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Nakamura T, Ito J, Mourão ASD, Wahida A, Nakagawa K, Mishima E, Conrad M. A tangible method to assess native ferroptosis suppressor activity. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2024; 4:100710. [PMID: 38401540 PMCID: PMC10985226 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2024.100710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Ferroptosis, a regulated cell death hallmarked by unrestrained lipid peroxidation, plays a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of various diseases, making it a promising therapeutic target. Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) prevents ferroptosis by reducing (phospho)lipid hydroperoxides, yet evaluation of its actual activity has remained arduous. Here, we present a tangible method using affinity-purified GPX4 to capture a snapshot of its native activity. Next to measuring GPX4 activity, this improved method allows for the investigation of mutational GPX4 activity, exemplified by the GPX4U46C mutant lacking selenocysteine at its active site, as well as the evaluation of GPX4 inhibitors, such as RSL3, as a showcase. Furthermore, we apply this method to the second ferroptosis guardian, ferroptosis suppressor protein 1, to validate the newly identified ferroptosis inhibitor WIN62577. Together, these methods open up opportunities for evaluating alternative ferroptosis suppression mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshitaka Nakamura
- Institute of Metabolism and Cell Death, Molecular Targets & Therapeutics Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Junya Ito
- Institute of Metabolism and Cell Death, Molecular Targets & Therapeutics Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Bavaria, Germany; Laboratory of Food Function Analysis, Tohoku University Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8572, Japan
| | - André Santos Dias Mourão
- Institute of Structural Biology, Molecular Targets & Therapeutics Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Adam Wahida
- Institute of Metabolism and Cell Death, Molecular Targets & Therapeutics Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Kiyotaka Nakagawa
- Laboratory of Food Function Analysis, Tohoku University Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8572, Japan
| | - Eikan Mishima
- Institute of Metabolism and Cell Death, Molecular Targets & Therapeutics Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Bavaria, Germany; Division of Nephrology, Rheumatology and Endocrinology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8574, Japan.
| | - Marcus Conrad
- Institute of Metabolism and Cell Death, Molecular Targets & Therapeutics Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Bavaria, Germany.
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2
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Wright DE, O’Donoghue P. Biosynthesis, Engineering, and Delivery of Selenoproteins. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:223. [PMID: 38203392 PMCID: PMC10778597 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Selenocysteine (Sec) was discovered as the 21st genetically encoded amino acid. In nature, site-directed incorporation of Sec into proteins requires specialized biosynthesis and recoding machinery that evolved distinctly in bacteria compared to archaea and eukaryotes. Many organisms, including higher plants and most fungi, lack the Sec-decoding trait. We review the discovery of Sec and its role in redox enzymes that are essential to human health and important targets in disease. We highlight recent genetic code expansion efforts to engineer site-directed incorporation of Sec in bacteria and yeast. We also review methods to produce selenoproteins with 21 or more amino acids and approaches to delivering recombinant selenoproteins to mammalian cells as new applications for selenoproteins in synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E. Wright
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada;
| | - Patrick O’Donoghue
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada;
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
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3
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Cheff DM, Skröder H, Akhtar E, Cheng Q, Hall MD, Raqib R, Kippler M, Vahter M, Arnér ES. Arsenic exposure and increased C-reactive protein are independently associated with lower erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity in Bangladeshi children. REDOX BIOCHEMISTRY AND CHEMISTRY 2023; 5-6:100015. [PMID: 37908807 PMCID: PMC10613583 DOI: 10.1016/j.rbc.2023.100015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Toxic metal contaminants present in food and water have widespread effects on health and disease. Chalcophiles, such as arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, show a high affinity to selenium and exposure to these metals could have a modulating effect on enzymes dependent on selenocysteine in their active sites. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of these metals on the activity of the selenoprotein glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1) in erythrocytes of 100 children residing in rural Bangladesh, where drinking water often contains arsenic. GPX1 expression, as measured using high-throughput immunoblotting, showed little correlation with GPX activity (rs = 0.02, p = 0.87) in blood samples. Toxic metals and selenium measured in erythrocytes using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and C-reactive protein (CRP) measured in plasma, were all considered as effectors of this divergence in GPX enzymatic activity. Arsenic concentrations in erythrocytes were most influential for GPX1 activity (rs = -0.395, p < 0.0001), and CRP levels also negatively impacted GPX1 activity (rs = -0.443, p < 0.0001). These effects appear independent of each other as arsenic concentrations and CRP showed no correlation (rs = 0.124, p = 0.2204). Erythrocyte selenium, cadmium, and mercury did not show any correlation with GPX1 activity, nor with CRP or arsenic. Our findings suggest that childhood exposure to inorganic arsenic, as well as inflammation triggering the release of CRP, may negatively affect GPX1 activity in erythrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorian M. Cheff
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
- Early Translation Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, United States
| | - Helena Skröder
- Unit of Metals and Health, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Box 210, SE, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Evana Akhtar
- International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, GPO Box 128, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Qing Cheng
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Matthew D. Hall
- Early Translation Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, United States
| | - Rubhana Raqib
- International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, GPO Box 128, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Maria Kippler
- Unit of Metals and Health, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Box 210, SE, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marie Vahter
- Unit of Metals and Health, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Box 210, SE, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elias S.J. Arnér
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Selenoprotein Research and the National Tumor Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
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4
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Andor A, Mohanraj M, Pató ZA, Úri K, Biri-Kovács B, Cheng Q, Arnér ESJ. TXNL1 has dual functions as a redox active thioredoxin-like protein as well as an ATP- and redox-independent chaperone. Redox Biol 2023; 67:102897. [PMID: 37804695 PMCID: PMC10570131 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2023.102897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023] Open
Abstract
TXNL1 (also named TRP32, for thioredoxin related protein of 32 kDa) is a cytosolic thioredoxin-fold protein expressed in all cell types and conserved from yeast to mammals, but with yet poorly known function. Here, we expressed and purified human TXNL1 together with several Cys-to-Ser variants, characterizing their enzymatic properties. TXNL1 could reduce disulfides in insulin, cystine and glutathione disulfide (GSSG) in reactions coupled to thioredoxin reductase (TXNRD1, TrxR1) using NADPH, similarly to thioredoxin (TXN, Trx1), but with lower catalytic efficacy due to at least one order of magnitude higher Km of TrxR1 for TXNL1 compared to Trx1. However, in sharp contrast to Trx1, we found that TXNL1 also had efficient chaperone activity that did not require ATP. TXNL1 made non-covalent complexes with reduced insulin, thereby keeping it in solution, and TXNL1 provided chaperone function towards whole cell lysate proteins by preventing their aggregation during heating. The chaperone activities of TXNL1 did not require its redox activity or any dithiol-disulfide exchange reactions, as revealed using Cys-to-Ser substituted variants, as well as a maintained chaperone activity of TXNL1 also in the absence of TrxR1 and NADPH. These results reveal that TXNL1 has dual functions, supporting TrxR1-driven redox activities in disulfide reduction reactions, as well as being an ATP-independent chaperone that does not require involvement of its redox activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila Andor
- Department of Selenoprotein Research and the National Tumor Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Oncology, 1122, Budapest, Hungary; Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mahendravarman Mohanraj
- Department of Selenoprotein Research and the National Tumor Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Oncology, 1122, Budapest, Hungary; Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Zsuzsanna Anna Pató
- Department of Selenoprotein Research and the National Tumor Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Oncology, 1122, Budapest, Hungary; Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Katalin Úri
- Department of Selenoprotein Research and the National Tumor Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Oncology, 1122, Budapest, Hungary; Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Beáta Biri-Kovács
- Department of Selenoprotein Research and the National Tumor Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Oncology, 1122, Budapest, Hungary; Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Qing Cheng
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elias S J Arnér
- Department of Selenoprotein Research and the National Tumor Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Oncology, 1122, Budapest, Hungary; Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.
