Purification and characterization of rat pulmonary cytochrome P-450

The pulmonary cytochrome P-450, P450 L-2, was purified 460-fold from pulmonary microsomes of untreated male rats. Its specific content was 10.6 nmol/mg of protein. The monomeric molecular weight was 54,000 on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The CO-reduced absorption maximum of P450 L-2 was at 451 nm, and the oxidized heme iron appeared to be in the low-spin state, as deduced from the Soret maximum at 421 nm. P450 L-2 had high lauric acid omega- and (omega-1)-hydroxylation activities, but low prostaglandin A1 omega- and (omega-1)-hydroxylation activities. It catalyzed the O-dealkylation of 7-ethoxycoumarin, but was not efficient in the hydroxylation of testosterone or the N-demethylation of aminopyrine. The NH2-terminal amino acid sequence of P450 L-2 was V-L-N-F-L-X-P-X-L (X being an unidentified residue). The catalytic properties of P450 L-2 resembled those of P450 K-5, the major rat renal cytochrome P-450. However, anti-P450 K-5 antibody did not cross-react with P450 L-2, and these forms had different NH2-terminal sequences. To judge from the results of NH2-terminal sequence analysis, P450 L-2 seems to be placed in the IVB gene family. Also, P-450 IIB1 was detected by immunoblotting in one of the peaks on ion-exchange HPLC during the purification of P450 L-2, suggesting the presence of P-450 IIB1 in rat pulmonary microsomes.     

Immunological characterization of constitutive isozymes of cytochrome P-450 from rainbow trout. Evidence for homology with phenobarbital-induced rat P-450s

Immunoglobulin G fractions (IgGs), isolated from rabbits immunized against hepatic cytochrome P-450 isozymes were used to investigate the immunochemical homology among trout P-450s and between trout and rat P-450s. The antigens used for immunization were five constitutive trout P-450s (LMC1 to LMC5), one beta-naphthoflavone (BNF)-inducible trout P-450 (LM4b), and one phenobarbital-induced rat P4500IIB1 (PB-B). In the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), strong cross-reactivity was observed between anti-LMC2 IgG and P-450 LMC1, and between anti-LMC3 IgG and P-450 LMC4. There was little or no cross-reactivity of anti-LMC5 IgG with other trout P-450s. Trout P-450 LM4b was not recognized by any of the antibodies against constitutive trout P-450s. Antibodies to P-450 LMC1 and P450 LMC2 cross-reacted strongly with rat P450IIB1 and with proteins of PB-induced rat liver microsomes. Rat P450IA1 (BNF-B) did not cross-react with anti-LMC1 or anti-LMC2 IgG. These cross-reactions were essentially confirmed by immunoblot (Western blot) analysis. Western blots of PB-induced rat liver microsomes probed with anti LMC1 revealed two major immunoreactive proteins in the P-450 region, one of which co-migrated with rat P450IIB1. P450IIB1 itself cross-reacted strongly with anti-LMC1 IgG. In control rats, a single protein band cross-reacted poorly with anti-LMC1 IgG. Antibodies to LMC1 and LMC2 did not cross-react with rat P450IA1 in Western blots. The antigenic epitopes in rat P450IIB1 recognized by anti-LMC1 IgG and anti-LMC2 IgG are probably not located at or near the active site of the enzyme since these antibodies did not inhibit benzphetamine N-demethylase activity of P450IIB1 or of PB-induced rat liver microsomes. In general, our results demonstrate: (1) the presence of a significant homology between LMC1 and LMC2, and between constitutive trout P-450 (LMC1) and PB-induced rat P-450 (P450IIB1); and (2) distant homology between constitutive trout P-450s and constitutive rat P-450s or BNF-induced rat P-450s.     

