Glutathione-garlic sulfur conjugates: slow hydrogen sulfide releasing agents for therapeutic applications.

Natural organosulfur compounds (OSCs) from Allium sativum L. display antioxidant and chemo-sensitization properties, including the in vitro inhibition of tumor cell proliferation through the induction of apoptosis. Garlic water- and oil-soluble allyl sulfur compounds show distinct properties and the capability to inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells. In the present study, we optimized a new protocol for the extraction of water-soluble compounds from garlic at low temperatures and the production of glutathionyl-OSC conjugates during the extraction. Spontaneously, Cys/GSH-mixed-disulfide conjugates are produced by in vivo metabolism of OSCs and represent active molecules able to affect cellular metabolism. Water-soluble extracts, with (GSGaWS) or without (GaWS) glutathione conjugates, were here produced and tested for their ability to release hydrogen sulfide (H2S), also in the presence of reductants and of thiosulfate:cyanide sulfurtransferase (TST) enzyme. Thus, the TST catalysis of the H2S-release from garlic OSCs and their conjugates has been investigated by molecular in vitro experiments. The antiproliferative properties of these extracts on the human T-cell lymphoma cell line, HuT 78, were observed and related to histone hyperacetylation and downregulation of GAPDH expression. Altogether, the results presented here pave the way for the production of a GSGaWS as new, slowly-releasing hydrogen sulfide extract for potential therapeutic applications.

A novel rhodanese is required to maintain chloroplast translation in Chlamydomonas.

Rhodanese-domain proteins (RDPs) are widespread in plants and other organisms, but their biological roles are mostly unknown. Here we report on a novel RDP from Chlamydomonas that has a single rhodanese domain, and a predicted chloroplast transit peptide. The protein was produced in Escherichia coli with a His-tag, but lacking most of the N-terminal transit peptide, and after purification was found to have rhodanese activity in vitro. It was also used to elicit antibodies for western blot analysis, which showed that the native Chlamydomonas protein migrated slower on SDS gels (apparent M(r) =34 kDa) than its predicted size (27 kDa), and co-fractionated with chloroplasts. To assess function in vivo, the tandem-RNAi approach was used to generate Chlamydomonas strains that had reductions of 30-70% for the mRNA and ~20-40% for the 34-kDa protein. These strains showed reduced growth under all trophic conditions, and were sensitive to even moderate light; properties reminiscent of chloroplast translation mutants. Pulse-labeling in the presence of cycloheximide indicated that chloroplast protein synthesis was broadly reduced in the RNAi strains, and transcript analysis (by RT-PCR and northern blotting) indicated the effect was mainly translational. These results identify a novel rhodanese-like protein that we have named CRLT, because it is required to maintain chloroplast translation.

N-acetyl-L-cysteine as a source of sulfane sulfur in astrocytoma and astrocyte cultures: correlations with cell proliferation.

N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), a precursor of L-cysteine, not only elevates the level of glutathione in both astrocytoma and astrocyte cultures, but also affects the cellular level of sulfane sulfur. Astrocytoma cells were investigated using the stable U373 human cell line. In the U373 cells, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, depending on the concentration in the culture medium and culture duration, either elevated or diminished the level of sulfane sulfur, and this was respectively accompanied by decreased or increased cellular proliferation. In murine astrocytes, in turn, NAC was capable of lowering the level of sulfane sulfur and in this way decreased cellular proliferation. It seems that normal (astrocyte) and transformed (astrocytoma) cells differed in their reaction to NAC in the culture medium. The effect of N-acetyl-L-cysteine on astrocytoma cells was advantageous in that it inhibited their proliferation through the elevation of the level of sulfane sulfur.

Menadione effect on l-cysteine desulfuration in U373 cells.

The non-cytotoxic concentration (20 microM) of menadione (2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone), after 1 h of incubation, leads to loss of the activity of rhodanese by 33%, 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase by 20%, as well as the level of sulfane sulfur by about 23% and glutathione by 12%, in the culture of U373 cells, in comparison with the control culture. Reactive oxygen species generated by menadione oxidize sulfhydryl groups in active centers of the investigated enzymes, inhibiting them and saving cysteine for glutathione synthesis. A decreased sulfane sulfur level can be correlated with an oxidative stress.

