Results and Discussion.-The Metal Binding Site of Apocarboxypeptidase: Ag+, P-Mercuribenzoate, Or Ferricyanide Titrate Only
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CARBOXYPEPTIDASE A: APPROACHES TO THE CHEMICAL NA TURE OF THE ACTIVE CENTER AND THE MECHANISMS OF ACTION* BY BERT L. VALLEE, JAMES F. RIORDANt, AND JOSEPH E. COLEMANt BIOPHYSICS RESEARCH LABORATORY, DIVISION OF MEDICAL BIOLOGY, DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE, HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL AND THE PETER BENT BRIGHAM HOSPITAL, BOSTON Communicated by Eric G. Ball, November 7, 1962 The characteristics of metalloenzymes offer unusual opportunities in the elucida- tion of their active, enzymatic centers. Carboxypeptidasel has proved to be a particularly suitable and experimentally accessible enzyme for such studies, since conclusions concerning the active center2 need not be based on experiments which destroy activity.3 This paper briefly summarizes the implications of recent experi- ments which have been reported and others to be reported elsewhere.4-9 Experimental.-The preparations of the native zinc enzyme and the metal-free apoenzyme, the methods for peptidase and esterase assay, the preparation of metallocarboxypeptidases, the deter- minations of protein concentration, sulfhydryl titrations, gel filtrations and equilibrium dialyses have all been described previously.,, 6, 10-13 Dinitrophenylations of the metalloenzyme and apo- enzyme were carried out according to the method of Sanger'4 or Fraenkel-Conrat.'5 The DNP- amino acid derivatives were isolated by two-dimensional paper chromatography. Phenylisothio- cyanatc was employed for Fraenkel-Conrat's modification", of the Edman degradation.'6 The phenylthiohydantoins were isolated by paper chromatography and identified by their character- istic Rf's as determined bv ultraviolet absorption and starch-iodine. Acylations were performed by adding 15- to 60-fold excess of the various anhydrides mentioned in the text to 10-4 M enzyme in 0.02 M sodium Veronal-2 M NaCl, pH 7.5 buffer at 00 for a reaction time of thirty min. The pH of the reaction was maintained at 7.5 by the addition of 1 M NaGH by means of a pH Stat. Excess anhydride was removed by dialysis against the same buffer at 0° for 48 hr. lodinations were performed with a 35-fold molar excess of I? in 0.5 M KI at 250 for ten min. Photooxidations were carried out in the presence of methylene blue according to the method of Weil and Buchert.'7 All chemicals used in these experiments were reagent grade and used without further purification except for acetic anhydride which was redistilled. Results and Discussion.-The metal binding site of apocarboxypeptidase: Ag+, p-mercuribenzoate, or ferricyanide titrate only one -SH group in the apocarboxy- peptidase and none in the metallocarboxypeptidasel2 (Table 1). A peptide con- taining the single cysteine residue of carboxypeptidase to which zinc is bound has recently been isolated.'8 The sequence and magnitude of the stability constants of different metallo- carboxypeptidases, their comparison to those of simple ligands and complexometric titrations indicated early that the metal atom is also bound to nitrogen.'1 12 The experiments suggesting that the a-amino group of the N-terminal asparagine (AspNH2) (Table 1) may be the second donor group for zinc binding are quite analogous to those employed for the -SH group. On exposure to fluorodinitro- benzene or phenylisothiocyanate, the apoenzyme1' readily forms DNP-aspartic acid (DNP-Asp) or PTH-asparagine (PTN-AspNH2), respectively, while the yields from the metalloenzyme are significantly less. Zinc appears to be displaced from the enzyme in proportion to the reaction of these reagents with the N-terminal asparagine. The sum of the number of gram atoms of zinc bound per mole of enzyme and the moles of product is unity7' 19 (Table 1). Chemical modifications: The search for those groups of carboxypeptidase which might function in specificity, catalysis, and binding of the substrate is a logical ex- 109 Downloaded by guest on September 27, 2021 110 BIOCHEMISTRY: VALLEE ET AL. PROC. N. A. S. TABLE 1 COMPLEMENTARITY OF -SH AND a-NH2 GROUPS WITH ZINC CONTENT OF [(CPD) ZN]a Zn++b -SHc Sample (gm-atom/mole) (moles/mole) 2 (Zn++ + -SH) [(CPD) Zn]d 1.00 0 1.00 (CPD) + 0.5 gm-atom Zn++ 0.57 0.42 0.99 (CPD) + 0.25 gm-atom Zn++ 0.27 0.63 0.90 (CPD) 0 0.91 0.91 l)NP-A sp (moles/mole) Z (Zn++ + DNP-Asp) [(CPD)Zn]e 1.0 1.00 [(CPD) Zn]f 0.77 0.25 1.02 (CPD) + 0.5 gin-atom Zn++ 0.47 0.52 0.99 [(CPD) Zn]g 0.23 0.70 0.93 PTH-AspNH2 (moles/mole) 2 (Zn + + + PTH-AspNH2) [(CPD) Zn] + PTCh 2 min 0.72 0.28 1.00 [(CPD) Zn] + PTC 15 min 0.44 0.47 0.91 [(CPD) Zn] + PTC 30 min 0.38 0.69 1.07 a Apocarboxypeptidase is designated (CPD); zinc carboxypeptidase is [(CPD) Zn] in accord with previous usage (Vallee, B. L., Advances in Protein Chem., 10, 317 (1955)). b Determined by chemical analysis.10 c-SH groups titrated with Ag+.l2 d Native and fully reconstituted zinc carboxypeptidase. e Native zinc carboxypeptidase, not treated with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (FDNB). f Native zinc carboxypeptidase, FDNB, 2 hr, 250, pH 7.0.15 g Native zinc carboxypeptidase, FDNB, pH 9.0, conditions according to Sanger.14 h Native zinc carboxypeptidase, phenylisothiocyanate (PTC) 22°, Whatman No. 1 paper strip, conditions according to Fraenkel-Conrat.'5 The N-terminal sequence is Asp-NH2, Tyr, Ala.7. 