Kim Masuda

DAGLβ inhibition perturbs a lipid network involved in macrophage inflammatory responses

The endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) is biosynthesized by diacylglycerol lipases DAGLα and DAGLβ. Chemical probes to perturb DAGLs are needed to characterize endocannabinoid function in biological processes. Here, we report a series of in vivo-active 1,2,3-triazole urea inhibitors, along with paired negative-control and activity-based probes, for the functional analysis of DAGLβ in living systems. Optimized inhibitors showed excellent selectivity for DAGLβ over other serine hydrolases, including DAGLα (~60-fold selectivity), and the limited off-targets, such as ABHD6, were also inhibited by the negative-control probe. Using these agents and Daglb−/− mice, we show that DAGLβ inactivation lowers 2-AG, as well as arachidonic acid and eicosanoids, in mouse peritoneal macrophages in a manner that is distinct and complementary to disruption of cytosolic phospholipase-A2 (PLA2G4A). We observed a corresponding reduction in lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis factor-α release. These findings indicate that DAGLβ is a key metabolic hub within a lipid network that regulates proinflammatory responses in macrophages.

The endocannabinoid anandamide is a precursor for the signaling lipid N-arachidonoyl glycine by two distinct pathways.

BackgroundN-arachidonoyl glycine (NAGly) is an endogenous signaling lipid with a wide variety of biological activity whose biosynthesis is poorly understood. Two primary biosynthetic pathways have been proposed. One suggests that NAGly is formed via an enzymatically regulated conjugation of arachidonic acid (AA) and glycine. The other suggests that NAGly is an oxidative metabolite of the endogenous cannabinoid, anandamide (AEA), through an alcohol dehydrogenase. Here using both in vitro and in vivo assays measuring metabolites with LC/MS/MS we test the hypothesis that both pathways are present in mammalian cells.ResultsThe metabolic products of deuterium-labeled AEA, D4AEA (deuterium on ethanolamine), indicated that NAGly is formed by the oxidation of the ethanolamine creating a D2NAGly product in both RAW 264.7 and C6 glioma cells. Significantly, D4AEA produced a D0NAGly product only in C6 glioma cells suggesting that the hydrolysis of AEA yielded AA that was used preferentially in a conjugation reaction. Addition of the fatty acid amide (FAAH) inhibitor URB 597 blocked the production of D0NAGly in these cells. Incubation with D8AA in C6 glioma cells likewise produced D8NAGly; however, with significantly less efficacy leading to the hypothesis that FAAH-initiated AEA-released AA conjugation with glycine predominates in these cells. Furthermore, the levels of AEA in the brain were significantly increased, whereas those of NAGly were significantly decreased after systemic injection of URB 597 in rats and in FAAH KO mice further supporting a role for FAAH in endogenous NAGly biosynthesis. Incubations of NAGly and recombinant FAAH demonstrated that NAGly is a significantly less efficacious substrate for FAAH with only ~50% hydrolysis at 30 minutes compared to 100% hydrolysis of AEA. Co-incubations of AEA and glycine with recombinant FAAH did not, however, produce NAGly.ConclusionThese data support the hypothesis that the signaling lipid NAGly is a metabolic product of AEA by both oxidative metabolism of the AEA ethanolamine moiety and through the conjugation of glycine to AA that is released during AEA hydrolysis by FAAH.

N-Palmitoyl Glycine, a Novel Endogenous Lipid That Acts As a Modulator of Calcium Influx and Nitric Oxide Production in Sensory Neurons

N-arachidonoyl glycine is an endogenous arachidonoyl amide that activates the orphan G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) GPR18 in a pertussis toxin (PTX)-sensitive manner and produces antinociceptive and antiinflammatory effects. It is produced by direct conjugation of arachidonic acid to glycine and by oxidative metabolism of the endocannabinoid anandamide. Based on the presence of enzymes that conjugate fatty acids with glycine and the high abundance of palmitic acid in the brain, we hypothesized the endogenous formation of the saturated N-acyl amide N-palmitoyl glycine (PalGly). PalGly was partially purified from rat lipid extracts and identified using nano-high-performance liquid chromatography/hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Here, we show that PalGly is produced after cellular stimulation and that it occurs in high levels in rat skin and spinal cord. PalGly was up-regulated in fatty acid amide hydrolase knockout mice, suggesting a pathway for enzymatic regulation. PalGly potently inhibited heat-evoked firing of nociceptive neurons in rat dorsal horn. In addition, PalGly induced transient calcium influx in native adult dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells and a DRG-like cell line (F-11). The effect of PalGly on the latter cells was characterized by strict structural requirements, PTX sensitivity, and dependence on the presence of extracellular calcium. PalGly-induced calcium influx was blocked by the nonselective calcium channel blockers ruthenium red, 1-(β-[3-(4-methoxyphenyl)propoxy]-4-methoxyphenethyl)-1H-imidazole (SK&F96365), and La3+. Furthermore, PalGly contributed to the production of NO through calcium-sensitive nitric-oxide synthase enzymes present in F-11 cells and was inhibited by the nitric-oxide synthase inhibitor 7-nitroindazole.

