Insect melanogenesis. II. Inability of Manduca phenoloxidase to act on 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid

Eumelanins in animals are biosynthesized by the combined action of tyrosinase, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA)chrome isomerase, and other factors. Two kinds of eumelanins were characterized from mammalian systems; these are 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI)-melanin and 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (DHICA)-melanin. In insects, melanin biosynthesis is initiated by phenoloxidase and supported by DOPAchrome isomerase (decarboxylating). Based on the facts that DOPA is a poor substrate for insect phenoloxidases and DHI is the sole product of insect DOPAchrome isomerase reaction, it is proposed that insects lack DHICA-melanin. Accordingly, the phenoloxidase isolated from the hemolymph of Manduca sexta failed to oxidize DHICA. Control experiments reveal that mushroom tyrosinase, as well as laccase, which is a contaminant in the commercial preparations of mushroom tyrosinase, are capable of oxidizing DHICA. Neither the whole hemolymph nor the cuticular extracts of M. sexta possessed any detectable oxidase activity towards this substrate. Thus, insects do not seem to produce DHICA-eumelanin. A useful staining procedure to localize DHICA oxidase activity on gels is also presented.     

An oxygen transporter hemocyanin can act on the late pathway of melanin synthesis

5,6-Dihydroxyindole (DHI) and 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (DHICA) are precursors of eumelanin. The effects of crustacean hemolymph proteins on these eumelanin-related metabolites were investigated. Zymogram analysis indicated that polymers of hemocyanin (Hc) subunits converted DHI into black pigment while no effects were observed using DHICA as a substrate. Spectrum changes for mixtures of purified Hc and DHI showed a profile similar to oxidized DHI by mushroom tyrosinase while Hc had only slight effects on DHICA. Typical inhibitors of tyrosinase and phenoloxidase severely hampered the production of oxidized DHI. Taken together with previous results, these data indicate that Hc plays a crucial role in the conversion of DHI in the hemolymph of crustaceans, which promotes late reactions in the melanin synthetic pathway as well as early reactions (oxidation of tyrosine and DOPA to dopaquinone).     

Complex Formation Between Mushroom Tyrosinase and Manduca Dopachrome Isomerase

Melanin biosynthesis in animals is initiated by the ubiquitously present tyrosinase and is aided by dopachrome isomerase. We have characterized a novel dopachrome isomerase (decarboxylating) from the hemolymph of Manduca sexta that generates a new quinone methide intermediate during melanogenesis (Sugumaran, M. and Semensi, V. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 6073–6078). This enzyme has the ability to form a complex with mushroom tyrosinase as judged by a number of physicochemical studies. The isomerase exhibited a marked inhibitory effect on tyrosinase and tyrosinase reciprocated by inhibiting the isomerase. While the isomerase showed no activity toward preformed dopaminechrome, it readily influenced the stability of dopaminechrome generated in situ by tyrosinase. Moreover, mushroom tyrosinase, which lacked specific binding to Concanavalin A Sepharose column, after complexing with the isomerase exhibited binding to this column. The complex formation also affected the pi value as well as mobility on a size exclusion column of these enzymes. Enzymes executing sequential metabolic transformation are known to form complexes called metabolons. Based on these above studies, it is concluded that both the enzymes involved in insect melanogenic pathway—phenoloxidase and dopachrome isomerase—are able to form a metabolon complex.     

Inhibitory Effects of Melanin Monomers,Dihydroxyindole-2-Carboxylic Acid (DHICA) and Dihydroxyindole (DHI) on Mammalian Tyrosinase,With a Special Reference to the Role of DHICA/DHI Ratio in Melanogenesis

