Pathogenic variants in SQOR encoding sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase are a potentially treatable cause of Leigh disease

Hydrogen sulfide, a signaling molecule formed mainly from cysteine, is catabolized by sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase (gene SQOR). Toxic hydrogen sulfide exposure inhibits complex IV. We describe children of two families with pathogenic variants in SQOR. Exome sequencing identified variants; SQOR enzyme activity was measured spectrophotometrically, protein levels evaluated by western blotting, and mitochondrial function was assayed. In family A, following a brief illness, a 4-year-old girl presented comatose with lactic acidosis and multiorgan failure. After stabilization, she remained comatose, hypotonic, had neurostorming episodes, elevated lactate, and Leigh-like lesions on brain imaging. She died shortly after. Her 8-year-old sister presented with a rapidly fatal episode of coma with lactic acidosis, and lesions in the basal ganglia and left cortex. Muscle and liver tissue had isolated decreased complex IV activity, but normal complex IV protein levels and complex formation. Both patients were homozygous for c.637G > A, which we identified as a founder mutation in the Lehrerleut Hutterite with a carrier frequency of 1 in 13. The resulting p.Glu213Lys change disrupts hydrogen bonding with neighboring residues, resulting in severely reduced SQOR protein and enzyme activity, whereas sulfide generating enzyme levels were unchanged. In family B, a boy had episodes of encephalopathy and basal ganglia lesions. He was homozygous for c.446delT and had severely reduced fibroblast SQOR enzyme activity and protein levels. SQOR dysfunction can result in hydrogen sulfide accumulation, which, consistent with its known toxicity, inhibits complex IV resulting in energy failure. In conclusion, SQOR deficiency represents a new, potentially treatable, cause of Leigh disease.

Role of the Na(+)-translocating NADH:quinone oxidoreductase in voltage generation and Na(+) extrusion in Vibrio cholerae

For Vibrio cholerae, the coordinated import and export of Na(+) is crucial for adaptation to habitats with different osmolarities. We investigated the Na(+)-extruding branch of the sodium cycle in this human pathogen by in vivo (23)Na-NMR spectroscopy. The Na(+) extrusion activity of cells was monitored after adding glucose which stimulated respiration via the Na(+)-translocating NADH:quinone oxidoreductase (Na(+)-NQR). In a V. cholerae deletion mutant devoid of the Na(+)-NQR encoding genes (nqrA-F), rates of respiratory Na(+) extrusion were decreased by a factor of four, but the cytoplasmic Na(+) concentration was essentially unchanged. Furthermore, the mutant was impaired in formation of transmembrane voltage (ΔΨ, inside negative) and did not grow under hypoosmotic conditions at pH8.2 or above. This growth defect could be complemented by transformation with the plasmid encoded nqr operon. In an alkaline environment, Na(+)/H(+) antiporters acidify the cytoplasm at the expense of the transmembrane voltage. It is proposed that, at alkaline pH and limiting Na(+) concentrations, the Na(+)-NQR is crucial for generation of a transmembrane voltage to drive the import of H(+) by electrogenic Na(+)/H(+) antiporters. Our study provides the basis to understand the role of the Na(+)-NQR in pathogenicity of V. cholerae and other pathogens relying on this primary Na(+) pump for respiration.

Resveratrol: Biological and pharmaceutical properties as anticancer molecule

There is ample evidence that shows an inverse relationship between consumption of fruit/vegetable-rich diets and the risk of cancer at various anatomical sites. In this review, we will assess and summarize recent advances on cancer prevention by resveratrol, a natural stilbenoid present in red grapes, peanuts, some common drinks, and dietary supplements. We will focus on data published within the past few years on in vivo model tumor animal studies that reinforce the chemopreventive efficacy of resveratrol against a multitude of cancers, as well as on its sensitization/enhancing activities against tumor cells when used in combination with established chemotherapeutic and pharmaceutical agents. In addition, we will review examples resveratrol-target proteins, denoted RTPs, including the 24-kDa cytosolic protein quinone reductase 2 (NQO2) discovered in our laboratory that may confer resveratrol responsiveness to cancer cells. We will discuss the possible role of NQO2 in mediating cancer prevention by resveratrol. Our analysis of published data strengthen support that resveratrol displays novel roles in various cellular processes, and help to establish an expanded molecular framework for cancer prevention by resveratrol in vivo.

Parkinson's disease and mitochondrial complex I: a perspective on the Ndi1 therapy

Mitochondrial impairment has been collecting more and more attention as a contributing factor to the etiology of Parkinson's disease. Above all, the NADH-quinone oxidoreductase, complex I, of the respiratory chain seems to be most culpable. Complex I dysfunction is translated to an increased production of reactive oxygen species and a decreased energy supply. In the brain, the dopaminergic neurons are one of the most susceptible cells. Their death is directly linked to the disease apparition. Developing an effective gene therapy is challenged by harmful actions of reactive oxygen species. To overcome this problem a therapeutic candidate must be able to restore the NADH-quinone oxidoreductase activity regardless of how complex I is impaired. Here we discuss the potency of the yeast alternative NADH dehydrogenase, the Ndi1 protein, to reinstate the mitochondrial respiratory chain compensating for disabled complex I and the benefit Ndi1 brings toward retardation of Parkinson's disease.

