Active site substitution A82W improves the regioselectivity of steroid hydroxylation by cytochrome P450 BM3 mutants as rationalized by spin relaxation nuclear magnetic resonance studies

Cytochrome P450 BM3 from Bacillus megaterium is a monooxygenase with great potential for biotechnological applications. In this paper, we present engineered drug-metabolizing P450 BM3 mutants as a novel tool for regioselective hydroxylation of steroids at position 16β. In particular, we show that by replacing alanine at position 82 with a tryptophan in P450 BM3 mutants M01 and M11, the selectivity toward 16β-hydroxylation for both testosterone and norethisterone was strongly increased. The A82W mutation led to a ≤42-fold increase in V(max) for 16β-hydroxylation of these steroids. Moreover, this mutation improves the coupling efficiency of the enzyme, which might be explained by a more efficient exclusion of water from the active site. The substrate affinity for testosterone increased at least 9-fold in M11 with tryptophan at position 82. A change in the orientation of testosterone in the M11 A82W mutant as compared to the orientation in M11 was observed by T(1) paramagnetic relaxation nuclear magnetic resonance. Testosterone is oriented in M11 with both the A- and D-ring protons closest to the heme iron. Substituting alanine at position 82 with tryptophan results in increased A-ring proton-iron distances, consistent with the relative decrease in the level of A-ring hydroxylation at position 2β.

Metabolism ofN-substituted 7-methoxy-4-(aminomethyl) -coumarins by cytochrome P450 2D6 mutants and the indication of additional substrate interaction points

Previous studies have shown the critical roles residues F120 and F483 play in the oxidative metabolism of 7-methoxy-4-(aminomethyl)-coumarin (MAMC) by cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6). In the present study, a series of N-alkyl-7-methoxy-4-(aminomethyl)-coumarins (MAMC analogues) were used as substrates for the F120A and F483A mutants in order to probe the CYP2D6 active site. The F120A and F483A mutants of CYP2D6 displayed significant activity towards the MAMC analogues. Automated docking studies of the MAMC analogues in a CYP2D6 homology model suggested a distal hydrophobic active site binding cleft for the substrate N-alkyl chains, consisting of the residues L213 and V308.

Uptake–toxicity relationships of a series of N-substituted N′-(4-imidazole-ethyl)thiourea in precision-cut rat liver slices

A previous study showed that the cytotoxicity of a series of N-p-phenyl-substituted N'-(4-imidazole-ethyl)thiourea in precision-cut rat liver slices increased with increasing electron-withdrawing capacity of the p-substituent and may be related to the Vmax/Km values of bioactivation of the thiourea-moiety by hepatic flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs). However, differences in the uptake of xenobiotics into precision-cut liver slices can also have consequences for the rates of metabolism of xenobiotics. In the present study, therefore, we investigated the rate and nature of uptake of 9 N-substituted N'-(4-imidazole-ethyl)thiourea into precision-cut rat liver slices. It was found that a five-fold difference exists among a series of N-substituted N'-(4-imidazole-ethyl)thiourea both in the initial rate of uptake and in the steady-state levels ultimately achieved in the precision-cut rat liver slices. It appeared that the most cytotoxic compounds were also the most readily absorbed compounds. The concentration-dependent initial rate of uptake could be described by a carrier-mediated saturable component and a non-saturable component. At cytotoxic concentrations, the non-saturable component accounted for more than 95% of the total uptake. From this study, it is concluded that differences in rate of uptake of thiourea-containing compounds may be a contributing factor to the differences in bioactivation by FMOs as the basis of the structure-toxicity relationships observed in precision-cut rat liver slices.

Bioactivation of N-substituted N'-(4-imidazole-ethyl)thioureas by human FMO1 and FMO3

Enzyme kinetic parameters of the bioactivation of thiourea-containing compounds by human flavin-containing monooxygenase enzymes (FMOs) FMO1 and FMO3 were investigated. A microtitre-based adaptation of methodology described for the thiourea-dependent oxidation of thiocholine was used to determine the turnover of thiourea-containing compounds by human FMO1 and FMO3. The results show that major differences in enzyme kinetic parameters for N-substituted N'-(4-imidazole-ethyl)thiourea exist between human FMO3 and human FMO1. Whereas Km values of N-substituted N'-(4-imidazole-ethyl)thioureas for human FMO3 are all in the millimolar range, the Km values for human FMO1 range from the low micromolar to the low millimolar range. Furthermore, among a series of N-p-phenyl-substituted N'-(4-imidazole-ethyl)thioureas an interesting structure-activity relationship is evident with both FMO1 and FMO3. Where the Km decreases with increasing electron-withdrawing capacity of the p-substituent in the case of FMO1, the opposite phenomenon may be the case with FMO3. The kcat values of the compounds were all comparable for FMO1, averaging 3.03 +/- 0.56 min-1, whereas more variation was found for FMO3 (3.71 +/- 2.01 min-1). Enzyme kinetic parameters Km and kcat/Km of human FMO1 for N-substituted N'-(4-imidazole-ethyl)thioureas show a high degree of correlation with the results obtained in rat liver microsomes, in which rat FMO1 is the most abundant form, whereas those of human FMO3 do not.

