Association of purified skeletal-muscle AMP deaminase with a histidine-proline-rich-glycoprotein-like molecule

Role of the interaction between troponin T and AMP deaminase by zinc bridge in modulating muscle contraction and ammonia production

The N-terminal region of troponin T (TnT) does not bind any protein of the contractile machinery and the role of its hypervariability remains uncertain. In this review we report the evidence of the interaction between TnT and AMP deaminase (AMPD), a regulated zinc enzyme localized on the myofibril. In periods of intense muscular activity, a decrease in the ATP/ADP ratio, together with a decrease in the tissue pH, is the stimulus for the activation of the enzyme that deaminating AMP to IMP and NH3 displaces the myokinase reaction towards the formation of ATP. In skeletal muscle subjected to strong tetanic contractions, a calpain-like proteolytic activity produces the removal in vivo of a 97-residue N-terminal fragment from the enzyme that becomes desensitized towards the inhibition by ATP, leading to an unrestrained production of NH3. When a 95-residue N-terminal fragment is removed from AMPD by trypsin, simulating in vitro the calpain action, rabbit fast TnT or its phosphorylated 50-residue N-terminal peptide binds AMPD restoring the inhibition by ATP. Taking in consideration that the N-terminus of TnT expressed in human as well as rabbit white muscle contains a zinc-binding motif, we suggest that TnT might mimic the regulatory action of the inhibitory N-terminal domain of AMPD due to the presence of a zinc ion connecting the N-terminal and C-terminal regions of the enzyme, indicating that the two proteins might physiologically associate to modulate muscle contraction and ammonia production in fast-twitching muscle under strenuous conditions.

Regulation of skeletal muscle AMP deaminase. Carbethoxylation of His-51 belonging to the zinc coordination sphere of the rabbit enzyme promotes its desensitization towards the inhibition by ATP

BACKGROUND

Skeletal muscle AMP deaminase (AMPD1) regulates the concentration of adenine nucleotides during muscle contraction. We previously provided evidence that rabbit AMPD1 is composed by two HPRG 73 kDa subunits and two 85 kDa catalytic subunits with a dinuclear zinc site with an average of two histidine residues at each metal site. AMPD1 is mainly expressed in fast twitching fibers and is inhibited by ATP. The limited trypsinization of the 95-residue N-terminal domain of rabbit AMPD1 desensitizes the enzyme towards ATP inhibition at the optimal pH 6.5, but not at pH 7.1.

METHODS

The modified residues of rabbit AMPD1 after incubation with radioactive diethyl pyrocarbonate ([¹⁴C]DEP) causing the desensitization to inhibition by ATP at pH 7.1 have been identified by sequence analysis and MS analysis of the radioactive peptides liberated from the carbethoxylated enzyme by limited proteolysis with trypsin.

RESULTS

The study confirms the presence of a dinuclear zinc site in rabbit AMPD1 and shows that carbethoxylation of His-51 at the N-terminus of the catalytic subunit removes the inhibition of the enzyme by ATP at pH 7.1.

CONCLUSIONS

The desensitization to ATP is due to the modification of His-51 of the Zn₂ coordination sphere which is transduced in a conformational change of the enzyme C-terminus, where an ATP-binding site has been localized.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

The progress in the study of the complex regulation of rabbit AMPD1 that shares an identical amino acid sequence with the human enzyme is important in relation to the role of the enzyme during mammalian evolution.

