Plasma albumin as a fatty acid carrier

The CryoEM structure of human serum albumin in complex with ligands

Human serum albumin (HSA) is the most prevalent plasma protein in the human body, accounting for 60 % of the total plasma protein. HSA plays a major pharmacokinetic function, serving as a facilitator in the distribution of endobiotics and xenobiotics within the organism. In this paper we report the cryoEM structures of HSA in the apo form and in complex with two ligands (salicylic acid and teniposide) at a resolution of 3.5, 3.7 and 3.4 Å, respectively. We expand upon previously published work and further demonstrate that sub-4 Å maps of ∼60 kDa proteins can be routinely obtained using a 200 kV microscope, employing standard workflows. Most importantly, these maps allowed for the identification of small molecule ligands, emphasizing the practical applicability of this methodology and providing a starting point for subsequent computational modeling and in silico optimization.

The Thiol Group Reactivity and the Antioxidant Property of Human Serum Albumin Are Controlled by the Joint Action of Fatty Acids and Glucose Binding

The binding of ubiquitous serum ligands (free fatty acids) to human serum albumin (HSA) or its glycation can affect thiol group reactivity, thus influencing its antioxidant activity. The effects of stearic acid (SA) and glucose binding on HSA structural changes and thiol group content and reactivity were monitored by fluoroscopy and the Ellman method during a 14-day incubation in molar ratios to HSA that mimic pathophysiological conditions. Upon incubation with 5 mM glucose, HSA glycation was the same as HSA without it, in three different HSA:SA molar ratios (HSA:SA-1:1-2-4). The protective effect of SA on the antioxidant property of HSA under different glucose regimes (5-10-20 mM) was significantly affected by molar ratios of HSA:SA. Thiol reactivity was fully restored with 5-20 mM glucose at a 1:1 HSA:SA ratio, while the highest thiol content recovery was in pathological glucose regimes at a 1:1 HSA:SA ratio. The SA affinity for HSA increased significantly (1.5- and 1.3-fold, p < 0.01) with 5 and 10 mM glucose compared to the control. These results deepen the knowledge about the possible regulation of the antioxidant role of HSA in diabetes and other pathophysiological conditions and enable the design of future HSA-drug studies which, in turn, is important for clinicians when designing information-based treatments.

Complexes and Supramolecular Associates of Dodecyl-Containing Oligonucleotides with Serum Albumin

Serum albumin is currently in the focus of biomedical research as a promising platform for the creation of multicomponent self-assembling systems due to the presence of several sites with high binding affinity of various compounds in its molecule, including lipophilic oligonucleotide conjugates. In this work, we investigated the stoichiometry of the dodecyl-containing oligonucleotides binding to bovine and human serum albumins using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay. The results indicate the formation of the albumin-oligonucleotide complexes with a stoichiometry of about 1 : (1.25 ± 0.25) under physiological-like conditions. Using atomic force microscopy, it was found that the interaction of human serum albumin with the duplex of complementary dodecyl-containing oligonucleotides resulted in the formation of circular associates with a diameter of 165.5 ± 94.3 nm and 28.9 ± 16.9 nm in height, and interaction with polydeoxyadenylic acid and dodecyl-containing oligothymidylate resulted in formation of supramolecular associates with the size of about 315.4 ± 70.9 and 188.3 ± 43.7 nm, respectively. The obtained data allow considering the dodecyl-containing oligonucleotides and albumin as potential components of the designed self-assembling systems for solving problems of molecular biology, biomedicine, and development of unique theranostics with targeted action.

Extending the Pseudo-Phase Model of Detergent-Lipid Dispersions by a Detergent-Binding Protein