Immunological and chemical characterization of rat liver cytochrome c oxidase

Rat liver cytochrome c oxidase (ferrocytochrome c: oxygen oxidoreductase; EC 1.9.3.1) was separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis into 12 different polypeptide chains. Specific antisera against the holoenzyme and against purified subunits IV and VIII were used to characterize the enzyme complex. The antiserum against subunit IV precipitates from sodium dodecyl sulfate-dissociated mitochondria only subunit IV and from Triton X-100-dissolved mitochondria all 12 polypeptide chains, indicating their integral location within the enzyme complex. Different antisera against the holoenzyme only precipitate subunits IV, V and VIb from sodium dodecyl sulfate-dissociated mitochondria, suggesting the location of these subunits on the surface layer of the complex. Subunit VIII is thought to be located within the complex, since a specific antiserum does not precipitate the complex. The amino acid composition of all 12 protein subunits is different, thus excluding their origin from proteolytic degradation. The proteolytic degradation of subunit IV into IV during isolation of the enzyme was corroborated by the very similar amino acid composition of both proteins.     

Immunological characterization of soluble peroxidases from rat tissues including preputial gland

A highly active soluble peroxidase has been identified in the preputial gland of rats and characterized immunologically along with other soluble peroxidases of a number of rat tissues such as submaxillary gland, exorbital lacrimal gland and also of the uterine fluid of the estrogen treated rats. All these peroxidases have the native molecular weight around 73K as determined by gel filtration on Sephadex G-150. An antiserum raised against the pure bovine lactoperoxidase interacts with all these soluble peroxidases and immunoprecipitates the enzyme activity in a similar fashion when titrated against varied concentration of the antiserum. Following electrophoretic transfer to nitrocellulose by Western blotting, the antiserum crossreacts with the preputial, submaxillary and lacrimal gland protein of molecular weight around 73K and with the uterine fluid protein of molecular weight of 80K. An additional crossreacting protein of molecular weight of 80K is also evident in the lacrimal gland. All these enzyme preparations, however, contain another immunoreactive protein of molecular weight of about 64K. While 73–80K molecular weight interacting proteins may represent different forms of peroxidase, presumably with varied carbohydrate moieties, 64K molecular weight protein may be a precursor of the peroxidase which after posttranslational modification such as heme conjugation and glycosylation leads to formation of native enzyme. Rat harderian gland, unlike bovine origin, does not contain any detectable peroxidase activity. The immunoblot does not show the presence of any immunoreactive protein around 73K except the 64K molecular weight protein indicating that this gland can not synthesize the native peroxidase from this precursor probably due to some block in posttranslational modification.     

Isolation of rat intestinal microsomes: partial characterization of mucosal cytochrome P-450

A procedure is presented for the isolation of subcellular fractions from small intestinal mucosal cells in the rat. The mucosal cells were detached by a scraping procedure resulting in an almost complete harvest of all types of cells as judged by light microscopy. Homogenization using a Potter-Elvehjem Teflon-glass device at high speed with ensuing sonication was found to be necessary for complete disruption of the cells. The subcellular fractions obtained after differential centrifugation--10,000g pellet, 105,000g pellet (microsomal fraction), and supernatant--were characterized with respect to different marker enzymes. The highest yield of 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase and NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity in the microsomal fraction was achieved after resuspension and recentrifugation of the 10,000g pellet. Addition of anti-P-450 beta-naphthoflavone (BNF)-B2 antibodies to the incubation mixture resulted in almost complete inhibition of the O-deethylation of 7-ethoxyresorufin whereas addition of anti-P-450 phenobarbital (PB)-B2 had no effect. The presence of BNF-inducible isozymes was demonstrated by the Western blotting technique not only in intestinal microsomes from BNF-treated rats, but also in microsomes from untreated rats. Anti-P-450 BNF-B2 was also used in the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method for studies on the localization of cytochrome P-450. No BNF-inducible cytochrome P-450 could be detected in untreated rats, whereas BNF treatment resulted in a general staining of the whole villus.     

Hepatic mitochondrial cytochrome P-450 system. Purification and characterization of two distinct forms of mitochondrial cytochrome P-450 from beta-naphthoflavone-induced rat liver

