Cytosolic Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Research Articles

Targeting the Retinoic Acid Pathway to Eradicate Cancer Stem Cells.

All-trans retinoic acid is a morphogen during embryogenesis and a teratogen. Cancer is an error of development, and the retinoic acid receptors (RAR) for all-trans retinoic acid play a role in cancer. Expression of the cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenases, which mediate the last step to the synthesis of all-trans retinoic acid, is deregulated in various human cancers. Inhibiting these enzymes using a variety of agents reduced the proliferation of lung cancer cells, reduced the proliferation and induced apoptosis of ovarian, prostate, squamous, and uterine cancer cells, and sensitised breast, colorectal and ovarian cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents. RARγ is an oncogene within some cases of AML, cholangiocarcinoma, colorectal cancer, clear cell renal cell carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, prostate cancer, and ovarian cancer. Pan-RAR and RARγ antagonist inhibition of the action of RARγ led to necroptosis of human prostate and pediatric brain tumour cancer stem cells. Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma cells with the flavenoid acacetin, which interferes with the action of RARγ, decreased cell growth and induced apoptosis. Targeting the retinoic acid pathway is promising regarding the development of new drugs to eradicate cancer stem cells.

Rewiring Central Carbon Metabolism Ensures Increased Provision of Acetyl-CoA and NADPH Required for 3-OH-Propionic Acid Production.

The central carbon metabolite acetyl-CoA and the cofactor NADPH are important for the synthesis of a wide array of biobased products. Here, we constructed a platform yeast strain for improved provision of acetyl-CoA and NADPH, and used the production of 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) as a case study. We first demonstrated that the integration of phosphoketolase and phosphotransacetylase improved 3-HP production by 41.9% and decreased glycerol production by 48.1% compared with that of the control strain. Then, to direct more carbon flux toward the pentose phosphate pathway, we reduced the expression of phosphoglucose isomerase by replacing its native promoter with a weaker promoter, and increased the expression of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase by replacing their native promoters with stronger promoters. This further improved 3-HP production by 26.4%. Furthermore, to increase the NADPH supply we overexpressed cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase, and improved 3-HP production by another 10.5%. Together with optimizing enzyme expression of acetyl-CoA carboxylase and malonyl-CoA reductase, the final strain is able to produce 3-HP with a final titer of 864.5 mg/L, which is a more than 24-fold improvement compared with that of the starting strain. Our strategy combines the PK pathway with the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway for the efficient provision of acetyl-CoA and NADPH, which provides both a higher theoretical yield and overall yield than the reported yeast-based 3-HP production strategies via the malonyl-CoA reductase-dependent pathway and sheds light on the construction of efficient platform cell factories for other products.

Elevated COUP-TFII expression in dopaminergic neurons accelerates the progression of Parkinson's disease through mitochondrial dysfunction.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder featuring progressive loss of midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons that leads to motor symptoms. The etiology and pathogenesis of PD are not clear. We found that expression of COUP-TFII, an orphan nuclear receptor, in DA neurons is upregulated in PD patients through the analysis of public datasets. We show here that through epigenetic regulation, COUP-TFII contributes to oxidative stress, suggesting that COUP-TFII may play a role in PD pathogenesis. Elevated COUP-TFII expression specifically in DA neurons evokes DA neuronal loss in mice and accelerates the progression of phenotypes in a PD mouse model, MitoPark. Compared to control mice, those with elevated COUP-TFII expression displayed reduced cristae in mitochondria and enhanced cellular electron-dense vacuoles in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Mechanistically, we found that overexpression of COUP-TFII disturbs mitochondrial pathways, resulting in mitochondrial dysfunction. In particular, there is repressed expression of genes encoding cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenases, which could enhance oxidative stress and interfere with mitochondrial function via 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (DOPAL) buildup in DA neurons. Importantly, under-expression of COUP-TFII in DA neurons slowed the deterioration in motor functions of MitoPark mice. Taken together, our results suggest that COUP-TFII may be an important contributor to PD development and a potential therapeutic target.

