Reactivation of Metal-Requiring Apoenzymes by Phytochelatin-Metal Complexes
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Elsevier - Publisher Connector Volume 284, number 1. 66-69 FEES 09804 June 1991 0 1991 Federation of European Biochemical Societies 00145793/91/53.50 ADONIS 001457939100513B Reactivation of metal-requiring apoenzymes by phytochelatin-metal complexes Josef Thumannl, Erwin GriIP, Ernst-L. Winnacketi and Meinhart H. Zenkl lLefrrst~hlfir Pharmazeutischr Biologic, Universitlit Miinchen, Karlstr. 29, 8000 Miinchen 2. Germany and 2Gen;entrum der Universitdt ~Utinchen, Am Klopferspit: 3.8033 Martinsried. Germany Received 8 April 1991 The enzymatically inactive, metal-requiring apoforms of diamino oxidase and of carbonic anhydrase were reactivated by copper- and zinc-phyto- chelatin complexes, respectively. The level and the rate of reactivation effected by metal complexes consisting of poly(y-glutamylcysteinyl)glycine as well as by the respective free metal ion were compared. An efficient transfer of zinc and copper from phytochelatin-complexes to apoenzymes was observed in vitro. Metallo-enzyme; Phytochelatin: Metal transfer; Reactivation; Homeostasis 1. INTRODUCTION forms of metal-requiring enzymes and zinc-finger- forming proteins, while a metal transfer to the vacuole We have postulated that metal-binding phytoche- may also occur [8]. A transfer of a metal ion from the latins (PCs) are involved in heavy metal detoxification metal-PC complex to a metal-requiring enzyme has up and homeostasis of essentia1 ions such as zinc and cop- to now not been demonstrated and the question is ad- per in plants [I ,2]. PCs are sulfur-rich peptides of the dressed in this paper. general structure (Y-Glu-Cys),,-Gly, n = 2-l 1 [1,3] which are induced by a variety of heavy metal ions and 2. MATEKIALS AND METHODS appear to complex these ions by thiolate coordination. The peptides are synthesized by transpeptidation of 2.1 . Chemicals glutamylcysteine residues from glutathione catalyzed by Diethyldithiocarbamate and dipicolate were from Sigma, all other the metal-activated and constitutive enzyme phyto- 8:hemicals were of the highest purity available from Merck, Sigma or Boehringer Mannhcim. chelatin-synthase [4]. A role of PCs in metal detoxifica- tion was inferred from experiments in which PC biosyn- 2.2. Apo-tFrelalloenzymes thesis was inhibited [2,3,5] and from the analysis of Residual metal ions were removed from all buffers and glassware mutants with reduced capacity to synthesize PCs [6] used for isolation and reactivation of apoenzymes as described [9]. and a consequent hypersensitivity towards heavy metal ions. Furthermore, plant cells selected for increased 2.2. I. Diaminc oxidase The diamine oxidase was isolated from leaves and stems of g-day- cadmium tolerance were found to synthesize higher old Pisttm sativum seedlings (I. I kg) according to [IO]. The metal- levels of the heavy metal-binding peptides [3]. free apoform of the copper enzyme was obtained by overnight incuba- In addition, PCs appear to be part of a homeostatic tion of the isolated protein (2 mg) in I ml of SO mM potassium- system which regulates the availability of zinc and cop- phosphate buffer, pH 7.0, supplemented with 100 mM diethyl- dithiocarbamate (DIECA). The insoluble metal-DIECA complex per ions in the plant cell. Thus, even the low levels of was removed by centrifugation (13000 x g, IS min) and the superna- zinc and copper ions required for cultivation of plant tant chromatographcd on a Sephadex G-25 column (Pharmacia, cells in nutrient solutions provoke the induction of PCs PD-IO column) equilibrated with SO tnM potassium-phosphate buf- [7]. The metal-PC complexes are subject to turnover fer, pH 7.0. The protein fraction, as inclicatcd by its UV absorption at 280 nm, was collcctcd and used for subsequent reactivation ex- since the PC level strongly decreases during onset of cell pcrimcnts. growth implying a release of zinc and copper ions [7]. Putative acceptor sites for the ions are inter alia apo- 2.2.2. Carbonic anhydrase The carbonic anhydrasc isolated from bovine crythrocytes was ob. taincd from n cc mmcrcial source (Sigma, Munich). The zinc ion of ~l~~hrer*iario~r: PC,,, phytochclatin of fr glutamylcystcinyl residues. the mct.dlo-cnZymc (I mg/ml) wns rcmovcd by succcasivc ultraflltro~ rion in the prcscncc of 100 mM dipicolate in 200 mM potassium- Corres/~or~dcrr~eudrlrrus: M.tI, Zcnk, Lchrrtuhl fiir Phnrn~nrcutincl~c phosphate buffer. pH ‘1.5, 8s dercribcd [I I]. The concentrated en. ljiologie, Karlstr. 29, 8000 Miinchen 2, Gcrmeny. zymc solurion was finally chromatographcd on a column as described QG Volume 284, number 1 FEBS LETTERS June 1991 above except that 100 mM Tris-HC1 buffer, pH 7.5, was used. The apo-enzyme was stored at -20°C. 2.3. 