Negative Cooperativity in the Interaction of Prostaglandin H Synthase-1 with the Competitive Inhibitor Naproxen Can Be Described as the Interaction of a Non-competitive Inhibitor with Heterogeneous Enzyme Preparation.

The kinetic mechanism of the interaction of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with their main pharmacological target, prostaglandin H synthase (PGHS), has not yet been established. We showed that inhibition of PGHS-1 from sheep vesicular glands by naproxen (a representative of NSAIDs) demonstrates a non-competitive character with respect to arachidonic acid and cannot be described within a framework of the commonly used kinetic schemes. However, it can be described by taking into account the negative cooperativity of naproxen binding to the cyclooxygenase active sites of the PGHS-1 homodimer (the first naproxen molecule forms a more stable complex (K1 = 0.1 µM) with the enzyme than the second naproxen molecule (K2 = 9.2 µM)). An apparent non-competitive interaction of PGHS-1 with naproxen is due to slow dissociation of the enzyme-inhibitor complexes. The same experimental data could also be described using commonly accepted kinetic schemes, assuming that naproxen interacts was a mixture of two enzyme species with the inhibition constants Kα = 0.05 µM and Kß = 18.3 µM. Theoretical analysis and numerical calculations show that the phenomenon of kinetic convergence of these two models has a general nature: when K2 >> K1, the kinetic patterns (for transient kinetics and equilibrium state) generated by the cooperative model could be described by a scheme assuming the presence of two enzyme forms with the inhibition constants Kα = K1/2, Kß = 2·K2. When K2 << K1, the cooperative model can be presented as a scheme with two inhibitor molecules simultaneously binding to the enzyme with the observed inhibition constant K (K = K1·K2). The assumption on the heterogeneity of the enzyme preparation in relation to its affinity to the inhibitor can be used instead of the assumption on the negative cooperativity of the enzyme-inhibitor interactions for convenient and easy practical description of such phenomena in enzymology, biotechnology, pharmacology, and other fields of science.

Inhibition of cyclooxygenase activity of prostaglandin-H-synthase by excess substrate (molecular oxygen).

For the cyclooxygenase reaction of prostaglandin-H-synthase isolated from ram vesicular glands, dependences of the initial reaction rate, the maximal yield of the product, and the rate constant of enzyme inactivation in the course of reaction on oxygen concentration were studied in the absence and in the presence of electron donor in the reaction medium. It is shown that in the absence of electron donor the cyclooxygenase reaction is strictly governed by Michaelis-Menten kinetics over a wide range of oxygen concentrations (5-800 µM). In the presence of electron donor in the reaction medium it was found that cyclooxygenase reaction is inhibited by an excess of dissolved oxygen: the maximal values of the initial reaction rate and yield of the product are attained at oxygen concentration 50 µM, and its increase to 500 µM causes twofold decrease in the initial rate and maximal yield. The rate constant of enzyme inactivation in the course of reaction increases on increase in oxygen concentration both in the presence and in the absence of electron donor.

[A new methodical approach to the determination of the quantum yield of the photoelectric conversion of electronic excitations in reaction centers of purple bacteria].

A new methodical approach has been developed, which enables one to determine with a high precision (approximately 1.5%) the quantum yield of energy conversion in reaction centers isolated from purple bacterium. This parameter for reaction centers from Rhodospirillum rubrum was estimated to be 93.5 +/- 1,5%. Our methodical approach makes it possible to calculate quantum yield values for complete photosystems of purple bacteria.