Mixed micellar drug delivery systems for poorly soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are easy to produce and long-term stable, because they represent equilibrium structures. However, their fate after intravenous injection is still largely unknown. Once injected into the bloodstream, they can potentially convert to vesicles or disappear altogether, with both API and excipients being picked up by blood components. Our study aimed at reducing the gap between the good, quantitative understanding of aqueous glycocholate (GC)-lecithin dispersions alone and the highly complex situation in the blood. To this end, we extended the pseudophase model previously established for lipid-detergent dispersions to include the detergent-binding protein albumin as another component. The model predicted a quaternary phase diagram with planar phase boundaries defined by key parameters of the ternary subsystems, which were then determined by isothermal titration calorimetry. They include the aqueous GC concentration upon bilayer-micelle coexistence, 5.2 mM, the GC-to-lipid mole ratios in coexisting bilayers (R_e^sat = 0.2) and micelles (R_e^sol = 0.7), as well as the capacity of the albumin to bind 0.1 GC molecules with a dissociation constant of K_D = 0.1 mM and 6 GC molecules with K_D = 0.7 mM. Subsequent measurements in the quaternary system showed phase boundaries in good agreement with the model predictions. In addition, the critical micelle concentration of GC shows a minimal value (midpoint of transition) of 9.1 mM at the temperature of 24 °C where the demicellization enthalpy is zero. The demicellization process is accompanied by a heat capacity change of 29 cal/mol K. The model improves the understanding of the mixed micellar drug delivery systems. The success of the approach encourages including even more blood components, like lipoproteins, to a quantitative treatment.

In Vitro Modeling of Diabetes Impact on Vascular Endothelium: Are Essentials Engaged to Tune Metabolism?

Angiopathy is a common complication of diabetes mellitus. Vascular endothelium is among the first targets to experience blood-borne metabolic alterations, such as hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia, the hallmarks of type 2 diabetes. To explore mechanisms of vascular dysfunction and eventual damage brought by these pathologic conditions and to find ways to protect vasculature in diabetic patients, various research approaches are used including in vitro endothelial cell-based models. We present an analysis of the data available from these models that identifies early endothelial cell apoptosis associated with oxidative stress as the major outcome of mimicking hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia in vitro. However, the fate of endothelial cells observed in these studies does not closely follow it in vivo where massive endothelial damage occurs mainly in the terminal stages of diabetes and in conjunction with comorbidities. We propose that the discrepancy is likely in missing essentials that should be available to cultured endothelial cells to adjust the metabolic state and withstand the immediate apoptosis. We discuss the role of carnitine, creatine, and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in suiting the endothelial metabolism for long-term function in diabetic type milieu in vitro. Engagement of these essentials is anticipated to expand diabetes research options when using endothelial cell-based models.

Molecular analysis and therapeutic applications of human serum albumin-fatty acid interactions

Human serum albumin (hSA) is the major carrier protein for fatty acids (FAs) in plasma. Its ability to bind multiple FA moieties with moderate to high affinity has inspired the use of FA conjugation as a safe and natural platform to generate long-lasting therapeutics with enhanced pharmacokinetic properties and superior efficacy. In this frame, the choice of the FA is crucial and a comprehensive elucidation of the molecular interactions of FAs with hSA cannot be left out of consideration. To this intent, we report here a comparative analysis of the binding mode of different FA moieties with hSA. The choice among different albumin-binding FAs and how this influence the pharmacokinetics properties of a broad spectrum of therapeutic molecules will be discussed including a critical description of some clinically relevant FA conjugated therapeutics.

The Effect of Fatty Acids and BSA Purity on Synthesis and Properties of Fluorescent Gold Nanoclusters

Fluorescent gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) are envisaged as a novel type of fluorophores. This work reports on the first comparative study investigating the effect of presence/absence/abundance of fatty acids (namely palmitic acid, PA) or other substances (like glycoproteins and globulins) in the protein (bovine serum albumin, BSA) on synthesis and properties of the final AuNCs. The most popular template (BSA) and microwave (MW)-assisted synthesis of AuNCs have been intentionally chosen. Our results clearly demonstrate that the fluorescent characteristics (i.e., fluorescence lifetime and quantum yield) are affected by the fatty acids and/or other substances. Importantly, the as-prepared AuNCs are biocompatible, as determined by Alamar Blue assay performed on Hep G2 cell line.

