生理pH条件下精氨酸脱亚胺酶的分子改造研究

精氨酸脱亚胺酶（arginine deiminase,EC 3.5.3.6,ADI）因其可作为精氨酸营养缺陷型肿瘤细胞的靶向治疗药物而受到广泛关注. 目前,支原体来源的重组ADI处于肝癌和黑素瘤的三期临床研究阶段. 作为药用酶,当前报道的ADI在体内生理条件下普遍存在酶活低、半衰期短、底物亲和性弱等局限性.本研究结合随机突变及基于理性设计的定点突变两种方法,对研究室前期自主筛选得到的变形假单胞菌Pseudomonas plecoglossicida来源的ADI经一轮定向进化后所获优势突变株M314(A128T/H404R/I410L)进行分子改造.通过对随机突变法获得的1480个突变株进行96孔板高通量筛选,得到优良突变株M173(A128T/H404R/I410L/K272R);同时,基于同源序列比对及ADI蛋白三维结构同源建模,采用PyMOL软件理性预测和分析其活性中心及附近保守区域氨基酸位点对蛋白功能的影响,选择了6个位点D78E、L223I、P230I、S245D、A275N、R400M分别在M314的基础上进行定点突变,最终获得优势突变株M04(A128T/H404R/I410L/S245D). 通过对突变株的酶学性质以及动力学参数分析发现：生理pH值下,突变株M173的酶比活（12.32 U/mg）在M314（9.02 U/mg）的基础上提升3659%,Kcat/Km提高5236%;而突变株M04的最适pH由6.5升高至7.0,更接近体内生理pH,其比酶活（14.66 U/mg）较M314提升62.53 %,Kcat/Km提高了37.12%. 综上结果,本研究结合两种分子改造方法成功地对该ADI在生理pH条件下的酶活和酶学性质进行了改良,并为蛋白质的分子改造策略提供了理论基础和实验依据.     

嗜热酯酶APE1547催化活性的定向进化研究

对来源于嗜热古菌Aeropyrum pernix的酯酶(APE1547)催化活性进行定向进化研究。利用APE1547特殊的稳定性,建立了准确的高通量高温酯酶筛选方法。对第一代随机突变库筛选获得了催化活性较野生型提高1.5倍的突变体M010,序列分析表明其氨基酸突变为R526S。从第二代突变库中筛选出的总活力提高5.8倍突变体M020,突变位点为R526S/E88G/A200T/I519L,其比活力与M010一致,但表达量比野生型提高约4倍。对M020酶学性质表征发现,其最适pH为8.5,比野生型向碱性偏移0.5;活性中心残基酸性基团的解离常数(pK1)由野生型的7.0提高至7.5。晶体结构分析表明,突变位点R526距离活性中心较近,将其突变为Ser降低了活性中心的极性,抑制了催化残基His的解离,使酸性基团的解离常数升高。     

粪肠球菌精氨酸脱亚胺酶酶学性质研究

经硫酸铵分级沉淀、Q-Sepharose Fast Flow阴离子交换层析、SephadexG-75凝胶柱层析从NJ402自溶细胞超声破碎液中提纯得到精氨酸脱亚胺酶(ADI), 纯化倍数为34.5, 活力回收率为31.4％, 经SDS-PAGE以及Native-PAGE测定结果表明, ADI亚基分子量约为46 kD, 该酶非变性情况下的分子量约为190 kD左右, 该酶为同四聚体结构。酶学性质研究结果表明：ADI催化最适温度和最适pH分别为50℃和6.5, 在45℃以下和pH 5~8之间有很好的稳定性。ADI是L-型脱亚胺酶, 具有严格的光学选择性, 适当浓度的Mn2+、Mg2+、Co2+对ADI催化活力的促进作用较大, 高浓度的Zn2+和Co2+对酶有一定程度的抑制作用, L-瓜氨酸对酶无抑制作用而L-鸟氨酸却表现出较强的抑制作用。ADI在最佳催化条件下作用于L-精氨酸的米氏常数为3.2686 mmol/L, 最大反应速度为2.44 μmol/min。     

