A supramolecular indicator displacement assay for acetyl amantadine, a proxy biomarker for spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT) activity

Acetyl amantadine (AcAm) is produced from amantadine (Am) in vivo upon catalysis by spermidine/spermine N1-acetyl transferase (SSAT). SSAT is a biomarker for multiple aggressive cancers, and the analysis of AcAm in urine has been promoted as a proxy measure for the early detection of cancer. We report here the development and optimization of cucurbit[7]uril–dye pair based indicator displacement assay (IDA) for the detection of AcAm in solution. In deionized water, using Rhodamine B as the dye, the limit of detection of AcAm was 0.087 μM with a linear response range from 0 to 1 μM. Using berberine as the dye, the limit of detection was 0.077 μM with the same range of linear response. Our efforts and difficulties in translating this assay to function in human urine are also described. We achieve a partial response of the berberine IDA to the presence of AcAm in urine that has undergone a simple PD-10 desalting step.

Spermine analogue-regulated expression of spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase and its effects on depletion of intracellular polyamine pools in mouse fetal fibroblasts

SSAT (Spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase, also known as SAT1), the key enzyme in the catabolism of polyamines, is turned over rapidly and there is only a low amount present in the cell. In the present study, the regulation of SSAT by spermine analogues, the inducers of the enzyme, was studied in wild-type mouse fetal fibroblasts, expressing endogenous SSAT, and in the SSAT-deficient mouse fetal fibroblasts transiently expressing an SSAT–EGFP (enhanced green fluorescent protein) fusion gene. In both cell lines treatments with DENSpm (N1,N11-diethylnorspermine), CPENSpm (N1-ethyl-N11-[(cyclopropyl)-methy]-4,8-diazaundecane) and CHENSpm (N1-ethyl-N11-[(cycloheptyl)methy]-4,8-diazaundecane) led to high, moderate or low induction of SSAT activity respectively. The level of activity detected correlated with the presence of SSAT and SSAT–EGFP proteins, the latter localizing both in the cytoplasm and nucleus. RT–PCR (reverse transcription–PCR) results suggested that the analogue-affected regulation of SSAT–EGFP expression occurred, mainly, after transcription. In wild-type cells, DENSpm increased the amount of SSAT mRNA, and both DENSpm and CHENSpm affected splicing of the SSAT pre-mRNA. Depleted intracellular spermidine and spermine levels inversely correlated with detected SSAT activity. Interestingly, the analogues also reduced polyamine levels in the SSAT-deficient cells expressing the EGFP control. The results from the present study show that the distinct SSAT regulation by different analogues involves regulatory actions at multiple levels, and that the spermine analogues, in addition to inducing SSAT, lower intracellular polyamine pools by SSAT-independent mechanisms.

Spermidine/spermine-N1-acetyltransferase ablation protects against liver and kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury in mice

Expression of spermine/spermidine- N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT), the rate-limiting enzyme of polyamine backconversion cascade, increases after ischemia-reperfusion injuries (IRI). We hypothesized that SSAT plays an important role in the mediation of IRI. To test our hypothesis, wild-type (SSAT-wt) and SSAT-deficient (SSAT-ko) mice were subjected to liver or kidney IRI by ligation of hepatic or renal arteries. The liver and kidney content of putrescine (Put), a downstream by-product of SSAT activity, increased in SSAT-wt animals but not in SSAT-ko animals after IRI, indicating that polyamine backconversion is not functional in SSAT-deficient mice. When subjected to hepatic IRI, SSAT-ko mice were significantly protected against liver damage compared with SSAT-wt mice. Similarly, SSAT-ko animals subjected to renal IRI showed significantly greater protection against damage to kidney tubules than SSAT-wt mice. These studies indicate that SSAT-deficient animals are protected against IRI and suggest that SSAT is an important mediator of the tissue damage in IRI.

