Phonon-assisted population inversion of a single InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot by pulsed laser excitation.

We demonstrate a new method to realize the population inversion of a single InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot excited by a laser pulse tuned within the neutral exciton phonon sideband. In contrast to the conventional method of inverting a two-level system by performing coherent Rabi oscillation, the inversion is achieved by rapid thermalization of the optically dressed states via incoherent phonon-assisted relaxation. A maximum exciton population of 0.67±0.06 is measured for a laser tuned 0.83 meV to higher energy. Furthermore, the phonon sideband is mapped using a two-color pump-probe technique, with its spectral form and magnitude in very good agreement with the result of path-integral calculations.

Alterations in lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase-2 catalytic activity and mRNA expression in prostate carcinoma.

Recent studies in prostate tissues and especially cell lines have suggested roles for arachidonic acid (AA) metabolizing enzymes in prostate adenocarcinoma (Pca) development or progression. The goal of this study was to more fully characterize lipoxygenase (LOX) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene expression and AA metabolism in benign and malignant prostate using snap-frozen tissues obtained intraoperatively and mRNA analyses and enzyme assays. Formation of 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) was detected in 23/29 benign samples and 15-LOX-2 mRNA was detected in 21/25 benign samples. In pairs of pure benign and Pca from the same patients, 15-HETE production and 15-LOX-2 mRNA were reduced in Pca versus benign in 9/14 (P=.04) and 14/17 (P=.002), respectively. Under the same conditions, neither 5-HETE nor 12-HETE formation was detectable in 29 benign and 24 tumor samples; with a more sensitive assay, traces were detected in some samples, but there was no clear association with tumor tissue. COX-2 mRNA was detected by nuclease protection assay in 7/16 benign samples and 5/16 tumors. In benign and tumor pairs from 10 patients, COX-2 was higher in tumor versus benign in only 2, with similar results by in situ hybridization. Paraffin immunoperoxidase for COX-2 was performed in whole mount sections from 87 additional radical prostatectomy specimens, with strong expression in ejaculatory duct as a positive control and corroboration with in situ hybridization. No immunostaining was detected in benign prostate or tumor in 45% of cases. Greater immunostaining in tumor versus benign was present in only 17% of cases, and correlated with high tumor grade (Gleason score 8 and 9 vs. 5 to 7). In conclusion, reduced 15-LOX-2 expression and 15-HETE formation is the most characteristic alteration of AA metabolism in Pca. Increased 12-HETE and 5-HETE formation in Pca were not discernible. Increased COX-2 expression is not a typical abnormality in Pca in general, but occurs in high-grade tumors.

15-Lipoxygenase-2 expression in benign and neoplastic sebaceous glands and other cutaneous adnexa.

15-Lipoxygenase-2 has a limited tissue distribution in epithelial tissues, with mRNA detected in skin, cornea, lung, and prostate. It was originally cloned from human hair rootlets. In this study the distribution of 15-lipoxygenase-2 was characterized in human skin using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Strong uniform 15-lipoxygenase-2 in situ hybridization (n = 6) and immunostaining (n = 16) were observed in benign cutaneous sebaceous glands, with expression in differentiated secretory cells. Strong 15-lipoxygenase-2 immunostaining was also observed in secretory cells of apocrine and eccrine glands. Variable reduced immunostaining was observed in skin-derived sebaceous neoplasms (n = 8). In the eyelid, Meibomian glands were uniformly negative for 15-lipoxygenase-2 in all cases examined (n = 9), and sebaceous carcinomas apparently derived from Meibomian glands were also negative (n = 12). The mechanisms responsible for differential expression in cutaneous sebaceous vs eyelid Meibomian glands remain to be established. In epidermis, positive immunostaining was observed in the basal cell layer in normal skin, whereas five examined basal cell carcinomas were negative. Thus, the strongest 15-lipoxygenase-2 expression is in the androgen regulated secretory cells of sebaceous, apocrine, and eccrine glands. This compares with the prostate, in which 15-lipoxygenase-2 is expressed in differentiated prostate secretory cells (and reduced in the majority of prostate adenocarcinomas). The product of 15-lipoxygenase-2, 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, may be a ligand for the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma, which is expressed in sebocytes, and contribute to secretory differentiation in androgen regulated tissues such as prostate and sebaceous glands.

