Partial Purification and Some Properties of 7-Keto-8-aminopelargonic Acid Synthetase,an Enzyme Involved in Biotin Biosynthesis

7-Keto-8-aminopelargonic acid synthetase (KAPA synthetase) which catalyzes the formation of KAPA from pimelyl CoA and l-alanine, and is involved in biotin biosynthesis, was partially purified from a cell-free extract of Bacillus sphaericus by a procedure involving ammonium sulfate fraction ation, protamine treatment, and DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. The reaction product was bioautographically confirmed to be KAPA. Some properties of the enzyme were also investigated. Among the amino acids, only l-alanine was active as a substrate, condensing with pimelyl CoA, The reaction required pyridoxal phosphate but the other vitamin B₆ compounds were inert. Typical inhibitors of pyridoxal phosphate enzymes showed marked inhibition to the reaction. Various amino acids such as l-cysteine, glycine, d-alanine, l-serine, l-histidine, and d-histidine were also found to be inhibitory.     

Purification,Crystallization and Properties of Tyrosine Phenol Lyase from Erwinia herbicola

Crystalline tyrosine phenol lyase was prepared from the cell extract of Erwinia herbicola grown in a medium supplemented with l-tyrosine. The crystalline enzyme was homogeneous by the criteria of ultracentrifugation and acrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight was determined to be approximately 259,000. The crystalline enzyme catalyzed the conversion of l-tyrosine into phenol, pyruvate and ammonia, in the presence of added pyridoxal phosphate. The enzyme also catalyzed pyruvate formation from d-tyrosine, S-methyl-l-cysteine, 3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl-l-alanine, l- and d-serine, and l- and d-cysteine, but at lower rates than from l-tyrosine. l-Phenyl-alanine, l-alanine, phenol and pyrocatechol inhibited pyruvate formation from l-tyrosine.

Crystalline tyrosine phenol lyase from Erwinia herbicola is inactive in the absence of added pyridoxal phosphate. Binding of pyridoxal phosphate to the apoenzyme is accompanied by pronounced increase in absorbance at 340 and 425 mμ. The amount of pyridoxal phosphate bound to the apoenzyme was determined by equilibrium dialysis to be 2 moles per mole of enzyme. Addition of the substrate, l-tyrosine, or the competitive inhibitors, l-alanine and l-phenyl-alanine, to the holoenzyme causes appearance of a new absorption peak near 500 mμ which disappears as the substrate is decomposed but remains unchanged in the presence of the inhibitor.     

Elimination,Replacement and Isomerization Reactions by Intact Cells Containing Tyrosine Phenol Lyase

Tyrosine phenol lyase catalyzes a series of α,β-elimination, β-replacement and racemization reactions. These reactions were studied with intact cells of Erwinia herbicola ATCC 21434 containing tyrosine phenol lyase.

Various aromatic amino acids were synthesized from l-serine and phenol, pyrocatechol, resorcinol or pyrogallol by the replacement reaction using the intact cells. l(d)-Tyrosine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-l(d)-alanine (l(d)-dopa), l(d)-serine, l-cysteine, l-cystine and S-methyl-l-cysteine were degraded to pyruvate and ammonia by the elimination reaction. These amino acids could be used as substrate, together with phenol or pyrocatechol, to synthesize l-tyrosine or l-dopa via the replacement reaction by intact cells. l-Serine and d-serine were the best amino acid substrates for the synthesis of l-tyrosine or l-dopa. l-Tyrosine and l-dopa synthesized from d-serine and phenol or pyrocatechol were confirmed to be entirely l-form after isolation and identification of these products. The isomerization of d-tyrosine to l-tyrosine was also catalyzed by intact cells.

Thus, l-tyrosine or l-dopa could be synthesized from dl-serine and phenol or pyrocatechol by intact cells of Erwinia herbicola containing tyrosine phenol lyase.     

