scholarly journals A Clinically Relevant Variant of the Human Hydrogen Sulfide-Synthesizing Enzyme Cystathionineβ-Synthase: Increased CO Reactivity as a Novel Molecular Mechanism of Pathogenicity?

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
João B. Vicente ◽  
Henrique G. Colaço ◽  
Francesca Malagrinò ◽  
Paulo E. Santo ◽  
André Gutierres ◽  
...  

The human disease classical homocystinuria results from mutations in the gene encoding the pyridoxal 5′-phosphate- (PLP-) dependent cystathionineβ-synthase (CBS), a key enzyme in the transsulfuration pathway that controls homocysteine levels, and is a major source of the signaling molecule hydrogen sulfide (H2S). CBS activity, contributing to cellular redox homeostasis, is positively regulated byS-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) but fully inhibited upon CO or NO• binding to a noncatalytic heme moiety. Despite extensive studies, the molecular basis of several pathogenicCBSmutations is not yet fully understood. Here we found that the ferrous heme of the reportedly mild p.P49L CBS variant has altered spectral properties and markedly increased affinity for CO, making the protein much more prone than wild type (WT) CBS to inactivation at physiological CO levels. The higher CO affinity could result from the slightly higher flexibility in the heme surroundings revealed by solving at 2.80-Å resolution the crystallographic structure of a truncated p.P49L. Additionally, we report that p.P49L displays impaired H2S-generating activity, fully rescued by PLP supplementation along the purification, despite a minor responsiveness to AdoMet. Altogether, the results highlight how increased propensity to CO inactivation of an otherwise WT-like variant may represent a novel pathogenic mechanism in classical homocystinuria.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Carmen Fernández-Rodríguez ◽  
Iker Oyenarte ◽  
Carolina Conter ◽  
Irene González-Recio ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTCystathionine β-synthase (CBS), the pivotal enzyme of the reverse transsulfuration pathway, catalyzes the pyridoxal-5’-phosphate-dependent condensation of serine with homocysteine to form cystathionine. Additionally, CBS performs alternative reactions that use homocysteine and cysteine as substrates leading to the endogenous biosynthesis of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), an important signal transducer in many physiological and pathological processes. Toxoplasma gondii, the causative agent of toxoplasmosis, encodes a functional CBS (TgCBS) that contrary to human CBS, is not allosterically regulated by S-adenosylmethionine and can use both, Ser and O-acetylserine (OAS) as substrates. TgCBS is also strongly implicated in the production of H2S, and thus involved in redox homeostasis of the parasite. Here, we report its crystal structure, the first CBS from a protozoan described so far. Our data reveals a basal-like fold that unexpectedly differs from the active conformations found in other organisms, but structurally similar to the pathogenic activated mutant D444N of the human enzyme.


Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 2135
Author(s):  
Anna Maria Czarnecka ◽  
Wojciech Hilgier ◽  
Magdalena Zielińska

Background: Acute liver failure (ALF) impairs cerebral function and induces hepatic encephalopathy (HE) due to the accumulation of neurotoxic and neuroactive substances in the brain. Cerebral oxidative stress (OS), under control of the glutathione-based defense system, contributes to the HE pathogenesis. Glutathione synthesis is regulated by cysteine synthesized from homocysteine via the transsulfuration pathway present in the brain. The transsulfuration-transmethylation interdependence is controlled by a methyl group donor, S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) conversion to S-adenosylhomocysteine (AdoHcy), whose removal by subsequent hydrolysis to homocysteine counteract AdoHcy accumulation-induced OS and excitotoxicity. Methods: Rats received three consecutive intraperitoneal injections of thioacetamide (TAA) at 24 h intervals. We measured AdoMet and AdoHcy concentrations by HPLC-FD, glutathione (GSH/GSSG) ratio (Quantification kit). Results: AdoMet/AdoHcy ratio was reduced in the brain but not in the liver. The total glutathione level and GSH/GSSG ratio, decreased in TAA rats, were restored by AdoMet treatment. Conclusion: Data indicate that disturbance of redox homeostasis caused by AdoHcy in the TAA rat brain may represent a deleterious mechanism of brain damage in HE. The correction of the GSH/GSSG ratio following AdoMet administration indicates its therapeutic value in maintaining cellular redox potential in the cerebral cortex of ALF rats.


