Glutathione-ascorbate cycle

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The glutathione-ascorbate cycle. Abbreviations are defined in the text. Glutathione-ascorbate cycle 4.png
The glutathione-ascorbate cycle. Abbreviations are defined in the text.

The ascorbate-glutathione cycle, sometimes Foyer-Halliwell-Asada pathway, is a metabolic pathway that detoxifies hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a reactive oxygen species that is produced as a waste product in metabolism. The cycle involves the antioxidant metabolites: ascorbate, glutathione and NADPH and the enzymes linking these metabolites. [1]

In the first step of this pathway, H2O2 is reduced to water by ascorbate peroxidase (APX) using ascorbate (ASC) as the electron donor. The oxidized ascorbate (monodehydroascorbate, MDA) is regenerated by monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDAR). [2] However, monodehydroascorbate is a radical and if not rapidly reduced it disproportionates into ascorbate and dehydroascorbate (DHA). Dehydroascorbate is reduced to ascorbate by dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) at the expense of GSH, yielding oxidized glutathione (GSSG). Finally GSSG is reduced by glutathione reductase (GR) using NADPH as the electron donor. Thus ascorbate and glutathione are not consumed; the net electron flow is from NADPH to H2 O2. The reduction of dehydroascorbate may be non-enzymatic or catalysed by proteins with dehydroascorbate reductase activity, such as glutathione S-transferase omega 1 or glutaredoxins. [3] [4]

In plants, the glutathione-ascorbate cycle operates in the cytosol, mitochondria, plastids and peroxisomes. [5] [6] Since glutathione, ascorbate and NADPH are present in high concentrations in plant cells it is assumed that the glutathione-ascorbate cycle plays a key role for H2O2 detoxification. Nevertheless, other enzymes (peroxidases) including peroxiredoxins and glutathione peroxidases, which use thioredoxins or glutaredoxins as reducing substrates, also contribute to H2O2 removal in plants. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

Antioxidants are compounds that inhibit oxidation, a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals. Autoxidation leads to degradation of organic compounds, including living matter. Antioxidants are frequently added to industrial products, such as polymers, fuels, and lubricants, to extend their usable lifetimes. Foods are also treated with antioxidants to forestall spoilage, in particular the rancidification of oils and fats. In cells, antioxidants such as glutathione, mycothiol, or bacillithiol, and enzyme systems like superoxide dismutase, can prevent damage from oxidative stress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glutathione</span> Ubiquitous antioxidant compound in living organisms

Glutathione is an organic compound with the chemical formula HOCOCH(NH2)CH2CH2CONHCH(CH2SH)CONHCH2COOH. It is an antioxidant in plants, animals, fungi, and some bacteria and archaea. Glutathione is capable of preventing damage to important cellular components caused by sources such as reactive oxygen species, free radicals, peroxides, lipid peroxides, and heavy metals. It is a tripeptide with a gamma peptide linkage between the carboxyl group of the glutamate side chain and cysteine. The carboxyl group of the cysteine residue is attached by normal peptide linkage to glycine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glutathione peroxidase</span> Enzyme family protecting the organism from oxidative damages

Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) is the general name of an enzyme family with peroxidase activity whose main biological role is to protect the organism from oxidative damage. The biochemical function of glutathione peroxidase is to reduce lipid hydroperoxides to their corresponding alcohols and to reduce free hydrogen peroxide to water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reactive oxygen species</span> Highly reactive molecules formed from diatomic oxygen (O₂)

In chemistry and biology, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are highly reactive chemicals formed from diatomic oxygen (O2), water, and hydrogen peroxide. Some prominent ROS are hydroperoxide (O2H), superoxide (O2-), hydroxyl radical (OH.), and singlet oxygen. ROS are pervasive because they are readily produced from O2, which is abundant. ROS are important in many ways, both beneficial and otherwise. ROS function as signals, that turn on and off biological functions. They are intermediates in the redox behavior of O2, which is central to fuel cells. ROS are central to the photodegradation of organic pollutants in the atmosphere. Most often however, ROS are discussed in a biological context, ranging from their effects on aging and their role in causing dangerous genetic mutations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate</span> Chemical compound

