Metabolism of linoleic Acid by barley lipoxygenase and hydroperoxide isomerase

The oxidation of linoleic acid in incubation mixtures containing extracts of barley lipoxygenase and hydroperoxide isomerase, and the production of these enzymes in quiescent and germinated barley, were investigated. The ratio of 9-hydroperoxylinoleic acid to 13-hydroperoxylinoleic acid was higher for incubation mixtures containing extracts of quiescent barley than for mixtures containing extracts of germinated barley; production of 13-hydroperoxylinoleic acid from germinated barley exceeded that of quiescent barley. Hydroperoxy metabolites of linoleic acid were converted to 9-hydroxy-10-oxo-cis-12-octadecenoic acid, 13-hydroxy-10-oxo-trans-11-octadecenoic acid, and small amounts of 11-hydroxy-12,13-epoxy-cis-9-octadecenoic acid and 11-hydroxy-9,10-epoxy-cis-13-octadecenoic acid whether quiescent or germinated barley was the enzyme source; a fifth product, 13-hydroxy-12-oxo-cis-9-octadecenoic acid was formed only when germinated barley was the enzyme source.     

Production of dicarboxylic acids from novel unsaturated fatty acids by laccase-catalyzed oxidative cleavage

The establishment of renewable biofuel and chemical production is desirable because of global warming and the exhaustion of petroleum reserves. Sebacic acid (decanedioic acid), the material of 6,10-nylon, is produced from ricinoleic acid, a carbon-neutral material, but the process is not eco-friendly because of its energy requirements. Laccase-catalyzing oxidative cleavage of fatty acid was applied to the production of dicarboxylic acids using hydroxy and oxo fatty acids involved in the saturation metabolism of unsaturated fatty acids in Lactobacillus plantarum as substrates. Hydroxy or oxo fatty acids with a functional group near the carbon–carbon double bond were cleaved at the carbon–carbon double bond, hydroxy group, or carbonyl group by laccase and transformed into dicarboxylic acids. After 8 h, 0.58 mM of sebacic acid was produced from 1.6 mM of 10-oxo-cis-12,cis-15-octadecadienoic acid (αKetoA) with a conversion rate of 35% (mol/mol). This laccase-catalyzed enzymatic process is a promising method to produce dicarboxylic acids from biomass-derived fatty acids.     

Formation of 12-oxo-trans-10-dodecenoic acid in chloroplasts from Thea sinensis leaves

Linolenic acid-[1-¹⁴C] was converted to 12-oxo-trans-10-dodecenoic acid, via 12-oxo-cis-9-dodecenoic acid by incubation with chloroplasts of Thea sinensis leaves. Thus, it was confirmed that linolenic acid is split into a C₁₂-oxo-acid, 12-oxo-trans-10-dodecenoic acid, and a C₆-aldehyde, trans-2-hexenal, leaf aldehyde, by an enzyme system in chloroplasts of tea leaves.     

New Geometric Isomers of Oxooctadecadienoate in Copper-catalyzed Decomposition Products of Linoleate Hydroperoxide

Methyl linoleate hydroperoxide produced by autoxidation was refluxed with 10^-4 M Cu-naphthenate in benzene. Two new geometrical isomers of oxooctadecadienoate (compounds I and II) were found in addition to the four known isomers. They were isolated by a Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography with chloroform-hexane (2:1) and purified by HPLC on Nucleosil ®100-5 and Zorbax ODS columns. UV, IR, MS, and ¹H-NMR spectra were measured. The geometry of conjugated dienes were assigned from the coupling constants of the olefinic protons. Compounds I and II were identified as 13-oxo-trans-9, cis-11- and 9-oxo-cis-10, trans-12-octadecadienoate, respectively. Each of them had a cis double bond adjacent to the oxo group. The hydroperoxides of the same geometry as compounds I and II were also detected in autoxidation products.     