Ultrastructural Localization of Histidine-rich Glycoprotein in Skeletal Muscle Fibers: Colocalization With AMP Deaminase

Histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) is a plasma protein synthesized by the liver. We have given the first evidence of a tissue localization of HRG demonstrating its presence in skeletal muscle, associated with the zinc enzyme AMP deaminase (AMPD1). Moreover, we have shown that muscle cells do not synthesize HRG, but they can internalize it from plasma. We have recently demonstrated by confocal laser scanning microscopy that in human skeletal muscle, HRG is mainly localized in the myofibrils, preferentially at the I-band of the sarcomere, in the sarcoplasm, and in the nuclei. Using transmission electron microscopy and immunogold analysis, we carried out this study on human and rat normal skeletal muscles with the purpose to deepen the ultrastructural localization of HRG in skeletal muscle fibers. The immunogold analysis evidenced the presence of HRG in the sarcomeres, mainly in the I-band and to a less extent in the A-band, in the heterochromatin of nuclei, and in the sarcoplasmic reticulum. The colocalization of HRG and skeletal muscle AMPD1 was also analyzed. A colabeling of HRG and AMPD1 was evident at sarcomeric, sarcoplasmic reticulum, and nuclear levels. The significance of these interesting and new results is discussed in this article.

Role of the HPRG Component of Striated Muscle AMP Deaminase in the Stability and Cellular Behaviour of the Enzyme

Multiple muscle-specific isoforms of the Zn²⁺ metalloenzyme AMP deaminase (AMPD) have been identified based on their biochemical and genetic differences. Our previous observations suggested that the metal binding protein histidine-proline-rich glycoprotein (HPRG) participates in the assembly and maintenance of skeletal muscle AMP deaminase (AMPD1) by acting as a zinc chaperone. The evidence of a role of millimolar-strength phosphate in stabilizing the AMPD-HPRG complex of both AMPD1 and cardiac AMP deaminase (AMPD3) is suggestive of a physiological mutual dependence between the two subunit components with regard to the stability of the two isoforms of striated muscle AMPD. The observed influence of the HPRG content on the catalytic behavior of the two enzymes further strengthens this hypothesis. Based on the preferential localization of HPRG at the sarcomeric I-band and on the presence of a Zn²⁺ binding motif in the N-terminal regions of fast TnT and of the AMPD1 catalytic subunit, we advance the hypothesis that the Zn binding properties of HPRG could promote the association of AMPD1 to the thin filament.

Immunohistochemical localization of histidine-rich glycoprotein in human skeletal muscle: preferential distribution of the protein at the sarcomeric I-band

Histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) is a relatively abundant plasma protein that is synthesized by parenchymal liver cells. Using Western blot analysis and immunoperoxidase techniques, we have previously shown the presence of HRG in human skeletal muscle. This paper reports the results of immunofluorescence experiments carried out on sections of human normal skeletal muscle biopsies to investigate the subcellular localization of HRG. The HRG localization was also compared with that of skeletal muscle AMP deaminase (AMPD1), since we have previously described an association of the enzyme with the protein. The obtained results give evidence for a preferential localization of HRG at the I-band level, where it shows the same distribution of actin and where AMPD1 is present in major concentration.

Structure-function relationships in mammalian histidine-proline-rich glycoprotein

Histidine-proline-rich glycoprotein (HPRG), or histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG), is a serum protein that is synthesized in the liver and is actively internalised by different cells, including skeletal muscle. The multidomain arrangement of HPRG comprises two modules at the N-terminus that are homologous to cystatin but void of cysteine proteinase inhibitor function, and a second half consisting of a histidine-proline-rich region (HPRR) located between two proline-rich regions (PRR1 and PRR2), and a C-terminus domain. HPRG has been reported to bind various ligands and to modulate angiogenesis via the histidine residues of the HPRR. However, the secondary structure prediction of the HPRR reveals that more than 98% is disordered and the structural basis of the hypothesized functions remains unclear. Comparison of the PRR1 of several mammalian species indicates the presence of a conserved binding site that might coordinate the Zn(2+) ion with an amino acid arrangement compatible with the cysteine-containing site that has been identified experimentally for rabbit HPRG. This observation provides a structural basis to the function of HPRG as an intracellular zinc chaperone which has been suggested by the involvement of the protein in the maintenance of the quaternary structure of skeletal muscle AMP deaminase (AMPD). During Anthropoidea evolution, a change of the primary structure of the PRR1 Zn(2+) binding site took place, giving rise to the sequence M-S-C-S/L-S/R-C that resembles the MxCxxC motif characteristic of metal transporters and metallochaperones.

