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Sample records for affect oxidant-responsive heme

  1. Bacterial Nitric Oxide Synthase Is Required for the Staphylococcus aureus Response to Heme Stress.

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    Surdel, Matthew C; Dutter, Brendan F; Sulikowski, Gary A; Skaar, Eric P

    2016-08-12

    Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogen that causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Within the vertebrate host, S. aureus requires heme as a nutrient iron source and as a cofactor for multiple cellular processes. Although required for pathogenesis, excess heme is toxic. S. aureus employs a two-component system, the heme sensor system (HssRS), to sense and protect against heme toxicity. Upon activation, HssRS induces the expression of the heme-regulated transporter (HrtAB), an efflux pump that alleviates heme toxicity. The ability to sense and respond to heme is critical for the pathogenesis of numerous Gram-positive organisms, yet the mechanism of heme sensing remains unknown. Compound '3981 was identified in a high-throughput screen as an activator of staphylococcal HssRS that triggers HssRS independently of heme accumulation. '3981 is toxic to S. aureus; however, derivatives of '3981 were synthesized that lack toxicity while retaining HssRS activation, enabling the interrogation of the heme stress response without confounding toxic effects of the parent molecule. Using '3981 derivatives as probes of the heme stress response, numerous genes required for '3981-induced activation of HssRS were uncovered. Specifically, multiple genes involved in the production of nitric oxide were identified, including the gene encoding bacterial nitric oxide synthase (bNOS). bNOS protects S. aureus from oxidative stress imposed by heme. Taken together, this work identifies bNOS as crucial for the S. aureus heme stress response, providing evidence that nitric oxide synthesis and heme sensing are intertwined.

  2. Wearing red for signaling: the heme-bach axis in heme metabolism, oxidative stress response and iron immunology.

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    Igarashi, Kazuhiko; Watanabe-Matsui, Miki

    2014-04-01

    The connection between gene regulation and metabolism is an old issue that warrants revisiting in order to understand both normal as well as pathogenic processes in higher eukaryotes. Metabolites affect the gene expression by either binding to transcription factors or serving as donors for post-translational modification, such as that involving acetylation and methylation. The focus of this review is heme, a prosthetic group of proteins that includes hemoglobin and cytochromes. Heme has been shown to bind to several transcription factors, including Bach1 and Bach2, in higher eukaryotes. Heme inhibits the transcriptional repressor activity of Bach1, resulting in the derepression of its target genes, such as globin in erythroid cells and heme oxygenase-1 in diverse cell types. Since Bach2 is important for class switch recombination and somatic hypermutation of immunoglobulin genes as well as regulatory and effector T cell differentiation and the macrophage function, the heme-Bach2 axis may regulate the immune response as a signaling cascade. We discuss future issues regarding the topic of the iron/heme-gene regulation network based on current understanding of the heme-Bach axis, including the concept of "iron immunology" as the synthesis of the iron metabolism and the immune response.

  3. Heme-coordinated histidine residues form non-specific functional "ferritin-heme" peroxidase system: Possible and partial mechanistic relevance to oxidative stress-mediated pathology in neurodegenerative diseases.

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    Esmaeili, Sajjad; Kooshk, Mohammad Reza Ashrafi; Asghari, Seyyed Mohsen; Khodarahmi, Reza

    2016-10-01

    Ferritin is a giant protein composed of 24 subunits which is able to sequester up to 4500 atoms of iron. We proposed two kinds of heme binding sites in mammalian ferritins and provided direct evidence for peroxidase activity of heme-ferritin, since there is the possibility that "ferritin-heme" systems display unexpected catalytic behavior like heme-containing enzymes. In the current study, peroxidase activity of heme-bound ferritin was studied using TMB(1), l-DOPA, serotonin, and dopamine, in the presence of H2O2, as oxidant substrate. The catalytic oxidation of TMB was consistent with first-order kinetics with respect to ferritin concentration. Perturbation of the binding affinity and catalytic behavior of heme-bound His-modified ferritin were also documented. We also discuss the importance of the peroxidase-/nitrative-mediated oxidation of vital molecules as well as ferritin-induced catalase inhibition using in vitro experimental system. Uncontrollable "heme-ferritin"-based enzyme activity as well as up-regulation of heme and ferritin may inspire that some oxidative stress-mediated cytotoxic effects in AD-affected cells could be correlated to ferritin-heme interaction and/or ferritin-induced catalase inhibition and describe its contribution as an important causative pathogenesis mechanism in some neurodegenerative disorders. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Oxidative stress modulates heme synthesis and induces peroxiredoxin-2 as a novel cytoprotective response in β-thalassemic erythropoiesis.

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    De Franceschi, Lucia; Bertoldi, Mariarita; De Falco, Luigia; Santos Franco, Sara; Ronzoni, Luisa; Turrini, Franco; Colancecco, Alessandra; Camaschella, Clara; Cappellini, Maria Domenica; Iolascon, Achille

    2011-11-01

    β-thalassemic syndromes are inherited red cell disorders characterized by severe ineffective erythropoiesis and increased levels of reactive oxygen species whose contribution to β-thalassemic anemia is only partially understood. We studied erythroid precursors from normal and β-thalassemic peripheral CD34(+) cells in two-phase liquid culture by proteomic, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and immunoblot analyses. We measured intracellular reactive oxygen species, heme levels and the activity of δ-aminolevulinate-synthase-2. We exposed normal cells and K562 cells with silenced peroxiredoxin-2 to H(2)O(2) and generated a recombinant peroxiredoxin-2 for kinetic measurements in the presence of H(2)O(2) or hemin. In β-thalassemia the increased production of reactive oxygen species was associated with down-regulation of heme oxygenase-1 and biliverdin reductase and up-regulation of peroxiredoxin-2. In agreement with these observations in β-thalassemic cells we found decreased heme levels related to significantly reduced activity of the first enzyme of the heme pathway, δ-aminolevulinate synthase-2 without differences in its expression. We demonstrated that the activity of recombinant δ-aminolevulinate synthase-2 is inhibited by both reactive oxygen species and hemin as a protective mechanism in β-thalassemic cells. We then addressed the question of the protective role of peroxiredoxin-2 in erythropoiesis by exposing normal cells to oxidative stress and silencing peroxiredoxin-2 in human erythroleukemia K562 cells. We found that peroxiredoxin-2 expression is up-regulated in response to oxidative stress and required for K562 cells to survive oxidative stress. We then showed that peroxiredoxin-2 binds heme in erythroid precursors with high affinity, suggesting a possible multifunctional cytoprotective role of peroxiredoxin-2 in β-thalassemia. In β-thalassemic erythroid cells the reduction of δ-aminolevulinate synthase-2 activity and the increased

  5. Enhancement of nitrite on heme-induced oxidative reactions: A potential toxicological implication.

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    Lu, Naihao; Chen, Wei; Zhu, Jingjie; Peng, Yi-Yuan

    2012-02-01

    Evidence to support the role of heme as major inducers of oxidative damage is increasingly present. Nitrite (NO(2)(-)) is one of the major end products of NO metabolism. Although the biological significance of heme/NO(2)(-)-mediated protein tyrosine nitration is a subject of great interest, the important roles of NO(2)(-) on heme-dependent redox reaction have been greatly underestimated. In this study, we investigated the influence of NO(2)(-) on heme -dependent oxidative reactions. It was found that NO(2)(-) had the capacity to act as a reducing agent to remove high oxidation states of heme iron. In the reduction of ferryl heme to ferric heme, NO(2)(-) was oxidized to a nitrating agent NO(2), and subsequently, tyrosine residues in bovine serum albumin (BSA) were nitrated. However, the presence of NO(2)(-) surprisingly exerted pro-oxidant effect on heme-H(2)O(2)-induced formation of BSA carbonyls at lower concentrations and enhanced the loss of HepG2 cell viability dose-dependently, which was probably due to the ability of this inorganic compound to efficiently enhance the peroxidase activity and oxidative degradation of heme. These data provide novel evidence that the dietary intake and experimental use of NO(2)(-) in vivo and in vitro would possess the pro-oxidant activity through interfering in heme-dependent oxidative reactions. Besides the classic role in protein tyrosine nitration, the deleterious effects on heme redox reactions may provide new insights into the toxicological implications of NO(2)(-) with cellular heme proteins. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Heme degrading protein HemS is involved in oxidative stress response of Bartonella henselae.

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    MaFeng Liu

    Full Text Available Bartonellae are hemotropic bacteria, agents of emerging zoonoses. These bacteria are heme auxotroph Alphaproteobacteria which must import heme for supporting their growth, as they cannot synthesize it. Therefore, Bartonella genome encodes for a complete heme uptake system allowing the transportation of this compound across the outer membrane, the periplasm and the inner membranes. Heme has been proposed to be used as an iron source for Bartonella since these bacteria do not synthesize a complete system required for iron Fe³⁺ uptake. Similarly to other bacteria which use heme as an iron source, Bartonellae must transport this compound into the cytoplasm and degrade it to allow the release of iron from the tetrapyrrole ring. For Bartonella, the gene cluster devoted to the synthesis of the complete heme uptake system also contains a gene encoding for a polypeptide that shares homologies with heme trafficking or degrading enzymes. Using complementation of an E. coli mutant strain impaired in heme degradation, we demonstrated that HemS from Bartonella henselae expressed in E. coli allows the release of iron from heme. Purified HemS from B. henselae binds heme and can degrade it in the presence of a suitable electron donor, ascorbate or NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase. Knocking down the expression of HemS in B. henselae reduces its ability to face H₂O₂ induced oxidative stress.

  7. Dietary heme-mediated PPARα activation does not affect the heme-induced epithelial hyperproliferation and hyperplasia in mouse colon.

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    Noortje Ijssennagger

    Full Text Available Red meat consumption is associated with an increased colon cancer risk. Heme, present in red meat, injures the colon surface epithelium by luminal cytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species. This surface injury is overcompensated by hyperproliferation and hyperplasia of crypt cells. Transcriptome analysis of mucosa of heme-fed mice showed, besides stress- and proliferation-related genes, many upregulated lipid metabolism-related PPARα target genes. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of PPARα in heme-induced hyperproliferation and hyperplasia. Male PPARα KO and WT mice received a purified diet with or without heme. As PPARα is proposed to protect against oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation, we hypothesized that the absence of PPARα leads to more surface injury and crypt hyperproliferation in the colon upon heme-feeding. Heme induced luminal cytotoxicity and lipid peroxidation and colonic hyperproliferation and hyperplasia to the same extent in WT and KO mice. Transcriptome analysis of colonic mucosa confirmed similar heme-induced hyperproliferation in WT and KO mice. Stainings for alkaline phosphatase activity and expression levels of Vanin-1 and Nrf2-targets indicated a compromised antioxidant defense in heme-fed KO mice. Our results suggest that the protective role of PPARα in antioxidant defense involves the Nrf2-inhibitor Fosl1, which is upregulated by heme in PPARα KO mice. We conclude that PPARα plays a protective role in colon against oxidative stress, but PPARα does not mediate heme-induced hyperproliferation. This implies that oxidative stress of surface cells is not the main determinant of heme-induced hyperproliferation and hyperplasia.

  8. Heme oxygenase-1, oxidation, inflammation and atherosclerosis

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    Jesus A Araujo

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory process of the vascular wall characterized by the infiltration of lipids and inflammatory cells. Oxidative modifications of infiltrating low density lipoproteins and induction of oxidative stress play a major role in lipid retention in the vascular wall, uptake by macrophages and generation of foam cells, a hallmark of this disorder. The vasculature has a plethora of protective resources against oxidation and inflammation, many of them regulated by the Nrf2 transcription factor. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1 is a Nrf2-regulated gene that plays a critical role in the prevention of vascular inflammation. It is the inducible isoform of heme oxygenase, responsible for the oxidative cleavage of heme groups leading to the generation of biliverdin, carbon monoxide and release of ferrous iron. HO-1 has important antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antiapoptotic, antiproliferative and immunomodulatory effects in vascular cells, most of which play a significant role in the protection against atherogenesis. HO-1 may also be an important feature in macrophage differentiation and polarization to certain subtypes. The biological effects of HO-1 are largely attributable to its enzymatic activity, which can be conceived as a system with three arms of action, corresponding to its three enzymatic byproducts. HO-1 mediated vascular protection may be due to a combination of systemic and vascular local effects. It is usually expressed at low levels but can be highly upregulated in the presence of several proatherogenic stimuli. The HO-1 system is amenable for use in the development of new therapies, some of them currently under experimental and clinical trials. Interestingly, in contrast to the HO-1 antiatherogenic actions, the expression of its transcriptional regulator Nrf2 leads to proatherogenic effects instead. This article reviews the evidence that supports the antiatherogenic role of HO-1, potential pathways and mechanisms mediating

  9. Heme Sensor Proteins*

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    Girvan, Hazel M.; Munro, Andrew W.

    2013-01-01

    Heme is a prosthetic group best known for roles in oxygen transport, oxidative catalysis, and respiratory electron transport. Recent years have seen the roles of heme extended to sensors of gases such as O2 and NO and cell redox state, and as mediators of cellular responses to changes in intracellular levels of these gases. The importance of heme is further evident from identification of proteins that bind heme reversibly, using it as a signal, e.g. to regulate gene expression in circadian rhythm pathways and control heme synthesis itself. In this minireview, we explore the current knowledge of the diverse roles of heme sensor proteins. PMID:23539616

  10. Photochemical organic oxidations and dechlorinations with a mu-oxo bridged heme/non-heme diiron complex.

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    Wasser, Ian M; Fry, H Christopher; Hoertz, Paul G; Meyer, Gerald J; Karlin, Kenneth D

    2004-12-27

    Steady state and laser flash photolysis studies of the heme/non-heme mu-oxo diiron complex [((6)L)Fe(III)-O-Fe(III)-Cl](+) (1) have been undertaken. The anaerobic photolysis of benzene solutions of 1 did not result in the buildup of any photoproduct. However, the addition of excess triphenylphosphine resulted in the quantitative photoreduction of 1 to [((6)L)Fe(II)...Fe(II)-Cl](+) (2), with concomitant production by oxo-transfer of 1 equiv of triphenylphosphine oxide. Under aerobic conditions and excess triphenylphosphine, the reaction produces multiple turnovers (approximately 28) before the diiron complex is degraded. The anaerobic photolysis of tetrahydrofuran (THF) or toluene solutions of 1 likewise results in the buildup of 2. The oxidation products from these reactions included gamma-butyrolactone (approximately 15%) for the reaction in THF and benzaldehyde (approximately 23%) from the reaction in toluene. In either case, the O-atom which is incorporated into the carbonyl product is derived from dioxygen present under workup or under aerobic photolysis conditions. Transient absorption measurements of low-temperature THF solutions of 1 revealed the presence of an (P)Fe(II)-like [P = tetraaryl porphyrinate dianion] species suggesting that the reactive species is a formal (heme)Fe(II)/Fe(IV)=O(non-heme) pair. The non-heme Fe(IV)=O is thus most likely responsible for C-H bond cleavage and subsequent radical chemistry. The photolysis of 1 in chlorobenzene or 1,2-dichlorobenzene resulted in C-Cl cleavage reactions and the formation of [[((6)L)Fe(III)-Cl...Fe(III)-Cl](2)O](2+) (3), with chloride ligands that are derived from solvent dehalogenation chemistry. The resulting organic products are biphenyl trichlorides or biphenyl monochlorides, derived from dichlorobenzene and chlorobenzene, respectively. Similarly, product 3 is obtained by the photolysis of benzene-benzyl chloride solutions of 1; the organic product is benzaldehyde (approximately 70%). A brief

  11. Interaction of nitric oxide with human heme oxygenase-1.

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    Wang, Jinling; Lu, Shen; Moënne-Loccoz, Pierre; Ortiz de Montellano, Paul R

    2003-01-24

    NO and CO may complement each other as signaling molecules in some physiological situations. We have examined the binding of NO to human heme oxygenase-1 (hHO-1), an enzyme that oxidizes heme to biliverdin, CO, and free iron, to determine whether inhibition of hHO-1 by NO can contribute to the signaling interplay of NO and CO. An Fe(3+)-NO hHO-1-heme complex is formed with NO or the NO donors NOC9 or 2-(N,N-diethylamino)-diazenolate-2-oxide.sodium salt. Resonance Raman spectroscopy shows that ferric hHO-1-heme forms a 6-coordinated, low spin complex with NO. The nu(N-O) vibration of this complex detected by Fourier transform IR is only 4 cm(-1) lower than that of the corresponding metmyoglobin (met-Mb) complex but is broader, suggesting a greater degree of ligand conformational freedom. The Fe(3+)-NO complex of hHO-1 is much more stable than that of met-Mb. Stopped-flow studies indicate that k(on) for formation of the hHO-1-heme Fe(3+)-NO complex is approximately 50-times faster, and k(off) 10 times slower, than for met-Mb, resulting in K(d) = 1.4 microm for NO. NO thus binds 500-fold more tightly to ferric hHO-1-heme than to met-Mb. The hHO-1 mutations E29A, G139A, D140A, S142A, G143A, G143F, and K179A/R183A do not significantly diminish the tight binding of NO, indicating that NO binding is not highly sensitive to mutations of residues that normally stabilize the distal water ligand. As expected from the K(d) value, the enzyme is reversibly inhibited upon exposure to pathologically, and possibly physiologically, relevant concentrations of NO. Inhibition of hHO-1 by NO may contribute to the pleiotropic responses to NO and CO.

  12. Prebiotics increase heme iron bioavailability and do not affect non-heme iron bioavailability in humans.

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    Weinborn, Valerie; Valenzuela, Carolina; Olivares, Manuel; Arredondo, Miguel; Weill, Ricardo; Pizarro, Fernando

    2017-05-24

    The aim of this study was to establish the effect of a prebiotic mix on heme and non-heme iron (Fe) bioavailability in humans. To this purpose, twenty-four healthy women were randomized into one of two study groups. One group ate one yogurt per day for 12 days with a prebiotic mix (prebiotic group) and the other group received the same yogurt but without the prebiotic mix (control group). Before and after the intake period, the subjects participated in Fe absorption studies. These studies used 55 Fe and 59 Fe radioactive isotopes as markers of heme Fe and non-heme Fe, respectively, and Fe absorption was measured by the incorporation of radioactive Fe into erythrocytes. The results showed that there were no significant differences in heme and non-heme Fe bioavailability in the control group. Heme Fe bioavailability of the prebiotic group increased significantly by 56% post-prebiotic intake. There were no significant differences in non-heme Fe bioavailability in this group. We concluded that daily consumption of a prebiotic mix increases heme Fe bioavailability and does not affect non-heme iron bioavailability.

  13. Human heme oxygenase oxidation of 5- and 15-phenylhemes.

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    Wang, Jinling; Niemevz, Fernando; Lad, Latesh; Huang, Liusheng; Alvarez, Diego E; Buldain, Graciela; Poulos, Thomas L; de Montellano, Paul R Ortiz

    2004-10-08

    Human heme oxygenase-1 (hHO-1) catalyzes the O2-dependent oxidation of heme to biliverdin, CO, and free iron. Previous work indicated that electrophilic addition of the terminal oxygen of the ferric hydroperoxo complex to the alpha-meso-carbon gives 5-hydroxyheme. Earlier efforts to block this reaction with a 5-methyl substituent failed, as the reaction still gave biliverdin IXalpha. Surprisingly, a 15-methyl substituent caused exclusive cleavage at the gamma-meso-rather than at the normal, unsubstituted alpha-meso-carbon. No CO was formed in these reactions, but the fragment cleaved from the porphyrin eluded identification. We report here that hHO-1 cleaves 5-phenylheme to biliverdin IXalpha and oxidizes 15-phenylheme at the alpha-meso position to give 10-phenylbiliverdin IXalpha. The fragment extruded in the oxidation of 5-phenylheme is benzoic acid, one oxygen of which comes from O2 and the other from water. The 2.29- and 2.11-A crystal structures of the hHO-1 complexes with 1- and 15-phenylheme, respectively, show clear electron density for both the 5- and 15-phenyl rings in both molecules of the asymmetric unit. The overall structure of 15-phenylheme-hHO-1 is similar to that of heme-hHO-1 except for small changes in distal residues 141-150 and in the proximal Lys18 and Lys22. In the 5-phenylheme-hHO-1 structure, the phenyl-substituted heme occupies the same position as heme in the heme-HO-1 complex but the 5-phenyl substituent disrupts the rigid hydrophobic wall of residues Met34, Phe214, and residues 26-42 near the alpha-meso carbon. The results provide independent support for an electrophilic oxidation mechanism and support a role for stereochemical control of the reaction regiospecificity.

  14. Single or functionalized fullerenes interacting with heme group

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    Costa, Wallison Chaves; Diniz, Eduardo Moraes, E-mail: eduardo.diniz@ufma.br [Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, Avenida dos Portugueses, 1966, CEP 65080-805, São Luís - MA (Brazil)

    2014-09-15

    The heme group is responsible for iron transportation through the bloodstream, where iron participates in redox reactions, electron transfer, gases detection etc. The efficiency of such processes can be reduced if the whole heme molecule or even the iron is somehow altered from its original oxidation state, which can be caused by interactions with nanoparticles as fullerenes. To verify how such particles alter the geometry and electronic structure of heme molecule, here we report first principles calculations based on density functional theory of heme group interacting with single C{sub 60} fullerene or with C{sub 60} functionalized with small functional groups (−CH{sub 3}, −COOH, −NH{sub 2}, −OH). The calculations shown that the system heme + nanoparticle has a different spin state in comparison with heme group if the fullerene is functionalized. Also a functional group can provide a stronger binding between nanoparticle and heme molecule or inhibit the chemical bonding in comparison with single fullerene results. In addition heme molecule loses electrons to the nanoparticles and some systems exhibited a geometry distortion in heme group, depending on the binding energy. Furthermore, one find that such nanoparticles induce a formation of spin up states in heme group. Moreover, there exist modifications in density of states near the Fermi energy. Although of such changes in heme electronic structure and geometry, the iron atom remains in the heme group with the same oxidation state, so that processes that involve the iron might not be affected, only those that depend on the whole heme molecule.

  15. Control of intracellular heme levels: Heme transporters and heme oxygenases

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    Khan, Anwar A.; Quigley, John G.

    2011-01-01

    Heme serves as a co-factor in proteins involved in fundamental biological processes including oxidative metabolism, oxygen storage and transport, signal transduction and drug metabolism. In addition, heme is important for systemic iron homeostasis in mammals. Heme has important regulatory roles in cell biology, yet excessive levels of intracellular heme are toxic; thus, mechanisms have evolved to control the acquisition, synthesis, catabolism and expulsion of cellular heme. Recently, a number...

  16. Stanniocalcin 1 binds hemin through a partially conserved heme regulatory motif

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Westberg, Johan A.; Jiang, Ji; Andersson, Leif C.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Stanniocalcin 1 (STC1) binds heme through novel heme binding motif. → Central iron atom of heme and cysteine-114 of STC1 are essential for binding. → STC1 binds Fe 2+ and Fe 3+ heme. → STC1 peptide prevents oxidative decay of heme. -- Abstract: Hemin (iron protoporphyrin IX) is a necessary component of many proteins, functioning either as a cofactor or an intracellular messenger. Hemoproteins have diverse functions, such as transportation of gases, gas detection, chemical catalysis and electron transfer. Stanniocalcin 1 (STC1) is a protein involved in respiratory responses of the cell but whose mechanism of action is still undetermined. We examined the ability of STC1 to bind hemin in both its reduced and oxidized states and located Cys 114 as the axial ligand of the central iron atom of hemin. The amino acid sequence differs from the established (Cys-Pro) heme regulatory motif (HRM) and therefore presents a novel heme binding motif (Cys-Ser). A STC1 peptide containing the heme binding sequence was able to inhibit both spontaneous and H 2 O 2 induced decay of hemin. Binding of hemin does not affect the mitochondrial localization of STC1.

  17. Control of intracellular heme levels: Heme transporters and Heme oxygenases

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    Khan, Anwar A.; Quigley, John G.

    2011-01-01

    Heme serves as a co-factor in proteins involved in fundamental biological processes including oxidative metabolism, oxygen storage and transport, signal transduction and drug metabolism. In addition, heme is important for systemic iron homeostasis in mammals. Heme has important regulatory roles in cell biology, yet excessive levels of intracellular heme are toxic; thus, mechanisms have evolved to control the acquisition, synthesis, catabolism and expulsion of cellular heme. Recently, a number of transporters of heme and heme synthesis intermediates have been described. Here we review aspects of heme metabolism and discuss our current understanding of heme transporters, with emphasis on the function of the cell-surface heme exporter, FLVCR. Knockdown of Flvcr in mice leads to both defective erythropoiesis and disturbed systemic iron homeostasis, underscoring the critical role of heme transporters in mammalian physiology. PMID:21238504

  18. Interaction between Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species, Heme Oxygenase, and Nitric Oxide Synthase Stimulates Phagocytosis in Macrophages

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    Andrea Müllebner

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available BackgroundMacrophages are cells of the innate immune system that populate every organ. They are required not only for defense against invading pathogens and tissue repair but also for maintenance of tissue homeostasis and iron homeostasis.AimThe aim of this study is to understand whether heme oxygenase (HO and nitric oxide synthase (NOS contribute to the regulation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (NOX activity and phagocytosis, two key components of macrophage function.MethodsThis study was carried out using resting J774A.1 macrophages treated with hemin or vehicle. Activity of NOS, HO, or NOX was inhibited using specific inhibitors. Reactive oxygen species (ROS formation was determined by Amplex® red assay, and phagocytosis was measured using fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled bacteria. In addition, we analyzed the fate of the intracellular heme by using electron spin resonance.ResultsWe show that both enzymes NOS and HO are essential for phagocytic activity of macrophages. NOS does not directly affect phagocytosis, but stimulates NOX activity via nitric oxide-triggered ROS production of mitochondria. Treatment of macrophages with hemin results in intracellular accumulation of ferrous heme and an inhibition of phagocytosis. In contrast to NOS, HO products, including carbon monoxide, neither clearly affect NOX activity nor clearly affect phagocytosis, but phagocytosis is accelerated by HO-mediated degradation of heme.ConclusionBoth enzymes contribute to the bactericidal activity of macrophages independently, by controlling different pathways.

  19. O2-mediated oxidation of ferrous nitrosylated human serum heme-albumin is limited by nitrogen monoxide dissociation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ascenzi, Paolo; Gullotta, Francesca; Gioia, Magda; Coletta, Massimo; Fasano, Mauro

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → Human serum heme-albumin displays globin-like properties. → O 2 -mediated oxidation of ferrous nitrosylated human serum heme-albumin. → Allosteric modulation of human serum heme-albumin reactivity. → Rifampicin is an allosteric effector of human serum heme-albumin. → Human serum heme-albumin is a ROS and NOS scavenger. -- Abstract: Human serum heme-albumin (HSA-heme-Fe) displays globin-like properties. Here, kinetics of O 2 -mediated oxidation of ferrous nitrosylated HSA-heme-Fe (HSA-heme-Fe(II)-NO) is reported. Values of the first-order rate constants for O 2 -mediated oxidation of HSA-heme-Fe(II)-NO (i.e., for ferric HSA-heme-Fe formation) and for NO dissociation from HSA-heme-Fe(II)-NO (i.e., for NO replacement by CO) are k = 9.8 x 10 -5 and 8.3 x 10 -4 s -1 , and h = 1.3 x 10 -4 and 8.5 x 10 -4 s -1 , in the absence and presence of rifampicin, respectively, at pH = 7.0 and T = 20.0 o C. The coincidence of values of k and h indicates that NO dissociation represents the rate limiting step of O 2 -mediated oxidation of HSA-heme-Fe(II)-NO. Mixing HSA-heme-Fe(II)-NO with O 2 does not lead to the formation of the transient adduct(s), but leads to the final ferric HSA-heme-Fe derivative. These results reflect the fast O 2 -mediated oxidation of ferrous HSA-heme-Fe and highlight the role of drugs in modulating allosterically the heme-Fe-atom reactivity.

  20. Stanniocalcin 1 binds hemin through a partially conserved heme regulatory motif

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    Westberg, Johan A., E-mail: johan.westberg@helsinki.fi [Department of Pathology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki and HUSLAB, P.O. Box 21, Haartmaninkatu 3, FI-00014 Helsinki (Finland); Jiang, Ji, E-mail: ji.jiang@helsinki.fi [Department of Pathology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki and HUSLAB, P.O. Box 21, Haartmaninkatu 3, FI-00014 Helsinki (Finland); Andersson, Leif C., E-mail: leif.andersson@helsinki.fi [Department of Pathology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki and HUSLAB, P.O. Box 21, Haartmaninkatu 3, FI-00014 Helsinki (Finland)

    2011-06-03

    Highlights: {yields} Stanniocalcin 1 (STC1) binds heme through novel heme binding motif. {yields} Central iron atom of heme and cysteine-114 of STC1 are essential for binding. {yields} STC1 binds Fe{sup 2+} and Fe{sup 3+} heme. {yields} STC1 peptide prevents oxidative decay of heme. -- Abstract: Hemin (iron protoporphyrin IX) is a necessary component of many proteins, functioning either as a cofactor or an intracellular messenger. Hemoproteins have diverse functions, such as transportation of gases, gas detection, chemical catalysis and electron transfer. Stanniocalcin 1 (STC1) is a protein involved in respiratory responses of the cell but whose mechanism of action is still undetermined. We examined the ability of STC1 to bind hemin in both its reduced and oxidized states and located Cys{sup 114} as the axial ligand of the central iron atom of hemin. The amino acid sequence differs from the established (Cys-Pro) heme regulatory motif (HRM) and therefore presents a novel heme binding motif (Cys-Ser). A STC1 peptide containing the heme binding sequence was able to inhibit both spontaneous and H{sub 2}O{sub 2} induced decay of hemin. Binding of hemin does not affect the mitochondrial localization of STC1.

  1. Oxidative stability of a heme iron-fortified bakery product: Effectiveness of ascorbyl palmitate and co-spray-drying of heme iron with calcium caseinate.

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    Alemán, Mercedes; Bou, Ricard; Tres, Alba; Polo, Javier; Codony, Rafael; Guardiola, Francesc

    2016-04-01

    Fortification of food products with iron is a common strategy to prevent or overcome iron deficiency. However, any form of iron is a pro-oxidant and its addition will cause off-flavours and reduce a product's shelf life. A highly bioavailable heme iron ingredient was selected to fortify a chocolate cream used to fill sandwich-type cookies. Two different strategies were assessed for avoiding the heme iron catalytic effect on lipid oxidation: ascorbyl palmitate addition and co-spray-drying of heme iron with calcium caseinate. Oxidation development and sensory acceptability were monitored in the cookies over one-year of storage at room temperature in the dark. The addition of ascorbyl palmitate provided protection against oxidation and loss of tocopherols and tocotrienols during the preparation of cookies. In general, ascorbyl palmitate, either alone or in combination with the co-spray-dried heme iron, prevented primary oxidation and hexanal formation during storage. The combination of both strategies resulted in cookies that were acceptable from a sensory point of view after 1year of storage. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Nitric oxide heme interactions in nitrophorin from Cimex lectularius

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Christmann, R.; Auerbach, H., E-mail: auerbach@physik.uni-kl.de [University of Kaiserslautern, Department of Physics (Germany); Berry, R. E.; Walker, F. A. [The University of Arizona, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (United States); Schünemann, V. [University of Kaiserslautern, Department of Physics (Germany)

    2016-12-15

    The nitrophorin from the bedbug Cimex lectularius (cNP) is a nitric oxide (NO) carrying protein. Like the nitrophorins (rNPs) from the kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus, cNP forms a stable heme Fe(III)-NO complex, where the NO can be stored reversibly for a long period of time. In both cases, the NPs are found in the salivary glands of blood-sucking bugs. The insects use the nitrophorins to transport the NO to the victim’s tissues, resulting in vasodilation and reduced blood coagulation. However, the structure of cNP is significantly different to those of the rNPs from Rhodnius prolixus. Furthermore, the cNP can bind a second NO molecule to the proximal heme cysteine when present at higher concentrations. High field Mössbauer spectroscopy on {sup 57}Fe enriched cNP complexed with NO shows reduction of the heme iron and formation of a ferrous nitric oxide (Fe(II)-NO) complex. Density functional theory calculations reproduce the experimental Mössbauer parameters and confirm this observation.

  3. Nitric oxide and iron modulate heme oxygenase activity as a long distance signaling response to salt stress in sunflower seedling cotyledons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Neha; Bhatla, Satish C

    2016-02-29

    Nitric oxide is a significant component of iron signaling in plants. Heme is one of the iron sensors in plants. Free heme is highly toxic and can cause cell damage as it catalyzes the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Its catabolism is carried out by heme oxygenase (HOs; EC 1.14.99.3) which uses heme both as a prosthetic group and as a substrate. Two significant events, which accompany adaptation to salt stress in sunflower seedlings, are accumulation of ROS and enhanced production of nitric oxide (NO) in roots and cotyledons. Present investigations on the immunolocalization of heme oxygenase distribution in sunflower seedling cotyledons by confocal laser scanning microscopic (CLSM) imaging provide new information on the differential spatial distribution of the inducible form of HO (HO-1) as a long distance in response to NaCl stress. The enzyme is abundantly distributed in the specialized cells around the secretory canals (SCs) in seedling cotyledons. Abundance of tyrosine nitrated proteins has also been observed in the specialized cells around the secretory canals in cotyledons derived from salt stressed seedlings. The spatial distribution of tyrosine nitrated proteins and HO-1 expression further correlates with the abundance of mitochondria in these cells. Present findings, thus, highlight a link among distribution of HO-1 expression, abundance of tyrosine nitrated proteins and mitochondria in specialized cells around the secretory canal as a long distance mechanism of salt stress tolerance in sunflower seedlings. Enhanced spatial distribution of HO-1 in response to NaCl stress in seedling cotyledons is in congruence with the observed increase in specific activity of HO-1 in NaCl stressed conditions. The enzyme activity is further enhanced by hemin (HO-1 inducer) both in the absence or presence of NaCl stress and inhibited by zinc protoporphyrin. Western blot analysis of cotyledon homogenates using anti-HO-1 polyclonal antibody shows one major band (29

  4. Adenoviral transfer of the heme oxygenase-1 gene protects striatal astrocytes from heme-mediated oxidative injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teng, Zhi-Ping; Chen, Jing; Chau, Lee-Young; Galunic, Nicholas; Regan, Raymond F

    2004-11-01

    Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is induced in the CNS after hemorrhage, and may have an effect on injury to surrounding tissue. Hemin, the preferred substrate of HO, is a neurotoxin that is present in intracranial hematomas. In a prior study, we observed that HO inhibitors increased the vulnerability of cultured cortical astrocytes to heme-mediated oxidative injury. To investigate the effect of HO more specifically, we used an adenoviral vector encoding the human HO-1 gene to specifically increase HO-1 expression. Incubation with 100 MOI of the HO-1 adenovirus (Adv-HHO-1) for 24 h increased both HO-1 protein and HO activity; a control adenovirus lacking the HO-1 gene had no effect. Using a DNA probe that was specific for human HO-1, 80.5 +/- 7.2% of astrocytes were observed to be infected by in situ hybridization. The cell death produced by 30-60 microM hemin was significantly reduced by pretreatment with 100 MOI Adv-HHO-1, as assessed by LDH release, propidium iodide exclusion, and MTT reduction assay. The threefold increase in cell protein oxidation produced by hemin was also attenuated in cultures pretreated with Adv-HHO-1. These results support the hypothesis that HO-1 protects astrocytes from heme-mediated oxidative injury. Specifically increasing astrocytic HO-1 by gene transfer may have a beneficial effect on hemorrhagic CNS injury.

  5. Heme isomers substantially affect heme's electronic structure and function

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kepp, Kasper Planeta

    2017-01-01

    Inspection of heme protein structures in the protein data bank reveals four isomers of heme characterized by different relative orientations of the vinyl side chains; remarkably, all these have been reported in multiple protein structures. Density functional theory computations explain this as du...

  6. Heme oxygenase-2 gene deletion attenuates oxidative stress in neurons exposed to extracellular hemin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benvenisti-Zarom Luna

    2004-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Hemin, the oxidized form of heme, accumulates in intracranial hematomas and is a potent oxidant. Growing evidence suggests that it contributes to delayed injury to surrounding tissue, and that this process is affected by the heme oxygenase enzymes. In a prior study, heme oxygenase-2 gene deletion increased the vulnerability of cultured cortical astrocytes to hemin. The present study tested the effect of HO-2 gene deletion on protein oxidation, reactive oxygen species formation, and cell viability after mixed cortical neuron/astrocyte cultures were incubated with neurotoxic concentrations of hemin. Results Continuous exposure of wild-type cultures to 1–10 μM hemin for 14 h produced concentration-dependent neuronal death, as detected by both LDH release and fluorescence intensity after propidium iodide staining, with an EC50 of 1–2 μM; astrocytes were not injured by these low hemin concentrations. Cell death was consistently reduced by at least 60% in knockout cultures. Exposure to hemin for 4 hours, a time point that preceded cell lysis, increased protein oxidation in wild-type cultures, as detected by staining of immunoblots for protein carbonyl groups. At 10 μM hemin, carbonylation was increased 2.3-fold compared with control sister cultures subjected to medium exchanges only; this effect was reduced by about two-thirds in knockout cultures. Cellular reactive oxygen species, detected by fluorescence intensity after dihydrorhodamine 123 (DHR staining, was markedly increased by hemin in wild-type cultures and was localized to neuronal cell bodies and processes. In contrast, DHR fluorescence intensity in knockout cultures did not differ from that of sham-washed controls. Neuronal death in wild-type cultures was almost completely prevented by the lipid-soluble iron chelator phenanthroline; deferoxamine had a weaker but significant effect. Conclusions These results suggest that HO-2 gene deletion protects neurons in mixed

  7. Tyrosine oxidation in heme oxygenase: examination of long-range proton-coupled electron transfer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smirnov, Valeriy V; Roth, Justine P

    2014-10-01

    Heme oxygenase is responsible for the degradation of a histidine-ligated ferric protoporphyrin IX (Por) to biliverdin, CO, and the free ferrous ion. Described here are studies of tyrosyl radical formation reactions that occur after oxidizing Fe(III)(Por) to Fe(IV)=O(Por(·+)) in human heme oxygenase isoform-1 (hHO-1) and the structurally homologous protein from Corynebacterium diphtheriae (cdHO). Site-directed mutagenesis on hHO-1 probes the reduction of Fe(IV)=O(Por(·+)) by tyrosine residues within 11 Å of the prosthetic group. In hHO-1, Y58· is implicated as the most likely site of oxidation, based on the pH and pD dependent kinetics. The absence of solvent deuterium isotope effects in basic solutions of hHO-1 and cdHO contrasts with the behavior of these proteins in the acidic solution, suggesting that long-range proton-coupled electron transfer predominates over electron transfer.

  8. Synthetic heme/copper assemblies: toward an understanding of cytochrome c oxidase interactions with dioxygen and nitrogen oxides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hematian, Shabnam; Garcia-Bosch, Isaac; Karlin, Kenneth D

    2015-08-18

    Our long-time niche in synthetic biological inorganic chemistry has been to design ligands and generate coordination complexes of copper or iron ions or both, those reacting with dioxygen (O2) or nitrogen oxides (e.g., nitric oxide (NO(g)) and nitrite (NO2(-))) or both. As inspiration for this work, we turn to mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase, which is responsible for dioxygen consumption and is also the predominant target for NO(g) and nitrite within mitochondria. In this Account, we highlight recent advances in studying synthetic heme/Cu complexes in two respects. First, there is the design, synthesis, and characterization of new O2 adducts whose further study will add insights into O2 reductive cleavage chemistry. Second, we describe how related heme/Cu constructs reduce nitrite ion to NO(g) or the reverse, oxidize NO(g) to nitrite. The reactions of nitrogen oxides occur as part of CcO's function, which is intimately tied to cellular O2 balance. We had first discovered that reduced heme/Cu compounds react with O2 giving μ-oxo heme-Fe(III)-O-Cu(II)(L) products; their properties are discussed. The O-atom is derived from dioxygen, and interrogations of these systems led to the construction and characterization of three distinctive classes of heme-peroxo complexes, two high-spin and one low-spin species. Recent investigations include a new approach to the synthesis of low-spin heme-peroxo-Cu complexes, employing a "naked" synthon, where the copper ligand denticity and geometric types can be varied. The result is a collection of such complexes; spectroscopic and structural features (by DFT calculations) are described. Some of these compounds are reactive toward reductants/protons effecting subsequent O-O cleavage. This points to how subtle improvements in ligand environment lead to a desired local structure and resulting optimized reactivity, as known to occur at enzyme active sites. The other sector of research is focused on heme/Cu assemblies mediating the redox

  9. Astroglia overexpressing heme oxygenase-1 predispose co-cultured PC12 cells to oxidative injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Linyang; Song, Wei; Schipper, Hyman M

    2007-08-01

    The mechanisms responsible for the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons and pathologic iron deposition in the substantia nigra pars compacta of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) remain unclear. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), the rate-limiting enzyme in the oxidative degradation of heme to ferrous iron, carbon monoxide, and biliverdin, is upregulated in affected PD astroglia and may contribute to abnormal mitochondrial iron sequestration in these cells. To determine whether glial HO-1 hyper-expression is toxic to neuronal compartments, we co-cultured dopaminergic PC12 cells atop monolayers of human (h) HO-1 transfected, sham-transfected, or non-transfected primary rat astroglia. We observed that PC12 cells grown atop hHO-1 transfected astrocytes, but not the astroglia themselves, were significantly more susceptible to dopamine (1 microM) + H(2)O(2) (1 microM)-induced death (assessed by nuclear ethidium monoazide bromide staining and anti-tyrosine hydroxylase immunofluorescence microscopy) relative to control preparations. In the experimental group, PC12 cell death was attenuated significantly by the administration of the HO inhibitor, SnMP (1.5 microM), the antioxidant, ascorbate (200 microM), or the iron chelators, deferoxamine (400 microM), and phenanthroline (100 microM). Exposure to conditioned media derived from HO-1 transfected astrocytes also augmented PC12 cell killing in response to dopamine (1 microM) + H(2)O(2) (1 microM) relative to control media. In PD brain, overexpression of HO-1 in nigral astroglia and accompanying iron liberation may facilitate the bioactivation of dopamine to neurotoxic free radical intermediates and predispose nearby neuronal constituents to oxidative damage. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  10. Characterization of heme oxygenase and biliverdin reductase gene expression in zebrafish (Danio rerio): Basal expression and response to pro-oxidant exposures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holowiecki, Andrew; O'Shields, Britton; Jenny, Matthew J.

    2016-01-01

    While heme is an important cofactor for numerous proteins, it is highly toxic in its unbound form and can perpetuate the formation of reactive oxygen species. Heme oxygenase enzymes (HMOX1 and HMOX2) degrade heme into biliverdin and carbon monoxide, with biliverdin subsequently being converted to bilirubin by biliverdin reductase (BVRa or BVRb). As a result of the teleost-specific genome duplication event, zebrafish have paralogs of hmox1 (hmox1a and hmox1b) and hmox2 (hmox2a and hmox2b). Expression of all four hmox paralogs and two bvr isoforms were measured in adult tissues (gill, brain and liver) and sexually dimorphic differences were observed, most notably in the basal expression of hmox1a, hmox2a, hmox2b and bvrb in liver samples. hmox1a, hmox2a and hmox2b were significantly induced in male liver tissues in response to 96 h cadmium exposure (20 μM). hmox2a and hmox2b were significantly induced in male brain samples, but only hmox2a was significantly reduced in male gill samples in response to the 96 h cadmium exposure. hmox paralogs displayed significantly different levels of basal expression in most adult tissues, as well as during zebrafish development (24 to 120 hpf). Furthermore, hmox1a, hmox1b and bvrb were significantly induced in zebrafish eleutheroembryos in response to multiple pro-oxidants (cadmium, hemin and tert-butylhydroquinone). Knockdown of Nrf2a, a transcriptional regulator of hmox1a, was demonstrated to inhibit the Cd-mediated induction of hmox1b and bvrb. These results demonstrate distinct mechanisms of hmox and bvr transcriptional regulation in zebrafish, providing initial evidence of the partitioning of function of the hmox paralogs. - Highlights: • hmox1a, hmox2a, hmox2b and bvrb are sexually dimorphic in expression. • hmox paralogs were induced in adult tissues by cadmium exposure. • hmox1a, hmox1b and bvrb were induced by multiple pro-oxidants zebrafish embryos. • Differential expression of zebrafish hmox paralogs suggest

  11. Characterization of heme oxygenase and biliverdin reductase gene expression in zebrafish (Danio rerio): Basal expression and response to pro-oxidant exposures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Holowiecki, Andrew [Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 (United States); Molecular Cardiovascular Biology Division and Heart Institute, Cincinnati Children' s Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH (United States); O' Shields, Britton [Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 (United States); Jenny, Matthew J., E-mail: mjjenny@ua.edu [Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 (United States)

    2016-11-15

    While heme is an important cofactor for numerous proteins, it is highly toxic in its unbound form and can perpetuate the formation of reactive oxygen species. Heme oxygenase enzymes (HMOX1 and HMOX2) degrade heme into biliverdin and carbon monoxide, with biliverdin subsequently being converted to bilirubin by biliverdin reductase (BVRa or BVRb). As a result of the teleost-specific genome duplication event, zebrafish have paralogs of hmox1 (hmox1a and hmox1b) and hmox2 (hmox2a and hmox2b). Expression of all four hmox paralogs and two bvr isoforms were measured in adult tissues (gill, brain and liver) and sexually dimorphic differences were observed, most notably in the basal expression of hmox1a, hmox2a, hmox2b and bvrb in liver samples. hmox1a, hmox2a and hmox2b were significantly induced in male liver tissues in response to 96 h cadmium exposure (20 μM). hmox2a and hmox2b were significantly induced in male brain samples, but only hmox2a was significantly reduced in male gill samples in response to the 96 h cadmium exposure. hmox paralogs displayed significantly different levels of basal expression in most adult tissues, as well as during zebrafish development (24 to 120 hpf). Furthermore, hmox1a, hmox1b and bvrb were significantly induced in zebrafish eleutheroembryos in response to multiple pro-oxidants (cadmium, hemin and tert-butylhydroquinone). Knockdown of Nrf2a, a transcriptional regulator of hmox1a, was demonstrated to inhibit the Cd-mediated induction of hmox1b and bvrb. These results demonstrate distinct mechanisms of hmox and bvr transcriptional regulation in zebrafish, providing initial evidence of the partitioning of function of the hmox paralogs. - Highlights: • hmox1a, hmox2a, hmox2b and bvrb are sexually dimorphic in expression. • hmox paralogs were induced in adult tissues by cadmium exposure. • hmox1a, hmox1b and bvrb were induced by multiple pro-oxidants zebrafish embryos. • Differential expression of zebrafish hmox paralogs suggest

  12. Predicting storage-dependent damage to red blood cells using nitrite oxidation kinetics, peroxiredoxin-2 oxidation, and hemoglobin and free heme measurements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, Joo-Yeun; Stapley, Ryan; Harper, Victoria; Marques, Marisa B; Patel, Rakesh P

    2015-12-01

    Storage-dependent damage to red blood cells (RBCs) varies significantly. Identifying RBC units that will undergo higher levels of hemolysis during storage may allow for more efficient inventory management decision-making. Oxidative-stress mediates storage-dependent damage to RBCs and will depend on the oxidant:antioxidant balance. We reasoned that this balance or redox tone will serve as a determinant of how a given RBC unit stores and that its assessment in "young" RBCs will predict storage-dependent hemolysis. RBCs were sampled from bags and segments stored for 7 to 42 days. Redox tone was assessed by nitrite oxidation kinetics and peroxiredoxin-2 (Prx-2) oxidation. In parallel, hemolysis was assessed by measuring cell-free hemoglobin (Hb) and free heme (hemin). Correlation analyses were performed to determine if Day 7 measurements predicted either the level of hemolysis at Day 35 or the increase in hemolysis during storage. Higher Day 7 Prx-2 oxidation was associated with higher Day 35 Prx-2 oxidation, suggesting that early assessment of this variable may identify RBCs that will incur the most oxidative damage during storage. RBCs that oxidized nitrite faster on Day 7 were associated with the greatest levels of storage-dependent hemolysis and increases in Prx-2 oxidation. An inverse relationship between storage-dependent changes in oxyhemoglobin and free heme was observed underscoring an unappreciated reciprocity between these molecular species. Moreover, free heme was higher in the bag compared to paired segments, with opposite trends observed for free Hb. Measurement of Prx-2 oxidation and nitrite oxidation kinetics early during RBC storage may predict storage-dependent damage to RBC including hemolysis-dependent formation of free Hb and heme. © 2015 AABB.

  13. Heme oxygenase-1: a metabolic nike.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wegiel, Barbara; Nemeth, Zsuzsanna; Correa-Costa, Matheus; Bulmer, Andrew C; Otterbein, Leo E

    2014-04-10

    Heme degradation, which was described more than 30 years ago, is still very actively explored with many novel discoveries on its role in various disease models every year. The heme oxygenases (HO) are metabolic enzymes that utilize NADPH and oxygen to break apart the heme moiety liberating biliverdin (BV), carbon monoxide (CO), and iron. Heme that is derived from hemoproteins can be toxic to the cells and if not removed immediately, it causes cell apoptosis and local inflammation. Elimination of heme from the milieu enables generation of three products that influences numerous metabolic changes in the cell. CO has profound effects on mitochondria and cellular respiration and other hemoproteins to which it can bind and affect their function, while BV and bilirubin (BR), the substrate and product of BV, reductase, respectively, are potent antioxidants. Sequestration of iron into ferritin and its recycling in the tissues is a part of the homeodynamic processes that control oxidation-reduction in cellular metabolism. Further, heme is an important component of a number of metabolic enzymes, and, therefore, HO-1 plays an important role in the modulation of cellular bioenergetics. In this review, we describe the cross-talk between heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and its products with other metabolic pathways. HO-1, which we have labeled Nike, the goddess who personified victory, dictates triumph over pathophysiologic conditions, including diabetes, ischemia, and cancer.

  14. Molecular hijacking of siroheme for the synthesis of heme and d1 heme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bali, Shilpa; Lawrence, Andrew D; Lobo, Susana A; Saraiva, Lígia M; Golding, Bernard T; Palmer, David J; Howard, Mark J; Ferguson, Stuart J; Warren, Martin J

    2011-11-08

    Modified tetrapyrroles such as chlorophyll, heme, siroheme, vitamin B(12), coenzyme F(430), and heme d(1) underpin a wide range of essential biological functions in all domains of life, and it is therefore surprising that the syntheses of many of these life pigments remain poorly understood. It is known that the construction of the central molecular framework of modified tetrapyrroles is mediated via a common, core pathway. Herein a further branch of the modified tetrapyrrole biosynthesis pathway is described in denitrifying and sulfate-reducing bacteria as well as the Archaea. This process entails the hijacking of siroheme, the prosthetic group of sulfite and nitrite reductase, and its processing into heme and d(1) heme. The initial step in these transformations involves the decarboxylation of siroheme to give didecarboxysiroheme. For d(1) heme synthesis this intermediate has to undergo the replacement of two propionate side chains with oxygen functionalities and the introduction of a double bond into a further peripheral side chain. For heme synthesis didecarboxysiroheme is converted into Fe-coproporphyrin by oxidative loss of two acetic acid side chains. Fe-coproporphyrin is then transformed into heme by the oxidative decarboxylation of two propionate side chains. The mechanisms of these reactions are discussed and the evolutionary significance of another role for siroheme is examined.

  15. Oxidative stress suppression by luteolin-induced heme oxygenase-1 expression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, Gui-bo; Sun, Xiao; Wang, Min; Ye, Jing-xue; Si, Jian-yong; Xu, Hui-bo; Meng, Xiang-bao; Qin, Meng; Sun, Jing; Wang, Hong-wei; Sun, Xiao-bo

    2012-01-01

    Luteolin, a flavonoid that exhibits antioxidative properties, exerts myocardial protection effects. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not yet fully understood. To investigate the effects of luteolin on myocardial injury protection and its possible mechanisms, a myocardial injury model was established with intragastric administration of 4 mg/kg isoproterenol (ISO) to male Sprague–Dawley rats (200–220 g) daily for 2 days. We found that pretreatment of luteolin (160, 80 and 40 mg/kg, i.g., respectively) daily for 15 days can prevent ISO-induced myocardial damage, including decrease of serum cardiac enzymes, improvement electrocardiography and heart vacuolation. Luteolin also improved the free radical scavenging and antioxidant potential, suggesting one possible mechanism of luteolin-induced cardio-protection is mediated by blocking the oxidative stress. To clarify the mechanisms, we performed the in vitro study by hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 )-induced cytotoxicty model in H9c2 cells. We found that luteolin pretreatment prevented apoptosis, increased the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and enhanced the binding of Nrf2 to the antioxidant response element, providing an adaptive survival response against H 2 O 2 -derived oxidative cytotoxicity. The addition of Znpp, a selective HO-1 competitive inhibitor, reduced the cytoprotective ability of luteolin, indicating the vital role of HO-1 on these effects. Luteolin also activated Akt and ERK, whereas the addition of LY294002 and U0126, the pharmacologic inhibitors of PI3K and ERK, attenuated luteolin-induced HO-1 expression and cytoprotective effect. Taken together, the above findings suggest that luteolin protects against myocardial injury and enhances cellular antioxidant defense capacity through the activation of Akt and ERK signal pathways that leads to Nrf2 activation, and subsequently HO-1 induction. -- Highlights: ► Luteolin prevents isoproterenol-induced myocardial damage. ► Luteolin

  16. Oxidative stress suppression by luteolin-induced heme oxygenase-1 expression

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sun, Gui-bo; Sun, Xiao; Wang, Min [Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193 (China); Ye, Jing-xue [Jilin Agricultural University, No.2888, Xincheng Street, Changchun, 130021, Jilin (China); Si, Jian-yong [Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193 (China); Xu, Hui-bo [Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences of Jilin Province, Gongnongda road 1745, Changchun, 130021, Jiblin (China); Meng, Xiang-bao; Qin, Meng; Sun, Jing [Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193 (China); Wang, Hong-wei, E-mail: hwang@nju.edu.cn [Center for Translational Medicine and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Sun, Xiao-bo, E-mail: sunsubmit@163.com [Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193 (China)

    2012-12-01

    Luteolin, a flavonoid that exhibits antioxidative properties, exerts myocardial protection effects. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not yet fully understood. To investigate the effects of luteolin on myocardial injury protection and its possible mechanisms, a myocardial injury model was established with intragastric administration of 4 mg/kg isoproterenol (ISO) to male Sprague–Dawley rats (200–220 g) daily for 2 days. We found that pretreatment of luteolin (160, 80 and 40 mg/kg, i.g., respectively) daily for 15 days can prevent ISO-induced myocardial damage, including decrease of serum cardiac enzymes, improvement electrocardiography and heart vacuolation. Luteolin also improved the free radical scavenging and antioxidant potential, suggesting one possible mechanism of luteolin-induced cardio-protection is mediated by blocking the oxidative stress. To clarify the mechanisms, we performed the in vitro study by hydrogen peroxide (H{sub 2}O{sub 2})-induced cytotoxicty model in H9c2 cells. We found that luteolin pretreatment prevented apoptosis, increased the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and enhanced the binding of Nrf2 to the antioxidant response element, providing an adaptive survival response against H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-derived oxidative cytotoxicity. The addition of Znpp, a selective HO-1 competitive inhibitor, reduced the cytoprotective ability of luteolin, indicating the vital role of HO-1 on these effects. Luteolin also activated Akt and ERK, whereas the addition of LY294002 and U0126, the pharmacologic inhibitors of PI3K and ERK, attenuated luteolin-induced HO-1 expression and cytoprotective effect. Taken together, the above findings suggest that luteolin protects against myocardial injury and enhances cellular antioxidant defense capacity through the activation of Akt and ERK signal pathways that leads to Nrf2 activation, and subsequently HO-1 induction. -- Highlights: ► Luteolin prevents isoproterenol-induced myocardial damage.

  17. Alteration of the Regiospecificity of Human Heme Oxygenase-1 by Unseating of the Heme but not Disruption of the Distal Hydrogen Bonding Network†

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jinling; Evans, John P.; Ogura, Hiroshi; La Mar, Gerd N.; Ortiz de Montellano, Paul R.

    2008-01-01

    Heme oxygenase regiospecifically oxidizes heme at the α-meso position to give biliverdin IXα, CO, and iron. The heme orientation within the active site, which is thought to determine the oxidation regiospecificity, is shown here for the human enzyme (hHO1) to be largely determined by interactions between the heme carboxylic acid groups and residues Arg183 and Lys18 but not Tyr134. Mutation of either Arg183 or Lys18 individually does not significantly alter the NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase-dependent reaction regiochemistry, but partially shifts the oxidation to the β/δ-meso positions in the reaction supported by ascorbic acid. Mutation of Glu29 to a lysine, which places a positive charge where it can interact with a heme carboxyl if the heme rotates by ~90°, causes a slight loss of regiospecificity, but combined with the R183E and K18E mutations results primarily in β/δ-meso oxidation of the heme under all conditions. NMR analysis of heme binding to the triple K18E/E29K/R183E mutant confirms rotation of the heme in the active site. Kinetic studies demonstrate that mutations of Arg183 greatly impair the rate of the P450 reductase-dependent reaction, in accord with the earlier finding that Arg183 is involved in binding of the reductase to hHO1, but have little effect on the ascorbate reaction. Mutations of Asp140 and Tyr58 that disrupt the active site hydrogen bonding network, impair catalytic rates but do not influence the oxidation regiochemistry. The results indicate both that the oxidation regiochemistry is largely controlled by ionic interactions of the heme propionic acid groups with the protein and that shifts in regiospecificity involve rotation of the heme about an axis perpendicular to the heme plane. PMID:16388581

  18. Heme acquisition mechanisms of Porphyromonas gingivalis - strategies used in a polymicrobial community in a heme-limited host environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smalley, J W; Olczak, T

    2017-02-01

    Porphyromonas gingivalis, a main etiologic agent and key pathogen responsible for initiation and progression of chronic periodontitis requires heme as a source of iron and protoporphyrin IX for its survival and the ability to establish an infection. Porphyromonas gingivalis is able to accumulate a defensive cell-surface heme-containing pigment in the form of μ-oxo bisheme. The main sources of heme for P. gingivalis in vivo are hemoproteins present in saliva, gingival crevicular fluid, and erythrocytes. To acquire heme, P. gingivalis uses several mechanisms. Among them, the best characterized are those employing hemagglutinins, hemolysins, and gingipains (Kgp, RgpA, RgpB), TonB-dependent outer-membrane receptors (HmuR, HusB, IhtA), and hemophore-like proteins (HmuY, HusA). Proteins involved in intracellular heme transport, storage, and processing are less well characterized (e.g. PgDps). Importantly, P. gingivalis may also use the heme acquisition systems of other bacteria to fulfill its own heme requirements. Porphyromonas gingivalis displays a novel paradigm for heme acquisition from hemoglobin, whereby the Fe(II)-containing oxyhemoglobin molecule must first be oxidized to methemoglobin to facilitate heme release. This process not only involves P. gingivalis arginine- and lysine-specific gingipains, but other proteases (e.g. interpain A from Prevotella intermedia) or pyocyanin produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Porphyromonas gingivalis is then able to fully proteolyze the more susceptible methemoglobin substrate to release free heme or to wrest heme from it directly through the use of the HmuY hemophore. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Heme environment in HmuY, the heme-binding protein of Porphyromonas gingivalis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wojtowicz, Halina [Laboratory of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Tamka 2, 50-137 Wroclaw (Poland); Wojaczynski, Jacek [Department of Chemistry, University of Wroclaw, 50-383 Wroclaw (Poland); Olczak, Mariusz [Laboratory of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Tamka 2, 50-137 Wroclaw (Poland); Kroliczewski, Jaroslaw [Laboratory of Biophysics, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, 50-148 Wroclaw (Poland); Latos-Grazynski, Lechoslaw [Department of Chemistry, University of Wroclaw, 50-383 Wroclaw (Poland); Olczak, Teresa [Laboratory of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Tamka 2, 50-137 Wroclaw (Poland)

    2009-05-29

    Porphyromonas gingivalis, a Gram-negative anaerobic bacterium implicated in the development and progression of chronic periodontitis, acquires heme for growth by a novel mechanism composed of HmuY and HmuR proteins. The aim of this study was to characterize the nature of heme binding to HmuY. The protein was expressed, purified and detailed investigations using UV-vis absorption, CD, MCD, and {sup 1}H NMR spectroscopy were carried out. Ferric heme bound to HmuY may be reduced by sodium dithionite and re-oxidized by potassium ferricyanide. Heme complexed to HmuY, with a midpoint potential of 136 mV, is in a low-spin Fe(III) hexa-coordinate environment. Analysis of heme binding to several single and double HmuY mutants with the methionine, histidine, cysteine, or tyrosine residues replaced by an alanine residue identified histidines 134 and 166 as potential heme ligands.

  20. Heme environment in HmuY, the heme-binding protein of Porphyromonas gingivalis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wojtowicz, Halina; Wojaczynski, Jacek; Olczak, Mariusz; Kroliczewski, Jaroslaw; Latos-Grazynski, Lechoslaw; Olczak, Teresa

    2009-01-01

    Porphyromonas gingivalis, a Gram-negative anaerobic bacterium implicated in the development and progression of chronic periodontitis, acquires heme for growth by a novel mechanism composed of HmuY and HmuR proteins. The aim of this study was to characterize the nature of heme binding to HmuY. The protein was expressed, purified and detailed investigations using UV-vis absorption, CD, MCD, and 1 H NMR spectroscopy were carried out. Ferric heme bound to HmuY may be reduced by sodium dithionite and re-oxidized by potassium ferricyanide. Heme complexed to HmuY, with a midpoint potential of 136 mV, is in a low-spin Fe(III) hexa-coordinate environment. Analysis of heme binding to several single and double HmuY mutants with the methionine, histidine, cysteine, or tyrosine residues replaced by an alanine residue identified histidines 134 and 166 as potential heme ligands.

  1. Characterization of SiaA, a streptococcal heme-binding protein associated with a heme ABC transport system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sook, Brian R; Block, Darci R; Sumithran, Suganya; Montañez, Griselle E; Rodgers, Kenton R; Dawson, John H; Eichenbaum, Zehava; Dixon, Dabney W

    2008-02-26

    Many pathogenic bacteria require heme and obtain it from their environment. Heme transverses the cytoplasmic membrane via an ATP binding cassette (ABC) pathway. Although a number of heme ABC transport systems have been described in pathogenic bacteria, there is as yet little biophysical characterization of the proteins in these systems. The sia (hts) gene cluster encodes a heme ABC transporter in the Gram positive Streptococcus pyogenes. The lipoprotein-anchored heme binding protein (HBP) of this transporter is SiaA (HtsA). In the current study, resonance Raman (rR), magnetic circular dichroism (MCD), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies were used to determine the coordination state and spin state of both the ferric and ferrous forms of this protein. Identifiers from these techniques suggest that the heme is six-coordinate and low-spin in both oxidation states of the protein, with methionine and histidine as axial ligands. SiaA has a pKa of 9.7 +/- 0.1, attributed to deprotonation of the axial histidine. Guanidinium titration studies show that the ferric state is less stable than the ferrous state, with DeltaG(H2O) values for the oxidized and reduced proteins of 7.3 +/- 0.8 and 16.0 +/- 3.6 kcal mol-1, respectively. The reductive and oxidative midpoint potentials determined via spectroelectrochemistry are 83 +/- 3 and 64 +/- 3 mV, respectively; the irreversibility of heme reduction suggests that redox cycling of the heme is coupled to a kinetically sluggish change in structure or conformation. The biophysical characterization described herein will significantly advance our understanding of structure-function relationships in HBP.

  2. Increased Heme Levels in the Heart Lead to Exacerbated Ischemic Injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sawicki, Konrad Teodor; Shang, Meng; Wu, Rongxue; Chang, Hsiang-Chun; Khechaduri, Arineh; Sato, Tatsuya; Kamide, Christine; Liu, Ting; Naga Prasad, Sathyamangla V; Ardehali, Hossein

    2015-07-31

    Heme is an essential iron-containing molecule for cardiovascular physiology, but in excess it may increase oxidative stress. Failing human hearts have increased heme levels, with upregulation of the rate-limiting enzyme in heme synthesis, δ-aminolevulinic acid synthase 2 (ALAS2), which is normally not expressed in cardiomyocytes. We hypothesized that increased heme accumulation (through cardiac overexpression of ALAS2) leads to increased oxidative stress and cell death in the heart. We first showed that ALAS2 and heme levels are increased in the hearts of mice subjected to coronary ligation. To determine the causative role of increased heme in the development of heart failure, we generated transgenic mice with cardiac-specific overexpression of ALAS2. While ALAS2 transgenic mice have normal cardiac function at baseline, their hearts display increased heme content, higher oxidative stress, exacerbated cell death, and worsened cardiac function after coronary ligation compared to nontransgenic littermates. We confirmed in cultured cardiomyoblasts that the increased oxidative stress and cell death observed with ALAS2 overexpression is mediated by increased heme accumulation. Furthermore, knockdown of ALAS2 in cultured cardiomyoblasts exposed to hypoxia reversed the increases in heme content and cell death. Administration of the mitochondrial antioxidant MitoTempo to ALAS2-overexpressing cardiomyoblasts normalized the elevated oxidative stress and cell death levels to baseline, indicating that the effects of increased ALAS2 and heme are through elevated mitochondrial oxidative stress. The clinical relevance of these findings was supported by the finding of increased ALAS2 induction and heme accumulation in failing human hearts from patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy compared to nonischemic cardiomyopathy. Heme accumulation is detrimental to cardiac function under ischemic conditions, and reducing heme in the heart may be a novel approach for protection against the

  3. Structural Characterization of Heme Environmental Mutants of CgHmuT that Shuttles Heme Molecules to Heme Transporters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Norifumi Muraki

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Corynebacteria contain a heme uptake system encoded in hmuTUV genes, in which HmuT protein acts as a heme binding protein to transport heme to the cognate transporter HmuUV. The crystal structure of HmuT from Corynebacterium glutamicum (CgHmuT reveals that heme is accommodated in the central cleft with His141 and Tyr240 as the axial ligands and that Tyr240 forms a hydrogen bond with Arg242. In this work, the crystal structures of H141A, Y240A, and R242A mutants were determined to understand the role of these residues for the heme binding of CgHmuT. Overall and heme environmental structures of these mutants were similar to those of the wild type, suggesting that there is little conformational change in the heme-binding cleft during heme transport reaction with binding and the dissociation of heme. A loss of one axial ligand or the hydrogen bonding interaction with Tyr240 resulted in an increase in the redox potential of the heme for CgHmuT to be reduced by dithionite, though the wild type was not reduced under physiological conditions. These results suggest that the heme environmental structure stabilizes the ferric heme binding in CgHmuT, which will be responsible for efficient heme uptake under aerobic conditions where Corynebacteria grow.

  4. LC-MS/MS suggests that hole hopping in cytochrome c peroxidase protects its heme from oxidative modification by excess H2O2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kathiresan, Meena; English, Ann M

    2017-02-01

    We recently reported that cytochrome c peroxidase (Ccp1) functions as a H 2 O 2 sensor protein when H 2 O 2 levels rise in respiring yeast. The availability of its reducing substrate, ferrocytochrome c (Cyc II ), determines whether Ccp1 acts as a H 2 O 2 sensor or peroxidase. For H 2 O 2 to serve as a signal it must modify its receptor so we employed high-performance LC-MS/MS to investigate in detail the oxidation of Ccp1 by 1, 5 and 10 M eq. of H 2 O 2 in the absence of Cyc II to prevent peroxidase activity. We observe strictly heme-mediated oxidation, implicating sequential cycles of binding and reduction of H 2 O 2 at Ccp1's heme. This results in the incorporation of ∼20 oxygen atoms predominantly at methionine and tryptophan residues. Extensive intramolecular dityrosine crosslinking involving neighboring residues was uncovered by LC-MS/MS sequencing of the crosslinked peptides. The proximal heme ligand, H175, is converted to oxo-histidine, which labilizes the heme but irreversible heme oxidation is avoided by hole hopping to the polypeptide until oxidation of the catalytic distal H52 in Ccp1 treated with 10 M eq. of H 2 O 2 shuts down heterolytic cleavage of H 2 O 2 at the heme. Mapping of the 24 oxidized residues in Ccp1 reveals that hole hopping from the heme is directed to three polypeptide zones rich in redox-active residues. This unprecedented analysis unveils the remarkable capacity of a polypeptide to direct hole hopping away from its active site, consistent with heme labilization being a key outcome of Ccp1-mediated H 2 O 2 signaling. LC-MS/MS identification of the oxidized residues also exposes the bias of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) detection toward transient radicals with low O 2 reactivity.

  5. A Non-Heme Iron Photocatalyst for Light-Driven Aerobic Oxidation of Methanol

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chen, Juan; Stepanovic, Stepan; Draksharapu, Apparao; Gruden, Maja; Browne, Wesley R

    2018-01-01

    Non-heme (L)FeIIIand (L)FeIII-O-FeIII(L) complexes (L=1,1-di(pyridin-2-yl)-N,N-bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)ethan-1-amine) underwent reduction under irradiation to the FeIIstate with concomitant oxidation of methanol to methanal, without the need for a secondary photosensitizer. Spectroscopic and DFT

  6. Isoporphyrin intermediate in heme oxygenase catalysis. Oxidation of alpha-meso-phenylheme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, John P; Niemevz, Fernando; Buldain, Graciela; de Montellano, Paul Ortiz

    2008-07-11

    Human heme oxygenase-1 (hHO-1) catalyzes the O2- and NADPH-dependent oxidation of heme to biliverdin, CO, and free iron. The first step involves regiospecific insertion of an oxygen atom at the alpha-meso carbon by a ferric hydroperoxide and is predicted to proceed via an isoporphyrin pi-cation intermediate. Here we report spectroscopic detection of a transient intermediate during oxidation by hHO-1 of alpha-meso-phenylheme-IX, alpha-meso-(p-methylphenyl)-mesoheme-III, and alpha-meso-(p-trifluoromethylphenyl)-mesoheme-III. In agreement with previous experiments (Wang, J., Niemevz, F., Lad, L., Huang, L., Alvarez, D. E., Buldain, G., Poulos, T. L., and Ortiz de Montellano, P. R. (2004) J. Biol. Chem. 279, 42593-42604), only the alpha-biliverdin isomer is produced with concomitant formation of the corresponding benzoic acid. The transient intermediate observed in the NADPH-P450 reductase-catalyzed reaction accumulated when the reaction was supported by H2O2 and exhibited the absorption maxima at 435 and 930 nm characteristic of an isoporphyrin. Product analysis by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of the product generated with H2O2 identified it as an isoporphyrin that, on quenching, decayed to benzoylbiliverdin. In the presence of H218O2, one labeled oxygen atom was incorporated into these products. The hHO-1-isoporphyrin complexes were found to have half-lives of 1.7 and 2.4 h for the p-trifluoromethyl- and p-methyl-substituted phenylhemes, respectively. The addition of NADPH-P450 reductase to the H2O2-generated hHO-1-isoporphyrin complex produced alpha-biliverdin, confirming its role as a reaction intermediate. Identification of an isoporphyrin intermediate in the catalytic sequence of hHO-1, the first such intermediate observed in hemoprotein catalysis, completes our understanding of the critical first step of heme oxidation.

  7. Transfection of the Human Heme Oxygenase Gene Into Rabbit Coronary Microvessel Endothelial Cells: Protective Effect Against Heme and Hemoglobin Toxicity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abraham, N. G.; Lavrovsky, Y.; Schwartzman, M. L.; Stoltz, R. A.; Levere, R. D.; Gerritsen, M. E.

    1995-07-01

    Heme oxygenase (HO) is a stress protein and has been suggested to participate in defense mechanisms against agents that may induce oxidative injury such as metals, endotoxin, heme/hemoglobin, and various cytokines. Overexpression of HO in cells might therefore protect against oxidative stress produced by certain of these agents, specifically heme and hemoglobin, by catalyzing their degradation to bilirubin, which itself has antioxidant properties. We report here the successful in vitro transfection of rabbit coronary microvessel endothelial cells with a functioning gene encoding the human HO enzyme. A plasmid containing the cytomegalovirus promoter and the human HO cDNA complexed to cationic liposomes (Lipofectin) was used to transfect rabbit endothelial cells. Cells transfected with human HO exhibited an ≈3.0-fold increase in enzyme activity and expressed a severalfold induction of human HO mRNA as compared with endogenous rabbit HO mRNA. Transfected and nontransfected cells expressed factor VIII antigen and exhibited similar acetylated low-density lipoprotein uptake (two important features that characterize endothelial cells) with >85% of cells staining positive for each marker. Moreover, cells transfected with the human HO gene acquired substantial resistance to toxicity produced by exposure to recombinant hemoglobin and heme as compared with nontransfected cells. The protective effect of HO overexpression against heme/hemoglobin toxicity in endothelial cells shown in these studies provides direct evidence that the inductive response of human HO to such injurious stimuli represents an important tissue adaptive mechanism for moderating the severity of cell damage produced by these blood components.

  8. Visualization of the role of host heme on the virulence of the heme auxotroph Streptococcus agalactiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joubert, Laetitia; Dagieu, Jean-Baptiste; Fernandez, Annabelle; Derré-Bobillot, Aurélie; Borezée-Durant, Elise; Fleurot, Isabelle; Gruss, Alexandra; Lechardeur, Delphine

    2017-01-16

    Heme is essential for several cellular key functions but is also toxic. Whereas most bacterial pathogens utilize heme as a metabolic cofactor and iron source, the impact of host heme during bacterial infection remains elusive. The opportunist pathogen Streptococcus agalactiae does not synthesize heme but still uses it to activate a respiration metabolism. Concomitantly, heme toxicity is mainly controlled by the HrtBA efflux transporter. Here we investigate how S. agalactiae manages heme toxicity versus benefits in the living host. Using bioluminescent bacteria and heme-responsive reporters for in vivo imaging, we show that the capacity of S. agalactiae to overcome heme toxicity is required for successful infection, particularly in blood-rich organs. Host heme is simultaneously required, as visualized by a generalized infection defect of a respiration-negative mutant. In S. agalactiae, HrtBA expression responds to an intracellular heme signal via activation of the two-component system HssRS. A hssRS promoter-driven intracellular luminescent heme sensor was designed to identify host compartments that supply S. agalactiae with heme. S. agalactiae acquires heme in heart, kidneys, and liver, but not in the brain. We conclude that S. agalactiae response to heme is organ-dependent, and its efflux may be particularly relevant in late stages of infection.

  9. Over-expression of heme oxygenase-1 promotes oxidative mitochondrial damage in rat astroglia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Wei; Su, Haixiang; Song, Sisi; Paudel, Hemant K; Schipper, Hyman M

    2006-03-01

    Glial heme oxygenase-1 is over-expressed in the CNS of subjects with Alzheimer disease (AD), Parkinson disease (PD) and multiple sclerosis (MS). Up-regulation of HO-1 in rat astroglia has been shown to facilitate iron sequestration by the mitochondrial compartment. To determine whether HO-1 induction promotes mitochondrial oxidative stress, assays for 8-epiPGF(2alpha) (ELISA), protein carbonyls (ELISA) and 8-OHdG (HPLC-EC) were used to quantify oxidative damage to lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, respectively, in mitochondrial fractions and whole-cell compartments derived from cultured rat astroglia engineered to over-express human (h) HO-1 by transient transfection. Cell viability was assessed by trypan blue exclusion and the MTT assay, and cell proliferation was determined by [3H] thymidine incorporation and total cell counts. In rat astrocytes, hHO-1 over-expression (x 3 days) resulted in significant oxidative damage to mitochondrial lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, partial growth arrest, and increased cell death. These effects were attenuated by incubation with 1 microM tin mesoporphyrin, a competitive HO inhibitor, or the iron chelator, deferoxamine. Up-regulation of HO-1 engenders oxidative mitochondrial injury in cultured rat astroglia. Heme-derived ferrous iron and carbon monoxide (CO) may mediate the oxidative modification of mitochondrial lipids, proteins and nucleic acids in these cells. Glial HO-1 hyperactivity may contribute to cellular oxidative stress, pathological iron deposition, and bioenergetic failure characteristic of degenerating and inflamed neural tissues and may constitute a rational target for therapeutic intervention in these conditions. Copyright 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  10. Up-regulation of A1M/α1-microglobulin in skin by heme and reactive oxygen species gives protection from oxidative damage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olsson, Magnus G; Allhorn, Maria; Larsson, Jörgen; Cederlund, Martin; Lundqvist, Katarina; Schmidtchen, Artur; Sørensen, Ole E; Mörgelin, Matthias; Akerström, Bo

    2011-01-01

    During bleeding the skin is subjected to oxidative insults from free heme and radicals, generated from extracellular hemoglobin. The lipocalin α(1)-microglobulin (A1M) was recently shown to have reductase properties, reducing heme-proteins and other substrates, and to scavenge heme and radicals. We investigated the expression and localization of A1M in skin and the possible role of A1M in the protection of skin tissue from damage induced by heme and reactive oxygen species. Skin explants, keratinocyte cultures and purified collagen I were exposed to heme, reactive oxygen species, and/or A1M and investigated by biochemical methods and electron microscopy. The results demonstrate that A1M is localized ubiquitously in the dermal and epidermal layers, and that the A1M-gene is expressed in keratinocytes and up-regulated after exposure to heme and reactive oxygen species. A1M inhibited the heme- and reactive oxygen species-induced ultrastructural damage, up-regulation of antioxidation and cell cycle regulatory genes, and protein carbonyl formation in skin and keratinocytes. Finally, A1M bound to purified collagen I (K(d) = 0.96×10(-6) M) and could inhibit and repair the destruction of collagen fibrils by heme and reactive oxygen species. The results suggest that A1M may have a physiological role in protection of skin cells and matrix against oxidative damage following bleeding.

  11. Dietary heme induces acute oxidative stress, but delayed cytotoxicity and compensatory hyperproliferation in mouse colon

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    IJssenagger, N.; Rijnierse, A.; Wit, de N.J.W.; Boekschoten, M.V.; Dekker, J.; Schonewille, A.; Müller, M.R.; Meer, van der M.

    2013-01-01

    Red meat consumption is associated with an increased colon cancer risk. Heme, present in red meat, injures the colon surface epithelium by generating cytotoxic and oxidative stress. Recently, we found that this surface injury is compensated by hyperproliferation and hyperplasia of crypt cells, which

  12. Mutations in the FMN domain modulate MCD spectra of the heme site in the oxygenase domain of inducible nitric oxide synthase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sempombe, Joseph; Elmore, Bradley O; Sun, Xi; Dupont, Andrea; Ghosh, Dipak K; Guillemette, J Guy; Kirk, Martin L; Feng, Changjian

    2009-05-27

    The nitric oxide synthase (NOS) output state for NO production is a complex of the flavin mononucleotide (FMN)-binding domain and the heme domain, and thereby it facilitates the interdomain electron transfer from the FMN to the catalytic heme site. Emerging evidence suggests that interdomain FMN-heme interactions are important in the formation of the output state because they guide the docking of the FMN domain to the heme domain. In this study, notable effects of mutations in the adjacent FMN domain on the heme structure in a human iNOS bidomain oxygenase/FMN construct have been observed by using low-temperature magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopy. The comparative MCD study of wild-type and mutant proteins clearly indicates that a properly docked FMN domain contributes to the observed L-Arg perturbation of the heme MCD spectrum in the wild-type protein and that the conserved surface residues in the FMN domain (E546 and E603) play key roles in facilitating a productive alignment of the FMN and heme domains in iNOS.

  13. Mitochondrial Cytochrome c Oxidase Biogenesis Is Regulated by the Redox State of a Heme-Binding Translational Activator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soto, Iliana C; Barrientos, Antoni

    2016-02-20

    Mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (COX), the last enzyme of the respiratory chain, catalyzes the reduction of oxygen to water and therefore is essential for cell function and viability. COX is a multimeric complex, whose biogenesis is extensively regulated. One type of control targets cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (Cox1), a key COX enzymatic core subunit translated on mitochondrial ribosomes. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Cox1 synthesis and COX assembly are coordinated through a negative feedback regulatory loop. This coordination is mediated by Mss51, a heme-sensing COX1 mRNA-specific processing factor and translational activator that is also a Cox1 chaperone. In this study, we investigated whether Mss51 hemylation and Mss51-mediated Cox1 synthesis are both modulated by the reduction-oxidation (redox) environment. We report that Cox1 synthesis is attenuated under oxidative stress conditions and have identified one of the underlying mechanisms. We show that in vitro and in vivo exposure to hydrogen peroxide induces the formation of a disulfide bond in Mss51 involving CPX motif heme-coordinating cysteines. Mss51 oxidation results in a heme ligand switch, thereby lowering heme-binding affinity and promoting its release. We demonstrate that in addition to affecting Mss51-dependent heme sensing, oxidative stress compromises Mss51 roles in COX1 mRNA processing and translation. H2O2-induced downregulation of mitochondrial translation has so far not been reported. We show that high H2O2 concentrations induce a global attenuation effect, but milder concentrations specifically affect COX1 mRNA processing and translation in an Mss51-dependent manner. The redox environment modulates Mss51 functions, which are essential for regulation of COX biogenesis and aerobic energy production.

  14. Heme Attenuation Ameliorates Irritant Gas Inhalation-Induced Acute Lung Injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aggarwal, Saurabh; Lam, Adam; Bolisetty, Subhashini; Carlisle, Matthew A; Traylor, Amie; Agarwal, Anupam; Matalon, Sadis

    2016-01-10

    Exposure to irritant gases, such as bromine (Br2), poses an environmental and occupational hazard that results in severe lung and systemic injury. However, the mechanism(s) of Br2 toxicity and the therapeutic responses required to mitigate lung damage are not known. Previously, it was demonstrated that Br2 upregulates the heme degrading enzyme, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Since heme is a major inducer of HO-1, we determined whether an increase in heme and heme-dependent oxidative injury underlies the pathogenesis of Br2 toxicity. C57BL/6 mice were exposed to Br2 gas (600 ppm, 30 min) and returned to room air. Thirty minutes postexposure, mice were injected intraperitoneally with a single dose of the heme scavenging protein, hemopexin (Hx) (3 μg/gm body weight), or saline. Twenty-four hours postexposure, saline-treated mice had elevated total heme in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and plasma and acute lung injury (ALI) culminating in 80% mortality after 10 days. Hx treatment significantly lowered heme, decreased evidence of ALI (lower protein and inflammatory cells in BALF, lower lung wet-to-dry weight ratios, and decreased airway hyperreactivity to methacholine), and reduced mortality. In addition, Br2 caused more severe ALI and mortality in mice with HO-1 gene deletion (HO-1-/-) compared to wild-type controls, while transgenic mice overexpressing the human HO-1 gene (hHO-1) showed significant protection. This is the first study delineating the role of heme in ALI caused by Br2. The data suggest that attenuating heme may prove to be a useful adjuvant therapy to treat patients with ALI.

  15. Heme Gazing: Illuminating Eukaryotic Heme Trafficking, Dynamics, and Signaling with Fluorescent Heme Sensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanna, David A; Martinez-Guzman, Osiris; Reddi, Amit R

    2017-04-04

    Heme (iron protoporphyrin IX) is an essential protein prosthetic group and signaling molecule required for most life on Earth. All heme-dependent processes require the dynamic and rapid mobilization of heme from sites of synthesis or uptake to hemoproteins present in virtually every subcellular compartment. The cytotoxicity and hydrophobicity of heme necessitate that heme mobilization be carefully controlled to mitigate the deleterious effects of this essential toxin. Indeed, a number of disorders, including certain cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases, are tied to defects in heme homeostasis. However, the molecules and mechanisms that mediate heme transport and trafficking, and the dynamics of these processes, are poorly understood. This is in large part due to the lack of physical tools for probing cellular heme. Herein, we discuss the recent development of fluorescent probes that can monitor and image kinetically labile heme with respect to its mobilization and role in signaling. In particular, we will highlight how heme gazing with these tools can uncover new heme trafficking factors upon being integrated with genetic screens and illuminate the concentration, subcellular distribution, and dynamics of labile heme in various physiological contexts. Altogether, the monitoring of labile heme, along with recent biochemical and cell biological studies demonstrating the reversible regulation of certain cellular processes by heme, is challenging us to reconceptualize heme from being a static cofactor buried in protein active sites to a dynamic and mobile signaling molecule.

  16. Heme Attenuation Ameliorates Irritant Gas Inhalation-Induced Acute Lung Injury

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aggarwal, Saurabh; Lam, Adam; Bolisetty, Subhashini; Carlisle, Matthew A.; Traylor, Amie; Agarwal, Anupam

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Aims: Exposure to irritant gases, such as bromine (Br2), poses an environmental and occupational hazard that results in severe lung and systemic injury. However, the mechanism(s) of Br2 toxicity and the therapeutic responses required to mitigate lung damage are not known. Previously, it was demonstrated that Br2 upregulates the heme degrading enzyme, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Since heme is a major inducer of HO-1, we determined whether an increase in heme and heme-dependent oxidative injury underlies the pathogenesis of Br2 toxicity. Results: C57BL/6 mice were exposed to Br2 gas (600 ppm, 30 min) and returned to room air. Thirty minutes postexposure, mice were injected intraperitoneally with a single dose of the heme scavenging protein, hemopexin (Hx) (3 μg/gm body weight), or saline. Twenty-four hours postexposure, saline-treated mice had elevated total heme in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and plasma and acute lung injury (ALI) culminating in 80% mortality after 10 days. Hx treatment significantly lowered heme, decreased evidence of ALI (lower protein and inflammatory cells in BALF, lower lung wet-to-dry weight ratios, and decreased airway hyperreactivity to methacholine), and reduced mortality. In addition, Br2 caused more severe ALI and mortality in mice with HO-1 gene deletion (HO-1−/−) compared to wild-type controls, while transgenic mice overexpressing the human HO-1 gene (hHO-1) showed significant protection. Innovation: This is the first study delineating the role of heme in ALI caused by Br2. Conclusion: The data suggest that attenuating heme may prove to be a useful adjuvant therapy to treat patients with ALI. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 24, 99–112. PMID:26376667

  17. Benzylic oxidation of gemfibrozil-1-O-beta-glucuronide by P450 2C8 leads to heme alkylation and irreversible inhibition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baer, Brian R; DeLisle, Robert Kirk; Allen, Andrew

    2009-07-01

    Gemfibrozil-1-O-beta-glucuronide (GEM-1-O-gluc), a major metabolite of the antihyperlipidemic drug gemfibrozil, is a mechanism-based inhibitor of P450 2C8 in vitro, and this irreversible inactivation may lead to clinical drug-drug interactions between gemfibrozil and other P450 2C8 substrates. In light of this in vitro finding and the observation that the glucuronide conjugate does not contain any obvious structural alerts, the current study was conducted to determine the potential site of GEM-1-O-gluc bioactivation and the subsequent mechanism of P450 2C8 inhibition (i.e., modification of apoprotein or heme). LC/MS analysis of a reaction mixture containing recombinant P450 2C8 and GEM-1-O-gluc revealed that the substrate was covalently linked to the heme prosthetic heme group during catalysis. A combination of mass spectrometry and deuterium isotope effects revealed that a benzylic carbon on the 2',5'-dimethylphenoxy group of GEM-1-O-gluc was covalently bound to the heme of P450 2C8. The regiospecificity of substrate addition to the heme group was not confirmed experimentally, but computational modeling experiments indicated that the gamma-meso position was the most likely site of modification. The metabolite profile, which consisted of two benzyl alcohol metabolites and a 4'-hydroxy-GEM-1-O-gluc metabolite, indicated that oxidation of GEM-1-O-gluc was limited to the 2',5'-dimethylphenoxy group. These results are consistent with an inactivation mechanism wherein GEM-1-O-gluc is oxidized to a benzyl radical intermediate, which evades oxygen rebound, and adds to the gamma-meso position of heme. Mechanism-based inhibition of P450 2C8 can be rationalized by the formation of the GEM-1-O-gluc-heme adduct and the consequential restriction of additional substrate access to the catalytic iron center.

