Evaluation of the role of conserved His and Met residues among lipoxygenases by site-directed mutagenesis of recombinant human 5-lipoxygenase

Leukotrienes promote stem cell self-renewal and chemoresistance in acute myeloid leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is characterized by poor clinical outcomes due to high rates of relapse following standard-of-care induction chemotherapy. While many pathogenic drivers have been described in AML, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms mediating chemotherapy resistance remains poor. Therefore, we sought to identify resistance genes to induction therapy in AML and elucidated ALOX5 as a novel mediator of resistance to anthracycline-based therapy. ALOX5 is transcriptionally upregulated in AML patient blasts in comparison to normal hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) and ALOX5 mRNA, and protein expression is increased in response to induction therapy. In vitro, and in vivo genetic, and pharmacologic perturbation studies confirm that ALOX5 positively regulates the leukemogenic potential of AML LSCs, and its loss does not significantly affect the function of normal HSPCs. ALOX5 mediates resistance to daunorubicin (DNR) and promotes AML cell survival and maintenance through its leukotriene (LT) synthetic capacity, specifically via modulating the synthesis of LTB4 and its binding to LTB receptor (BLTR). Our study reveals a previously unrecognized role of LTs in AML pathogenesis and chemoresistance, whereby inhibition of ALOX5 mediated LTB4 synthesis and function could be combined with standard chemotherapy, to enhance the overall therapeutic efficacy in AML.

Recombinant Lipoxygenases and Hydroperoxide Lyases for the Synthesis of Green Leaf Volatiles

Green leaf volatiles (GLVs) are mainly C₆- and in rare cases also C₉-aldehydes, -alcohols, and -esters, which are released by plants in response to biotic or abiotic stresses. These compounds are named for their characteristic smell reminiscent of freshly mowed grass. This review focuses on GLVs and the two major pathway enzymes responsible for their formation: lipoxygenases (LOXs) and fatty acid hydroperoxide lyases (HPLs). LOXs catalyze the peroxidation of unsaturated fatty acids, such as linoleic and α-linolenic acids. Hydroperoxy fatty acids are further converted by HPLs into aldehydes and oxo-acids. In many industrial applications, plant extracts have been used as LOX and HPL sources. However, these processes are limited by low enzyme concentration, stability, and specificity. Alternatively, recombinant enzymes can be used as biocatalysts for GLV synthesis. The increasing number of well-characterized enzymes efficiently expressed by microbial hosts will foster the development of innovative biocatalytic processes for GLV production.

Mutation analysis of the human 5-lipoxygenase C-terminus: support for a stabilizing C-terminal loop

Lipoxygenases contain prosthetic iron, in human 5-lipoxygenase (5LO) the C-terminal isoleucine carboxylate constitutes one of five identified ligands. ATP is one of several factors determining 5LO activity. We compared properties of a series of 5LO C-terminal deletion mutants (one to six amino acid residues deleted). All mutants were enzymatically inactive (expected due to loss of iron), but expression yield (in E. coli) and affinity to ATP-agarose was markedly different. Deletion of up to four C-terminal residues was compatible with good expression and retained affinity to the ATP-column, as for wild-type 5LO. However when also the fifth residue was deleted (Asn-669) expression yield decreased and the affinity to ATP was markedly diminished. This was interpreted as a result of deranged structure and stability, due to loss of a hydrogen bond between Asn-669 and His-399. Mutagenesis of these residues supported this conclusion. In the structure of soybean lipoxygenase-1, a C-terminal loop was pointed out as important for correct orientation of the C-terminus. Accordingly, a hydrogen bond appears to stabilize such a C-terminal loop also in 5LO.

Expression of manganese lipoxygenase in Pichia pastoris and site-directed mutagenesis of putative metal ligands

