A novel aldo-keto reductase gene, OsAKR1, from rice confers higher tolerance to cadmium stress in rice by an in vivo reactive aldehyde detoxification.

Elevated levels of cadmium (Cd) have the ability to impede plant development. Aldo-keto reductases (AKRs) have been demonstrated in a number of plant species to improve tolerance to a variety of abiotic stresses by scavenging cytotoxic aldehydes; however, only a few AKRs have been identified to improve Cd tolerance. The OsAKR1 gene was extracted and identified from rice here. After being exposed to Cd, the expression of OsAKR1 dramatically rose in both roots and shoots, although more pronounced in roots. According to a subcellular localization experiment, the nucleus and cytoplasm are where OsAKR1 is primarily found. Mutants lacking OsAKR1 exhibited Cd sensitive phenotype than that of the wild-type (WT) Nipponbare (Nip), and osakr1 mutants exhibited reduced capacity to scavenge methylglyoxal (MG). Furthermore, osakr1 mutants exhibited considerably greater hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and increased catalase (CAT) activity in comparison to Nip. The expression of three isomeric forms of CAT was found to be considerably elevated in osakr1 mutants during Cd stress, as demonstrated by quantitative real-time PCR analysis, when compared to Nip. These results imply that OsAKR1 controlled rice's ability to withstand Cd by scavenging harmful aldehydes and turning on the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging mechanism.

An NADH/NAD+-favored aldo-keto reductase facilitates avilamycin A biosynthesis by primarily catalyzing oxidation of avilamycin C.

Avilamycins, which possess potent inhibitory activity against Gram-positive bacteria, are a group of oligosaccharide antibiotics produced by Streptomyces viridochromogenes. Among these structurally related oligosaccharide antibiotics, avilamycin A serves as the main bioactive component in veterinary drugs and animal feed additives, which differs from avilamycin C only in the redox state of the two-carbon branched-chain of the terminal octose moiety. However, the mechanisms underlying assembly and modification of the oligosaccharide chain to diversify individual avilamycins remain poorly understood. Here, we report that AviZ1, an aldo-keto reductase in the avilamycin pathway, can catalyze the redox conversion between avilamycins A and C. Remarkably, the ratio of these two components produced by AviZ1 depends on the utilization of specific redox cofactors, namely NADH/NAD+ or NADPH/NADP+. These findings are inspired by gene disruption and complementation experiments and are further supported by in vitro enzymatic activity assays, kinetic analyses, and cofactor affinity studies on AviZ1-catalyzed redox reactions. Additionally, the results from sequence analysis, structure prediction, and site-directed mutagenesis of AviZ1 validate it as an NADH/NAD+-favored aldo-keto reductase that primarily oxidizes avilamycin C to form avilamycin A by utilizing abundant NAD+ in vivo. Building upon the biological function and catalytic activity of AviZ1, overexpressing AviZ1 in S. viridochromogenes is thus effective to improve the yield and proportion of avilamycin A in the fermentation profile of avilamycins. This study represents, to our knowledge, the first characterization of biochemical reactions involved in avilamycin biosynthesis and contributes to the construction of high-performance strains with industrial value.IMPORTANCEAvilamycins are a group of oligosaccharide antibiotics produced by Streptomyces viridochromogenes, which can be used as veterinary drugs and animal feed additives. Avilamycin A is the most bioactive component, differing from avilamycin C only in the redox state of the two-carbon branched-chain of the terminal octose moiety. Currently, the biosynthetic pathway of avilamycins is not clear. Here, we report that AviZ1, an aldo-keto reductase in the avilamycin pathway, can catalyze the redox conversion between avilamycins A and C. More importantly, AviZ1 exhibits a unique NADH/NAD+ preference, allowing it to efficiently catalyze the oxidation of avilamycin C to form avilamycin A using abundant NAD+ in cells. Thus, overexpressing AviZ1 in S. viridochromogenes is effective to improve the yield and proportion of avilamycin A in the fermentation profile of avilamycins. This study serves as an enzymological guide for rational strain design, and the resulting high-performance strains have significant industrial value.

Decoding selectivity: computational insights into AKR1B1 and AKR1B10 inhibition.

