title: Mechanism-based inactivation of dopamine beta-hydroxylase by p-cresol and related alkylphenols.
abstract: The mechanism-based inhibition of dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH; EC 1.14.17.1) by p-cresol (4-methylphenol) and other simple structural analogues of dopamine, which lack a basic side-chain nitrogen, is reported. p-Cresol binds DBH by a mechanism that is kinetically indistinguishable from normal dopamine substrate binding [DeWolf, W. E., Jr., & Kruse, L. I. (1985) Biochemistry 24, 3379]. Under conditions (pH 6.6) of random oxygen and phenethylamine substrate addition [Ahn, N., & Klinman, J. P. (1983) Biochemistry 22, 3096] p-cresol adds randomly, whereas at pH 4.5 or in the presence of fumarate "activator" addition of p-cresol precedes oxygen binding as is observed with phenethylamine substrate. p-Cresol is shown to be a rapid (kinact = 2.0 min-1, pH 5.0) mechanism-based inactivator of DBH. This inactivation exhibits pseudo-first-order kinetics, is irreversible, is prevented by tyramine substrate or competitive inhibitor, and is dependent upon oxygen and ascorbic acid cosubstrates. Inhibition occurs with partial covalent incorporation of p-cresol into DBH. A plot of -log kinact vs. pH shows maximal inactivation occurs at pH 5.0 with dependence upon enzymatic groups with apparent pK values of 4.51 +/- 0.06 and 5.12 +/- 0.06. p-Cresol and related alkylphenols, unlike other mechanism-based inhibitors of DBH, lack a latent electrophile. These inhibitors are postulated to covalently modify DBH by a direct insertion of an aberrant substrate-derived benzylic radical into an active site residue.
mesh_terms: D000313:Adrenal Medulla / Q000201:enzymology*; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002837:Chromaffin Granules / Q000201:enzymology; D003408:Cresols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D006900:Hydroxylation; D007700:Kinetics; D010636:Phenols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014316:Tritium; D014439:Tyramine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D003408:Cresols; D010636:Phenols; D014316:Tritium; C032538:4-cresol; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase; D014439:Tyramine