Production,partial purification and characterization of ligninolytic enzymes from selected basidiomycetes mushroom fungi

In recent years, many research on the quantity of lignocellulosic waste have been developed. The production, partial purification, and characterisation of ligninolytic enzymes from various fungi are described in this work. On the 21st day of incubation in Potato Dextrose (PD) broth, Hypsizygus ulmarius developed the most laccase (14.83 × 10⁻⁶ IU/ml) and manganese peroxidase (24.11 × 10⁻⁶ IU/ml), while Pleurotus florida produced the most lignin peroxidase (19.56 × ⁻⁶ IU/ml). Laccase (Lac), lignin peroxidase (LiP), and manganese peroxidase (MnP), all generated by selected basidiomycetes mushroom fungi, were largely isolated using ammonium sulphate precipitation followed by dialysis. Laccase, lignin peroxidase, and manganese peroxidase purification findings indicated 1.83, 2.13, and 1.77 fold purity enhancements, respectively. Specific activity of purified laccase enzyme preparations ranged from 305.80 to 376.85 IU/mg, purified lignin peroxidase from 258.51 to 336.95 IU/mg, and purified manganese peroxidase from 253.45 to 529.34 IU/mg. H. ulmarius laccase (376.85 IU/mg) with 1.83 fold purification had the highest specific activity of all the ligninolytic enzymes studied, followed by 2.13 fold purification in lignin peroxidase (350.57 IU/mg) and manganese peroxidase (529.34 IU/mg) with 1.77-fold purification. Three notable bands with molecular weights ranging from 43 to 68 kDa and a single prominent band with a molecular weight of 97.4 kDa were identified on a Native PAGE gel from mycelial proteins of selected mushroom fungus. The SDS PAGE profiles of the mycelial proteins from the selected mushroom fungus were similar to the native PAGE. All three partially purified ligninolytic isozymes display three bands in native gel electrophoresis, with only one prominent band in enzyme activity staining. The 43 kDa, 55 kDa, and 68 kDa protein bands correspond to laccase, lignin peroxidase, and manganese peroxidase, respectively.     

Automated system for high-throughput protein production using the dialysis cell-free method

High-throughput protein production systems have become an important issue, because protein production is one of the bottleneck steps in large-scale structural and functional analyses of proteins. We have developed a dialysis reactor and a fully automated system for protein production using the dialysis cell-free synthesis method, which we previously established to produce protein samples on a milligram scale in a high-throughput manner. The dialysis reactor was designed to be suitable for an automated system and has six dialysis cups attached to a flat dialysis membrane. The automated system is based on a Tecan Freedom EVO 200 workstation in a three-arm configuration, and is equipped with shaking incubators, a vacuum module, a robotic centrifuge, a plate heat sealer, and a custom-made tilting carrier for collection of reaction solutions from the flat-bottom cups with dialysis membranes. The consecutive process, from the dialysis cell-free protein synthesis to the partial purification by immobilized metal affinity chromatography on a 96-well filtration plate, was performed within ca. 14 h, including 8 h of cell-free protein synthesis. The proteins were eluted stepwise in a high concentration using EDTA by centrifugation, while the resin in the filtration plate was washed on the vacuum manifold. The system was validated to be able to simultaneously and automatically produce up to 96 proteins in yields of several milligrams with high well-to-well reliability, sufficient for structural and functional analyses of proteins. The protein samples produced by the automated system have been utilized for NMR screening to judge the protein foldedness and for structure determinations using heteronuclear multi-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. The automated high-throughput protein production system represents an important breakthrough in the structural and functional studies of proteins and has already contributed a massive amount of results in the structural genomics project at the RIKEN Structural Genomics/Proteomics Initiative (RSGI).     

