Crystal structure of ATP sulfurylase from Penicillium chrysogenum: insights into the allosteric regulation of sulfate assimilation

ATP sulfurylase from Penicillium chrysogenum is an allosterically regulated enzyme composed of six identical 63.7 kDa subunits (573 residues). The C-terminal allosteric domain of each subunit is homologous to APS kinase. In the presence of APS, the enzyme crystallized in the orthorhombic space group (I222) with unit cell parameters of a = 135.7 A, b = 162.1 A, and c = 273.0 A. The X-ray structure at 2.8 A resolution established that the hexameric enzyme is a dimer of triads in the shape of an oblate ellipsoid 140 A diameter x 70 A. Each subunit is divided into a discreet N-terminal domain, a central catalytic domain, and a C-terminal allosteric domain. Two molecules of APS bound per subunit clearly identify the catalytic and allosteric domains. The sequence 197QXRN200 is largely responsible for anchoring the phosphosulfate group of APS at the active site of the catalytic domain. The specificity of the catalytic site for adenine nucleotides is established by specific hydrogen bonds to the protein main chain. APS was bound to the allosteric site through sequence-specific interactions with amino acid side chains that are conserved in true APS kinase. Within a given triad, the allosteric domain of one subunit interacts with the catalytic domain of another. There are also allosteric-allosteric, allosteric-N-terminal, and catalytic-catalytic domain interactions across the triad interface. The overall interactions-each subunit with four others-provide stability to the hexamer as well as a way to propagate a concerted allosteric transition. The structure presented here is believed to be the R state. A solvent channel, 15-70 A wide exists along the 3-fold axis, but substrates have access to the catalytic site only from the external medium. On the other hand, a surface "trench" links each catalytic site in one triad with an allosteric site in the other triad. This trench may be a vestigial feature of a bifunctional ("PAPS synthetase") ancestor of fungal ATP sulfurylase.     

Allosteric inhibition via R-state destabilization in ATP sulfurylase from Penicillium chrysogenum

The structure of the cooperative hexameric enzyme ATP sulfurylase from Penicillium chrysogenum bound to its allosteric inhibitor, 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS), was determined to 2.6 A resolution. This structure represents the low substrate-affinity T-state conformation of the enzyme. Comparison with the high substrate-affinity R-state structure reveals that a large rotational rearrangement of domains occurs as a result of the R-to-T transition. The rearrangement is accompanied by the 17 A movement of a 10-residue loop out of the active site region, resulting in an open, product release-like structure of the catalytic domain. Binding of PAPS is proposed to induce the allosteric transition by destabilizing an R-state-specific salt linkage between Asp 111 in an N-terminal domain of one subunit and Arg 515 in the allosteric domain of a trans-triad subunit. Disrupting this salt linkage by site-directed mutagenesis induces cooperative inhibition behavior in the absence of an allosteric effector, confirming the role of these two residues.     

Kinetic and stability properties of Penicillium chrysogenum ATP sulfurylase missing the C-terminal regulatory domain

ATP sulfurylase from Penicillium chrysogenum is a homohexameric enzyme that is subject to allosteric inhibition by 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate. In contrast to the wild type enzyme, recombinant ATP sulfurylase lacking the C-terminal allosteric domain was monomeric and noncooperative. All kcat values were decreased (the adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (adenylylsulfate) (APS) synthesis reaction to 17% of the wild type value). Additionally, the Michaelis constants for MgATP and sulfate (or molybdate), the dissociation constant of E.APS, and the monovalent oxyanion dissociation constants of dead end E.MgATP.oxyanion complexes were all increased. APS release (the k6 step) was rate-limiting in the wild type enzyme. Without the C-terminal domain, the composite k5 step (isomerization of the central complex and MgPPi release) became rate-limiting. The cumulative results indicate that besides (a) serving as a receptor for the allosteric inhibitor, the C-terminal domain (b) stabilizes the hexameric structure and indirectly, individual subunits. Additionally, (c) the domain interacts with and perfects the catalytic site such that one or more steps following the formation of the binary E.MgATP and E.SO4(2-) complexes and preceding the release of MgPPi are optimized. The more negative entropy of activation of the truncated enzyme for APS synthesis is consistent with a role of the C-terminal domain in promoting the effective orientation of MgATP and sulfate at the active site.     

