Noninvasive determination of 2-[18F]-fluoroisonicotinic acid hydrazide pharmacokinetics by positron emission tomography in Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected mice.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a global pandemic requiring sustained therapy to facilitate curing and to prevent the emergence of drug resistance. There are few adequate tools to evaluate drug dynamics within infected tissues in vivo. In this report, we evaluated a fluorinated analog of isoniazid (INH), 2-[(18)F]fluoroisonicotinic acid hydrazide (2-[(18)F]-INH), as a probe for imaging Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected mice by dynamic positron emission tomography (PET). We developed a tail vein catheter system to safely deliver drugs to M. tuberculosis aerosol-infected mice inside sealed biocontainment devices. Imaging was rapid and noninvasive, and it could simultaneously visualize multiple tissues. Dynamic PET imaging demonstrated that 2-[(18)F]-INH was extensively distributed and rapidly accumulated at the sites of infection, including necrotic pulmonary TB lesions. Compared to uninfected animals, M. tuberculosis-infected mice had a significantly higher PET signal within the lungs (P < 0.05) despite similar PET activity in the liver (P > 0.85), suggesting that 2-[(18)F]-INH accumulated at the site of the pulmonary infection. Furthermore, our data indicated that similar to INH, 2-[(18)F]-INH required specific activation and accumulated within the bacterium. Pathogen-specific metabolism makes positron-emitting INH analogs attractive candidates for development into imaging probes with the potential to both detect bacteria and yield pharmacokinetic data in situ. Since PET imaging is currently used clinically, this approach could be translated from preclinical studies to use in humans.

Structural basis and mechanism of enoyl reductase inhibition by triclosan.

The enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase (ENR) is involved in bacterial fatty acid biosynthesis and is the target of the antibacterial diazaborine compounds and the front-line antituberculosis drug isoniazid. Recent studies suggest that ENR is also the target for the broad-spectrum biocide triclosan. The 1.75 A crystal structure of EnvM, the ENR from Escherichia coli, in complex with triclosan and NADH reveals that triclosan binds specifically to EnvM. These data provide a molecular mechanism for the antibacterial activity of triclosan and substantiate the hypothesis that its activity results from inhibition of a specific cellular target rather than non-specific disruption of the bacterial cell membrane. This has important implications for the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria, since triclosan is an additive in many personal care products such as toothpastes, mouthwashes and soaps. Based on this structure, rational design of triclosan derivatives is possible which might be effective against recently identified triclosan-resistant bacterial strains.

Another brick in the wall.

The X-ray crystal structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen 85C elucidates the structural basis of fibronectin binding and catalysis of mycolic acid transfer by this potential drug target.

Forces, bond lengths, and reactivity: fundamental insight into the mechanism of enzyme catalysis.

Comparison of spectroscopic, kinetic, and thermodynamic data for a series of functioning acylserine proteases suggests that the observed variation in deacylation rates can be accounted for by changes in the properties of the acyl-enzyme's ground state. The acyl-enzyme's catalytically crucial acyl carbonyl group is probed by resonance Raman spectroscopy. Its spectral frequency is used to gauge both the carbonyl bond length and the strength of hydrogen bonding (originating from groups making up the oxyanion hole) to the carbonyl oxygen atom. As the deacylation rate increases 16,300-fold through the series, a shift in carbonyl frequency, vC = O, of -54 cm-1 corresponds to a carbonyl bond length increase of 0.025 A. The decrease in vC = O is also consistent with an increase in hydrogen bond donor enthalpy of -27 kJ mol-1. Interestingly, this value resembles closely the decrease in activation energy for deacylation through the series, 24 kJ mol-1, demonstrating that the hydrogen bonds to the carbonyl oxygen atom can provide sufficient energy to account for the observed rate accelerations.

Direct observation of the titration of substrate carbonyl groups in the active site of alpha-chymotrypsin by resonance Raman spectroscopy.

