Individual pK Values Research Articles

Assessment of roles of surface histidyl residues in the molecular basis of the Bohr effect and of beta 143 histidine in the binding of 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate in human normal adult hemoglobin.

Site-directed mutagenesis has been used to construct two mutant recombinant hemoglobins (rHbs), rHb(betaH116Q) and rHb(betaH143S). Purified rHbs were used to assign the C2 proton resonances of beta116His and beta143His and to resolve the ambiguous assignments made over the past years. In the present work, we have identified the C2 proton resonances of two surface histidyl residues of the beta chain, beta116His and beta143His, in both the carbonmonoxy and deoxy forms, by comparing the proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of human normal adult hemoglobin (Hb A) with those of rHbs. Current assignments plus other previous assignments complete the assignments for all 24 surface histidyl residues of human normal adult hemoglobin. The individual pK values of 24 histidyl residues of Hb A were also measured in deuterium oxide (D(2)O) in 0.1 M N-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazine-N'-2-ethanesulfonic acid (HEPES) buffer in the presence of 0.1 M chloride at 29 degrees C by monitoring the shifts of the C2 proton resonances of the histidyl residues as a function of pH. Among those surface histidyl residues, beta146His has the biggest contribution to the alkaline Bohr effect (63% at pH 7.4), and beta143His has the biggest contribution to the acid Bohr effect (71% at pH 5.1). alpha20His, alpha112His, and beta117His have essentially no contribution; alpha50His, alpha72His, alpha89His, beta97His, and beta116His have moderate positive contributions; and beta2His and beta77His have a moderate negative contribution to the Bohr effect. The sum of the contributions from 24 surface histidyl residues accounted for 86% of the alkaline Bohr effect at pH 7.4 and about 55% of the acid Bohr effect at pH 5.1. Although beta143His is located in the binding site for 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate (2,3-BPG) according to the crystal structure of deoxy-Hb A complexed with 2, 3-BPG, beta143His is not essential for the binding of 2,3-BPG in the neutral pH range according to the proton NMR and oxygen affinity studies presented here. With the accurately measured and assigned individual pK values for all surface histidyl residues, it is now possible to evaluate the Bohr effect microscopically for novel recombinant Hbs with important functional properties, such as low oxygen affinity and high cooperativity. The present study further confirms the importance of a global electrostatic network in regulating the Bohr effect of the hemoglobin molecule.

Determination of the pk values of 2,4-dinitrophenol herbicides using UV spectroscopy

Pesticides with a 2,4-dinitrophenolic part in their structure are widely used as herbicides and insecticides. For the development of a sensitive method to determine these substances in natural water, it is crucial to know whether the herbicides are present in the free phenolic or in the dissociated phenolate form. Series of solutions of dinoseb, dinoseb acetate, dinocap, binapacryl, dinobuton, dinoterb, dinoterb acetate and DNOC were measured in 1-cm cuvettes by UV spectroscopy with varying pH to determine the individual pK values. The results indicate the possibility of a screening method for the free phenols and the esters by appropriate selection of pH.

Molecular dynamics effects on protein electrostatics

Electrostatic calculations have been carried out on a number of structural conformers of tuna cytochrome c. Conformers were generated using molecular dynamics simulations with a range of solvent simulating, macroscopic dielectric formalisms, and one solvent model that explicitly included solvent water molecules. Structures generated using the lowest dielectric models were relatively tight, with side chains collapsed on the surface, while those from the higher dielectric models had more internal and external fluidity, with surface side chains exploring a fuller range of conformational space. The average structure generated with the explicitly solvated model corresponded most closely with the crystal structure. Individual pK values, overall titration curves, and electrostatic potential surfaces were calculated for average structures and structures along each simulation. Differences between structural conformers within each simulation give rise to substantial changes in calculated local electrostatic interactions, resulting in pK value fluctuations for individual sites in the protein that vary by 0.3-2.0 pK units from the calculated time average. These variations are due to the thermal side chain reorientations that produce fluctuations in charge site separations. Properties like overall titration curves and pH dependent stability are not as sensitive to side chain fluctuations within a simulation, but there are substantial effects between simulations due to marked differences in average side chain behavior. These findings underscore the importance of proper dielectric formalism in molecular dynamics simulations when used to generate alternate solution structures from a crystal structure, and suggest that conformers significantly removed from the average structure have altered electrostatic properties that may prove important in episodic protein properties such as catalysis.

