Binding of nitroxide stearate spin labels to bovine serum albumin.

1. 12-Nitroxide stearate binds to bovine serum albumin at about four independent and equivalent binding sites with an association constant of about 10(6) M-1. The binding at these high affinity binding sites is significantly reduced by addition of unlabeled stearate. These data suggest that nitroxide stearates probe the high affinity binding sites for long-chain fatty acids. 2. Qualitative analyses of the ESR spectra of 5-, 12- and 16-nitroxide stearate bound to bovine serum albumin and measurements of the interaction of these compounds so bound with ferricyanide ion provide a rough description of the binding site as follows: the polar headgroup of the spin-labeled fatty acid is rigidly fixed, but fairly accessible to paramagnetic ions. The middle part of the hydrocarbon chain of bound stearate spin label also is rigidly fixed but differs in being shielded from the solvent, presumably by a hydrophobic cleft. The methyl terminus shows greater motion, appearing to move within a narrow cone, and also appears to be somewhat accessible to paramagnetic ions.

EPR titration of ovine prostaglandin H synthase with hemin.

To characterize further the prosthetic group of PGH synthase (EC 1.14.99.1), titrations of the apoenzyme with hemin were investigated by EPR. The first hemin bound per polypeptide showed an EPR signal at g = 6.7 and 5.3 (rhombicity 9%) and was tentatively assigned to the hemin effective as prosthetic group of PGH synthase. Additional hemin bound showed a less rhombic signal (g = 6.3 and 5.8, rhombicity 3%) presumably due to nonspecific hydrophobic binding sites not effective in catalysis.

Metabolic denitrosation of diphenylnitrosamine: a possible bioactivation pathway.

Nitrosodiphenylamine was tested for induction of DNA single strand breaks in rat hepatocytes and Chinese hamster V 79 cells with the alkaline filter elution assay. While in rat hepatocytes DNA damage was observed, negative results were obtained in V 79 cells. In view of the metabolic capacity of hepatocytes and the chemical structure of nitrosodiphenylamine it seems likely that cytochrome P-450-dependent, reductive denitrosation might be necessary for exerting this effect. Therefore the metabolism of nitrosodiphenylamine was investigated in phenobarbital-induced mouse liver microsomes and some of the metabolites were also tested. One metabolite was identified as diphenylamine whereas the others were identified as a ring-hydroxylated derivative of diphenylamine and its corresponding quinoneimine. Diphenylhydroxylamine which was not detected in the microsomes as a metabolite produced a significant amount of DNA single strand breaks in V 79 cells. When diphenylhydroxylamine was incubated with microsomes electron spin resonance spectrum was observed which indicated the formation of the diphenylnitroxide radical. This radical seems to be mediated by auto-oxidation rather than by enzymatic catalysis. Whether diphenylhydroxylamine might be responsible for the observed genetoxic effects of nitrosodiphenylamine assumed to be produced via active oxygen species is discussed.

Development of a biosensor for E. coli based on a flexural plate wave (FPW) transducer.

To fulfill the need for rapid, cost-effective and sensitive methods for the detection of bacteria in medical diagnostics, food technology, biotechnology and environmental monitoring, a development of a bacterial sensor was initiated. Our approach of a biosensor for E. coli is based on an acousto-gravimetric flexural plate wave (FPW) transducer (gravimetric detection limit of less than 6 ng in a 32 microns thick sensitive layer in aqueous media), and an immunoaffinity layer on the transducer membrane for the molecular recognition of the target bacteria. An intermediate layer of covalently coupled poly (acrylic acid) yielded a major reduction of the non-specific binding to the metal surface. Such a biosensor, using antibodies against E. coli K12 and E. coli 15 outer surface antigens, yielded a detection range of 3.0 x 10(5) to 6.2 x 10(7) cells/ml for samples with the corresponding bacteria. To increase the sensitivity further, an amplification method using microspheres coupled with antibodies against E. coli was tested as a sandwich assay, and up to now a five-fold amplification of the signal has been achieved.

A biohybrid system to interface peripheral nerves after traumatic lesions: design of a high channel sieve electrode.

