Replacement of an interdomain residue Val39 of Escherichia coli aspartate aminotransferase affects the catalytic competence without altering the substrate specificity of the enzyme

Three mutant Escherichia coli aspartate aminotransferases in which Val39 was changed to Ala, Leu, and Phe by site-directed mutagenesis were prepared and characterized. Among the three mutant and the wild-type enzymes, the Leu39 enzyme had the lowest Km values for dicarboxylic substrates. The Km values of the Ala39 enzyme for dicarboxylates were essentially the same as those of the wild-type (Val39) enzyme. These two mutant enzymes showed essentially the same kcat values for dicarboxylic substrates as did the wild-type enzyme. On the other hand, incorporation of a bulky side-chain at position 39 (Phe39 enzyme) decreased both the affinity (1/Km) and catalytic ability (kcat) toward dicarboxylic substrates. These results show that the position 39 residue is involved in the modulation of both the binding of dicarboxylic substrates to enzyme and the catalytic ability of the enzyme. Although the replacement of Val39 with other residues altered both the kcat and Km values toward various substrates including dicarboxylic and aromatic amino acids and the corresponding oxo acids, it did not alter the ratio of the kcat/Km value of the enzyme toward a dicarboxylic substrate to that for an aromatic substrate. The affinity for aromatic substrates was not affected by changing the residue at position 39. These data indicate that, although the side chain bulkiness of the residue at position 39 correlates well with the activity toward aromatic substrates in the sequence alignment of several aminotransferases [Seville, M., Vincent M.G., & Hahn, K. (1988) Biochemistry 27, 8344-8349], the residue does not seem to be involved in the recognition of aromatic substrates.     

Properties of mutated Rhodospirillum rubrum H+-pyrophosphatase expressed in Escherichia coli

The membrane-bound proton pumping inorganic pyrophosphate synthase/pyrophosphatase (H(+)-PPi synthase/H(+)-PPase) from the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodospirillum rubrum was functionally expressed in Escherichia coli C43(DE3) cells. Based on a new topology model of the enzyme, charged residues predicted to be located near or within the membrane were selected for site-directed mutagenesis. Several of these mutations resulted in an almost complete inactivation of the enzyme. Four mutated residues appear to show a selective impairment of proton translocation and are thus likely to be involved in coupling pyrophosphate hydrolysis with electrogenic proton pumping. Two of these mutations, R176K and E584D, caused increased tolerance to salt. In addition, the former mutation caused an increased K(m) of one order of magnitude for the hydrolysis reaction. These results and their possible implications for the enzyme function are discussed.     

产长链二元酸热带假丝酵母酸分泌过程研究

热带假丝酵母（C．tropicalis）是长链二元酸发酵生产中常用菌种。其二元酸分泌过程是烧烃代谢过程中的重要步骤,pH在7．4～8．2范围内,足够高的pH对分泌和产酸是必需的。二元酸钠盐明显不利于分泌过程。二元酸的分泌相对于胞内ω一氧化过程是快速过程。建立了一种用于研究分泌过程的方法,利用静息细胞在缓冲溶液中分泌所引起的溶液pH变化来获得酸分泌量的在线数据。     

Exogenous proline and glycinebetaine increase NaCl-induced ascorbate-glutathione cycle enzyme activities, and proline improves salt tolerance more than glycinebetaine in tobacco Bright Yellow-2 suspension-cultured cells

