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Siddqui G, Vishwakarma P, Saxena S, Kumar V, Bajpai S, Kumar A, Kumar S, Khatri R, Kaur J, Bhattacharya S, Ahmed S, Syed GH, Kumar Y, Samal S. Aged AG129 mice support the generation of highly virulent novel mouse-adapted DENV (1-4) viruses exhibiting neuropathogenesis and high lethality. Virus Res 2024; 341:199331. [PMID: 38280436 PMCID: PMC10846402 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2024.199331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
Dengue virus infection in humans ranges from asymptomatic infection to severe infection, with ∼2.5 % overall disease fatality rate. Evidence of neurological manifestations is seen in the severe form of the disease, which might be due to the direct invasion of the viruses into the CNS system but is poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrated that the aged AG129 mice are highly susceptible to dengue serotypes 1-4, and following the adaptation, this resulted in the generation of neurovirulent strains that showed enhanced replication, aggravated disease severity, increased neuropathogenesis, and high lethality in both adult and aged AG129 mice. The infected mice had endothelial dysfunction, elicited pro-inflammatory cytokine responses, and exhibited 100 % mortality. Further analysis revealed that aged-adapted DENV strains induced measurable alterations in TLR expression in the aged mice as compared to the adult mice. In addition, metabolomics analysis of the serum samples from the infected adult mice revealed dysregulation of 18 metabolites and upregulation of 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha, phosphocreatine, and taurocholic acid. These metabolites may serve as key biomarkers to decipher and comprehend the severity of dengue-associated severe neuro-pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gazala Siddqui
- Influenza and Respiratory Virus Laboratory, Centre for Virus Research, Therapeutics and Vaccines, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR-Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestossne, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | - Preeti Vishwakarma
- Influenza and Respiratory Virus Laboratory, Centre for Virus Research, Therapeutics and Vaccines, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR-Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestossne, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | - Shikha Saxena
- Influenza and Respiratory Virus Laboratory, Centre for Virus Research, Therapeutics and Vaccines, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR-Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestossne, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | - Varun Kumar
- Influenza and Respiratory Virus Laboratory, Centre for Virus Research, Therapeutics and Vaccines, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR-Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestossne, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | - Sneh Bajpai
- Influenza and Respiratory Virus Laboratory, Centre for Virus Research, Therapeutics and Vaccines, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR-Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestossne, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | - Amit Kumar
- Influenza and Respiratory Virus Laboratory, Centre for Virus Research, Therapeutics and Vaccines, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR-Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestossne, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | - Satish Kumar
- Influenza and Respiratory Virus Laboratory, Centre for Virus Research, Therapeutics and Vaccines, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR-Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestossne, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | - Ritika Khatri
- Influenza and Respiratory Virus Laboratory, Centre for Virus Research, Therapeutics and Vaccines, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR-Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestossne, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | - Jaskaran Kaur
- Influenza and Respiratory Virus Laboratory, Centre for Virus Research, Therapeutics and Vaccines, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR-Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestossne, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | - Sankar Bhattacharya
- Influenza and Respiratory Virus Laboratory, Centre for Virus Research, Therapeutics and Vaccines, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR-Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestossne, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | - Shubbir Ahmed
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India
| | | | - Yashwant Kumar
- Influenza and Respiratory Virus Laboratory, Centre for Virus Research, Therapeutics and Vaccines, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR-Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestossne, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | - Sweety Samal
- Influenza and Respiratory Virus Laboratory, Centre for Virus Research, Therapeutics and Vaccines, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR-Biotech Science Cluster, 3rd Milestossne, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India.
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Zhuang H, Cao X, Tang X, Zou Y, Yang H, Liang Z, Yan X, Chen X, Feng X, Shen L. Investigating metabolic dysregulation in serum of triple transgenic Alzheimer's disease male mice: implications for pathogenesis and potential biomarkers. Amino Acids 2024; 56:10. [PMID: 38315232 PMCID: PMC10844422 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-023-03375-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disease that lacks convenient and accessible peripheral blood diagnostic markers and effective drugs. Metabolic dysfunction is one of AD risk factors, which leaded to alterations of various metabolites in the body. Pathological changes of the brain can be reflected in blood metabolites that are expected to explain the disease mechanisms or be candidate biomarkers. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes of targeted metabolites within peripheral blood of AD mouse model, with the purpose of exploring the disease mechanism and potential biomarkers. Targeted metabolomics was used to quantify 256 metabolites in serum of triple transgenic AD (3 × Tg-AD) male mice. Compared with controls, 49 differential metabolites represented dysregulation in purine, pyrimidine, tryptophan, cysteine and methionine and glycerophospholipid metabolism. Among them, adenosine, serotonin, N-acetyl-5-hydroxytryptamine, and acetylcholine play a key role in regulating neural transmitter network. The alteration of S-adenosine-L-homocysteine, S-adenosine-L-methionine, and trimethylamine-N-oxide in AD mice serum can served as indicator of AD risk. The results revealed the changes of metabolites in serum, suggesting that metabolic dysregulation in periphery in AD mice may be related to the disturbances in neuroinhibition, the serotonergic system, sleep function, the cholinergic system, and the gut microbiota. This study provides novel insights into the dysregulation of several key metabolites and metabolic pathways in AD, presenting potential avenues for future research and the development of peripheral biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbin Zhuang
- College of Life Science and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518071, People's Republic of China
| | - Xueshan Cao
- College of Life Science and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518071, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoxiao Tang
- College of Life Science and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518071, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongdong Zou
- Center for Instrumental Analysis, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518071, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongbo Yang
- Center for Instrumental Analysis, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518071, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiyuan Liang
- College of Life Science and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518071, People's Republic of China
| | - Xi Yan
- The Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaolu Chen
- The Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingui Feng
- College of Life Science and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518071, People's Republic of China
| | - Liming Shen
- College of Life Science and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518071, People's Republic of China.
- Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China.