An NAD(P)H-nicotine blue oxidoreductase is part of the nicotine regulon and may protect Arthrobacter nicotinovorans from oxidative stress during nicotine catabolism

An NAD(P)H-nicotine blue (quinone) oxidoreductase was discovered as a member of the nicotine catabolic pathway of Arthrobacter nicotinovorans. Transcriptional analysis and electromobility shift assays showed that the enzyme gene was expressed in a nicotine-dependent manner under the control of the transcriptional activator PmfR and thus was part of the nicotine regulon of A. nicotinovorans. The flavin mononucleotide-containing enzyme uses NADH and, with lower efficiency, NADPH to reduce, by a two-electron transfer, nicotine blue to the nicotine blue leuco form (hydroquinone). Besides nicotine blue, several other quinones were reduced by the enzyme. The NAD(P)H-nicotine blue oxidoreductase may prevent intracellular one-electron reductions of nicotine blue which may lead to semiquinone radicals and potentially toxic reactive oxygen species.

NQO1 and NQO2 Regulation of Humoral Immunity and Autoimmunity

NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) and NRH:quinone oxidoreductase 2 (NQO2) are cytosolic enzymes that catalyze metabolic reduction of quinones and derivatives. NQO1-null and NQO2-null mice were generated that showed decreased lymphocytes in peripheral blood, myeloid hyperplasia, and increased sensitivity to skin carcinogenesis. In this report, we investigated the in vivo role of NQO1 and NQO2 in immune response and autoimmunity. Both NQO1-null and NQO2-null mice showed decreased B-cells in blood, lower germinal center response, altered B cell homing, and impaired primary and secondary immune responses. NQO1-null and NQO2-null mice also showed susceptibility to autoimmune disease as revealed by decreased apoptosis in thymocytes and pre-disposition to collagen-induced arthritis. Further experiments showed accumulation of NADH and NRH, cofactors for NQO1 and NQO2, indicating altered intracellular redox status. The studies also demonstrated decreased expression and lack of activation of immune-related factor NF-kappaB. Microarray analysis showed altered chemokines and chemokine receptors. These results suggest that the loss of NQO1 and NQO2 leads to altered intracellular redox status, decreased expression and activation of NF-kappaB, and altered chemokines. The results led to the conclusion that NQO1 and NQO2 are endogenous factors in the regulation of immune response and autoimmunity.

Na(+)-Translocating NADH:quinone oxidoreductase: progress achieved and prospects of investigations

Structural and catalytic properties of bacterial Na+-translocating NADH:quinone oxidoreductases are briefly described. Special attention is given to studies on kinetics of the enzyme interaction with NADH and the role of sodium ions in this process. Based on the existing data, possible model mechanisms of sodium transfer by Na+-translocating NADH:quinone oxidoreductase are proposed.

Characterization of the membrane domain subunit NuoJ (ND6) of the NADH-quinone oxidoreductase from Escherichia coli by chromosomal DNA manipulation

The ND6 subunit is one of seven mitochondrial DNA-encoded subunits of the proton-translocating NADH-quinone oxidoreductase (complex I). Physiological importance of the ND6 subunit is becoming increasingly apparent because a number of mutations leading to amino acid changes in this subunit have been found to be associated with known mitochondrial diseases. Using the Escherichia coli enzyme (NDH-1), we have investigated the NuoJ subunit (the E. coli counterpart of ND6) by employing a chromosomal DNA manipulation technique. A series of point mutations was constructed directly on the nuoJ gene in the chromosome targeting at highly conserved residues. Analyses with blue-native gel electrophoresis and immunological methods revealed that, in all point mutants, the assembly of NDH-1 was normal and that the deamino-NADH-K(3)Fe(CN)(6) reductase activity of the membrane was essentially the same as that of the wild-type. However, energy-coupled NDH-1 activities were affected to varied extents. Among them, mutants of the Val-65 residue that is located in the most conserved transmembrane segment significantly lost the coupled electron-transfer activities and exhibited diminished membrane potential and proton translocation. This may suggest that Val-65 or the area around it is important for energy transduction of the coupling site 1. Together with the results on mutations related to human diseases, possible functional roles of the NuoJ subunit have been discussed.

New insights into type II NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductases

Type II NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductases (NDH-2) catalyze the two-electron transfer from NAD(P)H to quinones, without any energy-transducing site. NDH-2 accomplish the turnover of NAD(P)H, regenerating the NAD(P)(+) pool, and may contribute to the generation of a membrane potential through complexes III and IV. These enzymes are usually constituted by a nontransmembrane polypeptide chain of approximately 50 kDa, containing a flavin moiety. There are a few compounds that can prevent their activity, but so far no general specific inhibitor has been assigned to these enzymes. However, they have the common feature of being resistant to the complex I classical inhibitors rotenone, capsaicin, and piericidin A. NDH-2 have particular relevance in yeasts like Saccharomyces cerevisiae and in several prokaryotes, whose respiratory chains are devoid of complex I, in which NDH-2 keep the balance and are the main entry point of electrons into the respiratory chains. Our knowledge of these proteins has expanded in the past decade, as a result of contributions at the biochemical level and the sequencing of the genomes from several organisms. The latter showed that most organisms contain genes that potentially encode NDH-2. An overview of this development is presented, with special emphasis on microbial enzymes and on the identification of three subfamilies of NDH-2.