The role of histidine-proline-rich glycoprotein as zinc chaperone for skeletal muscle AMP deaminase

Metallochaperones function as intracellular shuttles for metal ions. At present, no evidence for the existence of any eukaryotic zinc-chaperone has been provided although metallochaperones could be critical for the physiological functions of Zn²⁺ metalloenzymes. We propose that the complex formed in skeletal muscle by the Zn²⁺ metalloenzyme AMP deaminase (AMPD) and the metal binding protein histidine-proline-rich glycoprotein (HPRG) acts in this manner. HPRG is a major plasma protein. Recent investigations have reported that skeletal muscle cells do not synthesize HPRG but instead actively internalize plasma HPRG. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) performed on fresh preparations of rabbit skeletal muscle AMPD provided evidence for a dinuclear zinc site in the enzyme compatible with a (μ-aqua)(μ-carboxylato)dizinc(II) core with two histidine residues at each metal site. XAS on HPRG isolated from the AMPD complex showed that zinc is bound to the protein in a dinuclear cluster where each Zn²⁺ ion is coordinated by three histidine and one heavier ligand, likely sulfur from cysteine. We describe the existence in mammalian HPRG of a specific zinc binding site distinct from the His-Pro-rich region. The participation of HPRG in the assembly and maintenance of skeletal muscle AMPD by acting as a zinc chaperone is also demonstrated.

Evidence that muscle cells do not express the histidine-rich glycoprotein associated with AMP deaminase but can internalise the plasma protein

Histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) is synthesized by liver and is present at relatively high concentration in the plasma of vertebrates. We have previously described the association of a HRG-like molecule to purified rabbit skeletal muscle AMP deaminase (AMPD). We also provided the first evidence for the presence of a HRG-like protein in human skeletal muscle where a positive correlation between HRG content and total determined AMPD activity has been shown. In the present paper we investigate the origin of skeletal muscle HRG. The screening of a human skeletal muscle cDNA expression library using an anti-HRG antibody failed to reveal any positive clone. The RT-PCR analysis, performed on human skeletal muscle RNA as well as on RNA from the rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cell line, failed to show any mRNA specific for the plasma HRG or for the putative muscle variant. When the RD cells were incubated with human plasma HRG, a time-dependent increase of the HRG immunoreactivity was detected both at the plasma membrane level and intracellularly. The internalisation of HRG was inhibited by the addition of heparin. The above data strongly suggest that skeletal muscle cells do not synthesize the muscle variant of HRG but instead can actively internalise it from plasma.

Characterization of the metallocenter of rabbit skeletal muscle AMP deaminase. A new model for substrate interactions at a dinuclear cocatalytic Zn site

We have previously provided evidence for a dinuclear zinc site in rabbit skeletal muscle AMPD compatible with a (micro-aqua)(micro-carboxylato)dizinc(II) core with an average of two histidine residues at each metal site. XAS of the zinc binding site of the enzyme in the presence of PRN favors a model where PRN is added to the coordination sphere of one of the two zinc ions increasing its coordination number to five. The uncompetitive nature of the inhibition of AMPD by fluoride reveals that the anion probably displaces the nucleophile water molecule terminally coordinated to the catalytic Zn(1) ion at the enzyme C-terminus, following the binding of AMP at the Zn(2) ion located at N-terminus of the enzyme. Thus, the two Zn ions in the AMPD metallocenter operate together as a single catalytic unit, but have independent function, one of them (Zn(1)) acting to polarize the nucleophile water molecule, whilst the other (Zn(2)) acts transiently as a receptor for an activating substrate molecule. The addition of fluoride to AMPD also abolishes the cooperative behaviour induced in the enzyme by the inhibitory effect of ATP at acidic pH that probably resides in the competition with the substrate for an adenine nucleotide specific regulatory site located in the Zn(2) ion binding region and which is responsible for the positive homotropic cooperativity behaviour of AMPD.