By use of resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopy, the population of the reactive carbonyl group in active acylchymotrypsins has been characterized and correlated with acyl-enzyme reactivity. RR spectra have been obtained, with a flow system and 324- and 337.5-nm excitation, at low and active pH for six acylchymotrypsins, viz., (indoleacryloyl)-, (4-amino-3-nitrocinnamoyl)-, (furylacryloyl)-, [( 5-ethylfuryl)-acryloyl]-, (thienylacryloyl)-, and [( 5-methylthienyl)acryloyl]chymotrypsin. These acyl-enzymes represent a 100-fold range of deacylation rate constants. Good RR spectral quality has enabled us to obtain the vibrational spectrum of the carbonyl group at low and active pH in each acyl-enzyme. The measured pKa of the spectroscopic changes in the carbonyl region is identical with that for the deacylation kinetics, showing that the RR carbonyl features reflect the ionization state of His-57. A carbonyl population has been observed in the active acyl-enzymes in which the carbonyl oxygen atom of the reactive acyl linkage is hydrogen-bonded in the active site. The proportion of this hydrogen-bonded population, with respect to other observed non-hydrogen-bonded species, together with the degree of polarization of the carbonyl bond, as monitored by vC = 0, has been correlated with the deacylation rate constants of the acyl-enzymes. It is proposed that the hydrogen-bonded carbonyl species is located at or near the oxyanion hole and represents the ground state from which deacylation occurs. An increase in the proportion of the hydrogen-bonded population and an increase in polarization of the carbonyl bond result in an increase in deacylation rate constant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Length of the acyl carbonyl bond in acyl-serine proteases correlates with reactivity.

Resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopy has been used to obtain the vibrational spectrum of the acyl carbonyl group in a series of acylchymotrypsins and acylsubtilisins at the pH of optimum hydrolysis. The acyl-enzymes, which utilize arylacryloyl acyl groups, include three oxyanion hole mutants of subtilisin BPN', Asn155Leu, Asn155Gln, and Asn155Arg, and encompass a 500-fold range of deacylation rate constants. For each acyl-enzyme a RR carbonyl band has been identified which arises from a population of carbonyl groups undergoing nucleophilic attack in the active site. As the deacylation rate (k3) increases through the series of acyl-enzymes, the carbonyl stretching band (vC = O) is observed to shift to lower frequency, indicating an increase in single bond character of the reactive acyl carbonyl group. Experiments involving the oxyanion hole mutants of subtilisin BPN' indicate that a shift of vC = O to lower frequency results from stronger hydrogen bonding of the acyl carbonyl group in the oxyanion hole. A plot of log k3 against vC = O is linear over the range investigated, demonstrating that the changes in vC = O correlate with the free energy of activation for the deacylation reaction. By use of an empirical correlation between carbonyl frequency (vC = O) and carbonyl bond length (rC = O) it is estimated that rC = O increases by 0.015 A as the deacylation rate increases 500-fold through the series of acyl-enzymes. This change in rC = O is about 7% of that expected for going from a formal C = O double bond in the acyl-enzyme to a formal C-O single bond in the tetrahedral intermediate for deacylation. The data also allow us to estimate the energy needed to extend the acyl carbonyl group along its axis to be 950 kJ mol-1 A-1.

4-Hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA: an ionizable probe of the active site of the medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase.

4-OH-Cinnamoyl-CoA has been synthesized as a probe of the active site in the medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase. The protonated form of the free ligand (lambda(max) = 336 nm) yields the corresponding phenolate (lambda(max) = 388 nm) with a pK of 8.9. 4-OH-Cinnamoyl-CoA binds tightly (K(d) = 47 nM, pH 6) to the pig kidney dehydrogenase with a prominent new band at 388 nm, suggesting ionization of the bound ligand. However, this spectrum reflects polarization, not deprotonation, of the neutral form of the ligand. Thus, the 388 nm band is abolished as the pH is raised (not lowered), and analogous spectral and pH behavior is observed with the nonionizable analogue 4-methoxycinnamoyl-CoA. Studies with wild type, E99G, and E376Q mutants of the human medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase showed that these two active site carboxylates strongly suppress ionization of the 4-OH ligand. Binding to the double mutant E99G/E376Q gives an intense new band as the pH is raised (pK = 7.8), with an absorbance maximum at 498 nm resembling the natural 4-OH-cinnamoyl-thioester chromophore of the photoactive yellow protein. Raman difference spectroscopy in water and D(2)O, using the free ligand and wild-type and double-mutant enzyme.ligand complexes, confirms that the 4-OH group of the thioester is ionized only when bound to the double mutant. These data demonstrate the strong electrostatic coupling between ligand and enzyme, and the critical role Glu376 plays in modulating thioester polarization in the medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase.