Effects of Glycine and d-Amino Acids on Growth of Various Microorganisms

Growth of various microorganisms in media containing high concentrations of glycine or d-amino acids was examined. Susceptibilities to glycine or d-amino acids differed among microorganisms, and the differences in susceptibility have no direct relation with Gram staining, morphological forms, and aerobic or anaerobic nature of the organisms. Certain glycine-resistant bacteria tested, which included Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus and Serratia marcescens, exhibited relatively high oxidative activities towards glycine. The inhibition of the growth of Escherichia coli by either glycine or d-amino acids, which included d-threonine, d-alanine and d-lysine, was reversed by l-alanine, partialy by l-serine, and not by l-lysine or l-threonine. These results suggest that the growth inhibition of microorganisms by d-amino acids was similar to that by glycine. The incorporation of l-alanine into E. coli cells which were preincubated with glycine was less than those of preincubated without glycine. Particularly, the incorporation into the cell wall fraction was most susceptible to glycine. An additive effect of penicillin and glycine was observed in the inhibition of cell wall biosynthesis as determined by the intracellular accumulation of N-acetylamino sugar compounds.     

Distribution of Tyrosine Phenol Lyase in Microorganisms

The distribution of tyrosine phenol lyase activity in microorganisms was studied with intact cells in a synthetic reaction mixture containing l-serine and phenol or pyrocatechol. This activity was found in various bacteria, most of which belonged to the Enterobacteriaceae; especially to the genera Escherichia, Proteus and Erwinia. Cells of Erwinia herbicola ATCC 21434 were selected as a promising source of enzyme.

Intact cells of Erwinia herbicola ATCC 21434 prepared from a broth cultured for 24 hr contained markedly high enzymic activity and catalyzed the synthetic reaction of l-tyrosine or 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-l-alanine (l-dopa) from l-serine and phenol or pyrocatechol in significantly high yields.

Results of the isolation and identification of the products showed that the amino acid synthesized by this enzymatic method was identical with l-tyrosine or l-dopa.     

Biosynthetic Threonine Deaminase from Proteus morganii

Biosynthetic threonine deaminase was purified to an apparent homogeneous state from the cell extract of Proteus morganii, with an overall yield of 7.5%. The enzyme had a s⁰_20,w of 10.0 S, and the molecular weight was calculated to be approximately, 228,000. The molecular weight of a subunit of the enzyme was estimated to be 58,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. The enzyme seemed to have a tetrameric structure consisting of identical subunits. The enzyme had a marked yellow color with an absorption maximum at 415 nm and contained 2 mol of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate per mol. The threonine deaminase catalyzed the deamination of l-threonine, l-serine, l-cysteine and β-chloro-l-alanine. Km values for l-threonine and l-serine were 3.2 and 7.1 mm, respectively. The enzyme was not activated by AMP, ADP and ATP, but was inhibited by l-isoleucine. The Ki for l-isoleucine was 1.17 mm, and the inhibition was not recovered by l-valine. Treatment with mercuric chloride effectively protected the enzyme from inhibition by l-isoleucine.     

S-Carboxymethylcysteine Synthase from Escherichia coli

An enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of S-carboxymethyl- l-cysteine from 3-chloro- l-alanine (3-Cl-Ala) and thioglycolic acid was found in Escherichia coli W3110 and was designated as S- carboxymethyl-l-cysteine synthase. It was purified from the cell-free extract to electrophoretic homogeneity and was crystallized. The enzyme has a molecular weight of 84,000 and gave one band corresponding to a molecular weight of 37,000 on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The purified enzyme catalyzed the β-replacement reactions between 3-CI-AIa and various thiol compounds. The apparent Km values for 3-Cl-Ala and thioglycolic acid were 40 mM and 15.4 mM. The enzyme showed very low activity as to the α,β-elimination reaction with 3-Cl-Ala and l-serine. It was not inactivated on the incubation with 3-Cl-Ala. The absorption spectrum of the enzyme shows a maximum at 412 nm, indicating that it contains pyridoxal phosphate as a cofactor. The N-terminal amino acid sequence was determined and the corresponding sequence was detected in the protein sequence data bank, but no homogeneous sequence was found.     

Synthesis of γ-Glutamylpeptides by γ-Glutamylcysteine Synthetase from Proteus mirabilis

Syntheses of various γ-glutamylpeptides were examined taking use of the highly purified γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase from Proteus mirabilis. The accumulation of each peptide was measured after long time incubation, and good formation was observed in the synthesis of peptides of following amino acids, l-cysteine, l-α-aminobutyrate, l-serine, l-homoserine, glycine, l-alanine, l-norvaline, l-lysine, l-threonine, taurine and l-valine. Peptide syntheses were confirmed by analyses of the component amino acids, after hydrolysis of the peptides.

