Hepatic and extrahepatic glucuronidation of bile acids in man. Characterization of bile acid uridine 5'-diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase in hepatic, renal, and intestinal microsomes.

Microsomal UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activity toward the bile acids (chenodeoxycholic, deoxycholic, ursodeoxycholic, lithocholic, and glycolithocholic) has been detected in human specimens of liver, kidney, and intestinal mucosa. The characteristics of hepatic and extrahepatic UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activities toward these bile acids were compared with respect to kinetic parameters and other catalytic properties. Whereas no organ-specific differences in the affinities of individual bile acids to hepatic and extrahepatic UDP-glucuronosyltransferases were observed, the individual bile acids showed reaction rates in liver that were about twice the rates estimated in kidney and about twice to three times the rates observed in duodenal mucosa. In intestinal mucosa the rate of chenodeoxycholic acid glucuronidation exhibited a progressive decrease from duodenum to colon, where it was 30% of the duodenal level. Comparison of the glucuronidation rates that were estimated with different bile acids in hepatic or extrahepatic tissues showed that for each organ a bile acid structure-activity relationship existed, with highest activity observed for lithocholic and ursodeoxycholic acids, which was about twofold higher compared with chenodeoxycholic or deoxycholic acids. Lowest activity was estimated for glycolithocholic acid. UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activity toward chenodeoxycholic acid was studied in biopsy specimens of liver that were obtained from a large group of patients with the following liver diseases: liver cirrhosis, liver fibrosis, granulomatous hepatitis, fatty liver hepatitis, and fatty liver. A significant decrease in enzyme activity was observed in patients with liver cirrhosis and in patients with granulomatous hepatitis compared with patients without liver disease.

Bile acid N-acetylglucosaminidation. In vivo and in vitro evidence for a selective conjugation reaction of 7 beta-hydroxylated bile acids in humans.

The aim of this study was to define whether N-acetylglucosaminidation is a selective conjugation pathway of structurally related bile acids in humans. The following bile acids released enzymatically from N-acetylglucosaminides were identified: 3 alpha,7 beta-dihydroxy-5 beta-cholanoic (ursodeoxycholic), 3 beta, 7 beta-dihydroxy-5 beta-cholanoic (isoursodeoxycholic), 3 beta,7 beta-dihydroxy-5 alpha-cholanoic (alloisoursodeoxycholic), 3 beta,7 beta-dihydroxy-5-cholenoic, 3 alpha,7 beta,12 alpha-trihydroxy-5 beta-cholanoic, and 3 alpha,6 alpha,7 beta-trihydroxy-5 beta-cholanoic acids. The selectivity of conjugation was studied by administration of 0.5 g ursodeoxycholic (UDCA) or hyodeoxycholic (HDCA) acids, labeled with 13C, to patients with extrahepatic cholestasis, and of 0.5 g of 13C-labeled chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) to patients with extra- or intrahepatic cholestasis. After administration of [24-13C]-CDCA, labeled glucosides, and the glucuronide of CDCA were excreted in similar amounts. Labeled N-acetylglucosaminides of UDCA and isoUDCA were also formed. When [24-13C]-UDCA was given, 13C-label was detected in the N-acetylglucosaminide, the glucosides, and the glucuronide of UDCA, and in the N-acetylglucosaminide of isoUDCA. In the patient studied, 32% of the total UDCA excreted in urine was conjugated with N-acetylglucosamine. In contrast, 96% of the excreted amount of [24-13C]HDCA was glucuronidated, and 13C-labeled glucosides but no N-acetylglucosaminide were detected. The selectivity of N-acetylglucosaminidation towards bile acids containing a 7 beta-hydroxyl group was confirmed in vitro using human liver and kidney microsomes and uridine diphosphate glucose (UDP)-N-acetylglucosamine. These studies show that N-acetylglucosaminidation is a selective conjugation pathway for 7 beta-hydroxylated bile acids.

Catabolite inactivation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in spheroplasts from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Catabolite inactivation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase was studied in yeast spheroplasts using 0.9 M mannitol or 0.6 M potassium chloride as the osmotic support. In the presence of potassium chloride the rate of catabolite inactivation was nearly the same as that occurring in intact yeast cells under different conditions of incubation. However, in the presence of mannitol, catabolite inactivation in spheroplasts was prevented. The mannitol inhibition of catabolite inactivation was released by addition of ammonium or phosphate ions. At a concentration of 0.3 M ammonium or 0.06 M phosphate ions, the maximum rate of catabolite inactivation in spheroplasts suspended in mannitol was achieved and was comparable with that observed in spheroplasts incubated in 0.6 M potassium chloride as the osmotic stabilizer. Sodium sulfate (0.04 and 0.4 M) or potassium chloride (0.06 and 0.6 M) did not release the mannitol inhibition of catabolite inactivation in spheroplasts. In intact yeast cells, 0.9 M mannitol, 0.08 M ammonium or 0.1 M phosphate ions did not influence the rate of catabolite inactivation. The nature of the effect of mannitol, ammonium and phosphate ions on catabolite inactivation in yeast spheroplasts is discussed.

