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Anandamide, a novel neurotransmitter, has been reported to be dioxygenated by brain lipoxygenase [1,11]. Anandamides constitute a new class of neuroregulatory fatty acid amides. However, little is known about the enzymatic dioxygenation of these lipids. Therefore, we have tested several members of the neuroactive fatty acid amide class containing a 1Z,4Z-pentadiene system whether they could be dioxygenated by soybean lipoxygenase-1, which is a model enzyme for mammalian lipoxygenases. In this study it was found that lipoxygenase-1 converts N-linoleoylethanolamide (ODNHEtOH), N-linoleoylamide (ODNH2), N-linoleoylmethylamide (ODNHMe) and N,N-linoleoyldimethylamide (ODN(Me)2 into 13-(S)-hydroperoxy-9Z,11E-octadeca-9,11-dienoyl amides derivatives. The apparent Km values for ODNHEtOH (23.6 +/- 3.7 microM), ODNH2 (8.60 +/- 0.65 microM) and linioleic acid (OD: 8.85 +/- 0.74 microM) are not significantly different. The k(cat) for ODNH2 (32.4 +/- 1.2 s(-1)) is twice as small as compared to the turnover numbers of the other substrates, viz. ODNHEtOH (61.6 +/- 5.0 s(-1)) and OD (54.4 +/- 2.0 s(-1). The results suggest that N-linoleoyl ethanolamide and N-linoleoyl amide can be readily converted by lipoxygenases in vivo.

Triple bond analogues of natural fatty acids irreversibly inactivate lipoxygenase during their enzymatic conversion [Nieuwenhuizen, W. F., et al. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 10538-10545]. To gain insight into the mechanism of the irreversible inactivation of soybean lipoxygenase-1, we studied the enzymatic conversion of two linoleic acid analogues, 9(Z)-octadec-9-en-12-ynoic acid (9-ODEYA) and 12(Z)-octadec-12-en-9-ynoic acid (12-ODEYA). During the inactivation process, Fe(III)-lipoxygenase converts 9-ODEYA into three products, i.e. 11-oxooctadec-9-en-12-ynoic acid, racemic 9-hydroxy-10(E)-octadec-10-en-12-ynoic acid, and racemic 9-hydroperoxy-10(E)-octadec-10-en-12-ynoic acid. Fe(II)-lipoxygenase does not convert the inhibitor and is not inactivated by 9-ODEYA. Fe(III)-lipoxygenase converts 12-ODEYA into 13-hydroperoxy-11(Z)-octadec-11-en-9-ynoic acid (34/66 R/S), 13-hydroperoxy11(E)-octadec-11-en-9-ynoic acid (36/64 R/S), 11-hydroperoxyoctadec-12-en-9-ynoic acid (11-HP-12-ODEYA, enantiomeric composition of 33/67), and 11-oxooctadec-12-en-9-ynoic acid (11-oxo-12-ODEYA) during the inactivation process. Also, Fe(II)-lipoxygenase is inactivated by 12-ODEYA. It converts the inhibitor into the same products as Fe(III)-lipoxygenase does, but two additional products are formed, viz. 13-oxo-11(E)-octadec-11-en-9-ynoic acid and 13-oxo-11(Z)-octadec-11-en-9-ynoic acid. The purified reaction products were tested for their lipoxygenase inhibitory activities. The oxo compounds, formed in the reaction of 9-ODEYA and 12-ODEYA, do not inhibit Fe(II)- or Fe(III)-lipoxygenase. The 9- and 13-hydroperoxide products that are formed from 9-ODEYA and 12-ODEYA, respectively, oxidize Fe(II)-lipoxygenase to its Fe(III) state and are weak lipoxygenase inhibitors. 11-HP-12-ODEYA is, however, the most powerful inhibitor and is able to oxidize Fe(II)-lipoxygenase to Fe(III)-lipoxygenase. 11-HP-12-ODEYA is converted into 11-oxo-12-ODEYA by Fe(III)-lipoxygenase. We propose a mechanism for the latter reaction in which Fe(III)-lipoxygenase abstracts the bisallylic hydrogen H-11 from 11-HP-12-ODEYA, yielding a hydroperoxyl radical which is subsequently cleaved into 11-oxo-ODEYA and a hydroxyl radical which may inactivate the enzyme.

Triple bond analogues of poly-unsaturated fatty acids are well-known inactivators of lipoxygenases. In an earlier study we proposed that, since 11-oxo-octadeca-9,12-diynoic acid (11-oxo-ODYA) is the only oxygenated product formed during the irreversible inactivation of soybean lipoxygenase-1, the inactivation should proceed via a C11 centered octadeca-9,12-diynoic acid radical (ODYA radical). In the present study we investigated the lipoxygenase-catalysed formation of the ODYA radical. In the reaction of lipoxygenase with ODYA in the absence of dioxygen and in the presence of 13(S)-hydroperoxy-octadeca-9Z, 11E-dienoic acid (13-HPOD), free ODYA radicals were formed which resulted in the formation of three dimeric ODYA products in which one ODYA moiety is linked via its C9 (12%), C11 (72%) or C13 (16%) to the C11 methylene of the other ODYA moiety. With the ab initio Hartree-Fock method, using the 2,5-heptadiynyl radical as a model compound, the electron spin in the ODYA radical was calculated to be located for 12.0, 75.0 and 12.0% on carbon atoms C9, C11 and C13 of the ODYA radical, respectively. The ODYA-ODYA dimer formation could thus be explained on the basis of the electron spin distribution in the ODYA radical. The dimer formation, i. e. reaction of an ODYA radical with an ODYA molecule was compared with the reaction of the ODYA radical with dioxygen. On the basis of this comparison it is concluded that a) the ODYA dimer formation occurs at the carbon atom with the highest electron spin population; b) ODYA dimer formation is predominantly a kinetically determined process; c) the electron spin distribution in the ODYA radical can be used to predict the composition of the dimer mixture; and d) the regiospecific oxygen addition in the formation of 11-oxo-ODYA is enzymatically controlled.

Triple bond analogues of polyunsaturated fatty acids irreversibly inactivate lipoxygenases. During the inactivation the inhibitors are converted enzymatically [Kühn, H., et al. (1984) Eur. J. Biochem. 139, 577-583]. Since the converted inhibitor molecules may hold important information about the inactivation mechanism, we have determined the structure of the product that is formed during the irreversible inactivation of soybean lipoxygenase-1 by octadeca-9,12-diynoic acid (ODYA), the triple bond analogue of linoleic acid. This product is formed only in the presence of Fe(III)-lipoxygenase-1 and O2. It was purified by C18 solid phase extraction and reversed phase HPLC and was identified with UV, IR, and NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometric techniques as the novel lipoxygenase product, 11-oxooctadeca-9,12-diynoic acid (11-oxo-ODYA). It is estimated that each lipoxygenase molecule produces 8-10 11-oxo-ODYA molecules before it is inactivated. Furthermore, we have shown that in a secondary reaction 3-4 molecules of 11-oxo-ODYA are covalently attached per lipoxygenase molecule, most likely, to solvent-exposed amino groups. This leads to the formation of a N-penten-4-yn-3-one chromophore, RC(NHX)=CHC(O)C=CR1, in which X stands for the protein and R or R1 for CH3(CH2)4- or -(CH2)7COOH, respectively. Fe(II)- and Fe(III)-lipoxygenase remain active upon reaction with purified 11-oxo-ODYA. It is concluded that (a) several enzymatic turnovers are required for the complete inactivation of lipoxygenase by ODYA and (b) covalent attachment of 11-oxo-ODYA occurs outside the active site and is not the cause of the inactivation.