The structure of the glutamylpeptides, especially the peptide-linkage at the γ-carbonyl residue of l-glutamate, was determined by mass spectrometry of the N-trifluoroacetyl methylester derivatives of the glutamylpeptides. Enzymatic synthesis of γ-glutamyl-l-α-aminobutyrate was also confirmed by PMR spectrometry in the comparison with chemically synthesized compound.     

Inhibitors of alanine racemase enzyme: a review

Alanine racemase is a fold type III PLP-dependent amino acid racemase enzyme catalysing the conversion of l-alanine to d-alanine utilised by bacterial cell wall for peptidoglycan synthesis. As there are no known homologs in humans, it is considered as an excellent antibacterial drug target. The standard inhibitors of this enzyme include O-carbamyl-d-serine, d-cycloserine, chlorovinyl glycine, alafosfalin, etc. d-Cycloserine is indicated for pulmonary and extra pulmonary tuberculosis but therapeutic use of drug is limited due to its severe toxic effects. Toxic effects due to off-target affinities of cycloserine and other substrate analogs have prompted new research efforts to identify alanine racemase inhibitors that are not substrate analogs. In this review, an updated status of known inhibitors of alanine racemase enzyme has been provided which will serve as a rich source of structural information and will be helpful in generating selective and potent inhibitor of alanine racemase.     

Gene Cloning of α-Methylserine Aldolase from Variovorax paradoxus and Purification and Characterization of the Recombinant Enzyme

The α-methylserine aldolase gene from Variovorax paradoxus strains AJ110406, NBRC15149, and NBRC15150 was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Formaldehyde release activity from α-methyl-L-serine was detected in the cell-free extract of E.coli expressing the gene from three strains. The recombinant enzyme from V. paradoxus NBRC15150 was purified. The V _max and K _m of the enzyme for the formaldehyde release reaction from α-methyl-L-serine were 1.89 μmol min^?1 mg^?1 and 1.2 mM respectively. The enzyme was also capable of catalyzing the synthesis of α-methyl-L-serine and α-ethyl-L-serine from L-alanine and L-2-aminobutyric acid respectively, accompanied by hydroxymethyl transfer from formaldehyde. The purified enzyme also catalyzed alanine racemization. It contained 1 mole of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate per mol of the enzyme subunit, and exhibited a specific spectral peak at 429 nm. With L-alanine and L-2-aminobutyric acid as substrates, the specific peak, assumed to be a result of the formation of a quinonoid intermediate, increased at 498 nm and 500 nm respectively.     

Inhibition of l-Alanine Adding Enzyme by Glycine

l-Alanine adding enzymes from Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus which catalyzed l-alanine incorporation into UDPMurNAc were partially purified and the properties of the enzymes were examined. The enzyme from B. subtilis was markedly stimulated by reducing agents including 2-mercaptoethanol, dithiothreitol, glutathione and cysteine. Mn²⁺ and Mg²⁺ activated l-alanine adding activity and their optimal concentrations were 2 to 5 mm and 10 mm, respectively. The optimum pH was 9.5 and the Km for l-alanine was 1.8×10^?4m. l-Alanine adding reaction was strongly inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoate and N-ethyl-maleimide. Among glycine, l- and d-amino acids and glycine derivatives, glycine was the most effective inhibitor of the l-alanine adding reaction. The enzyme from B. cereus was more resistant to glycine than that from B. subtilis. Glycine was incorporated into UDPMurNAc in place of l-alanine, and the Ki for glycine was 4.2×l0^?3m with the enzyme from B. subtilis. From these data, the growth inhibition of bacteria by glycine is discussed.     

Studies on the Metabolism of d-Amino Acid in Microorganisms

It is confirmed by a new method for the determination of d-glutamic acid, that Aerobacter strain A rapidly metabolizes d-glutamic acid, while it only shows feeble metabolic activity towards l-glutamic acid when it is grown on a dl-glutamate-K₂HPO₄ medium. A specific d-glutamic oxidase is demonstrated in the cell-free extracts of Aerobacter strain A. This enzyme seems to be different from d-glutamic-aspartic oxidase obtained from Aspergillus ustus by the authors, since the former has no activity towards d-aspartic acid.     

