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Mass-spectrometric characterization of two posttranslational modifications of cysteine dioxygenase

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Abstract

Recent crystal structures of cysteine dioxygenase (CDO) suggest the presence of two posttranslational modifications adjacent to the catalytic iron center: a thioether cross-link between Cys93 and Tyr157 and extra electron density at Cys164 which was variously explained as cystine or cysteine sulfinic acid. Purification of recombinant rat CDO yields “mature” and “immature” forms with distinct electrophoretic mobilities. We have positively identified and characterized the two modifications in the products of three sequential proteolytic digestions using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The cross-link is unique to the mature form and was identified in an ion of m/z 3,225.403, consistent with a Tyr-Cys cross-link of peptides Gly80-Phe94 with His155-Phe167. The cross-link is liable to cleavage by in-source decay and the resulting separate peptides were sequenced by collision-induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry. Mass-spectrometric analysis of these same and overlapping peptides in the presence or absence of reductants and alkylating agents identified the second modification to be a cystine formed between Cys164 and exogenous cysteine as proposed earlier. Both modifications have been shown to form in the presence of high levels of cysteine and iron. This and the presence of small amounts of an apparently off-pathway cystine at position Cys93 suggest that although these conditions promote CDO maturation, they may actually arise via nonenzymatic, nonphysiological processes.

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Abbreviations

CDO:

Cysteine dioxygenase

CID:

Collision-induced dissociation

ISD:

In-source decay

LC:

Liquid chromatography

MALDI:

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization

MS:

Mass spectrometry

PAGE:

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

SDS:

Sodium dodecyl sulfate

TFA:

Trifluoroacetic acid

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank M. Stipanuk for the kind gift of the plasmid rCDO/pET32a. We wish to thank Eleni Siakkou for technical assistance. We also wish to thank the University of Otago Research Committee and the Chemistry Department for research funding.

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Correspondence to Guy N. L. Jameson.

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Kleffmann, T., Jongkees, S.A.K., Fairweather, G. et al. Mass-spectrometric characterization of two posttranslational modifications of cysteine dioxygenase. J Biol Inorg Chem 14, 913–921 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00775-009-0504-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00775-009-0504-x

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