Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts: Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound   Target Concepts: Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound

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Query: EC:3.2.1.31 (beta-glucuronidase)
7,680 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) are one of the most chemosensitive human malignancies. Complete response (CR) is often achieved, but many patients relapse and a second CR is difficult to obtain because of the development of chemoresistance. In an attempt to better understand the biology and the chemosensitivity of these lymphoid tumors, we assessed the main drug-metabolizing enzyme systems in normal lymphocytes, chemosensitive NHL and chemoresistant NHL. Cytochromes P-450 (1A1/A2, 2B1/B2, 2C8-10, 2E1, 3A4), epoxide hydrolase and glutathione S-transferases (GST-alpha, -mu, -pi) were assayed by immunoblotting. UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, beta-glucuronidase, sulfotransferase, sulfatase, GST activity, and glutathione (GSH) content, were determined by spectral assays. Results showed the absence of all probed cytochromes P-450 in normal lymphocytes and NHL cells tested. GST activity was significantly lower in chemoresistant NHL compared to normal lymphocytes. GST-alpha was not detected in either normal lymphocytes or NHL cells. GST-pi was the predominant isoenzyme, and GST-mu was not detected in chemosensitive NHL. GSH content was significantly lower in chemoresistant NHL compared to other lymphoid tissues tested. The conjugating enzymes UDP-glucuronosyltransferase and sulfatase were similar in either chemoresistant NHL compared to chemosensitive NHL. The activity of the hydrolytic enzyme beta-glucuronidase was lower in chemoresistant compared to chemosensitive NHL, whereas sulfatase was higher in sensitive NHL compared to normal lymphocytes. Epoxide hydrolase was not detected in either normal or NHL cells tested. In conclusion, these studies did not show any cytochrome P-450 in human lymphoid cells tested, but pointed out noteworthy differences for other enzyme systems tested.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Main drug-metabolizing enzyme systems in human non-Hodgkin's lymphomas sensitive or resistant to chemotherapy. 853 97

Transgenic arabidopsis plants were isolated that contained a T-DNA construct in which the promoter of an auxin-inducible glutathione S-transferase (GST) gene from tobacco was fused to the kanamycin resistance (nptII) as well as to the beta-glucuronidase (gusA) reporter gene. Subsequently, seeds were treated with EMS to obtain mutants in which both reporter gene fusions were up-regulated. Northern analysis showed that the mRNA level of a related, endogenous auxin-inducible GST gene of Arabidopsis was increased in some of these mutants as well. Two of the gup (GST up-regulated) mutants were characterized in more detail and roughly mapped. Both had epinastic cotyledons and leaves, a phenotype that turned out to be linked to the gup mutation.
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PMID:Selection of Arabidopsis mutants overexpressing genes driven by the promoter of an auxin-inducible glutathione S-transferase gene. 1034 3

