Reevaluation of chloride's regulation of hemoglobin oxygen uptake: the neglected contribution of protein hydration in allosterism

Mechanisms of Blood pH Changes in Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Systems: Roles of Hemoglobin-Ion Binding and Donnan Equilibrium

An equilibrium model was developed to understand interrelated, physicochemical mechanisms leading to blood pH and electrolyte distribution changes in patients because of venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and carbon dioxide removal. The model consists of plasma and red cell compartments between which water and small ions can move to establish an equilibrium state. Governing forces are as follows: 1) ionic electroneutrality in each compartment; 2) osmotic equilibrium between compartments; 3) mass balance of small ions other than bicarbonate; 4) oxygen (O 2 )-dependent hemoglobin (Hb)-Cl binding in red cells; 5) albumin binding to Cl - , Ca 2+ , and Mg 2+ in plasma; and 6) chemical equilibria of carbonates and phosphates in each compartment. The model was constructed and validated using recent clinical ECMO inlet and exit blood-pH and electrolyte concentration data. The model closely described pH and electrolyte concentration changes in both states, which validated the model. The model was then used to predict CO 2 and O 2 saturation-induced changes in pH and electrolyte concentrations. It was found that O 2 -dependent Hb-Cl binding had a much lesser effect on blood acid-base status changes and electrolyte shifts during ECMO than previously thought. The model showed that the Cl-shift and Gibbs-Donnan equilibrium effects, characterized by pH and electrolyte distribution changes during ECMO, were primarily caused by changes in pH-induced electrical charge on mainly Hb and other constrained ions in red cells. These insights can improve understanding of the same factors acting when blood traverses the lung.

A New Model for the Oxyhaemoglobin Dissociation Curve

This paper describes a new model for the oxygen-haemoglobin dissociation curve in humans.

The model is based on the known structural alterations that occur in the quaternary haemoglobin molecule during oxygenation and deoxygenation. The two alternative structures, tense and relaxed, are described using hyperbolic tangent curves and linked with a probability function to obtain the completed mathematical description of the oxygen-haemoglobin dissociation curve. Model accuracy is assessed by a bias/precision analysis of calculated logit (S) and P50 against gold standard data. A mechanism for the transition between the two structures involving the chloride ion as a major allosteric effector is proposed.

Results were analysed against the Siggaard-Andersen model for bias, precision and calculated P50 in four saturation ranges—0.00<SO 2< 1.00, 0.20<SO 2< 0.80, 0.90<SO 2< 1.00 and 0.97<SO 2< 1.00. In each range except for 0.20<SO 2 <0.80, bias, precision and calculated P50 for the new model are significantly better (P<0.05). Analysis of calculated P50 across the entire saturation range revealed significant drift out of the acceptable range in the Siggaard-Andersen model for SO 2 >0.92. The new model remained within tolerance across the saturation range 0.00<SO 2 <1.00.

The new model is significantly more accurate than the popular Siggaard-Andersen model, particularly in the range SO 2> 0.90.

Characterization of the hemoglobins of the Australian lungfish Neoceratodus forsteri (Krefft)

We examined for the first time the hemoglobin components of the blood of the Australian lungfish, Neoceratodus forsteri and their functional responses to pH and the allosteric modulators adenosine triphosphate (ATP), guanosine triphosphate (GTP), 2,3-bisphosphoglyceric acid (BPG) and inositol hexaphosphate (IHP) at 25 degrees C. Lysates prepared from stripped, unfractionated hemolysate produced sigmoidal oxygen equilibrium curves with high oxygen affinity (oxygen partial pressure required for 50% hemoglobin saturation, p(50)=5.3 mmHg) and a Hill coefficient of 1.9 at pH 7.5. p(50) was 8.3 and 4.5 mmHg at pH 6 and 8, respectively, which corresponded to a modest Bohr coefficient (Delta log p(50)/Delta pH) of -0.13. GTP increased the pH sensitivity of oxygen binding more than ATP, such that the Bohr coefficient was -0.77 in the presence of 2 mmol L(-1) GTP. GTP was the most potent regulator of hemoglobin affinity, with concentrations of 5 mmol L(-1) causing an increase in p(50) from 5 to 19 mm Hg at pH 7.5, while the order of potency of the other phosphates was IHP>ATP>BPG. Three hemoglobin isoforms were present and each contained both alpha and beta chains with distinct molecular weights. Oxygen affinity and pH-dependence of isoforms I and II were essentially identical, while isoform III had a lower affinity and increased pH-dependence. The functional properties of the hemoglobin system of Neoceratodus appeared consistent with an active aquatic breather adapted for periodic hypoxic episodes.

