Purification and characterization of NAD(+)-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase from porcine kidney

A NAD(+)-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-OH-PGDH) from porcine kidney was purified to homogeneity by acid precipitation, blue agarose affinity chromatography, hydroxyapatite-ultrogel adsorption chromatography, DEAE-Sephadex ion-exchange chromatography and NAD(+)-agarose affinity chromatography. The specific activity of the homogeneous enzyme was 31.2 U/mg. The molecular mass of the native enzyme was estimated to be 55,000 Da, whereas that of SDS-treated enzyme was 29,000 Da indicating that the native enzyme was dimeric. Compared to human placental 15-OH-PGDH, porcine kidney enzyme gave a similar general amino acid residue distribution. Chemical modification of the enzyme with N-ethyl maleimide (3 microM), N-chlorosuccinimide (20 microM) or 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (2.5 microM) followed pseudo-first-order inactivation kinetics, and inactivation could be prevented by the presence of NAD+ (1 mM) but not of prostaglandin E1 (140 microM) indicating the involvement of cysteine, methionine and lysine residues in the coenzyme binding site. Inactivation by diethyl pyrocarbonate (1.25 mM) or phenylglyoxal (10 mM) also showed pseudo-first-order kinetics suggesting that histidine and arginine residues were catalytically or structurally important in the native enzyme. These studies provide new insights into the structure and function of 15-OH-PGDH.     

Changes in ovarian NAD(+)-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase activity in pregnant and pseudopregnant rabbits.

The specific activity of NAD(+)-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (PGDH) was found to increase in the ovaries of pregnant and pseudopregnant rabbits. The mean specific activity of cytosolic ovarian PGDH in 14- to 28-day pregnant rabbits was 24.3 +/- 8.1 nmol NADH formed/min/mg protein (n = 16) using PGE1 as substrate whereas in nonpregnant rabbits the specific activity was 1.5 +/- 0.8 nmol NADH formed/min/mg protein (n = 8). The reaction was dependent on NAD+; NADP+ did not support the reaction. In grouping the PGDH activities from pregnant rabbits into second (14-18 days) and third (2-28 days) trimester periods, no significant difference between values was found (26.1 +/- 8.9 vs 23.4 +/- 8.1 nmol NADH formed/min/mg protein, respectively). Western blot analysis of the ovarian cytosol using an antibody which was made to the purified lung PGDH of pregnant rabbits recognized an ovarian protein of identical molecular mass (30 kDa). Ovarian PGDH activities were also examined in rabbits treated with pregnant mare's serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) and human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) to induce a state of superovulatory/pseudopregnancy and only on day 11 following hCG treatment was an increase in PGDH specific activity observed. On day 11, the specific activity was 14.8 +/- 4.3 nmol NADH formed/min/mg protein whereas values on days 10 and 12 were only 1.1 +/- 1.1 and 1.0 +/- 0.8, respectively. PGDH activities on days 3, 7 and 16 were also low.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Monoclonal antibodies that inhibit the enzyme activity of NAD(+)-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase.

Three hybridoma cell lines secreting antibodies against human placental NAD(+)-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-OH-PGDH) were produced. Purified IgG2b from these cell lines recognized a distinct band of Mr 28,000 on SDS/PAGE from the purified enzyme as well as a band of Mr 56,000 from the crude enzyme preparation. These three monoclonal antibodies inhibited 15-OH-PGDH activity to different degrees. Inhibition of the enzyme activity could be prevented by prior incubation of the enzyme with NAD+ but not with prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) or NADP+. Inhibition by monoclonal antibodies appears to be non-competitive with respect to NAD+ and PGE2. An increased concentration of antibodies alters the apparent Km for NAD+ but not for PGE2, further supporting the notion that the antibodies bind to the coenzyme-binding site. The availability of these monoclonal antibodies should be valuable for probing the structure of the active site.     

