The transfer of cholesterol and hydroxycholesterol derivatives from liposome to soluble cytochrome P-450 scc

Binding domain-driven intracellular trafficking of sterols for synthesis of steroid hormones, bile acids and oxysterols

Steroid hormones, bioactive oxysterols and bile acids are all derived from the biological metabolism of lipid cholesterol. The enzymatic pathways generating these compounds have been an area of intense research for almost a century, as cholesterol and its metabolites have substantial impacts on human health. Owing to its high degree of hydrophobicity and the chemical properties that it confers to biological membranes, the distribution of cholesterol in cells is tightly controlled, with subcellular organelles exhibiting highly divergent levels of cholesterol. The manners in which cells maintain such sterol distributions are of great interest in the study of steroid and bile acid synthesis, as limiting cholesterol substrate to the enzymatic pathways is the principal mechanism by which production of steroids and bile acids is regulated. The mechanisms by which cholesterol moves within cells, however, remain poorly understood. In this review, we examine the subcellular machinery involved in cholesterol metabolism to steroid hormones and bile acid, relating it to both lipid- and protein-based mechanisms facilitating intracellular and intraorganellar cholesterol movement and delivery to these pathways. In particular, we examine evidence for the involvement of specific protein domains involved in cholesterol binding, which impact cholesterol movement and metabolism in steroidogenesis and bile acid synthesis. A better understanding of the physical mechanisms by which these protein- and lipid-based systems function is of fundamental importance to understanding physiological homeostasis and its perturbation.

Biological effects of oxysterols: current status

A review of relevant literature on biological activities of oxysterols (OS) and cholesterol is presented. The data clearly demonstrate manifold biological activities, often detrimental, for OS compared with little or no such activity of a deleterious nature for cholesterol itself. Cholesterol is perhaps the single most important compound in animal tissue and, as such, it is difficult to imagine it as a toxin or hazard. In contrast, OS exhibit cytotoxicity to a wide variety of cells leading to angiotoxic and atherogenic effects; alter vascular permeability to albumin; alter prostaglandin synthesis and stimulate platelet aggregation, an important process facilitating atherosclerosis and thrombosis; alter the functionality of low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors, possibly stimulating hypercholesterolaemia; modify cholesteryl ester accumulation in various cells, inducing foam cell formation; and enrich the LDL particle in cholesteryl esters, possibly increasing its atherogenicity. Furthermore, OS are mutagenic and carcinogenic, although some have been studied as antitumour agents based on their cytotoxic properties. Moreover, numerous studies have implicated OS in membrane and enzyme alterations that are interrelated with many of the foregoing effects. The authors find that OS deserve much more attention than cholesterol itself in terms of research activity but that unfortunately the reverse is true with regard to funding.

Effect of 7 beta-hydroxycholesterol on astrocyte primary cultures and derived spontaneously transformed cell lines: cytotoxicity and metabolism

The lethal effect of 7 beta-hydroxycholesterol (7 beta-OHC) on neonatal rat astrocyte primary cultures and spontaneously transformed cell lines derived from them was investigated. Confluent astrocyte primary cultures were not affected by 30 microM 7 beta-OHC over a period of 72 h. In contrast, spontaneously transformed cells were killed by 20 microM 7 beta-OHC within the first 48 h. Further studies indicated that the cell lines metabolized 7 beta-OHC to a product the polarity of which was less than that of 7 beta-OHC. The metabolite was identified as 7 beta-OHC esterified on C-3 by naturally occurring fatty acids. Incubation of the cell lines with 0.5 microM metabolite markedly affected the cells within 24 h. These observations suggest that the 7 beta-OHC metabolite is implicated in the mechanism of action of 7 beta-OHC cytotoxicity on spontaneously transformed cells.

Cholesterol autoxidation 1981-1986

Literature published between 1980 and 1986 dealing broadly with the topic of cholesterol autoxidation is reviewed. The review builds on the detailed 1981 monographic treatment of the topic by the author and covers new items of chemistry, analysis, and metabolism.