Omeprazole as a potent activator of human cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase ALDH1A1

BackgroundAccumulation of lipid aldehydes plays a key role in the etiology of human diseases where high levels of oxidative stress are generated. In this regard, activation of aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) prevents oxidative tissue damage during ischemia-reperfusion processes. Although omeprazole is used to reduce stomach gastric acid production, in the present work this drug is described as the most potent activator of human ALDH1A1 reported yet. MethodsDocking analysis was performed to predict the interactions of omeprazole with the enzyme. Recombinant human ALDH1A1 was used to assess the effect of omeprazole on the kinetic properties. Temperature treatment and mass spectrometry were conducted to address the nature of binding of the activator to the enzyme. Finally, the effect of omeprazole was evaluated in an in vivo model of oxidative stress, using E. coli cells expressing the human ALDH1A1. ResultsOmeprazole interacted with the aldehyde binding site, increasing 4–6 fold the activity of human ALDH1A1, modified the kinetic properties, altering the order of binding of substrates and release of products, and protected the enzyme from inactivation by lipid aldehydes. Furthermore, omeprazole protected E. coli cells over-expressing ALDH1A1 from the effects of oxidative stress generated by H2O2 exposure, reducing the levels of lipid aldehydes and preserving ALDH activity. ConclusionOmeprazole can be repositioned as a potent activator of human ALDH1A1 and may be proposed for its use in therapeutic strategies, to attenuate the damage generated during oxidative stress events occurring in different human pathologies.

Oxidation of imidazole- and pyrazole-derived aldehydes by plant aldehyde dehydrogenases from the family 2 and 10

Plant cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenases from family 2 (ALDH2s, EC 1.2.1.3) are non-specific enzymes and participate for example in the metabolism of acetaldehyde or biosynthesis of phenylpropanoids. Plant aminoaldehyde dehydrogenases (AMADHs, ALDH10 family, EC 1.2.1.19) are broadly specific and play an important role in polyamine degradation or production of osmoprotectants. We have tested imidazole and pyrazole carbaldehydes and their alkyl-, allyl-, benzyl-, phenyl-, pyrimidinyl- or thienyl-derivatives as possible substrates of plant ALDH2 and ALDH10 enzymes. Imidazole represents a building block of histidine, histamine as well as certain alkaloids. It also appears in synthetic pharmaceuticals such as imidazole antifungals. Biological compounds containing pyrazole are rare (e.g. pyrazole-1-alanine and pyrazofurin antibiotics) but the ring is often found as a constituent of many synthetic drugs and pesticides. The aim was to evaluate whether aldehyde compounds based on azole heterocycles are oxidized by the enzymes, which would further support their expected role as detoxifying aldehyde scavengers. The analyzed imidazole and pyrazole carbaldehydes were only slowly converted by ALDH10s but well oxidized by cytosolic maize ALDH2 isoforms (particularly by ALDH2C1). In the latter case, the respective Km values were in the range of 10–2000 μmol l−1; the kcat values appeared mostly between 0.1 and 1.0 s−1. The carbaldehyde group at the position 4 of imidazole was oxidized faster than that at the position 2. Such a difference was not observed for pyrazole carbaldehydes. Aldehydes with an aromatic substituent on their heterocyclic ring were oxidized faster than those with an aliphatic substituent. The most efficient of the tested substrates were comparable to benzaldehyde and p-anisaldehyde known as the best aromatic aldehyde substrates of plant cytosolic ALDH2s in vitro.

Structure and biochemistry of phenylacetaldehyde dehydrogenase from the Pseudomonas putida S12 styrene catabolic pathway