2008 ◽  
Vol 74 (21) ◽  
pp. 6584-6590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boguslaw Lupa ◽  
Erik L. Hendrickson ◽  
John A. Leigh ◽  
William B. Whitman

ABSTRACT Methanococcus maripaludis, an H2- and formate-utilizing methanogen, produced H2 at high rates from formate. The rates and kinetics of H2 production depended upon the growth conditions, and H2 availability during growth was a major factor. Specific activities of resting cells grown with formate or H2 were 0.4 to 1.4 U�mg−1 (dry weight). H2 production in formate-grown cells followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics, and the concentration of formate required for half-maximal activity (Kf ) was 3.6 mM. In contrast, in H2-grown cells this process followed sigmoidal kinetics, and the Kf was 9 mM. A key enzyme for formate-dependent H2 production was formate dehydrogenase, Fdh. H2 production and growth were severely reduced in a mutant containing a deletion of the gene encoding the Fdh1 isozyme, indicating that it was the primary Fdh. In contrast, a mutant containing a deletion of the gene encoding the Fdh2 isozyme possessed near-wild-type activities, indicating that this isozyme did not play a major role. H2 production by a mutant containing a deletion of the coenzyme F420-reducing hydrogenase Fru was also severely reduced, suggesting that the major pathway of H2 production comprised Fdh1 and Fru. Because a Δfru-Δfrc mutant retained 10% of the wild-type activity, an additional pathway is present. Mutants possessing deletions of the gene encoding the F420-dependent methylene-H4MTP dehydrogenase (Mtd) or the H2-forming methylene-H4MTP dehydrogenase (Hmd) also possessed reduced activity, which suggested that this second pathway was comprised of Fdh1-Mtd-Hmd. In contrast to H2 production, the cellular rates of methanogenesis were unaffected in these mutants, which suggested that the observed H2 production was not a direct intermediate of methanogenesis. In conclusion, high rates of formate-dependent H2 production demonstrated the potential of M. maripaludis for the microbial production of H2 from formate.


2010 ◽  
Vol 192 (5) ◽  
pp. 1184-1192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil C. Doherty ◽  
Feifei Shen ◽  
Nigel M. Halliday ◽  
David A. Barrett ◽  
Kim R. Hardie ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT In many bacteria, LuxS functions as a quorum-sensing molecule synthase. However, it also has a second, more central metabolic function in the activated methyl cycle (AMC), which generates the S-adenosylmethionine required by methyltransferases and recycles the product via methionine. Helicobacter pylori lacks an enzyme catalyzing homocysteine-to-methionine conversion, rendering the AMC incomplete and thus making any metabolic role of H. pylori LuxS (LuxSHp) unclear. Interestingly, luxS Hp is located next to genes annotated as cysK Hp and metB Hp, involved in other bacteria in cysteine and methionine metabolism. We showed that isogenic strains carrying mutations in luxS Hp, cysK Hp, and metB Hp could not grow without added cysteine (whereas the wild type could), suggesting roles in cysteine synthesis. Growth of the ΔluxS Hp mutant was restored by homocysteine or cystathionine and growth of the ΔcysK Hp mutant by cystathionine only. The ΔmetB Hp mutant had an absolute requirement for cysteine. Metabolite analyses showed that S-ribosylhomocysteine accumulated in the ΔluxS Hp mutant, homocysteine in the ΔcysK Hp mutant, and cystathionine in the ΔmetB Hp mutant. This suggests that S-ribosylhomocysteine is converted by LuxSHp to homocysteine (as in the classic AMC) and thence by CysKHp to cystathionine and by MetBHp to cysteine. In silico analysis suggested that cysK-metB-luxS were acquired by H. pylori from a Gram-positive source. We conclude that cysK-metB-luxS encode the capacity to generate cysteine from products of the incomplete AMC of H. pylori in a process of reverse transsulfuration. We recommend that the misnamed genes cysK Hp and metB Hp be renamed mccA (methionine-to-cysteine-conversion gene A) and mccB, respectively.