Manganese lipoxygenase is secreted by the fungus Gaeumannomyces graminis. We expressed the enzyme in Pichia pastoris, which secreted approximately 30 mg Mn-lipoxygenase/L culture medium in fermentor. The recombinant lipoxygenase was N- and O-glycosylated (80-100 kDa), contained approximately 1 mol Mn/mol protein, and had similar kinetic properties (K(m) approximately 7.1 microM alpha-linolenic acid and V(max) 18 nmol/min/microg) as the native Mn-lipoxygenase. Mn-lipoxygenase could be quantitatively converted, presumably by secreted Pichia proteases, to a smaller protein (approximately 67 kDa) with retention of lipoxygenase activity (K(m) approximately 6.4 microM alpha-linolenic acid and V(max) approximately 12 nmol/min/microg). Putative manganese ligands were investigated by site-directed mutagenesis. The iron ligands of soybean lipoxygenase-1 are two His residues in the sequence HWLNTH, one His residue and a distant Asn residue in the sequence HAAVNFGQ, and the C-terminal Ile residue. The homologous sequences of Mn-lipoxygenase are H274VLFH278 and H462HVMN466QGS, respectively, and the C-terminal amino acid is Val-602. The His274Gln, His278Glu, His462Glu, and the Val-602 deletion mutants of Mn-lipoxygenase were inactive, and had lost >95% of the manganese content. His-463, Asn-466, and Gln-467 did not appear to be critical for Mn-lipoxygenase activity, as His463Gln, Asn466Gln, Asn466Leu, and Gln467Asn mutants metabolized alpha-linolenic acid to 11- and 13-hydroperoxylinolenic acids. We conclude that His-274, His-278, His-462, and Val-602 likely coordinate manganese.

Suicidal inactivation of the rabbit 15-lipoxygenase by 15S-HpETE is paralleled by covalent modification of active site peptides

Lipoxygenases (LOXs) are multifunctional enzymes that catalyze the oxygenation of polyunsaturated fatty acids to hydroperoxy derivatives; they also convert hydroperoxy fatty acids to epoxy leukotrienes and other secondary products. LOXs undergo suicidal inactivation but the mechanism of this process is still unclear. We investigated the mechanism of suicidal inactivation of the rabbit 15-lipoxygenase by [1-(14)C]-(15S,5Z,8Z,11Z,13E)-15-hydroperoxyeicosa-5,8,11,13-tetraenoic acid (15-HpETE) and observed covalent modification of the enzyme protein. In contrast, nonlipoxygenase proteins (bovine serum albumin and human gamma-globulin) were not significantly modified. Under the conditions of complete enzyme inactivation we found that 1.3 +/- 0.2 moles (n = 10) of inactivator were bound per mole lipoxygenase, and this value did depend neither on the enzyme/inactivator ratio nor on the duration of the inactivation period. Covalent modification required active enzyme protein and proceeded to a similar extent under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. In contrast, [1-(14)C]-(15S,5Z,8Z,11Z,13E)-15-hydroxyeicosa-5,8,11,13-tetraenoic acid (15-HETE), which is no substrate for epoxy-leukotriene formation, did not inactivate the enzyme and protein labeling was minimal. Separation of proteolytic cleavage peptides (Lys-C endoproteinase digestion) by tricine SDS-PAGE and isoelectric focusing in connection with N-terminal amino acid sequencing revealed covalent modification of several active site peptides. These data suggest that 15-lipoxygenase-catalyzed conversion of (15S,5Z,8Z,11Z,13E)-15-hydroperoxyeicosa-5,8,11,13-tetraenoic acid to 14,15-epoxy-leukotriene leads to the formation of reactive intermediate(s), which are covalently linked to the active site. Therefore, this protein modification contributes to suicidal inactivation.

Site-Directed Mutagenesis Studies on a Putative Fifth Iron Ligand of Mouse 8S-Lipoxygenase: Retention of Catalytic Activity on Mutation of Serine-558 to Asparagine, Histidine, or Alanine

The reported crystal structures of plant and animal lipoxygenases (LOX) show that the nonheme iron in the catalytic domain is ligated by three histidines, the C-terminal isoleucine, and in certain structures also by a fifth iron ligand, an asparagine or histidine residue. Mouse 8-LOX and its homologues (e.g., human 15-LOX-2) are unique in having a serine in place of the usual Asn or His in this fifth position. To investigate the importance of the residue in mouse 8-LOX structure-function, the serine-558 was replaced by asparagine, histidine, or alanine using oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis. Wild-type mouse 8-LOX and the mutant cDNAs were expressed in HeLa cells infected with vaccinia virus encoding T7 RNA polymerase and their relative lipoxygenase activities assessed by incubation with [14C]arachidonic acid or [14C]linoleic acid followed by HPLC analysis of the products. The Ser558Asn and Ser558His mutants had equivalent or greater activity than wild-type 8-LOX. They also exhibited some 15-LOX activity, indicating that small structural perturbations (in this case to a residue identical in mouse 8-LOX and its 15-LOX-2 homologues) can interchange the positional specificity of these closely related enzymes. Remarkably, the Ser558Ala mutant exhibited significant 8-LOX activity, indicating that this position is not an essential iron ligand in the enzyme. We conclude that mouse 8-LOX is catalytically competent with only four amino acid iron ligands, and that Ser-558 of the wild-type enzyme does not play an essential role in catalysis.

