Acetyl Coenzyme†A Analogues as Rationally Designed Inhibitors of Citrate Synthase.

In this study, we probed the inhibition of pig heart citrate synthase (E.C. 4.1.3.7) by synthesising seven analogues either designed to mimic the proposed enolate intermediate in this enzyme reaction or developed from historical inhibitors. The most potent inhibitor was fluorovinyl thioether 9 (Ki =4.3 µm), in which a fluorine replaces the oxygen atom of the enolate. A comparison of the potency of 9 with that of its non-fluorinated vinyl thioether analogue 10 (Ki =68.3 µm) revealed a clear "fluorine effect" favouring 9 by an order of magnitude. The dethia analogues of 9 and 10 proved to be poor inhibitors. A methyl sulfoxide analogue was a moderate inhibitor (Ki =11.1 µm), thus suggesting hydrogen bonding interactions in the enolate site. Finally, E and Z propenoate thioether isomers were explored as conformationally constrained carboxylates, but these were not inhibitors. All compounds were prepared by the synthesis of the appropriate pantetheinyl diol and then assembly of the coenzyme A structure according to a three-enzyme biotransformation protocol. A quantum mechanical study, modelling both inhibitors 9 and 10 into the active site indicated short CF⋅⋅⋅H contacts of ≈2.0 Å, consistent with fluorine making two stabilising hydrogen bonds, and mimicking an enolate rather than an enol intermediate. Computation also indicated that binding of 9 to citrate synthase increases the basicity of a key aspartic acid carboxylate, which becomes protonated.

p-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol inhibits four obesity-related enzymes in vitro.

Recently, antiobesity studies using the method of inhibiting enzymatic activity of obesity-related enzymes as targets have received considerable attention. The aims of the current study were to investigate whether p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol (HBA), identified from Cudrania tricuspidata fruits with antiobesity effects, inhibits the activity of digestive and obesity-related enzymes and acts as an inhibitor against four target enzymes in kinetic studies. In vitro enzyme assays showed HBA at the highest concentration significantly reduced the enzymatic activity of four targets: pancreatic lipase (IC50 = 2.34-3.70 µM), α-glycosidase (IC50 = 9.08 µM), phosphodiesterase IV (IC50 = 4.99 µM), and citrate synthase (IC50 = 2.07 µM) enzymes. Based on the results of kinetic assays, the types of inhibition were investigated. Our findings indicate that HBA could have antiobesity efficacy, and it deserves further study.

The characterization of neuroenergetic effects of chronic L-tyrosine administration in young rats: evidence for striatal susceptibility.

Tyrosinemia type II is an inborn error of metabolism caused by a deficiency in hepatic cytosolic aminotransferase. Affected patients usually present a variable degree of mental retardation, which may be related to the level of plasma tyrosine. In the present study we evaluated effect of chronic administration of L-tyrosine on the activities of citrate synthase, malate dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase and complexes I, II, II-III and IV in cerebral cortex, hippocampus and striatum of rats in development. Chronic administration consisted of L-tyrosine (500 mg/kg) or saline injections 12 h apart for 24 days in Wistar rats (7 days old); rats were killed 12 h after last injection. Our results demonstrated that L-tyrosine inhibited the activity of citrate synthase in the hippocampus and striatum, malate dehydrogenase activity was increased in striatum and succinate dehydrogenase, complexes I and II-III activities were inhibited in striatum. However, complex IV activity was increased in hippocampus and inhibited in striatum. By these findings, we suggest that repeated administrations of L-tyrosine cause alterations in energy metabolism, which may be similar to the acute administration in brain of infant rats. Taking together the present findings and evidence from the literature, we hypothesize that energy metabolism impairment could be considered an important pathophysiological mechanism underlying the brain damage observed in patients with tyrosinemia type II.

Metabolic changes during ovarian cancer progression as targets for sphingosine treatment.

Tumor cells often exhibit an altered metabolic phenotype. However, it is unclear as to when this switch takes place in ovarian cancer, and the potential for these changes to serve as therapeutic targets in clinical prevention and intervention trials. We used our recently developed and characterized mouse ovarian surface epithelial (MOSE) cancer progression model to study metabolic changes in distinct disease stages. As ovarian cancer progresses, complete oxidation of glucose and fatty acids were significantly decreased, concurrent with increases in lactate excretion and (3)H-deoxyglucose uptake by the late-stage cancer cells, shifting the cells towards a more glycolytic phenotype. These changes were accompanied by decreases in TCA flux but an increase in citrate synthase activity, providing substrates for de novo fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis. Also, uncoupled maximal respiration rates in mitochondria decreased as cancer progressed. Treatment of the MOSE cells with 1.5 µM sphingosine, a bioactive sphingolipid metabolite, decreased citrate synthase activity, increased TCA flux, decreased cholesterol synthesis and glycolysis. Together, our data confirm metabolic changes during ovarian cancer progression, indicate a stage specificity of these changes, and suggest that multiple events in cellular metabolism are targeted by exogenous sphingosine which may be critical for future prevention trials.