1Wetai-phytoclteiark complexes The individual metal-free PC peptides (2-4 mg) were isolated and reconstituted with zinc and copper ions as described previously [12] with the exception that the meta~/sul~ydryl ratio was 1:4. The PCs bound at1 the provided metal ions under these conditions, and the complexes were chromatographed on a Sephadex G-25 column (25 x 1.5 cm) in 5 rnlM Tris-HCI buffer, pH 7.5. Elution of the zinc- and copper-complexes was monitored at 230 nm and 250 nm, respec- tively. 2.4. ~e~cr~v~t~o~ of nle~al~a-en~~~ie_~ 2.4.1. Diamine oxidase The reconstitution of the apoform of the oxidase to the en- zymatically active holoenzyme was monitored spectrophotometrically using putrescine as a substrate and recording the formation of 0 0.1 0.3 1 3 10 30 1000 chinazoline at 435 nm and at 25OC 1131. Tte assay was performed in Concentration of Copper Ion5 the presence of 4 m,M 2-aminobenzaldclSgde, 2 mM putrescine. log (PM I 0.01 mg purified enzyme reconstituted in the’ presence of varying levels of either free or complexed copper ions in SO mM potassium Fig. I. Reactivation of the metal requiring apoenzyme of diamine phosphate buffer, pH 7.5. The reaction was started by addition of oxidase from Pisun~ salivuwz by free copper ions and 100 ,A enzyme solution which had been preincubated with the copper copper-phytochelatin complexes. The copper ions were supplied at source for 30 min, unless otherwise stated. The total volume of the in- varying levels as free ions (M). complexed to di(y-glutamyl- cubation mixture was 1 ml. cysteinyl)glycine (PCZ, +-+), tetra(y-glutamylcysteinyl)glycine (PC4, A--A), penta(y-glutamylcysteinyl)glycine (PCS, M), or 2.4.2. Carbonic anhydrase to the copper-phytochelatin complex as isolated from plant tissue The activity of the carbonic anhydrase was determined spec- (PCn, t3-U) which consists predominantly of a mixture of PC2 and trophotometrically at 400 nm [NJ foiio\ving the cleavage of p- PC3. The level of reconstitution reflects maxima1 observed nitrophenyi acetate to ~-nitrophenol and acetate according to f14]. reactivation during an incubation period of 30 min. The assay mixture consisted of 5 mM p-nitrophenyl acetate, 4~19 apoenzyme, varying levels of either free or complexed zinc ions in a volumeof 1 ml 100 mM Tris-HCI. pH 7.5. The specific activity of the untreated holo-enzyme was 37 nkat/mg protein. The metal-PC complexes, consisting either of PC2 (di(y-glutamylcysteinyl)glycine) or the PC mixture as isolated from pIant cells containing predominantly PC2 3, RESULTS AND DISCUSSION and PC3, were comparably as effective as metal donors 3,1.. Reactivation of copper-requiring diamino oxidase as was the free copper ion (Fig. 1). The reactivated en- The copper-containing diamine oxidase was purified zyme exhibited an activity of 80% of its initial level at 300-fold from pea seedlings as described [lo] with a 10 PM CuSOd, and 83% and 78% with the Cu-PC mix- 48% yield of activity (990 nkat). The metal chelator ture from plants and the Cu-PC2 complex, respective- DIECA was used to specifically remove the copper ions ly, providing an equai amount of copper. In contrast, from the enzyme (specific activity 45.1 nkat/mg) the Cu-PC4 and Cu-PCS complexes were less efficient resulting in a residual specific activity of 0.9 nkat/mg in the reconstitutioil e‘rperiments with a maximal reac- protein, i.e. 2% of the activity of the purified enzyme. tivation of 7 I % and 65 %, respectively (Fig. 1). Enzyme Addition of various concentrations of CuSO4 to the activity in these experiments was determined after apoform of the oxidase produced a maximal reactiva- preincubation of the enzyme with the copper source for tion of 80010of its initial activity at 10pM copper ions 30 min. Longer preincubation periods did not increase (Fig. 1). This concentration corresponds to the copper the degree of enzyme reactivation which indicates that level in the untreated holo-enzyme preparation. Wigher a thermodynamic equilibrium between the different copper concentrations resulted in an apparent inhibi- copper binding sites had been attained. However, tion of the enzyme activity (Fig, I). In a previous reducing the preincubation period to as low as I min publication, a copper-requiring apoform of the diamine revealed substantial differences in the rate of metal oxidase from clover leaves was reconstituted by un- transfer from the individual PC complexes to the complexed copper ions to the same maximal extent as apoenzyme compared to the free copper ions. These our ~~zyrne preparation [IS]. results are suInmarizcd in Fig. 2. Free copper ions most In order to investigate whether metal-PC complexes readily reactivated the diamine oxidase, while copper- could provide metal ions in a transfer reaction to metaf- PC complexes reactivated the apoenzyme at a reduced requiring apoenzymes we tested the reactivation of rate.