Hemin-mediated oxidative inactivation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase

Summary Addition of hemoglobin, methemoglobin, hemin or hematin in the assay mixture of rat liver 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA (HMGCoA) reductase inhibited the activity of the enzyme. The inhibition by hemin was rapid, without any apparent dependence on time of preincubation. At 20 M hemin, a maximum of about 50% inhibition was obtained in the case of the microsomal enzyme while the solubilized enzyme showed almost 80%6 inhibition. Dithiothreitol at high concentrations or either of the two substrates of the enzyme (HMGCoA and NADPH) could afford partial protection when added before hemin. The K_m for both the substrates increased in the presence of hemin. The inhibition by hemin appeared to be irreversible, the presence of KCN or NaN₃ being the only means of preventing the inhibition. Molecular oxygen was required for the inhibition. Oxygen radicals and H₂O₂, however, did not seem to be involved. This offered a clue that an oxidation reaction of the reductase protein may be the likely mechanism of its inactivation. The enzyme protein did not, however, get degraded under the conditions of inhibition.Abbreviations HMGCoA 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme - DTT Dithiothreitol - DTNB 5,5-Dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) - SDS-PAGE Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis     

Kinetic properties and inhibition of Trypanosoma cruzi 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase

A detailed kinetic analysis of the recombinant soluble enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase (HMGR) from Trypanosoma cruzi has been performed. The enzyme catalyzes the normal anabolic reaction and the reductant is NADPH. It also catalyzes the oxidation of mevalonate but at a lower proportion compared to the anabolic reaction. We report that the catalytically active species of HMGR in solution is the tetrameric form. Fluvastatin inhibited competitively the enzyme while cerivastatin binds by a mechanism which is more accurately described by a biphasic process characteristic of a class of ‘slow, tight-binding’ inhibitors.     

Reversible phosphorylation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase in Morris hepatomas

The reversible phosphorylation of microsomal 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase in host liver and hepatoma 5123C has been investigated. The percentage of the total enzyme activity in vivo was similar in the normal liver, host liver and hepatoma 5123C. The inclusion of 30 mM EDTA and 10 mM mevalonic acid in assays of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase inactivation in vitro eliminated artifacts generated by the presence of mevalonate kinase. Inactivation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase from normal liver, host liver and hepatoma occurred at a similar rate with similar half-times. We conclude that phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase occurs in hepatomas and that the lack of dietary cholesterol feedback inhibition in the hepatomas is not a result of a defect in this particular aspect of the reversible phosphorylation system.     

Determination of hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase activity in man

Procedures were developed for the determination of the activity of the microsomal enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase (HMG CoA reductase, EC 1.1.1.34) in human liver. The enzyme assay could be carried out with as little as 20 mg of fresh liver tissue, thus making the method applicable to specimens obtained by percutaneous liver biopsy. Experiments were carried out to determine optimal assay conditions and to establish the identity and radiopurity of the reaction product formed from 3-(14)C-labeled 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA. The specific activity of the enzyme was measured in a number of patients with different disorders of lipid metabolism.     

Localization of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA synthase in the rat liver and intestine is affected by cholestyramine and mevinolin

In the normal fed rat, both 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA (HMG-CoA) synthase and HMG-CoA reductase are found in high concentrations in hepatocytes that are localized periportally. The majority of the liver cells show little or no evidence of either enzyme. Addition of cholestyramine and mevinolin to the diet resulted in all liver cells showing strong positive staining for both HMG-CoA reductase and HMG-CoA synthase. These two drugs increased the hepatic HMG-CoA reductase and HMG-CoA synthase activities 92- and 6-fold, respectively, and also increased the HMG-CoA reductase activity in intestine, heart, and kidney 3- to 15-fold. We used immunofluorescence and avidin-biotin labeled antibody to localize HMG-CoA reductase in the rat intestine. In rats fed a normal diet, the most HMG-CoA reductase-positive cells were the villi of the ileum greater than jejunum greater than duodenum. Crypt cells showed no evidence of HMG-CoA reductase. Addition of cholestyramine and mevinolin to the diet led to a dramatic increase in the concentration of HMG-CoA reductase in the apical region of the villi of the ileum and jejunum and in the crypt cells of the duodenum. Hence these two drugs affected both the relative concentration and distribution of intestinal HMG-CoA reductase. Cholestyramine and mevinolin feeding induced in the liver, but not intestine, whorls of smooth endoplasmic reticulum that were proximal to the nucleus and contained high concentrations of HMG-CoA reductase. Administration of mevalonolactone led to the rapid dissolution of the hepatic whorls within 15 min, at a time when there is little or no change in the mass of HMG-CoA reductase. We conclude that the whorls are present in the livers of rats fed cholestyramine and mevinolin because the cells are deprived of a cellular product normally synthesized from mevalonate.     