Metabolism of Fatty Acid Hydroperoxides by Chlorella pyrenoidosa

The green alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa was examined for its ability to metabolize 13-hydroperoxylinoleic and 13-hydroperoxylinolenic acids. The study showed that Chlorella extracts possessed hydroperoxide dehydrase and other enzymes of the jasmonic acid pathway. However, under normal laboratory conditions for culture growth, neither jasmonic acid nor metabolites of the jasmonic acid pathway were present in Chlorella. In vitro enzyme studies also revealed the presence of hydroperoxide lyase activity that cleaved 13-hydroperoxylinoleic or 13-hydroperoxylinolenic acid into two products, 13-oxo-cis-9,trans-11-tridecadienoic acid and pentane (from linoleic acid) or pentene (from linolenic acid). The lyase was heat-labile, insensitive to 50 millimolar KCN, and had an approximate molecular weight of 48,000 as estimated by gel filtration. Two other products, 13-hydroxy-cis-9,trans-11,cis-15-octadecatrienoic acid and 12, 13-trans-epoxy-9-oxo-trans-10,cis-15-octadecadienoic acid, were also observed. Because these compounds are also products of nonenzymic, Fe(II)-catalyzed hydroperoxide decomposition reactions, their presence suggested that the observed lyase activity may occur via a homolytic decomposition mechanism.     

Metabolic diversity in biohydrogenation of polyunsaturated fatty acids by lactic acid bacteria involving conjugated fatty acid production

Lactobacillus plantarum AKU 1009a effectively transforms linoleic acid to conjugated linoleic acids of cis-9,trans-11-octadecadienoic acid (18:2) and trans-9,trans-11–18:2. The transformation of various polyunsaturated fatty acids by washed cells of L. plantarum AKU 1009a was investigated. Besides linoleic acid, α-linolenic acid [cis-9,cis-12,cis-15-octadecatrienoic acid (18:3)], γ-linolenic acid (cis-6,cis-9,cis-12–18:3), columbinic acid (trans-5,cis-9,cis-12–18:3), and stearidonic acid [cis-6,cis-9,cis-12,cis-15-octadecatetraenoic acid (18:4)] were found to be transformed. The fatty acids transformed by the strain had the common structure of a C18 fatty acid with the cis-9,cis-12 diene system. Three major fatty acids were produced from α-linolenic acid, which were identified as cis-9,trans-11,cis-15–18:3, trans-9,trans-11,cis-15–18:3, and trans-10,cis-15–18:2. Four major fatty acids were produced from γ-linolenic acid, which were identified as cis-6,cis-9,trans-11–18:3, cis-6,trans-9,trans-11–18:3, cis-6,trans-10–18:2, and trans-10-octadecenoic acid. The strain transformed the cis-9,cis-12 diene system of C18 fatty acids into conjugated diene systems of cis-9,trans-11 and trans-9,trans-11. These conjugated dienes were further saturated into the trans-10 monoene system by the strain. The results provide valuable information for understanding the pathway of biohydrogenation by anaerobic bacteria and for establishing microbial processes for the practical production of conjugated fatty acids, especially those produced from α-linolenic acid and γ-linolenic acid. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Simultaneous determination of all-trans-, 13-cis- and 9-cis-retinoic acid, their 4-oxo metabolites and all-trans-retinol in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography

All-trans-retinoic acid (all-trans-RA) and 13-cis-retinoic acid (13-cis-RA), due to their effects on cell differentiation, proliferation and angiogenesis, improved treatment results in some malignancies. Pharmacokinetic studies of all-trans-RA and 13-cis-RA along with monitoring of retinoic acid metabolites may help to optimize retinoic acid therapy and to develop new effective strategies for the use of retinoic acids in cancer treatment. Therefore, we developed a HPLC method for the simultaneous determination in human plasma of the physiologically important retinoic acid isomers, all-trans-, 13-cis- and 9-cis-retinoic acid, their 4-oxo metabolites, 13-cis-4-oxoretinoic acid (13-cis-4-oxo-RA) and all-trans-4-oxoretinoic acid (all-trans-4-oxo-RA), and vitamin A (all-trans-retinol). Analysis performed on a silica gel column with UV detection at 350 nm using a binary multistep gradient composed on n-hexane, 2-propanolol and glacial acetic acid. For liquid-liquid extraction a mixture of n-hexane, dichloromethane and 2-propanolol was used. The limits of detection were 0.5 ng/ml for retinoic acids and 10 ng/ml for all-trans-retinol. The method showed good reproducibility for all components (within-day C.V.: 3.02–11.70%; day-to-day C.V.: 0.01–11.34%. Furthermore, 9-cis-4-oxoretinoic acid (9-cis-4-oxo-RA) is separated from all-trans-4-oxo-RA and 13-cis-4-oxo-RA. In case of clinical use of 9-cis-retinoic acid (9-cis-RA) the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of this retinoic acid isomer can also be examined.     

