Effects of hyperhomocysteinemia and betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase inhibition on hepatocyte metabolites and the proteome.

Both cardiovascular disease and liver injury are major public health issues. Hyperhomocysteinemia has been linked to cardiovascular diseases, and defects in methyl group metabolism, often resulting in hyperhomocysteinemia, are among the key molecular events postulated to play a role in liver injury. We employed proteomics and metabolomics analyses of human hepatocytes in primary cell culture to explore the spectrum of proteins and associated metabolites affected by the disruption of methyl group metabolism. We treated the hepatocytes with homocysteine (Hcy, 0.1mM and 2mM) to follow the impact of hyperhomocysteinemia, and in parallel, we used a specific inhibitor of betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase (BHMT) to extend our understanding of the physiological functions of the enzyme. The major effect of BHMT inhibition was a 50% decrease in S-adenosylmethionine levels. The treatments with Hcy resulted in multiple changes in the metabolite levels depending on the treatment modality. The BHMT inhibition and 0.1mM Hcy treatment induced only moderate changes in the hepatocyte proteome and secretome, while the changes induced by the 2mM Hcy treatment were extensive. Phosphatidylethanolamine carboxykinase and ornithine aminotransferase were up-regulated about two fold indicating an intervention into metabolism. Cellular proliferation was suspended, secretome composition was changed and signs of apoptosis were discernible. We have detected fibrinogen gamma dimers, which might have a role as a potentially new biomarker of early liver injury. Finally, we have demonstrated the failed maturation of apolipoprotein A1, which might be a new mechanism of disruption of cholesterol efflux from tissues.

Specific potassium ion interactions facilitate homocysteine binding to betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase.

Betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase (BHMT) is a zinc-dependent methyltransferase that uses betaine as the methyl donor for the remethylation of homocysteine to form methionine. This reaction supports S-adenosylmethionine biosynthesis, which is required for hundreds of methylation reactions in humans. Herein we report that BHMT is activated by potassium ions with an apparent K(M) for K⁺ of about 100 µM. The presence of potassium ions lowers the apparent K(M) of the enzyme for homocysteine, but it does not affect the apparent K(M) for betaine or the apparent k(cat) for either substrate. We employed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to theoretically predict and protein crystallography to experimentally localize the binding site(s) for potassium ion(s). Simulations predicted that K⁺ ion would interact with residues Asp26 and/or Glu159. Our crystal structure of BHMT bound to homocysteine confirms these sites of interaction and reveals further contacts between K⁺ ion and BHMT residues Gly27, Gln72, Gln247, and Gly298. The potassium binding residues in BHMT partially overlap with the previously identified DGG (Asp26-Gly27-Gly28) fingerprint in the Pfam 02574 group of methyltransferases. Subsequent biochemical characterization of several site-specific BHMT mutants confirmed the results obtained by the MD simulations and crystallographic data. Together, the data herein indicate that the role of potassium ions in BHMT is structural and that potassium ion facilitates the specific binding of homocysteine to the active site of the enzyme.

Quantification of homocysteine-related metabolites and the role of betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase in HepG2 cells.

We optimized and validated a rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the quantification of six metabolites of homocysteine metabolism: homocysteine, methionine, cysteine, S-adenosylmethionine, S-adenosylhomocysteine and betaine. The detection limits for these metabolites were in the nanomolar range, and the intra- and inter-day precisions were lower than 20% of the relative standard deviations. The method was specifically designed for the determination of the intracellular concentrations of the metabolites in cultured cells. To study the role of betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase (BHMT), HepG2 cells and HepG2 cells that were stably transfected with BHMT ((BHMT) HepG2) were treated with homocysteine or with a specific inhibitor of BHMT, and metabolite levels were subsequently measured. Severely compromised methyl group metabolism in the HepG2 cells, which is typical of cancer-derived cells, prevented clear evaluation of the changes caused by the external manipulations of homocysteine metabolism. However, the ease of handling these cells and the almost unlimited source of experimental material supplied by cells in permanent culture allowed us to develop a reliable methodology. The precautions concerning intracellular metabolite determinations using LC-MS/MS in cultured cells that are expressed in this work will have global validity for future metabolomics studies.

Phenotyping breast cancer cell lines EM-G3, HCC1937, MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 using 2-D electrophoresis and affinity chromatography for glutathione-binding proteins.

BACKGROUND: Transformed phenotypes are common to cell lines derived from various cancers. Proteome profiling is a valuable tool that may reveal uncharacteristic cell phenotypes in transformed cells. Changes in expression of glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and other proteins interacting with glutathione (GSH) in model cell lines could be of particular interest. METHODS: We compared the phenotypes of breast cell lines EM-G3, HCC1937, MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 using 2-D electrophoresis (2-DE). We further separated GSH-binding proteins from the cell lines using affinity chromatography with GSH-Sepharose 4B, performed 2-DE analysis and identified the main protein spots. RESULTS: Correlation coefficients among 2-DE gels from the cell lines were lower than 0.65, pointing to dissimilarity among the cell lines. Differences in primary constituents of the cytoskeleton were shown by the 2-D protein maps and western blots. The spot patterns in gels of GSH-binding fractions from primary carcinoma-derived cell lines HCC1937 and EM-G3 were similar to each other, and they differed from the spot patterns of cell lines MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 that were derived from pleural effusions of metastatic mammary carcinoma patients. Major differences in the expression of GST P1-1 and carbonyl reductase [NADPH] 1 were observed among the cell lines, indicating differential abilities of the cell lines to metabolize xenobiotics. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirmed the applicability of targeted affinity chromatography to proteome profiling and allowed us to characterize the phenotypes of four breast cancer cell lines.

