Mechanism of inhibition of aldehyde dehydrogenase by cyclopropranone hydrate and the mushroom toxin coprine

The ΔSCF method for non-adiabatic dynamics of systems in the liquid phase

Computational studies of ultrafast photoinduced processes give valuable insights into the photochemical mechanisms of a broad range of compounds. In order to accurately reproduce, interpret, and predict experimental results, which are typically obtained in a condensed phase, it is indispensable to include the condensed phase environment in the computational model. However, most studies are still performed in vacuum due to the high computational cost of state-of-the-art non-adiabatic molecular dynamics (NAMD) simulations. The quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) solvation method has been a popular model to perform photodynamics in the liquid phase. Nevertheless, the currently used QM/MM embedding techniques cannot sufficiently capture all solute-solvent interactions. In this Perspective, we will discuss the efficient ΔSCF electronic structure method and its applications with respect to the NAMD of solvated compounds, with a particular focus on explicit quantum mechanical solvation. As more research is required for this method to reach its full potential, some challenges and possible directions for future research are presented as well.

Non-peptide secondary metabolites from poisonous mushrooms: overview of chemistry, bioactivity, and biosynthesis

Covering: up to June 2021A wide variety of mushrooms have traditionally been recognized as edible fungi with high nutritional value and low calories, and abundantly produce structurally diverse and bioactive secondary metabolites. However, accidental ingestion of poisonous mushrooms can result in serious illnesses and even death. Chemically, mushroom poisoning is associated with secondary metabolites produced in poisonous mushrooms, causing specific toxicity. However, many poisonous mushrooms have not been fully investigated for their secondary metabolites, and the secondary metabolites of poisonous mushrooms have not been systematically summarized for details such as chemical composition and biosynthetic mechanisms. The isolation and identification of secondary metabolites from poisonous mushrooms have great research value since these compounds could be lethal toxins that contribute to the toxicity of mushrooms or could provide lead compounds with remarkable biological activities that can promote advances in other related disciplines, such as biochemistry and pharmacology. In this review, we summarize the structures and biological activities of secondary metabolites identified from poisonous mushrooms and provide an overview of the current information on these metabolites, focusing on their chemistry, bioactivity, and biosynthesis.

The photodissociation of solvated cyclopropanone and its hydrate explored via non-adiabatic molecular dynamics using ΔSCF

The decay of cyclopropanone is a typical example of a photodecomposition process. Ethylene and carbon monoxide are formed following the excitation to the first singlet excited state through a symmetrical or asymmetrical pathway. The results obtained with non-adiabatic molecular dynamics (NAMD) using the delta self-consistent field (ΔSCF) method correspond well to previous experimental and multireference theoretical studies carried out in the gas phase. Moreover, this efficient methodology allows NAMD simulations of cyclopropanone in aqueous solution to be performed, which reveal analogue deactivation mechanisms, but a shorter lifetime and reduced photodissociation as compared to the gas-phase. The excited state dynamics of cyclopropanone hydrate, an enzyme inhibitor, in an aqueous environment are reported as well. Cyclopropanone hydrate strongly interacts with the surrounding solvent via the formation of hydrogen bonds. Excitation to the first singlet excited state shows an asymmetric pathway with cyclopropanone hydrate and propionic acid as the main photoproducts.

The lifetime and photodissociation of cyclopropanone are reduced in aqueous solution, while the excitation of solvated cyclopropanone hydrate yields a range of photoproducts.

Mushroom Toxins: Chemistry and Toxicology

Mushroom consumption is a global tradition that is still gaining popularity. However, foraging for wild mushrooms and accidental ingestion of toxic mushrooms can result in serious illness and even death. The early diagnosis and treatment of mushroom poisoning are quite difficult, as the symptoms are similar to those caused by common diseases. Chemically, mushroom poisoning is related to very powerful toxins, suggesting that the isolation and identification of toxins have great research value, especially in determining the lethal components of toxic mushrooms. In contrast, most of these toxins have remarkable physiological properties that could promote advances in chemistry, biochemistry, physiology, and pharmacology. Although more than 100 toxins have been elucidated, there are a number of lethal mushrooms that have not been fully investigated. This review provides information on the chemistry (including chemical structures, total synthesis, and biosynthesis) and the toxicology of these toxins, hoping to inspire further research in this area.

