Enzymes of type II fatty acid synthesis and apicoplast differentiation and division in Eimeria tenella

Apicomplexan parasites, Eimeria tenella, Plasmodium spp. and Toxoplasma gondii, possess a homologous plastid-like organelle termed the apicoplast, derived from the endosymbiotic enslavement of a photosynthetic alga. However, currently no eimerian nuclear encoded apicoplast targeted proteins have been identified, unlike in Plasmodium spp. and T. gondii. In this study, we demonstrate that nuclear encoded enoyl reductase of E. tenella (EtENR) has a predicted N-terminal bipartite transit sequence, typical of apicoplast-targeted proteins. Using a combination of immunocytochemistry and EM we demonstrate that this fatty acid biosynthesis protein is located in the apicoplast of E. tenella. Using the EtENR as a tool to mark apicoplast development during the Eimeria lifecycle, we demonstrate that nuclear and apicoplast division appear to be independent events, both organelles dividing prior to daughter cell formation, with each daughter cell possessing one to four apicoplasts. We believe this is the first report of multiple apicoplasts present in the infectious stage of an apicomplexan parasite. Furthermore, the microgametes lacked an identifiable apicoplast consistent with maternal inheritance via the macrogamete. It was found that the size of the organelle and the abundance of EtENR varied with developmental stage of the E. tenella lifecycle. The high levels of EtENR protein observed during asexual development and macrogametogony is potentially associated with the increased synthesis of fatty acids required for the rapid formation of numerous merozoites and for the extracellular development and survival of the oocyst. Taken together the data demonstrate that the E. tenella apicoplast participates in type II fatty acid biosynthesis with increased expression of ENR during parasite growth. Apicoplast division results in the simultaneous formation of multiple fragments. The division mechanism is unknown, but is independent of nuclear division and occurs prior to daughter formation.     

Reconstitution of an apicoplast-localised electron transfer pathway involved in the isoprenoid biosynthesis of Plasmodium falciparum

In the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum isoprenoid precursors are synthesised inside a plastid-like organelle (apicoplast) by the mevalonate independent 1-deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate (DOXP) pathway. The last reaction step of the DOXP pathway is catalysed by the LytB enzyme which contains a [4Fe-4S] cluster. In this study, LytB of P. falciparum was shown to be catalytically active in the presence of an NADPH dependent electron transfer system comprising ferredoxin and ferredoxin-NADP(+) reductase. LytB and ferredoxin were found to form a stable protein complex. These data suggest that the ferredoxin/ferredoxin-NADP(+) reductase redox system serves as the physiological electron donor for LytB in the apicoplast of P. falciparum.     

Enhanced flux through the methylerythritol 4-phosphate pathway in Arabidopsis plants overexpressing deoxyxylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase

The methylerythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway synthesizes the precursors for an astonishing diversity of plastid isoprenoids, including the major photosynthetic pigments chlorophylls and carotenoids. Since the identification of the first two enzymes of the pathway, deoxyxylulose 5-phoshate (DXP) synthase (DXS) and DXP reductoisomerase (DXR), they both were proposed as potential control points. Increased DXS activity has been shown to up-regulate the production of plastid isoprenoids in all systems tested, but the relative contribution of DXR to the supply of isoprenoid precursors is less clear. In this work, we have generated transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants with altered DXS and DXR enzyme levels, as estimated from their resistance to clomazone and fosmidomycin, respectively. The down-regulation of DXR resulted in variegation, reduced pigmentation and defects in chloroplast development, whereas DXR-overexpressing lines showed an increased accumulation of MEP- derived plastid isoprenoids such as chlorophylls, carotenoids, and taxadiene in transgenic plants engineered to produce this non-native isoprenoid. Changes in DXR levels in transgenic plants did not result in changes in␣DXS gene expression or enzyme accumulation, confirming that the observed effects on plastid isoprenoid levels in DXR-overexpressing lines were not an indirect consequence of altering DXS levels. The results indicate that the biosynthesis of MEP (the first committed intermediate of the pathway) limits the production of downstream isoprenoids in Arabidopsis chloroplasts, supporting a role for DXR in the control of the metabolic flux through the MEP pathway.     

