Sumoylation of methionine adenosyltransferase alpha 1 promotes mitochondrial dysfunction in alcohol-associated liver disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Methionine adenosyltransferase alpha1 (MATα1) is responsible for the biosynthesis of S-adenosylmethionine in normal liver. Alcohol consumption enhances MATα1 interaction with peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase NIMA-interacting 1 (PIN1), which blocks MATα1 mitochondrial targeting, resulting in lower mitochondrial MATα1 content and mitochondrial dysfunction in alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) in part through upregulation of cytochrome P450 2E1. Conversely, alcohol intake enhances SUMOylation, which enhances cytochrome P450 2E1 expression. MATα1 has potential SUMOylation sites, but whether MATα1 is regulated by SUMOylation in ALD is unknown. Here, we investigated if MATα1 is regulated by SUMOylation and, if so, how it impacts mitochondrial function in ALD. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Proteomics profiling revealed hyper-SUMOylation of MATα1, and prediction software identified lysine 48 (K48) as the potential SUMOylation site in mice (K47 in humans). Experiments with primary hepatocytes, mouse, and human livers revealed that SUMOylation of MAT1α by SUMO2 depleted mitochondrial MATα1. Furthermore, mutation of MATα1 K48 prevented ethanol-induced mitochondrial membrane depolarization, MATα1 depletion, and triglyceride accumulation. Additionally, CRISPR/CRISPR associated protein 9 gene editing of MATα1 at K48 hindered ethanol-induced MATα1-PIN1 interaction, degradation, and phosphorylation of MATα1 in vitro. In vivo, CRISPR/CRISPR associated protein 9 MATα1 K48 gene-edited mice were protected from ethanol-induced fat accumulation, liver injury, MATα1-PIN1 interaction, mitochondrial MATα1 depletion, mitochondrial dysfunction, and low S-adenosylmethionine levels. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our findings demonstrate an essential role for SUMOylation of MATα1 K48 for interaction with PIN1 in ALD. Preventing MATα1 K48 SUMOylation may represent a potential treatment strategy for ALD.

Kinetics of Electrophilic Fluorination of Steroids and Epimerisation of Fluorosteroids.

Fluorinated steroids, which are synthesised by electrophilic fluorination, form a significant proportion of marketed pharmaceuticals. To gain quantitative information on fluorination at the 6-position of steroids, kinetics studies were conducted on enol ester derivatives of progesterone, testosterone, cholestenone and hydrocortisone with a series of electrophilic N-F reagents. The stereoselectivities of fluorination reactions of progesterone enol acetate and the kinetic effects of additives, including methanol and water, were investigated. The kinetics of epimerisation of 6ß-fluoroprogesterone to the more pharmacologically active 6α-fluoroprogesterone isomer in HCl/acetic acid solutions are detailed.

SUMOylation regulates cytochrome P450 2E1 expression and activity in alcoholic liver disease.

Alcohol acts through numerous pathways leading to alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Cytochrome P450 (CYP2E1), an ethanol-inducible enzyme, metabolizes ethanol-producing toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) and is regulated at the posttranslational level. Small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)ylation is a posttranslational modification that involves the addition of SUMOs, which modulate protein stability, activity, and localization. We demonstrated that ubiquitin-conjugation enzyme 9, the SUMO-conjugating enzyme, is induced in the livers of an intragastric ethanol mouse model. Our aim is to examine whether SUMOylation could regulate ethanol-induced CYP2E1 expression in ALD and to elucidate the molecular mechanism(s). CYP2E1 and UBC9 expression in vitro and in vivo was detected by real-time PCR and immunoblotting/immunostaining. SUMOylation was assayed by mass spectrometry and coimmunoprecipitation. Ubc9 expression was induced in ethanol-fed mouse livers, and silencing inhibited ethanol-mediated CYP2E1 microsomal retention and enzymatic activity. CYP2E1 SUMOylation was found to be induced by ethanol in vitro and in vivo. Ubc9 silencing prevents ethanol-induced lipid accumulation and ROS production. UBC9 was highly expressed in human ALD livers. Finally, we found that lysine 410 is a key SUMOylated residue contributing to CYP2E1 protein stability and activity preventing CYP2E1 SUMOylation. Ethanol-mediated up-regulation of CYP2E1 via SUMOylation enhancing its protein stability and activity and may have important implications in ALD.-Tomasi, M. L., Ramani, K., Ryoo, M., Cossu, C., Floris, A., Murray, B. J., Iglesias-Ara, A., Spissu, Y., Mavila, N. SUMOylation regulates cytochrome P450 2E1 expression and activity in alcoholic liver disease.