DOPAchrome tautomerase (DCT) is known to control the ratio of DHICA/DHI formed within the melanocyte, but physiologic significance of this activity is not yet fully elucidated. In this study the two melanin monomers are shown to inhibit with different efficacy the initial, tyrosinase-controlled, melanogenic reaction, namely conversion of L-tyrosine to DOPAchrome (2-carboxy-2,3-dihydroindole-5,6-quinone). This is demonstrated in the test tube assay system whereby formation of DOPAchrome is catalyzed by i) isolated premelanosomes (PMS), ii) tyrosinase-rich PMS glycoproteins, or iii) tyrosinase purified from fibroblasts transfected with human tyrosinase gene. Both DHI and DHICA suppress the conversion of L-tyrosine to DOPAchrome when added to reaction mixture but the inhibitory effect is far more strongly pronounced by DHI. DHI inhibits both activities of tyrosinase—tyrosine-hydroxylation and DOPA-oxidation—more strongly than DHICA. The different extent of inhibition is shown to reflect i) the ability of the two monomers to compete with tyrosinase substrates for the enzyme's active center and ii) the rate of interaction between melanin monomers and DOPAquinone. Consequently, we demonstrate that the tyrosinase-catalyzed DOPAchrome formation can be modulated by the ratio of DHICA/DHI among melanin monomers with the increased proportion of DHICA resulting in more efficient DOPAchrome formation. These results raise the possibility that DOPAchrome tautomerase plays a role in positive control of the tyrosinase-catalyzed early phase of melanogenesis.     

A second tyrosinase-related protein, TRP-2, is a melanogenic enzyme termed DOPAchrome tautomerase.

The production of melanin pigment in mammals requires tyrosinase, an enzyme which hydroxylates the amino acid tyrosine to DOPA (3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine), thus allowing the cascade of reactions necessary to synthesize that biopolymer. However, there are other regulatory steps that follow the action of tyrosinase and modulate the quantity and quality of the melanin produced. DOPAchrome tautomerase is one such melanogenic enzyme that isomerizes the pigmented intermediate DOPAchrome to DHICA (5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid) rather than to DHI (5,6-dihydroxyindole), which would be generated spontaneously. This enzyme thus regulates a switch that controls the proportion of carboxylated subunits in the melanin biopolymer. Efforts to clone the gene for tyrosinase have resulted in the isolation of a family of tyrosinase related genes which have significant homology and encode proteins with similar predicted structural characteristics. Using specific antibodies generated against synthetic peptides encoded by unique areas of several of those proteins, we have immuno-affinity purified them and studied their melanogenic catalytic functions. We now report that TRP-2 (tyrosinase related protein-2), which maps to and is mutated at the slaty locus in mice, encodes a protein with DOPAchrome tautomerase activity.     

Functional Properties of Cloned Melanogenic Proteins

Several genes critical to the regulation of melanin production in mammals have recently been cloned and characterized. They map to the albino, brown, and slaty loci in mice, and encode proteins with similar structures and features, but with distinct catalytic capacities. The albino locus encodes tyrosinase, an enzyme with three distinct catalytic activities—tyrosine hydroxylase, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) oxidase and DHI (5,6-dihydroxyindole) oxidase. The brown locus encodes TRP-l (tyrosinase-related protein-I), which has the same, but greatly reduced, catalytic potential. The slaty locus encodes TRP-2, another tyrosinase related-protein, which has DOPAchrome tautomerase activity. In this study we have examined the enzymatic interactions of these proteins, and their regulation by a novel melanogenic inhibitor. We observed that tyrosinase activity is more stable in the presence of TRP-l and/or TRP-2, but that the catalytic function of TRP-2 is not affected by the presence of TRP-1 or tyrosinase. Other factors also may influence melanogenesis and a unique melanogenic inhibitor suppresses tyrosinase and DOPAchrome tautomerase activities, but does not affect the spontaneous rate of DOPAchrome decarboxylation to DHI. The results demonstrate the catalytic functions of these proteins and how they stably interact within a melanogenic complex in the melanosome to regulate the quantity and quality of melanin synthesized by the melanocyte.     

N-acetyldopamine quinone methide/1,2-dehydro-N-acetyl dopamine tautomerase. A new enzyme involved in sclerotization of insect cuticle

The enzyme system causing the side chain desaturation of the sclerotizing precursor, N-acetyldopamine (NADA), was solubilized from the larval cuticle of Sarcophaga bullata and resolved into three components. The first enzyme, phenoloxidase, catalyzed conversion of NADA to NADA quinone and provided it for the second enzyme (NADA quinone isomerase), which makes the highly unstable NADA quinone methide. Quinone methide was hydrated rapidly and nonenzymatically to form N-acetylnorepinephrine. In addition, it also served as the substrate for the last enzyme, quinone methide tautomerase, which converted it to 1,2-dehydro-NADA. Reconstitution of NADA side chain desaturase activity was achieved by mixing the last enzyme fraction with NADA quinone isomerase, obtained from the hemolymph of the same organism, and mushroom tyrosinase. Therefore, NADA side chain desaturation observed in insects is caused by the combined action of three enzymes rather than the action of a single specific NADA desaturase, as previously thought.     

