PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Bernd Kammerer

Publications and source records attributed to Bernd Kammerer.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Reactivity of dehydrometallophthalocyanines and -porphyrazines.

The zinc dehydrophthalocyanine 2 and zinc dehydrobenzoporhyrazine 8 a were generated from the 1N-aminobenzotriazole-annulated zinc phtalocyanine 1 and zinc benzoporhyrazine 8, respectively, by oxidation with Pb(OAc)(4) in different solvents, for example, diethyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, acetic acid, and benzene. The reactivity of 2 and 8 a was studied in detail. These species not only easily undergo Diels-Alder additions with dienes, but also the used solvents can be added. Among the addition products with solvents ethoxy-, acetoxy-, acetoxybutyloxy-substituted and barrelen-fused phthalocyanines and benzoporpyrazines were isolated. No products resulting from the dimerization of two dehydro species were observed either for 2 or 8 a. Analysis of the reaction products in comparison with those obtained by oxidation of 1-aminobenzotriazole 15 under similar conditions proves a higher reactivity (electrophilicity) of the dehydro-PcZn 2 and dehydro-PzZn 8 a in comparison with unsubstituted benzyne towards the solvents used, such as diethyl ether and benzene.

Catalysis↗

Metabolic engineering of the heterologous production of clorobiocin derivatives and elloramycin in Streptomyces coelicolor M512.

The aminocoumarin antibiotic clorobiocin is a potent inhibitor of bacterial gyrase. Two new analogs of clorobiocin could be obtained by deletion of a methyltransferase gene, involved in deoxysugar biosynthesis, from the biosynthetic gene cluster of clorobiocin, followed by expression of the modified cluster in the heterologous host Streptomyces coelicolor M512. However, only low amounts of the desired glycosides were formed, and aminocoumarins accumulated predominantly in form of aglyca. In the present study, we clarified the limiting steps for aminocoumarin glycoside formation, and devised strategies to improve glycosylation efficiency. Heterologous expression of a partial elloramycin biosynthetic gene cluster indicated that the rate of dTDP-L-rhamnose synthesis, rather than the rate of glycosyl transfer, was limiting for glycoside formation in this strain. Introduction of plasmid pRHAM which contains four genes from the oleandomycin biosynthetic gene cluster, directing the synthesis of dTDP-rhamnose, led to a 26-fold increase of the production of glycosylated aminocoumarins. Expression of the 4-ketoreductase gene oleU alone resulted in an 8-fold increase. Structural investigation of the resulting deoxysugars confirmed that both the endogeneous and the heterologous pathway involve a 3,5-epimerization of the deoxysugar, a hypothesis which had recently been questioned.

Aminocoumarins↗

Cochlear microdialysis for quantification of dexamethasone and fluorescein entry into scala tympani during round window administration.

Before new drugs for the treatment of inner ear disorders can be studied in controlled clinical trials, it is important that their pharmacokinetics be established in inner ear fluids. Microdialysis allows drug levels to be measured in perilymph without the volume disturbances and potential cerebrospinal fluid contamination associated with fluid sampling. The aims of this study were to show: (i) that despite low recovery rates from miniature dialysis probes, significant amounts of drug are removed from small fluid compartments, (ii) that dialysis sampling artifacts can be accounted for using computer simulations and (iii) that microdialysis allows quantification of the entry rates through the round window membrane (RWM) into scala tympani (ST). Initial experiments used microdialysis probes in small compartments in vitro containing sodium fluorescein. Stable concentrations were observed in large compartments (1000 microl) but significant concentration declines were observed in smaller compartments (100, 10 and 5.6 microl) comparable to the size of the inner ear. Computer simulations of these experiments closely approximated the experimental data. In in vivo experiments, sodium fluorescein 10 mg/ml and dexamethasone-dihydrogen-phosphate disodium salt 8 mg/ml were simultaneously applied to the RWM of guinea pigs. Perilymph concentration in the basal turn of ST was monitored using microdialysis. The fluorescein concentration reached after 200 min application (585+/-527 microg/ml) was approximately twice that of dexamethasone phosphate (291+/-369 microg/ml). Substantial variation in concentrations was found between animals by approximately a factor of 34 for fluorescein and at least 41 for dexamethasone phosphate. This is, to a large extent, thought to be the result of the RWM permeability varying in different animals. It was not caused by substance analysis variations, because two different analytic methods were used and the concentration ratio between the two substances remained nearly constant across the experiments and because differences were apparent for the repeated samples obtained in each animal. Interpretation of the results using computer simulations allowed RWM permeability to be quantified. It also demonstrated, however, that cochlear clearance values could not be reliably obtained with microdialysis because of the significant contribution of dialysis to clearance. The observed interanimal variation, e.g., in RWM permeability, is likely to be clinically relevant to the local application of drugs in patients.