Molecular dynamics simulations of hemoglobin A in different states and bound to DPG: effector-linked perturbation of tertiary conformations and HbA concerted dynamics

Recent functional studies reported on human adult hemoglobin (HbA) show that heterotropic effector-linked tertiary structural changes are primarily responsible for modulating the oxygen affinity of hemoglobin. We present the results of 6-ns molecular dynamics simulations performed to gain insights into the dynamical and structural details of these effector-linked tertiary changes. All-atom simulations were carried out on a series of models generated for T- and R-state HbA, and for 2,3-diphosphoglycerate-bound models. Cross-correlation analyses identify both intra- and intersubunit correlated motions that are perturbed by the presence of the effector. Principal components analysis was used to decompose the covariance matrix extracted from the simulations and reconstruct the trajectories along the principal coordinates representative of functionally important collective motions. It is found that HbA in both quaternary states exists as ensembles of tertiary conformations that introduce dynamic heterogeneity in the protein. 2,3-Diphosphoglycerate induces significant perturbations in the fluctuations of both HbA states that translate into the protein visiting different tertiary conformations within each quaternary state. The analysis reveals that the presence of the effector affects the most important components of HbA motions and that heterotropic effectors modify the overall dynamics of the quaternary equilibrium via tertiary changes occurring in regions where conserved functionally significant residues are located, namely in the loop regions between helices C and E, E and F, and F and G, and in concerted helix motions. The changes are not apparent when comparing the available x-ray crystal structures in the presence and absence of effector, but are striking when comparing the respective dynamic tertiary conformations of the R and T tetramers.

High pressure reveals that the stability of interdimeric contacts in the R- and T-state of HbA is influenced by allosteric effectors: Insights from computational simulations

The molecular details of the mechanism of action of allosteric effectors on hemoglobin oxygen affinity are not clearly understood. The global allostery model proposed by Yonetani et al. suggests that the binding of allosteric effectors can take place both in the R and T states and that they influence oxygen affinity through inducing global tertiary changes in the subunits. Recently published high pressure studies yielded dissociation constants at atmospheric pressure that showed a stabilizing effect of heterotropic allosteric effectors on the dimer interface in the R state, and a more pronounced destabilizing effect in a T state model. In the present work, we report on computational modeling used to interpret the high pressure experimental data. We show structural changes in the hemoglobin interdimeric interfaces, indicative of a global tertiary structural change induced by the binding of allosteric effectors. We also show that the number of water molecules bound at the interface is significantly influenced by binding effectors in the T state in accordance with the experimental data. Our results suggest that the binding of effectors at definite sites leads to tertiary changes that propagate to the interfaces and results in overall structural re-organizations.

Positive contribution of hydration on DNA binding by E2c protein from papillomavirus

Protein-nucleic acid interactions are responsible for the regulation of key biological events such as genomic transcription and recombination and viral replication. However, the recognition mechanisms involved in these processes are not completely understood. Here, we investigate the dominant forces involved in protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions for the 80-amino-acid C-terminal domain of the E2 protein (E2c) from human papillomavirus (HPV-16). The E2c protein is a homodimer that specifically binds to double-stranded DNA containing the consensus sequence ACCG-N(4)-CGGT, where N is any nucleotide. DNA binding affinity is reduced by lowering water chemical potential, accompanied by an increase in cooperativity. Wyman linkage relations between affinity and water chemical potential indicate that 11 additional water molecules are bound in the formation of the complex between E2c and DNA. Salt dissociation isotherms showed that 10 counterions are released upon association, even at low water activity, indicating that this latter variable does not change the electrostatic component of the interaction. Further analysis demonstrates a strong dependence of cooperativity of binding on the protein concentration. Altogether, these results reveal a novel binding pathway in which the consolidated complex may achieve its final form via a monomer-DNA intermediate, which favors the binding of a second monomer. This molecular mechanism reveals the contributions of multiple conformers in a tight virus genome modulation that seems to be important in the cell infection scenario.

