Signal transduction mechanisms in heme-based globin-coupled oxygen sensors with a focus on a histidine kinase (AfGcHK) and a diguanylate cyclase (YddV or EcDosC).

Heme is a vital cofactor of proteins with roles in oxygen transport (e.g. hemoglobin), storage (e.g. myoglobin), and activation (e.g. P450) as well as electron transfer (e.g. cytochromes) and many other functions. However, its structural and functional role in oxygen sensing proteins differs markedly from that in most other enzymes, where it serves as a catalytic or functional center. This minireview discusses the mechanism of signal transduction in two heme-based oxygen sensors: the histidine kinase AfGcHK and the diguanylate cyclase YddV (EcDosC), both of which feature a heme-binding domain containing a globin fold resembling that of hemoglobin and myoglobin.

Disruption of the dimerization interface of the sensing domain in the dimeric heme-based oxygen sensor AfGcHK abolishes bacterial signal transduction.

The heme-based oxygen sensor protein AfGcHK is a globin-coupled histidine kinase in the soil bacterium Anaeromyxobacter sp. Fw109-5. Its C-terminal functional domain exhibits autophosphorylation activity induced by oxygen binding to the heme-Fe(II) complex located in the oxygen-sensing N-terminal globin domain. A detailed understanding of the signal transduction mechanisms in heme-containing sensor proteins remains elusive. Here, we investigated the role of the globin domain's dimerization interface in signal transduction in AfGcHK. We present a crystal structure of a monomeric imidazole-bound AfGcHK globin domain at 1.8 Å resolution, revealing that the helices of the WT globin dimer are under tension and suggesting that Tyr-15 plays a role in both this tension and the globin domain's dimerization. Biophysical experiments revealed that whereas the isolated WT globin domain is dimeric in solution, the Y15A and Y15G variants in which Tyr-15 is replaced with Ala or Gly, respectively, are monomeric. Additionally, we found that although the dimerization of the full-length protein is preserved via the kinase domain dimerization interface in all variants, full-length AfGcHK variants bearing the Y15A or Y15G substitutions lack enzymatic activity. The combined structural and biophysical results presented here indicate that Tyr-15 plays a key role in the dimerization of the globin domain of AfGcHK and that globin domain dimerization is essential for internal signal transduction and autophosphorylation in this protein. These findings provide critical insights into the signal transduction mechanism of the histidine kinase AfGcHK from Anaeromyxobacter.

Heme: emergent roles of heme in signal transduction, functional regulation and as catalytic centres.

Protoporphyrin IX iron complex (heme) is an important cofactor for oxygen transfer, oxygen storage, oxygen activation, and electron transfer when bound to the heme proteins hemoglobin, myoglobin, cytochrome P450 and cytochrome c, respectively. In addition to these prototypical heme proteins, there are emergent, critical roles of exchangeable/labile heme in signal transduction. Specifically, it has been shown that association/dissociation of heme to/from heme-responsive sensors regulates numerous functions, including transcription, DNA binding, microRNA splicing, translation, protein kinase activity, protein degradation, heme degradation, K+ channel function, two-component signal transduction, and many other functions. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of structure-function relationships of heme-responsive sensors and describe new, additional roles of exchangeable/labile heme as functional inhibitors and activators. In order to complete the description of the various roles of heme in heme-bound proteins, we also mention heme as a novel chemical reaction centre for aldoxime dehydratase, cis-trans isomerase, N-N bond formation, hydrazine formation and S-S formation, and other functions. These unprecedented functions of exchangeable/labile heme and heme proteins should be of interest to biological chemists. Insight into underlying molecular mechanisms is essential for understanding the new role of heme in important physiological and pathological processes.

Coordination and redox state-dependent structural changes of the heme-based oxygen sensor AfGcHK associated with intraprotein signal transduction.

