Bicarbonate-enhanced peroxidase activity of Cu, Zn SOD: is the distal oxidant bound or diffusible?

Detection and quantification of nitric oxide-derived oxidants in biological systems

The free radical nitric oxide (NO^•) exerts biological effects through the direct and reversible interaction with specific targets (e.g. soluble guanylate cyclase) or through the generation of secondary species, many of which can oxidize, nitrosate or nitrate biomolecules. The NO^•-derived reactive species are typically short-lived, and their preferential fates depend on kinetic and compartmentalization aspects. Their detection and quantification are technically challenging. In general, the strategies employed are based either on the detection of relatively stable end products or on the use of synthetic probes, and they are not always selective for a particular species. In this study, we describe the biologically relevant characteristics of the reactive species formed downstream from NO^•, and we discuss the approaches currently available for the analysis of NO^•, nitrogen dioxide (NO₂ ^•), dinitrogen trioxide (N₂O₃), nitroxyl (HNO), and peroxynitrite (ONOO^-/ONOOH), as well as peroxynitrite-derived hydroxyl (HO^•) and carbonate anion (CO₃ ^•-) radicals. We also discuss the biological origins of and analytical tools for detecting nitrite (NO₂ ^-), nitrate (NO₃ ^-), nitrosyl-metal complexes, S-nitrosothiols, and 3-nitrotyrosine. Moreover, we highlight state-of-the-art methods, alert readers to caveats of widely used techniques, and encourage retirement of approaches that have been supplanted by more reliable and selective tools for detecting and measuring NO^•-derived oxidants. We emphasize that the use of appropriate analytical methods needs to be strongly grounded in a chemical and biochemical understanding of the species and mechanistic pathways involved.

Structural evidence for a copper-bound carbonate intermediate in the peroxidase and dismutase activities of superoxide dismutase

Copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD) is of fundamental importance to our understanding of oxidative damage. Its primary function is catalysing the dismutation of superoxide to O(2) and H(2)O(2). SOD also reacts with H(2)O(2), leading to the formation of a strong copper-bound oxidant species that can either inactivate the enzyme or oxidise other substrates. In the presence of bicarbonate (or CO(2)) and H(2)O(2), this peroxidase activity is enhanced and produces the carbonate radical. This freely diffusible reactive oxygen species is proposed as the agent for oxidation of large substrates that are too bulky to enter the active site. Here, we provide direct structural evidence, from a 2.15 Å resolution crystal structure, of (bi)carbonate captured at the active site of reduced SOD, consistent with the view that a bound carbonate intermediate could be formed, producing a diffusible carbonate radical upon reoxidation of copper. The bound carbonate blocks direct access of substrates to Cu(I), suggesting that an adjunct to the accepted mechanism of SOD catalysed dismutation of superoxide operates, with Cu(I) oxidation by superoxide being driven via a proton-coupled electron transfer mechanism involving the bound carbonate rather than the solvent. Carbonate is captured in a different site when SOD is oxidised, being located in the active site channel adjacent to the catalytically important Arg143. This is the probable route of diffusion from the active site following reoxidation of the copper. In this position, the carbonate is poised for re-entry into the active site and binding to the reduced copper.

Kinetics of the oxidation of reduced Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase by peroxymonocarbonate

Kinetic evidence is reported for the role of the peroxymonocarbonate, HOOCO(2)(-), as an oxidant for reduced Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase-Cu(I) (SOD1) during the peroxidase activity of the enzyme. The formation of this reactive oxygen species results from the equilibrium between hydrogen peroxide and bicarbonate. Recently, peroxymonocarbonate has been proposed to be a key substrate for reduced SOD1 and has been shown to oxidize SOD1-Cu(I) to SOD1-Cu(II) much faster than H(2)O(2). We have reinvestigated the kinetics of the reaction between SOD1-Cu(I) and HOOCO(2)(-) by using conventional stopped-flow spectrophotometry and obtained a second-order rate constant of k=1600±100M(-1)s(-1) for SOD1-Cu(I) oxidation by HOOCO(2)(-). Our results demonstrate that peroxymonocarbonate oxidizes SOD1-Cu(I) to SOD1-Cu(II) and is in turn reduced to the carbonate anion radical. It is proposed that the dissociation of His61 from the active site Cu(I) in SOD-Cu(I) contributes to this chemistry by facilitating the binding of larger anions, such as peroxymonocarbonate.