Fourier-transform infra-red studies of the alkaline isomerization of mitochondrial cytochrome c and the ionization of carboxylic acids.

The alkaline transitions of tuna and horse ferricytochromes c and the trifluoroacetyl-lysine derivative of horse ferricytochrome c have been studied by Fourier-transform (FT) i.r. spectroscopy. The spectral perturbations resulting from the transition have been interpreted by reference to FT i.r. data on simple carboxylic-acid-containing compounds and a bacterial cytochrome c551 in which a haem propionate ionizes without causing a significant conformational change. The analysis strongly suggests that ionization of a haem propionate of mitochondrial cytochrome c triggers the alkaline conformation change.

Inhibition of InhA, the enoyl reductase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, by triclosan and isoniazid.

Structural and genetic studies indicate that the antibacterial compound triclosan, an additive in many personal care products, is an inhibitor of EnvM, the enoyl reductase from Escherichia coli. Here we show that triclosan specifically inhibits InhA, the enoyl reductase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis and a target for the antitubercular drug isoniazid. Binding of triclosan to wild-type InhA is uncompetitive with respect to both NADH and trans-2-dodecenoyl-CoA, with K(i)' values of 0.22+/-0.02 and 0.21+/-0.01 microM, respectively. Replacement of Y158, the catalytic tyrosine residue, with Phe, reduces the affinity of triclosan for the enzyme and results in noncompetitive inhibition, with K(i) and K(i)' values of 36+/-5 and 47+/-5 microM, respectively. Consequently, the Y158 hydroxyl group is important for triclosan binding, suggesting that triclosan binds in similar ways to both InhA and EnvM. In addition, the M161V and A124V InhA mutants, which result in resistance of Mycobacterium smegmatis to triclosan, show significantly reduced affinity for triclosan. Inhibition of M161V is noncompetitive with K(i)' = 4.3+/-0.5 microM and K(i) = 4.4+/-0.9 microM, while inhibition of A124V is uncompetitive with K(i)' = 0. 81 +/- 0.11 microM. These data support the hypothesis that the mycobacterial enoyl reductases are targets for triclosan. The M161V and A124V enzymes are also much less sensitive to isoniazid compared to the wild-type enzyme, indicating that triclosan can stimulate the emergence of isoniazid-resistant enoyl reductases. In contrast, I47T and I21V, two InhA mutations that occur in isoniazid-resistant clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis, show unimpaired inhibition by triclosan, with uncompetitive inhibition constants (K(i)') of 0.18+/-0.01 and 0.12+/- 0.01 microM, respectively. The latter result indicates that InhA inhibitors targeted at the enoyl substrate binding site may be effective against existing isoniazid-resistant strains of M. tuberculosis.

Resonance Raman spectroscopic and kinetic consequences of a nitrogen ... sulphur enzyme-substrate contact in a series of dithioacylpapains.

The resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopic, conformational, and kinetic properties of six dithioacylpapain intermediates have been examined. Five of the intermediates are of the form N-(methyloxycarbonyl)-X-glycine-C(= S)S-papain, where X is L-phenyl-alanine, D-phenylalanine, glycine, L-phenylglycine, or D-phenylglycine. The sixth intermediate is N-phenylacetyl-glycine-C(= S)S-papain. Throughout the series there is an approximately 50-fold variation in kcat, the rate constant for deacylation, and a 1750-fold variation in kcat/KM. Existing RR spectra structure correlations allow us to define the torsional angles in the NH-CH2-C(= S)-S-CH2-CH fragment of the functioning intermediates. The values of these angles for each bound substrate appear to be very similar, with the substrates assuming a B-type conformer such that the nitrogen atom of the P1 glycine residue is cis to the thiol sulphur atom of cysteine-25. For each intermediate, the C(= S)S-CH2CH torsional angle is approximately -90 degrees, whereas for the SCH2-CH torisonal angle the cysteine-25 thiol sulphur (S) and cysteine-25 C alpha hydrogen (H) atoms are approximately trans. The three acyl-enzymes with the lowest catalytic rate constants, viz. N-(methyloxycarbonyl)-glycine-glycine-, N-(methyloxycarbonyl)-L-phenylglycine-glycine-, or N-(phenylacetyl)-glycine-dithioacylpapains, have atypical RR spectra in that they show a feature of medium intensity in the 1,085-cm-1 region. This band is sensitive to NH to ND exchange of the P1 glycine residues' (-NH-) function and, thus, the corresponding mode involves an excursion of the NH hydrogen. It is hypothesized that the high intensity is due to a particularly strong interaction between the P1 glycine nitrogen atom and the thiol sulphur of cysteine-25, which also has the effect of retarding deacylation, because the nitrogen . . . sulphur contact has to be broken in the rate-determining step.

Structure of hexadienoyl-CoA bound to enoyl-CoA hydratase determined by transferred nuclear Overhauser effect measurements: mechanistic predictions based on the X-ray structure of 4-(chlorobenzoyl)-CoA dehalogenase.

The structure of the substrate analog 2,4-hexadienoyl-coenzyme A (HD-CoA) bound to the enzyme enoyl-CoA hydratase has been determined using transferred nuclear Overhauser enhancement (TRNOE) spectroscopy. NOEs between the adenine H8 proton and several pantetheine protons in the bound form of HD-CoA indicate that the overall structure of the CoA molecule is bent, while NOEs between adenine and ribose protons indicate that the conformation about the glycosidic bond is anti. The absence of long range NOEs along the pantetheine moiety is consistent with this region of the molecule being bound in an extended conformation. In addition, NOEs between the vinylic protons indicate that the HD moiety is s-trans about C3-C4. The conformation of the CoA portion of bound HD-CoA is strikingly similar to that of the CoA portion of 4-(hydroxybenzoyl)-CoA bound to the active site of 4-(chlorobenzoyl)-CoA dehalogenase [Benning, M. M., et al. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 8103-8109]. The structural similarity of the ligands along with the primary sequence homology validates the modeling of the enoyl-CoA hydratase structure with the 4-(chlorobenzoyl)-CoA dehalogenase backbone. The homology modeling allows the prediction that the enoyl-CoA substrates are bound in an s-cis conformation about C1-C2 and that Glu 144 is present at the active site and can function as a general acid/base.

Resonance Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic studies of the acyl carbonyl group in [3-(5-methyl-2-thienyl)acryloyl]chymotrypsin: evidence for artifacts in the spectra obtained by both techniques.

The acyl carbonyl group of [3-(5-methyl-2-thienyl)acryloyl]chymotrypsin (5MeTA-chymotrypsin) has been investigated by using both resonance Raman (RR) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies. The spectrum of the acyl-enzyme carbonyl group has been obtained as a function of pH over the range 3.0-10.0 in the RR experiments and over the range 3.4-7.6 (p2H) in the FTIR experiments. The carbonyl spectral profiles obtained by using FTIR spectroscopy are substantially different from the carbonyl profiles obtained by using RR spectroscopy. The FTIR spectra were obtained by subtracting the spectrum of the free enzyme from that of the acyl-enzyme. Use of the active-site inhibitor phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride demonstrates that part of the intensity observed in the FTIR spectra of 5MeTA-chymotrypsin is due to a subtraction artifact giving rise to enzyme-associated bands, probably from peptide groups perturbed by substrate binding. The enzyme bands can be removed by subtracting the FTIR spectrum of 13C=O acyl-enzyme from that of 12C=O acyl-enzyme. Additionally, this procedure reveals that one of the acyl-enzyme carbonyl bands observed at 1727 cm-1 using RR spectroscopy is absent in the FTIR acyl-enzyme spectrum. However, a feature near 1720 cm-1 can be induced in the FTIR spectrum by actinic light in the near-UV region. Thus, it is proposed that the 1727 cm-1 RR carbonyl band results from a population of acyl-enzymes which is generated by exposure to the laser beam during RR data collection. When both the RR and FTIR data are adjusted to remove artifacts, they provide essentially identical carbonyl stretching profiles.