The heme-based oxygen sensor histidine kinase AfGcHK is part of a two-component signal transduction system in bacteria. O2 binding to the Fe(II) heme complex of its N-terminal globin domain strongly stimulates autophosphorylation at His183 in its C-terminal kinase domain. The 6-coordinate heme Fe(III)-OH- and -CN- complexes of AfGcHK are also active, but the 5-coordinate heme Fe(II) complex and the heme-free apo-form are inactive. Here, we determined the crystal structures of the isolated dimeric globin domains of the active Fe(III)-CN- and inactive 5-coordinate Fe(II) forms, revealing striking structural differences on the heme-proximal side of the globin domain. Using hydrogen/deuterium exchange coupled with mass spectrometry to characterize the conformations of the active and inactive forms of full-length AfGcHK in solution, we investigated the intramolecular signal transduction mechanisms. Major differences between the active and inactive forms were observed on the heme-proximal side (helix H5), at the dimerization interface (helices H6 and H7 and loop L7) of the globin domain and in the ATP-binding site (helices H9 and H11) of the kinase domain. Moreover, separation of the sensor and kinase domains, which deactivates catalysis, increased the solvent exposure of the globin domain-dimerization interface (helix H6) as well as the flexibility and solvent exposure of helix H11. Together, these results suggest that structural changes at the heme-proximal side, the globin domain-dimerization interface, and the ATP-binding site are important in the signal transduction mechanism of AfGcHK. We conclude that AfGcHK functions as an ensemble of molecules sampling at least two conformational states.

Highly conserved nucleotide phosphatase essential for membrane lipid homeostasis in Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Proteins belonging to the DHH family, a member of the phosphoesterase superfamily, are produced by most bacterial species. While some of these proteins are well studied in Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli, their functions in Streptococcus pneumoniae remain unclear. Recently, the highly conserved DHH subfamily 1 protein PapP (SP1298) has been reported to play an important role in virulence. Here, we provide a plausible explanation for the attenuated virulence of the papP mutant. Recombinant PapP specifically hydrolyzed nucleotides 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphate (pAp) and 5'-phosphoadenylyl-(3'->5')-adenosine (pApA). Deletion of papP, potentially leading to pAp/pApA accumulation, resulted in morphological defects and mis-localization of several cell division proteins. Incubation with both polar solvent and detergent led to robust killing of the papP mutant, indicating that membrane integrity is strongly affected. This is in line with previous studies showing that pAp inhibits the ACP synthase, an essential enzyme involved in lipid precursor production. Remarkably, partial inactivation of the lipid biosynthesis pathway, by inhibition of FabF or depletion of FabH, phenocopied the papP mutant. We conclude that pAp and pApA phosphatase activity of PapP is required for maintenance of membrane lipid homeostasis providing an explanation how inactivation of this protein may attenuate pneumococcal virulence.

Structural characterization of the heme-based oxygen sensor, AfGcHK, its interactions with the cognate response regulator, and their combined mechanism of action in a bacterial two-component signaling system.

The oxygen sensor histidine kinase AfGcHK from the bacterium Anaeromyxobacter sp. Fw 109-5 forms a two-component signal transduction system together with its cognate response regulator (RR). The binding of oxygen to the heme iron of its N-terminal sensor domain causes the C-terminal kinase domain of AfGcHK to autophosphorylate at His183 and then transfer this phosphate to Asp52 or Asp169 of the RR protein. Analytical ultracentrifugation revealed that AfGcHK and the RR protein form a complex with 2:1 stoichiometry. Hydrogen-deuterium exchange coupled to mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) suggested that the most flexible part of the whole AfGcHK protein is a loop that connects the two domains and that the heme distal side of AfGcHK, which is responsible for oxygen binding, is the only flexible part of the sensor domain. HDX-MS studies on the AfGcHK:RR complex also showed that the N-side of the H9 helix in the dimerization domain of the AfGcHK kinase domain interacts with the helix H1 and the ß-strand B2 area of the RR protein's Rec1 domain, and that the C-side of the H8 helix region in the dimerization domain of the AfGcHK protein interacts mostly with the helix H5 and ß-strand B6 area of the Rec1 domain. The Rec1 domain containing the phosphorylable Asp52 of the RR protein probably has a significantly higher affinity for AfGcHK than the Rec2 domain. We speculate that phosphorylation at Asp52 changes the overall structure of RR such that the Rec2 area containing the second phosphorylation site (Asp169) can also interact with AfGcHK. Proteins 2016; 84:1375-1389. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of hydrogen sulfide on the heme coordination structure and catalytic activity of the globin-coupled oxygen sensor AfGcHK.

