Characterization of human D-amino acid oxidase

D-Amino acid oxidase (DAAO) has been proposed to be involved in the oxidation of D-serine, an allosteric activator of the NMDA-type glutamate receptor in the brain, and to be associated with the onset of schizophrenia. The recombinant human DAAO was expressed in Escherichia coli and was isolated as an active homodimeric flavoenzyme. It shows the properties of the dehydrogenase-oxidase class of flavoproteins, possesses a low kinetic efficiency, and follows a ternary complex (sequential) kinetic mechanism. In contrast to the other known DAAOs, the human enzyme is a stable homodimer even in the apoprotein form and weakly binds the cofactor in the free form.     

Structural basis of D-DOPA oxidation by D-amino acid oxidase: alternative pathway for dopamine biosynthesis

D-amino acid oxidase (DAO) degrades the gliotransmitter D-serine, a potent endogenous ligand of N-methyl-D-aspartate type glutamate receptors. It also has been suggested that D-DOPA, the stereoisomer of L-DOPA, is oxidized by DAO and then converted to dopamine via an alternative biosynthetic pathway. Here, we provide direct crystallographic evidence that D-DOPA is readily fitted into the active site of human DAO, where it is oxidized by the enzyme. Moreover, our kinetic data show that the maximal velocity for oxidation of D-DOPA is much greater than for D-serine, which strongly supports the proposed alternative pathway for dopamine biosynthesis in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. In addition, determination of the structures of human DAO in various states revealed that the conformation of the hydrophobic VAAGL stretch (residues 47-51) to be uniquely stable in the human enzyme, which provides a structural basis for the unique kinetic features of human DAO.     

Molecular characterization of D-amino acid oxidase from common carp Cyprinus carpio and its induction with exogenous free D-alanine

A full-length cDNA encoding D-amino acid oxidase (DAO, EC 1.4.3.3) was cloned and sequenced from the hepatopancreas of carp fed a diet supplemented with D-alanine. This clone contained an open reading frame encoding 347 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence exhibited about 60 and 19-29% identity to mammalian and microbial DAOs, respectively. The expression of full-length carp DAO cDNA in Escherichia coli resulted in a significant level of protein with DAO activity. In carp fed the diet with D-alanine for 14 days, DAO mRNA was strongly expressed in intestine followed by hepatopancreas and kidney, but not in muscle. During D-alanine administration, DAO gene was expressed quickly in hepatopancreas with the increase of DAO activity. The inducible nature of carp DAO indicates that it plays an important physiological role in metabolizing exogenous D-alanine that is abundant in their prey invertebrates, crustaceans, and mollusks.     

Simultaneous measurement of D-serine dehydratase and d-amino acid oxidase activities by the detection of 2-oxo-acid formation with reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) play critical roles in excitatory synaptic transmission in the vertebrate central nervous system. NMDARs need D-serine for their channel activities in various brain regions. In mammalian brains, D-serine is produced from L-serine by serine racemase and degraded by D-amino acid oxidase (DAO) to 3-hydroxypyruvate. In avian organs, such as the kidney, in addition to DAO, D-serine is also degraded to pyruvate by D-serine dehydratase (DSD). To examine the roles of these two enzymes in avian brains, we developed a method to simultaneously measure DAO and DSD activities. First, the keto acids produced from D-serine were derivatized with 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone to stable azines. Second, the azine derivatives were quantified by means of reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography using 2-oxoglutarate as an internal standard. This method allowed the simultaneous detection of DAO and DSD activities as low as 100 pmol/min/mg protein. Chicken brain showed only DSD activities (0.4+/-0.2 nmol/min/mg protein) whereas rat brain exhibited only DAO activities (0.7+/-0.1 nmol/min/mg protein). This result strongly suggests that DSD plays the same role in avian brains, as DAO plays in mammalian brains. The present method is applicable to other keto acids producing enzymes with minor modifications.     

