Purification and characterization of two unique forms of cytochrome P-450 from rabbit nasal microsomes

Two forms of cytochrome P-450, designated P-450NMa and P-450NMb, were purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from rabbit nasal microsomes. The purified cytochromes, which contained 14-16 nmol of P-450/mg of protein, exhibited apparent monomeric molecular weights of 49,500 and 51,000, respectively. As indicated by several criteria, including the amino acid composition, absorption spectra, and peptide maps, the two nasal forms of P-450 are distinct from each other. Furthermore, as judged by the NH2-terminal amino acid sequences, they are distinct from all other P-450 cytochromes described to date. In the ferric form, P-450NMa is in the low-spin state, whereas P-450NMb is predominantly in the high-spin state. When reconstituted with NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase and phospholipid, P-450NMa is very active in the oxidation of ethanol as well as several nasal procarcinogens, including the N-deethylation of N-nitrosodiethylamine, the O-deethylation of phenacetin, and the N-demethylation of hexamethyl-phosphoramide. P-450NMb also metabolizes these substrates, but at lower rates. Both nasal forms are also active with testosterone, with P-450NMa oxidizing the substrate in the 17-position to give androstenedione and P-450NMb catalyzing hydroxylation in the 15 alpha-, 16 alpha-, and 19-positions. The two cytochromes represent the major portion of the total P-450 in nasal microsomes, but the corresponding forms could not be detected in hepatic microsomes.     

Variation in hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 1 concentration among untreated rabbits alters the efficiency of estradiol hydroxylation

The metabolism of 17 beta-estradiol was examined using both rabbit liver microsomes and highly purified forms of rabbit liver microsomal cytochrome P-450. The predominant microsomal metabolite of 17 beta-estradiol is the 2-hydroxylated product. 2-Hydroxyestradiol is also the principal metabolite in reconstitution experiments in which P-450 1 exhibits the greatest Vmax, ca. 6 mol min-1 mol P-450 1(-1), vs less than 0.6 mol min-1 mol P-450(-1) for forms 2, 3b-, 3b+, 3c, 4, and 6. In addition P-450 1 has the lowest Km, ca. 2 microM. This suggested that microsomes which differ in their content of P-450 1 would also differ in the kinetic parameters characterizing the 2-hydroxylation of 17 beta-estradiol. Microsomes containing low amounts of P-450 1, less than 0.1 nmol/mg protein, exhibit a low-efficiency (Vmax/Km) 2-hydroxylase activity. Microsomes containing elevated concentrations of P-450 1, greater than 0.3 nmol/mg protein, exhibit a substrate dependence suggestive of an additional high-efficiency enzyme. The latter is specifically inhibited by a monoclonal antibody that recognizes P-450 1. These results indicate that the elevated expression of P-450 1 in microsomes leads to a marked increase in the apparent first-order rate constant for the 2-hydroxylation of 17 beta-estradiol, as it does for the 21-hydroxylation of progesterone. This should have a marked effect on the metabolism of these two steroid hormones at concentrations that are likely to occur in vivo.     

A prostaglandin omega-hydroxylase cytochrome P-450 (P-450PG-omega) purified from lungs of pregnant rabbits

Cytochrome P-450-dependent prostaglandin omega-hydroxylation is induced over 100-fold during late gestation in rabbit pulmonary microsomes (Powell, W.S. (1978) J. Biol. Chem. 253, 6711-6716). Purification of cytochromes P-450 from lung microsomes of pregnant rabbits yielded three fractions. Two of these fractions correspond to rabbit lung P-450I (LM2) and P-450II (LM5), which together constitute 70-97% of total cytochrome P-450 in lung microsomes from nonpregnant rabbits. The third form, which we designate rabbit cytochrome P-450PG-omega, regioselectively hydroxylates prostaglandins at the omega-position in reconstituted systems with a turnover of 1-5 min-1. Titration with purified pig liver cytochrome b5, demonstrated a 4-fold maximum stimulation at a cytochrome b5 to a P-450 molar ratio of 1-2. Rabbit lung P-450PG-omega formed a typical type I binding spectrum upon the addition of prostaglandin E1 with a calculated K8 of 1 microM, which agreed reasonably well with the kinetically calculated Km of 3 microM. Cytochrome P-450PG-omega was isolated as a low-spin isozyme with a lambda max (450 nm) in the CO-difference spectrum distinguishable from P-450I (451 nm) and P-450II (449 nm). Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide slab gel electrophoresis demonstrated that although purified P-450PG-omega had a relatively low specific content (12.1 nmol mg-1), it appeared homogeneous with a calculated minimum Mr of 56,000, intermediate between rabbit LM4 and LM6. When lung microsomes from pregnant and nonpregnant rabbit were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, a protein band, with a Mr identical to P-450PG-omega, was observed in the pregnant rabbit, whereas this band appeared to be very faint or absent in microsomes from the nonpregnant rabbit. Purification of cytochromes P-450 from nonpregnant rabbit lung yielded only P-450I and P-450II. P-450PG-omega appears to be a novel rabbit P-450, possessing high activity towards omega-hydroxylation of prostaglandins, and is greatly induced during pregnancy in rabbit lung.     

