Expression of a cDNA clone encoding the haem-binding domain of Chlorella nitrate reductase.

A partial cDNA clone coding for the haem-binding domain of NADH:nitrate reductase (EC 1.6.6.1) (NR) from the unicellular green alga Chlorella vulgaris has been isolated, sequenced and expressed. A 1.2 kb cDNA (pCVNR1) was isolated from a lambda gt11 expression library produced from polyadenylated RNA extracted from nitrate-grown Chlorella cells. pCVNR1 hybridized to a 3.5 kb mRNA transcript that was nitrate-inducible and absent from ammonium-grown cells. The entire sequence of pCVNR1 was obtained and found to have a single uninterrupted reading frame. The derived amino acid sequence of 318 amino acids has a 45-50% similarity to higher-plant NRs, including Arabidopsis thaliana, spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). A comparison with the putative domain structure of higher-plant nitrate reductases suggested that this sequence contains the complete haem-binding domain, approximately one-third of the Mo-pterin domain and no FAD-binding domain. A 32% sequence similarity is evident when comparing the Chlorella NR haem domain with that of calf cytochrome b5. Expression of pCVNR1 in a pET vector synthesized a 35 kDa protein that was antigenic to anti-(Chlorella NR) antibody. The spectral properties of this protein (reduced and oxidized) in the 400-600 nm region are identical with those of native Chlorella NR and indicate that haem is associated with the protein.

Radiation inactivation analysis of enzymes. Effect of free radical scavengers on apparent target sizes.

In most cases the apparent target size obtained by radiation inactivation analysis corresponds to the subunit size or to the size of a multimeric complex. In this report, we examined whether the larger than expected target sizes of some enzymes could be due to secondary effects of free radicals. To test this proposal we carried out radiation inactivation analysis on Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I, Torula yeast glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, Chlorella vulgaris nitrate reductase, and chicken liver sulfite oxidase in the presence and absence of free radical scavengers (benzoic acid and mannitol). In the presence of free radical scavengers, inactivation curves are shifted toward higher radiation doses. Plots of scavenger concentration versus enzyme activity showed that the protective effect of benzoic acid reached a maximum at 25 mM then declined. Mannitol alone had little effect, but appeared to broaden the maximum protective range of benzoic acid relative to concentration. The apparent target size of the polymerase activity of DNA polymerase I in the presence of free radical scavengers was about 40% of that observed in the absence of these agents. This is considerably less than the minimum polypeptide size and may reflect the actual size of the polymerase functional domain. Similar effects, but of lesser magnitude, were observed for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, nitrate reductase, and sulfite oxidase. These results suggest that secondary damage due to free radicals generated in the local environment as a result of ionizing radiation can influence the apparent target size obtained by this method.

Radiation inactivation of hepatic sulfite oxidase.

Sulfite oxidase (EC 1.8.3.1), purified from chicken liver, is comprised of two identical subunits of 55 kDa, each of which contains a molybdenum and heme prosthetic group. The functional size of sulfite oxidase was determined by radiation inactivation analysis using both full, sulfite:cytochrome c reductase, and partial, sulfite:ferricyanide reductase, catalytic activities. Inactivation of full enzyme activity indicated a target size of 42 kDa while the partial activity indicated a target size of 25 kDa. These results confirm the earlier findings of two equivalent subunits and suggest the presence of a functional domain within the subunit structure that contains the molybdenum center and exhibits a smaller molecular mass than that of the enzyme subunit.

Radiation inactivation analysis of assimilatory NADH:nitrate reductase. Apparent functional sizes of partial activities associated with intact and proteolytically modified enzyme.

Recently we demonstrated that target sizes for the partial activities of nitrate reductase were considerably smaller than the 100-kDa subunit which corresponded to the target size of the full (physiologic) activity NADH:nitrate reductase. These results suggested that the partial activities resided on functionally independent domains and that radiation inactivation may be due to localized rather than extensive damage to protein structure. The present study extends these observations and addresses several associated questions. Monophasic plots were observed over a wide range of radiation doses, suggesting a single activity component in each case. No apparent differences were observed over a 10-fold range of concentration for each substrate, suggesting that the observed slopes were not due to marked changes in Km values. Apparent target sizes estimated for partial activities associated with native enzyme and with limited proteolysis products of native enzyme suggested that the functional size obtained by radiation inactivation analysis is independent of the size of the polypeptide chain. The presence of free radical scavengers during irradiation reduced the apparent target size of both the physiologic and partial activities by an amount ranging from 24 to 43%, suggesting that a free radical mechanism is at least partially responsible for the inactivation. Immunoblot analysis of nitrate reductase irradiated in the presence of free radical scavengers revealed formation of distinct bands at 90, 75, and 40 kDa with increasing doses of irradiation rather than complete destruction of the polypeptide chain.

Radiation inactivation of assimilatory NADH:nitrate reductase from Chlorella. Catalytic and physical sizes of functional units.

