Role of beta-chemokines in mast cell activation and type I hypersensitivity reactions in the conjunctiva: in vivo and in vitro studies.

Chemokines have a clearly defined role in mobilizing the recruitment of leukocytes to both healthy and inflamed tissues. This review details work from our and other laboratories, indicating that beta-chemokines may play important roles (i) in driving the terminal differentiation of mast cell precursors in mucosal tissues and (ii) in providing priming or costimulatory signals required for mast cell activation, leading to an antigen-driven inflammatory response. These data stem from in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro studies. Data are also presented that suggest that Fc epsilon RI:chemokine receptor cross talk may involve spatiotemporal dynamics that may control the strength and nature of the complex activating signals controlling mast cell effector function.

Mechanistic possibilities in MauG-dependent tryptophan tryptophylquinone biosynthesis.

Tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ), the prosthetic group of methylamine dehydrogenase, is formed by post-translational modifications of two tryptophan residues that result in the incorporation of two oxygens into one tryptophan side chain and the covalent cross-linking of that side chain to a second tryptophan residue. MauG is a novel 42 kDa di-heme protein, which is required for the biosynthesis of TTQ. An experimental system has been developed that allows the direct continuous monitoring of MauG-dependent TTQ biosynthesis in vitro. Four diverse electron donors, ascorbate, dithiothreitol, reduced glutathione, and NADH, were each able to provide reducing equivalents for MauG-dependent TTQ biosynthesis under aerobic conditions. The reaction with NADH was mediated by an NADH-dependent oxidoreductase. Under anaerobic conditions in the absence of an electron donor, H(2)O(2) could serve as a substrate for MauG-dependent TTQ biosynthesis. During the reaction with H(2)O(2), a discrete reaction intermediate was observed, which is likely the reduced quinol form of TTQ that then is oxidized to the quinone. These results suggest that not only the incorporation of oxygen into the monohydroxylated biosynthetic intermediate but also the subsequent oxidation of quinol MADH during TTQ biosynthesis is a MauG-dependent process. The implications of these results in elucidating the mechanism of MauG-dependent TTQ biosynthesis and identifying potential physiologic electron and oxygen donors for TTQ biosynthesis in vivo are discussed.

Active site aspartate residues are critical for tryptophan tryptophylquinone biogenesis in methylamine dehydrogenase.

The biosynthesis of methylamine dehydrogenase (MADH) requires formation of six intrasubunit disulfide bonds, incorporation of two oxygens into residue betaTrp57 and covalent cross-linking of betaTrp57 to betaTrp108 to form the protein-derived cofactor tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ). Residues betaAsp76 and betaAsp32 are located in close proximity to the quinone oxygens of TTQ in the enzyme active site. These residues are structurally conserved in quinohemoprotein amine dehydrogenase, which possesses a cysteine tryptophylquinone cofactor. Relatively conservative betaD76N and betaD32N mutations resulted in very low levels of MADH expression. Analysis of the isolated proteins by mass spectrometry revealed that each mutation affected TTQ biogenesis. betaD76N MADH possessed the six disulfides but had no oxygen incorporated into betaTrp57 and was completely inactive. The betaD32N MADH preparation contained a major species with six disulfides but no oxygen incorporated into betaTrp57 and a minor species with both oxygens incorporated, which was active. The steady-state kinetic parameters for the betaD32N mutant were significantly altered by the mutation and exhibited a 1000-fold increase in the Km value for methylamine. These results have allowed us to more clearly define the sequence of events that lead to TTQ biogenesis and to define novel roles for aspartate residues in the biogenesis of a protein-derived cofactor.

MauG-dependent in vitro biosynthesis of tryptophan tryptophylquinone in methylamine dehydrogenase.

Tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ) is the prosthetic group of methylamine dehydrogenase (MADH) and is synthesized through post-translational modification of two endogenous tryptophan residues. This modification involves two oxygenation reactions and one cross-linking reaction. It is clearly shown that the incorporation of the second oxygen into betaTrp57 and the covalent cross-linking of betaTrp57 to betaTrp108 are MauG-dependent processes. These reaction steps are severely compromised in vivo when mauG is mutated or deleted. These steps may then be catalyzed in vitro upon addition of MauG to the isolated biosynthetic intermediates. These results also show that TTQ formation is linked to proper assembly of subunits during MADH biosynthesis. Last, these results demonstrate a novel function for the c-type heme protein, MauG, which is consistent with its atypical physical properties. These results are the first description of an enzyme-mediated biosynthesis of a protein-derived cofactor in vitro.

An engineered CuA Amicyanin capable of intermolecular electron transfer reactions.

