Enzymatic processes Peroxidation

Oxysterols are defined as oxygenated derivatives of cholest-5-en-3(3-ol (cholesterol) (Figure 18.1) or precursors of CHOL that may be formed directly by autoxidation or by the action of a specific monooxygenase, or that may be secondary to enzymatic or nonenzymatic lipid peroxidation (Guardiola et al., 1996 Schroepfer, 2000 Bjorkhem and Diczfalusy, 2002). These OS may be formed in the human body by endogenous free-radical attack on CHOL or by enzymatic processes, mainly in the biosynthesis of bile acids and steroid hormones. In addition, OS may be formed exogenously by autoxidation of CHOL in foods. The nomenclature and abbreviations of OS are presented in Table 18.1. It should be emphasized at this point that the OS that occur in... 

The zinc ion is responsible for the structure role in CuZnSOD, whereas the copper is the essential for the enzymatic process. Replacing the zinc by Co(II), Cu(II), or Cd(II) indicated no or very limited loss of activity (42). This dismuta-tion reaction occurs by a two-step process via a classical ping-pong mechanism (eqs. (3) and (4)). First, O2 reduces the active site copperdD ion and generates and releases dio gen (eq. (3)). Second, another O2 obtains one electron from the reduced active site and two protons to form hydrogen peroxide (eq. (4)). 

However, when the cofactor is bound strongly to the enzyme as a prosthetic group, cofactor addition and additional enzymatic processes for cofactor regeneration are not needed. A representative example for such enzymes is amino add oxidases that catalyze the oxidation of amino adds to a-keto acids under simultaneous reduction of molecular oxygen to hydrogen peroxide. 

The acetylene aminopyrazole 103 was capable of inhibiting the processes of lipid peroxidation both in the enzymatic and nonenzymatic peroxidation system (76MI2). Finally, 4-[3-(l-methyl-l//-pyrazol-3-yl)-prop-2-ynyl]morpholine hydrochloride 104 was patented as a compound with high hypoxic activity (93MIP1). 

Applications of peroxide formation are underrepresented in chiral synthetic chemistry, most likely owing to the limited stability of such intermediates. Lipoxygenases, as prototype biocatalysts for such reactions, display rather limited substrate specificity. However, interesting functionalizations at allylic positions of unsaturated fatty acids can be realized in high regio- and stereoselectivity, when the enzymatic oxidation is coupled to a chemical or enzymatic reduction process. While early work focused on derivatives of arachidonic acid chemical modifications to the carboxylate moiety are possible, provided that a sufficiently hydrophilic functionality remained. By means of this strategy, chiral diendiols are accessible after hydroperoxide reduction (Scheme 9.12) [103,104]. 

We have already stressed the potential importance of lipid-rich membranes in the skin as potential targets for ROS-induced damage and ageing of human skin is morphologically identical to changes found by peroxidative processes (Serri et al., 1977). The involvement of AA metabolites in skin disease, and in particular psoriasis, has been the subject of much recent interest. Studies have included topical and intradermal administrations of AA metabolites, and assay of such products in clinical specimens. Results show that concentration of AA, 12-hydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE), PG and leu-kotrienes are increased in psoriatic lesions (Hammarstrom etal., 1975 Camp etal., 1983 Brain etal., 1984 Duell et al., 1988) and also that full-thickness epidermis from normal and diseased skin has the enzymatic capacity to convert AA to some of the same metabolites (Hammarstrom etal., 1975, 1979 Camp etal., 1983 Brain etal., 1984 Ziboh et al., 1984 DueU et al., 1988). The biological effect of both 12-HETE and leukotrienes was confirmed by both topical application and intradermal injection, which caused epidermal inflammation and... 

As a reasonable biogenetie pathway for the enzymatic conversion of the polyunsaturated fatty acid 3 into the bicyclic peroxide 4, the free radical mechanism in Equation 3 was postulated 9). That such a free radical process is a viable mechanism has been indicated by model studies in which prostaglandin-like products were obtained from the autoxidation of methyl linolenate 10> and from the treatment of unsaturated lipid hydroperoxides with free radical initiators U). 

There is an irreversible enzymatic inactivation reaction, which occurs during the oxidation of the cyclizable and noncyclizable diphenols to oquinones. This inactivation process has been interpreted as being the result of a direct attack of an o-quinone on a nucleophilic residue (His) near the active enzyme center or of an attack of a copper-bound hydroxyl radical generated by the Cu(I)-peroxide complex. However, the latter hypothesis seems to be more probable, because inactivation also occurs in the presence of reducing agents that remove the o-quinones generated. 

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