Inhibition of membrane-bound methane monooxygenase and ammonia monooxygenase by diphenyliodonium: implications for electron transfer

Diphenyliodonium (DPI) is known to irreversibly inactivate flavoproteins. We have found that DPI inhibits both membrane-bound methane monooxygenase (pMMO) from Methylococcus capsulatus and ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) of Nitrosomonas europaea. The effect of DPI on NADH-dependent pMMO activity in vitro is ascribed to inactivation of NDH-2, a flavoprotein which we proposed catalyzes reduction of the quinone pool by NADH. DPI is a potent inhibitor of type 2 NADH:quinone oxidoreductase (NDH-2), with 50% inhibition occurring at approximately 5 micro M. Inhibition of NDH-2 is irreversible and requires NADH. Inhibition of NADH-dependent pMMO activity by DPI in vitro is concomitant with inhibition of NDH-2, consistent with our proposal that NDH-2 mediates reduction of pMMO. Unexpectedly, DPI also inhibits pMMO activity driven by exogenous hydroquinols, but with approximately 100 micro M DPI required to achieve 50% inhibition. Similar concentrations of DPI are required to inhibit formate-, formaldehyde-, and hydroquinol-driven pMMO activities in whole cells. The pMMO activity in DPI-treated cells greatly exceeds the activity of NDH-2 or pMMO in membranes isolated from those cells, suggesting that electron transfer from formate to pMMO in vivo can occur independent of NADH and NDH-2. AMO activity, which is known to be independent of NADH, is affected by DPI in a manner analogous to pMMO in vivo: approximately 100 micro M is required for 50% inhibition regardless of the nature of the reducing agent. DPI does not affect hydroxylamine oxidoreductase activity and does not require AMO turnover to exert its inhibitory effect. Implications of these data for the electron transfer pathway from the quinone pool to pMMO and AMO are discussed.

A novel plasma membrane quinone reductase and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 are upregulated by serum withdrawal in human promyelocytic HL-60 cells

We have studied changes in plasma membrane NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductases of HL-60 cells under serum withdrawal conditions, as a model to analyze cell responses to oxidative stress. Highly enriched plasma membrane fractions were obtained from cell homogenates. A major part of NADH-quinone oxidoreductase in the plasma membrane was insensitive to micromolar concentrations of dicumarol, a specific inhibitor of the NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQOI, DT-diaphorase), and only a minor portion was characterized as DT-diaphorase. An enzyme with properties of a cytochrome b5 reductase accounted for most dicumarol-resistant quinone reductase activity in HL-60 plasma membranes. The enzyme used mainly NADH as donor, it reduced coenzyme Q0 through a one-electron mechanism with generation of superoxide, and its inhibition profile by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate was similar to that of authentic cytochrome b5 reductase. Both NQO1 and a novel dicumarol-insensitive quinone reductase that was not accounted by a cytochrome b5 reductase were significantly increased in plasma membranes after serum deprivation, showing a peak at 32 h of treatment. The reductase was specific for NADH, did not generate superoxide during quinone reduction, and was significantly resistant to p-hydroxymercuribenzoate. The function of this novel quinone reductase remains to be elucidated whereas dicumarol inhibition of NQO1 strongly potentiated growth arrest and decreased viability of HL-60 cells in the absence of serum. Our results demonstrate that upregulation of two-electron quinone reductases at the plasma membrane is a mechanism evoked by cells for defense against oxidative stress caused by serum withdrawal.

Protective effect of ethanol against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in mice: role of NADH:quinone reductase

The role of NAD(P)H:quinone reductase (QR; EC 1.6.99.2) in the alcohol-derived protective effect against hepatotoxicity caused by acetaminophen (APAP) was studied. In mice pretreated with dicoumarol (30 mg/kg), an inhibitor of QR, hepatic necrosis caused by APAP (400 mg/kg) was potentiated. Hepatocellular injuries induced by APAP, as assessed by liver histology, serum aminotransferase activities, hepatic glutathione (reduced and oxidized) contents, and liver microsomal aminopyrine N-demethylase activities, all were potentiated by pretreatment of mice with dicoumarol. Even in mice given APAP and ethanol (4 g/kg), in which APAP-inducible hepatic necrosis was abolished, the dicoumarol pretreatment again produced moderate hepatotoxicity and reversed the protective effect of ethanol. In mice pretreated with dicoumarol and ethanol, levels of APAP in blood and bile fluid between 90 and 240 min were higher than those in mice given ethanol. However, the biliary contents of sulfate and glucuronide conjugates of APAP were much lower than those in the ethanol group, particularly at early time points. In contrast, the biliary level of APAP-cysteine conjugate, which in the ethanol group was at its basal level, was increased maximally in the dicoumarol-pretreated mice. In the mice given dicoumarol and ethanol, the biliary APAP-cysteine conjugate level was increased moderately. These results suggest that ethanol inhibited not only the microsomal (CYP2E1 mediated) formation of a toxic quinone metabolite from APAP, but also accelerated the conversion of the toxic quinone metabolite produced back to APAP by stimulating cytoplasmic QR activity. In the presence of dicoumarol, however, QR activity was inhibited, and conversion of the toxic quinone metabolite back to APAP became inhibited and diminished the alcohol-dependent protective effect against APAP-induced hepatic injury.

