Novel psychrophilic and thermolabile L-threonine dehydrogenase from psychrophilic Cytophaga sp. strain KUC-1

A psychrophilic bacterium, Cytophaga sp. strain KUC-1, that abundantly produces a NAD(+)-dependent L-threonine dehydrogenase was isolated from Antarctic seawater, and the enzyme was purified. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be 139,000, and that of the subunit was determined to be 35,000. The enzyme is a homotetramer. Atomic absorption analysis showed that the enzyme contains no metals. In these respects, the Cytophaga enzyme is distinct from other L-threonine dehydrogenases that have thus far been studied. L-Threonine and DL-threo-3-hydroxynorvaline were the substrates, and NAD(+) and some of its analogs served as coenzymes. The enzyme showed maximum activity at pH 9.5 and at 45 degrees C. The kinetic parameters of the enzyme are highly influenced by temperatures. The K(m) for L-threonine was lowest at 20 degrees C. Dead-end inhibition studies with pyruvate and adenosine-5'-diphosphoribose showed that the enzyme reaction proceeds via the ordered Bi Bi mechanism in which NAD(+) binds to an enzyme prior to L-threonine and 2-amino-3-oxobutyrate is released from the enzyme prior to NADH. The enzyme gene was cloned into Escherichia coli, and its nucleotides were sequenced. The enzyme gene contains an open reading frame of 939 bp encoding a protein of 312 amino acid residues. The amino acid sequence of the enzyme showed a significant similarity to that of UDP-glucose 4-epimerase from Staphylococcus aureus and belongs to the short-chain dehydrogenase-reductase superfamily. In contrast, L-threonine dehydrogenase from E. coli belongs to the medium-chain alcohol dehydrogenase family, and its amino acid sequence is not at all similar to that of the Cytophaga enzyme. L-Threonine dehydrogenase is significantly similar to an epimerase, which was shown for the first time. The amino acid residues playing an important role in the catalysis of the E. coli and human UDP-glucose 4-epimerases are highly conserved in the Cytophaga enzyme, except for the residues participating in the substrate binding.     

Purification, characterization, and overexpression of psychrophilic and thermolabile malate dehydrogenase of a novel antarctic psychrotolerant, Flavobacterium frigidimaris KUC-1

We purified the psychrophilic and thermolabile malate dehydrogenase to homogeneity from a novel psychrotolerant, Flavobacterium frigidimaris KUC-1, isolated from Antarctic seawater. The enzyme was a homotetramer with a molecular weight of about 123 k and that of the subunit was about 32 k. The enzyme required NAD(P)(+) as a coenzyme and catalyzed the oxidation of L-malate and the reduction of oxalacetate specifically. The reaction proceeded through an ordered bi-bi mechanism. The enzyme was highly susceptible to heat treatment, and the half-life time at 40 degrees C was estimated to be 3.0 min. The k(cat)/K(m) (microM(-1).s(-1)) values for L-malate and NAD(+) at 30 degrees C were 289 and 2,790, respectively. The enzyme showed pro-R stereospecificity for hydrogen transfer at the C4 position of the nicotinamide moiety of the coenzyme. The enzyme contained 311 amino acid residues and much lower numbers of proline and arginine residues than other malate dehydrogenases.     

Thermostable aldehyde dehydrogenase from psychrophile,Cytophaga sp. KUC-1: enzymological characteristics and functional properties

We found the occurrence of NAD(P)(+)-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenase (EC1.2.1.5) in the cells of a psychrophile from Antarctic seawater, Cytophaga sp. KUC-1, and purified to homogeneity. About 50% of the enzyme activity remained even after heating at 50 degrees C for 65min and the highest activity was observed in the range of 55-60 degrees C. The enzyme was thermostable and thermophilic, although it was derived from a psychrophile. The circular dichroism at 222nm of the enzyme showed a peak at 32 degrees C. This temperature was closely similar to the transition temperature in the Arrhenius plots. The stereospecificity for the hydride transfer at C4-site of nicotinamide moiety of NADH was pro-R. The gene encoding the enzyme consisted of an open reading frame of 1506-bp encoding a protein of 501 amino acid residues. The significant sequence identity (61%) was found between the Cytophaga and the Pseudomonas aeruginosa enzymes, although their thermostabilities are completely different.     

