Phosphopantetheine adenylyltransferase from Escherichia coli: investigation of the kinetic mechanism and role in regulation of coenzyme A biosynthesis

Phosphopantetheine adenylyltransferase (PPAT) from Escherichia coli is an essential hexameric enzyme that catalyzes the penultimate step in coenzyme A (CoA) biosynthesis and is a target for antibacterial drug discovery. The enzyme utilizes Mg-ATP and phosphopantetheine (PhP) to generate dephospho-CoA (dPCoA) and pyrophosphate. When overexpressed in E. coli, PPAT copurifies with tightly bound CoA, suggesting a feedback inhibitory role for this cofactor. Using an enzyme-coupled assay for the forward-direction reaction (dPCoA-generating) and isothermal titration calorimetry, we investigated the steady-state kinetics and ligand binding properties of PPAT. All substrates and products bind the free enzyme, and product inhibition studies are consistent with a random bi-bi kinetic mechanism. CoA inhibits PPAT and is competitive with ATP, PhP, and dPCoA. Previously published structures of PPAT crystallized at pH 5.0 show half-the-sites reactivity for PhP and dPCoA and full occupancy by ATP and CoA. Ligand-binding studies at pH 8.0 show that ATP, PhP, dPCoA, and CoA occupy all six monomers of the PPAT hexamer, although CoA exhibits two thermodynamically distinct binding modes. These results suggest that the half-the-sites reactivity observed in PPAT crystal structures may be pH dependent. In light of previous studies on the regulation of CoA biosynthesis, the PPAT kinetic and ligand binding data suggest that intracellular PhP concentrations modulate the distribution of PPAT monomers between high- and low-affinity CoA binding modes. This model is consistent with PPAT serving as a “backup” regulator of pathway flux relative to pantothenate kinase.     

Substitution of asparagine 76 by a tyrosine residue induces domain swapping in Helicobacter pylori phosphopantetheine adenylyltransferase

Phosphopantetheine adenylyltransferase (PPAT) catalyses the penultimate step in coenzyme A biosynthesis in bacteria and is therefore a candidate target for antibacterial drug development. We randomly mutated the residues in the Helicobacter pylori PPAT sequence to identify those that govern protein folding and ligand binding, and we describe the crystal structure of one of these mutants (I4V/N76Y) that contains the mutations I4?→?V and N76?→?Y. Unlike other PPATs, which are homohexamers, I4V/N76Y is a domain-swapped homotetramer. The protomer structure of this mutant is an open conformation in which the 65 C-terminal residues are intertwined with those of a neighbouring protomer. Despite structural differences between wild-type PPAT and IV4/N76Y, they had similar ligand-binding properties. ATP binding to these two proteins was enthalpically driven, whereas that for Escherichia coli PPAT is entropically driven. The structural packing of the subunits may affect the thermal denaturation of wild-type PPAT and I4V/N76Y. Mutations in hinge regions often induce domain swapping, i.e. the spatial exchange of portions of adjacent protomers, but residues 4 and 76 of H. pylori PPAT are not located in or near to the hinge region. However, one or both of these residues is responsible for the large conformational change in the C-terminal region of each protomer. To identify the residue(s) responsible, we constructed the single-site mutant, N76Y, and found a large displacement of α-helix 4, which indicated that its flexibility allowed the domain swap to occur.     

Maintenance of the Cell Morphology by MinC in Helicobacter pylori

In the model organism Escherichia coli, Min proteins are involved in regulating the division of septa formation. The computational genome analysis of Helicobacter pylori, a gram-negative microaerophilic bacterium causing gastritis and peptic ulceration, also identified MinC, MinD, and MinE. However, MinC (HP1053) shares a low identity with those of other bacteria and its function in H. pylori remains unclear. In this study, we used morphological and genetic approaches to examine the molecular role of MinC. The results were shown that an H. pylori mutant lacking MinC forms filamentous cells, while the wild-type strain retains the shape of short rods. In addition, a minC mutant regains the short rods when complemented with an intact minC_Hp gene. The overexpression of MinC_Hp in E. coli did not affect the growth and cell morphology. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that MinC_Hp forms helix-form structures in H. pylori, whereas MinC_Hp localizes at cell poles and pole of new daughter cell in E. coli. In addition, co-immunoprecipitation showed MinC can interact with MinD but not with FtsZ during mid-exponential stage of H. pylori. Altogether, our results show that MinC_Hp plays a key role in maintaining proper cell morphology and its function differs from those of MinC_Ec.     

Characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Helicobacter pylori</Emphasis> adhesin thiol peroxidase (HP0390) purified from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis>

The antioxidant protein, adhesin thiol peroxidase (HpTpx or HP0390), plays an important role in enabling Helicobacter pylori to survive gastric oxidative stress. The bacterium colonizes the host stomach and produces gastric cancer. However, little information is available about the biochemical characteristics of HpTpx. We expressed recombinant HpTpx in Escherichia coli, purified to homogeneity, and characterized it. The results showed that HpTpx existed in a monomeric hydrodynamic form and the enzyme fully retained its peroxidase and antioxidant activities. The catalytic reaction of the enzyme was similar to an atypical 2-cysteine peroxiredoxin (Prx). The conformation of the enzyme was observed in the presence and absence of dithiothreitol (DTT); similar to other known thiol peroxidases, conformational change was observed in HpTpx by the addition of DTT.     

Survival of Helicobacter pylori in well water

The mortality of a clinical Helicobacter pylori strain was assessed by inoculating it in untreated well water, filtered well water, and autoclaved well water. Two different temperatures (5 and 25 °C) were used during the experimental period. Because Escherichia coli is commonly used as indicator of faecal pollution of water, we compared the survival of H. pylori using E. coli as indicator of its persistence. H. pylori was not culturable 48 h after inoculation, whereas the population of E. coli, monitored at the same temperature, decreased slowly, especially in filtered water. In untreated water, both H. pylori and E. coli survived less well than in filtered and autoclaved water. In general the survival of H. pylori and E. coli was better in filtered water than in autoclaved water and the ability of H. pylori to survive several days in water at 5 °C is reported, supporting the observation that H. pylori survives better at 5 °C than at higher temperature. This suggests a possible faecal–oral transmission of H. pylori in the presence of a contaminated water.     

Three-Dimensional Structure of N-Terminal Domain of DnaB Helicase and Helicase-Primase Interactions in Helicobacter pylori

Replication initiation is a crucial step in genome duplication and homohexameric DnaB helicase plays a central role in the replication initiation process by unwinding the duplex DNA and interacting with several other proteins during the process of replication. N-terminal domain of DnaB is critical for helicase activity and for DnaG primase interactions. We present here the crystal structure of the N-terminal domain (NTD) of H. pylori DnaB (HpDnaB) helicase at 2.2 Å resolution and compare the structural differences among helicases and correlate with the functional differences. The structural details of NTD suggest that the linker region between NTD and C-terminal helicase domain plays a vital role in accurate assembly of NTD dimers. The sequence analysis of the linker regions from several helicases reveals that they should form four helix bundles. We also report the characterization of H. pylori DnaG primase and study the helicase-primase interactions, where HpDnaG primase stimulates DNA unwinding activity of HpDnaB suggesting presence of helicase-primase cohort at the replication fork. The protein-protein interaction study of C-terminal domain of primase and different deletion constructs of helicase suggests that linker is essential for proper conformation of NTD to interact strongly with HpDnaG. The surface charge distribution on the primase binding surface of NTDs of various helicases suggests that DnaB-DnaG interaction and stability of the complex is most probably charge dependent. Structure of the linker and helicase-primase interactions indicate that HpDnaB differs greatly from E.coli DnaB despite both belong to gram negative bacteria.     

Investigating the role of native propionyl‐CoA and methylmalonyl‐CoA metabolism on heterologous polyketide production in Escherichia coli

6‐Deoxyerythronolide B (6dEB) is the macrocyclic aglycone precursor of the antibiotic natural product erythromycin. Heterologous production of 6dEB in Escherichia coli was accomplished, in part, by designed over‐expression of a native prpE gene (encoding a propionyl‐CoA synthetase) and heterologous pcc genes (encoding a propionyl‐CoA carboxylase) to supply the needed propionyl‐CoA and (2S)‐methylmalonyl‐CoA biosynthetic substrates. Separate E. coli metabolism includes three enzymes, Sbm (a methylmalonyl‐CoA mutase), YgfG (a methylmalonyl‐CoA decarboxylase), and YgfH (a propionyl‐CoA:succinate CoA transferase), also involved in propionyl‐CoA and methylmalonyl‐CoA metabolism. In this study, the sbm, ygfG, and ygfH genes were individually deleted and over‐expressed to investigate their effect on heterologous 6dEB production. Our results indicate that the deletion and over‐expression of sbm did not influence 6dEB production; ygfG over‐expression reduced 6dEB production by fourfold while ygfH deletion increased 6dEB titers from 65 to 129 mg/L in shake flask experiments. It was also found that native E. coli metabolism could support 6dEB biosynthesis in the absence of exogenous propionate and the substrate provision pcc genes. Lastly, the effect of the ygfH deletion was tested in batch bioreactor cultures in which 6dEB titers improved from 206 to 527 mg/L. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010; 105: 567–573. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Protein Evolutionary Rates Correlate with Expression Independently of Synonymous Substitutions in Helicobacter pylori