Rapid spectral scan and stopped-flow studies of carbon monoxide binding to bovine adrenocortical cytochrome P-450scc

Carbon monoxide binding with both cholesterol-free (low-spin) and cholesterol-bound (high-spin) reduced forms of purified cytochrome P-450scc has been investigated by rapid-scan and stopped-flow spectrometry. CO binding occurs within 150 ms at 25 degrees C for both forms of P-450scc, with a typical absorption maximum at 450 nm. Isosbestic points occur at the following wavelengths: between reduced-CO and reduced cholesterol-free P-450scc at 434 and 471 nm; between reduced-CO and reduced cholesterol-bound P-450scc at 433 and 469 nm. Both the 'on' (k1) and 'off' rate constants (k-1) are found to be independent of pH between pH 5 and 9. The mean values of k1 for cholesterol-free (1.8 +/- 0.2) X 10(5) M-1 X s-1) and cholesterol-bound [1.9 +/- 0.1) X 10(5) M-1 X s-1) P-450scc are almost identical, while the mean value of k-1 for the former [2.3 +/- 0.3) X 10 s-1) is about double that of the latter [1.2 +/- 0.1) X 10 s-1). This suggests the instability of the reduced-CO complex in the absence of cholesterol.

Transduction of ACTH signal from plasma membrane to mitochondria in adrenocortical steroidogenesis. Effects of peptide, phospholipid, and calcium

The conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone by adrenocortical mitochondria is the rate-limiting step in steroidogenesis. This process is stimulated dramatically by the action of ACTH through the sequential reactions, in which adenyl cyclase, cAMP-dependent protein kinase, cholesterol esterase and ribosomal protein synthesis are all involved. The de novo synthesized protein, the so-called labile protein with a half-life of approx 10 min, is believed to stimulate the cholesterol side chain cleavage reaction by an unknown mechanism. Available evidence indicates that the electron on transfer reaction from NADPH to P-450scc is mediated rapidly by adrenodoxin reductase and p-450 scc. In addition, these redox components are inactivated slowly with a half-life of 3.5 days after hypophysectomy. It is known that the corticoid output from adrenocortical cells starts within 5 min and reaches the maximum after 10-15 min of ACTH administration to animals. One can assume that under normal physiological conditions, both O2 and NADPH are not limiting. Additionally, mitochondrial inner membranes are poor in cholesterol. In this context, the availability of substrate cholesterol to P450scc is the most likely candidate for the regulatory mechanism.

Importance of the unsaturated fatty acyl group of phospholipids in their stimulatory role on rat adrenal mitochondrial steroidogenesis

We have investigated the relationship between chemical properties of various phospholipids and their steroidogenic activity for adrenal mitochondria prepared from dexamethasone/cycloheximide-treated quiescent rats. Phospholipids studied include those purified from bovine and rat adrenal mitochondria, obtained from commercial sources, and reduced by catalytic hydrogenation. All phospholipids were subjected to analysis of their fatty acyl groups and examined for their steroidogenic activities. From these experiments, we came to the following conclusions: The degree of unsaturation in the fatty acyl moiety correlates with their steroidogenic activities regardless of head groups. Namely, polyunsaturation appears to be more important than monounsaturation with a relative insensitivity toward their head groups. Saturated phospholipids exhibit an inhibition for steroidogenic activity. Cardiolipins, which are steroidogenic, appear exceptional. Their head groups may partially participate in the activity in addition to their high content of unsaturated fatty acids. The importance of the adrenoyl (C22:4) group in phospholipids is suggested.

Liposomal cholesterol binding to steroid-free cytochrome P450scc: effects of fatty acyl and head groups in phospholipids

The effects of fatty acyl substituents and head groups of phospholipids on the liposomal cholesterol transfer to steroid-free cytochrome P450scc were examined as a model system for ACTH-enhanced availability of cholesterol to the cytochrome in the inner membrane of adrenal cortex mitochondria. It was implicated that using a variety of saturated and unsaturated phospholipids fatty acyl groups play an important role in the transfer reaction.

