Cysteine S-conjugate Beta-lyase Research Articles

The Sensorial and Chemical Changes in Beer Brewed with Yeast Genetically Modified to Release Polyfunctional Thiols from Malt and Hops

The biotransformation of hop aroma, particularly by the cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase enzyme (CSL), has been a recent topic of tremendous interest among brewing scientists and within the brewing community. During a process often referred to as biotransformation, yeast-encoded enzymes convert flavorless precursor molecules found in barley and hops into volatile thiols that impart a variety of desirable flavors and aromas in beer. Two volatile thiols of particular interest are 3-mercaptohexan-1-ol (3MH) and its acetate ester, 3-mercaptohexyl acetate (3MHA), which impart guava and passionfruit flavors, respectively. In this study, a parental Saccharomyces cerevisiae brewing strain that displayed low thiol biotransformation activity was genetically manipulated (GM) to substantially increase its thiol biotransformation potential. Construction of this GM strain involved integration of a gene encoding a highly active CSL enzyme that converts thiol precursors into the volatile thiol, 3MH. Three additional strains were subsequently developed, each of which paired CSL expression with expression of an alcohol acyltransferase (AAT) gene. It was hypothesized that expression of an AAT in conjunction with CSL would increase production of 3MHA. Fermentation performance, sensory characteristics, and 3MH/3MHA production were evaluated for these four GM strains and their non-GM parent in 1.5hL fermentations using 100% barley malt wort hopped at low levels with Cascade hops. No significant deviations in fermentation performance (time to attenuation, final gravity, alcohol content, wort fermentability) or finished beer chemistry were observed between the GM strains and the parent strain with the exception of the speed of vicinal diketones reduction post-fermentation, which was quicker for the GM strains. The GM strains produced beer that had up to 73-fold and 8-fold higher 3MH and 3MHA concentrations than the parent strain, achieving concentrations that were up to 79-fold greater than their sensory detection thresholds. The beers were described as intensely tropical and fruity, and were associated with guava, passionfruit, mango, pineapple and sweaty aromas. These experiments demonstrate the potential of genetic modification to dramatically enhance yeast biotransformation ability without creating off flavors or affecting fermentation performance.

Na/H Exchange Regulatory Factor 1 Deficient Mice Show Evidence of Oxidative Stress and Altered Cisplatin Pharmacokinetics.

(1) Background: One third of patients who receive cisplatin develop an acute kidney injury. We previously demonstrated the Na/H Exchange Regulatory Factor 1 (NHERF1) loss resulted in increased kidney enzyme activity of the pentose phosphate pathway and was associated with more severe cisplatin nephrotoxicity. We hypothesized that changes in proximal tubule biochemical pathways associated with NHERF1 loss alters renal metabolism of cisplatin or response to cisplatin, resulting in exacerbated nephrotoxicity. (2) Methods: 2–4 month-old male wild-type and NHERF1 knock out littermate mice were treated with either vehicle or cisplatin (20 mg/kg dose IP), with samples taken at either 4, 24, or 72 h. Kidney injury was determined by urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and histology. Glutathione metabolites were measured by HPLC and genes involved in glutathione synthesis were measured by qPCR. Kidney handling of cisplatin was assessed by a kidney cortex measurement of γ-glutamyl transferase activity, Western blot for γ-glutamyl transferase and cysteine S-conjugate beta lyase, and ICP-MS for platinum content. (3) Results: At 24 h knock out kidneys show evidence of greater tubular injury after cisplatin and exhibit a decreased reduced/oxidized glutathione ratio under baseline conditions in comparison to wild-type. KO kidneys fail to show an increase in γ-glutamyl transferase activity and experience a more rapid decline in tissue platinum when compared to wild-type. (4) Conclusions: Knock out kidneys show evidence of greater oxidative stress than wild-type accompanied by a greater degree of early injury in response to cisplatin. NHERF1 loss has no effect on the initial accumulation of cisplatin in the kidney cortex but is associated with an altered redox status which may alter the activity of enzymes involved in cisplatin metabolism.

