• Toxicological Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.127-133
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• 2007

Metformin is a drug used to lower blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes via activation of adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK). The primary objective of this study was to investigate whether metformin at the pharmacologically effective concentrations affects the expressions of ${\gamma}$-glutamylcysteine synthetase and phase II antioxidant genes in the H4IIE cell. Treatment of the cells with either metformin or 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide riboside (AICAR) abrogated tert-butylhydroxyquinone (t-BHQ) induction of ${\gamma}$-glutamylcysteine synthetase, a rate limiting enzyme of GSH synthesis. The ability of t-BHQ to induce glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), a major class of phase II detoxifying enzymes that playa critical role in protecting cells from oxidative stress or electrophiles, was also inhibited by the agents. Transcriptional gene repression by metformin was verified by the GSTA2 promoter luciferase assay. Moreover, either metformin or AICAR treatment significantly decreased t-BHQ-dependent induction of other GSTs (i.e., $GST{\mu}$ and $GST{\pi}$ forms). Taken together, our data indicate that metformin treatment may result in the repression of ${\gamma}$-glutamylcysteine synthetase and glutathione S-transferase genes possibly via AMPK activation.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.260-264
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• 1999

Korean traditional fermented soy paste (doenjang) prolonged the life span of Balb/c mice injected with the sarcoma-180 cells. The activities of liver enzymes, such as xanthine oxidase, aminopyrine N-demethylase, aniline hydroxylase, ${\gamma}$-glutamylcysteine synthetase, glutathione reductase and glutathione S-transferase (GST), and the contents of lipid peroxide and glutathione were determined from the sarcoma-180 cell injected mice that were treated with methanol extracts from doenjang, miso and soybean. The content of lipid peroxide and the activity of xanthine oxidase in the liver of Balb/c mice which were increased by the transplantation of the sarcoma-180 cells were decreased by treatment with the methanol extract from doenjang. But the activities of aminopyrine N-dementhylase and aniline hydroxylase were not affected by the treatment of methanol extracts from doenjang to the mice injected with the sarcoma-180 cells. The content of glutathione, the activities of glutamylcysteine synthetase, glutathione reductase and glutathione S-transferase decreased by the injection of the sarcoma-180 were recovered considerably by the treatment of the methanol extract from doenjang.

• Proceedings of the Korean Biophysical Society Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.61-61
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• 2003

We have cloned the CGR1 gene encoding glutathione reductase (GR) which catalyzes the reduction of oxidized glutathione (GSSG) to reduced glutathione (GSH) from Candida albicans. The cgr1/cgr1 mutants were not viable when CaMAL2 promoter repressed the CGR1 expression. The growth of the mutants could be partially overcome by thiol compounds such as GSH, dithiothreitol, cysteine, N-acetylcysteine and GSSG. Interestingly, C. albicans with CGR1 overexpressed showed defective hyphal growth on solid medium and attenuated virulence. We have also cloned the GCS1 gene encoding ${\gamma}$-glutamylcysteine synthetase which catalyzes the first step of glutathione biosynthesis. The gcs1/gcs1 mutants were nonviable in minimal defined medium. The growth of the mutants could be resumed by supplementing with GSH, GSSG and ${\gamma}$-glutamylcysteine in the medium. The mutants had increased intracellular D-erythroascorbic acid level up to 2.25-fold when transferred to GSH-free medium. When the mutants were depleted of GSH, they showed typical markers of apoptosis. In conclusion, these results suggest that glutathione is an essential metabolite, and involved in hyphal growth, virulence and apoptosis in C. albicans.

• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.254-257
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• 1998

The gshI gene from the Escherichia coli K-12 strain codes for ${\gamma}-glutamylcysteine$ synthetase which mediates the rate-limiting step of glutathione biosynthesis. The isolated gshI gene from E. coli K-12 has an unusual translation initiation codon, UUG. The 494th amino acid is Ala rather than Gly which was found in a mutant strain E. coli B. In order to improve the translational rate of the gshI gene of E. coli K-12, the initiation codon, UUG, was changed to the usual AUG codon by the site-specific mutagenesis. This change has resulted in a 53% increase of ${\gamma}-glutamylcysteine$ synthetase activity. The enzyme activity was also improved by replacing $Ala^{494}$ with Val (A494V) or Leu (A494L). The replacement of $Ser^{495}$ with Thr (S495T) also resulted in a 62% increase of the enzyme activity. Therefore, the specific activity of ${\gamma}-glutamylcysteine$ synthetase was increased with the increasing chain length of the aliphathic amino acid at the site of the 494th amino acid (Ala<$Val{\leq}Leu$).

• Korean Journal of Crystallography
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.100-104
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• 1993

Reduced glutathione (GSH) plays a vital role in the metabolism of all cells. Glutathions, a tripeptide cowfosed of glutamic acid, cysteane, and gtycina is synthesized by two synthesized reutions. The first is catalyzed by Y-glutamylcysteine synthetase (GSH-I) and the second by glutathione synthetase (GSH-ll). The glutathione biosynthetic pathway of E. coziis mainly controlled by nonallosteric feedback inhibition of GHS-I by GSH. Determination of the three-dimensional structure of GSH-I by X-ray crystallography is necessary in order to understand the structure-function relationship at the molecular level. As the (irst step toward its structure determination, crystallization of 5. coli V-glutamylcystfine synthetase (GSH-I) has been achived using the hanging drop vapor diffusion method and capillaw method. Crystals of GSH-I have been grown from ammonium sulfate solution. The crystals grew at room temperature within 10 days to dimensions of 0.2 m x 0.2 m x 0.2 ml by hanging drop vapor diffusion method and diffracted to about 4 A resolution using synchrotron X-rays. Another crystal, grown by the capillary method to dimensions of 0.25 mm x 0.25 mm x 0.3 mm within 40 days, diffracted to about 4 A resolution using X-rays from a rotating anode.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.141-147
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• 2004

