Ability of hypochlorous acid and N-chloramines to chlorinate DNA and its constituents

Measuring chlorine bleach in biology and medicine

BACKGROUND

Chlorine bleach, or hypochlorous acid, is the most reactive two-electron oxidant produced in appreciable amounts in our bodies. Neutrophils are the main source of hypochlorous acid. These champions of the innate immune system use it to fight infection but also direct it against host tissue in inflammatory diseases. Neutrophils contain a rich supply of the enzyme myeloperoxidase. It uses hydrogen peroxide to convert chloride to hypochlorous acid.

SCOPE OF REVIEW

We give a critical appraisal of the best methods to measure production of hypochlorous acid by purified peroxidases and isolated neutrophils. Robust ways of detecting it inside neutrophil phagosomes where bacteria are killed are also discussed. Special attention is focused on reaction-based fluorescent probes but their visual charm is tempered by stressing their current limitations. Finally, the strengths and weaknesses of biomarker assays that capture the footprints of chlorine in various pathologies are evaluated.

MAJOR CONCLUSIONS

Detection of hypochlorous acid by purified peroxidases and isolated neutrophils is best achieved by measuring accumulation of taurine chloramine. Formation of hypochlorous acid inside neutrophil phagosomes can be tracked using mass spectrometric analysis of 3-chlorotyrosine and methionine sulfoxide in bacterial proteins, or detection of chlorinated fluorescein on ingestible particles. Reaction-based fluorescent probes can also be used to monitor hypochlorous acid during phagocytosis. Specific biomarkers of its formation during inflammation include 3-chlorotyrosine, chlorinated products of plasmalogens, and glutathione sulfonamide.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

These methods should bring new insights into how chlorine bleach is produced by peroxidases, reacts within phagosomes to kill bacteria, and contributes to inflammation. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Current methods to study reactive oxygen species - pros and cons and biophysics of membrane proteins. Guest Editor: Christine Winterbourn.

Bacterial responses to reactive chlorine species

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl), the active ingredient of household bleach, is the most common disinfectant in medical, industrial, and domestic use and plays an important role in microbial killing in the innate immune system. Given the critical importance of the antimicrobial properties of chlorine to public health, it is surprising how little is known about the ways in which bacteria sense and respond to reactive chlorine species (RCS). Although the literature on bacterial responses to reactive oxygen species (ROS) is enormous, work addressing bacterial responses to RCS has begun only recently. Transcriptomic and proteomic studies now provide new insights into how bacteria mount defenses against this important class of antimicrobial compounds. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge, emphasizing the overlaps between RCS stress responses and other more well-characterized bacterial defense systems, and identify outstanding questions that represent productive avenues for future research.

Chemical and cytokine features of innate immunity characterize serum and tissue profiles in inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) arises from inappropriate activation of the mucosal immune system resulting in a state of chronic inflammation with causal links to colon cancer. Helicobacter hepaticus-infected Rag2(-/-) mice emulate many aspects of human IBD, and our recent work using this experimental model highlights the importance of neutrophils in the pathology of colitis. To define molecular mechanisms linking colitis to the identity of disease biomarkers, we performed a translational comparison of protein expression and protein damage products in tissues of mice and human IBD patients. Analysis in inflamed mouse colons identified the neutrophil- and macrophage-derived damage products 3-chlorotyrosine (Cl-Tyr) and 3-nitrotyrosine, both of which increased with disease duration. Analysis also revealed higher Cl-Tyr levels in colon relative to serum in patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease. The DNA chlorination damage product, 5-chloro-2'-deoxycytidine, was quantified in diseased human colon samples and found to be present at levels similar to those in inflamed mouse colons. Multivariate analysis of these markers, together with serum proteins and cytokines, revealed a general signature of activated innate immunity in human IBD. Signatures in ulcerative colitis sera were strongly suggestive of neutrophil activity, and those in Crohn disease and mouse sera were suggestive of both macrophage and neutrophil activity. These data point to innate immunity as a major determinant of serum and tissue profiles and provide insight into IBD disease processes.