AfGcHK is a globin-coupled histidine kinase that is one component of a two-component signal transduction system. The catalytic activity of this heme-based oxygen sensor is due to its C-terminal kinase domain and is strongly stimulated by the binding of O2 or CO to the heme Fe(II) complex in the N-terminal oxygen sensing domain. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an important gaseous signaling molecule and can serve as a heme axial ligand, but its interactions with heme-based oxygen sensors have not been studied as extensively as those of O2, CO, and NO. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated the effects of H2S binding on the heme coordination structure and catalytic activity of wild-type AfGcHK and mutants in which residues at the putative O2-binding site (Tyr45) or the heme distal side (Leu68) were substituted. Adding Na2S to the initial OH-bound 6-coordinate Fe(III) low-spin complexes transformed them into SH-bound 6-coordinate Fe(III) low-spin complexes. The Leu68 mutants also formed a small proportion of verdoheme under these conditions. Conversely, when the heme-based oxygen sensor EcDOS was treated with Na2S, the initially formed Fe(III)-SH heme complex was quickly converted into Fe(II) and Fe(II)-O2 complexes. Interestingly, the autophosphorylation activity of the heme Fe(III)-SH complex was not significantly different from the maximal enzyme activity of AfGcHK (containing the heme Fe(III)-OH complex), whereas in the case of EcDOS the changes in coordination caused by Na2S treatment led to remarkable increases in catalytic activity.

Exposure of rats to exogenous endocrine disruptors 17alpha-ethinylestradiol and benzo(a)pyrene and an estrogenic hormone estradiol induces expression of cytochromes P450 involved in their metabolism.

OBJECTIVES: The term "endocrine disruptor" (ED) is used for compounds that mimic or antagonize the effects of endogenous hormones. Synthetic estrogen 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) and a human carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) are assigned as exogenous endocrine disruptors and an estrogenic hormone estradiol is a natural endogenous disruptor. Here, the potency of these three disruptors administered to rats individually and in combination to induce expression of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes involved in their own metabolism (CYP1A1, 2C and 3A) in vivo was investigated. METHODS: Changes in CYP protein expression after exposure of rats to BaP, EE2 or estradiol were analyzed by Western blotting. Using the HPLC method, CYP1A1, 2C and 3A specific activities in hepatic microsomes isolated from exposed rats were analyzed. RESULTS: Whereas exposure to BaP induces expression of CYP1A1 protein and its marker activity (Sudan I oxidation) in liver, kidney and lung of rats, no significant induction of this CYP and its enzyme activity was produced by EE2 and estradiol. Treatment of BaP in combination with EE2 and/or estradiol decreased the BaP-mediated CYP1A1 induction in liver of exposed rats. BaP also induces CYP2C11 protein in rat liver and kidney, but does not increase its enzyme activity measured as testosterone 16α-hydroxylation. The enzyme activity of another enzyme of the 2C subfamily, CYP2C6, diclofenac 4'-hydroxylation, is even decreased by BaP. The CYP2C11 protein expression and/or its activity are also increased in liver of rats treated with EE2 and estradiol, but its expression is significantly decreased in lung. The CYP2C6 activity is also elevated by treatment of rats with EE2 and estradiol administered individually as well as in their combination. Whereas only a slight increase in CYP3A protein expression was found by BaP in rat liver, its enzyme activity, testosterone 6ß-hydroxyalation, increased significantly in this organ. In contrast, no effect or even a decrease in CYP3A expression and its enzyme activity was produced by EE2 and estradiol in rats exposed to these compounds.

Kinetic Analysis of a Globin-Coupled Histidine Kinase, AfGcHK: Effects of the Heme Iron Complex, Response Regulator, and Metal Cations on Autophosphorylation Activity.