Peripheral nerve lesions lead to nerve degeneration and flaccid paralysis. The first objective in functional rehabilitation of these diseases should be the preservation of the neuro-muscular junction by biological means and following functional electrical stimulation (FES) may restore some function of the paralyzed limb. The combination of biological cells and technical microdevices to biohybrid systems might become a new approach in neural prosthetics research to preserve skeletal muscle function. In this paper, a microdevice for a biohybrid system to interface peripheral nerves after traumatic lesions is presented. The development of the microprobe design and the fabrication technology is described and first experimental results are given and afterwards discussed. The technical microprobe is designed in a way that meets the most important technical requirements: adaptation to the distal nerve stump, suitability to combine the microstructure with a containment for cells, and integrated microelectrodes as information transducers for cell stimulation and monitoring. Micromachining technologies were applied to fabricate a polyimide-based sieve-like microprobe with 19 substrate-integrated ring electrodes and a distributed counter electrode. Monolithic integration of fixation flaps and a three-dimensional shaping technology led to a device that might be adapted to nerve stumps with neurosurgical sutures in the epineurium. First experimental results of the durability of the shaping technology and electrochemical electrode properties were investigated. The three-dimensional shape remained quite stable after sterilization in an autoclave and chronic implantation. Electrode impedance was below 200 kOmega at 1 kHz which ought to permit recording of signals from nerves sprouting through the sieve holes.

Models for ferric cytochrome P450. Characterization of hemin mercaptide complexes by electronic and ESR spectra.

Hemin coordinated with mercaptide sulfur as fifth ligand and various sixth ligands were investigated as models for cytochrome P450 in its native ferric low-spin state and its ligand complexes. Mixing the hemin with its ligands below -60 degrees C prevented the reduction of the hemin by mercaptide and made it possible to characterize each sample both by electronic and ESR spectra. Excess of mercaptide formed hemin-dimercaptide complexes with hyperporphyrin spectra with two Soret bands around 380 and 370 nm. The second mercaptide could be exchanged by other ligands with hydroxyl, phosphine, thioether, isocyanide, amine, imidazole, and pyridine groups. The comparison of these spectral data with cytochrome P450 substantiates mercaptide as the fifth ligand and makes a hydroxyl group a more likely candidate for the native sixth ligand than an imidazole group.

Active site-specific reconstituted copper(II) horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase: a biological model for type 1 Cu2+ and its changes upon ligand binding and conformational transitions.

Insertion of Cu2+ ions into horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase depleted of its catalytic Zn2+ ions creates an artificial blue copper center similar to that of plastocyanin and similar copper proteins. The esr spectrum of a frozen solution and the optical spectra at 296 and 77 K are reported, together with the corresponding data for binary and ternary complexes with NAD+ and pyrazole. The binary complex of the cupric enzyme with pyrazole establishes a novel type of copper proteins having the optical characteristics of Type 1 and the esr parameters of Type 2 Cu2+. Ternary complex formation with NAD+ converts the Cu2+ ion to a Type 1 center. By an intramolecular redox reaction the cuprous enzyme is formed from the cupric enzyme. Whereas the activity of the cupric alcohol dehydrogenase is difficult to assess (0.5%-1% that of the native enzyme), the cuprous enzyme is distinctly active (8% of the native enzyme). The implications of these findings are discussed in view of the coordination of the metal in native copper proteins.

Binding of thiols to microsomal cytochrome P-450.

Lipophilic thiol compounds interact spectrally with liver microsomes from phenobarbital-pretreated rats by formation of unusual optical difference spectra with peaks at 378, 471, 522 and 593 nm in the oxidized state. The binding kinetics were biphasic. The EPR spectrum of cytochrome P-450 was slightly modified but the magnitude of the low-spin signal was unchanged. n-Octanethiol competitively displaced metyrapone and n-octane from the active site of cytochrome P-450. Other thiols behaved similarly with variations in the magnitude and the affinity of the binding process. Tertiary thiols caused the formation of the high-spin cytochrome P-450 substrate complex, and model studies with myoglobin revealed that steric hindrance prevented the liganding of the tertiary thiol group to the ferric cytochrome P-450. Addition of thiols to dithionite reduced microsomes resulted in relatively small spectral changes with maxima at 449 nm typical for ligand complexes of the ferrous cytochrome. It was concluded that lipophilic thiols can be bound as ligands by at least two species of oxidized cytochrome P-450 which represent, however, not more than about one fifth of the total cytochrome P-450 content in liver microsomes from phenobarbital-pretreated rats.

Binding of nitrosamines to cytochrome P-450 of liver microsomes.

The interactions of 5 carcinogenic and 1 non-carcinogenic nitrosamines with hepatic microsomal cytochrome (cyt.) P-450 were investigated, using both optical difference and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopic methods. Liver microsomes from phenobarbital (PB)-pretreated mice and 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC)-pretreated rats were used, in order to have an increased specific content of cyt. P-450 and cyt. P-448 respectively. The optical and EPR spectral data obtained in the oxidised state suggest that nitrosamines are able to bind both as substrates and as ligands to the hemoprotein cyt. P-450, depending on the concentration of nitrosamine, its chemical identity and the cytochrome species present. After reduction with dithionite or NADPH in the optical difference spectrum a Soret band developed between 444 and 453 nm to an extent, which is dependent on the particular nitrosamine present. This initial nitrosamine-induced spectrum might represent a ferrous nitric oxide (NO)-cyt. P-450 complex. It appears unstable and is converted kinetically into a spectrum lacking a Soret band, but with a predominant absorbance minimum at about 425 nm. A visible band is located at 585 nm. In the EPR spectrum a sharp 3-line signal around g = 2.01 appears concomitantly. Both spectral parameters are typical of a NO-cyt. P-420 complex. These results, in conjunction with metabolic studies, indicate that nitrosamines are denitrosated by a reductive process in which cyt. P-450 appears to be involved. The resulting NO-cyt. P-450 complex denatures to a NO-cyt. P-420 complex when the dioxygen level is not sufficiently high to complete successfully.

