Zinc finger proteins as potential targets for toxic metal ions: differential effects on structure and function

Effects of nickel, chlorpyrifos and their mixture on the Dictyostelium discoideum proteome

Mixtures of chemicals can have additive, synergistic or antagonistic interactions. We investigated the effects of the exposure to nickel, the organophosphate insecticide chlorpyrifos at effect concentrations (EC) of 25% and 50% and their binary mixture (Ec25 + EC25) on Dictyostelium discoideum amoebae based on lysosomal membrane stability (LMS). We treated D. discoideum with these compounds under controlled laboratory conditions and evaluated the changes in protein levels using a two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) proteomic approach. Nickel treatment at EC25 induced changes in 14 protein spots, 12 of which were down-regulated. Treatment with nickel at EC50 resulted in changes in 15 spots, 10 of which were down-regulated. Treatment with chlorpyrifos at EC25 induced changes in six spots, all of which were down-regulated; treatment with chlorpyrifos at EC50 induced changes in 13 spots, five of which were down-regulated. The mixture corresponding to EC25 of each compound induced changes in 19 spots, 13 of which were down-regulated. The data together reveal that a different protein expression signature exists for each treatment, and that only a few proteins are modulated in multiple different treatments. For a simple binary mixture, the proteomic response does not allow for the identification of each toxicant. The protein spots that showed significant differences were identified by mass spectrometry, which revealed modulations of proteins involved in metal detoxification, stress adaptation, the oxidative stress response and other cellular processes.

Zinc and the modulation of redox homeostasis

Zinc, a redox-inactive metal, has been long viewed as a component of the antioxidant network, and growing evidence points to its involvement in redox-regulated signaling. These actions are exerted through several mechanisms based on the unique chemical and functional properties of zinc. Overall, zinc contributes to maintaining the cell redox balance through various mechanisms including: (i) the regulation of oxidant production and metal-induced oxidative damage; (ii) the dynamic association of zinc with sulfur in protein cysteine clusters, from which the metal can be released by nitric oxide, peroxides, oxidized glutathione, and other thiol oxidant species; (iii) zinc-mediated induction of the zinc-binding protein metallothionein, which releases the metal under oxidative conditions and acts per se as a scavenging oxidant; (iv) the involvement of zinc in the regulation of glutathione metabolism and of the overall protein thiol redox status; and (v) a direct or indirect regulation of redox signaling. Findings of oxidative stress, altered redox signaling, and associated cell/tissue dysfunction in cell and animal models of zinc deficiency highlight the relevant role of zinc in the preservation of cell redox homeostasis. However, although the participation of zinc in antioxidant protection, redox sensing, and redox-regulated signaling is accepted, the molecules, targets, and mechanisms involved are still partially known and the subject of active research.

Cadmium(II) complex formation with selenourea and thiourea in solution: an XAS and 113Cd NMR study

The complexes formed in methanol solutions of Cd(CF(3)SO(3))(2) with selenourea (SeU) or thiourea (TU), for thiourea also in aqueous solution, were studied by combining (113)Cd NMR and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. At low temperature (~200 K), distinct (113)Cd NMR signals were observed, corresponding to CdL(n)(2+) species (n = 0-4, L = TU or SeU) in slow ligand exchange. Peak integrals were used to obtain the speciation in the methanol solutions, allowing stability constants to be estimated. For cadmium(II) complexes with thione (C═S) or selone (C═Se) groups coordinated in Cd(S/Se)O(5) or Cd(S/Se)(2)O(4) (O from MeOH or CF(3)SO(3)(-)) environments, the (113)Cd chemical shifts were quite similar, within 93-97 ppm and 189-193 ppm, respectively. However, the difference in the chemical shift for the Cd(SeU)(4)(2+) (578 pm) and Cd(TU)(4)(2+) (526 ppm) species, with CdSe(4) and CdS(4) coordination, respectively, shows less chemical shielding for the coordinated Se atoms than for S, in contrast to the common trend with increasing shielding in the following order: O > N > Se > S. In solutions dominated by mono- and tetra-thiourea/selenourea complexes, their coordination and bond distances could be evaluated by Cd K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. At ~200 K and high excess of thiourea, a minor amount (up to ~30%) of [Cd(TU)(5-6)](2+) species was detected by an upfield shift of the (113)Cd NMR signal (up to 423 ppm) and an amplitude reduction of the EXAFS oscillation. The amount was estimated by fitting linear combinations of simulated EXAFS spectra for [Cd(TU)(4)](2+) and [Cd(TU)(6)](2+) complexes. At room temperature, [Cd(TU)(4)](2+) was the highest complex formed, also in aqueous solution. Cd L(3)-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectra of cadmium(II) thiourea solutions in methanol were used to follow changes in the CdS(x)O(y) coordination. The correlations found from the current and previous studies between (113)Cd NMR chemical shifts and different Cd(II) coordination environments are generally useful for evaluating cadmium coordination to thione-containing or Se-donor ligands in biochemical systems or for monitoring speciation in solution.

Effect of transfection with PLP2 antisense oligonucleotides on gene expression of cadmium-treated MDA-MB231 breast cancer cells

Emerging evidence indicates that cadmium (Cd) is able to regulate gene expression, drastically affecting the pattern of transcriptional activity in human normal and pathological cells. We have already shown that exposure of MDA-MB231 breast cancer cells to 5 μM CdCl(2) for 96 h, apart from significantly affecting mitochondrial metabolism, induces modifications of the expression level of genes coding for members of stress response-, mitochondrial respiration-, MAP kinase-, NF-κB-, and apoptosis-related pathways. In the present study, we have expanded the knowledge on the biological effects of Cd-breast cancer cell interactions, indicating PLP2 (proteolipid protein-2) as a novel member of the list of Cd-upregulated genes by MDA-MB231 cancer cells and, through the application of transfection techniques with specific antisense oligonucleotides, we have demonstrated that such over-expression may be an upstream event to some of the changes of gene expression levels already observed in Cd-treated cells, thus unveiling new possible molecular relationship between PLP2 and genes linked to the stress and apoptotic responses.