粪肠球菌精氨酸脱亚胺酶酶学性质研究

经硫酸铵分级沉淀、Q-Sepharose Fast Flow阴离子交换层析、SephadexG-75凝胶柱层析从NJ402自溶细胞超声破碎液中提纯得到精氨酸脱亚胺酶(ADI),纯化倍数为34.5,活力回收率为31.4%,经SDS-PAGE以及Native-PAGE测定结果表明,ADI亚基分子量约为46 kD,该酶非变性情况下的分子量约为190 kD左右,该酶为同四聚体结构.酶学,胜质研究结果表明:ADI催化最适温度和最适pH分别为50℃和6.5,在45℃以下和pH 5～8之间有很好的稳定性.ADI是L-型脱亚胺酶,具有严格的光学选择性,适当浓度的Mn2 、Mg2 、Co2 对ADI催化活力的促进作用较大,高浓度的Zn2 和Co2 对酶有一定程度的抑制作用,L-瓜氨酸对酶无抑制作用而L-鸟氨酸却表现出较强的抑制作用.ADI在最佳催化条件下作用于L-精氨酸的米氏常数为3.2686 mmol/L,最大反应速度为2.44 μmol/min.     

精氨酸脱亚胺酶活性以及瓜氨酸转化研究

目前,L-瓜氨酸的主要生产方法为化学法水解L-精氨酸.利用精氨酸脱亚胺酶可以直接转化L-精氨酸获得L-瓜氨酸,条件温和、效率高、环境友好,因而在工业化生产中具有很好的应用前景.本研究将优化后的单增李斯特菌(Listeriamonocytogenes)精氨酸脱亚胺酶(ADI)基因序列分别克隆到相应的载体pET-21a、pWB980及pAO815中,并分别转化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)、枯草芽胞杆菌WB600及毕赤酵母GS115中构建表达菌株.发现大肠杆菌能高效表达ADI.经过5L发酵罐验证,发酵后酶活力单位可达200 000～270 000 U·L-1.经过验证,该酶可以很好地应用于L-瓜氨酸生产.在7 920～17 600 U· L-1的ADI存在条件下,5.5h内,可使95％的浓度为94～258 g·L-1的精氨酸转化为瓜氨酸.该方法具备良好的工业化应用前景.     

金属离子对重组深渊滕黄单胞菌低温α-淀粉酶LamA的活性和稳定性影响

【背景】深渊藤黄单胞菌XH031 (Luteimonas abyssi XH031)是从深海分离到的一株具有很强淀粉降解能力的细菌,前期实验显示其α-淀粉酶LamA在低温环境下仍能保持较高酶活力。若能够提升其热稳定性,会有更好的应用前景。【目的】分析钙离子的存在对LamA热稳定性的影响,并通过钙离子结合位点的关键氨基酸的定点突变,初步明确其作用机制。【方法】在不同的离子条件下检测LamA的热稳定性,利用生物信息学方法预测可能影响钙离子结合及耐热性的氨基酸位点,对目的氨基酸进行定点突变,表达和纯化突变蛋白,并进行功能鉴定。【结果】钙离子明显提高了LamA的热稳定性:在未添加钙离子时,于65°C处理30 min已完全失活;而在5 mmol/L钙离子条件下,于65°C处理30 min后仍具有36%的酶活力。对预测位点进行定点突变后,突变蛋白D200R和H233D/M234C完全失活;N120D、Q185E和T224D活性降低。在未添加钙离子时,突变蛋白稳定性受高温影响程度与野生型差别不大;而在钙离子条件下,N120D在65°C时的酶活力仅为野生型的27.8%,推测位点Asn120与钙离子的结合能够稳定低温酶LamA在较高温度下的结构。【结论】初步明确了钙离子可提升低温α-淀粉酶LamA的热稳定性,为今后相关酶类的工程改造提供理论基础。     

PSS定点突变及酶活研究

磷脂酰丝氨酸可在磷脂酰丝氨酸合成酶(PSS)催化下由磷脂酰胆碱和L-丝氨酸生成。通过生物信息学手段对磷脂酰丝氨酸合成酶蛋白质结构进行解析和研究分析,获得2个可突变位点F139和P272,通过Overlap PCR法进行定点突变,测定突变序列,并进行酶活测定。结果显示,PSS位点F139突变为L139、M139,位点P272突变为A272,能提高酶活力,说明蛋白质结构解析结合氨基酸定点突变技术,可以改善重组酶的活力。     

