Cytochrome P450 3A degradation in isolated rat hepatocytes: 26S proteasome inhibitors as probes

Induction by Phenobarbital of Phase I and II Xenobiotic-Metabolizing Enzymes in Bovine Liver: An Overall Catalytic and Immunochemical Characterization

In cattle, phenobarbital (PB) upregulates target drug-metabolizing enzyme (DME) mRNA levels. However, few data about PB's post-transcriptional effects are actually available. This work provides the first, and an almost complete, characterization of PB-dependent changes in DME catalytic activities in bovine liver using common probe substrates and confirmatory immunoblotting investigations. As expected, PB increased the total cytochrome P450 (CYP) content and the extent of metyrapone binding; moreover, an augmentation of protein amounts and related enzyme activities was observed for known PB targets such as CYP2B, 2C, and 3A, but also CYP2E1. However, contradictory results were obtained for CYP1A, while a decreased catalytic activity was observed for flavin-containing monooxygenases 1 and 3. The barbiturate had no effect on the chosen hydrolytic and conjugative DMEs. For the first time, we also measured the 26S proteasome activity, and the increase observed in PB-treated cattle would suggest this post-translational event might contribute to cattle DME regulation. Overall, this study increased the knowledge of cattle hepatic drug metabolism, and further confirmed the presence of species differences in DME expression and activity between cattle, humans, and rodents. This reinforced the need for an extensive characterization and understanding of comparative molecular mechanisms involved in expression, regulation, and function of DMEs.

Cytochrome P450 endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD): therapeutic and pathophysiological implications

The hepatic endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-anchored cytochromes P450 (P450s) are mixed-function oxidases engaged in the biotransformation of physiologically relevant endobiotics as well as of myriad xenobiotics of therapeutic and environmental relevance. P450 ER-content and hence function is regulated by their coordinated hemoprotein syntheses and proteolytic turnover. Such P450 proteolytic turnover occurs through a process known as ER-associated degradation (ERAD) that involves ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation (UPD) and/or autophagic-lysosomal degradation (ALD). Herein, on the basis of available literature reports and our own recent findings of in vitro as well as in vivo experimental studies, we discuss the therapeutic and pathophysiological implications of altered P450 ERAD and its plausible clinical relevance. We specifically (i) describe the P450 ERAD-machinery and how it may be repurposed for the generation of antigenic P450 peptides involved in P450 autoantibody pathogenesis in drug-induced acute hypersensitivity reactions and liver injury, or viral hepatitis; (ii) discuss the relevance of accelerated or disrupted P450-ERAD to the pharmacological and/or toxicological effects of clinically relevant P450 drug substrates; and (iii) detail the pathophysiological consequences of disrupted P450 ERAD, contributing to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) under certain synergistic cellular conditions.

Induction via Functional Protein Stabilization of Hepatic Cytochromes P450 upon gp78/Autocrine Motility Factor Receptor (AMFR) Ubiquitin E3-Ligase Genetic Ablation in Mice: Therapeutic and Toxicological Relevance

The hepatic endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-anchored monotopic proteins, cytochromes P450 (P450s), are enzymes that metabolize endobiotics (physiologically active steroids and fatty acids), as well as xenobiotics including therapeutic/chemotherapeutic drugs, nutrients, carcinogens, and toxins. Alterations of hepatic P450 content through synthesis, inactivation, or proteolytic turnover influence their metabolic function. P450 proteolytic turnover occurs via ER-associated degradation (ERAD) involving ubiquitin (Ub)-dependent proteasomal degradation (UPD) as a major pathway. UPD critically involves P450 protein ubiquitination by E2/E3 Ub-ligase complexes. We have previously identified the ER-polytopic gp78/AMFR (autocrine motility factor receptor) as a relevant E3 in CYP3A4, CYP3A23, and CYP2E1 UPD. We now document that liver-conditional genetic ablation of gp78/AMFR in male mice disrupts P450 ERAD, resulting in statistically significant stabilization of Cyp2a5 and Cyp2c, in addition to that of Cyp3a and Cyp2e1. More importantly, we establish that such stabilization is of the functionally active P450 proteins, leading to corresponding statistically significant enhancement of their drug-metabolizing capacities. Our findings, with clinically relevant therapeutic drugs (nicotine, coumarin, chlorzoxazone, and acetaminophen) and the prodrug (tamoxifen) as P450 substrates, reveal that P450 ERAD disruption could influence therapeutic drug response and/or toxicity, warranting serious consideration as a potential source of clinically relevant drug-drug interactions (DDIs). Because gp78/AMFR is not only an E3 Ub-ligase, but also a cell-surface prometastatic oncogene that is upregulated in various malignant cancers, our finding that hepatic gp78/AMFR knockout can enhance P450-dependent bioactivation of relevant cancer chemotherapeutic prodrugs is of therapeutic relevance and noteworthy in prospective drug design and development. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The cell-surface and ER transmembrane protein gp78/AMFR, a receptor for the prometastatic autocrine motility factor (AMF), as well as an E3 ubiquitin-ligase involved in the ER-associated degradation (ERAD) of not only the tumor metastatic suppressor KAI1 but also of hepatic cytochromes P450, is upregulated in various human cancers, enhancing their invasiveness, metastatic potential, and poor prognosis. Liver-specific gp78/AMFR genetic ablation results in functional protein stabilization of several hepatic P450s and consequently enhanced drug and prodrug metabolism, a feature that could be therapeutically exploited in the bioactivation of chemotherapeutic prodrugs through design and development of novel short-term gp78/AMFR chemical inhibitors.

Effects of dexamethasone to reverse decreased hepatic midazolam metabolism in rats with acute renal failure

The inductive effects of dexamethasone on hepatic midazolam metabolism were examined in Wistar rats with acute renal failure (ARF) to clarify whether the ARF-related decrease in the hepatic expression of drug-metabolizing enzymes is caused by an impairment in the translation/polypeptide formation process.ARF was induced with intramuscular glycerol injection. Dexamethasone was orally administered. Pooled liver microsomes from five rats were prepared with ultracentrifugation for each of four groups, namely, control and ARF rats, control rats with dexamethasone treatment and ARF rats with dexamethasone treatment.Hepatic drug-metabolizing activity was examined in an incubation study with the microsomes, where midazolam was employed as a substrate of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A enzymes. The hepatic protein and mRNA expressions of CYP3A23/3A1 and 3A2 enzymes were also evaluated.With dexamethasone treatment, the hepatic metabolic rate of midazolam increased 1.4 times in control rats, while it increased 19.6 times in ARF rats, reflecting the greater induction of hepatic protein expressions of CYP3A enzymes in ARF rats than in control rats.The hepatic protein expression process for CYP3A23/3A1 and 3A2 responds well to dexamethasone treatment in ARF rats, indicating that the translation/polypeptide formation process is not impaired in the presence of ARF.

Membrane Protein Quantity Control at the Endoplasmic Reticulum

The canonical function of the endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) system is to enforce quality control among membrane-associated proteins by targeting misfolded secreted, intra-organellar, and intramembrane proteins for degradation. However, increasing evidence suggests that ERAD additionally functions in maintaining appropriate levels of a subset of membrane-associated proteins. In this 'quantity control' capacity, ERAD responds to environmental cues to regulate the proteasomal degradation of specific ERAD substrates according to cellular need. In this review, we discuss in detail seven proteins that are targeted by the ERAD quantity control system. Not surprisingly, ERAD-mediated protein degradation is a key regulatory feature of a variety of ER-resident proteins, including HMG-CoA reductase, cytochrome P450 3A4, IP3 receptor, and type II iodothyronine deiodinase. In addition, the ERAD quantity control system plays roles in maintaining the proper stoichiometry of multi-protein complexes by mediating the degradation of components that are produced in excess of the limiting subunit. Perhaps somewhat unexpectedly, recent evidence suggests that the ERAD quantity control system also contributes to the regulation of plasma membrane-localized signaling receptors, including the ErbB3 receptor tyrosine kinase and the GABA neurotransmitter receptors. For these substrates, a proportion of the newly synthesized yet properly folded receptors are diverted for degradation at the ER, and are unable to traffic to the plasma membrane. Given that receptor abundance or concentration within the plasma membrane plays key roles in determining signaling efficiency, these observations may point to a novel mechanism for modulating receptor-mediated cellular signaling.

