Methods in Genetics and Clinical Interpretation |
From the Department, of Medicine–Division of Medical Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash.
Correspondence to Clement E. Furlong, Medical Genetics, Box 357720, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7720. E-mail clem{at}u.washington.edu
Key Words: enzymes genetics lipoproteins pharmacokinetics
| Introduction |
|---|
|
|
|---|
Editorial see p 79
Our initial characterization of the human PON1 cDNA clones revealed 2 coding region polymorphisms Q192R and L55 M.10 Subsequently, it was shown that the Q192R polymorphism determined high versus low rates of paraoxon hydrolysis by the enzyme, with the PON1R192 alloform specifying high activity.11,12 After the demonstration that high-density lipoprotein-associated PON1 was implicated in reducing low-density lipoprotein13 and high-density lipoprotein14 oxidation, epidemiological studies were undertaken to explore the possible role of genetic variability of PON1 in cardiovascular disease15 (reviewed in Ref. 16). Several meta-analyses of studies that examined only the association of PON1 genotypes with risk of vascular disease have been published in recent years. The first meta-analysis in 2001 by Mackness et al17 examined the 19 studies carried out up to that time as part of a study of PON1 status in 417 coronary heart disease subjects and 282 controls. A second meta-analysis examined 38 studies in addition to their own,18 whereas a third analyzed 43 previous studies.19 Unfortunately, the majority of the epidemiological studies examined only PON1 genotypes using DNA methodologies and ignored the large interindividual variability in plasma PON1 activity levels. Fundamental biochemical and physiological principles dictate that rates of detoxication or metabolism depend on the quantity of enzyme present. Thus, it is not surprising that many analyses examining disease or exposure risk using only single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis and not enzyme activity levels have been inconclusive. Several of the most experienced investigators in PON1 research have pointed out the inadequacy of examining PON1 genotype alone as a risk factor for disease or exposure.15,20–27 We introduced the term PON1 status to include both plasma PON1 activity levels and PON1192 genotype.23 The few studies that have examined PON1 status have found that plasma PON1 activity level is indeed a risk factor for vascular disease,17,25,26,28–31 whereas there was no association observed with PON1 genotypes.17,25,26
The importance of plasma PON1 activity level in protecting against OP exposure has been clearly demonstrated in the mouse and genetically modified mouse model systems.23,32–36 Resistance to diazoxon exposure is modulated primarily by PON1 plasma activity level, whereas both PON1 activity level and PON1 genotype are important in modulating exposures to chlorpyrifos oxon, due to substrate-specific differences in catalytic efficiency between the PON1Q192 and the PON1R192 alloforms.34
The most convenient protocol for determining PON1 status—plasma activity levels as well as functional position 192 genotype—makes use of a 2-substrate assay, 2-dimensional enzyme activity plot that displays rates of diazoxonase activity versus POase activity under high salt conditions.24,27,37,38 The high salt conditions are used to separate the PON1192Q/R data points from the PON1192R/R data points. Unfortunately, this protocol involves the use of 2 highly toxic OP substrates. We report here a 2-substrate assay/analysis protocol that makes use of non-OP substrates and is convenient for general laboratory use. A third assay that measures rates of phenyl acetate (PA) hydrolysis (AREase activity) at low salt concentration reveals plasma PON1 activity levels for all 3 PON1192 genotypes. Factors are provided to allow the conversion of rates of hydrolysis of one substrate to another for each PON1192 phenotype.
