Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:6.3.2.3 (glutathione synthetase)
678 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Glutathione plays a pivotal role in protecting plants from environmental stresses, oxidative stress, xenobiotics, and some heavy metals. Arabidopsis plants treated with cadmium or copper responded by increasing transcription of the genes for glutathione synthesis, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase and glutathione synthetase, as well as glutathione reductase. The response was specific for those metals whose toxicity is thought to be mitigated through phytochelatins, and other toxic and nontoxic metals did not alter mRNA levels. Feeding experiments suggested that neither oxidative stress, as results from exposure to H2O2, nor oxidized or reduced glutathione levels were responsible for activating transcription of these genes. Jasmonic acid also activated the same suite of genes, which suggests that it might be involved in the signal transduction pathway for copper and cadmium. Jasmonic acid treatment increased mRNA levels and the capacity for glutathione synthesis but did not alter the glutathione content in unstressed plants, which supports the idea that the glutathione concentration is controlled at multiple levels.
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PMID:Glutathione metabolic genes coordinately respond to heavy metals and jasmonic acid in Arabidopsis. 972 99

Poplars (Populus tremula x Populus alba) were transformed to overexpress Escherichia coli gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-ECS) or glutathione synthetase in the chloroplast. Five independent lines of each transformant strongly expressed the introduced gene and possessed markedly enhanced activity of the gene product. Glutathione (GSH) contents were unaffected by high chloroplastic glutathione synthetase activity. Enhanced chloroplastic gamma-ECS activity markedly increased gamma-glutamylcysteine and GSH levels. These effects are similar to those previously observed in poplars overexpressing these enzymes in the cytosol. Similar to cytosolic gamma-ECS overexpression, chloroplastic overexpression did not deplete foliar cysteine or methionine pools and did not lead to morphological changes. Light was required for maximal accumulation of GSH in poplars overexpressing gamma-ECS in the chloroplast. High chloroplastic, but not cytosolic, gamma-ECS activities were accompanied by increases in amino acids synthesized in the chloroplast. We conclude that (a) GSH synthesis can occur in the chloroplast and the cytosol and may be up-regulated in both compartments by increased gamma-ECS activity, (b) interactions between GSH synthesis and the pathways supplying the necessary substrates are similar in both compartments, and (c) chloroplastic up-regulation of GSH synthesis is associated with an activating effect on the synthesis of specific amino acids formed in the chloroplast.
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PMID:Manipulation of glutathione and amino acid biosynthesis in the chloroplast 976 32

The tripeptide glutathione plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of the thiol redox state of the cell and for the detoxification of reactive oxygen species. Glutathione is synthesized in two consecutive reactions by y-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCS) and glutathione synthetase, respectively. The former enzyme represents the rate limiting step of the synthetic pathway. We have cloned the cDNA and gene of a putative gamma-GCS from Plasmodium falciparum. The contiguous cDNA sequences obtained from various cDNA libraries of P. falciparum K1 and 3D7 encompass 4206 bp or 4038 bp and encode polypeptides of 1119 and 1063 amino acids, respectively. The deduced amino acid sequences show four regions of homology (identity: 31.3-43.9%) to human and Trypanosoma brucei gamma-GCS. These regions are interrupted by three large insertions between 94 and 239 amino acids. Within the first insert a variable repetitive motif was identified, which is responsible for the differing sizes of the sequences. We have analysed this phenomenon in five additional P. falciparum strains and found a high degree of variability in the number of the repeated octamer (Y/C)S(N/D)LQQ(Q/R). Therefore the predicted molecular mass of the proteins from different P. falciparum strains ranges from 124.4 to 133.2 kDa, which is almost twice that of the catalytic subunit of the human host enzyme. Isolation of three genomic clones revealed that the gene does not contain introns. P. falciparum gamma-GCS transcription peaks in trophozoites (24-30 h) suggesting that the antioxidant glutathione is predominantly produced at a time where hemoglobin degradation and the simultaneous formation of reactive oxygen species is maximal.
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PMID:The putative gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase from Plasmodium falciparum contains large insertions and a variable tandem repeat. 1002 15