Effect of the expression and knockdown of citrate synthase gene on carbon flux during triacylglycerol biosynthesis by green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

BACKGROUND: The regulation of lipid biosynthesis is essential in photosynthetic eukaryotic cells. This regulation occurs during the direct synthesis of fatty acids and triacylglycerols (TAGs), as well as during other controlling processes in the main carbon metabolic pathway. RESULTS: In this study, the mRNA levels of Chlamydomonas citrate synthase (CrCIS) were found to decrease under nitrogen-limited conditions, which suggests suppressed gene expression. Gene silencing by RNA interference (RNAi) was conducted to determine whether CrCIS suppression affected the carbon flux in TAG biosynthesis. Results showed that the TAG level increased by 169.5%, whereas the CrCIS activities in the corresponding transgenic algae decreased by 16.7% to 37.7%. Moreover, the decrease in CrCIS expression led to the increased expression of TAG biosynthesis-related genes, such as acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase and phosphatidate phosphatase. Conversely, overexpression of CrCIS gene decreased the TAG level by 45% but increased CrCIS activity by 209% to 266% in transgenic algae. CONCLUSIONS: The regulation of CrCIS gene can indirectly control the lipid content of algal cells. Our findings propose that increasing oil by suppressing CrCIS expression in microalgae is feasible.

Clusterin facilitates in vivo clearance of extracellular misfolded proteins.

The extracellular deposition of misfolded proteins is a characteristic of many debilitating age-related disorders. However, little is known about the specific mechanisms that act to suppress this process in vivo. Clusterin (CLU) is an extracellular chaperone that forms stable and soluble complexes with misfolded client proteins. Here we explore the fate of complexes formed between CLU and misfolded proteins both in vitro and in a living organism. We show that proteins injected into rats are cleared more rapidly from circulation when complexed with CLU as a result of their more efficient localization to the liver and that this clearance is delayed by pre-injection with the scavenger receptor inhibitor fucoidan. The CLU-client complexes were found to bind preferentially, in a fucoidan-inhibitable manner, to human peripheral blood monocytes and isolated rat hepatocytes and in the latter cell type were internalized and targeted to lysosomes for degradation. The data suggest, therefore, that CLU plays a key role in an extracellular proteostasis system that recognizes, keeps soluble, and then rapidly mediates the disposal of misfolded proteins.

Citrate Synthase and OGDH as Potential Biomarkers of Atherosclerosis under Chronic Stress.

BACKGROUND: Pathological changes of the adrenal gland and the possible underlying molecular mechanisms are currently unclear in the case of atherosclerosis (AS) combined with chronic stress (CS). METHODS: New Zealand white rabbits were used to construct a CS and AS animal model. Proteomics and bioinformatics were employed to identify hub proteins in the adrenal gland related to CS and AS. Hub proteins were detected using immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence assays, and Western blotting. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to analyze the expression of genes. In addition, a neural network model was constructed. The quantitative relationships were inferred by cubic spline interpolation. Enzymatic activity of mitochondrial citrate synthase and OGDH was detected by the enzymatic assay kit. Function of citrate synthase and OGDH with knockdown experiments in the adrenal cell lines was performed. Furthermore, target genes-TF-miRNA regulatory network was constructed. Coimmunoprecipitation (IP) assay and molecular docking study were used to detect the interaction between citrate synthase and OGDH. RESULTS: Two most significant hub proteins (citrate synthase and OGDH) that were related to CS and AS were identified in the adrenal gland using numerous bioinformatic methods. The hub proteins were mainly enriched in mitochondrial proton transport ATP synthase complex, ATPase activation, and the AMPK signaling pathway. Compared with the control group, the adrenal glands were larger and more disordered, irregular, and necrotic in the AS+CS group. The expression of citrate synthase and OGDH was higher in the AS+CS group than in the control group, both at the protein and mRNA levels (P < 0.05). There were strong correlations among the cross-sectional areas of adrenal glands, citrate synthase, and OGDH (P < 0.05) via Spearman's rho analysis, receiver operating characteristic curves, a neural network model, and cubic spline interpolation. Enzymatic activity of citrate synthase and OGDH increased under the situation of atherosclerosis and chronic stress. Through the CCK8 assay, the adrenal cell viability was downregulated significantly after the knockdown experiment of citrate synthase and OGDH. Target genes-TF-miRNA regulatory network presented the close interrelations among the predicted microRNA, citrate synthase and OGDH. After Coimmunoprecipitation (IP) assay, the result manifested that the citrate synthase and OGDH were coexpressed in the adrenal gland. The molecular docking study showed that the docking score of optimal complex conformation between citrate synthase and OGDH was -6.15 kcal/mol. CONCLUSION: AS combined with CS plays a significant role on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, promotes adrenomegaly, increases the release of glucocorticoid (GC), and might enhance ATP synthesis and energy metabolism in the body through citrate synthase and OGDH gene targets, providing a potential research direction for future related explorations into this mechanism.

