There is increasing evidence that sequence-specific formation of 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) may cause functional changes in target proteins. Recently, the nitration of Tyr residues in glycogen phosphorylase b (Ph-b) was implicated in the age-associated decline of protein function (Sharov et al., Exp. Gerontol. 41, 407-416;; in another report, the nitration of one specific residue, Tyr 613 , located in the allosteric inhibition site was hypothesized as a rationale for peroxynitrite inactivation (Dairou et al., J. Mol. Biol. 372, 1009-1021. In the present study, we have optimized the analysis of in-gel Ph-b digests by high performance liquid chromatography-electro spray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry, in order to achieve a quantitative analysis of nitration of individual Tyr residues at a high coverage of Tyr-containing sequences (92%). Our data do not confirm the role of Tyr 613 nitration in the control of enzymatic function. Furthermore, we show here that the enzymatic activity of Ph-b does not directly correlate with the protein nitration levels, and that the modification of Cys and, potentially, other amino acid residues can better rationalize Ph-b inactivation by peroxynitrite.
KeywordsGlycogen phosphorylase b; Enzymatic activity; Tyrosine nitration; Cysteine oxidation; Peroxynitrite; Mass spectrometry; Solvent accessible surface area There is increasing evidence that reactive nitrogen species nitrate specific tyrosine residues in proteins, and that the formation of 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) causes functional changes in targeted proteins [1][2][3][4]. Biological nitration of protein tyrosine residues has been demonstrated in various diseases and biological aging [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. Protein nitration appears to be a rather selective process since neither all tyrosine residues in proteins nor all proteins in a given proteome get nitrated both in vivo [6,14,15] and in vitro [15][16][17][18]. In addition, modifications of different Tyr residues may not be evenly important for protein function. Several sources of Tyr nitration in vivo have been established involving reactions of peroxynitrite and/or nitrogen dioxide, or Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. [19]. Regardless of the chemical mechanism, tyrosine nitration appears to be a complex process depending on the individual reactivity of Tyr residues in a protein, environment (pH, concentrations of reagents, solvent accessibility and diffusion coefficients), tissue specific protection, protein repair and turnover mechanisms. The knowledge of sequence location and the yields of respective T...