Folate status and age affect the accumulation of L-isoaspartyl residues in rat liver proteins |
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Authors: | Ghandour Haifa Lin Bi-Fong Choi Sang-Woon Mason Joel B Selhub Jacob |
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Institution: | Vitamin Metabolism, Jean Mayer U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA. |
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Abstract: | Formation of atypical L-isoaspartyl residues in proteins and peptides is a common, spontaneous and nonenzymatic modification of aspartyl and asparaginyl sites. The enzyme protein-L-isoaspartyl methyltransferase (PIMT) catalyzes the transfer of the methyl group of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) to these L-isoaspartyl sites, thereby allowing reisomerization and restoration of the original alpha peptide linkage. Because SAM is in part a product of folate metabolism, the present study was undertaken to determine the effects of folate deficiency on the presence of L-isoaspartyl residues in hepatic proteins. Young (weanling) and older (12 mo) Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a folate-sufficient (2 mg folate/kg diet) or folate-deficient (0 mg folate/kg diet) diet for 20 wk. Liver proteins were analyzed for L-isoaspartyl residues. This analysis was based on the PIMT-dependent incorporation of (3)H]-methyl groups from (3)H]-SAM and the subsequent (nonenzymatic) sublimation of these methyl groups into a nonaqueous scintillant. The amount of L-isoaspartyl residues in hepatic proteins was higher in younger folate-deficient than in folate-sufficient rats (deficient: 187 +/- 71, sufficient: 64 +/- 43 pmol/mg protein, P < 0.025). This difference, however, was not seen among the older groups of rats who instead exhibited a much larger accumulation of L-isoaspartyl residues in their hepatic proteins (deficient: 528 +/- 151, sufficient: 470 +/- 204 pmol/mg protein, P = 0.568). The importance of these observations is discussed. |
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