Spironolactone and cytochrome P-450: impairment of steroid hydroxylation in the adrenal cortex

The effect of spironolactone administration on the content of adrenal microsomal cytochrome P-450 and on the activity of adrenal 17α-hydroxylase was examined in male cortisol and corticosterone-producing animals. Decreases in the content of microsomal cytochrome P-450 and in the activity of the 17α-hydroxylase after spironolactone treatment occur only in those animals which predominantly produce cortisol rather than corticosterone and which have a high activity of adrenal steroid 17α-hydroxylase. The administration of spironolactone to cortisol-producing animals, namely the guinea pig and the dog, caused a 50 to 80% loss of microsomal cytochrome P-450 with a concomitant decrease in the activity of the microsomal 17α-hydroxylase. In contrast to its effect in cortisol-producing animals, the administration of spironolactone caused either an increase or slight alteration in the concentration of adrenal microsomal cytochrome P-450 in corticosterone-producing animals such as the rat and the rabbit.     

Spectral properties of a novel cytochrome P-450 of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant SG1. A cytochrome P-450 species having a nitrogenous ligand trans to thiolate

An altered cytochrome P-450 (SG1 P-450) was partially purified from Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant SG1 which is defective in lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylation. Oxidized SG1 P-450 showed a Soret peak at 422 nm and the alpha peak was lower than the beta peak. This spectrum was considerably different from those of known low-spin P-450s, indicating a unique ligand structure of SG1 P-450. The absorption spectrum of ferric SG1 P-450 was superimposable on that of the imidazole complex of ferric P-450, suggesting the presence of a nitrogenous ligand such as histidine of the apoprotein at the 6th coordination position. SG1 P-450 was immunochemically indistinguishable from cytochrome P-450 of S. cerevisiae catalyzing lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylation (P-45014DM) but had no lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylase activity.     

Evidence for cytochrome P-450 and P-450-mediated benzo(a) pyrene hydroxylation in the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Abstract The presence of cytochrome P-450 and P-450-mediated benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylase activity in both microsomal and soluble fractions of the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium was shown. The reduced carbon monoxide difference spectrum showed maxima at 448–450 and 452–454 nm for microsomal and cytosolic fractions, respectively. Both P-450 fractions produced a Type I substrate binding spectrum on addition of benzo(a)pyrene. Activity for benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylation was NADPH-dependent and inhibited by carbon monoxide. K _m values for activity showed a difference between the cellular fractions with a K _m of 89 μM for microsomal P-450 and 400 μM for cytosolic P-450. The V _max values observed were 0.83 nmol min⁻ (nmol microsomal P-450) ⁻¹ and 0.4 nmol min⁻¹ (nmol cytosolic P-450)⁻¹. The results indicate that P-450-mediated benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylase activity could play a role in xenobiotic transformation by this fungus beside the known ligninolytic exocellular enzymes.     

The 'push' effect of the thiolate ligand in cytochrome P450: a theoretical gauging

The 'push' effect of the thiolate ligand in cytochrome P450 is investigated using density functional calculations. Theory supports Dawson's postulate that the 'push' effect is crucial for the heterolytic O-O bond cleavage of ferric-peroxide, as well as for controlling the Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox process and gating the catalytic cycle. Two energetic factors that contribute to the 'push' effect are revealed. The dominant one is the field factor (DeltaE(field)=54-103 kcal/mol) that accounts for the classical electrostatic repulsion with the negative charge of thiolate. The smaller factor is a quantum mechanical effect (DeltaE(QM)(sigma)=39 kcal/mol, DeltaE(QM)(pi)=4 kcal/mol), which is associated with the sigma- and pi-donor capabilities of thiolate. The effects of ligand replacement, changes in hydrogen bonding and dielectric screening are discussed in term of these quantities. In an environment with a dielectric constant of 5.7, the total 'push' effect is reduced to 29-33 kcal/mol. Manifestations of the 'push' effect on other properties of thiolate enzymes are discussed.     