We have purified two distinct isoforms of mitochondrial cytochrome P-450 from beta-naphthoflavone (beta-NF)-induced rat liver to greater than 85% homogeneity and characterized their molecular and catalytic properties. One of these isoforms showing an apparent molecular mass of 52 kDa is termed P-450mt1 and the second isoform with 54-kDa molecular mass is termed P-450mt2. Cytochrome P-450mt2 comigrates with similarly induced microsomal P-450c (the major beta-NF-inducible form) on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels and cross-reacts with polyclonal antibody monospecific for cytochrome P-450c. Cytochrome P-450mt2, however, represents a distinct molecular species since it failed to react with a monoclonal antibody to P-450c and produced V8 protease fingerprints different from P-450c. Cytochrome P-450mt1, on the other hand, did not show any immunochemical homology with P-450c or P-450mt2 as well as partially purified P-450 from control mitochondria. Electrophoretic comparisons and Western blot analysis show that both P-450mt1 and P-450mt2 are induced forms not present in detectable levels in control liver mitochondria. A distinctive property of mitochondrial P-450mt1 and P-450mt2 was that their catalytic activities could be reconstituted with both NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase as well as mitochondrial specific ferredoxin and ferredoxin reductase electron transfer systems, while P-450c showed exclusive requirement for NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase. Cytochromes P-450mt1 and P-450mt2 were able to metabolize xenobiotics like benzo(a)pyrene and dimethyl benzanthracene at rates only one-tenth with cytochrome P-450c. Furthermore, P-450mt1, P-450mt2, as well as partially purified P-450 from control liver, but not P-450c, showed varying activities for 25- and 26-hydroxylation of cholesterol and 25-hydroxylation of vitamin D3. These results provide evidence for the presence of at least two distinct forms of beta-NF-inducible cytochrome P-450 in rat hepatic mitochondria.     

Spectroscopic characterization of cytochrome P450 Compound I

The cytochrome P450 protein-bound porphyrin complex with the iron-coordinated active oxygen atom as Fe(IV)O is called Compound I (Cpd I). Cpd I is the intermediate species proposed to hydroxylate directly the inert carbon–hydrogen bonds of P450 substrates. In the natural reaction cycle of cytochrome P450 Cpd I has not yet been detected, presumably because it is very short-lived. A great variety of experimental approaches has been applied to produce Cpd I artificially aiming to characterize its electronic structure with spectroscopic techniques. In spite of these attempts, none of the spectroscopic studies of the last decades proved capable of univocally identifying the electronic state of P450 Cpd I. Very recently, however, Rittle and Green [9] have shown that Cpd I of CYP119, the thermophillic P450 from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, is univocally a Fe(IV)O–porphyrin radical with the ferryl iron spin (S = 1) antiferromagnetically coupled to the porphyrin radical spin (S′ = 1/2) yielding a S_tot = 1/2 ground state very similar to Cpd I of chloroperoxidase from Caldariomyces fumago. In this mini-review the efforts to characterize Cpd I of cytochrome P450 by spectroscopic methods are summarized.     

Isolation and characterization of cytochrome P-450meg.

The cytochrome P-450-dependent steroid 15 beta-hydroxylase system from Bacillus megaterium has been resolved into three components, 1) a NADPH-specific, FMN-containing flavoprotein reductase, molecular weight 55-60 000; 2) an iron-sulfur protein, molecular weight 13,000 and 3) cytochrome P-450meg, molecular weight 52,000. The cytochrome component has been purified to homogeneity, as judged by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gel, and its amino acid composition has been determined. Cytochrome P-450meg has a pI of 4.9, a Stokes radius of 27 A and a sedimentation constant of 3.3 S. Electron paramagnetic resonance and optical spectra are typical of a low-spin cytochrome P-450. The fluorescence spectrum is indicative of a tryptophane residue in a relatively non-polar environment. In recombination experiments, the electron flow was shown to proceed from the reductase via the iron-sulfur protein to the cytochrome. It is also possible to exchange the different components of the mitochondrial 11 beta-hydroxylase system from bovine adrenals for corresponding components in B. megaterium. Substrate specificity studies indicate that only steroids with a 3-oxo-delta 4-configuration are hydroxylated by the B. megaterium hydroxylase system. When oxidizing agents were used, hydroxylation occurred both in positions 15 alpha and 15 beta. Further substrate specificity studies have shown that aniline and imipramine can function as substrates for the bacterial system.     

Quantification of cytochrome P450 reductase gene expression in human tissues.

We have isolated and sequenced cDNA clones that code for a variant of human cytochrome P450 reductase. An RNase protection assay was used to quantify the corresponding mRNA in adult and fetal tissues. The results demonstrate that, in the samples analyzed, the cytochrome P450 reductase gene displays very little inter-individual variation in its expression in adult liver and is subject to little developmental or tissue-specific regulation.     

