To characterize the structure of the active site of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from the electric organ of E. electricus, we identified sites of incorporation of two active-site affinity labels, [3H]diisopropyl fluorophosphate ([3H]DFP), and 1-bromo-2-[14C]pinacolone ([14C]BrPin). AChE was isolated, purified, inactivated and digested with trypsin, and peptides containing 3H or 14C were purified by reverse-phase HPLC and characterized by N-terminal sequence analysis. [3H]DFP, labelling Ser-200, was found in a single peptide, QVTIFGESAGAASVGMHLLSPDSR, 83% identical with the sequence from Thr-193 to Arg-216 deduced for AChE of T. californica, with Gln, Ala, Leu, and Asp in place of Thr-193, Gly-203, Ile-210 and Gly-214, respectively, and 87% identical with that from bovine and human brain AChEs. Inactivation by [14C]BrPin led to two radioactive peptides. One, ASNLVWPEWMGVIHGYEIEFVFGLPLEK, was 96% identical with that extending from Ala-427 to Lys-454 of T. californica. Release of 14C in cycle 14 established reaction of [14C]BrPin with active-site His-440, protected by 5-trimethylammonio-2-pentanone (TAP). The other peptide, LLXVTENIDDAER, 77% homologous with that of T. californica extending from Leu-531 to Arg-543, had label associated with the third cycle, not protected by TAP, corresponding to Asn-533. The slow inactivation of eel AChE by reaction of [14C]BrPin at His-440 contrasts with that of AChE from T. nobiliana, where it reacts rapidly with a free cysteine, Cys-231, not present in eel AChE. For both AChEs, inactivation by BrPin prevents subsequent reaction with [3H]DFP, and prior inactivation by DFP does not prevent reactions with [14C]BrPin.
Title: Labeling of cysteine 231 in acetylcholinesterase from Torpedo nobiliana by the active-site directed reagent, 1-bromo-2-[14C] pinacolone. Effects of 2,2'-dipyridyl disulfide and other sulfhydryl reagents Salih E, Howard S, Chishti SB, Cohen SG, Liu WS, Cohen JB Ref: Journal of Biological Chemistry, 268:245, 1993 : PubMed
Acetylcholinesterase (AcChE, EC 3.1.1.7) was isolated from the electric organ of T. nobiliana and treated with the active-site-directed alkylating agent 1-bromo-2-[14C]pinacolone ([14C]BrPin), or with BrPin, which acts initially as a competitive inhibitor, Ki = 0.18 mM, and then inactivates the enzyme, k2 = 1.8 x 10(-4) s-1. AcChE aliquots were digested with trypsin and fractionated by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography. Inactivation caused a decrease in one absorption peak and an increase in another, identified as the peptide beginning at Ala-222 and extending to Arg-242. 5-Trimethylammonio-2-pentanone, a competitive inhibitor, isosteric with acetylcholine, retarded the inactivation and decreased the quantity of labeled peptide. On sequencing, the 14C label was found associated with Cys-231. This was confirmed by comparison with synthesized S-pinacolonylcysteine, by study of effects of blocking the sequencing by o-phthalaldehyde, and by inactivation by 2,2'-dipyridyl disulfide (2-PDS), a thiol-specific reagent that acts initially as a competitive inhibitor, Ki = 0.042 mM, and then inactivates the enzyme, k2 = 5.0 x 10(-4) s-1. This is retarded by 5-trimethylammonio-2-pentanone, and prior inactivation by 2-PDS prevents subsequent reaction of [14C]BrPin in the active site. BrPin inactivates AcChEs from Electrophorus electricus and from human erythrocyte, but 2-PDS does not. Neither reagent inactivates butyrylcholinesterases from human and horse serum.
