Isolevuglandins and mitochondrial enzymes in the retina: mass spectrometry detection of post-translational modification of sterol-metabolizing CYP27A1

Brain Cytochrome P450: Navigating Neurological Health and Metabolic Regulation

Human cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes in the brain represent a crucial frontier in neuroscience, with far-reaching implications for drug detoxification, cellular metabolism, and the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. The brain's complex architecture, composed of interconnected cell types and receptors, drives unique neuronal signaling pathways, modulates enzyme functions, and leads to distinct CYP gene expression and regulation patterns compared to the liver. Despite their relatively low levels of expression, brain CYPs exert significant influence on drug responses, neurotoxin susceptibility, behavior, and neurological disease risk. These enzymes are essential for maintaining brain homeostasis, mediating cholesterol turnover, and synthesizing and metabolizing neurochemicals, neurosteroids, and neurotransmitters. Moreover, they are key participants in oxidative stress responses, neuroprotection, and the regulation of inflammation. In addition to their roles in metabolizing psychotropic drugs, substances of abuse, and endogenous compounds, brain CYPs impact drug efficacy, safety, and resistance, underscoring their importance beyond traditional drug metabolism. Their involvement in critical physiological processes also links them to neuroprotection, with significant implications for the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Understanding the roles of cerebral CYP enzymes is vital for advancing neuroprotective strategies, personalizing treatments for brain disorders, and developing CNS-targeting therapeutics. This review explores the emerging roles of CYP enzymes, particularly those within the CYP1-3 and CYP46 families, highlighting their functional diversity and the pathological consequences of their dysregulation on neurological health. It also examines the potential of cerebral CYP-based biomarkers to improve the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, offering new avenues for therapeutic innovation.

Challenges and Opportunities in P450 Research on the Eye

Of the 57 cytochrome P450 enzymes found in humans, at least 30 have ocular tissues as an expression site. Yet knowledge of the roles of these P450s in the eye is limited, in part because only very few P450 laboratories expanded their research interests to studies of the eye. Hence the goal of this review is to bring attention of the P450 community to the eye and encourage more ocular studies. This review is also intended to be educational for eye researchers and encourage their collaborations with P450 experts. The review starts with a description of the eye, a fascinating sensory organ, and is followed by sections on ocular P450 localizations, specifics of drug delivery to the eye, and individual P450s, which are grouped and presented based on their substrate preferences. In sections describing individual P450s, available eye-relevant information is summarized and concluded by the suggestions on the opportunities in ocular studies of the discussed enzymes. Potential challenges are addressed as well. The conclusion section outlines several practical suggestions on how to initiate eye-related research. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This review focuses on the cytochrome P450 enzymes in the eye to encourage their ocular investigations and collaborations between P450 and eye researchers.

Mass spectrometry-based retina proteomics

A subfield of neuroproteomics, retina proteomics has experienced a transformative growth since its inception due to methodological advances in enabling chemical, biochemical, and molecular biology techniques. This review focuses on mass spectrometry's contributions to facilitate mammalian and avian retina proteomics to catalog and quantify retinal protein expressions, determine their posttranslational modifications, as well as its applications to study the proteome of the retina in the context of biology, health and diseases, and therapy developments.

Cholesterol homeostasis in the vertebrate retina: biology and pathobiology

Cholesterol is a quantitatively and biologically significant constituent of all mammalian cell membrane, including those that comprise the retina. Retinal cholesterol homeostasis entails the interplay between de novo synthesis, uptake, intraretinal sterol transport, metabolism, and efflux. Defects in these complex processes are associated with several congenital and age-related disorders of the visual system. Herein, we provide an overview of the following topics: (a) cholesterol synthesis in the neural retina; (b) lipoprotein uptake and intraretinal sterol transport in the neural retina and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE); (c) cholesterol efflux from the neural retina and the RPE; and (d) biology and pathobiology of defects in sterol synthesis and sterol oxidation in the neural retina and the RPE. We focus, in particular, on studies involving animal models of monogenic disorders pertinent to the above topics, as well as in vitro models using biochemical, metabolic, and omic approaches. We also identify current knowledge gaps and opportunities in the field that beg further research in this topic area.

