Paragonimus westermani: a cytosolic glutathione S-transferase of a sigma-class in adult stage

We purified cytosolic glutathione S-transferase (GST) of adult Paragonimus westermani monitoring its activity with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB). The enzyme was purified 18.4-fold to electrophoretic homogeneity with 21% recovery rate through a three-step procedure. The purified enzyme (Pw28GST) has a subunit molecular weight of 28 kDa with an isoelectric point at 4.6. Monoclonal antibody (anti-Pw28GST) against Pw28GST did not cross-react with GSTs from other helminths. cDNA library was constructed in lambdaZAP II bacteriophage and screened with anti-Pw28GST. The corresponding gene containing a single open reading frame of 804 bp encoded 211 amino acids. The predicted amino acid sequence exhibited a higher homology with catalytic domain near N-terminus of class sigma GSTs (58%) than with schistosome 28-kDa GSTs (45-41%) or with class sigma GSTs themselves (33-31%). The sequence contained both Tyr-6 and Tyr-10 that are highly conserved in mammalian and helminth GSTs. The apparent K(m) value of a recombinant enzyme was 0.78 mM. Both native and recombinant enzymes showed the highest activity against CDNB, relatively weak activity against ethacrynic acid and reactive carbonyls, and no activity against epoxy-3-(p-nitrophenoxy)-propane. The activities were inhibited by bromosulfophthalein, cibacron blue, and albendazole, but not by praziquantel. These findings indicate that adult P. westermani has a class sigma GST.     

Activation of rat glutathione transferases in class mu by active oxygen species

The activities of rat glutathione transferases (GSTs) 3-3, 3-4, 4-4 in Class mu towards 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) but not 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene were increased up to 5-fold during preincubation with 0.4 mM xanthine and xanthine oxidase in 50 mM potassium phosphate, pH 7.8, containing 0.1 mM EDTA. The activated GST 3-4, purified by S-hexylglutathione affinity chromatography after the treatment, had a higher specific activity (130 units/mg) than that of the nontreated (35 units/mg), the Km and Vmax values for glutathione or CDNB also were increased. Other rat GSTs in Class alpha and pi were inactivated by the same treatment. In the presence of superoxide dismutase, the activation of GST 3-4 did not occur.     

Cloning and partial characterization of a Boophilus microplus (Acari: Ixodidae) glutathione S-transferase

A cDNA of glutathione S-transferase (GST) was isolated from a cDNA library of salivary glands of Boophilus microplus. The recombinant protein was purified by glutathione affinity chromatography and assayed upon the chromogenic substrate CDNB. The 864 bp cloned fragment was sequenced and showed an open reading frame coding for a protein of 220 amino acids. Expression of the GST gene was tested by RT-PCR in tick tissues and larvae mRNA. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence with GSTs from other species revealed that the enzyme is closely related to the mammalian class mu GSTs.     

Glutathione S-transferase isoenzymes in the two-spot ladybird, Adalia bipunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

Isoenzymes of glutathione S-transferase (GST) in adult Adalia bipunctata, an aphidophagous predator, were studied. Cytosolic GST activity was studied in each beetle developmental stage. The highest activities towards both 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) and 2,4-dinitro-1-iodobenzene (DNIB) occurred in adults. The enzyme distribution was investigated in adults. While most of the enzymatic activity was found in the abdomen (40-50 and 34-63% respectively) using several concentrations of both CDNB and DNIB, significant differences were observed for the head and the thorax depending on the substrate. Activities were more abundant in the thorax with DNIB (37-47%) compared to the 13-19% obtained with CDNB. Some GST activity was also detected in the elytra. GSTs were purified by epoxy-activated Sepharose 6B affinity chromatography and applied to an HPLC column to determine the native molecular weight (69 kDa). Three isoenzymes were separated by chromatofocusing at pH ranges 7-4. Three bands with molecular mass from 23 to 26 kDa were visualised on SDS-PAGE. Their isoelectric points were 6.66, 6.36, and 6.21. The substrate specificities and the kinetic parameters (Vm and Km) of the isoenzymes showed large differences depending on the isoenzyme. Arch.     

