6 O-Methyltransferase

MORISHIGE, T., TSUJITA, T YAMADA, Y., SATO, F., Molecular characterization of the S-adenosyl-L-methionine 3 -hydroxy-Y-methylcoclaurine-4-O-methyltransferase of isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis in Coptis japonica J. Biol. Chem., 2000,275, 23398-23405. 

Another type of common bioconveision reaction is the N-acetylation of daunoru-bicin or doxorubicin to the N-acetyl analogs (287,288,293). Recently, Scotti and Hutchinson (243) described the immobilization of carminomycin 4 O methyltransferase and the use of the immobilized enzyme to bioconvert carminomycin to daunorubicin. Similarly, we recently reported cloning of the Streptomyces sp. strain C5 daunorubicin 14-hydioxylase in S. Iniidam TK24 and use of the recombinant strain to bioconvert daunoru-bicin to doxorubicin (244). This latter reaction will be described in more detail in Section V.G. 

Until recently, there was only a single proven reaction Within this glyCCwie pathway. The genes encoding carminomycin 4 O-methyltransferase (CMT) have been isolated and sequenced from both Streptotnyces sp. strain C5 (Z37) and S. pet enus ATCC 29050 (242), and the enzyme has been purified from both organisms (241-243 Waiczak R, Dickens ML, and Strohl WR, unpublished data). We have shown previously that CMT activity encoded by Streptomyces sp. strain C5 dauK enzymatically converted 13-dthydrocarminomycin and carminomycin to 13-dihydrodaunorubicin and daunorubicin, respectively (240,241). 

Catechol-O-Methyltransferase. Figure. 1 The basic function of COMT. Enzymatic O-methylation of the catechol substrate to 3-methoxy (major route) or 4-methoxy (minor route) products in the presence of Mg2+ and S-adenosyl-methionine (AdoMet). 

Catechol-O-Methyltransferase. Figure 4 Rat model of Parkinson s disease. Comparison of entacapone, tolcapone and CGP 28014 in the rat turning model of Parkinson s disease [4]. 

Epinephrine is administered by a variety of different routes in anaphylaxis, except for the oral route, which is not feasible because of rapid inactivation of epinephrine in the gastrointestinal tract by catechol-O-methyltransferase and monoamine oxidase [9]. The initial intramuscular epinephrine doses of 0.3-0.5 mg currently recommended for adults with anaphylaxis are low compared with the doses required for resuscitation following cardiac arrest [1, 2,4,18]. 

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT EC 2.1.1.6) is located in many tissues and catalyzes the methylation of polyphenols. The methylation is a well-established pathway in the metabolism of flavonoids such as those that undergo 3, 4 -dihydrox-ylation of ring B excreted as 3 -0-methyl ether metabohtes in rat bile. " Recently, the apparent methylation of both cyanidin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-3-sambubioside (cyanidin is an anthocyanin with a 3, 4 -dihydroxylation of ring B) to peonidin-3-glucoside and peonidin-3-sambubioside was reported in humans. In rats, this transformation occurred mainly in the liver and was catalyzed by COMT."°... 

Once returned to the presynaptic terminal, dopamine is repackaged into synaptic vesicles via the vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT) or metabolized to dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) by monoamine oxidase (MAO). Two alternative pathways are available for dopamine catabolism in the synapse, depending on whether the first step is catalyzed by MAO or catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). Thus, dopamine can be either deaminated to 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) or methylated to 3-methoxytyramine (3-MT). In turn, deamination of 3-MT and methylation of DOPAC leads to homovanillic acid (HVA). In humans, cerebrospinal fluid levels of HVA have been used as a proxy for levels of dopaminergic activity within the brain (Stanley et al. 1985). 

FIGURE 46-3 Synthesis and metabolism of dopamine. MAO, monoamine oxidase COMT, catechol-O-methyltransferase HVA, homovanillic acid DOPAC, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid. 

Figure 6.1 Major branch pathways of flavonoid biosynthesis in Arabidopsis. Branch pathways, enzymes, and end products present in other plants but not Arabidopsis are shown in light gray. Abbreviations cinnamate-4-hydroxylase (C4H), chalcone isomerase (CHI), chalcone synthase (CHS), 4-coumarate CoA-ligase (4CL), dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR), flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H), flavonoid 3 or 3 5 hydroxylase (F3 H, F3 5 H), leucoanthocyanidin dioxygenase (LDOX), leucoanthocyanidin reductase (LCR), O-methyltransferase (OMT), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), rhamnosyl transferase (RT), and UDP flavonoid glucosyl transferase (UFGT).