Chemical ecology of fungi

Fungi are widespread in nature and have conquered nearly every ecological niche. Fungi occur not only in terrestrial but also in freshwater and marine environments. Moreover, fungi are known as a rich source of secondary metabolites. Despite these facts, the ecological role of many of these metabolites is still unknown and the chemical ecology of fungi has not been investigated systematically so far. This review intends to present examples of the various chemical interactions of fungi with other fungi, plants, bacteria and animals and to give an overview of the current knowledge of fungal chemical ecology.

An overview of phenylcyclopropylamine derivatives: biochemical and biological significance and recent developments

trans-2-Phencylcyclopropylamine (2-PCPA), a potent, clinically used antidepressant, affects monoamine neurotransmitter levels by inhibiting the main metabolizing enzymes, monoamine oxidases (MAOs). However, the antidepressant action of this compound was not fully explained by its effects on MAOs due to its wide variety of biological effects. 2-PCPA also affects depression-associated pathophysiological pathways, and linked with increased levels of trace amines in brain, upregulation of GABAB receptors (where GABA is gamma amino butyric acid), modulation of phospholipid metabolism, and interference with various cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. Consequently, despite its adverse effects and limited clinical applicability, 2-PCPA has attracted interest as a structural scaffold for the development of mechanism-based inhibitors of various enzymes, including lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1), which is a possible target for cancer chemotherapy. In the recent years, many reports have appeared in the literature based on 2-PCPA scaffold and their potential medicinal implications. This review mainly focuses on the medicinal chemistry aspects including drug design, structure-activity relationships (SAR), biological and biochemical properties, and mechanism of actions of 2-PCPA and its derivatives. Furthermore, we also highlight recent advance in this area and discuss their future applications for beneficial therapeutic effects.

Aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitors from the mushroom Clitocybe clavipes

Five fatty acid derivatives including three novel compounds were isolated from the mushroom Clitocybe clavipe. Their structures were elucidated by spectral analyses. These compounds inhibited aldehyde dehydrogenase in vitro.

Formation of cyclopropanone during cytochrome P450-catalyzed N-dealkylation of a cyclopropylamine

The role of single electron transfer (SET) in P450-catalyzed N-dealkylation reactions has been studied using the probe substrates N-cyclopropyl-N-methylaniline (2a) and N-(1'-methylcyclopropyl)-N-methylaniline (2b). In earlier work, we showed that SET oxidation of 2a by horseadish peroxidase leads exclusively to products arising via fragmentation of the cyclopropane ring [Shaffer, C. L.; Morton, M. D.; Hanzlik, R. P. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 8502-8508]. In the present study, we found that liver microsomes from phenobarbital pretreated rats (which contain CYP2B1 as the predominant isozyme) oxidize [1'-(13)C, 1'-(14)C]-2a efficiently (80% consumption in 90 min). Disappearance of 2a follows first-order kinetics throughout, indicating a lack of P450 inactivation by 2a. HPLC examination of incubation mixtures revealed three UV-absorbing metabolites: N-methylaniline (4), N-cyclopropylaniline (6a), and a metabolite (M1) tentatively identified as p-hydroxy-2a, in a 2:5:2 mole ratio, respectively. 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazine trapping indicated formation of formaldehyde equimolar with 6a; 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde and acrolein were not detected. Examination of incubations of 2a by (13)C NMR revealed four (13)C-enriched signals, three of which were identified by comparison to authentic standards as N-cyclopropylaniline (6a, 33.6 ppm), cyclopropanone hydrate (11, 79.2 ppm), and propionic acid (12, 179.9 ppm); the fourth signal (42.2 ppm) was tentatively determined to be p-hydroxy-2a. Incubation of 2a with purified reconstituted CYP2B1 also afforded 4, 6a, and M1 in a 2:5:2 mole ratio (by HPLC), indicating that all metabolites are formed at a single active site. Incubation of 2b with PB microsomes resulted in p-hydroxylation and N-demethylation only; no loss or ring-opening of the cyclopropyl group occurred. These results effectively rule out the participation of a SET mechanism in the P450-catalyzed N-dealkylation of cyclopropylamines 2a and 2b, and argue strongly for the N-dealkylation of 2a via a carbinolamine intermediate formed by a conventional C-hydroxylation mechanism.

