Tetrahydrobiopterin Biosynthesis, Utilization and Pharmacological Effects

Authors: Werner-Felmayer G.; Golderer G.; Werner E.R.

Source: Current Drug Metabolism, Volume 3, Number 2, April 2002 , pp. 159-173(15)

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

Abstract:

Tetrahydrobiopterin (H4-biopterin) is an essential cofactor of a set of enzymes that are of central metabolic importance, i.e. the hydroxylases of the three aromatic amino acids phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan, of ether lipid oxidase, and of the three nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoenzymes. As a consequence, H4-biopterin plays a key role in a vast number of biological processes and pathological states associated with neurotransmitter formation, vasorelaxation, and immune response. In mammals, its biosynthesis is controlled by hormones, cytokines and certain immune stimuli. This review aims to summarize recent developments concerning regulation of H4-biopterin biosynthetic and regulatory enzymes and pharmacological effects of H4-biopterin in various conditions, e.g. endothelial dysfunction or apoptosis of neuronal cells. Also, approaches towards gene therapy of diseases like the different forms of phenylketonuria or of Parkinson's disease are reviewed. Additional emphasis is given to H4-biopterin biosynthesis and function in non-mammalian species such as fruit fly, zebra fish, fungi, slime molds, the bacterium Nocardia as well as to the parasitic protozoan genus of Leishmania that is not capable of pteridine biosynthesis but has evolved a sophisticated salvage network for scavenging various pteridine compounds, notably folate and biopterin.

Keywords: Tetrahydrobiopterin biosynthesis; Nitric oxide synthase(nos); leishmania; H-biopterin deficiencies; Primitive eukaryotes; Physarum polycephalum; Sepiapterin reductase; Dihydro pteridine reductase

Language: English

Document Type: Review article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1389200024605073

Publication date: 2002-04-01

• Current Drug Metabolism aims to cover all the latest and outstanding developments in drug metabolism and disposition. The journal serves as an international forum for the publication of timely reviews in drug metabolism. Current Drug Metabolism is an essential journal for academic, clinical, government and pharmaceutical scientists who wish to be kept informed and up-to-date with the latest and most important developments. The journal covers the following areas:
  
  In vitro systems including CYP-450; enzyme induction and inhibition; drug-drug interactions and enzyme kinetics; pharmacokinetics, toxicokinetics, species scaling and extrapolations; P-glycoprotein and transport carriers; target organ toxicity and interindividual variability; drug metabolism and disposition studies; extrahepatic metabolism; phase I and phase II metabolism; recent developments for the identification of drug metabolites and adducts.

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• In this Subject: Anatomy & Physiology ,  Pharmacology
• By this author: Werner-Felmayer G. ;  Golderer G. ;  Werner E.R.

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