Hydrogen peroxide induces the dissociation of GroEL into monomers that can facilitate the reactivation of oxidatively inactivated rhodanese.

Although, several studies have been reported on the effects of oxidants on the structure and function of other molecular chaperones, no reports have been made so far for the chaperonin GroEL. The ability of GroEL to function under oxidative stress was investigated in this report by monitoring the effects of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) on the structure and refolding activity of this protein. Using fluorescence spectroscopy and light scattering, we observed that GroEL showed increases in exposed hydrophobic sites and changes in tertiary and quaternary structure. Differential sedimentation, gel electrophoresis, and circular dichroism showed that H(2)O(2) treated GroEL underwent irreversible dissociation into monomers with partial loss of secondary structure. Relative to other proteins, GroEL was found to be highly resistant to oxidative damage. Interestingly, GroEL monomers produced under these conditions can facilitate the reactivation of H(2)O(2)-inactivated rhodanese but not urea-denatured rhodanese. Recovery of approximately 84% active rhodanese was obtained with either native or oxidized GroEL in the absence of GroES or ATP. In comparison, urea-denatured GroEL, BSA and the refolding mixture in the absence of proteins resulted in the recovery of 72, 50, and 49% rhodanese activity, respectively. Previous studies have shown that GroEL monomers can reactivate rhodanese. Here, we show that oxidized monomeric GroEL can reactivate oxidized rhodanese suggesting that GroEL retains the ability to protect proteins during oxidative stress.

Inhibition of the catalytic activity of rhodanese by S-nitrosylation using nitric oxide donors.

Rhodanese (EC 2.8.1.1.) from bovine liver contains four reduced cysteine groups. The -SH group of cysteine 247, located in a rhodanese active centre, transfers sulfane sulfur in a form of hydrosulfide (-S-SH) from appropriate donors to nucleophilic acceptors. We aimed to discover whether S-nitrosylation of critical cysteine groups in rhodanese can inhibit activity of the enzyme by covalent modification of -SH groups. The inhibition of rhodanese activity was studied with the use of a number of nitric oxide (NO) donors. We have successfully confirmed using several methods that the inhibition of rhodanese activity is a result of the formation of stable S-nitrosorhodanese. Low molecular weight NO donors, such as S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) and S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), inactivate rhodanese and are much more effective in this regard (100% inhibition at 2.5mM) than such known inhibitors of this enzyme, as N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) (25 mM < 50%) or sulfates(IV) (90% inhibition at 5mM). On the other hand, sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and nitrites inhibit rhodanese activity only in the presence of thiols, which suggests that S-nitrosothiols (RSNO) also have to participate in this reaction in this case. A demonstration that rhodanese activity can be inhibited as a result of S-nitrosylation suggests the possible mechanism by which nitric oxide may regulate sulfane sulfur transport to different acceptors.

Inhibition of Azotobacter vinelandii rhodanese by NO-donors.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a versatile regulatory molecule that affects enzymatic activity through chemical modification of reactive amino acid residues (e.g., Cys and Tyr) and by binding to metal centers. In the present study, the inhibitory effect of the NO-donors S-nitroso-glutathione (GSNO), (+/-)E-4-ethyl-2-[E-hydroxyimino]-5-nitro-3-hexenamide (NOR-3), and S-nitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine (SNAP) on the catalytic activity of Azotobacter vinelandii rhodanese (RhdA) has been investigated. GSNO, NOR-3, and SNAP inhibit RhdA sulfurtransferase activity in a concentration- and time-dependent fashion. The absorption spectrum of the NOR-3-treated RhdA displays a maximum at 335 nm, indicating NO-mediated S-nitrosylation. RhdA inhibition by NO-donors correlates with S-nitrosothiol formation. The reducing agent dithiothreitol prevents RhdA inhibition by NO-donors, fully restores the catalytic activity, and reverts the NOR-3-induced RhdA absorption spectrum to that of the active enzyme. These results indicate that RhdA inhibition occurs via NO-mediated S-nitrosylation of the unique Cys230 catalytic residue.

