Biosynthesis of vicinal dihydroxy fatty acids in the red alga Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis: identification of a sodium-dependent 12-lipoxygenase and a hydroperoxide isomerase.

Biosynthesis of the vicinal diol fatty acid (12R,13S)-dihydroxy-(5Z,8Z,10E,14Z)-eicosatetrae noic acid from arachidonic acid was studied in preparations of the red alga Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis. The transformation consisted of initial 12-lipoxygenase-catalyzed oxygenation of arachidonic acid into (12S)-hydroperoxy-(5Z,8Z,10E,14Z)-eicosatetraeno ic acid followed by hydroperoxide isomerase-catalyzed conversion of the hydroperoxide into (12R,13S)-dihydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid. Short time incubations and trapping experiments with glutathione peroxidase revealed that (12S)-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid existed as a free intermediate in the overall conversion. The 12-lipoxygenase was mainly present in the soluble fraction of homogenate of G. lemaneiformis. Further, gel filtration experiments showed that the soluble 12-lipoxygenase was a protein having a molecular weight of 84,000-89,000. The enzymatic activity of 12-lipoxygenase isolated by gel filtration was weak; however, addition of 0.8-1 M sodium chloride to such desalted enzyme increased the activity 20-fold. Experiments with different salts revealed that sodium ion was specifically responsible for the stimulatory effect. Hydroperoxide isomerase was about equally distributed between the high speed supernatant and particulate fractions. Gel filtration of hydroperoxide isomerase present in the soluble fraction showed two peaks of activity corresponding to proteins having molecular weights of 220,000 or greater, and 40,000-45,000. The stereochemical course of the biosynthesis of vicinal diol fatty acids was determined using stereospecifically deuterated 6,9,12-octadecatrienoic acids. The 12-lipoxygenase-catalyzed reaction consisted of antarafacial hydrogen removal and oxygen insertion, whereas the hydroperoxide isomerase catalyzed an intramolecular oxygenation which occurred with retention of the configuration of the carbon atom hydroxylated.