Isolation and properties of lung 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase from pregnant rabbits

A NAD-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (PGDH) was purified to a specific activity of over 25,000 nmol NADH formed/min/mg protein with 50 microM prostaglandin E1 as substrate from the lungs of 28-day-old pregnant rabbits. This represented a 2600-fold purification of the enzyme with a recovery of 6% of the starting enzyme activity. The lungs of pregnant rabbits were used because a 42- to 55-fold induction of the PGDH activity was observed after 20 days of gestation. The enzyme was purified by CM-cellulose, DEAE-cellulose, Sephadex G-75, octylamino-agarose, and hydroxylapatite chromatography. The enzyme could not be purified by affinity chromatography using NAD- or blue dextran-bound resins. The purified enzyme was specific for NAD and had a subunit molecular weight of 29,000. The optimal pH range for the oxidation of prostaglandin E1 was between 10.0 and 10.4 using 3-(cyclohexylamino)propanesulfonic acid as the buffer. The Km and Vmax values for prostaglandin E1 were 33 microM and 40,260 nmol/min/mg protein, respectively, while the Km and Vmax values for prostaglandin E2 were 59 microM and 43,319 nmol/min/mg protein, respectively. The Km for prostaglandin F2 alpha was four times the value for prostaglandin E1. The PGDH activity was inhibited by p-chloromercuriphenylsulfonic acid but the enzymatic activity was restored by the addition of dithiothreitol. n-Ethylmaleimide also produced a rapid decline in enzymatic activity but when NAD was included in the incubation system, no inhibition was observed.     

Threonine 11 of human NAD(+)-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase may interact with NAD(+) during catalysis

NAD(+)-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH), a member of the short-chain dehydrogenase family, catalyzes the first step in the catabolic pathway of the prostaglandins. This enzyme oxidizes the 15-hydroxyl group of prostaglandins to produce 15-keto metabolites which are usually biologically inactive. A relatively conserved threonine residue corresponding to threonine 11 of 15-PGDH is proposed to be involved in the interaction with NAD(+). Site-directed mutagenesis was used to examine the important role of this residue. Threonine 11 was changed to alanine (T11A), cysteine (T11C), serine (T11S) or tyrosine (T11Y) and the mutant proteins were expressed in E. coli. Western-blot analysis showed that the expression levels of mutant proteins were comparable to that of the wild-type enzyme. Mutants T11A, T11C and T11Y were found to be inactive. Mutant T11S still retained substantial activity and the K(m) value for prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) was similar to the wild-type enzyme; however, the K(m) value for NAD(+) was increased over 23-fold. These results suggest that threonine 11 may be involved in the interaction with NAD(+) either directly or indirectly and contributes to the full catalytic activity of 15-PGDH.     

Thiazolidinediones as a novel class of NAD(+)-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase inhibitors

NAD(+)-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) catalyzes NAD(+)-dependent oxidation of prostaglandins and other nonprostanoid compounds. This enzyme was found to be dramatically induced in hormone-responsive human prostate cancer cells by androgens [M. Tong, and H. H. Tai, 2000, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 276, 77-81] and could be involved in prostate tumorigenesis. Inhibitors of this enzyme may be of value in determining the utility of these compounds in cancer chemoprevention. Previously, ciglitazone, an antidiabetic thiazolidinedione, was found to be a potent inhibitor of 15-PGDH. Structure-activity analysis of available thiazolidinediones indicated that the nature of the moiety linking to phenyl ring through ether linkage and benzylidene configuration play important roles in inhibitory potency. Furthermore, N-methylation of 2,4-thiazolidinedione abolished the inhibitory activity. A series of benzylidene thiazolidinediones with varied ring structure and methylene bridge to phenyl ring through ether linkage were synthesized and assayed for inhibitory activity. It was found that compound CT-8 (5-[4-(cyclohexylethoxy)benzylidene]-2,4-thiazolidinedione) was the most potent inhibitor effective at nanomolar range. Kinetic studies revealed that inhibition by this compound was noncompetitive with respect to NAD(+) and uncompetitive with respect to prostaglandin E(2), indicating that the inhibitor interacts with the enzyme at a site distinct from the substrate binding site. This regulatory site appears to overlap with the activator site occupied by imipramine since activation of the enzyme by this activator is competitively inhibited by compound CT-8.     

Expression of the cDNA for NAD(+)-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase as a catalytically active enzyme in Escherichia coli.

NAD(+)-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) is a key enzyme involved in the catabolism of the prostaglandins. The cDNA for human placental 15-PGDH has been expressed in Escherichia coli as a catalytically active protein. The polymerase chain reaction was used to introduce restriction endonuclease sites at each end of the 15-PGDH coding sequence. The 15-PGDH DNA was then inserted into the bacterial expression plasmids pUC-18 and pUC-19 which contain the isopropyl-l-thio-beta-D-galactopyranoside (IPTG) inducible lacZ promoter. Extracts from E. coli containing these expression plasmids exhibited 15-PGDH activity which was inducible with (IPTG). Crude extracts from E. coli expressing 15-PGDH activity were found to contain proteins of the predicted sizes in stained SDS-polyacrylamide gels and in Western blots using human placental 15-PGDH antiserum. The specific activity in E. coli extracts was several hundred-fold higher than that seen in extracts from human placenta.     

