Endogenous role of epoxide-hydratase. Development of a steroid epoxide-hydratase assay and properties of the enzyme.

A highly sensitive and rapid radiometric assay for the determination of specific epoxide hydratase activity with a steroid epoxide (16α, 17α-epoxy-1,3,5(10)-estratrien-3-ol, ‘estroxide’) has been developed. The unreacted substrate was separated from the product 1,3,5(10)-estratrien-3,16β,17α-triol by extraction into light petroleum. The product was then extracted into ethyl acetate and measured by scintillation spectrometry. Radiochromatography established that after subtraction of the blank the entire radioactivity measured in the ethyl acetate phase resulted from the product 1,3,5(10)-estratrien-3,16,17-triol, whilst high performance liquid chromatography with the four possible isomers of…

Isolation and characterization of maerophage-derived C1q and its similarities to serum C1q

Recently, we have shown that the collagen-like, Fc-recognizing subcomponent C1q of the first complement component is synthesized by human, guinea pig and mouse peritoneal macrophages. To test whether macrophages may contribute to the serum pool of C1q, C1q was purified from guinea pig serum and from guinea pig peritoneal macrophage supernatants and compared for similarities. Both molecules had a similar sedimentation rate (macrophage C1q: 11.3 S, serum C1q: 11.2 S) and showed on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing conditions three identical bands with molecular weights of Mr, 29 000, Mr, 27 000 and Mr 23 000 for the A, B and C chains, respectively. Both …

The reconstitution of human C1, the first complement component Binding of C1r and C1s to C1q influences the C1q conformation

Specificity of mouse liver cytosolic epoxide hydrolase for K-region epoxides derived from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Mouse liver cytosol epoxide hydrolase, known to be very active for certain alkene oxides, had a specific activity which was 2.1-, 11- and 160-fold lower than that of the microsomal epoxide hydrolase for the arene oxides 7-methylbenz[a]anthracene 5,6-oxide, benz[a]anthracene 5,6-oxide and phenanthrene 9,10-oxide, respectively. For benzo[a]pyrene 4,5-oxide no activity (less than 10 pmol product/mg protein/min) of cytoplasmic epoxide hydrolase was detectable. The specific activity of cytoplasmic epoxide hydrolase was much lower for all K-region epoxides investigated, compared to trans-stilbene oxide used as a positive control and for which a new assay is described. It is concluded from these r…