Superoxide dismutases-a review of the metal-associated mechanistic variations

Superoxide dismutases are enzymes that function to catalytically convert superoxide radical to oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. These enzymes carry out catalysis at near diffusion controlled rate constants via a general mechanism that involves the sequential reduction and oxidation of the metal center, with the concomitant oxidation and reduction of superoxide radicals. That the catalytically active metal can be copper, iron, manganese or, recently, nickel is one of the fascinating features of this class of enzymes. In this review, we describe these enzymes in terms of the details of their catalytic properties, with an emphasis on the mechanistic differences between the enzymes. The focus here will be concentrated mainly on two of these enzymes, copper, zinc superoxide dismutase and manganese superoxide dismutase, and some relatively subtle variations in the mechanisms by which they function.

Direct magnetic resonance evidence for peroxymonocarbonate involvement in the cu,zn-superoxide dismutase peroxidase catalytic cycle

Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1) is a copper- and zinc-dependent enzyme. The main function of SOD1 is believed to be the scavenging and detoxification of superoxide radicals. Nevertheless, the last 30 years have seen a rapid accumulation of evidence indicating that SOD1 may also act as a peroxidase, an alternative function that was implicated in the onset and progression of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Although SOD1 peroxidase activity and its dependence on carbon dioxide have been well described, the molecular basis of the SOD1 peroxidase cycle remains obscure, because none of the proposed catalytic intermediates have so far been identified. In view of recent observations, we hypothesized that the SOD1 peroxidase cycle relies on two steps: 1) reduction of SOD-Cu(II) by hydrogen peroxide followed by 2) oxidation of SOD-Cu(I) by peroxymonocarbonate, the product of the spontaneous reaction of bicarbonate with hydrogen peroxide, to produce SOD-Cu(II) and carbonate radical anion. This hypothesis has been investigated through electron paramagnetic resonance and nuclear magnetic resonance to provide direct evidence for a peroxycarbonate-driven, SOD1-catalyzed carbonate radical production. The results gathered herein indicate that peroxymonocarbonate (HOOCO(2)(-)) is a key intermediate in the SOD1 peroxidase cycle and identify this species as the precursor of carbonate radical anions.

Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase-driven free radical modifications: copper- and carbonate radical anion-initiated protein radical chemistry

The understanding of the mechanism, oxidant(s) involved and how and what protein radicals are produced during the reaction of wild-type SOD1 (Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase) with H2O2 and their fate is incomplete, but a better understanding of the role of this reaction is needed. We have used immuno-spin trapping and MS analysis to study the protein oxidations driven by human (h) and bovine (b) SOD1 when reacting with H2O2 using HSA (human serum albumin) and mBH (mouse brain homogenate) as target models. In order to gain mechanistic information about this reaction, we considered both copper- and CO3(*-) (carbonate radical anion)-initiated protein oxidation. We chose experimental conditions that clearly separated SOD1-driven oxidation via CO(*-) from that initiated by copper released from the SOD1 active site. In the absence of (bi)carbonate, site-specific radical-mediated fragmentation is produced by SOD1 active-site copper. In the presence of (bi)carbonate and DTPA (diethylenetriaminepenta-acetic acid) (to suppress copper chemistry), CO(*-) produced distinct radical sites in both SOD1 and HSA, which caused protein aggregation without causing protein fragmentation. The CO(*-) produced by the reaction of hSOD1 with H2O2 also produced distinctive DMPO (5,5-dimethylpyrroline-N-oxide) nitrone adduct-positive protein bands in the mBH. Finally, we propose a biochemical mechanism to explain CO(*-) production from CO2, enhanced protein radical formation and protection by (bi)carbonate against H2O2-induced fragmentation of the SOD1 active site. Our present study is important for establishing experimental conditions for studying the molecular mechanism and targets of oxidation during the reverse reaction of SOD1 with H2O2; these results are the first step in analysing the critical targets of SOD1-driven oxidation during pathological processes such as neuroinflammation.