Spectrofluorometric assay of NAD+-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase activity

A simple, rapid, and sensitive spectrofluorometric assay for 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase activity was developed in which the rate of production of NADH was monitored. The cytosolic fraction prepared from human placental tissue was employed as the enzyme source. The assay was conducted at pH 9.5 since 15-ketoprostaglandin Δ¹³-reductase and NADH oxidase activities were inhibited at this pH, thereby minimizing the interference of the reactions catalyzed by these enzymes in the assay of prostaglandin dehydrogenase activity.     

Cloning and sequence analysis of the cDNA for human placental NAD(+)-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase.

NAD(+)-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase catalyzes the oxidation of many prostaglandins at C-15, resulting in a subsequent reduction in their biological activity. We report the isolation of the cDNA for this enzyme. A human placental lambda gt11 cDNA library was screened using polyclonal antibodies prepared against the human placental enzyme. A 2.5-kilobase cDNA containing the entire coding region for the enzyme was isolated. The cDNA encodes for a protein of 266 amino acids with a calculated Mr of 28,975. Identification of the cDNA as that coding for 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase was based on the comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence with the amino acid sequence of two peptides, one from the rabbit lung enzyme and the other from the human placental enzyme. This cDNA hybridizes with two species of poly(A+) RNA isolated from human placenta: one of 3.4 kilobases and the other of 2.0 kilobases. Isolation of the cDNA for 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase should facilitate studies on the structure, function, and regulation of this enzyme.     

Critical residues for the coenzyme specificity of NAD+-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase

NAD+-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH), a member of the short chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) family, is responsible for the biological inactivation of prostaglandins. Sequence alignment within SDR coupled with molecular modeling analysis has suggested that Gln-15, Asp-36, and Trp-37 of 15-PGDH may determine the coenzyme specificity of this enzyme. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to examine the important roles of these residues. Several single mutants (Q15K, Q15R, W37K, and W37R), double mutants (Q15K-W37K, Q15K-W37R, Q15R-W37K, and Q15R-W37R), and triple mutants (Q15K-D36A-W37R and Q15K-D36S-W37R) were prepared and expressed as glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion proteins in Escherichia coli and purified by GSH-agarose affinity chromatography. Mutants Q15K, Q15R, W37K, W37R, Q15K-W37K, and Q15R-W37K were found to be inactive or almost inactive with NADP+ but still retained substantial activity with NAD+. Mutant Q15K-W37R and mutant Q15R-W37R showed comparable activity for NAD+ and NADP+ with an increase in activity nearly 3-fold over that of the wild type. However, approximately 30-fold higher in K(m) for NADP+ than that of the wild type enzyme for NAD+ was found for mutants Q15K-W37R and Q15R-W37R. Similarly, the K(m) values for PGE(2) of mutants were also shown to increase over that of the wild type. Further mutation of Asp-36 to either an alanine or a serine of the double mutant Q15K-W37R (i.e., triple mutants Q15K-D36A-W37R and Q15K-D36S-W37R) rendered the mutants exhibiting exclusive activity with NADP+ but not with NAD+. The triple mutants showed a decrease in K(m) for NADP+ but an increase in K(m) for PGE(2). Further mutation at Ala-14 to a serine of a triple mutant (Q15K-D36S-W37R) decreased the K(m) values for both NADP+ and PGE(2) to levels comparable to those of the wild type. These results indicate that the coenzyme specificity of 15-PGDH can be altered from NAD+ to NADP+ by changing a few critical residues near the N-terminal end.     

Purification and structural characterization of placental NAD(+)-linked 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase. The primary structure reveals the enzyme to belong to the short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase family

