Mechanism of reduction of quinones by Trypanosoma congolense trypanothione reductase.

A number of quinones were analyzed as substrates for trypanothione reductase from Trypanosoma congolense, an enzyme responsible for the protection of trypanosomes against oxidative stress. Using NADPH as substrate, the maximal rate of the steady-state reaction at pH 7.5 was between 24 and 1.6 s-1 for 11 quinone substrates. The biomolecular steady-state rate constants for quinone reduction, V/Km, ranged from 240 to 1.9 x 10(5) M-1 s-1, and their logarithms exhibited a hyperbolic dependence on the one-electron-reduction potentials of the quinone substrate. The addition of NADP+ stimulated these rates, with V/Km values increasing with an increasing NADP+/NADPH ratio. The results of alkylation of the cysteine residue in the two-electron-reduced enzyme by iodoacetamide indicate that these residues are not primarily involved in the reduction of these quinones. Single-electron reduction of benzoquinone constitutes 40% of the total electron transfer from NADPH to quinone in the absence of NADP+, and increases to 80% at NADP+/NADPH ratios greater than 10. These steady-state results were confirmed in pre-steady-state rapid reaction experiments. The rate of reduced enzyme oxidation by 1,4-benzoquinone is approximately 100 times faster in the presence of NADP+ than in its absence. The reactivities of various pyridine nucleotide liganded forms of EH2 for quinone reduction are presumably affected by the electron density at FAD. We suggest that one-electron reduction of quinones occurs at a site distinct from the two active sites involved in hydride ion transfer and disulfide reduction.

Dihydrolipoamide-mediated redox cycling of quinones.

The nonenzymatic reactions of dihydrolipoamide with a number of low-potential quinones, possessing either a fully or a partially substituted quinone ring at pH 7.0 were accompanied by consumption of oxygen in a significant excess of the quinone concentration, thus establishing their redox cycling. Contrary to this, only partially substituted quinones caused the consumption of oxygen in the presence of reduced glutathione due to reoxidation of reduced quinone-glutathione conjugates. Among compounds tested, 9,10-phenanthrene quinone catalyzed the most rapid consumption of oxygen in the presence of dihydrolipoamide with subsequent formation of lipoamide and H2O2. The rate constant of anaerobic reduction of phenanthrene quinone by dihydrolipoamide was 8.6 +/- 1.6 x 10(3) M-1 s-1 (pH 7.0, 0.1 M phosphate, 20% ethanol, 25 degrees C). The consumption of oxygen and formation of lipoamide were inhibited by superoxide dismutase, indicating that the redox cycling involves the autooxidation of 9,10-dihydroxy phenanthrene, mediated by superoxide. The reaction was accompanied by the reduction of added cytochrome c, which was insignificantly inhibited by superoxide dismutase, and the reductive mobilization of iron from ferritin, activated by superoxide dismutase. These data raise the possibility that dihydrolipoamide, usually regarded as an antioxidant, under certain conditions may exert moderate prooxidant activity, initiating the formation of radicals and activated forms of oxygen.

Fungal quinone pigments as oxidizers and inhibitors of mitochondrial NADH:ubiquinone reductase.

The interaction of fungal quinone pigments bostricoidin, fusarubin, javanicin, and 2-oxyjuglone with mitochondrial NADH:ubiquinone reductase (complex I, EC 1.6.99.3) has been studied. The bimolecular rate constants (turnover number (TN)/Km) of rotenone-insensitive reduction of these compounds are in the range of 1.2 x 10(4)-1.6 x 10(5) M-1s-1. 2-Oxyjuglone acts as inhibitor of NADH:ferricyanide reductase reaction of complex I (KI = 30 microM). All quinone pigments, except javanicin, decrease the TN of reduction of 5,8-dioxy-1,4-naphtoquinone being reduced at its binding site but with significantly lower TN. They do not affect the rotenone-sensitive reduction of ubiquinone-1. The binding of quinone pigments close to the NADH and ferricyanide binding site is suggested. It seems that quinone pigments, especially 2-oxyjuglone, react with complex I faster than it follows from their approximate values of one-electron reduction potential calculated from their reactivities with flavocychrome b2 and adrenodoxin.

The rotenone-insensitive reduction of quinones and nitrocompounds by mitochondrial NADH:ubiquinone reductase.

The rotenone-insensitive reduction of quinones and aromatic nitrocompounds by mitochondrial NADH: ubiquinone reductase (complex I, EC 1.6.99.3) has been studied. It was found that these reactions proceed via a mixed one- and two-electron transfer. The logarithms of the bimolecular rate constants of oxidation (TN/Km) are proportional to the one-electron-reduction potentials of oxidizers. The reactivities of nitrocompounds are close to those of quinones. Unlike the reduction of ferricyanide, these reactions are not inhibited by NADH. However, they are inhibited by NAD+ and ADP-ribose, which also act as the mixed-type inhibitors for ferricyanide. TN/Km of quinones and nitrocompounds depend on the NAD+/NADH ratio, but not on NAD+ concentration. They are diminished by the limiting factors of 2.5-3.5 at NAD+/NADH greater than 200. It seems that rotenone-insensitive reduction of quinones and nitrocompounds takes place near the NAD+/NADH and ferricyanide binding site, and the inhibition is caused by induced conformational changes after the binding of NAD+ or ADP-ribose.