  18. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1 expression in prostate cancer cells modulates the oxidative response in bone cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mercedes Ferrando

    Full Text Available Prostate cancer (PCa is a leading cause of death among males. It is currently estimated that inflammatory responses are linked to 15-20% of all deaths from cancer worldwide. PCa is dominated by complications arising from metastasis to the bone where the tumor cells interact with the bone microenvironment impairing the balance between bone formation and degradation. However, the molecular nature of this interaction is not completely understood. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1 counteracts oxidative damage and inflammation. Previous studies from our laboratory showed that HO-1 is implicated in PCa, demonstrating that endogenous HO-1 inhibits bone derived-prostate cancer cells proliferation, invasion and migration and decreases tumor growth and angiogenesis in vivo. The aim of this work was to analyze the impact of HO-1 modulated PCa cells on osteoblasts proliferation in vitro and on bone remodeling in vivo. Using a co-culture system of PC3 cells with primary mice osteoblasts (PMOs, we demonstrated that HO-1 pharmacological induction (hemin treatment abrogated the diminution of PMOs proliferation induced by PCa cells and decreased the expression of osteoclast-modulating factors in osteoblasts. No changes were detected in the expression of genes involved in osteoblasts differentiation. However, co-culture of hemin pre-treated PC3 cells (PC3 Hem with PMOs provoked an oxidative status and activated FoxO signaling in osteoblasts. The percentage of active osteoblasts positive for HO-1 increased in calvarias explants co-cultured with PC3 Hem cells. Nuclear HO-1 expression was detected in tumors generated by in vivo bone injection of HO-1 stable transfected PC3 (PC3HO-1 cells in the femur of SCID mice. These results suggest that HO-1 has the potential to modify the bone microenvironment impacting on PCa bone metastasis.

  19. Silencing of Iron and Heme-Related Genes Revealed a Paramount Role of Iron in the Physiology of the Hematophagous Vector Rhodnius prolixus

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    Ana B. Walter-Nuno

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Iron is an essential element for most organisms However, free iron and heme, its complex with protoporphyrin IX, can be extremely cytotoxic, due to the production of reactive oxygen species, eventually leading to oxidative stress. Thus, eukaryotic cells control iron availability by regulating its transport, storage and excretion as well as the biosynthesis and degradation of heme. In the genome of Rhodnius prolixus, the vector of Chagas disease, we identified 36 genes related to iron and heme metabolism We performed a comprehensive analysis of these genes, including identification of homologous genes described in other insect genomes. We observed that blood-meal modulates the expression of ferritin, Iron Responsive protein (IRP, Heme Oxygenase (HO and the heme exporter Feline Leukemia Virus C Receptor (FLVCR, components of major pathways involved in the regulation of iron and heme metabolism, particularly in the posterior midgut (PM, where an intense release of free heme occurs during the course of digestion. Knockdown of these genes impacted the survival of nymphs and adults, as well as molting, oogenesis and embryogenesis at different rates and time-courses. The silencing of FLVCR caused the highest levels of mortality in nymphs and adults and reduced nymph molting. The oogenesis was mildly affected by the diminished expression of all of the genes whereas embryogenesis was dramatically impaired by the knockdown of ferritin expression. Furthermore, an intense production of ROS in the midgut of blood-fed insects occurs when the expression of ferritin, but not HO, was inhibited. In this manner, the degradation of dietary heme inside the enterocytes may represent an oxidative challenge that is counteracted by ferritins, conferring to this protein a major antioxidant role. Taken together these results demonstrate that the regulation of iron and heme metabolism is of paramount importance for R. prolixus physiology and imbalances in the levels of

  20. Mini Heme-Proteins: Designability of Structure and Diversity of Functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rai, Jagdish

    2017-08-30

    Natural heme proteins may have heme bound to poly-peptide chain as a cofactor via noncovalent forces or heme as a prosthetic group may be covalently bound to the proteins. Nature has used porphyrins in diverse functions like electron transfer, oxidation, reduction, ligand binding, photosynthesis, signaling, etc. by modulating its properties through diverse protein matrices. Synthetic chemists have tried to utilize these molecules in equally diverse industrial and medical applications due to their versatile electro-chemical and optical properties. The heme iron has catalytic activity which can be modulated and enhanced for specific applications by protein matrix around it. Heme proteins can be designed into novel enzymes for sterio specific catalysis ranging from oxidation to reduction. These designed heme-proteins can have applications in industrial catalysis and biosensing. A peptide folds around heme easily due to hydrophobic effect of the large aromatic ring of heme. The directional property of co-ordinate bonding between peptide and metal ion in heme further specifies the structure. Therefore heme proteins can be easily designed for targeted structure and catalytic activity. The central aromatic chemical entity in heme viz. porphyrin is a very ancient molecule. Its presence in the prebiotic soup and in all forms of life suggests that it has played a vital role in the origin and progressive evolution of living organisms. Porphyrin macrocycles are highly conjugated systems composed of four modified pyrrole subunits interconnected at their α -carbon atoms via methine (=CH-) bridges. Initial minimalist models of hemoproteins focused on effect of heme-ligand co-ordinate bonding on chemical reactivity, spectroscopy, electrochemistry and magnetic properties of heme. The great sensitivity of these spectroscopic features of heme to its surrounding makes them extremely useful in structural elucidation of designed heme-peptide complexes. Therefore heme proteins are

  1. Role of heme in bromine-induced lung injury

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lam, Adam; Vetal, Nilam; Matalon, Sadis; Aggarwal, Saurabh

    2016-01-01

    Bromine (Br2) gas inhalation poses an environmental and occupational hazard resulting in high morbidity and mortality. In this review, we underline the acute lung pathology (within 24 hours of exposure) and potential therapeutic interventions that may be utilized to mitigate Br2-induced human toxicity. We will discuss our latest published data, which suggests that an increase in heme-dependent tissue injury underlies the pathogenesis of Br2 toxicity. Our study was based on previous findings that demonstrated that Br2 upregulates the heme-degrading enzyme heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), which converts toxic heme into billiverdin. Interestingly, following Br2 inhalation, heme levels were indeed elevated in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, plasma, and whole lung tissue in C57BL/6 mice. High heme levels correlated with increased lung oxidative stress, lung inflammation, respiratory acidosis, lung edema, higher airway resistance, and mortality. However, therapeutic reduction of heme levels, by either scavenging with hemopexin or degradation by HO-1, improved lung function and survival. Therefore, heme attenuation may prove a useful adjuvant therapy to treat patients after Br2 exposure. PMID:27244263

  2. Do pH and flavonoids influence hypochlorous acid-induced catalase inhibition and heme modification?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krych-Madej, Justyna; Gebicka, Lidia

    2015-09-01

    Hypochlorous acid (HOCl), highly reactive oxidizing and chlorinating species, is formed in the immune response to invading pathogens by the reaction of hydrogen peroxide with chloride catalyzed by the enzyme myeloperoxidase. Catalase, an important antioxidant enzyme, catalyzing decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to water and molecular oxygen, hampers in vitro HOCl formation, but is also one of the main targets for HOCl. In this work we have investigated HOCl-induced catalase inhibition at different pH, and the influence of flavonoids (catechin, epigallocatechin gallate and quercetin) on this process. It has been shown that HOCl-induced catalase inhibition is independent on pH in the range 6.0-7.4. Preincubation of catalase with epigallocatechin gallate and quercetin before HOCl treatment enhances the degree of catalase inhibition, whereas catechin does not affect this process. Our rapid kinetic measurements of absorption changes around the heme group have revealed that heme modification by HOCl is mainly due to secondary, intramolecular processes. The presence of flavonoids, which reduce active catalase intermediate, Compound I to inactive Compound II have not influenced the kinetics of HOCl-induced heme modification. Possible mechanisms of the reaction of hypochlorous acid with catalase are proposed and the biological consequences are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Comparative proteomic analysis of the molecular responses of mouse macrophages to titanium dioxide and copper oxide nanoparticles unravels some toxic mechanisms for copper oxide nanoparticles in macrophages.

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    Sarah Triboulet

    Full Text Available Titanium dioxide and copper oxide nanoparticles are more and more widely used because of their catalytic properties, of their light absorbing properties (titanium dioxide or of their biocidal properties (copper oxide, increasing the risk of adverse health effects. In this frame, the responses of mouse macrophages were studied. Both proteomic and targeted analyses were performed to investigate several parameters, such as phagocytic capacity, cytokine release, copper release, and response at sub toxic doses. Besides titanium dioxide and copper oxide nanoparticles, copper ions were used as controls. We also showed that the overall copper release in the cell does not explain per se the toxicity observed with copper oxide nanoparticles. In addition, both copper ion and copper oxide nanoparticles, but not titanium oxide, induced DNA strands breaks in macrophages. As to functional responses, the phagocytic capacity was not hampered by any of the treatments at non-toxic doses, while copper ion decreased the lipopolysaccharide-induced cytokine and nitric oxide productions. The proteomic analyses highlighted very few changes induced by titanium dioxide nanoparticles, but an induction of heme oxygenase, an increase of glutathione synthesis and a decrease of tetrahydrobiopterin in response to copper oxide nanoparticles. Subsequent targeted analyses demonstrated that the increase in glutathione biosynthesis and the induction of heme oxygenase (e.g. by lovastatin/monacolin K are critical for macrophages to survive a copper challenge, and that the intermediates of the catecholamine pathway induce a strong cross toxicity with copper oxide nanoparticles and copper ions.

  4. Comparative proteomic analysis of the molecular responses of mouse macrophages to titanium dioxide and copper oxide nanoparticles unravels some toxic mechanisms for copper oxide nanoparticles in macrophages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Triboulet, Sarah; Aude-Garcia, Catherine; Armand, Lucie; Collin-Faure, Véronique; Chevallet, Mireille; Diemer, Hélène; Gerdil, Adèle; Proamer, Fabienne; Strub, Jean-Marc; Habert, Aurélie; Herlin, Nathalie; Van Dorsselaer, Alain; Carrière, Marie; Rabilloud, Thierry

    2015-01-01

    Titanium dioxide and copper oxide nanoparticles are more and more widely used because of their catalytic properties, of their light absorbing properties (titanium dioxide) or of their biocidal properties (copper oxide), increasing the risk of adverse health effects. In this frame, the responses of mouse macrophages were studied. Both proteomic and targeted analyses were performed to investigate several parameters, such as phagocytic capacity, cytokine release, copper release, and response at sub toxic doses. Besides titanium dioxide and copper oxide nanoparticles, copper ions were used as controls. We also showed that the overall copper release in the cell does not explain per se the toxicity observed with copper oxide nanoparticles. In addition, both copper ion and copper oxide nanoparticles, but not titanium oxide, induced DNA strands breaks in macrophages. As to functional responses, the phagocytic capacity was not hampered by any of the treatments at non-toxic doses, while copper ion decreased the lipopolysaccharide-induced cytokine and nitric oxide productions. The proteomic analyses highlighted very few changes induced by titanium dioxide nanoparticles, but an induction of heme oxygenase, an increase of glutathione synthesis and a decrease of tetrahydrobiopterin in response to copper oxide nanoparticles. Subsequent targeted analyses demonstrated that the increase in glutathione biosynthesis and the induction of heme oxygenase (e.g. by lovastatin/monacolin K) are critical for macrophages to survive a copper challenge, and that the intermediates of the catecholamine pathway induce a strong cross toxicity with copper oxide nanoparticles and copper ions.

  5. Heme and non-heme iron transporters in non-polarized and polarized cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yasui Yumiko

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Heme and non-heme iron from diet, and recycled iron from hemoglobin are important products of the synthesis of iron-containing molecules. In excess, iron is potentially toxic because it can produce reactive oxygen species through the Fenton reaction. Humans can absorb, transport, store, and recycle iron without an excretory system to remove excess iron. Two candidate heme transporters and two iron transporters have been reported thus far. Heme incorporated into cells is degraded by heme oxygenases (HOs, and the iron product is reutilized by the body. To specify the processes of heme uptake and degradation, and the reutilization of iron, we determined the subcellular localizations of these transporters and HOs. Results In this study, we analyzed the subcellular localizations of 2 isoenzymes of HOs, 4 isoforms of divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1, and 2 candidate heme transporters--heme carrier protein 1 (HCP1 and heme responsive gene-1 (HRG-1--in non-polarized and polarized cells. In non-polarized cells, HCP1, HRG-1, and DMT1A-I are located in the plasma membrane. In polarized cells, they show distinct localizations: HCP1 and DMT1A-I are located in the apical membrane, whereas HRG-1 is located in the basolateral membrane and lysosome. 16Leu at DMT1A-I N-terminal cytosolic domain was found to be crucial for plasma membrane localization. HOs are located in smooth endoplasmic reticulum and colocalize with NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase. Conclusions HCP1 and DMT1A-I are localized to the apical membrane, and HRG-1 to the basolateral membrane and lysosome. These findings suggest that HCP1 and DMT1A-I have functions in the uptake of dietary heme and non-heme iron. HRG-1 can transport endocytosed heme from the lysosome into the cytosol. These localization studies support a model in which cytosolic heme can be degraded by HOs, and the resulting iron is exported into tissue fluids via the iron transporter ferroportin 1, which is

  6. Management of oxidative stress by heme oxygenase-1 in cisplatin-induced toxicity in renal tubular cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaaf, G J; Maas, R F M; de Groene, E M; Fink-Gremmels, J

    2002-08-01

    Induction of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) may serve as an immediate protective response during treatment with the cytostatic drug cisplatin (CDDP). Oxidative pathways participate in the characteristic nephrotoxicity of CDDP. In the present study, cultured tubular cells (LLC-PK1) were used to investigate whether induction of HO provided protection against CDDP by maintaining the cellular redox balance. The antioxidants, alpha-tocopherol (TOCO) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC), were used to demonstrate that elevation of ROS levels contribute to the development of CDDP-induced cytotoxicity. Chemical modulators of HO activity were used to investigate the role of HO herein. Hemin was used to specifically induce HO-1, while exposure of the cells to tin-protoporphyrin (SnPP) was shown to inhibit HO activity. Hemin treatment prior to CDDP-exposure significantly decreased the generation of ROS to control levels, while inhibition of HO increased the ROS levels beyond the levels measured in cells treated with CDDP alone. Furthermore, HO induction protected significantly against the cytotoxicity of CDDP, although this protection was limited. Similar results were obtained when the cells were preincubated with TOCO, suggesting that mechanisms other than impairment of the redox ratio are important in CDDP-induced loss of cell viability in vitro. In addition, SnPP treatment exacerbated the oxidative response and cytotoxicity of CDDP, especially at low CDDP concentrations. We therefore conclude that HO is able to directly limit the CDDP-induced oxidative stress response and thus serves as safeguard of the cellular redox balance.

  7. Heme oxygenase-1 deletion affects stress erythropoiesis.

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    Yu-An Cao

    Full Text Available Homeostatic erythropoiesis leads to the formation of mature red blood cells under non-stress conditions, and the production of new erythrocytes occurs as the need arises. In response to environmental stimuli, such as bone marrow transplantation, myelosuppression, or anemia, erythroid progenitors proliferate rapidly in a process referred to as stress erythropoiesis. We have previously demonstrated that heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1 deficiency leads to disrupted stress hematopoiesis. Here, we describe the specific effects of HO-1 deficiency on stress erythropoiesis.We used a transplant model to induce stress conditions. In irradiated recipients that received hmox(+/- or hmox(+/+ bone marrow cells, we evaluated (i the erythrocyte parameters in the peripheral blood; (ii the staining intensity of CD71-, Ter119-, and CD49d-specific surface markers during erythroblast differentiation; (iii the patterns of histological iron staining; and (iv the number of Mac-1(+-cells expressing TNF-α. In the spleens of mice that received hmox(+/- cells, we show (i decreases in the proerythroblast, basophilic, and polychromatophilic erythroblast populations; (ii increases in the insoluble iron levels and decreases in the soluble iron levels; (iii increased numbers of Mac-1(+-cells expressing TNF-α; and (iv decreased levels of CD49d expression in the basophilic and polychromatophilic erythroblast populations.As reflected by effects on secreted and cell surface proteins, HO-1 deletion likely affects stress erythropoiesis through the retention of erythroblasts in the erythroblastic islands of the spleen. Thus, HO-1 may serve as a therapeutic target for controlling erythropoiesis, and the dysregulation of HO-1 may be a predisposing condition for hematologic diseases.

  8. Biosynthesis of heme in immature erythroid cells. The regulatory step for heme formation in the human erythron

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gardner, L.C.; Cox, T.M.

    1988-01-01

    Heme formation in reticulocytes from rabbits and rodents is subject to end product negative feedback regulation: intracellular free heme has been shown to control acquisition of transferrin iron for heme synthesis. To identify the site of control of heme biosynthesis in the human erythron, immature erythroid cells were obtained from peripheral blood and aspirated bone marrow. After incubation with human 59Fe transferrin, 2-[14C]glycine, or 4-[14C]delta-aminolevulinate, isotopic incorporation into extracted heme was determined. Addition of cycloheximide to increase endogenous free heme, reduced incorporation of labeled glycine and iron but not delta-aminolevulinate into cell heme. Incorporation of glycine and iron was also sensitive to inhibition by exogenous hematin (Ki, 30 and 45 microM, respectively) i.e. at concentrations in the range which affect cell-free protein synthesis in reticulocyte lysates. Hematin treatment rapidly diminished incorporation of intracellular 59Fe into heme by human erythroid cells but assimilation of 4-[14C]delta-aminolevulinate into heme was insensitive to inhibition by hematin (Ki greater than 100 microM). In human reticulocytes (unlike those from rabbits), addition of ferric salicylaldehyde isonicotinoylhydrazone, to increase the pre-heme iron pool independently of the transferrin cycle, failed to promote heme synthesis or modify feedback inhibition induced by hematin. In human erythroid cells (but not rabbit reticulocytes) pre-incubation with unlabeled delta-aminolevulinate or protoporphyrin IX greatly stimulated utilization of cell 59Fe for heme synthesis and also attenuated end product inhibition. In human erythroid cells heme biosynthesis is thus primarily regulated by feedback inhibition at one or more steps which lead to delta-aminolevulinate formation

  9. Unique structure and stability of HmuY, a novel heme-binding protein of Porphyromonas gingivalis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Halina Wójtowicz

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Infection, survival, and proliferation of pathogenic bacteria in humans depend on their capacity to impair host responses and acquire nutrients in a hostile environment. Among such nutrients is heme, a co-factor for oxygen storage, electron transport, photosynthesis, and redox biochemistry, which is indispensable for life. Porphyromonas gingivalis is the major human bacterial pathogen responsible for severe periodontitis. It recruits heme through HmuY, which sequesters heme from host carriers and delivers it to its cognate outer-membrane transporter, the TonB-dependent receptor HmuR. Here we report that heme binding does not significantly affect the secondary structure of HmuY. The crystal structure of heme-bound HmuY reveals a new all-beta fold mimicking a right hand. The thumb and fingers pinch heme iron through two apical histidine residues, giving rise to highly symmetric octahedral iron co-ordination. The tetrameric quaternary arrangement of the protein found in the crystal structure is consistent with experiments in solution. It shows that thumbs and fingertips, and, by extension, the bound heme groups, are shielded from competing heme-binding proteins from the host. This may also facilitate heme transport to HmuR for internalization. HmuY, both in its apo- and in its heme-bound forms, is resistant to proteolytic digestion by trypsin and the major secreted proteases of P. gingivalis, gingipains K and R. It is also stable against thermal and chemical denaturation. In conclusion, these studies reveal novel molecular properties of HmuY that are consistent with its role as a putative virulence factor during bacterial infection.

  10. Carbon monoxide mediates heme oxygenase 1 induction via Nrf2 activation in hepatoma cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Bok-Soo; Heo, JungHee; Kim, Yong-Man; Shim, Sang Moo; Pae, Hyun-Ock; Kim, Young-Myeong; Chung, Hun-Taeg

    2006-01-01

    Carbon monoxide (CO) and nitric oxide (NO) are two gas molecules which have cytoprotective functions against oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in many cell types. Currently, it is known that NO produced by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) induces heme oxygenase 1 (HO1) expression and CO produced by the HO1 inhibits inducible NOS expression. Here, we first show CO-mediated HO1 induction and its possible mechanism in human hepatocytes. Exposure of HepG2 cells or primary hepatocytes to CO resulted in dramatic induction of HO1 in dose- and time-dependent manner. The CO-mediated HO1 induction was abolished by MAP kinase inhibitors (MAPKs) but not affected by inhibitors of PI3 kinase or NF-κB. In addition, CO induced the nuclear translocation and accumulation of Nrf2, which suppressed by MAPKs inhibitors. Taken together, we suggest that CO induces Nrf2 activation via MAPKs signaling pathways, thereby resulting in HO1 expression in HepG2 cells

  11. Heme in pathophysiology: a matter of scavenging, metabolism and trafficking across cell membranes

    OpenAIRE

    Chiabrando, Deborah; Vinchi, Francesca; Fiorito, Veronica; Mercurio, Sonia; Tolosano, Emanuela

    2014-01-01

    Heme (iron-protoporphyrin IX) is an essential co-factor involved in multiple biological processes: oxygen transport and storage, electron transfer, drug and steroid metabolism, signal transduction, and micro RNA processing. However, excess free-heme is highly toxic due to its ability to promote oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation, thus leading to membrane injury and, ultimately, apoptosis. Thus, heme metabolism needs to be finely regulated. Intracellular heme amount is controlled at multi...

  12. Transmutation of a heme protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barker, P D; Ferrer, J C; Mylrajan, M; Loehr, T M; Feng, R; Konishi, Y; Funk, W D; MacGillivray, R T; Mauk, A G

    1993-01-01

    Residue Asn57 of bovine liver cytochrome b5 has been replaced with a cysteine residue, and the resulting variant has been isolated from recombinant Escherichia coli as a mixture of four major species: A, BI, BII, and C. A combination of electronic spectroscopy, 1H NMR spectroscopy, resonance Raman spectroscopy, electrospray mass spectrometry, and direct electrochemistry has been used to characterize these four major cytochrome derivatives. The red form A (E(m) = -19 mV) is found to possess a heme group bound covalently through a thioether linkage involving Cys57 and the alpha carbon of the heme 4-vinyl group. Form BI has a covalently bound heme group coupled through a thioether linkage involving the beta carbon of the heme 4-vinyl group. Form BII is similar to BI except that the sulfur involved in the thioether linkage is oxidized to a sulfoxide. The green form C (E(m) = 175 mV) possesses a noncovalently bound prosthetic group with spectroscopic properties characteristic of a chlorin. A mechanism is proposed for the generation of these derivatives, and the implications of these observations for the biosynthesis of cytochrome c and naturally occurring chlorin prosthetic groups are discussed. PMID:8341666

  13. Heme exporter FLVCR1a regulates heme synthesis and degradation and controls activity of cytochromes P450.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinchi, Francesca; Ingoglia, Giada; Chiabrando, Deborah; Mercurio, Sonia; Turco, Emilia; Silengo, Lorenzo; Altruda, Fiorella; Tolosano, Emanuela

    2014-05-01

    The liver has one of the highest rates of heme synthesis of any organ. More than 50% of the heme synthesized in the liver is used for synthesis of P450 enzymes, which metabolize exogenous and endogenous compounds that include natural products, hormones, drugs, and carcinogens. Feline leukemia virus subgroup C cellular receptor 1a (FLVCR1a) is plasma membrane heme exporter that is ubiquitously expressed and controls intracellular heme content in hematopoietic lineages. We investigated the role of Flvcr1a in liver function in mice. We created mice with conditional disruption of Mfsd7b, which encodes Flvcr1a, in hepatocytes (Flvcr1a(fl/fl);alb-cre mice). Mice were analyzed under basal conditions, after phenylhydrazine-induced hemolysis, and after induction of cytochromes P450 synthesis. Livers were collected and analyzed by histologic, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and immunoblot analyses. Hepatic P450 enzymatic activities were measured. Flvcr1a(fl/fl);alb-cre mice accumulated heme and iron in liver despite up-regulation of heme oxygenase 1, ferroportin, and ferritins. Hepatic heme export activity of Flvcr1a was closely associated with heme biosynthesis, which is required to sustain cytochrome induction. Upon cytochromes P450 stimulation, Flvcr1a(fl/fl);alb-cre mice had reduced cytochrome activity, associated with accumulation of heme in hepatocytes. The expansion of the cytosolic heme pool in these mice was likely responsible for the early inhibition of heme synthesis and increased degradation of heme, which reduced expression and activity of cytochromes P450. In livers of mice, Flvcr1a maintains a free heme pool that regulates heme synthesis and degradation as well as cytochromes P450 expression and activity. These findings have important implications for drug metabolism. Copyright © 2014 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Fructose during pregnancy provokes fetal oxidative stress: The key role of the placental heme oxygenase-1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodrigo, Silvia; Rodríguez, Lourdes; Otero, Paola; Panadero, María I; García, Antonia; Barbas, Coral; Roglans, Núria; Ramos, Sonia; Goya, Luis; Laguna, Juan C; Álvarez-Millán, Juan J; Bocos, Carlos

    2016-12-01

    One of the features of metabolic syndrome caused by liquid fructose intake is an impairment of redox status. We have investigated whether maternal fructose ingestion modifies the redox status in pregnant rats and their fetuses. Fructose (10% wt/vol) in the drinking water of rats throughout gestation, leads to maternal hepatic oxidative stress. However, this change was also observed in glucose-fed rats and, in fact, both carbohydrates produced a decrease in antioxidant enzyme activity. Surprisingly, mothers fed carbohydrates displayed low plasma lipid oxidation. In contrast, fetuses from fructose-fed mothers showed elevated levels of plasma lipoperoxides versus fetuses from control or glucose-fed mothers. Interestingly, a clearly augmented oxidative stress was observed in placenta of fructose-fed mothers, accompanied by a lower expression of the transcription factor Nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) and its target gene, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a potent antioxidant molecule. Moreover, histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) that has been proposed to upregulate HO-1 expression by stabilizing Nrf2, exhibited a diminished expression in placenta of fructose-supplemented mothers. Maternal fructose intake provoked an imbalanced redox status in placenta and a clear diminution of HO-1 expression, which could be responsible for the augmented oxidative stress found in their fetuses. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Heme oxygenase is the major 32-kDa stress protein induced in human skin fibroblasts by UVA radiation, hydrogen peroxide, and sodium arsenite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keyse, S.M.; Tyrrell, R.M.

    1989-01-01

    We have shown that UVA (320-380 nm) radiation, hydrogen peroxide, and sodium arsenite induce a stress protein of approximately 32 kDa in human skin fibroblasts. The synthesis and cloning of cDNA from arsenite-induced mRNA populations have now allowed us to unequivocally identify the 32-kDa protein as heme oxygenase. By mRNA analysis we have shown that the heme oxygenase gene is also induced in cultured human skin fibroblasts by UVA radiation, hydrogen peroxide, cadmium chloride, iodoacetamide, and menadione. The known antioxidant properties of heme catabolites taken together with the observation of a high level of induction of the enzyme in cells from an organ not involved in hemoglobin breakdown strongly supports the proposal that the induction of heme oxygenase may be a general response to oxidant stress and constitutes an important cellular defense mechanism against oxidative damage

  16. Meat processing and colon carcinogenesis: cooked, nitrite-treated, and oxidized high-heme cured meat promotes mucin-depleted foci in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santarelli, Raphaëlle L; Vendeuvre, Jean-Luc; Naud, Nathalie; Taché, Sylviane; Guéraud, Françoise; Viau, Michelle; Genot, Claude; Corpet, Denis E; Pierre, Fabrice H F

    2010-07-01

    Processed meat intake is associated with colorectal cancer risk, but no experimental study supports the epidemiologic evidence. To study the effect of meat processing on carcinogenesis promotion, we first did a 14-day study with 16 models of cured meat. Studied factors, in a 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 design, were muscle color (a proxy for heme level), processing temperature, added nitrite, and packaging. Fischer 344 rats were fed these 16 diets, and we evaluated fecal and urinary fat oxidation and cytotoxicity, three biomarkers of heme-induced carcinogenesis promotion. A principal component analysis allowed for selection of four cured meats for inclusion into a promotion study. These selected diets were given for 100 days to rats pretreated with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine. Colons were scored for preneoplastic lesions: aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and mucin-depleted foci (MDF). Cured meat diets significantly increased the number of ACF/colon compared with a no-meat control diet (P = 0.002). Only the cooked nitrite-treated and oxidized high-heme meat significantly increased the fecal level of apparent total N-nitroso compounds (ATNC) and the number of MDF per colon compared with the no-meat control diet (P nitrite-treated and oxidized cured meat specifically increased the MDF number compared with similar nonnitrite-treated meat (P = 0.03) and with similar nonoxidized meat (P = 0.004). Thus, a model cured meat, similar to ham stored aerobically, increased the number of preneoplastic lesions, which suggests colon carcinogenesis promotion. Nitrite treatment and oxidation increased this promoting effect, which was linked with increased fecal ATNC level. This study could lead to process modifications to make nonpromoting processed meat. 2010 AACR.

  17. Novel Insights in Mammalian Catalase Heme Maturation: Effect of NO and Thioredoxin-1

    OpenAIRE

    Chakravarti, Ritu; Gupta, Karishma; Majors, Alana; Ruple, Lisa; Aronica, Mark; Stuehr, Dennis J.

    2015-01-01

    Catalase is a tetrameric heme-containing enzyme with essential antioxidant functions in biology. Multiple factors including nitric oxide (NO) have been shown to attenuate its activity. However, the possible impact of NO in relation to the maturation of active catalase, including its heme acquisition and tetramer formation, has not been investigated. We found that NO attenuates heme insertion into catalase in both short-term and long-term incubations. The NO inhibition in catalase heme incorpo...

  18. Heme Exporter FLVCR1a Regulates Heme Synthesis and Degradation and Controls Activity of Cytochromes P450

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinchi, Francesca; Ingoglia, Giada; Chiabrando, Deborah; Mercurio, Sonia; Turco, Emilia; Silengo, Lorenzo; Altruda, Fiorella; Tolosano, Emanuela

    2014-01-01

    Background & Aims The liver has one of the highest rates of heme synthesis of any organ. More than 50% of the heme synthesized in the liver is used for synthesis of P450 enzymes, which metabolize exogenous and endogenous compounds that include natural products, hormones, drugs, and carcinogens. Feline leukemia virus subgroup C cellular receptor 1a (FLVCR1a) is plasma membrane heme exporter that is ubiquitously expressed and controls intracellular heme content in hematopoietic lineages. We investigated the role of Flvcr1a in liver function in mice. Methods We created mice with conditional disruption of Mfsd7b, which encodes Flvcr1a, in hepatocytes (Flvcr1afl/fl;alb-cre mice). Mice were analyzed under basal conditions, after phenylhydrazine-induced hemolysis, and after induction of cytochromes P450 synthesis. Livers were collected and analyzed by histologic, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and immunoblot analyses. Hepatic P450 enzymatic activities were measured. Results Flvcr1afl/fl;alb-cre mice accumulated heme and iron in liver despite up-regulation of heme oxygenase 1, ferroportin, and ferritins. Hepatic heme export activity of Flvcr1a was closely associated with heme biosynthesis, which is required to sustain cytochrome induction. Upon cytochromes P450 stimulation, Flvcr1afl/fl;alb-cre mice had reduced cytochrome activity, associated with accumulation of heme in hepatocytes. The expansion of the cytosolic heme pool in these mice was likely responsible for the early inhibition of heme synthesis and increased degradation of heme, which reduced expression and activity of cytochromes P450. Conclusions In livers of mice, Flvcr1a maintains a free heme pool that regulates heme synthesis and degradation as well as cytochromes P450 expression and activity. These findings have important implications for drug metabolism. PMID:24486949

  19. The heme-heme oxygenase system: a molecular switch in wound healing.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wagener, F.A.D.T.G.; Beurden, H.E. van; Hoff, J.W. Von den; Adema, G.J.; Figdor, C.G.

    2003-01-01

    When cells are injured they release their contents, resulting in a local accumulation of free heme proteins and heme. Here, we investigated the involvement of heme and its degrading enzyme heme oxygenase (HO) in the inflammatory process during wound healing. We observed that heme directly

  20. Heme and erythropoieis: more than a structural role.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiabrando, Deborah; Mercurio, Sonia; Tolosano, Emanuela

    2014-06-01

    Erythropoiesis is the biological process that consumes the highest amount of body iron for heme synthesis. Heme synthesis in erythroid cells is finely coordinated with that of alpha (α) and beta (β)-globin, resulting in the production of hemoglobin, a tetramer of 2α- and 2β-globin chains, and heme as the prosthetic group. Heme is not only the structural component of hemoglobin, but it plays multiple regulatory roles during the differentiation of erythroid precursors since it controls its own synthesis and regulates the expression of several erythroid-specific genes. Heme is synthesized in developing erythroid progenitors by the stage of proerythroblast, through a series of eight enzymatic reactions divided between mitochondria and cytosol. Defects of heme synthesis in the erythroid lineage result in sideroblastic anemias, characterized by microcytic anemia associated to mitochondrial iron overload, or in erythropoietic porphyrias, characterized by porphyrin deposition in erythroid cells. Here, we focus on the heme biosynthetic pathway and on human erythroid disorders due to defective heme synthesis. The regulatory role of heme during erythroid differentiation is discussed as well as the heme-mediated regulatory mechanisms that allow the orchestration of the adaptive cell response to heme deficiency. Copyright© Ferrata Storti Foundation.

  1. Genetic responses against nitric oxide toxicity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Demple

    1999-11-01

    Full Text Available The threat of free radical damage is opposed by coordinated responses that modulate expression of sets of gene products. In mammalian cells, 12 proteins are induced by exposure to nitric oxide (NO levels that are sub-toxic but exceed the level needed to activate guanylate cyclase. Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1 synthesis increases substantially, due to a 30- to 70-fold increase in the level of HO-1 mRNA. HO-1 induction is cGMP-independent and occurs mainly through increased mRNA stability, which therefore indicates a new NO-signaling pathway. HO-1 induction contributes to dramatically increased NO resistance and, together with the other inducible functions, constitutes an adaptive resistance pathway that also defends against oxidants such as H2O2. In E. coli, an oxidative stress response, the soxRS regulon, is activated by direct exposure of E. coli to NO, or by NO generated in murine macrophages after phagocytosis of the bacteria. This response is governed by the SoxR protein, a homodimeric transcription factor (17-kDa subunits containing [2Fe-2S] clusters essential for its activity. SoxR responds to superoxide stress through one-electron oxidation of the iron-sulfur centers, but such oxidation is not observed in reactions of NO with SoxR. Instead, NO nitrosylates the iron-sulfur centers of SoxR both in vitro and in intact cells, which yields a form of the protein with maximal transcriptional activity. Although nitrosylated SoxR is very stable in purified form, the spectroscopic signals for the nitrosylated iron-sulfur centers disappear rapidly in vivo, indicating an active process to reverse or eliminate them.

  2. Mechanisms of heme utilization by Francisella tularensis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helena Lindgren

    Full Text Available Francisella tularensis is a highly virulent facultative intracellular pathogen causing the severe disease tularemia in mammals. As for other bacteria, iron is essential for its growth but very few mechanisms for iron acquisition have been identified. Here, we analyzed if and how F. tularensis can utilize heme, a major source of iron in vivo. This is by no means obvious since the bacterium lacks components of traditional heme-uptake systems. We show that SCHU S4, the prototypic strain of subspecies tularensis, grew in vitro with heme as the sole iron source. By screening a SCHU S4 transposon insertion library, 16 genes were identified as important to efficiently utilize heme, two of which were required to avoid heme toxicity. None of the identified genes appeared to encode components of a potential heme-uptake apparatus. Analysis of SCHU S4 deletion mutants revealed that each of the components FeoB, the siderophore system, and FupA, contributed to the heme-dependent growth. In the case of the former two systems, iron acquisition was impaired, whereas the absence of FupA did not affect iron uptake but led to abnormally high binding of iron to macromolecules. Overall, the present study demonstrates that heme supports growth of F. tularensis and that the requirements for the utilization are highly complex and to some extent novel.

  3. Coordinate expression of heme and globin is essential for effective erythropoiesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doty, Raymond T; Phelps, Susan R; Shadle, Christina; Sanchez-Bonilla, Marilyn; Keel, Siobán B; Abkowitz, Janis L

    2015-12-01

    Erythropoiesis requires rapid and extensive hemoglobin production. Heme activates globin transcription and translation; therefore, heme synthesis must precede globin synthesis. As free heme is a potent inducer of oxidative damage, its levels within cellular compartments require stringent regulation. Mice lacking the heme exporter FLVCR1 have a severe macrocytic anemia; however, the mechanisms that underlie erythropoiesis dysfunction in these animals are unclear. Here, we determined that erythropoiesis failure occurs in these animals at the CFU-E/proerythroblast stage, a point at which the transferrin receptor (CD71) is upregulated, iron is imported, and heme is synthesized--before ample globin is produced. From the CFU-E/proerythroblast (CD71(+) Ter119(-) cells) stage onward, erythroid progenitors exhibited excess heme content, increased cytoplasmic ROS, and increased apoptosis. Reducing heme synthesis in FLVCR1-defient animals via genetic and biochemical approaches improved the anemia, implying that heme excess causes, and is not just associated with, the erythroid marrow failure. Expression of the cell surface FLVCR1 isoform, but not the mitochondrial FLVCR1 isoform, restored normal rbc production, demonstrating that cellular heme export is essential. Together, these studies provide insight into how heme is regulated to allow effective erythropoiesis, show that erythropoiesis fails when heme is excessive, and emphasize the importance of evaluating Ter119(-) erythroid cells when studying erythroid marrow failure in murine models.

  4. Cloning and characterization of a heme oxygenase-2 gene from alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Guang-Qing; Jin, Qi-Jiang; Lin, Yu-Ting; Feng, Jian-Fei; Nie, Li; Shen, Wen-Biao; Zheng, Tian-Qing

    2011-11-01

    Heme oxygenase (HO, EC 1.14.99.3) catalyzes the oxidation of heme and performs vital roles in plant development and stress responses. Two HO isozymes exist in plants. Between these, HO-1 is an oxidative stress-response protein, and HO-2 usually exhibited constitutive expression. Although alfalfa HO-1 gene (MsHO1) has been investigated previously, HO2 is still poorly understood. In this study, we report the cloning and characterization of HO2 gene, MsHO2, from alfalfa (Medica sativa L.). The full-length cDNA of MsHO2 contains an ORF of 870 bp and encodes for 290 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular mass of 33.3 kDa. Similar to MsHO1, MsHO2 also appears to have an N-terminal transit peptide sequence for chloroplast import. Many conserved residues in plant HO were also conserved in MsHO2. However, unlike HO-1, the conserved histidine (His) required for heme-iron binding and HO activity was replaced by tyrosine (Tyr) in MsHO2. Further biochemical activity analysis of purified mature MsHO2 showed no HO activity, suggesting that MsHO2 may not be a true HO in nature. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR confirmed its maximum expression in the germinating seeds. Importantly, the expression levels of MsHO2 were up-regulated under sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and H(2)O(2) (especially) treatment, respectively.

  5. Overexpression of the yeast frataxin homolog (Yfh1): contrasting effects on iron-sulfur cluster assembly, heme synthesis and resistance to oxidative stress

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Seguin, Alexandra; Bayot, Aurélien; Dancis, Andrew

    2009-01-01

    of 2muYFH1 cells compared to wild-type cells. To our knowledge, this work is the first description where major frataxin-related phenotypes ([Fe-S] cluster assembly and heme synthesis) can be split in vivo, suggesting that frataxin has independent roles in both processes, and that the optimal conditions......Friedreich's ataxia is generally associated with defects in [Fe-S] cluster assembly/stability and heme synthesis and strong susceptibility to oxidative stress. We used the yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) model of Friedreich's ataxia to study the physiological consequences of modulating...... for these independent roles are different....

  6. A dual component heme biosensor that integrates heme transport and synthesis in bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nobles, Christopher L; Clark, Justin R; Green, Sabrina I; Maresso, Anthony W

    2015-11-01

    Bacterial pathogens acquire host iron to power cellular processes and replication. Heme, an iron-containing cofactor bound to hemoglobin, is scavenged by bacterial proteins to attain iron. Methods to measure intracellular heme are laborious, involve complex chemistry, or require radioactivity. Such drawbacks limit the study of the mechanistic steps of heme transport and breakdown. Hypothesizing heme homeostasis could be measured with fluorescent methods, we coupled the conversion of heme to biliverdin IXα (a product of heme catabolism) by heme oxygenase 1 (HO1) with the production of near-infrared light upon binding this verdin by infrared fluorescent protein (IFP1.4). The resultant heme sensor, IFP-HO1, was fluorescent in pathogenic E. coli exposed to heme but not in the absence of the heme transporter ChuA and membrane coupling protein TonB, thereby validating their long-standing proposed role in heme uptake. Fluorescence was abolished in a strain lacking hemE, the central gene in the heme biosynthetic pathway, but stimulated by iron, signifying the sensor reports on intracellular heme production. Finally, an invasive strain of E. coli harboring the sensor was fluorescent during an active infection. This work will allow researchers to expand the molecular toolbox used to study heme and iron acquisition in culture and during infection. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. ATP-binding cassette B10 regulates early steps of heme synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bayeva, Marina; Khechaduri, Arineh; Wu, Rongxue; Burke, Michael A; Wasserstrom, J Andrew; Singh, Neha; Liesa, Marc; Shirihai, Orian S; Langer, Nathaniel B; Paw, Barry H; Ardehali, Hossein

    2013-07-19

    Heme plays a critical role in gas exchange, mitochondrial energy production, and antioxidant defense in cardiovascular system. The mitochondrial transporter ATP-binding cassette (ABC) B10 has been suggested to export heme out of the mitochondria and is required for normal hemoglobinization of erythropoietic cells and protection against ischemia-reperfusion injury in the heart; however, its primary function has not been established. The aim of this study was to identify the function of ABCB10 in heme synthesis in cardiac cells. Knockdown of ABCB10 in cardiac myoblasts significantly reduced heme levels and the activities of heme-containing proteins, whereas supplementation with δ-aminolevulinic acid reversed these defects. Overexpression of mitochondrial δ-aminolevulinic acid synthase 2, the rate-limiting enzyme upstream of δ-aminolevulinic acid export, failed to restore heme levels in cells with ABCB10 downregulation. ABCB10 and heme levels were increased by hypoxia, and reversal of ABCB10 upregulation caused oxidative stress and cell death. Furthermore, ABCB10 knockdown in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes resulted in a significant delay of calcium removal from the cytoplasm, suggesting a relaxation defect. Finally, ABCB10 expression and heme levels were altered in failing human hearts and mice with ischemic cardiomyopathy. ABCB10 plays a critical role in heme synthesis pathway by facilitating δ-aminolevulinic acid production or export from the mitochondria. In contrast to previous reports, we show that ABCB10 is not a heme exporter and instead is required for the early mitochondrial steps of heme biosynthesis.

  8. Heme transport and erythropoiesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Xiaojing; Fleming, Mark D.; Hamza, Iqbal

    2013-01-01

    In humans, systemic heme homeostasis is achieved via coordinated regulation of heme synthesis, transport and degradation. Although the heme biosynthesis and degradation pathways have been well characterized, the pathways for heme trafficking and incorporation into hemoproteins remains poorly understood. In the past few years, researchers have exploited genetic, cellular and biochemical tools, to identify heme transporters and, in the process, reveal unexpected functions for this elusive group of proteins. However, given the complexity of heme trafficking pathways, current knowledge of heme transporters is fragmented and sometimes contradictory. This review seeks to focus on recent studies on heme transporters with specific emphasis on their functions during erythropoiesis. PMID:23415705

  9. Heme synthesis in the lead-intoxicated mouse embryo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gerber, G B; Maes, J

    1978-02-01

    Incorporation of /sup 55/Fe and of (/sup 14/C) glycine was studied in control embryos and mothers and in those which had received lead in the diet from day 7 of pregnancy. Incorporation of Fe into heme of embryonic liver which increases markedly for controls on day 17 of pregnancy was depressed greatly and showed no such increase in lead-intoxicated embryos. These embryos were retarded in growth but had normal heme concentrations in body and liver. Incorporation of glycine into embryonic heme and proteins was not affected. Data on incorporation in the mothers are also presented. It is thought that the impaired synthesis of heme in lead-intoxicated embryos limits their body growth during the late phase of pregnancy.

  10. The Type VI Secretion System Engages a Redox-Regulated Dual-Functional Heme Transporter for Zinc Acquisition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Si, Meiru; Wang, Yao; Zhang, Bing; Zhao, Chao; Kang, Yiwen; Bai, Haonan; Wei, Dawei; Zhu, Lingfang; Zhang, Lei; Dong, Tao G; Shen, Xihui

    2017-07-25

    The type VI secretion system was recently reported to be involved in zinc acquisition, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we report that Burkholderia thailandensis T6SS4 is involved in zinc acquisition via secretion of a zinc-scavenging protein, TseZ, that interacts with the outer membrane heme transporter HmuR. We find that HmuR is a redox-regulated dual-functional transporter that transports heme iron under normal conditions but zinc upon sensing extracellular oxidative stress, triggered by formation of an intramolecular disulfide bond. Acting as the first line of defense against oxidative stress, HmuR not only guarantees an immediate response to the changing environment but also provides a fine-tuned mechanism that allows a gradual response to perceived stress. The T6SS/HmuR-mediated active zinc transport system is also involved in bacterial virulence and contact-independent bacterial competition. We describe a sophisticated bacterial zinc acquisition mechanism affording insights into the role of metal ion transport systems. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. TLR Stimulation Dynamically Regulates Heme and Iron Export Gene Expression in Macrophages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mary Philip

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Pathogenic bacteria have evolved multiple mechanisms to capture iron or iron-containing heme from host tissues or blood. In response, organisms have developed defense mechanisms to keep iron from pathogens. Very little of the body’s iron store is available as free heme; rather nearly all body iron is complexed with heme or other proteins. The feline leukemia virus, subgroup C (FeLV-C receptor, FLVCR, exports heme from cells. It was unknown whether FLVCR regulates heme-iron availability after infection, but given that other heme regulatory proteins are upregulated in macrophages in response to bacterial infection, we hypothesized that macrophages dynamically regulate FLVCR. We stimulated murine primary macrophages or macrophage cell lines with LPS and found that Flvcr is rapidly downregulated in a TLR4/MD2-dependent manner; TLR1/2 and TLR3 stimulation also decreased Flvcr expression. We identified several candidate TLR-activated transcription factors that can bind to the Flvcr promoter. Macrophages must balance the need to sequester iron from systemic circulating or intracellular pathogens with the macrophage requirement for heme and iron to produce reactive oxygen species. Our findings underscore the complexity of this regulation and point to a new role for FLVCR and heme export in macrophages responses to infection and inflammation.

  12. Unraveling the role of animal heme peroxidases in superoxide mediated Mn oxide formation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Learman, D. R.; Hansel, C. M.

    2013-12-01

    Manganese(III,IV) oxides are important in the environment as they can impact the fate of a broad range of nutrients (e.g. carbon and phosphate) and contaminates (e.g. lead and chromium). Bacteria play a valuable role in the production of Mn oxides, yet the mechanisms and physiological reasons remain unclear. Roseobacter sp. AzwK-3b, an organism within the abundant and ubiquitous Roseobacter clade, has recently been shown to oxidize Mn(II) via a novel pathway that involves enzymatic extracellular superoxide production. However, in reactions with only Mn(II) and abiotically generated superoxide, we find superoxide alone is not enough to produce Mn(III,IV) oxides. Scavenging of the byproduct hydrogen peroxide (via the addition of catalase) is required to generate Mn oxides via abiotic reaction of Mn(II) with superoxide. Thus, R. AzwK-3b must produce superoxide and also scavenge hydrogen peroxide to form Mn oxides. Further, in-gel Mn(II) oxidation assay revealed a protein band that could generate Mn oxides in the presence of soluble Mn(II). This Mn(II)-oxidizing protein band was excised from the gel and the peptides identified via mass spectrometry. An animal heme peroxidase (AHP) was the predominant protein found in this band. This protein is homologous to the AHPs previously implicated as a Mn(II)-oxidizing enzyme within the Alphaproteobacteria, Erythrobacter SD-21 and Aurantimonas manganoxydans strain SI85-9A1. Currently, protein expression of the AHPs in R. AzwK-3b is being examined to determine if expression is correlated with Mn(II) concentration or oxidative stress. Our data suggests that AHPs do not directly oxidize Mn(II) but rather plays a role in scavenging hydrogen peroxide and/or producing an organic Mn(III) ligand that complexes Mn(III) and likely aids in Mn oxide precipitation.

  13. Respiration triggers heme transfer from cytochrome c peroxidase to catalase in yeast mitochondria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kathiresan, Meena; Martins, Dorival; English, Ann M.

    2014-01-01

    In exponentially growing yeast, the heme enzyme, cytochrome c peroxidase (Ccp1) is targeted to the mitochondrial intermembrane space. When the fermentable source (glucose) is depleted, cells switch to respiration and mitochondrial H2O2 levels rise. It has long been assumed that CCP activity detoxifies mitochondrial H2O2 because of the efficiency of this activity in vitro. However, we find that a large pool of Ccp1 exits the mitochondria of respiring cells. We detect no extramitochondrial CCP activity because Ccp1 crosses the outer mitochondrial membrane as the heme-free protein. In parallel with apoCcp1 export, cells exhibit increased activity of catalase A (Cta1), the mitochondrial and peroxisomal catalase isoform in yeast. This identifies Cta1 as a likely recipient of Ccp1 heme, which is supported by low Cta1 activity in ccp1Δ cells and the accumulation of holoCcp1 in cta1Δ mitochondria. We hypothesized that Ccp1’s heme is labilized by hyperoxidation of the protein during the burst in H2O2 production as cells begin to respire. To test this hypothesis, recombinant Ccp1 was hyperoxidized with excess H2O2 in vitro, which accelerated heme transfer to apomyoglobin added as a surrogate heme acceptor. Furthermore, the proximal heme Fe ligand, His175, was found to be ∼85% oxidized to oxo-histidine in extramitochondrial Ccp1 isolated from 7-d cells, indicating that heme labilization results from oxidation of this ligand. We conclude that Ccp1 responds to respiration-derived H2O2 via a previously unidentified mechanism involving H2O2-activated heme transfer to apoCta1. Subsequently, the catalase activity of Cta1, not CCP activity, contributes to mitochondrial H2O2 detoxification. PMID:25422453

  14. Respiration triggers heme transfer from cytochrome c peroxidase to catalase in yeast mitochondria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kathiresan, Meena; Martins, Dorival; English, Ann M

    2014-12-09

    In exponentially growing yeast, the heme enzyme, cytochrome c peroxidase (Ccp1) is targeted to the mitochondrial intermembrane space. When the fermentable source (glucose) is depleted, cells switch to respiration and mitochondrial H2O2 levels rise. It has long been assumed that CCP activity detoxifies mitochondrial H2O2 because of the efficiency of this activity in vitro. However, we find that a large pool of Ccp1 exits the mitochondria of respiring cells. We detect no extramitochondrial CCP activity because Ccp1 crosses the outer mitochondrial membrane as the heme-free protein. In parallel with apoCcp1 export, cells exhibit increased activity of catalase A (Cta1), the mitochondrial and peroxisomal catalase isoform in yeast. This identifies Cta1 as a likely recipient of Ccp1 heme, which is supported by low Cta1 activity in ccp1Δ cells and the accumulation of holoCcp1 in cta1Δ mitochondria. We hypothesized that Ccp1's heme is labilized by hyperoxidation of the protein during the burst in H2O2 production as cells begin to respire. To test this hypothesis, recombinant Ccp1 was hyperoxidized with excess H2O2 in vitro, which accelerated heme transfer to apomyoglobin added as a surrogate heme acceptor. Furthermore, the proximal heme Fe ligand, His175, was found to be ∼ 85% oxidized to oxo-histidine in extramitochondrial Ccp1 isolated from 7-d cells, indicating that heme labilization results from oxidation of this ligand. We conclude that Ccp1 responds to respiration-derived H2O2 via a previously unidentified mechanism involving H2O2-activated heme transfer to apoCta1. Subsequently, the catalase activity of Cta1, not CCP activity, contributes to mitochondrial H2O2 detoxification.

  15. Nitrite to nitric oxide interconversion by heme FeII complex assisted by [CuI(tmpa)]+

    KAUST Repository

    Turias, Francesc; Solà , Miquel; Falivene, Laura; Cavallo, Luigi; Poater, Albert

    2015-01-01

    The present computational study complements the recent experimental efforts by Karlin and coworkers to describe the interconversion of nitrite to nitric oxide by means of an iron porphyrin complex together with a Cu chemical system, i.e., the iron(II) complex (F8TPP)FeII [F8TPP = tetrakis(2,6-difluorophenyl)porphyrinate(2−)] and a preformed copper(II)–nitrito complex [(tmpa)CuII(NO2)][B(C6F5)4] [tmpa = tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine], being the latter an oxidized species of [(tmpa)CuI(MeCN)]+. By DFT calculations, we unravel how the reduction of nitrite to nitric oxide takes place through a μ-oxo heme-FeIII–O–CuII complex, following a mimetic path as in the cytochrome c oxidase. Mayer bond order (MBO) and energy decomposition analyses are used to analyze the bonding strength of such nitro derivatives to either copper or iron. © 2015 Springer Science+Business Media New York

  16. Nitrite to nitric oxide interconversion by heme FeII complex assisted by [CuI(tmpa)]+

    KAUST Repository

    Turias, Francesc

    2015-09-09

    The present computational study complements the recent experimental efforts by Karlin and coworkers to describe the interconversion of nitrite to nitric oxide by means of an iron porphyrin complex together with a Cu chemical system, i.e., the iron(II) complex (F8TPP)FeII [F8TPP = tetrakis(2,6-difluorophenyl)porphyrinate(2−)] and a preformed copper(II)–nitrito complex [(tmpa)CuII(NO2)][B(C6F5)4] [tmpa = tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine], being the latter an oxidized species of [(tmpa)CuI(MeCN)]+. By DFT calculations, we unravel how the reduction of nitrite to nitric oxide takes place through a μ-oxo heme-FeIII–O–CuII complex, following a mimetic path as in the cytochrome c oxidase. Mayer bond order (MBO) and energy decomposition analyses are used to analyze the bonding strength of such nitro derivatives to either copper or iron. © 2015 Springer Science+Business Media New York

  17. Impairment of heme synthesis in myelin as potential trigger of multiple sclerosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morelli, Alessandro; Ravera, Silvia; Calzia, Daniela; Panfoli, Isabella

    2012-06-01

    The pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease characterized by demyelination and subsequent axonal degeneration, is as yet unknown. Also, the nature of the disease is as yet not established, since doubts have been cast on its autoimmune origin. Genetic and environmental factors have been implied in MS, leading to the idea of an overall multifactorial origin. An unexpected role in energizing the axon has been reported for myelin, supposed to be the site of consumption of most of oxygen in brain. Myelin would be able to perform oxidative phosphorylation to supply the axons with ATP, thanks to the expression therein of mitochondrial F(o)F(1)-ATP synthase, and respiratory chains. Interestingly, myelin expresses the pathway of heme synthesis, hence of cytochromes, that rely on heme group, in turn depending on Fe availability. Poisoning by these pollutants shares the common characteristic to bring about demyelination both in animal models and in man. Carbon monoxide (CO) and lead poisoning which cause functional imbalance of the heme group, as well as of heme synthesis, cause myelin damage. On the other hand, a lack of essential metals such as iron and copper, produces dramatic myelin decrease. Myelin is a primary target, of iron shortage, indicating that in myelin Fe-dependent processes are more active than in other tissues. The predominant spread of MS in industrialized countries where pollution by heavy metals, and CO poisoning is widespread, suggests a relationship among toxic action of metal pollutants and MS. According to the present hypothesis, MS can be primarily triggered by environmental factors acting on a genetic susceptibility, while the immune response may be a consequence of a primary oxidative damage due to reactive oxygen species produced consequently to an imbalance of cytochromes and respiratory chains in the sheath. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Activation of Nrf2-mediated oxidative stress response in macrophages by hypochlorous acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pi Jingbo; Zhang Qiang; Woods, Courtney G.; Wong, Victoria; Collins, Sheila; Andersen, Melvin E.

    2008-01-01

    Hypochlorous acid (HOCl), a potent oxidant generated when chlorine gas reacts with water, is important in the pathogenesis of many disorders. Transcription factor Nrf2-mediated antioxidant response represents a critical cellular defense mechanism that serves to maintain intracellular redox homeostasis and limit oxidative damage. In the present study, the effect of HOCl on Nrf2 activation was investigated in macrophages, one of the target cells of chlorine gas exposure. Exposure of RAW 264.7 macrophages to HOCl resulted in increased protein levels of Nrf2 in nuclear extractions, as well as a time- and dose-dependent increase in the expression of Nrf2 target genes, including heme oxygenase-1, NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO-1), glutamate cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC), and glutathione synthetase (GS). Additionally, intracellular glutathione (GSH), which is the prime scavenger for HOCl in cells, decreased within the first hour of HOCl exposure. The decline was followed by a GSH rebound that surpassed the initial basal levels by up to 4-fold. This reversal in GSH levels closely correlated with the gene expression profile of GCLC and GS. To study the mechanisms of Nrf2 activation in response to HOCl exposure, we examined the effects of several antioxidants on Nrf2-mediated response. Pretreatment with cell-permeable catalase, N-acetyl-L-cysteine or GSH-monoethyl ester markedly reduced expression of NQO-1 and GCLC under HOCl challenge conditions, suggesting intracellular ROS-scavenging capacity affects HOCl-induced Nrf2 activation. Importantly, pre-activation of Nrf2 with low concentrations of pro-oxidants protected the cells against HOCl-induced cell damage. Taken together, we provide direct evidence that HOCl activates Nrf2-mediated antioxidant response, which protects cells from oxidative damage

  19. A Heme Oxygenase-1 Transducer Model of Degenerative and Developmental Brain Disorders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hyman M. Schipper

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1 is a 32 kDa protein which catalyzes the breakdown of heme to free iron, carbon monoxide and biliverdin. The Hmox1 promoter contains numerous consensus sequences that render the gene exquisitely sensitive to induction by diverse pro-oxidant and inflammatory stimuli. In “stressed” astroglia, HO-1 hyperactivity promotes mitochondrial iron sequestration and macroautophagy and may thereby contribute to the pathological iron deposition and bioenergetic failure documented in Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease and certain neurodevelopmental conditions. Glial HO-1 expression may also impact neuroplasticity and cell survival by modulating brain sterol metabolism and the proteasomal degradation of neurotoxic proteins. The glial HO-1 response may represent a pivotal transducer of noxious environmental and endogenous stressors into patterns of neural damage and repair characteristic of many human degenerative and developmental CNS disorders.

  20. Peroxide-Dependent Analyte Conversion by the Heme Prosthetic Group, the Heme Peptide “Microperoxidase-11” and Cytochrome c on Chitosan Capped Gold Nanoparticles Modified Electrodes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frieder W. Scheller

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available In view of the role ascribed to the peroxidatic activity of degradation products of cytochrome c (cyt c in the processes of apoptosis, we investigate the catalytic potential of heme and of the cyt c derived heme peptide MP-11 to catalyse the cathodic reduction of hydrogen peroxide and to oxidize aromatic compounds. In order to check whether cyt c has an enzymatic activity in the native state where the protein matrix should suppress the inherent peroxidatic activity of its heme prosthetic group, we applied a biocompatible immobilization matrix and very low concentrations of the co-substrate H2O2. The biocatalysts were entrapped on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode in a biocompatible chitosan layer which contained gold nanoparticles. The electrochemical signal for the peroxide reduction is generated by the redox conversion of the heme group, whilst a reaction product of the substrate oxidation is cathodically reduced in the substrate indication. The catalytic efficiency of microperoxidase-11 is sufficient for sensors indicating HRP substrates, e.g., p-aminophenol, paracetamol and catechol, but also the hydroxylation of aniline and dehalogenation of 4-fluoroaniline. The lower limit of detection for p-aminophenol is comparable to previously published papers with different enzyme systems. The peroxidatic activity of cyt c immobilized in the chitosan layer for catechol was found to be below 1 per mill and for p-aminophenol about 3% as compared with that of heme or MP-11.

  1. Dietary heme mediated PPARα activation does not affect the heme-induced epithelial hyperproliferation and hyperplasia in mouse colon

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    IJssennagger, Noortje; Wit, de Nicole; Muller, Michael; Meer, van der Roelof

    2012-01-01

    Red meat consumption is associated with an increased colon cancer risk. Heme, present in red meat, injures the colon surface epithelium by luminal cytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species. This surface injury is overcompensated by hyperproliferation and hyperplasia of crypt cells. Transcriptome

  2. Dietary heme-mediated PPARa activation does not affect the heme-induced epithelial hyperproliferation and hyperplasia in mouse colon

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    IJssenagger, N.; Wit, de N.J.W.; Muller, M.R.; Meer, van der R.

    2012-01-01

    Red meat consumption is associated with an increased colon cancer risk. Heme, present in red meat, injures the colon surface epithelium by luminal cytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species. This surface injury is overcompensated by hyperproliferation and hyperplasia of crypt cells. Transcriptome

  3. (1)H, (13)C, (15)N backbone and side-chain resonance assignment of Nostoc sp. C139A variant of the heme-nitric oxide/oxygen binding (H-NOX) domain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexandropoulos, Ioannis I; Argyriou, Aikaterini I; Marousis, Kostas D; Topouzis, Stavros; Papapetropoulos, Andreas; Spyroulias, Georgios A

    2016-10-01

    The H-NOX (Heme-nitric oxide/oxygen binding) domain is conserved across eukaryotes and bacteria. In human soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) the H-NOX domain functions as a sensor for the gaseous signaling agent nitric oxide (NO). sGC contains the heme-binding H-NOX domain at its N-terminus, which regulates the catalytic site contained within the C-terminal end of the enzyme catalyzing the conversion of GTP (guanosine 5'-triphosphate) to GMP (guanylyl monophosphate). Here, we present the backbone and side-chain assignments of the (1)H, (13)C and (15)N resonances of the 183-residue H-NOX domain from Nostoc sp. through solution NMR.

  4. Heme metabolism as an integral part of iron homeostasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paweł Lipiński

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Heme, a ferrous iron protoporphyrin IX complex, is employed as a prosthetic group in a number of diverse heme proteins that participate in important cellular and systemic physiological processes. Provision of an adequate amount of iron for heme biosynthesis is one of the elemental hallmarks of intracellular iron homeostasis. In the cell the bioavailability of iron for the two main iron biological pathways – heme synthesis and the biogenesis of iron-sulfur clusters ([Fe-S] – is mainly regulated by the IRP/IRE posttranscriptional system. The biogenesis of [Fe-S] centers is crucial for heme synthesis because these co-factors determine the activity of IRP1 and that of ferrochelatase, an enzyme responsible for the insertion of an iron into protoporphyrin IX to produce heme. On the other hand, delivery of iron for heme and hemoglobin synthesis in erythroblasts, precursors of erythrocytes in bone marrow, is an indispensable element of body iron homeostasis. This process relies on the recovery of iron from senescent red blood cells through the enzymatic degradation of heme molecules and recycling of iron to the circulation. Molecular coordination of these processes involves the activity of heme oxygenase 1, IRP1 and IRP2 as well as the functioning of the hepcidin-ferroportin regulatory axis. Recent studies show in mammals the existence of an expanded system of proteins involved in the transport of intact heme molecules at the cellular and systemic levels. The biological role of this system is of particular importance when the concentration of free heme reaches a toxic level in the body (intravascular hemolysis as well as locally in cells having intensive heme metabolism such as erythroblasts and macrophages.

  5. [Heme metabolism as an integral part of iron homeostasis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lipiński, Paweł; Starzyński, Rafał R; Styś, Agnieszka; Gajowiak, Anna; Staroń, Robert

    2014-01-02

    Heme, a ferrous iron protoporphyrin IX complex, is employed as a prosthetic group in a number of diverse heme proteins that participate in important cellular and systemic physiological processes. Provision of an adequate amount of iron for heme biosynthesis is one of the elemental hallmarks of intracellular iron homeostasis. In the cell the bioavailability of iron for the two main iron biological pathways--heme synthesis and the biogenesis of iron-sulfur clusters ([Fe-S])--is mainly regulated by the IRP/IRE posttranscriptional system. The biogenesis of [Fe-S] centers is crucial for heme synthesis because these co-factors determine the activity of IRP1 and that of ferrochelatase, an enzyme responsible for the insertion of an iron into protoporphyrin IX to produce heme. On the other hand, delivery of iron for heme and hemoglobin synthesis in erythroblasts, precursors of erythrocytes in bone marrow, is an indispensable element of body iron homeostasis. This process relies on the recovery of iron from senescent red blood cells through the enzymatic degradation of heme molecules and recycling of iron to the circulation. Molecular coordination of these processes involves the activity of heme oxygenase 1, IRP1 and IRP2 as well as the functioning of the hepcidin-ferroportin regulatory axis. Recent studies show in mammals the existence of an expanded system of proteins involved in the transport of intact heme molecules at the cellular and systemic levels. The biological role of this system is of particular importance when the concentration of free heme reaches a toxic level in the body (intravascular hemolysis) as well as locally in cells having intensive heme metabolism such as erythroblasts and macrophages.

  6. Characterization of Heme Proteins Involved in Microbial Exoelectric Activity and Small Molecule-Sensing

    KAUST Repository

    Vogler, Malvina M.

    2018-01-01

    Heme proteins, also termed cytochromes, are a widespread class of metalloproteins containing an Fe-protoporphyrin IX cofactor. They perform numerous functions in nature such as oxygen-transport by hemoglobin, monooxygenation reactions catalyzed by Cytochrome P-450, and electron transfer reactions during photosynthesis. The differences between proteincofactor binding characteristics and the cofactor environment greatly influence the extensive range of functions. In this dissertation, proteins from the Mtr pathway of Shewanella oneidensis are characterized. These c-type cytochromes contain multiple heme cofactors per protein molecule that covalently attach to the protein amino acid sequence and are involved in electron transfer to extracellular metal oxides during anaerobic conditions. Successful recombinant expression of pathway components MtrC and MtrA is achieved in Escherichia coli. Heme-dependent gel staining and UV/Vis spectroscopy show characteristic c-type cytochrome characteristics. Mass spectrometry confirms that the correct extensive post-translational modifications were performed and the ten heme groups were incorporated per protein of MtrC and MtrA and the correct lipid-anchor was attached to extracellular MtrC. Raman spectroscopy measurements of MtrA provide intriguing structural information and highlight the strong influence of the heme cofactors within the protein structure. Next, an Arabidopsis thaliana protein is analyzed. It was previously identified via a motif search of the plant genome, based on conserved residues in the H4 NOX pocket. Here, the incorporation of a heme b cofactor is confirmed. UV/Vis spectroscopy under anaerobic conditions demonstrates reversible binding of nitric oxide to the heme iron and depicts the previously published characteristic absorption maxima for other H-NOX proteins.

  7. Isocyanides inhibit human heme oxygenases at the verdoheme stage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, John P; Kandel, Sylvie; Ortiz de Montellano, Paul R

    2009-09-22

    Heme oxygenases (HO) catalyze the oxidative cleavage of heme to generate biliverdin, CO, and free iron. In humans, heme oxygenase-1 (hHO-1) is overexpressed in tumor tissues, where it helps to protect cancer cells from anticancer agents, while HOs in fungal pathogens, such as Candida albicans, function as the primary means of iron acquisition. Thus, HO can be considered a potential therapeutic target for certain diseases. In this study, we have examined the equilibrium binding of three isocyanides, isopropyl, n-butyl, and benzyl, to the two major human HO isoforms (hHO-1 and hHO-2), Candida albicans HO (CaHmx1), and human cytochrome P450 CYP3A4 using electronic absorption spectroscopy. Isocyanides coordinate to both ferric and ferrous HO-bound heme, with tighter binding by the more hydrophobic isocyanides and 200-300-fold tighter binding to the ferrous form. Benzyl isocyanide was the strongest ligand to ferrous heme in all the enzymes. Because the dissociation constants (KD) of the ligands for ferrous heme-hHO-1 were below the limit of accuracy for equilibrium titrations, stopped-flow kinetic experiments were used to measure the binding parameters of the isocyanides to ferrous hHO-1. Steady-state activity assays showed that benzyl isocyanide was the most potent uncompetitive inhibitor with respect to heme with a KI = 0.15 microM for hHO-1. Importantly, single turnover assays revealed that the reaction was completely stopped by coordination of the isocyanide to the verdoheme intermediate rather than to the ferric heme complex. Much tighter binding of the inhibitor to the verdoheme intermediate differentiates it from inhibition of, for example, CYP3A4 and offers a possible route to more selective inhibitor design.

  8. Isocyanides Inhibit Human Heme Oxygenases at the Verdoheme Stage†

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, John P.; Kandel, Sylvie; Ortiz de Montellano, Paul R.

    2010-01-01

    Heme oxygenases (HO) catalyze the oxidative cleavage of heme to generate biliverdin, CO, and free iron. In humans, heme oxygenase-1 (hHO-1) is overexpressed in tumor tissues, where it helps to protect cancer cells from anticancer agents, while HOs in fungal pathogens, such as Candida albicans, function as the primary means of iron acquisition. Thus, HO can be considered a potential therapeutic target for certain diseases. In this study, we have examined the equilibrium binding of three isocyanides; isopropyl, n-butyl, and benzyl, to the two major human HO isoforms (hHO-1 and hHO-2), Candida albicans HO (CaHmx1), and human cytochrome P450 CYP3A4 using electronic absorption spectroscopy. Isocyanides coordinate to both ferric and ferrous HO-bound heme, with tighter binding by the more hydrophobic isocyanides, and 200-300-fold tighter binding to the ferrous form. Benzyl isocyanide was the strongest ligand to ferrous heme in all the enzymes. Because the dissociation constants (KD) of the ligands for ferrous heme-hHO-1 were below the limit of accuracy for equilibrium titrations, stopped-flow kinetic experiments were used to measure the binding parameters of the isocyanides to ferrous hHO-1. Steady-state activity assays showed that benzyl isocyanide was the most potent uncompetitive inhibitor with respect to heme with a KI = 0.15 μM for hHO-1. Importantly, single turnover assays revealed that the reaction was completely stopped by coordination of the isocyanide to the verdoheme intermediate rather than to the ferric heme complex. Much tighter binding of the inhibitor to the verdoheme intermediate differentiates it from inhibition of, for example, CYP3A4 and offers a possible route to more selective inhibitor design. PMID:19694439

  9. Coordination modes of tyrosinate-ligated catalase-type heme enzymes: magnetic circular dichroism studies of Plexaura homomalla allene oxide synthase, Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis protein-2744c, and bovine liver catalase in their ferric and ferrous states.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bandara, D M Indika; Sono, Masanori; Bruce, Grant S; Brash, Alan R; Dawson, John H

    2011-12-01

    Bovine liver catalase (BLC), catalase-related allene oxide synthase (cAOS) from Plexaura homomalla, and a recently isolated protein from the cattle pathogen Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP-2744c (MAP)) are all tyrosinate-ligated heme enzymes whose crystal structures have been reported. cAOS and MAP have low (enzymes in their ferric and ferrous states using magnetic circular dichroism and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. The MAP protein shows remarkable spectral similarities to cAOS and BLC in its native Fe(III) state, but clear differences from ferric proximal heme ligand His93Tyr Mb (myoglobin) mutant, which may be attributed to the presence of an Arg(+)-N(ω)-H···¯O-Tyr (proximal heme axial ligand) hydrogen bond in the first three heme proteins. Furthermore, the spectra of Fe(III)-CN¯, Fe(III)-NO, Fe(II)-NO (except for five-coordinate MAP), Fe(II)-CO, and Fe(II)-O(2) states of cAOS and MAP, but not H93Y Mb, are also similar to the corresponding six-coordinate complexes of BLC, suggesting that a tyrosinate (Tyr-O¯) is the heme axial ligand trans to the bound ligands in these complexes. The Arg(+)-N(ω)-H to ¯O-Tyr hydrogen bond would be expected to modulate the donor properties of the proximal tyrosinate oxyanion and, combined with the subtle differences in the catalytic site structures, affect the activities of cAOS, MAP and BLC. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Mechanism governing heme synthesis reveals a GATA factor/heme circuit that controls differentiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanimura, Nobuyuki; Miller, Eli; Igarashi, Kazuhiko; Yang, David; Burstyn, Judith N; Dewey, Colin N; Bresnick, Emery H

    2016-02-01

    Metal ion-containing macromolecules have fundamental roles in essentially all biological processes throughout the evolutionary tree. For example, iron-containing heme is a cofactor in enzyme catalysis and electron transfer and an essential hemoglobin constituent. To meet the intense demand for hemoglobin assembly in red blood cells, the cell type-specific factor GATA-1 activates transcription of Alas2, encoding the rate-limiting enzyme in heme biosynthesis, 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase-2 (ALAS-2). Using genetic editing to unravel mechanisms governing heme biosynthesis, we discovered a GATA factor- and heme-dependent circuit that establishes the erythroid cell transcriptome. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated ablation of two Alas2 intronic cis elements strongly reduces GATA-1-induced Alas2 transcription, heme biosynthesis, and surprisingly, GATA-1 regulation of other vital constituents of the erythroid cell transcriptome. Bypassing ALAS-2 function in Alas2 cis element-mutant cells by providing its catalytic product 5-aminolevulinic acid rescues heme biosynthesis and the GATA-1-dependent genetic network. Heme amplifies GATA-1 function by downregulating the heme-sensing transcriptional repressor Bach1 and via a Bach1-insensitive mechanism. Through this dual mechanism, heme and a master regulator collaborate to orchestrate a cell type-specific transcriptional program that promotes cellular differentiation. © 2015 The Authors.

  11. Alteration by irradiation and storage at amount of heme iron in poultry meat; Alteracoes provocadas pela irradiacao e armazenamento nos teores de ferro heme em carne de frango

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Souza, Adriana Regia Marques de; Arthur, Valter Arthur [Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA), Piracicaba, SP (Brazil). Lab. de Irradiacao de Alimentos e Radioentomologia; Canniatti-Brazaca, Solange Guidolin [Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ/USP), Piracicaba, SP (Brazil). Dept. de Agroindustria, Alimentos e Nutricao]. E-mail: sgcbraza@esalq.usp.br

    2007-04-15

    Studies of irradiation and storage effects in chicken were carried out to discover the influence in iron heme, non-heme amount, color and total pigments. Chicken thighs and chicken breast were studied. These were irradiated to 0, 1 and 2 kGy stored by 14 days to 4 deg C in refrigerator. Determining the heme content and non-heme of meat was done using the colorimeter method and the Ferrozine reagent. The values of iron heme were influenced both by the irradiation and the storage, reducing the amount throughout the course of time. The iron non-heme was also influenced by the doses and the storage time, however the values increased throughout the course of time, because of the conversion of iron heme in non-heme. The color did not show that it was influenced by the studied doses, except for the storage, and the total number of pigments was affected by the irradiation and the time, reducing the values with the increase of storage. Irradiation was shown to be a good method to conserve iron. (author)

  12. An ethane-bridged porphyrin dimer as a model of di-heme proteins: inorganic and bioinorganic perspectives and consequences of heme-heme interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sil, Debangsu; Rath, Sankar Prasad

    2015-10-07

    Interaction between heme centers has been cleverly implemented by Nature in order to regulate different properties of multiheme cytochromes, thereby allowing them to perform a wide variety of functions. Our broad interest lies in unmasking the roles played by heme-heme interactions in modulating different properties viz., metal spin state, redox potential etc., of the individual heme centers using an ethane-bridged porphyrin dimer as a synthetic model of dihemes. The large differences in the structure and properties of the diheme complexes, as compared to the monoheme analogs, provide unequivocal evidence of the role played by heme-heme interactions in the dihemes. This Perspective provides a brief account of our recent efforts to explore these interesting aspects and the subsequent outcomes.

  13. Isoporphyrin Intermediate in Heme Oxygenase Catalysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, John P.; Niemevz, Fernando; Buldain, Graciela; de Montellano, Paul Ortiz

    2008-01-01

    Human heme oxygenase-1 (hHO-1) catalyzes the O2- and NADPH-dependent oxidation of heme to biliverdin, CO, and free iron. The first step involves regiospecific insertion of an oxygen atom at the α-meso carbon by a ferric hydroperoxide and is predicted to proceed via an isoporphyrin π-cation intermediate. Here we report spectroscopic detection of a transient intermediate during oxidation by hHO-1 of α-meso-phenylheme-IX, α-meso-(p-methylphenyl)-mesoheme-III, and α-meso-(p-trifluoromethylphenyl)-mesoheme-III. In agreement with previous experiments (Wang, J., Niemevz, F., Lad, L., Huang, L., Alvarez, D. E., Buldain, G., Poulos, T. L., and Ortiz de Montellano, P. R. (2004) J. Biol. Chem. 279, 42593–42604), only the α-biliverdin isomer is produced with concomitant formation of the corresponding benzoic acid. The transient intermediate observed in the NADPH-P450 reductase-catalyzed reaction accumulated when the reaction was supported by H2O2 and exhibited the absorption maxima at 435 and 930 nm characteristic of an isoporphyrin. Product analysis by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of the product generated with H2O2 identified it as an isoporphyrin that, on quenching, decayed to benzoylbiliverdin. In the presence of H218O2, one labeled oxygen atom was incorporated into these products. The hHO-1-isoporphyrin complexes were found to have half-lives of 1.7 and 2.4 h for the p-trifluoromethyl- and p-methyl-substituted phenylhemes, respectively. The addition of NADPH-P450 reductase to the H2O2-generated hHO-1-isoporphyrin complex produced α-biliverdin, confirming its role as a reaction intermediate. Identification of an isoporphyrin intermediate in the catalytic sequence of hHO-1, the first such intermediate observed in hemoprotein catalysis, completes our understanding of the critical first step of heme oxidation. PMID:18487208

  14. Hemoglobin fructation promotes heme degradation through the generation of endogenous reactive oxygen species

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodarzi, M.; Moosavi-Movahedi, A. A.; Habibi-Rezaei, M.; Shourian, M.; Ghourchian, H.; Ahmad, F.; Farhadi, M.; Saboury, A. A.; Sheibani, N.

    2014-09-01

    Protein glycation is a cascade of nonenzymatic reactions between reducing sugars and amino groups of proteins. It is referred to as fructation when the reducing monosaccharide is fructose. Some potential mechanisms have been suggested for the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by protein glycation reactions in the presence of glucose. In this state, glucose autoxidation, ketoamine, and oxidative advance glycation end products (AGEs) formation are considered as major sources of ROS and perhaps heme degradation during hemoglobin glycation. However, whether fructose mediated glycation produces ROS and heme degradation is unknown. Here we report that ROS (H2O2) production occurred during hemoglobin fructation in vitro using chemiluminescence methods. The enhanced heme exposure and degradation were determined using UV-Vis and fluorescence spectrophotometry. Following accumulation of ROS, heme degradation products were accumulated reaching a plateau along with the detected ROS. Thus, fructose may make a significant contribution to the production of ROS, glycation of proteins, and heme degradation during diabetes.

  15. The Extracellular Heme-binding Protein HbpS from the Soil Bacterium Streptomyces reticuli Is an Aquo-cobalamin Binder*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ortiz de Orué Lucana, Darío; Fedosov, Sergey N.; Wedderhoff, Ina; Che, Edith N.; Torda, Andrew E.

    2014-01-01

    The extracellular protein HbpS from Streptomyces reticuli interacts with iron ions and heme. It also acts in concert with the two-component sensing system SenS-SenR in response to oxidative stress. Sequence comparisons suggested that the protein may bind a cobalamin. UV-visible spectroscopy confirmed binding (Kd = 34 μm) to aquo-cobalamin (H2OCbl+) but not to other cobalamins. Competition experiments with the H2OCbl+-coordinating ligand CN− and comparison of mutants identified a histidine residue (His-156) that coordinates the cobalt ion of H2OCbl+ and substitutes for water. HbpS·Cobalamin lacks the Asp-X-His-X-X-Gly motif seen in some cobalamin binding enzymes. Preliminary tests showed that a related HbpS protein from a different species also binds H2OCbl+. Furthermore, analyses of HbpS-heme binding kinetics are consistent with the role of HbpS as a heme-sensor and suggested a role in heme transport. Given the high occurrence of HbpS-like sequences among Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, our findings suggest a great functional versatility among these proteins. PMID:25342754

  16. Heme and HO-1 inhibition of HCV, HBV, and HIV

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Warren N Schmidt

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus, and hepatitis B virus are chronic viral infections that cause considerable morbidity and mortality throughout the world. In the decades following the identification and sequencing of these viruses, in vitro experiments demonstrated that heme oxygenase-1, its oxidative products, and related compounds of the heme oxygenase system are virucidal for all three viruses. The purpose of this review is to critically evaluate and summarize the seminal studies that described and characterized this remarkable behavior. It will also discuss more recent work that discovered the antiviral mechanisms and target sites of these unique antiviral agents. In spite of the fact that these viruses are diverse pathogens with quite profound differences in structure and life cycle, it is significant that heme and related compounds show striking similarity for viral target sites across all three species. Collectively, these findings strongly indicate that we should move forward and develop heme and related tetrapyrroles into versatile antiviral agents that could be used therapeutically in patients with single or multiple viral infections.

  17. Eriodictyol Protects Endothelial Cells against Oxidative Stress-Induced Cell Death through Modulating ERK/Nrf2/ARE-Dependent Heme Oxygenase-1 Expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Seung Eun; Yang, Hana; Son, Gun Woo; Park, Hye Rim; Park, Cheung-Seog; Jin, Young-Ho; Park, Yong Seek

    2015-06-26

    The pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases is complex and may involve oxidative stress-related pathways. Eriodictyol is a flavonoid present in citrus fruits that demonstrates anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, neurotrophic, and antioxidant effects in a range of pathophysiological conditions including vascular diseases. Because oxidative stress plays a key role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease, the present study was designed to verify whether eriodictyol has therapeutic potential. Upregulation of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a phase II detoxifying enzyme, in endothelial cells is considered to be helpful in cardiovascular disease. In this study, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) treated with eriodictyol showed the upregulation of HO-1 through extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK)/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/antioxidant response element (ARE) signaling pathways. Further, eriodictyol treatment provided protection against hydrogen peroxide-provoked cell death. This protective effect was eliminated by treatment with a specific inhibitor of HO-1 and RNA interference-mediated knockdown of HO-1 expression. These data demonstrate that eriodictyol induces ERK/Nrf2/ARE-mediated HO-1 upregulation in human endothelial cells, which is directly associated with its vascular protection against oxidative stress-related endothelial injury, and propose that targeting the upregulation of HO-1 is a promising approach for therapeutic intervention in cardiovascular disease.

  18. Hal Is a Bacillus anthracis Heme Acquisition Protein

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balderas, Miriam A.; Nobles, Christopher L.; Honsa, Erin S.; Alicki, Embriette R.

    2012-01-01

    The metal iron is a limiting nutrient for bacteria during infection. Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax and a potential weapon of bioterrorism, grows rapidly in mammalian hosts, which suggests that it efficiently attains iron during infection. Recent studies have uncovered both heme (isd) and siderophore-mediated (asb) iron transport pathways in this pathogen. Whereas deletion of the asb genes results in reduced virulence, the loss of three surface components from isd had no effect, thereby leaving open the question of what additional factors in B. anthracis are responsible for iron uptake from the most abundant iron source for mammals, heme. Here, we describe the first functional characterization of bas0520, a gene recently implicated in anthrax disease progression. bas0520 encodes a single near-iron transporter (NEAT) domain and several leucine-rich repeats. The NEAT domain binds heme, despite lacking a stabilizing tyrosine common to the NEAT superfamily of hemoproteins. The NEAT domain also binds hemoglobin and can acquire heme from hemoglobin in solution. Finally, deletion of bas0520 resulted in bacilli unable to grow efficiently on heme or hemoglobin as an iron source and yielded the most significant phenotype relative to that for other putative heme uptake systems, a result that suggests that this protein plays a prominent role in the replication of B. anthracis in hematogenous environments. Thus, we have assigned the name of Hal (heme-acquisition leucine-rich repeat protein) to BAS0520. These studies advance our understanding of heme acquisition by this dangerous pathogen and justify efforts to determine the mechanistic function of this novel protein for vaccine or inhibitor development. PMID:22865843

  19. Heme Oxygenase-1 and breast cancer resistance protein protect against heme-induced toxicity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wagener, Frank A D T G; Dankers, Anita C A; van Summeren, Frank; Scharstuhl, Alwin; van den Heuvel, Jeroen J M W; Koenderink, Jan B; Pennings, Sebastiaan W C; Russel, Frans G M; Masereeuw, R.

    2013-01-01

    Heme is the functional group of diverse hemoproteins and crucial for many cellular processes. However, heme is increasingly recognized as a culprit for a wide variety of pathologies, including sepsis, malaria, and kidney failure. Excess of free heme can be detrimental to tissues by mediating

  20. Prokaryotic Heme Biosynthesis: Multiple Pathways to a Common Essential Product.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dailey, Harry A; Dailey, Tamara A; Gerdes, Svetlana; Jahn, Dieter; Jahn, Martina; O'Brian, Mark R; Warren, Martin J

    2017-03-01

    The advent of heme during evolution allowed organisms possessing this compound to safely and efficiently carry out a variety of chemical reactions that otherwise were difficult or impossible. While it was long assumed that a single heme biosynthetic pathway existed in nature, over the past decade, it has become clear that there are three distinct pathways among prokaryotes, although all three pathways utilize a common initial core of three enzymes to produce the intermediate uroporphyrinogen III. The most ancient pathway and the only one found in the Archaea converts siroheme to protoheme via an oxygen-independent four-enzyme-step process. Bacteria utilize the initial core pathway but then add one additional common step to produce coproporphyrinogen III. Following this step, Gram-positive organisms oxidize coproporphyrinogen III to coproporphyrin III, insert iron to make coproheme, and finally decarboxylate coproheme to protoheme, whereas Gram-negative bacteria first decarboxylate coproporphyrinogen III to protoporphyrinogen IX and then oxidize this to protoporphyrin IX prior to metal insertion to make protoheme. In order to adapt to oxygen-deficient conditions, two steps in the bacterial pathways have multiple forms to accommodate oxidative reactions in an anaerobic environment. The regulation of these pathways reflects the diversity of bacterial metabolism. This diversity, along with the late recognition that three pathways exist, has significantly slowed advances in this field such that no single organism's heme synthesis pathway regulation is currently completely characterized. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  1. A role for heme in Alzheimer's disease: Heme binds amyloid β and has altered metabolism

    OpenAIRE

    Atamna, Hani; Frey, William H.