The Expression of Tyrosinase,Tyrosinase-Related Proteins 1 and 2 (TRP1 and TRP2), the Silver Protein,and a Melanogenic Inhibitor in Human Melanoma Cells of Differing Melanogenic Activities

The expression of various melanogenic proteins, including tyrosinase, the tyrosinase-related proteins 1 (TRP1) and 2 (TRP2/DOPAchrome tautomerase), and the silver protein in human melanocytes was studied in six different human melanoma cell lines and compared to a mouse derived melanoma cell line. Analysis of the expression of tyrosinase, TRP1, TRP2, and the silver protein using flow cytometry revealed that in general there was a positive correlation between melanin formation and the expression of those melanogenic enzymes. Although several of the melanoma cell lines possessed significant activities of TRP2, the levels of DOPAchrome tautomerase in extracts of human cells were relatively low compared to those in murine melanocytes. Melanins derived from melanotic murine JB/MS cells, from melanotic human Ihara cells and HM-IY cells, from sepia melanin, and from C57BL/6 mouse hair were chemically analyzed. JB/MS cells, as well as Ihara cells and HM-TY cells, possessed significant amounts of 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (DHICA) derived melanins, this being dependent on the activity of TRP2. Kinetic HPLC assays showed that 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI) produced during melanogenesis was metabolized quickly to melanin in pigmented KHm-1/4 cells, whereas DHI was stable in amelanotic human SK-MEL-24 cells. A melanogenic inhibitor that has been purified from SK-MEL-24 cells that suppressed oxidation of DHI in the presence or absence of tyrosinase, but had no effect on DHICA oxidation. The sum of these results suggest that the expression of melanogenic enzymes as well as the activity of a melanogenic inhibitor are critical to the production of melanin synthesis in humans.     

Synthesis and characterization of melanins from dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid and dihydroxyindole.

Several studies have confirmed that a melanocyte-specific enzyme, dopachrome tautomerase (EC 5.3.2.3), catalyzes the isomerization of dopachrome to 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (DHICA) (Pawelek, 1991). Here we report that DHICA, produced either enzymatically with dopachrome tautomerase or through chemical synthesis, spontaneously polymerized to form brown melanin that was soluble in aqueous solutions above pH 5. Under the same reaction conditions, solutions of either DOPA, DOPAchrome, or 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI) formed black, insoluble melanin precipitates. When DHICA and DHI were mixed together, with DHICA in molar excess, little or no precipitation of DHI-melanin occurred and the rate and extent of soluble melanin formation was markedly enhanced over that achieved with DHICA alone, suggesting co-polymerization of DHICA and DHI. With or without DHI, DHICA-melanins absorbed throughout the ultraviolet and visible spectra (200-600 nm). The DHICA-melanins precipitated below pH 5, at least in part because of protonation of the carboxyl groups. DHICA-melanins could be passed through 0.22 micron filters but could not be dialyzed through semi-permeable membranes with exclusion limits of 12,000-14,000 daltons. HPLC/molecular sieve analyses revealed apparent molecular weights ranging from 20,000 to 200,000 daltons, corresponding to 100-1,000 DHICA monomers per molecule of melanin. DHICA-melanins were stable to boiling, lyophilization, freezing and thawing, and incubation at room temperature for more than 1 year. The natural occurrence of oligomers of DHICA was first reported by Ito and Nichol (1974) in their studies of the brown tapetal pigment in the eye of the sea catfish (Arius felis L.).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Comparative biochemistry of eumelanogenesis and the protective roles of phenoloxidase and melanin in insects

The phenolic biopolymer eumelanin is an important skin pigment found throughout the animal kingdom. The enzyme, tyrosinase, initiates melanogenesis in mammals. The biogenesis is assisted by a number of mammalian protein factors including dopachrome tautomerase and 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylate oxidase. Invertebrates, such as insects, employ phenoloxidase and dopachrome (decarboxylating) isomerase for melanin biosynthesis. Recently generated molecular biological and biochemical data indicate that tyrosinase and phenoloxidase are distinctly different enzymes in spite of possessing both monophenol monooxygenase activity as well as o-diphenoloxidase activity. Similarly, insect dopachrome isomerase also differs significantly from its mammalian counterpart in several of its properties including the nature of the enzymatic reaction. In addition, there are considerable differences in the eumelanogenic pathways of these two animal groups that include the utility of substrates, use of dihydroxyindoles and the nature of eumelanin pigment. Thus, the biochemistry and molecular biology of melanogenesis in mammals and insects are significantly different. The advantages of generating different eumelanin pigments and intermediates by the insects are discussed.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Melanins From Dihydroxyindole-2-Carboxylic Acid and Dihydroxyindole

