Cisplatin increases carboxylesterases through increasing PXR mediated by the decrease of DEC1

cis-Diamminedichloroplatinum(CDDP)is widely used for the treatment of various solid cancers.Here we reported that CDDP increased the expression and enzymatic activities of carboxylesterase 1(CES1)and carboxylesterase 2(CES2),along with the upregulation of pregnane X receptor(PXR)and the downregulation of differentiated embryonic chondrocyte-expressed gene 1(DEC1)in human hepatoma cells,primary mouse hepatocytes,mouse liver and intestine.The overexpression or knockdown of PXR alone upregulated or downregulated the CES1 and CES2 expression,respectively.The increases in CES1 and CES2 expression levels induced by CDDP abolished or enhanced by PXR knockdown or overexpression,implying that CDDP induces carboxylesterases through the activation of PXR.Likewise,the overexpression or knockdown of DEC1 alone significantly decreased or increased PXR and its targets.Moreover,the increases of PXR and its targets induced by CDDP were abolished or alleviated by the overexpression or knockdown of DEC1.The overexpression or knockdown of DEC1 affected the response of PXR to CDDP,but not vice versa,suggesting that CDDP increases carboxylesterases by upregulating PXR mediated by the decrease of DEC1.In addition,CDDP did not increase DEC1 mRNA degradation but suppressed DEC1 promoter reporter activity,indicating that it suppresses DEC1 transcriptionally.The combined use of CDDP and irinotecan had a synergistic effect on two cell lines,especially when CDDP was used first.

Human carboxylesterases:a comprehensive review

Mammalian carboxylesterases(CEs) are key enzymes from the serine hydrolase superfamily.In the human body, two predominant carboxylesterases(CES1 and CES2) have been identified and extensively studied over the past decade. These two enzymes play crucial roles in the metabolism of a wide variety of endogenous esters, ester-containing drugs and environmental toxicants. The key roles of CES in both human health and xenobiotic metabolism arouse great interest in the discovery of potent CES modulators to regulate endobiotic metabolism or to improve the efficacy of ester drugs. This review covers the structural and catalytic features of CES, tissue distributions, biological functions, genetic polymorphisms, substrate specificities and inhibitor properties of CES1 and CES2, as well as the significance and recent progress on the discovery of CES modulators. The information presented here will help pharmacologists explore the relevance of CES to human diseases or to assign the contribution of certain CES in xenobiotic metabolism. It will also facilitate medicinal chemistry efforts to design prodrugs activated by a given CES isoform, or to develop potent and selective modulators of CES for potential biomedical applications.

Lysosome-targeting red fluorescent probe for broad carboxylesterases detection in breast cancer cells

Available online The abnormal carboxylesterase(CES)expression is closely related to many diseases such as hyperlipidemia,atherosclerosis,obesity,liver cancer,type 2 diabetes mellitus and gastrointestinal stromal tumors.The detection of a single enzyme in practical samples is often constrained by the structural diversity of CESs.Thus,the development of broad-carboxylesterase responsive fluorescent probe,which can detect the presence of wide variety of CESs,may provide overall or category information from another point of view,supplementing the deficiency of single detection for CES subspecies.Organelle lysosome is involved in various cell processes,such as cell signaling,apoptosis,secretion,and energy metabolism.Up to date,lysosome-targeted fluorescent probes,especially those with red emission(over 550 nm,with relatively low biological harmfulness),for CES detection are still rare.A lysosomes-targeted red fluorescent probe CES-Lyso was designed to monitor intracellular a variety of carboxylesterases alteration with wonderful selectivity and sensitivity,which was further applied to distinguish different derived breast cancer cells and monitor carboxylesterase activity in the anticancer drug treatment.

Carboxylesterases in lipid metabolism： From mouse to human

Mammalian carboxylesterases hydrolyze a wide range of xenobiotic and endogenous compounds, including lipid esters. Physiological functions of car- boxylesterases in lipid metabolism and energy home- ostasis in vivo have been demonstrated by genetic manipulations and chemical inhibition in mice, and in vitro through （over）expression, knockdown of expression, and chemical inhibition in a variety of cells. Recent research advances have revealed the relevance of carboxylesterases to metabolic diseases such as obesity and fatty liver disease, suggesting these enzymes might be potential targets for treatment of metabolic disorders. In order to translate pre-clinical studies in cellular and mouse models to humans, dif- ferences and similarities of carboxylesterases between mice and human need to be elucidated. This review presents and discusses the research progress in structure and function of mouse and human car- boxylesterases, and the role of these enzymes in lipid metabolism and metabolic disorders.

