The glutathione transferases (GSTs) represent a superfamily of dimeric proteins involved in cellular detoxication by catalyzing the nucleophilic addition of the reduced glutathione (GSH) to the hydrophobic electrophiles. The present work focuses on the functional role of the conserved structures of GSTP1-1. The lock-and-key motif is a highly conserved hydrophobic interaction in the subunit interface of Pi, Mu, and Alpha class GSTs. The key residue (Tyr50 in hGSTP1-1) of one subunit is wedged into a hydrophobic pocket of the neighboring subunit. The heterodimer GSTP1/Y50A was constructed from the fully active wild-type GSTP1-1 and the nearly inactive Y50A in order to study how an essentially inactive subunit influences the activity of the neighboring subunit. The results illuminate the vital role of the lock-and-key motif in modulating the GSH binding and the rate of catalysis. Additionally, the two active sites of the dimeric enzyme work synergistically. An observed water network, in hGSTP1-1 structures, connects the two active sites, thereby offering a mechanism for communication between the two active sites. Cys48 and Tyr50 were targeted by mutations and chemical modifications for understanding how the α2 loop residues modulate GSH binding and catalysis. The replacement of Tyr50 with different unnatural amino acids showed that the nature of the key residue side-chain influences the interaction with the lock structure and, consequently, the catalytic activity. The KMGSH, GSH affinity and protein stability can be modulated by fitting key residue into the lock cavity of the neighbor subunit and, consequently, restriction of the flexibility of the α2 loop. Optimization of the interaction between the key residue and the lock-cavity increases kcat. Also, the crystal structure of the Cys-free variant was determined. The result indicated that Cys48 restricts the flexibility of the α2 loop by interacting with surrounding residues and, consequently, contributes to GSH binding and protein stability.

Occupational exposure-related hearing loss is a significant health concern for affected workers. Organic solvent exposure has emerged as an important contributor to hearing loss. It is thought that hearing loss related to solvent and noise exposure is mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). The glutathione associated enzymes and the manganese superoxide dismutase enzymes (SOD2) are important components of the cochlear hair cellâs defense against oxidative stress. This study is aimed to determine whether polymorphisms within the glutathione S-transferases (GST) P1 and GSTM1, glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1), and SOD2 are associated with hearing status in solvent exposed factory workers. Genotypes for the GSTM1 + vs. null, GSTP1 Ile105Val, GPX1 Pro198Leu, SOD2 Val16Ala polymorphisms along with hearing status were determined in factory workers exposed to organic solvents. Hearing tests consisted of pure tone audiometric (PTA) thresholds from 3-6 kHz and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) for 3-6 kHz. Bivariate and multivariate regression analysis was undertaken to assess for association between polymorphisms and hearing outcomes. The GSTP1 Val/Ile genotype at position 105 was associated with higher PTA thresholds (β=12.41, P value= 0.01) from 3-6 kHz in workers below age 22-43. The analysis showed a protective association of the SOD2 Ala/Val genotype (β= -26.42, P value= 0.025) and The GPX1 Leu/Leu genotypes (β=47.81, P value= 0.034) with audiometric thresholds from 3-6 kHz in individuals above age 43. This small cross-sectional study suggests that polymorphisms within the antioxidant system may alter susceptibility to hearing loss in workers exposed to organic solvents. These results also suggest the mechanisms by which this affect are mediated are complex and should be further investigated.

