Superoxide dismutases types

Neuronal loss was initiated by inhibition of the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismntase (EC 1.15.1.1.) type 1, using the copper chelator diethyl-dithiocarbamate (Moskowitz et al. 2001). Continuous diethyldithiocarbamate treatment of Sprague-Dawley rat or C57/B16 mouse hippocampal slice cultures induced delayed neuronal loss beginning at 9 days of treatment that lasted for over 4 weeks. Neuronal loss was significantly attenuated in slice cultures that overexpress superoxide dismutase type 1, suggesting that superoxide dismutase inhibition was responsible. Inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase also attenuated diethyldithiocarbamate-induced neuronal loss. 

Superoxide is formed (reaction 1) in the red blood cell by the auto-oxidation of hemoglobin to methemo-globin (approximately 3% of hemoglobin in human red blood cells has been calculated to auto-oxidize per day) in other tissues, it is formed by the action of enzymes such as cytochrome P450 reductase and xanthine oxidase. When stimulated by contact with bacteria, neutrophils exhibit a respiratory burst (see below) and produce superoxide in a reaction catalyzed by NADPH oxidase (reaction 2). Superoxide spontaneously dismu-tates to form H2O2 and O2 however, the rate of this same reaction is speeded up tremendously by the action of the enzyme superoxide dismutase (reaction 3). Hydrogen peroxide is subject to a number of fates. The enzyme catalase, present in many types of cells, converts... 

Interest in superoxide dismutase has increased in recent years with the discovery that a mutation in the gene coding for SOD is linked to certain types of the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig s disease. Exactly how mutant forms of SOD are involved in ALS is a subject of intense research. 

Wuerges J, J-W Lee, Y-I Yim, H-S Yrm, S-O Kang, KD Carugo (2004) Crystal structure of nickel-containing superoxide dismutase reveals another type of active site. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 101 8569-8574. 

Superoxide dismutases (SODs) are a family of cytosolic metalloenzymes that specifically remove (reviewed by Omar etal., 1992). SOD distribution within the body is ubiquitous, being found in erythrocytes as well as most organs and cell types. Three distinct mammalian SOD forms exist CuZnSOD, MnSOD and extracellular SOD (EC-SOD). Their amino-acid sequences differ as well as the transition metals at their active sites. Rheumatoid synovial fluid contains low levels of SOD activity and hence little protection from ROM generated by infiltrating PMNs (Blake etcU., 1981). Furthermore, leucocytes from patients with RA are deficient in MnSOD, which might promote the extracellular leakage of O2 (Pasquier et al., 1984). 

Collier et al. (1990) extended their studies relating to oxidative stress and diabetes by demonstrating that the levels of several free-radical scavengers (red cell superoxide dismutase, plasma thiols) were significantly reduced in 22 type 2 diabetic patients (mean age 53 years) in comparison with 15 control subjects (mean age 51 years). No significant diflFerences in red cell lysate thiols or... 

Figure 12.2 Copper chaperone function, (a) Copper homeostasis in Enterococcus hirae is affected by the proteins encoded by the cop operon. CopA, Cu1+-import ATPase CopB, Cu1+-export ATPase CopY, Cu1+-responsive repressor copZ, chaperone for Cu1+ delivery to CopY. (b) The CTR family of proteins transports copper into yeast cells. Atxlp delivers copper to the CPx-type ATPases located in the post Golgi apparatus for the maturation of Fet3p. (c) Coxl7p delivers copper to the mitochondrial intermembrane space for incorporation into cytochrome c oxidase (CCO). (d) hCTR, a human homologue of CTR, mediates copper-ion uptake into human cells. CCS delivers copper to cytoplasmic Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1). Abbreviations IMM, inner mitochondrial membrane OMM, outer mitochondrial membrane PM, plasma membrane PGV, post Golgi vessel. Reprinted from Harrison et al., 2000. Copyright (2000), with permission from Elsevier Science.

H.A. Azab, L. Banci, M. Borsari, C. Luchinat, M. Sola, and M.S. Viezzoli, Redox chemistry of superoxide dismutase. Cyclic voltammetry of wild-type enzymes and mutants on functionally relevant residues. Inorg, Chem. 31, 4649-4655 (1992). 

Most proteins contain more than one polypeptide chain. The manner in which these chains associate determines quaternary structure. Binding involves the same types of noncovalent forces mentioned for tertiary structure van der Waals forces, hydrophobic and hydrophilic attractions, and hydrogen bonding. However, the interactions are now interchain rather than infrachain (tertiary structure determination). The quaternary structure of hemoglobin (four almost identical subunits) will be discussed in Chapter 4, that of superoxide dismutase (two identical subunits) will be discussed in Chapter 5, and that of nitrogenase (multiple dissimilar subunits) will be discussed in Chapter 6. 

Type II copper enzymes generally have more positive reduction potentials, weaker electronic absorption signals, and larger EPR hyperfine coupling constants. They adopt trigonal, square-planar, five-coordinate, or tetragonally distorted octahedral geometries. Usually, type II copper enzymes are involved in catalytic oxidations of substrate molecules and may be found in combination with both Type I and Type III copper centers. Laccase and ascorbate oxidase are typical examples. Information on these enzymes is found in Tables 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3. Superoxide dismutase, discussed in more detail below, contains a lone Type II copper center in each of two subunits of its quaternary structure. 

This discussion of copper-containing enzymes has focused on structure and function information for Type I blue copper proteins azurin and plastocyanin, Type III hemocyanin, and Type II superoxide dismutase s structure and mechanism of activity. Information on spectral properties for some metalloproteins and their model compounds has been included in Tables 5.2, 5.3, and 5.7. One model system for Type I copper proteins39 and one for Type II centers40 have been discussed. Many others can be found in the literature. A more complete discussion, including mechanistic detail, about hemocyanin and tyrosinase model systems has been included. Models for the blue copper oxidases laccase and ascorbate oxidases have not been discussed. Students are referred to the references listed in the reference section for discussion of some other model systems. Many more are to be found in literature searches.50... 

The transfer of a quadridentate N2S2-donor ligand from M2+ (M = Cr, Mn, Fe, Co or Ni) to Cu2+ (271), already mentioned in Section V.A.l, has a formal connection with an investigation of the mechanism of copper delivery to metalloproteins, such as copper zinc superoxide dismutase. Both are ligand exchange reactions of the type ML + CuL ML + CuL (300). 

A. Type I—Direct-Stacking Models Transthyretin and Superoxide Dismutase... 

Parge, H. E., Hallewell, R. A., and Tainer, J. A. (1992). Atomic structures of wild-type and thermostable mutant recombinant human Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89, 6109-6113. 

Yeast expression vectors have been among those most commonly used since the beginning of gene technology. Vectors based on baker s yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, have been especially popular for robust expression of many types of recombinant proteins [90]. For instance, the first commercially available recombinant vaccine, the hepatitis B surface antigen vaccine, was produced from an S. cerevisiae vector [91]. Many other recombinant proteins have also been efficiently expressed in yeast including al-Antitrypsin [92], insulin [93], Epstein-Barr virus envelope protein [94], superoxide dismutase [95] and interferon-a [90]. 

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