Several studies have confirmed that a melanocyte-specific enzyme, dopachrome tautomerase (EC 5.3.2.3), catalyzes the isomerization of dopachrome to 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (DHICA) (Pawelek, 1991). Here we report that DHICA, produced either enzymatically with dopachrome tautomerase or through chemical synthesis, spontaneously polymerized to form brown melanin that was soluble in aqueous solutions above pH 5. Under the same reaction conditions, solutions of either DOPA, DOPAchrome, or 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI) formed black, insoluble melanin precipitates. When DHICA and DHI were mixed together, with DHICA in molar excess, little or no precipitation of DHI-melanin occurred and the rate and extent of soluble melanin formation was markedly enhanced over that achieved with DHICA alone, suggesting co-polymerization of DHICA and DHI. With or without DHI, DHICA-melanins absorbed throughout the ultraviolet and visible spectra (200-600 nm). The DHICA-melanins precipitated below pH 5, at least in part because of protonation of the carboxyl groups. DHICA-melanins could be passed through 0.22 μm filters but could not be dialyzed through semi-permeable membranes with exclusion limits of 12,000-14,000 daltons. HPLC/molecular sieve analyses revealed apparent molecular weights ranging from 20,000 to 200,000 daltons, corresponding to 100-1,000 DHICA monomers per molecule of melanin. DHICA-melanins were stable to boiling, lyophilization, freezing and thawing, and incubation at room temperature for more than 1 year. The natural occurrence of oligomers of DHICA was first reported by Ito and Nichol (1974) in their studies of the brown tapetal pigment in the eye of the sea catfish (Arius felis L.). In experiments reported here, brown, but not black, melanins from mouse hairs, human melanoma cells, and peacock feathers were soluble in aqueous buffers. Since DHICA-melanins are both soluble and brown, the results raise the possibility that they are determinants of brown colors in the animal kingdom.     

Insect melanogenesis. III. Metabolon formation in the melanogenic pathway-regulation of phenoloxidase activityy by endogenous dopachrome isomerase (decarboxylating) from Manduca sexta

Tyrosinase initiates melanogenesis in a variety of organisms. The nature of melanin formed is modified subsequently by dopachrome isomerase and other melanogenic proteins. Earlier, we reported the partial purification of dopachrome isomerase (decarboxylating) from the hemolymph of Manduca sexta and demonstrated the generation of a new quinone methide intermediate during melanogenesis (Sugumaran, M., and Semensi, V. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 6073-6078). In this paper, we report the purification of this enzyme to homogeneity and a novel inhibition mechanism for regulation of phenoloxidase activity. The activity of phenoloxidase isolated from M. sexta was markedly inhibited by purified dopachrome isomerase. In turn, phenoloxidase also reciprocated by inhibiting the isomerase activity. Preformed dopaminechrome did not serve as the substrate for the isomerase; but dopaminechrome that generated in situ by phenoloxidase was readily converted to melanin pigment by the phenoloxidase/isomerase mixture. Furthermore, the isomerase, which has a molecular weight of about 40,000 in native state, exhibited retardation during affinity electrophoresis on sodium dodeyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gel copolymerized with tyrosinase and migrated with a molecular weight of 50,000, indicating complex formation with phenoloxidase. Electrophoresis of pupal cuticular extract on polyacrylamide gel, followed by activity staining revealed the presence of a protein band carrying both phenoloxidase and isomerase activity. Accordingly, a high-molecular-weight melanogenic complex was isolated from the pharate cuticle of M. sexta. The complex catalyzed the generation of melanochrome from dopa, while the free phenoloxidase produced only dopachrome from the same substrate. When the complex was treated with trace amounts of SDS, which inhibited the activity of dopachrome isomerase present in the complex, then only the conversion of dopa to dopachrome was observed. These studies confirm the formation of a melanogenic complex between phenoloxidase and dopachrome isomerase. By forming a complex and regulating each other's activity, these two enzymes seem to control the levels of endogenous quinones.     