Mutagenesis and modelling of linoleate-binding to pea seed lipoxygenase

We have produced a model to define the linoleate-binding pocket of pea 9/13-lipoxygenase and have validated it by the construction and characterization of eight point mutants. Three of the mutations reduced, to varying degrees, the catalytic centre activity (kcat) of the enzyme with linoleate. In two of the mutants, reductions in turnover were associated with changes in iron-coordination. Multiple sequence alignments of recombinant plant and mammalian lipoxygenases of known positional specificity, and the results from numerous other mutagenesis and modelling studies, have been combined to discuss the possible role of the mutated residues in pea 9/13-lipoxygenase catalysis. A new nomenclature for recombinant plant lipoxygenases based on positional specificity has subsequently been proposed. The null-effect of mutating pea 9/13-lipoxygenase at the equivalent residue to that which controlled dual positional specificity in cucumber 13/9-lipoxygenase, strongly suggests that the mechanisms controlling dual positional specificity in pea 9/13-lipoxygenase and cucumber 13/9-lipoxygenase are different. This was supported from modelling of another isoform of pea lipoxygenase, pea 13/9-lipoxygenase. Dual positional specificity in pea lipoxygenases is more likely to be determined by the degree of penetration of the methyl terminus of linoleate and the volume of the linoleate-binding pocket rather than substrate orientation. A single model for positional specificity, that has proved to be inappropriate for arachidonate-binding to mammalian 5-, 12- and 15-lipoxygenases, would appear to be true also for linoleate-binding to plant 9- and 13-lipoxygenases.

The biology of 5-lipoxygenase: function, structure, and regulatory mechanisms

5-Lipoxygenase (5-LO) catalyzes the two-step conversion of arachidonic acid to leukotriene A4 (LTA4). The first step consists of the oxidation of arachidonic acid to the unstable intermediate 5-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HPETE), and the second step is the dehydration of 5-HPETE to form LTA4. These events are the first committed reactions leading to the synthesis of all leukotrienes and play a critical role in controlling leukotriene production. 5-LO has evolved many complex structural features and regulatory mechanisms to allow it to fulfill this highly specialized role. The biology of 5-LO is reviewed here with an emphasis on enzymatic function, protein and gene structure, essential cofactors, and the many regulatory mechanisms controlling its expression.

Structure and mechanism of lipoxygenases

In mammals, lipoxygenases catalyze the formation of hydroperoxides as the first step in the biosynthesis of several inflammatory mediators. The substrate of this reaction, arachidonic acid, is the key precursor of two families of potent physiological effectors. It is the branch point between two central pathways: one, involving the enzyme cyclooxygenase, leads to the synthesis of prostaglandins and thromboxanes; the other, involving lipoxygenases, leads to the synthesis of leukotrienes and lipoxins, compounds that regulate important cellular responses in inflammation and immunity. While aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compounds are potent inhibitors of cyclooxygenase, no effective pharmacological inhibitor of lipoxygenase is presently available. Lipoxygenases are large non-heme, iron-containing enzymes that use molecular oxygen for the diooxygenation of arachidonic acid to form hydroperoxides, the first step in the biosynthetic pathways leading to leukotrienes and lipoxins. Because of the importance of these compounds, lipoxygenases have been the subject of extensive study: from detailed kinetic measurements to cloning, expression, and site-directed mutagenesis. The sequences of over 50 lipoxygenases have been reported. In addition, the structure of soybean lipoxygenase-1, determined by X-ray diffraction methods, has recently been reported. The structure revealed that the 839 amino acids in the protein are organized in two domains: a beta-sheet N-terminal domain and a large, mostly helical C-terminal domain. The iron is present in the C-terminal domain facing two internal cavities that are probably the conduits through which the fatty acid and molecular oxygen gain access to the metal. Models of the mammalian lipoxygenases based on the soybean structure provide clues about the structural determinants of the positional specificity of the enzyme, and can be used as targets for the design of more effective inhibitors.

Cloning, sequencing and expression of a 5-lipoxygenase from Syrian hamster embryo fibroblasts

The hamster ortholog of human and rat 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) was cloned from a Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) cell line. A combination of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and 5' and 3' RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) was used to isolate the complete cDNA for this gene. The cDNA sequence demonstrates the extreme sequence conservation found in this gene family, with a deduced amino acid sequence 95% identical to the rat 5-LO, and 90% identical to the human enzyme. The hamster 5-LO was expressed in E. coli. The expressed protein was detected by an antibody to human 5-LO, and had an apparent molecular weight of 75-80 kD. The products of the action of this enzyme on arachidonic acid are 5-HETE and the diHETEs resulting from the breakdown of LTA4, in a pattern similar to that produced by the recombinant human 5-LO. No oxidation of linoleic acid by this enzyme was detected.