Determination of some kinetic and characteristic properties of glutathione S-transferase from bovine erythrocytes

Glutathione S-transferase was purified from bovine erythrocytes and some kinetic and characteristic properties of the enzyme were investigated. The purification procedure was composed of preparation of homogenate and Glutathione-Agarose affinity chromatography. Thanks to the procedure, the enzyme was purified 6,800 fold with 97% yield and a specific activity of 136 EU/mg proteins. On sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS/PAGE), one band with a mass of 27 kDa was found. The native molecular weight of the enzyme was found to be approximately 53 kDa by Sephadex G-100 gel filtration chromatography. Optimum pH, stable pH, optimum temperature, and optimum ionic strength were determined as 7.0, 6.5 in K-phosphate buffer, 20 degrees C, 0.1 M K-phosphate, respectively. The best activity was obtained with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) in a study performed with different substrates. Vmax, Km, and kcat values were calculated as 402.63 +/- 4.99 EU/mg proteins, 0.7447 +/- 0.0007 mM, and 11436 min(-1) for CDNB, and 88.00 +/- 2.30 EU/mg proteins, 0.3257 +/- 0.0012 mM, and 477 min(-1) for GSH, respectively, by using Lineweaver-Burk graphs obtained from 1/V versus 1/[CDNB] and 1/[GSH].     

Single chain antibody displays glutathione S-transferase activity

Substrate binding and the subsequent reaction are the two principal phenomena that underlie the activity of enzymes, and many enzyme-like catalysts were generated based on the phenomena. The single chain variable region fragment of antibody 2F3 (scFv2F3) was elicited against hapten GSH-S-DN2phBu, a conjugate of glutathione (GSH), butyl alcohol, and 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB); it can therefore bind both GSH and CDNB, the substrates of native glutathione S-transferases (GSTs). It was shown previously that there is a serine residue that is the catalytic group of GST in the CDR regions of scFv2F3 close to the sulfhydryl of GSH. Thus, we anticipated that scFv2F3 will display GST activity. The experimental results showed that scFv2F3 indeed displayed GST activity that is equivalent to the rat-class GST T-2-2 and exhibited pH- and temperature-dependent catalytic activity. Steady-state kinetic studies showed that the Km values for the substrates are close to those of native GSTs, indicating that scFv2F3 has strong affinities for the substrates. Compared with some other GSTs, its kcat value was found to be low, which could be caused by the similarity between the GSH-S-DN2phBu and the reaction product of GSH and CDNB. These results showed that our approach to imitating enzymes is correct, which is that an active site may catalyze a chemical reaction when a catalytic group locates beside a substrate-binding site of a receptor. It is important to consider product inhibition in hapten design in order to obtain a mimic with a high catalytic efficiency.     

Glutathione S-transferase from the Icelandic scallop (Chlamys islandica): isolation and partial characterization

Glutathione S-transferase from the digestive gland of the cold-adapted marine bivalve Icelandic scallop was purified to apparent homogeneity by single GSTrap chromatography. The enzyme appeared to be a homodimer with subunit M(r) 22,000 having an optimum catalytic activity at pH 6.5-7. Enzymatic analysis of scallop GST using the substrates 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) and glutathione resulted in apparent values for K(m)(GST) and K(m)(CDNB) of 0.3 mM and 0.4 mM, respectively. The scallop GST lost activity faster than porcine GST when exposed to increased temperatures, but both enzymes needed 10 min incubation at 60 degrees C for complete inactivation. A partial coding sequence was identified in cDNA synthesised from digestive gland mRNA. Comparison to known sequences indicates that the gene product is a glutathione S-transferase, and the predicted Icelandic scallop GST protein scores 40% sequence identity and 60% sequence similarity to mu-class proteins.     

