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J Farrés

Publications and source records attributed to J Farrés.

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Primary structures of rat and bovine liver mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenases deduced from cDNA sequences.

The cDNA coding for rat liver mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase was cloned and sequenced. It contained an open reading frame of 1557 bp. Of the deduced 519 amino acid residues, 19 were proposed to correspond to the signal peptide necessary to allow the protein to enter the mitochondria [Farrés, J., Guan, K.-L. and Weiner, H. (1987) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 150, 1083 - 1087]. The sequence of the 500 amino acid residues comprising the mature subunit was 96% identical to that of the corresponding human liver mitochondrial enzyme. The longest cDNA isolated coding for the bovine liver enzyme contained sequence information corresponding to residues 72 - 500 of the rat or human enzyme. The deduced protein sequence of these residues was 94% identical to those of the human enzyme. Over 60% of the bases in the coding region of the rat cDNA were G and C. These residues were clustered non-randomly and two potentially stable stem-loop structures could be calculated as existing in the mRNA. One would be found in the region coding for amino acid residues 64 - 79; a similar secondary structure could be responsible for the existing truncated cDNAs from the bovine-cDNA libraries. Comparisons with the amino acid sequences of other aldehyde dehydrogenases support the suggestion that the NAD-binding domain may be located in the middle portion of the mature enzyme.

Aldehyde Dehydrogenase↗

Influence of liver disease on hepatic alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases.

The hepatic activities and the isoenzyme patterns of both alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase have been studied in 60 alcoholics with varying degrees of liver damage (from normal tissue or minimal changes to cirrhosis with alcoholic hepatitis) and in 24 nonalcoholics with chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis in order to ascertain their association with liver damage. In alcoholics both alcohol dehydrogenase and low-Km aldehyde dehydrogenase activities decreased proportionally with the severity of liver disease. In contrast, in nonalcoholics, there was a reduction of low-Km aldehyde dehydrogenase activity related to the severity of liver injury, but alcohol dehydrogenase was similar in patients with chronic hepatitis and nonalcoholic cirrhosis. There were no significant changes in total and high-Km aldehyde dehydrogenase activities among the different histologic groups studied, although the lowest activities were observed in patients with more severe liver injury. The prevalence of atypical alcohol dehydrogenase was similar in alcoholic (6.6%) and in nonalcoholic (8.3%) liver disease. All patients exhibited isoenzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase II, whereas isoenzyme I was not detected in 39.5% of the alcoholic patients and in 9.5% of those with nonalcoholic liver disease. The lack of aldehyde dehydrogenase I was observed in cases with the lowest enzymatic activities. These results suggest that the decrease of alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenase activities in alcoholics is not a primary defect and, therefore, their decrease is secondary to liver damage. It is speculated that the diminution of alcohol dehydrogenase, found particularly in alcoholics, could be due to centrilobular cell necrosis.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗

Aldehyde oxidation in human placenta. Purification and properties of 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase.

The human placenta contains a considerable amount of 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase (23 +/- 6 micrograms/g; n = 12), about 25% of the concentration present in liver. The enzyme is the only form in placenta that oxidizes short- and medium-chain aldehydes, which facilitates its purification from this organ. It can be purified to homogeneity by successive chromatographies on DEAE-cellulose, 5'-AMP-Sepharose and Sephacryl S-300. From 500 g of tissue, about 2.1 units of enzyme can be obtained with a 12% yield. Placental 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase is a dimer of Mr-63,000 subunits. It exhibits a pI of 6.80-6.65, and is specific for 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate, the cyclic form of glutamate gamma-semialdehyde (Km = 0.17 mM, kcat. = 870 min-1), although it also oxidizes short-chain aliphatic aldehydes such as propionaldehyde (Km = 24 mM, kcat. = 500 min-1). These properties are very close to those of the liver enzyme, indicating a strong similarity between the enzyme forms from both organs. The enzyme is highly sensitive to temperature, showing 50% inhibition after incubation for 0.8 min at 45 degrees C or after 23 min at 25 degrees C. It is irreversibly inhibited by disulfiram, and a molar ratio inhibitor: enzyme of 60:1 produced 50% inhibition after incubation for 10 min. A subcellular-distribution study indicates that the enzyme is located in two compartments: the mitochondria, with 60% of the total activity, and the cytosol, with 40% activity. The physiological role of the enzyme in placental amino acid metabolism is discussed.

