Two-dimensional high-performance liquid chromatographic method for assaying S-adenosyl-L-methionine and its related metabolites in tissues

Determination of S-Adenosylmethionine and S-Adenosylhomocysteine by LC-MS/MS and evaluation of their stability in mice tissues

S-Adenosylmethionine (SAM) serves as a methyl donor in biological transmethylation reactions. S-Adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) is the product as well as the inhibitor of transmethylations and the ratio SAM/SAH is regarded as the measure of methylating capacity (“methylation index”). We present a rapid and sensitive LC–MS/MS method for SAM and SAH determination in mice tissues. The method is based on chromatographic separation on a Hypercarb column (30 mm × 2.1 mm, 3 μm particle size) filled with porous graphitic carbon stationary phase. Sufficient retention of SAM and SAH on the chromatographic packing allows simple sample preparation protocol avoiding solid phase extraction step. No significant matrix effects were observed by analysing the tissue extracts on LC–MS/MS. The intra-assay precision was less than 9%, the inter-assay precision was less than 13% and the accuracy was in the range 98–105% for both compounds. Stability of both metabolites during sample preparation and storage of tissue samples was studied: the SAM/SAH ratio in liver samples dropped by 34% and 48% after incubation of the tissues at 4 °C for 5 min and at 25 °C for 2 min, respectively. Storage of liver tissues at −80 °C for 2 months resulted in decrease of SAM/SAH ratio by 40%. These results demonstrate that preanalytical steps are critical for obtaining valid data of SAM and SAH in tissues.

Folate Transport Gene Inactivation in Mice Increases Sensitivity to Colon Carcinogenesis

Low dietary folate intake is associated with an increased risk for colon cancer; however, relevant genetic animal models are lacking. We therefore investigated the effect of targeted ablation of two folate transport genes, folate binding protein 1 (Folbp1) and reduced folate carrier 1 (RFC1), on folate homeostasis to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of folate action on colonocyte cell proliferation, gene expression, and colon carcinogenesis. Targeted deletion of Folbp1 (Folbp1+/− and Folbp1−/−) significantly reduced (P < 0.05) colonic Folbp1 mRNA, colonic mucosa, and plasma folate concentration. In contrast, subtle changes in folate homeostasis resulted from targeted deletion of RFC1 (RFC1+/−). These animals had reduced (P < 0.05) colonic RFC1 mRNA and exhibited a 2-fold reduction in the plasma S-adenosylmethionine/S-adenosylhomocysteine. Folbp1+/− and Folbp1−/− mice had larger crypts expressed as greater (P < 0.05) numbers of cells per crypt column relative to Folbp1+/+ mice. Colonic cell proliferation was increased in RFC1+/− mice relative to RFC1+/+ mice. Microarray analysis of colonic mucosa showed distinct changes in gene expression specific to Folbp1 or RFC1 ablation. The effect of folate transporter gene ablation on colon carcinogenesis was evaluated 8 and 38 weeks post-azoxymethane injection in wild-type and heterozygous mice. Relative to RFC1+/+ mice, RFC1+/− mice developed increased (P < 0.05) numbers of aberrant crypt foci at 8 weeks. At 38 weeks, RFC1+/− mice developed local inflammatory lesions with or without epithelial dysplasia as well as adenocarcinomas, which were larger relative to RFC1+/+ mice. In contrast, Folbp1+/− mice developed 4-fold (P < 0.05) more lesions relative to Folbp1+/+ mice. In conclusion, Folbp1 and RFC1 genetically modified mice exhibit distinct changes in colonocyte phenotype and therefore have utility as models to examine the role of folate homeostasis in colon cancer development.

Characterization of glycine N-methyltransferase from rabbit liver

The enzymatic properties of glycine N-methyltransferase from rabbit liver and the effects of endogenous adenosine nucleosides, nucleotides and methyltransferase inhibitors were investigated using a photometrical assay to detect sarcosine with o-dianisidine as a dye. After isolation and purification the denatured enzyme showed a two-banded pattern by SDS-PAGE. The enzyme was highly specific for its substrates with a pH-optimum at pH 8.6. Glycine N-methyltransferase exhibits Michaelis-Menten kinetics for its substrates, S-adenosylmethionine and glycine, respectively. The apparent Km and Vmax values were determined for both the substrates, the other substrate being present at saturating concentrations. The enzyme was strongly inhibited in the presence of S-adenosylhomocysteine, 3-deazaadenosine, and 5'-S-isobutylthio-5'-deoxyadenosine. All other inhibitors investigated, adenosine, 2'-deoxyadenosine, aciclovir, and 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine were poor inhibitors of the methylation reaction. Adenine nucleotides and vidarabin were without effect on the enzymatic activity. Based on the kinetic data glycine N-methyltransferase from rabbit liver exhibits appreciable activity at physiological S-adenosylmethionine and S-adenosylhomocysteine levels.

