The cytochrome P450 arachidonic acid epoxygenase metabolites, the epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) are powerful, nonregioselective, stimulators of cell proliferation. In this study we compared the ability of the four EETs (5,6-, 8,9-, 11,12-, and 14,15-EETs) to regulate endothelial cell proliferation in vitro and angiogenesis in vivo and determined the molecular mechanism by which EETs control these events. Inhibition of the epoxygenase blocked serum-induced endothelial cell proliferation, and exogenously added EETs rescued cell proliferation from epoxygenase inhibition. Studies with selective ERK, p38 MAPK, or PI3K inhibitors revealed that whereas activation of p38 MAPK is required for the proliferative responses to 8,9-and 11,12-EET, activation of PI3K is necessary for the cell proliferation induced by 5,6-and 14,15-EET. Among the four EETs, only 5,6-and 8,9-EET are capable of promoting endothelial cell migration and the formation of capillary-like structures, events that are dependent on EET-mediated activation of ERK and PI3K. Using subcutaneous sponge models, we showed that 5,6-and 8,9-EET are pro-angiogenic in mice and that their neo-vascularization effects are enhanced by the co-administration of an inhibitor of EET enzymatic hydration, presumably because of reduced EET metabolism and inactivation. These studies identify 5,6-and 8,9-EET as powerful and selective angiogenic lipids, provide a functional link between the EET proliferative chemotactic properties and their angiogenic activity, and suggest a physiological role for them in angiogenesis and de novo vascularization.

Cytochromes P450 of the CYP2C and CYP4A gene subfamilies metabolize arachidonic acid to 5,6-, 8,9-, 11,12-, and 14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) and to 19-and 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs), respectively. Abundant functional studies indicate that EETs and HETEs display powerful and often opposing biological activities as mediators of ion channel activity and regulators of vascular tone and systemic blood pressures. Incubation of 8,9-, 11,12-, and 14,15-EETs with microsomal and purified forms of rat CYP4A isoforms led to rapid NADPH-dependent metabolism to the corresponding 19-and 20-hydroxylated EETs. Comparisons of reaction rates and catalytic efficiency with those of arachidonic and lauric acids showed that EETs are one of the best endogenous substrates so far described for rat CYP4A isoforms. CYP4A1 exhibited a preference for 8,9-EET, whereas CYP4A2, CYP4A3, and CYP4A8 preferred 11,12-EET. In general, the closer the oxido ring is to the carboxylic acid functionality, the higher the rate of EET metabolism and the lower the regiospecificity for the EET -carbon. Analysis of cis-parinaric acid displacement from the ligand-binding domain of the human peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-␣ showed that -hydroxylated 14,15-EET bound to this receptor with high affinity (K i ‫؍‬ 3 ؎ 1 nM). Moreover, at 1 M, the -alcohol of 14,15-EET or a 1:4 mixture of the -alcohols of 8,9-and 11,12-EETs activated human and mouse peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-␣ in transient transfection assays, suggesting a role for them as endogenous ligands for these orphan nuclear receptors.Cytochromes P450 of the CYP4A gene subfamily are structurally and functionally conserved fatty-acid hydroxylases that are expressed in most mammalian tissues, including rat and human kidney and liver (1-7). These enzymes are selective for the /-1-hydroxylation of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids (1-7) and lack known roles in drug metabolism. The expression of some CYP4A isoforms is under the control of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-␣ (PPAR␣) 1 (8 -13) and regulated by a variety of physiological and pathophysiological stimuli, including dietary fatty acids, hormones, diabetes, and starvation (9 -13). Interest in the molecular and functional properties of these enzymes has been stimulated by the demonstration of their role in the /-1-hydroxylation of arachidonic acid (AA) (4 -7) and the powerful biological activities of 19-and 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs) as modulators of renal ion fluxes and vasoactivity (14 -18). Based on biochemical and functional correlates of CYP4A renal expression, 20-HETE biosynthesis, and the onset of systemic high blood pressure in the SHR/WKY rat model of spontaneous hypertension, a pro-hypertensive role for 20-HETE and CYP4A isoforms was proposed (14).The cytochrome P450 AA epoxygenase catalyzes the in vivo regio-and enantioselective metabolism of AA to epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) (16). Studies with microsomal and/or purified cytochrome P450 preparations showed tha...

Cytosine deaminase (EC 3.5.4.1), a non-mammalian enzyme, catalyzes the deamination of cytosine and 5-fluorocytosine to form uracil and 5-fluorouracil, respectively. Eukaryotic cells have been genetically modified with a bacterial cytosine deaminase gene to express a functional enzyme. When the genetically modified cells are combined with 5-fluorocytosine, it creates a potent negative selection system, which may have important applications in cancer gene therapy. In this paper, we introduce a novel positive selection method based upon the expression of the cytosine deaminase gene. This method utilizes inhibitors in the pyrimidine de novo synthesis pathway to create a condition in which cells are dependent on the conversion of pyrimidine supplements to uracil by cytosine deaminase. Thus, only cells expressing the cytosine deaminase gene can be rescued in a positive selection medium.

Cytochrome P450 BM-3 catalyzes the high turnover regio-and stereoselective metabolism of arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids. To map structural determinants of productive active site fatty acid binding, we mutated two amino acid residues, arginine 47 and phenylalanine 87, which flank the surface and heme ends of the enzyme's substrate access channel, respectively.Replacement of arginine 47 with glutamic acid resulted in a catalytically inactive mutant. Replacement of arginine 47 with alanine yielded a protein with reduced substrate binding affinity and arachidonate sp 3 carbon hydroxylation activity (72% of control wild type). On the other hand, arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acid epoxidation was significantly enhanced (154 and 137%, of control wild type, respectively). As with wild type, the alanine 47 mutant generated (18R)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic, (14S,15R)-epoxyeicosatrienoic, and (17S,18R)-epoxyeicosatetraenoic acids nearly enantiomerically pure.Replacement of phenylalanine 87 with valine converted cytochrome P450 BM-3 into a regio-and stereoselective arachidonic acid epoxygenase ((14S,15R)-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid, 99% of total products). Conversely, metabolism of eicosapentaenoic acid by the valine 87 mutant yielded a mixture of (14S,15R)-and (17S,18R)-epoxyeicosatetraenoic acids (26 and 69% of total, 94 and 96% optical purity, respectively). Finally, replacement of phenylalanine 87 with tyrosine yielded an inactive protein.We propose that: (a) fatty acid oxidation by P450 BM-3 is incompatible with the presence of residues with negatively charged side chains at the surface opening of the substrate access channel or a polar aromatic side chain in the vicinity of the heme iron; (b) the high turnover regio-and stereoselective metabolism of arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids involves charge-dependent anchoring of the fatty acids at the mouth of the access channel by arginine 47, as well as steric gating of the heme-bound oxidant by phenylalanine 87; and (c) substrate binding coordinates, as opposed to oxygen chemistries, are the determining factors responsible for reaction rates, product chemistry, and, thus, catalytic outcome.

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