Raman study of the polarizing forces promoting catalysis in 4-chlorobenzoate-CoA dehalogenase.

The enzyme 4-chlorobenzoate-CoA dehalogenase catalyzes the hydrolysis of 4-chlorobenzoate-CoA (4-CBA-CoA) to 4-hydroxybenzoyl-CoA (4-HBA-CoA). In order to facilitate electrophilic catalysis, the dehalogenase utilizes a strong polarizing interaction between the active site residues and the benzoyl portion of the substrate [Taylor, K. L., et al. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 13881]. As a result of this interaction, the normal modes of the benzoyl moiety of the bound 4-HBA-CoA undergo a drastic rearrangement as shown by Raman spectroscopy. Here, we present Raman difference spectroscopic data on the product-enzyme complex where the product's benzoyl carbonyl is labeled with 18O (C=18O) or 13C (13C=O) or where the 4-OH group is labeled with 18O. The data demonstrate that the carbonyl group participates in the most intense normal modes occurring in the Raman spectrum in the 1520-1560 cm-1 region. The substrate analog 4-methylbenzoate-CoA (4-MeBA-CoA) has also been characterized by Raman difference spectroscopy in its free form and bound to the dehalogenase. Upon binding, the 4-MeBA-CoA shows evidence of polarization within the delocalized pi-electrons, but to a lesser extent compared to that seen for the product. The use of 4-MeBA-CoA labeled with 18O at the carbonyl enables us to estimate the degree of electron polarization within the C=O group of the bound 4-MeBA-CoA. The C=O stretching frequency occurs near 1663 cm-1 in non-hydrogen bonding solvents such as CCl4, near 1650 cm-1 in aqueous solution, and near 1610 cm-1 in the active site of dehalogenase. From model studies, we can estimate that in the active site the carbonyl group behaves as though it is being polarized by hydrogen bonds approximately 57 kJ mol-1 in strength. Major contributions to this polarization come from hydrogen bonds from the peptide NHs of Gly114 and Phe64. However, an additional contribution, which may account for up to half of the observed shift in nuC=O, originates in the electrostatic field due to the alpha-helix dipole from residues 121-114. The helix which terminates at Gly114, near the C=O group of the bound benzoyl, provides a dipolar electrostatic component which contributes to the polarization of the C=O bond and to the polarization of the entire benzoyl moiety. The effect of both the helix dipole and the hydrogen bonds on the C=O is a "pull" of electrons onto the carbonyl oxygen, which, in turn, polarizes the electron distribution within the benzoyl pi-electron system. The ability of these two factors to polarize the electrons within the benzoyl moiety is increased by the environment about the benzoyl ring; it is surrounded by hydrophobic residues which provide a low-dielectric constant microenvironment. Electron polarization promotes catalysis by reducing electron density at the C4 position of the benzoyl ring, thereby assisting attack by the side chain of Asp145. An FTIR study on the model compound 4-methylbenzoyl S-ethyl thioester, binding to a number of hydrogen bonding donors in CCl4, is described and is used to relate the observed shift of the C=O stretching mode of 4-MeBA-CoA in the active site to the hydrogen bonding strength value. Since the shift of the C=O frequency upon binding is due to hydrogen bonding and helix dipole effects, we refer to this bonding strength as the effective hydrogen bonding strength.

Probing the ground state structure of the green fluorescent protein chromophore using Raman spectroscopy.

