Hyperhomocysteinemia is reportedly a prevalent, independent and graded risk factor for all major forms of vascular disease and thrombosis, and more recently it has been associated with neural tube defects and Alzheimer's disease. Betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT) is proposed to have a major role in the regulation of blood homocysteine (Hcy) levels. The physical and mechanistic properties of BHMT and the extent to which variation at the BHMT locus contributes to the incidence of hyperhomocysteinemia represent major gaps in our understanding of Hcy metabolism in both normal and pathological states. Our long-term goal is to elucidate the role BHMT has in regulating Hcy levels in humans. The objective of this application is to characterize further the physical and mechanistic properties of human BHMT, and to elucidate how changes in redox status, including changes in intracellular thiols, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and nitric oxide NO) have on its activity. Our central hypothesis is that BHMT is required for normal Hcy netabolism and that drugs or pathological states that increase oxidative stress will inhibit or nactivate BHMT and cause hyperhomocysteinemia.
The specific aims of this proposal are (1) to .elucidate structure-function relationships of human BHMT, and (2) to determine the mechanism(s) by which BHMT activity is modulated by nutrient- and pharmacologically induced changes in redox status, including changes in intracellular thiols, H2O2 and NO. Our collaborators and we are well prepared to perform the research outlined in this proposal. We have recently shown that human BHMT activity is regulated by thiols, H2O2 and NO in vitro, and we have obtained the crystal structure of the enzyme. The outcomes of the proposed studies will include novel information on IBHMT's structure and function and its regulation by nutritional and physiological factors influencing Iredox status.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DK052501-09
Application #
7061212
Study Section
Nutrition Study Section (NTN)
Program Officer
May, Michael K
Project Start
1997-05-01
Project End
2009-04-30
Budget Start
2006-05-01
Budget End
2009-04-30
Support Year
9
Fiscal Year
2006
Total Cost
$290,669
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Department
Nutrition
Type
Schools of Earth Sciences/Natur
DUNS #
041544081
City
Champaign
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
61820
Ganu, Radhika S; Ishida, Yasuko; Koutmos, Markos et al. (2015) Evolutionary Analyses and Natural Selection of Betaine-Homocysteine S-Methyltransferase (BHMT) and BHMT2 Genes. PLoS One 10:e0134084
Ganu, Radhika; Garrow, Timothy; Koutmos, Markos et al. (2013) Splicing variants of the porcine betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase gene: implications for mammalian metabolism. Gene 529:228-37
Ganu, Radhika S; Garrow, Timothy A; Sodhi, Monika et al. (2011) Molecular characterization and analysis of the porcine betaine homocysteine methyltransferase and betaine homocysteine methyltransferase-2 genes. Gene 473:133-8
Strakova, Jana; Gupta, Sapna; Kruger, Warren D et al. (2011) Inhibition of betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase in rats causes hyperhomocysteinemia and reduces liver cystathionine ?-synthase activity and methylation capacity. Nutr Res 31:563-71
Teng, Ya-Wen; Mehedint, Mihai G; Garrow, Timothy A et al. (2011) Deletion of betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase in mice perturbs choline and 1-carbon metabolism, resulting in fatty liver and hepatocellular carcinomas. J Biol Chem 286:36258-67
Liu, Hong-Hsing; Lu, Peng; Guo, Yingying et al. (2010) An integrative genomic analysis identifies Bhmt2 as a diet-dependent genetic factor protecting against acetaminophen-induced liver toxicity. Genome Res 20:28-35
Strakova, Jana; Williams, Kelly T; Gupta, Sapna et al. (2010) Dietary intake of S-(alpha-carboxybutyl)-DL-homocysteine induces hyperhomocysteinemia in rats. Nutr Res 30:492-500
Vanek, Václav; Budesínský, Milos; Kabeleová, Petra et al. (2009) Structure-activity study of new inhibitors of human betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase. J Med Chem 52:3652-65
Castro, Carmen; Millian, Norman S; Garrow, Timothy A (2008) Liver betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase activity undergoes a redox switch at the active site zinc. Arch Biochem Biophys 472:26-33