腾冲嗜热厌氧菌丙氨酸消旋酶底物通道氨基酸位点的功能

【目的】通过定点突变探究腾冲嗜热厌氧菌MB4中生物合成型丙氨酸消旋酶Tt Alr底物通道内氨基酸位点A172和S173的功能。【方法】利用定点突变PCR技术构建突变体,通过亲和层析法纯化酶蛋白,采用D-氨基酸氧化酶偶联法检测各突变蛋白的活性及其稳定性。【结果】通过定点突变PCR成功得到8个突变体,酶学特性分析发现,A172位点突变为丝氨酸(S)后酶蛋白的相对活性有所提升,但含有该位点突变的酶蛋白稳定性均大幅下降;S173位点突变为天门冬氨酸(D)后导致突变体蛋白的最适反应温度提升了15°C,半衰期大幅延长,但相对活性明显下降。【结论】丙氨酸消旋酶Tt Alr底物通道内A172和S173位点均是影响酶蛋白催化活性和稳定性的关键位点。     

奥司他韦对我国A(H3N2)亚型流感病毒红细胞凝集和抑制试验的影响

比较加入神经氨酸酶抑制剂奥司他韦(Oseltamivir)对我国A(H3N2)亚型流感病毒红细胞凝集(Hemagglutination,HA)和凝集抑制(Hemagglutinin inhibition,HI)试验结果的影响,以期获得病毒更真实的HA和抗原性变异分析结果。选择2014年10月-2015年5月在中国大陆分离的395株A(H3N2)亚型流感病毒,在HA及HI试验中加入神经氨酸酶抑制剂Oseltamivir,对实验结果进行比较分析,根据HA试验,挑选其中部分毒株进行基因组测序,比较NA氨基酸位点变异情况。在HA试验中加入神经氨酸酶抑制剂Oseltamivir后,44.8%的毒株HA滴度未改变;43.8%的毒株HA滴度下降,仅有11.4%的毒株HA滴度升高。加入Oseltamivir后,与A/TX/50/2012鸡胚株抗原性类似的毒株的比例高于未加入Oseltamivir时,与A/SZ/9715293/13细胞株抗原性类似的毒株的比例低于未加入Oseltamivir时类似株的比例,统计学分析有显著性差异。以A/TX/50/2012细胞分离株和A/SZ/9715293/133鸡胚分离株作为参考病毒,Oseltamivir对实验结果的影响无显著性差异。挑选19株A(H3N2)亚型流感毒株进行基因组测序,进行NA蛋白氨基酸位点分析,与A/TX/50/2012鸡胚分离株相比加入20nM Oseltamivir后,滴度降低超过4倍的5株毒株,没有共同氨基酸位点变异,但A/山东莱城/119/2015流感毒株有D151G氨基酸位点突变;A/吉林铁西/1194/2015流感毒株有V412I和T434A氨基酸位点变异。加入20nM Oseltamivir后,滴度降低为2~4倍的毒株,具有I26T、G93S、V149I、N234D、T267K、S416G等位点突变。在对我国近年流行的A(H3N2)亚型流感病毒进行血凝滴度和抗原性分析中,加入Oseltamivir可获得更为真实的HA和HI结果,分析病毒的变异情况,评价疫苗的匹配性。     

精氨酸脱亚胺酶发酵过程特性研究

精氨酸脱亚胺酶有较好的体内体外肿瘤生长抑制作用。通过对粪肠球菌（Enterococcus faecalis）NJ402菌株产精氨酸脱亚胺酶的发酵特性的研究,建立起代谢物的过程变化与精氨酸脱亚胺酶产生机理的内在联系。NJ402菌株生长过程中碳源物质代谢产生乳酸导致发酵体系pH的下降,而培养基中L-精氨酸的脱亚胺作用有利于发酵体系pH的稳定和菌体生长。进一步的研究表明,低pH生长环境有利于NJ402菌株产精氨酸脱亚胺酶,且精氨酸脱亚胺酶的产生与能量代谢无关。NJ402菌株产精氨酸脱亚胺酶受底物L-精氨酸的诱导,但该诱导作用受菌体生长体系pH的调控,即精氨酸脱亚胺酶的产生是低pH生长环境与L－精氨酸共同作用的结果。     