Role of lysine during protein modification by HOCl and HOBr: halogen-transfer agent or sacrificial antioxidant?

Although protein degradation by neutrophil-derived hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and eosinophil-derived hypobromous acid (HOBr) can contribute to the inactivation of pathogens, collateral damage to host proteins can also occur and has been associated with inflammatory diseases ranging from arthritis to atherosclerosis. Though previous research suggested halotyrosines as biomarkers of protein damage and lysine as a mediator of the transfer of a halogen to tyrosine, these reactions within whole proteins are poorly understood. Herein, reactions of HOCl and HOBr with three well-characterized proteins [adenylate kinase (ADK), ribose binding protein, and bovine serum albumin] were characterized. Three assessments of oxidative modifications were evaluated for each of the proteins: (1) covalent modification of electron-rich amino acids (assessed via liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry), (2) attenuation of secondary structure (via circular dichroism), and (3) fragmentation of protein backbones (via sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis). In addition to forming halotyrosines, HOCl and HOBr converted lysine into lysine nitrile (2-amino-5-cyanopentanoic acid), a relatively stable and largely overlooked product, in yields of up to 80%. At uniform oxidant levels, fragmentation and loss of secondary structure correlated with protein size. To further examine the role of lysine, a lysine-free ADK variant was rationally designed. The absence of lysine increased yields of chlorinated tyrosines and decreased yields of brominated tyrosines following treatments with HOCl and HOBr, respectively, without influencing the susceptibility of ADK to HOX-mediated losses of secondary structure. These findings suggest that lysine serves predominantly as a sacrificial antioxidant (via formation of lysine nitrile) toward HOCl and as a halogen-transfer mediator [via reactions involving ε-N-(di)haloamines] with HOBr.

Inhibition by polyphenolic phytochemicals and sulfurous compounds of the formation of 8-chloroguanosine mediated by hypochlorous acid, human myeloperoxidase, and activated human neutrophils

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) produced by myeloperoxidase (MPO) of activated neutrophils can react with nucleic acid bases to form chlorinated nucleosides such as 8-chloroguanosine (Cl-Guo). Chlorination is enhanced by nicotine. We investigated the effects of various natural antioxidants including polyphenolic phytochemicals on the formation of Cl-Guo by HOCl in the presence and the absence of nicotine. Polyphenols, including catechins, curcumin, resveratrol, silibinin, and sulfurous compound α-lipoic acid, were found to inhibit both HOCl- and human MPO-induced Cl-Guo formation dose-dependently. Among the test compounds, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) showed the strongest inhibitory effect. Cl-Guo formation, mediated by activated human neutrophils in the presence of nicotine, was inhibited by EGCG, silibinin, and α-lipoic acid. These results suggest that polyphenols and sulfurous compounds have the potential to inhibit the induction of nucleobase damage mediated by chlorination, with possible application to reducing DNA damage associated with inflammation and cigarette-smoke inhalation.

Biologically relevant oxidants and terminology, classification and nomenclature of oxidatively generated damage to nucleobases and 2-deoxyribose in nucleic acids

A broad scientific community is involved in investigations aimed at delineating the mechanisms of formation and cellular processing of oxidatively generated damage to nucleic acids. Perhaps as a consequence of this breadth of research expertise, there are nomenclature problems for several of the oxidized bases including 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoGua), a ubiquitous marker of almost every type of oxidative stress in cells. Efforts to standardize the nomenclature and abbreviations of the main DNA degradation products that arise from oxidative pathways are reported. Information is also provided on the main oxidative radicals, non-radical oxygen species, one-electron agents and enzymes involved in DNA degradation pathways as well in their targets and reactivity. A brief classification of oxidatively generated damage to DNA that may involve single modifications, tandem base modifications, intrastrand and interstrand cross-links together with DNA-protein cross-links and base adducts arising from the addition of lipid peroxides breakdown products is also included.