Isolevuglandins as mediators of disease and the development of dicarbonyl scavengers as pharmaceutical interventions

Products of lipid peroxidation include a number of reactive lipid aldehydes such as malondialdehyde, 4-hydroxy-nonenal, 4-oxo-nonenal, and isolevuglandins (IsoLGs). Although these all contribute to disease processes, the most reactive are the IsoLGs, which rapidly adduct to lysine and other cellular primary amines, leading to changes in protein function, cross-linking and immunogenicity. Their rapid reactivity means that only IsoLG adducts, and not the unreacted aldehyde, can be readily measured. This high reactivity also makes it challenging for standard cellular defense mechanisms such as aldehyde reductases and oxidases to dispose of them before they react with proteins and other cellular amines. This led us to seek small molecule primary amines that might trap and inactivate IsoLGs before they could modify cellular proteins or other endogenous cellular amines such as phosphatidylethanolamines to cause disease. Our studies identified 2-aminomethylphenols including 2-hydroxybenzylamine as IsoLG scavengers. Subsequent studies showed that they also trap other lipid dicarbonyls that react with primary amines such as 4-oxo-nonenal and malondialdehyde, but not hydroxyalkenals like 4-hydroxy-nonenal that preferentially react with soft nucleophiles. This review describes the use of these 2-aminomethylphenols as dicarbonyl scavengers to assess the contribution of IsoLGs and other amine-reactive lipid dicarbonyls to disease and as therapeutic agents.

The Adductomics of Isolevuglandins: Oxidation of IsoLG Pyrrole Intermediates Generates Pyrrole⁻Pyrrole Crosslinks and Lactams

Isoprostane endoperoxides generated by free radical-induced oxidation of arachidonates, and prostaglandin endoperoxides generated through enzymatic cyclooxygenation of arachidonate, rearrange nonenzymatically to isoprostanes and a family of stereo and structurally isomeric γ-ketoaldehyde seco-isoprostanes, collectively known as isolevuglandins (isoLGs). IsoLGs are stealthy toxins, and free isoLGs are not detected in vivo. Rather, covalent adducts are found to incorporate lysyl ε-amino residues of proteins or ethanolamino residues of phospholipids. In vitro studies have revealed that adduction occurs within seconds and is uniquely prone to cause protein–protein crosslinks. IsoLGs accelerate the formation of the type of amyloid beta oligomers that have been associated with neurotoxicity. Under air, isoLG-derived pyrroles generated initially are readily oxidized to lactams and undergo rapid oxidative coupling to pyrrole–pyrrole crosslinked dimers, and to more highly oxygenated derivatives of those dimers. We have now found that pure isoLG-derived pyrroles, which can be generated under anoxic conditions, do not readily undergo oxidative coupling. Rather, dimer formation only occurs after an induction period by an autocatalytic oxidative coupling. The stable free-radical TEMPO abolishes the induction period, catalyzing rapid oxidative coupling. The amine N-oxide TMAO is similarly effective in catalyzing the oxidative coupling of isoLG pyrroles. N-acetylcysteine abolishes the generation of pyrrole–pyrrole crosslinks. Instead pyrrole-cysteine adducts are produced. Two unified single-electron transfer mechanisms are proposed for crosslink and pyrrole-cysteine adduct formation from isoLG-pyrroles, as well as for their oxidation to lactams and hydroxylactams.

Chemistry and analysis of HNE and other prominent carbonyl-containing lipid oxidation compounds