The environment of the lipoxygenase iron binding site explored with novel hydroxypyridinone iron chelators

The mechanisms of lipoxygenase inhibition by iron chelators have been investigated in human neutrophils and in isolated soybean lipoxygenase. Their Fe(III)-containing active sites have been targeted by synthesizing novel bidentate chelators from the hydroxypyridinone family sufficiently small to gain access through the hydrophobic channels of lipoxygenase. In stimulated human neutrophils, release of [3H]arachidonate-labeled eicosanoids is dependent on the lipid solubility of hydroxypyridinones, but larger hexadentate chelators have no effect on this or on total cellular leukotriene B4 production. Lipophilic hydroxypyridinones inhibit 5-lipoxygenase at equivalent concentrations to the established inhibitor, piriprost, and show additional but minor anti-phospholipase A2 activity. Soybean 15-lipoxygenase inhibition is also dependent on the lipid solubility and coordination structure of chelators. Inhibition is associated with the formation of chelate-iron complexes, which are removed by dialysis without restoration of enzyme activity. Only after adding back iron is activity restored. Electron paramagnetic resonance studies show the removal of the iron center signal (g = 6) is concomitant with formation of Fe(III)-chelator complexes, identical in spectral shape and g value to 3:1 hydroxypyridinone Fe(III) complexes. Removal of iron is not the only mechanism by which hydroxypyridinones can inhibit lipoxygenase in intact cells, however, as a lipophilic non-iron-binding hydroxypyridinone, which shows no inhibition of the soybean lipoxygenase activity, partially inhibits 5-lipoxygenase in intact neutrophils without inhibiting neutrophil phospholipase A2.

Structure conservation in lipoxygenases: structural analysis of soybean lipoxygenase-1 and modeling of human lipoxygenases

Lipoxygenases are a class of non-heme iron dioxygenases which catalyze the hydroperoxidation of fatty acids for the biosynthesis of leukotrienes and lipoxins. The structure of the 839-residue soybean lipoxygenase-1 was used as a template to model human 5-, 12-, and 15-lipoxygenases. A distance-based algorithm for placing side chains in a low homology environment (only the four iron ligands were fixed during side chain placement) was devised. Twenty-six of the 56 conserved lipoxygenase residues were grouped in four distinct regions of the enzyme. These regions were analyzed to discern whether the side chain interactions could be duplicated in the models or whether alternate conformers should be considered. The effects of site directed mutagenesis variants were rationalized using the models of the human lipoxygenases. In particular, variants which shifted positional specificity between 12- and 15-lipoxygenase activity were analyzed. Analysis of active site residues produced a model which accounts for observed lipoxygenase positional specificity and stereospecificity.

Oxidative inactivation of human 5-lipoxygenase in phosphatidylcholine vesicles

Human 5-lipoxygenase is a non-heme iron protein which possesses 5-oxygenase, leukotriene A4 synthase and pseudoperoxidase activities and which undergoes a rapid irreversible inactivation during these reactions. The inactivation of the enzyme was dependent on the structural characteristics of the substrate for the reaction, on O2 concentration and on exposure to phospholipids and calcium. The apparent first-order rate constant for enzyme inactivation (k(in)) was 0.6 min(-1) during the oxygenation of arachidonic acid in air-saturated buffer containing phosphatidylcholine vesicles and Ca2+. The rate of enzyme inactivation was dependent on the substrate for the reaction and was about threefold slower during the oxygenation of 5,8-icosadienoic acid and 12(S)-hydroxyicosatetraenoic acid compared with arachidonic acid. Lowering the 02 concentration to 60 microM during the oxygenation of arachidonic acid also caused a 2.5-fold decrease in k(in) without affecting the initial rate of the reaction resulting in an increase in both 5-hydroperoxyicosatetraenoic acid (5-HPETE) and leukotriene A4 accumulation. The concentration of 02 for half-maximal activity (initial rate and product accumulation) was approximately 10 microM. In contrast, the activity and the rate of inactivation during the leukotriene A4 synthase reaction with exogenous 5-HPETE (k(in)=2.0 min(-1) were independent of 02 concentration. A rapid inactivation of the enzyme was also observed during aerobic incubation with phosphatidylcholine vesicles and Ca2+ in the absence of substrate, with a sequential loss of the oxygenase (t1/2 = 0.5 min) and pseudoperoxidase (t1/2 = 7 min) activities. Protection against this turnover-independent inactivation was observed in the presence of the selective reversible 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor L-739,010 ([1S, 5R] 3-cyano-1-(3-furyl)-6-(6-[3-(3 alpha-hydroxy-6,8-dioxyabicyclo [3.2.11 octanyl)] pyridin-2-ylmethoxy) naphthalene) and by prior treatment of vesicles with sodium borohydride and, to a lesser extent, by glutathione peroxidase. The results show that the inactivation of 5-lipoxygenase in phospholipid vesicles is dependent on the structure of the unsaturated fatty acid substrate for the reaction, on the concentration of oxygen and on a turnover-independent oxidation at the active-site leading to the sequential loss of the oxygenase and pseudoperoxidase activities of the enzyme.