We present Raman spectra, obtained using 752 nm excitation, on wild-type GFP and the S65T mutant of this intrinsically fluorescent protein together with data on a model chromophore, ethyl 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)methylidene-2-methyl-5-oxoimidazolacetate . In the pH range 1-14, the model compound has two macroscopic pK(a)s of 1.8 and 8.2 attributed to ionization of the imidazolinone ring nitrogen and the phenolic hydroxyl group, respectively. Comparison of the model chromophore with the chromophore in wild-type GFP and the S65T mutant reveals that the cationic form, with both the imidazolinone ring nitrogen and the phenolic oxygen protonated, is not present in these particular GFP proteins. Our results do not provide any evidence for the zwitterionic form of the chromophore, with the phenolic group deprotonated and the imidazolinone ring nitrogen protonated, being present in the GFP proteins. In addition, since the position of the Raman bands is a property exclusively of the ground state structure, the data enable us to investigate how protein-chromophore interactions affect the ground state structure of the chromophore without contributions from excited state effects. It is found that the ground state structure of the anionic form of the chromophore, which is most relevant to the fluorescent properties, is strongly dependent on the chromophore environment whereas the neutral form seems to be insensitive. A linear correlation between the absorption properties and the ground state structure is demonstrated by plotting the absorption maxima versus the wavenumber of a Raman band found in the range 1610-1655 cm(-1).

Electronic rearrangement induced by substrate analog binding to the enoyl-CoA hydratase active site: evidence for substrate activation.

A series of alpha,beta unsaturated CoA thiol esters have been characterized spectroscopically when they form noncovalent complexes at the active site of enoyl-CoA hydratase. The UV spectra of all of the thiol esters display significant red shifts when the esters are bound to the crotonase active site. The red shift increases with the ability of a para substituent of substituted cinnamoyl-CoA thiol esters to donate electrons by resonance. The affinity of the substituted cinnamoyl-CoA thiol esters is enhanced by electron-donating substituents, with the slope of the log of the ratio of the inhibition constants versus sigma p+ being near unity. Affinity is also increased by either para or meta electron-withdrawing substituents, suggesting that the enzyme stabilizes a partial positive charge at C-3. Binding to crotonase was shown to decrease the shielding of [3-13C,3-2H]cinnamoyl-CoA by +3.2 ppm, consistent with an increased partial positive charge at C-3. The Raman spectra of cinnamoyl-CoA bound at the crotonase active site similarly reflect the significant electronic ground state changes in the pi electronic structure of the bound substrate. These data show that a major rearrangement of electrons occurs in the acryloyl portion of the cinnamoyl group upon binding, while only a minor perturbation occurs to the distribution of electrons in the phenyl ring.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Enoyl-coenzyme A hydratase-catalyzed exchange of the alpha-protons of coenzyme A thiol esters: a model for an enolized intermediate in the enzyme-catalyzed elimination?

3-Quinuclidinone catalyzes the exchange of the alpha-protons of butyryl-coenzyme A (CoA) with a second-order rate constant of 2.4 x 10(-6) M-1 s-1. In contrast, enoyl-CoA hydratase catalyzes the stereospecific exchange of the pro-2S proton of butyryl-CoA with a maximum second-order rate constant of ca. 8 x 10(2) M-1 s-1. This isotope exchange reaction is completely stereospecific within the limits of experimental detection (over 600-fold). The enzyme-catalyzed exchange is dependent on pD, decreasing above a pKa of 8.8 and below a pKa of 8.1, but independent of the buffer concentration. The stereospecificity of the exchange was unexpected because the pro-2R hydrogen is abstracted during the enzyme-catalyzed dehydration of 3(S)-hydroxybutyryl-CoA. In spite of the ability to exchange the pro-2S hydrogen, the stereospecificity of the dehydration reaction was determined to be better than 1 in 10(5) as no incorporation of 2H into the alpha-position of crotonyl-CoA or into the pro-2S position of 3(S)-hydroxybutyryl-CoA was detected during prolonged equilibrations with enoyl-CoA hydratase. Both the exchange of the alpha-proton and the dehydration activity of the enzyme are diminished by over 100-fold in a site-directed mutation of rat liver enoyl-CoA hydratase, where glutamate-164 is changed to glutamine, strongly suggesting that the same active site base is responsible for proton abstraction in both the dehydration and solvent exchange reactions. The enoyl-CoA hydratase-catalyzed exchange of the alpha-protons becomes nonstereospecific when the acidity of the alpha-protons is enhanced. While alpha-proton abstraction can be observed when no elimination reaction is possible, there is no evidence for proton abstraction without elimination in the crotonase equilibrations with 3(S)-hydroxybutyryl-CoA, 3-hydroxypropionyl-CoA, or 3-chloropropionyl-CoA. The differences in the isotope exchange and dehydration reactions emphasize the importance of the 3-hydroxyl group in promoting elimination and are consistent with a concerted elimination mechanism.

