Mechanistic investigations of human reticulocyte 15- and platelet 12-lipoxygenases with arachidonic acid

Lipoxygenases at the Intersection of Infection and Carcinogenesis

The persisting presence of opportunistic pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa poses a significant threat to many immunocompromised cancer patients with pulmonary infections. This review highlights the complexity of interactions in the host's defensive eicosanoid signaling network and its hijacking by pathogenic bacteria to their own advantage. Human lipoxygenases (ALOXs) and their mouse counterparts are integral elements of the innate immune system, mostly operating in the pro-inflammatory mode. Taking into account the indispensable role of inflammation in carcinogenesis, lipoxygenases have counteracting roles in this process. In addition to describing the structure-function of lipoxygenases in this review, we discuss their roles in such critical processes as cancer cell signaling, metastases, death of cancer and immune cells through ferroptosis, as well as the roles of ALOXs in carcinogenesis promoted by pathogenic infections. Finally, we discuss perspectives of novel oncotherapeutic approaches to harness lipoxygenase signaling in tumors.

Arachidonic acid: reconciling the dichotomy of its oxidative cascade through specific deuteration

A new approach to attenuating pathological inflammatory reactions by buffering the eicosanoid pathways with oxidation-resistant hexadeuterated arachidonic acid (D-ARA) is discussed. Enzymatic processing of ARA, released by phospholipase A2, by lipoxygenases, cyclooxygenases, and cytochromes yields a wide range of bioactive eicosanoids, including pro-inflammation, pro-angiogenesis and pro-thrombosis species that, when produced in excess, are an underlying cause of pathology. Conversely, some products of ARA oxidation possess pro-resolving properties. Non-enzymatic free radical oxidation of ARA generates another large group of products such as isoprostanes and their metabolites, associated with inflammation, ischemia-reperfusion stress, and atherosclerosis. A separate group comprises reactive carbonyl derivatives that irreversibly damage diverse biomolecules. Being resistant to both enzymatic and non-enzymatic oxidation pathways due to large kinetic isotope effects, D-ARA may play a role in mitigating inflammation-related disorders and conditions, including inflammaging.

Searching for molecular hypoxia sensors among oxygen-dependent enzymes

The ability to sense and respond to changes in cellular oxygen levels is critical for aerobic organisms and requires a molecular oxygen sensor. The prototypical sensor is the oxygen-dependent enzyme PHD: hypoxia inhibits its ability to hydroxylate the transcription factor HIF, causing HIF to accumulate and trigger the classic HIF-dependent hypoxia response. A small handful of other oxygen sensors are known, all of which are oxygen-dependent enzymes. However, hundreds of oxygen-dependent enzymes exist among aerobic organisms, raising the possibility that additional sensors remain to be discovered. This review summarizes known and potential hypoxia sensors among human O2-dependent enzymes and highlights their possible roles in hypoxia-related adaptation and diseases.

Reevaluation of a Bicyclic Pyrazoline as a Selective 15-Lipoxygenase V-Type Activator Possessing Fatty Acid Specificity

Regulation of lipoxygenase (LOX) activity is of great interest due to the involvement of the various LOX isoforms in the inflammatory process and hence many diseases. The bulk of investigations have centered around the discovery and design of inhibitors. However, the emerging understanding of the role of h15-LOX-1 in the resolution of inflammation provides a rationale for the development of activators as well. Bicyclic pyrazolines are known bioactive molecules that have been shown to display antibiotic and anti-inflammatory activities. In the current work, we reevaluated a previously discovered bicyclic pyrazoline h15-LOX-1 activator, PKUMDL_MH_1001 (written as 1 for this publication), and determined that it is inactive against other human LOX isozymes, h5-LOX, h12-LOX, and h15-LOX-2. Analytical characterization of 1 obtained in the final synthesis step identified it as a mixture of cis- and trans-diastereomers: cis-1 (12%) and trans-1 (88%); and kinetic analysis indicated similar potency between the two. Using compound 1 as the cis-trans mixture, h15-LOX-1 catalysis with arachidonic acid (AA) (AC50 = 7.8 +/- 1 μM, A max = 240%) and linoleic acid (AC50 = 5.3 +/- 0.7 μM, A max = 98%) was activated, but not with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or mono-oxylipins. Steady-state kinetics demonstrate V-type activation for 1, with a β value of 2.2 +/- 0.4 and an K x of 16 +/- 1 μM. Finally, it is demonstrated that the mechanism of activation for 1 is likely not due to decreasing substrate inhibition, as was postulated previously. 1 also did not affect the activity of the h15-LOX-1 selective inhibitor, ML351, nor did 1 affect the activity of allosteric effectors, such as 12S-hydroxy-5Z,8Z,10E,14Z-eicosatetraenoic acid (12S-HETE) and 14S-hydroperoxy-4Z,7Z,10Z,12E,16Z,19Z-docosahexaenoic acid (14S-HpDHA). These data confirm that 1 binds to a distinct activation binding site, as previously postulated. Future work should be aimed at the development of selective activators that are capable of activating h15-LOX-1 catalysis with DHA, thus enhancing the production of DHA-derived pro-resolution biomolecules.

