Enzymes nicotine synthesis

In the periphery, some of the primary triggers for these processes have been identified. Acetylcholine seems to be one such factor because stimulation of preganglionic nerves in vivo increases enzyme activity. However, nicotinic and muscarinic receptor antagonists do not completely prevent this increase. The residual activation is attributed to peptides of the secretin-glucagon subgroup, including VIP and secretin both these peptides activate cAMP synthesis. Purinergic transmitters could also be involved. 

Since nicotine has wide ranging effects on the central nervous system it seems likely that pharmacogenomic effects on the development of nicotine dependence will span several neurotransmitter systems. One study found an association between a polymorphism in dopamine /1-hydroxylase and level of tobacco consumption [20]. This enzyme is important in noradrenaline synthesis and it is tempting to speculate that genetically regulated variations in activity might influence susceptibility to nicotine withdrawal symptoms mediated by noradrenergic pathways, but more information is required on the molecular effects of the polymorphism. 

Proc Okla Acad Sci 1974 54 34-35. Demole, E., and C. Demole. A chemical study of hurley tobacco flavour Nicotiarui tabacum). VII. Identification and synthesis of twelve irregular terpenoids related to solanone, including 7,8-dioxabicycIo[3,2,l]-octane and 4,9-dioxabicycIo[3.3.1 Jnonane derivatives. Helv Chim Acta 1975 58 1867. Bharadwaj, B. V., S. Takayama, T. Yamada, and A. Tanimura. N -nitro-sonornicotine in Japanese tobacco products. Gann 1975 66 585. Randolph, H. R. Gas chromatographic determination of nicotine in an isopropyl alcohol extract of smoke particulate matter. Tobacco 1974 176 44-Yung, K. H., and D. H. Northcote. Enzymes in the walls of mesophyll cells of tobacco leaves. Biochem J 1975 151 141. 

Hydrolases, which catalyze the hydrolysis of various bonds. The best-known subcategory of hydrolases are the lipases, which hydrolyze ester bonds. In the example of human pancreatic lipase, which is the main enzyme responsible for breaking down fats in the human digestive system, a lipase acts to convert triglyceride substrates found in oils from food to monoglycerides and free fatty acids. In the chemical industry, lipases are also used, for instance, to catalyze the —C N —CONH2 reaction, for the synthesis of acrylamide from acrylonitril, or nicotinic acid from 3-pyridylnitrile. 

Substituted nicotinic acid derivatives are useful in the synthesis of pesticides and pharmaceuticals as specific inhibitors of NAD and/or NADP dependent enzymes. 6-Hydroxynicotinic acid is a very useful intermediate in the synthesis of such inhibitors. 

An alternative pathway for synthesis of quinoli-nate from aspartate and a triose phosphate exists in bacteria and in plants and provides the major route of nicotinic acid synthesis in nature. In E. coli the reaction is catalyzed by two enzymes, one an FAD-containing L-aspartate oxidase which oxidizes aspartate to a-iminoaspartate.228 The latter condenses with dihydroxyacetone-P to form quinolinate (Eq. 25-13).229 There are at least two other pathways for synthesis of quinolinic acid as well as five or more salvage pathways for resynthesis of degraded pyridine nucleotide coenzymes.224/230/231... 

In the liver, there is litde utilization of preformed niacin for nucleotide synthesis. Although isolated hepatocytes will take up both vitamers from the incubation medium, they seem not to be used for NAD synthesis and cannot prevent the fall in intracellular NAD(P), which occurs during incubation. The enzymes for nicotinic acid and nicotinamide utilization are more or less saturated with their substrates at normal concentrations in the liver, and hence are unlikely to be able to use additional niacin for nucleotide synthesis. By contrast, incubation of isolated hepatocytes with tryptophan results in a considerable increase in the rate of synthesis of NAD(P) and accumulation of nicotinamide and nicotinic acid in the incubation medium. Similarly, feeding experimental animals on diets providing high intakes of nicotinic acid or nicotinamide has relatively little effect on the concentration of NAD (P) in the liver, whereas high intakes of tryptophan lead to a considerable increase. It thus seems likely that the major role of the liver is to synthesize NAD(P) from tryptophan, followed by hydrolysis to release niacin for use by extrahepatic tissues (Bender et al., 1982 McCreanor and Bender, 1986 Bender and Olufunwa, 1988). 

NAD glycohydrolase, which releases nicotinamide and ADP-ribose. As discussed in Section 8.4.4, this enzyme also catalyzes the synthesis of cADP-ribose and nicotinic acid ADR which have roles in intracellular signaling. 

Effectors are often enzymes which form second messengers. An example is adenylyl cyclase, which catalyses the synthesis of cAMPfrom ATP In the case of the visual response, the effector is a cGMP phosphohydrolase, which converts cGMP to GMP (see Chapter 5). A representative of iorrchannel receptors is the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. This type of receptor will not be discussed in this book. 

Biotin forms part of several enzyme systems and is necessary for normal growth and body function. Biotin functions as a cofactor for enzymes involved in carbon dioxide fixation and transfer. These reactions are important in the metaboHsm of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, as well as promotion of the synthesis and formation of nicotinic acid, fatty acids, glycogen, and amino acids (5—7). Biotin is absorbed unchanged in the upper part of the small intestine and distributed to all tissues. Highest concentrations are found in the Hver and kidneys. Little information is available on the transport and storage of biotin in humans or animals. A biotin level in urine of approximately 160 nmol/24 h or 70 nmol/L, and a circulating level in blood, plasma, or serum of approximately 1500 pmol/L seems to indicate an adequate supply of biotin for humans. However, reported levels for biotin in the blood and urine vary widely and are not a reHable indicator of nutritional status. 

Red blood cell enzyme activity returns at the rate of red blood cell turnover, which is 1% per day. Tissue and plasma activities return with synthesis of new enzymes. The rates of return of these enzymes are not identical. However, the nerve agent can be removed from the enzymes. This removal is called reactivation, which can be accomplished therapeutically by the use of oximes prior to aging. Aging is the biochemical process by which the agent-enzyme complex becomes refractory to oxime reactivation. The toxicity of nerve agents may include direct action on nicotine acetylcholine receptors (skeletal muscle and ganglia) as well as on muscarinic acetylcholine receptors and the central nervous system. 

The M2 receptor is located in heart muscle and parts of the brain. Unlike the nicotinic receptor, it appears to act by controlling the enzyme synthesis of secondary messengers (see Appendix 3) rather than by directly controlling an ion channel. 

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid involved in synthesis of several important compounds. Nicotinic acid (amide), a vitamin required in the synthesis of NAD+ and NADP+, can be synthesized from tryptophan (Figure 17-24). About 60 mg of tryptophan can give rise to 1 mg of nicotinamide. The synthesis begins with conversion of tryptophan to N-formylkynurenine by tryptophan pyrrolase, an inducible iron-porphyrin enzyme of liver. N-Formylkynurenine is converted to kynurenine by removal of formate, which enters the one-carbon pool. Kynurenine is hydroxylated to 3-hydroxykynurenine, which is converted to 3-hydroxyanthranilate, catalyzed by kynureninase, a pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzyme. 3-Hydroxyanthranilate is then converted by a series of reactions to nicotinamide ribotide, the immedi-... 

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