    2004-01-01

    Heme is a common factor linking several metabolic perturbations in Alzheimer's disease (AD), including iron metabolism, mitochondrial complex IV, heme oxygenase, and bilirubin. Therefore, we determined whether heme metabolism was altered in temporal lobes obtained at autopsy from AD patients and age-matched nondemented subjects. AD brain demonstrated 2.5-fold more heme-b (P < 0.01) and 26% less heme-a (P = 0.16) compared with controls, resulting in a highly significant 2.9-fold decrease in he...

  2. Oxidative stress in preeclampsia and the role of free fetal hemoglobin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefan Rocco Hansson

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Preeclampsia is a leading cause of pregnancy complications and affects 3–7 % of pregnant women. This review summarizes the current knowledge of a new potential etiology of the disease, with a special focus on hemoglobin-induced oxidative stress. Furthermore, we also suggest hemoglobin as a potential target for therapy. Gene and protein profiling studies have shown increased expression and accumulation of free fetal hemoglobin in the preeclamptic placenta. Predominantly due to oxidative damage to the placental barrier, fetal hemoglobin leaks over to the maternal circulation. Free hemoglobin and its metabolites are toxic in several ways; a ferrous hemoglobin (Fe2+ binds strongly to the vasodilator nitric oxide and reduces the availability of free nitric oxide, which results in vasoconstriction, b hemoglobin (Fe2+ with bound oxygen spontaneously generates free oxygen radicals and c the heme groups create an inflammatory response by inducing activation of neutrophils and cytokine production. The endogenous protein α1-microglobulin, with radical and heme binding properties, has shown both ex vivo and in vivo to have the ability to counteract free hemoglobin-induced placental and kidney damage. Oxidative stress in general, and more specifically fetal hemoglobin-induced oxidative stress, could play a key role in the pathology of preeclampsia seen both in the placenta and ultimately in the maternal endothelium.

  3. Alteration by irradiation and storage at amount of heme iron in poultry meat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Souza, A.R.M. de; Arthur, V.; Canniatti-Brazaca, S.G.

    2007-01-01

    Studies of irradiation and storage effects in chicken were carried out to discover the influence in iron heme, non-heme amount, color and total pigments. Chicken thighs and chicken breast were studied. These were irradiated to 0, 1 and 2 kGy stored by 14 days to 4 °C in refrigerator. Determining the heme content and non-heme of meat was done using the colorimeter method and the Ferrozine reagent. The values of iron heme were influenced both by the irradiation and the storage, reducing the amount throughout the course of time. The iron non-heme was also influenced by the doses and the storage time, however the values increased throughout the course of time, because of the conversion of iron heme in non-heme. The color did not show that it was influenced by the studied doses, except for the storage, and the total number of pigments was affected by the irradiation and the time, reducing the values with the increase of storage. Irradiation was shown to be a good method to conserve iron. (author) [pt

  4. Alteration by irradiation and storage at amount of heme iron in poultry meat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Souza, Adriana Regia Marques de; Arthur, Valter Arthur; Canniatti-Brazaca, Solange Guidolin

    2007-01-01

    Studies of irradiation and storage effects in chicken were carried out to discover the influence in iron heme, non-heme amount, color and total pigments. Chicken thighs and chicken breast were studied. These were irradiated to 0, 1 and 2 kGy stored by 14 days to 4 deg C in refrigerator. Determining the heme content and non-heme of meat was done using the colorimeter method and the Ferrozine reagent. The values of iron heme were influenced both by the irradiation and the storage, reducing the amount throughout the course of time. The iron non-heme was also influenced by the doses and the storage time, however the values increased throughout the course of time, because of the conversion of iron heme in non-heme. The color did not show that it was influenced by the studied doses, except for the storage, and the total number of pigments was affected by the irradiation and the time, reducing the values with the increase of storage. Irradiation was shown to be a good method to conserve iron. (author)

  5. Cyanide does more to inhibit heme enzymes, than merely serving as an active-site ligand

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parashar, Abhinav [Center for Biomedical Research, VIT University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014 India (India); Venkatachalam, Avanthika [REDOx Lab, PSG Institute of Advanced Studies, Avinashi Road, Peelamedu, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641004 (India); Gideon, Daniel Andrew [Center for Biomedical Research, VIT University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014 India (India); Manoj, Kelath Murali, E-mail: satyamjayatu@yahoo.com [REDOx Lab, PSG Institute of Advanced Studies, Avinashi Road, Peelamedu, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641004 (India)

    2014-12-12

    Highlights: • Cyanide (CN) is a well-studied toxic principle, known to inhibit heme-enzymes. • Inhibition is supposed to result from CN binding at the active site as a ligand. • Diverse heme enzymes’ CN inhibition profiles challenge prevailing mechanism. • Poor binding efficiency of CN at low enzyme concentrations and ligand pressures. • CN-based diffusible radicals cause ‘non-productive electron transfers’ (inhibition). - Abstract: The toxicity of cyanide is hitherto attributed to its ability to bind to heme proteins’ active site and thereby inhibit their activity. It is shown herein that the long-held interpretation is inadequate to explain several observations in heme-enzyme reaction systems. Generation of cyanide-based diffusible radicals in heme-enzyme reaction milieu could shunt electron transfers (by non-active site processes), and thus be detrimental to the efficiency of oxidative outcomes.

  6. In Premature Newborns Intraventricular Hemorrhage Causes Cerebral Vasospasm and Associated Neurodisability via Heme-Induced Inflammasome-Mediated Interleukin-1 Production and Nitric Oxide Depletion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael Eisenhut

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available BackgroundIntraventricular hemorrhage (IVH occurs in 60–70% of neonates weighing 500–750 g and 10–20% of those weighing 1,000–1,500 g. All forms of IVH have been associated with neurocognitive deficits. Both subarachnoid and IVHs have been associated with delayed vasospasm leading to neurological deficits. Pathways linking hemoglobin release from blood clots to vasospasm include heme-induced activation of inflammasomes releasing interleukin-1 (IL-1 that can cause calcium dependent and independent vasospasm. Free hemoglobin is a potent scavenger of nitric oxide (NO. Depletion of NO, a potent endogenous vasodilator, has been associated with features of vasospasm.HypothesisIn premature newborns, IVH causes cerebral vasospasm and associated neurodisability via heme-induced increased inflammasome-mediated IL-1 production and NO depletion.Confirmation of hypothesis and implicationsThis hypothesis could be confirmed in the IVH animal model with visualization of any associated vasospasm by angiography and in newborns with IVH by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography and correlation with cerebrospinal fluid IL-1 and NO metabolite levels. Confirmation of the role of heme in activation of inflammasomes causing IL-1 production and NO binding could be achieved by measuring the effect of heme scavenging interventions on IL-1 levels and levels of NO metabolites. In addition to removal of the accumulated blood of an IVH by drainage, irrigation, and fibrinolytic therapy intrathecal application of vasodilators and heme scavenging agents like haptoglobin and haemopexin and systemic treatment with inhibitors of inflammasomes like telmisartan could be used to prevent and treat cerebral vasospasm, and thus reduce the risk of associated brain injury in premature neonates.

  7. A Heme-responsive Regulator Controls Synthesis of Staphyloferrin B in Staphylococcus aureus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laakso, Holly A; Marolda, Cristina L; Pinter, Tyler B; Stillman, Martin J; Heinrichs, David E

    2016-01-01

    Staphylococcus aureus possesses a multitude of mechanisms by which it can obtain iron during growth under iron starvation conditions. It expresses an effective heme acquisition system (the iron-regulated surface determinant system), it produces two carboxylate-type siderophores staphyloferrin A and staphyloferrin B (SB), and it expresses transporters for many other siderophores that it does not synthesize. The ferric uptake regulator protein regulates expression of genes encoding all of these systems. Mechanisms of fine-tuning expression of iron-regulated genes, beyond simple iron regulation via ferric uptake regulator, have not been uncovered in this organism. Here, we identify the ninth gene of the sbn operon, sbnI, as encoding a ParB/Spo0J-like protein that is required for expression of genes in the sbn operon from sbnD onward. Expression of sbnD-I is drastically decreased in an sbnI mutant, and the mutant does not synthesize detectable SB during early phases of growth. Thus, SB-mediated iron acquisition is impaired in an sbnI mutant strain. We show that the protein forms dimers and tetramers in solution and binds to DNA within the sbnC coding region. Moreover, we show that SbnI binds heme and that heme-bound SbnI does not bind DNA. Finally, we show that providing exogenous heme to S. aureus growing in an iron-free medium results in delayed synthesis of SB. This is the first study in S. aureus that identifies a DNA-binding regulatory protein that senses heme to control gene expression for siderophore synthesis. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  8. Heterologous expression and characterization of a new heme-catalase in Bacillus subtilis 168.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Philibert, Tuyishime; Rao, Zhiming; Yang, Taowei; Zhou, Junping; Huang, Genshu; Irene, Komera; Samuel, Niyomukiza

    2016-06-01

    Reactive oxygen species (ROS) is an inherent consequence to all aerobically living organisms that might lead to the cells being lethal and susceptible to oxidative stress. Bacillus pumilus is characterized by high-resistance oxidative stress that stimulated our interest to investigate the heterologous expression and characterization of heme-catalase as potential biocatalyst. Results indicated that recombinant enzyme significantly exhibited the high catalytic activity of 55,784 U/mg expressed in Bacillus subtilis 168 and 98.097 µmol/min/mg peroxidatic activity, the apparent K m of catalytic activity was 59.6 ± 13 mM with higher turnover rate (K cat = 322.651 × 10(3) s(-1)). The pH dependence of catalatic and peroxidatic activity was pH 7.0 and pH 4.5 respectively with temperature dependence of 40 °C and the recombinant heme-catalase exhibited a strong Fe(2+) preference. It was further revealed that catalase KatX2 improved the resistance oxidative stress of B. subtilis. These findings suggest that this B. pumilus heme-catalase can be considered among the industrially relevant biocatalysts due to its exceptional catalytic rate and high stability and it can be a potential candidate for the improvement of oxidative resistance of industrially produced strains.

  9. Dietary iron controls circadian hepatic glucose metabolism through heme synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simcox, Judith A; Mitchell, Thomas Creighton; Gao, Yan; Just, Steven F; Cooksey, Robert; Cox, James; Ajioka, Richard; Jones, Deborah; Lee, Soh-Hyun; King, Daniel; Huang, Jingyu; McClain, Donald A

    2015-04-01

    The circadian rhythm of the liver maintains glucose homeostasis, and disruption of this rhythm is associated with type 2 diabetes. Feeding is one factor that sets the circadian clock in peripheral tissues, but relatively little is known about the role of specific dietary components in that regard. We assessed the effects of dietary iron on circadian gluconeogenesis. Dietary iron affects circadian glucose metabolism through heme-mediated regulation of the interaction of nuclear receptor subfamily 1 group d member 1 (Rev-Erbα) with its cosuppressor nuclear receptor corepressor 1 (NCOR). Loss of regulated heme synthesis was achieved by aminolevulinic acid (ALA) treatment of mice or cultured cells to bypass the rate-limiting enzyme in hepatic heme synthesis, ALA synthase 1 (ALAS1). ALA treatment abolishes differences in hepatic glucose production and in the expression of gluconeogenic enzymes seen with variation of dietary iron. The differences among diets are also lost with inhibition of heme synthesis with isonicotinylhydrazine. Dietary iron modulates levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α), a transcriptional activator of ALAS1, to affect hepatic heme. Treatment of mice with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine diminishes PGC-1α variation observed among the iron diets, suggesting that iron is acting through reactive oxygen species signaling. © 2015 by the American Diabetes Association. Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered.

  10. Heme Mobilization in Animals: A Metallolipid's Journey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reddi, Amit R; Hamza, Iqbal

    2016-06-21

    Heme is universally recognized as an essential and ubiquitous prosthetic group that enables proteins to carry out a diverse array of functions. All heme-dependent processes, from protein hemylation to heme signaling, require the dynamic and rapid mobilization of heme to hemoproteins present in virtually every subcellular compartment. The cytotoxicity and hydrophobicity of heme necessitates that heme mobilization is carefully controlled at the cellular and systemic level. However, the molecules and mechanisms that mediate heme homeostasis are poorly understood. In this Account, we provide a heuristic paradigm with which to conceptualize heme trafficking and highlight the most recent developments in the mechanisms underlying heme trafficking. As an iron-containing tetrapyrrole, heme exhibits properties of both transition metals and lipids. Accordingly, we propose its transport and trafficking will reflect principles gleaned from the trafficking of both metals and lipids. Using this conceptual framework, we follow the flow of heme from the final step of heme synthesis in the mitochondria to hemoproteins present in various subcellular organelles. Further, given that many cells and animals that cannot make heme can assimilate it intact from nutritional sources, we propose that intercellular heme trafficking pathways must exist. This necessitates that heme be able to be imported and exported from cells, escorted between cells and organs, and regulated at the organismal level via a coordinated systemic process. In this Account, we highlight recently discovered heme transport and trafficking factors and provide the biochemical foundation for the cell and systems biology of heme. Altogether, we seek to reconceptualize heme from an exchange inert cofactor buried in hemoprotein active sites to an exchange labile and mobile metallonutrient.

  11. Heme as a danger molecule in pathogen recognition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wegiel, Barbara; Hauser, Carl J; Otterbein, Leo E

    2015-12-01

    Appropriate control of redox mechanisms are critical for and effective innate immune response, which employs multiple cell types, receptors and molecules that recognize danger signals when they reach the host. Recognition of pathogen-associated pattern molecules (PAMPs) is a fundamental host survival mechanism for efficient elimination of invading pathogens and resolution of the infection and inflammation. In addition to PAMPs, eukaryotic cells contain a plethora of intracellular molecules that are normally secured within the confines of the plasma membrane, but if liberated and encountered in the extracellular milieu can provoke rapid cell activation. These are known as Alarmins or Danger-Associated Molecular Patterns (DAMPs) and can be released actively by cells or passively as a result of sterile cellular injury after trauma, ischemia, or toxin-induced cell rupture. Both PAMPs and DAMPs are recognized by a series of cognate receptors that increase the generation of free radicals and activate specific signaling pathways that result in regulation of a variety of stress response, redox sensitive genes. Multiple mediators released, as cells die include, but are not limited to ATP, hydrogen peroxide, heme, formyl peptides, DNA or mitochondria provide the second signal to amplify immune responses. In this review, we will focus on how sterile and infective stimuli activate the stress response gene heme oxygenase-1 (Hmox1, HO-1), a master gene critical to an appropriate host response that is now recognized as one with enormous therapeutic potential. HO-1 gene expression is regulated in large part by redox-sensitive proteins including but not limited to nrf2. Both PAMPs and DAMPs increase the activation of nrf2 and HO-1. Heme is a powerful pro-oxidant and as such should be qualified as a DAMP. With its degradation by HO-1a molecule of carbon monoxide (CO) is generated that in turn serves as a bioactive signaling molecule. PAMPs such as bacterial endotoxin activate HO-1

  12. Convergence of hepcidin deficiency, systemic iron overloading, heme accumulation, and REV-ERBα/β activation in aryl hydrocarbon receptor-elicited hepatotoxicity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fader, Kelly A.; Nault, Rance [Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 (United States); Institute for Integrative Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 (United States); Kirby, Mathew P.; Markous, Gena [Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 (United States); Matthews, Jason [Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo 0316 (Norway); Zacharewski, Timothy R., E-mail: tzachare@msu.edu [Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 (United States); Institute for Integrative Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 (United States)

    2017-04-15

    Persistent aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists elicit dose-dependent hepatic lipid accumulation, oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrosis in mice. Iron (Fe) promotes AhR-mediated oxidative stress by catalyzing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. To further characterize the role of Fe in AhR-mediated hepatotoxicity, male C57BL/6 mice were orally gavaged with sesame oil vehicle or 0.01–30 μg/kg 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) every 4 days for 28 days. Duodenal epithelial and hepatic RNA-Seq data were integrated with hepatic AhR ChIP-Seq, capillary electrophoresis protein measurements, and clinical chemistry analyses. TCDD dose-dependently repressed hepatic expression of hepcidin (Hamp and Hamp2), the master regulator of systemic Fe homeostasis, resulting in a 2.6-fold increase in serum Fe with accumulating Fe spilling into urine. Total hepatic Fe levels were negligibly increased while transferrin saturation remained unchanged. Furthermore, TCDD elicited dose-dependent gene expression changes in heme biosynthesis including the induction of aminolevulinic acid synthase 1 (Alas1) and repression of uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase (Urod), leading to a 50% increase in hepatic hemin and a 13.2-fold increase in total urinary porphyrins. Consistent with this heme accumulation, differential gene expression suggests that heme activated BACH1 and REV-ERBα/β, causing induction of heme oxygenase 1 (Hmox1) and repression of fatty acid biosynthesis, respectively. Collectively, these results suggest that Hamp repression, Fe accumulation, and increased heme levels converge to promote oxidative stress and the progression of TCDD-elicited hepatotoxicity. - Highlights: • TCDD represses hepatic hepcidin expression, leading to systemic iron overloading. • Dysregulation of heme biosynthesis is consistent with heme and porphyrin accumulation. • Heme-activated REV-ERBα/β repress circadian-regulated hepatic lipid metabolism. • Disruption of iron

  13. Heme Synthesis and Acquisition in Bacterial Pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choby, Jacob E; Skaar, Eric P

    2016-08-28

    Bacterial pathogens require the iron-containing cofactor heme to cause disease. Heme is essential to the function of hemoproteins, which are involved in energy generation by the electron transport chain, detoxification of host immune effectors, and other processes. During infection, bacterial pathogens must synthesize heme or acquire heme from the host; however, host heme is sequestered in high-affinity hemoproteins. Pathogens have evolved elaborate strategies to acquire heme from host sources, particularly hemoglobin, and both heme acquisition and synthesis are important for pathogenesis. Paradoxically, excess heme is toxic to bacteria and pathogens must rely on heme detoxification strategies. Heme is a key nutrient in the struggle for survival between host and pathogen, and its study has offered significant insight into the molecular mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Staphylococcus aureus HemX Modulates Glutamyl-tRNA Reductase Abundance To Regulate Heme Biosynthesis

    OpenAIRE

    Jacob E. Choby; Caroline M. Grunenwald; Arianna I. Celis; Svetlana Y. Gerdes; Jennifer L. DuBois; Eric P. Skaar; Kimberly A. Kline

    2018-01-01

    Staphylococcus aureus is responsible for a significant amount of devastating disease. Its ability to colonize the host and cause infection is supported by a variety of proteins that are dependent on the cofactor heme. Heme is a porphyrin used broadly across kingdoms and is synthesized de novo from common cellular precursors and iron. While heme is critical to bacterial physiology, it is also toxic in high concentrations, requiring that organisms encode regulatory processes to control heme hom...

  15. Therapeutic Roles of Heme Oxygenase-1 in Metabolic Diseases: Curcumin and Resveratrol Analogues as Possible Inducers of Heme Oxygenase-1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yong Son

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Metabolic diseases, such as insulin resistance, type II diabetes, and obesity, are associated with a low-grade chronic inflammation (inflammatory stress, oxidative stress, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress. Because the integration of these stresses is critical to the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases, agents and cellular molecules that can modulate these stress responses are emerging as potential targets for intervention and treatment of metabolic diseases. It has been recognized that heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1 plays an important role in cellular protection. Because HO-1 can reduce inflammatory stress, oxidative stress, and ER stress, in part by exerting antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects, HO-1 has been suggested to play important roles in pathogenesis of metabolic diseases. In the present review, we will explore our current understanding of the protective mechanisms of HO-1 in metabolic diseases and present some emerging therapeutic options for HO-1 expression in treating metabolic diseases, together with the therapeutic potential of curcumin and resveratrol analogues that have their ability to induce HO-1 expression.

  16. Iron accumulation with age, oxidative stress and functional decline.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jinze Xu

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Identification of biological mediators in sarcopenia is pertinent to the development of targeted interventions to alleviate this condition. Iron is recognized as a potent pro-oxidant and a catalyst for the formation of reactive oxygen species in biological systems. It is well accepted that iron accumulates with senescence in several organs, but little is known about iron accumulation in muscle and how it may affect muscle function. In addition, it is unclear if interventions which reduced age-related loss of muscle quality, such as calorie restriction, impact iron accumulation. We investigated non-heme iron concentration, oxidative stress to nucleic acids in gastrocnemius muscle and key indices of sarcopenia (muscle mass and grip strength in male Fischer 344 X Brown Norway rats fed ad libitum (AL or a calorie restricted diet (60% of ad libitum food intake starting at 4 months of age at 8, 18, 29 and 37 months of age. Total non-heme iron levels in the gastrocnemius muscle of AL rats increased progressively with age. Between 29 and 37 months of age, the non-heme iron concentration increased by approximately 200% in AL-fed rats. Most importantly, the levels of oxidized RNA in gastrocnemius muscle of AL rats were significantly increased as well. The striking age-associated increase in non-heme iron and oxidized RNA levels and decrease in sarcopenia indices were all attenuated in the calorie restriction (CR rats. These findings strongly suggest that the age-related iron accumulation in muscle contributes to increased oxidative damage and sarcopenia, and that CR effectively attenuates these negative effects.

  17. A Heme-responsive Regulator Controls Synthesis of Staphyloferrin B in Staphylococcus aureus*♦

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laakso, Holly A.; Marolda, Cristina L.; Pinter, Tyler B.; Stillman, Martin J.; Heinrichs, David E.

    2016-01-01

    Staphylococcus aureus possesses a multitude of mechanisms by which it can obtain iron during growth under iron starvation conditions. It expresses an effective heme acquisition system (the iron-regulated surface determinant system), it produces two carboxylate-type siderophores staphyloferrin A and staphyloferrin B (SB), and it expresses transporters for many other siderophores that it does not synthesize. The ferric uptake regulator protein regulates expression of genes encoding all of these systems. Mechanisms of fine-tuning expression of iron-regulated genes, beyond simple iron regulation via ferric uptake regulator, have not been uncovered in this organism. Here, we identify the ninth gene of the sbn operon, sbnI, as encoding a ParB/Spo0J-like protein that is required for expression of genes in the sbn operon from sbnD onward. Expression of sbnD–I is drastically decreased in an sbnI mutant, and the mutant does not synthesize detectable SB during early phases of growth. Thus, SB-mediated iron acquisition is impaired in an sbnI mutant strain. We show that the protein forms dimers and tetramers in solution and binds to DNA within the sbnC coding region. Moreover, we show that SbnI binds heme and that heme-bound SbnI does not bind DNA. Finally, we show that providing exogenous heme to S. aureus growing in an iron-free medium results in delayed synthesis of SB. This is the first study in S. aureus that identifies a DNA-binding regulatory protein that senses heme to control gene expression for siderophore synthesis. PMID:26534960

  18. Genetic Variability of the Heme Uptake System among Different Strains of the Fish Pathogen Vibrio anguillarum: Identification of a New Heme Receptor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mouriño, Susana; Rodríguez-Ares, Isabel; Osorio, Carlos R.; Lemos, Manuel L.

    2005-01-01

    The ability to utilize heme compounds as iron sources was investigated in Vibrio anguillarum strains belonging to serotypes O1 to O10. All strains, regardless of their serotype or isolation origin could utilize hemin and hemoglobin as sole iron sources. Similarly, all of the isolates could bind hemin and Congo red, and this binding was mediated by cell envelope proteins. PCR and Southern hybridization were used to assay the occurrence of heme transport genes huvABCD, which have been previously described in serotype O1. Of 23 strains studied, two serotype O3 isolates proved negative for all huvABCD genes, whereas nine strains included in serotypes O2, O3, O4, O6, O7, and O10 tested negative for the outer membrane heme receptor gene huvA. A gene coding for a novel outer membrane heme receptor was cloned and characterized in a V. anguillarum serotype O3 strain lacking huvA. The new heme receptor, named HuvS, showed significant similarity to other outer membrane heme receptors described in Vibrionaceae, but little homology (39%) to HuvA. This heme receptor was present in 9 out of 11 of the V. anguillarum strains that tested negative for HuvA. Furthermore, complementation experiments demonstrated that HuvS could substitute for the HuvA function in Escherichia coli and V. anguillarum mutants. The huvS and huvA sequences alignment, as well as the analysis of their respective upstream and downstream DNA sequences, suggest that horizontal transfer and recombination might be responsible for generating this genetic diversity. PMID:16332832

  19. A Heme-based Redox Sensor in the Methanogenic Archaeon Methanosarcina acetivorans*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molitor, Bastian; Stassen, Marc; Modi, Anuja; El-Mashtoly, Samir F.; Laurich, Christoph; Lubitz, Wolfgang; Dawson, John H.; Rother, Michael; Frankenberg-Dinkel, Nicole

    2013-01-01

    Based on a bioinformatics study, the protein MA4561 from the methanogenic archaeon Methanosarcina acetivorans was originally predicted to be a multidomain phytochrome-like photosensory kinase possibly binding open-chain tetrapyrroles. Although we were able to show that recombinantly produced and purified protein does not bind any known phytochrome chromophores, UV-visible spectroscopy revealed the presence of a heme tetrapyrrole cofactor. In contrast to many other known cytoplasmic heme-containing proteins, the heme was covalently attached via one vinyl side chain to cysteine 656 in the second GAF domain. This GAF domain by itself is sufficient for covalent attachment. Resonance Raman and magnetic circular dichroism data support a model of a six-coordinate heme species with additional features of a five-coordination structure. The heme cofactor is redox-active and able to coordinate various ligands like imidazole, dimethyl sulfide, and carbon monoxide depending on the redox state. Interestingly, the redox state of the heme cofactor has a substantial influence on autophosphorylation activity. Although reduced protein does not autophosphorylate, oxidized protein gives a strong autophosphorylation signal independent from bound external ligands. Based on its genomic localization, MA4561 is most likely a sensor kinase of a two-component system effecting regulation of the Mts system, a set of three homologous corrinoid/methyltransferase fusion protein isoforms involved in methyl sulfide metabolism. Consistent with this prediction, an M. acetivorans mutant devoid of MA4561 constitutively synthesized MtsF. On the basis of our results, we postulate a heme-based redox/dimethyl sulfide sensory function of MA4561 and propose to designate it MsmS (methyl sulfide methyltransferase-associated sensor). PMID:23661702

  20. Effects of 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane on hepatic heme synthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moody, D.E.; Clawson, G.A.; Piper, W.N.; Smuckler, E.A.

    1984-01-01

    Previous studies showed that 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) caused a decrease in hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 suggesting that hepatic heme metabolism may be affected by DBCP treatment. Various parameters of hepatic heme synthesis were measured at intervals ranging from 0 to 72 hr in male Sprague-Dawley rats given a single oral dose (200 mg/kg) of DBCP. Incorporation of the radiolabeled heme precursor [delta-14C]aminolevulinic acid (14C-ALA) into liver, protein, extracted heme, and subcellular fractions of liver homogenates was significantly decreased to 75, 58, and 81% of controls, respectively, at 24 hr. At 48 and 72 hr after DBCP treatment, the accumulation of 14C-ALA label after 4 hr in liver homogenates and subcellular fractions was significantly increased in comparison to controls. These changes in 14C-ALA uptake were accompanied by decreases in total liver and microsomal heme, but not mitochondrial heme. Decreases were found in the spectral content of two heme proteins, cytochromes P-450 and b5, and the activity of another heme protein, catalase. Heme oxygenase activity increased to 130, 151, 209, and 186% of control values at 12, 24, 48, and 72 hr after DBCP, respectively. A slight, but significant, increase in ALA-synthetase to 112% of controls occurred at 24 hr, and slight, but significant, decreases in ALA-dehydratase to 90 and 80% of control occurred at 12 and 24 hr, respectively. No significant changes in uroporphyrinogen-1-synthetase or ferrochelatase at the time points tested was noted. The porphyrin content of liver was increased to 130% of control, while the serum and urine porphyrin levels were decreased to 30% of the control values at 24 hr. Liver ALA content was not significantly altered through the time period studied, but serum and urine levels were increased at 24 hr to 176 and 130% of the control values, respectively. In conclusion, the decreases in liver heme proteins following a single oral dose of DBCP are accompanied by

  1. Heme Oxygenase Induction Suppresses Hepatic Hepcidin and Rescues Ferroportin and Ferritin Expression in Obese Mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nitin Puri

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Hepcidin, a phase II reactant secreted by hepatocytes, regulates cellular iron levels by increasing internalization of ferroportin-a transmembrane protein facilitating egress of cellular iron. Chronic low-grade inflammatory states, such as obesity, have been shown to increase oxidative stress and enhance hepcidin secretion from hepatocytes and macrophages. Heme-heme oxygenase (HO is a stress response system which reduces oxidative stress. We investigated the effects of HO-1 induction on hepatic hepcidin levels and on iron homeostasis in hepatic tissues from lean and obese mice. Obese mice exhibited hyperglycemia (p<0.05; increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines (MCP-1, IL-6, p<0.05; oxidative stress (p<0.05; and increased hepatic hepcidin levels (p<0.05. Enhancement of hepcidin was reflected in the reduced expression of ferroportin in obese mice (p<0.05. However, this effect is accompanied by a significant decline in ferritin expression. Additionally, there are reduced insulin receptor phosphorylation and attenuation of metabolic regulators pAMPK, pAKT, and pLKB1. Cobalt protoporphyrin- (CoPP- induced HO-1 upregulation in obese mice reversed these alterations (p<0.05, while attenuating hepatic hepcidin levels. These effects of CoPP were prevented in obese mice concurrently exposed to an inhibitor of HO (SnMP (p<0.05. Our results highlight a modulatory effect of HO on iron homeostasis mediated through the suppression of hepatic hepcidin.

  2. Binding analysis of ferritin with heme using α-casein and biotinylated-hemin: detection of heme-binding capacity of Dpr derived from heme synthesis-deficient Streptococcus mutans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mieno, Ayako; Yamamoto, Yuji; Yoshikawa, Yasunaga; Watanabe, Kiyotaka; Mukai, Takao; Orino, Koichi

    2013-01-01

    Bacterial and mammalian ferritins are known to bind heme. The use of α-casein and biotinylated hemin could be applicable to detection of protein-bound heme and of proteins with heme-binding capacity, respectively. Although commercial horse spleen ferritin and purified horse spleen ferritin (L:H subunit ratio=4) bound to an α-casein-coated plate, and this binding could be inhibited by hemin, recombinant iron-binding protein (rDpr), derived from heme-deficient Streptococcus mutans and expressed in Escherichia coli, did not bind to an α-casein-coated plate. Both horse spleen ferritins bound to α-casein-immobilized beads. Commercial horse spleen ferritin and rDpr showed direct binding to hemin-agarose beads. After preincubation of commercial horse spleen ferritin or rDpr with biotinylated hemin, they showed indirect binding to avidin-immobilized beads through biotinylated hemin. These results demonstrate that α-casein is useful for detection of heme-binding ferritin and that both hemin-agarose and the combination of biotinylated hemin and avidin-beads are useful for detection of the heme-binding capacity of ferritin. In addition, this study also revealed that Dpr, a decameric iron-binding protein, from heme-deficient cells binds heme.

  3. Effect of lead on heme synthesis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Neuberger, A.

    1975-01-01

    Recently, a fair amount of work has been done on the effect of lead on porphobilinogen dehydratase, which has been used as a sensitive indicator of lead poisoning. How far this is in itself harmful depends on the Michaelis constants of both the aminolaevulinic synthetase and of the dehydratase, and in addition on the relative activities of the two enzymes in a cell and also on the tissue concentration of glycine. Information on some of these points is still fragmentary, and a reliable judgement is at the present not very easy. Another step in the heme synthesis, which is sensitive to low concentrations of lead, is the incorporation of iron into protoporphyrin. Inhibition of this step may be important in accounting to a large extent for the anaemia found in individuals with lead poisoning. Reduction in the tissue concentration of heme or of heme-like compounds may also explain, through the mechanism of de-repression, the excretion of increased amounts of aminolaevulinic acid in the urine observed in cases of lead poisoning. A third step in heme synthesis, which might be sensitive to lead, is the oxidative decarboxylation of coproporphyrin to protoporphyrin, and this may explain why the former derivative is excreted in the urine. Recent work of the Harvard Medical School has indicated that greatly reduced levels of ALA dehydratase may be found in most cases of severe liver damage due to alcoholism. In most of these cases the level of lead in the blood is within normal limits, and there is no history of exposure to toxic amounts of lead. We therefore have to assume that a reduction in the blood level of this enzyme is not necessarily an indication of lead poisoning.

  4. Heme Synthesis and Acquisition in Bacterial Pathogens

    OpenAIRE

    Choby, Jacob E.; Skaar, Eric P.

    2016-01-01

    Bacterial pathogens require the iron-containing cofactor heme to cause disease. Heme is essential to the function of hemoproteins, which are involved in energy generation by the electron transport chain, detoxification of host immune effectors, and other processes. During infection, bacterial pathogens must synthesize heme or acquire heme from the host; however, host heme is sequestered in high-affinity hemoproteins. Pathogens have evolved elaborate strategies to acquire heme from host source...

  5. Ironing out the Details: Exploring the Role of Iron and Heme in Blood-Sucking Arthropods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whiten, Shavonn R.; Eggleston, Heather; Adelman, Zach N.

    2018-01-01

    Heme and iron are essential molecules for many physiological processes and yet have the ability to cause oxidative damage such as lipid peroxidation, protein degradation, and ultimately cell death if not controlled. Blood-sucking arthropods have evolved diverse methods to protect themselves against iron/heme-related damage, as the act of bloodfeeding itself is high risk, high reward process. Protective mechanisms in medically important arthropods include the midgut peritrophic matrix in mosquitoes, heme aggregation into the crystalline structure hemozoin in kissing bugs and hemosomes in ticks. Once heme and iron pass these protective mechanisms they are presumed to enter the midgut epithelial cells via membrane-bound transporters, though relatively few iron or heme transporters have been identified in bloodsucking arthropods. Upon iron entry into midgut epithelial cells, ferritin serves as the universal storage protein and transport for dietary iron in many organisms including arthropods. In addition to its role as a nutrient, heme is also an important signaling molecule in the midgut epithelial cells for many physiological processes including vitellogenesis. This review article will summarize recent advancements in heme/iron uptake, detoxification and exportation in bloodfeeding arthropods. While initial strides have been made at ironing out the role of dietary iron and heme in arthropods, much still remains to be discovered as these molecules may serve as novel targets for the control of many arthropod pests. PMID:29387018

  6. Multi-heme Cytochromes in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1: Structures, functions and opportunities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Breuer, Marian; Rosso, Kevin M.; Blumberger, Jochen; Butt, Julea N.

    2014-11-05

    Multi-heme cytochromes are employed by a range of microorganisms to transport electrons over distances of up to tens of nanometers. Perhaps the most spectacular utilization of these proteins is in the reduction of extracellular solid substrates, including electrodes and insoluble mineral oxides of Fe(III) and Mn(III/IV), by species of Shewanella and Geobacter. However, multi-heme cytochromes are found in numerous and phylogenetically diverse prokaryotes where they participate in electron transfer and redox catalysis that contributes to biogeochemical cycling of N, S and Fe on the global scale. These properties of multi-heme cytochromes have attracted much interest and contributed to advances in bioenergy applications and bioremediation of contaminated soils. Looking forward there are opportunities to engage multi-heme cytochromes for biological photovoltaic cells, microbial electrosynthesis and developing bespoke molecular devices. As a consequence it is timely to review our present understanding of these proteins and we do this here with a focus on the multitude of functionally diverse multi-heme cytochromes in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. We draw on findings from experimental and computational approaches which ideally complement each other in the study of these systems: computational methods can interpret experimentally determined properties in terms of molecular structure to cast light on the relation between structure and function. We show how this synergy has contributed to our understanding of multi-heme cytochromes and can be expected to continue to do so for greater insight into natural processes and their informed exploitation in biotechnologies.

  7. The protein inhibitor of nNOS (PIN/DLC1/LC8) binding does not inhibit the NADPH-dependent heme reduction in nNOS, a key step in NO synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parhad, Swapnil S; Jaiswal, Deepa; Ray, Krishanu; Mazumdar, Shyamalava

    2016-03-25

    The neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is an essential enzyme involved in the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO), a potent neurotransmitter. Although previous studies have indicated that the dynein light chain 1 (DLC1) binding to nNOS could inhibit the NO synthesis, the claim is challenged by contradicting reports. Thus, the mechanism of nNOS regulation remained unclear. nNOS has a heme-bearing, Cytochrome P450 core, and the functional enzyme is a dimer. The electron flow from NADPH to Flavin, and finally to the heme of the paired nNOS subunit within a dimer, is facilitated upon calmodulin (CaM) binding. Here, we show that DLC1 binding to nNOS-CaM complex does not affect the electron transport from the reductase to the oxygenase domain. Therefore, it cannot inhibit the rate of NADPH-dependent heme reduction in nNOS, which results in l-Arginine oxidation. Also, the NO release activity does not decrease with increasing DLC1 concentration in the reaction mix, which further confirmed that DLC1 does not inhibit nNOS activity. These findings suggest that the DLC1 binding may have other implications for the nNOS function in the cell. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Using porphyrin-amino acid pairs to model the electrochemistry of heme proteins: experimental and theoretical investigations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samajdar, Rudra N; Manogaran, Dhivya; Yashonath, S; Bhattacharyya, Aninda J

    2018-04-18

    Quasi reversibility in electrochemical cycling between different oxidation states of iron is an often seen characteristic of iron containing heme proteins that bind dioxygen. Surprisingly, the system becomes fully reversible in the bare iron-porphyrin complex: hemin. This leads to the speculation that the polypeptide bulk (globin) around the iron-porphyrin active site in these heme proteins is probably responsible for the electrochemical quasi reversibility. To understand the effect of such polypeptide bulk on iron-porphyrin, we study the interaction of specific amino acids with the hemin center in solution. We choose three representative amino acids-histidine (a well-known iron coordinator in bio-inorganic systems), tryptophan (a well-known fluoroprobe for proteins), and cysteine (a redox-active organic molecule). The interactions of these amino acids with hemin are studied using electrochemistry, spectroscopy, and density functional theory. The results indicate that among these three, the interaction of histidine with the iron center is strongest. Further, histidine maintains the electrochemical reversibility of iron. On the other hand, tryptophan and cysteine interact weakly with the iron center but disturb the electrochemical reversibility by contributing their own redox active processes to the system. Put together, this study attempts to understand the molecular interactions that can control electrochemical reversibility in heme proteins. The results obtained here from the three representative amino acids can be scaled up to build a heme-amino acid interaction database that may predict the electrochemical properties of any protein with a defined polypeptide sequence.

  9. Selenolate complexes of CYP101 and the heme-bound hHO-1/H25A proximal cavity mutant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Yongying; Ortiz de Montellano, Paul R

    2008-05-05

    Thiolate and selenolate complexes of CYP101 (P450cam) and the H25A proximal cavity mutant of heme-bound human heme oxygenase-1 (hHO-1) have been examined by UV-vis spectroscopy. Both thiolate and selenolate ligands bound to the heme distal side in CYP101 and gave rise to characteristic hyperporphyrin spectra. Thiolate ligands also bound to the proximal side of the heme in the cavity created by the H25A mutation in hHO-1, giving a Soret absorption similar to that of the H25C hHO-1 mutant. Selenolate ligands also bound to this cavity mutant under anaerobic conditions but reduced the heme iron to the ferrous state, as shown by the formation of a ferrous CO complex. Under aerobic conditions, the selenolate ligand but not the thiolate ligand was rapidly oxidized. These results indicate that selenocysteine-coordinated heme proteins will not be stable species in the absence of a redox potential stabilizing effect.

  10. Dietary hemoglobin rescues young piglets from severe iron deficiency anemia: Duodenal expression profile of genes involved in heme iron absorption.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert Staroń

    Full Text Available Heme is an efficient source of iron in the diet, and heme preparations are used to prevent and cure iron deficiency anemia in humans and animals. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for heme absorption remain only partially characterized. Here, we employed young iron-deficient piglets as a convenient animal model to determine the efficacy of oral heme iron supplementation and investigate the pathways of heme iron absorption. The use of bovine hemoglobin as a dietary source of heme iron was found to efficiently counteract the development of iron deficiency anemia in piglets, although it did not fully rebalance their iron status. Our results revealed a concerted increase in the expression of genes responsible for apical and basolateral heme transport in the duodenum of piglets fed a heme-enriched diet. In these animals the catalytic activity of heme oxygenase 1 contributed to the release of elemental iron from the protoporphyrin ring of heme within enterocytes, which may then be transported by the strongly expressed ferroportin across the basolateral membrane to the circulation. We hypothesize that the well-recognized high bioavailability of heme iron may depend on a split pathway mediating the transport of heme-derived elemental iron and intact heme from the interior of duodenal enterocytes to the bloodstream.

  11. Increased heme synthesis in yeast induces a metabolic switch from fermentation to respiration even under conditions of glucose repression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Tiantian; Bu, Pengli; Zeng, Joey; Vancura, Ales

    2017-10-13

    Regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis and respiration is a complex process that involves several signaling pathways and transcription factors as well as communication between the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. Under aerobic conditions, the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolizes glucose predominantly by glycolysis and fermentation. We have recently shown that altered chromatin structure in yeast induces respiration by a mechanism that requires transport and metabolism of pyruvate in mitochondria. However, how pyruvate controls the transcriptional responses underlying the metabolic switch from fermentation to respiration is unknown. Here, we report that this pyruvate effect involves heme. We found that heme induces transcription of HAP4 , the transcriptional activation subunit of the Hap2/3/4/5p complex, required for growth on nonfermentable carbon sources, in a Hap1p- and Hap2/3/4/5p-dependent manner. Increasing cellular heme levels by inactivating ROX1 , which encodes a repressor of many hypoxic genes, or by overexpressing HEM3 or HEM12 induced respiration and elevated ATP levels. Increased heme synthesis, even under conditions of glucose repression, activated Hap1p and the Hap2/3/4/5p complex and induced transcription of HAP4 and genes required for the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, electron transport chain, and oxidative phosphorylation, leading to a switch from fermentation to respiration. Conversely, inhibiting metabolic flux into the TCA cycle reduced cellular heme levels and HAP4 transcription. Together, our results indicate that the glucose-mediated repression of respiration in budding yeast is at least partly due to the low cellular heme level. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  12. Conversion of a heme-based oxygen sensor to a heme oxygenase by hydrogen sulfide: effects of mutations in the heme distal side of a heme-based oxygen sensor phosphodiesterase (Ec DOS)

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Du, Y.; Liu, G.; Yan, Y.; Huang, D.; Luo, W.; Martínková, M.; Man, Petr; Shimizu, T.

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 26, č. 5 (2013), s. 839-852 ISSN 0966-0844 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 Keywords : Heme oxygenase * Heme protein * Hydrogen sulfide Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry Impact factor: 2.689, year: 2013

  13. Disruption of a hydrogen bond network in human versus spider monkey cytochrome c affects heme crevice stability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldes, Matthew E; Jeakins-Cooley, Margaret E; McClelland, Levi J; Mou, Tung-Chung; Bowler, Bruce E

    2016-05-01

    The hypothesis that the recent rapid evolution of primate cytochromes c, which primarily involves residues in the least stable Ω-loop (Ω-loop C, residues 40-57), stabilizes the heme crevice of cytochrome c relative to other mammals, is tested. To accomplish this goal, we have compared the properties of human and spider monkey cytochrome c and a set of four variants produced in the process of converting human cytochrome c into spider monkey cytochrome c. The global stability of all variants has been measured by guanidine hydrochloride denaturation. The stability of the heme crevice has been assessed with the alkaline conformational transition. Structural insight into the effects of the five amino acid substitutions needed to convert human cytochrome c into spider monkey cytochrome c is provided by a 1.15Å resolution structure of spider monkey cytochrome c. The global stability for all variants is near 9.0kcal/mol at 25°C and pH7, which is higher than that observed for other mammalian cytochromes c. The heme crevice stability is more sensitive to the substitutions required to produce spider monkey cytochrome c with decreases of up to 0.5 units in the apparent pKa of the alkaline conformational transition relative to human cytochrome c. The structure of spider monkey cytochrome c indicates that the Y46F substitution destabilizes the heme crevice by disrupting an extensive hydrogen bond network that connects three surface loops including Ω-loop D (residues 70-85), which contains the Met80 heme ligand. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Edaravone protected PC12 cells against MPP(+)-cytoxicity via inhibiting oxidative stress and up-regulating heme oxygenase-1 expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Baohua; Guo, Yunliang; Li, Chuangang; Ji, Bingyuan; Pan, Yanyou; Chen, Jing; Bai, Bo

    2014-08-15

    Oxidative stress is involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Edaravone has been shown to have a neuroprotective effect. In the present work, we investigated the effect of edaravone on 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP(+))-treated PC12 cells. Edaravone inhibited the decrease of cell viability and apoptosis induced by MPP(+) in PC12 cells. In addition, edaravone alleviated intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. MPP(+) induced heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression, which was further enhanced by edaravone. The inhibitor of HO-1 zinc protoporphyrin-IX attenuated the neuroprotection of edaravone. So edaravone protected PC12 cells against MPP(+)-cytoxicity via inhibiting oxidative stress and up-regulating HO-1 expression. The data showed that edaravone was neuroprotective and could be potentially therapeutics for PD in future. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. The Haptoglobin-CD163-Heme Oxygenase-1 Pathway for Hemoglobin Scavenging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jens Haugbølle Thomsen

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The haptoglobin- (Hp- CD163-heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1 pathway is an efficient captor-receptor-enzyme system to circumvent the hemoglobin (Hb/heme-induced toxicity during physiological and pathological hemolyses. In this pathway, Hb tightly binds to Hp leading to CD163-mediated uptake of the complex in macrophages followed by lysosomal Hp-Hb breakdown and HO-1-catalyzed conversion of heme into the metabolites carbon monoxide (CO, biliverdin, and iron. The plasma concentration of Hp is a limiting factor as evident during accelerated hemolysis, where the Hp depletion may cause serious Hb-induced toxicity and put pressure on backup protecting systems such as the hemopexin-CD91-HO pathway. The Hp-CD163-HO-1 pathway proteins are regulated by the acute phase mediator interleukin-6 (IL-6, but other regulatory factors indicate that this upregulation is a counteracting anti-inflammatory response during inflammation. The heme metabolites including bilirubin converted from biliverdin have overall an anti-inflammatory effect and thus reinforce the anti-inflammatory efficacy of the Hp-CD163-HO-1 pathway. Future studies of animal models of inflammation should further define the importance of the pathway in the anti-inflammatory response.

  16. HemeBIND: a novel method for heme binding residue prediction by combining structural and sequence information

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hu Jianjun

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Accurate prediction of binding residues involved in the interactions between proteins and small ligands is one of the major challenges in structural bioinformatics. Heme is an essential and commonly used ligand that plays critical roles in electron transfer, catalysis, signal transduction and gene expression. Although much effort has been devoted to the development of various generic algorithms for ligand binding site prediction over the last decade, no algorithm has been specifically designed to complement experimental techniques for identification of heme binding residues. Consequently, an urgent need is to develop a computational method for recognizing these important residues. Results Here we introduced an efficient algorithm HemeBIND for predicting heme binding residues by integrating structural and sequence information. We systematically investigated the characteristics of binding interfaces based on a non-redundant dataset of heme-protein complexes. It was found that several sequence and structural attributes such as evolutionary conservation, solvent accessibility, depth and protrusion clearly illustrate the differences between heme binding and non-binding residues. These features can then be separately used or combined to build the structure-based classifiers using support vector machine (SVM. The results showed that the information contained in these features is largely complementary and their combination achieved the best performance. To further improve the performance, an attempt has been made to develop a post-processing procedure to reduce the number of false positives. In addition, we built a sequence-based classifier based on SVM and sequence profile as an alternative when only sequence information can be used. Finally, we employed a voting method to combine the outputs of structure-based and sequence-based classifiers, which demonstrated remarkably better performance than the individual classifier alone

  17. The Thr-His Connection on the Distal Heme of Catalase-Related Hemoproteins: A Hallmark of Reaction with Fatty Acid Hydroperoxides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mashhadi, Zahra; Newcomer, Marcia E; Brash, Alan R

    2016-11-03

    This review focuses on a group of heme peroxidases that retain the catalase fold in structure, yet show little or no reaction with hydrogen peroxide. Instead of having a role in oxidative defense, these enzymes are involved in secondary metabolite biosynthesis. The prototypical enzyme is catalase-related allene oxide synthase, an enzyme that converts a specific fatty acid hydroperoxide to the corresponding allene oxide (epoxide). Other catalase-related enzymes form allylic epoxides, aldehydes, or a bicyclobutane fatty acid. In all catalases (including these relatives), a His residue on the distal face of the heme is absolutely required for activity. Its immediate neighbor in sequence as well as in 3 D space is conserved as Val in true catalases and Thr in the fatty acid hydroperoxide-metabolizing enzymes. Thr-His on the distal face of the heme is critical in switching the substrate specificity from H 2 O 2 to fatty acid hydroperoxide. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. Regulation of heme oxygenase-1 expression and MAPK pathways in response to kaempferol and rhamnocitrin in PC12 cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hong, J.-T.; Yen, J.-H.; Wang Lisu; Lo, Y.-H.; Chen, Z.-T.; Wu, M.-J.

    2009-01-01

    Oxidative stress has been considered as a major cause of cellular injuries in a variety of clinical abnormalities, especially neural diseases. Our aim of research is to investigate the protective effects and mechanisms of kaempferol and rhamnocitrin (kaempferol-7-methyl ether) on oxidative damage in rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells induced by a limited supply of serum and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). The current result demonstrated that kaempferol protected PC12 cells from serum deprivation-induced apoptosis. Pretreatment of cells with kaempferol also diminished intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in response to H 2 O 2 and strongly elevated cell viability. RT-Q-PCR and Western blotting revealed that kaempferol and rhamnocitrin significantly induced heme oxygenase (HO)-1 gene expression. Addition of zinc protoporphyrin (Znpp), a HO-1 competitive inhibitor, significantly attenuated their protective effects in H 2 O 2 -treated cells, indicating the vital role of HO-1 in cell resistance to oxidative injury. While investigating the signaling pathways responsible for HO-1 induction, we observed that kaempferol induced sustained extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in PC12 cells grown in low serum medium; while rhamnocitrin only stimulated transient ERK cascade. Addition of U0126, a highly selective inhibitor of MEK1/2, which is upstream of ERK1/2, had no effect on kaempferol- or rhamnocitrin-induced HO-1 mRNA expression, indicating no direct cross-talk between these two pathways. Furthermore, both kaempferol and rhamnocitrin were able to persistently attenuate p38 phosphorylation. Taking together, the above findings suggest that kaempferol and rhamnocitrin can augment cellular antioxidant defense capacity, at least in part, through regulation of HO-1 expression and MAPK signal transduction.

  19. Reduced heme levels underlie the exponential growth defect of the Shewanella oneidensis hfq mutant.

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    Christopher M Brennan

    Full Text Available The RNA chaperone Hfq fulfills important roles in small regulatory RNA (sRNA function in many bacteria. Loss of Hfq in the dissimilatory metal reducing bacterium Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1 results in slow exponential phase growth and a reduced terminal cell density at stationary phase. We have found that the exponential phase growth defect of the hfq mutant in LB is the result of reduced heme levels. Both heme levels and exponential phase growth of the hfq mutant can be completely restored by supplementing LB medium with 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA, the first committed intermediate synthesized during heme synthesis. Increasing expression of gtrA, which encodes the enzyme that catalyzes the first step in heme biosynthesis, also restores heme levels and exponential phase growth of the hfq mutant. Taken together, our data indicate that reduced heme levels are responsible for the exponential growth defect of the S. oneidensis hfq mutant in LB medium and suggest that the S. oneidensis hfq mutant is deficient in heme production at the 5-ALA synthesis step.

  20. The induction of two biosynthetic enzymes helps Escherichia coli sustain heme synthesis and activate catalase during hydrogen peroxide stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mancini, Stefano; Imlay, James A

    2015-05-01

    Hydrogen peroxide pervades many natural environments, including the phagosomes that mediate cell-based immunity. Transcriptomic analysis showed that during protracted low-grade H(2)O(2) stress, Escherichia coli responds by activating both the OxyR defensive regulon and the Fur iron-starvation response. OxyR induced synthesis of two members of the nine-step heme biosynthetic pathway: ferrochelatase (HemH) and an isozyme of coproporphyrinogen III oxidase (HemF). Mutations that blocked either adaptation caused the accumulation of porphyrin intermediates, inadequate activation of heme enzymes, low catalase activity, defective clearance of H(2)O(2) and a failure to grow. Genetic analysis indicated that HemH induction is needed to compensate for iron sequestration by the mini-ferritin Dps. Dps activity protects DNA and proteins by limiting Fenton chemistry, but it interferes with the ability of HemH to acquire the iron that it needs to complete heme synthesis. HemF is a manganoprotein that displaces HemN, an iron-sulfur enzyme whose synthesis and/or stability is apparently problematic during H(2)O(2) stress. Thus, the primary responses to H(2)O(2), including the sequestration of iron, require compensatory adjustments in the mechanisms of iron-cofactor synthesis. The results support the growing evidence that oxidative stress is primarily an iron pathology. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Identification of the Mitochondrial Heme Metabolism Complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medlock, Amy E; Shiferaw, Mesafint T; Marcero, Jason R; Vashisht, Ajay A; Wohlschlegel, James A; Phillips, John D; Dailey, Harry A

    2015-01-01

    Heme is an essential cofactor for most organisms and all metazoans. While the individual enzymes involved in synthesis and utilization of heme are fairly well known, less is known about the intracellular trafficking of porphyrins and heme, or regulation of heme biosynthesis via protein complexes. To better understand this process we have undertaken a study of macromolecular assemblies associated with heme synthesis. Herein we have utilized mass spectrometry with coimmunoprecipitation of tagged enzymes of the heme biosynthetic pathway in a developing erythroid cell culture model to identify putative protein partners. The validity of these data obtained in the tagged protein system is confirmed by normal porphyrin/heme production by the engineered cells. Data obtained are consistent with the presence of a mitochondrial heme metabolism complex which minimally consists of ferrochelatase, protoporphyrinogen oxidase and aminolevulinic acid synthase-2. Additional proteins involved in iron and intermediary metabolism as well as mitochondrial transporters were identified as potential partners in this complex. The data are consistent with the known location of protein components and support a model of transient protein-protein interactions within a dynamic protein complex.

  2. Allocation of Heme is Differentially Regulated by Ferrochelatase Isoforms in Arabidopsis Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nino Asuela Espinas

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Heme is involved in various biological processes as a cofactor of hemoproteins located in various organelles. In plant cells, heme is synthesized by two isoforms of plastid-localized ferrochelatase, FC1 and FC2. In this study, by characterizing Arabidopsis T-DNA insertional mutants, we showed that the allocation of heme is differentially regulated by ferrochelatase isoforms in plant cells. Analyses of weak (fc1-1 and null (fc1-2 mutants suggest that FC1-producing heme is required for initial growth of seedling development. In contrast, weak (fc2-1 and null (fc2-2 mutants of FC2 showed pale green leaves and retarded growth, indicating that FC2-producing heme is necessary for chloroplast development. During the initial growth stage, FC2 deficiency caused reduction of plastid cytochromes. In addition, although FC2 deficiency marginally affected the assembly of photosynthetic reaction center complexes, it caused relatively larger but insufficient light-harvesting antenna to reaction centers, resulting in lower efficiency of photosynthesis. In the later vegetative growth, however, fc2-2 recovered photosynthetic growth, showing that FC1-producing heme may complement the FC2 deficiency. On the other hand, reduced level of cytochromes in microsomal fraction was discovered in fc1-1, suggesting that FC1-producing heme is mainly allocated to extraplastidic organelles. Furthermore, the expression of FC1 is induced by the treatment of an elicitor flg22 while that of FC2 was reduced, and fc1-1 abolished the flg22-dependent induction of FC1 expression and peroxidase activity. Consequently, our results clarified that FC2 produces heme for the photosynthetic machinery in the chloroplast, while FC1 is the housekeeping enzyme providing heme cofactor to the entire cell. In addition, FC1 can partly complement FC2 deficiency and is also involved in defense against stressful conditions.

  3. EPR spectral changes of nitrosil hemes and their relation to the hemoglobin T-R transition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Louro, S.R.W.; Ribeiro, P.C.; Bemski, G.

    1980-09-01

    EPR spectra of nitrosil-hemes were used to study the quaternary structure of hemoglobin. Human adult hemoglobin has been titrated with nitric oxide at pH 7.0 and 25 0 C. After the equilibration of NO among the α and β subunits the samples were frozen for EPR measurements. The spectra were fitted by linear combinations of three standard signals: the first arising from NO - β hemes and the other two arising from NO - α hemes of molecules in the high and low affinity conformations. The fractional amounts of α subunits exhibiting the high affinity spectrum fitted the two-state model with L = 7 x 10 6 , and csup(α) sub(NO) and csup(β) sub(NO) approximately 0.01. Hemoglobin has been marked with nitric oxide at one chain using low-saturation amounts of nitric oxide. The EPR spectra were studied as a function of oxygen saturation. Linear combinations of the three standard signals above fitted these spectra. The fractions of molecules exhibiting the high affinity spectrum fitted the two-state model with L = 7 x 10 6 , csub(O 2 ) = 0.0033 and csup(α) sub(NO) = 0.08, instead of csup(α) sub(NO) = 0.01.Thus, the two state model is not adequate to describe the conformational transition of these hybrids. The results are evidence of the nonequivalence between oxygen and nitric oxide as ligands. (Author) [pt

  4. Reciprocal Effects of Oxidative Stress on Heme Oxygenase Expression and Activity Contributes to Reno-Vascular Abnormalities in EC-SOD Knockout Mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomoko Kawakami

    2012-01-01

    although, HO activity was significantly (P<0.05 attenuated along with attenuation of serum adiponectin and vascular epoxide levels (P<0.05. CoPP, in EC-SOD(−/− mice, enhanced HO activity (P<0.05 and reversed aforementioned pathophysiological abnormalities along with restoration of vascular EET, p-eNOS, p-AKT and serum adiponectin levels in these animals. Taken together our results implicate a causative role of insufficient activation of heme-HO-adiponectin system in pathophysiological abnormalities observed in animal models of chronic oxidative stress such as EC-SOD(−/− mice.

  5. Cysteine-independent activation/inhibition of heme oxygenase-2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dragic Vukomanovic

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Reactive thiols of cysteine (cys residues in proteins play a key role in transforming chemical reactivity into a biological response. The heme oxygenase-2 (HO-2 isozyme contains two cys residues that have been implicated in binding of heme and also the regulation of its activity. In this paper, we address the question of a role for cys residues for the HO-2 inhibitors or activators designed in our laboratory. We tested the activity of full length recombinant human heme oxygenase-2 (FL-hHO-2 and its analog in which cys265 and cys282 were both replaced by alanine to determine the effect on activation by menadione (MD and inhibition by QC-2350. Similar inhibition by QC-2350 and almost identical activation by MD was observed for both recombinant FL-hHO-2s. Our findings are interpreted to mean that thiols of FL-hHO-2s are not involved in HO-2 activation or inhibition by the compounds that have been designed and identified by us. Activation or inhibition of HO-2 by our compounds should be attributed to a mechanism other than altering binding affinity of HO-2 for heme through cys265 and cys282.

  6. Cysteine-independent activation/inhibition of heme oxygenase-2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vukomanovic, Dragic; Rahman, Mona N; Maines, Mahin D; Ozolinš, Terence Rs; Szarek, Walter A; Jia, Zongchao; Nakatsu, Kanji

    2016-03-01

    Reactive thiols of cysteine (cys) residues in proteins play a key role in transforming chemical reactivity into a biological response. The heme oxygenase-2 (HO-2) isozyme contains two cys residues that have been implicated in binding of heme and also the regulation of its activity. In this paper, we address the question of a role for cys residues for the HO-2 inhibitors or activators designed in our laboratory. We tested the activity of full length recombinant human heme oxygenase-2 (FL-hHO-2) and its analog in which cys265 and cys282 were both replaced by alanine to determine the effect on activation by menadione (MD) and inhibition by QC-2350. Similar inhibition by QC-2350 and almost identical activation by MD was observed for both recombinant FL-hHO-2s. Our findings are interpreted to mean that thiols of FL-hHO-2s are not involved in HO-2 activation or inhibition by the compounds that have been designed and identified by us. Activation or inhibition of HO-2 by our compounds should be attributed to a mechanism other than altering binding affinity of HO-2 for heme through cys265 and cys282.

  7. Intraspecies diversity of Lactobacillus sakei response to oxidative stress and variability of strain performance in mixed strains challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guilbaud, Morgan; Zagorec, Monique; Chaillou, Stéphane; Champomier-Vergès, Marie-Christine

    2012-04-01

    Lactobacillus sakei is a meat-borne lactic acid bacterium species exhibiting a wide genomic diversity. We have investigated the diversity of response to various oxidative compounds, between L. sakei strains, among a collection representing the genomic diversity. We observed various responses to the different compounds as well as a diversity of response depending on the aeration conditions used for cell growth. A principal component analysis revealed two main phenotypic groups, partially correlating with previously described genomic clusters. We designed strains mixes composed of three different strains, in order to examine the behavior of each strain, when cultured alone or in the presence of other strains. The strains composing the mixtures were chosen as diverse as possible, i.e. exhibiting diverse responses to oxidative stress and belonging to different genomic clusters. Growth and survival rates of each strain were monitored under various aeration conditions, with or without heme supplementation. The results obtained suggest that some strains may act as "helper" or "burden" strains depending on the oxidative conditions encountered during incubation. This study confirms that resistance to oxidative stress is extremely variable within the L. sakei species and that this property should be considered when investigating starter performance in the complex meat bacterial ecosystems. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Measurement of Heme Synthesis Levels in Mammalian Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hooda, Jagmohan; Alam, Maksudul; Zhang, Li

    2015-07-09

    Heme serves as the prosthetic group for a wide variety of proteins known as hemoproteins, such as hemoglobin, myoglobin and cytochromes. It is involved in various molecular and cellular processes such as gene transcription, translation, cell differentiation and cell proliferation. The biosynthesis levels of heme vary across different tissues and cell types and is altered in diseased conditions such as anemia, neuropathy and cancer. This technique uses [4-(14)C] 5-aminolevulinic acid ([(14)C] 5-ALA), one of the early precursors in the heme biosynthesis pathway to measure the levels of heme synthesis in mammalian cells. This assay involves incubation of cells with [(14)C] 5-ALA followed by extraction of heme and measurement of the radioactivity incorporated into heme. This procedure is accurate and quick. This method measures the relative levels of heme biosynthesis rather than the total heme content. To demonstrate the use of this technique the levels of heme biosynthesis were measured in several mammalian cell lines.

  9. Insights on Heme Synthesis in the Malaria Parasite.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagaraj, Viswanathan A; Padmanaban, Govindarajan

    2017-08-01

    The malaria parasite has a functional heme-biosynthetic pathway, although it can access host hemoglobin-heme. The heme pathway is dispensable for blood stages, but essential in the mosquito stages which do not acquire hemoglobin-heme. We propose that the blood stage parasites maintain a dynamic heme pool through multiple back-up mechanisms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Introduction of a covalent histidine-heme linkage in a hemoglobin: a promising tool for heme protein engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rice, Selena L; Preimesberger, Matthew R; Johnson, Eric A; Lecomte, Juliette T J

    2014-12-01

    The hemoglobins of the cyanobacteria Synechococcus and Synechocystis (GlbNs) are capable of spontaneous and irreversible attachment of the b heme to the protein matrix. The reaction, which saturates the heme 2-vinyl by addition of a histidine residue, is reproduced in vitro by preparing the recombinant apoprotein, adding ferric heme, and reducing the iron to the ferrous state. Spontaneous covalent attachment of the heme is potentially useful for protein engineering purposes. Thus, to explore whether the histidine-heme linkage can serve in such applications, we attempted to introduce it in a test protein. We selected as our target the heme domain of Chlamydomonas eugametos LI637 (CtrHb), a eukaryotic globin that exhibits less than 50% sequence identity with the cyanobacterial GlbNs. We chose two positions, 75 in the FG corner and 111 in the H helix, to situate a histidine near a vinyl group. We characterized the proteins with gel electrophoresis, absorbance spectroscopy, and NMR analysis. Both T111H and L75H CtrHbs reacted upon reduction of the ferric starting material containing cyanide as the distal ligand to the iron. With L75H CtrHb, nearly complete (>90%) crosslinking was observed to the 4-vinyl as expected from the X-ray structure of wild-type CtrHb. Reaction of T111H CtrHb also occurred at the 4-vinyl, in a 60% yield indicating a preference for the flipped heme orientation in the starting material. The work suggests that the His-heme modification will be applicable to the design of proteins with a non-dissociable heme group. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Heme orientational disorder in human adult hemoglobin reconstituted with a ring fluorinated heme and its functional consequences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagao, Satoshi; Hirai, Yueki; Kawano, Shin; Imai, Kiyohiro; Suzuki, Akihiro; Yamamoto, Yasuhiko

    2007-01-01

    A ring fluorinated heme, 13,17-bis(2-carboxylatoethyl)-3,8-diethyl-2-fluoro-7,12, 18-trimethyl-porphyrin-atoiron(III), has been incorporated into human adult hemoglobin (Hb A). The heme orientational disorder in the individual subunits of the protein has been readily characterized using 19 F NMR and the O 2 binding properties of the protein have been evaluated through the oxygen equilibrium analysis. The equilibrated orientations of hemes in α- and β- subunits of the reconstituted protein were found to be almost completely opposite to each other, and hence were largely different from those of the native and the previously reported reconstituted proteins [T. Jue, G.N. La Mar, Heme orientational heterogeneity in deuterohemin-reconstituted horse and human hemoglobin characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 119 (1984) 640-645]. Despite the large difference in the degree of the heme orientational disorder in the subunits of the proteins, the O 2 affinity and the cooperativity of the protein reconstituted with 2-MF were similar to those of the proteins reconstituted with a series of hemes chemically modified at the heme 3- and 8-positions [K. Kawabe, K. Imaizumi, Z. Yoshida, K. Imai, I. Tyuma, Studies on reconstituted myoglobins and hemoglobins II. Role of the heme side chains in the oxygenation of hemoglobin, J. Biochem. 92 (1982) 1713-1722], whose O 2 affinity and cooperativity were higher and lower, respectively, relative to those of native protein. These results indicated that the heme orientational disorder could exert little effect, if any, on the O 2 affinity properties of Hb A. This finding provides new insights into structure-function relationship of Hb A

  12. Reactions of Ferrous Coproheme Decarboxylase (HemQ) with O2 and H2O2 Yield Ferric Heme b.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Streit, Bennett R; Celis, Arianna I; Shisler, Krista; Rodgers, Kenton R; Lukat-Rodgers, Gudrun S; DuBois, Jennifer L

    2017-01-10

    A recently discovered pathway for the biosynthesis of heme b ends in an unusual reaction catalyzed by coproheme decarboxylase (HemQ), where the Fe(II)-containing coproheme acts as both substrate and cofactor. Because both O 2 and H 2 O 2 are available as cellular oxidants, pathways for the reaction involving either can be proposed. Analysis of reaction kinetics and products showed that, under aerobic conditions, the ferrous coproheme-decarboxylase complex is rapidly and selectively oxidized by O 2 to the ferric state. The subsequent second-order reaction between the ferric complex and H 2 O 2 is slow, pH-dependent, and further decelerated by D 2 O 2 (average kinetic isotope effect of 2.2). The observation of rapid reactivity with peracetic acid suggested the possible involvement of Compound I (ferryl porphyrin cation radical), consistent with coproheme and harderoheme reduction potentials in the range of heme proteins that heterolytically cleave H 2 O 2 . Resonance Raman spectroscopy nonetheless indicated a remarkably weak Fe-His interaction; how the active site structure may support heterolytic H 2 O 2 cleavage is therefore unclear. From a cellular perspective, the use of H 2 O 2 as an oxidant in a catalase-positive organism is intriguing, as is the unusual generation of heme b in the Fe(III) rather than Fe(II) state as the end product of heme synthesis.

  13. Role of the heme oxygenases in abnormalities of the mesenteric circulation in cirrhotic rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sacerdoti, David; Abraham, Nader G; Oyekan, Adebayo O; Yang, Liming; Gatta, Angelo; McGiff, John C

    2004-02-01

    Carbon monoxide (CO), a product of heme metabolism by heme-oxygenase (HO), has biological actions similar to those of nitric oxide (NO). The role of CO in decreasing vascular responses to constrictor agents produced by experimental cirrhosis induced by carbon tetrachloride was evaluated before and after inhibition of HO with tin-mesoporphyrin (SnMP) in the perfused superior mesenteric vasculature (SMV) of cirrhotic and normal rats and in normal rats transfected with the human HO-1 (HHO-1) gene. Perfusion pressure and vasoconstrictor responses of the SMV to KCl, phenylephrine (PE), and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were decreased in cirrhotic rats. SnMP increased SMV perfusion pressure and restored the constrictor responses of the SMV to KCl, PE, and ET-1 in cirrhotic rats. The relative roles of NO and CO in producing hyporeactivity of the SMV to PE in cirrhotic rats were examined. Vasoconstrictor responses to PE were successively augmented by stepwise inhibition of CO and NO production, suggesting a complementary role for these gases in the regulation of reactivity of the SMV. Expression of constitutive but not of inducible HO (HO-1) was increased in the SMV of cirrhotic rats as was HO activity. Administration of adenovirus containing HHO-1 gene produced detection of HHO-1 RNA and increased HO activity in the SMV within 7 days. Rats transfected with HO-1 demonstrated reduction in both perfusion pressure and vasoconstrictor responses to PE in the SMV. We propose that HO is an essential component in mechanisms that modulate reactivity of the mesenteric circulation in experimental hepatic cirrhosis in rats.

  14. Electrochemistry and biosensing reactivity of heme proteins adsorbed on the structure-tailored mesoporous Nb2O5 matrix

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Xin; Tian Bozhi; Zhang Song; Kong Jilie; Zhao Dongyuan; Liu Baohong

    2004-01-01

    The highly ordered mesoporous niobium oxides fabricated by self-adjusted synthesis have been used as immobilization matrices of heme proteins including Cytochrome c (Cyt C) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) for their large surface areas, narrow pore size distributions and good biocompatibility. The assembling process was investigated by cyclic voltammetry, amperometry and potential step chronoamperometry in details. Niobium oxide matrices with different structural features were templated with the surfactants and the selectivity of these hosts to specific protein characteristics was determined. It was observed that proteins could be readily assembled onto the mesoporous films with detectable retention of bioactivity. The Nb 2 O 5 matrix with a tailored pore size and counterpoised surface charge to that of hemes allowed for a maximum adsorption capacity of biomolecules. The adsorbed redox molecules exhibited direct electrochemical behavior and gave a pair of well-defined quasi-reversible cyclic voltammetric peaks, indicating that the mesoporous niobium oxide matrix could effectively promote the direct electron transfer between the protein redox site adsorbed and the electrode surface. The midpoint redox potentials of adsorbed Cyt-c and HRP were 14 and -122 mV versus SCE, respectively. Furthermore, the immobilized HRP onto Nb 2 O 5 derived electrode presented good bioactivity and thus was fabricated as an amperometric biosensor for the response of hydrogen peroxide in the range from 0.1 μM to 0.1 mM

  15. Heme Exporter FLVCR1a Regulates Heme Synthesis and Degradation and Controls Activity of Cytochromes P450

    OpenAIRE

    Vinchi, Francesca; Ingoglia, Giada; Chiabrando, Deborah; Mercurio, Sonia; Turco, Emilia; Silengo, Lorenzo; Altruda, Fiorella; Tolosano, Emanuela

    2014-01-01

    Background & Aims The liver has one of the highest rates of heme synthesis of any organ. More than 50% of the heme synthesized in the liver is used for synthesis of P450 enzymes, which metabolize exogenous and endogenous compounds that include natural products, hormones, drugs, and carcinogens. Feline leukemia virus subgroup C cellular receptor 1a (FLVCR1a) is plasma membrane heme exporter that is ubiquitously expressed and controls intracellular heme content in hematopoietic lineages. We inv...

  16. Heme-induced ROS in Trypanosoma cruzi activates CaMKII-like that triggers epimastigote proliferation. One helpful effect of ROS.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natália Pereira de Almeida Nogueira

    Full Text Available Heme is a ubiquitous molecule that has a number of physiological roles. The toxic effects of this molecule have been demonstrated in various models, based on both its pro-oxidant nature and through a detergent mechanism. It is estimated that about 10 mM of heme is released during blood digestion in the blood-sucking bug's midgut. The parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas' disease, proliferates in the midgut of the insect vector; however, heme metabolism in trypanosomatids remains to be elucidated. Here we provide a mechanistic explanation for the proliferative effects of heme on trypanosomatids. Heme, but not other porphyrins, induced T. cruzi proliferation, and this phenomenon was accompanied by a marked increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS formation in epimastigotes when monitored by ROS-sensitive fluorescent probes. Heme-induced ROS production was time- and concentration-dependent. In addition, lipid peroxidation and the formation of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE adducts with parasite proteins were increased in epimastigotes in the presence of heme. Conversely, the antioxidants urate and GSH reversed the heme-induced ROS. Urate also decreased parasite proliferation. Among several protein kinase inhibitors tested only specific inhibitors of CaMKII, KN93 and Myr-AIP, were able to abolish heme-induced ROS formation in epimastigotes leading to parasite growth impairment. Taken together, these data provide new insight into T. cruzi- insect vector interactions: heme, a molecule from the blood digestion, triggers epimastigote proliferation through a redox-sensitive signalling mechanism.

  17. Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress Responses in the Pediatric Population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandra Avloniti

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Adults demonstrate an upregulation of their pro- and anti-oxidant mechanisms in response to acute exercise while systematic exercise training enhances their antioxidant capacity, thereby leading to a reduced generation of free radicals both at rest and in response to exercise stress. However, less information exists regarding oxidative stress responses and the underlying mechanisms in the pediatric population. Evidence suggests that exercise-induced redox perturbations may be valuable in order to monitor exercise-induced inflammatory responses and as such training overload in children and adolescents as well as monitor optimal growth and development. The purpose of this review was to provide an update on oxidative stress responses to acute and chronic exercise in youth. It has been documented that acute exercise induces age-specific transient alterations in both oxidant and antioxidant markers in children and adolescents. However, these responses seem to be affected by factors such as training phase, training load, fitness level, mode of exercise etc. In relation to chronic adaptation, the role of training on oxidative stress adaptation has not been adequately investigated. The two studies performed so far indicate that children and adolescents exhibit positive adaptations of their antioxidant system, as adults do. More studies are needed in order to shed light on oxidative stress and antioxidant responses, following acute exercise and training adaptations in youth. Available evidence suggests that small amounts of oxidative stress may be necessary for growth whereas the transition to adolescence from childhood may promote maturation of pro- and anti-oxidant mechanisms. Available evidence also suggests that obesity may negatively affect basal and exercise-related antioxidant responses in the peripubertal period during pre- and early-puberty.

  18. One ring to rule them all: trafficking of heme and heme synthesis intermediates in the metazoans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamza, Iqbal; Dailey, Harry A

    2012-09-01

    The appearance of heme, an organic ring surrounding an iron atom, in evolution forever changed the efficiency with which organisms were able to generate energy, utilize gasses and catalyze numerous reactions. Because of this, heme has become a near ubiquitous compound among living organisms. In this review we have attempted to assess the current state of heme synthesis and trafficking with a goal of identifying crucial missing information, and propose hypotheses related to trafficking that may generate discussion and research. The possibilities of spatially organized supramolecular enzyme complexes and organelle structures that facilitate efficient heme synthesis and subsequent trafficking are discussed and evaluated. Recently identified players in heme transport and trafficking are reviewed and placed in an organismal context. Additionally, older, well established data are reexamined in light of more recent studies on cellular organization and data available from newer model organisms. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cell Biology of Metals. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. The yeast metacaspase is implicated in oxidative stress response in frataxin-deficient cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lefevre, Sophie; Sliwa, Dominika; Auchère, Françoise; Brossas, Caroline; Ruckenstuhl, Christoph; Boggetto, Nicole; Lesuisse, Emmanuel; Madeo, Frank; Camadro, Jean-Michel; Santos, Renata

    2012-01-20

    Friedreich ataxia is the most common recessive neurodegenerative disease and is caused by reduced expression of mitochondrial frataxin. Frataxin depletion causes impairment in iron-sulfur cluster and heme biosynthesis, disruption of iron homeostasis and hypersensitivity to oxidants. Currently no pharmacological treatment blocks disease progression, although antioxidant therapies proved to benefit patients. We show that sensitivity of yeast frataxin-deficient cells to hydrogen peroxide is partially mediated by the metacaspase. Metacaspase deletion in frataxin-deficient cells results in recovery of antioxidant capacity and heme synthesis. In addition, our results suggest that metacaspase is associated with mitochondrial respiration, intracellular redox control and genomic stability. Copyright © 2011 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Increased Plasma Levels of Heme Oxygenase-1 in Human Brucellosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zhe; Zhang, Yu-Xue; Fu, Dong-Wei; Gao, Qing-Feng; Ge, Feng-Xia; Liu, Wei-Hua

    2016-08-01

    Brucellosis is associated with inflammation and the oxidative stress response. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a cytoprotective stress-responsive enzyme that has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. Nevertheless, the role of HO-1 in human brucellosis has not yet been studied. The aim of this study was to examine the plasma levels of HO-1 in patients with brucellosis and to evaluate the ability of plasma HO-1 levels as an auxiliary diagnosis, a severity predictor, and a monitor for brucellosis treatments. A total of 75 patients with brucellosis were divided into the acute, subacute, chronic active, and chronic stable groups. An additional 20 volunteers were included as the healthy control group. The plasma HO-1 levels and other laboratory parameters were measured in all groups. Furthermore, the plasma levels of HO-1 in the acute group were compared before and after treatment. The plasma HO-1 levels were considerably increased in the acute (4.97 ± 3.55), subacute (4.98 ± 3.23), and chronic active groups (4.43 ± 3.00) with brucellosis compared to the healthy control group (1.03 ± 0.63) (p brucellosis (r = 0.707, p brucellosis status and may be used as a supplementary plasma marker for diagnosing brucellosis and monitoring its treatment.

  1. X-ray absorption spectroscopic studies of mononuclear non-heme iron enzymes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Westre, Tami E. [Stanford Univ., CA (United States)

    1996-01-01

    Fe-K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) has been used to investigate the electronic and geometric structure of the iron active site in non-heme iron enzymes. A new theoretical extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis approach, called GNXAS, has been tested on data for iron model complexes to evaluate the utility and reliability of this new technique, especially with respect to the effects of multiple-scattering. In addition, a detailed analysis of the 1s→3d pre-edge feature has been developed as a tool for investigating the oxidation state, spin state, and geometry of iron sites. Edge and EXAFS analyses have then been applied to the study of non-heme iron enzyme active sites.

  2. Two oxidation sites for low redox potential substrates: a directed mutagenesis, kinetic, and crystallographic study on Pleurotus eryngii versatile peroxidase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morales, María; Mate, María J; Romero, Antonio; Martínez, María Jesús; Martínez, Ángel T; Ruiz-Dueñas, Francisco J

    2012-11-30

    Versatile peroxidase shares with manganese peroxidase and lignin peroxidase the ability to oxidize Mn(2+) and high redox potential aromatic compounds, respectively. Moreover, it is also able to oxidize phenols (and low redox potential dyes) at two catalytic sites, as shown by biphasic kinetics. A high efficiency site (with 2,6-dimethoxyphenol and p-hydroquinone catalytic efficiencies of ∼70 and ∼700 s(-1) mM(-1), respectively) was localized at the same exposed Trp-164 responsible for high redox potential substrate oxidation (as shown by activity loss in the W164S variant). The second site, characterized by low catalytic efficiency (∼3 and ∼50 s(-1) mM(-1) for 2,6-dimethoxyphenol and p-hydroquinone, respectively) was localized at the main heme access channel. Steady-state and transient-state kinetics for oxidation of phenols and dyes at the latter site were improved when side chains of residues forming the heme channel edge were removed in single and multiple variants. Among them, the E140G/K176G, E140G/P141G/K176G, and E140G/W164S/K176G variants attained catalytic efficiencies for oxidation of 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) at the heme channel similar to those of the exposed tryptophan site. The heme channel enlargement shown by x-ray diffraction of the E140G, P141G, K176G, and E140G/K176G variants would allow a better substrate accommodation near the heme, as revealed by the up to 26-fold lower K(m) values (compared with native VP). The resulting interactions were shown by the x-ray structure of the E140G-guaiacol complex, which includes two H-bonds of the substrate with Arg-43 and Pro-139 in the distal heme pocket (at the end of the heme channel) and several hydrophobic interactions with other residues and the heme cofactor.

  3. Relationship between natural and heme-mediated antibody polyreactivity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hadzhieva, Maya; Vassilev, Tchavdar [Stephan Angelov Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia 1113 (Bulgaria); Bayry, Jagadeesh; Kaveri, Srinivas; Lacroix-Desmazes, Sébastien [Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR-S 1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, F-75006 Paris (France); INSERM, UMR-S 1138, F-75006 Paris (France); Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR-S 1138, F-75006 Paris (France); Dimitrov, Jordan D., E-mail: jordan.dimitrov@crc.jussieu.fr [Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR-S 1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, F-75006 Paris (France); INSERM, UMR-S 1138, F-75006 Paris (France); Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR-S 1138, F-75006 Paris (France)

    2016-03-25

    Polyreactive antibodies represent a considerable fraction of the immune repertoires. Some antibodies acquire polyreactivity post-translationally after interaction with various redox-active substances, including heme. Recently we have demonstrated that heme binding to a naturally polyreactive antibody (SPE7) results in a considerable broadening of the repertoire of recognized antigens. A question remains whether the presence of certain level of natural polyreactivity of antibodies is a prerequisite for heme-induced further extension of antigen binding potential. Here we used a second monoclonal antibody (Hg32) with unknown specificity and absence of intrinsic polyreactivity as a model to study the potential of heme to induce polyreactivity of antibodies. We demonstrated that exposure to heme greatly extends the antigen binding potential of Hg32, suggesting that the intrinsic binding promiscuity is not a prerequisite for the induction of polyreactivity by heme. In addition we compared the kinetics and thermodynamics of the interaction of heme-exposed antibodies with a panel of unrelated antigens. These analyses revealed that the two heme-sensitive antibodies adopt different mechanisms of binding to the same set of antigens. This study contributes to understanding the phenomenon of induced antibody polyreactivity. The data may also be of importance for understanding of physiological and pathological roles of polyreactive antibodies. - Highlights: • Exposure of certain monoclonal IgE antibodies to heme results in gain of antigen binding polyreactivity. • Natural polyreactivity of antibodies is dispensable for acquisition of polyreactivity through interaction with heme. • Heme-induced monoclonal IgE antibodies differ in their thermodynamic mechanisms of antigen recognition.

  4. Identification of residues in the heme domain of soluble guanylyl cyclase that are important for basal and stimulated catalytic activity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Padmamalini Baskaran

    Full Text Available Nitric oxide signals through activation of soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC, a heme-containing heterodimer. NO binds to the heme domain located in the N-terminal part of the β subunit of sGC resulting in increased production of cGMP in the catalytic domain located at the C-terminal part of sGC. Little is known about the mechanism by which the NO signaling is propagated from the receptor domain (heme domain to the effector domain (catalytic domain, in particular events subsequent to the breakage of the bond between the heme iron and Histidine 105 (H105 of the β subunit. Our modeling of the heme-binding domain as well as previous homologous heme domain structures in different states point to two regions that could be critical for propagation of the NO activation signal. Structure-based mutational analysis of these regions revealed that residues T110 and R116 in the αF helix-β1 strand, and residues I41 and R40 in the αB-αC loop mediate propagation of activation between the heme domain and the catalytic domain. Biochemical analysis of these heme mutants allows refinement of the map of the residues that are critical for heme stability and propagation of the NO/YC-1 activation signal in sGC.

  5. Heme oxygenase behavior in ultraviolet-B irradiated soybean plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yannarelli, G.G.; Noriega, G.O.; Tomaro, M.L.

    2005-01-01

    Full text: Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation has a negative impact on plant cells, and leads to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Heme oxygenase (HO) plays a protective role against oxidative stress in mammals, but little is known about this issue in plants. Here, we report for the first time the response of HO in leaves of soybean plants subjected to UV-B radiation. HO activity, protein and gene expression, as well as stress markers were evaluated. Under lower UV-B doses (7.5 and 15 kJ m -2 ), the production of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) remained unaltered, while quantitative RT-PCR revealed that HO and catalase (CAT) transcripts were increased 40% and 20% after 8 h, respectively. Treatment with 30 kJ m -2 brought about a 90% enhancement in TBARS indicating that an oxidative burst occurred, and a downregulation in gene expression was observed. Immunoblot analysis showed a 4.3 and 3.7-fold increase in HO protein after irradiation with 75 and 15 kJ m -2 , respectively. HO and CAT enzymes activities were enhanced at these doses but diminished at 30 kJ m -2 UV-B. These results indicate that the up regulation of HO and CAT genes at the lower doses occurred as a signal of cell protection against oxidative damage. On the other hand, irradiation with 30 kJ m -2 overcome the cellular antioxidant capacity and repressed the response as a result of ROS overproduction. (author)

  6. Heme biosynthesis and its regulation : Toward understanding and improvement of heme biosynthesis in filamentous fungi.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    S. de Weert; P.J. Punt; Christien Lokman; C.A. van den Hondel; A.C. Franken; A.F. Ram

    2011-01-01

    Heme biosynthesis in fungal host strains has acquired considerable interest in relation to the production of secreted heme-containing peroxidases. Class II peroxidase enzymes have been suggested as eco-friendly replacements of polluting chemical processes in industry. These peroxidases are naturally

  7. Heme biosynthesis and its regulation: Towards understanding and improvement of heme biosynthesis in filamentous fungi

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Franken, A.C.W.; Lokman, B.C.; Ram, A.F.J.; Punt, P.J.; Hondel, C.A.M.J.J. van den; Weert, S. de

    2011-01-01

    Heme biosynthesis in fungal host strains has acquired considerable interest in relation to the production of secreted heme-containing peroxidases. Class II peroxidase enzymes have been suggested as eco-friendly replacements of polluting chemical processes in industry. These peroxidases are naturally

  8. Heme-binding plasma membrane proteins of K562 erythroleukemia cells: Adsorption to heme-microbeads, isolation with affinity chromatography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Majuri, R.

