Characterization of microsomal NADPH-dependent aldehyde reductase from rat brain

An NADPH-dependent aldehyde reductase was purified from rat brain microsomes to electrophoretic homogeneity. The purified enzyme had a molecular weight of 75,000 and reduced long chain fatty aldehydes such as octanal and hexadecanal with higher affinity (Km values of 0.21 mM and 0.03 mM, respectively) than for various artificial carbonyl compounds such as p-nitrobenzaldehyde and p-nitroacetophenone (Km values of 0.31 mM and 1.4 mM, respectively). The purified microsomal aldehyde reductase also showed NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity, and it could not be distinguished from NADPH-cytochrome c reductase in molecular weight (75,000), chromatographic behavior, electrophoretic mobility, or immunological properties. The solubilized microsomal fraction treated with steapsin lost the reductase activity for hexadecanal but not that for cytochrome c. These results suggest that the aldehyde reductase in brain microsomes is identical to NADPH-cytochrome c reductase and that a hydrophobic portion of the NADPH-cytochrome c reductase is required for the reduction of hexadecanal.     

NADH-dependent cinerulose reductase in rat liver microsomes.

In the course of studies on the metabolism of a new antitumor anthracycline antibiotic, aclacinomycin A, the new keto reductase which catalyzes the reduction of keto group of L-cinerulose of aclacinomycin A to L-rhodinose was found in rat liver microsomal membrane. The enzyme requires NADH for the reduction and showed optimum pH at 7.0. Km value for aclacinomycin A, 2.1 × 10^?5 M and the concentration of NADH need to half maximal activity, 6.2 × 10^?5 M were obtained. The activity was potently inhibited by detergents, such as Triton X-100, sodium deoxycholate and sodium dodecyl sulfate.     

Characterization and X-ray structure of the NADH-dependent coenzyme A disulfide reductase from Thermus thermophilus

The crystal structure of the enzyme previously characterized as a type-2 NADH:menaquinone oxidoreductase (NDH-2) from Thermus thermophilus has been solved at a resolution of 2.9 Å and revealed that this protein is, in fact, a coenzyme A-disulfide reductase (CoADR). Coenzyme A (CoASH) replaces glutathione as the major low molecular weight thiol in Thermus thermophilus and is maintained in the reduced state by this enzyme (CoADR). Although the enzyme does exhibit NADH:menadione oxidoreductase activity expected for NDH-2 enzymes, the specific activity with CoAD as an electron acceptor is about 5-fold higher than with menadione. Furthermore, the crystal structure contains coenzyme A covalently linked Cys44, a catalytic intermediate (Cys44-S-S-CoA) reduced by NADH via the FAD cofactor. Soaking the crystals with menadione shows that menadione can bind to a site near the redox active FAD, consistent with the observed NADH:menadione oxidoreductase activity. CoADRs from other species were also examined and shown to have measurable NADH:menadione oxidoreductase activity. Although a common feature of this family of enzymes, no biological relevance is proposed. The CoADR from T. thermophilus is a soluble homodimeric enzyme. Expression of the recombinant TtCoADR at high levels in E. coli results in a small fraction that co-purifies with the membrane fraction, which was used previously to isolate the enzyme wrongly identified as a membrane-bound NDH-2. It is concluded that T. thermophilus does not contain an authentic NDH-2 component in its aerobic respiratory chain.     

Characterization of mitochondrial thioredoxin reductase from C. elegans

Thioredoxin reductase catalyzes the NADPH-dependent reduction of the catalytic disulfide bond of thioredoxin. In mammals and other higher eukaryotes, thioredoxin reductases contain the rare amino acid selenocysteine at the active site. The mitochondrial enzyme from Caenorhabditis elegans, however, contains a cysteine residue in place of selenocysteine. The mitochondrial C. elegans thioredoxin reductase was cloned from an expressed sequence tag and then produced in Escherichia coli as an intein-fusion protein. The purified recombinant enzyme has a kcat of 610 min(-1) and a Km of 610 microM using E. coli thioredoxin as substrate. The reported kcat is 25% of the kcat of the mammalian enzyme and is 43-fold higher than a cysteine mutant of mammalian thioredoxin reductase. The enzyme would reduce selenocysteine, but not hydrogen peroxide or insulin. The flanking glycine residues of the GCCG motif were mutated to serine. The mutants improved substrate binding, but decreased the catalytic rate.     