Assimilatory NADH:nitrate reductase from Chlorella is a homotetramer which contains one of each of the prosthetic groups FAD, heme, and Mo6+ per 100-kDa subunit. At low protein concentrations, this tetramer dissociates to a fully active dimer. To further elucidate the possible relationship between quaternary structure and activity, the functional size of nitrate reductase was determined by radiation inactivation analysis at high and low concentrations of enzyme where the principal physical species would be either tetrameric or dimeric, respectively. In both cases, the size obtained by this method was 100 kDa, suggesting that each subunit in the tetramer or dimer can function independently. These results confirm earlier results which indicated that the subunits are identical and that each contains a full complement of prosthetic groups. We also found that the functional sizes of the partial activities NADH:cytochrome c reductase, NADH:ferricyanide reductase, and reduced methyl viologen:nitrate reductase were fractions (approximately 58 kDa, 47 kDa, and 28 kDa, respectively) of the subunit molecular mass, suggesting that these domains are functionally independent.

Spin-labeled ouabain as a probe for cardiac glycoside receptor/Na, K-ATPase.

We have synthesized a nitroxide spin-label derivative of the cardiac glycoside, ouabain. It has been tested on purified Na,K-ATPase from dog kidney as a probe to study the physico-chemical interactions of this class of drugs with receptor(s). Spin-labeled ouabain retained the biochemical properties of native ouabain as judged by dose response curves for inhibition of Na,K-ATPase activity and inhibition of [3H]-ouabain binding to receptor. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of the spin-labeled ouabain-Na,K-ATPase complex revealed the presence of two types of bound label with differing degrees of immobilization.

Kinetic mechanism of assimilatory NADH:nitrate reductase from Chlorella.

Chlorella nitrate reductase catalyzes the reduction of nitrate to nitrite by NADH. Initial velocity studies showed that the kinetic mechanism is sequential, indicating that both substrates must bind to the enzyme before any products are released. Product inhibition with NAD and nitrite showed that competitive inhibition was observed when the inhibitor was similar to the varied substrate, while noncompetitive inhibition was observed when the inhibitor was dissimilar to the varied substrate. Likewise, dead-end inhibition with adenosine 5'-diphosphoribose and thiocyanate showed competitive inhibition when the inhibitor was similar to the varied substrate and noncompetitive inhibition when the inhibitor was dissimilar to the varied substrate. These results indicate that Chlorella nitrate reductase follows a random bi bi kinetic mechanism. Phosphate was found to stimulate NADH:nitrate reductase activity and 2-fold. The NADH:cytochrome c reductase activity associated with nitrate reductase was not affected by phosphate suggesting the effect of phosphate is on the nitrate-reducing moiety of the enzyme. Phosphate increases Vmax but has no effect on the apparent Km for nitrate.

Cardiac sodium, potassium-adenosine triphosphatase as a possible site of adriamycin-induced cardiotoxicity.

Adriamycin ws tested as a possible inhibitor of cardiac sodium-potassium-activated adenosine triphosphatase (Na-K-ATPase). At concentrations of 10(-4) M and lower, Adriamycin had no effect upon either ouabain-sensitive (Na-K-ATPase) or ouabain-insensitive adenosine triphosphatase activity in homogenates and microsomal fractions of cardiac tissue from several different species. Adriamycin inhibited adenosine triphosphatase activity at a concentration of 10(-3) M, but this was due to the inhibition of ouabain-insensitive adenosine triphosphatase rather than to inhibition of Na-K-ATPase. Under no condition was an inhibition of Na-K-ATPase activity by Adriamycin observed. These conditions included preincubation of the enzyme with Adriamycin, chelation of Ca2+, addition of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, and variation of buffer and pH. It was concluded that Na-K-ATPase is not a likely site of Adriamycin-induced cardiotoxicity.

Uridine uptake inhibition in Novikoff hepatoma cells by perturbants of intracellular Ca2+ and K+ levels.

The rate of uptake of uridine into the acid-soluble fraction of Novikoff hepatoma cells is inhibited by low concentrations of the ionophores A23187 and gramicidin and other perturbants of intracellular cation levels. Inhibition of uridine uptake by A23187 is dependent on Ca2+ and is reduced by serum and high levels of Mg2+. The effectiveness of A23187 is dependent on the Ca2+/Mg2+ ratio rather than the absolute concentration of either ion. Inhibition of uridine uptake by gramicidin is not significantly affected by serum or divalent cations. Other effectors of monovalent cation flux such as ouabain and valinomycin also inhibit uridine uptake. These results indicate that net uptake of uridine may be influenced by intracellular levels of certain monovalent and divalent inorganic cations.

Changes in (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells produced by alteration of membrane fatty acid composition.

The fatty acid composition of plasma membrane derived from Ehrlich ascites tumor cells was altered in vivo by changing the dietary lipid of the tumor-bearing mice. The activity of (sodium + potassium)-adenosinetriphosphatase ((Na+ + K+ATPase), in partially purified plasma membranes, was measured ass a function of temperature. Arrhenius plots of the data were biphasic. Striking differences, dependent on the membrane fatty acid composition, were observed in the transition temperature and in the energies of activation below the transition temperature. The transition temperatures for the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase of plasma membrane derived from tumor cells grown in mice fed a regular chow diet containing a mixture of fatty acids (PMC), a 16% sunflower oil diet (PMSU), or a 4% tristearin diet (PMTS) were 20, 21, and 13.5 degrees C, respectively...