2. Academic Validation
  3. Potent necrosis effect of methanethiol mediated by METTL7B enzyme bioactivation mechanism in 16HBE cell

Potent necrosis effect of methanethiol mediated by METTL7B enzyme bioactivation mechanism in 16HBE cell

  • Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2022 May 1;236:113486. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113486.
Jinting Lei 1,  Guiying Li 2,  Hang Yu 3,  Taicheng An 3
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
  • 2 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, Key Laboratory of City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development (Department of Education), School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China. Electronic address: ligy1999@gdut.edu.cn.
  • 3 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, Key Laboratory of City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development (Department of Education), School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
PMID: 35397445 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113486
Abstract

Methanethiol is a widely existing malodorous pollutant with health effects on the human population. However, the cytotoxicity mechanism of methanethiol in vitro and its metabolic transformation (bioactivation or detoxification) have not been fully elucidated. Herein, the metabolites of methanethiol during Cell Culture and the cytotoxicity of methanethiol in human bronchial epithelial (16HBE) cells were investigated. Results indicate that methanethiol (10-50 μM) was partially converted into dimethyl sulfide, mainly catalyzed by thiol S-methyltransferase in the 16HBE cells, and then it induced potent cytotoxicity and cell membrane permeability. Moreover, methanethiol induced intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) up to 50 μM and further activated the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling pathway, which eventually led to the decline in the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and cell necrosis. However, all these effects were significantly alleviated with gene silencing of the methyltransferase-like protein 7B (METTL7B). These results indicate that methanethiol may induce cell necrosis in human respiratory tract cells mainly mediated by S-methyltransferase with interfering TNF and ROS induction. Non-target metabolomics results suggest that methanethiol potently affects expression of endogenous small molecule metabolites in 16HBE cells. To some extent, this work shows the possible conversion path and potential injury mechanism of human respiratory tract cells exposed to methanethiol.

Keywords

16HBE cells; Bioactivation; Cell necrosis; In vitro metabolism; Methanethiol.

Figures
Products