The type I copper center of amicyanin was replaced with a binuclear CuA center. To create this model CuA protein, a portion of the amino acid sequence that contains three of the ligands to the native type I copper center of Paracoccus denitrificans amicyanin was replaced with the corresponding portion of sequence that provides five ligands for the CuA center of cytochrome c oxidase from P. denitrificans. UV-visible and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy confirm that the engineered protein as isolated possesses the mixed-valence Cu1.5Cu1.5 (purple) CuA center. Comparison of the spectroscopic properties of this CuA amicyanin with those of the CuA centers of other natural and engineered CuA proteins suggests that the spectroscopic features may be dictated more by the protein host than the sequence of the CuA loop. Novel reactions for a simple CuA model protein are also described. In contrast to other natural and engineered CuA proteins, the fully reduced CuA amicyanin may be reoxidized by molecular oxygen to the mixed-valence state. It is also shown that CuA amicyanin can serve as an electron donor and an electron acceptor for other redox proteins. The mixed-valence form accepts electrons from cytochromes c-551i and c-550 from P. denitrificans. The fully reduced form donates electrons to native and P94F amicyanin. The function as either an electron donor or acceptor is consistent with the measured redox potential of CuA amicyanin of +273 mV. These data indicate that this CuA amicyanin will be a particularly useful model protein for structure-function studies of reactivity and the electron transfer properties of the CuA redox center.

Understanding quinone cofactor biogenesis in methylamine dehydrogenase through novel cofactor generation.

Cofactors made from constitutive amino acids in proteins are now known to be relatively common. A number of these involve the generation of quinone cofactors, such as topaquinone in the copper-containing amine oxidases, and lysine tyrosylquinone in lysyl oxidase. The biogenesis of the quinone cofactor tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ) in methylamine dehydrogenase (MADH) involves the post-translational modification of two constitutive Trp residues (Trp(beta)(57) and Trp(beta)(108) in Paracoccus denitrificans MADH). The modifications for generating TTQ are the addition of two oxygens to the indole ring of Trp(beta)(57) and the formation of a covalent cross-link between Cepsilon3 of Trp(beta)(57) and Cdelta1 of Trp(beta)(108). The order in which these events occur is unknown. To investigate the role Trp(beta)(108) may play in this process, this residue was mutated to both a His (betaW108H) and a Cys (betaW108C) residue. For each mutant, the majority of the protein that was isolated was inactive and exhibited weaker subunit-subunit interactions than native MADH. Analysis by mass spectrometry suggested that the inactive protein was a biosynthetic intermediate with only one oxygen atom incorporated into Trp(beta)(57) and no cross-link with residue beta108. However, in each mutant preparation, a small percentage of the mutant enzyme was active and appears to possess a functional tryptophylquinone cofactor. In the case of betaW108C, this cofactor may be identical to cysteine tryptophylquinone, recently described in the bacterial quinohemoprotein amine dehydrogenase. In betaW108H, the active cofactor is presumably a histidine tryptophylquinone, which has not been previously described, and represents the synthesis of a novel quinone protein cofactor.

Further insights into quinone cofactor biogenesis: probing the role of mauG in methylamine dehydrogenase tryptophan tryptophylquinone formation.

Paracoccus denitrificans methylamine dehydrogenase (MADH) is an enzyme containing a quinone cofactor tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ) derived from two tryptophan residues (betaTrp(57) and betaTrp(108)) within the polypeptide chain. During cofactor formation, the two tryptophan residues become covalently linked, and two carbonyl oxygens are added to the indole ring of betaTrp(57). Expression of active MADH from P. denitrificans requires four other genes in addition to those that encode the polypeptides of the MADH alpha(2)beta(2) heterotetramer. One of these, mauG, has been shown to be involved in TTQ biogenesis. It contains two covalently attached c-type hemes but exhibits unusual properties compared to c-type cytochromes and diheme cytochrome c peroxidases, to which it has some sequence similarity. To test the role that MauG may play in TTQ maturation, the predicted proximal histidine to each heme (His(35) and His(205)) has each been mutated to valine, and wild-type MADH was expressed in the background of these two mauG mutants. The resultant MADH has been characterized by mass spectrometry and electrophoretic and kinetic analyses. The majority species is a TTQ biogenesis intermediate containing a monohydroxylated betaTrp(57), suggesting that this is the natural substrate for MauG. Previous work has shown that MADH mutated at the betaTrp(108) position (the non-oxygenated TTQ partner) is predominantly also this intermediate, and work on these mutants is extended and compared to the MADH expressed in the background of the histidine to valine mauG mutations. In this study, it is unequivocally demonstrated that MauG is required to initiate the formation of the TTQ cross-link, the conversion of a single hydroxyl located on betaTrp(57) to a carbonyl, and the incorporation of the second oxygen into the TTQ ring to complete TTQ biogenesis. The properties of MauG, which are atypical of c-type cytochromes, are discussed in the context of these final stages of TTQ biogenesis.