Physiological and pharmacological significance of glutathione-conjugate transport

J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev. 2009 Aug;12(7):540-51. doi: 10.1080/10937400903358975.

Abstract

Transport of the glutathione conjugates (GS-E) of electrophilic compounds generated during biotransformation of drugs and environmental pollutants is central to the mechanisms of defense against oxidative/electrophilic stress. In recent years emphasis has been placed on ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transport proteins in the transport of GS-E and their involvement in the detoxification mechanisms, including drug resistance. Recent studies, however, suggested that the majority of GS-E transport in human and rodent cells is mediated by a non-ABC, multifunctional stress-response protein, RLIP76 or RalBP1 (ral-binding GTPase activating protein 1), which also functions as an effector in the Ral-Ras-Rho signaling pathway. In this review, after briefly describing the major discoveries in the field of glutathione (GSH)-conjugate transport, recent findings are presented on the role of RLIP76 in ATP-dependent transport of GS-E, and the relevance of this transport process to the mechanisms of toxicity of xenobiotics, radiation, and endogenous electrophilic toxicants is described. Furthermore, recent studies suggesting a link between RLIP76 mediated GS-E transport and cell cycle signaling are presented.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Biological Transport
  • Drug Resistance
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm
  • GTPase-Activating Proteins / metabolism*
  • Glutathione / analogs & derivatives
  • Glutathione / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Oxidants / toxicity
  • Radiation Tolerance
  • Signal Transduction
  • Xenobiotics / toxicity

Substances

  • ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters
  • GTPase-Activating Proteins
  • Oxidants
  • RALBP1 protein, human
  • Xenobiotics
  • S-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)glutathione
  • Glutathione