Effect of protein malnutrition on the metabolism and toxicity of cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil and mitomycin C in rat stomach

This study investigated the effect of protein malnutrition on metabolism and toxicity of cisplatin (CP), 5-fluorouracil (FU) and mitomycin C (MMC) in rat stomach. Weanling male Wistar rats received a normal (24%) or low (2.5%) protein diet for 28 days and were allocated into: normally-fed control, protein-malnourished control (PM), 3 normally-fed drug-treated groups and 3 protein-malnourished drug-treated groups (PM-CP, PM-FU and PM-MMC). Cisplatin and MMC were injected intraperitoneally (8 mg/kg on day 26 and 1 mg/kg/day for 7 days, respectively). 5-Fluorouracil was given orally (50 mg/kg/day for 5 days). Compared with normally-fed counterparts, PM-CP rats exhibited higher glutathione S-transferase, aminopeptidase N and cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase (CCBL) and lower gamma-glutamyltransferase activities, PM-FU rats exhibited decreased dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase and cytochrome P450 1A1/2 activities and PM-MMC rats showed higher quinone reductase and depleted xanthine oxidase activities. Protein-malnourished drug-treated groups exhibited exacerbated gastrotoxicity, relative to normally-fed counterparts, manifested by lower mucus levels, higher permeability and histopathological deterioration, along with increased oxidative stress in PM-CP rats and exaggerated prostaglandin E2 production in PM-MMC rats. Conclusively, protein malnutrition alters CP, FU and MMC metabolism in rat stomach by enhancing CCBL pathway for CP activation, delaying FU elimination and activating two-electron reduction of MMC, potentiating their gastrotoxicity.

Role of glutathione S-transferase Pi in cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity

One of the dose-limiting toxicities of cisplatin is nephrotoxicity. Renal toxicity is localized to quiescent proximal tubule cells, where the formation of DNA-adducts cannot account for the dose-limiting toxicity. Our earlier results have shown that a glutathione conjugate of cisplatin is metabolized to a nephrotoxicant via gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and a cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase. The present study was designed to evaluate the potential role of glutathione S-transferase Pi (GSTP) in the initial steps of the bioactivation of cisplatin. Wild-type mice and mice deficient in both murine GSTP genes ( GstP1/P2) were treated with cisplatin. Toxicity in both male and female mice was evaluated 5 days after treatment and renal damage was most severe in wild-type male mice. Wild-type males have ∼10-fold higher levels of GSTP expression in the liver than females, suggesting that hepatic GSTP in the wild-type males contributed to the formation of the nephrotoxic platinum–glutathione conjugate. In GstP1/P2 null mice the gender difference in toxicity was eliminated. Our data show that GSTP expression is a determinant in cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and its levels contribute to sex-dependent differences.

Structural Insight into the Mechanism of Substrate Specificity of Aedes Kynurenine Aminotransferase,

Aedes aegypti kynurenine aminotransferase (AeKAT) is a multifunctional aminotransferase. It catalyzes the transamination of a number of amino acids and uses many biologically relevant alpha-keto acids as amino group acceptors. AeKAT also is a cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase. The most important function of AeKAT is the biosynthesis of kynurenic acid, a natural antagonist of NMDA and alpha7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Here, we report the crystal structures of AeKAT in complex with its best amino acid substrates, glutamine and cysteine. Glutamine is found in both subunits of the biological dimer, and cysteine is found in one of the two subunits. Both substrates form external aldemines with pyridoxal 5-phosphate in the structures. This is the first instance in which one pyridoxal 5-phosphate enzyme has been crystallized with cysteine or glutamine forming external aldimine complexes, cysteinyl aldimine and glutaminyl aldimine. All the units with substrate are in the closed conformation form, and the unit without substrate is in the open form, which suggests that the binding of substrate induces the conformation change of AeKAT. By comparing the active site residues of the AeKAT-cysteine structure with those of the human KAT I-phenylalanine structure, we determined that Tyr286 in AeKAT is changed to Phe278 in human KAT I, which may explain why AeKAT transaminates hydrophilic amino acids more efficiently than human KAT I does.