Feedback Interactions between Trace Metal Nutrients and Phytoplankton in the Ocean

In addition to control by major nutrient elements (nitrogen, phosphorus, and silicon) the productivity and species composition of marine phytoplankton communities are also regulated by a number of trace metal nutrients (iron, zinc, cobalt, manganese, copper, and cadmium). Of these, iron is most limiting to phytoplankton growth and has the greatest effect on algal species diversity. It also plays an important role in limiting di-nitrogen (N(2)) fixation rates, and thus is important in controlling ocean inventories of fixed nitrogen. Because of these effects, iron is thought to play a key role in regulating biological cycles of carbon and nitrogen in the ocean, including the biological transfer of carbon to the deep sea, the so-called biological CO(2) pump, which helps regulate atmospheric CO(2) and CO(2)-linked global warming. Other trace metal nutrients (zinc, cobalt, copper, and manganese) have lesser effects on productivity; but may exert an important influence on the species composition of algal communities because of large differences in metal requirements among species. The interactions between trace metals and ocean plankton are reciprocal: not only do the metals control the plankton, but the plankton regulate the distributions, chemical speciation, and cycling of these metals through cellular uptake and recycling processes, downward flux of biogenic particles, biological release of organic chelators, and mediation of redox reactions. This two way interaction has influenced not only the biology and chemistry of the modern ocean, but has had a profound influence on biogeochemistry of the ocean and earth system as a whole, and on the evolution of marine and terrestrial biology over geologic history.

Mechanisms of cadmium induced genomic instability

Cadmium is an ubiquitous environmental contaminant that represents hazard to humans and wildlife. It is found in the air, soil and water and, due to its extremely long half-life, accumulates in plants and animals. The main source of cadmium exposure for non-smoking human population is food. Cadmium is primarily toxic to the kidney, but has been also classified as carcinogenic to humans by several regulatory agencies. Current evidence suggests that exposure to cadmium induces genomic instability through complex and multifactorial mechanisms. Cadmium dose not induce direct DNA damage, however it induces increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, which in turn induce DNA damage and can also interfere with cell signalling. More important seems to be cadmium interaction with DNA repair mechanisms, cell cycle checkpoints and apoptosis as well as with epigenetic mechanisms of gene expression control. Cadmium mediated inhibition of DNA repair mechanisms and apoptosis leads to accumulation of cells with unrepaired DNA damage, which in turn increases the mutation rate and thus genomic instability. This increases the probability of developing not only cancer but also other diseases associated with genomic instability. In the in vitro experiments cadmium induced effects leading to genomic instability have been observed at low concentrations that were comparable to those observed in target organs and tissues of humans that were non-occupationally exposed to cadmium. Therefore, further studies aiming to clarify the relevance of these observations for human health risks due to cadmium exposure are needed.

Structural and thermodynamic consequences of the replacement of zinc with environmental metals on estrogen receptor α-DNA interactions

Estrogen receptor α (ERα) acts as a transcription factor by virtue of the ability of its DNA-binding (DB) domain, comprised of a tandem pair of zinc fingers, to recognize the estrogen response element within the promoters of target genes. Herein, using an array of biophysical methods, we probe the structural consequences of the replacement of zinc within the DB domain of ERα with various environmental metals and their effects on the thermodynamics of binding to DNA. Our data reveal that whereas the DB domain reconstituted with divalent ions of zinc, cadmium, mercury, and cobalt binds to DNA with affinities in the nanomolar range, divalent ions of barium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, and tin are unable to regenerate DB domain with DNA-binding potential, although they can compete with zinc for coordinating the cysteine ligands within the zinc fingers. We also show that the metal-free DB domain is a homodimer in solution and that the binding of various metals only results in subtle secondary and tertiary structural changes, implying that metal coordination may only be essential for binding to DNA. Collectively, our findings provide mechanistic insights into how environmental metals may modulate the physiological function of a key nuclear receptor involved in mediating a plethora of cellular functions central to human health and disease.

Advances in carcinogenic metal toxicity and potential molecular markers

Metal compounds such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, lead, mercury, and nickel are classified as carcinogens affecting human health through occupational and environmental exposure. However, the underlying mechanisms involved in tumor formation are not well clarified. Interference of metal homeostasis may result in oxidative stress which represents an imbalance between production of free radicals and the system's ability to readily detoxify reactive intermediates. This event consequently causes DNA damage, lipid peroxidation, protein modification, and possibly symptomatic effects for various diseases including cancer. This review discusses predominant modes of action and numerous molecular markers. Attention is paid to metal-induced generation of free radicals, the phenomenon of oxidative stress, damage to DNA, lipid, and proteins, responsive signal transduction pathways with major roles in cell growth and development, and roles of antioxidant enzymatic and DNA repair systems. Interaction of non-enzymatic antioxidants (carotenoids, flavonoids, glutathione, selenium, vitamin C, vitamin E, and others) with cellular oxidative stress markers (catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase) as well as certain regulatory factors, including AP-1, NF-κB, Ref-1, and p53 is also reviewed. Dysregulation of protective pathways, including cellular antioxidant network against free radicals as well as DNA repair deficiency is related to oncogenic stimulation. These observations provide evidence that emerging oxidative stress-responsive regulatory factors and DNA repair proteins are putative predictive factors for tumor initiation and progression.