The globin-coupled histidine kinase, AfGcHK, is a part of the two-component signal transduction system from the soil bacterium Anaeromyxobacter sp. Fw109-5. Activation of its sensor domain significantly increases its autophosphorylation activity, which targets the His183 residue of its functional domain. The phosphate group of phosphorylated AfGcHK is then transferred to the cognate response regulator. We investigated the effects of selected variables on the autophosphorylation reaction's kinetics. The kcat values of the heme Fe(III)-OH(-), Fe(III)-cyanide, Fe(III)-imidazole, and Fe(II)-O2 bound active AfGcHK forms were 1.1-1.2 min(-1), and their Km(ATP) values were 18.9-35.4 µM. However, the active form bearing a CO-bound Fe(II) heme had a kcat of 1.0 min(-1) but a very high Km(ATP) value of 357 µM, suggesting that its active site structure differs strongly from the other active forms. The Fe(II) heme-bound inactive form had kcat and Km(ATP) values of 0.4 min(-1) and 78 µM, respectively, suggesting that its low activity reflects a low affinity for ATP relative to that of the Fe(III) form. The heme-free form exhibited low activity, with kcat and Km(ATP) values of 0.3 min(-1) and 33.6 µM, respectively, suggesting that the heme iron complex is essential for high catalytic activity. Overall, our results indicate that the coordination and oxidation state of the sensor domain heme iron profoundly affect the enzyme's catalytic activity because they modulate its ATP binding affinity and thus change its kcat/Km(ATP) value. The effects of the response regulator and different divalent metal cations on the autophosphorylation reaction are also discussed.

Probing the ligand recognition and discrimination environment of the globin-coupled oxygen sensor protein YddV by FTIR and time-resolved step-scan FTIR spectroscopy.

YddV is a newly discovered signal transducer heme protein that recognizes O2 and CO. Structural differences in the ligand-bound heme complex in YddV reflect variations in catalytic regulation by O2 and CO. Time-resolved step-scan (TRS(2)) FTIR studies of the wild type and of the important in oxygen recognition and stability of the heme Fe(II)-O2 complex L65M, L65T, Y43A, Y43F and Y43W mutants were performed to determine the site-specific protein dynamics following carbon monoxide (CO) photodissociation. These mutations were designed to perturb the electrostatic field near the iron-bound gaseous ligand (CO) and also to allow us to investigate the communication pathway between the distal residues of the protein and heme. TRS(2)-FTIR spectra of YddV-heme-CO show that the heme propionates are in protonated and deprotonated states. Moreover, the rate of decay of the vibrations of amide I is on a time scale that coincides with the rate of rebinding of CO, which suggests that there is coupling between ligation dynamics in the distal heme environment and (i) relaxation of the protein backbone and (ii) the environment sensed by the heme propionates. The fast recombination rates in L65M, L65T and Y43W imply a significant role of L65 and Y43 in controlling the ligand dynamics. The implications of these results with respect to the role of the heme propionates and the charged or proton-donating residues in the distal pocket, which are crucial for stabilizing bound gaseous ligands, are discussed.

Catalytic enhancement of the heme-based oxygen-sensing phosphodiesterase EcDOS by hydrogen sulfide is caused by changes in heme coordination structure.

EcDOS is a heme-based O2-sensing phosphodiesterase in which O2 binding to the heme iron complex in the N-terminal domain substantially enhances catalysis toward cyclic-di-GMP, which occurs in the C-terminal domain. Here, we found that hydrogen sulfide enhances the catalytic activity of full-length EcDOS, possibly owing to the admixture of 6-coordinated heme Fe(III)-SH(-) and Fe(II)-O2 complexes generated during the reaction. Alanine substitution at Met95, the axial ligand for the heme Fe(II) complex, converted the heme Fe(III) complex into the heme Fe(III)-SH(-) complex, but the addition of Na2S did not further reduce it to the heme Fe(II) complex of the Met95Ala mutant, and no subsequent formation of the heme Fe(II)-O2 complex was observed. In contrast, a Met95His mutant formed a stable heme Fe(II)-O2 complex in response to the same treatment. An Arg97Glu mutant, containing a glutamate substitution at the amino acid that interacts with O2 in the heme Fe(II)-O2 complex, formed a stable heme Fe(II) complex in response to Na2S, but this complex failed to bind O2. Interestingly, the addition of Na2S promoted formation of verdoheme (oxygen-incorporated, modified protoporphyrin IX) in an Arg97Ile mutant. Catalytic enhancement by Na2S was similar for Met95 mutants and the wild type, but significantly lower for the Arg97 mutants. Thus, this study shows the first isolation of spectrometrically separated, stable heme Fe(III)-SH(-), heme Fe(II) and heme Fe(II)-O2 complexes of full-length EcDOS with Na2S, and confirms that external-ligand-bound, 6-coordinated heme Fe(III)-SH(-) or heme Fe(II)-O2 complexes critically contribute to the Na2S-induced catalytic enhancement of EcDOS.