| Methods |
|---|
|
|
|---|
4-(Chloromethyl)phenyl Acetate Assay
CMPA [4-(chloromethyl)phenyl acetate] was obtained from Sigma Chemical Co (St Louis, Mo). Rates of CMPA hydrolysis were determined in a SPECTRAmax PLUS Microplate Spectrophotometer (Molecular Devices, Sunnyvale, Calif) using ultraviolet transparent 96-well microplates from Costar (Cambridge, Mass.). Rates of hydrolysis were measured at 280 nm for 4 minutes at 25°C. Only initial linear rates were used for calculations, and results were normalized using the path-length correction software supplied by the system manufacturer. Replicate assays that varied by >10% were repeated. Plasma samples were diluted 1:40 in dilution buffer [20 mmol/L Tris-HCl (pH 8.0), 1.0 mmol/L CaCl2] and 20 µL was added per microplate well. The data points were run in triplicate. The substrate solution for CMPA determinations was 20 mmol/L Tris-HCl (pH 8.0), 1.0 mmol/L CaCl2 to which CMPA was added to a final concentration of 3 mmol/L. The substrate solution was shaken vigorously for 30 seconds in a screw-capped polypropylene tube before use. Substrate solution (200 µL) was added to initiate the assay. Activities were expressed in Units/mL, based on the molar extinction coefficient of 1.30 mmol/L–1cm–1 for the CMPA hydrolysis product, 4-(chloromethyl)phenol.
Arylesterase Assays (High Salt/No Salt)
Rates of PA hydrolysis were determined in the SPECTRAmax PLUS Microplate Spectrophotometer using ultraviolet transparent 96-well microplates from Costar. Rates of hydrolysis of PA were measured for 4 minutes at 270 nm, with only initial linear rates used for calculations, with results normalized using the path-length correction software provided by the manufacturer. Replicates that varied by >10% were repeated. AREase assays used plasma dilutions (in dilution buffer) of 1:40 for assays run at high salt concentration and 1:80 for assays run at low salt concentration. The assay used 20 µL of diluted plasma per well to which 200 µL of 3.26 mmol/L PA substrate was added in either high salt assay buffer, or no salt assay buffer. High salt PA buffer contained 2 mol/L NaCl, 20 mmol/L Tris-HCl (pH 8.0), 1.0 mmol/L CaCl2, and low salt assay buffer contained 20 mmol/L Tris-HCl (pH 8.0), 1.0 mmol/L CaCl2. Activities were expressed in Units/mL, based on the molar extinction coefficient of 1.31 mmol/L–1cm–1 for phenol.
Paraoxonase and Diazoxonase Assays
Plasma PON1 activities toward paraoxon (PO) and diazoxon (DZO) and were determined as described previously.24,38 Paraoxon and diazoxon were obtained from Chem Service (West Chester, Pa.). Rates of paraoxon and diazoxon hydrolysis were determined in the SPECTRAmax PLUS Microplate Spectrophotometer using either ultraviolet transparent 96-well microplates from Costar for UV diazoxonase readings (270 nm) or standard flat bottom 96-well microplates from Greiner One (Monroe, N.C.) for visible wavelength POase readings (405 nm). All assays were carried out in triplicate using a multi-channel pipette (Matrix, Hudson, N.H.). Outlier samples were reassayed. Rates of hydrolysis were measured for 4 minutes, with only initial linear rates used for calculations and results normalized using path-length correction. PO hydrolysis rates (POase) were expressed in Units/liter (U/L), based on the molar extinction coefficient of 18 mmol/L–1cm–1 for p-nitrophenol. DZO hydrolysis (DZOase) activities were expressed in Units/liter (U/L), based on the molar extinction coefficient of 3 mmol/L–1cm–1 for the diazoxon hydrolysis product, 2-isopropyl-4-methyl-6-hydroxypyrimidine.
| Results |
|---|
|
|
|---|
Figure 1 shows the structures of the 4 substrates used to determine PON1 status. The first step in the design of a spectrophotometric assay for substrate hydrolysis is to examine the spectra of the unhydrolyzed ester and the released alcohol. Aromatic alcohols in general provide useful spectral shifts on hydrolysis. Figure 2 shows the spectra of CMPA and 4-(chloromethyl)phenol. The wavelength of 280 nm was chosen for continuous monitoring of the hydrolysis of CMPA.