    1989-01-01

    Heme-microbeads attached themselves to the surface of viable K562 cells in a manner inhibitable by free hemin, indicating heme-recptor interaction. The microbeads were at first evenly distributed, but after prolonged incubation at 37 deg. C they formed a cap on one pole of the cells indicating clustering of the membrane heme receptors. Membrane proteins were labeled by culturing the cells in the presence of 35 S-methionine and were then solubilized with Triton X-114. The hydrophobic proteins contained about 20% of the total bound label. The solubilized membrane proteins were subsequently adsorbed to a heme-Sepharose affinity gel. According to SDS-electrophorsis and subsequent autoradiography, the immobilized heme captures two proteins or a protein with two polypeptides of 20 000 and 32 000 daltons. The larger of these was only wekly labeled with 35 S. The same two bands were observed if the cell surface proteins were labeled with 125 I by the lactoperoxidase method and the subsequently solubilized membrane proteins were isolated with heme-Sepharose. (author)

  9. Role of Heme and Heme-Proteins in Trypanosomatid Essential Metabolic Pathways

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karina E. J. Tripodi

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Around the world, trypanosomatids are known for being etiological agents of several highly disabling and often fatal diseases like Chagas disease (Trypanosoma cruzi, leishmaniasis (Leishmania spp., and African trypanosomiasis (Trypanosoma brucei. Throughout their life cycle, they must cope with diverse environmental conditions, and the mechanisms involved in these processes are crucial for their survival. In this review, we describe the role of heme in several essential metabolic pathways of these protozoans. Notwithstanding trypanosomatids lack of the complete heme biosynthetic pathway, we focus our discussion in the metabolic role played for important heme-proteins, like cytochromes. Although several genes for different types of cytochromes, involved in mitochondrial respiration, polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism, and sterol biosynthesis, are annotated at the Tritryp Genome Project, the encoded proteins have not yet been deeply studied. We pointed our attention into relevant aspects of these protein functions that are amenable to be considered for rational design of trypanocidal agents.

  10. Malaria parasite-synthesized heme is essential in the mosquito and liver stages and complements host heme in the blood stages of infection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Viswanathan Arun Nagaraj

    Full Text Available Heme metabolism is central to malaria parasite biology. The parasite acquires heme from host hemoglobin in the intraerythrocytic stages and stores it as hemozoin to prevent free heme toxicity. The parasite can also synthesize heme de novo, and all the enzymes in the pathway are characterized. To study the role of the dual heme sources in malaria parasite growth and development, we knocked out the first enzyme, δ-aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS, and the last enzyme, ferrochelatase (FC, in the heme-biosynthetic pathway of Plasmodium berghei (Pb. The wild-type and knockout (KO parasites had similar intraerythrocytic growth patterns in mice. We carried out in vitro radiolabeling of heme in Pb-infected mouse reticulocytes and Plasmodium falciparum-infected human RBCs using [4-(14C] aminolevulinic acid (ALA. We found that the parasites incorporated both host hemoglobin-heme and parasite-synthesized heme into hemozoin and mitochondrial cytochromes. The similar fates of the two heme sources suggest that they may serve as backup mechanisms to provide heme in the intraerythrocytic stages. Nevertheless, the de novo pathway is absolutely essential for parasite development in the mosquito and liver stages. PbKO parasites formed drastically reduced oocysts and did not form sporozoites in the salivary glands. Oocyst production in PbALASKO parasites recovered when mosquitoes received an ALA supplement. PbALASKO sporozoites could infect mice only when the mice received an ALA supplement. Our results indicate the potential for new therapeutic interventions targeting the heme-biosynthetic pathway in the parasite during the mosquito and liver stages.

  11. Comparative study of enzyme activity and heme reactivity in Drosophila melanogaster and Homo sapiens cystathionine β-synthases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Yang; Majtan, Tomas; Freeman, Katherine M; Linck, Rachel; Ponter, Sarah; Kraus, Jan P; Burstyn, Judith N

    2013-01-29

    Cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) is the first and rate-limiting enzyme in the transsulfuration pathway, which is critical for the synthesis of cysteine from methionine in eukaryotes. CBS uses coenzyme pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) for catalysis, and S-adenosylmethionine regulates the activity of human CBS, but not yeast CBS. Human and fruit fly CBS contain heme; however, the role for heme is not clear. This paper reports biochemical and spectroscopic characterization of CBS from fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster (DmCBS) and the CO/NO gas binding reactions of DmCBS and human CBS. Like CBS enzymes from lower organisms (e.g., yeast), DmCBS is intrinsically highly active and is not regulated by AdoMet. The DmCBS heme coordination environment, the reactivity, and the accompanying effects on enzyme activity are similar to those of human CBS. The DmCBS heme bears histidine and cysteine axial ligands, and the enzyme becomes inactive when the cysteine ligand is replaced. The Fe(II) heme in DmCBS is less stable than that in human CBS, undergoing more facile reoxidation and ligand exchange. In both CBS proteins, the overall stability of the protein is correlated with the heme oxidation state. Human and DmCBS Fe(II) hemes react relatively slowly with CO and NO, and the rate of the CO binding reaction is faster at low pH than at high pH. Together, the results suggest that heme incorporation and AdoMet regulation in CBS are not correlated, possibly providing two independent means for regulating the enzyme.

  12. Heme Recognition By a Staphylococcus Aureus IsdE

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    Grigg, J.C.; Vermeiren, C.L.; Heinrichs, D.E.; Murphy, M.E.P.

    2009-06-03

    Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive bacterial pathogen and a leading cause of hospital acquired infections. Because the free iron concentration in the human body is too low to support growth, S. aureus must acquire iron from host sources. Heme iron is the most prevalent iron reservoir in the human body and a predominant source of iron for S. aureus. The iron-regulated surface determinant (Isd) system removes heme from host heme proteins and transfers it to IsdE, the cognate substrate-binding lipoprotein of an ATP-binding cassette transporter, for import and subsequent degradation. Herein, we report the crystal structure of the soluble portion of the IsdE lipoprotein in complex with heme. The structure reveals a bi-lobed topology formed by an N- and C-terminal domain bridged by a single {alpha}-helix. The structure places IsdE as a member of the helical backbone metal receptor superfamily. A six-coordinate heme molecule is bound in the groove established at the domain interface, and the heme iron is coordinated in a novel fashion for heme transporters by Met{sup 78} and His{sup 229}. Both heme propionate groups are secured by H-bonds to IsdE main chain and side chain groups. Of these residues, His{sup 299} is essential for IsdE-mediated heme uptake by S. aureus when growth on heme as a sole iron source is measured. Multiple sequence alignments of homologues from several other Gram-positive bacteria, including the human pathogens pyogenes, Bacillus anthracis, and Listeria monocytogenes, suggest that these other systems function equivalently to S. aureus IsdE with respect to heme binding and transport.

  13. The structural basis of gas-responsive transcription by the human nuclear hormone receptor REV-ERBbeta.

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    Keith I Pardee

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Heme is a ligand for the human nuclear receptors (NR REV-ERBalpha and REV-ERBbeta, which are transcriptional repressors that play important roles in circadian rhythm, lipid and glucose metabolism, and diseases such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, inflammation, and cancer. Here we show that transcription repression mediated by heme-bound REV-ERBs is reversed by the addition of nitric oxide (NO, and that the heme and NO effects are mediated by the C-terminal ligand-binding domain (LBD. A 1.9 A crystal structure of the REV-ERBbeta LBD, in complex with the oxidized Fe(III form of heme, shows that heme binds in a prototypical NR ligand-binding pocket, where the heme iron is coordinately bound by histidine 568 and cysteine 384. Under reducing conditions, spectroscopic studies of the heme-REV-ERBbeta complex reveal that the Fe(II form of the LBD transitions between penta-coordinated and hexa-coordinated structural states, neither of which possess the Cys384 bond observed in the oxidized state. In addition, the Fe(II LBD is also able to bind either NO or CO, revealing a total of at least six structural states of the protein. The binding of known co-repressors is shown to be highly dependent upon these various liganded states. REV-ERBs are thus highly dynamic receptors that are responsive not only to heme, but also to redox and gas. Taken together, these findings suggest new mechanisms for the systemic coordination of molecular clocks and metabolism. They also raise the possibility for gas-based therapies for the many disorders associated with REV-ERB biological functions.

  14. The Structural Basis of Gas-Responsive Transcription by the Human Nuclear Hormone Receptor REV-ERBβ

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    Pardee, Keith I; Xu, Xiaohui; Reinking, Jeff; Schuetz, Anja; Dong, Aiping; Liu, Suya; Zhang, Rongguang; Tiefenbach, Jens; Lajoie, Gilles; Plotnikov, Alexander N; Botchkarev, Alexey; Krause, Henry M; Edwards, Aled

    2009-01-01

    Heme is a ligand for the human nuclear receptors (NR) REV-ERBα and REV-ERBβ, which are transcriptional repressors that play important roles in circadian rhythm, lipid and glucose metabolism, and diseases such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, inflammation, and cancer. Here we show that transcription repression mediated by heme-bound REV-ERBs is reversed by the addition of nitric oxide (NO), and that the heme and NO effects are mediated by the C-terminal ligand-binding domain (LBD). A 1.9 Å crystal structure of the REV-ERBβ LBD, in complex with the oxidized Fe(III) form of heme, shows that heme binds in a prototypical NR ligand-binding pocket, where the heme iron is coordinately bound by histidine 568 and cysteine 384. Under reducing conditions, spectroscopic studies of the heme-REV-ERBβ complex reveal that the Fe(II) form of the LBD transitions between penta-coordinated and hexa-coordinated structural states, neither of which possess the Cys384 bond observed in the oxidized state. In addition, the Fe(II) LBD is also able to bind either NO or CO, revealing a total of at least six structural states of the protein. The binding of known co-repressors is shown to be highly dependent upon these various liganded states. REV-ERBs are thus highly dynamic receptors that are responsive not only to heme, but also to redox and gas. Taken together, these findings suggest new mechanisms for the systemic coordination of molecular clocks and metabolism. They also raise the possibility for gas-based therapies for the many disorders associated with REV-ERB biological functions. PMID:19243223

  15. Heme-dependent Metabolite Switching Regulates H2S Synthesis in Response to Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) Stress.

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    Kabil, Omer; Yadav, Vinita; Banerjee, Ruma

    2016-08-05

    Substrate ambiguity and relaxed reaction specificity underlie the diversity of reactions catalyzed by the transsulfuration pathway enzymes, cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) and γ-cystathionase (CSE). These enzymes either commit sulfur metabolism to cysteine synthesis from homocysteine or utilize cysteine and/or homocysteine for synthesis of H2S, a signaling molecule. We demonstrate that a kinetically controlled heme-dependent metabolite switch in CBS regulates these competing reactions where by cystathionine, the product of CBS, inhibits H2S synthesis by the second enzyme, CSE. Under endoplasmic reticulum stress conditions, induction of CSE and up-regulation of the CBS inhibitor, CO, a product of heme oxygenase-1, flip the operating preference of CSE from cystathionine to cysteine, transiently stimulating H2S production. In contrast, genetic deficiency of CBS leads to chronic stimulation of H2S production. This metabolite switch from cystathionine to cysteine and/or homocysteine renders H2S synthesis by CSE responsive to the known modulators of CBS: S-adenosylmethionine, NO, and CO. Used acutely, it regulates H2S synthesis; used chronically, it might contribute to disease pathology. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  16. Heme synthesis in normal mouse liver and mouse liver tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stout, D.L.; Becker, F.F.

    1990-01-01

    Hepatic cancers from mice and rats demonstrate decreased levels of delta-aminolevulinic acid synthase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the heme synthetic pathway, and increased heme oxygenase, the heme-catabolizing enzyme. These findings suggest that diminution of P-450, b5, and catalase in these lesions may result from a heme supply that is limited by decreased heme synthesis and increased heme catabolism. Heme synthesis was measured in mouse liver tumors (MLT) and adjacent tumor-free lobes (BKG) by administering the radiolabeled heme precursors 55 FeCl3 and [2- 14 C]glycine and subsequently extracting the heme for determination of specific activity. Despite reduced delta-aminolevulinic acid synthase activity in MLT, both tissues incorporated [2-14C]glycine into heme at similar rates. At early time points, heme extracted from MLT contained less 55Fe than that from BKG. This was attributed to the findings that MLT took up 55Fe at a slower rate than BKG and had larger iron stores than BKG. The amount of heme per milligram of protein was also similar in both tissues. These findings militate against the hypothesis that diminished hemoprotein levels in MLT result from limited availability of heme. It is probable, therefore, that decreased hemoprotein levels in hepatic tumors are linked to a general program of dedifferentiation associated with the cancer phenotype. Diminution of hemoprotein in MLT may result in a relatively increased intracellular heme pool. delta-Aminolevulinic acid synthase and heme oxygenase are, respectively, negatively and positively regulated by heme. Thus, their alteration in MLT may be due to the regulatory influences of the heme pool

  17. Implication for using heme methyl hyperfine shifts as indicators of heme seating as related to stereoselectivity in the catabolism of heme by heme oxygenase: in-plane heme versus axial his rotation.

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    Ogura, Hiroshi; Evans, John P; de Montellano, Paul R Ortiz; La Mar, Gerd N

    2008-01-08

    The triple mutant of the solubilized, 265-residue construct of human heme oxygenase, K18E/E29K/R183E-hHO, has been shown to redirect the exclusive alpha-regioselectivity of wild-type hHO to primarily beta,delta-selectivity in the cleavage of heme (Wang, J., Evans, J. P., Ogura, H., La Mar, G. N., and Ortiz de Montellano, P. R. (2006) Biochemistry 45, 61-73). The 1H NMR hyperfine shift pattern for the substrate and axial His CbetaH's and the substrate-protein contacts of the cyanide-inhibited protohemin and 2,4-dimethyldeuterohemin complexes of the triple mutant have been analyzed in detail and compared to data for the WT complex. It is shown that protein contacts for the major solution isomers for both substrates in the mutant dictate approximately 90 degrees in-plane clockwise rotation relative to that in the WT. The conventional interpretation of the pattern of substrate methyl hyperfine shifts, however, indicates substrate rotations of only approximately 50 degrees . This paradox is resolved by demonstrating that the axial His25 imidazole ring also rotates counterclockwise with respect to the protein matrix in the mutant relative to that in the WT. The axial His25 CbetaH hyperfine shifts are shown to serve as independent probes of the imidazole plane orientation relative to the protein matrix. The analysis indicates that the pattern of heme methyl hyperfine shifts cannot be used alone to determine the in-plane orientation of the substrate as it relates to the stereospecificity of heme cleavage, without explicit consideration of the orientation of the axial His imidazole plane relative to the protein matrix.

  18. Increase on the initial soluble heme levels in acidic conditions is an important mechanism for spontaneous heme crystallization in vitro.

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    Renata Stiebler

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Hemozoin (Hz is a heme crystal that represents a vital pathway for heme disposal in several blood-feeding organisms. Recent evidence demonstrated that β-hematin (βH (the synthetic counterpart of Hz formation occurs under physiological conditions near synthetic or biological hydrophilic-hydrophobic interfaces. This seems to require a heme dimer acting as a precursor of Hz crystals that would be formed spontaneously in the absence of the competing water molecules bound to the heme iron. Here, we aimed to investigate the role of medium polarity on spontaneous βH formation in vitro. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We assessed the effect of water content on spontaneous βH formation by using the aprotic solvent dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO and a series of polyethyleneglycols (PEGs. We observed that both DMSO and PEGs (3.350, 6.000, 8.000, and 22.000 increased the levels of soluble heme under acidic conditions. These compounds were able to stimulate the production of βH crystals in the absence of any biological sample. Interestingly, the effects of DMSO and PEGs on βH formation were positively correlated with their capacity to promote previous heme solubilization in acidic conditions. Curiously, a short chain polyethyleneglycol (PEG 300 caused a significant reduction in both soluble heme levels and βH formation. Finally, both heme solubilization and βH formation strongly correlated with reduced medium water activity provided by increased DMSO concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: The data presented here support the notion that reduction of the water activity is an important mechanism to support spontaneous heme crystallization, which depends on the previous increase of soluble heme levels.

  19. A rapid, simple method for obtaining radiochemically pure hepatic heme

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bonkowski, H.L.; Bement, W.J.; Erny, R.

    1978-01-01

    Radioactively-labelled heme has usually been isolated from liver to which unlabelled carrier has been added by long, laborious techniques involving organic solvent extraction followed by crystallization. A simpler, rapid method is devised for obtaining radiochemically-pure heme synthesized in vivo in rat liver from delta-amino[4- 14 C]levulinate. This method, in which the heme is extracted into ethyl acetate/glacial acetic acid and in which porphyrins are removed from the heme-containing organic phase with HCl washes, does not require addition of carrier heme. The new method gives better heme recoveries than and heme specific activities identical to, those obtained using the crystallization method. In this new method heme must be synthesized from delta-amino[4- 14 C]levulinate; it is not satisfactory to use [2- 14 C]glycine substrate because non-heme counts are isolated in the heme fraction. (Auth.)

  20. Heme oxygenase-1 induction improves cardiac function following myocardial ischemia by reducing oxidative stress.

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    Yossi Issan

    Full Text Available Oxidative stress plays a key role in exacerbating diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1, a stress response protein, is cytoprotective, but its role in post myocardial infarction (MI and diabetes is not fully characterized. We aimed to investigate the protection and the mechanisms of HO-1 induction in cardiomyocytes subjected to hypoxia and in diabetic mice subjected to LAD ligation.In vitro: cultured cardiomyocytes were treated with cobalt-protoporphyrin (CoPP and tin protoporphyrin (SnPP prior to hypoxic stress. In vivo: CoPP treated streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice were subjected to LAD ligation for 2/24 h. Cardiac function, histology, biochemical damage markers and signaling pathways were measured.HO-1 induction lowered release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH and creatine phospho kinase (CK, decreased propidium iodide staining, improved cell morphology and preserved mitochondrial membrane potential in cardiomyocytes. In diabetic mice, Fractional Shortening (FS was lower than non-diabetic mice (35±1%vs.41±2, respectively p<0.05. CoPP-treated diabetic animals improved cardiac function (43±2% p<0.01, reduced CK, Troponin T levels and infarct size compared to non-treated diabetic mice (P<0.01, P<0.001, P<0.01 respectively. CoPP-enhanced HO-1 protein levels and reduced oxidative stress in diabetic animals, as indicated by the decrease in superoxide levels in cardiac tissues and plasma TNFα levels (p<0.05. The increased levels of HO-1 by CoPP treatment after LAD ligation led to a shift of the Bcl-2/bax ratio towards the antiapoptotic process (p<0.05. CoPP significantly increased the expression levels of pAKT and pGSK3β (p<0.05 in cardiomyocytes and in diabetic mice with MI. SnPP abolished CoPP's cardioprotective effects.HO-1 induction plays a role in cardioprotection against hypoxic damage in cardiomyocytes and in reducing post ischemic cardiac damage in the diabetic heart as proved by the increased levels of pAKT with

  1. Heme oxygenase is not involved in the anti-proliferative effects of statins on pancreatic cancer cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vanova, K.; Boukalova, S.; Gbelcova, H.; Muchova, L.; Neuzil, J.; Gurlich, R.; Ruml, T.; Vitek, L.

    2016-01-01

    Pancreatic cancer is recognized as one of the most fatal tumors due to its aggressiveness and resistance to therapy. Statins were previously shown to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells via various signaling pathways. In healthy tissues, statins activate the heme oxygenase pathway, nevertheless the role of heme oxygenase in pancreatic cancer is still controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate, whether anti-proliferative effects of statins in pancreatic cancer cells are mediated via the heme oxygenase pathway. In vitro effects of various statins and hemin, a heme oxygenase inducer, on cell proliferation were evaluated in PA-TU-8902, MiaPaCa-2 and BxPC-3 human pancreatic cancer cell lines. The effect of statins on heme oxygenase activity was assessed and heme oxygenase-silenced cells were used for pancreatic cancer cell proliferation studies. Cell death rate and reactive oxygen species production were measured in PA-TU-8902 cells, followed by evaluation of the effect of cerivastatin on GFP-K-Ras trafficking and expression of markers of invasiveness, osteopontin (SPP1) and SOX2. While simvastatin and cerivastatin displayed major anti-proliferative properties in all cell lines tested, pravastatin did not affect the cell growth at all. Strong anti-proliferative effect was observed also for hemin. Co-treatment of cerivastatin and hemin increased anti-proliferative potential of these agents, via increased production of reactive oxygen species and cell death compared to individual treatment. Heme oxygenase silencing did not prevent pancreatic cancer cells from the tumor-suppressive effect of cerivastatin or hemin. Cerivastatin, but not pravastatin, protected Ras protein from trafficking to the cell membrane and significantly reduced expressions of SPP1 (p < 0.05) and SOX2 (p < 0.01). Anti-proliferative effects of statins and hemin on human pancreatic cancer cell lines do not seem to be related to the heme oxygenase pathway. While hemin triggers reactive

  2. Small molecule activators of the Nrf2-HO-1 antioxidant axis modulate heme metabolism and inflammation in BV2 microglia cells.

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    Foresti, Roberta; Bains, Sandip K; Pitchumony, Tamil Selvi; de Castro Brás, Lisandra E; Drago, Filippo; Dubois-Randé, Jean-Luc; Bucolo, Claudio; Motterlini, Roberto

    2013-10-01

    The nuclear factor erythroid derived 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and the antioxidant protein heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) are crucial components of the cellular stress response. These two systems work together to combat oxidative stress and inflammation and are attractive drug targets for counteracting different pathologies, including neuroinflammation. We aimed to identify the most effective Nrf2/HO-1 activators that modulate the inflammatory response in microglia cells. In the present study, we searched the literature and selected 56 compounds reported to activate Nrf2 or HO-1 and analyzed them for HO-1 induction at 6 and 24h and cytotoxicity in BV2 microglial cells in vitro. Approximately 20 compounds up-regulated HO-1 at the concentrations tested (5-20 μM) with carnosol, supercurcumin, cobalt protoporphyrin-IX and dimethyl fumarate exhibiting the best induction/low cytotoxicity profile. Up-regulation of HO-1 by some compounds resulted in increased cellular bilirubin levels but did not augment the expression of proteins involved in heme synthesis (ALAS 1) or biliverdin reductase. Bilirubin production by HO-1 inducers correlated with their potency in inhibiting nitrite production after challenge with interferon-γ (INF-γ) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The compounds down-regulated the inflammatory response (TNF-α, PGE2 and nitrite) more strongly in cells challenged with INF-γ than LPS, and silencing HO-1 or Nrf2 with shRNA differentially affected the levels of inflammatory markers. These findings indicate that some small activators of Nrf2/HO-1 are effective modulators of microglia inflammation and highlight the chemical scaffolds that can serve for the synthesis of potent new derivatives to counteract neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Cyanide binding to human plasma heme-hemopexin: A comparative study

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    Ascenzi, Paolo, E-mail: ascenzi@uniroma3.it [Laboratorio Interdipartimentale di Microscopia Elettronica, Universita Roma Tre, Roma (Italy); Istituto Nazionale di Biostrutture e Biosistemi, Roma (Italy); Leboffe, Loris [Istituto Nazionale di Biostrutture e Biosistemi, Roma (Italy); Polticelli, Fabio [Dipartimento di Biologia, Universita Roma Tre, Roma (Italy)

    2012-11-16

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cyanide binding to ferric HHPX-heme-Fe. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cyanide binding to ferrous HHPX-heme-Fe. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Dithionite-mediated reduction of ferric HHPX-heme-Fe-cyanide. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cyanide binding to HHPX-heme-Fe is limited by ligand deprotonation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cyanide dissociation from HHPX-heme-Fe-cyanide is limited by ligand protonation. -- Abstract: Hemopexin (HPX) displays a pivotal role in heme scavenging and delivery to the liver. In turn, heme-Fe-hemopexin (HPX-heme-Fe) displays heme-based spectroscopic and reactivity properties. Here, kinetics and thermodynamics of cyanide binding to ferric and ferrous hexa-coordinate human plasma HPX-heme-Fe (HHPX-heme-Fe(III) and HHPX-heme-Fe(II), respectively), and for the dithionite-mediated reduction of the HHPX-heme-Fe(III)-cyanide complex, at pH 7.4 and 20.0 Degree-Sign C, are reported. Values of thermodynamic and kinetic parameters for cyanide binding to HHPX-heme-Fe(III) and HHPX-heme-Fe(II) are K = (4.1 {+-} 0.4) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -6} M, k{sub on} = (6.9 {+-} 0.5) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 1} M{sup -1} s{sup -1}, and k{sub off} = 2.8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -4} s{sup -1}; and H = (6 {+-} 1) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -1} M, h{sub on} = 1.2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -1} M{sup -1} s{sup -1}, and h{sub off} = (7.1 {+-} 0.8) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -2} s{sup -1}, respectively. The value of the rate constant for the dithionite-mediated reduction of the HHPX-heme-Fe(III)-cyanide complex is l = 8.9 {+-} 0.8 M{sup -1/2} s{sup -1}. HHPX-heme-Fe reactivity is modulated by proton acceptor/donor amino acid residue(s) (e.g., His236) assisting the deprotonation and protonation of the incoming and outgoing ligand, respectively.

  4. Mutations in the Heme Exporter FLVCR1 Cause Sensory Neurodegeneration with Loss of Pain Perception.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiabrando, Deborah; Castori, Marco; di Rocco, Maja; Ungelenk, Martin; Gießelmann, Sebastian; Di Capua, Matteo; Madeo, Annalisa; Grammatico, Paola; Bartsch, Sophie; Hübner, Christian A; Altruda, Fiorella; Silengo, Lorenzo; Tolosano, Emanuela; Kurth, Ingo

    2016-12-01

    Pain is necessary to alert us to actual or potential tissue damage. Specialized nerve cells in the body periphery, so called nociceptors, are fundamental to mediate pain perception and humans without pain perception are at permanent risk for injuries, burns and mutilations. Pain insensitivity can be caused by sensory neurodegeneration which is a hallmark of hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies (HSANs). Although mutations in several genes were previously associated with sensory neurodegeneration, the etiology of many cases remains unknown. Using next generation sequencing in patients with congenital loss of pain perception, we here identify bi-allelic mutations in the FLVCR1 (Feline Leukemia Virus subgroup C Receptor 1) gene, which encodes a broadly expressed heme exporter. Different FLVCR1 isoforms control the size of the cytosolic heme pool required to sustain metabolic activity of different cell types. Mutations in FLVCR1 have previously been linked to vision impairment and posterior column ataxia in humans, but not to HSAN. Using fibroblasts and lymphoblastoid cell lines from patients with sensory neurodegeneration, we here show that the FLVCR1-mutations reduce heme export activity, enhance oxidative stress and increase sensitivity to programmed cell death. Our data link heme metabolism to sensory neuron maintenance and suggest that intracellular heme overload causes early-onset degeneration of pain-sensing neurons in humans.

  5. Mutations in the Heme Exporter FLVCR1 Cause Sensory Neurodegeneration with Loss of Pain Perception.

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    Deborah Chiabrando

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Pain is necessary to alert us to actual or potential tissue damage. Specialized nerve cells in the body periphery, so called nociceptors, are fundamental to mediate pain perception and humans without pain perception are at permanent risk for injuries, burns and mutilations. Pain insensitivity can be caused by sensory neurodegeneration which is a hallmark of hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies (HSANs. Although mutations in several genes were previously associated with sensory neurodegeneration, the etiology of many cases remains unknown. Using next generation sequencing in patients with congenital loss of pain perception, we here identify bi-allelic mutations in the FLVCR1 (Feline Leukemia Virus subgroup C Receptor 1 gene, which encodes a broadly expressed heme exporter. Different FLVCR1 isoforms control the size of the cytosolic heme pool required to sustain metabolic activity of different cell types. Mutations in FLVCR1 have previously been linked to vision impairment and posterior column ataxia in humans, but not to HSAN. Using fibroblasts and lymphoblastoid cell lines from patients with sensory neurodegeneration, we here show that the FLVCR1-mutations reduce heme export activity, enhance oxidative stress and increase sensitivity to programmed cell death. Our data link heme metabolism to sensory neuron maintenance and suggest that intracellular heme overload causes early-onset degeneration of pain-sensing neurons in humans.

  6. Emery-Dreifuss Muscular Dystrophy-Associated Mutant Forms of Lamin A Recruit the Stress Responsive Protein Ankrd2 into the Nucleus, Affecting the Cellular Response to Oxidative Stress

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    Silvia Angori

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: Ankrd2 is a stress responsive protein mainly expressed in muscle cells. Upon the application of oxidative stress, Ankrd2 translocates into the nucleus where it regulates the activity of genes involved in cellular response to stress. Emery-Dreifuss Muscular Dystrophy 2 (EDMD2 is a muscular disorder caused by mutations of the gene encoding lamin A, LMNA. As well as many phenotypic abnormalities, EDMD2 muscle cells also feature a permanent basal stress state, the underlying molecular mechanisms of which are currently unclear. Methods: Experiments were performed in EDMD2-lamin A overexpressing cell lines and EDMD2-affected human myotubes. Oxidative stress was produced by H2O2 treatment. Co-immunoprecipitation, cellular subfractionation and immunofluorescence analysis were used to validate the relation between Ankrd2 and forms of lamin A; cellular sensibility to stress was monitored by the analysis of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS release and cell viability. Results: Our data demonstrate that oxidative stress induces the formation of a complex between Ankrd2 and lamin A. However, EDMD2-lamin A mutants were able to bind and mislocalize Ankrd2 in the nucleus even under basal conditions. Nonetheless, cells co-expressing Ankrd2 and EDMD2-lamin A mutants were more sensitive to oxidative stress than the Ankrd2-wild type lamin A counterpart. Conclusions: For the first time, we present evidence that in muscle fibers from patients affected by EDMD2, Ankrd2 has an unusual nuclear localization. By introducing a plausible mechanism ruling this accumulation, our data hint at a novel function of Ankrd2 in the pathogenesis of EDMD2-affected cells.

  7. Identification and phylogenetic analysis of heme synthesis genes in trypanosomatids and their bacterial endosymbionts.

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    João M P Alves

    Full Text Available It has been known for decades that some insect-infecting trypanosomatids can survive in culture without heme supplementation while others cannot, and that this capability is associated with the presence of a betaproteobacterial endosymbiont in the flagellate's cytoplasm. However, the specific mechanisms involved in this process remained obscure. In this work, we sequence and phylogenetically analyze the heme pathway genes from the symbionts and from their hosts, as well as from a number of heme synthesis-deficient Kinetoplastida. Our results show that the enzymes responsible for synthesis of heme are encoded on the symbiont genomes and produced in close cooperation with the flagellate host. Our evidence suggests that this synergistic relationship is the end result of a history of extensive gene loss and multiple lateral gene transfer events in different branches of the phylogeny of the Trypanosomatidae.

  8. Crocin Suppresses LPS-Stimulated Expression of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase by Upregulation of Heme Oxygenase-1 via Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase 4

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    Ji-Hee Kim

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Crocin is a water-soluble carotenoid pigment that is primarily used in various cuisines as a seasoning and coloring agent, as well as in traditional medicines for the treatment of edema, fever, and hepatic disorder. In this study, we demonstrated that crocin markedly induces the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1 which leads to an anti-inflammatory response. Crocin inhibited inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS expression and nitric oxide production via downregulation of nuclear factor kappa B activity in lipopolysaccharide- (LPS- stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. These effects were abrogated by blocking of HO-1 expression or activity. Crocin also induced Ca2+ mobilization from intracellular pools and phosphorylation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase 4 (CAMK4. CAMK4 knockdown and kinase-dead mutant inhibited crocin-mediated HO-1 expression, Nrf2 activation, and phosphorylation of Akt, indicating that HO-1 expression is mediated by CAMK4 and that Akt is a downstream mediator of CAMK4 in crocin signaling. Moreover, crocin-mediated suppression of iNOS expression was blocked by CAMK4 inhibition. Overall, these results suggest that crocin suppresses LPS-stimulated expression of iNOS by inducing HO-1 expression via Ca2+/calmodulin-CAMK4-PI3K/Akt-Nrf2 signaling cascades. Our findings provide a novel molecular mechanism for the inhibitory effects of crocin against endotoxin-mediated inflammation.

  9. Covalent heme attachment to the protein in human heme oxygenase-1 with selenocysteine replacing the His25 proximal iron ligand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Yongying; Trnka, Michael J; Medzihradszky, Katalin F; Ouellet, Hugues; Wang, Yongqiang; Ortiz de Montellano, Paul R

    2009-03-01

    To characterize heme oxygenase with a selenocysteine (SeCys) as the proximal iron ligand, we have expressed truncated human heme oxygenase-1 (hHO-1) His25Cys, in which Cys-25 is the only cysteine, in the Escherichia coli cysteine auxotroph strain BL21(DE3)cys. Selenocysteine incorporation into the protein was demonstrated by both intact protein mass measurement and mass spectrometric identification of the selenocysteine-containing tryptic peptide. One selenocysteine was incorporated into approximately 95% of the expressed protein. Formation of an adduct with Ellman's reagent (DTNB) indicated that the selenocysteine in the expressed protein was in the reduced state. The heme-His25SeCys hHO-1 complex could be prepared by either (a) supplementing the overexpression medium with heme, or (b) reconstituting the purified apoprotein with heme. Under reducing conditions in the presence of imidazole, a covalent bond is formed by addition of the selenocysteine residue to one of the heme vinyl groups. No covalent bond is formed when the heme is replaced by mesoheme, in which the vinyls are replaced by ethyl groups. These results, together with our earlier demonstration that external selenolate ligands can transfer an electron to the iron [Y. Jiang, P.R. Ortiz de Montellano, Inorg. Chem. 47 (2008) 3480-3482 ], indicate that a selenyl radical is formed in the hHO-1 His25SeCys mutant that adds to a heme vinyl group.

  10. Regiospecificity determinants of human heme oxygenase: differential NADPH- and ascorbate-dependent heme cleavage by the R183E mutant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jinling; Lad, Latesh; Poulos, Thomas L; Ortiz de Montellano, Paul R

    2005-01-28

    The ability of the human heme oxygenase-1 (hHO-1) R183E mutant to oxidize heme in reactions supported by either NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase or ascorbic acid has been compared. The NADPH-dependent reaction, like that of wild-type hHO-1, yields exclusively biliverdin IXalpha. In contrast, the R183E mutant with ascorbic acid as the reductant produces biliverdin IXalpha (79 +/- 4%), IXdelta (19 +/- 3%), and a trace of IXbeta. In the presence of superoxide dismutase and catalase, the yield of biliverdin IXdelta is decreased to 8 +/- 1% with a corresponding increase in biliverdin IXalpha. Spectroscopic analysis of the NADPH-dependent reaction shows that the R183E ferric biliverdin complex accumulates, because reduction of the iron, which is required for sequential iron and biliverdin release, is impaired. Reversal of the charge at position 183 makes reduction of the iron more difficult. The crystal structure of the R183E mutant, determined in the ferric and ferrous-NO bound forms, shows that the heme primarily adopts the same orientation as in wild-type hHO-1. The structure of the Fe(II).NO complex suggests that an altered active site hydrogen bonding network supports catalysis in the R183E mutant. Furthermore, Arg-183 contributes to the regiospecificity of the wild-type enzyme, but its contribution is not critical. The results indicate that the ascorbate-dependent reaction is subject to a lower degree of regiochemical control than the NADPH-dependent reaction. Ascorbate may be able to reduce the R183E ferric and ferrous dioxygen complexes in active site conformations that cannot be reduced by NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase.

  11. NirN Protein from Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Novel Electron-bifurcating Dehydrogenase Catalyzing the Last Step of Heme d1 Biosynthesis*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adamczack, Julia; Hoffmann, Martin; Papke, Ulrich; Haufschildt, Kristin; Nicke, Tristan; Bröring, Martin; Sezer, Murat; Weimar, Rebecca; Kuhlmann, Uwe; Hildebrandt, Peter; Layer, Gunhild

    2014-01-01

    Heme d1 plays an important role in denitrification as the essential cofactor of the cytochrome cd1 nitrite reductase NirS. At present, the biosynthesis of heme d1 is only partially understood. The last step of heme d1 biosynthesis requires a so far unknown enzyme that catalyzes the introduction of a double bond into one of the propionate side chains of the tetrapyrrole yielding the corresponding acrylate side chain. In this study, we show that a Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 strain lacking the NirN protein does not produce heme d1. Instead, the NirS purified from this strain contains the heme d1 precursor dihydro-heme d1 lacking the acrylic double bond, as indicated by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and resonance Raman spectroscopy. Furthermore, the dihydro-heme d1 was extracted from purified NirS and characterized by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and finally identified by high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Moreover, we show that purified NirN from P. aeruginosa binds the dihydro-heme d1 and catalyzes the introduction of the acrylic double bond in vitro. Strikingly, NirN uses an electron bifurcation mechanism for the two-electron oxidation reaction, during which one electron ends up on its heme c cofactor and the second electron reduces the substrate/product from the ferric to the ferrous state. On the basis of our results, we propose novel roles for the proteins NirN and NirF during the biosynthesis of heme d1. PMID:25204657

  12. Mononuclear non-heme iron enzymes with the 2-His-1-carboxylate facial triad: recent developments in enzymology and modeling studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruijnincx, Pieter C A; van Koten, Gerard; Klein Gebbink, Robertus J M

    2008-12-01

    Iron-containing enzymes are one of Nature's main means of effecting key biological transformations. The mononuclear non-heme iron oxygenases and oxidases have received the most attention recently, primarily because of the recent availability of crystal structures of many different enzymes and the stunningly diverse oxidative transformations that these enzymes catalyze. The wealth of available structural data has furthermore established the so-called 2-His-1-carboxylate facial triad as a new common structural motif for the activation of dioxygen. This superfamily of mononuclear iron(ii) enzymes catalyzes a wide range of oxidative transformations, ranging from the cis-dihydroxylation of arenes to the biosynthesis of antibiotics such as isopenicillin and fosfomycin. The remarkable scope of oxidative transformations seems to be even broader than that associated with oxidative heme enzymes. Not only are many of these oxidative transformations of key biological importance, many of these selective oxidations are also unprecedented in synthetic organic chemistry. In this critical review, we wish to provide a concise background on the chemistry of the mononuclear non-heme iron enzymes characterized by the 2-His-1-carboxylate facial triad and to discuss the many recent developments in the field. New examples of enzymes with unique reactivities belonging to the superfamily have been reported. Furthermore, key insights into the intricate mechanistic details and reactive intermediates have been obtained from both enzyme and modeling studies. Sections of this review are devoted to each of these subjects, i.e. the enzymes, biomimetic models, and reactive intermediates (225 references).

  13. Heme and erythropoieis: more than a structural role

    OpenAIRE

    Chiabrando, Deborah; Mercurio, Sonia; Tolosano, Emanuela

    2014-01-01

    Erythropoiesis is the biological process that consumes the highest amount of body iron for heme synthesis. Heme synthesis in erythroid cells is finely coordinated with that of alpha (α) and beta (β)-globin, resulting in the production of hemoglobin, a tetramer of 2α- and 2β-globin chains, and heme as the prosthetic group. Heme is not only the structural component of hemoglobin, but it plays multiple regulatory roles during the differentiation of erythroid precursors since it controls its own ...

  14. Modulation of Na+/K+ ATPase Activity by Hydrogen Peroxide Generated through Heme in L. amazonensis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nathália Rocco-Machado

    Full Text Available Leishmania amazonensis is a protozoan parasite that occurs in many areas of Brazil and causes skin lesions. Using this parasite, our group showed the activation of Na+/K+ ATPase through a signaling cascade that involves the presence of heme and protein kinase C (PKC activity. Heme is an important biomolecule that has pro-oxidant activity and signaling capacity. Reactive oxygen species (ROS can act as second messengers, which are required in various signaling cascades. Our goal in this work is to investigate the role of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 generated in the presence of heme in the Na+/K+ ATPase activity of L. amazonensis. Our results show that increasing concentrations of heme stimulates the production of H2O2 in a dose-dependent manner until a concentration of 2.5 μM heme. To confirm that the effect of heme on the Na+/K+ ATPase is through the generation of H2O2, we measured enzyme activity using increasing concentrations of H2O2 and, as expected, the activity increased in a dose-dependent manner until a concentration of 0.1 μM H2O2. To investigate the role of PKC in this signaling pathway, we observed the production of H2O2 in the presence of its activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA and its inhibitor calphostin C. Both showed no effect on the generation of H2O2. Furthermore, we found that PKC activity is increased in the presence of H2O2, and that in the presence of calphostin C, H2O2 is unable to activate the Na+/K+ ATPase. 100 μM of Mito-TEMPO was capable of abolishing the stimulatory effect of heme on Na+/K+ ATPase activity, indicating that mitochondria might be the source of the hydrogen peroxide production induced by heme. The modulation of L. amazonensis Na+/K+ ATPase by H2O2 opens new possibilities for understanding the signaling pathways of this parasite.

  15. Nitric Oxide Synthases Reveal a Role for Calmodulin in Controlling Electron Transfer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abu-Soud, Husam M.; Stuehr, Dennis J.

    1993-11-01

    Nitric oxide (NO) is synthesized within the immune, vascular, and nervous systems, where it acts as a wide-ranging mediator of mammalian physiology. The NO synthases (EC 1.14.13.39) isolated from neurons or endothelium are calmodulin dependent. Calmodulin binds reversibly to neuronal NO synthase in response to elevated Ca2+, triggering its NO production by an unknown mechanism. Here we show that calmodulin binding allows NADPH-derived electrons to pass onto the heme group of neuronal NO synthase. Calmodulin-triggered electron transfer to heme was independent of substrate binding, caused rapid enzymatic oxidation of NADPH in the presence of O_2, and was required for NO synthesis. An NO synthase isolated from cytokine-induced macrophages that contains tightly bound calmodulin catalyzed spontaneous electron transfer to its heme, consistent with bound calmodulin also enabling electron transfer within this isoform. Together, these results provide a basis for how calmodulin may regulate NO synthesis. The ability of calmodulin to trigger electron transfer within an enzyme is unexpected and represents an additional function for calcium-binding proteins in biology.

  16. Diabetes Impairs the Vascular Recruitment of Normal Stem Cells by Oxidant Damage, Reversed by Increases in pAMPK, Heme Oxygenase-1, and Adiponectin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sambuceti, Gianmario; Morbelli, Silvia; Vanella, Luca; Kusmic, Claudia; Marini, Cecilia; Massollo, Michela; Augeri, Carla; Corselli, Mirko; Ghersi, Chiara; Chiavarina, Barbara; Rodella, Luigi F; L'Abbate, Antonio; Drummond, George; Abraham, Nader G; Frassoni, Francesco

    2009-01-01

    Background Atherosclerosis progression is accelerated in diabetes mellitus (DM) by either direct endothelial damage or reduced availability and function of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). Both alterations are related to increased oxidant damage. Aim We examined if DM specifically impairs vascular signaling, thereby reducing the recruitment of normal EPCs, and if increases in antioxidant levels by induction of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) can reverse this condition. Methods Control and diabetic rats were treated with the HO-1 inducer cobalt protoporphyrin (CoPP) once a week for 3 weeks. Eight weeks after the development of diabetes, EPCs harvested from the aorta of syngenic inbred normal rats and labeled with technetium-99m-exametazime were infused via the femoral vein to estimate their blood clearance and aortic recruitment. Circulating endothelial cells (CECs) and the aortic expression of thrombomodulin (TM), CD31, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) were used to measure endothelial damage. Results DM reduced blood clearance and aortic recruitment of EPCs. Both parameters were returned to control levels by CoPP treatment without affecting EPC kinetics in normal animals. These abnormalities of EPCs in DM were paralleled by reduced serum adiponectin levels, increased numbers of CECs, reduced endothelial expression of phosphorylated eNOS, and reduced levels of TM, CD31, and phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (pAMPK). CoPP treatment restored all of these parameters to normal levels. Conclusion Type II DM and its related oxidant damage hamper the interaction between the vascular wall and normal EPCs by mechanisms that are, at least partially, reversed by the induction of HO-1 gene expression, adiponectin, and pAMPK levels. PMID:19038792

  17. Novel Insights in Mammalian Catalase Heme Maturation: Effect of NO and Thioredoxin-1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chakravarti, Ritu; Gupta, Karishma; Majors, Alana; Ruple, Lisa; Aronica, Mark; Stuehr, Dennis J.

    2016-01-01

    Catalase is a tetrameric heme-containing enzyme with essential antioxidant functions in biology. Multiple factors including nitric oxide (NO) have been shown to attenuate its activity. However, the possible impact of NO in relation to the maturation of active catalase, including its heme acquisition and tetramer formation, has not been investigated. We found that NO attenuates heme insertion into catalase in both short-term and long-term incubations. The NO inhibition in catalase heme incorporation was associated with defective oligomerization of catalase, such that inactive catalase monomers and dimers accumulated in place of the mature tetrameric enzyme. We also found that GAPDH plays a key role in mediating these NO effects on the structure and activity of catalase. Moreover, the NO sensitivity of catalase maturation could be altered up or down by manipulating the cellular expression level or activity of thioredoxin-1, a known protein-SNO denitrosylase enzyme. In a mouse model of allergic inflammatory asthma, we found that lungs from allergen-challenged mice contained a greater percentage of dimeric catalase relative to tetrameric catalase in the unchallenged control, suggesting that the mechanisms described here are in play in the allergic asthma model. Together, our study shows how maturation of active catalase can be influenced by NO, S-nitrosylated GAPDH, and thioredoxin-1, and how maturation may become compromised in inflammatory conditions such as asthma. PMID:25659933

  18. Identification of the receptor scavenging hemopexin-heme complexes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hvidberg, Vibeke; Maniecki, Maciej B; Jacobsen, Christian

    2005-01-01

    and is suggested to facilitate cellular heme metabolism. Using a ligand-affinity approach, we purified the human hemopexin-heme receptor and identified it as the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP)/CD91, a receptor expressed in several cell types including macrophages, hepatocytes, neurons......, and syncytiotrophoblasts. Binding experiments, including Biacore analysis, showed that hemopexin-heme complex formation elicits the high receptor affinity. Uptake studies of radio-labeled hemopexin-heme complex in LRP/CD91-expressing COS cells and confocal microscopy of the cellular processing of fluorescent hemopexin......-heme complexes are removed by a receptor-mediated pathway showing striking similarities to the CD163-mediated haptoglobin-hemoglobin clearance in macrophages. Furthermore, the data indicate a hitherto unknown role of LRP/CD91 in inflammation....

  19. Gas-phase spectroscopy of ferric heme-NO complexes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wyer, J.A.; Jørgensen, Anders; Pedersen, Bjarke

    2013-01-01

    and significantly blue-shifted compared to ferric heme nitrosyl proteins (maxima between 408 and 422 nm). This is in stark contrast to the Q-band absorption where the protein microenvironment is nearly innocent in perturbing the electronic structure of the porphyrin macrocycle. Photodissociation is primarily...... maxima of heme and its complexes with amino acids and NO. Not so innocent: Weakly bound complexes between ferric heme and NO were synthesised in the gas phase, and their absorption measured from photodissociation yields. Opposite absorption trends in the Soret-band are seen upon NO addition to heme ions...

  20. Blood meal-derived heme decreases ROS levels in the midgut of Aedes aegypti and allows proliferation of intestinal microbiota.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jose Henrique M Oliveira

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available The presence of bacteria in the midgut of mosquitoes antagonizes infectious agents, such as Dengue and Plasmodium, acting as a negative factor in the vectorial competence of the mosquito. Therefore, knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved in the control of midgut microbiota could help in the development of new tools to reduce transmission. We hypothesized that toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS generated by epithelial cells control bacterial growth in the midgut of Aedes aegypti, the vector of Yellow fever and Dengue viruses. We show that ROS are continuously present in the midgut of sugar-fed (SF mosquitoes and a blood-meal immediately decreased ROS through a mechanism involving heme-mediated activation of PKC. This event occurred in parallel with an expansion of gut bacteria. Treatment of sugar-fed mosquitoes with increased concentrations of heme led to a dose dependent decrease in ROS levels and a consequent increase in midgut endogenous bacteria. In addition, gene silencing of dual oxidase (Duox reduced ROS levels and also increased gut flora. Using a model of bacterial oral infection in the gut, we show that the absence of ROS resulted in decreased mosquito resistance to infection, increased midgut epithelial damage, transcriptional modulation of immune-related genes and mortality. As heme is a pro-oxidant molecule released in large amounts upon hemoglobin degradation, oxidative killing of bacteria in the gut would represent a burden to the insect, thereby creating an extra oxidative challenge to the mosquito. We propose that a controlled decrease in ROS levels in the midgut of Aedes aegypti is an adaptation to compensate for the ingestion of heme.

  1. Heme oxygenase-1 prevents cardiac dysfunction in streptozotocin-diabetic mice by reducing inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis and enhancing autophagy.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yanli Zhao

    Full Text Available Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1 has been implicated in cardiac dysfunction, oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis and autophagy associated with heart failure, and atherosclerosis, in addition to its recognized role in metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Numerous studies have presented contradictory findings about the role of HO-1 in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM. In this study, we explored the role of HO-1 in myocardial dysfunction, myofibril structure, oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis and autophagy using a streptozotocin (STZ-induced diabetes model in mice systemically overexpressing HO-1 (Tg-HO-1 or mutant HO-1 (Tg-mutHO-1. The diabetic mouse model was induced by multiple peritoneal injections of STZ. Two months after injection, left ventricular (LV function was measured by echocardiography. In addition, molecular biomarkers related to oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis and autophagy were evaluated using classical molecular biological/biochemical techniques. Mice with DCM exhibited severe LV dysfunction, myofibril structure disarray, aberrant cardiac oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, autophagy and increased levels of HO-1. In addition, we determined that systemic overexpression of HO-1 ameliorated left ventricular dysfunction, myofibril structure disarray, oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis and autophagy in DCM mice. Furthermore, serine/threonine-specific protein kinase (Akt and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK phosphorylation is normally inhibited in DCM, but overexpression of the HO-1 gene restored the phosphorylation of these kinases to normal levels. In contrast, the functions of HO-1 in DCM were significantly reversed by overexpression of mutant HO-1. This study underlines the unique roles of HO-1, including the inhibition of oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis and the enhancement of autophagy, in the pathogenesis of DCM.

  2. No changes in heme synthesis in human Friedreich´s ataxia erythroid progenitor cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steinkellner, Hannes; Singh, Himanshu Narayan; Muckenthaler, Martina U; Goldenberg, Hans; Moganty, Rajeswari R; Scheiber-Mojdehkar, Barbara; Sturm, Brigitte

    2017-07-20

    Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by reduced expression of the protein frataxin. Frataxin is thought to play a role in iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis and heme synthesis. In this study, we used erythroid progenitor stem cells obtained from FRDA patients and healthy donors to investigate the putative role, if any, of frataxin deficiency in heme synthesis. We used electrochemiluminescence and qRT-PCR for frataxin protein and mRNA quantification. We used atomic absorption spectrophotometry for iron levels and a photometric assay for hemoglobin levels. Protoporphyrin IX and Ferrochelatase were analyzed using auto-fluorescence. An "IronChip" microarray analysis followed by a protein-protein interaction analysis was performed. FRDA patient cells showed no significant changes in iron levels, hemoglobin synthesis, protoporphyrin IX levels, and ferrochelatase activity. Microarray analysis presented 11 genes that were significantly changed in all patients compared to controls. The genes are especially involved in oxidative stress, iron homeostasis and angiogenesis. The mystery about the involvement of frataxin on iron metabolism raises the question why frataxin deficiency in primary FRDA cells did not lead to changes in biochemical parameters of heme synthesis. It seems that alternative pathways can circumvent the impact of frataxin deficiency on heme synthesis. We show for the first time in primary FRDA patient cells that reduced frataxin levels are still sufficient for heme synthesis and possibly other mechanisms can overcome reduced frataxin levels in this process. Our data strongly support the fact that so far no anemia in FRDA patients was reported. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Heme requirement and intracellular trafficking in Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lara, F.A.; Sant'Anna, C.; Lemos, D.; Laranja, G.A.T.; Coelho, M.G.P.; Reis Salles, I.; Michel, A.; Oliveira, P.L.; Cunha-e-Silva, N.; Salmon, D.; Paes, M.C.

    2007-01-01

    Epimastigotes multiplies in the insect midgut by taking up nutrients present in the blood meal including heme bound to hemoglobin of red blood cell. During blood meal digestion by vector proteases in the posterior midgut, hemoglobin is clipped off into amino acids, peptides, and free heme. In this paper, we compared the heme and hemoglobin uptake kinetics and followed their intracellular trafficking. Addition of heme to culture medium increased epimastigote proliferation in a dose-dependent manner, while medium supplemented with hemoglobin enhanced growth after 3-day lag phase. Medium supplemented with globin-derived peptides stimulated cell proliferation in a dose-independent way. Using Palladium mesoporphyrin IX (Pd-mP) as a fluorescent heme-analog, we observed that heme internalization proceeded much faster than that observed by hemoglobin-rhodamine. Binding experiments showed that parasites accumulated the Pd-mP into the posterior region of the cell whereas hemoglobin-rhodamine stained the anterior region. Finally, using different specific inhibitors of ABC transporters we conclude that a P-glycoprotein homologue transporter is probably involved in heme transport through the plasma membrane

  4. Moessbauer spectroscopic study of polymer-bound heme complexes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsuchida, Eishun; Nishide, Hiroyuki; Yokoyama, Hiroyuki; Inoue, Hidenari; Shirai, Tsuneo.

    1984-01-01

    Moessbauer spectra were measured on the heme complexes of poly(1-vinyl- and 1-vinyl-2-methylimidazole)(PVI and PMI) and heme derivatives with covalently bound imidazoleligand (IH) and 2-methylimidazole-ligand (MIH) embedded in poly(1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) film. Quadrupole splitting (ΔE sub(Q)) for the carbon monoxide adduct of PMI-heme indicated large electronic field gradient at the iron nucleus, probably due to steric hindrance of the polymer chain, and this behavior agreed with its low affinity with carbon monoxide. PMI-heme formed an oxygen adduct and its isomer shift and ΔE sub(Q) values were obtained. (author)

  5. The BTB and CNC homology 1 (BACH1) target genes are involved in the oxidative stress response and in control of the cell cycle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warnatz, Hans-Jörg; Schmidt, Dominic; Manke, Thomas; Piccini, Ilaria; Sultan, Marc; Borodina, Tatiana; Balzereit, Daniela; Wruck, Wasco; Soldatov, Alexey; Vingron, Martin; Lehrach, Hans; Yaspo, Marie-Laure

    2011-07-01

    The regulation of gene expression in response to environmental signals and metabolic imbalances is a key step in maintaining cellular homeostasis. BTB and CNC homology 1 (BACH1) is a heme-binding transcription factor repressing the transcription from a subset of MAF recognition elements at low intracellular heme levels. Upon heme binding, BACH1 is released from the MAF recognition elements, resulting in increased expression of antioxidant response genes. To systematically address the gene regulatory networks involving BACH1, we combined chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing analysis of BACH1 target genes in HEK 293 cells with knockdown of BACH1 using three independent types of small interfering RNAs followed by transcriptome profiling using microarrays. The 59 BACH1 target genes identified by chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing were found highly enriched in genes showing expression changes after BACH1 knockdown, demonstrating the impact of BACH1 repression on transcription. In addition to known and new BACH1 targets involved in heme degradation (HMOX1, FTL, FTH1, ME1, and SLC48A1) and redox regulation (GCLC, GCLM, and SLC7A11), we also discovered BACH1 target genes affecting cell cycle and apoptosis pathways (ITPR2, CALM1, SQSTM1, TFE3, EWSR1, CDK6, BCL2L11, and MAFG) as well as subcellular transport processes (CLSTN1, PSAP, MAPT, and vault RNA). The newly identified impact of BACH1 on genes involved in neurodegenerative processes and proliferation provides an interesting basis for future dissection of BACH1-mediated gene repression in neurodegeneration and virus-induced cancerogenesis.

  6. Host heme oxygenase-1: Friend or foe in tackling pathogens?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Nisha; Ahmad, Zeeshan; Baid, Navin; Kumar, Ashwani

    2018-05-14

    Infectious diseases are a major challenge in management of human health worldwide. Recent literature suggests that host immune system could be modulated to ameliorate the pathogenesis of infectious disease. Heme oxygenase (HMOX1) is a key regulator of cellular signaling and it could be modulated using pharmacological reagents. HMOX1 is a cytoprotective enzyme that degrades heme to generate carbon monoxide (CO), biliverdin, and molecular iron. CO and biliverdin (or bilirubin derived from it) can restrict the growth of a few pathogens. Both of these also induce antioxidant pathways and anti-inflammatory pathways. On the other hand, molecular iron can induce proinflammatory pathway besides making the cellular environment oxidative in nature. Since microbial infections often induce oxidative stress in host cells/tissues, role of HMOX1 has been analyzed in the pathogenesis of number of infections. In this review, we have described the role of HMOX1 in pathogenesis of bacterial infections caused by Mycobacterium species, Salmonella and in microbial sepsis. We have also provided a succinct overview of the role of HMOX1 in parasitic infections such as malaria and leishmaniasis. In the end, we have also elaborated the role of HMOX1 in viral infections such as AIDS, hepatitis, dengue, and influenza. © 2018 IUBMB Life, 2018. © 2018 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  7. Pharmacological Induction of Heme Oxygenase-1 Impairs Nuclear Accumulation of Herpes Simplex Virus Capsids upon Infection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco J. Ibáñez

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1 is an inducible enzyme that is expressed in response to physical and chemical stresses, such as ultraviolet radiation, hyperthermia, hypoxia, reactive oxygen species (ROS, as well as cytokines, among others. Its activity can be positively modulated by cobalt protoporphyrin (CoPP and negatively by tin protoporphirin (SnPP. Once induced, HO-1 degrades iron-containing heme into ferrous iron (Fe2+, carbon monoxide (CO and biliverdin. Importantly, numerous products of HO-1 are cytoprotective with anti-apoptotic, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects. The products of HO-1 also display antiviral properties against several viruses, such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, influenza, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and Ebola virus. Here, we sought to assess the effect of modulating HO-1 activity over herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2 infection in epithelial cells and neurons. There are no vaccines against HSV-2 and treatment options are scarce in the immunosuppressed, in which drug-resistant variants emerge. By using HSV strains that encode structural and non-structural forms of the green fluorescent protein (GFP, we found that pharmacological induction of HO-1 activity with CoPP significantly decreases virus plaque formation and the expression of virus-encoded genes in epithelial cells as determined by flow cytometry and western blot assays. CoPP treatment did not affect virus binding to the cell surface or entry into the cytoplasm, but rather downstream events in the virus infection cycle. Furthermore, we observed that treating cells with a CO-releasing molecule (CORM-2 recapitulated some of the anti-HSV effects elicited by CoPP. Taken together, these findings indicate that HO-1 activity interferes with the replication cycle of HSV and that its antiviral effects can be recapitulated by CO.

  8. Heme oxygenase activity increases after exercise in healthy volunteers

    Science.gov (United States)

    AbstractHeme oxygenase (HO) is an essential, rate-limiting protein which participates in the catabolism of heme to iron, carbon monoxide (CO), and biliverdin. The alpha methene bridge carbon of the heme is eliminated as CO which can be measured as blood carboxyhemoglobin (COHb)....

  9. Novel insights in mammalian catalase heme maturation: effect of NO and thioredoxin-1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chakravarti, Ritu; Gupta, Karishma; Majors, Alana; Ruple, Lisa; Aronica, Mark; Stuehr, Dennis J

    2015-05-01

    Catalase is a tetrameric heme-containing enzyme with essential antioxidant functions in biology. Multiple factors including nitric oxide (NO) have been shown to attenuate its activity. However, the possible impact of NO in relation to the maturation of active catalase, including its heme acquisition and tetramer formation, has not been investigated. We found that NO attenuates heme insertion into catalase in both short-term and long-term incubations. The NO inhibition in catalase heme incorporation was associated with defective oligomerization of catalase, such that inactive catalase monomers and dimers accumulated in place of the mature tetrameric enzyme. We also found that GAPDH plays a key role in mediating these NO effects on the structure and activity of catalase. Moreover, the NO sensitivity of catalase maturation could be altered up or down by manipulating the cellular expression level or activity of thioredoxin-1, a known protein-SNO denitrosylase enzyme. In a mouse model of allergic inflammatory asthma, we found that lungs from allergen-challenged mice contained a greater percentage of dimeric catalase relative to tetrameric catalase in the unchallenged control, suggesting that the mechanisms described here are in play in the allergic asthma model. Together, our study shows how maturation of active catalase can be influenced by NO, S-nitrosylated GAPDH, and thioredoxin-1, and how maturation may become compromised in inflammatory conditions such as asthma. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Oxidative stress negatively affects human sperm mitochondrial respiration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferramosca, Alessandra; Pinto Provenzano, Sara; Montagna, Daniela Domenica; Coppola, Lamberto; Zara, Vincenzo

    2013-07-01

    To correlate the level of oxidative stress in serum and seminal fluid and the level of sperm deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragmentation with sperm mitochondrial respiratory efficiency. Sperm mitochondrial respiratory activity was evaluated with a polarographic assay of oxygen consumption carried out in hypotonically treated sperm cells. A possible relationship between sperm mitochondrial respiratory efficiency, the level of oxidative stress, and the level of sperm DNA fragmentation was investigated. Sperm motility was positively correlated with mitochondrial respiration but negatively correlated with oxidative stress and DNA fragmentation. Interestingly, sperm mitochondrial respiratory activity was negatively affected by oxidative stress and DNA fragmentation. Our data indicate that sperm mitochondrial respiration is decreased in patients with high levels of reactive oxygen species by an uncoupling between electron transport and adenosine triphosphate synthesis. This reduction in mitochondrial functionality might be 1 of the reasons responsible for the decrease in spermatozoa motility. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. The Chemistry and Biochemistry of Heme c: Functional Bases for Covalent Attachment

    OpenAIRE

    Bowman, Sarah E. J.; Bren, Kara L.

    2008-01-01

    A discussion of the literature concerning the synthesis, function, and activity of heme c-containing proteins is presented. Comparison of the properties of heme c, which is covalently bound to protein, is made to heme b, which is bound noncovalently. A question of interest is why nature uses biochemically expensive heme c in many proteins when its properties are expected to be similar to heme b. Considering the effects of covalent heme attachment on heme conformation and on the proximal histi...

  12. High-level expression of heme-dependent catalase gene katA from Lactobacillus Sakei protects Lactobacillus rhamnosus from oxidative stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    An, Haoran; Zhou, Hui; Huang, Ying; Wang, Guohong; Luan, Chunguang; Mou, Jing; Luo, Yunbo; Hao, Yanling

    2010-06-01

    Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are generally sensitive to hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), Lactobacillus sakei YSI8 is one of the very few LAB strains able to degrade H(2)O(2) through the action of a heme-dependent catalase. Lactobacillus rhamnosus strains are very important probiotic starter cultures in meat product fermentation, but they are deficient in catalase. In this study, the effect of heterologous expression of L. sakei catalase gene katA in L. rhamnosus on its oxidative stress resistance was tested. The recombinant L. rhamnosus AS 1.2466 was able to decompose H(2)O(2) and the catalase activity reached 2.85 mumol H(2)O(2)/min/10(8) c.f.u. Furthermore, the expression of the katA gene in L. rhamnosus conferred enhanced oxidative resistance on the host. The survival ratios after short-term H(2)O(2) challenge were increased 600 and 10(4)-fold at exponential and stationary phase, respectively. Further, viable cells were 100-fold higher in long-term aerated cultures. Simulation experiment demonstrated that both growth and catalase activity of recombinant L. rhamnosus displayed high stability under environmental conditions similar to those encountered during sausage fermentation.

  13. Effects of heme-PrP complex on cell-free conversion and peroxidase-linked immunodetection of prions in blood-based assays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soutyrine, Andrei; Yogasingam, Nishandan; Huang, Hongsheng; Mitchell, Gordon

    2015-08-01

    Prion protein (PrP) binding to natural and synthetic porphyrins has been previously demonstrated but the effects of endogenous heme interactions with PrP remain uncertain. This study investigated implications of this interaction in blood-based peroxidase-linked prion immunodetection and seeded conversion of cellular prion (PrP(C)) into disease associated form (PrP(Sc)). Heme binding to recombinant PrP(C) enhanced intrinsic peroxidase activity (POD) by 2.5-fold and POD inherent to denatured blood accounted for over 84% of luminol-based substrate oxidation in a prion immunodetection assay. An immuno-capture assay showed that 75-98% of blood POD was attributable to binding of PrP(C) with endogenous heme. Additionally, 10 μM heme inhibited (PPrP(C) to PrP(Sc) through the protein misfolding cycling amplification assay. We conclude that the observed effects can interfere with cell-free conversion and peroxidase-linked immunodetection of prions in blood-based assays. These results indicate that heme-PrP interactions could modulate intrinsic POD and protect PrP(C) from conversion into PrP(Sc). Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Potent heme-degrading action of antimony and antimony-containing parasiticidal agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drummond, G S; Kappas, A

    1981-02-01

    The ability of antimony and antimony-containing parasiticidal agents to enhance the rate of heme degradation in liver and kidney was investigated. Trivalent antimony was shown to be an extremely potent inducer of heme oxygenase, the initial and rate-limiting enzyme in heme degradation, in both organs, whereas the pentavalent form was a weak inducer of this enzyme. The ability of antimony to induce heme oxygenase was dose-dependent, independent of the salt used, and not a result of a direct activation of the enzyme in vitro. Concomitant with heme oxygenase induction by antimony, microsomal heme and cytochrome P-450 contents decreased, the cyto-chrome P-450-dependent mixed function oxidase system was impaired, and delta-ami-nolevulinate synthase (ALAS), the rate-limiting enzyme of heme synthesis, underwent the sequential changes-initial inhibition followed by rebound induction-usually associated with the administration of transition elements such as cobalt. Antimony induction of heme oxygenase however, unlike the enzyme induction elicited by cobalt, was not prevented either by cysteine administered orally or as a cysteine metal complex, or by simultaneous zinc administration. Desferoxamine also did not block heme oxygenase induction by antimony, but this chelator did prevent the rebound increase in ALAS activity associated with antimony or cobalt treatment. Antimony-containing parasiticidal drugs were also potent inducers of heme oxygenase in liver and kidney. The heme degradative action of these drugs may be related in part to the jaundice commonly associated with the prolonged therapeutic use of these agents. The heme-oxygenase-inducing action of antimony-containing parasiticidal drugs is a newly defined biological property of these compounds. The relation between the parasiticidal and the heme-oxygenase-inducing actions of such drugs is unknown. However, certain parasites contain hemoproteins or require heme compounds during their life cycle. It may therefore be

  15. Acquisition of iron from transferrin regulates reticulocyte heme synthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ponka, P.; Schulman, H.M.

    1985-01-01

    Fe-salicylaldehyde isonicotinoylhydrazone (SIH), which can donate iron to reticulocytes without transferrin as a mediator, has been utilized to test the hypothesis that the rate of iron uptake from transferrin limits the rate of heme synthesis in erythroid cells. Reticulocytes take up 59 Fe from [ 59 Fe]SIH and incorporate it into heme to a much greater extent than from saturating concentrations of [ 59 Fe]transferrin. Also, Fe-SIH stimulates [2- 14 C]glycine into heme when compared to the incorporation observed with saturating levels of Fe-transferrin. In addition, delta-aminolevulinic acid does not stimulate 59 Fe incorporation into heme from either [ 59 Fe]transferrin or [ 59 Fe]SIH but does reverse the inhibition of 59 Fe incorporation into heme caused by isoniazid, an inhibitor of delta-aminolevulinic acid synthase. Taken together, these results suggest the hypothesis that some step(s) in the pathway of iron from extracellular transferrin to intracellular protoporphyrin limits the overall rate of heme synthesis in reticulocytes

  16. [Update on the biology of heme synthesis in erythroid cells].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujiwara, Tohru; Harigae, Hideo

    2015-02-01

    Heme is a prosthetic group of hemoproteins playing important roles in oxygen transport, detoxification, circadian rhythm, microRNA processing, regulation of transcription, and translation. The majority of heme (-85%) is synthesized in red blood cells mainly for hemoglobin production, whereas hepatocytes account for most of the rest, functioning primarily in the synthesis of cytochrome P450 enzymes and mitochondrial respiratory enzymes. Thus, failure of heme biosynthesis causes severe inherited or acquired disorders in humans, including porphyria and sideroblastic anemia. The heme biosynthetic pathway is composed of eight enzymes that work in either mitochondria or the cytoplasm, which have been extensively researched and frequently reviewed. On the other hand, the mechanisms governing transport and intracellular trafficking of heme intermediates, as well as their potential links to human diseases, are poorly understood. Herein, we focus on recent understanding of the heme biosynthetic pathway and on human disorders due to defective heme synthesis in erythroid cells, such as X-linked sideroblastic anemia and erythropoietic protoporphyria.

  17. Mimicking heme enzymes in the solid state: metal-organic materials with selectively encapsulated heme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larsen, Randy W; Wojtas, Lukasz; Perman, Jason; Musselman, Ronald L; Zaworotko, Michael J; Vetromile, Carissa M

    2011-07-13

    To carry out essential life processes, nature has had to evolve heme enzymes capable of synthesizing and manipulating complex molecules. These proteins perform a plethora of chemical reactions utilizing a single iron porphyrin active site embedded within an evolutionarily designed protein pocket. We herein report the first class of metal-organic materials (MOMs) that mimic heme enzymes in terms of both structure and reactivity. The MOMzyme-1 class is based upon a prototypal MOM, HKUST-1, into which catalytically active metalloporphyrins are selectively encapsulated in a "ship-in-a-bottle" fashion within one of the three nanoscale cages that exist in HKUST-1. MOMs offer unparalleled levels of permanent porosity and their modular nature affords enormous diversity of structures and properties. The MOMzyme-1 class could therefore represent a new paradigm for heme biomimetic catalysis since it combines the activity of a homogeneous catalyst with the stability and recyclability of heterogeneous catalytic systems within a single material.

  18. Functional imaging: monitoring heme oxygenase-1 gene expression in vivo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Weisheng; Reilly-Contag, Pamela; Stevenson, David K.; Contag, Christopher H.

    1999-07-01

    The regulation of genetic elements can be monitored in living animals using photoproteins as reporters. Heme oxygenase (HO) is the key catabolic enzyme in the heme degradation pathway. Here, HO expression serves as a model for in vivo functional imaging of transcriptional regulation of a clinically relevant gene. HO enzymatic activity is inhibited by heme analogs, metalloporphyrins, but many members of this family of compounds also activate transcription of the HO-1 promoter. The degree of transcriptional activation by twelve metalloporphyrins, differing at the central metal and porphyrin ring substituents, was evaluated in both NIH 3T3 stable lines and transgenic animals containing HO-1 promoter-luciferase gene fusions. In the correlative cell culture assays, the metalloporphyrins increased transcription form the full length HO promoter fusion to varying degrees, but none increased transcription from a truncated HO-1 promoter. These results suggested that one or both of the two distal enhancer elements located at -4 and -10 Kb upstream from transcriptional start are required for HO-1 induction by heme and its analogs. The full-length HO-1-luc fusion was then evaluated as a transgene in mice. It was possible to monitor the effects of the metalloporphyrins, SnMP and ZnPP, in living animals over time. This spatiotemporal analyses of gene expression in vivo implied that alterations in porphyrin ring substituents and the central metal may affect the extent of gene activation. These data further indicate that using photoprotein reporters, subtle differences in gene expression can be monitored in living animals.

  19. A Mononuclear Non-Heme Manganese(IV)-Oxo Complex Binding Redox-Inactive Metal Ions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Junying; Lee, Yong-Min; Davis, Katherine M.; Wu, Xiujuan; Seo, Mi Sook; Cho, Kyung-Bin; Yoon, Heejung; Park, Young Jun; Fukuzumi, Shunichi; Pushkar, Yulia N.; Nam, Wonwoo [Ewha; (Purdue); (Osaka)

    2013-05-29

    Redox-inactive metal ions play pivotal roles in regulating the reactivities of high-valent metal–oxo species in a variety of enzymatic and chemical reactions. A mononuclear non-heme Mn(IV)–oxo complex bearing a pentadentate N5 ligand has been synthesized and used in the synthesis of a Mn(IV)–oxo complex binding scandium ions. The Mn(IV)–oxo complexes were characterized with various spectroscopic methods. The reactivities of the Mn(IV)–oxo complex are markedly influenced by binding of Sc3+ ions in oxidation reactions, such as a ~2200-fold increase in the rate of oxidation of thioanisole (i.e., oxygen atom transfer) but a ~180-fold decrease in the rate of C–H bond activation of 1,4-cyclohexadiene (i.e., hydrogen atom transfer). The present results provide the first example of a non-heme Mn(IV)–oxo complex binding redox-inactive metal ions that shows a contrasting effect of the redox-inactive metal ions on the reactivities of metal–oxo species in the oxygen atom transfer and hydrogen atom transfer reactions.

  20. The Role of Heme and Reactive Oxygen Species in Proliferation and Survival of Trypanosoma cruzi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcia Cristina Paes

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan responsible for Chagas disease, has a complex life cycle comprehending two distinct hosts and a series of morphological and functional transformations. Hemoglobin degradation inside the insect vector releases high amounts of heme, and this molecule is known to exert a number of physiological functions. Moreover, the absence of its complete biosynthetic pathway in T. cruzi indicates heme as an essential molecule for this trypanosomatid survival. Within the hosts, T. cruzi has to cope with sudden environmental changes especially in the redox status and heme is able to increase the basal production of reactive oxygen species (ROS which can be also produced as byproducts of the parasite aerobic metabolism. In this regard, ROS sensing is likely to be an important mechanism for the adaptation and interaction of these organisms with their hosts. In this paper we discuss the main features of heme and ROS susceptibility in T. cruzi biology.

  1. UVA-induced protection of skin through the induction of heme oxygenase-1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiang, Yuancai; Liu, Gang; Yang, Li; Zhong, Julia Li

    2011-12-01

    UVA (320-400 nm) and UVB (290-320 nm) are the major components of solar UV irradiation, which is associated with various pathological conditions. UVB causes direct damage to DNA of epidermal cells and is mainly responsible for erythema, immunosuppression, photoaging, and skin cancer. UVA has oxidizing properties that can cause damage or enhance UVB damaging effects on skin. On the other hand, UVA can also lead to high levels of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression of cells that can provide an antioxidant effect on skin as well as anti-inflammatory properties in mammals and rodents. Therefore, this review focuses on the potential protection of UVA wavebands for the skin immune response, instead of mechanisms that underlie UVA-induced damage. Also, the role of HO-1 in UVA-mediated protection against UVB-induced immunosuppression in skin will be summarized. Thus, this review facilitates further understanding of potential beneficial mechanisms of UVA irradiation, and using the longer UVA (UVA1, 340-400 nm) in combination with HO-1 for phototherapy and skin protection against sunlight exposure.

  2. Dietary heme induces instantaneous oxidative stress but delayed cytotoxicity and compensatory hyperproliferation in mouse colon

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    IJssennagger, Noortje; Rijnierse, A.; Wit, de Nicole; Boekschoten, Mark; Dekker, Jan; Schonewille, Arjan; Muller, Michael; Meer, van der Roelof

    2013-01-01

    Red meat consumption is associated with an increased colon cancer risk. Heme, present in red meat, injures the colon surface epithelium by luminal cytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species. This surface injury is compensated by hyperproliferation and hyperplasia of crypt cells, which was induced by a

  3. Introduction of water into the heme distal side by Leu65 mutations of an oxygen sensor, YddV, generates verdoheme and carbon monoxide, exerting the heme oxygenase reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stranava, Martin; Martínková, Markéta; Stiborová, Marie; Man, Petr; Kitanishi, Kenichi; Muchová, Lucie; Vítek, Libor; Martínek, Václav; Shimizu, Toru

    2014-11-01

    The globin-coupled oxygen sensor, YddV, is a heme-based oxygen sensor diguanylate cyclase. Oxygen binding to the heme Fe(II) complex in the N-terminal sensor domain of this enzyme substantially enhances its diguanylate cyclase activity which is conducted in the C-terminal functional domain. Leu65 is located on the heme distal side and is important for keeping the stability of the heme Fe(II)-O2 complex by preventing the entry of the water molecule to the heme complex. In the present study, it was found that (i) Escherichia coli-overexpressed and purified L65N mutant of the isolated heme-bound domain of YddV (YddV-heme) contained the verdoheme iron complex and other modified heme complexes as determined by optical absorption spectroscopy and mass spectrometry; (ii) CO was generated in the reconstituted system composed of heme-bound L65N and NADPH:cytochrome P450 reductase as confirmed by gas chromatography; (iii) CO generation of heme-bound L65N in the reconstituted system was inhibited by superoxide dismutase and catalase. In a concordance with the result, the reactive oxygen species increased the CO generation; (iv) the E. coli cells overexpressing the L65N protein of YddV-heme also formed significant amounts of CO compared to the cells overexpressing the wild type protein; (v) generation of verdoheme and CO was also observed for other mutants at Leu65 as well, but to a lesser extent. Since Leu65 mutations are assumed to introduce the water molecule into the heme distal side of YddV-heme, it is suggested that the water molecule would significantly contribute to facilitating heme oxygenase reactions for the Leu65 mutants. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Molecular evolution of multiple-level control of heme biosynthesis pathway in animal kingdom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tzou, Wen-Shyong; Chu, Ying; Lin, Tzung-Yi; Hu, Chin-Hwa; Pai, Tun-Wen; Liu, Hsin-Fu; Lin, Han-Jia; Cases, Ildeofonso; Rojas, Ana; Sanchez, Mayka; You, Zong-Ye; Hsu, Ming-Wei

    2014-01-01

    Adaptation of enzymes in a metabolic pathway can occur not only through changes in amino acid sequences but also through variations in transcriptional activation, mRNA splicing and mRNA translation. The heme biosynthesis pathway, a linear pathway comprised of eight consecutive enzymes in animals, provides researchers with ample information for multiple types of evolutionary analyses performed with respect to the position of each enzyme in the pathway. Through bioinformatics analysis, we found that the protein-coding sequences of all enzymes in this pathway are under strong purifying selection, from cnidarians to mammals. However, loose evolutionary constraints are observed for enzymes in which self-catalysis occurs. Through comparative genomics, we found that in animals, the first intron of the enzyme-encoding genes has been co-opted for transcriptional activation of the genes in this pathway. Organisms sense the cellular content of iron, and through iron-responsive elements in the 5' untranslated regions of mRNAs and the intron-exon boundary regions of pathway genes, translational inhibition and exon choice in enzymes may be enabled, respectively. Pathway product (heme)-mediated negative feedback control can affect the transport of pathway enzymes into the mitochondria as well as the ubiquitin-mediated stability of enzymes. Remarkably, the positions of these controls on pathway activity are not ubiquitous but are biased towards the enzymes in the upstream portion of the pathway. We revealed that multiple-level controls on the activity of the heme biosynthesis pathway depend on the linear depth of the enzymes in the pathway, indicating a new strategy for discovering the molecular constraints that shape the evolution of a metabolic pathway.

  5. The Trypanosoma cruzi Protein TcHTE Is Critical for Heme Uptake.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcelo L Merli

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas' disease, presents nutritional requirements for several metabolites. It requires heme for the biosynthesis of several heme-proteins involved in essential metabolic pathways like mitochondrial cytochromes and respiratory complexes, as well as enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of sterols and unsaturated fatty acids. However, this parasite lacks a complete route for its synthesis. In view of these facts, T. cruzi has to incorporate heme from the environment during its life cycle. In other words, their hosts must supply the heme for heme-protein synthesis. Although the acquisition of heme is a fundamental issue for the parasite's replication and survival, how this cofactor is imported and distributed is poorly understood. In this work, we used different fluorescent heme analogs to explore heme uptake along the different life-cycle stages of T. cruzi, showing that this parasite imports it during its replicative stages: the epimastigote in the insect vector and the intracellular amastigote in the mammalian host. Also, we identified and characterized a T. cruzi protein (TcHTE with 55% of sequence similarity to LHR1 (protein involved in L. amazonensis heme transport, which is located in the flagellar pocket, where the transport of nutrients proceeds in trypanosomatids. We postulate TcHTE as a protein involved in improving the efficiency of the heme uptake or trafficking in T. cruzi.

  6. Abscisic Acid Participates in the Control of Cell Cycle Initiation Through Heme Homeostasis in the Unicellular Red Alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kobayashi, Yuki; Ando, Hiroyuki; Hanaoka, Mitsumasa; Tanaka, Kan

    2016-05-01

    ABA is a phytohormone that is synthesized in response to abiotic stresses and other environmental changes, inducing various physiological responses. While ABA has been found in unicellular photosynthetic organisms, such as cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algae, its function in these organisms is poorly understood. Here, we found that ABA accumulated in the unicellular red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae under conditions of salt stress and that the cell cycle G1/S transition was inhibited when ABA was added to the culture medium. A gene encoding heme-scavenging tryptophan-rich sensory protein-related protein (CmTSPO; CMS231C) was positively regulated by ABA, as in Arabidopsis, and CmTSPO bound heme in vitro. The intracellular content of total heme was increased by addition of ABA, but unfettered heme decreased, presumably due to scavenging by CmTSPO. The inhibition of DNA replication by ABA was negated by addition of heme to the culture medium. Thus, we propose a regulatory role for ABA and heme in algal cell cycle initiation. Finally, we found that a C. merolae mutant that is defective in ABA production was more susceptible to salt stress, indicating the importance of ABA to stress resistance in red algae. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  7. Heme and blood-feeding parasites: friends or foes?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Glanfield Amber

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Hemoparasites, like malaria and schistosomes, are constantly faced with the challenges of storing and detoxifying large quantities of heme, released from their catabolism of host erythrocytes. Heme is an essential prosthetic group that forms the reactive core of numerous hemoproteins with diverse biological functions. However, due to its reactive nature, it is also a potentially toxic molecule. Thus, the acquisition and detoxification of heme is likely to be paramount for the survival and establishment of parasitism. Understanding the underlying mechanism involved in this interaction could possibly provide potential novel targets for drug and vaccine development, and disease treatment. However, there remains a wide gap in our understanding of these mechanisms. This review summarizes the biological importance of heme for hemoparasite, and the adaptations utilized in its sequestration and detoxification.

  8. Heme and blood-feeding parasites: friends or foes?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    Hemoparasites, like malaria and schistosomes, are constantly faced with the challenges of storing and detoxifying large quantities of heme, released from their catabolism of host erythrocytes. Heme is an essential prosthetic group that forms the reactive core of numerous hemoproteins with diverse biological functions. However, due to its reactive nature, it is also a potentially toxic molecule. Thus, the acquisition and detoxification of heme is likely to be paramount for the survival and establishment of parasitism. Understanding the underlying mechanism involved in this interaction could possibly provide potential novel targets for drug and vaccine development, and disease treatment. However, there remains a wide gap in our understanding of these mechanisms. This review summarizes the biological importance of heme for hemoparasite, and the adaptations utilized in its sequestration and detoxification. PMID:21087517

  9. Oxidative stress induced by cerium oxide nanoparticles in cultured BEAS-2B cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Eun-Jung; Choi, Jinhee; Park, Young-Kwon; Park, Kwangsik

    2008-01-01

    Cerium oxide nanoparticles of different sizes (15, 25, 30, 45 nm) were prepared by the supercritical synthesis method, and cytotoxicity was evaluated using cultured human lung epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). Exposure of the cultured cells to nanoparticles (5, 10, 20, 40 μg/ml) led to cell death, ROS increase, GSH decrease, and the inductions of oxidative stress-related genes such as heme oxygenase-1, catalase, glutathione S-transferase, and thioredoxin reductase. The increased ROS by cerium oxide nanoparticles triggered the activation of cytosolic caspase-3 and chromatin condensation, which means that cerium oxide nanoparticles exert cytotoxicity by an apoptotic process. Uptake of the nanoparticles to the cultured cells was also tested. It was observed that cerium oxide nanoparticles penetrated into the cytoplasm and located in the peri-region of the nucleus as aggregated particles, which may induce the direct interaction between nanoparticles and cellular molecules to cause adverse cellular responses

  10. A functional mimic of natural peroxidases : synthesis and catalytic activity of a non-heme iron peptide hydroperoxide complex

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Choma, CT; Schudde, EP; Kellogg, RM; Robillard, GT; Feringa, BL

    1998-01-01

    Site-selective attachment of unprotected peptides to a non-heme iron complex is achieved by displacing two halides on the catalyst by peptide caesium thiolates, This coupling approach should be compatible with any peptide sequence provided there is only a single reduced cysteine. The oxidation

  11. The protein inhibitor of nNOS (PIN/DLC1/LC8) binding does not inhibit the NADPH-dependent heme reduction in nNOS, a key step in NO synthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parhad, Swapnil S.; Jaiswal, Deepa; Ray, Krishanu; Mazumdar, Shyamalava

    2016-01-01

    The neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is an essential enzyme involved in the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO), a potent neurotransmitter. Although previous studies have indicated that the dynein light chain 1 (DLC1) binding to nNOS could inhibit the NO synthesis, the claim is challenged by contradicting reports. Thus, the mechanism of nNOS regulation remained unclear. nNOS has a heme-bearing, Cytochrome P450 core, and the functional enzyme is a dimer. The electron flow from NADPH to Flavin, and finally to the heme of the paired nNOS subunit within a dimer, is facilitated upon calmodulin (CaM) binding. Here, we show that DLC1 binding to nNOS-CaM complex does not affect the electron transport from the reductase to the oxygenase domain. Therefore, it cannot inhibit the rate of NADPH-dependent heme reduction in nNOS, which results in L-Arginine oxidation. Also, the NO release activity does not decrease with increasing DLC1 concentration in the reaction mix, which further confirmed that DLC1 does not inhibit nNOS activity. These findings suggest that the DLC1 binding may have other implications for the nNOS function in the cell. - Highlights: • The effect of interaction of nNOS with DLC1 has been debatable with contradicting reports in literature. • Purified DLC1 has no effect on electron transport between reductase and oxygenase domain of purified nNOS-CaM. • The NO release activity of nNOS was not altered by DLC1, supporting that DLC1 does not inhibit the enzyme. • These findings suggest that the DLC1 binding may have other implications for the nNOS function in the cell.