The process of lipid oxidation generates a diverse array of small aldehydes and carbonyl-containing compounds, which may occur in free form or esterified within phospholipids and cholesterol esters. These aldehydes mostly result from fragmentation of fatty acyl chains following radical oxidation, and the products can be subdivided into alkanals, alkenals (usually α,β-unsaturated), γ-substituted alkenals and bis-aldehydes. Isolevuglandins are non-fragmented di-carbonyl compounds derived from H₂-isoprostanes, and oxidation of the ω-3-fatty acid docosahexenoic acid yield analogous 22 carbon neuroketals. Non-radical oxidation by hypochlorous acid can generate α-chlorofatty aldehydes from plasmenyl phospholipids. Most of these compounds are reactive and have generally been considered as toxic products of a deleterious process. The reactivity is especially high for the α,β-unsaturated alkenals, such as acrolein and crotonaldehyde, and for γ-substituted alkenals, of which 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal and 4-oxo-2-nonenal are best known. Nevertheless, in recent years several previously neglected aldehydes have been investigated and also found to have significant reactivity and biological effects; notable examples are 4-hydroxy-2-hexenal and 4-hydroxy-dodecadienal. This has led to substantial interest in the biological effects of all of these lipid oxidation products and their roles in disease, including proposals that HNE is a second messenger or signalling molecule. However, it is becoming clear that many of the effects elicited by these compounds relate to their propensity for forming adducts with nucleophilic groups on proteins, DNA and specific phospholipids. This emphasizes the need for good analytical methods, not just for free lipid oxidation products but also for the resulting adducts with biomolecules. The most informative methods are those utilizing HPLC separations and mass spectrometry, although analysis of the wide variety of possible adducts is very challenging. Nevertheless, evidence for the occurrence of lipid-derived aldehyde adducts in biological and clinical samples is building, and offers an exciting area of future research.

Covalent modification of biological targets with natural products through Paal-Knorr pyrrole formation

Covering: up to June 2017Natural products and endogenous metabolites engage specific targets within tissues and cells through complex mechanisms. This review examines the extent to which natural systems have adopted the Paal-Knorr reaction to engage nucleophilic amine groups within biological targets. Current understanding of this mode of reactivity is limited by only a few examples of this reaction in a biological context. This highlight is intended to stimulate the scientific community to identify potential research directions and applications of the Paal-Knorr reaction in native and engineered biological systems.

Total Synthesis Confirms the Molecular Structure Proposed for Oxidized Levuglandin D2

Levuglandins (LG)D₂ and LGE₂ are γ-ketoaldehyde levulinaldehyde derivatives with prostanoid side chains produced by spontaneous rearrangement of the endoperoxide intermediate PGH₂ in the biosynthesis of prostaglandins. Covalent adduction of LGs with the amyloid peptide Aβ_1-42 promotes formation of the type of oligomers that have been associated with neurotoxicity and are a pathologic hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Within 1 min of their generation during the production of PGH₂ by cyclooxygenation of arachidonic acid, LGs are sequestered by covalent adduction to proteins. In view of this high proclivity for covalent adduction, it is understandable that free LGs have never been detected in vivo. Recently a catabolite, believed to be an oxidized derivative of LGD₂ (ox-LGD₂), a levulinic acid hydroxylactone with prostanoid side chains, was isolated from the red alga Gracilaria edulis and detected in mouse tissues and in the lysate of phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate-treated THP-1 cells incubated with arachidonic acid. Such oxidative catabolism of LGD₂ is remarkable because it must be outstandingly efficient to prevail over adduction with proteins and because it requires a unique dehydrogenation. We now report a concise total synthesis that confirms the molecular structure proposed for ox-LGD₂. The synthesis also produces ox-LGE₂, which readily undergoes allylic rearrangement to Δ⁶-ox-LGE₂.

4-Hydroxy-7-oxo-5-heptenoic Acid Lactone Induces Angiogenesis through Several Different Molecular Pathways