Inhibition study of rhodanese by means of electrophoretically mediated microanalysis.

A combination of the electrophoretically mediated microanalysis methodology with a partial filling technique was applied for the inhibition study of bovine liver rhodanese by 2-oxoglutarate. In this set-up, part of the capillary is filled with the best buffer for the enzymatic reaction, while the rest of the capillary is filled with the optimal background electrolyte for separation of substrates and products. The estimated value of K1 for 2-oxoglutarate was 3.62 x 10(-4) +/- 1.43 x 10(-4) M with respect to cyanide and 1.40 x 10(-3) +/- 1.60 x 10(-4) M with respect to thiosulfate. In addition, the type of inhibition was also evaluated. The findings of 2-oxoglutarate as the competitive inhibitor with respect to cyanide and as the uncompetitive inhibitor with respect to thiosulfate are in accordance with previous literature data.

Characterization of a 12-kilodalton rhodanese encoded by glpE of Escherichia coli and its interaction with thioredoxin.

Rhodaneses catalyze the transfer of the sulfane sulfur from thiosulfate or thiosulfonates to thiophilic acceptors such as cyanide and dithiols. In this work, we define for the first time the gene, and hence the amino acid sequence, of a 12-kDa rhodanese from Escherichia coli. Well-characterized rhodaneses are comprised of two structurally similar ca. 15-kDa domains. Hence, it is thought that duplication of an ancestral rhodanese gene gave rise to the genes that encode the two-domain rhodaneses. The glpE gene, a member of the sn-glycerol 3-phosphate (glp) regulon of E. coli, encodes the 12-kDa rhodanese. As for other characterized rhodaneses, kinetic analysis revealed that catalysis by purified GlpE occurs by way of an enzyme-sulfur intermediate utilizing a double-displacement mechanism requiring an active-site cysteine. The K(m)s for SSO(3)(2-) and CN(-) were 78 and 17 mM, respectively. The apparent molecular mass of GlpE under nondenaturing conditions was 22.5 kDa, indicating that GlpE functions as a dimer. GlpE exhibited a k(cat) of 230 s(-1). Thioredoxin 1 from E. coli, a small multifunctional dithiol protein, served as a sulfur acceptor substrate for GlpE with an apparent K(m) of 34 microM when thiosulfate was near its K(m), suggesting that thioredoxin 1 or related dithiol proteins could be physiological substrates for sulfurtransferases. The overall degree of amino acid sequence identity between GlpE and the active-site domain of mammalian rhodaneses is limited ( approximately 17%). This work is significant because it begins to reveal the variation in amino acid sequences present in the sulfurtransferases. GlpE is the first among the 41 proteins in COG0607 (rhodanese-related sulfurtransferases) of the database Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/COG/) for which sulfurtransferase activity has been confirmed.

Partitioning of rhodanese onto GroEL. Chaperonin binds a reversibly oxidized form derived from the native protein.

The mammalian mitochondrial enzyme, rhodanese, can form stable complexes with the Escherichia coli chaperonin GroEL if it is either refolded from 8 M urea in the presence of chaperonin or is simply added to the chaperonin as the folded conformer at 37 degreesC. In the presence of GroEL, the kinetic profile of the inactivation of native rhodanese followed a single exponential decay. Initially, the inactivation rates showed a dependence on the chaperonin concentration but reached a constant maximum value as the GroEL concentration increased. Over the same time period, in the absence of GroEL, native rhodanese showed only a small decline in activity. The addition of a non-denaturing concentration of urea accelerated the inactivation and partitioning of rhodanese onto GroEL. These results suggest that the GroEL chaperonin may facilitate protein unfolding indirectly by interacting with intermediates that exist in equilibrium with native rhodanese. The activity of GroEL-bound rhodanese can be completely recovered upon addition of GroES and ATP. The reactivation kinetics and commitment rates for GroEL-rhodanese complexes prepared from either unfolded or native rhodanese were identical. However, when rhodanese was allowed to inactivate spontaneously in the absence of GroEL, no recovery of activity was observed upon addition of GroEL, GroES, and ATP. Interestingly, the partitioning of rhodanese and its subsequent inactivation did not occur when native rhodanese and GroEL were incubated under anaerobic conditions. Thus, our results strongly suggest that the inactive intermediate that partitions onto GroEL is the reversibly oxidized form of rhodanese.

