scholarly journals Selenocysteine β-Lyase: Biochemistry, Regulation and Physiological Role of the Selenocysteine Decomposition Enzyme

Antioxidants ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucia A. Seale

The enzyme selenocysteine β-lyase (SCLY) was first isolated in 1982 from pig livers, followed by its identification in bacteria. SCLY works as a homodimer, utilizing pyridoxal 5’-phosphate as a cofactor, and catalyzing the specific decomposition of the amino acid selenocysteine into alanine and selenide. The enzyme is thought to deliver its selenide as a substrate for selenophosphate synthetases, which will ultimately be reutilized in selenoprotein synthesis. SCLY subcellular localization is unresolved, as it has been observed both in the cytosol and in the nucleus depending on the technical approach used. The highest SCLY expression and activity in mammals is found in the liver and kidneys. Disruption of the Scly gene in mice led to obesity, hyperinsulinemia, glucose intolerance, and hepatic steatosis, with SCLY being suggested as a participant in the regulation of energy metabolism in a sex-dependent manner. With the physiological role of SCLY still not fully understood, this review attempts to discuss the available literature regarding SCLY in animals and provides avenues for possible future investigation.

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (13) ◽  
pp. 3314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janah ◽  
Kjeldsen ◽  
Galsgaard ◽  
Winther-Sørensen ◽  
Stojanovska ◽  
...  

Hundred years after the discovery of glucagon, its biology remains enigmatic. Accurate measurement of glucagon has been essential for uncovering its pathological hypersecretion that underlies various metabolic diseases including not only diabetes and liver diseases but also cancers (glucagonomas). The suggested key role of glucagon in the development of diabetes has been termed the bihormonal hypothesis. However, studying tissue-specific knockout of the glucagon receptor has revealed that the physiological role of glucagon may extend beyond blood-glucose regulation. Decades ago, animal and human studies reported an important role of glucagon in amino acid metabolism through ureagenesis. Using modern technologies such as metabolomic profiling, knowledge about the effects of glucagon on amino acid metabolism has been expanded and the mechanisms involved further delineated. Glucagon receptor antagonists have indirectly put focus on glucagon’s potential role in lipid metabolism, as individuals treated with these antagonists showed dyslipidemia and increased hepatic fat. One emerging field in glucagon biology now seems to include the concept of hepatic glucagon resistance. Here, we discuss the roles of glucagon in glucose homeostasis, amino acid metabolism, and lipid metabolism and present speculations on the molecular pathways causing and associating with postulated hepatic glucagon resistance.


2011 ◽  
Vol 107 (12) ◽  
pp. 1757-1765 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takatoshi Murase ◽  
Yuka Yokoi ◽  
Koichi Misawa ◽  
Hideo Ominami ◽  
Yasuto Suzuki ◽  
...  

Postprandial energy metabolism, including postprandial hyperglycaemia, hyperinsulinaemia and hyperlipidaemia, is related to the risk for developing obesity and CVD. In the present study, we examined the effects of polyphenols purified from coffee (coffee polyphenols (CPP)) on postprandial carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, and whole-body substrate oxidation in C57BL/6J mice. In mice that co-ingested CPP with a lipid–carbohydrate (sucrose or starch)-mixed emulsion, the respiratory quotient determined by indirect calorimetry was significantly lower than that in control mice, whereas there was no difference inVO2(energy expenditure), indicating that CPP modulates postprandial energy partitioning. CPP also suppressed postprandial increases in plasma glucose, insulin, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and TAG levels. Inhibition experiments on digestive enzymes revealed that CPP inhibits maltase and sucrase, and, to a lesser extent, pancreatic lipase in a concentration-dependent manner. Among the nine kinds of polyphenols (caffeoyl quinic acids (CQA), di-CQA, feruloyl quinic acids (FQA)) contained in CPP, di-CQA showed more potent inhibitory activity than CQA or FQA on these digestive enzymes, suggesting a predominant role of di-CQA in the regulation of postprandial energy metabolism. These results suggest that CPP modulates whole-body substrate oxidation by suppressing postprandial hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia, and these effects are mediated by inhibiting digestive enzymes.


Author(s):  
Allison C. Ostriker ◽  
Yi Xie ◽  
Raja Chakraborty ◽  
Ashley J. Sizer ◽  
Yalai Bai ◽  
...  

