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Event: 1386

Key Event Title

A descriptive phrase which defines a discrete biological change that can be measured. More help

CYP7B activity, inhibition

Short name
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CYP7B activity, inhibition
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Biological Context

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Level of Biological Organization
Molecular

Cell term

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Organ term

The location/biological environment in which the event takes place.The biological context describes the location/biological environment in which the event takes place.  For molecular/cellular events this would include the cellular context (if known), organ context, and species/life stage/sex for which the event is relevant. For tissue/organ events cellular context is not applicable.  For individual/population events, the organ context is not applicable.  Further information on Event Components and Biological Context may be viewed on the attached pdf. More help

Key Event Components

The KE, as defined by a set structured ontology terms consisting of a biological process, object, and action with each term originating from one of 14 biological ontologies (Ives, et al., 2017; https://aopwiki.org/info_pages/2/info_linked_pages/7#List). Biological process describes dynamics of the underlying biological system (e.g., receptor signalling).Biological process describes dynamics of the underlying biological system (e.g., receptor signaling).  The biological object is the subject of the perturbation (e.g., a specific biological receptor that is activated or inhibited). Action represents the direction of perturbation of this system (generally increased or decreased; e.g., ‘decreased’ in the case of a receptor that is inhibited to indicate a decrease in the signaling by that receptor).  Note that when editing Event Components, clicking an existing Event Component from the Suggestions menu will autopopulate these fields, along with their source ID and description.  To clear any fields before submitting the event component, use the 'Clear process,' 'Clear object,' or 'Clear action' buttons.  If a desired term does not exist, a new term request may be made via Term Requests.  Event components may not be edited; to edit an event component, remove the existing event component and create a new one using the terms that you wish to add.  Further information on Event Components and Biological Context may be viewed on the attached pdf. More help

Key Event Overview

AOPs Including This Key Event

All of the AOPs that are linked to this KE will automatically be listed in this subsection. This table can be particularly useful for derivation of AOP networks including the KE.Clicking on the name of the AOP will bring you to the individual page for that AOP. More help
AOP Name Role of event in AOP Point of Contact Author Status OECD Status
Inhibition of CYP7B leads to decreased locomotor activity MolecularInitiatingEvent Florence Pagé-Larivière (send email) Not under active development
Inhibition of CYP7B activity leads to decreased sexual behavior MolecularInitiatingEvent Florence Pagé-Larivière (send email) Not under active development

Taxonomic Applicability

Latin or common names of a species or broader taxonomic grouping (e.g., class, order, family) that help to define the biological applicability domain of the KE.In many cases, individual species identified in these structured fields will be those for which the strongest evidence used in constructing the AOP was available in relation to this KE. More help
Term Scientific Term Evidence Link
Japanese quail Coturnix japonica NCBI
Cynops pyrrhogaster Cynops pyrrhogaster NCBI
Oncorhynchus keta Oncorhynchus keta NCBI

Life Stages

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Life stage Evidence
All life stages

Sex Applicability

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Term Evidence
Mixed

Key Event Description

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Site of action:

CYP7B is expressed in different organs including liver, prostate and brain.

How does it work :

CYP7B is a member of the cytochrome P450 family of enzymes. It is involved in steroidogenic pathways as well as in the synthesis of bile acids. In the brain, it is involved in neurosteroids synthesis.

In the brain, the reactions catalyzed by CYP7B are : 

  • Probably in all vertebrates: Pregnenolone into 7α-hydroxypregnenolone and its stereoisomer 7β-hydroxypregnenolone (bird only) (R08943) (Matsunaga et al., 2004; Rose et al., 1997; Tsutsui et al., 2008)
  • Proven in mouse and human: Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) to 7α-hydroxy-DHEA and its stereoisomer 7β-hydroxy-DHEA (Martin et al., 2004; Weihua et al., 2002). 

In the human and mouse liver, CYP7B is responsible for (Toll et al., 1994): 

  • 5-cholesten-3-beta, 25(S)-diol into Cholest-5-ene-3 beta-7 alpha, 25-thiol (R07209 R08723),
  • Cholest-5-ene-3 beta, 26-diol into 7 alpha, 27-dihydroxycholesterol (R07372 R08724),
  • 3 beta-hydroxy-5-cholestenoate into 3 beta, 7 alpha-dihydroxy-5-cholestenoate (R08727 R08728).
  • It is expressed in the chicken liver and is probably involved in the same reactions (Handschin et al., 2005). 

In the prostate:

  • Proven for human and rat: Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) to 7α-hydroxy-DHEA and 7β-hydroxy-DHEA (Martin et al., 2001; Martin et al., 2004). 

Inhibitors prevent the metabolism of pregnenolone into 7-alpha-hydroxypregnenolone, thereby decreasing the concentration of the neurosteroid. 

How It Is Measured or Detected

A description of the type(s) of measurements that can be employed to evaluate the KE and the relative level of scientific confidence in those measurements.These can range from citation of specific validated test guidelines, citation of specific methods published in the peer reviewed literature, or outlines of a general protocol or approach (e.g., a protein may be measured by ELISA). Do not provide detailed protocols. More help

In vitro

To measure CYP7B activity in vitro, different experiments based on HPLC and GS-MS analysis can be performed.

  • An assay in liver microsome followed by HPLC analysis of the metabolites (Souidi et al., 2000). 
  • Labeled steroid conversion in vitro with cell or tissue extract in presence of NADPH followed by GS-MS analysis (Rose et al., 1997; Tsutsui et al., 2008). 
  • CYP7B can be cloned in bacteria to produce an active protein in vitro. In presence of adequate precursor and cofactors, the enzymatic activity of the protein can be measured and analyzed using HPLC.  
  • CYP7B can be transfected in a cell line unable to synthesize 7α-hydroxypregnenolone in order to measure with HPLC the ability of the protein to catalyze the enzymatic reaction in presence of the appropriate substrate and cofactor (Tsutsui et al., 2008)

In vivo

Experiments may include knock-out of mice (followed by RNA, protein blotting and enzymatic activity to confirm knock-out) (Li-Hawkins et al., 2000) followed by the measurement of substrate and metabolites of CYP7B in plasma and tissues (Rose., 2001). 

