Andrew C. Terentis

Tocopherol-mediated peroxidation of lipoproteins: implications for vitamin E as a potential antiatherogenic supplement.

The ‘oxidation theory’ of atherosclerosis proposes that oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) contributes to atherogenesis. Although little direct evidence for a causative role of ‘oxidized LDL’ in atherogenesis exists, several studies show that, in vitro, oxidized LDL exhibits potentially proatherogenic activities and lipoproteins isolated from atherosclerotic lesions are oxidized. As a consequence, the molecular mechanisms of LDL oxidation and the actions of α‐tocopherol (α‐TOH, vitamin E), the major lipid‐soluble lipoprotein anti‐oxidant, have been studied in detail. Based on the known antioxidant action of α‐TOH and epidemiological evidence, vitamin E is generally considered to be beneficial in coronary artery disease. However, intervention studies overall show a null effect of vitamin E on atherosclerosis. This confounding outcome can be rationalized by the recently discovered diverse role for α‐TOH in lipoprotein oxidation; that is, α‐TOH displays neutral, anti‐, or, indeed, prooxidant activity under various conditions. This review describes the latter, novel action of α‐TOH, termed tocopherol‐mediated peroxidation, and discusses the benefits of vitamin E supplementation alone or together with other antioxidants that work in concert with α‐TOH in ameliorating lipoprotein lipid peroxidation in the artery wall and, hence, atherosclerosis.—Upston, J. M., Terentis, A. C., Stocker, R. Tocopherol‐mediated peroxidation of lipoproteins: implications for vitamin E as a potential antiatherogenic supplement. FASEB J. 13, 977–994 (1999)

Post-translational Regulation of Human Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase Activity by Nitric Oxide

The heme protein indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is induced by the proinflammatory cytokine interferon-γ (IFNγ) and plays an important role in the immune response by catalyzing the oxidative degradation of l-tryptophan (Trp) that contributes to immune suppression and tolerance. Here we examined the mechanism by which nitric oxide (NO) inhibits human IDO activity. Exposure of IFNγ-stimulated human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) to NO donors had no material impact on IDO mRNA or protein expression, yet exposure of MDM or transfected COS-7 cells expressing active human IDO to NO donors resulted in reversible inhibition of IDO activity. NO also inhibited the activity of purified recombinant human IDO (rhIDO) in a reversible manner and this correlated with NO binding to the heme of rhIDO. Optical absorption and resonance Raman spectroscopy identified NO-inactivated rhIDO as a ferrous iron (FeII)-NO-Trp adduct. Stopped-flow kinetic studies revealed that NO reacted most rapidly with FeII rhIDO in the presence of Trp. These findings demonstrate that NO inhibits rhIDO activity reversibly by binding to the active site heme to trap the enzyme as an inactive nitrosyl-FeII enzyme adduct with Trp bound and O2 displaced. Reversible inhibition by NO may represent an important mechanism in controlling the immune regulatory actions of IDO.

The Selenazal Drug Ebselen Potently Inhibits Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase by Targeting Enzyme Cysteine Residues

The heme enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) plays an important immune regulatory role by catalyzing the oxidative degradation of l-tryptophan. Here we show that the selenezal drug ebselen is a potent IDO inhibitor. Exposure of human macrophages to ebselen inhibited IDO activity in a manner independent of changes in protein expression. Ebselen inhibited the activity of recombinant human IDO (rIDO) with an apparent inhibition constant of 94 +/- 17 nM. Optical and resonance Raman spectroscopy showed that ebselen altered the active site heme of rIDO by inducing a transition of the ferric heme iron from the predominantly high- to low-spin form and by lowering the vibrational frequency of the Fe-CO stretch of the CO complex, indicating an opening of the distal heme pocket. Substrate binding studies showed that ebselen enhanced nonproductive l-tryptophan binding, while circular dichroism indicated that the drug reduced the helical content and protein stability of rIDO. Thiol labeling and mass spectrometry revealed that ebselen reacted with multiple cysteine residues of IDO. Removal of cysteine-bound ebselen with dithiothreitol reversed the effects of the drug on the heme environment and significantly restored enzyme activity. These findings indicate that ebselen inhibits IDO activity by reacting with the enzymes cysteine residues that result in changes to protein conformation and active site heme, leading to an increase in the level of nonproductive substrate binding. This study highlights that modification of cysteine residues is a novel and effective means of inhibiting IDO activity. It also suggests that IDO is under redox control and that the enzyme represents a previously unrecognized in vivo target of ebselen.