Chemical Toxicology of Reactive Intermediates Formed by the Glutathione-Dependent Bioactivation of Halogen-Containing Compounds

The concept that reactive intermediate formation during the biotransformation of drugs and chemicals is an important bioactivation mechanism was proposed in the 1970s and is now accepted as a major mechanism for xenobiotic-induced toxicity. The enzymology of reactive intermediate formation as well as the characterization of the formation and fate of reactive intermediates are now well-established. The mechanism by which reactive intermediates cause cell damage and death is, however, still poorly understood. Although most xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes catalyze the bioactivation of chemicals, glutathione-dependent biotransformation has been largely associated with detoxication processes, particularly mercapturic acid formation. Abundant evidence now shows that glutathione-dependent biotransformation constitutes an important bioactivation mechanism for halogen-containing drugs and chemicals and has for many compounds been implicated in their organ-selective toxicity and in their mutagenic and carcinogenic potential. The glutathione-dependent biotransformation of haloalkenes is the first step in the cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase pathway for the bioactivation of nephrotoxic haloalkenes. This pathway has been a rich source of reactive intermediates, including thioacyl halides, alpha-chloroalkenethiolates, 3-halo-alpha-thiolactones, 2,2,3-trihalothiiranes, halothioketenes, and vinylic sulfoxides. Glutathione-dependent bioactivation of gem-dihalomethanes and 1,2-, 1,3-, and 1,4-dihaloalkanes leads to the formation of alpha-chlorosulfides, thiiranium ions, sulfenate esters, and tetrahydrothiophenium ions, respectively, and these reactions lead to reactive intermediate formation.

Cisplatin-Induced Toxicity Is Associated with Platinum Deposition in Mouse Kidney Mitochondria in Vivo and with Selective Inactivation of the α-Ketoglutarate Dehydrogenase Complex in LLC-PK1 Cells

The anticancer drug cisplatin is nephrotoxic and neurotoxic. Previous data support the hypothesis that cisplatin is bioactivated to a nephrotoxicant. The final step in the proposed bioactivation is the formation of a platinum-cysteine S-conjugate followed by a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase reaction. This reaction would generate pyruvate, ammonium, and a highly reactive platinum (Pt)-thiol compound in vivo that would bind to proteins. In this work, the cellular location and identity of the PLP-dependent cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase were investigated. Pt was shown to bind to proteins in kidneys of cisplatin-treated mice. The concentration of Pt-bound proteins was higher in the mitochondrial fraction than in the cytosolic fraction. Treatment of the mice with aminooxyacetic acid (AOAA, a PLP enzyme inhibitor), which had previously been shown to block the nephrotoxicity of cisplatin, decreased the binding of Pt to mitochondrial proteins but had no effect on the amount of Pt bound to proteins in the cytosolic fraction. These data indicate that a mitochondrial enzyme catalyzes the PLP-dependent cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase reaction. PLP-dependent mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase (mitAspAT) is a mitochondrial enzyme that catalyzes beta-elimination reactions with cysteine S-conjugates of halogenated alkenes. We reasoned that the enzyme might also catalyze a beta-lyase reaction with the cisplatin-cysteine S-conjugate. In this study, mitAspAT was stably overexpressed in LLC-PK(1) cells. Cisplatin was significantly more toxic in confluent monolayers of LLC-PK(1) cells that overexpressed mitAspAT than in control cells containing vector alone. AOAA completely blocked the cisplatin toxicity in confluent mitAspAT-transfected cells. The Pt-thiol compound could rapidly bind proteins and inactivate enzymes in close proximity of the PLP-dependent cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase. Treatment with 50 or 100 microM cisplatin for 3 h, followed by removal of cisplatin from the medium for 24 h, resulted in a pronounced loss of alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (KGDHC) activity in both mitAspAT-transfected cells and control cells. Exposure to 100 microM cisplatin resulted in a significantly greater loss of KGDHC activity in the cells overexpressing mitAspAT than in control cells. Aconitase activity was diminished in both cell types, but only at the higher level of exposure to cisplatin. AspAT activity was also significantly decreased by cisplatin treatment. By contrast, several other enzymes (both cytosolic and mitochondrial) involved in energy/amino acid metabolism were not significantly affected by cisplatin treatment in the LLC-PK(1) cells, whether or not mitAspAT was overexpressed. The susceptibility of KGDHC and aconitase to inactivation in kidney cells exposed to cisplatin metabolites may be due to the proximity of mitAspAT to KGDHC and aconitase in mitochondria. These findings support the hypothesis that a mitochondrial cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase converts the cisplatin-cysteine S-conjugate to a toxicant, and the data are consistent with the hypothesis that mitAspAT plays a role in the bioactivation of cisplatin.