Ischemia-modified albumin: Crosstalk between fatty acid and cobalt binding

Myocardial ischemia is difficult to diagnose effectively with still few well-defined biochemical markers for identification in advance, or in the absence of myocardial necrosis. "Ischemia-modified albumin" (IMA), a form of albumin displaying reduced cobalt-binding affinity, is significantly elevated in ischemic patients, and the albumin cobalt-binding (ACB) assay can measure its level indirectly. Elucidating the molecular mechanism underlying the identity of IMA and the ACB assay hinges on understanding metal-binding properties of albumin. Albumin binds most metal ions and harbours four primary metal binding sites: site A, site B, the N-terminal site (NTS), and the free thiol at Cys34. Previous efforts to clarify the identity of IMA and the causes for its reduced cobalt-binding capacity were focused on the NTS site, but the degree of N-terminal modification could not be correlated to the presence of ischemia. More recent work suggested that Co2+ ions as used in the ACB assay bind preferentially to site B, then to site A, and finally to the NTS. This insight paved the way for a new consistent molecular basis of the ACB assay: albumin is also the main plasma carrier for free fatty acids (FFAs), and binding of a fatty acid to the high-affinity site FA2 results in conformational changes in albumin which prevent metal binding at site A and partially at site B. Thus, this review advances the hypothesis that high IMA levels in myocardial ischemia and many other conditions originate from high plasma FFA levels hampering the binding of Co2+ to sites A and/or B. This is supported by biophysical studies and the co-association of a range of pathological conditions with positive ACB assays and high plasma FFA levels.

The Role of Lipid Metabolism in T Lymphocyte Differentiation and Survival

The differentiation and effector functions of both the innate and adaptive immune system are inextricably linked to cellular metabolism. The features of metabolism which affect both arms of the immune system include metabolic substrate availability, expression of enzymes, transport proteins, and transcription factors which control catabolism of these substrates, and the ability to perform anabolic metabolism. The control of lipid metabolism is central to the appropriate differentiation and functions of T lymphocytes, and ultimately to the maintenance of immune tolerance. This review will focus on the role of fatty acid (FA) metabolism in T cell differentiation, effector function, and survival. FAs are important sources of cellular energy, stored as triglycerides. They are also used as precursors to produce complex lipids such as cholesterol and membrane phospholipids. FA residues also become incorporated into hormones and signaling moieties. FAs signal via nuclear receptors and their channeling, between storage as triacyl glycerides or oxidation as fuel, may play a role in survival or death of the cell. In recent years, progress in the field of immunometabolism has highlighted diverse roles for FA metabolism in CD4 and CD8 T cell differentiation and function. This review will firstly describe the sensing and modulation of the environmental FAs and lipid intracellular signaling and will then explore the key role of lipid metabolism in regulating the balance between potentially damaging pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory regulatory responses. Finally the complex role of extracellular FAs in determining cell survival will be discussed.

Binding of enterolactone and enterodiol to human serum albumin: increase of cysteine-34 thiol group reactivity

The interaction of polyphenolic molecules with human serum albumin (HSA) could lead to changes in the reactivity of the HSA Cys34 thiol group (HSA-SH). The influences of enterolactone (EL) and enterodiol (ED) binding on HSA-SH reactivity in fatty acid (FA)-free HSA, and in HSA with bound stearic acid (S) in S/HSA molar ratios of 1:1 and 4:1, were investigated by the determination of the pseudo first order rate constants (k') for the thiol reaction with 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid). The binding affinities and binding sites of EL and ED were also determined, using fluorescence measurements of the intrinsic fluorescence of Trp214 and diazepam (binding site marker). EL and ED binding to HSA increased the reactivity of HSA-SH in all assayed HSA-enterolignan complexes by 9.1-33.1%. The strongest effects were obtained for FA-free HSA-enterolignan complexes. S modulated/reduced the effect of EL on HSA-SH reactivity, while its influence on the effect of ED was negligible. The binding of enterolignans to HSA was investigated: the binding constants were the highest for FA-free HSA (EL: 11.64 × 10(4) M(-1) and ED: 5.59 × 10(4) M(-1) at 37 °C) and the lowest for S/HSA 4:1-enterolignan complexes (EL: 2.43 × 10(4) M(-1) and ED: 1.92 × 10(4) M(-1)). When the S/HSA ratio was increased, the binding affinities and number of binding sites for EL and ED were decreased. At the same time, a high correlation between binding constants and increased Cys34 reactivity was found (r = 0.974). Competitive experiments using diazepam indicated that the binding of ED and of EL was located in the hydrophobic pocket of site II in HSA. Overall, it is evident that stearic acid could modulate the enterolignan effects on HSA-SH reactivity as well as their binding to HSA. This finding could be important for pharmacokinetics and the expression of enterolignan antioxidant effects in vivo after an intake of lignan rich food.