  12. The protein inhibitor of nNOS (PIN/DLC1/LC8) binding does not inhibit the NADPH-dependent heme reduction in nNOS, a key step in NO synthesis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parhad, Swapnil S. [Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400 005 (India); Jaiswal, Deepa [Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400 005 (India); TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, 21 Brundavan Colony, Narsingi, Hyderabad 500075 (India); Ray, Krishanu, E-mail: krishanu@tifr.res.in [Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400 005 (India); Mazumdar, Shyamalava, E-mail: shyamal@tifr.res.in [Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400 005 (India)

    2016-03-25

    The neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is an essential enzyme involved in the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO), a potent neurotransmitter. Although previous studies have indicated that the dynein light chain 1 (DLC1) binding to nNOS could inhibit the NO synthesis, the claim is challenged by contradicting reports. Thus, the mechanism of nNOS regulation remained unclear. nNOS has a heme-bearing, Cytochrome P450 core, and the functional enzyme is a dimer. The electron flow from NADPH to Flavin, and finally to the heme of the paired nNOS subunit within a dimer, is facilitated upon calmodulin (CaM) binding. Here, we show that DLC1 binding to nNOS-CaM complex does not affect the electron transport from the reductase to the oxygenase domain. Therefore, it cannot inhibit the rate of NADPH-dependent heme reduction in nNOS, which results in L-Arginine oxidation. Also, the NO release activity does not decrease with increasing DLC1 concentration in the reaction mix, which further confirmed that DLC1 does not inhibit nNOS activity. These findings suggest that the DLC1 binding may have other implications for the nNOS function in the cell. - Highlights: • The effect of interaction of nNOS with DLC1 has been debatable with contradicting reports in literature. • Purified DLC1 has no effect on electron transport between reductase and oxygenase domain of purified nNOS-CaM. • The NO release activity of nNOS was not altered by DLC1, supporting that DLC1 does not inhibit the enzyme. • These findings suggest that the DLC1 binding may have other implications for the nNOS function in the cell.

  13. Genome-based analysis of heme biosynthesis and uptake in prokaryotic systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cavallaro, Gabriele; Decaria, Leonardo; Rosato, Antonio

    2008-11-01

    Heme is the prosthetic group of many proteins that carry out a variety of key biological functions. In addition, for many pathogenic organisms, heme (acquired from the host) may constitute a very important source of iron. Organisms can meet their heme demands by taking it up from external sources, by producing the cofactor through a dedicated biosynthetic pathway, or both. Here we analyzed the distribution of proteins specifically involved in the processes of heme biosynthesis and heme uptake in 474 prokaryotic organisms. These data allowed us to identify which organisms are capable of performing none, one, or both processes, based on the similarity to known systems. Some specific instances where one or more proteins along the pathways had unusual modifications were singled out. For two key protein domains involved in heme uptake, we could build a series of structural models, which suggested possible alternative modes of heme binding. Future directions for experimental work are given.

  14. Hemoglobin and heme scavenger receptors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Marianne Jensby; Møller, Holger Jon; Moestrup, Søren Kragh

    2010-01-01

    Heme, the functional group of hemoglobin, myoglobin, and other hemoproteins, is a highly toxic substance when it appears in the extracellular milieu. To circumvent potential harmful effects of heme from hemoproteins released during physiological or pathological cell damage (such as hemolysis...... and rhabdomyolysis), specific high capacity scavenging systems have evolved in the mammalian organism. Two major systems, which essentially function in a similar way by means of a circulating latent plasma carrier protein that upon ligand binding is recognized by a receptor, are represented by a) the hemoglobin...

  15. Mycobacterium tuberculosis Induction of Heme Oxygenase-1 Expression Is Dependent on Oxidative Stress and Reflects Treatment Outcomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Neesha Rockwood

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The antioxidant enzyme heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1 is implicated in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis (TB and has been proposed as a biomarker of active disease. Nevertheless, the mechanisms by which Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb induces HO-1 as well as how its expression is affected by HIV-1 coinfection and successful antitubercular therapy (ATT are poorly understood. We found that HO-1 expression is markedly increased in rabbits, mice, and non-human primates during experimental Mtb infection and gradually decreased during ATT. In addition, we examined circulating concentrations of HO-1 in a cohort of 130 HIV-1 coinfected and uninfected pulmonary TB patients undergoing ATT to investigate changes in expression of this biomarker in relation to HIV-1 status, radiological disease severity, and treatment outcome. We found that plasma levels of HO-1 were elevated in untreated HIV-1 coinfected TB patients and correlated positively with HIV-1 viral load and negatively with CD4+ T cell count. In both HIV-1 coinfected and Mtb monoinfected patients, HO-1 levels were substantially reduced during successful TB treatment but not in those who experienced treatment failure or subsequently relapsed. To further delineate the molecular mechanisms involved in induction of HO-1 by Mtb, we performed a series of in vitro experiments using mouse and human macrophages. We found that Mtb-induced HO-1 expression requires NADPH oxidase-dependent reactive oxygen species production induced by the early-secreted antigen ESAT-6, which in turn triggers nuclear translocation of the transcription factor NRF-2. These observations provide further insight into the utility of HO-1 as a biomarker of both disease and successful therapy in TB monoinfected and HIV-TB coinfected patients and reveal a previously undocumented pathway linking expression of the enzyme with oxidative stress.

  16. DFT studies of the substituent effects of dimethylamino on non-heme active oxidizing species: iron(V)-oxo species or iron(IV)-oxo acetate aminopyridine cation radical species?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Fang; Sun, Wei; Xia, Chungu; Wang, Yong

    2017-10-01

    Through the introduction of dimethylamino (Me 2 N) substituent at the pyridine ring of 2-((R)-2-[(R)-1-(pyridine-2-ylmethyl)pyrrolidin-2-yl]pyrrolidin-1-ylmethyl)pyridine (PDP) ligand, the non-heme Fe II ( Me2N PDP)/H 2 O 2 /AcOH catalyst system was found to exhibit significant higher catalytic activity and enantioselectivity than the non-substituent one in the asymmetric epoxidation experiments. The mechanistic origin of the remarkable substituent effects in these oxidation reactions has not been well established. To ascertain the potent oxidant and the related reaction mechanism, a detailed DFT calculation was performed. Interestingly, a novel Fe(IV)-oxo Me2N PDP cation radical species, [( Me2N PDP) + · Fe IV (O)(OAc)] 2+ ( Me2N 5), with about one spin spreading over the non-heme Me2N PDP ligand was formed via a carboxylic-acid-assisted O-O bond heterolysis, which is reminiscent of Compound I (an Fe(IV)(O)(porphyrin cation radical) species) in cytochrome P450 chemistry. Me2N 5 is energetically comparable with the cyclic ferric peracetate species Me2N 6, while in the pristine Fe(PDP) catalyst system, H 6 is more stable than H 5. Comparison of the activation energy for the ethylene epoxidation promoted by Me2N 5 and Me2N 6, Me2N 5 is supposed as the true oxidant triggering the epoxidation of olefins. In addition, a systematic research on the substituent effects varied from the electron-donating substituent (dMM, the substituents at sites 3, 4, and 5 of the pyridine ring: methyl, methoxyl, and methyl) to the electron-withdrawing one (CF 3 , 2,6-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl) on the electronic structure of the reaction intermediates has also been investigated. An alternative cyclic ferric peracetate complex is obtained, indicating that the substituents at the pyridine ring of PDP ligands have significant impacts on the electronic structure of the oxidants.

  17. Epalrestat increases glutathione, thioredoxin, and heme oxygenase-1 by stimulating Nrf2 pathway in endothelial cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kaori Yama

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Epalrestat (EPS is the only aldose reductase inhibitor that is currently available for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy. Recently, we found that EPS at near-plasma concentration increases the intracellular levels of glutathione (GSH in rat Schwann cells. GSH plays a crucial role in protecting endothelial cells from oxidative stress, thereby preventing vascular diseases. Here we show that EPS increases GSH levels in not only Schwann cells but also endothelial cells. Treatment of bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs, an in vitro model of the vascular endothelium, with EPS caused a dramatic increase in intracellular GSH levels. This was concomitant with the up-regulation of glutamate cysteine ligase, an enzyme catalyzing the first and rate-limiting step in de novo GSH synthesis. Moreover, EPS stimulated the expression of thioredoxin and heme oxygenase-1, which have important redox regulatory functions in endothelial cells. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2 is a key transcription factor that regulates the expression of antioxidant genes. EPS increased nuclear Nrf2 levels in BAECs. Nrf2 knockdown by siRNA suppressed the EPS-induced glutamate cysteine ligase, thioredoxin-1, and heme oxygenase-1 expression. Interestingly, LY294002, an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, abolished the EPS-stimulated GSH synthesis, suggesting that the kinase is associated with Nrf2 activation induced by EPS. Furthermore, EPS reduced the cytotoxicity induced by H2O2 and tert-butylhydroperoxide, indicating that EPS plays a role in protecting cells from oxidative stress. Taken together, the results provide evidence that EPS exerts new beneficial effects on endothelial cells by increasing GSH, thioredoxin, and heme oxygenase-1 levels through the activation of Nrf2. We suggest that EPS has the potential to prevent several vascular diseases caused by oxidative stress.

  18. Kidney injury and heme oxygenase-1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hai-xing MAI

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available     Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1 is one of the main pathways to degrade heme in mammals, and the main degradation products are free iron (Fe2+, carbon monoxide (CO, and bilirubin. Heme plays an important role in promoting cell survival, circulation of intracellular substrates, and immune regulation. Previous studies suggest that HO-1 pathway is an important internal factor in determining the susceptibility and severity of acute kidney injury (AKI. The induction of HO-1 expression can attenuate the severity of renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI, and the inhibition of HO-1 expression will aggravate IRI. The present article summarizes the latest advances in research abroad and at home on protective mechanism by which HO-1 prevents AKI to further deepen our understanding of the role of HO-1 in the treatment of AKI.   

  19. The effect of proteins from animal source foods on heme iron bioavailability in humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pizarro, Fernando; Olivares, Manuel; Valenzuela, Carolina; Brito, Alex; Weinborn, Valerie; Flores, Sebastián; Arredondo, Miguel

    2016-04-01

    Forty-five women (35-45 year) were randomly assigned to three iron (Fe) absorption sub-studies, which measured the effects of dietary animal proteins on the absorption of heme Fe. Study 1 was focused on heme, red blood cell concentrate (RBCC), hemoglobin (Hb), RBCC+beef meat; study 2 on heme, heme+fish, chicken, and beef; and study 3 on heme and heme+purified animal protein (casein, collagen, albumin). Study 1: the bioavailability of heme Fe from Hb was similar to heme only (∼13.0%). RBCC (25.0%) and RBCC+beef (21.3%) were found to be increased 2- and 1.6-fold, respectively, when compared with heme alone (pProteins from animal source foods and their digestion products did not enhance heme Fe absorption. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  20. Red meat and colon cancer : how dietary heme initiates hyperproliferation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    IJssennagger, N.

    2012-01-01

    Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths in Western countries. The risk to develop colorectal cancer is associated with the intake of red meat. Red meat contains the porphyrin pigment heme. Heme is an irritant for the colonic wall and it is previously shown that the addition of heme

  1. 4-Hydroxyestradiol induces mammary epithelial cell transformation through Nrf2-mediated heme oxygenase-1 overexpression

    OpenAIRE

    Park, Sin-Aye; Lee, Mee-Hyun; Na, Hye-Kyung; Surh, Young-Joon

    2016-01-01

    Estrogen (17?-estradiol, E2) undergoes oxidative metabolism by CYP1B1 to form 4-hydroxyestradiol (4-OHE2), a putative carcinogenic metabolite of estrogen. Our previous study showed that 4-OHE2-induced production of reactive oxygen species contributed to neoplastic transformation of human breast epithelial (MCF-10A) cells. In this study, 4-OHE2, but not E2, increased the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a sensor and regulator of oxidative stress, in MCF-10A cells. Silencing the HO-1 gene...

  2. Rieske non-heme iron-dependent oxygenases catalyse diverse reactions in natural product biosynthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, Christopher; de Los Santos, Emmanuel L C; Alkhalaf, Lona M; Challis, Gregory L

    2018-04-13

    Covering: up to the end of 2017The roles played by Rieske non-heme iron-dependent oxygenases in natural product biosynthesis are reviewed, with particular focus on experimentally characterised examples. Enzymes belonging to this class are known to catalyse a range of transformations, including oxidative carbocyclisation, N-oxygenation, C-hydroxylation and C-C desaturation. Examples of such enzymes that have yet to be experimentally investigated are also briefly described and their likely functions are discussed.

  3. Heme oxygenase-1 delays gibberellin-induced programmed cell death of rice aleurone layers subjected to drought stress by interacting with nitric oxide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huangming eWu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Cereal aleurone layers undergo a gibberellin (GA-regulated process of programmed cell death (PCD following germination. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1 is known as a rate-liming enzyme in the degradation of heme to biliverdin IXα (BV, carbon monoxide (CO, and free iron ions (Fe2+. It is a critical component in plant development and adaptation to environment stresses. Our previous studies confirmed that HO-1 inducer hematin (Ht promotes the germination of rice seeds in drought (20% polyethylene glycol-6000, PEG conditions, but the corresponding effects of HO-1 on the alleviation of germination-triggered PCD in GA-treated rice aleurone layers remain unknown. The present study has determined that GA co-treated with PEG results in lower HO-1 transcript levels and HO activity, which in turn results in the development of vacuoles in aleurone cells, followed by PCD. The pharmacology approach illustrated that up- or down-regulated HO-1 gene expression and HO activity delayed or accelerated GA-induced PCD. Furthermore, the application of the HO-1 inducer hematin and nitric oxide (NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP not only activated HO-1 gene expression, HO activity, and endogenous NO content, but also blocked GA-induced rapid vacuolation and accelerated aleurone layers PCD under drought stress. However, both HO-1 inhibitor zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPPIX and NO scavenger 2-(4-carboxyphenyl0-4, 4, 5, 5-tetramethylimidazoline-l-oxyl-3-oxide potassium salt (cPTIO reserved the effects of hematin and SNP on rice aleurone layer PCD under drought stress by down-regulating endogenous HO-1 and NO, respectively. The inducible effects of hematin and SNP on HO-1 gene expression, HO activity, and NO content were blocked by cPTIO. Together, these results clearly suggest that HO-1 is involved in the alleviation of GA-induced PCD of drought-triggered rice aleurone layers by associating with NO.

  4. Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and DNA Damage Responses Elicited by Silver, Titanium Dioxide, and Cerium Oxide Nanomaterials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Previous literature on the biological effects of engineered nanomaterials has focused largely on oxidative stress and inflammation endpoints without further investigating potential pathways. Here we examine time-sensitive biological response pathways affected by engineered nanoma...

  5. Proteomic based approach for characterizing 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal induced oxidation of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and goat (Capra hircus) meat myoglobins

    OpenAIRE

    Maheswarappa, Naveena B.; Rani, K. Usha; Kumar, Y. Praveen; Kulkarni, Vinayak V.; Rapole, Srikanth

    2016-01-01

    Background Myoglobin (Mb) is a sarcoplasmic heme protein primarily responsible for meat color and its chemistry is species specific. 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) is a cytotoxic lipid derived aldehyde detected in meat and was reported to covalently adduct with nucleophilic histidine residues of Mb and predispose it to greater oxidation. However, no literature is available on characterization of lipid oxidation induced oxidation of Indian water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and goat (Capra hircus) myo...

  6. Spray nozzle pattern test for the DWPF HEME Task QA Plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, L.

    1991-01-01

    The DWPF melter off-gas systems have two High Efficiency Mist Eliminators (HEME) upstream of the High-Efficiency Particulates Air filters (HEPA) to remove fine mists and particulates from the off-gas. To have an acceptable filter life and an efficient operation, an air atomized water is spray on the HEME. The water spray keeps the HEME wet and dissolves the soluble particulates and enhances and HEME efficiency. DWPF Technical asked SRL to determine the conditions which will give satisfactory atomization and distribution of water so that the HEME will operate efficiently. The purpose of this document is to identify, QA controls to be applied in the pursuit of this task (WSRC-RP-91-1151)

  7. Heme oxygenase-1: A new druggable target in the management of chronic and acute myeloid leukemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salerno, Loredana; Romeo, Giuseppe; Modica, Maria N; Amata, Emanuele; Sorrenti, Valeria; Barbagallo, Ignazio; Pittalà, Valeria

    2017-12-15

    Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is the enzyme catalyzing the rate-limiting oxidative degradation of cellular heme into free iron, carbon monoxide (CO), and biliverdin, which is then rapidly converted into bilirubin. By means of these catabolic end-products and by removal of pro-oxidant heme, HO-1 exerts antioxidant, antiapoptotic, and immune-modulating effects, leading to overall cytoprotective and beneficial functions in mammalian cells. Therefore, HO-1 is considered a survival molecule in various stress-related conditions. By contrast, growing evidence suggests that HO-1 is a survival-enhancing molecule also in various solid and blood cancers, such as various types of leukemia, promoting carcinogenesis, tumor progression, and chemo-resistance. Among leukemias, chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is currently therapeutically well treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) such as Imatinib (IM) and its congeners; nevertheless, resistance to all kinds of current drugs persist in a number of patients. Moreover, treatment outcomes for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remain unsatisfactory, despite progress in chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Therefore, identification of new eligible targets that may improve leukemias therapy is of general interest. Several recent papers prove that inhibition of HO-1 through HO-1 inhibitors as well as modulation of other pathways involving HO-1 by a number of different new or known molecules, are critical for leukemia treatment. This review summarizes the current understanding of the pro-tumorigenic role of HO-1 and its potential as a molecular target for the treatment of leukemias. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  8. Intracellular Zn(II) Intoxication Leads to Dysregulation of the PerR Regulon Resulting in Heme Toxicity in Bacillus subtilis

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-01-01

    Transition metal ions (Zn(II), Cu(II)/(I), Fe(III)/(II), Mn(II)) are essential for life and participate in a wide range of biological functions. Cellular Zn(II) levels must be high enough to ensure that it can perform its essential roles. Yet, since Zn(II) binds to ligands with high avidity, excess Zn(II) can lead to protein mismetallation. The major targets of mismetallation, and the underlying causes of Zn(II) intoxication, are not well understood. Here, we use a forward genetic selection to identify targets of Zn(II) toxicity. In wild-type cells, in which Zn(II) efflux prevents intoxication of the cytoplasm, extracellular Zn(II) inhibits the electron transport chain due to the inactivation of the major aerobic cytochrome oxidase. This toxicity can be ameliorated by depression of an alternate oxidase or by mutations that restrict access of Zn(II) to the cell surface. Conversely, efflux deficient cells are sensitive to low levels of Zn(II) that do not inhibit the respiratory chain. Under these conditions, intracellular Zn(II) accumulates and leads to heme toxicity. Heme accumulation results from dysregulation of the regulon controlled by PerR, a metal-dependent repressor of peroxide stress genes. When metallated with Fe(II) or Mn(II), PerR represses both heme biosynthesis (hemAXCDBL operon) and the abundant heme protein catalase (katA). Metallation of PerR with Zn(II) disrupts this coordination, resulting in depression of heme biosynthesis but continued repression of catalase. Our results support a model in which excess heme partitions to the membrane and undergoes redox cycling catalyzed by reduced menaquinone thereby resulting in oxidative stress. PMID:27935957

  9. Conserved residues of the human mitochondrial holocytochrome c synthase mediate interactions with heme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babbitt, Shalon E; San Francisco, Brian; Bretsnyder, Eric C; Kranz, Robert G

    2014-08-19

    C-type cytochromes are distinguished by the covalent attachment of a heme cofactor, a modification that is typically required for its subsequent folding, stability, and function. Heme attachment takes place in the mitochondrial intermembrane space and, in most eukaryotes, is mediated by holocytochrome c synthase (HCCS). HCCS is the primary component of the eukaryotic cytochrome c biogenesis pathway, known as System III. The catalytic function of HCCS depends on its ability to coordinate interactions between its substrates: heme and cytochrome c. Recent advancements in the recombinant expression and purification of HCCS have facilitated comprehensive analyses of the roles of conserved residues in HCCS, as demonstrated in this study. Previously, we proposed a four-step model describing HCCS-mediated cytochrome c assembly, identifying a conserved histidine residue (His154) as an axial ligand to the heme iron. In this study, we performed a systematic mutational analysis of 17 conserved residues in HCCS, and we provide evidence that the enzyme contains two heme-binding domains. Our data indicate that heme contacts mediated by residues within these domains modulate the dynamics of heme binding and contribute to the stability of the HCCS-heme-cytochrome c steady state ternary complex. While some residues are essential for initial heme binding (step 1), others impact the subsequent release of the holocytochrome c product (step 4). Certain HCCS mutants that were defective in heme binding were corrected for function by exogenous aminolevulinic acid (ALA, the precursor to heme). This chemical "correction" supports the proposed role of heme binding for the corresponding residues.

  10. Cytochrome c and c1 heme lyases are essential in Plasmodium berghei.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Posayapisit, Navaporn; Songsungthong, Warangkhana; Koonyosying, Pongpisid; Falade, Mofolusho O; Uthaipibull, Chairat; Yuthavong, Yongyuth; Shaw, Philip J; Kamchonwongpaisan, Sumalee

    Malaria parasites possess a de novo heme synthetic pathway. Interestingly, this pathway is dispensable during the blood stages of development in mammalian hosts. The assembly of the two most important hemeproteins, cytochromes c and c1, is mediated by cytochrome heme lyase enzymes. Plasmodium spp. possess two cytochrome heme lyases encoded by separate genes. Given the redundancy of heme synthesis, we sought to determine if heme lyase function also exhibits redundancy. To answer this question, we performed gene knockout experiments. We found that the PBANKA_143950 and PBANKA_0602600 Plasmodium berghei genes encoding cytochrome c (Pbcchl) and cytochrome c1 (Pbcc 1 hl) heme lyases, respectively, can only be disrupted when a complementary gene is present. In contrast, four genes in the de novo heme synthesis pathway can be disrupted without complementation. This work provides evidence that Pbcchl and Pbcc 1 hl are both essential and thus may be antimalarial targets. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. TMEM14C is required for erythroid mitochondrial heme metabolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yien, Yvette Y; Robledo, Raymond F; Schultz, Iman J; Takahashi-Makise, Naoko; Gwynn, Babette; Bauer, Daniel E; Dass, Abhishek; Yi, Gloria; Li, Liangtao; Hildick-Smith, Gordon J; Cooney, Jeffrey D; Pierce, Eric L; Mohler, Kyla; Dailey, Tamara A; Miyata, Non; Kingsley, Paul D; Garone, Caterina; Hattangadi, Shilpa M; Huang, Hui; Chen, Wen; Keenan, Ellen M; Shah, Dhvanit I; Schlaeger, Thorsten M; DiMauro, Salvatore; Orkin, Stuart H; Cantor, Alan B; Palis, James; Koehler, Carla M; Lodish, Harvey F; Kaplan, Jerry; Ward, Diane M; Dailey, Harry A; Phillips, John D; Peters, Luanne L; Paw, Barry H

    2014-10-01

    The transport and intracellular trafficking of heme biosynthesis intermediates are crucial for hemoglobin production, which is a critical process in developing red cells. Here, we profiled gene expression in terminally differentiating murine fetal liver-derived erythroid cells to identify regulators of heme metabolism. We determined that TMEM14C, an inner mitochondrial membrane protein that is enriched in vertebrate hematopoietic tissues, is essential for erythropoiesis and heme synthesis in vivo and in cultured erythroid cells. In mice, TMEM14C deficiency resulted in porphyrin accumulation in the fetal liver, erythroid maturation arrest, and embryonic lethality due to profound anemia. Protoporphyrin IX synthesis in TMEM14C-deficient erythroid cells was blocked, leading to an accumulation of porphyrin precursors. The heme synthesis defect in TMEM14C-deficient cells was ameliorated with a protoporphyrin IX analog, indicating that TMEM14C primarily functions in the terminal steps of the heme synthesis pathway. Together, our data demonstrate that TMEM14C facilitates the import of protoporphyrinogen IX into the mitochondrial matrix for heme synthesis and subsequent hemoglobin production. Furthermore, the identification of TMEM14C as a protoporphyrinogen IX importer provides a genetic tool for further exploring erythropoiesis and congenital anemias.

  12. Energy transfer at the active sites of heme proteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dlott, D.D.; Hill, J.R.

    1995-01-01

    Experiments using a picosecond pump-probe apparatus at the Picosecond Free-electron Laser Center at Stanford University, were performed to investigate the relaxation of carbon monoxide bound to the active sites of heme proteins. The significance of these experiments is two-fold: (1) they provide detailed information about molecular dynamics occurring at the active sites of proteins; and (2) they provide insight into the nature of vibrational relaxation processes in condensed matter. Molecular engineering is used to construct various molecular systems which are studied with the FEL. We have studied native proteins, mainly myoglobin obtained from different species, mutant proteins produced by genetic engineering using recombinant DNA techniques, and a variety of model systems which mimic the structures of the active sites of native proteins, which are produced using molecular synthesis. Use of these different systems permits us to investigate how specific molecular structural changes affect dynamical processes occurring at the active sites. This research provides insight into the problems of how different species needs are fulfilled by heme proteins which have greatly different functionality, which is induced by rather small structural changes

  13. Wiring of heme enzymes by methylene-blue labeled dendrimers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Álvarez-Martos, Isabel; Shahdost-fard, Faezeh; Ferapontova, Elena

    2017-01-01

    Redox-modified branched 3D dendrimeric nanostructures may be considered as perspective wires for electrical connection between redox enzymes and electrodes. Here, we studied electron transfer (ET) reactions and bioelectrocatalysis of heme-containing horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and heme- and moli......Redox-modified branched 3D dendrimeric nanostructures may be considered as perspective wires for electrical connection between redox enzymes and electrodes. Here, we studied electron transfer (ET) reactions and bioelectrocatalysis of heme-containing horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and heme......- and molibdopterin-containing sulfite oxidase (SOx), wired to gold by the methylene blue (MB)-labeled polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers. The enzymes’ electrochemical transformation and bioelectrocatalytic function could be followed at both unlabeled and MB-labeled dendrimer-modified electrodes with the formal redox......, optimization of bioelectrocatalysis of complex intermembrane and, possibly, membrane enzymes....

  14. Analysis of the electrochemistry of hemes with Ems spanning 800 mV

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Zhong; Gunner, M. R.

    2009-01-01

    The free energy of heme reduction in different proteins is found to vary over more than 18 kcal/mol. It is a challenge to determine how proteins manage to achieve this enormous range of Ems with a single type of redox cofactor. Proteins containing 141 unique hemes of a-, b-, and c-type, with bis-His, His-Met, and aquo-His ligation were calculated using Multi-Conformation Continuum Electrostatics (MCCE). The experimental Ems range over 800 mV from −350 mV in cytochrome c3 to 450 mV in cytochrome c peroxidase (vs. SHE). The quantitative analysis of the factors that modulate heme electrochemistry includes the interactions of the heme with its ligands, the solvent, the protein backbone, and sidechains. MCCE calculated Ems are in good agreement with measured values. Using no free parameters the slope of the line comparing calculated and experimental Ems is 0.73 (R2 = 0.90), showing the method accounts for 73% of the observed Em range. Adding a +160 mV correction to the His-Met c-type hemes yields a slope of 0.97 (R2 = 0.93). With the correction 65% of the hemes have an absolute error smaller than 60 mV and 92% are within 120 mV. The overview of heme proteins with known structures and Ems shows both the lowest and highest potential hemes are c-type, whereas the b-type hemes are found in the middle Em range. In solution, bis-His ligation lowers the Em by ≈205 mV relative to hemes with His-Met ligands. The bis-His, aquo-His, and His-Met ligated b-type hemes all cluster about Ems which are ≈200 mV more positive in protein than in water. In contrast, the low potential bis-His c-type hemes are shifted little from in solution, whereas the high potential His-Met c-type hemes are raised by ≈300 mV from solution. The analysis shows that no single type of interaction can be identified as the most important in setting heme electrochemistry in proteins. For example, the loss of solvation (reaction field) energy, which raises the Em, has been suggested to be a major factor in

  15. Redox active molecules cytochrome c and vitamin C enhance heme-enzyme peroxidations by serving as non-specific agents for redox relay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gade, Sudeep Kumar; Bhattacharya, Subarna; Manoj, Kelath Murali

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► At low concentrations, cytochrome c/vitamin C do not catalyze peroxidations. ► But low levels of cytochrome c/vitamin C enhance diverse heme peroxidase activities. ► Enhancement positively correlates to the concentration of peroxide in reaction. ► Reducible additives serve as non-specific agents for redox relay in the system. ► Insight into electron transfer processes in routine and oxidative-stress states. -- Abstract: We report that incorporation of very low concentrations of redox protein cytochrome c and redox active small molecule vitamin C impacted the outcome of one-electron oxidations mediated by structurally distinct plant/fungal heme peroxidases. Evidence suggests that cytochrome c and vitamin C function as a redox relay for diffusible reduced oxygen species in the reaction system, without invoking specific or affinity-based molecular interactions for electron transfers. The findings provide novel perspectives to understanding – (1) the promiscuous role of cytochrome b 5 in the metabolism mediated by liver microsomal xenobiotic metabolizing systems and (2) the roles of antioxidant molecules in affording relief from oxidative stress.

  16. Inactivation of Dengue and Yellow Fever viruses by heme, cobalt-protoporphyrin IX and tin-protoporphyrin IX.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Assunção-Miranda, I; Cruz-Oliveira, C; Neris, R L S; Figueiredo, C M; Pereira, L P S; Rodrigues, D; Araujo, D F F; Da Poian, A T; Bozza, M T

    2016-03-01

    To investigate the effect of heme, cobalt-protoporphyrin IX and tin-protoporphyrin IX (CoPPIX and SnPPIX), macrocyclic structures composed by a tetrapyrrole ring with a central metallic ion, on Dengue Virus (DENV) and Yellow Fever Virus (YFV) infection. Treatment of HepG2 cells with heme, CoPPIX and SnPPIX after DENV infection reduced infectious particles without affecting viral RNA contents in infected cells. The reduction of viral load occurs only with the direct contact of DENV with porphyrins, suggesting a direct effect on viral particles. Previously incubation of DENV and YFV with heme, CoPPIX and SnPPIX resulted in viral particles inactivation in a dose-dependent manner. Biliverdin, a noncyclical porphyrin, was unable to inactivate the viruses tested. Infection of HepG2 cells with porphyrin-pretreated DENV2 results in a reduced or abolished viral protein synthesis, RNA replication and cell death. Treatment of HepG2 or THP-1 cell lineage with heme or CoPPIX after DENV infection with a very low MOI resulted in a decreased DENV replication and protection from death. Heme, CoPPIX and SnPPIX possess a marked ability to inactivate DENV and YFV, impairing its ability to infect and induce cytopathic effects on target cells. These results open the possibility of therapeutic application of porphyrins or their use as models to design new antiviral drugs against DENV and YFV. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  17. Heme A synthase in bacteria depends on one pair of cysteinyls for activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewin, Anna; Hederstedt, Lars

    2016-02-01

    Heme A is a prosthetic group unique for cytochrome a-type respiratory oxidases in mammals, plants and many microorganisms. The poorly understood integral membrane protein heme A synthase catalyzes the synthesis of heme A from heme O. In bacteria, but not in mitochondria, this enzyme contains one or two pairs of cysteine residues that are present in predicted hydrophilic polypeptide loops on the extracytoplasmic side of the membrane. We used heme A synthase from the eubacterium Bacillus subtilis and the hyperthermophilic archeon Aeropyrum pernix to investigate the functional role of these cysteine residues. Results with B. subtilis amino acid substituted proteins indicated the pair of cysteine residues in the loop connecting transmembrane segments I and II as being essential for catalysis but not required for binding of the enzyme substrate, heme O. Experiments with isolated A. pernix and B. subtilis heme A synthase demonstrated that a disulfide bond can form between the cysteine residues in the same loop and also between loops showing close proximity of the two loops in the folded enzyme protein. Based on the findings, we propose a classification scheme for the four discrete types of heme A synthase found so far in different organisms and propose that essential cysteinyls mediate transfer of reducing equivalents required for the oxygen-dependent catalysis of heme A synthesis from heme O. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Dual Role for Hsc70 in the Biogenesis and Regulation of the Heme-Regulated Kinase of the α Subunit of Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uma, Sheri; Thulasiraman, Vanitha; Matts, Robert L.

    1999-01-01

    The heme-regulated kinase of the α subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (HRI) is activated in rabbit reticulocyte lysate (RRL) in response to a number of environmental conditions, including heme deficiency, heat shock, and oxidative stress. Activation of HRI causes an arrest of initiation of protein synthesis. Recently, we have demonstrated that the heat shock cognate protein Hsc70 negatively modulates the activation of HRI in RRL in response to these environmental conditions. Hsc70 is also known to be a critical component of the Hsp90 chaperone machinery in RRL, which plays an obligatory role for HRI to acquire and maintain a conformation that is competent to activate. Using de novo-synthesized HRI in synchronized pulse-chase translations, we have examined the role of Hsc70 in the regulation of HRI biogenesis and activation. Like Hsp90, Hsc70 interacted with nascent HRI and HRI that was matured to a state which was competent to undergo stimulus-induced activation (mature-competent HRI). Interaction of HRI with Hsc70 was required for the transformation of HRI, as the Hsc70 antagonist clofibric acid inhibited the folding of HRI into a mature-competent conformation. Unlike Hsp90, Hsc70 also interacted with transformed HRI. Clofibric acid disrupted the interaction of Hsc70 with transformed HRI that had been matured and transformed in the absence of the drug. Disruption of Hsc70 interaction with transformed HRI in heme-deficient RRL resulted in its hyperactivation. Furthermore, activation of HRI in response to heat shock or denatured proteins also resulted in a similar blockage of Hsc70 interaction with transformed HRI. These results indicate that Hsc70 is required for the folding and transformation of HRI into an active kinase but is subsequently required to negatively attenuate the activation of transformed HRI. PMID:10454533

  19. Inhibitory effects of a novel Val to Thr mutation on the distal heme of human catalase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mashhadi, Zahra; Boeglin, William E; Brash, Alan R

    2014-11-01

    True catalases efficiently breakdown hydrogen peroxide, whereas the catalase-related enzyme allene oxide synthase (cAOS) is completely unreactive and instead metabolizes a fatty acid hydroperoxide. In cAOS a Thr residue adjacent to the distal His restrains reaction with H2O2 (Tosha et al. (2006) J. Biol. Chem. 281:12610; De Luna et al. (2013) J. Phys. Chem. B 117: 14635) and its mutation to the consensus Val of true catalases permits the interaction. Here we investigated the effects of the reciprocal experiment in which the Val74 of human catalase is mutated to Thr, Ser, Met, Pro, or Ala. The Val74Thr substitution decreased catalatic activity by 3.5-fold and peroxidatic activity by 3-fold. Substitution with Ser had similar negative effects (5- and 3-fold decreases). Met decreased catalatic activity 2-fold and eliminated peroxidatic activity altogether, whereas the Val74Ala substitution was well tolerated. (The Val74Pro protein lacked heme). We conclude that the conserved Val74 of true catalases helps optimize catalysis. There are rare substitutions of Val74 with Ala, Met, or Pro, but not with Ser of Thr, possibly due their hydrogen bonding affecting the conformation of His75, the essential distal heme residue for activity in catalases. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. and Société française de biochimie et biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.

  20. Involvement of heme oxygenase-1 in β-cyclodextrin-hemin complex-induced cucumber adventitious rooting process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Yuting; Li, Meiyue; Huang, Liqin; Shen, Wenbiao; Ren, Yong

    2012-09-01

    Our previous results showed that β-cyclodextrin-hemin complex (CDH) exhibited a vital protective role against cadmium-induced oxidative damage and toxicity in alfalfa seedling roots by the regulation of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) gene expression. In this report, we further test whether CDH exhibited the hormonal-like response. The application of CDH and an inducer of HO-1, hemin, were able to induce the up-regulation of cucumber HO-1 gene (CsHO1) expression and thereafter the promotion of adventitious rooting in cucumber explants. The effect is specific for HO-1 since the potent HO-1 inhibitor zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP) blocked the above responses triggered by CDH, and the inhibitory effects were reversed further when 30% saturation of CO aqueous solution was added together. Further, molecular evidence showed that CDH triggered the increases of the HO-1-mediated target genes responsible for adventitious rooting, including one DnaJ-like gene (CsDNAJ-1) and two calcium-dependent protein kinase (CDPK) genes (CsCDPK1 and CsCDPK5), and were inhibited by ZnPP and reversed by CO. The calcium (Ca2+) chelator ethylene glycol-bis (2-aminoethylether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) and the Ca2+ channel blocker lanthanum chloride (LaCl3) not only compromised the induction of adventitious rooting induced by CDH but also decreased the transcripts of above three target genes. However, the application of ascorbic acid (AsA), a well-known antioxidant in plants, failed to exhibit similar inducible effect on adventitious root formation. In short, above results illustrated that the response of CDH in the induction of cucumber adventitious rooting might be through HO-1-dependent mechanism and calcium signaling. Physiological, pharmacological and molecular evidence showed that β-cyclodextrin-hemin complex (CDH) was able to induce cucumber adventitious rooting through heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1)-dependent mechanism and calcium signaling.

  1. Hemin inhibits NO production by IL-1β-stimulated human astrocytes through induction of heme oxygenase-1 and reduction of p38 MAPK activation

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    Sheng Wen S

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Heme oxygenase (HO-1 has been shown to attenuate oxidative injury and reduce apoptosis. HO-1 can be induced by various stimuli released during cellular injury, such as heme. Deleterious free heme is degraded by HO-1 to carbon monoxide, iron and biliverdin, which have potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that upregulation of HO-1 would inhibit production of the free radical (NO by interlukin (IL-1β-activated human astrocytes. Methods To measure NO production, inducible NO synthase (iNOS, HO-1 expression and mitogen-activated protein (MAP kinase activation we used hemin as an HO-1 inducer and tin protoporphyrin (SnPP IX as an inhibitor of HO-1 activity in human astrocyte cultures prior to IL-1β exposure. Transfection of astrocyte cultures was performed using a pLEX expression vector carrying the human HO-1 sequence prior to IL-1β treatment. Supernatants of astrocyte cultures pretreated with inhibitors of p38 MAPK or MEK1/2 prior to IL-1β exposure were collected for NO assay. Results IL-1β treatment of astrocytes alone induced undetectable amounts of HO-1 protein by western blot. However, HO-1 mRNA expression was modestly up-regulated in response to IL-1β stimulation. Pretreatment with hemin alone substantially induced both HO-1 mRNA and protein expression, and HO-1 mRNA expression was further enhanced when hemin was combined with IL-1β treatment. In contrast, IL-1β-induced iNOS mRNA expression and NO production were markedly inhibited by hemin treatment. When pretreated with SnPP, the inhibitory effect of hemin on IL-1β-induced NO production and iNOS expression was reversed, suggesting the involvement of HO-1. IL-1β-induced p38 MAPK activation, which is known to be required for NO production, was also down-regulated by hemin. Conclusion These findings support the hypothesis that up-regulation of HO-1 in astrocytes is associated with down-regulation of i

  2. Identification of chemical components of combustion emissions that affect pro-atherosclerotic vascular responses in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seilkop, Steven K; Campen, Matthew J; Lund, Amie K; McDonald, Jacob D; Mauderly, Joe L

    2012-04-01

    Combustion emissions cause pro-atherosclerotic responses in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE/⁻) mice, but the causal components of these complex mixtures are unresolved. In studies previously reported, ApoE⁻/⁻ mice were exposed by inhalation 6 h/day for 50 consecutive days to multiple dilutions of diesel or gasoline exhaust, wood smoke, or simulated "downwind" coal emissions. In this study, the analysis of the combined four-study database using the Multiple Additive Regression Trees (MART) data mining approach to determine putative causal exposure components regardless of combustion source is reported. Over 700 physical-chemical components were grouped into 45 predictor variables. Response variables measured in aorta included endothelin-1, vascular endothelin growth factor, three matrix metalloproteinases (3, 7, 9), metalloproteinase inhibitor 2, heme-oxygenase-1, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. Two or three predictors typically explained most of the variation in response among the experimental groups. Overall, sulfur dioxide, ammonia, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide were most highly predictive of responses, although their rankings differed among the responses. Consistent with the earlier finding that filtration of particles had little effect on responses, particulate components ranked third to seventh in predictive importance for the eight response variables. MART proved useful for identifying putative causal components, although the small number of pollution mixtures (4) can provide only suggestive evidence of causality. The potential independent causal contributions of these gases to the vascular responses, as well as possible interactions among them and other components of complex pollutant mixtures, warrant further evaluation.

  3. Out of plane distortions of the heme b of Escherichia coli succinate dehydrogenase.

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    Quang M Tran

    Full Text Available The role of the heme b in Escherichia coli succinate dehydrogenase is highly ambiguous and its role in catalysis is questionable. To examine whether heme reduction is an essential step of the catalytic mechanism, we generated a series of site-directed mutations around the heme binding pocket, creating a library of variants with a stepwise decrease in the midpoint potential of the heme from the wild-type value of +20 mV down to -80 mV. This difference in midpoint potential is enough to alter the reactivity of the heme towards succinate and thus its redox state under turnover conditions. Our results show both the steady state succinate oxidase and fumarate reductase catalytic activity of the enzyme are not a function of the redox potential of the heme. As well, lower heme potential did not cause an increase in the rate of superoxide production both in vitro and in vivo. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR spectrum of the heme in the wild-type enzyme is a combination of two distinct signals. We link EPR spectra to structure, showing that one of the signals likely arises from an out-of-plane distortion of the heme, a saddled conformation, while the second signal originates from a more planar orientation of the porphyrin ring.

  4. Hemopexin and haptoglobin: allies against heme toxicity from hemoglobin not contenders.

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    Ann eSmith

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The goal here is to describe our current understanding of heme metabolism and the deleterious effects of free heme on immunological processes, endothelial function, systemic inflammation, and various end-organ tissues (e.g. kidney, lung, liver, etc., with particular attention paid to the role of hemopexin (HPX. Because heme toxicity is the impetus for much of the pathology in sepsis, sickle cell disease, and other hemolytic conditions, the biological importance and clinical relevance of HPX, the predominant heme binding protein, is reinforced. A perspective on the function of HPX and haptoglobin (Hp is presented, updating how these two proteins and their respective receptors act simultaneously to protect the body in clinical conditions that entail hemolysis and/or systemic intravascular inflammation. Evidence from longitudinal studies in patients supports that HPX plays a Hp-independent role in genetic and non-genetic hemolytic diseases without the need for global Hp depletion. Evidence also supports that HPX has an important role in the prognosis of complex illnesses characterized predominantly by the presence of hemolysis, such as sickle cell disease, sepsis, hemolytic-uremic syndrome, and conditions involving intravascular and extravascular hemolysis, such as that generated by extracorporeal circulation during cardiopulmonary bypass and from blood transfusions. We propose that quantitating the amounts of plasma heme, HPX, Hb-Hp, heme-HPX and heme-albumin levels in various disease states may aid in the diagnosis and treatment of the above-mentioned conditions, which is crucial to developing targeted plasma protein supplementation (i.e. replenishment therapies for patients with heme toxicity due to HPX depletion.

  5. Electrochemistry and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy of cytochrome c and its heme-disrupted analogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Novak, David; Mojovic, Milos; Pavicevic, Aleksandra; Zatloukalova, Martina; Hernychova, Lenka; Bartosik, Martin; Vacek, Jan

    2018-02-01

    Cytochrome c (cyt c) is one of the most studied conjugated proteins due to its electron-transfer properties and ability to regulate the processes involved in homeostasis or apoptosis. Here we report an electrochemical strategy for investigating the electroactivity of cyt c and its analogs with a disrupted heme moiety, i.e. apocytochrome c (acyt c) and porphyrin cytochrome c (pcyt c). The electrochemical data are supplemented with low-temperature and spin-probe electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The main contribution of this report is a complex evaluation of cyt c reduction and oxidation at the level of surface-localized amino acid residues and the heme moiety in a single electrochemical scan. The electrochemical pattern of cyt c is substantially different to both analogs acyt c and pcyt c, which could be applicable in further studies on the redox properties and structural stability of cytochromes and other hemeproteins. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Heme-based sensors in biological systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodgers, K R

    1999-04-01

    The past several years have been witness to a staggering rate of advancement in the understanding of how organisms respond to changes in the availability of diatomic molecules that are toxic and/or crucial to survival. Heme-based sensors presently constitute the majority of the proteins known to sense NO, O2 and CO and to initiate the chemistry required to adapt to changes in their availabilities. Knowledge of the three characterized members of this class, soluble guanylate cyclase, FixL and CooA, has grown substantially during the past year. The major advances have resulted from a broad range of approaches to elucidation of both function and mechanism. They include growth in the understanding of the interplay between the heme and protein in soluble guanylate cyclase, as well as alternate means for its stimulation. Insight into the O2-induced structural changes in FixL has been supplied by the single crystal structure of the heme domain of Bradyrhizobium japonicum. Finally, the ligation environment and ligand interchange that facilitates CO sensing by CooA has been established by spectroscopic and mutagenesis techniques.

  7. CYB5D2 requires heme-binding to regulate HeLa cell growth and confer survival from chemotherapeutic agents.

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    Anthony Bruce

    Full Text Available The cytochrome b5 domain containing 2 (CYB5D2; Neuferricin protein has been reported to bind heme, however, the critical residues responsible for heme-binding are undefined. Furthermore, the relationship between heme-binding and CYB5D2-mediated intracellular functions remains unknown. Previous studies examining heme-binding in two cytochrome b5 heme-binding domain-containing proteins, damage-associated protein 1 (Dap1; Saccharomyces cerevisiae and human progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (PGRMC1, have revealed that conserved tyrosine (Y 73, Y79, aspartic acid (D 86, and Y127 residues present in human CYB5D2 may be involved in heme-binding. CYB5D2 binds to type b heme, however, only the substitution of glycine (G at D86 (D86G within its cytochrome b5 heme-binding (cyt-b5 domain abolished its heme-binding ability. Both CYB5D2 and CYB5D2(D86G localize to the endoplasmic reticulum. Ectopic CYB5D2 expression inhibited cell proliferation and anchorage-independent colony growth of HeLa cells. Conversely, CYB5D2 knockdown and ectopic CYB5D2(D86G expression increased cell proliferation and colony growth. As PGRMC1 has been reported to regulate the expression and activities of cytochrome P450 proteins (CYPs, we examined the role of CYB5D2 in regulating the activities of CYPs involved in sterol synthesis (CYP51A1 and drug metabolism (CYP3A4. CYB5D2 co-localizes with cytochrome P450 reductase (CYPOR, while CYB5D2 knockdown reduced lanosterol demethylase (CYP51A1 levels and rendered HeLa cells sensitive to mevalonate. Additionally, knockdown of CYB5D2 reduced CYP3A4 activity. Lastly, CYB5D2 expression conferred HeLa cell survival from chemotherapeutic agents (paclitaxel, cisplatin and doxorubicin, with its ability to promote survival being dependent on its heme-binding ability. Taken together, this study provides evidence that heme-binding is critical for CYB5D2 in regulating HeLa cell growth and survival, with endogenous CYB5D2 being required to

  8. Low cadmium exposure triggers a biphasic oxidative stress response in mice kidneys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thijssen, Sandy; Cuypers, Ann; Maringwa, John; Smeets, Karen; Horemans, Nele; Lambrichts, Ivo; Van Kerkhove, Emmy

    2007-01-01

    Oxidative stress is believed to participate in the early processes of cadmium (Cd)-induced proximal tubular kidney damage. Mice were chronically exposed up to 23 weeks to low Cd concentrations (10 and 100 mg CdCl 2 /l) via the drinking water. Pro- and antioxidant gene expression levels, glutathione, ascorbate and lipid peroxidation levels were measured. Our study provided evidence for an early and a late stress response in the kidney. Metallothioneins were upregulated from 1 week of exposure on and they stayed important during the whole exposure period. After 8 weeks the expression of Bcl2 (anti-apoptotic), Prdx2 and cytosolic superoxide dismutase (Sod1) was reduced in the group exposed to 100 mg CdCl 2 /l, which might indicate a response to Cd-stress. However glutathione, ascorbate and lipid peroxidation levels did not significantly change, and the overall redox balance remained stable. Stable Sod2 transcriptional levels suggested that an increased formation of superoxide anions, which can arise upon Cd-induced mitochondrial free radical generation, was not appearing. A second defence activation was observed after 23 weeks: i.e. an increase of catalase (Cat), glutathione peroxidase 4 (Gpx4) and heme oxygenase 1 (Hmox1), together with NADPH oxidase 4 (Nox4), of which the role has not been studied yet in Cd nephrotoxicity. These findings were in contrast with previous studies, where Cd-induced oxidative stress was detrimental when high Cd concentrations were applied. In conclusion our study provided evidence that a chronic exposure to low Cd concentrations triggered a biphasic defence activation in the kidney that might lead to adaptation and survival

  9. Red Yeast Rice Protects Circulating Bone Marrow-Derived Proangiogenic Cells against High-Glucose-Induced Senescence and Oxidative Stress: The Role of Heme Oxygenase-1

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    Jung-Tung Liu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The inflammation and oxidative stress of bone marrow-derived proangiogenic cells (PACs, also named endothelial progenitor cells, triggered by hyperglycemia contributes significantly to vascular dysfunction. There is supporting evidence that the consumption of red yeast rice (RYR; Monascus purpureus-fermented rice reduces the vascular complications of diabetes; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of RYR extract in PACs, focusing particularly on the role of a potent antioxidative enzyme, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1. We found that treatment with RYR extract induced nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor nuclear translocation and HO-1 mRNA and protein levels in PACs. RYR extract inhibited high-glucose-induced (30 mM PAC senescence and the development of reactive oxygen species (ROS in a dose-dependent manner. The HO-1 inducer cobalt protoporphyrin IX also decreased high-glucose-induced cell senescence and oxidative stress, whereas the HO-1 enzyme inhibitor zinc protoporphyrin IX and HO-1 small interfering RNA significantly reversed RYR extract-caused inhibition of senescence and reduction of oxidative stress in high-glucose-treated PACs. These results suggest that RYR extract serves as alternative and complementary medicine in the treatment of these diseases, by inducing HO-1, thereby decreasing the vascular complications of diabetes.

  10. In vivo and in vitro olefin cyclopropanation catalyzed by heme enzymes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coelho, Pedro S; Brustad, Eric M; Arnold, Frances H; Wang, Zhan; Lewis, Jared C

    2015-03-31

    The present invention provides methods for catalyzing the conversion of an olefin to any compound containing one or more cyclopropane functional groups using heme enzymes. In certain aspects, the present invention provides a method for producing a cyclopropanation product comprising providing an olefinic substrate, a diazo reagent, and a heme enzyme; and admixing the components in a reaction for a time sufficient to produce a cyclopropanation product. In other aspects, the present invention provides heme enzymes including variants and fragments thereof that are capable of carrying out in vivo and in vitro olefin cyclopropanation reactions. Expression vectors and host cells expressing the heme enzymes are also provided by the present invention.

  11. Myeloid Heme Oxygenase-1 Regulates the Acute Inflammatory Response to Zymosan in the Mouse Air Pouch

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    Rita Brines

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1 is induced by many stimuli to modulate the activation and function of different cell types during innate immune responses. Although HO-1 has shown anti-inflammatory effects in different systems, there are few data on the contribution of myeloid HO-1 and its role in inflammatory processes is not well understood. To address this point, we have used HO-1M-KO mice with myeloid-restricted deletion of HO-1 to specifically investigate its influence on the acute inflammatory response to zymosan in vivo. In the mouse air pouch model, we have shown an exacerbated inflammation in HO-1M-KO mice with increased neutrophil infiltration accompanied by high levels of inflammatory mediators such as interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and prostaglandin E2. The expression of the degradative enzyme matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3 was also enhanced. In addition, we observed higher levels of serum MMP-3 in HO-1M-KO mice compared with control mice, suggesting the presence of systemic inflammation. Altogether, these findings demonstrate that myeloid HO-1 plays an anti-inflammatory role in the acute response to zymosan in vivo and suggest the interest of this target to regulate inflammatory processes.

  12. Dietary Heme Induces Gut Dysbiosis, Aggravates Colitis, and Potentiates the Development of Adenomas in Mice

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    Marco Constante

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Dietary heme can be used by colonic bacteria equipped with heme-uptake systems as a growth factor and thereby impact on the microbial community structure. The impact of heme on the gut microbiota composition may be particularly pertinent in chronic inflammation such as in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, where a strong association with gut dysbiosis has been consistently reported. In this study we investigated the influence of dietary heme on the gut microbiota and inferred metagenomic composition, and on chemically induced colitis and colitis-associated adenoma development in mice. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we found that mice fed a diet supplemented with heme significantly altered their microbiota composition, characterized by a decrease in α-diversity, a reduction of Firmicutes and an increase of Proteobacteria, particularly Enterobacteriaceae. These changes were similar to shifts seen in dextran sodium sulfate (DSS-treated mice to induce colitis. In addition, dietary heme, but not systemically delivered heme, contributed to the exacerbation of DSS-induced colitis and facilitated adenoma formation in the azoxymethane/DSS colorectal cancer (CRC mouse model. Using inferred metagenomics, we found that the microbiota alterations elicited by dietary heme resulted in non-beneficial functional shifts, which were also characteristic of DSS-induced colitis. Furthermore, a reduction in fecal butyrate levels was found in mice fed the heme supplemented diet compared to mice fed the control diet. Iron metabolism genes known to contribute to heme release from red blood cells, heme uptake, and heme exporter proteins, were significantly enriched, indicating a shift toward favoring the growth of bacteria able to uptake heme and protect against its toxicity. In conclusion, our data suggest that luminal heme, originating from dietary components or gastrointestinal bleeding in IBD and, to lesser extent in CRC, directly contributes to microbiota dysbiosis

  13. The transcription factor, Nuclear factor, erythroid 2 (Nfe2), is a regulator of the oxidative stress response during Danio rerio development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Williams, Larissa M., E-mail: lwillia2@bates.edu [Biology Department, Bates College, 44 Campus Avenue, Lewiston, ME 04240 (United States); The MDI Biological Laboratory, 159 Old Bar Harbor Road, Bar Harbor, ME 04609 USA (United States); Lago, Briony A., E-mail: lagoba@mcmaster.ca [M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1 (Canada); McArthur, Andrew G., E-mail: mcarthua@mcmaster.ca [M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1 (Canada); Raphenya, Amogelang R., E-mail: raphenar@mcmaster.ca [M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1 (Canada); Pray, Nicholas, E-mail: pray.nicholas@gmail.com [Biology Department, Bates College, 44 Campus Avenue, Lewiston, ME 04240 (United States); Saleem, Nabil, E-mail: nabilsaleem@gmail.com [Biology Department, Bates College, 44 Campus Avenue, Lewiston, ME 04240 (United States); The MDI Biological Laboratory, 159 Old Bar Harbor Road, Bar Harbor, ME 04609 USA (United States); Salas, Sophia, E-mail: sophia.salas2@gmail.com [Biology Department, Bates College, 44 Campus Avenue, Lewiston, ME 04240 (United States); The MDI Biological Laboratory, 159 Old Bar Harbor Road, Bar Harbor, ME 04609 USA (United States); Paulson, Katherine, E-mail: krpaulson@gmail.com [Biology Department, Bates College, 44 Campus Avenue, Lewiston, ME 04240 (United States); The MDI Biological Laboratory, 159 Old Bar Harbor Road, Bar Harbor, ME 04609 USA (United States); Mangar, Roshni S., E-mail: rmangar@coa.edu [The MDI Biological Laboratory, 159 Old Bar Harbor Road, Bar Harbor, ME 04609 USA (United States); College of the Atlantic, 105 Eden Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609 (United States); and others

    2016-11-15

    Highlights: • Nfe2 is involved in erythropoiesis in zebrafish. • Nfe2 is a novel regulator of pro-oxidant induced oxidative stress. • Embryos mount a molecularly unique oxidative stress response compared to larvae. • Nfe2 regulates a wide-variety of genes beyond erythropoiesis. - Abstract: Development is a complex and well-defined process characterized by rapid cell proliferation and apoptosis. At this stage in life, a developmentally young organism is more sensitive to toxicants as compared to an adult. In response to pro-oxidant exposure, members of the Cap’n’Collar (CNC) basic leucine zipper (b-ZIP) transcription factor family (including Nfe2 and Nfe2-related factors, Nrfs) activate the expression of genes whose protein products contribute to reduced toxicity. Here, we studied the role of the CNC protein, Nfe2, in the developmental response to pro-oxidant exposure in the zebrafish (Danio rerio). Following acute waterborne exposures to diquat or tert-buytlhydroperoxide (tBOOH) at one of three developmental stages, wildtype (WT) and nfe2 knockout (KO) embryos and larvae were morphologically scored and their transcriptomes sequenced. Early in development, KO animals suffered from hypochromia that was made more severe through exposure to pro-oxidants; this phenotype in the KO may be linked to decreased expression of alas2, a gene involved in heme synthesis. WT and KO eleutheroembryos and larvae were phenotypically equally affected by exposure to pro-oxidants, where tBOOH caused more pronounced phenotypes as compared to diquat. Comparing diquat and tBOOH exposed embryos relative to the WT untreated control, a greater number of genes were up-regulated in the tBOOH condition as compared to diquat (tBOOH: 304 vs diquat: 148), including those commonly found to be differentially regulated in the vertebrate oxidative stress response (OSR) (e.g. hsp70.2, txn1, and gsr). When comparing WT and KO across all treatments and times, there were 1170 genes that were

  14. Regulation of human heme oxygenase-1 gene expression under thermal stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okinaga, S; Takahashi, K; Takeda, K; Yoshizawa, M; Fujita, H; Sasaki, H; Shibahara, S

    1996-06-15

    Heme oxygenase-1 is an essential enzyme in heme catabolism, and its human gene promoter contains a putative heat shock element (HHO-HSE). This study was designed to analyze the regulation of human heme oxygenase-1 gene expression under thermal stress. The amounts of heme oxygenase-1 protein were not increased by heat shock (incubation at 42 degrees C) in human alveolar macrophages and in a human erythroblastic cell line, YN-1-0-A, whereas heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) was noticeably induced. However, heat shock factor does bind in vitro to HHO-HSE and the synthetic HHO-HSE by itself is sufficient to confer the increase in the transient expression of a reporter gene upon heat shock. The deletion of the sequence, located downstream from HHO-HSE, resulted in the activation of a reporter gene by heat shock. These results suggest that HHO-HSE is potentially functional but is repressed in vivo. Interestingly, heat shock abolished the remarkable increase in the levels of heme oxygenase-1 mRNA in YN-1-0-A cells treated with hemin or cadmium, in which HSP70 mRNA was noticeably induced. Furthermore, transient expression assays showed that heat shock inhibits the cadmium-mediated activation of the heme oxygenase-1 promoter, whereas the HSP70 gene promoter was activated upon heat shock. Such regulation of heme oxygenase-1 under thermal stress may be of physiologic significance in erythroid cells.

  15. Native Alanine Substitution in the Glycine Hinge Modulates Conformational Flexibility of Heme Nitric Oxide/Oxygen (H-NOX) Sensing Proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hespen, Charles W; Bruegger, Joel J; Guo, Yirui; Marletta, Michael A

    2018-06-15

    Heme nitric oxide/oxygen sensing (H-NOX) domains are direct NO sensors that regulate a variety of biological functions in both bacteria and eukaryotes. Previous work on H-NOX proteins has shown that upon NO binding, a conformational change occurs along two glycine residues on adjacent helices (termed the glycine hinge). Despite the apparent importance of the glycine hinge, it is not fully conserved in all H-NOX domains. Several H-NOX sensors from the family Flavobacteriaceae contain a native alanine substitution in one of the hinge residues. In this work, the effect of the increased steric bulk within the Ala-Gly hinge on H-NOX function was investigated. The hinge in Kordia algicida OT-1 ( Ka H-NOX) is composed of A71 and G145. Ligand-binding properties and signaling function for this H-NOX were characterized. The variant A71G was designed to convert the hinge region of Ka H-NOX to the typical Gly-Gly motif. In activity assays with its cognate histidine kinase (HnoK), the wild type displayed increased signal specificity compared to A71G. Increasing titrations of unliganded A71G gradually inhibits HnoK autophosphorylation, while increasing titrations of unliganded wild type H-NOX does not inhibit HnoK. Crystal structures of both wild type and A71G Ka H-NOX were solved to 1.9 and 1.6 Å, respectively. Regions of H-NOX domains previously identified as involved in protein-protein interactions with HnoK display significantly higher b-factors in A71G compared to wild-type H-NOX. Both biochemical and structural data indicate that the hinge region controls overall conformational flexibility of the H-NOX, affecting NO complex formation and regulation of its HnoK.

  16. Myoglobins: the link between discoloration and lipid oxidation in muscle and meat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jens K. S. Møller

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available Aerobic metabolism changes rapidly to glycolysis post-mortem resulting in a pH-decrease during the transformation of muscle in to meat affecting ligand binding and redox potential of the heme iron in myoglobin, the meat pigment. The "inorganic chemistry" of meat involves (i redox-cycling between iron(II, iron(III, and iron(IV/protein radicals; (ii ligand exchange processes; and (iii spin-equilibra with a change in coordination number for the heme iron. In addition to the function of myoglobin for oxygen storage, new physiological roles of myoglobin are currently being discovered, which notably find close parallels in the processes in fresh meat and nitrite-cured meat products. Myoglobin may be characterized as a bioreactor for small molecules like O2, NO, CO, CO2, H2O, and HNO with importance in bio-regulation and in protection against oxidative stress in vivo otherwise affecting lipids in membranes. Many of these processes may be recognised as colour changes in fresh meat and cured meat products under different atmospheric conditions, and could also be instructive for teaching purposes.

  17. Subpicosecond oxygen trapping in the heme pocket of the oxygen sensor FixL observed by time-resolved resonance Raman spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kruglik, Sergei G; Jasaitis, Audrius; Hola, Klara; Yamashita, Taku; Liebl, Ursula; Martin, Jean-Louis; Vos, Marten H

    2007-05-01

    Dissociation of oxygen from the heme domain of the bacterial oxygen sensor protein FixL constitutes the first step in hypoxia-induced signaling. In the present study, the photodissociation of the heme-O2 bond was used to synchronize this event, and time-resolved resonance Raman (TR(3)) spectroscopy with subpicosecond time resolution was implemented to characterize the heme configuration of the primary photoproduct. TR(3) measurements on heme-oxycomplexes are highly challenging and have not yet been reported. Whereas in all other known six-coordinated heme protein complexes with diatomic ligands, including the oxymyoglobin reported here, heme iron out-of-plane motion (doming) occurs faster than 1 ps after iron-ligand bond breaking; surprisingly, no sizeable doming is observed in the oxycomplex of the Bradyrhizobium japonicum FixL sensor domain (FixLH). This assessment is deduced from the absence of the iron-histidine band around 217 cm(-1) as early as 0.5 ps. We suggest that efficient ultrafast oxygen rebinding to the heme occurs on the femtosecond time scale, thus hindering heme doming. Comparing WT oxy-FixLH, mutant proteins FixLH-R220H and FixLH-R220Q, the respective carbonmonoxy-complexes, and oxymyoglobin, we show that a hydrogen bond of the terminal oxygen atom with the residue in position 220 is responsible for the observed behavior; in WT FixL this residue is arginine, crucially implicated in signal transmission. We propose that the rigid O2 configuration imposed by this residue, in combination with the hydrophobic and constrained properties of the distal cavity, keep dissociated oxygen in place. These results uncover the origin of the "oxygen cage" properties of this oxygen sensor protein.

  18. Blood cell oxidative stress precedes hemolysis in whole blood-liver slice co-cultures of rat, dog, and human tissues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vickers, Alison E.M.; Sinclair, John R.; Fisher, Robyn L.; Morris, Stephen R.; Way, William

    2010-01-01

    A novel in vitro model to investigate time-dependent and concentration-dependent responses in blood cells and hemolytic events is studied for rat, dog, and human tissues. Whole blood is co-cultured with a precision-cut liver slice. Methimazole (MMI) was selected as a reference compound, since metabolism of its imidazole thione moiety is linked with hematologic disorders and hepatotoxicity. An oxidative stress response occurred in all three species, marked by a decline in blood GSH levels by 24 h that progressed, and preceded hemolysis, which occurred at high MMI concentrations in the presence of a liver slice with rat (≥ 1000 μM at 48 h) and human tissues (≥ 1000 μM at 48 h, ≥ 750 μM at 72 h) but not dog. Human blood-only cultures exhibited a decline of GSH levels but minimal to no hemolysis. The up-regulation of liver genes for heme degradation (Hmox1 and Prdx1), iron cellular transport (Slc40a1), and GSH synthesis and utilization (mGST1 and Gclc) were early markers of the oxidative stress response. The up-regulation of the Kupffer cell lectin Lgals3 gene expression indicated a response to damaged red blood cells, and Hp (haptoglobin) up-regulation is indicative of increased hemoglobin uptake. Up-regulation of liver IL-6 and IL-8 gene expression suggested an activation of an inflammatory response by liver endothelial cells. In summary, MMI exposure led to an oxidative stress response in blood cells, and an up-regulation of liver genes involved with oxidative stress and heme homeostasis, which was clearly separate and preceded frank hemolysis.

  19. Rapid, convenient method for screening imidazole-containing compounds for heme oxygenase inhibition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vlahakis, Jason Z; Rahman, Mona N; Roman, Gheorghe; Jia, Zongchao; Nakatsu, Kanji; Szarek, Walter A

    2011-01-01

    Sensitive assays for measuring heme oxygenase activity have been based on the gas-chromatographic detection of carbon monoxide using elaborate, expensive equipment. The present study describes a rapid and convenient method for screening imidazole-containing candidates for inhibitory activity against heme oxygenase using a plate reader, based on the spectroscopic evaluation of heme degradation. A PowerWave XS plate reader was used to monitor the absorbance (as a function of time) of heme bound to purified truncated human heme oxygenase-1 (hHO-1) in the individual wells of a standard 96-well plate (with or without the addition of a test compound). The degradation of heme by heme oxygenase-1 was initiated using l-ascorbic acid, and the collected relevant absorbance data were analyzed by three different methods to calculate the percent control activity occurring in wells containing test compounds relative to that occurring in control wells with no test compound present. In the cases of wells containing inhibitory compounds, significant shifts in λ(max) from 404 to near 412 nm were observed as well as a decrease in the rate of heme degradation relative to that of the control. Each of the three methods of data processing (overall percent drop in absorbance over 1.5h, initial rate of reaction determined over the first 5 min, and estimated pseudo first-order reaction rate constant determined over 1.5h) gave similar and reproducible results for percent control activity. The fastest and easiest method of data analysis was determined to be that using initial rates, involving data acquisition for only 5 min once reactions have been initiated using l-ascorbic acid. The results of the study demonstrate that this simple assay based on the spectroscopic detection of heme represents a rapid, convenient method to determine the relative inhibitory activity of candidate compounds, and is useful in quickly screening a series or library of compounds for heme oxygenase inhibition

  20. In vivo heme scavenging by Staphylococcus aureus IsdC and IsdE proteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mack, John; Vermeiren, Christie; Heinrichs, David E.; Stillman, Martin J.

    2004-01-01

    We report the first characterization of the in vivo porphyrin scavenging abilities of two components of a newly discovered heme scavenging system involving iron-regulated surface determinant (Isd) proteins. These proteins are present within the cell envelope of the Gram-positive human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. IsdC and IsdE, when expressed heterologously in Escherichia coli, efficiently scavenged intracellular heme and resulted in de novo heme synthesis in excess of 100-fold above background. Magnetic circular dichroism analyses showed that the heme-binding properties of the two proteins differ significantly from one another. IsdC bound almost exclusively free-base protoporphyrin IX, whereas the IsdE protein was associated with low spin Fe(III) and Fe(II) heme. These properties provide important insight into the possible mechanisms of iron scavenging from bound heme by Isd proteins

  1. Thiol Redox Sensitivity of Two Key Enzymes of Heme Biosynthesis and Pentose Phosphate Pathways: Uroporphyrinogen Decarboxylase and Transketolase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brian McDonagh

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase (Hem12p and transketolase (Tkl1p are key mediators of two critical processes within the cell, heme biosynthesis, and the nonoxidative part of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP. The redox properties of both Hem12p and Tkl1p from Saccharomyces cerevisiae were investigated using proteomic techniques (SRM and label-free quantification and biochemical assays in cell extracts and in vitro with recombinant proteins. The in vivo analysis revealed an increase in oxidized Cys-peptides in the absence of Grx2p, and also after treatment with H2O2 in the case of Tkl1p, without corresponding changes in total protein, demonstrating a true redox response. Out of three detectable Cys residues in Hem12p, only the conserved residue Cys52 could be modified by glutathione and efficiently deglutathionylated by Grx2p, suggesting a possible redox control mechanism for heme biosynthesis. On the other hand, Tkl1p activity was sensitive to thiol redox modification and although Cys622 could be glutathionylated to a limited extent, it was not a natural substrate of Grx2p. The human orthologues of both enzymes have been involved in certain cancers and possess Cys residues equivalent to those identified as redox sensitive in yeast. The possible implication for redox regulation in the context of tumour progression is put forward.

  2. Redox active molecules cytochrome c and vitamin C enhance heme-enzyme peroxidations by serving as non-specific agents for redox relay

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gade, Sudeep Kumar; Bhattacharya, Subarna [Heme and Flavo Proteins Laboratory, 204, Center for Biomedical Research, VIT University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu 632014 (India); Manoj, Kelath Murali, E-mail: satyamjayatu@yahoo.com [Heme and Flavo Proteins Laboratory, 204, Center for Biomedical Research, VIT University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu 632014 (India)

    2012-03-09

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer At low concentrations, cytochrome c/vitamin C do not catalyze peroxidations. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer But low levels of cytochrome c/vitamin C enhance diverse heme peroxidase activities. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Enhancement positively correlates to the concentration of peroxide in reaction. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Reducible additives serve as non-specific agents for redox relay in the system. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Insight into electron transfer processes in routine and oxidative-stress states. -- Abstract: We report that incorporation of very low concentrations of redox protein cytochrome c and redox active small molecule vitamin C impacted the outcome of one-electron oxidations mediated by structurally distinct plant/fungal heme peroxidases. Evidence suggests that cytochrome c and vitamin C function as a redox relay for diffusible reduced oxygen species in the reaction system, without invoking specific or affinity-based molecular interactions for electron transfers. The findings provide novel perspectives to understanding - (1) the promiscuous role of cytochrome b{sub 5} in the metabolism mediated by liver microsomal xenobiotic metabolizing systems and (2) the roles of antioxidant molecules in affording relief from oxidative stress.

  3. In vitro Activation of heme oxygenase-2 by menadione and its analogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vukomanovic, Dragic; Rahman, Mona N; Bilokin, Yaroslav; Golub, Andriy G; Brien, James F; Szarek, Walter A; Jia, Zongchao; Nakatsu, Kanji

    2014-02-18

    Previously, we reported that menadione activated rat, native heme oxygenase-2 (HO-2) and human recombinant heme oxygenase-2 selectively; it did not activate spleen, microsomal heme oxygenase-1. The purpose of this study was to explore some structure-activity relationships of this activation and the idea that redox properties may be an important aspect of menadione efficacy. Heme oxygenase activity was determined in vitro using rat spleen and brain microsomes as the sources of heme oxygenase-1 and -2, respectively, as well as recombinant, human heme oxygenase-2. Menadione analogs with bulky aliphatic groups at position-3, namely vitamins K1 and K2, were not able to activate HO-2. In contrast, several compounds with similar bulky but less lipophilic moieties at position-2 (and -3) were able to activate HO-2 many fold; these compounds included polar, rigid, furan-containing naphthoquinones, furan-benzoxazine naphthoquinones, 2-(aminophenylphenyl)-3-piperidin-1-yl naphthoquinones. To explore the idea that redox properties might be involved in menadione efficacy, we tested analogs such as 1,4-dimethoxy-2-methylnaphthalene, pentafluoromenadione, monohalogenated naphthoquinones, α-tetralone and 1,4-naphthoquinone. All of these compounds were inactive except for 1,4-naphthoquinone. Menadione activated full-length recombinant human heme oxygenase-2 (FL-hHO-2) as effectively as rat brain enzyme, but it did not activate rat spleen heme oxygenase. These observations are consistent with the idea that naphthoquinones such as menadione bind to a receptor in HO-2 and activate the enzyme through a mechanism that may involve redox properties.

  4. Improved Method for the Incorporation of Heme Cofactors into Recombinant Proteins Using Escherichia coli Nissle 1917.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fiege, Kerstin; Querebillo, Christine Joy; Hildebrandt, Peter; Frankenberg-Dinkel, Nicole

    2018-05-15

    Recombinant production of heme proteins in Escherichia coli is often limited by the availability of heme in the host. Therefore, several methods, including the reconstitution of heme proteins after production but prior to purification or the HPEX system, conferring the ability to take up external heme have been developed and used in the past. Here we describe the use of the apathogenic E. coli strain Nissle 1917 (EcN) as a suitable host for the recombinant production of heme proteins. EcN has an advantage over commonly used lab strains in that it is able to take up heme from the environment through the heme receptor ChuA. Expression of several heme proteins from different prokaryotic sources led to high yield and quantitative incorporation of the cofactor when heme was supplied in the growth medium. Comparative UV-vis and resonance Raman measurements revealed that the method employed has significant influence on heme coordination with the EcN system representing the most native situation. Therefore, the use of EcN as a host for recombinant heme protein production represents an inexpensive and straightforward method to facilitate further investigations of structure and function.

  5. Considerations on the mechanism of action of artemisinin antimalarials: part 1--the 'carbon radical' and 'heme' hypotheses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haynes, Richard K; Cheu, Kwan-Wing; N'Da, David; Coghi, Paolo; Monti, Diego

    2013-08-01

    peroxide forms heme adducts that apparently inherit the exquisite cytotoxicities of the parent peroxide in one way or another. In a subsequent review, we screen the third and fourth hypotheses: the SERCA hypothesis wherein artemisinins modulate operation of the malaria parasite sarcoendo plasmic reticulum calcium pump SERCA Ca(2+)-ATPase ATP6 and the co-factor hypothesis wherein artemisinins act as oxidant drugs through rapidly oxidizing reduced conjugates of flavin cofactors, or those of flavin cofactor precursors such as riboflavin, and other susceptible endogenous substrates that play a role in maintaining intraparasitic redox homeostasis. For the C-radical hypothesis, details of in vitro chemical studies in the context of established chemistry of C-radicals and their ability to react with radical trapping agents such as nitroso compounds, cyclic nitrones, persistent nitroxyl radicals and atmospheric oxygen (dioxygen) are summarized. Overall, there is no correlation between antimalarial activities and abilities of the derived C-radicals to react with trapping agents in a chemical flask. This applies in particular to the reactions of C-radicals from artemisinins and steroidal tetraoxanes with the trapping agents vis-a-vis those from adamantyl capped systems. In an intraparasitic medium, it is not possible to intercept C-radicals either through use of a vast excess of a nitroxyl radical or dioxygen. The lack of correlation of antimalarial activities also applies to the Fe(2+)-mediated decomposition of artemisinins and synthetic peroxides, where literature data taken as indicating otherwise are critically assessed. The antagonism to antimalarial activities of artemisinins exerted by desferrioxamine (DFO) and related Fe(3+)-chelating agents is due to formation of stable chelates with bioavailable Fe(3+) that shuts down redox cycling through Fe(2+) and the subsequent generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) via the Fenton reaction. The generation of ROS by Fe(2

  6. Enhanced Heme Function and Mitochondrial Respiration Promote the Progression of Lung Cancer Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alam, Md Maksudul; Shah, Ajit; Cao, Thai M.; Sullivan, Laura A.; Brekken, Rolf; Zhang, Li

    2013-01-01

    Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality, and about 85% of the cases are non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Importantly, recent advance in cancer research suggests that altering cancer cell bioenergetics can provide an effective way to target such advanced cancer cells that have acquired mutations in multiple cellular regulators. This study aims to identify bioenergetic alterations in lung cancer cells by directly measuring and comparing key metabolic activities in a pair of cell lines representing normal and NSCLC cells developed from the same patient. We found that the rates of oxygen consumption and heme biosynthesis were intensified in NSCLC cells. Additionally, the NSCLC cells exhibited substantially increased levels in an array of proteins promoting heme synthesis, uptake and function. These proteins include the rate-limiting heme biosynthetic enzyme ALAS, transporter proteins HRG1 and HCP1 that are involved in heme uptake, and various types of oxygen-utilizing hemoproteins such as cytoglobin and cytochromes. Several types of human tumor xenografts also displayed increased levels of such proteins. Furthermore, we found that lowering heme biosynthesis and uptake, like lowering mitochondrial respiration, effectively reduced oxygen consumption, cancer cell proliferation, migration and colony formation. In contrast, lowering heme degradation does not have an effect on lung cancer cells. These results show that increased heme flux and function are a key feature of NSCLC cells. Further, increased generation and supply of heme and oxygen-utilizing hemoproteins in cancer cells will lead to intensified oxygen consumption and cellular energy production by mitochondrial respiration, which would fuel cancer cell proliferation and progression. The results show that inhibiting heme and respiratory function can effectively arrest the progression of lung cancer cells. Hence, understanding heme function can positively impact on research in lung cancer

  7. Antioxidant mechanism of heme oxygenase-1 involves an increase in superoxide dismutase and catalase in experimental diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turkseven, Saadet; Kruger, Adam; Mingone, Christopher J; Kaminski, Pawel; Inaba, Muneo; Rodella, Luigi F; Ikehara, Susumu; Wolin, Michael S; Abraham, Nader G

    2005-08-01

    Increased heme oxygenase (HO)-1 activity attenuates endothelial cell apoptosis and decreases superoxide anion (O2-) formation in experimental diabetes by unknown mechanisms. We examined the effect of HO-1 protein and HO activity on extracellular SOD (EC-SOD), catalase, O2-, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) levels and vascular responses to ACh in control and diabetic rats. Vascular EC-SOD and plasma catalase activities were significantly reduced in diabetic compared with nondiabetic rats (P inhibitor of HO-1 activity, decreased EC-SOD protein. Increased HO-1 activity in diabetic rats was associated with a decrease in iNOS but increases in eNOS and plasma catalase activity. On the other hand, aortic ring segments from diabetic rats exhibited a significant reduction in vascular relaxation to ACh, which was reversed with cobalt protoporphyrin treatment. These data demonstrate that an increase in HO-1 protein and activity, i.e., CO and bilirubin production, in diabetic rats brings about a robust increase in EC-SOD, catalase, and eNOS with a concomitant increase in endothelial relaxation and a decrease in O2-. These observations in experimental diabetes suggest that the vascular cytoprotective mechanism of HO-1 against oxidative stress requires an increase in EC-SOD and catalase.

  8. A Heme-Sensing Mechanism in the Translational Regulation of Mitochondrial Cytochrome c Oxidase Biogenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soto, Iliana C.; Fontanesi, Flavia; Myers, Richard S.; Hamel, Patrice; Barrientos, Antoni

    2012-01-01

    Heme plays fundamental roles as cofactor and signaling molecule in multiple pathways devoted to oxygen sensing and utilization in aerobic organisms. For cellular respiration, heme serves as a prosthetic group in electron transfer proteins and redox enzymes. Here we report that in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae a heme-sensing mechanism translationally controls the biogenesis of cytochrome c oxidase (COX), the terminal mitochondrial respiratory chain enzyme. We show that Mss51, a COX1 mRNA-specific translational activator and Cox1 chaperone, which coordinates Cox1 synthesis in mitoribosomes with its assembly in COX, is a heme-binding protein. Mss51 contains two heme regulatory motifs or Cys-Pro-X domains located in its N-terminus. Using a combination of in vitro and in vivo approaches, we have demonstrated that these motifs are important for heme binding and efficient performance of Mss51 functions. We conclude that heme sensing by Mss51 regulates COX biogenesis and aerobic energy production. PMID:23217259

  9. Epigallocatechin Gallate Attenuates Proliferation and Oxidative Stress in Human Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Induced by Interleukin-1β via Heme Oxygenase-1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Po-Len Liu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs triggered by inflammatory stimuli and oxidative stress contributes importantly to atherogenesis. The association of green tea consumption with cardiovascular protection has been well documented in epidemiological observations, however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of the most active green tea catechin derivative, (−-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG, in human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs, focusing particularly on the role of a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidative enzyme heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1. We found that pretreatment of EGCG dose- and time-dependently induced HO-1 protein levels in HASMCs. EGCG inhibited interleukin- (IL-1β-induced HASMC proliferation and oxidative stress in a dose-dependent manner. The HO-1 inducer CoPPIX decreased IL-1β-induced cell proliferation, whereas the HO-1 enzyme inhibitor ZnPPIX significantly reversed EGCG-caused growth inhibition in IL-1β-treated HASMCs. At the molecular level, EGCG treatment significantly activated nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor (Nrf2 transcription activities. These results suggest that EGCG might serve as a complementary and alternative medicine in the treatment of these pathologies by inducing HO-1 expression and subsequently decreasing VSMC proliferation.

  10. Dibromine radical anion reactions with heme enzymes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gebicka, L.; Gebicki, J.L.

    1996-01-01

    Reactions of Br 2 radical anion with heme enzymes, catalase horseradish peroxidase, have been studied by pulse radiolysis. It has been found that Br 2 - does not react with the heme centre of investigated enzymes. Dibromine radical anion reacts with tryptophan residues of catalase without any influence on the activity of catalase. It is suggested that in pulse radiolysis studies, where horseradish peroxidase is at about tenfold excess toward Br 2 - , the enzyme is modified rather by Br 2 , than by Br 2 - . (author). 26 refs., 3 figs

  11. EXPRESSION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF FULL-LENGTH HUMAN HEME OXYGENASE-1: PRESENCE OF INTACT MEMBRANE-BINDING REGION LEADS TO INCREASED BINDING AFFINITY FOR NADPH-CYTOCHROME P450 REDUCTASE

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huber, Warren J.; Backes, Wayne L.

    2009-01-01

    Heme oxygenase (HO) is the chief regulatory enzyme in the oxidative degradation of heme to biliverdin. In the process of heme degradation, this NADPH and cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR)-dependent oxidation of heme also releases free iron and carbon monoxide. Much of the recent research involving heme oxygenase is done using a 30-kDa soluble form of the enzyme, which lacks the membrane binding region (C-terminal 23 amino acids). The goal of this study was to express and purify a full-length human HO-1 (hHO-1) protein; however, due to the lability of the full-length form, a rapid purification procedure was required. This was accomplished by use of a GST-tagged hHO-1 construct. Although the procedure permitted the generation of a full-length HO-1, this form was contaminated with a 30-kDa degradation product that could not be eliminated. Therefore, we attempted to remove a putative secondary thrombin cleavage site by a conservative mutation of amino acid 254, which replaces lysine with arginine. This mutation allowed the expression and purification of a full length hHO-1 protein. Unlike wild-type HO-1, the K254R mutant could be purified to a single 32-kDa protein capable of degrading heme at the same rate as the wild-type enzyme. The K254R full-length form had a specific activity of ~200–225 nmol bilirubin hr−1nmol−1 HO-1 as compared to ~140–150 nmol bilirubin hr−1nmol−1 for the WT form, which contains the 30-kDa contaminant. This is a 2–3-fold increase from the previously reported soluble 30-kDa HO-1, suggesting that the C-terminal 23 amino acids are essential for maximal catalytic activity. Because the membrane spanning domain is present, the full-length hHO-1 has the potential to incorporate into phospholipid membranes, which can be reconstituted at known concentrations, in combination with other ER-resident enzymes. PMID:17915953

  12. Clinically Important Features of Porphyrin and Heme Metabolism and the Porphyrias

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Siddesh Besur

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Heme, like chlorophyll, is a primordial molecule and is one of the fundamental pigments of life. Disorders of normal heme synthesis may cause human diseases, including certain anemias (X-linked sideroblastic anemias and porphyrias. Porphyrias are classified as hepatic and erythropoietic porphyrias based on the organ system in which heme precursors (5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA, porphobilinogen and porphyrins are chiefly overproduced. The hepatic porphyrias are further subdivided into acute porphyrias and chronic hepatic porphyrias. The acute porphyrias include acute intermittent, hereditary copro-, variegate and ALA dehydratase deficiency porphyria. Chronic hepatic porphyrias include porphyria cutanea tarda and hepatoerythropoietic porphyria. The erythropoietic porphyrias include congenital erythropoietic porphyria (Gűnther’s disease and erythropoietic protoporphyria. In this review, we summarize the key features of normal heme synthesis and its differing regulation in liver versus bone marrow. In both organs, principal regulation is exerted at the level of the first and rate-controlling enzyme, but by different molecules (heme in the liver and iron in the bone marrow. We also describe salient clinical, laboratory and genetic features of the eight types of porphyria.

  13. Explaining the atypical reaction profiles of heme enzymes with a novel mechanistic hypothesis and kinetic treatment.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kelath Murali Manoj

    Full Text Available Many heme enzymes show remarkable versatility and atypical kinetics. The fungal extracellular enzyme chloroperoxidase (CPO characterizes a variety of one and two electron redox reactions in the presence of hydroperoxides. A structural counterpart, found in mammalian microsomal cytochrome P450 (CYP, uses molecular oxygen plus NADPH for the oxidative metabolism (predominantly hydroxylation of substrate in conjunction with a redox partner enzyme, cytochrome P450 reductase. In this study, we employ the two above-mentioned heme-thiolate proteins to probe the reaction kinetics and mechanism of heme enzymes. Hitherto, a substrate inhibition model based upon non-productive binding of substrate (two-site model was used to account for the inhibition of reaction at higher substrate concentrations for the CYP reaction systems. Herein, the observation of substrate inhibition is shown for both peroxide and final substrate in CPO catalyzed peroxidations. Further, analogy is drawn in the "steady state kinetics" of CPO and CYP reaction systems. New experimental observations and analyses indicate that a scheme of competing reactions (involving primary product with enzyme or other reaction components/intermediates is relevant in such complex reaction mixtures. The presence of non-selective reactive intermediate(s affords alternate reaction routes at various substrate/product concentrations, thereby leading to a lowered detectable concentration of "the product of interest" in the reaction milieu. Occam's razor favors the new hypothesis. With the new hypothesis as foundation, a new biphasic treatment to analyze the kinetics is put forth. We also introduce a key concept of "substrate concentration at maximum observed rate". The new treatment affords a more acceptable fit for observable experimental kinetic data of heme redox enzymes.

  14. Cancer Chemoprevention by Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine and Dietary Phytochemicals: Targeting Nrf2-Mediated Oxidative Stress/Anti-Inflammatory Responses, Epigenetics, and Cancer Stem Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jong Hun Lee

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Excessive oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS, reactive nitrogen species (RNS, and reactive metabolites of carcinogens alters cellular homeostasis, leading to genetic/epigenetic changes, genomic instability, neoplastic transformation, and cancer initiation/progression. As a protective mechanism against oxidative stress, antioxidant/detoxifying enzymes reduce these reactive species and protect normal cells from endo-/exogenous oxidative damage. The transcription factor nuclear factor-erythroid 2 p45 (NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2, a master regulator of the antioxidative stress response, plays a critical role in the expression of many cytoprotective enzymes, including NAD(PH:quinine oxidoreductase (NQO1, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT, and glutathione S-transferase (GST. Recent studies demonstrated that many dietary phytochemicals derived from various vegetables, fruits, spices, and herbal medicines induce Nrf2-mediated antioxidant/detoxifying enzymes, restore aberrant epigenetic alterations, and eliminate cancer stem cells (CSCs. The Nrf2-mediated antioxidant response prevents many age-related diseases, including cancer. Owing to their fundamental contribution to carcinogenesis, epigenetic modifications and CSCs are novel targets of dietary phytochemicals and traditional Chinese herbal medicine (TCHM. In this review, we summarize cancer chemoprevention by dietary phytochemicals, including TCHM, which have great potential as a safer and more effective strategy for preventing cancer.

