Determination of cytochrome P-450 in Cunninghamella elegans intact protoplasts and cell-free preparations capable of steroid hydroxylation

Concurrent corticosteroid and phenanthrene transformation by filamentous fungus Cunninghamella elegans

A filamentous fungus Cunninghamella elegans IM 1785/21Gp which displays ability of 17alpha,21-dihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-dione (cortexolone) 11-hydroxylation (yielding epihydrocortisone (eF) and hydrocortisone (F)) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) degradation, was used as a microbial eucaryotic model to study the relationships between mammalian steroid hydroxylation and PAHs metabolization. The obtained results showed faster transformation of phenanthrene in Sabouraud medium supplemented with steroid substrate (cortexolone). Simultaneously phenanthrene stimulated epihydrocortisone production from cortexolone. In phenanthrene presence the ratio between cortexolone hydroxylation products (hydrocortisone and epihydrocortisone) was changed from 1:5.1-6.2 to 1:7.6-8.4 in the culture without phenanthrene. Cytochrome P-450 content significantly increased after the culture supplementation by the second substrate, phenanthrene or cortexolone, adequately. To confirm the involvement of cytochrome P-450 in phenanthrene metabolism, the inhibition studies were performed. The cytochrome P-450 inhibitors SKF 525-A (1.5mM) and 2-methyl-1,2-di-3-pyridyl-1-propanone (metyrapone) (2mM) inhibited phenanthrene transformation by 80 and 62%, respectively. 1-aminobenzotriazole (1mM) completely blocked phenanthrene metabolism. The obtained results suggest a presence of connections between steroid hydroxylases and enzymes involved in PAH degradation in C. elegans.

Lipophilic compounds in biotechnology--interactions with cells and technological problems

Lipophilic compounds are of significant importance in modern biotechnology. Centerly of interest are the biodegradation as well as the biotransformation of such lipophilic and often water-immiscible substances. Both whole cells and/or enzymes are used for these processes. It is obvious that a wide range of problems arise in an application of such complex systems consisting of biocatalysts substrate(s), product(s), water, (in some cases water-immiscible organic solvents): (i) interactions between lipophilic compounds and the membranes resulting in the change of some physiological characteristics of the living system; (ii) problems in the transport of these compounds (substrates and/or products) within the complex structured reaction systems; (iii) the problem of increasing the solubility of the lipophilic and mostly water-immiscible compounds with a minimum of inhibition effects on the processes; (iv) the presence of lipophilic components may also cause changes of the transport processes within the system (e.g. immobilized cells) resulting in changed yield or activity of the biological system. These problems are critically discussed in this review in relation to the known modes of interaction of lipophilic compounds with membranes, the bioavailability of the substrates, and the cases of steroid biotransformations. An outlook of future aspects in research, development and application of such processes is given.

Cytochrome P450 enzyme systems in fungi

The involvement of cytochrome P450 enzymes in many complex fungal bioconversion processes has been characterized in recent years. Accordingly, there is now considerable scientific interest in fungal cytochrome P450 enzyme systems. In contrast to S. cerevisiae, where surprisingly few P450 genes have been identified, biochemical data suggest that many fungi possess numerous P450 genes. This review summarizes the current information pertaining to these fungal cytochrome P450 systems, with emphasis on the molecular genetics. The use of molecular techniques to improve cytochrome P450 activities in fungi is also discussed.

Enzymatic Mechanisms Involved in Phenanthrene Degradation by the White Rot Fungus Pleurotus ostreatus