Oxidative stress and angiogenesis have been implicated not only in normal phenomena such as tissue healing and remodeling but also in many pathological processes. However, the relationships between oxidative stress and angiogenesis still remain unclear, although oxidative stress has been convincingly demonstrated to influence the progression of angiogenesis under physiological and pathological conditions. The retina is particularly susceptible to oxidative stress because of its intensive oxygenation and high abundance of polyunsaturated fatty acyls. In particular, it has high levels of docosahexanoates, whose oxidative fragmentation produces 4-hydroxy-7-oxo-5-heptenoic acid lactone (HOHA-lactone). Previously, we found that HOHA-lactone is a major precursor of 2-(ω-carboxyethyl)pyrrole (CEP) derivatives, which are tightly linked to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). CEPs promote the pathological angiogenesis of late-stage AMD. We now report additional mechanisms by which HOHA-lactone promotes angiogenesis. Using cultured ARPE-19 cells, we observed that HOHA-lactone induces secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is correlated to increases in reactive oxygen species and decreases in intracellular glutathione (GSH). Wound healing and tube formation assays provided, for the first time, in vitro evidence that HOHA-lactone induces the release of VEGF from ARPE-19 cells, which promotes angiogenesis by human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in culture. Thus, HOHA-lactone can stimulate vascular growth through a VEGF-dependent pathway. In addition, results from MTT and wound healing assays as well as tube formation experiments showed that GSH-conjugated metabolites of HOHA-lactone stimulate HUVEC proliferation and promote angiogenesis in vitro. Previous studies demonstrated that HOHA-lactone, through its CEP derivatives, promotes angiogenesis in a novel Toll-like receptor 2-dependent manner that is independent of the VEGF receptor or VEGF expression. The new studies show that HOHA-lactone also participates in other angiogenic signaling pathways that include promoting the secretion of VEGF from retinal pigmented epithelial cells.

Molecular Structures of Isolevuglandin-Protein Cross-Links

Isolevuglandins (isoLGs) are stereo and structurally isomeric γ-ketoaldehydes produced through free radical-induced oxidation of arachidonates. Some isoLG isomers are also generated through enzymatic cyclooxygenation. Post-translational modification of proteins by isoLGs is associated with loss-of-function, cross-linking and aggregation. We now report that a low level of modification by one or two molecules of isoLG has a profound effect on the activity of a multi subunit protease, calpain-1. Modification of one or two key lysyl residues apparently suffices to abolish catalytic activity. Covalent modification of calpain-1 led to intersubunit cross-linking. Hetero- and homo-oligomers of the catalytic and regulatory subunits of calpain-1 were detected by SDS-PAGE with Western blotting. N-Acetyl-glycyl-lysine methyl ester and β-amyloid(11-17) peptide EVHHQKL were used as models for characterizing the cross-linking of protein lysyl residues resulting from adduction of iso[4]LGE₂. Aminal, bispyrrole, and trispyrrole cross-links of these two peptides were identified and fully characterized by mass spectrometry. Aminal and bispyrrole dimers were both detected. Furthermore, a complex mixture of derivatives of the bispyrrole cross-link containing one or more additional atoms of oxygen was found. Interesting differences are evident in the predominant cross-link type generated in the reaction of iso[4]LGE₂ with these peptides. More aminal cross-links versus bispyrrole are formed during the reaction of the dipeptide with iso[4]LGE₂. In contrast, more bispyrrole versus aminal cross-links are formed during the reaction of EVHHQKL with iso[4]LGE₂. It is tempting to speculate that the EVHHQKL peptide-pyrrole modification forms noncovalent aggregates that favor the production of covalent bispyrrole cross-links because β-amyloid(11-17) tends to spontaneously oligomerize.

Mass spectrometry detection of isolevuglandin adduction to specific protein residues

The aging process seems to be associated with oxidative stress and hence increased production of lipid peroxidation products, including isolevuglandins (isoLGs). The latter are highly reactive γ-ketoaldehydes which can form covalent adducts with primary amino groups of enzymes and proteins and alter the properties of these biomolecules. Yet little is currently known about amino acid-containing compounds affected by isoLG modification in different age-related pathological processes. To facilitate the detection of these biomolecules, we developed a strategy in which the purified enzyme (or protein) of interest is first treated with authentic isoLG in vitro to evaluate whether it contains reactive lysine residues prone to modification with isoLGs. The data obtained serve as a basis for making the "GO/NO GO" decision as to whether to pursue a further search of this isoLG modification in a biological sample. In this chapter, we describe the conditions for the in vitro isoLG modification assay and how to use mass spectrometry to identify the isoLG-modified peptides and amino acid residues. Our studies were carried out on cytochrome P450 27A1, an important metabolic enzyme, and utilized iso[4]levuglandin E2 as a prototypical isoLG. The isoLG-treated cytochrome P450 was subjected to proteolysis followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for peptide separation and analysis by Mascot, a proteomics search engine, for the presence of modified peptides. The developed protocol could be applied to characterization of other enzymes/proteins and other types of unconventional posttranslational protein modification.