Hepatic cytochromes P450: structural degrons and barcodes, posttranslational modifications and cellular adapters in the ERAD-endgame

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-anchored hepatic cytochromes P450 (P450s) are enzymes that metabolize endo- and xenobiotics i.e. drugs, carcinogens, toxins, natural and chemical products. These agents modulate liver P450 content through increased synthesis or reduction via inactivation and/or proteolytic degradation, resulting in clinically significant drug-drug interactions. P450 proteolytic degradation occurs via ER-associated degradation (ERAD) involving either of two distinct routes: Ubiquitin (Ub)-dependent 26S proteasomal degradation (ERAD/UPD) or autophagic lysosomal degradation (ERAD/ALD). CYP3A4, the major human liver/intestinal P450, and the fast-turnover CYP2E1 species are degraded via ERAD/UPD entailing multisite protein phosphorylation and subsequent ubiquitination by gp78 and CHIP E3 Ub-ligases. We are gaining insight into the nature of the structural determinants involved in CYP3A4 and CYP2E1 molecular recognition in ERAD/UPD [i.e. K48-linked polyUb chains and linear and/or "conformational" phosphodegrons consisting either of consecutive sequences on surface loops and/or disordered regions, or structurally-assembled surface clusters of negatively charged acidic (Asp/Glu) and phosphorylated (Ser/Thr) residues, within or vicinal to which, Lys-residues are targeted for ubiquitination]. Structural inspection of select human liver P450s reveals that such linear or conformational phosphodegrons may indeed be a common P450-ERAD/UPD feature. By contrast, although many P450s such as the slow-turnover CYP2E1 species and rat liver CYP2B1 and CYP2C11 are degraded via ERAD/ALD, little is known about the mechanism of their ALD-targeting. On the basis of our current knowledge of ALD-substrate targeting, we propose a tripartite conjunction of K63-linked Ub-chains, P450 structural "LIR" motifs and selective cellular "cargo receptors" as plausible P450-ALD determinants.

Human liver cytochrome P450 3A4 ubiquitination: molecular recognition by UBC7-gp78 autocrine motility factor receptor and UbcH5a-CHIP-Hsc70-Hsp40 E2-E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes

CYP3A4 is an abundant and catalytically dominant human liver endoplasmic reticulum-anchored cytochrome P450 enzyme engaged in the biotransformation of endo- and xenobiotics, including >50% of clinically relevant drugs. Alterations of CYP3A4 protein turnover can influence clinically relevant drug metabolism and bioavailability and drug-drug interactions. This CYP3A4 turnover involves endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation via the ubiquitin (Ub)-dependent 26 S proteasomal system that relies on two highly complementary E2 Ub-conjugating-E3 Ub-ligase (UBC7-gp78 and UbcH5a-C terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP)-Hsc70-Hsp40) complexes, as well as protein kinases (PK) A and C. We have documented that CYP3A4 Ser/Thr phosphorylation (Ser(P)/Thr(P)) by PKA and/or PKC accelerates/enhances its Lys ubiquitination by either of these E2-E3 systems. Intriguingly, CYP3A4 Ser(P)/Thr(P) and ubiquitinated Lys residues reside within the cytosol-accessible surface loop and/or conformationally assembled acidic Asp/Glu clusters, leading us to propose that such post-translational Ser/Thr protein phosphorylation primes CYP3A4 for ubiquitination. Herein, this possibility was examined through various complementary approaches, including site-directed mutagenesis, chemical cross-linking, peptide mapping, and LC-MS/MS analyses. Our findings reveal that such CYP3A4 Asp/Glu/Ser(P)/Thr(P) surface clusters are indeed important for its intermolecular electrostatic interactions with each of these E2-E3 subcomponents. By imparting additional negative charge to these Asp/Glu clusters, such Ser/Thr phosphorylation would generate P450 phosphodegrons for molecular recognition by the E2-E3 complexes, thereby controlling the timing of CYP3A4 ubiquitination and endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation. Although the importance of phosphodegrons in the CHIP targeting of its substrates is known, to our knowledge this is the first example of phosphodegron involvement in gp78-substrate recruitment, an important step in CYP3A4 proteasomal degradation.

Hepatic cytochrome P450 ubiquitination: conformational phosphodegrons for E2/E3 recognition?

Hepatic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) integral cytochromes P450 (P450s) are monooxygenases engaged in the biotransformation and elimination of endo- as well as xenobiotics. Of the human liver P450s, CYP3A4 is the major and most dominant catalyst responsible for the biotransformation of over 50% of clinically prescribed drugs. CYP2E1 metabolizes smaller molecular weight compounds (EtOH), carcinogens, environmental toxins, and endobiotics, and is justly implicated in various toxigenic/pathogenic mechanisms of human disease. Both P450s are notorious for their potential to generate pathogenic reactive oxygen species (ROS) during futile oxidative cycling and/or oxidative uncoupling. Such ROS not only oxidatively damage the P450 catalytic cage, but on their escape into the cytosol, also the P450 outer surface and any surrounding cell organelles. Given their ER-monotopic topology coupled with this high potential to acquire oxidative lesions in their cytosolic (C) domain, not surprisingly these P450 proteins exhibit shorter lifespans and are excellent prototype substrates of ER-associated degradation ("ERAD-C") pathway. Indeed, we have shown that both CYP3A4 and CYP2E1 incur ERAD-C, during which they are first phosphorylated by protein kinases A and C, which greatly enhance/accelerate their ubiquitination by UBC7/gp78 and UbcH5a/CHIP/Hsp70/Hsp40 E2/E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes. Such P450 phosphorylation occurs on Ser/Thr residues within linear sequences as well as spatially clustered acidic (Asp/Glu) residues. We propose that such S/T phosphorylation within these clusters creates negatively charged patches or conformational phosphodegrons for interaction with positively charged E2/E3 domains. Such P450 S/T phosphorylation we posit serves as a molecular switch to turn on its ubiquitination and ERAD-C.

The importance of CYP2E1 in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease and drug toxicity and the role of the proteasome

The chapter discusses about the critical role of CYP2E1 in ethanol mediated liver injury and its association with NASH. Ethanol metabolism by CYP2E1 generates hydroxyethyl radicals which promote ethanol hepatotoxicity. Greater induction of CYP2E1 and hence greater liver injury occurs with co-administration of ethanol and drugs. Induction of CYP2E1 leads to prominent epigenetic effects and CYP2E1 polymorphism may be associated with alcoholic liver disease. These are some aspects of CYP2E1, amongst many others which account for its importance in the context of drug metabolism and disease development and have been reviewed in the chapter.

Multisite phosphorylation of human liver cytochrome P450 3A4 enhances Its gp78- and CHIP-mediated ubiquitination: a pivotal role of its Ser-478 residue in the gp78-catalyzed reaction

CYP3A4, an integral endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-anchored protein, is the major human liver cytochrome P450 enzyme responsible for the disposition of over 50% of clinically relevant drugs. Alterations of its protein turnover can influence drug metabolism, drug-drug interactions, and the bioavailability of chemotherapeutic drugs. Such CYP3A4 turnover occurs via a classical ER-associated degradation (ERAD) process involving ubiquitination by both UBC7/gp78 and UbcH5a/CHIP E2-E3 complexes for 26 S proteasomal targeting. These E3 ligases act sequentially and cooperatively in CYP3A4 ERAD because RNA interference knockdown of each in cultured hepatocytes results in the stabilization of a functionally active enzyme. We have documented that UBC7/gp78-mediated CYP3A4 ubiquitination requires protein phosphorylation by protein kinase (PK) A and PKC and identified three residues (Ser-478, Thr-264, and Ser-420) whose phosphorylation is required for intracellular CYP3A4 ERAD. We document herein that of these, Ser-478 plays a pivotal role in UBC7/gp78-mediated CYP3A4 ubiquitination, which is accelerated and enhanced on its mutation to the phosphomimetic Asp residue but attenuated on its Ala mutation. Intriguingly, CYP3A5, a polymorphically expressed human liver CYP3A4 isoform (containing Asp-478) is ubiquitinated but not degraded to a greater extent than CYP3A4 in HepG2 cells. This suggests that although Ser-478 phosphorylation is essential for UBC7/gp78-mediated CYP3A4 ubiquitination, it is not sufficient for its ERAD. Additionally, we now report that CYP3A4 protein phosphorylation by PKA and/or PKC at sites other than Ser-478, Thr-264, and Ser-420 also enhances UbcH5a/CHIP-mediated ubiquitination. Through proteomic analyses, we identify (i) 12 additional phosphorylation sites that may be involved in CHIP-CYP3A4 interactions and (ii) 8 previously unidentified CYP3A4 ubiquitination sites within spatially associated clusters of Asp/Glu and phosphorylatable Ser/Thr residues that may serve to engage each E2-E3 complex. Collectively, our findings underscore the interplay between protein phosphorylation and ubiquitination in ERAD and, to our knowledge, provide the very first example of gp78 substrate recognition via protein phosphorylation.

CHIP and gp78-mediated ubiquitination of CYP3A4: Implications for the pharmacology of anticancer agents

The autocrine motility factor receptor or glycoprotein-78 (gp78) and C-terminus of Hsp70-interacting protein (CHIP) are E3-ligases required for ubiquitination of cytochrome P450s of the 3A subfamily (CYP3A) in endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD). The CYP isozyme 3A4 (CYP3A4) is responsible for the metabolism of the majority of xenobiotics including anticancer agents. Much variability in clinical response to chemotherapy is observed and it has been suggested that variability in CYP3A4 expression could be a factor. The study reviewed in this journal club comments on the importance of further characterizing gp78 and CHIP as relevant proteins in ERAD of CYP3A4. This study demonstrated how both gp78 and CHIP play direct roles in reducing CYP3A4 protein content as well as CYP3A4 ubiquitination. Interestingly, when gp78 and CHIP were knocked down by siRNAs directed towards each protein, the stabilized CYP3A4 remained functional. This has implications for drug-drug interactions for agents metabolized by CYP3A4, which can influence drug exposure levels. This is relevant because most anticancer agents have very narrow therapeutic windows, thus even slight changes in CYP3A4 levels could alter the exposure of that drug and result in either insufficient efficacy or toxicity. Future studies must explore genetic variability in the ERAD pathway and identify new factors that influence CYP3A ERAD in order to better characterize how CYP3A variability affects anticancer drug pharmacology.

Ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation of human liver cytochrome P450 2E1: identification of sites targeted for phosphorylation and ubiquitination

Human liver CYP2E1 is a monotopic, endoplasmic reticulum-anchored cytochrome P450 responsible for the biotransformation of clinically relevant drugs, low molecular weight xenobiotics, carcinogens, and endogenous ketones. CYP2E1 substrate complexation converts it into a stable slow-turnover species degraded largely via autophagic lysosomal degradation. Substrate decomplexation/withdrawal results in a fast turnover CYP2E1 species, putatively generated through its futile oxidative cycling, that incurs endoplasmic reticulum-associated ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation (UPD). CYP2E1 thus exhibits biphasic turnover in the mammalian liver. We now show upon heterologous expression of human CYP2E1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that its autophagic lysosomal degradation and UPD pathways are evolutionarily conserved, even though its potential for futile catalytic cycling is low due to its sluggish catalytic activity in yeast. This suggested that other factors (i.e. post-translational modifications or "degrons") contribute to its UPD. Indeed, in cultured human hepatocytes, CYP2E1 is detectably ubiquitinated, and this is enhanced on its mechanism-based inactivation. Studies in Ubc7p and Ubc5p genetically deficient yeast strains versus corresponding isogenic wild types identified these ubiquitin-conjugating E2 enzymes as relevant to CYP2E1 UPD. Consistent with this, in vitro functional reconstitution analyses revealed that mammalian UBC7/gp78 and UbcH5a/CHIP E2-E3 ubiquitin ligases were capable of ubiquitinating CYP2E1, a process enhanced by protein kinase (PK) A and/or PKC inclusion. Inhibition of PKA or PKC blocked intracellular CYP2E1 ubiquitination and turnover. Here, through mass spectrometric analyses, we identify some CYP2E1 phosphorylation/ubiquitination sites in spatially associated clusters. We propose that these CYP2E1 phosphorylation clusters may serve to engage each E2-E3 ubiquitination complex in vitro and intracellularly.

Metabolism and action of proteasome inhibitors in primary human hepatocytes

Proteasome inhibitors are important tools for studying the roles of the proteasome in cellular processes. In this study, we observed that the proteasome inhibitors N-benzoyloxycarbonyl (Z)-Leu-Leu-leucinal (MG132), epoxomicin, and lactacystin were ineffective and bortezomib was completely effective in inhibiting cytokine-stimulated nitric oxide production in primary cultures of human hepatocytes that had been treated with the cytochrome P450 inducer phenobarbital. The inefficacy of MG132 was due to its metabolism by CYP3A enzymes, as deduced from its rapid, ketoconazole-sensitive clearance by pooled human liver microsomes and cultured hepatocytes. The efficacy of MG132 was increased by inclusion of ketoconazole in the hepatocyte incubations and decreased by prior treatment of the cultures with the CYP3A inducers phenobarbital or rifampicin. Epoxomicin was also rapidly metabolized by CYP3A, whereas bortezomib and lactacystin were much more stable metabolically in human liver microsomes or hepatocyte cultures. Thus, bortezomib is a better choice than MG132, epoxomicin, or lactacystin in cells with high activities of CYP3A enzymes. The reason for the lack of efficacy of lactacystin in human hepatocytes has yet to be determined, but it too should not be used for studies of proteasome function in human hepatocytes.

Liver cytochrome P450 3A endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation: a major role for the p97 AAA ATPase in cytochrome P450 3A extraction into the cytosol

The CYP3A subfamily of hepatic cytochromes P450, being engaged in the metabolism and clearance of >50% of clinically relevant drugs, can significantly influence therapeutics and drug-drug interactions. Our characterization of CYP3A degradation has indicated that CYPs 3A incur ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation (UPD) in an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation (ERAD) process. Cytochromes P450 are monotopic hemoproteins N-terminally anchored to the ER membrane with their protein bulk readily accessible to the cytosolic proteasome. Given this topology, it was unclear whether they would require the AAA-ATPase p97 chaperone complex that retrotranslocates/dislocates ubiquitinated ER-integral and luminal proteins into the cytosol for proteasomal delivery. To assess the in vivo relevance of this p97-CYP3A association, we used lentiviral shRNAs to silence p97 (80% mRNA and 90% protein knockdown relative to controls) in sandwich-cultured rat hepatocytes. This extensive hepatic p97 knockdown remarkably had no effect on cellular morphology, ER stress, and/or apoptosis, despite the well recognized strategic p97 roles in multiple important cellular processes. However, such hepatic p97 knockdown almost completely abrogated CYP3A extraction into the cytosol, resulting in a significant accumulation of parent and ubiquitinated CYP3A species that were firmly ER-tethered. Little detectable CYP3A accumulated in the cytosol, even after concomitant inhibition of proteasomal degradation, thereby documenting a major role of p97 in CYP3A extraction and delivery to the 26 S proteasome during its UPD/ERAD. Intriguingly, the accumulated parent CYP3A was functionally active, indicating that p97 can regulate physiological CYP3A content and thus influence its clinically relevant function.

Cytochrome P450 regulation: the interplay between its heme and apoprotein moieties in synthesis, assembly, repair, and disposal

Heme is vital to our aerobic universe. Heme cellular content is finely tuned through an exquisite control of synthesis and degradation. Heme deficiency is deleterious to cells, whereas excess heme is toxic. Most of the cellular heme serves as the prosthetic moiety of functionally diverse hemoproteins, including cytochromes P450 (P450s). In the liver, P450s are its major consumers, with >50% of hepatic heme committed to their synthesis. Prosthetic heme is the sine qua non of P450 catalytic biotransformation of both endo- and xenobiotics. This well-recognized functional role notwithstanding, heme also regulates P450 protein synthesis, assembly, repair, and disposal. These less well-appreciated aspects are reviewed herein.

Liver cytochrome P450 3A ubiquitination in vivo by gp78/autocrine motility factor receptor and C terminus of Hsp70-interacting protein (CHIP) E3 ubiquitin ligases: physiological and pharmacological relevance

CYP3A4 is a dominant human liver cytochrome P450 enzyme engaged in the metabolism and disposition of >50% of clinically relevant drugs and held responsible for many adverse drug-drug interactions. CYP3A4 and its mammalian liver CYP3A orthologs are endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-anchored monotopic proteins that undergo ubiquitin (Ub)-dependent proteasomal degradation (UPD) in an ER-associated degradation (ERAD) process. These integral ER proteins are ubiquitinated in vivo, and in vitro studies have identified the ER-integral gp78 and the cytosolic co-chaperone, CHIP (C terminus of Hsp70-interacting protein), as the relevant E3 Ub-ligases, along with their cognate E2 Ub-conjugating enzymes UBC7 and UbcH5a, respectively. Using lentiviral shRNA templates targeted against each of these Ub-ligases, we now document that both E3s are indeed physiologically involved in CYP3A ERAD/UPD in cultured rat hepatocytes. Accordingly, specific RNAi resulted in ≈80% knockdown of each hepatic Ub-ligase, with a corresponding ≈2.5-fold CYP3A stabilization. Surprisingly, however, such stabilization resulted in increased levels of functionally active CYP3A, thereby challenging the previous notion that E3 recognition and subsequent ERAD of CYP3A proteins required ab initio their structural and/or functional inactivation. Furthermore, coexpression in HepG2 cells of both CYP3A4 and gp78, but not its functionally inactive RING-finger mutant, resulted in enhanced CYP3A4 loss greater than that in corresponding cells expressing only CYP3A4. Stabilization of a functionally active CYP3A after RNAi knockdown of either of the E3s, coupled with the increased CYP3A4 loss on gp78 or CHIP coexpression, suggests that ERAD-associated E3 Ub-ligases can influence clinically relevant drug metabolism by effectively regulating the physiological CYP3A content and consequently its function.