Identification of essential amino acid residues in valine dehydrogenase from Streptomyces albus

Cys-29 and Cys-251 of Streptomyces albus valine dehydrogenase (ValDH) were highly conserved in the corresponding region of NAD(P)(+)-dependent amino acid dehydroganase sequences. To ascertain the functional role of these cysteine residues in S. albus ValDH, site-directed mutagenesis was performed to change each of the two residues to serine. Kinetic analyses of the enzymes mutated at Cys-29 and Cys-251 revealed that these residues are involved in catalysis. We also constructed mutant ValDH by substituting valine for leucine at 305 by site-directed mutagenesis. This residue was chosen, because it has been proposed to be important for substrate discrimination by phenylalanine dehydrogenase (PheDH) and leucine dehydrogenase (LeuDH). Kinetic analysis of the V305L mutant enzyme revealed that it is involved in the substrate binding site. However it displayed less activity than the wild type enzyme toward all aliphatic and aromatic amino acids tested.     

Alteration of substrate specificity of valine dehydrogenase from Streptomyces albus

The catabolism of branched chain amino acids, especially valine, appears to play an important role in furnishing building blocks for macrolide and polyether antibiotic biosyntheses. To determine the active site residues of ValDH, we previously cloned, partially characterized, and identified the active site (lysine) of Streptomyces albus ValDH. Here we report further characterization of S. albus ValDH. The molecular weight of S. albus ValDH was determined to be 38 kDa by SDS-PAGE and 67 kDa by gel filtration chromatography indicating that the enzyme is composed of two identical subunits. Optimal pHs were 10.5 and 8.0 for dehydrogenase activity with valine and for reductive amination activity with -ketoisovaleric acid, respectively. Several chemical reagents, which modify amino-acid side chains, inhibited the enzyme activity. To examine the role played by the residue for enzyme specificity, we constructed mutant ValDH by substituting alanine for glycine at position 124 by site-directed mutagenesis. This residue was chosen because it has been considered to be important for substrate discrimination by phenylalanine dehydrogenase (PheDH) and leucine dehydrogenase (LeuDH). The Ala-124–Gly mutant enzyme displayed lower activities toward aliphatic amino acids, but higher activities toward L-phenylalanine, L-tyrosine, and L-methionine compared to the wild type enzyme suggesting that Ala-124 is involved in substrate binding in S. albus ValDH.     

Purification of a branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas putida.

We purified branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase to a specific activity of 10 mumol/min per mg of protein from Pseudomonas putida grown on valine. The purified enzyme was active with 2-ketoisovalerate, 2-ketoisocaproate, and 2-keto-3-methylvalerate in a ratio of 1.0:0.8:0.7 but showed no activity with either pyruvate or 2-ketoglutarate. There were four polypeptides in the purified enzyme (molecular weights, 49,000, 46,000, 39,000, and 37,000). The purified enzyme was deficient in the specific lipoamide dehydrogenase produced during growth on valine (molecular weight, 49,000). Branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase required L-valine, oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, coenzyme A, thiamine pyrophosphate, and magnesium chloride. A partially purified preparation catalyzed the oxidation of 2-keto-[1-14C]isovalerate to [14C]carbon dioxide, isobutyryl-coenzyme A, and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide in equimolar amounts. Both the Km and the Vmax for 2-ketoisovalerate were affected by the addition of L-valine to the assay mixture. However, only the Vmax values for oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and coenzyme A were affected when L-valine was present. This suggested that valine acted by affecting the binding of branched-chain keto acids to subunit E1 of the complex.     

Kinetic study of sn-glycerol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase from the aerobic hyperthermophilic archaeon, Aeropyrum pernix K1.

