In this work we report the assignment of the majority of the ferriheme resonances of low-spin nitrophorins (NP) 1 and 4 and compare them to those of NP2, published previously. It is found that the structure of the ferriheme complexes of NP1 and NP4, in terms of the orientation of the ligand(s), can be determined with good accuracy by NMR techniques in the low-spin forms and that angle plots proposed previously (Shokhirev, N. V.; Walker, F. A. J. Biol. Inorg. Chem. 1998, 3, 581-594) describe the angle of the effective nodal plane of the axial ligands in solution. The effective nodal plane of low-spin NP1, NP4, and NP2 complexes is in all cases of imidazole and histamine complexes quite similar to the average of the His-59 or -57 and the exogenous ligand angles seen in the X-ray crystal structures. For the cyanide complexes of the nitrophorins, however, the effective nodal plane of the axial ligand does not coincide with the actual histidine-imidazole plane orientation. This appears to be a result of the contribution of an additional source of asymmetry, the orientation of one of the zero-ruffling lines of the heme. Probably this effect exists for the imidazole and histamine complexes as well, but because the effect of asymmetry that occurs from planar exogenous axial ligands is much larger than the effect of heme ruffling the effect of the zero-ruffling line can only be detected for the cyanide complexes, where the only ligand plane is that of the proximal histidine. The three-dimensional structures of the three NP-CN complexes, including that of NP2-CN reported herein, confirm the high degree of ruffling of these complexes. There is an equilibrium between the two heme orientations (A and B) that depends on the heme cavity shape and changes somewhat with exogenous axial ligand. The A:B ratio can be much more accurately measured by NMR spectroscopy than by X-ray crystallography.

In this work, we report the assignment of the majority of the ferriheme resonances of high-spin nitrophorins (NPs) 1 and 4 and compare them to those of NP2, published previously. It is found that the structures of the ferriheme complexes of NP1 and NP4, in terms of the orientation of the histidine imidazole ligand, can be described with good accuracy by NMR techniques and that the angle plot proposed previously for the high-spin form of the NPs (Shokhireva, T. Kh.; Shokhirev, N. V.; Walker, F. A. Biochemistry 2003, 42, 679-693) describes the angle of the effective nodal plane of the axial histidine imidazole in solution. There is an equilibrium between the two heme orientations (A and B), which depends on the heme cavity shape, which can be altered by mutation of amino acids with side chains (phenyl vs tyrosyl) near the potential position where a heme vinyl group would be in one of the isomers. The A:B ratio can be much more accurately measured by NMR spectroscopy than by X-ray crystallography.

WT and leucine → valine distal pocket mutants of nitrophorin 2 (NP2) and their NO complexes have been investigated by spectroelectrochemistry. NO complexes of two of the mutants exhibit more positive reduction potential shifts than does the WT protein, thus indicating stabilization of the Fe(II)–NO state. This more positive reduction potential for NP2-L132V and the double mutant is consistent with the hypothesis that smaller valine residues may allow the heme to regain planarity instead of being significantly ruffled, as in WT NP2. Thus, ruffling may stabilize the Fe(III)–NO state, which is required for facile NO dissociation. NMR spectroscopic investigations show that the sterically demanding 2-methylimidazole ligand readily binds to all three distal pocket mutants to create low-spin Fe(III) complexes having axial ligands in nearly perpendicular planes; it also binds to the WT protein in the presence of higher concentrations of 2-methylimidazole, but yields a different ligand plane orientation than is present in any of the three distal pocket mutants. NOESY spectra of NP2–ImH mutants exhibit chemical exchange cross peaks, whereas WT NP2–ImH shows no chemical exchange. Chemical exchange in the case of the distal leucine → valine mutants is caused by ImH ligand orientational dynamics. The two angular orientations of the ImH ligand could be determined from the 1 H chemical shifts of the heme methyls, and the rate of interconversion of the two forms could be estimated from the NOESY diagonal and cross peak intensities. K eq is 100 or larger and favors an orientation similar to that found for the WT NP2–ImH complex.