Gene silencing by S-adenosylmethionine in muscle differentiation

A well-characterised experimental system, the myogenin gene in C2C12 muscle cell culture, was chosen to better understand the methylation mechanism underlying the regulation of gene expression. We already demonstrated that demethylation dynamics of a specific CpG site in the 5'-flanking region of myogenin well correlates with gene expression and terminal differentiation. Here we demonstrate that S-adenosylmethionine-sulphate-p-toluenesulphonate (SAM) inhibits myogenin expression and myoblast differentiation by delaying the demethylation of specific CpG in differentiating myoblasts. These results suggest new perspectives in methylation mechanisms and the use of SAM in the partial silencing of gene expression, as it could be required in disease treatment.

Simultaneous determination of adenosine, S-adenosylhomocysteine and S-adenosylmethionine in biological samples using solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography

A sensitive and rapid method for measuring simultaneously adenosine, S-adenosylhomocysteine and S-adenosylmethionine in renal tissue, and for the analysis of adenosine and S-adenosylhomocysteine concentrations in the urine is presented. Separation and quantification of the nucleosides are performed following solid-phase extraction by reversed-phase ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography with a binary gradient system. N6-Methyladenosine is used as the internal standard. This method is characterized by an absolute recovery of over 90% of the nucleosides plus the following limits of quantification: 0.25-1.0 nmol/g wet weight for renal tissue and 0.25-0.5 microM for urine. The relative recovery (corrected for internal standard) of the three nucleosides ranges between 98.1 +/- 2.6% and 102.5 +/- 4.0% for renal tissue and urine, respectively (mean +/- S.D., n = 3). Since the adenosine content in kidney tissue increases instantly after the onset of ischemia, a stop freezing technique is mandatory to observe the tissue levels of the nucleosides under normoxic conditions. The resulting tissue contents of adenosine, S-adenosylhomocysteine and S-adenosylmethionine in normoxic rat kidney are 5.64 +/- 2.2, 0.67 +/- 0.18 and 46.2 +/- 1.9 nmol/g wet weight, respectively (mean +/- S.D., n = 6). Urine concentrations of adenosine and S-adenosylhomocysteine of man and rat are in the low microM range and are negatively correlated with urine flow-rate.

Enzyme-mediated cytosine deamination by the bacterial methyltransferase M.MspI

Most prokaryotic (cytosine-5)-DNA methyltransferases increase the frequency of deamination at the cytosine targeted for methylation in vitro in the absence of the cofactor S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) or the reaction product S-adenosylhomocysteine (AdoHcy). We show here that, under the same in vitro conditions, the prokaryotic methyltransferase, M.MspI (from Moraxella sp.), causes very few cytosine deaminations, suggesting a mechanism in which M.MspI may avoid enzyme-mediated cytosine deamination. Two analogues of AdoMet, sinefungin and 5'-amino-5'-deoxyadenosine, greatly increased the frequency of cytosine deamination mediated by M.MspI presumably by introducing a proton-donating amino group into the catalytic centre, thus facilitating the formation of an unstable enzyme-dihydrocytosine intermediate and hydrolytic deamination. Interestingly, two naturally occurring analogues, adenosine and 5'-methylthio-5'-deoxyadenosine, which do not contain a proton-donating amino group, also weakly increased the deamination frequency by M.MspI, even in the presence of AdoMet or AdoHcy. These analogues may trigger a conformational change in the enzyme without completely inhibiting the access of solvent water to the catalytic centre, thus allowing hydrolytic deamination of the enzyme-dihydrocytosine intermediate. Under normal physiological conditions the enzymes M.HpaII (from Haemophilus parainfluenzae), M. HhaI (from Haemophilus hemolytica) and M.MspI all increased the in vivo deamination frequency at the target cytosines with comparable efficiency.

Pancreatic exocrine secretion is blocked by inhibitors of methylation

A number of early experiments suggested a relationship between methyl group metabolism and the exocrine secretion of the pancreas. These included nutritional studies showing that ethionine, the ethyl analog of methionine which inhibits cellular methylation reactions, is a specific pancreatic toxin. Other studies indicated that protein carboxymethylation might be involved. We now show that in vivo ethionine inhibits amylase secretion from freshly isolated rat pancreatic acini, while in vitro ethionine inhibits amylase secretion from the AR42J pancreatic cell line. S-Adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) is a product inhibitor of all methyltransferase reactions involving S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), and treatments that elevate cellular levels of SAH such as inhibition of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase and the in vitro addition of adenosine and homocysteine result in the inhibition of amylase secretion in both isolated pancreatic acini and AR42J cells. Measurement of SAM and SAH levels in AR42J cells shows that inhibition of secretion is more closely related to elevation of SAH levels than to a decrease in the SAM/SAH ratio. Small G-proteins are carboxymethylated on the C-terminal prenylated cysteine and inhibitors of membrane-associated prenylcysteine methyltransferase, N-acetylfarnesylcysteine, N-acetylgeranylgeranylcysteine, and farnesylthioacetic acid (FTA), block secretion in AR42J cells. N-Acetylgeranylcysteine is not an inhibitor of the methyltransferase and does not inhibit amylase secretion. FTA inhibits membrane-associated prenylcysteine methyltransferase from AR42J cells with a Ki in the 45-69 microm range. These results suggest that a methylation event is needed for pancreatic exocrine secretion which may be the reversible methylation of a G-protein involved in signal transduction or membrane trafficking.