Biosynthesis and isomerization of 11-hydroperoxylinoleates by manganese- and iron-dependent lipoxygenases

Iron and manganese lipoxygenases of plant pathogenic fungi and their role in biosynthesis of jasmonates

Lipoxygenases (LOX) contain catalytic iron (FeLOX), but fungi also produce LOX with catalytic manganese (MnLOX). In this review, the 3D structures and properties of fungal LOX are compared and contrasted along with their associations with pathogenicity. The 3D structures and properties of two MnLOX (Magnaporthe oryzae, Geaumannomyces graminis) and the catalysis of five additional MnLOX have provided information on the metal center, substrate binding, oxygenation, tentative O₂ channels, and biosynthesis of exclusive hydroperoxides. In addition, the genomes of other plant pathogens also code for putative MnLOX. Crystals of the 13S-FeLOX of Fusarium graminearum revealed an unusual altered geometry of the Fe ligands between mono- and dimeric structures, influenced by a wrapping sequence extension near the C-terminal of the dimers. In plants, the enzymes involved in jasmonate synthesis are well documented whereas the fungal pathway is yet to be fully elucidated. Conversion of deuterium-labeled 18:3n-3, 18:2n-6, and their 13S-hydroperoxides to jasmonates established 13S-FeLOX of F. oxysporum in the biosynthesis, while subsequent enzymes lacked sequence homologues in plants. The Rice-blast (M. oryzae) and the Take-all (G. graminis) fungi secrete MnLOX to support infection, invasive hyphal growth, and cell membrane oxidation, contributing to their devastating impact on world production of rice and wheat.

Crystal structure of linoleate 13R-manganese lipoxygenase in complex with an adhesion protein

The crystal structure of 13R-manganese lipoxygenase (MnLOX) of Gaeumannomyces graminis (Gg) in complex with zonadhesin of Pichia pastoris was solved by molecular replacement. Zonadhesin contains β-strands in two subdomains. A comparison of Gg-MnLOX with the 9S-MnLOX of Magnaporthe oryzae (Mo) shows that the protein fold and the geometry of the metal ligands are conserved. The U-shaped active sites differ mainly due to hydrophobic residues of the substrate channel. The volumes and two hydrophobic side pockets near the catalytic base may sanction oxygenation at C-13 and C-9, respectively. Gly-332 of Gg-MnLOX is positioned in the substrate channel between the entrance and the metal center. Replacements with larger residues could restrict oxygen and substrate to reach the active site. C18 fatty acids are likely positioned with C-11 between Mn(2+)OH2 and Leu-336 for hydrogen abstraction and with one side of the 12Z double bond shielded by Phe-337 to prevent antarafacial oxygenation at C-13 and C-11. Phe-347 is positioned at the end of the substrate channel and replacement with smaller residues can position C18 fatty acids for oxygenation at C-9. Gg-MnLOX does not catalyze the sequential lipoxygenation of n-3 fatty acids in contrast to Mo-MnLOX, which illustrates the different configurations of their substrate channels.

Crystal Structure of Manganese Lipoxygenase of the Rice Blast Fungus Magnaporthe oryzae

Lipoxygenases (LOX) are non-heme metal enzymes, which oxidize polyunsaturated fatty acids to hydroperoxides. All LOX belong to the same gene family, and they are widely distributed. LOX of animals, plants, and prokaryotes contain iron as the catalytic metal, whereas fungi express LOX with iron or with manganese. Little is known about metal selection by LOX and the adjustment of the redox potentials of their protein-bound catalytic metals. Thirteen three-dimensional structures of animal, plant, and prokaryotic FeLOX are available, but none of MnLOX. The MnLOX of the most important plant pathogen, the rice blast fungusMagnaporthe oryzae(Mo), was expressed inPichia pastoris.Mo-MnLOX was deglycosylated, purified to homogeneity, and subjected to crystal screening and x-ray diffraction. The structure was solved by sulfur and manganese single wavelength anomalous dispersion to a resolution of 2.0 Å. The manganese coordinating sphere is similar to iron ligands of coral 8R-LOX and soybean LOX-1 but is not overlapping. The Asn-473 is positioned on a short loop (Asn-Gln-Gly-Glu-Pro) instead of an α-helix and forms hydrogen bonds with Gln-281. Comparison with FeLOX suggests that Phe-332 and Phe-525 might contribute to the unique suprafacial hydrogen abstraction and oxygenation mechanism of Mo-MnLOX by controlling oxygen access to the pentadiene radical. Modeling suggests that Arg-525 is positioned close to Arg-182 of 8R-LOX, and both residues likely tether the carboxylate group of the substrate. An oxygen channel could not be identified. We conclude that Mo-MnLOX illustrates a partly unique variation of the structural theme of FeLOX.