Determination of Penetratin Secondary Structure in Live Cells with Raman Microscopy

Cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) have attracted recent interest as drug delivery tools, although the mechanisms by which CPPs are internalized by cells are not well-defined. Here, we report a new experimental approach for the detection and secondary structure determination of CPPs in live cells using Raman microscopy with heavy isotope labeling of the peptide. As a first demonstration of principle, penetratin, a 16-residue CPP derived from the Antennapedia homeodomain protein of Drosophila, was measured in single, living melanoma cells. Carbon-13 labeling of the Phe residue of penetratin was used to shift the intense aromatic ring-breathing vibrational mode from 1003 to 967 cm(-1), thereby enabling the peptide to be traced in cells. Difference spectroscopy and principal components analysis (PCA) were used independently to resolve the Raman spectrum of the peptide from the background cellular Raman signals. On the basis of the position of the amide I vibrational band in the Raman spectra, the secondary structure of the peptide was found to be mainly random coil and beta-strand in the cytoplasm, and possibly assembling as beta-sheets in the nucleus. The rapid entry and almost uniform cellular distribution of the peptide, as well as the lack of correlation between peptide and lipid Raman signatures, indicated that the mechanism of internalization under the conditions of study was probably nonendocytotic. This experimental approach can be used to study a wide variety of CPPs as well as other classes of peptides in living cells.

Human Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase Is a Catalyst of Physiological Heme Peroxidase Reactions IMPLICATIONS FOR THE INHIBITION OF DIOXYGENASE ACTIVITY BY HYDROGEN PEROXIDE

Background: Certain heme proteins exhibit a pseudo-peroxidase activity that alters their function. Results: H2O2 engages the peroxidase activity of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) to oxidatively inactivate its dioxygenase activity, consume nitric oxide, and promote IDO protein nitration. Conclusion: IDO is a catalyst of physiological peroxidase reactions. Significance: IDO peroxidase activity has novel implications for the control and biological actions of this important immune regulatory enzyme. The heme enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is a key regulator of immune responses through catalyzing l-tryptophan (l-Trp) oxidation. Here, we show that hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) activates the peroxidase function of IDO to induce protein oxidation and inhibit dioxygenase activity. Exposure of IDO-expressing cells or recombinant human IDO (rIDO) to H2O2 inhibited dioxygenase activity in a manner abrogated by l-Trp. Dioxygenase inhibition correlated with IDO-catalyzed H2O2 consumption, compound I-mediated formation of protein-centered radicals, altered protein secondary structure, and opening of the distal heme pocket to promote nonproductive substrate binding; these changes were inhibited by l-Trp, the heme ligand cyanide, or free radical scavengers. Protection by l-Trp coincided with its oxidation into oxindolylalanine and kynurenine and the formation of a compound II-type ferryl-oxo heme. Physiological peroxidase substrates, ascorbate or tyrosine, enhanced rIDO-mediated H2O2 consumption and attenuated H2O2-induced protein oxidation and dioxygenase inhibition. In the presence of H2O2, rIDO catalytically consumed nitric oxide (NO) and utilized nitrite to promote 3-nitrotyrosine formation on IDO. The promotion of H2O2 consumption by peroxidase substrates, NO consumption, and IDO nitration was inhibited by l-Trp. This study identifies IDO as a heme peroxidase that, in the absence of substrates, self-inactivates dioxygenase activity via compound I-initiated protein oxidation. l-Trp protects against dioxygenase inactivation by reacting with compound I and retarding compound II reduction to suppress peroxidase turnover. Peroxidase-mediated dioxygenase inactivation, NO consumption, or protein nitration may modulate the biological actions of IDO expressed in inflammatory tissues where the levels of H2O2 and NO are elevated and l-Trp is low.

Replacement of the axial histidine heme ligand with cysteine in nitrophorin 1: spectroscopic and crystallographic characterization

To evaluate the potential of using heme-containing lipocalin nitrophorin 1 (NP1) as a template for protein engineering, we have replaced the native axial heme-coordinating histidine residue with glycine, alanine, and cysteine. We report here the characterization of the cysteine mutant H60C_NP1 by spectroscopic and crystallographic methods. The UV/vis, resonance Raman, and magnetic circular dichroism spectra suggest weak thiolate coordination of the ferric heme in the H60C_NP1 mutant. Reduction to the ferrous state resulted in loss of cysteine coordination, while addition of exogenous imidazole ligands gave coordination changes that varied with the ligand. Depending on the substitution of the imidazole, we could distinguish three heme coordination states: five-coordinate monoimidazole, six-coordinate bisimidazole, and six-coordinate imidazole/thiolate. Ligand binding affinities were measured and found to be generally 2–3 orders of magnitude lower for the H60C mutant relative to NP1. Two crystal structures of the H60C_NP1 in complex with imidazole and histamine were solved to 1.7- and 1.96-Å resolution, respectively. Both structures show that the H60C mutation is well tolerated by the protein scaffold and suggest that heme–thiolate coordination in H60C_NP1 requires some movement of the heme within its binding cavity. This adjustment may be responsible for the ease with which the engineered heme–thiolate coordination can be displaced by exogenous ligands.