Rapid evolution of arginine deiminase for improved anti-tumor activity

Arginine deiminase (ADI), an arginine-degrading enzyme, has been studied as a potential anti-cancer agent for inhibiting arginine-auxotrophic tumors, such as melanomas and hepatocellular carcinomas. Based on our preliminary results, it was noticed that the optimum pH of ADI from Pseudomonas plecoglossicida (PpADI) was 6.0, and less than 10% of the activity was retained at pH 7.4 (pH of human plasma). Additionally, the K _m value for wild-type ADI (WT-ADI) was 2.88 mM (pH 6.0), which is over 20 times of the serum arginine level (100–120 μM). These are two major limitations for PpADI as a potential anti-cancer drug. A highly sensitive and efficient high-throughput screening strategy based on a modified diacetylmonoxime–thiosemicarbazide method was established to isolate ADI mutants with higher activity and lower K _m under physiological pH. Three improved mutants was selected from 650 variants after one round of ep-PCR, among which mutant 314 (M314: A128T, H404R, I410L) exhibiting the highest activity. Interestingly, sequence alignment shows that three amino acid substitutes in M314 are coincident with corresponding residues in ADI from Mycoplasma arginini. The specific activity of M314 (9.02 U/mg) is over 20-fold higher than that of WT-ADI (0.44 U/mg) at pH 7.4, and the K _m value was reduced to 0.65 mM (pH 7.4). Noticeably, the pH optimum was shifted from 6.0 to 6.5 in M314. Homology model of M314 was constructed to understand the molecular basis of the improved enzymatic properties. This work could provide promising drug candidate for curing arginine-auxotrophic cancers.     

Insights into the modulation of optimum pH by a single histidine residue in arginine deiminase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract Arginine deiminase (ADI) is a potential antitumor agent for the arginine deprivation treatment of l-arginine auxotrophic tumors. The optimum pH of ADI varies significantly, yet little is known about the origin of this variety. Here, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ADI (PaADI), an enzyme that functions only at acidic pH, was utilized as the model system. The results of UV-pH titration imply that the nucleophilic Cys406 thiol group is protonated in the resting state. The H405R single mutation resulted in an altered pH optimum (from pH 5.5 to 6.5), an increased kcat (from 9.8 s-1 to 101.7 s-1 at pH 6.5), and a shifted pH rate dependence (ascending limb pKa from 3.6 to 4.4). Other mutants were constructed to investigate the effects of hydrogen bonding, charge distribution, and hydrophobicity on the properties of the enzyme. The pH optima of His405 mutants were all shifted to a relatively neutral pH except for the H405E mutant. The results of kinetic characterizations and molecular dynamic simulations revealed that the active site hydrogen bonding network involving Asp280 and His405 plays an important role in controlling the dependence of PaADI activity on pH. Moreover, the H405R variant showed increased cytotoxicity towards arginine auxotrophic cancer cell lines.     

Multiple interactions of lysine-128 of Escherichia coli glutamate dehydrogenase revealed by site-directed mutagenesis studies

A highly conserved lysine at position 128 of Escherichia coli glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) has been altered by site-directed mutagenesis of the gdhA gene. Chemical modification studies have previously shown the importance of this residue for catalytic activity. We report the properties of mutants in which lysine-128 has been changed to histidine (K128H) or arginine (K128R). Both mutants have substantially reduced catalytic centre activities and raised pH optima for activity. K128H also has increased relative activity with amino acid substrates other than glutamate, especially L-norvaline. These differences, together with alterations in Km values, Kd values for NADPH and Ki values for D-glutamate, imply that lysine-128 is intimately involved in either direct or indirect interactions with all the substrates and also in catalysis. These multiple interactions of lysine-128 explain the diverse effects of chemical modifications of the corresponding lysine in homologous GHDs. In contrast, lysine-27, another highly reactive residue in bovine GDH, is not conserved in all of the sequenced NADP-specific GDHs and is therefore not likely to be involved in catalysis.     

Characterization of mycoplasma arginine deiminase expressed in E. coli and its inhibitory regulation of nitric oxide synthesis

We previously reported that a cytostatic protein that is found in ASC-17D Sertoli cell-conditioned media was Mycoplasma arginine deiminase (ADI), which hydrolyzes L-arginine into L-citrulline and ammonia. Here, we report the over-expression of recombinant ADI (rADI) in E. coli and the down-regulation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced-nitric oxide (NO) production by rADI treatment. We cloned the ADI gene from Mycoplasma arginini genomic DNA by a polymerase chain reaction, and changed five TGA tryptophan codons (stop codon in E. coli) to TGG codons in the coding region by site-directed mutagenesis in order to express in E. coli. The rADI was purified to apparent homogeneity by DEAE-Sepharose and arginine-affinity chromatography. The rADI expressed in E. coli was identified as 45 kDa on SDS-PAGE and 90 kDa on native PAGE, implying that it exists as a dimer like ADI of M. arginini. The Km for arginine of rADI was approximately 370+/-50 microM. Its optimal temperature and pH were 41 degrees C and pH 6.4, respectively, and enzyme activity remained > or = 50% for 5 d at physiological temperature and pH. Treatment of purified rADI suppressed NO production in macrophage-like RAW 264.7 and primary glial cells that were exposed to LPS. Furthermore, an intraperitoneal injection of rADI significantly suppressed the rise of blood nitrite/nitrate levels that were induced by the systemic administration of bacterial endotoxin LPS to mice, resulting in an improvement in their survival rate. These results suggest that the depletion of blood arginine with an arginine-metabolizing enzyme, such as ADI, could suppress excessive production of NO that is caused by inducible NOS (iNOS) during the endotoxemia. Also, rADI may be used as a new approach to control NO-related diseases, such as sepsis.     