The presence of high concentrations of free D-amino acids in human saliva

Free neutral D-amino acids have previously been detected in human plasma, usually accounting for less than 2% of the total free amino acid concentration (D-amino acid ratio) [Nagata, Y., Masui, R., Akino, T., 1992a. The presence of free D-serine, D-alanine and D-proline in human plasma. Experientia 48, 986-988. Nagata, Y., Yamamoto, K., Shimojo, T., 1992b. Determination of D- and L-amino acids in mouse kidney by high-performance liquid chromatography. Journal of Chromatography 575, 147-152. Nagata, Y., Yamamoto, K., Shimojo, T., Konno, R., Yasumura, Y., Akino, T., 1992c. The presence of free D-alanine, D-proline and D-serine in mice. Biochimca et Biiophysica Acta 1115, 208-211]. In the present study to search for the source of free D-amino acids, D- and L-enantiomers of the major non-essential amino acids, i.e., the free form of serine, alanine, proline, aspartate and glutamate were analyzed by HPLC in human saliva, submandibular glands and oral epithelial cells. The D-enantiomer ratios to total of free alanine or proline were 35% and 20%, respectively, in saliva. The ratios of the other D-amino acids were less than 11%. The effect of ingested food and oral bacteria on the saliva amino acid levels was suggested to be insignificant. D-Alanine and d-aspartate were also detected in the submandibular gland in ratios up to 5%, and D-alanine and d-proline were found in oral epithelial cells in ratios of 18% and 5%, respectively. The submandibular gland and oral epithelial cells are suggested to be possible sources of the saliva D-alanine and D-aspartate.     

Solution structure of the all L- and D-amino acid-substituted mucin 2 epitope peptides

High-molecular-weight mucin 2 (MUC2) glycoproteins show an aberrant glycosylation pattern when expressed in human colon carcinoma: the oligosaccharide chains are shorter and some are missing. In our ongoing effort of MUC2 vaccine development, we have solved the NMR structure of the all L-amino acid and various D-amino acid-substituted derivatives of the peptide TPTPTGTQTPT, previously identified as an epitope within the tandem repeat unit of the MUC2 glycoprotein. In the all L-amino acid containing peptide and in peptide tpTPTGTQtpt (where lowercase letters mark the position of D-amino acids) we identified a type I beta-turn spanning through residues (3)TPTG(6) and (5)TGTQ(8), respectively. Our structural findings are in good agreement with the antibody recognition properties of the investigated peptides and demonstrate that peptides with good stability against enzymatic degradation can be designed with good antibody binding characteristics.     

Enzymatic synthesis of D-glucosaminic acid from D-glucosamine

D-glucosaminic acid (2-amino-2-deoxy-D-gluconic acid), a component of bacterial lipopolysaccharides and a chiral synthon, is easily prepared on a multigram scale by air oxidation of D-glucosamine (2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucose) catalysed by glucose oxidase.     

D-Erythroascorbic acid activates cyanide-resistant respiration in Candida albicans

Higher plants, protists and fungi possess cyanide-resistant respiratory pathway, which is mediated by alternative oxidase (AOX). The activity of AOX has been found to be dependent on several regulatory mechanisms including gene expression and posttranslational regulation. In the present study, we report that the presence of cyanide in culture medium remarkably retarded the growth of alo1/alo1 mutant of Candida albicans, which lacks d-arabinono-1,4-lactone oxidase (ALO) that catalyzes the final step of d-erythroascorbic acid (EASC) biosynthesis. Measurement of respiratory activity and Western blot analysis revealed that increase in the intracellular EASC level induces the expression of AOX in C. albicans. AOX could still be induced by antimycin A, a respiratory inhibitor, in the absence of EASC, suggesting that several factors may act in parallel pathways to induce the expression of AOX. Taken together, our results suggest that EASC plays important roles in activation of cyanide-resistant respiration in C. albicans.     

A highly specific glyoxylate reductase derived from a formate dehydrogenase

A Glu141Asn mutant Paracoccus sp. 12-A formate dehydrogenase catalyzes marked glyoxylate reduction. Additional replacement of the His332-Gln313 pair with His-Glu, which is a consensus acid/base catalyst in D-hydroxyacid dehydrogenases, further improved the catalytic activity of the enzyme as to glyoxylate reduction through enhancement of the hydrogen transfer step in the catalytic process, slightly shifting the optimal pH for the reaction. On the other hand, the replacement induced no marked activity toward other 2-ketoacid substrates, and diminished the enzyme activity as to formate oxidation. Consequently, the formate dehydrogenase was converted to a highly specific and active glyoxylate reductase through only the two amino acid replacements.     