Kinetics of Bis-Allylic Hydroperoxide Synthesis in the Iron-Containing Lipoxygenase 2 from Cyanothece and the Effects of Manganese Substitution

Lipoxygenases (LOX) catalyze the regio- and stereospecific insertion of dioxygen into polyunsaturated fatty acids. While the catalytic metal of LOX is typically a non-heme iron, some fungal LOX contain manganese as catalytic metal (MnLOX). In general, LOX insert dioxygen at C9 or C13 of linoleic acid leading to the formation of conjugated hydroperoxides. MnLOX (EC 1.13.11.45), however, catalyze the oxygen insertion also at C11, resulting in bis-allylic hydroperoxides. Interestingly, the iron-containing CspLOX2 (EC 1.13.11.B6) from Cyanothece PCC8801 also produces bis-allylic hydroperoxides. What role the catalytic metal plays and how this unusual reaction is catalyzed by either MnLOX or CspLOX2 is not understood. Our findings suggest that only iron is the catalytically active metal in CspLOX2. The enzyme loses its catalytic activity almost completely when iron is substituted with manganese, suggesting that the catalytic metal is not interchangeable. Using kinetic and spectroscopic approaches, we further found that first a mixture of bis-allylic and conjugated hydroperoxy products is formed. This is followed by the isomerization of the bis-allylic product to conjugated products at a slower rate. These results suggest that MnLOX and CspLOX2 share a very similar reaction mechanism and that LOX with a Fe or Mn cofactor have the potential to form bis-allylic products. Therefore, steric factors are probably responsible for this unusual specificity. As CspLOX2 is the LOX with the highest proportion of the bis-allylic product known so far, it will be an ideal candidate for further structural analysis to understand the molecular basis of the formation of bis-allylic hydroperoxides.

Manganese lipoxygenase of F. oxysporum and the structural basis for biosynthesis of distinct 11-hydroperoxy stereoisomers

The biosynthesis of jasmonates in plants is initiated by 13S-lipoxygenase (LOX), but details of jasmonate biosynthesis by fungi, including Fusarium oxysporum, are unknown. The genome of F. oxysporum codes for linoleate 13S-LOX (FoxLOX) and for F. oxysporum manganese LOX (Fo-MnLOX), an uncharacterized homolog of 13R-MnLOX of Gaeumannomyces graminis. We expressed Fo-MnLOX and compared its properties to Cg-MnLOX from Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. Electron paramagnetic resonance and metal analysis showed that Fo-MnLOX contained catalytic Mn. Fo-MnLOX oxidized 18:2n-6 mainly to 11R-hydroperoxyoctadecadienoic acid (HPODE), 13S-HPODE, and 9(S/R)-HPODE, whereas Cg-MnLOX produced 9S-, 11S-, and 13R-HPODE with high stereoselectivity. The 11-hydroperoxides did not undergo the rapid β-fragmentation earlier observed with 13R-MnLOX. Oxidation of [11S-(2)H]18:2n-6 by Cg-MnLOX was accompanied by loss of deuterium and a large kinetic isotope effect (>30). The Fo-MnLOX-catalyzed oxidation occurred with retention of the (2)H-label. Fo-MnLOX also oxidized 1-lineoyl-2-hydroxy-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine. The predicted active site of all MnLOXs contains Phe except for Ser(348) in this position of Fo-MnLOX. The Ser348Phe mutant of Fo-MnLOX oxidized 18:2n-6 to the same major products as Cg-MnLOX. Our results suggest that Fo-MnLOX, with support of Ser(348), binds 18:2n-6 so that the proR rather than the proS hydrogen at C-11 interacts with the metal center, but retains the suprafacial oxygenation mechanism observed in other MnLOXs.