Mutations at the C-terminal isoleucine and other potential iron ligands of 5-lipoxygenase

The non-heme iron centre in human 5-lipoxygenase was studied. Recombinant enzyme was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified and assayed for iron content and enzyme activity. For non-mutated enzyme, the iron content was 1.01 +/- 0.19 mol/mol. Deletion of the C-terminal Ile673 resulted in an iron content of 0.03 +/- 0.07 mol/mol and undetectable lipoxygenase activity. Mutations at His367, Glu376 and Asn554 led to drastically decreased enzyme activity (< 2% of non-mutated control) but iron was still present. In addition to Glu376, eight other conserved acidic residues (Asp/Glu) in 5-lipoxygenase were replaced, none of which was crucial for enzyme activity. We conclude that Ile673 is an iron ligand in 5-lipoxygenase, while our results do not support that Glu376 or Asn554 have this function. The possible role of His367 as a replaceable iron ligand is discussed.

12-lipoxygenases and 12(S)-HETE: role in cancer metastasis

Arachidonic acid metabolites have been implicated in multiple steps of carcinogenesis. Their role in tumor cell metastasis, the ultimate challenge for the treatment of cancer patients, are however not well-documented. Arachidonic acid is primarily metabolized through three pathways, i.e., cyclooxygenase, lipoxygenase, and P450-dependent monooxygenase. In this review we focus our attention on one specific lipoxygenase, i.e., 12-lipoxygenase, and its potential role in modulating the metastatic process. In mammalian cells there exist three types of 12-lipoxygenases which differ in tissue distribution, preferential substrates, and profile of their metabolites. Most of these 12-lipoxygenases have been cloned and sequenced, and the molecular and biochemical determinants responsible for catalysis of specific substrates characterized. Solid tumor cells express 12-lipoxygenase mRNA, possess 12-lipoxygenase protein, and biosynthesize 12(S)-HETE [12(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid], as revealed by numerous experimental approaches. The ability of tumor cells to generate 12(S)-HETE is positively correlated to their metastatic potential. A large collection of experimental data suggest that 12(S)-HETE is a crucial intracellular signaling molecule that activates protein kinase C and mediates the biological functions of many growth factors and cytokines such as bFGF, PDGF, EGF, and AMF. 12(S)-HETE plays a pivotal role in multiple steps of the metastatic 'cascade' encompassing tumor cell-vasculature interactions, tumor cell motility, proteolysis, invasion, and angiogenesis. The fact that 12-lipoxygenase is expressed in a wide diversity of tumor cell lines and 12(S)-HETE is a key modulatory molecule in metastasis provides the rationale for targeting these molecules in anti-cancer and anti-metastasis therapeutic protocols.

5-Lipoxygenase: enzyme expression and regulation of activity

5-Lipoxygenase catalyzes the transformation of arachidonic acid to leukotriene A4. This unstable intermediate can be converted to leukotriene B4 by LTA4-hydrolase or to leukotriene C4 by LTC4-synthase. Leukotrienes are involved in host defense reactions and play an important role in inflammatory diseases like asthma, inflammatory bowel disease and arthritis. The capability to release leukotrienes is restricted to a few cell types. Under pathophysiological conditions, leukotrienes are released from granulocytes, mast cells or macrophages. During hematopoiesis the competence of these cells for leukotriene biosynthesis is supposed to be upregulated. In mature cells, 5-lipoxygenase activity is tightly regulated and seems to be under the control of additional cellular components. One cellular component, a membrane-bound peptide termed FLAP, which is necessary for 5-LO activity in intact cells has been recently identified. Inhibitors of FLAP function prevent translocation of 5-lipoxygenase from cytosol to the membrane and inhibit 5-LO activation. Thus, the understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of cellular leukotriene biosynthesis provides new concepts for the development of antiinflammatory drugs. This review focuses on the regulation of gene expression and activity of 5-lipoxygenase.