Animals↗

Proapoptotic activity of Ukrain is based on Chelidonium majus L. alkaloids and mediated via a mitochondrial death pathway.

BACKGROUND: The anticancer drug Ukrain (NSC-631570) which has been specified by the manufacturer as semisynthetic derivative of the Chelidonium majus L. alkaloid chelidonine and the alkylans thiotepa was reported to exert selective cytotoxic effects on human tumour cell lines in vitro. Few clinical trials suggest beneficial effects in the treatment of human cancer. Aim of the present study was to elucidate the importance of apoptosis induction for the antineoplastic activity of Ukrain, to define the molecular mechanism of its cytotoxic effects and to identify its active constituents by mass spectrometry. METHODS: Apoptosis induction was analysed in a Jurkat T-lymphoma cell model by fluorescence microscopy (chromatin condensation and nuclear fragmentation), flow cytometry (cellular shrinkage, depolarisation of the mitochondrial membrane potential, caspase-activation) and Western blot analysis (caspase-activation). Composition of Ukrain was analysed by mass spectrometry and LC-MS coupling. RESULTS: Ukrain turned out to be a potent inducer of apoptosis. Mechanistic analyses revealed that Ukrain induced depolarisation of the mitochondrial membrane potential and activation of caspases. Lack of caspase-8, expression of cFLIP-L and resistance to death receptor ligand-induced apoptosis failed to inhibit Ukrain-induced apoptosis while lack of FADD caused a delay but not abrogation of Ukrain-induced apoptosis pointing to a death receptor independent signalling pathway. In contrast, the broad spectrum caspase-inhibitor zVAD-fmk blocked Ukrain-induced cell death. Moreover, over-expression of Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL and expression of dominant negative caspase-9 partially reduced Ukrain-induced apoptosis pointing to Bcl-2 controlled mitochondrial signalling events. However, mass spectrometric analysis of Ukrain failed to detect the suggested trimeric chelidonine thiophosphortriamide or putative dimeric or monomeric chelidonine thiophosphortriamide intermediates from chemical synthesis. Instead, the Chelidonium majus L. alkaloids chelidonine, sanguinarine, chelerythrine, protopine and allocryptopine were identified as major components of Ukrain. Apart from sanguinarine and chelerythrine, chelidonine turned out to be a potent inducer of apoptosis triggering cell death at concentrations of 0.001 mM, while protopine and allocryptopine were less effective. Similar to Ukrain, apoptosis signalling of chelidonine involved Bcl-2 controlled mitochondrial alterations and caspase-activation. CONCLUSION: The potent proapoptotic effects of Ukrain are not due to the suggested "Ukrain-molecule" but to the cytotoxic efficacy of Chelidonium majus L. alkaloids including chelidonine.

Alkaloids↗

A gene cluster for prenylated naphthoquinone and prenylated phenazine biosynthesis in Streptomyces cinnamonensis DSM 1042.