Fast and precise positioning of single cells on planar electrode substrates.

For cell biosensors and for studying neural networks using planar electrode substrates, a suitable technique for positioning single cells on electrodes was needed. We reported a new method for fast and efficient positioning of single cells on ring electrodes by controlled suction through holes. We described the microfabrication of electrode substrates with microholes and the cell positioning procedure. L929 cells and Neuro 2A cells could be positioned in parallel without cell damage.

Cimetidine and ranitidine: their interaction with human and pig liver microsomes and with purified cytochrome P-450.

Cimetidine and ranitidine interact with microsomes from human and pig liver and with purified cytochrome P-450 in the ligand-type manner. The affinity for cimetidine is about 10 times as high as that for ranitidine. Accordingly amplitudes of the specta are much higher for cimetidine. These results are in accordance with those obtained earlier with rat liver microsomes. The inhibitory potency of either compound with regard to dealkylation of 7-ethoxycoumarin appears to be less in the human preparation.

Binding of a metyrapone spin label to microsomal cytochrome P-450.

Probing of the active site of microsomal cytochrome P-450 was carried out with a spin label derived from 2-methyl-1,2-bis(3-pyridyl)-1-propanone (metyrapone). Its optical binding spectra to cytochrome P-450 resemble the spectra with metyrapone. The electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum of the spin label in microsomes indicates binding with strong immobilization. Since the apparent optical and EPR binding constants agree very well (Ks approximately 2-10(-5) M), and metyrapone is found to displace the spin label, we conclude, that the spin label binds to the active site of cytochrome P-450. Addition of detergents or an increase in temperature mobilizes the bound spin label slightly. The EPR signal accounts for only 60% of the bound spin label due to its dipolar interaction with the low-spin ferric heme of cytochrome P-450. From this finding, the distance between nitroxide and iron is evaluated to be 11 A. This supports the model that one of the pyridine nitrogens of metyrapone is coordinated to the iron of cytochrome P-450. The bound spin label shows virtually no interaction with ferricyanide as if the active site of cytochrome P-450 is a hydrophobic pocket not accessible to ions.

Characterization of pirenzepine interaction with cytochrome P-450.

Pirenzepine interacts with the haem iron of cytochrome P-450 from rat-and pig-liver microsomes, to give absorption spectra with max. at 424-429 nm, and min. at 391-399 nm. Binding to cytochrome P-450 was not detected with human-liver microsomes. Inhibition of 7-ethoxycoumarin dealkylation by pirenzepine using rat-liver microsomes gave values of I50 = 5 mM and Kis = 0.53 mM. E.p.r. spectra showed that pirenzepine probably interacts with the haem iron through the pirenzepine N-4(1) tertiary amine group.

Higher oxidation states of prostaglandin H synthase. Rapid electronic spectroscopy detected two spectral intermediates during the peroxidase reaction with prostaglandin G2.

The reaction of prostaglandin H synthase with prostaglandin G2, the physiological substrate for the peroxidase reaction, was examined by rapid reaction techniques at 1 degree C. Two spectral intermediates were observed and assigned to higher oxidation states of the enzymes. Intermediate I was formed within 20 ms in a bimolecular reaction between the enzyme and prostaglandin G2 with k1 = 1.4 x 10(7) M-1 s-1. From the resemblance to compound I of horseradish peroxidase, the structure of intermediate I was assigned to [(protoporphyrin IX)+.FeIVO]. Between 10 ms and 170 ms intermediate II was formed from intermediate I in a monomolecular reaction with k2 = 65 s-1. Intermediate II, spectrally very similar to compound II of horseradish peroxidase or complex ES of cytochrome-c peroxidase, was assigned to a two-electron oxidized state [(protoporphyrin IX)FeIVO] Tyr+. which was formed by an intramolecular electron transfer from tyrosine to the porphyrin-pi-cation radical of intermediate I. A reaction scheme for prostaglandin H synthase is proposed where the tyrosyl radical of intermediate II activates the cyclooxygenase reaction.