ATP sulfurylase from Penicillium chrysogenum. Molecular basis of the sigmoidal velocity curves induced by sulfhydryl group modification

ATP sulfurylase from Penicillium chrysogenum is a noncooperative homooligomer containing three free sulfhydryl groups per subunit. Under nondenaturing conditions, one SH group per subunit was modified by 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoate), or N-ethylmaleimide. Modification had only a small effect on kcat, but markedly increased the [S]0.5 values for the substrates, MgATP and SO4(2-). MgATP and adenosine-5'-phosphosulfate protected against modification. The SH-modified enzyme displayed sigmoidal velocity curves for both substrates with Hill coefficients (nH) of 2. Fluorosulfonate (FSO3-) and other dead-end inhibitors competitive with SO4(2-) activated the SH-modified enzyme at low SO4(2-) concentration. In order to determine whether the sigmoidicity resulted from true cooperative binding (as opposed to a kinetically based mechanism), the shapes of the binding curves were established from the degree of protection provided by a ligand against phenylglyoxal-dependent irreversible inactivation under noncatalytic conditions. Under standard conditions (0.05 M Na-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazine-N'-3-propanesulfonic acid buffer, pH 8, 30 degrees C, and 3mM phenylglyoxal) the native enzyme was inactivated with a k of 2.67 +/- 0.25 X 10-3 s-1, whereas k for the SH-modified enzyme was 5.44 +/- 0.27 X 10-3 s-1. The increased sensitivity of the modified enzyme resulted from increased reactivity of ligand-protectable groups. Both the native and the SH-modified enzyme displayed hyperbolic plots of delta k (i.e. protection) versus [MgATP], or [FSO3-], or [S2O3(2-]) in the absence of coligand (nH = 0.98 +/- 0.06). The plots of delta k versus [ligand] for the native enzyme were also hyperbolic in the presence of a fixed concentration of coligand. However, in the presence of a fixed [FSO3-] or [S2O3(2-]), the delta k versus [MgATP] plot for the SH-modified enzyme was sigmoidal, as was the plot of delta k versus [FSO3-] or [S2O3(2-]) in the presence of a fixed [MgATP]. The nH values were 1.92 +/- 0.09. The results indicate that substrates (or analogs) bind hyperbolically to unoccupied SH-modified subunits, but in a subunit-cooperative fashion to form a ternary complex.     

Induction of positive cooperativity by amino acid replacements within the C-terminal domain of Penicillium chrysogenum ATP sulfurylase

ATP sulfurylase from Penicillium chrysogenum is an allosteric enzyme in which Cys-509 is critical for maintaining the R state. Cys-509 is located in a C-terminal domain that is 42% identical to the conserved core of adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (adenylylsulfate) (APS) kinase. This domain is believed to provide the binding site for the allosteric effector, 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS). Replacement of Cys-509 with either Tyr or Ser destabilizes the R state, resulting in an enzyme that is intrinsically cooperative at pH 8 in the absence of PAPS. The kinetics of C509Y resemble those of the wild type enzyme in which Cys-509 has been covalently modified. The kinetics of C509S resemble those of the wild type enzyme in the presence of PAPS. It is likely that the negative charge on the Cys-509 side chain helps to stabilize the R state. Treatment of the enzyme with a low level of trypsin results in cleavage at Lys-527, a residue that lies in a region analogous to a PAPS motif-containing mobile loop of true APS kinase. Both mutant enzymes were cleaved more rapidly than the wild type enzyme, suggesting that movement of the mobile loop occurs during the R to T transition.     