Streptomyces cinnamonensis DSM 1042 produces two classes of secondary metabolites of mixed isoprenoid/nonisoprenoid origin: the polyketide-isoprenoid compound furanonaphthoquinone I (FNQ I) and several prenylated phenazines, predominantly endophenazine A. We now report the cloning and sequence analysis of a 55 kb gene cluster required for the biosynthesis of these compounds. Several inactivation experiments confirmed the involvement of this gene cluster in the biosynthesis of FNQ I and endophenazine A. The six identified genes for endophenazine biosynthesis showed close similarity to phenazine biosynthetic genes from Pseudomonas. Of the 28 open reading frames identified in the adjacent FNQ I cluster, 13 showed close similarity to genes contained in the cluster for furaquinocin-a structurally similar metabolite from another Streptomyces strain. These genes included a type III polyketide synthase sequence, a momA-like monooxygenase gene, and two cloQ-like prenyltransferase genes designated fnq26 and fnq28. Inactivation experiments confirmed the involvement of fnq26 in FNQ I biosynthesis, whereas no change in secondary-metabolite formation was observed after fnq28 inactivation. The FNQ I cluster contains a contiguous group of five genes, which together encode all the enzymatic functions required for the recycling of S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) to S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). Two SAM-dependent methyltransferases are encoded within the cluster. Inactivation experiments showed that fnq9 is responsible for the 7-O-methylation and fnq27 for the 6-C-methylation reaction in FNQ I biosynthesis.

Base Sequence↗

Quantitative determination of piritramide in human plasma and urine by off- and on-line solid-phase extraction liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry.

A method for the liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometric (LC/MS/MS) quantification of piritramide, a synthetic opioid, in plasma after conventional off-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) and in urine by on-line SPE-LC/MS/MS in positive electrospray mode was developed and validated. Applicability of the on-line approach for plasma samples was also tested. Deuterated piritramide served as internal standard. For the off-line SPE plasma method mixed cation-exchange SPE cartridges and a 150 x 2 mm C18 column with isocratic elution were used. For the on-line SPE method, a Waters Oasis HLB extraction column and the same C18 analytical column in a column-switching set-up with gradient elution were utilized. All assays were linear within a range of 0.5-100 ng/mL with a limit of detection of 0.05 ng/mL. The intra- and interday coefficients of variance ranged from 1.3 to 6.1% for plasma and 0.5 to 6.4% for urine, respectively. The extraction recovery for the off-line plasma assay was between 90.7 and 100.0%. Influence of matrix effects, and freeze/thaw and long-term stability were validated for both approaches; influence of urine pH additionally for quantification in urine.

Blood Chemical Analysis↗

Stereospecific pharmacokinetic characterisation of phenprocoumon metabolites, and mass-spectrometric identification of two novel metabolites in human plasma and liver microsomes.

Phenprocoumon belongs to the group of vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), for example warfarin and acenocoumarol. It is widely used for therapeutic anticoagulation and clinically administered as a racemate. Both enantiomers are partially metabolized by the polymorphic CYP2C9 enzyme. The pharmacokinetics are, however, substantially less dependent on CYP2C9 activity or genotype than for other CYP2C9-metabolised VKAs, and pharmacokinetic differences for the enantiomers are only minor. We have investigated the stereospecific pharmacokinetics of the monohydroxylated phenprocoumon metabolites in human plasma by achiral-chiral LC-LC-MS-MS coupling. In addition to the known metabolites, 4'-, 6-, and 7-hydroxyphenprocoumon, two other monohydroxylated metabolites (M1 and M2) were detected in plasma and human liver microsomal incubations. One of these was identified as 2'-hydroxyphenprocoumon by comparison with synthetic standards; the other seemed to be a side-chain-hydroxylated derivative. Analysis of enantiomeric metabolite ratios after a single oral dose of phenprocoumon revealed changes over time with an overall preponderance of the respective (R) enantiomers. The minor role of CYP2C9 in 4'-hydroxy-PPC formation and the effect of CYP2C9 genotype for (S)-6- and (S)-7-hydroxy-PPC were confirmed. M1 and M2 are formed highly stereoselectively, without dependence on CYP2C9 genotype. These may be interpreted as alternative metabolic pathways that render phenprocoumon less dependent on CYP2C9 activity or genotype.