|
|
The effects of varying NaCl concentration on rates of PA hydrolysis are shown in Figure 3A. As with diazoxon hydrolysis,24 PON1R192 was more sensitive to inhibition by NaCl than was PON1Q192. Because most of the currently used assays are run at 2 mol/L NaCl, and this level of salt provided a good differentiation of the activity of the 2 PON1192 alloforms, 2 mol/L NaCl was selected for optimizing the spread of the data points for the "y axis substrate" PA. Because we have previously shown that rates of PA hydrolysis in absence of NaCl may be used to compare levels of plasma PON1 across PON1192 genotypes, rates of PA hydrolysis were also determined in the absence of salt.
|
|
|
|
|
| Discussion |
|---|
|
|
|---|
There have been a number of reports linking low PON1 activity levels to the L55 M polymorphism with the PON1M55 allele being associated with low activity levels. However, most of this effect seems to be related to linkage disequilibrium of PON1M55 with the inefficient PON1T-108 allele.42 Leviev et al have reported that message levels46 and stability47 of the PON1M55 alloform may also contribute to the lower levels of PON1 activity associated with the PON1M55 genotype. AREase levels in a study of 1527 postmenopausal women reported by Roest et al48 were lower among PON1M55 homozygotes when compared with heterozygotes and PON1L55 homozygotes across all 3 PON1C-108T genotypes, lending support to an independent effect of the PON1M55 allele.
Of the 70 substrates tested, only PA (at high salt) and CMPA (in absence of salt) provided resolution of the 3 PON1 phenotypes comparable with that provided by the paraoxon/diazoxon substrate pair. Another advantage of this substrate pair is that rates of hydrolysis can be determined at saturating substrate concentration. This was not feasible for diazoxon, where a nonsaturating concentration of 1 mmol/L was chosen for convenience and substrate solubility.24,38
| Conclusions |
|---|
|
|
|---|
200 PON1 DNA polymorphisms will not provide the critical information generated by the 2-substrate PON1 status analysis protocol (functional PON1192 genotype and plasma activity levels).48 | Acknowledgments |
|---|
This work was supported by National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (ES09883) (Dr Furlong), (ES04696) (Dr Checkoway), (ES07033) (Dr Eaton), and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (RO1 HL67406 and HL074366) (Dr Jarvik).
Disclosures
None.
| References |
|---|
|
|
|---|
2. Mackness MI, Hallam SD, Peard T, Warner S, Walker CH. The separation of sheep and human serum "A"-esterase activity into the lipoprotein fraction by ultracentrifugation. Comp Biochem Physiol B. 1985; 82: 675–677.[CrossRef][Medline]
3. Blatter MC, James RW, Messmer S, Barja F, Pometta D. Identification of a distinct human high-density lipoprotein subspecies defined by a lipoprotein-associated protein, K-45. Identity of K-45 with paraoxonase. Eur J Biochem. 1993; 211: 871–879.[Medline]
4. Draganov DI, Stetson PL, Watson CE, Billecke SS, La Du BN. Rabbit serum paraoxonase 3 (PON3) is a high density lipoprotein-associated lactonase and protects low density lipoprotein against oxidation. J Biol Chem. 2000; 275: 33435–33442.
5. Reddy ST, Wadleigh DJ, Grijalva V, Ng C, Hama S, Gangopadhyay A, Shih DM, Lusis AJ, Navab M, Fogelman AM. Human paraoxonase-3 is an HDL-associated enzyme with biological activity similar to paraoxonase-1 protein but is not regulated by oxidized lipids. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2001; 21: 542–547.
6. Aldridge WN. Serum esterases II. An enzyme hydrolysing diethyl p-nitrophenyl acetate (E600) and its identity with the A-esterase of mammalian sera. Biochem J. 1953; 53: 117–124.[Medline]
7. La Du BN. Historical considerations. In: Costa LG, Furlong CE, eds. Paraoxonase (PON1) in Health and Disease: Basic and Clinical Aspects. Boston: Kluwer Academic Press; 2002: 1–25.
