Change in enantioselectivity in bufuralol 1?-hydroxylation by the substitution of phenylalanine-120 by alanine in cytochrome P450 2D6

Crystal Structures of Drug-Metabolizing CYPs

The complex enzyme kinetics displayed by drug-metabolizing cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) (see Chapter 9 ) can, in part, be explained by an examination of their crystallographic protein structures. Fortunately, despite low sequence similarity between different families of drug-metabolizing CYPs, there exists a high degree of structural homology within the superfamily. This similarity in the protein fold allows for a direct comparison of the structural features of CYPs that contribute toward differences in substrate binding, heterotropic and homotropic cooperativity, and genetic variability in drug metabolism. In this chapter, we first provide an overview of the nomenclature and the role of structural features that are common in all CYPs. We then apply these definitions to understand the different substrate specificities and functions in the CYP3A, CYP2C, and CYP2D families of enzymes.

Survey of Pharmacological Activity and Pharmacokinetics of Selected β-Adrenergic Blockers in Regard to Their Stereochemistry

The present survey concentrates on pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of selected β-adrenergic blockers from the point of view of their stereochemistry. It could be shown that the activity in the arylaminoethanol and aryloxyaminopropanol group of β-blockers is higher in their (–)-enantiomers as compared with the (+)-enantiomers. The stereoisomers differ also in other types of bioactivity as well as in toxicity. The particular pharmacokinetic stages such as resorption, distribution, and metabolism are discussed in regard to their stereochemistry.

Molecular Dynamics Simulations to Investigate the Influences of Amino Acid Mutations on Protein Three-Dimensional Structures of Cytochrome P450 2D6.1, 2, 10, 14A, 51, and 62

Many natural mutants of the drug metabolizing enzyme cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2D6 have been reported. Because the enzymatic activities of many mutants are different from that of the wild type, the genetic polymorphism of CYP2D6 plays an important role in drug metabolism. In this study, the molecular dynamics simulations of the wild type and mutants of CYP2D6, CYP2D6.1, 2, 10, 14A, 51, and 62 were performed, and the predictions of static and dynamic structures within them were conducted. In the mutant CYP2D6.10, 14A, and 61, dynamic properties of the F-G loop, which is one of the components of the active site access channel of CYP2D6, were different from that of the wild type. The F-G loop acted as the “hatch” of the channel, which was closed in those mutants. The structure of CYP2D6.51 was not converged by the simulation, which indicated that the three-dimensional structure of CYP2D6.51 was largely different from that of the wild type. In addition, the intramolecular interaction network of CYP2D6.10, 14A, and 61 was different from that of the wild type, and it is considered that these structural changes are the reason for the decrease or loss of enzymatic activities. On the other hand, the static and dynamic properties of CYP2D6.2, whose activity was normal, were not considerably different from those of the wild type.

Contributions of ionic interactions and protein dynamics to cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) substrate and inhibitor binding

P450 2D6 contributes significantly to the metabolism of >15% of the 200 most marketed drugs. Open and closed crystal structures of P450 2D6 thioridazine complexes were obtained using different crystallization conditions. The protonated piperidine moiety of thioridazine forms a charge-stabilized hydrogen bond with Asp-301 in the active sites of both complexes. The more open conformation exhibits a second molecule of thioridazine bound in an expanded substrate access channel antechamber with its piperidine moiety forming a charge-stabilized hydrogen bond with Glu-222. Incubation of the crystalline open thioridazine complex with alternative ligands, prinomastat, quinidine, quinine, or ajmalicine, displaced both thioridazines. Quinine and ajmalicine formed charge-stabilized hydrogen bonds with Glu-216, whereas the protonated nitrogen of quinidine is equidistant from Asp-301 and Glu-216 with protonated nitrogen H-bonded to a water molecule in the access channel. Prinomastat is not ionized. Adaptations of active site side-chain rotamers and polypeptide conformations were evident between the complexes, with the binding of ajmalicine eliciting a closure of the open structure reflecting in part the inward movement of Glu-216 to form a hydrogen bond with ajmalicine as well as sparse lattice restraints that would hinder adaptations. These results indicate that P450 2D6 exhibits sufficient elasticity within the crystal lattice to allow the passage of compounds between the active site and bulk solvent and to adopt a more closed form that adapts for binding alternative ligands with different degrees of closure. These crystals provide a means to characterize substrate and inhibitor binding to the enzyme after replacement of thioridazine with alternative compounds.