Anticoagulants↗

First generation and trapping of a dehydrometallophthalocyanine starting from triazole-functionalized zinc phthalocyanine.

Direct 1N-amination of the triazole-fused zinc phthalocyanine 2 and oxidation of the formed amino derivative 3 resulted in the generation of the very reactive intermediate, the dehydrometallophthalocyanine 4, which was not known previously. The latter was trapped in situ with different dienes, for example, furan, tetraphenylcyclopentadienone, and anthracene to form the corresponding Diels-Alder adducts. The products were characterized by 1H and 13C-dept135 NMR, and UV/Vis spectroscopy, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis, which are fully in agreement with their structure. The developed synthetic procedure opens a simple and versatile pathway towards unsymmetrical peripheral modification of phthalocyanines, which is readily applicable to the micromol scale and is important for the design of new interesting Pc-based systems.

Indoles↗

Quantitative determination of the group of flavonoids and saponins from the extracts of the seeds of Glinus lotoides and tablet formulation thereof by high-performance liquid chromatography.

The total flavonoids and saponins of the seeds of Glinus lotoides in the crude extracts and tablet formulation thereof were quantified by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) methods with UV detection. The saponins were analyzed after acid hydrolysis in 3 M HCI at 100 degrees C for 1 h. Vicenin-2 and mollugogenol B were isolated and used as reference substances for the quantification of total flavonoids and saponins, respectively. The identity and purity (> 97%) of the standards were confirmed by spectroscopic (UV, MS, and NMR) and chromatographic (HPLC) methods. The flavonoids and saponins of the crude extract of the seeds and tablet formulation were separated by RP-HPLC (Nucleosil RP-18 column, 250 mm x 4.6 mm) using linear gradient elution systems of acetonitrile-water-0.1 M H3PO4 for flavonoids and methanol-water for saponins. Satisfactory separation of the compounds was obtained in less than 30 and 25 min, for the flavonoids and saponins, respectively. The methods were validated for linearity, repeatability, limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ). Repeatability (inter- and intra-day, n = 6 and 9, respectively) showed less than 2% relative standard deviation (RSD). The LOD and LOQ were found to be 0.075 and 0.225 mg/mL, respectively, for vicenin-2 and 0.027 and 0.082 mg/100 mL, respectively, for mollugogenol B. The content of flavonoids and saponins of six single tablets was between 95 and 103% for flavonoids and 94-98% for saponins. The validated HPLC methods were employed to standardize a fingerprint of a laboratory produced purified extract, which could be used as a secondary standard for the routine quality control. Accordingly, the purified extract was found to contain 21.3% flavonoids (vicenin-2, 10%) and 25.4% saponins (glinuside G, 14.2%).

Apigenin↗

Mass spectrometric identification of modified urinary nucleosides used as potential biomedical markers by LC-ITMS coupling.

In diseases accompanied by strong metabolic disorders, like cancer and AIDS, modifying enzymes are up- or down-regulated. As a result, many different types of metabolic end-products, including abnormal amounts of modified nucleosides, are found in urine. These nucleosides are degradation products of an impaired ribonucleic acid (RNA) metabolism, which affects the nucleoside pattern in urine. In several basic experiments we elucidated the fragmentation pathways of 16 characteristic nucleosides and six corresponding nucleic bases that occur in urine using electrospray ionization ion trap MS(5) (ESI-ITMS) experiments operated in positive ionization mode. For urinary nucleoside analysis, we developed an auto-LC-MS3 method based on prepurification via boronate gel affinity chromatography followed by reversed phase chromatography. For this purpose, an endcapped LiChroCART Superspher RP 18 column with a gradient of ammonium formate and a methanol-water mixture was used. This method gives a limit of detection of between 0.1 and 9.6 pmol for 15 standard nucleosides, depending on the basicity of the nucleoside. Overall, the detection of 36 nucleosides from urine was feasible. It was shown that this auto-LC-MS3 method is a valuable tool for assigning nucleosides from complex biological matrices, and it may be utilized in the diagnosis of diseases associated with disorders in RNA metabolism.