Heme-based globin-coupled oxygen sensors: linking oxygen binding to functional regulation of diguanylate cyclase, histidine kinase, and methyl-accepting chemotaxis.

An emerging class of novel heme-based oxygen sensors containing a globin fold binds and senses environmental O2 via a heme iron complex. Structure-function relationships of oxygen sensors containing a heme-bound globin fold are different from those containing heme-bound PAS and GAF folds. It is thus worth reconsidering from an evolutionary perspective how heme-bound proteins with a globin fold similar to that of hemoglobin and myoglobin could act as O2 sensors. Here, we summarize the molecular mechanisms of heme-based oxygen sensors containing a globin fold in an effort to shed light on the O2-sensing properties and O2-stimulated catalytic enhancement observed for these proteins.

Modulation of human cytochrome P450 1A1-mediated oxidation of benzo[a]pyrene by NADPH:cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase and cytochrome b5.

OBJECTIVES: Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1 located in the membrane of endoplasmic reticulum is the most important enzyme in both activation and detoxification of carcinogenic benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), in combination with microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH). However, it is still not clearly explained how the electron transfer is mediated by NADPH:CYP oxidoreductase (POR), another component of the microsomal enzymatic system, on CYP1A1 during BaP oxidation, and whether microsomal cytochrome b5 might influence this electron transfer. METHODS: High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was employed for separation of BaP metabolites formed by enzymatic systems containing human CYP1A1. RESULTS: Human CYP1A1 expressed with POR in eukaryotic and prokaryotic expression cellular systems, in microsomes of insect cells (Supersomes) and in a membrane fraction of Escherichia coli, respectively, and these enzyme systems reconstituted with purified cytochrome b5 were utilized to study BaP oxidation. Human CYP1A1 expressed in Supersomes oxidized BaP to seven metabolites [7,8- and 9,10-dihydrodiols, 1,6-dione, 3,6-dione, 3- and 9-phenols, and a metabolite with unknown structure (Mx)], whereas this enzyme expressed in membranes of E. coli formed only the metabolites 1,6- and 3,6-diones, 3- and 9-phenols, and Mx. Addition of cytochrome b5 to CYP1A1 expressed in the eukaryotic system led to a more than 2-fold increase in BaP metabolism, but had essentially no effect on BaP oxidation by CYP1A1 expressed in E. coli. CONCLUSION: The effect of cytochrome b5 on CYP1A1 conformation and the electron transfer to this enzyme may contribute to the cytochrome b5-mediated stimulation of BaP oxidation.

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).

The heme-based oxygen-sensor phosphodiesterase from Escherichia coli (Ec DOS), is composed of an N-terminal heme-bound oxygen sensing domain and a C-terminal catalytic domain. Oxygen (O2) binding to the heme Fe(II) complex in Ec DOS substantially enhances catalysis. Addition of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) to the heme Fe(III) complex in Ec DOS also remarkably stimulates catalysis in part due to the heme Fe(III)-SH and heme Fe(II)-O2 complexes formed by H2S. In this study, we examined the roles of the heme distal amino acids, M95 (the axial ligand of the heme Fe(II) complex) and R97 (the O2 binding site in the heme Fe(II)-O2 complex) of the isolated heme-binding domain of Ec DOS (Ec DOS-PAS) in the binding of H2S under aerobic conditions. Interestingly, R97A and R97I mutant proteins formed an oxygen-incorporated modified heme, verdoheme, following addition of H2S combined with H2O2 generated by the reactions. Time-dependent mass spectroscopic data corroborated the findings. In contrast, H2S did not interact with the heme Fe(III) complex of M95H and R97E mutants. Thus, M95 and/or R97 on the heme distal side in Ec DOS-PAS significantly contribute to the interaction of H2S with the Fe(III) heme complex and also to the modification of the heme Fe(III) complex with reactive oxygen species. Importantly, mutations of the O2 binding site of the heme protein converted its function from oxygen sensor to that of a heme oxygenase. This study establishes the novel role of H2S in modifying the heme iron complex to form verdoheme with the aid of reactive oxygen species.