Hepatic CYP3A suppression by high concentrations of proteasomal inhibitors: a consequence of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress induction, activation of RNA-dependent protein kinase-like ER-bound eukaryotic initiation factor 2alpha (eIF2alpha)-kinase (PERK) and general control nonderepressible-2 eIF2alpha kinase (GCN2), and global translational shutoff

Hepatic cytochromes P450 3A (P450s 3A) are endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-proteins, responsible for xenobiotic metabolism. They are degraded by the ubiquitin-dependent 26S proteasome. Consistent with this, we have shown that proteasomal inhibitors N-benzoyloxycarbonyl (Z)-Leu-Leu-leucinal (MG132) and N-benzoyloxycarbonyl-Leu-Leu-Leu-B(OH)(2) (MG262) stabilize CYP3A proteins. However, MG132 has been reported to suppress P450s 3A as a result of impaired nuclear factor-kappaB activation and consequently reduced CYP3A protein stability. Because the MG132 concentration used in those studies was 10-fold higher than that required for CYP3A stabilization, we examined the effect of MG132 (0-300 microM) concentration-dependent proteasomal inhibition on CYP3A turnover in cultured primary rat hepatocytes. We found a biphasic MG132 concentration effect on CYP3A turnover: Stabilization at 5 to 10 muM with marked suppression at >100 microM. Proteasomal inhibitors reportedly induce ER stress, heat shock, and apoptotic response. At these high MG132 concentrations, such CYP3A suppression could be due to ER stress induction, so we monitored the activity of PERK [PKR (RNA-dependent protein kinase)-like ER kinase (EIF2AK3)], the ER stress-activated eukaryotic initiation factor 2alpha (eIF2alpha) kinase. Indeed, we found a marked (approximately 4-fold) MG132 concentration-dependent PERK autophosphorylation, along with an 8-fold increase in eIF2alpha-phosphorylation. In parallel, MG132 also activated GCN2 [general control nonderepressible-2 (EIF2AK4)] eIF2alpha kinase in a concentration-dependent manner, but not the heme-regulated inhibitor eIF2alpha kinase [(EIF2AK1)]. Pulse-chase, immunoprecipitation/immunoblotting analyses documented the consequently dramatic translational shutoff of total hepatic protein, including but not limited to CYP3A and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase protein syntheses. These findings reveal that at high concentrations, MG132 is indeed cytotoxic and can suppress CYP3A synthesis, a result confirmed by confocal immunofluorescence analyses of MG132-treated hepatocytes.

Dual mechanisms of CYP3A protein regulation by proinflammatory cytokine stimulation in primary hepatocyte cultures

Whereas many cytochrome P450 enzymes are transcriptionally suppressed by inflammatory stimuli, down-regulation of CYP2B protein by the inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1beta is nitric oxide (NO)-dependent and occurs via polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. Here, we used iTRAQ proteomic analysis to search for other proteins that are potentially down-regulated by cellular NO in cultured rat hepatocytes, and we identified CYP3A1 as one such protein. Therefore, we examined whether CYP3A proteins, like CYP2B, undergo NO- and proteasome-dependent degradation in response to cytokine treatment of rat hepatocytes. In cultured rat hepatocytes treated with phenobarbital, IL-1beta stimulation failed to down-regulate CYP3A1 mRNA within 24 h of treatment, whereas CYP3A protein was down-regulated to 40% of control within 6 h, showing the post-transcriptional down-regulation of CYP3A1 protein. The down-regulation of CYP3A after 9 h of stimulation by IL-1beta was attenuated by inhibitors of NO synthase (NOS) and of the proteasome, showing NO- and proteasome-dependent down-regulation at earlier time points. However, the down-regulation of CYP3A evoked by IL-1beta measured 24 h after stimulation was not affected by the inhibition of NOS or by proteasomal inhibitors, showing that CYP3A1 down-regulation at later time points is NO- and proteasome-independent. IL-6, which did not evoke NO production nor affect CYP3A1 mRNA within 24 h, produced a delayed proteasome-independent down-regulation as well. Taken together, these observations show a novel dual mode of post-transcriptional CYP3A down-regulation by cytokines: NO- and proteasome-dependent at earlier time points and NO- and proteasome-independent at later times.

A role for protein phosphorylation in cytochrome P450 3A4 ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation

Cytochromes P450 (P450s) incur phosphorylation. Although the precise role of this post-translational modification is unclear, marking P450s for degradation is plausible. Indeed, we have found that after structural inactivation, CYP3A4, the major human liver P450, and its rat orthologs are phosphorylated during their ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation. Peptide mapping coupled with mass spectrometric analyses of CYP3A4 phosphorylated in vitro by protein kinase C (PKC) previously identified two target sites, Thr(264) and Ser(420). We now document that liver cytosolic kinases additionally target Ser(478) as a major site. To determine whether such phosphorylation is relevant to in vivo CYP3A4 degradation, wild type and CYP3A4 with single, double, or triple Ala mutations of these residues were heterologously expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae pep4Delta strains. We found that relative to CYP3A4wt, its S478A mutant was significantly stabilized in these yeast, and this was greatly to markedly enhanced for its S478A/T264A, S478A/S420A, and S478A/T264A/S420A double and triple mutants. Similar relative S478A/T264A/S420A mutant stabilization was also observed in HEK293T cells. To determine whether phosphorylation enhances CYP3A4 degradation by enhancing its ubiquitination, CYP3A4 ubiquitination was examined in an in vitro UBC7/gp78-reconstituted system with and without cAMP-dependent protein kinase A and PKC, two liver cytosolic kinases involved in CYP3A4 phosphorylation. cAMP-dependent protein kinase A/PKC-mediated phosphorylation of CYP3A4wt but not its S478A/T264A/S420A mutant enhanced its ubiquitination in this system. Together, these findings indicate that phosphorylation of CYP3A4 Ser(478), Thr(264), and Ser(420) residues by cytosolic kinases is important both for its ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation and suggest a direct link between P450 phosphorylation, ubiquitination, and degradation.

CYP3A4 ubiquitination by gp78 (the tumor autocrine motility factor receptor, AMFR) and CHIP E3 ligases

Human liver CYP3A4 is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-anchored hemoprotein responsible for the metabolism of >50% of clinically prescribed drugs. After heterologous expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, it is degraded via the ubiquitin (Ub)-dependent 26S proteasomal pathway that utilizes Ubc7p/Cue1p, but none of the canonical Ub-ligases (E3s) Hrd1p/Hrd3p, Doa10p, and Rsp5p involved in ER-associated degradation (ERAD). To identify an Ub-ligase capable of ubiquitinating CYP3A4, we examined various in vitro reconstituted mammalian E3 systems, using purified and functionally characterized recombinant components. Of these, the cytosolic domain of the ER-protein gp78, also known as the tumor autocrine motility factor receptor (AMFR), an UBC7-dependent polytopic RING-finger E3, effectively ubiquitinated CYP3A4 in vitro, as did the UbcH5a-dependent cytosolic E3 CHIP. CYP3A4 immunoprecipitation coupled with anti-Ub immunoblotting analyses confirmed its ubiquitination in these reconstituted systems. Thus, both UBC7/gp78 and UbcH5a/CHIP may be involved in CYP3A4 ERAD, although their relative physiological contribution remains to be established.

The nuclear factor-kappa B pathway regulates cytochrome P450 3A4 protein stability

We have previously observed that CYP3A4 protein levels are suppressed by inhibition of the proteasome in primary cultured hepatocytes. Because this result is opposite of what would be expected if CYP3A4 were degraded by the proteasome, it seemed likely that there might be another protein susceptible to proteasomal degradation that regulated CYP3A4 expression. In this study, we evaluated whether the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) pathway was involved in that process. Our model system used an adenovirus system to express CYP3A4 protein in HepG2 cells, which are derived from human cancer cells. Similar to results in primary hepatocytes, the inhibition of the proteasome with N-benzoyloxycarbonyl (Z)-Leu-Leu-leucinal (MG132) suppresses CYP3A4 protein levels. We also found that MG132 treatment had a broad affect on the NF-kappaB pathway, including down-regulation of NF-kappaB DNA binding activity and IkappaB kinase (IKK)alpha levels and up-regulation of IKKbeta and inhibitory kappaB levels. Treatment of the HepG2 cells with several structurally distinct NF-kappaB inhibitors also suppressed CYP3A4 protein levels. When the HepG2 cells were treated with cycloheximide, a general inhibitor of protein synthesis, the loss of CYP3A4 protein was accelerated by cotreatment with either proteasome or NF-kappaB inhibitors. These results indicate that NF-kappaB activity regulated CYP3A4 protein stability, and they suggest that the NF-kappaB pathway was responsible for the decrease in CYP3A4 protein levels that resulted from the proteasomal inhibition.

Cellular proteolytic systems in P450 degradation: evolutionary conservation from Saccharomyces cerevisiae to mammalian liver

Mammalian hepatic cytochromes P450 (P450s) are endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-anchored haemoproteins with the bulk of their catalytic domains exposed to the cytosol and engaged in the metabolism of numerous xeno- and endobiotics. The native P450s exhibit widely ranging half-lifes and predominantly turn over via either autophagic-lysosomal degradation (ALD) or ubiquitin-dependent 26S proteasomal degradation (UPD). The basis for this heterogeneity and differential proteolytic targeting is unknown. On the other hand, structurally/functionally inactivated P450s are predominantly degraded via UPD in a process known as ER-associated degradation (ERAD). ALD/UPD/ERAD pathways are evolutionarily highly conserved. The availability of Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants with specific genetic defects/deletions in various ALD/UPD/ERAD-associated proteins and corresponding isogenic wild-type strains has enabled the molecular dissection of the degradation pathways for heterologously expressed mammalian P450s, leading to the identification of specific protein participants. These findings collectively attest to a highly versatile cellular system for the physiological disposal of native, senescent and/or inactivated, structurally damaged mammalian liver P450s.

