Leukotriene C
4 (LTC
4) is a
leukotriene
Leukotrienes are a family of eicosanoid inflammatory mediators produced in leukocytes by the oxidation of arachidonic acid (AA) and the essential fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) by the enzyme arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase.
Leukotrienes ...
. LTC
4 has been extensively studied in the context of
allergy
Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, refer a number of conditions caused by the hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic derm ...
and
asthma
Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, co ...
. In cells of
myeloid origin such as
mast cells
A mast cell (also known as a mastocyte or a labrocyte) is a resident cell of connective tissue that contains many granules rich in histamine and heparin. Specifically, it is a type of granulocyte derived from the myeloid stem cell that is a ...
, its biosynthesis is orchestrated by translocation to the
nuclear envelope along with co-localization of
cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2),
Arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase
Arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase, also known as ALOX5, 5-lipoxygenase, 5-LOX, or 5-LO, is a non-heme iron-containing enzyme (EC 1.13.11.34) that in humans is encoded by the ''ALOX5'' gene. Arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase is a member of the lipoxygenase fa ...
(5-LO),
5-lipoxygenase-activating protein
Arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein also known as 5-lipoxygenase activating protein, or FLAP, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''ALOX5AP'' gene.
Function
FLAP is necessary for the activation of 5-lipoxygenase and therefo ...
(FLAP) and
LTC4 synthase (LTC
4S), which couples
glutathione
Glutathione (GSH, ) is an antioxidant in plants, animals, fungi, and some bacteria and archaea. Glutathione is capable of preventing damage to important cellular components caused by sources such as reactive oxygen species, free radicals, pe ...
to an
LTA4 intermediate. The
MRP1 transporter then secretes cytosolic LTC
4 and cell surface proteases further metabolize it by sequential cleavage of the γ-
glutamyl
Glutamic acid (symbol Glu or E; the ionic form is known as glutamate) is an α-amino acid that is used by almost all living beings in the biosynthesis of proteins. It is a non-essential nutrient for humans, meaning that the human body can synt ...
and
glycine
Glycine (symbol Gly or G; ) is an amino acid that has a single hydrogen atom as its side chain. It is the simplest stable amino acid ( carbamic acid is unstable), with the chemical formula NH2‐ CH2‐ COOH. Glycine is one of the proteinog ...
residues off its glutathione segment, generating the more stable products
LTD4 and
LTE4. All three leukotrienes then bind at different affinities to two
G-protein coupled receptors
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), also known as seven-(pass)-transmembrane domain receptors, 7TM receptors, heptahelical receptors, serpentine receptors, and G protein-linked receptors (GPLR), form a large group of protein family, evolution ...
:
CYSLTR1
Cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1, also termed CYSLTR1, is a receptor for cysteinyl leukotrienes (LT) (see leukotrienes#Cysteinyl leukotrienes). CYSLTR1, by binding these cysteinyl LTs (CysLTs; viz, LTC4, LTD4, and to a much lesser extent, LTE4 ...
and
CYSLTR2
Cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 2, also termed CYSLTR2, is a receptor for cysteinyl leukotrienes (LT) (see leukotrienes#Cysteinyl leukotrienes). CYSLTR2, by binding these cysteinyl LTs (CysLTs; viz, LTC4, LTD4, and to a much lesser extent, LT ...
, triggering pulmonary
vasoconstriction
Vasoconstriction is the narrowing of the blood vessels resulting from contraction of the muscular wall of the vessels, in particular the large arteries and small arterioles. The process is the opposite of vasodilation, the widening of blood vess ...
and
bronchoconstriction
Bronchoconstriction is the constriction of the airways in the lungs due to the tightening of surrounding smooth muscle, with consequent coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
Causes
The condition has a number of causes, the most common be ...
.
In cells of non-
haematopoietic
Haematopoiesis (, from Greek , 'blood' and 'to make'; also hematopoiesis in American English; sometimes also h(a)emopoiesis) is the formation of blood cellular components. All cellular blood components are derived from haematopoietic stem cells. ...
lineage,
endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and
chemotherapy
Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs ( chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemothe ...
induce LTC
4 biosynthesis by transcriptionally upregulating and activating the enzyme
microsomal glutathione-S-transferase 2 (MGST2). ER stress and chemotherapy also trigger nuclear translocation of the two LTC
4 receptors. Acting in an
intracrine
Intracrine refers to a hormone that acts inside a cell, regulating intracellular events. In simple terms it means that the cell stimulates itself by cellular production of a factor that acts within the cell. Steroid hormones act through intracellu ...
manner, LTC
4 then elicits nuclear translocation of
NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4), ROS accumulation and oxidative DNA damage. Besides being a potent lipid mediator in asthma and inflammation, LTC
4 was reported to be involved in several other diseases, such as allergic airway diseases, dermatological diseases, cardiovascular diseases, liver injury, atherosclerosis and colon cancer.
References
{{Leukotrienergics
Eicosanoids