Title: Catalysis by acetylcholinesterase in two-hydronic-reactive states. Integrity of deuterium oxide effects and hydron inventories Salih E Ref: Biochemical Journal, 285:451, 1992 : PubMed
Low 2H2O effects (1.0-1.5) for the parameter k(cat.)/Km in the hydrolysis of various substrates by acetylcholinesterase (AcChE) is due to normal 2H2O effects (1.8-2.8) for the parameter k(cat.) and 2H2O effects of 1.0-2.5 for the parameter Km. The analyses and interpretations of 2H2O effects in the literature utilizing the parameter k(cat.)/Km, which led to the proposal of 'isotope insensitivity' of the catalytic steps and the hypothesis of a rate-limiting substrate-induced-fit conformational change, are incorrect. Since k(cat.) is the only parameter that can represent the hydron-transfer step solely, the 2H2O effect can most appropriately be evaluated by using this parameter. Calculations and comparison of acylation (k+2) and deacylation (k+3) rate constants show that acylation is rate-determining for most substrates and the improved binding -0.84 to -2.09 kJ/mol (-0.2 to -0.5 kcal/mol) in 2H2O obscures the normal 2H2O effect on k(cat.) when the ratio k(cat.)/Km is utilized. Consistent with this, measurements of the inhibition constant (KI(com.)) for a reversible inhibitor, phenyltrimethylammonium, lead to KI(com.)H2O = 39 +/- 3 microM and KI(com.)2H2O = 24.5 +/- 3.5 microM, an 2H2O effect of 1.59 +/- 0.26. pH-dependence of k(cat.) in 2H2O is subject to variability of the pK(app.) values, as evaluated in terms of the two-hydronic-reactive states (EH and EH2) of AcChE, and is due to an uneven decrease in 2H2O of the kinetic parameters k'cat. for the EH2 state relative to k(cat.) for the EH state, thus leading to variable shifts in pK(app.) values of between 0.5 and 1.2 pH units for this parameter. The observed pH-independent limiting rate constants for k(cat.)/Km(app.) are made to vary between 0.5 and 1.0 in 2H2O by effects on kinetic parameters for the EH2 state, k'cat./K'm varying between 0.2 and 0.7 relative to the EH state, with k(cat.)/Km varying between 0.4 and 1.0. The effects observed on k(cat.)/Km(app.) are ultimately the result of variable effects of 2H2O on k'cat. and K'm for the EH2 state relative to k(cat.) and Km for the EH state of AcChE. These effects are responsible for the variable shifts and more than 0.5 pH unit of the pK(app.) values in 2H2O for pH-k(cat.)/Km profiles. The upward-bowing hydron inventories for k(cat.)/Km are the result of linear hydron inventories for k(cat.) and downward-bowing on Km and are not due to the rate-limiting substrate-induced fit process as claimed in the literature.
Title: General occurrence of binding to acetylcholinesterase-substrate complex in noncompetitive inhibition and in inhibition by substrate Cohen SG, Chishti SB, Bell DA, Howard SI, Salih E, Cohen JB Ref: Biochimica & Biophysica Acta, 1076:112, 1991 : PubMed
To assess the relative importance of binding to enzyme-substrate complex (E.S) and to acetylenzyme (EA), noncompetitive inhibition has been studied in hydrolysis by acetylcholinesterase (AcChE) of cationic and uncharged substrates - acetylcholine (AcCh), 3,3-dimethylbutyl acetate, n-butyl acetate, 2-(methylammonio)ethyl acetate, 2- (N,N-diethyl-N-n-butylammonio)ethyl acetate (DEBAAc) and 2-(methylsulfonyl)ethyl acetate. For the N-trimethyl quaternary ions related to AcCh, tetramethylammonium ion, choline and choline ethyl ether, noncompetitive inhibition (Ki(nonc) is more favorable with the slower substrates than with AcCh, i.e., when E.S greater than EA, and is attributed to formation of enzyme-substrate-inhibitor complexes, E.S.I'. Noncompetitive inhibition by tetraethyl-, tert-butyl- and isopropylammonium ions, and acetamidocholine and its lower dimethyl analogue, is also attributed to E.S.I' complexes. Peripheral binding of these inhibitors decreases acylation more than deacylation. Some tertiary dimethylamonio ions have more favorable Ki(nonc) values with AcCh, decreasing deacylation more than acylation. The substrate DEBAAc is a more effective noncompetitive than competitive inhibitor in hydrolysis of AcCh, indicating that it binds more strongly in a peripheral site than in the active site of the free enzyme. In its hydrolysis by AcChE, it acts as its own noncompetitive inhibitor, by this non-productive binding. Formation of E.S.I' complexes is a general characteristic of hydrolysis by AcChE and decrease in rates at high concentrations of AcCh and related substrates is attributed to peripheral regulatory site binding, formation of E.S.S' complexes, rather than to binding to the acetylenzyme.
