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27.6: Skin lysyl oxidase (24b.5)

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    117276
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    Lysyl oxidase (EC 1.4.3.13) is another extra­cellular copper-containing enzyme that is essential for the normal maturation and function of collagen, specifically in the steps involving the formation of lysine-derived cross-links. The latter are required for the formation of strong, flexible connective tissue (Rucker and Murray, 1978).

    Copper deficiency in animals results in low lysyl oxidase activity in heart, aorta, connective tissue, lung, and skin, which is reversed with copper supplementation (O'Dell, 1976). Decreased lysyl oxidase activity may be responsible for the skeletal and cardiac abnormalities reported in copper deficiency (Kagan and Trackman, 1991). In rats, despite no differences in bone weight or femoral ash content, torsional strength of the femur was markedly reduced in copper deficiency (Jonas et al., 1993).

    To date, very few experimental copper depletion-repletion studies have examined the effect of low dietary copper on the activity of skin lysyl oxidase. Results in Figure 24b.5

    Bar graph showing protein levels under four conditions: Baseline, Marginal Cu, Low Cu, and Cu Repletion. Error bars are shown. Levels decrease at Low Cu and increase at Cu Repletion.
    Figure 24b.5 Lysyl oxidase activity in the skin of healthy male subjects fed different amounts of copper. Marginal Cu, 0.66mg/d; Low Cu, 0.38mg/d; Cu repletion, 2.49mg/d. Bars with different letters differ significantly (p<0.05). Values are mean±SEM of 11 sub­jects at each time period. Redrawn from Werman et al., Nutritional Biochemistry 8: 201–204, 1997.

    show the changes in mean lysyl oxidase activity in the skin of healthy males receiving diets containing four levels of dietary copper. There was a significant fall in activity when the subjects were fed a low copper diet (0.38mg/d), which returned to baseline values after copper repletion. No such decline was observed when the marginal copper diet (0.66mg/d) was fed. Plasma copper, cerulo­plasmin, and urinary copper were also measured in this study; levels fell significantly on feeding the low-copper diet (Werman et al., 1997). The results of this initial study suggest that lysyl oxidase activity declines when dietary copper intake is inadequate, indicating that the cross-linking of collagen may be modulated by copper deficiency. Skin lysyl oxidase could be used as a biomarker of copper status in young men. Further studies are needed to assess whether the test can also be used in women and older subjects. Skin biopsies are invasive procedures, so that the test probably will have limited use in community-based studies.


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