The origin of 15R-prostaglandins in the Caribbean coral Plexaura homomalla: molecular cloning and expression of a novel cyclooxygenase.

The highest concentrations of prostaglandins in nature are found in the Caribbean gorgonian Plexaura homomalla. Depending on its geographical location, this coral contains prostaglandins with typical mammalian stereochemistry (15S-hydroxy) or the unusual 15R-prostaglandins. Their metabolic origin has remained the subject of mechanistic speculations for three decades. Here, we report the structure of a type of cyclooxygenase (COX) that catalyzes transformation of arachidonic acid into 15R-prostaglandins. Using a homology-based reverse transcriptase--PCR strategy, we cloned a cDNA corresponding to a COX protein from the R variety of P. homomalla. The deduced peptide sequence shows 80% identity with the 15S-specific coral COX from the Arctic soft coral Gersemia fruticosa and approximately 50% identity to mammalian COX-1 and COX-2. The predicted tertiary structure shows high homology with mammalian COX isozymes having all of the characteristic structural units and the amino acid residues important in catalysis. Some structural differences are apparent around the peroxidase active site, in the membrane-binding domain, and in the pattern of glycosylation. When expressed in Sf9 cells, the P. homomalla enzyme forms a 15R-prostaglandin endoperoxide together with 11R-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid and 15R-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid as by-products. The endoperoxide gives rise to 15R-prostaglandins and 12R-hydroxyheptadecatrienoic acid, identified by comparison to authentic standards. Evaluation of the structural differences of this 15R-COX isozyme should provide new insights into the substrate binding and stereospecificity of the dioxygenation reaction of arachidonic acid in the cyclooxygenase active site.

Characterization of the coral allene oxide synthase active site with UV-visible absorption, magnetic circular dichroism, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy: evidence for tyrosinate ligation to the ferric enzyme heme iron.

Coral allene oxide synthase (AOS), a hemoprotein with weak sequence homology to catalase, is the N-terminal domain of a naturally occurring fusion protein with an 8R-lipoxygenase. AOS converts 8R-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid to the corresponding allene oxide. The UV--visible absorption and magnetic circular dichroism spectra of ferric AOS and of its cyanide and azide complexes, and the electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of native AOS (high-spin, g = 6.56, 5.22, 2.00) and of its cyanide adduct (low-spin, g = 2.86, 2.24, 1.60) closely resemble the corresponding spectra of bovine liver catalase (BLC). These results provide strong evidence for tyrosinate ligation to the heme iron of AOS as has been established for catalases. On the other hand, the positive circular dichroism bands in the Soret region for all three derivatives of ferric AOS are almost the mirror image of those in catalase. In addition, the cyanide affinity of native AOS (K(d) = 10 mM at pH 7) is about 3 orders of magnitude lower than that of BLC. Thus, while these results conclusively support a common tyrosinate-ligated heme in AOS as in catalase, significant differences exist in the interaction between their respective heme prosthetic groups and protein environments, and in the access of small molecules to the heme iron.

Site-directed mutagenesis studies on a putative fifth iron ligand of mouse 8S-lipoxygenase: retention of catalytic activity on mutation of serine-558 to asparagine, histidine, or alanine.

The reported crystal structures of plant and animal lipoxygenases (LOX) show that the nonheme iron in the catalytic domain is ligated by three histidines, the C-terminal isoleucine, and in certain structures also by a fifth iron ligand, an asparagine or histidine residue. Mouse 8-LOX and its homologues (e.g., human 15-LOX-2) are unique in having a serine in place of the usual Asn or His in this fifth position. To investigate the importance of the residue in mouse 8-LOX structure-function, the serine-558 was replaced by asparagine, histidine, or alanine using oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis. Wild-type mouse 8-LOX and the mutant cDNAs were expressed in HeLa cells infected with vaccinia virus encoding T7 RNA polymerase and their relative lipoxygenase activities assessed by incubation with [14C]arachidonic acid or [14C]linoleic acid followed by HPLC analysis of the products. The Ser558Asn and Ser558His mutants had equivalent or greater activity than wild-type 8-LOX. They also exhibited some 15-LOX activity, indicating that small structural perturbations (in this case to a residue identical in mouse 8-LOX and its 15-LOX-2 homologues) can interchange the positional specificity of these closely related enzymes. Remarkably, the Ser558Ala mutant exhibited significant 8-LOX activity, indicating that this position is not an essential iron ligand in the enzyme. We conclude that mouse 8-LOX is catalytically competent with only four amino acid iron ligands, and that Ser-558 of the wild-type enzyme does not play an essential role in catalysis.