Site-directed mutagenesis studies on the iron-binding domain and the determinant for the substrate oxygenation site of porcine leukocyte arachidonate 12-lipoxygenase

cDNA for arachidonate 12-lipoxygenase of porcine leukocytes was expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant 12-lipoxygenase was purified by immunoaffinity chromatography to near homogeneity with a specific activity of about 1.5 mumol/min per mg protein. Each of eight histidine residues, which were well-conserved among various mammalian lipoxygenases and presumed as ligands for non-heme iron, was substituted with leucine by site-directed mutagenesis. Each mutant enzyme was immunoaffinity-purified to near homogeneity. Mutations of His-361, -366 and -541 caused a total loss of enzyme activity, and the iron content was much lower (0.10, 0.06 and 0.06 g atom/mol protein) than that of the wild-type enzyme (0.53). Mutations of His-128 and -356 gave 159% and 162% specific activity of the wild-type enzyme, and the iron contents were 0.55 and 0.52 g atom/mol protein. Substitution of His-426 decreased the activity to 5%, but the iron content was 0.4 g atom/mol protein. The expression level of mutants at His-384 and -393 was too low to precisely determine the iron content. Taken together, His-361, -366 and -541 may play important roles for iron-binding in catalytically active 12-lipoxygenase. Since a high homology of amino acid sequence was known between porcine leukocyte 12-lipoxygenase and mammalian 15-lipoxygenases, we attempted to convert the 12-lipoxygenase to a 15-lipoxygenase. A double mutation of Val-418 and -419 to Ile and Met increased the ratio of 15- and 12-lipoxygenase activities from 0.1 to 5.7.

Characterization of the non-heme iron center of human 5-lipoxygenase by electron paramagnetic resonance, fluorescence, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy: redox cycling between ferrous and ferric states

Purified human 5-lipoxygenase, a non-heme iron containing enzyme, has been characterized by electron paramagnetic resonance, (EPR), ultraviolet (UV)-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy. As isolated, the enzyme is largely in the ferrous state and shows a weak X-band EPR signal extending from 0 to 700 G at 15 K, tentatively ascribed to integer spin Fe(II). Titration of the protein with 13-HPOD (13-hydroperoxyoctadecadienoic acid) generates a strong multicomponent EPR signal in the g' approximately 6 region, a yellow color associated with an increased absorption between 310 and 450 nm (epsilon 330nm = 2400 M-1 cm-1), and a 17% decrease in the intrinsic protein fluorescence. The multiple component nature of the g' approximately 6 signal indicates that the metal center in its oxidized state exists in more than one but related forms. The g' approximately 6 EPR signal and the yellow color reach a maximum when approximately 1 mol of 13-HPOD is added/mol of iron; the resultant EPR spectrum accounts quantitatively for all of the iron in the protein with a signal at g' = 4.3 representing less than 3% of the total iron in the majority of samples. Addition of a hydroxyurea reducing agent abolished the g' approximately 6 signal and yellow color of the protein and also reversed the decrease in fluorescence caused by the oxidant 13-HPOD. The results indicate that the g' approximately 6 EPR signal, the yellow color, and the decreased fluorescence are associated with the formation of the Fe(III) form of the enzyme.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Crystallographic determination of the active site iron and its ligands in soybean lipoxygenase L-1

Five ligands of the active site iron atom in soybean lipoxygenase L-1 have been identified from the electron density map of the crystallized enzyme. The position of the iron atom can be readily and independently located from an anomalous difference electron density map. The ligands identified are His-499, His-504, His-690, Asn-694, and Ile-839, the carboxy-terminal residue. Our previous view that these three histidines are essential for activity and binding of iron, based on site-specific mutation studies, is confirmed. A sixth protein ligand is not present, and the sixth coordination site opens into a wide cleft. The structure of the soybean lipoxygenase was solved by multiple anomalous isomorphous replacements.

The three-dimensional structure of an arachidonic acid 15-lipoxygenase

In mammals, the hydroperoxidation of arachidonic acid by lipoxygenases leads to the formation of leukotrienes and lipoxins, compounds that mediate inflammatory responses. Lipoxygenases are dioxygenases that contain a nonheme iron and are present in many animal cells. Soybean lipoxygenase-1 is a single-chain, 839-residue protein closely related to mammalian lipoxygenases. The structure of soybean lipoxygenase-1 solved to 2.6 angstrom resolution shows that the enzyme has two domains: a 146-residue beta barrel and a 693-residue helical bundle. The iron atom is in the center of the larger domain and is coordinated by three histidines and the COO- of the carboxyl terminus. The coordination geometry is nonregular and appears to be a distorted octahedron in which two adjacent positions are not occupied by ligands. Two cavities, in the shapes of a bent cylinder and a frustum, connect the unoccupied positions to the surface of the enzyme. The iron, with two adjacent and unoccupied positions, is poised to interact with the 1,4-diene system of the substrate and with molecular oxygen during catalysis.