8. Sorenson RC, Primo-Parmo SL, Kuo CL, Adkins S, Lockridge O, La Du BN. Reconsideration of the catalytic center and mechanism of mammalian paraoxonase/arylesterase. Proc Nat Acad Sci USA. 1995; 92: 7187–7191.
9. Ortigoza-Ferado J, Richter R, Hornung SK, Motulsky AG, Furlong CE. Paraoxon hydrolysis in human serum mediated by a genetically variable arylesterase and albumin. Am J Hum Genet. 1984; 36: 295–305.[Medline]
10. Hassett C, Richter RJ Humbert R, Chapline C, Crabb JW, Omiecinski CJ, Furlong CE. Characterization of cDNA clones encoding rabbit and human serum paraoxonase: the mature protein retains its signal sequence. Biochemistry. 1991; 30: 10141–10149.[CrossRef][Medline]
11. Adkins S, Gan KN, Mody M, La Du BN. Molecular basis for the polymorphic forms of human serum paraoxonase/arylesterase: glutamine or arginine at position 191 for the respective A or B allozymes. Am J Hum Genet. 1993; 52: 598–608.[Medline]
12. Humbert R, Adler DA, Disteche CM, Hassett C, Omiecinski CJ, Furlong CE. The molecular basis of the human serum paraoxonase activity polymorphism. Nat Genet. 1993; 3: 73–76.[CrossRef][Medline]
13. Mackness MI, Arrol S, Durrington PN. Paraoxonase prevents accumulation of lipoperoxides in low-density lipoprotein. FEBS Lett. 1991; 286: 152–154.[CrossRef][Medline]
14. Aviram M, Rosenblat M, Bisgaier CL, Newton RS, Primo-Parmo SL, La Du BN. Paraoxonase inhibits high-density lipoprotein oxidation and preserves its functions. A possible peroxidative role for paraoxonase. J Clin Invest. 1998; 101: 1581–1590.[Medline]
15. Ruiz J, Blanché H, James RW, Garin MC, Vaisse C, Charpentier G, Cohen N, Morabia A, Passa P, Froguel P. Gln-Arg192 polymorphism of paraoxonase and coronary heart disease in type 2 diabetes. Lancet. 1995; 346: 869–872.[CrossRef][Medline]
16. James RW. A long and winding road: defining the biological role and clinical importance of paraoxonases. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2006; 44: 1052–1059.[CrossRef][Medline]
17. Mackness B, Davies GK, Turkie W, Lee E, Roberts DH, Hill E, Roberts C, Durrington PN, Mackness MI. Paraoxonase status in coronary heart disease: are activity and concentration more important than genotype? Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2001; 21: 1451–1457.
18. Lawlor DA, Gaunt TR, Hinks LJ, Davey Smith G, Timpson N, Day IN, Ebrahim S. The association of the PON1 Q192R polymorphism with complications and outcomes of pregnancy: findings from the British Womens Heart and Health cohort study. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2006; 20: 244–250.[CrossRef][Medline]
19. Wheeler JG, Keavney BD, Watkins H, Collins R, Danesh J. Four paraoxonase gene polymorphisms in 11212 cases of coronary heart disease and 12786 controls: meta-analysis of 43 studies. Lancet. 2004; 363: 689–695.[CrossRef][Medline]
20. La Du BN, Billecke S, Hsu C, Haley RW, Broomfield CA. Serum paraoxonase (PON1) isozymes: the quantitative analysis of isozymes affecting individual sensitivity to environmental chemicals. Drug Metab Disp. 2001; 29: 566–569.
