Paul L. Edmiston

Creatine kinase: a role for arginine-95 in creatine binding and active site organization.

Sequence homology analysis reveals that arginine-95 is fully conserved in 29 creatine kinases sequenced to date, but fully conserved as a tyrosine residue in 16 arginine kinases. Site-directed mutants of rabbit muscle creatine kinase (rmCK) were prepared in which R95 was replaced by a tyrosine (R95Y), alanine (R95A), or lysine (R95K). Kinetic analysis of phosphocreatine formation for each purified mutant showed that recombinant native rmCK and all R95 mutants follow a random-order, rapid-equilibrium mechanism. However, we observed no evidence for synergism of substrate binding by the recombinant native enzyme, as reported previously [Maggio et al., (1977) J. Biol. Chem. 252, 1202-1207] for creatine kinase isolated directly from rabbit muscle. The catalytic efficiencies of R95Y and R95A are reduced approximately 3000- and 2000-fold, respectively, compared to native enzyme, but that of R95K is reduced only 30-fold. The major contribution to the reduction of the catalytic efficiency of R95K is a 5-fold reduction in the affinity for creatine. This suggests that while a basic residue is required at position 95 for optimal activity, R95 is not absolutely essential for binding or catalysis in CK. R95Y has a significantly lower affinity for creatine than the native enzyme, but it also displays a somewhat lower affinity for MgATP and 100-fold reduction in k(cat). Interestingly, R95A appears to bind either creatine or MgATP first with affinities similar to those for the native enzyme, but it has a 10-fold lower affinity for the second substrate, suggesting that replacement of R95 by an alanine disrupts the active site organization and reduces the efficiency of formation of the catalytically competent ternary complex.

Molecular Orientation Distributions in Protein Films: III. Yeast Cytochrome c Immobilized on Pyridyl Disulfide-Capped Phospholipid Bilayers

Molecular orientation in a hydrated monolayer film of yeast cytochrome c, immobilized via disulfide bonding between Cys-102 and a pyridyl disulfide-capped phospholipid bilayer deposited from an air-water interface onto glass substrates, was investigated. The orientation distribution of the heme groups in the protein film was determined using a combination of absorption linear dichroism, measured in a planarintegrated optical waveguide-attenuated total reflection geometry- and fluorescence anisotropy, measured in a total internal reflection geometry. A gaussian model for the orientation distribution was used to recover the mean heme tilt angle and angular distribution about the mean, which were 40 and 11 degrees, respectively. Additional experiments showed that a large fraction of the cytochrome c was disulfide bonded to the bilayer, which correlates with the high degree of macroscopic order in the protein film. However, a subpopulation of yeast cytochrome c molecules in the film (approximately 30% of the total) appeared to be nonspecifically adsorbed. The orientation distribution of this subpopulation was found to be much broader than the specifically bound fraction.

Preferential Extraction of Hydrocarbons from Fire Debris Samples by Solid Phase Microextraction

Headspace analysis by extraction/GC-MS is a common method of detecting volatile hydrocarbon accelerants in fire debris samples. Solid-phase microextraction was tested to determine if there is selective extraction of chemically distinct compounds. It was found that both the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and Carboxen/PDMS solid phase microextraction fibers show preferential extraction of aliphatic or aromatic compounds from the headspace depending on fiber type and temperature. The Carboxen/PDMS fiber type showed particular (although not exclusive) selectivity for extraction of aromatic hydrocarbons. Other experimental considerations of SPME are noted.

