Role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in liver injury by acetaminophen (AAP) was studied in vivo in ... more Role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in liver injury by acetaminophen (AAP) was studied in vivo in mice. Sublethal dose of AAP resulted in a decrease in microsomal total glutathione and in the reduced-to-total glutathione ratio; redox state of thiols of ER resident oxidoreductases ERp72, PDI was shifted towards the oxidized form; ER stress-responsive transcription factor ATF6 was activated. Transcriptional activation and elevated expression of GADD153/CHOP, an ER stress-responsive proapoptotic transcription factor, was observed upon AAP addition. Transient activation of the ER-resident caspase-12 was shown followed by an elevation in procaspase-12 level. Caspase-3 and caspase-8 activation could not be detected. AAP treatment resulted in an increased apoptosis of hepatocytes. Buthionine-sulfoximine treatment was unable to mimic the eVects by AAP indicating that glutathione depletion itself is insuYcient to provoke apoptosis. The results show that intraluminal redox imbalance of the ER and consequential activation of signaling processes and proapoptotic events are involved in hepatocellular damage caused by AAP overdose.
It has been recently shown that acute acetaminophen toxicity results in endoplasmic reticulum red... more It has been recently shown that acute acetaminophen toxicity results in endoplasmic reticulum redox stress and an increase in cells with apoptotic phenotype in liver. Since activation of effector caspases was absent, the relevance of caspase-independent mechanisms in acetaminophen-induced programmed cell death was investigated. BGP-15, a drug with known protective actions in conditions involving redox imbalance, has been co-administered with a single sublethal dose of acetaminophen. Proapoptotic events and outcome of the injury were investigated. ER redox alterations and early ER-stress-related signaling events induced by acetaminophen, such as ER glutathione depletion, phosphorylation of eIF2alpha and JNK and induction of the transcription factor GADD153, were not counteracted by co-treatment with BGP-15. However, BGP-15 prevented AIF mitochondria-to-nucleus translocation and mitochondrial depolarization. BGP-15 co-treatment attenuated the rate of acetaminophen-induced cell death as assessed by apoptotic index and enzyme serum release. These results reaffirm that acute acetaminophen toxicity involves oxidative stress-induced caspase-independent cell death. In addition, pharmacological inhibition of AIF translocation may effectively protect against or at least delay acetaminophen-induced programmed cell death.
Addition of, or gulonolactone oxidase-dependent in situ generation of, ascorbate provoked the oxi... more Addition of, or gulonolactone oxidase-dependent in situ generation of, ascorbate provoked the oxidation of protein thiols, which was accompanied by ascorbate consumption in liver microsomal vesicles. The maximal rate of protein thiol oxidation was similar upon gulonolactone, ascorbate or dehydroascorbate addition. Cytochrome P450 inhibitors (econazole, proadifen, quercetin) decreased ascorbate consumption and the gulonolactone or ascorbate-stimulated thiol oxidation. The results demonstrate that the ascorbate/dehydroascorbate redox couple plays an important role in electron transfer from protein thiols to oxygen in the hepatic endoplasmic reticulum, even in gulonolactone oxidase deficient species.
The recently described form of programmed cell death, ferroptosis can be induced by agents causin... more The recently described form of programmed cell death, ferroptosis can be induced by agents causing GSH depletion or the inhibition of GPX4. Ferroptosis clearly shows distinct morphologic, biochemical and genetic features from apoptosis, necrosis and autophagy. Since NAPQI the highly reactive metabolite of the widely applied analgesic and antipyretic, acetaminophen induces a cell death which can be characterized by GSH depletion, GPX inhibition and caspase independency the involvement of ferroptosis in acetaminophen induced cell death has been investigated. The specific ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1 failed to elevate the viability of acetaminophen treated HepG2 cells. It should be noticed that these cells do not form NAPQI due to the lack of phase I enzyme expression therefore GSH depletion cannot be observed. However in the case of acetaminophen treated primary mouse hepatocytes the significant elevation of cell viability could be observed upon ferrostatin-1 treatment. Similar to ferrostatin-1 treatment, the addition of the RIP1 kinase inhibitor necrostatin-1 could also elevate the viability of acetaminophen treated primary hepatocytes. Ferrostatin-1 has no influence on the expression of CYP2E1 or on the cellular GSH level which suggest that the protective effect of ferrostatin-1 in APAP induced cell death is not based on the reduced metabolism of APAP to NAPQI or on altered NAPQI conjugation by cellular GSH. Our results suggest that beyond necroptosis and apoptosis a third programmed cell death, ferroptosis is also involved in acetaminophen induced cell death in primary hepatocytes.