Molecular and functional characterization of three novel carboxylesterases in the detoxification of permethrin in the mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus

Carboxylesterases (CarEs) belong to a super family of multifunctional enzymes associated with the degradation of endogenous and exogenous compounds. Many insect CarEs are known to play important roles in catalyzing the hydrolysis of organophosphates (OPs), carbamates, and synthetic pyrethroids (SPs). The elevation of esterase activity through gene amplification and overexpression of estα2 and estβ2 genes contributes to the development of resistance to OP insecticides in the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus. Three additional CarE genes are upregulated in permethrin-resistant Cx. quinquefasciatus according to an RNA-seq analysis, but their function remains unknown. In this study, we, for the first time, characterized the function of these three novel genes using in vitro protein expression, an insecticide metabolism study and molecular docking analysis. All three CarE genes were significantly overexpressed in resistant mosquito larvae, but not adults, compared to susceptible strain. No gene copy differences in these three genes were found in the mosquitoes tested. In vitro high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) revealed that CPIJ018231, CPIJ018232, and CPIJ018233 metabolized 30.4% ± 2.9%, 34.7% ± 6.8%, and 23.2% ± 2.2% of the permethrin, respectively. No mutations in resistant strains might significantly affect their CarE hydrolysis ability. A docking analysis further confirmed that these three CarEs from resistant strain all potentially metabolize permethrin. Taken together, these three carboxylesterase genes could play important roles in the development of permethrin resistance in Cx. quinquefasciatus larvae through transcriptional overexpression, metabolism, and detoxification.

Characterization of Carboxylesterase Associated with Malathion Insensitivity in the Field Population of the Oriental Migratory Locust

Carboxylesterases （CarEs） from two field populations of the oriental migratory locust, Locusta migratoria manilensis （Meyen）, were examined to try to understand their contribution to malathion insensitivity. The CarEs activities in Wudi population （WD） were 1.75- and 1.50-fold significantly higher than those in Huangliu population （HL） when a-naphthyl acetate （a-NA） and [3-naphthyl acetate were used as substrates, respectively. Such elevated CarEs activities presented in the WD could be because of an increased staining intensity of the a-NA-hydrolyzing CarEs as shown on the nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Inhibition studies of CarEs using paraoxon and malaoxon indicated that CarE activities in the HL were more strongly inhibited than those in the WD. Furthermore, a 449-bp DNA fragment of CarE was obtained from L. migratoria manilensis. Hemiquantity reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that CarE gene expression level in the WD was higher than that in the HL. The higher CarE activities and the increased CarE mRNA level in the WD appeared to be associated with decreased susceptibility to malathion in the WD due to the application of organophosphorus insecticides.

Dexamethasone Regulates Differential Expression of Carboxylesterase 1 and Carboxylesterase 2 through Activation of Nuclear Receptors

Carboxylesterases (CESs) play important roles in the metabolism of endogenous and foreign compounds in physiological and pharmacological responses. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dexamethasone at different doses on the expression of CES1 and CES2. Imidapril and irinotecan hydrochloride (CPT-11) were used as special substrates for CES1 and CES2, respectively. Rat hepatocytes were cultured and treated with different concentrations of dexamethasone. The hydrolytic activity of CES1 and CES2 was tested by incubation experiment and their expression was quantitated by real-time PCR. A pharmacokinetic study was conducted in SD rats to further evaluate the effect of dexamethasone on CESs activity in vivo. Western blotting was performed to investigate the regulatory mechanism related to pregnane X receptor (PXR) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR). The results showed that exposure of cultured rat hepatocytes to nanomolar dexamethasone inhibited the imidapril hydrolase activity, which was slightly elevated by micromolar dexamethasone. For CES2, CPT-11 hydrolase activity was induced only when dexamethasone reached micromolar levels. The real-time PCR demonstrated that CES1 mRNA was markedly decreased by nanomolar dexamethasone and increased by micromolar dexamethasone, whereas CES2 mRNA was significantly increased by micromolar dexamethasone. The results of a complementary animal study showed that the concurrent administration of dexamethasone significantly increased the plasma concentration of the metabolite of imidapril while the ratio of CPT-11 to its metabolite SN-38 was significantly decreased. PXR protein was gradually increased by serial concentrations of dexamethasone. However, only nanomolar dexamethasone elevated the level of GR protein. The different concentrations of dexamethasone required suggested that suppression of CES1 may be mediated by GR whereas the induction of CES2 may result from the role of PXR. It was concluded that dexamethasone at different concentrations can differentially regulate CES1 and CES2.