Up-regulation of the antioxidant system provides protection against NaCl-induced oxidative damage in plants. Antioxidants and activity of enzymes involved in the ascorbate-glutathione (ASC-GSH) cycle in tobacco Bright Yellow-2 (BY-2) were investigated to assess the antioxidant protection offered by exogenous proline and glycinebetaine (betaine from now on) against salt stress using cells grown in suspension culture. Reduced ascorbate (ASC) was detected in BY-2 cells but dehydroascorbate (DHA) was not. Large quantities of a reduced form of glutathione (GSH) and smaller quantities of an oxidized form of glutathione (GSSG) were detected in BY-2 cells. Salt stress significantly reduced the contents of ASC and GSH as well as activities of ASC-GSH cycle enzymes such as ascorbate peroxidase (APX), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), and glutathione reductase (GR). Exogenous proline or betaine increased the activities of all enzymes except MDHAR involved in NaCl-induced ASC-GSH cycle. Levels of ASC and GSH in BY-2 cells under salt stress were lower in the presence of proline or betaine than in the absence of proline or betaine whereas there was no difference in redox status. Proline proved more effective than betaine in maintaining the activity of enzymes involved in NaCl-induced ASC-GSH cycle. Neither proline nor betaine had any direct protective effect on NaCl-induced enzyme activity involved in the antioxidant system; however, both improved salt tolerance by increasing enzyme activity. The present study, together with our earlier findings [Hoque MA, Okuma E, Banu MNA, Nakamura Y, Shimoishi Y, Murata Y. Exogenous proline mitigates the detrimental effects of salt stress more than exogenous betaine by increasing antioxidant enzyme activities. J Plant Physiol 2006;164:553-61.], suggests that proline offered greater protection against salt stress than betaine did because proline was more effective in increasing the activity of enzymes involved in the antioxidant system.     

Factors contributing to the inhibition of aspartate aminotransferase by dicarboxylic acids.

At pH 8.0 aspartate aminotransferase (L-aspartate:2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase, EC 2.6.1.1) reacts with the modified substrate, erythro-beta-hydroxy-L-aspartate, to form a mixture of enzyme-substrate complexes absorbing at 492 nm. A variety of dicarboxylic acids were studied spectrophotometrically as competitive inhibitors of this reaction. All of the inhibitory dicarboxylic acids form a complex with the enzyme, absorbing at 362 nm. In addition, some of the dicarboxylic acids form a protonated complex absorbing at about 435 nm. This complex, which is the conjugate acid of that absorbing at 362 nm, is formed only by those dicarboxylic acids which can assume a configuration in which the two carboxyl groups are positioned as in maleic acid. Bulky substituents, such as aromatic rings or even methyl groups, prevent the formation of the protonated complex, presumably because of steric restrictions at the active site. Substitution of the central carbon atom of glutaric acid by heteroatoms of increasing charge density results in a progressive decrease in inhibitory effectiveness, at pH 8, primarily due to a loss of this pH-dependent stabilization of the enzyme-dicarboxylic acid complex. Acids with an aromatic ring are among the most potent dicarboxylic acid inhibitors of this enzyme in spite of the fact that they do not undergo the pH-dependent stabilization of their enzyme complexes. From these observations it was concluded that the affinity of aspartate aminotransferase for dicarboxylic acids is determined as much by the mechanism of binding as by the solvation and steric effects.     

The purified ATPase from chromaffin granule membranes is an anion-dependent proton pump

The proton-ATPase of chromaffin granules was purified so as to maintain its proton-pumping activity when reconstituted into phospholipid vesicles. The purification procedure involved solubilization with polyoxyethylene 9 lauryl ether, hydroxylapatite column, precipitation by ammonium sulfate, and glycerol gradient centrifugation. The protease inhibitor mixture used in previous studies inhibited the proton-pumping activity of the enzyme; therefore, the protein was stabilized by pepstatin A and leupeptin. The enzyme was purified at least 50-fold with respect to both ATPase and proton-pumping activity. The ATP-dependent proton uptake activity of the reconstituted enzyme was absolutely dependent on the presence of Cl- or Br- outside the vesicles, whereas sulfate, acetate, formate, nitrate, and thiocyanate were inhibitory. Sulfate inhibition seems to be due to competition with Cl- on the anion-binding site outside the vesicles, whereas nitrate and thiocyanate inhibited only from the internal side. As with the inhibition by N-ethylmaleimide, the proton-pumping activity was much more sensitive to nitrate than the ATPase activity. About 20 mM nitrate were sufficient for 90% inhibition of the proton-pumping activity while 100 mM inhibited only 50% of the ATPase activity both in situ and in the reconstituted enzyme. The possible regulatory effect of anions on the ATP-dependent proton uptake in secretory granules is discussed.     

