Enzyme Histidine Research Articles

Novel aspects of gastrin-induced activation of histidine decarboxylase in rat stomach ECL cells

The ECL cells in the rat stomach respond to gastrin with secretion of histamine and activation of the histamine-forming enzyme histidine decarboxylase (HDC). In the present study, we have investigated factors that influence gastrin-induced activation of HDC. Gastrin-17 was given by continuous intravenous infusion to fasted and freely fed rats in various doses and for various periods of time. We found that: (1) ECL cells in fasted rats displayed one order of magnitude higher sensitivity to gastrin (3 h infusion) than did ECL cells in fed rats (ED 50 0.4 versus 4.0 nmol kg −1 h −1), while the maximum response to gastrin was two times greater in fed rats than in fasted rats; (2) HDC in both fasted and fed rats responded to a high gastrin dose (5 nmol kg −1 h −1) in a biphasic manner with peak activity after 8 h in fasted rats and after 16 h in fed rats. In both groups, the activation was followed by a marked decline in the enzyme activity to almost prestimulation levels 24 h after start of the infusion. A low gastrin dose (0.4 nmol kg −1 h −1) did not induce such a biphasic response. Maximum activation of HDC in fed rats occurred 6 days after starting the infusion of the low gastrin dose and was two times higher than the maximum activation observed after the high gastrin dose; (3) In fasted rats the HDC mRNA level rose in response to the high gastrin dose, peaked after 8 h (twofold increase) and then returned to the prestimulation level. In fed rats the increase was slower, reaching a plateau after 24 h that lasted for 6 days (twofold increase); (4) The translation inhibitor cycloheximide blocked the activation of HDC induced by gastrin (4 h infusion of 5 nmol kg −1 h −1), while the transcription inhibitor actinomycin D, which suppressed the increase in HDC mRNA expression, did not.

Photoinactivation studies on adenosine deaminase

AbstractReinvestigation of direct modification of histidine residues in calf intestine adenosin deaminase resulted in loss of the activity towards substrates as adenosine, 2′‐deoxyadenosine and 6‐hydroxyl‐aminopurin riboside. Photo‐oxidation of the enzyme in the presence of methylene blue led to a complete loss of enzymatic activity and the presence of inhibitors such as purin riboside, EHNA, coformycin, showed protection against methylene blue oxidation. Kinetic analysis of the inactivation by diethylpyrocarbonate, indicated that enzyme inactivation results from the modification of at most one essential histidine residue. Photoinactivation of adenosine deaminase from Aspergillus Orizae reduces the activity of the enzyme but the accessibility of histidine residues in the active site seems to be lower as compared to that shown from mammalian adenosine deaminase. The results obtained are in agreement with the important role played by the “bridge” between an enzyme histidine residue and the 5′‐OH of the ribose mojety of substrate in the transition state stabilization in the two enzymatic forms observed. Upon ultraviolet irradiation of calf intestine adenosine deaminase in the presence of 2,2,2‐thrichloroethanol, the trasformation of fluorescent tryptophan residues occurs with the reduced enzymatic catalytical activity and confirms the likely location of tryptophans near the binding site of the enzyme.

A method for the assay of histidine decarboxylase activity

The histamine-forming enzyme histidine decarboxylase (HDC) is induced in various tissues of mice in response to various physiological or inflammatory stimuli including stress, physical exercise, proinflammatory cytokines and hematopoietic cytokines. The induction of HDC also occurs in mast cell-deficient mice. The newly formed histamine produced through the induction of HDC diffuses away from its site of formation without being stored. Therefore, in addition to the release of histamine from mast cells or basophils, the induction of HDC is an important alternative mechanism for supplying histamine. Studies on the newly formed histamine may clarify new physiological or pathological roles of histamine. Here, we introduce a method that we devised for the simultaneous assay of HDC activity of many samples taken from mice. This method is based on (i) a simple method for the preparation of histamine-free enzyme solutions and (ii) a simple manual method for the separation of histamine formed in reaction mixtures containing HDC.