Human placental NAD(+)-linked 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase was purified to homogeneity according to a five-step method, with chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose, Blue Sepharose, and Mono-Q FPLC as principal steps. Final yield was 23% and purification about 13,000-fold, with a specific activity of 24,000 milliunits/mg. The subunit molecular weight is about 29,000 as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and the native protein molecular weight is about 54,000 as estimated by Sephadex G-100 chromatography, establishing the enzyme to be a dimer of similar-sized protein chains. The subunit N-terminal residue is methionine, and the alpha-amino group is free. The complete primary structure was determined by peptide analysis, based essentially on four different proteolytic treatments (Lys-specific protease, Glu-specific protease, Asp-specific protease, and CNBr). The protein chain is composed of 266 residues, with C-terminal glutamine. A microheterogeneity was detected at position 217, with both Cys and Tyr, in about equal amounts, from a preparation starting with a single placenta. No other subunit heterogeneities were detected. The protein is clearly but distantly related to insect alcohol dehydrogenases, characterized bacterial dehydrogenases of sugar metabolism, and bacterial and eukaryotic steroid dehydrogenases. Together, these results establish that placental 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase is a member of the short-chain nonmetalloenzyme alcohol dehydrogenase protein family. The protein has four cysteine residues (five with the positional microheterogeneity), but there is no evidence for functional importance of any of these residues.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Threonine 188 is critical for interaction with NAD+ in human NAD+-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase

NAD+-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) is the key enzyme in the inactivation pathway of prostaglandins. It is a member of the short-chain dehydrogenase family of enzymes. A relatively conserved threonine residue corresponding to threonine 188 of 15-PGDH is proposed to be involved in the interaction with the carboxamide group of NAD+. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to examine the important role of this residue. Threonine 188 was changed to alanine (T188A), serine (T188S) or tyrosine (T188Y) and the mutant proteins were expressed in E. coli. Western blot analysis showed that the expression levels of mutant proteins were similar to that of the wild type protein. Mutants T188A and T188Y were found to be inactive. Mutant T188S still retained substantial activity and the Km value for PGE2 was similar to the wild enzyme; however, the Km value for NAD+ was increased over 100 fold. These results suggest that threonine 188 is critical for interaction with NAD+ and contributes to the full catalytic activity of 15-PGDH.     

Inhibition of NAD+-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) by cyclooxygenase inhibitors and chemopreventive agents

15-Hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) catalyzes NAD(+)-dependent oxidation of 15(S)-hydroxyl group of prostaglandins and has been considered a key enzyme involved in biological inactivation of prostaglandins. This enzyme is markedly induced by androgens in hormone-sensitive human prostate cancer cells (Tong M., Tai H. H. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2000; 276: 77-81) and may be involved in tumorigenesis. Inhibition of this enzyme may be of value in anticancer therapy. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which inhibit cyclooxygenases (COXs) have been shown to be chemopreventive in epidemiological and animal-model studies. However, chemoprevention by these drugs may not be directly related to their inhibition of COXs. Other targets may be also involved in their chemopreventive activity. We have examined a variety of NSAIDs including COX-2 selective inhibitors, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma agonists and phytophenolic compounds which have been shown to be chemopreventive for their effect on 15-PGDH. It was found that most of these compounds were potent inhibitors of 15-PGDH. Among these compounds, ciglitazone appeared to be the most powerful inhibitor (IC(50)=2.7 microM). Inhibition by ciglitazone was non-competitive with respect to NAD(+) and uncompetitive with respect to PGE(2).     

Induction of NAD(+)-linked 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase expression by androgens in human prostate cancer cells

Prostate cancer cells are known to express cyclooxygenases (COXs) and synthesize prostaglandins. Catabolism of prostaglandins in these cells remains to be determined. Induction of NAD(+)-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH), a key metabolic inactivation enzyme, was investigated in androgen-sensitive LNCaP cells and in hormone-independent PC3 cells. 15-PGDH was found to be induced by dihydrotestosterone or testosterone in a time- and dose-dependent manner in LNCaP but not in PC3 cells as shown by activity assay and immunoblot analysis. However, prostaglandin synthetic enzymes, COX-1 and COX-2, were not found to be induced by androgens. Induction was also achieved by 17beta-estradiol and progesterone, although to a lesser extent. Induction of 15-PGDH was not blocked by steroid receptor antagonist, RU 486, nor by antiandrogen, flutamide. However, induction was inhibited by tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein, and by ERK kinase inhibitor, PD 98059, but not by protein kinase C inhibitor, GF109203X. These results suggest that androgens induce 15-PGDH gene expression through an unconventional nongenomic pathway.     

