Novel Alpha-Synuclein Oligomers Formed with the Aminochrome-Glutathione Conjugate Are Not Neurotoxic.

Aminochrome induces neurotoxic alpha-synuclein oligomer formation relevant to the etiology of Parkinson's disease. Oxidative stress produces aminochrome from dopamine, but conjugation with glutathione catalyzed by glutathione transferase M2-2 significantly decreases aminochrome-induced toxicity and alpha-synuclein oligomer formation. Notably, in the presence of the aminochrome-glutathione conjugate, previously unknown species of alpha-synuclein oligomers are formed. These aminochrome-glutathione oligomers of alpha-synuclein differ from formerly characterized oligomers and (i) have high molecular weight, and are stable and SDS-resistant, as determined by the Western blot method, (ii) show positive NBT-quinone-protein staining, which indicates the formation of alpha-synuclein adducts containing aminochrome. Furthermore, aminochrome-glutathione alpha-synuclein oligomers (iii) have distinctive shape and size, as determined by transmission electron microscopy, and (iv) are not toxic in U373MG cells. In conclusion, glutathione conjugated with aminochrome induces a new type of alpha-synuclein oligomers of a different size and shape, which have no demonstrable toxicity.

Toxicity of botanical insecticides on golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata).

The molluscicidal activity of crude extracts from five highly potential plants, Annona squamosa seed, Nerium indicum Leaves, Stemona tuberose root, Cyperus rotundus corm and Derris elliptica root was assessed to Pomacea canaliculata. D. elliptica root and C. rotundus corm extracts showed the highest toxicity against 3-month old snails which have LC50 as 23.68 +/- 2.96 mg/l and 133.20 +/- 7.94 mg/l, respectively. The C. rotundus corm extracts were chosen for detoxification enzyme in vivo assay which shows esterase and glutathione S-transferase activity in stomach, intestinal tracts and digestive glands of survival treated P. canaliculata were inhibited.

Glutathione S-transferase expression in pollution-associated hepatic lesions of brown bullheads (Ameiurus nebulosus) from the Cuyahoga River, Cleveland, Ohio.

In rodents, overexpression of glutathione S-transferase pi is a characteristic feature of foci of cellular alteration (FCA) and neoplastic liver lesions induced by genotoxic chemicals. Alterations of glutathione S-transferase (GST) expression in hepatic lesions have also been reported in fish exposed to environmental carcinogens, and cellular GST expression may be an important determinant of growth and progression of chemical-associated liver tumors in certain fish species. In the present study, GST expression was examined in hepatic lesions of brown bullheads (n = 44) from the Cuyahoga River, a highly industrialized site located in Cleveland, Ohio. GST proteins were detected by immunohistochemistry and polyclonal antibodies that recognize either two major bullhead GST proteins or a pi-like GST isoform. Hepatic lesions were present in 70% of the fish and included biliary hyperplasia and biliary fibrosis; eosinophilic, basophilic, clear cell, and vacuolated FCA; and biliary neoplasms. Eosinophilic FCA and biliary tumors were the most prevalent preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions. GST expression in hyperplastic biliary tissue, FCA and tumors did not markedly differ from that of surrounding normal hepatocytes or biliary epithelium. Some hepatocytes within eosinophilic FCA had decreased GST expression. A complete absence of GST immunoreactive protein was not observed in any lesion, and there were no marked differences when comparing GST pi to overall GST expression. Our results indicate that GST expression in hepatic lesions of brown bullhead exposed to environmental carcinogens does not significantly differ from that in surrounding normal cells and is therefore not a useful predictor of environmental carcinogenesis in this species. Furthermore, the regulation and expression of GST pi in bullhead hepatocarcinogenesis appears to differ markedly from that during hepatocarcinogenesis in rats and some other fish species.

Activation and inactivation of carcinogenic dihaloalkanes and other compounds by glutathione S-transferase 5-5 in Salmonella typhimurium tester strain NM5004.

