Effect of BH4 on blood phenylalanine and tyrosine variations in patients with phenylketonuria.

BACKGROUND: In patients with phenylketonuria, stability of blood phenylalanine and tyrosine concentrations might influence brain chemistry and therefore patient outcome. This study prospectively investigated the effects of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), as a chaperone of phenylalanine hydroxylase on diurnal and day-to-day variations of blood phenylalanine and tyrosine concentrations. METHODS: Blood phenylalanine and tyrosine were measured in dried blood spots (DBS) four times daily for 2 days (fasting, before lunch, before dinner, evening) and once daily (fasting) for 6 days in a randomized cross-over design with a period with BH4 and a period without BH4. The sequence was randomized. Eleven proven BH4 responsive PKU patients participated, 5 of them used protein substitutes during BH4 treatment. Natural protein intake and protein substitute dosing was adjusted during the period without BH4 in order to keep DBS phenylalanine levels within target range. Patients filled out a 3-day food diary during both study periods. Variations of DBS phenylalanine and Tyr were expressed in standard deviations (SD) and coefficient of variation (CV). RESULTS: BH4 treatment did not significantly influence day-to-day phenylalanine and tyrosine variations nor diurnal phenylalanine variations, but decreased diurnal tyrosine variations (median SD 17.6 µmol/l, median CV 21.3%, p = 0.01) compared to diet only (median SD 34.2 µmol/l, median CV 43.2%). Consequently, during BH4 treatment diurnal phenylalanine/tyrosine ratio variation was smaller, while fasting tyrosine levels tended to be higher. CONCLUSION: BH4 did not impact phenylalanine variation but decreased diurnal tyrosine and phenylalanine/tyrosine ratio variations, possibly explained by less use of protein substitute and increased tyrosine synthesis.

The S-oxidation of S-carboxymethyl-L-cysteine in hepatic cytosolic fractions from BTBR and phenylketonuria enu1 and enu2 mice.

Mice that were heterozygous dominant for the enu1 and enu2 mutation in phenylalanine monooxygenase/phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) resulted in hepatic PAH assays for S-carboxymethyl-L-cysteine (SCMC) that had significantly increased calculated Km (wild type (wt)/enu1, 1.84-2.12 fold increase and wt/enu2 a 2.75 fold increase in PAH assays). The heterozygous dominant phenotypes showed a significantly reduced catalytic turnover of SCMC (wt/enu1, 6.11 fold decrease and wt/enu2 an 11.25 fold decrease in calculated Vmax). Finally, these phenotypes also had a significantly reduced clearance, CLE (wt/enu1, 13.02 fold and wt/enu2, a 30.80-30.94 fold decrease) The homozygous recessive phenotype (enu1/enu1) was also found to have significantly increased calculated Km (2.16 fold increase), a significantly reduced calculated Vmax (11.35-12.33 fold decrease) and CLE (24.75-25.00 fold decrease). The enu2/enu2, homozygous recessive phenotype had no detectable PAH activity using SCMC as substrate. The identity of the enzyme responsible for the C-oxidation of L-phenylalanine (L-Phe) and the S-oxidation of SCMC in wt/wt (BTBR) mice was identified using monoclonal antibody and selective chemical inhibitors and was found to be PAH. This in vitro mouse hepatic cytosolic fraction metabolism investigation provides further evidence to support the hypothesis that an individual possessing one variant allele for PAH will result in a poor metaboliser phenotype that is unable to produce significant amounts of S-oxide metabolites of SCMC.

Early Stage Discovery and Validation of Pharmacological Chaperones for the Correction of Protein Misfolding Diseases.

Pharmacological chaperones are small molecular weight molecules that bind specifically to protein targets and stabilize unstable and misfolded conformations. In particular, there is an increasing interest in the application of this type of compounds for the correction of genetic conformational disorders, which are caused by mutations leading to protein instability. The discovery of compounds with pharmacological chaperone ability is customarily initiated by a high-throughput screening of chemical libraries searching for stabilizing binders. However, there is no established consensus for the subsequent steps. Therefore, here, we introduce an example of a successful protocol directed to the discovery of pharmacological chaperones with potential for the therapeutic correction of phenylketonuria, a defect caused by mutations in the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase.

Thermal profiling reveals phenylalanine hydroxylase as an off-target of panobinostat.