Efficicent (R)-phenylethanol production with enantioselectivity-alerted (S)-carbonyl reductase II and NADPH regeneration

The NADPH-dependent (S)-carbonyl reductaseII from Candida parapsilosis catalyzes acetophenone to chiral phenylethanol in a very low yield of 3.2%. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to design two mutants Ala220Asp and Glu228Ser, inside or adjacent to the substrate-binding pocket. Both mutations caused a significant enantioselectivity shift toward (R)-phenylethanol in the reduction of acetophenone. The variant E228S produced (R)-phenylethanol with an optical purity above 99%, in 80.2% yield. The E228S mutation resulted in a 4.6-fold decrease in the K M value, but nearly 5-fold and 21-fold increases in the k cat and k cat/K M values with respect to the wild type. For NADPH regeneration, Bacillus sp. YX-1 glucose dehydrogenase was introduced into the (R)-phenylethanol pathway. A coexpression system containing E228S and glucose dehydrogenase was constructed. The system was optimized by altering the coding gene order on the plasmid and using the Shine-Dalgarno sequence and the aligned spacing sequence as a linker between them. The presence of glucose dehydrogenase increased the NADPH concentration slightly and decreased NADP(+) pool 2- to 4-fold; the NADPH/NADP(+) ratio was improved 2- to 5-fold. The recombinant Escherichia coli/pET-MS-SD-AS-G, with E228S located upstream and glucose dehydrogenase downstream, showed excellent performance, giving (R)-phenylethanol of an optical purity of 99.5 % in 92.2% yield in 12 h in the absence of an external cofactor. When 0.06 mM NADP(+) was added at the beginning of the reaction, the reaction duration was reduced to 1 h. Optimization of the coexpression system stimulated an over 30-fold increase in the yield of (R)-phenylethanol, and simultaneously reduced the reaction time 48-fold compared with the wild-type enzyme. This report describes possible mechanisms for alteration of the enantiopreferences of carbonyl reductases by site mutation, and cofactor rebalancing pathways for efficient chiral alcohols production.

Structural requirements for potent direct inhibition of human cytochrome P450 1A1 by cannabidiol: role of pentylresorcinol moiety

Our recent work has shown that cannabidiol (CBD) exhibits the most potent direct inhibition of human cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) among the CYP enzymes examined. However, the mechanism underlying this CBD inhibition remains to be clarified. Thus, to elucidate the structural requirements for the potent inhibition by CBD, the effects of CBD and its structurally related compounds on CYP1A1 activity were investigated with recombinant human CYP1A1. Olivetol, which corresponds to the pentylresorcinol moiety of CBD, inhibited the 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activity of CYP1A1; its inhibitory effect (IC50=13.8 µM) was less potent than that of CBD (IC50=0.355 µM). In contrast, d-limonene, which corresponds to the terpene moiety of CBD, only slightly inhibited CYP1A1 activity. CBD-2'-monomethyl ether (CBDM) and CBD-2',6'-dimethyl ether inhibited CYP1A1 activity with IC50 values of 4.07 and 23.0 µM, respectively, indicating that their inhibitory effects attenuated depending on the level of methylation on the free phenolic hydroxyl groups in the pentylresorcinol moiety of CBD. Cannabidivarin inhibited CYP1A1 activity, although its inhibitory potency (IC50=1.85 µM) was lower than that of CBD. The inhibitory effects of Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabielsoin (IC50s ≈10 µM), which contain a free phenolic hydroxyl group and are structurally constrained, were less potent than that of CBDM, which contains a free phenolic hydroxyl group and is rotatable between pentylresorcinol and terpene moieties. These results suggest that the pentylresorcinol structure in CBD may have structurally important roles in direct CYP1A1 inhibition, although the whole structure of CBD is required for overall inhibition.