The mechanism of ascorbate oxidation was studied in rat liver microsomes. A continuous consumptio... more The mechanism of ascorbate oxidation was studied in rat liver microsomes. A continuous consumption of the added ascorbate was observed, which was accompanied with a prompt appearance of ascorbyl free radical and dehydroascorbate. Microsomes sustained steady-state level of ascorbyl free radical and dehydroascorbate till ascorbate was present in the medium. Ascorbyl free radical formation was diminished when microsomes had been pretreated with heat or trypsine. It was also decreased by addition of quercetin, econazole or metal chelators, including the copper specific neocuproine. Enzymatic (superoxide dismutase, catalase) and nonenzymatic (dimethyl sulfoxide, mannitol) antioxidants did not modify the microsomal production of ascorbyl free radical. Investigation of the subcellular distribution of ascorbate oxidation showed that the microsomal fraction of liver had the highest activity. The decrease of ascorbate oxidation after protease treatment and the negligible increase upon permeab...
Az ALR fehérje egy igazi misztikum. A fehérje egy hosszabb, 22 kDa-os és egy rövidebb, 15 kDa-os ... more Az ALR fehérje egy igazi misztikum. A fehérje egy hosszabb, 22 kDa-os és egy rövidebb, 15 kDa-os formában létezik. A hetvenes években részleges hepatectomián átesett állatokban fedezték fel és kizárólag a májregeneráció egyik kulcsfehérjéjének tartották. A 2000-es évek elején kiderült, hogy a "hosszú" forma a mitokondriális intermembrán terében lokalizálódik és kisméretű fehérjék mitokondriális importjának és oxidatív foldingjának kapcsolt folyamatában vesz részt. A rendszer szubsztrátjai között több, alapvető mitokondriális folyamatokban nélkülözhetetlen fehérje megtalálható, ezért az ALR génjében bekövetkező mutációk mitokondriális rendellenességekhez vezethetnek. Az ALR "rövid" formája az emlősök szervezetében szekretált extracelluláris növekedési faktorként funkcionál, és változatos módokon képes elősegíteni a hepatocyták védelmét, regenerációját és proliferációját. A közelmúltban előállított kondicionális ALR-mutáns egereken nyert eredmények arra utalnak, hogy fontos szerepet kaphat az alkoholos és nem alkoholos steatosis kialakulásában is. Tekintve, hogy számos, májat érintő elváltozás során megváltozik szérumszintje, ígéretes markermolekula-jelölt a laboratóriumi diagnosztikában. Orv. Hetil., 2015, 156(13), 503-509.
Vitamin C requirement is satisfied by natural sources and vitamin C supplements in the ordinary h... more Vitamin C requirement is satisfied by natural sources and vitamin C supplements in the ordinary human diet. The two major forms of vitamin C in the diet are L-ascorbic acid and L-dehydroascorbic acid. Both ascorbate and dehydroascorbate are absorbed along the entire length of the human intestine. The reduced form, L-ascorbic acid is imported by an active mechanism, requiring two sodium-dependent vitamin C transporters (SVCT1 and SVCT2). The transport of the oxidized form, dehydroascorbate is mediated by glucose transporters GLUT1, GLUT3 and possibly GLUT4. Initial rate of uptake of both ascorbate and dehydroascorbate is saturable with increasing external substrate concentration. Vitamin C plasma concentrations are tightly controlled when the vitamin is taken orally. It has two simple reasons, on the one hand, the capacity of the transporters is limited, on the other hand the two Na+-dependent transporters can be down-regulated by an elevated level of ascorbate.
