Spontaneous transfer of phospholipid and cholesterol hydroperoxides between cell membranes and low-density lipoprotein: assessment of reaction kinetics and prooxidant effects

Under oxidative pressure in the vascular circulation, erythrocytes and phagocytic cells may accumulate membrane lipid hydroperoxides (LOOHs), including cholesterol- and phospholipid-derived species (ChOOHs, PLOOHs). LOOH translocation from cells to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) might sensitize the latter to free radical-mediated oxidative modification, an early event associated with atherogenesis. To test this, we examined the spontaneous transfer kinetics of various ChOOH species (5 alpha-OOH, 6 alpha-OOH, 6 beta-OOH, 7 alpha/7 beta-OOH) and various PLOOH groups (PCOOH, PEOOH, PSOOH, SMOOH) using photoperoxidized erythrocyte ghosts as model donors and freshly prepared LDL as an acceptor. LOOH departure or uptake was monitored by reverse-phase HPLC with reductive electrochemical detection. Mildly peroxidized ghost membranes transferred overall ChOOH and PLOOH to LDL with apparent first-order rate constants approximately 60 and approximately 35 times greater than those of the respective parent lipids. Individual ChOOH rate constants decreased in the following order: 7 alpha/7 beta-OOH > 5 alpha-OOH > 6 alpha-OOH > 6 beta-OOH. Kinetics for reverse transfer from LDL to ghosts followed the same trend, but rates were significantly higher for all species and their combined activation energy was lower (41 vs 85 kJ/mol). PLOOH transfer rate constants ranged from 4- to 15-fold lower than the composite ChOOH constant, their order being as follows: PCOOH approximately PEOOH approximately PSOOH > SMOOH. Similar PLOOH transfer kinetics were observed when LDL acceptor was replaced by unilamellar liposomes, consistent with desorption from the donor membrane being the rate-limiting step. The susceptibility of transfer LOOH-enriched LDL to Cu2+-induced chain peroxidative damage was assessed by monitoring the accumulation of conjugated dienes and products of free radical-mediated cholesterol oxidation. In both cases, transfer-acquired LOOHs significantly reduced the lag time for chain initiation relative to that observed using nonperoxidized ghosts. These findings are consistent with the idea that LDL can acquire significant amounts of "seeding" LOOHs via translocation from various donors in the circulation.     

Preparation of pure lipid hydroperoxides

Increasing evidence of lipid peroxidation in food deterioration and pathophysiology of diseases have revealed the need for a pure lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH) reference as an authentic standard for quantification and as a compound for biological studies in this field. Generally, LOOH is prepared from photo- or enzymatically oxidized lipids; however, separating LOOH from other oxidation products and preparing pure LOOH is difficult. Early studies showed the usability of reaction between hydroperoxide and vinyl ether for preparation of pure LOOH. Because the reactivity of vinyl ether with LOOHs other than fatty acid hydroperoxides has never been reported, here, we employed the reaction for preparation of a wide variety of pure LOOHs. Phospholipid, cholesteryl ester, triacylglycerol, or fatty acid was photo- or enzymatically oxidized; the resultant crude sample containing hydroperoxide was allowed to react with a vinyl ether [2-methoxypropene (MxP)]. Liquid chromatography (LC) and mass spectrometry confirmed that MxP selectively reacts with LOOH, yielding a stable MxP adduct (perketal). The lipophilic perketal was eluted at a position away from that of intact LOOH and identified and isolated by LC. Upon treatment with acid, perketal released the original LOOH, which was finally purified by LC. Using our optimized purification procedures, for instance, we produced 75 mg of pure phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide (>99%) from 100 mg of phosphatidylcholine. Our developed method expands the concept of the perketal method, which provides pure LOOH references. The LOOHs prepared by the perketal method would be used as "gold standards" in LOOH methodology.     