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5
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Cheff DM, Cheng Q, Guo H, Travers J, Klumpp-Thomas C, Shen M, Arnér ESJ, Hall MD. Development of an assay pipeline for the discovery of novel small molecule inhibitors of human glutathione peroxidases GPX1 and GPX4. Redox Biol 2023; 63:102719. [PMID: 37244126 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2023.102719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Selenoprotein glutathione peroxidases (GPX), like ubiquitously expressed GPX1 and the ferroptosis modulator GPX4, enact antioxidant activities by reducing hydroperoxides using glutathione. Overexpression of these enzymes is common in cancer and can be associated with the development of resistance to chemotherapy. GPX1 and GPX4 inhibitors have thus shown promise as anti-cancer agents, and targeting other GPX isoforms may prove equally beneficial. Existing inhibitors are often promiscuous, or modulate GPXs only indirectly, so novel direct inhibitors identified through screening against GPX1 and GPX4 could be valuable. Here, we developed optimized glutathione reductase (GR)-coupled GPX assays for the biochemical high-throughput screen (HTS) of almost 12,000 compounds with proposed mechanisms of action. Initial hits were triaged using a GR counter-screen, assessed for isoform specificity against an additional GPX isoform, GPX2, and were assessed for general selenocysteine-targeting activity using a thioredoxin reductase (TXNRD1) assay. Importantly, 70% of the GPX1 inhibitors identified in the primary screen, including several cephalosporin antibiotics, were found to also inhibit TXNRD1, while auranofin, previously known as a TXNRD1 inhibitor, also inhibited GPX1 (but not GPX4). Additionally, every GPX1 inhibitor identified (including omapatrilat, tenatoprazole, cefoxitin and ceftibuten) showed similar inhibitory activity against GPX2. Some compounds inhibiting GPX4 but not GPX1 or GPX2, also inhibited TXNRD1 (26%). Compounds only inhibiting GPX4 included pranlukast sodium hydrate, lusutrombopag, brilanestrant, simeprevir, grazoprevir (MK-5172), paritaprevir, navitoclax, venetoclax and VU0661013. Two compounds (metamizole sodium and isoniazid sodium methanesulfate) inhibited all three GPXs but not TXNRD1, while 2,3-dimercaptopropanesulfonate, PI4KIII beta inhibitor 3, SCE-2174 and cefotetan sodium inhibited all tested selenoproteins (but not GR). The detected overlaps in chemical space suggest that the counter screens introduced here should be imperative for identification of specific GPX inhibitors. With this approach, we could indeed identify novel GPX1/GPX2- or GPX4-specific inhibitors, thus presenting a validated pipeline for future identification of specific selenoprotein-targeting agents. Our study also identified GPX1/GPX2, GPX4 and/or TXNRD1 as targets for several previously developed pharmacologically active compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorian M Cheff
- Early Translation Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institute of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, United States; Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Qing Cheng
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hui Guo
- Early Translation Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institute of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, United States
| | - Jameson Travers
- Early Translation Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institute of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, United States
| | - Carleen Klumpp-Thomas
- Early Translation Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institute of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, United States
| | - Min Shen
- Early Translation Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institute of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, United States
| | - Elias S J Arnér
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Selenoprotein Research and the National Tumor Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Matthew D Hall
- Early Translation Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institute of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, United States.
