3-nitrotyrosine and 4-nitrophenylalanine

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) are well-known and important contributors to oxidative and nitrosative stress in several diseases. Hydroxylated phenylalanine and nitrated tyrosine products appear to be particularly susceptible targets of oxidative and nitrosative stress. We compared fluorescence reagents for their potential use in the analysis of hydroxylated phenylalanine and nitrated tyrosine products with a high-sensitivity and high-specificity HPLC-UV-FL technique. The analytes were extracted from serum via solid-phase extraction on Waters Oasis MCX cartridges. Chromatographic separation was achieved on an ODS column (Capcell Pak MG II; 150 × 2.0 mm) using a gradient mobile phase consisting of 20 mm sodium phosphate buffer (adjusted to pH 3.0) and acetonitrile. The method quantification limit for 4-nitrophenylalanine, m-tyrosine, and 3-nitrotyrosine was 0.1 μm. The relative standard deviation of the precision and accuracy was acceptable at the spiked concentration of 0.1 μm for 4-nitrophenylalanine, m-tyrosine and 3-nitrotyrosine. The method could be used for the in vitro analysis of serum samples.

Topics: Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Fluorescent Dyes; Humans; Hydrogen Peroxide; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Limit of Detection; Peroxynitrous Acid; Phenylalanine; Reproducibility of Results; Solid Phase Extraction; Spectrometry, Fluorescence; Tyrosine

The site-specific incorporation of the unnatural amino acid p-nitrophenylalanine (pNO(2)Phe) into autologous proteins overcomes self-tolerance and induces a long-lasting polyclonal IgG antibody response. To determine the molecular mechanism by which such simple modifications to amino acids are able to induce autoantibodies, we incorporated pNO(2)Phe, sulfotyrosine (SO(3)Tyr), and 3-nitrotyrosine (3NO(2)Tyr) at specific sites in murine TNF-α and EGF. A subset of TNF-α and EGF mutants with these nitrated or sulfated residues is highly immunogenic and induces antibodies against the unaltered native protein. Analysis of the immune response to the TNF-α mutants in different strains of mice that are congenic for the H-2 locus indicates that CD4 T-cell recognition is necessary for autoantibody production. IFN-γ ELISPOT analysis of CD4 T cells isolated from vaccinated mice demonstrates that peptides with mutated residues, but not the wild-type residues, are recognized. Immunization of these peptides revealed that a CD4 repertoire exists for the mutated peptides but is lacking for the wild-type peptides and that the mutated residues are processed, loaded, and presented on the I-A(b) molecule. Overall, our results illustrate that, although autoantibodies are generated against the endogenous protein, CD4 cells are activated through a neo-epitope recognition mechanism. Therefore, tolerance is maintained at a CD4 level but is broken at the level of antibody production. Finally, these results suggest that naturally occurring posttranslational modifications such as nitration may play a role in antibody-mediated autoimmune disorders.

Topics: Amino Acid Substitution; Amino Acids; Animals; Autoantibodies; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Epidermal Growth Factor; Epitopes; Female; Immune Tolerance; Immunization; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C3H; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mutant Proteins; Phenylalanine; Time Factors; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Tyrosine

3-Nitro-L-tyrosine (nitrotyrosine) has recently been considered to be useful as a biomarker of endogenous production of several reactive nitrogen species including peroxynitrite. In the present study, nitrotyrosine was coupled to human serum albumin (HSA) using a two-step glutaraldehyde method and immunized mouse with multifocal intradermal injections. Using a conventional immunization protocol, 12 stable monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) producing cell lines recognizing nitrotyrosine were obtained. Six MAbs were selected for further characterization. A study of cross-reactions with nitrotyrosine-like compounds showed that the antibodies had a high specificity for nitrotyrosine, but no detectable reactivity with L-tyrosine, p-nitro-L-phenylalanine, o-phospho-L-tyrosine or 3-amino-L-tyrosine. Using these high titer and affinity antibodies, a competitive inhibition ELISA was developed with a lower detection limit of approximately 20 nmol/L to detect both free and protein-bound nitrotyrosine in biological systems.

Topics: Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Binding, Competitive; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Glutaral; Humans; Mice; Peroxynitrous Acid; Phenylalanine; Phosphotyrosine; Protein Binding; Reactive Nitrogen Species; Tyrosine