The Role of 12/15-Lipoxygenase and Its Various Metabolites Generated from Multiple Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids as Substrates in Inflammatory Responses

12/15-lipoxygenase (12/15-LOX) is a member of the lipoxygenase family, which can catalyze a variety of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) to produce different metabolites, such as 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE), 15-HETE, lipoxin (LX), hepoxilin, resolvin, protectin, and maresins. 12/15-LOX and its metabolites take part in inflammatory responses and mediate related signalling pathways, playing an essential role in various inflammatory diseases. So the definition, catalytic substrates, metabolites of 12/15-lipoxygenase, and their roles in inflammatory responses are reviewed in this article.

Kinetic Studies of the Hydrogen Atom Transfer in a Hypoxia-Sensing Enzyme, FIH-1: KIE and O2 Reactivity

Cellular hypoxia plays a crucial role in tissue development and adaptation to pO₂. Central to cellular oxygen sensing is factor-inhibiting HIF-1α (FIH), an α-ketoglutarate (αKG)/non-heme iron(II)-dependent dioxygenase that hydroxylates a specific asparagine residue of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). The high K_M(O2) and rate-limiting decarboxylation step upon O₂ activation are key features of the enzyme that classify it as an oxygen sensor and set it apart from other αKG/Fe(II)-dependent dioxygenases. Although the chemical intermediates following decarboxylation are presumed to follow the consensus mechanism of other αKG/Fe(II)-dependent dioxygenases, experiments have not previously demonstrated these canonical steps in FIH. In this work, a deuterated peptide substrate was used as a mechanistic probe for the canonical hydrogen atom transfer (HAT). Our data show a large kinetic isotope effect (KIE) in steady-state kinetics (^Dk_cat = 10 ± 1), revealing that the HAT occurs and is partially rate limiting on k_cat. Kinetic studies showed that the deuterated peptide led FIH to uncouple O₂ activation and provided the opportunity to spectroscopically observe the ferryl intermediate. This enzyme uncoupling was used as an internal competition with respect to the fate of the ferryl intermediate, demonstrating a large observed KIE on the uncoupling (^Dk₅ = 1.147 ± 0.005) and an intrinsic KIE on the HAT step (^Dk > 15). The close energy barrier between αKG decarboxylation and HAT distinguishes FIH as an O₂-sensing enzyme and is crucial for ensuring substrate specificity in the regulation of cellular O₂ homeostasis.

Conformational Heterogeneity and Cooperative Effects of Mammalian ALOX15

Arachidonic acid lipoxygenases (ALOXs) have been suggested to function as monomeric enzymes, but more recent data on rabbit ALOX15 indicated that there is a dynamic monomer-dimer equilibrium in aqueous solution. In the presence of an active site ligand (the ALOX15 inhibitor RS7) rabbit ALOX15 was crystalized as heterodimer and the X-ray coordinates of the two monomers within the dimer exhibit subtle structural differences. Using native polyacrylamide electrophoresis, we here observed that highly purified and predominantly monomeric rabbit ALOX15 and human ALOX15B are present in two conformers with distinct electrophoretic mobilities. In silico docking studies, molecular dynamics simulations, site directed mutagenesis experiments and kinetic measurements suggested that in aqueous solutions the two enzymes exhibit motional flexibility, which may impact the enzymatic properties.

Structural considerations on lipoxygenase function, inhibition and crosstalk with nitric oxide pathways

Lipoxygenases (LOX) are non-heme iron-containing enzymes that catalyze regio- and stereo-selective dioxygenation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Mammalian LOXs participate in the eicosanoid cascade during the inflammatory response, using preferentially arachidonic acid (AA) as substrate, for the synthesis of leukotrienes (LT) and other oxidized-lipid intermediaries. This review focus on lipoxygenases (LOX) structural and kinetic implications on both catalysis selectivity, as well as the basic and clinical implications of inhibition and interactions with nitric oxide (^•NO) and nitroalkenes pathways. During inflammation ^•NO levels are increasingly favoring the formation of reactive nitrogen species (RNS). ^•NO may act itself as an inhibitor of LOX-mediated lipid oxidation by reacting with lipid peroxyl radicals. Besides, ^•NO may act as an O₂ competitor in the LOX active site, thus displaying a protective role on lipid-peroxidation. Moreover, RNS such as nitrogen dioxide (^•NO₂) may react with lipid-derived species formed during LOX reaction, yielding nitroalkenes (NO₂FA). NO₂FA represents electrophilic compounds that could exert anti-inflammatory actions through the interaction with critical LOX nucleophilic amino acids. We will discuss how nitro-oxidative conditions may limit the availability of common LOX substrates, favoring alternative routes of PUFA metabolization to anti-inflammatory or pro-resolutive pathways.

