Enzymes demethylases

Evidence suggests that endosulfan can induce microsomal enzyme activity. Increased liver microsomal cytochrome P-450 activity was observed in male and female rats after single and multiple administrations of endosulfan (Siddiqui et al. 1987a Tyagi et al. 1984). Increased enzyme activity was observed in hepatic and extrahepatic tissues. Based on the increase in aminopyrine-A-demethylase and aniline hydroxylase activity, endosulfan has been shown to be a nonspecific inducer of drug metabolism (Agarwal et al. 1978). 

Since endosulfan is a cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase inducer, the quantification of specific enzyme activities (e.g., aminopyrine-A -demethylase, aniline hydroxylase) may indicate that exposure to endosulfan has occurred (Agarwal et al. 1978). Because numerous chemicals and drugs found at hazardous waste sites and elsewhere also induce hepatic enzymes, these measurements are nonspecific and are not necessarily an indicator solely of endosulfan exposure. However, these enzyme levels can be useful indicators of exposure, together with the detection of endosulfan isomers or the sulfate metabolite in the tissues or excreta. 

This is not discussed in detail since mechanisms of resistance have been carefully reviewed (Ghannoum and Rice 1999). It was pointed out that resistance has not been associated with modification of the structure. For the 1,2,4-triazoles that have been widely used, their effect is due to inhibition of the synthesis of ergosterol that is the dominant component of fungal cell membranes. Resistance is generally associated with modification of the target enzymes, for example, the epoxidation of squalene (Terbinafine) or 14a-demethylase (Fluconazole). Resistance of Candida albicans to the azole antifungal agent fluconazole demonstrated, however, the simultaneous occurrence of several types of mechanism for resistance (Perea et al. 2001) ... 

Component B is a monomeric reductase with a molecular weight of 35,000 and contains per mol of enzyme, 1 mol of FMN, 2.1 mol of Fe, and 1.7 mol of labile sulfur. After reduction with NADH, the ESR spectrum showed signals that were attributed to a [2Fe-2S] structure and a flavo-semiquinone radical (Schweizer et al. 1987). The molecular and kinetic properties of the enzyme are broadly similar to the Class IB reductases of benzoate 1,2-dioxygenase and 4-methoxybenzoate monooxygenase-O-demethylase. 

LSD1. A recent study identified LSD2 inhibitors that exhibited a 10-55-fold selectivity for LSD2 over LSD1, but that also potently inhibited MAO A and MAO B [109]. As specific inhibitors for individual demethylases and their isoforms are identified, it will be possible to elucidate the role that each enzyme plays in the epigenetic control of gene expression. 

The answer is a. (Hardman, p 1180. Katzung, pp 817—819J Fluconazole indirectly inhibits ergosterol synthesis. It inhibits cytochrome P4.50, which is a key enzyme system for cytochrome P4.5O-dependent sterol 14-a-demethylase. This leads to accumulation of 14-a-sterols, resulting in impairment of the cytoplasmic membrane. 

In this study, P-450-related enzyme activities (benzphetamine N-demethylase, 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase) were also measured in liver homogenates (prepared 24 hours after the last treatment) from rats treated orally with MEK for 1-7 days and compared to the activity obtained with phenobarbital treatment (80 mg/kg intraperitoneally for 3 days) (Robertson et al. 1989). Total cytochrome P-450 was also measured. No consistent change was noted in benzphetamine N-demethylase activity as the result of MEK treatment, while 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase was over 3 times higher than controls and comparable to phenobarbital induction. Total P-450 levels were increased to approximately 150-200% of controls with MEK and to 570% of control by phenobarbital. The authors concluded that the potentiating effects of MEK on the neurotoxicity of -hexane appear to arise, at least in part, from the activating effects of MEK on selected microsomal enzymes responsible for -hexane activation. 

Disulfoton induced the liver MFO system in animals (Stevens et al. 1973). In the same study, exposure to disulfoton orally for 3 days also increased ethylmorphine N-demethylase and NADPH oxidase activities, but had no effect on NADPH cytochrome c reductase. Thus, the induction of the MFO system required repeated dosing with relatively high doses. Furthermore, these changes are not specific for disulfoton exposure, and these subtle liver effects require invasive techniques in humans to obtain liver tissue for performance of these enzyme assays. 

A less common reactive species is the Fe peroxo anion expected from two-electron reduction of O2 at a hemoprotein iron atom (Fig. 14, structure A). Protonation of this intermediate would yield the Fe —OOH precursor (Fig. 14, structure B) of the ferryl species. However, it is now clear that the Fe peroxo anion can directly react as a nucleophile with highly electrophilic substrates such as aldehydes. Addition of the peroxo anion to the aldehyde, followed by homolytic scission of the dioxygen bond, is now accepted as the mechanism for the carbon-carbon bond cleavage reactions catalyzed by several cytochrome P450 enzymes, including aromatase, lanosterol 14-demethylase, and sterol 17-lyase (133). A similar nucleophilic addition of the Fe peroxo anion to a carbon-nitrogen double bond has been invoked in the mechanism of the nitric oxide synthases (133). 

The phosphoribosyltiansferases The nucleoside kinases Nucleoside phosphokinases Nucleotide reductases Methylases and demethylases Other anabolic enzymes Catabolism... 

Lysine specific demethylases have been classified into seven groups named KDMl to KDM7 (KDM for Lysine DeMethylase) [90,91,95]. The KDMl group comprises the first enzyme that has been identified as a lysine specific histone demethylase (LS D1). 

LSDl, also known as BHCllO, is the first lysine specific demethylase that was discovered. It has been assigned to group I of lysine demethylases (KDMl) [90, 91]. LSDl contains an amine oxidase domain responsible of the enzymatic activity and has been isolated as a stable component from several histone modifying complexes. The enzymatic characterization of this protein revealed that FAD (flavine adenine dinucleotide) is required as a cofactor for the removal of the methyl group. Furthermore, LSDl requires a protonated nitrogen in order to initiate demethylation so that this enzyme is only able to demethylate mono- or dimethylated substrates but not trimethylated substrates [98, 99]. 

A large number of histone lysine methylation sites have been characterized, showing that the trimethylated state is prevalent. Given that LSDl demethylates only mono- and dimethylated lysine substrates, it seemed likely that additional enzymes would catalyze such a reaction. Indeed, the recent discovery of proteins that harbor a JmjC domain and have demethylase activity revealed a novel family of enzymes that also contain other domains associated with chromatin remodeling. 

Anand, R. and Marmorstein, R. (2007) Structure and mechanism of lysine-spedfic demethylase enzymes. 

Enzymes that cleave off modifications may be assayed by measuring the formation of either the protein or a protein-mimicking substrate or the small molecule produd or byproducts (like acetate for histone deacetylases, or formaldehyde or hydrogen peroxide for histone demethylases). Transferases may generally be screened by measuring the conversion of the cosubstrate or quantitatin the formation of the... 

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