Preparation of intact mitochondria requires the use of an osmoticum in high concentration that pr... more Preparation of intact mitochondria requires the use of an osmoticum in high concentration that preserves the mitochondrial structure and prevents physical swelling and rupture of membranes. For this purpose mannitol is widely accepted as a component of the homogenization medium. The formation of sorbitol in plant mitochondria can be an important element of plant response to salinity and drought. The large difference in the concentration of possibly formed sorbitol and mannitol of the homogenisation medium makes the determination of sorbitol difficult. Gas-chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID), gas-chromatography coupled to quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-QPMS) and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS) using hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) were tested to quantify this highly polar sugar alcohol: Although all three methods offered satisfactory results, the HPLC/MS-MS technique proved to be the best.
Az ötvenes években látott napvilágot az öregedés szabad gyökös elmélete, amely szerint a metaboli... more Az ötvenes években látott napvilágot az öregedés szabad gyökös elmélete, amely szerint a metabolikus útvonalak által termelt reaktív oxigénvegyületek lényeges szerepet kapnak az öregedés folyamatában. A teória később, a mitokondrium reaktív oxigénvegyületek fő forrásaként történő azonosításával, módosításra került és az öregedés mitokondriális elmélete néven vált ismertté. Ezt követően felvetették egy öregedési "ördögi kör" meglétét, amely szerint a mitokondriális respiráció során képződő reaktív oxigénvegyületek károsítják a mitokondriális DNS-t, a mitokondriális funkciókat. A mitokondriális diszfunkció következtében megnő a termelődő reaktív oxigénvegyületek mennyisége. Ez az "ördögi kör" a mitokondriális DNS-mutációk felszaporodását válthatja ki, amely öregedéshez vezethet. A közelmúltban létrehozott mtDNS-mutátor egerek mitokondriális DNS-replikációjáért felelős DNS-polimeráz γ exonukleáz aktivitását elrontották. Ennek következtében a mitokondriális DNS-ben a szomatikus mutációk száma megnövekedett és egy öregedő fenotípus alakult ki. Érdekes módon a mutáns egerekben sem emelkedett reaktívoxigénvegyület-termelést, sem oxidatív károsodást nem tapasztaltak, amelyek erősen megkérdőjelezték az "ördögi kör" meglétét. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(12), 447-452.
Disulfide bond formation in proteins is an effective tool of both structure stabilization and red... more Disulfide bond formation in proteins is an effective tool of both structure stabilization and redox regulation. The prokaryotic periplasm and the endoplasmic reticulum of eukaryotes were long considered as the only compartments for enzyme mediated formation of stable disulfide bonds. Recently, the mitochondrial intermembrane space has emerged as the third protein-oxidizing compartment. The classic view on the mechanism of oxidative folding in the endoplasmic reticulum has also been reshaped by new observations. Moreover, besides the structure stabilizing function, reversible disulfide bridge formation in some proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum, seems to play a regulatory role. This review briefly summarizes the present knowledge of the redox systems supporting oxidative folding, emphasizing recent developments.
The huge demand of mitochondria as the quantitatively most important sources of ROS in the majori... more The huge demand of mitochondria as the quantitatively most important sources of ROS in the majority of heterotrophic cells for vitamin C is indisputable. The reduced form of the vitamin, l-ascorbic acid, is imported by an active mechanism requiring two sodium-dependent vitamin C transporters (SVCT1 and SVCT2). The oxidized form, dehydroascorbate is taken up by different members of the GLUT family. Because of the controversial experimental results the picture on mitochondrial vitamin C transport became quite obscure by the spring of 2014. Thus in silico prediction tools were applied in aid of the support of in vitro and in vivo results. The role of GLUT1 as a mitochondrial dehydroascorbate transporter could be reinforced by in silico predictions however the mitochondrial presence of GLUT10 is not likely since this transport protein got far the lowest mitochondrial localization scores. Furthermore the possible roles of GLUT9 and 11 in mitochondrial vitamin C transport can be proposed leastwise on the base of their computational localization analysis. In good concordance with the newest experimental observations on SVCT2 the mitochondrial presence of this transporter could also be supported by the computational prediction tools.