Targeting citrate as a novel therapeutic strategy in cancer treatment.

An important feature shared by many cancer cells is drastically altered metabolism that is critical for rapid growth and proliferation. The distinctly reprogrammed metabolism in cancer cells makes it possible to manipulate the levels of metabolites for cancer treatment. Citrate is a key metabolite that bridges many important metabolic pathways. Recent studies indicate that manipulating the level of citrate can impact the behaviors of both cancer and immune cells, resulting in induction of cancer cell apoptosis, boosting immune responses, and enhanced cancer immunotherapy. In this review, we discuss the recent developments in this emerging area of targeting citrate in cancer treatment. Specifically, we summarize the molecular basis of altered citrate metabolism in both tumors and immune cells, explore the seemingly conflicted growth promoting and growth inhibiting roles of citrate in various tumors, discuss the use of citrate in the clinic as a novel biomarker for cancer progression and outcomes, and highlight the new development of combining citrate with other therapeutic strategies in cancer therapy. An improved understanding of complex roles of citrate in the suppressive tumor microenvironment should open new avenues for cancer therapy.

Oxidative modification of citrate synthase by peroxyl radicals and protection with novel antioxidants.

In mammals, aging is linked to a decline in the activity of citrate synthase (CS; E.C. 2.3.3.1), the first enzyme of the citric acid cycle. We used 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH), a water-soluble generator of peroxyl and alkoxyl radicals, to investigate the susceptibility of CS to oxidative damage. Treatment of isolated mitochondria with AAPH for 8-24 h led to CS inactivation; however, the activity of aconitase, a mitochondrial enzyme routinely used as an oxidative stress marker, was unaffected. In addition to enzyme inactivation, AAPH treatment of purified CS resulted in dityrosine formation, increased protein surface hydrophobicity, and loss of tryptophan fluorescence. Propyl gallate, 1,8-naphthalenediol, 2,3-naphthalenediol, ascorbic acid, glutathione, and oxaloacetate protected CS from AAPH-mediated inactivation, with IC(50) values of 9, 14, 34, 37, 150, and 160 muM, respectively. Surprisingly, the antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate offered no protection against AAPH, but instead caused CS inactivation. Our results suggest that the current practice of using the enzymatic activity of CS as an index of mitochondrial abundance and the use of aconitase activity as an oxidative stress marker may be inappropriate, especially in oxidative stress-related studies, during which alkyl peroxyl and alkoxyl radicals can be generated.

Structural insights into the inhibition properties of archaeon citrate synthase from Metallosphaera sedula.

Metallosphaera sedula is a thermoacidophilic archaeon and has an incomplete TCA/glyoxylate cycle that is used for production of biosynthetic precursors of essential metabolites. Citrate synthase from M. sedula (MsCS) is an enzyme involved in the first step of the incomplete TCA/glyoxylate cycle by converting oxaloacetate and acetyl-CoA into citrate and coenzyme A. To elucidate the inhibition properties of MsCS, we determined its crystal structure at 1.7 Å resolution. Like other Type-I CS, MsCS functions as a dimer and each monomer consists of two distinct domains, a large domain and a small domain. The oxaloacetate binding site locates at the cleft between the two domains, and the active site was more closed upon binding of the oxaloacetate substrate than binding of the citrate product. Interestingly, the inhibition kinetic analysis showed that, unlike other Type-I CSs, MsCS is non-competitively inhibited by NADH. Finally, amino acids and structural comparison of MsCS with other Type-II CSs, which were reported to be non-competitively inhibited by NADH, revealed that MsCS has quite unique NADH binding mode for non-competitive inhibition.

