Glutathione S-transferase class Kappa: characterization by the cloning of rat mitochondrial GST and identification of a human homologue.

We have isolated a cDNA clone that encodes rat glutahione S-transferase (GST) subunit 13, a GST originally isolated from rat liver mitochondrial matrix by Harris, Meyer, Coles and Ketterer [(1991) Biochem. J. 278, 137-141]. The 896 bp cDNA contains an open reading frame of 678 bp encoding a deduced protein sequence of which the first 33 residues (excluding the initiation methionine residue) correspond to the N-terminal sequence reported by Harris et al. Hence like many other nuclear-encoded, mitochondrially located proteins, there is no cleavable mitochondrial presequence at the N-terminus. GST subunit 13 was originally placed into the Theta class of GSTs on the basis of sequence identity at the N-terminus; however, this is the only identity with the Theta class and in fact GST subunit 13 shows little sequence similarity to any of the known GST classes. Most importantly it lacks the SNAIL/TRAIL motif that has so far been a characteristic of soluble GSTs, although it does possess a second motif (FGXXXXVXXVDGXXXXXF) reported for GST-related proteins (Koonin, Mushegian, Tatusov, Altschul, Bryant, Bork and Valencia [(1994) Protein Sci. 3, 2045-2054]. Southern and Northern blot analyses of rat DNA and mRNA are consistent with GST subunit 13's being the product of a single hybridizing gene locus. Searches of EST databases identified numerous similar human DNA sequences and a single pig sequence. We have derived a human cDNA sequence from these EST sequences which shows a high nucleotide similarity (77%) to rat GST subunit 13. The largest open reading frame is identical in length with subunit 13 and yields a deduced protein sequence identity of 70%. Most unusually the 3' non-coding nucleotide sequence identity is also 77%. We conclude that these cDNAs belong to a novel GST class hereby designated Kappa, with the rat GST subunit 13 gene designated rGSTK1 and the human gene being called hGSTK1.

Human glutathione S-transferase T1-1 enhances mutagenicity of 1,2-dibromoethane, dibromomethane and 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane in Salmonella typhimurium.

The rat theta class glutathione S-transferase (GST) 5-5 has been shown to affect the mutagenicity of halogenated alkanes and epoxides. In Salmonella typhimurium TA1535 expressing the rat GST5-5 the number of revertants was increased compared to the control strain by CH2Br2, ethylene dibromide (EDB) and 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane (BDE); in contrast, mutagenicity of 1,2-epoxy-3-(4'-nitro-phenoxy)propane (EPNP) was reduced. S.typhimurium TA1535 cells were transformed with an expression plasmid carrying the cDNA of the human theta ortholog GST1-1 either in sense or antisense orientation, the latter being the control. These transformed bacteria were utilized for mutagenicity assays. Mutagenicity of EDB, BDE, CH2Br2, epibromohydrin and 1,3-dichloroacetone was higher in the S.typhimurium TA1535 expressing GSTT1-1 than in the control strain. The expression of active enzyme did not affect the mutagenicity of 1,2-epoxy-3-butene or propylene oxide. GSTT1-1 expression reduced the mutagenicity of EPNP. Glutathione S-transferase 5-5 and GSTT1-1 modulate genotoxicity of several industrially important chemicals in the same way. Polymorphism of the GSTT1 locus in humans may therefore cause differences in cancer susceptibility between the two phenotypes.

Enhancement of bacterial mutagenicity of bifunctional alkylating agents by expression of mammalian glutathione S-transferase.

Recently, we inserted the plasmid vector pKK233-2 containing rat GSH S-transferase (GST) 5-5 cDNA into Salmonella typhimurium TA1535 and found that these bacteria [GST 5-5(+)] expressed the protein and produced mutations when ethylene or methylene dihalides were added [Thier, R., Taylor, J. B., Pemble, S. E., Ketterer, B., Persmark, M., Humphreys, W. G., and Guengerich, F. P. (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 90, 8576-8580]. After exposure to the known GST 5-5 substrate 1,2-epoxy-3-(4'-nitrophenoxy)propane, the GST 5-5(+) strain showed fewer mutants than the bacteria transfected with the cDNA clone in a reverse orientation [GST 5-5(-)], suggesting a protective role of GST 5-5. However, mutations were considerably enhanced in the GST 5-5(+) strain [as compared to GST 5-5(-)] when 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane (butadiene diepoxide) or 1,2-epoxy-4-bromobutane was added. The GST 5-5(+) and GST 5-5(-) bacterial stains showed similar responses to 1,2-epoxypropane, 3,4-epoxy-1-butene, and 1,4-dibromobutane. The results suggest that some bifunctional activated butanes are transformed to mutagenic products through GSH conjugation. We also found that the GST 5-5(+) strain showed enhanced mutagenicity with 1,4-dibromo-2,3-epoxybutane, 1,2-epoxy-3-bromopropane (epibromohydrin), and (+/-)-1,4-dibromo-2,3-dihydroxybutane.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Conjugation of carcinogens by theta class glutathione s-transferases: mechanisms and relevance to variations in human risk.