ATP sulfurylase from Penicillium chrysogenum: measurements of the true specific activity of an enzyme subject to potent product inhibition and a reassessment of the kinetic mechanism

Homogeneous ATP sulfurylase from Penicillium chrysogenum has been reported to have an extremely low activity toward its physiological inorganic substrate, sulfate. This low activity is an artifact resulting from potent product inhibition by 5'-adenylylsulfate (APS) (Ki less than 0.25 microM). Assays based on 35S incorporation from 35SO4(2-) into charcoal-adsorbable [35S]APS are nonlinear with time, even in the presence of a large excess of inorganic pyrophosphatase. However, in the presence of excess APS kinase (along with excess pyrophosphatase), the ATP sulfurylase reaction is linear with time and the enzyme has a specific activity (Vmax) of 6 to 7 units mg protein-1 corresponding to an active site turnover number of at least 400 min-1. Monovalent oxyanions such as NO3-, ClO3-, ClO4-, and FSO3- are competitive with sulfate (or molybdate) and essentially uncompetitive with respect to MgATP. However, thiosulfate (SSO3(2-)), a true sulfate analog and dead-end inhibitor of the enzyme (competitive with sulfate or molybdate), exhibited clear noncompetitive inhibition against MgATP. Furthermore, APS was competitive with both MgATP and molybdate in the molybdolysis assay. These results suggest (a) that the mechanism of the normal forward reaction may be random rather than ordered and (b) that the monovalent oxyanions have a much greater affinity for the E X MgATP complex than for free E. In this respect, FSO3-, ClO4-, etc., are not true sulfate analogs although they might mimic an enzyme-bound species formed when MgATP is at the active site. The nonlinear ATP sulfurylase reaction progress curves (with APS accumulating in the presence of excess pyrophosphatase or PPi accumulating in the presence of excess APS kinase) were analyzed by means of "average velocity" plots based on an integrated rate equation. This new approach is useful for enzymes subject to potent product inhibition over a reaction time course in which the substrate concentrations do not change significantly. The analysis showed that ATP sulfurylase has an intrinsic specific activity of 6 to 7 units mg protein-1. Thus, the apparent stimulation of sulfurylase activity by APS kinase results from the continual removal of inhibitory APS rather than from an association of the two sulfate-activating enzymes to form a "3'-phospho-5'-adenylylsulfate synthetase" complex in which the sulfurylase has an increased catalytic activity. The progress curve analyses suggest that APS is competitive with both MgATP and sulfate, while MgPPi is a mixed-type inhibitor with respect to both substrates. The cumulative data point to a random sequence for the forward reaction with APS release being partially rate limiting.     

Adenosine triphosphate sulfurylase from Penicillium chrysogenum equilibrium binding, substrate hydrolysis, and isotope exchange studies.