Nitric Oxide ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. S45
Author(s):  
Zheng-Wei Lee ◽  
Yi-Lian Low ◽  
Tianxiao Wang ◽  
Lih-Wen Deng

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 2567-2567
Author(s):  
Francesco Iachetta ◽  
Angela Damato ◽  
Candida Bonelli ◽  
Alessandra Romagnani ◽  
Maria Banzi ◽  
...  

2567 Background: Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) is a key enzyme in the metabolism of fluorouracil. Deleterious polymorphisms in gene-encoding DPD ( DPYD) results in a DPD deficiency that causes life-threatening toxicities when the standard dose of fluorouracil is used. DPYD*2A (IVS14+1G > A) is the most common single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) associated with critical DPD deficiency. At present, most of the evidence supports screening for at least 3 SNPs (DPYD*2A, c.2846 A > T, c.1679T > G). The aim of this study is to confirm that the detection of additional polymorphisms of DPYD could enhance prevention of fluoropyrimidine toxicity. Methods: In 2011, we began to screen DPYD*2A in patients candidate for fluoropyrimidine based-chemotherapy. As the first step of the evaluation, we selected all cases of DPYD*2A wild type, from 2011 to 2012, who developed CTC-NCI-V.3 toxicity ≥ G3. In these patients, we researched the other 3 SNPs (c.2846 A > T, c.1679T > G, c.2194C > A). Mutational status was analyzed with real Time PCR. Results: From 2011 to 2016 we pre-emptively screened DPD deficiency in 1,863 patients and 32 subjects (1.6%), with results mutated for DPYD*2A. As the first step of the evaluation, 548 subjects were assessed from 2011 to 2012. We found 7 patients who were carriers of the DPYD*2A mutation (1.27%). Of the 541 wild type cases, 114 presented toxicities ≥ G3. In this subgroup, 22 patients (19%) proved to be mutated for the other SNPs of DPYP, as reported in the table below. Conclusions: Preliminary data show that in 22 (19%) of 114 patients who presented severe toxicity which was not correlated with DPYD*2A, we found other polymorphisms of gene encoding DPD. Out of the 3 SNPs evaluated, c.2194 C > A proved to be the most frequent, although it is the polymorphism that is least known and least studied. Such results suggest that the evaluation of additional polymorphisms could enhance the prevention of fluoropyrimidine toxicity. The results are expected to be clarified further in the second step, which is ongoing. [Table: see text]


2004 ◽  
Vol 287 (1) ◽  
pp. R39-R46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Vitvitsky ◽  
Sanjana Dayal ◽  
Sally Stabler ◽  
You Zhou ◽  
Hong Wang ◽  
...  

Elevated plasma levels of homocysteine are a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, neural tube defects, and Alzheimer's disease. The transsulfuration pathway converts homocysteine to cysteine, and ∼50% of the cysteine in glutathione is derived from homocysteine in human liver cells, which suggests the hypothesis that defects in the transsulfuration pathway perturb redox homeostasis. To test this hypothesis, we examined a murine model for hyperhomocysteinemia in which the gene encoding the first enzyme in the transsulfuration pathway, cystathionine β-synthase (CBS), has been disrupted. Limited metabolite profiling and CBS expression studies in liver, kidney, and brain reveal tissue-specific differences in the response to Cbs disruption. Homozygous disruption of Cbs lowered cysteine concentration in all three organs. Glutathione concentration was diminished in liver and brain, thus affecting the redox buffering capacity in these organs, whereas the approximately twofold higher glutathione synthesis capacity in kidney helped preserve the glutathione pool size despite loss of the transsulfuration pathway in this organ. In contrast, disruption of a single Cbs allele elicited only minor redox perturbations. Furthermore, the Cbs+/− genotype did not confer a significant disadvantage compared with the Cbs+/+ genotype in hepatocytes challenged by oxidative stress from exposure to tertiary butylhydroperoxide. These studies provide evidence that homozygous disruption of Cbs perturbs redox homeostasis and reduces cysteine levels, raising the possibility that these changes may be important in the etiology of the clinical manifestations of CBS deficiency.