Pb-207 NMR spectroscopy reveals that Pb(II) coordinates with glutathione (GSH) and tris cysteine zinc finger proteins in a PbS3 coordination environment

207Pb NMR spectroscopy can be used to monitor the binding of Pb(II) to thiol rich biological small molecules such as glutathione and to zinc finger proteins. The UV/visible (UV/Vis) absorption band centered at 334 nM and the observed 207Pb-signal in 207Pb NMR (δ~5750 ppm) indicate that glutathione binds Pb(II) in a trigonal pyramidal geometry (PbS3) at pH 7.5 or higher with a 1:3 molar ratio of Pb(II) to GSH. While previous studies using UV/Vis and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy were interpreted to show that the zinc binding domain from HIV nucleocapsid protein (HIV-CCHC) binds Pb(II) in a single PbS3 environment, the more sensitive 207Pb NMR spectra (at pH 7.0, 1:1 molar ratio) provide compelling evidence for the presence of two PbS3 structures (δ=5790 and 5744 ppm), one of which is more stable at high temperatures. It has previously been proposed that the HIV-CCHH peptide does not fold properly to afford a PbS2N motif, because histidine does not bind to Pb(II). These predictions are confirmed by the present studies. These results demonstrate the applicability of 207Pb NMR to biomolecular structure determination in proteins with cysteine binding sites for the first time.

Exposure to cadmium chloride influences astrocyte-elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) expression in MDA-MB231 human breast cancer cells

It is known that cadmium (Cd) is able to regulate gene expression, drastically affecting the pattern of transcriptional activity and intracellular signalization in normal and pathological human cells. We have already shown that Cd exerts a cytotoxic effect on neoplastic MDA-MB231 cells from the human breast, which is characterized by the onset of a "non-classical" apoptotic kind of death, impairment of mitochondrial activity and drastic changes in gene expression pattern. In the present study, employing a combination of conventional and differential display-PCR techniques, immunocytochemical, ELISA and Western analyses, we extended the knowledge on the transcriptional modulation exerted by the metal demonstrating that in MDA-MB231 cells 5 μM CdCl(2) treatment for 96 h selectively down-regulates astrocyte-elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) and reduces the accumulation of its protein product which appears to be associated with the internal cytomembranes and also present in the nucleoplasm. In addition, due to the acknowledged role of AEG-1 in the intranuclear shuttling of NF-κB p65 subunit, we also showed that CdCl(2) treatment determines the decrease of p65 amount in nuclear extracts and the down-regulation of the NF-κB downstream genes c-fos and c-jun, thus providing a new contribution to the comprehension of the intracellular molecular mechanisms implicated in Cd-breast cancer cell interactions.

Subcellular interactions of dietary cadmium, copper and zinc in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Interactions of Cu, Cd and Zn were studied at the subcellular level in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed diets containing (μg/g) 500 Cu, 1000 Zn and 500 Cd singly and as a ternary mixture for 28 days. Livers were harvested and submitted to differential centrifugation to isolate components of metabolically active metal pool (MAP: heat-denaturable proteins (HDP), organelles, nuclei) and metabolically detoxified metal pool (MDP: heat stable proteins (HSP), NaOH-resistant granules). Results indicated that Cd accumulation was enhanced in all the subcellular compartments, albeit at different time points, in fish exposed to the metals mixture relative to those exposed to Cd alone, whereas Cu alone exposure increased Cd partitioning. Exposure to the metals mixture reduced (HDP) and enhanced (HSP, nuclei and granules) Cu accumulation while exposure to Zn alone enhanced Cu concentration in all the fractions analyzed without altering proportional distribution in MAP and MDP. Although subcellular Zn accumulation was less pronounced than that of either Cu or Cd, concentrations of Zn were enhanced in HDP, nuclei and granules from fish exposed to the metals mixture relative to those exposed to Zn alone. Cadmium alone exposure mobilized Zn and Cu from the nuclei and increased Zn accumulation in organelles and Cu in granules, while Cu alone exposure stimulated Zn accumulation in HSP, HDP and organelles. Interestingly, Cd alone exposure increased the partitioning of the three metals in MDP indicative of enhanced detoxification. Generally the accumulated metals were predominantly metabolically active: Cd, 67-83%; Cu, 68-79% and Zn, 60-76%. Taken together these results show both competitive and cooperative interactions dependent on the subcellular fraction, metal, exposure duration and relative metal exposure concentrations. Competitive interactions likely result from ionic mimicry with the metals displacing each other from common binding sites, whereas cooperative interactions suggest increased abundance of metal binding sites and/or existence of metal-specific non-interacting binding sites in some of the fractions. Moreover, the changes in subcellular distribution of the biometals Cu and Zn due to Cd exposure together with the shifts of the metals between MAP and MDP observed may have toxicological consequences.

Cysteine and histidine shuffling: mixing and matching cysteine and histidine residues in zinc finger proteins to afford different folds and function

Zinc finger proteins utilize zinc for structural purposes: zinc binds to a combination of cysteine and histidine ligands in a tetrahedral coordination geometry facilitating protein folding and function. While much is known about the classical zinc finger proteins, which utilize a Cys(2)His(2) ligand set to coordinate zinc and fold into an anti-parallel beta sheet/alpha helical fold, there are thirteen other families of 'non-classical' zinc finger proteins for which relationships between metal coordination and protein structure/function are less defined. This 'Perspective' article focuses on two classes of these non-classical zinc finger proteins: Cys(3)His type zinc finger proteins and Cys(2)His(2)Cys type zinc finger proteins. These proteins bind zinc in a tetrahedral geometry, like the classical zinc finger proteins, yet they adopt completely different folds and target different oligonucleotides. Our current understanding of the relationships between ligand set, metal ion, fold and function for these non-classical zinc fingers is discussed.

Interaction of arsenite with a zinc finger CCHC peptide: evidence for formation of an As-Zn-peptide mixed complex

The interaction of arsenite with a Cys(3)His (CCHC) zinc finger model (34-51) HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein p7 (NCp7) peptide in the absence and presence of Zn(II) was studied using fluorescence spectroscopy, CD (circular dichroism) and ESI-MS (Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry). We found that arsenic forms different complexes with the free peptide and the zinc finger peptide. In the former case the peptide conformation differed greatly from that of the zinc finger, whereas in the second case a mixed As-Zn-peptide complex was formed with partial preservation of zinc finger conformation. An apparent stability constant was estimated for the mixed As-Zn-peptide complex (K=2083 M(-1) and 442 M(-1) at 25°C and pHs 6 and 7, respectively). Our study also shows that the interaction of arsenic with the CCHC motif is facilitated by glutathione (GSH), through formation of a GS-As-peptide conjugate.