The mechanism of ascorbate oxidation was studied in rat liver microsomes. A continuous consumptio... more The mechanism of ascorbate oxidation was studied in rat liver microsomes. A continuous consumption of the added ascorbate was observed, which was accompanied with a prompt appearance of ascorbyl free radical and dehydroascorbate. Microsomes sustained steady-state level of ascorbyl free radical and dehydroascorbate till ascorbate was present in the medium. Ascorbyl free radical formation was diminished when microsomes had been pretreated with heat or trypsine. It was also decreased by addition of quercetin, econazole or metal chelators, including the copper specific neocuproine. Enzymatic (superoxide dismutase, catalase) and nonenzymatic (dimethyl sulfoxide, mannitol) antioxidants did not modify the microsomal production of ascorbyl free radical. Investigation of the subcellular distribution of ascorbate oxidation showed that the microsomal fraction of liver had the highest activity. The decrease of ascorbate oxidation after protease treatment and the negligible increase upon permeabilization of microsomal vesicles showed that a membrane protein is responsible for the activity, which is exposed to the outer surface of the endoplasmic reticulum. The results indicate the presence of a primary enzymatic ascorbate oxidation in rat liver endoplasmic reticulum which is able to generate dehydroascorbate, an important source of the oxidizing environment in the endoplasmic reticulum.
The life of any living organism can be defined as a hurdle due to different kind of stresses. As ... more The life of any living organism can be defined as a hurdle due to different kind of stresses. As with all living organisms, plants are exposed to various abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity, extreme temperatures and chemical toxicity. These primary stresses are often interconnected, and lead to the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plants, which are highly reactive and toxic and cause damage to proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and DNA, which ultimately results in oxidative stress. Stress-induced ROS accumulation is counteracted by enzymatic antioxidant systems and non-enzymatic low molecular weight metabolites, such as ascorbate, glutathione and α-tocopherol. The above mentioned low molecular weight antioxidants are also capable of chelating metal ions, reducing thus their catalytic activity to form ROS and also scavenge them. Hence, in plant cells, this triad of low molecular weight antioxidants (ascorbate, glutathione and α-tocopherol) form an important part of abiotic stress response. In this work we are presenting a review of abiotic stress responses connected to these antioxidants.
Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Cell Research, 2014
Beyond its general role as antioxidant, specific functions of ascorbate are compartmentalized wit... more Beyond its general role as antioxidant, specific functions of ascorbate are compartmentalized within the eukaryotic cell. The list of organelle-specific functions of ascorbate has been recently expanded with the epigenetic role exerted as a cofactor for DNA and histone demethylases in the nucleus. Compartmentation necessitates the transport through intracellular membranes; members of the GLUT family and sodium-vitamin C cotransporters mediate the permeation of dehydroascorbic acid and ascorbate, respectively. Recent observations show that increased consumption and/or hindered entrance of ascorbate in/to a compartment results in pathological alterations partially resembling to scurvy, thus diseases of ascorbate compartmentation can exist. The review focuses on the reactions and transporters that can modulate ascorbate concentration and redox state in three compartments: endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria and nucleus. By introducing the relevant experimental and clinical findings we make an attempt to coin the term of ascorbate compartmentation disease.
Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB / Société française de physiologie végétale, 2011
The mitochondrial antioxidant homeostasis was investigated in Arabidopsis ppr40-1 mutant, which p... more The mitochondrial antioxidant homeostasis was investigated in Arabidopsis ppr40-1 mutant, which presents a block of electron flow at complex III. The activity of the ascorbate biosynthetic enzyme, L-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase (EC 1.3.2.3) (GLDH) was elevated in mitochondria isolated from mutant plants. In addition increased activities of the enzymes of Foyer-Halliwell-Asada cycle and elevated glutathione (GSH) level were observed in the mutant mitochondria. Lower ascorbate and ascorbate plus dehydroascorbate contents were detected at both cellular and mitochondrial level. Moreover, the more oxidized mitochondrial redox status of ascorbate in the ppr40-1 mutant indicated that neither the enhanced activity of GLDH nor Foyer-Halliwell-Asada cycle could compensate for the enhanced ascorbate consumption in the absence of a functional respiratory chain.