Understanding selectivity mechanisms of inhibitors towards highly homologous proteins is of paramount importance in the design of selective candidates. Human aldo-keto reductases (AKRs) pertain to a superfamily of monomeric oxidoreductases, which serve as NADPH-dependent cytosolic enzymes to catalyze the reduction of carbonyl groups to primary and secondary alcohols using electrons from NADPH. Among AKRs, AKR1B1 is emerging as a promising target for cancer treatment and diabetes, despite its high structural similarity with AKR1B10, which leads to severe adverse events. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the selectivity mechanisms of AKR1B1 and AKR1B10 to discover safe anticancer candidates with optimal therapeutic efficacy. In this study, multiple computational strategies, including sequence alignment, structural comparison, Protein Contacts Atlas analysis, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, MM-GBSA calculation, alanine scanning mutagenesis and pharmacophore modeling analysis were employed to comprehensively understand the selectivity mechanisms of AKR1B1/10 inhibition based on selective inhibitor lidorestat and HAHE. This study would provide substantial evidence in the design of potent and highly selective AKR1B1/10 inhibitors in future.

Prunin from Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Rafin Inhibits Aldose Reductase and Glucose-Fructose-Mediated Protein Glycation and Oxidation of Human Serum Albumin.

Diabetes complications are associated with aldose reductase (AR) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Using bioassay-guided isolation by column chromatography, 10 flavonoids and one coumarin were isolated from Poncirus trifoliata Rafin and tested in vitro for an inhibitory effect against human recombinant AR (HRAR) and rat lens AR (RLAR). Prunin, narirutin, and naringin inhibited RLAR (IC50 0.48-2.84 µM) and HRAR (IC50 0.68-4.88 µM). Docking simulations predicted negative binding energies and interactions with the RLAR and HRAR binding pocket residues. Prunin (0.1 and 12.5 µM) prevented the formation of fluorescent AGEs and nonfluorescent Nε-(carboxymethyl) lysine (CML), as well as the fructose-glucose-mediated protein glycation and oxidation of human serum albumin (HSA). Prunin suppressed the formation of the ß-cross-amyloid structure of HSA. These results indicate that prunin inhibits oxidation-dependent protein damage, AGE formation, and AR, which may help prevent diabetes complications.

Aldo-keto reductases 7A subfamily: A mini review.

Aldo-keto reductase-7A (AKR7A) subfamily belongs to the AKR superfamily and is associated with detoxification of aldehydes and ketones by reducing them to the corresponding alcohols. So far five members of ARK7A subfamily are identified: two human members-AKR7A2 and AKR7A3, two rat members-AKR7A1 and AKR7A4, and one mouse member-AKR7A5, which are implicated in several diseases including neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. AKR7A members share similar crystal structures and protein functional domains, but have different substrate specificity, inducibility and biological functions. This review will summarize the research progress of AKR7A members in substrate specificity, tissue distribution, inducibility, crystal structure and biological function. The significance of AKR7A members in the occurrence and development of diseases will also be discussed.

An aldose reductase inhibitor, WJ-39, ameliorates renal tubular injury in diabetic nephropathy by activating PINK1/Parkin signaling.

Renal tubular injury is a critical factor during the early stages of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Proximal tubular epithelial cells, which contain abundant mitochondria essential for intracellular homeostasis, are susceptible to disruptions in the intracellular environment, making them especially vulnerable to diabetic state disorders, which may be attributed to their elevated energy requirements and reliance on aerobic metabolism. It is widely thought that overactivation of the polyol pathway is implicated in DN pathogenesis, and inhibition of aldose reductase (AR), the rate-limiting enzyme in this pathway, represents a promising therapeutic avenue. WJ-39, a novel aldose reductase inhibitor, was investigated in this study for its protective effects on renal tubules in DN and the underlying mechanisms. Our findings revealed that WJ-39 significantly ameliorated the renal tubular morphology in high-fat diet (HFD)/streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DN rats, concurrently inhibiting fibrosis. Notably, WJ-39 safeguarded the structure and function of renal tubular mitochondria by enhancing mitochondrial dynamics. This involved the regulation of mitochondrial fission and fusion proteins and the promotion of PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1)/Parkin-mediated mitophagy. Furthermore, WJ-39 demonstrated the inhibition of endogenous apoptosis by mitigating the production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS). The protective effects of WJ-39 on mitochondria and apoptosis were countered in high glucose-treated HK-2 cells upon transfection with PINK1 siRNA. Overall, our findings suggest that WJ-39 protects the structural and functional integrity of renal tubules in DN, which may be attributed to its capacity to inhibit aldose reductase activity, activate the PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway, promote mitophagy, and alleviate apoptosis.