19 tension of these studies. Alterations in the general three-dimensional structure of enzymes are not likely to account for the mode of action of procedures which result in marked increases in activity. Though conformational changes at the active site may have occurred, the enhancement of activity provides evidence that the essen- tial chemical and structural features of the active center have been preserved. Replacement of Zn++ by Cd++ and Hg++ at the Active Site of Carboxypeptidase.- Effects on peptidase and esterase activities: Cadmium and mercury carboxypep- tidases are more active as esterases than native zinc carboxypeptidase, but they exhibit no peptidase activity (Table 2). One activity has been abolished while the other is even enhanced as a consequence of the replacement of only one atom, TABLE 2 SIMULTANEOUS ALTERATIONS IN ENZYMATIC ACTIVITY AND SPECIFICITY OF CARBOXYPEPTIDASE INDUCED BY METAL IONS, ANHYDRIDES, IODINATION, AND IRRADIATION Activity Enzyme* Esterase (%) Peptidase (%) [(CPD) Zn] 100 100 [(CPD) Hg] 116 0 [(CPD) Cd] 152 0 Iodinated [(CPD) Zn] 500 0 Acetyl [(CPD) Zn] 610 0 SucCinyl [(CPD) Zn] 150 154 ACetyl-Succinyl [(CPD) Zn] 780 0 Acetyl [(CPD) Zn] + NH20H 138 85 i-Butyryl [(CPD) Zn] 134 83 n-Valeryl [(CPD) Zn] 162 80 n-Butyryl [(CPD) Zn] 191 64 Propionyl [(CPD) Zn] 342 49 Photooxidized [(CPD) Zn] 198 36 * AMetallocarboxypeptidases were prepared as previously described." Acylations were performed as described under Experimental. Iodinations were performed with a 35-fold molar excess of I2 in 0.5 M KI for 10 min at 250. Photooxidations were carried out at 25° for 90 min using a 500-watt photoflood lamp positioned 6" from the sample as previously described."7 Esterase and peptidase activities were measured as previously described." Downloaded by guest on September 27, 2021 VOL. 49, 1963 BIOCHEMISTRY: VALLEE ET AL. 111 zinc, by another, cadmium or mercury; in effect, a curtailment of the dual specificity of the enzyme. Changes in the over-all three-dimensional protein structure would not constitute a likely explanation. Optical rotatory dispersion measurements support this prediction. Other organic chemical modifications of this enzyme enhance this view. Acylation with Monocarboxylic Acid Anhydrides, Iodination, and Photooxidation.- Effects on peptidase and esterase activities: Under appropriate conditions, acylation with monocarboxylic acid anhydrides, iodination, and photooxidation of carboxy- peptidase all markedly increase esterase and decrease peptidase activity (Table 2). Acetylation increases esterase activity to about 610 per cent of the native enzyme and peptidase activity is abolished completely; f3-phenylpropionate, a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme, selectively prevents both of these changes8 (Fig. 1). Acetylation overcomes the inhibition of ester hydrolysis at higher substrate con- centrations.9 When acetylcarboxypeptidase is treated with hydroxylamine, both peptidase and esterase activities are restored almost to their original rates (Table 2). Acylations with i-butyric, n-butyric, n-valeric, and propionic anhydrides also increase esterase and decrease peptidase activity. Though qualitatively the same, these changes are quantitatively smaller, as might be expected in view of the known reactivities of these anhydrides. In each case the increase in esterase activity is commensurate with the decrease in peptidase activity. At present, the evidence suggests that acylation of e-amino groups does not account for these reversible alterations of activity.9 Histidyl or tyrosyl residues or even the single atypical sulfur-containing residue of carboxypeptidase'8 could react with all of these reagents. But alkylation of this atypical sulfur group does not affect activity nor does ,B- phenylpropionate prevent this alkylation. "8 Esterase activity is markedly en- hanced and peptidase activity is diminished or abolished either by acylation or replacement of zinc by cadmium or mercury." Chemical interactions of all of these reagents with a specific group in the active center would be the simplest postu- late for the alterations in rate and catalytic specificities of the modified enzyme. Succinylation: The catalytic properties of succinylcarboxypeptidase differ significantly from those of the other acylenzymes studied so far. Succinylation increases both esterase and peptidase activities by 50 per cent, but f3-phenylpropio- nate does not prevent these changes. Acetylated succinylcarboxypeptidase is completely inactive toward peptides. However, its esterase activity is 780 per cent of the native enzyme and incorporates the increases due to both modifications. Succinic anhydride apparently does not react with the group affected by the other reagents listed in Table 2, nor does it prevent their reaction.