Cysteine S-conjugate β-lyases

Cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyases are pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-containing enzymes that catalyze beta-elimination reactions with cysteine S-conjugates that possess an electron-withdrawing group attached at the sulfur. The end products of the beta-lyase reaction are pyruvate, ammonium and a sulfur-containing fragment. If the sulfur-containing fragment is reactive, the parent cysteine S-conjugate may be toxic, particularly to kidney mitochondria. Halogenated alkenes are examples of electrophiles that are bioactivated (toxified) by conversion to cysteine S-conjugates. These conjugates are converted by cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyases to thioacylating fragments. Several cysteine S-conjugates found in allium foods (garlic and onion) are beta-lyase substrates. This finding may account in part for the chemopreventive activity of allium products. This review (1) identifies enzymes that catalyze cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase reactions, (2) suggests that toxicant channeling may contribute to halogenated cysteine S-conjugate-induced toxicity to mitochondria, and (3) proposes mechanisms that may contribute to the antiproliferative effects of sulfur-containing fragments eliminated from allium-derived cysteine S-conjugates.

High pressure liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry characterization of the nephrotoxic biotransformation products of Cisplatin.

Previous studies have shown that cisplatin requires metabolic activation to become nephrotoxic. The activation is proposed to be via the metabolism of a glutathione-platinum conjugate to a cysteinyl-glycine-platinum conjugate, which is further processed to a cysteine conjugate. Preincubating cisplatin with glutathione (GSH), cysteinyl-glycine, or N-acetylcysteine (NAC) results in a transient increase in the toxicity of cisplatin toward renal proximal tubular cells. In this study, the preincubation solutions were analyzed by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), atomic absorption spectrometry, and mass spectrometry (MS) to characterize the formation and structure of the platinum conjugates. HPLC analysis of the cisplatin-GSH, cisplatin-cysteinyl-glycine, and cisplatin-NAC preincubation solutions revealed two new platinum-containing peaks in each of the solutions. MS-MS analysis of the peaks revealed a diplatinum- and a monoplatinum conjugate in each of the solutions. Analysis of the composition and toxicity of the solutions with time showed that the transient increase in toxicity correlated with the formation of the monoplatinum conjugate whereas prolonged preincubation decreased toxicity and correlated with the formation of the diplatinum conjugate. The monoplatinum-monoglutathione conjugate is a substrate for gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, an enzyme that is essential for the nephrotoxicity of cisplatin. The monoplatinum-mono-NAC conjugate can be deacetylated to a cysteine conjugate, which is a substrate for pyroxidol phosphate (PLP)-dependent cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase. This PLP-dependent enzyme is proposed to catalyze the final step in the metabolic activation of cisplatin. Identification of the structure and toxicity of these conjugates further elucidates the metabolism of cisplatin to a nephrotoxin.

Role of cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase in the metabolism of cisplatin.