Structural asymmetry and intersubunit communication in muscle creatine kinase

The structure of a transition-state analog complex of a highly soluble mutant (R134K) of rabbit muscle creatine kinase (rmCK) has been determined to 1.65 A resolution in order to elucidate the structural changes that are required to support and regulate catalysis. Significant structural asymmetry is seen within the functional homodimer of rmCK, with one monomer found in a closed conformation with the active site occupied by the transition-state analog components creatine, MgADP and nitrate. The other monomer has the two loops that control access to the active site in an open conformation and only MgADP is bound. The N-terminal region of each monomer makes a substantial contribution to the dimer interface; however, the conformation of this region is dramatically different in each subunit. Based on this structural evidence, two mutational modifications of rmCK were conducted in order to better understand the role of the amino-terminus in controlling creatine kinase activity. The deletion of the first 15 residues of rmCK and a single point mutant (P20G) both disrupt subunit cohesion, causing the dissociation of the functional homodimer into monomers with reduced catalytic activity. This study provides support for a structural role for the amino-terminus in subunit association and a mechanistic role in active-site communication and catalytic regulation.

Time-resolved, total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy of cultured cells using a Tb chelate label

A total internal reflection fluorescence microscope with time-resolved spectroscopy and CCD imaging capabilities is described. The capability of the microscope to selectively detect, via temporal resolution, the presence of a long-lived luminescence label in biological cells in vitro was evaluated. Tb chelates having radiative lifetimes of ca. 1.5 ms were employed as long-lived, extrinsic labels. Microspectroscopy and imaging were performed on mouse 3T3 cells stained with Tb chelates, stained with DiI (an extrinsic membrane label of ns lifetime), and in the absence of an extrinsic label. The results demonstrate the efficiency of using time-resolved detection to discriminate against intrinsic and extrinsic sources of short-lived emission in cultured cells, which enables long-lived, extrinsic luminescence to be selectively detected. Potential applications of this technology are discussed.

Determination of the affinity of each component of a composite quaternary transition-state analogue complex of creatine kinase.

Recombinant rabbit muscle creatine kinase (CK) was titrated with MgADP in 50 mM Bicine and 5 mM Mg(OAc)2, pH 8.3, at 30.0 degrees C by following a decrease in the proteins intrinsic fluorescence. In the presence of 50 mM NaOAc, but in the absence of added creatine or nitrate, MgADP has an apparent K(d) of 135 +/- 7 microM, and the total change in fluorescence on saturation (Delta%F) is 15.3 +/- 0.3%. Acetate was used as the anion in this experiment because it does not promote the formation of a CK.MgADP.anion.creatine transition-state analogue complex (TSAC) [Millner-White and Watts (1971) Biochem. J. 122, 727-740]. In the presence of 80 mM creatine, but no nitrate, the apparent K(d) for MgADP remains essentially unchanged at 132 +/- 10 microM, while Delta%F decreases slightly to 13.2 +/- 0.3%. In the presence of 10 mM nitrate, but no creatine, the apparent K(d) is once again essentially unchanged at 143 +/- 23 microM, but the Delta%F is markedly reduced to 4.2 +/- 0.2%. The presence of both 10 mM nitrate and 80 mM creatine during titration reduces the apparent K(d) for MgADP 10-fold to 13.7 +/- 0.7 microM, and Delta%F increases to 20.6 +/- 0.3%, strongly suggesting that the simultaneous presence of saturating levels of creatine and nitrate increases the affinity of CK for MgADP and promotes the formation of the enzyme*MgADP*nitrate*creatine TSAC. When the fluorescence of CK was titrated with MgADP in the presence of 80 mM creatine and fixed saturating concentrations of various anions, apparent K(d) values for MgADP of 132 +/- 10 microM, 25.2 +/- 1.3 microM, 18.8 +/- 0.9 microM, 13.7 +/- 0.7 microM, and 6.4 +/- 0.7 microM were observed as the anion was changed from acetate to formate to chloride to nitrate to nitrite, respectively. This is the same trend reported by Millner-White and Watts for the effectiveness of various monovalent anions in forming the CK.MgADP.anion.creatine TSAC. On titration of CK with MgADP in the presence of 80 mM creatine and various fixed concentrations of NaNO3, the apparent K(d) for MgADP decreases with increasing fixed concentrations of nitrate. A plot of the apparent K(d) for MgADP vs [NO3-] suggests a K(d) for nitrate from the TSAC of 0.39 +/- 0.07 mM. Similarly, titration with MgADP in the presence of 10 mM NaNO3 and various fixed concentrations of creatine gives a value of 0.9 +/- 0.4 mM for the dissociation of creatine from the TSAC. The data were used to calculate K(TDAC), the dissociation constant of the quaternary TSAC into its individual components, of 3 x 10(-10) M3. To our knowledge this is the first reported dissociation constant for a ternary or quaternary TSAC.