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6
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Cheff DM, Huang C, Scholzen KC, Gencheva R, Ronzetti MH, Cheng Q, Hall MD, Arnér ESJ. The ferroptosis inducing compounds RSL3 and ML162 are not direct inhibitors of GPX4 but of TXNRD1. Redox Biol 2023; 62:102703. [PMID: 37087975 PMCID: PMC10149367 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2023.102703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Ferroptosis is defined as cell death triggered by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation that is preventable by antioxidant compounds such as ferrostatin-1. Endogenous suppressors of ferroptosis include FSP-1 and the selenoprotein GPX4, the latter of which directly enzymatically reduces lipid hydroperoxides. Small molecules that trigger ferroptosis include RSL3, ML162, and ML210; these compounds are often used in studies of ferroptosis and are generally considered as GPX4 inhibitors. Here, we found that RSL3 and ML162 completely lack capacity of inhibiting the enzymatic activity of recombinant selenoprotein GPX4. Surprisingly, these compounds were instead found to be efficient inhibitors of another selenoprotein, TXNRD1. Other known inhibitors of TXNRD1, including auranofin, TRi-1 and TRi-2, are also efficient inducers of cell death but that cell death could not be suppressed with ferrostatin-1. Our results collectively suggest that prior studies using RSL3 and ML162 may need to be reevaluated in the context of ferroptosis with regards to additional enzyme targets and mechanisms of action that may be involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorian M Cheff
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden; Early Translation Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, 20850, United States
| | - Chuying Huang
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karoline C Scholzen
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Radosveta Gencheva
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Michael H Ronzetti
- Early Translation Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, 20850, United States
| | - Qing Cheng
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Matthew D Hall
- Early Translation Branch, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, 20850, United States
| | - Elias S J Arnér
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Selenoprotein Research and the National Tumor Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary.
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7
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Schwarz M, Löser A, Cheng Q, Wichmann-Costaganna M, Schädel P, Werz O, Arnér ESJ, Kipp AP. Side-by-side comparison of recombinant human glutathione peroxidases identifies overlapping substrate specificities for soluble hydroperoxides. Redox Biol 2023; 59:102593. [PMID: 36608588 PMCID: PMC9827380 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2022.102593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Five out of eight human glutathione peroxidases (GPXs) are selenoproteins, representing proteins that contain selenium as part of the amino acid selenocysteine. The GPXs are important for reducing hydroperoxides in a glutathione-consuming manner and thus regulate cellular redox homeostasis. GPX1, GPX2, and GPX4 represent the three main cytosolic GPXs, but they differ in their expression patterns with GPX1 and GPX4 being expressed ubiquitously, whereas GPX2 is mainly expressed in epithelial cells. GPX1 and GPX2 have been described to reduce soluble hydroperoxides, while GPX4 reduces complex lipid hydroperoxides, thus protecting cells from lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis. But most of these data are derived from cells that are devoid of one of the isoforms and thus, compensation or other cellular effects might affect the conclusions. So far, the use of isolated recombinant human selenoprotein glutathione peroxidases in pure enzyme assays has not been employed to study their substrate specificities side by side. Using recombinant GPX1, GPX2, and GPX4 produced in E. coli we here assessed their GPX activities by a NADPH-consuming glutathione reductase-coupled assay with 17 different peroxides (all at 50 μM) as substrates. GPX4 was clearly the only isoform able to reduce phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide. In contrast, small soluble hydroperoxides such as H2O2, cumene hydroperoxide, and tert-butyl hydroperoxide were reduced by all three isoforms, but with approximately 10-fold higher efficiency for GPX1 in comparison to GPX2 and GPX4. Also, several fatty acid-derived hydroperoxides were reduced by all three isoforms and again GPX1 had the highest activity. Interestingly, the stereoisomerism of the fatty acid-derived hydroperoxides clearly affected the activity of the GPX enzymes. Overall, distinct substrate specificity is obvious for GPX4, but not so when comparing GPX1 and GPX2. Clearly GPX1 was the most potent isoform of the three GPXs in terms of turnover in reduction of soluble and fatty-acid derived hydroperoxides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Schwarz
- Department of Nutritional Physiology, Institute of Nutritional Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, 07743, Germany,TraceAge-DFG Research Unit on Interactions of Essential Trace Elements in Healthy and Diseased Elderly, Potsdam-Berlin-Jena, Germany
| | - Alina Löser
- Department of Nutritional Physiology, Institute of Nutritional Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, 07743, Germany,TraceAge-DFG Research Unit on Interactions of Essential Trace Elements in Healthy and Diseased Elderly, Potsdam-Berlin-Jena, Germany
| | - Qing Cheng
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mareike Wichmann-Costaganna
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
| | - Patrick Schädel
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
| | - Oliver Werz
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
| | - Elias SJ. Arnér
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden,Department of Selenoprotein Research, National Institute of Oncology, 1122, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anna P. Kipp
- Department of Nutritional Physiology, Institute of Nutritional Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, 07743, Germany,TraceAge-DFG Research Unit on Interactions of Essential Trace Elements in Healthy and Diseased Elderly, Potsdam-Berlin-Jena, Germany,Corresponding author. Department of Nutritional Physiology, Institute of Nutritional Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburger Str. 24, 07743, Jena, Germany.