Characterization of aldose reductase and aldehyde reductase from rat testis

Aldose reductase (alditol:NAD(P)+ 1-oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.21) and aldehyde reductase (alcohol:NADP+ oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.2) were purified to a homogeneity from rat testis. The molecular weights of aldose reductase and aldehyde reductase were estimated to be 38,000 and 41,000 by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and the pI values of these enzymes were found to be 5.3 and 6.1 by chromatofocusing, respectively. Aldose reductase had activity for aldo-sugars such as xylose, glucose and galactose, whereas aldehyde reductase was virtually inactive for these aldo-sugars. The Km values of aldose reductase for aldo-sugars were relatively high. When a correction was made for the fraction of aldo-sugar present as the aldehyde form, which is the real substrate of the enzyme, the Km values were much lower. Aldose reductase utilized both NADPH and NADH as coenzyme, whereas aldehyde reductase utilized only NADPH. Aldose reductase was activated significantly by sulfate ion, while aldehyde reductase was little affected. Both enzymes were inhibited strongly by the known aldose reductase inhibitors. However, aldehyde reductase was in general less susceptible to these inhibitors when compared to aldose reductase. Both aldose reductase and aldehyde reductase treated with pyridoxal 5-phosphate have lost the susceptibility to aldose reductase inhibitor, suggesting that in these two enzymes aldose reductase inhibitor interacts with a lysine residue.     

Properties of a NADH-dependent N-hydroxy amine reductase isolated from pig liver microsomes

A multicomponent enzyme system that catalyzes the reduction of hydroxylamine and a number of its mono- and disubstituted derivatives by NADH has been isolated from microsomes. Three protein fractions isolated from pig liver microsomes are required to reconstitute NADH-hydroxylamine reductase activity. Two of the proteins appear identical with detergent-extracted cytochrome b₅, and its flavoprotein reductase. The third protein fraction required for activity differs from previously isolated microsomal proteins. This fraction is free from detectable chromophores that absorb in the visible region of the spectrum and also appears free from metals. The properties of the NADH-hydroxylamine reductase reconstituted with the three components isolated from microsomes appears similar to the particle-bound system with respect to nucleotide and N-hydroxylamine substrate specificity.     

Purification and properties of a NADH-dependent 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase from Peptostreptococcus productus

The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase from the carbon-monoxide-utilizing homoacetogen Peptostreptococcus productus (strain Marburg) has been purified to apparent homogeneity. The purified enzyme catalyzed the oxidation of NADH with methylenetetrahydrofolate as the electron acceptor at a specific activity of 380 mumols.min-1 mg protein-1 (37 degrees C; pH 5.5). The apparent Km for NADH was near 10 microM. The apparent molecular mass of the enzyme was determined by gel filtration to be approximately 250.0 kDa. The enzyme consists of eight identical subunits with a molecular mass of 32 kDa. It contains 4 FAD/mol octamer which were reduced by the enzyme with NADH as the electron donor; iron could not be detected. Oxygen had no effect on the enzyme. Ultracentrifugation of cell extracts revealed that about 40% of the enzyme activity was recovered in the particulate fraction, suggesting that the enzyme is associated with the membrane. The enzyme also catalyzed the methylenetetrahydrofolate reduction with methylene blue as an artificial electron donor. The oxidation of methyltetrahydrofolate was mediated with methylene blue as the electron acceptor; neither NAD+ nor viologen dyes could replace methylene blue in this reaction. NADP(H) or FAD(H2) were not used to substrates for the reaction in either direction. The activity of the purified enzyme, which was proposed to be involved in sodium translocation across the cytoplasmic membrane, was not affected by the absence or presence of added sodium. The properties of the enzyme differ from those of the ferredoxin-dependent methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase of the homoacetogen Clostridium formicoaceticum and of the NADP(+)-dependent reductase of eucaryotes investigated so far.     