Flash photolysis studies on the CO complexes of ferrous cytochrome P-450scc and cytochrome P-45011 beta. Effects of steroid binding on the photochemical and ligand binding properties

Upon irradiation by a light flash (100-J), the carbon monoxide complex of cytochrome P-450scc was fully photodissociated in both the presence and absence of cholesterol, while less than 20% of the CO complex was photodissociable with those of deoxycorticosterone-bound and -free forms of cytochrome P-45011 beta. When the quantum yield of the reaction was measured for each photodissociable portion, the values were 0.5 and 1.0 for the substrate-free and -bound forms of cytochrome P-450scc, and 0.03 and 0.8 for the substrate-free and -bound forms of cytochrome P-45011 beta, respectively. Thus, CO complexes of these enzymes become more photosensitive upon binding with the specific substrates. Steroid binding also affected kinetic constants of reactions between the ferrous enzymes and CO. The rate constants for the CO recombination at 15 degrees C were 2.7 X 10(6) and 2.3 X 10(5) M-1 s-1 for the substrate-free and -bound forms of cytochrome P-450scc, and were 7.0 X 10(5) and 5.4 X 10(3) M-1 s-1 for the substrate-free and -bound forms of cytochrome P-45011 beta, respectively. The rate constants for the CO dissociation also decreased upon the steroid bindings. The products of the enzyme reactions, pregnenolone and corticosterone, had similar effects on the kinetic constants. From these findings, we postulate that the binding of a steroid to the substrate site of each enzyme alters the bonding character of CO with the heme-iron, thereby affecting both photochemical and kinetic properties of the CO complex. The nature of the photoindissociable portion of the CO complex of cytochrome P-45011 beta is also discussed.     

Studies on the interaction of steroid substrates with adrenal microsomal cytochrome P-450 (P-450C21) in liposome membranes

Cytochrome P-450 (P-450C21), purified from bovine adrenocortical microsomes, was incorporated into the single bilayer liposomes of egg yolk phosphatidylcholine by gel filtration, using a high pressure liquid chromatography system. Interaction of the steroid substrates, 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone and progesterone, with P-450C21 in the liposomes was studied in the equilibrium state by measuring substrate-induced spectral change. The apparent dissociation constant of the P-450C21-substrate complex increased with phosphatidylcholine concentration in the system, showing the substrate to be partitioned between the aqueous and lipid phases. Partition coefficients, determined by equilibrium dialysis and the Hummel-Dreyer method, were 3500 for progesterone and 2000 for 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone at 25 degrees C. The binding process of the substrates to P-450C21 in the liposomes and their dissociation were measured by a stopped flow method. The apparent rate of substrate binding to P-450C21 in the liposomes was not effected by substrate partitioning, indicating partitioning to occur much more quickly than substrate binding to P-450C21. Absorption changes observed in the stopped flow experiments were analyzed at a rapid equilibrium of partitioning. Based on these results, the substrate binding site of P-450C21 was concluded to face the lipid phase of the liposome membranes.     

Cytochrome P-450 isozymes from the marine teleost Stenotomus chrysops: their roles in steroid hydroxylation and the influence of cytochrome b5

Two new cytochrome P-450 forms were purified from liver microsomes of the marine fish Stenotomus chrysops (scup). Cytochrome P-450A (Mr = 52.5K) had a CO-ligated, reduced difference spectrum lambda max at 447.5 nm, and reconstituted modest benzo[a]pyrene hydroxylase activity (0.16 nmol/min/nmol P-450) and ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase activity (0.42 nmol/min/nmol P-450). Cytochrome P-450A reconstituted under optimal conditions catalyzed hydroxylation of testosterone almost exclusively at the 6 beta position (0.8 nmol/min/nmol P-450) and also catalyzed 2-hydroxylation of estradiol. Cytochrome P-450A is active toward steroid substrates and we propose that it is a major contributor to microsomal testosterone 6 beta-hydroxylase activity. Cytochrome P-450A had a requirement for conspecific (scup) NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase and all reconstituted activities examined were stimulated by the addition of purified scup cytochrome b5. Cytochrome P-450B (Mr = 45.9K) had a CO-ligated, reduced difference spectrum lambda max at 449.5 nm and displayed low rates of reconstituted catalytic activities. However, cytochrome P-450B oxidized testosterone at several different sites including the 15 alpha position (0.07 nmol/min/nmol P-450). Both cytochromes P-450A and P-450B were distinct from the major benzo[a]pyrene hydroxylating form, cytochrome P-450E, by the criteria of spectroscopic properties, substrate profiles, minimum molecular weights on NaDodSO4-polyacrylamide gels, peptide mapping and lack of cross-reaction with antibody raised against cytochrome P-450E. Cytochrome P-450E shares epitopes with rat cytochrome P-450c indicating it is the equivalent enzyme, but possible homology between scup cytochromes P-450A or P-450B and known P-450 isozymes in other vertebrate groups is uncertain, although functional analogs exist.     