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8
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Wang H, Sun S, Ren Y, Yang R, Guo J, Zong Y, Zhang Q, Zhao J, Zhang W, Xu W, Guan S, Xu J. Selenite Ameliorates Cadmium-induced Cytotoxicity Through Downregulation of ROS Levels and Upregulation of Selenoprotein Thioredoxin Reductase 1 in SH-SY5Y Cells. Biol Trace Elem Res 2023; 201:139-148. [PMID: 35066751 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-022-03117-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) as a ubiquitous toxic heavy metal in the environment, causes severe hazards to human health, such as cellular stress and organ injury. Selenium (Se) was reported to reduce Cd toxicity and the mechanisms have been intensively studied so far. However, it is not yet crystal clear whether the protective effect of Se against Cd-induced cytotoxicity is related to selenoproteins in nerve cells or not. In this study, we found that Cd inhibited selenoprotein thioredoxin reductase 1 (TrxR1; TXNRD1) and decreased the expression level of TrxR1, resulting in cellular oxidative stress, and Se supplements ameliorated Cd-induced cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. Mechanistically, the detoxification of Se against Cd is attributed to the increase of the cellular TrxR activity and upregulated TrxR1 protein level, culminating in strengthened antioxidant capacity. Results showed that Se supplements attenuated the ROS production and apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells, and significantly mitigated Cd-induced SH-SY5Y cell death. This study may be a valuable reference for shedding light on the mechanism of Cd-induced cytotoxicity and the role of TrxR1 in Se-mitigated cytotoxicity of Cd in neuroblast cells, which may be helpful for understanding the therapeutic potential of Cd and Se in treating or preventing neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hecheng Wang
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences (LPS) & Panjin Institute of Industrial Technology (PIIT), Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, 124221, China
| | - Shibo Sun
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences (LPS) & Panjin Institute of Industrial Technology (PIIT), Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, 124221, China
| | - Yan Ren
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences (LPS) & Panjin Institute of Industrial Technology (PIIT), Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, 124221, China
| | - Rui Yang
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences (LPS) & Panjin Institute of Industrial Technology (PIIT), Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, 124221, China
| | - Jianli Guo
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences (LPS) & Panjin Institute of Industrial Technology (PIIT), Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, 124221, China
| | - Yu Zong
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences (LPS) & Panjin Institute of Industrial Technology (PIIT), Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, 124221, China
| | - Qiuxian Zhang
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences (LPS) & Panjin Institute of Industrial Technology (PIIT), Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, 124221, China
| | - Jing Zhao
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences (LPS) & Panjin Institute of Industrial Technology (PIIT), Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, 124221, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453000, China
| | - Weiping Xu
- School of Ocean Science and Technology (OST), Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, 124221, China
| | - Shui Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Dalian R&D Center for Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China
- Research & Educational Center for the Control Engineering of Translational Precision Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China
| | - Jianqiang Xu
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences (LPS) & Panjin Institute of Industrial Technology (PIIT), Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, 124221, China.