Investigation of the mechanism of non-turnover-dependent inactivation of purified human 5-lipoxygenase. Inactivation by H2O2 and inhibition by metal ions

Human 5-lipoxygenase is a non-heme iron protein which is reported to be highly unstable in the presence of oxygen. The results of this investigation demonstrate that H2O2 generated during air oxidation of thiols is the main factor in non-turnover-dependent inactivation of purified recombinant human 5-lipoxygenase for the following reasons: catalase protects against oxygen-dependent inactivation of the enzyme in the presence of dithiothreitol; the active, stable enzyme can be prepared under aerobic conditions with the exclusion of dithiothreitol and contaminating metal ions; 10 microM H2O2 causes the rapid inactivation of the enzyme. The native (ferrous) enzyme is approximately seven times more sensitive to inactivation by H2O2 than the ferric enzyme, suggesting that the mechanism of inactivation involves a Fenton-type reaction of the ferrous enzyme with H2O2, resulting in the formation of an activated oxygen species. Purification of 5-lipoxygenase under aerobic conditions (no dithiothreitol) results in an increase in both the specific activity of the purified protein [up to 70 mumol 5(S)-hydroperoxy-6-trans-8, 11, 14-cis-icosatetraenoic acid (5-HPETE)/mg protein] and in the ratio of specific activity to enzyme iron content compared to enzyme purified under anaerobic conditions in the presence of dithiothreitol. The reaction of the highly active 5-lipoxygenase enzyme shows a dependence on physiological intracellular calcium concentrations, half-maximal product formation being obtained at 0.9 microM free Ca2+. The maximal enzyme activity is also dependent on EDTA and dithiothreitol and low amounts of carrier protein, as well as the known activators PtdCho and ATP. Ca2+ can be substituted by Mn2+, Ba2+ and Sr2+, although lower levels of stimulation are obtained. 5-Lipoxygenase is strongly inhibited by low concentrations (< or = 10 microM) of Zn2+ and Cu2+. The inhibition by Cu2+ is apparently irreversible, whereas that by Zn2+ is slowly reversed (t1/2 = 2 min) in the presence of excess EDTA. These observations on the mechanism of non-turnover-dependent inactivation of 5-lipoxygenase, and the optimisation of assay conditions, have facilitated the purification of large quantities of relatively stable enzyme that will be useful for further kinetic and physical studies.

The characterization of 5 histidine-serine mutants of human 5-lipoxygenase

The physical and catalytic properties of 5 histidine-serine mutants of human 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) have been characterized. The mutants HS363, HS391 and HS400 have activities, pH optima and stabilities similar to those of the wild type enzyme. The iron content of each of these mutants is 0.30-0.53 mol Fe/mol 5-LO which is within the range observed for the wild type enzyme. HS368 contains iron (0.15 and 0.43 mol Fe/mol 5-LO in 2 preparations) but has no detectable oxygenase, leukotriene A4 synthase or anaerobic arachidonate-dependent hydroperoxidase activities. HS368 does have significant reducing agent-dependent hydroperoxidase activity suggesting that His-368 may not be an iron ligand but rather may be involved in interactions with arachidonic acid or the formation of the arachidonyl radical intermediate. HS373 contains no iron and has no detectable activities.

Identification of the iron-binding histidine residues in soybean lipoxygenase L-1

Lipoxygenases constitute a class of non-heme, non-sulfur iron dioxygenases acting upon lipids possessing a 1,4-cis-cis-pentadiene moiety. The iron is known to be essential for activity. A motif of six histidine residues has been found in all of the thirteen lipoxygenases, from both plant and animal sources, whose sequences have been reported. We had previously obtained mutant proteins in which each of the 6 conserved histidines of soybean lipoxygenase L-1 had been replaced and found that the mutants H499Q, H504Q (or H504S) and H690Q had no detectable enzymatic activity. We have now found that these inactive proteins contain no Fe, although they have the same electrophoretic mobility as wild-type L-1 under both denaturing and non-denaturing conditions and react with anti-L-1 antibodies.