Role of hydration in the conformational transitions between unliganded and liganded forms of loop 13 of the Na+/glucose cotransporter 1

SGLT1 as a Na+/glucose cotransporter is inhibited by phlorizin, a phloretin 2'-glucoside that has strong interactions with the C-terminal loop 13 (residues 541-638). Here we investigated the effect of a partial substitution of glycerol for water in the medium on the stability and phlorizin-binding function of loop 13 using fluorescence spectroscopy. Increasing the glycerol concentration promoted an increase in the stability of the protein to urea. The ability of loop 13 to expose hydrophobic surface promoted by phlorizin binding was partially lost in the presence of glycerol (20%). Glycerol also led to a decrease in the phlorizin affinity of loop 13 in solution. Approximately 15 molecules of water were taken up to cover additional surface area (137.7+/-27.9A(2)) upon formation of the loop 13-phlorizin complex. Together these results demonstrate quantitatively that the stability and phlorizin affinity of loop 13 are critically dependent on protein hydration.

A potential role for water in the modulation of oxygen-binding by tarantula hemocyanin

Hemocyanin from the tarantula Eurypelma californicum is a large respiratory protein with an exceptional high cooperativity. In contrast to hemocyanins from other species, no physiological allosteric effectors other than protons have been identified so far for this 24-meric oligomer. Here we report for the first time the mediating effects of water activity on the oxygen binding properties of a hemocyanin. Oxygen binding curves were measured in presence of several concentrations of glycine and sucrose since both substances reduce water activity. A pronounced shift of the p(50) was observed in both cases but in different directions: adding sucrose shifts the p(50) towards lower values whereas presence of glycine shows the same tendency as for human hemoglobin. Furthermore, prolonged incubation in sucrose slightly distorts the oxygen binding characteristics of spider hemocyanin. Therefore, only the influence of glycine was further analysed. An analysis based on the nested MWC model indicates, that presence of glycine leads to a preferential population of the two states with lower oxygen affinity (tR and tT) compared to the high affinity states rT and rR. The results corroborate the presence of hierarchically organized interactions in this hemocyanin.

Allosteric effect of water in fish and human hemoglobins

Prompted by the reported lack of solvation effects on the oxygen affinity of fish (trout I) hemoglobin that questioned allosteric water binding in human hemoglobin A (Bellelli, A., Brancaccio, A., and Brunori, M. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 4742-4744), we have investigated solvation effects in fish and human hemoglobins by means of the osmotic stress method and allosteric analysis. In contrast to the earlier report, we demonstrate that water potential does affect oxygen affinity of trout hemoglobin I in the presence of inert solutes like betaine. Moreover, we show that upon oxygenation electrophoretically anodic hemoglobin from trout and eel bind a similar number of water molecules as does human hemoglobin A, whereas the cathodic hemoglobins of trout and eel bind smaller, but mutually similar, numbers of water molecules. Addition of cofactors strongly increases the number of water molecules bound to eel hemoglobin A (as in human hemoglobin) but only weakly affects water binding to eel hemoglobin C.

Molecular aspects of embryonic hemoglobin function

In order to provide the appropriate level of oxygen transport to respiring tissues, we need to produce a molecular oxygen transporting system to supplement oxygen diffusion and solubility. This supplementation is provided by hemoglobin. The role of hemoglobin in providing oxygen transport from lung to tissues in the adult is well-documented and functional characteristics of the fetal hemoglobin, which provide placental oxygen exchange, are also well understood. However the characteristics of the three embryonic hemoglobins, which provide oxygen transport during the first three months of gestation, are not well recognized. This review seeks to describe the state of our understanding of the temporal control of the expression of these proteins and the oxygen binding characteristics of the individual protein molecules. The modulation of the oxygen binding properties of these proteins, by the various allosteric effectors, is described and the structural origins of these characteristics are probed.