Responses of human cells to ZnO nanoparticles: a gene transcription study

The gene transcript profile responses to metal oxide nanoparticles was studied using human cell lines derived from the colon and skin tumors. Much of the research on nanoparticle toxicology has focused on models of inhalation and intact skin exposure, and effects of ingestion exposure and application to diseased skin are relatively unknown. Powders of nominally nanosized SiO2, TiO2, ZnO and Fe2O3 were chosen because these substances are widely used in consumer products. The four oxides were evaluated using colon-derived cell lines, RKO and CaCo-2, and ZnO and TiO2 were evaluated further using skin-derived cell lines HaCaT and SK Mel-28. ZnO induced the most notable gene transcription changes, even though this material was applied at the lowest concentration. Nano-sized and conventional ZnO induced similar responses suggesting common mechanisms of action. The results showed neither a non-specific response pattern common to all substances nor synergy of the particles with TNF-α cotreatment. The response to ZnO was not consistent with a pronounced proinflammatory signature, but involved changes in metal metabolism, chaperonin proteins, and protein folding genes. This response was observed in all cell lines when ZnO was in contact with the human cells. When the cells were exposed to soluble Zn, the genes involved in metal metabolism were induced but the genes involved in protein refoldling were unaffected. This provides some of the first data on the effects of commercial metal oxide nanoparticles on human colon-derived and skin-derived cells.

Metalloregulatory proteins: metal selectivity and allosteric switching

Prokaryotic organisms have evolved the capacity to quickly adapt to a changing and challenging microenvironment in which the availability of both biologically required and non-essential transition metal ions can vary dramatically. In all bacteria, a panel of metalloregulatory proteins controls the expression of genes encoding membrane transporters and metal trafficking proteins that collectively manage metal homeostasis and resistance. These "metal sensors" are specialized allosteric proteins, in which the direct binding of a specific or small number of "cognate" metal ion(s) drives a conformational change in the regulator that allosterically activates or inhibits operator DNA binding, or alternatively, distorts the promoter structure thereby converting a poor promoter to a strong one. In this review, we discuss our current understanding of the features that control metal specificity of the allosteric response in these systems, and the role that structure, thermodynamics and conformational dynamics play in mediating allosteric activation or inhibition of DNA binding.

Ventralization of an indirect developing hemichordate by NiCl₂ suggests a conserved mechanism of dorso-ventral (D/V) patterning in Ambulacraria (hemichordates and echinoderms)

One of the earliest steps in embryonic development is the establishment of the future body axes. Morphological and molecular data place the Ambulacraria (echinoderms and hemichordates) within the Deuterostomia and as the sister taxon to chordates. Extensive work over the last decades in echinoid (sea urchins) echinoderms has led to the characterization of gene regulatory networks underlying germ layer specification and axis formation during embryogenesis. However, with the exception of recent studies from a direct developing hemichordate (Saccoglossus kowalevskii), very little is known about the molecular mechanism underlying early hemichordate development. Unlike echinoids, indirect developing hemichordates retain the larval body axes and major larval tissues after metamorphosis into the adult worm. In order to gain insight into dorso-ventral (D/V) patterning, we used nickel chloride (NiCl₂), a potent ventralizing agent on echinoderm embryos, on the indirect developing enteropneust hemichordate, Ptychodera flava. Our present study shows that NiCl₂ disrupts the D/V axis and induces formation of a circumferential mouth when treated before the onset of gastrulation. Molecular analysis, using newly isolated tissue-specific markers, shows that the ventral ectoderm is expanded at expense of dorsal ectoderm in treated embryos, but has little effect on germ layer or anterior-posterior markers. The resulting ventralized phenotype, the effective dose, and the NiCl₂ sensitive response period of Ptychodera flava, is very similar to the effects of nickel on embryonic development described in larval echinoderms. These strong similarities allow one to speculate that a NiCl₂ sensitive pathway involved in dorso-ventral patterning may be shared between echinoderms, hemichordates and a putative ambulacrarian ancestor. Furthermore, nickel treatments ventralize the direct developing hemichordate, S. kowalevskii indicating that a common pathway patterns both larval and adult body plans of the ambulacrarian ancestor and provides insight in to the origin of the chordate body plan.

Mechanisms in cadmium-induced carcinogenicity: recent insights

Cadmium is an environmental pollutant,with relevant exposures at workplaces and in the general population. The carcinogenicity has been long established, most evident for tumors in the lung and kidney, but with increasing evidence also for other tumor locations. While direct interactions with DNA appear to be of minor importance, the interference with the cellular response to DNA damage, the deregulation of cell growth as well as resistance to apoptosis have been demonstrated in diverse experimental systems. With respect to DNA repair processes,cadmium has been shown to disturb nucleotide excision repair, base excision repair and mismatch repair; consequences are increased susceptibility towards other DNA damaging agents and endogenous mutagens. Furthermore, cadmium induces cell proliferation, inactivates negative growth stimuli, such as the tumor suppressor protein p53, and provokes resistance towards apoptosis. Particularly the combination of these multiple mechanisms may give rise to a high degree of genomic instability in cadmium-adapted cells, relevant not only for tumor initiation, but also for later steps in tumor development. Future research needs to clarify the relevance of these interactions for low exposure conditions in humans.

How Saccharomyces cerevisiae copes with toxic metals and metalloids

Toxic metals and metalloids are widespread in nature and can locally reach fairly high concentrations. To ensure cellular protection and survival in such environments, all organisms possess systems to evade toxicity and acquire tolerance. This review provides an overview of the molecular mechanisms that contribute to metal toxicity, detoxification and tolerance acquisition in budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We mainly focus on the metals/metalloids arsenic, cadmium, antimony, mercury, chromium and selenium, and emphasize recent findings on sensing and signalling mechanisms and on the regulation of tolerance and detoxification systems that safeguard cellular and genetic integrity.

