Enzyme inhibition during the conversion of squalene to cholesterol

Soluble expression, purification and biochemical characterization of a C-7 cholesterol dehydrogenase from Drosophila melanogaster

The C-7 cholesterol dehydrogenase (NVD), which converts cholesterol to 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) by 7,8-dehydrogenation, plays a pivotal role in the metabolism of cholesterol and steroid intermediates. The NVD protein was successfully expressed in insect Sf9 cells. To reduce the production cost for industrial application, the NVD gene was cloned into E. coli BL21(DE3). However, the His-tagged NVD protein showed poor binding to Ni-NTA resin, mainly due to the formation of inclusion bodies. Consequently, the expression and solubility of NVD were optimized by respectively fusing it with maltose-binding protein (MBP), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and the nonspecific DNA binding protein from Sulfolobus solfataricus (Sso7d) as solubility tags. The NVD fusion with MBP at the N-terminus and His-tag at the C-terminus achieved a high yield of the soluble enzyme. It was further purified by ion-exchange chromatography with 95.4% purity and with a 10.4% yield. The product 7-DHC, which is produced in a reaction catalyzed by NVD and ferredoxin reductase KshB, was initially identified by GC-MS. An analysis of the amino acid sequence alignment revealed a distinct Rieske-type iron-sulfur cluster and non-heme Fe²⁺-binding domain, which are evolutionarily conserved among NVD family enzymes.

Alleviating Redox Imbalance Enhances 7-Dehydrocholesterol Production in Engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Maintaining redox balance is critical for the production of heterologous secondary metabolites, whereas on various occasions the native cofactor balance does not match the needs in engineered microorganisms. In this study, 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC, a crucial precursor of vitamin D₃) biosynthesis pathway was constructed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae BY4742 with endogenous ergosterol synthesis pathway blocked by knocking out the erg5 gene (encoding C-22 desaturase). The deletion of erg5 led to redox imbalance with higher ratio of cytosolic free NADH/NAD⁺ and more glycerol and ethanol accumulation. To alleviate the redox imbalance, a water-forming NADH oxidase (NOX) and an alternative oxidase (AOX1) were employed in our system based on cofactor regeneration strategy. Consequently, the production of 7-dehydrocholesterol was increased by 74.4% in shake flask culture. In the meanwhile, the ratio of free NADH/NAD⁺ and the concentration of glycerol and ethanol were reduced by 78.0%, 50.7% and 7.9% respectively. In a 5-L bioreactor, the optimal production of 7-DHC reached 44.49(±9.63) mg/L. This study provides a reference to increase the production of some desired compounds that are restricted by redox imbalance.

Fast and easy in vitro screening assay for cholesterol biosynthesis inhibitors in the post-squalene pathway

A whole-cell assay for screening cholesterol biosynthesis inhibitors in the post-squalene pathway has been developed. HL 60 cells were incubated for 24h with test substances. The nonsaponifiable lipids were extracted by means of liquid-liquid extraction using tert-butylmethylether. The raw extracts were purified by dispersive solid phase extraction using a primary-secondary amine material (PSA) and dried using sodium sulphate. The sterols were derivatized using N-trimethylsilylimidazole. GLC/MS analysis was carried out in less than 12.5 min using fast GLC mode. The obtained sterol patterns indicated which enzyme had been inhibited. Specific sterol patterns which reflect the different enzyme inhibitions were obtained using established inhibitors of cholesterol biosynthesis like AY 9944, NB 598, clotrimazole, aminotriazole and DR 258, a Delta24-reductase inhibitor prepared in our working group. For characterizing IC(50) values we used sodium 2-(13)C-acetate and quantified the incorporation of it into cholesterol relative to control levels after the samples had been normalized to their protein content.

Molecular cloning and expression of the human delta7-sterol reductase

Inhibitors of the last steps of cholesterol biosynthesis such as AY9944 and BM15766 severely impair brain development. Their molecular target is the Delta7-sterol reductase (EC 1.3.1.21), suspected to be defective in the Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome, a frequent inborn disorder of sterol metabolism. Molecular cloning of the cDNA revealed that the human enzyme is a membrane-bound protein with a predicted molecular mass of 55 kDa and six to nine putative transmembrane segments. The protein is structurally related to plant and yeast sterol reductases. In adults the ubiquitously transcribed mRNA is most abundant in adrenal gland, liver, testis, and brain. The Delta7-sterol reductase is the ultimate enzyme of cholesterol biosynthesis in vertebrates and is absent from yeast. Microsomes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains heterologously expressing the human cDNA remove the C7-8 double bond in 7-dehydrocholesterol. The conversion to cholesterol depends on NADPH and is potently inhibited by AY9944 (IC50 0.013 microM), BM15766 (IC50 1.2 microM), and triparanol (IC50 14 microM). Our work paves the way to clarify whether a defect in the delta7-sterol reductase gene underlies the Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome.

RPR 101821, a new potent cholesterol-lowering agent: inhibition of squalene synthase and 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase

RPR 101821 (trans-2-[4-(benzoxazol-2-yl)-phenylmethoxy] amino cyclohexane hydrochloride) is a potent cholesterol-lowering agent in rodents and marmoset. The compound inhibited rat liver microsomal squalene synthase (IC50 = 1 nM) and 7-dehydrocholesterol (7DHC) reductase (IC50 = 1 microM; Lewis et al. 1995). When RPR 101821 (10 mg/kg), the 7DHC reductase inhibitor BM 15.766 (4[2-[4-(4-chlorocinnamyl)piperazine-1-yl]ethyl] benzoic acid; 10 mg/kg) or the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor lovastatin (30 mg/kg) was given orally to rats at -29 h, -21 h and -5 h, serum cholesterol was reduced by 56%, 46% or 15%, respectively. The reduction in cholesterol with RPR 101821 was associated with an accumulation of 7DHC in serum, suggesting an inhibition of 7DHC reductase. In the presence of BM 15.766, RPR 101821 reduced the serum accumulation of 7DHC in a dose-dependent manner, with complete inhibition at 30 mg/kg, p.o. In Balb-cJ mice, RPR 101821 and lovastatin (50 mg/kg, b.i.d., p.o., for 14 days) lowered serum cholesterol by 67% and 2%, respectively. In marmosets, RPR 101821 and lovastatin (both at a dose of 10 mg/kg, p.o., b.i.d., for 7 days) reduced cholesterol by 28% and 19%, respectively. In summary, RPR 101821 is an orally effective potent cholesterol-lowering agent in rodents and a small primate species. The suggested mechanism of hypocholesterolemic effect is the inhibition of squalene synthase and 7DHC reductase.