Biophysical studies of eIF4E cap-binding protein: recognition of mRNA 5' cap structure and synthetic fragments of eIF4G and 4E-BP1 proteins

mRNA 5'-cap recognition by the eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4E has been exhaustively characterized with the aid of a novel fluorometric, time-synchronized titration method, and X-ray crystallography. The association constant values of recombinant eIF4E for 20 different cap analogues cover six orders of magnitude; with the highest affinity observed for m(7)GTP (approximately 1.1 x 10(8) M(-1)). The affinity of the cap analogues for eIF4E correlates with their ability to inhibit in vitro translation. The association constants yield contributions of non-covalent interactions involving single structural elements of the cap to the free energy of binding, giving a reliable starting point to rational drug design. The free energy of 7-methylguanine stacking and hydrogen bonding (-4.9 kcal/mol) is separate from the energies of phosphate chain interactions (-3.0, -1.9, -0.9 kcal/mol for alpha, beta, gamma phosphates, respectively), supporting two-step mechanism of the binding. The negatively charged phosphate groups of the cap act as a molecular anchor, enabling further formation of the intermolecular contacts within the cap-binding slot. Stabilization of the stacked Trp102/m(7)G/Trp56 configuration is a precondition to form three hydrogen bonds with Glu103 and Trp102. Electrostatically steered eIF4E-cap association is accompanied by additional hydration of the complex by approximately 65 water molecules, and by ionic equilibria shift. Temperature dependence reveals the enthalpy-driven and entropy-opposed character of the m(7)GTP-eIF4E binding, which results from dominant charge-related interactions (DeltaH degrees =-17.8 kcal/mol, DeltaS degrees= -23.6 cal/mol K). For recruitment of synthetic eIF4GI, eIF4GII, and 4E-BP1 peptides to eIF4E, all the association constants were approximately 10(7) M(-1), in decreasing order: eIF4GI>4E-BP1>eIF4GII approximately 4E-BP1(P-Ser65) approximately 4E-BP1(P-Ser65/Thr70). Phosphorylation of 4E-BP1 at Ser65 and Thr70 is insufficient to prevent binding to eIF4E. Enhancement of the eIF4E affinity for cap occurs after binding to eIF4G peptides.

The effects of osmotic and hydrostatic pressures on macromolecular systems

Osmotic pressure and hydrostatic pressure can be used effectively to probe the behavior of biologically important macromolecules and their complexes. Using the two techniques requires a theoretical framework as well as knowledge of the more common pitfalls. Both are discussed in this review in the context of several examples.

A framework based on the extended Wyman concept for analyzing the salt effects on the solute retention in high-performance affinity chromatography

The analysis of binding data of a ligand to a macromolecule in the presence of an additive can be classically formulated in terms of the linked functions of Wyman. In the case of a salt, this approach has been extended by Tanford such that the contributions of both salt and water are taken into account. In this paper, the extended Wyman theory was applied to high-performance affinity chromatography (HPAC) in order to define a general model describing the effects of the mobile-phase salts on the ligand binding. Various HPAC literature data, as well as our data concerning dansyl amino acid retention on a vancomycin stationary phase, were examined in relation to this model. From the results, this theoretical approach was considered to be adequate to describe accurately the salt dependence on solute retention. This work shows the importance of taking into account the effects of both ionic species and water in the investigation of relative contributions of the interactions involved in the ligand binding to immobilized receptor.

Osmotic stress, crowding, preferential hydration, and binding: A comparison of perspectives

There has been much confusion recently about the relative merits of different approaches, osmotic stress, preferential interaction, and crowding, to describe the indirect effect of solutes on macromolecular conformations and reactions. To strengthen all interpretations of measurements and to forestall further unnecessary conceptual or linguistic confusion, we show here how the different perspectives all can be reconciled. Our approach is through the Gibbs-Duhem relation, the universal constraint on the number of ways it is possible to change the temperature, pressure, and chemical potentials of the several components in any thermodynamically defined system. From this general Gibbs-Duhem equation, it is possible to see the equivalence of the different perspectives and even to show the precise identity of the more specialized equations that the different approaches use.