Characterization of the metallocenter of rabbit skeletal muscle AMP deaminase. Evidence for a dinuclear zinc site

XAS of Zn-peptide binary and ternary complexes prepared using peptides mimicking the potential metal binding sites of rabbit skeletal muscle AMP deaminase (AMPD) strongly suggest that the region 48-61 of the enzyme contains a zinc binding site, whilst the region 360-372 of the enzyme is not able to form 1:1 complexes with zinc, in contrast with what has been suggested for the corresponding region of yeast AMPD. XAS performed on fresh preparations of rabbit skeletal muscle AMPD provides evidence for a dinuclear zinc site in the enzyme compatible with a (mu-aqua)(mu-carboxylato)dizinc(II) core with an average of two histidine residues at each metal site and a Zn-Zn distance of about 3.3 Angstrom. The data indicate that zinc is not required for HPRG/AMPD interaction, both zinc ions being bound to the catalytic subunit of the enzyme, one to the three conserved amino acid residues among those four assumed to be in contact with zinc in yeast AMPD, and the other at the N-terminal region, probably to His-52, Glu-53 and His-57. Tryptic digests of different enzyme preparations demonstrate the existence of two different protein conformations and of a zinc ion connecting the N-terminal and C-terminal regions of AMPD.

Immunohistochemical analysis of human skeletal muscle AMP deaminase deficiency. Evidence of a correlation between the muscle HPRG content and the level of the residual AMP deaminase activity

We have previously described that, in healthy human skeletal muscle, an anti-histidine-proline-rich-glycoprotein (HPRG) antibody selectively binds to type IIB fibers that are well known to contain the highest level of AMP deaminase (AMPD) activity, suggesting an association of the HPRG-like protein to the enzyme isoform M. The present paper reports an immunohistochemical study performed on human skeletal muscle biopsies from patients with AMPD deficiency and carried out utilizing both the anti-HPRG antibody and an anti-AMPD antibody specific for the isoform M. A correlation between the muscle content of the HPRG-like protein and the level of AMPD activity was demonstrated. In the specimens from patients with Acquired AMPD deficiency the HPRG-immunoreactivity was less intense than that shown by the control subjects and was related to the residual AMPD activity. The patients affected by Primary and Coincidental AMPD deficiency, which were characterized by an absence of enzyme activity and AMPD immunoreactivity, showed the lowest HPRG immunoreactivity that was clearly detectable by Western blot analysis, but not by immunohistochemistry. The interpretation of the significance of these observations suggests a physiological mutual dependence between skeletal muscle HPRG and AMPD polypeptides with regard to their stability.

Histidine‐rich glycoprotein: A novel adaptor protein in plasma that modulates the immune, vascular and coagulation systems

Histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) is an abundant plasma glycoprotein that has a multidomain structure, interacts with many ligands, and has been shown to regulate a number of important biological processes. HRG ligands include Zn(2+) and haem, tropomyosin, heparin and heparan sulphate, plasminogen, plasmin, fibrinogen, thrombospondin, IgG, FcgammaR and complement. In many cases, the histidine-rich region of the molecule enhances ligand binding following interaction with Zn(2+) or exposure to low pH, conditions associated with sites of tissue injury or tumour growth. The multidomain nature of HRG indicates that it can act as an extracellular adaptor protein, bringing together disparate ligands, particularly on cell surfaces. HRG binds to most cells primarily via heparan sulphate proteoglycans, binding which is also potentiated by elevated free Zn(2+) levels and low pH. Recent reports have shown that HRG can modulate angiogenesis and additional studies have shown that it may regulate other physiological processes such as cell adhesion and migration, fibrinolysis and coagulation, complement activation, immune complex clearance and phagocytosis of apoptotic cells. This review outlines the molecular, structural, biological and clinical properties of HRG as well as describing the role of HRG in various physiological processes.