Detection and cellular localization of 12R-lipoxygenase in human tonsils.

Formation of the 12R-lipoxygenase product, 12R-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12R-HPETE), has been detected previously only in human skin (Boeglin et al. (1998) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95, 6744). The unexpected appearance of an EST sequence (AA649213) for human 12R-lipoxygenase from germinal center B lymphocytes purified from human tonsils prompted our search for the existence of the enzyme in this novel source. Incubation of [1-14C]arachidonic acid with homogenates of human tonsillar tissue yielded mixtures of radiolabeled 12-HETE and 15-HETE. Stereochemical analysis showed varying ratios of 12S- and 12R-HETE, while 15-HETE was exclusively of the S-configuration. Using stereospecifically labeled [10S-3H]- and [10R-3H]arachidonic acid substrates we detected pro-R hydrogen abstraction at carbon 10 associated with formation of 12R-HETE. This mechanistic evidence implicates a 12R-lipoxygenase in the biosynthesis of 12R-HETE. The mRNA for the enzyme was identified in tonsils by RT-PCR and Northern analysis. The cellular distribution was established by in situ hybridization. Unexpectedly, hybridization was not observed in the lymphocytes of the germinal centers. Specific reaction was restricted to squamous epithelial cells, including the epithelium lining the tonsillar crypts. In this location the 12R-lipoxygenase might help regulate differentiation of the epithelium or participate in lymphocyte- epithelial cell interactions.

Biogenesis of volatile aldehydes from fatty acid hydroperoxides: molecular cloning of a hydroperoxide lyase (CYP74C) with specificity for both the 9- and 13-hydroperoxides of linoleic and linolenic acids.

A novel member of the plant cytochrome P450 CYP74 family of fatty acid hydroperoxide metabolizing enzymes has been cloned from melon fruit (Cucumis melo). The cDNA is comprised of 1,446 nucleotides encoding a protein of 481 amino acids. The homology at the amino acid level to other members of the CYP74 family is 35-50%, the closest relatives being allene oxide synthases. The cDNA was expressed in Escherichia coli, and the corresponding protein was purified by affinity column chromatography. The native enzyme showed a main Soret band at 418 nm, indicative of a low spin ferric cytochrome P450, and a 447-nm peak appeared in the CO-difference spectrum. Using [U-14C]radiolabeled substrate, HPLC, UV, and GC-MS, the products of conversion of 9S-hydroperoxy-linoleic acid were identified as 9-oxo-nonanic acid and 3Z-nonenal. Kinetic analysis of this hydroperoxide lyase showed the highest rate of reaction with 9-hydroperoxy-linolenic acid followed by 9-hydroperoxy-linoleic acid and then the corresponding 13-hydroperoxides. Overall, the newly characterized cytochrome P450 enzyme is a fatty acid hydroperoxide lyase with a preference, but not absolute specificity for the 9-positional hydroperoxides of linoleic and linolenic acids.

Two distinct pathways of formation of 4-hydroxynonenal. Mechanisms of nonenzymatic transformation of the 9- and 13-hydroperoxides of linoleic acid to 4-hydroxyalkenals.