Conformational adaptation of human cytochrome P450 2B6 and rabbit cytochrome P450 2B4 revealed upon binding multiple amlodipine molecules

Structures of human cytochrome P450 2B6 and rabbit cytochrome P450 2B4 in complex with two molecules of the calcium channel blocker amlodipine have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The presence of two drug molecules suggests clear substrate access channels in each P450. According to a previously established nomenclature, amlodipine molecules were trapped in access pathway 2f in P450 2B6 and in pathway 2a or 2f in P450 2B4. These pathways overlap for part of the length and then diverge as they extend toward the protein surface. A previously described solvent channel was also found in each enzyme. The results indicate that key residues located on the surface and at the entrance of the substrate access channels in each of these P450s may play a crucial role in guiding substrate entry. In addition, the region of P450 2B6 and 2B4 involving helices B', F, F', and G' and part of helix G is substantially more open in the amlodipine complexes than in the corresponding 4-(4-chlorophenyl)imidazole complexes. The increased active site volume observed results from the major retraction of helices F, F', and B' and the β4 sheet region located close to the binding cavity to accommodate amlodipine. These structures demonstrate novel insight into distinct conformational states not observed with previous P450 2B structures and provide clear evidence of the substrate access channels in two drug-metabolizing P450s. In addition, the structures exhibit the versatility that can be exploited via in silico studies with other P450 2B6 ligands as large as raloxifene and itraconazole.

Functional characterization of a first avian cytochrome P450 of the CYP2D subfamily (CYP2D49)

The CYP2D family members are instrumental in the metabolism of 20-25% of commonly prescribed drugs. Although many CYP2D isoforms have been well characterized in other animal models, research concerning the chicken CYP2Ds is limited. In this study, a cDNA encoding a novel CYP2D enzyme (CYP2D49) was cloned from the chicken liver for the first time. The CYP2D49 cDNA contained an open reading frame of 502 amino acids that shared 52%-57% identities with other CYP2Ds. The gene structure and neighboring genes of CYP2D49 are conserved and similar to those of human CYP2D6. Additionally, similar to human CYP2D6, CYP2D49 is un-inducible in the liver and expressed predominantly in the liver, kidney and small intestine, with detectable levels in several other tissues. Metabolic assays of the CYP2D49 protein heterologously expressed in E. coli and Hela cells indicated that CYP2D49 metabolized the human CYP2D6 substrate, bufuralol, but not debrisoquine. Moreover, quinidine, a potent inhibitor of human CYP2D6, only inhibited the bufuralol 1'-hydroxylation activity of CYP2D49 to a negligible degree. All these results indicated that CYP2D49 had functional characteristics similar to those of human CYP2D6 but measurably differed in the debrisoquine 4'-hydroxylation and quinidine inhibitory profile. Further structure-function investigations that employed site-directed mutagenesis and circular dichroism spectroscopy identified the importance of Val-126, Glu-222, Asp-306, Phe-486 and Phe-488 in keeping the enzymatic activity of CYP2D49 toward bufuralol as well as the importance of Asp-306, Phe-486 and Phe-488 in maintaining the conformation of CYP2D49 protein. The current study is only the first step in characterizing the metabolic mechanism of CYP2D49; further studies are still required.

Crystal structure of human cytochrome P450 2D6 with prinomastat bound

Human cytochrome P450 2D6 contributes to the metabolism of >15% of drugs used in clinical practice. This study determined the structure of P450 2D6 complexed with a substrate and potent inhibitor, prinomastat, to 2.85 Å resolution by x-ray crystallography. Prinomastat binding is well defined by electron density maps with its pyridyl nitrogen bound to the heme iron. The structure of ligand-bound P450 2D6 differs significantly from the ligand-free structure reported for the P450 2D6 Met-374 variant (Protein Data Bank code 2F9Q). Superposition of the structures reveals significant differences for β sheet 1, helices A, F, F', G", G, and H as well as the helix B-C loop. The structure of the ligand complex exhibits a closed active site cavity that conforms closely to the shape of prinomastat. The closure of the open cavity seen for the 2F9Q structure reflects a change in the direction and pitch of helix F and introduction of a turn at Gly-218, which is followed by a well defined helix F' that was not observed in the 2F9Q structure. These differences reflect considerable structural flexibility that is likely to contribute to the catalytic versatility of P450 2D6, and this new structure provides an alternative model for in silico studies of substrate interactions with P450 2D6.

