Energy cost for the proper ionization of active site residues in 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase from T. brucei

The catalytic mechanism of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase requires the inversion of a Lys/Glu couple from its natural ionization state. The pK_a of these residues in free and substrate bound enzymes has been determined measuring by ITC the proton release/uptake induced by substrate binding at different pH values. Wt 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase from Trypanosoma brucei and two active site enzyme mutants, K185H and E192Q were investigated. Substrate binding was accompanied by proton release and was dependent on the ionization of a group with pK_a 7.07 which was absent in the E192Q mutant. Kinetic data highlighted two pK_a, 7.17 and 9.64, in the enzyme–substrate complex, the latter being absent in the E192Q mutant, suggesting that the substrate binding shifts Glu192 pK_a from 7.07 to 9.64. A comparison of wt and E192Q mutant appears to show that the substrate binding shifts Lys185 pK_a from 9.9 to 7.17. By comparing differences in proton release and the binding enthalpy of wt and mutant enzymes, the enthalpic cost of the change in the protonation state of Lys185 and Glu192 was estimated at ≈ 6.1 kcal/mol. The change in protonation state of Lys185 and Glu192 has little effect on Gibbs free energy, 240–325 cal/mol. However proton balance evidences the dissociation of other group(s) that can be collectively described by a single pK_a shift from 9.1 to 7.54. This further change in ionization state of the enzyme causes an increase of free energy with a total cost of 1.2–2.3 kcal/mol to set the enzyme into a catalytically competent form.     

Leishmania-macrophage interactions: insights into the redox biology

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects about 350 million individuals worldwide. The protozoan parasite has a relatively simple life cycle with two principal stages: the flagellated mobile promastigote living in the gut of the sandfly vector and the intracellular amastigote within phagolysosomal vesicles of the vertebrate host macrophage. This review presents a state-of-the-art overview of the redox biology at the parasite-macrophage interface. Although Leishmania species are susceptible in vitro to exogenous superoxide radical, hydrogen peroxide, nitric oxide, and peroxynitrite, they manage to survive the endogenous oxidative burst during phagocytosis and the subsequent elevated nitric oxide production in the macrophage. The parasite adopts various defense mechanisms to cope with oxidative stress: the lipophosphoglycan membrane decreases superoxide radical production by inhibiting NADPH oxidase assembly and the parasite also protects itself by expressing antioxidant enzymes and proteins. Some of these enzymes could be considered potential drug targets because they are not expressed in mammals. In respect to antileishmanial therapy, the effects of current drugs on parasite-macrophage redox biology and its involvement in the development of drug resistance and treatment failure are presented.     

The structural basis of allosteric regulation in proteins

Allosteric regulation of protein function occurs when the regulatory trigger, such as the binding of a small-molecule effector or inhibitor, takes place some distance from the protein’s, or protein complex’s, active site. This distance can be a few Å, or tens of Å. Many proteins are regulated in this way and exhibit a variety of allosteric mechanisms. Here we review how analyses of experimentally determined models of protein 3D structures, using either X-ray crystallography or NMR spectroscopy, have revealed some of the mechanisms involved.     

黄瓜胞质6-磷酸葡萄糖酸脱氢酶基因克隆及序列分析

根据6-磷酸葡萄糖酸脱氢酶(6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase,6PGDH)基因的保守氨基酸序列设计简并引物,应用RT-PCR技术从黄瓜栽培种品种'北京截头'(Cucumis sativus 'Beijingjietou')叶片中获得了640 bp的特异片段,以该序列在EST数据库进行同源检索筛选,发现甜瓜EST序列AM715537.2与之高度一致,据此设计引物经RT-PCR扩增、分子克隆和序列拼接,获得了黄瓜6-磷酸葡萄糖酸脱氢酶基因全长序列,命名为Cs6PGDH(GenBank登录号FJ610345).序列分析表明,该基因全长1 829 bp,其中开放读码框(ORF)长1 488 bp编码495个氨基酸组成的多肽,编码区内无内含子存在,5'、3'端非翻译区长度各为70 bp和271 bp.Blast同源性分析显示该基因编码的氨基酸序列与拟南芥、大豆、水稻、玉米、菠菜等物种6PGDH 基因有74%以上的一致性.由于与其他物种胞质6PGDH相类似氨基酸N端都缺少长度约为40aa的转运肽,推断Cs6PGDH为黄瓜胞质6-磷酸葡萄糖酸脱氢酶基因.     

