MECHANISM OF ENZYME INACTIVATION BY ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT AND THE PHOTOCHEMISTRY OF AMINO ACIDS (AT 2537 Å)*

Abstract— >The inactivation of the enzymes chymotrypsin, lysozyme, ribonuclease, and trypsin by ultraviolet light can be accounted for quantitatively by summing the products of (1) the probability that light is absorbed by a given amino acid residue, the molecular extinc tion coefficient, and (2) the probability that absorbed light induces a chemical change in the residue, the quantum yield for the residue. The principal residues involved are cystyl and tryptophanyl. Peptide bond rupture is not important. Energy transfer among chromophores within molecules of enzymes need not be invoked in order to account for photochemical inactivation.
Quantum yields for the destruction of a number of amino acids at 2537 A have been measured.     

The effect of environment on cystine disruption by ultraviolet light

When cystine is irradiated at pH 1 by 254-nm u.v. the following yields are observed: 4 cystines → 5.2 cysteines + 2.8NH₃. Thus, SH production accounts for only 0.65 of the cystine destruction; further C-S breakage to give alanine or serine is not efficient. The yields for cystine and glutathione destruction are essentially the same at pH 1. However the presence of the glutamic and glycine residues stabilize the cystine in glutathione so that NH₃ is not lost until the peptide bonds are hydrolyzed. Increasing the pH from 1 to 8.6 increases the yield of cystine destruction in glutathione by 50 per cent. The yield of cystine destruction is greater in both compounds when O₂ is present during irradiation (e. g. the cysteic acid yield in glutathione is increased by 50 times). The overall production of SH varies by a factor of 2 in the four proteins-insulin, RNase, trypsin and lysozyme. The present data further support the earlier observation that radiation damage is quite non-random in RNase: at least two and perhaps three of the four constituent cystines must be disrupted before activity is lost: i.e. the most radiosensitive cystines are not critical for enzymic activity. Similarly, in both trypsin and lysozyme the integrity of the most radiosensitive cystines also does not appear to be critical for the retention of enzymic potential. In insulin, however, all three cystines appear to be crucial for activity and to have approximately equal radiosensitivities. These differences in sensitivity of cystines in different proteins must depend specifically upon energy transfer and/or chemical interactions between the chromophoric groups. If yields are calculated on the basis of those quanta absorbed only in the cystines, values about 5 to 8 times greater than those in the model compounds cystine and oxixized glutathione are obtained. The yields of cystine destruction are much higher in those protiens which contain trypotophan.     

Flash photolysis and inactivation of aqueous lysozyme

Abstract— –Flash photolysis of aqueous lysozyme has shown that the initial photochemical products are photo-oxidized tryptophan residues (Λ_max= 500 nm), hydrated electrons (Λ_max= 720 nm), and the cystine residue electron adduct (Λ_max= 420 nm). Comparisons with mixtures of the chromophoric amino acids show that 1 to 2 tryptophan residues provide electrons at a quantum yield of 0.018 (25 per cent). Part of the ejected electrons are captured by cystine residues via a short-range, intramolecular process with essentially unit efficiency. The remainder become hydrated and back react with oxidized tryptophan residues before 10^-4sec. The cystine residue electron adduct decays with 2 msec halftime (25°C) and 1.5 kcal/mole activation energy. The surviving oxidized tryptophan residues decay with a comparable time constant in a hydroxyl ion catalyzed process. In acid solutions the oxidized tryptophan residue and long-lived H atom adduct are observed (Λ_max= 380 nm). The quantum yield of lysozyme inactivation induced by xenon flash irradiation above 250 nm is 0.023 (20 per cent), which is not sensitive to oxygen or pH. Comparison to the primary photochemical reactions indicates that electron ejection from the essential tryptophan residues inactivates the enzyme, irrespective of the electron trap and subsequent reactions. On the basis of the structure and supporting information it is proposed that the tryptophan residues of the active site are involved. Direct disruption of cystine residues does not contribute more than 10 per cent to the inactivation quantum yield in this wavelength region. Lysozyme inactivation may differ from other enzymes because the chromophores include essential residues located in the active center.     