Phenylacetaldehyde dehydrogenase catalyzes the NAD+-dependent oxidation of phenylactealdehyde to phenylacetic acid in the styrene catabolic and detoxification pathway of Pseudomonas putida (S12). Here we report the structure and mechanistic properties of the N-terminally histidine-tagged enzyme, NPADH. The 2.83 Å X-ray crystal structure is similar in fold to sheep liver cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH1), but has unique set of intersubunit interactions and active site tunnel for substrate entrance. In solution, NPADH occurs as 227 kDa homotetramer. It follows a sequential reaction mechanism in which NAD+ serves as both the leading substrate and homotropic allosteric activator. In the absence of styrene monooxygenase reductase, which regenerates NAD+ from NADH in the first step of styrene catabolism, NPADH is inhibited by a ternary complex involving NADH, product, and phenylacetaldehyde, substrate. Each oligomerization domain of NPADH contains a six-residue insertion that extends this loop over the substrate entrance tunnel of a neighboring subunit, thereby obstructing the active site of the adjacent subunit. This feature could be an important factor in the homotropic activation and product inhibition mechanisms. Compared to ALDH1, the substrate channel of NPADH is narrower and lined with more aromatic residues, suggesting a means for enhancing substrate specificity.

Role and structural characterization of plant aldehyde dehydrogenases from family 2 and family 7.

Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) are responsible for oxidation of biogenic aldehyde intermediates as well as for cell detoxification of aldehydes generated during lipid peroxidation. So far, 13 ALDH families have been described in plants. In the present study, we provide a detailed biochemical characterization of plant ALDH2 and ALDH7 families by analysing maize and pea ALDH7 (ZmALDH7 and PsALDH7) and four maize cytosolic ALDH(cALDH)2 isoforms RF2C, RF2D, RF2E and RF2F [the first maize ALDH2 was discovered as a fertility restorer (RF2A)]. We report the crystal structures of ZmALDH7, RF2C and RF2F at high resolution. The ZmALDH7 structure shows that the three conserved residues Glu(120), Arg(300) and Thr(302) in the ALDH7 family are located in the substrate-binding site and are specific to this family. Our kinetic analysis demonstrates that α-aminoadipic semialdehyde, a lysine catabolism intermediate, is the preferred substrate for plant ALDH7. In contrast, aromatic aldehydes including benzaldehyde, anisaldehyde, cinnamaldehyde, coniferaldehyde and sinapaldehyde are the best substrates for cALDH2. In line with these results, the crystal structures of RF2C and RF2F reveal that their substrate-binding sites are similar and are formed by an aromatic cluster mainly composed of phenylalanine residues and several nonpolar residues. Gene expression studies indicate that the RF2C gene, which is strongly expressed in all organs, appears essential, suggesting that the crucial role of the enzyme would certainly be linked to the cell wall formation using aldehydes from phenylpropanoid pathway as substrates. Finally, plant ALDH7 may significantly contribute to osmoprotection because it oxidizes several aminoaldehydes leading to products known as osmolytes.

Sca-1+ cells from fetal heart with high aldehyde dehydrogenase activity exhibit enhanced gene expression for self-renewal, proliferation, and survival.

Stem/progenitor cells from multiple tissues have been isolated based on enhanced activity of cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) enzyme. ALDH activity has emerged as a reliable marker for stem/progenitor cells, such that ALDHbright/high cells from multiple tissues have been shown to possess enhanced stemness properties (self-renewal and multipotency). So far though, not much is known about ALDH activity in specific fetal organs. In this study, we sought to analyze the presence and activity of the ALDH enzyme in the stem cell antigen-1-positive (Sca-1+) cells of fetal human heart. Biochemical assays showed that a subpopulation of Sca-1+ cells (15%) possess significantly high ALDH1 activity. This subpopulation showed increased expression of self-renewal markers compared to the ALDHlow fraction. The ALDHhigh fraction also exhibited significant increase in proliferation and pro-survival gene expression. In addition, only the ALDHhigh and not the ALDHlow fraction could give rise to all the cell types of the original population, demonstrating multipotency. ALDHhigh cells showed increased resistance against aldehyde challenge compared to ALDHlow cells. These results indicate that ALDHhigh subpopulation of the cultured human fetal cells has enhanced self-renewal, multipotency, high proliferation, and survival, indicating that this might represent a primitive stem cell population within the fetal human heart.