Functional importance of synaptobrevin and SNAP-25 during exocytosis of histamine by rat gastric enterochromaffin-like cells.

Gastric enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells release histamine upon stimulation with gastrin in a calcium-dependent manner. The intracellular mechanisms and proteins mediating exocytosis of histamine-containing vesicles in ECL cells have not been determined yet. We used immunocytochemistry to show the localization of SNAP-25 (synaptosome-associated protein of 25 kDa) and synaptobrevin VAMP (vesicle-associated membrane protein) in ECL cells of the rat gastric mucosa and in isolated, highly enriched ECL cells, which were identified with an antibody directed against the marker enzyme histidine decarboxylase. Immunoblots of isolated ECL cells demonstrated the presence of SNAP-25, synaptobrevin, synaptophysin, synaptotagmin, and syntaxin. Histamine release from isolated ECL cells permeabilized with 8 microM digitonin (2 min) was stimulated approximately 2.5-fold upon exposure to calcium (30 microM; 10-min incubation). Preincubation with 1 microM tetanus toxin light chain for 15 min attenuated calcium-induced histamine release by 40-50% and almost completely cleaved synaptobrevin. Botulinum neurotoxin A (100 nM) totally blocked calcium-induced histamine release and cleaved SNAP-25. We conclude that synaptobrevin, synaptophysin, synaptotagmin, SNAP-25, and syntaxin are present in gastric ECL cells. Inhibition of histamine secretion by clostridial neurotoxins associated with the cleavage of synaptobrevin and SNAP-25 implicates the functional importance of these proteins in the docking and fusion of histamine vesicles.

Evidence for the involvement of histaminergic neurones in the regulation of the rat oxytocinergic system during pregnancy and parturition.

1. Previous studies have shown that histaminergic neurones of the tuberomammillary nucleus project directly to hypothalamic magnocellular nuclei and that intracerebroventricular administration of histamine increases the synthetic activity of magnocellular oxytocin neurones. 2. Histaminergic neurones of the dorsomedial tuberomammillary nucleus that project to the magnocellular region of the paraventricular nucleus are activated during late pregnancy and lactation, as measured by an increase in mRNA for the synthetic enzyme histidine decarboxylase. 3. There is a concomitant increase in oxytocin mRNA in magnocellular neurones of the paraventricular nucleus. This increase in mRNA contributes to an accumulation of oxytocin before birth and to continued oxytocin synthesis during lactation. 4. Intracerebroventricular administration of mepyramine, a specific antagonist of the H1 histamine receptor, causes a delay in the birth of subsequent pups if given to the mother during parturition. Vehicle or the H2 receptor antagonist cimetidine has no effect. Thus, histamine acts centrally, via H1 receptors, during parturition and may have an excitatory effect on oxytocin release. 5. These results suggest that afferent histaminergic neurones show increased activity during pregnancy and may be responsible for the increase of synthesis in magnocellular oxytocin neurones at this time. If, as previously reported, these histamine neurones can reduce the electrical activity of oxytocin neurones via H2 receptors, then they may have a dual effect, increasing the synthesis of oxytocin while inhibiting its premature release. At term, any inhibitory effects of histamine are overcome to allow oxytocin secretion.

Ultrastructure of enterochromaffin-like cells in rat stomach: effects of alpha-fluoromethylhistidine-evoked histamine depletion and hypergastrinemia.

