Production of a covalent flavin linkage in lipoamide dehydrogenase. Reaction with 8-Cl-FAD.

A method is described for preparation of apolipoamide dehydrogenase which gives quantitative removal of FAD. Active holoenzyme can be reconstituted by incubation with FAD. Reconstitution of apoenzyme with 8-Cl-FAD results in the fixation of most of the flavin to the protein in a covalently bound form. The portion noncovalently bound was shown to be unmodified 8-Cl-FAD. The covalently bound flavin has an absorption spectrum quite different from that of 8-Cl-FAD. It has a single band in the visible with a maximum at 459 nm (extinction coefficient of 22 mM-1 cm-1) and a shoulder at 480 nm. Model reactions between 8-Cl-Flavin (riboflavin or FAD) and organic thiols (thiophenol, beta-mercaptoethanol, or N-acetylcysteine) give products with spectra which are similar to that of FAD covalently bound to lipoamide dehydrogenase. The products of the model reactions have a single visible band with a maximum at 480 nm (extinction coefficient of 23.6 mM-1 cm-1 to 28.4 mM-1 cm-1) and a shoulder at 460 nm. The products of the model reaction and the covalently bound FAD of lipoamide dehydrogenase appear to be the result of a nucleophilic attack on the carbon at position 8 of the flavin ring by a thiolate anion, displacing the chloride. Thus, the product of the model reaction is 8-(RS)-flavin, and the product of the reaction between 8-Cl-FAD and protein probably has a cysteinyl residue covalently attacked at position 8 of FAD. Reconstitution of apoliopoamide dehydrogenase with 8-Cl-FAD gives two enzyme products which are fractionated by ammonium sulfate. Enzyme fractionating between 20% and 45% ammonium sulfate is monomeric and contains covanently bound FAD. Enzyme fractionating between 55% and 75% ammonium sulfate is dimeric and contains both covalently bound FAD and noncovalently bound 8-Cl-FAD. Both protein fractions contain one FAD per protein subunit and both are active with physiological substrates with Km values for NAD and dihydrolipoamide similar to those of native lipoamide dehydrogenase. The maximum turnover rates differ dramatically. Enzyme fractionating between 55% and 75% ammonium sulfate has a Vmax which is 61 times slower than native enzyme. Enzyme fractionating between 20% and 45% ammonium sulfate has a Vmax which is 7400 times slower than native enzyme. These slower rates are partially explainable by the oxidation-reduction potentials of the modified enzymes. Both covalently bound FAD and noncovalently bound FAD appear to reside in the native flavin binding site of the enzyme. However, once dimerization of the protien has taken place, the noncovalently bound 8-Cl-FAD cannot be induced to form a covalent bond with the protein except under protein denaturing conditions. The implications of these findings are discussed.