ArgTX-636, a polyamine isolated from spider venom: A novel class of melanogenesis inhibitors

To discover new molecules with an inhibitory activity of melanogenesis a hundred of scorpions, snakes, spiders and amphibians venoms were screened for their capacity to inhibit mushroom tyrosinase using 3,4-l-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-DOPA) as substrate.The Argiope lobata spider venom proved to be the most active. HPLC fraction containing Argiotoxine-636 (ArgTX-636), a polyamine known for its numerous biological activities, was found to also show a good regulation activity of melanogenesis by inhibiting DOPA and 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (DHICA) oxidases activities, wore by tyrosinase (TYR) and tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TRP-1), respectively. Our results demonstrate that ArgTX-636 reduced the mushroom tyrosinase activity in a dose-dependent way with a maximal half inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value of 8.34 μM, when l-DOPA is used as substrate. The Lineweaver–Burk study showed that ArgTX-636 is a mixed type inhibitor of the diphenolase activity. Moreover, ArgTX-636 inhibits DHICA oxydase activity of mushroom tyrosinase activity with IC₅₀ at 41.3 μM. ArgTX-636 has no cytotoxicity in B16F10 melanoma cells at concentrations up to 42.1 μM. The effect of ArgTX-636 on melanogenesis showed that melanin production in B16F10 melanoma cell decreased by approximatively 70% compared to untreated cells. ArgTX-636 displayed no significant effect on the TYR expression while the protein level of TRP-1 decreased in B16F10 cells. Thus, ArgTX-636 could have particular interest for cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical use in order to reduce important dermatoses in black and mixed skins.     

Lipoxygenase/H2O2-catalyzed oxidation of dihydroxyindoles: synthesis of melanin pigments and study of their antioxidant properties

5,6-Dihydroxyindole (DHI) and 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (DHICA), which are important intermediates in melanogenesis, can be converted into the corresponding melanin pigments by the action of the lipoxygenase/H₂O₂ system. Kinetic and HPLC analyses indicate that both DHI and DHICA are good substrates for this enzymatic system. Enzyme activity on both substrates was measured in comparison with peroxidase and tyrosinase; the oxidizing behaviour of lipoxygenase is more similar to that of peroxidase rather than that of tyrosinase. The antioxidant properties of DHI- and DHICA-melanins have been investigated in comparison with other kinds of melanins. DHICA-melanin shows a more pronounced antioxidant effect than that of DHI-melanin and this behaviour can be ascribed to the different structure and solubility of the two pigments. The mixed polymer synthesized from DHI and DHICA is the most effective one. Some implications about the possible explanation of the above mentioned behaviour are discussed.     

The DHICA Oxidase Activity of the Melanosomal Tyrosinases LEMT and HEMT

Although melanins can be formed in vitro by the unique action of tyrosinase on L-tyrosine, it is now well accepted that other enzymes termed tyrosinase-related proteins are involved in mammalian melanogenesis. However, some aspects of their roles in the regulation of the pathway are still unknown. The action of dopachrome tautomerase on L-dopachrome yields DHICA, a stable dihydroxyindole with a low rate of spontaneous oxidation. However, DHICA is efficiently incorporated to the pigment, as judged by the high content of carboxylated indole units in natural melanins. Therefore, the fate of this melanogenic intermediate and the mechanisms of its incorporation to the melanin polymer are major issues in the study of melanogenesis. We have recently shown that mouse melanosomes contain two electrophoretically distinguishable tyrosinase isoenzymes, LEMT and HEMT, that can be purified and completely resolved (Jiménez-Cervantes et al., 1993a). Herein, we have compared the ability of these tyrosinases to catalyze DHICA oxidation. Although highly purified LEMT shows a very low specific activity for dopa oxidation in comparison to HEMT, it is able to catalyze DHICA oxidation. However, the DHICA oxidase activity of HEMT was very low, if significant. The ability of purified LEMT to catalyze DHICA oxidation was abolished by heat, trypsin, or phenylthiourea treatments. LEMT acting on DHICA caused the formation of a brownish soluble color similar to DHICA-melanin. Immunoprecipitation of the DHICA oxidase activity of LEMT by specific antibodies suggests that this activity corresponds to TRP1. These results indicate that LEMT, most probably identical to the product of the b locus, is a tyrosinase having a specific DHICA oxidase activity. Opposite to HEMT, the true tyrosinase encoded by the albino locus, its role in melanogenesis would be related to the incorporation of DHICA into eumelanin rather than to the first steps of the pathway.     