Some Properties of Three Proteolytic Enzymes Excreted by Bacillus cereus Kp 931

The crude enzyme preparation obtained from culture media of Bacillus cereus Kp 931 was fractionated into three active fractions by Sephadex G-100 gel filtration. These three enzymes had pH optima at between 10.5 and 11.0. One of them, the largest molecular weight species, the enzyme I, was purified extensively. The enzyme catalyzes the release of a number of free amino acids from casein. Large amounts of l-alanine and l-glutamic acid and small amounts of l-leucine, l-serine, glycine, l-cysteic acid and l-arginine were released from oxidized insulin B-chain by the action of the purified enzyme I. It is also suggested that the other two enzymes, II and III, belong to so-called bacterial proteninases.     

Two novel pyrrolooxazole pigments formed by the Maillard reaction between glucose and threonine or serine

Pyrrolothiazolate formed by the Maillard reaction between l-cysteine and d-glucose has a pyrrolothiazole skeleton as a chromophore. We searched for a Maillard pigment having a pyrrolooxazole skeleton formed from l-threonine or l-serine instead of l-cysteine in the presence of d-glucose. As a result, two novel yellow pigments, named pyrrolooxazolates A and B, were isolated from model solutions of the Maillard reaction containing l-threonine and d-glucose, and l-serine and d-glucose, respectively, and identified as (2R,3S,7aS)-2,3,7,7a-tetrahydro-6-hydroxy-2,5,7a-trimethyl-7-oxo-pyrrolo[2,1-b]oxazole-3-calboxylic acid and (3S,7aS)-2,3,7,7a-tetrahydro-6-hydroxy-5,7a-dimethyl-7-oxo-pyrrolo[2,1-b]oxazole-3-calboxylic acid by instrumental analyses. These compounds were pyrrolooxazole derivatives carrying a carboxy group, and showed the absorption maxima at 300–360 nm under acidic and neutral conditions and at 320–390 nm under alkaline conditions.     

Metabolism of l-Theanine,d-Theanine and the Related Compounds in Bacteria

Some strains of Pseudomonas was found capable of utilizing l-theanine or d-theanine as a sole nitrogen and carbon source. The cell-free extract catalyzes the hydrolysis of the amide group of the compounds and the hydrolase activity was influenced remarkably by the nitrogen source in the medium. l-Theanine and d-theanine were hydrolyzed to yield stoichiometrically l-glutamic acid and d-glutamic acid, respectively, and ethylamine, which were isolated from the reaction mixture and identified.

The theanine hydrolase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was purified approximately 200-fold. It was shown that the activities of l-theanine hydrolase, d-theanine hydrolase and the heat-stable l-glutamine hydrolase and d-glutamine hydrolase are ascribed to a single enzyme, which may be regarded as a γ-glutamyltransferase from the point of view of the substrate specificity and the properties. This theanine hydrolase catalyzed the transfer of γ-glutamyl moiety of the substrates and glutathione to hydroxylamine. l-Glutamine and d-glutamine were hydrolyzed by the theanine hydrolase and also by the heat-labile enzyme of the same strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, whose properties resembled the common glutaminase.     

New Nematicidal Metabolites from a Fungus,Irpex lacteus

N-Benzoyl-l-alanine amidohydrolase was purified from a cell-free extract of Corynebacterium equi H-7 which was grown in a medium containing hippuric acid as the sole carbon source. The purified enzyme was homogeneous on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight was 230,000 and the enzyme consisted of six subunits, identical in molecular weight (approximately 40,000). The isoelectric point of the enzyme was pH 4.6. The optimum pH of the enzyme reaction was 8.0 and the enzyme was stable from pH 7.0 to 8.0. The enzyme hydrolyzed N-benzoyl-l-alanine, N-benzoylglycine, and N-benzoyl-l-aminobutyric acid. The Km values for these substrates were 4.3 mm, 6.7 mm, and 4.3 mm, respectively. The enzyme was activated by Co²⁺.     