Assay development for determination of DZ2002, a new reversible SAHH inhibitor, and its acid metabolite DZA in blood and application to rat pharmacokinetic study

Methyl(S)-4-(6-amino-9 H-purin-9-yl)-2-hydroxybutanoate(DZ2002) is a potent reversible inhibitor of S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolase(SAHH). Due to its ester structure, DZ2002 is rapidly hydrolyzed in rat blood to 4-(6-amino-9 H-purin-9-yl)-2-hydroxybutyric acid(DZA) during and after blood sampling from rats; this hampers accurate determination of the circulating DZ2002 and its acid metabolite DZA in rats. To this end, a method for determining the blood concentrations of DZ2002 and DZA in rats was developed by using methanol to immediately deactivate blood carboxylesterases during sampling. The newly developed bioanalytical assay possessed favorable accuracy and precision with lower limit of quantification of 31 nM for DZ2002 and DZA. This validated assay was applied to a rat pharmacokinetic study of DZ2002. After oral administration, DZ2002 was found to be extensively converted into DZA. The level of systemic exposure to DZ2002 was significantly lower than that of DZA. The apparent oral bioavailability of DZ2002 was 90%–159%. The mean terminal half-lives of DZ2002 and DZA were 0.3–0.9 and 1.3–5.1 h, respectively. The sample preparation method illustrated here may be adopted for determination of other circulating ester drugs and their acid metabolites in rodents.

The nucleoside antiviral prodrug remdesivir in treating COVID-19 and beyond with interspecies significance

Infectious pandemics result in hundreds and millions of deaths,notable examples of the Spanish Flu,the Black Death and smallpox.The current pandemic,caused by SARS-CoV-2(severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2),is unprecedented even in the historical term of pandemics.The unprecedentedness is featured by multiple surges,rapid identification of therapeutic options and accelerated development of vaccines.Remdesivir,originally developed for Ebola viral disease,is the first treatment of COVID-19(Coronavirus disease 2019)approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration.As demonstrated by in vitro and preclinical studies,this therapeutic agent is highly potent with a broad spectrum activity against viruses from as many as seven families even cross species.However,randomized controlled trials have failed to confirm the efficacy and safety.Remdesivir improves some clinical signs but not critical parameters such as mortality.This antiviral agent is an ester/phosphorylation prodrug and excessive hydrolysis which increases cellular toxicity.Remdesivir is given intravenously,leading to concentration spikes and likely increasing the potential of hydrolysis-based toxicity.This review has proposed a conceptual framework for improving its efficacy and minimizing toxicity not only for the COVID-19 pandemic but also for future ones caused by remdesivir-sensitive viruses.

Biochemical Characterization of Detoxifying Enzymes in Dimethoate-Resistant Strains of Melon Aphid, Aphis gossypii(Hemiptera: Aphididae)

The melon aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is a highly polyphagous sap sucking pest on wide varieties of crops including cotton and vegetables. It is a notorious vector of many plant viruses that are persistently and non-persistently transmitted. In nature, aphids are regulated by their natural enemies. However, chemical control remains a major management tool even though resistance to insecticides has been documented worldwide. A better understanding of mechanisms by which insecticide resistance occurs and its early detection is desirable to develop effective management strategies. The present investigation was conducted to study the development of resistance to an organophosphate (OP) compound-dimethoate, identify biochemical mechanism(s) involved in resistance and study cross-resistance to imidacloprid in laboratory selected A. gossypii strains in comparison to susceptible strains. Bioassay studies revealed that the LC50 values increased dramatically with dimethoate selection in resistant strains and the resistance ratio (RR) was 270-, 243- and 210-fold greater than that of the susceptible strains by 30th generation. Further, biochemical assays revealed enhanced activities of carboxylesterases (CarE), glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and cytochrome P450-mediated p-Nitroanisole O-demethylase (PNOD) in resistant strains supporting their role in dimethoate detoxification. This study thus revealed that enhanced activity of detoxifying enzymes viz., CarE, GSTs and PNODs is one of the mechanisms underlying dimethoate resistance in A. gossypii collected from South India. Interestingly, the possibility of negatively correlated cross-resistance to imidacloprid was identified in three OP- resistant strains exhibiting 2.97-, 2.56- and 3.76-fold sensitivity to imidacloprid (a novel neonicotinoid). This indicated that the latter was less affected by the resistance mechanism(s) present.