The enzymology of human eicosanoid pathways: the lipoxygenase branches

Eicosanoids are short-lived derivatives of polyunsaturated fatty acids that serve as autocrine and paracrine signaling molecules. They are involved numerous biological processes of both the well state and disease states. A thorough understanding of the progression the disease state and homeostasis of the well state requires a complete evaluation of the systems involved. This review examines the enzymology for the enzymes involved in the production of eicosanoids along the lipoxygenase branches of the eicosanoid pathways with particular emphasis on those derived from arachidonic acid. The enzymatic parameters, protocols to measure them, and proposed catalytic mechanisms are presented in detail.

15-Lipoxygenase-1 biosynthesis of 7S,14S-diHDHA implicates 15-lipoxygenase-2 in biosynthesis of resolvin D5

The two oxylipins 7S,14S-dihydroxydocosahexaenoic acid (diHDHA) and 7S,17S-diHDHA [resolvin D5 (RvD5)] have been found in macrophages and infectious inflammatory exudates and are believed to function as specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs). Their biosynthesis is thought to proceed through sequential oxidations of DHA by lipoxygenase (LOX) enzymes, specifically, by human 5-LOX (h5-LOX) first to 7(S)-hydroxy-4Z,8E,10Z,13Z,16Z,19Z-DHA (7S-HDHA), followed by human platelet 12-LOX (h12-LOX) to form 7(S),14(S)-dihydroxy-4Z,8E,10Z,12E,16Z,19Z-DHA (7S,14S-diHDHA) or human reticulocyte 15-LOX-1 (h15-LOX-1) to form RvD5. In this work, we determined that oxidation of 7(S)-hydroperoxy-4Z,8E,10Z,13Z,16Z,19Z-DHA to 7S,14S-diHDHA is performed with similar kinetics by either h12-LOX or h15-LOX-1. The oxidation at C14 of DHA by h12-LOX was expected, but the noncanonical reaction of h15-LOX-1 to make over 80% 7S,14S-diHDHA was larger than expected. Results of computer modeling suggested that the alcohol on C7 of 7S-HDHA hydrogen bonds with the backbone carbonyl of Ile399, forcing the hydrogen abstraction from C12 to oxygenate on C14 but not C17. This result raised questions regarding the synthesis of RvD5. Strikingly, we found that h15-LOX-2 oxygenates 7S-HDHA almost exclusively at C17, forming RvD5 with faster kinetics than does h15-LOX-1. The presence of h15-LOX-2 in neutrophils and macrophages suggests that it may have a greater role in biosynthesizing SPMs than previously thought. We also determined that the reactions of h5-LOX with 14(S)-hydroperoxy-4Z,7Z,10Z,12E,16Z,19Z-DHA and 17(S)-hydroperoxy-4Z,7Z,10Z,13Z,15E,19Z-DHA are kinetically slow compared with DHA, suggesting that these reactions may be minor biosynthetic routes in vivo. Additionally, we show that 7S,14S-diHDHA and RvD5 have anti-aggregation properties with platelets at low micromolar potencies, which could directly regulate clot resolution.

A role of Gln596 in fine-tuning mammalian ALOX15 specificity, protein stability and allosteric properties

His596 of human ALOX12 has been suggested to interact with the COO^--group of arachidonic acid during ALOX catalysis. In mammalian ALOX15 orthologs Gln596 occupies this position and this amino acid exchange might contribute to the functional differences between the two ALOX-isoforms. To explore the role of Gln596 for ALOX15 functionality we mutated this amino acid to different residues in rabbit and human ALOX15 and investigated the impact of these mutations on structural, catalytic and allosteric enzyme properties. To shed light on the molecular basis of the observed functional alterations we performed in silico substrate docking studies and molecular dynamics simulations and also explored the impact of Gln596 exchange on the protein structure. The combined theoretical and experimental data suggest that Gln596 may not directly interact with the COO^--group of arachidonic acid. In contrast, mutations at Gln596 destabilize the secondary and tertiary structure of ALOX15 orthologs, which may be related to a disturbance of the electrostatic interaction network with other amino acids in the immediate surrounding. Moreover, our MD-simulations suggest that the geometry of the dimer interface depends on the structure of substrate bound inside the substrate-binding pocket and that Gln596Ala exchange impairs the allosteric properties of the enzyme. Taken together, these data indicate the structural and functional importance of Gln596 for ALOX15 catalysis.