Nitrophorins are ferriheme proteins contained in the salivary glands of the blood-sucking insect Rhodnius prolixus, also known as the kissing bug. The heme iron binds nitric oxide (NO). These proteins liberate NO after injection into the victim's tissues; NO can diffuse to the capillaries to dilate them and bring more blood to the site of the bite. The open binding-site at the iron is used by the protein to bind histamine, which has been produced by the victim as a response to the injury. Nitrophorin 2 and 4 (NP2, NP4) in the NO- and histamine-ligated form have been studied by low temperature Mossbauer spectroscopy in magnetic fields up to 7T. At 4.2 K the NO complex of NP2 exhibits delta = 0.00 mm/s and DeltaE(Q)= 1.84 mm/s. High-field measurements indicate that the Fe-NO adduct is diamagnetic, which is also the case for the Fe-NO adduct of NP4. The histamine-ligated form of NP2, on the other hand, shows a broad magnetic pattern at 4.2 K in applied fields from 10 mT up to 7T, characteristic for a ferric low-spin heme-iron, which is consistent with a recent EPR investigation performed on a Nitrophorin 1-histamine complex [2].

Nitrophorins 1-4 (NP1-4) are ferriheme proteins from the blood-sucking insect Rhodnius prolixus that transport nitric oxide (NO) to the victim, sequester histamine, and inhibit blood coagulation. Here, we report kinetic and thermodynamic analyses for ligand binding by all four proteins and their reduction potentials. All four undergo biphasic association and dissociation reactions with NO. The initial association is fast (1.5-33 microM(-)(1) s(-)(1)) and similar to that of elephant metmyoglobin. However, unlike in metmyoglobin, a slower second phase follows ( approximately 50 s(-)(1)), and the stabilized final complexes are resistant to autoreduction (E degrees = +3 to +154 mV vs normal hydrogen electrode). NO dissociation begins with a slow, pH-dependent step (0.02-1.4 s(-)(1)), followed by a faster phase that is again similar to that of metmyoglobin (3-52 s(-)(1)). The equilibrium dissociation constants are quite small (1-850 nM). NP1 and NP4 display larger release rate constants and smaller association rate constants than NP2 and NP3, leading to values for K(d) that are about 10-fold greater. The results are discussed in light of the recent crystal structures of NP1, NP2, and NP4, which display open, polar distal pockets, and of NP4-NO, which displays an NO-induced conformational change that leads to expulsion of solvent and complete burial of the NO ligand in a now nonpolar distal pocket. Taken together, the results suggest that tighter NO binding in the nitrophorins is due to the trapping of the molecule in a nonpolar distal pocket rather than through formation of particularly strong Fe-NO or hydrogen bonds.

The recombinant NO-binding heme protein, nitrophorin 1 (NP1) from the saliva of the bloodsucking insect, Rhodnius prolixus, has been studied by spectroelectrochemistry, EPR, NMR, and FTIR spectroscopies and X-ray crystallography. It is found that NP1 readily binds NO in solution and in the crystalline state, but the protein is not readily autoreduced by excess NO. Likewise, dithionite is not a very effective reductant of NP1. However, the protein can be photoreduced by illumination with visible light in the presence of excess NO, deazaflavin, and EDTA. Optical spectra of the (FeNO)-N-III and (FeNO)-N-II complexes of NP1 are extremely similar, which makes it difficult to characterize the oxidation state of the NO complex by UV-visible spectroscopy. The reduction potential of NP1 in the absence of NO is similar to 300 mV more negative than that of metmyoglobin (metMb). In the presence of NO, the reduction potential shifts similar to+430 mV for NP1-NO, but the reduction potential of metMb-NO cannot be measured for comparison. Based on estimated values of K-d for NP1(III)-NO, the K-d values for the Fe-II-NO complex are 20.8 and 80.6 fM at pH 5.5 and 7.5, respectively. The lower driving force for NP1 reduction is qualitatively consistent with the slower rate of autoreduction of NP1-NO; the negative charges surrounding the heme probably also play a role in determining the much slower rate of autoreduction. The N-O stretching frequencies of NP1(III)-NO and NP1(II)-NO were measured by FTIR spectroscopy. The values obtained are very typical of other heme-NO stretching frequencies in the two oxidation states: upsilon(NO) = 1917 and 1904 cm(-1) for two species of (FeNO)-N-III and 1611 cm(-1) for Fe-II-NO; the values of upsilon(NO) are consistent with 6-coordinate "base-on" heme-NO centers for both oxidation states. The breadths of the IR bands are consistent with the large solvent accessibility of the bound NO of NP1 and also with the possibility of minor dissociation of the protein-provided histidine ligand on the IR time scale. The ratio of the two Fe-III-NO species changes with pH and the nature of the buffer. The CO complex of the Fe(II) form of NP1 has upsilon(CO) = 1960 and 1936 cm(-1), again showing the presence of two species. Both NMR and X-ray crystallography show that the protohemin center of NP1 imidazole has a very high preference for a single orientation of the unsymmetrical protoheme moiety. The structure shows the Fe-N-O unit to be quite bent, which is consistent with its being the Fe-II-NO form of the protein, presumably formed by photoreduction in the X-ray beam. The proximal base, His-59, is clearly coordinated to the iron in the crystalline state and in solution at ambient temperatures, based on FTIR data, but EPR studies of dithionite-reduced samples show that a percentage of the protein has lost the histidine ligand from the (FeNO)-N-II center in frozen solution.