The Northwick Park Dependency Score (NPDS): a measure of nursing dependency in rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND: Disability scores, such as the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and Barthel Index, have been shown to correlate with care needs but cannot be used to assess them directly, as they do not indicate the number of people required to help with a task, nor the time taken. The Northwick Park Dependency Score (NPDS) is an ordinal scale that can be used to assess impact on nursing time. It takes 3-5 minutes to complete. Together with a short set of additional questions, it may be used directly to assess care needs in the community and to facilitate discharge planning. AIMS: To develop and evaluate the NPDS for use in a rehabilitation setting. METHODS: (1) DEVELOPMENT: Following a survey of existing instruments, tasks were selected on the basis of their impact on nursing time and divided into Basic Care Needs (BCN) and Special Nursing Needs (SNN). Cut-off points were devised to reflect the number of helpers needed and time taken. Following evaluation of the NPDS version 5, minor changes were made to produce version 6 which was re-evaluated on a smaller scale. (2) EVALUATION: Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability were tested in a cohort of 23 inpatients using five senior nurses. Analysis included assessment of degree of association, significant differences, absolute agreement, and agreement +1 level. Although there is no gold standard, the BCN section should correlate inversely with independently assessed Barthel scores. Re-evaluation of version 6 was undertaken using the same method of analysis in a cohort of 21 patients using three senior nurses. RESULTS: On initial evaluation inter-rater reliability testing showed an excellent level of association in total composite score between each pair of nurses (rho = 0.73-0.92, p <0.01) and agreement +1 level for individual items ranged from 73 to 100%. Significant disagreements were in six items. On re-evaluation following minor modification, high levels of association were still seen for total BCN, SNN and composite scores both between and within raters, with very satisfactory levels of agreement for individual items. The BCN section of the NPDS showed good inverse correlation with Barthel scores (rho = 0.91, p <0.01). CONCLUSION: The NPDS is simple and practical to use in a busy setting. It is shown to be reliable and valid in its assessment of nursing dependency on the ward. Its translation into a directly costable measure of continuing care needs in the community now requires evaluation.

Deacylation and reacylation for a series of acyl cysteine proteases, including acyl groups derived from novel chromophoric substrates.

In order to investigate structure-reactivity relationships within a series of acyl cysteine proteases [Doran, J. D., & Carey, P. R. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 12495-12502], deacylation kinetics have been measured for a number of acyl intermediates involving members of the papain superfamily. Derivatives of the "simple" chromophoric ligand (5-methylthienyl)acrylate (5MTA) and those based on two chromophorically labeled derivatives of peptidyl substrates, viz., 2-[(N-acetyl-L-phenylalanyl)amino]-3-(5-methylthienyl)acrylate (Phe5MTA) and 2-[(N-acetyl-L-alanyl)amino]-3-(5-methylthienyl)acrylate (Ala5MTA), were used to create acyl enzyme adducts with papain, cathepsin B, and cathepsin L. The chromophoric specific substrates were designed to utilize hydrogen-bonding and hydrophobic interactions which are known to be important in promoting catalysis by papain. For cathepsins B and L, removing one of the hydrogen-bonding donors making up the putative oxyanion hole retards deacylation by 3-25-fold, demonstrating that the oxyanion hole has a modest effect on catalysis for these substrates. With the above substrates and the wild-type and oxyanion hole mutants, the values of the deacylation rate constants stretch over a 214-fold range, from 0.07 to 15 x 10(-3) s-1. The pKa for deacylation of [(5-methylthienyl)-acryloyl]papain is 4.9, close to that reported for similar papain intermediates, while that for Ala5MTA-papain is at 3.5, which in the latter likely represents the effect of the P1-S1 and P2-S2 interactions on the environment of histidine-159. For the Phe5MTA-papain the extent of deacylation was found to depend on the pH and the starting acyl enzyme concentration. A simple model has been derived which accounts quantitatively for this behavior, using the assumptions that the protonated form of the acyl product reacylates the enzyme and that in the pH range 5.0-7.5 the ionization of active-site groups has no effect on reacylation. The validity of the first assumption was demonstrated by following the deacylation of Phe5MTA-papain in the presence of the potent inhibitor E-64 [1-(L-trans-epoxysuccinyl-L-leucylamino)-4-guanidinobutane], whereupon complete deacylation occurred at all pHs with a pKa identical to that for Ala5MTA-papain, viz., 3.5.