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9
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Hu H, Xu Q, Mo Z, Hu X, He Q, Zhang Z, Xu Z. New anti-cancer explorations based on metal ions. J Nanobiotechnology 2022; 20:457. [PMID: 36274142 PMCID: PMC9590139 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-022-01661-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractDue to the urgent demand for more anti-cancer methods, the new applications of metal ions in cancer have attracted increasing attention. Especially the three kinds of the new mode of cell death, including ferroptosis, calcicoptosis, and cuproptosis, are of great concern. Meanwhile, many metal ions have been found to induce cell death through different approaches, such as interfering with osmotic pressure, triggering biocatalysis, activating immune pathways, and generating the prooxidant effect. Therefore, varieties of new strategies based on the above approaches have been studied and applied for anti-cancer applications. Moreover, many contrast agents based on metal ions have gradually become the core components of the bioimaging technologies, such as MRI, CT, and fluorescence imaging, which exhibit guiding significance for cancer diagnosis. Besides, the new nano-theranostic platforms based on metal ions have experimentally shown efficient response to endogenous and exogenous stimuli, which realizes simultaneous cancer therapy and diagnosis through a more controlled nano-system. However, most metal-based agents have still been in the early stages, and controlled clinical trials are necessary to confirm or not the current expectations. This article will focus on these new explorations based on metal ions, hoping to provide some theoretical support for more anti-cancer ideas.
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Chung CZ, Krahn N. The selenocysteine toolbox: A guide to studying the 21st amino acid. Arch Biochem Biophys 2022; 730:109421. [DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2022.109421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Ursini F, Bosello Travain V, Cozza G, Miotto G, Roveri A, Toppo S, Maiorino M. A white paper on Phospholipid Hydroperoxide Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx4) forty years later. Free Radic Biol Med 2022; 188:117-133. [PMID: 35718302 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2022.06.227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The purification of a protein inhibiting lipid peroxidation led to the discovery of the selenoperoxidase GPx4 forty years ago. Thus, the evidence of the enzymatic activity was reached after identifying the biological effect and unambiguously defined the relationship between the biological function and the enzymatic activity. In the syllogism where GPx4 inhibits lipid peroxidation and its inhibition is lethal, cell death is operated by lipid peroxidation. Based on this rationale, this form of cell death emerged as regulated iron-enforced oxygen toxicity and was named ferroptosis in 2012. In the last decades, we learned that reduction of lipid hydroperoxides is indispensable and, in cooperation with prooxidant systems, controls the critical steady state of lipid peroxidation. This concept defined the GPx4 reaction as both the target for possible anti-cancer therapy and if insufficient, as cause of degenerative diseases. We know the reaction mechanism, but the details of the interaction at the membrane cytosol interface are still poorly defined. We know the gene structure, but the knowledge about expression control is still limited. The same holds true for post-transcriptional modifications. Reverse genetics indicate that GPx4 has a role in inflammation, immunity, and differentiation, but the observations emerging from these studies need a more specifically addressed biochemical evidence. Finally, the role of GPx4 in spermatogenesis disclosed an area unconnected to lipid peroxidation. In its mitochondrial and nuclear form, the peroxidase catalyzes the oxidation of protein thiols in two specific aspects of sperm maturation: stabilization of the mid-piece and chromatin compaction. Thus, although available evidence converges to the notion that GPx4 activity is vital due to the inhibition of lipid peroxidation, it is reasonable to foresee other unknown aspects of the GPx4 reaction to be disclosed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fulvio Ursini
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Viale G. Colombo, 3, University of Padova, 35121, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Giorgio Cozza
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Viale G. Colombo, 3, University of Padova, 35121, Padova, Italy
| | - Giovanni Miotto
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Viale G. Colombo, 3, University of Padova, 35121, Padova, Italy
| | - Antonella Roveri
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Viale G. Colombo, 3, University of Padova, 35121, Padova, Italy
| | - Stefano Toppo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Viale G. Colombo, 3, University of Padova, 35121, Padova, Italy
| | - Matilde Maiorino
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Viale G. Colombo, 3, University of Padova, 35121, Padova, Italy.
