The inactivation of bifunctional peptidylglycine alpha-amidating enzyme by benzylhydrazine: evidence that the two enzyme-bound copper atoms are nonequivalent

Amidates as Leaving Groups: Structure/Reactivity Correlation of the Hydroxide-Dependent E1cB-like Breakdown of Carbinolamides in Aqueous Solution

The kinetic study of the aqueous reaction, between pH 10 and 14, of eight N-(hydroxymethyl)benzamide derivatives in water at 25 degrees C, I = 1.0 M (KCl), has been performed. In all cases, the reaction proceeds via a specific-base-catalyzed deprotonation of the hydroxyl group followed by rate-limiting breakdown of the alkoxide to form aldehyde and amidate (E1cB-like). Such a mechanism was supported by the lack of general buffer catalysis and the first-order dependence of the rate of reaction at low hydroxide concentrations and the transition to zero-order dependence on hydroxide at high concentration. A rho-value of 0.67 was found for the Hammett correlation between the maximum rate for the hydroxide independent breakdown of the deprotonated carbinolamide (k1) and the substituent on the aromatic ring of the title compounds. Conversely, the substituents on the aromatic ring of the amide portion of the carbinolamide had only a small effect on the Ka of the hydroxyl group indicating that the amide group does not strongly transmit the electronic information of the substituents. These observations led to the conclusion that the major effect of electronic changes on the amide of carbinolamides is reflected in the nucleofugality of the amidate once the alkoxide is formed and not in the pKa of the hydroxyl group of the carbinolamide.

Inhibition of Peptidylglycine α-Amidating Monooxygenase by Exploitation of Factors Affecting the Stability and Ease of Formation of Glycyl Radicals

Peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase catalyzes the biosynthesis of peptide hormones through radical cleavage of the C-terminal glycine residues of the corresponding prohormones. We have correlated ab initio calculations of radical stabilization energies and studies of free radical brominations with the extent of catalysis displayed by peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase, to identify classes of inhibitors of the enzyme. In particular we find that, in closely related systems, the substitution of glycolate for glycine reduces the calculated radical stabilization energy by 34.7 kJ mol(-1), decreases the rate of bromination with N-bromosuccinimide at reflux in carbon tetrachloride by a factor of at least 2000, and stops catalysis by the monooxygenase, while maintaining binding to the enzyme.

Peptidylglycine-alpha-hydroxylating monooxygenase generates two hydroxylated products from its mechanism-based suicide substrate, 4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid

The bifunctional enzyme peptidylglycine-alpha-amidating monooxygenase mediates the conversion of C-terminal glycine-extended peptides to their active alpha-amidated products. Peptidylglycine-alpha-hydroxylating monooxygenase (PHM, EC 1.14.17. 3) catalyzes the first reaction in this two-step process. The olefinic compound 4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid (PBA) is the most potent irreversible, mechanism-based PHM inactivator known. While the details of the inhibitory action of PBA on PHM remain undefined, covalent modification of the protein has been proposed as the underlying mechanism. We report here that, in the process of inactivating PHM, PBA itself serves as a substrate without covalently labeling the enzyme. Approximately 100 molecules of PBA are metabolized per molecule of PHM inactivated, under saturating conditions. The metabolism of PBA by PHM generates two hydroxylated products, 2-hydroxy-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid and its allylic isomer, 4-hydroxy-4-phenyl-2-butenoic acid. While one enantiomer for each product is significantly favored in the reaction, both are produced. From these observations, we conclude that hydroxylated PBA products are formed by a delocalized free radical mechanism and that the lack of absolute stereospecificity indicates significant freedom of movement within the catalytic site. The ability of PHM to metabolize PBA suggests that the physiological functions of PHM may include the hydroxylation of substrates other than those containing terminal glycines.

Peptidylglycine alpha-amidating mono-oxygenase: neuropeptide amidation as a target for drug design

1. Peptidylglycine alpha-amidating mono-oxygenase (PAM) is a bifunctional key enzyme in the bioactivation of neuropeptides. Its biosynthesis, distribution, functional role, and pharmacological manipulation are discussed. 2. PAM biosynthesis from a single gene precursor is characterized by alternative splicing and endoproteolytic events, which control intracellular transport, targeting, and enzyme activity. 3. The enzyme is mainly stored in secretory vesicles of many neuronal and endocrine cells with high abundance in the pituitary gland. Its functional role has been studied using enzyme inhibitors. Thus selective, peripheral PAM inhibition reduces substance P along with an anti-inflammatory action. 4. PAM-related pathologies are characterized by an increased relative abundance of alpha-amidated neuropeptides. To attenuate such hormone overproduction, novel, specific, and disease-targeted PAM inhibitors may be developed based on enzyme polymorphism.

Amidation of bioactive peptides: the structure of peptidylglycine alpha-hydroxylating monooxygenase

Many neuropeptides and peptide hormones require amidation at the carboxyl terminus for activity. Peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase (PAM) catalyzes the amidation of these diverse physiological regulators. The amino-terminal domain of the bifunctional PAM protein is a peptidylglycine alpha-hydroxylating monooxygenase (PHM) with two coppers that cycle through cupric and cuprous oxidation states. The anomalous signal of the endogenous coppers was used to determine the structure of the catalytic core of oxidized rat PHM with and without bound peptide substrate. These structures strongly suggest that the PHM reaction proceeds via activation of substrate by a copper-bound oxygen species. The mechanistic and structural insight gained from the PHM structures can be directly extended to dopamine beta-monooxygenase.

