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Correcting a genetic mutation that leads to a loss of function has been a challenge. One such mutation is in aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), denoted ALDH2*2. This mutation is present in ∼0.6 billion East Asians and results in accumulation of toxic acetaldehyde after consumption of ethanol. To temporarily increase metabolism of acetaldehyde in vivo, we describe an approach in which a pharmacologic agent recruited another ALDH to metabolize acetaldehyde. We focused on ALDH3A1, which is enriched in the upper aerodigestive track, and identified Alda-89 as a small molecule that enables ALDH3A1 to metabolize acetaldehyde. When given together with the ALDH2-specific activator, Alda-1, Alda-89 reduced acetaldehyde-induced behavioral impairment by causing a rapid reduction in blood ethanol and acetaldehyde levels after acute ethanol intoxication in both wild-type and ALDH2-deficient, ALDH2*1/*2, heterozygotic knock-in mice. The use of a pharmacologic agent to recruit an enzyme to metabolize a substrate that it usually does not metabolize may represent a novel means to temporarily increase elimination of toxic agents in vivo . Significance About 560 million East Asians have an impaired ability to eliminate acetaldehyde because of a point mutation in an enzyme called aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2). Humans with this mutation have ∼20-fold higher blood acetaldehyde levels than those with normal enzyme activity after consuming one to two units of alcoholic beverages. Because acetaldehyde is a potent carcinogen and causes behavioral impairment, its accumulation is a health risk. We identified a pharmacologic agent that recruits ALDH3A1, a closely related enzyme, to compensate for a loss of ability of ALDH2 to metabolize acetaldehyde. Pharmacologic agents that alter substrate specificity of an enzyme have not yet been described and may have wide clinical application in treating patients with impaired ability to detoxify toxic substances.

Acetaldehyde (ACH) associated with alcoholic beverages is Group 1 carcinogen to humans (IARC/WHO). Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2), a major ACH eliminating enzyme, is genetically deficient in 30-50% of Eastern Asians. In alcohol drinkers, ALDH2-deficiency is a well-known risk factor for upper aerodigestive tract cancers, i.e., head and neck cancer and esophageal cancer. However, there is only a limited evidence for stomach cancer. In this study we demonstrated for the first time that ALDH2 deficiency results in markedly increased exposure of the gastric mucosa to acetaldehyde after intragastric administration of alcohol. Our finding provides concrete evidence for a causal relationship between acetaldehyde and gastric carcinogenesis. A plausible explanation is the gastric first pass metabolism of ethanol. The gastric mucosa expresses alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) enzymes catalyzing the oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde, especially at the high ethanol concentrations prevailing in the stomach after the consumption of alcoholic beverages. The gastric mucosa also possesses the acetaldehyde-eliminating ALDH2 enzyme. Due to decreased mucosal ALDH2 activity, the elimination of ethanol-derived acetaldehyde is decreased, which results in its accumulation in the gastric juice. We also demonstrate that ALDH2 deficiency, proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment, and L-cysteine cause independent changes in gastric juice and salivary acetaldehyde levels, indicating that intragastric acetaldehyde is locally regulated by gastric mucosal ADH and ALDH2 enzymes, and by oral microbes colonizing an achlorhydric stomach. Markedly elevated acetaldehyde levels were also found at low intragastric ethanol concentrations corresponding to the ethanol levels of many foodstuffs, beverages, and dairy products produced by fermentation. A capsule that slowly releases L-cysteine effectively eliminated acetaldehyde from the gastric juice of PPI-treated ALDH2-active and ALDH2-deficient subjects. These results provide entirely novel perspectives for the prevention of gastric cancer, especially in established risk groups.

Evidence is accumulating that ethanol and its oxidative metabolite, acetaldehyde, can disrupt intestinal epithelial integrity, an important factor contributing to ethanol-induced liver injury. However, ethanol can also be metabolized non-oxidatively generating phosphatidylethanol and fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs). This study aims to investigate the effects of FAEEs on barrier function, and to explore the role of oxidative stress as possible mechanism. Epithelial permeability was assessed by paracellular flux of fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated dextran using live cell imaging. Cell integrity was evaluated by lactate dehydrogenase release. Localization and protein levels of ZO-1 and occludin were analyzed by immunofluorescence and cell-based ELISA, respectively. Intracellular oxidative stress and cellular ATP levels were measured by dichlorofluorescein and luciferase driven bioluminescence, respectively. In vitro, ethyl oleate and ethyl palmitate dose dependently increased permeability associated with disruption and decreased ZO-1 and occludin protein levels, respectively, and increased intracellular oxidative stress without compromising cell viability. These effects could partially be attenuated by pretreatment with the antioxidant, resveratrol, pointing to the role of oxidative stress in the FAEEs-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction. These findings show that FAEEs can induce intestinal barrier dysfunction by disrupting the tight junctions, most likely via reactive oxygen species-dependent mechanism.