ATP sulfurylase from Penicillium chrysogenum was purified to homogeneity. The enzyme binds 8 mol of free ATP (K_s = 0.53 mM) or AMP (K_s = 0.50 mM) per 440,000 g. The results are consistent with our earlier report that the enzyme is composed of eight identical subunits of M_r 55,000 (J. W. Tweedie and I. H. Segel, 1971, Prep. Biochem. 1, 91–117; J. Biol. Chem. 246, 2438–2446). In the absence of cosubstrates, the purified enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of MgATP (to AMP and MgPP_i) and adenosine 5′-phosphosulfate (APS) (to AMP and SO₄^2?). MgATP hydrolysis is inhibited by nonreactive sulfate analogs such as nitrate, chlorate, and formate (uncompetitive with MgATP). In spite of the hydrolytic reactions it is possible to observe the binding of MgATP and APS to the enzyme in a qualitative (nonequilibrium) manner. Neither inorganic sulfate (the cosubstrate of the forward reaction) nor formate or inorganic phosphate (inhibitors competitive with sulfate) will bind to the free enzyme in detectable amounts in the absence or in the presence of Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, free ATP, or a nonreactive analog of MgATP such as Mg-α,β-methylene-ATP. Similarly, inorganic pyrophosphate (the cosubstrate of the reverse reaction) will not bind in the absence or in the presence of Mg²⁺ or Ca²⁺. The induced binding of ³²P_i (presumably to the sulfate site) can be observed in the presence of MgATP. The results are consistent with the obligately ordered binding sequence deduced from the steady-state kinetics (J. Farley et al., 1976, J. Biol. Chem. 251, 4389–4397) and suggest that the subsites for SO^2?₄ or MgPP_i appear only after nucleotide cleavage to form E~AMP · MgPP_i or E~AMP · SO₄ complexes. The suggestion is supported by the relative values of K_ia (ca. 1 mm for MgATP) and K_iq (ca. 1 αm for APS) and by the inconsistent value of k_?1 calculated from $\text{V}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>f</mtext>}}\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>i</mtext><mtext>a</mtext>}}\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext><mtext>A</mtext>}}$ (The value is considerably less than V_r) Purified ATP sulfurylase will also catalyze a Mg³²PP_i-MgATP exchange in the absence of SO₄^2?. A ³⁵SO₄^2?-APS exchange could not be demonstrated in the absence or presence of MgPP_i. This result was not unexpected: The rate of APS hydrolysis (or conversion to MgATP) is extremely rapid compared to the expected exchange rate. Also, the pool of APS at equilibrium is extremely small compared to the sulfate pool. The V values for molybdolysis, APS hydrolysis (in the absence of PP_i), ATP synthesis (from APS + MgPP_i), and Mg³²PP_i-MgATP exchange at saturating sulfate are all about equal (12–19 μmol × min^?1 × mg of enzyme^?1). The rates of Mg³²PP_i-MgATP exchange in the absence of sulfate, APS synthesis (from MgATP + sulfate), and MgATP hydrolysis (in the absence of sulfate) are considerably slower (0.10 – 0.35 μmol × min^?1 × mg of enzyme^?1). These results and the fact that k₄ calculated from $\text{V}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>r</mtext>}}\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>i</mtext><mtext>q</mtext>}}\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext><mtext>Q</mtext>}}$ is considerably larger than V_f suggest that the rate-limiting step in the overall forward reaction is the isomerization reaction E~AMP-SO^2?₄ → EAPS. In the reverse direction the rate-limiting step may be SO^2?₄ release or isomerization of the E~AMP · MgPP_i · SO₄^2? complex. (The reaction appears to be rapid equilibrium ordered.) Reactions involving the synthesis or cleavage of APS are specific for Mg²⁺. Reactions involving the synthesis or cleavage of ATP will proceed with Mg²⁺, with Mn²⁺, and, at a lower rate, with Co²⁺. The results suggest that the enzyme possesses a Mg²⁺-preferring divalent cation (activator) binding site that is involved in APS synthesis and cleavage and is distinct from the MeATP or MePP_i site. The equilibrium binding of about one atom of ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ per subunit (possibly to the activator site) could be demonstrated (K_s = 1.4 mM).     

The "regulatory" sulfhydryl group of Penicillium chrysogenum ATP sulfurylase. Cooperative ligand binding after SH modification; chemical and thermodynamic properties