Histamine-producing enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells are numerous in the oxyntic mucosa of the rat stomach. They respond to gastrin by secretory activation, hypertrophy and hyperplasia. They contain cytoplasmic granules (median profile diameter 120 nm), secretory vesicles (180 nm) and microvesicles (70 nm). alpha-Fluoromethylhistidine (alpha-FMH) depletes histamine from the ECL cells by inhibiting the histamine-forming enzyme histidine decarboxylase. Long-term hypergastrinemia, evoked by omeprazole, increases the ECL-cell histamine concentration. The way in which chronic histamine depletion affects omeprazole-induced ECL-cell hypertrophy, and the ways in which granules and vesicles in the ECL cells respond to alpha-FMH and/or omeprazole have been studied. Rats were treated with alpha-FMH (3 mg/kg per h subcutaneously), omeprazole (400 micromol/kg per day orally), alpha-FMH+omeprazole, or vehicle for 6 weeks. ECL cell profiles in electron micrographs were analysed panimetrically. The results show that the omeprazole-evoked hypertrophy of the ECL cells is not affected by depletion of ECL-cell histamine, thereby supporting the view that ECL-cell histamine is not important for full expression of the gastrin-evoked trophic effects on the ECL cells. The loss of ECL-cell histamine following treatment with alpha-FMH and with alpha-FMH+omeprazole is associated with a greatly reduced size of the secretory vesicle compartment. The granules, on the other hand, are unaffected by alpha-FMH and alpha-FMH+omeprazole. Omeprazole treatment leads to the appearance of numerous vacuoles (with profile diameter greater than 500 nm); such vacuoles are not observed in the ECL cells of rats treated with alpha-FMH or alpha-FMH+omeprazole. The omeprazole-induced increase in ECL-cell histamine is associated with an increase in the compartment composed of secretory vesicles and vacuoles. The findings support the hypothesis that secretory vesicles (and vacuoles) represent a major storage site of ECL-cell histamine.

GTP, a Nonsubstrate of ATP Citrate Lyase, Is a Phosphodonor for the Enzyme Histidine Autophosphorylation

ATP citrate lyase (EC 4.3.1.8.) was shown to be a major phosphorylated protein of a fraction derived from Zajdela rat hepatoma by chromatography on heparin-Ultrogel, after the incubation with [γ-32P]ATP or [γ-32P]GTP. Histidine was the only amino acid in the purified enzyme phosphorylated by [γ-32P]ATP or [γ-32P]GTP in the autocatalytic reaction which occurred apparently through an intramolecular mechanism regardless of a donor of phosphate. GTP inhibits the ATP-dependent autophosphorylation competitively despite its failure to replace ATP in the formation of acetyl-CoA catalyzed by this enzyme.

Involvement of Histamine in Suckling-Induced Release of Oxytocin, Prolactin and Adrenocorticotropin in Lactating Rats

We have previously shown that histaminergic neurons participate in mediation of the prolactin (PRL), adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and oxytocin responses to physiological stimuli such as stress and dehydration. Since suckling is a potent stimulus for the secretion of these three hormones, we investigated the mediating role of neuronal histamine in suckling-induced release of oxytocin, PRL and ACTH in conscious lactating rats. The animals were pretreated with the histamine synthesis inhibitor alpha-fluoromethylhistidine, the H1 receptor antagonist mepyramine, the H2 receptor antagonist cimetidine or the H3 receptor agonist R (alpha) methylhistamine, which by binding to H3 autoreceptors inhibits histamine release and synthesis. After the lactating rats were separated from their pups for 240 min, the pups were returned for a suckling period of 20 min. Thereafter the mothers were sacrificed by decapitation and trunk blood was collected for determination of hormones. Lactating rats not exposed to suckling served as controls. Suckling increased oxytocin 2-fold, PRL 50-fold and ACTH 5-fold. Blockade of histamine synthesis by alpha-fluoromethylhistidine or histamine release by R(alpha)methylhistamine reduced the suckling-induced secretion of the three hormones significantly. Blockade of postsynaptic H1 receptors by mepyramine inhibited the hormone responses to suckling, while the blockade of postsynaptic H2 receptors by cimetidine decreased the suckling-induced oxytocin and PRL release but did not affect the ACTH release. None of the compounds affected oxytocin, PRL or ACTH secretion in lactating mothers not exposed to suckling. In addition, suckling significantly increased the mRNA of the histamine synthesizing enzyme histidine decarboxylase in the ventrolateral tuberomammillary nucleus by 1.5-fold, indicating that the stimulus of suckling enhances the neuronal histamine synthesis. We conclude that suckling increases neuronal histamine synthesis and that histaminergic neurons by activation of postsynaptic H1 and H2 receptors are involved in the hypothalamic mediation of oxytocin, PRL and ACTH responses to suckling. These findings further substantiate a role of neuronal histamine in the neuroendocrine regulation of pituitary hormones in response to physiological stimuli.

