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Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences :... Jul 2003The polyamines spermidine and spermine along with the diamine putrescine are involved in many cellular processes, including chromatin condensation, maintenance of DNA... (Review)
Review
The polyamines spermidine and spermine along with the diamine putrescine are involved in many cellular processes, including chromatin condensation, maintenance of DNA structure, RNA processing, translation and protein activation. The polyamines influence the formation of compacted chromatin and have a well-established role in DNA aggregation. Polyamines are used in the posttranslational modification of eukaryotic initiation factor 5A, which regulates the transport and processing of specific RNA. The polyamines also participate in a novel RNA-decoding mechanism, a translational frame-shift, of at least two known genes, the TY1 transposon and mammalian antizyme. Polyamines are crucial for their own regulation and are involved in feedback mechanisms affecting both polyamine synthesis and catabolism. Recently, it has become apparent that the polyamines are able to influence the action of the protein kinase casein kinase 2. Here we address several roles of polyamines in gene expression.
Topics: Animals; Casein Kinase II; DNA; Gene Expression Regulation; Humans; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Protein Biosynthesis; Protein Processing, Post-Translational; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; Putrescine; Spermidine; Spermine; Transcription, Genetic
PubMed: 12943227
DOI: 10.1007/s00018-003-2332-4 -
Journal of Cellular and Molecular... 2003Polyamines are aliphatic cations present in all cells. In normal cells, polyamine levels are intricately controlled by biosynthetic and catabolic enzymes. The... (Review)
Review
Polyamines are aliphatic cations present in all cells. In normal cells, polyamine levels are intricately controlled by biosynthetic and catabolic enzymes. The biosynthetic enzymes are ornithine decarboxylase, S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase, spermidine synthase, and spermine synthase. The catabolic enzymes include spermidine/spermine acetyltransferase, flavin containing polyamine oxidase, copper containing diamine oxidase, and possibly other amine oxidases. Multiple abnormalities in the control of polyamine metabolism and uptake might be responsible for increased levels of polyamines in cancer cells as compared to that of normal cells. This review is designed to look at the current research in polyamine biosynthesis, catabolism, and transport pathways, enumerate the functions of polyamines, and assess the potential for using polyamine metabolism or function as targets for cancer therapy.
Topics: Acetyltransferases; Adenosylmethionine Decarboxylase; Animals; Cell Line; Humans; Neoplasms; Ornithine Decarboxylase; Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors; Polyamines; Spermidine Synthase; Spermine Synthase; Polyamine Oxidase
PubMed: 12927050
DOI: 10.1111/j.1582-4934.2003.tb00210.x -
Biochemistry Jun 2018Polyamines such as putrescine, spermidine, and spermine are small aliphatic cations that serve myriad biological functions in all forms of life. While polyamine... (Review)
Review
Polyamines such as putrescine, spermidine, and spermine are small aliphatic cations that serve myriad biological functions in all forms of life. While polyamine biosynthesis and cellular trafficking pathways are generally well-defined, only recently has the molecular basis of reversible polyamine acetylation been established. In particular, enzymes that catalyze polyamine deacetylation reactions have been identified and structurally characterized: histone deacetylase 10 (HDAC10) from Homo sapiens and Danio rerio (zebrafish) is a highly specific N-acetylspermidine deacetylase, and its prokaryotic counterpart, acetylpolyamine amidohydrolase (APAH) from Mycoplana ramosa, is a broad-specificity polyamine deacetylase. Similar to the greater family of HDACs, which mainly serve as lysine deacetylases, both enzymes adopt the characteristic arginase-deacetylase fold and employ a Zn-activated water molecule for catalysis. In contrast with HDACs, however, the active sites of HDAC10 and APAH are sterically constricted to enforce specificity for long, slender polyamine substrates and exclude bulky peptides and proteins containing acetyl-l-lysine. Crystal structures of APAH and D. rerio HDAC10 reveal that quaternary structure, i.e., dimer assembly, provides the steric constriction that directs the polyamine substrate specificity of APAH, whereas tertiary structure, a unique 3 helix defined by the P(E,A)CE motif, provides the steric constriction that directs the polyamine substrate specificity of HDAC10. Given the recent identification of HDAC10 and spermidine as mediators of autophagy, HDAC10 is rapidly emerging as a biomarker and target for the design of isozyme-selective inhibitors that will suppress autophagic responses to cancer chemotherapy, thereby rendering cancer cells more susceptible to cytotoxic drugs.