Hydroperoxysterols as a probe for the mechanism of cytochrome P-450scc-mediated hydroxylation. Homolytic versus heterolytic oxygen-oxygen bond scission

The interaction of 20-, 23-, and 25-hydroperoxy derivatives of cholesterol with various heme proteins, including the cholesterol side-chain-cleaving enzyme, cytochrome P-450scc, was studied by means of product and spectral analyses. Quasi-Fenton homolytic decomposition via intermediate alkoxy radicals appears to prevail during nonspecific interaction. Highly stereospecific hydroperoxide-driven hydroxylations suggest the absence of free radical species and are interpreted as resulting from a heterolytic type of peroxide decomposition or, alternatively, homolytic decomposition assuming proximal base effect to stabilize a putative intermediate alkoxy radical. Spectral aberrations during the early stages of the latter interaction indicate formation of a ternary iron-peroxo-substrate complex. Decomposition of this complex results in multiple product formation suggesting that peroxide cleavage reverts to regular homolytic decomposition upon denaturation of the enzyme. The implications of these observations for the mechanism of hydroxylation and oxidative carbon-carbon bond scission during enzymic side-chain cleavage of cholesterol are discussed.     

A simple and rapid procedure for the purification of phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P-450 from rat liver microsomes.

A rapid and simple procedure has been developed for the purification of a phenobarbital-inducible form of cytochrome P-450 from the liver microsomes of phenobarbitalpretreated rats. Within 2 days approximately 1000–1500 nmol of highly purified cytochrome P-450 with a specific content of 16 nmol/mg protein can be recovered from 4 g of microsomal protein. The procedure consists of solubilization of microsomal protein with sodium cholate, fractionation with polyethylene glycol, and column chromatography at room temperature on DEAE-cellulose. The resulting DEAE-cellulose fraction electrophoreses on polyacrylamide gels in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate as a major protein band with a minimum molecular weight of 52,000 and a few faint bands. Further chromatography on QAE Sephadex A-25 essentially removes these faint bands and increases the specific content slightly to 17 nmol/mg protein. Relatively low amounts of this form of cytochrome P-450 appear to be present in microsomes of untreated rats since less than 1% can be recovered as the DEAE-cellulose fraction by this procedure. An identical form is inducible by phenobarbital in rats of different ages and sex. In a reconstituted system under optimal assay conditions, this form of cytochrome P-450 catalyses the N-demethylation of benzphetamine with a turnover number greater than 100 and hydroxylates testosterone at the 16α position but not at the 6β or 7α position.     

A critical role of protein-bound water in the catalytic cycle of cytochrome P-450 camphor.

The rates of NADH oxidation during the hydroxylation of camphor by cytochrome P-450cam were followed in the presence of co-solvents used to increase the osmotic pressure surrounding the protein-bound water. As a result, the measured Vmax decreases independently of the perturbant tested. Roughly 28 molecules of water, involved during the catalytic cycle, are deduced from the variation of Vmax as a function of osmotic pressure. These molecules, in part, could be those present in the cytochrome P-450cam-putidaredoxin interface.     

A mechanism for the loss of cytochrome P-450 in primary mouse hepatocytes

This study examined various biochemical parameters such as mitochondria and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), total heme and cyto P450 content in fresh hepatocytes and dedifferentiated hepatocytes. These parameters were chosen in order to understand the dramatic decrease in drug metabolism in cultured hepatocytes. The data in this study shows a temporal decrease in cytochrome P450, total heme and also a decrease in mitochondria. Also, the ratio of mtDNA content to mitochondrial density was found to increase as hepatocytes underwent dedifferentiation. Stereological analysis of cell preparations provided a measure of mitochondrial density per cell area and mtDNA content was assessed by the use of a specific radiolabelled probe. This study demonstrates that a loss of the organelle which is partially responsible for synthesis of heme correlates with a decrease in cytochrome P450.     