Merocyanine 540-sensitized photokilling of leukemia cells: role of post-irradiation chain peroxidation of plasma membrane lipids as revealed by nitric oxide protection

The lipophilic dye merocyanine 540 (MC540) localizes primarily in the plasma membrane (PM) of tumor cells, where it can sensitize lethal photoperoxidative damage of potential therapeutic importance. We postulated (i) that chain peroxidation triggered by iron-catalyzed turnover of nascent hydroperoxides (LOOHs) generated by singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)) attack on PM lipids contributes significantly to overall cytolethality, and (ii) that nitric oxide (NO), a known scavenger of organic free radicals, would suppress this and, thus, act cytoprotectively. In accordance, irradiation of MC540-sensitized L1210 cells produced 5alpha-OOH, a definitive (1)O(2) adduct of PM cholesterol, which decayed during subsequent dark incubation with appearance of other signature peroxides, viz. free-radical-derived 7alpha/beta-OOH. Whereas chemical donor (SPNO or SNAP)-derived NO had little or no effect on post-irradiation 5alpha-OOH disappearance, it dose-dependently inhibited 7alpha/beta-OOH accumulation, consistent with interception of chain-carrying radicals arising from one-electron reduction of primary LOOHs. Using [(14)C]cholesterol as an L1210 PM probe, we detected additional after-light products of chain peroxidation, including diols (7alpha-OH, 7beta-OH) and 5,6-epoxides, the yields of which were enhanced by iron supplementation, but strongly suppressed by NO. Correspondingly, photoinitiated cell killing was significantly inhibited by NO introduced either immediately before or after light exposure. These findings indicate that prooxidant LOOH turnover plays an important role in photokilling and that NO, by intercepting propagating radicals, can significantly enhance cellular resistance.     

Perhydroxyl radical (HOO.) initiated lipid peroxidation. The role of fatty acid hydroperoxides

It is demonstrated that the perhydroxyl radical (HOO., the conjugate acid of superoxide (O2-], initiates fatty acid peroxidation (a model for biological lipid peroxidation) by two parallel pathways: fatty acid hydroperoxide (LOOH)-independent and LOOH-dependent. Previous workers (Gebicki, J. M., and Bielski, B. H. J. (1981) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 103, 7020-7025) demonstrated that HOO., generated by pulse radiolysis, initiates peroxidation in ethanol/water fatty acid dispersions by abstraction of the bis-allylic hydrogen atom from a polyunsaturated fatty acid. Addition of O2 to the fatty acid radicals forms peroxyl radicals (LOO.s), the chain-propagating species of lipid peroxidation. In this work it is demonstrated that HOO., generated either chemically (KO2) or enzymatically (xanthine oxidase), is a good initiator of fatty acid peroxidation in linoleic acid ethanol/water dispersions; O2- serves only as the source of HOO., and HOO. initiation can be observed at physiologically relevant pH values. In contrast to the previous results, the initiating effectiveness of HOO. is related directly to the initial concentrations of LOOHs in the lipids to be peroxidized. This defines a LOOH-dependent mechanism for fatty acid peroxidation initiation by HOO., which parallels the previously established LOOH-independent pathway. Since the LOOH-dependent pathway is much more facile than the LOOH-independent pathway, LOOH is the kinetically preferred site of HOO. attack in these systems. Experiments comparing HOO./LOOH-dependent fatty acid peroxidation with transition metal- and peroxyl radical-initiated peroxidation rule out the participation of the latter two species as initiators, which defines the HOO./LOOH initiation system as mechanistically unique. LOOH product studies are consistent with either a direct or indirect hydrogen atom transfer between LOOH and HOO. to yield LOO.s, which propagate peroxidation. The LOOH-dependent pathway of HOO.-initiated fatty acid peroxidation may be relevant to mechanisms of lipid peroxidation initiation in vivo.     

Phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase protects against singlet oxygen-induced cell damage of photodynamic therapy

Phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (PhGPx) is an important enzyme in the removal of lipid hydroperoxides (LOOHs) from cell membranes. Cancer treatments such as photodynamic therapy (PDT) induce lipid peroxidation in cells as a detrimental action. The photosensitizers used produce reactive oxygen species such as singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)). Because singlet oxygen introduces lipid hydroperoxides into cell membranes, we hypothesized that PhGPx would provide protection against the oxidative stress of singlet oxygen and therefore could interfere with cancer treatment. To test this hypothesis, human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) were stably transfected with PhGPx cDNA. Four clones with varying levels of PhGPx activity were isolated. The activities of other cellular antioxidant enzymes were not influenced by the overexpression of PhGPx. Cellular PhGPx activity had a remarkable inverse linear correlation to the removal of lipid hydroperoxides in living cells (r = -0.85), and correlated positively with cell survival after singlet oxygen exposure (r = 0.94). These data demonstrate that PhGPx provides significant protection against singlet oxygen-generated lipid peroxidation via removal of LOOH and suggest that LOOHs are major mediators in this cell injury process. Thus, PhGPx activity could contribute to the resistance of tumor cells to PDT.     

Enzymatic reduction of phospholipid and cholesterol hydroperoxides in artificial bilayers and lipoproteins

Lipid hydroperoxides (LOOHs) in various lipid assemblies are shown to be efficiently reduced and deactivated by phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (PHGPX), the second selenoperoxidase to be identified and characterized. Coupled spectrophotometric analyses in the presence of NADPH, glutathione (GSH), glutathione reductase and Triton X-100 indicated that photochemically generated LOOHs in small unilamellar liposomes are substrates for PHGPX, but not for the classical glutathione peroxidase (GPX). PHGPX was found to be reactive with cholesterol hydroperoxides as well as phospholipid hydroperoxides. Kinetic iodometric analyses during GSH/PHGPX treatment of photoperoxidized liposomes indicated a rapid decay of total LOOH to a residual level of 35-40%; addition of Triton X-100 allowed the reaction to go to completion. The non-reactive LOOHs in intact liposomes were shown to be inaccessible groups on the inner membrane face. In the presence of iron and ascorbate, photoperoxidized liposomes underwent a burst of thiobarbituric acid-detectable lipid peroxidation which could be inhibited by prior GSH/PHGPX treatment, but not by GSH/GPX treatment. Additional experiments indicated that hydroperoxides of phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol and cholesteryl esters in low-density lipoprotein are also good substrates for PHGPX. An important role of PHGPX in cellular detoxification of a wide variety of LOOHs in membranes and internalized lipoproteins is suggested from these findings.     

Protective action of phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase against membrane-damaging lipid peroxidation. In situ reduction of phospholipid and cholesterol hydroperoxides

The general reactivity of membrane lipid hydroperoxides (LOOHs) with the selenoenzyme phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (PHGPX) has been investigated. When human erythrocyte ghosts (lipid content: 60 wt % phospholipid; 25 wt % cholesterol) were treated with GSH/PHGPX subsequent to rose bengal-sensitized photoperoxidation, iodometrically measured LOOHs were totally reduced to alcohols. Similar treatment with the classic glutathione peroxidase (GPX) produced no effect unless the peroxidized membranes were preincubated with phospholipase A2 (PLA2). However, under these conditions, no more than approximately 60% of the LOOH was reduced; introduction of PHGPX brought the reaction to completion. Thin layer chromatographic analyses revealed that the GPX-resistant (but PHGPX-reactive) LOOH was cholesterol hydroperoxide (ChOOH) consisting mainly of the 5 alpha (singlet oxygen-derived) product. Membrane ChOOHs were reduced by GSH/PHGPX to species that comigrated with borohydride reduction products (diols). Sensitive quantitation of PHGPX-catalyzed ChOOH reduction was accomplished by using [14C]cholesterol-labeled ghosts. Kinetic analyses indicated that the rate of ChOOH decay was approximately 1/6 that of phospholipid hydroperoxide decay. Photooxidized ghosts underwent a large burst of free radical-mediated lipid peroxidation when incubation with ascorbate/iron or xanthine/xanthine oxidase/iron. These reactions were only partially inhibited by PLA2/GSH/GPX treatment, but totally inhibited by GSH/PHGPX treatment, consistent with complete elimination of LOOHs in the latter case. These findings provide important clues as to how ChOOHs are detoxified in cells and add new insights into PHGPX's protective role.     