Formation of bile acid glucosides and dolichyl phosphoglucose by microsomal glucosyltransferases in liver, kidney and intestine of man.

Formation of glucosides of the bile acids chenodeoxycholic, ursodeoxycholic, deoxycholic and hyodeoxycholic acids has been detected in microsomes from human liver, kidney and intestinal mucosa. Hepatic and extrahepatic bile acid glucosyltransferase activities were characterized with respect to kinetic parameters and other catalytic properties. Whereas no marked organ-specific differences in the affinities of individual bile acids toward hepatic and extrahepatic glucosyltransferases were observed, microsomes from extrahepatic sources showed twice to 5-times the maximal rates of bile acid glucosidation estimated with microsomes from liver. In addition to bile acid glucoside formation, microsomes from human liver, kidney and intestinal mucosa catalyzed the synthesis of dolichyl phosphoglucose acting as natural glucosyl donor in bile acid glucosidation.

Control of dolichyl phosphoglucose formation in human liver microsomes. Kinetic and inhibition studies of nucleosides, nucleotides and analogues of UDPglucose.

A bisubstrate kinetic analysis of UDPglucose:dolichylphosphate glucosyltransferase from human liver microsomes has been carried out which indicated that the kinetics follow a sequential mechanism. Inhibition studies with nucleosides, nucleotides and analogues of the substrate UDPglucose revealed that the nucleoside moiety of UDPglucose, uridine, appears to be the smallest substrate analogue that is capable of specific interaction with the enzyme at the binding site for UDPglucose. The Ki values for uridine with respect to UDPglucose were 0.17 mM or 0.1 mM for enzyme reactions at pH 5.3 or pH 7.2, respectively. Modification of the uracil moiety especially at the 6 position or lack of the 2'-hydroxyl group in the ribose moiety lessened the inhibitory potency as compared to uridine. The phosphorylated derivatives of uridine, UMP and UTP, were similar in their inhibitory properties to uridine, whereas UDP was about 10-fold more potent as an inhibitor of glucosyltransferase as compared to uridine due to product inhibition. The inhibitory properties of sugar nucleotides as substrate analogues of UDPglucose were not only dependent on the presence of the uracil moiety but were also influenced by the nature of the sugar residue. Furthermore, enzyme activity was dependent on the presence of divalent metal ions and was maximally stimulated in the presence of Ca2+.

Chemical and physical properties of the carboxypeptidase Y-inhibitor from Baker's yeast.

The purification as well as some characteristics of the carboxypeptidase Y-inhibitor from baker's yeast have been described in a previous report (Matern, H., Hoffmann, M. and Holzer, H. (1974) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S. 71, 4874-4878). In this paper, chemical and physical properties of the purified inhibitor are presented. The molecular weight was estimated at 23 400--24 000 and appears to be a monomeric unit. Amino acid analysis and carbohydrate studies are given, showing the existence of three disulfide bonds and one sulfhydryl group per molecule and the absence of carbohydrate residues. The N-terminal amino acid is blocked by an acetyl group. The C-terminal amino acid is lysine. The isoelectric point (pI) is 6.6 and the inhibitor-enzyme complex is stable (at 25 degrees C) betwen pH 5 and 9. The apparent Ki value was calculated as 2.5.10(-9)M.

6 alpha-glucuronidation of hyodeoxycholic acid by human liver, kidney and small bowel microsomes.

Kinetic constants for the glucuronidation of hyodeoxycholic acid in man were determined using microsomal preparations of liver, kidney and small bowel. The affinity of hyodeoxycholic acid for the microsomal hepatic and extrahepatic enzymes was in the same range as previously observed for the monohydroxy bile acid lithocholic acid and about 3-14-times the affinity for the dihydroxy bile acids chenodeoxycholic, deoxycholic and ursodeoxycholic acids. The Vmax values for glucuronidation of hyodeoxycholic acid with hepatic microsomes were 10-30-times higher and with kidney microsomes 50-110-times higher than for the bile acids lacking a 6 alpha-hydroxy group. The site of glucuronidation was determined by gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis of derivatives of products formed after periodate and chromic acid oxidation. Hyodeoxycholic acid glucuronides synthesized with microsomal preparations from the three organs were all found to be conjugated at the 6 alpha position. This has previously been shown to be the site of glucuronidation of endogenous hyodeoxycholic acid glucuronide excreted in urine.