Aldose reductase is a potential therapeutic target for neurodegeneration.

Neurodegeneration is a complex process involving various inflammatory mediators and cellular responses. Aldose reductase (AR) is a key enzyme in the polyol pathway, which converts glucose to sorbitol. Beyond its metabolic role, AR has also been found to play a significant role in modulating neuroinflammation. This review aims to provide an overview of the current knowledge regarding the involvement of AR inhibition in attenuating neuroinflammation and complications from diabetic neuropathies. Here, we review the literature regarding AR and neuropathy/neurodegeneration. We discuss the mechanisms underlying the influence of AR inhibitors on ocular inflammation, beta-amyloid-induced neurodegeneration, and optic nerve degeneration. Furthermore, potential therapeutic strategies targeting AR in neurodegeneration are explored. The understanding of AR's role in neurodegeneration may lead to the development of novel therapeutic interventions for other neuroinflammatory disorders.

The polyol pathway and nuclear ketohexokinase A signaling drive hyperglycemia-induced metastasis of gastric cancer.

Diabetes might be associated with increased cancer risk, with several studies reporting hyperglycemia as a primary oncogenic stimulant. Since glucose metabolism is linked to numerous metabolic pathways, it is difficult to specify the mechanisms underlying hyperglycemia-induced cancer progression. Here, we focused on the polyol pathway, which is dramatically activated under hyperglycemia and causes diabetic complications. We investigated whether polyol pathway-derived fructose facilitates hyperglycemia-induced gastric cancer metastasis. We performed bioinformatics analysis of gastric cancer datasets and immunohistochemical analyses of gastric cancer specimens, followed by transcriptomic and proteomic analyses to evaluate phenotypic changes in gastric cancer cells. Consequently, we found a clinical association between the polyol pathway and gastric cancer progression. In gastric cancer cell lines, hyperglycemia enhanced cell migration and invasion, cytoskeletal rearrangement, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The hyperglycemia-induced acquisition of metastatic potential was mediated by increased fructose derived from the polyol pathway, which stimulated the nuclear ketohexokinase-A (KHK-A) signaling pathway, thereby inducing EMT by repressing the CDH1 gene. In two different xenograft models of cancer metastasis, gastric cancers overexpressing AKR1B1 were found to be highly metastatic in diabetic mice, but these effects of AKR1B1 were attenuated by KHK-A knockdown. In conclusion, hyperglycemia induces fructose formation through the polyol pathway, which in turn stimulates the KHK-A signaling pathway, driving gastric cancer metastasis by inducing EMT. Thus, the polyol and KHK-A signaling pathways could be potential therapeutic targets to decrease the metastatic risk in gastric cancer patients with diabetes.

Mitigation of lens opacification by a functional food in a diabetic rodent model.

The current study was designed to test a functional food (FF) mixture containing aldose reductase inhibitors and antiglycation bioactive compounds for suppressing the onset and progression of cataracts in a diabetic rat model. Two-month-old Sprague Dawley rats were grouped as control (C), diabetes untreated (D), and diabetic rats treated with FF at two doses (FF1 = 1.35 g and FF2 = 6.25 g/100g of diet). Diabetes was induced by a single injection of streptozotocin. The FF is a mixture of amla, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and fenugreek added to the rodent diet. The status of cataracts was monitored weekly by a slit lamp examination for 20 weeks, after which animals were sacrificed to collect eye lenses. Feeding FF1 and FF2 to diabetic rats yielded a significant anti-hyperglycaemic effect and marginally prevented body weight loss. FF delayed cataract progression, and FF2 showed better efficacy than FF1. FF prevented the loss of lens crystallins and their insolubilization in diabetic rats. The antioxidant potential of FF was evident with the lowered protein carbonyls, lipid peroxidation, and prevention of altered antioxidant enzyme activities induced by diabetes. These studies demonstrate the efficacy of plant-derived dietary supplements against the onset and progression of cataracts in a well-established rat model of diabetic eye disease.

Hyperglycemia exacerbates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury by up-regulating autophagy through p53-Sesn2-AMPK pathway.