Use of 19F-nuclear magnetic resonance and gas chromatography-electron capture detection in the quantitative analysis of fluorine-containing metabolites in urine of sevoflurane-anaesthetized patients

1: The use of fluorine-19 nuclear magnetic resonance (19F-NMR) and gas chromatography-electron capture detection (GC-ECD) in the analysis of fluorine-containing products in the urine of sevoflurane-exposed patients was explored. 2: Ten patients were anaesthetized by sevoflurane for 135-660 min at a flow rate of 6 l min(-1). Urine samples were collected before, directly after and 24 h after discontinuation of anaesthesia. 3: 19F-NMR analysis of the urines showed the presence of several fluorine-containing metabolites. The main oxidative metabolite, hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP)-glucuronide, showed two strong quartet signals in the 19F-NMR spectrum. HFIP concentrations after beta-glucuronidase treatment were quantified by (19)F-nuclear magnetic resonance. Concentrations directly after and 24 h after discontinuation of anaesthesia were 131 +/- 41 (mean +/- SEM) and 61 +/- 19 mol mg(-1) creatinine, respectively. Urinary HFIP excretions correlated with sevoflurane exposure. 4: Longer scanning times enabled the measurement of signals from two compound A-derived metabolites, i.e. compound A mercapturic acid I (CAMA-I) and compound A mercapturic acid II (CAMA-II), as well as products from beta-lyase activation of the respective cysteine conjugates of compound A. The signals of the mercapturic acids, 3,3,3-trifluoro-2-(fluoromethoxy)-propanoic acid and 3,3,3-trifluorolactic acid were visible after combining and concentrating the patient urines. CAMA-I and -II excretions in patients were completed after 24 h. 5: Since 19F-nuclear magnetic resonance is not sensitive enough, urinary mercapturic acids concentrations were quantified by gas chromatography-electron capture detection. CAMA-I and -II urinary concentrations were 2.3 +/- 0.7 and 1.4 +/- 0.4 mol mg(-1) creatinine, respectively. Urinary excretion of CAMA-I showed a correlation with sevoflurane exposure, whereas CAMA-II did not. 6. The results show that 19F-nuclear magnetic resonance is a very selective and convenient technique to detect and quantify HFIP in non-concentrated human urine. 19F-nuclear magnetic resonance can also be used to monitor the oxidative biotransformation of sevoflurane in anaesthetized patients. Compound A-derived mercapturic acids and 3,3,3-trifluoro-2-(fluoromethoxy)-propanoic acid and 3,3,3-trifluorolactic acid, however, require more sensitive techniques such as gas chromatography-electron capture detection and/or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for quantification.

Studies on the inhibition of human cytochromes P450 by selenocysteine Se-conjugates

1. To investigate whether cytochrome P450 (P450) inhibition can contribute to the chemopreventive activity of selenocysteine Se-conjugates (SeCys conjugates), 21 SeCys conjugates were screened for their inhibitory potency towards seven of the most important human P450s. 2. The majority of the SeCys conjugates produced near complete inhibition of CYP1A1 at a concentration of 250 microm. The most potent inhibitor, Se-benzyl-L-selenocysteine, displayed an IC50 of 12.8 +/- 1.2 microm. CYP2C9, -2C19 and -2D6 were moderately (50-60%) inhibited by the SeCys conjugates. CYP1A2, -2E1 and -3A4 were least inhibited. 3. Studies on the susceptibility of CYP1A1 to SeCys conjugates implicated a thiol-reactive intermediate, as evidenced by reduced inhibition levels in the presence of glutathione and N-acetyl cysteine. Uncoupling of the P450-catalytic cycle was of no importance as ROS scavengers did not influence inhibition levels. 4. P450 inhibition by two physiologically relevant metabolite classes of SeCys conjugates was also studied. N-acetylation of SeCys conjugates consistently increased the inhibitory potency towards CYP1A2, -2C19, -2E1 and -3A4. Beta-lyase catalysed bioactivation of alkyl-substituted SeCys conjugates or Se-benzyl-L-selenocysteine produced little or no additional inhibition of P450 activity. For Se-phenyl-L-selenocysteine, however, significant increases in P450 inhibition were obtained by beta-lyase pre-incubation. 5. It is concluded that the potent and relatively selective CYP1A1 inhibition exerted by SeCys conjugates may contribute to their chemopreventive activity.