Biochemical Characterization of Detoxifying Enzymes in Dimethoate-Resistant Strains of Melon Aphid, <i>Aphis gossypii</i>(Hemiptera: Aphididae)

The melon aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is a highly polyphagous sap sucking pest on wide varieties of crops including cotton and vegetables. It is a notorious vector of many plant viruses that are persistently and non-persistently transmitted. In nature, aphids are regulated by their natural enemies. However, chemical control remains a major management tool even though resistance to insecticides has been documented worldwide. A better understanding of mechanisms by which insecticide resistance occurs and its early detection is desirable to develop effective management strategies. The present investigation was conducted to study the development of resistance to an organophosphate (OP) compound-dimethoate, identify biochemical mechanism(s) involved in resistance and study cross-resistance to imidacloprid in laboratory selected A. gossypii strains in comparison to susceptible strains. Bioassay studies revealed that the LC50 values increased dramatically with dimethoate selection in resistant strains and the resistance ratio (RR) was 270-, 243- and 210-fold greater than that of the susceptible strains by 30th generation. Further, biochemical assays revealed enhanced activities of carboxylesterases (CarE), glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and cytochrome P450-mediated p-Nitroanisole O-demethylase (PNOD) in resistant strains supporting their role in dimethoate detoxification. This study thus revealed that enhanced activity of detoxifying enzymes viz., CarE, GSTs and PNODs is one of the mechanisms underlying dimethoate resistance in A. gossypii collected from South India. Interestingly, the possibility of negatively correlated cross-resistance to imidacloprid was identified in three OP- resistant strains exhibiting 2.97-, 2.56- and 3.76-fold sensitivity to imidacloprid (a novel neonicotinoid). This indicated that the latter was less affected by the resistance mechanism(s) present.

The roles of carboxylesterase and CYP isozymes on the in vitro metabolism of T-2 toxin

Background: T-2 toxin poses a great threat to human health because it has the highest toxicity of the currently known trichothecene mycotoxins. To understand the in vivo toxicity and transformation mechanism of T-2 toxin, we investigated the role of two principal phase Ⅰ drug-metabolizing enzymes(cytochrome P450 [CYP450] enzymes) on the metabolism of T-2 toxin, which are crucial to the metabolism of endogenous substances and xenobiotics. We also investigated carboxylesterase, which also plays an important role in the metabolism of toxic substances.Methods: A chemical inhibition method and a recombinant method were employed to investigate the metabolism of the T-2 toxin by the CYP450 enzymes, and a chemical inhibition method was used to study carboxylesterase metabolism. Samples incubated with human liver microsomes were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry(HPLC- Qq Q MS) after a simple pretreatment.Results: In the presence of a carboxylesterase inhibitor, only 20% T-2 toxin was metabolized. When CYP enzyme inhibitors and a carboxylesterase inhibitor were both present, only 3% of the T-2 toxin was metabolized. The contributions of the CYP450 enzyme family to T-2 toxin metabolism followed the descending order CYP3A4, CYP2E1, CYP1A2, CYP2B6 or CYP2D6 or CYP2C19.Conclusions: Carboxylesterase and CYP450 enzymes are of great importance in T-2 toxin metabolism, in which carboxylesterase is predominant and CYP450 has a subordinate role. CYP3A4 is the principal member of the CYP450 enzyme family responsible for T-2 toxin metabolism. The metabolite produced by carboxylesterase is HT-2, and the metabolite produced by CYP 3A4 is 3'-OH T-2. The different metabolites show different toxicities. Our results will provide useful data concerning the toxic mechanism, the safety evaluation, and the health risk assessment of T-2 toxin.