Histochemical detection of quinone reductase activity in situ using LY 83583 reduction and oxidation

The application of enzymatic staining techniques, using tetrazolium dyes, to aldehyde-treated brain sections has revealed the presence of NADPH-diaphorase activity attributed to nitric oxide synthase. When evaluating the specificity of the putative guanylyl cyclase inhibitor LY 83583, a robust and novel staining pattern was noted in epithelial, endothelial, and astrocytic cells when LY 83583 was included in the NADPH-diaphorase histochemical reaction. This LY 83583-dependent staining could be blocked by the NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase inhibitor dicumarol. Based on its quinone structure, we hypothesized that LY 83583 was a substrate for the enzyme NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase. Transfection of human embryonic kidney 293 cells with the rat liver isoform of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase resulted in robust NADPH- and LY 83583-dependent staining that was completely blocked by dicumarol and was not observed in untransfected cells. Analysis of transfected cell extracts and brain homogenates indicated that LY 83583 was a substrate for NAD(P) H:quinone oxidoreductase, with a Km similar to the well-characterized substrate menadione. Sensitivity of the nitroblue tetrazolium reduction to superoxide dismutase indicated that the reduction of LY 83583 by NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase leads to superoxide generation. The localization of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase activity to astrocytic cells suggests a role for glia in combating oxidative insults to brain and in activating quinone-like drugs such as LY 83583.

Identification of a functional respiratory complex in chloroplasts through analysis of tobacco mutants containing disrupted plastid ndh genes

The plastid genomes of several plants contain homologues, termed ndh genes, of genes encoding subunits of the NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase or complex I of mitochondria and eubacteria. The functional significance of the Ndh proteins in higher plants is uncertain. We show here that tobacco chloroplasts contain a protein complex of 550 kDa consisting of at least three of the ndh gene products: NdhI, NdhJ and NdhK. We have constructed mutant tobacco plants with disrupted ndhC, ndhK and ndhJ plastid genes, indicating that the Ndh complex is dispensible for plant growth under optimal growth conditions. Chlorophyll fluorescence analysis shows that in vivo the Ndh complex catalyses the post-illumination reduction of the plastoquinone pool and in the light optimizes the induction of photosynthesis under conditions of water stress. We conclude that the Ndh complex catalyses the reduction of the plastoquinone pool using stromal reductant and so acts as a respiratory complex. Overall, our data are compatible with the participation of the Ndh complex in cyclic electron flow around the photosystem I complex in the light and possibly in a chloroplast respiratory chain in the dark.

Dicoumarol-sensitive NADPH: phenanthrenequinone oxidoreductase in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)

Phenanthrenequinone (PQ), which occurs widely as a pollutant and as a major metabolite of phenanthrene in a number of species, has been demonstrated to undergo futile redox cycling leading to oxidative stress. In the presence of cytosolic fractions of selected channel catfish tissues, PQ undergoes enzymatic reduction which is mediated by either NADH or NADPH and is composed of dicoumarol-sensitive and -insensitive components. Most notably, gastric cytosol catalyzed a disproportionately high level of NADPH-dependent, dicoumarol-sensitive PQ reduction as compared to gill, liver, and kidney cytosols. In the presence of stomach cytosol and NADPH, PQ facilitated production of superoxide anion at rates several fold higher than those mediated by menadione. The dicoumarol-sensitive PQ-reducing agent, which we have termed NADPH: phenanthrenequinone oxidoreductase (PQR), was purified by affinity chromatography and was demonstrated to be separable from DT diaphorase activity in gastric cytosol. Under aerobic conditions, purified PQR facilitates redox cycling of PQ as indicated by continued NADPH oxidation and hydrogen peroxide production. Under anaerobic conditions, NADPH oxidation is limited to a quantity indicative of PQ reduction to the hydroquinone. Substrate specificities, pH profiles, and kinetic characteristics combine to indicate that PQR represents a novel quinone reductase in this species.

Preclinical detection of Parkinson's disease: biochemical approaches

Dysfunction of NADH: ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) of the mitochondrial electron transport chain has been linked to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. While simple assays of complex I activity are unlikely to be useful in the preclinical detection of Parkinson's disease, other more sophisticated physical-chemical approaches including detection of free radical damage may have utility. Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy may provide a useful model system for development of such strategies.