Biomarkers↗

MALDI-TOF MS analysis of urinary nucleosides.

As RNA turnover seems to be impaired in cancer patients, modified nucleosides have been evaluated as potential tumor markers. Modified nucleosides are mainly formed post-transcriptionally in tRNA, set free during RNA metabolism, and excreted in urine. Especially methylated nucleosides play an important role, as their levels are higher in urine from cancer patients. For structural elucidation of known and unknown nucleosides from urine samples of cancer patients, MALDI-TOF MS and MALDI-PSD were used for the first time. This technique generally ensures high sensitivity, mass resolution, and accuracy. In our analytical approach we prepurified nucleosides from urine by affinity chromatography and subsequently separated them by semipreparative high performance liquid chromatography. The different fractions were collected separately and analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS and PSD-MALDI using a mixture of six low molecular weight calibrants for internal or external calibration. The molecular totals formulas based on a mass accuracy of 10 ppm and below were calculated and a systematic data base search was performed. The inherent problem of the MALDI-technique, the reduced sensitivity for low molecular weight substances caused by matrix suppression effects, was reduced by our technique. We identified several nucleosides in urine, which were previously identified via retention times and UV spectra of standards after HPLC analysis. Eight further nucleosides were observed. This work demonstrates for the first time the potential of MALDI-TOF and PSD-MALDI in combination with semipreparative HPLC for assignment of nucleosides in urine. The particularly high mass accuracy of this mass spectrometric method provides opportunities for identifying unknown compounds.

Aged↗

Achiral-chiral LC/LC-MS/MS coupling for determination of chiral discrimination effects in phenprocoumon metabolism.

Many physiological processes show a high degree of stereoselectivity, including the metabolism of xenobiotics as catalyzed by cytochrome P450 enzymes. An analysis of these chiral discrimination effects in drug metabolism is essential for an in-depth understanding of metabolic pathways that differ between enantiomers of a given chiral drug or metabolite thereof. Achiral chromatographic separation and structural identification followed by chiral analysis of metabolites from blood specimens usually requires a time-consuming multistage analytical technique. In an effort to optimize such a complicated analytical scheme, a novel two-dimensional online achiral-chiral liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/LC-MS/MS) coupling method was developed by using a peak parking technique in combination with a makeup flow system. Metabolites were separated in the first dimension using a C18 reversed-phase system. A makeup eluent of water/methanol (95/5) was split into the flow before storing the metabolites separately on chiral cartridges. Subsequently, the metabolite enantiomers were eluted backward onto the analytical chiral column and separated, and the ratio of enantiomers was determined. The method was successfully validated with respect to limit of detection, linearity, intra- and interday accuracy, and precision. In the course of a human volunteer study investigating the influence of CYP (cytochrome) 2C9 genetic polymorphism on phenprocoumon (PPC) metabolism, we used this new two-dimensional online analytical technique for the analysis of PPC metabolites in plasma. The enantiomeric forms of 4'-, 6-, and 7-hydroxy-PPC metabolites as well as two novel metabolites were identified, and the ratio of the enantiomers was calculated. We found that the enantiomeric ratio for the different metabolites in the plasma sample of each measured individual differs markedly from a nearly 100% chiral discrimination for the two new putative metabolites. This new analytical coupling method possesses general utility in the analysis of chiral discrimination effects, particularly as it relates to pharmacokinetics and dynamics, a scientific field that is rapidly becoming an area of concern and interest.

Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases↗

Overexpression, purification and characterization of SimL, an amide synthetase involved in simocyclinone biosynthesis.