Spermidine/spermine-N1-acetyltransferase: a key metabolic regulator

Spermidine/spermine- N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT) regulates cellular polyamine content. Its acetylated products are either excreted from the cell or oxidized by acetylpolyamine oxidase. Since polyamines play critical roles in normal and neoplastic growth and in ion channel regulation, SSAT is a key enzyme in these processes. SSAT is very highly regulated. Its content is adjusted in response to alterations in polyamine content to maintain polyamine homeostasis. Certain polyamine analogs can mimic the induction of SSAT and cause a loss of normal polyamines. This may have utility in cancer chemotherapy. SSAT activity is also induced via a variety of other stimuli, including toxins, hormones, cytokines, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, natural products, and stress pathways, and by ischemia-reperfusion injury. These increases are initiated by alterations in Sat1 gene transcription reinforced by alterations at the other regulatory steps, including protein turnover, mRNA processing, and translation. Transgenic manipulation of SSAT activity has revealed that SSAT activity links polyamine metabolism to lipid and carbohydrate metabolism by means of alterations in the content of acetyl-CoA and ATP. A high level of SSAT stimulates flux through the polyamine biosynthetic pathway, since biosynthetic enzymes are induced in response to the fall in polyamines. This sets up a futile cycle in which ATP is used to generate S-adenosylmethionine for polyamine biosynthesis and acetyl-CoA is consumed in the acetylation reaction. A variety of other effects of increased SSAT activity include death of pancreatic cells, blockage of regenerative tissue growth, behavioral changes, keratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans, and hair loss. These are very likely due to changes in polyamine and putrescine levels, although increased oxidative stress via the oxidation of acetylated polyamines may also contribute. Recently, it was found that the SSAT protein and/or a related protein, thialysine acetyltransferase, interacts with a number of other important proteins, including the hypoxia-inducible factor-1 α-subunit, the p65 subunit of NF-κB, and α9β1-integrin, altering the function of these proteins. It is not yet clear whether this functional alteration involves protein acetylation, local polyamine concentration changes, or other effects. It has been suggested that SSAT may also be a useful target in diseases other than cancer, but the wide-ranging physiological and pathophysiological effects of altered SSAT expression will require very careful limitation of such strategies to the relevant cells to avoid toxic effects.

Polyamine metabolism in a member of the phylum Microspora (Encephalitozoon cuniculi): effects of polyamine analogues

The uptake, biosynthesis and catabolism of polyamines in the microsporidian parasite Encephalitozoon cuniculi are detailed with reference to the effects of oligoamine and arylamine analogues of polyamines. Enc. cuniculi, an intracellular parasite of mammalian cells, has both biosynthetic and catabolic enzymes of polyamine metabolism, as demonstrated in cell-free extracts of mature spores. The uptake of polyamines was measured in immature, pre-emergent spores isolated from host cells by Percoll gradient. Spermine was rapidly taken up and metabolized to spermidine and an unknown, possibly acetamidopropanal, by spermidine/spermine N 1-acetyltransferase (SSAT) and polyamine oxidase (PAO). Most of the spermidine and the unknown product were found in the cell incubation medium, indicating they were released from the cell. bis(Ethyl) oligoamine analogues of polyamines, such as SL-11144 and SL-11158, as well as arylamine analogues [BW-1, a bis(phenylbenzyl) 3-7-3 analogue] blocked uptake and interconversion of spermine at micromolar levels and, in the case of BW-1, acted as substrate for PAO. The Enc. cuniculi PAO activity differed from that found in mammalian cells with respect to pH optimum, substrate specificity and sensitivity to known PAO inhibitors. SL-11158 inhibited SSAT activity with a mixed type of inhibition in which the analogue had a 70-fold higher affinity for the enzyme than the natural substrate, spermine. The interest in Enc. cuniculi polyamine metabolism and the biochemical effects of these polyamine analogues is warranted since they cure model infections of Enc. cuniculi in mice and are potential candidates for human clinical trials.

Spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT) activity in human small-cell lung carcinoma cells following transfection with a genomic SSAT construct

Spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT) activity is typically highly inducible in non-small-cell lung carcinomas in response to treatment with anti-tumour polyamine analogues, and this induction is associated with subsequent cell death. In contrast, cells of the small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) phenotype generally do not respond to these compounds with an increase in SSAT activity, and usually are only moderately affected with respect to growth. The goal of the present study was to produce an SSAT-overexpressing SCLC cell line to further investigate the role of SSAT in response to these anti-tumour analogues. To accomplish this, NCI-H82 SCLC cells were stably transfected with plasmids containing either the SSAT genomic sequence or the corresponding cDNA sequence. Individual clones were selected based on their ability to show induced SSAT activity in response to exposure to a polyamine analogue, and an increase in the steady-state SSAT mRNA level. Cells transfected with the genomic sequence exhibited a significant increase in basal SSAT mRNA expression, as well as enhanced SSAT activity, intracellular polyamine pool depletion and growth inhibition following treatment with the analogue N1, N11-bis(ethyl)norspermine. Cells containing the transfected cDNA also exhibited an increase in the basal SSAT mRNA level, but remained phenotypically similar to vector control cells with respect to their response to analogue exposure. These studies indicate that both the genomic SSAT sequence and polyamine analogue exposure play a role in the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation and subsequent induction of SSAT activity in these cells. Furthermore, this is the first production of a cell line capable of SSAT protein induction from a generally unresponsive parent line.

Up-regulation of spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT) expression is a part of proliferative but not anabolic response of mouse kidney.