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Expressing recombinant selenoproteins using redefinition of a single UAG codon in an RF1-depleted E. coli host strain. Methods Enzymol 2022; 662:95-118. [PMID: 35101220 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2021.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Selenoproteins containing the rare amino acid selenocysteine (Sec), typically being enzymes utilizing the selenium atom of Sec for promoted catalysis of redox reactions, are challenging to obtain at high amounts in pure form. The technical challenges limiting selenoprotein supply derive from intricacies in their translation, necessitating the recoding of a UGA stop codon to a sense codon for Sec. This, in turn, involves the interactions of a Sec-dedicated elongation factor, either directly or indirectly, with a structure in the selenoprotein-encoding mRNA called a SECIS element (Selenocysteine Insertion Sequence), a dedicated tRNA species for Sec with an anticodon for the UGA, and several accessory enzymes and proteins involved in the selenoprotein synthesis. Here, we describe an alternative method for recombinant selenoprotein production using UAG as the Sec codon in a specific strain of E. coli lacking other UAG codons and lacking the release factor RF1 that normally terminates translation at UAG. We also describe how such recombinant selenoproteins can be purified and further analyzed for final Sec contents. The methodology can be used for production of natural selenoproteins in recombinant form as well as for production of synthetic selenoproteins that may be designed to use the unique biophysical properties of Sec for diverse biotechnological applications.
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Tryptophan depletion results in tryptophan-to-phenylalanine substitutants. Nature 2022; 603:721-727. [PMID: 35264796 PMCID: PMC8942854 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04499-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Activated T cells secrete interferon-γ, which triggers intracellular tryptophan shortage by upregulating the indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) enzyme1-4. Here we show that despite tryptophan depletion, in-frame protein synthesis continues across tryptophan codons. We identified tryptophan-to-phenylalanine codon reassignment (W>F) as the major event facilitating this process, and pinpointed tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase (WARS1) as its source. We call these W>F peptides 'substitutants' to distinguish them from genetically encoded mutants. Using large-scale proteomics analyses, we demonstrate W>F substitutants to be highly abundant in multiple cancer types. W>F substitutants were enriched in tumours relative to matching adjacent normal tissues, and were associated with increased IDO1 expression, oncogenic signalling and the tumour-immune microenvironment. Functionally, W>F substitutants can impair protein activity, but also expand the landscape of antigens presented at the cell surface to activate T cell responses. Thus, substitutants are generated by an alternative decoding mechanism with potential effects on gene function and tumour immunoreactivity.
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Biochemical and structural characterizations of thioredoxin reductase selenoproteins of the parasitic filarial nematodes Brugia malayi and Onchocerca volvulus. Redox Biol 2022; 51:102278. [PMID: 35276442 PMCID: PMC8914392 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2022.102278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Enzymes in the thiol redox systems of microbial pathogens are promising targets for drug development. In this study we characterized the thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) selenoproteins from Brugia malayi and Onchocerca volvulus, filarial nematode parasites and causative agents of lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis, respectively. The two filarial enzymes showed similar turnover numbers and affinities for different thioredoxin (Trx) proteins, but with a clear preference for the autologous Trx. Human TrxR1 (hTrxR1) had a high and similar specific activity versus the human and filarial Trxs, suggesting that, in vivo, hTrxR1 could possibly be the reducing agent of parasite Trxs once they are released into the host. Both filarial TrxRs were efficiently inhibited by auranofin and by a recently described inhibitor of human TrxR1 (TRi-1), but not as efficiently by the alternative compound TRi-2. The enzyme from B. malayi was structurally characterized also in complex with NADPH and auranofin, producing the first crystallographic structure of a nematode TrxR. The protein represents an unusual fusion of a mammalian-type TrxR protein architecture with an N-terminal glutaredoxin-like (Grx) domain lacking typical Grx motifs. Unlike thioredoxin glutathione reductases (TGRs) found in platyhelminths and mammals, which are also Grx–TrxR domain fusion proteins, the TrxRs from the filarial nematodes lacked glutathione disulfide reductase and Grx activities. The structural determinations revealed that the Grx domain of TrxR from B. malayi contains a cysteine (C22), conserved in TrxRs from clade IIIc nematodes, that directly interacts with the C-terminal cysteine-selenocysteine motif of the homo-dimeric subunit. Interestingly, despite this finding we found that altering C22 by mutation to serine did not affect enzyme catalysis. Thus, although the function of the Grx domain in these filarial TrxRs remains to be determined, the results obtained provide insights on key properties of this important family of selenoprotein flavoenzymes that are potential drug targets for treatment of filariasis.
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