Hydroxylation of prostaglandin A1 by the microsomes of rabbit intestinal mucosa

Microsomes from rabbit small intestine mucosa were found to catalyze the hydroxylation of PGA1 in the presence of NADPH. The major product was identified as 20-hydroxy PGA1 by using high performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and the minor product was assumed to be 19-hydroxy PGA1. The ratio of the former product to the latter was about 24.1. The specific PGA1 omega-hydroxylase activity of small intestine microsomes was comparable to that of liver microsomes, and was significantly higher than those of microsomes from other tissues such as kidney cortex and lung. Microsomes from rabbit colon mucosa also catalyzed the hydroxylation of PGA1 in the presence of NADPH, with the ratio of omega- to (omega-1)-hydroxy PGA1 formed being 33.0. The PGA1 hydroxylase activities of the microsomes from both small intestine and colon were inhibited markedly by carbon monoxide, indicating the participation of cytochrome P-450. A cytochrome P-450 was solubilized from small intestine microsomes, and purified to a specific content of 10.5 nmol of cytochrome P-450/mg of protein. This cytochrome hydroxylated PGA1 at the omega-position with a turnover rate of 38.2 nmol/min/nmol of cytochrome P-450 in the reconstituted system containing cytochrome P-450, NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase, cytochrome b5 and phosphatidylcholine. It is suggested that this cytochrome P-450 is specialized for the omega-hydroxylation of PGA1 in small intestine microsomes.     

Aflatoxin B1 metabolism by 3-methylcholanthrene-induced hamster hepatic cytochrome P-450s

We have studied the activation of aflatoxin B1 by hamster liver microsomes and purified hamster cytochrome P-450 isozymes using a umu mutagen test. The hamster liver microsomes or S-9 fractions were much more active than rat liver microsomes or S-9 fractions in the activation of umu gene expression by aflatoxin B1 metabolites. 3-Methyl-cholanthrene treatment increased aflatoxin B1 activation by hamster liver microsomes. Two major 3-methylcholanthrene-inducible cytochrome P-450 isozymes, P-450 MC1 (IIA) and P-450 MC4 (IA2), were purified from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated hamster liver microsomes, and the metabolism of aflatoxin B1 by these two cytochromes was studied. In the reconstituted enzyme system, both P-450 MC1 and P-450 MC4 were highly active in the activation of aflatoxin B1, and antibodies against these P-450s specifically inhibited these activities. Antibody against P-450 MC1 inhibited the activation of aflatoxin B1 by 20% in the presence of 3-methyl-cholanthrene-treated hamster liver microsomes. In contrast, antibody against P-450 MC4 stimulated the activity by 175%. These results indicated that hamster P-450 MC1 might convert aflatoxin B1 to more toxic metabolite(s), whereas P-450 MC4 might convert aflatoxin B1 to less toxic metabolite(s), than aflatoxin B1 in liver microsomes. The metabolite(s) produced by both hamster cytochrome P-450 MC1 and MC4 were genotoxic in the umu mutagen test.     

Participation of two structurally related enzymes in rat hepatic microsomal androstenedione 7 alpha-hydroxylation.

