Amphipol-facilitated elucidation of the functional tetrameric complex of full-length cytochrome P450 CYP2B4 and NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase

Interactions of membrane-bound mammalian cytochromes P450 (CYPs) with NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (POR), which are required for metabolism of xenobiotics, are facilitated by membrane lipids. A variety of membrane mimetics, such as phospholipid liposomes and nanodiscs, have been used to simulate the membrane to form catalytically active CYP:POR complexes. However, the exact mechanism(s) of these interactions are unclear because of the absence of structural information of full-length mammalian CYP:POR complexes in membranes. Herein, we report the use of amphipols (APols) to form a fully functional, soluble, homogeneous preparation of full-length CYP:POR complexes amenable to biochemical and structural study. Incorporation of CYP2B4 and POR into APols resulted in a CYP2B4:POR complex with a stoichiometry of 1:1, which was fully functional in demethylating benzphetamine at a turnover rate of 37.7 ± 2.2 min^-1, with a coupling efficiency of 40%. Interestingly, the stable complex had a molecular weight (M_w) of 338 ± 22 kDa determined by multiangle light scattering, suggestive of a tetrameric complex of 2CYP2B4:2POR embedded in one APol nanoparticle. Moreover, negative stain electron microscopy (EM) validated the homogeneity of the complex and allowed us to generate a three-dimensional EM map and model consistent with the tetramer observed in solution. This first report of the full-length mammalian CYP:POR complex by transmission EM not only reveals the architecture that facilitates electron transfer but also highlights a potential use of APols in biochemical and structural studies of functional CYP complexes with redox partners.

CYP-independent inhibition of platelet aggregation in rabbits by a mixed disulfide conjugate of clopidogrel

Dual antiplatelet therapy with clopidogrel and aspirin has been the standard of care in the United States for patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and/or undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). However, the effectiveness of clopidogrel varies significantly among different sub-populations due to inter-individual variability. In this study we examined the antiplatelet potential of a novel mixed disulfide conjugate of clopidogrel with the aim to overcome the inter-individual variability. In the metabolic studies using human liver microsomes and cDNA-expressed P450s, we confirmed that multiple P450s are involved in the bioactivation of 2-oxoclopidogrel to H4, one of the diastereomers of the pharmacologically active metabolite (AM) possessing antiplatelet activity. Results from kinetic studies demonstrated that 2C19 is the most active in converting 2-oxoclopidogrel to H4 with a catalytic efficiency of 0.027 µM-1min-1 in the reconstituted system. On the basis of this finding, we were able to biosynthesise the conjugate of clopidogrel with 3-nitropyridine-2-thiol, referred to as clopNPT, and examined its antiplatelet activity in male New Zealand white rabbits. After administration as intravenous bolus at 2 mg/kg, the clopNPT conjugate was rapidly converted to the AM leading to the inhibition of platelet aggregation (IPA). Analyses of the blood samples drawn at various time points showed that intravenous administration of clopNPT led to ~70% IPA within 1 hour and the IPA persisted for more than 3 hours. Since the antiplatelet activity of clopNPT does not require bioactivation by P450s, the mixed disulfide conjugate of clopidogrel has the potential to overcome the inter-individual variability in clopidogrel therapy.

Oxygen activation by cytochrome P450 monooxygenase

Unlike photosystem II (PSII) that catalyzes formation of the O-O bond, the cytochromes P450 (P450), members of a superfamily of hemoproteins, catalyze the scission of the O-O bond of dioxygen molecules and insert a single oxygen atom into unactivated hydrocarbons through a hydrogen abstraction-oxygen rebound mechanism. Hydroxylation of the unactivated hydrocarbons at physiological temperatures is vital for many cellar processes such as the biosynthesis of many endogenous compounds and the detoxification of xenobiotics in humans and plants. Even though it carries out the opposite of the water splitting reaction, P450 may share similarities to PSII in proton delivery networks, oxygen and water access channels, and consecutive electron transfer processes. In this article, we review recent advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms by which P450 activates dioxygen.