Mitochondrial and cytosolic rhodanese from liver of DAB-treated mice. III. Inhibition kinetic studies.

Rhodanese (thiosulphate:cyanide sulphurtransferase) shows distinctive mitochondrial and cytoplasmic activities in several models of tumorigenesis. To investigate the basis for these differences, the enzyme was purified from mitochondrial and cytosolic liver fractions of mice treated with the carcinogen p-dimethyl-aminoazobenzene (DAB) and some inhibition kinetic studies were carried out. When both substrates were assayed at inhibitory levels, non-competitive inhibition was observed for the second substrate at variable concentrations, the reversible connection between both substrates was attained by the instability of the second enzyme form. It is suggested that the enzyme might be changing from an unstable ES form to a more stable sulphur substituted intermediate as a consequence of DAB treatment. Sulphite was a competitive inhibitor vs thiosulphate for rhodanese isolated from normal liver and a hyperbolic activator for the enzyme isolated from liver of DAB-treated animals.

Cytosolic and mitochondrial enzymes inactivation by uroporphyrin in light and darkness.

The effect of uroporphyrin I (UI) on several cytosolic and mitochondrial enzymes (succinyl CoA synthetase, delta-aminolevulinic acid synthetase, rhodanese, lactate dehydrogenase) has been examined. All the enzymes were inactivated in the presence of the porphyrin both in the dark and under UV light.

Cysteine 254 can cooperate with active site cysteine 247 in reactivation of 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid)-inactivated rhodanese as determined by site-directed mutagenesis.

Sulfhydryl substitution mutants of rhodanese (thiosulfate:cyanide sulfurtransferase; EC 2.8.1.1) were used to determine whether the 4 cysteine residues in the native structure could cooperate in reactions. The sulfhydryl reactivity of persulfide-containing (ES) rhodanese was not significantly changed when cysteine residues at positions 63, 254, and 263 were replaced by serine, either individually or in combination. However, the sulfhydryl reactivity of persulfide-free (E) rhodanese was enhanced when Cys-254 was mutated. One sulfhydryl group, presumably the active site Cys-247, reacted rapidly in the E forms of these proteins with 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) or 4,4'-dipyridyl disulfide (4-PDS). After reaction with DTNB or 4-PDS, proteins with Cys-254 retained > 95% of their original activities as compared with Ser-254-containing proteins, which retained < 6% of their activities. Cyanide treatment could release thionitrobenzoate from rhodanese-thionitrobenzoate complexes with an approximate 1:1 stoichiometry. After this treatment, only the wild-type and C263S enzymes were fully active. Cyanide-treated rhodanese-thionitrobenzoate complexes of the C254S and C254S/C263S mutants could be fully reactivated using an exogenously added thiol, beta-mercaptoethanol. These results are consistent with the formation of a Cys-247-thiocyano derivative that is inactive but capable of being reactivated by intramolecular transfer of cyanide to Cys-254. In the absence of Cys-254, beta-mercaptoethanol can serve as the transferring sulfhydryl group.

Immobilized rhodanese: some aspects of anion inhibition kinetics and modulation by cations.

The rat liver rhodanese (thiosulphate: cyanide sulfurtransferase EC 2.6.1.1) has been immobilized on polyacrylamide gels. The immobilized enzyme had a pH optimum of 7.4 and Km values of 3.25 mM and 1.12 mM for S2O3(2-) and KCN, respectively. The enzyme was competitively inhibited by NaNO2 and CH3COONa and noncompetitively by amyl-nitrite. A modulation of activity was observed in the presence of Ca2+, Zn2+, and Cu2+. The results are discussed in line with the detoxicating function of liver rhodanese.

