B.A. Beaupre et al. / Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics 579 (2015) 62–66
65
of absorption (epinephrine, 0.0035; DOPA, 0.015;
L-DOPA, 0.0025)
equating to ꢀ1–3 M aminochrome after 300 s, indicating that a
l
mixture of b-NADH and free FAD can enhance the rate of cate-
cholamine autoxidation and that renalase actually provides some
degree of protection from this chemistry presumably as a result
of the active site flavin being inherently unreactive with
b-NAD(P)H molecules in order to avoid wasteful diaphorase
activity.
In our previous work we have demonstrated that renalase cat-
alyzes rapid oxidation of 6DHNAD(P) and 2DHNAD(P) to
b
NAD(P)+ where a hydride equivalent is transferred from the nicoti-
namide base to the renalase flavin coenzyme that then reoxidizes
by reducing dioxygen to form hydrogen peroxide (Scheme 2)
[41,43,44]. In order to show the extent of the influence of cate-
cholamines on the kinetics of this chemistry, reduction and reox-
idaton of the renalase flavin coenzyme that occurs in single
turnover with 6DHNAD was observed at 458 nm (Fig. 2B). The data
obtained indicate that neither epinephrine, L-DOPA, or dopamine
have influence on the catalytic behavior of renalase. The FAD,
6DHNAD ( catecholamines) control for the single turnover reac-
tions where ostensibly the same as those for FAD, b-NADH and cat-
echolamine in Fig. 1A (data not shown).
Fig. 3. The effect of catecholamine and plasma preincubation. Renalase activity in
50% blood plasma and PBS buffer was determined by monitoring dioxygen
consumption. Reactions were performed by reacting 30
lM 6DHNAD in the
absence or presence of 500 nM renalase and 10 M epinephrine in either PBS
l
buffer or 50% blood plasma. Traces 1, 2, 6, and 7 (from top) were incubated at 25 °C
for 20 min prior to the addition of 6DHNAD all other traces were incubated at 25 °C
for 5 min before 6DHNAD addition. Traces were aligned so the addition of 6DHNAD
appears in the same time position in all reactions. Assays were separated by adding
or substracting values for clarity. Only Assay 5 is not plotted on an actual molecular
oxygen scale.
Dioxygen consumption to assess renalase activity in blood and the
effect of preincubation
There are three near constant elements in all scientific articles
that pertain to renalase; all claims for activity involve the reduc-
tion of dissolved dioxygen, most report or cite that catecholamines
are substrates and the majority pivot their investigations on the
role of renalase in blood [14,45]. Moreover, the low in vitro cate-
cholamine oxidase activity has been claimed to be a consequence
of a ‘‘prorenalase’’ form that is largely inactive when separated
from some unidentified activator [5,9]. Given that renalase oxi-
dizes 2- and 6DHNAD(P) [41], does renalase exhibit modified cat-
alytic behavior in blood? In order to demonstrate the effects of
preincubation with catecholamine and/or blood plasma we con-
ducted a series of assays using an oxygen electrode (Fig. 3). All
assays had 6DHNAD added either after a short (5 min) or long
(20 min) preincubation.
that the basal level of renalase activity in blood is sufficiently low
to be below the sensitivity of these methods. Using antibody detec-
tion, Zbroch et al. determined that the concentration of renalase in
plasma was 4 lg/mL (100 nM) [31] approximately one fifth of the
exogenous concentration added in assays 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 & 9. That each
of these traces show marked dioxygen consumption with added
renalase and those without show no dioxygen consumption
(assays 1 & 5) suggests that there is very little renalase in blood
or that the majority of it is inactive. Comparison of assays 2 & 4
to assays 7 & 9 indicates that preincubation of renalase in plasma
does not alter its behavior. Both sets of assays indicate linear con-
sumption of dioxygen that is equimolar to the amount of 6DHNAD
added and then cessation of activity. Assays 2, 3 & 4 show recovery
of approximately half the dioxygen consumed in the renalase cat-
alytic phase presumably as a consequence of catalase activity in
the plasma. Contrary to claims that epinephrine activates renalase
[8], neither assay 1 or 6, those preincubated with epinephrine in
plasma and PBS respectively, show any evidence of activity,
strongly suggesting that the circulating catecholamine does not
activate a quiescent form of renalase.
In Fig. 3, assays 1 & 6, we see that epinephrine is slow to oxidize
and does not promote significant consumption of dioxygen prior to
or after the addition of 6DHNAD. In addition, assays 1 & 5 indicate
Discussion
The chronology of reported activities for renalase elaborate the
erroneous initial claim. In the progenitor article it was proposed
that renalase is secreted by the kidney to oxidize circulating cate-
cholamines and that the electrons mobilized are delivered to
dioxygen [1]. However, this was surmised only from the data
obtained from a generic oxidase assay method and without the
use of appropriate controls. Nonetheless, the association of rena-
lase with catecholamines continues to become ever more con-
flated. Catecholamines are said to regulate the activity, secretion
and synthesis of renalase [5]. A variety of complex regulatory feed-
back pathways have been proposed [5–7,17,23]. Aminochromes
are claimed as the native products [9] and the active oxidizing
agent is said to be superoxide [8]. However, the extremely low
levels of claimed in vitro catecholamine oxidase activity has been
Fig. 2. Catalytic turnover of renalase in the presence of neurotransmitters. (A and B)
Renalase single turnover (B) and control(A) stopped-flow spectrophotometer traces
were observed at 458 nm for 200 sec. (A) The extent of auto-oxidation of
epinephrine was monitored; top, stopped-flow spectrophotometer trace of 20
renalase with 15 M b-NADH (4DHNAD) in the absence and presence of 100
catecholamine of interest (epinephrine, DOPA,
spectrophotometer trace of 20 M FAD with 15 M b-NADH(4DHNAD) and 100
of catecholamine of interest (epinephrine, DOPA,
20 M renalase with 15 M 6DHNAD in the absence and presence of 100
catecholamine of interest (epinephrine, DOPA, -DOPA).
l
l
M
M
l
L
-DOPA); bottom; stopped-flow
l
l
lM
L
-DOPA). (B) Single turnover of
l
l
lM
L