Protein Information

Name glutathione transferase
Synonyms GST class mu 2; GST 4; GST4; GSTM; GSTM 2; GSTM2; GSTM2 2; GSTmu3…

Compound Information

Name methylene chloride
CAS dichloromethane

Reference List

PubMed Abstract RScore(About this table)
14615977 Guengerich FP, McCormick WA, Wheeler JB: Analysis of the kinetic mechanism of haloalkane conjugation by mammalian theta-class glutathione transferases. Chem Res Toxicol. 2003 Nov;16(11):1493-9.

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11446825 Jonsson F, Johanson G: A Bayesian analysis of the influence of GSTT1 polymorphism on the cancer risk estimate for dichloromethane. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2001 Jul 15;174(2):99-112.


The carcinogenicity of dichloromethane (DCM) is related to metabolic activation mediated by glutathione transferase theta 1 (GSTT1), whereas oxidation serves as a detoxification pathway.
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12751236 Trotsenko IuA, Doronina NV: [The biology of aerobic methylobacteria capable of degrading halomethanes] . Mikrobiologiia. 2003 Mar-Apr;72(2):149-60.


At the same time, the primary dehalogenation of dichloromethane to formaldehyde and HCl is catalyzed by cytosolic glutathione transferase with S-chloromethylglutathione as an intermediate.
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10438655 El-Masri HA, Bell DA, Portier CJ: Effects of glutathione transferase theta polymorphism on the risk estimates of dichloromethane to humans. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 1999 Aug 1;158(3):221-30.

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1585369 Casanova M, Deyo DF, Heck H: Dichloromethane (methylene chloride): metabolism to formaldehyde and formation of DNA-protein cross-links in B6C3F1 mice and Syrian golden hamsters. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 1992 May;114(1):162-5.

Dichloromethane (DCM) is metabolized via a glutathione transferase (GST)-dependent pathway to formaldehyde (HCHO), a mutagenic compound that could play an important role in the carcinogenic effects of DCM observed in the liver and lungs of B6C3F1 mice at 2000 and 4000 ppm.
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16971395 Montero R, Serrano L, Araujo A, Davila V, Ponce J, Camacho R, Morales E, Mendez A: Increased cytogenetic damage in a zone in transition from agricultural to industrial use: Comprehensive analysis of the micronucleus test in peripheral blood lymphocytes. Mutagenesis. 2006 Sep;21(5):335-42. Epub 2006 Sep 13.

A complex situation of chemical exposure has been described in Mexico in a zone that is in transition from rural activities towards intensive industrialization, which has brought environmental pollution: chloroform, methylene chloride, indigo and toluene are some of the pollutants found in the Atoyac and Xochiac rivers.
Two metabolic polymorphisms were determined, namely, glutathione transferase mu1 (GSTM1) and theta1 (GSTT1), which are relevant when oxidative responses are involved.
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7979958 Hallier E, Schroder KR, Asmuth K, Dommermuth A, Aust B, Goergens HW: Metabolism of dichloromethane (methylene chloride) to formaldehyde in human erythrocytes: influence of polymorphism of glutathione transferase theta (GST T1-1). Arch Toxicol. 1994;68(7):423-7.
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16569727 Bos PM, Zeilmaker MJ, van Eijkeren JC: Application of physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling in setting acute exposure guideline levels for methylene chloride. Toxicol Sci. 2006 Jun;91(2):576-85. Epub 2006 Mar 28.

Additionally, the biotransformation of methylene chloride includes both a saturable step as well as genetic polymorphism of the glutathione transferase involved.
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8132617 Blocki FA, Logan MS, Baoli C, Wackett LP: Reaction of rat liver glutathione S-transferases and bacterial dichloromethane dehalogenase with dihalomethanes. J Biol Chem. 1994 Mar 25;269(12):8826-30.


Rat liver alpha class glutathione transferases were inactive and mu class enzymes showed low activity (7-23 nmol/min/mg of protein) with CH2Cl2. theta class glutathione transferase 5-5 from rat liver and Methylophilus sp. dichloromethane dehalogenase showed specific activities of > or = 1 mumol/min/mg of protein.
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9851677 Thier R, Wiebel FA, Hinkel A, Burger A, Bruning T, Morgenroth K, Senge T, Wilhelm M, Schulz TG: Species differences in the glutathione transferase GSTT1-1 activity towards the model substrates methyl chloride and dichloromethane in liver and kidney. Arch Toxicol. 1998 Oct;72(10):622-9.

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10376772 Wiebel FA, Dommermuth A, Thier R: The hereditary transmission of the glutathione transferase hGSTT1-1 conjugator phenotype in a large family. Pharmacogenetics. 1999 Apr;9(2):251-6.

Experimentally, individuals can be classified as non-conjugators, low conjugators and 'high' conjugators depending on the enzyme activity in blood towards methylene chloride using a gas chromatographic assay.
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12054768 Broo K, Larsson AK, Jemth P, Mannervik B: An ensemble of theta class glutathione transferases with novel catalytic properties generated by stochastic recombination of fragments of two mammalian enzymes. J Mol Biol. 2002 Apr 19;318(1):59-70.

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