A chaperone-mimetic effect of serum albumin on rhodanese.

Reactivation of denatured rhodanese (thiosulfate:cyanide sulfurtransferase, EC 2.8.1.1) was found to be aided by the presence of serum albumin. Both the rate and the extent of reactivation of the urea-denatured enzyme were optimal at low rhodanese and moderate serum albumin concentrations. Similarly, stabilization of the sulfurtransferase activity of rhodanese that had been partially unfolded at 40 degrees C was aided by the presence of serum albumin. All the observations are in accord with a model in which enzyme that has been partially refolded from the urea-denatured state or partially unfolded thermally interacts directly with serum albumin in a way that prevents rhodanese self-association. Serum albumin thus acts as a molecular chaperone in these systems.

Reducing sugars can induce the oxidative inactivation of rhodanese.

The enzyme rhodanese (thiosulfate sulfurtransferase, EC 2.8.1.1) is inactivated on incubation with reducing sugars such as glucose, mannose, or fructose, but is stable with non-reducing sugars or related polyhydroxy compounds. The enzyme is inactivated with (ES) or without (E) the transferable sulfur atom, although E is considerably more sensitive, and inactivation is accentuated by cyanide. Inactivation of E is accompanied by increased proteolytic susceptibility, a decreased sulfhydryl titer, a red-shift and quenching of the protein fluorescence, and the appearance of hydrophobic surfaces. Superoxide dismutase and/or catalase protect rhodanese. Inactive enzyme can be partially reactivated during assay and almost completely reactivated by incubation with thiosulfate, lauryl maltoside, and 2-mercaptoethanol. These results are similar to those observed when rhodanese is inactivated by hydrogen peroxide. These observations, as well as the cyanide-dependent, oxidative inactivation by phenylglyoxal, are explained by invoking the formation of reactive oxygen species such as superoxide or hydrogen peroxide from autooxidation of alpha-hydroxy carbonyl compounds, which can be facilitated by cyanide.

Kinetic evidence for the existence of an unstable intermediate in the trinitrophenylation-induced rhodanese inactivation reaction.

1. Rhodanese inactivation by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulphonate, in the presence of n-butylamine in the reaction medium, has been studied by a kinetic analysis of the data, based on the assumption that enzyme inactivation is brought about by direct reaction of this with the modifying agent. 2. Initial reaction rates for rhodanese activity loss were determined by a mathematical analysis of the first three recorded values of rhodanese residual activity. 3. It was found that fractional rhodanese activity values, at infinite reaction time with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulphonate (end-point values), were significantly lower than the values calculated on the assumption of rhodanese inactivation being entirely due to direct trinitrophenylation of enzyme protein. 4. Also, initial enzyme inactivation values were higher in the presence, rather than in the absence, of n-butylamine. 5. These results indicate that 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulphonate-induced rhodanese inactivation, in the presence of n-butylamine in the reaction medium, is due to the generation of a highly reactive, unstable intermediate, probably a free radical species.

In vitro effect of cyanide, thiosulphate and S-adenosyl-L-methionine on the activity of rhodanese and other enzymes.

1. Some in vitro studies were performed to elucidate the action of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) and thiosulphate on liver rhodanese, delta-amino-levulinic acid dehydratase (Al A-D) and cytochrome oxidase affected by cyanide in the experimental conditions. 2. SAM was unable to interact with the sulfur substituted rhodanese complex suggesting that SAM would blockade the thiosulphate binding sites on rhodanese. 3. Cyanide and thiosulphate inhibited ALA-D activity when both compounds were present in the incubation or the preincubation mixture. Cyanide binding on the enzyme was irreversible. 4. Cyanide inhibited cytochrome oxidase activity and the reversible nature of the binding was demonstrated by gel filtration. 5. SAM had no effect on either ALA-D or cytochrome oxidase activities.