Chemical modification of adrenocortical cytochrome P-450scc with tetranitromethane

Selective chemical modification of adrenocortical cytochrome P-450scc, responsible for key stages of steroid biogenesis, with tetranitromethane has been carried out. Nitration of the cytochrome P-450scc tyrosine residues results in heme protein inactivation with syncatalytic loss of enzyme activity. Analysis of the cytochrome P-450scc inactivation kinetics indicates that there are several pools of tyrosine residues, differing in their accessibility to tetranitromethane. The modification of cytochrome P-450scc results in changes in the hemeprotein spectral properties and its conformation which indicates to the involvement of essential tyrosine residue(s) in the heme-protein interaction. Cholesterol and adrenodoxin (high-spin effectors) prevent the inactivation of cytochrome P-450scc with tetranitromethane, i.e., protect the essential tyrosine residue(s) from modification. Possible functions of the tyrosine residues in the cytochrome P-450scc molecule are discussed.

Temperature effects on optical absorption and circular dichroism of cytochrome P-450scc from bovine adrenocortical mitochondria

Temperature-dependent spin changes of the heme iron atom on cytochrome P-450scc were studied by optical absorption and circular dichroism measurements. The optical absorption and circular dichroism spectra of cholesterol-free cytochrome P-450scc did not change between 10 and 26 degrees C. In contrast, the absorbance at 390 nm and the ellipticity at 330 nm of cholesterol-bound cytochrome P-450scc decreased upon temperature elevation, and the absorbance at 424 nm correspondingly increased. These spectral changes were reversible in respect of temperature. The far-ultraviolet circular dichroism spectra of both cholesterol-bound and -free cytochrome P-450scc were not affected by temperature. In addition, bound cholesterol molecule is not released from the cytochrome molecule by increasing temperature. From these results, we propose that temperature modulates specific interactions between the heme protein and bound cholesterol rather than the gross secondary structural changes of the protein.

Thermodynamic properties of the cholesterol transfer reaction from liposomes to cytochrome P450scc: an enthalpy-entropy compensation effect

We have investigated the thermodynamic properties of the cholesterol transfer reaction from various types of liposomes to purified steroid-free cytochrome P450scc. From the results of temperature effect on the reaction, we obtained delta G+, delta H+, and delta S+ values for the reaction with various phosphatidylcholine vesicles containing different fatty acyl chains. The plots of delta H+ against delta S+, and delta G+ against delta H+ both reveal that an enthalpy-entropy compensation effect was seen in a series of phospholipid and micellar media of cholesterol. Our beta-value of 420 degrees K is unusually high among reported values for biochemical reactions.

Cholesterol metabolism in the adrenal cortex

Adrenal cortical mitochondria contain a mixed function oxidase capable of converting cholesterol to pregnenolone; this enzyme requires NADPH, oxygen and cholesterol. This cholesterol side chain cleavage enzyme system contains a Flavoprotein, an iron sulphur protein and a specific cytochrome P450 termed cytochrome P450scc. ACTH stimulates the adrenal cortex by activating adenyl cyclase producing an elevated intracellular concentration of cAMP. This in turn increases the activity of a cytosolic cAMP dependent protein kinase. Adrenal cortical cytosol contains a cholesterol ester hydrolase which is activated by ATP and a protein kinase. This enzyme may be deactivated by a phosphoprotein phosphatase. The adrenal cortex contains lipid droplets that are rich in esterified cholesterol. Cholesterol ester hydrolase can release free cholesterol from the lipid droplets. The free cholesterol released may be used to supplement the mitochondrial cholesterol as a pregnenolone precursor. Steroid hormone production by the adrenal cortex exhibits a diurnal rhythm and correlates with the activity of the cytosolic cholesterol ester hydrolase. The acute steroidogenic response to ACTH may be in part attributed to the availability of free cholesterol to the mitochondrial cholesterol side chain cleavage enzyme complex. The intracellular movement of free cholesterol from lipid droplets to mitochondrial inner membranes may be impeded by protein synthesis inhibitors such as cycloheximide. The precise mechanism of this block in steroidogenesis remains to be elucidated. Various drugs and oestrogenic hormones suppress the plasma and adrenal cholesterol concentrations. If adrenal cells are deficient in cholesterol, these cells exhibit a diminished response to ACTH. The response to this hormone can be corrected by supplying cholesterol via exogenous plasma lipoproteins. The route that free cholesterol follows within the adrenal cortical cell and the physiological factors influencing free cholesterol movement in such cells are important issues to be explored in future.