Automated, high-throughput platform for protein solubility screening using a split-GFP system

Overproduction of soluble and stable proteins for functional and structural studies is a major bottleneck for structural genomics programs and traditional biochemistry laboratories. Many high-payoff proteins that are important in various biological processes are “difficult to handle” as protein reagents in their native form. We have recently made several advances in enabling biochemical technologies for improving protein stability (), allowing stratagems for efficient protein domain trapping, solubility-improving mutations, and finding protein folding partners. In particular split-GFP protein tags are a very powerful tool for detection of stable protein domains. Soluble, stable proteins tagged with the 15 amino acid GFP fragment (amino acids 216–228) can be detected in vivo and in vitro using the engineered GFP 1–10 “detector” fragment (amino acids 1–215). If the small tag is accessible, the detector fragment spontaneously binds resulting in fluorescence. Here, we describe our current and on-going efforts to move this process from the bench (manual sample manipulation) to an automated, high-throughput, liquid-handling platform. We discuss optimization and validation of bacterial culture growth, lysis protocols, protein extraction, and assays of soluble and insoluble protein in multiple 96 well plate format. The optimized liquid-handling protocol can be used for rapid determination of the optimal, compact domains from single ORFS, collections of ORFS, or cDNA libraries.     

Rapid automated detergent screening for the solubilization and purification of membrane proteins and complexes

Membrane proteins constitute about one third of proteins encoded by all genomes, but only a small percentage have their structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank. One bottleneck in the pipeline from expression to structure determination is the identification of detergents that maintain the protein in a soluble, stable, and active state. Here, we describe a small‐scale automated procedure to easily and rapidly screen detergents for the solubilization and purification of membrane proteins, to perform detergent exchange, or to identify conditions preserving protein interactions in complexes. Hundreds of conditions can be tested in a few hours to select detergents that keep proteins folded and nonaggregated, from single membrane preparations of cells overexpressing the protein(s) of interest. Thirty‐one prokaryotic, eukaryotic, and viral membrane proteins were analyzed by our small‐scale procedure to identify the best‐associated detergents. Examples of results obtained with a bitopic and multitopic membrane proteins and membrane protein complexes are presented in more detail. DDM, DM, DMNG, TritonX‐100, LAPAO, and Fos‐12 appeared effective for successful membrane solubilization and protein purification of most selected targets. Eukaryotic proteins are in general more difficult to extract and purify from Escherichia coli membranes than prokaryotic proteins. The protocol has been developed for His‐tagged proteins, but can readily be adapted to other affinity tags by adjusting the chromatography resin and the buffer composition.     

Improved purification protocol for wild-type and mutant human foamy virus proteases

Wild-type and an active site mutant (S25T) human foamy virus (HFV) proteases were expressed in fusion with maltose binding protein in Escherichia coli. The mutant enzyme contained a Ser to Thr mutation in the -Asp-Ser-Gly- active site triplet of the enzyme, which forms the "fireman's grip" between the two subunits of the homodimeric enzyme. The fusion proteins were purified by affinity chromatography on amylose resin, cleaved with factor Xa, and the processed enzymes were purified by gel filtration under denaturing condition. Refolding after purification resulted in active enzymes with comparable yields. Furthermore, both enzymes showed similar catalytic activities in an oligopeptide substrate representing an HFV Gag cleavage site. However, the S25T mutant showed increased stability in urea unfolding experiment, in a good agreement with the suggested role of the Thr residue of fireman's grip.     

Exposing a hidden functional site of C-reactive protein by site-directed mutagenesis

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a cyclic pentameric protein whose major binding specificity, at physiological pH, is for substances bearing exposed phosphocholine moieties. Another pentameric form of CRP, which exists at acidic pH, displays binding activity for oxidized LDL (ox-LDL). The ox-LDL-binding site in CRP, which is hidden at physiological pH, is exposed by acidic pH-induced structural changes in pentameric CRP. The aim of this study was to expose the hidden ox-LDL-binding site of CRP by site-directed mutagenesis and to generate a CRP mutant that can bind to ox-LDL without the requirement of acidic pH. Mutation of Glu(42), an amino acid that participates in intersubunit interactions in the CRP pentamer and is buried, to Gln resulted in a CRP mutant (E42Q) that showed significant binding activity for ox-LDL at physiological pH. For maximal binding to ox-LDL, E42Q CRP required a pH much less acidic than that required by wild-type CRP. At any given pH, E42Q CRP was more efficient than wild-type CRP in binding to ox-LDL. Like wild-type CRP, E42Q CRP remained pentameric at acidic pH. Also, E42Q CRP was more efficient than wild-type CRP in binding to several other deposited, conformationally altered proteins. The E42Q CRP mutant provides a tool to investigate the functions of CRP in defined animal models of inflammatory diseases including atherosclerosis because wild-type CRP requires acidic pH to bind to deposited, conformationally altered proteins, including ox-LDL, and available animal models may not have sufficient acidosis or other possible modifiers of the pentameric structure of CRP at the sites of inflammation.     

