Glutathione peroxidase and iron-thiol dependent lipid peroxidation

Role of glutathione peroxidase in iron-thiol-mediated lipid peroxidation was examined. The enzyme was unable to prevent peroxidation of extracted rat liver microsomal lipids. In contrast, when arachidonic acid was the substrate, glutathione peroxidase did decrease the formation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive material. Superoxide dismutase produced a consistent but partial inhibition of peroxidation and catalase was without effect. Our results suggest that iron-thiol-dependent lipid peroxidation cannot be completely blocked by protective enzymes that are effective in other systems.     

Kinetic studies on rat liver and beef heart mitochondrial ATPase. Evidence for nucleotide binding at separate regulatory and catalytic sites.

Mitochondrial ATPases from rat liver and beef heart were used to study the effects of guanylylimidodiphosphate (GMP-P(NH)P) and adenylylimidodiphosphate (AMP-P(NH)P) on the kinetics of MgATP, MgITP, and MgGTP hydrolysis. AMP-P(NH)P was a noncompetitive inhibitor of hydrolysis of all substrates with the rat liver enzyme, whether activating anions were present or not. Also with the liver enzyme, AMP-P(NH)P caused only MgATP hydrolysis to appear to have positive cooperativity. With the beef heart enzyme, AMP-P(NH)P was a competitive inhibitor of ATPase activity and caused positive cooperativity; it gave noncompetitive patterns with GTP or ITP as substrates. In both enzyme systems, GMP-P(NH)P gave complex inhibition patterns with MgATP as the substrate, but was a competitive inhibitor of MgITP and MgGTP hydrolysis. These results are interpreted as indicating the existence of two types of nucleotide binding sites, with varying degrees of specificity and interaction on the ATPase molecules from both sources. It is postulated that MgATP and AMP-P(NH)P bind to regulatory site while MgATP, MgGTP, Mgitp, and GMP-P(NH)P bind to the catalytic site.     

NOX family NADPH oxidases: not just in mammals

NOX family NADPH oxidases are enzymes whose biological function is electron transport and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). NOX enzymes in mammalian organisms have received most attention. However, NOX enzymes are widely distributed in different kingdoms of life. While they are not found in prokaryotes and most unicellular eukaryotes, they are present in fungi, plants, and animals. The identity of the ancestral NOX is not known, but most likely it: (i) possessed the basic NOX structure consisting of 6 transmembrane domains (containing two assymmetrical hemes) and a long cytoplasmic C-terminal (containing the FAD and NADPH binding sites); and (ii) emerged before the divergence of life into fungi, plants, and animals. During evolution, acquisition of a Ca(2+)-binding EF hand domain by an ancestral NOX, led to NOX5-like isoforms. DUOX isoforms presumably developed from a NOX5-like isoform through the additional acquisition of a peroxidase homology domain. The expression pattern of NOX enzymes is specific to each kingdom of life. Fungi express only ancestral-type isoforms, and plants only NOX5-like isoforms. NOX expression patterns in animals are complex and ancestral NOXes, NOX5-like isoforms and DUOXes are generally found. But there are exceptions; for example rodents lack NOX5 and Caenorhabditis elegans expresses only DUOXes. Biological functions of NOX enzymes include, among others, host defense, post-translational modification of proteins, and regulation cell growth and differentiation. In summary, the invention of NOX enzymes early in the development of life was a success story: there is no evidence of multicellular life without NOX enzymes.     

Novel HCV NS5B polymerase inhibitors derived from 4-(1',1'-dioxo-1',4'-dihydro-1'lambda6-benzo[1',2',4']thiadiazin-3'-yl)-5-hydroxy-2H-pyridazin-3-ones: Part 4. Optimization of DMPK properties

5-Hydroxy-3(2H)-pyridazinone derivatives were investigated as potent inhibitors of genotype 1 HCV NS5B polymerase focusing on the optimization of their drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) profiles. This investigation led to the discovery of potent inhibitors with improved DMPK properties.     

A protein factor required for activation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase by ferrous ions.

When rat liver cytosolic P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase is purified, its activity is no longer enhanced by incubation with 30 muM Fe2+. Ferrous ion stimulation of the purified enzyme is restored by the addition of rat liver cytosol. The agent responsible is a cytosolic protein, named P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase ferroactivator, that was readily separated from the enzyme during purification of the latter. A quantitative assay for P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase ferroactivator is described. Subcellular fractionation of livers from fasted rats shows that 98% of the combined mitochondrial and cytosolic P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase ferroactivator activity resides in the cytosol. Fasting does not produce significant change in this cytosolic activity when compared to that of fed animals. Examination of various tissue homogenates shows that the ferroactivator is found in liver, kidney, erythrocytes, adipose tissue, and brain. No activity was detected in blood serum or skeletal muscle. The ability to enhance the activity of purified rat liver cytosolic P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase in the presence of Fe2+ is not species specific. P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase ferroactivator may have an important function in regulating enzyme activity in vivo.