Purification and characterization of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase from potato tubers

3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (NADPH) was solubilized by trypsin digestion from sliced potato tuber microsomes, and purified to apparent homogeneity in the absence of detergent with a recovery of 1.8%. The enzyme had a specific activity of 7,910 nmol of mevalonate formed per min per mg of protein. On molecular-sieving high-performance liquid chromatography, the activity was coincident with the single protein peak corresponding to a molecular weight of approximately 110 kDa. On SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the purified enzyme showed only one protein staining band corresponding to a molecular weight of approximately 55 kDa. The apparent Km value for S-HMG-CoA was 6.4 microM and that for NADPH was 25 microM.     

Stimulation of hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase on administration of ATP

The depressed activity of hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase in starved or cholesterol fed rats was stimulated on intraperitoneally administering small quantities of ATP.     

Simplified spectrophotometric assay for microsomal 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase by measurement of coenzyme A

A new assay for 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase (mevalonate:NADP oxidoreductase [acylating CoA], EC 1.1.1.34) is based upon the measurement of released coenzyme A (SH) during the reduction of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA to mevalonate. Coenzyme A was measured in the presence of dithiothreitol, required for activity, by reaction with 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid). Sodium arsenite forms a complex with the dithiol, but not with monothiols. Thus, reduced coenzyme A reacts instantaneously with the reagent and dithiothreitol reacts slowly. The absorbance due to the coenzyme A-5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) reaction is determined by extrapolating the linear (dithiol) absorbance-time curve to the time of addition of the reagent. After subtraction of control absorbance (deletion of NADPH), the concentration of CoA-SH is calculated from epsilon(max) = 1.36 x 10(4) at 412 nm. The method of protein removal and reduction of sulfhydryl groups on the enzyme are critical. This method provides an immediate assay. Recovery of reduced coenzyme A was 98.7%. The assay is applicable for microsomes or purified enzyme and has an effective range of 0.5-50 nmoles of coenzyme A. It was applied to kinetic measurement of the pigeon liver microsomal enzyme reaction. The apparent K(m) value for 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA was 1.75 x 10(-5) M, and for NADPH the value was 6.81 x 10(-4) M. This method was compared with the dual-label method at high and low levels of activity. The data were not statistically different.     

Phosphorylation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase by microsomal 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase kinase

Microsomal 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase kinase has been purified to apparent homogeneity by a process involving the following steps: solubilization from microsomes and chromatography on Affi-Gel Blue, phosphocellulose, Bio-Gel A 1.5m, and agarose-hexane-ATP. The apparent M_r of the purified enzyme as judged by gel-filtration chromatography is 205,000 and by sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis is 105,000. Immunoprecipitation of homogeneous reductase phosphorylated by reductase kinase and [γ-³²P]ATP produces a unique band containing ³²P bound to protein which migrates at the same R_f as the reductase subunit. Incubation of ³²P-labeled HMG-CoA reductase with reductase phosphatase results in a time-dependent loss of protein-bound ³²P radioactivity, as well as an increase in enzymic activity. Reductase kinase, when incubated with ATP, undergoes autophosphorylation, and a simultaneous increase in its enzymatic activity is observed. Tryptic treatment of immunoprecipitated, ³²P-labeled HMG-CoA reductase phosphorylated with reductase kinase produces only one ³²P-labeled phosphopeptide with the same R_f as one of the two tryptic phosphopeptides that have been reported in a previous paper. The possible existence of a second microsomal reductase kinase is discussed.     

Assay of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase activity using anionic-exchange column chromatography.

