Molecular orbital studies of oxygen activation and mechanisms of cytochromes P-450-mediated oxidative metabolism of xenobiotics

Molecular dimensions and molecular orbital calculations of the electronic structures of 56 substrates, inhibitors and inducers of the cytochromes P-448 and other families of the cytochromes P-450 are reported. Substrates of the cytochromes P-448 are shown to be planar molecules with relatively large values of area/depth², and to have electronic structures with relatively low values for ΔE, the difference in energy between the frontier orbitals (E(LEMO) − E(HOMO)). Substrates of other families of the cytochromes P-450 are globular molecules, with relatively low values of area/depth² and relatively high values of ΔE. Molecular orbital calculations of the active oxygen species, singlet oxygen and superoxy anion, have also been made. Singlet oxygen is a poor electron donor (low values of E(HOMO)) but a good electron acceptor (low values of E(LEMO)), whereas superoxy anion is a good electron donor and a poor electron acceptor. Cytochrome P-448 substrates, which are good electron donors, would preferentially accept singlet oxygen, a good electron acceptor; substrates of the other families of cytochrome P-450, which are less effective electron donors, would preferentially accept superoxy anion, a good electron donor, although substrates of both cytochromes P-448 and other P-450s may accept both species of active oxygen. Together with recent published evidence, these data provide a greater understanding of the mode of activation of oxygen by the various families of the cytochromes P-450, and to the insertion of active oxygen into the substrates. Mechanisms are proposed for the oxygenation of substrates, namely, epoxidation involving singlet oxygen and hydroxylation by superoxy anion. Finally, a detailed explanation of the cytochrome P-450 cycle is discussed, and mechanisms of the different types of oxidative metabolism are presented.     

Induction of interleukin-2 receptor by tumor necrosis factor α on cultured ovarian tumor-associated lymphocytes

Summary We have recently reported that autologous tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) lines and clones can be developed from lymphocytes infiltrating ovarian malignant ascites (TAL). In this study, we investigated the biological effects of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in the induction, expansion, long-term proliferation and lytic function of CD8⁺ TAL. TNF up-regulated the IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) chain (Tac antigen) on the surface of CD3⁺ CD8⁺ CD4^– TAL, enhanced the proliferation of autologous tumor-specific CTL, and potentiated their lytic function in long-term cultures. Furthermore, in the induction and expansion phase of CD8⁺ TAL, the presence of TNF was associated with a selective increase in CD8⁺ IL-2R⁺ (Tac⁺) cells, and subsequent decrease in CD4⁺ IL-2R⁺ (Tac⁺) cells. These results suggest that the observed facilitation of the outgrowth of CD8⁺ cells in TAL cultures may be due, at least in part, to the up-regulation of IL-2R, and indicate the usefulness of TNF in the analysis of signalling in autologous tumor-reactive CTL.     

Hepatic microsomal mixed-function oxidase activity in ethanol-treated hamsters and its consequences on the bioactivation of aromatic amines to mutagens

Male golden Syrian hamsters were maintained on ethanol-containing liquid diets for 4 weeks, corresponding to an average daily intake of 17 g/kg body wt. The p-hydroxylation of aniline was markedly enhanced by this treatment while minimal effects were seen in benzphetamine N-demethylase and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activities; there was no change in the microsomal levels of cytochromes P-450. Hepatic microsomal preparations from the ethanol-treated hamsters were more efficient than controls fed isocaloric diets in converting 2-aminofluorene, 4-aminobiphenyl, benzidine and 2-acetylaminofluorene into mutagens in the Salmonella mutagenicity test. The same treatment had no effect on the metabolic activation of 2-naphthylamine and even inhibited the mutagenicity of 2-aminoanthracene. No increase was seen in the activation of the two polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzo[a]pyrene and 3-methylcholanthrene to mutagens and an inhibitory effect was seen with the former. The ethanol-induced increase in the mutagenicity of 2-aminofluorene was inhibited by 2-butanol but not by the hydroxyl radical scavenger dimethylsulphoxide. It is concluded that chronic ethanol ingestion modulates the bioactivation of aromatic amines and amides to mutagens, the effect being substrate dependent. This effect of ethanol may be catalysed by unique form(s) of cytochrome P-450 whose synthesis is induced by such treatment.     