9-O-acetylated sialic acids differentiating normal haematopoietic precursors from leukemic stem cells with high aldehyde dehydrogenase activity in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) originates from mutations in haematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs). For high-risk patients, treated with intensified post-remission chemotherapy, haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation is considered. Autologous HSC transplantation needs improvisation till date. Previous studies established enhanced disease-associated expression of 9-O-acetylated sialoglycoproteins (Neu5,9Ac2-GPs) on lymphoblasts of these patients at diagnosis, followed by its decrease with clinical remission and reappearance with relapse. Based on this differential expression of Neu5,9Ac2-GPs, identification of a normal HPC population was targeted from patients at diagnosis. This study identifies two distinct haematopoietic progenitor populations from bone marrow of diagnostic ALL patients, exploring the differential expression of Neu5,9Ac2-GPs with stem cell (CD34, CD90, CD117, CD133), haematopoietic (CD45), lineage-commitment (CD38) antigens and cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). Normal haematopoietic progenitor cells (ALDH(+)SSC(lo)CD45(hi)Neu5,9Ac2 -GPs(lo)CD34(+)CD38(-)CD90(+)CD117(+)CD133(+)) differentiated into morphologically different, lineage-specific colonies, being crucial for autologous HSC transplantation while leukemic stem cells (ALDH(+)SSC(lo)CD45(lo)Neu5,9Ac2 -GPs(hi)CD34(+)CD38(+)CD90(-)CD117(-)CD133(-)) lacking this ability can be potential targets for minimal residual disease detection and drug-targeted immunotherapy.

Species and inter-individual differences in metabolic capacity of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) between human and mouse livers

This study was conducted to assess inter-species and inter-individual differences in the metabolism of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) in humans and mice. The activities of four DEHP-metabolizing enzymes [lipase, UDP-glucuronocyltransferase (UGT), alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)] were measured in the livers of 38 human subjects of various ages and in eight 129/Sv male mice. Microsomal lipase activity was significantly lower in humans than in mice. The V max/K m value in humans was one-seventh of that in mice, microsomal UGT activity in humans was a sixth of that in mice, and cytosolic ALDH activity for 2-ethylhexanal in humans was one-half of that in mice. In contrast, ADH activity for 2-ethylhexanol was twofold higher in humans than in mice. The total amount of DEHP urinary metabolites and the concentration of mono(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (MEHP) were much higher in intact mice than in the U.S. general population based on data reported elsewhere, regardless of the similar estimated DEHP intake between these mice and the human reference population. However, mono(2-ethyl-5-oxo-hexyl)phthalate (5oxo-MEHP) and mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl)phthalate (5cx-MEPP) levels were higher in the latter than in the former. Of note, inter-subject variability in the activities of all enzymes measured was 10-26-fold. The inter-individual variation in the metabolism of DEHP in humans may be greater than the difference between mice and humans (inter-species variation), and both may affects the risk assessment of DEHP.

Functional improvement ofSaccharomyces cerevisiaeto reduce volatile acidity in wine

Control of volatile acidity (VA) is a major issue for wine quality. In this study, we investigated the production of VA by a deletion mutant of the fermentation stress response gene AAF1 in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Fermentations were carried out in commercial Chardonnay grape must to mimic industrial wine-making conditions. We demonstrated that a wine yeast strain deleted for AAF1 reduced acetic acid levels in wine by up to 39.2% without increasing the acetaldehyde levels, revealing a potential for industrial application. Deletion of the cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase gene ALD6 also reduced acetic acid levels dramatically, but increased the acetaldehyde levels by 41.4%, which is not desired by the wine industry. By comparison, ALD4 and the AAF1 paralog RSF2 had no effects on acetic acid production in wine. Deletion of AAF1 was detrimental to the growth of ald6Δ and ald4Δald6Δ mutants, but had no effect on acetic acid production. Overexpression of AAF1 dramatically increased acetic acid levels in wine in an Ald6p-dependent manner, indicating that Aaf1p regulates acetic acid production mainly via Ald6p. Overexpression of AAF1 in an ald4Δald6Δ strain produced significantly more acetic acid in wine than the ald4Δald6Δ mutant, suggesting that Aaf1p may also regulate acetic acid synthesis independently of Ald4p and Ald6p.