Hyperglycemia exacerbates ischemic brain injury by up-regulating autophagy. However, the underlying mechanisms are unknown. This study aims to determine whether hyperglycemia activates autophagy through the p53-Sesn2-AMPK signaling pathway. Rats were subjected to 30-min middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) with reperfusion for 1- and 3-day under normo- and hyperglycemic conditions; and HT22 cells were exposed to oxygen deprivation (OG) or oxygen-glucose deprivation and re-oxygenation (OGD/R) with high glucose. Autophagy inhibitors, 3-MA and ARI, were used both in vivo and in vitro. The results showed that, compared with the normoglycemia group (NG), hyperglycemia (HG) increased infarct volume and apoptosis in penumbra area, worsened neurological deficit, and augmented autophagy. after MCAO followed by 1-day reperfusion. Further, HG promoted the conversion of LC-3I to LC-3II, decreased p62, increased protein levels of aldose reductase, p53, P-p53ser15, Sesn2, AMPK and numbers of autophagosomes and autolysosomes, detected by transmission electron microscopy and mRFP-GFP-LC3 molecular probe, in the cerebral cortex after ischemia and reperfusion injury in animals or in cultured HT22 cells exposed to hypoxia with high glucose content. Finally, experiments with autophagy inhibitors 3-MA and aldose reductase inhibitor (ARI) revealed that while both inhibitors reduced the number of TUNEL positive neurons and reversed the effects of hyperglycemic ischemia on LC3 and p62, only ARI decreased the levels of p53, P-p53ser15. These results suggested that hyperglycemia might induce excessive autophagy to aggravate the brain injury resulted from I/R and that hyperglycemia might activate the p53-Sesn2-AMPK signaling pathway, in addition to the classical PI3K/AKT/mTOR autophagy pathway.

Drug screening identifies aldose reductase as a novel target for treating cisplatin-induced hearing loss.

Cisplatin is a frequently used chemotherapeutic medicine for cancer treatment. Permanent hearing loss is one of the most serious side effects of cisplatin, but there are few FDA-approved medicines to prevent it. We applied high-through screening and target fishing and identified aldose reductase, a key enzyme of the polyol pathway, as a novel target for treating cisplatin ototoxicity. Cisplatin treatment significantly increased the expression level and enzyme activity of aldose reductase in the cochlear sensory epithelium. Genetic knockdown or pharmacological inhibition of aldose reductase showed a significant protective effect on cochlear hair cells. Cisplatin-induced overactivation of aldose reductase led to the decrease of NADPH/NADP+ and GSH/GSSG ratios, as well as the increase of oxidative stress, and contributed to hair cell death. Results of target prediction, molecular docking, and enzyme activity detection further identified that Tiliroside was an effective inhibitor of aldose reductase. Tiliroside was proven to inhibit the enzymatic activity of aldose reductase via competitively interfering with the substrate-binding region. Both Tiliroside and another clinically approved aldose reductase inhibitor, Epalrestat, inhibited cisplatin-induced oxidative stress and subsequent cell death and thus protected hearing function. These findings discovered the role of aldose reductase in the pathogenesis of cisplatin-induced deafness and identified aldose reductase as a new target for the prevention and treatment of hearing loss.

A versatile in situ cofactor enhancing system for meeting cellular demands for engineered metabolic pathways.

Cofactor imbalance obstructs the productivities of metabolically engineered cells. Herein, we employed a minimally perturbing system, xylose reductase and lactose (XR/lactose), to increase the levels of a pool of sugar phosphates which are connected to the biosynthesis of NAD(P)H, FAD, FMN, and ATP in Escherichia coli. The XR/lactose system could increase the amounts of the precursors of these cofactors and was tested with three different metabolically engineered cell systems (fatty alcohol biosynthesis, bioluminescence light generation, and alkane biosynthesis) with different cofactor demands. Productivities of these cells were increased 2-4-fold by the XR/lactose system. Untargeted metabolomic analysis revealed different metabolite patterns among these cells, demonstrating that only metabolites involved in relevant cofactor biosynthesis were altered. The results were also confirmed by transcriptomic analysis. Another sugar reducing system (glucose dehydrogenase) could also be used to increase fatty alcohol production but resulted in less yield enhancement than XR. This work demonstrates that the approach of increasing cellular sugar phosphates can be a generic tool to increase in vivo cofactor generation upon cellular demand for synthetic biology.

Discovery of a Novel Benzothiadiazine-Based Selective Aldose Reductase Inhibitor as Potential Therapy for Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy.

