Purification and cloning of a broad substrate specificity human liver carboxylesterase that catalyzes the hydrolysis of cocaine and heroin.

Article Details

Citation

Pindel EV, Kedishvili NY, Abraham TL, Brzezinski MR, Zhang J, Dean RA, Bosron WF

Purification and cloning of a broad substrate specificity human liver carboxylesterase that catalyzes the hydrolysis of cocaine and heroin.

J Biol Chem. 1997 Jun 6;272(23):14769-75.

PubMed ID
9169443 [ View in PubMed
]
Abstract

A human liver carboxylesterase (hCE-2) that catalyzes the hydrolysis of the benzoyl group of cocaine and the acetyl groups of 4-methylumbelliferyl acetate, heroin, and 6-monoacetylmorphine was purified from human liver. The purified enzyme exhibited a single band on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with a subunit mass of approximately 60 kDa. The native enzyme was monomeric. The isoelectric point of hCE-2 was approximately 4.9. Treatment with endoglycosidase H caused an increase in electrophoretic mobility indicating that the liver carboxylesterase was a glycoprotein of the high mannose type. The complete cDNA nucleotide sequence was determined. The authenticity of the cDNA was confirmed by a perfect sequence match of 78 amino acids derived from the hCE-2 purified from human liver. The mature 533-amino acid enzyme encoded by this cDNA shared highest sequence identity with the rabbit liver carboxylesterase form 2 (73%) and the hamster liver carboxylesterase AT51p (67%). Carboxylesterases with high sequence identity to hCE-2 have not been reported in mouse and rat liver. hCE-2 exhibited different drug ester substrate specificity from the human liver carboxylesterase called hCE-1, which hydrolyzes the methyl ester of cocaine. hCE-2 had higher catalytic efficiencies for hydrolysis of 4-methylumbelliferyl acetate, heroin, and 6-monoacetylmorphine and greater inhibition by eserine than hCE-1. hCE-2 may play an important role in the degradation of cocaine and heroin in human tissues.

DrugBank Data that Cites this Article

Polypeptides
NameUniProt ID
Liver carboxylesterase 1P23141Details
Cocaine esteraseO00748Details