  15. Heme oxygenase-1 prevents non-alcoholic steatohepatitis through suppressing hepatocyte apoptosis in mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fu Na

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Objective Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1, the rate-limiting enzyme in heme catabolism, has been reported to have potential antioxidant properties. However, the role of HO-1 on hepatocyte apoptosis remains unclear. We aim to elucidate the effects of HO-1 on oxidative stress related hepatocellular apoptosis in nutritional steatohepatitis in mice. Methods C57BL/6J mice were fed with methionine-choline deficient (MCD diet for four weeks to induce hepatic steatohepatitis. HO-1 chemical inducer (hemin, HO-1 chemical inhibitor zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP-IX and/or adenovirus carrying HO-1 gene (Ad-HO-1 were administered to mice, respectively. Hepatocyte apoptosis was evaluated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL assay, the mRNA and protein expression of apoptosis related genes were assayed by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot. Results Hepatocyte signs of oxidative related apoptotic injury were presented in mice fed with MCD diet for 4 weeks. Induction of HO-1 by hemin or Ad-HO-1 significantly attenuated the severity of liver histology, which was associated with decreased hepatic lipid peroxidation content, reduced number of apoptotic cells by TUNEL staining, down-regulated expression of pro-apoptosis related genes including Fas/FasL, Bax, caspase-3 and caspase-9, reduced expression of cytochrome p4502E1 (CYP2E1, inhibited cytochrome c (Cyt-c release, and up-regulated expression of anti-apoptosis gene Bcl-2. Whereas, inhibition of HO-1 by ZnPP-IX caused oxidative stress related hepatic injury, which concomitant with increased number of TUNEL positive cells and up-regulated expression of pro-apoptosis related genes. Conclusions The present study provided evidences for the protective role of HO-1 in preventing nutritional steatohepatitis through suppressing hepatocyte apoptosis in mice.

  16. Non-coding RNAs and heme oxygenase-1 in vaccinia virus infection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meseda, Clement A.; Srinivasan, Kumar; Wise, Jasen; Catalano, Jennifer; Yamada, Kenneth M.; Dhawan, Subhash

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) induction inhibited vaccinia virus infection of macrophages. • Reduced infectivity inversely correlated with increased expression of non-coding RNAs. • The regulation of HO-1 and ncRNAs suggests a novel host defense response against vaccinia virus infection. - Abstract: Small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) are <200 nucleotide non-coding uridylate-rich RNAs. Although the functions of many snRNAs remain undetermined, a population of snRNAs is produced during the early phase of infection of cells by vaccinia virus. In the present study, we demonstrate a direct correlation between expression of the cytoprotective enzyme heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), suppression of selective snRNA expression, and inhibition of vaccinia virus infection of macrophages. Hemin induced HO-1 expression, completely reversed virus-induced host snRNA expression, and suppressed vaccinia virus infection. This involvement of specific virus-induced snRNAs and associated gene clusters suggests a novel HO-1-dependent host-defense pathway in poxvirus infection

  17. Redox status affects the catalytic activity of glutamyl-tRNA synthetase

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Katz, Assaf; Banerjee, Rajat; de Armas, Merly

    2010-01-01

    Glutamyl-tRNA synthetases (GluRS) provide Glu-tRNA for different processes including protein synthesis, glutamine transamidation and tetrapyrrole biosynthesis. Many organisms contain multiple GluRSs, but whether these duplications solely broaden tRNA specificity or also play additional roles in t...... inactivation by hemin plus hydrogen peroxide. The sensitivity to oxidation of A. ferrooxidans GluRS1 might provide a means to regulate tetrapyrrole and protein biosynthesis in response to extreme changes in both the redox and heme status of the cell via a single enzyme....

  18. The effect of irradiation and thermal process on beef heme iron concentration and color properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mistura, Liliana Perazzini Furtado; Colli, Celia

    2009-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of irradiation and thermal process on the heme iron (heme-Fe) concentration and color properties of Brazilian cattle beef. Beef samples (patties and steaks) were irradiated at 0-10 kGy and cooked in a combination oven at 250 deg C for 9 minutes with 70% humidity. Total iron and heme iron (heme-Fe) concentrations were determined. The data were compared by multiple comparisons and fixed- effects ANOVA. Irradiation at doses higher than 5 kGy significantly altered the heme-Fe concentration. However, the sample preparation conditions interfered more in the heme-Fe content than did the irradiation. Depending on the animal species, meat heme iron levels between 35 and 52% of the total iron are used for dietetic calculations. In this study the percentage of heme-iron was, on average, 70% of the total iron showing that humidity is an important factor for its preservation. The samples were analyzed instrumentally for CIE L * , a * , and b * values. (author)

  19. Heme-induced Trypanosoma cruzi proliferation is mediated by CaM kinase II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Souza, C.F.; Carneiro, A.B.; Silveira, A.B.; Laranja, G.A.T.; Silva-Neto, M.A.C.; Costa, S.C. Goncalves da; Paes, M.C.

    2009-01-01

    Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiologic agent of Chagas disease, is transmitted through triatomine vectors during their blood-meal on vertebrate hosts. These hematophagous insects usually ingest approximately 10 mM of heme bound to hemoglobin in a single meal. Blood forms of the parasite are transformed into epimastigotes in the crop which initiates a few hours after parasite ingestion. In a previous work, we investigated the role of heme in parasite cell proliferation and showed that the addition of heme significantly increased parasite proliferation in a dose-dependent manner . To investigate whether the heme effect is mediated by protein kinase signalling pathways, parasite proliferation was evaluated in the presence of several protein kinase (PK) inhibitors. We found that only KN-93, a classical inhibitor of calcium-calmodulin-dependent kinases (CaMKs), blocked heme-induced cell proliferation. KN-92, an inactive analogue of KN-93, was not able to block this effect. A T. cruzi CaMKII homologue is most likely the main enzyme involved in this process since parasite proliferation was also blocked when Myr-AIP, an inhibitory peptide for mammalian CaMKII, was included in the cell proliferation assay. Moreover, CaMK activity increased in parasite cells with the addition of heme as shown by immunological and biochemical assays. In conclusion, the present results are the first strong indications that CaMKII is involved in the heme-induced cell signalling pathway that mediates parasite proliferation.

  20. Heme-induced Trypanosoma cruzi proliferation is mediated by CaM kinase II

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Souza, C.F. [Laboratorio de Imunomodulacao e Protozoologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz (Brazil); Carneiro, A.B.; Silveira, A.B. [Laboratorio de Sinalizacao Celular, Instituto de Bioquimica Medica, UFRJ (Brazil); Laranja, G.A.T. [Laboratorio de Interacao Tripanosomatideos e Vetores, Departamento de Bioquimica, IBRAG, UERJ, 20551-030 Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Silva-Neto, M.A.C. [Laboratorio de Sinalizacao Celular, Instituto de Bioquimica Medica, UFRJ (Brazil); INCT, Entomologia Molecular (Brazil); Costa, S.C. Goncalves da [Laboratorio de Imunomodulacao e Protozoologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz (Brazil); Paes, M.C., E-mail: mcpaes@uerj.br [Laboratorio de Interacao Tripanosomatideos e Vetores, Departamento de Bioquimica, IBRAG, UERJ, 20551-030 Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); INCT, Entomologia Molecular (Brazil)

    2009-12-18

    Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiologic agent of Chagas disease, is transmitted through triatomine vectors during their blood-meal on vertebrate hosts. These hematophagous insects usually ingest approximately 10 mM of heme bound to hemoglobin in a single meal. Blood forms of the parasite are transformed into epimastigotes in the crop which initiates a few hours after parasite ingestion. In a previous work, we investigated the role of heme in parasite cell proliferation and showed that the addition of heme significantly increased parasite proliferation in a dose-dependent manner . To investigate whether the heme effect is mediated by protein kinase signalling pathways, parasite proliferation was evaluated in the presence of several protein kinase (PK) inhibitors. We found that only KN-93, a classical inhibitor of calcium-calmodulin-dependent kinases (CaMKs), blocked heme-induced cell proliferation. KN-92, an inactive analogue of KN-93, was not able to block this effect. A T. cruzi CaMKII homologue is most likely the main enzyme involved in this process since parasite proliferation was also blocked when Myr-AIP, an inhibitory peptide for mammalian CaMKII, was included in the cell proliferation assay. Moreover, CaMK activity increased in parasite cells with the addition of heme as shown by immunological and biochemical assays. In conclusion, the present results are the first strong indications that CaMKII is involved in the heme-induced cell signalling pathway that mediates parasite proliferation.

  1. Heme: From quantum spin crossover to oxygen manager of life

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kepp, Kasper Planeta

    2016-01-01

    The review discusses how the electronic structure of heme explains its central importance to oxygen-based life on Earth. Emphasis is on the chemical bonding of heme, its spin crossover, reversible O2 binding, and O-O bond activation, put in relation to its physiological functions. The review disc...

  2. Oxidative and antioxidative responses in the wheat-Azospirillum brasilense interaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Méndez-Gómez, Manuel; Castro-Mercado, Elda; Alexandre, Gladys; García-Pineda, Ernesto

    2016-03-01

    Azospirillum is a plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) able to enhance the growth of wheat. The aim of this study was to test the effect of Azospirillum brasilense cell wall components on superoxide (O2·(-)) production in wheat roots and the effect of oxidative stress on A. brasilense viability. We found that inoculation with A. brasilense reduced O2·(-) levels by approx. 30 % in wheat roots. Inoculation of wheat with papain-treated A. brasilense, a Cys protease, notably increased O2·(-) production in all root tissues, as was observed by the nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction. However, a 24-h treatment with rhizobacteria lipopolysaccharides (50 and 100 μg/mL) alone did not affect the pattern of O2·(-) production. Analysis of the effect of plant cell wall components on A. brasilense oxidative enzyme activity showed no changes in catalase activity but a decrease in superoxide dismutase activity in response to polygalacturonic acid treatment. Furthermore, A. brasilense growth was only affected by high concentrations of H2O2 or paraquat, but not by sodium nitroprusside. Our results suggest that rhizobacterial cell wall components play an important role in controlling plant cell responses and developing tolerance of A. brasilense to oxidative stress produced by the plant.

  3. Mononuclear non-heme iron(III)

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Journal of Chemical Sciences; Volume 123; Issue 2. Mononuclear non-heme iron(III) complexes of linear and tripodal tridentate ligands as functional models for catechol dioxygenases: Effect of -alkyl substitution on regioselectivity and reaction rate. Mallayan Palaniandavar Kusalendiran Visvaganesan.

  4. Metallothionein-III protects against 6-hydroxydopamine-induced oxidative stress by increasing expression of heme oxygenase-1 in a PI3K and ERK/Nrf2-dependent manner

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwang, Yong Pil; Kim, Hyung Gyun; Han, Eun Hee; Jeong, Hye Gwang

    2008-01-01

    The zinc-binding protein metallothionein-III (MT-III) is associated with resistance to neuronal injury. However, the underlying mechanism for its effects is unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that MT-III prevents the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in dopaminergic SH-SY5Y cells challenged with the Parkinson's disease-related neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) by a mechanism that involves phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and ERK kinase/NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) dependent induction of the stress response protein heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Pretreatment of SH-SY5Y cells with MT-III significantly reduced 6-OHDA-induced generation of ROS, caspase-3 activation, and subsequent cell death. Also, MT-III up-regulates HO-1 expression and this expression confers neuroprotection against oxidative injury induced by 6-OHDA. Moreover, MT-III induces Nrf2 nuclear translocation, which is upstream of MT-III-induced HO-1 expression, and PI3K and ERK1/2 activation, a pathway that is involved in induced Nrf2 nuclear translocation, HO-1 expression and neuroprotection. Taken together, these results suggest that the PI3K and ERK/Nrf2 signaling pathway controls the intracellular levels of ROS by regulating the expression of the antioxidant enzyme HO-1

  5. Control of heme synthesis during Friend cell differentiation: role of iron and transferrin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laskey, J.D.; Ponka, P.; Schulman, H.M.

    1986-01-01

    In many types of cells the synthesis of σ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) limits the rate of heme formation. However, results from this laboratory with reticulocytes suggest that the rate of iron uptake from 125 I-transferrin (Tf), rather than ALA synthase activity, limits the rate of heme synthesis in erythroid cells. To determine whether changes occur in iron metabolism and the control of heme synthesis during erythroid cell development Friend erythroleukemia cells induced to erythroid differentiation by dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) were studied. While added ALA stimulated heme synthesis in uninduced Friend cells (suggesting ALA synthase is limiting) it did not do so in induced cells. Therefore the possibility was investigated that, in induced cells, iron uptake from Tf limits and controls heme synthesis. Several aspects of iron metabolism were investigated using the synthetic iron chelator salicylaldehyde isonicotinoyl hydrazone (SIH). Both induced and uninduced Friend cells take up and utilize Fe for heme synthesis directly from Fe-SIH without the involvement of transferrin and transferrin receptors and to a much greater extent than from saturating levels or 59 Fe-Tf (20 μM). Furthermore, in induced Friend cells 100 μM Fe-SIH stimulated 2- 14 C-glycine incorporation into heme up to 3.6-fold as compared to the incorporation observed with saturating concentrations of Fe-Tf. These results indicate that some step(s) in the pathway of iron from extracellular Tf to protoporphyrin, rather than the activity of ALA synthase, limits and controls the overall rate of heme and possibly hemoglobin synthesis in differentiating Friend erythroleukemia cells

  6. Magnetic resonance spectral characterization of the heme active site of Coprinus cinereus peroxidase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lukat, G.S.; Rodgers, K.R.; Jabro, M.N.; Goff, H.M.

    1989-01-01

    Examination of the peroxidase isolated from the inkcap Basidiomycete Coprinus cinereus shows that the 42,000-dalton enzyme contains a protoheme IX prosthetic group. Reactivity assays and the electronic absorption spectra of native Coprinus peroxidase and several of its ligand complexes indicate that this enzyme has characteristics similar to those reported for horseradish peroxidase. In this paper, the authors characterize the H 2 O 2 -oxidized forms of Coprinus peroxidase compounds I, II, and III by electronic absorption and magnetic resonance spectroscopies. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies of this Coprinus peroxidase indicate the presence of high-spin Fe(III) in the native protein and a number of differences between the heme site of Coprinus peroxidase and horseradish peroxidase. Carbon-13 (of the ferrous CO adduct) and nitrogen-15 (of the cyanide complex) NMR studies together with proton NMR studies of the native and cyanide-complexed Caprinus peroxidase are consistent with coordination of a proximal histidine ligand. The EPR spectrum of the ferrous NO complex is also reported. Protein reconstitution with deuterated hemin has facilitated the assignment of the heme methyl resonances in the proton NMR spectrum

  7. Heme-Mediated Induction of CXCL10 and Depletion of CD34+ Progenitor Cells Is Toll-Like Receptor 4 Dependent.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carmen M Dickinson-Copeland

    Full Text Available Plasmodium falciparum infection can cause microvascular dysfunction, cerebral encephalopathy and death if untreated. We have previously shown that high concentrations of free heme, and C-X-C motif chemokine 10 (CXCL10 in sera of malaria patients induce apoptosis in microvascular endothelial and neuronal cells contributing to vascular dysfunction, blood-brain barrier (BBB damage and mortality. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPC are microvascular endothelial cell precursors partly responsible for repair and regeneration of damaged BBB endothelium. Studies have shown that EPC's are depleted in severe malaria patients, but the mechanisms mediating this phenomenon are unknown. Toll-like receptors recognize a wide variety of pathogen-associated molecular patterns generated by pathogens such as bacteria and parasites. We tested the hypothesis that EPC depletion during malaria pathogenesis is a function of heme-induced apoptosis mediated by CXCL10 induction and toll-like receptor (TLR activation. Heme and CXCL10 concentrations in plasma obtained from malaria patients were elevated compared with non-malaria subjects. EPC numbers were significantly decreased in malaria patients (P < 0.02 and TLR4 expression was significantly elevated in vivo. These findings were confirmed in EPC precursors in vitro; where it was determined that heme-induced apoptosis and CXCL10 expression was TLR4-mediated. We conclude that increased serum heme mediates depletion of EPC during malaria pathogenesis.

  8. Regulation of heme metabolism in normal and sideroblastic bone marrow cells in culture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ibraham, N.G.; Lutton, J.D.; Hoffman, R.; Levere, R.D.

    1985-01-01

    Heme metabolism was examined in developing in vitro erythroid colonies (CFUE) and in bone marrow samples taken directly from four normal donors and four patients with sideroblastic anemia. Maximum activities of delta-aminolevulinic acid synthase (ALAS), ALA dehydratase (ALAD), and 14 C-ALA incorporation into heme were achieved in normal marrow CFUE after 8 days of culture, whereas heme oxygenase progressively decreased to low levels of activity during the same period. Assays on nucleated bone marrow cells taken directly from patients revealed that ALAS activity was considerably reduced in idiopathic sideroblastic anemia (IASA) and X-linked sideroblastic anemia (X-SA) bone marrow specimens, whereas the activity increased more than twofold (normal levels) when cells were assayed from 8-day CFUE. In all cases, ALAD activity appeared to be within normal levels. Measurement of heme synthesis revealed that normal levels of 14 C-ALA incorporation into heme were achieved in IASA cells but were reduced in X-SA cells. In marked contrast to levels in normal cells, heme oxygenase was found to be significantly elevated (two- to fourfold) in bone marrow cells taken directly from patients with IASA and X-SA. Results from this study demonstrate that IASA and X-SA bone marrow cells have disturbances in ALAS and heme metabolism, and that erythropoiesis (CFUE) can be restored to normal levels when cells are cultured in methylcellulose

  9. Cytochrome P450 regulation: the interplay between its heme and apoprotein moieties in synthesis, assembly, repair, and disposal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Correia, Maria Almira; Sinclair, Peter R; De Matteis, Francesco

    2011-02-01

    Heme is vital to our aerobic universe. Heme cellular content is finely tuned through an exquisite control of synthesis and degradation. Heme deficiency is deleterious to cells, whereas excess heme is toxic. Most of the cellular heme serves as the prosthetic moiety of functionally diverse hemoproteins, including cytochromes P450 (P450s). In the liver, P450s are its major consumers, with >50% of hepatic heme committed to their synthesis. Prosthetic heme is the sine qua non of P450 catalytic biotransformation of both endo- and xenobiotics. This well-recognized functional role notwithstanding, heme also regulates P450 protein synthesis, assembly, repair, and disposal. These less well-appreciated aspects are reviewed herein.

  10. A Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain induces a heme oxygenase dependent increase in Foxp3+ regulatory T cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khalil Karimi

    Full Text Available We investigated the consequences of feeding with a Lactobacillus species on the immune environment in GALT, and the role of dendritic cells and heme oxygenase-1 in mediating these responses. Feeding with a specific strain of Lactobacillus rhamnosus induced a significant increase in CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ functional regulatory T cells in GALT. This increase was greatest in the mesenteric lymph nodes and associated with a marked decrease in TNF and IFNγ production. Dendritic cell regulatory function and HO-1 expression was also increased. The increase in Foxp3+ T cells could be prevented by treatment with a heme oxygenase inhibitor. However, neither inhibition of heme oxygenase nor blockade of IL-10 and TGFβ prevented the inhibition of inflammatory cytokine production. In conclusion Lactobacillus feeding induced a tolerogenic environment in GALT. HO-1 was critical to the enhancement of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells while additional, as yet unknown, pathways were involved in the down-regulation of inflammatory cytokine production by T cells.

  11. Identification of the heme acquisition system in Vibrio vulnificus M2799.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawano, Hiroaki; Miyamoto, Katsushiro; Yasunobe, Megumi; Murata, Masahiro; Yamahata, Eri; Yamaguchi, Ryo; Miyaki, Yuta; Tsuchiya, Takahiro; Tanabe, Tomotaka; Funahashi, Tatsuya; Tsujibo, Hiroshi

    2018-04-01

    Vibrio vulnificus, the causative agent of serious, often fatal, infections in humans, requires iron for its pathogenesis. As such, it obtains iron via both vulnibactin and heme-mediated iron-uptake systems. In this study, we identified the heme acquisition system in V. vulnificus M2799. The nucleotide sequences of the genes encoding heme receptors HupA and HvtA and the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transport system proteins HupB, HupC, and HupD were determined, and then used in the construction of deletion mutants developed from a Δics strain, which could not synthesize vulnibactin. Growth experiments using these mutants indicated that HupA and HvtA are major and minor heme receptors, respectively. The expressions of two proteins were analyzed by the quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Furthermore, complementation analyses confirmed that the HupBCD proteins are the only ABC transport system shared by both the HupA and HvtA receptors. This is the first genetic evidence that the HupBCD proteins are essential for heme acquisition by V. vulnificus. Further investigation showed that hupA, hvtA, and hupBCD are regulated by Fur. The qRT-PCR analysis of the heme receptor genes revealed that HupR, a LysR-family positive transcriptional activator, upregulates the expression of hupA, but not hvtA. In addition, ptrB was co-transcribed with hvtA, and PtrB had no influence on growth in low-iron CM9 medium supplemented with hemin, hemoglobin, or cytochrome C. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. In vitro studies on heme oxygenase-1 and P24 antigen HIV-1 level ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a protein secreted by immune cells as a part of immune response mechanism.HO-1 can be induced by variety agents that causingoxidative stress, such as exposure to 100% oxygenat2,4 ATA pressure.It plays a vital role in maintaining cellular homeostasis.This study was ...

  13. Hepatic expression of heme oxygenase-1 and antioxidant response element-mediated genes following administration of ethinyl estradiol to rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morio, Lisa A.; Leone, Angelique; Sawant, Sharmilee P.; Nie, Alex Y.; Brandon Parker, J.; Taggart, Peter; Barron, Alfred M.; McMillian, Michael K.; Lord, Peter

    2006-01-01

    Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is one of several enzymes induced by hepatotoxicants, and is thought to have an important protective role against cellular stress during liver inflammation and injury. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the role of HO-1 in estradiol-induced liver injury. A single dose of ethinyl estradiol (500 mg/kg, po) resulted in mild liver injury. Repeated administration of ethinyl estradiol (500 mg/kg/day for 4 days, po) resulted in no detectable liver injury or dysfunction. Using RT-PCR analysis, we demonstrate that HO-1 gene expression in whole liver tissue is elevated (> 20-fold) after the single dose of ethinyl estradiol. The number and intensity of HO-1 immunoreactive macrophages were increased after the single dose of ethinyl estradiol. HO-1 expression was undetectable in hepatic parenchymal cells from rats receiving Methocel control or a single dose of ethinyl estradiol, however cytosolic HO-1 immunoreactivity in these cells after repeated dosing of ethinyl estradiol was pronounced. The increases in HO-1 mRNA and HO-1 immunoreactivity following administration of a single dose of ethinyl estradiol suggested that this enzyme might be responsible for the observed protection of the liver during repeated dosing. To investigate the effect of HO-1 expression on ethinyl estradiol-induced hepatotoxicity, rats were pretreated with hemin (50 μmol/kg, ip, a substrate and inducer of HO-1), with tin protoporphyrin IX (60 μmol/kg, ip, an HO-1 inhibitor), or with gadolinium chloride (10 mg/kg, iv, an inhibitor/toxin of Kupffer cells) 24 h before ethinyl estradiol treatment. Pretreatment with modulators of HO-1 expression and activity had generally minimal effects on ethinyl estradiol-induced liver injury. These data suggest that HO-1 plays a limited role in antioxidant defense against ethinyl estradiol-induced oxidative stress and hepatotoxicity, and suggests that other coordinately induced enzymes are responsible for protection observed with

  14. A relay network of extracellular heme-binding proteins drives C. albicans iron acquisition from hemoglobin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuznets, Galit; Vigonsky, Elena; Weissman, Ziva; Lalli, Daniela; Gildor, Tsvia; Kauffman, Sarah J; Turano, Paola; Becker, Jeffrey; Lewinson, Oded; Kornitzer, Daniel

    2014-10-01

    Iron scavenging constitutes a crucial challenge for survival of pathogenic microorganisms in the iron-poor host environment. Candida albicans, like many microbial pathogens, is able to utilize iron from hemoglobin, the largest iron pool in the host's body. Rbt5 is an extracellular glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored heme-binding protein of the CFEM family that facilitates heme-iron uptake by an unknown mechanism. Here, we characterize an additional C. albicans CFEM protein gene, PGA7, deletion of which elicits a more severe heme-iron utilization phenotype than deletion of RBT5. The virulence of the pga7-/- mutant is reduced in a mouse model of systemic infection, consistent with a requirement for heme-iron utilization for C. albicans pathogenicity. The Pga7 and Rbt5 proteins exhibit distinct cell wall attachment, and discrete localization within the cell envelope, with Rbt5 being more exposed than Pga7. Both proteins are shown here to efficiently extract heme from hemoglobin. Surprisingly, while Pga7 has a higher affinity for heme in vitro, we find that heme transfer can occur bi-directionally between Pga7 and Rbt5, supporting a model in which they cooperate in a heme-acquisition relay. Together, our data delineate the roles of Pga7 and Rbt5 in a cell surface protein network that transfers heme from extracellular hemoglobin to the endocytic pathway, and provide a paradigm for how receptors embedded in the cell wall matrix can mediate nutrient uptake across the fungal cell envelope.

  15. Abacavir and warfarin modulate allosterically kinetics of NO dissociation from ferrous nitrosylated human serum heme-albumin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ascenzi, Paolo; Imperi, Francesco; Coletta, Massimo; Fasano, Mauro

    2008-01-01

    Human serum albumin (HSA) participates to heme scavenging, in turn HSA-heme binds gaseous diatomic ligands at the heme-Fe-atom. Here, the effect of abacavir and warfarin on denitrosylation kinetics of HSA-heme-Fe(II)-NO (i.e., k off ) is reported. In the absence of drugs, the value of k off is (1.3 ± 0.2) x 10 -4 s -1 . Abacavir and warfarin facilitate NO dissociation from HSA-heme-Fe(II)-NO, the k off value increases to (8.6 ± 0.9) x 10 -4 s -1 . From the dependence of k off on the drug concentration, values of the dissociation equilibrium constant for the abacavir and warfarin binding to HSA-heme-Fe(II)-NO (i.e., K = (1.2 ± 0.2) x 10 -3 M and (6.2 ± 0.7) x 10 -5 M, respectively) were determined. The increase of k off values reflects the stabilization of the basic form of HSA-heme-Fe by ligands (e.g., abacavir and warfarin) that bind to Sudlow's site I. This event parallels the stabilization of the six-coordinate derivative of the HSA-heme-Fe(II)-NO atom. Present data highlight the allosteric modulation of HSA-heme-Fe(II) reactivity by heterotropic effectors

  16. Relationship between Antimalarial Activity and Heme Alkylation for Spiro- and Dispiro-1,2,4-Trioxolane Antimalarials▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Creek, Darren J.; Charman, William N.; Chiu, Francis C. K.; Prankerd, Richard J.; Dong, Yuxiang; Vennerstrom, Jonathan L.; Charman, Susan A.

    2008-01-01

    The reaction of spiro- and dispiro-1,2,4-trioxolane antimalarials with heme has been investigated to provide further insight into the mechanism of action for this important class of antimalarials. A series of trioxolanes with various antimalarial potencies was found to be unreactive in the presence of Fe(III) hemin, but all were rapidly degraded by reduced Fe(II) heme. The major reaction product from the heme-mediated degradation of biologically active trioxolanes was an alkylated heme adduct resulting from addition of a radical intermediate. Under standardized reaction conditions, a correlation (R2 = 0.88) was found between the extent of heme alkylation and in vitro antimalarial activity, suggesting that heme alkylation may be related to the mechanism of action for these trioxolanes. Significantly less heme alkylation was observed for the clinically utilized artemisinin derivatives compared to the equipotent trioxolanes included in this study. PMID:18268087

  17. Distinct Prominent Roles for Enzymes of Plasmodium berghei Heme Biosynthesis in Sporozoite and Liver Stage Maturation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matuschewski, Kai; Haussig, Joana M.

    2016-01-01

    Malarial parasites have evolved complex regulation of heme supply and disposal to adjust to heme-rich and -deprived host environments. In addition to its own pathway for heme biosynthesis, Plasmodium likely harbors mechanisms for heme scavenging from host erythrocytes. Elaborate compartmentalization of de novo heme synthesis into three subcellular locations, including the vestigial plastid organelle, indicates critical roles in life cycle progression. In this study, we systematically profile the essentiality of heme biosynthesis by targeted gene deletion of enzymes in early steps of this pathway. We show that disruption of endogenous heme biosynthesis leads to a first detectable defect in oocyst maturation and sporogony in the Anopheles vector, whereas blood stage propagation, colonization of mosquito midguts, or initiation of oocyst development occurs indistinguishably from that of wild-type parasites. Although sporozoites are produced by parasites lacking an intact pathway for heme biosynthesis, they are absent from mosquito salivary glands, indicative of a vital role for heme biosynthesis only in sporozoite maturation. Rescue of the first defect in sporogony permitted analysis of potential roles in liver stages. We show that liver stage parasites benefit from but do not strictly depend upon their own aminolevulinic acid synthase and that they can scavenge aminolevulinic acid from the host environment. Together, our experimental genetics analysis of Plasmodium enzymes for heme biosynthesis exemplifies remarkable shifts between the use of endogenous and host resources during life cycle progression. PMID:27600503

  18. In Vivo and In Vitro Arsenic Exposition Induces Oxidative Stress in Anterior Pituitary Gland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ronchetti, Sonia A; Bianchi, María S; Duvilanski, Beatriz H; Cabilla, Jimena P

    2016-07-01

    Inorganic arsenic (iAs) is at the top of toxic metalloids. Inorganic arsenic-contaminated water consumption is one of the greatest environmental health threats worldwide. Human iAs exposure has been associated with cancers of several organs, neurological disorders, and reproductive problems. Nevertheless, there are no reports describing how iAs affects the anterior pituitary gland. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms involved in iAs-mediated anterior pituitary toxicity both in vivo and in vitro. We showed that iAs administration (from 5 to 100 ppm) to male rats through drinking water increased messenger RNA expression of several oxidative stress-responsive genes in the anterior pituitary gland. Serum prolactin levels diminished, whereas luteinizing hormone (LH) levels were only affected at the higher dose tested. In anterior pituitary cells in culture, 25 µmol/L iAs significantly decreased prolactin release in a time-dependent fashion, whereas LH levels remained unaltered. Cell viability was significantly reduced mainly by apoptosis evidenced by morphological and phosphatidylserine externalization studies. This process is characterized by early depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential and increased levels of reactive oxygen species. Expression of some key oxidative stress-responsive genes, such as heme oxygenase-1 and metallothionein-1, was also stimulated by iAs exposure. The antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine prevented iAs-induced effects on the expression of oxidative stress markers, prolactin release, and apoptosis. In summary, the present work demonstrates for the first time that iAs reduces prolactin release both in vivo and in vitro and induces apoptosis in anterior pituitary cells, possibly resulting from imbalanced cellular redox status. © The Author(s) 2016.

  19. CYTOCHROME P450 REGULATION: THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN ITS HEME AND APOPROTEIN MOIETIES IN SYNTHESIS, ASSEMBLY, REPAIR AND DISPOSAL123

    OpenAIRE

    Correia, Maria Almira; Sinclair, Peter R.; De Matteis, Francesco

    2010-01-01

    Heme is vital to our aerobic universe. Heme cellular content is finely tuned through an exquisite control of synthesis and degradation. Heme deficiency is deleterious to cells, whereas excess heme is toxic. Most of the cellular heme serves as the prosthetic moiety of functionally diverse hemoproteins, including cytochromes P450 (P450s). In the liver, P450s are its major consumers with >50% of hepatic heme committed to their synthesis. Prosthetic heme is the sine qua non of P450 catalytic biot...

  20. The haptoglobin-CD163-heme oxygenase-1 pathway for hemoglobin scavenging

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomsen, Jens Haugbølle; Etzerodt, Anders; Svendsen, Pia

    2013-01-01

    The haptoglobin- (Hp-) CD163-heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) pathway is an efficient captor-receptor-enzyme system to circumvent the hemoglobin (Hb)/heme-induced toxicity during physiological and pathological hemolyses. In this pathway, Hb tightly binds to Hp leading to CD163-mediated uptake of the complex...

  1. Antibiotic suppression of intestinal microbiota reduces heme-induced lipoperoxidation associated with colon carcinogenesis in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, O C B; Lin, C; Naud, N; Tache, S; Raymond-Letron, I; Corpet, D E; Pierre, F H

    2015-01-01

    Epidemiological studies show that heme iron from red meat is associated with increased colorectal cancer risk. In carcinogen-induced-rats, a heme iron-rich diet increases the number of precancerous lesions and raises associated fecal biomarkers. Heme-induced lipoperoxidation measured by fecal thiobarbituric acid reagents (TBARs) could explain the promotion of colon carcinogenesis by heme. Using a factorial design we studied if microbiota could be involved in heme-induced carcinogenesis, by modulating peroxidation. Rats treated or not with an antibiotic cocktail were given a control or a hemoglobin-diet. Fecal bacteria were counted on agar and TBARs concentration assayed in fecal water. The suppression of microbiota by antibiotics was associated with a reduction of crypt height and proliferation and with a cecum enlargement, which are characteristics of germ-free rats. Rats given hemoglobin diets had increased fecal TBARs, which were suppressed by the antibiotic treatment. A duplicate experiment in rats given dietary hemin yielded similar results. These data show that the intestinal microbiota is involved in enhancement of lipoperoxidation by heme iron. We thus suggest that microbiota could play a role in the heme-induced promotion of colorectal carcinogenesis.

  2. Irradiation of bovine meat: effect of heme-iron concentration.; Irradiacao de carne bovina: efeito na concentracao de ferro heme

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mistura, Liliana Perazzini Furtado

    2002-07-01

    The irradiation is often used, nowadays, for meat conservation and it is important to know how much this process interferes with the nutritional quality of the meat. In this study round cut meat, ground and steaks (from a local supermarket) was irradiated with doses of O; 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 7,5 and 10 kGy (JS-7500 Nordium Inc -Canada) and the interference of irradiation and the process of food preparation on heme-iron (H Fe) content was determined. Half of the sample was kept raw and the other half was grilled in a pre-warmed oven at 250 deg C for 9 min and a controlled humidity of 70%. The chemical composition, the total iron (T Fe) (EM) and the heme iron concentration were determined (Hornsey,1956) and the sensorial quality evaluated. The average T Fe concentration of raw and ground , ground and grilled, raw steaks and grilled steak meat, on dry and degreased basis was 113 mug/g, 121 mug/g , 91 mug/g and 77 mug/g; and the H Fe concentration 105 mug/g (93% of T Fe) , 88 mug/g (73% of T Fe), 90 mug/g (99% of T Fe) and 52 mug/g (68% of T Fe) respectively. Data were evaluated by ANOVA with fixed effects and multiple comparisons. The irradiation neither altered the chemical composition nor the proportion of heme iron of meat. The preparation conditions (temperature, cooking time, environment humidity, meat presentation) of the sample interfered more with the heme iron content than the irradiation. With the sensorial analysis we verified that meats irradiated with doses of 3 kGy were better evaluated in softness and succulency attributes than the others. Meat submitted to irradiation doses up to 3 kGy were accepted by the specialists' panel. (author)

  3. Effects of Nuclear Factor-E2-related factor 2/Heme Oxygenase 1 on splanchnic hemodynamics in experimental cirrhosis with portal hypertension.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Jun; He, Yue; Duan, Ming; Luo, Meng

    2017-05-01

    We explored the effects of Nuclear Factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and Heme Oxygenase 1 (HO-1) on splanchnic hemodynamics in portal hypertensive rats. Experimental cirrhosis with portal hypertension was induced by intraperitoneal injection of carbon tetrachloride. The expression of proteins was examined by immunoblotting. Hemodynamic studies were performed by radioactive microspheres. The vascular perfusion system was used to measure the contractile response of mesentery arterioles in rats. Nrf2 expression in the nucleus and HO-1 expression in cytoplasm was significantly enhanced in portal hypertensive rats. Portal pressure, as well as regional blood flow, increased significantly in portal hypertension and can be blocked by tin protoporphyrin IX. The expression of endogenous nitric oxide synthase and vascular endothelial growth factors increased significantly compared to normal rats, while HO-1 inhibition decreased the expression of these proteins significantly. The contractile response of mesenteric arteries decreased in portal hypertension, but can be partially recovered through tin protoporphyrin IX treatment. The expression of Nrf2/HO-1 increased in mesenteric arteries of portal hypertensive rats, which was related to oxidative stress. HO-1was involved in increased portal pressure and anomaly splanchnic hemodynamics in portal hypertensive rats. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. A catalytic approach to estimate the redox potential of heme-peroxidases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ayala, Marcela; Roman, Rosa; Vazquez-Duhalt, Rafael

    2007-01-01

    The redox potential of heme-peroxidases varies according to a combination of structural components within the active site and its vicinities. For each peroxidase, this redox potential imposes a thermodynamic threshold to the range of oxidizable substrates. However, the instability of enzymatic intermediates during the catalytic cycle precludes the use of direct voltammetry to measure the redox potential of most peroxidases. Here we describe a novel approach to estimate the redox potential of peroxidases, which directly depends on the catalytic performance of the activated enzyme. Selected p-substituted phenols are used as substrates for the estimations. The results obtained with this catalytic approach correlate well with the oxidative capacity predicted by the redox potential of the Fe(III)/Fe(II) couple

  5. Characterization of Nrf2 activation and heme oxygenase-1 expression in NIH3T3 cells exposed to aqueous extracts of cigarette smoke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knörr-Wittmann, Constanze; Hengstermann, Arnd; Gebel, Stephan; Alam, Jawed; Müller, Thomas

    2005-12-01

    Cigarette smoke (CS) is a complex chemical mixture estimated to be composed of up to 5000 different chemicals, many of which are prooxidant. Here we show that, at least in vitro, the cellular response designed to combat oxidative stress resulting from CS exposure is primarily controlled by the transcription factor Nrf2, a principal inducer of antioxidant and phase II-related genes. The prominent role of Nrf2 in the cellular response to CS is substantiated by the following observations: In NIH3T3 cells exposed to aqueous extracts of CS (i) Nrf2 is strongly stabilized and becomes detectable in nuclear extracts. (ii) Nuclear localization of Nrf2 coincides with increased DNA binding of a putative Nrf2/MafK heterodimer to its cognate cis-regulatory site, i.e., the antioxidant-responsive element (ARE). (iii) Studies on the regulatory elements of the oxidative stress-inducible gene heme oxygenase-1 (hmox1) using various hmox1 promoter/luciferase reporter constructs revealed that the strong CS-dependent expression of this gene is primarily governed by the distal enhancers 1 ("E1") and 2 ("E2"), which both contain three canonical ARE-like stress-responsive elements (StREs). Notably, depletion of Nrf2 levels caused by RNA interference significantly compromised CS-induced hmox1 promoter activation, based on the distinct Nrf2 sensitivity exhibited by E1 and E2. Finally, (iv) siRNA-dependent knock-down of Nrf2 completely abrogated CS-induced expression of phase II-related genes. Taken together, these results confirm the outstanding role of Nrf2 both in sensing (oxidant) stress and in orchestrating an efficient transcriptional response aimed at resolving the stressing conditions.

  6. Amomum tsao-ko suppresses lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses in RAW264.7 macrophages via Nrf2-dependent heme oxygenase-1 expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Bin; Choi, Hee-Jin; Lee, Dong-Sung; Oh, Hyuncheol; Kim, Youn-Chul; Moon, Jin-Young; Park, Won-Hwan; Park, Sun-Dong; Kim, Jai-Eun

    2014-01-01

    Amomum tsao-ko Crevost et Lemaire, used as a spice in Asia, is an important source of Chinese cuisine and traditional Chinese medicines. A. tsao-ko is reported to exert a variety of biological and pharmacological activities, including anti-proliferative, anti-oxidative and neuroprotective effects. In this study, NNMBS227, consisting of the ethanol extract of A. tsao-ko, exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activities in RAW264.7 macrophages. We investigated the effect of NNMBS227 in the suppression of pro-inflammatory mediators, including pro-inflammatory enzymes (inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2) and cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β) in LPS stimulated macrophages. NNMBS227 also inhibited the phosphorylation and degradation of IκB-α, as well as the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65 caused by stimulation with LPS. In addition, NNMBS227 induced heme oxygenase (HO)-1 expression through the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in macrophages. Using tin protoporphyrin (SnPP), an HO activity inhibitor, we confirmed an association between the anti-inflammatory effects of NNMBS227 and the up-regulation of HO-1. These findings suggest that Nrf2-dependent increases in the expression of HO-1 induced by NNMBS227 conferred anti-inflammatory activities in LPS stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages.

  7. Kinetic and equilibrium studies of acrylonitrile binding to cytochrome c peroxidase and oxidation of acrylonitrile by cytochrome c peroxidase compound I.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chinchilla, Diana; Kilheeney, Heather; Vitello, Lidia B; Erman, James E

    2014-01-03

    Ferric heme proteins bind weakly basic ligands and the binding affinity is often pH dependent due to protonation of the ligand as well as the protein. In an effort to find a small, neutral ligand without significant acid/base properties to probe ligand binding reactions in ferric heme proteins we were led to consider the organonitriles. Although organonitriles are known to bind to transition metals, we have been unable to find any prior studies of nitrile binding to heme proteins. In this communication we report on the equilibrium and kinetic properties of acrylonitrile binding to cytochrome c peroxidase (CcP) as well as the oxidation of acrylonitrile by CcP compound I. Acrylonitrile binding to CcP is independent of pH between pH 4 and 8. The association and dissociation rate constants are 0.32±0.16 M(-1) s(-1) and 0.34±0.15 s(-1), respectively, and the independently measured equilibrium dissociation constant for the complex is 1.1±0.2 M. We have demonstrated for the first time that acrylonitrile can bind to a ferric heme protein. The binding mechanism appears to be a simple, one-step association of the ligand with the heme iron. We have also demonstrated that CcP can catalyze the oxidation of acrylonitrile, most likely to 2-cyanoethylene oxide in a "peroxygenase"-type reaction, with rates that are similar to rat liver microsomal cytochrome P450-catalyzed oxidation of acrylonitrile in the monooxygenase reaction. CcP compound I oxidizes acrylonitrile with a maximum turnover number of 0.61 min(-1) at pH 6.0. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Interactions between 4-aminoquinoline and heme: Promising mechanism against Trypanosoma cruzi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guilherme Curty Lechuga

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease caused by the flagellated protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. The current drugs used to treat this disease have limited efficacy and produce severe side effects. Quinolines, nitrogen heterocycle compounds that form complexes with heme, have a broad spectrum of antiprotozoal activity and are a promising class of new compounds for Chagas disease chemotherapy. In this study, we evaluated the activity of a series of 4-arylaminoquinoline-3-carbonitrile derivatives against all forms of Trypanosoma cruzi in vitro. Compound 1g showed promising activity against epimastigote forms when combined with hemin (IC50<1 μM, with better performance than benznidazole, the reference drug. This compound also inhibited the viability of trypomastigotes and intracellular amastigotes. The potency of 1g in combination with heme was enhanced against epimastigotes and trypomastigotes, suggesting a similar mechanism of action that occurs in Plasmodium spp. The addition of hemin to the culture medium increased trypanocidal activity of analog 1g without changing the cytotoxicity of the host cell, reaching an IC50 of 11.7 μM for trypomastigotes. The mechanism of action was demonstrated by the interaction of compound 1g with hemin in solution and prevention of heme peroxidation. Compound 1g and heme treatment induced alterations of the mitochondrion-kinetoplast complex in epimastigotes and trypomastigotes and also, accumulation of electron-dense deposits in amastigotes as visualized by transmission electron microscopy. The trypanocidal activity of 4-aminoquinolines and the elucidation of the mechanism involving interaction with heme is a neglected field of research, given the parasite's lack of heme biosynthetic pathway and the importance of this cofactor for parasite survival and growth. The results of this study can improve and guide rational drug development and combination treatment strategies.

  9. Interactions between 4-aminoquinoline and heme: Promising mechanism against Trypanosoma cruzi.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lechuga, Guilherme Curty; Borges, Júlio Cesar; Calvet, Claudia Magalhães; de Araújo, Humberto Pinheiro; Zuma, Aline Araujo; do Nascimento, Samara Braga; Motta, Maria Cristina Machado; Bernardino, Alice Maria Rolim; Pereira, Mirian Claudia de Souza; Bourguignon, Saulo Cabral

    2016-12-01

    Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease caused by the flagellated protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. The current drugs used to treat this disease have limited efficacy and produce severe side effects. Quinolines, nitrogen heterocycle compounds that form complexes with heme, have a broad spectrum of antiprotozoal activity and are a promising class of new compounds for Chagas disease chemotherapy. In this study, we evaluated the activity of a series of 4-arylaminoquinoline-3-carbonitrile derivatives against all forms of Trypanosoma cruzi in vitro. Compound 1g showed promising activity against epimastigote forms when combined with hemin (IC50<1 μM), with better performance than benznidazole, the reference drug. This compound also inhibited the viability of trypomastigotes and intracellular amastigotes. The potency of 1g in combination with heme was enhanced against epimastigotes and trypomastigotes, suggesting a similar mechanism of action that occurs in Plasmodium spp. The addition of hemin to the culture medium increased trypanocidal activity of analog 1g without changing the cytotoxicity of the host cell, reaching an IC50 of 11.7 μM for trypomastigotes. The mechanism of action was demonstrated by the interaction of compound 1g with hemin in solution and prevention of heme peroxidation. Compound 1g and heme treatment induced alterations of the mitochondrion-kinetoplast complex in epimastigotes and trypomastigotes and also, accumulation of electron-dense deposits in amastigotes as visualized by transmission electron microscopy. The trypanocidal activity of 4-aminoquinolines and the elucidation of the mechanism involving interaction with heme is a neglected field of research, given the parasite's lack of heme biosynthetic pathway and the importance of this cofactor for parasite survival and growth. The results of this study can improve and guide rational drug development and combination treatment strategies. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier

  10. Heme and menaquinone induced electron transport in lactic acid bacteria

    OpenAIRE

    Brooijmans, Rob; Smit, Bart; Santos, Filipe; van Riel, Jan; de Vos, Willem M; Hugenholtz, Jeroen

    2009-01-01

    Abstract Background For some lactic acid bacteria higher biomass production as a result of aerobic respiration has been reported upon supplementation with heme and menaquinone. In this report, we have studied a large number of species among lactic acid bacteria for the existence of this trait. Results Heme- (and menaquinone) stimulated aerobic growth was observed for several species and genera of lactic acid bacteria. These include Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacill...

  11. Human heme oxygenase-1 gene transfer lowers blood pressure and promotes growth in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sabaawy, H E; Zhang, F; Nguyen, X; ElHosseiny, A; Nasjletti, A; Schwartzman, M; Dennery, P; Kappas, A; Abraham, N G

    2001-08-01

    Heme oxygenase (HO) catalyzes the conversion of heme to biliverdin, with release of free iron and carbon monoxide. Both heme and carbon monoxide have been implicated in the regulation of vascular tone. A retroviral vector containing human HO-1 cDNA (LSN-HHO-1) was constructed and subjected to purification and concentration of the viral particles to achieve 5x10(9) to 1x10(10) colony-forming units per milliliter. The ability of concentrated infectious viral particles to express human HO-1 (HHO-1) in vivo was tested. A single intracardiac injection of the concentrated infectious viral particles (expressing HHO-1) to 5-day-old spontaneously hypertensive rats resulted in functional expression of the HHO-1 gene and attenuation of the development of hypertension. Rats expressing HHO-1 showed a significant decrease in urinary excretion of a vasoconstrictor arachidonic acid metabolite and a reduction in myogenic responses to increased intraluminal pressure in isolated arterioles. Unexpectedly, HHO-1 chimeric rats showed a simultaneous significant proportionate increase in somatic growth. Thus, delivery of HHO-1 gene by retroviral vector attenuates the development of hypertension and promotes body growth in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

  12. In vivo genotoxic effects of dietary heme iron on rat colon mucosa and ex vivo effects on colon cells monitored by an optimized alkaline comet assay.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Océane, C Martin

    2015-04-01

    In conclusion, our results offer a suitable protocol to evaluate genotoxicity on in vivo cryopreserved colon mucosa and on in vitro murine colonic cells, with a middle throughput capacity. This protocol confirms the increase of genotoxicity in rat colon mucosa after an heme-iron diet. Moreover, this protocol enables the demonstration that aldehydes from heme-induced lipoperoxidation are responsible for this increase of genotoxicity.

  13. Transition between acute and chronic hepatotoxicity in mice is associated with impaired energy metabolism and induction of mitochondrial heme oxygenase-1.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aniket Nikam

    Full Text Available The formation of protein inclusions is frequently associated with chronic metabolic diseases. In mice, short-term intoxication with 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydrocollidine (DDC leads to hepatocellular damage indicated by elevated serum liver enzyme activities, whereas only minor morphological changes are observed. Conversely, chronic administration of DDC for several weeks results in severe morphological damage, characterized by hepatocellular ballooning, disruption of the intermediate filament cytoskeleton, and formation of Mallory-Denk bodies consisting predominantly of misfolded keratins, Sqstm1/p62, and heat shock proteins. To evaluate the mechanistic underpinnings for this dichotomy we dissected the time-course of DDC intoxication for up to 10 weeks. We determined body weight change, serum liver enzyme activities, morphologic alterations, induction of antioxidant response (heme oxygenase-1, HO-1, oxidative damage and ATP content in livers as well as respiration, oxidative damage and the presence and activity of HO-1 in endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria (mtHO-1. Elevated serum liver enzyme activity and oxidative liver damage were already present at early intoxication stages without further subsequent increase. After 2 weeks of intoxication, mice had transiently lost 9% of their body weight, liver ATP-content was reduced to 58% of controls, succinate-driven respiration was uncoupled from ATP-production and antioxidant response was associated with the appearance of catalytically active mtHO-1. Oxidative damage was associated with both acute and chronic DDC toxicity whereas the onset of chronic intoxication was specifically associated with mitochondrial dysfunction which was maximal after 2 weeks of intoxication. At this transition stage, adaptive responses involving mtHO-1 were induced, indirectly leading to improved respiration and preventing further drop of ATP levels. Our observations clearly demonstrate principally different

  14. Does prior acute exercise affect postexercise substrate oxidation in response to a high carbohydrate meal?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hickey Matthew S

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Consumption of a mixed meal increases postprandial carbohydrate utilization and decreases fat oxidation. On the other hand, acute endurance exercise increases fat oxidation and decreases carbohydrate utilization during the post-exercise recovery period. It is possible that the resulting post-exercise increase in circulating nonesterified fatty acids could attenuate the ability of ingested carbohydrate to inhibit lipid oxidation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether prior exercise attenuates the usual meal-induced decline in lipid oxidation. Methods Six healthy, physically active young subjects (x age = 26.3 years, 4 males, 2 females completed three treatments in random order after a ~10 h fast: (a Exercise/Carbohydrate (Ex/CHO – subjects completed a bout of exercise at 70% VO2peak (targeted net energy cost of 400 kcals, followed by consumption of a carbohydrate-rich meal; (b Exercise/Placebo (Ex/Placebo – subjects completed an identical bout of exercise followed by consumption of a placebo; and (c No Exercise/Carbohydrate (NoEx/CHO – subjects sat quietly rather than exercising and then consumed the carbohydrate-rich meal. Blood samples were obtained before and during the postprandial period to determine plasma glucose, insulin, and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA. Respiratory gas exchange measures were used to estimate rates of fat and carbohydrate oxidation. Results Plasma NEFA were approximately two-fold higher immediately following the two exercise conditions compared to the no-exercise condition, while meal consumption significantly increased insulin and glucose in both Ex/CHO and NoEx/CHO. NEFA concentrations fell rapidly during the 2-h postprandial period, but remained higher compared to the NoEx/CHO treatment. Carbohydrate oxidation increased rapidly and fat oxidation decreased in response to the meal, with no differences in the rates of carbohydrate and fat oxidation during recovery between the Ex

  15. Heme pathway evolution in kinetoplastid protists

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Cenci, U.; Moog, D.; Curtis, B.A.; Tanifuji, G.; Eme, L.; Lukeš, Julius; Archibald, J.M.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 16, MAY 18 (2016), č. článku 109. ISSN 1471-2148 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : heme * kinetoplastea * Paramoeba pemaquidensis * Perkinsela * evolution * endosymbiosis * Prokinetoplastina * lateral gene transfer Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 3.221, year: 2016

  16. Thoracic radiography and oxidative stress indices in heartworm affected dogs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. K. Rath

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The aim was to study the pathomorphological changes through thoracic radiography and status of oxidative stress parameters in heartworm affected dogs in Odisha. Materials and Methods: A total of 16 dogs with clinically established diagnosis of dirofilariasis by wet blood smear and modified Knott’s test and equal numbers of dogs as control were included in this study. The present study was conducted in heartworm affected dogs to see the pathomorphological changes through thoracic radiography. Similarly, the evaluation was undertaken for observing any alterations in oxidative stress status in affected as well as non-affected, but healthy control dogs by adopting standard procedure. Results: Thoracic radiography revealed cardiac enlargement, round heart appearance suggestive of right ventricular hypertrophy, tortuous pulmonary artery and darkening of lungs. Alterations in oxidative stress indices showed a significant rise of lipid peroxidase activity, non-significant rise of superoxide dismutase and a significant although reverse trend for catalase levels in affected dogs in comparison to Dirofilaria negative control but apparently healthy dogs. Conclusions: Radiographic changes, as well as alterations in oxidative stress parameters, may not be diagnostic for heartworm infection, but useful for detecting heartworm disease, assessing severity and evaluating cardiopulmonary parenchyma changes and gives a fair idea about the degree of severity of the disease. It aids as contributing factors in disease pathogenesis.

  17. Synthesis and Evaluation of Amyloid β Derived and Amyloid β Independent Enhancers of the Peroxidase-like Activity of Heme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wißbrock, Amelie; Kühl, Toni; Silbermann, Katja; Becker, Albert J; Ohlenschläger, Oliver; Imhof, Diana

    2017-01-12

    Labile heme has been suggested to have an impact in several severe diseases. In the context of Alzheimer's disease (AD), however, decreased levels of free heme have been reported. Therefore, we were looking for an assay system that can be used for heme concentration determination. From a biochemical point of view the peroxidase activity of the Aβ-heme complex seemed quite attractive to pursue this goal. As a consequence, a peptide that is able to increase the readout even in the case of a low heme concentration is favorable. The examination of Aβ- and non-Aβ-derived peptides in complex with heme revealed that the peroxidase-like activity significantly depends on the peptide sequence and length. A 23mer His-based peptide derived from human fatty acyl-CoA reductase 1 in complex with heme exhibited a significantly higher peroxidase activity than Aβ(40)-heme. Structural modeling of both complexes demonstrated that heme binding via a histidine can be supported by hydrogen bond interactions of a basic residue near the propionate carboxyl function of protoporphyrin IX. Furthermore, the interplay of Aβ-heme and the lipoprotein LDL as a potential physiological effector of Aβ was examined.

  18. Differential induction of heme oxygenase and other stress proteins in cultured hippocampal astrocytes and neurons by inorganic lead

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cabell, Leigh; Ferguson, Charles; Luginbill, Deana; Kern, Marcey; Weingart, Adam; Audesirk, Gerald

    2004-01-01

    We examined the effects of exposure to inorganic lead (Pb 2+ ) on the induction of stress proteins in cultured hippocampal neurons and astrocytes, with particular emphasis on the induction of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). In radiolabeled neuronal cultures, Pb 2+ exposure had no significant effect on the synthesis of any protein at any concentration (up to 250 μM) or duration of exposure (up to 4 days). In radiolabeled astrocyte cultures, however, Pb 2+ exposure (100 nM to 100 μM; 1-4 days) increased synthesis of proteins with approximate molecular weights of 23, 32, 45, 57, 72, and 90 kDa. Immunoblot experiments showed that Pb 2+ exposure (100 nM to 10 μM, 1-14 days) induces HO-1 synthesis in astrocytes, but not in neurons; this is probably the 32-kDa protein. The other heme oxygenase isoform, HO-2, is present in both neurons and astrocytes, but is not inducible by Pb 2+ at concentrations up to 100 μM. HO-1 can be induced by a variety of stimuli. We found that HO-1 induction in astrocytes is increased by combined exposure to Pb 2+ and many other stresses, including heat, nitric oxide, H 2 O 2 , and superoxide. One of the stimuli that may induce HO-1 is oxidative stress. Lead exposure causes oxidative stress in many cell types, including astrocytes. Induction of HO-1 by Pb 2+ is reduced by the hydroxyl radical scavengers dimethylthiourea (DMTU) and mannitol, but not by inhibitors of calmodulin, calmodulin-dependent protein kinases, protein kinase C, or extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK). Therefore, we conclude that oxidative stress is an important mechanism by which Pb 2+ induces HO-1 synthesis in astrocytes

  19. The Role of Heme Chirality in the Circular Dichroism of Heme Proteins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woody, Robert W.; Pescitelli, Gennaro

    2014-07-01

    The rotational strength (R) of the Soret transition in sperm-whale myoglobin (SW Mb), the hemoglobin from Chironomus thummi thummi (CTT Hb), and human hemoglobin (hHb) has been calculated using 20 high-resolution ( Raro > Rpep. For CTT Hb and hHB, the orders were, respectively, Rint > Rpep > Raro and Rint > Raro ≈ Rpep. Human Hb ɑ chains showed the same trend as CTT Hb. Only in the hHb β chains did Raro predominate, with the order Raro > Rint > Rpep. The total predicted Rtot for SW Mb, CTT Hb, and hHb averaged +0.77±0.10 (0.56 - 0.80), -0.37±0.12 (-0.5), and +0.31±0.17 DBM (0.23 - 0.50), respectively. (Values in parentheses are experimental values.) Thus, contrary to the currently accepted view, coupling with aromatic side-chain or peptide transitions is not the dominant factor in the Soret circular dichroism (CD) of these proteins. The Soret CD is dominated by intrinsic CD of the heme chromophore, of which vinyl torsion is the major determinant. This result suggests an explanation for the large effect of heme isomerism on the Soret CD of Mb and Hb. Rotation about the ɑ-γ axis may be associated with large changes in vinyl torsion and thus substantially alter the intrinsic CD, even reversing its sign.

  20. Kinetic and equilibrium studies of acrylonitrile binding to cytochrome c peroxidase and oxidation of acrylonitrile by cytochrome c peroxidase compound I

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chinchilla, Diana, E-mail: Diana_Chinchilla@yahoo.com; Kilheeney, Heather, E-mail: raindropszoo@yahoo.com; Vitello, Lidia B., E-mail: lvitello@niu.edu; Erman, James E., E-mail: jerman@niu.edu

    2014-01-03

    Highlights: •Cytochrome c peroxidase (CcP) binds acrylonitrile in a pH-independent fashion. •The spectrum of the CcP/acrylonitrile complex is that of a 6c–ls ferric heme. •The acrylonitrile/CcP complex has a K{sub D} value of 1.1 ± 0.2 M. •CcP compound I oxidizes acrylonitrile with a maximum turnover rate of 0.61 min{sup −1}. -- Abstract: Ferric heme proteins bind weakly basic ligands and the binding affinity is often pH dependent due to protonation of the ligand as well as the protein. In an effort to find a small, neutral ligand without significant acid/base properties to probe ligand binding reactions in ferric heme proteins we were led to consider the organonitriles. Although organonitriles are known to bind to transition metals, we have been unable to find any prior studies of nitrile binding to heme proteins. In this communication we report on the equilibrium and kinetic properties of acrylonitrile binding to cytochrome c peroxidase (CcP) as well as the oxidation of acrylonitrile by CcP compound I. Acrylonitrile binding to CcP is independent of pH between pH 4 and 8. The association and dissociation rate constants are 0.32 ± 0.16 M{sup −1} s{sup −1} and 0.34 ± 0.15 s{sup −1}, respectively, and the independently measured equilibrium dissociation constant for the complex is 1.1 ± 0.2 M. We have demonstrated for the first time that acrylonitrile can bind to a ferric heme protein. The binding mechanism appears to be a simple, one-step association of the ligand with the heme iron. We have also demonstrated that CcP can catalyze the oxidation of acrylonitrile, most likely to 2-cyanoethylene oxide in a “peroxygenase”-type reaction, with rates that are similar to rat liver microsomal cytochrome P450-catalyzed oxidation of acrylonitrile in the monooxygenase reaction. CcP compound I oxidizes acrylonitrile with a maximum turnover number of 0.61 min{sup −1} at pH 6.0.

  1. Dose-response and concentration-response relation of rocuronium infusion during propofol nitrous oxide and isoflurane nitrous oxide anaesthesia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kansanaho, M; Olkkola, KT; Wierda, JMKH

    The dose-response and concentration-response relation of rocuronium infusion was studied in 20 adult surgical patients during proporfol-nitrous oxide and isoflurane (1 MAC) -nitrous oxide anaesthesia. Neuromuscular block was kept constant, initially at 90% and then at 50% with a closed-loop feedback

  2. Effects of pH on uranium uptake and oxidative stress responses induced in Arabidopsis thaliana

    OpenAIRE

    Saenen, Eline; Horemans, Nele; Vanhoudt, Nathalie; Vandenhove, Hildegarde; Biermans, Geert; Van Hees, May; Wannijn, Jean; Vangronsveld, Jaco; Cuypers, Ann

    2013-01-01

    Uranium (U) causes oxidative stress in Arabidopsis thaliana plants grown at pH 5.5. However, U speciation and its toxicity strongly depend on environmental parameters, for example pH. It is unknown how different U species determine U uptake and translocation within plants and how they might affect the oxidative defense mechanisms of these plants. The present study analyzed U uptake and oxidative stress-related responses in A. thaliana (Columbia ecotype) under contrasted U chemical speciation ...

  3. Heme oxygenase activity correlates with serum indices of iron homeostasis in healthy nonsmokers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heme oxygenase (HO) catalyzes the breakdown of heme to carbon monoxide, iron, and biliverdin. While the use of genetically altered animal models in investigation has established distinct associations between HO activity and systemic iron availability, studies have not yet confirm...

  4. Heme oxygenase-1 mediates the protective effects of ischemic preconditioning on mitigating lung injury induced by lower limb ischemia-reperfusion in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Tsui-Chin; Jan, Woan-Ching; Tsai, Pei-Shan; Huang, Chun-Jen

    2011-05-15

    Lower limb ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) imposes oxidative stress, elicits inflammatory response, and subsequently induces acute lung injury. Ischemic preconditioning (IP), a process of transient I/R, mitigates the acute lung injury induced by I/R. We sought to elucidate whether the protective effects of IP involve heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Adult male rats were randomized to receive I/R, I/R plus IP, I/R plus IP plus the HO-1 inhibitor tin protoporphyrin (SnPP) (n = 12 in each group). Control groups were run simultaneously. I/R was induced by applying rubber band tourniquet high around each thigh for 3 h followed by reperfusion for 3 h. To achieve IP, three cycles of bilateral lower limb I/R (i.e., ischemia for 10 min followed by reperfusion for 10 min) were performed. IP was performed immediately before I/R. After sacrifice, degree of lung injury was determined. Histologic findings, together with assays of leukocyte infiltration (polymorphonuclear leukocytes/alveoli ratio and myeloperoxidase activity) and lung water content (wet/dry weight ratio), confirmed that I/R induced acute lung injury. I/R also caused significant inflammatory response (increases in chemokine, cytokine, and prostaglandin E(2) concentrations), imposed significant oxidative stress (increases in nitric oxide and malondialdehyde concentrations), and up-regulated HO-1 expression in lung tissues. IP significantly enhanced HO-1 up-regulation and, in turn, mitigated oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and acute lung injury induced by I/R. In addition, the protective effects of IP were counteracted by SnPP. The protective effects of IP on mitigating acute lung injury induced by lower limb I/R are mediated by HO-1. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Staphylococcal response to oxidative stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosmarie eGaupp

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Staphylococci are a versatile genus of bacteria that are capable of causing acute and chronic infections in diverse host species. The success of staphylococci as pathogens is due in part to their ability to mitigate endogenous and exogenous oxidative and nitrosative stress. Endogenous oxidative stress is a consequence of life in an aerobic environment; whereas, exogenous oxidative and nitrosative stress are often due to the bacteria’s interaction with host immune systems. To overcome the deleterious effects of oxidative and nitrosative stress, staphylococci have evolved protection, detoxification, and repair mechanisms that are controlled by a network of regulators. In this review, we summarize the cellular targets of oxidative stress, the mechanisms by which staphylococci sense oxidative stress and damage, oxidative stress protection and repair mechanisms, and regulation of the oxidative stress response. When possible, special attention is given to how the oxidative stress defense mechanisms help staphylococci control oxidative stress in the host.

  6. Pharmacological Inhibition of Host Heme Oxygenase-1 Suppresses Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection In Vivo by a Mechanism Dependent on T Lymphocytes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diego L. Costa

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1 is a stress response antioxidant enzyme which catalyzes the degradation of heme released during inflammation. HO-1 expression is upregulated in both experimental and human Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, and in patients it is a biomarker of active disease. Whether the enzyme plays a protective versus pathogenic role in tuberculosis has been the subject of debate. To address this controversy, we administered tin protoporphyrin IX (SnPPIX, a well-characterized HO-1 enzymatic inhibitor, to mice during acute M. tuberculosis infection. These SnPPIX-treated animals displayed a substantial reduction in pulmonary bacterial loads comparable to that achieved following conventional antibiotic therapy. Moreover, when administered adjunctively with antimycobacterial drugs, the HO-1 inhibitor markedly enhanced and accelerated pathogen clearance. Interestingly, both the pulmonary induction of HO-1 expression and the efficacy of SnPPIX treatment in reducing bacterial burden were dependent on the presence of host T lymphocytes. Although M. tuberculosis expresses its own heme-degrading enzyme, SnPPIX failed to inhibit its enzymatic activity or significantly restrict bacterial growth in liquid culture. Together, the above findings reveal mammalian HO-1 as a potential target for host-directed monotherapy and adjunctive therapy of tuberculosis and identify the immune response as a critical regulator of this function.

  7. Tyrosine B10 triggers a heme propionate hydrogen bonding network loop with glutamine E7 moiety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramos-Santana, Brenda J.; López-Garriga, Juan

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► H-bonding network loop by PheB10Tyr mutation is proposed. ► The propionate group H-bonding network restricted the flexibility of the heme. ► The hydrogen bonding interaction modulates the electron density of the iron. ► Propionate H-bonding network loop explains the heme-ligand stabilization. -- Abstract: Propionates, as peripheral groups of the heme active center in hemeproteins have been described to contribute in the modulation of heme reactivity and ligand selection. These electronic characteristics prompted the question of whether the presence of hydrogen bonding networks between propionates and distal amino acids present in the heme ligand moiety can modulate physiological relevant events, like ligand binding association and dissociation activities. Here, the role of these networks was evaluated by NMR spectroscopy using the hemoglobin I PheB10Tyr mutant from Lucina pectinata as model for TyrB10 and GlnE7 hemeproteins. 1 H-NMR results for the rHbICN PheB10Tyr derivative showed chemical shifts of TyrB10 OHη at 31.00 ppm, GlnE7 N ε1 H/N ε2 H at 10.66 ppm/−3.27 ppm, and PheE11 C δ H at 11.75 ppm, indicating the presence of a crowded, collapsed, and constrained distal pocket. Strong dipolar contacts and inter-residues crosspeaks between GlnE7/6-propionate group, GlnE7/TyrB10 and TyrB10/CN suggest that this hydrogen bonding network loop between GlnE7, TyrB10, 6-propionate group, and the heme ligand contribute significantly to the modulation of the heme iron electron density as well as the ligand stabilization mechanism. Therefore, the network loop presented here support the fact that the electron withdrawing character of the hydrogen bonding is controlled by the interaction of the propionates and the nearby electronic environments contributing to the modulation of the heme electron density state. Thus, we hypothesize that in hemeproteins with similar electrostatic environment the flexibility of the heme-6-propionate promotes a hydrogen

  8. Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation Affects Mesenchymal Stem Cells via Extracellular Oxidized Cell-Free DNA: A Possible Mediator of Bystander Effect and Adaptive Response

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. A. Sergeeva

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available We have hypothesized that the adaptive response to low doses of ionizing radiation (IR is mediated by oxidized cell-free DNA (cfDNA fragments. Here, we summarize our experimental evidence for this model. Studies involving measurements of ROS, expression of the NOX (superoxide radical production, induction of apoptosis and DNA double-strand breaks, antiapoptotic gene expression and cell cycle inhibition confirm this hypothesis. We have demonstrated that treatment of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs with low doses of IR (10 cGy leads to cell death of part of cell population and release of oxidized cfDNA. cfDNA has the ability to penetrate into the cytoplasm of other cells. Oxidized cfDNA, like low doses of IR, induces oxidative stress, ROS production, ROS-induced oxidative modifications of nuclear DNA, DNA breaks, arrest of the cell cycle, activation of DNA reparation and antioxidant response, and inhibition of apoptosis. The MSCs pretreated with low dose of irradiation or oxidized cfDNA were equally effective in induction of adaptive response to challenge further dose of radiation. Our studies suggest that oxidized cfDNA is a signaling molecule in the stress signaling that mediates radiation-induced bystander effects and that it is an important component of the development of radioadaptive responses to low doses of IR.

  9. Addition of Fish Oil to Cream Cheese Affects Lipid Oxidation, Sensory Stability and Microstructure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andy Horsewell

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to investigate the differences in the oxidative stability during storage of fish oil enriched cream cheeses when fish oil was added either as neat oil or pre-emulsified oil with sodium caseinate, whey protein isolate, or a combination of milk proteins and phospholipids as emulsifier. Results showed that the addition of fish oil decreased the oxidative stability of cream cheeses regardless of the addition method, especially when the cheese was stored longer than five weeks. The oxidative stability of fish oil enriched cream cheeses was highest when fish oil was added as neat oil or in a delivery emulsion prepared with a combination of milk proteins and phospholipids. Adding the fish oil in a delivery emulsion prepared with whey protein or caseinate resulted in a less oxidative stable product. It was furthermore shown that the microstructure of the cream cheeses was affected by fish oil addition, and it was suggested that the change in microstructure was partly responsible for the oxidative stability of the cream cheeses.

  10. Heme A synthesis and CcO activity are essential for Trypanosoma cruzi infectivity and replication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merli, Marcelo L; Cirulli, Brenda A; Menéndez-Bravo, Simón M; Cricco, Julia A

    2017-06-27

    Trypanosoma cruzi , the causative agent of Chagas disease, presents a complex life cycle and adapts its metabolism to nutrients' availability. Although T. cruzi is an aerobic organism, it does not produce heme. This cofactor is acquired from the host and is distributed and inserted into different heme-proteins such as respiratory complexes in the parasite's mitochondrion. It has been proposed that T. cruzi's energy metabolism relies on a branched respiratory chain with a cytochrome c oxidase-type aa 3 (C c O) as the main terminal oxidase. Heme A, the cofactor for all eukaryotic C c O, is synthesized via two sequential enzymatic reactions catalyzed by heme O synthase (HOS) and heme A synthase (HAS). Previously, TcCox10 and TcCox15 ( Trypanosoma cruzi Cox10 and Cox15 proteins) were identified in T. cruzi They presented HOS and HAS activity, respectively, when they were expressed in yeast. Here, we present the first characterization of TcCox15 in T. cruzi , confirming its role as HAS. It was differentially detected in the different T. cruzi stages, being more abundant in the replicative forms. This regulation could reflect the necessity of more heme A synthesis, and therefore more C c O activity at the replicative stages. Overexpression of a non-functional mutant caused a reduction in heme A content. Moreover, our results clearly showed that this hindrance in the heme A synthesis provoked a reduction on C c O activity and, in consequence, an impairment on T. cruzi survival, proliferation and infectivity. This evidence supports that T. cruzi depends on the respiratory chain activity along its life cycle, being C c O an essential terminal oxidase. © 2017 The Author(s); published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

  11. Stability enhancement of cytochrome c through heme deprotonation and mutations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sonoyama, Takafumi; Hasegawa, Jun; Uchiyama, Susumu; Nakamura, Shota; Kobayashi, Yuji; Sambongi, Yoshihiro

    2009-01-01

    The chemical denaturation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cytochrome c(551) variants was examined at pH 5.0 and 3.6. All variants were stabilized at both pHs compared with the wild-type. Remarkably, the variants carrying the F34Y and/or E43Y mutations were more stabilized than those having the F7A/V13M or V78I ones at pH 5.0 compared with at pH 3.6 by ~3.0-4.6 kJ/mol. Structural analyses predicted that the side chains of introduced Tyr-34 and Tyr-43 become hydrogen donors for the hydrogen bond formation with heme 17-propionate at pH 5.0, but less efficiently at pH 3.6, because the propionate is deprotonated at the higher pH. Our results provide an insight into a stabilization strategy for heme proteins involving variation of the heme electronic state and introduction of appropriate mutations.

  12. A Review on Hemeoxygenase-2: Focus on Cellular Protection and Oxygen Response

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge Muñoz-Sánchez

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Hemeoxygenase (HO system is responsible for cellular heme degradation to biliverdin, iron, and carbon monoxide. Two isoforms have been reported to date. Homologous HO-1 and HO-2 are microsomal proteins with more than 45% residue identity, share a similar fold and catalyze the same reaction. However, important differences between isoforms also exist. HO-1 isoform has been extensively studied mainly by its ability to respond to cellular stresses such as hemin, nitric oxide donors, oxidative damage, hypoxia, hyperthermia, and heavy metals, between others. On the contrary, due to its apparently constitutive nature, HO-2 has been less studied. Nevertheless, its abundance in tissues such as testis, endothelial cells, and particularly in brain, has pointed the relevance of HO-2 function. HO-2 presents particular characteristics that made it a unique protein in the HO system. Since attractive results on HO-2 have been arisen in later years, we focused this review in the second isoform. We summarize information on gene description, protein structure, and catalytic activity of HO-2 and particular facts such as its cellular impact and activity regulation. Finally, we call attention on the role of HO-2 in oxygen sensing, discussing proposed hypothesis on heme binding motifs and redox/thiol switches that participate in oxygen sensing as well as evidences of HO-2 response to hypoxia.

  13. Trace metal pyritization variability in response to mangrove soil aerobic and anaerobic oxidation processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Machado, W; Borrelli, N L; Ferreira, T O; Marques, A G B; Osterrieth, M; Guizan, C

    2014-02-15

    The degree of iron pyritization (DOP) and degree of trace metal pyritization (DTMP) were evaluated in mangrove soil profiles from an estuarine area located in Rio de Janeiro (SE Brazil). The soil pH was negatively correlated with redox potential (Eh) and positively correlated with DOP and DTMP of some elements (Mn, Cu and Pb), suggesting that pyrite oxidation generated acidity and can affect the importance of pyrite as a trace metal-binding phase, mainly in response to spatial variability in tidal flooding. Besides these aerobic oxidation effects, results from a sequential extraction analyses of reactive phases evidenced that Mn oxidized phase consumption in reaction with pyrite can be also important to determine the pyritization of trace elements. Cumulative effects of these aerobic and anaerobic oxidation processes were evidenced as factors affecting the capacity of mangrove soils to act as a sink for trace metals through pyritization processes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Characterization of Human and Yeast Mitochondrial Glycine Carriers with Implications for Heme Biosynthesis and Anemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lunetti, Paola; Damiano, Fabrizio; De Benedetto, Giuseppe; Siculella, Luisa; Pennetta, Antonio; Muto, Luigina; Paradies, Eleonora; Marobbio, Carlo Marya Thomas; Dolce, Vincenza; Capobianco, Loredana

    2016-09-16

    Heme is an essential molecule in many biological processes, such as transport and storage of oxygen and electron transfer as well as a structural component of hemoproteins. Defects of heme biosynthesis in developing erythroblasts have profound medical implications, as represented by sideroblastic anemia. The synthesis of heme requires the uptake of glycine into the mitochondrial matrix where glycine is condensed with succinyl coenzyme A to yield δ-aminolevulinic acid. Herein we describe the biochemical and molecular characterization of yeast Hem25p and human SLC25A38, providing evidence that they are mitochondrial carriers for glycine. In particular, the hem25Δ mutant manifests a defect in the biosynthesis of δ-aminolevulinic acid and displays reduced levels of downstream heme and mitochondrial cytochromes. The observed defects are rescued by complementation with yeast HEM25 or human SLC25A38 genes. Our results identify new proteins in the heme biosynthetic pathway and demonstrate that Hem25p and its human orthologue SLC25A38 are the main mitochondrial glycine transporters required for heme synthesis, providing definitive evidence of their previously proposed glycine transport function. Furthermore, our work may suggest new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of congenital sideroblastic anemia. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  15. Endothelial cell oxidative stress and signal transduction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ROCIO FONCEA

    2000-01-01

    Full Text Available Endothelial dysfunction (ED is an early event in atherosclerotic disease, preceding clinical manifestations and complications. Increased reactive oxygen species (ROS have been implicated as important mechanisms that contribute to ED, and ROS’s may function as intracellular messengers that modulate signaling pathways. Several intracellular signal events stimulated by ROS have been defined, including the identification of two members of the mitogen activated protein kinase family (ERK1/2 and big MAP kinase, BMK1, tyrosine kinases (Src and Syk and different isoenzymes of PKC as redox-sensitive kinases. ROS regulation of signal transduction components include the modification in the activity of transcriptional factors such as NFkB and others that result in changes in gene expression and modifications in cellular responses. In order to understand the intracellular mechanisms induced by ROS in endothelial cells (EC, we are studying the response of human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells to increased ROS generation by different pro-atherogenic stimuli. Our results show that Homocysteine (Hcy and oxidized LDL (oxLDL enhance the activity and expression of oxidative stress markers, such as NFkB and heme oxygenase 1. These results suggest that these pro-atherogenic stimuli increase oxidative stress in EC, and thus explain the loss of endothelial function associated with the atherogenic process

  16. Anti-oxidative and inflammatory responses induced by fly ash particles and carbon black in lung epithelial cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Diabate, Silvia; Plaumann, Diana; Uebel, Caroline; Weiss, Carsten [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Toxicology and Genetics, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Bergfeldt, Britta [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Technical Chemistry, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany)

    2011-12-15

    Combustion-derived nanoparticles as constituents of ambient particulate matter have been shown to induce adverse health effects due to inhalation. However, the components inducing these effects as well as the biological mechanisms are still not fully understood. The fine fraction of fly ash particles collected from the electrostatic precipitator of a municipal solid waste incinerator was taken as an example for real particles with complex composition released into the atmosphere to study the mechanism of early biological responses of BEAS-2B human lung epithelial cells. The studies include the effects of the water-soluble and -insoluble fractions of the fly ash and the well-studied carbon black nanoparticles were used as a reference. Fly ash induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increased the total cellular glutathione (tGSH) content. Carbon black also induced ROS generation; however, in contrast to the fly ash, it decreased the intracellular tGSH. The fly ash-induced oxidative stress was correlated with induction of the anti-oxidant enzyme heme oxygenase-1 and increase of the redox-sensitive transcription factor Nrf2. Carbon black was not able to induce HO-1. ROS generation, tGSH increase and HO-1 induction were only induced by the insoluble fraction of the fly ash, not by the water-soluble fraction. ROS generation and HO-1 induction were markedly inhibited by pre-incubation of the cells with the anti-oxidant N-acetyl cysteine which confirmed the involvement of oxidative stress. Both effects were also reduced by the metal chelator deferoxamine indicating a contribution of bioavailable transition metals. In summary, both fly ash and carbon black induce ROS but only fly ash induced an increase of intracellular tGSH and HO-1 production. Bioavailable transition metals in the solid water-insoluble matrix of the fly ash mostly contribute to the effects. (orig.)

  17. Chemistry and Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Heme b-HemQ and Coproheme-HemQ.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hofbauer, Stefan; Dalla Sega, Marco; Scheiblbrandner, Stefan; Jandova, Zuzana; Schaffner, Irene; Mlynek, Georg; Djinović-Carugo, Kristina; Battistuzzi, Gianantonio; Furtmüller, Paul G; Oostenbrink, Chris; Obinger, Christian

    2016-09-27

    Recently, a novel pathway for heme b biosynthesis in Gram-positive bacteria has been proposed. The final poorly understood step is catalyzed by an enzyme called HemQ and includes two decarboxylation reactions leading from coproheme to heme b. Coproheme has been suggested to act as both substrate and redox active cofactor in this reaction. In the study presented here, we focus on HemQs from Listeria monocytogenes (LmHemQ) and Staphylococcus aureus (SaHemQ) recombinantly produced as apoproteins in Escherichia coli. We demonstrate the rapid and two-phase uptake of coproheme by both apo forms and the significant differences in thermal stability of the apo forms, coproheme-HemQ and heme b-HemQ. Reduction of ferric high-spin coproheme-HemQ to the ferrous form is shown to be enthalpically favored but entropically disfavored with standard reduction potentials of -205 ± 3 mV for LmHemQ and -207 ± 3 mV for SaHemQ versus the standard hydrogen electrode at pH 7.0. Redox thermodynamics suggests the presence of a pronounced H-bonding network and restricted solvent mobility in the heme cavity. Binding of cyanide to the sixth coproheme position is monophasic but relatively slow (∼1 × 10(4) M(-1) s(-1)). On the basis of the available structures of apo-HemQ and modeling of both loaded forms, molecular dynamics simulation allowed analysis of the interaction of coproheme and heme b with the protein as well as the role of the flexibility at the proximal heme cavity and the substrate access channel for coproheme binding and heme b release. Obtained data are discussed with respect to the proposed function of HemQ in monoderm bacteria.

  18. 10-Oxo-trans-11-octadecenoic acid generated from linoleic acid by a gut lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum is cytoprotective against oxidative stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furumoto, Hidehiro; Nanthirudjanar, Tharnath; Kume, Toshiaki; Izumi, Yasuhiko; Park, Si-Bum; Kitamura, Nahoko; Kishino, Shigenobu; Ogawa, Jun; Hirata, Takashi; Sugawara, Tatsuya

    2016-04-01

    Oxidative stress is a well-known cause of multiple diseases. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway plays a central role in cellular antioxidative responses. In this study, we investigated the effects of novel fatty acid metabolite derivatives of linoleic acid generated by the gut lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum on the Nrf2-ARE pathway. 10-Oxo-trans-11-octadecenoic acid (KetoC) protected HepG2 cells from cytotoxicity induced by hydrogen peroxide. KetoC also significantly increased cellular Nrf2 protein levels, ARE-dependent transcription, and the gene expression of antioxidative enzymes such as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), glutamate-cysteine ligase modifier subunit (GCLM), and quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) in HepG2 cells. Additionally, a single oral dose administration of KetoC also increased antioxidative gene expression and protein levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 in mouse organs. Since other fatty acid metabolites and linoleic acid did not affect cellular antioxidative responses, the cytoprotective effect of KetoC may be because of its α,β-unsaturated carbonyl moiety. Collectively, our data suggested that KetoC activated the Nrf2-ARE pathway to enhance cellular antioxidative responses in vitro and in vivo, which further suggests that KetoC may prevent multiple diseases induced by oxidative stress. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  19. Immunolocalization of heme oxygenase-1 in periodontal diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G Gayathri

    2014-01-01

    Conclusion: The results of our study is an increasing evidence of involvement of antioxidant enzymes like heme oxygenase-1 in periodontal inflammation and their implication for treatment of chronic periodontitis.

  20. Electrochemical and spectroscopic investigations of immobilized de novo designed heme proteins on metal electrodes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Albrecht, Tim; Li, WW; Ulstrup, Jens

    2005-01-01

    On the basis of rational design principles, template-assisted four-helix-bundle proteins that include two histidines for coordinative binding of a heme were synthesized. Spectroscopic and thermodynamic characterization of the proteins in solution reveals the expected bis-histidine coordinated heme...

  1. Mini-review: Biofilm responses to oxidative stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gambino, Michela; Cappitelli, Francesca

    2016-01-01

    Biofilms constitute the predominant microbial style of life in natural and engineered ecosystems. Facing harsh environmental conditions, microorganisms accumulate reactive oxygen species (ROS), potentially encountering a dangerous condition called oxidative stress. While high levels of oxidative stress are toxic, low levels act as a cue, triggering bacteria to activate effective scavenging mechanisms or to shift metabolic pathways. Although a complex and fragmentary picture results from current knowledge of the pathways activated in response to oxidative stress, three main responses are shown to be central: the existence of common regulators, the production of extracellular polymeric substances, and biofilm heterogeneity. An investigation into the mechanisms activated by biofilms in response to different oxidative stress levels could have important consequences from ecological and economic points of view, and could be exploited to propose alternative strategies to control microbial virulence and deterioration.

  2. Theory favors a stepwise mechanism of porphyrin degradation by a ferric hydroperoxide model of the active species of heme oxygenase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Devesh; de Visser, Samuël P; Shaik, Sason

    2005-06-08

    The report uses density functional theory to address the mechanism of heme degradation by the enzyme heme oxygenase (HO) using a model ferric hydroperoxide complex. HO is known to trap heme molecules and degrade them to maintain iron homeostasis in the biosystem. The degradation is initiated by complexation of the heme, then formation of the iron-hydroperoxo species, which subsequently oxidizes the meso position of the porphyrin by hydroxylation, thereby enabling eventually the cleavage of the porphyrin ring. Kinetic isotope effect studies indicate that the mechanism is assisted by general acid catalysis, via a chain of water molecules, and that all the events occur in concert. However, previous theoretical treatments indicated that the concerted mechanism has a high barrier, much higher than an alternative mechanism that is initiated by O-O bond homolysis of iron-hydroperoxide. The present contribution studies the stepwise and concerted acid-catalyzed mechanisms using H(3)O(+)(H(2)O)(n)(), n = 0-2. The effect of the acid strength is tested using the H(4)N(+)(H(2)O)(2) cluster and a fully protonated ferric hydroperoxide. All the calculations show that a stepwise mechanism that involves proton relay and O-O homolysis, in the rate-determining step, has a much lower barrier (>10 kcal/mol) than the corresponding fully concerted mechanism. The best fit of the calculated solvent kinetic isotope effect, to the experimental data, is obtained for the H(3)O(+)(H(2)O)(2) cluster. The calculated alpha-deuterium secondary kinetic isotope effect is inverse (0.95-0.98), but much less so than the experimental value (0.7). Possible reasons for this quantitative difference are discussed. Some probes are suggested that may enable experiment to distinguish the stepwise from the concerted mechanism.