Expression of cytoskeleton and energetic metabolism-related proteins at human abdominal aortic aneurysm sites

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of proteins related to cytoskeleton and energetic metabolism at abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) sites using proteomics. Several remodeling-related mechanisms have been associated with AAA formation but less is known about the expression of proteins associated with cytoskeleton and energetic metabolism in AAAs. AAA samples (6.73 ± 0.40 cm size) were obtained from 13 patients during elective aneurysm repair. Control abdominal aortic samples were obtained from 12 organ donors. Proteins were analyzed using two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. The expression of filamin was increased in the AAA site compared to control abdominal aortic samples while microfibril-associated glycoprotein-4 isotype 1, annexin A5 isotype 1, and annexin A2 were reduced compared with control abdominal aortic samples. Reduction in expression level of energetic metabolism-associated proteins such as triosephosphate isomerase, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase was also observed in AAAs compared to controls. Reduction of triosephosphate isomerase expression was also observed by Western blot, which was accompanied by diminished triosephosphate isomerase activity. At the AAA site, pyruvate dehydrogenase expression was reduced and the content of both lactate and pyruvate was increased with respect to controls without changes in lactate dehydrogenase activity. The present results suggest that an anaerobic metabolic state may be favored further to reduce the expression of cytoskeleton-related proteins. The better knowledge of molecular mechanism involved in AAAs may favor development of new clinical strategies.

Modulation of Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Activity Affects (±)-4-Hydroxy-2E-nonenal (HNE) Toxicity and HNE–Protein Adduct Levels in PC12 Cells

Oxidative stress is known to be one of the major factors underlying Parkinson's disease (PD). One of the consequences of oxidative stress is lipid peroxidation. A toxic product of lipid peroxidation, (±)-4-hydroxy-2E-nonenal (HNE) leads to membrane disruption and formation of HNE-protein adducts and such adducts have been detected in PD brain tissues. Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) are involved in metabolizing HNE and other endogenous aldehydes. Interestingly, the cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1 (ALDH1A1) has been reported to be down-regulated in brain tissues affected in PD which could result in enhancement of HNE toxicity. We sought to first establish the role of ALDH1A1 in mediating HNE toxicity in PC12 cells by overexpressing ALDH1A1 and by using disulfiram, an ALDH inhibitor. Overexpression and inhibition of ALDH1A1 activity resulted in reduced and increased HNE toxicity, respectively. We then established conditions for detecting HNE-protein adducts following HNE treatment and showed that overexpression and inhibition of ALDH activity resulted in reduced and increased formation of HNE-protein adducts, respectively. We also show that 6-methyl-2-(phenylazo)-3-pyridinol, previously identified as an activator of ALDH1A1, can protect PC12 cells against HNE-mediated toxicity and can cause a small but significant decrease in levels of HNE-protein adducts. Our results should encourage identification of more potent ALDH activators and their testing in the PC12-HNE model. Such cytoprotective compounds could then be tested for their neuroprotective activity in in vivo models of oxidative stress-induced PD.

Thermodynamic analysis of protein-ligand interactions in complex biological mixtures using a shotgun proteomics approach.

Shotgun proteomics protocols are widely used for the identification and/or quantitation of proteins in complex biological samples. Described here is a shotgun proteomics protocol that can be used to identify the protein targets of biologically relevant ligands in complex protein mixtures. The protocol combines a quantitative proteomics platform with a covalent modification strategy, termed Stability of Proteins from Rates of Oxidation (SPROX), which utilizes the denaturant dependence of hydrogen peroxide-mediated oxidation of methionine side chains in proteins to assess the thermodynamic properties of proteins and protein-ligand complexes. The quantitative proteomics platform involves the use of isobaric mass tags and a methionine-containing peptide enhancement strategy. The protocol is evaluated in a ligand binding experiment designed to identify the proteins in a yeast cell lysate that bind the well-known enzyme cofactor, β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). The protocol is also used to investigate the protein targets of resveratrol, a biologically active ligand with less well-understood protein targets. A known protein target of resveratrol, cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase, was identified in addition to six other potential new proteins targets including four that are associated with the protein translation machinery, which has previously been implicated as a target of resveratrol.