A newly developed tester Salmonella typhimurium NM5004 strain was constructed by introducing a plasmid containing both rat GSH S-transferase (GST) 5-5 cDNA and the umuC"lacZ operon into the host strain Salmonella typhimurium TA1535 and used to examine whether or not GST modified the genotoxic activities of several dihaloalkanes and other compounds. Twenty-nine chemicals that were suggested to be conjugated by GST were compared with regard to their abilities to induce umu gene expression and cause cytotoxicity responses in both the NM5004 strain and the original tester strain (S. typhimurium TA1535/pSK1002, which is devoid of GST activity toward 1,2-epoxy-3-(4'-nitrophenoxy)propane). Ten chemicals--1,2-dibromoethane,N-(2,3-epoxypropyl)phthalimide, 1,3-dichloroacetone, CH2I2, 1,2-epoxy-3-phenoxypropane, 2,3-epoxypropyl p-methoxyphenyl ether, 1-bromo-2-chloroethane, 1-bromo-2,3-dichloropropane, CH2BrCl, and CH2Br2--were found to enhance induction of umu gene expression in the NM5004 strain as compared with the TA1535/pSK1002 strain. 1,2-Epoxy-3-(4'-nitrophenoxy)propane and 2,3-dibromo-1-chloropropane were inactivated by GST 5-5 in the NM5004 tester strain, although these chemicals were cytotoxic in both tester strains. Roles of GST 5-5 were also examined for the inactivation of reactive metabolites of several procarcinogens that were formed through oxidation by liver microsomes of polychlorinated biphenyl-treated rats. The results suggest that reactive metabolites (possibly epoxides) of aflatoxin B1, sterigmatocystin, 1,2-dihydro-1,2-dihydroxy-6-aminochrysene, and (+)- and (-)-enantiomers of 7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene could be trapped as inactivated GSH conjugates in the NM5004 strain. High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis suggested that exo-aflatoxin B1-8,9-oxide--GSH conjugate was formed during the oxidation of aflatoxin B1 by rat and human liver microsomes in the presence of GSH and several GST enzymes including purified rat theta class GST Yrs-Yrs and rat liver GST (a mixture of alpha and mu class enzymes). Thus, the present results support the view that the theta class rat GST 5-5 enzyme participates in the activation and inactivation of potential environmental carcinogenic chemicals. This newly developed NM5004 tester strain is of use in the elucidation of roles of GST 5-5 in transformations.

Human glutathione S-transferase T1-1 enhances mutagenicity of 1,2-dibromoethane, dibromomethane and 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane in Salmonella typhimurium.

The rat theta class glutathione S-transferase (GST) 5-5 has been shown to affect the mutagenicity of halogenated alkanes and epoxides. In Salmonella typhimurium TA1535 expressing the rat GST5-5 the number of revertants was increased compared to the control strain by CH2Br2, ethylene dibromide (EDB) and 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane (BDE); in contrast, mutagenicity of 1,2-epoxy-3-(4'-nitro-phenoxy)propane (EPNP) was reduced. S.typhimurium TA1535 cells were transformed with an expression plasmid carrying the cDNA of the human theta ortholog GST1-1 either in sense or antisense orientation, the latter being the control. These transformed bacteria were utilized for mutagenicity assays. Mutagenicity of EDB, BDE, CH2Br2, epibromohydrin and 1,3-dichloroacetone was higher in the S.typhimurium TA1535 expressing GSTT1-1 than in the control strain. The expression of active enzyme did not affect the mutagenicity of 1,2-epoxy-3-butene or propylene oxide. GSTT1-1 expression reduced the mutagenicity of EPNP. Glutathione S-transferase 5-5 and GSTT1-1 modulate genotoxicity of several industrially important chemicals in the same way. Polymorphism of the GSTT1 locus in humans may therefore cause differences in cancer susceptibility between the two phenotypes.