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:6.3.2.3 (glutathione synthetase)
678 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Under pathological conditions, the induction of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in macrophages is responsible for NO production to a cytotoxic concentration. We have investigated changes to, and the role of, intracellular glutathione in NO production by the activated murine macrophage cell line J774. Total glutathione concentrations (reduced, GSH, plus the disulphide, GSSG) were decreased to 45% of the control 48 h after cells were activated with bacterial lipopolysaccharide plus interferon gamma. This was accompanied by a decrease in the GSH/GSSG ratio from 12:1 to 2:1. The intracellular decrease was not accounted for by either GSH or GSSG efflux; on the contrary, rapid export of glutathione in control cells was abrogated during activation. The loss of intra- and extracellular glutathione indicates either a decrease in synthesis de novo, or an increase in utilization, rather than competition for available NADPH. All changes in activated cells were prevented by pretreatment with the NOS inhibitor L-N-(1-iminoethyl)ornithine. Basal glutathione levels in J774 cells were manipulated by pretreatment with (1) buthionine sulphoximine (glutathione synthase inhibitor), (2) acivicin (gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase inhibitor), (3) bromo-octane (glutathione S-transferase substrate) and (4) diamide/zinc (thiol oxidant and glutathione reductase inhibitor). All treatments significantly decreased the output of NO following activation. The degree of inhibition was dependent on (i) duration of treatment prior to activation, (ii) rate of depletion or subsequent recovery and (iii) thiol end product. The level of GSH did not significantly affect the production of NO, after induction of NOS. Thus, glutathione redox status appears to plays an important role in NOS induction during macrophage activation.
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PMID:Induction of nitric oxide synthesis in J774 cells lowers intracellular glutathione: effect of modulated glutathione redox status on nitric oxide synthase induction. 906 66

Effects of anoxic submergence (20 h at 5 degrees C) and subsequent 24 h aerobic recovery on glutathione levels and the activities of glutathione-related enzymes were examined in six tissues of Trachemys scripta elegans. Anoxia exposure resulted in tissue-specific changes in enzyme maximal activities, the most dramatic being suppression of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GTPase) activity in anoxic kidney to only 2% of control. Anoxia exposure also caused significant decreases in activities of liver and heart glutathione-S-transferase (GST) (by 25 and 42%), heart glutathione reductase (GR) (by 67%), liver gamma-GTPase (by 71%), and red muscle glutaredoxin (GRN) (by 56%). By contrast, anoxia exposure increased the activities of GR in liver and red muscle (by 52 and 80%), glutathione synthetase (GS) in white muscle (by 300%), and GRN in white muscle (by 400%). During aerobic recovery after anoxia, GST activity decreased in red muscle, kidney, and brain (by 72, 56, and 39%); GR decreased in liver and red muscle (by 52 and 80%); and GRN fell in red muscle (by 56%). Other activities rose during recovery: GR in heart (by 64%), GS in heart and brain (by 200%), and gamma-GTPase in brain (by 63%). Tissue pools of total glutathione were high in comparison with other ectotherms. Levels decreased during anoxia in four organs to 49-67% of control values. During aerobic recovery the reduced glutathione-to-oxidized glutathione ratio (GSH/GSSG) increased in heart, kidney, and brain, indicating that oxidative stress did not occur in these organs. Rather than maintaining high levels of glutathione in tissues to prevent oxidative stress during aerobic recovery, turtles sustain high GSH/GSSG by regulating the activities of glutathione-using enzymes.
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PMID:Glutathione systems and anoxia tolerance in turtles. 924 53

In the gamma-glutamyl cycle, hereditary defects have been described in four of the six enzymes namely: gamma-GC synthetase; GSH synthetase; gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and 5-oxoprolinase. Mutants are still to be found in gamma-glutamyl cyclotransferase and in the dipeptidase. Deficiency of GSH synthatase or gamma-GC synthetases results in low levels of GSH. In gamma-GC synthetase deficiency hemolytic anemia is the most prominent symptom, with or without hepatosplenomegaly. In generalized GSH synthetase deficiency 5-oxoproline is overproduced due to lack of feedback inhibition of gamma-GC synthetase. These patients have metabolic acidosis, 5-oxoprolinuria, hemolytic anemia and about 50% of them also have progressive neurological symptoms. Treatment includes acidosis correction, high doses of vitamin E and C and avoidance of drugs precipitating hemolytic crises in G6PD deficiency. Therapeutic trials with GSH analogues, N-acetylcysteine and GSH esters have been carried out. Glutathione synthetase deficiency restricted to erythrocytes results in hemolytic anemia but no 5-oxoprolinuria. gamma-Glutamyl transpeptidase deficiency is associated with GSH-emia and GSH-uria whereas 5-oxoprolinase deficiency is associated with 5-oxoprolinuria. In diagnostic work it must be emphasized that erythrocytes contain an incomplete gamma-glutamyl cycle; they lack both gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and 5-oxoprolinase and these enzyme activities must therefore be analyzed in other types of cells such as leukocytes and fibroblasts. It is also important to investigate other patients with inherited defects in the gamma-glutamyl cycle to learn more about the biological role of GSH in man.
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PMID:Patients with genetic defects in the gamma-glutamyl cycle. 967 48