21. Draganov DI, La Du BN. Pharmacogenetics of paraoxonases, a brief review. Naunyn-Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. 2004; 369: 78–88.[CrossRef][Medline]
22. Deakin SP, James RW. Genetic and environmental factors modulating serum concentrations and activities of the antioxidant enzyme paraoxonase-1. Clin Sci (Lond). 2004; 107: 435–447.[Medline]
23. Li W-F, Costa LG, Furlong CE. Serum paraoxonase status: a major factor in determining resistance to organophosphates. J Toxicol Environ Health. 1993; 40: 337–346.[Medline]
24. Richter RJ, Furlong CE. Determination of paraoxonase (PON1) status requires more than genotyping. Pharmacogenetics. 1999; 9: 745–753.[Medline]
25. Jarvik GP, Rozek LS, Brophy VH, Hatsukami TS, Richter RJ, Schellenberg GD, Furlong CE. Paraoxonase phenotype is a better predictor of vascular disease than PON1192 or PON155 genotype. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2000; 20: 2442–2447.
26. Jarvik GP, Hatsukami TS, Carlson CS, Richter RJ, Jampsa R, Brophy VH, Margolin S, Rieder MJ, Nickerson DA, Schellenberg GD, Heagerty PJ, Furlong CE. Paraoxonase activity, but not haplotype utilizing the linkage disequilibrium structure predicts vascular disease. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2003a; 23: 1465–1471.
27. Jarvik GP, Jampsa R, Richter RJ, Carlson C, Rieder M, Nickerson D, Furlong CE. Novel paraoxonase (PON1) nonsense and missense mutations predicted by functional genomic assay of PON1 status. Pharmacogenetics. 2003b; 13: 291–295.[CrossRef][Medline]
28. Mackness M, Mackness B. Paraoxonase 1 and atherosclerosis: is the gene or the protein more important? Free Radic Biol Med. 2004; 37: 1317–1323.[CrossRef][Medline]
29. Warner S, Walker CH. Distribution of paraoxon hydrolyzing activity in the serum of patients after myocardial infarction. Clin Chem. 1986; 32: 671–673.
30. Navab M, Hama-Levy S, Van Lenten BJ, Fonarow GC, Cardinez CJ, Castellani LW, Brennan M-L, Lusis AJ, Fogelman AM, La Du BN. Mildly oxidized LDL induces an increased apolipoprotein J/paraoxonase ratio. J Clin Invest. 1997; 99: 2005–2019.[Medline]
31. Ayub A, Mackness MI, Arrol S, Mackness B, Patel J, Durrington PN. Serum paraoxonase after myocardial infarction. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 1999; 19: 330–335.
32. Li W-F, Furlong CE, Costa LG. Paraoxonase protects against chlorpyrifos toxicity in mice. Toxicol Lett. 1995; 76: 219–226.[CrossRef][Medline]
33. Shih DM, Gu L, Xia Y-R, Navab M, Li W-F, Hama S, Castellani LW, Furlong CE, Costa LG, Fogelman AM, Lusis AJ. Mice lacking serum paraoxonase are susceptible to organophosphate toxicity and atherosclerosis. Nature. 1998; 394: 284–287.[CrossRef][Medline]
34. Li W-F, Costa LG, Richter RJ, Hagen T, Shih DM, Tward A, Lusis AJ, Furlong CE. Catalytic efficiency determines the in vivo efficacy of PON1 for detoxifying organophosphates. Pharmacogenetics. 2000; 10: 767–780.[CrossRef][Medline]
35. Cole TB, Jampsa RL, Walter BJ, Arndt TL, Richter RJ, Shih DM, Tward A, Lusis AJ, Jack RM, Costa LG, Furlong CE. Expression of human paraoxonase (PON1) during development. Pharmacogenetics. 2003; 13: 357–364.[CrossRef][Medline]
36. Cole TB, Walter BJ, Shih DM, Tward AD, Lusis AJ, Timchalk C, Richter RJ, Costa LG, Furlong CE. Toxicity of chlorpyrifos and chlorpyrifos oxon in a transgenic mouse model of the human paraoxonase (PON1) Q192R polymorphism. Pharmacogenet Genomics. 2005; 15: 589–598.[CrossRef][Medline]
37. Davies H, Richter RJ, Keifer M, Broomfield C, Sowalla J, Furlong CE. The effect of the human serum paraoxonase polymorphism is reversed with diazoxon, soman and sarin. Nat Genet. 1996; 14: 334–336.[CrossRef][Medline]
38. Richter RJ, Jampsa RL, Jarvik GP, Costa LG, Furlong CE. Determination of paraoxonase 1 (PON1) status and genotypes at specific polymorphic sites. In: Mains MD, Costa LG, Reed DJ, Hodgson E, eds. Current Protocols in Toxicology. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons; 2004: 4.12.1–4.12.19.