Characterization of carboxylesterase PxαE8 and its role in multi-insecticide resistance in Plutella xylostella(L.)

Carboxylesterase(CarE)was considered as important phase-I detoxifying enzymes which participated in detoxification of different types of insecticides.Up-regulation of CarE genes has been proved playing a major role in insecticide resistance in many pest insects,but its involvement in resistance to insecticides in Plutella xylostella has been rarely reported.In this study,a CarE cDNA named PxαE8 was identified in P.xylostella,which has an open reading frame of 1599 nucleotides and putatively encodes 532 amino acids.The investigation of spatial expression profiles of PxαE8 revealed that it was expressed in all developmental stages,especially in larvae and adults.The body part/tissue-specific expression profiles showed that the PxαE8 mainly expressed in fat body,malpighian tubule and hemolymph of larvae.Further,the relative expression of PxαE8 in two multi-resistant field populations,Hainan(HN)and Guangdong(GD)populations,was found 24.4-and 15.5-fold higher than that in susceptible population,respectively.Knockdown of PxαE8 by RNA interference dramatically increased the mortalities of larvae of HN population treated with LC_(50) of beta-cypermethrin and phoxim by 25.3 and 18.3%,respectively.These results suggested that up-regulation of PxαE8 was involved in resistance to both beta-cypermethrin and phoxim in P.xylostella,which shed light on further understanding of molecular mechanisms of multi-insecticide-resistance in P.xylostella and other pest insects.

Performance and Enzyme Activity of Beet Armyworm Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) (Lepidoptera:Noctuidae) Under Various Nutritional Conditions

We explored the influence of the artificial diets with different protein and glucose contents on larval development,fecundity and enzyme activities of the beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua （Hübner）.Our results suggested that development,fecundity and population growth index of beet armyworm increased with increased nutritional content in the artificial diets;however,when the yeast to cellulose content ratio reached 46.8：53.2,the fecundity and population growth had reached a maximum and additional protein did not yield additional growth.Additionally,3rd instar beet armyworm larvae fed on different artificial diets had increased enzymatic activities of acetylcholinesterase （AChE） with the increased nutritional content,but carboxylesterase （CarE） activities did not significantly change under variation in the nutritional content.

cDNA cloning and characterization of t he carboxylesterase pxCCE016b from the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L.

Carboxylesterase is a multifunctional superfamily and can be found in almost all living organisms. As the metabolic enzymes, carboxylesterases are involved in insecticides resistance in insects for long time. In our previous studies, the enhanced c arboxylesterase activities were found in the chlorantraniliprole resistance strain of diamondback moth（DBM）. However, t he related enzyme gene of chlorantraniliprole resistance has not been clear in this strain. Here, a full-length c DNA of carboxylesterase pxCCE016 b was cloned and exogenously expressed in Escherichia coli at the first time, which contained a 1 693 bp open reading frame（ORF） and encoded a protein of 542 amino acids. Sequence analysis showed that this c DNA has a predicted mass of 61.56 k Da and a theoretical isoelectric point value of 5.78. The sequence of deduced amino acid possessed the classical structural features： a type-B carboxylesterase signature 2（EDCLYLNVYTK）, a type-B carboxylesterase serine active site（FGGDPENITIFGESAG） and the catalytic triad（S er186, Glu316, and His444）. The real-time quantitative PCR（q PCR） analysis showed that t he expression level of the p x CCE016 b was significantly higher in the chlorantraniliprole resistant strain than in the susceptible strain. Furthermore, pxCCE016 b was highly expressed in the midgut and epidermis of the DBM larvae. When the 3rd-instar larvae of resistant DBM were exposed to abamectin, alpha-cypermethrin, chlorantraniliprole, spinosad, c hlorfenapyr and indoxacarb insecticides, the up-regulated expression of pxCCE016 b was observed only in the group treated by chlorantraniliprole. In addition, recombinant vector p ET-pxCCE016 b was constructed with the most coding region（1 293 bp） and large number of soluble recombinant proteins（less than 48 k Da） were expressed successfully with prokaryotic cell. Western blot analysis showed that it was coded by pxCCE016 b. All the above findings provide important information for further f unctional study, although we are uncertainty whether the pxCCE016 b gene is actually i nvolved in chlorantraniliprole resistance.