Automated large-scale purification of a G protein-coupled receptor for neurotensin

Structure determination of integral membrane proteins requires milligram amounts of purified, functional protein on a regular basis. Here, we describe a protocol for the purification of a G protein-coupled neurotensin receptor fusion protein at the 3-mg or 10-mg level using immobilized metal affinity chromatography and a neurotensin column in a fully automated mode. Fermentation at a 200-l scale of Escherichia coli expressing functional receptors provides the material needed to feed into the purification routine. Constructs with tobacco etch virus protease recognition sites at either end of the receptor allow the isolation of neurotensin receptor devoid of its fusion partners. The presented expression and purification procedures are simple and robust, and provide the basis for crystallization experiments of receptors on a routine basis.     

The two 3-deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase isoenzymes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae show different kinetic modes of inhibition

Activity of the tyrosine-inhibitable 3-deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase (EC 4.1.2.15) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae that was encoded by the ARO4 gene cloned on a high-copy-number plasmid was enhanced 64-fold as compared to the wild-type. The enzyme was purified to apparent homogeneity from the strain that harbored this recombinant plasmid. The estimated molecular weight of 42,000 of the enzyme corresponded to the calculated molecular mass of 40 kDa deduced from the DNA sequence. The enzyme could be inactivated by EDTA in a reaction that was reversed by several bivalent metal ions; presumably a metal cofactor is required for enzymatic catalysis. The Michaelis constant of the enzyme was 125 μM for phosphoenolpyruvate and 500 μM for erythrose 4-phosphate. The rate constant was calculated as 6 s^–1, and kinetic data indicated a sequential mechanism of the enzymatic reaction. Tyrosine was a competitive inhibitor with phosphoenolpyruvate as substrate of the enzyme (K _i of 0.9 μM) and a noncompetitive inhibitor with erythrose 4-phosphate as substrate. This is in contrast to the ARO3-encoded isoenzyme, where phenylalanine is a competitive inhibitor with erythrose 4-phosphate as a substrate of the enzyme and a noncompetitive inhibitor with phosphoenolpyruvate as substrate. Received: 29 December 1997 / Accepted: 3 March 1998     

Characterization of human nicotinate phosphoribosyltransferase: Kinetic studies, structure prediction and functional analysis by site-directed mutagenesis

Nicotinate phosphoribosyltransferase (NaPRT, EC 2.4.2.11) catalyzes the conversion of nicotinate (Na) to nicotinate mononucleotide, the first reaction of the Preiss-Handler pathway for the biosynthesis of NAD(+). Even though NaPRT activity has been described to be responsible for the ability of Na to increase NAD(+) levels in human cells more effectively than nicotinamide (Nam), so far a limited number of studies on the human NaPRT have appeared. Here, extensive characterization of a recombinant human NaPRT is reported. We determined its major kinetic parameters and assayed the influence of different compounds on its enzymatic activity. In particular, ATP showed an apparent dual stimulation/inhibition effect at low/high substrates saturation, respectively, consistent with a negative cooperativity model, whereas inorganic phosphate was found to act as an activator. Among other metabolites assayed, including nucleotides, nucleosides, and intermediates of carbohydrates metabolism, some showed inhibitory properties, i.e. CoA, several acyl-CoAs, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate, phosphoenolpyruvate, and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, whereas dihydroxyacetone phosphate and pyruvate exerted a stimulatory effect. Furthermore, in light of the absence of crystallographic data, we performed homology modeling to predict the protein three-dimensional structure, and molecular docking simulations to identify residues involved in the recognition and stabilization of several ligands. Most of these residues resulted universally conserved among NaPRTs, and, in this study, their importance for enzyme activity was validated through site-directed mutagenesis.     