NADH-dependent aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase in rat liver mitochondrial outer membrane.

NADH-dependent 3,4-benzpyrene hydroxylase activity was detected in the purified mitochondrial outer membrane fraction from the livers of rats treated with 3-methylcholanthrene. The specific activity in the outer membrane fraction is nearly equal to that of microsomes, a level too high to be accounted for only by the microsomal contamination. On the other hand, the NADPH-dependent 3,4-benzpyrene hydroxylase activity in the outer membrane fraction is about 50% of that of microsomes. The ratio of the specific activity of NADPH- to NADH-dependent 3,4-benzpyrene hydroxylase in microsomal fraction was about 3.5, while that of the outer membrane fraction was about 1.5. Moreover, it was found that NADH-dependent 3,4-benzpyrene hydroxylase activity in mitochondrial outer membrane from control rat liver was cyanide-insensitive, while that in microsomes was cyanide-sensitive. These results suggest the presence in the mitochondrial outer membrane fraction of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity which uses as electron donor NADH nearly to the same extent as NADPH. The hydroxylase system is composed of cyanide-insensitive cytochrome P-450 and is inducible markedly by 3-methylcholanthrene treatment. The probable electron transfer pathways in the mitochondrial outer membrane cytochrome P-450 oxidase system are discussed.     

Characterization of a novel alpha-D-mannosidase from rat brain microsomes

A new alpha-D-mannosidase has been identified in rat brain microsomes. The enzyme was purified 70-100-fold over the microsomal fraction by solubilization with Triton X-100, followed by ion exchange, concanavalin A-Sepharose, and hydroxylapatite chromatography. The purified enzyme is very active towards mannose-containing oligosaccharides and has a pH optimum of 6.0. Unlike rat liver endoplasmic reticulum alpha-D-mannosidase and both Golgi mannosidases IA and IB, which have substantial activity only towards alpha 1,2-linked mannosyl residues, the brain enzyme readily cleaves alpha 1,2-, alpha 1,3-, and alpha 1,6-linked mannosyl residues present in high mannose oligosaccharides. The brain enzyme is also different from liver Golgi mannosidase II in that it hydrolyzes (Man)5GlcNAc and (Man)4GlcNAc without their prior N-acetylglucosaminylation. Moreover, the facts that the ability of the enzyme to cleave GlcNAc(Man)5GlcNAc, the biological substrate for Golgi mannosidase II, is not inhibited by swainsonine, and that p-nitrophenyl alpha-D-mannoside is a poor substrate provide further evidence for major differences between the brain enzyme and mannosidase II. Inactivation studies and the co-purification of activities towards various substrates suggest that a single enzyme is responsible for all the activities found. In view of these results, it seems possible that, in rat brain, a single mannosidase cleaves asparagine-linked high mannose oligosaccharide to form the core Man3GlcNAc2 moiety, which would then be modified by various glycosyl transferases to form complex type glycoproteins.     

Biochemical characterization and substrate profiling of a new NADH-dependent enoate reductase from Lactobacillus casei

Carbon-carbon double bond of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds can be reduced by enoate reductase (ER), which is an important reaction in fine chemical synthesis. A putative enoate reductase gene from Lactobacillus casei str. Zhang was cloned into pET-21a+ and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) host cells. The encoded enzyme (LacER) was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and treatment in an acidic buffer. This enzyme was identified as a NADH-dependent enoate reductase, which had a K(m) of 0.034 ± 0.006 mM and k(cat) of (3.2 ± 0.2) × 103 s?1 toward NADH using 2-cyclohexen-1-one as the substrate. Its K(m) and k(cat) toward substrate 2-cyclohexen-1-one were 1.94 ± 0.04 mM and (8.4 ± 0.2) × 103 s?1, respectively. The enzyme showed a maximum activity at pH 8.0-9.0. The optimum temperature of the enzyme was 50-55°C, and LacER was relatively stable below 60 °C. The enzyme was active toward aliphatic alkenyl aldehyde, ketones and some cyclic anhydrides. Substituted groups of cyclic α,β-unsaturated ketones and its ring size have positive or negative effects on activity. (R)-(-)-Carvone was reduced to (2R,5R)-dihydrocarvone with 99% conversion and 98% (diasteromeric excess: de) stereoselectivity, indicating a high synthetic potential of LacER in asymmetric synthesis.     