Loss and reappearance of transferrin receptors in human leukemic cell lines

Serum transferrin (the iron binding protein) exerts its iron carrier function at the cell surface after binding to the appropriate receptor (TrR). In this work it is demonstrated that differentiating agents induce loss of TrR from the surface of three leukemic cell lines (Molt-3, HL-60 and K-562). Loss of TrR correlates with change in morphology and induction of phenotypic markers of the differentiated cells. Removal of the differentiating agent from the culture is followed by reexpression of TrR on the cell surface. The data presented in this paper suggest that TrR may play a regulatory role in cell differentiation and malignant transformation.     

Chloroplast biogenesis. Detection of monovinyl protochlorophyll(ide) b in plants

The occurrence of protochlorophyllide b and protochlorophyllide b phytyl ester in green plants is described. The chemical structure of protochlorophyllide b phytyl ester was established by proton nuclear magnetic resonance, fast atom bombardment mass spectroscopic analysis, and chemical derivatization coupled to electronic spectroscopic analysis. The macrocycles of protochlorophyll(ide) b are identical to those of conventional protochlorophyll(ide) except for the presence of a formyl group instead of a methyl group at position 3 of the macrocycles. They differ from chlorophyll(ide) b by the presence of an oxidized double bond at positions 7 and 8 of the macrocycles. The trivial name protochlorophyll(ide) b is proposed to differentiate these two tetrapyrroles from conventional protochlorophyll(ide), which in turn will be referred to as protochlorophyll(ide) a. Protochlorophyll(ide) b appears to be widely distributed in green plants. Its molar extinction coefficients in 80% acetone and diethyl ether are reported. The impact of this discovery on the heterogeneity of the chlorophyll a and b biosynthetic pathways is discussed.     

QSAR modeling and transmission electron microscopy stereology of altered mitochondrial ultrastructure of white blood cells in patients diagnosed as schizophrenic and treated with antipsychotic drugs.

Treatment of patients diagnosed as schizophrenic with antipsychotic drugs (neuroleptics) is known to cause occasional unexplained depletion of white blood cells, especially neutrophil granulocytes. It has been known for many years that neuroleptics can interfere with the mitochondrial respiratory chain in vitro. Because there has been a growing interest recently in mitochondrial targeting of drugs, and since a quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model that predicts mitochondrial accumulation of neuroleptics has been published, we investigated the effects of neuroleptics on white blood cell mitochondria. Venous blood samples were collected from both patients undergoing treatment with neuroleptics and healthy volunteers. The samples were processed for transmission electron microscopy. The resulting images of white blood cells were analyzed using stereology to compare quantitatively mitochondrial morphology in the patient and control groups. We found that in patients, but not in controls, there was swelling of mitochondria and fragmentation of the mitochondrial cristae. There also were fewer mitochondria in patients than in controls, although due to the swelling of the organelles, the volume density of mitochondria in the two groups was not significantly different. Such changes are typical of a toxic insult. Consequently, it seems plausible that, since schizophrenia is not a disease considered to affect white blood cells per se, these changes probably are due to the medication.     

Accelerated HER-2 degradation enhanced ovarian tumor recognition by CTL. Implications for tumor immunogenicity