Demonstration of HNE-related aldehyde formation via lipoxygenase-catalyzed synthesis of a bis-allylic dihydroperoxide intermediate

One of the proposed pathways to the synthesis of 4-hydroxy-nonenal (HNE) and related aldehydes entails formation of an intermediate bis-allylic fatty acid dihydroperoxide. As a first direct demonstration of such a pathway and proof of principle, herein we show that 8R-lipoxygenase (8R-LOX) catalyzes the enzymatic production of the HNE-like product (11-oxo-8-hydroperoxy-undeca-5,9-dienoic acid) via synthesis of 8,11-dihydroperoxy-eicosa-5,9,12,14-tetraenoic acid intermediate. Incubation of arachidonic acid with 8R-LOX formed initially 8R-hydroperoxy-eicosatetraenoic acid (8R-HPETE), which was further converted to a mixture of products including a prominent HPNE-like enone. A new bis-allylic dihydroperoxide was trapped when the incubation was repeated on ice. Reincubation of this intermediate with 8R-LOX successfully demonstrated its conversion to the enone products, and this reaction was greatly accelerated by coincubation with NDGA, a reductant of the LOX iron. These findings identify a plausible mechanism that could contribute to the production of 4-hydroxy-alkenals in vivo.

Hexadecanoid pathway in plants: Lipoxygenase dioxygenation of (7Z,10Z,13Z)-hexadecatrienoic acid

7,10,13-Hexadecatrienoic acid (16:3) is abundant in many plant species. However, its metabolism through the lipoxygenase pathway is not sufficiently understood. The goal of present work was to investigate the oxygenation of 16:3 by different plant lipoxygenases and to study the occurrence of oxygenated derivatives of 16:3 in plant seedlings. The recombinant maize 9-lipoxygenase specifically converted 16:3 into (7S)-hydroperoxide. Identification of this novel oxylipin was substantiated by data of GC-MS, LC-MS/MS, 1H-NMR, and 2D-COSY as well as by deuterium labeling from [(2)H(6)]16:3. Soybean lipoxygenase 1 produced 91% (11S)-hydroperoxide and 6% racemic 14-hydroperoxide. Recombinant soybean lipoxygenase 2 (specifically oxidizing linoleate into 13-hydroperoxide) lacked any specificity towards 16:3. Lipoxygenase 2 produced 7-, 8-, 10-, 11-, 13-, and 14-hydroperoxides of 16:3, as well as a significant amount of bis-allylic 9-hydroperoxide. Seedlings of several examined plant species possessed free hydroxy derivatives of 16:3 (HHTs), as well as their ethyl esters. Interestingly, HHTs occur not only in "16:3 plants", but also in typical "18:3 plants" like pea and soybean seedlings.

A bisallylic mini-lipoxygenase from cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. that has an iron as cofactor

Lipoxygenases are enzymes that are found ubiquitously in higher animals and plants, but have only recently been identified in a number of bacteria. The genome of the diazotrophic unicellular cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. harbors two genes with homology to lipoxygenases. Here we describe the isolation of one gene, formerly named csplox2. It was cloned, and the protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. The purified enzyme belongs to the group of prokaryotic mini lipoxygenases, because it had a molecular mass of 65 kDa. Interestingly, it catalyzed the conversion of linoleic acid, the only endogenously found polyunsaturated fatty acid, primarily to the bisallylic hydroperoxide 11R-hydroperoxyoctadecadienoic acid. This product had previously only been described for the manganese lipoxygenase from the take all fungus, Gaeumannomyces graminis. By contrast, CspLOX2 was shown to be an iron lipoxygenase. In addition, CspLOX2 formed a mixture of typical conjugated lipoxygenase products, e.g. 9R- and 13S-hydroperoxide. The conversion of linoleic acid took place with a maximum reaction rate of 31 s(-1). Incubation of the enzyme with [(11S)-(2)H]linoleic acid led to the formation of hydroperoxides that had lost the deuterium label, thus suggesting that CspLOX2 catalyzes antarafacial oxygenation as opposed to the mechanism of manganese lipoxygenase. CspLOX2 could also oxidize diarachidonylglycerophosphatidylcholine with similar specificity as the free fatty acid, indicating that binding of the substrate takes place with a "tail-first" orientation. We conclude that CspLOX2 is a novel iron mini-lipoxygenase that catalyzes the formation of bisallylic hydroperoxide as the major product.