Functional characterization of artemin, a ferritin homolog synthesized in Artemia embryos during encystment and diapause.

Oviparously developing embryos of the crustacean Artemia franciscana encyst and enter diapause, exhibiting a level of stress tolerance seldom seen in metazoans. The extraordinary stress resistance of encysted Artemia embryos is thought to depend in part on the regulated synthesis of artemin, a ferritin superfamily member. The objective of this study was to better understand artemin function, and to this end the protein was synthesized in Escherichia coli and purified to apparent homogeneity. Purified artemin consisted of oligomers approximately 700 kDa in molecular mass that dissociated into monomers and a small number of dimers upon SDS/PAGE. Artemin inhibited heat-induced aggregation of citrate synthase in vitro, an activity characteristic of molecular chaperones and shown here to be shared by apoferritin and ferritin. This is the first report that apoferritin/ferritin may protect cells from stress other than by iron sequestration. Stably transfected mammalian cells synthesizing artemin were more resistant to heat and H(2)O(2) than were cells transfected with vector only, actions also shared by molecular chaperones such as the small heat shock proteins. The data indicate that artemin is a structurally modified ferritin arising either from a common ancestor gene or by duplication of the ferritin gene. Divergence, including acquisition of a C-terminal peptide extension and ferroxidase center modification, eliminated iron sequestration, but chaperone activity was retained. Therefore, because artemin accumulates abundantly during development, it has the potential to protect embryos from stress during encystment and diapause without adversely affecting iron metabolism.

Differences in the chaperone-like activities of the four main small heat shock proteins of Drosophila melanogaster.

The Drosophila melanogaster family of small heat shock proteins (sHsps) is composed of 4 main members (Hsp22, Hsp23, Hsp26, and Hsp27) that display distinct intracellular localization and specific developmental patterns of expression in the absence of stress. In an attempt to determine their function, we have examined whether these 4 proteins have chaperone-like activity using various chaperone assays. Heat-induced aggregation of citrate synthase was decreased from 100 to 17 arbitrary units in the presence of Hsp22 and Hsp27 at a 1:1 molar ratio of sHsp to citrate synthase. A 5 M excess of Hsp23 and Hsp26 was required to obtain the same efficiency with either citrate synthase or luciferase as substrate. In an in vitro refolding assay with reticulocyte lysate, more than 50% of luciferase activity was recovered when heat denaturation was performed in the presence of Hsp22, 40% with Hsp27, and 30% with Hsp23 or Hsp26. These differences in luciferase reactivation efficiency seemed related to the ability of sHsps to bind their substrate at 42 degrees C, as revealed by sedimentation analysis of sHsp and luciferase on sucrose gradients. Therefore, the 4 main sHsps of Drosophila share the ability to prevent heat-induced protein aggregation and are able to maintain proteins in a refoldable state, although with different efficiencies. The functional reasons for their distinctive cell-specific pattern of expression could reflect the existence of defined substrates for each sHsp within the different intracellular compartments.

Regulation of citrate synthase from the citric acid-accumulating fungus, Aspergillus niger.

Citrate synthase (citrate oxaloacetate-lyase (pro-3S-CH2cOO leads to acetate-CoA), EC 4.1.3.7) was purified 66-fold from cell-free extracts of a citric acid producing strain of Aspergillus niger. The enzyme is labile at low ionic strength, but can effectively be stabilized by K+, oxaloacetate or glycerol. It has a molecular weight of 80 000 and an optimum pH of 8.5. The enzyme is activated by monovalent cations in dilute buffer solutions, and inhibited by Mg2+ independent of the buffer molarity. Kinetic analysis indicated that the reaction proceeds by an ordered sequential mechanism. The Michaelis constants are: 5 microM for oxaloacetic acid at all concentrations of acetyl-CoA; 10 microM for acetyl-CoA at infinite concentrations of oxaloacetate. Coenzyme A is inhibitory, being competitive with acetyl-CoA (Ki = 0.15 mM) and non-competitive with oxaloacetate. Citrate has no effect. Among various metabolites tested, only ATP can inhibit the enzyme. The inhibition is competitive with acetyl-CoA (Ki = 1.0 mM), and non-competitive with oxaloacetate. Mg2+ partially relieves this inhibition. Other adenine nucleotides are also inhibitory, but to a lesser extent. It is proposed that citrate synthase from Aspergillus niger is only weakly regulated, its activity being mainly controlled by oxaloacetate availability.