Simultaneous quantification of retinol, retinal, and retinoic acid isomers by high-performance liquid chromatography with a simple gradiation

A new method of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis to quantify isomers of retinol, retinal and retinoic acid simultaneously was established. The HPLC system consisted of a silica gel absorption column and a linear gradient with two kinds of solvents containing n-Hexane, 2-propanol, and glacial acetic acid in different ratios. It separated six retinoic acid isomers (13-cis, 9-cis, all-trans, all-trans-4-oxo, 9-cis-4-oxo, 13-cis-4-oxo), three retinal isomers (13-cis-, 9-cis-, and all-trans) and two retinol isomers (13-cis- and all-trans). Human serum samples were subjected to this HPLC analysis and at least, all-trans retinol, 13-cis retinol, and all-trans retinoic acid were detectable. This HPLC system is useful for evaluating retinoic acid formation from retinol via a two-step oxidation pathway. Moreover, it could be applied to monitoring the concentrations of various retinoids, including all-trans retinoic acid in human sera.     

The Structure of Graphinone

A microorganism M–2 was isolated as a strain capable of converting (—)-menthone to other compounds. The strain was identified as Pseudomonas fluorescens by taxonomical investigation. The conversion products of (—)-menthone were determined to be (—)-t-4-isopropyl-3-oxo-r-l-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid,* (+)-c-4-isopropyl-3-oxo-r-1-cyclohexane-carboxylic acid* and (+)-t-3-hydroxy-t-4-isopropyI-r-l-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid.* As the main pathway, it was proposed that (—)-menthone was oxidized to a keto acid which was successively reduced to a hydroxy acid.     

Recharacterization of the mammalian cytosolic type 2 (R)-β-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase as 4-oxo-l-proline reductase (EC 1.1.1.104)

Early studies revealed that chicken embryos incubated with a rare analog of l-proline, 4-oxo-l-proline, showed increased levels of the metabolite 4-hydroxy-l-proline. In 1962, 4-oxo-l-proline reductase, an enzyme responsible for the reduction of 4-oxo-l-proline, was partially purified from rabbit kidneys and characterized biochemically. However, only recently was the molecular identity of this enzyme solved. Here, we report the purification from rat kidneys, identification, and biochemical characterization of 4-oxo-l-proline reductase. Following mass spectrometry analysis of the purified protein preparation, the previously annotated mammalian cytosolic type 2 (R)-β-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (BDH2) emerged as the only candidate for the reductase. We subsequently expressed rat and human BDH2 in Escherichia coli, then purified it, and showed that it catalyzed the reversible reduction of 4-oxo-l-proline to cis-4-hydroxy-l-proline via chromatographic and tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Specificity studies with an array of compounds carried out on both enzymes showed that 4-oxo-l-proline was the best substrate, and the human enzyme acted with 12,500-fold higher catalytic efficiency on 4-oxo-l-proline than on (R)-β-hydroxybutyrate. In addition, human embryonic kidney 293T (HEK293T) cells efficiently metabolized 4-oxo-l-proline to cis-4-hydroxy-l-proline, whereas HEK293T BDH2 KO cells were incapable of producing cis-4-hydroxy-l-proline. Both WT and KO HEK293T cells also produced trans-4-hydroxy-l-proline in the presence of 4-oxo-l-proline, suggesting that the latter compound might interfere with the trans-4-hydroxy-l-proline breakdown in human cells. We conclude that BDH2 is a mammalian 4-oxo-l-proline reductase that converts 4-oxo-l-proline to cis-4-hydroxy-l-proline and not to trans-4-hydroxy-l-proline, as originally thought. We also hypothesize that this enzyme may be a potential source of cis-4-hydroxy-l-proline in mammalian tissues.     

Purification and characterization of 5-oxo-l-prolinase from Paecilomyces varioti F-1, an ATP-dependent hydrolase active with l-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid

An enzyme cleaving l-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid to l-cysteine was purified 75-fold with 8% recovery to near homogeneity from crude extracts of Paecilomyces varioti F-1, which had been isolated as a fungus able to assimilate l-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid. The molecular mass was estimated to be 260 kDa by gel filtration. The purified preparation migrated as a single band of molecular mass 140 kDa upon SDS-PAGE. The maximum activity was observed at a range of pH 7.0–8.0 and at 50 °C. The enzyme activity was completely inhibited by SH-blocking reagents such as AgNO₃, p-chloromercuribenzoic acid, N-ethylmaleimide, and N-bromosuccinimide. The enzyme required ATP, Mg²⁺, and KCl for the cleavage of l-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid. The enzyme also cleaved 5-oxo-l-proline to l-glutamic acid and is considered to be 5-oxo-l-prolinase. Received: 23 March 1999 / Accepted: 22 June 1999     

