Skip Navigation



ToxSci Advance Access published online on November 25, 2008

Toxicological Sciences, doi:10.1093/toxsci/kfn240
This Article
Right arrow Advance Access manuscript (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
107/2/440    most recent
kfn240v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ucán-Marín, F.
Right arrow Articles by Letcher, R. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ucán-Marín, F.
Right arrow Articles by Letcher, R. J.
Social Bookmarking
 Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Toxicology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Recombinant Transthyretin Purification and Competitive Binding With Organohalogen compounds in Two Gull Species (Larus argentatus and Larus hyperboreus)

Francisco Ucán-Marín*,{dagger}, Augustine Arukwe{ddagger}, Anne Mortensen{ddagger}, Geir W. Gabrielsen§, Glen A. Fox* and Robert J. Letcher*,{dagger},1

* Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate, Science and Technology Branch, Environment Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada; robert.letcher{at}ec.gc.ca, glen.afox{at}gmail.com {dagger} Department of Chemistry, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada; fumarin{at}connect.carleton.ca {ddagger} Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, Norway; arukwe{at}bio.ntnu.no, anne.mortensen{at}bio.ntnu.no § Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø, NO-9296, Norway; geir{at}npolar.no

1 Corresponding author. Tel.: (613) 998-6696; Fax (613) 998-0458; E-mail: robert.letcher{at}ec.gc.ca

Received July 11, 2008; revision received November 12, 2008; accepted November 14, 2008


   Abstract

Glaucous gulls (Larus hyperboreus) from Svalbard, Norway (marine) and herring gulls (Larus argentatus) from the Laurentian Great Lakes (freshwater) of North America are differentially exposed to persistent and bioaccumulative anthropogenic contaminants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants and metabolic products. Such compounds can potentially perturb hormone transport via binding interactions with proteins such as transthyretin (TTR, pre-albumin). In this present study, we isolated, cloned and sequenced TTR complementary DNA (cDNA) from the brain and liver of two species (herring and glaucous gull), which, to our knowledge, is the first report describing the TTR nucleic acid and amino acid sequences from any gull species. Identical TTR nucleotide and amino acid sequences were obtained from both gull species (liver and brain). Recombinant TTR (rTTR) was expressed and purified, and determined as a monomer of 18 kDa and homodimer of 36 kDa that putatively is comprised of the two protein monomers. Concentration-dependent, competitive TTR binding curves with each of the natural TTR ligands 3,5,3’-triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) were generated as well as by treatment with a range of concentrations (10-3 to 105 nM) of 2,2’,3,4’,5,5’,6-heptaCB (CB187), 2,2’,4,4’-tetrabromoDE (BDE47) and hydroxyl- (OH) and methoxyl (MeO)-containing analogues (i.e., 4-OH-CB187, 6-OH-BDE47, 4’-OH-BDE49, 4-MeO-CB187 and 6-MeO-BDE47). Relative to the non-substituted BDE47 and CB187 and the MeO-substituted analogues, the OH-substituted analogues all had lower Ki and Kd values concentrations, indicating greater affinity and more potent competitive binding to both T3 and T4. The OH-substitution position and/or the diphenyl ether substitution of the 4 bromine atoms resulted in more potent, greater affinity and greater relative potency for 4’-OH-BDE49 relative to 6-OH-BDE47. CB187 was more comparable in binding potency and affinity to 4-OH-CB187, then was 6-OH-BDE47 and 4’-OH-BDE49 relative to BDE47 where the binding potency and affinity was several orders of magnitude greater for 6-OH-BDE47 and 4’-OH-BDE49. This indicates that the combination of the more TH-like brominated diphenyl ether backbone (relative to the chlorinated biphenyl backbone), and in combination of having an OH-group, results in a more effective competitive ligand on gullTTR relative to both T3 and T4. Known circulating levels of 4-OH-CB187, 6-OH-BDE47 and 4’-OH-BDE49 in the plasma of free-ranging Svalbard glaucous gulls were comparable to the concentration of in vitro competitive potency of T3 and T4 with gullTTR. These results suggest that environmentally relevant and selected OH-containing PCB, and to a lesser extent PBDE congeners have the potential to be physiologically effective in these gull species via perturbation of T4 and T3 transport.

Key Words: Thyroid hormones; Larid birds; Transthyretin cloning and expression; Competitive binding; PCBs; PBDEs and metabolites.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
Drug Metab. Dispos.Home page
Y. Kato, K. Haraguchi, M. Kubota, Y. Seto, S.-i. Ikushiro, T. Sakaki, N. Koga, S. Yamada, and M. Degawa
4-Hydroxy-2,2',3,4',5,5',6-heptachlorobiphenyl-Mediated Decrease in Serum Thyroxine Level in Mice Occurs through Increase in Accumulation of Thyroxine in the Liver
Drug Metab. Dispos., October 1, 2009; 37(10): 2095 - 2102.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Toxicol SciHome page
J. M. Weiss, P. L. Andersson, M. H. Lamoree, P. E. G. Leonards, S. P. J. van Leeuwen, and T. Hamers
Competitive Binding of Poly- and Perfluorinated Compounds to the Thyroid Hormone Transport Protein Transthyretin
Toxicol. Sci., June 1, 2009; 109(2): 206 - 216.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]



Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.