Purification and characterization of a novel imidazole dipeptide synthase from the muscle of the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica

We have purified a novel enzyme from eel white muscle which catalyzes the syntheses of imidazole dipeptides, such as carnosine (β-alanyl-l-histidine), anserine (β-alanyl-π-methyl-l-histidine), and balenine (ophidine; β-alanyl-τ-methyl-l-histidine), directly from their precursors. The enzyme was purified 1130-fold from eel muscle by a series of column chromatographies. Although eel muscle contains a large amount of carnosine and only trace amounts of anserine and balenine, the anserine synthesizing activity was by far the highest. From gel permeation chromatography, the molecular mass of the enzyme was calculated to be 275 kDa. SDS-PAGE of the purified enzyme represented a band around 43 kDa, suggesting that the native enzyme is a hexamer or heptamer. The optimal pH and temperature were around 9.5 and 60 °C, respectively. K_m values for β-alanine and π-methyl-l-histidine were 44 and 89 mM, respectively. The enzyme was greatly activated by Zn²⁺ and inhibited by EDTA. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of 25 residues of the purified enzyme showed 52% amino acid identity to 38–62 residues of zebrafish haptoglobin precursor. The purified enzyme also exhibited hydrolytic activity against these imidazole dipeptides.     

L-Amino acid oxidase from Naja naja oxiana venom

A new l-amino acid oxidase (LAAO) was isolated from the Central Asian cobra Naja naja oxiana venom by size exclusion, ion exchange and hydrophobic chromatography. The N-terminal sequence and the internal peptide sequences share high similarity with other snake venom l-amino acid oxidases, especially with those isolated from elapid venoms. The enzyme is stable at low temperatures (− 20 °C, − 70 °C) and loses its activity by heating at 70 °C. Specific substrates for the isolated protein are l-phenylalanine, l-tryptophan, l-methionine and l-leucine. The enzyme has antibacterial activity inhibiting the growth of Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. N. naja oxiana LAAO dose-dependently inhibited ADP- or collagen-induced platelet aggregation with IC₅₀ of 0.094 μM and 0.036 μM, respectively. The antibacterial and anti-aggregating activity was abolished by catalase.     

Gene cloning, purification, and characterization of α-methylserine aldolase from Bosea sp. AJ110407 and its applicability for the enzymatic synthesis of α-methyl-l-serine and α-ethyl-l-serine

The gene encoding α-methylserine aldolase was isolated from Bosea sp. AJ110407. Sequence analysis revealed that the predicted amino acid sequence encoded by the 1320-bp open reading frame was 65.0% similar to the corresponding sequence of the enzyme isolated from Ralstonia sp. AJ110405. The gene was expressed in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant enzyme was purified. Gel filtration revealed the molecular mass of the purified enzyme to be approximately 78 kDa, suggesting that the enzyme is a homodimer. The enzyme exhibited a specific peak at 429 nm in the spectrum and contained 1 mol pyridoxal 5′-phosphate per mole of the subunit. The V_max value was 1.40 μmol min⁻¹ mg⁻¹, and the K_m value was 1.5 mM for the reaction wherein formaldehyde was released from α-methyl-l-serine. This enzyme could also catalyze the reverse reaction, i.e., the synthesis of α-methyl-l-serine from l-alanine and formaldehyde. This activity was inhibited in the excess of formaldehyde; however, α-methyl-l-serine was efficiently produced from l-alanine in the presence of formaldehyde. This method was also applicable for producing α-ethyl-l-serine from l-2-aminobutyric acid.     