We investigated the ubiquitination and degradation of a tumor antigen, the HER-2/neu (HER-2) protooncogene product which is overexpressed in epithelial cancers. HER-2 degradation was investigated in the ovarian tumor line, SKOV3.A2, that constitutively overexpressed long-life HER-2. We used as agonist geldanamycin (GA), which initiated downmodulation of HER-2 from the cell surface. HER-2 was polyubiquitinated and degraded faster in the presence than in the absence of GA. GA did not decrease HLA-A2 expression. Presentation of the immunodominant cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitope, E75 (369–377) from SKOV.A2 was inhibited by proteasome inhibitors, such as LLnL but was enhanced by cysteine protease inhibitors such as E64, indicating that both the proteasome and cysteine proteases are involved in epitope formation but have different effects. Enhanced tumor recognition was not an immediate or early effect of GA treatment, but was evident after 20 h of GA treatment. In contrast, 20 h GA treatment did not increase tumor sensitivity to LAK cell lysis. Twenty hour GA-treated SKOV3.A2 cells expressed an unstable HER-2 protein synthesized in the presence of GA, of faster electrophoretic mobility than control HER-2. This suggested that the newly synthesized HER-2 in the presence of GA was the main source of epitopes recognized by CTL. Twenty hour GA-treated SKOV3.A2 cells were better inducers of CTL activity directed to a number of HER-2 CTL epitopes, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells compared with control untreated SKOV3.A2 cells. Thus, induction of HER-2 protein instability enhanced the sensitivity of tumor for CTL lysis. Increased HER-2 CTL epitopes presentation may have implications for overcoming the poor immuno-genicity of human tumors, and design of epitope precursors for cancer vaccination.     

Induction of determinant spreading and of Th1 responses by in vitro stimulation with HER-2 peptides

Immunization with tumor antigens induces cellular and humoral immune responses. These responses by T cells are specific for defined epitopes (determinants) in the molecule of the immunizing tumor antigen. Extension of such responses to self-antigens requires induction of autoimmunity to the tumor. As with systems of autoimmune disease, expression of T cell autoimmunity is charaterized by diversification of responses from the inducer determinant to other responder (cryptic) determinants. Since similar strategies may be useful for therapy of human cancers, we investigated whether the induction of response to a HER-2 peptide F7 (776–789) induces enhanced reactivity of other HER-2 peptides. We found that stimulation with F7 can expand a response to another epitope F13 (884–899) in both an ovarian cancer patient with progressive disease and a healthy donor who shared HLA-DR11. This response was characterized mainly by increased interferon γ secretion, and proliferation, but was not observed with another donor who shared HLA-DR14 and HLA-DQ5 with the patient. Since repeated vaccination with the same epitope may lead to a decline of primary cell reactivity caused by apoptosis spreading the response to other epitopes, the tumor antigen may provide an approach for maintaining an inflammatory Th1 response during cancer vaccination. Received: 10 April 2000 / Accepted: 12 July 2000     

Oxidant-induced S-glutathiolation inactivates protein kinase C-alpha (PKC-alpha): a potential mechanism of PKC isozyme regulation

Protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes are subject to inactivation by reactive oxygen species (ROS) through as yet undefined oxidative modifications of the isozyme structure. We previously reported that Cys-containing, Arg-rich peptide-substrate analogues spontaneously form disulfide-linked complexes with PKC isozymes, resulting in isozyme inactivation. This suggested that PKC might be inactivated by oxidant-induced S-glutathiolation, i.e., disulfide linkage of the endogenous molecule glutathione (GSH) to PKC. Protein S-glutathiolation is a reversible oxidative modification that has profound effects on the activity of certain enzymes and binding proteins. To directly examine whether PKC could be inactivated by S-glutathiolation, we used the thiol-specific oxidant diamide because its oxidant activity is restricted to induction of disulfide bridge formation. Diamide weakly inactivated purified recombinant cPKC-alpha, and this was markedly potentiated to nearly full inactivation by 100 microM GSH, which by itself was without effect on cPKC-alpha activity. Diamide inactivation of cPKC-alpha and its potentiation by GSH were both fully reversed by DTT. Likewise, GSH markedly potentiated diamide inactivation of a PKC isozyme mixture purified from rat brain (alpha, beta, gamma, epsilon, zeta) in a DTT-reversible manner. GSH potentiation of diamide-induced cPKC-alpha inactivation was associated with S-glutathiolation of the isozyme. cPKC-alpha S-glutathiolation was demonstrated by the DTT-reversible incorporation of [(35)S]GSH into the isozyme structure and by an associated change in the migration position of cPKC-alpha in nonreducing SDS-PAGE. Diamide treatment of NIH3T3 cells likewise induced potent, DTT-reversible inactivation of cPKC-alpha in association with [(35)S] S-thiolation of the isozyme. Taken together, the results indicate that PKC isozymes can be oxidatively inactivated by S-thiolation reactions involving endogenous thiols such as GSH.