Cloning and characterization of the xyl1 gene, encoding an NADH-preferring xylose reductase from Candida parapsilosis, and its functional expression in Candida tropicalis

Xylose reductase (XR) is a key enzyme in D-xylose metabolism, catalyzing the reduction of D-xylose to xylitol. An NADH-preferring XR was purified to homogeneity from Candida parapsilosis KFCC-10875, and the xyl1 gene encoding a 324-amino-acid polypeptide with a molecular mass of 36,629 Da was subsequently isolated using internal amino acid sequences and 5' and 3' rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The C. parapsilosis XR showed high catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km = 1.46 s(-1) mM(-1)) for D-xylose and showed unusual coenzyme specificity, with greater catalytic efficiency with NADH (kcat/Km = 1.39 x 10(4) s(-1) mM(-1)) than with NADPH (kcat/Km = 1.27 x 10(2) s(-1) mM(-1)), unlike all other aldose reductases characterized. Studies of initial velocity and product inhibition suggest that the reaction proceeds via a sequentially ordered Bi Bi mechanism, which is typical of XRs. Candida tropicalis KFCC-10960 has been reported to have the highest xylitol production yield and rate. It has been suggested, however, that NADPH-dependent XRs, including the XR of C. tropicalis, are limited by the coenzyme availability and thus limit the production of xylitol. The C. parapsilosis xyl1 gene was placed under the control of an alcohol dehydrogenase promoter and integrated into the genome of C. tropicalis. The resulting recombinant yeast, C. tropicalis BN-1, showed higher yield and productivity (by 5 and 25%, respectively) than the wild strain and lower production of by-products, thus facilitating the purification process. The XRs partially purified from C. tropicalis BN-1 exhibited dual coenzyme specificity for both NADH and NADPH, indicating the functional expression of the C. parapsilosis xyl1 gene in C. tropicalis BN-1. This is the first report of the cloning of an xyl1 gene encoding an NADH-preferring XR and its functional expression in C. tropicalis, a yeast currently used for industrial production of xylitol.     

Molecular cloning and thermal stress-induced expression of a pi-class glutathione S-transferase (GST) in the Antarctic bivalve Laternula elliptica

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are multifunctional phase II detoxification enzymes that catalyze the attachment of electrophilic substrates to glutathione. The pi-class GST cDNA (leGSTp) was cloned from the cold-adapted Antarctic bivalve Laternula elliptica. We used degenerated primers designed based on highly conserved regions of known mollusk GSTs to amplify the corresponding L. elliptica mRNA. Full-length cDNA was obtained by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The full sequence of the GST cDNA was 1189 bp in length, with a 5' untranslated region (UTR) of 74 bp, a 3' UTR of 485 bp, and an open reading frame of 630 bp encoding 209 amino acid residues with an estimated molecular mass of 23.9 kDa and an estimated isoelectric point of 8.3. Quantitative RT-PCR confirmed basal expression of leGSTp, which was up-regulated upon heat treatment (10 degrees C for different time periods) by a factor of 2.3 (at 24 h) and 2.7 (at 48 h) in the digestive gland and gill tissues, respectively. The recombinant leGSTp expressed in Escherichia coli was purified by affinity chromatography and characterized. The purified leGSTp exhibited high activity towards the substrates ethacrynic acid (ECA) and 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB). The recombinant leGSTp had a maximum activity at approximately pH 8.0, and its optimum temperature was 35 degrees C.     

