Structure and function of the xenobiotic substrate-binding site and location of a potential non-substrate-binding site in a class pi glutathione S-transferase.

Complex structures of a naturally occurring variant of human class pi glutathione S-transferase 1-1 (hGSTP1-1) with either S-hexylglutathione or (9R,10R)-9-(S-glutathionyl)-10-hydroxy-9, 10-dihydrophenanthrene [(9R,10R)-GSPhen] have been determined at resolutions of 1.8 and 1.9 A, respectively. The crystal structures reveal that the xenobiotic substrate-binding site (H-site) is located at a position similar to that observed in class mu GST 1-1 from rat liver (rGSTM1-1). In rGSTM1-1, the H-site is a hydrophobic cavity defined by the side chains of Y6, W7, V9, L12, I111, Y115, F208, and S209. In hGSTP1-1, the cavity is approximately half hydrophobic and half hydrophilic and is defined by the side chains of Y7, F8, V10, R13, V104, Y108, N204, and G205 and five water molecules. A hydrogen bond network connects the five water molecules and the side chains of R13 and N204. V104 is positioned such that the introduction of a methyl group (the result of the V104I mutation) disturbs the H-site water structure and alters the substrate-binding properties of the isozyme. The hydroxyl group of Y7 forms a hydrogen bond (3.2 A) with the sulfur atom of the product. There is a short hydrogen bond (2.5 A) between Y108 (OH) and (9R, 10R)-GSPhen (O5), indicating the hydroxyl group of Y108 as an electrophilic participant in the addition of glutathione to epoxides. An N-(2-hydroxethyl)piperazine-N'-2-ethanesulfonic acid (HEPES) molecule is found in the cavity between beta2 and alphaI. The location and properties of this HEPES-binding site fit a possible non-substrate-binding site that is involved in noncompetitive inhibition of the enzyme.

Amino acid residue 104 in an alpha-class glutathione S-transferase is essential for the high selectivity and specificity of the enzyme for 4-hydroxynonenal.

Murine mGSTA4-4 is a glutathione S-transferase with high activity and specificity for products of lipid peroxidation, including the cytotoxic 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE). Physiological relevance of this enzyme in the defense against effects of oxidative stress can be inferred from the above biochemical properties, and has been also directly demonstrated by us in vivo. The identification of residues responsible for the high activity toward 4-HNE is facilitated by the availability of X-ray crystal structures of mGSTA4-4 and of hGSTA1-1, a structurally related enzyme which lacks activity for 4-HNE. Residues likely to be involved in 4-HNE recognition were identified by molecular modeling. One such residue, M104, was mutated to E104, as present in hGSTA1-1. The resulting M104E mutant had unchanged catalytic properties toward the model substrate 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene. However, the Km of mGSTA4-4(M104E) for 4-HNE was increased more than sevenfold, while the Vmax for that substrate remained essentially unchanged. We conclude that M104 codetermines the recognition and binding of 4-HNE to the active center of mGSTA4-4.

Analysis of naturally processed peptides eluted from HLA DRB1*0402 and *0404.

Understanding the structural features of naturally processed peptides found within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II peptide binding groove from disease-associated MHC molecules may provide insights into the nature of potential disease-related antigens. Class II MHC/peptide complexes were purified by immunoaffinity from transformed B cell lines homozygous for DRB1*0404 (an allele associated with rheumatoid arthritis) and *0402 (a closely related allele not associated with this disease). Peptides were eluted at acidic pH, fractionated by reversed phase HPLC, and analyzed by capillary electrophoresis. Those fractions containing a single dominant peptide were sequenced by automated Edman degradation and tandem mass spectrometry. The predominant peptide species identified came from non-polymorphic regions of the HLA class I molecules expressed by each cell line. Peptides from DRB1*0404 were found to be nested clusters derived from positions 26-43 of the HLA-B and -C alpha-chain. DRB1*0402 contained as the predominant peptide species a nested cluster from positions 129-145 of the HLA-B alpha-chain. The primary structure of the class I derived peptides was consistent with that seen by peptides exhibiting promiscuous DR binding behavior. Processing of MHC-derived peptides by MHC class II molecules is a common occurrence in the transformed B cell lines analyzed.

Organic anion-transporting ATPase of rat liver. I. Purification, photoaffinity labeling, and regulation by phosphorylation.

An ATP-dependent transport system specific for non-bile acid organic anions such as S-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)-glutathione is present in the canalicular plasma membrane of hepatocytes. It has been shown recently that transport of these anions by isolated hepatocytes is modulated by the activity of cellular protein kinase C (Roelofsen, H., Ottenhoff, R., Oude Elferink, R. P., and Jansen, P.L. (1991) Biochem. J. 278, 637-641, 1991). Using a series of affinity chromatography steps, we have purified to apparent homogeneity a 90-kDa glycoprotein which has S-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)glutathione-dependent ATPase activity. As shown by binding to immobilized S-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)glutathione and by photoaffinity labeling with 8-azido-ATP, the binding sites for organic anions and for ATP of the 90-kDa protein are interdependent, a behavior that is consistent with an ATP-dependent transport function. The ATP binding site has been further characterized using a fluorescent ATP analog. The 90-kDa protein was phosphorylated by protein kinase C, and the Vmax (but not the Km) of the S-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)glutathione-dependent ATPase activity increased at least 2-fold upon phosphorylation. On the basis of its enzymatic properties, we propose that the 90-kDa protein is identical with the multispecific organic anion transporter (MOAT) of the hepatic canalicular plasma membrane. The size and oligosaccharide content of the 90-kDa protein indicate that it does not belong to the family of mammalian plasma membrane P-glycoproteins.