Zinc finger proteins as templates for metal ion exchange and ligand reactivity. Chemical and biological consequences

Zinc finger reactions with inorganic ions and coordination compounds are as diverse as the zinc fingers themselves. Use of metal ions such as Co(2+) and Cd(2+) has given structural, thermodynamic and kinetic information on zinc fingers and zinc-finger-DNA/RNA interactions. It is a general truism that alteration of the coordination sphere in the finger environment will disrupt the recognition with DNA/RNA and this has implications for mechanism of toxicity and carcinogenesis of metal ions. Structural zinc fingers are susceptible to electrophilic attack and the recognition that the coordination sphere of inorganic compounds may be modulated for control of electrophilic attack on zinc fingers raises the possibility of systematic studies of zinc fingers as drug targets using inorganic chemistry. Some inorganic compounds such as those of As(III) and Au(I) may exert their biological effects through inactivation of zinc fingers and novel approaches to specifically attack the zinc-bound ligands using Co(III)-Schiff bases and Platinum(II)-Nucleobase compounds have been proposed. The genomic importance of zinc fingers suggests that the "coordination chemistry" of zinc fingers themselves is ripe for exploration to design new targets for medicinal inorganic chemistry.

Effects of mercury on Dictyostelium discoideum: proteomics reveals the molecular mechanisms of physiological adaptation and toxicity

Dictyostelium discoideum amoebae were exposed to Hg 2 microM corresponding to a sublethal concentration and Hg 10 microM with the first effects on mortality and replication rate. A total of 900 spots were visualized by 2-DE electrophoresis. Two-hundred fifty single proteins were identified by mass spectrometry. Low Hg concentration (2 microM) treatment induced up-regulation of 13 spots, mainly involved in oxidative stress response/detoxification, oxidoreductase activity, and metabolic processes. High Hg concentration (10 microM) treatment showed a different PES with 12 proteins downregulated and only two up-regulated, mainly involved in cellular metabolic processes, metal ion binding, and transferase activity. The analyses for the carbonylation show no changes after 2 microM Hg(2+) treatment and 13 differentially carbonylated proteins after 10 microM Hg(2+) involved in a broad range of cellular processes. Our findings provide insight into the mechanisms of physiological adaptation and toxicity to a low and an high mercury concentration, respectively, of Dictyostelium amoebae.

Systematic analysis of gene expression level with tissue-specificity, function and protein subcellular localization in human transcriptome

Recent studies have shown that, in mammals, the highly expressed genes have shorter gene length and their protein products have relatively lower evolutionary rates. However, the global relationship between genes' expression level and their features such as tissue-specificity, function and protein subcellular localization has not been investigated extensively, especially in mammalian. In order to solve it, we analysed 8,570 genes across 46 human tissues. Our results suggest that widely expressed genes have higher mean expression levels than tissue-specific ones and genes encoding zinc-finger proteins have low expression levels similar to that of DNA-binding proteins. In the analysis of protein subcellular localization, it is shown that nuclear and Golgi apparatus proteins have lower mean expression levels than those of mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum and membrane proteins, while genes encoding cytoplasm and extracellular components display the highest expression levels. When comparing the gene expression levels and the number of expressed genes in different tissues, we found that some tissues have less active genes while single gene encodes relatively more transcripts. Taken together, gene expression levels are clearly correlated with their tissue-specificity, function and protein subcellular localization, and are highly conserved during evolution.

Reactive species and mitochondrial dysfunction: mechanistic significance of 4-hydroxynonenal

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a global term used in the context of "unhealthy" mitochondria. In practical terms, mitochondria are extremely complex and highly adaptive in structure, chemical and enzymatic composition, subcellular distribution and functional interaction with other components of cells. Consequently, altered mitochondrial properties that are used in experimental studies as measures of mitochondrial dysfunction often provide little or no distinction between adaptive and maladaptive changes. This is especially a problem in terms of generation of oxidant species by mitochondria, wherein increased generation of superoxide anion radical (O(2*)(-)) or hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) is often considered synonymously with mitochondrial dysfunction. However, these oxidative species are signaling molecules in normal physiology so that a change in production or abundance is not a good criterion for mitochondrial dysfunction. In this review, we consider generation of reactive electrophiles and consequent modification of mitochondrial proteins as a means to define mitochondrial dysfunction. Accumulated evidence indicates that 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) modification of proteins reflects mitochondrial dysfunction and provides an operational criterion for experimental definition of mitochondrial dysfunction. Improved means to detect and quantify mitochondrial HNE-protein adduct formation could allow its use for environmental healthrisk assessment. Furthermore, application of improved mass spectrometry-based proteomic methods will lead to further understanding of the critical targets contributing to disease risk.

Genotoxicity of soluble and particulate cadmium compounds: impact on oxidative DNA damage and nucleotide excision repair

Water-soluble and particulate cadmium compounds are carcinogenic to humans. While direct interactions with DNA are unlikely to account for carcinogenicity, induction of oxidative DNA damage and interference with DNA repair processes might be more relevant underlying modes of action (recently summarized, for example, in Joseph , P. (2009) Tox. Appl. Pharmacol. 238 , 271 - 279). The present study aimed to compare genotoxic effects of particulate CdO and soluble CdCl(2) in cultured human cells (A549, VH10hTert). Both cadmium compounds increased the baseline level of oxidative DNA damage. Even more pronounced, both cadmium compounds inhibited the nucleotide excision repair (NER) of BPDE-induced bulky DNA adducts and UVC-induced photolesions in a dose-dependent manner at noncytotoxic concentrations. Thereby, the uptake of cadmium in the nuclei strongly correlated with the repair inhibition of bulky DNA adducts, indicating that independent of the cadmium compound applied Cd(2+) is the common species responsible for the observed repair inhibition. Regarding the underlying molecular mechanisms in human cells, CdCl(2) (as shown before by Meplan, C., Mann, K. and Hainaut, P. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274 , 31663 - 31670 ) and CdO altered the conformation of the zinc binding domain of the tumor suppressor protein p53. In further studies applying only CdCl(2), cadmium decreased the total nuclear protein level of XPC, which is believed to be the principle initiator of global genome NER. This led to diminished association of XPC to sites of local UVC damage, resulting in decreased recruitment of further NER proteins. Additionally, CdCl(2) strongly disturbed the disassembly of XPC and XPA. In summary, our data indicate a general nucleotide excision repair inhibition by cadmium compounds, which is most likely caused by a diminished assembly and disassembly of the NER machinery. These data reveal new insights into the mechanisms involved in cadmium carcinogenesis and provide further evidence that DNA repair inhibition may be one predominant mechanism in cadmium induced carcinogenicity.

