Richard M. Philpot

Isoform specificity of trimethylamine N-oxygenation by human flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO) and P450 enzymes Selective catalysis by fmo3

In the present study, we expressed human flavin-containing monooxygenase 1 (FMO1), FMO3, FMO4t (truncated), and FMO5 in the baculovirus expression vector system at levels of 0.6 to 2.4 nmol FMO/mg of membrane protein. These four isoforms, as well as purified rabbit FMO2, and eleven heterologously expressed human P450 isoforms were examined for their capacity to metabolize trimethylamine (TMA) to its N-oxide (TMAO), using a new, specific HPLC method with radiochemical detection. Human FMO3 was by far the most active isoform, exhibiting a turnover number of 30 nmol TMAO/nmol FMO3/min at pH 7.4 and 0.5 mM TMA. None of the other monooxygenases formed TMAO at rates greater than 1 nmol/nmol FMO/min under these conditions. Human fetal liver, adult liver, kidney and intestine microsomes were screened for TMA oxidation, and only human adult liver microsomes provided substantial TMAO-formation (range 2.9 to 9.1 nmol TMAO/mg protein/min, N = 5). Kinetic studies of TMAO formation by recombinant human FMO3, employing three different analytical methods, resulted in a Km of 28 +/- 1 microM and a Vmax of 36.3 +/- 5.7 nmol TMAO/nmol FMO3/min. The Km determined in human liver microsomes ranged from 13.0 to 54.8 microM. Therefore, at physiological pH, human FMO3 is a very specific and efficient TMA N-oxygenase, and is likely responsible for the metabolic clearance of TMA in vivo in humans. In addition, this specificity provides a good in vitro probe for the determination of FMO3-mediated activity in human tissues, by analyzing TMAO formation at pH 7.4 with TMA concentrations not higher than 0.5 mM.

Quantitation and kinetic properties of hepatic microsomal and recombinant flavin-containing monooxygenases 3 and 5 from humans.

Variable amounts of flavin-containing monooxygenase isoforms 3 and 5 (FMO3 and FMO5) are present in microsomal preparations from adult, male, human liver. Quantitation with monospecific antibodies and recombinant isoforms as standards showed levels of FMO3 and of FMO5 that ranged from 12.5 to 117 and 3.5 to 34 pmol/mg microsomal protein, respectively. The concentration of FMO3 was greater than that of FMO5 in all samples, but the ratio of FMO3 to FMO5 varied from 2:1 to 10:1. Human hepatic microsomal samples also showed variable activities for the S-oxidation of methimazole. This activity was associated totally with FMO3; no participation of FMO5 was apparent. This conclusion was supported by several lines of evidence: first, the catalytic efficiency of FMO3 with methimazole was found to be approximately 5000 times greater than that of FMO5; second, the rate of metabolism showed a direct, quantitative relationship with FMO3 content; third, the plot of the relationship between metabolism and FMO3 content extrapolated close to the origin. A second reaction, the N-oxidation of ranitidine, exhibited a much higher Km with recombinant FMO3 than did methimazole (2 mM vs. 35 microM). However, a direct relationship between this reaction and FMO3 content in human hepatic microsomal preparations was also apparent. This result shows that even with a high Km substrate, FMO3-catalyzed metabolism can account for the majority of the product formation with some drugs. Our findings demonstrate that the contribution of FMO isoforms to human hepatic drug metabolism can be assessed quantitatively on the basis of the characteristics of the enzymes expressed in Escherichia coli.