A gene having high sequence homology (45-49%) with the glycerol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase gene from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum was cloned from the aerobic hyperthermophilic archaeon Aeropyrum pernix K1 (JCM 9820). This gene expressed in Escherichia coli with the pET vector system consists of 1113 nucleotides with an ATG initiation codon and a TAG termination codon. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 38 kDa by SDS/PAGE and 72.4 kDa by gel column chromatography, indicating presence as a dimer. The optimum reaction temperature of this enzyme was observed to be 94-96 degrees C at near neutral pH. This enzyme was subjected to two-substrate kinetic analysis. The enzyme showed substrate specificity for NAD(P)H-dependent dihydroxyacetone phosphate reduction and NAD(+)-dependent glycerol-1-phosphate (Gro1P) oxidation. NADP(+)-dependent Gro1P oxidation was not observed with this enzyme. For the production of Gro1P in A. pernix cells, NADPH is the preferred coenzyme rather than NADH. Gro1P acted as a noncompetitive inhibitor against dihydroxyacetone phosphate and NAD(P)H. However, NAD(P)(+) acted as a competitive inhibitor against NAD(P)H and as a noncompetitive inhibitor against dihydroxyacetone phosphate. This kinetic data indicates that the catalytic reaction by glycerol- 1-phosphate dehydrogenase from A. pernix follows a ordered bi-bi mechanism.     

Purification and catalytic properties of L-valine dehydrogenase from Streptomyces cinnamonensis.

NAD+-dependent L-valine dehydrogenase was purified 180-fold from Streptomyces cinnamonensis, and to homogeneity, as judged by gel electrophoresis. The enzyme has an Mr of 88,000, and appears to be composed of subunits of Mr 41,200. The enzyme catalyses the oxidative deamination of L-valine, L-leucine, L-2-aminobutyric acid, L-norvaline and L-isoleucine, as well as the reductive amination of their 2-oxo analogues. The enzyme requires NAD+ as the only cofactor, which cannot be replaced by NADP+. The enzyme activity is significantly decreased by thiol-reactive reagents, although purine and pyrimidine bases, and nucleotides, do not affect activity. Initial-velocity and product-inhibition studies show that the reductive amination proceeds through a sequential ordered ternary-binary mechanism; NADH binds to the enzyme first, followed by 2-oxoisovalerate and NH3, and valine is released first, followed by NAD+. The Michaelis constants are as follows; L-valine, 1.3 mM; NAD+, 0.18 mM; NADH, 74 microM; 2-oxoisovalerate, 0.81 mM; and NH3, 55 mM. The pro-S hydrogen at C-4' of NADH is transferred to the substrate; the enzyme is B-stereospecific. It is proposed that the enzyme catalyses the first step of valine catabolism in this organism.     

Purification and characterization of 4-N-trimethylamino-1-butanol dehydrogenase of Pseudomonas sp. 13CM

A new enzyme, NAD+-dependent 4-N-trimethylamino-1-butanol dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas sp. 13CM, was purified 526-fold to apparent homogeneity in 5 chromatographic steps. The enzyme had a molecular mass of 45 kDa and appeared to be a monomer enzyme. The isoeletric point was found to be 4.8. The optimum temperature was 50 degrees C, and the optimum pHs for the oxidation and reduction reactions were 9.5 and 6.0 respectively. The purified enzyme was further characterized with respect to substrate specificity, kinetic parameters, and amino acid terminal sequence. The Km values for trimethylamino-1-butanol and NAD+ were 0.54 mM and 0.22 mM respectively. In the reduction reaction, the apparent Km values for trimethylaminobutylaldehyde and NADH were 0.67 mM and 0.04 mM, respectively. The enzyme was inhibited by SH reagents, chelating reagents, and heavy metal ions. The N-terminal 12 amino acid residues were sequenced.     