Polyphenolic antioxidants are being identified as cancer preventive agents. Recent studies in our laboratory have identified and defined the cancer preventive and anticarcinogenic potential of a polyphenolic flavonoid antioxidant, silymarin (isolated from milk thistle). More recent studies by us found that these effects of silymarin are due to the major active constituent, silibinin, present therein. Here, studies are done in mice to determine the distribution and conjugate formation of systemically administered silibinin in liver, lung, stomach, skin, prostate and pancreas. Additional studies were then performed to assess the effect of orally administered silibinin on phase II enzyme activity in liver, lung, stomach, skin and small bowel. For tissue distribution studies, SENCAR mice were starved for 24 h, orally fed with silibinin (50 mg/kg dose) and killed after 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8 h. The desired tissues were collected, homogenized and parts of the homogenates were extracted with butanol:methanol followed by HPLC analysis. The column eluates were detected by UV followed by electrochemical detection. The remaining homogenates were digested with sulfatase and beta-glucuronidase followed by analysis and quantification. Peak levels of free silibinin were observed at 0.5 h after administration in liver, lung, stomach and pancreas, accounting for 8.8 +/- 1.6, 4. 3 +/- 0.8, 123 +/- 21 and 5.8 +/- 1.1 (mean +/- SD) microg silibinin/g tissue, respectively. In the case of skin and prostate, the peak levels of silibinin were 1.4 +/- 0.5 and 2.5 +/- 0.4, respectively, and were achieved 1 h after administration. With regard to sulfate and beta-glucuronidate conjugates of silibinin, other than lung and stomach showing peak levels at 0.5 h, all other tissues showed peak levels at 1 h after silibinin administration. The levels of both free and conjugated silibinin declined after 0.5 or 1 h in an exponential fashion with an elimination half-life (t((1/2))) of 57-127 min for free and 45-94 min for conjugated silibinin in different tissues. In the studies examining the effect of silibinin on phase II enzymes, oral feeding of silibinin at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg/day showed a moderate to highly significant (P < 0.1-0.001, Student's t-test) increase in both glutathione S-transferase and quinone reductase activities in liver, lung, stomach, skin and small bowel in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Taken together, the results of the present study clearly demonstrate the bioavailability of and phase II enzyme induction by systemically administered silibinin in different tissues, including skin, where silymarin has been shown to be a strong cancer chemopreventive agent, and suggest further studies to assess the cancer preventive and anticarcinogenic effects of silibinin in different cancer models.
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PMID:Tissue distribution of silibinin, the major active constituent of silymarin, in mice and its association with enhancement of phase II enzymes: implications in cancer chemoprevention. 1054 12

Chemically induced and spontaneous liver tumors share some metabolic alterations. The decline in hemoprotein levels during hepatocarcinogenesis may result from a diminution of the intracellular heme pool. To elucidate if the onset of the pre-initiation stage alters the natural regulation mechanism of heme pathway, animals were fed with p-dimethylaminoazobenzene (DAB) and treated or not with 2-allylisopropylacetamide (AIA). The induction of 6-Aminolevulinic acid synthase (ALA-S) activity and the diminution in microsomal heme oxygenase (MHO) did not change when DAB fed animals were treated with AIA. Cytochrome P-450 (P-450) levels and glutathione S-transferase activity were increased in all the groups tested. Tryptophan pyrrolase, sulphatase and beta-glucuronidase activities were altered in DAB fed animals but AIA treatment did not produce any effect. Changes in drug metabolizing enzymes in livers of DAB fed animals could be the result of a primary deregulation of heme metabolism. These results give additional support to our hypothesis about a mechanism for the onset of hepatocarcinogenesis.
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PMID:Drug metabolizing enzyme system and heme pathway in hepatocarcinogenesis. 1073 99

We investigated the effects of vinyl chloride monomer exposure on the liver of 86 workers by measuring beta-glucuronidase, arylsulfatase A, adenosine deaminase, 5'-nucleotidase and routine liver function enzymes in the sera of the workers. In 21 of them, three or more of these parameters were raised, with a significant decrease in the level of blood glutathione and a significant increase in the enzyme activity level of glutathione S-transferase. Of these 21 workers, 14 had fatty liver infiltration, 8 of whom were also suffering from liver enlargement. Also, 4 workers had liver enlargement without fatty infiltration and 3 had enlarged spleens. The study highlights the need for vigilance in environmental monitoring and medical surveillance of workers exposed to this chemical.
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PMID:Biochemical effects of vinyl chloride monomer on the liver of occupationally exposed workers. 1219 57

