Biotransformation of steroids by a recombinant yeast strain expressing bovine cytochrome P-45017alpha.

The cDNA encoding cytochrome P-45017alpha from bovine adrenal cortex was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae under the control of the galactose-inducible GAL10 promoter. Carbon monoxide difference spectra of the galactose-induced yeast cells showed expression of about 240 nmol of P-45017alpha per liter of the culture. Binding of progesterone to the cytochrome P-45017alpha was clearly detectable already with intact yeast cells as judged by the formation of type I substrate difference spectra. Yeast cells grown on minimal medium containing galactose actively converted progesterone to 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, this indicating the functional integrity of the heterologously expressed P-45017alpha and its efficient coupling with the constitutive NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase. More than 80% of the metabolite produced was secreted into the culture medium. Cultivation in a rich non-selective medium resulted in the formation of an additional product, which was identified by mass spectrometry as 17alpha-hydroxy-20-dihydroprogesterone. Kinetic analysis revealed that its production followed the cytochrome P-45017alpha-dependent hydroxylation reaction. The reduction of the 20-keto group of 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone was also observed in the non-induced yeast culture, this suggesting the involvement of the constitutive enzyme. Among several substrates tested, progesterone was hydroxylated by the cytochrome P-45017alpha expressed with the highest activity. The activity towards other substrates decreased in the sequence: 11beta- > 11alpha- > 19-hydroxyprogesterone. In conclusion, the present results show that the host-vector system used is suitable for high-level functional expression of P-45017alpha and further application of enzymatic properties of this protein to perform specific steroid biotransformations.

Allelic variants of human cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1): effect of T461N and I462V substitutions on steroid hydroxylase specificity.

Steroid hydroxylation specificities were determined for the wild-type and the two allelic variants of the polymorphic human cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) that were associated with amino acid exchanges near the active site of the enzyme. All three variants were expressed in insect cells using recombinant baculoviruses. Each variant protein was spectrally and enzymatically active, as judged by the ability of the prepared microsomes to catalyse O-dealkylation of ethoxyresorufin and pentoxyresorufin in cumene hydroperoxide-mediated reactions. With progesterone and testosterone as substrate, all variants of CYP1A1 exhibited high, but different steroid hydroxylation activities (8-40 pmol hydroxysteroid/min/pmol CYP1A1, i.e. approximately 800-4000 pmol/min/mg microsomal protein). All three variants exclusively catalysed 6beta-hydroxylation of both steroids. In addition, towards progesterone as substrate, all variants also catalysed 16alpha-hydroxylations with approximately half of the rate of 6beta-hydroxylation activity. With progesterone as substrate for hydroxylation in 6beta position, CYP1A1 T461N had the lowest catalytic efficiency (Vmax/Km) followed by the CYP1A1 I462V variant and the wild-type enzyme. For 16alpha-hydroxylation of progesterone, the catalytic efficiencies of the three variants are not statistically significantly different. With testosterone as substrate the CYP1A1 1462V variant catalysed 6beta-hydroxylation with an efficiency considered not significantly different compared to the wild-type, although both the apparent Km and Vmax were significantly decreased. In contrast, the CYP1A1 T461N variant exhibited significantly decreased catalytic efficiencies compared to both the 1462V variant and the wild-type enzyme. These results indicate that all three naturally occurring allelic variants of human CYP1A1 hydroxylate steroid hormones with varying efficiencies in a stereo- and regioselective manner, whereby the CYP1A1 T461N variant exhibited the lowest catalytic efficiency.

Complex formation in vesicle-reconstituted mitochondrial cytochrome P450 systems (CYP11A1 and CYP11B1) as evidenced by rotational diffusion experiments using EPR and ST-EPR.