A calpain-like proteolytic activity produces the limited cleavage at the N-terminal regulatory domain of rabbit skeletal muscle AMP deaminase: evidence of a protective molecular mechanism

On storage at 4 degrees C, rabbit skeletal muscle AMP deaminase undergoes limited proteolysis with the conversion of the native 85-kDa enzyme subunit to a 75-kDa core that is resistant to further proteolysis. Further studies have shown that limited proteolysis of AMP deaminase with trypsin, removing the 95-residue N-terminal fragment, converts the native enzyme to a species that exhibits hyperbolic kinetics even at low K+ concentration. The results of this report show that a 21-residue synthetic peptide, when incubated with the purified enzyme, is cleaved with a specificity identical to that reported for ubiquitous calpains. In addition, the cleavage of a specific fluorogenic peptide substrate by rabbit m-calpain is inhibited by a synthetic peptide that corresponds to residues 10-17 of rabbit skeletal muscle AMP deaminase; this peptide contains a sequence (K-E-L-D-D-A) that is present in the fourth subdomain A of rabbit calpastatin, suggesting that the N-terminus of AMP deaminase shares with calpastatin a regulatory sequence that might exert a protective role against the fragmentation-induced activation of AMP deaminase. These observations suggest that a calpain-like proteinase present in muscle removes from AMP deaminase a domain that holds the enzyme in an inactive conformation and which also contains a regulatory region that protects against unregulated proteolysis. We conclude that proteolysis of AMP deaminase is the basis of the large ammonia accumulation that occurs in skeletal muscle subjected to strong tetanic contraction or passing into rigor mortis.

Characterization of the zinc-binding site of the histidine-proline-rich glycoprotein associated with rabbit skeletal muscle AMP deaminase

The AMP deaminase-associated variant of histidine-proline-rich glycoprotein (HPRG) is isolated from rabbit skeletal muscle by a modification of the protocol previously used for the purification of AMP deaminase. This procedure yields highly pure HPRG suitable for investigation by x-ray absorption spectroscopy of the zinc-binding behavior of the protein. X-ray absorption spectroscopy analysis of a 2:1 zinc-HPRG complex shows that zinc is bound to the protein, most probably in a dinuclear cluster where each Zn(2+) ion is coordinated, on average, by three histidine ligands and one heavier ligand, likely a sulfur from a cysteine. 11 cysteines of HPRG from different species are totally conserved, suggesting that five disulfide bridges are essential for the proper folding of the protein. At least another cysteine is present at different positions in the histidine-proline-rich domain of HPRG in all species, suggesting that this cysteine is the candidate for zinc ligation in the muscle variant of HPRG. The same conclusion is likely to be true for the six histidines used by the protein as zinc ligands. The presence in muscle HPRG of a specific zinc-binding site permits us to envisage the addition of HPRG into the family of metallochaperones. In this view, HPRG may enhance the in vivo stability of metalloenzymes such as AMP deaminase.

Isolation by zinc-affinity chromatography of the histidine-proline-rich-glycoprotein molecule associated with rabbit skeletal muscle AMP deaminase. Evidence that the formation of a protein-protein complex between the catalytic subunit and the novel component is critical for the stability of the enzyme

