Prostanoid production inSaccharomyces cerevisiaeprovides a novel assay for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Abstract

Prostanoids are a large family of lipid mediators originating from prostaglandin H synthase (PGHS) activity on the 20-carbon polyunsaturated fatty acids dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA), arachidonic acid (AA) and eicosapentaenoic acid. The two mouse PGHS isoforms, PGHS-1 and PGHS-2, were expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast), as was a signal-peptide-deleted version of PGHS-1 (PGHS-1MA). PGHS-1 showed high activity with both AA and DGLA as substrate, whereas PGHS-2 activity was high with DGLA but low with AA. Signal peptide removal reduced the activity of PGHS-1MA by >50% relative to PGHS-1, but the residual activity indicated that correct targeting to the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum may not be necessary for enzyme function. Coexpression of PGHS-1 with cDNAs encoding mouse prostaglandin I synthase and thromboxane A synthase, and with Trypanosoma brucei genomic DNA encoding prostaglandin F synthase in AA-supplemented yeast cultures resulted in production of the corresponding prostanoids, prostaglandin I(2), thromboxane A(2) and prostaglandin F(2alpha). The inhibitory effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on prostanoid production were tested on yeast cells expressing PGHS-1 in AA-supplemented culture. Dose-dependent inhibition of prostaglandin H(2) production by aspirin, ibuprofen and indomethacin demonstrated the potential utility of this simple expression system in screening for novel NSAIDs.