Characterization of the histidine proton nuclear magnetic resonances of a semisynthetic ribonuclease.

The proton magnetic resonance spectrum at 300 MHz of the histidine residues in a semisynthetic derivative of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease (RNase A) has been determined. The derivative RNase 1-118 . 111-124 was prepared by enzymically removing six residues from the COOH terminus of the protein (positions 119-124) and then complementing the inactive RNase 1-118 with a chemically synthesized peptide containing the COOH-terminal 14 residues of ribonuclease (RNase 111-124) [Lin, M.C., Gutte, B., Moore, S., & Merrifield, R.B. (1970) J. Biol. Chem. 245, 5169-5170]. Comparison of the line positions of the C(2)-1H resonances of these residues and of their pH dependence with those reported by other workers has allowed assignment of the resonances to individual residues, as well as the determination of individual pK values for histidine-12, histidine-105, and histidine-119. The assignment of histidine-119 was confirmed by the use of a selectively deuterated derivative. The titration behavior of all four histidine residues is indistinguishable from that observed by others for bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A. Partial dissociation of the noncovalent semisynthetic complex was evident at 30 degrees C, pH 4.0, 0.3 M NaCl; pertinent spectra were analyzed to provide an estimate of the association constant between the component chains under these conditions of 1.9 X 10(3) M-1.

Determination of the dissociation constants of the lysine residues of lysozyme by proton-magnetic-resonance spectroscopy.

Amino groups of a series of model compounds and proteins are methylated by reductive condensation with formaldehyde and borohydride to provide observable resonances for proton magnetic resonance experiments. The extent of methylation varies from 92% for ribonuclease A to 66% for bovine serum albumin. As observed by PMR difference spectroscopy, the conformation of most of these proteins is unaltered by the modification. Retention of native conformation by methylated lysozyme is also shown by enzymatic activity measurements and PMR observation of thermal denaturation.Resonances corresponding to each of the six Nɛ‐dimethyllysine residues in methylated lysozyme are resolved at 270 MHz and titrated to obtain individual pK values. A correction factor of 0.6 pH units obtained from model compound studies is applied to obtain apparent pK values ranging from 10.1 to 10.7 for the ɛ‐amino groups of lysozyme. Assignment of resonances to specific residues is accomplished using the selective broadening effect of Gd3‐. These results indicate the utility of the N‐dimethyl group for probing the environment of lysine residues in proteins.

Hydrolytic dissociation constants of substituted 4‐aminobenzoic acids

AbstractComposite hydrolytic dissociation constants, KI and KII, of 4‐aminobenzoic acids substituted as follows, 2‐H‐, 2‐CH3‐, 2‐Cl‐, 2‐Br‐, 2‐NO2‐, 2‐OH‐, 2‐OCH3‐, 3‐Br‐, 2,6‐(CH3)2‐, 2,6‐(C2H5)2‐, 2,6‐Cl2‐ and 2,6‐Br2‐, have been determined in aqueous solution, at 50°C and at an ionic strength of 0.1.From the values of pKI and pKII and the postulate that the inductive effect of the 4‐NH3+ group on the dissociation of the 1‐COOH group is the same for all the acids studied, namely 0.54, all four individual pK values have been calculated for each acid as well as the fraction of zwitterion. After comparison of the individual pK values with the correspondingly substituted benzoic acids and anilinium ions, several conclusions could be drawn with respect to the configurational and energetic relationships between the acids.