(6R)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-L-Biopterin (hydrochloride) (BH
4) is a cofactor that, in the presence of enzyme site iron, binds to phenylalanine hydroxylase, tryptophan or tyrosine hydroxylase, and nitric oxide synthase (NOS), to facilitate the production of aromatic amino acids, neurotransmitters, and nitric oxide (NO), respectively.
1,2,3 It is formed
de novo from GTP with GTP cyclohydrolase-1 (GCH1) catalyzing the rate limiting conversion of GTP to 7,8-dihydroneopterin (NH2TP) followed by subsequent processing by TS and SPR to convert NH2TP to BH
4.
4,3 BH
4 acts as a radical-trapping antioxidant that inhibits phospholipid oxidation in lipid membranes.
4 It inhibits IKE- or RSL3-induced ferroptosis in HT-1080 cells (EC
50s = 21 and 69 μM), as well as ferroptosis induced by knockout of glutathione peroxidase (
Gpx4-/-) in immortalized mouse fibroblasts.
3 BH
4 also reduces RLS3-induced lipid peroxidation in murine fibroblasts and HT-1080 cells when used at a concentration of 50 μM.