Water regulation of actinomycin-D binding to DNA: the interplay among drug affinity, DNA long-range conformation, and hydration

Actinomycin-D (actD) binds to natural DNA at two different classes of binding sites, weak and strong. The affinity for these sites is highly dependent on DNA sequence and solution conditions, and the interaction appears to be purely entropic driven. Although the entropic character of this reaction has been attributed to the release of water molecules upon drug to DNA complex formation, the mechanism by which hydration regulates actD binding and discrimination between different classes of binding sites on natural DNA is still unknown. In this work, we investigate the role of hydration on this reaction using the osmotic stress method. We show that the decrease of solution water activity, due to the addition of sucrose, glycerol, ethylene glycol, and betaine, favors drug binding to the strong binding sites on DNA by increasing both the apparent binding affinity delta G, and the number of DNA base pairs apparently occupied by the bound drug nbp/actD. These binding parameters vary linearly with the logarithm of the molar fraction of water in solution log(chi w), which indicates the contribution of water binding to the energetic of the reaction. It is demonstrated that the hydration change measured upon binding increases proportionally to the apparent size of the binding site nbp/actD. This indicates that nbp/actD, measured from the Scatchard plot, is a measure of the size of the DNA molecule changing conformation due to ligand binding. We also find that the contribution of DNA deformation, gauged by nbp/actD, to the total free energy of binding delta G, is given by delta G = delta Glocal + nbp/actD x delta GDNA, where delta Glocal = -8020 +/- 51 cal/mol of actD bound and delta GDNA = -24.1 +/- 1.7 cal/mol of base pair at 25 degrees C. We interpret delta Glocal as the energetic contribution due to the direct interactions of actD with the actual tetranucleotide binding site, and nbp/actD x delta GDNA as that due to the change in conformation, induced by binding, of nbp/actD DNA base pairs flanking the local site. This interpretation is supported by the agreement found between the value of delta GDNA and the torsional free energy change measured independently. We conclude suggesting an allosteric model for ligand binding to DNA, such that the increase in binding affinity is achieved by increasing the relaxation of the unfavorable free energy of binding storage at the local site through a larger number of DNA base pairs. The new aspect on this model is that the "size" of the complex is not fixed but determined by solutions conditions, such as water activity, which modulate the energetic barrier to change helix conformation. These results may suggest that long-range allosteric transitions of duplex DNA are involved in the inhibition of RNA synthesis by actD, and more generally, in the regulation of transcription.

Novel allosteric conformation of human HB revealed by the hydration and anion effects on O(2) binding

The effect of anions on the stability of different functional conformations of Hb is examined through the determination of the dependence of O(2) affinity on water activity (a(w)). The control of a(w) is effected by varying the sucrose osmolal concentration in the bathing solution according to the "osmotic stress" method. Thus, the hydration change following Hb oxygenation is determined as a function of Cl(-) and of DPG concentration. We find that only approximately 25 additional water molecules bind to human Hb during the deoxy-to-oxy conformation transition in the absence of anions, in contrast with approximately 72 that bind in the presence of more than 50 mM Cl(-) or more than 15 microM DPG. We demonstrate that the increase in the hydration change linked with oxygenation is coupled with anion binding to the deoxy-Hb. Hence, we propose that the deoxy-Hb coexists in two allosteric conformations which depend on whether anion is bound or not: the tense T-state, with low oxygen affinity and anion bound, or a new allosteric P-state, with intermediate oxygen affinity and free of bound anions. The intrinsic oxygen affinity of this unforeseen P-state and the differential binding of Cl(-), DPG, and H(2)O between states P and T and P and R are characteristics which are consistent with those expected for a putative intermediate allosteric state of Hb. These findings represent a new opportunity to explore the structure-function relationships of hemoglobin regulation.

Effect of protein hydration on receptor conformation: decreased levels of bound water promote metarhodopsin II formation

Neutral solutes were used to investigate the effects of osmotic stress both on the ability of rhodopsin to undergo its activating conformation change and on acyl chain packing in the rod outer segment (ROS) disk membrane. The equilibrium concentration of metarhodopsin II (MII), the conformation of photoactivated rhodopsin, which binds and activates transducin, was increased by glycerol, sucrose, and stachyose in a manner which was linear with osmolality. Analysis of this shift in equilibrium in terms of the dependence of ln(Keq) on osmolality revealed that 20 +/- 1 water molecules are released during the MI-to-MII transition at 20 degrees C, and at 35 degrees C 13 +/- 1 waters are released. At 35 degrees C the average time constant for MII formation was increased from 1.20 +/- 0.09 ms to 1.63 +/- 0.09 ms by addition of 1 osmolal sucrose or glycerol. The effect of the neutral solutes on acyl chain packing in the ROS disk membrane was assessed via measurements of the fluorescence lifetime and anisotropy decay of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH). Analysis of the anisotropy decay of DPH in terms of the rotational diffusion model showed that the angular width of the equilibrium orientational distribution of DPH about the membrane normal was progressively narrowed by increased osmolality. The parameter fv, which is proportional to the overlap between the DPH orientational probability distribution and a random orientational distribution, was reduced by the osmolytes in a manner which was linear with osmolality. This study highlights the potentially opposing interplay between the effect of membrane surface hydration on both the lipid bilayer and integral membrane protein structure. Our results further demonstrate that the binding and release of water molecules play an important role in modulating functional conformational changes for integral membrane proteins, as well as for soluble globular proteins.