Expression and characterization of a novel class of glutathione S-transferase from Anopheles dirus

A new Anopheles dirus glutathione S-transferase (GST) has been obtained and named adGST4-1. Both genomic DNA and cDNA for heterologous expression were acquired. The genomic sequence was 3188bp and consisted of the GST gene as well as flanking sequence. The flanking sequence was analyzed for possible regulatory elements that would control gene expression. In Drosophila several of these elements have been shown to be involved in development and cell differentiation. The deduced amino acid sequence has low identity compared with the four alternatively spliced enzymes, adGST1-1 to 1-4, from another An. dirus GST gene adgst1AS1. The percent identities are 30--40% and 11--12% comparing adGST4-1 to insect GSTs from Delta and Sigma classes, respectively. Enzyme characterization of adGST4-1 shows it to be distinct from the other An. dirus GSTs because of low enzyme activity for customary GST substrates including 1-chloro-2, 4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB). However, this enzyme has a greater affinity of interaction with pyrethroids compared to the other An. dirus GSTs.     

Characterization and molecular cloning of a glutathione S-transferase from the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

Glutathione S-transferases (GST) catalyzing the conjugation of reduced glutathione to a vast range of xenobiotics including insecticides were characterized in the whitefly Bemisia tabaci. GST activities were determined in susceptible and resistant strains of B. tabaci towards artificial substrates, i.e. 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) in a photometric microplate assay and monochlorobimane (MCB) in a fluoroemtric microplate assay and characterized by their Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The inhibitory potential of ethacrynic acid was very effective with IC50-values between 0.9 and 5.8 microM depending on substrate and strain. The inhibitory effect of dicumarol was 10 times lower. Glutathione-affinity chromatography purified GST enzymes of two different B. tabaci strains appeared as a single band on SDS-PAGE and had a molecular mass of 23.5 kDa determined by MALDI mass spectrometry. The N-terminus of the purified enzyme was sequenced by Edman degradation. The nearly full-length cDNA of the enzyme was isolated by RT-PCR using a degenerate primer derived from the N-terminal amino acid sequence and contained an open reading frame encoding a 194-amino-acid protein. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence with GSTs from other species revealed that the enzyme is closely related to insect class sigma GSTs.     

Conjugation of the linoleic acid oxidation product, 13-oxooctadeca-9,11-dienoic acid,a bioactive endogenous substrate for mammalian glutathione transferase

The oxidation of linoleic acid leads to the generation of several products with biological activity, including 13-oxooctadeca-9,11-dienoic acid (13-OXO), a bioactive 2,4-dienone that has been linked to cell differentiation. In the current work, the conjugation of 13-OXO by human glutathione transferases (GSTs) of the alpha (A1-1, A4-4), mu (M1-1, M2-2) and pi (the allelic variants P1-1/ile, and P1-1/val) classes, and a rat theta (rT2-2) class enzyme has been evaluated. The kinetics and stereoselectivity of the production of the 13-OXO-glutathione conjugate (13-OXO-SG) have been examined. In contrast to many xenobiotic substrates, the endogenous substrate 13-OXO does not exhibit an appreciable non-enzymatic rate of conjugation under physiological conditions. Therefore, the GST-catalyzed conjugation takes on greater significance as it provides the only realistic means for formation of 13-OXO-SG in most biological systems. Alpha class enzymes are most efficient at catalyzing the formation of 13-OXO-SG with kcat/Km values of 8.9 mM(-1) s(-1) for GST A1-1 and 2.14 mM(-1) s(-1) for GST A4-4. In comparison, enzymes from the mu and pi classes exhibit specificity constants from 0.4 to 0.8 mM(-1) s(-1). Conjugation of 13-OXO with glutathione at C-9 of the substrate can yield a pair of diastereomers that can be resolved by chiral HPLC. GSTs from the mu and pi classes are the most stereoselective enzymes and there is no apparent relationship between catalytic efficiency and stereoselectivity. The role of GST in the metabolic disposition of the bioactive oxidation products of linoleic acid has implications for the regulation of normal cellular functions by these versatile enzymes.     