12-Lipoxygenase Regulates Cold Adaptation and Glucose Metabolism by Producing the Omega-3 Lipid 12-HEPE from Brown Fat

Distinct oxygenases and their oxylipin products have been shown to participate in thermogenesis by mediating physiological adaptations required to sustain body temperature. Since the role of the lipoxygenase (LOX) family in cold adaptation remains elusive, we aimed to investigate whether, and how, LOX activity is required for cold adaptation and to identify LOX-derived lipid mediators that could serve as putative cold mimetics with therapeutic potential to combat diabetes. By utilizing mass-spectrometry-based lipidomics in mice and humans, we demonstrated that cold and β3-adrenergic stimulation could promote the biosynthesis and release of 12-LOX metabolites from brown adipose tissue (BAT). Moreover, 12-LOX ablation in mouse brown adipocytes impaired glucose uptake and metabolism, resulting in blunted adaptation to the cold in vivo. The cold-induced 12-LOX product 12-HEPE was found to be a batokine that improves glucose metabolism by promoting glucose uptake into adipocytes and skeletal muscle through activation of an insulin-like intracellular signaling pathway.

Gly188Arg substitution eliminates substrate inhibition in arachidonate 11R-lipoxygenase

Lipoxygenases (LOXs) are dioxygenases that catalyze the oxygenation of polyunsaturated fatty acids to hydroperoxyl derivates. These products are precursors for different lipid mediators which are associated with pathogenesis of various diseases such as asthma, atherosclerosis and cancer. Several LOXs suffer from substrate inhibition, a potential regulatory mechanism, yet it is unclear what is the cause of this phenomenon. One such enzyme is the coral 11R-LOX which displays a significant decrease in turnover rate at arachidonic acid concentrations above 30 μM. In this report, site-directed mutagenesis and inhibition assays were employed to shed light on the mechanism of substrate inhibition in 11R-LOX. We found that introduction of a positive charge to the active site entrance with Gly188Arg substitution completely eliminates the slow-down at higher substrate concentrations. Inhibition of 11R-LOX by its catalysis product, 11(R)-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid, suggests an uncompetitive mechanism. We reason that substrate inhibition in 11R-LOX is due to additional fatty acid binding by the enzyme:substrate complex at an allosteric site situated in the very vicinity of the active site entrance.

Resolving the Role of Lipoxygenases in the Initiation and Execution of Ferroptosis

Lipoxygenases (LOXs) have been implicated as central players in ferroptosis, a recently characterized cell death modality associated with the accumulation of lipid hydroperoxides: the products of LOX catalysis. To provide insight on their role, human embryonic kidney cells were transfected to overexpress each of the human isoforms associated with disease, 5-LOX, p12-LOX, and 15-LOX-1, which yielded stable cell lines that were demonstrably sensitized to ferroptosis. Interestingly, the cells could be rescued by less than half of a diverse collection of known LOX inhibitors. Furthermore, the cytoprotective compounds were similarly potent in each of the cell lines even though some were clearly isoform-selective LOX inhibitors. The cytoprotective compounds were subsequently demonstrated to be effective radical-trapping antioxidants, which protect lipids from autoxidation, the autocatalytic radical chain reaction that produces lipid hydroperoxides. From these data (and others reported herein), a picture emerges wherein LOX activity may contribute to the cellular pool of lipid hydroperoxides that initiate ferroptosis, but lipid autoxidation drives the cell death process.

Mutagenesis of Sequence Determinants of Truncated Porcine ALOX15 Induces Changes in the Reaction Specificity by Altering the Catalytic Mechanism of Initial Hydrogen Abstraction

The reaction specificity of lipoxygenases is of physiological relevance since the various oxygenation products exhibit different biological activities. Among mammalian ALOX15 orthologs there are arachidonic acid 12- and 15-lipoxygenating enzymes and recent studies suggested an evolutionary switch in that reaction specificity during late primate development. Previous reports showed that 12-lipoxygenating ALOX15 orthologs can be converted to 15-lipoxygenating enzymes by site-directed mutagenesis of some sequence determinants. Unfortunately, the molecular basis for those alterations are not well understood. Here, the arachidonic acid 12-lipoxygenating N-terminal truncation variant of pig ALOX15, for which a crystal structure is available, was used to explore the catalytic mechanism of the specificity switch induced by mutagenesis of Val418 and Val419 sequence determinants. We found that Val418Ile+Val419Met double mutant is dominantly 15-lipoxygenating. Docking and MD simulations, and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics calculations indicated that the wildtype energy barrier for arachidonic acid 15-lipoxygenation is 3.4 kcal mol^-1 higher than for 12-lipoxygenation. In contrast, for the Val418Ile+Val419Met double mutant the energy barrier for 12-lipoxygenation is 6.0 kcal mol^-1 higher than for 15-lipoxygenation. Our data suggest that enzyme-substrate complex geometries determine the value of these energy barriers and, as a consequence, the reaction specificity of ALOX15 orthologs.