In free-living microorganisms, such as Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, both synonymous and nonsynonymous substitution frequencies correlate with expression levels. Here, we have tested the hypothesis that the correlation between amino acid substitution rates and expression is a by-product of selection for codon bias and translational efficiency in highly expressed genes. To this end, we have examined the correlation between protein evolutionary rates and expression in the human gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori, where the absence of selection on synonymous sites enables the two types of substitutions to be uncoupled. The results revealed a statistically significant negative correlation between expression levels and nonsynonymous substitutions in both H. pylori and E. coli. We also found that neighboring genes located on the same, but not on opposite strands, evolve at significantly more similar rates than random gene pairs, as expected by co-expression of genes located in the same operon. However, the two species differ in that synonymous substitutions show a strand-specific pattern in E. coli, whereas the weak similarity in synonymous substitutions for neighbors in H. pylori is independent of gene orientation. These results suggest a direct influence of expression levels on nonsynonymous substitution frequencies independent of codon bias and selective constraints on synonymous sites. Electronic Supplementary Material Electronic Supplementary material is available for this article at and accessible for authorised users. [Reviewing Editor: Dr. Nicolas Galtier]     

Induction of cyclooxygenase 2 by Escherichia coli but not Helicobacter pylori lipopolysaccharide in gastric epithelial cells in vitro

Background. Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX‐2) is an inducible enzyme that plays a key role in the synthesis of prostaglandins in response to inflammatory stimuli. It is expressed in the gastric mucosa as part of the response to infection with Helicobacter pylori. The specific interaction between H. pylori and the gastric epithelium that results in COX‐2 expression has not been identified. Methods. In order to investigate the hypothesis that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from H. pylori plays a role in the induction of cyclooxygenase 2 in the stomach, gastric cell lines MKN‐7 and MKN‐45 were incubated with LPS from either H. pylori NCTC 11637 or Escherichia coli 055:B5. Incubation of cells with live H. pylori NCTC 11637 was also carried out as a positive control. Cells were then analysed for COX‐2 protein and mRNA and prostaglandin E2 synthesis. Results. Cyclooxygenase 2 protein and mRNA expression was induced by E. coli LPS and live H. pylori, but not by H. pylori LPS. Prostaglandin E₂ synthesis increased in a dose‐dependent manner in both cell lines with E. coli but not H. pylori LPS. Conclusions. H. pylori LPS is of low biological activity when compared with E. coli LPS in its ability to induce the expression of cyclooxygenase 2 and synthesis of prostaglandin E₂. This may provide one mechanism by which H. pylori minimizes the inflammatory response in the gastric mucosa, allowing chronic infection.     

Production of isopropanol by metabolically engineered <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis>

A genetically engineered strain of Escherichia coli JM109 harboring the isopropanol-producing pathway consisting of five genes encoding four enzymes, thiolase, coenzyme A (CoA) transferase, acetoacetate decarboxylase from Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824, and primary–secondary alcohol dehydrogenase from C. beijerinckii NRRL B593, produced up to 227 mM of isopropanol from glucose under aerobic fed-batch culture conditions. Acetate production by the engineered strain was approximately one sixth that produced by a control E. coli strain bearing an expression vector without the clostridial genes. These results demonstrate a functional isopropanol-producing pathway in E. coli and consequently carbon flux from acetyl-CoA directed to isopropanol instead of acetate. This is the first report on isopropanol production by genetically engineered microorganism under aerobic culture conditions.     