ATP sulfurylase from Penicillium chrysogenum is a homohexamer that contains three free sulfhydryl groups/subunit, only one of which (designated SH-1) can be modified by disulfide, maleimide, and halide reagents under nondenaturing conditions. Modification of SH-1 has only a small effect on kcat but causes the [S]0.5 values for MgATP and SO4(2-) (or MoO4(2-) to increase by an order of magnitude. Additionally, the velocity curves become sigmoidal with a Hill coefficient (nH) of about 2 (Renosto, F., Martin, R. L., and Segel, I. H. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 16279-16288). Direct equilibrium binding measurements confirmed that [32P]MgATP binds to the SH-modified enzyme in a positively cooperative fashion (nH = 2.0) if a sulfate subsite ligand (e.g. FSO3-) is also present. [35S]Adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (APS) binding to the SH-modified enzyme displayed positive cooperativity (nH = 1.9) in the absence of a PPi subsite ligand. The results indicate that positive cooperativity requires occupancy of the adenylyl and sulfate (but not the pyrophosphate) subsites. [35S]APS binding to the native enzyme displayed negative cooperativity (or binding to at least two classes of sites). Isotope trapping profiles for the single turnover of [35S]APS: (a) confirmed the equilibrium binding curves, (b) indicated that all six sites/hexamer are catalytically active, and (c) showed that APS does not dissociate at a significant rate from E.APS.PPi. The MgPPi concentration dependence of [35S]APS trapping was indicative of MgPPi binding to two classes of sites on both the native and SH-modified enzyme. Inactivation of the native or SH-modified enzyme by phenylglyoxal in the presence of saturating APS was biphasic. The semilog plots suggested that only half of the sites were highly protected. The cumulative data suggest a model in which pairs of sites or subunits can exist in three different states designated HH (both sites have a high APS affinity, as in the native free enzyme), LL (both sites have a low APS affinity as in the SH-modified enzyme), and LH (as in the APS-occupied native or SH-modified enzyme). Thus, the HH----LH transition displays negative cooperativity for APS binding while the LL----LH transition displays positive cooperativity. The relative reactivities of like-paired SH-reactive reagents were in the order: N-phenylmaleimide greater than N-ethylmaleimide; dithionitropyridine greater than dithionitrobenzoate; thiolyte-MQ greater than thiolyte-MB. The log kmod versus pH curve indicates that the pKa of SH-1 is greater than 9.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

ATP sulfurylase from the hyperthermophilic chemolithotroph Aquifex aeolicus

ATP sulfurylase from the hyperthermophilic chemolithotroph Aquifex aeolicus is a bacterial ortholog of the enzyme from filamentous fungi. (The subunit contains an adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (APS) kinase-like, C-terminal domain.) The enzyme is highly heat stable with a half-life >1h at 90 degrees C. Steady-state kinetics are consistent with a random A-B, ordered P-Q mechanism where A=MgATP, B=SO4(2-), P=PP(i), and Q=APS. The kinetic constants suggest that the enzyme is optimized to act in the direction of ATP+sulfate formation. Chlorate is competitive with sulfate and with APS. In sulfur chemolithotrophs, ATP sulfurylase provides an efficient route for recycling PP(i) produced by biosynthetic reactions. However, the protein possesses low APS kinase activity. Consequently, it may also function to produce PAPS for sulfate ester formation or sulfate assimilation when hydrogen serves as the energy source and a reduced inorganic sulfur source is unavailable.     

Sulfate-activating enzymes of Penicillium chrysogenum. The ATP sulfurylase.adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate complex does not serve as a substrate for adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate kinase

At a noninhibitory steady state concentration of adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (APS), increasing the concentration of Penicillium chrysogenum ATP sulfurylase drives the rate of the APS kinase-catalyzed reaction toward zero. The result indicates that the ATP sulfurylase.APS complex does not serve as a substrate for APS kinase, i.e. there is no "substrate channeling" of APS between the two sulfate-activating enzymes. APS kinase had no effect on the [S]0.5 values, nH values, or maximum isotope trapping in the single turnover of ATP sulfurylase-bound [35S]APS. Equimolar APS kinase (+/- MgATP or APS) also had no effect on the rate constants for the inactivation of ATP sulfurylase by phenylglyoxal, diethylpyrocarbonate, or N-ethylmaleimide. Similarly, ATP sulfurylase (+/- ligands) had no effect on the inactivation of equimolar APS kinase by trinitrobenzene sulfonate, diethylpyrocarbonate, or heat. (The last promotes the dissociation of dimeric APS kinase to inactive monomers.) ATP sulfurylase also had no effect on the reassociation of APS kinase subunits at low temperature. The cumulative results suggest that the two sulfate activating enzymes do not associate to form a "3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate synthetase" complex.     

