The water-soluble carbodiimide, 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide, homobifunctional reagent 3,3'-dithiobis (succinimidyl propionate), and heterobifunctional reagent N-succinimidyl ...3-(2-pyridyldithio) propionate have been used to cross-link adrenodoxin reductase and adrenodoxin, components of steroidogenic electron transfer system. Though maximal yield of the cross-linked complex was achieved with the water-soluble carbodiimide, this complex was inactive in the electron transfer from NADPH to cytochrome P-450. The functionally active complex was formed with N-succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio) propionate. The complex was purified to the apparent homogeneity and shown to be able to mediate the electron transfer. The data obtained indicate existence of different binding sites on adrenodoxin responsible for the adrenodoxin reductase and cytochrome P-450scc binding and do not contradict to the model of the steroidogenic electron transfer in an organized complex.
The interaction between cytochrome P-450scc and adrenodoxin has been studied using cleavable cross-linking reagents and limited trypsinolysis. The data obtained indicate that the site responsible for ...adrenodoxin binding is located on the NH2-terminal fragment F1 of cytochrome P-450scc.
The molecular organization of adrenocortical cytochrome P-450scc has been investigated using chemical modification with bifunctional imidates. The oligomeric organization of cytochrome P-450scc in ...solution has been shown. The application of dimethyl-3,3'-dithiobispropioimidate and subsequent cleavage of the modified products by reducing agents revealed the presence of two types of intramolecular cross-links: "short" at the distance of 3,0 A between the amino groups of lysine residues and "long" ones at a distance of 11,9 A. The analysis of the products, obtained by limited proteolysis of the oligomeric forms of the cross-linked cytochrome P-450, by two-dimensional electrophoresis has shown that the cross-links are formed between the functional domain (fragment F1) and domain responsible for the interaction with the phospholipid membrane (fragment F2). A model for cytochrome P-450scc molecular organization has been suggested on the basis of the obtained results.
Highly specific antibodies against hemeprotein were obtained by immunizing rabbits with a highly purified cholesterol-hydroxylating cytochrome P-450scc from adrenocortical mitochondria. The ...antibodies do not specifically interact with other components of the adrenocortical electron transport chain, e. g., adrenodoxin reductase and adrenodoxin. Using double immunodiffusion technique (Ouchterlony method), it was shown that the antibodies did not precipitate the microsomal cytochromes P-450 LM2 and LM4, cytochrome b5 and 11 beta-hydroxylating cytochrome P-450 from adrenocortical mitochondria. Antibodies against cytochrome P-450scc inhibited the cholesterol side chain cleavage activity of cytochrome P-450scc in a reconstituted system. Limited proteolysis with trypsin and immunoelectrophoresis in the presence of specific antibodies revealed that antigenic determinants are present of the heme-containing catalytic domain of cytochrome P-450scc (F1) as well as on the domain responsible for the interaction with the phospholipid membrane (F2).