Cloning and characterization of a novel member of the cytochrome P450 subfamily IVA in rat prostate

To isolate cDNAs for forms of cytochrome P450 from rat prostate, a lambda gt11 cDNA library from this tissue was screened with a mixture of oligonucleotide probes directed against the conserved heme binding region of different P450 isozymes. A cDNA clone (PP1) encoding a part of a novel form of cytochrome P450 was isolated and the deduced amino acid sequence showed 76% identity with cytochrome P450 IVA1, indicating that PP1 is a member of the same subfamily. Northern blot analysis of total RNA from prostates of untreated rats revealed that two mRNAs of approximately 2.8 and 2.2 kb hybridize to PP1. The level of mRNA was induced fivefold above the level in intact animals by androgen treatment of castrated rats. Analysis of poly(A)+RNA levels in different tissues on Northern blots showed high constitutive expression of PP1 in the kidney, but no signal was detectable with RNA from liver; a weak signal was detected in the retina. Subsequent screening of a rat kidney cDNA library led to the isolation of the full-length clone KP1, which differs from Pp1 only in three nucleotide positions. KP1 is 1,957 bp long and contains a 1,527-bp-long open reading frame encoding a protein of 508 amino acids. In situ hybridization of rat kidney sections with PP1 showed that this P450 form is expressed in the outer stripe of the outer medulla, indicating its localization in the proximal tubules.     

Chemical characterization of protein-protein interactions between cytochrome P-450 and cytochrome b5

Native cytochrome b5 interacts with either RLM5 or LM2 to form tight equimolar complexes (Kd = 250 and 540 nM, respectively) in which the content of high spin cytochrome P-450 was substantially increased. Cytochrome b5 caused 3- and 7-fold increases in the binding affinities of RLM5 and LM2 for benzphetamine, respectively, and benzphetamine decreased the apparent Kd for cytochrome b5 binding. Upon formation of the ternary complex between cytochromes P-450, b5, and benzphetamine the percentage of cytochrome P-450 in the high spin state was increased from 28 to 74 (RLM5) and from 9 to 85 (LM2). Cytochrome b5 caused 13- and 7-fold increases in the rate of RLM5- and LM2-dependent p-nitroanisole demethylation, respectively. Amino-modified (ethyl acetimidate or acetic anhydride) cytochrome b5 produced results similar to those obtained above with native cytochrome b5. In contrast, modification of as few as 5 mol of carboxyl groups/mol of amidinated cytochrome b5 resulted in both a substantial loss of the spectrally observed interactions with either cytochrome P-450 LM2 or cytochrome P-450 RLM5, and in a loss of the cytochrome b5-mediated stimulation of p-nitroanisole demethylation catalyzed by either monooxygenase. In further studies, native and fully acetylated cytochromes b5 reoxidized carbonmonoxy ferrous LM2 at least 20 times faster than amidinated, carboxyl-modified cytochrome b5 derivatives. In contrast, amidination, or acetylation of amino groups, or amidination of amino groups plus methylamidination of the carboxyl groups did not appreciably slow the rate of reduction of the cytochrome b5 by NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase. Collectively, the results provide strong evidence for an essential role of cytochrome b5 carboxyl groups in functional interactions with RLM5 and LM2.     

Heterogeneity of cytochrome P-450 in rat testis microsomes.

Cytochrome P-450 appears to be a component of the steroid-coverting enzymes, 17alpha-hydroxylase and 17,20-lyase, which catalyze sequential steps in sex hormone synthesis. Further evidence indicates that the steroid substrates of these enzymes bind to cytochrome P-450 during catalysis. The present report deals with the problem of whether a single form of cytochrome P-450 mediates both enzyme reactions or whether two enzymes are involved. Both activities are competitively inhibited by a number of the same inhibitors. Because K1 values of competitive inhibitors are dissociated constants, and thus a property of the cytochrome, different magnitudes of K1, determined for the same inhibitor with each enzyme, are consistent with the participation of more than one form of cytochrome P-450. Differences in the K1 values were found to be statistically significant and varied from 3- to 10-fold. Two competitive inhibitors retarded velocities with one reaction but not the other. In addition, the enzyme activities were markedly different in their sensitivity to carbon monoxide inhibition. The conclusion based on these two lines of evidence is that separate enzymes and different forms of cytochrome P-450 are involved in each reaction.     