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Wen X, Ng TK, Liu Q, Wu Z, Zhang G, Zhang M. Azelaic acid and guanosine in tears improve discrimination of proliferative from non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy in type-2 diabetes patients: A tear metabolomics study. Heliyon 2023; 9:e16109. [PMID: 37305454 PMCID: PMC10256905 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the microvascular ocular complication of diabetes mellitus (DM), which can lead to irreversible blindness and visual impairment if not properly treated. Tears can be collected non-invasively, and the compositions of tears could be the potential biomarkers for ocular diseases. Here we aimed to delineate the metabolomics signature in tears collected from Chinese type-2 DM patients with DR. Methods The metabolomics profiles of tear samples from 41 Chinese type-2 DM patients with DR and 21 non-diabetic subjects were determined by the untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The associated pathways of the differentially abundant metabolites were delineated, and the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was conducted to identify the metabolites differentiating non-proliferative DR (NPDR) from proliferative DR (PDR). Results Total 14 differentially abundant metabolites were identified between total DR and non-diabetic subjects, and 17 differentially abundant metabolites were found between the NPDR and PDR subjects. Moreover, total 18 differentially abundant metabolites were identified between the NPDR and PDR subjects with stratification in DR duration and blood glucose level. d-Glutamine and d-glutamate metabolism was significantly highlighted in the PDR group as compared to the non-diabetic group. For the predictive performance, azelaic acid combined with guanosine achieved the area under receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.855 in the comparison between NPDR and PDR groups. Conclusion This study revealed the metabolomics changes in tear samples of DR patients. The metabolites in tears could be the potential biomarkers in the DR analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wen
- Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shantou, Guangdong, China
- Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Tsz Kin Ng
- Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shantou, Guangdong, China
- Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Qingping Liu
- Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhenggen Wu
- Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Guihua Zhang
- Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Mingzhi Zhang
- Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shantou, Guangdong, China
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Bose D, Stebliankin V, Cickovski T, Saha P, Trivedi A, Roy S, More M, Tuteja A, Mathee K, Narasimhan G, Chatterjee S. Microbiome Dysbiosis Shows Strong Association of Gut-Derived Altered Metabolomic Profile in Gulf War Chronic Multisymptom Illness Symptom Persistence Following Western Diet Feeding and Development of Obesity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:4245. [PMID: 36835663 PMCID: PMC9962797 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24044245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The pathophysiology of Gulf War Illness (GWI) remains elusive even after three decades. The persistence of multiple complex symptoms along with metabolic disorders such as obesity worsens the health of present Gulf War (GW) Veterans often by the interactions of the host gut microbiome and inflammatory mediators. In this study, we hypothesized that the administration of a Western diet might alter the host metabolomic profile, which is likely associated with the altered bacterial species. Using a five-month symptom persistence GWI model in mice and whole-genome sequencing, we characterized the species-level dysbiosis and global metabolomics, along with heterogenous co-occurrence network analysis, to study the bacteriome-metabolomic association. Microbial analysis at the species level showed a significant alteration of beneficial bacterial species. The beta diversity of the global metabolomic profile showed distinct clustering due to the Western diet, along with the alteration of metabolites associated with lipid, amino acid, nucleotide, vitamin, and xenobiotic metabolism pathways. Network analysis showed novel associations of gut bacterial species with metabolites and biochemical pathways that could be used as biomarkers or therapeutic targets to ameliorate symptom persistence in GW Veterans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipro Bose
- Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Program in Public Health, Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Vitalli Stebliankin
- Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences, College of Engineering and Computing, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Trevor Cickovski
- Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences, College of Engineering and Computing, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Punnag Saha
- Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Program in Public Health, Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Ayushi Trivedi
- Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Program in Public Health, Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Subhajit Roy
- Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Program in Public Health, Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Madhura More
- Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Program in Public Health, Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Ashok Tuteja
- Division of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City VAMC, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Kalai Mathee
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
- Biomolecular Sciences Institute, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Giri Narasimhan
- Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences, College of Engineering and Computing, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
- Biomolecular Sciences Institute, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Saurabh Chatterjee
- Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Program in Public Health, Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Department of Medicine, Infectious Disease, UCI School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- VA Research and Development, VA Long Beach Health Care System, Long Beach, CA 90822, USA
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Plasma Metabolite Signatures in Male Carriers of Genetic Variants Associated with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Metabolites 2023; 13:metabo13020267. [PMID: 36837886 PMCID: PMC9964056 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13020267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Both genetic and non-genetic factors are important in the pathophysiology of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aim of our study was to identify novel metabolites and pathways associated with NAFLD by including both genetic and non-genetic factors in statistical analyses. We genotyped six genetic variants in the PNPLA3, TM6SF2, MBOAT7, GCKR, PPP1R3B, and HSD17B13 genes reported to be associated with NAFLD. Non-targeted metabolomic profiling was performed from plasma samples. We applied a previously validated fatty liver index to identify participants with NAFLD. First, we associated the six genetic variants with 1098 metabolites in 2 339 men without NAFLD to determine the effects of the genetic variants on metabolites, and then in 2 535 men with NAFLD to determine the joint effects of genetic variants and non-genetic factors on metabolites. We identified several novel metabolites and metabolic pathways, especially for PNPLA3, GCKR, and PPP1R38 variants relevant to the pathophysiology of NAFLD. Importantly, we showed that each genetic variant for NAFLD had a specific metabolite signature. The plasma metabolite signature was unique for each genetic variant, suggesting that several metabolites and different pathways are involved in the risk of NAFLD. The FLI index reliably identifies metabolites for NAFLD in large population-based studies.
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Belkadi A, Thareja G, Abbaszadeh F, Badii R, Fauman E, Albagha OM, Suhre K. Identification of PCSK9-like human gene knockouts using metabolomics, proteomics, and whole-genome sequencing in a consanguineous population. CELL GENOMICS 2022; 3:100218. [PMID: 36777185 PMCID: PMC9903797 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2022.100218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Natural human knockouts of genes associated with desirable outcomes, such as PCSK9 with low levels of LDL-cholesterol, can lead to the discovery of new drug targets and treatments. Rare loss-of-function variants are more likely to be found in the homozygous state in consanguineous populations, and deep molecular phenotyping of blood samples from homozygous carriers can help to discriminate between silent and functional variants. Here, we combined whole-genome sequencing with proteomics and metabolomics for 2,935 individuals from the Qatar Biobank (QBB) to evaluate the power of this approach for finding genes of clinical and pharmaceutical interest. As proof-of-concept, we identified a homozygous carrier of a very rare PCSK9 variant with extremely low circulating PCSK9 levels and low LDL. Our study demonstrates that the chances of finding such variants are about 168 times higher in QBB compared with GnomAD and emphasizes the potential of consanguineous populations for drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aziz Belkadi
- Bioinformatics Core, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Education City, Doha 24144, Qatar,Department of Biophysics and Physiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gaurav Thareja
- Bioinformatics Core, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Education City, Doha 24144, Qatar,Department of Biophysics and Physiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | | | - Omar M.E. Albagha
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar,Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Karsten Suhre
- Bioinformatics Core, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Education City, Doha 24144, Qatar,Department of Biophysics and Physiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA,Corresponding author
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Development of a multiomics model for identification of predictive biomarkers for COVID-19 severity: a retrospective cohort study. Lancet Digit Health 2022; 4:e632-e645. [PMID: 35835712 PMCID: PMC9273185 DOI: 10.1016/s2589-7500(22)00112-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 is a multi-system disorder with high variability in clinical outcomes among patients who are admitted to hospital. Although some cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6 are believed to be associated with severity, there are no early biomarkers that can reliably predict patients who are more likely to have adverse outcomes. Thus, it is crucial to discover predictive markers of serious complications. METHODS In this retrospective cohort study, we analysed samples from 455 participants with COVID-19 who had had a positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR result between April 14, 2020, and Dec 1, 2020 and who had visited one of three Mayo Clinic sites in the USA (Minnesota, Arizona, or Florida) in the same period. These participants were assigned to three subgroups depending on disease severity as defined by the WHO ordinal scale of clinical improvement (outpatient, severe, or critical). Our control cohort comprised of 182 anonymised age-matched and sex-matched plasma samples that were available from the Mayo Clinic Biorepository and banked before the COVID-19 pandemic. We did a deep profiling of circulatory cytokines and other proteins, lipids, and metabolites from both cohorts. Most patient samples were collected before, or around the time of, hospital admission, representing ideal samples for predictive biomarker discovery. We used proximity extension assays to quantify cytokines and circulatory proteins and tandem mass spectrometry to measure lipids and metabolites. Biomarker discovery was done by applying an AutoGluon-tabular classifier to a multiomics dataset, producing a stacked ensemble of cutting-edge machine learning algorithms. Global proteomics and glycoproteomics on a subset of patient samples with matched pre-COVID-19 plasma samples was also done. FINDINGS We quantified 1463 cytokines and circulatory proteins, along with 902 lipids and 1018 metabolites. By developing a machine-learning-based prediction model, a set of 102 biomarkers, which predicted severe and clinical COVID-19 outcomes better than the traditional set of cytokines, were discovered. These predictive biomarkers included several novel cytokines and other proteins, lipids, and metabolites. For example, altered amounts of C-type lectin domain family 6 member A (CLEC6A), ether phosphatidylethanolamine (P-18:1/18:1), and 2-hydroxydecanoate, as reported here, have not previously been associated with severity in COVID-19. Patient samples with matched pre-COVID-19 plasma samples showed similar trends in muti-omics signatures along with differences in glycoproteomics profile. INTERPRETATION A multiomic molecular signature in the plasma of patients with COVID-19 before being admitted to hospital can be exploited to predict a more severe course of disease. Machine learning approaches can be applied to highly complex and multidimensional profiling data to reveal novel signatures of clinical use. The absence of validation in an independent cohort remains a major limitation of the study. FUNDING Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