Conjugation of chemicals with glutathione (GSH) can lead to decreased or increased toxicity. A genetic deficiency in the GSH S-transferase mu class gene M1 has been hypothesized to lead to greater risk of lung cancer in smokers. Recently a gene deletion polymorphism involving the human theta enzyme T1 has been described: the enzyme is present in erythrocytes and can be readily assayed. A rat theta class enzyme, 5-5, has structural and catalytic similarity and the protein was expressed in the Salmonella typhimurium tester strain TA1535. Expression of the cDNA vector increased the mutagenicity of ethylene dibromide and several methylene dihalides. Mutations resulting from the known GSH S-transferase substrate 1,2-epoxy-3-(4'nitrophenoxy)propane were decreased in the presence of the transferase. Expression of transferase 5-5 increased mutations when 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane (butadiene diepoxide), 4-bromo-1,2-epoxybutane, or 1,3-dichloracetone were added. The latter compound is a model for the putative 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane oxidation product 1-bromo-3-chloroacetone. These genotoxicity and genotyping assays may be of use in further studies of the roles of GSH S-transferase theta enzymes in bioactivation and detoxication and any changes in risk due to polymorphism.

Expression of mammalian glutathione S-transferase 5-5 in Salmonella typhimurium TA1535 leads to base-pair mutations upon exposure to dihalomethanes.

Dihalomethanes can produce liver tumors in mice but not in rats, and concern exists about the risk of these compounds to humans. Glutathione (GSH) conjugation of dihalomethanes has been considered to be a critical event in the bioactivation process, and risk assessment is based upon this premise; however, there is little experimental support for this view or information about the basis of genotoxicity. A plasmid vector containing rat GSH S-transferase 5-5 was transfected into the Salmonella typhimurium tester strain TA1535, which then produced active enzyme. The transfected bacteria produced base-pair revertants in the presence of ethylene dihalides or dihalomethanes, in the order CH2Br2 > CH2BrCl > CH2Cl2. However, revertants were not seen when cells were exposed to GSH, CH2Br2, and an amount of purified GSH S-transferase 5-5 (20-fold excess in amount of that expressed within the cells). HCHO, which is an end product of the reaction of GSH with dihalomethanes, also did not produce mutations. S-(1-Acetoxymethyl)GSH was prepared as an analog of the putative S-(1-halomethyl)GSH reactive intermediates. This analog did not produce revertants, consistent with the view that activation of dihalomethanes must occur within the bacteria to cause genetic damage, presenting a model to be considered in studies with mammalian cells. S-(1-Acetoxymethyl)GSH reacted with 2'-deoxyguanosine to yield a major adduct, identified as S-[1-(N2-deoxyguanosinyl)methyl]GSH. Demonstration of the activation of dihalomethanes by this mammalian GSH S-transferase theta class enzyme should be of use in evaluating the risk of these chemicals, particularly in light of reports of the polymorphic expression of a similar activity in humans.

An evolutionary perspective on glutathione transferases inferred from class-theta glutathione transferase cDNA sequences.

We report the cDNA sequence for rat glutathione transferase (GST) subunit 5, which is one of at least three class Theta subunits in this species. This sequence, when compared with that of subunit 12 recently published by Ogura, Nishiyama, Okada, Kajita, Narihata, Watabe, Hiratsuka & Watabe [(1991) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 181, 1294-1300] proves that Theta is a separate multigene class of GST with little amino acid sequence identity with Mu-, Alpha- or Pi-class enzymes. The amino acid sequence identity of class-Theta subunits is highly conserved in rat, the fruitfly Drosophila, maize (Zea mays) and Methylobacterium, which suggests that this family is representative of the ancient progenitor GST gene and originates from the endosymbioses of a purple bacterium leading to the mitochondrion. The high conservation of class Theta brings into prominence that Alpha-, Mu- and Pi-class enzymes, which are not present in plants, derive from a Theta-class gene duplication before the divergence of fungi and animals and, given the binding properties of the Alpha-, Mu- and Pi-classes, suggests a role for these in the evolution of fungi and animals.