N-dealkylation of an N-cyclopropylamine by horseradish peroxidase. Fate of the cyclopropyl group

Cyclopropylamines inactivate cytochrome P450 enzymes which catalyze their oxidative N-dealkylation. A key intermediate in both processes is postulated to be a highly reactive aminium cation radical formed by single electron transfer (SET) oxidation of the nitrogen center, but direct evidence for this has remained elusive. To address this deficiency and identify the fate of the cyclopropyl group lost upon N-dealkylation, we have investigated the oxidation of N-cyclopropyl-N-methylaniline (3) by horseradish peroxidase, a well-known SET enzyme. For comparison, similar studies were carried out in parallel with N-isopropyl-N-methylaniline (9) and N,N-dimethylaniline (8). Under standard peroxidatic conditions (HRP, H(2)O(2), air), HRP oxidizes 8 completely to N-methylaniline (4) plus formaldehyde within 15-30 min, whereas 9 is oxidized more slowly (<10% in 60 min) to produce only N-isopropylaniline (10) and formaldehyde (acetone and 4 are not formed). In contrast to results with 9, oxidation of 3 is complete in <60 min and affords 4 (20% yield) plus traces of aniline. By using [1'-(14)C]-3, [1'-(13)C]-3, and [2',3'-(13)C]-3 as substrates, radiochemical and NMR analyses of incubation mixtures revealed that the complete oxidation of 3 by HRP yields 4 (0.2 mol), beta-hydroxypropionic acid (17, 0.2 mol), and N-methylquinolinium (16, 0.8 mol). In buffer purged with pure O(2), the complete oxidation of 3 yields 4 (0.7 mol), 17 (0.7 mol), and 16 (0.3 mol), while under anaerobic conditions, 16 is formed quantitatively from 3. These results indicate that the aminium ion formed by SET oxidation of 3 undergoes cyclopropyl ring fragmentation exclusively to generate a distonic cation radical (14+*) which then partitions between unimolecular cyclization (leading, after further oxidation, to 16) and bimolecular reaction with dissolved oxygen (leading to 4 and 17 in a 1:1 ratio). Neither beta-hydroxypropionaldehyde, acrolein, nor cyclopropanone hydrate are formed as SET metabolites of 3. The synthetic and analytical methods developed in the course of these studies should facilitate the application of cyclopropylamine-containing probes to reactions catalyzed by cytochrome P450 enzymes.

Inhibition of aldehyde dehydrogenase by disulfiram and its metabolite methyl diethylthiocarbamoyl-sulfoxide

Disulfiram (DSF) is presently the only available drug used in the aversion therapy of recovering alcoholics. It acts by inhibiting aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), leading to high blood levels of acetaldehyde. The in vitro inhibition of ALDH by DSF and its metabolites was systematically studied by combined enzyme inhibition assay with direct molecular weight determination of the same sample using electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Enzyme activity was measured after incubating yeast ALDH (yALDH) with excess concentrations of DSF, methyl diethyldithiocarbamate (MeDDC) and methyl diethylthiocarbamoyl-sulfoxide (MeDTC-SO) and then subjected to analysis by ESI-MS. Addition of DSF resulted in complete enzyme inhibition; however, ESI-MS analysis demonstrated no discernible shift in molecular weight, indicating that no intermolecular adduct was formed with the protein. Treatment of yALDH with MeDTC-SO also completely abolished yALDH activity with a concomitant increase of + approximately 100 Da in the molecular mass of the enzyme. This indicated formation of a covalent carbamoyl protein adduct. Furthermore, the effects of dithiothreitol (DTT) were examined on samples of inhibited protein in vitro. At pH 7.5, DTT completely reversed inhibition after DSF treatment. yALDH inhibited by MeDTC-SO could not be recovered by DTT at pH 7.5, but at pH 9 the enzymic activity was fully restored and a mass loss of approximately 100 Da was noted. This observations are consistent with mechanisms where inhibition of yALDH by DSF in vitro involves oxidation of the active site, whereas MeDTC-SO forms a covalent adduct with the protein in vitro resulting in cessation of enzyme activity.

