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Spermine oxidase: ten years after

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Abstract

Spermine oxidase (SMO) was discovered much more recently than other enzymes involved in polyamine metabolism; this review summarizes 10 years of researches on this enzyme. Spermine oxidase (SMO) is a FAD-dependent enzyme that specifically oxidizes spermine (Spm) and plays a dominant role in the highly regulated mammalian polyamines catabolism. SMO participates in drug response, apoptosis, response to stressful stimuli and etiology of several pathological conditions, including cancer. SMO is a highly inducible enzyme, its deregulation can alter polyamine homeostasis, and dysregulation of polyamine catabolism is often associated with several disease states. The oxidative products of SMO activity are spermidine, and the reactive oxygen species H2O2 and the aldehyde 3-aminopropanal each with the potential to produce cellular damages and pathologies. The SMO substrate Spm is a tetramine that plays mandatory roles in several cell functions, such as DNA synthesis, cellular proliferation, modulation of ion channels function, cellular signaling, nitric oxide synthesis and inhibition of immune responses. The goal of this review is to cover the main biochemical, cellular and physiological processes in which SMO is involved.

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Abbreviations

AMPA:

Alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid

AP:

Aminopropanal

APAO:

N1-acetylspermine oxidase

BC:

Breat cancer

BENSpm:

Bis(ethyl)norspermine

CPENSpm:

N1-ethyl-N11-(cyclopropyl)-methyl-4,8-diazaundecane

ETBF:

Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis

FAD:

Flavin-adenine-dinucleotide

FMS1:

Fenpropimorph resistance multicopy suppressor 1

Kir:

Inward rectifier K+ channels

H2O2 :

Hydrogen peroxide

MDL 72527:

N1,N4-bis(2,3-butadienyl)-1,4-butanediamine

NB:

Neuroblastoma

NMDA:

N-methyl-D-aspartate

ODC:

Ornithine decarboxylase

PA:

Polyamines

PC-Acro:

Protein-conjugated acrolein

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SBI:

Silent brain infarction

Spd:

Spermidine

SMO:

Spermine oxidase

SMS:

Spermine synthase

Spm:

Spermine

SSAT:

Spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase

TBI:

Traumatic brain injury

TNF-α:

Tumor-necrosis factor-α

ZmPAO:

Maize polyamine oxidase

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the University of Roma Tre for financial support.

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Correspondence to Paolo Mariottini.

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Cervelli, M., Amendola, R., Polticelli, F. et al. Spermine oxidase: ten years after. Amino Acids 42, 441–450 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-011-1014-z

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