Effect of selective thiol-group derivatization on enzyme kinetics of (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase

Expression and clinical significance of BDH1 in liver cancer

Liver cancer is a deadly disease with generally poor patient outcomes. BDH1 is a key enzyme that regulates the metabolism and synthesis of ketone bodies. This study sought to explore the prognostic relevance of BDH1 mRNA expression in liver cancer.We utilized the Cancer Genome Atlas datasets to analyze the relationship between BDH1 expression and clinical outcomes. We used Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox analyses to explore the relevance of BDH1 mRNA levels to patient prognosis. Further gene set enrichment analysis was conducted as a means of comparing differences in gene expression as a function of BDH1 expression.Liver cancer samples exhibited significantly decreased BDH1 mRNA expression, and that this downregulation was correlated with a number of clinicopathological variables including gender, histologic grade, stage, TNM classification, and both overall and relapse-free survival. We further determined that BDH1 mRNA expression was an independent predictor of liver cancer patient prognosis. A subsequent gene set enrichment analysis found genes affected by BDH1 expression to be those enriched in pathways relating to MYC and wnt/β-catenin signaling.Our preliminary findings demonstrate for the first time that low expression of BDH1 mRNA is a potentially valuable independent prognostic indicator for liver cancer detection.

BDH2 is downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma and acts as a tumor suppressor regulating cell apoptosis and autophagy

BDH2 is a short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase family member involved in several biological and pathological processes, including the utilization of cytosolic ketone bodies, immunocyte regulation and tumor progression. In this study, we first revealed that BDH2 was downregulated in HCC tissues by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry analysis and that low BHD2 expression was significantly associated with poor overall survival, poor tumor differentiation, increased tumor size, venous invasion and an advanced BCLC stage. Moreover, the results of a univariate analysis and multivariate analysis revealed that BDH2 may be regarded as an independent prognostic marker. As a member of a gene family involved in ketone metabolism, BDH2 upregulated the level of β-HB in liver cells as well as the level of H3 histone acetylation. Functional analysis showed that BDH2 expression inhibited tumor cell growth, proliferation and migration. The results of the mechanistic analysis revealed that BDH2 induced mitochondrial apoptosis and inhibited autophagy through the unfolded protein response. Therefore, BDH2 may be a new HCC prognostic marker and a useful treatment target.

Characterization of Human DHRS6, an Orphan Short Chain Dehydrogenase/Reductase Enzyme

Human DHRS6 is a previously uncharacterized member of the short chain dehydrogenases/reductase family and displays significant homologies to bacterial hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenases. Substrate screening reveals sole NAD(+)-dependent conversion of (R)-hydroxybutyrate to acetoacetate with K(m) values of about 10 mm, consistent with plasma levels of circulating ketone bodies in situations of starvation or ketoacidosis. The structure of human DHRS6 was determined at a resolution of 1.8 A in complex with NAD(H) and reveals a tetrameric organization with a short chain dehydrogenases/reductase-typical folding pattern. A highly conserved triad of Arg residues ("triple R" motif consisting of Arg(144), Arg(188), and Arg(205)) was found to bind a sulfate molecule at the active site. Docking analysis of R-beta-hydroxybutyrate into the active site reveals an experimentally consistent model of substrate carboxylate binding and catalytically competent orientation. GFP reporter gene analysis reveals a cytosolic localization upon transfection into mammalian cells. These data establish DHRS6 as a novel, cytosolic type 2 (R)-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, distinct from its well characterized mitochondrial type 1 counterpart. The properties determined for DHRS6 suggest a possible physiological role in cytosolic ketone body utilization, either as a secondary system for energy supply in starvation or to generate precursors for lipid and sterol synthesis.