Monitoring the Kinase Activity of Heme-Based Oxygen Sensors and Its Dependence on O2 and Other Ligands Using Phos-Tag Electrophoresis.

The nonradioactive method, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) in the presence of Phos-tag (Phos-tag electrophoresis), is used to evaluate a kinase autophosphorylation and/or phosphotransfer reaction from a kinase/ATP to its protein substrate. This method outperforms radioisotope methods using [32P]ATP for detecting trace amounts of phosphorylated protein in fresh protein preparations. Phos-tag electrophoresis has been used to perform detailed analyses of the kinase activity of a heme-based oxygen sensor-specifically, a globin-coupled histidine kinase from the soil bacterium Anaeromyxobacter sp. Fw109-5 (AfGcHK).

Characterization of the interaction between the tumour suppressor p53 and heme and its role in the protein conformational dynamics studied by various spectroscopic techniques and hydrogen/deuterium exchange coupled with mass spectrometry.

The tumour suppressor p53 regulates the expression of a myriad of proteins that are important for numerous cellular processes, including apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, metabolism, and even autophagy and ferroptosis. Aside from DNA, p53 can interact with many types of partners including proteins and small organic molecules. The ability of p53 to interact with heme has been reported so far. In this study, we used various spectroscopic studies to conduct a thorough biophysical characterization of the interaction between p53 and heme concerning the oxidation, spin, coordination, and ligand state of heme iron. We found that the p53 oligomeric state and zinc biding ability are preserved upon the interaction with heme. Moreover, we described the effect of heme binding on the conformational dynamics of p53 by hydrogen/deuterium exchange coupled with mass spectrometry. Specifically, the conformational flexibility of p53 is significantly increased upon interaction with heme, while its affinity to a specific DNA sequence is reduced by heme. The inhibitory effect of DNA binding by heme is partially reversible. We discuss the potential heme binding sites in p53 with respect to the observed conformational dynamics changes and perturbed DNA-binding ability of p53 upon interaction with heme.

Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry of Heme-Based Oxygen Sensor Proteins.

Hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) is a well-established analytical technique that enables monitoring of protein dynamics and interactions by probing the isotope exchange of backbone amides. It has virtually no limitations in terms of protein size, flexibility, or reaction conditions and can thus be performed in solution at different pH values and temperatures under controlled redox conditions. Thanks to its coupling with mass spectrometry (MS), it is also straightforward to perform and has relatively high throughput, making it an excellent complement to the high-resolution methods of structural biology. Given the recent expansion of artificial intelligence-aided protein structure modeling, there is considerable demand for techniques allowing fast and unambiguous validation of in silico predictions; HDX-MS is well-placed to meet this demand. Here we present a protocol for HDX-MS and illustrate its use in characterizing the dynamics and structural changes of a dimeric heme-containing oxygen sensor protein as it responds to changes in its coordination and redox state. This allowed us to propose a mechanism by which the signal (oxygen binding to the heme iron in the sensing domain) is transduced to the protein's functional domain.

Effects of cytochrome P450 inhibitors on peroxidase activity.