Domain of Applicability

A description of the scientific basis for the indicated domains of applicability and the WoE calls (if provided).  More help

CYP7B is known to be conserved in chimpanzee, Rhesus monkey, dog, cow, mouse, rat, chicken, zebrafish, and frog. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/homologene/3544

References

List of the literature that was cited for this KE description. More help

Dulos, J., van der Vleuten, M.A., Kavelaars, A., Heijnen, C.J., and Boots, A.M. (2005). CYP7B expression and activity in fibroblast-like synoviocytes from patients with rheumatoid arthritis: regulation by proinflammatory cytokines. Arthritis Rheum 52, 770-778.

Handschin C., Gnerre C., Fraser DJ., Martinez-Jimenez C., Jover R., Mever UA., (2005) Species-specific mechanisms for cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) regulation by drugs and bile acids, Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Vol 434-1, pp75-85

Haraguchi, S., Koyama, T., Hasunuma, I., Okuyama, S., Ubuka, T., Kikuyama, S., Do Rego, J.L., Vaudry, H., and Tsutsui, K. (2012). Acute stress increases the synthesis of 7alpha-hydroxypregnenolone, a new key neurosteroid stimulating locomotor activity, through corticosterone action in newts. Endocrinology 153, 794-805.

Haraguchi, S., Yamamoto, Y., Suzuki, Y., Hyung Chang, J., Koyama, T., Sato, M., Mita, M., Ueda, H., and Tsutsui, K. (2015). 7alpha-Hydroxypregnenolone, a key neuronal modulator of locomotion, stimulates upstream migration by means of the dopaminergic system in salmon. Sci Rep 5, 12546.

Li-Hawkins, J., Lund, E.G., Turley, S.D., and Russell, D.W. (2000). Disruption of the oxysterol 7alpha-hydroxylase gene in mice. J Biol Chem 275, 16536-16542.

Liu, C., Yang, X.V., Wu, J., Kuei, C., Mani, N.S., Zhang, L., Yu, J., Sutton, S.W., Qin, N., Banie, H., et al. (2011). Oxysterols direct B-cell migration through EBI2. Nature 475, 519-523.

Martin, C., Bean, R., Rose, K., Habib, F., and Seckl, J. (2001). cyp7b1 catalyses the 7alpha-hydroxylation of dehydroepiandrosterone and 25-hydroxycholesterol in rat prostate. Biochem J 355, 509-515.

Martin, C., Ross, M., Chapman, K.E., Andrew, R., Bollina, P., Seckl, J.R., and Habib, F.K. (2004). CYP7B generates a selective estrogen receptor beta agonist in human prostate. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 89, 2928-2935.

Matsunaga, M., Ukena, K., Baulieu, E.E., and Tsutsui, K. (2004). 7alpha-Hydroxypregnenolone acts as a neuronal activator to stimulate locomotor activity of breeding newts by means of the dopaminergic system. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 101, 17282-17287.

Rose, K., Allan, A., Gauldie, S., Stapleton, G., Dobbie, L., Dott, K., Martin, C., Wang, L., Hedlund, E., Seckl, J.R., et al. (2001). Neurosteroid hydroxylase CYP7B: vivid reporter activity in dentate gyrus of gene-targeted mice and abolition of a widespread pathway of steroid and oxysterol hydroxylation. J Biol Chem 276, 23937-23944.

Rose, K.A., Stapleton, G., Dott, K., Kieny, M.P., Best, R., Schwarz, M., Russell, D.W., Bjorkhem, I., Seckl, J., and Lathe, R. (1997). Cyp7b, a novel brain cytochrome P450, catalyzes the synthesis of neurosteroids 7alpha-hydroxy dehydroepiandrosterone and 7alpha-hydroxy pregnenolone. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 94, 4925-4930.

Souidi, M., Parquet, M., Dubrac, S., Audas, O., Becue, T., and Lutton, C. (2000). Assay of microsomal oxysterol 7alpha-hydroxylase activity in the hamster liver by a sensitive method: in vitro modulation by oxysterols. Biochim Biophys Acta 1487, 74-81.

Toll, A., Wikvall, K., Sudjana-Sugiaman, E., Kondo, K.H., and Bjorkhem, I. (1994). 7 alpha hydroxylation of 25-hydroxycholesterol in liver microsomes. Evidence that the enzyme involved is different from cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase. Eur J Biochem 224, 309-316.

Tsutsui, K., Inoue, K., Miyabara, H., Suzuki, S., Ogura, Y., and Haraguchi, S. (2008). 7Alpha-hydroxypregnenolone mediates melatonin action underlying diurnal locomotor rhythms. J Neurosci 28, 2158-2167.

Weihua, Z., Lathe, R., Warner, M., and Gustafsson, J.A. (2002). An endocrine pathway in the prostate, ERbeta, AR, 5alpha-androstane-3beta,17beta-diol, and CYP7B1, regulates prostate growth. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 99, 13589-13594.

Yantsevich, A.V., Dichenko, Y.V., Mackenzie, F., Mukha, D.V., Baranovsky, A.V., Gilep, A.A., Usanov, S.A., and Strushkevich, N.V. (2014). Human steroid and oxysterol 7alpha-hydroxylase CYP7B1: substrate specificity, azole binding and misfolding of clinically relevant mutants. FEBS J 281, 1700-1713.