H6PDH interacts directly with 11β-HSD1: Implications for determining the directionality of glucocorticoid catalysis

Tissue specific amplification of glucocorticoid action through NADPH-dependent reduction of inactive glucocorticoid precursors by 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD1) contributes to the development of visceral obesity, insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes. Hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (H6PDH) is believed to supply NADPH for the reductase activity of 11β-HSD1 in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where the two enzymes are co-localized. We report here expression and purification of full-length and truncated N-terminal domain (NTD) of H6PDH in a mammalian expression system. Interestingly, both full-length H6PDH and the truncated NTD are secreted into the culture medium in the absence of 11β-HSD1. Purified full-length H6PDH is a bi-functional enzyme with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) activity as well as 6-phosphogluconolactonase (6PGL) activity. Using co-immunoprecipitation experiments with purified H6PDH and 11β-HSD1, and with cell lysates expressing H6PDH and 11β-HSD1, we observe direct physical interaction between the two enzymes. We also show the modulation of 11β-HSD1 directionality by H6PDH using overexpression and siRNA knockdown systems. The NTD retains the ability to interact with 11β-HSD1 physically as well as modulate 11β-HSD1 directionality indicating that the NTD of H6PDH is sufficient for the regulation of the 11β-HSD1 activity.