Optimized beadmilling of tissues for high-throughput RNA production and microarray-based analyses

The preparation of RNA samples has become the rate-limiting step when performing genome-scale analyses by DNA microarrays. Methods to improve throughput of RNA isolation from tissues are needed. The effects of bead size and composition for disrupting mouse tissues have been evaluated in small centrifuge tubes and optimized for RNA production. The resulting process is inexpensive, resistant to cross-contamination, and amenable to robotic processing. After optimization, very-high-quality RNA can be produced. Comparisons between RNAs isolated by beadmilling (followed by solid-phase purification) and those by conventional isolation processes show that RNA produced by beadmilling is suitable for microarray analyses. Parallel implementation of beadmilling will enable a high-throughput tissue-to-RNA processing system for large-scale microarray analyses.     

A universal homogeneous assay for high-throughput determination of binding kinetics

There is an increasing demand for assay technologies that enable accurate, cost-effective, and high-throughput measurements of drug–target association and dissociation rates. Here we introduce a universal homogeneous kinetic probe competition assay (kPCA) that meets these requirements. The time-resolved fluorescence energy transfer (TR–FRET) procedure combines the versatility of radioligand binding assays with the advantages of homogeneous nonradioactive techniques while approaching the time resolution of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and related biosensors. We show application of kPCA for three important target classes: enzymes, protein–protein interactions, and G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). This method is capable of supporting early stages of drug discovery with large amounts of kinetic information.     

Cloning, characterization and site-directed mutagenesis of canine renin

Inhibition of renin has been shown to be successful in managing hypertension and maintaining cardiac health. Canine models have played a key role in preclinical assessment of renin inhibitors. Here we report the cloning of canine prorenin gene. The amino acid sequence of mature canine renin was approximately 70% identical to that of human renin. The full-length prorenin was expressed in HEK 293 cells, purified and converted to its active form by trypsin-mediated cleavage of the 43 residue propeptide. The mature enzyme was characterized by steady-state kinetics using a peptide corresponding to the canine angiotensinogen sequence, Ac-Asp-Arg-Val-Tyr-Ile-His-Pro-Phe-His-Leu-Leu-Val-Tyr-Ser-OH (cleavage between Leu(10)-Leu(11)). The reaction followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics with a K(M) of 120 microM and a second-order rate constant (k(cat)/K(M)) of 1.7 x 10(5) M(-)(1)s(-)(1). The enzyme was inhibited by various human renin inhibitors, but at reduced potency compared to the human renin. The basis of the species specificity was investigated by mutagenesis. Based on primary sequence and structural alignments, three mutants were prepared (G149S-S150T, V286L, G149S-S150T-V286L). Each mutant yielded catalytically active enzymes with lower specific activities than native canine renin. V286L had the greatest effect on substrate specificity, while G149S, S150T mutations produced enzymes with inhibitor profiles similar to human renin.     

Fluorescence-based analysis of enzymes at the single-molecule level

Enzymes, and proteins in general, consist of a dynamic ensemble of different conformations, which fluctuate around an average structure. Single-molecule experiments are a powerful tool to obtain information about these conformations and their contributions to the catalytic reaction. In contrast to classical ensemble measurements, which average over the whole population, singlemolecule experiments are able to detect conformational heterogeneities, to identify transient or rare conformations, to follow the time series of conformational changes and to reveal parallel reaction pathways. A number of single-molecule studies with enzymes have proven this potential showing that the activity of individual enzymes varies between different molecules and that the catalytic rate constants fluctuate over time. From a practical point of view this review focuses on fluorescence-based methods that have been used to study enzymes at the single-molecule level. Since the first proof-of-principle experiments a wide range of different methods have been developed over the last 10 years and the methodology now needs to be applied to answer questions of biological relevance, for example about conformational changes induced by allosteric effectors or mutations.     