Regulation of the final phase of mammalian melanogenesis. The role of dopachrome tautomerase and the ratio between 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid and 5,6-dihydroxyindole.

The regulation of the final steps of the melanogenesis pathway, after L-2-carboxy-2,3-dihydroindole-5,6-quinone (dopachrome) formation, is studied. It is shown that both tyrosinase and dopachrome tautomerase are involved in the process. In vivo, it seems that tyrosinase is involved in the regulation of the amount of melanin formed, whereas dopachrome tautomerase is mainly involved in the size, structure and composition of melanin, by regulating to the incorporation of 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (DHICA) into the polymer. Moreover, using L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (dopa) and related compounds, it was shown that the presence of dopachrome tautomerase mediates an initial acceleration of melanogenesis since L-dopachrome is rapidly transformed to DHICA, but that melanin formation is inhibited because of the stability of this carboxylated indole compared to 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI), its decarboxylated counterpart obtained by spontaneous decarboxylation of L-dopachrome. Using L-dopa methyl ester as a precursor of melanogenesis, it is shown that this carboxylated indole does not polymerize in the absence of DHI, even in the presence of tyrosinase. However, it is incorporated into the polymer in the presence of both tyrosinase and DHI. Thus, this study suggests that DHI is essential for melanin formation, and the rate of polymerization depends on the ratio between DHICA and DHI in the medium. In the melanosome, this ratio should be regulated by the ratio between the activities of dopachrome tautomerase and tyrosinase.     

Mutational mapping of the catalytic activities of human tyrosinase.

Tyrosinase (EC 1.14.18.1) is a copper-containing metalloglycoprotein that catalyzes several steps in the melanin pigment biosynthetic pathway; the hydroxylation of tyrosine to L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (dopa) and the subsequent oxidation of dopa to dopaquinone. It has been proposed that tyrosinase is also able to oxidize 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI), a later product in the melanogenic pathway, to indole-5,6-quinone. Tyrosinase enzymatic activity is deficient in patients with classic type I oculocutaneous albinism (OCA), and more than 50 distinct mutations have now been identified in the tyrosinase genes of such patients. To determine the effects of the various tyrosinase gene mutations on the catalytic activities of the enzyme, we carried out site-directed mutagenesis of human tyrosinase cDNA, transiently expressed the mutant cDNAs in transfected HeLa cells, and assayed the resultant encoded proteins for tyrosine hydroxylase, dopa, and DHI oxidase activities, and resulting melanin production. The tyrosine hydroxylase activity of normal tyrosinase is thermostable, whereas its dopa oxidase and DHI oxidase activities are temperature-sensitive. Although all amino acid substitutions tested generally affected the dopa oxidase and DHI oxidase activities in parallel, several exerted distinctly different effects on the tyrosine hydroxylase activities. Together, these results confirm the DHI oxidase activity of mammalian tyrosinase and suggest that the dopa oxidase and DHI oxidase activities of tyrosinase share a common catalytic site, whereas the tyrosine hydroxylase catalytic site is at least partially distinct in the tyrosinase polypeptide.     

A new mechanism for the control of phenoloxidase activity: inhibition and complex formation with quinone isomerase