Purification and characterization of a thermostable intracellular β-xylosidase from the thermophilic fungus Sporotrichum thermophile

An intracellular β-xylosidase from the thermophilic fungus Sporotricum thermophile strain ATCC 34628 was purified to homogeneity by Q-Sepharose and Mono-Q column chromatographies. The protein properties correspond to molecular mass and pI values of 45 kDa and 4.2, respectively. The enzyme is optimally active at pH 7.0 and 50 °C. The purified β-xylosidase is fully stable at pH 6.0–8.0 and temperatures up to 50 °C and retained over 58% of its activity after 1 h at 60 °C. The enzyme hydrolyzes β-1,4-linked xylo-oligosaccharides with chain lengths from 2 to 6, releasing xylose from the non-reducing end, but is inactive against xylan substrates. The apparent K_m and V_max values from p-nitrophenyl β-d-xylopyranoside are 1.1 mM and 114 μmol p-nitrophenol min⁻¹ mg⁻¹, respectively. Alcohols inactivate the enzyme, ethanol at 10% (v/v) yields a 30% decrease of its activity. The enzyme is irreversibly inhibited by 2,3-epoxypropyl β-d-xylobioside while alkyl epoxides derived from d-xylose were not inhibitors of the enzyme. The enzyme catalyses the condensation reaction using high donor concentration, up to 60% (w/v) xylose.     

Purification and some properties of -poly-l-lysine-degrading enzyme from Kitasatospora sp. CCTCC M205012

An -poly-l-lysine-degrading enzyme (PLD) from Kitasatospora sp. CCTCC M205012 has been purified to homogeneity by three steps of anion-exchange chromatography including DEAE-Sepharose, Source 15Q and Mono Q, with a 500-fold increase in specific activity and 40.9% yield. The PLD has a molecular mass of approximately 87.0 kDa and consists of two identical subunits with a molecular mass of 43.6 kDa. Electrophoretic shows that the PLD isoelectric point was about 7.2. The optimum temperature and pH for the PLD was 30 °C and 7.0, respectively. The PLD was deactivated by EDTA, which was indicated that the enzyme was a metallo enzyme. The activity of PLD was stimulated by Co²⁺ and inhibited by Ca²⁺ remarkably. The apparent K_m with l-lysyl-p-nitroanilide as substrate was 0.216 mM and the V_max was 0.112 mmol/min mg. The PLD was an exo-type enzyme and monomers of l-lysine were detected during the enzymatic degradation of -PL.     

Enantioselective ester hydrolase from Sphingobacterium sp. 238C5 useful for chiral resolution of β-phenylalanine and for its β-peptide synthesis

A novel enzyme, β-phenylalanine ester hydrolase, useful for chiral resolution of β-phenylalanine and for its β-peptide synthesis was characterized. The enzyme purified from the cell free-extract of Sphingobacterium sp. 238C5 well hydrolyzed β-phenylalanine esters (S)-stereospecifically. Besides β-phenylalanine esters, the enzyme catalyzed the hydrolysis of several α-amino acid esters with l-stereospecificity, while the deduced 369 amino acid sequence of the enzyme exhibited homology to alkaline d-stereospecific peptide hydrolases from Bacillus strains. Escherichia coli transformant expressing the β-phenylalanine ester hydrolase gene exhibited an about 8-fold increase in specific (S)-β-phenylalanine ethyl ester hydrolysis as compared with that of Sphingobacterium sp. 238C5. The E. coli transformant showed (S)-enantiomer specific esterase activity in the reaction with a low concentration (30 mM) of β-phenylalanine ethyl ester, while it showed both esterase and transpeptidase activity in the reaction with a high concentration (170 mM) of β-phenylalanine ethyl ester and produced β-phenylalanyl-β-phenylalanine ethyl ester. This transpeptidase activity was useful for β-phenylalanine β-peptide synthesis.     