Length of the ORF, position of the first AUG and the Kozak motif are important factors in potential dual-coding transcripts

A single mammalian transcript normally encodes one protein, but the transcript of GNAS (G-protein alpha-subunit) contains two reading frames and produces two structurally unrelated proteins, XLalphas and ALEX. No other confirmed GNAS-like dual-coding transcripts have been reported to date, even though many such candidate genes have been predicted by bioinformatics analysis. In this study, we constructed a series of vectors to test how two protein products were translated from a single transcript in vitro. The length of the ORF (open reading frame), position of the first AUG and the Kozak motif were found to be important factors. These factors, as well as 55-bp NMD (nonsense-mediated mRNA decay) rule, were used in a bioinformatics search for candidate dual-coding transcripts. A total of 1307, 750 and 474 two-ORF-containing transcripts were found in human, mouse and rat, respectively, of which 170, 89 and 70, respectively, were found to be potential dual-coding transcripts. Most transcripts showed low conservation among species. Interestingly, dual-coding transcripts were significantly enriched for transcripts from the zinc-finger protein family, which are usually DNA-binding proteins involved in regulation of the transcription process.

Methylated Metal(loid) Species in Humans

While the metal(loid)s arsenic, bismuth, and selenium (probably also tellurium) have been shown to be enzymatically methylated in the human body, this has not yet been demonstrated for antimony, cadmium, germanium, indium, lead, mercury, thallium, and tin, although the latter elements can be biomethylated in the environment. Methylated metal(loid)s exhibit increased mobility, thus leading to a more efficient metal(loid) transport within the body and, in particular, opening chances for passing membrane barriers (blood-brain barrier, placental barrier). As a consequence human health may be affected. In this review, relevant data from the literature are compiled, and are discussed with respect to the evaluation of assumed and proven health effects caused by alkylated metal(loid) species.

The Zur-regulated ZinT protein is an auxiliary component of the high-affinity ZnuABC zinc transporter that facilitates metal recruitment during severe zinc shortage

The pathways ensuring the efficient uptake of zinc are crucial for the ability of bacteria to multiply in the infected host. To better understand bacterial responses to zinc deficiency, we have investigated the role of the periplasmic protein ZinT in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. We have found that zinT expression is regulated by Zur and parallels that of ZnuA, the periplasmic component of the zinc transporter ZnuABC. Despite the fact that ZinT contributes to Salmonella growth in media containing little zinc, disruption of zinT does not significantly affect virulence in mice. The role of ZinT became clear using strains expressing a mutated form of ZnuA lacking a characteristic histidine-rich domain. In fact, Salmonella strains producing this modified form of ZnuA exhibited a ZinT-dependent capability to import zinc either in vitro or in infected mice, suggesting that ZinT and the histidine-rich region of ZnuA have redundant function. The hypothesis that ZinT and ZnuA cooperate in the process of zinc recruitment is supported by the observation that they form a stable binary complex in vitro. Although the presence of ZinT is not strictly required to ensure the functionality of the ZnuABC transporter, our data suggest that ZinT facilitates metal acquisition during severe zinc shortage.

Biophysical analysis of the interaction of toxic metal ions and oxidants with the zinc finger domain of XPA

Zinc-binding domains are frequently present in proteins required for maintaining genomic integrity. During recent years there has been accumulating evidence that they may be particularly sensitive targets for toxic metal ions, leading, for example, to DNA repair inhibition. Here, we present a broad set of methods for assessing the impact of metal ions on the zinc-binding domain of xeroderma group A protein, an essential factor in nucleotide excision repair. We envisage that these methods will be useful also for other proteins.

Cadmium(II) complex formation with glutathione

Complex formation between heavy metal ions and glutathione (GSH) is considered as the initial step in many detoxification processes in living organisms. In this study the structure and coordination between the cadmium(II) ion and GSH were investigated in aqueous solutions (pH 7.5 and 11.0) and in the solid state, using a combination of spectroscopic techniques. The similarity of the Cd K-edge and L(3)-edge X-ray absorption spectra of the solid compound [Cd(GS)(GSH)]ClO(4).3H(2)O, precipitating at pH 3.0, with the previously studied cysteine compound {Cd(HCys)(2).H(2)O}(2).H(3)O(+).ClO(4) (-) corresponds to Cd(S-GS)(3)O (dominating) and Cd(S-GS)(4) four-coordination within oligomeric complexes with mean bond distances of 2.51 +/- 0.02 A for Cd-S and 2.24 +/- 0.04 A for Cd-O. For cadmium(II) solutions (C (Cd(II)) approximately 0.05 M) at pH 7.5 with moderate excess of GSH (C (GSH)/C (Cd(II)) = 3.0-5.0), a mix of Cd(S-GS)(3)O (dominating) and Cd(S-GS)(4) species is consistent with the broad (113)Cd NMR resonances in the range 632-658 ppm. In alkaline solutions (pH 11.0 and C (GSH)/C (Cd(II)) = 2.0 or 3.0), two distinct peaks at 322 and 674 ppm are obtained. The first peak indicates six-coordinated mononuclear and dinuclear complexes with CdS(2)N(2)(N/O)(2) and CdSN(3)O(2) coordination in fast exchange, whereas the second corresponds to Cd(S-GS)(4) sites. At high ligand excess the tetrathiolate complex, Cd(S-GS)(4), characterized by a sharp delta((113)Cd) NMR signal at 677 ppm, predominates. The average Cd-S distance, obtained from the X-ray absorption spectra, varied within a narrow range, 2.49-2.53 A, for all solutions (pH 7.5 and 11.0) regardless of the coordination geometry.