Glutathione (GSH), a major antioxidant in most aerobic organisms, is perceived to be particularly important in plant chloroplasts because it helps to protect the photosynthetic apparatus from oxidative damage. In transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing a chloroplast-targeted gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-ECS), foliar levels of GSH were raised threefold. Paradoxically, increased GSH biosynthetic capacity in the chloroplast resulted in greatly enhanced oxidative stress, which was manifested as light intensity-dependent chlorosis or necrosis. This phenotype was associated with foliar pools of both GSH and gamma-glutamylcysteine (the immediate precursor to GSH) being in a more oxidized state. Further manipulations of both the content and redox state of the foliar thiol pools were achieved using hybrid transgenic plants with enhanced glutathione synthetase or glutathione reductase activity in addition to elevated levels of gamma-ECS. Given the results of these experiments, we suggest that gamma-ECS-transformed plants suffered continuous oxidative damage caused by a failure of the redox-sensing process in the chloroplast.
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PMID:Elevated glutathione biosynthetic capacity in the chloroplasts of transgenic tobacco plants paradoxically causes increased oxidative stress 1040 29

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection was used to study thiol metabolism in legume nodules. Glutathione (GSH) was the major non-protein thiol in all indeterminate nodules examined, as well as in the determinate nodules of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), whereas homoglutathione (hGSH) predominated in soybean (Glycine max), bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), and mungbean (Vigna radiata) nodules. All nodules had greater thiol concentrations than the leaves and roots of the same plants because of active thiol synthesis in nodule tissue. The correlation between thiol tripeptides and the activities of glutathione synthetase (GSHS) and homoglutathione synthetase (hGSHS) in the nodules of eight legumes, and the contrasting thiol contents and activities in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) leaves (98% hGSH, 100% hGSHS) and nodules (72% GSH, 80% GSHS) indicated that the distribution of GSH and hGSH is determined by specific synthetases. Thiol contents and synthesis decreased with both natural and induced nodule senescence, and were also reduced in the senescent zone of indeterminate nodules. Thiols and GSHS were especially abundant in the meristematic and infected zones of pea (Pisum sativum) nodules. Thiols and gamma-glutamylcysteinyl synthetase were also more abundant in the infected zone of bean nodules, but hGSHS was predominant in the cortex. Isolation of full-length cDNA sequences coding for gamma-glutamylcysteinyl synthetase from legume nodules revealed that they are highly homologous to those from other higher plants.
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PMID:Glutathione and homoglutathione synthesis in legume root nodules. 1055 36

Glutathione (L-gamma-glutamyl-L-cysteinylglycine, GSH) is synthesized from its constituent amino acids by the sequential action of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCS) and GSH synthetase. The intracellular GSH concentration, typically 1-8 mM, reflects a dynamic balance between the rate of GSH synthesis and the combined rate of GSH consumption within the cell and loss through efflux. The gamma-GCS reaction is rate limiting for GSH synthesis, and regulation of gamma-GCS expression and activity is critical for GSH homeostasis. Transcription of the gamma-GCS subunit genes is controlled by a variety of factors through mechanisms that are not yet fully elucidated. Glutathione synthesis is also modulated by the availability of gamma-GCS substrates, primarily L-cysteine, by feedback inhibition of gamma-GCS by GSH, and by covalent inhibition of gamma-GCS by phosphorylation or nitrosation. Because GSH plays a critical role in cellular defenses against electrophiles, oxidative stress and nitrosating species, pharmacologic manipulation of GSH synthesis has received much attention. Administration of L-cysteine precursors and other strategies allow GSH levels to be maintained under conditions that would otherwise result in GSH depletion and cytotoxicity. Conversely, inhibitors of gamma-GCS have been used to deplete GSH as a strategy for increasing the sensitivity of tumors and parasites to certain therapeutic interventions.
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PMID:Biologic and pharmacologic regulation of mammalian glutathione synthesis. 1056 25

The isolation of rhizobial strains which exhibit an intrinsic tolerance to acidic conditions has been reported and has facilitated studies on the basic mechanisms underlying acid tolerance. Rhizobium tropici strain CIAT899 displays a high intrinsic tolerance to acidity and therefore was used in this work to study the molecular basis of bacterial responses to acid conditions and other environmental stresses. We generated a collection of R. tropici CIAT899 mutants affected in acid tolerance using Tn5-luxAB mutagenesis, and one mutant strain (CIAT899-13T2), which fails to grow under acid conditions, was characterized in detail. Strain CIAT899-13T2 was found to contain a single Tn5-luxAB insertion in a gene showing a high degree of similarity with the Escherichia coli gshB gene, encoding the enzyme glutathione synthetase. Intracellular potassium pools and intracellular pH levels were found to be lower in the mutant than in the parent. The glutathione-deficient mutant was shown to be sensitive to weak organic acids, osmotic and oxidative stresses, and the presence of methylglyoxal. Glutathione restores responses to these stresses almost to wild-type levels. Our data show that in R. tropici the production of glutathione is essential for growth in extreme environmental conditions. The mutant strain CIAT899-13T2 induced effective nodules; however, it was found to be outcompeted by the wild-type strain in coinoculation experiments.
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PMID:Glutathione is involved in environmental stress responses in Rhizobium tropici, including acid tolerance. 1069 82

