Nicola E. Brasch

Changes in Methionine Metabolism and Histone H3 Trimethylation Are Linked to Mitochondrial Defects in Multiple Sclerosis

Mitochondrial changes, including decreased expression of electron transport chain subunit genes and impaired energetic, have been reported in multiple sclerosis (MS), but the mechanisms involved in these changes are not clear. To determine whether epigenetic mechanisms are involved, we measured the concentrations of methionine metabolites by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, histone H3 methylation patterns, and markers of mitochondrial respiration in gray matter from postmortem MS and control cortical samples. We found decreases in respiratory markers as well as decreased concentrations of the methionine metabolites S-adenosylmethionine, betaine, and cystathionine in MS gray matter. We also found expression of the enzyme betaine homocysteine methyltransferase in cortical neurons. This enzyme catalyzes the remethylation of homocysteine to methionine, with betaine as the methyl donor, and has previously been thought to be restricted to liver and kidney in the adult human. Decreases in the concentration of the methyl donor betaine were correlated with decreases in histone H3 trimethylation (H3K4me3) in NeuN+ neuronal nuclei in MS cortex compared with controls. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that H3K4me3 levels and mitochondrial respiration were reduced in SH-SY5Y cells after exposure to the nitric oxide donor sodium nitroprusside, and betaine was able to rescue H3K4me3 levels and respiratory capacity in these cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments showed that betaine regulates metabolic genes in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. These data suggest that changes to methionine metabolism may be mechanistically linked to changes in neuronal energetics in MS cortex. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT For decades, it has been observed that vitamin B12 deficiency and multiple sclerosis (MS) share certain pathological changes, including conduction disturbances. In the present study, we have found that vitamin B12-dependent methionine metabolism is dysregulated in the MS brain. We found that concentrations of the methyl donor betaine are decreased in MS cortex and are correlated with reduced levels of the histone H3 methyl mark H3K4me3 in neurons. Cell culture and chromatin immunoprecipitation-seq data suggest that these changes may lead to defects in mitochondria and impact neuronal energetics. These data have uncovered a novel pathway linking methionine metabolism with mitochondrial respiration and have important implications for understanding mechanisms involved in neurodegeneration in MS.

Pulse radiolysis studies of the reactions of nitrogen dioxide with the vitamin B12 complexes cob(II)alamin and nitrocobalamin

Although now recognized to be an important reactive nitrogen species in biological systems that modifies the structures of proteins, DNA and lipids, there are few studies on the reactivity of NO2, including the reactions between NO2 and transition metal complexes. We report kinetic studies on the reactions of NO2 with two forms of vitamin B12 - cob(II)alamin and nitrocobalamin. UV-visible spectroscopy and HPLC analysis of the product solution show that NO2 cleanly oxidizes the metal center of cob(II)alamin to form nitrocobalamin, with a second-order rate constant of (3.5±0.3)×10(8)M(-1)s(-1) (pH7.0 and 9.0, room temperature, I=0.20M). The stoichiometry of the reaction is 1:1. No reaction is detected by UV-visible spectroscopy and HPLC analysis of the product solution when nitrocobalamin is exposed to up to 2.0molequiv. NO2.

Kinetic studies on the reaction of cob(II)alamin with hypochlorous acid: Evidence for one electron oxidation of the metal center and corrin ring destruction

Kinetic and mechanistic studies on the reaction of a major intracellular vitamin B12 form, cob(II)alamin (Cbl(II)), with hypochlorous acid/hypochlorite (HOCl/OCl-) have been carried out. Cbl(II) (Co(II)) is rapidly oxidized by HOCl to predominately aquacobalamin/hydroxycobalamin (Cbl(III), Co(III)) with a second-order rate constant of 2.4×107M-1s-1 (25.0°C). The stoichiometry of the reaction is 1:1. UHPLC/HRMS analysis of the product mixture of the reaction of Cbl(II) with 0.9mol equiv. HOCl provides support for HOCl being initially reduced to Cl and subsequent H atom abstraction from the corrin macrocycle occurring, resulting in small amounts of corrinoid species with two or four H atoms fewer than the parent cobalamin. Upon the addition of excess (H)OCl further slower reactions are observed. Finally, SDS-PAGE experiments show that HOCl-induced damage to bovine serum albumin does not occur in the presence of Cbl(II), providing support for Cbl(II) being an efficient HOCl trapping agent.

Rapid Photoactivated Generation of Nitroxyl (HNO) under Neutral pH Conditions

Directly obtaining kinetic and mechanistic data for the reactions of nitroxyl (HNO) with biomolecules (k≈103 -107 u2009m-1 u2009s-1 ) is not feasible for many systems because of slow HNO release from HNO donor molecules (t1/2 is typically minutes to hours). To address this limitation, we have developed a photoactivatable HNO donor incorporating the (3-hydroxy-2-naphthalenyl)methyl phototrigger, which rapidly releases HNO on demand. A proof of concept study is reported, which demonstrates that, upon continuous xenon light excitation, rapid decomposition of the HNO donor occurs within seconds. The amount of HNO generated is strongly dependent on solvent and the rate of the reaction is dependent on the light intensity.

Pulse Radiolysis and Ultra‐High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography/High‐Resolution Mass Spectrometry Studies on the Reactions of the Carbonate Radical with Vitamin B12 Derivatives

The reactions of the carbonate radical anion (CO3 (.) (-) ) with vitamin B12 derivatives were studied by pulse radiolysis. The carbonate radical anion directly oxidizes the metal center of cob(II)alamin quantitively to give hydroxycobalamin, with a bimolecular rate constant of 2.0×10(9) M(-1) s(-1) . The reaction of CO3 (.) (-) with hydroxycobalamin proceeds in two steps. The second-order rate constant for the first reaction is 4.3×10(8) M(-1) s(-1) . The rate of the second reaction is independent of the hydroxycobalamin concentration and is approximately 3.0×10(3) s(-1) . Evidence for formation of corrinoid complexes differing from cobalamin by the abstraction of two or four hydrogen atoms from the corrin macrocycle and lactone ring formation has been obtained by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC/HRMS). A mechanism is proposed in which abstraction of a hydrogen atom by CO3 (.) (-) from a carbon atom not involved in the π conjugation system of the corrin occurs in the first step, resulting in formation of a Co(III) C-centered radical that undergoes rapid intramolecular electron transfer to form the corresponding Co(II) carbocation complex for about 50 % of these complexes. Subsequent competing pathways lead to formation of corrinoid complexes with two fewer hydrogen atoms and lactone derivatives of B12 . Our results demonstrate the potential of UHPLC combined with HRMS in the separation and identification of tetrapyrrole macrocycles with minor modifications from their parent molecule.

Frontispiece: Synthesis and HNO Donating Properties of the Piloty's Acid Analogue Trifluoromethanesulphonylhydroxamic Acid: Evidence for Quantitative Release of HNO at Neutral pH Conditions

Trifluoromethanesulphonylhydroxamic acid, CF3 SO2 NHOH, is shown to release HNO under physiological pH conditions. A two-step synthesis is presented with the first complete characterization of CF3 SO2 NHOH. This molecule rapidly decomposes in neutral aqueous solution to cleanly release HNO and CF3 SO2- , which was demonstrated using the HNO traps TXPTS and HOCbl, and by 19 Fu2005NMR spectroscopy.