Characterization of the physiological turnover of native and inactivated cytochromes P450 3A in cultured rat hepatocytes: a role for the cytosolic AAA ATPase p97?

Mammalian hepatic cytochromes P450 (P450s) are endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-anchored hemoproteins engaged in the metabolism of numerous xeno- and endobiotics. P450s exhibit widely ranging half-lives, utilizing both autophagic-lysosomal (ALD) and ubiquitin-dependent 26S proteasomal (UPD) degradation pathways. Although suicidally inactivated hepatic CYPs 3A and "native" CYP3A4 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae are degraded via UPD, the turnover of native hepatic CYPs 3A in their physiological milieu has not been elucidated. Herein, we characterize the degradation of native, dexamethasone-inducible CYPs 3A in cultured primary rat hepatocytes, using proteasomal (MG-132 and MG-262) and ALD [NH4Cl and 3-methyladenine (3-MA)] inhibitors to examine their specific degradation route. Pulse-chase with immunoprecipitation analyses revealed a basal 52% 35S-CYP3A loss over 6 h, which was stabilized by both proteasomal inhibitors. By contrast, no corresponding CYP3A stabilization was detected with either ALD inhibitor NH4Cl or 3-MA. Furthermore, MG-262-induced CYP3A stabilization was associated with its polyubiquitylation, thereby verifying that native CYPs 3A were also degraded via UPD. To identify the specific participants in this process, cellular proteins were cross-linked in situ with paraformaldehyde (PFA) in cultured hepatocytes. Immunoblotting analyses of CYP3A immunoprecipitates after PFA-cross-linking revealed the presence of p97, a cytosolic AAA ATPase instrumental in the extraction and delivery of ubiquitylated ER proteins for proteasomal degradation. Such native CYP3A-p97 interactions were greatly magnified after CYP3A suicidal inactivation (which accelerates UPD), and/or proteasomal inhibition, and were confirmed by proteomic and confocal immunofluorescence microscopic analyses. These findings clearly reveal that native CYPs 3A undergo UPD and implicate a role for p97 in this process.

Defective hepatocyte aquaporin-8 expression and reduced canalicular membrane water permeability in estrogen-induced cholestasis

Our previous work supports a role for aquaporin-8 (AQP8) water channels in rat hepatocyte bile formation mainly by facilitating the osmotically driven canalicular secretion of water. In this study, we tested whether a condition with compromised canalicular bile secretion, i.e., the estrogen-induced intrahepatic cholestasis, displays defective hepatocyte AQP8 functional expression. After 17alpha-ethinylestradiol administration (5 mg x kg body wt(-1).day(-1) for 5 days) to rats, the bile flow was reduced by 58% (P < 0.05). By subcellular fractionation and immunoblotting analysis, we found that 34 kDa AQP8 was significantly decreased by approximately 70% in plasma (canalicular) and intracellular (vesicular) liver membranes. However, 17alpha-ethinylestradiol-induced cholestasis did not significantly affect the protein level or the subcellular localization of sinusoidal AQP9. Immunohistochemistry for liver AQPs confirmed these observations. Osmotic water permeability (P(f)) of canalicular membranes, measured by stopped-flow spectrophotometry, was significantly reduced (73 +/- 1 vs. 57 +/- 2 microm/s) in cholestasis, consistent with defective canalicular AQP8 functional expression. By Northern blotting, we found that AQP8 mRNA expression was increased by 115% in cholestasis, suggesting a posttranscriptional mechanism of protein level reduction. Accordingly, studies in primary cultured rat hepatocytes indicated that the lysosomal protease inhibitor leupeptin prevented the estrogen-induced AQP8 downregulation. In conclusion, hepatocyte AQP8 protein expression is downregulated in estrogen-induced intrahepatic cholestasis, presumably by lysosomal-mediated degradation. Reduced canalicular membrane AQP8 expression is associated with impaired osmotic membrane water permeability. Our data support the novel notion that a defective expression of canalicular AQP8 contributes as a mechanism for bile secretory dysfunction of cholestatic hepatocytes.

Effect of proteasome inhibition on toxicity and CYP3A23 induction in cultured rat hepatocytes: comparison with arsenite

Previous work in our laboratory has shown that acute exposure of primary rat hepatocyte cultures to non-toxic concentrations of arsenite causes major decreases in the DEX-mediated induction of CYP3A23 protein, with minor decreases in CYP3A23 mRNA. To elucidate the mechanism for these effects of arsenite, the effects of arsenite and proteasome inhibition, separately and in combination, on induction of CYP3A23 protein were compared. The proteasome inhibitor, MG132, inhibited proteasome activity, but also decreased CYP3A23 mRNA and protein. Lactacystin, another proteasome inhibitor, decreased CYP3A23 protein without affecting CYP3A23 mRNA at a concentration that effectively inhibited proteasome activity. This result, suggesting that the action of lactacystin is similar to arsenite and was post-transcriptional, was confirmed by the finding that lactacystin decreased association of DEX-induced CYP3A23 mRNA with polyribosomes. Both MG132 and lactacystin inhibited total protein synthesis, but did not affect MTT reduction. Arsenite had no effect on ubiquitination of proteins, nor did arsenite significantly affect proteasomal activity. These results suggest that arsenite and lactacystin act by similar mechanisms to inhibit translation of CYP3A23.

Endoplasmic Reticulum-Associated Degradation of Cytochrome P450 CYP3A4 inSaccharomyces cerevisiae: Further Characterization of Cellular Participants and Structural Determinants

The monotopic, endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-anchored cytochromes P450 (P450s) undergo variable proteolytic turnover. CYP3A4, the dominant human liver drug-metabolizing enzyme, is degraded via a ubiquitin (Ub)-dependent 26S proteasomal pathway after heterologous expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This turnover involves the Ub-conjugating enzyme Ubc7p and the 19S proteasomal subunit Hrd2p but is independent of Hrd1p/Hrd3p, a major Ub-ligase (E3) involved in ER protein degradation. We now show that CYP3A4 ERAD also involves the Ubc7p-ER anchor Cue1p, because CYP3A4 is significantly stabilized at the stationary growth phase in Cue1p-deficient yeast. To determine whether the other major Ub-ligase Doa10p or Rsp5p involved in ER protein degradation functions in CYP3A4 ERAD, wild type and Doa10p- or Rsp5p-deficient yeast strains were also similarly examined. No appreciable CYP3A4 stabilization was detected in either Doa10p- or Rsp5p-deficient yeast, thereby excluding these E3s and revealing that CYP3A4 ERAD involves a novel or yet to be identified E3. Similar studies also revealed that the Cdc48p-Ufd1p-Hrd4p complex, responsible for the translocation of polyubiquitinated ER proteins was critical for CYP3A4 ERAD. We previously reported that grafting of the C-terminal (CT) CYP3A4 heptapeptide onto the CYP2B1 C terminus switched its proteolytic susceptibility from predominantly vacuolar to proteasomal degradation. To determine the relevance of this CT heptapeptide to CYP3A4 ERAD, CYP3A4 degradation after CT heptapeptide-deletion (CYP3A4DeltaCT) was similarly examined in yeast. These findings revealed that CYP3A4DeltaCT was also degraded by Ubc7p-26S proteasomal pathway, thereby indicating that this CT heptapeptide is not critical for CYP3A4 proteasomal degradation. Thus, unlike CYP2B1, CYP3A4 harbors additional/multiple structural degrons for its recruitment into the Ubproteasomal pathway.

CYTOCHROME P450 UBIQUITINATION: Branding for the Proteolytic Slaughter?

The hepatic cytochromes P450 (P450s) are monotopic endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-anchored hemoproteins engaged in the enzymatic oxidation of a wide variety of endo- and xenobiotics. In the course of these reactions, the enzymes generate reactive O2species and/or reactive metabolic products that can attack the P450 heme and/or protein moiety and structurally and functionally damage the enzyme. The in vivo conformational unraveling of such a structurally damaged P450 signals its rapid removal via the cellular sanitation system responsible for the proteolytic disposal of structurally aberrant, abnormal, and/or otherwise malformed proteins. A key player in this process is the ubiquitin (Ub)-dependent 26S proteasome system. Accordingly, the structurally deformed P450 protein is first branded for recognition and proteolytic removal by the 26S proteasome with an enzymatically incorporated polyUb tag. P450s of the 3A subfamily such as the major human liver enzyme CYP3A4 are notorious targets for this process, and they represent excellent prototypes for the understanding of integral ER protein ubiquitination. Not all the participants in hepatic CYP3A ubiquitination and subsequent proteolytic degradation have been identified. The following discussion thus addresses the various known and plausible events and/or cellular participants involved in this multienzymatic P450 ubiquitination cascade, on the basis of our current knowledge of other eukaryotic models. In addition, because the detection of ubiquitinated P450s is technically challenging, the critical importance of appropriate methodology is also discussed.

