The heme enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) was found to catalyze the oxidation of indole by H 2 O 2 , with generation of 2-and 3-oxoindole as the major products. This reaction occurred in the absence of O 2 and reducing agents and was not inhibited by superoxide dismutase or hydroxyl radical scavengers, although it was strongly inhibited by L-Trp. The stoichiometry of the reaction indicated a one-to-one correspondence for the consumption of indole and H 2 O 2 . The 18 O-labeling experiments indicated that the oxygen incorporated into the monooxygenated products was derived almost exclusively from H 2 18 O 2 , suggesting that electron transfer was coupled to the transfer of oxygen from a ferryl intermediate of IDO. These results demonstrate that IDO oxidizes indole by means of a previously unrecognized peroxygenase activity. We conclude that IDO inserts oxygen into indole in a reaction that is mechanistically analogous to the "peroxide shunt" pathway of cytochrome P450.monooxygenase | oxygen isotopic labeling T he heme enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) catalyzes the first and rate-determining step of L-tryptophan metabolism in nonhepatic mammalian tissues by inserting both atoms of O 2 into the indole ring to form N-formylkynurenine (N-FK) (1). This dioxygenase activity of IDO requires O 2 and the reduced (Fe 2+ ) enzyme or O 2•− and the oxidized (Fe 3+ ) enzyme. In recent years, an increasing number of physiological consequences of IDO activity have been identified, including links to neural, ocular, and immunological disorders (2). Of these roles, the ability of IDO expressed by tumors to suppress the normal response of T lymphocytes and enable tumor survival and growth has attracted the most intense interest, owing to its implications for the development of new therapeutic approaches in cancer treatment (3).Aside from tryptophan (Trp), the dioxygenase activity of IDO extends to oxidation of other indoleamines, such as 5-hydroxy-LTrp, serotonin, and tryptamine, whereas indole, 3-methylindole, and indoleacetic acid are not substrates (4-6). Although indole can apparently bind to the oxygenated enzyme (IDOFe 3+ -O 2•− ) or to the IDOFe 2+ -CO complex (7), autoxidation to IDOFe 3+ is unaffected by the presence of indole, and oxidation of indole does not occur (5). Notably, IDO does not catalyze oxidation of L-Trp by H 2 O 2 (4, 8, 9). Consequently, the reactivity of IDO with H 2 O 2 received little attention for more than 30 years. During that time, IDO was noted to have peroxidase activity (6) and to catalyze the H 2 O 2 -supported N-demethylation of benzphetamine and hydroxylation of aniline (10), but these activities were not studied further.Recently, reactivity of the enzyme with H 2 O 2 has received considerable attention in light of spectroscopic detection of a compound II-like ferryl species (11, 12) and quantum mechanics/ molecular mechanics simulations implicating a role for this intermediate in the catalytic cycle (13). Subsequently, the peroxidase activity of IDO has received renewed atten...

Biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa are responsible for chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients, where they are characterized by overproduction of the exopolysaccharide alginate and are recalcitrant to treatment with conventional antibiotics. Cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAPs) are potential alternatives for the treatment of multi-drug-resistant P. aeruginosa. However, alginate in P. aeruginosa biofilms has been proposed to bind these peptides through hydrophobic interactions, consequently reducing their activity [Chan et al., J Biol Chem 2004; 279: 38749-38754]. Here we perform biophysical analyses of the interactions of alginate with a series of novel peptide antibiotics (alpha-CAPs) of prototypic sequence KK-AAAXAAAAAXAAWAAXAAA-KKKK (where X = Phe, Trp or Leu). The hydrophobic interaction interface in alginate was investigated by examining (i) the effects of polysaccharide composition with respect to D-mannuronate and L-guluronate content; (ii) glycan chain length; (iii) alpha-CAP Trp fluorescence; and (iv) 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonate fluorescence. The results show that, while M and G residues produce equivalent effects, hydrophobic interactions between alginate and alpha-CAPs require a minimal glycan chain length. Peptide interactions with alginate are deduced to be mediated by hydrophobic microdomains comprised of pyranosyl C-H groups that are inducible upon formation of alpha-CAP-alginate complexes due to charge neutralization between the two species.

The heme enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) was found to oxidize NADH under aerobic conditions in the absence of other enzymes or reactants. This reaction led to the formation of the dioxygen adduct of IDO and supported the oxidation of Trp to N-formylkynurenine. Formation of the dioxygen adduct and oxidation of Trp were accelerated by the addition of small amounts of hydrogen peroxide, and both processes were inhibited in the presence of either superoxide dismutase or catalase. Anaerobic reaction of IDO with NADH proceeded only in the presence of a mediator (e.g. methylene blue) and resulted in formation of the ferrous form of the enzyme. We propose that trace amounts of peroxide previously proposed to occur in NADH solutions as well as solid NADH activate IDO and lead to aerobic formation of superoxide and the reactive dioxygen adduct of the enzyme.

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