Carbonyl reductase SCRII from Candida parapsilosis catalyzes anti-Prelog reaction to (S)-1-phenyl-1,2-ethanediol with absolute stereochemical selectivity

An (S)-specific carbonyl reductase (SCRII) was purified to homogeneity from Candida parapsilosis by following an anti-Prelog reducing activity of 2-hydroxyacetophenone. Peptide mass fingerprinting analysis shows SCRII belongs to short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase family. Its coding gene was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant SCRII displays the similar enzymatic characterization and catalytic properties to SCR. It catalyzes the enantioselective reduction of 2-hydroxyacetophenone to (S)-1-phenyl-1,2-ethanediol with excellent optical purity of 100% in higher yield than SCR. Based on the sequence-structure alignment, several single-point mutations inside or adjacent to the substrate-binding loop or active site were designed. With respect to recombinant native SCRII, the A220 and E228 mutations almost lost enantioselectivity towards 2-hydroxyacetophenone reduction. The catalytic efficiencies (kcat/Km) for the A220 or E228 variants are <7% that of the unmutated enzyme. This work provides an excellent catalyst for enantiopure alcohol preparation and the lethal mutations of A220 and E228 suggest their importance in substrate-binding and/or catalysis.

Regio- and stereoselective oxidation of propranolol enantiomers by human CYP2D6, cynomolgus monkey CYP2D17 and marmoset CYP2D19

Toxic and pharmacokinetic profiles of drug candidates are evaluated in vivo often using monkeys as experimental animals, and the data obtained are extrapolated to humans. Well understanding physiological properties, including drug-metabolizing enzymes, of monkeys should increase the accuracy of the extrapolation. The present study was performed to compare regio- and stereoselectivity in the oxidation of propranolol (PL), a chiral substrate, by cytochrome P450 2D (CYP2D) enzymes among humans, cynomolgus monkeys and marmosets. Complimentary DNAs encoding human CYP2D6, cynomolgus monkey CYP2D17 and marmoset CYP2D19 were cloned, and their proteins expressed in a yeast cell expression system. The regio- and stereoselective oxidation of PL enantiomers by yeast cell microsomal fractions were compared. In terms of efficiency of expression in the system, the holo-proteins ranked CYP2D6=CYP2D17>>CYP2D19. This may be caused by the bulky side chain of the amino acid residue at position 119 (leucine for CYP2D19 vs. valine for CYP2D6 and CYP2D17), which can disturb the incorporation of the heme moiety into the active-site cavity. PL enantiomers were oxidized by all of the enzymes mainly into 4-hydroxyproranolol (4-OH-PL), followed by 5-OH-PL and N-desisopropylpropranolol (NDP). In the kinetic analysis, apparent K(m) values were commonly in the μM range and substrate enantioselectivity of R-PL<S-PL was observed in both K(m) and V(max) values for the formation of the three metabolites from PL enantiomers. The activity to produce NDP tended to be higher for the monkey enzymes, particularly CYP2D17, than for the human enzyme. These results indicate that in the oxidation of PL enantiomers by CYP2D enzymes, stereoselectivity is similar but regioselectivity is different between humans and monkeys.

Using a homology model of cytochrome P450 2D6 to predict substrate site of metabolism

CYP2D6 is an important enzyme that is involved in first pass metabolism and is responsible for metabolizing ~25% of currently marketed drugs. A homology model of CYP2D6 was built using X-ray structures of ligand-bound CYP2C5 complexes as templates. This homology model was used in docking studies to rationalize and predict the site of metabolism of known CYP2D6 substrates. While the homology model was generally found to be in good agreement with the recently solved apo (ligand-free) X-ray structure of CYP2D6, significant differences between the structures were observed in the B' and F-G helical region. These structural differences are similar to those observed between ligand-free and ligand-bound structures of other CYPs and suggest that these conformational changes result from induced-fit adaptations upon ligand binding. By docking to the homology model using Glide, it was possible to identify the correct site of metabolism for a set of 16 CYP2D6 substrates 85% of the time when the 5 top scoring poses were examined. On the other hand, docking to the apo CYP2D6 X-ray structure led to a loss in accuracy in predicting the sites of metabolism for many of the CYP2D6 substrates considered in this study. These results demonstrate the importance of describing substrate-induced conformational changes that occur upon binding. The best results were obtained using Glide SP with van der Waals scaling set to 0.8 for both the receptor and ligand atoms. A discussion of putative binding modes that explain the distribution of metabolic sites for substrates, as well as a relationship between the number of metabolic sites and substrate size, are also presented. In addition, analysis of these binding modes enabled us to rationalize the typical hydroxylation and O-demethylation reactions catalyzed by CYP2D6 as well as the less common N-dealkylation.