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, abbreviated NADP+ or, in older notation, TPN (triphosphopyridine nucleotide), is a cofactor used in anabolic reactions, such as the Calvin cycle and lipid and nucleic acid syntheses, which require NADPH as a reducing agent ('hydrogen source'). NADPH is the reduced form, whereas NADP+ is the oxidized form. NADP+ is used by all forms of cellular life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trypanothione</span> Chemical compound

Trypanothione is an unusual form of glutathione containing two molecules of glutathione joined by a spermidine (polyamine) linker. It is found in parasitic protozoa such as leishmania and trypanosomes. These protozoal parasites are the cause of leishmaniasis, sleeping sickness and Chagas' disease. Trypanothione was discovered by Alan Fairlamb. Its structure was proven by chemical synthesis. It is present mainly in the Kinetoplastida but can be found in other parasitic protozoa such as Entamoeba histolytica. Since this thiol is absent from humans and is essential for the survival of the parasites, the enzymes that make and use this molecule are targets for the development of new drugs to treat these diseases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thioredoxin</span> Class of reduction–oxidation proteins

Thioredoxin is a class of small redox proteins known to be present in all organisms. It plays a role in many important biological processes, including redox signaling. In humans, thioredoxins are encoded by TXN and TXN2 genes. Loss-of-function mutation of either of the two human thioredoxin genes is lethal at the four-cell stage of the developing embryo. Although not entirely understood, thioredoxin is linked to medicine through their response to reactive oxygen species (ROS). In plants, thioredoxins regulate a spectrum of critical functions, ranging from photosynthesis to growth, flowering and the development and germination of seeds. Thioredoxins play a role in cell-to-cell communication.

Drug metabolism is the metabolic breakdown of drugs by living organisms, usually through specialized enzymatic systems. More generally, xenobiotic metabolism is the set of metabolic pathways that modify the chemical structure of xenobiotics, which are compounds foreign to an organism's normal biochemistry, such as any drug or poison. These pathways are a form of biotransformation present in all major groups of organisms and are considered to be of ancient origin. These reactions often act to detoxify poisonous compounds. The study of drug metabolism is called pharmacokinetics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glutathione disulfide</span> Chemical compound

Glutathione disulfide (GSSG) is a disulfide derived from two glutathione molecules.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glutathione reductase</span> Enzyme

Glutathione reductase (GR) also known as glutathione-disulfide reductase (GSR) is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the GSR gene. Glutathione reductase catalyzes the reduction of glutathione disulfide (GSSG) to the sulfhydryl form glutathione (GSH), which is a critical molecule in resisting oxidative stress and maintaining the reducing environment of the cell. Glutathione reductase functions as dimeric disulfide oxidoreductase and utilizes an FAD prosthetic group and NADPH to reduce one molar equivalent of GSSG to two molar equivalents of GSH:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sulfur assimilation</span> Incorporation of sulfur into living organisms

Sulfur assimilation is the process by which living organisms incorporate sulfur into their biological molecules. In plants, sulfate is absorbed by the roots and then be transported to the chloroplasts by the transipration stream where the sulfur are reduced to sulfide with the help of a series of enzymatic reactions. Furthermore, the reduced sulfur is incorporated into cysteine, an amino acid that is a precursor to many other sulfur-containing compounds. In animals, sulfur assimilation occurs primarily through the diet, as animals cannot produce sulfur-containing compounds directly. Sulfur is incorporated into amino acids such as cysteine and methionine, which are used to build proteins and other important molecules.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ascorbate peroxidase</span> Enzyme

Ascorbate peroxidase (or L-ascorbate peroxidase, APX or APEX) (EC 1.11.1.11) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glutathione synthetase</span> Enzyme

Glutathione synthetase (GSS) is the second enzyme in the glutathione (GSH) biosynthesis pathway. It catalyses the condensation of gamma-glutamylcysteine and glycine, to form glutathione. Glutathione synthetase is also a potent antioxidant. It is found in many species including bacteria, yeast, mammals, and plants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glutaredoxin</span>

Glutaredoxins are small redox enzymes of approximately one hundred amino-acid residues that use glutathione as a cofactor. In humans this oxidation repair enzyme is also known to participate in many cellular functions, including redox signaling and regulation of glucose metabolism. Glutaredoxins are oxidized by substrates, and reduced non-enzymatically by glutathione. In contrast to thioredoxins, which are reduced by thioredoxin reductase, no oxidoreductase exists that specifically reduces glutaredoxins. Instead, glutaredoxins are reduced by the oxidation of glutathione. Reduced glutathione is then regenerated by glutathione reductase. Together these components compose the glutathione system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peroxiredoxin</span> Family of antioxidant enzymes

Peroxiredoxins are a ubiquitous family of antioxidant enzymes that also control cytokine-induced peroxide levels and thereby mediate signal transduction in mammalian cells. The family members in humans are PRDX1, PRDX2, PRDX3, PRDX4, PRDX5, and PRDX6. The physiological importance of peroxiredoxins is indicated by their relative abundance. Their function is the reduction of peroxides, specifically hydrogen peroxide, alkyl hydroperoxides, and peroxynitrite.