Rat hepatic cytochrome P-450 form 3 (testosterone 7 alpha-hydroxylase; P-450 gene IIA1) and P-450 form RLM2 (testosterone 15 alpha-hydroxylase; P-450 gene IIA2) are 88% identical in primary structure, yet they hydroxylate testosterone with distinct and apparently unrelated regioselectivities. In this study, androstenedione and progesterone were used to assess the regioselectivity and stereospecificity of these two P-450 enzymes towards other steroid substrates. Although P-450 RLM2 exhibited low 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity with testosterone or progesterone as substrate (turnover number less than or equal to 1-2 nmol of metabolite/min per nmol of P-450), it did catalyse androstenedione 7 alpha-hydroxylation at a high rate (21 min-1) which exceeded that of P-450 3 (7 min-1). However, whereas P-450 3 exhibited a high specificity for hydroxylation of these steroids at the 7 alpha position (95-97% of total activity), P-450 RLM2 actively metabolized these compounds at four or more major sites including the nearby C-15 position, which dominated in the case of testosterone and progesterone. The observation that androstenedione is actively 7 alpha-hydroxylated by purified P-450 RLM2 suggested that this P-450 enzyme might make significant contributions to microsomal androstenedione 7 alpha-hydroxylation, an activity that was previously reported to be associated with immunoreactive P-450 3. Antibody inhibition experiments were therefore carried out in liver microsomes using polyclonal anti-(P-450 3) antibodies which cross-react with P-450 RLM2, and using a monoclonal antibody that is reactive with and inhibitory towards P-450 3 but not P-450 RLM2. P-450 3 was thus shown to catalyse only around 35% of the total androstenedione 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity in uninduced adult male rat liver microsomes, with the balance attributed to P-450 RLM2. The P-450-3-dependent 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity was increased to approximately 65% of the total in phenobarbital-induced adult male microsomes, and to greater than 90% of the total in untreated adult female rat liver microsomes. These observations are consistent with the inducibility of P-450 3 by phenobarbital and with the absence of P-450 RLM2 from adult female rat liver respectively. These findings establish that P-450 RLM2 and P-450 3 can both contribute significantly to microsomal androstenedione 7 alpha-hydroxylation, thus demonstrating that the 7 alpha-hydroxylation of this androgen does not serve as a specific catalytic monitor for microsomal P-450 3.     

Catalytic activities of human liver cytochrome P-450 IIIA4 expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A human liver cytochrome P-450 (P-450) IIIA4 cDNA clone was inserted behind an alcohol dehydrogenase promoter in the plasmid vector pAAH5 and expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (D12 and AH22 strains). A cytochrome P-450 with typical spectral properties was expressed at a level of approximately 8 x 10(5) molecules/cell in either strain of yeast. The expressed P-450 IIIA4 had the same apparent monomeric Mr as the corresponding protein in human liver microsomes (P-450NF) and could be isolated from yeast microsomes. Catalytic activity of the yeast microsomes toward putative P-450 IIIA4 substrates was seen in the reactions supported by cumene hydroperoxide but was often lower and variable when supported by the physiological donor NADPH. The catalytic activity of purified P-450 IIIA4 was also poor in some systems reconstituted with rabbit liver NADPH-P-450 reductase and best when both the detergent 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate and a lipid extract (from liver or yeast microsomes) or L-alpha-1,2-dilauroyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine were present. Under these conditions the expressed P-450 IIIA4 was an efficient catalyst for nifedipine oxidation, 6 beta-hydroxylation of testosterone and cortisol, 2-hydroxylation of 17 beta-estradiol and 17 alpha-ethynylestradiol, N-oxygenation and 3-hydroxylation of quinidine, 16 alpha-hydroxylation of dehydroepiandrosterone 3-sulfate, erythromycin N-demethylation, the 10-hydroxylation of (R)-warfarin, the formation of 9,10-dehydrowarfarin from (S)-warfarin, and the activation of aflatoxins B1 and G1, sterigmatocystin, 7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene (both + and - diastereomers), 3,4-dihydroxy-3,4-dihydrobenz[a]anthracene, 3,4-dihydroxy-3,4-dihydro-7, 12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene, 9,10-dihydroxy-9,10-dihydrobenzo[b]fluoranthene, 6-aminochrysene, and tris(2,3-dibromopropyl) phosphate to products genotoxic in a Salmonella typhimurium TA1535/pSK1002 system where a chimeric umuC' 'lacZ plasmid is responsive to DNA alkylation. Reaction rates were stimulated by 7,8-benzoflavone and inhibited by rabbit anti-P-450 IIIA (anti-P-450NF), troleandomycin, gestodene, and cimetidine. Evidence was obtained that rates of reduction of ferric P-450 IIIA4 in yeast microsomes and the reconstituted systems are slow and at least partially responsible for the lower rates of catalysis seen in these systems (relative to liver microsomes). The results of these studies with a defined protein clearly demonstrate the ability of P-450 IIIA4 to catalyze regio- and stereoselective oxidations with a diverse group of substrates, and this enzyme appears to be one of the most versatile catalysts in the P-450 family.     