A lipidomic study on the regulation of inflammation and oxidative stress targeted by marine ω-3 PUFA and polyphenols in high-fat high-sucrose diets

The ability of polyphenols to ameliorate potential oxidative damage of ω-3 PUFAs when they are consumed together and then, to enhance their potentially individual effects on metabolic health is discussed through the modulation of fatty acids profiling and the production of lipid mediators. For that, the effects of the combined consumption of fish oils and grape seed procyanidins on the inflammatory response and redox unbalance triggered by high-fat high-sucrose (HFHS) diets were studied in an animal model of Wistar rats. A standard diet was used as control. Results suggested that fish oils produced a replacement of ω-6 by ω-3 PUFAs in membranes and tissues, and consequently they improved inflammatory and oxidative stress parameters: favored the activity of 12/15-lipoxygenases on ω-3 PUFAs, enhanced glutathione peroxidases activity, modulated proinflammatory lipid mediators synthesis through the cyclooxygenase (COX) pathways and down-regulated the synthesis de novo of ARA leaded by Δ5 desaturase. Although polyphenols exerted an antioxidative and antiinflammatory effect in the standard diet, they were less effective to reduce inflammation in the HFHS dietary model. Contrary to the effect observed in the standard diet, polyphenols up-regulated COX pathways toward ω-6 proinflammatory eicosanoids as PGE₂ and 11-HETE and decreased the detoxification of ω-3 hydroperoxides in the HFHS diet. As a result, additive effects between fish oils and polyphenols were found in the standard diet in terms of reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. However, in the HFHS diets, fish oils seem to be the one responsible for the positive effects found in the combined group.

4-Hydroxyalkenal-activated PPARδ mediates hormetic interactions in diabetes

Activated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-δ (PPARδ) induces the expression of genes encoding enzymes that metabolize fatty acids and carbohydrate. Attempts to identify cellular activators of PPARδ produced large lists of various fatty acids and their metabolic derivatives; however, there is no consensus on specific and selective binding interactions of natural ligands with PPARδ. Most models on binding interactions within the ligand binding domain (LBD) of PPARδ have been derived from analyses of PPARδ-LBD crystals formed with synthetic low molecular weight ligands. Nonetheless, crystals of the whole receptor with natural ligands or of its heterodimer with its cognate retinoid X receptor (RXR) are not yet available for analysis. We have found that 4-hydroxyalkenals, non-enzymatic peroxidation products of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), namely, 4-hydroxy-2E,6Z-dodecadienal (4-HDDE) and 4-hydroxy-2E-nonenal (4-HNE), activate PPARδ in vascular endothelial cells and insulin-secreting beta cells, respectively. In both cases activated PPARδ induced adaptive responses that allowed the cells to adjust to ambient stressful metabolic conditions. This review article addresses the interactions of 4-hydroxyalkenals with PPARδ and the resulting hormetic interactions in cells exposed to nutrient overload conditions.

Mammalian lipoxygenases and their biological relevance

Lipoxygenases (LOXs) form a heterogeneous class of lipid peroxidizing enzymes, which have been implicated not only in cell proliferation and differentiation but also in the pathogenesis of various diseases with major public health relevance. As other fatty acid dioxygenases LOXs oxidize polyunsaturated fatty acids to their corresponding hydroperoxy derivatives, which are further transformed to bioactive lipid mediators (eicosanoids and related substances). On the other hand, lipoxygenases are key players in the regulation of the cellular redox homeostasis, which is an important element in gene expression regulation. Although the first mammalian lipoxygenases were discovered 40 years ago and although the enzymes have been well characterized with respect to their structural and functional properties the biological roles of the different lipoxygenase isoforms are not completely understood. This review is aimed at summarizing the current knowledge on the physiological roles of different mammalian LOX-isoforms and their patho-physiological function in inflammatory, metabolic, hyperproliferative, neurodegenerative and infectious disorders. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Oxygenated metabolism of PUFA: analysis and biological relevance".

Adipose tissue 12/15 lipoxygenase pathway in human obesity and diabetes

CONTEXT

Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is a key contributor to chronic inflammation in obesity. The 12/15-lipoxygenase pathway (ALOX) is present in adipose tissue (AT) and leads to inflammatory cascades that are causal for the onset of insulin resistance in rodent models of obesity.

OBJECTIVE

The pathophysiology of the ALOX 12/15 pathway in human AT is unknown. We characterized the ALOX pathway in different AT depots in obese humans with or without type 2 diabetes (T2D).

DESIGN

This study includes a cross-sectional cohort of 46 morbidly obese (body mass index >39 kg/m(2)) nondiabetic (n = 25) and T2D (n = 21) subjects.

SETTING

This study was conducted at Eastern Virginia Medical School (Norfolk, Virginia) in collaboration with Sentara Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery Center (Sentara Medical Group, Norfolk, Virginia).

