Phospholipid hydroperoxidase are substrates for non-selenium glutathione peroxidase

This study investigated phospholipid hydroperoxides as substrates for non-selenium GSH peroxidase (NSGPx), an enzyme also called 1-Cys peroxiredoxin. Recombinant human NSGPx expressed in Escherichia coli from a human cDNA clone (HA0683) showed GSH peroxidase activity with sn-2-linolenoyl- or sn-2-arachidonoyl-phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxides as substrate; NADPH or thioredoxin could not substitute for GSH, Activity did not saturate with GSH, and kinetics were compatible with a ping-pong mechanism; kinetic constants (mM(-1) min(-1)) were k(1) = 1-3 x 10(5) and k(2) = 4-11 x 10(4). In the presence of 0.36 mM GSH, apparent K-m was 120-130 mu M and apparent V-max was 1.5-1.6 mu mol/min/mg of protein. Assays with H2O2 and organic hydroperoxides as substrate indicated activity similar to that with phospholipid hydroperoxides, Maximal enzymatic activity was at pH 7-8. Activity with phospholipid hydroperoxide substrate was inhibited noncompetitively by mercaptosuccinate with K-i 4 mu M. The enzyme had no GSH S-transferase activity. Bovine cDNA encoding NSGPx, isolated from a lung expression library using a polymerase chain reaction probe, showed >95% similarity to previously published human, rat, and mouse sequences and does not contain the TGA stop codon, which is translated as selenocysteine in selenium-containing peroxidases, The molecular mass of bovine NSGPx deduced from the cDNA is 25,047 Da, These results identify a new GSH peroxidase that is not a selenoenzyme and can reduce phospholipid hydroperoxides, Thus, this enzyme may be an important component of cellular antioxidant defense systems.