Purification and characterization of two forms of cytochrome P-450 with omega-hydroxylase activities toward prostaglandin A and fatty acids from rabbit liver microsomes

Two forms of cytochrome P-450 (P-450), designated as P-450LPGA omega 1 and P-450LPGA omega 2, have been purified to specific contents of 17.9 and 11.1 nmol P-450/mg protein, respectively, from liver microsomes of rabbits treated with di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), a peroxisomal proliferator. The purified P-450LPGA omega 1 and P-450LPGA omega 2 were found to have apparent molecular weights of 52,500 and 53,000, respectively. They showed absorption maxima at 451 and 450 nm in the carbon monoxide-difference spectra for their reduced forms, respectively. The two P-450s both efficiently catalyzed the omega-hydroxylation of prostaglandins A1 (PGA1) and A2 (PGA2), as well as the omega- and (omega-1)-hydroxylation of fatty acids such as laurate, myristate, and palmitate. In a reconstituted system, various metal ions such as Na+ and Mg2+ stimulated these reactions. The P-450s exhibited no detectable activity toward several xenobiotics tested. The two P-450s showed different peptide map patterns following limited proteolysis with Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease or papain. The NH2-terminal amino acid sequences (ALNPTRLPGSLSGLLQVAGL and ALSLTRLPGSFSGFLQAxGLLGLLL) of P-450LPGA omega 1 and P-450LPGA omega 2 were identical at 18/20 and 19/24 positions with that of the lung prostaglandin omega-hydroxylase from pregnant rabbits, respectively. An antibody against P-450LPGA omega 2 recognized a 52,000-53,000 molecular weight protein(s) in rabbit liver microsomes. The intensity of the immunoblot was significantly increased in liver microsomes from rabbits treated with DEHP, but not with phenobarbital or 3-methylcholanthrene.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Purification and characterization of cytochromes P-450 from liver microsomes of 3-methylcholanthrene-treated crab-eating monkeys

Two forms of cytochrome P-450 (P-450MC1 and P-450MC2) were purified from liver microsomes of crab-eating monkeys (Macaca irus) treated with 3-methylcholanthrene (MC). Monkey P-450MC1 preparation had a specific content of 14.0 nmol/mg protein and showed a main protein band with a minimum molecular weight of 52,000 on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Monkey P-450MC2 preparation had a specific content of 12.1 nmol/mg protein and a minimum molecular weight of 54,000. The carbon monoxide-reduced difference spectral peaks of monkey P-450MC1 and P-450MC2 were at 448 and 447 nm, respectively. In the reconstituted system, monkey P-450MC2 had high activities for benzo[a]pyrene 3-hydroxylation and 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylation. Monkey P-450MC1 had low activities toward these two substrates and a high activity for benzphetamine N-demethylation. Monkey P-450MC1 and P-450MC2 were detected by immunoblotting using an antibody prepared against rat cytochrome P-450c, which is a major form of cytochrome P-450 in liver microsomes of MC-treated rats. These results suggested that the molecular properties of cytochrome P-450 in liver microsomes of crab-eating monkeys treated with MC are similar to those in rats.     