Role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in liver injury by acetaminophen (AAP) was studied in vivo in ... more Role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in liver injury by acetaminophen (AAP) was studied in vivo in mice. Sublethal dose of AAP resulted in a decrease in microsomal total glutathione and in the reduced-to-total glutathione ratio; redox state of thiols of ER resident oxidoreductases ERp72, PDI was shifted towards the oxidized form; ER stress-responsive transcription factor ATF6 was activated. Transcriptional activation and elevated expression of GADD153/CHOP, an ER stress-responsive proapoptotic transcription factor, was observed upon AAP addition. Transient activation of the ER-resident caspase-12 was shown followed by an elevation in procaspase-12 level. Caspase-3 and caspase-8 activation could not be detected. AAP treatment resulted in an increased apoptosis of hepatocytes. Buthionine-sulfoximine treatment was unable to mimic the eVects by AAP indicating that glutathione depletion itself is insuYcient to provoke apoptosis. The results show that intraluminal redox imbalance of the ER and consequential activation of signaling processes and proapoptotic events are involved in hepatocellular damage caused by AAP overdose.
It has been recently shown that acute acetaminophen toxicity results in endoplasmic reticulum red... more It has been recently shown that acute acetaminophen toxicity results in endoplasmic reticulum redox stress and an increase in cells with apoptotic phenotype in liver. Since activation of effector caspases was absent, the relevance of caspase-independent mechanisms in acetaminophen-induced programmed cell death was investigated. BGP-15, a drug with known protective actions in conditions involving redox imbalance, has been co-administered with a single sublethal dose of acetaminophen. Proapoptotic events and outcome of the injury were investigated. ER redox alterations and early ER-stress-related signaling events induced by acetaminophen, such as ER glutathione depletion, phosphorylation of eIF2alpha and JNK and induction of the transcription factor GADD153, were not counteracted by co-treatment with BGP-15. However, BGP-15 prevented AIF mitochondria-to-nucleus translocation and mitochondrial depolarization. BGP-15 co-treatment attenuated the rate of acetaminophen-induced cell death as assessed by apoptotic index and enzyme serum release. These results reaffirm that acute acetaminophen toxicity involves oxidative stress-induced caspase-independent cell death. In addition, pharmacological inhibition of AIF translocation may effectively protect against or at least delay acetaminophen-induced programmed cell death.
Addition of, or gulonolactone oxidase-dependent in situ generation of, ascorbate provoked the oxi... more Addition of, or gulonolactone oxidase-dependent in situ generation of, ascorbate provoked the oxidation of protein thiols, which was accompanied by ascorbate consumption in liver microsomal vesicles. The maximal rate of protein thiol oxidation was similar upon gulonolactone, ascorbate or dehydroascorbate addition. Cytochrome P450 inhibitors (econazole, proadifen, quercetin) decreased ascorbate consumption and the gulonolactone or ascorbate-stimulated thiol oxidation. The results demonstrate that the ascorbate/dehydroascorbate redox couple plays an important role in electron transfer from protein thiols to oxygen in the hepatic endoplasmic reticulum, even in gulonolactone oxidase deficient species.
The recently described form of programmed cell death, ferroptosis can be induced by agents causin... more The recently described form of programmed cell death, ferroptosis can be induced by agents causing GSH depletion or the inhibition of GPX4. Ferroptosis clearly shows distinct morphologic, biochemical and genetic features from apoptosis, necrosis and autophagy. Since NAPQI the highly reactive metabolite of the widely applied analgesic and antipyretic, acetaminophen induces a cell death which can be characterized by GSH depletion, GPX inhibition and caspase independency the involvement of ferroptosis in acetaminophen induced cell death has been investigated. The specific ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1 failed to elevate the viability of acetaminophen treated HepG2 cells. It should be noticed that these cells do not form NAPQI due to the lack of phase I enzyme expression therefore GSH depletion cannot be observed. However in the case of acetaminophen treated primary mouse hepatocytes the significant elevation of cell viability could be observed upon ferrostatin-1 treatment. Similar to ferrostatin-1 treatment, the addition of the RIP1 kinase inhibitor necrostatin-1 could also elevate the viability of acetaminophen treated primary hepatocytes. Ferrostatin-1 has no influence on the expression of CYP2E1 or on the cellular GSH level which suggest that the protective effect of ferrostatin-1 in APAP induced cell death is not based on the reduced metabolism of APAP to NAPQI or on altered NAPQI conjugation by cellular GSH. Our results suggest that beyond necroptosis and apoptosis a third programmed cell death, ferroptosis is also involved in acetaminophen induced cell death in primary hepatocytes.
