Upregulation of cytosolic branched chain aminotransferase in substantia nigra following developmental striatal target injury

Emerging Moonlighting Functions of the Branched-Chain Aminotransferase Proteins

Significance: Unique to the branched-chain aminotransferase (BCAT) proteins is their redox-active CXXC motif. Subjected to post-translational modification by reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species, these proteins have the potential to adopt numerous cellular roles, which may be fundamental to their role in oncogenesis and neurodegenerative diseases. An understanding of the interplay of the redox regulation of BCAT with important cell signaling mechanisms will identify new targets for future therapeutics. Recent Advances: The BCAT proteins have been assigned novel thiol oxidoreductase activity that can accelerate the refolding of proteins, in particular when S-glutathionylated, supporting a chaperone role for BCAT in protein folding. Other metabolic proteins were also shown to have peroxide-mediated redox associations with BCAT, indicating that the cellular function of BCAT is more diverse. Critical Issues: While the role of branched-chain amino acid metabolism and its metabolites has dominated aspects of cancer research, less is known about the role of BCAT. The importance of the CXXC motif in regulating the BCAT activity under hypoxic conditions, a characteristic of tumors, has not been addressed. Understanding how these proteins operate under various cellular redox conditions will become important, in particular with respect to their moonlighting roles. Future Directions: Advances in the quantification of thiols, their measurement, and the manipulation of metabolons that rely on redox-based interactions should accelerate the investigation of the cellular role of moonlighting proteins such as BCAT. Given the importance of cross talk between signaling pathways, research should focus more on these "housekeeping" proteins paying attention to their wider application. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 34, 1048-1067.

Alzheimer's disease: targeting the glutamatergic system

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disease that causes a progressive decline in memory, language and problem solving. For decades mechanism-based therapies have primarily focused on amyloid β (Aβ) processing and pathways that govern neurofibrillary tangle generation. With the potential exception to Aducanumab, a monotherapy to target Aβ, clinical trials in these areas have been challenging and have failed to demonstrate efficacy. Currently, the prescribed therapies for AD are those that target the cholinesterase and glutamatergic systems that can moderately reduce cognitive decline, dependent on the individual. In the brain, over 40% of neuronal synapses are glutamatergic, where the glutamate level is tightly regulated through metabolite exchange in neuronal, astrocytic and endothelial cells. In AD brain, Aβ can interrupt effective glutamate uptake by astrocytes, which evokes a cascade of events that leads to neuronal swelling, destruction of membrane integrity and ultimately cell death. Much work has focussed on the post-synaptic response with little insight into how glutamate is regulated more broadly in the brain and the influence of anaplerotic pathways that finely tune these mechanisms. The role of blood branched chain amino acids (BCAA) in regulating neurotransmitter profiles under disease conditions also warrant discussion. Here, we review the importance of the branched chain aminotransferase proteins in regulating brain glutamate and the potential consequence of dysregulated metabolism in the context of BCAA or glutamate accumulation. We explore how the reported benefits of BCAA supplementation or restriction in improving cognitive function in other neurological diseases may have potential application in AD. Given that memantine, the glutamate receptor agonist, shows clinical relevance it is now timely to research related pathways, an understanding of which could identify novel approaches to treatment of AD.

New insights into the role of the branched-chain aminotransferase proteins in the human brain

The human cytosolic branched-chain aminotransferase (hBCATc) enzyme is strategically located in glutamatergic neurons, where it is thought to provide approximately 30% of de novo nitrogen for brain glutamate synthesis. In health, glutamate plays a dominant role in facilitating learning and memory. However, in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), synaptic levels of glutamate become toxic, resulting in a direct increase in postsynaptic neuronal calcium, causing a cascade of events that contributes to the destruction of neuronal integrity and cell death, pathological features of AD. Our group is the first to map the hBCAT proteins to the human brain, where cell-specific compartmentation indicates key roles for these proteins in regulating glutamate homeostasis. Moreover, increased expression of hBCAT was observed in the brains of patients with AD relative to matched controls. We reflect on the importance of the redox-active CXXC motif, which confers novel roles for the hBCAT proteins, particularly with respect to substrate channeling and protein folding. This implies that, in addition to their role in glutamate metabolism, these proteins have additional functional roles that might impact redox cell signaling. This review discusses how these proteins behave as potential neuroprotectors during periods of oxidative stress. These findings are particularly important because an increase in misfolded proteins, linked to increased oxidative stress, occurs in several neurodegenerative conditions. Together, these studies give an overview of the diverse role that these proteins play in brain metabolism, in which a dysregulation of their expression may contribute to neurodegenerative conditions such as AD.