The activation sequence-1 (as-1)-like element found in the promoter of some glutathione S-transferase (GST) genes, has been previously described as a salicylic acid (SA)- and auxin-responsive element. In this paper, we tested the hypothesis that the activating effect of SA on the as-1 element is mediated by oxidative species. Supporting this hypothesis, our results show that the antioxidants dimethylthiourea (DMTU) and 3-t-butyl-4-hydroxy-anizole (BHA) inhibit the SA-induced transcription of genes controlled by as-1 elements in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants [i.e. GNT35 gene coding for a GST and (as-1)(4)/beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter transgene]. DMTU and BHA also inhibit SA-activated as-1-binding activity in nuclear extracts. Further support for the hypothesis that the as-1 element is activated by oxidative species comes from our result showing that light potentiates the SA-induced activation of the as-1 element. Furthermore, methyl viologen, a known oxidative stress inducer in plants, also activates the as-1 element. Increasing H(2)O(2) levels by incubation with H(2)O(2) or with the catalase inhibitor 3-amino-1,2,5-triazole does not activate the (as-1)(4)/GUS gene. On the contrary, 3-amino-1,2,5-triazole inhibits the activating effect of SA on the (as-1)(4)/GUS gene. These results suggest that oxidative species other than H(2)O(2) mediate the activation of the as-1 element by SA. Our results also suggest that even though the as-1 binding activity is stimulated by oxidative species, this is not sufficient for the transactivation of genes controlled by this element. The complex interplay between SA and reactive oxygen species in the transcriptional activation of defense genes is discussed.
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PMID:The as-1 promoter element is an oxidative stress-responsive element and salicylic acid activates it via oxidative species. 1242 16

The anti-HIV drug 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) is the drug of choice for preventing maternal-fetal HIV transmission during pregnancy. Our aim was to assess the cytotoxic effects of AZT on human placenta in vitro. The mechanisms of AZT-induced effects were investigated using JEG-3 choriocarcinoma cells and primary explant cultures from term and first-trimester human placentas. Cytotoxicity measures included trypan blue exclusion, MTT, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) assays. Apoptosis was measured with an antibody specific to cleaved caspase-3 and by rescue of cells by the general caspase inhibitor Boc-D-FMK. The effect of AZT on the activities of glutathione-S-transferase, beta-glucuronidase, UDP-glucuronosyl transferase, cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A, and CYP reductase (CYPR) in the placenta was assessed using biochemical assays and immunoblotting. AZT increased ROS levels, decreased cellular proliferation rates, was toxic to mitochondria, and initiated cell death by a caspase-dependent mechanism in the human placenta in vitro. In the absence of serum, the effects of AZT were amplified in all the models used. AZT also increased the amounts of activity of GST, beta-glucuronidase, and CYP1A, whereas UGT and CYPR were decreased. We conclude that AZT causes apoptosis in the placenta and alters metabolizing enzymes in human placental cells. These findings have implications for the safe administration of AZT in pregnancy with respect to the maintenance of integrity of the maternal-fetal barrier.
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PMID:3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) induces apoptosis and alters metabolic enzyme activity in human placenta. 1455 Jul 50

The rationale fo the development of prodrugs relies upon delivery of higher concentrations of a drug to target cells compared to administration of the drug itself. In the last decades, numerous prodrugs that are enzymatically activated into anti-cancer agents have been developed. This review describes the most important enzymes involved in prodrug activation notably with respect to tissue distribution, up-regulation in tumor cells and turnover rates. The following endogenous enzymes are discussed: aldehyde oxidase, amino acid oxidase, cytochrome P450 reductase, DT-diaphorase, cytochrome P450, tyrosinase, thymidylate synthase, thymidine phosphorylase, glutathione S-transferase, deoxycytidine kinase, carboxylesterase, alkaline phosphatase, beta-glucuronidase and cysteine conjugate beta-lyase. In relation to each of these enzymes, several prodrugs are discussed regarding organ- or tumor-selective activation of clinically relevant prodrugs of 5-fluorouracil, axazaphosphorines (cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, and trofosfamide), paclitaxel, etoposide, anthracyclines (doxorubicin, daunorubicin, epirubicin), mercaptopurine, thioguanine, cisplatin, melphalan, and other important prodrugs such as menadione, mitomycin C, tirapazamine, 5-(aziridin-1-yl)-2,4-dinitrobenzamide, ganciclovir, irinotecan, dacarbazine, and amifostine. In addition to endogenous enzymes, a number of nonendogenous enzymes, used in antibody-, gene-, and virus-directed enzyme prodrug therapies, are described. It is concluded that the development of prodrugs has been relatively successful; however, all prodrugs lack a complete selectivity. Therefore, more work is needed to explore the differences between tumor and nontumor cells and to develop optimal substrates in terms of substrate affinity and enzyme turnover rates fo prodrug-activating enzymes resulting in more rapid and selective cleavage of the prodrug inside the tumor cells.
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PMID:Enzyme-catalyzed activation of anticancer prodrugs. 1500 63