Regulation of cytochrome P450 by posttranslational modification

Cytochrome P450s are a family of enzymes represented in all kingdoms with expression in many species. Over 3,000 enzymes have been identified in nature. Humans express 57 putatively functional enzymes with a variety of critical physiological roles. They are involved in the metabolic oxidation, peroxidation, and reduction of many endogenous and exogenous compounds including xenobiotics, steroids, bile acids, fatty acids, eicosanoids, environmental pollutants, and carcinogens [Nelson, D. R., Kamataki, T., Waxman, D. J., Guengerich, F. P., Estabrook, R. W., Feyereisen, R., Gonzalez, F. J., Coon, M. J., Gunsalus, I. C., Gotoh, O. (1993) The P450 superfamily: update on new sequences, gene mapping, accession numbers, early trivial names of enzymes, and nomenclature. DNA Cell Biol. 12(1):1-51.] The development of numerous diseases and disorders including cancer and cardiovascular and endocrine dysfunction has been linked to P450s. Several levels of regulation, including transcription, translation, and posttranslational modification, participate in maintaining the proper function of P450s. Modifications including phosphorylation, glycosylation, nitration, and ubiquitination have been described for P450s. Their physiological significance includes modulation of enzyme activity, targeting to specific cellular compartments, and tagging for proteasomal degradation. Knowledge of P450 posttranslational regulation is derived from studies with relatively few enzymes. In many cases, there is only enough evidence to suggest the occurrence and a possible role for the modification. Thus, many P450 enzymes have not been fully characterized. With the introduction of current proteomics tools, we are primed to answer many important questions regarding regulation of P450 in response to a posttranslational modification. This review considers regulation of P450 in a context that describes the potential role and physiological significance of each modification.

Mechanism of arsenite-mediated decreases in CYP3A23 in rat hepatocytes

In primary cultures of rat hepatocytes, exposure to arsenite causes a major decrease in dexamethasone (DEX)-mediated induction of CYP3A23 hemoprotein, with a minor decrease in CYP3A23 mRNA. Here we show that addition of heme did not prevent the arsenite-mediated decreases in CYP3A23 protein, and arsenite did not decrease intracellular glutathione levels, indicating that heme and glutathione were not limiting for formation of holoCYP3A23. We also investigated whether arsenite decreases CYP3A23 protein by increasing CYP3A23 degradation by the calpain pathway. The calpain inhibitor, calpeptin, caused greater than a 90% inhibition of calpain-mediated proteolysis, but had no effect on DEX-mediated induction of CYP3A23 protein following 24h treatments. However, calpeptin enhanced the effect of arsenite to decrease induction of CYP3A23 protein. In addition, in short-term studies, calpeptin appeared to be a suicidal inhibitor of CYP3A-catalyzed enzyme activity. Our findings suggest that CYP3A23 protein is not degraded by calpain-mediated proteolysis, even in the presence of arsenite.

Drug bioactivation, covalent binding to target proteins and toxicity relevance

A number of therapeutic drugs with different structures and mechanisms of action have been reported to undergo metabolic activation by Phase I or Phase II drug-metabolizing enzymes. The bioactivation gives rise to reactive metabolites/intermediates, which readily confer covalent binding to various target proteins by nucleophilic substitution and/or Schiff's base mechanism. These drugs include analgesics (e.g., acetaminophen), antibacterial agents (e.g., sulfonamides and macrolide antibiotics), anticancer drugs (e.g., irinotecan), antiepileptic drugs (e.g., carbamazepine), anti-HIV agents (e.g., ritonavir), antipsychotics (e.g., clozapine), cardiovascular drugs (e.g., procainamide and hydralazine), immunosupressants (e.g., cyclosporine A), inhalational anesthetics (e.g., halothane), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDSs) (e.g., diclofenac), and steroids and their receptor modulators (e.g., estrogens and tamoxifen). Some herbal and dietary constituents are also bioactivated to reactive metabolites capable of binding covalently and inactivating cytochrome P450s (CYPs). A number of important target proteins of drugs have been identified by mass spectrometric techniques and proteomic approaches. The covalent binding and formation of drug-protein adducts are generally considered to be related to drug toxicity, and selective protein covalent binding by drug metabolites may lead to selective organ toxicity. However, the mechanisms involved in the protein adduct-induced toxicity are largely undefined, although it has been suggested that drug-protein adducts may cause toxicity either through impairing physiological functions of the modified proteins or through immune-mediated mechanisms. In addition, mechanism-based inhibition of CYPs may result in toxic drug-drug interactions. The clinical consequences of drug bioactivation and covalent binding to proteins are unpredictable, depending on many factors that are associated with the administered drugs and patients. Further studies using proteomic and genomic approaches with high throughput capacity are needed to identify the protein targets of reactive drug metabolites, and to elucidate the structure-activity relationships of drug's covalent binding to proteins and their clinical outcomes.

Interactions of phospholipase D and cytochrome P450 protein stability

Previous studies have suggested a relationship between cytochrome P450 (P450) 3A (CYP3A) conformation and the phospholipid composition of the associated membrane. In this study, we utilized a novel microsomal incubation system that mimics many of the characteristics of CYP3A degradation pathway that have been observed in vivo and in cultured cells to study the effects of phospholipid composition on protein stability. We found that addition of phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase D (PLD) stabilized CYP3A in this system, but that phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PLC) was without effect. Addition of phosphatidic acid also stabilized CYP3A protein in the microsomes. The use of 1,10-phenanthroline (phenanthroline), an inhibitor of PLD activity, decreased CYP3A stability in incubated microsomes. Similarly, 6-h treatment of primary cultures of rat hepatocytes with phenanthroline resulted in nearly complete loss of CYP3A protein. Treatment of rats with nicardipine or dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), which have been shown to affect CYP3A stability, altered the phospholipid composition of hepatic microsomes. It did not appear, though, that the changes in phospholipid composition that resulted from these in vivo treatments accounted for the change in CYP3A stability observed in hepatic microsomes from these animals.

Characterization of the Acetaminophen-Induced Degradation of Cytochrome P450-3A4 and the Proteolytic Pathway

It has been shown that large doses of acetaminophen can result in increased degradation of the hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes in vivo; however, the proteolytic pathways have not been identified. We found that incubating transfected HepG2 cells that express CYP3A4 or a reconstituted microsomal model containing human liver microsomes and cytosol, high concentrations of acetaminophen could induce a dose- and time-dependent degradation of CYP3A4. In the microsomal model the degradation could be blocked and augmented by the presence of catalase and superoxide dismutase, respectively. Tocopherol could also protect against the acetaminophen-induced degradation. However, lipid peroxidation assays showed no significant increases in lipid peroxidation products nor was there any protection by propyl gallate. Protease and proteasome inhibitors showed that the proteolytic process was mainly (85%) mediated by the lysosomal pathway, whereas a minor portion (15%) of the degradation was mediated by the proteasomal pathway. Both pepstatin A and anti-cathepsin D neutralizing antibody decreased acetaminophen-induced degradation of CYP3A4 in microsomal model systems. Pepstatin A also blocked the acetaminophen-induced degradation of the CYP3A4 in a transfected HepG2 cell line. Incubating the 3A4 cells in the presence of acetaminophen also increased cathepsin D content and activity. The lysosomal pathway, mainly mediated by cathepsin D, appears to be the major proteolytic pathway involved in the degradation of the P450 enzymes induced by toxic doses of acetaminophen.

Metabolism-based inactivation of neuronal nitric-oxide synthase by components of cigarette and cigarette smoke

It has been shown that administration of cigarette smoke to rats leads to loss of neuronal nitric-oxide synthase (nNOS) activity and nNOS protein in penile tissue. The exact mechanism for this loss of activity and protein is not known. In the current study, we investigated whether extracts prepared from cigarette smoke or from the cigarette itself could directly inhibit nNOS activity. We discovered that the cigarette smoke extract and the cigarette extract cause a time-, concentration-, and calmodulin-dependent inactivation of nNOS in an in vitro system containing the purified enzyme. L-Arginine, but not D-arginine, protects nNOS from this time-dependent inactivation, suggesting an active site directed event. The kinetics of inactivation are consistent with the metabolism-based or suicide inactivation of nNOS. Based on studies with other metabolism-based inactivators, this cigarette-mediated inactivation may render nNOS more susceptible to proteasomal degradation and thereby may explain the loss of nNOS protein in vivo. The component(s) responsible for nNOS inactivation is not volatile, is not retained by a 3,000 molecular weight cut-off membrane, binds to activated charcoal, and is highly water-soluble under both acidic and basic conditions. The discovery of a direct inactivation of nNOS by an organic, cationic compound(s) present in tobacco and tobacco smoke provides a basis for further study of not only the mechanisms responsible for the biological effects of tobacco but also a search for a potentially novel inactivator of nNOS.