Thermostable aspartase from a marine psychrophile,Cytophaga sp. KUC-1: molecular characterization and primary structure

We found that a psychrophilic bacterium isolated from Antarctic seawater, Cytophaga sp. KUC-1, abundantly produces aspartase [EC4.3.1.1], and the enzyme was purified to homogeneity. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be 192,000, and that of the subunit was determined to be 51,000: the enzyme is a homotetramer. L-Aspartate was the exclusive substrate. The optimum pH in the absence and presence of magnesium ions was determined to be pH 7.5 and 8.5, respectively. The enzyme was activated cooperatively by the presence of L-aspartate and by magnesium ions at neutral and alkaline pHs. In the deamination reaction, the K(m) value for L-aspartate was 1.09 mM at pH 7.0, and the S(1/2) value was 2.13 mM at pH 8.5. The V(max) value were 99.2 U/mg at pH 7.0 and 326 U/mg at pH 8.5. In the amination reaction, the K(m) values for fumarate and ammonium were 0.797 and 25.2 mM, respectively, and V(max) was 604 U/mg. The optimum temperature of the enzyme was 55 degrees C. The enzyme showed higher pH and thermal stabilities than that from mesophile: the enzyme was stable in the pH range of 4.5-10.5, and about 80% of its activity remained after incubation at 50 degrees C for 60 min. The gene encoding the enzyme was cloned into Escherichia coli, and its nucleotides were sequenced. The gene consisted of an open reading frame of 1,410-bp encoding a protein of 469 amino acid residues. The amino acid sequence of the enzyme showed a high degree of identity to those of other aspartases, although these enzymes show different thermostabilities.     

Purification and characterization of D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from the thermophilic archaebacterium Methanothermus fervidus

The D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from the extremely thermophilic archaebacterium Methanothermus fervidus was purified and crystallized. The enzyme is a homomeric tetramer (molecular mass of subunits 45 kDa). Partial sequence analysis shows homology to the enzymes from eubacteria and from the cytoplasm of eukaryotes. Unlike these enzymes, the D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from Methanothermus fervidus reacts with both NAD+ and NADP+ and is not inhibited by pentalenolactone. The enzyme is intrinsically stable up to 75 degrees C. It is stabilized by the coenzyme NADP+ and at high ionic strength up to about 90 degrees C. Breaks in the Arrhenius and Van't Hoff plots indicate conformational changes of the enzyme at around 52 degrees C.     

A cold-active and thermostable alcohol dehydrogenase of a psychrotorelant from Antarctic seawater, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Flavobacterium frigidimaris</Emphasis> KUC-1

An NAD⁺-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase of a psychrotorelant from Antarctic seawater, Flavobacterium frigidimaris KUC-1 was purified to homogeneity with an overall yield of about 20% and characterized enzymologically. The enzyme has an apparent molecular weight of 160k and consists of four identical subunits with a molecular weight of 40k. The pI value of the enzyme and its optimum pH for the oxidation reaction were determined to be 6.7 and 7.0, respectively. The enzyme contains 2 gram-atoms Zn per subunit. The enzyme exclusively requires NAD⁺ as a coenzyme and shows the pro-R stereospecificity for hydrogen transfer at the C4 position of the nicotinamide moiety of NAD⁺. F. frigidimaris KUC-1 alcohol dehydrogenase shows as high thermal stability as the enzymes from thermophilic microorganisms. The enzyme is active at 0 to over 85°C and the most active at 70°C. The half-life time and k _cat value at 60°C were calculated to be 50 min and 27,400 min⁻¹, respectively. The enzyme also shows high catalytic efficiency at low temperatures (0–20°C) (k _cat/K _m at 10°C; 12,600 mM⁻¹ min⁻¹) similar to other cold-active enzymes from psychrophiles. The alcohol dehydrogenase gene is composed of 1,035 bp and codes 344 amino acid residues with an estimated molecular weight of 36,823. The sequence identities were found with the amino acid sequences of alcohol dehydrogenases from Moraxella sp. TAE123 (67%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (65%) and Geobacillus stearothermophilus LLD-R (56%). This is the first example of a cold-active and thermostable alcohol dehydrogenase.     