Inhibition of rat hepatic mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase isozymes by repeated cyanamide administration: pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationships

The inhibition of rat hepatic mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) isozymes was studied in apparent steady-state conditions after repeated intra-peritoneal cyanamide administration. The low-Km mitochondrial ALDH isozyme was more susceptible to cyanamide-induced inhibition (DI50 = 0.104 mg kg-1) than the high-Km isozyme (DI50 = 8.52 mg kg-1), with almost complete inhibition occurring at 0.35 mg kg-1 total cyanamide administered for the low-Km isozyme. The relationships between plasma and liver cyanamide concentrations and the inhibition of high-Km ALDH were established by means of the sigmoid Imax model. The effect of dosing rate on the plasma concentration of cyanamide at apparent steady-state showed non-linearity, indicating that clearance or first-pass metabolism of cyanamide during its absorption after intraperitoneal administration did not remain constant throughout the range of doses studied.

Inactivation of low-Km rat liver mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase by cyanamide in vitro. A catalase-mediated reaction

The inactivation of the affinity chromatography purified low-Km rat liver mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)--free of catalase activity--by the alcohol sensitizing agent cyanamide was studied in vitro. This ALDH-purified preparation was not susceptible to cyanamide inactivation at concentrations up to 2.5 mM. On the other hand, ALDH activity appears to be irreversibly inhibited when the incubation mixture contained ALDH, catalase, NAD+ and cyanamide. Influence of catalase, NAD+ and cyanamide concentrations in the incubation mixtures on the ALDH activity were also established. The time course of the concentration of cyanamide in an incubation mixture when ALDH activity was inhibited by cyanamide in the presence of catalase and NAD+, was evaluated by HPLC. No disappearance of cyanamide was observed for a period of time up to 24 hr. This result suggests that no metabolic conversion of cyanamide to an active inhibitory form takes place, as has been suggested recently.

Ability of 1-methyltetrazole-5-thiol with microsomal activation to inhibit aldehyde dehydrogenase

Antibiotics that contain the 1-methyltetrazole-5-thiol (MTT) leaving group are associated with an adverse effect when alcohol is ingested after their administration. Therefore, the ability of MTT to inhibit an enzyme in alcohol metabolism, aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), was examined. In the absence of microsomes, MTT did not inhibit ALDH obtained from either yeast or rat liver. In the presence of rat hepatic microsomes, MTT was able to inhibit the enzyme from both sources. The characteristics of the inhibition were studied, using the yeast enzyme, and found to be dependent upon the length of incubation with the hepatic microsomes and upon the concentration of MTT. Inhibition required the presence of NADH and was not detected if the microsomes were heat treated. Dilution did not reverse the inhibition. Intact antibiotics which contain the MTT moiety did not cause an inhibition of yeast ALDH unless the antibiotics were first treated with potassium hydroxide and then incubated with microsomes. Inhibition of ALDH activity measured in the mitochondrial plus microsomal fractions of rat liver also required NADH and was prevented by glutathione and heat treatment of the microsomes. These results indicate that microsomal activation of MTT is necessary for inhibition of aldehyde dehydrogenase. The behavior of MTT described here may explain the adverse effect observed if alcohol is ingested following administration of MTT-containing antibiotics.

Inhibition of endogenous peroxidase for the immunocytochemical demonstration of intermediate filament proteins (IFP)

The necessity for minimally fixed and processed cell and tissue preparations for immunocytochemical studies of sensitive antigens such as lymphocyte surface markers is well recognised. In order to avoid methanol and hydrogen peroxide, which have been shown to be deleterious for certain antigens, various compounds have been proposed for blocking endogenous peroxidase activity (EPA) in tissue preparations which are to be used in immunoperoxidase reactions. In the present study the deleterious effect of methanol/H2O2 on intermediate filament proteins was demonstrated in both frozen sections and paraffin-embedded tissue. The use of alternative reagents for the non-deleterious blocking of EPA is recommended for immunocytochemical staining with antibodies against intermediate filaments.