1999 ◽  
Vol 181 (22) ◽  
pp. 6914-6921 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascale Plamondon ◽  
Denis Brochu ◽  
Suzanne Thomas ◽  
Julie Fradette ◽  
Lucie Gauthier ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT In gram-positive bacteria, the HPr protein of the phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS) can be phosphorylated on a histidine residue at position 15 (His15) by enzyme I (EI) of the PTS and on a serine residue at position 46 (Ser46) by an ATP-dependent protein kinase (His∼P and Ser-P, respectively). We have isolated fromStreptococcus salivarius ATCC 25975, by independent selection from separate cultures, two spontaneous mutants (Ga3.78 and Ga3.14) that possess a missense mutation in ptsH (the gene encoding HPr) replacing the methionine at position 48 by a valine. The mutation did not prevent the phosphorylation of HPr at His15 by EI nor the phosphorylation at Ser46 by the ATP-dependent HPr kinase. The levels of HPr(Ser-P) in glucose-grown cells of the parental and mutant Ga3.78 were virtually the same. However, mutant cells growing on glucose produced two- to threefold less HPr(Ser-P)(His∼P) than the wild-type strain, while the levels of free HPr and HPr(His∼P) were increased 18- and 3-fold, respectively. The mutants grew as well as the wild-type strain on PTS sugars (glucose, fructose, and mannose) and on the non-PTS sugars lactose and melibiose. However, the growth rate of both mutants on galactose, also a non-PTS sugar, decreased rapidly with time. The M48V substitution had only a minor effect on the repression of α-galactosidase, β-galactosidase, and galactokinase by glucose, but this mutation abolished diauxie by rendering cells unable to prevent the catabolism of a non-PTS sugar (lactose, galactose, and melibiose) when glucose was available. The results suggested that the capacity of the wild-type cells to preferentially metabolize glucose over non-PTS sugars resulted mainly from inhibition of the catabolism of these secondary energy sources via a HPr-dependent mechanism. This mechanism was activated following glucose but not lactose metabolism, and it did not involve HPr(Ser-P) as the only regulatory molecule.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhi-Zhong Xie ◽  
Yang Liu ◽  
Jin-Song Bian

Intracellular redox imbalance is mainly caused by overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) or weakness of the natural antioxidant defense system. It is involved in the pathophysiology of a wide array of human diseases. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is now recognized as the third “gasotransmitters” and proved to exert a wide range of physiological and cytoprotective functions in the biological systems. Among these functions, the role of H2S in oxidative stress has been one of the main focuses over years. However, the underlying mechanisms for the antioxidant effect of H2S are still poorly comprehended. This review presents an overview of the current understanding of H2S specially focusing on the new understanding and mechanisms of the antioxidant effects of H2S based on recent reports. Both inhibition of ROS generation and stimulation of antioxidants are discussed. H2S-induced S-sulfhydration of key proteins (e.g., p66Shc and Keap1) is also one of the focuses of this review.


2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 858-874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Viefhues ◽  
Jens Heller ◽  
Nora Temme ◽  
Paul Tudzynski

The thioredoxin system is of great importance for maintenance of cellular redox homeostasis. Here, we show that it has a severe influence on virulence of Botrytis cinerea, demonstrating that redox processes are important for host-pathogen interactions in this necrotrophic plant pathogen. The thioredoxin system is composed of two enzymes, the thioredoxin and the thioredoxin reductase. We identified two genes encoding for thioredoxins (bctrx1, bctrx2) and one gene encoding for a thioredoxin reductase (bctrr1) in the genome of B. cinerea. Knockout mutants of bctrx1 and bctrr1 were severely impaired in virulence and more sensitive to oxidative stress. Additionally, Δbctrr1 showed enhanced H2O2 production and retarded growth. To investigate the impact of the second major cellular redox system, glutathione, we generated deletion mutants for two glutathione reductase genes. The effects were only marginal; deletion of bcglr1 resulted in reduced germination and, correspondingly, to retarded infection as well as reduced growth on minimal medium, whereas bcglr2 deletion had no distinctive phenotype. In summary, we showed that the balanced redox status maintained by the thioredoxin system is essential for development and pathogenesis of B. cinerea, whereas the second major cellular redox system, the glutathione system, seems to have only minor impact on these processes.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document