The mechanism of ascorbate oxidation was studied in rat liver microsomes. A continuous consumptio... more The mechanism of ascorbate oxidation was studied in rat liver microsomes. A continuous consumption of the added ascorbate was observed, which was accompanied with a prompt appearance of ascorbyl free radical and dehydroascorbate. Microsomes sustained steady-state level of ascorbyl free radical and dehydroascorbate till ascorbate was present in the medium. Ascorbyl free radical formation was diminished when microsomes had been pretreated with heat or trypsine. It was also decreased by addition of quercetin, econazole or metal chelators, including the copper specific neocuproine. Enzymatic (superoxide dismutase, catalase) and nonenzymatic (dimethyl sulfoxide, mannitol) antioxidants did not modify the microsomal production of ascorbyl free radical. Investigation of the subcellular distribution of ascorbate oxidation showed that the microsomal fraction of liver had the highest activity. The decrease of ascorbate oxidation after protease treatment and the negligible increase upon permeab...
Az ALR fehérje egy igazi misztikum. A fehérje egy hosszabb, 22 kDa-os és egy rövidebb, 15 kDa-os ... more Az ALR fehérje egy igazi misztikum. A fehérje egy hosszabb, 22 kDa-os és egy rövidebb, 15 kDa-os formában létezik. A hetvenes években részleges hepatectomián átesett állatokban fedezték fel és kizárólag a májregeneráció egyik kulcsfehérjéjének tartották. A 2000-es évek elején kiderült, hogy a "hosszú" forma a mitokondriális intermembrán terében lokalizálódik és kisméretű fehérjék mitokondriális importjának és oxidatív foldingjának kapcsolt folyamatában vesz részt. A rendszer szubsztrátjai között több, alapvető mitokondriális folyamatokban nélkülözhetetlen fehérje megtalálható, ezért az ALR génjében bekövetkező mutációk mitokondriális rendellenességekhez vezethetnek. Az ALR "rövid" formája az emlősök szervezetében szekretált extracelluláris növekedési faktorként funkcionál, és változatos módokon képes elősegíteni a hepatocyták védelmét, regenerációját és proliferációját. A közelmúltban előállított kondicionális ALR-mutáns egereken nyert eredmények arra utalnak, hogy fontos szerepet kaphat az alkoholos és nem alkoholos steatosis kialakulásában is. Tekintve, hogy számos, májat érintő elváltozás során megváltozik szérumszintje, ígéretes markermolekula-jelölt a laboratóriumi diagnosztikában. Orv. Hetil., 2015, 156(13), 503-509.
Vitamin C requirement is satisfied by natural sources and vitamin C supplements in the ordinary h... more Vitamin C requirement is satisfied by natural sources and vitamin C supplements in the ordinary human diet. The two major forms of vitamin C in the diet are L-ascorbic acid and L-dehydroascorbic acid. Both ascorbate and dehydroascorbate are absorbed along the entire length of the human intestine. The reduced form, L-ascorbic acid is imported by an active mechanism, requiring two sodium-dependent vitamin C transporters (SVCT1 and SVCT2). The transport of the oxidized form, dehydroascorbate is mediated by glucose transporters GLUT1, GLUT3 and possibly GLUT4. Initial rate of uptake of both ascorbate and dehydroascorbate is saturable with increasing external substrate concentration. Vitamin C plasma concentrations are tightly controlled when the vitamin is taken orally. It has two simple reasons, on the one hand, the capacity of the transporters is limited, on the other hand the two Na+-dependent transporters can be down-regulated by an elevated level of ascorbate.