In disperse solution, "osmotic stress" is a restricted case of preferential interactions

In the practice of "osmotic stress," the effect of excluded cosolvents on a biochemical equilibrium is interpreted as the number of water molecules participating in the reaction. This action is attributed to lowering of solvent water activity by the cosolvent. This concept of osmotic stress in disperse solution is erroneous: (i) A cosolvent cannot be both excluded and inert, i.e., noninteracting, because exclusion requires a positive free energy change; (ii) a decrease in water activity alone by addition of solute cannot affect an equilibrium when the reacting surface is in contact with the solvent; and (iii) osmotic stress in disperse solution is a restricted case of preferential interactions; the reaction is driven by the free energy of cosolvent exclusion, and the derived number of water molecules is solely a measure of the mutual perturbations of the chemical potentials of the cosolvent and the protein.

Entropy-driven intermediate steps of oxygenation may regulate the allosteric behavior of hemoglobin

When the oxygen binding isotherms of human, bovine and fallow deer (Dama-Dama) hemoglobins are measured at different temperatures either by optical or calorimetric techniques, analyses according to the Adair's formalism show that at least one of the intermediate steps of ligation has a positive enthalpy change, i.e., absorbs rather than emitting heat, indicating that it is entropy rather than enthalpy driven (Bucci, E., et al. 1991. Biochemistry. 30:3195-3199; Bucci, E., et al. 1993. Biochemistry. 32:3519-3526; Johnson, C., et al. 1992. Biochemistry. 31:10074-10082; Johnson, C., et al. 1995. Biophys. Chem. 59:107-117). This phenomenon is confirmed in systems in which the beta82 lysines of human hemoglobin are covalently cross-linked by acylation with dicarboxylic acids of increasing length, namely the fumaryl (four-carbon-long), adipoyl (six-carbon-long), and sebacoyl (10-carbon-long) residues. Consistently in all of the systems here reported, the enthalpy excursions are masked by compensatory entropy changes, which keep the free energy of ligand binding constant for the first three steps of oxygenation. Furthermore, the cooperativity index and the overall oxygen affinity seem to be correlated to the positive enthalpy excursions of the intermediate steps of ligation. Fumaryl-Hb (hemoglobin cross-linked with a fumaryl residue, four carbons) with the lowest absorption of heat has the highest affinity and lowest cooperativity index. Adipoyl-Hb (hemoglobin cross-linked with an adipoyl residue, six carbons) has the highest absorption of heat and the highest cooperativity index. It appears that nonuniform heat release by the intermediates of oxygenation is part of the allosteric phenomena in hemoglobin systems. There is not enough information that would allow assigning these phenomena to the interplay of the various conformations described for hemoglobin besides the classic T (Fermi et al. 1984. J. Mol. Biol. 175:159-174) and R (Shanaan. 1983. J. Mol. Biol. 171:31-59), as listed at the end of the Discussion. The possibility cannot be excluded that entropy-driven steps characterize new conformational transitions still to be described.