Evidence of Isoprenoid Precursor Toxicity in Bacillus subtilis

The mevalonic acid (MVA) and methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathways for isoprenoid biosynthesis both culminate in the production of the two-five carbon prenyl diphosphates: dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) and isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP). These are the building blocks for higher isoprenoids, including many that have industrial and pharmaceutical applications. With growing interest in producing commercial isoprenoids through microbial engineering, reports have appeared of toxicity associated with the accumulation of prenyl diphosphates in Escherichia coli expressing a heterologous MVA pathway. Here we explored whether similar prenyl diphosphate toxicity, related to MEP pathway flux, could also be observed in the bacterium Bacillus subtilis. After genetic and metabolic manipulations of the endogenous MEP pathway in B. subtilis, measurements of cell growth, MEP pathway flux, and DMAPP contents suggested cytotoxicity related to prenyl diphosphate accumulation. These results have implications as to understanding the factors impacting isoprenoid biosynthesis in microbial systems.     

1-Deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase: an overview

The methylerythritol phosphate pathway to isoprenoids, an alternate biosynthetic route present in many bacteria, algae, plants, and the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum, has become an attractive target for the development of new antimalarial and antibacterial compounds. The second enzyme in this pathway, 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR; EC 1.1.1.267), has been shown to be the molecular target for fosmidomycin, a promising antimalarial drug. This enzyme converts 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate (DXP) into the branched compound 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP). The transformation of DXP into MEP requires an isomerization, followed by a NADPH-dependent reduction. The discovery of DXR, its subsequent characterization, and the identification of inhibitors will be presented.     

Metabolic profiling of the methylerythritol phosphate pathway reveals the source of post‐illumination isoprene burst from leaves

The methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway in plants produces the prenyl precursors for all plastidic isoprenoids, including carotenoids and quinones. The MEP pathway is also responsible for synthesis of approximately 600 Tg of isoprene per year, the largest non‐methane hydrocarbon flux into the atmosphere. There have been few studies of the regulation of the MEP pathway in plants under physiological conditions. In this study, we combined gas exchange techniques and high‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC‐MS‐MS) and measured the profile of MEP pathway metabolites under different conditions. We report that in the MEP pathway, metabolites immediately preceding steps requiring reducing power were in high concentration. Inhibition of the MEP pathway by fosmidomycin caused deoxyxylulose phosphate accumulation in leaves as expected. Evidence is presented that accumulation of MEP pathway intermediates, primarily methylerythritol cyclodiphosphate, is responsible for the post‐illumination isoprene burst phenomenon. Pools of intermediate metabolites stayed at approximately the same level 10 min after light was turned off, but declined eventually under prolonged darkness. In contrast, a strong inhibition of the second‐to‐last step of the MEP pathway caused suppression of isoprene emission in pure N₂. Our study suggests that reducing equivalents may be a key regulator of the MEP pathway and therefore isoprene emission from leaves.     

The novel heme oxygenase-like protein from Plasmodiumfalciparum converts heme to bilirubin IXα in the apicoplast

The metabolic pathways in apicoplasts of human malaria parasites are promising drug targets. The apicomplexan parasites exhibit delayed cell death when their apicoplast is impaired, but the metabolic pathways within apicoplasts are poorly understood. A nuclear-encoded heme oxygenase (HO)-like protein with an apicoplast-targeted bipartite transit peptide was identified in the Plasmodiumfalciparum genome. Purified mature recombinant PfHO protein converted heme into bilirubin IXα as confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography. In addition, PfHO required an iron chelator such as deferoxamine for complete activity. These observations lead to the conclusion that a novel enzymatic heme degradation system is present in human malaria parasites.     

Overexpression of erg20 gene encoding farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase has contrasting effects on activity of enzymes of the dolichyl and sterol branches of mevalonate pathway in Trichoderma reesei

The mevalonate pathway is the most diverse metabolic route resulting in the biosynthesis of at least 30,000 isoprenoid compounds, many of which, such as sterols or dolichols, are indispensable for living cells. In the filamentous fungus Trichoderma of major biotechnological interest isoprenoid metabolites are also involved in the biocontrol processes giving the mevalonate pathway an additional significance. On the other hand, little is known about genes coding for enzymes of the mevalonate pathway in Trichoderma.     