A thin layer chromatographic method for determining the enzymatic activity of peroxidases catalyzing the two-electron reduction of lipid hydroperoxides

Thiol-dependent peroxidases catalyzing the reductive detoxification of lipid hydroperoxides (LOOHs) are crucial antioxidant components of mammalian cells. There is a growing interest in manipulating expression of such enzymes to better understand their biological roles. A new approach for determining their cellular activity is described, whereby LOOH reduction kinetics are tracked by high performance thin layer chromatography with peroxide-sensitive tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine detection (HPTLC-TPD). The approach was tested on a tumor cell transfectant clone (7G4) over-expressing selenoperoxidase GP x 4. Timed incubation of Triton-solubilized 7G4 cells with GSH and peroxidized phosphatidylcholine (PCOOH), followed by lipid extraction, HPTLC-TPD and densitometry revealed an exponential decay of PCOOH at a rate approximately 80-times greater than that for GP x 4-deficient controls (VC). A TPD-detectable cholesterol hydroperoxide (7alpha-OOH) was also reduced much faster by 7G4 than VC extracts. Spraying with H(2)SO(4) after TPD revealed both 7alpha-OOH loss and resolved diol product (7alpha-OH) accumulation, the kinetics of which were identical. The approach described is relatively convenient, highly specific, and much more sensitive than conventional assays for cellular LOOH reducing enzymes.     

Nuclear and cytoplasmic peroxiredoxin-1 differentially regulate NF-kappaB activities

Peroxiredoxins (Prx) are widely distributed and abundant proteins, which control peroxide concentrations and related signaling mechanisms. Prx1 is found in the cytoplasm and nucleus, but little is known about compartmentalized Prx1 function during redox signaling and oxidative stress. We targeted expression vectors to increase Prx1 in nuclei (NLS-Prx1) and cytoplasm (NES-Prx1) in HeLa cells. Results showed that NES-Prx1 inhibited NF-kappaB activation and nuclear translocation. In contrast, increased NLS-Prx1 did not affect NF-kappaB nuclear translocation but increased activity of a NF-kappaB reporter. Both NLS-Prx1 and NES-Prx1 inhibited NF-kappaB p50 oxidation, suggesting that oxidation of the redox-sensitive cysteine in p50's DNA-binding domain is regulated via peroxide metabolism in both compartments. Interestingly, following treatment with H(2)O(2), nuclear thioredoxin-1 (Trx1) redox status was protected by NLS-Prx1, and cytoplasmic Trx1 was protected by NES-Prx1. Compartmental differences from increasing Prx1 show that the redox poise of cytoplasmic and nuclear thiol systems can be dynamically controlled through peroxide elimination. Such spatial resolution and protein-specific redox differences imply that the balance of peroxide generation/metabolism in microcompartments provides an important specific component of redox signaling.     

线粒体呼吸链与活性氧

已知有氧真核生物细胞吸收的氧分子绝大部分都是在线粒体呼吸链末端细胞色素氧化酶上通过四步单电子还原生成水。但同时也有1％-2％的氧可在呼吸链中途接受单电子或双电子被部分还原生成超氧（O2·^-和过氧化氢（H2O2）作为呼吸作用的正常代谢产物。此种来源于线粒体呼吸链的O2·^-和H2O2不但在多种病理的氧化损伤中起关键作用,同样它们也是正常生理条件下对多种细胞过程具有基本调控意义的氧还信号。基于Chance实验室约自20世纪70到90年代的早期研究贡献以及20世纪90年代后其他各实验室的研究新进展,我们聚焦于下述四个相关问题的评述和讨论：（1）由于线粒体内膜面积及其含有的呼吸链复合体酶活力远远高出细胞中所有膜系数量和相关酶活力之总和,因而线粒体呼吸链产生的O2·^-和H2O2构成生物体内最大数量ROS的恒定来源;（2）线粒体呼吸链复合体III的Q循环中Qo位点中半醌自由基（UQH·）已明确是O2·^-的单电子来源;还原细胞色素C-P66^SHC是生成H2O2的双电子供体。虽然复合体I也是产生线粒体基质内O2·^-的主要来源,但由于其确切生成位点尚未明确,在invivo条件下能否产生大量O2·^-也尚有争议;（3）线粒体呼吸链产生O2·^-后的分配和跨膜转移涉及其生理病理作用机制和作用靶点等复杂而重要的问题,直到目前尚未意见一致。“质子和O2·^-循环双回路解偶联模型”整合了目前提出的几种假说的联系点,指出H^＋和O2·^-相互作用生成HO2·及其跨膜很可能是这一复杂问题的中心环节,并与O2·^-对“脂肪酸shuttling model”或O2·^-对“UCPS激活”模型形成了内在的联系;（4）线粒体呼吸形成的△P（△ψ和△pH）能直接控制呼吸链的ROS生成,并以非线性（非欧姆）相关方式通过影响Q循环中的Qo半醌的氧还态和寿命来调节O2·^-生成的急速?     