Cisplatin is nephrotoxic, but the mechanism by which cisplatin kills renal proximal tubule cells is not well defined. Inhibition of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase or pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzymes blocks the nephrotoxicity. Our hypothesis is that cisplatin is metabolized to a renal toxin through a platinum-glutathione conjugate to a reactive sulfur-containing compound. The final step in this bioactivation is the conversion of a platinum-cysteine S-conjugate to a reactive thiol by a PLP-dependent cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase. LLC-PK1 cells, a proximal tubule cell line with low cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase activity, are used to study cisplatin nephrotoxicity. We proposed that the beta-elimination reaction catalyzed by cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase is the rate-limiting step in the metabolism of cisplatin to a toxin in these cells. In this study, LLC-PK1 cells were transfected with human glutamine transaminase K, which catalyzes the beta-elimination reaction. Cisplatin was significantly more toxic in confluent monolayers of cells with increased cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase activity. In contrast, carboplatin, a non-nephrotoxic derivative of cisplatin, was 20-fold less toxic than cisplatin in confluent cells, and its toxicity was not altered by overexpression of cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase. We propose that carboplatin is not nephrotoxic because it is not metabolized through this pathway. Dividing cells were more sensitive to both cisplatin and carboplatin toxicity. Overexpression of cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase activity had no effect on the toxicity of either drug. These data demonstrate that cisplatin kills quiescent renal cells by a mechanism that is distinct from the mechanism by which it kills dividing cells and that the renal toxicity of cisplatin is dependent on cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase activity.

Mitochondrial Aconitase Modification, Functional Inhibition, and Evidence for a Supramolecular Complex of the TCA Cycle by the Renal Toxicant S-(1,1,2,2-Tetrafluoroethyl)-l-cysteine

Metabolism of the common industrial gas tetrafluoroethylene in mammals results in the formation of S-(1,1,2,2)-tetrafluoroethyl-L-cysteine (TFEC), which can be bioactivated by a mitochondrial C-S lyase commonly referred to as beta-lyase. The resultant "reactive intermediate", difluorothioacetyl fluoride (DFTAF), is a potent thioalkylating and protein-modifying species. Previously, we have identified mitochondrial HSP70, HSP60, aspartate aminotransferase, and the E2 and E3 subunits of the alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (alphaKGDH) complex as specific proteins structurally modified during this process. Moreover, functional alterations to the alphaKGDH complex were also detected and implicated in the progression of injury. We report here the identification, by tandem mass spectrometry, and functional characterization of the final remaining major protein species modified by DFTAF, previously designated as P99(unk), as mitochondrial aconitase. Aconitase activity was maximally inhibited by 56.5% in renal homogenates after a 6 h exposure to TFEC. In comparison to alphaKGDH, aconitase inhibition (up to 79%) in a cell culture model for TFEC-mediated cytotoxicity was greater and preceded alphaKGDH inhibition, indicating that aconitase modification may constitute an early event in TFEC-mediated mitochondrial damage and cell death. These findings largely define the initial lesion of TFEC-mediated cell death and also have implications for the modeling of mitochondrial enzymatic architecture and the localization and identity of renal mitochondrial cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase.

Inhibition of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase or cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase activity blocks the nephrotoxicity of cisplatin in mice.

Cisplatin is nephrotoxic. The mechanism underlying this organ-specific toxicity is unknown. We hypothesize that cisplatin is metabolized via a gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase-dependent pathway that has been shown to activate several haloalkenes to nephrotoxins. To test this hypothesis, we inhibited GGT and cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase in C57BL/6 mice and analyzed the effect of the inhibitors on the nephrotoxicity of cisplatin. GGT was inhibited by pretreating the mice with acivicin. Cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase was inhibited by aminooxyacetic acid (AOAA). Male C57BL/6 mice were treated with 15 mg/kg cisplatin (i.p.) and sacrificed on day 5. Half the mice treated with cisplatin alone died before sacrifice. The cisplatin-treated mice sacrificed at 5 days had significantly elevated levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN). Histologic analysis revealed severe damage to the renal proximal tubules. Pretreatment with acivicin or AOAA protected the mice from the nephrotoxicity of cisplatin. None of the pretreated animals died before sacrifice. BUN levels and quantitative histologic analysis of the kidneys confirmed the protective effect of acivicin and AOAA. Platinum levels in the kidneys were not altered by acivicin or AOAA, indicating that neither affected the uptake of cisplatin into the kidney. Likewise, cisplatin-induced weight loss was not altered by acivicin or AOAA, suggesting that weight loss and nephrotoxicity are via distinct mechanisms. These data support the hypothesis that the nephrotoxicity of cisplatin is due to the metabolism of a platinum-glutathione conjugate by GGT and cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase to a potent nephrotoxin.