Identification of Cytochrome P-450 Isozymes in Nonciliated Bronchiolar Epithelial (Clara) and Alveolar Type II Cells Isolated from Rabbit Lung

Two forms of cytochrome P-450 (P-450I and P-450II) have been shown by several techniques to be present in both nonciliated bronchiolar cells (Clara) and alveolar type II cells isolated from rabbit lung. In contrast, the alveolar macrophage contains little or none of these cytochromes. Cross-reactivity between antibodies to cytochrome P-450I or P-450II and detergent-digested microsomes prepared from 80% type II or 70% Clara cell fractions was shown by Ouchterlony double immunodiffusion. The presence of both cytochromes was also demonstrated by histochemical immunofluorescence in smears of type II cells stained by a modified Papanicolaou procedure and Clara cells stained with nitroblue tetrazolium. However, this same fluorescent antibody technique used for localization of rabbit pulmonary cytochromes P-450I and P-450II in tissue sections showed most of the immunofluorescence in the Clara cells of the bronchiolar epithelium. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of microsomes from either the type II or Clara cell fractions produced bands which corresponded to cytochrome P-450I (52,000 daltons) and cytochrome P-450II (58,000 daltons).

Cytochrome P-450 mediated genetic activity and cytotoxicity of seven halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, harvested from log-phase cultures, contain cytochrome P-450 and are capable of metabolizing promutagens to genetically active products. The activities of 7 halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons in the yeast system have been investigated. All of the compounds tested (methylene chloride, halothane, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene and s-tetrachloroethane) induced mitotic gene convertants and recombinants and, to a lesser extent, gene revertants when incubated with log-phase cells of the yeast strain D7. An examination of the difference spectra observed upon the addition of carbon tetrachloride, halothane and trichloroethylene to whole-cell or microsomal suspensions of yeast suggested that cytochrome P-450 mediated the metabolism of the hydrocarbons tested to cytotoxic and genetically active compounds.

Characterization of the free radical formed in aerobic microsomal incubations containing carbon tetrachloride and NADPH

Abstract Aerobic microsomal incubations containing either lipoxygenase or carbon tetrachloride and NADPH apparently produce the same free radical, as determined by spin trapping. The spectrum of the radical trapped in the presence of CCl 4 and NADPH is consistent with a carbon-centered dienyl lipid radical adduct. This species had previously been identified as the trichloromethyl radical adduct.

The rabbit pulmonary monooxygenase system: characteristics and activities of two forms of pulmonary cytochrome P-450.

Two forms of rabbit pulmonary cytochrome P-450 have been characterized spectrally and their activities in reconstituted monooxygenase systems investigated. The presence of both microsomal phospholipids and sodium cholate was required to obtain optimum activity. Only one of the cytochromes (I) was active in the N-demethylation of benzphetamine and the O-deethylation of 7-ethoxycoumarin. However, cytochrome II was 20% more active than cytochrome I in the metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene. The profile of the metabolites formed from benzo[a]pyrene indicated that metabolism at the 9 and 10 positions was insignificant in the case of cytochrome I but represented about 40% of the metabolites produced by cytochrome II. The two forms of the cytochrome are present in pulmonary microsomes in approximately equal amounts.

Formation of hydrogen peroxide and N-hydroxylated amines catalyzed by pulmonary flavin-containing monooxygenases in the presence of primary alkylamines

In atypical reaction, incubation of purified rabbit pulmonary flavin-containing monooxygenase with certain primary alkylamines results in the oxidation of NADPH and the formation of hydrogen peroxide. In addition, significant amounts of N-hydroxylated primary amine are also generated, as determined by colorimetric assay and GC/MS analysis of n-octylamine metabolites. Similar reactions appear to be catalyzed by the mouse pulmonary enzyme. In contrast, incubation of primary alkylamines with hepatic flavin-containing monooxygenases from rabbit, mouse, or pig does not result in NADPH oxidation or metabolism. Another effect of primary alkylamines is marked activation of the mouse pulmonary and pig hepatic flavin-containing monooxygenases with some substrates. The structural requirements for primary alkylamines to elicit NADPH oxidation by the rabbit pulmonary enzyme or to activate the mouse pulmonary and pig hepatic enzymes are identical. This indicates that different flavin-containing monooxygenases probably have a conserved alkylamine-binding site of defined specificity. In the case of the rabbit pulmonary enzyme, this binding may occur very close to or at the catalytic site resulting in some N-hydroxylation of the alkylamine.

