation reaction and the competing oxygenation reaction. Biochemical studies show that calcium promotes carbamylation but not catalysis. To investigate the role of the metal in catalysis, we have determined two structures of the enzyme complexed with Ca(2+) and the transition state analogue 2-carboxy-D-arbinitol-1,5-bisphosphate (2CABP). One of the complexes was prepared by soaking 2CABP into crystals of the enzyme-Ca(2+)-product complex, while the other was obtained by cocrystallising the enzyme with calcium and 2CABP under activating conditions. The two crystals belong to different space groups, and one was merohedrally twinned. Both complexes show very similar three-dimensional features. The enzyme is carbamylated at Lys201, and requisite loops close over the bound ligands in the active site, shielding them from the solvent in a manner similar to the corresponding complex with Mg(2+). However, there are subtle differences that could explain the particular role of Ca(2+) in these processes. The larger radius of the calcium ion and its reduced Lewis-acid character causes a significant increase in the required proton hop distance between the C3 proton and the carbamate on Lys201 in the calcium complex. This alone could explain the inability of calcium to sustain catalysis in Rubisco. Similar effects are also expected on subsequent proton transfer steps in the catalytic cycle. Here we also discuss the effect of metal substitution on the dynamics of the ligands around the metal ion.

Calcium↗

Catalytic site forms and controls in ATP synthase catalysis.

A suggested minimal scheme for substrate binding by and interconversion of three forms of the catalytic sites of the ATP synthase is presented. Each binding change, that drives simultaneous interchange of the three catalytic site forms, requires a 120 degrees rotation of the gamma with respect to the beta subunits. The binding of substrate(s) at two catalytic sites is regarded as sufficing for near maximal catalytic rates to be attained. Although three sites do not need to be filled for rapid catalysis, during rapid bisite catalysis some enzyme may be transiently present with three sites filled. Forms with preferential binding for ADP and P(i) or for ATP are considered to arise from the transition state and participate in other steps of the catalysis. Intermediate forms and steps that may be involved are evaluated. Experimental evidence for energy-dependent steps and for control of coupling to proton translocation and transition state forms are reviewed. Impact of relevant past data on present understanding of catalytic events is considered. In synthesis a key step is suggested in which proton translocation begins to deform an open site so as to increase the affinity for ADP and P(i), that then bind and pass through the transition state, and yield tightly bound ATP in one binding change. ADP binding appears to be a key parameter controlling rotation during synthesis. In hydrolysis ATP binding to a loose site likely precedes any proton translocation, with proton movement occurring as the tight site form develops. Aspects needing further study are noted. Characteristics of the related MgADP inhibition of the F(1) ATPases that have undermined many observations are summarized, and relations of three-site filling to catalysis are assessed.

ATP Synthetase Complexes↗

Tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase: a review of the roles of the heme and copper cofactors in catalysis.

L-Tryptophan, 2,3-dioxygenase (EC 1.13.11.11) has been purified to homogenity from L-tryptophan induced Pseudomonas acidovorans (ATCC 11299b) and from L-tryptophan and cortisone induced rat liver. The enzyme from both sources is composed of four subunits and contains two g-atoms copper and two moles heme per mole tetramer. The proteins from the two sources are not identical. Three oxidation states of tryptophan oxygenase have been isolated: (1) fully oxidized, [Cu(II)]2[Ferriheme]2; (2) half reduced, [Cu(i)]2[ferriheme]2; and (3) fully reduced, [Cu(I)]2[ferroheme]2. Catalytic activity is dependent solely on the presence of Cu(I) in the enzyme, the heme may be either ferro or ferri. The presence of Cu(II) in the enzyme results in a requirement for an exogenous reductant, such as ascorbate, in order to elicit enzymic activity. Ligands, such as cyanide and carbon monoxide, can inhibit catalysis by binding to either or to both the copper and heme moieties. Metal complexing agents, such as bathocuproinesulfonate and bathophenanthrolinesulfonate, can inhibit catalysis by binding to Cu(I) resent only in catalytically active enzyme molecules. During catalysis by the fully reduced form of the enzyme, molecular oxygen binds to the heme moieties, while during catalysis by the half reduced form of the enzyme it does not, presumably binding instead to the Cu(I) moieties. Enzymes that catalyze similar reactions have been purified from other sources. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase appears to be a heme protein, but its copper content is unknown. Pyrrolooxygenases appear to be completely different enzymes, although they have not yet been purified to homegeneity.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