Title: Two-hydronic-reactive states of acetylcholinesterase, mechanistically relevant acid-base catalyst of pKa 6.5 and a modulatory group of pKa 5.5 Salih E Ref: Biochimica & Biophysica Acta, 1073:183, 1991 : PubMed
Variation of experimentally observed pKa values in pH-dependent kinetic studies using acetylcholinesterase (AcChE) is rationalized by proposal of two-hydronic-reactive states, EH and EH2, of the free AcChE molecule. Two kinetically influential ionizations with pKa 6.5 for the general acid-base catalyst, possibly the imidazole group of histidine, and a modulatory group with pKa 5.5 residing at the juxtaposal modulatory site, provided fundamental bases for the observed variation in pK(app) values. Appropriate equations applicable to the proposed kinetic model in conjunction with pKa values (pKI 5.5, pKII 6.5) and relative varied values of the pH-independent rate constants, k'cat/K'm and kcat/Km, of the reactive states were used to generate computer simulation error-free pH-rate profiles. A series of theoretical apparently simple sigmoidal pH-rate profiles with characterizing parameters pK(app) varying between 5.5-6.5 were obtained. Ionization of a modulatory group with pKa 5.5 alone modifies the reaction mechanism of AcChE, and binding of substrates and inhibitors at this site provides modulation of catalysis/binding at the active center. Analysis of the relative magnitudes of pH-independent rate constants for the two reactive states revealed that in terms of the overall catalysis, the EH state shows favorable reactivity towards the cationic reagents with reactivity 1.0, as compared to the EH2 state with reactivities 0.25-0.55. Neutral reagents, in general, make use of the EH2 state more than cationic reagents, with reactivities 1.0 for the EH state and 0.3-1.0 for the EH2 state. Further analysis showed that this discrimination between the two reactive states, by both types of reagents, occurs predominantly through the difference in binding constants K'm and Km. Relative binding of a given cationic reagent to the respective reactive states ranges from K'm = 1.8 X Km to 4.0 X Km, and from K'm = 1.0 X Km to 2.0 X Km for the neutral reagents.
Title: Reactions of 1-bromo-2-[14C]pinacolone with acetylcholinesterase from Torpedo nobiliana. Effects of 5-trimethylammonio-2-pentanone and diisopropyl fluorophosphate Cohen SG, Salih E, Solomon M, Howard S, Chishti SB, Cohen JB Ref: Biochimica & Biophysica Acta, 997:167, 1989 : PubMed
1-Bromo-2-[14C]pinacolone, (CH3)3C14COCH2Br [( 14C]BrPin), was prepared from [1-14C]acetyl chloride and tert-butylmagnesium chloride with cuprous chloride catalyst, followed by bromination. It was examined as an active-site directed label for acetylcholinesterase (acetylcholine acetylhydrolase, EC 3.1.1.7) (AcChE). AcChE, isolated from Torpedo nobiliana, has k(cat) = (4.00 +/- 0.04).10(3) s-1, Km = 0.055 +/- 0.008 mM in hydrolysis of acetylthiocholine, and k(cat) = (5.6 +/- 0.2).10(3) s-1, Km = 0.051 +/- 0.003 mM in hydrolysis of acetylcholine. BrPin, binding in the trimethyl cavity, acts initially as a reversible competitive inhibitor, Ki = 0.20 +/- 0.09 mM, and, with time, as an irreversible covalently bound inactivator. Introduction of 14C from [14C]BrPin into Torpedo AcChE at pH 7.0 was followed by SDS-PAGE, autoradiography and scintillation counting, in the absence and presence of 5-trimethylammonio-2-pentanone (TAP), a competitive inhibitor (Ki = 0.075 +/- 0.001 mM) isosteric with acetylcholine; 1.8-1.9 14C was incorporated per inactivated enzyme unit at 50% inactivation. TAP retarded inactivation by [14C]BrPin, and prevented introduction of 0.9-1.1 14C per unit of enzyme protected. Prior inactivation of AcChE by BrPin prevents reaction with [3H]diisopropyl fluorophosphate [( 3H]DFP). Prior inactivation by DFP or [3H]DFP does not prevent reaction with [14C]BrPin, and this subsequent reaction with BrPin does not displace the [3H] moiety. [14C]BrPin alkylates a nucleophile in the active site, and this reaction does not alkylate or utilize the serine-hydroxyl.