A rapid, easy, and sensitive method is described in this paper for the assay of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA (HMG CoA) reductase, a key enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis. [14C]HMG CoA was used as the substrate and the product formed, i.e., [14C]mevalonate, was allowed to be converted to its lactone form (mevalonolactone) in the presence of HCl. The reaction mixture was applied to a column containing an anionic exchanger. The column was made up of QAE-Sephadex (A25, formate form) packed to a height of 4 cm in Pasteur pipets. Under these conditions, mevalonolactone was not retained by the column and was eluted with ammonium formate solution while HMG CoA, being negatively charged, was retained by the gel and eluted by HCl above 0.05 M. Determination of the amount of radioactivity in mevalonolactone was then used to quantitate the activity of HMG CoA reductase. This assay has been successfully used for determining the activity of this enzyme in a microsomal fraction prepared from the liver of the rat.     

Sulfhydryl/disulfide forms of rat liver 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase

Using radiation inactivation and immunoblotting techniques, evidence for functionally active forms of rat liver 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase with molecular weights of about 100,000 and 200,000 was obtained. In liver microsomes isolated from rats fed both mevinolin and colestipol, the Mr 100,000 form was the predominant species, whereas in microsomes from animals fed only colestipol, the Mr 200,000 species was the major form. This Mr 200,000 form could be converted to the Mr 100,000 form by addition of dithiothreitol or beta-mercaptoethanol. Although both forms appear to possess catalytic activity, the Mr 200,000 species displays sigmoidal kinetics with respect to the concentration of NADPH, whereas the Mr 100,000 form exhibits typical hyperbolic kinetics.     

Adriamycin treatment increases 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase and isoprene biosynthesis in the rat liver

Treatment of rats with Adriamycin caused an increase in the incorporation into hepatic cholesterol of [1-¹⁴C] acetate, but not of [2-¹⁴C] mevalonate. The step affected was found to be 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase whose activity in the liver microsomes increased in Adriamycin-treated animals, but was inhibited when the drug was added in the assay medium. Also, the concentration of ubiquinone in the liver and of cholesterol in the plasma increased.     

Preparation of a soluble 58kDa-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase from liver microsomes and its inhibition by ethoxysilatrane,a hypocholesterolemic compound

On repeated thawing at room temperature of frozen preparations of heavy microsomes from rat livers, HMGCoA reductase activity was solubilized due to limited proteolysis. This soluble enzyme was partially purified by fractionation with ammonium sulfate and filtration on Sephacryl S-200 column. The active enzyme was coeluted with a major 92 kDa-protein and was identified as a 58kDa-protein after separation by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting. Ethoxysilatrane, a hypocholesterolemic compound, which decreased the liver-microsomal activity of HMGCoA reductase on intra-peritonial treatment of animals, showed little effect on the enzyme activity with isolated microsomes or the 50kDa-soluble enzyme when added in the assay. But it was able to inhibit the activity of the soluble 58kDa-enzyme in a concentration-dependent, reversible manner. Cholesterol and an oxycholesterol were without effect whereas chlorophenoxyisobutyrate and ubiquinone showed small inhibition under these conditions. The extra region that links the active site domain (50kDa protein) to the membrane, present in the 58kDa-protein appears to be involved in mediating the inhibition by silatrane.     

12-0-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate induced alterations in mouse epidermal 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase

Topical application of the tumor promoter 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetase to the mouse skin resulted in a significant initial increase (at 2 h) in the activity of epidermal hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA reductase followed by a significant decrease by 24 h. Phorbol and phorbol diacetate, which do not cause hyperplasia or promote skin tumor formation, has no effect on this enzyme. Ethylphenylpropiolate, a strong inducer of hyperplasia but a non-tumor promoter, also showed no effect on the reductase activity. Topical application of the products of hydroxymethylgutaryl CoA reductase viz. mevalanolactone or isopentenyl adenosine caused a decrease while cholesterol produced no change in hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA reductase activity. It is speculated that isopentenyladenosine or a closely related product, formed by the initial increase in hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA reductase activity following TPA application, might exert feedback inhibition.     

Regulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry - Within the last few years considerable evidence has accumulated which indicates that changes in HMG-CoA reductase are due primarily, if not solely, to changes...     

Improved assay of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase

Two improvements are described for the assay of HMG CoA reductase. These are a simple synthesis of the substrate precursor HMG-3-(14)C anhydride and a double-label ((14)C and (3)H) method for determining the amount of mevalonate-3-(14)C that is formed from the substrate.