The mechanism of formation of 4-hydroxy-2E-nonenal (4-HNE) has been a matter of debate since it was discovered as a major cytotoxic product of lipid peroxidation in 1980. Recent evidence points to 4-hydroperoxy-2E-nonenal (4-HPNE) as the immediate precursor of 4-HNE (Lee, S. H., and Blair, I. A. (2000) Chem. Res. Toxicol. 13, 698-702; Noordermeer, M. A., Feussner, I., Kolbe, A., Veldink, G. A., and Vliegenthart, J. F. G. (2000) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 277, 112-116), and a pathway via 9-hydroperoxylinoleic acid and 3Z-nonenal is recognized in plant extracts. Using the 9- and 13-hydroperoxides of linoleic acid as starting material, we find that two distinct mechanisms lead to the formation of 4-H(P)NE and the corresponding 4-hydro(pero)xyalkenal that retains the original carboxyl group (9-hydroperoxy-12-oxo-10E-dodecenoic acid). Chiral analysis revealed that 4-HPNE formed from 13S-hydroperoxy-9Z,11E-octadecadienoic acid (13S-HPODE) retains >90% S configuration, whereas it is nearly racemic from 9S-hydroperoxy-10E,12Z-octadecadienoic acid (9S-HPODE). 9-Hydroperoxy-12-oxo-10E-dodecenoic acid is >90% S when derived from 9S-HPODE and almost racemic from 13S-HPODE. Through analysis of intermediates and products, we provide evidence that (i) allylic hydrogen abstraction at C-8 of 13S-HPODE leads to a 10,13-dihydroperoxide that undergoes cleavage between C-9 and C-10 to give 4S-HPNE, whereas direct Hock cleavage of the 13S-HPODE gives 12-oxo-9Z-dodecenoic acid, which oxygenates to racemic 9-hydroperoxy-12-oxo-10E-dodecenoic acid; by contrast, (ii) 9S-HPODE cleaves directly to 3Z-nonenal as a precursor of racemic 4-HPNE, whereas allylic hydrogen abstraction at C-14 and oxygenation to a 9,12-dihydroperoxide leads to chiral 9S-hydroperoxy-12-oxo-10E-dodecenoic acid. Our results distinguish two major pathways to the formation of 4-HNE that should apply also to other fatty acid hydroperoxides. Slight ( approximately 10%) differences in the observed chiralities from those predicted in the above mechanisms suggest the existence of additional routes to the 4-hydroxyalkenals.

15S-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid activates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma and inhibits proliferation in PC3 prostate carcinoma cells.

15-Lipoxygenase (15-LOX)-2 is expressed in benign prostate secretory cells and benign prostate produces 15S-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15S-HETE) from exogenous arachidonic acid (AA). In contrast, 15S-LOX-2 and 15S-HETE formation are reduced in prostate carcinoma (Pca). The mechanisms whereby reduced 15-LOX-2 may contribute to Pca development or progression are not known. We investigated the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma in benign and malignant prostate tissues and the ability of 15S-HETE to activate PPARgamma-dependent transcription and modulate proliferation of the Pca cell line PC3. In contrast to benign prostate and similar to most Pca tissues, 15-LOX-2 mRNA was not detected in PC3 cells, and they did not produce detectable 15-HETE from [14C]AA. By reverse transcription-PCR, PPARgamma mRNA was present in 18 of 18 benign and 9 of 9 tumor specimens. The PPARgamma ligand BRL 49653 and 15S-HETE caused a dose-dependent inhibition of PC3 proliferation in a 14-day soft agar colony-forming assay (IC50 of 3 and 30 microM, respectively). 15S-HETE (10 microM) caused greater inhibition than 10 microM 15R-HETE. At 3 days, BRL 49653 and 15S-HETE caused a slight increase in cells in G0-G1 and a corresponding decrease in cells in S phase. In PC3 cells transiently transfected with a luciferase reporter linked to a PPAR response element, 1 microM BRL 49653 and 10 microM 15S-HETE caused approximately threefold and greater than twofold induction of PPAR-dependent transcription, respectively. By quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR and Northern analysis, 3-day treatment with BRL 49653 and 15S-HETE caused a reduction of PPARgamma expression but a marked up-regulation of the PPAR response element containing adipocyte type fatty acid binding protein. These results support the hypothesis that 15-LOX-2-derived 15S-HETE may constitute an endogenous ligand for PPARgamma in the prostate and that loss of this pathway by reduced expression of 15-LOX-2 may contribute to increased proliferation and reduced differentiation in prostate carcinoma.

The basis of prostaglandin synthesis in coral: molecular cloning and expression of a cyclooxygenase from the Arctic soft coral Gersemia fruticosa.

