Daniel M. Quinn

Electrostatic Influence on the Kinetics of Ligand Binding to Acetylcholinesterase DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN ACTIVE CENTER LIGANDS AND FASCICULIN

To explore the role that surface and active center charges play in electrostatic attraction of ligands to the active center gorge of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and the influence of charge on the reactive orientation of the ligand, we have studied the kinetics of association of cationic and neutral ligands with the active center and peripheral site of AChE. Electrostatic influences were reduced by sequential mutations of six surface anionic residues outside of the active center gorge (Glu-84, Glu-91, Asp-280, Asp-283, Glu-292, and Asp-372) and three residues within the active center gorge (Asp-74 at the rim and Glu-202 and Glu-450 at the base). The peripheral site ligand, fasciculin 2 (FAS2), a peptide of 6.5 kDa with a net charge of +4, shows a marked enhancement of rate of association with reduction in ionic strength, and this ionic strength dependence can be markedly reduced by progressive neutralization of surface and active center gorge anionic residues. By contrast, neutralization of surface residues only has a modest influence on the rate of cationicm-trimethylammoniotrifluoroacetophenone (TFK+) association with the active serine, whereas neutralization of residues in the active center gorge has a marked influence on the rate but with little change in the ionic strength dependence. Brownian dynamics calculations for approach of a small cationic ligand to the entrance of the gorge show the influence of individual charges to be in quantitative accord with that found for the surface residues. Anionic residues in the gorge may help to orient the ligand for reaction or to trap the ligand. Bound FAS2 on AChE not only reduces the rate of TFK+ reaction with the active center but inverts the ionic strength dependence for the cationic TFK+ association with AChE. Hence it appears that TFK+ must traverse an electrostatic barrier at the gorge entry imparted by the bound FAS2 with its net charge of +4.

Enzymes of the cholinesterase family

GENE STRUCTURE AND EXPRESSION OF CHOLINESTERASES: Presentations: Antisense Oligonucleotides Suppressing Expression of Cholinesterase Genes Modulate Hematopoiesis in vivo and ex vivo (H. Soreq et al.). Posters: Alternative Exon 6 Directs Synaptic Localization of Recombinant Human Acetylcholinesterase in Neuromuscular Junctions of Xenopus laevis Embryos (M. Sternfeld et al.). POLYMORPHISM AND STRUCTURE OF CHOLINESTERASES: Presentations: Structures of Complexes of Acetylcholinesterase with Covalently and Noncovalently Bound Inhibitors (J.L. Sussman et al.). Posters: Hydrophobicity on Esterase Activity of Human Serum Cholinesterase (L. Jaganathan et al.). MECHANISM OF CATALYSIS OF CHOLINESTERASES: Presentations: Amino Acid Residues that Control Mono and Bisquaternary Oximeinduced Reactivation of OEthyl Methylphosphorylated Cholinesterases (Y. Ashani et al.). Posters. CELLULAR BIOLOGY OF CHOLINESTERASES: Presentations. Posters. STRUCTURE-FUNCTION RELATIONSHIPS OF ANTICHOLINESTERASE AGENTS: Presentations. Posters. NONCHOLINERGIC FUNCTIONS OF CHOLINESTERASES: Presentations. Posters. PHARMACOLOGICAL UTILIZATION OF ANTICHOLINESTERASES: Presentations. Posters. 99 additional articles. Appendixes. Index.

MECHANISM-BASED INHIBITORS OF MAMMALIAN CHOLESTEROL ESTERASE

Publisher Summary This chapter summarizes the various classes of cholesterol esterase (CEase) inhibitors and describes the methods for characterizing inhibition by carbamates. It outlines features of CEase structure and function that facilitate the rational design of inhibitors. Physiological lipid substrates of CEase have very low water solubilities, and consequently are contained in supramolecular aggregates, such as micelles or lipoproteins. Accordingly, physiological CEase catalysis is interfacial biocatalysis, wherein substrate binding to the active site and consequent catalytic turnover are preceded by reversible binding of the enzyme to the lipid/aqueous interface. The mechanistic complexity of interfacial biocatalysis makes characterization of the inhibition mechanisms of CEase inhibitors a nontrivial task. Although it is the only pancreatic enzyme with high hydrolytic activity for cholesteryl esters, CEase nonetheless catalyzes hydrolytic and synthetic reactions of a wide range of substrates.