The low molecular weight (L.M.W.) thiol redox couple formed by γ-L-glutamyl-L-cysteinyl glycine, also called glutathione (reduced and oxidized), is present in most eukaryotes and a few species of bacteria. Glutathione plays a role in numerous cellular processes by providing a means of shuttling electrons to different enzymatic systems. As a result, thiol-dependent redox metabolic processes are highly coupled. Due to tight coupling of redox reactions, it is difficult to understand how changes in the concentration of glutathione would affect a specific glutathione-dependent process. Interestingly, only a small subset of bacteria encode the canonical enzyme for the biosynthesis of glutathione, namely γ-glutamyl cysteine synthetase (gshA gene product). The mechanisms by which glutathione-dependent processes are carried out in bacteria which do not have the genes for biosynthesis of glutathione or other L.M.W. thiols is not well understood. A genetic selection to restore a glutathione-dependent phenotype in E. coli, lacking the gene involved in first step of glutathione biosynthesis (gshA), was used to address how bacteria lacking gshA might substitute for glutathione. Genetic and biochemical analyses of the E. coli mutants isolated in the selection revealed a de novo pathway for biosynthesis of γ-glutamyl cysteine, the product formed normally by GshA. Additionally we found that the unnatural analogue of glutathione, γ-glutamyl homocysteine could also be formed by this pathway. Bioinformatic analysis suggested that bacteria lacking gshA may use these de novo pathways for biosynthesis of γ-glutamyl cysteine or γ-glutamyl homocysteine, which could serve as potential substitutes for glutathione. The engineering of de novo biosynthetic pathways for γ-glutamyl cysteine and γ-glutamyl homocysteine provided us a strategy for engineering a pathway for biosynthesis of another unnatural analogue of glutathione, β-aspartyl cysteine. Both γ-glutamyl homocysteine and β-aspartyl cysteine could potentially be used as orthologus redox couples in E. coli operating in parallel to glutathione to shuttle electrons to specific pathways which may thus be decoupled from glutathione availability. Glutathione-dependent enzymes that can use orthologous redox couples instead are biochemically isolated from network of other redox reactions in the cell and could be used to direct metabolic fluxes to specific pathways with high efficiencies. Towards this end, we show that glutathione transferase, a glutathione-dependent enzyme, can be engineered to use analogous thiols like γ-glutamyl cysteine as cofactors. / text

Foi estudado o efeito da lactona sesquiterpênica licnofolido sobre o \"burst\" respiratório de leucócitos polimorfonucleares inflamatórios (PMN) estimulados por forbol (PMA), pelo peptídeo quimiotático fMLP ou zimozan opsonizado (OZ). O licnofolido inibiu de forma dose-dependente a liberação de O2•- pelos PMN, sem alteração do período \"Iag\" do complexo NADPH. oxidase. O efeito foi mais acentuado quando os PMN foram estimulados diretamente pela via de proteína quinase C. A adição de ditiotreitol ou glutationa reduzida (GSH) às suspensões celulares antes da incubação com licnofolido preveniu parcialmente o efeito inibitório. O tratamento dos PMN com a lactona determinou uma queda drástica dos níveis celulares de GSH livre, sem incremento de glutationa oxidada (GSSG). A reação direta entre GSH e licnofolido foi confirmada com a detecção de um aduto glutationil-licnofolido através de identificação por espectrometria de massa (ESI-MS/MS). A S-tiolação protéica induzida pelo PMA foi reduzida em PMN tratados com Iicnofo/ido, como detectado através de determinação de incorporação de [35S], sendo que 80% desses tióis foram identificados como GSH. Uma série de proteínas S-glutationadas foi detectada através de autoradiografias, sendo que aquelas correspondentes a 38 e 24 kDa tiveram essa modificação póstraducional suprimida pelo tratamento com dose de licnofolido capaz de suprimir o \"burst\" respiratório dos PMN. Estes resultados indicam que a depleção celular de GSH causada pelo licnofolido impede a sustentação do \"burst\" respiratório pelos PMN, em correlação direta com a diminuição de S-glutationação protéica. / An investigation was made into the action of the sesquiterpene lactone lychnopholide on the respiratory burst of inflammatory polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Lychnopholide determined concentration-related inhibition of the generation of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-, chemotatic peptide-, and opsonized zymozan-induced superoxide anion with no effect on the lag time of the assembly of the NADPH oxidase complex, such action was greater on the protein kinase C pathway that on both membrane receptor dependent stimuli via. Subsequent additions of D-glucose, Ca2+, Mg2+, dithiothreitol ar reduced glutathione (GSH) did not reverse the inhibitory action. The addition of both thiols prior to the lychnopholide treatment partially hindered the inhibition rate. The endogenous level of GSH in leukocytes was drastically depleted under the lychnopholide treatment, without corresponding increases occurring in the oxidized form (GSSG). A direct reaction between glutathione and lychnopholide was confirmed from a glutathionyl-lychnopholide adduct detected by electrospray mass spectrometry analysis and identified by tandem mass analysis in cellular extracts. Protein S-thiolation induced by PMA stimulation was decreased in lactone-treated PMN as detected by [35S] scintillation count, which indicated that about 80% of the thiols were glutathione. A subset of S-glutathionylated proteins was identified through gel electrophoresis, which revealed that the modification of the phorbol-triggered protein sulfhydryl in the protein bands corresponding to 38 and 24 kDa was precluded by the lychnopholide treatment correlated with respiratory burst inhibition. These results show that GSH depletion determined by lychnopholide treatment renders PMN to sustain respiratory burst, whose action is proportional to protein S-glutahionylation decrease.