幽门螺杆菌黏附素保守区蛋白的免疫原性、安全性和黏附作用的体外评价

探讨幽门螺杆菌（Hp）保守区（AB）蛋白的体外安全性、免疫原性和黏附作用,以确定AB在Hp疫苗研制中的应用价值.ELISA法测定Hp感染者血清中抗AB抗体,四唑盐比色法（MTT）测定T细胞对AB的增殖反应,流式细胞术检测AB致T细胞表达FasL的作用,二苯胺（DPA）法测定AB致T细胞凋亡率,光镜计数法研究AB抗体对Hp与胃癌细胞黏附的影响.ELISA法共检测了55份血清,以快速尿素酶实验(RUT)作为平行对照,两法的评价判断一致性程度的指标卡帕系数为0.76. 同时,低剂量AB即可刺激Hp⁺T细胞的增殖.体外安全性实验表明,AB无明显调节T细胞表达FasL的作用以及无明显致Hp^－T细胞凋亡的作用. AB抗血清能部分阻断Hp与胃癌细胞系的黏附,在光镜下表现为经抗AB兔血清预处理后,每细胞周围黏附的细菌数较免疫前兔血清预处理组显著减少（P＜0.05）.研究表明AB是安全的、具有免疫原性的Hp菌体成分,既可以刺激体液免疫,又能够提高细胞免疫,并且其抗体还可防止Hp与胃上皮细胞的黏附.     

Oxygen reactivity of PutA from Helicobacter species and proline-linked oxidative stress

Proline is converted to glutamate in two successive steps by the proline utilization A (PutA) flavoenzyme in gram-negative bacteria. PutA contains a proline dehydrogenase domain that catalyzes the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)-dependent oxidation of proline to Δ¹-pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C) and a P5C dehydrogenase domain that catalyzes the NAD⁺-dependent oxidation of P5C to glutamate. Here, we characterize PutA from Helicobacter hepaticus (PutA_Hh) and Helicobacter pylori (PutA_Hp) to provide new insights into proline metabolism in these gastrointestinal pathogens. Both PutA_Hh and PutA_Hp lack DNA binding activity, in contrast to PutA from Escherichia coli (PutA_Ec), which both regulates and catalyzes proline utilization. PutA_Hh and PutA_Hp display catalytic activities similar to that of PutA_Ec but have higher oxygen reactivity. PutA_Hh and PutA_Hp exhibit 100-fold-higher turnover numbers (~30 min⁻¹) than PutA_Ec (<0. 3 min⁻¹) using oxygen as an electron acceptor during catalytic turnover with proline. Consistent with increased oxygen reactivity, PutA_Hh forms a reversible FAD-sulfite adduct. The significance of increased oxygen reactivity in PutA_Hh and PutA_Hp was probed by oxidative stress studies in E. coli. Expression of PutA_Ec and PutA from Bradyrhizobium japonicum, which exhibit low oxygen reactivity, does not diminish stress survival rates of E. coli cell cultures. In contrast, PutA_Hp and PutA_Hh expression dramatically reduces E. coli cell survival and is correlated with relatively lower proline levels and increased hydrogen peroxide formation. The discovery of reduced oxygen species formation by PutA suggests that proline catabolism may influence redox homeostasis in the ecological niches of these Helicobacter species.     

Impact of reactive oxygen species generation on Helicobacter pylori-related extragastric diseases: a hypothesis

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) induces reactive oxygen species (ROS) production that contribute to pathogenesis of a variety of H. pylori-related gastric diseases, as shown in animal and human studies. Helicobacter pylori infection is also associated with variety of systemic extragastric diseases in which H. pylori-related ROS production might also be involved in the pathogenesis of these systemic conditions. We proposed that Hp-related ROS may play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of Hp-related systemic diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma and other relative neurodegenerative diseases, thereby suggesting introduction of relative ROS scavengers as therapeutic strategies against these diseases which are among the leading causes of disability and are associated with a large public health global burden. Moreover, we postulated that H. pylori-related ROS might also be involved in the pathogenesis of extragastric common malignancies, thereby suggesting that H. pylori eradication might inhibit the development or delay the progression of aforementioned diseases. However, large-scale future studies are warranted to elucidate the proposed pathophysiological mechanisms, including H. pylori-related ROS, involved in H. pylori-associated systemic and malignant conditions.     

Lymphocyte proliferative response to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Helicobacter pylori</Emphasis> antigens in <Emphasis Type="Italic">H. pylori</Emphasis>-infected patients

Helicobacter pylori (Hp) contributes to the development of gastric and extra-gastric diseases such as autoimmune thyroiditis (AT), and causes persistent life-long infection despite local and systemic immune response. We determined the specific cellular immune response to Hp antigens and PWM (control mitogen) in two groups of Hp infected patients - group A (n = 21), involving patients with autoimmune thyroiditis and group B (n = 13) of patients without AT - using modified lymphocyte transformation test before and after eradication therapy in comparison with healthy controls (group C, n = 15). Immune reactivity to the majority of Hp antigens (aHp, hHp, HpAg, CagA) was significantly lower in group B before eradication therapy in comparison with healthy Hp negative controls. A significant increase in immune reactivity was observed in group B to certain Hp antigens after successful eradication. The same levels (but insignificant) of immune reactivity were shown in group A. Our results indicate that Hp can cause the inhibition of the specific cellular immune response in Hp infected patients with or without autoimmune diseases such as AT, which can be abrogated by successful eradication of Hp. Lymphocyte transformation test appears to be a good tool for detection of immune memory cellular response in patients with Hp infection.     