Topics: Acetylation; Amidohydrolases; Aminohydrolases; Animals; Biogenic Polyamines; Catalysis; Catalytic Domain; Eukaryotic Cells; Histone Deacetylases; Humans; Prokaryotic Cells; Protein Structural Elements; Putrescine; Spermidine; Spermine; Substrate Specificity
PubMed: 29533602
DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00079 -
Cells Mar 2022Polyamines are ubiquitous, amine-rich molecules with diverse processes in biology. Recent work has highlighted that polyamines exert profound roles on the mammalian... (Review)
Review
Polyamines are ubiquitous, amine-rich molecules with diverse processes in biology. Recent work has highlighted that polyamines exert profound roles on the mammalian immune system, particularly inflammation and cancer. The mechanisms by which they control immunity are still being described. In the context of inflammation and autoimmunity, polyamine levels inversely correlate to autoimmune phenotypes, with lower polyamine levels associated with higher inflammatory responses. Conversely, in the context of cancer, polyamines and polyamine biosynthetic genes positively correlate with the severity of malignancy. Blockade of polyamine metabolism in cancer results in reduced tumor growth, and the effects appear to be mediated by an increase in T-cell infiltration and a pro-inflammatory phenotype of macrophages. These studies suggest that polyamine depletion leads to inflammation and that polyamine enrichment potentiates myeloid cell immune suppression. Indeed, combinatorial treatment with polyamine blockade and immunotherapy has shown efficacy in pre-clinical models of cancer. Considering the efficacy of immunotherapies is linked to autoimmune sequelae in humans, termed immune-adverse related events (iAREs), this suggests that polyamine levels may govern the inflammatory response to immunotherapies. This review proposes that polyamine metabolism acts to balance autoimmune inflammation and anti-tumor immunity and that polyamine levels can be used to monitor immune responses and responsiveness to immunotherapy.
Topics: Animals; Autoimmunity; Immunotherapy; Inflammation; Mammals; Neoplasms; Polyamines
PubMed: 35269518
DOI: 10.3390/cells11050896 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2023Over the past two decades, the strategy of conjugating polyamine tails with bioactive molecules such as anticancer and antimicrobial agents, as well as antioxidant and... (Review)
Review
Over the past two decades, the strategy of conjugating polyamine tails with bioactive molecules such as anticancer and antimicrobial agents, as well as antioxidant and neuroprotective scaffolds, has been widely exploited to enhance their pharmacological profile. Polyamine transport is elevated in many pathological conditions, suggesting that the polyamine portion could improve cellular and subcellular uptake of the conjugate via the polyamine transporter system. In this review, we have presented a glimpse on the polyamine conjugate scenario, classified by therapeutic area, of the last decade with the aim of highlighting achievements and fostering future developments.
Topics: Polyamines; Biological Transport
PubMed: 37298993
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28114518 -
Allergy Oct 2018Airway epithelial injury is a crucial component of acute and severe asthma pathogenesis and a promising target for treatment of refractory asthma. However, the...
BACKGROUND
Airway epithelial injury is a crucial component of acute and severe asthma pathogenesis and a promising target for treatment of refractory asthma. However, the underlying mechanism of epithelial injury remains poorly explored. Although high levels of polyamines, mainly spermine, have been found in asthma and comorbidity, their role in airway epithelial injury and the cause of their altered levels in asthma have not been explored.
METHODS
We measured key polyamine metabolic enzymes in lung samples from normal and asthmatic subjects and in mice with OVA-induced allergic airway inflammation (AAI). Polyamine metabolism was modulated using pharmacologic/genetic modulators. Epithelial stress and apoptosis were measured by TSLP levels and TUNEL assay, respectively.
RESULTS
We found loss of the polyamine catabolic enzymes spermidine/spermine-N (1)-acetyltransferase-1 (SAT1) and spermine oxidase (SMOX) predominantly in bronchial epithelial cells (BECs) of human asthmatic lung samples and mice with AAI. In naïve mice, SAT1 or SMOX knockdown led to airway hyper-responsiveness, remodeling, and BEC apoptosis. Conversely, in mice with AAI, overexpression of either SAT1 or SMOX alleviated asthmatic features and reduced TSLP levels and BEC apoptosis. Similarly, while pharmacological induction of SAT1 and SMOX using the polyamine analogue bis(ethyl)norspermine (BENSPM) alleviated asthmatic features with reduced TSLP levels and BEC apoptosis, pharmacological inhibition of these enzymes using BERENIL or MDL72527, respectively, worsened them. Spermine accumulation in lungs correlated with BEC apoptosis, and spermine treatment caused apoptosis of human BEAS-2B cells in vitro.
CONCLUSIONS
Spermine induces BEC injury. Induction of polyamine catabolism may represent a novel therapeutic approach for asthma via reversing BEC stress.
Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Asthma; Epithelial Cells; Epithelium; Humans; Lung; Mice; Polyamines; Respiratory System; Spermine
PubMed: 29729200
DOI: 10.1111/all.13472 -
Biomolecules Oct 2022Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders and severely impacts the life quality of patients. Polyamines are ubiquitous, positively charged aliphatic... (Review)
Review
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders and severely impacts the life quality of patients. Polyamines are ubiquitous, positively charged aliphatic amines that are present at a relatively high level and help regulate the maintenance of cell membrane excitability and neuronal physiological functions in the central nervous system. Studies have shown abnormalities in the synthesis and catabolism of polyamines in patients with epilepsy and in animal models of epilepsy. The polyamine system seems to involve in the pathophysiological processes of epilepsy via several mechanisms such as the regulation of ion permeability via interaction with ion channels, involvement in antioxidation as hydroperoxide scavengers, and the induction of cell damage via the production of toxic metabolites. In this review, we try to describe the possible associations between polyamines and epilepsy and speculate that the polyamine system is a potential target for the development of novel strategies for epilepsy treatment.