A differential expression pattern of spermidine/spermine N(1)-acetyltransferase (SSAT), the enzyme critical to proper homeostasis of cellular polyamines, is reported in mouse kidney undergoing hyperplasia and hypertrophy. We have shown that SSAT activity and SSAT mRNA are significantly induced by antifolate CB 3717 and folate that evoke a drug-injury-dependent hyperplasia. In contrast, SSAT activity is down-regulated in the testosterone-induced hypertrophic kidney, while SSAT mRNA is positively controlled by this androgen. Catecholamine depletion evoked by reserpine drastically decreases the folate-induced activity of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC), which limits polyamine biosynthesis, but has no effect on SSAT activity augmented by CB 3717. Our results document that the increased SSAT expression solely accompanies the proliferative response of mouse kidney, and suggest the importance of post-transcriptional regulation to the control of SSAT activity in both hyperplastic and hypertrophic experimental models.

Concurrent overexpression of ornithine decarboxylase and spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase further accelerates the catabolism of hepatic polyamines in transgenic mice

We have generated a hybrid transgenic mouse line overexpressing both ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT) under the control of the mouse metallothionein (MT) I promoter. In comparison with singly transgenic animals overexpressing SSAT, the doubly transgenic mice unexpectedly displayed much more striking signs of activated polyamine catabolism, as exemplified by a massive putrescine accumulation and an extreme reduction of hepatic spermidine and spermine pools. Interestingly, the profound depletion of the higher polyamines in the hybrid animals occurred in the presence of strikingly high ODC activity and tremendous putrescine accumulation. Polyamine catabolism in the doubly transgenic mice could be enhanced further by administration of zinc or the polyamine analogue N1,N11-diethylnorspermine. In tracer experiments with [14C]spermidine we found that, in comparison with syngenic animals, both MT-ODC and MT-SSAT mice possessed an enhanced efflux mechanism for hepatic spermidine. In the MT-ODC animals this mechanism apparently operated in the absence of measurable SSAT activity. In the hybrid animals, spermidine efflux was stimulated further in comparison with the singly transgenic animals. In spite of a dramatic accumulation of putrescine and a profound reduction of the spermidine and spermine pools, only marginal changes were seen in the level of ODC antizyme. Even though the hybrid animals showed no liver or other organ-specific overt toxicity, except an early and permanent loss of hair, their life span was greatly reduced. These results can be understood from the perspective that catabolism is the overriding regulatory mechanism in the metabolism of the polyamines and that, even under conditions of severe depletion of spermidine and spermine, extremely high tissue pools of putrescine are not driven further to replenish the pools of the higher polyamines.

Polyamine metabolism of rat gastric mucosa after oral administration of hypertonic sodium chloride solution

Oral administration of 1 ml of 3.42 M NaCl solution to rats induced spermidine/spermine N 1-acetyltransferase (SSAT) activity in gastric mucosa as well as ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity. SSAT activity increased and peaked at 5 h and again at 7 h, whereas ODC activity peaked at 6 h. SSAT mRNA also increased after 3.42 M NaCl administration to an extent similar to the increase in SSAT activity at 5 h. Intracellular putrescine level and DNA synthesis were increased by NaCl administration. A polyamine oxidase inhibitor, N, N′-bis(2,3-butadienyl)-1,4-butanediamine (MDL-72527), but not an ODC inhibitor, α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), inhibited the increases in putrescine level and DNA synthesis at 5 h. The inhibition of DNA synthesis by MDL-72527 was reversed by putrescine administration. In contrast, both MDL-72527 and DFMO inhibited the increase in putrescine level and DNA synthesis at 16.5 h. These findings suggest that putrescine produced from preexistent spermidine by SSAT is responsible for the initial DNA synthesis after mucosal injury induced by NaCl and that both SSAT and ODC are involved in formation of putrescine, which is required for subsequent DNA synthesis.

Structure and critical residues at the active site of spermidine/spermine-N1-acetyltransferase

Spermidine/spermine-N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT) is a key enzyme in the degradation of polyamines. Alanine-scanning mutagenesis of all eight arginine residues was used to investigate the arginine residues involved in acetyl-CoA binding. The results indicate that Arg101, Arg142 and Arg143 are important for such binding. The apparent Km values for acetyl-CoA were significantly increased when any one of these residues was replaced by an alanine residue. These mutations also abolished the ability of acetyl-CoA to protect the protein from digestion by trypsin. Co-expression of the inactive R101A (Arg101 → Ala) mutant and an E152K (Glu152 → Lys) mutant, previously known to inactivate SSAT, led to restoration of activity, showing that the active enzyme is a dimer with residues contributed by both subunits. The double mutant R101A/E152K acted as a dominant negative when co-expressed with the wild-type SSAT. Transfection of COS-7 cells with a plasmid producing this mutant greatly attenuated the increase in SSAT activity brought about by N1,N12-bis(ethyl)spermine. These results indicate that the double mutant R101A/E152K-SSAT protein can be used to evaluate the importance of SSAT activity in response to exogenous polyamines or polyamine analogues.