The primary chemical structure of human milk lysozyme: establishment of a temporary formula

The detailed primary sequences of the N-terminal moiety (72 amino acid residues) and of the C-terminal end (23 amino acid residues) of human milk lysozyme (129 residues) are reported. A tentative complete structure of the enzyme is compared to hen and duck egg-white lysozymes which are very near related proteins despite many amino acid replacements (around 50), the insertion of an additional residue in the N-terminal and a deletion in the C-terminal moiety.     

THE ACTION OF U.V. LIGHT OF VARIOUS WAVELENGTHS ON PAPAIN

Abstract— Papain, prepared according to Kimmel and Smith is activated by irradiation with u.v. light of 254, 280 and 313 nm (φ_A= 0·022 ± 10 per cent). This activation is caused by the reductive splitting of a mixed disulfide in position 25. This disulfide is split with higher probability than any of the three structural disulfide links. This selectivity is likely caused by specific reduction of the mixed disulfide by thiol groups produced elsewhere in the molecule, although specific reduction by direct photochemical processes cannot be completely excluded on the basis of the data available. The quantum yields for destruction of structural cystine residues at the three wavelengths are comparable with the yields of cystine destruction in other proteins. The data also confirm that quanta absorbed by aromatic amino acid residues contribute to cystine destruction. In contrast to other enzymes with structural disulfide bonds, however, no correlation was found between the destruction of disulfide links and loss in activity. The results suggest that the mechanism of papain inactivation is not only dependent on the wavelength, but also on the dose.     

PHOTODYNAMIC INACTIVATION OF LYSOZYME BY EOSIN

Abstract— It has been demonstrated that singlet oxygen is the major oxidizing entity in the photo-dynamic inactivation of hen egg white lysozyme by eosin, using D₂O to enhance the solvent-induced decay lifetime, and azide ion as a specific scavenger. Two regimes of inactivation can be distinguished depending on whether the sensitizer is free or complexed to the enzyme. The kinetic analysis for free dye sensitization, based on photostationary measurements and inactivation quantum yields, indicates that at least 1 in 15 singlet oxygen interactions with lysozyme leads to loss of lytic activity. The direct attack of triplet eosin makes a lesser overall contribution in air-saturated solutions, where 1 in 4 reactions induces inactivation. Lysozyme binds 1 eosin molecule from pH 4 to 12, leading to almost total quenching of the tryptophyl residue fluorescence without inhibition of the enzymic activity. The inactivation quantum yields indicate that singlet oxygen generated from the bound dye is the inactivating agent, but the dominant attack takes place with the complexed fraction of lysozyme molecules. The tryptophyl residue loss is the same or smaller in changing from H₂O to D₂O despite the 5–10 times increase in quantum yield, indicating that singlet oxygen inactivates also by reacting with residues other than tryptophan. The photochemical and fluorescence results are consistent with the the identification of tryptophyl site 108 with the eosin binding site and a reaction target for singlet oxygen. In a re-examination of earlier work on eosin-sensitized photo-oxidation of I", it has been found that singlet oxygen is the oxidizing agent in aerobic solutions.     

Photo-CIDNP reveals differences in compaction of non-native states of lysozyme

Photo-CIDNP effects interpreted for individual residues are used for the structural characterization of non-native ensembles of proteins, which is described in this paper. Two-dimensional photo-CIDNP experiments are compared to conventional HSQC spectra to elucidate the relative solvent exposure of the six tryptophan residues in non-native states of hen egg white lysozyme. The differential solvent accessibility of the tryptophan residues in non-native lysozyme coincides with the dynamical properties of these residues monitored for both backbone and side chain NH sides obtained from analysis of transverse relaxation measurements. These data can be interpreted in the context of the hydrophobic clustering around the tryptophan residues and is supported by the application of this method to the cluster breaking W62G mutant of lysozyme.     