Characterization of a proton translocating ATPase and sucrose uptake in a tonoplast-enriched vesicle fraction from sugarcane

A sucrose gradient fraction was used to characterize the tonoplast ATPase from storage tissue of the sugarcane plant ( Saccharum sp. var. H57–5175). Marker enzyme analyses and characterization of low-density vesicles isolated on a sucrose gradient were consistent with a highly enriched tonoplast fraction. ATPase and proton transport activities were both substantially inhibited by nitrate (80%), but very little by vanadate (10%), indicating a high titer of tonoplast compared to plasma-membrane vesicles in the fraction. Sensitivity toward other inhibitors, as well as ion effects, correlated closely among ATPase and proton translocation activities. Although the vesicles in this fraction showed good proton translocating activity there was no indication that ATP stimulated sucrose uptake in this tonoplast population.     

The role of salt bridges on the temperature adaptation of aqualysin I,a thermostable subtilisin-like proteinase

Differences in salt bridges are believed to be a structural hallmark of homologous enzymes from differently temperature-adapted organisms. Nevertheless, the role of salt bridges on structural stability is still controversial. While it is clear that most buried salt bridges can have a functional or structural role, the same cannot be firmly stated for ion pairs that are exposed on the protein surface. Salt bridges, found in X-ray structures, may not be stably formed in solution as a result of high flexibility or high desolvation penalty. More studies are thus needed to clarify the picture on salt bridges and temperature adaptation. We contribute here to this scenario by combining atomistic simulations and experimental mutagenesis of eight mutant variants of aqualysin I, a thermophilic subtilisin-like proteinase, in which the residues involved in salt bridges and not conserved in a psychrophilic homolog were systematically mutated. We evaluated the effects of those mutations on thermal stability and on the kinetic parameters.Overall, we show here that only few key charged residues involved in salt bridges really contribute to the enzyme thermal stability. This is especially true when they are organized in networks, as here attested by the D17N mutation, which has the most remarkable effect on stability. Other mutations had smaller effects on the properties of the enzyme indicating that most of the isolated salt bridges are not a distinctive trait related to the enhanced thermal stability of the thermophilic subtilase.     

Effect of salt and drought stress on antioxidant enzymes activities and SOD isoenzymes of liquorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch)

The effects of salinity and drought on the antioxidative system (SOD, POD, CAT) were studied in liquorice seedlings (Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch). The results showed that both salt and drought stresses could induce oxidative stress, as indicated by the increase level of lipid peroxidation. The activities of SOD and POD were up-regulated by salt and drought stress, while CAT activity decreased. An additional MnSOD isoenzyme was detected in liquorice subjected to 2%NaCl stress. The data also showed that although the activity of SOD was differentially influenced by drought and salinity, the changes of antioxidant enzyme activities subjected to drought stress follow a pattern similar to that subjected to salt stress, indicating that similar defensive systems might be involved in the oxidative stress injury in liquorice.     

Effects of replacement of tryptophan-140 by phenylalanine or glycine on the function of Escherichia coli aspartate aminotransferase

Trp140 of E. coli aspartate aminotransferase has been converted to Phe or Gly by site-directed mutagenesis. As compared to the wild-type enzyme, either of the mutant enzymes showed 10- to 100-fold increase in Km's for natural dicarboxylic substrates, but did not show appreciable changes in Km's for aromatic substrates. Teh kcat values for dicarboxylic and aromatic substrates were greatly decreased by [Trp140----Gly] mutation, but were decreased to lesser extents by [Trp140----Phe] mutation. These findings suggested that N(1) of Trp140 may not be essential for catalysis, but may be partly involved in the binding of the distal carboxylate group of the dicarboxylic substrates.     