Reaction of the carbonate radical with the spin-trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide in chemical and cellular systems: pulse radiolysis, electron paramagnetic resonance, and kinetic-competition studies

Carbonate radicals (CO3-) can be formed biologically by the reaction of OH with bicarbonate, the decomposition of the peroxynitrite-carbon dioxide adduct (ONOOCO2-), and enzymatic activities, i.e., peroxidase activity of CuZnSOD and xanthine oxidase turnover in the presence of bicarbonate. It has been reported that the spin-trap DMPO reacts with CO3(-) to yield transient species to yield finally the DMPO-OH spin adduct. In this study, the kinetics of reaction of CO3(-) with DMPO were studied by pulse radiolysis, yielding a second-order rate constant of 2.5 x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1). A Fenton system, composed of Fe(II)-DTPA plus H2O2, generated OH that was trapped by DMPO; the presence of 50-500 mM bicarbonate, expected to convert OH to CO3(-), markedly inhibited DMPO-OH formation. This was demonstrated to be due mainly to a fast reaction of CO3(-) with FeII-DTPA (k=6.1 x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1)), supported by kinetic analysis. Generation of CO3(-) by the Fenton system was further proved by analysis of tyrosine oxidation products: the presence of bicarbonate caused a dose-dependent inhibition of 3,4-dihydroxiphenylalanine with a concomitant increase of 3,3'-dityrosine yields, and the presence of DMPO inhibited tyrosine oxidation, in agreement with the rate constants with OH or CO3(-). Similarly, the formation of CO3(-) by CuZnSOD/H(2)O(2)/bicarbonate and peroxynitrite-carbon dioxide was supported by DMPO hydroxylation and kinetic competition data. Finally, the reaction of CO3(-) with DMPO to yield DMPO-OH was shown in peroxynitrite-forming macrophages. In conclusion, CO3(-) reacts quite rapidly with DMPO and may contribute to DMPO-OH yields in chemical and cellular systems; in turn, the extent of oxidation of other target molecules (such as tyrosine) by CO3(-) will be sensitive to the presence of DMPO.

Oxidation-state-dependent reactions of cytochrome c with the trioxidocarbonate(•1−) radical: a pulse radiolysis study

The reaction of the trioxidocarbonate(*1-) radical (CO (3) (*-) , "carbonate radical anion") with cytochrome c was studied by pulse radiolysis at alkaline pH and room temperature. With iron(III) cytochrome c, CO (3) (*-) reacts with the protein moiety with rate constants of (5.1 +/- 0.6) x 10(7) M(-1) s(-1) (pH 8.4, I approximately 0.27 M) and (1.0 +/- 0.2) x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1) (pH 10, I = 0.5 M). The absorption spectrum of the haem moiety was not changed, thus, amino acid radicals produced on the protein do not reduce the haem. The pH-dependent difference in rate constants may be attributed to differences in ionization states of amino acids and to the change in the conformation of the protein. With iron(II) cytochrome c, CO (3) (*-) oxidizes the haem quantitatively, presumably via electrostatic guidance of the radical to the solvent-accessible haem edge, with a different pH dependence: at pH 8.4, the rate constant is (1.1 +/- 0.1) x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1) and, at pH 10, (7.6 +/- 0.6) x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1). We propose that CO (3) (*-) oxidizes the iron center directly, and that the lower rate observed at pH 10 is due to the different charge distribution of iron(II) cytochrome c.

The role of CO2 in metal-catalyzed peroxidations

Transition metals, such as Cu(+2), Mn(+2), and Co(+2), have been seen to catalyze the bicarbonate enhanced oxidation of a variety of substrates by H(2)O(2). In several of these cases it has been demonstrated that CO(2), rather than bicarbonate, is the enhancing species. Mechanisms that are in accord with the data involve a hypervalent state that may be written (MO)(+n), or (MOH)(+n+1), or (M)(+n+2). This metal centered oxidant then oxidizes CO(2) to the carbonate radical; that is then the proximal oxidant of the various substrates. Whether a similar process has in vivo reality remains to be demonstrated.

Pulse Radiolysis Studies of the Reactions of CO3•- and NO2• with Nitrosyl(II)myoglobin and Nitrosyl(II)hemoglobin