Rotational diffusion measurements using EPR and saturation transfer EPR were applied to analyze complex formation between the electron-transfer components of the mitochondrial steroid-hydroxylating cytochrome P450 systems (CYP11A1 and CYP11B1) in phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylethanolamine/cardiolipin vesicles prepared by octyl glucoside dialysis/adsorption. Octyl glucoside reconstitution of P450SCC results in large vesicles, which have an advantage over small vesicles in that vesicle tumbling does not contribute to measured rotational diffusion rates. Immobilization of spin-labeled adrenodoxin by both P450SCC and adrenodoxin reductase indicates equimolar complexation between P450SCC and adrenodoxin as well as between adrenodoxin reductase and adrenodoxin. Combination of rotational diffusion and antibody cross-linking confirmed the complexation of adrenodoxin with P450SCC and for the first time provided direct evidence of a complex between P450SCC and P45011beta in the membrane. In contrast, no evidence was found for the existence of adrenodoxin reductase-P450SCC complexes or a ternary complex of all three proteins. Thus, these experiments confirm the shuttle mechanism of electron transfer to vesicle-reconstituted P450SCC and P45011beta.

CYP12A1, a mitochondrial cytochrome P450 from the house fly.

Eukaryotic P450 proteins are membrane proteins found predominantly in the endoplasmic reticulum. In vertebrates, several biosynthetic P450s are found in mitochondria as well. We cloned three putative insect mitochondrial P450s from larval house fly cDNA. These P450s are members of a new P450 family, CYP12. The CYP12 proteins are most closely related to the mammalian mitochondrial P450 of the CYP11, CYP24, and CYP27 families. The most abundant cDNA, CYP12A1, was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. NADPH-dependent reduction of CYP12A1 was rapid and efficient with the bovine mitochondrial proteins adrenodoxin reductase and adrenodoxin as electron transfer partners. In contrast, house fly microsomal NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase reduced CYP12A1 only poorly. In a reconstituted system with the bovine mitochondrial electron donors, CYP12A1 metabolized a variety of insecticides and other xenobiotics, but did not metabolize ecdysteroids, juvenoids, or fatty acids. Subcellular localization of CYP12A1 by immunogold histochemistry established the mitochondrial nature of this protein. CYP12A1 mRNA levels are constitutively higher in an insecticide-resistant strain than in a susceptible strain, and this trait maps to chromosome II in the house fly, where the constitutive overexpression of the pesticide-metabolizing microsomal CYP6A1 also maps. Multiple mitochondrial P450s have evolved in insects and may play a role in the metabolism of xenobiotics in addition to their possibly ancestral functions in steroidogenesis.

Synthesis and some aspects of topogenesis of bovine cytochrome P450scc in yeast.

A plasmid for effective expression of recombinant DNA encoding a hybrid protein composed of the N-terminal targeting presequence of subunit IV of yeast cytochrome c oxidase preceding the mature polypeptide chain of bovine cytochrome P450scc (pCoxIV-CYP11A1) in yeast has been constructed. It has been shown that this protein, when synthesized in yeast cells, in imported into mitochondria and undergoes proteolytic processing, thus yielding a product of molecular mass corresponding to that of mature cytochrome P450scc. However, only insignificant portion of the imported protein proves to be inserted into the inner membrane of heterologous mitochondria. The membrane-bound cytochrome P450scc exhibits cholesterol hydroxylase activity towards 22R-hydroxycholesterol in the presence of exogenous adrenodoxin and adrenodoxin reductase. This fact indicates that the foreign protein is correctly folded and oriented in the membrane. Thus, insertion into the inner membrane is a limiting step of the pCoxIV-CYP11A1 topogenesis in yeast cells, whereas its import into mitochondria and proteolytic processing proceed without significant impediments.

Digital fluorescence imaging of elementary steps of neurosteroid synthesis in rat brain glial cells.