Variation of transition-state structure as a function of the nucleotide in reactions catalyzed by dehydrogenases. 1. Liver alcohol dehydrogenase with benzyl alcohol and yeast aldehyde dehydrogenase with benzaldehyde

Primary intrinsic deuterium and 13C isotope effects have been determined for liver (LADH) and yeast (YADH) alcohol dehydrogenases with benzyl alcohol as substrate and for yeast aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) with benzaldehyde as substrate. These values have also been determined for LADH as a function of changing nucleotide substrate. As the redox potential of the nucleotide changes from -0.320 V with NAD to -0.258 V with acetylpyridine-NAD, the product of primary and secondary deuterium isotope effects rises from 4 toward 6.5, while the primary 13C isotope effect drops from 1.025 to 1.012, suggesting a trend from a late transition state with NAD to one that is more symmetrical. The values of Dk (again the product of primary and secondary isotope effects) and 13k for YADH with NAD are 7 and 1.023, suggesting for this very slow reaction a more stretched, and thus symmetrical, transition state. With ALDH and NAD, the primary 13C isotope effect on the hydride transfer step lies in the range 1.3-1.6%, and the alpha-secondary deuterium isotope effect on the same step is at least 1.22, but 13C isotope effects on formation of the thiohemiacetal intermediate and on the addition of water to the thio ester intermediate are less than 1%. On the basis of the relatively large 13C isotope effects, we conclude that carbon motion is involved in the hydride transfer steps of dehydrogenase reactions.

Inactivation of quinoprotein alcohol dehydrogenases with cyclopropane-derived suicide substrates

Quinoprotein alcohol dehydrogenases can be inactivated by cyclopropanol, cyclopropanone hydrate, and, depending on whether they can oxidize secondary alcohols, also by cyclopropanone ethyl hemiketal. Only enzyme molecules containing the oxidized coenzyme (PQQ), but not those with the coenzyme in the semiquinone form (PQQH), become inactivated with these compounds. The inactivation process proceeds without proton production or electron acceptor consumption and free radical is not observed in the inactivated enzyme. It could be demonstrated that a stoichiometric relationship exists between enzyme inactivation, PQQ converted, PQQ adduct formed, and cyclopropanol added. Thus the dimeric and monomeric enzyme become fully inactivated with two and one molecule of cyclopropanol, respectively, indicating that the dimeric enzyme contains two independently acting catalytic sites. Inactivation of the enzyme by cyclopropanol and cyclopropanone hydrate produces chromatographically different PQQ adducts. Since cyclopropanemethanol, cyclobutanol and cyclohexanol are not suicide substrates, the inactivation presumably proceeds via a ring opening such as proposed for the metal-ion-catalysed degradation of cyclopropane derivatives. The results are in accordance with our view on the reaction mechanism of these enzymes but not with that of others [Mincey et al. (1981) Biochemistry 20, 7502-7509]. The reasons why their model has to be refuted are discussed.

Studies in vitro on the inactivation of mitochondrial rat-liver aldehyde dehydrogenase by the alcohol-sensitizing compounds cyanamide, 1-aminocyclopropanol and disulfiram

The inhibition of the low-Km, rat-liver mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) by the alcohol-sensitizing agents cyanamide, 1-aminocyclopropanol (ACP) and disulfiram was studied in vitro. All three compounds caused a progressive decline in the enzyme activity. Restoration of activity could not be achieved by gel-filtration, dilution or by the addition of excess thiol. High concentrations of acetaldehyde partly restored the activity of the cyanamide-inactivated enzyme but had no effects on the disulfiram- or ACP-inactivated enzyme. In the presence of saturating concentrations of the coenzyme (NAD+), the inactivation process followed first-order kinetics at fixed concentrations of the inhibitors. Plots of the apparent first-order rate constants against inhibitor concentration were curved, suggesting the formation of saturable, reversible holoenzyme-inhibitor complexes prior to the covalent reactions. In the absence of NAD+, the rate of inactivation by disulfiram was biphasic and considerably higher than that in the presence of NAD+. In contrast, no inactivation was obtained with cyanamide in the absence of NAD+. Likewise, the presence of NAD+ greatly promoted the inactivation by ACP. The esterase activity of the enzyme was also affected by the inhibitors, although to a lesser extent than was the dehydrogenase activity. The results obtained suggest that all three inhibitors inactivate the enzyme through covalent reactions with the thiol groups at the active site. It is proposed that binding of NAD+ limits access of disulfiram to the thiols at the active site but provides a situation that favours an electrophilic attack of cyanamide and ACP on the thiol groups.