Transport of isoprenoid intermediates across chloroplast envelope membranes

The common precursor for isoprenoid biosynthesis in plants, isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP), is synthesized by two pathways, the cytosolic mevalonate pathway and the plastidic 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate/methylerythritol phosphate (DOXP/MEP) pathway. The DOXP/MEP pathway leads to the formation of various phosphorylated intermediates, including DOXP, 4-hydroxy-3-methylbutenyl diphosphate (HMBPP), and finally IPP. There is ample evidence for metabolic cross-talk between the two biosynthetic pathways. The present study addresses the question whether isoprenoid intermediates could be exchanged between both compartments by members of the plastidic phosphate translocator (PT) family that all mediate a counter-exchange between inorganic phosphate and various phosphorylated compounds. Transport experiments using intact chloroplasts, liposomes containing reconstituted envelope membrane proteins or recombinant PT proteins showed that HMBPP is not exchanged between the cytosol and the chloroplasts and that the transport of DOXP is preferentially mediated by the recently discovered plastidic transporter for pentose phosphates, the xylulose 5-phosphate translocator. Evidence is presented that transport of IPP does not proceed via the plastidic PTs although IPP transport is strictly dependent on various phosphorylated compounds on the opposite side of the membrane. These phosphorylated trans compounds are, in part, also used as counter-substrates by the plastidic PTs but appear to only trans activate IPP transport without being transported.     

Crystal structure of Brucella abortus deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase-like (DRL) enzyme involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis

Most bacteria use the 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway for the synthesis of their essential isoprenoid precursors. The absence of the MEP pathway in humans makes it a promising new target for the development of much needed new and safe antimicrobial drugs. However, bacteria show a remarkable metabolic plasticity for isoprenoid production. For example, the NADPH-dependent production of MEP from 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate in the first committed step of the MEP pathway is catalyzed by 1-deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR) in most bacteria, whereas an unrelated DXR-like (DRL) protein was recently found to catalyze the same reaction in some organisms, including the emerging human and animal pathogens Bartonella and Brucella. Here, we report the x-ray crystal structures of the Brucella abortus DRL enzyme in its apo form and in complex with the broad-spectrum antibiotic fosmidomycin solved to 1.5 and 1.8 Å resolution, respectively. DRL is a dimer, with each polypeptide folding into three distinct domains starting with the NADPH-binding domain, in resemblance to the structure of bacterial DXR enzymes. Other than that, DRL and DXR show a low structural relationship, with a different disposition of the domains and a topologically unrelated C-terminal domain. In particular, the active site of DRL presents a unique arrangement, suggesting that the design of drugs that would selectively inhibit DRL-harboring pathogens without affecting beneficial or innocuous bacteria harboring DXR should be feasible. As a proof of concept, we identified two strong DXR inhibitors that have virtually no effect on DRL activity.     

Remodeling the isoprenoid pathway in tobacco by expressing the cytoplasmic mevalonate pathway in chloroplasts

Metabolic engineering to enhance production of isoprenoid metabolites for industrial and medical purposes is an important goal. The substrate for isoprenoid synthesis in plants is produced by the mevalonate pathway (MEV) in the cytosol and by the 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway in plastids. A multi-gene approach was employed to insert the entire cytosolic MEV pathway into the tobacco chloroplast genome. Molecular analysis confirmed the site-specific insertion of seven transgenes and homoplasmy. Functionality was demonstrated by unimpeded growth on fosmidomycin, which specifically inhibits the MEP pathway. Transplastomic plants containing the MEV pathway genes accumulated higher levels of mevalonate, carotenoids, squalene, sterols, and triacyglycerols than control plants. This is the first time an entire eukaryotic pathway with six enzymes has been transplastomically expressed in plants. Thus, we have developed an important tool to redirect metabolic fluxes in the isoprenoid biosynthesis pathway and a viable multigene strategy for engineering metabolism in plants.     

The Suf Iron-Sulfur Cluster Synthesis Pathway Is Required for Apicoplast Maintenance in Malaria Parasites

The apicoplast organelle of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum contains metabolic pathways critical for liver-stage and blood-stage development. During the blood stages, parasites lacking an apicoplast can grow in the presence of isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP), demonstrating that isoprenoids are the only metabolites produced in the apicoplast which are needed outside of the organelle. Two of the isoprenoid biosynthesis enzymes are predicted to rely on iron-sulfur (FeS) cluster cofactors, however, little is known about FeS cluster synthesis in the parasite or the roles that FeS cluster proteins play in parasite biology. We investigated two putative FeS cluster synthesis pathways (Isc and Suf) focusing on the initial step of sulfur acquisition. In other eukaryotes, these proteins can be located in multiple subcellular compartments, raising the possibility of cross-talk between the pathways or redundant functions. In P. falciparum, SufS and its partner SufE were found exclusively the apicoplast and SufS was shown to have cysteine desulfurase activity in a complementation assay. IscS and its effector Isd11 were solely mitochondrial, suggesting that the Isc pathway cannot contribute to apicoplast FeS cluster synthesis. The Suf pathway was disrupted with a dominant negative mutant resulting in parasites that were only viable when supplemented with IPP. These parasites lacked the apicoplast organelle and its organellar genome – a phenotype not observed when isoprenoid biosynthesis was specifically inhibited with fosmidomycin. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the Suf pathway is essential for parasite survival and has a fundamental role in maintaining the apicoplast organelle in addition to any role in isoprenoid biosynthesis.     