Orientador: Laura Sterian Ward / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-06T20:05:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 LimaJunior_MarioMacielde_M.pdf: 2114915 bytes, checksum: 56c9d6904dd7e0a16ab5565b0d280b7c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: O câncer de próstata (CaP) é atualmente a neoplasia maligna mais prevalente no mundo, após os tumores de pele. A incidência dessa enfermidade tem crescido nas últimas décadas devido, principalmente; ao aumento da longevidade da população. Atualmente o CaP tem sido detectado em estágios menos avançados do que no passado. As melhorias dos métodos de diagnóstico contribuem para a detecção precoce dessa neoplasia. Os polimorfismos de genes que codificam enzimas envolvidas na metabolização de drogas e de xenobióticos, como as do sistema Glutationa S-transferase (GST) e Citocromo P450 (CYP), podem estar implicados no risco e prognóstico para neoplasias. Foram avaliados os genótipos de GSTT1, GSTM1, GSTP1, GSTO1 e CYP1A1 em 125 pacientes portadores de câncer de próstata e em 100 indivíduos com hiperplasia prostática benigna. Tempo e atividade ocupacional, tabagismo e outros dados relevantes da história natural da doença foram obtidas por meio de entrevistas. Não foram encontrados quaisquer associações entre os genótipos estudados e o risco de câncer de próstata, tanto avaliando os diferentes genótipos em separado como em combinações, através de análise de regressão logística uni ou multivariada. Não houve associação entre os genótipos estudados e fatores clínicos de risco para câncer de próstata ou quaisquer parâmetros de agressividade do tumor ao diagnóstico ou durante o seguimento. Nossos dados permitem concluir que os genótipos de GST e CYP1A1 não estão associados à susceptibilidade ao câncer de próstata ou à sua evolução na população brasileira estudada / Abstract: Prostate cancer is currently the most common malignancy worldwide, second only to skin tumors. The incidence of prostate cancer has risen dramatically over the last decade, more than can be explained just by the increase in longevity. It is also apparent that prostate cancer is now being detected at less advanced stages than in the past. Increased awareness of the disease and improved detection methods are thought to contribute to this earlier detection. The polymorphic inheritance of human drug-metabolizing enzymes, such as those encoded by the Glutathione-S-Transferase (GST) and the Cytochrome P450 (CYP) systems, may be implicated in both cancer risk and prognostic. We compared GSTT1, GSTM1, GSTO1, GSTP1 e CYP1A1 genotypes of 125 prostate cancer and 100 benign prostatic hyperplasia patients. Lifetime occupational history, cigarette-smoking, and other anamnestic data were obtained through interviews. None of the studied polymorphisms was found associated to prostate cancer risk either considered in separate or in combination, in uni ou multivariate regression logistic analysis. Also, there was no association between genotypes and possible clinical factors of risk, or any parameter of tumor agressiveness at diagnosis or during follow-up. Our data suggest that GST and CYP1A1 genotypes are not associated to the susceptibility to prostate cancer or its outcome in the Brazilian population / Mestrado / Clinica Medica / Mestre em Clinica Medica

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The aim of this study was to determine the intensity of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis infection, as well as net ion fluxes (Na+, K+ and Cl-), in silver catfish juveniles exposed to different pHs (5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 for sixteen days), pH (5.0 and 7.0) and hardness (20, 60 and 120 mg CaCO3.L-1 for sixteen days) and the oxidative stress parameters in liver, gill and muscle of this species and submitted to different pH (5.0 and 7.0 for three days). Net Na+, K+, and Cl- fluxes were determined at different times, trophonts in the skin and gill were counted, and mortality was registered daily. After six days fish kept at pH 6.0, 7.0, 8.0 and 9.0-hardness 20 mg CaCO3.L-1 showed significantly higher cumulative mortality (100% after eight days) and number of trophonts on the skin and gill compared to pH 5.0-hardness 20 mg CaCO3.L-1. Infected silver catfish showed significantly higher Na+ and K+ effluxes in the first day, and there was a recovery (influx) after the second