ROLE OF THE TRYPTOPHAN FLUORESCENT STATE IN THE ULTRAVIOLET-INDUCED INACTIVATION OF β-TRYPSIN*

Abstract— Stern-Volmer quenching constants for β-trypsin at pH 3 were determined for fluorescence quenching by histidine, acrylamide, and nitrate ion. A modified Stern-Volmer plot (Lehrer, 1971) was employed to show that all of the fluorescent tryptophanyl residues of β-trypsin were equally susceptible to quenching by acrylamide at pH 3 when the enzyme was either in its native conformation or denatured in 6 M guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl). Fluorescence lifetime measurements indicated that acrylamide quenched β-trypsin fluorescence by a purely collisional mechanism. Solvation of tryptophanyl residues of the protein was maximal at 2.5 M GuHCl, as monitored by fluorescence emission wavelength.
Investigations of the ultraviolet-induced inactivation of β-trypsin at 295 nm were performed in the presence of acrylamide at pH 3. The quantum yields for enzyme inactivation and indole destruction (determined using the PDAB reagent) were unchanged upon depopulation of the fluorescent state by 65 per cent, whether the enzyme was in its native conformation or denatured by 6 M GuHCl. It is concluded that the fluorescent state of tryptophanyl residues of β-trypsin is not involved in enzyme inactivation or tryptophan destruction.     

REVISED SPECTRA FOR THE INACTIVATION OF HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE TRANSFORMING DNA BY MONOCHROMATIC ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT: EFFECT OF HISTIDINE

Abstract—It was reported previously that histidine sensitizes the genetic activity of Haemophilus influenzae transforming DNA to pure 334 nm ultraviolet light, Further measurements show that this apparent 334 nm sensitization was probably erroneous and that in fact, histidine protects DNA against inactivation by 334 nm light. This is now consistent with all previous observations that transforming DNA is protected by histidine against all near-UV wavelengths (above 320 nm) investigated.
A modified spectrum for the protection of H. influenza transforming DNA by histidine against ultraviolet light is described.     

Electrospray-assisted modification of proteins: a radical probe of protein structure

A new approach is described to probe the structure of proteins through their reactivity with oxygen-containing radicals. Radical-induced oxidative modification of proteins is achieved within an electrospray ion source using oxygen as a reactive nebulizer gas at high needle voltages. This method facilitates the rapid oxidation of proteins as the molecules emerge from the electrospray needle tip. Electrospray mass spectra of both ubiquitin and lysozyme reveal that over 50% of the protein can be modified under these conditions. The radical-induced oxidative modification of amino acid side chains is correlated with their solvent accessibility to obtain information on a protein's higher-order structure. The oxidation sites in hen lysozyme have been identified by proteolysis of the condensed protein solution and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Oxidation of tryptophan at positions 62 and 123 occurs exclusively over all other tryptophan residues, consistent with the relative solvent accessibilities of the residue side chains based on the NMR structure of the protein. Radical-induced oxidative modification of cysteine (Cys), methionine (Met), tryptophan (Trp), phenylalanine (Phe), tyrosine (Tyr), proline (Pro), histidine (His), and leucine (Leu) residues is also reported, providing sufficient reactive markers to span a protein sequence. This facile oxidation process could be applied to investigate the molecular mechanism by which reactive oxygen species interact with a particular protein domain as a means to investigate the onset of certain diseases.     

Hydrogen bond perturbation in hen egg white lysozyme by external electromagnetic fields: a nonequilibrium molecular dynamics study

Nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of a charge-neutral mutant of hen egg white lysozyme have been performed at 300 K and 1 bar in the presence of external microwave fields (2.45 to 100 GHz) of an rms electric field intensity of 0.05 V ?(-1). A systematic study was carried out of the distributions of persistence times and energies of each intraprotein hydrogen bond in between breakage and reformation, in addition to overall persistence over 20 ns simulations, vis-á-vis equilibrium, zero-field conditions. It was found that localized translational motion for formally charged residues led to greater disruption of associated hydrogen bonds, although induced rotational motion of strongly dipolar residues also led to a degree of hydrogen bond perturbation. These effects were most apparent in the solvent exposed exterior of hen egg white lysozyme, in which the intraprotein hydrogen bonds tend to be weaker.     