Detection of 3-chlorinated tyrosine residues in human cells by flow cytometry

Hypochlorite is a strong oxidant, generated under pathological conditions, with the potency to introduce chlorine atom into a number of molecules. 3-Chloro- and 3,5-dichlorotyrosine are documented to be generated by this oxidant and their elevated levels were found in many diseases. Thus, we decided to check the possibility of use of FITC-conjugated antibodies for flow cytometric detection of 3-chlorotyrosine residues in human cells (A549, MCF-7, HUVEC-ST) exposed to the action of hypochlorite. Additionally, we compared the effects of chlorohydrins and N-chloroamino acids as chlorine donors. Cell fixation and permeabilization was followed by incubation with rabbit polyclonal anti-3-chlorotyrosine primary antibody and subsequent staining with goat anti-rabbit FITC-labeled secondary antibody. For antibody isotypic control, normal rabbit IgG was employed. Hypochlorite appeared to be the most efficient from the chlorocompounds analyzed in chlorotyrozine generation in all cell lines. Statistically significant increase of fluorescence corresponding to the level of 3-chlorotyrosine residues was found in cells treated with hypochlorite even at non-toxic concentrations (<5μM). This effect was not observed in cells exposed to the action of chlorinated amino acids or chlorohydrins. The use of anti-3-chlorotyrosine antibodies in conjunction with fluorophore-conjugated secondary antibodies analysis allows for detection of 3-chlorotyrosine residues by flow cytometry in cells treated with low doses of hypochlorite.

Inhibition of tubulin polymerization by hypochlorous acid and chloramines

Protein thiol oxidation and modification by nitric oxide and glutathione are emerging as common mechanisms to regulate protein function and to modify protein structure. Also, thiol oxidation is a probable outcome of cellular oxidative stress and is linked to degenerative disease progression. We assessed the effect of the oxidants hypochlorous acid and chloramines on the cytoskeletal protein tubulin. Total cysteine oxidation by the oxidants was monitored by labeling tubulin with the thiol-selective reagent 5-iodoacetamidofluorescein; by reaction with Ellman's reagent, 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid); and by detecting interchain tubulin disulfides by Western blot under nonreducing conditions. Whereas HOCl induced both cysteine and methionine oxidation of tubulin, chloramines were predominantly cysteine oxidants. Cysteine oxidation of tubulin, rather than methionine oxidation, was associated with loss of microtubule polymerization activity, and treatment of oxidized tubulin with disulfide reducing agents restored a considerable portion of the polymerization activity that was lost after oxidation. By comparing the reactivity of hypochlorous acid and chloramines with the previously characterized oxidants, peroxynitrite and the nitroxyl donor Angeli's salt, we have identified tubulin thiol oxidation, not methionine oxidation or tyrosine nitration, as a common outcome responsible for decreased polymerization activity.

Taurine in cardiovascular disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The shift of modern dietary regimens from 'Mediterranean' to 'western' style is believed to be responsible, in part, for the increase in cardiovascular disease, obesity, type II diabetes and cancer. A classic 'Mediterranean' diet consists of adequate intake of seafood, vegetables, fruit, whole grain and nonpurified monounsaturated vegetable oil. Thus, in humans, dietary intake of seafood is the major source of taurine, as the level of endogenously produced taurine is low.

RECENT FINDINGS

Taurine has been shown to affect coronary artery disease, blood pressure, plasma cholesterol and myocardial function in animal models of human disease. A major role of taurine is to act as an antioxidant and absorb hypochlorous acid but not the oxidative radical. It seems that this beneficial effect of taurine in antioxidant therapy has not been well promoted.

SUMMARY

This review will focus on determining whether taurine could be a factor contributing to the further prevention of heart disease.