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To understand the detoxification and bioactivation mechanisms for organic contaminants, it is essential to identify the cytochrome P450 (CYP) complement. Therefore, this study aimed to clone a partial cDNA sequence of the novel CYP1D1 gene from the fish Oreochromis niloticus and examine whether intraperitoneal injection of benzo-a-pyrene (BaP), a potent AHR agonist, is capable of inducing CYP1D1 mRNA expression in different tilapia fish tissues. The cloned nucleotide sequence consisted of 713 bp representing a portion of the tilapia CYP1D1 cDNA ORF, encoding 237 amino acids. Amino acid sequence comparison of O. niloticus CYP1D1 with the sequences of CYP1D1 from other species showed that this gene shared the highest identity of 81% with Fundulus heteroclitus CYP1D1. Furthermore, analysis of the percent identities shared by the deduced amino acid sequence of O. niloticus CYP1D1 with the sequences of CYP1 from other species revealed that the highest identities were shared with fish CYP1As. Real-time PCR results revealed that the highest expression level of CYP1D1 mRNA was found in muscles, followed by gills, liver, and intestine, while there was no detectable expression recorded in bile acid. These results indicate that tilapia CYP1D1 plays an important role in the metabolism of xenobiotics, expanding our knowledge regarding the diversity of CYP1 genes in this important model fish species.

We evaluated the metabolism of several herbicides and progesterone by two P450 proteins (CYP1A9 and CYP1C1) from Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica). Expression vectors harboring CYP1A9 and CYP1C1 sequences were introduced into Escherichia coli. E. coli membrane fractions were incubated with each substrate, and the metabolites were analyzed. CYP1A9 and CYP1C1 deethylated 7-ethoxycoumarin and phenacetin, and demethylated chlorotoluron, diuron, and linuron. CYP1C1 specifically hydroxlyated progesterone at the 6β and 16α positions. Five amino acids of CYP1A9 related to substrate binding were selected for mutation analyses [CYP1A9(F128A), CYP1A9(F229A), CYP1A9(F263A), CYP1A9(V387A), and CYP1A9(I391A)]. Two variants, CYP1A9(F229A) and CYP1A9(F128A), changed the ratio of 16α hydroxyprogesterone to 6β hydroxyprogesterone. Among all the variants, CYP1A9(F263A) showed the highest activity towards substrates used. CYP1A9(V387A) and CYP1A9(I391A) showed higher activities than that of CYP1A9 toward progesterone. The substrate specificity of CYP1A9 may be altered by replacing an amino acid related to substrate binding.

In this study, the localization of fluorescent protein (FP) was characterized in the muscles of four species and two subspecies of eels Anguilla anguilla, A. australis, A. bicolor bicolor (b.), A. bicolor pacifica (p.) and A. mossambica in addition to the previously reported A. japonica. The open reading frame of each eel FP was 417 bp encoding 139 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequences among the four species and two subspecies exhibited 91.4–100% identity, and belonged to the fatty-acid-binding protein (FABP) family. The gene structure of eel FPs in A. japonica, A. anguilla, A. australis, A. bicolor b., A. bicolor p. and A. mossambica have four exons and three introns, and were common to that of FABP family. The apo eel FPs expressed by Escherichia coli with recombinant eel FP genes were analysed for the fluorescent properties in the presence of bilirubin. The excitation and emission spectra of holo eel FPs had the maximum wavelengths of 490–496 and 527–530 nm, respectively. The holo eel FPs indicated that the fluorescent intensities were stronger in A. japonica and A. bicolor than in A. mossambica, A. australis and A. anguilla. The comparison of amino acid sequences revealed two common substitutions in A. mossambica, A. australis and A. anguilla with weak fluorescent intensity.

Through the use of a number of bioconversion experiments we demonstrated that P450 proteins (CYP1A9 and CYP1C1) from Japanese eel ( Anguilla japonica ) metabolized a number of herbicides and the drug phenacetin. We performed bioconversion experiments in which substrates were added directly to incubation medium. The resulting metabolites were extracted and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Proteins CYP1A9 and CYP1C1 metabolized 50 nmol of the drug phenacetin to yield 12.1 and 1.1 nmol of product (acetaminophen), respectively. Further incubation of CYP1A9 with 50 nmol of the herbicides chlorotoluron, diuron, linuron, simazine, or atrazine yielded 16.5, 18.5, 7.3, 1.6, or 0.8 nmol of product, respectively. CYP1C1 also metabolized linuron, diuron, and simazine yield 5.4, 4.6, or 0.7 nmol of product, respectively. Next, polyclonal antibody was isolated by immunizing with two conjugated-peptides (amino acid residues 272–290 and 294–310) of CYP1A9. This antibody did not recognize human CYP1A2 or CYP1C1. Western blotting using the antibody revealed one band in the livers of Japanese eel and tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ). Theses results suggest that CYP1A9 and CYP1C1 metabolize herbicides, and that CYP1A9 is an useful biomarker of contamination when detected with this antibody.