Hypothalamic Neuronal Histamine Modulates Adaptive Behavior and Thermogenesis in Response to Endogenous Pyrogen

Homeostatic involvement of hypothalamic neuronal histamine in adaptive behavior and thermogenesis was investigated when interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), one of the endogenous pyrogens, was infused peripherally in rats. IL-1 beta decreased food and water intake and elevated body temperature. Depletion of neuronal histamine in the hypothalamus induced by alpha-fluoromethylhistidine, a suicide inhibitor of the histamine synthesizing enzyme histidine decarboxylase (HDC), attenuated the suppressive effect of IL-1 beta on food intake, facilitated the inhibitory effect on water intake, and enhanced its thermogenic effect. Simultaneously IL-1 beta increased activity of HDC and histamine-N-methyltransferase (HMT), a neuronal histamine catabolizing enzyme. Pretreatment with indomethacin completely blocked those increases in turnover of neuronal histamine induced by IL-1 beta. Hypothalamic prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) activated by peripheral IL-1 beta, but not peripheral PGE2, increased both activities of HDC and HMT. Ginsenoside Rg1, a major component of panax ginseng, modulated the suppressive effects of IL-1 beta on ingestive behavior, resulting in a lowering of body temperature. The findings suggest that the effects of IL-1 beta on ingestive behavior and thermogenesis may be modulated by dynamics of hypothalamic neuronal histamine through activation of hypothalamic PGE2 which is elevated by peripheral IL-1 beta.

α-Fluoromethylhistidine-induced inhibition of brain histidine decarboxylase: Implications for the CO 2-trapping enzymatic method

The actions of S- α-fluoromethylhistidine (FMH), an irreversible inhibitor of the histamine biosynthetic enzyme histidine decarboxylase (HD), were studied on rat brain HD, as measured by a recently developed CO 2-trapping enzymatic method. As expected, FMH induced a virtually complete inhibition of HD in the hypothalamus both in vivo and in vitro. In the frontal cortex, however, maximal doses of FMH did not maximally inhibit HD, suggesting the existence of an FMH-resistant form of HD. Careful studies of the conditions under which the assays were performed (homogenate dilution, preincubation times, incubation times, temperatures), as well as experiments with inhibitors of other decarboxylases, were unable to provide an explanation for this. When comparable studies of the effects of FMH in these brain regions were performed by alternative methods for measuring HD activity, no evidence for the existence of an FMH-resistant form of HD could be found. Thus, even though the CO 2-trapping method appears to be accurate for measuring HD activity in rat hypothalamic homogenates, the present results show that this method may not be specific when studying brain regions other than the hypothalamus.

Aminoglucose-induced feeding suppression is regulated by hypothalamic neuronal histamine in rats

Central mechanisms involved in feeding suppression produced by 1-deoxy- d-glucosamine (1-DGlcN) and1-deoxy-N-acetylglucosamine (1- DGlcNAc) are unclear. To clarify the mechanisms, we investigated the role of hypothalamic neuronal histamine (HA) in feeding suppression induced by 1-DGlcN and 1-DGlcNAc in rats. Food intake was suppressed for 3 days after a single infusion of 24 μmol 1-DGlcN into the third cerebroventricle (i.c.v.) Depletion of presynaptic HA due to intraperitoneal infusion (i.p.) of α-fluoromethylhistidine (FMH), a specific inhibitor of the HA synthesizing enzyme histidine decar☐ylase (HDC), abolished feeding suppression completely. Blockade of postsynaptic H 1-receptors by i.p. injection of 26 μmol chlorpheniramine also abolished the suppression. Oral administration of 2.4 mmol 1-DGlcNAc suppressed food intake. However, depletion of neuronal HA due to FMH did not affect the suppression. I.c.v. infusion of 24 μmol 1-DGlcN increased turnover rate of HA at 1 h after the infusion. Hypothalamic HA concentration, but not that of tele-methylhistamine (t-MH), increased at 24 h after i.c.v. infusion of 1-DGlcN, which suggests a correlation between HA concentration and the behavioral response. These results indicate that 1-DGlcN, but not 1-DGlcNAc, modulates feeding suppression through HA neurons in the hypothalamus. Differences in mechanisms of feeding suppression by these aminoglucoses may depend on the principal sites of acton in the brain and/or peripheral organs.

Biogenic Amines in Cheese and other Fermented Foods: A Review

The biogenic amine content of various foods has been widely studied because of their potential toxicity. Biogenic amines, such as tyramine and β-phenylethylamine, have been proposed as the initiators of hypertensive crisis in certain patients and of dietary-induced migraine. Another amine, histamine, has been implicated as the causative agent in several outbreaks of food poisoning. Histamine poisoning is a foodborne chemical intoxication resulting from the ingestion of foods containing excessive amounts of histamine. Although commonly associated with the consumption of scombroid-type fish, other foods such as cheese have also been associated with outbreaks of histamine poisoning. Fermented foods such as wine, dry sausage, sauerkraut, miso, and soy sauce can also contain histamine along with other biogenic amines. Microorganisms possessing the enzyme histidine decarboxylase, which converts histidine to histamine, are responsible for the formation of histamine in foods. One organism, Lactobacillus buchneri, may be important to the dairy industry due to its involvement in cheese-related outbreaks of histamine-poisoning. The toxicity of histamine appears to be enhanced by the presence of other biogenic amines found in foods that can inhibit histamine-metabolizing enzymes in the small intestine. Estimating the frequency of histamine poisoning is difficult because most countries do not regulate histamine levels in foods, nor do they require notification when an incident of histamine poisoning occurs. Also, because histamine poisoning closely resembles a food allergy, it may often be misdiagnosed. This review will focus on the importance of histamine and biogenic amines in cheese and other fermented foods.

Kainic acid-induced changes in histamine-immunoreactive nerve fibers in the rat brain

Histamine is found in neurons and their long projections in the mammalian brain. The mammalian histaminergic system consists of nerve cell bodies in the tuberomammillary nucleus, and extensive, crossing projections to various brain areas. In addition to the tuberomammillary histaminergic system, histamine is found in rhombencephalic neurons during fetal development of rat. To investigate if histamine has a function in growth and regeneration of the nervous system, small injections of kainic acid were made into different parts of the rat brain. Histamine-immunoreactive nerve fibers were seen in and around the lesions 2 to 15 weeks after the injection. The density of these fibers was higher than that of the control side. The results suggest that histamine is either accumulated in pre-existing fibers or that sprouting of histamine-containing nerves is induced by the lesions. The newly established in situ hybridization method for the enzyme histidine decarboxylase may reveal possible dynamic changes in enzyme regulation associated with the lesions.