  3. Factors for the bioavailability of heme iron preparation in female rats

    OpenAIRE

    村上, 亜由美; 岸本, 三香子; 川口, 真規子; 松浦, 寿喜; 市川, 富夫; Ayumi, Murakami; Mikako, Kishimoto; Makiko, Kawaguchi; Toshiki, Matsuura; Tomio, Ichikawa

    1998-01-01

    Factors for iron absorption in small intestine using heme iron preparation (HIP) and ferric citrate (FC) were investigated. We measured the solubility of iron of experimental diets (FC-normal, FC-overload, HIP-normal, HIP-overload) in water (adjusted pH6.8) and the diffusibility of dietary iron after digestion in vitro. The results did not show significantly differences between FC and HIP. Also, we measured microsomal heme oxygenase (HO) activity in intestinal mucosa of female rats fed experi...

  4. Nrf2-dependent induction of innate host defense via heme oxygenase-1 inhibits Zika virus replication

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, Hanxia; Falgout, Barry; Takeda, Kazuyo [Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD (United States); Yamada, Kenneth M. [National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (United States); Dhawan, Subhash, E-mail: subhash.dhawan@fda.hhs.gov [Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD (United States)

    2017-03-15

    We identified primary human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) as vulnerable target cells for Zika virus (ZIKV) infection. We demonstrate dramatic effects of hemin, the natural inducer of the heme catabolic enzyme heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), in the reduction of ZIKV replication in vitro. Both LLC-MK2 monkey kidney cells and primary MDM exhibited hemin-induced HO-1 expression with major reductions of >90% in ZIKV replication, with little toxicity to infected cells. Silencing expression of HO-1 or its upstream regulatory gene, nuclear factor erythroid-related factor 2 (Nrf2), attenuated hemin-induced suppression of ZIKV infection, suggesting an important role for induction of these intracellular mediators in retarding ZIKV replication. The inverse correlation between hemin-induced HO-1 levels and ZIKV replication provides a potentially useful therapeutic modality based on stimulation of an innate cellular response against Zika virus infection. - Highlights: •Hemin treatment protected monocyte-derived macrophages against Zika virus (ZIKV) infection. •Innate cellular protection against ZIKV infection correlated with Nrf2-dependent HO-1 expression. •Stimulation of innate cellular responses may provide a therapeutic strategy against ZIKV infection.

  5. Nrf2-dependent induction of innate host defense via heme oxygenase-1 inhibits Zika virus replication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Hanxia; Falgout, Barry; Takeda, Kazuyo; Yamada, Kenneth M.; Dhawan, Subhash

    2017-01-01

    We identified primary human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) as vulnerable target cells for Zika virus (ZIKV) infection. We demonstrate dramatic effects of hemin, the natural inducer of the heme catabolic enzyme heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), in the reduction of ZIKV replication in vitro. Both LLC-MK2 monkey kidney cells and primary MDM exhibited hemin-induced HO-1 expression with major reductions of >90% in ZIKV replication, with little toxicity to infected cells. Silencing expression of HO-1 or its upstream regulatory gene, nuclear factor erythroid-related factor 2 (Nrf2), attenuated hemin-induced suppression of ZIKV infection, suggesting an important role for induction of these intracellular mediators in retarding ZIKV replication. The inverse correlation between hemin-induced HO-1 levels and ZIKV replication provides a potentially useful therapeutic modality based on stimulation of an innate cellular response against Zika virus infection. - Highlights: •Hemin treatment protected monocyte-derived macrophages against Zika virus (ZIKV) infection. •Innate cellular protection against ZIKV infection correlated with Nrf2-dependent HO-1 expression. •Stimulation of innate cellular responses may provide a therapeutic strategy against ZIKV infection.

  6. Proton NMR investigation of heme pocket mobility in hemoglobin via hydrogen isotope exchange kinetics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, K.

    1985-01-01

    Dynamic mobility of heme cavity, the active site of Hb, was investigated by analyzing the hydrogen isotope exchange kinetics of the proximal histidyl ring NH of various kinds of Hbs with the aid of the high field Fourier Transform 1 H NMR spectroscopy. The exchange reaction occurs faster in oxy or R-state Hb than in deoxy or T-state Hb and there exists a good correlation between the oxygen affinity of Hb and the heme pocket mobility reflected in the hydrogen exchange rate. The effect of pH on the exchange is dramatically different for the two subunits of Hb A. Studying the exchange characteristics of mutant Hbs and chemically modified Hbs not only showed the existence of three well-defined localized paths for transmission of conformational changes between different heme pockets through a 1 b 2 subunit interface, but also indicated that the heme pocket mobility is regulated by the quaternary state of Hb as well as by the ligation state of Hb. Finally, the effect of the quaternary state on the heme pocket mobility is separated from that of the ligation by following the exchange reactions in Hbs where only their quaternary structure transition can be achieved without changing their ligation states by adjusting experimental conditions such as adding inositol hexaphosphate

  7. Phenol degradation catalyzed by a peroxidase mimic constructed through the grafting of heme onto metal-organic frameworks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Wei; Yang, Jiebing; Wang, Xinghuo; Han, Haobo; Yang, Yan; Tang, Jun; Li, Quanshun

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this work was to construct a peroxidase mimic for achieving the phenol degradation through Fenton reaction. The enzyme mimic was synthesized through the conjugation of heme with the amino group of 2-amino-1,4-benzene dicarboxylate in UiO-66-NH 2 (ZrMOF), namely Heme-ZrMOF. Compared to free heme, the composite Heme-ZrMOF exhibited an obviously enhanced ability for phenol degradation with up to 97.3% of phenol removal after 2h. Meanwhile, it could achieve the easy separation of catalyst from the system and the elimination of iron residues in the process of phenol degradation. Finally, the catalyst Heme-ZrMOF was observed to possess good recyclability in the phenol degradation with still 76.2% of phenol removal after 4 cycles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Protein Machineries Involved in the Attachment of Heme to Cytochrome c: Protein Structures and Molecular Mechanisms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlo Travaglini-Allocatelli

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Cytochromes c (Cyt c are ubiquitous heme-containing proteins, mainly involved in electron transfer processes, whose structure and functions have been and still are intensely studied. Surprisingly, our understanding of the molecular mechanism whereby the heme group is covalently attached to the apoprotein (apoCyt in the cell is still largely unknown. This posttranslational process, known as Cyt c biogenesis or Cyt c maturation, ensures the stereospecific formation of the thioether bonds between the heme vinyl groups and the cysteine thiols of the apoCyt heme binding motif. To accomplish this task, prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells have evolved distinctive protein machineries composed of different proteins. In this review, the structural and functional properties of the main maturation apparatuses found in gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria and in the mitochondria of eukaryotic cells will be presented, dissecting the Cyt c maturation process into three functional steps: (i heme translocation and delivery, (ii apoCyt thioreductive pathway, and (iii apoCyt chaperoning and heme ligation. Moreover, current hypotheses and open questions about the molecular mechanisms of each of the three steps will be discussed, with special attention to System I, the maturation apparatus found in gram-negative bacteria.

  9. Zonation of heme synthesis enzymes in mouse liver and their regulation by β-catenin and Ha-ras.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braeuning, Albert; Schwarz, Michael

    2010-11-01

    Cytochrome P450 (CYP) hemoproteins play an important role in hepatic biotransformation. Recently, β-catenin and Ha-ras signaling have been identified as players controlling transcription of various CYP genes in mouse liver. The aim of the present study was to analyze the role of β-catenin and Ha-ras in the regulation of heme synthesis. Heme synthesis-related gene expression was analyzed in normal liver, in transgenic mice expressing activated β-catenin or Ha-ras, and in hepatomas. Regulation of the aminolevulinate dehydratase promoter was studied in vitro. Elevated expression of mRNAs and proteins involved in heme biosynthesis was linked to β-catenin activation in perivenous hepatocytes, in transgenic hepatocytes, and in hepatocellular tumors. Stimulation of the aminolevulinate dehydratase promoter by β-catenin was independent of the β-catenin/T-cell-specific transcription factor dimer. By contrast, activation of Ha-ras repressed heme synthesis-related gene expression. The present data suggest that β-catenin enhances the expression of both CYPs and heme synthesis-related genes, thus coordinating the availability of CYP apoprotein and its prosthetic group heme. The reciprocal regulation of heme synthesis by β-catenin and Ha-ras-dependent signaling supports our previous hypothesis that antagonistic action of these pathways plays a major role in the control of zonal gene expression in healthy mouse liver and aberrant expression patterns in hepatocellular tumors.

  10. Irradiation of bovine meat: effect of heme-iron concentration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mistura, Liliana Perazzini Furtado

    2002-01-01

    The irradiation is often used, nowadays, for meat conservation and it is important to know how much this process interferes with the nutritional quality of the meat. In this study round cut meat, ground and steaks (from a local supermarket) was irradiated with doses of O; 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 7,5 and 10 kGy (JS-7500 Nordium Inc -Canada) and the interference of irradiation and the process of food preparation on heme-iron (H Fe) content was determined. Half of the sample was kept raw and the other half was grilled in a pre-warmed oven at 250 deg C for 9 min and a controlled humidity of 70%. The chemical composition, the total iron (T Fe) (EM) and the heme iron concentration were determined (Hornsey,1956) and the sensorial quality evaluated. The average T Fe concentration of raw and ground , ground and grilled, raw steaks and grilled steak meat, on dry and degreased basis was 113 mug/g, 121 mug/g , 91 mug/g and 77 mug/g; and the H Fe concentration 105 mug/g (93% of T Fe) , 88 mug/g (73% of T Fe), 90 mug/g (99% of T Fe) and 52 mug/g (68% of T Fe) respectively. Data were evaluated by ANOVA with fixed effects and multiple comparisons. The irradiation neither altered the chemical composition nor the proportion of heme iron of meat. The preparation conditions (temperature, cooking time, environment humidity, meat presentation) of the sample interfered more with the heme iron content than the irradiation. With the sensorial analysis we verified that meats irradiated with doses of 3 kGy were better evaluated in softness and succulency attributes than the others. Meat submitted to irradiation doses up to 3 kGy were accepted by the specialists' panel. (author)

  11. Studying disorders of vertebrate iron and heme metabolism using zebrafish.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Vorm, Lisa N; Paw, Barry H

    2017-01-01

    Iron is a crucial component of heme- and iron-sulfur clusters, involved in vital cellular functions such as oxygen transport, DNA synthesis, and respiration. Both excess and insufficient levels of iron and heme-precursors cause human disease, such as iron-deficiency anemia, hemochromatosis, and porphyrias. Hence, their levels must be tightly regulated, requiring a complex network of transporters and feedback mechanisms. The use of zebrafish to study these pathways and the underlying genetics offers many advantages, among others their optical transparency, ex-vivo development and high genetic and physiological conservations. This chapter first reviews well-established methods, such as large-scale mutagenesis screens that have led to the initial identification of a series of iron and heme transporters and the generation of a variety of mutant lines. Other widely used techniques are based on injection of RNA, including complementary morpholino knockdown and gene overexpression. In addition, we highlight several recently developed approaches, most notably endonuclease-based gene knockouts such as TALENs or the CRISPR/Cas9 system that have been used to study how loss of function can induce human disease phenocopies in zebrafish. Rescue by chemical complementation with iron-based compounds or small molecules can subsequently be used to confirm causality of the genetic defect for the observed phenotype. All together, zebrafish have proven to be - and will continue to serve as an ideal model to advance our understanding of the pathogenesis of human iron and heme-related diseases and to develop novel therapies to treat these conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Heme metabolism in stress regulation and protein production: from Cinderella to a key player

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Martinez Ruiz, José Luis; Petranovic, D.; Nielsen, Jens

    2016-01-01

    Heme biosynthesis is a highly conserved pathway which is present in all kingdoms, from Archaea to higher organisms such as plants and mammals. The heme molecule acts as a prosthetic group for different proteins and enzymes involved in energy metabolism and reactions involved in electron transfer....

  13. Interaction between sexual steroids and immune response in affecting oxidative status of birds

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Casagrande, Stefania; Costantini, David; Groothuis, Ton G. G.

    One hypothesis explaining the honesty of secondary sexual traits regulated by testosterone (T) is that T can impair the balance between pro-oxidant compounds and antioxidant defences, favouring a status of oxidative stress that only good quality individuals can sustain (oxidative handicap

  14. Effects of Zinc Deuteroporphyrin Bis Glycol on Newborn Mice After Heme-Loading

    OpenAIRE

    He, Cynthia X.; Campbell, Claire M.; Zhao, Hui; Kalish, Flora S.; Schulz, Stephanie; Vreman, Hendrik J.; Wong, Ronald J.; Stevenson, David K.

    2011-01-01

    Infants with hemolytic diseases frequently develop hyperbilirubinemia, but standard phototherapy only eliminates bilirubin after its production. A better strategy might be to directly inhibit heme oxygenase (HO), the rate-limiting enzyme in bilirubin production. Metalloporphyrins (Mps) are heme analogs that competitively inhibit HO activity in vitro and in vivo and suppress plasma bilirubin levels in vivo. A promising Mp, zinc deuteroporphyrin bis glycol (ZnBG), is orally absorbed and effecti...

  15. Effects of Metalloporphyrins on Heme Oxygenase-1 Transcription: Correlative Cell Culture Assays Guide in Vivo Imaging

    OpenAIRE

    Monica Hajdena-Dawson; Weisheng Zhang; Pamela R. Contag; Ronald J. Wong; Hendrik J. Vreman; David K. Stevenson; Christopher H. Contag

    2003-01-01

    Heme oxygenase (HO) is the rate-limiting step in the heme degradation pathway and is a potential target for the control, or prevention, of pathologic jaundice in neonates. Metalloporphyrins (Mps), a diverse set of synthetic derivatives of heme, can competitively inhibit the HO enzymes. However, certain Mps are phototoxic and some increase transcription of HO-1, the inducible HO isozyme. Therefore, effective development of this class of compounds as therapeutics for treating pathologic jaundic...

  16. ATP Binding Cassette Transporter Mediates Both Heme and Pesticide Detoxification in Tick Midgut Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lara, Flavio Alves; Pohl, Paula C.; Gandara, Ana Caroline; Ferreira, Jessica da Silva; Nascimento-Silva, Maria Clara; Bechara, Gervásio Henrique; Sorgine, Marcos H. F.; Almeida, Igor C.; Vaz, Itabajara da Silva; Oliveira, Pedro L.

    2015-01-01

    In ticks, the digestion of blood occurs intracellularly and proteolytic digestion of hemoglobin takes place in a dedicated type of lysosome, the digest vesicle, followed by transfer of the heme moiety of hemoglobin to a specialized organelle that accumulates large heme aggregates, called hemosomes. In the present work, we studied the uptake of fluorescent metalloporphyrins, used as heme analogs, and amitraz, one of the most regularly used acaricides to control cattle tick infestations, by Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus midgut cells. Both compounds were taken up by midgut cells in vitro and accumulated inside the hemosomes. Transport of both molecules was sensitive to cyclosporine A (CsA), a well-known inhibitor of ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters. Rhodamine 123, a fluorescent probe that is also a recognized ABC substrate, was similarly directed to the hemosome in a CsA-sensitive manner. Using an antibody against conserved domain of PgP-1-type ABC transporter, we were able to immunolocalize PgP-1 in the digest vesicle membranes. Comparison between two R. microplus strains that were resistant and susceptible to amitraz revealed that the resistant strain detoxified both amitraz and Sn-Pp IX more efficiently than the susceptible strain, a process that was also sensitive to CsA. A transcript containing an ABC transporter signature exhibited 2.5-fold increased expression in the amitraz-resistant strain when compared with the susceptible strain. RNAi-induced down-regulation of this ABC transporter led to the accumulation of metalloporphyrin in the digestive vacuole, interrupting heme traffic to the hemosome. This evidence further confirms that this transcript codes for a heme transporter. This is the first report of heme transport in a blood-feeding organism. While the primary physiological function of the hemosome is to detoxify heme and attenuate its toxicity, we suggest that the use of this acaricide detoxification pathway by ticks may represent a new

  17. ATP Binding Cassette Transporter Mediates Both Heme and Pesticide Detoxification in Tick Midgut Cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flavio Alves Lara

    Full Text Available In ticks, the digestion of blood occurs intracellularly and proteolytic digestion of hemoglobin takes place in a dedicated type of lysosome, the digest vesicle, followed by transfer of the heme moiety of hemoglobin to a specialized organelle that accumulates large heme aggregates, called hemosomes. In the present work, we studied the uptake of fluorescent metalloporphyrins, used as heme analogs, and amitraz, one of the most regularly used acaricides to control cattle tick infestations, by Rhipicephalus (Boophilus microplus midgut cells. Both compounds were taken up by midgut cells in vitro and accumulated inside the hemosomes. Transport of both molecules was sensitive to cyclosporine A (CsA, a well-known inhibitor of ATP binding cassette (ABC transporters. Rhodamine 123, a fluorescent probe that is also a recognized ABC substrate, was similarly directed to the hemosome in a CsA-sensitive manner. Using an antibody against conserved domain of PgP-1-type ABC transporter, we were able to immunolocalize PgP-1 in the digest vesicle membranes. Comparison between two R. microplus strains that were resistant and susceptible to amitraz revealed that the resistant strain detoxified both amitraz and Sn-Pp IX more efficiently than the susceptible strain, a process that was also sensitive to CsA. A transcript containing an ABC transporter signature exhibited 2.5-fold increased expression in the amitraz-resistant strain when compared with the susceptible strain. RNAi-induced down-regulation of this ABC transporter led to the accumulation of metalloporphyrin in the digestive vacuole, interrupting heme traffic to the hemosome. This evidence further confirms that this transcript codes for a heme transporter. This is the first report of heme transport in a blood-feeding organism. While the primary physiological function of the hemosome is to detoxify heme and attenuate its toxicity, we suggest that the use of this acaricide detoxification pathway by ticks may

  18. Serum heme oxygenase-1 levels in patients with primary dysmenorrhea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aksoy, Ayse Nur; Laloglu, Esra; Ozkaya, Alev Lazoglu; Yilmaz, Emsal Pınar Topdagi

    2017-04-01

    Primary dysmenorrhea effects the life-quality of women negatively. The aim of this study was to evaluate heme oxygenase-1 (HO1) activity together with malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) levels in patients with primary dysmenorrhea. A total of 28 nulliparous women with the diagnosis of primary dysmenorrhea and 26 healthy controls were included in this study. On the first day of menstruation, all patients underwent ultrasound examination to exclude pelvic pathology and the visual analogue scale was applied to patients. Patient's visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, age, body mass index (BMI), menstrual cycle length (day), length of bleeding (day) were recorded. In the same day, fasting blood samples were taken from each patient for biochemical analysis. Serum MDA, NO and HO1 levels were found to be higher in women with primary dysmenorrhea compared to healthy controls (p = 0.012, p = 0.009, p dysmenorrhea. Antioxidant support might be helpful to reduce pain severity in primary dysmenorrhea.

  19. Significance of heme-based respiration in meat spoilage caused by Leuconostoc gasicomitatum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jääskeläinen, Elina; Johansson, Per; Kostiainen, Olli; Nieminen, Timo; Schmidt, Georg; Somervuo, Panu; Mohsina, Marzia; Vanninen, Paula; Auvinen, Petri; Björkroth, Johanna

    2013-02-01

    Leuconostoc gasicomitatum is a psychrotrophic lactic acid bacterium (LAB) which causes spoilage in cold-stored modified-atmosphere-packaged (MAP) meat products. In addition to the fermentative metabolism, L. gasicomitatum is able to respire when exogenous heme and oxygen are available. In this study, we investigated the respiration effects on growth rate, biomass, gene expression, and volatile organic compound (VOC) production in laboratory media and pork loin. The meat samples were evaluated by a sensory panel every second or third day for 29 days. We observed that functional respiration increased the growth (rate and yield) of L. gasicomitatum in laboratory media with added heme and in situ meat with endogenous heme. Respiration increased enormously (up to 2,600-fold) the accumulation of acetoin and diacetyl, which are buttery off-odor compounds in meat. Our transcriptome analyses showed that the gene expression patterns were quite similar, irrespective of whether respiration was turned off by excluding heme from the medium or mutating the cydB gene, which is essential in the respiratory chain. The respiration-based growth of L. gasicomitatum in meat was obtained in terms of population development and subsequent development of sensory characteristics. Respiration is thus a key factor explaining why L. gasicomitatum is so well adapted in high-oxygen packed meat.

  20. Cj1386 Is an Ankyrin-Containing Protein Involved in Heme Trafficking to Catalase in Campylobacter jejuni

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flint, Annika; Sun, Yi-Qian

    2012-01-01

    Campylobacter jejuni, a microaerophilic bacterium, is the most frequent cause of human bacterial gastroenteritis. C. jejuni is exposed to harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced during its own normal metabolic processes and during infection from the host immune system and from host intestinal microbiota. These ROS will damage DNA and proteins and cause peroxidation of lipids. Consequently, identifying ROS defense mechanisms is important for understanding how Campylobacter survives this environmental stress during infection. Construction of a ΔCj1386 isogenic deletion mutant and phenotypic assays led to its discovery as a novel oxidative stress defense gene. The ΔCj1386 mutant has an increased sensitivity toward hydrogen peroxide. The Cj1386 gene is located directly downstream from katA (catalase) in the C. jejuni genome. A ΔkatAΔ Cj1386 double deletion mutant was constructed and exhibited a sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide similar to that seen in the ΔCj1386 and ΔkatA single deletion mutants. This observation suggests that Cj1386 may be involved in the same detoxification pathway as catalase. Despite identical KatA abundances, catalase activity assays showed that the ΔCj1386 mutant had a reduced catalase activity relative to that of wild-type C. jejuni. Heme quantification of KatA protein from the ΔCj1386 mutant revealed a significant decrease in heme concentration. This indicates an important role for Cj1386 in heme trafficking to KatA within C. jejuni. Interestingly, the ΔCj1386 mutant had a reduced ability to colonize the ceca of chicks and was outcompeted by the wild-type strain for colonization of the gastrointestinal tract of neonate piglets. These results indicate an important role for Cj1386 in Campylobacter colonization and pathogenesis. PMID:22081390

  1. Heme oxygenase-1 gene expression modulates angiotensin II-induced increase in blood pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Liming; Quan, Shuo; Nasjletti, Alberto; Laniado-Schwartzman, Michal; Abraham, Nader G

    2004-06-01

    The heme-heme oxygenase (HO) system has been implicated in the regulation of vascular reactivity and blood pressure. This study examines the notion that overexpression of HO decreases pressor responsiveness to angiotensin II (Ang II). Five-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats received an intraleft ventricular injection of approximately 5x10(9) cfu/mL of retroviruses containing human HO-1 sense (LSN-HHO-1), rat HO-1 antisense (LSN-RHO-1-AS), or control retrovirus (LXSN). Three months later, rats were instrumented with femoral arterial and venous catheters for mean arterial pressure (MAP) determination and Ang II administration, respectively. Rats injected with LSN-HHO-1, but not with LXSN, expressed human HO-1 mRNA and protein in several tissues. BP increased with administration of Ang II in rats expressing and not expressing human HO-1. However, the Ang II-induced pressor response (mm Hg) in LSN-HHO-1 rats (16+/-3, 27+/-3, and 38+/-3 at 0.5, 2, and 10 ng) was surpassed (PHHO-1 rats with the HO inhibitor tin mesoporphyrin (SnMP) enhanced (P<0.05) the Ang II-induced pressor response to a level not different from that observed in LXSN rats. Rats injected with LSN-RHO-1-AS showed a decrease in renal HO-1 protein expression and HO activity relative to control LXSN rats. Administration of Ang II (0.1 to 2 ng) caused small (4 to 5 mm Hg) but significant increases in MAP in rats injected with LSN-RHO-1-AS (P<0.05) compared with rats injected with LXSN. These data demonstrate that overexpression of HO-1 brings about a reduction in pressor responsiveness to Ang II, which is most likely due to increased generation of an HO-1 product, presumably CO, with the ability to inhibit vascular reactivity to constrictor stimuli.

  2. The Heme Biosynthesis Pathway Is Essential for Plasmodium falciparum Development in Mosquito Stage but Not in Blood Stages*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ke, Hangjun; Sigala, Paul A.; Miura, Kazutoyo; Morrisey, Joanne M.; Mather, Michael W.; Crowley, Jan R.; Henderson, Jeffrey P.; Goldberg, Daniel E.; Long, Carole A.; Vaidya, Akhil B.

    2014-01-01

    Heme is an essential cofactor for aerobic organisms. Its redox chemistry is central to a variety of biological functions mediated by hemoproteins. In blood stages, malaria parasites consume most of the hemoglobin inside the infected erythrocytes, forming nontoxic hemozoin crystals from large quantities of heme released during digestion. At the same time, the parasites possess a heme de novo biosynthetic pathway. This pathway in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum has been considered essential and is proposed as a potential drug target. However, we successfully disrupted the first and last genes of the pathway, individually and in combination. These knock-out parasite lines, lacking 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase and/or ferrochelatase (FC), grew normally in blood-stage culture and exhibited no changes in sensitivity to heme-related antimalarial drugs. We developed a sensitive LC-MS/MS assay to monitor stable isotope incorporation into heme from its precursor 5-[13C4]aminolevulinic acid, and this assay confirmed that de novo heme synthesis was ablated in FC knock-out parasites. Disrupting the FC gene also caused no defects in gametocyte generation or maturation but resulted in a greater than 70% reduction in male gamete formation and completely prevented oocyst formation in female Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes. Our data demonstrate that the heme biosynthesis pathway is not essential for asexual blood-stage growth of P. falciparum parasites but is required for mosquito transmission. Drug inhibition of pathway activity is therefore unlikely to provide successful antimalarial therapy. These data also suggest the existence of a parasite mechanism for scavenging host heme to meet metabolic needs. PMID:25352601

  3. Histidine at Position 195 is Essential for Association of Heme-b in Lcp1VH2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oetermann, Sylvia; Vivod, Robin; Hiessl, Sebastian; Hogeback, Jens; Holtkamp, Michael; Karst, Uwe; Steinbüchel, Alexander

    2018-03-01

    The latex clearing protein (Lcp) is the key enzyme of polyisoprene degradation in actinomycetes (Yikmis and Steinbüchel in Appl Environ Microbiol 78:4543-4551, https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.00001-12, 2012). In this study it was shown that Lcp from Gordonia polyisoprenivorans VH2 (Lcp1VH2) harbors a non-covalently bound heme b as cofactor, which was identified by pyridine hemochrome spectra and confirmed by LC/ESI-ToF-MS. It contains iron, most likely in the Fe3+ state. We focused on the characterization of the heme-cofactor, its accessibility with respect to the conformation of Lcp1VH2, and the identification of putative histidine residues involved in the coordination of heme. A change was detectable in UV/Vis-spectra of reduced Lcp1VH2 when imidazole was added, showing that Lcp1VH2 "as isolated" occurs in an open state, directly being accessible for external ligands. In addition, three highly conserved histidines (H195, H200 and H228), presumably acting as ligands coordinating the heme within the heme pocket, were replaced with alanines by site-directed mutagenesis. The effect of these changes on in vivo rubber-mineralization was investigated. The lcp- deletion mutant complemented with the H195A variant of lcp1 VH2 was unable to mineralize poly(cis-1,4-isoprene). In vitro analyses of purified, recombinant Lcp1VH2H195A confirmed the loss of enzyme activity, which could be ascribed to the loss of heme. Hence, H195 is essential for the association of heme-b in the central region of Lcp1VH2.

  4. Histidine at Position 195 is Essential for Association of Heme- b in Lcp1VH2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oetermann, Sylvia; Vivod, Robin; Hiessl, Sebastian; Hogeback, Jens; Holtkamp, Michael; Karst, Uwe; Steinbüchel, Alexander

    2018-05-01

    The latex clearing protein (Lcp) is the key enzyme of polyisoprene degradation in actinomycetes (Yikmis and Steinbüchel in Appl Environ Microbiol 78:4543-4551, https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.00001-12 , 2012). In this study it was shown that Lcp from Gordonia polyisoprenivorans VH2 (Lcp1VH2) harbors a non-covalently bound heme b as cofactor, which was identified by pyridine hemochrome spectra and confirmed by LC/ESI-ToF-MS. It contains iron, most likely in the Fe3+ state. We focused on the characterization of the heme-cofactor, its accessibility with respect to the conformation of Lcp1VH2, and the identification of putative histidine residues involved in the coordination of heme. A change was detectable in UV/Vis-spectra of reduced Lcp1VH2 when imidazole was added, showing that Lcp1VH2 "as isolated" occurs in an open state, directly being accessible for external ligands. In addition, three highly conserved histidines (H195, H200 and H228), presumably acting as ligands coordinating the heme within the heme pocket, were replaced with alanines by site-directed mutagenesis. The effect of these changes on in vivo rubber-mineralization was investigated. The lcp- deletion mutant complemented with the H195A variant of lcp1 VH2 was unable to mineralize poly( cis-1,4-isoprene). In vitro analyses of purified, recombinant Lcp1VH2H195A confirmed the loss of enzyme activity, which could be ascribed to the loss of heme. Hence, H195 is essential for the association of heme- b in the central region of Lcp1VH2.

  5. Mitochondrial targeting of bilirubin regulatory enzymes: An adaptive response to oxidative stress

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Muhsain, Siti Nur Fadzilah, E-mail: sitinurfadzilah077@ppinang.uitm.edu.my [The University of Queensland, National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), 4072 Brisbane, Queensland (Australia); Faculty of Pharmacy, University Teknologi Mara (Malaysia); Lang, Matti A., E-mail: m.lang@uq.edu.au [The University of Queensland, National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), 4072 Brisbane, Queensland (Australia); Abu-Bakar, A' edah, E-mail: a.abubakar@uq.edu.au [The University of Queensland, National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), 4072 Brisbane, Queensland (Australia)

    2015-01-01

    The intracellular level of bilirubin (BR), an endogenous antioxidant that is cytotoxic at high concentrations, is tightly controlled within the optimal therapeutic range. We have recently described a concerted intracellular BR regulation by two microsomal enzymes: heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1), essential for BR production and cytochrome P450 2A5 (CYP2A5), a BR oxidase. Herein, we describe targeting of these enzymes to hepatic mitochondria during oxidative stress. The kinetics of microsomal and mitochondrial BR oxidation were compared. Treatment of DBA/2J mice with 200 mg pyrazole/kg/day for 3 days increased hepatic intracellular protein carbonyl content and induced nucleo-translocation of Nrf2. HMOX1 and CYP2A5 proteins and activities were elevated in microsomes and mitoplasts but not the UGT1A1, a catalyst of BR glucuronidation. A CYP2A5 antibody inhibited 75% of microsomal BR oxidation. The inhibition was absent in control mitoplasts but elevated to 50% after treatment. An adrenodoxin reductase antibody did not inhibit microsomal BR oxidation but inhibited 50% of mitochondrial BR oxidation. Ascorbic acid inhibited 5% and 22% of the reaction in control and treated microsomes, respectively. In control mitoplasts the inhibition was 100%, which was reduced to 50% after treatment. Bilirubin affinity to mitochondrial and microsomal CYP2A5 enzyme is equally high. Lastly, the treatment neither released cytochrome c into cytoplasm nor dissipated membrane potential, indicating the absence of mitochondrial membrane damage. Collectively, the observations suggest that BR regulatory enzymes are recruited to mitochondria during oxidative stress and BR oxidation by mitochondrial CYP2A5 is supported by mitochondrial mono-oxygenase system. The induced recruitment potentially confers membrane protection. - Highlights: • Pyrazole induces oxidative stress in the mouse liver. • Pyrazole-induced oxidative stress induces mitochondrial targeting of key bilirubin regulatory enzymes, HMOX1

  6. Mitochondrial targeting of bilirubin regulatory enzymes: An adaptive response to oxidative stress

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muhsain, Siti Nur Fadzilah; Lang, Matti A.; Abu-Bakar, A'edah

    2015-01-01

    The intracellular level of bilirubin (BR), an endogenous antioxidant that is cytotoxic at high concentrations, is tightly controlled within the optimal therapeutic range. We have recently described a concerted intracellular BR regulation by two microsomal enzymes: heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1), essential for BR production and cytochrome P450 2A5 (CYP2A5), a BR oxidase. Herein, we describe targeting of these enzymes to hepatic mitochondria during oxidative stress. The kinetics of microsomal and mitochondrial BR oxidation were compared. Treatment of DBA/2J mice with 200 mg pyrazole/kg/day for 3 days increased hepatic intracellular protein carbonyl content and induced nucleo-translocation of Nrf2. HMOX1 and CYP2A5 proteins and activities were elevated in microsomes and mitoplasts but not the UGT1A1, a catalyst of BR glucuronidation. A CYP2A5 antibody inhibited 75% of microsomal BR oxidation. The inhibition was absent in control mitoplasts but elevated to 50% after treatment. An adrenodoxin reductase antibody did not inhibit microsomal BR oxidation but inhibited 50% of mitochondrial BR oxidation. Ascorbic acid inhibited 5% and 22% of the reaction in control and treated microsomes, respectively. In control mitoplasts the inhibition was 100%, which was reduced to 50% after treatment. Bilirubin affinity to mitochondrial and microsomal CYP2A5 enzyme is equally high. Lastly, the treatment neither released cytochrome c into cytoplasm nor dissipated membrane potential, indicating the absence of mitochondrial membrane damage. Collectively, the observations suggest that BR regulatory enzymes are recruited to mitochondria during oxidative stress and BR oxidation by mitochondrial CYP2A5 is supported by mitochondrial mono-oxygenase system. The induced recruitment potentially confers membrane protection. - Highlights: • Pyrazole induces oxidative stress in the mouse liver. • Pyrazole-induced oxidative stress induces mitochondrial targeting of key bilirubin regulatory enzymes, HMOX1

  7. Synthesis, delivery and regulation of eukaryotic heme and Fe-S cluster cofactors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barupala, Dulmini P; Dzul, Stephen P; Riggs-Gelasco, Pamela Jo; Stemmler, Timothy L

    2016-02-15

    In humans, the bulk of iron in the body (over 75%) is directed towards heme- or Fe-S cluster cofactor synthesis, and the complex, highly regulated pathways in place to accomplish biosynthesis have evolved to safely assemble and load these cofactors into apoprotein partners. In eukaryotes, heme biosynthesis is both initiated and finalized within the mitochondria, while cellular Fe-S cluster assembly is controlled by correlated pathways both within the mitochondria and within the cytosol. Iron plays a vital role in a wide array of metabolic processes and defects in iron cofactor assembly leads to human diseases. This review describes progress towards our molecular-level understanding of cellular heme and Fe-S cluster biosynthesis, focusing on the regulation and mechanistic details that are essential for understanding human disorders related to the breakdown in these essential pathways. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Heme iron content in lamb meat is differentially altered upon boiling, grilling, or frying as assessed by four distinct analytical methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pourkhalili, Azin; Mirlohi, Maryam; Rahimi, Ebrahim

    2013-01-01

    Lamb meat is regarded as an important source of highly bioavailable iron (heme iron) in the Iranians diet. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of traditional cooking methods on the iron changes in lamb meat. Four published experimental methods for the determination of heme iron were assessed analytically and statistically. Samples were selected from lambs' loin. Standard methods (AOAC) were used for proximate analysis. For measuring heme iron, the results of four experimental methods were compared regarding their compliance to Ferrozine method which was used for the determination of nonheme iron. Among three cooking methods, the lowest total iron and heme iron were found in boiling method. The heme iron proportions to the total iron in raw, boiled lamb meat and grilled, were counted as 65.70%, 67.75%, and 76.01%, receptively. Measuring the heme iron, the comparison of the methods in use showed that the method in which heme extraction solution was composed of 90% acetone, 18% water, and 2% hydrochloric acid was more appropriate and more correlated with the heme iron content calculated by the difference between total iron and nonheme iron.

  9. Heme Iron Content in Lamb Meat Is Differentially Altered upon Boiling, Grilling, or Frying as Assessed by Four Distinct Analytical Methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Azin Pourkhalili

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Lamb meat is regarded as an important source of highly bioavailable iron (heme iron in the Iranians diet. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of traditional cooking methods on the iron changes in lamb meat. Four published experimental methods for the determination of heme iron were assessed analytically and statistically. Samples were selected from lambs' loin. Standard methods (AOAC were used for proximate analysis. For measuring heme iron, the results of four experimental methods were compared regarding their compliance to Ferrozine method which was used for the determination of nonheme iron. Among three cooking methods, the lowest total iron and heme iron were found in boiling method. The heme iron proportions to the total iron in raw, boiled lamb meat and grilled, were counted as 65.70%, 67.75%, and 76.01%, receptively. Measuring the heme iron, the comparison of the methods in use showed that the method in which heme extraction solution was composed of 90% acetone, 18% water, and 2% hydrochloric acid was more appropriate and more correlated with the heme iron content calculated by the difference between total iron and nonheme iron.

  10. Delayed globin synthesis leads to excess heme and the macrocytic anemia of Diamond Blackfan anemia and del(5q) myelodysplastic syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Zhantao; Keel, Siobán B; Shimamura, Akiko; Liu, Li; Gerds, Aaron T; Li, Henry Y; Wood, Brent L; Scott, Bart L; Abkowitz, Janis L

    2016-05-11

    Diamond Blackfan anemia (DBA) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with isolated del(5q) are severe macrocytic anemias; although both are associated with impaired ribosome assembly, why the anemia occurs is not known. We cultured marrow cells from DBA (n = 3) and del(5q) MDS (n = 6) patients and determined how heme (a toxic chemical) and globin (a protein) are coordinated. We show that globin translation initiates slowly, whereas heme synthesis proceeds normally. This results in insufficient globin protein, excess heme and excess reactive oxygen species in early erythroid precursors, and CFU-E (colony-forming unit-erythroid)/proerythroblast cell death. The cells that can more rapidly and effectively export heme or can slow heme synthesis preferentially survive and appropriately mature. Consistent with these observations, treatment with 10 μM succinylacetone, a specific inhibitor of heme synthesis, improved the erythroid cell output of DBA and del(5q) MDS marrow cultures by 68 to 95% (P = 0.03 to 0.05), whereas the erythroid cell output of concurrent control marrow cultures decreased by 4 to 13%. Our studies demonstrate that erythropoiesis fails when heme exceeds globin. Our data further suggest that therapies that decrease heme synthesis (or facilitate heme export) could improve the red blood cell production of persons with DBA, del(5q) MDS, and perhaps other macrocytic anemias. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  11. Haemophilus responses to nutritional immunity: epigenetic and morphological contribution to biofilm architecture, invasion, persistence and disease severity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Blake R Szelestey

    Full Text Available In an effort to suppress microbial outgrowth, the host sequesters essential nutrients in a process termed nutritional immunity. However, inflammatory responses to bacterial insult can restore nutritional resources. Given that nutrient availability modulates virulence factor production and biofilm formation by other bacterial species, we hypothesized that fluctuations in heme-iron availability, particularly at privileged sites, would similarly influence Haemophilus biofilm formation and pathogenesis. Thus, we cultured Haemophilus through sequential heme-iron deplete and heme-iron replete media to determine the effect of transient depletion of internal stores of heme-iron on multiple pathogenic phenotypes. We observed that prior heme-iron restriction potentiates biofilm changes for at least 72 hours that include increased peak height and architectural complexity as compared to biofilms initiated from heme-iron replete bacteria, suggesting a mechanism for epigenetic responses that participate in the changes observed. Additionally, in a co-infection model for human otitis media, heme-iron restricted Haemophilus, although accounting for only 10% of the inoculum (90% heme-iron replete, represented up to 99% of the organisms recovered at 4 days. These data indicate that fluctuations in heme-iron availability promote a survival advantage during disease. Filamentation mediated by a SulA-related ortholog was required for optimal biofilm peak height and persistence during experimental otitis media. Moreover, severity of disease in response to heme-iron restricted Haemophilus was reduced as evidenced by lack of mucosal destruction, decreased erythema, hemorrhagic foci and vasodilatation. Transient restriction of heme-iron also promoted productive invasion events leading to the development of intracellular bacterial communities. Taken together, these data suggest that nutritional immunity, may, in fact, foster long-term phenotypic changes that better equip

  12. Microsatellite polymorphism in the heme oxygenase-1 gene promoter and the risk of atrial fibrillation in Taiwanese.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lung-An Hsu

    Full Text Available Atrial fibrillation (AF is associated with increased oxidative stress. Emerging evidence suggests that heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1 is a potent antioxidant system against various oxidative stress-related diseases. The human HO-1 promoter has a GT-repeat length polymorphism that can determine the level of gene transcription.The aim of this study is to assess the role of the GT-repeat polymorphism in the promoter region of the HO-1 gene in Chinese-Taiwanese patients with AF.This study enrolled 200 AF patients and 240 controls, comparable for age and gender. In each subject, the length of GT-repeat polymorphism in the HO-1 promoter region was examined by polymerase chain reactions. The frequencies of long GT-repeat alleles (≧32 were significantly higher in AF patients than in controls. Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of long allele was significantly and independently associated with AF (odds ratio: 1.91, 95% CI 1.07-3.72; P = 0.028. Right atrial tissues from patients with chronic AF were investigated with immunoconfocal microscopy. Patients homozygous for shorter GT-repeat alleles exhibited greater HO-1 expression in their atria than those homozygous for longer alleles, which was reflected by less oxidative stress, myofibril degradation, and fibrosis in the atria of patients with shorter GT-repeat. In vitro, transient transfection assay in HL-1 atrial myocytes showed that the responsiveness of HO-1 transcriptional activity to tachypacing was inversely correlated with the length of the GT-repeats.Our results suggest that the HO-1 microsatellite polymorphism may contribute to the genetic background of AF in Chinese-Taiwanese patients.

  13. Effects of Zinc Deuteroporphyrin Bis Glycol on Newborn Mice After Heme-Loading

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Cynthia X.; Campbell, Claire M.; Zhao, Hui; Kalish, Flora S.; Schulz, Stephanie; Vreman, Hendrik J.; Wong, Ronald J.; Stevenson, David K.

    2011-01-01

    Infants with hemolytic diseases frequently develop hyperbilirubinemia, but standard phototherapy only eliminates bilirubin after its production. A better strategy might be to directly inhibit heme oxygenase (HO), the rate-limiting enzyme in bilirubin production. Metalloporphyrins (Mps) are heme analogs that competitively inhibit HO activity in vitro and in vivo and suppress plasma bilirubin levels in vivo. A promising Mp, zinc deuteroporphyrin bis glycol (ZnBG), is orally absorbed and effectively inhibits HO activity at relatively low doses. We determined the I50 (the dose needed to inhibit HO activity by 50%) of orally administered ZnBG in vivo and then evaluated ZnBG’s effects on in vivo bilirubin production, HO activity, HO protein levels, and HO-1 gene expression in newborn mice following heme-loading, a model analogous to a hemolytic infant. The I50 of ZnBG was found to be 4.0 μmol/kg body weight (BW). At a dose of 15-μmol/kg BW, ZnBG reduced in vivo bilirubin production, inhibited heme-induced liver HO activity and spleen HO activity to and below baseline, respectively, transiently induced liver and spleen HO-1 gene transcription, and induced liver and spleen HO-1 protein levels. We conclude that ZnBG may be an attractive compound for treating severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia caused by hemolytic disease. PMID:21785387

  14. PCBP1 and NCOA4 regulate erythroid iron storage and heme biosynthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryu, Moon-Suhn; Zhang, Deliang; Protchenko, Olga; Shakoury-Elizeh, Minoo; Philpott, Caroline C

    2017-05-01

    Developing erythrocytes take up exceptionally large amounts of iron, which must be transferred to mitochondria for incorporation into heme. This massive iron flux must be precisely controlled to permit the coordinated synthesis of heme and hemoglobin while avoiding the toxic effects of chemically reactive iron. In cultured animal cells, iron chaperones poly rC-binding protein 1 (PCBP1) and PCBP2 deliver iron to ferritin, the sole cytosolic iron storage protein, and nuclear receptor coactivator 4 (NCOA4) mediates the autophagic turnover of ferritin. The roles of PCBP, ferritin, and NCOA4 in erythroid development remain unclear. Here, we show that PCBP1, NCOA4, and ferritin are critical for murine red cell development. Using a cultured cell model of erythroid differentiation, depletion of PCBP1 or NCOA4 impaired iron trafficking through ferritin, which resulted in reduced heme synthesis, reduced hemoglobin formation, and perturbation of erythroid regulatory systems. Mice lacking Pcbp1 exhibited microcytic anemia and activation of compensatory erythropoiesis via the regulators erythropoietin and erythroferrone. Ex vivo differentiation of erythroid precursors from Pcbp1-deficient mice confirmed defects in ferritin iron flux and heme synthesis. These studies demonstrate the importance of ferritin for the vectorial transfer of imported iron to mitochondria in developing red cells and of PCBP1 and NCOA4 in mediating iron flux through ferritin.

  15. A peroxidase mimic with atom transfer radical polymerization activity constructed through the grafting of heme onto metal-organic frameworks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Wei; Pan, Yue; Yang, Jiebing; Liu, Yong; Yang, Yan; Tang, Jun; Li, Quanshun

    2018-07-01

    Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) has been considered to be an efficient strategy for constructing functional macromolecules owing to its simple operation and versatile monomers, and thus it is of great significance to develop ideal catalysts with higher activity and perfect reusability. We constructed a peroxidase mimic through the grafting of heme onto metal-organic frameworks UiO-66-NH 2 (ZrMOF), namely Heme-ZrMOF. After the systematic characterization of structure, the composite Heme-ZrMOF was demonstrated to possess high peroxidase activity using 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) and 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine as substrates. The enzyme mimic was then used as catalysts in the ATRP reactions of different monomers, in which favorable monomer conversion (44.6-98.0%) and product molecular weight (8600-25,600 g/mol) could be obtained. Compared to free heme, Heme-ZrMOF could efficiently achieve the easy separation of heme from the catalytic system and facilitate the ATRP reaction in an aqueous environment to avoid the utilization of organic solvents. In conclusion, the enzyme mimic Heme-ZrMOF could be potentially used as an effective catalyst for preparing well-defined polymers with biomedical applications. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. 4-Hydroxy-2(E)-nonenal metabolism differs in Apc(+/+) cells and in Apc(Min/+) cells: it may explain colon cancer promotion by heme iron.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baradat, Maryse; Jouanin, Isabelle; Dalleau, Sabine; Taché, Sylviane; Gieules, Mathilde; Debrauwer, Laurent; Canlet, Cécile; Huc, Laurence; Dupuy, Jacques; Pierre, Fabrice H F; Guéraud, Françoise

    2011-11-21

    Animal and epidemiological studies suggest that dietary heme iron would promote colorectal cancer. Oxidative properties of heme could lead to the formation of cytotoxic and genotoxic secondary lipid oxidation products, such as 4-hydroxy-2(E)-nonenal (HNE). This compound is more cytotoxic to mouse wild-type colon cells than to isogenic cells with a mutation on the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene. The latter thus have a selective advantage, possibly leading to cancer promotion. This mutation is an early and frequent event in human colorectal cancer. To explain this difference, the HNE biotransformation capacities of the two cell types have been studied using radiolabeled and stable isotope-labeled HNE. Apc-mutated cells showed better biotransformation capacities than nonmutated cells did. Thiol compound conjugation capacities were higher for mutated cells, with an important advantage for the extracellular conjugation to cysteine. Both cells types were able to reduce HNE to 4-hydroxynonanal, a biotransformation pathway that has not been reported for other intestinal cells. Mutated cells showed higher capacities to oxidize 4-hydroxynonanal into 4-hydroxynonanoic acid. The mRNA expression of different enzymes involved in HNE metabolism such as aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1, 2 and 3A1, glutathione transferase A4-4, or cystine transporter xCT was upregulated in mutated cells compared with wild-type cells. In conclusion, this study suggests that Apc-mutated cells are more efficient than wild-type cells in metabolizing HNE into thiol conjugates and 4-hydroxynonanoic acid due to the higher expression of key biotransformation enzymes. These differential biotransformation capacities would explain the differences of susceptibility between normal and Apc-mutated cells regarding secondary lipid oxidation products.

  17. The choice of homogenisation equipment affects lipid oxidation in emulsions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Horn, Anna Frisenfeldt; Nielsen, Nina Skall; Jensen, Louise Helene Søgaard

    2012-01-01

    in emulsions has been shown to be affected by the emulsification conditions. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of homogenisation equipment (microfluidizer vs. two-stage valve homogeniser) on lipid oxidation in 10% fish oil-in-water emulsions prepared with two different milk proteins....... Emulsions were prepared at pH 7 with similar droplet sizes. Results showed that the oxidative stability of emulsions prepared with sodium caseinate was not influenced by the type of homogeniser used. In contrast, the type of homogenisation equipment significantly influenced lipid oxidation when whey protein...

  18. Ionizing radiation, antioxidant response and oxidative damage: A meta-analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Einor, D., E-mail: daniel@einor.com [Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 (United States); Bonisoli-Alquati, A., E-mail: andreabonisoli@gmail.com [Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 (United States); School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States); Costantini, D., E-mail: davidcostantini@libero.it [Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, B-2610, Antwerp (Belgium); Mousseau, T.A., E-mail: mousseau@sc.edu [Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 (United States); Faculty of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chubu University, Kasugai (Japan); Møller, A.P., E-mail: anders.moller@u-psud.fr [Laboratoire d' Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution, CNRS UMR 8079, Université Paris-Sud, Bâtiment 362, F-91405 Orsay Cedex (France)

    2016-04-01

    One mechanism proposed as a link between exposure to ionizing radiation and detrimental effects on organisms is oxidative damage. To test this hypothesis, we surveyed the scientific literature on the effects of chronic low-dose ionizing radiation (LDIR) on antioxidant responses and oxidative damage. We found 40 publications and 212 effect sizes for antioxidant responses and 288 effect sizes for effects of oxidative damage. We performed a meta-analysis of signed and unsigned effect sizes. We found large unsigned effects for both categories (0.918 for oxidative damage; 0.973 for antioxidant response). Mean signed effect size weighted by sample size was 0.276 for oxidative damage and − 0.350 for antioxidant defenses, with significant heterogeneity among effects for both categories, implying that ionizing radiation caused small to intermediate increases in oxidative damage and small to intermediate decreases in antioxidant defenses. Our estimates are robust, as shown by very high fail-safe numbers. Species, biological matrix (tissue, blood, sperm) and age predicted the magnitude of effects for oxidative damage as well as antioxidant response. Meta-regression models showed that effect sizes for oxidative damage varied among species and age classes, while effect sizes for antioxidant responses varied among species and biological matrices. Our results are consistent with the description of mechanisms underlying pathological effects of chronic exposure to LDIR. Our results also highlight the importance of resistance to oxidative stress as one possible mechanism associated with variation in species responses to LDIR-contaminated areas. - Highlights: • There is interest in variation in metabolic effects of chronic low-dose ionizing radiation • A random effect meta-analysis of effect sizes of radioactive contamination was performed • We found significant effects of radiation on oxidative damage and antioxidant response • We found significant heterogeneity among

  19. Chlorobenzene induces oxidative stress in human lung epithelial cells in vitro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feltens, Ralph; Moegel, Iljana; Roeder-Stolinski, Carmen; Simon, Jan-Christoph; Herberth, Gunda; Lehmann, Irina

    2010-01-01

    Chlorobenzene is a volatile organic compound (VOC) that is widely used as a solvent, degreasing agent and chemical intermediate in many industrial settings. Occupational studies have shown that acute and chronic exposure to chlorobenzene can cause irritation of the mucosa of the upper respiratory tract and eyes. Using in vitro assays, we have shown in a previous study that human bronchial epithelial cells release inflammatory mediators such as the cytokine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in response to chlorobenzene. This response is mediated through the NF-κB signaling pathway. Here, we investigated the effects of monochlorobenzene on human lung cells, with emphasis on potential alterations of the redox equilibrium to clarify whether the chlorobenzene-induced inflammatory response in lung epithelial cells is caused via an oxidative stress-dependent mechanism. We found that expression of cellular markers for oxidative stress, such as heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), glutathione S-transferase π1 (GSTP1), superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) and dual specificity phosphatase 1 (DUSP1), were elevated in the presence of monochlorobenzene. Likewise, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were increased in response to exposure. However, in the presence of the antioxidants N-(2-mercaptopropionyl)-glycine (MPG) or bucillamine, chlorobenzene-induced upregulation of marker proteins and release of the inflammatory mediator MCP-1 are suppressed. These results complement our previous findings and point to an oxidative stress-mediated inflammatory response following chlorobenzene exposure.

  20. Comparative Genomics of the Genus Porphyromonas Identifies Adaptations for Heme Synthesis within the Prevalent Canine Oral Species Porphyromonas cangingivalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Flynn, Ciaran; Deusch, Oliver; Darling, Aaron E; Eisen, Jonathan A; Wallis, Corrin; Davis, Ian J; Harris, Stephen J

    2015-11-13

    Porphyromonads play an important role in human periodontal disease and recently have been shown to be highly prevalent in canine mouths. Porphyromonas cangingivalis is the most prevalent canine oral bacterial species in both plaque from healthy gingiva and plaque from dogs with early periodontitis. The ability of P. cangingivalis to flourish in the different environmental conditions characterized by these two states suggests a degree of metabolic flexibility. To characterize the genes responsible for this, the genomes of 32 isolates (including 18 newly sequenced and assembled) from 18 Porphyromonad species from dogs, humans, and other mammals were compared. Phylogenetic trees inferred using core genes largely matched previous findings; however, comparative genomic analysis identified several genes and pathways relating to heme synthesis that were present in P. cangingivalis but not in other Porphyromonads. Porphyromonas cangingivalis has a complete protoporphyrin IX synthesis pathway potentially allowing it to synthesize its own heme unlike pathogenic Porphyromonads such as Porphyromonas gingivalis that acquire heme predominantly from blood. Other pathway differences such as the ability to synthesize siroheme and vitamin B12 point to enhanced metabolic flexibility for P. cangingivalis, which may underlie its prevalence in the canine oral cavity. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  1. Structure prediction and activity analysis of human heme oxygenase-1 and its mutant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Zhen-Wei; Zhou, Wen-Pu; Cui, Wen-Jun; Zhang, Xue-Hong; Shen, Qing-Xiang; Li, Yun-Zhu; Yu, Shan-Chang

    2004-08-15

    To predict wild human heme oxygenase-1 (whHO-1) and hHO-1 His25Ala mutant (delta hHO-1) structures, to clone and express them and analyze their activities. Swiss-PdbViewer and Antheprot 5.0 were used for the prediction of structure diversity and physical-chemical changes between wild and mutant hHO-1. hHO-1 His25Ala mutant cDNA was constructed by site-directed mutagenesis in two plasmids of E. coli DH5alpha. Expression products were purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation and Q-Sepharose Fast Flow column chromatography, and their activities were measured. rHO-1 had the structure of a helical fold with the heme sandwiched between heme-heme oxygenase-1 helices. Bond angle, dihedral angle and chemical bond in the active pocket changed after Ala25 was replaced by His25, but Ala25 was still contacting the surface and the electrostatic potential of the active pocket was negative. The mutated enzyme kept binding activity to heme. Two vectors pBHO-1 and pBHO-1(M) were constructed and expressed. Ammonium sulphate precipitation and column chromatography yielded 3.6-fold and 30-fold higher purities of whHO-1, respectively. The activity of delta hHO-1 was reduced 91.21% after mutation compared with whHO-1. Proximal His25 ligand is crucial for normal hHO-1 catalytic activity. delta hHO-1 is deactivated by mutation but keeps the same binding site as whHO-1. delta hHO-1 might be a potential inhibitor of whHO-1 for preventing neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

  2. The Enzymatic Oxidation of Graphene Oxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotchey, Gregg P.; Allen, Brett L.; Vedala, Harindra; Yanamala, Naveena; Kapralov, Alexander A.; Tyurina, Yulia Y.; Klein-Seetharaman, Judith; Kagan, Valerian E.; Star, Alexander

    2011-01-01

    Two-dimensional graphitic carbon is a new material with many emerging applications, and studying its chemical properties is an important goal. Here, we reported a new phenomenon – the enzymatic oxidation of a single layer of graphitic carbon by horseradish peroxidase (HRP). In the presence of low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (~40 µM), HRP catalyzed the oxidation of graphene oxide, which resulted in the formation of holes on its basal plane. During the same period of analysis, HRP failed to oxidize chemically reduced graphene oxide (RGO). The enzymatic oxidation was characterized by Raman, UV-Vis, EPR and FT-IR spectroscopy, TEM, AFM, SDS-PAGE, and GC-MS. Computational docking studies indicated that HRP was preferentially bound to the basal plane rather than the edge for both graphene oxide and RGO. Due to the more dynamic nature of HRP on graphene oxide, the heme active site of HRP was in closer proximity to graphene oxide compared to RGO, thereby facilitating the oxidation of the basal plane of graphene oxide. We also studied the electronic properties of the reduced intermediate product, holey reduced graphene oxide (hRGO), using field-effect transistor (FET) measurements. While RGO exhibited a V-shaped transfer characteristic similar to a single layer of graphene that was attributed to its zero band gap, hRGO demonstrated a p-type semiconducting behavior with a positive shift in the Dirac points. This p-type behavior rendered hRGO, which can be conceptualized as interconnected graphene nanoribbons, as a potentially attractive material for FET sensors. PMID:21344859

  3. Cloning, expression, and characterization of recombinant nitric oxide synthase-like protein from Bacillus anthracis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Midha, Shuchi; Mishra, Rajeev; Aziz, M.A.; Sharma, Meenakshi; Mishra, Ashish; Khandelwal, Puneet; Bhatnagar, Rakesh

    2005-01-01

    Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is amongst a family of evolutionarily conserved enzymes, involved in a multi-turnover process that results in NO as a product. The significant role of NO in various pathological and physiological processes has created an interest in this enzyme from several perspectives. This study describes for the first time, cloning and expression of a NOS-like protein, baNOS, from Bacillus anthracis, a pathogenic bacterium responsible for causing anthrax. baNOS was expressed in Escherichia coli as a soluble and catalytically active enzyme. Homology models generated for baNOS indicated that the key structural features that are involved in the substrate and active site interaction have been highly conserved. Further, the behavior of baNOS in terms of heme-substrate interactions and heme-transitions was studied in detail. The optical perturbation spectra of the heme domain demonstrated that the ligands perturb the heme site in a ligand specific manner. baNOS forms a five-coordinate, high-spin complex with L-arginine analogs and a six-coordinate low-spin complex with inhibitor imidazole. Studies indicated that the binding of L-arginine, N ω -hydroxy-L-arginine, and imidazole produces various spectroscopic species that closely correspond to the equivalent complexes of mammalian NOS. The values of spectral binding constants further corroborated these results. The overall conservation of the key structural features and the correlation of heme-substrate interactions in baNOS and mammalian NOS, thus, point towards an interesting phenomenon of convergent evolution. Importantly, the NO generated by NOS of mammalian macrophages plays a potent role in antimicrobicidal activity. Because of the existence of high structural and behavioral similarity between mammalian NOS and baNOS, we propose that NO produced by B. anthracis may also have a pivotal pathophysiological role in anthrax infection. Therefore, this first report of characterization of a NOS-like protein

  4. Sublethal red tide toxin exposure in free-ranging manatees (Trichechus manatus) affects the immune system through reduced lymphocyte proliferation responses, inflammation, and oxidative stress

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walsh, Catherine J.; Butawan, Matthew; Yordy, Jennifer; Ball, Ray; Flewelling, Leanne; Wit, Martine de; Bonde, Robert K.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Sublethal brevetoxin exposure affects manatee immune function. • Plasma brevetoxin levels correlate with oxidative stress in rescued manatees. • Brevetoxin exposure affects lymphocyte proliferation in rescued manatees. • Plasma brevetoxin concentrations ranged from 0 to 19 ng PbTx-3 eq/mL. - Abstract: The health of many Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) is adversely affected by exposure to blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis. K. brevis blooms are common in manatee habitats of Florida’s southwestern coast and produce a group of cyclic polyether toxins collectively referred to as red tide toxins, or brevetoxins. Although a large number of manatees exposed to significant levels of red tide toxins die, several manatees are rescued from sublethal exposure and are successfully treated and returned to the wild. Sublethal brevetoxin exposure may potentially impact the manatee immune system. Lymphocyte proliferative responses and a suite of immune function parameters in the plasma were used to evaluate effects of brevetoxin exposure on health of manatees rescued from natural exposure to red tide toxins in their habitat. Blood samples were collected from rescued manatees at Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, FL and from healthy, unexposed manatees in Crystal River, FL. Peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) isolated from whole blood were stimulated with T-cell mitogens, ConA and PHA. A suite of plasma parameters, including plasma protein electrophoresis profiles, lysozyme activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and reactive oxygen/nitrogen (ROS/RNS) species, was also used to assess manatee health. Significant decreases (p < 0.05) in lymphocyte proliferation were observed in ConA and PHA stimulated lymphocytes from rescued animals compared to non-exposed animals. Significant correlations were observed between oxidative stress markers (SOD, ROS/RNS) and plasma brevetoxin concentrations. Sublethal exposure to brevetoxins in the

  5. Sublethal red tide toxin exposure in free-ranging manatees (Trichechus manatus) affects the immune system through reduced lymphocyte proliferation responses, inflammation, and oxidative stress

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Walsh, Catherine J., E-mail: cjwalsh@mote.org [Marine Immunology Program, Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236 (United States); Butawan, Matthew, E-mail: mattbutawan@outlook.com [Marine Immunology Program, Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236 (United States); Yordy, Jennifer, E-mail: jennifer.e.balmer@gmail.com [Marine Immunology Program, Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236 (United States); Ball, Ray, E-mail: Ray.Ball@lowryparkzoo.com [Lowry Park Zoo, 1101 W Sligh Ave, Tampa, FL 33604 (United States); Flewelling, Leanne, E-mail: Leanne.Flewelling@MyFWC.com [Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 100 8th Ave SE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 (United States); Wit, Martine de, E-mail: Martine.deWit@MyFWC.com [Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 100 8th Ave SE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 (United States); Bonde, Robert K., E-mail: rbonde@usgs.gov [U.S. Geological Survey, Sirenia Project, 7920 NE 71st Street, Gainesville, FL 32653 (United States)

    2015-04-15

    Highlights: • Sublethal brevetoxin exposure affects manatee immune function. • Plasma brevetoxin levels correlate with oxidative stress in rescued manatees. • Brevetoxin exposure affects lymphocyte proliferation in rescued manatees. • Plasma brevetoxin concentrations ranged from 0 to 19 ng PbTx-3 eq/mL. - Abstract: The health of many Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) is adversely affected by exposure to blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis. K. brevis blooms are common in manatee habitats of Florida’s southwestern coast and produce a group of cyclic polyether toxins collectively referred to as red tide toxins, or brevetoxins. Although a large number of manatees exposed to significant levels of red tide toxins die, several manatees are rescued from sublethal exposure and are successfully treated and returned to the wild. Sublethal brevetoxin exposure may potentially impact the manatee immune system. Lymphocyte proliferative responses and a suite of immune function parameters in the plasma were used to evaluate effects of brevetoxin exposure on health of manatees rescued from natural exposure to red tide toxins in their habitat. Blood samples were collected from rescued manatees at Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, FL and from healthy, unexposed manatees in Crystal River, FL. Peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) isolated from whole blood were stimulated with T-cell mitogens, ConA and PHA. A suite of plasma parameters, including plasma protein electrophoresis profiles, lysozyme activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and reactive oxygen/nitrogen (ROS/RNS) species, was also used to assess manatee health. Significant decreases (p < 0.05) in lymphocyte proliferation were observed in ConA and PHA stimulated lymphocytes from rescued animals compared to non-exposed animals. Significant correlations were observed between oxidative stress markers (SOD, ROS/RNS) and plasma brevetoxin concentrations. Sublethal exposure to brevetoxins in the

  6. Ionizing radiation, antioxidant response and oxidative damage: A meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Einor, D; Bonisoli-Alquati, A; Costantini, D; Mousseau, T A; Møller, A P

    2016-04-01

    One mechanism proposed as a link between exposure to ionizing radiation and detrimental effects on organisms is oxidative damage. To test this hypothesis, we surveyed the scientific literature on the effects of chronic low-dose ionizing radiation (LDIR) on antioxidant responses and oxidative damage. We found 40 publications and 212 effect sizes for antioxidant responses and 288 effect sizes for effects of oxidative damage. We performed a meta-analysis of signed and unsigned effect sizes. We found large unsigned effects for both categories (0.918 for oxidative damage; 0.973 for antioxidant response). Mean signed effect size weighted by sample size was 0.276 for oxidative damage and -0.350 for antioxidant defenses, with significant heterogeneity among effects for both categories, implying that ionizing radiation caused small to intermediate increases in oxidative damage and small to intermediate decreases in antioxidant defenses. Our estimates are robust, as shown by very high fail-safe numbers. Species, biological matrix (tissue, blood, sperm) and age predicted the magnitude of effects for oxidative damage as well as antioxidant response. Meta-regression models showed that effect sizes for oxidative damage varied among species and age classes, while effect sizes for antioxidant responses varied among species and biological matrices. Our results are consistent with the description of mechanisms underlying pathological effects of chronic exposure to LDIR. Our results also highlight the importance of resistance to oxidative stress as one possible mechanism associated with variation in species responses to LDIR-contaminated areas. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Heme Oxygenase-1 Induction by Carbon Monoxide Releasing Molecule-3 Suppresses Interleukin-1β-Mediated Neuroinflammation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chih-Chung Lin

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Neurodegenerative disorders and brain damage are initiated by excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS, which leads to tissue injury, cellular death and inflammation. In cellular anti-oxidant systems, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1 is an oxidative-sensor protein induced by ROS generation or carbon monoxide (CO release. CO releasing molecules (CORMs, including CORM-3, exert anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. However, the molecular mechanisms of CORM-3-induced HO-1 expression and protection against interleukin (IL-1β-induced inflammatory responses have not been fully elucidated in rat brain astrocytes (RBA-1. To study the regulation of CORM-3-induced HO-1 expression, signaling pathways, promoter activity, mRNA and protein expression were assessed following treatment with pharmacological inhibitors and gene-specific siRNA knockdown. We found that CORM-3 mediated HO-1 induction via transcritional and translational processes. Furthermore, CORM-3-induced HO-1 expression was mediated by phosphorylation of several protein kinases, such as c-Src, Pyk2, protein kinase Cα (PKCα and p42/p44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK, which were inhibited by respective pharmacological inhibitors or by gene-specific knockdown with siRNA transfections. Next, we found that CORM-3 sequentially activated the c-Src/Pyk2/PKCα/p42/p44 MAPK pathway, thereby up-regulating mRNA for the activator protein (AP-1 components c-Jun and c-Fos; these effects were attenuated by an AP-1 inhibitor (Tanshinone IIA; TSIIA and other relevant inhibitors. Moreover, CORM-3-induced upregulation of HO-1 attenuated the IL-1β-induced cell migration and matrix metallopeptidase-9 mRNA expression in RBA-1 cells. These effects were reversed by an matrix metalloproteinase (MMP2/9 inhibitor or by transfection with HO-1 siRNA.

  8. Orthodontic forces induce the cytoprotective enzyme heme oxygenase-1 in rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christiaan M. Suttorp

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Orthodontic forces disturb the microenvironment of the periodontal ligament (PDL, and induce craniofacial bone remodeling which is necessary for tooth movement. Unfortunately, orthodontic tooth movement is often hampered by ischemic injury and cell death within the PDL (hyalinization and root resorption. Large inter-individual differences in hyalinization and root resorption have been observed, and may be explained by differential protection against hyalization. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1 forms an important protective mechanism by breaking down heme into the strong anti-oxidants biliverdin/bilirubin and the signaling molecule carbon monoxide. These versatile HO-products protect against ischemic and inflammatory injury. We postulate that orthodontic forces induce HO-1 expression in the PDL during experimental tooth movement. Twenty-five 6-week-old male Wistar rats were used in this study. The upper three molars at one side were moved mesially using a Ni-Ti 10 cN coil spring. The contralateral side served as control. After 6, 12, 72, 96 and 120 hrs rats were killed. On parasagittal sections immunohistochemical staining was performed for analysis of HO-1 expression and quantification of multinuclear osteoclasts. Orthodontic force induced a significant time-dependent HO-1 expression in the mononuclear cell population within the PDL at both the apposition- and resorption side. Shortly after appliance placement HO-1 expression was highly induced in PDL cells but dropped to control levels within 72 hours. Some osteoclasts were HO-1 positive but this induction was shown to be independent of time- and mechanical stress. It is tempting to speculate that differential induction of cytoprotective enzymes as HO-1 in the PDL determines the level of hyalinization and, subsequently, fast and slow tooth movers during orthodontic treatment.

  9. Orthodontic Forces Induce the Cytoprotective Enzyme Heme Oxygenase-1 in Rats

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suttorp, Christiaan M.; Xie, Rui; Lundvig, Ditte M. S.; Kuijpers-Jagtman, Anne Marie; Uijttenboogaart, Jasper Tom; Van Rheden, René; Maltha, Jaap C.; Wagener, Frank A. D. T. G.

    2016-01-01

    Orthodontic forces disturb the microenvironment of the periodontal ligament (PDL), and induce craniofacial bone remodeling which is necessary for tooth movement. Unfortunately, orthodontic tooth movement is often hampered by ischemic injury and cell death within the PDL (hyalinization) and root resorption. Large inter-individual differences in hyalinization and root resorption have been observed, and may be explained by differential protection against hyalinization. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) forms an important protective mechanism by breaking down heme into the strong anti-oxidants biliverdin/bilirubin and the signaling molecule carbon monoxide. These versatile HO-1 products protect against ischemic and inflammatory injury. We postulate that orthodontic forces induce HO-1 expression in the PDL during experimental tooth movement. Twenty-five 6-week-old male Wistar rats were used in this study. The upper three molars at one side were moved mesially using a Nickel-Titanium coil spring, providing a continuous orthodontic force of 10 cN. The contralateral side served as control. After 6, 12, 72, 96, and 120 h groups of rats were killed. On parasagittal sections immunohistochemical staining was performed for analysis of HO-1 expression and quantification of osteoclasts. Orthodontic force induced a significant time-dependent HO-1 expression in mononuclear cells within the PDL at both the apposition- and resorption side. Shortly after placement of the orthodontic appliance HO-1 expression was highly induced in PDL cells but dropped to control levels within 72 h. Some osteoclasts were also HO-1 positive but this induction was shown to be independent of time- and mechanical stress. It is tempting to speculate that differential induction of tissue protecting- and osteoclast activating genes in the PDL determine the level of bone resorption and hyalinization and, subsequently, “fast” and “slow” tooth movers during orthodontic treatment. PMID:27486402

  10. Orthodontic Forces Induce the Cytoprotective Enzyme Heme Oxygenase-1 in Rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suttorp, Christiaan M; Xie, Rui; Lundvig, Ditte M S; Kuijpers-Jagtman, Anne Marie; Uijttenboogaart, Jasper Tom; Van Rheden, René; Maltha, Jaap C; Wagener, Frank A D T G

    2016-01-01

    Orthodontic forces disturb the microenvironment of the periodontal ligament (PDL), and induce craniofacial bone remodeling which is necessary for tooth movement. Unfortunately, orthodontic tooth movement is often hampered by ischemic injury and cell death within the PDL (hyalinization) and root resorption. Large inter-individual differences in hyalinization and root resorption have been observed, and may be explained by differential protection against hyalinization. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) forms an important protective mechanism by breaking down heme into the strong anti-oxidants biliverdin/bilirubin and the signaling molecule carbon monoxide. These versatile HO-1 products protect against ischemic and inflammatory injury. We postulate that orthodontic forces induce HO-1 expression in the PDL during experimental tooth movement. Twenty-five 6-week-old male Wistar rats were used in this study. The upper three molars at one side were moved mesially using a Nickel-Titanium coil spring, providing a continuous orthodontic force of 10 cN. The contralateral side served as control. After 6, 12, 72, 96, and 120 h groups of rats were killed. On parasagittal sections immunohistochemical staining was performed for analysis of HO-1 expression and quantification of osteoclasts. Orthodontic force induced a significant time-dependent HO-1 expression in mononuclear cells within the PDL at both the apposition- and resorption side. Shortly after placement of the orthodontic appliance HO-1 expression was highly induced in PDL cells but dropped to control levels within 72 h. Some osteoclasts were also HO-1 positive but this induction was shown to be independent of time- and mechanical stress. It is tempting to speculate that differential induction of tissue protecting- and osteoclast activating genes in the PDL determine the level of bone resorption and hyalinization and, subsequently, "fast" and "slow" tooth movers during orthodontic treatment.

  11. Relationship of Heme Oxygenase-1 (HO-1 Level with Onset and Severity in Normotensive Pregnancy and Severe Preeclampsia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John Johannes Wantania

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: Preeclampsia still becomes a major problem in pregnancies. Various evidences showed that heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1 is very important in pregnancy. This study aims to understand the relationship of heme oxygenase-1 level with onset and severity in normotensive pregnancy and severe preeclampsia. Methods: This is a cross sectional analytic comparative study, the subjects consisted of 26 patients with normotensive pregnancies and 26 patients with severe preeclampsia. Blood samples from women with < 34 / ≥ 34 weeks’ normotensive pregnancies and women with severe preeclampsia were taken. HO-1 ELISA kit used to quantitate heme oxygenase-1 level in samples. Results: The level of heme oxygenase-1 in normotensive pregnant women < 34 weeks lower than severe preeclampsia pregnant women < 34 weeks (3.28 ± 0.46 ng/mL vs 4.20 ± 0.64 ng/mL, p=0.003, respectively. The median level of heme oxygenase-1 in normotensive pregnant women ≥ 34 weeks was 2.96 (2.41–4.39 ng/mL, while severe preeclampsia pregnant women ≥ 34 weeks was 3.52 (2.88–5.43 ng/mL, (p=0.040. The median level of heme oxygenase-1 in normotensive pregnant women was 3.04 (2.41–4.39 ng/mL, while severe preeclampsia pregnant women was 3.68 (2.88–5.67 ng/mL, (p=0.001. Conclusions: There is correlation between the incidence of severe preeclampsia with heme oxygenase-1 level in < 34 and ≥ 34 weeks of pregnancy. There is a significant difference between the level of heme oxygenase-1 in pregnant women with severe preeclampsia and in women with normotensive pregnancy. 

  12. Drug-enhanced carbon monoxide production from heme by cytochrome P450 reductase

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    Dragic Vukomanovic

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Carbon monoxide (CO formed endogenously is considered to be cytoprotective, and the vast majority of CO formation is attributed to the degradation of heme by heme oxygenases-1 and -2 (HO-1, HO-2. Previously, we observed that brain microsomes containing HO-2 produced many-fold more CO in the presence of menadione and its congeners; herein we explored these observations further. We determined the effects of various drugs on CO production of rat brain microsomes and recombinant human cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR; CO was measured by gas chromatography with reductive detection. Brain microsomes of Sprague-Dawley rats or recombinant human cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR were incubated with NADPH and various drugs in closed vials in phosphate buffer at pH 7.4 and 37°C. After 15 minutes, the reaction was stopped by cooling in dry ice, and the headspace gas was analyzed for CO production using gas chromatography with reductive (mercuric oxide detection. We observed drug-enhanced CO production in the presence of both microsomes and recombinant CPR alone; the presence of HO was not required. A range of structurally diverse drugs were capable of amplifying this CO formation; these molecules had structures consistent with redox cycling capability. The addition of catalase to a reaction mixture, that contained activating drugs, inhibited the production of CO. Drug-enhanced CO formation can be catalyzed by CPR. The mechanism of CPR activation was not through classical drug-receptor mediation. Redox cycling may be involved in the drug-induced amplification of CO production by CPR through the production of reactive oxygen species.

  13. Unsaturated Glycerophospholipids Mediate Heme Crystallization: Biological Implications for Hemozoin Formation in the Kissing Bug Rhodnius prolixus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stiebler, R.; Majerowicz, David; Knudsen, Jens

    2014-01-01

    Hemozoin (Hz) is a heme crystal produced by some blood-feeding organisms, as an efficient way to detoxify heme derived from hemoglobin digestion. In the triatomine insect Rhodnius prolixus, Hz is essentially produced by midgut extracellular phospholipid membranes known as perimicrovillar membrane...

  14. Effects and Responses to Spaceflight in the Mouse Retina

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zanello, Susana B.; Theriot, Corey; Westby, Christian; Boyle, Richard

    2011-01-01

    Several stress environmental factors are combined in a unique fashion during spaceflight, affecting living beings widely across their physiological systems. Recently, attention has been placed on vision changes in astronauts returning from long duration missions. Alterations include hyperoptic shift, globe flattening, choroidal folds and optic disc edema, which are probably associated with increased intracranial pressure. These observations justify a better characterization of the ocular health risks associated with spaceflight. This study investigates the impact of spaceflight on the biology of the mouse retina. Within a successful tissue sharing effort, eyes from albino Balb/cJ mice aboard STS-133 were collected for histological analysis and gene expression profiling of the retina at 1 and 7 days after landing. Both vivarium and AEM (Animal Enclosure Module) mice were used as ground controls. Oxidative stress-induced DNA damage was higher in the flight samples compared to controls on R+1, and decreased on R+7. A trend toward higher oxidative and cellular stress response gene expression was also observed on R+1 compared to AEM controls, and these levels decreased on R+7. Several genes coding for key antioxidant enzymes, namely, heme-oxygenase-1, peroxiredoxin, and catalase, were among those upregulated after flight. Likewise, NF B and TGFbeta1, were upregulated in one flight specimen that overall showed the most elevated oxidative stress markers on R+1. In addition, retinas from vivarium control mice evidenced higher oxidative stress markers, NF B and TGFbeta1, likely due to the more intense illumination in vivarium cages versus the AEM. These preliminary data suggest that spaceflight represents a source of environmental stress that translates into oxidative and cellular stress in the retina, which is partially reversible upon return to Earth. Further work is needed to dissect the contribution of the various spaceflight factors (microgravity, radiation) and to

  15. Heme oxygenase-1 comes back to endoplasmic reticulum

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Hong Pyo [School of Biological Sciences, Ulsan University (Korea, Republic of); Pae, Hyun-Ock [Department of Immunology, Wonkwang University School of Medicine (Korea, Republic of); Back, Sung Hun; Chung, Su Wol [School of Biological Sciences, Ulsan University (Korea, Republic of); Woo, Je Moon [Department of Opthalmology, Ulasn University Hospital (Korea, Republic of); Son, Yong [Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Wonkwang University School of Medicine (Korea, Republic of); Chung, Hun-Taeg, E-mail: chung@ulsan.ac.kr [School of Biological Sciences, Ulsan University (Korea, Republic of)

    2011-01-07

    Research highlights: {yields} Although multiple compartmentalization of HO-1 has been documented, the functional implication of this enzyme at these subcellular organelles is only partially elucidated. {yields} HO-1 expression at ER is induced by a diverse set of conditions that cause ER stressors. {yields} CO may induce HO-1 expression in human ECs by activating Nrf2 through PERK phosphorylation in a positive-feedback manner. {yields} ER-residing HO-1 and its cytoprotective activity against ER stress is discussed. -- Abstract: Originally identified as a rate-limiting enzyme for heme catabolism, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) has expanded its roles in anti-inflammation, anti-apoptosis and anti-proliferation for the last decade. Regulation of protein activity by location is well appreciated. Even though multiple compartmentalization of HO-1 has been documented, the functional implication of this enzyme at these subcellular organelles is only partially elucidated. In this review we discuss the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-residing HO-1 and its cytoprotective activity against ER stress.

  16. Involvement of heme oxygenase-1 expression in neuroprotection by piceatannol, a natural analog and a metabolite of resveratrol, against glutamate-mediated oxidative injury in HT22 neuronal cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Son, Yong; Byun, Seung Jae; Pae, Hyun-Ock

    2013-08-01

    Neuronal cell death caused by oxidative stress is common in a variety of neural diseases and can be investigated in detail in cultured HT22 neuronal cells, where the amino acid glutamate at high concentrations causes glutathione depletion by inhibition of the glutamate/cystine antiporter system, intracellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and eventually oxidative stress-induced neuronal cell death. Using this paradigm, we have previously reported that resveratrol (3,5,4'-trans-trihydroxystilbene) protects HT22 neuronal cells from glutamate-induced oxidative stress by inducing heme oxygenase (HO)-1 expression. Piceatannol (3,5,4',3'-trans-trihydroxystilbene), which is a hydroxylated resveratrol analog and one of the resveratrol metabolites, is estimated to exert neuroprotective effect similar to that of resveratrol. The aim of this study, thus, is to determine whether piceatannol, similarly to resveratrol, would protect HT22 neuronal cells from glutamate-induced oxidative stress. Glutamate at high concentrations induced neuronal cell death and ROS formation. Piceatannol reduced glutamate-induced cell death and ROS formation. The observed cytoprotective effect was much higher when HT22 neuronal cells were pretreated with piceatannol for 6 or 12 h prior to glutamate treatment than when pretreated for 0.5 h. Piceatannol also increased HO-1 expression and HO activity via its activation of nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Interestingly, neuroprotective effect of piceatannol was partly (but not completely) abolished by either down-regulation of HO-1 expression or blockage of HO-1 activity. Taken together, our results suggest that piceatannol, similar to resveratrol, is capable of protecting HT22 neuronal cells against glutamate-induced cell death, at least in part, by inducing Nrf2-dependent HO-1 expression.

  17. The induction of heme oxygenase-1 suppresses heat shock protein 90 and the proliferation of human breast cancer cells through its byproduct carbon monoxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Wen-Ying [Department of Pathology, Chi-Mei Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan (China); Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Chen, Yen-Chou [Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Shih, Chwen-Ming; Lin, Chun-Mao; Cheng, Chia-Hsiung; Chen, Ku-Chung [Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Lin, Cheng-Wei, E-mail: cwlin@tmu.edu.tw [Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (China)

    2014-01-01

    Heme oxygenase (HO)-1 is an oxidative stress-response enzyme which catalyzes the degradation of heme into bilirubin, ferric ion, and carbon monoxide (CO). Induction of HO-1 was reported to have antitumor activity; the inhibitory mechanism, however, is still unclear. In the present study, we found that treatment with [Ru(CO){sub 3}Cl{sub 2}]{sub 2} (RuCO), a CO-releasing compound, reduced the growth of human MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Analysis of growth-related proteins showed that treatment with RuCO down-regulated cyclinD1, CDK4, and hTERT protein expressions. Interestingly, RuCO treatment resulted in opposite effects on wild-type and mutant p53 proteins. These results were similar to those of cells treated with geldanamycin (a heat shock protein (HSP)90 inhibitor), suggesting that RuCO might affect HSP90 activity. Moreover, RuCO induced mutant p53 protein destabilization accompanied by promotion of ubiquitination and proteasome degradation. The induction of HO-1 by cobalt protoporphyrin IX (CoPP) showed consistent results, while the addition of tin protoporphyrin IX (SnPP), an HO-1 enzymatic inhibitor, diminished the RuCO-mediated effect. RuCO induction of HO-1 expression was reduced by a p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor (SB203580). Additionally, treatment with a chemopreventive compound, curcumin, induced HO-1 expression accompanied with reduction of HSP90 client protein expression. The induction of HO-1 by curcumin inhibited 12-O-tetradecanoyl-13-acetate (TPA)-elicited matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression and tumor invasion. In conclusion, we provide novel evidence underlying HO-1's antitumor mechanism. CO, a byproduct of HO-1, suppresses HSP90 protein activity, and the induction of HO-1 may possess potential as a cancer therapeutic. - Highlights: • CO and HO-1 inhibited the growth of human breast cancer cells. • CO and HO-1 attenuated HSP90 and its client proteins expression. • CO induced mutant p53 protein

  18. Modulation of vasodilator response via the nitric oxide pathway after acute methyl mercury chloride exposure in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Omanwar, S; Saidullah, B; Ravi, K; Fahim, M

    2013-01-01

    Mercury exposure induces endothelial dysfunction leading to loss of endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation due to decreased nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability via increased oxidative stress. Our aim was to investigate whether acute treatment with methyl mercury chloride changes the endothelium-dependent vasodilator response and to explore the possible mechanisms behind the observed effects. Wistar rats were treated with methyl mercury chloride (5 mg/kg, po.). The methyl mercury chloride treatment resulted in an increased aortic vasorelaxant response to acetylcholine (ACh). In methyl-mercury-chloride-exposed rats, the % change in vasorelaxant response of ACh in presence of Nω-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME; 10(-4) M) was significantly increased, and in presence of glybenclamide (10(-5) M), the response was similar to that of untreated rats, indicating the involvement of NO and not of endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF). In addition, superoxide dismutase (SOD) + catalase treatment increased the NO modulation of vasodilator response in methyl-mercury-chloride-exposed rats. Our results demonstrate an increase in the vascular reactivity to ACh in aorta of rats acutely exposed to methyl mercury chloride. Methyl mercury chloride induces nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and increases the NO production along with inducing oxidative stress without affecting the EDHF pathway.

  19. Modulation of Vasodilator Response via the Nitric Oxide Pathway after Acute Methyl Mercury Chloride Exposure in Rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Omanwar

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Mercury exposure induces endothelial dysfunction leading to loss of endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation due to decreased nitric oxide (NO bioavailability via increased oxidative stress. Our aim was to investigate whether acute treatment with methyl mercury chloride changes the endothelium-dependent vasodilator response and to explore the possible mechanisms behind the observed effects. Wistar rats were treated with methyl mercury chloride (5 mg/kg, po.. The methyl mercury chloride treatment resulted in an increased aortic vasorelaxant response to acetylcholine (ACh. In methyl-mercury-chloride-exposed rats, the % change in vasorelaxant response of ACh in presence of Nω-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME; 10-4 M was significantly increased, and in presence of glybenclamide (10-5 M, the response was similar to that of untreated rats, indicating the involvement of NO and not of endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF. In addition, superoxide dismutase (SOD + catalase treatment increased the NO modulation of vasodilator response in methyl-mercury-chloride-exposed rats. Our results demonstrate an increase in the vascular reactivity to ACh in aorta of rats acutely exposed to methyl mercury chloride. Methyl mercury chloride induces nitric oxide synthase (NOS and increases the NO production along with inducing oxidative stress without affecting the EDHF pathway.

  20. Synthesis of 5-hydroxyectoine from ectoine: crystal structure of the non-heme iron(II and 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase EctD.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Klaus Reuter

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available As a response to high osmolality, many microorganisms synthesize various types of compatible solutes. These organic osmolytes aid in offsetting the detrimental effects of low water activity on cell physiology. One of these compatible solutes is ectoine. A sub-group of the ectoine producer's enzymatically convert this tetrahydropyrimidine into a hydroxylated derivative, 5-hydroxyectoine. This compound also functions as an effective osmostress protectant and compatible solute but it possesses properties that differ in several aspects from those of ectoine. The enzyme responsible for ectoine hydroxylation (EctD is a member of the non-heme iron(II-containing and 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases (EC 1.14.11. These enzymes couple the decarboxylation of 2-oxoglutarate with the formation of a high-energy ferryl-oxo intermediate to catalyze the oxidation of the bound organic substrate. We report here the crystal structure of the ectoine hydroxylase EctD from the moderate halophile Virgibacillus salexigens in complex with Fe(3+ at a resolution of 1.85 A. Like other non-heme iron(II and 2-oxoglutarate dependent dioxygenases, the core of the EctD structure consists of a double-stranded beta-helix forming the main portion of the active-site of the enzyme. The positioning of the iron ligand in the active-site of EctD is mediated by an evolutionarily conserved 2-His-1-carboxylate iron-binding motif. The side chains of the three residues forming this iron-binding site protrude into a deep cavity in the EctD structure that also harbours the 2-oxoglutarate co-substrate-binding site. Database searches revealed a widespread occurrence of EctD-type proteins in members of the Bacteria but only in a single representative of the Archaea, the marine crenarchaeon Nitrosopumilus maritimus. The EctD crystal structure reported here can serve as a template to guide further biochemical and structural studies of this biotechnologically interesting enzyme family.