We describe a two-dimensional thermal proteome profiling strategy that can be combined with an orthogonal chemoproteomics approach to enable comprehensive target profiling of the marketed histone deacetylase inhibitor panobinostat. The N-hydroxycinnamide moiety is identified as critical for potent and tetrahydrobiopterin-competitive inhibition of phenylalanine hydroxylase leading to increases in phenylalanine and decreases in tyrosine levels. These findings provide a rationale for adverse clinical observations and suggest repurposing of the drug for treatment of tyrosinemia.

Discovery of a Specific Inhibitor of Pyomelanin Synthesis in Legionella pneumophila.

Phenylalanine hydroxylase catalyzes the first step in the synthesis of pyomelanin, a pigment that aids in the acquisition of essential iron in certain bacteria. In this work, we present the development and application of a drug discovery protocol by targeting this enzyme in Legionella pneumophila, the major causative agent of Legionnaires' disease. We employ a combination of high-throughput screening to identify small-molecule binders, enzymatic activity measurements to identify inhibitors in vitro, and the verification of the inhibitory effect in vivo. The most potent inhibitor shows an IC50 value in the low micromolar range and successfully abolishes the synthesis of pyomelanin in L. pneumophila cultures at 10 µM. Thus, this compound represents a novel and effective tool for investigating the role of pyomelanin in the biology and pathogenicity of this organism. Altogether, the results demonstrate a successful pathway for drug development focusing on binding specificity in the initial high-throughput screening steps.

Role of the phenylalanine-hydroxylating system in aromatic substance degradation and lipid metabolism in the oleaginous fungus Mortierella alpina.

Mortierella alpina is a filamentous fungus commonly found in soil that is able to produce lipids in the form of triacylglycerols that account for up to 50% of its dry weight. Analysis of the M. alpina genome suggests that there is a phenylalanine-hydroxylating system for the catabolism of phenylalanine, which has never been found in fungi before. We characterized the phenylalanine-hydroxylating system in M. alpina to explore its role in phenylalanine metabolism and its relationship to lipid biosynthesis. Significant changes were found in the profile of fatty acids in M. alpina grown on medium containing an inhibitor of the phenylalanine-hydroxylating system compared to M. alpina grown on medium without inhibitor. Genes encoding enzymes involved in the phenylalanine-hydroxylating system (phenylalanine hydroxylase [PAH], pterin-4α-carbinolamine dehydratase, and dihydropteridine reductase) were expressed heterologously in Escherichia coli, and the resulting proteins were purified to homogeneity. Their enzymatic activity was investigated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) or visible (Vis)-UV spectroscopy. Two functional PAH enzymes were observed, encoded by distinct gene copies. A novel role for tetrahydrobiopterin in fungi as a cofactor for PAH, which is similar to its function in higher life forms, is suggested. This study establishes a novel scheme for the fungal degradation of an aromatic substance (phenylalanine) and suggests that the phenylalanine-hydroxylating system is functionally significant in lipid metabolism.

Role of catalase and superoxide dismutase activities on oxidative stress in the brain of a phenylketonuria animal model and the effect of lipoic acid.

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an inherited metabolic disorder caused by deficiency of phenylalanine hydroxylase which leads to accumulation of phenylalanine and its metabolites in tissues of patients with severe neurological involvement. Recently, many studies in animal models or patients have reported the role of oxidative stress in PKU. In the present work we studied the effect of lipoic acid against oxidative stress in rat brain provoked by an animal model of hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA), induced by repetitive injections of phenylalanine and α-methylphenylalanine (a phenylalanine hydroxylase inhibitor) for 7 days, on some oxidative stress parameters. Lipoic acid prevented alterations on catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and the oxidative damage of lipids, proteins, and DNA observed in HPA rats. In addition, lipoic acid diminished reactive species generation compared to HPA group which was positively correlated to SOD/CAT ratio. We also observed that in vitro Phe inhibited CAT activity while phenyllactic and phenylacetic acids stimulated superoxide dismutase activity. These results demonstrate the efficacy of lipoic acid to prevent oxidative stress induced by HPA model in rats. The possible benefits of lipoic acid administration to PKU patients should be considered.

Mouse recombinant phenylalanine monooxygenase and the S-oxygenation of thioether substrates.