Kinetic mechanism of the dimeric ATP sulfurylase from plants

In plants, sulfur must be obtained from the environment and assimilated into usable forms for metabolism. ATP sulfurylase catalyses the thermodynamically unfavourable formation of a mixed phosphosulfate anhydride in APS (adenosine 5′-phosphosulfate) from ATP and sulfate as the first committed step of sulfur assimilation in plants. In contrast to the multi-functional, allosterically regulated ATP sulfurylases from bacteria, fungi and mammals, the plant enzyme functions as a mono-functional, non-allosteric homodimer. Owing to these differences, here we examine the kinetic mechanism of soybean ATP sulfurylase [GmATPS1 (Glycine max (soybean) ATP sulfurylase isoform 1)]. For the forward reaction (APS synthesis), initial velocity methods indicate a single-displacement mechanism. Dead-end inhibition studies with chlorate showed competitive inhibition versus sulfate and non-competitive inhibition versus APS. Initial velocity studies of the reverse reaction (ATP synthesis) demonstrate a sequential mechanism with global fitting analysis suggesting an ordered binding of substrates. ITC (isothermal titration calorimetry) showed tight binding of APS to GmATPS1. In contrast, binding of PP_i (pyrophosphate) to GmATPS1 was not detected, although titration of the E•APS complex with PP_i in the absence of magnesium displayed ternary complex formation. These results suggest a kinetic mechanism in which ATP and APS are the first substrates bound in the forward and reverse reactions, respectively.     

A cold-adapted endo-arabinanase from Penicillium chrysogenum

Previously, three arabinan-degrading enzymes were isolated from Penicillium chrysogenum 31B. Here we describe another arabinan-degrading enzyme, termed Abnc, from the culture filtrate of the same organism. Analysis of the reaction products of debranched arabinan by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC) revealed that Abnc cleaved the substrate in an endo manner and that the final major product was arabinotriose. The molecular mass of Abnc was estimated to be 35 kDa by SDS-PAGE. Enzyme activity of Abnc was highest at pH 6.0 to 7.0. The enzyme was stable up to 30 degrees C and showed optimum activity at 30 to 40 degrees C. Compared with a mesophilic counterpart from Aspergillus niger, Abnc exhibited a lower thermal stability and optimum enzyme activity at lower temperatures. Production of Abnc in P. chrysogenum was found to be strongly induced by arabinose-containing polymers and required a longer culture time than did other arabinanase isozymes in this strain.     

Adenosinetriphosphate sulfurylase from Penicillium chrysogenum: steady-state kinetics of the forward and reverse reactions, alternative substrate kinetics, and equilibrium binding studies

The kinetics of the forward ATP sulfurylase-catalyzed reaction were examined using a new assay based on 32PPi released from [gamma-32P]MgATP in the presence of inorganic sulfate. Replots yielded Vmaxf = 6.6 units mg protein-1, KmA = 0.13 mM, Kia = 0.33 mM, and KmB = 0.55 mM, where A = MgATP and B = SO2-4. Thiosulfate, a dead-end inhibitor of the reaction, was competitive with sulfate and noncompetitive with respect to MgATP. The ratio kcat/KmA was determined for several alternative inorganic substrates, B, where A = MgATP and B = SO2-4, SeO2-4, MoO2-4, WO2-4, or CrO2-4. For SO2-4 and SeO2-4, the ratio was 5-6.5 X 10(4) M-1 S-1; for the others, the ratio was 5.8-7.3 X 10(5) M-1 S-1. The results support a random addition of MgATP and inorganic substrate. The kinetics of the reverse reaction were examined using a new assay based on 35SO2-4 release from [35S]APS (adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate) in the presence of MgPPi. Reciprocal plots were linear, intersecting below the horizontal axis. Replots yielded Vmaxr = 50 units mg protein-1, KmQ = 0.3 microM, Kiq = 0.04 microM, and KmP = 4 microM, where Q = APS and P = PPi (total of all species). MgATP and SO2-4 were both competitive with APS and noncompetitive with respect to MgPPi. Taken together with earlier results suggesting that APS is competitive with both MgATP and SO2-4 and that MgPPi is noncompetitive with respect to both substrates, the qualitative results point to a random A-B, ordered P-Q kinetic mechanism. The Scatchard plot for [35S]APS binding was curved, indicating either negative cooperativity or more than a single class of sites. [gamma-32P]MgATP displayed half-site saturation in the presence of saturating FSO-3.     