Genome organization in Arabidopsis thaliana: a survey for genes involved in isoprenoid and chlorophyll metabolism

The isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway provides intermediates for the synthesis of a multitude of natural products which serve numerous biochemical functions in plants: sterols (isoprenoids with a C30 backbone) are essential components of membranes; carotenoids (C40) and chlorophylls (which contain a C20 isoprenoid side-chain) act as photosynthetic pigments; plastoquinone, phylloquinone and ubiquinone (all of which contain long isoprenoid side-chains) participate in electron transport chains; gibberellins (C20), brassinosteroids (C30) and abscisic acid (C15) are phytohormones derived from isoprenoid intermediates; prenylation of proteins (with C15 or C20 isoprenoid moieties) may mediate subcellular targeting and regulation of activity; and several monoterpenes (C10), sesquiterpenes (C15) and diterpenes (C20) have been demonstrated to be involved in plant defense. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of genes coding for enzymes involved in the metabolism of isoprenoid-derived compounds in Arabidopsis thaliana. By combining homology and sequence motif searches with knowledge regarding the phylogenetic distribution of pathways of isoprenoid metabolism across species, candidate genes for these pathways in A. thaliana were obtained. A detailed analysis of the vicinity of chromosome loci for genes of isoprenoid metabolism in A. thaliana provided evidence for the clustering of genes involved in common pathways. Multiple sequence alignments were used to estimate the number of genes in gene families and sequence relationship trees were utilized to classify their individual members. The integration of all these datasets allows the generation of a knowledge-based metabolic map of isoprenoid metabolic pathways in A. thaliana and provides a substantial improvement of the currently available gene annotation.     

Supply of precursors for carotenoid biosynthesis in plants

Carotenoids are isoprenoids of industrial and nutritional interest produced by all photosynthetic organisms, including plants. Too often, the metabolic engineering of plant carotenogenesis has been obstructed by our limited knowledge on how the endogenous pathway interacts with other related metabolic pathways, particularly with those involved in the production of isoprenoid precursors. However, recent discoveries are providing new insights into this field. All isoprenoids derive from prenyl diphosphate precursors. In the case of carotenoids, these precursors are produced predominantly by the methylerythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway in plants. This review focuses on the progress in our understanding of how manipulation of the MEP pathway impacts carotenoid biosynthesis and on the discoveries underlining the central importance of coordinating the supply of MEP-derived precursors with the biosynthesis of carotenoids and other derived isoprenoids.     

Methylerythritol phosphate pathway to isoprenoids: Kinetic modeling and in silico enzyme inhibitions in Plasmodium falciparum

The methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway of Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) has become an attractive target for anti-malarial drug discovery. This study describes a kinetic model of this pathway, its use in validating 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR) as drug target from the systemic perspective, and additional target identification, using metabolic control analysis and in silico inhibition studies. In addition to DXR, 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase (DXS) can be targeted because it is the first enzyme of the pathway and has the highest flux control coefficient followed by that of DXR. In silico inhibition of both enzymes caused large decrement in the pathway flux. An added advantage of targeting DXS is its influence on vitamin B1 and B6 biosynthesis. Two more potential targets, 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol 2,4-cyclodiphosphate synthase and 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl 4-diphosphate synthase, were also identified. Their inhibition caused large accumulation of their substrates causing instability of the system.     

A second target of the antimalarial and antibacterial agent fosmidomycin revealed by cellular metabolic profiling