With fluorescence microscopic imaging, we have examined Ca2+ signaling, LDL uptake and distribution of cytochrome P450 scc on individual rat brain glial cells in order to investigate the molecular mechanisms of neurosteroid synthesis. Astrocytes and oligodendrocytes were cultured from newborn rat brain. Ca2+ signaling was observed in Calcium Green-1 loaded astrocytes upon neurotransmitter stimulations using video-enhanced microscopy. Upon stimulation of serotonin and glutamate, we observed typically three types of Ca2+ signaling which were Ca2+ oscillations, a transient increase in Ca2+ concentration and Ca2+ oscillations superimposed on a transient Ca2+ increase. On the other hand, histamine and ATP induced only a transient increase in Ca2+ without oscillatory response. Uptake of octadecyl rhodamine (R18) labeled LDL by astrocytes and oligodendrocytes was observed in the time scale of 30 min with confocal laser scanning microscopy. Some localization of LDL in the cytoplasm was observed for astrocytes. For oligodendrocytes, incorporated LDL was distributed over the entire cytoplasmic region of both cell body and multiple branched cell processes. The presence of a significant amount of cytochrome P450 scc was demonstrated with immunofluorescence staining in both astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. The density of P450 scc in both glial cells was suggested to be around 1% of that in bovine adrenocortical fasciculata cells. The results lead to an improved quantitative picture of neurosteroid synthesis in glial cells.

Langmuir-Blodgett films of cytochrome P450scc and its complex with adrenodoxin.

Langmuir-Blodgett films prepared from cytochrome P450scc and its complex with adrenodoxin have been prepared and studied. Adrenodoxin was preliminarily selectively modified with fluorescein isothiocyanate and the effect of this modification on the interaction with cytochrome P450scc was studied. Using selectively modified adrenodoxin the ratio of the proteins in the film was found to be 1 mole of adrenodoxin per 2 moles of cytochrome P450scc. Langmuir-Blodgett films were also prepared from adrenodoxin-reductase and it was shown that this flavoprotein is transferred to the substrate as an apo-protein. It is also shown that the adrenodoxin-binding region of cytochrome P450scc is exposed to the subphase under all pressures in the interval studied. The relationship between the orientation of cytochrome P450scc-adrenodoxin complex in monolayers on the water-air interface and the pressure produced at the interface at the moment of monolayer formation was found. Our data are in excellent accordance with ideas on the molecular organization of cytochrome P450scc in the inner adrenocortical membrane and allows the use of this approach to model membrane structures containing cytochrome P450.

Immunochemical characterization of steroid hydroxylases of adrenocortical mitochondria. 1. Antibodies as inhibitors of cytochrome P450scc (CYP11A1) and P450(11 beta) (CYP11B1) activities.

The effects of antibodies against protein components of the monooxygenase systems of adrenocortical mitochondria on the reactions of hydroxylation of cholesterol and 11 beta-deoxycorticosterone were investigated in a reconstituted system containing cytochromes P450scc (CYP11A1) and P450(11 beta) (CYP11B1) as the terminal oxidases and the electron-transfer proteins adrenodoxin reductase and adrenodoxin. It has been shown that affinity-purified antibodies to cytochromes P450scc and P450(11) beta are efficient modulators of the activity of these systems, and their inhibiting effect is mainly due to interference with the interaction of heme proteins and adrenodoxin. The antibodies against polypeptide fragments of the cytochrome P450scc molecule F1 (Ile1-Arg256), F2 (Asn257-Ala481), and F3 (Asn257-Arg399) were used to demonstrate that the interaction of heme protein with adrenodoxin has a multisite character and involves regions located in the N- and C-terminal sequences of cytochrome P450scc.

Immunochemical characterization of steroid hydroxylases of adrenocortical mitochondria. 2. Localization of antigenic determinants in the cytochrome P450scc molecule (CYP11A1).

The antigenic structure of cytochrome P450scc was investigated by immunochemical identification of the peptides formed by chymotryptic cleavage of the protein and separated by reversed-phase and cation-exchange HPLCs. These procedures resulted in isolation and structural characterization of four homogeneous immunoreactive peptides which corresponded to the sequences Asn236-Tyr241, Leu266-Leu272, Ala381-Phe388, and Ser390-Trp400. These peptides contained several positively charged residues which were previously shown to participate in electrostatic interactions with adrenodoxin. Our data indicate that the positively charged residues of cytochrome P450scc are involved in formation of antigenic sites, and the antigenic determinants of the protein molecule coincide or overlap with the regions of polypeptide chain responsible for the interaction of the heme protein with adrenodoxin.