We used mice deficient in gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) to analyze the effects of GGT deficiency and altered thiol levels on gene expression in liver. GGT-deficient mice have markedly reduced levels of glutathione (GSH), cysteine, methionine, and cysteinylglycine in liver. Steady-state RNA levels of the catalytic subunit of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCS), the rate-limiting enzyme in GSH synthesis, are elevated 4-fold in these mice, while those for glutathione synthetase (GSH syn) are elevated 2-fold. RNA levels of cystathionase (cystathionine gamma-lyase), a key enzyme in the synthesis of cysteine from methionine, are elevated approximately 3.5-fold. In contrast, levels of RNA coding for multidrug resistance protein 2 (MRP2), which transports GSH into bile, are half wild-type values. We found no change in RNA levels of enzymes related to oxidative injury (CuZn and Mn superoxide dismutases [SOD], catalase, and glutathione peroxidase). Similarly, RNA levels of glutathione reductase and ribonucleotide reductase were unchanged. Furthermore, in contrast to previous in vitro results, methyl methanesulfonate did not induce stress-activated signal transduction as measured by c-jun phosphorylation in livers of GGT-deficient mice, despite further depletion of GSH by buthionine sulfoximine. Our findings indicate that GGT deficiency itself and/or altered thiol levels regulate expression of genes involved in GSH metabolism, but have no effect on the expression of other antioxidant genes.
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PMID:Altered gene expression in the liver of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase-deficient mice. 1096 Apr 49

Certain dietary constituents can protect against chemically induced carcinogenesis in rodents. A principal mechanism by which these chemopreventive compounds exert their protective effects is likely to be via induction of carcinogen detoxification. This can be mediated by conjugation with glutathione, which is synthesized by the sequential actions of glutamate-cysteine ligase (GLCL) and glutathione synthetase. We have demonstrated that dietary administration of the naturally occurring chemopreventive agents, ellagic acid, coumarin or alpha-angelicalactone caused an increase in GLCL activity of between approximately 3- and 5-fold in rat liver. Treatment with the synthetic antioxidant ethoxyquin or the classic inducer phenobarbital caused < 2-fold induction of GLCL activity in rat liver, which was not found to be significant. The increases in GLCL activity were accompanied by increases (between 2- and 4-fold) in levels of both the catalytic heavy subunit (GLCLC) and regulatory light subunit (GLCLR). No substantial induction of GLCL was observed in rat kidney. The glutathione S-transferase (GST) subunits A1, A3, A4, A5, P1 and M1 were all found to be inducible in rat liver by most of the agents. The greatest levels of induction were observed for GST P1, following treatment with coumarin (20-fold), alpha-angelicalactone (10-fold) or ellagic acid (6-fold), and GST A5, following treatment with coumarin (7-fold), alpha-angelicalactone (6-fold) and ethoxyquin (6-fold). Glutathione synthetase was induced approximately 1.5-fold by coumarin, alpha-angelicalactone, ellagic acid and ethoxyquin. The expression of glutathione-related enzymes was also examined in preneoplastic lesions induced in rat liver by aflatoxin B(1). The majority of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT)-positive preneoplastic foci contained increased levels of GLCLC relative to the surrounding tissue. This was usually found to be accompanied by an increase in GLCLR. Cells in the inner cortex of rat kidney were found to contain the highest levels of both GLCLC and GLCLR. The same cells showed the strongest staining for GGT activity.
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PMID:Regulation of rat glutamate-cysteine ligase (gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase) subunits by chemopreventive agents and in aflatoxin B(1)-induced preneoplasia. 1102 40

We used mice with a targeted disruption in g-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT-deficient mice) to study the role of glutathione (GSH) in protection against oxygen-induced lung injury. These mice had reduced levels of lung GSH and restricted ability to synthesize GSH because of low levels of cysteine. When GGT-deficient mice were exposed to 80% oxygen, they developed diffuse pulmonary injury and died within eight days. Ten of 12 wild-type mice were alive after 18 days. Administration of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) to GGT-deficient mice corrected GSH values and prevented the development of severe pulmonary injury and death. Oxygen exposure induced an increase in lung GSH levels in both wild-type and GGT-deficient mice, but induced levels in the mutant mice were <50% of those in wild-type mice. Cysteine levels were approximately 50-fold lower than GSH levels the lungs of both wild-type and GGT-deficient mice. Levels of lung RNA coding for the heavy subunit of g-glutamyl cysteine synthetase rose three- to fourfold after oxygen exposure in both wild-type and GGT-deficient mice. In contrast, oxygen exposure failed to provoke increases in glutathione synthetase, glutathione peroxidase, glutaredoxin, or thioredoxin.
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PMID:Oxygen-induced pulmonary injury in gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase-deficient mice. 1197 99