In vivo effect of PC-SPES on prostate growth and hepatic CYP3A expression in rats

PC-SPES, a proprietary mixture composed of eight different herbs, is used worldwide as an alternative treatment by prostate cancer patients. It has been suggested that the clinical and in vitro antitumor activity exhibited by PC-SPES may be due to estrogenic activity, which in turn may be mediated by the presence of undeclared prescription drug contaminants. Here, we evaluated the in vivo effects of two different commercial lots of PC-SPES in male and female rats. Our high-pressure liquid chromatography analysis coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis by an independent laboratory suggested that PC-SPES lot 5430125 was contaminated with diethylstilbestrol (DES), whereas lot 5431249 was not. Treatment of male rats with PC-SPES lot 5430125 or DES alone reduced the weight of androgen target organs and decreased circulating levels of sex steroids and luteinizing hormone, whereas lot 5431249 was without effect. In addition, lot 5430125 and DES, but not lot 5431249 increased uterine weight in female rats. These results suggest that the inhibitory effects on androgen targets are mediated through suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis and this suppression is probably due to DES contamination. We assessed the effects of both lots of PC-SPES and DES on hepatic cytochrome P450 expression and activity. Both lots of PC-SPES and DES reduced CYP3A activity and protein levels. Because the response of CYP3A to PC-SPES was not dependent on whether it contained DES, a phytochemical component of PC-SPES is most likely responsible for this effect. Inhibition of CYP3A has important implications for potential herbal-drug interactions.

Suppression of cytochrome P450 3A protein levels by proteasome inhibitors

We have previously reported that CYP3A cross-links with polyubiquitinated proteins in microsomes from nicardipine-treated rats in a process that is distinct from classical polyubiquitination. To further examine the role of the proteasome in CYP3A degradation, we investigated the effects of proteasome inhibitors lactacystin, MG132, proteasome inhibitor 1, and hemin in primary cultures of rat and human hepatocytes. With the exception of hemin, these agents increased the total pool of ubiquitinated proteins in microsomes isolated from rat hepatocytes, indicating that lactacystin, MG132, and proteasome inhibitor 1 effectively inhibited the proteasome in these cells. All four agents caused a reduction in the amount of the major approximately 55-kDa CYP3A band, opposite to what would be expected if the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway degraded CYP3A. Only hemin treatment caused an increase in high molecular mass (HMM) CYP3A bands. Because hemin treatment did not alter levels of ubiquitin in CYP3A immunoprecipitates, the HMM CYP3A bands formed in response to hemin treatment clearly were not due to proteasome inhibition. Rather, because hemin treatment also caused an increase in HMM CYP3A in the detergent-insoluble fraction of the 10,000g pellet, the HMM CYP3A seems to represent a large protein complex that is unlikely to primarily represent ubiquitination.

Hepatic cytochrome P450 degradation: mechanistic diversity of the cellular sanitation brigade

Hepatic cytochromes P450 (P450s) are monotopic endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-anchored hemoproteins that exhibit heterogenous physiological protein turnover. The molecular/cellular basis for such heterogeneity is not well understood. Although both autophagic-lysosomal and nonlysosomal pathways are available for their cellular degradation, native P450s such as CYP2B1 are preferentially degraded by the former route, whereas others such as CYPs 3A are degraded largely by the proteasomal pathway, and yet others such as CYP2E1 may be degraded by both. The molecular/structural determinants that dictate this differential proteolytic targeting of the native P450 proteins remain to be unraveled. In contrast, the bulk of the evidence indicates that inactivated and/or otherwise posttranslationally modified P450 proteins undergo adenosine triphosphate-dependent proteolytic degradation in the cytosol. Whether this process specifically involves the ubiquitin (Ub)-/26S proteasome-dependent, the Ub-independent 20S proteasome-dependent, or even a recently characterized Ub- and proteasome-independent pathway may depend on the particular P450 species targeted for degradation. Nevertheless, the collective evidence on P450 degradation attests to a remarkably versatile cellular sanitation brigade available for their disposal. Given that the P450s are integral ER proteins, this mechanistic diversity in their cellular disposal should further expand the repertoire of proteolytic processes available for ER proteins, thereby extending the currently held general notion of ER-associated degradation.

Proteolytic degradation of nitric oxide synthase: effect of inhibitors and role of hsp90-based chaperones

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is a highly regulated enzyme that produces nitric oxide, a critical messenger in many physiological processes. In this perspective, we explore the role of proteolytic degradation of NOS, in particular the inducible and neuronal isoforms of NOS, as a mechanism of regulation of the enzyme. The ubiquitin-proteasome and calpain pathways are the major proteolytic systems identified to date that are responsible for this regulated degradation. The degradation of NOS is affected by diverse agents, including glucocorticoids, caveolin, neurotoxic compounds, and certain NOS inhibitors. Some irreversible inactivators of NOS enhance the proteolytic degradation of the enzyme, and this property may be of great importance in understanding the biological effects of these inhibitors, some of which are being developed for clinical use. Analogies with the regulated degradation of liver microsomal cytochromes P450, which are related to NOS, provide a framework for understanding these processes. Finally, a new perspective on the regulation of NOS by hsp90-based chaperones is presented that involves facilitated heme insertion into the enzyme.

Role of temperature on protein and mRNA cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) isozymes expression and midazolam oxidation by cultured rat precision-cut liver slices

The cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A)-mediated midazolam oxidation was studied in rat precision-cut liver slices (PCLS) maintained for 20hr at 4, 20 and 37 degrees, and further incubated for 8hr at 37 degrees. Either at 4 or 20 degrees, midazolam was oxidised by PCLS at similar rates to that observed in freshly cut slices. Moreover, PCLS kept a regioselectivity since 4-hydroxylation was more important than 1'-hydroxylation. Conversely, PCLS totally lost their capacity to oxidise midazolam after 20hr at 37 degrees, and both CYP3A2 protein and mRNA were not detected. CYP3A1 protein was unaffected by a temperature of 37 degrees but its mRNA was totally lost. By blocking transcription with actinomycin D, the decay of both CYP3A mRNAs followed the same profile at either 20 or 37 degrees, indicating that temperature affected the CYP3A2 protein stability. Cell functionality was not involved in such an impairment since the low values of ATP, GSH and protein synthesis rates observed at 4 and 20 degrees were rapidly restored, when PCLS were further incubated at 37 degrees. The use of rat supersomes expressing either CYP3A1 or CYP3A2, strongly supported the hypothesis that 4-hydroxymidazolam was mainly formed by CYP3A2. These results suggest that: (1) CYP3A1 protein is constitutive and largely expressed in rat liver slices; (2) regioselective midazolam oxidation appears to be mainly CYP3A2 dependent; and (3) since CYP3A isoforms have similar half-lives (about 10-14hr), the loss of CYP3A2 protein at 37 degrees might be due to a selective targeting (phosphorylation ?) leading to proteolytic disposal by the proteasome.

Alteration of the heme prosthetic group of neuronal nitric-oxide synthase during inactivation by N(G)-amino-L-arginine in vitro and in vivo

It is established that N(G)-amino-L-arginine (NAA) is a metabolism-based inactivator of all three major nitric-oxide synthase (NOS) isoforms. The mechanism by which this inactivation occurs, however, is not well understood. In the current study, we discovered that inactivation of the neuronal isoform of NOS (nNOS) by NAA in vitro results in covalent alteration of the heme prosthetic group, in part, to products that contain an intact porphyrin ring and are either dissociable from or irreversibly bound to the protein. The alteration of the heme is concomitant with the loss of nNOS activity. Studies with nNOS containing a 14C-labeled prosthetic heme moiety indicate that the major dissociable product and the irreversibly bound heme adduct account for 21 and 28%, respectively, of the heme that is altered. Mass spectral analysis of the major dissociable product gave a molecular ion of m/z 775.3 that is consistent with the mass of an adduct of heme and NAA minus a hydrazine group. Peptide mapping of the irreversibly bound heme adduct indicates that the heme is bound to a residue in the oxygenase domain of nNOS. We show for the first time that metabolism-based inactivation of nNOS occurs in vivo as highly similar heme products are formed. Because inactivation and alteration may trigger ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of nNOS, NAA may be a useful biochemical tool for the study of these basic regulatory processes.

Native CYP2C11: heterologous expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals a role for vacuolar proteases rather than the proteasome system in the degradation of this endoplasmic reticulum protein

Cytochromes P450 (P450s) are hemoprotein enzymes committed to the metabolism of chemically diverse endo- and xenobiotics. They are anchored to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane with the bulk of their catalytic domain exposed to the cytosol, and thus they constitute excellent examples of integral monotopic ER proteins. Physiologically they are known to turn over asynchronously, but the determinants that trigger their proteolytic disposal and the pathways for such cellular disposal are not well defined. We recently showed that CYP3A4, the dominant human liver drug-metabolizing enzyme, and its rat liver orthologs undergo ubiquitin-dependent 26S proteasomal degradation not only after suicide inactivation, but also when CYP3A4 is expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, presumably in its "native" form. The latter findings, obtained by the use of strains either with compromised proteasomal degradation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR) or deficient in ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (Ubc; UBC), revealed that this native monotopic P450 enzyme, in common with the polytopic HMGR, required the function of certain HRD (HMGR degradation) and UBC genes. In this study, we examined the degradation of CYP2C11, a male rat liver-specific P450, by heterologous expression in S. cerevisiae under comparable conditions. We report that unlike CYP3A4 and HMGR, the degradation of CYP2C11 in S. cerevisiae is independent of either HRD or UBC gene function, but it is largely dependent on vacuolar (lysosomal) proteolysis. These findings with two monotopic ER hemoproteins, CYP2C11 and CYP3A4, and the polytopic ER protein HMGR attest to the remarkable mechanistic diversity of cellular proteolytic disposal of ER proteins.

