F420H2-dependent degradation of aflatoxin and other furanocoumarins is widespread throughout the actinomycetales

PLoS One. 2012;7(2):e30114. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0030114. Epub 2012 Feb 27.

Abstract

Two classes of F(420)-dependent reductases (FDR-A and FDR-B) that can reduce aflatoxins and thereby degrade them have previously been isolated from Mycobacterium smegmatis. One class, the FDR-A enzymes, has up to 100 times more activity than the other. F(420) is a cofactor with a low reduction potential that is largely confined to the Actinomycetales and some Archaea and Proteobacteria. We have heterologously expressed ten FDR-A enzymes from diverse Actinomycetales, finding that nine can also use F(420)H(2) to reduce aflatoxin. Thus FDR-As may be responsible for the previously observed degradation of aflatoxin in other Actinomycetales. The one FDR-A enzyme that we found not to reduce aflatoxin belonged to a distinct clade (herein denoted FDR-AA), and our subsequent expression and analysis of seven other FDR-AAs from M. smegmatis found that none could reduce aflatoxin. Certain FDR-A and FDR-B enzymes that could reduce aflatoxin also showed activity with coumarin and three furanocoumarins (angelicin, 8-methoxysporalen and imperatorin), but none of the FDR-AAs tested showed any of these activities. The shared feature of the compounds that were substrates was an α,β-unsaturated lactone moiety. This moiety occurs in a wide variety of otherwise recalcitrant xenobiotics and antibiotics, so the FDR-As and FDR-Bs may have evolved to harness the reducing power of F(420) to metabolise such compounds. Mass spectrometry on the products of the FDR-catalyzed reduction of coumarin and the other furanocoumarins shows their spontaneous hydrolysis to multiple products.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aflatoxins / metabolism*
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry
  • Coumarins / chemistry
  • Flavins / chemistry
  • Furocoumarins / chemistry*
  • Gene Expression Regulation*
  • Hydrolysis
  • Khellin / chemistry
  • Mass Spectrometry / methods
  • Methoxsalen / chemistry
  • Mycobacterium smegmatis / metabolism*
  • Oxidoreductases / chemistry*
  • Phylogeny
  • Species Specificity
  • Xenobiotics / pharmacology

Substances

  • Aflatoxins
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Coumarins
  • Flavins
  • Furocoumarins
  • Xenobiotics
  • Khellin
  • coumarin
  • angelicin
  • F420H2 dehydrogenase
  • Oxidoreductases
  • imperatorin
  • Methoxsalen