Differential Metabolism of Organic Nitrates by Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1a1 and 2: Substrate Selectivity, Enzyme Inactivation, and Active Cysteine Sites

Organic nitrate vasodilators (ORN) exert their pharmacologic effects through the metabolic release of nitric oxide (NO). Mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) is the principal enzyme responsible for NO liberation from nitroglycerin (NTG), but lacks activity towards other ORN. Cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH1a1) can produce NO from NTG, but its activity towards other ORN is unknown. Using purified enzymes, we showed that both isoforms could liberate NO from NTG, isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN), and nicrorandil, while only ALDH1a1 metabolized isosorbide-2-mononitrate and isosorbide-5-mononitrate (IS-5-MN). Following a 10-min incubation with purified enzyme, 0.1 mM NTG and 1 mM ISDN potently inactivated ALDH1a1 (to 21.9% ± 11.1% and 0.44% ± 1.04% of control activity, respectively) and ALDH2 (no activity remaining and 4.57% ± 7.92% of control activity, respectively), while 1 mM IS-5-MN exerted only modest inactivation of ALDH1a1 (reduced to 89% ± 4.3% of control). Cytosolic ALDH in hepatic homogenates incubated at the vascular EC(50) concentrations of ORN was inactivated by NTG (to 45.1% ± 8.1% of control activity) while mitochondrial ALDH was inactivated by NTG and nicorandil (to 68.2% ± 10.0% and 78.7% ± 19.8% of control, respectively). Via site-directed mutagenesis, the active sites of ORN metabolism of ALDH2 (Cys-319) and ALDH1a1 (Cys-303) were found to be identical to those responsible for their dehydrogenase activity. Cysteine-302 of ALDH1a1 and glutamate-504 of ALDH2 were found to modulate the rate of ORN metabolism. These studies provide further characterization of the substrate selectivity, inactivation, and active sites of ALDH2 and ALDH1a1 toward ORN.

Cytosolic NADPH balancing in Penicillium chrysogenum cultivated on mixtures of glucose and ethanol.

The in vivo flux through the oxidative branch of the pentose phosphate pathway (oxPPP) in Penicillium chrysogenum was determined during growth in glucose/ethanol carbon-limited chemostat cultures, at the same growth rate. Non-stationary 13C flux analysis was used to measure the oxPPP flux. A nearly constant oxPPP flux was found for all glucose/ethanol ratios studied. This indicates that the cytosolic NADPH supply is independent of the amount of assimilated ethanol. The cofactor assignment in the model of van Gulik et al. (Biotechnol Bioeng 68(6):602–618, 2000) was supported using the published genome annotation of P. chrysogenum. Metabolic flux analysis showed that NADPH requirements in the cytosol remain nearly the same in these experiments due to constant biomass growth. Based on the cytosolic NADPH balance, it is known that the cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase in P. chrysogenum is NAD + dependent. Metabolic modeling shows that changing the NAD + -aldehyde dehydrogenase to NADP + -aldehyde dehydrogenase can increase the penicillin yield on substrate.

ChemInform Abstract: Aldehyde Dehydrogenase-Mediated Cellular Relative Insensitivity to the Oxazaphosphorines