Parallel production and verification of protein products using a novel high-throughput screening method

Protein production and analysis in a parallel fashion is today applied in laboratories worldwide and there is a great need to improve the techniques and systems used for this purpose. In order to save time and money, a fast and reliable screening method for analysis of protein production and also verification of the protein product is desired. Here, a micro-scale protocol for the parallel production and screening of 96 proteins in plate format is described. Protein capture was achieved using immobilized metal affinity chromatography and the product was verified using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight MS. In order to obtain sufficiently high cell densities and product yield in the small-volume cultivations, the EnBase® cultivation technology was applied, which enables cultivation in as small volumes as 150 μL. Here, the efficiency of the method is demonstrated by producing 96 human, recombinant proteins, both in micro-scale and using a standard full-scale protocol and comparing the results in regard to both protein identity and sample purity. The results obtained are highly comparable to those acquired through employing standard full-scale purification protocols, thus validating this method as a successful initial screening step before protein production at a larger scale.     

Isolation, purification, and characterization of glutathione S-transferase from oat (Avena sativa) seedlings

Glutathione S-transferase (GST) from oat seedlings was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and glutathione (GSH) affinity chromatography. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed the presence of two major protein subunits with molecular masses of 29 and 31 kDa, respectively. Isoelectric focusing revealed a major band with pI of 3.43 and a minor band with pI of 7.42. Kinetic analysis with respect to 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) as substrate revealed a K _m of 1.18 mM and V _max of 0.94 mol/min and a specific activity of 17.96 mol/min/mg. Inhibition studies indicated that oat GST is strongly inhibited by chlorophyllin, hemin, and anthocyanin and only weakly by bilirubin and biliverdin.     

Functional shikimate dehydrogenase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv: purification and characterization

Tuberculosis (TB) poses a major worldwide public health problem. The increasing prevalence of TB, the emergence of multi-drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of TB, and the devastating effect of co-infection with HIV have highlighted the urgent need for the development of new antimycobacterial agents. Analysis of the complete genome sequence of M. tuberculosis shows the presence of genes involved in the aromatic amino acid biosynthetic pathway. Experimental evidence that this pathway is essential for M. tuberculosis has been reported. The genes and pathways that are essential for the growth of the microorganisms make them attractive drug targets since inhibiting their function may kill the bacilli. We have previously cloned and expressed in the soluble form the fourth shikimate pathway enzyme of the M. tuberculosis, the aroE-encoded shikimate dehydrogenase (mtSD). Here, we present the purification of active recombinant aroE-encoded M. tuberculosis shikimate dehydrogenase (mtSD) to homogeneity, N-terminal sequencing, mass spectrometry, assessment of the oligomeric state by gel filtration chromatography, determination of apparent steady-state kinetic parameters for both the forward and reverse directions, apparent equilibrium constant, thermal stability, and energy of activation for the enzyme-catalyzed chemical reaction. These results pave the way for structural and kinetic studies, which should aid in the rational design of mtSD inhibitors to be tested as antimycobacterial agents.     

Robotic nanolitre protein crystallisation at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology

We have set up high-throughput robotic systems to screen and optimise crystallisation conditions of biological macromolecules with the aim to make difficult structural biology projects easier. The initial screening involves two robots. A Tecan Genesis liquid handler is used to transfer commercially available crystallisation reagents from 15 ml test tubes into the reservoirs of 96-well crystallisation plates. This step is fully automated and includes a carousel for intermediate plate storage, a Beckman plate sealer and a robotic arm, which transfers plates in between steps. For adding the sample, we use a second robot, a 17-tip Cartesian Technologies PixSys 4200 SynQuad liquid handler, which uses a syringe/solenoid valve combination to dispense small quantities of liquid (typically 100 nl) without touching the surface of the plate. Sixteen of the tips are used to transfer the reservoir solution to the crystallisation wells, while the 17th tip is used to dispense the protein. The screening of our standard set of 1440 conditions takes about 3 h and requires 300 microl of protein solution. Once crystallisation conditions have been found, they are optimised using a second Tecan Genesis liquid handler, which is programmed to pipette gradients from four different corner solutions into a wide range of crystallisation plate formats. For 96-well plates, the Cartesian robot can be used to add the sample. The methods described are now used almost exclusively for obtaining diffraction quality crystals in our laboratory with a throughput of several thousand plates per year. Our set-up has been copied in many institutions worldwide.     