PATIENTS

Twenty-five obese (body mass index 44.8 ± 4.4 kg/m(2)) nondiabetic (hemoglobin A1c 5.83% ± 0.27%) and 21 obese (43.4 ± 4.1 kg/m(2)) and T2D (hemoglobin A1c 7.66% ± 1.22%) subjects were included in the study. The subjects were age matched and both groups had a bias toward female gender.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Expression of ALOX isoforms along with fatty acid substrates and downstream lipid metabolites were measured. Correlations with depot-specific inflammatory markers were also established.

RESULTS

ALOX 12 expression and its metabolite 12(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid were significantly increased in the VAT of T2D subjects. ALOX 15A was exclusively expressed in VAT in both groups. ALOX 12 expression positively correlated with expression of inflammatory genes IL-6, IL-12a, CXCL10, and lipocalin-2.

CONCLUSIONS

ALOX 12 may have a critical role in regulation of inflammation in VAT in obesity and T2D. Selective ALOX 12 inhibitors may constitute a new approach to limit AT inflammation in human obesity.

ATP allosterically activates the human 5-lipoxygenase molecular mechanism of arachidonic acid and 5(S)-hydroperoxy-6(E),8(Z),11(Z),14(Z)-eicosatetraenoic acid

5-Lipoxygenase (5-LOX) reacts with arachidonic acid (AA) to first generate 5(S)-hydroperoxy-6(E),8(Z),11(Z),14(Z)-eicosatetraenoic acid [5(S)-HpETE] and then an epoxide from 5(S)-HpETE to form leukotriene A₄, from a single polyunsaturated fatty acid. This work investigates the kinetic mechanism of these two processes and the role of ATP in their activation. Specifically, it was determined that epoxidation of 5(S)-HpETE (dehydration of the hydroperoxide) has a rate of substrate capture (V_max/K_m) significantly lower than that of AA hydroperoxidation (oxidation of AA to form the hydroperoxide); however, hyperbolic kinetic parameters for ATP activation indicate a similar activation for AA and 5(S)-HpETE. Solvent isotope effect results for both hydroperoxidation and epoxidation indicate that a specific step in its molecular mechanism is changed, possibly because of a lowering of the dependence of the rate-limiting step on hydrogen atom abstraction and an increase in the dependency on hydrogen bond rearrangement. Therefore, changes in ATP concentration in the cell could affect the production of 5-LOX products, such as leukotrienes and lipoxins, and thus have wide implications for the regulation of cellular inflammation.

Genetic variation in prostaglandin synthesis and related pathways, NSAID use and colorectal cancer risk in the Colon Cancer Family Registry

Although use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) generally decreases colorectal cancer (CRC) risk, inherited genetic variation in inflammatory pathways may alter their potential as preventive agents. We investigated whether variation in prostaglandin synthesis and related pathways influences CRC risk in the Colon Cancer Family Registry by examining associations between 192 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and two variable nucleotide tandem repeats (VNTRs) within 17 candidate genes and CRC risk. We further assessed interactions between these polymorphisms and NSAID use on CRC risk. Using a case-unaffected-sibling-control design, this study included 1621 primary invasive CRC cases and 2592 sibling controls among Caucasian men and women aged 18-90. After adjustment for multiple comparisons, two intronic SNPs were associated with rectal cancer risk: rs11571364 in ALOX12 [OR(het/hzv) = 1.87, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.19-2.95, P = 0.03] and rs45525634 in PTGER2 (OR(het/hzv) = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.29-0.82, P = 0.03). Additionally, there was an interaction between NSAID use and the intronic SNP rs2920421 in ALOX12 on risk of CRC (P = 0.03); among those with heterozygous genotypes, risk was reduced for current NSAID users compared with never or former users (OR(het) = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.45-0.80), though not among those with homozygous wild-type or variant genotypes. The results of this study suggest that genetic variation in ALOX12 and PTGER2 may affect the risk of rectal cancer. In addition, this study suggests plausible interactions between NSAID use and variants in ALOX12 on CRC risk. These results may aid in the development of genetically targeted cancer prevention strategies with NSAIDs.

Kinetic and structural investigations into the allosteric and pH effect on the substrate specificity of human epithelial 15-lipoxygenase-2

Lipoxygenases, important enzymes in inflammation, can regulate their substrate specificity by allosteric interactions with their own hydroperoxide products. In this work, addition of both 13-(S)-hydroxy-(9Z,11E)-octadecadienoic acid [13-(S)-HODE] and 13-(S)-hydroperoxy-(6Z,9Z,11E)-octadecatrienoic acid to human epithelial 15-lipoxygenase-2 (15-LOX-2) increases the kcat/KM substrate specificity ratio of arachidonic acid (AA) and γ-linolenic acid (GLA) by 4-fold. 13-(S)-HODE achieves this change by activating kcat/KM(AA) but inhibiting kcat/KM(GLA), which indicates that the allosteric structural changes at the active site discriminate between the length and unsaturation differences of AA and GLA to achieve opposite kinetic effects. The substrate specificity ratio is further increased, 11-fold in total, with an increase in pH, suggesting mechanistic differences between the pH and allosteric effects. Interestingly, the loss of the PLAT domain affects substrate specificity but does not eliminate the allosteric properties of 15-LOX-2, indicating that the allosteric site is located in the catalytic domain. However, the removal of the PLAT domain does change the magnitude of the allosteric effect. These data suggest that the PLAT domain moderates the communication pathway between the allosteric and catalytic sites, thus affecting substrate specificity. These results are discussed in the context of protein dimerization and other structural changes.

