No abstract

Three isozyme-specific residues in the active site of human carbonic anhydrase I, Val62, His67, and His200, have been changed by site-directed mutagenesis to their counterparts in human carbonic anhydrase II, Asn62, Asn67, and Thr200. A double mutant, containing Asn62 and Asn67, and a triple mutant, containing all three alterations, were also produced. The rates of CO2 hydration and ester hydrolysis catalyzed by these mutants, the inhibition of these enzymes by the anions, SCN-, and I-, and the binding of the sulfonamide inhibitors, dansylamide and MK-417 (a thienothiopyran-2-sulfonamide) have been measured. The results suggest that the effect of His200 in isozyme I is to prolong the lifetime of the enzyme-bicarbonate complex and to increase the pKa of the catalytic group, a zinc-coordinated water molecule. For isozyme I, Val62 and His67 might interfere with the function of a proton 'shuttle' group in the active site, thus maintaining the buffer specificity of a compulsory proton-transfer step. The single mutations have small effects on anion binding. Only the triple mutant has anion-binding properties resembling those of isozyme II. All mutants show altered sulfonamide-binding properties. In particular, the binding specificity is affected. While wild-type isozyme I binds dansylamide 50 times more strongly than MK-417, the triple mutant shows a reversed selectivity and binds MK-417 nearly 50 times more strongly than dansylamide.

The mechanisms involved in the castration-induced involution of the ventral prostate (VP) are not fully understood. It was recently reported that castration decreases blood flow in the VP in rats and that this occurs before the apoptotic involution of the organ. However, it is unknown whether a decrease in blood flow may trigger apoptosis in the VP, and this was therefore examined in this study. The right iliac artery was clamped for 1 h in adult male rats. After 24 h of reperfusion, the VPs were frozen or fixed. In situ end-labeling (ISEL) was used to identify apoptotic cells, and testosterone repressed prostatic message-2 (TRPM-2) was measured. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunohistochemistry was used to identify proliferating cells. Clamping the right iliac artery reduced blood flow in the right VP to 0.17 of that in the contralateral lobe. This relative ischemia resulted in a threefold increase in the volume density of apoptotic epithelial cells on the treated side, but left cell proliferation unaffected. Testosterone substitution did not change this pattern. This study suggests that a transient period of relative ischemia may induce apoptosis in the rat ventral prostate. This may be of importance for the understanding of castration-induced prostatic involution.

Three isozyme-specific residues in the active site of human carbonic anhydrase I, Va162, His67, and His200, have been changed by site-directed mutagenesis to their counterparts in human carbonic anhydrase 11, Asn62, Asn67, and Thr200. A double mutant, containing Asn62 and Asn67, and a triple mutant, containing all three alterations, were also produced. The rates of CO, hydration and ester hydrolysis catalyzed by these mutants, the inhibition of these enzymes by the anions, SCN-, and I-, and the binding of the sulfonamide inhibitors, dansylamide and MK-417 (a thienothiopyran-2-sulfonamide) have been measured. The results suggest that the effect of His200 in isozyme I is to prolong the lifetime of the enzyme-bicarbonate complex and to increase the pK, of the catalytic group, a zinc-coordinated water molecule. For isozyme I, Val62 and His67 might interfere with the function of a proton 'shuttle' group in the active site, thus maintaining the buffer specificity of a compulsory proton-transfer step. The single mutations have small effects on anion binding. Only the triple mutant has anion-binding properties resembling those of isozyme 11. All mutants show altered sulfonamide-binding properties. In particular, the binding specificity is affected. While wild-type isozyme I binds dansylamide SO times more strongly than MK-417, the triple mutant shows a reversed selectivity and binds MK-417 nearly SO times more strongly than dansylamide.