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Diez-Fernandez C, Rüfenacht V, Häberle J. Mutations in the Human Argininosuccinate Synthetase (ASS1) Gene, Impact on Patients, Common Changes, and Structural Considerations. Hum Mutat 2017; 38:471-484. [DOI: 10.1002/humu.23184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 01/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Diez-Fernandez
- Division of Metabolism; University Children´s Hospital and Children's Research Center; Zurich Switzerland
| | - Véronique Rüfenacht
- Division of Metabolism; University Children´s Hospital and Children's Research Center; Zurich Switzerland
| | - Johannes Häberle
- Division of Metabolism; University Children´s Hospital and Children's Research Center; Zurich Switzerland
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Sardar AH, Jardim A, Ghosh AK, Mandal A, Das S, Saini S, Abhishek K, Singh R, Verma S, Kumar A, Das P. Genetic Manipulation of Leishmania donovani to Explore the Involvement of Argininosuccinate Synthase in Oxidative Stress Management. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004308. [PMID: 26939071 PMCID: PMC4777552 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS) produced by the phagocytic cells are the most common arsenals used to kill the intracellular pathogens. However, Leishmania, an intracellular pathogen, has evolved mechanisms to survive by counterbalancing the toxic oxygen metabolites produced during infection. Polyamines, the major contributor in this anti-oxidant machinery, are largely dependent on the availability of L-arginine in the intracellular milieu. Argininosuccinate synthase (ASS) plays an important role as the rate-limiting step required for converting L-citrulline to argininosuccinate to provide arginine for an assortment of metabolic processes. Leishmania produce an active ASS enzyme, yet it has an incomplete urea cycle as it lacks an argininosuccinate lyase (ASL). There is no evidence for endogenous synthesis of L-arginine in Leishmania, which suggests that these parasites salvage L-arginine from extracellular milieu and makes the biological function of ASS and the production of argininosuccinate in Leishmania unclear. Our previous quantitative proteomic analysis of Leishmania promastigotes treated with sub-lethal doses of ROS, RNS, or a combination of both, led to the identification of several differentially expressed proteins which included ASS. To assess the involvement of ASS in stress management, a mutant cell line with greatly reduced ASS activity was created by a double-targeted gene replacement strategy in L. donovani promastigote. Interestingly, LdASS is encoded by three copies of allele, but Western blot analysis showed the third allele did not appear to express ASS. The free thiol levels in the mutant LdASS-/-/+ cell line were decreased. Furthermore, the cell viability in L-arginine depleted medium was greatly attenuated on exposure to different stress environments and was adversely impacted in its ability to infect mice. These findings suggest that ASS is important for Leishmania donovani to counterbalance the stressed environments encountered during infection and can be targeted for chemotherapeutic purpose to treat visceral leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abul Hasan Sardar
- Division of Molecular Biology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bihar, India
| | - Armando Jardim
- Institute of Parasitology and Centre for Host-Parasite Interactions, Macdonald Campus, McGill University, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ayan Kumar Ghosh
- Division of Molecular Biology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bihar, India
| | - Abhishek Mandal
- Division of Molecular Biology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bihar, India
| | - Sushmita Das
- Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bihar, India
| | - Savita Saini
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Bihar, India
| | - Kumar Abhishek
- Division of Molecular Biology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bihar, India
| | - Ruby Singh
- Division of Molecular Biology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bihar, India
| | - Sudha Verma
- Division of Molecular Biology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bihar, India
| | - Ajay Kumar
- Division of Molecular Biology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bihar, India
| | - Pradeep Das
- Division of Molecular Biology, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bihar, India
- * E-mail:
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Chng YR, Ong JL, Ching B, Chen XL, Wong WP, Chew SF, Ip YK. Molecular characterization of argininosuccinate synthase and argininosuccinate lyase from the liver of the African lungfish Protopterus annectens, and their mRNA expression levels in the liver, kidney, brain and skeletal muscle during aestivation. J Comp Physiol B 2014; 184:835-53. [PMID: 25034132 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-014-0842-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2014] [Revised: 06/11/2014] [Accepted: 06/20/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Argininosuccinate synthase (Ass) and argininosuccinate lyase (Asl) are involved in arginine synthesis for various purposes. The complete cDNA coding sequences of ass and asl from the liver of Protopterus annectens consisted of 1,296 and 1,398 bp, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the deduced Ass and Asl of P. annectens had close relationship with that of the cartilaginous fish Callorhinchus milii. Besides being strongly expressed in the liver, ass and asl expression were detectable in many tissues/organs. In the liver, mRNA expression levels of ass and asl increased significantly during the induction phase of aestivation, probably to increase arginine production to support increased urea synthesis. The increases in ass and asl mRNA expression levels during the prolonged maintenance phase and early arousal phase of aestivation could reflect increased demand on arginine for nitric oxide (NO) production in the liver. In the kidney, there was a significant decrease in ass mRNA expression level after 6 months of aestivation, indicating possible decreases in the synthesis and supply of arginine to other tissues/organs. In the brain, changes in ass and asl mRNA expression levels during the three phases of aestivation could be related to the supply of arginine for NO synthesis in response to conditions that resemble ischaemia and ischaemia-reperfusion during the maintenance and arousal phase of aestivation, respectively. The decrease in ass mRNA expression level, accompanied with decreases in the concentrations of arginine and NO, in the skeletal muscle of aestivating P. annectens might ameliorate the potential of disuse muscle atrophy.
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Lakhal-Naouar I, Jardim A, Strasser R, Luo S, Kozakai Y, Nakhasi HL, Duncan RC. Leishmania donovani argininosuccinate synthase is an active enzyme associated with parasite pathogenesis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2012; 6:e1849. [PMID: 23094117 PMCID: PMC3475689 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2012] [Accepted: 08/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gene expression analysis in Leishmania donovani (Ld) identified an orthologue of the urea cycle enzyme, argininosuccinate synthase (LdASS), that was more abundantly expressed in amastigotes than in promastigotes. In order to characterize in detail this newly identified protein in Leishmania, we determined its enzymatic activity, subcellular localization in the parasite and affect on virulence in vivo. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Two parasite cell lines either over expressing wild type LdASS or a mutant form (G128S) associated with severe cases of citrullinemia in humans were developed. In addition we also produced bacterially expressed recombinant forms of the same proteins. Our results demonstrated that LdASS has argininosuccinate synthase enzymatic activity that is abolished using an ASS specific inhibitor (MDLA: methyl-D-L-Aspartic acid). However, the mutant form of the protein is inactive. We demonstrate that though LdASS has a glycosomal targeting signal that binds the targeting apparatus in vitro, only a small proportion of the total cellular ASS is localized in a vesicle, as indicated by protection from protease digestion of the crude organelle fraction. The majority of LdASS was found to be in the cytosolic fraction that may include large cytosolic complexes as indicated by the punctate distribution in IFA. Surprisingly, comparison to known glycosomal proteins by IFA revealed that LdASS was located in a structure different from the known glycosomal vesicles. Significantly, parasites expressing a mutant form of LdASS associated with a loss of in vitro activity had reduced virulence in vivo in BALB/c mice as demonstrated by a significant reduction in the parasite load in spleen and liver. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE Our study suggests that LdASS is an active enzyme, with unique localization and essential for parasite survival and growth in the mammalian host. Based on these observations LdASS could be further explored as a potential drug target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Lakhal-Naouar
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Division of Emerging and Transfusion Transmitted Diseases, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Armando Jardim
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University and the Centre for Host-Parasite Interactions, Quebec, Canada
| | - Rona Strasser
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University and the Centre for Host-Parasite Interactions, Quebec, Canada
| | - Shen Luo