Green fluorescent protein (GFP) from eel (Anguilla japonica) muscle (eelGFP) is unique in the vertebrates and requires bilirubin as a ligand to emit fluorescence. This study was performed to clarify the physiological function of the unique GFP. Investigation of susceptibility to oxidative stress was carried out using three types of cell lines including jellyfish (Aequorea coerulescens) GFP (jfGFP)-, or eel GFP (eelGFP)-expressing HEK293 cells, and control vector-transfected HEK293 cells. Binding of eelGFP to bilirubin was confirmed by the observation of green fluorescence in HEK293-eelGFP cells. The growth rate was compared with the three types of cells in the presence or absence of phenol red which possessed antioxidant activity. The growth rates of HEK293-CV and HEK293-jfGFP under phenol red-free conditions were reduced to 52 and 31% of those under phenol red. Under the phenol red-free condition, HEK293-eelGFP had a growth rate of approximately 70% of the phenol red-containing condition. The eelGFP-expressing cells were approximately 2-fold resistant to oxidative stress such as H2O2 exposure. The fluorescence intensity partially decreased or disappeared after exposure to H2O2, and heterogeneous intensity of fluorescence was also observed in isolated eel skeletal muscle cells. These results suggested eelGFP, but not jfGFP, coupled with bilirubin provided the antioxidant activity to the cells as compared to non-bound free bilirubin.

SUMMARY: A freshness index for fish muscle (K-value) was measured for six species of fish using freshness testing paper (FTP) and column chromatography. The correlation coefficient between these K-values determined by both methods was 0.917, although K-values of reddish muscle of big-eyed tuna, flying fish and common horse mackerel were evaluated lower by FTP than by column chromatography. The changes of K-values which were determined at regular intervals by FTP indicated that the decrease in freshness of amberjack and big-eyed tuna muscles was due to a first-order reaction. The kinetic parameters for the freshness-lowering, activation energy and frequency factor were obtained from Arrnhenius’ plots of K-values at the storage temperatures between –1 and +20°C, and then it was clarified that the quality of amberjack and big-eyed tuna with the different history of storage temperature should be predictable on the basis of these kinetic parameters.

To study the effects of urea on the denaturation of myosin B prepared from smooth dogfish, myosin B was kept at 20°C for 10 min with various concentrations (0-3.0M) of urea, and the reduced viscosity was measured as a parameter for structural changes in myosin B. The decrease in the reduced viscosity of myosin B containing urea above 1.0M was similar to that of myosin in the presence of urea, However, the reduced viscosity of F-actin was slightly affected by urea even above 1.0M. The reduced viscosity of myosin B did not recovered to its initial level through the removal of urea at concentrations above 1.0M urea, but that of myosin recovered perfectly through the re-moval of urea at concentrations up to 3.0M urea. In the presence of urea above 1.0M, myosin B irreversibly dissociated into myosin and actin. Therefore, it is concluded that the urea denaturation of myosin B would be attributed to its dissociation into myosin and actin as well as the conforma-tional changes of myosin molecules in the presence of urea above 1.0M. Accordingly, shark myosin B is fairly stable under physiological concentrations of urea below 1.0M.

The quantitative method of ATP in fish muscle was investigated by the measurement of emitted light intensity using luciferase of the American firefly. The peak of the emitted light spectrum was shown at 554nm. The sensitive assay for ATP was improved by increasing the concentration of the enzyme with the presence of bovine serum albumin, DTT, and EDTA. The regression line was obtained between the emitted light intensity and the ATP concentra-tion in the ranges from 1 to 50μM. The bioluminescent reaction was not inhibited by the dilu-tion of neutralized perchlorate as extractive solvent with 100 volumes of distilled water. The ATP contents in the extracts of fish muscle were determined both by bioluminescent reaction and by column chromatography. The values obtained by the two different methods almost agreed. Consequently, the bioluminescent reaction of American firefly luciferase could be used for the rapid determination of the ATP contents in fish muscle.

We indicated that two P450s (1A9 and 1C1) from Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica) metabolized 7-ethoxycoumarin, 7-ethoxyresorufin, and flavanone. At first, we constructed expression vectors for two types of P450 (1A9 and 1C1). The reduced CO-difference spectra of Escherichia coli cells transformed with these plasmids showed Soret peaks (450 nm) that were typical of P450s. We performed bioconversion experiments in which substrates were added directly to incubation medium. The resulting metabolite(s) were extracted and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and spectrofluorometer. Incubation of 50 nmol 7-ethoxyresorufin with P450 1C1 yielded 0.773 nmol of deethylated product, whereas 50 nmol 7-ethoxycoumarin resulted in 4.76 nmol. P450 1A9 metabolized 50 nmol of 7-ethoxyresorufin and 7-ethoxycoumarin to yield 6.54 and 20.9 nmol of deethylated product, respectively. Incubation of 50 nmol flavanone with P450 1C1 yielded 1.46 nmol and 0.69 nmol of products, whereas 50 nmol flavanone with P450 1A9 resulted in 1.10 nmol. In this system, 4'-hydroxy flavanones were formed by P450 1A9 and P450 1C1. P450 1A9 also metabolized 50 nmol of 17 beta-estradiol to yield 4.25 nmol of product. In this system, 2-hydroxy estradiol was formed by P450 1A9 using 17 beta-estradiol as a substrate. This study is the first to identify the substrates that P450 1C1 and 1A9 metabolize.