Simocyclinone D8 is a potent inhibitor of bacterial gyrase, produced by Streptomyces antibioticus Tu 6040. It contains an aminocoumarin moiety, similar to that of novobiocin, which is linked by an amide bond to a structurally complex acyl moiety, consisting of an aromatic angucycline polyketide nucleus, the deoxysugar olivose and a tetraene dicarboxylic acid. We have now investigated the enzyme SimL, responsible for the formation of the amide bond of simocyclinone. The gene was cloned, expressed in S. lividans T7, and the protein was purified to near homogeneity, and characterized. The 60 kDa protein catalyzed both the ATP-dependent activation of the acyl component as well as its transfer to the amino group of the aminocoumarin ring, with no requirement for a 4'-phosphopantetheinyl cofactor. Besides its natural substrate, simocyclinone C4, SimL also accepted a range of cinnamic and benzoic acid derivatives and several other, structurally very diverse acids. These findings make SimL a possible tool for the creation of new aminocoumarin antibiotics.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Mass spectrometric pathway monitoring of secondary metabolites: systematic analysis of culture extracts of Streptomyces species.

Streptomyces spheroides, Streptomyces rishiriensis, and Streptomyces roseochromogenes are producers of the aminocoumarin-type antibiotics novobiocin, coumermycin A(1), and clorobiocin, respectively, all of which are bacterial gyrase inhibitors. In an attempt to develop a general analytical method for pathway monitoring of secondary metabolites from culture extracts of these strains, we used superior mass spectrometric methods. The aim was to develop and apply a technique for the rapid analysis of Streptomyces culture extracts with respect to those substances, thereby providing a method for screening extracts of genetically modified strains for new pharmaceutically active antibiotics with improved pharmacological effects. The combination of full scan mass spectrometry (MS), parent ion scan MS, product ion scan MS, and in-source collision-induced fragmentation prior to product ion scans (pseudo-MS(3) scan), using characteristic fragmentation of the central aminocoumarin unit, was employed for the detection and structural interpretation of expected and new intermediates. We were able to show the applicability of this methodology to the three culture extracts, where the main intermediates could be found, and to demonstrate its use for interpretation of secondary metabolite biosynthesis. Some new compounds were discovered, including bis-carbamoylated novobiocin, hydroxylated clorobiocin, and several structurally and not yet fully elucidated coumermycin derivatives or precursors.

Aminocoumarins↗

Determination of phenprocoumon, warfarin and their monohydroxylated metabolites in human plasma and urine by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry after solid-phase extraction.

A high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) method for the quantification of phenprocoumon, warfarin, and their known monohydroxylated metabolites in human plasma and urine was developed using a simple, selective solid-phase extraction scheme. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a reversed-phase Luna C18 column and step gradient elution resulted in a total run time of about 13 min. Limits of quantification (LOQ) were < or = 40 nM for the parent compounds and < or = 25 nM for the metabolites and the limit of detection (LOD) was < or = 2.5 nM for all analytes. Average recovery was 84% (+/- 3.7) and 74% (+/- 13.2) in plasma and urine, respectively. Intra- and inter-day coefficients of variation were < or = 8.6 and < or = 10.6% in plasma and urine, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of phenprocoumon samples from four healthy volunteers and should prove useful for future comparative studies of warfarin and phenprocoumon pharmacokinetics.

Anticoagulants↗

Determination of (R)- and (S)-phenprocoumon in human plasma by enantioselective liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry.

Phenprocoumon is a commonly used oral anticoagulant of the coumarin type, and has found extensive clinical use in the treatment of thrombophlebitis, pulmonary embolism and atrial fibrillation. In the course of a clinical study to investigate the influence of genetic polymorphisms of the CYP2C9 enzyme on phenprocoumon metabolism, we developed a new enantioselective liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method to quantify (R)- and (S)-phenprocoumon in human plasma. HPLC separation of the enantiomers was achieved on a Chira-Grom-2 column under isocratic conditions using a water/acetonitrile/formic acid eluent. For detection and quantification a triple-quadrupole MS system was used in the selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. As an internal standard the structurally homologous compound warfarin was chosen. The detector response was linear with a correlation coefficient of 0.988-0.999 for (R)-phenprocoumon and 0.989-0.999 for (S)-phenprocoumon in the investigated concentration range between 62.5 and 1000 ng/mL (per enantiomer). The limit of detection (LOD) was 12.5 ng/mL.