Topics: Animals; Polyamines; Epilepsy; Central Nervous System; Neurons; Mental Disorders
PubMed: 36358946
DOI: 10.3390/biom12111596 -
Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics Jun 2022The roles and molecular interactions of polyamines (PAs) in the nucleus are not fully understood. Here their effect on nucleosome stability, a key regulatory factor in...
The roles and molecular interactions of polyamines (PAs) in the nucleus are not fully understood. Here their effect on nucleosome stability, a key regulatory factor in eukaryotic gene control, is reported, as measured in agarose embedded nuclei of H2B-GFP expressor HeLa cells. Nucleosome stability was assessed by quantitative microscopy [1,2] in situ, in close to native state of chromatin, preserving the nucleosome constrained topology of the genomic DNA. A robust destabilizing effect was observed in the millimolar concentration range in the case of spermine, spermidine as well as putrescine, which was strongly pH and salt concentration-dependent, and remained significant also at neutral pH. The integrity of genomic DNA was not affected by PA treatment, excluding DNA break-elicited topological relaxation as a factor in destabilization. The binding of PAs to DNA was demonstrated by the displacement of ethidium bromide, both from deproteinized nuclear halos and from plasmid DNA. The possibility that DNA methylation patterns may be influenced by PA levels is contemplated in the context of gene expression and DNA methylation correlations identified in the NCI-60 panel-based CellMiner database: methylated loci in subsets of high-ODC1 cell lines and the dependence of PER3 DNA methylation on PA metabolism.
Topics: DNA; HeLa Cells; Humans; Nucleosomes; Polyamines; Putrescine; Spermidine
PubMed: 35395253
DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2022.109184 -
The Biochemical Journal Nov 2003Polyamines are essential for the growth and function of normal cells. They interact with various macromolecules, both electrostatically and covalently and, as a... (Review)
Review
Polyamines are essential for the growth and function of normal cells. They interact with various macromolecules, both electrostatically and covalently and, as a consequence, have a variety of cellular effects. The complexity of polyamine metabolism and the multitude of compensatory mechanisms that are invoked to maintain polyamine homoeostasis argue that these amines are critical to cell survival. The regulation of polyamine content within cells occurs at several levels, including transcription and translation. In addition, novel features such as the +1 frameshift required for antizyme production and the rapid turnover of several of the enzymes involved in the pathway make the regulation of polyamine metabolism a fascinating subject. The link between polyamine content and human disease is unequivocal, and significant success has been obtained in the treatment of a number of parasitic infections. Targeting the polyamine pathway as a means of treating cancer has met with limited success, although the development of drugs such as DFMO (alpha-difluoromethylornithine), a rationally designed anticancer agent, has revolutionized our understanding of polyamine function in cell growth and provided 'proof of concept' that influencing polyamine metabolism and content within tumour cells will prevent tumour growth. The more recent development of the polyamine analogues has been pivotal in advancing our understanding of the necessity to deplete all three polyamines to induce apoptosis in tumour cells. The current thinking is that the polyamine inhibitors/analogues may also be useful agents in the chemoprevention of cancer and, in this area, we may yet see a revival of DFMO. The future will be in adopting a functional genomics approach to identifying polyamine-regulated genes linked to either carcinogenesis or apoptosis.
Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Biological Transport; Cations; Cell Death; Cell Division; Eflornithine; Enzyme Inhibitors; Models, Chemical; Polyamines
PubMed: 13678416
DOI: 10.1042/BJ20031327 -
The Journal of Biological Chemistry Nov 2018Potassium channels that exhibit the property of inward rectification (Kir channels) are present in most cells. Cloning of the first Kir channel genes 25 years ago led to... (Review)
Review
Potassium channels that exhibit the property of inward rectification (Kir channels) are present in most cells. Cloning of the first Kir channel genes 25 years ago led to recognition that inward rectification is a consequence of voltage-dependent block by cytoplasmic polyamines, which are also ubiquitously present in animal cells. Upon cellular depolarization, these polycationic metabolites enter the Kir channel pore from the intracellular side, blocking the movement of K ions through the channel. As a consequence, high K conductance at rest can provide very stable negative resting potentials, but polyamine-mediated blockade at depolarized potentials ensures, for instance, the long plateau phase of the cardiac action potential, an essential feature for a stable cardiac rhythm. Despite much investigation of the polyamine block, where exactly polyamines get to within the Kir channel pore and how the steep voltage dependence arises remain unclear. This Minireview will summarize current understanding of the relevance and molecular mechanisms of polyamine block and offer some ideas to try to help resolve the fundamental issue of the voltage dependence of polyamine block.
Topics: Ion Transport; Polyamines; Potassium; Potassium Channels; Protein Conformation
PubMed: 30333230
DOI: 10.1074/jbc.TM118.003344