Background: Nitrophorins are nitric oxide (NO) transport proteins from the saliva of blood-feeding insects, which act as vasodilators and anti-platelet agents. Rhodnius prolixus, an insect that carries the trypanosome that causes Chagas' disease, releases four NO-loaded nitrophorins during blood feeding, whereupon the ligand is released into the bloodstream or surrounding tissue of the host. Histamine, a signaling molecule released by the host upon tissue damage, is tightly bound by the nitrophorins; this may facilitate the release of NO and reduce inflammation in the host.Results: Recombinant nitrophorin 4 (NP4) was expressed in Escherichia coli, reconstituted with heme, and found to bind NO and histamine in a manner similar to that of the natural protein. The crystal structure of NP4 revealed a lipocalin-like eight-stranded beta barrel, with heme inserted into one end of the barrel. His59 ligates the proximal site on the heme, a solvent molecule (NH,) ligates the distal site, and three additional solvent molecules occupy the distal pocket. Buried in the protein interior are Glu55 and three solvent molecules. A detailed comparison with other lipocalins suggests that NP4 is closely related to the biliverdin-binding proteins from insects.Conclusions: The nitrophorins have a unique hemoprotein structure and are completely unlike the globins, the only other hemoproteins designed to transport dissolved gases. Compared with the recently described structure of NP1,the NP4 structure is considerably higher resolution, confirms the unusual placement of ionizable groups in the protein interior, and clarifies the solvent arrangement in the distal pocket. It also provides a striking example of structural homology where sequence homology is minimal.

A nitric oxide transport protein (nitrophorin I) from the salivary glands of the blood-sucking bug Rhodnius prolixus has been expressed as an insoluble form in Escherichia coli, reconstituted with heme, and characterized with respect to NO binding kinetics and equilibria. NO binding and absorption spectra for recombinant nitrophorin I were indistinguishable from those of the insect-derived protein. The degree of NO binding, the rate of NO release, and the Soret absorption maxima for nitrophorin I were all pH dependent. The NO dissociation constant rose 9-fold over the pH range 5.0-8.3, from 0.19 x 10(-6) to 1.71 x 10(-6). The NO dissociation rate rose 2500-fold between pH 5.0 and pH 8.3, from 1.2 x 10(-3) to 3.0 s(-1). Thus, the NO association rate must also be pH dependent and reduced at pH 5.0 by approximately 280-fold. These factors are consistent with nitrophorin function: NO storage in the apparent low pH of insect salivary glands and NO release into the tissue of the insect's host, where vasodilation is induced. The reversible nature of NO binding, which does not occur with most other heme proteins, and the apparent kinetic control of NO release are discussed. We also report crystals of nitrophorin I that are suitable for structure determination by X-ray crystallography. The most promising crystal form contains two protein molecules in the asymmetric unit and diffracts beyond 2.0 A resolution.