The enzymatic mechanisms involved in the degradation of phenanthrene by the white rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus were examined. Phase I metabolism (cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase and epoxide hydrolase) and phase II conjugation (glutathione S-transferase, aryl sulfotransferase, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, and UDP-glucosyltransferase) enzyme activities were determined for mycelial extracts of P. ostreatus. Cytochrome P-450 was detected in both cytosolic and microsomal fractions at 0.16 and 0.38 nmol min(sup-1) mg of protein(sup1), respectively. Both fractions oxidized [9,10-(sup14)C]phenanthrene to phenanthrene trans-9,10-dihydrodiol. The cytochrome P-450 inhibitors 1-aminobenzotriazole (0.1 mM), SKF-525A (proadifen, 0.1 mM), and carbon monoxide inhibited the cytosolic and microsomal P-450s differently. Cytosolic and microsomal epoxide hydrolase activities, with phenanthrene 9,10-oxide as the substrate, were similar, with specific activities of 0.50 and 0.41 nmol min(sup-1) mg of protein(sup-1), respectively. The epoxide hydrolase inhibitor cyclohexene oxide (5 mM) significantly inhibited the formation of phenanthrene trans-9,10-dihydrodiol in both fractions. The phase II enzyme 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene glutathione S-transferase was detected in the cytosolic fraction (4.16 nmol min(sup-1) mg of protein(sup-1)), whereas aryl adenosine-3(prm1)-phosphate-5(prm1)-phosphosulfate sulfotransferase (aryl PAPS sulfotransferase) UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, and UDP-glucosyltransferase had microsomal activities of 2.14, 4.25, and 4.21 nmol min(sup-1) mg of protein(sup-1), respectively, with low activity in the cytosolic fraction. However, when P. ostreatus culture broth incubated with phenanthrene was screened for phase II metabolites, no sulfate, glutathione, glucoside, or glucuronide conjugates of phenanthrene metabolites were detected. These experiments indicate the involvement of cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase and epoxide hydrolase in the initial phase I oxidation of phenanthrene to form phenanthrene trans-9,10-dihydrodiol. Laccase and manganese-independent peroxidase were not involved in the initial oxidation of phenanthrene. Although P. ostreatus had phase II xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes, conjugation reactions were not important for the elimination of hydroxylated phenanthrene.

Involvement of cytochrome P-450 in the 15alpha-hydroxylation of 13-ethyl-gon-4-ene-3,17-dione by Penicillium raistrickii

The 15alpha-hydroxylation of 13-ethyl-gon-4-ene-3,17-dione (GD) with different subcellular fractions of Penicillium raistrickii i 477 was investigated. Cytochrome P-450 was shown to be involved in this reaction. The steroid transformation was inhibited by carbon monoxide, metyrapone, p-CMB, iodoacetamide, N-methylmaleimide and several metal ions. The 15alpha-hydroxylase was observed to be dependent on nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) replaceable by NaIO4, and the activity was enhanced by a NADPH-regenerating system, indicating the involvement of the NADPH-cytochrome c (P-450) reductase. This was further confirmed by the inhibition of the hydroxylase activity in the presence of cytochrome c. No effect was observed in the presence of azide and antimycin A. Solubilized microsomes gave an absorption maximum at 453 nm in carbon monoxide difference spectrum, and showed a Type-I GD-binding spectrum typically for cytochrome P-450 interaction with substrate. First results about the inducibility of the enzymes involved in the 15alpha-hydroxylation of GD are shown.

Phase I and phase II enzymes produced by Cunninghamella elegans for the metabolism of xenobiotics

The filamentous fungus Cunninghamella elegans has the ability to metabolize xenobiotics, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and pharmaceutical drugs, by both phase I and II biotransformations. Cytosolic and microsomal fractions were assayed for activities of cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, aryl sulfotransferase, glutathione S-transferase, UDP-glucurono-syltransferase, UDP-glucosyltransferase, and N-acetyltransferase. The cytosolic preparations contained activities of an aryl sulfotransferase (15.0 nmol min-1 mg-1), UDP-glucosyltransferase (0.27 nmol min-1 mg-1) and glutathione S-transferase (20.8 nmol min-1 mg-1). In contrast, the microsomal preparations contained cytochrome P450 monooxygenase activities for aromatic hydroxylation (0.15 nmol min-1 mg-1) and N-demethylation (0.17 nmol min-1 mg-1) of cyclobenzaprine. UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activity was detected in both the cytosol (0.09 nmol min-1 mg-1) and the microsomes (0.13 nmol min-1 mg-1). N-Acetyltransferase was not detected. The results from these experiments provide enzymatic mechanism data to support earlier studies and further indicate that C. elegans has a broad physiological versatility in the metabolism of xenobiotics.