The branched-chain aminotransferase proteins: novel redox chaperones for protein disulfide isomerase--implications in Alzheimer's disease

AIMS

The human branched-chain aminotransferase proteins (hBCATm and hBCATc) are regulated through oxidation and S-nitrosation. However, it remains unknown whether they share common redox characteristics to enzymes such as protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) in terms of regulating cellular repair and protein misfolding.

RESULTS

Here, similar to PDI, the hBCAT proteins showed dithiol-disulfide isomerase activity that was mediated through an S-glutathionylated mechanism. Site-directed mutagenesis of the active thiols of the CXXC motif demonstrates that they are fundamental to optimal protein folding. Far Western analysis indicated that both hBCAT proteins can associate with PDI. Co-immunoprecipitation studies demonstrated that hBCATm directly binds to PDI in IMR-32 cells and the human brain. Electron and confocal microscopy validated the expression of PDI in mitochondria (using Mia40 as a mitochondrial control), where both PDI and Mia40 were found to be co-localized with hBCATm. Under conditions of oxidative stress, this interaction is decreased, suggesting that the proposed chaperone role for hBCATm may be perturbed. Moreover, immunohistochemistry studies show that PDI and hBCAT are expressed in the same neuronal and endothelial cells of the vasculature of the human brain, supporting a physiological role for this binding.

INNOVATION

This study identifies a novel redox role for hBCAT and confirms that hBCATm differentially binds to PDI under cellular stress.

CONCLUSION

These studies indicate that hBCAT may play a role in the stress response of the cell as a novel redox chaperone, which, if compromised, may result in protein misfolding, creating aggregates as a key feature in neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.

Widespread neuronal expression of branched-chain aminotransferase in the CNS: implications for leucine/glutamate metabolism and for signaling by amino acids

Transamination of the branched-chain amino acids produces glutamate and branched-chain alpha-ketoacids. The reaction is catalyzed by branched-chain aminotransferase (BCAT), of which there are cytosolic and mitochondrial isoforms (BCATc and BCATm). BCATc accounts for 70% of brain BCAT activity, and contributes at least 30% of the nitrogen required for glutamate synthesis. In previous work, we showed that BCATc is present in the processes of glutamatergic neurons and in cell bodies of GABAergic neurons in hippocampus and cerebellum. Here we show that this metabolic enzyme is expressed throughout the brain and spinal cord, with distinct differences in regional and intracellular patterns of expression. In the cerebral cortex, BCATc is present in GABAergic interneurons and in pyramidal cell axons and proximal dendrites. Axonal labeling for BCATc continues into the corpus callosum and internal capsule. BCATc is expressed by GABAergic neurons in the basal ganglia and by glutamatergic neurons in the hypothalamus, midbrain, brainstem, and dorsal root ganglia. BCATc is also expressed in hypothalamic peptidergic neurons, brainstem serotoninergic neurons, and spinal cord motor neurons. The results indicate that BCATc accumulates in neuronal cell bodies in some regions, while elsewhere it is exported to axons and nerve terminals. The enzyme is in a position to influence pools of glutamate in a variety of neuronal types. BCATc may also provide neurons with sensitivity to nutrient-derived BCAAs, which may be important in regions that control feeding behavior, such as the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, where neurons express high levels of BCATc.

Expression of cytosolic branched chain aminotransferase (BCATc) mRNA in the developing mouse brain

Branched-chain aminotransferase (BCAT) catalyzes the transamination of essential branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs: leucine, isoleucine and valine) with alpha-ketoglutarate. Through this reaction, BCAAs provide nitrogen for the synthesis of glutamate, the predominant excitatory neurotransmitter. Two BCAT isoforms have been identified: one cytosolic (BCATc) and one mitochondrial (BCATm). In adult rodents, BCATc is expressed in a wide variety of structures of the central nervous system (CNS), in neurons. So far, no data were available about the expression of BCATc in the developing CNS. Here, we analyse the expression profile of BCATc mRNA in the mouse brain from embryonic day 12.5 to adult age. BCATc mRNA gradually appears in different brain regions starting from early stages of neural development, and is maintained until adulthood. BCATc mRNA is predominantly present in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, ventral midbrain, raphe, cerebellum and precerebellar system. This study represents the first detailed analysis of BCATc mRNA expression in the developing mouse brain.