Multiple forms of cytochrome P-450 in rabbit colon microsomes

Three cytochrome P-450 preparations, designated as cytochrome P-450ca, cytochrome P-450cb, and cytochrome P-448c fraction, were separated and purified about 23-, 50-, and 29-fold, respectively, from the cholate extracts of rabbit colon mucosa microsomes. Their specific contents were 1.2, 2.6, and 1.5 nmol of cytochrome P-450 per mg of protein, respectively. Cytochrome P-450ca and cytochrome P-450cb migrated as heme-containing polypeptide bands with molecular weights of about 53,000 and 57,000, respectively, on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The CO-reduced difference spectra of cytochrome P-450ca, cytochrome P-450cb, and cytochrome P-448c fraction showed maxima at 451, 450, and 449 nm, respectively. Cytochrome P-450ca efficiently catalyzed the omega-hydroxylation of prostaglandin A1 (PGA1) and the omega- and (omega-1)-hydroxylation of caprate, laurate, and myristate in the reconstituted system containing cytochrome P-450ca, NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase, cytochrome b5, and phosphatidylcholine. In contrast, cytochrome P-450cb and cytochrome P-448c fraction had no detectable activity toward PGA1 and fatty acids. Both catalyzed aminopyrine and benzphetamine N-demethylation. Cytochrome P-448c fraction also hydroxylated benzo(a)pyrene, and phosphatidylinositol or phosphatidylserine exhibited a stimulatory effect on this activity. The results show that rabbit colon microsomes contain catalytically different cytochrome P-450, one of which is specialized for the omega-oxidation prostaglandins, the others being involved in the metabolism of exogenous compounds such as drugs and polycyclic hydrocarbons.     

Isolation of a cytochrome P-450 that catalyzes the 25-hydroxylation of vitamin D3 from rat liver microsomes

A molecular species of cytochrome P-450 that catalyzes the 25-hydroxylation of cholecalciferol (P-450cc25) was purified from rat liver microsomes on the basis of its catalytic activity. The purification procedure consisted of polyethylene glycol fractionation, and column chromatographies on octylamino Sepharose 4B, hydroxylapatite, DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B, and CM-Sepharose CL-6B. The specific cytochrome P-450 content of the final preparation was 17.0 nmol/mg of protein. The enzymatic activity was reconstituted with the purified cytochrome P-450, NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase, an NADPH-generating system, and dilauroylglyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine, the specific activity obtained being 3.7 nmol/min/mg of protein, which was 4,000 times as high as that in microsomes. The apparent molecular weight of the P-450cc25 was 50,000, based on the results of sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The absorption spectra of the oxidized form of the enzyme showed a Soret band at 416 nm, which is typical of the low spin state of cytochrome P-450, and alpha and beta bands at 570 and 536 nm, respectively. The Soret peak of the reduced cytochrome P-450-CO complex was at 450 nm. The purified enzyme not only catalyzed the 25-hydroxylation of cholecalciferol but also showed hydroxylation activity toward a variety of substrates, i.e. 1 alpha-hydroxycholecalciferol (at 25), testosterone (at 2 alpha and 16 alpha) and dehydroepiandrosterone (at 16 alpha). Amino terminal sequence of the purified cytochrome P-450 was determined by the manual sequence method to be H2N-Met-Asp-Pro-Val-leu-Val-Leu-Val-. The antibody elicited against the purified enzyme in a rabbit inhibited the cholecalciferol 25-hydroxylation activity by more than 90% with a concentration of 2 mg of immunoglobulin per nmol of cytochrome P-450.     

Differential expression of cytochrome P-450 1 and related forms in rabbit liver and kidney

Monoclonal antibodies developed to cytochrome P-450 1, some of which react with proteins in addition to P-450 1, were used to investigate the differential expression of P-450 1 dependent 21-hydroxylase activity in renal tissue of rabbits exhibiting differences in hepatic 21-hydroxylase activity. Using immunohistochemical techniques, the monoclonal antibodies, 2F5 and 3C3, localized protein in the S2 and S3 segments of the proximal tubule in the renal cortex. These two monoclonal antibodies, 2F5 and 3C3, reacted with a kidney protein that migrated on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with a relative electrophoretic mobility that did not correspond to known rabbit hepatic isozymes and was termed P-450 K. Antibodies specific for P-450 1 and 3b, 1F11 and 8-27, respectively, produced no staining in kidney. The protein recognized by the 2F5 and 3C3 antibodies is immunologically distinct from cytochrome P-450s 1, 2, and 3b. The rate of 21-hydroxylation of progesterone was shown to be approximately 100-fold less in kidney than liver microsomes where this pathway is largely catalyzed by P-450 1. The activity of the kidney microsomes was not inhibited by antibodies directed to P-450 1. In addition, the variation observed for the 21-hydroxylase activity in the hepatic microsomal fraction of outbred New Zealand white rabbits was not evident in kidney microsomes from these same animals. The 2F5 antibody was found, however, to be inhibitory (about 50%) of the 11-hydroxylation of lauric acid in kidney microsomes. This suggests that P-450 K participates in lauric acid 11-hydroxylase activity. The treatment of rabbits with phenobarbital, but not 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, was found to induce the levels of P-450 K.     