Isolevuglandin adducts in disease

SIGNIFICANCE

A diverse family of lipid-derived levulinaldehydes, isolevuglandins (isoLGs), is produced by rearrangement of endoperoxide intermediates generated through both cyclooxygenase (COX) and free radical-induced cyclooxygenation of polyunsaturated fatty acids and their phospholipid esters. The formation and reactions of isoLGs with other biomolecules has been linked to alcoholic liver disease, Alzheimer's disease, age-related macular degeneration, atherosclerosis, cardiac arythmias, cancer, end-stage renal disease, glaucoma, inflammation of allergies and infection, mitochondrial dysfunction, multiple sclerosis, and thrombosis. This review chronicles progress in understanding the chemistry of isoLGs, detecting their production in vivo and understanding their biological consequences.

CRITICAL ISSUES

IsoLGs have never been isolated from biological sources, because they form adducts with primary amino groups of other biomolecules within seconds. Chemical synthesis enabled investigation of isoLG chemistry and detection of isoLG adducts present in vivo.

RECENT ADVANCES

The first peptide mapping and sequencing of an isoLG-modified protein present in human retina identified the modification of a specific lysyl residue of the sterol C27-hydroxylase Cyp27A1. This residue is preferentially modified by iso[4]LGE2 in vitro, causing loss of function. Adduction of less than one equivalent of isoLG can induce COX-associated oligomerization of the amyloid peptide Aβ1-42. Adduction of isoLGE2 to phosphatidylethanolamines causes gain of function, converting them into proinflammatory isoLGE2-PE agonists that foster monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Among the remaining questions on the biochemistry of isoLGs are the dependence of biological activity on isoLG isomer structure, the structures and mechanism of isoLG-derived protein-protein and DNA-protein cross-link formation, and its biological consequences.

Photo-damage, photo-protection and age-related macular degeneration

The course of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is described as the effect of light (400–580 nm) on various molecular targets in photoreceptors and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Photo-damage is followed by inflammation, increasing oxidative stress and, probably, unveiling new photosensitive molecules.

Cholesterol in the retina: the best is yet to come

Historically understudied, cholesterol in the retina is receiving more attention now because of genetic studies showing that several cholesterol-related genes are risk factors for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and because of eye pathology studies showing high cholesterol content of drusen, aging Bruch's membrane, and newly found subretinal lesions. The challenge before us is determining how the cholesterol-AMD link is realized. Meeting this challenge will require an excellent understanding these genes' roles in retinal physiology and how chorioretinal cholesterol is maintained. In the first half of this review, we will succinctly summarize physico-chemical properties of cholesterol, its distribution in the human body, general principles of maintenance and metabolism, and differences in cholesterol handling in human and mouse that impact on experimental approaches. This information will provide a backdrop to the second part of the review focusing on unique aspects of chorioretinal cholesterol homeostasis, aging in Bruch's membrane, cholesterol in AMD lesions, a model for lesion biogenesis, a model for macular vulnerability based on vascular biology, and alignment of AMD-related genes and pathobiology using cholesterol and an atherosclerosis-like progression as unifying features. We conclude with recommendations for the most important research steps we can take towards delineating the cholesterol-AMD link.

Lipid peroxidation generates biologically active phospholipids including oxidatively N-modified phospholipids

Peroxidation of membranes and lipoproteins converts "inert" phospholipids into a plethora of oxidatively modified phospholipids (oxPL) that can act as signaling molecules. In this review, we will discuss four major classes of oxPL: mildly oxygenated phospholipids, phospholipids with oxidatively truncated acyl chains, phospholipids with cyclized acyl chains, and phospholipids that have been oxidatively N-modified on their headgroups by reactive lipid species. For each class of oxPL we will review the chemical mechanisms of their formation, the evidence for their formation in biological samples, the biological activities and signaling pathways associated with them, and the catabolic pathways for their elimination. We will end by briefly highlighting some of the critical questions that remain about the role of oxPL in physiology and disease.