Beta-glucosidase activity towards a bile acid glucoside in human liver.

Human liver contains hydrolytic activity toward 3 beta-glucosido-chenodeoxycholic acid. This beta-glucosidase activity, localized predominantly in the microsomal fraction, was optimally active in the presence of divalent metal ions close to pH 5.0 and was inhibited by EDTA. Kinetic parameters and other catalytic properties of hydrolytic activity towards 3 beta-glucosido-chenodeoxycholic acid from human liver microsomes are described.

Evidence for bile acid glucosides as normal constituents in human urine.

A glucosyltransferase catalysing formation of bile acid glucosides was recently isolated from human liver microsomes. In order to investigate the potential occurrence of such bile acid derivatives in vivo, a method was devised for their isolation and purification from urine. Conditions were established with the aid of glucosides of radiolabelled, unconjugated glycine and taurine conjugated bile acids prepared enzymatically using human liver microsomes. Analysis by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry of methyl ester trimethylsilyl ether derivatives indicated the excretion of glucosides of nonamidated hyodeoxycholic, chenodeoxycholic, deoxycholic, ursodeoxycholic and cholic acids and of glycine and taurine conjugated chenodeoxycholic and cholic acids. Additional compounds were present giving mass spectral fragmentation patterns typical of di- and trihydroxy bile acid glycosides. Semiquantitative estimates indicated a total daily excretion of about 1 mumol.

Bile acid N-acetylglucosaminides. Formation by microsomal N-acetylglucosaminyltransferases in human liver and kidney.

Bile acid N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase activity has been identified in microsomes from human liver and kidney. In both organs the transferases required UDP-N-acetylglucosamine as sugar donor and were mainly active towards ursodeoxycholic acid. Minor activities were observed towards amidated ursodeoxycholic, hyodeoxycholic and beta-muricholic acids. No N-acetylglucosaminidation was detectable with the major primary and secondary bile acids suggesting a specific requirement of the enzymes for bile acids containing 7 beta-or 6 alpha-hydroxyl groups. Kinetic parameters and other catalytic properties of liver and kidney microsomal N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase activities towards ursodeoxycholic acid are described.

Determination and comparison of Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. lactis DSM7290 promoter sequences.

The transcriptional start points of ten Lactobacillus delbrückii ssp. lactis DSM7290 genes were determined by primer extension. The upstream located promoter regions, including potential -35 and -10 regions and the spacing between them were compared to the well-known Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis promoters. The Lb. delbrückii -35 consensus sequence (TTGACA) seems to be less conserved then the E. coli sequence. The nucleotides TGC were often found upstream of the -10 region (TATAAT). The most frequently observed spacing between the two core promoter regions was 17 nt and the main distance between the -10 region and the transcriptional start point was mostly determined to be 6 nt in contrast to 7 nt, as described for E. coli promoters. The preferred initiation nucleotides in Lb. delbrückii were shown to be definitely purines (A or G). The ribosome binding sites located downstream of the promoters revealed the consensus sequence 3'-UCCUCCU-5', being the predicted 3'-OH end of the Lactobacillus 16S rRNA with a high degree of homology to known 16S rRNAs.

Synthesis of 13C-labeled chenodeoxycholic, hyodeoxycholic, and ursodeoxycholic acids for the study of bile acid metabolism in liver disease.

In order to study the glycosidic conjugation of chenodeoxycholic, hyodeoxycholic, and ursodeoxycholic acids in patients with cholestasis after oral administration of pharmacological amounts of the respective bile acids avoiding the application of radioactive tracers we synthesized [24-13C]chenodeoxycholic, [24-13C]hyodeoxycholic, and [24-13C]ursodeoxycholic acids. The reaction intermediates of the bile acid syntheses were characterized by infrared spectroscopy. Purity was confirmed using thin-layer chromatography as well as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The 13C atom excess of approximately 90% of the synthesized bile acids was the same as the 13C atom excess of the sodium [13C]cyanide used for the labeling reaction confirming the successful synthesis. After oral administration of 0.5 g of [24-13C]ursodeoxycholic acid to a healthy volunteer, 13C label was detected in the nonamidated and glycine- or taurine conjugated glucosides and the N-acetylglucosaminide of ursodeoxycholic acid in urine. This establishes ursodeoxycholic acid as the first bile acid so far known to undergo both of the recently described glycosidic conjugation reactions in humans.