Characterizations of chloro and aqua Mn(II) mononuclear complexes with amino-pyridine ligands. Comparison of their electrochemical properties with those of Fe(II) counterparts

The solution behavior of mononuclear Mn(II) complexes, namely, [(L(5)(2))MnCl](+) (1), [(L(5)(3))MnCl](+) (2), [(L(5)(2))Mn(OH(2))](2+) (3), [(L(5)(3))Mn(OH(2))](2+) (4), and [(L(6)(2))Mn(OH(2))](2+) (6), with L(5)(2/3) and L(6)(2) being penta- and hexadentate amino-pyridine ligands, is investigated in MeCN using EPR, UV-vis spectroscopies, and electrochemistry. The addition of one chloride ion onto species 6 leads to the formation of the complex [(L(6)(2))MnCl](+) (5) that is X-ray characterized. EPR and UV-vis spectra indicate that structure and redox states of complexes 1-6 are maintained in MeCN solution. Chloro complexes 1, 2, and 5 show reversible Mn(II)/Mn(III) process at 0.95, 1.02, and 1.05 V vs SCE, respectively, whereas solvated complexes 3, 4, and 6 show an irreversible anodic peak around 1.5 V vs SCE. Electrochemical oxidations of 1 and 5 leading to the Mn(III) complexes [(L(5)(2))MnCl](2+) (7) and [(L(6)(2))MnCl](2+) (8) are successful. The UV-vis signatures of 7 and 8 show features associated with chloro to Mn(III) LMCT and d-d transitions. The X-ray characterization of the heptacoordinated Mn(III) species 8 is also reported. The analogous electrochemical generation of the corresponding Mn(III) complex was not possible when starting from 2. The new mixed-valence di-mu-oxo [(L(5)(2))Mn(muO)(2)Mn(L(5)(2))](3+) species (9) can be obtained from 3, whereas the sister [(L(5)(3))Mn(muO)(2)Mn(L(5)(3))](3+) species can not be generated from 4. Such different responses upon oxidations are commented on with the help of comparison with related Mn/Fe complexes and are discussed in relation with the size of the metallacycle formed between the diamino bridge and the metal center (5- vs 6-membered). Lastly, a comparison between redox potentials of the studied Mn(II) complexes with those of Fe(II) analogues is drawn and completed with previously reported data on Mn/Fe isostructural systems. This gives us the opportunity to get some indirect insights into the metal specificity encountered in enzymes among which superoxide dismutase is the archetypal model.

An update on products and mechanisms of lipid peroxidation

The free radical reaction of polyunsaturated fatty acids with molecular oxygen leads to hydroperoxides as the first stable products. From linoleic acid the two conjugated diene hydroperoxides at carbons 9 and 13 were considered the only primary products until the recent discovery of the bis-allylic 11-hydroperoxide. The 11-carbon is the site of the initial hydrogen abstraction, and the 11-hydroperoxide is formed without isomerization of the 9,10 and 12,13 cis double bonds. In the autoxidation reaction, bis-allylic hydroperoxides are obtained only in the presence of an efficient antioxidant, for example, alpha-tocopherol. The antioxidant functions as a hydrogen atom donor, necessary to trap the fleeting bis-allylic peroxyl radical intermediate as the hydroperoxide. Understanding of the mechanism of formation of bis-allylic hydroperoxides has led to increased appreciation of the central role of the intermediate peroxyl radical in determining the outcome of lipid peroxidation.