Open and shut: Crystal structures of the dodecylmaltoside solubilized mechanosensitive channel of small conductance from Escherichia coli and Helicobacter pylori at 4.4 Å and 4.1 Å resolutions

The mechanosensitive channel of small conductance (MscS) contributes to the survival of bacteria during osmotic downshock by transiently opening large diameter pores for the efflux of cellular contents before the membrane ruptures. Two crystal structures of the Escherichia coli MscS are currently available, the wild type protein in a nonconducting state at 3.7 Å resolution (Bass et al., Science 2002; 298:1582–1587) and the Ala106Val variant in an open state at 3.45 Å resolution (Wang et al., Science 2008; 321:1179–1183). Both structures used protein solubilized in the detergent fos‐choline‐14. We report here crystal structures of MscS from E. coli and Helicobacter pylori solubilized in the detergent β‐dodecylmaltoside at resolutions of 4.4 and 4.2 Å, respectively. While the cytoplasmic domains are unchanged in these structures, distinct conformations of the transmembrane domains are observed. Intriguingly, β‐dodecylmaltoside solubilized wild type E. coli MscS adopts the open state structure of A106V E. coli MscS, while H. pylori MscS resembles the nonconducting state structure observed for fos‐choline‐14 solubilized E. coli MscS. These results highlight the sensitivity of membrane protein conformational equilibria to variations in detergent, crystallization conditions, and protein sequence.     

Cloning and Characterization of a 22 kDa Outer-Membrane Protein (Omp22) from Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori is a causative agent of gastritis and peptic ulceration in humans. As the first step towards development of a vaccine against H. pylori infection, we have attempted to identify protective antigens. A potential target of vaccine development would be a H. pylori specific protein, which is surface-exposed and highly antigenic. We identified a 22 kDa outer-membrane protein (Omp22) from H. pylori, which was highly immunoreactive. By screening a H. pylori genomic DNA library with rabbit anti-H. pylori outer-membrane protein antibodies, the omp22 gene was cloned and 1.4 kb of the nucleotide sequence was determined. One open reading frame, encoding a 179-residue polypeptide, was identified and the amino acid sequence deduced showed homology with peptidoglycan-associated lipoproteins. The sequence was conserved among other H. pylori strains. Omp22 protein is expressed as a precursor polypeptide of 179 residues and undergoes lipid modification and cleavage of an 18 amino acid signal peptide to yield a mature protein. Omp22 protein in H. pylori as well as recombinant Omp22 protein expressed in E. coli was localized into the outer membrane and exposed on the cell surface. Omp22 may have the potential as a target antigen for the development of a H. pylori vaccine.     

Acetate scavenging activity in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis>: interplay of acetyl–CoA synthetase and the PEP–glyoxylate cycle in chemostat cultures

Impairment of acetate production in Escherichia coli is crucial for the performance of many biotechnological processes. Aerobic production of acetate (or acetate overflow) results from changes in the expression of central metabolism genes. Acetyl−CoA synthetase scavenges extracellular acetate in glucose-limited cultures. Once converted to acetyl−CoA, it can be catabolized by the tricarboxylic acid cycle or the glyoxylate pathway. In this work, we assessed the significance of these pathways on acetate overflow during glucose excess and limitation. Gene expression, enzyme activities, and metabolic fluxes were studied in E. coli knock-out mutants related to the glyoxylate pathway operon and its regulators. The relevance of post-translational regulation by AceK-mediated phosphorylation of isocitrate dehydrogenase for pathway functionality was underlined. In chemostat cultures performed at increasing dilution rates, acetate overflow occurs when growing over a threshold glucose uptake rate. This threshold was not affected in a glyoxylate-pathway-deficient strain (lacking isocitrate lyase, the first enzyme of the pathway), indicating that it is not relevant for acetate overflow. In carbon-limited chemostat cultures, gluconeogenesis (maeB, sfcA, and pck), the glyoxylate operon and, especially, acetyl−CoA synthetase are upregulated. A mutant in acs (encoding acetyl−CoA synthetase) produced acetate at all dilution rates. This work demonstrates that, in E. coli, acetate production occurs at all dilution rates and that overflow is the result of unbalanced synthesis and scavenging activities. The over-expression of acetyl−CoA synthetase by cAMP−CRP-dependent induction limits this phenomenon in cultures consuming glucose at low rate, ensuring the recycling of the acetyl−CoA and acetyl−phosphate pools, although establishing an energy-dissipating substrate cycle.     