Mechanisms of catalysis and inhibition operative in the arginine deiminase from the human pathogen Giardia lamblia

Giardia lamblia arginine deiminase (GlAD), the topic of this paper, belongs to the hydrolase branch of the guanidine-modifying enzyme superfamily, whose members employ Cys-mediated nucleophilic catalysis to promote deimination of l-arginine and its naturally occurring derivatives. G. lamblia is the causative agent in the human disease giardiasis. The results of RNAi/antisense RNA gene-silencing studies reported herein indicate that GlAD is essential for G. lamblia trophozoite survival and thus, a potential target for the development of therapeutic agents for the treatment of giardiasis. The homodimeric recombinant protein was prepared in Escherichia coli for in-depth biochemical characterization. The 2-domain GlAD monomer consists of a N-terminal domain that shares an active site structure (depicted by an in silico model) and kinetic properties (determined by steady-state and transient state kinetic analysis) with its bacterial AD counterparts, and a C-terminal domain of unknown fold and function. GlAD was found to be active over a wide pH range and to accept l-arginine, l-arginine ethyl ester, N^α-benzoyl-l-arginine, and N^ω-amino-l-arginine as substrates but not agmatine, l-homoarginine, N^α-benzoyl-l-arginine ethyl ester or a variety of arginine-containing peptides. The intermediacy of a Cys424–alkylthiouronium ion covalent enzyme adduct was demonstrated and the rate constants for formation (k₁ = 80 s⁻¹) and hydrolysis (k₂ = 35 s⁻¹) of the intermediate were determined. The comparatively lower value of the steady-state rate constant (k_cat = 2.6 s⁻¹), suggests that a step following citrulline formation is rate-limiting. Inhibition of GlAD using Cys directed agents was briefly explored. S-Nitroso-l-homocysteine was shown to be an active site directed, irreversible inhibitor whereas N^ω-cyano-l-arginine did not inhibit GlAD but instead proved to be an active site directed, irreversible inhibitor of the Bacillus cereus AD.     

Inhibitors of bacterial N-succinyl-l,l-diaminopimelic acid desuccinylase (DapE) and demonstration of in vitro antimicrobial activity

The dapE-encoded N-succinyl-l,l-diaminopimelic acid desuccinylase (DapE) is a critical bacterial enzyme for the construction of the bacterial cell wall. A screen biased toward compounds containing zinc-binding groups (ZBG’s) including thiols, carboxylic acids, boronic acids, phosphonates and hydroxamates has delivered a number of micromolar inhibitors of DapE from Haemophilus influenzae, including the low micromolar inhibitor l-captopril (IC₅₀ = 3.3 μM, K_i = 1.8 μM). In vitro antimicrobial activity was demonstrated for l-captopril against Escherichia coli.     

Purification and characterization of carboxymethylcellulase isolated from a marine bacterium, Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis A-53

The microorganism hydrolyzing carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) was isolated from seawater, identified as Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis by analyses of 16S rDNA and partial sequences of the gyrA gene, and named as B. subtilis subsp. subtilis A-53. The molecular weight of the purified carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase) was estimated to be about 56 kDa with the analysis of SDS-PAGE. The purified CMCase hydrolyzed carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), cellobiose, filter paper, and xylan, but not avicel, cellulose, and p-nitrophenyl-β-d-glucospyranoside (PNPG). Optimal temperature and pH for the CMCase activity were determined to be 50 °C and 6.5, respectively. More than 70% of original CMCase activity was maintained at relative low temperatures ranging from 20 to 40 °C after 24 h incubation at 50 °C. The CMCase activity was enhanced by EDTA and some metal ions in order of EDTA, K⁺, Ni²⁺, Sr²⁺, Pb²⁺, and Mn²⁺, but inhibited by Co²⁺ and Hg²⁺.     