Characterization of a phenylacetate-CoA ligase from Penicillium chrysogenum

Enzymatic activation of PAA (phenylacetic acid) to phenylacetyl-CoA is an important step in the biosynthesis of the beta-lactam antibiotic penicillin G by the fungus Penicillium chrysogenum. CoA esters of PAA and POA (phenoxyacetic acid) act as acyl donors in the exchange of the aminoadipyl side chain of isopenicillin N to produce penicillin G or penicillin V. The phl gene, encoding a PCL (phenylacetate-CoA ligase), was cloned in Escherichia coli as a maltose-binding protein fusion and the biochemical properties of the enzyme were characterized. The recombinant fusion protein converted PAA into phenylacetyl-CoA in an ATP- and magnesium-dependent reaction. PCL could also activate POA, but the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme was rather low with k(cat)/K(m) values of 0.23+/-0.06 and 7.8+/-1.2 mM(-1).s(-1) for PAA and POA respectively. Surprisingly, PCL was very efficient in catalysing the conversion of trans-cinnamic acids to the corresponding CoA thioesters [k(cat)/K(m)=(3.1+/-0.4)x10(2) mM(-1).s(-1) for trans-cinnamic acid]. Of all the substrates screened, medium-chain fatty acids, which also occur as the side chains of the natural penicillins F, DF, H and K, were the best substrates for PCL. The high preference for fatty acids could be explained by a homology model of PCL that was constructed on the basis of sequence similarity with the Japanese firefly luciferase. The results suggest that PCL has evolved from a fatty-acid-activating ancestral enzyme that may have been involved in the beta-oxidation of fatty acids.     

Penicillium chrysogenum glucose oxidase -- a study on its antifungal effects

AIMS: Purification and characterization of the high molecular mass Candida albicans-killing protein secreted by Penicillium chrysogenum. METHODS AND RESULTS: The protein was purified by a combination of ultrafiltration, chromatofocusing and gel filtration. Enzymological characteristics [relative molecular mass (M(r)) = 155 000, subunit structure alpha(2) with M(r,alpha) = 76 000, isoelectric point (pI) = 5.4] were determined using SDS-PAGE and 2D-electrophoresis. N-terminal amino acid sequencing and homology search demonstrated that the antifungal protein was the glucose oxidase (GOX) of the fungus. The enzyme was cytotoxic for a series of bacteria, yeasts and filamentous fungi. Vitamin C (1.0 mg ml(-1)) prevented oxidative cell injuries triggered by 0.004 U GOX in Emericella nidulans cultures but bovine liver catalase was ineffective even at a GOX : catalase activity ratio of 0.004 : 200 U. A secondary inhibition of growth in E. nidulans cultures by the oxygen-depleting GOX-catalase system was likely to replace the primary inhibition exerted by H(2)O(2). CONCLUSIONS: Penicillium chrysogenum GOX possesses similar enzymological features to those described earlier for other Penicillium GOXs. Its cytotoxicity was dependent on the inherent antioxidant potential of the test micro-organisms. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Penicillium chrysogenum GOX may find future applications in glucose biosensor production, the disinfection of medical implants or in the food industry as an antimicrobial and/or preservative agent.     

Elicitor effects on reactive oxygen species in liquid cultures of Penicillium chrysogenum

Activity of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was investigated in liquid cultures of Penicillium chrysogenum P2 supplemented with carbohydrates. Oligosaccharides lowered the ROS activity in all samples. The greatest effect occurred when oligosaccharides were added to samples 48 h after inoculation. The ROS decrease in the presence of oligoguluronate, oligomannuronate and mannan oligosaccharides was 18%, 36% and 54%, respectively (ROS levels varied notably with culture age and type of elicitor). The polysaccharides from which the oligosaccharides were derived showed little (5-10%) overall decrease of ROS.