Publications by authors named "Todd Lowther"

Hyperoxaluria is a condition in which there is a pathologic abundance of oxalate in the urine through either hepatic overproduction (primary hyperoxaluria [PH]) or excessive enteric absorption of dietary oxalate (enteric hyperoxaluria [EH]). Severity can vary with the most severe forms causing kidney failure and extrarenal manifestations. To address the current challenges and innovations in hyperoxaluria, the 14th International Hyperoxaluria Workshop convened in Perugia, Italy, bringing together international experts for focused presentation and discussion.

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Cannabinoid receptor interacting protein 1a (CRIP1a) modulates CB cannabinoid receptor G-protein coupling in part by altering the selectivity for Gα subtype activation, but the molecular basis for this function of CRIP1a is not known. We report herein the first structure of CRIP1a at a resolution of 1.55 Å.

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Article Synopsis
  • Glycolate oxidase (GO) and lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) are key targets for treating primary hyperoxaluria (PH) as they contribute to oxalate production.
  • A research team designed novel dual inhibitors targeting both GO and LDHA to potentially enhance treatment effectiveness over individual drugs.
  • Despite the inhibitors showing promise in laboratory assays, they struggled with liver exposure, limiting the potential benefits of using them together compared to single-agent treatments.
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Human peroxiredoxins (Prx) are a family of antioxidant enzymes involved in a myriad of cellular functions and diseases. During the reaction with peroxides (e.g.

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Article Synopsis
  • Tumorigenesis is associated with increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS), prompting cancer cells to enhance their antioxidant defenses and redox signaling pathways.
  • *Thiostrepton (TS) targets mitochondrial peroxiredoxin 3 (PRX3), an enzyme that detoxifies hydrogen peroxide, by modifying its key cysteine residues, leading to PRX3 inactivation.
  • *Studies show that PRX3 expression and mROS levels correlate with sensitivity to TS in malignant mesothelioma, indicating that PRX3's structural properties make it a promising target for therapies that increase prooxidants in cancer cells.
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Endocannabinoid signaling depends upon the CB and CB cannabinoid receptors, their endogenous ligands anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol, and intracellular proteins that mediate responses via the C-terminal and other intracellular receptor domains. The CB receptor regulates and is regulated by associated G proteins predominantly of the Gi/o subtypes, β-arrestins 1 and 2, and the cannabinoid receptor-interacting protein 1a (CRIP1a). Evidence for a physiological role for CRIP1a is emerging as data regarding the cellular localization and function of CRIP1a are generated.

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Patients with primary hyperoxaluria experience kidney stones from a young age and can develop progressive oxalate nephropathy. Progression to kidney failure often develops over a number of years, and is associated with systemic oxalosis, intensive dialysis, and often combined kidney and liver transplantation. There are no therapies approved by the Food and Drug Association.

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The major clinical manifestation of the Primary Hyperoxalurias (PH) is increased production of oxalate, as a consequence of genetic mutations that lead to aberrant glyoxylate and hydroxyproline metabolism. Hyperoxaluria can lead to the formation of calcium-oxalate kidney stones, nephrocalcinosis and renal failure. Current therapeutic approaches rely on organ transplants and more recently modifying the pathway of oxalate synthesis using siRNA therapy.

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Cannabinoid receptor interacting protein 1a (CRIP1a) is an important CB cannabinoid receptor-associated protein, first identified from a yeast two-hybrid screen to modulate CB-mediated N-type Ca currents. In this paper we review studies of CRIP1a function and structure based upon in vitro experiments and computational chemistry, which elucidate the specific mechanisms for the interaction of CRIP1a with CB receptors. N18TG2 neuronal cells overexpressing or silencing CRIP1a highlighted the ability of CRIP1 to regulate cyclic adenosine 3',5'monophosphate (cAMP) production and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) phosphorylation.

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Peroxiredoxins (Prx) are enzymes that efficiently reduce hydroperoxides through active participation of cysteine residues (C, C). The first step in catalysis, the reduction of peroxide substrate, is fast, 10 - 10 Ms for human Prx2. In addition, the high intracellular concentration of Prx positions them not only as good antioxidants but also as central players in redox signaling pathways.

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To prevent the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and limit associated damage to biological macromolecules, cells express a variety of oxidant-detoxifying enzymes, including peroxiredoxins. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the peroxiredoxin Tsa1 plays a key role in peroxide clearance and maintenance of genome stability. Five homodimers of Tsa1 can assemble into a toroid-shaped decamer, with the active sites in the enzyme being shared between individual dimers in the decamer.

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Peroxiredoxins have a long-established cellular function as regulators of redox metabolism by catalyzing the reduction of peroxides (e.g., H₂O₂, lipid peroxides) with high catalytic efficiency.

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Cysteine sulfinic acid or S-sulfinylation is an oxidative post-translational modification (OxiPTM) that is known to be involved in redox-dependent regulation of protein function but has been historically difficult to analyze biochemically. To facilitate the detection of S-sulfinylated proteins, we demonstrate that a clickable, electrophilic diazene probe (DiaAlk) enables capture and site-centric proteomic analysis of this OxiPTM. Using this workflow, we revealed a striking difference between sulfenic acid modification (S-sulfenylation) and the S-sulfinylation dynamic response to oxidative stress, which is indicative of different roles for these OxiPTMs in redox regulation.