Insect phenoloxidases participate in three physiologically important processes, viz., cuticular hardening (sclerotization), defense reactions (immune reaction), and wound healing. Arrest or even delay of any of these processes compromises the survival of insects. Since the products of phenoloxidase action, viz., quinones, are cytotoxic, uncontrolled phenoloxidase action is deleterious to the insects. Therefore, the activity of this important enzyme has to be finely controlled. A novel inhibition of insect phenoloxidases, which serves as a new regulatory mechanism for control of its activity, is described. The activity of phenoloxidases isolated from both Sarcophaga bullata and Manduca sexta is drastically inhibited by quinone isomerase (isolated from Calliphora), an enzyme that utilizes the phenoloxidase-generated 4-alkylquinones. In turn, phenoloxidase reciprocated the inhibition of isomerase. By forming a complex and controlling each other's activity, these two enzymes seem to regulate the levels of endogenously quinones. In support of this contention, an endogenous complex consisting of phenoloxidase, quinone isomerase, and quinone methide isomerase was characterized from the insect, Calliphora. This sclerotinogenic complex was isolated and purified by borate extraction of the larval cuticle, ammonium sulfate precipitation, and Sepharose 6B column chromatography. The complex exhibited a molecular mass of about 620-680 kDa, as judged by size-exclusion chromatography on Sepharose 6B and HPLC and did not even enter 3% polyacrylamide gel during electrophoresis. The phenoloxidase activity of the complex exhibited a wide substrate specificity. Incubation of the complex with N-acetyldopamine rapidly generated N-acetylnorepinephrine, dehydro-N-acetyldopamine, and its dimers. In addition, transient accumulation of N-acetyldopamine quinone was also observed. These results confirm the presence of phenoloxidase, quinone isomerase, and quinone methide isomerase in the complex. Attempts to dissociate the complex with even trace amounts of SDS ended in the total loss of quinone isomerase activity. The complex does not seems to be made up of stoichiometric amounts of individual enzymes as the ratio of phenoloxidase to quinone isomerase varied from preparation to preparation. It is proposed that the complex formation between sequential enzymes of sclerotinogenic pathway is advantageous for the organism to effectively channel various reactive intermediates during cuticular hardening.     

Maintenance of immune hyporesponsiveness to melanosomal proteins by DHICA-mediated antioxidation: Possible implications for autoimmune vitiligo

Melanocyte destruction in the skin of vitiligo patients has been considered to be a consequence of an autoimmune response against melanosomal proteins. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms by which the immune system recognizes these sequestered intracellular self-proteins, which are confined in specialized organelles termed melanosomes, and is provoked into an autoimmune response to melanocytes. Here, we utilize a sucrose density-gradient ultracentrifugation protocol to enrich melanosomal components from dopachrome tautomerase (Dct)-mutant or wild-type melanocytes exposed to a pulse of hydrogen peroxide at a noncytotoxic concentration to evaluate their immunogenicity in mice challenged with the corresponding melanosomal proteins. The results demonstrate that enhanced humoral and cellular immune responses to a challenge with late-stage melanosomal proteins, especially with those derived from Dct-mutant melanocytes, are found in the immunized mice. To elucidate whether a reduced 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (DHICA) content in melanin might cause a loss in antioxidative protection to the proteins, we incubated these melanosomal proteins in vitro with synthetic 5,6-dihydroindole (DHI)-melanin or DHI/DHICA (1:1)-melanin and then used them to immunize mice. T cell proliferation and IgG antibody responsiveness to the challenges were significantly induced by melanosomal proteins treated with DHI-melanin, but not by those treated with DHI/DHICA (1:1)-melanin. Moreover, we observed that melanosomal proteins derived from Dct-mutant melanocytes are subject to oxidative modifications that alter their antigenic configurations to attain an enhanced immunogenicity compared with those derived from wild-type melanocytes. From these results, we conclude that DHICA-mediated antioxidation plays a critical role in the maintenance of immune hyporesponsiveness to melanosomal proteins.     

Evidence against superoxide involvement in tyrosine hydroxylation by mushroom tyrosinase

The possible involvement of superoxide anions in the hydroxylation of tyrosine by mushroom tyrosinase was studied. Superoxide dismutase and scavengers of superoxide ions of smaller MW than superoxide dismutase, such as nitroblue tetrazolium and copper salicylate, had no direct effect on the monohydroxyphenolase activity of mushroom tyrosinase. The kinetics of tyrosine hydroxylation, but not of DOPA oxidation, by mushroom tyrosinase was atrected by the addition of a xanthine-xanthine oxidase system. In the presence of the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system, the lag period of tyrosine hydroxylation was shortened compared to the lag period in the absence of the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system. The xanthine- xanthine oxidase system alone (without mushroom tyrosinase) had no effect on tyrosine conversion to dopachrome. Superoxide dismutase, catalase and hydroxyl radical scavengers counteracted to some extent the shortening of the lag period of tyrosine hydroxylation by mushroom tyrosinase caused by the xanthin e-xanthine oxidase system. It is suggested that the shortening of the lag period is due mainly to hydroxyl radicals generated by the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system via interaction of O₂^?. and hydrogen paroxide (a Haber-Weiss type reaction). The data do not support the direct participation of superoxide anions in tyrosine hydroxylation by mushroom tyrosinase.