Mechanisms of cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyases.

Mercapturic acids are conjugates of S-(N-acetyl)-L-cysteine formed during the detoxification of xenobiotics and during the metabolism of such endogenous agents as estrogens and leukotrienes. Many mercaturates are formed from the corresponding glutathione S-conjugates. This chapter focuses on (a) the discovery of the cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyases; (b) the involvement of pyridoxal-5-phosphate; (c) the influence of the electron-withdrawing properties of the group attached to the sulfur atom; and (d) the potential of cysteine S-conjugates as pro-drugs.

Intranephron distribution of cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase activity and its implication for hexachloro-1,3-butadiene-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.

The intranephron distribution of two major cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyases was determined in order to clarify the role of these enzymes in promoting the nephrotoxicity associated with certain halogenated xenobiotics. Various nephron segments [i.e., glomerulus, early, middle, and terminal portions of the proximal tubule (S1, S2, and S3 respectively), the thick ascending limb, the distal tubule, and the collecting tubule] were isolated by microdissection from collagenase-treated rat kidneys. Each segment was dissected in Hanks' solution, solubilized with Triton X-100, and applied to a micropolyacrylamide gel constructed with a continuous gradient. The gels were subjected to electrophoresis and then incubated in the dark in a solution containing S-(1,2 dichlorovinyl)-L-cysteine (DCVC), a sodium alpha-keto-gamma-methiolbutyrate, phenazine methosulfate, and nitro-blue tetrazolium. The position of cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase- and L-amino acid oxidase activities in the gels was revealed by the presence of blue formazen dye bands. The relative intensities of the bands were determined by optical scanning with a microdensitometer. Three bands were detected: band I (M(r) approximately 330,000) corresponds to a recently described high M(r) cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase whereas band III (M(r) approximately 90,000) corresponds to a lower M(r) cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase (identical to cytosolic glutamine transaminase K). Band II (M(r) approximately 240,000) corresponds to L-amino acid oxidase (a unique activity of the B isoform of rat kidney L-hydroxy acid oxidase). beta-lyase activity with DCVC as substrates was detected in the S1, S2, and S3 segments of the nephron but not in other regions of the kidney. The activity was in the order: S2 = S3 > S1. In another series of experiments, rats were killed 24 h after treatment with hexachloro- 1,3-butadiene (HCBD). In whole kidney homogenates the relative intensity of band III (per 22.2 micrograms tissue wet weight) after a 30 min incubation was induced significantly (by 50%), but the relative intensities of the other two bands were unchanged. On the other hand, in proximal tubules isolated from HCBD-treated rats the relative intensities (per 5 mm of nephron) of peak I of S2, peak II of S3, and peak III of S3 were significantly reduced by 28, 33, and 72%, respectively. These findings suggest that the low M(r) beta-lyase is induced by HCBD and that impaired cell function in the segments (especially S3) results in proteins leaking out of the target cells. To examine the relationship between the nephrotoxic effect of HCBD and cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase activity, the intracellular ATP:protein ratio was quantitated in each nephron segment and in whole kidney homogenates. In HCBD-treated rats the ATP:protein ratio of the S1, S2, and S3 segments was unchanged, decreased by approximately 50%, and increased by approximately 30% respectively. In the kidney homogenates of HCBD-treated rats the ATP content was decreased by 32%. However, the loss of ATP was significantly less when the rats were pretreated with aminooxyacetate (a general inhibitor of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent enzymes, including beta-lyase) 1 h before HCBD administration. The results strongly suggest that HCBD is converted to toxic metabolites within the kidney and that this process leads to metabolic derangement and reduction of ATP in susceptible kidney cells.

Inactivation of brain and kidney aspartate aminotransferases by S-(1,2,-dichlorovinyl)-L-cysteine and by S-(1,1,2,2,-tetrafluoroethyl)-L-cysteine.

