Histidine decarboxylase, mechanism

Figure 6.1 Histamine synthesis and metabolism in neurons. L-histidine is transported into neurons by the L-amino acid transporter. Once inside the neuron, L-histidine is converted into histamine by the specific enzyme histidine decarboxylase. Subsequently, histamine is taken up into vesicles by the vesicular monoamine transporter and stored there until released. In the absence of a high-affinity uptake mechanism in the brain, released histamine is rapidly degraded by histamine methyltransferase, which is located postsynaptically and in glia, to telemethylhistamine, a metabolite that does not show any histamine-like activity.

Histamine synthesis in the brain is controlled by the availability of L-histidine and the activity of histidine decarboxylase. Although histamine is present in plasma, it does not penetrate the blood-brain barrier, such that histamine concentrations in the brain must be maintained by synthesis. With a value of 0.1 mmol/1 for L-histidine under physiological conditions, HDC is not saturated by histidine concentrations in the brain, an observation that explains the effectiveness of large systemic doses of this amino acid in raising the concentrations of histamine in the brain. The essential amino acid L-histidine is transported into the brain by a saturable, energy-dependent mechanism [5]. Subcellular fractionation studies show HDC to be localized in cytoplasmic fractions of isolated nerve terminals, i.e. synaptosomes. 

Most people have heard of antihistamines, even if they have little concept of the nature of histamine. Histamine is the decarboxylation product from histidine, and is formed from the amino acid by the action of the enzyme histidine decarboxylase. The mechanism of this pyridoxal phosphate-dependent reaction will be studied in more detail later (see Section 15.7). 

Amine build-up in fish muscle usually results from decarboxylation of amino acids in the muscle by enzymes of bacterial origin. This review will present information on the activity of bacterial decarboxylases and the formation of amines in fish. Mechanisms of decarboxylase action and production of bacterial decarboxylases in fish muscle are discussed. Emphasis is placed upon studies dealing with formation of histidine decarboxylase and histamine. Histamine, because of its involvement in Scombroid food poisoning, has been extensively studied with regard to its formation in fish and fishery products. 

Because amine formation in fish muscle and other foods usually results from bacterial growth with concomitant production of a bacterial decarboxylase, this paper will concentrate on the mechanisms of bacterial decarboxylation and factors influencing the production and activity of the enzymes. Also, because of the overall scope of the subject, the availability of excellent reviews on bacterial decarboxylation (2, 3) and the public health importance of histamine in fish and fishery products, this paper will primarily be limited to a discussion of histidine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.22) and the formation of histamine in fish muscle. 

Non-pyridoxal Phosphate Dependent. Figure 2 depicts the postulated mechanism for a non-pyridoxal phosphate catal) zed decarboxylation of histidine to histamine involving a pyruvoyl residue instead of pyridoxal -5 - phosphate (20). Histidine decarboxylases from Lactobacillus 30a and a Micrococcus sp. have been shown to contain a covalently bound pyruvoyl residue on the active site. The pyruvoyl group is covalently bound to the amino group of a phenylalanine residue on the enzyme, and is derived from a serine residue (21) of an inactive proenzyme (22). The pyruvoyl residue acts in a manner similar to pyridoxal phosphate in the decarboxylation reaction. 

It was found by Snell and associates that a histidine decarboxylase isolated from Lactobacillus contained a covalently bound pyruvyl moiety attached as a pyruvamide to an amino group of the enzyme146. The mechanism of decarboxylation presumably proceeds according to the pathway indicated in equation 16. 

This enzyme contains a pyruvamide cofactor. No mechanistic studies have been reported. A proposal, analogous to the mechanism of histidine decarboxylase, is outlined in Fig. 34 [164]. 

Although this mechanism has often been suggested, to date, there is good evidence for it only in the case of the pyruvate-dependent histidine decarboxylase (vide infra). 

Rosenthaler et al. [106] purified histidine decarboxylase from Lactobacillus 30A and demonstrated that there was no pyridoxal phosphate, as had been suggested by Rodwell [107]. Treatment with [ C]phenylhydrazine labeled the protein, but did not if the protein was first reduced with borohydride. Chymotrypsin digestion of the [ C]phenylhydrazone treated enzyme resulted in a labeled fragment identified as A -pyruvoylphenylalanine [100]. Borohydride reduction of the native enzyme resulted in lactate production after hydrolysis. Thus it was established that a pyruvoyl group is covalently bound as an amide to the NH 2-terminal phenylalanine. As is consistent with this proposed mechanism the enzyme is also inhibited by cyanide and by hydroxylamine. The iminium ion predicted by the mechanism above was trapped with borohydride in the presence of substrate and identified [108]. 

Histamine is synthesized from histidine in a single enzymatic step. The enzyme histidine decarboxylase requires pyridoxal phosphate, and its mechanism is very similar to that of DOPA decarboxylase (Fig. 48.8). 

Other examples of electrophilic metal catalysis are given under section 2.3.3.1. Electrophilic reactions are also carried out by enzymes which have an a-keto acid (pyruvic acid or a-keto butyric acid) at the transforming locus of the active site. One example of such an enzyme is histidine decarboxylase in which the N-terminal amino acid residue is bound to pyruvate. Histidine decarboxylation is initiated by the formation of a Schiff base by the reaction mechanism in Fig. 2.20. 

THE MECHANISM OF ACTION OF HISTIDINE DECARBOXYLASES Co-enzyme Requirement... 

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