In this study, we investigated the effect of Teminalia Chebula (TC) water extract on liver in Rat. Treatment of TC water extract was orally administered 200, 300 mg/kg daily for one week and two weeks. The clinical parameters of serum, values of AST, ALT showed significantly higher than in normal group. Xanthine oxidase and aldehyde oxidase activities were significantly increased comparison with normal group. Microsomal enzymes, aminopyrine N-demethylase and aniline hydroxylase were not affected. Water extract of TC also increased hepatic rnalondialdehyde formation and reduced glutathione content. We also found that water extract of TC decreased activities of glutathione S-transferase and glutathione reductase but was not affected activities of $\gamma$-glutamylcysteine synthetase Thus, it seems that the water extract of TC induced decrease of oxygen free radical scavenger, glutathione content by inhibition of glutathione reductase which may reform oxidized glutathione to reduced glutathione.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.442-451
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• 2002

In oder to investigate the effects of pH and temperature on the formation of bromate ion, which is ozonation by-products of bromine containing natural water. At the same intial pH condition, the increase of pH shown similar trends even if the reaction variables such as temperature and reaction time of ozonation were changed. As pH and temperature were increasing, the bromate concentration was increased but bromine components (HOBr/OBr-) were decreased with increasing pH from 3 to 10. Lipid peroxide content in the kidney was increased by bromate which was ingestion with 0.4g/L for 24 weeks in drinking water. Renal cytosolic enzyme system (XO, AO) of bromate group were significantly increased in comparison with those of normal group. But microsomal enzyme system were not affected. BUN level and urinary ${\gamma}$-glutamyltransferase activity were significantly increased in comparison with those of the normal. But, urinary lactate dehydrogenase activity was not affected. Renal glutathione content of rat was significantly decreased in comparison with those of normal rat given bromate. Renal glutathione S-transferase and ${\gamma}$-glutamylcysteine synthetase activities were significantly decreased in bromate-treated group, but change in renal glutathione reductase activity was not significantly different from any other experimental group.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.314-320
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• 2009

We examined metabolic conversion of cysteine into glutathione (GSH) and taurine in rat liver under oxidative stress. Administration of tert-butylhydroperoxide (t-BHP) into the portal vein of male rats resulted in a rapid elevation of serum sorbitol dehydrogenase, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase activities, which decreased gradually in 24 hr. Hepatic cysteine concentration was reduced in 3 hr, and recovered progressively, reaching a level greater than 200% of the normal value in 24 hr. GSH was increased both in liver and blood at 9 hr after t-BHP challenge, whereas hypotaurine or taurine was not altered. $\gamma$-Glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCS) activity was increased from 9 hr after t-BHP treatment, but protein expression of the GCS-heavy subunit was not changed in liver. Activity or expression of cysteine dioxygenase was not affected by t-BHP treatment. Taken together, these data show that an acute oxidant challenge to the rats may induce upregulation of cysteine availability and GCS activity, resulting in an enhancement of hepatic GSH synthesis, but the increased cysteine level does not stimulate taurine synthesis via cysteine sulfinate pathway. It is indicated that the regulation of GSH and taurine biosynthesis from cysteine is not solely dependent on the cysteine concentration in rat liver under oxidative stress.

• BMB Reports
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.514-518
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• 2000

Two open reading frames of Haemophilus influenzae, HI0572 and HI0751, showing homology to a yeast thioredoxin peroxidase II (TPx II) and an E. coli thiol peroxidase $P_{20}$, respectively, were cloned and expressed in E. coli, and then the proteins were subsequently purified and characterized. HI0751 protein showed the thioredoxin (Trx)-dependent peroxidase activity, whereas HI0572 protein showed glutathione-dependent peroxidase. The HI0572 is the first peroxiredoxin with glutathione peroxidase activity rather than thioredoxin peroxidase. Purified HI0572 and HI0751 proteins protected specifically the inactivation of glutamine synthetase by metal catalyzed oxidation (MCO) systems composed of $Fe^{3+}$, $O_2$ and mercaptans such as dithiothreitol, ${\beta}-mercaptoethanol$ and glutathione (GSH). Unlike the HI0751 protein, the HI0572 protein was more effective in protecting glutamine synthetase from inactivation by the $GSH/Fe^{3+}/O_2$ system. It seems that these unique properties of the HI0572 protein are due to the structure containing a glutaredoxin domain at it's C-terminal in addition to a peroxiredoxin domain.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.427-433
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• 2017

Previously, we demonstrated that galangin (3,5,7-trihydroxyflavone) protects human keratinocytes against ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced oxidative damage. In this study, we investigated the effect of galangin on induction of antioxidant enzymes involved in synthesis of reduced glutathione (GSH), and investigated the associated upstream signaling cascades. By activating nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2), galangin treatment significantly increased expression of glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC) and glutathione synthetase (GSS). This activation of Nrf2 depended on extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) and protein kinase B (AKT) signaling. Inhibition of GSH in galangin-treated cells attenuated the protective effect of galangin against the deleterious effects of UVB. Our results reveal that galangin protects human keratinocytes by activating ERK/AKT-Nrf2, leading to elevated expression of GSH-synthesizing enzymes.