The histidine-proline-rich glycoprotein (HPRG) component of rabbit skeletal muscle AMP deaminase under denaturing and reducing conditions specifically binds to a Zn(2+)-charged affinity column and is only eluted with an EDTA-containing buffer that strips Zn(2+) from the gel. The isolated protein is homogeneous showing an apparent molecular weight (MW) of 95000 and the N-terminal sequence L-T-P-T-D-X-K-T-T-K-P-L-A-E-K-A-L-D-L-I, corresponding to that of rabbit plasma HPRG. The incubation with peptide-N-glycosidase F promotes the reduction of the apparent MW of isolated HPRG to 70000, characterizing it as a N-glycosylated protein. The separation from AMP deaminase of an 85-kDa component with a blocked N terminus is observed when the enzyme is applied to the Zn-charged column under nondenaturing conditions. On storage under reducing conditions, this component undergoes an 85- to 95-kDa transition yielding a L-T-P-T-D-X-K-T-T-K-P-L N-terminal sequence, suggesting that the shift in the migration on SDS/PAGE as well as the truncation of the protein at its N terminus are promoted by the reduction of a disulfide bond present in freshly isolated HPRG. The separation of HPRG induces a marked reduction in the solubility of AMP deaminase, strongly suggesting a role of HPRG in assuring the molecular integrity of the enzyme.

Human liver AMP-deaminase--oligomeric forms of the enzyme

AMP-deaminase (EC 3.5.4.6) is a key enzyme of nucleotide breakdown involved in regulation of adenine nucleotide pool in the liver. Mechanisms regulating activity of the enzyme are not completely elucidated, till now. In this paper experimental data indicating on the potential regulatory significance of changes in oligomeric structure of the enzyme are presented. SDS-PAG electrophoresis of human liver AMP-deaminase revealed the presence of three enzyme fragments. Only largest of them (the protein fragments weighing 68 kDa) reacted immunologically with anti- (human liver) AMP-deaminase antibodies. At physiological pH 7.0, in the absence of regulatory ligands, reaction catalysed by human liver AMP-deaminase was strongly dependent on enzyme concentration used, with half-saturation constant (S0.5) values increasing significantly with the degree of enzyme dilution. Preincubation with activated long-chain fatty acids--substances promoting dissociation of oligomeric enzymes, inhibited the activity of AMP-deaminase studied nearly completely. Gel filtration on Sepharose CL-6B column demonstrated existence of at least three active oligomeric forms of human liver AMP-deaminase. We postulate that oligomeric structure of the enzyme is a factor determining regulatory profile of AMP-deaminase studied.

Histidine-rich glycoprotein binds to DNA and Fc gamma RI and potentiates the ingestion of apoptotic cells by macrophages

Histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) is an abundant serum protein that exhibits many functions in diverse biological systems. In this study, we show that HRG potentiates the ingestion of apoptotic cells by mature human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDM). HRG bound specifically to apoptotic Jurkat cells and mature HMDM in a saturable and concentration-dependent manner. Purified HRG or HRG in sera increased the number of HMDM-containing apoptotic cells and accelerated the ingestion, while neutralization or depletion of HRG from sera reduced this effect. Anti-FcgammaRI mAb inhibited HRG binding to HMDM, while DNA, but not chromatin, inhibited HRG binding to apoptotic cells, and either anti-FcgammaRI or DNA abrogated the HRG-dependent ingestion. The findings indicate that HRG, by acting as a bridge between DNA on apoptotic cells and FcgammaRI on HMDM, is a key physiological mediator of apoptotic cell clearance by macrophages.

Regulation of skeletal muscle AMP deaminase: lysine residues are critical for the pH-dependent positive homotropic cooperativity behaviour of the rabbit enzyme

Reaction of rabbit skeletal muscle AMP deaminase with a low molar excess of trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) results in conversion of the enzyme into a species with about six trinitrophenylated lysine residues per molecule which no longer manifests positive homotropic cooperativity at pH 7.1 or at the optimal pH value of 6.5 in the presence of low K+ concentrations. Substitution of the reactive thiol groups with 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) does not protect the enzyme from the TNBS-induced changes of the catalytic properties, indicating that cysteine residues modification is not at the basis of the effects of TNBS treatment on AMP deaminase and strongly suggesting the obligatory participation of lysine residues to the constitution of a regulatory anionic site to which AMP must bind to stimulate the enzyme at alkaline pH. The TNBS-treated enzyme is also completely desensitized to inhibition by ATP, but not to inhibition by GTP and stimulation by ADP. This observation suggests a connection between the operation of the hypothesized anionic activating site, responsible for positive homotropic cooperativity, and the inhibition exerted by anionic compounds that compete for the same site, among them the most efficient metabolite being probably ATP.