The substrate specificity of mouse recombinant phenylalanine monooxygenase (mPAH) has been investigated with respect to the mucoactive drug, S-carboxymethyl-L-cysteine (SCMC) and its thioether metabolites. Phenylalanine monooxygenase was shown to be able to catalyze the S-oxygenation of SCMC, its decarboxylated metabolite, S-methyl-L-cysteine and both their corresponding N-acetylated forms. However, thiodiglycolic acid was found not to be a substrate. The enzyme profiles for both phenylalanine and SCMC showed Michaelis-Menten with noncompetitive substrate inhibition for both the substrate-activated and the lysophosphatidylcholine-activated mPAH assays. The tetrameric enzyme was shown to undergo posttranslational activation by preincubation with substrate, lysophosphatidylcholine, N-ethylmaleimide (a thiol alkylating agent), and the proteolytic enzymes alpha-chymotrypsin and trypsin. Similar posttranslational activation of PAH activity in the rat and human has also been reported. These results suggest that in the mouse, PAH was responsible for the S-oxidation of SCMC and that the mouse models of the hyperphenylalaninemias may be a potential tool in the investigation of the S-oxidation polymorphism in man.

Glyceryl ether monooxygenase resembles aromatic amino acid hydroxylases in metal ion and tetrahydrobiopterin dependence.

Glyceryl ether monooxygenase is a tetrahydrobiopterin-dependent membrane-bound enzyme which catalyses the cleavage of lipid ethers into glycerol and the corresponding aldehyde. Despite many different characterisation and purification attempts, so far no gene and primary sequence have been assigned to this enzyme. The seven other tetrahydrobiopterin-dependent enzymes can be divided in the family of aromatic amino acid hydroxylases - comprising phenylalanine hydroxylase, tyrosine hydroxylase and the two tryptophan hydroxylases - and into the three nitric oxide synthases. We tested the influences of different metal ions and metal ion chelators on glyceryl ether monooxygenase, phenylalanine hydroxylase and nitric oxide synthase activity to elucidate the relationship of glyceryl ether monooxygenase to these two families. 1,10-Phenanthroline, an inhibitor of non-heme iron-dependent enzymes, was able to potently block glyceryl ether monooxygenase as well as phenylalanine hydroxylase, but had no effect on inducible nitric oxide synthase. Two tetrahydrobiopterin analogues, N(5)-methyltetrahydrobiopterin and 4-aminotetrahydrobiopterin, had a similar impact on glyceryl ether monooxygenase activity, as has already been shown for phenylalanine hydroxylase. These observations point to a close analogy of the role of tetrahydrobiopterin in glyceryl ether monooxygenase and in aromatic amino acid hydroxylases and suggest that glyceryl ether monooxygenase may require a non-heme iron for catalysis.

Phenylalanine 4-monooxygenase and the S-oxidation of S-carboxymethyl-L-cysteine by human cytosolic fractions.

The purpose of this investigation was to reaction phenotype the identity of the cytosolic enzyme responsible for the S-oxidation of S-carboxymethyl-L-cysteine (SCMC) in female human hepatic cytosolic fractions. The identity of this enzyme in the female Wistar rat hepatic cytosolic fraction was found to be phenylalanine 4-monooxygenase (PAH). In pooled female human hepatic cytosolic fractions the calculated K(m) and V(max) for substrate (SCMC) activated PAH was 16.22 +/- 11.31 mM and 0.87 +/- 0.41 nmoles x min(-1) mg(-1). The experimental data modelled to the Michaelis-Menten equation with noncompetitive substrate inhibition. When the cytosolic fractions were activated with lysophophatidylcholine the V(max) increased to 52.31 +/- 11.72 nmoles x min(-1) mg(-1) but the K(m) remained unchanged at 16.53 +/- 2.32 mM. A linear correlation was seen in the production of Tyr and SCMC R/S S-oxide in 20 individual female hepatic cytosolic fractions for both substrate and lysophosphatidylcholine activated PAH (r(s) > 0.96). Inhibitor studies found that the specific chemical and antibody inhibitors of PAH reduced the production of Tyr and SCMC R/S S-oxide in these in vitro PAH assays. An investigation of the mechanism of interaction of SCMC with PAH indicated that the drug was a competitive inhibitor of the aromatic C-oxidation of Phe with a calculated K(i) of 17.23 +/- 4.15 mM. The requirement of BH4 as cofactor and the lack of effect of the specific tyrosine hydroxylase, tryptophan hydroxylase and nitric oxide synthase inhibitors on the S-oxidation of SCMC all indicate that PAH was the enzyme responsible for this biotransformation reaction in human hepatic cytosolic fractions.

Specific interaction of the diastereomers 7(R)- and 7(S)-tetrahydrobiopterin with phenylalanine hydroxylase: implications for understanding primapterinuria and vitiligo.