[Selective chemical modification of cytochrome P450scc (CYP11A1) with diiodofluorescein iodoacetamide in the study of the role and topology of interdomain hinge of the hemoprotein molecule]. / Selektivnaia khimicheskaia modifikatsiia tsitokhroma P450scc (CYP11A1) diiodofluorosceiniodoatsetamidom v issledovanii roli i topologii mezhdomennogo uchastka molekuly gemoproteina.

Bovine adrenocortical cytochrome P450scc (CYP11A1) was selectively modified with diiodofluorescein iodoacetamide (DIFIA). Only Cys264 is labeled in the P450 polypeptide chain. The modification significantly affected the cholesterol-hydroxylating activity in the reconstituted system containing NADPH, adrenodoxin reductase, adrenodoxin, and soluble or membrane-bound P450scc. The inhibitory effect correlates with decreased affinity of cytochrome P450scc to intermediate electron carrier, adrenodoxin. Cytochrome P450scc is modified in liposomes and the modified membrane-bound protein is cleaved by trypsin forming two large fragments F1 and F2 corresponding to the N- and C-terminal regions of the molecule. The data indicate that the Cys264-containing region of the cytochrome P450scc molecule is exposed to the surface of protein globule, located outside of the membrane, and can participate in protein-protein interactions.

[Synthesis in Escherichia coli and certain properties of hybrid protein consisting of a modified precursor of adrenodoxin reductase and shortened precursor of adrenodoxin]. / Sintez v Escherichia coli i nekotorye svoistva gibridnogo belka, sostoiashchego iz modifitsirovannogo predshestvennika adrenodoksinreduktazy i ukorochennogo predshestvennika adrenodoksina.

Some aspects of formation and functioning of the cholesterol hydroxylase system were studied. A hybrid protein was synthesized in E. coli composed of the modified form of the (NADPH)adrenodoxin reductase precursor (N-terminal domain) and the shortened adrenodoxin precursor (C-terminal domain). The modified reductase precursor contained 12 extra amino acid residues at the N-terminus and the N-terminally shortened adrenodoxin precursor had 17 C-terminal amino acids of its targeting presequence. The hybrid reduced cytochrome P450scc in a reconstituted system. Thus, neither the extra 44 amino acids at the N-terminus of the reductase nor the 17 amino acid linker affected the interaction of the active sites in the hybrid protein. These modifications do not interfere with the binding of prosthetic groups and formation of the active sites of two enzymes in the E. coli cells. Modified N-terminal sequence of the hybrid does not affect its import into heterologous mitochondria.

Direct visualization of a cardiolipin-dependent cytochrome P450scc-induced vesicle aggregation.

Cytochrome P450scc can be reconstituted successfully into large unilamellar phospholipid vesicles by a combined octylglucoside dialysis/adsorption method. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy was used to analyze the morphology, distribution, and protein topology of the cytochrome P450scc vesicles in dependence on lipid composition. Particles were observed only in close contact to the vesicle surface, probably representing tightly associated cytochrome P450scc at the outer vesicle surface. In cytochrome P450scc vesicles similar in lipid composition to the inner membrane of bovine mitochondria direct evidence by freeze-fracturing was found for a specific cytochrome P450scc-induced aggregation of the vesicles. The vesicle aggregation critically depends on the content of the specific mitochondrial membrane constituent cardiolipin. The aggregation and thus the intervesicular contacts were observed to be inhibited by both addition of anti-cytochrome P450scc IgG and adrenodoxin. Enzymatic reduction of cytochrome P450scc in the liposomal membrane by its electron transfer partners completely indicates an asymmetrical localization in/at the outer side of the bilayer membrane. It is suggested that vesiculation of the inner mitochondrial membrane may be a consequence of the characteristic cardiolipin-dependent cytochrome P450scc membrane topology: the cardiolipin binding, peripheral, non-bilayer-spanning integration as an oligomer in the outer leaflet of the membrane may play a role in the dynamics of formation and dissociation of intramitochondrial vesicles with a functional importance for steroidogenesis.