New insights into the structural characteristics and functional relevance of the human cytochrome P450 2D6 enzyme

To date, the crystal structures of at least 12 human CYPs (1A2, 2A6, 2A13, 2C8, 2C9, 2D6, 2E1, 2R1, 3A4, 7A1, 8A1, and 46A1) have been determined. CYP2D6 accounts for only a small percentage of all hepatic CYPs (< 2%), but it metabolizes approximately 25% of clinically used drugs with significant polymorphisms. CYP2D6 also metabolizes procarcinogens and neurotoxins, such as 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline, and indolealkylamines. Moreover, the enzyme utilizes hydroxytryptamines and neurosteroids as endogenous substrates. Typical CYP2D6 substrates are usually lipophilic bases with an aromatic ring and a nitrogen atom, which can be protonated at physiological pH. Substrate binding is generally followed by oxidation (5-7 A) from the proposed nitrogen-Asp301 interaction. A number of homology models have been constructed to explore the structural features of CYP2D6, while antibody studies also provide useful structural information. Site-directed mutagenesis studies have demonstrated that Glu216, Asp301, Phe120, Phe481, and Phe483 play important roles in determining the binding of ligands to CYP2D6. The structure of human CYP2D6 has been recently determined and shows the characteristic CYP fold observed for other members of the CYP superfamily. The lengths and orientations of the individual secondary structural elements in the CYP2D6 structure are similar to those seen in other human CYP2 members, such as CYP2C9 and 2C8. The 2D6 structure has a well-defined active-site cavity located above the heme group with a volume of approximately 540 A(3), which is larger than equivalent cavities in CYP2A6 (260 A(3)), 1A2 (375 A(3)), and 2E1 (190 A(3)), but smaller than those in CYP3A4 (1385 A(3)) and 2C8 (1438 A(3)). Further studies are required to delineate the molecular mechanisms involved in CYP2D6 ligand interactions and their implications for drug development and clinical practice.

Ser67Asp and His68Asp substitutions in candida parapsilosis carbonyl reductase alter the coenzyme specificity and enantioselectivity of ketone reduction

A short-chain carbonyl reductase (SCR) from Candida parapsilosis catalyzes an anti-Prelog reduction of 2-hydroxyacetophenone to (S)-1-phenyl-1,2-ethanediol (PED) and exhibits coenzyme specificity for NADPH over NADH. By using site-directed mutagenesis, the mutants were designed with different combinations of Ser67Asp, His68Asp, and Pro69Asp substitutions inside or adjacent to the coenzyme binding pocket. All mutations caused a significant shift of enantioselectivity toward the (R)-configuration during 2-hydroxyacetophenone reduction. The S67D/H68D mutant produced (R)-PED with high optical purity and yield in the NADH-linked reaction. By kinetic analysis, the S67D/H68D mutant resulted in a nearly 10-fold increase and a 20-fold decrease in the k(cat)/K(m) value when NADH and NADPH were used as the cofactors, respectively, but maintaining a k(cat) value essentially the same with respect to wild-type SCR. The ratio of K(d) (dissociation constant) values between NADH and NADPH for the S67D/H68D mutant and SCR were 0.28 and 1.9 respectively, which indicates that the S67D/H68D mutant has a stronger preference for NADH and weaker binding for NADPH. Moreover, the S67D/H68D enzyme exhibited a secondary structure and melting temperature similar to the wild-type form. It was also found that NADH provided maximal protection against thermal and urea denaturation for S67D/H68D, in contrast to the effective protection by NADP(H) for the wild-type enzyme. Thus, the double point mutation S67D/H68D successfully converted the coenzyme specificity of SCR from NADP(H) to NAD(H) as well as the product enantioselectivity without disturbing enzyme stability. This work provides a protein engineering approach to modify the coenzyme specificity and enantioselectivity of ketone reduction for short-chain reductases.