THE DESTRUCTION OF TRYPTOPHANYL RESIDUES IN TRYPSIN BY 280-nm RADIATION

Abstract— The destruction of tryptophanyl residues in trypsin by 280-nm radiation was studied in relation to enzyme inactivation. Quantum yields for destruction of this residue (determined using the pDAB reagent) and for the inactivation of trypsin were measured when the enzyme was exposed to different environmental perturbations. The conformational modifications of trypsin induced in 6 M guanidine-HCl did not alter the rates of tryptophan destruction and enzyme inactivation. However, an enhanced destruction of the tryptophanyl residues was observed when trypsin solutions were irradiated at 60°C in the presence of air. The increased rate of tryptophan destruction at this temperature was not accompanied by a corresponding increase in the inactivation quantum yield. It was concluded that any photochemically induced reactions of this chromophore that are sensitive to conformational modifications or that result in the destruction of the indole ring are not important in the inactivation mechanism of trypsin.     

Conformational changes of lysozyme during photodynamic inactivation

Abstract— Egg white lysozyme was inactivated by photodynamic treatment in sodium phosphate buffer at pH8 using methylene blue, eosin Y and FMN as sensitizers. Measurements sensitive to changes in protein conformation, in particular, tryptophyl fluorescence and protease digestibility, were made during the course of inactivation. The rate of change of lysozyme tertiary structure as measured in these ways correlated closely with the rate of loss of enzyme activity during photodynamic treatment. Further, forms of lysozyme which were enzymatically active, but which were more sensitive to high temperature than native enzyme were produced by photodynamic treatment. It is concluded that the photodynamic inactivation of lysozyme under the conditions used results largely from the photooxidation of amino acid residues essential for the maintenance of the catalytically active conformation of the enzyme.     

Mass spectrometry‐based proteomics of oxidative stress: Identification of 4‐hydroxy‐2‐nonenal (HNE) adducts of amino acids using lysozyme and bovine serum albumin as model proteins

Modification of proteins by 4‐hydroxy‐2‐nonenal (HNE), a reactive by‐product of ω6 polyunsaturated fatty acid oxidation, on specific amino acid residues is considered a biomarker for oxidative stress, as occurs in many metabolic, hereditary, and age‐related diseases. HNE modification of amino acids can occur either via Michael addition or by formation of Schiff‐base adducts. These modifications typically occur on cysteine (Cys), histidine (His), and/or lysine (Lys) residues, resulting in an increase of 156 Da (Michael addition) or 138 Da (Schiff‐base adducts), respectively, in the mass of the residue. Here, we employed biochemical and mass spectrometry (MS) approaches to determine the MS “signatures” of HNE‐modified amino acids, using lysozyme and BSA as model proteins. Using direct infusion of unmodified and HNE‐modified lysozyme into an electrospray quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer, we were able to detect up to seven HNE modifications per molecule of lysozyme. Using nanoLC‐MS/MS, we found that, in addition to N‐terminal amino acids, Cys, His, and Lys residues, HNE modification of arginine (Arg), threonine (Thr), tryptophan (Trp), and histidine (His) residues can also occur. These sensitive and specific methods can be applied to the study of oxidative stress to evaluate HNE modification of proteins in complex mixtures from cells and tissues under diseased versus normal conditions.     

Concentration-Dependent Influence of Silver Nanoparticles on Amyloid Fibrillation Kinetics of Hen Egg-White Lysozyme

Understanding the influence of nanoparticles on the formation of protein amyloid fibrillation is crucial to extend their application in related biological diagnosis and nanomedicines. In this work, Raman spectroscopy was used to probe the amyloid fibrillation of hen egg-white lysozyme in the presence of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) at different concentrations, combined with atomic force microscopy and thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence assays. Four representative Raman indicators were utilized to monitor transformation of the protein tertiary and secondary structures at the molecular level: the Trp doublet bands at 1340 and 1360 cm^-1, the disulfide stretching vibrational peak at 507 cm^-1, the N-C$\alpha$-C stretching vibration at 933 cm^-1, and the amide Ⅰ band. All experimental results confirmed the concentration-dependent influence of AgNPs on the hen egg-white lysozyme amyloid fibrillation kinetics. In the presence of AgNPs at low concentration (17 μg/mL), electrostatic interaction of the nanoparticles stabilizes disulfide bonds, and protects the Trp residues from exposure to hydrophilic environment, thus leading to formation of amorphous aggregates rather than fibrils. However, with the action of AgNPs at high concentration (1700 μg/mL), the native disulfide bonds of hen egg-white lysozyme are broken to form Ag-S bonds owing to the competition of electrostatic interaction from a great deal of nanoparticles. As for providing functional surfaces for protein to interact with, AgNPs play a bridge role in direct transformation from $\alpha$-helices to organized $\beta$-sheets. The present investigation sheds light on the controversial effects of AgNPs on the kinetics of hen egg-white lysozyme amyloid fibrillation.     

THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF THE U.V. INACTIVATION OF PROTEINS CONTAINING DISULFIDE BONDS

Abstract Equations are proposed for the estimation of quantum yields for cystine destruction and disulfide protein inactivation during u.v.-irradiation in acidic and neutral solutions. The formulas permit a discussion of energy transfer from excited aromatic amino acids to cystines and/or of chemical reactions between excited tryptophans or tyrosines and cystines. The results are discussed with regard to general aspects of the photo-biochemistry of enzymes.     

THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF THE U.V. INACTIVATION OF PROTEINS CONTAINING DISULFIDE BONDS

Equations are proposed for the estimation of quantum yields for cystine destruction and disulfide protein inactivation during u.v.-irradiation in acidic and neutral solutions. The formulas permit a discussion of energy transfer from excited aromatic amino acids to cystines and/or of chemical reactions between excited tryptophans or tyrosines and cystines. The results are discussed with regard to general aspects of the photo-biochemistry of enzymes.     

PRIMARY PRODUCTS IN THE FLASH PHOTOLYSIS OF TRYPTOPHAN*

There has been considerable interest in the photochemistry of tryptophan in connection with ultraviolet inactivation of enzymes. Earlier flash photolysis work has demonstrated that the hydrated electron (e^-_aq) is an initial product in the irradiation of indole derivatives, accompanied by a longer-lived transient absorption near 500 nm attributed to an aromatic radical species[1–5]. Similar transients were observed in a recent flash photolysis study of lysozyme[6] in which it was proposed that inactivation is a consequence of electron ejection from 1 to 2 essential tryptophan residues in the active center. However, there has been uncertainty concerning the tryptophan radical structure and its relationship to the triplet state and radical spectra reported for tryptophan photolysis in low-temperature rigid media. This note reports a flash photolysis investigation of L-tryptophan (Trp) and 1-Methyl-L-tryptophan (1-MeTrp) undertaken to clarify these points. The flash photolysis apparatus and methods employed are described in Ref. [6].     

Use of antibody fragments in immunoaffinity chromatography. Comparison of FV fragments, VH fragments and paralog peptides.

Some new antibody fragments have recently been described: FV fragments (Mr 25,000), VH fragments or "dAbs" (12,500) and paralog peptides (1000-2000). FV fragments, VH fragments and a paralog peptide that had been derived from a parent antibody with a specificity for hen lysozyme were produced. All three reagents were immobilized on Sepharose and evaluated for their ability to recover hen lysozyme from "spiked" serum and to separate hen lysozyme from turkey lysozyme. The FV column had excellent specificity for hen lysozyme, the VH column had significantly reduced specificity and the paralog peptide column did not bind lysozyme at all.     

Inhibition of the mitochondrial F1-ATPase by rose bengal mediated photooxidation. Interaction of the Fe2+ chelate of bathophenanthroline with the sensitizer

Rose Bengal mediated photooxidation of mitochondrial F1-ATPase and its beta-subunit resulted in inactivation and loss of about 50 and 60% of their histidine residues, respectively. The beta-subunit was not cleaved upon photooxidation. Photooxidation of histidine probably results in changes in the conformational stability of F1-ATPase leading to its inactivation. The participation of singlet molecular oxygen during the photooxidation process is suggested by the selective loss of histidine residues, while other amino acids, also sensitive to singlet oxygen attack, were not affected. Photochemical damage of F1-ATPase was prevented by various phenanthroline compounds, the order of efficiency being bathophenanthroline-Fe chelate greater than bathophenanthroline greater than orthophenanthroline-Fe chelate greater than bathophenanthroline-sulfonate-Fe chelate. The prevention by bathophenanthroline-Fe chelate of photochemical damage is interpreted on the basis of its interaction with the photosensitizer, Rose Bengal, probably implying a chemical reaction which decreases the actual concentration of the sensitizer and, thereby, the extent of photoinactivation.