In vertebrates, the synthesis of prostaglandin hormones is catalyzed by cyclooxygenase (COX)-1, a constitutively expressed enzyme with physiological functions, and COX-2, induced in inflammation and cancer. Prostaglandins have been detected in high concentrations in certain corals, and previous evidence suggested their biosynthesis through a lipoxygenase-allene oxide pathway. Here we describe the discovery of an ancestor of cyclooxygenases that is responsible for prostaglandin biosynthesis in coral. Using a homology-based polymerase chain reaction cloning strategy, the cDNA encoding a polypeptide with approximately 50% amino acid identity to both mammalian COX-1 and COX-2 was cloned and sequenced from the Arctic soft coral Gersemia fruticosa. Nearly all the amino acids essential for substrate binding and catalysis as determined in the mammalian enzymes are represented in coral COX: the arachidonate-binding Arg(120) and Tyr(355) are present, as are the heme-coordinating His(207) and His(388); the catalytic Tyr(385); and the target of aspirin attack, Ser(530). A key amino acid that determines the sensitivity to selective COX-2 inhibitors (Ile(523) in COX-1 and Val(523) in COX-2) is present in coral COX as isoleucine. The conserved Glu(524), implicated in the binding of certain COX inhibitors, is represented as alanine. Expression of the G. fruticosa cDNA afforded a functional cyclooxygenase that converted exogenous arachidonic acid to prostaglandins. The biosynthesis was inhibited by indomethacin, whereas the selective COX-2 inhibitor nimesulide was ineffective. We conclude that the cyclooxygenase occurs widely in the animal kingdom and that vertebrate COX-1 and COX-2 are evolutionary derivatives of the invertebrate precursor.

Autoxidation of methyl linoleate: identification of the bis-allylic 11-hydroperoxide.

Based on the understanding of lipid peroxidation as a free radical chain reaction, over 50 yr ago the three primary products of linoleic acid autoxidation were predicted to be the 9-, 11-, and 13-hydroperoxides. The 9- and 13-hydroperoxides were found at the time, but formation of 11-hydroperoxylinoleate or any other bis-allylic fatty acid hydroperoxide has not been reported heretofore as a product of lipid peroxidation reactions. In vitamin E-controlled autoxidation of methyl linoleate, the 11-hydroperoxy derivative was identified as the next most prominent primary peroxidation product after the 9- and 13-hydroperoxides. It was present in approximately 5-10% of the abundance of the 9- or 13-hydroperoxide. The structures of 1l-hydroperoxylinoleate and its 11-hydroxy derivative were established by high-pressure liquid chromatography, ultraviolet spectroscopy, gas chromatography mass spectroscopy, and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The 11-hydroperoxide was not detectable in the absence of (alpha-tocopherol, indicating that efficient trapping of the 11-peroxyl radical as the hydroperoxide is critical to permitting its accumulation.

Reduced 15-lipoxygenase-2 immunostaining in prostate adenocarcinoma: correlation with grade and expression in high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia.

Arachidonic acid (AA) metabolites are implicated in the oncogenesis of several tumors, including prostate cancer. 15-Lipoxygenase-2 (15-LOX-2) is a novel AA-metabolizing enzyme with a limited tissue distribution, which includes prostate, lung, skin, and cornea. Previous studies have shown that 15-LOX-2 is present in benign prostate secretory cells and reduced in prostate adenocarcinoma and that production of the 15-LOX-2 metabolite 15S-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid is reduced in malignant compared with benign prostate. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency with which 15-LOX-2 immunostaining is reduced in prostate carcinoma and to correlate reduced expression with tumor differentiation (grade) and other pathologic parameters in radical prostatectomy specimens. Paraffin immunoperoxidase with a polyclonal antibody specific for 15-LOX-2 was performed on tumors and benign portions from 70 cases, and the percentage of tumor immunostaining for 15-LOX-2 was assessed. Whereas uniform 15-LOX-2 immunostaining was observed in secretory cells of benign glands, it was markedly reduced or absent in most adenocarcinomas: 23 of 70 tumors showed completely absent 15-LOX-2 immunostaining, and 45 of 70 cases showed negative immunostaining in more than 50% of the tumor. The extent of reduced 15-LOX-2 immunostaining correlated with tumor differentiation, with retained expression particularly in Gleason score 5 tumors versus a significant reduction of 15-LOX-2 in higher-grade tumors (mean +/- SD tumor 15-LOX-2 positive: Gleason score 5 = 67%+/-30%, Gleason score 6 = 16%+/-30%, Gleason score 7 = 23%+/-28%, Gleason score > or =8 = 41%+/-46%). In 16 cases with multifocal tumors or different foci of the same tumor with different grades, the higher-grade foci had significantly reduced 15-LOX-2 expression compared with the lower-grade foci. In peripheral zone tumors without complete loss of 15-LOX-2 expression, there was a significant inverse relationship between 15-LOX-2 immunostaining and tumor volume. There was not a significant correlation between 15-LOX-2 immunostaining and serum PSA or pathologic stage. In a subset of 27 cases, 15-LOX-2 expression in high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) glands was significantly reduced compared with benign glands. These data show that in contrast to the uniform expression of 15-LOX-2 in differentiated secretory cells of benign prostate, reduced 15-LOX-2 is a common alteration in prostate carcinoma, and this correlates with tumor cell differentiation. That reduced expression is seen in HGPIN suggests that this may be an early alteration in carcinoma development.