The mechanism causing the difference in kinetic properties between rat CYP2D4 and human CYP2D6 in the oxidation of dextromethorphan and bufuralol

The capacity to oxidize bufuralol (BF) and dextromethorphan (DEX) was compared kinetically between human CYP2D6 and four rat CYP2D (CYP2D1, -2D2, -2D3 and -2D4) isoenzymes in a yeast cell expression system. In BF 1''-hydroxylation and DEX O-demethylation, only CYP2D4 showed hook-shaped Eadie-Hofstee plots, the other four CYP2D enzymes exhibiting linear plots. In DEX N-demethylation, rat CYP2D2 did not show any detectable activity under the conditions used, whereas the other four enzymes yielded linear Eadie-Hofstee plots. To elucidate the mechanisms causing the nonlinear kinetics, four CYP2D4 mutants, CYP2D4-F109I, -V123F, -L216F and -A486F, were prepared. CYP2D4-V123F, -L216F and -A486F yielded linear or linear-like Eadie-Hofstee plots for BF 1''-hydroxylation, whereas only CYP2D4-A486F exhibited linear plots for DEX O-demethylation. The substitution of Phe-109 by isoleucine did not have any effect on the oxidative capacity of CYP2D4 for either BF or DEX. These results suggest that the introduction of phenylalanine in the active-site cavity of CYP2D4 simplifies complicated interactions between the substrates and the amino acid residues, but the mechanisms causing the simplification differ between BF and DEX.

Analysis of CYP2D6 substrate interactions by computational methods

Cytochrome P450 CYP2D6 is involved in the oxidation of well over 150 drugs and, in general, those which contain a basic nitrogen atom in the molecule. To clarify how the residues of CYP2D6 are utilized for orientating a wide range of its specific substrates and distinguishing them from a variety of other organic compounds, docking studies by AutoDock and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were conducted. Specific ligands were docked to both the homology model and crystal structures optimally to estimate the site of reaction on the ligand molecule and the binding energy for the complex, which were generally in good agreement with the experimental data. MD simulation for the CYP2D6-propranolol complex was then carried out to reveal the amino acid residues interacting with the substrate at the active site. Phe-120, Glu-216, Asp-301, and Phe-483 are identified as the substrate-binding residues in agreement with previously reported site-directed mutagenesis data and the crystal structure reported recently (PDB code: 2F9Q). As well as these residues, our theoretical prediction suggests that Phe-219 and Glu-222 are also important residues for mediating oxidation of substrates, especially propranolol.

Stereoselective hexobarbital 3'-hydroxylation by CYP2C19 expressed in yeast cells and the roles of amino acid residues at positions 300 and 476

We examined the enzymatic function of recombinant CYP2C19 in enantiomeric hexobarbital (HB) 3'-hydroxylation, and searched the roles of amino acid residues, such as Phe-100, Phe-114, Asp-293, Glu-300, and Phe-476 of CYP2C19 in the stereoselective HB 3'-hydroxylation, using a yeast cell expression system and site-directed mutagenesis method. CYP2C19 wild-type exerted substrate enantioselectivity of (R)-HB>>(S)-HB and metabolite diastereoselectivity of 3'(R)<3'(S) in 3'-hydroxylation of HB enantiomers. The substitution of Asp-293 by alanine failed to yield an observable peak at 450 nm in its reduced carbon monoxide-difference spectrum. CYP2C19-E300A and CYP2C19-E300V with alanine and valine, respectively, in place of Glu-300 exerted total HB 3'-hydroxylation activities of 45 and 108%, respectively, that of the wild-type. Interestingly, these two mutants showed substrate enantioselectivity of (R)-HB<(S)-HB, which is opposite to that of the wild-type, while metabolite diasteroselectivity remained unchanged. The replacement of Phe-476 by alanine increased total HB 3'-hydroxylation activity to approximately 3-fold that of the wild-type. Particularly, 3'(S)-OH-(S)-HB-forming activity elevated to 7-fold that of the wild-type, resulting in the reversal of the substrate enantioselectivity. In contrast, the substitution of phenylalanine at positions 100 and 114 by alanine did not produce a remarkable change in the total activity or the substrate enantioselectivity. These results indicate that Glu-300 and Phe-476 are important in stereoselective oxidation of HB enantiomers by CYP2C19.