Catalytic properties of the immobilized Talaromyces thermophilus β-xylosidase and its use for xylose and xylooligosaccharides production

The present study explores the efficiency of Talaromyces thermophilus β-xylosidase, in the production of xylose and xylooligosaccharides. The β-xylosidase was immobilized by different methods namely ionic binding, entrapment and covalent coupling and using various carriers. Chitosan, pre-treated with glutaraldehyde, was selected as the best support material for β-xylosidase immobilization; it gave the highest immobilization and activity yields (94%, 87%, respectively) of initial activity, and also provided the highest stability, retaining 94% of its initial activity even after being recycled 25 times. Shifts in the optimal temperature and pH were observed for the immobilized β-xylosidase when compared to the free enzyme. The maximal activity obtained for the immobilized enzyme was achieved at pH 8.0 and 53 °C, whereas that for the free enzyme was obtained at pH 7.0 and 50 °C. The immobilized enzyme was more thermostable than the free β-xylosidase. We observed an increase of the K_m values of the free enzyme from 2.37 to 3.42 mM at the immobilized state. Native and immobilized β-xylosidase were found to be stimulated by Ca²⁺, Mn²⁺ and Co²⁺ and to be inhibited by Zn²⁺, Cu²⁺, Hg²⁺, Fe²⁺, EDTA and SDS. Immobilized enzyme was found to catalyze the reverse hydrolysis reaction, forming xylooligosaccharides in the presence of a high concentration of xylose. In order to examine the synergistic action of xylanase and β-xylosidase of T. thermophilus, these two enzymes were co-immobilized on chitosan. A continuous hydrolysis of 3% Oat spelt xylan at 50 °C was performed and better hydrolysis yields and higher amount of xylose was obtained.     

Kinetic characterization of recombinant human cystathionine β-synthase purified from E. coli

Cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) catalyzes the pyridoxal-5′-phosphate-dependent condensation of l-serine and l-homocysteine to form l-cystathionine in the first step of the transsulfuration pathway. Although effective expression systems for recombinant human CBS (hCBS) have been developed, they require multiple chromatographic steps as well as proteolytic cleavage to remove the fusion partner. Therefore, a series of five expression constructs, each incorporating a 6-His tag, were developed to enable the efficient purification of hCBS via immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography. Two of the constructs express hCBS in fusion with a protein partner, while the others bear only the affinity tag. The addition of an amino-terminal, 6-His tag, in the absence of a protein fusion partner and in the absence or presence of a protease-cleavable linker, was found to be sufficient for the purification of soluble hCBS and resulted in enzyme with 86–91% heme saturation and with activity similar to that reported for other hCBS expression constructs. The continuous assay for l-Cth production, employing cystathionine β-lyase and l-lactate dehydrogenase as coupling enzymes, was employed here for the first time to determine the steady-state kinetic parameters of hCBS, via global analysis, and revealed previously unreported substrate inhibition by l-Hcys (K_i^l-Hcys = 2.1 ± 0.2 mM). The kinetic parameters for the hCBS-catalyzed hydrolysis of l-Cth to l-Ser and l-Hcys were also determined and the k_cat/K_m^l-Cth of this reaction is only 2-fold lower than the k_cat/K_m^l-SER of the physiological, condensation reaction.     

Antioxidative defense organization in retroperitoneal white adipose tissue during acclimation to cold—The involvement of l-arginine/NO pathway

1. Retroperitoneal white adipose tissue (RpWAT) antioxidative defense was investigated in untreated, l-arginine-treated and N^ω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME)-treated rats kept at 4±1 °C (1, 3, 7, 12, 21 and 45 days) and compared to control rats at 22±1 °C.

2. Cold-acclimation-induced RpWAT weight decrease was accompanied by a decline in glutathione level and increased activity of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), glutathione S-transferase (GST), catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase at different time-points.

3. l-arginine accelerated RpWAT weight decrease, the increase in MnSOD and GST activities and the prolonged increase of catalase, MnSOD and GST activities. l-NAME delayed cold-induced catalase activity increase and tissue weight decrease. Prolonged l-NAME-treatment had a similar effect on RpWAT as l-arginine.

4. Results suggest the involvement of l-arginine/NO pathway in RpWAT oxidative metabolic augmentation induced by cold-acclimation.