Plasmodium vivax: molecular cloning, expression and characterization of glutathione S-transferase

Malaria parasite glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are postulated to be essential for parasite survival by protecting the parasite against oxidative stress and buffering the detoxification of heme-binding compounds; therefore, GSTs are considered potential targets for drug development. In this study, we identified a Plasmodium vivax gene encoding GST (PvGST) and characterized the biochemical properties of the recombinant enzyme. The PvGST contained 618 bp that encoded 205 amino acids and shared a significant degree of sequence identity with GSTs from other Plasmodium species. The recombinant homodimeric enzyme had an approximate molecular mass of 50kDa and exhibited GSH-conjugating and GSH-peroxidase activities towards various model substrates. The optimal pH for recombinant PvGST (rPvGST) activity was pH 8.0, and the enzyme was moderately unstable at 37 degrees C. The K(m) values of rPvGST with respect to GSH and CDNB were 0.17+/-0.09 and 2.1+/-0.4mM, respectively. The significant sequence homology and similar biochemical properties of PvGST and Plasmodium falciparum GST (PfGST) indicate that they may have similar molecular structures. This information may be useful for the design of specific inhibitors for plasmodial GSTs as potential antimalarial drugs.     

Substrate specificity of rat liver glutathione S-transferase isoenzymes for a series of glutathione analogues, modified at the gamma-glutamyl moiety.

The substrate specificity of purified rat liver glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) for a series of gamma-glutamyl-modified GSH analogues was investigated. GST isoenzyme 3-3 catalysed the conjugation of 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene with six out of the nine analogues. alpha-L-Glu-L-Cys-Gly and alpha-D-Glu-L-Cys-Gly showed catalytic efficiencies of 40% and 130% that of GSH respectively. The GSH analogue with an alpha-D-glutamyl moiety appeared to be a highly isoenzyme-3-3-specific co-substrate: kcat./Km with GST isoenzyme 4-4 was only about 5% that with GST isoenzyme 3-3, and no enzymic activity was detectable with GST isoenzymes 1-1 and 2-2. GST isoenzyme 4-4 showed some resemblance to GST 3-3: five out of nine co-substrate analogues were accepted by this second isoenzyme of the Mu multigene family. Isoenzymes 1-1 and 2-2, of the Alpha multigene family, accepted only two alternative co-substrates, which indicates that their GSH-binding site is much more specific.     

Biochemical Characterization and Distribution of Glutathione S-Transferases in Leaping Mullet (Liza saliens)

In this study, feral leaping mullet (Liza saliens) liver cytosolic glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) were investigated and characterized using 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) and ethacrynic acid (EA) as substrates. The average GST activities towards CDNB and EA were found to be 1365 +/- 41 and 140 +/- 20 nmol/min per mg protein, respectively. The effects of cytosolic protein amount and temperature ranging from 4 to 70 degrees C on enzyme activities were examined. While both activities towards CDNB and EA showed similar dependence on protein amount, temperature optima were found as 37 and 42 degrees C, respectively. In addition, the effects of pH on GST-CDNB and -EA activities were studied and different pH activity profiles were observed. For both substrates, GST activities were found to obey Michaelis-Menten kinetics with apparent V(max) and K(m) values of 1661 nmol/min per mg protein and 0.24 mM and 157 nmol/min per mg protein and 0.056 mM for CDNB and EA, respectively. Distribution of GST in Liza saliens tissues was investigated and compared with other fish species. Very high GST activities were measured in tissues from Liza saliens such as liver, kidney, testis, proximal intestine, and gills. Moreover, our results suggested that GST activities from Liza saliens would be a valuable biomarker for aquatic pollution.     

Selective elution of rodent glutathione S-transferases and glyoxalase I from the S-hexyglutathione-Sepharose affinity matrix.