Background: Coronary allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a devastating sequelae of heart transplant in which arterial intimal thickening limits coronary blood flow. There are currently no targeted therapies to prevent or reduce this pathology that leads to transplant failure. Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotypic plasticity is critical in CAV neointima formation. TET methylcytosine dioxygenase 2 (TET2) is an important epigenetic regulator of VSMC phenotype, but the role of TET2 in the progression of CAV is unknown. Methods: We assessed TET2 expression and activity in human CAV and renal transplant samples. We also employed the sex-mismatched murine aortic graft model of graft arteriopathy (GA) in wild type and inducible smooth muscle-specific Tet2 knockout mice; and in vitro studies in murine and human VSMCs using knockdown, overexpression, and transcriptomic approaches to assess the role of TET2 in VSMC responses to IFNу, a cytokine elaborated by T cells that drives CAV progression. Results: In the present study, we found that TET2 expression and activity is negatively regulated in human CAV and renal transplant samples and in the murine aortic graft model of GA. IFNу was sufficient to repress TET2 and induce an activated VSMC phenotype in vitro . TET2 depletion mimicked the effects of IFNу, and TET2 overexpression rescued IFNу-induced dedifferentiation. VSMC-specific TET2 depletion in aortic grafts, and in the femoral wire restenosis model, resulted in increased VSMC apoptosis and medial thinning. In GA, this apoptosis was tightly correlated with proliferation. In vitro , TET2 deficient VSMCs undergo apoptosis more readily in response to IFNγ and expressed a signature of increased susceptibility to extrinsic apoptotic signaling. Notably, enhancing TET2 enzymatic activity with high-dose ascorbic acid rescued the effect of GA-induced VSMC apoptosis and intimal thickening in a TET2-dependent manner. Conclusions: TET2 is repressed in CAV and GA, likely mediated by IFNу. TET2 serves to protect VSMCs from apoptosis in the context of transplant vasculopathy or IFNу stimulation. Promoting TET2 activity in vivo with systemic ascorbic acid reduces VSMC apoptosis and intimal thickening. These data suggest that promoting TET2 activity in CAV may be an effective strategy for limiting CAV progression.


Parasitology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 143 (5) ◽  
pp. 576-587 ◽  
Author(s):  
NATALIA MALLO ◽  
JESÚS LAMAS ◽  
ANA-PAULA DEFELIPE ◽  
MARIA-EUGENIA DECASTRO ◽  
ROSA-ANA SUEIRO ◽  
...  

SUMMARYH+-pyrophosphatases (H+-PPases) are integral membrane proteins that couple pyrophosphate energy to an electrochemical gradient across biological membranes and promote the acidification of cellular compartments. Eukaryotic organisms, essentially plants and protozoan parasites, contain various types of H+-PPases associated with vacuoles, plasma membrane and acidic Ca+2storage organelles called acidocalcisomes. We used Lysotracker Red DND-99 staining to identify two acidic cellular compartments in trophozoites of the marine scuticociliate parasitePhilasterides dicentrarchi: the phagocytic vacuoles and the alveolar sacs. The membranes of these compartments also contain H+-PPase, which may promote acidification of these cell structures. We also demonstrated for the first time that theP. dicentrarchiH+-PPase has two isoforms: H+-PPase 1 and 2. Isoform 2, which is probably generated by splicing, is located in the membranes of the alveolar sacs and has an amino acid motif recognized by the H+-PPase-specific antibody PABHK. The amino acid sequences of different isolates of this ciliate are highly conserved. Gene and protein expression in this isoform are significantly regulated by variations in salinity, indicating a possible physiological role of this enzyme and the alveolar sacs in osmoregulation and salt tolerance inP. dicentrarchi.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 1870
Author(s):  
Do Yeon Kim ◽  
Sang Ryong Kim ◽  
Un Ju Jung