Engineering and kinetic characterisation of two glucosyltransferases from Arabidopsis thaliana

This study describes the characterisation of a chimeric mutant derived from two arabidopsis glucosyltransferases, 71C1 and 71C3. A chimera, N1C3, was constructed to contain the N-terminal domain of 71C1 and the C-terminal domain of 71C3. The chimera and the wild-type GTs displayed a similar Km towards the acceptor scopoletin. However, N1C3 had a Km near identical to 71C3 towards UDP-glucose, but was three-fold lower than that of 71C1. The results suggest that the acceptor and sugar donor are recognised independently by the N- and C-terminal domain of the GTs respectively, and provide a foundation for the future design of glucosyltransferase biocatalysts through assembling domains with different affinity towards the acceptor and donor.     

Surface plasmon resonance imaging-based protein arrays for high-throughput screening of protein-protein interaction inhibitors

The E7 protein produced by high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) induces a degradation of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor RB through direct interaction, which suggests that an inhibitor for the interaction can be a potential anticancer drug. A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging-based protein array chip was developed for the high-throughput screening of inhibitor molecules targeting RB-E7 interaction. The glutathione S-transferase-fused E7 protein (GST-E7) was first layered onto a glutathionylated gold chip surface that had been designed to specifically bind to GST-fused proteins. Subsequently, a microarrayer was used to spot the hexa-histidine-tagged RB proteins (His(6)-RB) onto the GST-E7-layered gold chip surface, and the resulting SPR image was analyzed. Upon increased His(6)-RB concentration in the spotting solution, the SPR signal intensity increased proportionally, indicating that His(6)-RB bound to GST-E7 in a concentration-dependent manner. The His(6)-RB/GST-E7 interaction was challenged by spotting the His(6)-RB solution in the presence of a RB binding peptide (PepC) derived from a motif on E7. The SPR imaging data showed that PepC inhibited the His(6)-RB/GST-E7 interaction in a concentration-dependent manner. Our results show that the SPR imaging-based protein array chip can be applied to screen small molecule inhibitors that target protein-protein interaction.     

Cloning, expression, and characterization of sialic acid synthases

The most commonly occurring sialic acid, N-acetylneuraminic acid, is the repeating unit in polysialic acid chain of human neuronal cell adhesion molecule as well as in capsular polysialic acid of neuroinvasive bacteria, Escherichia coli K1 and Neisseria meningitidis. Sialic acid synthesis and polymerization occur in slightly different pathways in animals and bacteria. N-Acetylneuraminic acid (NeuNAc) is synthesized by the condensation of phosphoenolpyruvate and N-acetylmannosamine by NeuNAc synthase in bacteria. The mammalian homologue N-acetylneuraminic acid-9-phosphate (NeuNAc-9-P) synthase uses N-acetylmannosamine-6-phosphate in the condensation reaction to produce NeuNAc-9-P. Both subfamilies of sialic acid synthases possess N-terminal triosephosphate isomerase barrel domain and C-terminal antifreeze protein domain. We report cloning of the genes, expression, purification, and characterization of human NeuNAc-9-P synthase and N. meningitidis NeuNAc synthase. Stability of the purified enzymes and effects of pH and temperature on their activities were evaluated. Enzyme kinetics and preliminary mutagenesis experiments reveal the importance of C-terminal antifreeze protein domain and a conserved cysteine residue for the enzyme activities.