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2-Cys peroxiredoxins (Prxs) modulate hydrogen peroxide (HO)-mediated cell signaling. At high HO levels, eukaryotic Prxs can be inactivated by hyperoxidation and are classified as sensitive Prxs. In contrast, prokaryotic Prxs are categorized as being resistant to hyperoxidation and lack the GGLG and C-terminal YF motifs present in the sensitive Prxs.

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Article Synopsis
  • Endogenous oxalate synthesis is a key factor in calcium oxalate stone disease, particularly in inherited conditions like primary hyperoxaluria (PH), but its mechanisms are not fully understood.
  • A study involving 28 participants measured how hydroxyproline (Hyp) metabolism contributes to the formation of oxalate and glycolate through intravenous infusions, revealing significant differences between healthy individuals and those with various types of PH.
  • Results showed that Hyp metabolism is a significant source of urinary oxalate in individuals with PH, especially PH2 and PH3; however, the main sources of oxalate in PH1 patients remain unidentified.
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Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are essential lipids for cell function, normal growth, and development, serving as key structural components of biological membranes and modulating critical signal transduction events. Omega-3 (n-3) long chain PUFAs (LC-PUFAs) such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have been shown to protect against inflammatory diseases and enhance brain development and function. This had led to a marked increase in demand for fish and fish oils in human diets, supplements, and aquaculture and created a need for new, sustainable n-3 LC-PUFA sources.

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The selective reaction of chemical reagents with reduced protein thiols is critical to biological research. This reaction is utilized to prevent cross-linking of cysteine-containing peptides in common proteomics workflows and is applied widely in discovery and targeted redox investigations of the mechanisms underlying physiological and pathological processes. However, known and commonly used thiol blocking reagents like iodoacetamide, N-ethylmaleimide, and others were found to cross-react with oxidized protein sulfenic acids (-SOH) introducing significant errors in studies employing these reagents.

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Article Synopsis
  • CRIP1a interacts with cannabinoid receptors (CBRs) and influences how these receptors interact with G-proteins and β-arrestin proteins.
  • Coimmunoprecipitation studies show that CRIP1a and β-arrestin cannot bind simultaneously to the CBR, indicating they compete for the same binding sites.
  • Overexpressing CRIP1a reduces the redistribution of β-arrestin during receptor internalization, while knocking it down increases β-arrestin activity, suggesting that CRIP1a plays a key role in regulating CBR internalization through its interaction with β-arrestin.
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Fatty acid synthase (FASN), the enzyme that catalyzes de novo synthesis of fatty acids, is expressed in many cancer types. Its potential as a therapeutic target is well recognized, but inhibitors of FASN have not yet been approved for cancer therapy. Orlistat (ORL), an FDA-approved lipase inhibitor, is also an effective inhibitor of FASN.

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The type I fatty acid synthase (FASN) is responsible for the de novo synthesis of palmitate. Chain length selection and release is performed by the C-terminal thioesterase domain (TE1). FASN expression is up-regulated in cancer, and its activity levels are controlled by gene dosage and transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms.

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Article Synopsis
  • Excessive endogenous oxalate synthesis can lead to kidney stones and renal failure, with hydroxyproline metabolism being a key contributor.
  • Researchers infused different mouse models with labeled hydroxyproline to measure its role in urinary oxalate excretion, finding that Agxt KO mice produced significantly more oxalate than wild-type mice.
  • SiRNA targeting specific liver enzymes successfully reduced enzyme expression and urinary oxalate levels in Agxt KO mice, suggesting a potential treatment strategy for reducing kidney oxalate load in Primary Hyperoxaluria patients.
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Mammalian 2-cysteine peroxiredoxins (Prxs) are susceptible to hyperoxidation by excess H2O2. The cytoplasmic family member Prx2 hyperoxidizes more readily than mitochondrial Prx3 due to slower dimerization of the sulfenic acid (SpOH) intermediate. Four variant amino acids near the C-terminus have been shown to contribute to this difference.

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Primary Hyperoxaluria Type 3 is a recently discovered form of this autosomal recessive disease that results from mutations in the gene coding for 4-hydroxy-2-oxoglutarate aldolase (HOGA1). This enzyme is one of the 2 unique enzymes in the hydroxyproline catabolism pathway. Affected individuals have increased urinary excretions of oxalate, 4-hydroxy-L-glutamate (4-OH-Glu), 4-hydroxy-2-oxoglutarate (HOG), and 2,4-dihydroxyglutarate (DHG).

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Dysregulation of signaling pathways and energy metabolism in cancer cells enhances production of mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide that supports tumorigenesis through multiple mechanisms. To counteract the adverse effects of mitochondrial peroxide many solid tumor types up-regulate the mitochondrial thioredoxin reductase 2--thioredoxin 2 (TRX2)--peroxiredoxin 3 (PRX3) antioxidant network. Using malignant mesothelioma cells as a model, we show that thiostrepton (TS) irreversibly disables PRX3 via covalent crosslinking of peroxidatic and resolving cysteine residues in homodimers, and that targeting the oxidoreductase TRX2 with the triphenylmethane gentian violet (GV) potentiates adduction by increasing levels of disulfide-bonded PRX3 dimers.

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The primary hyperoxalurias (PH), types 1-3, are disorders of glyoxylate metabolism that result in increased oxalate production and calcium oxalate stone formation. The breakdown of trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline (Hyp) from endogenous and dietary sources of collagen makes a significant contribution to the cellular glyoxylate pool. Proline dehydrogenase 2 (PRODH2), historically known as hydroxyproline oxidase, is the first step in the hydroxyproline catabolic pathway and represents a drug target to reduce the glyoxylate and oxalate burden of PH patients.

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