Purification and characterization of hepatic glutathione transferases from an insectivorous marsupial, the brown antechinus (Antechinus stuartii).

1. Five unique glutathione transferase isoenzymes were purified from the hepatic cytosol of an insectivorous marsupial, the brown antechinus. The purified GSTs were characterized by structural and catalytic properties including apparent molecular weight and isoelectric point, specificity towards model substrates, kinetic parameters, sensitivity to inhibitors and cross-reactivity with antisera raised against human GSTs. 2. An alpha class GST, Antechinus GST 1-1, predominated in the hepatic cytosol, representing 71% of the total GST purified. The substrate specificity of Antechinus GST 1-1 was similar to that of other alpha class GSTs, particularly with respect to its high activity with cumene hydroperoxide. The mu class was represented by three GST isoenzymes, Antechinus GST 3-3, GST 3-4 and GST 4-4. These isoenzymes represented 8, 2 and 10% of the total GST purified respectively. A single GST, Antechinus GST 22, belonged to the pi class of GSTs and represented 12% of the total GST purified. The hepatic GST isoenzyme ratio (by class) observed in the brown antechinus was more similar to that observed in the human than in rat. 3. A previous study investigating a herbivorous marsupial, the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) also identified a predominant hepatic GST belonging to the alpha class and displaying peroxidase activity. The evolutionary conservation of a similar predominant GST isoenzyme in these marsupials suggests that they play an important role in the detoxication metabolism of these unique mammals.