X-ray absorption spectroscopy of soybean lipoxygenase-1. Influence of lipid hydroperoxide activation and lyophilization on the structure of the non-heme iron active site

X-ray absorption spectra at the Fe K-edge of the non-heme iron site in Fe(II) as well as Fe(III) soybean lipoxygenase-1, in frozen solution or lyophilized, are presented; the latter spectra were obtained by incubation of the Fe(II) enzyme with its product hydroperoxide. An edge shift of about 2-3 eV to higher energy occurs upon oxidation of the Fe(II) enzyme to the Fe(III) species, corresponding to the valence change. The extended X-ray absorption fine structure shows clear differences in active-site structure as a result of this conversion. Curve-fitting on the new data of the Fe(II) enzyme, using the EXCURV88 program, leads to a coordination sphere that is in agreement with the active-site structure proposed earlier (6 +/- 1 N/O ligands at 0.205-0.209 nm with a maximum variance of 0.009 nm, including 4 +/- 1 imidazole ligands) [Navaratnam, S., Feiters, M. C., Al-Hakim, M., Allen, J. C., Veldink, G. A. and Vliegenthart, J. F. G. (1988) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 956, 70-76], while for the Fe(III) enzyme a shortening in ligand distances occurs (6 +/- 1 N/O ligands at 0.200-0.203 nm with maximum variance of 0.008 nm) and one imidazole is replaced by an oxygen ligand of unknown origin. Lyophilization does not lead to any apparent differences in the iron coordination of either species and gives a much better signal/noise ratio, allowing analysis of a larger range of data.

Conserved histidine residues in soybean lipoxygenase: functional consequences of their replacement

Sequences of 13 lipoxygenases from various plant and mammalian species, thus far reported, display a motif of 38 amino acid residues which includes 5 conserved histidines and a 6th histidine about 160 residues downstream. These residues occur at positions 494, 499, 504, 522, 531, and 690 in soybean lipoxygenase isozyme L-1. Since the participation of iron in the lipoxygenase reaction has been established and existing evidence based on Mössbauer and EXAFS spectroscopy suggests that histidines may be involved in iron binding, the effect of the above residues has been examined in soybean lipoxygenase L-1. Six singly mutated lipoxygenases have been produced in which each of the His residues has been replaced with glutamine. Two additional mutants have been constructed wherein the codons for His-494 and His-504 have been replaced by serine codons. All of the mutant lipoxygenases, which were obtained by expression in Escherichia coli, have mobilities identical to that of the wild-type enzyme on denaturing gel electrophoresis and respond to lipoxygenase antibodies. The mutated proteins H499Q, H504Q, H504S, and H690Q are virtually inactive, while H522Q has about 1% of the wild-type activity. H494Q, H494S, and H531Q are about 37%, 8%, and 20% as active as the wild type, respectively. His-517 is conserved in the several lipoxygenase isozymes but not in the animal isozymes. The mutant H517Q has about 33% of the wild-type activity. The inactive mutants, H499Q, H504Q, H504S, and H690Q, become insoluble when heated for 3 min at 65 degrees C, as does H522Q. The other mutants and the wild-type are stable under these conditions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Characterization of monoclonal antibodies against human leukocyte 5-lipoxygenase

Four mouse monoclonal IgG1 antibody-producing cell lines (5LO-1, 5LO-2, 5LO-3, 5LO-4), produced against highly purified human leukocyte 5-lipoxygenase have been characterized. The monoclonal antibodies produced by these cell lines exhibited differential reactivity against 5-lipoxygenase as determined by ELISA and immunoprecipitation analyses. Monoclonal antibodies 5LO-2 and 5LO-3 inhibited the activity of recombinant human leukocyte 5-lipoxygenase in a dose-dependent manner. This inhibition was selective for 5-lipoxygenase activity since these monoclonal antibodies did not inhibit human leukocyte 15-lipoxygenase or porcine leukocyte 12-lipoxygenase.

Mutagenesis studies on the amino acid residues involved in the iron-binding and the activity of human 5-lipoxygenase

Human 5-lipoxygenase contains a non-heme iron essential for its activity. In order to determine which amino acid residues are involved in the iron-binding and the lipoxygenase activity, nine amino acid residues in highly homologous regions among the lipoxygenases were individually replaced by means of site-directed mutagenesis. Mutant 5-lipoxygenases in which His-367 or His-550 was replaced by either Asn or Ala, His-372 by either Asn or Ser, or Glu-376 by Gln were completely devoid of the activity. Though mutants containing an alanine residue instead of His-390 or His-399 lacked the activity, the corresponding asparagine substituted mutants exhibited. The other mutants retained the enzyme activity. These results strongly suggest that His-367, His-372, His-550 and Glu-376 are crucial for 5-lipoxygenase activity and coordinate to the essential iron.