The biosynthesis of N-arachidonoyl dopamine (NADA), a putative endocannabinoid and endovanilloid, via conjugation of arachidonic acid with dopamine

N-arachidonoyl dopamine (NADA) is an endogenous ligand that activates the cannabinoid type 1 receptor and the transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 channel. Two potential biosynthetic pathways for NADA have been proposed, though no conclusive evidence exists for either. The first is the direct conjugation of arachidonic acid with dopamine and the other is via metabolism of a putative N-arachidonoyl tyrosine (NA-tyrosine). In the present study we investigated these biosynthetic mechanisms and report that NADA synthesis requires TH in dopaminergic terminals; however, NA-tyrosine, which we identify here as an endogenous lipid, is not an intermediate. We show that NADA biosynthesis primarily occurs through an enzyme-mediated conjugation of arachidonic acid with dopamine. While this conjugation likely involves a complex of enzymes, our data suggest a direct involvement of fatty acid amide hydrolase in NADA biosynthesis either as a rate-limiting enzyme that liberates arachidonic acid from AEA, or as a conjugation enzyme, or both.

The hereditary spastic paraplegia-related enzyme DDHD2 is a principal brain triglyceride lipase

Significance Many rare human genetic disorders are caused by mutations in genes that code for proteins of poorly characterized function. Determining the functions of these proteins is critical for understanding and devising potential treatments for human diseases. In this article, we discover using a combination of mouse genetic models, selective inhibitors, and lipid profiling that the DDHD2 enzyme, mutations of which cause a neurological disease termed complex hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), acts as a major brain triglyceride hydrolase. Mice lacking DDHD2 have elevated brain triglycerides and lipid droplet accumulation in neurons. We have thus discovered that the brain possesses a specialized pathway for triglyceride metabolism, disruption of which leads to biochemical and cellular changes that may contribute to complex HSP. Complex hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is a genetic disorder that causes lower limb spasticity and weakness and intellectual disability. Deleterious mutations in the poorly characterized serine hydrolase DDHD2 are a causative basis for recessive complex HSP. DDHD2 exhibits phospholipase activity in vitro, but its endogenous substrates and biochemical functions remain unknown. Here, we report the development of DDHD2−/− mice and a selective, in vivo-active DDHD2 inhibitor and their use in combination with mass spectrometry-based lipidomics to discover that DDHD2 regulates brain triglycerides (triacylglycerols, or TAGs). DDHD2−/− mice show age-dependent TAG elevations in the central nervous system, but not in several peripheral tissues. Large lipid droplets accumulated in DDHD2−/− brains and were localized primarily to the intracellular compartments of neurons. These metabolic changes were accompanied by impairments in motor and cognitive function. Recombinant DDHD2 displays TAG hydrolase activity, and TAGs accumulated in the brains of wild-type mice treated subchronically with a selective DDHD2 inhibitor. These findings, taken together, indicate that the central nervous system possesses a specialized pathway for metabolizing TAGs, disruption of which leads to massive lipid accumulation in neurons and complex HSP syndrome.

Fatty acid amide hydrolase shapes NKT cell responses by influencing the serum transport of lipid antigen in mice

The potent regulatory properties of NKT cells render this subset of lipid-specific T cells a promising target for immunotherapeutic interventions. The marine sponge glycolipid alpha-galactosylceramide (alphaGalCer) is the proto-typic NKT cell agonist, which elicits this function when bound to CD1d. However, our understanding of the in vivo properties of NKT cell agonists and the host factors that control their bioactivity remains very limited. In this report, we isolated the enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) from mouse serum as an alphaGalCer-binding protein that modulates the induction of key effector functions of NKT cells in vivo. FAAH bound alphaGalCer in vivo and in vitro and was required for the efficient targeting of lipid antigens for CD1d presentation. Immunization of Faah-deficient mice with alphaGalCer resulted in a reduced systemic cytokine production, but enhanced expansion of splenic NKT cells. This distinct NKT response conferred a drastically increased adjuvant effect and strongly promoted protective CTL responses. Thus, our findings identify not only the presence of FAAH in normal mouse serum, but also its critical role in the tuning of immune responses to lipid antigens by orchestrating their transport and targeting for NKT cell activation. Our results suggest that the serum transport of lipid antigens directly shapes the quality of NKT cell responses, which could potentially be modulated in support of novel vaccination strategies.