Pterin-4a-carbinolamine dehydratase (PCD) is an essential component of the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) system, catalyzing the regeneration of the essential cofactor 6(R)-L-erythro-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobiopterin [6(R)BH4]. Mutations in PCD or its deactivation by hydrogen peroxide result in the generation of 7(R,S)BH4, which is a potent inhibitor of PAH that has been implicated in primapterinuria, a variant form of phenylketonuria, and in the skin depigmentation disorder vitiligo. We have synthesized and separated the 7(R) and 7(S) diastereomers confirming their structure by NMR. Both 7(R)- and 7(S)BH4 function as poor cofactors for PAH, whereas only 7(S)BH4 acts as a potent competitive inhibitor vs. 6(R)BH4 (Ki=2.3-4.9 microM). Kinetic and binding studies, as well as characterization of the pterin-enzyme complexes by fluorescence spectroscopy, revealed that the inhibitory effects of 7(R,S)BH4 on PAH are in fact specifically based on 7(S)BH4 binding. The molecular dynamics simulated structures of the pterin-PAH complexes indicate that 7(S)BH4 inhibition is due to its interaction with the polar region at the pterin binding site close to Ser-251, whereas its low efficiency as cofactor is related to a suboptimal positioning toward the catalytic iron. 7(S)BH4 is not an inhibitor for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the physiological range, presumably due to the replacement of Ser-251 by the corresponding Ala297. Taken together, our results identified structural determinants for the specific regulation of PAH and TH by 7(S)BH4, which in turn aid in the understanding of primapterinuria and acute vitiligo.

Serotonin synthesis by two distinct enzymes in Drosophila melanogaster.

Annotation of the sequenced Drosophila genome suggested the presence of an additional enzyme with extensive homology to mammalian tryptophan hydroxylase, which we have termed DTRH. In this work, we show that enzymatic analyses of the putative DTRH enzyme expressed in Escherichia coli confirm that it acts as a tryptophan hydroxylase but can also hydroxylate phenylalanine, in vitro. Building upon the knowledge gained from the work in mice and zebrafish, it is possible to hypothesize that DTRH may be primarily neuronal in function and expression, and DTPH, which has been previously shown to have phenylalanine hydroxylation as its primary role, may be the peripheral tryptophan hydroxylase in Drosophila. The experiments presented in this report also show that DTRH is similar to DTPH in that it exhibits differential hydroxylase activity based on substrate. When DTRH uses tryptophan as a substrate, substrate inhibition, catecholamine inhibition, and decreased tryptophan hydroxylase activity in the presence of serotonin synthesis inhibitors are observed. When DTRH uses phenylalanine as a substrate, end product inhibition, increased phenylalanine hydroxylase activity after phosphorylation by cAMP-dependent protein kinase, and a decrease in phenylalanine hydroxylase activity in the presence of the serotonin synthesis inhibitor, alpha-methyl-(DL)-tryptophan are observed. These experiments suggest that the presence of distinct tryptophan hydroxylase enzymes may be evolutionarily conserved and serve as an ancient mechanism to appropriately regulate the production of serotonin in its target tissues.

Experimental hyperphenylalaninemia provokes oxidative stress in rat brain.

Tissue accumulation of L-phenylalanine (Phe) is the biochemical hallmark of human phenylketonuria (PKU), an inherited metabolic disorder clinically characterized by mental retardation and other neurological features. The mechanisms of brain damage observed in this disorder are poorly understood. In the present study we investigated some oxidative stress parameters in the brain of rats with experimental hyperphenylalaninemia. Chemiluminescence, total radical-trapping antioxidant potential (TRAP), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities were measured in the brain of the animals. We observed that chemiluminescence is increased and TRAP is reduced in the brain of hyperphenylalaninemic rats. Similar data were obtained in the in vitro experiments using Phe at various concentrations. CAT activity was significantly inhibited by Phe in vitro and in vivo, whereas GSH-Px activity was reduced in vivo but not in vitro and SOD activity was not altered by any treatment. The results indicate that oxidative stress may be involved in the neuropathology of PKU. However, further studies are necessary to confirm and extend our findings to the human condition and also to determine whether an antioxidant therapy may be of benefit to these patients.

X-ray absorption spectroscopic investigation of the resting ferrous and cosubstrate-bound active sites of phenylalanine hydroxylase.