The binding of propionyl-CoA and carboxymethyl-CoA to Escherichia coli citrate synthase.

The interaction of propionyl-CoA and acetyl-CoA with E. coli citrate synthase has been studied in order to gain insight into the structural requirements for substrate binding by this enzyme. In contrast to the enzyme from pig heart, the E. coli enzyme was unable to catalyse significant exchange of the methylene protons of propionyl-CoA while overall activity was very low with this enzyme. Carboxymethyl-CoA is a presumptive transition state analogue of acetyl-CoA using pig heart citrate synthase. The effect of carboxymethyl-CoA on both the native enzyme from E. coli and a catalytically active aspartate mutant (D362E) was investigated. Whereas the native enzyme was inhibited by carboxymethyl-CoA, the mutant enzyme (D362E) shows either no inhibition or minimal inhibition depending on the assay conditions. The binding of acetyl-CoA is not inhibited as a result of the mutation. The results with propionyl-CoA and carboxymethyl-CoA suggest that the active site of the E. coli enzyme is more restricted as compared with the enzyme from pig heart and, in the case of propionyl-CoA, this restriction prevents the formation of a catalytically productive enzyme-substrate complex.

Irreversible inhibition of phosphotransacetylase by S-dimethylarsino-CoA.

S-Dimethylarsino-CoA was synthesized by acylation of CoA with dimethylchloroarsine. The new analogue of acetyl-CoA was tested as an active-site-directed irreversible inhibitor of phosphotransacetylase (EC 2.3.1.8), carnitine acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.7) and citrate synthase (EC 4.1.3.7). Irreversible inhibition was observed only with phosphotransacetylase, which was derivatized via a simple bimolecular process (k2 = 197 +/- 15 min-1 . M-1). Acetyl-CoA provided complete substrate protection against the inactivation, while phosphate (a substrate) and desulfo-CoA (a competitive inhibitor) provided a partial protection. The inactivation was not reversed by dithiothreitol. The new reagent was a linear competitive inhibitor versus acetyl-CoA with both carnitine acetyltransferase (Ki = 41 microM) and citrate synthase (Ki = 20 microM). Chemical studies showed that S-dimethylarsino-CoA reacts with the thiol of N alpha-acetylcysteine but not with the side-chain functional groups of histidine and lysine. The nature of the chemical modification of cysteine was determined by investigating a model system. Thus the chemical reaction between the thioarsenite linkage of S-dimethylarsinobenzylmercaptan and the thiol of cysteine was shown to involve transesterification of the dimethylarsino group.

Inhibition by alloxan of mitochondrial aconitase and other enzymes associated with the citric acid cycle.

Considerable variations were found in the in vitro effect of alloxan on mouse liver enzymes associated with the citric acid cycle. The following approximative alloxan concentrations induced 50% inhibition of enzyme activity: 10(-6)M for aconitase, 10(-4)M for NAD-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase, glutamate dehydrogenase, alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, succinyl-CoA synthetase and fumarase, and 10(-3)M for citrate synthase and NADP-linked isocitrate dehydrogenase. Pyruvate dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase were not inhibited by 10(-3)M alloxan. The inhibition of aconitase was competitive both when using mouse liver and purified porcine heart enzyme. The Ki values for the purified enzyme in the presence of 5 microM alloxan were 0.22 microM with citrate, 4.0 microM with cis-aconitate and 0.62 microM with isocitrate as substrate. The high sensitivity of aconitase for inhibition by alloxan probably plays a prominent role for the toxic effects of alloxan.

The respiratory chain complex thresholds in mitochondria of a Drosophila subobscura mutant strain.

Analysis of a mutant strain of Drosophila subobscura revealed that most (80%) mitochondrial genomes have undergone a large scale deletion (5 kb) in the coding region. Compared with the wild-type strain, complex I and III activities are, respectively, reduced by 50% and 30% in the mutant. However, the ATP synthesis capacities remain unchanged. In order to elucidate how the ATP synthesis is maintained at a normal level, despite a significant decrease in complex I and III activities, we progressively inhibited respiratory chain complex activities, respiration rate and ATP synthesis. Complex I, III and IV activities were inhibited by rotenone, antimycin and KCN, respectively. Threshold curves were thus determined for each complex. Our results demonstrated that in the mutant strain, both mitochondrial respiration and ATP synthesis had decreased when complex I activity was inhibited by more than 20%, whereas 70% inhibition is required to induce similar changes in the wild-type. The complex I inhibition pattern of the wild-type was restored by a backcross (mutant female/wild-type male). The complex III activity threshold is below 20% in both strains, and we observed some difference in antimycin sensitivity, suggesting a modification of the complex enzymatic properties in the mutant. In contrast, threshold values of 70% were measured for complex IV inhibition. Our data suggest that the difference in the complex I threshold curves between the wild-type and mutant strains could partially account for the absence of pathological phenotype in the mutant.