长双歧杆菌N-乙酰氨基己糖1-位激酶的活性位点

【目的】研究长双歧杆菌(Bifidobacterium longum)JCM1217的N-乙酰氨基己糖1-位激酶(Nacetylhexosamine 1-kinase,Nah K)中对催化活性有影响的位点。【方法】利用点突变试剂盒,获得Nah K的4个位点的共10种单点突变体表达菌株。诱导表达并纯化野生型和突变体酶,用DNS法和NADH偶联的微孔板分光光度法检测野生型及突变体酶的最适p H和最适Mg~(2+)浓度,并测定酶促反应动力学参数。【结果】D208A、D208N、D208E和I24A四种突变体的催化活性几乎丧失。突变体H31A、H31V、F247A和I24V的最适p H由野生型的7.5变为7.0,突变体H31A和F247A的最适Mg~(2+)浓度由野生型的5 mmol/L变为10 mmol/L。反应动力学参数测定结果表明,突变体F247Y对底物Glc NAc/Gal NAc及ATP的催化活性均高于野生型。【结论】通过定点突变,确定了对Nah K催化活性有影响的4个位点,并且获得了一个催化效率提高的突变体(F247Y),为进一步对Nah K进行分子改造奠定了一定基础。     

Homology modeling of the structure of tobacco acetohydroxy acid synthase and examination of the active site by site-directed mutagenesis

A reliable model of tobacco acetohydroxy acid synthase (AHAS) was obtained by homology modeling based on a yeast AHAS X-ray structure using the Swiss-Model server. Conserved residues at the dimer interface were identified, of which the functional roles of four residues, namely H142, E143, M489, and M542, were determined by site-directed mutagenesis. Eight mutants were successfully generated and purified, five of which (H142T, M489V, M542C, M542I, and M542V) were found to be inactive under various assay conditions. The H142K mutant was moderately altered in all kinetic parameters to a similar extent. In addition, the mutant was more thermo-labile than wild type enzyme. The E143A mutant increased the Km value more than 20-fold while other parameters were not significantly changed. All mutations carried out on residue M542 inactivated the enzyme. Though showing a single band on SDS-PAGE, the M542C mutant lost its native tertiary structure and was aggregated. Except M542C, each of the other mutants showed a secondary structure similar to that of wild type enzyme. Although all the inactive mutants were able to bind FAD, the mutants M489V and M542C showed a very low affinity for FAD. None of the active mutants constructed was strongly resistant to three tested herbicides. Taken together, the results suggest that the residues of H142, E143, M489, and M542 are essential for catalytic activity. Furthermore, it seems that H142 residue is involved in stabilizing the dimer interaction, while E143 residue may be involved in binding with substrate pyruvate. The data from the site-directed mutagenesis imply that the constructed homology model of tobacco AHAS is realistic.     

Insight into the catalytic mechanism of arginine deiminase: functional studies on the crucial sites

Arginine deiminase (ADI) catalyzes the irreversible hydrolysis of arginine to citrulline and ammonia. It belongs to a newly classified superfamily of guanidino-group-modifying enzymes. Located in the catalytic center of Mycoplasma hominis ADI, some crucial sites (Asp160, Glu212, His268, and Asp270) are highly conserved among these enzymes. Here, we constructed five ADI single mutants D160E, E212D, H268F, H268Y, and D270E, and three double mutants D160E/D270E, D160E/E212D, and E212D/D270E, aiming to evaluate the contributions of these crucial residues to the structure, stability, and enzymatic activity of ADI, and to elucidate their roles in the catalytic process of this family of enzymes. Tryptophan emission fluorescence and circular dichroism were used to analyze the different effects of mutagenesis on these conserved residues on the secondary and tertiary structures of ADI. Urea-induced unfolding and trypsin digestion were applied to measure their stabilities against denaturants and proteases, respectively. Additionally, the enzymatic activities of ADI and its mutants were measured. Here, we report that all the mutations have little effect on the native structure of ADI. However, the substitutions on these crucial sites still interfere with the stability of ADI to different degrees. As these mutations impair both the substrate binding and the substrate induced conformational changes of ADI to different extents, most of the mutants except D160E (preserves about 30% of the enzymatic activity of wild type) have totally lost the enzymatic activity in the hydrolysis of arginine and the inhibitory ability on the proliferation of mouse melanoma cells.     