Previous studies of ferrous wild-type phenylalanine hydroxylase, [Fe(2+)]PAH(T)[], have shown the active site to be a six-coordinate distorted octahedral site. After the substrate and cofactor bind to the enzyme ([Fe(2+)]PAH(R)[L-Phe,5-deaza-6-MPH(4)]), the active site converts to a five-coordinate square pyramidal structure in which the identity of the missing ligand had not been previously determined. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at the Fe K-edge further supports this coordination number change with the binding of both cosubstrates to the enzyme, and determines this to be due to the loss of a water ligand.

Essential role of the N-terminal autoregulatory sequence in the regulation of phenylalanine hydroxylase.

Phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) is activated by its substrate phenylalanine and inhibited by its cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin (BH(4)). The crystal structure of PAH revealed that the N-terminal sequence of the enzyme (residues 19-29) partially covered the enzyme active site, and suggested its involvement in regulation. We show that the protein lacking this N-terminal sequence does not require activation by phenylalanine, shows an altered structural response to phenylalanine, and is not inhibited by BH(4). Our data support the model where the N-terminal sequence of PAH acts as an intrasteric autoregulatory sequence, responsible for transmitting the effect of phenylalanine activation to the active site.

Studies of ochratoxin A-induced inhibition of phenylalanine hydroxylase and its reversal by phenylalanine.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic, and teratogenic mycotoxin produced by storage molds on a variety of foodstuffs. Its chemical structure is composed of an isocumarin part linked to l-phenylalanine. Inhibition of phenylalanine hydroxylase and other enzymes that use phenylalanine as substrate is based on this structural homology. We have examined the effects of low doses of ochratoxin A on the activity of phenylalanine hydroxylase in kidney and in liver of experimental animals. Daily administration of ochratoxin A (50 microg/kg body wt, for 10 and 35 days, respectively) caused a significant reduction in the phenylalanine hydroxylase activity. Inhibition was more pronounced in liver than in kidney, although actual ochratoxin A concentration was higher in the kidney tissue. We observed an apparent increase in the affinity of phenylalanine hydroxylase for substrate following OTA administration to animals. However, simple competitive inhibition was observed for both tissues in vitro (K(i liver) = 0.0119 +/- 0.002 mM and K(i kidney) = 0.13 +/- 0.026 mM). Simultaneous application of ochratoxin A with phenylalanine could reduce inhibition of phenylalanine hydroxylase, in particular in liver. Enzyme activity was almost completely preserved after 35 days of combined treatment. The results obtained suggest that daily administration of ochratoxin A in low doses produced an inhibitory effect that could be diminished by competitive action of l-phenylalanine.

Crystallographic analysis of the human phenylalanine hydroxylase catalytic domain with bound catechol inhibitors at 2.0 A resolution.

The aromatic amino acid hydroxylases represent a superfamily of structurally and functionally closely related enzymes, one of those functions being reversible inhibition by catechol derivatives. Here we present the crystal structure of the dimeric catalytic domain (residues 117-424) of human phenylalanine hydroxylase (hPheOH), cocrystallized with various potent and well-known catechol inhibitors and refined at a resolution of 2.0 A. The catechols bind by bidentate coordination to each iron in both subunits of the dimer through the catechol hydroxyl groups, forming a blue-green colored ligand-to-metal charge-transfer complex. In addition, Glu330 and Tyr325 are identified as determinant residues in the recognition of the inhibitors. In particular, the interaction with Glu330 conforms to the structural explanation for the pH dependence of catecholamine binding to PheOH, with a pKa value of 5.1 (20 degreesC). The overall structure of the catechol-bound enzyme is very similar to that of the uncomplexed enzyme (rms difference of 0.2 A for the Calpha atoms). Most striking is the replacement of two iron-bound water molecules with catechol hydroxyl groups. This change is consistent with a change in the ligand field symmetry of the high-spin (S = 5/2) Fe(III) from a rhombic to a nearly axial ligand field symmetry as seen upon noradrenaline binding using EPR spectroscopy [Martinez, A., Andersson, K. K., Haavik, J., and Flatmark, T. (1991) Eur. J. Biochem. 198, 675-682]. Crystallographic comparison with the structurally related rat tyrosine hydroxylase binary complex with the oxidized cofactor 7,8-dihydrobiopterin revealed overlapping binding sites for the catechols and the cofactor, compatible with a competitive type of inhibition of the catechols versus BH4. The comparison demonstrates some structural differences at the active site as the potential basis for the different substrate specificity of the two enzymes.