Cysteine proteinase of Entamoeba histolytica. I. Partial purification and action on different enzymes.

A method for a 50-60-fold purification of a cysteine proteinase from trophozoites of Entamoeba histolytica using 35-80% ammonium sulphate fractionation, gel chromatography on Sephadex G-75, and preparative isoelectric focusing is described. The enzyme was examined for its proteolytic potencies towards native enzyme substrates. The amebic proteinase directly inactivates aldolase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from rabbit muscle as well as glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase from yeast. The inactivation of citrate synthase from porcine heart proceeds rather slowly, whereas malate dehydrogenase from porcine heart is not affected by the amebic proteinase under the condition used. With the exception of aldolase all inactivated enzyme substrates have been cleaved by limited proteolyses yielding major cleavage products. The inactivation of aldolase probably functions by the release of a small segment from a terminus being essential for aldolase activity.

Fatty acid synthase inhibitors induce apoptosis in non-tumorigenic melan-a cells associated with inhibition of mitochondrial respiration.

The metabolic enzyme fatty acid synthase (FASN) is responsible for the endogenous synthesis of palmitate, a saturated long-chain fatty acid. In contrast to most normal tissues, a variety of human cancers overexpress FASN. One such cancer is cutaneous melanoma, in which the level of FASN expression is associated with tumor invasion and poor prognosis. We previously reported that two FASN inhibitors, cerulenin and orlistat, induce apoptosis in B16-F10 mouse melanoma cells via the intrinsic apoptosis pathway. Here, we investigated the effects of these inhibitors on non-tumorigenic melan-a cells. Cerulenin and orlistat treatments were found to induce apoptosis and decrease cell proliferation, in addition to inducing the release of mitochondrial cytochrome c and activating caspases-9 and -3. Transfection with FASN siRNA did not result in apoptosis. Mass spectrometry analysis demonstrated that treatment with the FASN inhibitors did not alter either the mitochondrial free fatty acid content or composition. This result suggests that cerulenin- and orlistat-induced apoptosis events are independent of FASN inhibition. Analysis of the energy-linked functions of melan-a mitochondria demonstrated the inhibition of respiration, followed by a significant decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and the stimulation of superoxide anion generation. The inhibition of NADH-linked substrate oxidation was approximately 40% and 61% for cerulenin and orlistat treatments, respectively, and the inhibition of succinate oxidation was approximately 46% and 52%, respectively. In contrast, no significant inhibition occurred when respiration was supported by the complex IV substrate N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (TMPD). The protection conferred by the free radical scavenger N-acetyl-cysteine indicates that the FASN inhibitors induced apoptosis through an oxidative stress-associated mechanism. In combination, the present results demonstrate that cerulenin and orlistat induce apoptosis in non-tumorigenic cells via mitochondrial dysfunction, independent of FASN inhibition.

Discovery of an iron-regulated citrate synthase in Staphylococcus aureus.

Bacteria need to scavenge iron from their environment, and this is no less important for bacterial pathogens while attempting to survive in the mammalian host. One key strategy is the synthesis of small iron chelators known as siderophores. The study of siderophore biosynthesis systems over the past several years has shed light on novel enzymology and, as such, has identified new therapeutic targets. Staphylococcus aureus, a noted human and animal pathogen, produces two citrate-based siderophores, termed staphyloferrin A and staphyloferrin B. The iron-regulated gene cluster for the biosynthesis of staphyloferrin B, sbnA-I, contains several yet uncharacterized genes. Here, we report on the identification of an enzyme, SbnG, which is annotated in the genome sequence as a metal-dependent class II aldolase. In contrast to this prediction, we report that, instead, SbnG has evolved to catalyze metal-independent citrate synthase activity using oxaloacetate and acetyl-CoA as substrates. We describe an in vitro assay to synthesize biologically active staphyloferrin B from purified enzymes and substrates, and identify several SbnG inhibitors, including metals such as calcium and magnesium.