Asparagine 285 plays a key role in transition state stabilization in rabbit muscle creatine kinase.

To explore the possibility that asparagine 285 plays a key role in transition state stabilization in phosphagen kinase catalysis, the N285Q, N285D, and N285A site‐directed mutants of recombinant rabbit muscle creatine kinase (rmCK) were prepared and characterized. Kinetic analysis of phosphocreatine formation showed that the catalytic efficiency of each N285 mutant was reduced by approximately four orders of magnitude, with the major cause of activity loss being a reduction in kcat in comparison to the recombinant native CK. The data for N285Q still fit a random‐order, rapid‐equilibrium mechanism, with either MgATP or creatine binding first with affinities very nearly equal to those for native CK. However, the affinity for the binding of the second substrate is reduced approximately 10‐fold, suggesting that addition of a single methylene group at position 285 disrupts the symphony of substrate binding. The data for the N285A mutant only fit an ordered binding mechanism, with MgATP binding first. Isosteric replacement to form the N285D mutant has almost no effect on the KM values for either creatine or MgATP, thus the decrease in activity is due almost entirely to a 5000‐fold reduction in kcat. Using the quenching of the intrinsic CK tryptophan fluorescence by added MgADP (Borders et al. 2002 ), it was found that, unlike native CK, none of the mutants have the ability to form a quaternary TSAC. We use these data to propose that asparagine 285 indeed plays a key role in transition state stabilization in the reaction catalyzed by creatine kinase and other phosphagen kinases.

Temporally Gating a Slow-Scan CCD with a Liquid Crystal Shutter

The application of charge-coupled device (CCD) technology to high-resolution luminescence microscopy is a recent development. The very high sensitivity, linear response, and field uniformity that are characteristic of a slow-scan, scientific CCD camera yield data of sufficient quality to make quantitative image analysis possible. However, the low temporal resolution of current CCD cameras is a major disadvantage. A CCD with a read noise level of less than 10 electrons typically has a readout rate in the 40–200 kHz range, which precludes the acquisition of a time-resolved image integrated over multiple excitation pulses without the use of an external gating device. Imaging in the time domain can potentially increase both the information content and the sensitivity of luminescence microscopy. For example: (1) fluorescent probe distributions can be resolved temporally as well as spatially, yielding improved image contrast; and (2) temporally gated detection of long-lived luminescence discriminates against scattered light and autofluorescence, which can yield improved sensitivity.

Remediation of Dissolved Organic Pollutants in Water Using Organosilica-Based Materials that Rapidly and Reversibly Swell

A sol-gel derived organosilica material that energetically swells when exposed to organic molecules was tested as a means to extract dissolved organic species from water. Swellable organically modified silica (SOMS) was demonstrated to be effective at removing butanol, methyl t -butyl ether (MTBE), tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, ethanol, and toluene from lab grade water, salt water, and natural waters. Partition coefficients for the absorption of organic species from water by SOMS ranged from 2.8�10 5 – 1.0�10 2 , and vary depending on polarity of the contaminant, concentration, and the total mass of contaminant absorbed. Absorption of organic species to SOMS appears to be enhanced by matrix expansion of nanometer sized pores leading to non-selective capture of organics beyond what could be attributed to physisorption.

Peer Reviewed: Ohio Crime Solvers.

Who murdered the electrochemistry professor? Was Bradley Kimmer the culprit in an apparent hit-and-run car accident? Robert Thompson of Oberlin College and Paul Edmiston from the College of Wooster use fictional crimes to get their students hooked on analytical chemistry.