Immunohistochemical Demonstration of Cytochrome P-450 Monooxygenase in Clara Cells throughout the Tracheobronchial Airways of the Rabbit

The nonciliated bronchiolar epithelial (or Clara) cell is considered the primary pulmonary site of cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenase activity. Despite the general conception that Clara cells are restricted to bronchioles, we have previously shown that a nonciliated cell with the cytological features of the Clara cell predominates throughout rabbit tracheobronchial airways. The present study was designed to determine if the cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase system has the same distribution. Trachea, terminal bronchioles and 3 generations of bronchi were selected by microdissection from fixed lungs of adult specific-pathogen-free rabbits. Serial sections of paraffin-embedded tissue were stained with either Alcian blue/periodic acid Schiffs (AB/PAS) or with antisera to one of the following: cytochrome P-450 form 2, form 5, or NADPH-dependent cytochrome P-450 reductase. The majority of nonciliated epithelial cells lining all 5 airway generations were PAS+ and AB-. Nonciliated cells in all 5 airway generations reacted positively with all three antisera. The primary deposition site was the apical portion of nonciliated cells. Other sites included ciliated surfaces and vascular endothelium. Reaction products from all three antisera had the same localization pattern. We conclude that (1) the cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase system is distributed throughout the tracheobronchial airways of the rabbit and (2) the Clara cells of the trachea and bronchi are functionally, as well as structurally, similar to those of the bronchioles.

Expression and characterization of a modified flavin-containing monooxygenase 4 from humans.

The inability to obtain flavin-containing monooxygenase 4 (FMO4) in heterologous systems has hampered efforts to characterize this isoform of the FMO gene family. Neither the human nor the rabbit ortholog of FMO4, each of which has been cloned and sequenced, has been expressed. Attempts to achieve expression of FMO4 have been made with Escherichia coli, baculovirus, yeast, and COS systems. The cDNAs encoding FMO4 have extended coding regions compared with those encoding other FMO isoforms. The derived amino acid sequences of FMO1, −2, −3, and −5 from all species examined contain about the same number of residues (531-535 residues), whereas the derived sequences of human and rabbit FMO4 contain 558 and 555 residues, respectively. We have investigated whether the elongation of the FMO4 coding region is related to the inability to achieve expression. The cDNA encoding human FMO4 has been modified by a single base change that introduces a stop codon at the consensus position. This modification allows for expression in E. coli. Lack of expression of intact FMO4 is caused by a problem that occurs following transcription, a problem that is overcome completely by relocation of the stop codon 81 bases to 5′ of its normal position. Truncated FMO4 is expressed as an active enzyme with characteristics typical of an FMO isoform. Possible functional changes resulting from altering the 3′-end of an FMO were investigated with human FMO3. Elongation of the coding region of the FMO3 cDNA to the next available stop codon (FMO3*) resulted in the expression of an enzyme with properties very similar to those of unmodified FMO3. Elongation of FMO3 lowered the level of expression in E. coli but did not eliminate it. As with FMO4, the difference in expression levels between FMO3 and elongated FMO3 (FMO3*) appears to be related to translation rather than transcription. The functional characteristics of FMO3 and FMO3* are not significantly different.

Purification and structural comparison of pulmonary and hepatic cytochrome P-450 from rabbits

A procedure is described for the purification of a major form of cytochrome P-450 from the livrs of rabbits treated with phenobarbital and a major form of the cytochrome from the lungs of untreated rabbits. Preparations in good yield (13--17%) and of high purity (up to 21 nmol of cytochrome per mg of protein) that were free of lipid and contained minimal amounts of non-ionic detergent were obtained from either tissue. The two cytochromes cannot be distinguished from each other on the basis of absorption spectra, extinction coefficients, apparent molecular weights (52 000), amino acid compositions, or peptide fragments produced by treatment of the proteins with cyanogen bromide. These data are consistent with a major indigenous form of rabbit pulmonary cytochrome P-450 being the same as the major form of hepatic cytochrome induced by phenobarbital.