1-Pyrroline-5-Carboxylate Dehydrogenase↗

Sequence of the signal peptide for rat liver mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase.

The cDNA coding for the signal peptide of rat liver mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase was sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence of the signal peptide was MLRAALSTARRGPRLSRLL. From this sequence an amphiphilic helix which had a high hydrophobic moment could be constructed. A comparison to the published cDNA sequence of human mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase revealed great sequence identity and allowed us to make some predictions regarding the primary structure of the human signal peptide.

Aldehyde Dehydrogenase↗

Characterization of three isoenzymes of rat alcohol dehydrogenase. Tissue distribution and physical and enzymatic properties.

Rat tissues contain three different isoenzymes of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) that we have named ADH-1, ADH-2 and ADH-3, ADH-1 is an anodic isoenzyme present in high amounts in the ocular tissues, stomach and lung. ADH-2 is also anodic and has been found in all the rat organs examined. ADH-3 is the group of cathodic ADH forms, mainly present in liver, that has been the subject of the majority of the previous studies on rat ADH. The three isoenzymes have been purified to homogeneity and characterized. All of them have similar physical characteristics: Mr 80,000, with two subunits of Mr 40,000; they contain four atoms of Zn per molecule, and prefer NAD+ as cofactor. Isoelectric points are, however, different: 5.1 for ADH-1, 5.95-6.3 for ADH-2 and 8.25-8.4 for ADH-3. ADH-3 exhibits a Km for ethanol of 1.4 mM, a broad substrate specificity and is strongly inhibited by pyrazole (Ki = 0.4 microM). ADH-2 shows substrate specificity toward long-chain alcohols and aldehydes, cannot be saturated by ethanol and is practically insensitive to pyrazole (Ki = 78.4 mM). ADH-1 has intermediate properties, with a Km for ethanol of 340 mM, a broad substrate specificity and Ki for pyrazole of 0.56 mM. Rat ADH-1, ADH-2 and ADH-3 exhibit many analogies with human ADH classes II, III and I respectively. The specific localization and kinetic properties of rat ADH isoenzymes suggest that ADH-1 and ADH-3 may act as metabolic barriers to external alcohols and aldehydes whereas ADH-2 may have a function in the metabolism of the endogenous long-chain alcohols and aldehydes.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗

Mammalian alcohol dehydrogenase: characteristics of class III isoenzymes.

The kinetic characteristics of alcohol dehydrogenase class III have been studied using class III isoenzymes purified from human liver (X-ADH) and rat liver (ADH-2). Our results confirm that long chain primary alcohols and aldehydes are the best substrates, although some aromatic compounds can also be actively metabolized. Kinetic analysis suggests an ordered bibi mechanism for X-ADH. Ethanol can be oxidized by class III isoenzymes at high substrate concentration, but with a very slow rate. Thus, their contribution to physiological ethanol elimination is probably insignificant. The general properties of the class III isoenzymes isolated from different mammals by ourselves and other authors are discussed.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗

Hepatic alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases in liver disease.

To investigate the influence of liver injury on the activities of hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), these enzymes have been measured in tissue from alcoholic and non alcoholic patients with different severity of liver damage. ADH and ALDH activities decreased proportionatelly with the progression of liver disease in alcoholics. By contrast, in non-alcoholics, there was a reduction of Low-Km ALDH related with the severity of liver injury but ADH was similar in patients with chronic hepatitis and non-alcoholic cirrhosis. Furthermore, ADH was significantly lower in alcoholic than in non-alcoholic cirrhotics. These results suggests that the decreased ADH and ALDH in alcoholics are not primary abnormalities predisposing to alcoholism and alcoholic liver disease. The diminution of ADH found only in alcoholics could be due to the loss of the enzyme produced by centrolobulillar cell necrosis, that is often observed in alcoholic liver disease.