Solid-Phase Synthesis, Characterization, and Cellular Activities of Collagen-Model Nanodiamond-Peptide Conjugates

Nanodiamonds (NDs) have received considerable attention as potential drug delivery vehicles. NDs are small (∼5 nm diameter), can be surface modified in a controllable fashion with a variety of functional groups, and have little observed toxicity in vitro and in vivo. However, most biomedical applications of NDs utilize surface adsorption of biomolecules, as opposed to covalent attachment. Covalent modification provides reliable and reproducible ND–biomolecule ratios, and alleviates concerns over biomolecule desorption prior to delivery. The present study has outlined methods for the efficient solid‐phase conjugation of ND to peptides and characterization of ND–peptide conjugates. Utilizing collagen‐derived peptides, the ND was found to support or even enhance the cell adhesion and viability activities of the conjugated sequence. Thus, NDs can be incorporated into peptides and proteins in a selective manner, where the presence of the ND could potentially enhance the in vivo activities of the biomolecule it is attached to.

Raman spectroscopy differentiates squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) from normal skin following treatment with a high‐powered CO2 laser

The number of cases of non‐melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), which include squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC), continues to rise as the aging population grows. Mohs micrographic surgery has become the treatment of choice in many cases but is not always necessary or feasible. Ablation with a high‐powered CO2 laser offers the advantage of highly precise, hemostatic tissue removal. However, confirmation of complete cancer removal following ablation is difficult. In this study we tested for the first time the feasibility of using Raman spectroscopy as an in situ diagnostic method to differentiate NMSC from normal tissue following partial ablation with a high‐powered CO2 laser.

Label-Free Confocal Raman Mapping of Transportan in Melanoma Cells

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are promising vectors for the intracellular delivery of a variety of membrane-impermeable bioactive compounds. The mechanisms by which CPPs cross the cell membrane, and the effects that CPPs may have on cell function, still remain to be fully clarified. In this work, we employed confocal Raman microscopy (CRM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to study the infiltration and physiological effects of the amphipathic CPP transportan (Tp) on the metastatic melanoma cell line SK-Mel-2. CRM enabled the detection of label-free Tp within the cells. Raman maps of live cells revealed rapid entry (within 5 min) and widespread distribution of the peptide throughout the cytoplasm and the presence of the peptide within the nucleus after ∼20 min. Principal component analysis of the CRM data collected from Tp-treated and untreated cells showed that Tp Raman bands were not positively correlated with lipid Raman bands, indicating that Tp entered the cells via a nonendocytic mechanism. Analysis of intracellularly recovered Tp by mass spectrometry showed that Tp remained intact in SK-Mel-2 cells for up to 24 h. The Raman spectroscopic data also showed that, although Tp was predominantly unstructured (random coil) in aqueous solution, it accumulated to high densities within the cells with mostly β-sheet and α-helical structures. AFM was employed to measure the effect of Tp treatment on cell stiffness. These data showed that Tp induced a significant increase in cell stiffness within the first hour of treatment, which was partially abated after 2 h. It is hypothesized that the increase in cell stiffness was the result of cytoskeletal changes triggered by Tp.

A New Approach to the Synthesis of Carbon Nanotube-Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (POSS) Nanohybrids

To date, the functionalization of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes (POSS) has become one of the most intensively explored methods to produce CNT-based nanostructure composite materials. In this study, a simple and effective synthesizing method has been reported to prepare a nanohybrid material consisting of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and aminopropylisobutyl-POSS. The approach is based on covalent bonding between CNTs and POSS molecules. Characterization of the as-received materials as well as the POSS-treated CNTs has been performed. Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analyses verify the covalent grafting of POSS onto CNT walls through the formation of amide bonds. TEM studies reveal the attachment of relatively high amount of POSS to the CNT walls in POSS-treated product. TGA observations suggest that the presence of relatively high amount of POSS in MWCNT-POSS product is responsible for the thermal stability of CNTs at temperature range of RT–200 °C. The resulting nanohybrids with improved functionality and thermal stability would be good candidates as reinforcing materials for compatible polymer matrices.Copyright