day compared to asymptomatic juveniles. Silver catfish juveniles infected with I.multifiliis and exposed to pHs 5.0 and 7.0 presented significantly higher TBARS levels in the liver and gills compared to asymptomatic juveniles. The activity of catalase in the liver of silver catfish juveniles infected and exposed to both pHs was significantly lower (1st and 3rd day) than in asymptomatic juveniles. The GST activity in the liver and gills of infected juveniles increased throughout all experimental period compared to asymptomatic juveniles. The muscle of infected juveniles maintained at pH 5.0 showed significantly lower TBARS levels at day three compared to asymptomatic juveniles. The CAT activity was significantly lower in the muscle of infected juveniles at pH 5.0 and 7.0 at all experimental days except day 1 at pH 7.0 compared to asymptomatic juveniles. The muscle of infected juveniles presented significantly lower GST activity in all experimental period at both pH 5.0 and 7.0 compared to asymptomatic juveniles. These results allowed us to conclude that infection by I. multifiliis is less severe in silver catfish maintained at pH 5.0-hardness 20 mg CaCO3.L-1. Increase of water hardness increases trophonts infection and impairs survival in silver catfish kept at pH 5.0, but the opposite is observed when juveniles are at pH 7.0. There was no clear evidence of a relationship between mortality and trophonts number in infected silver catfish with net ion fluxes. Infection with I. multifiliis induces liver and gill damage via lipid peroxidation products, but the same is not observed in the muscle. / O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar a intensidade da infecção pelo Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, assim como o fluxo líquido de íons (Na+, K+ e Cl-), em juvenis de jundiá expostos a diferentes pHs (5,0; 6,0; 7,0; 8,0 e 9,0 por dezesseis dias), pH (5,0 e 7,0) e dureza (20, 60 e 120 mg CaCO3/L por dezesseis dias) e os parâmetros de estresse oxidativo no fígado, brânquias e músculo nesta espécie e submetida a diferentes pHs (5,0 e 7,0 por 3 dias). O fluxo dos íons Na+, K+ e Cl- foi determinado em diferentes tempos, o número de trofontes na pele e nas brânquias foi contado e a mortalidade foi registrada diariamente. Após seis dias os peixes submetidos aos pHs 6,0; 7,0; 8,0 e 9,0-dureza de 20 mg CaCO3/L apresentaram mortalidade cumulativa (100% após oito dias) e numero de trofontes na pele e nas brânquias significativamente maior que os mantidos em pH 5,0-dureza de 20 mg CaCO3/L. Jundiás infectados apresentaram efluxo de Na+ e K+ significativamente maior no primeiro dia, havendo uma recuperação (influxo) a partir do segundo dia em relação aos juvenis assintomáticos. Juvenis de jundiá infectados com I.multifiliis e expostos aos pHs 5,0 e 7,0 apresentaram significativo aumento dos níveis de TBARS no fígado e nas brânquias em relação aos juvenis assintomáticos. A atividade da catalase no fígado dos juvenis de jundiás infectados e expostos a ambos pHs foi significativamente maior e menor (1º e 3º dia), em relação aos juvenis assintomáticos. A atividade da GST no fígado e nas brânquias aumentou durante todo o período experimental em relação aos juvenis assintomáticos. O músculo dos juvenis infectados e mantidos em pH 5,0 apresentou significativa diminuição nos níveis de TBARS no terceiro dia comparado aos juvenis assintomáticos. A atividade da catalase foi significativamente menor no músculo dos juvenis infestados e submetidos ao pH 5,0 e 7,0 em todos os dias experimentais, exceto no primeiro dia em pH 7,0 quando comparada aos juvenis assintomáticos. O músculo dos juvenis infectados apresentou atividade da GST significativamente menor em todo o período experimental em ambos pH 5,0 e 7,0 quando comparados aos juvenis assintomáticos. Estes resultados nos permitem concluir que a infecção pelo I. multifiliis é menos severa em jundiás mantidos em pH 5,0-dureza de 20 mg CaCO3/L. O aumento da dureza da água aumenta a infecção pelos trofontes e afeta a sobrevivência dos jundiás mantidos em pH 5,0, mas o oposto é observado quando os juvenis estão no pH 7,0. Não houve uma evidência clara da relação entre a mortalidade e o número de trofontes nos juvenis de jundiá infectados com o fluxo líquido de íons. A infecção por I. multifiliis induz danos no fígado e brânquias, via produtos da peroxidação lipídica, o mesmo não ficando evidenciado no músculo.