Enzymatic Conversion of Dethiobiotin to Biotin in Cell-free Extracts of a Bacillus sphaericus bioB Transformant

The activity of biotin synthase, responsible for biotin synthesis from dethiobiotin, was demonstrated in a completely defined reaction mixture with cell-free extracts of a Bacillus sphaericus bioB transformant. Among the sulfur compounds tested, only S-adenosyl-l-methionine was active, while l-methionine and l-cysteine had no significant effect. Protein concentrations higher than 15mg/ml in the reaction mixture were needed to detect biotin synthase activity. When dialyzed cell-free extracts were used for the reaction, NADH, NADPH, or FAD among the well-known cofactors tested enhanced the activity, and Fe²⁺, Mn²⁺, and Ca²⁺ among the metal ions tested also had some effects.     

The Biosynthetic Control in Aromatic Amino Acid Producing Mutants of Corynebacterium glutamicum

Regulatory properties of the enzymes involved in aromatic amino acid biosynthesis in the mutant of Corynebacterium glutamicum which produces a large amount of aromatic amino acids were examined. A phenylalanine auxotrophic l-tyrosine producer, pr-20, had a 3-deoxy-d-arabinoheptulosonate-7-phosphate (DAHP) synthetase released from the feedback inhibition by l-phenylalanine, l-tyrosine and l-tryptophan and had a two-fold derepressed chorismate mutase. A pair of l-phenylalanine and l-tyrosine still strongly inhibited the chorismate mutase activity, though the enzyme was partially released from the inhibition by l-phenylalanine alone. A tyrosine auxotrophic l-phenylalanine producer, PFP-19-31, had a DAHP synthetase sensitive to the feedback inhibition by l-phenylalanine, l-tyrosine and l-tryptophan and had a prephenate dehydratase and a chorismate mutase both partially released from the feedback inhibition by l-phenylalanine. The mutant produced a large amount of prephenate as well as l-phenylalanine. A phenylalanine and tyrosine double auxotrophic l-tryptophan producer, Px-115-97, had an anthranilate synthetase partially released from the feedback inhibition by l-tryptophan and had a DAHP synthetase sensitive to the feedback inhibition. These data explained the mechanism of the production of aromatic amino acids by these mutants and supported the in vivo functioning of the control mechanisms of aromatic amino acid biosynthesis in C. glutamicum previously elucidated in vitro experiments.     

Variation of Protein among Eleven Varieties of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)

The acylated, amidated and esterified derivatives of N-acetylglucosaminyl-α(1 → 4)-N-acetylmuramyl tri- and tetrapeptide were synthesized and examined as to their protective effect on pseudomonal infection in the mouse and pyrogenicity in the rabbit. Modifications of the terminal end function of the peptide moieties in their molecules caused enhancement of resistance to pseudomonal infection and reduction of pyrogenicity. Among the compounds tested, sodium N-acetylglucosaminyl-β(1 → 4)-N-acetylmuramyl-l-alanyl-d-isoglutaminyl-(l)-stearoyl-(d)-meso-2,6-diaminopimelic acid-(d)-amide and sodium N-acetylglucosaminyl-β(1 → 4)-N-acetylmuramyl-l-alanyl-d-isoglutaminyl-(l)-stearoyl-(d)-meso-2,6-diaminopimelic acid-(d)-amide-(l)-d-alanine were found to be advantageous and conceivably worthwhile for further investigation as immunobiologically active compounds.     

Production of l-allose and d-talose from l-psicose and d-tagatose by l-ribose isomerase

l-ribose isomerase (L-RI) from Cellulomonas parahominis MB426 can convert l-psicose and d-tagatose to l-allose and d-talose, respectively. Partially purified recombinant L-RI from Escherichia coli JM109 was immobilized on DIAION HPA25L resin and then utilized to produce l-allose and d-talose. Conversion reaction was performed with the reaction mixture containing 10% l-psicose or d-tagatose and immobilized L-RI at 40 °C. At equilibrium state, the yield of l-allose and d-talose was 35.0% and 13.0%, respectively. Immobilized enzyme could convert l-psicose to l-allose without remarkable decrease in the enzyme activity over 7 times use and d-tagatose to d-talose over 37 times use. After separation and concentration, the mixture solution of l-allose and d-talose was concentrated up to 70% and crystallized by keeping at 4 °C. l-Allose and d-talose crystals were collected from the syrup by filtration. The final yield was 23.0% l-allose and 7.30% d-talose that were obtained from l-psicose and d-tagatose, respectively.