A mitochondrial phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase from rat brain

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase from the rat brain has been purified approximately 6000-fold. This purified enzyme was stable at −20 °C for several months.     

Highly efficient synthesis of chiral alcohols with a novel NADH-dependent reductase from Streptomyces coelicolor

An NADH-dependent reductase (ScCR) from Streptomyces coelicolor was discovered by genome mining for carbonyl reductases. ScCR was overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21, purified to homogeneity and its catalytic properties were studied. This enzyme catalyzed the asymmetric reduction of a broad range of prochiral ketones including aryl ketones, α- and β-ketoesters, with high activity and excellent enantioselectivity (>99% ee) towards β-ketoesters. Among them, ethyl 4-chloro-3-oxobutanoate (COBE) was efficiently converted to ethyl (S)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutanoate ((S)-CHBE), an important pharmaceutical intermediate, in water/toluene biphasic system. As much as 600 g/L (3.6 M) of COBE was asymmetrically reduced within 22 h using 2-propanol as a co-substrate for NADH regeneration, resulting in a yield of 93%, an enantioselectivity of >99% ee, and a total turnover number (TTN) of 12,100. These results indicate the potential of ScCR for the industrial production of valuable chiral alcohols.     

A mitochondrial NADH-dependent fumarate reductase involved in the production of succinate excreted by procyclic Trypanosoma brucei

Trypanosoma brucei is a parasitic protist responsible for sleeping sickness in humans. The procyclic stage of T. brucei expresses a soluble NADH-dependent fumarate reductase (FRDg) in the peroxisome-like organelles called glycosomes. This enzyme is responsible for the production of about 70% of the excreted succinate, the major end product of glucose metabolism in this form of the parasite. Here we functionally characterize a new gene encoding FRD (FRDm1) expressed in the procyclic stage. FRDm1 is a mitochondrial protein, as evidenced by immunolocalization, fractionation of digitonin-permeabilized cells, and expression of EGFP-tagged FRDm1 in the parasite. RNA interference was used to deplete FRDm1, FRDg, or both together. The analysis of the resulting mutant cell lines showed that FRDm1 is responsible for 30% of the cellular NADH-FRD activity, which solves a long standing debate regarding the existence of a mitochondrial FRD in trypanosomatids. FRDg and FRDm1 together account for the total NADH-FRD activity in procyclics, because no activity was measured in the double mutant lacking expression of both proteins. Analysis of the end products of 13C-enriched glucose excreted by these mutant cell lines showed that FRDm1 contributes to the production of between 14 and 44% of the succinate excreted by the wild type cells. In addition, depletion of one or both FRD enzymes results in up to 2-fold reduction of the rate of glucose consumption. We propose that FRDm1 is involved in the maintenance of the redox balance in the mitochondrion, as proposed for the ancestral soluble FRD presumably present in primitive anaerobic cells.     

Characterization of a glucuronyltransferase: neolactotetraosylceramide glucuronyltransferase from rat brain

The properties of a rat brain glucuronyltransferase, which is presumed to be associated with the biosynthesis of the HNK-1 epitope on sulfoglucuronyl glycolipids, are described. The enzyme required divalent cations for reaction, with maximal activity at 10mm Mn²⁺, and exhibited a dual optimum at pH 4–5 and pH 6 depending upon the buffer used, with the highest activity at pH 4.5 in MES buffer. This enzyme strictly recognized the Gal1-4GlcNAc terminal structure, and was highly specific for neolacto (type 2) glycolipids as acceptor. The enzyme was localized specifically in the brain, and was barely detected in other issues, including the thymus, spleen, liver, kidney, lung, and sciatic nerve fibres. Phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylserine increased the enzymatic reaction 4.4- and 2.3-fold, respectively, whereas phosphatidylcholine slightly decreased the rate.Abbreviations GlcA glucuronic acid - Lc-PA₁₄ lactotetraose-phenyl-C₁₄H₂₉ - nLc-PA₁₄ neolactotetraose-phenyl-C₁₄H₂₉ - nLcOse₄-Cer neolactotetraosylceramide - NP-40 Nonidet P-40 - PC phosphatidylcholine - PE phosphatidylethanolamine - PI phosphatidylinositol - PS phosphatidylserine - SGGL sulfoglucuronyl glycolipid     

