Alkylation of a ribonuclease from Streptomyces erythreus with iodoacetate and iodoacetamide

Abstract

1. RNase St was inactivated by iodoacetate. The inactivation was most rapid at pH 5.0-7.0. Competitive inhibitors protected RNase St from inactivation by iodoacetate. The protective effect of 2'-GMP was most effective among nucleotides tested. 2. RNase St was inactivated with the concomitant incorporation of one molar equivalent of carboxymethyl group. The carboxymethyl group incorporated into RNase St was liberated by treatment with 0.2 N NaOH or 1 M hydroxylamine. Thus the incorporation of a carboxymethyl group into a carboxyl group was demonstrated. 3. 14C-labeled CM-RNase St was digested successively with alkaline protease and aminopeptidase M. The 14C-labeled amino acid was identified as the carboxymethyl ester of glutamic acid by means of column chromatography. 4. By digestion of reduced carboxymethylated CM-RNase St with trypsin, a peptide containing a 14C-carboxymethyl group was isolated by Dowex AG-50W colum chromatography. alpha-Chymotryptic digestion of the radioactive tryptic peptide, Glu48-Lys65, produced a tetrapeptide containing a 14C-carboxymethyl group, that is, Tyr59-His60-Glu61-Tyr62. Therefore, it was concluded that Glu61 in RNase St was the site of carboxymethylation. 5. When RNase St was inactivated by iodoacetamide at pH 8.0, about 2 histidine residues were modified. The molar ratio of the products of carboxyamidomethylation were 52.3%, 21.7%, 21.0%, and 4.8% for 3-CAM-His, 1,3-di-CAM-His, 1-CAM-His, and di-CM-Lys, respectively. 6. CD spectra of CM-RNase St and CAM-RNase St were practically the same as that of the native RNase St indicating the maintenance of the native conformation during modification. 7. The binding constants of CM-RNase St and CAM-RNase St with 2'-GMP were about 1/150 and 1/38 of that of the native enzyme, respectively.