Peptidylglycine alpha-hydroxylating monooxygenase: active site residues, disulfide linkages, and a two-domain model of the catalytic core

Peptidylglycine alpha-hydroxylating monooxygenase (PHM) is a copper, ascorbate, and molecular oxygen dependent enzyme that catalyzes the first step leading to the C-terminal amidation of glycine-extended peptides. The catalytic core of PHM (PHMcc), refined to residues 42-356 of the PHM protein, was expressed at high levels in CHO (DG44) (dhfr-) cells. PHMcc has 10 cysteine residues involved in 5 disulfide linkages. Endoprotease Lys-C digestion of purified PHMcc under nonreducing conditions cleaved the protein at Lys219, indicating that the protein consists of separable N- and C-terminal domains with internal disulfide linkages, that are connected by an exposed linker region. Disulfide-linked peptides generated by sequential CNBr and pepsin treatment of radiolabeled PHMcc were separated by reverse phase HPLC and identified by Edman degradation. Three disulfide linkages occur in the N-terminal domain (Cys47-Cys186, Cys81-Cys126, and Cys114-Cys131), along with three of the His residues critical to catalytic activity (His107, His108, and His172). Two disulfide linkages (Cys227-Cys334 and Cys293-Cys315) occur in the C-terminal domain, along with the remaining two essential His residues (His242, His244) and Met314, thought to be essential in binding one of the two nonequivalent copper atoms. Substitution of Tyr79 or Tyr318 with Phe increased the Km of PHM for its peptidylglycine substrate without affecting the Vmax. Replacement of Glu313 with Asp increased the Km 8-fold and decreased the kcat 7-fold, again identifying this region of the C-terminal domain as critical to catalytic activity. Taking into account information on the copper ligands in PHM, we propose a two-domain model with a copper site in each domain that allows spatial proximity between previously described copper ligands and residues identified as catalytically important.

Suppression of substance P biosynthesis in sensory neurons of dorsal root ganglion by prodrug esters of potent peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase inhibitors

Substance P as well as many other neuropeptides are synthesized as glycine-extended precursors and converted to the biologically active C-terminal amides by posttranslational modification. The final step of posttranslational processing is catalyzed by peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase (PAM). In a previous study, N-substituted homocysteine analogs were found to be potent inhibitors of PAM partially purified from conditioned medium of cultured rat medullary thyroid carcinoma CA-77 cells. These compounds, however, were only modest inhibitors of substance P production in cultured dorsal root ganglion cells, possibly because of poor cell penetration. Several ester derivatives of hydrocinnamoyl-phenylalanyl-homocysteine, one of the most potent PAM inhibitors, were prepared to increase the intracellular accessibility of these compounds. Hydrocinnamoyl-phenylalanyl-(S-benzoyl-homocysteine) benzyl ester was identified as the most potent compound, inhibiting substance P biosynthesis in dorsal root ganglion cells with an IC50 of 2 microM. Inhibition of PAM resulted in a concomitant increase in the glycine-extended substance p (substance P-Gly) precursor peptide. In the presence of 3 microM benzyl ester derivative, the intracellular substance P-Gly level was 2.4-fold higher while the substance P level was 2.1-fold lower than the corresponding peptides in control cells. These results suggest that PAM inhibition represents an effective method for suppression of substance P biosynthesis and, therefore, may have therapeutic utility in conditions associated with elevated substance P levels. Furthermore, PAM inhibition may also prove useful in decreasing other amidated peptides.

Selective mechanism-based inactivation of peptidylglycine alpha-hydroxylating monooxygenase in serum and heart atrium vs. brain

Peptidylglycine alpha-hydroxylating monooxygenase (PHM; EC 1.14.17.3) catalyses the rate-limiting step in the post-translational activation of substance P, among other neuropeptides, from its glycine-extended precursor. Comparative kinetic studies were performed, using trans-styrylacetic acid or trans-styrylthioacetic acid as known mechanism-based inhibitors, of PHM isolated from rat, horse or human blood serum. Distinctive species differences with respect to PHM inactivation were observed: the efficiency of inactivation decreased in the order of horse >> rat > human. Trans-styrylacetic acid was more active than its thioether derivative. Moreover, we studied the differential sensitivity towards mechanism-based inactivation, of soluble PHM from rat blood serum and rat brain by trans-styrylacetic acid or benzylhydrazine, as well as the membrane-associated enzymes from rat brain and heart atrium. For the heart atrium membrane PHM or the soluble PHM from blood serum, inactivation rate constants k(inact)/K(I) of approximately 100 M(-1)sec(-1) were found with trans-styrylacetic acid. However, neither of the two tested compounds, at 100 microM or 12 mM, respectively, could inactivate the soluble or membranous PHMs from rat brain during a 15-min pre-incubation period. Instead, under conditions of reversible inhibition, trans-styrylacetic acid competitively inhibited the soluble or membrane-associated brain PHM with inhibition constants K(I) = 0.6 microM and 1.0 microM, respectively. Organ-selective, time-dependent inactivation of PHM with compounds of the above types might be an important pharmacological tool to control peripheral neuropeptide activation.

The irreversible inactivation of two copper-dependent monooxygenases by sulfite: peptidylglycine alpha-amidating enzyme and dopamine beta-monooxygenase

Peptidylglycine alpha-amidating enzyme (alpha-AE) and dopamine beta-monooxygenase (D beta M), two copper-dependent monooxygenases that have catalytic and structural similarities, are irreversibly inactivated by sodium sulfite in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Studies with alpha-AE show that the sulfite-mediated inactivation is dependent on the presence of redox active transition metals free in solution, with Cu(II) being the most effective in supporting the inactivation reaction. Sulfite inactivation of alpha-AE is specific for the monooxygenase reaction of this bifunctional enzyme and amidated peptides provide protection against the inactivation. Consequently, the sulfite-mediated inactivation of alpha-AE and D beta M most likely results from the transition metal-catalyzed oxidation of sulfite to the sulfite radical, SO3-.