Glutathione is synthesized in two sequential reactions catalyzed by gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (GSH1 gene product) and glutathione synthetase (GSH2 gene product). The expression of GSH1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been known to be up-regulated by Yap1p, a critical transcription factor for the oxidative stress response in yeast. The present study demonstrates that GSH2 expression is also regulated by Yap1p under oxidative stress-induced conditions. In addition to oxidative stress, expression of GSH1 and GSH2 was induced by heat shock stress in a Yap1p-dependent manner with subsequent increases in intracellular glutathione content. Oxygen respiration rate increased when cells were exposed to higher temperatures, and as a result, intracellular oxidation levels were increased. The heat shock-induced expression of GSH1 and GSH2 did not occur under anaerobic conditions. Furthermore, even under aerobic conditions, the heat shock response of these genes was not observed when cells were pretreated with KCN to block oxygen respiration. We speculate that heat shock stress enhances oxygen respiration, which in turn results in an increase in the generation of reactive oxygen species in mitochondria. This signal may be mediated by Yap1p, resulting in the elevation of intracellular glutathione levels.
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PMID:The Yap1p-dependent induction of glutathione synthesis in heat shock response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. 1080 86

Glutathione (L-gamma-glutamyl-L-cysteinylglycine, GSH), is a vital intra- and extracellular protective antioxidant. Glutathione is synthesized from its constituent amino acids by the sequential action of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCS) and GSH synthetase. The rate-limiting enzyme in GSH synthesis is gamma-GCS. Gamma-GCS expression is modulated by oxidants, phenolic antioxidants, and inflammatory and anti-inflammatory agents in various mammalian cells. The intracellular GSH redox homeostasis is strictly regulated to govern cell metabolism and protect cells against oxidative stress. Growing evidence has suggested that cellular oxidative processes have a fundamental role in inflammation through the activation of stress kinases (JNK, MAPK, p38) and redox-sensitive transcription factors such as NF-kappaB and AP-1, which differentially regulate the genes for proinflammatory mediators and protective antioxidant genes such as gamma-GCS, Mn-SOD, and heme oxygenase-1. The critical balance between the induction of proinflammatory mediators and antioxidant genes and the regulation of the levels of GSH in response to oxidative stress at the site of inflammation is not known. Knowledge of the mechanisms of redox GSH regulation and gene transcription in inflammation could lead to the development of novel therapies based on the pharmacological manipulation of the production of this important antioxidant in inflammation and injury. This FORUM article features the role of GSH levels in the regulation of transcription factors, whose activation and DNA binding leads to proinflammatory and antioxidant gene transcription. The potential role of thiol antioxidants as a therapeutic approach in inflammatory lung diseases is also discussed.
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PMID:Regulation of redox glutathione levels and gene transcription in lung inflammation: therapeutic approaches. 1092 59

Glutathione (GSH) synthetase [L-gamma-glutamyl-L-cysteinyl:glycine ligase (ADP-forming), EC 6.3.2.3] catalyzes the final step in GSH biosynthesis. Mammalian glutathione synthetase is a homodimer with each subunit containing an active site. We report the detailed kinetic data for purified recombinant rat glutathione synthetase. It has the highest specific activity (11 micromol/min/mg) reported for any mammalian glutathione synthetase. The apparent K(m) values for ATP and glycine are 37 and 913 microM, respectively. The Lineweaver-Burk double reciprocal plot for gamma-glutamyl substrate binding revealed a departure from linearity indicating cooperative binding. Quantitative analysis of the kinetic results for gamma-glutamyl substrate binding gives a Hill coefficient (h) of 0. 576, which shows the negative cooperativity. Neither ATP, the other substrate involved in forming the enzyme-bound gamma-glutamyl phosphate intermediate, nor glycine, which attacks this intermediate to form GSH, exhibit any cooperativity. The cooperative binding of gamma-glutamyl substrate is not affected by ATP concentration. Thus, mammalian glutathione synthetase is an allosteric enzyme.
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PMID:Novel kinetics of mammalian glutathione synthetase: characterization of gamma-glutamyl substrate cooperative binding. 1096 6


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