Oxidative metabolism of 5-methoxy-N,N-diisopropyltryptamine (Foxy) by human liver microsomes and recombinant cytochrome P450 enzymes

In vitro quantitative studies of the oxidative metabolism of (5-methoxy-N,N-diisopropyltryptamine, 5-MeO-DIPT, Foxy) were performed using human liver microsomal fractions and recombinant CYP enzymes and synthetic 5-MeO-DIPT metabolites. 5-MeO-DIPT was mainly oxidized to O-demethylated (5-OH-DIPT) and N-deisopropylated (5-MeO-IPT) metabolites in pooled human liver microsomes. In kinetic studies, 5-MeO-DIPT O-demethylation showed monophasic kinetics, whereas its N-deisopropylation showed triphasic kinetics. Among six recombinant CYP enzymes (CYP1A2, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4) expressed in yeast or insect cells, only CYP2D6 exhibited 5-MeO-DIPT O-demethylase activity, while CYP1A2, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 showed 5-MeO-DIPT N-deisopropylase activities. The apparent Km value of CYP2D6 was close to that for 5-MeO-DIPT O-demethylation, and the Km values of other CYP enzymes were similar to those of the low-Km (CYP2C19), intermediate-Km (CYP1A2, CYP2C8 and CYP3A4) and high-Km phases (CYP2C9), respectively, for N-deisopropylation in human liver microsomes. In inhibition studies, quinidine (1 microM), an inhibitor of CYP2D6, almost completely inhibited human liver microsomal 5-MeO-DIPT O-demethylation at a substrate concentration of 10 microM. Furafylline, a CYP1A2 inhibitor, quercetin, a CYP2C8 inhibitor, sulfaphenazole, a CYP2C9 inhibitor and ketoconazole, a CYP3A4 inihibitor (5 microM each) suppressed about 60%, 45%, 15% and 40%, respectively, of 5-MeO-DIPT N-deisopropylation at 50 microM substrate. In contrast, omeprazole (10 microM), a CYP2C19 inhibitor, suppressed only 10% of N-deisopropylation by human liver microsomes, whereas at the same concentration the inhibitor suppressed the reaction by recombinant CYP2C19 almost completely. These results indicate that CYP2D6 is the major 5-MeO-DIPT O-demethylase, and CYP1A2, CYP2C8 and CYP3A4 are the major 5-MeO-DIPT N-deisopropylase enzymes in the human liver.

Binding of bufuralol, dextromethorphan, and 3,4-methylenedioxymethylamphetamine to wild-type and F120A mutant cytochrome P450 2D6 studied by resonance Raman spectroscopy

Cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) is one of the most important drug-metabolizing enzymes in humans. Resonance Raman data, reported for the first time for CYP2D6, show that the CYP2D6 heme is found to be in a six-coordinated low-spin state in the absence of substrates, and it is perturbed to different extents by bufuralol, dextromethorphan, and 3,4-methylenedioxymethylamphetamine (MDMA). Dextromethorphan and MDMA induce in CYP2D6 a significant amount of five-coordinated high-spin heme species and reduce the polarity of its heme-pocket, whereas bufuralol does not. Spectra of the F120A mutant CYP2D6 suggest that Phe120 is involved in substrate-binding of dextromethorphan and MDMA, being responsible for the spectral differences observed between these two compounds and bufuralol. These differences could be explained postulating a different substrate mobility for each compound in the CYP2D6 active site, consistently with the role previously suggested for Phe120 in binding dextromethorphan and MDMA.