Organic anion-transporting ATPase of rat liver. II. Functional reconstitution of active transport and regulation by phosphorylation.

We have previously purified to homogeneity from rat liver plasma membranes a 90-kDa glycoprotein with S-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)glutathione-stimulated ATPase activity and other properties which identify it as the multispecific organic anion transporter (MOAT) specific for the transport into bile of non-bile acid organic anions (Pikula, S., Hayden, J. B., Awasthi, S., Awasthi, Y. C., and Zimniak, P. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 27566-27573). In the present communication, we report the functional reconstitution of this protein into artificial proteoliposomes. The reconstituted protein catalyzed time- and concentration-dependent uptake of S-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)glutathione into the vesicles. The transport required the presence of ATP. Phosphorylation of the 90-kDa protein by protein kinase C prior to reconstitution more than tripled the Vmax of transport but did not change the Km for S-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)glutathione. The protein created and, at steady state, maintained a more than 200-fold and 500-fold S-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)glutathione gradient across the membrane for the unphosphorylated and phosphorylated form, respectively. The transport activity of the 90-kDa protein is sufficient to account for the hepatic secretory maximum of non-bile acid organic anions in the rat.

Estimation of genomic complexity, heterologous expression, and enzymatic characterization of mouse glutathione S-transferase mGSTA4-4 (GST 5.7).

We have previously isolated a cDNA clone for a unique mouse lung glutathione S-transferase, mGSTA4-4 (GST 5.7) (Zimniak, P., Eckles, M. A., Saxena, M., and Awasthi, Y. C. (1992) FEBS Lett. 313, 173-176). By genomic Southern blotting and polymerase chain reaction single strand conformation polymorphism analysis we have now demonstrated the presence of at least two mGSTA4-related genes in the mouse. The heterogeneity of mGSTA4-4 was further examined by comparing the structural and kinetic properties of mGSTA4-4 isolated from mouse lung with those of recombinant rec-mGSTA4-4 expressed in Escherichia coli. Except for the isoelectric point, the physical properties of the two proteins were indistinguishable. Western blots using antibodies against rec-mGSTA4-4 have shown selective expression of the enzyme in mouse tissues. Even though the substrate specificity profiles of the tissue-isolated and recombinant enzymes, which point to a role of mGSTA4-4 in the detoxification of lipid peroxidation products, were generally similar, significant differences were observed with selected substrates. The existence of functionally distinct forms of mGSTA4-4 and the presence of more than one gene strongly suggest that the previously observed differences in properties of mGSTA4-4 isolated from various mouse tissues (Awasthi, S., Singhal, S. S., Srivastava, S. K., and Awasthi, Y. C. (1993) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 301, 143-150) may be due to tissue-specific expression of mGSTA4-related genes.

The effects of acute ethanol on growth in rat liver: steady state c-myc transcripts.

In order to elucidate the effects of acute ethanol on compensatory liver growth (regeneration), the steady state c-myc mRNA levels were studied following two-thirds partial hepatectomy. After surgery, control rat livers exhibited two peaks of c-myc transcripts, at 0.5-2 h and at 8-10 h. Sham surgery did not induce c-myc mRNA expression. Ethanol (3 g/kg), administered by gavage at 1 hour prehepatectomy, had no effect on the initial peak of c-myc mRNA; however, the second peak was eliminated. Control gavage of isocaloric glucose prior to partial hepatectomy had no effects on either of the subsequent c-myc mRNA peaks. Blood alcohol levels were found to be elevated throughout the prereplicative phase. These results suggest that ethanol may disrupt proto-oncogene expression near the restriction point at the G1/S boundary of the cell cycle in hepatocytes.

T-cell receptor variable beta genes show differential expression in CD4 and CD8 T cells.

Studies in transgenic and inbred strains of mice have shown that the critical molecular interactions controlling positive selection involve major histocompatibility complex (MHC), T-cell receptor (TCR), and CD4 or CD8 coreceptor molecules. Correlations have been established between MHC gene products and the percentage of CD4 or CD8 T cells that express specific variable (V) beta-gene products as part of the alpha beta heterodimer. These studies have important implications regarding potential mechanisms of HLA-linked autoimmune diseases in humans. If similar interactions are required for positive selection in humans, one would predict that the TCR repertoire expressed by mature, peripheral blood CD4 and CD8 T cells would vary. To test this hypothesis the expression of specific TCR V beta-region genes by CD4 and CD8 T cells from healthy individuals was compared using both triple-color flow cytometry and polymerase chain reaction based experimental approaches. The results show that the TCR repertoire does vary as a function of CD4 and CD8 T-cell subsets. Among unrelated individuals certain V beta genes were consistently overrepresented in the CD4 population (V beta-5.1, -6.7a, and -18); some were skewed to the CD8 population (V beta-14) while others showed variable patterns (V beta-12 and -17). Deletion of entire V beta gene families was not observed suggesting that this is a rare event in humans. Attempts to correlate the expressed TCR repertoire in humans with HLA alleles will require consideration of these differences in expression as a function of subset.