8S-lipoxygenase products activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha and induce differentiation in murine keratinocytes.

To determine the function and mechanism of action of the 8S-lipoxygenase (8-LOX) product of arachidonic acid, 8S-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (8S-HETE), which is normally synthesized only after irritation of the epidermis, transgenic mice with 8-LOX targeted to keratinocytes through the use of a loricrin promoter were generated. Histological analyses showed that the skin, tongue, and stomach of transgenic mice are highly differentiated, and immunoblotting and immunohistochemistries of skin showed higher levels of keratin-1 expression compared with wild-type mice. The labeling index, however, of the transgenic epidermis was twice that of the wild-type epidermis. Furthermore, 8S-HETE treatment of wild-type primary keratinocytes induced keratin-1 expression. Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha) was identified as a crucial component of keratin-1 induction through transient transfection with expression vectors for PPARalpha, PPARgamma, and a dominant-negative PPAR, as well as through the use of known PPAR agonists. From these studies, it is concluded that 8S-HETE plays an important role in keratinocyte differentiation and that at least some of its effects are mediated by PPARalpha.

Synthesis and applications of stereospecifically (3)H-labeled arachidonic acids as mechanistic probes for lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase catalysis.

Stereospecifically (3)H-labeled substrates are useful tools in studying the mechanism of hydrogen abstractions involved in the oxygenation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Here, we describe modified methods for the synthesis of arachidonic acids labeled with a single chiral tritium on the methylene groups at carbons 10 or 13. The appropriate starting material is a ketooctadecanoic acid which is prepared from an unsaturated C18 fatty acid precursor or by total synthesis. The (3)H label is introduced by NaB(3)H(4) reduction and the resulting tritiated hydroxy fatty acid then is tosylated, separated into the enantiomers by chiral phase HPLC, and subsequently transformed into stearic acids. A variety of stereospecifically labeled unsaturated fatty acids are obtained using literature methods of microbial transformation with the fungus Saprolegnia parasitica. Two applications are described: (i) In incubations of [10S-(3)H]- and [10R-(3)H]arachidonic acids in human psoriatic scales we show that a 12R-lipoxygenase accounts not only for synthesis of the major product 12R-HETE, but it contributes also, through subsequent isomerization, to the minor amounts of 12S-HETE. (ii) The [10R-(3)H]- and [10S-(3)H]arachidonic acids were also used to demonstrate that prostaglandin ring formation by cyclooxygenases does not involve carbocation formation at C-10 of arachidonic acid as was hypothesized recently.

Purification, molecular cloning, and expression of the gene encoding fatty acid 13-hydroperoxide lyase from guava fruit (Psidium guajava).