Aldose reductase 2 (ALR2), an activated enzyme in the polyol pathway by hyperglycemia, has long been recognized as one of the most promising targets for complications of diabetes, especially in diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). However, many of the ALR2 inhibitors have shown serious side effects due to poor selectivity over aldehyde reductase (ALR1). Herein, we describe the discovery of a series of benzothiadiazine acetic acid derivatives as potent and selective inhibitors against ALR2 and evaluation of their anti-DPN activities in vivo. Compound 15c, carrying a carbonyl group at the 3-position of the thiadiazine ring, showed high potent inhibition against ALR2 (IC50 = 33.19 nmol/L) and ∼16,109-fold selectivity for ALR2 over ALR1. Cytotoxicity assays ensured the primary biosafety of 15c. Further pharmacokinetic assay in rats indicated that 15c had a good pharmacokinetic feature (t1/2 = 5.60 h, area under the plasma concentration time curve [AUC(0-t)] = 598.57 ± 216.5 µg/mL * h), which was superior to epalrestat (t1/2 = 2.23 h, AUC[0-t] = 20.43 ± 3.7 µg/mL * h). Finally, in a streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model, 15c significantly increased the nerve conduction velocities of impaired sensory and motor nerves, achieved potent inhibition of d-sorbitol production in the sciatic nerves, and significantly increased the paw withdrawal mechanical threshold. By combining the above investigations, we propose that 15c might represent a promising lead compound for the discovery of an antidiabetic peripheral neuropathy drug.

Identification of Potential Aldose Reductase Inhibitors Using Convolutional Neural Network-Based in Silico Screening.

Aldose reductase (ALR2) is a notable enzyme of the polyol pathway responsible for aggravating diabetic neuropathy complications. The first step begins when it catalyzes the reduction of glucose to sorbitol with NADPH as a coenzyme. Elevated concentrations of sorbitol damage the tissues, leading to complications like neuropathy. Though considerable effort has been pushed toward the successful discovery of potent inhibitors, its discovery still remains an elusive task. To this end, we present a 3D convolutional neural network (3D-CNN) based ALR2 inhibitor classification technique by dealing with snapshots of images captured from 3D chemical structures with multiple rotations as input data. The CNN-based architecture was trained on the 360 sets of image data along each axis and further prediction on the Maybridge library by each of the models. Subjecting the retrieved hits to molecular docking leads to the identification of the top 10 molecules with high binding affinity. The hits displayed a better blood-brain barrier penetration (BBB) score (90% with more than four scores) as compared to standard inhibitors (38%), reflecting the superior BBB penetrating efficiency of the hits. Followed by molecular docking, the biological evaluation spotlighted five compounds as promising ALR2 inhibitors and can be considered as a likely prospect for further structural optimization with medicinal chemistry efforts to improve their inhibition efficacy and consolidate them as new ALR2 antagonists in the future. In addition, the study also demonstrated the usefulness of scaffold analysis of the molecules as a method for investigating the significance of structurally diverse compounds in data-driven studies. For reproducibility and accessibility purposes, all of the source codes used in our study are publicly available.

Semi-rational engineering an aldo-keto reductase for stereocomplementary reduction of α-keto amide compounds.

Enantio-pure α-hydroxy amides are valuable intermediates for the synthesis of chiral pharmaceuticals. The asymmetric reduction of α-keto amides to generate chiral α-hydroxy amides is a difficult and challenging task in biocatalysis. In this study, iolS, an aldo-keto reductase from Bacillus subtilis 168 was exhibited as a potential biocatalyst, which could catalyze the reduction of diaryl α-keto amide such as 2-oxo-N, 2-diphenyl-acetamide (ONDPA) with moderate S-selectivity (76.1%, ee) and 60.5% conversion. Through semi-rational engineering, two stereocomplementary variants (I57F/F126L and N21A/F126A) were obtained with ee value of 97.6% (S) and 99.9% (R) toward ONDPA (1a), respectively, delivering chiral α-hydroxy amide with > 98% conversions. Moreover, the excellent S- and R-preference variants displayed improved stereoselectivities toward the other α-keto amide compounds. Molecular dynamic and docking analysis revealed that the two key residues at 21 and 126 were identified as the "switch", which specifically controlled the stereopreference of iolS by regulating the shape of substrate binding pocket as well as the substrate orientation. Our results offer an effective strategy to obtain α-hydroxy amides with high optical purity and provide structural insights into altering the stereoselectivity of AKRs.

Identification and functional characterization of a novel aldo-keto reductase from Aloe vera.

