Heme and heme biosynthesis intermediates induce heme oxygenase-1 and cytochrome P450 2A5, enzymes with putative sequential roles in heme and bilirubin metabolism: different requirement for transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid- derived 2-like 2.

Cytochrome P450 2A5 (CYP2A5) oxidizes bilirubin to biliverdin and represents a putative candidate for maintaining bilirubin at safe but adequate antioxidant levels. Curiously, CYP2A5 is induced by both excessive heme and chemicals that inhibit heme synthesis. We hypothesized that heme homeostasis is a key modifier of Cyp2a5 expression via transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-like 2 (Nrf2) and characterized the coordination of CYP2A5 and heme oxygenase-1 (HMOX1) responses using wild-type and Nrf2(-/-) primary mouse hepatocytes. HMOX1 was rapidly elevated by exogenous hemin, thereby limiting the transactivation of Cyp2a5 until high heme (> 5µM) exposure. Nrf2 was mandatory for CYP2A5 but not for HMOX1 induction by heme. CYP2A5 was intensively and HMOX1 moderately elevated in heme synthesis blockades by succinylacetone and N-methyl protoporphyrin IX, and Nrf2 partially mediated the induction of CYP2A5. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed that CYP2A5 is targeted Nrf2 dependently both to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria. However, excessive heme increased CYP2A5 predominantly in the ER. Phenobarbital, dibutyryl-cAMP, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) overexpression stimulate heme biosynthesis and induce CYP2A5. Acute but not chronic CYP2A5 induction by phenobarbital required Nrf2, whereas CYP2A5 induction by dibutyryl-cAMP and PGC-1α was potentiated by Nrf2 knockout. Collectively, heme homeostasis is established as a crucial regulator of hepatic Cyp2a5 expression mediated via Nrf2 activation, whereas Nrf2 is redundant for Hmox1 induction by heme. Similar subcellular targeting and coordination of CYP2A5 and HMOX1 responses suggest favorable conditions for enhanced CYP2A5-mediated bilirubin maintenance in altered heme homeostasis that predisposes to oxidative stress.

Characterization of human cytochrome P450 induction by pesticides.

Pesticides are a large group of structurally diverse toxic chemicals. The toxicity may be modified by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme activity. In the current study, we have investigated effects and mechanisms of 24 structurally varying pesticides on human CYP expression. Many pesticides were found to efficiently activate human pregnane X receptor (PXR) and/or constitutive androstane receptor (CAR). Out of the 24 compounds tested, 14 increased PXR- and 15 CAR-mediated luciferase activities at least 2-fold. While PXR was predominantly activated by pyrethroids, CAR was, in addition to pyrethroids, well activated by organophosphates and several carbamates. Induction of CYP mRNAs and catalytic activities was studied in the metabolically competent, human derived HepaRG cell line. CYP3A4 mRNA was induced most powerfully by pyrethroids; 50 µM cypermethrin increased CYP3A4 mRNA 35-fold. CYP2B6 was induced fairly equally by organophosphate, carbamate and pyrethroid compounds. Induction of CYP3A4 and CYP2B6 by these compound classes paralleled their effects on PXR and CAR. The urea herbicide diuron and the triazine herbicide atrazine induced CYP2B6 mRNA more than 10-fold, but did not activate CAR indicating that some pesticides may induce CYP2B6 via CAR-independent mechanisms. CYP catalyzed activities were induced much less than the corresponding mRNAs. At least in some cases, this is probably due to significant inhibition of CYP enzymes by the studied pesticides. Compared with human CAR activation and CYP2B6 expression, pesticides had much less effect on mouse CAR and CYP2B10 mRNA. Altogether, pesticides were found to be powerful human CYP inducers acting through both PXR and CAR.

Cytochrome P450 2A5 constitutive expression and induction by heavy metals is dependent on redox-sensitive transcription factor Nrf2 in liver.

