The spontaneous reaction of 110-mu-M chlorambucil (4-[p-[bis(2-chloroethyl)amino]phenyl]butanoic acid: CHB) with 5 mm GSH at 37-degrees-C in physiological phosphate-buffered saline for 35 min gave primarily the monoglutathionyl derivative, 4-[p-[N-2-chloroethyl,N-2-S-glutathionylethyl]amino]phenyl]butanoic acid: CHBSG) and the diglutathionyl derivative, 4-[p-[bis(2-S-glutathionylethyl]amino]phenyl]butanoic acid (CHBSG2) with small amounts of the hydroxy-derivatives: 4-[p-[N-2-chloroethyl,N-2-hydroxyethyl] amino] phenyl-butanoic acid (CHBOH) and 4-[p-[N-2-S-glutathionylethyl-2-hydroxyethyl]amino]phenyl]butanoic acid (CHBSGOH). The inclusion of approximately physiological amounts of human glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) A1-1, A2-2, P1-1, M1a-1a M3-3 or P1-1 (for nomenclature see Mannervik et al., 1992, Biochem. J., 282, 305) had little or no catalytic effect on these reactions as determined by loss of CHB. However, GTSs A1-1 and A2-2 were associated with a significant increase of CHBSG at the expense of CHBSG2 + CHBSGOH suggesting that these GTSs sequestered CHBSG at the active site. This interpretation was supported by inhibition studies which showed that CHBSG was a pure competitive inhibitor of the activity of GSTs A1-1 and A2-2 towards 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene with Ki's of 1.3 and 1.2-mu-M respectively. GSH transferases P1-1 and M1a-1a were inhibited by CHBSG above 10-mu-M. Incubation of 2-mu-M CHB, a concentration which may be of more significance for chemotherapy, in the presence or absence of GST A1-2 (20-50-mu-M) showed catalysis of GSH monoconjugation equivalent to 18% of the spontaneous rate. However, the dominant effect again was the sequestration of CHBSG which reached 74.3 +/- 1.5 (SEM)% of the total reactants at 60 min compared to 28.9 +/- 0.3(SEM)% in controls. CHBSG, although possessing a potential electrophilic centre. showed no detectable alkylation of plasmid DNA but indirect evidence was obtained that it alkylated other cellular macromolecules. It is concluded that the contribution of GSTs to catalysis of CHB detoxication will depend on factors not previously considered, namely the relative molarities of CHB, CHBSG and GSTs, and the cellular capacity to excrete CHBSG to relieve product inhibition.