[An experimental study on the effects of maternal hyperphenylalaninemia on the central nervous system and behavior of offspring rats]. / Estudio experimental sobre los efectos de la hiperfenilalaninemia materna en el sistema nervioso central y la conducta de ratas hijas.

OBJECTIVE: This work attempts to study the cerebral alterations in rat offspring of hyperphenylalaninemic mothers, as well as the possibility of preventing them by means of administration of dietetic supplements of valine, leucine and isoleucine during the pregnancy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: An experimental study in two consecutive pregnancies of 18 Wistar rats was carried out. The first pregnancy serves as the control group. In the second pregnancy, an experimental hyperphenylalaninemia was provoked by means of injection of phenylalanine and chlorophenylalanine (phenylalanine-hydroxylase inhibitor). In half of the mothers during the second pregnancy the diet was supplemented with branched-chain amino acids. In the offspring rats, a histological cerebral study was performed (conventional electron microscopy and study of synaptosomes). A behavioral study (T-water maze) was also performed at birth and on the 35th and 65th days of life. RESULTS: The offspring of the group submitted to hyperphenylalaninemia were microcephalic (p = 0.0003) and had fewer synaptosomes that had a larger surface area (p = 0.0081 in newborn rats, p = 0.0028 on the 35th day of life) and of a more immature aspect (less vesicular content). In addition, alteration in the myelinization were detected. In the behavior test (65th day of life), the offspring of the mothers with hyperphenylalaninemia make significantly more mistakes (p = 0.0167) and they needed more time for their resolution (p = 0.059). None of these alterations could be prevented by the administration of supplements of branched-chain amino acids to the mother. These supplements resulted in a higher fertility rate, but this action results in affected young rats, so their administration seems to be counter-productive.

Synergistic antiproliferative actions of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate, interleukin-1beta, and activators of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase in primary hepatocytes.

cAMP and Ca2+ acted together with the acute phase cytokine interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) to inhibit hepatocyte DNA replication. At sub-basal activity of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), neither IL-1beta nor the Ca2+-elevating hormone vasopressin affected hepatocyte proliferation. Basal level of PKA activity permitted IL-1beta action. Increased PKA activity also permitted vasopressin action and sensitized further towards IL-1beta, which acted at 10-50 pM concentrations. Vasopressin acted via Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), and its action was mimicked by the serine/threonine phosphatase inhibitor microcystin, which activates CaMKII. Inhibitors (KN93 and KT5926) of CaMKII selectively counteracted the effects of vasopressin and microcystin on hepatocyte proliferation at concentrations similar to those required to inhibit CaMKII in vitro. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of 32P-prelabeled hepatocytes revealed a common set of proteins phosphorylated in response to vasopressin and microcystin. Their phosphorylation was counteracted by CaMKII inhibitor (KT5926). Phosphorylation of the CaMKII substrate phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH; EC 1.14.16.1) was used as an endogenous marker of CaMKII activation. It was found that treatment of the cells with vasopressin or microcystin increased the phosphorylation of PAH, and that the vasopressin-induced PAH phosphorylation was inhibited by KT5926. In conclusion, the Ca2+-elevating hormone vasopressin potentiated the antiproliferative effects of cAMP and IL-1beta through CaMKII activation.

Structure-function relationships of phenylalanine hydroxylase revealed by radiation target analysis.

Phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) purified from rat liver is an oligomeric protein (predominantly tetramers) composed of 52-kDa subunits that are identical in primary structure. We have used radiation target analysis to probe the subunit organization of the enzyme. When 6-methyltetrahydropterin was used as the cofactor, the loss of hydroxylase activity as a function of radiation dose was defined by a single exponential decay, yielding a target size of about 120 kDa. However, when the enzyme was assayed with the natural cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), the inactivation curves were much more complex. In these cases, the activity first increased, then decreased, as a function of radiation dose. The inactivation profile at higher radiation doses implied a target size of approximately 100 kDa. Kinetic analysis of the enzyme was significantly activated relative to the nonirradiated sample. In addition, the irradiated enzyme was desensitized to substrate-level activation by phenylalanine. The initial increase in activity at low radiation doses is due to the destruction of a large inhibitor. Analysis of the irradiated samples by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography indicated that the hydroxylase tetramer was lost with a target size of 110 kDa. Our data indicate that the tetrameric form of purified PAH consists of two enzymatically active dimers and that BH4 interacts with a tetramer to inhibit or deactivate the enzymatic activity.