Topological role of cytochrome P450 2D6 active site residues

Recent reports have identified Phe120, Asp301, Thr309, and Glu216 as important residues in cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) substrate binding and catalysis. Complementary homology models have located these amino acids within the binding pocket of CYP2D6 and in the present study we have used aryldiazenes to test these models and gain further insight in the role these amino acids have in maintaining the integrity of the active site cavity. When Phe120 was replaced to alanine, there was a significant increase in probe migration to pyrrole nitrogens C and D, in agreement with homology models which have located the phenyl side-chain of Phe120 above these two pyrrole rings. No changes in topology were observed with the D301Q mutant, supporting claims that in this mutant the electrostatic interactions with the B/C-loop are largely maintained and the loop retains its native orientation. The T309V mutation resulted in significant topological alteration suggesting that, in addition to its potential role in dioxygen activation, Thr309 plays an important structural role within the active site crevice. Replacement of Ile106 with Glu, engineered to cause electrostatic repulsion with Glu216, had a profound topological effect in the higher region within the active site cavity and impaired the catalytic activity towards CYP2D6 probe substrates.

Roles of phenylalanine at position 120 and glutamic acid at position 222 in the oxidation of chiral substrates by cytochrome P450 2D6

The roles of Phe-120 and Glu-222 in the oxidation of chiral substrates bunitrolol (BTL) and bufuralol (BF) by CYP2D6 are discussed. Wild-type CYP2D6 (CYP2D6-WT) oxidized BTL to 4-hydroxybunitrolol (4-OH-BTL) with substrate enantioselectivity of (R)-(+)-BTL > (S)-(-)-BTL. The same enzyme converted BF into 1''-hydroxybufuralol with substrate enantioselectivity of (R)-BF >> (S)-BF and metabolite diastereoselectivity of (1''R)-OH < (1''S)-OH. The substitution of Phe-120 by alanine markedly increased the apparent K(m) and V(max) values for enantiomeric BTL 4-hydroxylation by CYP2D6. In contrast, the same substitution caused an increase only in V(max) values of (S)-BF 1''-hydroxylation without changing apparent K(m) values, while kinetic parameters (K(m) and V(max) values) for (R)-BF 1''-hydroxylation remained unchanged. Furthermore, the substitution of Glu-222 as well as Glu-216 by alanine remarkably decreased both the apparent K(m) and V(max) values without changing substrate enantioselectivity or metabolite diastereoselectivity. A computer-assisted simulation study using energy minimization and molecular dynamics techniques indicated that the hydrophobic interaction of an aromatic moiety of the substrate with Phe-120 and the ionic interaction of a basic nitrogen atom of the substrate with Glu-222 in combination with Glu-216 play important roles in the binding of BF and BTL by CYP2D6 and the orientation of these substrates in the active-site cavity. This modeling yielded a convincing explanation for the reversal of substrate enantioselectivity in BTL 4-hydroxylation between CYP2D6-WT and CYP2D6-V374M having methionine in place of Val-374, which supports the validity of this modeling.

The effect of dimethyl sulfoxide on the function of cytochrome P450 2D6 in HepG2 cells upon the co-expression with NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase

HepG2 cells, a human hepatoma cell line, stably expressing NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase (OR) and/or cytochrome P450 2D6 wild-type (CYP2D6-WT) or its variants (Pro34Ser, Gly42Arg, Arg296Cys and Ser486Thr) were established in the present study. The cultivation of HepG2 cells expressing CYP2D6-WT in the culture medium containing dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, 0.1% of final concentration) markedly increased the bufuralol (BF) 1''-hydroxylase activity compared with that of control cells when cultivated without DMSO. A similar effect was also observed in HepG2 cells stably expressing CYP2D6 and OR. The addition of hemin in place of DMSO to the culture medium resulted in no increase in the enzyme activity. Western blot analysis revealed that the levels of CYP2D6 protein were similar between DMSO-treated and non-treated HepG2 cells regardless of OR expression. Spectrophotometric analysis of reduced carbon monoxide-difference spectra of HepG2 cells expressing CYP2D6-WT and/or OR demonstrated that the addition of DMSO increased the peak height of functional CYP2D6 at 450 nm. These results suggest that the increase in CYP2D6 activity is attributable to the radical-scavenging effect of DMSO. The HepG2 cell lines stably expressing OR and CYP2D6 or its variants in combination with DMSO treatment may be useful for screening the cytotoxicity of chemical compounds which undergo oxidation by CYP2D6.