title: A MBP-FAAH fusion protein as a tool to produce human and rat fatty acid amide hydrolase: expression and pharmacological comparison.
abstract: Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), a membrane-anchored enzyme responsible for the termination of endocannabinoid signalling, is an attractive target for treating conditions such as pain and anxiety. Inhibitors of the enzyme, optimized using rodent FAAH, are known but their pharmacology and medicinal chemistry properties on the human FAAH are missing. Therefore recombinant human enzyme would represent a powerful tool to evaluate new drug candidates. However, the production of high amounts of enzyme is hampered by the known refractiveness of FAAH to overexpression. Here, we report the successful overexpression of rat and human FAAH as a fusion to the E. coli maltose-binding protein, retaining catalytic properties of native FAAH. Several known FAAH inhibitors were tested and differences in their potencies toward the human and rat FAAH were found, underscoring the importance of using a human FAAH in the development of inhibitors.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Chimie pharmaceutique et de Radiopharmacie, Ecole de Pharmacie, Faculté de Médecine, Université catholique de Louvain, Bruxelles, Belgium.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Labar
authors.forename: F V
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Vliet
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wouters
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Lambert
mesh_terms: D000581:Amidohydrolases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D058619:Maltose-Binding Proteins; D008970:Molecular Weight; D051381:Rats; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D012995:Solubility; D000099252:Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolases
chemical_list: D000581:Amidohydrolases; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D058619:Maltose-Binding Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000099252:Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolases