Reduction in CYP1A1 and 2B2 activity at low oxygen tension

The Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme family comprises a wide array of monooxygenases involved in the oxidation of endobiotic and xenobiotic molecules. The active site of a CYP enzyme contains an iron protoporphyrin center coordinated to a cysteine thiolate, and then, molecular oxygen is associated with the iron to be converted into dioxygen complex plus substrate. Reduction by CYP reductase expedites hydroxylation of the compound. In this oxidation reaction, insufficient oxygen molecules would affect enzyme catalysis. Nevertheless, biochemical data about CYP kinetics at low oxygen concentrations are not available. In this work, we present the results on the variation in rat liver microsomal CYP Vmax app and Km app under normal and hypoxic conditions. Using alkoxyresorufin molecules as substrates, the Vmax/Km ratios for resorufin production decreased from 426 to 393 for CYP1A1 and from 343 to 202 for CYP2B1 at a low oxygen concentration (4.1 ppm) compared to the ratios observed at a normal oxygen concentration (6.5 ppm). Additionally, the bacterial mutagenicity of 2-aminoanthracene and cyclophosphamide, decreased by 32% and 42%, respectively, at low oxygen concentrations. These results support the hypothesis that low oxygen availability is implicated in the low efficiency of substrate oxidation by CYP.