The human glutathione S-transferase supergene family, its polymorphism, and its effects on susceptibility to lung cancer.

Cytosolic glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are a supergene family of dimeric enzymes capable of detoxifying a number of carcinogenic electrophiles. Of the numerous components of tobacco smoke, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons appear to be the principal compounds that yield substrates for these enzymes, GSTM1-1 being effective with those PAH derivatives so far studied; however, the gene locus for GSTM1 is polymorphic, containing two well-characterized expressing genes and a null allele. Use of cDNA for GSTM1-1 or appropriate fragments of genomic clones as probes in Southern blots indicated that the null allele is due to the absence of GSTM1. In preliminary experiments, described here, with lung tissue from smokers, levels of 32P-postlabeled nuclease P1-enhanced DNA adducts were inversely correlated with levels of antigen cross-reacting with antibody to GSTM1-1, suggesting that initiation depends on the expression of GSTM1-1. Since similar quantities of DNA adducts and GSTM1-1 activity have been shown to occur in bronchial and peripheral lung, however, the development of malignancy, which is usually in the bronchial region, presumably depends on additional factors that bring about promotion and progression, which are not necessarily affected by GSTM1 expression. Two epidemiological studies have been carried out in which a possible correlation between the absence of GSTM1 and lung cancer incidence is considered. In the first, involving a U.S. population sample, smokers with and without lung cancer were phenotyped, and a highly significant correlation between the absence of GSTM1-1 activity and adenocarcinoma of the lung was observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cloning and heterologous expression of cDNA encoding class alpha rat glutathione transferase 8-8, an enzyme with high catalytic activity towards genotoxic alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds.

A cDNA clone, lambda GTRA8, encoding rat glutathione transferase subunit 8 has been isolated from a lambda gt10 rat hepatoma cDNA library. The previously known amino acid sequence of the enzyme was used to design primers for a polymerase chain reaction that yielded a 0.3 kb DNA fragment from the hepatoma library. The 0.3 kb fragment was used as a probe for screening and a 0.9 kb cDNA clone containing a complete open reading frame was obtained. After DNA sequencing and subcloning into an expression vector, the enzyme was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. Specific activities and kcat./Km values were determined for a number of substrates, including alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. The highest activity was obtained with 4-hydroxyalkenals and with acrolein, genotoxic products of lipid peroxidation. In addition, the rat class Alpha glutathione transferase 8-8 displays high catalytic activity in the reaction between glutathione and the diuretic drug ethacrynic acid, a compound normally considered as a substrate characteristic for class Pi glutathione transferases.

Glutathione transferase pi its minimal promoter and downstream cis-acting element.

Fragments of the human glutathione S-transferase pi gene and 15 kb of its 5' flanking region have been fused to the chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) reporter gene. Transfection into a number of human cell lines (Hela, HepG2, MCF7 and EJ) has demonstrated that the AP1 binding site, located between nucleotides -58 and -65 (Cowell et al. 1988. Biochem. J. 255, 79-83), is essential for basal level promoter activity. We have also identified a positive cis-acting DNA element between nucleotides +8 and +72 which seems to be part of the promoter. No other regulatory activity was identified within the 17 kb analyzed.

Structure of human glutathione S-transferase class Mu genes.

Nucleotide sequencing of a human cosmid clone shows that the exon-intron structures of a glutathione S-transferase multigene family are conserved between man and rat, that the human gene family is clustered and that gene conversion events have occurred within the cluster. In addition, between man and rat, there is a high degree of nucleotide sequence identity not only in exons but also in some introns. These conserved sequences are coincident with homologous sequences subject to gene conversion in both species, and hence the utilization of gene conversion by this gene family has itself been conserved. By using transient-expression assay the conserved/converted regions are shown to be capable of modulating transcriptional activity. The data suggest that DNA repair by gene conversion may be a chemical immunity mechanism. which could result in acquired resistance to toxins and, in particular, drug resistance due to glutathione S-transferase in tumours.

Theta, a new class of glutathione transferases purified from rat and man.