Lipid photooxidation in erythrocyte ghosts: sensitization of the membranes toward ascorbate- and superoxide-induced peroxidation and lysis

The damaging effects of ascorbate (AH-) and superoxide (O-2) on resealed erythrocyte ghosts containing predetermined levels of lipid hydroperoxides (LOOHs) have been studied. Continuous blue light irradiation of membranes in the presence of protoporphyrin resulted in steadily increasing LOOH levels and enhanced release of a trapped marker, glucose 6-phosphate (G6P), after a 3- to 4-h lag. Neither superoxide dismutase (SOD) nor catalase inhibited these effects, ruling out O-2 and H2O2 as reactive intermediates. A 1-h light dose produced partially photoperoxidized ghosts, which, in the dark at 37 degrees C, released G6P no faster than unirradiated controls (approximately 7%/h). When xanthine oxidase plus xanthine (XO/X) was introduced as a source of O-2 and H2O2, the irradiated membranes lysed rapidly (t1/2 approximately 2 h). EDTA or SOD inhibited the reaction, whereas catalase had little or no effect. Unirradiated ghosts were not lysed by XO/X unless the system was supplemented with Fe(III), in which case total protection was afforded by SOD or catalase. In all experiments there was an excellent correlation between postirradiation lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid reactivity) and G6P release. Similar observations were made with AH-. For example, dark incubation of photooxidized ghosts in the presence of 0.5 mM AH- resulted in rapid lysis (t1/2 approximately 1 h), which was stimulated approximately twofold by 50 microM Fe(III) and was inhibited by EDTA. By comparison, unirradiated ghosts showed no net peroxidation or lysis after 3 h exposure to Fe(III)/AH-. Neither SOD nor catalase protected against AH--stimulated damage. AH--promoted lipid peroxidation was inhibited by butylated hydroxytoluene, a lipophilic antioxidant, but was unaffected by 2,5-dimethylfuran or ethanol, singlet oxygen, and hydroxyl radical traps, respectively. These results suggest that a mechanism exists by which photogenerated LOOHs undergo redox metal-mediated reduction to alkoxy radicals (LO.), which trigger a burst of membrane-disrupting lipid peroxidation.     

Dissemination of peroxidative stress via intermembrane transfer of lipid hydroperoxides: model studies with cholesterol hydroperoxides