Oxime esters as selective, covalent inhibitors of the serine hydrolase retinoblastoma-binding protein 9 (RBBP9)

We recently described a fluorescence polarization platform for competitive activity-based protein profiling (fluopol-ABPP) that enables high-throughput inhibitor screening for enzymes with poorly characterized biochemical activity. Here, we report the discovery of a class of oxime ester inhibitors for the unannotated serine hydrolase RBBP9 from a full-deck (200,000+ compound) fluopol-ABPP screen conducted in collaboration with the Molecular Libraries Screening Center Network (MLSCN). We show that these compounds covalently inhibit RBBP9 by modifying enzymes active site serine nucleophile and, based on competitive ABPP in cell and tissue proteomes, are selective for RBBP9 relative to other mammalian serine hydrolases.

Closing the Gate to the Active Site EFFECT OF THE INHIBITOR METHOXYARACHIDONYL FLUOROPHOSPHONATE ON THE CONFORMATION AND MEMBRANE BINDING OF FATTY ACID AMIDE HYDROLASE

Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is a dimeric, membranebound enzyme that degrades neuromodulatory fatty acid amides and esters and is expressed in mammalian brain and peripheral tissues. The cleavage of ≈30 amino acids from each subunit creates an FAAH variant that is soluble and homogeneous in detergent-containing buffers, opening the avenue to the in vitro mechanistic and structural studies. Here we have studied the stability of FAAH as a function of guanidinium hydrochloride concentration and of hydrostatic pressure. The unfolding transition was observed to be complex and required a fitting procedure based on a three-state process with a monomeric intermediate. The first transition was characterized by dimer dissociation, with a free energy change of ≈11 kcal/mol that accounted for ≈80% of the total stabilization energy. This process was also paralleled by a large change in the solvent-accessible surface area, because of the hydration occurring both at the dimeric interface and within the monomers. As a consequence, the isolated subunits were found to be much less stable (ΔG ≈3 kcal/mol). The addition of methoxyarachidonyl fluorophosphonate, an irreversible inhibitor of FAAH activity, enhanced the stability of the dimer by ≈2 kcal/mol, toward denaturant- and pressure-induced unfolding. FAAH inhibition by methoxyarachidonyl fluorophosphonate also reduced the ability of the protein to bind to the membranes. These findings suggest that local conformational changes at the level of the active site might induce a tighter interaction between the subunits of FAAH, affecting the enzymatic activity and the interaction with membranes.

Endogenous Molecules Stimulating N-Acylethanolamine-Hydrolyzing Acid Amidase (NAAA)

Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) plays the central role in the degradation of bioactive N-acylethanolamines such as the endocannabinoid arachidonoylethanolamide (anandamide) in brain and peripheral tissues. A lysosomal enzyme referred to as N-acylethanolamine-hydrolyzing acid amidase (NAAA) catalyzes the same reaction with preference to palmitoylethanolamide, an endogenous analgesic and neuroprotective substance, and is therefore expected as a potential target of therapeutic drugs. In the in vitro assays thus far performed, the maximal activity of NAAA was achieved in the presence of both nonionic detergent (Triton X-100 or Nonidet P-40) and the SH reagent dithiothreitol. However, endogenous molecules that might substitute for these synthetic compounds remain poorly understood. Here, we examined stimulatory effects of endogenous phospholipids and thiol compounds on recombinant NAAA. Among different phospholipids tested, choline- or ethanolamine-containing phospholipids showed potent effects, and 1 mM phosphatidylcholine increased NAAA activity by 6.6-fold. Concerning endogenous thiol compounds, dihydrolipoic acid at 0.1-1 mM was the most active, causing 8.5-9.0-fold stimulation. These results suggest that endogenous phospholipids and dihydrolipoic acid may contribute in keeping NAAA active in lysosomes. Even in the presence of phosphatidylcholine and dihydrolipoic acid, however, the preferential hydrolysis of palmitoylethanolamide was unaltered. We also investigated a possible compensatory induction of NAAA mRNA in brain and other tissues of FAAH-deficient mice. However, NAAA expression levels in all the tissues examined were not significantly altered from those in wild-type mice.