A biomarker of skin cancer would be beneficial in evaluating the efficacy of potential cancer chemoprevention agents. To this end, we investigated the tumor suppresser gene p53 in precancerous actinic keratosis lesions (AK) and malignant squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) using polymerase chain reaction and single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis (PCR-SSCP) techniques. In addition, p53 protein expression was evaluated using immunohistochemistical analysis with the PAB 1801 monoclonal antibody. Nine out of 13 (69%) SCCs and 8 of 15 (53%) AKs were positive for p53 mutations. In contrast, normal skin samples were negative for p53 mutations. Sequence analysis of AKs and SCCs showed primarily C to T transition mutations. Nuclear immunochemical staining for p53 was observed in 1215 (80%) AK and 1213 (92%) SSCs. These results suggest that p53 mutations may be involved in the malignant conversion of AKs to SCCs and that p53 may be useful as a biomarker to study the potential modulatory effects of cancer chemopreventive agents against skin cancer.

Two allelic variants and eight site-directed mutants of cytochrome P450 2B1 differing at residue 478 have been expressed in COS cells and assayed for androstenedione hydroxylase activities. The 478Gly and 478Ala variants and five mutants (Ser, Thr, Val, Ile, and Leu) exhibited 16beta-OH:16alpha-OH ratios ranging from 0.7 to 9.3, whereas the Pro, Glu, and Arg mutants were expressed but inactive. The seven samples active toward androstenedione also exhibited testosterone 16beta-OH:16alpha-OH ratios ranging from 0.4 to 2.3. With both steroids, the Gly variant had the highest 16beta-hydroxylase activity, and the 16beta-OH:16alpha-OH ratio increased with the size of aliphatic size chains (Ala, Val, and Ile/Leu). The highest ratio of androgen 15alpha:16-hydroxylation was observed with the Ser mutant. On the basis of previous work indicating decreased susceptibility of the 478Ala variant in liver microsomal and reconstituted systems to inactivation by chloramphenicol analogs, methodology was refined for monitoring enzyme inactivation in COS cell microsomes. The Gly and Ala variants were inactivated by chloramphenicol with similar rate constants, whereas the Ser and Val mutants were inactivated more slowly, and the Leu mutant was refractory. Only the Gly variant was inactivated by the chloramphenicol analog N-(2-p-nitrophenethyl)chlorofluoroacetamide. Thus, the side chain of residue 478 appears to be a major determinant of enzyme inactivation as well as of androgen hydroxylation. Overall, this study demonstrates the importance of the amino acid at position 478 in dictating the substrate specificity of P450 2B1 and provides firm experimental evidence for a model in which this residue comprises part of a substrate recognition site.

Liver microsomes from phenobarbital-treated rats of four inbred strains expressing distinct allelic variants of cytochrome P450IIB1 were analyzed. The Wistar Munich (WM) strain exhibited 5- to 10-fold lower androstenedione 16 beta-hydroxylase activity (a specific P450IIB1 marker) than the Lewis, Wistar Kyoto, and Wistar Furth strains. The androstenedione 16 beta-hydroxylase in the WM liver microsomes was refractory to inactivation by N-(2-p-nitrophenethyl)chlorofluoroacetamide, a selective P450IIB1 inactivator in the other three strains. Purified P450IIB1-WM was insensitive to the inactivator and exhibited 5-fold lower androstenedione 16 beta-hydroxylase, testosterone 16-hydroxylase, and 7-ethoxycoumarin deethylase activities but the same benzphetamine demethylase activity and slightly higher androstenedione 16 alpha-hydroxylase activity than a P450IIB1 purified from outbred Sprague-Dawley rats, which appears to correspond to the form in Lewis rats. The stereoselectivity of androstenedione 16-hydroxylation catalyzed by P450IIB1-WM (16 beta-OH:16 alpha-OH = 1.4) is thus distinct from that (16 beta-OH:16 alpha-OH = 12-15) of other P450IIB1 preparations described. A cDNA encoding P450IIB1-WM was cloned and sequenced, revealing a single amino acid substitution (Gly-478----Ala) compared with the published sequence (Fujii-Kuriyama, Y., Mizukami, Y., Kawajiri, K., Sogawa, K., and Muramatsu, M. (1982) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 79, 2793-2797). Heterologous expression of P450IIB1 and P450IIB1-WM confirmed the striking difference in androstenedione metabolite profiles, strongly implicating the involvement of Ala-478 in defining the distinctive catalytic properties of P450IIB1-WM.