Guava fruit was identified as a particularly rich source of 13-hydroperoxide lyase activity. The enzyme proved stable to chromatographic procedures and was purified to homogeneity. Based on gel filtration and gel electrophoresis, the native enzyme appears to be a homotetramer with subunits of 55 kD. Starting with primers based on the peptide sequence, the enzyme was cloned by polymerase chain reaction with 3' and 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The sequence shows approximately 60-70% identity to known 13-hydroperoxide lyases and is classified in cytochrome P450 74B subfamily as CYP74B5. The cDNA was expressed in Escherichia coli (BL21 cells), with optimal enzyme activity obtained in the absence of isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside and delta-aminolevulinic acid. The expressed enzyme metabolized 13(S)-hydroperoxylinolenic acid over 10-fold faster than 13(S)-hydroperoxylinoleic acid and the 9-hydroperoxides of linoleic and linolenic acids. 13(S)-Hydroperoxylinolenic acid was converted to 12-oxododec-9(Z)-enoic acid and 3(Z)-hexenal, as identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The turnover number with this substrate, with enzyme concentration estimated from the Soret absorbance, was approximately 2000/s, comparable to values reported for the related allene oxide synthases. Distinctive features of the guava 13-hydroperoxide lyase and related cytochrome P450 are discussed.

Stereospecificity of hydrogen abstraction in the conversion of arachidonic acid to 15R-HETE by aspirin-treated cyclooxygenase-2. Implications for the alignment of substrate in the active site.

The initial and rate-limiting step in prostaglandin biosynthesis is stereoselective removal of the pro-S hydrogen from the 13-carbon of arachidonic acid. This is followed by oxygenation at C-11, formation of the five-membered ring, and a second oxygenation at C-15 to yield the endoperoxide product, prostaglandin G(2). Aspirin treatment of cyclooxygenase-2 is known to acetylate an active site serine, block prostaglandin biosynthesis, and give 15R-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15R-HETE) as the only product. 15R-HETE and prostaglandins have opposite stereoconfigurations of the 15-hydroxyl. To understand the changes that lead to 15R-HETE synthesis in aspirin-treated COX-2, we employed pro-R- and pro-S-labeled [13-(3)H]arachidonic acids to investigate the selectivity of the initial hydrogen abstraction. Remarkably, aspirin-treated COX-2 formed 15R-HETE with removal of the pro-S hydrogen at C-13 (3-9% retention of pro-S tritium label), the same stereoselectivity as in the formation of prostaglandins by native cyclooxygenase. To account for this result and the change in oxygenase specificity, we suggest that the bulky serine acetyl group forces a realignment of the omega end of the arachidonic acid carbon chain. This can rationalize abstraction of the C-13 pro-S hydrogen, the blocking of prostaglandin synthesis, and the formation of 15R-HETE as the sole enzymatic product.

Identification of amino acid determinants of the positional specificity of mouse 8S-lipoxygenase and human 15S-lipoxygenase-2.

Phorbol ester-inducible mouse 8S-lipoxygenase (8-LOX) and its human homologue, 15S-lipoxygenase-2 (15-LOX-2), share 78% identity in amino acid sequences, yet there is no overlap in their positional specificities. In this study, we investigated the determinants of positional specificity using a random chimeragenesis approach in combination with site-directed mutagenesis. Exchange of the C-terminal one-third of the 8-LOX with the corresponding portion of 15-LOX-2 yielded a chimeric enzyme with exclusively 15S-lipoxygenase activity. The critical region was narrowed down to a cluster of five amino acids by expression of multiple cDNAs obtained by in situ chimeragenesis in Escherichia coli. Finally, a pair of amino acids, Tyr(603) and His(604), was identified as the positional determinant by site-directed mutagenesis. Mutation of both of these amino acids to the corresponding amino acids in 15-LOX-2 (Asp and Val, respectively) converted the positional specificity from 8S to 90% 15S without yielding any other by-products. Mutation of the corresponding residues in 15-LOX-2 to the 8-LOX sequence changed specificity to 50% oxygenation at C-8 for one amino acid substitution and 70% at C-8 for the double mutant. Based on the crystal structure of the reticulocyte 15-LOX, these two amino acids lie opposite the open coordination position of the catalytic iron in a likely site for substrate binding. The change from 8 to 15 specificity entails a switch in the head to tail binding of substrate. Enzymes that react with substrate "head first" (5-LOX and 8-LOX) have a bulky aromatic amino acid and a histidine in these positions, whereas lipoxygenases that accept substrates "tail first" (12-LOX and 15-LOX) have an aliphatic residue with a glutamine or aspartate. Thus, this positional determinant of the 8-LOX and 15-LOX-2 may have significance for other lipoxygenases.