Biliverdin reductase: new features of an old enzyme and its potential therapeutic significance.
Journal Title: Pharmacological Reports - Year 2008, Vol 60, Issue 1
Abstract
Biliverdin reductase (BVR) was known for a long time solely as an enzyme converting biliverdin to bilirubin, the major physiological antioxidant. Recent years revealed unique features of this protein which are not related to its reductase activity. The most intriguing and surprising finding is its dual-specificity kinase character. As such serine/threonine/tyrosine kinase BVR is involved in regulation of glucose metabolism or in control of cell growth and apoptosis. In consequence, it may play a role in pathogenesis of many diseases, such as diabetes or cancers. Moreover, in the nucleus BVR, being a leucine zipper-like DNA binding protein, can act as a transcription factor for activator protein 1 (AP-1)-regulated genes. It has been shown that BVR modulates ATF-2 and HO-1 expression, what suggests its potential role in control of AP-1 and cAMP-regulated genes. In conclusion, BVR together with its substrate, biliverdin, and product, bilirubin, are revealed to be important players in cellular signal transduction pathways, gene expression and oxidative response. These features make BVR unusually interesting and unique among all enzymes characterized to date.
Authors and Affiliations
Urszula Florczyk, Alicja Jozkowicz, Jozef Dulak
Effect of MPEP in Morris water maze in adult and old rats.
The present investigation assessed the effects of 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)-pyridine (MPEP) on acquisition and reference memory in the Morris water maze in young adult rats aged 3-month and old rats aged 26-month. MPEP...
Imidazoline receptors in relaxation of acetylcholine-constricted isolated rat jejunum.
Since 20 years the concept of specific imidazoline receptors has remained controversial. The problem with imidazoline receptors is mostly due to their functional similarity to alpha-adrenoceptors. In this work, a pharmac...
Inhibitory effect of antidepressant drugs on contact hypersensitivity reaction.
Background: Contact hypersensitivity (CS) reaction in the skin is T-cell mediated immune reaction which plays a major role in the pathogenesis and chronicity of various inflammatory skin disorders and, like other delayed...
Circadian time-dependent chemopreventive potential of withaferin-A in 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced oral carcinogenesis.
Circadian time-dependent treatment with chemotherapeutic drugs (chronotherapy) optimizes the therapeutic index by maximizing treatment efficacy and minimizing toxicity. The circadian time-dependent chemopreventive and an...
Disparate effects of anti-TNF-α therapies on measures of disease activity and mediators of endothelial damage in ankylosing spondylitis.
Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is associated with endothelial injury. Increased ADMA levels are found in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). We set out to assess the ADMA and symmetric dimethyl...