A central role for water in the control of the spin state of cytochrome P-450scc

A previous thermodynamic study [Lange, R., Larroque, C. & Anzenbacher, P. (1992) Eur. J. Biochem. 207, 69-73] demonstrated two conformations (A and B) of cytochrome P-450scc (SCC), the enzyme which initiates steroid biosynthesis by cleaving the side chain of cholesterol. The conformation found at the lowest temperatures (form A) displays a six-ligand high-spin heme iron [Hildebrandt, P., Heibel, G., Anzenbacher, P., Lange, R., Krüger, V. & Stier, A. (1994) Biochemistry 33, 12920-12929]. Analytical centrifugation shows that the oligomeric composition of SCC is the same for the A and the B conformers. However, as revealed by fourth-derivative ultraviolet spectroscopy, the two conformers differ in the mean environment of the tryptophan residues, which was more polar in the A form. The structural role of water in these two conformations was investigated using the pressure-jump technique under various pH, temperature and osmotic-stress conditions. Applying hydrostatic pressure to SCC induced very slow (tau >30 min) biexponential relaxation kinetics corresponding to the high-spin to low-spin transition. Analysis of the activation volumes suggested a dissociative mechanism for the A conformer (+45 ml/mol), and an associative mechanism for the B conformer (-39 ml/mol). Applying osmotic stress to the A form changed its kinetic characteristics to those of the B form. These results are consistent with a model comprising a solvent intake (ten water molecules) between the B and the A conformers and protonation of their respective high-spin states. The sixth ligand of the high-spin form in the A conformer involves a water molecule and an unknown constraining structure.

Hydropathic analysis of the non-covalent interactions between molecular subunits of structurally characterized hemoglobins

The software program, HINT (Hydropathic INTeractions), which characterizes non-polar-non-polar, polar-polar, and non-polar-polar interactions, has been used to examine subunit interface associations involved in the hemoglobin allosteric transition at a residue and atomic level. HINT differs from many other computational programs in that it is based not on a statistical method or a force-field but employs parameters experimentally determined from solvent transfer experiments. The main focus of this study is to compare HINT scores that are based upon experimentally and thermodynamically derived measurements with experimentally determined thermodynamic results. The HINT analysis yields a good first-order approximation of experimentally measured energies for these interactions as determined by free energies of dimer-tetramer assembly for mutant hemoglobins. The results provide a framework for understanding subunit stabilities based upon individual atom interactions and repulsions. HINT, in agreement with previous analyses, indicates that: (1) the alpha1beta1 and alpha2beta2 subunit contacts are stabilized via several polar and many hydrophobic interactions with few repulsive contact areas in both the T (deoxyhemoglobin) and R (oxyhemoglobin) structures; (2) the alpha1alpha2 subunit contacts are primarily stabilized by polar salt bridge linkages in both T and R states; and (3) the alpha1beta2 and alpha2beta1 contacts have both strong positive and negative interactions in both T and R states with few hydrophobic interactions. The HINT scoring methodology provides a quantitative characterization of the major role of the alpha1beta2 and alpha2beta1 interfaces in the T-->R quaternary transition. HINT also confirms the stronger hydrogen bond formation in mutant Hb Rothschild (Trp 37beta-->Arg) with Asp94alpha1 that gives rise to a low-affinity (deoxy) hemoglobin. HINT shows that the stabilization of the alpha1beta2 interface with mutant Hb Ypsilanti (Asp99alpha-->Tyr) produces a high-affinity (oxy) hemoglobin by reducing hydrophobic-polar contacts in the R state. HINT interaction maps also identified specific sites for mutagenesis at the alpha1beta2 interface that can be explored to shift the allosteric equilibrium in either direction. In addition, the HINT program provides useful diagnostic data for checking the quality of refined crystallographic structures.

Involvement of water molecules in the association of monoclonal antibody HyHEL-5 with bobwhite quail lysozyme

Fluorescence polarization spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry were used to study the influence of osmolytes on the association of the anti-hen egg lysozyme (HEL) monoclonal antibody HyHEL-5 with bobwhite quail lysozyme (BWQL). BWQL is an avian species variant with an Arg-->Lys mutation in the HyHEL-5 epitope, as well as three other mutations outside the HyHEL-5 structural epitope. This mutation decreases the equilibrium association constant of HyHEL-5 for BWQL by over 1000-fold as compared to HEL. The three-dimensional structure of this complex has been obtained recently. Fluorescein-labeled BWQL, obtained by labeling at pH 7.5 and purified by hydrophobic interaction chromatograpy, bound HyHEL-5 with an equilibrium association constant close to that determined for unlabeled BWQL by isothermal titration calorimetry. Fluorescence titration, stopped-flow kinetics, and isothermal titration calorimetry experiments using various concentrations of the osmolytes glycerol, ethylene glycol, and betaine to perturb binding gave a lower limit of the uptake of approximately 6-12 water molecules upon formation of the HyHEL-5/BWQL complex.