Enhancement of taxane production in hairy root culture of Taxus x media var. Hicksii

This study assessed the effect of two precursors (l-phenylalanine and p-amino benzoic acid) used alone or in combination with methyl jasmonate, on the growth and accumulation of paclitaxel, baccatin III and 10-deacetylbaccatin III in hairy root cultures of Taxus x media var. Hicksii. The greatest increase in dry biomass was observed after 4 weeks of culturing hairy roots in medium supplemented with 1 μM of l-phenylalanine (6.2 g L⁻¹). Addition of 1 μM of l-phenylalanine to the medium also resulted in the greatest 10-deacetylbaccatin III accumulation (422.7 μg L⁻¹), which was not detected in the untreated control culture. Supplementation with 100 μM of l-phenylalanine together with 100 μM of methyl jasmonate resulted in the enhancement of paclitaxel production from 40.3 μg L⁻¹ (control untreated culture) to 568.2 μg L⁻¹, the highest paclitaxel content detected in the study. The effect of p-amino benzoic acid on taxane production was less pronounced, and the highest yield of paclitaxel (221.8 μg L⁻¹) was observed when the medium was supplemented with 100 μM of the precursor in combination with methyl jasmonate.Baccatin III was not detected under the conditions used in this experiment and the investigated taxanes were not excreted into the medium.     

ICChI, a glycosylated chitinase from the latex of Ipomoea carnea

A multi-functional enzyme ICChI with chitinase/lysozyme/exochitinase activity from the latex of Ipomoea carnea subsp. fistulosa was purified to homogeneity using ammonium sulphate precipitation, hydrophobic interaction and size exclusion chromatography. The enzyme is glycosylated (14–15%), has a molecular mass of 34.94 kDa (MALDI–TOF) and an isoelectric point of pH 5.3. The enzyme is stable in pH range 5.0–9.0, 80 °C and the optimal activity is observed at pH 6.0 and 60 °C. Using p-nitrophenyl-N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminide, the kinetic parameters K_m, V_max, K_cat and specificity constant of the enzyme were calculated as 0.5 mM, 2.5 × 10⁻⁸ mol min⁻¹ μg enzyme⁻¹, 29.0 s⁻¹ and 58.0 mM⁻¹ s⁻¹ respectively. The extinction coefficient was estimated as 20.56 M⁻¹ cm⁻¹. The protein contains eight tryptophan, 20 tyrosine and six cysteine residues forming three disulfide bridges. The polyclonal antibodies raised and immunodiffusion suggests that the antigenic determinants of ICChI are unique. The first fifteen N-terminal residues G–E–I–A–I–Y–W–G–Q–N–G–G–E–G–S exhibited considerable similarity to other known chitinases. Owing to these unique properties the reported enzyme would find applications in agricultural, pharmaceutical, biomedical and biotechnological fields.     

Properties of a novel β-glucosidase from Fusarium proliferatum ECU2042 that converts ginsenoside Rg3 into Rh2

A novel β-glucosidase from Fusarium proliferatum ECU2042 (FPG) was successfully purified to homogeneity with a 506-fold increase in specific activity. The molecular mass of the native purified enzyme (FPG) was estimated to be approximately 78.7 kDa, with two homogeneous subunits of 39.1 kDa, and the pI of this enzyme was 4.4, as measured by two-dimensional electrophoresis. The optimal activities of FPG occurred at pH 5.0 and 50 °C, respectively. The enzyme was stable at pH 4.0–6.5 and temperatures below 60 °C, and the deactivation energy (E_d) for FPG was 88.6 kJ mo1⁻¹. Moreover, it was interesting to find that although the purified enzyme exhibited a very low activity towards p-nitrophenyl β-d-glucoside (pNPG), and almost no activity towards cellobiose, a relatively high activity was observed on ginsenoside Rg₃. The enzyme hydrolyzed the 3-C, β-(1 → 2)-glucoside of ginsenoside Rg₃ to produce ginsenoside Rh₂, but did not sequentially hydrolyze the β-d-glucosidic bond of Rh₂. The K_m and V_max values of FPG for ginsenoside Rg₃ were 2.37 mM and 0.568 μmol (h mg protein)⁻¹, respectively. In addition, this enzyme also exhibited significant activities towards various alkyl glucosides, aryl glucosides and several natural glycosides.     