Selective chemical modification of Cys264 with diiodofluorescein iodacetamide as a tool to study the membrane topology of cytochrome P450scc (CYP11A1).

Cys264 of cytochrome P450scc (CYP11A1) was selectively labelled with diiodofluorescein iodacetamide in solution and in proteoliposomes. The labelling affected the interaction of P450scc with adrenodoxin and significantly inhibited the side-chain cleavage activity of the soluble and membrane-bound hemeprotein in the reconstituted system. In proteoliposomes both the labelled and unlabelled hemeproteins were susceptible to trypsin and split into F1 and F2, two fragments corresponding to the two main domains of P450scc. These results suggest that the hinge connecting the two domains in the region Arg250-Asn257 is exposed to the surface of the membrane and involved in the interaction of P450scc with adrenodoxin.

[Interrelationship of microsomal and mitochondrial systems for hydroxylating steroids from cattle adrenal cortex: effect of highly-purified components of the mitochondrial monoxygenase system on hydroxylation of steroids by microsomes]. / Bzaimootnosheniia mikrosomal'nykh i mitokhondrial'nykh sistem gidroxsilirovaniia steroidov kory nadpochechnikov byka: vliianie vysokoochishchennykh komponentov mitokhondrial'noi monooksigenaznoi sistemy na gidroksilirovanie steroidov mikrosomami.

The possibility of functioning of microsomal steroid hydroxylases in the adrenal cortex in the presence of the electron-transporting proteins in mitochondrial monooxygenase systems has been studied. It was found that adrenodoxin reductase stimulates both the 21- and 17 alpha-steroid hydroxylation activities in microsomes of the adrenal cortex with the same efficiency as does NADPH-dependent cytochrome P-450 reductase. Using cytochrome b5 and its specific antibody, an attempt has been made to investigate possible mechanisms of the stimulating effect of adrenodoxin reductase.

Rotation of cytochrome P450SCC (CYP11A1) in proteoliposomes studied by delayed fluorescence depolarization.

The rotational diffusion of cytochrome P450SCC (CYP45011A1) was investigated in proteoliposomes measuring the time-resolved delayed fluorescence anisotropy of diiodofluorescein iodoacetamide covalently and specifically attached to Cys264 of P450SCC. Rotation strongly depends on the lipid composition of the membrane, especially on the cardiolipin content. In proteoliposomes having a lipid composition similar to the inner membrane of bovine adrenal mitochondria P450SCC is rotating uniaxially with a relaxation time phi rot about 53 microseconds and almost no immobile P450 is present. Addition of high KCl concentration has no effect. The results and the absence of any intramembrane particles observed by freeze-fracturing indicate that P450SCC probably exists in the liposomal membrane as oligomer not penetrating the bilayer. It is suggested to bind tightly within the outer monolayer with large parts exposed to the aqueous solution surrounding the membrane.

Is cytochrome P-450scc a transmembrane protein?

The topology of cytochrome P-450scc in the inner mitochondrial membrane of adrenal cortex has been investigated using monospecific antibodies to cytochrome P-450scc and its fragments F1 (Ile1-Arg250), F2 (Asn257-Ala481) and F3 (Asn257-Arg399). Antibodies to F1 and F2 were shown to effectively bind to the matrix and cytosolic sides of the inner membrane. Antibodies to F3 specifically interacted only with the matrix side of the membrane. These data are consistent with a model of molecular organization which shows that cytochrome P-450scc is a transmembrane protein, both N- and C-terminal sequences of the cytochrome being able to span the membrane.