Mutant acetylcholinesterases as potential detoxification agents for organophosphate poisoning

It has been demonstrated that cholinesterases (ChEs) are an effective mode of pretreatment to prevent organophosphate (OP) toxicity in mice and rhesus monkeys. The efficacy of ChE as a bioscavenger of OP can be enhanced by combining enzyme pretreatment with oxime reactivation, since the scavenging capacity extends beyond a stoichiometric ratio of ChE to OP. Aging has proven to be a major barrier to achieving oxime reactivation of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibited by the more potent OPs. To further increase the stoichiometry of OP to ChE required, we have sought AChE mutants that are more easily reactivated than wild-type enzyme. Substitution of glutamine for glutamate (E199) located at the amino-terminal to the active-site serine (S200) in Torpedo AChE generated an enzyme largely resistant to aging. Here we report the effect of the corresponding mutation on the rate of inhibition, reactivation by 1-(2-hydroxyiminomethyl-1-pyridinium)-1(4-carboxyaminopyridinium)- dimethyl ether hydrochloride (HI-6), and aging of mouse AChE inhibited by C(+)P(-)- and C(-)P(-)-epimers of soman. The E202 to Q mutation decreased the affinity of soman for AChE, slowed the reactivation of soman-inhibited AChE by HI-6, and decreased the aging of mutant AChE. These effects were more pronounced with C(-)P(-)-soman than with C(+)P(-)-soman. In vitro detoxification of soman and sarin by wild-type and E202Q AChE in the presence of 2 mM HI-6 showed that, E202Q AChE was 2-3 times more effective in detoxifying soman and sarin than wild-type AChE. These studies show that these recombinant DNA-derived AChEs are a great improvement over wild-type AChE as bioscavengers. They can be used to develop effective methods for the safe disposal of stored OP nerve agents and potential candidates for pre- or post-exposure treatment for OP toxicity.

Phenyl-n-butylborinic acid is a potent transition state analog inhibitor of lipolytic enzymes

The cholesterol esterase and lipoprotein lipase catalyzed hydrolyses of the water-soluble substrate p-nitrophenyl butyrate are competitively inhibited by butaneboronic acid and phenylboronic acid. Phenyl-n-butylborinic acid has been synthesized and characterized as an ultrapotent transition state analog inhibitor: Ki = 2.9 +/- 0.6 nM and 1.7 +/- 0.3 microM for the cholesterol esterase and lipoprotein lipase reactions, respectively. These results are interpreted in terms of transition state structure and stabilization.

Acylenzyme mechanism and solvent isotope effects for cholesterol esterase-catalyzed hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl butyrate

The mechanism of cholesterol esterase- (carboxylic ester hydrolase, EC 8.1.1.1) catalyzed hydrolysis of the water-soluble ester p-nitrophenyl butyrate has been characterized for commercially available preparations from bovine and porcine pancreas and for a purified preparation from porcine pancreas. Kinetic evidence for an acylenzyme mechanism is provided by experiments wherein the butyryl enzyme is trapped by MeOH, EtOH or n-BuOH. For the last alcohol the transacylation product n-butyl n-butyrate was characterized by GC-mass spectrometry. Solvent isotope effects have been measured for Vmax/Km, which is the rate constant for acylation, and for Vmax, which monitors rate-determining deacylation. Isotope effects of 1.5-3 on these rate constants indicate that both steps of the acylenzyme mechanism for cholesterol esterase catalysis involve transition states that are stabilized by general acid-base proton bridges.

Haloketone transition state analog inhibitors of cholesterol esterase

The cholesterol esterase-catalyzed hydrolysis of p-nitro-phenyl butyrate is reversibly inhibited by four phenyl haloalkyl ketones. Inhibitor potency is greatest for halogenated acetophenones and parallels the extent of hydration of the various ketones in buffered D2O. These results are consistent with an inhibition mechanism wherein haloketones reversibly form hemiketal adducts at the active site that structurally mimic tetrahedral intermediates of the cholesterol esterase catalytic cycle.