OBJECTIVES: Of several enzymes metabolizing xenobiotics, cytochrome P450 (CYP) and peroxidase enzymes seem to be most important. One of the major challenges in studies investigating metabolism of xenobiotics is to resolve which of these two groups of enzymes is predominant to metabolize individual xenobiotic compounds. Utilization of selective inhibitors of CYP and peroxidase enzymes might be a useful tool to identify the contribution of these enzymes to metabolism of xenobiotics in samples, where both types of enzymes are present. The aim of this study was to investigate specificities of several known CYP inhibitors to these enzymes; whether they inhibit only the CYP enzymes and do not inhibit peroxidases. METHODS: Since the oxidation of o-anisidine catalyzed by a model peroxidase used, horseradish peroxidase (HRP), is a two-substrate reaction, the inhibition potential of tested chemicals was studied with respect to both peroxidase substrates, o-anisidine and hydrogen peroxide. Initial velocities of o-anisidine oxidation by HRP under various conditions were determined spectrophotometrically. RESULTS: The CYP inhibitors metyrapone, troleandomycine, disulfiram, sulfaphenazole, quinidine and 1-aminobenzotriazole do not inhibit o-anisidine oxidation catalyzed by HRP. In contrast, ketoconazole, diethyldithiocarbamate, ellipticine, α-naphtoflavone, proadifen SKF525A, piperonylbutoxide, were found to inhibit not only the CYPs, but also the HRP-mediated oxidation of o-anisidine. Interestingly, α-naphtoflavone inhibits oxidation of o-anisidine by HRP with respect to H2O2, but not with respect to o-anisidine. Diethyldithiocarbamate is the most potent peroxidase inhibitor of o-anisidine oxidation with Ki with respect to o-anisidine of 10 µM and Ki with respect to H2O2 of 60 µM, being even the better peroxidase inhibitor than the classical "peroxidase inhibitor" - propyl gallate (Ki with respect to o-anisidine of 60 µM and Ki with respect to H2O2 of 750 µM). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study demonstrate that 1-aminobenzotriazole, a potent inhibitor of various CYP enzymes, seems to be the best candidate suitable for utilization in studies evaluating participation of CYP enzymes in metabolism of xenobiotics in various complex biological materials containing both CYP and peroxidase enzymes. Moreover, precaution to prevent misinterpretation of results is necessary in cases when proadifen SKF525A, piperonylbutoxide, diethyldithiocarbamate, ketoconazole, α-naphtoflavone and ellipticine are used in similar studies (as CYP inhibitors in various complex biological materials containing both CYP and peroxidase enzymes), since these chemicals can except of CYP enzymes inhibit also peroxidase-mediated reactions.

Human cytochrome-P450 enzymes metabolize N-(2-methoxyphenyl)hydroxylamine, a metabolite of the carcinogens o-anisidine and o-nitroanisole, thereby dictating its genotoxicity.

N-(2-Methoxyphenyl)hydroxylamine is a component in the human metabolism of two industrial and environmental pollutants and bladder carcinogens, viz. 2-methoxyaniline (o-anisidine) and 2-methoxynitrobenzene (o-nitroanisole), and it is responsible for their genotoxicity. Besides its capability to form three deoxyguanosine adducts in DNA, N-(2-methoxyphenyl)-hydroxylamine is also further metabolized by hepatic microsomal enzymes. To investigate its metabolism by human hepatic microsomes and to identify the major microsomal enzymes involved in this process are the aims of this study. N-(2-Methoxyphenyl)hydroxylamine is metabolized by human hepatic microsomes predominantly to o-anisidine, one of the parent carcinogens from which N-(2-methoxyphenyl)hydroxylamine is formed, while o-aminophenol and two N-(2-methoxyphenyl)hydroxylamine metabolites, whose exact structures have not been identified as yet, are minor products. Selective inhibitors of microsomal CYPs, NADPH:CYP reductase and NADH:cytochrome-b(5) reductase were used to characterize human liver microsomal enzymes reducing N-(2-methoxyphenyl)hydroxylamine to o-anisidine. Based on these studies, we attribute the main activity for this metabolic step in human liver to CYP3A4, 2E1 and 2C (more than 90%). The enzymes CYP2D6 and 2A6 also partake in this N-(2-methoxyphenyl)hydroxylamine metabolism in human liver, but only to ∼6%. Among the human recombinant CYP enzymes tested in this study, human CYP2E1, followed by CYP3A4, 1A2, 2B6 and 2D6, were the most efficient enzymes metabolizing N-(2-methoxyphenyl)hydroxylamine to o-anisidine. The results found in this study indicate that genotoxicity of N-(2-methoxyphenyl)hydroxylamine is dictated by its spontaneous decomposition to nitrenium/carbenium ions generating DNA adducts, and by its susceptibility to metabolism by CYP enzymes.