Engineering of Sulfolobus solfataricus HMG-CoA reductase to a form whose activity is regulated by phosphorylation and dephosphorylation

There are two classes of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase: the class I enzymes of eukaryotes and some archaea, and the class II enzymes of certain eubacteria. The activity of the class I Syrian hamster HMG-CoA reductase is regulated by phosphorylation-dephosphorylation of Ser871. Phosphorylation apparently prevents the active site histidine, His865, from protonating the inhibitory coenzyme A thioanion prior to its release from the enzyme. Structural evidence for this hypothesis is, however, lacking. The HMG-CoA reductase of the thermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus, whose stability recommends it for physical studies, lacks both a phosphoacceptor serine and a protein kinase recognition motif. Consequently, its activity is not regulated by phosphorylation. We therefore employed site-directed mutagenesis to engineer an appropriately located phosphoacceptor serine and cAMP-dependent protein kinase recognition motif. Substitution of serine for Ala406, the apparent cognate of hamster Ser871, and replacement of Leu403 and Gly404 by arginine created S. solfataricus mutant enzyme L403R/G404R/A406S. The general properties of enzyme L403R/G404R/A406S (K(m) values, V(max), optimal pH and temperature) were essentially those of the wild-type enzyme. Exposure of enzyme L403R/G404R/A406S to [gamma-(32)P]ATP and cAMP-dependent protein kinase was accompanied by incorporation of (32)P(i) and by a parallel decrease in catalytic activity. Subsequent treatment with a protein phosphatase released enzyme-bound (32)P(i) and restored activity to pretreatment levels. The regulatory properties of enzyme L403R/G404R/A406S thus match those of the hamster enzyme. Solution of the three-dimensional structures of the phospho and dephospho forms of this mutant enzyme thus should reveal structural features critical for regulation of the activity of a class I HMG-CoA reductase.     

Selective loss of either the epimerase or kinase activity of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase/N-acetylmannosamine kinase due to site-directed mutagenesis based on sequence alignments.

N-Acetylneuraminic acid is the most common naturally occurring sialic acid, as well as being the biosynthetic precursor of this group of compounds. UDP-GlcNAc 2-epimerase/N-acetylmannosamine kinase has been shown to be the key enzyme of N-acetylneuraminic acid biosynthesis in rat liver, and it is a regulator of cell surface sialylation. The N-terminal region of this bifunctional enzyme displays sequence similarities with prokaryotic UDP-GlcNAc 2-epimerases, whereas the sequence of its C-terminal region is similar to sequences of members of the sugar kinase superfamily. High level overexpression of active enzyme was established by using the baculovirus/Sf9 system. For functional characterization, site-directed mutagenesis was performed on different conserved amino acid residues. The histidine mutants H45A, H110A, H132A, H155A, and H157A showed a drastic loss of epimerase activity with almost unchanged kinase activity. Conversely, the mutants D413N, D413K, and R420M in the putative kinase active site lost their kinase activity but retained their epimerase activity. To estimate the structural perturbation effect due to site-directed mutagenesis, the oligomeric state of all mutants was determined by gel filtration analysis. The mutants D413N, D413K, and R420M as well as H45A were shown to form a hexamer like the wild-type enzyme, indicating little influence of mutation on protein folding. Histidine mutants H155A and H157A formed mainly trimeric enzyme with small amounts of hexamer. Oligomerization of mutants H110A and H132A was also significantly different from that of the wild-type enzyme. Therefore the loss of epimerase activity in mutants H110A, H132A, H155A, and H157A can largely be attributed to incorrect protein folding. In contrast, the mutation site of mutant H45A seems to be involved directly in the epimerization process, and the amino acids Asp-413 and Arg-420 of UDP-GlcNAc 2-epimerase/N-acetylmannosamine kinase are essential for the phosphorylation process. The fact that either epimerase or kinase activity are lost selectively provides evidence for the existence of two active sites working quite independently.