MAIN CONCLUSION: The present investigation profoundly asserted the catalytic potential of plant-based aldo-ketoreductase, postulating its role in polyketide biosynthesis and providing new insights for tailored biosynthesis of vital plant polyketides for therapeutics. Plants hold great potential as a future source of innovative biocatalysts, expanding the possibilities within chemical reactions and generating a variety of benefits. The aldo-keto reductase (AKR) superfamily includes a huge collection of NAD(P)H-dependent oxidoreductases that carry out a variety of redox reactions essential for biosynthesis, detoxification, and intermediary metabolism. The present study involved the isolation, cloning, and purification of a novel aldo-ketoreductase (AvAKR) from the leaves of Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) by heterologous gene expression in Escherichia coli based on the unigene sequences of putative ketoreductase and cDNA library screening by oligonucleotide hybridization. The in-silico structural analysis, phylogenetic relationship, and molecular modeling were outranged to approach the novelty of the sequence. Additionally, agroinfiltration of the candidate gene tagged with a green fluorescent protein (GFP) was employed for transient expression in the Nicotiana benthamiana to evaluate the sub-cellular localization of the candidate gene. The AvAKR preferred cytoplasmic localization and shared similarities with the known plant AKRs, keeping the majority of the conserved active-site residues in the AKR superfamily enzymes. The enzyme facilitated the NADPH-dependent reduction of various carbonyl substrates, including benzaldehyde and sugars, proclaiming a broad spectrum range. Our study successfully isolated and characterized a novel aldo-ketoreductase (AvAKR) from Aloe vera, highlighting its versatile NADPH-dependent carbonyl reduction proficiency therewith showcasing its potential as a versatile biocatalyst in diverse redox reactions.

Aldo-keto Reductase 1B10 Restrains Cell Migration, Invasion, and Adhesion of Gastric Cancer via Regulating Integrin Subunit Alpha 5.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gastric cancer is a prevalent malignancy with unfavorable prognosis partially resulting from its high metastasis rate. Clarifying the molecular mechanism of gastric cancer occurrence and progression for improvement of therapeutic efficacy and prognosis is needed. The study tended to delineate the role and regulatory mechanism of aldo-keto reductase 1B10 (AKR1B10) in gastric cancer progression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The relationship of AKR1B10 expression with survival rate in gastric cancer was analyzed through Kaplan-Meier analysis. The mRNA levels of AKR1B10 and integrin subunit alpha 5 (ITGA5) in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Protein levels of AKR1B10 and integrin subunit alpha 5 were assayed via western blot. The molecular relationship between AKR1B10 and ITGA5 was analyzed by co-immunoprecipitation assay. Cell viability was assayed through Cell Counting Kit-8, invasion and migration of tumor cells was assessed through wound healing and transwell assays. Transwell assay was utilized to detect invasion. The adhesion of gastric cancer cells was detected using cell adhesion assays. RESULTS: The results unveiled that integrin subunit alpha 5 was upregulated, while AKR1B10 was downregulated in gastric cancer tissues and cells. Overexpressing AKR1B10 hindered gastric cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion and adhesion. It was striking that we certified the inhibitory effect of AKR1B10 on integrin subunit alpha 5 expression and their (AKR1B10 and ITGA5)) negative relationship via bioinformatics method, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and co-immunoprecipitation assays. Via rescue experiments, it was concluded that AKR1B10 served as tumor suppressor potentially by ITGA5 expression in gastric cancer. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that AKR1B10 inhibited migration, invasion, and adhesion of gastric cancer cells via modulation of ITGA5.

Quantitative Analysis of mRNA and Protein Expression Levels of Aldo-Keto Reductase and Short-Chain Dehydrogenase/Reductase Isoforms in the Human Intestine.