Characterization of a cDNA for rat P-450g, a highly polymorphic, male-specific cytochrome in the P-450IIC subfamily

Cytochrome P-450g (IIC13) is a highly polymorphic, male-specific rat liver isozyme which is a member of the P-450IIC subfamily. A cDNA, c5126 (1737 bp), for P-450g was isolated from a lambda gt11 library synthesized from (+g) male rat liver mRNA. Sequence analysis of the clone, c5126, revealed an open reading frame of 1473 nucleotides, which encodes for a 490 amino acid polypeptide possessing the 30 NH2-terminal residues reported for cytochrome P-450 (M-3) (P-450g) [Matsumoto et al. (1986) J. Biochem. 100, 1359-1371]. A high degree of sequence similarity (greater than 70%) exists between c5126 and the published sequences of cDNAs for members of the IIC subfamily, while its sequence similarity to other subfamilies (IA, IIB, and IIIA) was much lower (less than 55%). RNA blot analysis utilizing an oligonucleotide probe specific for P-450g revealed that P-450g mRNA was expressed in livers of male but not female Sprague-Dawley (CD) and ACI rats, indicating that the sex difference was regulated pretranslationally. Furthermore, expression of P-450g mRNA was age dependent in livers of male ACI rats (a homozygous, phenotypically high P-450g strain). However, the mRNA for P-450g was expressed equally in livers of outbred male CD rats representing either the high (+g) or the low (-g) phenotype and of inbred ACI rats (+g) representing the high phenotype, indicating that the defect in (-g) rats does not reflect differences in expression of P-450g mRNA.     

Effect of phospholipids on the activity of highly-purified liver microsome cytochrome P-450 in a reaction of aniline and naphthalene hydroxylation by hydroperoxides

The effect of different phospholipids on the functional activity of highly purified cytochrome P-450 used as a co-substrate of cumene hydroperoxide was examined. At the molar ratio of phospholipids to cytochrome P-450 that was equal to 30, phosphatidyl serine, phosphatidyl inositol, the total fraction of microsomal phospholipids, and lysophosphatidyl choline increased the hydroxylation rate of aniline and naphthalene. The effect of the above phospholipids on the rate of naphthalene oxidation was much more pronounced. Phosphatidyl choline and sphingomyelin in similar large quantities did not exert a stimulating effect on the reactions studied. The kinetic parameters of aniline oxidation in the systems containing phospholipids that produced an activating effect were investigated.     

A highly sensitive radiometric assay for zoxazolamine hydroxylation by liver microsomal cytochrome P-450 and P-448: properties of the membrane-bound and purified reconstituted system.

A radiometric assay for the in vitro metabolism of zoxazolamine has been developed which combines high sensitivity and rapid determination of product. [4,6-³H]zoxazolamine was metabolized to 6-hydroxyzoxazolamine, and the tritium released as ³H₂O was determined after treating the incubation mixture with activated charcoal. This treatment efficiently removes labeled substrate (99.98%), permitting enzymatically released tritium to be measured directly in the aqueous medium. Since the preponderant in vitro product of zoxazolamine metabolism by rat liver microsomes and the purified reconstituted mixed function oxidase system is 6-hydroxyzoxazolamine, and since this aryl hydroxylation occurs without significant NIH shift, the subsequent release of tritium from the 6-position accurately represents metabolism of the molecule. The use of [4,6-³H]zoxazolamine for a tritium release assay of mixed function oxidase activity is ideal since this compound shows no significant isotope effect or NIH shift during metabolic conversion to 6-hydroxyzoxazolamine. 3-Methylcholanthrene treatment of rats resulted in a fourfold induction of zoxazolamine hydroxylation while phenobarbital or pregnenolone 16α-carbonitrile pretreatment caused only a 20–50% increase in zoxazolamine metabolism. The use of a purified reconstituted system revealed that cytochrome P-448 from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats was approximately 10- to 15-fold more efficient than cytochrome P-450 from phenobarbital-treated rats in catalyzing the hydroxylation of zoxazolamine.     