Development of a commercial amperometric biosensor electrode for the ketone D-3-hydroxybutyrate

Representatives of the common classes of quinoid NADH redox mediator, including Meldola Blue (MB) 3, 4-methyl-1,2-benzoquinone (4-MBQ) 4, 1-methoxy phenazine methosulphate (1-MeO-PMS) 5 and 2,6-dichloroindophenol (DCIP) 6, are shown to inhibit the NAD-dependent enzyme D-3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (HBDH), severely limiting their utility in the construction of a stable biosensor electrode for the ketone body D-3-hydroxybutyrate (3-OHB). It is proposed that these mediators bind covalently to important thiol groups in the enzyme. This mode of inhibition is overcome through the use of mediators such as 1,10-phenanthroline quinone (1,10-PQ) 7, which avoid 1,4-nucleophilic addition with enzyme amino acid residues such as Cys. As a result, 1,10-PQ 7 was selected for incorporation in a biosensor electrode for 3-OHB. The resulting MediSense Optiumtrade mark beta-Ketone electrode is stable (<or=10% loss in response at 30 degrees C versus 4 degrees C) with a long shelf life of 18 months. Diabetics can determine their D-3-hydroxybutyrate level with good precision (0.43 mM 3-OHB, 10.5% CV; 1.08 mM, 5.9%; 3.55 mM, 3.2%; n=20 per level) and accuracy (versus reference assay: slope=0.98; intercept=0.02 mM, r=0.97, n=120) over the range 0.0-6.0 mM in 30 s using a small volume of blood (5 microl). The electrode has a low operating potential (+200 mV versus Ag/AgCl) such that the effect of electroactive agents in blood is minimised.

Phosphatidylcholine activation of human heart (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase mutants lacking active center sulfhydryls: site-directed mutagenesis of a new recombinant fusion protein

(R)-3-Hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (BDH) is a lipid-requiring mitochondrial enzyme with a specific requirement of phosphatidylcholine (PC) for function. A plasmid has been constructed to express human heart (HH) BDH in Escherichia coli as a hexahistidine-tagged fusion protein (HH-Histag-BDH). A rapid two-step affinity purification yields active HH-Histag-BDH (and six mutants) with high specific activity ( approximately 130 micromol of NAD(+) reduced.min(-1).mg(-1)). HH-Histag-BDH has no activity in the absence of phospholipid and exhibits a specific requirement of PC for function. The HH-Histag-BDH-PC complex (and HH-BDH derived therefrom by enterokinase cleavage) has apparent Michaelis constants (K(m) values) for NAD(+), NADH, (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate (HOB), and acetoacetate (AcAc) similar to those for bovine heart or rat liver BDH. A computed structural model of HH-BDH predicts the two active center sulfhydryls to be C69 (near the adenosine moiety of NAD) and C242. With both sulfhydryls derivatized, BDH has minimal activity, but site-directed mutagenesis of C69 and/or C242 now shows that neither of these cysteines is required for PC activation or catalysis (the double mutant, C69A/C242A, is highly active with essentially normal kinetic parameters). Six cysteine mutants each have an increased K(m)(NADH) (2-6-fold) but an unchanged K(m)(NAD)+. The C242S and C69A/C242S enzymes (but not the analogous C242A mutants nor the C69A or C69S mutants) exhibit approximately 10-fold increases in K(m)(HOB) and K(m)(AcAc), reflecting an altered substrate binding site. Thus, although C242 (in the C-terminal lipid binding domain of BDH) is close to the active site, it appears to be in a hydrophobic environment and only indirectly defines the substrate binding site at the catalytic center of BDH.