Deficit of heat shock transcription factor 1-heat shock 70 kDa protein 1A axis determines the cell death vulnerability in a model of spinocerebellar ataxia type 6

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6) is caused by a small expansion of polyglutamine (polyQ)-encoding CAG repeat in Ca(v)2.1 calcium channel gene. To gain insights into pathogenic mechanism of SCA6, we used HEK293 cells expressing fusion protein of enhanced green fluorescent protein and Ca(v)2.1 carboxyl terminal fragment (EGFP-Ca(v)2.1CT) [L24 and S13 cells containing 24 polyQ (disease range) and 13 polyQ (normal range), respectively] and examined their responses to some stressors. When exposed to CdCl(2), L24 cells showed lower viability than the control S13 cells and caspase-dependent apoptosis was enhanced more in L24 cells. Localization of EGFP-Ca(v)2.1CT was almost confined to the nucleus, where it existed as speckle-like structures. Interestingly, CdCl(2) treatment resulted in disruption of more promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies (PML-NBs) in L24 cells than in S13 cells and in cells where PML-NBs were disrupted, aggregates of EGFP-Ca(v)2.1CT became larger. Furthermore, a large number of aggregates were formed in L24 cells than in S13 cells. Results of RNAi experiments indicated that HSPA1A determined the difference against CdCl(2) toxicity. Furthermore, protein expression of heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1), which activates HSPA1A expression, was down-regulated in L24 cells. Therefore, HSF1-HSPA1A axis is critical for the vulnerability in L24 cells.

Targeted inhibition of Snail family zinc finger transcription factors by oligonucleotide-Co(III) Schiff base conjugate

A transition metal complex targeted for the inhibition of a subset of zinc finger transcription factors has been synthesized and tested in Xenopus laevis. A Co(III) Schiff base complex modified with a 17-bp DNA sequence is designed to selectively inhibit Snail family transcription factors. The oligonucleotide-conjugated Co(III) complex prevents Slug, Snail, and Sip1 from binding their DNA targets whereas other transcription factors are still able to interact with their target DNA. The attachment of the oligonucleotide to the Co(III) complex increases specificity 150-fold over the unconjugated complex. Studies demonstrate that neither the oligo, or the Co(III) Schiff base complex alone, are sufficient for inactivation of Slug at concentrations that the conjugated complex mediates inhibition. Slug, Snail, and Sip1 have been implicated in the regulation of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in development and cancer. A complex targeted to inactivate their transcriptional activity could prove valuable as an experimental tool and a cancer therapeutic.

Zinc fingers as biologic redox switches?

Despite zinc ions being redox inert in biologic systems, zinc-finger structures act as redox-sensitive molecular switches controlling several crucial cellular processes. Oxidative or nitrosative stress, via modification of zinc finger cysteine thiols, leads to a release of Zn(2+) from these structures, causing not only a loss of zinc-finger function but also an increase of cytoplasmic or nuclear free Zn(2+) that may, in turn, stimulate and interfere with cellular signaling cascades. A signaling cascade stimulated by exposure of cells to zinc ions or to stressful stimuli that are reported to cause an intracellular release of zinc ions involves phosphoinositide 3'-kinases and the Ser/Thr protein kinase Akt, resulting in an inactivation of transcriptional regulators of the FoxO family. Possible modes of action of zinc ions to stimulate this signaling cascade and consequences of stimulation are discussed. Moreover, we present an overview on human diseases or disorders characterized by an intracellular Zn(2+) dyshomeostasis.

Effects of diallyl sulfide and zinc on testicular steroidogenesis in cadmium-treated male rats

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the environmental pollutants that affect various tissues and organs including testis. Harmful effect of cadmium on testis is known to be germ cell degeneration and impairment of testicular steroidogenesis. In the present study, the effect of diallyl sulfide (DAS), a sulfur-containing volatile compound present in garlic, and zinc (Zn) was investigated on cadmium-induced testicular toxicity in rats. Male adult Wistar rats treated with cadmium (2.5 mg/kg body wt, five times a week for 4 weeks) showed decreased body weight, paired testicular weight, relative testicular weight, serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and testicular total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and protein levels. Testicular steroidogenic enzymes, such as 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3beta-HSD) and 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17beta-HSD), and marker enzymes, such as sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), showed a significant decrease in activities whereas that of gamma-glutamyl transferase was significantly increased after cadmium exposure. The results have revealed that concurrent treatment with DAS or zinc restored key steroidogenic enzymes, SDH, LDH, and G6PD and increased testicular weight significantly. DAS restored the TAC level and increased testosterone level and relative testicular weight significantly. Zinc restored testicular protein level and body weight. It can be concluded that cadmium causes testicular toxicity and inhibits androgen production in adult male rats probably by affecting pituitary gonadotrophins and that concurrent administration of DAS or zinc provides protection against cadmium-induced testicular toxicity.

Force fields including charge transfer and local polarization effects: Application to proteins containing multi/heavy metal ions

The question whether molecular dynamics (MD) simulations can yield reliable structural and dynamical properties of metalloproteins depend on the accuracy of the force field, i.e., the potential energy function (PEF) and associated parameters modeling the interactions of the metal ion of interest with water and protein ligands. Previously, we had developed a CTPOL PEF for protein simulations of Zn(2+) bound to Cys(-) and/or His(0) that includes charge transfer and local polarization effects as well as metal van der Waals parameters that reproduce the structural and thermodynamical properties of 22 dications. Here, we evaluate if the CTPOL PEF and the new metal parameters (referred to as the CTPOLa force field) can be applied to proteins containing polynuclear metal-binding sites and heavy toxic metal ions, using the CdZn(2)-Cys(9) beta-domain of rat liver metallothionein-2 and the Hg(2+)-bound 18-residue peptide from MerP as test systems. Using the CTPOLa force field, simulations of the beta-domain of rat liver metallothionein-2 totaling 19 ns could preserve the experimentally observed CdZn(2)-Cys(9) complex geometry and overall protein structure, whereas simulations neglecting charge transfer and local polarization effects could not. However, the CTPOLa force field cannot reproduce the experimentally observed linear bicoordination of Hg(2+) in the MerP peptide without adding an angular restraint to the CTPOL PEF to correct the angle distribution about Hg(2+). Thus, the force fields presented herein for the group IIB metal ions can be applied to simulation studies of proteins containing polynuclear metal-binding sites and heavy metal ions in aqueous solution. PEF neglecting charge transfer and local polarization effects in conjunction with vdW parameters adjusted to reproduce the structural and thermodynamical properties of only the metal ion in question could not yield an accurate representation of the metal-binding site and overall protein structure.