Mouse cytochrome P450 2A5 (CYP2A5) is upregulated in various pathophysiological liver diseases and induced by structurally variable hepatotoxic chemicals. A putative common feature for all of these conditions is altered cellular redox status. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-like 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor that is post-translationally regulated by oxidative stress and controls the transcription of numerous protective target genes. In the present study, we have extensively characterized the regulation of Cyp2a5 by Nrf2 and compared it to a well-characterized target gene Hmox1. The treatment of mouse primary hepatocytes with lead chloride, methylmercury chloride, or phenethyl isothiocyanate all leads to nuclear accumulation of Nrf2. Both CYP2A5 and HMOX1 were induced by all three compounds; however, HMOX1 responded more rapidly and transiently as compared to CYP2A5. Experiments in Nrf2(-/-) primary hepatocytes showed that Nrf2 is crucial for CYP2A5 induction but not for elevation of HMOX1. Both CYP2A5 and HMOX1 were upregulated by Nrf2 overexpression and downregulated by Keap1 or Bach1 overexpression. However, in all cases, CYP2A5 responded much more potently. Results in Nrf2-deficient animals showed that CYP2A5 expression is significantly attenuated in the absence of Nrf2, while expression of HMOX1 was unaffected. Therefore, Cyp2a5 joins the group of genes constitutively regulated by Nrf2. Our current results unequivocally show that expression of CYP2A5 is tightly controlled by Nrf2 in liver. Nrf2 is needed for constitutive expression of CYP2A5, and CYP2A5 is also sensitively upregulated by an increased level of Nrf2 protein. Therefore, CYP2A5 upregulation could be a useful indicator for hepatic activation of the Nrf2 pathway.

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator and upstream stimulatory factor regulate Cytochrome P450 2a5 transcription through a common E-box site.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT) belongs to the basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors and regulates several genes as heterodimers with other bHLH proteins. ARNT is also able to homodimerize, but no mammalian target genes for the homodimer have been shown. We identified a palindromic E-box element in the 5' regulatory region of the murine cytochrome P450 (Cyp) 2a5 gene that was found to be important for Cyp2a5 transcription in primary hepatocytes, and was found by chromatin immunoprecipitation assays to interact with ARNT. Electrophoretic mobility-shift assay experiments with in vitro translated ARNT showed binding without heterodimerization partner, indicating binding as a homodimer. Transfection studies in wild-type and ARNT-deficient Hepa-1 cells revealed that ARNT expression is necessary for full activity of the Cyp2a5 promoter. In the liver-specific Arnt-null mouse line, the level of hepatic CYP2A5 mRNA was decreased significantly. Co-transfection studies with an ARNT expression vector lacking the transactivation domain (TAD) demonstrated that the ARNT TAD is needed for Cyp2a5 activation, which suggests that ARNT transactivates Cyp2a5 as a homodimer. In primary hepatocytes, the mRNA levels of both CYP2A5 and ARNT splice variant 1 were increased during cultivation. Upstream stimulatory factors 1 and 2a were also able to bind to the same E-box as ARNT, indicating that there may be competition for DNA binding between these factors. Indeed, the upstream stimulatory factors activated the Cyp2a5 promoter through the E-box only in the presence of hepatocyte nuclear factor-4alpha, while ARNT transactivation was independent of hepatocyte nuclear factor-4alpha. In conclusion, these results indicate that ARNT controls Cyp2a5 transcription and thus, for the first time, suggest active involvement of the ARNT homodimer in mammalian gene regulation.

Regulation of CYP2A5 gene by the transcription factor nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2.

We have previously shown that cadmium, a metal that alters cellular redox status, induces CYP2A5 expression in nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 wild-type (Nrf2+/+) mice but not in the knockout (Nrf2-/-) mice. In the present studies, the potential role of Nrf2 in cadmium-mediated regulation of Cyp2a5 gene was investigated in mouse primary hepatocytes. Cadmium chloride (CdCl2) caused a time-dependent induction of the CYP2A5 at mRNA, protein, and activity levels, with a substantial increase observed within 3 h of exposure. Immunoblotting showed cadmium-dependent nuclear accumulation of Nrf2 within 1 h of exposure. Cotransfection of mouse primary hepatocytes with Cyp2a5 promoter-luciferase reporter plasmids and Nrf2 expression plasmid resulted in a 3-fold activation of Cyp2a5 promoter-mediated transcription relative to the control. Deletion analysis of the promoter localized the Nrf2 responsive region to an area from -2656 to -2339 base pair. Computer-based sequence analysis identified two putative stress response elements (StRE) within the region at positions -2514 to -2505 and -2386 to -2377. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that interaction of the more proximal StRE with Nrf2 was stimulated by CdCl2. Finally, site-directed mutagenesis of the proximal StRE in Cyp2a5 promoter-luciferase reporter plasmids abolished Nrf2-mediated induction. Collectively, the results indicate that Nrf2 activates Cyp2a5 transcription by directly binding to the StRE in the 5'-flanking region of the gene. This acknowledges Cyp2a5 as the first phase I xenobiotic-metabolizing gene identified under the control of the StRE-Nrf2 pathway with a potential role in adaptive response to cellular stress.