A Study on the Activity of Carboxylesterase and the Differential Expression of Its Gene in the Midguts of Bombyx mori Resistant to BmDNV-Z

This study was to discuss the relationship among the change in the activity of Bombyx mori carboxylesterase （BmCarE） in the midguts, the differential expression of BmCarE gene （bmcare） in the midguts, and the ability of Bombyx mori resistant to densonucleosis virus （BmDNV）, and to elucidate the molecular mechanism of resistance to BmDNV-Z. With two silkworm strains, HUABA, which is susceptible to BmDNV-Z, and BC8 （a near isogenic line of HUABA）, which is completely resistant to the same virus, as materials, the activity of BmCarE in the midgut was determined by Bio-Tek Synergy, and the differential expression of bmcare between the two strains was investigated by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, both at 12, 36, and 72 h post oral inoculation of the two strains with virus （hereafter referred as inoculation）. While the activity of BmCarE in the midguts of BC8 inoculation group at 12 h post inoculation was higher than that in the BC8 control group, the HUABA inoculated group, and the HUABA control group by 3.28, 2.26, and 3.02 times, respectively, with the difference being highly significant （P 〈 0.01）, there was no statistical difference among the other groups. The relative expression level of bmcare in the midguts of BC8 inoculation group at 12 h post inoculation was higher than that in the BC8 control group, the HUABA inoculation group, and the HUABA control group by 17.714, 21.76, and 15.09 times, respectively, with the difference being highly significant （P 〈 0.01）, and there was no statistical difference among other groups. The elevation of BmCarE activity and expression level of bmcare in the resistant strain at 12 h post inoculation may relate to the resistant gene （nsd/nsd） and the stimulation of BmDNV-Z. The molecular basis for the elevation of BmCarE activity in the resistant strain BC8 may be the change in the expression level of bmcare.

Cloning and characterization of a thermostable carboxylesterase from inshore hot spring thermophile Geobacillus sp.ZH1

The gene （741 bp） encoding carboxylesterase from the thermophilic bacterium Geobacillus sp. ZH1 was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coll. The purified recombinant protein presented a molecular mass of about 40 kDa by SDS-PAGE analysis. Enzyme assays using p-nitrophenyl esters with different acyl chain lengths as the substrates confirmed its esterase activity, yielding highest specific activity with p-nitrophenyl acetate. Among the p-nitrophenyl esters tested, the carboxylesterase presented preference for p-nitrophenyl caprylate, but hydrolyzed p-nitrophenyl butyrate more efficiently. When p-nitrophenyl butyrate was used as a substrate, the recombinant carboxylesterase exhibited highest activity at pH 8.0 and 60℃. Almost no decrease in esterase activity was observed at 60℃ for 3 h, and over 40% of activity was still maintained after incubation at 90℃ for 3 h. These results indicate that Geobacillus sp. ZH1 recombinant esterase was thermostable. The enzymatic activity was inhibited by the addition of phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, indicating that it contains serine residue, which plays a key role in the catalytic mechanism. Except SDS and xylene, this esterase showed stability toward other tested detergents and organic solvents. Cloning, expression, and biochemical characterization of Geobacillus sp. ZH1 carboxylesterase lay a good foundation for its structural characterization and industrial application.

Accurate Assessment and Tracking the Process of Liver-Specific Injury by the Residual Tissue Activity of Carboxylesterase 1 and Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4