  1. Regulation of human heme oxygenase in endothelial cells by using sense and antisense retroviral constructs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quan, S; Yang, L; Abraham, N G; Kappas, A

    2001-10-09

    Our objective was to determine whether overexpression and underexpression of human heme oxygenase (HHO)-1 could be controlled on a long-term basis by introduction of the HO-1 gene in sense (S) and antisense (AS) orientation with an appropriate vector into endothelial cells. Retroviral vector (LXSN) containing viral long terminal repeat promoter-driven human HO-1 S (LSN-HHO-1) and LXSN vectors containing HHO-1 promoter (HOP)-controlled HHO-1 S and AS (LSN-HOP-HHO-1 and LSN-HOP-HHO-1-AS) sequences were constructed and used to transfect rat lung microvessel endothelial cells (RLMV cells) and human dermal microvessel endothelial cells (HMEC-1 cells). RLMV cells transduced with HHO-1 S expressed human HO-1 mRNA and HO-1 protein associated with elevation in total HO activity compared with nontransduced cells. Vector-mediated expression of HHO-1 S or AS under control of HOP resulted in effective production of HO-1 or blocked induction of endogenous human HO-1 in HMEC-1 cells, respectively. Overexpression of HO-1 AS was associated with a long-term decrease (45%) of endogenous HO-1 protein and an increase (167%) in unmetabolized exogenous heme in HMEC-1 cells. Carbon monoxide (CO) production in HO-1 S- or AS-transduced HMEC-1 cells after heme treatment was increased (159%) or decreased (50%), respectively, compared with nontransduced cells. HO-2 protein levels did not change. These findings demonstrate that HHO-1 S and AS retroviral constructs are functional in enhancing and reducing HO activity, respectively, and thus can be used to regulate cellular heme levels, the activity of heme-dependent enzymes, and the rate of heme catabolism to CO and bilirubin.

  2. Oxygen binding to partially nitrosylated hemoglobin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fago, Angela; Crumbliss, Alvin L; Hendrich, Michael P; Pearce, Linda L; Peterson, Jim; Henkens, Robert; Bonaventura, Celia

    2013-09-01

    Reactions of nitric oxide (NO) with hemoglobin (Hb) are important elements in protection against nitrosative damage. NO in the vasculature is depleted by the oxidative reaction with oxy Hb or by binding to deoxy Hb to generate partially nitrosylated Hb (Hb-NO). Many aspects of the formation and persistence of Hb-NO are yet to be clarified. In this study, we used a combination of EPR and visible absorption spectroscopy to investigate the interactions of partially nitrosylated Hb with O2. Partially nitrosylated Hb samples had predominantly hexacoordinate NO-heme geometry and resisted oxidation when exposed to O2 in the absence of anionic allosteric effectors. Faster oxidation occurred in the presence of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (DPG) or inositol hexaphosphate (IHP), where the NO-heme derivatives had higher levels of pentacoordinate heme geometry. The anion-dependence of the NO-heme geometry also affected O2 binding equilibria. O2-binding curves of partially nitrosylated Hb in the absence of anions were left-shifted at low saturations, indicating destabilization of the low O2 affinity T-state of the Hb by increasing percentages of NO-heme, much as occurs with increasing levels of CO-heme. Samples containing IHP showed small decreases in O2 affinity, indicating shifts toward the low-affinity T-state and formation of inert α-NO/β-met tetramers. Most remarkably, O2-equilibria in the presence of the physiological effector DPG were essentially unchanged by up to 30% NO-heme in the samples. As will be discussed, under physiological conditions the interactions of Hb with NO provide protection against nitrosative damage without impairing O2 transport by Hb's unoccupied heme sites. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Oxygen Binding and Sensing Proteins. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. [The relationship of empathic-affective responses toward others' positive affect with prosocial behaviors and aggressive behaviors].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakurai, Shigeo; Hayama, Daichi; Suzuki, Takashi; Kurazumi, Tomoe; Hagiwara, Toshihiko; Suzuki, Miyuki; Ohuchi, Akiko; Chizuko, Oikawa

    2011-06-01

    The purposes of this study were to develop and validate the Empathic-Affective Response Scale, and to examine the relationship of empathic-affective responses with prosocial behaviors and aggressive behaviors. Undergraduate students (N = 443) participated in a questionnaire study. The results of factor analysis indicated that empathic-affective responses involved three factors: (a) sharing and good feeling toward others' positive affect, (b) sharing of negative affect and (c) sympathy toward others' negative affect. Correlations with other empathy-related scales and internal consistency suggested that this scale has satisfactory validity and reliability. Cluster analysis revealed that participants were clustered into four groups: high-empathic group, low-empathic group, insufficient positive affective response group and insufficient negative affective response group. Additional analysis showed the frequency of prosocial behaviors in high-empathic group was highest in all groups. On the other hand, the frequency of aggressive behaviors in both insufficient positive affective response group and low-empathic group were higher than others' groups. The results indicated that empathic-affective responses toward positive affect are also very important to predict prosocial behaviors and aggressive behaviors.

  4. Coordination Chemistry of Linear Oligopyrrolic Fragments Inspired by Heme Metabolites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gautam, Ritika

    Linear oligopyrroles are degradation products of heme, which is converted in the presence of heme oxygenase to bile pigments, such as biliverdin and bilirubin. These tetrapyrrolic oligopyrroles are ubiquitously present in biological systems and find applications in the fields of catalysis and sensing. These linear tetrapyrrolic scaffolds are further degraded into linear tripyrrolic and dipyrrolic fragments. Although these lower oligopyrroles are abundantly present, their coordination chemistry requires further characterization. This dissertation focuses mainly on two classes of bioinspired linear oligopyrroles, propentdyopent and tripyrrindione, and their transition metal complexes, which present a rich ligand-based redox chemistry. Chapter 1 offers an overview of heme degradation to different classes of linear oligopyrroles and properties of their transition metal complexes. Chapter 2 is focused on the tripyrrin-1,14-dione scaffold of the urinary pigment uroerythrin, which coordinates divalent transition metals palladium and copper with square planar geometry. Specifically, the tripyrrin-1, 14-dione ligand binds Cu(II) and Pd(II) as a dianionic organic radical under ambient conditions. The electrochemical study confirms the presence of ligand based redox chemistry, and one electron oxidation or reduction reactions do not alter the planar geometry around the metal center. The X-Ray analysis and the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies of the complexes in the solid and solution phase reveals intermolecular interactions between the ligand based unpaired electrons and therefore formation of neutral pi-pi dimers. In Chapter 3, the antioxidant activity and the fluorescence sensor properties of the tripyrrin-1,14-dione ligand in the presence of superoxide are described. We found that the tripyrrindione ligand undergoes one-electron reduction in the presence of the superoxide radical anion (O2•- ) to form highly fluorescent H3TD1•- radical anion, which emits

  5. AN ELISA ASSAY FOR HEME OXYGENASE (HO-1)

    Science.gov (United States)

    An ELISA assay for heme oxygenase (HO-l ) Abstract A double antibody capture ELISA for the HO-l protein has been developed to separately quantitate HO-I protein. The use of 2.5% NP40 detergent greatly assists in freeing HO-l protein from membranes and/or other cel...

  6. Polyanionic pH-responsive polystyrene-b-poly(4-vinyl pyridine-N-oxide) isoporous membranes

    KAUST Repository

    Shevate, Rahul

    2015-12-01

    Recently isoporous block copolymer (BCP) membranes obtained by non-solvent induced phase separation gained a lot of attention due to their highly ordered surface layer, high flux and superior separation properties. These polystyrene-b-poly-4-vinylpyridine (PS-b-P4VP) based membranes showed a strong flux dependence of pH; pores closed at low pH and opened at high pH. The pH-response could now be reversed by a simple post modification; pores are now opening at low pH and closing at high pH. The original membrane was transformed into a polyanionic pH responsive membrane in a one step chemical modification without affecting the isoporous surface morphology. A polystyrene-b-poly-4-vinylpyridine-N-oxide (PS-b-P4VPN-oxide) membrane is obtained by selective oxidation of the PS-b-P4VP membrane. The in situ generated peracid obtained by reacting acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide is employed for oxidation. Surprisingly not only the asymmetric membrane structure with the isoporous skin was retained, but also the mechanical and chemical membrane stability was improved significantly. The modified membranes are insoluble in solvents like DMF, NMP and DMSO. Two kinds of PS-b-P4VP based isoporous membranes are available now with reverse flux response to pH. This opens the door to new interesting charge based fractionations.

  7. Meat processing and colon carcinogenesis: cooked, nitrite-treated, and oxidized high-heme cured meat promotes mucin-depleted foci in rats

    OpenAIRE

    Santarelli, Raphaëlle L; Vendeuvre, Jean-Luc; Naud, Nathalie; Taché, Sylviane; Guéraud, Françoise; Viau, Michelle; Genot, Claude; Corpet, Denis E; Pierre, Fabrice H F

    2010-01-01

    International audience; Processed meat intake is associated with colorectal cancer risk, but no experimental study supports the epidemiologic evidence. To study the effect of meat processing on carcinogenesis promotion, we first did a 14-day study with 16 models of cured meat. Studied factors, in a 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 design, were muscle color (a proxy for heme level), processing temperature, added nitrite, and packaging. Fischer 344 rats were fed these 16 diets, and we evaluated fecal and urinary ...

  8. Distinctive Oxidative Stress Responses to Hydrogen Peroxide in Sulfate Reducing Bacteria Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou, Aifen; He, Zhili; Redding, A.M.; Mukhopadhyay, Aindrila; Hemme, Christopher L.; Joachimiak, Marcin P.; Bender, Kelly S.; Keasling, Jay D.; Stahl, David A.; Fields, Matthew W.; Hazen, Terry C.; Arkin, Adam P.; Wall, Judy D.; Zhou, Jizhong

    2009-01-01

    Response of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, 1 mM) was investigated with transcriptomic, proteomic and genetic approaches. Microarray data demonstrated that gene expression was extensively affected by H2O2 with the response peaking at 120 min after H2O2 treatment. Genes affected include those involved with energy production, sulfate reduction, ribosomal structure and translation, H2O2 scavenging, posttranslational modification and DNA repair as evidenced by gene coexpression networks generated via a random matrix-theory based approach. Data from this study support the hypothesis that both PerR and Fur play important roles in H2O2-induced oxidative stress response. First, both PerR and Fur regulon genes were significantly up-regulated. Second, predicted PerR regulon genes ahpC and rbr2 were derepressedin Delta PerR and Delta Fur mutants and induction of neither gene was observed in both Delta PerR and Delta Fur when challenged with peroxide, suggesting possible overlap of these regulons. Third, both Delta PerR and Delta Fur appeared to be more tolerant of H2O2 as measured by optical density. Forth, proteomics data suggested de-repression of Fur during the oxidative stress response. In terms of the intracellular enzymatic H2O2 scavenging, gene expression data suggested that Rdl and Rbr2 may play major roles in the detoxification of H2O2. In addition, induction of thioredoxin reductase and thioredoxin appeared to be independent of PerR and Fur. Considering all data together, D. vulgaris employed a distinctive stress resistance mechanism to defend against increased cellular H2O2, and the temporal gene expression changes were consistent with the slowdown of cell growth at the onset of oxidative stress.

  9. Catalytic enhancement of the heme-based oxygen-sensing phosphodiesterase EcDOS by hydrogen sulfide is caused by changes in heme coordination structure

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Yang, F.; Fojtíková, V.; Man, Petr; Stráňava, M.; Martínková, M.; Du, Y.; Huang, D.; Shimizu, T.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 28, č. 4 (2015), s. 637-652 ISSN 0966-0844 Grant - others:OPPC(XE) CZ.2.16/3.1.00/24023 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 Keywords : Heme * O-2 sensor * Phosphodiesterase Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry Impact factor: 2.134, year: 2015

  10. Efficiency and Loading Evaluation of High Efficiency Mist Eliminators (HEME) - 12003

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Giffin, Paxton K.; Parsons, Michael S.; Waggoner, Charles A. [Institute for Clean Energy Technology, Mississippi State University, 205 Research Blvd Starkville, MS 39759 (United States)

    2012-07-01

    High efficiency mist eliminators (HEME) are filters primarily used to remove moisture and/or liquid aerosols from an air stream. HEME elements are designed to reduce aerosol and particulate load on primary High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters and to have a liquid particle removal efficiency of approximately 99.5% for aerosols down to sub-micron size particulates. The investigation presented here evaluates the loading capacity of the element in the absence of a water spray cleaning system. The theory is that without the cleaning system, the HEME element will suffer rapid buildup of solid aerosols, greatly reducing the particle loading capacity. Evaluation consists of challenging the element with a waste surrogate dry aerosol and di-octyl phthalate (DOP) at varying intervals of differential pressure to examine the filtering efficiency of three different element designs at three different media velocities. Also, the elements are challenged with a liquid waste surrogate using Laskin nozzles and large dispersion nozzles. These tests allow the loading capacity of the unit to be determined and the effectiveness of washing down the interior of the elements to be evaluated. (authors)

  11. Role of distal arginine in early sensing intermediates in the heme domain of the oxygen sensor FixL.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jasaitis, Audrius; Hola, Klara; Bouzhir-Sima, Latifa; Lambry, Jean-Christophe; Balland, Veronique; Vos, Marten H; Liebl, Ursula

    2006-05-16

    FixL is a bacterial heme-based oxygen sensor, in which release of oxygen from the sensing PAS domain leads to activation of an associated kinase domain. Static structural studies have suggested an important role of the conserved residue arginine 220 in signal transmission at the level of the heme domain. To assess the role of this residue in the dynamics and properties of the initial intermediates in ligand release, we have investigated the effects of R220X (X = I, Q, E, H, or A) mutations in the FixLH heme domain on the dynamics and spectral properties of the heme upon photolysis of O(2), NO, and CO using femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. Comparison of transient spectra for CO and NO dissociation with steady-state spectra indicated less strain on the heme in the ligand dissociation species for all mutants compared to the wild type (WT). For CO and NO, the kinetics were similar to those of the wild type, with the exception of (1) a relatively low yield of picosecond NO rebinding to R220A, presumably related to the increase in the free volume of the heme pocket, and (2) substantial pH-dependent picosecond to nanosecond rebinding of CO to R220H, related to formation of a hydrogen bond between CO and histidine 220. Upon excitation of the complex bound with the physiological sensor ligand O(2), a 5-8 ps decay phase and a nondecaying (>4 ns) phase were observed for WT and all mutants. The strong distortion of the spectrum associated with the decay phase in WT is substantially diminished in all mutant proteins, indicating an R220-induced role of the heme in the primary intermediate in signal transmission. Furthermore, the yield of dissociated oxygen after this phase ( approximately 10% in WT) is increased in all mutants, up to almost unity in R220A, indicating a key role of R220 in caging the oxygen near the heme through hydrogen bonding. Molecular dynamics simulations corroborate these findings and suggest motions of O(2) and arginine 220 away from the heme

  12. Aldoxime dehydratase: probing the heme environment involved in the synthesis of the carbon-nitrogen triple bond.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinakoulaki, Eftychia; Koutsoupakis, Constantinos; Sawai, Hitomi; Pavlou, Andrea; Kato, Yasuo; Asano, Yasuhisa; Aono, Shigetoshi

    2011-11-10

    Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, "light" minus "dark" difference FTIR spectra, and time-resolved step-scan (TRS(2)) FTIR spectra are reported for carbonmonoxy aldoxime dehydratase. Two C-O modes of heme at 1945 and 1964 cm(-1) have been identified and remained unchanged in H(2)O/D(2)O exchange and in the pH 5.6-8.5 range, suggesting the presence of two conformations at the active site. The observed C-O frequencies are 5 and 16 cm(-1) lower and higher, respectively, than that obtained previously (Oinuma, K.-I.; et al. FEBS Lett.2004, 568, 44-48). We suggest that the strength of the Fe-His bond and the neutralization of the negatively charged propionate groups modulate the ν(Fe-CO)/ν(CO) back-bonding correlation. The "light" minus "dark" difference FTIR spectra indicate that the heme propionates are in both the protonated and deprotonated forms, and the photolyzed CO becomes trapped within a ligand docking site (ν(CO) = 2138 cm(-1)). The TRS(2)-FTIR spectra show that the rate of recombination of CO to the heme is k(1945 cm(-1)) = 126 ± 20 s(-1) and k(1964 cm(-1)) = 122 ± 20 s(-1) at pH 5.6, and k(1945 cm(-1)) = 148 ± 30 s(-1) and k(1964 cm(-1)) = 158 ± 32 s(-1) at pH 8.5. The rate of decay of the heme propionate vibrations is on a time scale coincident with the rate of rebinding, suggesting that there is a coupling between ligation dynamics in the distal heme environment and the environment sensed by the heme propionates. The implications of these results with respect to the proximal His-Fe heme environment including the propionates and the positively charged or proton-donating residues in the distal pocket which are crucial for the synthesis of nitriles are discussed.

  13. Oxidative Stress Implications in the Affective Disorders: Main Biomarkers, Animal Models Relevance, Genetic Perspectives, and Antioxidant Approaches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balmus, Ioana Miruna; Ciobica, Alin; Antioch, Iulia; Dobrin, Romeo; Timofte, Daniel

    2016-01-01

    The correlation between the affective disorders and the almost ubiquitous pathological oxidative stress can be described in a multifactorial way, as an important mechanism of central nervous system impairment. Whether the obvious changes which occur in oxidative balance of the affective disorders are a part of the constitutive mechanism or a collateral effect yet remains as an interesting question. However it is now clear that oxidative stress is a component of these disorders, being characterized by different aspects in a disease-dependent manner. Still, there are a lot of controversies regarding the relevance of the oxidative stress status in most of the affective disorders and despite the fact that most of the studies are showing that the affective disorders development can be correlated to increased oxidative levels, there are various studies stating that oxidative stress is not linked with the mood changing tendencies. Thus, in this minireview we decided to describe the way in which oxidative stress is involved in the affective disorders development, by focusing on the main oxidative stress markers that could be used mechanistically and therapeutically in these deficiencies, the genetic perspectives, some antioxidant approaches, and the relevance of some animal models studies in this context.

  14. Nitrous oxide emissions affected by biochar and nitrogen stabilizers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Both biochar and N fertilizer stabilizers (N transformation inhibitors) are potential strategies to reduce nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from fertilization, but the mechanisms and/or N transformation processes affecting the N dynamics are not fully understood. This research investigated N2O emission...

  15. Binding of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Apo-Bacterioferritin Associated Ferredoxin to Bacterioferritin B Promotes Heme Mediation of Electron Delivery and Mobilization of Core Mineral Iron†

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weeratunga, Saroja K.; Gee, Casey E.; Lovell, Scott; Zeng, Yuhong; Woodin, Carrie L.; Rivera, Mario

    2009-01-01

    The bfrB gene from Pseudomonas aeruginosa was cloned and expressed in E. coli. The resultant protein (BfrB), which assembles into a 445.3 kDa complex0020from 24 identical subunits, binds 12 molecules of heme axially coordinated by two Met residues. BfrB, isolated with 5–10 iron atoms per protein molecule, was reconstituted with ferrous ions to prepare samples with a core mineral containing 600 ± 40 ferric ions per BfrB molecule and approximately one phosphate molecule per iron atom. In the presence of sodium dithionite or in the presence of P. aeruginosa ferredoxin NADP reductase (FPR) and NADPH the heme in BfrB remains oxidized and the core iron mineral is mobilized sluggishly. In stark contrast, addition of NADPH to a solution containing BfrB, FPR and the apo-form of P. aeruginosa bacterioferritin associated ferredoxin (apo-Bfd) results in rapid reduction of the heme in BfrB and in the efficient mobilization of the core iron mineral. Results from additional experimentation indicate that Bfd must bind to BfrB to promote heme mediation of electrons from the surface to the core to support the efficient mobilization of ferrous ions from BfrB. In this context, the thus far mysterious role of heme in bacterioferritins has been brought to the front by reconstituting BfrB with its physiological partner, apo-Bfd. These findings are discussed in the context of a model for the utilization of stored iron in which the significant upregulation of the bfd gene under low-iron conditions [Ochsner, U.A., Wilderman, P.J., Vasil, A.I., and Vasil, M.L. (2002) Mol. Microbiol. 45, 1277–1287] ensures sufficient concentrations of apo-Bfd to bind BfrB and unlock the iron stored in its core. Although these findings are in contrast to previous speculations suggesting redox mediation of electron transfer by holo-Bfd, the ability of apo-Bfd to promote iron mobilization is an economical strategy used by the cell because it obviates the need to further deplete cellular iron levels to

  16. Structure-Function Relationships in the Gas-Sensing Heme-Dependent Transcription Factors RcoM and DNR

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowman, Hannah E.

    Transition metals play an important role in many biological processes, however, they are also toxic at high concentrations. Therefore, the uptake and efflux of these metals must be tightly regulated by the cell. Bacteria have evolved a variety of pathways and regulatory systems to monitor the presence and concentration of metals in the cellular environment. A key component of those systems are transcription factors that either "sense metals" or use "metal sensors". The first class of these proteins have metals as their allosteric effector ligand. The second class of these proteins utilize transition metal containing cofactors to sense other environmental cues through the specific chemistry afforded by the cofactor. Chapter 1 reviews the current literature regarding both types of transcription factors. The focus of this work has been on two heme-containing, gas-sensing transcription factors found in bacteria, RcoM (regulator of CO metabolism) and DNR (dissimilative nitrate respiration regulator). RcoM is a CO-dependent protein found in Burkholderia xenovorans and sits upstream of the cox operon for oxidative CO metabolism. RcoM senses the presence of CO, as well as changes in redox potential, through a ligand switch process at its heme cofactor. Chapter 2 details spectroscopic characterization of several methionine mutants to identify the Fe(II) ligand trans to His 74. That study concludes that Met104 acts as the CO-replacable ligand. Met105, while not the ligand, does play an important role in reversibility of the ligand switch process. RcoM has a unique tertiary structure that combines a sensory domain and a DNA-binding domain normally found in two-component systems. Chapter 3 provides evidence that RcoM adopts a dimeric state. Further biophysical and structural characterization gives further insight into how the two domains are organized and the implications for the DNA-binding mechanism. DNR is a NO-sensing transcription factor from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and

  17. Unraveling uranium induced oxidative stress related responses in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. Part II: responses in the leaves and general conclusions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanhoudt, Nathalie; Cuypers, Ann; Horemans, Nele; Remans, Tony; Opdenakker, Kelly; Smeets, Karen; Bello, Daniel Martinez; Havaux, Michel; Wannijn, Jean; Van Hees, May; Vangronsveld, Jaco; Vandenhove, Hildegarde

    2011-06-01

    The cellular redox balance seems an important modulator under heavy metal stress. While for other heavy metals these processes are well studied, oxidative stress related responses are also known to be triggered under uranium stress but information remains limited. This study aimed to further unravel the mechanisms by which plants respond to uranium stress. Seventeen-day-old Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings, grown on a modified Hoagland solution under controlled conditions, were exposed to 0, 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 μM uranium for 1, 3 and 7 days. While in Part I of this study oxidative stress related responses in the roots were discussed, this second Part II discusses oxidative stress related responses in the leaves and general conclusions drawn from the results of the roots and the leaves will be presented. As several responses were already visible following 1 day exposure, when uranium concentrations in the leaves were negligible, a root-to-shoot signaling system was suggested in which plastids could be important sensing sites. While lipid peroxidation, based on the amount of thiobarbituric acid reactive compounds, was observed after exposure to 100 μM uranium, affecting membrane structure and function, a transient concentration dependent response pattern was visible for lipoxygenase initiated lipid peroxidation. This transient character of uranium stress responses in leaves was emphasized by results of lipoxygenase (LOX2) and antioxidative enzyme transcript levels, enzyme capacities and glutathione concentrations both in time as with concentration. The ascorbate redox balance seemed an important modulator of uranium stress responses in the leaves as in addition to the previous transient responses, the total ascorbate concentration and ascorbate/dehydroascorbate redox balance increased in a concentration and time dependent manner. This could represent either a slow transient response or a stable increase with regard to plant acclimation to uranium stress. Copyright

  18. Unraveling uranium induced oxidative stress related responses in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. Part II: responses in the leaves and general conclusions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vanhoudt, Nathalie, E-mail: nvanhoud@sckcen.be [Belgian Nuclear Research Center (SCK-CEN), Biosphere Impact Studies, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol (Belgium); Hasselt University, Environmental Biology, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek (Belgium); Cuypers, Ann [Hasselt University, Environmental Biology, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek (Belgium); Horemans, Nele [Belgian Nuclear Research Center (SCK-CEN), Biosphere Impact Studies, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol (Belgium); Remans, Tony; Opdenakker, Kelly; Smeets, Karen [Hasselt University, Environmental Biology, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek (Belgium); Bello, Daniel Martinez [Hasselt University, Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek (Belgium); Havaux, Michel [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique (CEA)/Cadarache, Direction des Sciences du Vivant, Departement d' Ecophysiologie Vegetale et de Microbiologie, Laboratoire d' Ecophysiologie de la Photosynthese, 13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Wannijn, Jean; Van Hees, May [Belgian Nuclear Research Center (SCK-CEN), Biosphere Impact Studies, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol (Belgium); Vangronsveld, Jaco [Hasselt University, Environmental Biology, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek (Belgium); Vandenhove, Hildegarde [Belgian Nuclear Research Center (SCK-CEN), Biosphere Impact Studies, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol (Belgium)

    2011-06-15

    The cellular redox balance seems an important modulator under heavy metal stress. While for other heavy metals these processes are well studied, oxidative stress related responses are also known to be triggered under uranium stress but information remains limited. This study aimed to further unravel the mechanisms by which plants respond to uranium stress. Seventeen-day-old Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings, grown on a modified Hoagland solution under controlled conditions, were exposed to 0, 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 {mu}M uranium for 1, 3 and 7 days. While in Part I of this study oxidative stress related responses in the roots were discussed, this second Part II discusses oxidative stress related responses in the leaves and general conclusions drawn from the results of the roots and the leaves will be presented. As several responses were already visible following 1 day exposure, when uranium concentrations in the leaves were negligible, a root-to-shoot signaling system was suggested in which plastids could be important sensing sites. While lipid peroxidation, based on the amount of thiobarbituric acid reactive compounds, was observed after exposure to 100 {mu}M uranium, affecting membrane structure and function, a transient concentration dependent response pattern was visible for lipoxygenase initiated lipid peroxidation. This transient character of uranium stress responses in leaves was emphasized by results of lipoxygenase (LOX2) and antioxidative enzyme transcript levels, enzyme capacities and glutathione concentrations both in time as with concentration. The ascorbate redox balance seemed an important modulator of uranium stress responses in the leaves as in addition to the previous transient responses, the total ascorbate concentration and ascorbate/dehydroascorbate redox balance increased in a concentration and time dependent manner. This could represent either a slow transient response or a stable increase with regard to plant acclimation to uranium stress

  19. Chemical-induced coordinated and reciprocal changes in heme metabolism, cytochrome P450 synthesis and others in the liver of humans and rodents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshida, Takemi; Ashino, Takashi; Kobayashi, Yasuna

    2016-01-01

    A wide variety of drugs and chemicals have been shown to produce induction and inhibition of heme-metabolizing enzymes, and of drug-metabolizing enzymes, including cytochrome P450s (P450s, CYPs), which consist of many molecular species with lower substrate specificity. Such chemically induced enzyme alterations are coordinately or reciprocally regulated through the same and/or different signal transductions. From the toxicological point of view, these enzymatic changes sometimes exacerbate inherited diseases, such as precipitation of porphyrogenic attacks, although the induction of these enzymes is dependent on the animal species in response to the differences in the stimuli of the liver, where they are also metabolized by P450s. Since P450s are hemoproteins, their induction and/or inhibition by chemical compounds could be coordinately accompanied by heme synthesis and/or inhibition. This review will take a retrospective view of research works carried out in our department and current findings on chemical-induced changes in hepatic heme metabolism in many places, together with current knowledge. Specifically, current beneficial aspects of induction of heme oxygenase-1, a rate-limiting heme degradation enzyme, and its relation to reciprocal and coordinated changes in P450s, with special reference to CYP2A5, in the liver are discussed. Mechanistic studies are also summarized in relation to current understanding on these aspects. Emphasis is also paid to an example of a single chemical compound that could cause various changes by mediating multiple signal transduction systems. Current toxicological studies have been developing by utilizing a sophisticated "omics" technology and survey integrated changes in the tissues produced by the administration of a chemical, even in time- and dose-dependent manners. Toxicological studies are generally carried out step by step to determine and elucidate mechanisms produced by drugs and chemicals. Such approaches are correct

  20. The role of oxidative stress and inflammatory response in the pathogenesis of mastitis in dairy cows

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nino Maćešić

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Mastitis is one of the most frequent diseases of dairy cows throughout the world, therefore it causes the greatest economic losses in dairy cattle industry. These losses are reflected through: reduced milk production, increased costs of medication and the other animal health services, reduced fertility, early culling of animals and the value of discarded milk. Mastitis is also important from the aspects of public health, milk processing and animal welfare. In the pathogenesis of mastitis the key role plays the innate immune response which is the first line of defence against the pathogen invasion of the udder. The innate immune response generates an inflammatory reaction which is the elementary response of an organism to the tissue trauma induced by any physical, chemical or biological causative agent, but primarily it is the protective mechanism of a vital significance which includes increased phagocytic activity, secretion of antimicrobial substances, fibrosis as well as the alterations in tissue structure of affected organ or body cavity. The release of a number of inflammatory mediators as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS is an important part of inflammatory response. In dairy cows, the metabolic challenge that occurred during the transition from dry period to early lactation may additionally increase the release of ROS which may contribute to development of oxidative stress and inflammatory response. Oxidative stress is defined as a shift in the balance from cellular oxidation-reduction reactions towards oxidation, i.e. to the state of excessive release of oxidants when their removal by antioxidants is impaired and even insufficient. During peripartum period antioxidantive status of dairy cows is seriously impaired and consequently both the oxidative stress and inflammatory response may present the predisposing factors to their higher susceptibility to intramammary infections (IMI and mastitis. This association between oxidative stress

  1. The role of oxidative stress and inflammatory response in the pathogenesis of mastitis in dairy cows

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Romana Turk

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Mastitis is one of the most frequent diseases of dairy cows throughout the world, therefore it causes the greatest economic losses in dairy cattle industry. These losses are reflected through: reduced milk production, increased costs of medication and the other animal health services, reduced fertility, early culling of animals and the value of discarded milk. Mastitis is also important from the aspects of public health, milk processing and animal welfare. In the pathogenesis of mastitis the key role plays the innate immune response which is the first line of defence against the pathogen invasion of the udder. The innate immune response generates an inflammatory reaction which is the elementary response of an organism to the tissue trauma induced by any physical, chemical or biological causative agent, but primarily it is the protective mechanism of a vital significance which includes increased phagocytic activity, secretion of antimicrobial substances, fibrosis as well as the alterations in tissue structure of affected organ or body cavity. The release of a number of inflammatory mediators as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS is an important part of inflammatory response. In dairy cows, the metabolic challenge that occurred during the transition from dry period to early lactation may additionally increase the release of ROS which may contribute to development of oxidative stress and inflammatory response. Oxidative stress is defined as a shift in the balance from cellular oxidation-reduction reactions towards oxidation, i.e. to the state of excessive release of oxidants when their removal by antioxidants is impaired and even insufficient. During peripartum period antioxidantive status of dairy cows is seriously impaired and consequently both the oxidative stress and inflammatory response may present the predisposing factors to their higher susceptibility to intramammary infections (IMI and mastitis. This association between oxidative stress

  2. Molecular Computational Investigation of Electron Transfer Kinetics across Cytochrome-Iron Oxide Interfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kerisit, Sebastien N.; Rosso, Kevin M.; Dupuis, Michel; Valiev, Marat

    2007-01-01

    The interface between electron transfer proteins such as cytochromes and solid phase mineral oxides is central to the activity of dissimilatory-metal reducing bacteria. A combination of potential-based molecular dynamics simulations and ab initio electronic structure calculations are used in the framework of Marcus' electron transfer theory to compute elementary electron transfer rates from a well-defined cytochrome model, namely the small tetraheme cytochrome (STC) from Shewanella oneidensis, to surfaces of the iron oxide mineral hematite (a-Fe2O3). Room temperature molecular dynamics simulations show that an isolated STC molecule favors surface attachment via direct contact of hemes I and IV at the poles of the elongated axis, with electron transfer distances as small as 9 Angstroms. The cytochrome remains attached to the mineral surface in the presence of water and shows limited surface diffusion at the interface. Ab initio electronic coupling matrix element (VAB) calculations of configurations excised from the molecular dynamics simulations reveal VAB values ranging from 1 to 20 cm-1, consistent with nonadiabaticity. Using these results, together with experimental data on the redox potential of hematite and hemes in relevant cytochromes and calculations of the reorganization energy from cluster models, we estimate the rate of electron transfer across this model interface to range from 1 to 1000 s-1 for the most exothermic driving force considered in this work, and from 0.01 to 20 s-1 for the most endothermic. This fairly large range of electron transfer rates highlights the sensitivity of the rate upon the electronic coupling matrix element, which is in turn dependent on the fluctuations of the heme configuration at the interface. We characterize this dependence using an idealized bis-imidazole heme to compute from first principles the VAB variation due to porphyrin ring orientation, electron transfer distance, and mineral surface termination. The electronic

  3. Involvement of Heme Oxygenase-1 Induction in the Cytoprotective and Immunomodulatory Activities of Viola patrinii in Murine Hippocampal and Microglia Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bin Li

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available A number of diseases that lead to injury of the central nervous system are caused by oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain. In this study, NNMBS275, consisting of the ethanol extract of Viola patrinii, showed potent antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activity in murine hippocampal HT22 cells and BV2 microglia. NNMBS275 increased cellular resistance to oxidative injury caused by glutamate-induced neurotoxicity and reactive oxygen species generation in HT22 cells. In addition, the anti-inflammatory effects of NNMBS275 were demonstrated by the suppression of proinflammatory mediators, including proinflammatory enzymes (inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 and cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β. Furthermore, we found that the neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of NNMBS275 were linked to the upregulation of nuclear transcription factor-E2-related factor 2-dependent expression of heme oxygenase-1 in HT22 and BV2 cells. These results suggest that NNMBS275 possesses therapeutic potential against neurodegenerative diseases that are induced by oxidative stress and neuroinflammation.

  4. Early life stress affects mortality rate more than social behavior, gene expression or oxidative damage in honey bee workers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rueppell, Olav; Yousefi, Babak; Collazo, Juan; Smith, Daniel

    2017-04-01

    Early life stressors can affect aging and life expectancy in positive or negative ways. Individuals can adjust their behavior and molecular physiology based on early life experiences but relatively few studies have connected such mechanisms to demographic patterns in social organisms. Sociality buffers individuals from environmental influences and it is unclear how much early life stress affects later life history. Workers of the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) were exposed to two stressors, Varroa parasitism and Paraquat exposure, early in life. Consequences were measured at the molecular, behavioral, and demographic level. While treatments did not significantly affect levels of oxidative damage, expression of select genes, and titers of the common deformed wing virus, most of these measures were affected by age. Some of the age effects, such as declining levels of deformed wing virus and oxidative damage, were opposite to our predictions but may be explained by demographic selection. Further analyses suggested some influences of worker behavior on mortality and indicated weak treatment effects on behavior. The latter effects were inconsistent among the two experiments. However, mortality rate was consistently reduced by Varroa mite stress during development. Thus, mortality was more responsive to early life stress than our other response variables. The lack of treatment effects on these measures may be due to the social organization of honey bees that buffers the individual from the impact of stressful developmental conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Affect, Reason, and Persuasion: Advertising Strategies That Predict Affective and Analytic-Cognitive Responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaudhuri, Arjun; Buck, Ross

    1995-01-01

    Develops and tests hypotheses concerning the relationship of specific advertising strategies to affective and analytic cognitive responses of the audience. Analyses undergraduate students' responses to 240 advertisements. Demonstrates that advertising strategy variables accounted substantially for the variance in affective and analytic cognition.…

  6. Caleosin from Chlorella vulgaris TISTR 8580 is salt-induced and heme-containing protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charuchinda, Pairpilin; Waditee-Sirisattha, Rungaroon; Kageyama, Hakuto; Yamada, Daisuke; Sirisattha, Sophon; Tanaka, Yoshito; Mahakhant, Aparat; Takabe, Teruhiro

    2015-01-01

    Physiological and functional properties of lipid droplet-associated proteins in algae remain scarce. We report here the caleosin gene from Chlorella vulgaris encodes a protein of 279 amino acid residues. Amino acid sequence alignment showed high similarity to the putative caleosins from fungi, but less to plant caleosins. When the C. vulgaris TISTR 8580 cells were treated with salt stress (0.3 M NaCl), the level of triacylglycerol increased significantly. The mRNA contents for caleosin in Chlorella cells significantly increased under salt stress condition. Caleosin gene was expressed in E. coli. Crude extract of E. coli cells exhibited the cumene hydroperoxide-dependent oxidation of aniline. Absorption spectroscopy showed a peak around 415 nm which was decreased upon addition of cumene hydroperoxide. Native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis suggests caleosin existed as the oligomer. These data indicate that a fresh water C. vulgaris TISTR 8580 contains a salt-induced heme-protein caleosin.

  7. Unsaturated glycerophospholipids mediate heme crystallization: biological implications for hemozoin formation in the kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renata Stiebler

    Full Text Available Hemozoin (Hz is a heme crystal produced by some blood-feeding organisms, as an efficient way to detoxify heme derived from hemoglobin digestion. In the triatomine insect Rhodnius prolixus, Hz is essentially produced by midgut extracellular phospholipid membranes known as perimicrovillar membranes (PMVM. Here, we investigated the role of commercial glycerophospholipids containing serine, choline and ethanolamine as headgroups and R. prolixus midgut lipids (RML in heme crystallization. All commercial unsaturated forms of phospholipids, as well as RML, mediated fast and efficient β-hematin formation by means of two kinetically distinct mechanisms: an early and fast component, followed by a late and slow one. The fastest reactions observed were induced by unsaturated forms of phosphatidylethanolamine (uPE and phosphatidylcholine (uPC, with half-lives of 0.04 and 0.7 minutes, respectively. β-hematin crystal morphologies were strikingly distinct among groups, with uPE producing homogeneous regular brick-shaped crystals. Interestingly, uPC-mediated reactions resulted in two morphologically distinct crystal populations: one less representative group of regular crystals, resembling those induced by uPE, and the other largely represented by crystals with numerous sharp edges and tapered ends. Heme crystallization reactions induced by RML were efficient, with a heme to β-hematin conversion rate higher than 70%, but clearly slower (t1/2 of 9.9-17.7 minutes than those induced by uPC and uPE. Interestingly, crystals produced by RML were homogeneous in shape and quite similar to those mediated by uPE. Thus, β-hematin formation can be rapidly and efficiently induced by unsaturated glycerophospholipids, particularly uPE and uPC, and may play a role on biological heme crystallization in R. prolixus midgut.

  8. Heme oxygenase is not involved in the anti-proliferative effects of statins on pancreatic cancer cells

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Váňová, K.; Boukalová, Štěpána; Gbelcová, H.; Muchová, L.; Neužil, Jiří; Gürlich, R.; Ruml, T.; Vítek, L.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 16, May 12 (2016), č. článku 309. ISSN 1471-2407 R&D Projects: GA MZd NT14078; GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0109 Institutional support: RVO:86652036 Keywords : Heme * Heme oxygenase * Pancreatic cancer * Statins Subject RIV: FD - Oncology ; Hematology Impact factor: 3.288, year: 2016

  9. Chromium VI administration induces oxidative stress in hypothalamus and anterior pituitary gland from male rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nudler, Silvana I; Quinteros, Fernanda A; Miler, Eliana A; Cabilla, Jimena P; Ronchetti, Sonia A; Duvilanski, Beatriz H

    2009-03-28

    Hexavalent chromium (Cr VI)-containing compounds are known carcinogens which are present in industrial settings and in the environment. The major route of chromium exposure for the general population is oral intake. Previously we have observed that Cr VI affects anterior pituitary secretion and causes oxidative stress in vitro. The aim of the present work was to investigate if in vivo Cr VI treatment (100 ppm of Cr VI in drinking water for up 30 days) causes oxidative stress in hypothalamus and anterior pituitary gland from male rats. This treatment produced a 4-fold increase of chromium content in hypothalamus and 10-fold increase in anterior pituitary gland. Lipid peroxidation showed a significant increase in hypothalamus and anterior pituitary. Cr VI augmented superoxide dismutase activity in anterior pituitary gland and glutathione reductase activity in hypothalamus, but glutathione peroxidase and catalase activities remained unchanged in both tissues. Heme oxygenase-1 mRNA expression significantly rose in both tissues. Metallothionein 1 mRNA content increased in anterior pituitary and metallothionein 3 mRNA increased in hypothalamus. These results show, for the first time, that oral chronic administration of Cr VI produces oxidative stress on the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary gland which may affect normal endocrine function.

  10. Structural characterization of human heme oxygenase-1 in complex with azole-based inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahman, Mona N; Vlahakis, Jason Z; Roman, Gheorghe; Vukomanovic, Dragic; Szarek, Walter A; Nakatsu, Kanji; Jia, Zongchao

    2010-03-01

    The development of inhibitors specific for heme oxygenases (HO) aims to provide powerful tools in understanding the HO system. Based on the lead structure (2S, 4S)-2-[2-(4-chlorophenyl)ethyl]-2-[(1H-imidazol-1-yl)methyl]-4-[((4-aminophenyl)thio)methyl]-1,3-dioxolane (azalanstat, QC-1) we have synthesized structural modifications to develop novel and selective HO inhibitors. The structural study of human HO-1 (hHO-1) in complex with a select group of the inhibitors was initiated using X-ray crystallographic techniques. Comparison of the structures of four such compounds each in complex with hHO-1 revealed a common binding mode, despite having different structural fragments. The compounds bind to the distal side of heme through an azole "anchor" which coordinates with the heme iron. An expansion of the distal pocket, mainly due to distal helix flexibility, allows accommodation of the compounds without displacing heme or the critical Asp140 residue. Rather, binding displaces a catalytically critical water molecule and disrupts an ordered hydrogen-bond network involving Asp140. The presence of a triazole "anchor" may provide further stability via a hydrogen bond with the protein. A hydrophobic pocket acts to stabilize the region occupied by the phenyl or adamantanyl moieties of these compounds. Further, a secondary hydrophobic pocket is formed via "induced fit" to accommodate bulky substituents at the 4-position of the dioxolane ring. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. The Staphylococcus aureus Protein IsdH Inhibits Host Hemoglobin Scavenging to Promote Heme Acquisition by the Pathogen

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Saederup, Kirstine Lindhardt; Stødkilde-Jørgensen, Kristian; Graversen, Jonas Heilskov

    2016-01-01

    Hemolysis is a complication in septic infections with Staphylococcus aureus, which utilizes the released Hb as an iron source. S. aureus can acquire heme in vitro from hemoglobin (Hb) by a heme-sequestering mechanism that involves proteins from the S. aureus iron-regulated surface determinant (Isd...

  12. Toxicity Evaluation of Graphene Oxide and Titania Loaded Nafion Membranes in Zebrafish

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roberta Pecoraro

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The use of nanomaterials in several application fields has received in the last decades a great attention due to their peculiar properties, but also raised many doubts about possible toxicity when these materials are used for some specific applications, such as water purification. Indeed a careful investigation is needed in order to exclude possible harmful side effects related to the use of nanotechnology. Nanoparticles effects on the marine organisms may depend on their chemical composition, size, surface structure, solubility, shape and how the individual nanoparticles aggregate together. In order to make the most of their potential, without polluting the environment, many researchers are trying to trap them into some kind of matrix that keeps them active but avoids their dispersion in the environment. In this study we have tested nanocomposite membranes prepared using Nafion polymer combined with various fillers, such as anatase-type TiO2 nanoparticles and graphene oxide. The non-toxicity of these nanocomposites, already shown to be effective for water purification applications in our previous studies, was recognized by testing the effect of the different materials on zebrafish embryos. Zebrafish was considered an excellent model for ecotoxicological studies and for this motivation zebrafish embryos were exposed to different concentrations of free nanoparticles and to the nanocomposite membranes. As biomarkers of exposure, we evaluated the expression of heme-oxygenase 1 and inducible Nitric Oxide Synthases by immunohistochemistry and gene expression. Embryo toxicity test showed that nor sublethal effects neither mortality were caused by the different nanoparticles and nano-systems tested. Only zebrafish larvae exposed to free nanoparticles have shown a different response to antibodies anti-heme-oxygenase 1 and anti- inducible Nitric Oxide Synthases. The immunolocalization analysis in fact has highlighted an increase in the synthesis of these

  13. Oxidative stress augments toll-like receptor 8 mediated neutrophilic responses in healthy subjects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matsunaga Kazuto

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Excessive oxidative stress has been reported to be generated in inflamed tissues and contribute to the pathogenesis of inflammatory lung diseases, exacerbations of which induced by viral infections are associated with toll-like receptor (TLR activation. Among these receptors, TLR8 has been reported as a key receptor that recognizes single-strand RNA virus. However, it remains unknown whether TLR8 signaling is potentiated by oxidative stress. The aim of this study is to examine whether oxidative stress modulates TLR8 signaling in vitro. Methods Human peripheral blood neutrophils were obtained from healthy non-smokers and stimulated with TLR 7/8 agonist imidazoquinoline resiquimod (R848 in the presence or absence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2. Neutrophilic responses including cytokine release, superoxide production and chemotaxis were examined, and the signal transduction was also analyzed. Results Activation of TLR8, but not TLR7, augmented IL-8 release. The R848-augmented IL-8 release was significantly potentiated by pretreatment with H2O2 (p L-cysteine reversed this potentiation. The combination of H2O2 and R848 significantly potentiated NF-kB phosphorylation and IkBα degradation. The H2O2-potentiated IL-8 release was suppressed by MG-132, a proteosome inhibitor, and by dexamethasone. The expressions of TLR8, myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88, and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6 were not affected by H2O2. Conclusion TLR8-mediated neutrophilic responses were markedly potentiated by oxidative stress, and the potentiation was mediated by enhanced NF-kB activation. These results suggest that oxidative stress might potentiate the neutrophilic inflammation during viral infection.

  14. Anti-inflammatory and heme oxygenase-1 inducing activities of lanostane triterpenes isolated from mushroom Ganoderma lucidum in RAW264.7 cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Solip [Department of Biochemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-Do 200-701 (Korea, Republic of); Nguyen, Van Thu [College of Pharmacy, Catholic University of Daegu, Gyeongsan 712-702 (Korea, Republic of); Tae, Nara; Lee, Suhyun [Department of Biochemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-Do 200-701 (Korea, Republic of); Ryoo, Sungwoo [Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-Do 200-701 (Korea, Republic of); Min, Byung-Sun [College of Pharmacy, Catholic University of Daegu, Gyeongsan 712-702 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Jeong-Hyung, E-mail: jhlee36@kangwon.ac.kr [Department of Biochemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-Do 200-701 (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-11-01

    Ganoderma lucidum is a popular medicinal mushroom used in traditional medicine for preventing or treating a variety of diseases. In the present study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory and heme oxygenase (HO)-1 inducing effects of 12 lanostane triterpenes from G. lucidum in RAW264.7 cells. Of these, seven triterpenes, butyl lucidenateE{sub 2}, butyl lucidenateD{sub 2} (GT-2), butyl lucidenate P, butyl lucidenateQ, Ganoderiol F, methyl ganodenate J and butyl lucidenate N induced HO-1 expression and suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production. Inhibiting HO-1 activity abrogated the inhibitory effects of these triterpenes on the production of NO in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, suggesting the involvement of HO-1 in the anti-inflammatory effects of these triterpenes. We further studied the anti-inflammatory and HO-1 inducing effects of GT-2. Mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitors or N-acetylcysteine, an antioxidant, did not suppress GT-2-mediated HO-1 induction; however, LY294002, a phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, blocked GT-2-induced HO-1 mRNA and protein expression. GT-2 increased nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and knockdown of Nrf2 by small interfering RNA blocked GT-2-mediated HO-1 induction, suggesting that GT-2 induced HO-1 expression via the PI3K/AKT-Nrf2 pathway. Consistent with the notion that HO-1 has anti-inflammatory properties, GT-2 inhibited the production of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6, as well as inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression. These findings suggest that HO-1 inducing activities of these lanostane triterpenes may be important in the understanding of a novel mechanism for the anti-inflammatory activity of G. lucidum. - Highlights: • The anti-inflammatory effects of selected triterpenes from Ganoderma lucidum are demonstrated. • Heme oxygenase-1 induction is attributable to the anti-inflammatory properties of these

  15. Anti-inflammatory and heme oxygenase-1 inducing activities of lanostane triterpenes isolated from mushroom Ganoderma lucidum in RAW264.7 cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Solip; Nguyen, Van Thu; Tae, Nara; Lee, Suhyun; Ryoo, Sungwoo; Min, Byung-Sun; Lee, Jeong-Hyung

    2014-01-01

    Ganoderma lucidum is a popular medicinal mushroom used in traditional medicine for preventing or treating a variety of diseases. In the present study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory and heme oxygenase (HO)-1 inducing effects of 12 lanostane triterpenes from G. lucidum in RAW264.7 cells. Of these, seven triterpenes, butyl lucidenateE 2 , butyl lucidenateD 2 (GT-2), butyl lucidenate P, butyl lucidenateQ, Ganoderiol F, methyl ganodenate J and butyl lucidenate N induced HO-1 expression and suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production. Inhibiting HO-1 activity abrogated the inhibitory effects of these triterpenes on the production of NO in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, suggesting the involvement of HO-1 in the anti-inflammatory effects of these triterpenes. We further studied the anti-inflammatory and HO-1 inducing effects of GT-2. Mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitors or N-acetylcysteine, an antioxidant, did not suppress GT-2-mediated HO-1 induction; however, LY294002, a phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, blocked GT-2-induced HO-1 mRNA and protein expression. GT-2 increased nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and knockdown of Nrf2 by small interfering RNA blocked GT-2-mediated HO-1 induction, suggesting that GT-2 induced HO-1 expression via the PI3K/AKT-Nrf2 pathway. Consistent with the notion that HO-1 has anti-inflammatory properties, GT-2 inhibited the production of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6, as well as inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression. These findings suggest that HO-1 inducing activities of these lanostane triterpenes may be important in the understanding of a novel mechanism for the anti-inflammatory activity of G. lucidum. - Highlights: • The anti-inflammatory effects of selected triterpenes from Ganoderma lucidum are demonstrated. • Heme oxygenase-1 induction is attributable to the anti-inflammatory properties of these triterpenes

  16. A central role for heme iron in colon carcinogenesis associated with red meat intake.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bastide, Nadia M; Chenni, Fatima; Audebert, Marc; Santarelli, Raphaelle L; Taché, Sylviane; Naud, Nathalie; Baradat, Maryse; Jouanin, Isabelle; Surya, Reggie; Hobbs, Ditte A; Kuhnle, Gunter G; Raymond-Letron, Isabelle; Gueraud, Françoise; Corpet, Denis E; Pierre, Fabrice H F

    2015-03-01

    Epidemiology shows that red and processed meat intake is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. Heme iron, heterocyclic amines, and endogenous N-nitroso compounds (NOC) are proposed to explain this effect, but their relative contribution is unknown. Our study aimed at determining, at nutritional doses, which is the main factor involved and proposing a mechanism of cancer promotion by red meat. The relative part of heme iron (1% in diet), heterocyclic amines (PhIP + MeIQx, 50 + 25 μg/kg in diet), and NOC (induced by NaNO₂+ NaNO₂; 0.17 + 0.23 g/L of drinking water) was determined by a factorial design and preneoplastic endpoints in chemically induced rats and validated on tumors in Min mice. The molecular mechanisms (genotoxicity, cytotoxicity) were analyzed in vitro in normal and Apc-deficient cell lines and confirmed on colon mucosa. Heme iron increased the number of preneoplastic lesions, but dietary heterocyclic amines and NOC had no effect on carcinogenesis in rats. Dietary hemoglobin increased tumor load in Min mice (control diet: 67 ± 39 mm²; 2.5% hemoglobin diet: 114 ± 47 mm², P = 0.004). In vitro, fecal water from rats given hemoglobin was rich in aldehydes and was cytotoxic to normal cells, but not to premalignant cells. The aldehydes 4-hydroxynonenal and 4-hydroxyhexenal were more toxic to normal versus mutated cells and were only genotoxic to normal cells. Genotoxicity was also observed in colon mucosa of mice given hemoglobin. These results highlight the role of heme iron in the promotion of colon cancer by red meat and suggest that heme iron could initiate carcinogenesis through lipid peroxidation. . ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

  17. Oxidative stress response after laparoscopic versus conventional sigmoid resection

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Michael Tvilling; Kücükakin, Bülent; Lykkesfeldt, Jens

    2012-01-01

    Surgery is accompanied by a surgical stress response, which results in increased morbidity and mortality. Oxidative stress is a part of the surgical stress response. Minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery may result in reduced oxidative stress compared with open surgery. Nineteen patients...... scheduled for sigmoid resection were randomly allocated to open or laparoscopic sigmoid resection in a double-blind, prospective clinical trial. Three biochemical markers of oxidative stress (malondialdehyde, ascorbic acid, and dehydroascorbic acid) were measured at 6 different time points (preoperatively......, 1 h, 6 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h postoperatively). There were no statistical significant differences between laparoscopic and open surgery for any of the 3 oxidative stress parameters. Malondialdehyde was reduced 1 hour postoperatively (P...

  18. Yeast aquaporin regulation by 4-hydroxynonenal is implicated in oxidative stress response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodrigues, Claudia; Tartaro Bujak, Ivana; Mihaljević, Branka; Soveral, Graça; Cipak Gasparovic, Ana

    2017-05-01

    Reactive oxygen species, especially hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), contribute to functional molecular impairment and cellular damage, but also are necessary in normal cellular metabolism, and in low doses play stimulatory role in cell proliferation and stress resistance. In parallel, reactive aldehydes such as 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE), are lipid peroxidation breakdown products which also contribute to regulation of numerous cellular processes. Recently, channeling of H 2 O 2 by some mammalian aquaporin isoforms has been reported and suggested to contribute to aquaporin involvement in cancer malignancies, although the mechanism by which these membrane water channels are implicated in oxidative stress is not clear. In this study, two yeast models with increased levels of membrane polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and aquaporin AQY1 overexpression, respectively, were used to evaluate their interplay in cell's oxidative status. In particular, the aim of the study was to investigate if HNE accumulation could affect aquaporin function with an outcome in oxidative stress response. The data showed that induction of aquaporin expression by PUFAs results in increased water permeability in yeast membranes and that AQY1 activity is impaired by HNE. Moreover, AQY1 expression increases cellular sensitivity to oxidative stress by facilitating H 2 O 2 influx. On the other hand, AQY1 expression has no influence on the cellular antioxidant GSH levels and catalase activity. These results strongly suggest that aquaporins are important players in oxidative stress response and could contribute to regulation of cellular processes by regulation of H 2 O 2 influx. © 2017 IUBMB Life, 69(5):355-362, 2017. © 2017 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  19. Effect of a heme oxygenase-1 inducer on NADPH oxidase ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Effect of a heme oxygenase-1 inducer on NADPH oxidase expression in ... and immunohistochemistry of hepatic NOX1 and NOX4 were investigated in week 4. ... (HO-1 inhibitor) administration caused upregulation of NOX gene expression ...

  20. Challenging Density Functional Theory Calculations with Hemes and Porphyrins

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Visser, Sam P.; Stillman, Martin J.

    2016-01-01

    In this paper we review recent advances in computational chemistry and specifically focus on the chemical description of heme proteins and synthetic porphyrins that act as both mimics of natural processes and technological uses. These are challenging biochemical systems involved in electron transfer as well as biocatalysis processes. In recent years computational tools have improved considerably and now can reproduce experimental spectroscopic and reactivity studies within a reasonable error margin (several kcal·mol−1). This paper gives recent examples from our groups, where we investigated heme and synthetic metal-porphyrin systems. The four case studies highlight how computational modelling can correctly reproduce experimental product distributions, predicted reactivity trends and guide interpretation of electronic structures of complex systems. The case studies focus on the calculations of a variety of spectroscopic features of porphyrins and show how computational modelling gives important insight that explains the experimental spectra and can lead to the design of porphyrins with tuned properties. PMID:27070578

  1. Challenging Density Functional Theory Calculations with Hemes and Porphyrins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sam P. de Visser

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we review recent advances in computational chemistry and specifically focus on the chemical description of heme proteins and synthetic porphyrins that act as both mimics of natural processes and technological uses. These are challenging biochemical systems involved in electron transfer as well as biocatalysis processes. In recent years computational tools have improved considerably and now can reproduce experimental spectroscopic and reactivity studies within a reasonable error margin (several kcal·mol−1. This paper gives recent examples from our groups, where we investigated heme and synthetic metal-porphyrin systems. The four case studies highlight how computational modelling can correctly reproduce experimental product distributions, predicted reactivity trends and guide interpretation of electronic structures of complex systems. The case studies focus on the calculations of a variety of spectroscopic features of porphyrins and show how computational modelling gives important insight that explains the experimental spectra and can lead to the design of porphyrins with tuned properties.

  2. 10-Oxo-trans-11-octadecenoic acid generated from linoleic acid by a gut lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum is cytoprotective against oxidative stress

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Furumoto, Hidehiro; Nanthirudjanar, Tharnath [Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan); Kume, Toshiaki; Izumi, Yasuhiko [Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29, Simoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501 (Japan); Park, Si-Bum [Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan); Kitamura, Nahoko; Kishino, Shigenobu; Ogawa, Jun [Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan); Hirata, Takashi [Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan); Faculty of Rehabilitation, Shijonawategakuen University, 5-11-10, Hojo, Daitou-shi, Osaka 574-0011 (Japan); Sugawara, Tatsuya, E-mail: sugawara@kais.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan)

    2016-04-01

    Oxidative stress is a well-known cause of multiple diseases. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway plays a central role in cellular antioxidative responses. In this study, we investigated the effects of novel fatty acid metabolite derivatives of linoleic acid generated by the gut lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum on the Nrf2-ARE pathway. 10-Oxo-trans-11-octadecenoic acid (KetoC) protected HepG2 cells from cytotoxicity induced by hydrogen peroxide. KetoC also significantly increased cellular Nrf2 protein levels, ARE-dependent transcription, and the gene expression of antioxidative enzymes such as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), glutamate-cysteine ligase modifier subunit (GCLM), and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) in HepG2 cells. Additionally, a single oral dose administration of KetoC also increased antioxidative gene expression and protein levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 in mouse organs. Since other fatty acid metabolites and linoleic acid did not affect cellular antioxidative responses, the cytoprotective effect of KetoC may be because of its α,β-unsaturated carbonyl moiety. Collectively, our data suggested that KetoC activated the Nrf2-ARE pathway to enhance cellular antioxidative responses in vitro and in vivo, which further suggests that KetoC may prevent multiple diseases induced by oxidative stress. - Highlights: • We evaluated the effect of modified fatty acids generated by Lactobacillus plantarum. • 10-Oxo-trans-11-ocatadecenoic acid (KetoC) protected cells from oxidative stress. • KetoC activated the Nrf2-ARE pathway to promote antioxidative gene expression. • KetoC promoted the expression of antioxidative enzymes in mice organs. • The cytoprotective effect of KetoC was because of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl moiety.

  3. 10-Oxo-trans-11-octadecenoic acid generated from linoleic acid by a gut lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum is cytoprotective against oxidative stress

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Furumoto, Hidehiro; Nanthirudjanar, Tharnath; Kume, Toshiaki; Izumi, Yasuhiko; Park, Si-Bum; Kitamura, Nahoko; Kishino, Shigenobu; Ogawa, Jun; Hirata, Takashi; Sugawara, Tatsuya

    2016-01-01

    Oxidative stress is a well-known cause of multiple diseases. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway plays a central role in cellular antioxidative responses. In this study, we investigated the effects of novel fatty acid metabolite derivatives of linoleic acid generated by the gut lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum on the Nrf2-ARE pathway. 10-Oxo-trans-11-octadecenoic acid (KetoC) protected HepG2 cells from cytotoxicity induced by hydrogen peroxide. KetoC also significantly increased cellular Nrf2 protein levels, ARE-dependent transcription, and the gene expression of antioxidative enzymes such as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), glutamate-cysteine ligase modifier subunit (GCLM), and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) in HepG2 cells. Additionally, a single oral dose administration of KetoC also increased antioxidative gene expression and protein levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 in mouse organs. Since other fatty acid metabolites and linoleic acid did not affect cellular antioxidative responses, the cytoprotective effect of KetoC may be because of its α,β-unsaturated carbonyl moiety. Collectively, our data suggested that KetoC activated the Nrf2-ARE pathway to enhance cellular antioxidative responses in vitro and in vivo, which further suggests that KetoC may prevent multiple diseases induced by oxidative stress. - Highlights: • We evaluated the effect of modified fatty acids generated by Lactobacillus plantarum. • 10-Oxo-trans-11-ocatadecenoic acid (KetoC) protected cells from oxidative stress. • KetoC activated the Nrf2-ARE pathway to promote antioxidative gene expression. • KetoC promoted the expression of antioxidative enzymes in mice organs. • The cytoprotective effect of KetoC was because of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl moiety.

  4. Heterogeneous electron transfer of a two-centered heme protein: redox and electrocatalytic properties of surface-immobilized cytochrome C(4).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monari, Stefano; Battistuzzi, Gianantonio; Borsari, Marco; Di Rocco, Giulia; Martini, Laura; Ranieri, Antonio; Sola, Marco

    2009-10-15

    The recombinant diheme cytochrome c(4) from the psycrophilic bacterium Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis TAC 125 and its Met64Ala and Met164Ala variants, which feature a hydroxide ion axially bound to the heme iron at the N- and C-terminal domains, respectively, were found to exchange electrons efficiently with a gold electrode coated with a SAM of 11-mercapto-1-undecanoic acid. The mutation-induced removal of the redox equivalence of the two heme groups and changes in the net charge of the protein lobes yield two-centered protein systems with unprecedented properties in the electrode-immobilized state. The heterogeneous and intraheme electron transfer processes were characterized for these species in which the high- and low-potential heme groups are swapped over in the bilobal protein framework and experience a constrained (M64A) and unconstrained (M164A) orientation toward the electrode. The reduction thermodynamics for the native and mutated hemes were measured for the first time for a diheme cytochrome c. In the diffusing regime, they reproduce closely those for the corresponding centers in single-heme class-I cytochromes c, despite the low sequence identity. Larger differences are observed in the thermodynamics of the immobilized species and in the heterogeneous electron transfer rate constants. T-dependent kinetic measurements show that the proteins are positioned approximately 7 A from the HOOC-terminated SAM-coated electrode. Protein-electrode orientation and efficient intraheme ET enable the His,OH(-)-ligated heme A of the immobilized Met64Ala variant to carry out the reductive electrocatalysis of molecular oxygen. This system therefore constitutes a novel two-centered heme-based biocatalytic interface to be exploited for "third-generation" amperometric biosensing.

  5. Oxidative stress response in trained men following repeated squats or sprints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bloomer, Richard J; Falvo, Michael J; Fry, Andrew C; Schilling, Brian K; Smith, Webb A; Moore, Christopher A

    2006-08-01

    The purpose of this investigation was to measure the oxidative stress response to similarly matched work bouts of squat and sprint exercise. Twelve anaerobically trained men performed six 10-s sprints and, on a separate occasion, repeated barbell squats to approximately equal the amount of work performed during the sprints. Blood lactate, heart rate, and perceived exertion was measured before and following each exercise bout. Muscle soreness, muscle force, and creatine kinase activity was determined preexercise and through 48 h of recovery. Desmin cytoskeletal protein was determined via muscle biopsy of the vastus lateralis before and at 24 h following each exercise. Plasma protein carbonyls (PC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured as biomarkers of oxidative stress. Heart rate and perceived exertion was not different between exercise sessions (P > 0.05), although lactate was higher following sprinting compared with squatting (P = 0.002). Muscle soreness was greater for squatting than sprinting (P = 0.003) and reached a peak immediately postexercise for both sessions (P = 0.0003). Muscle force was unaffected by either exercise session (P > 0.05), and creatine kinase activity was elevated to a similar extent following both sessions. Desmin-negative fibers were virtually nonexistent after either exercise bout, indicating no loss of this cytoskeletal protein. Neither PC nor MDA was affected by the exercise (P > 0.05). These results suggest that in anaerobically trained men, the oxidative stress and muscle injury response to similarly matched anaerobic exercise bouts is minimal, and not different between exercise modes. Furthermore, when compared with previous literature on untrained subjects, the response is significantly attenuated, possibly because of adaptations occurring as a result of chronic, strenuous anaerobic training.

  6. Heme oxygenase-1 enhances autophagy in podocytes as a protective mechanism against high glucose-induced apoptosis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dong, Chenglong [Department of Endocrinology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing (China); Zheng, Haining [Department of Hyperbaric Oxygen, Nanjing General Hospital of Nanjing Military Command, Nanjing (China); Huang, Shanshan; You, Na; Xu, Jiarong; Ye, Xiaolong; Zhu, Qun; Feng, Yamin; You, Qiang; Miao, Heng [Department of Endocrinology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing (China); Ding, Dafa, E-mail: dingdafa2004@aliyun.com [Department of Endocrinology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing (China); Lu, Yibing, E-mail: luyibing2004@126.com [Department of Endocrinology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing (China)

    2015-10-01

    Injury and loss of podocytes play vital roles in diabetic nephropathy progression. Emerging evidence suggests autophagy, which is induced by multiple stressors including hyperglycemia, plays a protective role. Meanwhile, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) possesses powerful anti-apoptotic properties. Therefore, we investigated the impact of autophagy on podocyte apoptosis under diabetic conditions and its association with HO-1. Mouse podocytes were cultured in vitro; apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. Transmission electron microscopy and biochemical autophagic flux assays were used to measure the autophagy markers microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-II (LC3-II) and beclin-1. LC3-II and beclin-1 expression peaked 12–24 h after exposing podocytes to high glucose. Inhibition of autophagy with 3-methyladenine or Beclin-1 siRNAs or Atg 5 siRNAs sensitized cells to apoptosis, suggesting autophagy is a survival mechanism. HO-1 inactivation inhibited autophagy, which aggravated podocyte injury in vitro. Hemin-induced autophagy also protected podocytes from hyperglycemia in vitro and was abrogated by HO-1 siRNA. Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase phosphorylation was higher in hemin-treated and lower in HO-1 siRNA-treated podocytes. Suppression of AMPK activity reversed HO-1-mediated Beclin-1 upregulation and autophagy, indicating HO-1-mediated autophagy is AMPK dependent. These findings suggest HO-1 induction and regulation of autophagy are potential therapeutic targets for diabetic nephropathy. - Highlights: • High glucose leads to increased autophagy in podocytes at an early stage. • The early autophagic response protects against high glucose-induced apoptosis. • Heme oxygenase-1 enhances autophagy and decreases high glucose -mediated apoptosis. • Heme oxygenase-1 induces autophagy through the activation of AMPK.

  7. Heme oxygenase-1 enhances autophagy in podocytes as a protective mechanism against high glucose-induced apoptosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dong, Chenglong; Zheng, Haining; Huang, Shanshan; You, Na; Xu, Jiarong; Ye, Xiaolong; Zhu, Qun; Feng, Yamin; You, Qiang; Miao, Heng; Ding, Dafa; Lu, Yibing

    2015-01-01

    Injury and loss of podocytes play vital roles in diabetic nephropathy progression. Emerging evidence suggests autophagy, which is induced by multiple stressors including hyperglycemia, plays a protective role. Meanwhile, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) possesses powerful anti-apoptotic properties. Therefore, we investigated the impact of autophagy on podocyte apoptosis under diabetic conditions and its association with HO-1. Mouse podocytes were cultured in vitro; apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. Transmission electron microscopy and biochemical autophagic flux assays were used to measure the autophagy markers microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-II (LC3-II) and beclin-1. LC3-II and beclin-1 expression peaked 12–24 h after exposing podocytes to high glucose. Inhibition of autophagy with 3-methyladenine or Beclin-1 siRNAs or Atg 5 siRNAs sensitized cells to apoptosis, suggesting autophagy is a survival mechanism. HO-1 inactivation inhibited autophagy, which aggravated podocyte injury in vitro. Hemin-induced autophagy also protected podocytes from hyperglycemia in vitro and was abrogated by HO-1 siRNA. Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase phosphorylation was higher in hemin-treated and lower in HO-1 siRNA-treated podocytes. Suppression of AMPK activity reversed HO-1-mediated Beclin-1 upregulation and autophagy, indicating HO-1-mediated autophagy is AMPK dependent. These findings suggest HO-1 induction and regulation of autophagy are potential therapeutic targets for diabetic nephropathy. - Highlights: • High glucose leads to increased autophagy in podocytes at an early stage. • The early autophagic response protects against high glucose-induced apoptosis. • Heme oxygenase-1 enhances autophagy and decreases high glucose -mediated apoptosis. • Heme oxygenase-1 induces autophagy through the activation of AMPK

  8. The binding sites on human heme oxygenase-1 for cytochrome p450 reductase and biliverdin reductase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jinling; de Montellano, Paul R Ortiz

    2003-05-30

    Human heme oxygenase-1 (hHO-1) catalyzes the NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase-dependent oxidation of heme to biliverdin, CO, and free iron. The biliverdin is subsequently reduced to bilirubin by biliverdin reductase. Earlier kinetic studies suggested that biliverdin reductase facilitates the release of biliverdin from hHO-1 (Liu, Y., and Ortiz de Montellano, P. R. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 5297-5307). We have investigated the binding of P450 reductase and biliverdin reductase to truncated, soluble hHO-1 by fluorescence resonance energy transfer and site-specific mutagenesis. P450 reductase and biliverdin reductase bind to truncated hHO-1 with Kd = 0.4 +/- 0.1 and 0.2 +/- 0.1 microm, respectively. FRET experiments indicate that biliverdin reductase and P450 reductase compete for binding to truncated hHO-1. Mutation of surface ionic residues shows that hHO-1 residues Lys18, Lys22, Lys179, Arg183, Arg198, Glu19, Glu127, and Glu190 contribute to the binding of cytochrome P450 reductase. The mutagenesis results and a computational analysis of the protein surfaces partially define the binding site for P450 reductase. An overlapping binding site including Lys18, Lys22, Lys179, Arg183, and Arg185 is similarly defined for biliverdin reductase. These results confirm the binding of biliverdin reductase to hHO-1 and define binding sites of the two reductases.

  9. Altered activity of heme biosynthesis pathway enzymes in individuals chronically exposed to arsenic in Mexico

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hernandez-Zavala, A.; Del Razo, L.M.; Garcia-Vargas, G.G.; Aguilar, C.; Borja, V.H.; Albores, A.; Cebrian, M.E. [CINVESTAV-IPN, Mexico (Mexico). Dept. de Farmacologia y Toxicologica

    1999-03-01

    Our objective was to evaluate the activities of some enzymes of the heme biosynthesis pathway and their relationship with the profile of urinary porphyrin excretion in individuals exposed chronically to arsenic (As) via drinking water in Region Lagunera, Mexico. We selected 17 individuals from each village studied: Benito Juarez, which has current exposure to 0.3 mg As/l; Santa Ana, where individuals have been exposed for more than 35 years to 0.4 mg As/l, but due to changes in the water supply (in 1992) exposure was reduced to its current level (0.1 mg As/l), and Nazareno, with 0.014 mg As/l. Average arsenic concentrations in urine were 2058, 398, and 88 {mu}g As/g creatinine, respectively. The more evident alterations in heme metabolism observed in the highly exposed individuals were: (1) small but significant increases in porphobilinogen deaminase (PBG-D) and uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase (URO-D) activities in peripheral blood erythrocytes; (2) increases in the urinary excretion of total porphyrins, mainly due to coproporphyrin III (COPROIII) and uroporphyrin III (UROIII); and (3) increases in the COPRO/URO and COPROIII/COPROI ratios. No significant changes were observed in uroporphyrinogen III synthetase (UROIII-S) activity. The direct relationships between enzyme activities and urinary porphyrins, suggest that the increased porphyrin excretion was related to PBG-D, whereas the increased URO-D activity would enhance coproporphyrin synthesis and excretion at the expense of uroporphyrin. None of the human studies available have reported the marked porphyric response and enzyme inhibition observed in rodents. In conclusion, chronic As exposure alters human heme metabolism; however the severity of the effects appears to depend on characteristics of exposure not yet fully characterized. (orig.) With 1 fig., 3 tabs., 20 refs.

  10. Bursopentin (BP5 protects dendritic cells from lipopolysaccharide-induced oxidative stress for immunosuppression.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tao Qin

    Full Text Available Dendritic cells (DCs play a vital role in the regulation of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Thus, DCs have been regarded as a major target for the development of immunomodulators. However, oxidative stress could disturb inflammatory regulation in DCs. Here, we examined the effect of bursopentine (BP5, a novel pentapeptide isolated from chicken bursa of fabricius, on the protection of DCs against oxidative stress for immunosuppression. BP5 showed potent protective effects against the lipopolysaccharide (LPS-induced oxidative stress in DCs, including nitric oxide, reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, BP5 elevated the level of cellular reductive status through increasing the reduced glutathione (GSH and the GSH/GSSG ratio. Concomitant with these, the activities of several antioxidative redox enzymes, including glutathione peroxidase (GPx, catalase (CAT and superoxide dismutase (SOD, were obviously enhanced. BP5 also suppressed submucosal DC maturation in the LPS-stimulated intestinal epithelial cells (ECs/DCs coculture system. Finally, we found that heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1 was remarkably upregulated by BP5 in the LPS-induced DCs, and played an important role in the suppression of oxidative stress and DC maturation. These results suggested that BP5 could protect the LPS-activated DCs against oxidative stress and have potential applications in DC-related inflammatory responses.

  11. Andrographolide induces Nrf2 and heme oxygenase 1 in astrocytes by activating p38 MAPK and ERK.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Siew Ying; Tan, Michelle G K; Wong, Peter T H; Herr, Deron R; Lai, Mitchell K P

    2016-09-23

    Andrographolide is the major labdane diterpenoid originally isolated from Andrographis paniculata and has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects. However, there is a dearth of studies on the potential therapeutic utility of andrographolide in neuroinflammatory conditions. Here, we aimed to investigate the mechanisms underlying andrographolide's effect on the expression of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in primary astrocytes. Measurements of the effects of andrograholide on antioxidant HO-1 and its transcription factor, Nrf2, include gene expression, protein turnover, and activation of putative signaling regulators. Andrographolide potently activated Nrf2 and also upregulated HO-1 expression in primary astrocytes. Andrographolide's effects on Nrf2 seemed to be biphasic, with acute (within 1 h) reductions in Nrf2 ubiquitination efficiency and turnover rate, followed by upregulation of Nrf2 mRNA between 8 and 24 h. The acute regulation of Nrf2 by andrographolide seemed to be independent of Keap1 and partly mediated by p38 MAPK and ERK signaling. These data provide further insights into the mechanisms underlying andrographolide's effects on astrocyte-mediated antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory responses and support the further assessment of andrographolide as a potential therapeutic for neurological conditions in which oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are implicated.

  12. Yeast signaling pathways in the oxidative stress response

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ikner, Aminah [Section of Microbiology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Shiozaki, Kazuhiro [Section of Microbiology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 (United States)]. E-mail: kshiozaki@ucdavis.edu

    2005-01-06

    Oxidative stress that generates the reactive oxygen species (ROS) is one of the major causes of DNA damage and mutations. The 'DNA damage checkpoint' that arrests cell cycle and repairs damaged DNA has been a focus of recent studies, and the genetically amenable model systems provided by yeasts have been playing a leading role in the eukaryotic checkpoint research. However, means to eliminate ROS are likely to be as important as the DNA repair mechanisms in order to suppress mutations in the chromosomal DNA, and yeasts also serve as excellent models to understand how eukaryotes combat oxidative stress. In this article, we present an overview of the signaling pathways that sense oxidative stress and induce expression of various anti-oxidant genes in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe and the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. Three conserved signaling modules have been identified in the oxidative stress response of these diverse yeast species: the stress-responsive MAP kinase cascade, the multistep phosphorelay and the AP-1-like transcription factor. The structure and function of these signaling modules are discussed.

  13. Yeast signaling pathways in the oxidative stress response

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ikner, Aminah; Shiozaki, Kazuhiro

    2005-01-01

    Oxidative stress that generates the reactive oxygen species (ROS) is one of the major causes of DNA damage and mutations. The 'DNA damage checkpoint' that arrests cell cycle and repairs damaged DNA has been a focus of recent studies, and the genetically amenable model systems provided by yeasts have been playing a leading role in the eukaryotic checkpoint research. However, means to eliminate ROS are likely to be as important as the DNA repair mechanisms in order to suppress mutations in the chromosomal DNA, and yeasts also serve as excellent models to understand how eukaryotes combat oxidative stress. In this article, we present an overview of the signaling pathways that sense oxidative stress and induce expression of various anti-oxidant genes in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe and the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. Three conserved signaling modules have been identified in the oxidative stress response of these diverse yeast species: the stress-responsive MAP kinase cascade, the multistep phosphorelay and the AP-1-like transcription factor. The structure and function of these signaling modules are discussed

  14. Heme oxygenase and the immune system in normal and pathological pregnancies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maide eOzen

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Normal pregnancy is an immunotolerant state. Many factors, including environmental, socioeconomic, genetic, and immunologic changes by infection and/or other causes of inflammation, may contribute to inter-individual differences resulting in a normal or pathologic pregnancy. In particular, imbalances in the immune system can cause many pregnancy-related diseases, such as infertility, abortions, pre-eclampsia, and preterm labor, which result in maternal/fetal death, prematurity, or small-for-gestational age newborns. New findings imply that myeloid regulatory cells and regulatory T cells (Tregs may mediate immunotolerance during normal pregnancy. Effector T cells (Teffs have, in contrast, been implicated to cause adverse pregnancy outcomes. Furthermore, feto-maternal tolerance affects the developing fetus. It has been shown that the Treg/Teff balance affects litter size and adoptive transfer of pregnancy-induced Tregs can prevent fetal rejection in the mouse. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1 has a protective role in many conditions through its anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, antioxidative, and anti-proliferative actions. HO-1 is highly expressed in the placenta and plays a role in angiogenesis and placental vascular development and in regulating vascular tone in pregnancy. In addition, HO-1 is a major regulator of immune homeostasis by mediating crosstalk between innate and adaptive immune systems. Moreover, HO-1 can inhibit inflammation-induced phenotypic maturation of immune effector cells and pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion and promote anti-inflammatory cytokine production. HO-1 may also be associated with T-cell activation and can limit immune-based tissue injury by promoting Treg suppression of effector responses. Thus, HO-1 and its byproducts may protect against pregnancy complications by its immunomodulatory effects, and the regulation of HO-1 or its downstream effects has the potential to prevent or treat pregnancy complications and

  15. Intracellular accumulation of bilirubin as a defense mechanism against increased oxidative stress

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Zelenka, Jaroslav; Muchová, L.; Zelenková, M.; Váňová, K.; Vreman, H.J.; Wong, R.J.; Vítek, L.

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 94, č. 8 (2012), s. 1821-1827 ISSN 0300-9084 Grant - others:GA MZd(CZ) NT11327 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50110509 Keywords : bilirubin * heme oxygenase * hyperbilirubinemia * lipopolysacccharide * oxidative stress Subject RIV: FB - Endocrinology, Diabetology, Metabolism, Nutrition Impact factor: 3.142, year: 2012

  16. Effect of bicarbonate on iron-mediated oxidation of low-density lipoprotein

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arai, Hirofumi; Berlett, Barbara S.; Chock, P. Boon; Stadtman, Earl R.

    2005-07-01

    Oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) may play an important role in atherosclerosis. We studied the effects of bicarbonate/CO2 and phosphate buffer systems on metal ion-catalyzed oxidation of LDL to malondialdehyde (MDA) and to protein carbonyl and MetO derivatives. Our results revealed that LDL oxidation in mixtures containing free iron or heme derivatives was much greater in bicarbonate/CO2 compared with phosphate buffer. However, when copper was substituted for iron in these mixtures, the rate of LDL oxidation in both buffers was similar. Iron-catalyzed oxidation of LDL was highly sensitive to inhibition by phosphate. Presence of 0.3-0.5 mM phosphate, characteristic of human serum, led to 30-40% inhibition of LDL oxidation in bicarbonate/CO2 buffer. Iron-catalyzed oxidation of LDL to MDA in phosphate buffer was inhibited by increasing concentrations of albumin (10-200 μM), whereas MDA formation in bicarbonate/CO2 buffer was stimulated by 10-50 μM albumin but inhibited by higher concentrations. However, albumin stimulated the oxidation of LDL proteins to carbonyl derivatives at all concentrations examined in both buffers. Conversion of LDL to MDA in bicarbonate/CO2 buffer was greatly stimulated by ADP, ATP, and EDTA but only when EDTA was added at a concentration equal to that of iron. At higher than stoichiometric concentrations, EDTA prevented oxidation of LDL. Results of these studies suggest that interactions between bicarbonate and iron or heme derivatives leads to complexes with redox potentials that favor the generation of reactive oxygen species and/or to the generation of highly reactive CO2 anion or bicarbonate radical that facilitates LDL oxidation. Freely available online through the PNAS open access option.Abbreviations: LDL, low-density lipoprotein; MDA, malondialdehyde; MetO, methionine sulfoxide.

  17. Dietary heme injures surface epithelium resulting in hyperproliferation, inhibition of apoptosis and crypt hyperplasia in rat colon

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Vogel, Johan; van-Eck, Wytske Boersma; Sesink, Aloys L. A.; Jonker-Termont, Denise S. M. L.; Kleibeuker, Jan; van der Meer, Roelof

    Epidemiological and animal model studies suggest that a high intake of heme, present in red meat, is associated with an increased risk of colon cancer. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of dietary heme on colonic cell homeostasis in rats. Rats were fed a purified, humanized, control

  18. Voltammetry and In Situ Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy of De Novo Designed Heme Protein Monolayers on Au(111)-Electrode Surfaces

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Albrecht, Tim; Li, Wu; Haehnel, Wolfgang

    2006-01-01

    to the tunnelling current, apparently due to slow electron transfer kinetics. As a consequence, STM images of heme-containing and heme-free MOP-C did not reveal any notable differences in apparent height or physical extension. The apparent height of heme-containing MOP-C did not show any dependence on the substrate...... potential being varied around the redox potential of the protein. The mere presence of an accessible molecular energy level is not sufficient to result in detectable tunnelling current modulation. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.......In the present work, we report the electrochemical characterization and in situ scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) studies of monolayers of an artificial de novo designed heme protein MOP-C, covalently immobilized on modified Au(111) surfaces. The protein forms closely packed monolayers, which...

  19. Glyphosate-induced oxidative stress in Arabidopsis thaliana affecting peroxisomal metabolism and triggers activity in the oxidative phase of the pentose phosphate pathway (OxPPP) involved in NADPH generation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Freitas-Silva, Larisse; Rodríguez-Ruiz, Marta; Houmani, Hayet; da Silva, Luzimar Campos; Palma, José M; Corpas, Francisco J

    2017-11-01

    Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide used worldwide. In susceptible plants, glyphosate affects the shikimate pathway and reduces aromatic amino acid synthesis. Using Arabidopsis seedlings grown in the presence of 20μM glyphosate, we analyzed H 2 O 2 , ascorbate, glutathione (GSH) and protein oxidation content as well as antioxidant catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate-glutathione cycle enzyme activity. We also examined the principal NADPH-generating system components, including glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH), NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME) and NADP-isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP-ICDH). Glyphosate caused a drastic reduction in growth parameters and an increase in protein oxidation. The herbicide also resulted in an overall increase in GSH content, antioxidant enzyme activity (catalase and all enzymatic components of the ascorbate-glutathione cycle) in addition to the two oxidative phase enzymes, G6PDH and 6PGDH, in the pentose phosphate pathway involved in NADPH generation. In this study, we provide new evidence on the participation of G6PDH and 6PGDH in the response to oxidative stress induced by glyphosate in Arabidopsis, in which peroxisomal enzymes, such as catalase and glycolate oxidase, are positively affected. We suggest that the NADPH provided by the oxidative phase of the pentose phosphate pathway (OxPPP) should serve to maintain glutathione reductase (GR) activity, thus preserving and regenerating the intracellular GSH pool under glyphosate-induced stress. It is particularly remarkable that the 6PGDH activity was unaffected by pro-oxidant and nitrating molecules such as H 2 0 2 , nitric oxide or peroxynitrite. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  20. Nitric Oxide Mediates Biofilm Formation and Symbiosis in Silicibacter sp. Strain TrichCH4B.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rao, Minxi; Smith, Brian C; Marletta, Michael A

    2015-05-05

    Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important signaling role in all domains of life. Many bacteria contain a heme-nitric oxide/oxygen binding (H-NOX) protein that selectively binds NO. These H-NOX proteins often act as sensors that regulate histidine kinase (HK) activity, forming part of a bacterial two-component signaling system that also involves one or more response regulators. In several organisms, NO binding to the H-NOX protein governs bacterial biofilm formation; however, the source of NO exposure for these bacteria is unknown. In mammals, NO is generated by the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and signals through binding the H-NOX domain of soluble guanylate cyclase. Recently, several bacterial NOS proteins have also been reported, but the corresponding bacteria do not also encode an H-NOX protein. Here, we report the first characterization of a bacterium that encodes both a NOS and H-NOX, thus resembling the mammalian system capable of both synthesizing and sensing NO. We characterized the NO signaling pathway of the marine alphaproteobacterium Silicibacter sp. strain TrichCH4B, determining that the NOS is activated by an algal symbiont, Trichodesmium erythraeum. NO signaling through a histidine kinase-response regulator two-component signaling pathway results in increased concentrations of cyclic diguanosine monophosphate, a key bacterial second messenger molecule that controls cellular adhesion and biofilm formation. Silicibacter sp. TrichCH4B biofilm formation, activated by T. erythraeum, may be an important mechanism for symbiosis between the two organisms, revealing that NO plays a previously unknown key role in bacterial communication and symbiosis. Bacterial nitric oxide (NO) signaling via heme-nitric oxide/oxygen binding (H-NOX) proteins regulates biofilm formation, playing an important role in protecting bacteria from oxidative stress and other environmental stresses. Biofilms are also an important part of symbiosis, allowing the organism to remain in a