Les glutathion transférases (GSTs) constituent une famille multigénique d’enzymes présentes dans les trois domaines du vivant. Cette présence ubiquitaire souligne l’origine sans doute très ancienne de ces enzymes ainsi que des fonctions fondamentales conservées au cours de l’évolution. Ces enzymes sont impliquées notamment dans la détoxication cellulaire de molécules toxiques et dans le métabolisme secondaire. Les analyses phylogénétiques regroupent les GSTs des organismes photosynthétiques au sein de quatorze classes qui peuvent être séparées en deux grands groupes selon le résidu catalytique : les GSTs à sérine catalytique qui possèdent des activités de conjugaison du glutathion (GSH) et/ou peroxydase tandis que les GSTs à cystéine catalytique présentent des activités thioltransférase, déshydroascorbate réductase et de déglutathionylation. Les GSTs à sérine catalytique de la classe Phi (GSTF) sont présentes chez les organismes photosynthétiques et certains basidiomycètes. Chez les plantes, cette classe comprend un nombre de gènes plus important que les autres classes de GSTs. Ceux-ci sont parmi les plus régulés en réponse à divers stress et ils ont été fortement étudiés chez les plantes céréalières en raison de l’activité de détoxication des herbicides des protéines correspondantes. Pourtant, à quelques exceptions près, les rôles physiologiques des GSTFs restent inconnus et la redondance d’isoformes dans cette classe reste incomprise. Par des approches moléculaires, biochimiques et structurales, l’analyse structure-fonction des huit GSTFs de l’arbre modèle Populus trichocarpa a été réalisée au cours de cette thèse. L’analyse phylogénétique des GSTFs chez les organismes photosynthétiques a montré que cette classe est apparue au moment de l’apparition terrestre des végétaux et que différents groupes pouvaient être identifiés avec des motifs catalytiques distincts. L’analyse transcriptionnelle a montré que les gènes relatifs aux GSTFs de peuplier sont principalement exprimés dans les fleurs femelles, les pétioles et les fruits. Certains aspects du mécanisme réactionnel ont été caractérisés en déterminant notamment les paramètres cinétiques et d’interaction des huit GSTFs et de plusieurs variants mutés pour des résidus clés vis-à-vis de substrats modèles. Les structures de cinq des huit GSTFs ont été résolues et ces protéines dimériques adoptent un repliement GST canonique et des spécificités structurales au niveau du site actif ont pu être observées. De plus, au regard de la capacité des orthologues des GSTFs à lier des hormones et des flavonoïdes ainsi que de l’expression récurrente des GSTFs de peuplier dans les fruits et les fleurs femelles, deux organes riches en ces molécules, il peut être supposé qu’elles ont aussi des propriétés de type ligandine. Des résultats préliminaires ont également été obtenus pour la recherche de substrats physiologiques à partir de métabolites extraits de différents organes de peuplier. A terme, l’identification de ces substrats permettra de déterminer le mode d’action (catalytique vs ligandine) de chaque enzyme et d’identifier clairement les fonctions in planta de ces enzymes / Glutathione transferases (GSTs) belong to a multigenic family whose presence in most eukaryotes, prokaryotes and archaea reflects their widespread nature and very likely important functions. These enzymes represent a major group of enzymes involved in xenobiotic detoxification and secondary metabolism. From the most recent genomic and phylogenetic analyses, the GST family is subdivided into 14 classes that can be separated into two main groups based on the catalytic residue which is either a serine (Ser-GST) or a cysteine (Cys-GST). Ser-GSTs usually catalyze glutathione (GSH) conjugation and/or peroxide reduction. On the other hand, Cys-GSTs cannot perform GSH-conjugation reactions but instead catalyze thiol-transferase, dehydroascorbate reductase and deglutathionylation reactions. Ser-GSTs from the Phi class (GSTF) are present in photosynthetic organisms and some basidiomycetes. This class is composed of a large number of genes compared to other GST classes which are amongst the most stress-inducible. The corresponding proteins have been extensively studied in crops with regard to their detoxification activities toward herbicides. However, with a few exceptions, very little is known about their roles in planta and it is not well understood why this class has expanded. By combining molecular, cellular, biochemical and structural approaches, the eight isoforms from the model tree Populus trichocarpa have been characterized during this PhD project. Phylogenetic analysis of GSTFs in the green lineage shows that the apparition of this class is concomitant with the appearance of terrestrial plants and that different groups can be distinguished based on the active site signature. RT-PCR analysis of the eight isoforms of GSTFs showed that transcripts mostly accumulate in female flowers, petioles and fruits. Some aspects of the reaction mechanism have been characterized by determining kinetic parameters of the eight poplar GSTFs and of several mutated variants for key residues