Cytochrome P-450 dependent ethanol oxidation. Kinetic isotope effects and absence of stereoselectivity

Deuterium isotope effects [D(V/K)] and stereoselectivity of ethanol oxidation in cytochrome P-450 containing systems and in the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system were compared with those of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase. The isotope effects were determined by using both a noncompetitive method, including incubation of unlabeled or [1,1-2H2]ethanol at various concentrations, and a competitive method, where 1:1 mixtures of [1-13C]- and [2H6]ethanol or [2,2,2-2H3]- and [1,1-2H2]ethanol were incubated and the acetaldehyde formed was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The D(V/K) isotope effects of the cytochrome P-450 dependent ethanol oxidation were about 4 with liver microsomes from imidazole-, phenobarbital- or acetone-treated rabbits or with microsomes from acetone- or ethanol-treated rats. Similar isotope effects were reached with reconstituted membranes containing the rabbit ethanol-inducible cytochrome P-450 (LMeb), whereas control rat microsomes and membranes containing rabbit phenobarbital-inducible P-450 LM2 oxidized the alcohol with D(V/K) of about 2.8 and 1.8, respectively. Addition of FeIIIEDTA either to microsomes from phenobarbital-treated rabbits or to membranes containing P-450 LMeb significantly lowered the isotope effect, which approached that of the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system (1.4), whereas desferrioxamine had no significant effect. Incubations of all cytochrome P-450 containing systems or the xanthine-xanthine oxidase systems with (1R)- and (1S)-[1-2H]ethanol, revealed, taking the isotope effects into account, that 44-66% of the ethanol oxidized had lost the 1-pro-R hydrogen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Aromatase cytochrome P-450. Purification and characterization of the enzyme from human placenta

Aromatase cytochrome P-450 (P-450arom) was purified from human placental microsomes. Preparations exhibit a single major band of approximately 55 kDa on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and have a specific content of 11-13 nmol P-450/mg protein. The purified enzyme exhibits spectral properties typical of ferric and ferrous forms of cytochromes P-450. Full enzymatic activity can be reconstituted with rabbit liver P-450 reductase, and catalytic characteristics similar to aromatase in microsomes are observed. Rabbit antibodies to purified P-450arom were affinity purified and show high specificity and sensitivity on immunoblots.     

Effect of peroxisomal proliferators on microsomal prostaglandin A omega-hydroxylase

Earlier, we reported the isolation of a cytochrome P-450 highly active in prostaglandin A (PGA) omega-hydroxylation (PGA omega-hydroxylase) from rabbit kidney cortex, small intestine, and colon microsomes. In the present studies, the effects of peroxisomal proliferating agents on the PGA omega-hydroxylase have been examined. Administration of clofibrate or di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) resulted in a significant increase in the PGA1 omega-hydroxylase activity of kidney cortex, liver, and small intestine microsomes. Similar findings were also obtained for laurate hydroxylase activity in kidney and liver microsomes. Kidney PGA omega-hydroxylase (designated cytochrome P-450ka) was isolated and highly purified from clofibrate- or DEHP-treated rabbits, with a yield 3 times higher than that from untreated, or phenobarbital- or 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rabbits. Cytochrome P-450ka from clofibrate- or DEHP-treated rabbits exhibited the same properties as those from untreated rabbits. Guinea pig antiserum against cytochrome P-450ka strongly inhibited the omega-hydroxylation of PGA1 by kidney cortex microsomes from clofibrate-treated rabbits. The PGA1 omega-hydroxylase activity of clofibrate-treated liver microsomes was also inhibited by this antiserum, suggesting that a PGA omega-hydroxylase immunochemically related to cytochrome P-450ka exists in liver microsomes.     