Isolation and characterization of hyodeoxycholic-acid: UDP-glucuronosyltransferase from human liver.

The enzyme hyodeoxycholic-acid: UDP-glucuronosyltransferase was purified about 230-fold from a solubilized human liver microsomal preparation utilizing anion-exchange chromatography, ampholyte-displacement chromatography and UDP-hexanolamine--Sepharose affinity chromatography. The homogeneity of the final enzyme preparation was judged by two criteria: the appearance of a single band of Mr 52000 in SDS/PAGE; the elution of a single peak in reversed-phase FPLC. The isolated enzyme catalyzed the glucuronidation of the 6 alpha-hydroxy bile acids hyodeoxycholic and hyocholic acids, and of the steroid hormone estriol, with a ratio of relative reaction rates of 13:1:2.7. UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activities toward the 3 alpha-hydroxy bile acid lithocholic acid, androsterone, testosterone, bilirubin and p-nitrophenol were not detectable in the pure enzyme preparation and were shown to be separated from enzyme activity toward hyodeoxycholic acid during ampholyte-displacement chromatography and/or UDP-hexanolamine--Sepharose affinity chromatography. Two-substrate kinetic analysis of hyodeoxycholic-acid-conjugating activity gave a sequential mechanism with apparent Km values of 12 microM and 4 microM for hyodeoxycholic acid and UDP-glucuronic acid, respectively. Phospholipids were required for reconstitution of maximal activity toward hyodeoxycholic acid. Phosphatidylcholine was the most effective activator of enzyme activity.

Radioassay of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activities toward endogenous substrates using labeled UDP-glucuronic acid and an organic solvent extraction procedure.

A rapid and sensitive radioassay for measuring UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activities (EC 2.4.1.17) toward the major endogenous substrates hyodeoxycholic and hyocholic acids, bilirubin, estriol, androsterone, and testosterone has been developed. In this assay, 14C-labeled glucuronides are formed from the enzyme-catalyzed reaction of 14C-labeled UDP-glucuronic acid with the unlabeled aglycones. Following incubation, the 14C-labeled glucuronides are separated under acidic conditions from the unreacted 14C-labeled UDP-glucuronic acid by a single extraction with ethyl acetate. The recovery of glucuronides into ethyl acetate was greater than 90%, whereas the carryover of unreacted UDP-glucuronic acid into the organic phase was approximately 0.2%. The reaction products extracted into ethyl acetate were characterized by their mobilities in thin-layer chromatography and identified as glucuronides by their sensitivity to hydrolysis with beta-glucuronidase and inhibition of hydrolysis by the specific beta-glucuronidase inhibitor D-saccharic acid-1,4-lactone. The optimal conditions of enzyme reactions with the individual aglycones have been defined with human liver microsomes as enzyme source. For all aglycones investigated, 10-30 micrograms of microsomal protein are sufficient for enzyme estimation. The assay is applicable to biochemical studies of UDP-glucuronosyltransferases, as well as to measurement of these enzyme activities from small amounts of clinical liver specimens.

The submicrosomal localization of uridine 5'-diphosphate-glucose dolichyl-phosphate glucosyltransferase and bile acid glucosyltransferase in the human liver.

Uridine 5'-diphosphate-glucose dolichyl-phosphate glucosyltransferase and bile acid glucosyltransferase were quantitatively determined in subcellular fractions obtained by differential centrifugation of human liver homogenate. Both enzymes were exclusively enriched in the microsomal fraction with a recovery of total enzyme activity of 65.9 +/- 9.9% and 69.1 +/- 13.8%, respectively. Microsomal preparations were further subfractionated by isopycnic centrifugation on a continuous sucrose density gradient. Both glucosyltransferases closely followed marker constituents of endoplasmic reticulum, as shown by similar distribution profiles in the gradient, but differed in their quantitative distribution among the endoplasmic reticulum membranes. The bile acid glucosyltransferase showed an almost identical distribution with NADPH-cytochrome c reductase as marker of smooth endoplasmic reticulum with a modal density of 1.16 g/cm3. The uridine 5'-diphosphate-glucose dolichyl-phosphate glucosyltransferase equilibrated at a higher density with a peak at a model density of 1.174 g/cm3. Its marked overlap with the distribution of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase suggests that the major activity of uridine 5'-diphosphate-glucose dolichyl-phosphate glucosyltransferase is also associated with smooth endoplasmic reticulum membranes, whereas minor proportions of enzyme activity are present in the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Association of both glucosyltransferases with membranes derived from Golgi-complex or plasma membranes could be excluded by treatment of microsomes with membrane reagents prior to isopycnic centrifugation. Digitonin did not alter the equilibrium densities of the glucosyltransferases and endoplasmic reticulum markers in contrast to markers of plasma membranes and the Golgi-complex shifting to higher densities. The reversed effect was observed in case of pretreatment of microsomes with pyrophosphate known to detach ribosomes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The subcellular localization of a bile acid glucosyltransferase in rat liver.