Ethanol withdrawal induced CYP2E1 degradation in vivo, blocked by proteasomal inhibitor PS-341

The aim of this study was to characterize CYP2E1 degradation in vivo using PS-341, a potent proteasome inhibitor. Previously, only in vitro evidence showed that CYP2E1 induced by ethanol is degraded by the proteasome. Male Wistar rats were given ethanol intragastrically for 30 d. Ethanol was withdrawn at the same time that PS-341 was injected, 24 h before the rats were sacrificed. The liver proteasomal chymotrypsin-like activity (ChT-L) in rats fed ethanol was inhibited. After ethanol withdrawal, the proteasomal ChT-L activity returned to control levels. In the ethanol-withdrawn rats injected with PS-341, the ChT-L activity was significantly inhibited before withdrawal (p <.001). Ethanol treatment induced a 3-fold increase in CYP2E1 levels determined by Western blot. When ethanol was withdrawn, CYP2E1 decreased to control levels. In ethanol-withdrawn rats injected with PS-341, CYP2E1 remained at the induced level. These results show, for the first time, that the proteasome is responsible for ethanol-induced CYP2E1 degradation in vivo.

Effects of Single and Repeated Treatment with Itraconazole on the Pharmacokinetics of Midazolam in Rats

To estimate the influence of repeated administration of drug metabolism inhibitors on the extent of drug interaction, we investigated the effects of single intravenous or repeated oral administration of itraconazole on the pharmacokinetics of midazolam in rats. In the single administration study, the plasma concentration of itraconazole was maintained by intravenous infusion, and midazolam was administered into the portal vein to investigate its kinetics. In the repeated administration study, the kinetics of midazolam was investigated after seven-day oral treatment with itraconazole. The in vitro metabolism of midazolam and the contents of cytochrome P450 were investigated using liver microsomes from the itraconazole-treated rats. The area under the curve (AUC) of midazolam was increased by 1.45- or 1.44-fold after single or repeated itraconazole treatment, respectively. Meanwhile, the liver concentrations of itraconazole after single administration and repeated administration were 38.2 and 20.3 (nmol/g), respectively. In vitro maximum metabolic reaction velocity (V(max)) and Michaelis-Menten constant (K(m)) of midazolam were increased from 2.26 to 3.84 (nmol/min/mg protein) and from 8.28 to 13.0 (microM) by single itraconazole treatment, respectively, and decreased from 2.23 to 1.17 (nmol/min/mg protein) and from 7.86 to 4.47 (microM) by repeated treatment, respectively. Correspondingly, the content of CYP3A2 was significantly altered by single or repeated itraconazole administration. The increases in AUC could be predicted only when the changes in V(max) and K(m) were taken into consideration, in addition to the hepatic unbound concentration of itraconazole. In conclusion, changes in enzyme kinetics should be taken into account to predict the extent of drug interaction after repeated treatment with inhibitors.

Ubiquitin-dependent 26S proteasomal pathway: a role in the degradation of native human liver CYP3A4 expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae?

Cytochrome P450, CYP3A4, is the dominant human liver endoplasmic reticulum (ER) hemoprotein enzyme, responsible for the metabolism of over 60% of clinically relevant drugs. We have previously shown that mechanism-based suicide inactivation of CYP3A4 and its rat liver ER orthologs, CYPs 3A, via heme-modification of their protein moieties, results in their ubiquitin (Ub)-dependent 26S proteasomal degradation (Korsmeyer et al. (1999) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 365, 31; Wang et al. (1999) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 365, 45). This is not surprising given that the heme-modified CYP3A proteins are structurally damaged. To determine whether the turnover of the native enzyme similarly recruited this pathway, we heterologously expressed this protein in wild-type Saccharomyces cerevisiae and mutant strains (hrd1Delta, hrd2-1, and hrd3Delta) previously shown to be deficient in the Ub-dependent 26S proteasomal degradation of the polytopic ER protein 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (isoform Hmg2p), the rate-limiting enzyme in sterol biosynthesis, as well as in strains deficient in ER-associated Ub-conjugating enzymes, Ubc6p and/or Ubc7p (Hampton et al. (1996) Mol. Biol. Cell 7, 2029; Hampton and Bhakta (1997) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94, 12,944). Our findings reveal that in common with the degradation of Hmg2p, that of native CYP3A4 also requires Hrd2p (a subunit of the 19S cap complex of the 26S proteasome) and Ubc7p, and to a much lesser extent Hrd3p, a component of the ER-associated Ub-ligase complex. In contrast to Hmg2p-degradation, that of native CYP3A4 does not appear to absolutely require Hrd1p, another component of the ER-associated Ub-ligase complex. Furthermore, studies in a S. cerevisiae pep4Delta strain proven to be deficient in the vacuolar degradation of carboxypeptidase Y indicated that CYP3A4 degradation is also largely independent of vacuolar (lysosomal) proteolytic function. The degradation of two other native ER proteins, Sec61p and Sec63p, normal components of the ER translocon, were also examined in parallel and found to be stabilized to some extent in HRD2- and UBC7-deficient strains. Together these findings attest to the remarkable mechanistic diversity in the normal degradation of ER proteins.

CYP2E1 degradation by in vitro reconstituted systems: role of the molecular chaperone hsp90

One major mode of regulation of cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) is at the posttranscriptional level, since many low-molecular-weight compounds stabilize the enzyme against proteolysis by the proteasome complex. In an in vitro system containing human liver microsomes, degradation of CYP2E1 in the microsomes required addition of the human liver cytosol fraction in a reaction sensitive to inhibitors of the proteasome complex. It is not clear how CYP2E1 in the microsomal membrane becomes accessible to the cytosolic proteasome. Since molecular chaperones play a role in protein folding and degradation, the possible role of heat shock proteins in CYP2E1 degradation by this reconstituted system was evaluated. Degradation of CYP2E1 required ATP; ATP-gammaS, a nonhydrolyzable analogue of ATP, did not catalyze CYP2E1 degradation by the cytosol fraction, indicating that ATP hydrolysis is required. Geldanamycin, a specific inhibitor of hsp90, inhibited the degradation of microsomal CYP2E1 by the cytosol fraction. Control experiments indicated that geldanamycin was not a substrate/ligand of CYP2E1 nor did it prevent microsomal lipid peroxidation, a process which increases CYP2E1 turnover. Inhibition by geldanamycin was prevented by molybdate. Both of these compounds have been shown to promote alterations in hsp90 structure and to modulate hsp90-protein interactions. The proteasome activity in the cytosol, as assayed by the cleavage of a fluorogenic peptide, was enhanced when ATP was added and inhibited by 30-40% by geldanamycin, effects that are similar, although less pronounced, to the degradation of CYP2E1 by the cytosol. Purified 20S proteasome could catalyze degradation of CYP2E1; however, in an assay using equal peptidase activity, the cytosol fraction was much more effective than the 20S proteasome in promoting CYP2E1 degradation. Immunodepletion of hsp90 from the cytosol resulted in prevention of the degradation of CYP2E1, a reaction that was reversed by the addition of pure hsp90 to this cytosol. These results suggest that in addition to the proteasome, the cytosol fraction contains other factors that modulate the efficiency of CYP2E1 degradation. The sensitivity to geldanamycin and molybdate and the immunodepletion experiments suggest that hsp90 is one of these factors that interact with CYP2E1 and/or with the proteasome to promote the degradation of this microsomal P450.

Ubiquitination of neuronal nitric-oxide synthase in vitro and in vivo

It is established that suicide inactivation of neuronal nitric-oxide synthase (nNOS) with guanidine compounds, or inhibition of the hsp90-based chaperone system with geldanamycin, leads to the enhanced proteolytic degradation of nNOS. This regulated proteolysis is mediated, in part, by the proteasome. We show here with the use of human embryonic kidney 293 cells transfected with nNOS that inhibition of the proteasome with lactacystin leads to the accumulation of immunodetectable higher molecular mass forms of nNOS. Some of these higher molecular mass forms were immunoprecipitated by an anti-ubiquitin antibody, indicating that they are nNOS-polyubiquitin conjugates. Moreover, the predominant nNOS-ubiquitin conjugate detected in human embryonic kidney 293 cells, as well as in rat brain cytosol, migrates on SDS-polyacrylamide gels with a mobility near that for the native monomer of nNOS and likely represents a conjugate containing a few or perhaps one ubiquitin. Studies in vitro with the use of (125)I-ubiquitin and reticulocyte extracts could mimic this ubiquitination reaction, which was dependent on ATP. The heme-deficient monomeric form of nNOS is preferentially ubiquitinated over that of the heme-sufficient functionally active homodimer. Thus, we have shown for the first time that ubiquitination of nNOS occurs and is likely involved in the regulated proteolytic removal of non-functional enzyme.