Antimicrobial drug resistance is an urgent problem in the control and treatment of many of the world's most serious infections, including Plasmodium falciparum malaria, tuberculosis, and healthcare-associated infections with Gram-negative bacteria. Because the non-mevalonate pathway of isoprenoid biosynthesis is essential in eubacteria and P. falciparum and this pathway is not present in humans, there is great interest in targeting the enzymes of non-mevalonate metabolism for antibacterial and antiparasitic drug development. Fosmidomycin is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent currently in clinical trials of combination therapies for the treatment of malaria. In vitro, fosmidomycin is known to inhibit the deoxyxylulose phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR) enzyme of isoprenoid biosynthesis from multiple pathogenic organisms. To define the in vivo metabolic response to fosmidomycin, we developed a novel mass spectrometry method to quantitate six metabolites of non-mevalonate isoprenoid metabolism from complex biological samples. Using this technique, we validate that the biological effects of fosmidomycin are mediated through blockade of de novo isoprenoid biosynthesis in both P. falciparum malaria parasites and Escherichia coli bacteria: in both organisms, metabolic profiling demonstrated a block of isoprenoid metabolism following fosmidomycin treatment, and growth inhibition due to fosmidomycin was rescued by media supplemented with isoprenoid metabolites. Isoprenoid metabolism proceeded through DXR even in the presence of fosmidomycin but was inhibited at the level of the downstream enzyme, methylerythritol phosphate cytidyltransferase (IspD). Overexpression of IspD in E. coli conferred fosmidomycin resistance, and fosmidomycin was found to inhibit IspD in vitro. This work has validated fosmidomycin as a biological reagent for blocking non-mevalonate isoprenoid metabolism and suggests a second in vivo target for fosmidomycin within isoprenoid biosynthesis, in two evolutionarily diverse pathogens.     

Chemical rescue of malaria parasites lacking an apicoplast defines organelle function in blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum

Plasmodium spp parasites harbor an unusual plastid organelle called the apicoplast. Due to its prokaryotic origin and essential function, the apicoplast is a key target for development of new anti-malarials. Over 500 proteins are predicted to localize to this organelle and several prokaryotic biochemical pathways have been annotated, yet the essential role of the apicoplast during human infection remains a mystery. Previous work showed that treatment with fosmidomycin, an inhibitor of non-mevalonate isoprenoid precursor biosynthesis in the apicoplast, inhibits the growth of blood-stage P. falciparum. Herein, we demonstrate that fosmidomycin inhibition can be chemically rescued by supplementation with isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP), the pathway product. Surprisingly, IPP supplementation also completely reverses death following treatment with antibiotics that cause loss of the apicoplast. We show that antibiotic-treated parasites rescued with IPP over multiple cycles specifically lose their apicoplast genome and fail to process or localize organelle proteins, rendering them functionally apicoplast-minus. Despite the loss of this essential organelle, these apicoplast-minus auxotrophs can be grown indefinitely in asexual blood stage culture but are entirely dependent on exogenous IPP for survival. These findings indicate that isoprenoid precursor biosynthesis is the only essential function of the apicoplast during blood-stage growth. Moreover, apicoplast-minus P. falciparum strains will be a powerful tool for further investigation of apicoplast biology as well as drug and vaccine development.     

fldA is an essential gene required in the 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate pathway for isoprenoid biosynthesis

Although flavodoxin I is indispensable for Escherichia coli growth, the exact pathway(s) where flavodoxin I is essential has not been identified. We performed transposon mutagenesis of the flavodoxin I gene, fldA, in an E. coli strain that expressed mevalonate pathway enzymes and that had a point mutation in the lytB gene of the MEP pathway resulting in the accumulation of (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methylbutyl-2-enyl pyrophosphate (HMBPP). Disruption of fldA abrogated mevalonate-independent growth and dramatically decreased HMBPP levels. The fldA- mutant grew with mevalonate indicating that the essential role of flavodoxin I under aerobic conditions is in the MEP pathway. Growth was restored by fldA complementation. Since GcpE (which synthesizes HMBPP) and LytB are iron-sulfur enzymes that require a reducing system for their activity, we propose that flavodoxin is essential for GcpE and possibly LytB activity. Thus, the essential role for flavodoxin I in E. coli is in the MEP pathway for isoprenoid biosynthesis.     

Influence of mevinolin on chloroplast terpenoids in Cannabis sativa

Plants synthesize a myriad of isoprenoid products that are required both for essential constitutive processes and for adaptive responses to the environment. Two independent pathways for the biosynthesis of isoprenoid precursors coexist within the plant cell: the cytosolic mevalonic acid (MVA) pathway and the plastidial methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of the MVA pathway on isoprenoid biosynthesized by the MEP pathway in Cannabis sativa by treatment with mevinolin. The amount of chlorophyll a, b, and total showed to be significantly enhanced in treated plants in comparison with control plants. Also, mevinolin induced the accumulation of carotenoids and α-tocopherol in treated plants. Mevinolin caused a significant decrease in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content. This result show that the inhibition of the MVA pathway stimulates MEP pathway but none for all metabolites.