Cloning,expression, and characterization of the gsdA gene encoding thermophilic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase from Aquifex aeolicus

The gsdA gene of the extreme thermophilic bacterium Aquifex aeolicus, encoding glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), was cloned into a high-expression vector and overexpressed as a fusion protein in Escherichia coli. Here we report the characterization of this recombinant thermostable G6PDH. G6PDH was purified to homogeneity by heat precipitation followed by immobilized metal affinity chromatography on a nickel-chelate column. The data obtained indicate that the enzyme is a homodimer with a subunit molecular weight of 55 kDa. G6PDH followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics with a K(M) of 63 micro M for glucose-6-phosphate at 70 degrees C with NADP as the cofactor. The enzyme exhibited dual coenzyme specificity, although it showed a preference in terms of k(cat)/ K(M) of 20.4-fold for NADP over NAD at 40 degrees C and 5.7-fold at 70 degrees C. The enzyme showed optimum catalytic activity at 90 degrees C. Modeling of the dimer interface suggested the presence of cysteine residues that may form disulfide bonds between the two subunits, thereby preserving the oligomeric integrity of the enzyme. Interestingly, addition of dithiothreitol or mercaptoethanol did not affect the activity of the enzyme. With a half-life of 24 h at 90 degrees C and 12 h at 100 degrees C, this is the most thermostable G6PDH described.     

Purification of an inducible L-valine dehydrogenase of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)

Valine dehydrogenase (VDH) from Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) was purified from cell-free extracts to apparent homogeneity. The enzyme had an Mr 41,000 in denaturing conditions and an Mr 70,000 by gel filtration chromatography, indicating that it is composed of two identical subunits. It oxidized L-valine and L-alpha-aminobutyric acid efficiently, L-isoleucine and L-leucine less efficiently, and did not act on D-valine. It required NAD+ as cofactor and could not use NADP+. Maximum dehydrogenase activity with valine was at pH 10.5 and the maximum reductive amination activity with 2-oxoisovaleric acid and NH4Cl was at pH 9. The enzyme exhibited substrate inhibition in the forward direction and a kinetic pattern with NAD+ that was consistent with a sequential ordered mechanism with non-competitive inhibition by valine. The following Michaelis constants were calculated from these data: L-valine, 10.0 mM; NAD+, 0.17 mM; 2-oxoisovalerate, 0.6 mM; and NADH, 0.093 mM. In minimal medium, VDH activity was repressed in the presence of glucose and NH4+, or glycerol and NH4+ or asparagine, and was induced by D- and L-valine. The time required for full induction was about 24 h and the level of induction was 2- to 23-fold.     

The Antarctic Psychrobacter sp. TAD1 has two cold-active glutamate dehydrogenases with different cofactor specificities. Characterisation of the NAD+-dependent enzyme

Psychrobacter sp. TAD1 is a psychrotolerant bacterium from Antarctic frozen continental water that grows from 2 to 25 degrees C with optimal growth rate at 20 degrees C. The new isolate contains two glutamate dehydrogenases (GDH), differing in their cofactor specificities, subunit sizes and arrangements, and thermal properties. NADP+-dependent GDH is a hexamer of 47 kDa subunits and it is comparable to other hexameric GDHs of family-I from bacteria and lower eukaria. The NAD+-dependent enzyme, described in this communication, has a subunit weight of 160 kDa and belongs to the novel class of GDHs with large size subunits. The enzyme is a dimer; this oligomeric arrangement has not been reported previously for GDH. Both enzymes have an apparent optimum temperature for activity of approximately 20 degrees C, but their cold activities and thermal labilities are different. The NAD+-dependent enzyme is more cold active: at 10 C it retains 50% of its maximal activity, compared with 10% for the NADP+-dependent enzyme. The NADP+-dependent enzyme is more heat stable, losing only 10% activity after heating for 30 min, compared with 95% for the NAD+-dependent enzyme. It is concluded that in Psychrobacter sp. TAD1 not only does NAD+-dependent GDH have a novel subunit molecular weight and arrangement, but that its polypeptide chains are folded differently from those of NADP+-dependent GDH, providing different cold-active properties to the two enzymes.     