Preparation of intact mitochondria requires the use of an osmoticum in high concentration that pr... more Preparation of intact mitochondria requires the use of an osmoticum in high concentration that preserves the mitochondrial structure and prevents physical swelling and rupture of membranes. For this purpose mannitol is widely accepted as a component of the homogenization medium. The formation of sorbitol in plant mitochondria can be an important element of plant response to salinity and drought. The large difference in the concentration of possibly formed sorbitol and mannitol of the homogenisation medium makes the determination of sorbitol difficult. Gas-chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID), gas-chromatography coupled to quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-QPMS) and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS) using hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) were tested to quantify this highly polar sugar alcohol: Although all three methods offered satisfactory results, the HPLC/MS-MS technique proved to be the best.
Az ötvenes években látott napvilágot az öregedés szabad gyökös elmélete, amely szerint a metaboli... more Az ötvenes években látott napvilágot az öregedés szabad gyökös elmélete, amely szerint a metabolikus útvonalak által termelt reaktív oxigénvegyületek lényeges szerepet kapnak az öregedés folyamatában. A teória később, a mitokondrium reaktív oxigénvegyületek fő forrásaként történő azonosításával, módosításra került és az öregedés mitokondriális elmélete néven vált ismertté. Ezt követően felvetették egy öregedési "ördögi kör" meglétét, amely szerint a mitokondriális respiráció során képződő reaktív oxigénvegyületek károsítják a mitokondriális DNS-t, a mitokondriális funkciókat. A mitokondriális diszfunkció következtében megnő a termelődő reaktív oxigénvegyületek mennyisége. Ez az "ördögi kör" a mitokondriális DNS-mutációk felszaporodását válthatja ki, amely öregedéshez vezethet. A közelmúltban létrehozott mtDNS-mutátor egerek mitokondriális DNS-replikációjáért felelős DNS-polimeráz γ exonukleáz aktivitását elrontották. Ennek következtében a mitokondriális DNS-ben a szomatikus mutációk száma megnövekedett és egy öregedő fenotípus alakult ki. Érdekes módon a mutáns egerekben sem emelkedett reaktívoxigénvegyület-termelést, sem oxidatív károsodást nem tapasztaltak, amelyek erősen megkérdőjelezték az "ördögi kör" meglétét. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(12), 447-452.
Disulfide bond formation in proteins is an effective tool of both structure stabilization and red... more Disulfide bond formation in proteins is an effective tool of both structure stabilization and redox regulation. The prokaryotic periplasm and the endoplasmic reticulum of eukaryotes were long considered as the only compartments for enzyme mediated formation of stable disulfide bonds. Recently, the mitochondrial intermembrane space has emerged as the third protein-oxidizing compartment. The classic view on the mechanism of oxidative folding in the endoplasmic reticulum has also been reshaped by new observations. Moreover, besides the structure stabilizing function, reversible disulfide bridge formation in some proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum, seems to play a regulatory role. This review briefly summarizes the present knowledge of the redox systems supporting oxidative folding, emphasizing recent developments.
The huge demand of mitochondria as the quantitatively most important sources of ROS in the majori... more The huge demand of mitochondria as the quantitatively most important sources of ROS in the majority of heterotrophic cells for vitamin C is indisputable. The reduced form of the vitamin, l-ascorbic acid, is imported by an active mechanism requiring two sodium-dependent vitamin C transporters (SVCT1 and SVCT2). The oxidized form, dehydroascorbate is taken up by different members of the GLUT family. Because of the controversial experimental results the picture on mitochondrial vitamin C transport became quite obscure by the spring of 2014. Thus in silico prediction tools were applied in aid of the support of in vitro and in vivo results. The role of GLUT1 as a mitochondrial dehydroascorbate transporter could be reinforced by in silico predictions however the mitochondrial presence of GLUT10 is not likely since this transport protein got far the lowest mitochondrial localization scores. Furthermore the possible roles of GLUT9 and 11 in mitochondrial vitamin C transport can be proposed leastwise on the base of their computational localization analysis. In good concordance with the newest experimental observations on SVCT2 the mitochondrial presence of this transporter could also be supported by the computational prediction tools.