[Cholesterol-hydroxylating cytochrome P-450 from bovine adrenal cortex mitochondria and human placenta: immunochemical properties and structural characteristics]. / Kholesteringidroksiliruiushchii tsitokhrom P-450 mitokhondrii kory nadpochechnikov byka i platsenty cheloveka: immunokhimicheskie svoistva i strukturnaia kharakteristika.

An immunochemical comparison of components of cholesterol side chain cleavage system from bovine adrenocortical and human placental mitochondria has been carried out. Antibodies against cytochrome P-450scc, adrenodoxin reductase and adrenodoxin from bovine adrenocortical mitochondria were shown to cross-react with corresponding antigens of human placental mitochondria. A highly sensitive immunochemical method for cytochrome P-450scc determination has been developed. Limited proteolysis of cytochrome P-450scc of human placental mitochondria was studied, and the products of trypsinolysis were identified using antibodies against cytochrome P-450scc and fragments of its polypeptide chain: F1, F2 and F3. Immunochemical relatedness of ferredoxins from bovine adrenocortical and human placental mitochondria allowed one to develop a fast and efficient method for cytochrome P-450scc purification from human placental mitochondria by affinity chromatography on adrenodoxin-Sepharose.

Immunochemical analysis of adrenocortical cytochrome P450scc: 1. Monoclonal antibodies against haemprotein.

Twelve stable mouse hybridoma cell lines producing monoclonal antibodies against bovine adrenocortical cytochrome P450scc were prepared. All the monoclonal antibodies interacted specifically with the antigen as shown by radioimmunoassay (RIA), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), dot-immunoblotting, and Western blot analysis, but did not precipitate in Ouchterlony double-immunodiffusion analysis. A highly sensitive competitive RIA based on monoclonal and polyclonal mouse antibodies was developed to determine the total content of P450scc in adrenocortical mitochondria. Three of the monoclonal antibodies strongly inhibited the conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone.

Inhibitory domain-specific antibodies to cytochrome P-450scc.

Highly specific antibodies to cytochrome P-450scc and its F1 and F2 fragments, representing N- and C-terminal sequences of the hemeprotein respectively, were raised in rabbits. These antibodies were found to be inhibitory (up to 50-90%) for the cholesterol transformation into pregnenolone in the reconstituted system, indicating the involvement of both F1 and F2 domains formed by the respective fragments in monooxygenase catalysis. Cytochrome P-450scc in mitoplasts is not accessible for trypsin as revealed by immunological techniques. However, the treatment of submitochondrial particles with trypsin results in two main fragments identified by immunoblotting in the presence of the monospecific antibodies as F1 and F2 fragments. This indicates that the trypsin sensitive 250-257 region in cytochrome P-450scc molecule connecting both domains is exposed to the matrix side of the inner mitochondrial membrane.

[Immunochemical study of cholesterol-hydroxylating cytochrome P-450. Topology of the peptide chain of the heme protein in the phospholipid membrane]. / Immunokhimicheskoe issledovanie kholesteringidroksiliruiushchego tsitokhroma P-450. Topologiia polipeptidnoi tsepi gemoproteida v fosfolipidnoi membrane.

The topology of adrenocortical cytochrome P-450scc in inner mitochondrial membrane was studied. To determine the polypeptide chain parts exposed to matrix or cytosol, two approaches were used, i.e. i) limited proteolysis of membrane-bound cytochrome P-450scc followed by the detection of the peptides formed by immunoblotting; ii) binding of monospecific antibodies against cytochrome P-450scc as well as fragments F1 and F2 representing N- and C-terminal sequences of the hemeprotein, to membrane structures (mitoplasts and submitochondrial particles). The data obtained confirm the transmembrane orientation of cytochrome P-450scc molecule, since antibodies against the hemeprotein as well as fragments F1 and F2 were found to be bound both on the matrix and cytosol surfaces of the inner mitochondrial membrane. It was shown that region 250-257 in cytochrome P-450scc connecting domains F1 and F2 is exposed to the matrix. A model of molecular organization of cytochrome P-450scc in inner mitochondrial membranes is proposed.