Enzymes catalyzing the reduction reaction of xenobiotics are mainly members of the aldo-keto reductase (AKR) and short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) superfamilies. The intestine, together with the liver, is responsible for first-pass effects and is an organ that determines the bioavailability of orally administered drugs. In this study, we evaluated the mRNA and protein expression levels of 12 AKR isoforms (AKR1A1, AKR1B1, AKR1B10, AKR1B15, AKR1C1, AKR1C2, AKR1C3, AKR1C4, AKR1D1, AKR1E2, AKR7A2, and AKR7A3) and 7 SDR isoforms (CBR1, CBR3, CBR4, DCXR, DHRS4, HSD11B1, and HSD17B12) in each region of the human intestine using next-generation sequencing and data-independent acquisition proteomics. At both the mRNA and protein levels, most AKR isoforms were highly expressed in the upper regions of the intestine, namely the duodenum and jejunum, and then declined toward the rectum. Among the members in the SDR superfamily, CBR1 and DHRS4 were highly expressed in the upper regions, whereas the expression levels of the other isoforms were almost uniform in all regions. Significant positive correlations between mRNA and protein levels were observed in AKR1A1, AKR1B1, AKR1B10, AKR1C3, AKR7A2, AKR7A3, CBR1, and CBR3. The mRNA level of AKR1B10 was highest, followed by AKR7A3 and CBR1, each accounting for more than 10% of the sum of all AKR and SDR levels in the small intestine. This expression profile in the human intestine was greatly different from that in the human liver, where AKR1C isoforms are predominantly expressed. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: In this study comprehensively determined the mRNA and protein expression profiles of aldo-keto reductase (AKR) and short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase isoforms involved in xenobiotic metabolism in the human intestine and found that most of them are highly expressed in the upper region, where AKR1B10, AKR7A3, and CBR1 are predominantly expressed. Since the intestine is significantly involved in the metabolism of orally administered drugs, the information provided here is valuable for pharmacokinetic studies in drug development.

Effect of AR gene-specific knockout on the process of radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis and its mechanism.

Numerous studies have proved that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of lung epithelial cells is one of the important causes of radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis (RIPF). Aldose reductase (AR) is a monomer enzyme in the polyglycolic metabolic pathway and belongs to the aldo-keno reductase protein superfamily. Our previous studies have found that AR as one of the most significantly up-regulated genes was associated with the development of bleomycin-induced PF in rats. It is not clear whether aldose reductase is related to the regulation of radiation-induced EMT and mediates RIPF. AR-knockout mice, wild-type mice and lung epithelial cells were induced by radiation to establish a RIPF animal model and EMT system, to explore whether AR is mediation to RIPF through the EMT pathway. In vivo, AR deficiency significantly alleviated radiation-induced histopathological changes, reduced collagen deposition and inhibited collagen I, matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) and Twist1 expression. In addition, AR knockout up-regulated E-cadherin expression and up-regulated α-SMA and Vimentin expression. In vitro, AR, collagen I and MMP2 expression were increased in lung epithelial cells after radiation, which was accompanied by Twist1 expression up-regulation and EMT changes evidenced by decreased E-cadherin expression and increased α-SMA and Vimentin expression. Knockdown or inhibition of AR inhibited the expressions of Twist1, MMP2 and collagen I, and reduced cell migration and reversed radiation-induced EMT. These results indicated that aldose reductase may be related to radiation-induced lung epithelial cells EMT, and that inhibition of aldose reductase might be a promising treatment for RIPF.

Understanding the role of GRE3 in the erythritol biosynthesis pathway in Saccharomyces uvarum and its implication in osmoregulation and redox homeostasis.

Erythritol is produced in yeasts via the reduction of erythrose into erythritol by erythrose reductases (ERs). However, the genes codifying for the ERs involved in this reaction have not been described in any Saccharomyces species yet. In our laboratory, we recently showed that, during alcoholic fermentation, erythritol is differentially produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and S. uvarum species, the latter being the largest producer. In this study, by using BLAST analysis and phylogenetic approaches the genes GRE3, GCY1, YPR1, ARA1 and YJR096W were identified as putative ERs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Then, these genes were knocked out in our S. uvarum strain (BMV58) with higher erythritol biosynthesis compared to control S. cerevisiae wine strain, to evaluate their impact on erythritol synthesis and global metabolism. Among the mutants, the single deletion of GRE3 markedly impacts erythritol production, although ΔYPR1ΔGCY1ΔGRE3 was the combination that most decreased erythritol synthesis. Consistent with the increased production of fermentative by-products involved in redox balance in the Saccharomyces uvarum strain BMV58, erythritol synthesis increases at higher sugar concentrations, hinting it might be a response to osmotic stress. However, the expression of GRE3 in the S. uvarum strain was found to peak just before the start of the stationary phase, being consistent with the observation that erythritol increases at the start of the stationary phase, when there is low sugar in the medium and nitrogen sources are depleted. This suggests that GRE3 plays its primary function to help the yeast cells to maintain the redox balance during the last phases of fermentation.