Superoxide anion production and toxicity in V79 cells of six hydroxy-anthraquinones

This study investigates the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of various carboxy AQ, 1,4-dihydroxy 6-carboxy AQ, 1,8-dihydroxy 3-carboxy AQ, 1,4-dihydroxy AQ, 1,5-dihydroxy AQ, 1,8-dihydroxy AQ and 2,6-dihydroxy AQ in V79 Chinese hamster cells. The V79 cells were used since, as they contain flavoproteins but not cytochrome P-450, they can bioactive xenobiotics only through the reductive pathway excluding the oxidative one. In addition, the abilities of AQs to stimulate O2-production using both purified flavoproteins (NADH-dehydrogenase, NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase) and V79 subcellular fractions (homogenate and microsomes) were assayed. The NADH and NADPH consumption stimulated by AQs in V79 microsomes was also determined. The results showed that the carboxylic-containing drugs and the 1,4-dihydroxy AQ were weak sister chromatid exchange inducers and the most toxic among the six anthraquinones examined. Dicumarol, a potent inhibitor of DT-diaphorase, reduced, rather than potentiated, both the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity caused by these AQs. Thus, the higher superoxide formation rates stimulated by the carboxylic-containing AQs compared to those of the other quinones with all the in vitro systems used, suggested, except for the 1,4-dihydroxy AQ, a possible relationship between cytotoxicity and O2-production. For the 1,4-dihydroxy AQ toxicity, a specific bioactivation route was hypothesized.

Role of DT diaphorase the cytotoxicity of menadione and 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide in cultured mammalian fibroblastic cells

The role of DT diaphorase on the cytotoxicity (reduction in colony formation frequency) of menadione and 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO) was examined in two fibroblastic cell lines (Chinese hamster V79H3 cells and NG2 Syrian hamster cells). The addition of dicoumarol (10(-4) M-3 x 10(-4) M), a specific inhibitor of DT diaphorase, resulted in an intensification of the cytotoxicity of menadione, supporting the hypothesis that DT diaphorase protects cells against the oxidative stress induced by quinones. On the other hand, the toxicity of 4NQO was greatly reduced by the addition of dicoumarol (10(-5) M-3 x 10(-4) M), showing that DT diaphorase is the key (or the sole) enzyme involved in the activation of 4NQO in the above cells.

Metabolism of mitomycin C by DT-diaphorase: role in mitomycin C-induced DNA damage and cytotoxicity in human colon carcinoma cells

The role of DT-diaphorase in bioreductive activation of mitomycin C was examined using HT-29 and BE human carcinoma cells which have high and low levels of DT-diaphorase activity, respectively. HT-29 cells were more sensitive to mitomycin C-induced cytotoxicity than the DT-diaphorase-deficient BE cell line. Mitomycin C induced DNA interstrand cross-linking in HT-29 cells but not in BE cells. Both mitomycin C-induced cytotoxicity and induction of DNA interstrand cross-links could be inhibited by pretreatment of HT-29 cells with dicoumarol. Metabolism of mitomycin C by HT-29 cell cytosol was pH dependent and increased as the pH was lowered to 5.8, the lowest pH tested. Metabolism of mitomycin C by HT-29 cytosol was inhibited by prior boiling of cytosol or by the inclusion of dicoumarol. Little metabolism was detected in BE cytosols. When purified rat hepatic DT-diaphorase was used, metabolism of mitomycin C increased as the pH was decreased and could be detected at pH 5.8, 6.4, 7.0, 7.4, but not at 7.8. Metabolism of mitomycin C was NADH dependent and inhibited by dicoumarol or by prior boiling of enzyme. An approximate 1:1 stoichiometry between NADH and mitomycin C removal was demonstrated and no oxygen consumption could be detected. Metabolism of mitomycin C by purified HT-29 DT-diaphorase was also dicoumarol inhibitable and pH dependent. The major metabolite formed during metabolism of mitomycin C by HT-29 cytosol, purified HT-29, and rat hepatic DT-diaphorase was characterized as 2,7-diaminomitosene. These data suggest that two-electron reduction of mitomycin C by DT-diaphorase may be an important determinant of mitomycin C-induced genotoxicity and cytotoxicity.

Advances in research on DT-diaphorase--catalytic properties, regulation of activity and significance in the detoxication of foreign compounds