Synthesis of deuterated methyl 6,9,12-octadecatrienoate geometric isomers

Methyl cis-6,cis-9,cis-12-octadecatrienoate-15,15,16,16-d₄ and the corresponding cis,cis,trans isomer were obtained by coupling hexyl-d₄-triphenylphosphonium bromide and methyl 12-oxo-cis-6,cis-9-dodecadienoate by the Wittig reaction. The deuterated phosphonium salt was prepared from 3-hexynol by catalytic deuteration of the corresponding tetrahydropyranyl ether and intermediate formation of the bromide. The dienoic aldehyde ester was obtained through the intermediate dioxanyl and dimethoxy derivatives from the Wittig coupling of methyl 9-oxo-cis-6-nonenoate with [2-(1,3-dioxan-2-yl)ethyl]-triphenylphosphonium bromide. The monoenoic aldehyde ester was prepared in a similar manner by the Wittig reaction between methyl 6-oxohexanoate and the dioxanylphosphonium salt. The saturated aldehyde ester was obtained, through several steps, from the ozonolysis of cyclohexene. Geometric isomers formed during each of the Wittig reactions were separated by silver resin chromatography. ¹³C Nuclear magnetic resonance chemical shifts for the compounds prepared are presented.     

Bacterial degradation of 3-chloroacrylic acid and the characterization of cis- and trans-specific dehalogenases

A coryneform bacterium that is able to utilize cis- and trans-3-chloroacrylic acid as sole carbon source for growth was isolated from freshwater sediment. The organism was found to produce two inducible dehalogenases, one specific for the cis- and the other for trans-3-chloroacrylic acid. Both dehalogenases were purified to homogeneity from cells induced for dehalogenase synthesis with 3-chlorocrotonic acid. The enzymes produced muconic acid semialdehyde (3-oxopropionic acid) from their respective 3-chloroacrylic acid substrate. No other substrates were found. The cis-3-chloroacrylic acid dehalogenase consisted of two polypeptide chains of a molecular weight 16.2 kDa. Trans-3-chloroacrylic acid dehalogenase was a protein with subunits of 7.4 and 8.7 kDa. The subunit and amino acid compositions and the N-terminal amino acid sequences of the enzymes indicate that they are not closely related.     

Substrate selectivity of lipases in the esterification of cis/trans-isomers and positional isomers of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)

The substrate selectivity of several microbial lipases has been examined in the esterification of the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers cis-9,trans-11-, cis-9,cis-11-, trans-9,trans-11- and trans-10,cis-12-octadecadienoic acid with n-butanol in n-hexane. Lipases from Candida cylindracea and Mucor miehei had a preference for the cis-9,trans-11-octadecadienoic acid, while Chirazyme L-5, a Candida antarctica lipase A, accepted the trans-9,trans-11-fatty acid with a high selectivity. Moreover, lipase from Candida cylindracea and Chirazyme L-5 catalysed the esterification of the cis-9,trans-11-octadecadienoic acid with n-butanol faster than the corresponding reaction of the trans-10,cis-12-fatty acid.     

Specificity of Enzyme System Producing C6-Aldehyde in Tea Chloroplasts

The substrate specificity of enzyme system producing C₆-aldehyde in Thea chloroplasts was clarified with an entire series of synthesized positional isomers, in which the position of cis-1, cis-4-pentadiene system varies from C-3 to C-13 in C₁₈ fatty acid and geometrical isomers of linoleic acid. The structural requirement for the substrate of enzyme system producing C₆-aldehyde is the presence of cis-1, cis-4-pentadiene system between ω-6 and ω-10.     

Metabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acids and their toxicity to the microflora of the rumen

