Structural identification of phosphatidylcholines having an oxidatively shortened linoleate residue generated through its oxygenation with soybean or rabbit reticulocyte lipoxygenase. (33/779)

Phosphatidylcholines (PCs) with platelet-activating factor (PAF)-like biological activities are known to be generated by fragmentation of the sn-2-esterified polyunsaturated fatty acyl group. The reaction is free radical-mediated and triggered by oxidants such as metal ions, oxyhemoglobin, and organic hydroperoxides. In this study, we characterized the PAF-like phospholipids produced on reaction of PC having a linoleate group with lipoxygenase enzymes at low oxygen concentrations. When the oxidized PCs were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, two types of oxidatively fragmented PC were detected. One PC had an sn-2-short chain saturated or unsaturated acyl group (C(8)-C(13)) with an aldehydic terminal; the abundant species were PCs with C(9) and C(13). The other PC had a short chain saturated acyl group (C(6)-C(9)) with a methyl terminal, and the most predominant species was PC with C(8). When the extracts of oxidation products were subjected to catalytic hydrogenation, PCs having saturated acyl groups (C(6)-C(14)) were detected; the most abundant was C(12) species. The less regiospecific formation of PAF-like lipids suggests that they were generated by oxidative fragmentation of PC hydroperoxides formed by non-stereoselective oxygenation of the alkyl radical of esterified linoleate that escaped from the active centers of lipoxygenases. One of the PAF-like PC with an aldehydic terminal was found to be bioactive; it inhibited the production of nitric oxide induced by lipopolysaccharide and interferon-gamma in vascular smooth muscle cells from rat aorta.  (+info)

14-3-3 proteins interact with a 13-lipoxygenase, but not with a 9-lipoxygenase. (34/779)

Associations between lipoxygenases (Lox) and 14-3-3 proteins were demonstrated by two different methods. First, immunoprecipitation experiments, using isoenzyme-specific monoclonal Lox antibodies, showed that 14-3-3 proteins co-precipitate with 13-Lox, but not with the 9-Lox from barley. Second, interactions between 13-Lox and 14-3-3 were established by surface plasmon resonance studies, showing that 13-Lox binds with 14-3-3 proteins in a concentration-dependent manner. The interactions between 14-3-3 proteins and 13-Lox may reveal their role during plant development.  (+info)

Inhibition by unsaturated fatty acids of type II secretory phospholipase A2 synthesis in guinea-pig alveolar macrophages evidence for the eicosanoid-independent pathway. (35/779)

The effect of arachidonic acid (C20:4) on the production of secretory type II phospholipase A2 (sPLA2-II) by guinea-pig alveolar macrophages was investigated. We show that incubation of these cells with 1-30 microM of arachidonic acid inhibits the synthesis of sPLA2-II in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC50 of approximately 7.5 microM. The inhibition by low concentrations (5 microM) of arachidonic acid was partially reduced by pretreatment of alveolar macrophages with cyclooxygenase or cytochrome P450 inhibitors (aspirin and 1-aminobenzotriazole, respectively), but not by lipoxygenase inhibitor, BW A4C. However, these inhibitors failed to interfere with the effect of high concentrations (30 microM) of arachidonic acid, suggesting that the latter may act on the expression of sPLA2-II, at least in part, independently of eicosanoid generation. Indeed, a similar inhibitory effect on sPLA2-II activity and mRNA expression was observed with other unsaturated fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic (C20:5) and oleic (C18:1) acids, but not with the saturated fatty acid, palmitic acid (C16:0). In addition, arachidonic acid partially reduced the secretion of tumor necrosis factor alpha, an important intermediate in the induction of sPLA2-II synthesis by guinea-pig alveolar macrophages. However, addition of recombinant tumor necrosis factor alpha failed to reverse the inhibitory effect of arachidonic acid on sPLA2-II expression, suggesting that this process occurs downstream of tumor necrosis factor alpha secretion. We conclude that the expression of sPLA2-II in alveolar macrophages is down-regulated at the transcriptional level by arachidonic acid either directly or via its cyclooxygenase and cytochrome P450-derived metabolites.  (+info)

Hydroperoxide specificity of plant and human tissue lipoxygenase: an in vitro evaluation using N-demethylation of phenothiazines. (36/779)

Since hydroperoxide specificity of lipoxygenase (LO) is poorly understood at present, we investigated the ability of cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) to support cooxidase activity of the enzyme toward the selected xenobiotics. Considering the fact that in the past, studies of xenobiotic N-demethylation have focused on heme-proteins such as P450 and peroxidases, in this study, we investigated the ability of non-heme iron proteins, namely soybean LO (SLO) and human term placental LO (HTPLO) to mediate N-demethylation of phenothiazines. In addition to being dependent on peroxide concentration, the reaction was dependent on enzyme concentration, substrate concentration, incubation time, and pH of the medium. Using Nash reagent to estimate formaldehyde production, the specific activity under optimal assay conditions for the SLO mediated N-demethylation of chlorpromazine (CPZ), a prototypic phenothiazine, in the presence of TBHP, was determined to be 117+/-12 nmol HCHO/min/mg protein, while that of HTPLO was 3.9+/-0.40 nmol HCHO/min/mg protein. Similar experiments in the presence of CHP yielded specific activities of 106+/-11 nmol HCHO/min/mg SLO, and 3.2+/-0.35 nmol HCHO/min/mg HTPLO. As expected, nordihydroguaiaretic acid and gossypol, the classical inhibitors of LOs, as well as antioxidants and free radical reducing agents, caused a marked reduction in the rate of formaldehyde production from CPZ by SLO in the reaction media fortified with either CHP or TBHP. Besides chlorpromazine, both SLO and HTPLO also mediated the N-demethylation of other phenothiazines in the presence of these organic hydroperoxides.  (+info)