The Role of Gastric Mucosal Histamine in Acid Secretion and Experimentally Induced Lesions in the Rat

The role played by histamine from enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells and mast cells in gastric acid secretion and in the development of ethanol-induced gastric lesions was studied in the rat. This was done by examining the effects of inhibition of the histamine-producing enzyme histidine decarboxylase (HDC) with alpha-fluoromethylhistidine (alpha-FMH) and the effects of degranulation of the mucosal mast cells with dexamethasone. A single dose of alpha-FMH (50 mg/kg p.o.) inhibited the HDC activity by 94% but did not affect histamine levels in the gastric mucosa 2 h after dose. Repeated treatment resulted in an almost complete inhibition of HDC activity and in a reduction of histamine levels by 75%. Pentagastrin failed to stimulate acid secretion after 4 days treatment with alpha-FMH, whereas the acid response to histamine was unaffected in chronic gastric fistula rats. Ethanol failed to induce gastric lesions in rats pretreated for 4 days with dexamethasone whereas 4 days pretreatment with alpha-FMH did not influence ethanol-induced lesion formation. The present results show that histamine synthesis is required for pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion and that mucosal mast-cell histamine plays a role in the development of ethanol-induced gastric lesions.

The molecular cloning, sequence and expression of the hdcB gene from Lactobacillus 30A

We previously cloned the structural gene hdcA, which encodes the enzyme histidine decarboxylase (HDC; EC 4.1.1.22), from Lactobacillus 30a and found what appeared to be the start of a second gene 59 nucleotide (nt) downstream from the hdcA stop codon [Vanderslice et al., J. Biol. Chem. 32 (1986) 15186–15191]. Here we report the complete nt sequence of this second gene, which we have named hdcB, and show that it encodes a 20-kDa protein, HDCB, which was purified from Escherichia coli. The hdcA and hdcB genes together comprise an operon, the transcription from which is shown to be increased threefold by the presence of histidine in the growth medium. Western blots were used to quantitate the rise in concentrations of both gene products during histidine induction of the hdc operon. This increase was found to be proportional to the observed threefold increase in the concentration of the respective mRNAs. Transcription of the hdc operon in the mutant-3 strain of Lactobacillus 30a [Recsei and Snell, Biochemistry 12 (1973) 365-371] was shown to be constitutively 15-fold greater than in uninduced wild type cells and was unaffected by histidine. The transcription start point was defined as a guanine 73 nt 5′ to the start codon of the hdcA gene. Of the transcripts initiated at this promoter, 15% include both hdcA and hdcB sequences, the remainder terminate in the intergenic region and thus encode only hdcA.

The pH dependence of the active‐site serine DD‐peptidase of Streptomyces R61

Titration of the active-site serine DD-peptidase of Streptomyces R61 shows that formation of acyl enzyme during hydrolysis of the substrate Ac2-L-Lys-D-Ala-D-Ala and enzyme inactivation by the beta-lactam compounds benzylpenicillin, N-acetylampicillin and ampicillin relies on the acidic form of an enzyme's group of pK approximately equal to 9.5. It is proposed that protonation of a lysine epsilon-amino group facilitates initial binding by charge pairing with the free carboxylate of the substrate and the beta-lactam molecules. Lowering the pH from 7 to 5 has no effect on the second-order rate constant of enzyme acylation by benzylpenicillin and N-acetylampicillin but results in a decreased rate constant of acylation by ampicillin and Ac2-L-Lys-D-Ala-D-Ala. Protonation of the side-chain amino group of ampicillin and a decreased efficacy of the initial binding of the peptide to the enzyme seem to be responsible for the observed effects. Whatever the molecule bound to the enzyme, there is no sign for the active involvement of an enzyme's histidine residue of pK 6.5-7.0 in the hydrolysis pathway.

In vivo regulation of histidine ammonia-lyase activity from Streptomyces griseus.