The mechanism of ascorbate oxidation was studied in rat liver microsomes. A continuous consumptio... more The mechanism of ascorbate oxidation was studied in rat liver microsomes. A continuous consumption of the added ascorbate was observed, which was accompanied with a prompt appearance of ascorbyl free radical and dehydroascorbate. Microsomes sustained steady-state level of ascorbyl free radical and dehydroascorbate till ascorbate was present in the medium. Ascorbyl free radical formation was diminished when microsomes had been pretreated with heat or trypsine. It was also decreased by addition of quercetin, econazole or metal chelators, including the copper specific neocuproine. Enzymatic (superoxide dismutase, catalase) and nonenzymatic (dimethyl sulfoxide, mannitol) antioxidants did not modify the microsomal production of ascorbyl free radical. Investigation of the subcellular distribution of ascorbate oxidation showed that the microsomal fraction of liver had the highest activity. The decrease of ascorbate oxidation after protease treatment and the negligible increase upon permeabilization of microsomal vesicles showed that a membrane protein is responsible for the activity, which is exposed to the outer surface of the endoplasmic reticulum. The results indicate the presence of a primary enzymatic ascorbate oxidation in rat liver endoplasmic reticulum which is able to generate dehydroascorbate, an important source of the oxidizing environment in the endoplasmic reticulum.
The life of any living organism can be defined as a hurdle due to different kind of stresses. As ... more The life of any living organism can be defined as a hurdle due to different kind of stresses. As with all living organisms, plants are exposed to various abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity, extreme temperatures and chemical toxicity. These primary stresses are often interconnected, and lead to the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plants, which are highly reactive and toxic and cause damage to proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and DNA, which ultimately results in oxidative stress. Stress-induced ROS accumulation is counteracted by enzymatic antioxidant systems and non-enzymatic low molecular weight metabolites, such as ascorbate, glutathione and α-tocopherol. The above mentioned low molecular weight antioxidants are also capable of chelating metal ions, reducing thus their catalytic activity to form ROS and also scavenge them. Hence, in plant cells, this triad of low molecular weight antioxidants (ascorbate, glutathione and α-tocopherol) form an important part of abiotic stress response. In this work we are presenting a review of abiotic stress responses connected to these antioxidants.
Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Cell Research, 2014
Beyond its general role as antioxidant, specific functions of ascorbate are compartmentalized wit... more Beyond its general role as antioxidant, specific functions of ascorbate are compartmentalized within the eukaryotic cell. The list of organelle-specific functions of ascorbate has been recently expanded with the epigenetic role exerted as a cofactor for DNA and histone demethylases in the nucleus. Compartmentation necessitates the transport through intracellular membranes; members of the GLUT family and sodium-vitamin C cotransporters mediate the permeation of dehydroascorbic acid and ascorbate, respectively. Recent observations show that increased consumption and/or hindered entrance of ascorbate in/to a compartment results in pathological alterations partially resembling to scurvy, thus diseases of ascorbate compartmentation can exist. The review focuses on the reactions and transporters that can modulate ascorbate concentration and redox state in three compartments: endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria and nucleus. By introducing the relevant experimental and clinical findings we make an attempt to coin the term of ascorbate compartmentation disease.
Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB / Société française de physiologie végétale, 2011
The mitochondrial antioxidant homeostasis was investigated in Arabidopsis ppr40-1 mutant, which p... more The mitochondrial antioxidant homeostasis was investigated in Arabidopsis ppr40-1 mutant, which presents a block of electron flow at complex III. The activity of the ascorbate biosynthetic enzyme, L-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase (EC 1.3.2.3) (GLDH) was elevated in mitochondria isolated from mutant plants. In addition increased activities of the enzymes of Foyer-Halliwell-Asada cycle and elevated glutathione (GSH) level were observed in the mutant mitochondria. Lower ascorbate and ascorbate plus dehydroascorbate contents were detected at both cellular and mitochondrial level. Moreover, the more oxidized mitochondrial redox status of ascorbate in the ppr40-1 mutant indicated that neither the enhanced activity of GLDH nor Foyer-Halliwell-Asada cycle could compensate for the enhanced ascorbate consumption in the absence of a functional respiratory chain.
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Papers by András Szarka