Our goal is elucidation on the molecular level of the steroid endocrine processes concerned with human development and reproduction and utilization of the results for the solution of biomedical and clinical problems. Our major concern is sex steroids, androgen aromatases, antibodies to aromatase, and their molecular reactions and interactions.
Specific aims are: (1) Purification and characterization of multiple forms of aromatase from human term placenta, (2) Production and utilization of antibodies against aromatase, (3) Elucidation of mechanism of androgen aromatization, (4) Irreversible inhibitors and affinity labeling of aromatase, and (5) Solubilization, purification, and characterization of brain aromatase system. Androgen aromatase or estrogen synthetase is an enzyme which catalyzes the conversion of androgen to estrogen. Estrogens play many important physiological roles through human development and are essential to reproduction. They are also involved in diseases including breast and endometrium cancer. Precise knowledge of the properties of this enzyme and the specific antibodies may have important practical implications in reproductive endocrinology, fertility regulation, and diagnosis and control of carcinogenesis. Development of irreversible inhibitors of aromatase may lead to a chemotherapeutic application as a means of endocrine therapy to control estrogen dependent carcinomas. The methodology involves synthesis of steroids with and without deuterium, tritium, carbon-13, carbon-14 and oxygen-18 labels at stereoselective and/or regiospecific positions, conformational analysis by crystallography and spectroscopy, isotope distribution analysis, incubations with various enzyme preparations, solubilization of membrane bound enzymes with detergents, procedures to maintain enzymes in solution after removal of detergents, purification of enzyme through various chromatographies including immunoaffinity resins, identification of intermediates and products of aromatase reaction by use of isotope techniques and GC-MS, immunization of animals, hybridoma cultures, screening specific antibodies by micro-aromatase assays, production of monoclonal antibodies in ascites fluid, purification of immunoglobulins, immunohistochemical stainings, radioimmunoassays, Western blot analysis, amino acid analysis, and amino acid sequencing.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) Award (R37)
Project #
5R37HD004945-19
Application #
3484942
Study Section
Biochemical Endocrinology Study Section (BCE)
Project Start
1976-12-01
Project End
1991-11-30
Budget Start
1988-12-01
Budget End
1989-11-30
Support Year
19
Fiscal Year
1989
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute
Department
Type
DUNS #
074025479
City
Buffalo
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
14203
Numazawa, Mitsuteru; Tachibana, Mii; Mutsumi, Ayako et al. (2002) Aromatization of 16alpha-hydroxyandrostenedione by human placental microsomes: effect of preincubation with suicide substrates of androstenedione aromatization. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 81:165-72
Kao, Y C; Higashiyama, T; Sun, X et al. (2000) Catalytic differences between porcine blastocyst and placental aromatase isozymes. Eur J Biochem 267:6134-9
Sawicki, M W; Ng, P C; Burkhart, B M et al. (1999) Structure of an activity suppressing Fab fragment to cytochrome P450 aromatase: insights into the antibody-antigen interactions. Mol Immunol 36:423-32
Kao, Y C; Higashiyama, T; Yarborough, C et al. (1999) Functional characterization of 102-amino acid-deleted form of human aromatase (delta102-aromatase). Steroids 64:422-9
Janulis, L; Bahr, J M; Hess, R A et al. (1998) Rat testicular germ cells and epididymal sperm contain active P450 aromatase. J Androl 19:65-71
Kitawaki, J; Noguchi, T; Amatsu, T et al. (1997) Expression of aromatase cytochrome P450 protein and messenger ribonucleic acid in human endometriotic and adenomyotic tissues but not in normal endometrium. Biol Reprod 57:514-9
Osawa, Y; Higashiyama, T; Toma, Y et al. (1997) Diverse function of aromatase and the N-terminal sequence deleted form. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 61:117-26
Albrecht, B A; Daels, P F (1997) Immunolocalization of 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, cytochrome P450 17 alpha-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase and cytochrome P450 aromatase in the equine corpus luteum of dioestrus and early pregnancy. J Reprod Fertil 111:127-33
Ng, P C; Osawa, Y (1997) Preparation and characterization of the F (ab)2 fragments of an aromatase activity-suppressing monoclonal antibody. Steroids 62:776-81
Toma, Y; Higashiyama, T; Yarborough, C et al. (1996) Diverse functions of aromatase: O-deethylation of 7-ethoxycoumarin. Endocrinology 137:3791-6

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