Valine dehydrogenase from Streptomyces albus: gene cloning, heterologous expression and identification of active site by site-directed mutagenesis

A gene encoding valine dehydrogenase (Vdh) has been cloned from Streptomyces albus, a salinomycin producer, and expressed in Escherichia coli. The S. albus Vdh is composed of 364 amino acids that showed high homology with several other amino acid dehydrogenases as well as Vdhs from Streptomyces spp. and leucine and phenylalanine dehydrogenases (Ldh and Pdh) from Bacillus spp. A protein of 38 kDa, corresponding to the approximate mass of the predicted S. albus Vdh product (38.4 kDa) exhibiting specific Vdh activity, was observed when the S. albus vdh gene was overexpressed in E. coli under the controlled T7 promoter and was subsequently purified to homogeneity. Among branched- and straight-chain amino acids, L-valine and L-alpha-aminobutyrate were the preferred substrates for the enzyme. Lys-79 and Lys-91 of S. albus Vdh were highly conserved in the corresponding region of NAD(P)(+)-dependent amino acid dehydrogenase sequences. To elucidate the functional roles of the lysyl residues, the Lys residues have individually been replaced with Ala by site-directed mutagenesis. Kinetic analyses of the Lys-79 and Lys-91-mutated enzymes revealed that they are involved in the substrate binding site and catalysis, respectively, analogous to the corresponding residues in the homologous Ldh and Pdh.     

Purification and characterization of 2-oxoglutarate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase from a thermophilic, obligately chemolithoautotrophic bacterium, Hydrogenobacter thermophilus TK-6.

2-Oxoglutarate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase from a thermophilic, obligately autotrophic, hydrogen-oxidizing bacterium, Hydrogenobacter thermophilus TK-6, was purified to homogeneity by precipitation with ammonium sulfate and by fractionation by DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B, polyacrylate-quaternary amine, hydroxyapatite, and Superdex-200 chromatography. The purified enzyme had a molecular mass of about 105 kDa and comprised two subunits (70 kDa and 35 kDa). The activity of the 2-oxoglutarate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase was detected by the use of 2-oxoglutarate, coenzyme A, and one of several electron acceptors in substrate amounts (ferredoxin isolated from H. thermophilus, flavin adenine dinucleotide, flavin mononucleotide, or methyl viologen). NAD, NADP, and ferredoxins from Chlorella spp. and Clostridium pasteurianum were ineffective. The enzyme was extremely thermostable; the temperature optimum for 2-oxoglutarate oxidation was above 80 degrees C, and the time for a 50% loss of activity at 70 degrees C under anaerobic conditions was 22 h. The optimum pH for a 2-oxoglutarate oxidation reaction was 7.6 to 7.8. The apparent Km values for 2-oxoglutarate and coenzyme A at 70 degrees C were 1.42 mM and 80 microM, respectively.     

Modification of mouse testicular lactate dehydrogenase by pyridoxal 5''-phosphate.

1. Mouse C4 lactate dehydrogenase treated in the dark with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate at pH8.7 and 25 degrees C loses activity gradually; 1mM-pyridoxal 5'-phosphate causes 83% inactivation, and higher concentrations of the reagent cause no further loss of activity. 2. The final extent of inactivation is very pH-dependent, greater inactivation occurring at the high pH values. 3. Inactivation may be fully reversed by addition of cysteine, or made permanent by reducing the enzyme with NaBH4. 4. The absorption spectrum of inactivated reduced enzyme indicates modification of lysine residues. Inactivation by 80% corresponds to modification of at least 1.8 mol of lysine/mol of enzyme subunit. 5. There is no loss of free thiol groups after inactivation with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and reduction of the enzyme. 6. NAD+ or NADH gives complete protection against inactivation. protection studies with coenzyme fragments indicate that the AMP moiety is largely responsible for the protective effect. Lactate (10 mM) gives no protection in the absence of added nucleotides, but greatly enhances the protection given by ADP-ribose (1 mM). Thus ADP-ribose is able to trigger the binding of lactate. 7. Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate also acts as a non-covalent inhibitor of mouse C4 lactate dehydrogenase. The inhibition is non-competitive with respect to both NAD+ and lactate. 8. Km values for the enzyme at pH 8.0 and 25 degrees C, with the non-varied substrate saturating, are 0.3 mM-lactate and 5 microM-NAD+. 9. These results are discussed and compared with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate modification of other lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes and related dehydrogenases.     