To test the hypothesis that myricitrin (MYR) improves type 2 diabetes, we examined the effect of MYR on hyperglycemia, glucose intolerance, hepatic steatosis, and inflammation in high-fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 2 diabetic mice. Male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into three groups: non-diabetic, diabetic control, and MYR (0.005%, w/w)-supplemented diabetic groups. Diabetes was induced by HFD and STZ, and MYR was administered orally for 5 weeks. Myricitrin exerted no significant effects on food intake, body weight, fat weight, or plasma lipids levels. However, MYR significantly decreased fasting blood glucose levels, improved glucose intolerance, and increased pancreatic β-cell mass compared to the diabetic control group. Myricitrin administration also markedly increased glucokinase mRNA expression and activity as well as lowered glucose-6-phosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA expression and activity in the liver. In addition, liver weight, hepatic triglyceride content, and lipid droplet accumulation were markedly decreased following MYR administration. These changes were seemingly attributable to the suppression of the hepatic lipogenic enzymes—fatty acid synthase and phosphatidate phosphohydrolase. Myricitrin also significantly lowered plasma MCP-1 and TNF-α levels and the mRNA expression of hepatic pro-inflammatory genes. These results suggest that MYR has anti-diabetic potential.


1957 ◽  
Vol 106 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar D. Ratnoff ◽  
Irwin H. Lepow

Studies on an esterase derived from partially purified preparations of the first component of complement are described. The esterase hydrolyzed certain synthetic amino acid esters, among which N-acetyl-L-tyrosine ethyl ester was most susceptible. This was hydrolyzed maximally between pH 7.5 and 8.2, and at 41°C. The esterase could not be identified with other previously described hydrolytic enzymes. An esterase with similar properties could also be eluted from antigen-antibody aggregates which had been treated with serum. Human serum contained a heat-labile inhibitor of the esterase which could not be identified with any of the known components of complement. The esterase was also inhibited by certain reducing agents. The experiments described support the early hypothesis that complement exerts its action enzymatically, but the physiological role of the esterase derived from preparations of complement is not yet clear.


2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 885-898 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingda Yan ◽  
Dorian A. Rachubinski ◽  
Saurabh Joshi ◽  
Richard A. Rachubinski ◽  
Suresh Subramani

Yarrowia lipolytica Pex23p and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pex30p, Pex31p, and Pex32p comprise a family of dysferlin domain–containing peroxins. We show that the deletion of their Pichia pastoris homologues, PEX30 and PEX31, does not affect the function or division of methanol-induced peroxisomes but results in fewer and enlarged, functional, oleate-induced peroxisomes. Synthesis of Pex30p is constitutive, whereas that of Pex31p is oleate-induced but at a much lower level relative to Pex30p. Pex30p interacts with Pex31p and is required for its stability. At steady state, both Pex30p and Pex31p exhibit a dual localization to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and peroxisomes. However, Pex30p is localized mostly to the ER, whereas Pex31p is predominantly on peroxisomes. Consistent with ER-to-peroxisome trafficking of these proteins, Pex30p accumulates on peroxisomes upon overexpression of Pex31p. Additionally, Pex31p colocalizes with Pex30p at the ER in pex19Δ cells and can be chased from the ER to peroxisomes in a Pex19p-dependent manner. The dysferlin domains of Pex30p and Pex31p, which are dispensable for their interaction, stability, and subcellular localization, are essential for normal peroxisome number and size. The growth environment-specific role of these peroxins, their dual localization, and the function of their dysferlin domains provide novel insights into peroxisome morphogenesis.


2003 ◽  
Vol 384 (12) ◽  
pp. 1575-1582 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Gregory ◽  
A. Ziemiecki ◽  
G. Zürcher ◽  
U. Brodbeck ◽  
P. Bütikofer

AbstractDespite its well characterised biochemistry, the physiological role of glycosylphosphatidylinositolspecific phospholipase D (GPIPLD) is unknown. Most of the previous studies investigating the distribution of GPI-PLD have focused on the human and bovine forms of the enzyme. Studies on mouse GPI-PLD are rare, partly due to the lack of a specific antimouse GPI-PLD antibody, but also due to the apparent low reactivity of existing antibodies to rodent GPI-PLDs. Here we describe the isolation of a mouse liver cDNA, the construction and expression of a recombinant enzyme and the generation of an affinitypurified rabbit antimouse GPI-PLD antiserum. The antibody shows good reactivity to partially purified murine and purified bovine GPI-PLD. In contrast, a rat antibovine GPI-PLD antibody shows no reactivity with the mouse enzyme and the two antibodies recognise different proteolytic fragments of the bovine enzyme. Comparison between the rodent, bovine and human enzymes indicates that small changes in the amino acid sequence of a short peptide in the mouse and bovine GPI-PLDs may contribute to the different reactivities of the two antisera. We discuss the implications of these results and stress the importance of antibody selection while investigating GPI-PLD in the mouse.


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