Ruminal microorganisms hydrogenate polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) present in forages and thereby restrict the availability of health-promoting PUFA in meat and milk. The aim of this study was to investigate PUFA metabolism and the influence of PUFA on members of the ruminal microflora. Eleven of 26 predominant species of ruminal bacteria metabolised linoleic acid (LA; cis-9,cis-12–18:2) substantially. The most common product was vaccenic acid (trans-11–18:1), produced by species related to Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens. α-Linolenic acid (LNA; cis-9,cis-12,cis-15–18:3) was metabolised mostly by the same species. The fish oil fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5(n − 3)) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6(n − 3)) were not metabolised. Cellulolytic bacteria did not grow in the presence of any PUFA at 50 μg ml⁻¹, nor did some butyrate-producing bacteria, including the stearate producer Clostridium proteoclasticum, Butyrivibrio hungatei and Eubacterium ruminantium. Toxicity to growth was ranked EPA > DHA > LNA > LA. Cell integrity, as measured using propidium iodide, was damaged by LA in all 26 bacteria, but to different extents. Correlations between its effects on growth and apparent effects on cell integrity in different bacteria were low. Combined effects of LA and sodium lactate in E. ruminantium and C. proteoclasticum indicated that LA toxicity is linked to metabolism in butyrate-producing bacteria. PUFA also inhibited the growth of the cellulolytic ruminal fungi, with Neocallimastix frontalis producing small amounts of cis-9,trans-11–18:2 (CLA) from LA. Thus, while dietary PUFA might be useful in suppressing the numbers of biohydrogenating ruminal bacteria, particularly C. proteoclasticum, care should be taken to avoid unwanted effects in suppressing cellulolysis.     

Structural characterization of a Δ3, Δ2-enoyl-CoA isomerase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa: implications for its involvement in unsaturated fatty acid metabolism

Gene PA4980 from Pseudomonas aeruginosa encodes a putative enoyl-coenzyme A hydratase/isomerase that is associated with the function of the biofilm dispersion-inducing signal molecule cis-2-decenoic acid. To elucidate the role of PA4980 in cis-2-decenoic acid biosynthesis, we reported the crystal structure of its protein product at 2.39 Å. The structural analysis and substrate binding prediction suggest that it acts as a monofunctional enoyl-coenzyme A isomerase, implicating an alternative pathway of the cis-2-decenoic acid synthesis.     

Spin-labeling of porcine pepsin and rhizopus chinensis acid protease by diazoketone reagents

The active site of porcine pepsin and that of rhizopus chinensis acid protease were labeled with diazoketone type spin labels, 4-(3-diazo-2-oxopropylidene)-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (I) and 3-(4-diazo-3-oxo-cis-1-butenyl)-2,2,5,5-tetramethylpyrroline-1-oxyl (II), respectively. The values of τ_c showed that the nitroxide motion was only slightly restricted in the I bound enzymes. The trans isomer of II bound to another site of the enzymes. Addition of pepstatin reduced the nitroxide motion in all the labeled enzymes.     

Fatty acid composition of lipids from mushrooms belonging to the family Boletaceae

The non-polar lipid content and fatty acid (FA) composition of 11 mushroom species of the family Boletaceae were determined. The non-polar lipid content ranged from 2.0 (Leccinum aurantiacum and Boletus erythropus) to 5.4 % (w/w) d.w. (Suillus grevillei) with an average value of 2.9 %. More than 25 different FAs were found in the mushroom lipids. Unsaturated FAs, mainly linoleic and oleic acids, accounted for about 83 % of the total FAs, while palmitic acid was the main saturated FA. Some FAs are identified for the first time in Boletaceae and in higher Basidiomycetes (cis-11,12-methyleneoctadecanoic acid, 7-cis,10-cis hexadecadienoic) or in fungi (cis-11,12-methyleneoctadecanoic acid). There were significant differences (P < 0.05) in the contents of specific FAs between mushroom species.     

Lipase-catalyzed Kinetic Resolution of (±)-trans- and cis-2-Azidocycloalkanols

The lipase-catalyzed kinetic resolution of trans- and cis-2-azidocycloalkanols and the preparation of enantiomerically pure trans- and cis-2-aminocycloalkanols are described.

Four kinds of lipases were screened for the acetylation of trans- and cis-2-azidocycloalkanols. Among them, Pseudomonas sp. lipases (lipase PS and lipase AK, Amamo Pharmaceutical Co.) showed the highest enantioselectivity. These products were converted to the corresponding 2-aminocycloalkanols to determine their enantiomeric excess (ee) and absolute configurations by HPLC and CD analyses, using (S)-TBMB carboxylic acid [(S)-2-tert-butyl-2-methyl-1,3-benzodioxole-4-carboxylic acid] as the chiral conversion reagent. The results of the CD analysis proved N,O-bis-(S)-TBMB carboxylated cis-2-aminocycloalkanols to adopt a predominantly N-equatorial conformation.

The partially resolved trans- and cis-2-aminocycloalkanols, except for trans-2-aminocyclopentanol, were recrystallized from ethyl acetate to give enantiomerically pure forms.