title: Quercetin is a substrate for the transmembrane oxidoreductase Dcytb.
abstract: Duodenal cytochrome b (Dcytb) is a transmembrane oxidoreductase protein found in apical membranes of duodenal enterocytes, as well as human erythrocytes, with the capacity to transport electrons donated by cytosolic ascorbate to extracellular electron receptors such as Fe(III), dehydroascorbate, or molecular O(2). We have investigated the capacity of the flavonoid quercetin to act as an electron donor for Dcytb in a manner similar to that of ascorbate by observing the reduction of extracellular Fe(III) to Fe(II) in either Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells overexpressing Dcytb (Dcytb(+)) or Dcytb-null MDCK cells. In Dcytb(+) cells there is a saturable increase in extracellular Fe(III) reduction in response to increasing intracellular quercetin concentrations (K(m)=6.53+/-1.57 microM), in addition to a small linear response, whereas in Dcytb-null cells there is only a small linear increase in extracellular Fe(III) reduction. No extracellular Fe(III) reduction occurs in Dcytb-null cells when the cells are preloaded with ascorbate. Flavonoids such as quercetin at their physiological concentrations can therefore function as modulators of ferric reductases, enhancing the import of Fe(II) and also providing extracellular reducing potential.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, King's College London, Waterloo Campus, London SE1 9HN, UK.
authors.forename: Evangelia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vlachodimitropoulou
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Naftalin
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Sharp
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003573:Cytochrome b Group / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003683:Dehydroascorbic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004285:Dogs; D004705:Endocytosis; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005296:Ferrous Compounds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011794:Quercetin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D019076:Transgenes / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D003573:Cytochrome b Group; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D005296:Ferrous Compounds; C000820:semidehydroascorbic acid; D011794:Quercetin; D010088:Oxidoreductases; C422926:CYBRD1 protein, human; D003683:Dehydroascorbic Acid