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Roberts I, Wright Muelas M, Taylor JM, Davison AS, Xu Y, Grixti JM, Gotts N, Sorokin A, Goodacre R, Kell DB. Untargeted metabolomics of COVID-19 patient serum reveals potential prognostic markers of both severity and outcome. Metabolomics 2021; 18:6. [PMID: 34928464 PMCID: PMC8686810 DOI: 10.1007/s11306-021-01859-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The diagnosis of COVID-19 is normally based on the qualitative detection of viral nucleic acid sequences. Properties of the host response are not measured but are key in determining outcome. Although metabolic profiles are well suited to capture host state, most metabolomics studies are either underpowered, measure only a restricted subset of metabolites, compare infected individuals against uninfected control cohorts that are not suitably matched, or do not provide a compact predictive model. OBJECTIVES Here we provide a well-powered, untargeted metabolomics assessment of 120 COVID-19 patient samples acquired at hospital admission. The study aims to predict the patient's infection severity (i.e., mild or severe) and potential outcome (i.e., discharged or deceased). METHODS High resolution untargeted UHPLC-MS/MS analysis was performed on patient serum using both positive and negative ionization modes. A subset of 20 intermediary metabolites predictive of severity or outcome were selected based on univariate statistical significance and a multiple predictor Bayesian logistic regression model was created. RESULTS The predictors were selected for their relevant biological function and include deoxycytidine and ureidopropionate (indirectly reflecting viral load), kynurenine (reflecting host inflammatory response), and multiple short chain acylcarnitines (energy metabolism) among others. Currently, this approach predicts outcome and severity with a Monte Carlo cross validated area under the ROC curve of 0.792 (SD 0.09) and 0.793 (SD 0.08), respectively. A blind validation study on an additional 90 patients predicted outcome and severity at ROC AUC of 0.83 (CI 0.74-0.91) and 0.76 (CI 0.67-0.86). CONCLUSION Prognostic tests based on the markers discussed in this paper could allow improvement in the planning of COVID-19 patient treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivayla Roberts
- Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Marina Wright Muelas
- Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
| | - Joseph M Taylor
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Metabolic Medicine, Liverpool Clinical Laboratories, Royal Liverpool University Hospitals Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | - Andrew S Davison
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Metabolic Medicine, Liverpool Clinical Laboratories, Royal Liverpool University Hospitals Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | - Yun Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Centre for Metabolomics Research (CMR), Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Justine M Grixti
- Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Nigel Gotts
- Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Centre for Metabolomics Research (CMR), Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Anatolii Sorokin
- Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Royston Goodacre
- Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Centre for Metabolomics Research (CMR), Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Douglas B Kell
- Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Building 220, Chemitorvet, 2000, Kgs Lyngby, Denmark.
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Swietlik EM, Ghataorhe P, Zalewska KI, Wharton J, Howard LS, Taboada D, Cannon JE, Morrell NW, Wilkins MR, Toshner M, Pepke-Zaba J, Rhodes CJ. Plasma metabolomics exhibit response to therapy in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Eur Respir J 2020; 57:13993003.03201-2020. [PMID: 33060150 PMCID: PMC8012591 DOI: 10.1183/13993003.03201-2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Pulmonary hypertension is a condition with limited effective treatment options. Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a notable exception, with pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) often proving curative. This study investigated the plasma metabolome of CTEPH patients, estimated reversibility to an effective treatment and explored the source of metabolic perturbations.We performed untargeted analysis of plasma metabolites in CTEPH patients compared to healthy controls and disease comparators. Changes in metabolic profile were evaluated in response to PEA. A subset of patients were sampled at three anatomical locations and plasma metabolite gradients calculated.We defined and validated altered plasma metabolite profiles in patients with CTEPH. 12 metabolites were confirmed by receiver operating characteristic analysis to distinguish CTEPH and both healthy (area under the curve (AUC) 0.64-0.94, all p<2×10-5) and disease controls (AUC 0.58-0.77, all p<0.05). Many of the metabolic changes were notably similar to those observed in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). Only five metabolites (5-methylthioadenosine, N1-methyladenosine, N1-methylinosine, 7-methylguanine, N-formylmethionine) distinguished CTEPH from chronic thromboembolic disease or IPAH. Significant corrections (15-100% of perturbation) in response to PEA were observed in some, but not all metabolites. Anatomical sampling identified 188 plasma metabolites, with significant gradients in tryptophan, sphingomyelin, methionine and Krebs cycle metabolites. In addition, metabolites associated with CTEPH and gradients showed significant associations with clinical measures of disease severity.We identified a specific metabolic profile that distinguishes CTEPH from controls and disease comparators, despite the observation that most metabolic changes were common to both CTEPH and IPAH patients. Plasma metabolite gradients implicate cardiopulmonary tissue metabolism of metabolites associated with pulmonary hypertension and metabolites that respond to PEA surgery could be a suitable noninvasive marker for evaluating future targeted therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilia M Swietlik
- Dept of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,National Pulmonary Hypertension Service, Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - Pavandeep Ghataorhe
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Kasia I Zalewska
- National Pulmonary Hypertension Service, Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, UK.,Respiratory Unit, University Hospital Llandough, Cardiff, UK
| | - John Wharton
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Luke S Howard
- National Pulmonary Hypertension Service, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and NHLI, Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
| | - Dolores Taboada
- National Pulmonary Hypertension Service, Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - John E Cannon
- National Pulmonary Hypertension Service, Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | - Martin R Wilkins
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Mark Toshner
- Dept of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,National Pulmonary Hypertension Service, Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - Joanna Pepke-Zaba
- Dept of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,National Pulmonary Hypertension Service, Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - Christopher J Rhodes
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
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10
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Tao T, He T, Mao H, Wu X, Liu X. Non-Targeted Metabolomic Profiling of Coronary Heart Disease Patients With Taohong Siwu Decoction Treatment. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:651. [PMID: 32457630 PMCID: PMC7227603 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditional Chinese medicine is one of the complementary and alternative therapies to improve the prognosis of coronary heart disease (CHD). Taohong Siwu Decoction (THSWD), a classical traditional Chinese medication that promotes blood circulation, is clinically beneficial in CHD. However, the underlying mechanism of THSWD is still unclear. To comprehensively understand the material foundation of the “blood”, it is significantly important to study the differential metabolites involved in the treatment of CHD with Chinese medicinal herb promoting blood circulation in TCM theory. Hence, this study investigated the metabolic profiles of the serum in CHD patients to determine the differential metabolites between the THSWD group and the placebo group. Eleven CHD patients were recruited and divided into two groups randomly and double-blindly. Serum samples were determined by performing non-targeted ultra-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to assess the association between identified metabolites and clinical serum indexes of CHD. Based on the result, a total of 513 metabolites were found in the serum of CHD patients, of which 27, involved in 29 metabolic pathways, were significantly different between the two groups. Among the differential metabolites, THSWD upregulated succinylcarnitine in fatty acid metabolism and 5′-methylthioadenosine in cysteine and methionine metabolism compared with the placebo group. However, THSWD downregulated pelargonic acid, involved in FA metabolism; succinate, involved in the tricarboxylic acid cycle; gluconic acid, gluconolactone, and d-glucose, involved in pentose phosphate pathway; glycerophosphocholine, involved in glycerophospholipid metabolism; 8,9-dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acid (8,9-DiHETrE), l-lysine, N-acetyl-l-aspartic acid, N-alpha-acetyl-l-asparagine, hippurate, indoxyl sulfate, and 3-ureidopropionate involved in amino acid metabolism compared with the placebo group. Moreover, succinylcarnitine, pelargonic acid, succinate, d-glucose, gluconic acid, l-lysine, N-alpha-acetyl-l-asparagine, 5′-methylthioadenosine, indoxyl sulfate, 8,9-DiHETrE, and 3-ureidopropionate were associated with total cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein. Succinylcarnitine, pelargonic acid, gluconolactone, N-acetyl-l-aspartic acid, N-alpha-acetyl-l-asparagine, hippurate, and 5′-methylthioadenosine were associated with activated partial thromboplastin time. Our findings indicated that glycerophosphocholine, 8,9-DiHETrE, 5′-methylthioadenosine, hippurate, indoxyl sulfate, and 3-ureidopropionate might constitute the partial material foundation of the “blood” in CHD patients treated with THSWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianqi Tao
- Department of Pathophysiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Tao He
- Department of Pathophysiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Huimin Mao
- Department of Pathophysiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xudong Wu
- Outpatient Department, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xiuhua Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
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11
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Crystal structure and pH-dependent allosteric regulation of human β-ureidopropionase, an enzyme involved in anticancer drug metabolism. Biochem J 2018; 475:2395-2416. [PMID: 29976570 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20180222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
β-Ureidopropionase (βUP) catalyzes the third step of the reductive pyrimidine catabolic pathway responsible for breakdown of uracil-, thymine- and pyrimidine-based antimetabolites such as 5-fluorouracil. Nitrilase-like βUPs use a tetrad of conserved residues (Cys233, Lys196, Glu119 and Glu207) for catalysis and occur in a variety of oligomeric states. Positive co-operativity toward the substrate N-carbamoyl-β-alanine and an oligomerization-dependent mechanism of substrate activation and product inhibition have been reported for the enzymes from some species but not others. Here, the activity of recombinant human βUP is shown to be similarly regulated by substrate and product, but in a pH-dependent manner. Existing as a homodimer at pH 9, the enzyme increasingly associates to form octamers and larger oligomers with decreasing pH. Only at physiological pH is the enzyme responsive to effector binding, with N-carbamoyl-β-alanine causing association to more active higher molecular mass species, and β-alanine dissociation to inactive dimers. The parallel between the pH and ligand-induced effects suggests that protonation state changes play a crucial role in the allosteric regulation mechanism. Disruption of dimer-dimer interfaces by site-directed mutagenesis generated dimeric, inactive enzyme variants. The crystal structure of the T299C variant refined to 2.08 Å resolution revealed high structural conservation between human and fruit fly βUP, and supports the hypothesis that enzyme activation by oligomer assembly involves ordering of loop regions forming the entrance to the active site at the dimer-dimer interface, effectively positioning the catalytically important Glu207 in the active site.
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12
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Multidrug resistance transporter-1 and breast cancer resistance protein protect against ovarian toxicity, and are essential in ovarian physiology. Reprod Toxicol 2017; 69:121-131. [PMID: 28216407 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2017.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2016] [Revised: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Ovarian protection from chemotoxicity is essential for reproductive health. Our objective is to determine the role of ATP-dependent, Multidrug Resistance Transporters (MDRs) in this protection. Previously we identified MDR-dependent cytoprotection from cyclophosphamide in mouse and human oocytes by use of MDR inhibitors. Here we use genetic deletions in MDR1a/b/BCRP of mice to test MDR function in ovarian somatic cells and find that mdr1a/b/bcrp-/- mice had significantly increased sensitivity to cyclophosphamide. Further, estrus cyclicity and follicle distribution in mdr1a/b/bcrp-/- mice also differed from age-matched wildtype ovaries. We found that MDR gene activity cycles through estrus and that MDR-1b cyclicity correlated with 17β-estradiol surges. We also examined the metabolite composition of the ovary and learned that the mdr1a/b/bcrp-/- mice have increased accumulation of metabolites indicative of oxidative stress and inflammation. We conclude that MDRs are essential to ovarian protection from chemotoxicity and may have an important physiological role in the ovary.
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13
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Ippolito DL, Lewis JA, Yu C, Leon LR, Stallings JD. Alteration in circulating metabolites during and after heat stress in the conscious rat: potential biomarkers of exposure and organ-specific injury. BMC PHYSIOLOGY 2014; 14:14. [PMID: 25623799 PMCID: PMC4306243 DOI: 10.1186/s12899-014-0014-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heat illness is a debilitating and potentially life-threatening condition. Limited data are available to identify individuals with heat illness at greatest risk for organ damage. We recently described the transcriptomic and proteomic responses to heat injury and recovery in multiple organs in an in vivo model of conscious rats heated to a maximum core temperature of 41.8°C (Tc,Max). In this study, we examined changes in plasma metabolic networks at Tc,Max, 24, or 48 hours after the heat stress stimulus. RESULTS Circulating metabolites were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Bioinformatics analysis of the metabolomic data corroborated proteomics and transcriptomics data in the tissue at the pathway level, supporting modulations in metabolic networks including cell death or catabolism (pyrimidine and purine degradation, acetylation, sulfation, redox alterations and glutathione metabolism, and the urea cycle/creatinine metabolism), energetics (stasis in glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid cycle, β-oxidation), cholesterol and nitric oxide metabolism, and bile acids. Hierarchical clustering identified 15 biochemicals that differentiated animals with histopathological evidence of cardiac injury at 48 hours from uninjured animals. The metabolic networks perturbed in the plasma corroborated the tissue proteomics and transcriptomics pathway data, supporting a model of irreversible cell death and decrements in energetics as key indicators of cardiac damage in response to heat stress. CONCLUSIONS Integrating plasma metabolomics with tissue proteomics and transcriptomics supports a diagnostic approach to assessing individual susceptibility to organ injury and predicting recovery after heat stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle L Ippolito
- />The United States Army Center for Environmental Health Research, Environmental Health Program, Bldg. 568 Doughten Drive, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702-5010 USA
| | - John A Lewis
- />The United States Army Center for Environmental Health Research, Environmental Health Program, Bldg. 568 Doughten Drive, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702-5010 USA
| | - Chenggang Yu
- />Biotechnology High Performance Computing Software Applications Institute, Frederick, MD 21702-5010 USA
| | - Lisa R Leon
- />Thermal Mountain Medicine Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA 01760-5007 USA
| | - Jonathan D Stallings
- />The United States Army Center for Environmental Health Research, Environmental Health Program, Bldg. 568 Doughten Drive, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702-5010 USA
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14
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Shu J, Lv X, Jiang S, Zhang Y, Zhang C, Meng Y, Situ A, Xu H, Song L. Genetic analysis of the UPB1 gene in two new Chinese families with β-ureidopropionase deficiency and the carrier frequency of the mutation c.977G>A in Northern China. Childs Nerv Syst 2014; 30:2109-14. [PMID: 25236466 DOI: 10.1007/s00381-014-2541-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2014] [Accepted: 08/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of the study was to investigate mutations of the UPB1 gene in two Chinese families with β-ureidopropionase deficiency and the heterozygous carrier frequency in Chinese. METHODS Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes from all available family members and 500 unrelated healthy controls. Then, all exons and flanking intron regions of the UPB1 gene were amplified by PCR and analyzed by direct sequencing in two patient-families. Finally, the carrier frequency of the c.977G>A (p.R326Q) mutation was identified by PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism in 500 healthy controls. RESULTS The two patients had the same homozygous missense mutation in exon 9 (c.977G>A; p.R326Q), and the carrier frequency of this mutation was 2.8 % in the Northern Chinese population, which suggests that about 1:5,102 Chinese are expected to suffer from UPB1 deficiency. CONCLUSIONS The c.977G>A (p.R326Q) is the most common mutation of the UPB1 gene in Chinese. The predicted incidence indicates that β-ureidopropionase deficiency is significantly underdiagnosed in the Chinese population. It should be necessary to add β-ureidopropionase deficiency to high-risk screening for the symptomatic patients group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianbo Shu
- Tianjin Pediatric Research Institute, Tianjin Children's Hospital, Tianjin, China
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15
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Gebregiworgis T, Massilamany C, Gangaplara A, Thulasingam S, Kolli V, Werth MT, Dodds ED, Steffen D, Reddy J, Powers R. Potential of urinary metabolites for diagnosing multiple sclerosis. ACS Chem Biol 2013; 8:684-90. [PMID: 23369377 PMCID: PMC3631445 DOI: 10.1021/cb300673e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
A definitive diagnostic test for multiple sclerosis (MS) does not exist; instead physicians use a combination of medical history, magnetic resonance imaging, and cerebrospinal fluid analysis (CSF). Significant effort has been employed to identify biomarkers from CSF to facilitate MS diagnosis; however, none of the proposed biomarkers have been successful to date. Urine is a proven source of metabolite biomarkers and has the potential to be a rapid, noninvasive, inexpensive, and efficient diagnostic tool for various human diseases. Nevertheless, urinary metabolites have not been extensively explored as a source of biomarkers for MS. We demonstrate that urinary metabolites have significant promise for monitoring disease-progression, and response to treatment in MS patients. NMR analysis of urine permitted the identification of metabolites that differentiate experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE)-mice (prototypic disease model for MS) from healthy and MS drug-treated EAE mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teklab Gebregiworgis
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0304
| | - Chandirasegaran Massilamany
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0905
| | - Arunakumar Gangaplara
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0905
| | - Sivasubramani Thulasingam
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0905
| | - Venkata Kolli
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0304
| | - Mark T. Werth
- Department of Chemistry, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln NE 68504
| | - Eric D. Dodds
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0304
| | - David Steffen
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0905
| | - Jay Reddy
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0905
| | - Robert Powers
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0304
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16