Investigations of human platelet-type 12-lipoxygenase: role of lipoxygenase products in platelet activation

Human platelet-type 12-lipoxygenase (12-LOX) has recently been shown to play an important role in regulation of human platelet function by reacting with arachidonic acid (AA). However, a number of other fatty acids are present on the platelet surface that, when cleaved from the phospholipid, can be oxidized by 12-LOX. We sought to characterize the substrate specificity of 12-LOX against six essential fatty acids: AA, dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DGLA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), α-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosadienoic acid (EDA), and linoleic acid (LA). Three fatty acids were comparable substrates (AA, DGLA, and EPA), one was 5-fold slower (ALA), and two showed no reactivity with 12-LOX (EDA and LA). The bioactive lipid products resulting from 12-LOX oxidation of DGLA, 12-(S)-hydroperoxy-8Z,10E,14Z-eicosatrienoic acid [12(S)-HPETrE], and its reduced product, 12(S)-HETrE, resulted in significant attenuation of agonist-mediated platelet aggregation, granule secretion, αIIbβ3 activation, Rap1 activation, and clot retraction. Treatment with DGLA similarly inhibited PAR1-mediated platelet activation as well as platelet clot retraction. These observations are in surprising contrast to our recent work showing 12(S)-HETE is a prothrombotic bioactive lipid and support our hypothesis that the overall effect of 12-LOX oxidation of fatty acids in the platelet is dependent on the fatty acid substrates available at the platelet membrane.

Ligand-induced formation of transient dimers of mammalian 12/15-lipoxygenase: a key to allosteric behavior of this class of enzymes?

Mammalian lipoxygenases (LOXs) have been implicated in cellular defense response and are important for physiological homeostasis. Since their discovery, LOXs have been believed to function as monomeric enzymes that exhibit allosteric properties. In aqueous solutions, the rabbit 12/15-LOX is mainly present as hydrated monomer but changes in the local physiochemical environment suggested a monomer-dimer equilibrium. Because the allosteric character of the enzyme can hardly be explained using a single ligand binding-site model, we proposed that the binding of allosteric effectors may shift the monomer-dimer equilibrium toward dimer formation. To test this hypothesis, we explored the impact of an allosteric effector [13(S)-hydroxyoctadeca-9(Z),11(E)-dienoic acid] on the structural properties of rabbit 12/15-LOX by small-angle X-ray scattering. Our data indicate that the enzyme undergoes ligand-induced dimerization in aqueous solution, and molecular dynamics simulations suggested that LOX dimers may be stable in the presence of substrate fatty acids. These data provide direct structural evidence for the existence of LOX dimers, where two noncovalently linked enzyme molecules might work in unison and, therefore, such mode of association might be related to the allosteric character of 12/15-LOX. Introduction of negatively charged residues (W181E + H585E and L183E + L192E) at the intermonomer interface disturbs the hydrophobic dimer interaction of the wild-type LOX, and this structural alteration may lead to functional distortion of mutant enzymes.

Probing dimerization and structural flexibility of mammalian lipoxygenases by small-angle X-ray scattering

Human lipoxygenases (LOXs) and their metabolites have a great impact on human homeostasis and are of interest for targeted drug design. This goal requires detailed knowledge of their structures and an understanding of structure-function relationship. At the moment, there are two complete crystal structures for mammalian LOX [rabbit 12/15LOX (r-12/15LOX) and human 5LOX (h-5LOX)] and a fragment of human 12LOX. The low-resolution structures in solution for various LOX isoforms have brought about controversial results. Here we explored the behavior of r-12/15LOX in aqueous solution under different conditions (salt and pH) by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and compared it with human platelet-type 12S-LOX (hp-12LOX) and h-5LOX. Thermodynamic calculations concerning the stability of molecular assemblies, thermal motion analysis [TLSMD (translation, libration, and screw rotation motion detection based on crystallographic temperature factor B(j))], and results of SAXS analyses brought about the following conclusions: (i) in contrast to its crystal structure, r-12/15LOX functions as a monomer that dominates in solution; (ii) it dimerizes at higher protein concentrations in the presence of salt and with increasing degree of motional freedom of the N-terminal PLAT domain, as suggested by the Y98,614→R double mutant; (iii) in aqueous solutions, hp-12LOX is stable as a dimer, in contrast to h-5LOX and r-12/15LOX, which are monomeric; and (iv) all three mammalian isozymes show a high level of flexibility not only for the PLAT domain but also for other subdomains of the catalytic part in TLS (translation, libration, and screw rotation) analysis and hp-12LOX in SAXS.