Immunochemical evidence for a role of cytochrome P-450 in liver microsomal ethanol oxidation

Antibodies to cytochrome P-450 isozyme 3a, the ethanol-inducible isozyme in rabbit liver, were used to determine the role of this enzyme in the microsomal oxidation of alcohols and the p-hydroxylation of aniline. P-450 isozymes, 2, 3b, 3c, 4, and 6 did not crossreact with anti-3a IgG as judged by Ouchterlony double diffusion, and radioimmunoassays indicated a crossreactivity of less than 1%. Greater than 90% of the activity of purified form 3a toward aniline, ethanol, n-butanol, and n-pentanol was inhibited by the antibody in the reconstituted system. The catalytic activity of liver microsomes from control or ethanol-treated rabbits was unaffected by the addition of either desferrioxamine (up to 1.0 mM) or EDTA (0.1 mM), suggesting that reactions involving the production of hydroxyl radicals from H2O2 and any contaminating iron in the system did not make a significant contribution to the microsomal activity. The addition of anti-3a IgG to hepatic microsomes from ethanol-treated rabbits inhibited the metabolism of ethanol, n-butanol, n-pentanol, and aniline by about 75, 70, 80, and 60%, respectively, while the inhibition of the activity of microsomes from control animals was only about one-half as great. The rate of microsomal H2O2 formation was inhibited to a lesser extent than the formation of acetaldehyde, thus suggesting that the antibody was acting to prevent the direct oxidation of ethanol by form 3a. Under conditions where purified NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase-catalyzed substrate oxidations was minimal, the P-450 isozymes other than 3a had low but significant activity toward the four substrates examined. The residual activity at maximal concentrations of the antibody most likely represents the sum of the activities of P-450 isozymes other than 3a present in the microsomal preparations. The results thus indicate that the enhanced monooxygenase activity of liver microsomes from ethanol-treated animals represents catalysis by P-450 isozyme 3a.     

Selective inactivation by 21-chlorinated steroids of rabbit liver and adrenal microsomal cytochromes P-450 involved in progesterone hydroxylation

The inactivation by 21-chlorinated steroids of rabbit liver cytochromes P-450 involved in the hydroxylation of progesterone has been investigated in intact microsomes encompassing two phenotypes of 21-hydroxylase activity, two phenotypes of 16 alpha-hydroxylase activity, and three phenotypes of 6 beta-hydroxylase activity. In liver microsomes from outbred New Zealand White male rabbits exhibiting a high content of cytochrome P-450 1, 21,21-dichloropregnenolone caused a time- and NADPH-dependent loss of 21-hydroxylase activity. This loss of activity exhibited a number of characteristics of mechanism-based inactivation, including irreversibility, saturation with increasing inhibitor concentrations, and protection by substrate, and was also documented with purified P-450 1 in a reconstituted system. 21,21-Dichloropregnenolone caused no time-dependent loss of 6 beta-hydroxylase activity in microsomes from the New Zealand White rabbits or from control or rifampicin-treated rabbits of the inbred B/J strain. In contrast, in the microsomes from the B/J rabbits, some inactivation of the 16 alpha-hydroxylase was observed (k = 0.04 min-1), regardless of the rifampicin treatment. The other two compounds tested, 21-chloropregnenolone and 21,21-dichloroprogesterone, were less effective than the dichloropregnenolone as inactivators of cytochrome P-450 1. On the other hand, 21,21-dichloroprogesterone, but not 21,21-dichloropregneolone, caused a rapid time-dependent loss of 21-hydroxylase activity in rabbit adrenal microsomes. The results indicate that the introduction of a dichloromethyl group into a substrate bearing a methyl group normally hydroxylated by only one or a few forms of cytochrome P-450 may be a rational means of designing selective inhibitors of the enzyme.     

A form of rabbit liver cytochrome P-450 that catalyzes the 7 alpha-hydroxylation of cholesterol

A form of cytochrome P-450 which comigrates with cytochrome P-450LM4 (molecular weight, 55 000) on SDS-polyacrylamide gel was purified from liver microsomes of cholestyramine-treated rabbits. This form of cytochrome P-450 catalyzed the 7 alpha-hydroxylation of cholesterol with an activity of 37.5 pmol/min per nmol cytochrome P-450 in the reconstituted enzyme system containing cytochrome P-450 and NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase. The substrate specificity of this form of cytochrome P-450 was compared with cytochrome P-450LM4 isolated from phenobarbital- and beta-naphthoflavone-treated rabbit liver microsomes. The latter two isoenzymes do not catalyze 7 alpha-hydroxylation of cholesterol, but are more active in O-deethylation of 7-ethoxycoumarin and p-nitrophenetole. Ouchterlony double diffusion revealed cross-reactivity between anti-P-450LM4 (phenobarbital) IgG and cytochrome P-450 isolated from cholestyramine- or beta-naphthoflavone-treated rabbit liver microsomes. A two-dimensional iodinated tryptic peptide fingerprint indicated only minor structural differences among these three cytochrome P-450LM4 preparations.     