Early activation of lipoxygenase in lentil (Lens culinaris) root protoplasts by oxidative stress induces programmed cell death. (37/779)

Oxidative stress caused by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) triggers the hypersensitive response of plants to pathogens. Here, short pulses of H2O2 are shown to cause death of lentil (Lens culinaris) root protoplasts. Dead cells showed DNA fragmentation and ladder formation, typical hallmarks of apoptosis (programmed cell death). DNA damage was evident 12 h after the H2O2 pulse and reached a maximum 12 h later. The commitment of cells to apoptosis caused by H2O2 was characterized by an early increase of lipoxygenase activity, of ultraweak luminescence and of membrane lipid peroxidation, which reached 720, 350 and 300% of controls, respectively, at 6 h after H2O2 treatment. Increased lipoxygenase activity was paralleled by an increase of its protein and mRNA level. Lipoxygenase inhibitors nordihydroguaiaretic acid, eicosatetraynoic acid and plamitoyl ascorbate prevented H2O2-induced DNA fragmentation and ultraweak luminescence, only when added together with H2O2, but not when added 8 h afterwards. Inhibitory anti-lipoxygenase monoclonal antibodies, introduced into the protoplasts by electroporation, protected cells against H2O2-induced apoptosis. On the other hand, lentil lipoxygenase products 9- and 13-hydroperoxy-octadecadienoic acids and their reduced alcohol derivatives were able to force the protoplasts into apoptosis. Altogether, these findings suggest that early activation of lipoxygenase is a key element in the execution of apoptosis induced by oxidative stress in plant cells, in a way surprisingly similar to that observed in animal cells.  (+info)

Early physiological and cytological events induced by wounding in potato tuber. (38/779)

The response of potato tuber (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Kennebec) to mechanical wounding was investigated at different times. Changes in the levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and lipid hydroperoxides (LOOHs) were monitored up to 120 min after wounding and related to the cytological events occurring up to 24 h. Twenty minutes after injury, an increase in IAA and LOOH levels and a decrease in the levels of PUFAs was observed. Wounding induced mitoses in differentiated (parenchyma) cells starting at 120 min, and promoted an increase of mitotic activity in the meristematic cells (procambium and bud dome), after 360 min. The inhibition of the increase in LOOHs and IAA by lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibitors, as well as the ability of in vitro peroxidated linoleic acid to enhance IAA production, suggest a close relationship among lipoperoxidation, IAA and mitotic activity in the response of potato tuber cells to injury, resulting in a specific growth response, i.e. bud growth and periderm formation.  (+info)

Specific lipoxygenase isoforms accumulate in distinct regions of soybean pod walls and mark a unique cell layer. (39/779)

Developing seeds constitute a strong sink for the plant and rely on the turnover and mobilization of carbon and nitrogen assimilates to supply the nutrients needed for their maturation. In large part these nutrients emanate from the vegetative organs including leaves and pod walls. Vegetative lipoxygenases (VLXs) accumulate in the paraveinal mesophyll cell layer of soybean (Glycine max L.) leaves where individual isoforms are proposed to play a role(s) as active enzymes or as transient storage proteins. VLXs also are prominent proteins in soybean pod walls, representing approximately 12% of the total soluble protein. Examining the temporal, tissue, and subcellular patterns of individual VLX isoform accumulation and of lipoxygenase activity through pod wall development indicates that VLXD is the principal VLX isoform playing a role in storage in this organ. The major accumulation of VLXD occurs just prior to seed fill within the endocarp middle zone, and protein extracted from this region shows relatively low levels of lipoxygenase activity, suggesting the middle zone may act as a storage tissue. Three other VLX isoforms, VLXA, VLXB, and VLXC colocalize to the cytoplasm of a single discrete cell layer in the mesocarp. Thus, the patterns of VLX cellular and subcellular localization in pod walls suggest independent functions for these different isoforms while also serving as specific markers for a novel cell layer in the pod wall.  (+info)

The mid-pericarp cell layer in soybean pod walls is a multicellular compartment enriched in specific lipoxygenase isoforms. (40/779)

Specific lipoxygenase isoforms immunolocalize to the cytosol of a single cell layer in the soybean (Glycine max L.) pod wall. The cells of this layer, termed the mid-pericarp layer (MPL), are larger than adjacent cells and are highly branched. The entire MPL appears to form an elaborate interdigitated network within the pod wall. A particularly striking feature of the MPL is the presence of extensive regions of very thin, approximately 30 nm, cell wall, which connect the cells of the MPL. It was demonstrated that after mechanical wounding of the pod wall, 40-kD fluorescein-dextran was able to move throughout the MPL. In addition, when pod walls are cut, an exudate flows from the MPL that is highly enriched in lipoxygenase isoforms (approximately 40% of the total protein). The MPL of soybean pod walls may represent a novel multicellular compartment involved in defense of leguminous plants.  (+info)