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(13)C-α-ketoacid metabolic precursors of phenylalanine and tyrosine effectively enter the metabolism of a protein overexpressing E. coli strain to label Phe- and Tyr-residues devoid of any cross-labelling. The methodology gives access to highly selective labelling patterns as valuable tools in protein NMR spectroscopy without the need of (15)N-chiral amino acid synthesis using organic chemistry.

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SummaryA novel reporter system, which is applicable to the 19F NMR investigation of protein interactions, is presented. This approach uses 2-F-labeled maltose as a spy ligand to indirectly probe protein–ligand or protein–protein interactions of proteins fused or tagged to the maltose-binding protein (MBP). The key feature is the simultaneous NMR observation of both 19F NMR signals of gluco/manno-type-2-F-maltose-isomers; one isomer (α-gluco-type) binds to MBP and senses the protein interaction, and the nonbinding isomers (β-gluco- and/or α/β-manno-type) are utilized as internal references. Moreover, this reporter system was used for relative affinity studies of fluorinated and nonfluorinated carbohydrates to the maltose-binding protein, which were found to be in perfect agreement with published X-ray data. The results of the NMR competition experiments together with the established correlation between 19F chemical shift data and molecular interaction patterns, suggest valuable applications for studies of protein–ligand interaction interfaces.

BackgroundHypersensitivity reactions against nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like diclofenac (DF) can manifest as Type I-like allergic reactions including systemic anaphylaxis. However, except for isolated case studies experimental evidence for an IgE-mediated pathomechanism of DF hypersensitivity is lacking. In this study we aimed to investigate the possible involvement of drug- and/or metabolite-specific antibodies in selective DF hypersensitivity.Methodology/Principal FindingsDF, an organochemically synthesized linkage variant, and five major Phase I metabolites were covalently coupled to carrier proteins. Drug conjugates were analyzed for coupling degree and capacity to crosslink receptor-bound IgE antibodies from drug-sensitized mice. With these conjugates, the presence of hapten-specific IgE antibodies was investigated in patients' samples by ELISA, mediator release assay, and basophil activation test. Production of sulfidoleukotrienes by drug conjugates was determined in PBMCs from DF-hypersensitive patients. All conjugates were shown to carry more than two haptens per carrier molecule. Immunization of mice with drug conjugates induced drug-specific IgE antibodies capable of triggering mediator release. Therefore, the conjugates are suitable tools for detection of drug-specific antibodies and for determination of their anaphylactic activity. Fifty-nine patients were enrolled and categorized as hypersensitive either selectively to DF or to multiple NSAIDs. In none of the patients' samples evidence for drug/metabolite-specific IgE in serum or bound to allergic effector cells was found. In contrast, a small group of patients (8/59, 14%) displayed drug/metabolite-specific IgG.Conclusions/SignificanceWe found no evidence for an IgE-mediated effector mechanism based on haptenation of protein carriers in DF-hypersensitive patients. Furthermore, a potential involvement of the most relevant metabolites in DF hypersensitivity reactions could be excluded.

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One of the first events taking place when a crystal of a metalloprotein is exposed to X-ray radiation is photoreduction of the metal centres. The oxidation state of a metal cannot always be determined from routine X-ray diffraction experiments alone, but it may have a crucial impact on the metal's environment and on the analysis of the structural data when considering the functional mechanism of a metalloenzyme. Here, UV-Vis microspectrophotometry is used to test the efficacy of selected scavengers in reducing the undesirable photoreduction of the iron and copper centres in myoglobin and azurin, respectively, and X-ray crystallography to assess their capacity of mitigating global and specific radiation damage effects. UV-Vis absorption spectra of native crystals, as well as those soaked in 18 different radioprotectants, show dramatic metal reduction occurring in the first 60 s of irradiation with an X-ray beam from a third-generation synchrotron source. Among the tested radioprotectants only potassium hexacyanoferrate(III) seems to be capable of partially mitigating the rate of metal photoreduction at the concentrations used, but not to a sufficient extent that would allow a complete data set to be recorded from a fully oxidized crystal. On the other hand, analysis of the X-ray crystallographic data confirms ascorbate as an efficient protecting agent against radiation damage, other than metal centre reduction, and suggests further testing of HEPES and 2,3-dichloro-1,4-naphtoquinone as potential scavengers.

You can have one without the other: A new metabolic precursor compound can selectively introduce (13)C and (2)H patterns at leucine residues in proteins in cell-based expression systems without interfering with valine metabolism. The protocol provides selectively labelled macromolecules well suited for probing structure and dynamics in high-molecular-weight proteins by NMR spectroscopy.