Functional characterization of tzn1 and tzn2-zinc transporter genes in Neurospora crassa

Previous work from our laboratory involved the description of the Neurospora metal transportome, which included seven hypothetical zinc transporters belonging to the ZIP family. The aim of the present study was to make a comparative functional evaluation of two hypothetical zinc transporters named tzn1 (NCU07621.3) and tzn2 (NCU11414.3). Phenotypic analysis of tzn1 and tzn2 mutants and a double mutant (tzn1tzn2) revealed that the deletion of tzn1 causes aconidiation and a greater defect in growth than the single deletion of tzn2. Supplementation with zinc restores growth but not conidiation in tzn1 and tzn1tzn2. TZN1 complemented a zinc-uptake-deficient Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant (zrt1zrt2) in zinc-deficient conditions, while tzn2 restored growth upon supplementation with zinc (0.05 mM). Furthermore, the Deltatzn1 mutant was found to have severely reduced zinc content indicating that tzn1 functions as a key regulator of intracellular zinc levels in Neurospora crassa. Zinc uptake studies indicate tzn1 is a specific transporter of zinc, while tzn2 transports both zinc and cadmium. Quantitative RT-PCR showed up-regulation of tzn1 (128-fold) under zinc-depleted conditions and down-regulation (>1,000-fold) in zinc-replete conditions. The present study indicates that the zinc transport proteins encoded by tzn1 and tzn2 are members of the zinc uptake system regulated by zinc status in N. crassa.

Low concentration of arsenite exacerbates UVR-induced DNA strand breaks by inhibiting PARP-1 activity

Epidemiological studies have associated arsenic exposure with many types of human cancers. Arsenic has also been shown to act as a co-carcinogen even at low concentrations. However, the precise mechanism of its co-carcinogenic action is unknown. Recent studies indicate that arsenic can interfere with DNA-repair processes. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-1 is a zinc-finger DNA-repair protein, which can promptly sense DNA strand breaks and initiate DNA-repair pathways. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that low concentrations of arsenic could inhibit PAPR-1 activity and so exacerbate levels of ultraviolet radiation (UVR)-induced DNA strand breaks. HaCat cells were treated with arsenite and/or UVR, and then DNA strand breaks were assessed by comet assay. Low concentrations of arsenite ( Collapse

Key Words

• arsenic
• parp-1
• dna damage repair
• dna strand break
• comet assay
• ros
• carcinogenesis

Collapse

MESH Headings

• Arsenites/toxicity
• Benzamides/pharmacology
• Carcinogens/toxicity
• Cell Line
• Chlorides/pharmacology
• Comet Assay
• DNA Breaks
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Enzyme Inhibitors/toxicity
• Humans
• Keratinocytes/drug effects
• Keratinocytes/enzymology
• Keratinocytes/radiation effects
• Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1
• Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors
• Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases/genetics
• Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases/metabolism
• RNA Interference
• RNA, Small Interfering
• Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism
• Sodium Compounds/toxicity
• Transfection
• Ultraviolet Rays
• Zinc Compounds/pharmacology

Collapse

Grants

• R01 ES012938-01 NIEHS NIH HHS
• P30 ES012072 NIEHS NIH HHS
• P30 ES-012072 NIEHS NIH HHS
• R01 ES015826 NIEHS NIH HHS
• R01 ES015826-01A1 NIEHS NIH HHS
• P30 CA118100 NCI NIH HHS
• R01 ES012938 NIEHS NIH HHS

Collapse

Affiliation(s)

Xu-Jun Qin Program of Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131-0001, USA
Laurie G Hudson
Wenlan Liu
Graham S Timmins
Ke Jian Liu

Collapse

Dual actions involved in arsenite-induced oxidative DNA damage

Arsenic is a recognized human carcinogen, but the mechanism of carcinogenesis is not well understood. Oxidative stress and inhibition of DNA damage repair have been postulated as potential carcinogenic actions of arsenic. The present study tests the hypothesis that arsenite not only induces oxidative stress but also inhibits the activity of the DNA base excision repair protein, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1), leading to exacerbation of the oxidative DNA damage induced by arsenic. HaCat cells were treated with arsenite for 24 h before measuring 8-hydroxyl-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), PARP-1 activity, and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Zinc supplementation and PARP-1 siRNA were used to increase or decrease, respectively, the PARP-1 protein's physiological function. At high concentrations (10 microM or higher), arsenite greatly induced oxidative DNA damage, as indicated by 8-OHdG formation. At lower concentrations (1 microM), arsenite did not produce detectable 8-OHdG, but was still able to effectively inhibit PARP-1 activity. Zinc supplementation reduced the formation of 8-OHdG, restored the PARP-1 activity inhibited by arsenite, but did not decrease ROS production. SiRNA knockdown of PARP-1 did not affect the 8-OHdG level induced by arsenic, while it greatly increased the 8-OHdG level produced by hydrogen peroxide indicating that PARP-1 is a molecular target of arsenite. Our findings demonstrate that in addition to inducing oxidative stress at higher concentrations, arsenite can also inhibit the function of a key DNA repair protein, PARP-1, even at very low concentrations, thus exacerbating the overall oxidative DNA damage produced by arsenite, and potentially, by other oxidants as well.