The gene expression of two Al-induced Arabidopsis glutathione S-transferase genes, AtGST1 and AtGST11, was analyzed to investigate the mechanism underlying the response to Al stress. An approximately 1-kb DNA fragment of the 5'-upstream region of each gene was fused to a beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene (pAtGST1::GUS and pAtGST11::GUS) and introduced into Arabidopsis ecotype Landsberg erecta. The constructed transgenic lines showed a time-dependent gene expression to a different degree in the root and/or leaf by Al stress. The pAtGST1::GUS gene was induced after a short Al treatment (maximum expression after a 2-h exposure), while the pAtGST11::GUS gene was induced by a longer Al treatment (approximately 8 h for maximum expression). Since the gene expression was observed in the leaf when only the root was exposed to Al stress, a signaling system between the root and shoot was suggested in Al stress. A GUS staining experiment using an adult transgenic line carrying the pAtGST11::GUS gene supported this suggestion. Furthermore, Al treatment simultaneously with various Ca depleted conditions in root region enhanced the gene expression of the pAtGST11::GUS in the shoot region. This result suggested that the degree of Al toxicity in the root reflects the gene response of pAtGST11::GUS in the shoot via the deduced signaling system. Both transgenic lines also showed an increase of GUS activity after cold stress, heat stress, metal toxicity, and oxidative damages, suggesting a common induction mechanism in response to the tested stresses including Al stress.
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PMID:Mechanism of gene expression of Arabidopsis glutathione S-transferase, AtGST1, and AtGST11 in response to aluminum stress. 1504 94

Sieve tubes are comprised of sieve elements, enucleated cells that are incapable of RNA and protein synthesis. The proteins in sieve elements are supplied from the neighboring companion cells through plasmodesmata. In rice plants, it was unclear whether or not all proteins produced in companion cells had the same distribution pattern in the sieve element-companion cell complex. In this study, the distribution pattern of four proteins, beta-glucuronidase (GUS), green fluorescent protein (GFP), thioredoxin h (TRXh) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) were analyzed. The foreign proteins GUS and GFP were expressed in transgenic rice plants under the control of the TRXh gene promoter (PTRXh), a companion cell-specific promoter. Analysis of leaf cross-sections of PTRXh-GUS and PTRXh-GFP plants indicated high accumulation of GUS and GFP, respectively, in companion cells rather than in sieve elements. GUS and GFP were also detected in phloem sap collected from leaf sheaths of the transgenic rice plants, suggesting these proteins could enter sieve elements. Relative amounts of GFP and endogenous phloem proteins, TRXh and GST, in phloem sap and total leaf extracts were compared. Compared to TRXh and GST, GFP content was higher in total leaf extracts, but lower in phloem sap, suggesting that GFP accumulated mainly in companion cells rather than in sieve elements. On the other hand, TRXh and GST appeared to accumulate in sieve elements rather than in companion cells. These results indicate the evidence for differential distribution of proteins between sieve elements and companion cells in rice plants.
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PMID:Differential distribution of proteins expressed in companion cells in the sieve element-companion cell complex of rice plants. 1612 Jun 85


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