DT-diaphorase [NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (quinone), EC 1.6.99.2] is a flavoprotein enzyme widely distributed in the cytosolic fractions of various animal tissues. It is also called menadione reductase or NAD(P)H-quinone reductase and catalyzes NAD(P)H-dependent 1-, 2- or 4-electron reduction of certain redox dyes, aromatic nitro compounds, aromatic C-nitroso compounds and probably azo-dyes, as well as menadione (vitamin K3) and other quinones. Dicumarol exerts characteristic inhibition on DT-diaphorase, whereas serum albumin and certain non-ionic detergents exert activation. Excessive concentrations of many of the electron acceptors inhibit the activity of this enzyme. The physiological significance of DT-diaphorase is still obscure because the physiological vitamins (K1 and K2) and coenzyme Q10 are difficult to reduce with this enzyme. Results of recent studies suggest that DT-diaphorase prevents formation of active oxygen species. Activities in liver and other tissues are known to be enhanced by administration of chemicals including certain carcinogens such as 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC), anti-oxidants such as 3-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole (BHA), and other compounds. Both basal and induced activities vary considerably with tissue, sex, strain and species of animals. The strain variations in activities in rat and mouse liver are known to be inherited, and the trait of hereditary transmission can be adequately explained by postulating two loci of genes or gene clusters regulating the activity. Resistance of animals to various toxic or carcinogenic substances may be promoted by BHA administration and depressed by dicumarol administration. Thus, attention has been focused on the role played by DT-diaphorase in the detoxication of foreign compounds. Knowledge on strain variations in basal and induced activities of tissue DT-diaphorase is of potential value when choosing a rat or mouse strain suitable for studying the toxic effects of drugs, especially drugs expected to be detoxified by reductive metabolism. With future progress in research on DT-diaphorase, this enzyme might be applied to prophylactic and therapeutic medicine.

Isolation of Chinese hamster ovary cell mutants deficient in excision repair and mitomycin C bioactivation

Mitomycin C (MMC), a bifunctional alkylating agent, requires metabolic reduction to become biologically active. We have identified a series of genetically related Chinese hamster ovary cell lines which span approximately three orders of magnitude in the concentration of MMC required for cell killing. Many mechanisms, including drug transport, drug activation, drug detoxification, and the elimination, or repair, of drug-induced lesions, may contribute to the level of drug resistance in cells. By exploring each of the above mechanisms in the various Chinese hamster ovary cell lines, we have been able to classify these cell lines into four categories. Proceeding from least resistant to most resistant to MMC, the cell lines are: (a) proficient in the bioreduction of MMC and deficient in DNA excision repair; (b) deficient in some aspects of MMC bioreduction and deficient in repair; (c) bioreduction and repair proficient; and (d) bioreduction deficient and repair proficient.

Reaction center and UQH2:cyt c2 oxidoreductase act as independent enzymes in Rps. sphaeroides

Turnover of the ubiquinol oxidizing site of the UQH2:cyt c2 oxidoreductase (b/c1 complex) of Rps. sphaeroides can be assayed by measuring the rate of reduction of cyt b561 in the presence of antimycin (AA). Oxidation of ubiquinol is a second-order process, with a value of k2 of about 3 X 10(5)M-1. The reaction shows saturation at high quinol concentrations, with an apparent Km of about 6-8mM (with respect to the concentration of quinol in the membrane). When the quinone pool is oxidized before illumination, reduction of the complex shows a substantial lag (about 1 ms) after a flash, indicating that the quinol produced as a result of the photochemical reactions is not immediately available to the complex. We have suggested that the lag may be due to several factors, including the leaving time of the quinol from the reaction center, the diffusion time to the complex, and the time for the head group to cross the membrane. We have suggested a minimal value for the diffusion coefficient of ubiquinone in the membrane (assuming that the lag is due entirely to diffusion) of about 10(-9) cm-2 sec-1. The lag is reduced to about 100 microseconds when the pool is significantly reduced, showing that quinol from the pool is more rapidly available to the complex than that from the reaction center. With the pool oxidized, similar kinetics are seen when the reduction of cyt b561 occurs through the AA-sensitive site (with reactions at the quinol oxidizing site blocked by myxothiazol).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Uncoupler-inhibitor titrations of ATP-driven reverse electron transfer in bovine submitochondrial particles provide evidence for direct interaction between ATPase and NADH:Q oxidoreductase

From the chemiosmotic hypothesis it follows that no change is expected in potency of an uncoupler to inhibit an energy-driven reaction in an energy-transducing membrane if the energy-requiring part of the reaction, the so-called secondary proton pump, is partially inhibited by a specific, tightly bound inhibitor. An increase in potency upon inhibition of the primary pump may be expected, due to a lower rate of the total proton flow that can be used by the secondary pump and dissipated by the uncoupler. Contrary to this prediction several uncouplers (S13, SF6847, 2,4-dinitrophenol, valinomycin + nigericin) show an increase in uncoupling efficiency in ATP-driven reverse electron transfer (reversal) upon inhibition of the secondary pump in this reaction, the NADH:Q oxidoreductase, by rotenone. The increase in uncoupling efficiency is proportional to the decrease in the rate of reversal, that is to the decrease in concentration of active secondary pump. Similarly, upon inhibition of the primary pump, the ATPase, with oligomycin, an increase in uncoupling efficiency was found, also proportional to the decrease in the rate of reversal. When the pore-forming uncoupler gramicidin was used, no change in uncoupling potency was found upon inhibition of NADH:Q oxidoreductase. Inhibition of the ATPase, however, resulted in a proportionally lower uncoupling titre for gramicidin, just as was found for S13 in the presence of oligomycin. A difference was also found in the relative concentrations of S13 and gramicidin required to stimulate ATP hydrolysis or to inhibit reversal. The amount of S13 needed to stimulate ATP hydrolysis was clearly higher than the amount needed to inhibit reversal. On the contrary, the titre of gramicidin for both actions was about the same. To explain these results we propose that gramicidin uncouples via dissipation of the bulk delta mu H+, whereas the carrier-type uncouplers preferentially interfere with the direct energy transduction between the ATPase and redox enzymes. This is in accordance with the recently developed collision hypothesis.