Key NAD+-binding residues in human 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase

NAD(+)-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH), a member of the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) family, catalyzes the first step in the catabolic pathways of prostaglandins and lipoxins, and is believed to be the key enzyme responsible for the biological inactivation of these biologically potent eicosanoids. The enzyme utilizes NAD(+) specifically as a coenzyme. Potential amino acid residues involved in binding NAD(+) and facilitating enzyme catalysis have been partially identified. In this report, we propose that three more residues in 15-PGDH, Ile-17, Asn-91, and Val-186, are also involved in the interaction with NAD(+). Site-directed mutagenesis was used to examine their roles in binding NAD(+). Several mutants (I17A, I17V, I17L, I17E, I17K, N91A, N91D, N91K, V186A, V186I, V186D, and V186K) were prepared, expressed as glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion enzymes in Escherichia coli, and purified by GSH-agarose affinity chromatography. Mutants I17E, I17K, N91L, N91K, and V186D were found to be inactive. Mutants N91A, N91D, V186A, and V186K exhibited comparable activities to the wild type enzyme. However, mutants I17A, I17V, I17L, and V186I had higher activity than the wild type. Especially, the activities of I17L and V186I were increased nearly 4- and 5-fold, respectively. The k(cat)/K(m) ratios of all active mutants for PGE(2) were similar to that of the wild type enzyme. However, the k(cat)/K(m) ratios of mutants I17A and N91A for NAD(+) were decreased 5- and 10-fold, respectively, whereas the k(cat)/K(m) ratios of mutants I17V, N91D, V186I, and V186K for NAD(+) were comparable to that of the wild type enzyme. The k(cat)/K(m) ratios of mutants I17L and V186A for NAD(+) were increased over nearly 2-fold. These results suggest that Ile-17, Asn-91, and Val-186 are involved in the interaction with NAD(+) and contribute to the full catalytic activity of 15-PGDH.     

Biochemical and molecular characterization of NAD(+)-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase from the ethanologenic bacterium Zymomonas mobilis

An isocitrate dehydrogenase from Zymomonas mobilis was overexpressed in Escherichia coli as a fused protein (ZmIDH). The molecular mass of recombinant ZmIDH, together with its 6× His partner, was estimated to be 74 kDa by gel filtration chromatography, suggesting a homodimeric structure. The purified recombinant ZmIDH displayed maximal activity at 55 °C, pH 8.0 with Mn(2+) and pH 8.5 with Mg(2+). Heat inactivation studies showed that the recombinant ZmIDH was rapidly inactivated above 40 °C. In addition, the recombinant ZmIDH activity was completely dependent on the divalent cation and Mn(2+) was the most effective cation. The recombinant ZmIDH displayed a 165-fold (k(cat)/K(m)) preference for NAD(+) over NADP(+) with Mg(2+), and a 142-fold greater specificity for NAD(+) than NADP(+) with Mn(2+). Therefore, the recombinant ZmIDH has remarkably high coenzyme preference for NAD(+). The catalytic efficiency (k(cat)/K(m)) of the recombinant ZmIDH was found to be much lower than that of its NADP(+)-dependent counterparts. The poor performance of the recombinant ZmIDH in decarboxylating might be improved by protein engineering techniques, thus making ZmIDH a potential genetic modification target for the development of optimized Z. mobilis strains.     

Molecular cloning and characterization of NAD(+)-dependent xylitol dehydrogenase from Candida tropicalis ATCC 20913

Induction of xylitol dehydrogenase of Candida tropicalis ATCC 20913 by various carbon sources was investigated. The enzyme activity was induced when the yeast was grown on l-arabinose and d-xylose. A novel gene encoding the enzyme was cloned and characterized. The 1,095-bp coding sequence of the gene encodes a polypeptide of 364 amino acids, with a molecular mass of 39.4 kDa. Sequence analysis of the putative protein showed it to be a member of the zinc-containing alcohol dehydrogenase family and to have homology to xylitol dehydrogenase genes from other yeasts and fungi. The recombinant xylitol dehydrogenase expressed in Escherichia coli oxidized polyols such as xylitol and d-sorbitol and reduced ketoses such as d-xylulose and d-fructose. It required exclusively NAD or NADH as a cofactor.     

Metabolism of prostaglandins in spontaneously hypertensive rats: NAD"-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase activity is decreased in kidney and increased in lung.

Renal, pulmonary and gastric NAD⁺-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase activities were determined in both spontaneously hypertensive and normotensive rats at 6 and 12 weeks of age. Renal enzyme activity in hypertensive rats was only 30–40% of that present in normotensive controls at both ages. In contract, pulmonary enzyme activity in hypertensive animals was twice as active as that in normal controls. There was no significant difference in gastric enzyme activity. NAD⁺-dependent 9-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase activity, the enzyme responsible for the conversion of vasoinactive PGF metabolites to PGE metabolites, also failed to show any difference in two types of rat kidneys. The results indicate that, in hypertension, prostaglandin inactivation is impaired in kidney but is facilitated in lung.