Factors influencing the rearrangement of bis-allylic hydroperoxides by manganese lipoxygenase

Manganese lipoxygenase (Mn-LOX) catalyzes the rearrangement of bis-allylic S-hydroperoxides to allylic R-hydroperoxides, but little is known about the reaction mechanism. 1-Linoleoyl-lysoglycerophosphatidylcholine was oxidized in analogy with 18:2n-6 at the bis-allylic carbon with rearrangement to C-13 at the end of lipoxygenation, suggesting a "tail-first" model. The rearrangement of bis-allylic hydroperoxides was influenced by double bond configuration and the chain length of fatty acids. The Gly316Ala mutant changed the position of lipoxygenation toward the carboxyl group of 20:2n-6 and 20:3n-3 and prevented the bis-allylic hydroperoxide of 20:3n-3 but not 20:2n-6 to interact with the catalytic metal. The oxidized form, Mn(III)-LOX, likely accepts an electron from the bis-allylic hydroperoxide anion with the formation of the peroxyl radical, but rearrangement of 11-hydroperoxyoctadecatrienoic acid by Mn-LOX was not reduced in D(2)O (pD 7.5), and aqueous Fe(3+) did not transfer 11S-hydroperoxy-9Z,12Z,15Z-octadecatrienoic acid to allylic hydroperoxides. Mutants in the vicinity of the catalytic metal, Asn466Leu and Ser469Ala, had little influence on bis-allylic hydroperoxide rearrangement. In conclusion, Mn-LOX transforms bis-allylic hydroperoxides to allylic by a reaction likely based on the positioning of the hydroperoxide close to Mn(3+) and electron transfer to the metal, with the formation of a bis-allylic peroxyl radical, beta-fragmentation, and oxygenation under steric control by the protein.

Payne rearrangement during analysis of epoxyalcohols of linoleic and α-linolenic acids by normal phase liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

Hydroperoxides of polyunsaturated fatty acids can be transformed to epoxyalcohols and keto fatty acids by metal enzymes, hematin, and various catalysts. In the current study, we used hematin to transform 9-hydroperoxy-10E,12Z-octadecadienoic acid and 13-hydroperoxy-9Z,11E-octadecadienoic acid to epoxyalcohols (with trans epoxide configuration) and to keto fatty acids. The products were separated by normal phase high-performance liquid chromatography (NP-HPLC) and analyzed using postcolumn addition of isopropanol/water and online negative ion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (MS). The tandem MS (MS/MS) spectra were studied using analogs prepared from [9,10,12,13-2H4]linoleic acid (18:2n-6) and from alpha-linolenic acid (18:3n-3). We also studied the MS/MS spectra of epoxyalcohols formed from 11-hydroperoxy- and 8-hydroperoxy-9Z,12Z-octadecadienoic acids. Results were confirmed by MS/MS analysis of a series of authentic standards. MS/MS ions of 9-keto-10E,12Z-octadecadienoic acid and 13-keto-9Z,11E-octadecadienoic acid could be explained by keto-enol tautomerism. MS/MS spectra of regioisomeric allylic epoxyalcohols differed in relative intensities of characteristic ions. The MS/MS spectra of the epoxyalcohols with 1-hydroxy-2,3-epoxy-4Z-pentene or 3-hydroxy-1,2-epoxy-4Z-pentene elements were virtually identical and showed two characteristic ions that differed by 30 in m/z values (CH(OH)). The results suggested that epoxide migration (Payne rearrangement) occurred during collision-induced dissociation. We conclude that regioisomeric allylic epoxyalcohols can be identified by their MS/MS spectra, whereas regioisomeric epoxyalcohols can be identified by MS/MS in combination with their retention times on NP-HPLC.