As judged by findings in preclinical models, determinants of cellular sensitivity to cyclophosphamide and other oxazaphosphorines include two cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenases, viz., ALDH1A1 and ALDH3A1. Each catalyzes the detoxification of the oxazaphosphorines; thus, cellular sensitivity to these agents decreases as cellular levels of ALDH1A1 and/or ALDH3A1 increase. Of particular clinical relevance may be that stable sublines, relatively insensitive to the oxazaphosphorines due to elevated ALDH1A1 or ALDH3A1 levels, emerged when cultured human tumor cells were exposed only once to a high concentration of one of these agents for 30 to 60 minutes. Whether differences in cellular levels of either enzyme accounts for the clinically-encountered uneven therapeutic effectiveness of the oxazaphosphorines remains to be determined. However, it has already been established that measurable levels of these enzymes are found in some, but not all, tumor types, and that in those tumor types where measurable levels are present, e.g., infiltrating ductal carcinomas of the breast, they vary widely from patient to patient. Potentially useful clinical strategies that might be pursued if it turns out that ALDH1A1 and/or ALDH3A1 are, indeed, clinically operative determinants of cellular sensitivity to the oxazaphosphorines include 1) individualizing cancer chemotherapeutic regimens based, at least in part, on the levels of these enzymes in the malignancy of interest, and 2) sensitizing tumor cells that express relatively large amounts of ALDH1A1 and/or ALDH3A1 to the oxazaphosphorines by preventing the synthesis of these enzymes, e.g., with antisense RNA, or by introducing an agent that directly inhibits the catalytic action of the operative enzyme. Further, the fact that ALDH1A1 and ALDH3A1 are determinants of cellular sensitivity to the oxazaphosphorines provides the rationale for the investigation of two additional strategies with clinical potential, viz., decreasing the sensitivity of vulnerable and essential normal cells, e.g., pluripotent hematopoietic cells, to the oxazaphosphorines by selectively transferring into them the genetic information that encodes 1) ALDH1A1 or ALDH3A1, or 2) a signaling factor, the presence of which would directly or indirectly, stably upregulate the expression of these enzymes.

The human lung cell line A549 does not develop adaptive protection against the DNA‐damaging action of formaldehyde

The alkaline comet assay was used to further characterize the induction of DNA-protein crosslinks (DPX) by formaldehyde (FA) and their removal in the human lung cell line A549. DPX were indirectly measured as the reduction of gamma ray-induced DNA migration. Repeated treatments of A549 cells with low FA concentrations (up to 100 microM) did not lead to significant differences in the induction of DPX in comparison with a single treatment. Pretreatment with higher FA-concentrations (200 microM and above) enhanced the crosslinking effect. There was no indication for an adaptive protection against the induction of DPX by FA. These findings are in agreement with RT-PCR measurements of the expression of genes that encode the main enzymes involved in FA detoxification. A549 cells exposed to FA (50-300 microM) for 1, 4, or 24 hr did not reveal altered expression of the GSH-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase (FDH, which is identical to alcohol dehydrogenase 3; ADH3), the cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1A1) and the mitochondrial ALDH2. Pretreatment of A549 cells with a low FA concentration (50 microM) also did not enhance the removal of DPX induced by higher FA concentrations. Taken together, these results suggest that A549 cells do not develop adaptive protection against the genotoxic action of FA. Neither metabolic inactivation of FA nor the repair of FA-induced DPX seems to be enhanced in cells pretreated with FA.

Lag‐phase autophagy in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris

When microbes sense environmental changes, they often temporarily attenuate cell growth to adapt to the new situations, showing a lag phase. In this study, we report that the methylotrophic yeast, Pichia pastoris, induced autophagy during the lag phase after the cells were shifted from glucose to methanol medium. Through the autophagic process at least two proteins, aminopeptidase I precursor and cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase, were found to be transported into the vacuole, which was dependent on PpAtg11 and PpAtg17, respectively. Notably, PpAtg1 and PpAtg17 were required for early exit from the lag phase during the methanol adaptation. In accordance, phosphorylation states of elongation initiation factor 2alpha indicated reductions of intracellular amino-acid pools in the atg mutant strains. Together, these data demonstrate the importance of amino acid recycling by autophagy during a cell-remodeling process.

Identification of a novel cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase allele, ALDHIAI*4

This paper reports the identification of a novel cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDHIAI) allele. One hundred and sixty-two Indo-Trinidadian and 85 Afro-Trinidadian individuals were genotyped. A novel ALDHIAI allele, ALDHIAI*4, was identified in an Indo-Trinidadian alcoholic with an A inserted at position -554 relative to the translational start site, +1. It was concluded that a wider cross-section of individuals needs to be evaluated in order to determine the representative frequency of the allele, and to see if it is associated with risk of alcoholism.