The reactions of carbonate radical anion [CO3*-, systematic name: trioxidocarbonate*1-] with nitrosyl(II)hemoglobin (HbFe(II)NO) and nitrosyl(II)myoglobin (MbFe(II)NO) were studied by pulse radiolysis in N2O-saturated 0.25 M sodium bicarbonate solutions at pH 10.0 and room temperature. The reactions proceed in two steps: outer-sphere oxidation of the nitrosyliron(II) proteins to their corresponding nitrosyliron(III) forms and subsequent dissociation of NO*. The second-order rate constants measured for the first reaction steps were (4.3 +/- 0.2) x 10(8) and (1.5 +/- 0.3) x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1), for MbFe(II)NO and HbFe(II)NO, respectively. The reactions between nitrogen dioxide and MbFe(II)NO or HbFe(II)NO were studied by pulse radiolysis in N2O-saturated 0.1 M phosphate buffer pH 7.4 containing 5 mM nitrite. Also for the reactions of this oxidant with the nitrosyliron(II) forms of Mb and Hb a two-step reaction was observed: oxidation of the iron was followed by dissociation of NO*. The second-order rate constants measured for the first reaction steps were (2.9 +/- 0.3) x 10(7) and (1.8 +/- 0.3) x 10(7) M(-1) s(-1), for MbFe(II)NO and HbFe(II)NO, respectively. Both radicals appear to be able to oxidize the iron(II) centers of the proteins directly. Only for the reactions with HbFe(II)NO it cannot be excluded that, in a parallel reaction, CO3*- and NO2* first react with amino acid(s) of the globin, which then oxidize the nitrosyliron(II) center.

Copper-zinc superoxide dismutase and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD, SOD1 protein) is an abundant copper- and zinc-containing protein that is present in the cytosol, nucleus, peroxisomes, and mitochondrial intermembrane space of human cells. Its primary function is to act as an antioxidant enzyme, lowering the steady-state concentration of superoxide, but when mutated, it can also cause disease. Over 100 different mutations have been identified in the sod1 genes of patients diagnosed with the familial form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (fALS). These mutations result in a highly diverse group of mutant proteins, some of them very similar to and others enormously different from wild-type SOD1. Despite their differences in properties, each member of this diverse set of mutant proteins causes the same clinical disease, presenting a challenge in formulating hypotheses as to what causes SOD1-associated fALS. In this review, we draw together and summarize information from many laboratories about the characteristics of the individual mutant SOD1 proteins in vivo and in vitro in the hope that it will aid investigators in their search for the cause(s) of SOD1-associated fALS.

Copper-catalyzed Protein Oxidation and Its Modulation by Carbon Dioxide

It is well known that hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced copper-catalyzed fragmentation of proteins follows a site-specific oxidative mechanism mediated by hydroxyl radical-like species (i.e. Cu(I)O, Cu(II)/*OH or Cu(III)) that ends in increased carbonyl formation and protein fragmentation. We have found that the nitrone spin trap DMPO (5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide) prevented such processes by trapping human serum albumin (HSA)-centered radicals, in situ and in real time, before they reacted with oxygen. When (bi)carbonate (CO2, H2CO3, HCO3- and CO3(-2)) was added to the reaction mixture, it blocked fragmentation mediated by hydroxyl radical-like species but enhanced DMPO-trappable radical sites in HSA. In the past, this effect would have been explained by oxidation of (bi)carbonate to a carbonate radical anion (CO3*) by a bound hydroxyl radical-like species. We now propose that the CO3* radical is formed by the reduction of HOOCO2- (a complex of H2O2 with CO2) by the protein-Cu(I) complex. CO3* diffuses and produces more DMPO-trappable radical sites but does not fragment HSA. We were also able, for the first time, to detect discrete but highly specific H2O2-induced copper-catalyzed CO3*-mediated induction of DMPO-trappable protein radicals in functioning RAW 264.7 macrophages. We conclude that carbon dioxide modulates H2O2-induced copper-catalyzed oxidative damage to proteins by preventing site-specific fragmentation and enhancing DMPO-trappable protein radicals in functioning cells. The pathophysiological significance of our findings is discussed.

CO2 enhanced peroxidase activity of SOD1: the effects of pH

At pH 7.4, CO2, rather than HCO3-, markedly enhances the oxidation of diverse substrates by SOD1 plus H2O2. Since the concentration of CO2 would fall with rising pH in HCO3- buffers, it was of interest to explore the effects of pH on the peroxidase activity of SOD1 in the presence and in the absence of HCO3-. The rate of NADPH peroxidation in the HCO3- buffer was minimally affected by pH in the range of 8-10.5; in a pyrophosphate buffer, the rate increased markedly, such that at pH 10.5 the rates in the two buffers were nearly identical. Similar results were obtained when urate was used as the peroxidizeable substrate. These results are explicable on the basis of an increase in the rate with pH due to the ionization of H2O2 to the effective HO2- coupled with a decrease in [CO2] due to the ionizations of H2CO3, which displaces the hydration equilibrium to the right. These two opposing effects counteract in the HCO3(-)-buffered reaction mixtures; in the pyrophosphate buffer, only the effect of increasing [H02-] was seen.