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van Kuilenburg ABP, Dobritzsch D, Meijer J, Krumpel M, Selim LA, Rashed MS, Assmann B, Meinsma R, Lohkamp B, Ito T, Abeling NGGM, Saito K, Eto K, Smitka M, Engvall M, Zhang C, Xu W, Zoetekouw L, Hennekam RCM. ß-ureidopropionase deficiency: phenotype, genotype and protein structural consequences in 16 patients. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2012; 1822:1096-108. [PMID: 22525402 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2012.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2011] [Revised: 03/29/2012] [Accepted: 04/09/2012] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
ß-ureidopropionase is the third enzyme of the pyrimidine degradation pathway and catalyzes the conversion of N-carbamyl-ß-alanine and N-carbamyl-ß-aminoisobutyric acid to ß-alanine and ß-aminoisobutyric acid, ammonia and CO(2). To date, only five genetically confirmed patients with a complete ß-ureidopropionase deficiency have been reported. Here, we report on the clinical, biochemical and molecular findings of 11 newly identified ß-ureidopropionase deficient patients as well as the analysis of the mutations in a three-dimensional framework. Patients presented mainly with neurological abnormalities (intellectual disabilities, seizures, abnormal tonus regulation, microcephaly, and malformations on neuro-imaging) and markedly elevated levels of N-carbamyl-ß-alanine and N-carbamyl-ß-aminoisobutyric acid in urine and plasma. Analysis of UPB1, encoding ß-ureidopropionase, showed 6 novel missense mutations and one novel splice-site mutation. Heterologous expression of the 6 mutant enzymes in Escherichia coli showed that all mutations yielded mutant ß-ureidopropionase proteins with significantly decreased activity. Analysis of a homology model of human ß-ureidopropionase generated using the crystal structure of the enzyme from Drosophila melanogaster indicated that the point mutations p.G235R, p.R236W and p.S264R lead to amino acid exchanges in the active site and therefore affect substrate binding and catalysis. The mutations L13S, R326Q and T359M resulted most likely in folding defects and oligomer assembly impairment. Two mutations were identified in several unrelated ß-ureidopropionase patients, indicating that ß-ureidopropionase deficiency may be more common than anticipated.
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Affiliation(s)
- André B P van Kuilenburg
- Academic Medical Center, Emma Children's Hospital, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Laboratory Genetic Metabolic Diseases, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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17
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Yang HJ, Choi MJ, Wen H, Kwon HN, Jung KH, Hong SW, Kim JM, Hong SS, Park S. An effective assessment of simvastatin-induced toxicity with NMR-based metabonomics approach. PLoS One 2011; 6:e16641. [PMID: 21364936 PMCID: PMC3043067 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0016641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2010] [Accepted: 01/06/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Simvastatin, which is used to control elevated cholesterol levels, is one of the most widely prescribed drugs. However, a daily excessive dose can induce drug-toxicity, especially in muscle and liver. Current markers for toxicity reflect mostly the late stages of tissue damage; thus, more efficient methods of toxicity evaluation are desired. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS As a new way to evaluate toxicity, we performed NMR-based metabonomics analysis of urine samples. Compared to conventional markers, such as AST, ALT, and CK, the urine metabolic profile provided clearer distinction between the pre- and post-treatment groups treated with toxic levels of simvastatin. Through multivariate statistical analysis, we identified marker metabolites associated with the toxicity. Importantly, we observed that the treatment group could be further categorized into two subgroups based on the NMR profiles: weak toxicity (WT) and high toxicity (HT). The distinction between these two groups was confirmed by the enzyme values and histopathological exams. Time-dependent studies showed that the toxicity at 10 days could be reliably predicted from the metabolic profiles at 6 days. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE This metabonomics approach may provide a non-invasive and effective way to evaluate the simvastatin-induced toxicity in a manner that can complement current measures. The approach is expected to find broader application in other drug-induced toxicity assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye-ji Yang
- Department of Biochemistry, Inha University Hospital and Center for Advanced Medical Education by BK21 project, College of Medicine, Inha University, Incheon, Korea
| | - Myung-Joo Choi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Inha University Hospital and Center for Advanced Medical Education by BK21 project, College of Medicine, Inha University, Incheon, Korea
| | - He Wen
- Department of Biochemistry, Inha University Hospital and Center for Advanced Medical Education by BK21 project, College of Medicine, Inha University, Incheon, Korea
| | - Hyuk Nam Kwon
- Department of Biochemistry, Inha University Hospital and Center for Advanced Medical Education by BK21 project, College of Medicine, Inha University, Incheon, Korea
| | - Kyung Hee Jung
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Inha University Hospital and Center for Advanced Medical Education by BK21 project, College of Medicine, Inha University, Incheon, Korea
| | - Sang-Won Hong
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Inha University Hospital and Center for Advanced Medical Education by BK21 project, College of Medicine, Inha University, Incheon, Korea
| | - Joon Mee Kim
- Department of Pathology, Inha University Hospital and Center for Advanced Medical Education by BK21 project, College of Medicine, Inha University, Incheon, Korea
| | - Soon-Sun Hong
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Inha University Hospital and Center for Advanced Medical Education by BK21 project, College of Medicine, Inha University, Incheon, Korea
- * E-mail: (SP); (S-SH)
| | - Sunghyouk Park
- Department of Biochemistry, Inha University Hospital and Center for Advanced Medical Education by BK21 project, College of Medicine, Inha University, Incheon, Korea
- * E-mail: (SP); (S-SH)
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18
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Wu J, Xu W, Ming Z, Dong H, Tang H, Wang Y. Metabolic changes reveal the development of schistosomiasis in mice. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2010; 4. [PMID: 20824219 PMCID: PMC2930859 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0000807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2010] [Accepted: 08/03/2010] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic zoonosis caused by small trematode worms called schistosomes, amongst which Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum) is endemic in Asia. In order to understand the schistosome-induced changes in the host metabolism so as to facilitate early diagnosis of schistosomiasis, we systematically investigated the dynamic metabolic responses of mice biofluids and liver tissues to S. japonicum infection for five weeks using 1H NMR spectroscopy in conjunction with multivariate data analysis. We were able to detect schistosomiasis at the third week post-infection, which was one week earlier than “gold standard” methods. We found that S. japonicum infection caused significant elevation of urinary 3-ureidopropionate, a uracil catabolic product, and disturbance of lipid metabolism, stimulation of glycolysis, depression of tricarboxylic acid cycle and disruption of gut microbiota regulations. We further found that the changes of 3-ureidopropionate and overall metabolic changes in both urinary and plasma samples were closely correlated with the time-course of disease progression. Furthermore, such changes together with liver tissue metabonome were clearly associated with the worm-burdens. These findings provided more insightful understandings of host biological responses to the infection and demonstrated that metabonomic analysis is potentially useful for early detection of schistosomiasis and comprehension of the mechanistic aspects of disease progression. Schistosomiasis is an infectious disease resulting from the infection of parasitic trematode worms called schistosomes. About 600 million people are currently exposed to schistosomiasis and 200 million people are infected in about 76 countries. Current diagnostic methods are unable to detect schistosomiasis at its early stages and thus are incapable of preventing disease causing further complications. In order to understand the effects of schistosome infection on hosts' biochemistry associated with disease progression in a holistic fashion and detect the infection at the early stage, we systematically investigated the metabolite composition (metabonome) changes in mice biofluids and liver tissues induced by Schistosoma japonicum using NMR spectroscopy. We detected infection-induced mice metabonomic alterations at three weeks post-infection, a week earlier than traditional methods. We found that the infection-caused elevation of urinary 3-ureidopropionate was not only associated with disease progression but also worm burden. We further found that overall metabonomic changes were also closely associated with disease progression, and our methods were capable of distinguishing different levels of worm burden at week five post-infection. Our findings provided further understandings in host responses to the infection and demonstrated metabonomics as a potentially useful tool for early diagnosis of S. japonicum infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Center for Magnetic Resonance, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenxin Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Center for Magnetic Resonance, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenping Ming
- Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Huifen Dong
- Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Huiru Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Center for Magnetic Resonance, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- * E-mail: (HT); (YW)
| | - Yulan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Center for Magnetic Resonance, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- * E-mail: (HT); (YW)
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Alterations in urine, serum and brain metabolomic profiles exhibit sexual dimorphism during malaria disease progression. Malar J 2010; 9:110. [PMID: 20412601 PMCID: PMC2873523 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-9-110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2010] [Accepted: 04/23/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Metabolic changes in the host in response to Plasmodium infection play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of malaria. Alterations in metabolism of male and female mice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA are reported here. Methods 1H NMR spectra of urine, sera and brain extracts of these mice were analysed over disease progression using Principle Component Analysis and Orthogonal Partial Least Square Discriminant Analysis. Results Analyses of overall changes in urinary profiles during disease progression demonstrate that females show a significant early post-infection shift in metabolism as compared to males. In contrast, serum profiles of female mice remain unaltered in the early infection stages; whereas that of the male mice changed. Brain metabolite profiles do not show global changes in the early stages of infection in either sex. By the late stages urine, serum and brain profiles of both sexes are severely affected. Analyses of individual metabolites show significant increase in lactate, alanine and lysine, kynurenic acid and quinolinic acid in sera of both males and females at this stage. Early changes in female urine are marked by an increase of ureidopropionate, lowering of carnitine and transient enhancement of asparagine and dimethylglycine. Several metabolites when analysed individually in sera and brain reveal significant changes in their levels in the early phase of infection mainly in female mice. Asparagine and dimethylglycine levels decrease and quinolinic acid increases early in sera of infected females. In brain extracts of females, an early rise in levels is also observed for lactate, alanine and glycerol, kynurenic acid, ureidopropionate and 2-hydroxy-2-methylbutyrate. Conclusions These results suggest that P. berghei infection leads to impairment of glycolysis, lipid metabolism, metabolism of tryptophan and degradation of uracil. Characterization of early changes along these pathways may be crucial for prognosis and better disease management. Additionally, the distinct sexual dimorphism exhibited in these responses has a bearing on the understanding of the pathophysiology of malaria.
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20
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Haas D, Niklowitz P, Hörster F, Baumgartner ER, Prasad C, Rodenburg RJ, Hoffmann GF, Menke T, Okun JG. Coenzyme Q(10) is decreased in fibroblasts of patients with methylmalonic aciduria but not in mevalonic aciduria. J Inherit Metab Dis 2009; 32:570-5. [PMID: 19504350 DOI: 10.1007/s10545-009-1150-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2009] [Revised: 04/20/2009] [Accepted: 04/29/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The content of coenzyme Q(10) (CoQ(10)) was examined in skin fibroblasts of 10 patients with mevalonic aciduria (MVA) and of 22 patients with methylmalonic aciduria (MMA). Patients with these inborn errors of metabolism are thought to be at risk for CoQ(10) depletion either by direct inhibition of the proximal pathway of CoQ(10) synthesis (MVA) or indirectly by inhibition of mitochondrial energy metabolism (MMA). We demonstrated that CoQ(10) concentrations were not significantly different from controls in MVA patients, suggesting that there may be upregulatory effects. On the other hand the CoQ(10) content in fibroblasts of patients with MMA was significantly reduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Haas
- Department of General Pediatrics, Division of Inborn Metabolic Diseases, University Children's Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
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Genetic regulation of beta-ureidopropionase and its possible implication in altered uracil catabolism. Pharmacogenet Genomics 2008; 18:25-35. [PMID: 18216719 DOI: 10.1097/fpc.0b013e3282f2f134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Approximately 30-40% of grade III-IV toxicity to 5-FU has been associated with partial or profound deficiency in dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), the first of three enzymes in the catabolic pathway of fluoropyrimidines. There remains, however, a subset of patients presenting with 5-FU-associated toxicity despite normal DPD activity, suggesting possible deficiencies in enzymes downstream of DPD: dihydropyrimidinase (DHP), encoded by the DPYS gene, and/or beta-ureidopropionase (BUP-1), encoded by the UPB1 gene. Previously, we reported the identification of inactivating mutations in the DPYS gene that could potentially alter the uracil catabolic pathway in healthy individuals with normal DPD enzyme activity. This study investigates the possible role of UPB1 genetic variations in the regulation of the uracil catabolic pathway in individuals presenting with a deficient uracil breath test (13C-UraBT) despite normal DPD enzyme activity. METHODS This study included 219 healthy asymptomatic volunteers with known DPD enzyme activity and [2-(13)C]-uracil breath test (UraBT). All samples were genotyped for sequence variations in the UPB1 gene using denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) and Surveyor enzyme digestion with confirmation of detected sequence variants by direct sequencing. RESULTS Seven novel and six previously reported sequence variations were identified, including one nonconservative mutation, which demonstrated 97.3% reduction in BUP-1 activity when expressed in the RKO cell line. CONCLUSION Data presented in this study demonstrate that alterations of uracil catabolism are not limited to DPD and/or DHP deficiency and that inactivating mutations in the UPB1 gene might impair uracil catabolism.
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Yaplito-Lee J, Pitt J, Meijer J, Zoetekouw L, Meinsma R, van Kuilenburg ABP. Beta-ureidopropionase deficiency presenting with congenital anomalies of the urogenital and colorectal systems. Mol Genet Metab 2008; 93:190-4. [PMID: 17964839 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2007.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2007] [Revised: 09/13/2007] [Accepted: 09/13/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Beta-ureidopropionase deficiency (McKusick 606673) is an autosomal recessive condition caused by mutations in the UPB1 gene. To date, five patients have been reported, including one putative case detected through newborn screening. Clinical presentation includes neurological and developmental problems. Here, we report another case of beta-ureidopropionase deficiency who presented with congenital anomalies of the urogenital and colorectal systems and with normal neurodevelopmental milestones. Analysis of a urine sample, because of the suspicion of renal stones on ultrasound, showed strongly elevated levels of the characteristic metabolites, N-carbamyl-beta-amino acids. Subsequent analysis of UPB1 identified a novel mutation 209 G>C (R70P) in exon 2 and a previously reported splice receptor mutation IVS1-2A>G. Expression studies of the R70P mutant enzyme showed that the mutant enzyme did not possess any residual activity. Long-term follow-up is required to determine the clinical significance of the beta-ureidopropionase deficiency in our patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Yaplito-Lee
- Metabolic Service, Genetic Health Services Victoria, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Vic. 3052, Australia.