Heterogeneity of liver microsomal cytochrome P-450: the spectral characterization of reactants with reduced cytochrome P-450.

The aerobic metabolism of benzphetamine by liver microsomes, during a cytochrome P-450-catalyzed mixed-function oxidation reaction, results in the formation of an easily detected spectral complex with an absorption band maximum at 456 nm. Electron paramagnetic resonance studies, as well as studies with the chemical reductant, sodium dithionite, or the oxidant, potassium ferricyanide, indicate that the spectral complex results from the formation of a product adduct with reduced cytochrome P-450. The spectral properties of this product complex of cytochrome P-450 have been compared to those observed with carbon monoxide, metyrapone, and ethylisocyanide. The reaction of these reagents to specific pools of microsomal cytochrome P-450 permits the identification of at least two major and two minor types of cytochrome P-450 in liver microsomes prepared from phenobarbital-treated rats.     

Thermodynamic resolution of cytochrome P450 and characterization of an iron-sulfur center in rat liver microsomal preparations.

Binding of 8-anilinonaphthalene sulfonate (ANS) to glutamate dehydrogenase results in enzyme inhibition and a marked increase in the fluorescence of ANS. Perphenazine and GTP increase the fluorescence of ANS-glutamate dehydrogenase secondary to their known ability to alter the conformation of this enzyme. Aspartate aminotransferases, which form enzyme-enzyme complexes with glutamate dehydrogenase, produce a slight decrease in the fluorescence of ANS-glutamate dehydrogenase.While ANS and perphenazine are allosteric inhibitors of reactions catalyzed by free glutamate dehydrogenase, they do not inhibit reactions catalyzed by aminotransferaseglutamate dehydrogenase complexes. This is in spite of the fact that the aminotransferase does not prevent either ANS or perphenazine from being bound to glutamate dehydrogenase. Therefore, reactions catalyzed by the enzyme-enzyme complex are apparently not inhibited by ANS or perphenazine because binding of the aminotransferase to glutamate dehydrogenase prevents these ligands from altering the conformation of glutamate dehydrogenase. This is consistent with the fact that the aminotransferase also prevents perphenazine from enhancing the fluorescence of ANS-glutamate dehydrogenase.Reactions catalyzed by the enzyme-enzyme complex are inhibited by GTP and the aminotransferase does not prevent GTP from enhancing the fluorescence of ANS-glutamate dehydrogenase. Therefore, binding of the aminotransferase to glutamate dehydrogenase does not prevent GTP from altering the conformation of glutamate dehydrogenase.The fact that the aminotransferase completely prevents perphenazine from increasing the fluorescence of ANS-glutamate dehydrogenase suggests that in the enzymeenzyme complex each glutamate dehydrogenase polypeptide chain can be bound to an aminotransferase polypeptide chain. This would mean that three aminotransferase molecules can be bound to each monomeric unit (M_r 3 × 10⁵) of glutamate dehydrogenase.     

Immunological characterization of the cytochrome o terminal oxidase from Escherichia coli

The cytochrome o terminal oxidase from Escherichia coli was immunochemically purified and monospecific antiserum toward cytochrome o was obtained. This antiserum is able to precipitate 100% of the ubiquinol-1 oxidase activity in Triton X-100 extracts of membranes from an E. coli strain in which cytochrome o is the only terminal oxidase. Cytochrome o was analyzed and quantitated using crossed immunoelectrophoresis, rocket immunoelectrophoresis, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis shows that cytochrome o is composed of four subunits of approximate equimolar stoichiometry with molecular weights of 51,000, 28,500, 18,000, and 12,700. The low temperature (77 K) reduced - oxidized spectrum of the immunoprecipitate shows two peaks at 555 and 562 nm, indicating b-type cytochromes. With the anti-cytochrome o and antiserum toward the cytochrome d terminal oxidase complex which was previously obtained, it is possible to immunochemically assay for all the cytochromes in the cytoplasmic membrane of aerobically grown E. coli. Preliminary results indicate that the biosynthesis of cytochrome o is repressed when cytochrome d is induced by lowering the dissolved oxygen concentration during cell growth.