Differential characteristics of the cytosol and mitochondrial isozymes of malic enzyme from bovine brain. Effects of dicarboxylic acids and sulfhydryl reagents

The cytosol and mitochondrial isozymes of bovine brain malic enzyme were studied with respect to their sensitivity towards a series of dicarboxylic acids and sulfhydryl reagents. While no effects were obtained with the dicarboxylic acids in the case of the cytosol enzyme, the activity of the mitochondrial variant was increased considerably when either succinate, 2-mercaptosuccinate, or l-aspartate were tested at low concentrations of l-malate. The activation was associated with a clear decrease in the Hill coefficient for l-malate, and this has been taken as an indication of the presence of an allosteric site on the mitochondrial enzyme. The presence of l-malate or a dicarboxylate anion analog is required at this site in order to achieve optimal velocity. The activators were also effective in increasing the reductive carboxylation of pyruvate by the mitochondrial enzyme and had no effect on the cytosol variant. The two isozymes also showed a clear differential sensitivity to 5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) and Hg²⁺, since the mitochondrial malic enzyme was inhibited by concentrations of these reagents far below those required in order to achieve an effect on the activity of the malic enzyme found in the cytosol.     

Dicarboxylic acid transport in Bradyrhizobium japonicum: use of Rhizobium meliloti dct gene(s) to enhance nitrogen fixation.

A recombinant plasmid encoding Rhizobium meliloti sequences involved in dicarboxylic acid transport (plasmid pRK290:4:46) (E. Bolton, B. Higgisson, A. Harrington, and F. O'Gara, Arch. Microbiol. 144:142-146, 1986) was used to study the relationship between dicarboxylic acid transport and nitrogen fixation in Bradyrhizobium japonicum. The expression of the dct sequences on plasmid pRK290:4:46 in B. japonicum CJ1 resulted in increased growth rates in media containing dicarboxylic acids as the sole source of carbon. In addition, strain CJ1(pRK290:4:46) exhibited enhanced succinate uptake activity when grown on dicarboxylic acids under aerobic conditions. Under free-living nitrogen-fixing conditions, strain CJ1(pRK290:4:46) exhibited higher nitrogenase (acetylene reduction) activity compared with that of the wild-type strain. This increase in nitrogenase activity also correlated with an enhanced dicarboxylic acid uptake rate under these microaerobic conditions. The regulation of dicarboxylic acid transport by factors such as metabolic inhibitors and the presence of additional carbon sources was similar in both the wild-type and the engineered strains. The implications of increasing nitrogenase activity through alterations in the dicarboxylic acid transport system are discussed.     

盐及干旱胁迫对油菜抗氧化系统和RbohC、RbohF基因表达的影响

以白菜型油菜‘陇油6号’和‘天油2号’为试验材料,经MAPK抑制剂U0126、H_2O_2清除剂DMTU、NADPH氧化酶抑制剂DPI和IMD预处理后再分别进行盐胁迫、PEG-6000模拟干旱胁迫,研究其对两种油菜幼苗活性氧、抗氧化酶活性和RbohC、RbohF基因表达的影响.结果表明:盐胁迫和PEG-6000模拟干旱胁迫下,两种白菜型油菜中H_2O_2积累量上升,O_2^-·积累量下降,抗氧化酶(超氧化物歧化酶SOD、过氧化氢酶CAT、抗坏血酸过氧化物酶APX和谷胱甘肽还原酶GR)活性和RbohC、RbohF基因表达均升高.与单独胁迫处理相比,两种油菜O_2^-·积累、抗氧化酶活性和RbohC、RbohF基因的表达量均明显降低,经DMTU、DPI和IMD预处理后再分别进行盐和干旱胁迫,H_2O_2积累量下降,但U0126预处理后再进行胁迫处理,H_2O_2积累量上升.说明NADPH氧化酶、MAP激酶级联途径、H_2O_2参与了盐、干旱胁迫下活性氧产生、抗氧化酶活性变化和RbohC、RbohF基因表达的调控.     