1. The major hepatic glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) from gerbil, guinea-pig, hamster, mouse and rat comprise Ya- (Mr 25,500-25,800), Yb- (Mr 26,100-26,400), Yc- (Mr 27,000-27,500) and Yf- (Mr 24,800) type subunits. 2. In all rodent species the GST subunits possess characteristic affinities for S-hexyglutathione-Sepharose and are eluted at distinct positions when a gradient of counter-ligand is employed to develop this affinity gel. The enzymes that bind to this matrix can be eluted, according to their subunit composition, in the order Ya-, Yc-, Yf- and Yb-containing GST; glyoxalase I, also retained by S-hexylglutathione-Sepharose, is eluted after the major GST YbYb peak. 3. Conditions are also described for the isocratic affinity elution of S-hexylglutathione-Sepharose that allow rat GST to be divided into four separate fractions (pools 1-4). A further fraction (pool 5) can be prepared from material that does not bind S-hexylglutathione-Sepharose and is obtained by chromatography on glutathione-Sepharose. 4. The sequential use of S-hexylglutathione-Sepharose and glutathione-Sepharose has facilitated the isolation of novel GSTs by enriching the various affinity-purified fractions with different subunits. This strategy allowed the Yk (Mr 25,000) and Yo (Mr 26,500) subunits from rat testis as well as Y1 (Mr 25,700) from rat kidney to be rapidly purified. 5. The binding properties of GST subunits for S-hexylglutathione-Sepharose have been compared with their Km values for GSH. The elution order from this matrix is inversely related to the Km value. The GSTs that do not bind to S-hexylglutathione-Sepharose have considerably higher Km values for GSH (i.e. greater than 2.0 mM) than do those enzymes that readily bind to the affinity gel (i.e. 0.13-0.77 mM). GST YkYk and YoYo, which have weak affinities for S-hexylglutathione-Sepharose, possess intermediate Km values for GSH of 1.0 and 1.2 mM respectively.     

Comparing electroantennogram and behavioral responses of two Pseudacteon phorid fly species to body extracts of Black, Red and Hybrid imported fire ants, Solenopsis spp

Several phorid fly species were introduced to the southern United States for biological control of the invasive imported fire ants, Solenopsis richteri (Black), Solenopsis invicta (Red), and their Hybrid S. richteri×S. invicta (Hybrid). It has been previously reported that the Jaguariuna biotype of Pseudacteon tricuspis and the Formosan biotype of Pseudacteon curvatus could distinguish among the three fire ant species with greater preference for Hybrid and Red fire ants. We hypothesized that phorid flies might use host derived chemical cues to differentiate ant species. To determine possible differential olfactory sensitivity of phorid fly species to different fire ant species, we compared electroantennogram (EAG) and behavioral responses of both sexes of P. tricuspis and P. curvatus to body extracts of Black, Red and Hybrid fire ants. As worker sizes of Black and Hybrid fire ants used in this study were much larger than that of Red fire ant (the average weight for Black, Red and Hybrid workers was 1.707, 0.863, 1.223mg per ants, respectively), at doses of 0.01, 0.1, 1 worker equivalent, body extracts of Black and Hybrid fire ant elicited significantly greater EAG response in both sexes of P. tricuspis than that of Red fire ant. Similarly, the EAG response in female P. curvatus to body extract of Black fire ant was significantly greater than to body extract of Red fire ant. To eliminate worker size influence on EAG response in phorid flies, we conducted a second EAG study using a dose of 1mg ant equivalent (body extract from 1mg of worker). No difference in EAG responses was recorded to body extract obtained from the same amount of workers among the three fire ant species (we consider viable Hybrid fire ant as a species in this paper), suggesting that worker size differences contributed to difference in EAG response in the first EAG study. In both EAG studies, male P. tricuspis showed significantly greater EAG responses than male P. curvatus to all three fire ant species. In four-way olfactometer bioassay, worker body extracts of all three fire ant species were equally attractive to P. tricuspis and P. curvatus (i.e. both phorid fly species did not show any preferences among the three fire ant species). Together, the results of the EAG and behavior studies suggest that parasitic phorid flies utilize host derived non-polar compounds from worker ants extracted out by hexane for host location but not for host preference, since both fly species are not able to distinguish among the body extracts of the three fire ant species. Future study will investigate possible involvement of polar compounds and/or non-chemical cues in mediating host preference by phorid flies.