Molecular enzymology of lipoxygenases

Lipoxygenases (LOXs) are lipid peroxidizing enzymes, implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory and hyperproliferative diseases, which represent potential targets for pharmacological intervention. Although soybean LOX1 was discovered more than 60years ago, the structural biology of these enzymes was not studied until the mid 1990s. In 1993 the first crystal structure for a plant LOX was solved and following this protein biochemistry and molecular enzymology became major fields in LOX research. This review focuses on recent developments in molecular enzymology of LOXs and summarizes our current understanding of the structural basis of LOX catalysis. Various hypotheses explaining the reaction specificity of different isoforms are critically reviewed and their pros and cons briefly discussed. Moreover, we summarize the current knowledge of LOX evolution by profiling the existence of LOX-related genomic sequences in the three kingdoms of life. Such sequences are found in eukaryotes and bacteria but not in archaea. Although the biological role of LOXs in lower organisms is far from clear, sequence data suggests that this enzyme family might have evolved shortly after the appearance of atmospheric oxygen on earth.

Binding of arachidonic acid and two flavonoid inhibitors to human 12- and 15-lipoxygenases: a steered molecular dynamics study

The lipoxygenases (LOX) are a family of non-heme iron-containing dioxygenases which catalyze the stereospecific insertion of molecular oxygen into arachidonic acid, leading to hydroxy derivatives as end products. In this work, we docked arachidonic acid and two of its competitive inhibitors, flavonoids baicalein and quercetin, into the binding pockets of human 12- and 15-lipoxygenase. Steered molecular dynamics (SMD) simulations were employed to study the unbinding processes of the substrate and inhibitors from the two isoforms.

Kinetic and structural investigations of the allosteric site in human epithelial 15-lipoxygenase-2

Allosteric regulation of human lipoxygenase (hLO) activity has recently been implicated in the cellular biology of prostate cancer. In the current work, we present isotope effect, pH, and substrate inhibitor data of epithelial 15-hLO-2, which probe the allosteric effects on its mechanistic behavior. The Dk(cat)/KM for 15-hLO-2, with AA and LA as substrate, is large indicating hydrogen atom abstraction is the principle rate-determining step, involving a tunneling mechanism for both substrates. For AA, there are multiple rate determining steps (RDS) at both high and low temperatures, with both diffusion and hydrogen bonding rearrangements contributing at high temperature, but only hydrogen bonding rearrangements contributing at low temperature. The observed kinetic dependency on the hydrogen bonding rearrangement is eliminated upon addition of the allosteric effector, 13-(S)-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (13-HODE), and no allosteric effects were seen on diffusion or hydrogen atom abstraction. The (k(cat)/KM)AA/(k(cat)/KM)LA ratio was observed to have a pH dependence, which was fit with a titration curve (pKa = 7.7), suggesting the protonation of a histidine residue, which could hydrogen bond with the carboxylate of 13-HODE. Assuming this interaction, 13-HODE was docked to the solvent exposed histidines of a 15-hLO-2 homology model and found to bind well with H627, suggesting a potential location for the allosteric site. Utilizing d31-LA as an inhibitor, it was demonstrated that the binding of d31-LA to the allosteric site changes the conformation of 15-hLO-2 such that the affinity for substrate increases. This result suggests that allosteric binding locks the enzyme into a catalytically competent state, which facilitates binding of LA and decreases the (k(cat)/KM)AA/(k(cat)/KM)LA ratio. Finally, the magnitude of the 13-HODE KD for 15-hLO-2 is over 200-fold lower than that of 13-HODE for 15-hLO-1, changing the substrate specificity of 15-hLO-2 to 1.9. This would alter the LO product distribution and increase the production of the pro-tumorigenic, 13-HODE, possibly representing a pro-tumorigenic feedback loop for 13-HODE and 15-hLO-2.

Substrate specificity effects of lipoxygenase products and inhibitors on soybean lipoxygenase-1

Recently, it has been shown that lipoxygenase (LO) products affect the substrate specificity of human 15-LO. In the current paper, we demonstrate that soybean LO-1 (sLO-1) is not affected by its own products, however, inhibitors which bind the allosteric site, oleyl sulfate (OS) and palmitoleyl sulfate (PS), not only lower catalytic activity, but also change the substrate specificity, by increasing the arachidonic acid (AA)/linoleic acid (LA) ratio to 4.8 and 4.0, respectively. The fact that LO inhibitors can lower activity and also change the LO product ratio is a new concept in lipoxygenase inhibition, where the goal is to not only reduce the catalytic activity but also alter substrate selectivity towards a physiologically beneficial product.