Inorganic arsenicals are important environmental toxicants and carcinogens in humans. In mammals, including humans, inorganic arsenicals often undergo methylation, forming compounds such as dimethyarsinic acid (DMA). Recent evidence indicates DMA is a complete carcinogen in rodents while evidence for inorganic arsenicals as carcinogens in rodents remains equivocal. Thus, we studied the molecular mechanisms of in vitro cytolethality of DMA compared to that of the trivalent inorganic arsenical, sodium arsenite, using a rat liver epithelial cell line (TRL 1215). Arsenite was very cytotoxic in these cells (LC(50) = 35 microM after 48 h of exposure). With arsenite exposure, most dead cells showed histological and biochemical evidence of necrosis. Arsenite cytotoxicity increased markedly when cellular GSH was depleted with the glutathione synthase inhibitor, L-buthionine-[S,R]-sulfoximine (BSO). In contrast, DMA was nearly 3 orders of magnitude less cytotoxic (LC(50) = 1.5 mM) although evidence showed the predominating form of death was apoptosis. Surprisingly, GSH depletion actually decreased DMA-induced apoptosis. A glutathione scavenger, diethyl maleate (DEM), and a glutathione reductase inhibitor, carmustine, also prevented DMA-induced apoptosis. These data indicate that DMA requires intracellular GSH to induce apoptosis. Ethacrynic acid (EA), an inhibitor of glutathione S-transferase (GST) that catalyzes GSH-substrate conjugation, acivicin, an inhibitor of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) which catalyzes the initial breakdown of GSH-substrate conjugates, and aminooxyacetic acid (AOAA), an inhibitor of beta-lyase which catalyzes the final breakdown of GSH-substrate conjugates, all were effective in suppressing DMA-induced apoptosis. These findings indicate that DMA likely is conjugated in some form with GSH, and that it is this conjugate that induces apoptosis during subsequent metabolic reactions.
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PMID:A major human arsenic metabolite, dimethylarsinic acid, requires reduced glutathione to induce apoptosis. 1201 83

An assay of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCS) and glutathione synthetase (GS) in crude extracts of cultured cells and tissues is described. It represents a novel combination of known methods, and is based on the formation of glutathione (GSH) from cysteine, glutamate and glycine in the presence of rat kidney GS for the assay of gamma-GCS, or from gamma-glutamylcysteine and glycine for the assay of GS. GSH is then quantified by the Tietze recycling method. Assay mixtures contain the gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) inhibitor acivicin in order to prevent the degradation of gamma-glutamylcysteine and of the accumulating GSH, and dithiothreitol in order to prevent the oxidation of cysteine and gamma-glutamylcysteine. gamma-GCS and GS levels determined by this method are comparable to those determined by others. The method is suitable for the rapid determination of gamma-GCS GS in GGT-containing tissues and for the studies of induction of gamma-GCS and GS in tissue cultures.
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PMID:A spectrophotometric assay of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase and glutathione synthetase in crude extracts from tissues and cultured mammalian cells. 1204 60

The cellular defense system (including glutathione, glutathione-related enzymes, antioxidant and redox enzymes) plays a crucial role in cell survival and growth in aerobic organisms. To understand its physiological role in tumor cells, the glutathione content and related enzyme activities in the human normal hepatic cell line, Chang and human hepatoma cell line, HepG2, were systematically measured and compared. Superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities are 2.8-, 4.3-, and 2.9-fold higher in HepG2 cells than in Chang cells. Total glutathione content is also about 1.4-fold higher in HepG2, which is supported by significant increases in gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase and glutathione synthetase activities. Two other glutathione-related enzymes, glutathione reductase and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, are upregulated in HepG2 cells. However, thioredoxin reductase and glutathione S-transferase activities are significantly lower in HepG2 cells. These results propose that defense-related enzymes are largely modulated in tumor cells, which might be linked to their growth and maintenance.
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PMID:Activities of antioxidant and redox enzymes in human normal hepatic and hepatoma cell lines. 1244 6

Although it is well documented that the concentration of glutathione (GSH), the most abundant intracellular free thiol and an important antioxidant, declines with age in many tissues of different animal species, the underlying mechanism is not well understood. In a previous study, we showed that the expression of the glutamate cysteine ligase genes was down-regulated with age, accompanied by a decline in GSH content in the liver, kidney, and lung of Fisher 344 rats. The aim of this study was to examine the age-associated changes in the activities of three other enzymes, which also play important roles in GSH biosynthesis, to further explore the mechanism underlying the age-associated decline in GSH content in Fisher 344 rats. The results showed for the first time that the activity and gene expression of glutathione synthase, which catalyzes the second reaction in de novo GSH synthesis, were also decreased with increased age in the lung and kidney, but not in the liver or heart. No age-associated change in the activity of either gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase or glutathione reductase was observed in any of the organs examined. The results further indicate that decreased GSH synthetic capacity is responsible for the age-associated decline in GSH content in Fisher 344 rats.
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PMID:Decreased synthetic capacity underlies the age-associated decline in glutathione content in Fisher 344 rats. 1458 Mar 7


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