On the mechanism of rotenone-insensitive reduction of quinones by mitochondrial NADH:ubiquinone reductase. The high affinity binding of NAD+ and NADH to the reduced enzyme form.

NADH acts as an incomplete competitive inhibitor for 5,8-dioxy-1,4-naphtoquinone during its rotenone-insensitive reduction by mitochondrial NADH:ubiquinone reductase. NAD+ and ADP-ribose act as incomplete mixed-type inhibitors. Ki of NAD+ and NADH towards quinone are about one order less than towards ferricyanide. The bimolecular rate constant of the reduction of the enzyme by NADH in the quinone reductase reaction is about 2 times less than that of ferricyanide reductase reaction. These data indicate that the reduction site of 5,8-dioxy-1,4-naphtoquinone is close to NAD+/NADH and ferricyanide binding site. It seems that during the steady-state reduction of ferricyanide and 5,8-dioxy-1,4-naphtoquinone these oxidizers react with NADH:ubiquinone reductase reduced to different extents.

Interaction of nitrofurans with glutathione reductase.

Nitrofurans inhibit the oxidation of NADPH by glutathione, catalyzed by yeast glutathione reductase (EC 1.6.4.2). acting as uncompetitive incomplete inhibitors for NADPH and glutathione. The quinoline-substituted nitrofurans were the most effective inhibitors. These compounds increased the turnover numbers of enzyme at fixed concentrations of reduced glutathione, in the reverse reaction of glutathione reductase, but in most cases diminished the affinity of the enzyme for NAD+. Nitrofurans are weak one-electron oxidants of glutathione reductase. Their reactivity is close to that of p-quinones possessing the analoguous one-electron reduction potential (Cénas, N.K., Rakauskiené, G.A. and Kulys, J.J. (1989) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 973, 399-404), and reaction is stimulated by NADP+. It is assumed, that nitrofurans bind to the 'regulative' site of glutathione reductase (Karplus, P.A., Pai, E.F. and Schulz, G.E. (1989) Eur. J. Biochem. 178, 693-703).

A negative cooperativity between NADPH and adrenodoxin on binding to NADPH:adrenodoxin reductase.

Adrenodoxin stimulated the oxidation of NADPH by 1,4-benzoquinone, catalyzed by NADPH:adrenodoxin reductase. It prevented the enzyme inhibition by NADPH and formed an additional pathway of benzoquinone reduction presumably via reduced adrenodoxin. In the presence of 100-400 microM NADP+, which increased the Km of NADPH, adrenodoxin acted as a partial competitive inhibitor for NADPH decreasing its TN/Km by a limiting factor of 3. Ki of adrenodoxin decreased on the NADP+ concentration decrease and was estimated to be about 10(-8) M in the absence of NADP+.

One- and two-electron reduction of quinones by glutathione reductase.

Yeast glutathione reductase (E.C. 1.6.4.2) catalyzes the oxidation of NADPH by p-quinones and ferricyanide with a maximal turnover number (TNmax) of 4-5 s-1.NADP+ stimulates the reaction and the TNmax/Km value of acceptors is reached at NADP+/NADPH greater than or equal to 100. TNmax is increased up to 30-33 s-1. The stimulatory effect of NADP+ may be associated with its complexation with the NADPH-binding site in the reduced enzyme (Kd = 40-60 microM). It is suggested that NADP+ shifts the electron density towards FAD in the two-electron-reduced enzyme and, evidently, changes its one-electron-reduction potentials, while quinones oxidize an equilibrium form of glutathione reductase containing reduced FAD. In the absence of NADP+ the reduction of quinones by glutathione reductase proceeds mainly in a two-electron manner. At NADP+/NADPH = 100 a one-electron reduction makes up 44% of the total process. At pH 6.0-7.0 the reduced forms of naphthoquinones undergo cyclic redox conversions. A hyperbolic dependence exists of the log TN/Km of quinones on their one-electron-reduction potentials.

A 'branched' mechanism of the reverse reaction of yeast glutathione reductase. An estimation of the enzyme standard potential values from the steady-state kinetics data.

The reduced glutathione-linked NADP+ reduction, catalyzed by yeast glutathione reductase, follows a 'sequential' or 'ping-pong' mechanism at high or low NADP+ concentrations, respectively. The pattern of the NADPH and NADP+ cross-inhibition reflects not only the competition for the binding site, but the shift of the reaction equilibrium as well. A 'branched' scheme of the glutathione reductase reaction is presented. The enzyme standard potential (-255 mV, pH 7.0) was estimated from the ratio of the NADPH and NADP+ rate constants corresponding to the ping-pong mechanism.

NADH oxidation by quinone electron acceptors.

The rate constants of NADH oxidation by quinones are increased with the oxidation potential increase: log kox (M-1 X s-1) = -0.25 + 12.2 E0(7) (V) for o-quinones and log kox (M-1 X s-1) = -3.06 + 13.5 E0(7) (V) for p-quinones (pH 7.0, 25 degrees C). It is assumed that the oxidation proceeds via the hydride-ion transfer. The rate constants of NADH oxidation by single-electron quinone acceptors are also increased with the oxidizer potential increase; log kox (M-1 X s-1) = -0.64 + 9.34 E0(7) (V) and correlate with the constants of NADH oxidation by quinone radicals obtained earlier (Grodkowski, J., Neta, P., Carlson, B.W. and Miller, L. (1983) J. Phys. Chem. 87, 3135-3138). Single-electron transfer is the limiting stage of the process.