Fig. 10.8 Selected cDNAs isolated in recent years that encode enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of various classes of isoquinoline alkaloids. 6-OMT, norcoclaurine 6-0-methyltransferase 23 CYP80A1, berbamunine synthase 19 CYP80B1, (S)-A-methylcoclaurine 3 -hydroxylase 20 CPR, cytochrome P-450 reductase 29 4 -OMT, (5)-3 -hydroxy-A-methylcoclaurine 4 -0-methyltransferase 30 BBE, berberine bridge enzyme 12 SalAT, salutaridinol 7-O-acetyltransferase 28 COR, codeinone reductase.25...

Either hydroxyl group of catechol can be methylated by catechol O-methyltransferase, albeit at different rates (/.c., the enzyme does not exhibit absolute regiospecifi-city). The / cat value for the 3-hydroxyl group is about 1 s whereas that at the 4-position is about 0.1 or 0.2 s b The mechanism has been reported to be ordered with SAM binding first, followed by magnesium ion, and then catechol. Interestingly, it appears that the rate-limiting step is the actual catalytic event. 

Figure 3. Elution profile of five O-methyltransferases after chromatofocus-ing on an analytical Mono-P column, using a gradient between pH 6 and pH 4.

The chemical and physical evidence for the presence of lignin in the material deposited at wound margins is supported by biochemical studies on the enzymes involved in phenylpropanoid metabolism. Thus, the extractable activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, tyrosine ammonia-lyase, cinnamate-4-hydroxylase, caffeic acid O-methyltransferase,... 

A different approach to investigate active lignification during resistance reactions is provided by the determination of enzyme activities involved in lignin biosynthesis. Resistant plants are expected to be more strongly activated during or immediately preceding the resistance reaction compared to susceptible plants. Thus, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) (43-45), cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase (46), O-methyltransferases (44), and... 

Entacapone and tolcapon are selective and reversible catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitors which also inhibit the break down of levodopa to 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-L-phenylalanine. 

The methyl transferases (MTs) catalyze the methyl conjugation of a number of small molecules, such as drugs, hormones, and neurotransmitters, but they are also responsible for the methylation of such macromolecules as proteins, RNA, and DNA. A representative reaction of this type is shown in Figure 4.1. Most of the MTs use S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) as the methyl donor, and this compound is now being used as a dietary supplement for the treatment of various conditions. Methylations typically occur at oxygen, nitrogen, or sulfur atoms on a molecule. For example, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is responsible for the biotransformation of catecholamine neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine. A-methylation is a well established pathway for the metabolism of neurotransmitters, such as conversion of norepinephrine to epinephrine and methylation of nicotinamide and histamine. Possibly the most clinically relevant example of MT activity involves 5-methylation by the enzyme thiopurine me thy Itransf erase (TPMT). Patients who are low or lacking in TPMT (i.e., are polymorphic) are at... 

Piedrafita FJ, Elorriaga C, Fernandez-Alvarez E, Nieto O. Inhibition of catechol- O-methyltransferase by N-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl) maleimide. Journal of Enzyme Inhibition 1990 4 43-50. 

Epilepsy may arise also from defects in a GABA transporter1145 or receptor.1146 One form of epilepsy is a triple-repeat disease of cystatin B (Table 26-4). Mutation in potassium channels,1147 glutamate receptors,1148 absence of neuropeptide Y,1149 and absence of L-isoaspartyl / D-aspartyl O-methyltransferase (Box 12-A)1150 have all been associated with epilepsy. 

Synthesis of14 C-labelled catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors... 

Figure 3-4. The general phenylpropanoid pathway. The enzymes involved in this pathway are (a) phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL E.C. 4.3.1.5), (b) cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase (C4H E.C. 1.14.13.11), and (J) 4-coumaric acid CoA ligase (4CL E.C. 6.2.1.12). (a) depicts tyrosine ammonia lyase activity in PAL of graminaceous species. The grey structures in the box represent an older version of the phenylpropanoid pathway in which the ring substitution reactions were thought to occur at the level of the hydroxycinnamic acids and/or hydroxycinnamoyl esters. The enzymes involved in these conversions are (c) coumarate 3-hydroxylase (C3H E.C. 1.14.14.1), (d) caffeate O-methyltransferase (COMT EC 2.1.1.68), (e) ferulate 5-hydroxylase (F5H EC 1.14.13), and (g) caffeoyl-CoA O-methyltransferase (CCoA-OMT EC 2.1.1.104). These enzymes are discussed in more detail in Section 10.

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