Adult↗

Ocular alcohol dehydrogenase in the rat: regional distribution and kinetics of the ADH-1 isoenzyme with retinol and retinal.

Starch-gel electrophoresis of rat ocular tissues shows two anodic isoenzymes of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), designated as ADH-1 and ADH-2, ADH-1 is characteristic of the ocular tissues, and corresponds to more than 95% of all ADH activity in the eye. The well known cathodic forms of rat liver ADH, that we named ADH-3, are not observed in the ocular tissues. ADH-1 is detected in retina, pigment epithelium-choroid, ocular fluid, and cornea but not in the lens. The cornea exhibits the highest ADH activity [200 +/- 59 milliunits (munits) mg-1] followed by the pigment epithelium-choroid (11 +/- 7 munits mg-1). Activity in the retina is very small (0.6 +/- 0.2 munit mg-1) and represents only 0.6% of the total activity in the eye. Most of the rat ocular ADH is localized in the cornea (68%) where it could play a significant role in the detoxication of the alcohols of a broad range of structures. Purified ADH-1 shows a low Km for retinol oxidation (20 microM) and for retinal reduction (30 microM) indicating that this isoenzyme may have a function in the metabolism of retinoids. Ethanol competitively inhibits retinol oxidation, but with a very high apparent inhibition constant (0.6 M) demonstrating that the inhibitory effect is not significantly at the usual concentrations found in the blood during ethanol intoxication.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗

Organ specific alcohol metabolism: placental chi-ADH.

Human placenta contains a single detectable isozyme of alcohol dehydrogenase that has been isolated and characterized. It migrates toward the anode on starch gel electrophoresis and can be stained with pentanol but not ethanol as substrate. Its kinetic and molecular characteristics are identical with those of the recently discovered chi-ADH (Class III) isozyme from human liver. Placental ADH is present in the cytosol of this organ in small amounts, 6 mg/kg fresh tissue. It oxidizes ethanol very slowly--even at ethanol concentrations that would reflect intoxication when found in serum. Thus, placental alcohol dehydrogenase cannot play a significant role in the ethanol metabolism of pregnant women.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗

Purification and partial characterization of a rat retina alcohol dehydrogenase active with ethanol and retinol.

Homogeneous alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) from rat retina was obtained by chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose and AMP-hexane-Sepharose. The enzyme is a dimer of Mr congruent to 80000 and oxidizes ethanol using NAD+ as a cofactor. Careful activity determinations demonstrate unambiguously that rat retina ADH is active with retinol as a substrate. This result opens the question about the role of retina ADH in the visual cycle.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗

Properties of rat retina alcohol dehydrogenase.

The rat eye fraction, including retina, pigment epithelium and choroid, contains an alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) isoenzyme that is not present in rat liver. Starch gel electrophoresis of retina ADH shows an anodic band that can be visualized by activity staining, using either ethanol or pentanol as substrates. Ethanol is a poor substrate (Km: 336 mM, at pH 10.0) for the purified retina ADH which prefers long chain, 2-unsaturated and aromatic alcohols. The enzyme has a pH optimum of 10.0 for ethanol oxidation and it is inhibited by 4-methylpyrazole (KI: 10 microM). Electrophoretic and kinetic properties clearly differentiate the retina ADH from the hepatic cathodic ADH isoenzymes and from an anodic chi-ADH-like form that we have also detected in rat liver. At the pH and ethanol concentrations found "in vivo," retina ADH can oxidize ethanol to an appreciable extent. The subsequent production of acetaldehyde and redox change may be responsible for visual disorders during alcohol intoxication.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