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23
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Hörster F, Schwab MA, Sauer SW, Pietz J, Hoffmann GF, Okun JG, Kölker S, Kins S. Phenylalanine reduces synaptic density in mixed cortical cultures from mice. Pediatr Res 2006; 59:544-8. [PMID: 16549526 DOI: 10.1203/01.pdr.0000203091.45988.8d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Classical phenylketonuria (PKU) is caused by deficiency of phenylalanine hydroxylase, resulting in an accumulation of its upstream metabolite phenylalanine in brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid of PKU patients. PKU is neuropathologically characterized by reduced dendritic arborization, loss of synapses, and neurodegeneration. We investigated whether increased concentrations of phenylalanine cause reduced synaptic density and alter dendritic branching. We treated primary cortical neurons differentiated for 21 d in vitro with 5 mM phenylalanine in the presence of all essential amino acids. Immunocytochemical analysis of 12 and 21 d in vitro primary neurons revealed no changes of dendritic morphology or neuronal viability but a significant difference in synaptic density, suggesting that elevated concentrations of extracellular phenylalanine cause an impairment of synaptogenesis. Although impairment of cerebral energy metabolism has been identified as an important pathophysiological principal in many diseases, respiratory chain function has not been extensively studied in PKU before. We investigated whether phenylalanine inhibits respiratory chain complexes I-V. In vitro analysis revealed no inhibitory effect of phenylalanine on complexes I-V, but an inhibition of pyruvate kinase, a key enzyme of glycolysis, catalyzing the formation of pyruvate. Pyruvate kinase is part of the enzyme assay to investigate enzyme activity of mitochondrial complex V and it remains to be elucidated whether this finding is relevant in vivo. In conclusion, elevated concentrations of phenylalanine might be involved in mechanisms underlying impaired synaptogenesis in PKU, supporting the common therapeutic strategy to reduce phenylalanine concentrations in the brain to prevent neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Friederike Hörster
- Department of General Pediatrics, University of Children's Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
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van Kuilenburg ABP, Meinsma R, Beke E, Assmann B, Ribes A, Lorente I, Busch R, Mayatepek E, Abeling NGGM, van Cruchten A, Stroomer AEM, van Lenthe H, Zoetekouw L, Kulik W, Hoffmann GF, Voit T, Wevers RA, Rutsch F, van Gennip AH. β-Ureidopropionase deficiency: an inborn error of pyrimidine degradation associated with neurological abnormalities. Hum Mol Genet 2004; 13:2793-801. [PMID: 15385443 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddh303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
beta-Ureidopropionase deficiency is an inborn error of the pyrimidine degradation pathway, affecting the cleavage of N-carbamyl-beta-alanine and N-carbamyl-beta-aminoisobutyric acid. In this study, we report the elucidation of the genetic basis underlying a beta-ureidopropionase deficiency in four patients presenting with neurological abnormalities and strongly elevated levels of N-carbamyl-beta-alanine and N-carbamyl-beta-aminoisobutyric acid in plasma, cerebrospinal fluid and urine. No beta-ureidopropionase activity could be detected in a liver biopsy obtained from one of the patients, which reflected the complete absence of the beta-ureidopropionase protein. Analysis of the beta-ureidopropionase gene (UPB1) of these patients revealed the presence of two splice-site mutations (IVS1-2A>G and IVS8-1G>A) and one missense mutation (A85E). Heterologous expression of the mutant enzyme in Escherichia coli showed that the A85E mutation resulted in a mutant beta-ureidopropionase enzyme without residual activity. Our results demonstrate that the N-carbamyl-beta-amino aciduria in these patients is due to a deficiency of beta-ureidopropionase, which is caused by mutations in the UPB1 gene. Furthermore, an altered homeostasis of beta-aminoisobutyric acid and/or increased oxidative stress might contribute to some of the clinical abnormalities encountered in patients with a beta-ureidopropionase deficiency. An analysis of the presence of the two splice site mutations and the missense mutation in 95 controls identified one individual who proved to be heterozygous for the IVS8-1G>A mutation. Thus, a beta-ureidopropionase deficiency might not be as rare as is generally considered.
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Kölker S, Schwab M, Hörster F, Sauer S, Hinz A, Wolf NI, Mayatepek E, Hoffmann GF, Smeitink JAM, Okun JG. Methylmalonic acid, a biochemical hallmark of methylmalonic acidurias but no inhibitor of mitochondrial respiratory chain. J Biol Chem 2003; 278:47388-93. [PMID: 12972416 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m308861200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylmalonic acidurias are biochemically characterized by an accumulation of methylmalonic acid and alternative metabolites. An impairment of energy metabolism plays a key role in the pathophysiology of this disease, resulting in neurodegeneration of the basal ganglia and renal failure. It has become the subject of intense debates whether methylmalonic acid is the major toxin, inhibiting respiratory chain complex II. To elucidate whether methylmalonic acid is a respiratory chain inhibitor, we used spectrophotometric analysis of complex II activity in submitochondrial particles from bovine heart, radiometric analysis of 14C-labeled substrates (pyruvate, malate, succinate), and analysis of ATP production in muscle from mice. Methylmalonic acid revealed no direct effects on the respiratory chain function, i.e. on single electron transferring complexes I-IV, ATPase, and mitochondrial transporters. However, we identified a variety of variables that must be carefully controlled to avoid an artificial inhibition of complex II activity. In summary, the study verifies our hypothesis that methylmalonic acid is not the major toxic metabolite in methylmalonic acidurias. Inhibition of respiratory chain and tricarboxylic acid cycle is most likely induced by synergistically acting alternative metabolites, in particular 2-methylcitric acid, malonic acid, and propionyl-CoA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Kölker
- Department of General Pediatrics, Division of Metabolic and Endocrine Diseases, University Children's Hospital Heidelberg, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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26
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Okun JG, Kölker S, Schulze A, Kohlmüller D, Olgemöller K, Lindner M, Hoffmann GF, Wanders RJA, Mayatepek E. A method for quantitative acylcarnitine profiling in human skin fibroblasts using unlabelled palmitic acid: diagnosis of fatty acid oxidation disorders and differentiation between biochemical phenotypes of MCAD deficiency. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA 2002; 1584:91-8. [PMID: 12385891 DOI: 10.1016/s1388-1981(02)00296-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Inherited disorders of fatty acid oxidation are a group of acute life-threatening but treatable disorders, clinically complicated by severe hypoketotic hypoglycemia precipitated by prolonged fasting. Among them, medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency is by far the most frequent disorder. Here we report a modified method for quantitative acylcarnitine profiling by electrospray ionisation-tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS-MS) in human skin fibroblasts using unlabelled palmitic acid as substrate. The reliability of this method was tested in cultured skin fibroblasts from previously diagnosed patients with specific carnitine cycle and fatty acid beta-oxidation defects. Furthermore, acylcarnitine profiling was investigated in fibroblasts and dried blood spots from patients with different variants of MCAD deficiency. ESI-MS-MS-based investigation of cultured skin fibroblasts from patients with disorders of fatty acid oxidation revealed a pathognomonic acylcarnitine profiling. In addition, this method delineated different variants of MCAD deficiency, i.e. mild and classical. The octanoylcarnitine (C8)-to-decanoylcarnitine (C10) and C8-to-acetylcarnitine (C2) ratios were the most specific markers to differentiate mild and classical forms of MCAD deficiency in fibroblasts. Similar results were obtained by quantitative acylcarnitine profiling in dried blood spots. In conclusion, this novel technique is a powerful tool for the investigation of fatty acid oxidation disorders under standardized conditions in fibroblasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen G Okun
- Division of Metabolic and Endocrine Diseases, Department of General Pediatrics, University Children's Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 150, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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27