Evidence for a sex pheromone metabolizing cytochrome P-450 mono-oxygenase in the housefly

Direct evidence is presented for the role of a cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase (called mixed-function oxidase, or polysubstrate mono-oxygenase, PSMO) in the metabolism of the sex pheromone (Z)-9-tricosene to its corresponding epoxide and ketone in the housefly. A secondary alcohol, most likely an intermediate in the conversion of the alkene to the ketone, was also tentatively identified. The results of in vivo and in vitro experiments showed that the PSMO inhibitors, piperonyl butoxide (PB) and carbon monoxide, markedly inhibited the formation of epoxide and ketone from (9,10-³H) (Z)-9-tricosene. An examination of the relative rates of (Z)-9-tricosene metabolism showed that males exhibited a higher rate of metabolism than females with the antennae of males showing the highest activity of any tissue/organ examined. The major product from all tissues/organs was the epoxide. Data from experiments with subcellular fractions showed that the microsomal fraction had the majority of enzyme activity, which was strongly inhibited by PB and CO and required NADPH and O₂ for activity. A carbon monoxide difference spectrum with reduced cytochrome showed maximal absorbance at 450 nm and allowed quantification of the cytochrome P-450 in the microsomal fraction of 0.410-nmol cytochrome P-450 mg^?1 protein. Interaction of (Z)-9-tricosene with the cytochrome P-450 resulted in a type I spectrum, indicating that the pheromone binds to a hydrophobic site adjacent to the heme moiety of the oxidized cytochrome P-450.     

Arachidonic acid metabolism by dioxin-induced cytochrome P-450: a new hypothesis on the role of P-450 in dioxin toxicity

Dioxin (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, TCDD) is a highly potent inducer of cytochrome P-450. The role of the induced P-450 in TCDD toxicity has been obscure as P-450 neither detoxifies TCDD nor activates it to genotoxic or cytotoxic metabolites. We show, using a chick embryo model, that TCDD causes major increases in the NADPH dependent metabolism of arachidonic acid (AA), a predominant cell membrane fatty acid, that it does so with extremely high potency (ED50, 6.3 pmol per egg) and that this metabolism is catalyzed by TCDD-induced cytochrome P-450 species. Thus, TCDD treatment increased by six to ten fold the P-450 mediated hepatic microsomal metabolism of AA to epoxides and monohydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids, products whose diverse biological activities suggest links to TCDD's toxic effects. In contrast only x and x-1 hydroxy AA, inactive products, were significantly formed by the controls. These findings open a new perspective on how P-450 induction could be related to the diverse toxic effects of TCDD. They lead to the novel hypothesis that TCDD-induced cytochrome P-450 metabolizes an endogenous fatty acid to reactive products that in turn mediate or modulate varied manifestations of TCDD toxicity.     

NMR studies of cytochrome P-450scc. Effects of steroid binding on water proton access to the active site of the ferric enzyme

Water proton relaxation rates of various complexes of cholesterol side chain cleavage cytochrome P-450 (-450scc) were investigated to gain information about the structure and dynamics of the steroid binding site. In all cases bulk water protons were found to be in rapid exchange with protons near the paramagnetic Fe3+ center, and the long electron spin relaxation time of the heme iron, tau s approximately 0.3 ns, resulted in fast relaxation rates. For the steroid-free enzyme, the closest approach of exchangeable protons is approximately 2.5 A, a distance consistent with a water molecule binding directly to the heme iron or rapidly exchanging with a coordinated ligand. When cholesterol was bound, the distance increased to approximately 4 A, indicative of displacement of water from the immediate coordination sphere of the heme but still in close proximity to the active site. For the complex with (22R)-22-hydroxycholesterol, a distance of approximately 2.7 A is observed, suggesting a reorganization of the active site when this intermediate is formed from cholesterol. Complexes of P-450scc with the competitive inhibitors (22R)-22-aminocholesterol, 22-amino-23,24-bisnor-5-cholen-3 beta-ol, or (20R)-20-phenyl-5-pregnene-3 beta,20-diol, also yielded distances of approximately 2.5 A and reveal no effect of side chain size on access of protons to the heme. In the nitrogen-coordinated amino-steroid complexes, the distances observed indicate solvent proton exchange with the heme-bound nitrogen ligand.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)