The design and synthesis of human branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase inhibitors for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases

The inhibition of the cytosolic isoenzyme BCAT that is expressed specifically in neuronal tissue is likely to be useful for the treatment of neurodegenerative and other neurological disorders where glutamatergic mechanisms are implicated. Compound 2 exhibited an IC50 of 0.8 microM in the hBCATc assays; it is an active and selective inhibitor. Inhibitor 2 also blocked calcium influx into neuronal cells following inhibition of glutamate uptake, and demonstrated neuroprotective efficacy in vivo. SAR, pharmacology, and the crystal structure of hBCATc with inhibitor 2 are described.

Branched-chain amino acids and neurotransmitter metabolism: expression of cytosolic branched-chain aminotransferase (BCATc) in the cerebellum and hippocampus

In the brain, catabolism of the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) provides nitrogen for the synthesis of glutamate and glutamine. Glutamate is formed through transfer of an amino group from BCAA to alpha-ketoglutarate in reaction catalyzed by branched-chain aminotransferases (BCAT). There are two isozymes of BCAT: cytosolic BCATc, which is found in the nervous system, ovary, and placenta, and mitochondrial BCATm, which is found in all organs except rat liver. In cell culture systems, BCATc is found only in neurons and developing oligodendrocytes, whereas BCATm is the isoform in astroglia. In this study, we used immunohistochemistry to examine the distribution of BCATc in the rat brain, focusing on the well-known neural architecture of the cerebellum and hippocampus. We show that BCATc is expressed only in neurons in the adult rat brain. In glutamatergic neurons such as granule cells of the cerebellar cortex and of the dentate gyrus, BCATc is localized to axons and nerve terminals. In contrast, in GABAergic neurons such as cerebellar Purkinje cells and hippocampal pyramidal basket cells, BCATc is concentrated in cell bodies. A common function for BCATc in these neurotransmitter systems may be to modulate amounts of glutamate available either for release as neurotransmitter or for use as precursor for synthesis of GABA. Particularly striking in our findings is the strong expression of BCATc in the mossy fiber pathway of the hippocampal formation. This result is discussed in light of the effectiveness of the anticonvulsant drug gabapentin, which is a specific inhibitor of BCATc.

Intraocular delivery of BDNF following visual cortex lesion upregulates cytosolic branched chain aminotransferase (BCATc) in the rat dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus

Visual cortex ablation in newborn rats determines the almost complete degeneration of neurons in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN), as a consequence of the axotomy of the geniculo-cortical fibres. Death of dLGN neurons is massive and rapid, and occurs by apoptosis. We recently showed that exogenous administration of the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the eye prevents the degeneration of dLGN neurons occurring after visual cortex lesion in newborn rats. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of BDNF-mediated neuroprotection, we sought to identify novel genes regulated by BDNF in the rat dLGN after visual cortex lesion. By using mRNA fingerprinting, we isolated a cDNA fragment upregulated in the dLGN of lesioned rats treated with BDNF. This cDNA fragment shared 100% homology with the rat cytosolic branched chain aminotransferase (BCATc), a key enzyme of glutamate metabolism. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization confirmed that BCATc mRNA is markedly overexpressed by exogenous supply of BDNF to axotomized dLGNs. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that upregulation of BCATc in the dLGN of lesioned rats treated with BDNF takes place in astrocytes. These results suggest that modulation of glutamate metabolism by astrocytes might play an important role in BDNF-mediated survival of axotomized dLGN neurons.

Branched-chain amino acid catabolism: unique segregation of pathway enzymes in organ systems and peripheral nerves

We have examined the localization of the first two enzymes in the branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolic pathway: the branched-chain aminotransferase (BCAT) isozymes (mitochondrial BCATm and cytosolic BCATc) and the branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase (BCKD) enzyme complex. Antibodies specific for BCATm or BCATc were used to immunolocalize the respective isozymes in cryosections of rat tissues. BCATm was expressed in secretory epithelia throughout the digestive tract, with the most intense expression in the stomach. BCATm was also strongly expressed in secretory cells of the exocrine pancreas, uterus, and testis, as well as in the transporting epithelium of convoluted tubules in kidney. In muscle, BCATm was located in myofibrils. Liver, as predicted, was not immunoreactive for BCATm. Unexpectedly, BCATc was localized in elements of the autonomic innervation of the digestive tract, as well as in axons in the sciatic nerve. The distributions of BCATc and BCATm did not overlap. BCATm-expressing cells also expressed the second enzyme of the BCAA catabolic pathway, BCKD. In selected monkey and human tissues examined by immunoblot and/or immunohistochemistry, BCATm and BCATc were distributed in patterns very similar to those found in the rat. The results show that BCATm is in a position to regulate BCAA availability as protein precursors and anabolic signals in secretory portions of the digestive and other organ systems. The unique expression of BCATc in neurons of the peripheral nervous system, without coexpression of BCKD, raises new questions about the physiological function of this BCAT isozyme.