Dimensional mapping of the active site of cholesterol esterase with alkylboronic acid inhibitors

The cholesterol esterase-catalyzed hydrolysis of the water-soluble substrate p-nitrophenyl butyrate occurs via an acylenzyme mechanism, and is competitively inhibited by boronic acid transition state analog inhibitors. Accordingly, we undertook to dimensionally map the enzymes active site via synthesis and characterization of a series of n-alkyl boronic acid inhibitors. The most potent of these is n-hexaneboronic acid, with a Ki = 13 +/- 1 microM, since inhibitor potency declines for both longer and shorter boronic acids. No inhibition is observed for methaneboronic acid and n-octaneboronic acid inhibits poorly, with a Ki of 7 mM. These results indicate that the ability of the enzyme to form tight complexes with boron-containing transition state analog inhibitors is sensitive to alkyl chain length. The trend in inhibitor potency is discussed in terms of substrate specificity of and transition state stabilization by cholesterol esterase, and has important implications for the design of optimal reversible inhibitors of the enzyme.

Importance of Arginines 63 and 423 in Modulating the Bile Salt-dependent and Bile Salt-independent Hydrolytic Activities of Rat Carboxyl Ester Lipase

Previous studies using chemical modification approach have shown the importance of arginine residues in bile salt activation of carboxyl ester lipase (CEL) activity. However, the x-ray crystal structure of CEL failed to show the involvement of arginine residues in CEL-bile salt interaction. The current study used a site-specific mutagenesis approach to determine the role of arginine residues 63 and 423 in bile salt-dependent and bile salt-independent hydrolytic activities of rat CEL. Mutations of Arg63 to Ala63 (R63A) and Arg423 to Gly423 (R423G) resulted in enzymes with increased bile salt-independent hydrolytic activity against lysophosphatidylcholine, having 6.5- and 2-fold higherk cat values, respectively, in comparison to wild type CEL. In contrast, the R63A and R423A mutant enzymes displayed 5- and 11-fold decreases in k cat, in comparison with wild type CEL, for bile salt-dependent cholesteryl ester hydrolysis. Although taurocholate induced similar changes in circular dichroism spectra for wild type, R63A, and R423G proteins, this bile salt was less efficient in protecting the mutant enzymes against thermal inactivation in comparison with control CEL. Lipid binding studies revealed less R63A and R423G mutant CEL were bound to 1,2-diolein monolayer at saturation compared with wild type CEL. These results, along with computer modeling of the CEL protein, indicated that Arg63 and Arg423 are not involved directly with monomeric bile salt binding. However, these residues participate in micellar bile salt modulation of CEL enzymatic activity through intramolecular hydrogen bonding with the C-terminal domain. These residues are also important, probably through similar intramolecular hydrogen bond formation, in stabilizing the enzyme in solution and at the lipid-water interface.

Accumulation of Tetrahedral Intermediates in Cholinesterase Catalysis: A Secondary Isotope Effect Study

In a previous communication, kinetic β-deuterium secondary isotope effects were reported that support a mechanism for substrate-activated turnover of acetylthiocholine by human butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) wherein the accumulating reactant state is a tetrahedral intermediate ( Tormos , J. R. ; et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005 , 127 , 14538 - 14539 ). In this contribution additional isotope effect experiments are described with acetyl-labeled acetylthiocholines (CL(3)COSCH(2)CH(2)N(+)Me(3); L = H or D) that also support accumulation of the tetrahedral intermediate in Drosophila melanogaster acetylcholinesterase (DmAChE) catalysis. In contrast to the aforementioned BuChE-catalyzed reaction, for this reaction the dependence of initial rates on substrate concentration is marked by pronounced substrate inhibition at high substrate concentrations. Moreover, kinetic β-deuterium secondary isotope effects for turnover of acetylthiocholine depended on substrate concentration, and gave the following: (D3)k(cat)/K(m) = 0.95 ± 0.03, (D3)k(cat) = 1.12 ± 0.02 and (D3)βk(cat) = 0.97 ± 0.04. The inverse isotope effect on k(cat)/K(m) is consistent with conversion of the sp(2)-hybridized substrate carbonyl in the E + A reactant state into a quasi-tetrahedral transition state in the acylation stage of catalysis, whereas the markedly normal isotope effect on k(cat) is consistent with hybridization change from sp(3) toward sp(2) as the reactant state for deacylation is converted into the subsequent transition state. Transition states for Drosophila melanogaster AChE-catalyzed hydrolysis of acetylthiocholine were further characterized by measuring solvent isotope effects and determining proton inventories. These experiments indicated that the transition state for rate-determining decomposition of the tetrahedral intermediate is stabilized by multiple protonic interactions. Finally, a simple model is proposed for the contribution that tetrahedral intermediate stabilization provides to the catalytic power of acetylcholinesterase.