- Laboratory of Chemistry, Division of Therapeutic Proteins, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Yukiko Kozakai
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Division of Emerging and Transfusion Transmitted Diseases, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Hira L. Nakhasi
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Division of Emerging and Transfusion Transmitted Diseases, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Robert C. Duncan
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Division of Emerging and Transfusion Transmitted Diseases, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Haines RJ, Corbin KD, Pendleton LC, Eichler DC. Protein kinase Cα phosphorylates a novel argininosuccinate synthase site at serine 328 during calcium-dependent stimulation of endothelial nitric-oxide synthase in vascular endothelial cells. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:26168-76. [PMID: 22696221 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.378794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (eNOS) utilizes l-arginine as its principal substrate, converting it to l-citrulline and nitric oxide (NO). l-Citrulline is recycled to l-arginine by two enzymes, argininosuccinate synthase (AS) and argininosuccinate lyase, providing the substrate arginine for eNOS and NO production in endothelial cells. Together, these three enzymes, eNOS, AS, and argininosuccinate lyase, make up the citrulline-NO cycle. Although AS catalyzes the rate-limiting step in NO production, little is known about the regulation of AS in endothelial cells beyond the level of transcription. In this study, we showed that AS Ser-328 phosphorylation was coordinately regulated with eNOS Ser-1179 phosphorylation when bovine aortic endothelial cells were stimulated by either a calcium ionophore or thapsigargin to produce NO. Furthermore, using in vitro kinase assay, kinase inhibition studies, as well as protein kinase Cα (PKCα) knockdown experiments, we demonstrate that the calcium-dependent phosphorylation of AS Ser-328 is mediated by PKCα. Collectively, these findings suggest that phosphorylation of AS at Ser-328 is regulated in accordance with the calcium-dependent regulation of eNOS under conditions that promote NO production and are in keeping with the rate-limiting role of AS in the citrulline-NO cycle of vascular endothelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricci J Haines
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA
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Guerreiro JR, Lameu C, Oliveira EF, Klitzke CF, Melo RL, Linares E, Augusto O, Fox JW, Lebrun I, Serrano SMT, Camargo ACM. Argininosuccinate synthetase is a functional target for a snake venom anti-hypertensive peptide: role in arginine and nitric oxide production. J Biol Chem 2009; 284:20022-33. [PMID: 19491403 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m109.021089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Bj-BPP-10c is a bioactive proline-rich decapeptide, part of the C-type natriuretic peptide precursor, expressed in the brain and in the venom gland of Bothrops jararaca. We recently showed that Bj-BPP-10c displays a strong, sustained anti-hypertensive effect in spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR), without causing any effect in normotensive rats, by a pharmacological effect independent of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition. Therefore, we hypothesized that another mechanism should be involved in the peptide activity. Here we used affinity chromatography to search for kidney cytosolic proteins with affinity for Bj-BPP-10c and demonstrate that argininosuccinate synthetase (AsS) is the major protein binding to the peptide. More importantly, this interaction activates the catalytic activity of AsS in a dose-de pend ent manner. AsS is recognized as an important player of the citrulline-NO cycle that represents a potential limiting step in NO synthesis. Accordingly, the functional interaction of Bj-BPP-10c and AsS was evidenced by the following effects promoted by the peptide: (i) increase of NO metabolite production in human umbilical vein endothelial cell culture and of arginine in human embryonic kidney cells and (ii) increase of arginine plasma concentration in SHR. Moreover, alpha-methyl-dl-aspartic acid, a specific AsS inhibitor, significantly reduced the anti-hypertensive activity of Bj-BPP-10c in SHR. Taken together, these results suggest that AsS plays a role in the anti-hypertensive action of Bj-BPP-10c. Therefore, we propose the activation of AsS as a new mechanism for the anti-hypertensive effect of Bj-BPP-10c in SHR and AsS as a novel target for the therapy of hypertension-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliano R Guerreiro
- Center for Applied Toxinology-CAT/CEPID, Instituto Butantan, SP 05503-900, São Paulo, Brazil
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