Cases cytochrome

One might well imagine that the primary structures for proteins serving the same function in different species would most resemble each other for species that are closely related in an evolutionary sense. Such proteins are termed homologs. This turns out to be the case. Cytochrome c is a protein very widely distributed throughout nature. The primary structure for the cytochrome c of humans is very similar to that from pigs but not quite so similar to that from frogs and even more distantly related to that from insects and, at the extreme, that of wheat. 

Although in the majority of cases, cytochromes P-450 catalyze oxidation. 

Preparations containing a single P450 isozyme are available as either expression systems or purified, reconstituted enzymes. The P450s have been expressed in bacterial, yeast, insect, and mammalian cells (8). Most of these enzymes can be used in the membranes in which they are expressed. However, in order to obtain adequate enzyme activity for most expression systems, it is necessary to supplement the membranes with reductase and in some cases cytochrome b5. This is accomplished by either supplementing the membranes with purified coenzymes or by coexpression of the coenzymes. Alternatively, the P450 enzymes can be purified and reconstituted with coenzymes into artificial membranes. 

Cytochrome b5 affects the kinetics of drug metabolism by certain CYP enzymes hence, coexpression of this microsomal hemoprotein (together with NADPH-CYP reductase) can affect the catalytic efficiency of certain recombinant CYP enzymes (76,109). For example, the presence of cytochrome b5 tends to increase Fmax for reactions catalyzed by CYP3 A4, whereas it tends to decrease Km for reactions catalyzed by CYP2E1. In both cases, cytochrome b5 increases Vmax/Km, which is a measure of in vitro intrinsic clearance. The fact that some commercially available recombinant CYP enzymes are expressed with cytochrome b5 while others are not complicates the interpretation of results of studies performed with recombinant human CYP enzymes. 

Fia. 6. Schematic representation of the symmetric reduction of cytochrome c oxidase by cytochrome c. In this case cytochrome c is shown introducing electrons into both iron-copper pairs with dioxygen extracting electrons at iron and being converted to water. 

A comparative study of the metal centers in cytochrome c oxidase from several bacterial sources, including Thermus thermophilus and P. denitrificans, using EPR and MCD spectroscopy has established that in both cases cytochrome a is liganded by two histidine oxidases and the Cua center is identical to that in bovine cytochrome c oxidase (105, 106). The properties of the cytochrome Os/Cub dimer have not been established to be identical, although ferrocytochrome 03 is high-spin ferrous, as expected. Recent studies of the MCD properties of the Cua center in cytochrome c oxidase and a copper center in nitrous oxide reductase (107,108) show that the two centers are virtually identical. The evidence from the EPR hyperfine structure of the copper center in nitrous oxide reductase suggests that the center in this enzyme is a mixed-valence Cu(I)/Cu(II) dimer, which raises the interesting prospect that the Cua center in cytochrome c oxidase is also a dimeric copper species. 

Although in the majority of cases, cytochromes P-450 catalyse oxidation reactions, under certain circumstances the enzyme may catalyse other types of reaction such as reduction. 

Nuclear Receptor Regulation of Hepatic Cytochrome P450 Enzymes. Figure 1 General mechanism for transcriptional activation of CYP genes by xenochemicals that activate their cognate xeno-receptor proteins. In the case of Ah receptor, the receptor s heterodimerization partner is Arnt, whereas in the case of the nuclear receptors CAR, PXR, and PPARa, the heterodimerization partner is RXR. The coactivator and basal transcription factor complexes shown are each comprised of a large number of protein components. 

Asymmetric oxidation of this sulphide was also catalyzed by two isocytochromes P 450 purified from phenobarbital induced rat liver309. Both P 450 isocytochromes, termed PB-1 and PB-4, when reconstituted with purified rat liver NADPH-cytochrome P 450 reductase and cytochrome b5 afforded ethyl p-tolyl sulphoxide with S-configuration at the sulphur atom. In the case of PB-1 optical purity of this sulphoxide was 58% whereas with PB-4 it was 78%. 

Enzyme-mediated chiral sulfoxidation has been reviewed comprehensively in historical context [188-191]. The biotransformation can be mediated by cytochrome P-450 and flavin-dependent MOs, peroxidases, and haloperoxidases. Owing to limited stability and troublesome protein isolation, a majority of biotransformations were reported using whole-cells or crude preparations. In particular, fungi have been identified as valuable sources of such biocatalysts and the catalytic entities have not been fully identified in all cases. 

The wide range of oxidations catalyzed by cytochrome P450 is illustrated by the examples given in Figure 2.5. Aromatic rings are hydroxylated, as in the case of 2,6 -dichlorobiphenyl. The initial product is usually an epoxide, but this rearranges... 

Figure 52-7. Simplified scheme of the sequence of events involved in the causation of chronic granulomatous disease (MIM 306400). Mutations in any of the genes for the four polypeptides involved (two are components of cytochrome b55gand two are derived from the cytoplasm) can cause the disease. The polypeptide of 91 kDa is encoded by a gene in the X chromosome approximately 60% of cases of chronic granulomatous disease are X-linked, with the remainder being inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion.

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