盐及干旱胁迫对油菜抗氧化系统和RbohC、RbohF基因表达的影响

以白菜型油菜‘陇油6号’和‘天油2号’为试验材料,经MAPK抑制剂U0126、H₂O₂清除剂DMTU、NADPH氧化酶抑制剂DPI和IMD预处理后再分别进行盐胁迫、PEG-6000模拟干旱胁迫,研究其对两种油菜幼苗活性氧、抗氧化酶活性和RbohC、RbohF基因表达的影响.结果表明: 盐胁迫和PEG-6000模拟干旱胁迫下,两种白菜型油菜中H₂O₂积累量上升,O₂^-·积累量下降,抗氧化酶(超氧化物歧化酶SOD、过氧化氢酶CAT、抗坏血酸过氧化物酶APX和谷胱甘肽还原酶GR)活性和RbohC、RbohF基因表达均升高.与单独胁迫处理相比,两种油菜O₂^-·积累、抗氧化酶活性和RbohC、RbohF基因的表达量均明显降低,经DMTU、DPI和IMD预处理后再分别进行盐和干旱胁迫,H₂O₂积累量下降,但U0126预处理后再进行胁迫处理,H₂O₂积累量上升.说明NADPH氧化酶、MAP激酶级联途径、H₂O₂参与了盐、干旱胁迫下活性氧产生、抗氧化酶活性变化和RbohC、RbohF基因表达的调控.     

Transcriptome profiling of genes involved in photosynthesis in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Elaeagnus angustifolia</Emphasis> L. under salt stress

High salt concentration is a major abiotic stress limiting plant growth and productivity in many areas of the world. Elaeagnus angustifolia L. adapts to adverse environments and is widely planted in the western region of China as a windbreaker and for landscape and soil stabilization. High salt concentrations inhibited photosynthesis of E. angustifolia, but the mechanism is not known. In this paper, RNA-sequencing was used to investigate effects of salt stress on the photosynthetic characteristics of the species. In total, 584 genes were identified and involved in photosynthetic pathways. The downregulation of genes that encode key enzymes involved in photosynthesis and genes correlated to important structures in photosystem and light-harvesting complexes might be the main reason, particularly, the downregulation of the gene that encodes magnesium chelatase. This would decrease the activity of enzymes involved in chlorophyll synthesis and the downregulation of the key gene that encodes Rubisco, and thereby decreases enzyme activity and the protein content of Rubisco.     

A study of ligand binding to spleen myeloperoxidase

The ligand binding properties of spleen myeloperoxidase, a peroxidase formerly called "the spleen green hemeprotein", were studied as functions of temperature and pH, using chloride and cyanide as exogenous ligands. Ligand binding is influenced by a proton dissociable group with a pKa of 4. The protonated, uncharged form of cyanide binds to the unprotonated form of the enzyme, while chloride ion binds to the enzyme when this group is protonated. In both cyanide and chloride binding, the pH-dependent change in the apparent ligand affinity is due to a change in the apparent association rate with pH. The proton dissociable group on the enzyme involved in ligand binding has a delta H value of about 8 kcal . mol-1. The present results suggest that this ionizable group is the imidazole group of a histidine residue located near the ligand binding site.     