Characterization of proline endopeptidase from rat brain

A homogeneous proline endopeptidase from rat brain is characterized with respect to its substrate specificity and the residues essential for catalysis. The two fluorogenic substrate analogues tested, pyroglutamylhistidylprolyl-beta-naphthylamide and pyroglutamy(N-benzylimidazolyl)-histidylprolyl-beta-naphthylamide, have higher Vmax values (19.5 and 26.9 mumol . min-1 . mg-1, respectively) and considerably lower Km values (0.034 and 0.020 mM, respectively) than pyroglutamylhistidylprolylamide (Vmax = 2.9 mumol . min-1 . mg-1 and Km = 4.1 mM). Both fluorogenic substrates give rise to pH optima and pH-rate profiles similar to those of the amide. Values of Km and kcat are determined as a function of pH. Km is pH independent, with the titration curve for kcatKm-1 implicating an active-site residue(s) with a pKa of 6.2. Proline endopeptidase can be completely inactivated by low concentrations of diisopropyl fluorophosphate with an observed second-order rate constant of 2.5 x 10(4) min-1 . M-1. The stoichiometry of the alkylphosphorylation is 0.83 mol/mol of enzyme. The pH dependence of the inactivation by diisopropylfluorophosphate implicates a residue(s) involved in covalent bond formation having a pKa of 6.0. These data suggest that proline endopeptidase is a serine proteinase.     

Electron-spin-resonance studies of the NADH-dependent nitrite reductase from Escherichia coli K12

The NADH-dependent nitrite reductase of Escherichia coli, which contains sirohaem, flavin, non-haem iron and labile sulphide, was examined by low-temperature e.s.r. spectroscopy. The enzyme, stored in the presence of nitrite and ascorbate, gave the spectrum of a nitrosyl derivative, with hyperfine splitting due to the nitrosyl nitrogen. On removal of these reagents, a series of signals centred around g = 6 was observed, typical of high-spin ferric haem. Cyanide converted this into a low-spin form. On reduction of the enzyme with NADH, an axial spectrum at g = 1.92, 2.01 was observed. The temperature-dependence of this signal is indicative of a [2Fe-2S] iron-sulphur cluster. The midpoint potential of this cluster was estimated to be -230 +/- 15 mV by two independent methods. Reduction of the enzyme with dithionite yielded further signals, which are at present unidentified, at g = 2.1-2.28. No signals were observed that could be assigned to a [4Fe-4S] cluster, such as is found in other sulphite reductases and nitrite reductases that contain sirohaem.     

Cloning and characterization of a NADH-dependent aldo-keto reductase from a newly isolated Kluyveromyces lactis XP1461

An aldo-keto reductase gene (klakr) from Kluyveromyces lactis XP1461 was cloned and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. The aldo-keto reductase KlAKR was purified and found to be NADH-dependent with a molecular weight of approximately 36 kDa. It is active and stable at 30 °C and pH 7.0. The maximal reaction rate (v_max), apparent Michaelis–Menten constant (K_m) for NADH and t-butyl 6-cyano-(5R)-hydroxy-3-oxohexanoate (1a) and catalytic number (k_cat) were calculated as 7.63 U mg⁻¹, 0.204 mM, 4.42 mM and 697.4 min⁻¹, respectively. Moreover, the KlAKR has broad substrate specificity to a range of aldehydes, ketones and keto-esters, producing chiral alcohol with e.e. or d.e. >99% for the majority of test substrates.