Lipid hydroperoxides (LOOHs) can be generated in cells when cholesterol (Ch) and other unsaturated lipids in cell membranes are degraded under conditions of oxidative stress. If LOOHs escape reductive detoxification by glutathione-dependent selenoperoxidases, they may undergo iron-catalyzed one-electron reduction to free radical species, thus triggering peroxidative chain reactions which exacerbate oxidative membrane damage. LOOHs are more polar than parent lipids and much longer-lived than free radical precursors or products. Accordingly, intermembrane transfer of LOOHs (analogous to that of unoxidized precursors) might be possible, and this could jeopardize acceptor membranes. We have investigated this possibility, using photoperoxidized [(14)C]Ch-labeled erythrocyte ghosts as cholesterol hydroperoxide (ChOOH) donors and unilamellar liposomes [e.g., dimyristoyl-phosphatidylcholine/Ch, 9:1 mol/mol] as acceptors. ChOOH material consisted mainly of 5alpha-hydroperoxide, a singlet oxygen adduct. Time-dependent transfer of ChOOH versus Ch at 37 degrees C was determined, using high-performance liquid and thin-layer chromatographic methods to analyze liposomal extracts for these species. A typical experiment in which the starting ChOOH/Ch mol ratio in ghosts was approximately 0.05 showed that the initial transfer rate of ChOOH was approximately 16 times greater than that of parent Ch. Using [(14)C]Ch as a reporter in liposome acceptors, we found that transfer-acquired ChOOHs, when exposed to a lipophilic iron chelate and ascorbate, could trigger strong peroxidative chain reactions, as detected by accumulation of [(14)C]Ch oxidation products. These findings support the hypothesis that intermembrane transfer of ChOOHs can contribute to their prooxidant membrane damaging and cytotoxic potential.     

Early physiological and cytological events induced by wounding in potato tuber

The response of potato tuber (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Kennebec) to mechanical wounding was investigated at different times. Changes in the levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and lipid hydroperoxides (LOOHs) were monitored up to 120 min after wounding and related to the cytological events occurring up to 24 h. Twenty minutes after injury, an increase in IAA and LOOH levels and a decrease in the levels of PUFAs was observed. Wounding induced mitoses in differentiated (parenchyma) cells starting at 120 min, and promoted an increase of mitotic activity in the meristematic cells (procambium and bud dome), after 360 min. The inhibition of the increase in LOOHs and IAA by lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibitors, as well as the ability of in vitro peroxidated linoleic acid to enhance IAA production, suggest a close relationship among lipoperoxidation, IAA and mitotic activity in the response of potato tuber cells to injury, resulting in a specific growth response, i.e. bud growth and periderm formation.     

UCP3 Translocates Lipid Hydroperoxide and Mediates Lipid Hydroperoxide-dependent Mitochondrial Uncoupling

Although the literature contains many studies on the function of UCP3, its role is still being debated. It has been hypothesized that UCP3 may mediate lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH) translocation across the mitochondrial inner membrane (MIM), thus protecting the mitochondrial matrix from this very aggressive molecule. However, no experiments on mitochondria have provided evidence in support of this hypothesis. Here, using mitochondria isolated from UCP3-null mice and their wild-type littermates, we demonstrate the following. (i) In the absence of free fatty acids, proton conductance did not differ between wild-type and UCP3-null mitochondria. Addition of arachidonic acid (AA) to such mitochondria induced an increase in proton conductance, with wild-type mitochondria showing greater enhancement. In wild-type mitochondria, the uncoupling effect of AA was significantly reduced both when the release of O₂^˙̄ in the matrix was inhibited and when the formation of LOOH was inhibited. In UCP3-null mitochondria, however, the uncoupling effect of AA was independent of the above mechanisms. (ii) In the presence of AA, wild-type mitochondria released significantly more LOOH compared with UCP3-null mitochondria. This difference was abolished both when UCP3 was inhibited by GDP and under a condition in which there was reduced LOOH formation on the matrix side of the MIM. These data demonstrate that UCP3 is involved both in mediating the translocation of LOOH across the MIM and in LOOH-dependent mitochondrial uncoupling.     

Hypothesis: the mitochondrial NO(*) signaling pathway, and the transduction of nitrosative to oxidative cell signals: an alternative function for cytochrome C oxidase

Nitric oxide (NO(*)) signaling is diverse, and involves reaction with free radicals, metalloproteins, and specific protein amino acid residues. Prominent among these interactions are the heme protein soluble guanylate cyclase and cysteine residues within several proteins such as caspases, the executors of apoptosis. Another well characterized site of NO(*) binding is the terminal complex of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, cytochrome c oxidase, although the downstream signaling effects of this interaction remain unclear. Recently, it has been recognized that the intracellular formation of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) by controlled mechanisms contributes to what we term "redox tone," and so controls the activity and activation thresholds of redox-sensitive signaling pathways. In this hypothesis paper, it is proposed that NO(*)-dependent modulation of the respiratory chain can control the mitochondrial generation of H(2)O(2) for cell signaling purposes without affecting ATP synthesis.     