Glutathione transferases (GSTs) of a novel class, which it is proposed to term Theta, were purified from rat and human liver. Two, named GST 5-5 and GST 12-12, were obtained from the rat, and one, named GST theta, was from the human. Unlike other mammalian GSTs they lack activity towards 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene and are not retained by GSH affinity matrices. Only GST 5-5 retains full activity during purification, and its activities towards the substrates 1,2-epoxy-3-(p-nitrophenoxy)propane, p-nitrobenzyl chloride, p-nitrophenethyl bromide, cumene hydroperoxide, dichloromethane and DNA hydroperoxide are 185, 86, 67, 42, 11 and 0.03 mumol/min per mg of protein respectively. Earlier preparations of GST 5-5 or GST E were probably a mixture of GST 5-5 and GST 12-12, which was largely inactive, and may also have been contaminated by less than 1% with another GSH peroxidase of far greater activity. Partial analysis of primary structure shows that subunits 5, 12 and theta are related to each other, particularly at the N-terminus, where 25 of 27 residues are identical, but have little relationship to the Alpha, Mu and Pi classes of mammalian GSTs. They do, however, show some relatedness to subunit I of Drosophila melanogaster [Toung, Hsieh & Tu (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 87, 31-35] and the dichloromethane dehalogenase of Methylobacterium DM4 [La Roche & Leisinger (1990) J. Bacteriol, 172, 164-171].

Control of expression of the human glutathione S-transferase pi gene differs from its rat orthologue.

We have examined regulation of the glutathione S-transferase pi gene by transient expression assay, and find that a fragment from 8 to 99 bp upstream of the cap site promotes transcription, but there is no evidence for any enhancer activity in a further 6 kb of flanking sequence. Analysis of this sequence by reference to a primate sequence database and Southern blotting revealed that as much as 5 kb of this flanking DNA were composed of repetitive insertion elements including an Alu and a LINE 1 repeat. The promoter fragment has been sequenced (Cowell et al (1988) Biochem. J. 255, 79-83) and contains a consensus AP1 binding site; in some cases, these have been associated with transcriptional induction by phorbol esters and ras oncogenes. We measured the steady state levels of glutathione S-transferase pi mRNA in human cell lines which were known to express ras oncogenes and compared them to human cell lines which have not been identified with ras activation. There was no correlation between expression of activated ras and expression of glutathione S-transferase pi mRNA. Treatment of HeLa cells, HepG2 cells and a small cell lung carcinoma line, GLC 8, with the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate failed to alter the steady state levels of endogenous glutathione S-transferase pi mRNA. The differences between these results and those of similar studies on rat glutathione S-transferase subunit 7, a structural orthologue of glutathione S-transferase pi, are discussed.

The structure of the human glutathione S-transferase pi gene.

The human glutathione S-transferase pi gene has been isolated from a cosmid library. The gene spans approximately 3 kb, is interrupted by six introns and the region around its 5' end has the high G + C and CpG content typical of an HTF (HpaII tiny fragment) island. In addition to a TATA box at position -28 relative to the transcription initiation site and two G + C boxes (GGGCGG), the promoter contains a sequence motif matching the phorbol ester- and ras-responsive element from the polyoma virus enhancer.

Tissue distribution of rat glutathione transferase subunit 7, a hepatoma marker.

Polyadenylated RNA isolated from NN-dimethyl-4-aminoazobenzene-induced rat hepatoma was used to prepare a cDNA library in lambda gt10. Full-length clones complementary to mRNA coding for glutathione transferase subunit 7 were isolated and one of these clones (pGSTr7) was fully characterized. In Northern blot analysis, mRNA hybridizing to 32P-labelled pGSTr7 was found in poly(A)-containing RNA isolated from seven normal rat tissues but not from testis and liver. A similar hybridizing mRNA species was also detected in human placental mRNA. The same probe, used in a Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA, suggests the presence of a multigene family in the rat.

Differential tissue expression of the glutathione transferase multigene family.

The content of GSH transferase mRNAs in poly(A)-containing RNA isolated from eight rat tissues was examined by immunoprecipitation of cell-free translation products and by Northern blotting. Considerable tissue-specific distribution and heterogeneity of immunoprecipitable GSH transferase subunits 1 and 2 synthesized in vitro was observed. These results were confirmed by Northern blotting using a 32P-labelled subunit 1 cDNA probe. The same probe, used in a Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA, provided confirmation that GSH transferase subunits 1 and 2 comprise a multigenic family in the rat. The results show that the selection of cDNA clones coding for chosen subunits can be made easier by making use of qualitative and quantitative tissue differences in GSH transferase mRNAs.