Pretreatment with pyridoxamine mitigates isolevuglandin-associated retinal effects in mice exposed to bright light

The benefits of antioxidant therapy for treating age-related macular degeneration, a devastating retinal disease, are limited. Perhaps species other than reactive oxygen intermediates should be considered as therapeutic targets. These could be lipid peroxidation products, including isolevuglandins (isoLGs), prototypical and extraordinarily reactive γ-ketoaldehydes that avidly bind to proteins, phospholipids, and DNA and modulate the properties of these biomolecules. We found isoLG adducts in aged human retina but not in the retina of mice kept under dim lighting. Hence, to test whether scavenging of isoLGs could complement or supplant antioxidant therapy, we exposed mice to bright light and found that this insult leads to retinal isoLG-adduct formation. We then pretreated mice with pyridoxamine, a B6 vitamer and efficient scavenger of γ-ketoaldehydes, and found that the levels of retinal isoLG adducts are decreased, and morphological changes in photoreceptor mitochondria are not as pronounced as in untreated animals. Our study demonstrates that preventing the damage to biomolecules by lipid peroxidation products, a novel concept in vision research, is a viable strategy to combat oxidative stress in the retina.

Posttranslational modification by an isolevuglandin diminishes activity of the mitochondrial cytochrome P450 27A1

Posttranslational modification by isolevuglandins (isoLGs), arachidonate oxidation products, is an important yet understudied process associated with altered protein properties. This type of modification is detected in cytochrome P450 27A1 (CYP27A1), a multifunction enzyme expressed in almost every cell and involved in the metabolism of cholesterol and other sterols. Previously, the CYP27A1 Lys(358)-isoLG adduct was found in human retina afflicted with age-related macular degeneration. Yet, the effect of Lys(358) modification on enzyme activity was not investigated. Herein, we characterized catalytic properties of Lys(358) as well as Lys(476) CYP27A1 mutants before and after isoLG treatment and quantified the extent of modification by multiple reaction monitoring. The K358R mutant was less susceptible to isoLG-induced loss of catalytic activity than the wild type (WT), whereas the K476R mutant was nearly as vulnerable as the WT. Both mutants showed less isoLG modification than WT. Thus, modification of Lys(358), a residue involved in redox partner interactions, is the major contributor to isoLG-associated loss of CYP27A1 activity. Our data show the specificity of isoLG modification, provide direct evidence that isoLG adduction impairs enzyme activity, and support our hypothesis that isoLG modification in the retina is detrimental to CYP27A1 enzyme activity, potentially disrupting cholesterol homeostasis.

Resveratrol stimulates cortisol biosynthesis by activating SIRT-dependent deacetylation of P450scc

In the human adrenal cortex, cortisol is synthesized from cholesterol by members of the cytochrome P450 superfamily and hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases. Both the first and last steps of cortisol biosynthesis occur in mitochondria. Based on our previous findings that activation of ACTH signaling changes the ratio of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) phosphate to reduced NAD phosphate in adrenocortical cells, we hypothesized that pyridine nucleotide metabolism may regulate the activity of the mitochondrial NAD(+)-dependent sirtuin (SIRT) deacetylases. We show that resveratrol increases the protein expression and half-life of P450 side chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc). The effects of resveratrol on P450scc protein levels and acetylation status are dependent on SIRT3 and SIRT5 expression. Stable overexpression of SIRT3 abrogates the cellular content of acetylated P450scc, concomitant with an increase in P450scc protein expression and cortisol secretion. Mutation of K148 and K149 to alanine stabilizes the expression of P450scc and results in a 1.5-fold increase in pregnenolone biosynthesis. Finally, resveratrol also increases the protein expression of P450 11β, another mitochondrial enzyme required for cortisol biosynthesis. Collectively, this study identifies a role for NAD(+)-dependent SIRT deacetylase activity in regulating the expression of mitochondrial steroidogenic P450.