A G316A Mutation of Manganese Lipoxygenase Augments Hydroperoxide Isomerase Activity

Lipoxygenases with R stereospecificity have a conserved Gly residue, whereas (S)-lipoxygenases have an Ala residue. Site-directed mutagenesis has shown that these residues control position and S/R stereospecificity of oxygenation. Recombinant Mn-LO was expressed in Pichia pastoris, and its conserved Gly-316 residue was mutated to Ala, Ser, Val, and Thr. The G316A mutant was catalytically active. We compared the catalytic properties of Mn-LO and the G316A mutant with 17:3n-3, 18:2n-6, 18:3n-3, and 19:3n-3 as substrates. Increasing the fatty acid chain length from C17 to C19 shifted the oxygenation by Mn-LO from the n-6 toward the n-8 carbon. The G316A mutant increased the oxygenation at the n-8 carbon of 17:3n-3 and at the n-10 carbon of the C17 and C18 fatty acids (from 1-2% to 7-11%). The most striking effect of the G316A mutant was a 2-, 7-, and 15-fold increase in transformation of the n-6 hydroperoxides of 19:3n-3, 18:3n-3, and 17:3n-3, respectively, to keto fatty acids and epoxyalcohols. The n-3 double bond was essential. An experiment under an oxygen-18 atmosphere showed that both oxygen atoms were retained in the epoxyalcohols. (R)-Hydroperoxides at n-6 of C17:3, 18:3, and 19:3 were transformed 5 times faster than S stereoisomers. The G316A mutant converted (13R)-hydroperoxylinolenic acid to 13-ketolinolenic acid (with an apparent K(m) of 0.01 mm) and to epoxyalcohols (viz. erythro- and threo-11-hydroxy-(12R,13R)-epoxy-(9Z,15Z)-octadecadienoic acids and one of the corresponding cis-epoxides as major products). A reducing lipoxygenase inhibitor stimulated the hydroperoxide isomerase activity, whereas a suicide-type lipoxygenase inhibitor reduced this activity. The n-3 double bond also appeared to influence the anaerobic formation of epoxyalcohols by Mn-LO, since 18:2n-6 and 18:3n-3 yielded different profiles of epoxyalcohols. Our results suggest that the G316A mutant augmented the hydroperoxide isomerase activity by positioning the hydroperoxy group at the n-6 carbon of n-3 fatty acids closer to the reduced catalytic metal.

Expression of manganese lipoxygenase in Pichia pastoris and site-directed mutagenesis of putative metal ligands

Manganese lipoxygenase is secreted by the fungus Gaeumannomyces graminis. We expressed the enzyme in Pichia pastoris, which secreted approximately 30 mg Mn-lipoxygenase/L culture medium in fermentor. The recombinant lipoxygenase was N- and O-glycosylated (80-100 kDa), contained approximately 1 mol Mn/mol protein, and had similar kinetic properties (K(m) approximately 7.1 microM alpha-linolenic acid and V(max) 18 nmol/min/microg) as the native Mn-lipoxygenase. Mn-lipoxygenase could be quantitatively converted, presumably by secreted Pichia proteases, to a smaller protein (approximately 67 kDa) with retention of lipoxygenase activity (K(m) approximately 6.4 microM alpha-linolenic acid and V(max) approximately 12 nmol/min/microg). Putative manganese ligands were investigated by site-directed mutagenesis. The iron ligands of soybean lipoxygenase-1 are two His residues in the sequence HWLNTH, one His residue and a distant Asn residue in the sequence HAAVNFGQ, and the C-terminal Ile residue. The homologous sequences of Mn-lipoxygenase are H274VLFH278 and H462HVMN466QGS, respectively, and the C-terminal amino acid is Val-602. The His274Gln, His278Glu, His462Glu, and the Val-602 deletion mutants of Mn-lipoxygenase were inactive, and had lost >95% of the manganese content. His-463, Asn-466, and Gln-467 did not appear to be critical for Mn-lipoxygenase activity, as His463Gln, Asn466Gln, Asn466Leu, and Gln467Asn mutants metabolized alpha-linolenic acid to 11- and 13-hydroperoxylinolenic acids. We conclude that His-274, His-278, His-462, and Val-602 likely coordinate manganese.