towards model substrates. The structures of five GSTFs have been solved and these dimeric proteins display a typical GST fold but specificities have been observed at the catalytic site level. Moreover, considering the demonstrated capacity of GSTF orthologs to bind hormones, anthocyanins or flavonoids, and the consistent high expression of poplar GSTFs in female flowers and fruits, two organs rich in these molecules, we speculate that they may also possess ligandin properties. Preliminary results have been obtained regarding the nature of the substrates in various poplar organs by analyzing protein thermostability in the presence of putative ligands. In order to assess whether a functional redundancy between poplar Phi GSTs exists and to identify their mode of action (catalytic vs ligandin functions), we started to isolate and identify physiological substrates

Directed evolution is generally regarded as a useful approach in protein engineering. By subjecting members of a mutant library to the power of Darwinian evolution, desired protein properties are obtained. Numerous reports have appeared in the literature showing the success of tailoring proteins for various applications by this method. Is it a one-way track that protein practitioners can only learn from nature to enable more efficient protein engineering? A structure-and-mechanism-based approach, supplemented with the use of reduced amino acid alphabets, was proposed as a general means for semi-rational enzyme engineering. Using human GST A2-2*E, the most active human enzyme in the bioactivation of azathioprine, as a parental enzyme to test this approach, a L107G/L108D/F222H triple-point mutant of GST A2-2*E (thereafter designated as GDH) was discovered with 70-fold increased activity, approaching the upper limit of specific activity of the GST scaffold. The approach was further experimentally verified to be more successful than intuitively choosing active-site residues in proximity to the bound substrate for the improvement of enzyme performance. By constructing all intermediates along all putative mutational paths leading from GST A2-2*E to mutant GDH and assaying them with nine alternative substrates, the fitness landscapes were found to be “rugged” in differential fashions in substrate-activity space. The multidimensional fitness landscapes stemming from functional promiscuity can lead to alternative outcomes with enzymes optimized for other features than the selectable markers that were relevant at the origin of the evolutionary process. The results in this thesis suggest that in this manner an evolutionary response to changing environmental conditions can readily be mounted. In summary, the thesis demonstrates the attractive features of the structure-and-mechanism-based semi-rational directed evolution approach for optimizing enzyme performance. Moreover, the results gained from the studies show that laboratory evolution may refine our understanding of evolutionary process in nature.

Glutathione transferase (GST) A2-2 is the human enzyme most efficient in catalyzing azathioprine activation. Structure-function relationships were sought explaining the higher catalytic efficiency compared to other alpha class GSTs. By screening a DNA shuffling library, five recombined segments were identified that were conserved among the most active mutants. Mutational analysis confirmed the importance of these short segments as their insertion into low-active GSTs introduced higher azathioprine activity. Besides, H-site mutagenesis led to decreased azathioprine activity when the targeted positions belonged to these conserved segments and mainly enhanced activity when other positions were targeted. Hydrophobic residues were preferred in positions 208 and 213. The prodrug azathioprine is today primarily used for maintaining remission in inflammatory bowel disease. Therapy leads to adverse effects for 30 % of the patients and genotyping of the metabolic genes involved can explain some of these incidences. Five genotypes of human A2-2 were characterized and variant A2*E had 3–4-fold higher catalytic efficiency with azathioprine, due to a proline mutated close to the H-site. Faster activation might lead to different metabolite distributions and possibly more adverse effects. Genotyping of GSTs is recommended for further studies. Molecular docking of azathioprine into a modeled structure of A2*E suggested three positions for mutagenesis. The most active mutants had small or polar residues in the mutated positions. Mutant L107G/L108D/F222H displayed a 70-fold improved catalytic efficiency with azathioprine. Determination of its structure by X-ray crystallography showed a widened H-site, suggesting that the transition state could be accommodated in a mode better suited for catalysis. The mutational analysis increased our understanding of the azathioprine activation in alpha class GSTs and highlighted A2*E as one factor possibly behind the adverse drug-effects. A successfully redesigned GST, with 200-fold enhanced catalytic efficiency towards azathioprine compared to the starting point A2*C, might find use in targeted enzyme-prodrug therapies.