Isolation of a physiologically active and a physiologically inactive mitochondrial NADH-ubiquinone reductase (complex I) from donkey hearts

The method described for the isolation of mitochondrial complex I (NADH-ubiquinone reductase) from bovine hearts could not be applied to donkey hearts as unacceptably large losses in enzyme activity occurred. This method was modified for the isolation of complex I using donkey hearts and two complexes were obtained: complex IA which was physiologically inactive and complex IB which was physiologically active as it catalyzed the reaction from NADH to ubiquinone. Both complexes had relatively low enzyme activity with artificial electron acceptors, except with potassium ferricyanide, and had more or less the same amount of acid-labile sulfur and nonheme iron although the polypeptide composition differed to a great extent.

Effects of streptonigrin derivatives and sakyomicin A on the respiration of isolated rat liver mitochondria

Though all the streptonigrin derivatives with modifications in the carboxyl group on C2' were active as electron acceptors in the oxidation of NADH by Clostridium kluyveri diaphorase as well as streptonigrin, the glycine derivative did not show any marked effect on the KCN-insensitive oxidation of glutamate by rat liver mitochondria, suggesting a poor membrane transport of the glycine derivative. Sakyomicin A also induced the KCN-insensitive oxidation of glutamate by mitochondria, while a trace activity was observed by mitomycin C and the effect of doxorubicin was negligible. Like streptonigrin, the autoxidation of a reduced form (hydroquinone) of sakyomicin A to a quinone accompanied the generation of H2O2. However, exogenous NADH was oxidized by mitochondria in the presence of sakyomicin A but not streptonigrin.

Prominent role of DT-diaphorase as a cellular mechanism reducing chromium(VI) and reverting its mutagenicity

Rat liver postmitochondrial (S-12) fractions accounted for the bulk of the activity of whole cell homogenates in reducing chromium(VI) and accordingly in decreasing its mutagenicity. Both cytosolic (S-105) and microsomal fractions concurred to this process, which in all subcellular preparations tested was selectively induced by phenobarbital and especially by Aroclor 1254, but not by 3-methylcholanthrene. Cytosolic fractions were markedly more efficient in reducing chromium(VI) than microsomal fractions recovered from the same amount of tissue (liver or lung), although the latter preparations had a higher specific activity. The microsomal activity was exclusively NADPH dependent. A minor part of the cytosolic reduction was determined by nonenzymatic components, notably by some electron donors and chiefly by reduced glutathione, which proved to reduce chromium(VI) at physiological concentrations. However, also in cytosolic fractions, the most important contribution to chromium reduction was enzyme catalyzed, as shown by the following properties: thermolability; requirement for exogenous NADH or NADPH [supplied as such or in the form of a NADPH-generating system (S-9 mix)]; and saturation by chromium(VI). The likely involvement of DT-diaphorase in this metabolic process is supported by several findings, including its sharp pH dependence and its partial suppression by known inhibitors of this enzyme protein, such as p-chloromercuribenzoate, L-thyroxine, and dicumarol (which conversely did not counteract the metabolic deactivation of the other direct-acting mutagens 2-methoxy-6-chloro-9-[3-(2-chloroethyl)aminopropylamino]acridine 2HCl and epichlorohydrin). Similarly, cytosolic reduction of chromium(VI) was partially inhibited by selective metabolic depletors of both coenzymes of DT-diaphorase, i.e., NADPH and NADH. Pretreatment of rats with enzyme inducers (phenobarbital and 3-methylcholanthrene) stimulated the activity of DT-diaphorase in liver cytosolic fractions. A dramatic stimulation (35 to 40 times over untreated controls) was produced by Aroclor 1254, which also coinduced the liver cytosolic activity of enzymes involved in the glucose 6-phosphate-dependent pathway of both nicotinamide-adenine-dinucleotide phosphate and glutathione reduction (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, and glutathione reductase). In the lung cytosol, a slight yet significant stimulation of some of these enzyme activities was determined by the daily intratracheal instillations of high doses of chromium(VI) itself for 4 weeks, a condition which has been found to enhance the pulmonary metabolism of this metal ion.