The enzyme histidine ammonia-lyase (histidase) is required for growth of Streptomyces griseus on L-histidine as the sole source of nitrogen. Histidase was induced by the inclusion of histidine in the medium, regardless of the presence of other carbon and nitrogen sources. Histidase activity was increased by a shift of culture incubation temperature from 30 to 37 degrees C. Conversely, upon induction of sporulation by either phosphate starvation or nutritional downshift, histidase underwent rapid inactivation. Nutrient replenishment fully reversed histidase inactivation while simultaneously permitting reinitiation of vegetative growth. In contrast to histidase inactivation during sporulation, histidase was activated after transition of a vegetatively growing culture to stationary phase. Although neither activation nor inactivation required de novo protein synthesis, inactivation appeared to involve a heat-labile protein. The results indicate that histidase activity is regulated in vivo by a process that responds to changes in the growth phase of the organism.

From photofluorination to suicide-substrate enzyme inhibitors

The fundamental idea of our approach for design of novel drugs rests on ‘isogeometric modification’ of metabolites of key importance to biochemistry of disease processes. ‘Isogeometric transformation’ aims to alter a metabolite maximally with respect to chemical character but without substantial distortion of its geometry. ‘CFluorination,’ that is transformation of one or more CX bonds of the metabolite into CF bonds, is the means to realize isogeometric transformation. ‘Photofluorination’ and ‘fluorodehydroxylation’ are our synthetic methods developed for C-fluorination. To date, two general classes of fluorine compounds were developed in this framework, namely the β-fluoro-α-amino acids (that is, β-fluoroalanine and its α-substituted variants) and the β-fluoro-α-amines. ▪ 3-Fluoro- D -alanine 1 was designed on the basis of consideration of molecular physiology of bacteria, specifically to interfere with biosynthesis of the bacterial cell wall. It represents the first instance of design of an entirely novel type of an effective antibacterial. Its α-deuterated variant 2 (generic name fludalanine MK-641), in combination with a ‘pro-drug’ of cycloserine (MK-642) is presently undergoing clinical evaluation as a perorally active wide-spectrum antibacterial. 1 and 2 were shown to be suicide-substrate enzyme inhibitors of bacterial alanine racemase. (S)-α-Fluoromethylhistidine 3 represents a further development along this line. It was designed to be a suicide-substrate enzyme inhibitor of the mammalian enzyme histidine decarboxylase, the enzyme involved in the exclusive biosynthetic pathway in formation of histamine. 3 represents the first truly selective and highly active inhibitor of this enzyme. It is under extensive biochemical and pharmacological study in evaluation as a potential new approach for treatment of diseases associated with excessive levels of histamine.

The inactivation of thymidylate synthase by diethyl pyrocarbonate

Thymidylate synthase (5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate: dUMP C- methyltransferase , EC 2.1.1.45) from Lactobacillus casei was inactivated by treatment with diethyl pyrocarbonate. The inactivation was apparently due to the modification of a large proportion of the enzyme's histidine residues. Neither the substrate dUMP nor the product dTMP prevented inactivation by diethyl pyrocarbonate. The inactivated enzyme was not reactivated by treatment with hydroxylamine. These results indicate that histidine residues are involved in the maintenance of enzyme structure.

Dependence of NMR lineshape analysis upon chemical rates and mechanisms: Implications for enzyme histidine titrations

During the course of an NMR titration, broadening or disappearance of the line sometimes occurs because of insufficiently rapid exchange between the two species lying at the extremes of the titration. This “fast-exchange broadening” is more likely to occur with the use of high magnetic fields and the study of nuclei having large chemical shift ranges. A theoretical framework is presented here for extracting rate constants from line broadening observed during formation of any diamagnetic complex including acid-base reactions, metal complexes, and enzyme-substrate complexes. In acid-base titrations where significant broadening occurs, the chemical shift vs pH curves may be nonsigmoidal and maximal broadening may occur at pH values as far as 0.30 pH units from the p K α value. Recent literature involving NMR histidine titrations is discussed in terms of these ideas. Addition of buffer and use of lower field magnets may reduce or eliminate fast-exchange broadening. Imidazole groups on protein surfaces appear to undergo diffusion-controlled acid-base reactions with rates comparable to those of free imidazole.