Redox modulation of hslo Ca2+-activated K+ channels

The modulation of ion channel proteins by cellular redox potential has emerged recently as a significant determinant of channel function. We have investigated the influence of sulfhydryl redox reagents on human brain Ca2+-activated K+ channels (hslo) expressed in both human embryonic kidney 293 cells and Xenopus oocytes using macropatch and single-channel analysis. Intracellular application of the reducing agent dithiothreitol (DTT): (1) shifts the voltage of half-maximal channel activation (V0.5) approximately 18 mV to more negative potentials without affecting the maximal conductance or the slope of the voltage dependence; (2) slows by approximately 10-fold a time-dependent right-shift in V0.5 values ("run-down"); (3) speeds macroscopic current activation kinetics by approximately 33%; and (4) increases the single-channel open probability without affecting the unitary conductance. In contrast to DTT treatment, oxidation with hydrogen peroxide shifts macropatch V0.5 values to more positive potentials, increases the rate of channel run-down, and decreases the single-channel open probability. KCa channels cloned from Drosophila differ from hslo channels in that they show very little run-down and are not modulated by the addition of DTT. These data indicate that hslo Ca2+-activated K+ channels may be modulated by changes in the cellular redox potential as well as by the transmembrane voltage and the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration.

Redox modulation of hslo Ca2+-activated K+ channels

The modulation of ion channel proteins by cellular redox potential has emerged recently as a significant determinant of channel function. We have investigated the influence of sulfhydryl redox reagents on human brain Ca2+-activated K+ channels (hslo) expressed in both human embryonic kidney 293 cells and Xenopus oocytes using macropatch and single-channel analysis. Intracellular application of the reducing agent dithiothreitol (DTT): (1) shifts the voltage of half-maximal channel activation (V0.5) approximately 18 mV to more negative potentials without affecting the maximal conductance or the slope of the voltage dependence; (2) slows by approximately 10-fold a time-dependent right-shift in V0.5 values ("run-down"); (3) speeds macroscopic current activation kinetics by approximately 33%; and (4) increases the single-channel open probability without affecting the unitary conductance. In contrast to DTT treatment, oxidation with hydrogen peroxide shifts macropatch V0.5 values to more positive potentials, increases the rate of channel run-down, and decreases the single-channel open probability. KCa channels cloned from Drosophila differ from hslo channels in that they show very little run-down and are not modulated by the addition of DTT. These data indicate that hslo Ca2+-activated K+ channels may be modulated by changes in the cellular redox potential as well as by the transmembrane voltage and the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration.

Wild type and mutant human heart (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase expressed in insect cells

(R)-3-Hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (BDH) is a lipid-requiring mitochondrial enzyme with a specific requirement of phosphatidylcholine (PC) for function. PC is an allosteric activator that enhances NAD(H) binding to BDH. The enzyme serves as a paradigm to study specific lipid-protein interactions in membranes. Analysis of the primary sequence of BDH, as determined by molecular cloning, predicts that lipid binding and substrate specificity are contributed by the C-terminal third of the protein [Marks, A. R., McIntyre, J. O., Duncan, T. M., Erdjument-Bromage, H., Tempst, P., & Fleischer, S. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 15459-15463]. The mature form of human heart BDH has now been expressed in catalytically active form in insect cells (Sf9, Spodoptera frugiperda) transfected with BDH-cDNA in baculovirus. Endogenous PC in the insect cells fulfills the lipid requirement for the expressed BDH since enzymatic activity is lost upon digestion with phospholipase A2 and restored selectively by reconstitution with PC vesicles. The K(m)s for NAD+ and (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate (R-HOB) of expressed BDH are similar to those for bovine heart or rat liver BDH in mitochondria. Replacing Cys242 (the only cysteine in the C-terminal domain) with serine by site-directed mutagenesis resulted in a 10-fold increase in K(m) for R-HOB with no change in the K(m) for NAD+, indicating a role for Cys242 in substrate binding. Carboxypeptidase cleavage studies had indicated a requirement of the C-terminal for catalysis and a role in lipid binding [Adami, P., Duncan, T. M., McIntyre, J. O., Carter, C. E., Fu, C., Melin, M., Latruffe, N., & Fleischer, S. (1993) Biochem J. 292, 863-872]. We now show that deletion of twelve C-terminal amino acids to form a truncated BDH mutant results in loss of enzymic function. The expression in Sf 9 cells of the constitutively active full-length mature form of human heart BDH and the first expression and characterization of BDH mutants validate this system for structure-function studies of BDH.