Exploring the Use of Molecular Docking to Identify Bioaccumulative Perfluorinated Alkyl Acids (PFAAs)

Methods to predict the bioaccumulation potential of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are sorely needed, given the proliferation of these substances and lack of data on their properties and behavior. Here, we test whether molecular docking, a technique where interactions between proteins and ligands are simulated to predict both bound conformation and interaction affinity, can be used to predict PFAS binding strength and biological half-life. We show that an easy-to-implement docking program, Autodock Vina, can successfully redock perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) to human serum albumin with deviations smaller than 2 Å. Furthermore, predicted binding strengths largely fall within one standard deviation of measured values for perfluorinated alkyl acids (PFAAs). Correlations with half-lives suggest both membrane partitioning and protein interactions are important, and that serum albumin is only one of a number of proteins controlling the fate of these chemicals in organisms. However, few data are available for validation of our approach as a broad screening tool, and available data are highly variable. We therefore call for collection of new data, particularly including proteins other than serum albumin and substances beyond perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and PFOS. The methods we discuss in this work can serve as a framework for guiding such data collection.

Bioaccumulation of perfluorinated alkyl acids: observations and models

In this review, we consider the two prevailing hypotheses for the mechanisms that control the bioaccumulation of perfluorinated alkyl acids (PFAAs). The first assumes that partitioning to membrane phospholipids, which have a higher affinity for charged species than neutral storage lipids, can explain the high bioaccumulation potential of these compounds. The second assumes that interactions with proteins--including serum albumin, liver fatty acid binding proteins (L-FABP), and organic anion transporters--determine the distribution, accumulation and half-lives of PFAAs. We consider three unique phenomena to evaluate the two models: (1) observed patterns of tissue distribution in the laboratory and field, (2) the relationship between perfluorinated chain length and bioaccumulation, and (3) species- and gender-specific variation in elimination half-lives. Through investigation of these three characteristics of PFAA bioaccumulation, we show the strengths and weaknesses of the two modeling approaches. We conclude that the models need not be mutually exclusive, but that protein interactions are needed to explain some important features of PFAA bioaccumulation. Although open questions remain, further research should include perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) beyond the long-chain PFAAs, as these substances are being phased out and replaced by a wide variety of PFASs with largely unknown properties and bioaccumulation behavior.

Evaluation of drug-human serum albumin binding interactions with support vector machine aided online automated docking

MOTIVATION

Human serum albumin (HSA), the most abundant plasma protein is well known for its extraordinary binding capacity for both endogenous and exogenous substances, including a wide range of drugs. Interaction with the two principal binding sites of HSA in subdomain IIA (site 1) and in subdomain IIIA (site 2) controls the free, active concentration of a drug, provides a reservoir for a long duration of action and ultimately affects the ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) profile. Due to the continuous demand to investigate HSA binding properties of novel drugs, drug candidates and drug-like compounds, a support vector machine (SVM) model was developed that efficiently predicts albumin binding. Our SVM model was integrated to a free, web-based prediction platform (http://albumin.althotas.com). Automated molecular docking calculations for prediction of complex geometry are also integrated into the web service. The platform enables the users (i) to predict if albumin binds the query ligand, (ii) to determine the probable ligand binding site (site 1 or site 2), (iii) to select the albumin X-ray structure which is complexed with the most similar ligand and (iv) to calculate complex geometry using molecular docking calculations. Our SVM model and the potential offered by the combined use of in silico calculation methods and experimental binding data is illustrated.

Albumin as fatty acid transporter

SUMMARY

Fatty acids play critical roles in mammalian energy metabolism. Moreover, they are important substrates for the synthesis of membrane phospholipids and biologically active compounds like eicosanoids and leukotrienes. Because of their low solubility in aqueous solutions such as blood plasma and interstitial fluid, fatty acids are in need of binding proteins to increase their concentration in vascular and interstitial compartments. Albumin acts as main fatty acid binding protein in extracellular fluids. Plasma albumin possesses about 7 binding sites for fatty acids with moderate to high affinity, enhancing the concentration of fatty acids by a several orders of magnitude. Despite the high affinity of albumin for fatty acids, uptake of fatty acids by parenchymal cells such as skeletal and cardiac myocytes seems not to be hampered by albumin. In contrast, experimental findings suggest that albumin may facilitate the uptake of fatty acids by organs in need of these substrates. In the present overview the following issues will be briefly discussed: (i) transport and storage of fatty acids in the mammalian body, (ii) biosynthesis of albumin in the liver, (iii) localization and concentration of albumin in body fluids, (iv) interactions between albumin and fatty acids, (v) albumin structure and fatty acid binding sites, (vi) uptake of fatty acids by organs and roles for plasma albumin and (vii) lessons from patients and experimental animals lacking plasma albumin.