Towards an understanding of the functional significance of N-terminal domain divergence in human AMP deaminase isoforms

Human AMP deaminase (AMPD; EC 3.5.4.6) isoforms are encoded by a multigene family and have conserved C-terminal domains that contain catalytic residues and an ATP-binding site. N-terminal domains diverge dramatically, yet are conserved when compared across mammalian species. Cross-species conservation of entire gene-specific polypeptides (e.g., rat versus human AMPD1) suggests that divergent N-terminal domains may play a role in isoform-specific properties of the enzyme. It now has become evident that the majority of published data used to characterize purified AMPD isoforms were likely derived from preparations lacking significant portions of their N-terminal domains (up to nearly 100 residues). Accumulating evidence indicates that divergent N-terminal sequences do influence catalytic behavior, protein-protein interactions, and intracellular distributions of this enzyme.

Presence in human skeletal muscle of an AMP deaminase-associated protein that reacts with an antibody to human plasma histidine-proline-rich glycoprotein

Histidine-proline-rich glycoprotein (HPRG) is a protein that is synthesized by parenchimal liver cells. The protein has been implicated in a number of plasma-specific processes, including blood coagulation and fibrinolysis. We have recently reported the association of an HPRG-like protein with rabbit skeletal muscle AMP deaminase (AMPD). The results of the immunological analysis reported here demonstrate that an antibody against human plasma HPRG reacts with an AMPD preparation from human skeletal muscle. To probe the localization of the putative HPRG-like protein in human skeletal muscle, serial sections from frozen biopsy specimens were processed for immunohistochemical and histoenzymatic stains. A selective binding of the anti-HPRG antibody to Type IIB muscle fibers was detected, suggesting a preferential association of the novel protein to the AMPD isoenzyme contained in the fast-twitch glycolytic fibers.

Novel aspects of tetramer assembly and N-terminal domain structure and function are revealed by recombinant expression of human AMP deaminase isoforms

AMP deaminase isoforms purified from endogenous sources display smaller than predicted subunit molecular masses, whereas baculoviral expression of human AMPD1 (isoform M) and AMPD3 (isoform E) cDNAs produces full-sized recombinant enzymes. However, nearly 100 N-terminal amino acid residues are cleaved from each recombinant polypeptide during storage at 4 degreesC. Expression of N-truncated cDNAs (DeltaL96AMPD1 and DeltaM90AMPD3) produces stable recombinant enzymes exhibiting subunit molecular masses and kinetic properties that are similar to those reported for purified isoforms M and E. Conversely, wild type recombinant isoforms display significantly higher Km(app) values in the absence of ATP. Gel filtration analysis demonstrates native tetrameric structures for all recombinant proteins, except the wild type AMPD1 enzyme, which forms aggregates of tetramers that disperse upon cleavage of N-terminal residues at 4 degreesC. These data: 1) confirm that available literature on AMP deaminase is likely derived from N-truncated enzymes and 2) are inconsistent with a new model proposing native trimeric structure of an N-truncated rabbit skeletal muscle AMP deaminase (Ranieri-Raggi, M., Montali, U., Ronca, F., Sabbatini, A., Brown, P. E., Moir, A. J. G., and Raggi, A. (1997) Biochem. J. 326, 641-648). N-terminal residues also influence actomyosin-binding properties of the enzyme, which are enhanced and suppressed by AMPD1 and AMPD3 sequences, respectively. Finally, co-expression of AMPD1 and AMPD3 recombinant polypeptides produces tetrameric enzymes with either isoform-specific or mixed subunits, and also reveals that tetramer assembly is driven by relative polypeptide abundance with no apparent preference for like subunits.