Evaluation of alpha-cyano ethers as fluorescent substrates for assay of cytochrome P450 enzyme activity

Anal Biochem. 2005 Sep 15;344(2):183-92. doi: 10.1016/j.ab.2005.06.032.

Abstract

We have previously reported the synthesis of four alpha-cyano-containing ethers based on 2-naphthaldehyde (2-NA) as cytochrome P450 (P450) fluorescent substrates. Activity detection was based on the formation of fluorescent 2-NA following substrate hydrolysis. A major limitation of these substrates was the need to remove NADPH, a required cofactor for P450 oxidation, before measuring 2-NA fluorescence. In this article, we report the synthesis of a new series of novel P450 substrates using 6-dimethylamino-2-naphthaldehyde (6-DMANA), which has a green fluorescent emission that is well separated from the NADPH spectrum. A major advantage of the 6-DMANA substrates is that NADPH removal is not required before fluorescence detection. We used eight alpha-cyano ether-based substrates to determine the O-dealkylation activity of human, mouse, and rat liver microsomes. In addition, substrate activities were compared with the commercial substrate 7-ethoxyresorufin (7-ER). The catalytic turnover rates of both the 6-DMANA- and 2-NA-based substrates were in some cases threefold faster than the catalytic turnover rate of 7-ER. The 2-NA-based substrates had greater turnover than did the 6-DMANA-based substrates. Murine and rat liver microsomes prepared from animals that had been treated with various P450 inducers were used to examine for isozyme-selective turnover of the substrates. The vastly improved optical properties and synthetic flexibility of the alpha-cyano ether compounds suggest that they are possibly good general P450 substrates.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aldehydes / chemical synthesis
  • Aldehydes / chemistry*
  • Animals
  • Cyanides / chemistry*
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / analysis
  • Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / analysis*
  • Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / biosynthesis
  • Dealkylation
  • Enzyme Induction
  • Ethers / chemistry*
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Microsomes, Liver / metabolism
  • NADP / chemistry
  • Naphthalenes / chemical synthesis
  • Naphthalenes / chemistry*
  • Rats

Substances

  • 6-dimethylamino-2-naphthaldehyde
  • Aldehydes
  • Cyanides
  • Ethers
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Naphthalenes
  • NADP
  • 2-naphthaldehyde
  • Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1