Metabolic activation of cyanamide to an inhibitor of aldehyde dehydrogenase in vitro

The inhibition of aldehyde dehydrogenase (AIDH) by cyanamide is dependent on the conversion of the latter to an active metabolite. This accounts for the in vivo activity of cyanamide in raising ethanol-derived blood acetaldehyde levels to the mM range in the rat (ED50 for cyanamide = 0.11 mmole/kg) and its lack of inhibitory activity in vitro with purified AIDH enzymes. Liver mitochondria were shown to catalyze this activation. The Low Km mitochondrial AIDH isozyme was strongly inhibited by cyanamide when measured in intact rat liver mitochondria (I50 = 2.0 microM). Cyanamide also inhibited yeast AIDH when incubated in the presence, but not in the absence, of rat liver mitochondria (I50 = 7.8 microM). Using yeast AIDH activity as a measure of cyanamide activation, the subcellular distribution of the cyanamide-activating system was assessed. Microsomes plus an NADPH generating system were equally active as mitochondria in activating cyanamide. In the absence of NADPH, microsomal activity was about half that of mitochondria. Little or no activity was found in the cytosolic fraction. A series of cyanamide analogs and derivatives were screened for their ability to inhibit the low Km AIDH isozyme measured in intact mitochondria. Only monoalkylcyanamides exemplified by n-butylcyanamide showed significant inhibition. Other cyanamide analogs and derivatives including N-acetylcyanamide, the major urinary metabolite of cyanamide, were inactive in this system.

Studies on the cyanamide-ethanol interaction. Dimethylcyanamide as an inhibitor of aldehyde dehydrogenase in vivo

Administration of dimethylcyanamide (DMC) to rats caused a marked elevation in ethanol-derived blood acetaldehyde (AcH) and depressed the specific activity of the low Km mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (AIDH) by 90% at 12-24 hr, coincident with depletion of hepatic glutathione levels. Comparison of the relative efficacy of DMC and cyanamide in elevating blood AcH measured at 2 hr and 1 hr post-drug treatment, respectively, indicated that DMC was at least one-fifth as active as cyanamide. However, since the comparison was not made at optimal times for DMC (12-24 hr), it is likely that its activity in vivo approaches that of cyanamide itself. DMC was essentially inactive in vitro as an inhibitor of the low Km AIDH isozyme in intact rat liver mitochondria. Although methylcyanamide, the product of N-demethylation of DMC, was too unstable to be prepared for this evaluation, the higher monoalkyl cyanamide, n-propylcyanamide, was synthesized chemically and was shown to be a good inhibitor of the mitochondrial enzyme in vitro. These results suggest that DMC must be N-demethylated before being converted to a reactive species that inhibits AIDH activity.

Acetaldehyde hydrate and carbonic anhydrase: possible roles in the inhibition of brain aldehyde dehydrogenase

One biochemical explanation for the chronic and addictive effects of ethanol involves a relationship between biogenic aldehydes, brain aldehyde dehydrogenase and acetaldehyde, the principal metabolic product of ethanol. We suggest here the possibility that acetaldehyde hydrate may act as an especially strong inhibitor of aldehyde dehydrogenase. Aldehyde hydrates are known to strongly inhibit aldehyde dehydrogenase as well as a number of other aldehyde oxidizing enzymes and it may be that acetaldehyde hydrate acts as a transition state or activated intermediate inhibitor. It is also suggested that carbonic anhydrase, which catalyzes the very rapid equilibrium between acetaldehyde and its hydrate, may play a role in this process.