2-DE analysis of breast cancer cell lines 1833 and 4175 with distinct metastatic organ-specific potentials: comparison with parental cell line MDA-MB-231.

Human MDA-MB-231 derived breast cancer cell lines 1833 and 4175 have different metastatic potentials in terms of their tissue tropisms and aggressiveness. Cell line 1833 is specifically metastatic to the bone. The highly aggressive cell line 4175 is specific to the lung. We performed 2-DE analysis of the cell lines. We found 16 significantly changed protein spots, 14 protein spots were identified. Expression of cathepsin D, triosephosphate isomerase, phosphoglycerate kinase 1, heme binding protein 1 and annexin 2 could be correlated with the in vitro aggressiveness of the respective cell lines. Interstitial collagenase and dimethylargininase 2 were exclusive to the cell line 1833 and might contribute to its bone specificity. Serpin B9, cathepsin B chain b, galectin 3 and HSP 27 were changed in the lung specific cell line 4175. The possible contribution of identified proteins to differences in metastatic behavior of the cell lines is discussed.

The development of a new class of inhibitors for betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase.

Betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase (BHMT) is an important zinc-dependent methyltransferase that uses betaine as the methyl donor for the remethylation of homocysteine to form methionine. In the liver, BHMT performs to half of the homocysteine remethylation. In this study, we systematically investigated the tolerance of the enzyme for modifications at the "homocysteine" part of the previously reported potent inhibitor (R,S)-5-(3-amino-3-carboxy-propylsulfanyl)-pentanoic acid (1). In the new compounds, which are S-alkylated homocysteine derivatives, we replaced the carboxylic group in the "homocysteine" part of inhibitor 1 with different isosteric moieties (tetrazole and oxadiazolone); we suppressed the carboxylic negative charge by amidations; we enhanced acidity by replacing the carboxylate with phosphonic or phosphinic acids; and we introduced pyrrolidine steric constraints. Some of these compounds display high affinity toward human BHMT and may be useful for further pharmacological studies of this enzyme. Although none of the new compounds were more potent inhibitors than the reference inhibitor 1, this study helped to completely define the structural requirements of the active site of BHMT and revealed the remarkable selectivity of the enzyme for homocysteine.

Double-headed sulfur-linked amino acids as first inhibitors for betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase 2.

Betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase 2 (BHMT-2) catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from S-methylmethionine to l-homocysteine, yielding two molecules of l-methionine. It is one of three homocysteine methyltransferases in mammals, but its overall contribution to homocysteine remethylation and sulfur amino acid homeostasis is not known. Moreover, recombinant BHMT-2 is highly unstable, which has slowed research on its structural and catalytic properties. In this study, we have prepared the first series of BHMT-2 inhibitors to be described, and we have tested them with human recombinant BHMT-2 that has been stabilized by copurification with human recombinant BHMT. Among the compounds synthesized, (2S,8RS,11RS)-5-thia-2,11-diamino-8-methyldodecanedioic acid (11) was the most potent (K(i)(app) ∼77 nM) and selective inhibitor of BHMT-2. Compound 11 only weakly inhibited human BHMT (IC(50) about 77 µM). This compound (11) may be useful in future in vivo studies to probe the physiological significance of BHMT-2 in sulfur amino acid metabolism.

Structure-activity study of new inhibitors of human betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase.

Betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase (BHMT) catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from betaine to l-homocysteine, yielding dimethylglycine and l-methionine. In this study, we prepared a new series of BHMT inhibitors. The inhibitors were designed to mimic the hypothetical transition state of BHMT substrates and consisted of analogues with NH, N(CH(3)), or N(CH(3))(2) groups separated from the homocysteine sulfur atom by a methylene, ethylene, or a propylene spacer. Only the inhibitor with the N(CH(3)) moiety and ethylene spacer gave moderate inhibition. This result led us to prepare two inhibitors lacking a nitrogen atom in the S-linked alkyl chain: (RS,RS)-5-(3-amino-3-carboxypropylthio)-3-methylpentanoic acid and (RS)-5-(3-amino-3-carboxypropylthio)-3,3-dimethylpentanoic acid. Both of these compounds were highly potent inhibitors of BHMT. The finding that BHMT does not tolerate a true betaine mimic within these inhibitors, especially the nitrogen atom, is surprising and evokes questions about putative conformational changes of BHMT upon the binding of the substrates/products and inhibitors.