JBC, Vol. 250, Issue 19, 7693-7699, Oct, 1975
Alkyl isocyanates as active site-directed inactivators of guinea pig liver transglutaminase
M. Gross, N. K. Whetzel and J. E. Folk
Alkyl isocyanates are effective inactivators of guinea pig liver
transglutaminase. Based on the specificity of the reaction the protection
against inactivation by glutamine substrate, and the essential nature of
calcium for the inactivation reaction, it is concluded that these reagents
act as amide substrate analogs and, thus function in an active
site-specific manner. Support for the contention that inactivation results
from alkyl thiocarbamate ester formation through the single active site
sulfhydryl group of the enzyme is (a) the loss of one free--SH group and
the incorporation of 1 mol of reagent/mol of enzyme in the reaction, (b)
similarity in chemical properties of the inactive enzyme derivative formed
to those previously reported for another alkyl thiocarbamoylenzyme and an
alkyl thiocarbamoylcysteine derivative, and (c) the finding that labeled
peptides from digests of [methyl-14C]thiocarbamoyltransglutaminase and
those from digests of iodoacetamide-inactivated enzyme occupy similar
positions on peptide maps. Transglutaminase was found to be inactivated
neither by urethan anlogs of its active ester substrates nor by urea
analogs of its amide substrates. It is concluded on the basis of these
findings that inactive carbamoylenzyme derivatives are formed only by
direct addition of the transglutaminase active--SH group to the isocyanate
C--N double bond, and not, like several serine active site enzymes, by
nucleophilic displacement with urethan analogs of substrate, or by
nucleophilic displacement with urea analogs of substrate.