Effect of ascorbate on covalent binding of benzene and phenol metabolites to isolated tissue preparations

[14C]Phenol and [14C]benzene are metabolized in the presence of NADPH and hepatic microsomes isolated from phenobarbital- or benzene-pretreated or untreated guinea pigs to intermediates capable of covalently binding to microsomal protein. When 1 mM ascorbate was included in the incubation mixture containing benzene as the substrate, covalent binding was inhibited by 55%. Increasing the ascorbate concentration to 5 mM inhibited binding by only an additional 17%. In contrast, when phenol was used as the substrate, 1 mM ascorbate inhibited binding by 95%. When DT-diaphorase was included in the incubation mixture containing benzene as the substrate, binding was inhibited by only 18%. This degree of inhibition is in contrast to 70% inhibition with phenol. These results indicate that different metabolites are responsible for a portion of the covalent binding depending upon the substrate employed. GSH inhibited covalent binding greater than 95% with either substrate. The metabolism of phenol to hydroquinone was unaffected by the addition of ascorbate or GSH. The metabolism of benzene to phenol was unaffected by the addition of GSH; however, the addition of ascorbate decreased the formation of phenol by 35%. Tissue ascorbate could be modulated by placing guinea pigs on different dietary intakes of ascorbate. Bone marrow ascorbate concentrations could be modulated 10-fold without any significant change in the GSH concentrations. Bone marrow isolated from guinea pigs on different dietary intakes of ascorbate were incubated with H2O2 and phenol. Bone marrow with low ascorbate concentrations displayed 4-fold more covalent binding of phenol equivalents than those with high ascorbate concentrations. This is an example of how the dietary intake of ascorbate can result in a differential response to a potentially toxic event in vitro.

Reconstitution of the ubiquinol: cytochrome c reductase from a bc1 subcomplex and the 'Rieske' iron-sulfur protein isolated by a new method

1. A method for preparing the 'Rieske' iron-sulfur protein and the bc1 subcomplex of complex III was developed. The new method is advantageous over the published ones in that: (a) the final yield and amount exceeds by far those obtained when employing the hitherto published methods; (b) the iron-sulfur protein as well as the bc1 subcomplex are obtained by one and the same preparation procedure from a common source; and (c) the preparation method is easier than the published ones. 2. The iron-sulfur protein obtained represents the first reconstitutively active preparation present in a monodisperse state. 3. The reconstitution of the ubiquinol:cytochrome c reductase from the two components is a reversible dissociation process. Full activity of ubiquinol:cytochrome c reductase is reached after saturation of the binding site of the bc1 subcomplex for iron-sulfur protein. 4. Full reduction of the constituent cytochrome c1 of the bc1 subcomplex can already be obtained with substoichiometric amounts of iron-sulfur protein, however. 5. The question might be raised whether the observed dissociation equilibrium represents merely a phenomenon occurring specifically with the proteins isolated in Triton X-100 and investigated in a Triton-containing buffer, or whether dissociation of the iron-sulfur protein also takes place in the mitochondrial membrane in the course of the electron-transfer reaction sequence.

Inhibition of electron transfer in the cytochrome b-c, segment of the mitochondrial respiratory chain by a synthetic analogue of ubiquinone

A synthetic analogue of ubiquinone, 5-n-undecyl-6-hydroxy-4,7-dioxobenzothiazole, inhibits oxidation of succinate and NADH-linked substrates by rat liver mitochondria. Inhibition occurs both in the presence (state 3) and absence (state 4) of ADP. With isolated succinate-cytochrome c reductase complex from bovine heart mitochondria the quinone analogue inhibits succinate-cytochrome c reductase and ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase activities but does not inhibit succinate-ubiquinone reductase activity. Inhibition of cytochrome c reductase activities is markedly dependent on pH in the range pH 7-8. At pH 7.0 inhibition occurs with an apparent Ki less than or equal to 1 x 10(-8) M, while at pH 8.0 the apparent Ki is more than an order of magnitude greater than this. Spectrophotometric titrations of 5-n-undecyl-6-hydroxy-4,7-dioxobenzothiazole show a visibly detectable pKa at pH 6.5 attributable to ionization of the 6-hydroxy group. These results indicate that this quinone derivative is a highly specific and potent inhibitor of electron transfer in the b-c1 segment of the respiratory chain. Because of the structural analogy, it is likely that the mechanism of inhibition involves disruption of normal ubiquinone function. In addition, this inhibition depends on protonation of the ionizable hydroxy group of the inhibitory analogue or on protonation of a function group in the b-c1 segment.

Electrogenic events in the ubiquinone-cytochrome b/c2 oxidoreductase of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides

The reductant of ferricytochrome c2 in Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides is a component, Z, which has an equilibrium oxidation-reduction reaction involving two electrons and two protons with a midpoint potential of 155 mV at pH 7. Under energy coupled conditions, the reduction of ferricytochrome c2 by ZH2 is obligatorily coupled to an apparently electrogenic reaction which is monitored by a red shift of the endogeneous carotenoids. Both ferricytochrome c2 reduction and the associated carotenoid bandshift are similarly affected by the concentrations of ZH2 and ferricytochrome c2, pH, temperature the inhibitors diphenylamine and antimycin, and the presence of ubiquinone. The second-order rate constant for ferricytochrome c2 reduction at pH 7.0 and at 24 degrees C was 2 - 10(9) M-1 - s-1, but this varied with pH, being 5.1 - 10(8) M-1 = s-1 at pH 5.2 and 4.3 - 10(9) M-1 - s-1 at pH 9.3. At pH 7 the reaction had an activation energy of 10.3 kcal/mol.