Charge density-dependent strength of hydration and biological structure

Small ions of high charge density (kosmotropes) bind water molecules strongly, whereas large monovalent ions of low charge density (chaotropes) bind water molecules weakly relative to the strength of water-water interactions in bulk solution. The standard heat of solution of a crystalline alkali halide is shown here to be negative (exothermic) only when one ion is a kosmotrope and the ion of opposite charge is a chaotrope; this standard heat of solution is known to become proportionally more positive as the difference between the absolute heats of hydration of the corresponding gaseous anion and cation decreases. This suggests that inner sphere ion pairs are preferentially formed between oppositely charged ions with matching absolute enthalpies of hydration, and that biological organization arises from the noncovalent association of moieties with matching absolute free energies of solution, except where free energy is expended to keep them apart. The major intracellular anions (phosphates and carboxylates) are kosmotropes, whereas the major intracellular monovalent cations (K+; arg, his, and lys side chains) are chaotropes; together they form highly soluble, solvent-separated ion pairs that keep the contents of the cell in solution.

Heterotropic effects of chloride on the ligation microstates of hemoglobin at constant water activity

Dimer-tetramer assembly reactions of the 10 CN-met ligation microstates of hemoglobin (Hb) were analyzed as a function of NaCl concentration while maintaining constant water activity by the addition of compensating sucrose. The assembly free energy for fully ligated cyanomet Hb and for fully oxygenated Hb becomes less favorable by 1.8 kcal when [NaCl] is increased from 0.08 to 0.7 M, whereas that of unligated Hb is practically insensitive to changes in [NaCl]. Values of 1.6 and 0.3 mol chloride release were found for the assembly of fully ligated and deoxy Hb, respectively; i.e., a net release of 1.3 mol chloride is coupled to the ligation of tetramers for both oxygen and cyanomet ligation. The ligation-linked salt component at constant water activity was evaluated to be 1.0 mol for the full oxygenation of the Hb tetramer in agreement with the overall value previously reported. When the detailed salt linkages accompanying all 16 stepwise cyanomet ligation reactions were experimentally resolved, only two "chloride" effects were found. The first chloride effect correlates with the ligation steps, which create tertiary constraint, and the second effect is coupled to the six switchpoints of quaternary T-->R transition. The distribution of these chloride effects agrees closely with predictions of the "symmetry rule mechanism." The total chloride release for CN-met ligation is in good agreement with that for oxygenation. Free energy contributions to assembly and cooperativity arising from the osmotic effects of chloride were found to be small for all ligation species.

An information theory model of hydrophobic interactions

A molecular model of poorly understood hydrophobic effects is heuristically developed using the methods of information theory. Because primitive hydrophobic effects can be tied to the probability of observing a molecular-sized cavity in the solvent, the probability distribution of the number of solvent centers in a cavity volume is modeled on the basis of the two moments available from the density and radial distribution of oxygen atoms in liquid water. The modeled distribution then yields the probability that no solvent centers are found in the cavity volume. This model is shown to account quantitatively for the central hydrophobic phenomena of cavity formation and association of inert gas solutes. The connection of information theory to statistical thermodynamics provides a basis for clarification of hydrophobic effects. The simplicity and flexibility of the approach suggest that it should permit applications to conformational equilibria of nonpolar solutes and hydrophobic residues in biopolymers.

The water effect on allosteric regulation of hemoglobin probed in water/glucose and water/glycine solutions

We have previously proposed a role of hydration in the allosteric control of hemoglobin based on the effect of varying concentrations of polyols and polyethers on the human hemoglobin oxygen affinity and on the solution water activity (Colombo, M. F., Rau, D. C., and Parsegian, V. A. (1992) Science 256, 655-659). Here, the original analyses are extended to test the possibility of concomitant solute and water allosteric binding and by introducing the bulk dielectric constant as a variable in our experiments. We present data which indicate that glycine and glucose influence HbA oxygen affinity to the same extent, despite the fact that glycine increases and glucose decreases the bulk dielectric constant of the solution. Furthermore, we derive an equation linking changes in oxygen affinity to changes in differential solute and water binding to test critically the possibility of neutral solute heterotropic binding. Applied to the data, these analyses support our original interpretation that neutral solutes act indirectly on the regulation of allosteric behavior of hemoglobin by varying the chemical potential of water in solution. This leads to a displacement of the equilibrium between Hb conformational states in proportion to their differential hydration.