Anticoagulants↗

Effects of CYP2C9 polymorphisms on the pharmacokinetics of R- and S-phenprocoumon in healthy volunteers.

CYP2C9 catalyses the biotransformation of the oral anticoagulants S-warfarin and R- and S-acenocoumarol. According to data obtained in vitro, phenprocoumon is also metabolized by CYP2C9 but the impact of the CYP2C9 polymorphism on phenprocoumon pharmacokinetics has not been studied. Twenty-six healthy heterozygous and homozygous carriers of the CYP2C9 alleles *1 (wild-type), *2 (Arg144Cys), and *3 (Ile359Leu) received a single oral dose of 12 mg of racemic phenprocoumon. Plasma and 12 h urine concentrations of both enantiomers and their monohydroxylated metabolites were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry detection. No significant effect of the CYP2C9 variants *2 and *3 on R-phenprocoumon pharmacokinetic parameters was detected, but S-phenprocoumon clearance tended to decrease with increasing number of CYP2C9*2 and *3 alleles. The ratios of S- to R-phenprocoumon plasma clearances were higher with a median of 0.95 in carriers of *1/*1 versus 0.65 in *3/*3 (P < 0.001 for trend). Plasma and urine concentrations of 4'-, 6- and 7-hydroxyphenprocoumon were significantly lower in homozygous carriers of the CYP2C9*2 and *3 variants compared to CYP2C9*1/*1. Carriers of CYP2C9*3/*3 had a median AUC of (R,S) 7-OH-phenprocoumon of only approximately 25% compared to the wild-type genotype. The AUC of (R,S) 6-OH-phenprocoumon was only approximately 50% in CYP2C9*3/*3 compared to the homozygous wild-type genotype. In conclusion, carriers of CYP2C9*2 and *3 alleles had a lower metabolic capacity regarding phenprocoumon hydroxylation than those with CYP2C9*1/*1. However, regarding phenprocoumon hydroxylation CYP2C9 genotypes had only marginal effects on S- and R-phenprocoumon total clearance in healthy volunteers.

Alleles↗

CloR, a bifunctional non-heme iron oxygenase involved in clorobiocin biosynthesis.

The aminocoumarin antibiotics novobiocin and clorobiocin contain a 3-dimethylallyl-4-hydroxybenzoate (3DMA-4HB) moiety. The biosynthesis of this moiety has now been identified by biochemical and molecular biological studies. CloQ from the clorobiocin biosynthetic gene cluster in Streptomyces roseochromogenes DS 12976 has recently been identified as a 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate-3-dimethylallyltransferase. In the present study, the enzyme CloR was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified, and identified as a bifunctional non-heme iron oxygenase, which converts 3-dimethylallyl-4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate (3DMA-4HPP) via 3-dimethylallyl-4-hydroxymandelic acid (3DMA-4HMA) to 3DMA-4HB by two consecutive oxidative decarboxylation steps. In 18O2 labeling experiments we showed that two oxygen atoms are incorporated into the intermediate 3DMA-4HMA in the first reaction step, but only one further oxygen is incorporated into the final product 3DMA-4HB during the second reaction step. CloR does not show sequence similarity to known oxygenases. It apparently presents a novel member of the diverse family of the non-heme iron (II) and alpha-ketoacid-dependent oxygenases, with 3DMA-4HPP functioning both as an alpha-keto acid and as a hydroxylation substrate. The reaction catalyzed by CloR represents a new pathway for the formation of benzoic acids in nature.

Aminocoumarins↗