Long-term exposure to trichloroethylene can cause kidney cancer in experimental animals and humans. In addition, dichloroacetylene (a breakdown product of trichloroethylene) is nephrotoxic and neurotoxic. Both trichloroethylene and dichloroacetylene are metabolized in part to the corresponding cysteine S-conjugate (i.e. S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-L-cysteine) which is toxic. Cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyases convert S-(1,2,dichlorovinyl)-L-cysteine to pyruvate, ammonia and a reactive fragment that adds to macromolecules, depletes cellular thiols and causes lipid peroxidation. We now show that S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-L-cysteine and another nephrotoxic cysteine S-conjugate, S-(1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl)-L-cysteine, inactive purified cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase and purified alanine aminotransferase. These cysteine S-conjugates also inactive aspartate aminotransferase in cytosolic and mitochondrial fractions of rat brain and kidney. The present results suggest that some halogenated xenobiotics may be toxic in part through their conversion to the corresponding cysteine S-conjugate which inactivates key pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-containing enzyme.

Glutamine Transaminase K and ω‐Amidase Activities in Primary Cultures of Astrocytes and Neurons and in Embryonic Chick Forebrain: Marked Induction of Brain Glutamine Transaminase K at Time of Hatching

Glutamine transaminase K and omega-amidase activities are present in the chick brain and in the brains of adult mice, rats, and humans. However, the activity of glutamine transaminase K in adult mouse brain is relatively low. In the chick embryo, cerebral glutamine transaminase K activity is low between embryonic days 5 and 17, but by day 23 (day of hatching) activity rises dramatically (> 15-fold). Cerebral omega-amidase activity is relatively high at embryonic day 5 but lower between days 5 and 17; at embryonic day 23 the activity rises to a maximum. Both glutamine transaminase K and omega-amidase are present in cultured chick, rat, and mouse astrocytes and neurons. For each species, the activity of glutamine transaminase K is higher in the astrocytes than in the neurons. The activity of omega-amidase is about the same in the cultured chick astrocytes and neurons but significantly higher in rat astrocytes than in rat neurons. The data suggest that the rise in brain glutamine transaminase K activity in the chick embryo at hatching correlates with maturation of astrocytes. Glutamine transaminase K may be involved in glutamine cycling in astrocytes. Glutamine transaminase K appears to be a major cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase of the brain and may play a role in the neurotoxicity associated with exposure to dichloroacetylene and perhaps to other toxins.

Metabolism of the nephrotoxin dichloroacetylene by glutathione conjugation

Dichloroacetylene (DCA) is a potent nephrotoxin and nephrocarcinogen in rodents. The activation reactions responsible for this organ-specific toxicity are not known. We now report the identification of S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)glutathione (DCVG) as a product of the glutathione (GSH) dependent metabolism of DCA in vitro and the identification of N-acetyl-S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-L-cysteine (N-Ac-DCVC) as a urinary metabolite of DCA in rats. Formation of DCVG from DCA, used as 1:1 complex with diethyl ether, in male rat liver and kidney subcellular fractions was dependent on time, native protein, and the presence of GSH. Initial reaction rates at 23 degrees C were determined as 2923 nmol/(min.mg) for liver and 2838 nmol/(min.mg) for kidney microsomes. With cytosol, DCVG formation rates were 705 nmol/(min.mg) (liver cytosol) and 129 nmol/(min.mg) (kidney cytosol). With liver microsomes, a KM of 7.5 mM and a Vmax of 5464 nmol/(min.mg) for GSH were obtained. The product, DCVG, was definitively identified by 1H NMR spectrometry (400 MHz), mass spectrometry, and UV spectroscopy. N-Ac-DCVC was identified as a urinary metabolite from rats by GC/MS after esterification. Urine (collected for 24 h) from male rats exposed to 36 +/- 5 ppm DCA (100 mumol of DCA introduced into the exposure system) for 1 h contained 10.7 mumol of N-Ac-DCVC as determined by HPLC analysis. Formation of DCVG, renal processing to S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-L-cysteine, and cleavage of this cysteine S-conjugate by cysteine S-conjugate beta-lyase in the kidney with formation of reactive and mutagenic intermediates may account for DCA nephrotoxicity and nephrocarcinogenicity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)