39. Dowd JE, Riggs DS. A comparison of estimates of Michaelis-Menten kinetic constants from various linear transformations. J Biol Chem. 1965; 240: 863–869.
40. Furlong C, Holland N, Richter R, Bradman A, Ho A, Eskenazi B. PON1 status of farmworker mothers and children as a predictor of organophosphate sensitivity. Pharmacogenet Genomics. 2006; 16: 183–190.[Medline]
41. Brophy VH, Hastings MD, Clendenning JB, Richter RJ, Jarvik GP, Furlong CE. Polymorphisms in the human paraoxonase (PON1) promoter. Pharmacogenetics. 2001; 11: 77–84.[CrossRef][Medline]
42. Brophy VH, Jampsa RL, Clendenning JB, McKinstry LA, Jarvik GP, Furlong CE. Effects of 5' regulatory-region polymorphisms on paraoxonase gene (PON1) expression. Am J Hum Genet. 2001; 68: 1428–1436.[CrossRef][Medline]
43. Suehiro T, Nakamura T, Inoue M, Shiinoki T, Ikeda Y, Kumon Y, Shindo M, Tanaka H, Hashimoto K. A polymorphism upstream from the human paraoxonase (PON1) gene and its association with PON1 expression. Atherosclerosis. 2000; 150: 295–298.[CrossRef][Medline]
44. Leviev I, James RW. Promoter polymorphisms of human paraoxonase PON1 gene and serum paraoxonase activities and concentrations. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2000; 20: 516–521.
45. Deakin S, Leviev I, Brulhart-Meynet MC, James RW. Paraoxonase-1 promoter haplotypes and serum paraoxonase: a predominant role for polymorphic position - 107, implicating the Sp1 transcription factor. Biochem J. 2003; 372 (Pt 2): 643–649.[CrossRef][Medline]
46. Leviev I, Negro F, James RW. Two alleles of the human paraoxonase gene produce different amounts of mRNA: an explanation for differences in serum concentrations of paraoxonase associated with the (Leu-Met54) polymorphism. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 1997; 17: 2935–2939.
47. Leviev I, Deakin S, James RW. Decreased stability of the M54 isoform of paraoxonase as a contributory factor to variations in human serum paraoxonase concentrations. J Lipid Res. 2001; 42: 528–535.
48. Roest M, van Himbergen TM, Barendrecht AB, Peeters PH, van der Schouw YT, Voorbij HA. Genetic and environmental determinants of the PON-1 phenotype. Eur J Clin Invest. 2007; 37: 187–196.[CrossRef][Medline]
49. Furlong CE, Richter RJ, Li W-F, Brophy VH, Carlson C, Meider M, Nickerson D, Costa LG, Ranchalis J, Lusis AJ, Shih DM, Tward A, Jarvik GP. The functional consequences of polymorphisms in the human PON1 gene. In: Mackness B, Mackness M, Aviram M, Paragh G, eds. The Paraoxonases: Their Role in Disease, Development and Xenobiotic Metabolism. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer; 2008: 267–281.
Related Article
Circ Cardiovasc Genet 2008 1: 79-80.
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
J. Loscalzo Paraoxonase and Coronary Heart Disease Risk: Language Misleads, Linkage Misinforms, Function Clarifies Circ Cardiovasc Genet, December 1, 2008; 1(2): 79 - 80. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Home | Subscriptions | Archives | Feedback | Authors | Help | Circulation Journals Home | AHA Journals Home | Search Copyright © 2008 American Heart Association, Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited. |