Structure of the oligosaccharides isolated from Dalbergia sissoo Roxb. leaf polysaccharide

A water-soluble polysaccharide isolated from Dalbergia sissoo Roxb. leaves was purified and major homogeneous fraction obtained by GPC. Complete hydrolysis of the polysaccharide followed by paper chromatography and GLC analysis indicated the presence of l-rhamnose, d-glucuronic acid, d-galactose and d-glucose in molar ratio of 1:1:2:2.33, respectively. Partial hydrolysis of the polysaccharide furnished one tri-[I], one hepta-[II] and one nona-[III] saccharides. Hydrolysis of the oligosaccharide I, II and III followed by GLC analysis furnished d-glucose and l-rhamnose (2:1); l-rhamnose, d-galactose and d-glucuronic acid (1:3:3); and l-rhamnose, d-galactose and d-glucose (1:3:5), respectively. Methylation analysis and periodate oxidation of the oligosaccharide I indicated the presence of two non reducing glucose units linked to rhamnose by 1→2 and 1→4 linkages, respectively. Oligosaccharide II is a branched molecule with a main chain consisting of 1,3-linked β-d-galactopyranosyl (2 mol), 1,3,4 linked α-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1 mol) and 1,4,6 linked β-d-galactopyranosyl unit (1 mol) and non reducing β-d-glucuronic acid at the end along with side chains of β-d-glucouronopyranosyl units (2 mol). Oligosaccharide III is also a branched molecule with a main chain consisting of 1,3,4 linked α-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1 mol), 1,2,4 linked β-d-glucopyranosyl (1 mol), 1,3 and 1,4 linked β-d-galactopyranosyl (2 and 1 mol, respectively) having β-d-glucopyranosyl as a non reducing end.     

Purification and characterization of β-agarase from agar-liquefying soil bacterium, Acinetobacter sp., AG LSL-1

The extracellular β-agarase LSL-1 produced by an agar-liquefying, soil bacterium Acinetobacter sp., AG LSL-1 was purified to homogeneity by combination of ion-exchange and size exclusion chromatography with final yield of 44%. The enzyme has a specific activity of 397 U mg⁻¹ protein and with a molecular mass of 100 kDa. The agarase was active in the pH range of 5.0–9.0, optimally at pH 6.0 and temperature between 25 °C and 55 °C and optimal at 40 °C. The enzyme retained 63% of native activity at 50 °C suggesting it is a thermostable. The activity of the agarase was completely inhibited by metal ions, Hg²⁺, Ag⁺ and Cu²⁺, whereas 25–40% of native activity was retained in the presence of Zn²⁺, Sn²⁺ and SDS. Neoagarobiose was the final product of hydrolysis of both agarose and neoagarohexaose by the purified agarase LSL-1. Based on the molecular mass and final products of agarose hydrolysis, the β-agarase LSL-1 may be further grouped under group III β-agarases and may be a member of GH-50 family. This is the first report on the purification and biochemical characterization of β-agarase from an agar-liquefying Acinetobacter species.     