The human placental anti-aggregating factor is neither prostacyclin, nor a prostacyclin metabolite

Using PGH₂ as substrate, we have previously demonstrated that human placenta synthetizes mainly PGE₂, TxB₂ and PGD₂(1,2). Other reports have shown that placental tissue generates a substance which inhibits ADP-induced platelet aggregation and which was supposed to be PGI₂ (3). The present study indicates that the stability of that substance is different from the stability of prostacyclin (released by umbilical artery pieces). By GC-MS and multiple ion-monitoring, we have shown the presence of 6 keto-PGF_1α (the stable metabolite of PGI₂) in the umbilical artery incubation medium, while no trace of 6-keto-PGF_1α could be found in the placental medium. No conversion of AA to 6-keto-PGF_1α by placental microsomes was observed, even in the presence of antioxidants. The placenta possesses, in addition to the known 15-OH-PGDH and Δ-13 reductase activities, a weak 9 OH pGDH which is specific for PGF_2α (and not PGI₂ nor 6-keto-PGF_1α). GC-MS analysis is showed that the expected metabolites of PGI₂ through those three enzymes were not found in the placental medium, indicating that neither PGI₂ synthesis nor metabolism could be demonstrated in the placenta.     

Phylogenetic relationships amongPinus species (Pinaceae) inferred from different numbers of 6PGDH loci

Electrophoretic examination of variousPinus species from both subgenera revealed that several taxa differ in the number of loci that control the enzyme system 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH). Based on inheritance analyses and published data, it was established that all species of subg.Pinus possess only two 6PGDH loci, whereas all stone pines of subg.Strobus exhibit four controlling loci. In order to trace the phylogenetic links at which one or two gene duplications occurred during pine evolution, several species of subsect.Strobi (sectionStrobus) and two species of sect.Parrya were additionally investigated. Based on conclusions about the uniqueness of gene duplications and the different numbers of 6PGDH loci, a phylogenetic tree of the pine taxa was constructed. This tree shows some new features not recognized in earlier studies and supports several novel assignments postulated in very recent pine classifications.     

大肠杆菌PGDH末端缺失突变体的构建及抗反馈抑制效应分析

为了获得具有抗反馈抑制性质的大肠杆菌磷酸甘油酸脱氢酶（PGDH, d-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase, EC 1.1.1.95）,通过对其碱基序列和蛋白质结构分析,用PCR突变法构建突变酶M1（缺失第410位氨基酸）、M2（缺失407~410位氨基酸）、M3（缺失337~410位氨基酸）。M0(野生型)及各突变型基因与pET22b(+)载体连接后,表达融合蛋白。在非变性条件下,由NTA-Ni镍离子螯合亲和层析柱纯化野生型和突变体的酶蛋白。酶活性测定结果表明,M1、M2蛋白酶均保持了原有的野生型磷酸甘油酸脱氢酶活性,且部分解除了终产物L-丝氨酸的反馈抑制作用;M3蛋白酶完全解除了终产物的反馈抑制作用,但酶本身的催化活性略有降低（为野生型的83%）。M0、M1、M2菌株PGDH与L-丝氨酸结合的Ki值分别约为7 μmol/L、20 μmol/L、50 μmol/L,说明该酶C-末端1~4个氨基酸残基对L-丝氨酸和调控区的结合有重要影响。     

Crystal structures of type IIIH NAD-dependent D-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase from two thermophiles

In the l-Serine biosynthesis, D-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PGDH) catalyzes the inter-conversion of D-3-phosphoglycerate to phosphohydroxypyruvate. PGDH belongs to 2-hydroxyacid dehydrogenases family. We have determined the crystal structures of PGDH from Sulfolobus tokodaii (StPGDH) and Pyrococcus horikoshii (PhPGDH) using X-ray diffraction to resolution of 1.77 Å and 1.95 Å, respectively. The PGDH protomer from both species exhibits identical structures, consisting of substrate binding domain and nucleotide binding domain. The residues and water molecules interacting with the NAD are identified. The catalytic triad residues Glu-His-Arg are highly conserved. The residues involved in the dimer interface and the structural features responsible for thermostability are evaluated. Overall, structures of PGDHs with two domains and histidine at the active site are categorized as type III_H and such PGDHs structures having this type are reported for the first time.