Flavin adenine dinucleotide, absorption

Autofluorescence of cells often complicates the studies with fluorescence microscopy (especially the application of green fluorescent substances). There are different reasons for the occurrence of this phenomenon (157) (i) the fluorescent pigment lipofuscin, which settles with rising age in the cytoplasm of cells (ii) cell culture medium, which often contains phenol red that increases autofluorescence (iii) endogen substances such as flavin coenzymes [flavin-adenine dinucleotide (FDA), flavin mononucleotide (FMN) absorp-tion/emission 450/515nm], pyridine nucleotides [reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) absorption/emission 340/460nm] or porphyrine (iv) substances taken up by cells (as mentioned above filipin) and (v) preparation of the cells fixation with glutaraldehyde increases autofluorescence. 

The purified E. coli protein has a molecular weight of 49 kD. It does not require any divalent cation for activity. It contains two different noncovalently bound chromophores that absorb light. One chromophore is flavin adenine dinucleotide (FADH- or FADH2). The other is 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolyl polyglutamate (MTHF). The absorption of light by the chromophores is essential for the enzymatic reversal of the pyrimidine dimer back to the original pyrimidine monomers. However,... 

An example of direct repair is the photochemical cleavage of pyrimidine dimers. Nearly all cells contain a photoreactivating enzyme called DNA photolyase. The E. coli enzyme, a 35-kd protein that contains bound N lO-methenyltetrahydrofolate and flavin adenine dinucleotide cofactors, binds to the distorted region of DNA. The enzyme uses light energy—specifically, the absorption of a photon by the N, N lO-methenyltetrahydrofolate coenzyme—to form an excited state that cleaves the dimer into its original bases. 

The conversion of riboflavin to flavin mononucleotide (FMN) is catalyzed by flavokinase (Figure 9.73). This conversion may occur during absorption through the gut mucosa or in other organs. The subsequent conversion of FMN to flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) is catalyzed by FAD synthase. FAD synthase uses ATP as a source of an adenylyl group, in this conversion (McCormick et ah, 1997). Various phosphatases, including those of the gut mucosa, can catalyze the breakdown of FAD to FMN and of FMN to free riboflavin. Dietary flavins that are covalently botmd to proteins are thought to be unavailable and not to contribute to our dietary needs (Bates et ah, 1997). 

The transient absorption spectra similar to that of the ion-pair state of indole cation radical and flavin anion radical were also observed in D-amino acid oxidase (5), although the spectra were not so clear as those of flavodoxin. In D-amino acid oxidase, the coenzyme, flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), is wealtly fluorescent. The fluorescence lifetime was reported to be 40 ps (16), which became drastically shorter (less than 5 ps) when benzoate, a competitive inhibitor, was combined with the enzyme at FAD binding site (17). The dissociation constant of FAD was also marlcedly decreased by the binding of benzoate (17). These results suggest that interaction between isoalloxazine and the quencher became stronger as the inhibitor combined with the enzyme. Absorbance of the transient spectra of D-amino acid oxidase-benzoate complex was remarkably decreased. In this case both rate constants of formation and decay of the CT state could become much faster than those in the case of D-amino acid oxidase free from benzoate. 

GTP = 5 -guanosine triphosphate AE = Activating enzyme BAN = Backbone amide nitrogen BioB = Biotin synthase CD = Circular dichroism cyt = Cytochrome DFT = Density functional theory DMSO = Dimethylsulfoxide Dx = Desulforedoxin ENDOR = Electron-nuclear double resonance EPR = Electron paramagnetic resonance ESEEM = Electron-spin echo envelop modulation ETF = Electron transferring flavoprotein EXAFS = Extended x-ray absorption fine structure FAD = Flavin adenine dinucleotide Fd = Ferredoxin FMN = Flavin mononucleotide FNR = Fumarate-nitrate reduction FTIR =... 

Figure 36.1 Mutual transformations of riboflavin analogues naturally occurring in the body. The flgure presents mutual conversions of riboflavin, flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and flavin mononucleotide (FMN) which occur during the absorption of the vitamin in the mammalian intestinal tract.

Although some of the available riboflavin in natural foods may be present as the free vitamin, ready for intestinal transport, a larger fraction is present in the form of phosphorylated coenzymes FMN and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), and there may also be very small amoimts of a gluco-side of the vitamin. These forms are all efficiently converted to free vitamin by enzymes secreted into the gut lumen, and they are therefore highly available for absorption. There are also small amounts of covalently bound forms of riboflavin, present in enzymes such as succinate dehydrogenase (succinate ubiquinone oxidoreductase EC 1.3.5.1), which cannot be released by the hydrolytic enzymes in the gut and are therefore unavailable for absorption. Also unavailable (or very poorly available) in man is the riboflavin synthesized by the gut flora of the large bowel. Certain animal species such as rodents can utilize this riboflavin source by coprophagy. 

Plants usually obtain their nitrogen by absorption of nitrate or ammonium ions from the soil (symbiotic associations between higher plants and nitrogen fixing bacteria are of course exceptions to this). Ammonium ions may be utilized directly in the synthesis of amino acids (see p. 169), but nitrate must first be reduced to ammonia. This is accomplished in two stages the reduction of nitrate to nitrite followed by the reduction of nitrite to ammonia. The first step— nitrate reduction—is catalysed by the flavo-protein enzyme complex nitrate reductase (Fig. 5.12) which contains molybdenum and FAD (flavin adenine dinucleotide) as a prosthetic group. Reduced FMN... 

ACP = acyl carrier protein ACPA D = ACPA desat-urase AlkB = octane 1-monooxygenase AOX = alternative oxidase DMQ hydroxylase = 5-demethoxyquinone hydroxylase EXAFS = extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy FMN = flavin mononucleotide FprA = flavoprotein A (flavo-diiron enzyme homologue) Hr = hemerythrin MCD = magnetic circular dichroism MME hydroxylase = Mg-protophorphyrin IX monomethyl ester hydroxylase MMO = methane monooxygenase MMOH = hydroxylase component of MMO NADH = reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide PAPs = purple acid phosphatases PCET = proton-coupled electron transfer, PTOX = plastid terminal oxidase R2 = ribonucleotide reductase R2 subunit Rbr = rubrerythrin RFQ = rapid freeze-quench RNR = ribonucleotide reductase ROO = rubredoxin oxygen oxidoreductase XylM = xylene monooxygenase. 

Riboflavin is delivered in form of free vitamin, or as its coenzymes, i.e. flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and adenine dinucleotide (FAD), which occurs mainly as a prosthetic group of flavoproteins. Release of coenzymes from flavoproteins by acidification in stomach and proteolysis, both gastric and intestinal, must precede the absorption. This hydrolysis also releases several percentages of covalently bound FAD from 8a-(peptidyl)riboflavins (Chia et al. 1978). Free riboflavin is physiologically preferred form of absorbed vitamin B2 (Daniel et al. 1983). The upper small intestine enzymes which catalyse reversible reactions of conversion nucleotides into riboflavin are located in the brush-border membrane of enterocytes (Figure 36.1). 

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