Involvement of glycine 141 in substrate activation by enoyl-CoA hydratase.

Raman spectroscopy has been used to investigate the structure of a substrate analogue, hexadienoyl-CoA (HD-CoA), bound to wild-type enoyl-CoA hydratase and G141P, a mutant in which a hydrogen bond to the substrate carbonyl has been removed. Raman spectra of isotopically labeled HD-CoAs, together with normal mode calculations, confirm the selective ground-state polarization of the enone fragment previously suggested to occur on binding to the wild-type enzyme [Tonge, P. J., Anderson, V. E., Fausto, R., Kim, M., Pusztai-Carey, M., and Carey, P. R. (1995) Biospectroscopy 1, 387-394]. In addition, Raman spectra of HD-CoA bound to the G141P mutant enzyme demonstrate that the hydrogen bond between the G141 amide NH group and the substrate carbonyl is critical for polarization and activity. Replacement of G141 with proline results in an approximately 10(6)-fold decrease in k(cat) and eliminates the ability of the enzyme to polarize the substrate analogue. As G141 is part of a consensus sequence in the enoyl-CoA hydratase superfamily, the results presented here provide direct evidence for the importance of the oxyanion hole in the reactions catalyzed by other family members.

Role of glutamate 144 and glutamate 164 in the catalytic mechanism of enoyl-CoA hydratase.

The role of two glutamate residues (E164 and E144) in the active site of enoyl-CoA hydratase has been probed by site-directed mutagenesis. The catalytic activity of the E164Q and E144Q mutants has been determined using 3'-dephosphocrotonyl-CoA. Removal of the 3'-phosphate group reduces the affinity of the substrate for the enzyme, thereby facilitating the determination of K(m) and simplifying the analysis of the enzymes' pH dependence. k(cat) for the hydration of 3'-dephosphocrotonyl-CoA is reduced 7700-fold for the E144Q mutant and 630000-fold for the E164Q mutant, while K(m) is unaffected. These results indicate that both glutamate residues play crucial roles in the hydration chemistry catalyzed by the enzyme. Previously, we reported that, in contrast to the wild-type enzyme, the E164Q mutant was unable to exchange the alpha-proton of butyryl-CoA with D(2)O [D'Ordine, R. L., Bahnson, B. J., Tonge, P. J. , and Anderson, V. E. (1994) Biochemistry 33, 14733-14742]. Here we demonstrate that E144Q is also unable to catalyze alpha-proton exchange even though E164, the glutamate that is positioned to abstract the alpha-proton, is intact in the active site. The catalytic function of each residue has been further investigated by exploring the ability of the wild-type and mutant enzymes to eliminate 2-mercaptobenzothiazole from 4-(2-benzothiazole)-4-thiabutanoyl-CoA (BTTB-CoA). As expected, reactivity toward BTTB-CoA is substantially reduced (690-fold) for the E164Q enzyme compared to wild-type. However, E144Q is also less active than wild-type (180-fold) even though elimination of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (pK(a) 6.8) should require no assistance from an acid catalyst. Clearly, the ability of E164 to function as an acid-base in the active site is affected by mutation of E144 and it is concluded that the two glutamates act in concert to effect catalysis.