Specific induction of pulmonary indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase by bacterial lipopolysaccharide.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (molecular weight about 42,000) has been purified from rabbit intestines and contains one mole of protohaem IX as the sole prosthetic group. It catalyses the oxidative cleavage of the pyrrole ring of various indoleamines with a much broader specificity of substrate than tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase. The enzyme has an absolute requirement for superoxide anion for catalytic activity. The enzyme was induced specifically in the lungs of mice for 24 h after administration of the lipopolysaccharide fraction of E. coli. This increase is due to synthesis of enzyme protein and is specific for the lipopolysaccharide fraction. These results are interpreted to mean that indoleamine dioxygenase is induced in pulmonary inflammatory processes in response to an increase in production of superoxide anion, 5-hydroxytryptamine or other indoleamines in the lung as a consequence of inflammation. The dioxygenase reaction is a more innocuous way of disposing of superoxide than dismutation.