l-serine and GABA uptake by synaptosomes during postnatal development of rat

Postnatal development changes in mechanisms of synaptosomal amino acid transport have been studied in rat cerebral cortex. Specific uptake of radiolabeled l-serine was examined and compared with that of radiolabeled GABA using synaptosomes-enriched fractions freshly prepared from cerebral cortex at different postnatal days from the birth to young adulthood. The preparations were incubated with 10 nM of [³H]l-serine and 10 nM of [³H]-GABA in either the presence or absence of NaCl, KCl or choline chloride, at 2 and 30 °C, for different periods up to 30 min. The uptake of [³H]l-serine was temperature dependent in synaptosomal fractions prepared from cerebral cortex of rats in postnatal days 5, 7, 13 and 21, but stronger dependence was observed in adult brain, irrespective of the presence of Na⁺, K⁺ or choline ions. At all postnatal ages studied, [³H]-GABA uptake showed a high activity in the presence of Na⁺ ions and at 30 °C. The values of K_m were 90–489 μM in l-serine uptake. However, in the uptake of GABA the values of K_m were 80–150 μM. The highest values of V_max were obtained at 5 and 21 postnatal days for both transport systems. These results indicate that the uptake of l-serine and GABA are regulated differentially during postnatal development.     

Physiological acclimation to light in Chara intermedia nodes

In this study we investigated the ability of Chara intermedia to acclimate to different irradiances (i.e. “low-light” (LL): 20–30 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹ and “high-light” (HL): 180–200 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹) and light qualities (white, yellow and green), using morphological, photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence and pigment analysis.Relative growth rates increased with increasing irradiance from 0.016 ± 0.003 (LL) to 0.024 ± 0.005 (HL) g g⁻¹ d⁻¹ fresh weight and were independent of light quality. A growth-based branch orientation towards high-light functioning as a mechanism to protect the plant from excessive light was confirmed. It was shown that the receptor responsible for the morphological reaction is sensitive to blue-light.C. intermedia showed higher oxygen evolution (up to 10.5 (HL) vs. 4.5 (LL) nmol O₂ mg Chl⁻¹ s⁻¹), photochemical and energy-dependent Chl fluorescence quenching and a lower Fv/Fm after acclimation to HL. With respect to qP, the acclimation of the photosynthetic apparatus depended on light quality and needed the blue part of the spectrum for full development. In addition, pigment composition was influenced by light and the Chl a/Car and Antheraxanthin (A) + Zeaxanthin (Z)/Violaxanthin (V) + A + Z (DES) ratios revealed the expected acclimation behaviour in favour of carotenoid protection under HL (i.e. decrease of Chl a/Car from 3.41 ± 0.48 to 2.30 ± 0.35 and increase of DES from 0.39 ± 0.05 to 0.87 ± 0.03), while the Chl a/Chl b ratios were not significantly affected. Furthermore it was shown that morphological light acclimation mechanisms influence the extent of the physiological modifications.     

Screening of microorganisms producing α-methylserine hydroxymethyltransferase, purification of the enzyme, gene cloning, and application to the enzymatic synthesis of α-methyl-l-serine

Through the screening of microorganisms capable of utilizing α-methylserine, three representative strains belonging to the bacterial genera Paracoccus, Aminobacter, and Ensifer were selected as potent producers of α-methylserine hydroxymethyltransferase, an enzyme that catalyzes the interconversion between α-methyl-l-serine and d-alanine via tetrahydrofolate. Among these strains, Paracoccus sp. AJ110402 was selected as the strain exhibiting the highest α-methylserine hydroxymethyltransferase activity. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity from a cell-free extract of this strain. The native enzyme is a homodimer with apparent molecular mass of 85 kDa and contains 1 mol of pyridoxal-5′-phosphate per mol of the subunit. The K_m for α-methyl-l-serine and tetrahydrofolate was 0.54 mM and 73 μM, respectively. The gene from Paracoccus sp. AJ110402 encoding α-methylserine hydroxymethyltransferase was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Sequence analysis revealed an open reading frame of 1278 bp, encoding a polypeptide with a calculated molecular mass of 46.0 kDa. Using E. coli cells as whole-cell catalysts, 9.7 mmol of α-methyl-l-serine was stereoselectively obtained from 15 mmol of d-alanine and 13.2 mmol of formaldehyde.