Semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidases (SSAOs) catalyze oxidative deamination of primary amines, but the true physiological function of these enzymes is still poorly understood. Here, we have studied the functional and structural characteristics of a human cell-surface SSAO, AOC2, which is homologous to the better characterized family member, AOC3. The preferred in vitro substrates of AOC2 were found to be 2-phenylethylamine, tryptamine and p-tyramine instead of methylamine and benzylamine, the favored substrates of AOC3. Molecular modeling suggested structural differences between AOC2 and AOC3, which provide AOC2 with the capability to use the larger monoamines as substrates. Even though AOC2 mRNA was expressed in many tissues, the only tissues with detectable AOC2-like enzyme activity were found in the eye. Characterization of AOC2 will help in evaluating the contribution of this enzyme to the pathological processes attributed to the SSAO activity and in designing specific inhibitors for the individual members of the SSAO family.
Vascular adhesion protein 1 (VAP-1) is an endothelial adhesion molecule with an enzymatic activity. It deaminates biogenic amines, resulting in the formation of aldehydes and hydrogen peroxide. During the enzymatic reaction a transient Schiff base is formed between endothelial VAP-1 and its leukocytic ligand, and this interaction is important for lymphocyte adhesion. VAP-1 monomer has six potential N-linked, and three putative O-linked glycosylation sites and an SSSS sequence potentially forming an attachment site for an adjacent O-linked site. In this work we modeled the carbohydrate decorations on a structural model of VAP-1, and studied which of those potential glycosylation sites are utilized, and whether those decorations accessible to a lymphocyte ligand are important in lymphocyte adhesion and enzymatic activity of VAP-1. We show that, unlike the O-linked attachment sites, all six N-linked glycosylation sites are in use. Furthermore, mutation of the N-linked attachment sites strategically located on the top of the molecule reduces lymphocyte adhesion in non-static conditions, and enhances the catalytic activity of membrane-bound human VAP-1 in static conditions, suggesting that glycosylation regulates the functional properties of VAP-1.
Vascular Adhesion Protein-1 (VAP-1) is an endothelial adhesion molecule belonging to the primary amine oxidases. Upon inflammation it takes part in the leukocyte extravasation cascade facilitating transmigration of leukocytes into the inflamed tissue. Screening of a human lung cDNA library revealed the presence of an alternatively spliced shorter transcript of VAP-1, VAP-1Δ3. Here, we have studied the functional and structural characteristics of VAP-1Δ3, and show that the mRNA for this splice variant is expressed in most human tissues studied. In comparison to the parent molecule this carboxy-terminally truncated isoform lacks several of the amino acids important in the formation of the enzymatic groove of VAP-1. In addition, the conserved His684, which takes part in coordinating the active site copper, is missing from VAP-1Δ3. Assays using the prototypic amine substrates methylamine and benzylamine demonstrated that VAP-1Δ3 is indeed devoid of the semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) activity characteristic to VAP-1. When VAP-1Δ3-cDNA is transfected into cells stably expressing VAP-1, the surface expression of the full-length molecule is reduced. Furthermore, the SSAO activity of the co-transfectants is diminished in comparison to transfectants expressing only VAP-1. The observed down-regulation of both the expression and enzymatic activity of VAP-1 may result from a dominant-negative effect caused by heterodimerization between VAP-1 and VAP-1Δ3, which was detected in co-immunoprecipitation studies. This alternatively spliced transcript adds thus to the repertoire of potential regulatory mechanisms through which the cell-surface expression and enzymatic activity of VAP-1 can be modulated.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.