Heparin and the solubilization of asymmetric acetylcholinesterase

Heparin solubilizes asymmetric acetylcholinesterase, from chick skeletal muscle and retina, as a 24 S complex which is quantitatively converted to conventional asymmetric molecular forms of the enzyme (A12 and A8, either class I or class II) upon exposure to high salt. The simultaneous presence of salt and heparin in the homogenization medium selectively prevents, however, the release of class II A-forms in both muscle and retina. Heparin may generally act by displacing native proteoglycans involved in the attachment of the enzyme tail to the extracellular matrix, or its neural equivalent, being in turn removed by salt to yield typical asymmetric enzyme forms. Heparin would also appear to displace some other molecules specifically involved in the EDTA-sensitive attachment of class II tailed forms, this effect being antagonized by salt.     

Electrogenicity of the lysosomal proton pump

Using acridine orange as a pH gradient probe, the effects of valinomycin and FCCP on the pH gradient across lysosomal membranes in an ATP-free medium as well as on the rate of the inward ATP-driven proton translocation were investigated. Both lysosome-enriched and highly purified lysosomal preparations from rat liver were used with identical results. Ionophore effects were found to be different depending upon whether passive ion fluxes or ATP-driven H+ translocation were involved and supported the existence of a membrane potential in the latter case. Anions stimulated the rate of ATP-driven proton translocation and stimulation increased with increasing anion lipophilicity. These results strongly support the electrogenic nature of the lysosomal proton pump.     

Kinetic characterization of yeast pyruvate carboxylase isozyme Pyc1 and the Pyc1 mutant, C249A

The yeast Pyc1 isoform of pyruvate carboxylase has been further characterized and shown to differ from the Pyc2 isoform in its K(a) for K(+) activation. Pyc1 differs from chicken liver pyruvate carboxylase in the lack of effect of acetyl-CoA on ADP phosphorylation by carbamoyl phosphate, which may be a result of differences in the loci of action of the effector between the two enzymes. Solvent D(2)O isotope effects have been measured with Pyc1 on the full pyruvate carboxylation reaction, the ATPase reaction in the absence of pyruvate, and the carbamoyl phosphate-ADP phosphorylation reaction for the first time for pyruvate carboxylase. Proton inventories indicate that the measured isotope effects are due to a single proton transfer step in the reaction. The inverse isotope effects observed in all reactions suggest that the proton transfer step converts the enzyme from an inactive to an active form. Kinetic measurements on the C249A mutant enzyme suggest that C249 is involved in the binding and action of enzyme activators K(+) and acetyl-CoA. C249 is not involved in ATP binding as was observed for the corresponding residue in the biotin carboxylase subunit of Escherichia coli acetyl-CoA carboxylase, nor is it directly responsible for the measured inverse (D)(k(cat)/K(m)) isotope effects. The size of the inverse isotope effects indicates that they may result from formation of a low-barrier hydrogen bond. Modification of the wild type and C249A mutant with o-phthalaldehyde suggests that C249 is involved in isoindole formation but that the modification of this residue is not directly responsible for the accompanying major loss of enzyme activity.     

Succinate uptake and related proton movements in Escherichia coli K12.

1. The apparent Km values for succinate uptake by whole cells of Escherichia coli K12 depend on pH in the range 6.5-7.4.2. Uptake of succinate in lightly buffered medium is accompanied by proton uptake. 3. The apparent Km values for succinate uptake and for succinate-induced proton uptake are similar. 4. Approximately two protons enter the cell with each succinate molecule. 5. The pattern of inhibition of succinate uptake is similar to that of succinate-induced proton uptake. 6. Uptake of fumarate and malate, which share the succinate-transport system, is also accompanied by the uptake of approximately two protons per molecule of fumarate or malate. 7. Uptake of aspartate by the dicarboxylic acid-transport system is accompanied by the uptake of approximatley two protons per molecule of asparatate. 8. It is concluded that uptake of dicarboxylic acids by the dicarboxylic acid-transport system is obligatorily coupled to proton uptake such that succinate, malate and fumarate are taken up in electroneutral form and asparate is taken up in cationic form. 9. These results are consistent with, though they do not definitely prove, the energization of succinate uptake of the deltapH.