scholarly journals Mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase catalyses cysteine S-conjugate β-lyase reactions

2002 ◽  
Vol 368 (1) ◽  
pp. 253-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur J.L. COOPER ◽  
Sam A. BRUSCHI ◽  
Ana IRIARTE ◽  
Marino MARTINEZ-CARRION

Rat liver mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase (a homodimer) was shown to catalyse a β-lyase reaction with three nephrotoxic halogenated cysteine S-conjugates [S-(1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl)-l-cysteine, S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-l-cysteine and S-(2-chloro-1,1,2-trifluoroethyl)-l-cysteine], and less effectively so with a non-toxic cysteine S-conjugate [benzothiazolyl-l-cysteine]. Transamination competes with the β-lyase reaction, but is not favourable. The ratio of β elimination to transamination in the presence of S-(1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl)-l-cysteine and 2-oxoglutarate is >100. Syncatalytic inactivation by the halogenated cysteine S-conjugates is also observed. The enzyme turns over approx. 2700 molecules of halogenated cysteine S-conjugate on average for every monomer inactivated. Kidney mitochondria are known to be especially sensitive to toxic halogenated cysteine S-conjugates. Evidence is presented that 15—20% of the cysteine S-conjugate β-lyase activity towards S-(1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl)-l-cysteine in crude kidney mitochondrial homogenates is due to mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase. The possible involvement of mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase in the toxicity of halogenated cysteine S-conjugates is also discussed.

1968 ◽  
Vol 108 (4) ◽  
pp. 619-624 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. M. Bhargava ◽  
A. Sreenivasan

1. Butan-1-ol solubilizes that portion of rat liver mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.1) that cannot be solubilized by ultrasonics and other treatments. 2. A difference in electrophoretic mobilities, chromatographic behaviour and solubility characteristics between the enzymes solubilized by ultrasonic treatment and by butan-1-ol was observed, suggesting the occurrence of two forms of this enzyme in rat liver mitochondria. 3. Half the aspartate aminotransferase activity of rat kidney homogenate was present in a high-speed supernatant fraction, the remainder being in the mitochondria. 4. A considerable increase in aspartate aminotransferase activity was observed when kidney mitochondrial suspensions were treated with ultrasonics or detergents. 5. All the activity after maximum activation was recoverable in the supernatant after centrifugation at 105000g for 1hr. 6. The electrophoretic mobility of the kidney mitochondrial enzyme was cathodic and that of the supernatant enzyme anodic. 7. Cortisone administration increased the activities of both mitochondrial and supernatant aspartate aminotransferases of liver, but only that of the supernatant enzyme of kidney.


1985 ◽  
Vol 228 (3) ◽  
pp. 609-614 ◽  
Author(s):  
K M O'Donovan ◽  
S Doonan ◽  
E Marra ◽  
S Passarella ◽  
E Quagliariello

Treatment of mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase from rat liver with trypsin leads to specific cleavage of the bonds between residues 26 and 27, and residues 31 and 32. The proteolysed enzyme has only a small residual catalytic activity, but retains a conformation similar to that of the native form as judged by accessibility and reactivity of cysteine residues. Proteolysis abolishes the ability of the enzyme either to bind to mitochondria or to be imported into the organelles. This suggests that the N-terminal segment of the native enzyme is essential for both of these functions, at least in the model system used to study the import process.


1977 ◽  
Vol 164 (3) ◽  
pp. 685-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Marra ◽  
S Doonan ◽  
C Saccone ◽  
E Quagliariello

1. A method was devised to allow determination of intramitochondrial aspartate amino-transferase activity in suspensions of intact mitochondria. 2. Addition of purified rat liver mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase to suspensions of rat liver mitochondria caused an apparent increase in the intramitochondrial enzyme activity. No increase was observed when the mitochondria were preincubated with the purified cytoplasmic isoenzyme. 3. These results suggest that mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase, but not the cytoplasmic isoenzyme, is able to pass from solution into the matrix of intact rat liver mitochondria in vitro. 4. This system may provide a model for studies of the little-understood processes by which cytoplasmically synthesized components are incorporated into mitochondria in vivo.