Constitutive testosterone 6 beta-hydroxylase in rat liver

The cytochrome P-450 that was purified from hepatic microsomes of male rats treated with phenobarbital and designated P450 PB-1 (Funae and Imaoka (1985) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 842, 119-132) had high testosterone 6 beta-hydroxylation activity (turnover rate, 13.5 nmol of product/min/nmol of P-450) in a reconstituted system consisting of cytochrome P-450, NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase, cytochrome b5, and a 1:1 mixture of lecithin and phosphatidylserine in the presence of sodium cholate. In ordinary conditions in the reconstituted system with cytochrome P-450, reductase, and dilauroylphosphatidylcholine, P450 PB-1 had little 6 beta-hydroxylase activity. The catalytic activities toward testosterone of two major constitutive forms, P450 UT-2 and P450 UT-5, were not affected by cytochrome b5, phospholipid, or sodium cholate. P450 PB-1 in rat liver microsomes was assayed by immunoblotting with specific antibody to P450 PB-1. P450 PB-1 accounted for 24.4 +/- 5.6% (mean +/- SD) of the total spectrally-measured cytochrome P-450 in hepatic microsomes of untreated adult male rats, and was not found in untreated adult female rats. P450 PB-1 was induced twofold with phenobarbital in male rats. P450 PB-1 was purified from untreated male rats and identified as P450 PB-1 from phenobarbital-treated rats by its NH2-terminal sequence, peptide mapping, and immunochemistry. These results showed that P450 PB-1 is a constitutive male-specific form in rat liver. There was a good correlation (r = 0.925) between the P450 PB-1 level and testosterone 6 beta-hydroxylase activity in rat liver microsomes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Prostaglandin and fatty acid omega- and (omega-1)-oxidation in rabbit lung. Acetylenic fatty acid mechanism-based inactivators as specific inhibitors

Terminal acetylenic fatty acid mechanism-based inhibitors (Ortiz de Montellano, P. R., and Reich, N. O. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 4136-4141) were used as probes in determining the substrate specificity of rabbit lung cytochrome P-450 isozymes of pregnant animals in both microsomes and reconstituted systems. Lung microsomal and reconstituted P-450 form 5-catalyzed lauric acid omega- and (omega-1)-hydroxylase activities were inhibited by a 12-carbon terminal acetylenic fatty acid, 11-dodecynoic acid (11-DDYA), and an 18-carbon terminal acetylenic fatty acid, 17-octadecynoic acid (17-ODYA). Rabbit lung microsomal lauric acid omega-hydroxylase activity was more sensitive to inhibition by 11-DDYA than was (omega-1)-hydroxylase activity. In reconstituted systems containing purified P-450 form 5, both omega- and (omega-1)-hydroxylation of lauric acid were inhibited in parallel when either 11-DDYA or 17-ODYA was used. These data suggest the presence of at least two P-450 isozymes in rabbit lung microsomes capable of lauric acid omega-hydroxylation. This is the first report indicating the multiplicity of lauric acid hydroxylases in lung microsomes. Lung microsomal prostaglandin omega-hydroxylation, mediated by the pregnancy-inducible P-450PG-omega (Williams, D. E., Hale, S. E., Okita, R. T., and Masters, B. S. S. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 14600-14608) was subject to inhibition by 17-ODYA only, whereas 11-DDYA acid was not an effective inhibitor of this hydroxylase. We have recently developed a new terminal acetylenic fatty acid, 12-hydroxy-16-heptadecynoic acid (12-HHDYA), that contains a hydroxyl group at the omega-6 position. We show that 12-HHDYA possesses a high degree of selectivity for the inactivation of rabbit lung microsomal prostaglandin omega-hydroxylase activity which cannot be obtained with the long chain acetylenic inhibitor, 17-ODYA. In addition, 12-HHDYA has no effect on lauric acid omega- or omega-1-hydroxylation or on benzphetamine N-demethylation. The development of this new terminal acetylenic fatty acid inhibitor provides us with a useful tool with which to study the physiological role of prostaglandin omega-hydroxylation in the rabbit lung during pregnancy.