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Kölker S, Köhr G, Ahlemeyer B, Okun JG, Pawlak V, Hörster F, Mayatepek E, Krieglstein J, Hoffmann GF. Ca(2+) and Na(+) dependence of 3-hydroxyglutarate-induced excitotoxicity in primary neuronal cultures from chick embryo telencephalons. Pediatr Res 2002; 52:199-206. [PMID: 12149496 DOI: 10.1203/00006450-200208000-00011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (also known as glutaric aciduria type I) is an autosomal, recessively inherited neurometabolic disorder with a distinct neuropathology characterized by acute encephalopathy during a vulnerable period of brain development. Neuronal damage in this disease was demonstrated to involve N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-mediated neurotoxicity of the endogenously accumulating metabolite 3-hydroxyglutarate (3-OH-GA). However, it remained unclear whether NMDA receptors are directly or indirectly activated and whether 3-OH-GA disturbs the intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis. Here we report that 3-OH-GA activated recombinant NMDA receptors (e.g. NR1/NR2A) but not recombinant alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate receptors (e.g. GluR-A/GluR-B) in HEK293 cells. Fluorescence microscopy using fura-2 as Ca(2+) indicator revealed that 3-OH-GA increased intracellular Ca(2+) concentrations in the presence of extracellular Ca(2+) in cultured chick neurons. Similar to glutamate-induced cell damage, 3-OH-GA neurotoxicity was modulated by extracellular Na(+). The large cation N-methyl-D-glucamine, which does not permeate NMDA receptor channels, enhanced 3-OH-GA-induced Ca(2+) increase and cell damage. In contrast, 3-OH-GA-induced neurotoxicity was reduced after replacement of Na(+) by Li(+), which permeates NMDA channels but does not affect the Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger in the plasma membrane. Spectrophotometric analysis of respiratory chain complexes I-V in submitochondrial particles from bovine heart revealed only a weak inhibition of 3-OH-GA on complex V at the highest concentration tested (10 mM). In conclusion, the present study revealed that NMDA receptor activation and subsequent disturbance of Ca(2+) homeostasis contribute to 3-OH-GA-induced cell damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Kölker
- Division of Metabolic and Endocrine Diseases, University Children's Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
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28
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Kölker S, Pawlak V, Ahlemeyer B, Okun JG, Hörster F, Mayatepek E, Krieglstein J, Hoffmann GF, Köhr G. NMDA receptor activation and respiratory chain complex V inhibition contribute to neurodegeneration in d-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria. Eur J Neurosci 2002; 16:21-8. [PMID: 12153528 DOI: 10.1046/j.1460-9568.2002.02055.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The inherited neurometabolic disease d-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria is complicated by progressive neurodegeneration of vulnerable brain regions during infancy and early childhood, frequently presenting with hypotonia, epilepsy and psychomotor retardation. Here, we report that the pathogenetic role of the endogenously accumulating metabolite d-2-hydroxyglutarate (D-2), which is structurally similar to the excitatory amino acid glutamate, is mediated by at least three mechanisms. (i) D-2-induced excitotoxic cell damage in primary neuronal cultures from chick and rat involved N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activation. Indeed, D-2 activated recombinant NMDA receptors (NR1/NR2A, NR1/NR2B) but not recombinant alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole (AMPA) receptors in HEK293 cells. (ii) Fluorescence microscopy using fura-2 as a calcium indicator and the oxidant-sensitive dye dihydrorhodamine-123 revealed that D-2 disturbed intracellular calcium homeostasis and elicited the generation of reactive oxygen species. (iii) D-2 reduced complex V (ATP synthase) activity of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, reflecting an impaired energy metabolism due to inhibition of ATP synthesis but without affecting the electron-transferring complexes I-IV. Thus, D-2 stimulates neurodegeneration by mechanisms well-known for glutamate, NMDA or mitochondrial toxins. In conclusion, excitotoxicity contributes to the neuropathology of d-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria, highlighting new neuroprotective strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Kölker
- Division of Metabolic and Endocrine Diseases, University Children's Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 150, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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Kölker S, Okun JG, Ahlemeyer B, Wyse ATS, Hörster F, Wajner M, Kohlmüller D, Mayatepek E, Krieglstein J, Hoffmann GF. Chronic treatment with glutaric acid induces partial tolerance to excitotoxicity in neuronal cultures from chick embryo telencephalons. J Neurosci Res 2002; 68:424-31. [PMID: 11992468 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.10189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (GDD) is characterized biochemically by an accumulation of glutaric (GA) and 3-hydroxyglutaric (3-OH-GA) acids and clinically by the development of acute striatal degeneration. 3-OH-GA was recently shown to induce neuronal damage via N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. The pathogenetic role of GA, however, remains unclear. We demonstrate that GA exerts a dual action in cultured chick embryo neurons. Short-term incubation with millimolar concentrations of GA induces a weak neuronal damage, adding to 3-OH-GA neurotoxicity. In contrast, chronic treatment with subtoxic, micromolar concentrations of GA results in partial tolerance to 3-OH-GA- and NMDA-induced cell damage. A downregulation of NMDA receptors, in particular of the NR2B subunit, is critically involved in this GA-induced effect, resulting in a reduced Ca(2+) increase and generation of reactive oxygen species after acute exposure to NMDA or 3-OH-GA. Furthermore, GA decreases Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity, which is prevented by glutathione, suggesting a modulation of NMDA receptor function via resting membrane potential and Na(+)-dependent glutamate transport. In contrast, GA does not inhibit mitochondrial respiratory chain and beta-oxidation of fatty acids, virtually excluding an activation of NMDA receptors secondary to ATP depletion. These results strongly suggest that GA modulates the NMDA receptor-mediated neurotoxicity of 3-OH-GA, providing an explanatory basis for the non-linear relationship between organic acid concentrations and disease progression in GDD patients. Furthermore, GA-induced downregulation of NMDA receptors might be involved in the delayed cerebral maturation of GDD patients, resulting in frontotemporal atrophy and a reduced opercularization, which are common neuroradiological findings in GDD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Kölker
- Division of Metabolic and Endocrine Diseases, University Children's Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
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Okun JG, Hörster F, Farkas LM, Feyh P, Hinz A, Sauer S, Hoffmann GF, Unsicker K, Mayatepek E, Kölker S. Neurodegeneration in methylmalonic aciduria involves inhibition of complex II and the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and synergistically acting excitotoxicity. J Biol Chem 2002; 277:14674-80. [PMID: 11847233 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m200997200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylmalonic acidurias are biochemically characterized by an accumulation of methylmalonate (MMA) and alternative metabolites. There is growing evidence for basal ganglia degeneration in these patients. The pathomechanisms involved are still unknown, a contribution of toxic organic acids, in particular MMA, has been suggested. Here we report that MMA induces neuronal damage in cultures of embryonic rat striatal cells at a concentration range encountered in affected patients. MMA-induced cell damage was reduced by ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonists, antioxidants, and succinate. These results suggest the involvement of secondary excitotoxic mechanisms in MMA-induced cell damage. MMA has been implicated in inhibition of respiratory chain complex II. However, MMA failed to inhibit complex II activity in submitochondrial particles from bovine heart. To unravel the mechanism underlying neuronal MMA toxicity, we investigated the formation of intracellular metabolites in MMA-loaded striatal neurons. There was a time-dependent intracellular increase in malonate, an inhibitor of complex II, and 2-methylcitrate, a compound with multiple inhibitory effects on the tricarboxylic acid cycle, suggesting their putative implication in MMA neurotoxicity. We propose that neuropathogenesis of methylmalonic aciduria may involve an inhibition of complex II and the tricarboxylic acid cycle by accumulating toxic organic acids, and synergistic secondary excitotoxic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen G Okun
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Metabolic and Endocrine Diseases, Im Neuenheimer Feld 150, Federal Republic of Germany.
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