In enzymology, a monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDAR) (EC 1.6.5.4) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GLRX2</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Glutaredoxin 2 (GLRX2) is an enzyme that in humans encoded by the GLRX2 gene. GLRX2, also known as GRX2, is a glutaredoxin family protein and a thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase that maintains cellular thiol homeostasis. This gene consists of four exons and three introns, spanned 10 kilobase pairs, and localized to chromosome 1q31.2–31.3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RoGFP</span> Prodified GFP protein that exhibits different fluorescent properties when oxidized and reduced

The reduction-oxidation sensitive green fluorescent protein (roGFP) is a green fluorescent protein engineered to be sensitive to changes in the local redox environment. roGFPs are used as redox-sensitive biosensors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bacterial glutathione transferase</span>

Bacterial glutathione transferases are part of a superfamily of enzymes that play a crucial role in cellular detoxification. The primary role of GSTs is to catalyze the conjugation of glutathione (GSH) with the electrophilic centers of a wide variety of molecules. The most commonly known substrates of GSTs are xenobiotic synthetic chemicals. There are also classes of GSTs that utilize glutathione as a cofactor rather than a substrate. Often these GSTs are involved in reduction of reactive oxidative species toxic to the bacterium. Conjugation with glutathione receptors renders toxic substances more soluble, and therefore more readily exocytosed from the cell.

Oxidation response is stimulated by a disturbance in the balance between the production of reactive oxygen species and antioxidant responses, known as oxidative stress. Active species of oxygen naturally occur in aerobic cells and have both intracellular and extracellular sources. These species, if not controlled, damage all components of the cell, including proteins, lipids and DNA. Hence cells need to maintain a strong defense against the damage. The following table gives an idea of the antioxidant defense system in bacterial system.

References

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  2. Wells WW, Xu DP (August 1994). "Dehydroascorbate reduction". J. Bioenerg. Biomembr. 26 (4): 369–77. doi: 10.1007/BF00762777 . PMID   7844111. S2CID   24723138.
  3. Whitbread AK, Masoumi A, Tetlow N, Schmuck E, Coggan M, Board PG (2005). "Characterization of the Omega Class of Glutathione Transferases". Gluthione Transferases and Gamma-Glutamyl Transpeptidases. Methods in Enzymology. Vol. 401. pp. 78–99. doi:10.1016/S0076-6879(05)01005-0. ISBN   9780121828066. PMID   16399380.
  4. Rouhier N, Gelhaye E, Jacquot JP (2002). "Exploring the active site of plant glutaredoxin by site-directed mutagenesis". FEBS Lett. 511 (1–3): 145–9. Bibcode:2002FEBSL.511..145R. doi:10.1016/S0014-5793(01)03302-6. PMID   11821065. S2CID   29816004.
  5. Meyer A (Sep 2009). "The integration of glutathione homeostasis and redox signaling". J Plant Physiol. 165 (13): 1390–403. doi:10.1016/j.jplph.2007.10.015. PMID   18171593.
  6. Jimenez A, Hernandez JA, Pastori G, del Rio LA, Sevilla F (Dec 1998). "Role of the Ascorbate-Glutathione Cycle of Mitochondria and Peroxisomes in the Senescence of Pea Leaves". Plant Physiol. 118 (4): 1327–35. doi:10.1104/pp.118.4.1327. PMC   34748 . PMID   9847106.
  7. Rouhier N, Lemaire SD, Jacquot JP (2008). "The role of glutathione in photosynthetic organisms: emerging functions for glutaredoxins and glutathionylation" (PDF). Annu Rev Plant Biol. 59: 143–66. doi:10.1146/annurev.arplant.59.032607.092811. PMID   18444899.