Histidine in enzymes

Cobalt(ll) forms many complexes which can exhibit oxygen-carrying properties (2,19). Reversible oxygen uptake in solutions of cobalt (ll)-histidine (33-36), and cobalt (II) in the presence of a-amino acids and peptides (37—39) has been known for some time. The reaction of cobalt (II) with dipeptide was first observed in enzymic studies involving glycyl-glycine (40). 

The outstanding inclusion ability and the carboxylic functions of host I raised the idea of co-erystallizing it with imidazole (Im) which, due to its versatile nature 114), is one of the frequently used components in enzyme active sites, generally presented by histidine. Formally, a system made of imidazole and an acid component may mimic two essential components of the so-called catalytic triad of the serine protease family of enzymes the acid function of Aspl02 and the imidazole nucleus of His57 115) (trypsin sequence numbering). The third (albeit essential) component of the triad corresponding to the alcohol function of Seri 95 was not considered in this attempt. This family of enzymes is of prime importance in metabolitic processes. 

For Aspergillus niger extracellular endo-D-galacturonanase, the role of histidine in the enzyme reaction was investigated by the method of photo-oxidative inactivation, catalyzed by Methylene Blue.140 The inactivation of the enzyme was paralleled by the decomposition of histidine. The similarity of pH profiles, as well as the values of the rate constants of enzyme inactivation (4.0 X 10-2 min-1) and of decomposition of histidine (3.9 X 10-2 min-1), indicate that one of the five histidine residues present in the molecule of the enzyme141 is essential for its activity. 

Histone kinases responsible for N-phosphorylation have been isolated from regenerating rat liver [109] and Walker-256 carcinosarcoma cells [110]. One kinase with a pH optimum of 9.5 phosphorylated His-18 and His-75 of H4, while the other with a pH optimum of 6.5 phosphorylated lysine of HI. The enzyme from regenerating rat liver phosphorylated H4 at 1-phosphoryl histidine, while the carcinosarcoma enzyme phosphorylated H4 His at the position 3 [111]. Both kinases were cAMP independent [110]. Matthews and colleagues purified a 32-kDa histidine H4 kinase from yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae [112,113]. The enzyme phosphorylated His-75 (1-phosphoryl histidine) in H4. His-18 of H4 and other histidines in other core histones were not phosphorylated by this kinase [112]. Protein phosphatases 1, 2A, and 2C could dephosphorylate His-75 of H4 [114]. Applying a gel kinase approach to detect mammalian H4 histidine kinases, Besant and Attwood detected four activities in the 34-41 kDa range with extracts from porcine thymus [115]. 

Compounds with heterocyclic rings are inextricably woven into the most basic biochemical processes of life. If one were to choose a step in a biochemical pathway at random, there would be a very good chance that one of the reactants or products would be a heterocyclic compound. Even if this was not true, participation of heterocyclics in the reaction in question would almost be certain as all biochemical transformations are catalyzed by enzymes, and three of the twenty amino acids found in enzymes contain heterocyclic rings. Of these, the imidazole ring of histidine in particular would be likely to be involved histidine is present at the active sites of many enzymes and usually functions as a general acid-base or as a metal ion ligand. Furthermore, many enzymes function only in the presence of certain small non-amino acid molecules called coenzymes (or cofactors) which more often than not are heterocyclic compounds. But even if the enzyme in question contained none of these coenzymes or the three amino acids referred to above, an essential role would still be played by heterocycles as all enzymes are synthesized according to the code in DNA, which of course is defined by the sequence of the heterocyclic bases found in DNA. 

The tautomeric ratio of B to A for histidine in water (Eq. 2-6) has been estimated, using 15N- and 13C-NMR, as 5.0 when the a-amino group is proto-nated and as 2.5 when at high pH it is unprotonated.17 This tautomerism of the imidazole group is probably important to the function of many enzymes and other proteins for example, if Ne of structure A (Eq. 2-6) is embedded in a protein, a proton approaching from the outside can induce the tautomerism shown with the release of a proton in the interior of the protein, perhaps at the active site of an enzyme. The form protonated on Ns (B of Eq. 2-6), which is the minor form in solution, predominates in some positions within proteins.18... 

Catabolism of histidine in most organisms proceeds via an initial elimination of NH3 to form urocanic acid (Eq. 14-44). The absence of the enzyme L-histidine ammonia-lyase (histidase) causes the genetic disease histidinemia 284/285 A similar reaction is catalyzed by the important plant enzyme L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase. It eliminates -NH3+ along with the pro-S hydrogen in the (3 position of phenylalanine to form frans-cinnamate (Eq. 14-45). Tyrosine is converted to p-coumarate by the same enzyme. Cinnamate and coumarate are formed in higher plants and are converted into a vast array of derivatives (Box 21-E,... 

In enzymes, the most common nucleophilic groups that are functional in catalysis are the serine hydroxyl—which occurs in the serine proteases, cholinesterases, esterases, lipases, and alkaline phosphatases—and the cysteine thiol—which occurs in the thiol proteases (papain, ficin, and bromelain), in glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, etc. The imidazole of histidine usually functions as an acid-base catalyst and enhances the nucleophilicity of hydroxyl and thiol groups, but it sometimes acts as a nucleophile with the phos-phoryl group in phosphate transfer (Table 2.5). 

A number of residues may be replaced with other amino acids without apparent change in enzymic activity. These replacements include nor-leucine for methionine at positions 26 and 32 87), phenylalanine for tyrosine 27 92), and glycine for histidine 46 85). As mentioned above, deletion of histidine 8 is without deleterious effect. The two remaining residues of histidine at positions 121 and 124 may also be ruled out as components of the active site since the former is, stereoehemically, far on the other side of the molecule and the latter is replaced by leucine in nuclease from the Foggi strain of Staphylococcus aureus. 

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