Deoxyribose 5-phosphate aldolase: an enzyme that peaks in the G2 phase of rat hepatoma cells

DERA is the human deoxyribose phosphate aldolase and is involved in stress response

Deoxyribose-phosphate aldolase (EC 4.1.2.4), which converts 2-deoxy-d-ribose-5-phosphate into glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and acetaldehyde, belongs to the core metabolism of living organisms. It was previously shown that human cells harbor deoxyribose phosphate aldolase activity but the protein responsible of this activity has never been formally identified. This study provides the first experimental evidence that DERA, which is mainly expressed in lung, liver and colon, is the human deoxyribose phosphate aldolase. Among human cell lines, the highest DERA mRNA level and deoxyribose phosphate aldolase activity were observed in liver-derived Huh-7 cells. DERA was shown to interact with the known stress granule component YBX1 and to be recruited to stress granules after oxidative or mitochondrial stress. In addition, cells in which DERA expression was down-regulated using shRNA formed fewer stress granules and were more prone to apoptosis after clotrimazole stress, suggesting the importance of DERA for stress granule formation. Furthermore, the expression of DERA was shown to permit cells in which mitochondrial ATP production was abolished to make use of extracellular deoxyinosine to maintain ATP levels. This study unraveled a previously undescribed pathway which may allow cells with high deoxyribose-phosphate aldolase activity, such as liver cells, to minimize or delay stress-induced damage by producing energy through deoxynucleoside degradation.

Pentose phosphates in nucleoside interconversion and catabolism

Ribose phosphates are either synthesized through the oxidative branch of the pentose phosphate pathway, or are supplied by nucleoside phosphorylases. The two main pentose phosphates, ribose-5-phosphate and ribose-1-phosphate, are readily interconverted by the action of phosphopentomutase. Ribose-5-phosphate is the direct precursor of 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate, for both de novo and 'salvage' synthesis of nucleotides. Phosphorolysis of deoxyribonucleosides is the main source of deoxyribose phosphates, which are interconvertible, through the action of phosphopentomutase. The pentose moiety of all nucleosides can serve as a carbon and energy source. During the past decade, extensive advances have been made in elucidating the pathways by which the pentose phosphates, arising from nucleoside phosphorolysis, are either recycled, without opening of their furanosidic ring, or catabolized as a carbon and energy source. We review herein the experimental knowledge on the molecular mechanisms by which (a) ribose-1-phosphate, produced by purine nucleoside phosphorylase acting catabolically, is either anabolized for pyrimidine salvage and 5-fluorouracil activation, with uridine phosphorylase acting anabolically, or recycled for nucleoside and base interconversion; (b) the nucleosides can be regarded, both in bacteria and in eukaryotic cells, as carriers of sugars, that are made available though the action of nucleoside phosphorylases. In bacteria, catabolism of nucleosides, when suitable carbon and energy sources are not available, is accomplished by a battery of nucleoside transporters and of inducible catabolic enzymes for purine and pyrimidine nucleosides and for pentose phosphates. In eukaryotic cells, the modulation of pentose phosphate production by nucleoside catabolism seems to be affected by developmental and physiological factors on enzyme levels.

Evidence for a trans-dominant regulator of purine nucleoside phosphorylase expression in rat hepatoma cells

Purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) levels are modulated during the growth cycle of rat hepatoma cells and increase two- to three-fold as cells go from early exponential growth phase to stationary growth phase. A mutant of these hepatoma cells has been isolated which is deficient in PNP activity. Quantitative immunoprecipitation tests indicate that the decrease in enzyme activity is due to a decrease in the number of PNP molecules. The low level of PNP enzyme produced by the mutant, however, is indistinguishable from the wild-type enzyme, suggesting that the mutant may be defective in the ability to modulate PNP levels. Fusion of the mutant cells to wild-type parental cells results in hybrids that express the mutant phenotype. Segregants that arise from the hybrids show chromosome loss and reexpression of the wild-type parental phenotype, the mutant parental phenotype, and a 2S wild-type phenotype. These indicate the following about the defect in modulation in the mutant PNP-100: (1) it is trans dominant to the wild-type; (2) its effect is negative; (3) some genomic element is required for its continued effect; and (4) it does not act by obliterating its functioning counterpart in hybrid cells.

Deoxyribose-5-phosphate aldolase deficiency--a harmless inborn error of metabolism

Evidence is presented that a deficiency of 2-deoxyribose-5-phosphate aldolase was present in a previously described patient who excreted metabolites of 2-deoxyribose in his urine. Minor clinical abnormalities present did not appear related to this disorder.

Altered expression of ribokinase activity in Novikoff hepatoma variants

Ribokinase, the first enzyme in ribose catabolism, is altered in its expression in ribose-utilizing Novikoff hepatoma variants. 90% of the variants selected for their ability to use D-ribose as a sole carbon source show a change in ribokinase activity. After non-selective growth, phenotypically unstable variants lose their altered expression and regain a parental form of expression of this enzyme. In the variants, ribokinase expression in non-inducible by the carbon source and is unaffected by the growth phase of the cells. However, ribokinase expression in both parental cells and variants is cell cycle-dependent. Parental Novikoff hepatoma cells have three peaks of ribokinase activity during the S, G2 and M phases. Variants are described which have high basal levels of ribokinase and only a single peak of enzymatic activity during the S phase. In addition to changes in the level of ribokinase, changes in the subcellular localization of the enzyme have been found in some variants. While the change in the level of ribokinase seems to be a property of the variant isolated, the change in subcellular location of ribokinase can be readily achieved by culture conditions.

Isolation of deoxycoformycin-resistant cells with increased levels of adenosine deaminase

Deoxycoformycin (dCF) is a specific inhibitor of adenosine deaminase (ADA). Rat hepatoma cells deficient in adenosine kinase and growing on adenosine as the sole carbon source are sensitive to the lethal action of dCF. Mutants resistant to dCF arise spontaneously with a frequency of 1.7 x 10(-6). This frequency is increased to 2.6 x 10(-5) by prior mutagenesis with ethyl methane sulfonate. Initially, dCF-resistant cell lines have 3-10 times the level of adenosine deaminase when compared to sensitive parental cells. Subsequent selection of mutants resistant to increased concentrations of dCF results in cells with a 15- to 30-fold increase in ADA levels. Quantitative immunoprecipitation tests indicate that the increase in enzyme activity in one line tested is due to an increase in the number of ADA molecules. These dCF' cell lines may serve as a model system to study the human disease state, hereditary hemolytic anemia, which is associated with increased levels of ADA.