Cutting edge: inflammatory signaling by Borrelia burgdorferi lipoproteins is mediated by toll-like receptor 2.

The agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, produces membrane lipoproteins possessing potent inflammatory properties linked to disease pathology. The recent association of toll-like receptors (TLR) 2 and 4 with LPS responses prompted the examination of TLR involvement in lipoprotein signaling. The ability of human cell lines to respond to lipoproteins was correlated with the expression of TLR2. Transfection of TLR2 into cell lines conferred responsiveness to lipoproteins, lipopeptides, and sonicated B. burgdorferi, as measured by nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB and cytokine production. The physiological importance of this interaction was demonstrated by the 10-fold greater sensitivity of TLR2-transfected cells to lipoproteins than LPS. Futhermore, TLR2-dependent signaling by lipoproteins was facilitated by CD14. These data indicate that TLR2 facilitates the inflammatory events associated with Lyme arthritis. In addition, the widespread expression of lipoproteins by other bacterial species suggests that this interaction may have broad implications in microbial inflammation and pathogenesis.     

Hyperresistance to photosensitized lipid peroxidation and apoptotic killing in 5-aminolevulinate-treated tumor cells overexpressing mitochondrial GPX4

Antitumor photodynamic therapy (PDT) with administered 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is based on metabolism of ALA to protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), which acts as a sensitizer of photo-oxidative damage leading to apoptotic or necrotic cell death. An initial goal of this study was to ascertain how the PpIX-sensitized death mechanism for a breast tumor line (COH-BR1 cells) might be influenced by the conditions of ALA exposure in vitro. Two different treatment protocols were developed for addressing this question: (i) continuous incubation with 1 mM ALA for 90 min; and, (ii) discontinuous incubation, i.e., 15 min with 1 mM ALA followed by 225 min without it. Following exposure to 2 J/cm2 of visible light, cell viability, death mechanism, and lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH) level were evaluated for each protocol using thiazolyl blue, Hoechst staining, and HPLC with electrochemical detection assays, respectively. PpIX was found to sensitize apoptosis when it existed mainly in mitochondria (protocol-1), but necrosis when it diffused to other sites, including plasma membrane (protocol-2). Experiments with a transfectant clone, 7G4, exhibiting approximately 85 times greater activity of the LOOH-detoxifying selenoenzyme GPX4 than parental cells, provided additional information about death mechanism. Located predominantly in mitochondria of 7G4 cells, GPX4 strongly inhibited both LOOH accumulation and apoptosis under protocol-1 conditions, but had no significant effect under protocol-2 conditions. These findings support the hypothesis that LOOHs produced by attack of photogenerated singlet oxygen on mitochondrial membrane lipids play an important early role in the apoptotic death cascade.     

Generation of free radicals during the death of Saccharomyces cerevisiae caused by lipid hydroperoxide.

The exposure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells to 13-L-hydroperoxylinoleic acid (LOOH) caused their death, the degree of which was dependent on the growth phase of the cells. Pre-application of ethanol, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and LOOH to S. cerevisiae cells reduced the effect of LOOH on the cells, showing the transient cross adaptation to LOOH. Antioxidants such as N,N',-diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine (DPPD), melatonin and vitamin E, and inhibitors of permeability transition of mitochondria, cyclosporin A and trifluoperazine, inhibited the LOOH-triggered cell death, while an inhibitor of glutathione synthetase, buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), enhanced the cell death by LOOH. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were detected by flow cytometry, using the ROS-specific fluorescent indicator. A ferric iron chelator, deferoxamine, inhibited the LOOH-triggered cell death, and peroxyl radicals (LOO.) were detected by a spin trapping method. These reactive radicals possibly induced the death of S. cerevisiae cells. However, the DNA fragmentation characteristic of apoptosis was not observed in S. cerevisiae cells after exposure to LOOH, staurosporine, dexamethasone or etoposide, which have been reported to cause apoptosis in mammalian cells.