Accurately assessing and tracking the progression of liver-specific injury remains a major challenge in the field of biomarker research.Here,we took a retrospective validation approach built on the mutuality between serum and tissue biomarkers to characterize the liver-specific damage of bile duct cells caused by a-naphthyl isothiocyanate(ANIT).We found that carboxylesterase 1(CES1),as an intrahepatic marker,and dipeptidyl peptidase 4(DPP-IV),as an extrahepatic marker,can reflect the different pathophysiologies of liver injury.Levels of CES1 and DPP-IV can be used to identify liver damage itself and the inflammatory state,respectively.While the levels of the conventional serological biomarkers alkaline phosphatase(ALP),alanine aminotransferase(ALT),and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)were all concomitantly elevated in serum and tissues after ANIT-induced injury,the levels of bile acids decreased in bile,increased in serum,and ascended in intrahepatic tissue.Although the level of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase(γ-GT)changed in an opposite direction,the duration was much shorter than that of CES1 and was quickly restored to normal levels.Therefore,among the abovementioned biomarkers,only CES1 made it possible to specifically determine whether the liver cells were destroyed or damaged without interference from inflammation.CES1 also enabled accurate assessment of the anti-cholestasis effects of ursodeoxycholic acid(UDCA;single component)and Qing Fei Pai Du Decoction(QFPDD;multicomponent).We found that both QFPDD and UDCA attenuated ANIT-induced liver damage.UDCA was more potent in promoting bile excretion but showed relatively weaker anti-injury and antiinflammatory effects than QFPDD,whereas QFPDD was more effective in blocking liver inflammation and repairing liver damage.Our data highlights the potential of the combined use of CES1(as an intrahepatic marker of liver damage)and DPP-IV(as an extrahepatic marker of inflammation)for the accurate evaluation and tracking of liver-specific injury—an application that allows for the differentiation of liver damage and inflammatory liver injury.

Rapid bioluminescence assay for monitoring rat CES1 activity and its alteration by traditional Chinese medicines

In traditional Chinese medicine herbs(TCM),including Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae(Danshen),Radix Puerariae Lobatae(Gegen),Radix Angelicae Sinensis(Danggui),and Rhizoma Chuanxiong(Chuanxiong)are widely used for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases and also often co-administered with Western drugs as a part of integrative medicine practice.Carboxylesterase 1(CES1)plays a pivotal role in the metabolisms of pro-drugs,Since(S)-2-(2-(6-dimethylamino)-benzothiazole)-4,5-dihydrothiazole-4-carboxylate(NLMe)has recently been identified by us as a selective CES1 bioluminescent sensor,we developed a rapid method using this substrate for the direct measurement of CES1 activity in rats.This bioluminescence assay was applied to determine CES1 activity in rat tissues after a two-week oral administration of each of the four herbs noted above.The results demonstrated the presence of CES1 enzyme in rat blood and all tested tissues with much higher enzyme activity in the blood,liver,kidney and heart than that in the small intestine,spleen,lung,pancreas,brain and stomach.In addition,the four herbs showed tissue-specific effects on rat CES1 expression.Based on the CES1 biodistribution and its changes after treatment in rats,the possibility that Danshen,Gegen and Danggui might alter CES1 activities in human blood and kidney should be considered.In summary,a selective and sensitive bioluminescence assay was developed to rapidly evaluate CES1 activity and the effects of orally administered TCMs in rats.

Characterization of a Thermostable, Recombinant Carboxylesterase from the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon <em>Metallosphaera sedula</em>DSM5348

Lipid-producing microalgae are emerging as the leading platform for producing alternative biofuels in response to diminishing petroleum reserves. Optimization of fatty acid production is required for efficient conversion of microalgal fatty acids into usable transportation fuels. Microbial lipases/esterases can be used to enhance fatty acid production because of their efficacy in catalyzing hydrolysis of esters into alcohols and fatty acids while minimizing the potential poisoning of catalysts needed in the biofuel production process. Although studies have extensively focused on lipases/esterases produced by mesophilic organisms, an understanding of lipases/esterases produced by thermophilic, acidic tolerant microbes, such as Metallosphaera sedula, is limited. In this work, the carboxylesterase from Metallosphaera sedula DSM5348 encoded by Msed_1072 was recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli strain BL21 (λDE3). The purified enzyme either with a hexahistidine (His6)-tag (Msed_1072Nt and Msed_1072Ct) or without the hexahistidine (His6)-tag (Msed_1072) was biochemically characterized using a variety of substrates over a range of temperatures and pH and in the presence of metal ions, organic solvents, and detergents. In this study, the fusion of the protein with a hexahistidine (His6)-tag did not result in a change in substrate specificity, but the findings provide information on which enzyme variant can hydrolyze fatty acid esters in the presence of various chemicals, and this has important implication for their use in industrial processes. It also demonstrates that Metallosphaera sedula Msed_1072 can have application in microalgae-based biofuel production systems.