3个植物源苯甲醇酰基转移酶合成乙酸肉桂酯的研究

[背景]乙酸肉桂酯是一种重要的香料化合物,在化妆品和食品工业上具有广泛的应用,传统的生产方法主要依靠植物提取和化学合成。[目的]通过筛选不同植物源的酰基转移酶,利用大肠杆菌从头合成乙酸肉桂酯。[方法]首先,通过在苯丙氨酸高产菌BPHE中表达异源基因苯丙氨酸解氨酶(Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase from Arabidopsis thaliana,AtPAL)、对羟基肉桂酰辅酶A连接酶(Hydroxycinnamate:CoA Ligase from Petroselinum crispum,Pc4CL)和肉桂酰辅酶 A 还原酶(Cinnamyl-CoA Reductase from Arabidopsis thaliana,AtCCR),并结合大肠杆菌自身的内源性醇脱氢酶(Alcohol Dehydrogenases,ADHs)或醛酮还原酶(Aldo-Keto Reductases,AKRs)的催化作用构建了从苯丙氨酸到肉桂醇的生物合成途径。然后,苯甲醇苯甲酰转移酶(Benzyl Alcohol O-Benzoyltransferase from Nicotiana tabacum,ANN09798;Benzyl Alcohol O-Benzoyltransferase from Clarkia breweri,ANN09796)或苯甲醇乙酰转移酶(Benzyl Alcohol Acetyltransferase from Clarkia breweri,BEAT)被引入到上述重组大肠杆菌中发酵培养生产乙酸肉桂酯。最后,在大肠杆菌中过表达乙酰辅酶A合成酶(Acetyl Coenzyme A Synthetase,ACS)来提高底物乙酰辅酶A的量。[结果]探讨了 3个植物源苯甲醇酰基转移酶生物合成乙酸肉桂酯的能力,并应用于合成乙酸肉桂酯的细胞工厂,最终使乙酸肉桂酯最高产量达到166.9±6.6mg/L。[结论]植物源苯甲醇酰基转移酶具有一定的底物宽泛性,能以肉桂醇为底物催化合成乙酸肉桂酯。首次利用植物源的苯甲醇酰基转移酶合成乙酸肉桂酯,为微生物细胞工厂以葡萄糖作为碳源生产乙酸肉桂酯提供参考。     

Relationship between Ni(II) and Zn(II) Coordination and Nucleotide Binding by the Helicobacter pylori [NiFe]-Hydrogenase and Urease Maturation Factor HypB

The pathogen Helicobacter pylori requires two nickel-containing enzymes, urease and [NiFe]-hydrogenase, for efficient colonization of the human gastric mucosa. These enzymes possess complex metallocenters that are assembled by teams of proteins in multistep pathways. One essential accessory protein is the GTPase HypB, which is required for Ni(II) delivery to [NiFe]-hydrogenase and participates in urease maturation. Ni(II) or Zn(II) binding to a site embedded in the GTPase domain of HypB modulates the enzymatic activity, suggesting a mechanism of regulation. In this study, biochemical and structural analyses of H. pylori HypB (HpHypB) revealed an intricate link between nucleotide and metal binding. HpHypB nickel coordination, stoichiometry, and affinity were modulated by GTP and GDP, an effect not observed for zinc, and biochemical evidence suggests that His-107 coordination to nickel toggles on and off in a nucleotide-dependent manner. These results are consistent with the crystal structure of HpHypB loaded with Ni(II), GDP, and P_i, which reveals a nickel site distinct from that of zinc-loaded Methanocaldococcus jannaschii HypB as well as subtle changes to the protein structure. Furthermore, Cys-142, a metal ligand from the Switch II GTPase motif, was identified as a key component of the signal transduction between metal binding and the enzymatic activity. Finally, potassium accelerated the enzymatic activity of HpHypB but had no effect on the other biochemical properties of the protein. Altogether, this molecular level information about HpHypB provides insight into its cellular function and illuminates a possible mechanism of metal ion discrimination.