The expression of mRNAs for the proteasome complex is developmentally regulated in the rat mesencephalon

The proteasome is a large protease complex that recognizes, unfolds and degrades ubiquitinated proteins. Evidence is now accumulating that the ubiquitin-proteasome system may play an important role in neuronal apoptosis. However, little is known about the involvement of the proteasome in neuronal death in vivo, and there has been no prior analysis of the developmental expression of proteasome subunits in brain during periods of natural and inducible apoptotic death. We therefore studied the mRNA expression levels, using Northern analysis, of a subunit from each of the three key components of the proteasome in the rat mesencephalon from E21 through development and in adulthood. We measured mRNA expression for RC6 (a subunit of 20S), p112 (a subunit of 19S) and PA28-alpha (a subunit of 11S). The expression of PA28-alpha in rat mesencephalon was highest at the earliest times studied, and then decreased at PND 21, 28 and adult, in comparison to E21 (P<0.05) and PND 2, 4 and 7 (P<0.01). The expression of RC6 was lower in adult in comparison to PND 2, 4 and 21 (P<0.05) and PND 14 (P<0.01). There were no significant differences in the mRNA levels of p112 at various times studied. In situ hybridization at PND 7 indicated that all the subunits studied are particularly abundant in the SNpc. Thus, PA28-alpha and RC6 are developmentally regulated, and they may therefore play a role in developmental cell death or differentiation in neurons of the SN.

Identification of amplified genes from SV40 large T antigen-induced rat PNET cell lines by subtractive cDNA analysis and radiation hybrid mapping

Primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs) such as human medulloblastomas are genetically heterogeneous and therefore poorly understood. In a rat model the SV40 large T antigen was used to induce neoplasms with characteristic features of PNETs. Tumor development requires a latency period of 8-11 months implicating secondary genetic alterations. To identify such secondary alterations we performed comparative analyses of two phenotypically identical PNET-derived cell lines. Indeed, these cell lines displayed distinct high-level amplification sites. Using a combination of subtractive cDNA analysis and radiation hybrid mapping we have now identified genes in the amplicon regions of the two cell lines. Interestingly, one of these genes encodes the rat homolog of a cytosolic branched chain aminotransferase (BCAT(C)) previously shown to be amplified in a mouse teratocarcinoma cell line. We propose that this simple cloning strategy may serve as a powerful tool for the isolation of genes implicated in known chromosomal aberrations in primary tumors and tumor cell lines.

Branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase activity decreases during development in skeletal muscles of sheep

The catabolism of branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) differs between sheep and monogastric animals. The transamination of BCAA seems to be affected by development of the sheep. We studied the developmental changes in the activity and expression of the BCAA aminotransferase (BCAT) isoenzymes in skeletal muscle of sheep. Five muscles were taken from fetus, newborn, preruminant and ruminant lambs. BCAT specific activity and the contribution of each BCAT isoenzyme [mitochondrial and cytosolic (BCATm and BCATc, respectively)] were quantified using radioenzymatic and immunoprecipitation assays. BCATm and BCATc mRNAs were assessed by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. BCAT specific activities were 62% (diaphragma) to 83% (longissimus dorsi) lower in the ruminant lamb than in the fetal sheep. BCATm and BCATc were both expressed in sheep skeletal muscle at all developmental stages. BCATc was mainly responsible for the developmental decrease in BCAT specific activity. BCATc specific activities were 77% (diaphragma) to 92% (longissimus dorsi) lower in the ruminant lamb than in the fetal sheep, whereas BCATm specific activities were only 36% (semimembranosus) to 56% (longissimus dorsi) lower. BCATc and BCATm mRNAs in the longissimus dorsi were not affected by development of the sheep. The developmental decrease in BCATc activity, and to a lesser extent in BCATm activity, probably involves posttranscriptional mechanisms in sheep. The present results are consistent with lower in vivo metabolism of BCAA in ruminant than in the fetal sheep.