OBJECTIVES: To characterize the genes responsible for ethanol utilization in Pichia pastoris. RESULTS: ADH3 (XM_002491337) and ADH (FN392323) genes were disrupted in P. pastoris. The ADH3 mutant strain, MK115 (Δadh3), lost its ability to grow on minimal ethanol media but produced ethanol in minimal glucose medium. ADH3p was responsible for 92 % of total Adh enzyme activity in glucose media. The double knockout strain MK117 (Δadh3Δadh) also produced ethanol. The Adh activities of X33 and MK116 (Δadh) strains were not different. Thus, the ADH gene does not play a role in ethanol metabolism. CONCLUSION: The PpADH3 is the only gene responsible for consumption of ethanol in P. pastoris.

Alcoholism is a complex behavioural disorder. Molecular genetics studies have identified numerous candidate genes associated with alcoholism. It is crucial to verify the disease susceptibility genes by correlating the pinpointed allelic variations to the causal phenotypes. Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) are the principal enzymes responsible for ethanol metabolism in humans. Both ADH and ALDH exhibit functional polymorphisms among racial populations; these polymorphisms have been shown to be the important genetic determinants in ethanol metabolism and alcoholism. Here, we briefly review recent advances in genomic studies of human ADH/ALDH families and alcoholism, with an emphasis on the pharmacogenetic consequences of venous blood acetaldehyde in the different ALDH2 genotypes following the intake of various doses of ethanol. This paper illustrates a paradigmatic example of phenotypic verifications in a protective disease gene for substance abuse.

Prospecting macroalgae (seaweeds) as feedstocks for bioconversion into biofuels and commodity chemical compounds is limited primarily by the availability of tractable microorganisms that can metabolize alginate polysaccharides. Here, we present the discovery of a 36—kilo—base pair DNA fragment from Vibrio splendidus encoding enzymes for alginate transport and metabolism. The genomic integration of this ensemble, together with an engineered system for extracellular alginate depolymerization, generated a microbial platform that can simultaneously degrade, uptake, and metabolize alginate. When further engineered for ethanol synthesis, this platform enables bioethanol production directly from macroalgae via a consolidated process, achieving a titer of 4.7% volume/volume and a yield of 0.281 weight ethanol/weight dry macroalgae (equivalent to ~80% of the maximum theoretical yield from the sugar composition in macroalgae).

Haematopoietic stem cells renew blood. Accumulation of DNA damage in these cells promotes their decline, while misrepair of this damage initiates malignancies. Here we describe the features and mutational landscape of DNA damage caused by acetaldehyde, an endogenous and alcohol-derived metabolite. This damage results in DNA double-stranded breaks that, despite stimulating recombination repair, also cause chromosome rearrangements. We combined transplantation of single haematopoietic stem cells with whole-genome sequencing to show that this damage occurs in stem cells, leading to deletions and rearrangements that are indicative of microhomology-mediated end-joining repair. Moreover, deletion of p53 completely rescues the survival of aldehyde-stressed and mutated haematopoietic stem cells, but does not change the pattern or the intensity of genome instability within individual stem cells. These findings characterize the mutation of the stem-cell genome by an alcohol-derived and endogenous source of DNA damage. Furthermore, we identify how the choice of DNA-repair pathway and a stringent p53 response limit the transmission of aldehyde-induced mutations in stem cells. Endogenous and alcohol-derived acetaldehyde causes a specific pattern of DNA damage in haemopoietic stem cells; the effects are mitigated by detoxification, specific DNA repair mechanisms and a p53 response. Cheers to DNA damage When endogenous DNA damage in haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is not correctly repaired, it can lead to malignancies. Previously, Ketan Patel and colleagues showed that individuals with mutations in Fanconi anaemia genes are unable to correct DNA damage caused by the alcohol metabolite, acetaldehyde. They have now performed whole-genome sequencing following single-HSC transplantation to understand the landscape of DNA loss and rearrangements that are induced by acetaldehyde. Deleting p53 can rescue HSC survival, but does not restore genome stability. The data define the contributions of the p53 and DNA repair pathways in protecting the HSC genome from acetaldehyde-dependent damage.

A pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass to produce biofuels, polymers, and other chemicals plays a vital role in the biochemical conversion process toward disrupting the closely associated structures of the cellulose-hemicellulose-lignin molecules. Various pretreatment steps alter the chemical/physical structure of lignocellulosic materials by solubilizing hemicellulose and/or lignin, decreasing the particle sizes of substrate and the crystalline portions of cellulose, and increasing the surface area of biomass. These modifications enhance the hydrolysis of cellulose by increasing accessibilities of acids or enzymes onto the surface of cellulose. However, lignocellulose-derived byproducts, which can inhibit and/or deactivate enzyme and microbial biocatalysts, are formed, including furan derivatives, lignin-derived phenolics, and carboxylic acids. These generation of compounds during pretreatment with inhibitory effects can lead to negative effects on subsequent steps in sugar flat-form processes. A number of physico-chemical pretreatment methods such as steam explosion, ammonia fiber explosion (AFEX), and liquid hot water (LHW) have been suggested and developed for minimizing formation of inhibitory compounds and alleviating their effects on ethanol production processes. This work reviews the physico-chemical pretreatment methods used for various biomass sources, formation of lignocellulose-derived inhibitors, and their contributions to enzymatic hydrolysis and microbial activities. Furthermore, we provide an overview of the current strategies to alleviate inhibitory compounds present in the hydrolysates or slurries.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are potentially harmful and heterogeneous molecules derived from nonenzymatic glycation. The pathological implications of AGEs are ascribed to their ability to promote oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. Recent studies in basic and translational research have revealed the contributing roles of AGEs in the development and progression of various aging-related pathological conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular complications, gut microbiome-associated illnesses, liver or neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. Excessive chronic and/or acute binge consumption of alcohol (ethanol), a widely consumed addictive substance, is known to cause more than 200 diseases, including alcohol use disorder (addiction), alcoholic liver disease, and brain damage. However, despite the considerable amount of research in this area, the underlying molecular mechanisms by which alcohol abuse causes cellular toxicity and organ damage remain to be further characterized. In this review, we first briefly describe the properties of AGEs: their formation, accumulation, and receptor interactions. We then focus on the causative functions of AGEs that impact various aging-related diseases. We also highlight the biological connection of AGE–alcohol–adduct formations to alcohol-mediated tissue injury. Finally, we describe the potential translational research opportunities for treatment of various AGE- and/or alcohol-related adduct-associated disorders according to the mechanistic insights presented. Metabolism: AGEs in aging- and alcohol-related diseases Advanced glycation end products (AGEs), molecules formed when proteins and lipids combine with sugar, play key roles in aging-related diseases and in alcohol-induced tissue damage. AGEs naturally accumulate in the body with aging, and are also present in food, particularly in fried and processed foods. They are also produced by alcohol metabolism and cigarette smoking. Byoung-Joon Song and Wiramon Rungratanawanich at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in Bethesda, USA, have reviewed how AGEs accumulate and their roles in aging-related diseases and alcohol-related health effects. They report that AGEs are linked to promotion or exacerbation of many diseases such as cardiovascular and kidney disease, adult-onset diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. The authors highlight opportunities for further research and for reducing AGE accumulation through changes in diet and behavior.

ObjectiveAntimicrobial C-type lectin regenerating islet-derived 3 gamma (REG3G) is suppressed in the small intestine during chronic ethanol feeding. Our aim was to determine the mechanism that underlies REG3G suppression during experimental alcoholic liver disease.DesignInterleukin 22 (IL-22) regulates expression of REG3G. Therefore, we investigated the role of IL-22 in mice subjected to chronic-binge ethanol feeding (NIAAA model).ResultsIn a mouse model of alcoholic liver disease, we found that type 3 innate lymphoid cells produce lower levels of IL-22. Reduced IL-22 production was the result of ethanol-induced dysbiosis and lower intestinal levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), a microbiota-derived ligand of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), which regulates expression of IL-22. Importantly, faecal levels of IAA were also found to be lower in patients with alcoholic hepatitis compared with healthy controls. Supplementation to restore intestinal levels of IAA protected mice from ethanol-induced steatohepatitis by inducing intestinal expression of IL-22 and REG3G, which prevented translocation of bacteria to liver. We engineered Lactobacillus reuteri to produce IL-22 (L. reuteri/IL-22) and fed them to mice along with the ethanol diet; these mice had reduced liver damage, inflammation and bacterial translocation to the liver compared with mice fed an isogenic control strain and upregulated expression of REG3G in intestine. However, L. reuteri/IL-22 did not reduce ethanol-induced liver disease in Reg3g–/– mice.ConclusionEthanol-associated dysbiosis reduces levels of IAA and activation of the AHR to decrease expression of IL-22 in the intestine, leading to reduced expression of REG3G; this results in bacterial translocation to the liver and steatohepatitis. Bacteria engineered to produce IL-22 induce expression of REG3G to reduce ethanol-induced steatohepatitis.