Characterization of an extremely thermostable glutamate dehydrogenase: a key enzyme in the primary metabolism of the hyperthermophilic archaebacterium, Pyrococcus furiosus.

Glutamate dehydrogenase (L-glutamate:NAD(P)+ oxidoreductase, deaminating, EC 1.4.1.3) from the hyperthermophilic Archeon Pyrococcus furiosus was purified to homogeneity by chromatography on anion-exchange, molecular-exclusion and hydrophobic-interaction media. The purified native enzyme had an M(r) of 270,000 +/- 15,000 and was shown to be a hexamer with identical subunits of M(r) 46,000. The enzyme was exceptionally thermostable, having a half-life of 3.5 to more than 10 h at 100 degrees C, depending on the concentration of enzyme. The Km of the enzyme for ammonia was high (9.5 mM), indicating that the enzyme is probably active in the deaminating, catabolic direction. The coenzyme utilization of the enzyme resembled the equivalent enzymes from eukaryotes rather than eubacteria, since both NADH and NADPH were recognized with high affinity. The enzyme displayed a preference for NADP+ over NAD+ that was more pronounced at low assay temperatures (50-70 degrees C) compared with the optimal temperature for enzyme activity, 95 degrees C.     

Properties of the recombinant glucose/galactose dehydrogenase from the extreme thermoacidophile, Picrophilus torridus

In Picrophilus torridus, a euryarchaeon that grows optimally at 60 degrees C and pH 0.7 and thus represents the most acidophilic thermophile known, glucose oxidation is the first proposed step of glucose catabolism via a nonphosphorylated variant of the Entner-Doudoroff pathway, as deduced from the recently completed genome sequence of this organism. The P. torridus gene for a glucose dehydrogenase was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant enzyme, GdhA, was purified and characterized. Based on its substrate and coenzyme specificity, physicochemical characteristics, and mobility during native PAGE, GdhA apparently resembles the main glucose dehydrogenase activity present in the crude extract of P. torridus DSM 9790 cells. The glucose dehydrogenase was partially purified from P. torridus cells and identified by MS to be identical with the recombinant GdhA. P. torridus GdhA preferred NADP+ over NAD+ as the coenzyme, but was nonspecific for the configuration at C-4 of the sugar substrate, oxidizing both glucose and its epimer galactose (Km values 10.0 and 4.5 mM, respectively). Detection of a dual-specific glucose/galactose dehydrogenase points to the possibility that a 'promiscuous' Entner-Doudoroff pathway may operate in P. torridus, similar to the one recently postulated for the crenarchaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus. Based on Zn2+ supplementation and chelation experiments, the P. torridus GdhA appears to contain structurally important zinc, and conserved metal-binding residues suggest that the enzyme also contains a zinc ion near the catalytic site, similar to the glucose dehydrogenase enzymes from yeast and Thermoplasma acidophilum. Strikingly, NADPH, one of the products of the GdhA reaction, is unstable under the conditions thought to prevail in Picrophilus cells, which have been reported to maintain the lowest cytoplasmic pH known (pH 4.6). At the optimum growth temperature for P. torridus, 60 degrees C, the half-life of NADPH at pH 4.6 was merely 2.4 min, and only 1.7 min at 65 degrees C (maximum growth temperature). This finding suggests a rapid turnover of NADPH in Picrophilus.