Formation of bile acid glucosides occurs in rat liver homogenate with a specific enzyme activity of 0.014 +/- 0.001 nmol per min per mg protein. Subcellular fractionation of rat liver by differential centrifugation revealed an enrichment of bile acid glucosyltransferase activity both in the mitochondrial-lysosomal fraction and in microsomes with a recovery of 38.8 +/- 4.6% and 37.7 +/- 1.7%, respectively, of enzyme activity in the homogenate. Subfractionation of the mitochondrial-lysosomal fraction after treatment of rats with Triton WR 1339 showed an almost exclusive association of bile acid glucosyltransferase activity with purified lysosomes ("tritosomes"). After subfractionation of microsomes by analytical gradients, bile acid glucosyltransferase was bimodally distributed with peaks at modal densities of 1.09 g/cm3 and 1.16 g/cm3, respectively. If microsomes were pretreated with pyrophosphate, a membrane perturbant known to strip ribosomes, only the peak of bile acid glucosyltransferase at higher density (1.16 g/cm3) and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (marker of endoplasmic reticulum) shifted to a similar lower equilibrium density. Both enzymes were unaffected in their distribution by pretreatment of microsomes with digitonin. In contrast, markers of plasma membranes (5'-nucleotidase) and the Golgi-complex (galactosyltransferase) shifted to higher equilibrium densities after digitonin treatment, but were unaltered in their distribution after pyrophosphate. Bile acid glucosyltransferase activity in the lower density range with a peak at 1.09 g/cm3 did not show any association with the density distributions of known marker enzymes. In purified microsomal fractions obtained by preparative gradients, bile acid glucosyltransferase activity was enriched in enzyme activity by 1.4-fold in rough and by 2.3-fold in smooth endoplasmic reticulum, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A rapid and sensitive method for the assay of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activity toward bile acids.

A rapid and sensitive procedure is described for the assay of rat liver microsomal UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activity toward the bile acids chenodeoxycholic acid, deoxycholic acid, ursodeoxycholic acid, and lithocholic acid using the radioactively labeled bile acids as substrates. The unreacted bile acids were separated from the bile acid glucuronides formed as products of the enzymatic reactions by extraction with chloroform, leaving the bile acid glucuronides in the aqueous phases. The bile acid glucuronides were characterized by their mobilities in thin-layer chromatography and identified by their sensitivity to hydrolysis with beta-glucuronidase and inhibition of hydrolysis by the specific beta-glucuronidase inhibitor D-saccharic acid-1,4-lactone. Enzyme activities were optimal at pH 6.8 and were maximally stimulated about fourfold by the addition of the nonionic detergent Brij 58 at a concentration of 0.3 mg/mg microsomal protein. The kinetic parameters for the various bile acids as substrates were determined.

Isolation, characterization and localization of the proteinase B inhibitor IB3 from Saccharomyces carlsbergensis.

A heat-stable polypeptide has been detected in Saccharomyces carlsbergensis which inhibits specifically proteinase B from yeast. This proteinase B inhibitor IB3 differs substantially in chemical, physical and antigenic properties from the earlier described proteinase B inhibitors IB1 and IB2 from yeast. The inhibitor IB3 has been purified from S. carlsbergensis and appears to be homogeneous by disc gel electrophoresis and sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight has been estimated at 11 500, with no evidence for the existence of subunits. The amino acid analysis shows the absence of tryptophan. No compounds other than amino acids could be detected. The isoelectric point is 4.6. The inhibitor is not affected by incubation with proteinase B but is inactivated by proteinase A and carboxypeptidase Y from yeast and by trypsin from bovine pancreas. The proteinase B inhibitor association constant was calculated to be 3.3 x 10(9) M-1 and the enzyme inhibitor complex is stable at 25 degrees C in the pH range 5--10. The inhibitor does not exhibit immunological cross-reactivity with IB1 and IB2. After centrifugal fractionation at 40 000 x g of a metabolic lysate from spheroplasts the inhibitor was found to be localized in the supernatant, i.e. the extravacuolar soluble fraction.