No abstract

The yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has an ENOX1 activity with a period length of 24 min similar to that of other eukaryotes. In contrast to other eukaryotes, however, Saccharomyces cerevisiae has a second ENOX1-like activity with a period length of 25 min. The latter is distinguishable from the traditional ENOX1 on the basis of the longer period length along with resistance to an ENOX1 inhibitor, simalikalactone D, and failure to be phased by melatonin. In addition, two periods are apparent in measurements of oxygen consumption indicating that the consumption of oxygen to water occurs independently by homodimers of both of the two forms of ENOX. Based on the measurements of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, S. cerevisiae exhibits circadian activity maxima at 24 and 25 h together with a 40 h period possibly representing the 40 min metabolic rhythm of yeast not observed in our measurement of oxygen consumption and normally observed only with continuous cultures. The findings are indicative of at least three independent time-keeping systems being operative in a single cell.

A yeast deletion library was screened based on NADH fluorescence using a 384-well plate assay to identify a yeast isolate lacking a previously identified cell surface oxidase exhibiting an oscillatory pattern with a period length of 25 min and resistant to the ENOX1-specific inhibitor simalikalactone D (YNOX for yeast-specific ENOX = ENOX4). The cDNA was cloned from a yeast over expression library using NADH fluorescence analyzed by Fast Fourier transform and decomposition fits. The objective was to identify and sequence an ENOX homologue in Saccharomyces cerevisiae with a 25 min rather than a 24 min period length (YNOX). The finding identified YDR005C as the yeast ENOX protein with a temperature-independent 25 min period length and insensitive to inhibition by simalikalactone D. The encoded protein was expressed in bacteria and characterized. Gel slices corresponding to 55 kDa and 39 kDa His-tagged proteins exhibited 25 min oscillatory patterns not inhibited by 1 µM simalikalactone D for both NADH oxidation and reduced coenzyme Q10 oxidation as well as a protein disulfide-thiol interchange activity which alternated with the oxidative activities. Activities were phased by low-frequency electromagnetic fields but, in contrast, to yeast ENOX1, not by addition of melatonin. The assay in the presence of D 2 O shifted the length of the oscillatory period from 25 min to 32 min. The YDR005C deletion mutant cells lacked the ENOX4 clock output present in the wild type yeast.

Exfoliated ECTO-NOX3 (ENOX3) proteins, are members of the human TM9 superfamily of transmembrane proteins that generate superoxide, are present in blood and other body fluids, and increase activity with age beginning about age 30, hence agerelated NOX (arNOX or ENOX3). A yeast deletion library was screened based on NADH fluorescence using a 384 well plate assay to identify a yeast isolate lacking a previously identified cell surface oxidase exhibiting an oscillatory pattern with a period length of 26 min and capable of generating superoxide. The cDNA was cloned from a yeast over expression library using NADH as an impermeant substrate with analysis by Fast Fourier Transform and decomposition fits. The objective was to identify and sequence an ENOX homologue in Saccharomyces cerevisiae with a 26 min rather than a 24 or 25 min period length. The finding identified YER113C as the yeast ENOX3 protein with a 26 min period and capable of generating superoxide. The encoded protein was expressed in bacteria and characterized. Gel slices of expressed proteins revealed a protein of ca. 81,545 kDa with properties paralleling those of human ar-NOX (periodic NADH oxidation, protein disulfide thiol interchange, inhibited by mammalian arNOX inhibitors and superoxide production inhibited by superoxide dismutase). The YER113C sequence exhibited a 44% similarity and a 26% identity with the mammalian ENOX3 SF4 (arNOX SF4) of the TM9 superfamily of transmembrane proteins 1. The YER113C deletion mutant lacked arNOX activity.

An emerging concept of cancer chemotherapy is that of chemosensitization. Most often applied to the treatment of drug-resistance cancers, chemosensitization has utility when such cancers are rendered drug sensitive through treatment with the sensitizing agent. A particularly striking example of chemosensitization is that encountered with the synthetic isoflavene phenoxodiol where patients with taxane-and/or platinum-resistant ovarian carcinoma once again become sensitive to these drugs following treatment with phenoxodiol. The latter appears to be a true chemosensitization in that the phenoxodiol need not be co-administered with the taxane or platinum drugs. Sensitivity is retained many weeks after the phenoxodiol has been cleared from the system. The response appears to be mediated through the primary drug target of phenoxodiol, a cancer-specific cell surface ECTO-NOX or ENOX protein designated tNOX (ENOX2). The ENOX protein family has been previously recognized as a hormetic target. The hypothesis under investigation is that chemosensitization and low dose synergies are most obvious in the hormetic range of concentrations and that the two phenomena, hormesis and chemosensitization, may be related mechanistically.