2003 ◽  
Vol 376 (1) ◽  
pp. 169-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur J. L. COOPER ◽  
Boris F. KRASNIKOV ◽  
Etsuo OKUNO ◽  
Thomas M. JEITNER

Several halogenated alkenes are metabolized in part to cysteine S-conjugates, which are mitochondrial toxicants of kidney and, to a lesser extent, other organs. Toxicity is due to cysteine S-conjugate β-lyases, which convert the cysteine S-conjugate into pyruvate, ammonia and a reactive sulphur-containing fragment. A section of the human population is exposed to halogenated alkenes. To understand the health effects of such exposure, it is important to identify cysteine S-conjugate β-lyases that contribute to mitochondrial damage. Mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase [Cooper, Bruschi, Iriarte and Martinez-Carrion (2002) Biochem. J. 368, 253–261] and mitochondrial branched-chain aminotransferase [Cooper, Bruschi, Conway and Hutson (2003) Biochem. Pharmacol. 65, 181–192] exhibit β-lyase activity toward S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-l-cysteine (the cysteine S-conjugate of trichloroethylene) and S-(1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl)-l-cysteine (the cysteine S-conjugate of tetrafluoroethylene). Turnover leads to eventual inactivation of these enzymes. Here we report that mitochondrial l-alanine–glyoxylate aminotransferase II, which, in the rat, is most active in kidney, catalyses cysteine S-conjugate β-lyase reactions with S-(1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl)-l-cysteine, S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-l-cysteine and S-(benzothiazolyl-l-cysteine); turnover leads to inactivation. Previous workers showed that the reactive-sulphur-containing fragment released from S-(1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl)-l-cysteine and S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-l-cysteine is toxic by acting as a thioacylating agent – particularly of lysine residues in nearby proteins. Toxicity, however, may also involve ‘self-inactivation’ of key enzymes. The present findings suggest that alanine–glyoxylate aminotransferase II may be an important factor in the well-established targeting of rat kidney mitochondria by toxic halogenated cysteine S-conjugates. Previous reports suggest that alanine–glyoxylate aminotransferase II is absent in some humans, but present in others. Alanine–glyoxylate aminotransferase II may contribute to the bioactivation (toxification) of halogenated cysteine S-conjugates in a subset of individuals exposed to halogenated alkenes.


1975 ◽  
Vol 150 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Stubbs ◽  
H A Krebs

1. Isolated hepatocytes were used to establish the reasons for the accumulation of aspartate, previously observed when the isolated rat liver was perfused with ethanol in the presence of alanine or ammonium lactate. 2. The isolated cells did not form aspartate when incubated with alanine and ethanol, but much aspartate was formed on incubation with ammonium lactate and ethanol. 3. Urea was the main nitrogenous product on incubation with alanine, in contrast with the perfused liver, where major quantities of NH4+ are also formed. When the formation of urea was nullified by the addition of urease, alanine plus ethanol caused aspartate formation, indicating that aspartate formation depends on the presence of critical concentrations of NH4+. 4. The accumulated aspartate was present in the cytosol. Ethanol halved the content of 2-oxoglutarate in the cytosol and more than trebled that of glutamate in the mitochondria. 5. The findings support the assumption that 2-oxoglutarate formed by the mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase is not translocated to the cytosol in the presence of ethanol and NH4+, because it is rapidly converted into glutamate, the dehydrogenation of ethanol providing the required NADH. Aspartate, however, is translocated to the cytosol and accumulates there because of the lack of stoicheiometric amounts of oxoglutarate.


Hepatology ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 701-707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tadashi Nishimura ◽  
Yukuo Yoshida ◽  
Fusao Watanabe ◽  
Masato Koseki ◽  
Toshiro Nishida ◽  
...  

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