NAD+-specific D-arabinose dehydrogenase and its contribution to erythroascorbic acid production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Erythroascorbic acid (eAsA) is a five-carbon analog of ascorbic acid, and it is synthesized from D-arabinose by D-arabinose dehydrogenase (ARA) and D-arabinono-gamma-lactone oxidase. We found an NAD+-specific ARA activity which is operative under submillimolar level of d-arabinose in the extracts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The hypothetical protein encoded by YMR041c showed a significant homology to a l-galactose dehydrogenase which plays in plant ascorbic acid biosynthesis, and we named it as Ara2p. Recombinant Ara2p showed NAD+-specific ARA activity with Km=0.78 mM to d-arabinose, which is 200-fold lower than that for the conventional NADP+-specific ARA, Ara1p. Gene disruptant of ARA2 lost entire NAD+-specific ARA activity and the conspicuous increase in intracellular eAsA by exogenous d-arabinose feeding, while the double knockout mutant of ARA1 and ARA2 still retained measurable amount of eAsA. It demonstrates that Ara2p, not Ara1p, mainly contributes to the production of eAsA from d-arabinose in S. cerevisiae.     

Melting behaviour of D-sucrose, D-glucose and D-fructose

The melting behaviour of d-sucrose, d-glucose and d-fructose was studied. The melting peaks were determined with DSC and the start of decomposition was studied with TG at different rates of heating. In addition, melting points were determined with a melting point apparatus. The samples were identified as d-sucrose, alpha-d-glucopyranose and beta-d-fructopyranose by powder diffraction measurements. There were differences in melting between the different samples of the same sugar and the rate of heating had a remarkable effect on the melting behaviour. For example, T(o), DeltaH(f) and T(i) (initial temperature of decomposition) at a 1 degrees Cmin(-1) rate of heating were 184.5 degrees C, 126.6Jg(-1) and 171.3 degrees C for d-sucrose, 146.5 degrees C, 185.4Jg(-1) and 152.0 degrees C for d-glucose and 112.7 degrees C, 154.1Jg(-1) and 113.9 degrees C for d-fructose. The same parameters at 10 degrees Cmin(-1) rate of heating were 188.9 degrees C, 134.4Jg(-1) and 189.2 degrees C for d-sucrose, 155.2 degrees C, 194.3Jg(-1) and 170.3 degrees C for d-glucose and 125.7 degrees C, 176.7Jg(-1) and 136.8 degrees C d-fructose. At slow rates of heating, there were substantial differences between the different samples of the same sugar. The melting point determination is a sensitive method for the characterization of crystal quality but it cannot be used alone for the identification of sugar samples in all cases. Therefore, the melting point method should be validated for different sugars.     

Antimicrobial action of achacin is mediated by L-amino acid oxidase activity

Achacin is an antibacterial glycoprotein purified from the mucus of the giant snail, Achatina fulica Férussac, as a humoral defense factor. We showed that achacin has L-amino acid oxidase activity and can generate cytotoxic H(2)O(2); however, the concentration of H(2)O(2) was not sufficient to kill bacteria. The antibacterial activity of achacin was inhibited by various H(2)O(2) scavengers. Immunochemical analysis revealed that achacin was preferentially bound to growth-phase bacteria, accounting for the important role in growth-phase-dependent antibacterial activity of achacin. Achacin may act as an important defense molecule against invading bacteria.     

High-throughput screening assay for D-amino acid oxidase

A membrane-based high-throughput screening (HTS) assay for active d-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) in liquid samples as well as in intact Escherichia coli cells has been developed and optimized. The detection limit of the assay was less than 1 ng per sample. The method proposed can be used for quantitative DAAO determination in the range of 0.13 to 3.60 ng enzyme per probe. The protocol was successfully tested to screen a library of E. coli clones containing mutant DAAOs active toward target substrates.     

Structural adaptation of the glycophorin A transmembrane homodimer to D-amino acid modifications

Protein-protein recognition is an essential process in life. The chemistry of these kind of interactions is predominantly stereospecific (i.e. receptor-ligand, antibody-hapten binding). Here, we investigated whether the hydrophobic nature of the membrane affects this stereospecificity. To this end, we synthesized a diastereomer analogue (2D-GPA) of the glycophorin A transmembrane helix, with two l-valine residues replaced by their d-enantiomer. This ensures a disruption of the secondary structure. We investigated the ability of the diastereomer peptide to recognize the GPA chimera in the ToxR homodimer reporting system, in vivo. The peptide demonstrated a dose-dependent dominant negative effect on the GPA transmembrane in the bacterial ToxR system, suggesting a wild-type like interaction. This result was corroborated in vitro by fluorescence energy transfer between 2D-GPA and all-l GPA. Peptide binding to the bacteria was confirmed through confocal imaging, and Western blot confirmed that ToxR GPA receptor levels are not affected by the presence of the exogenous peptide. In order to understand the structural basis for heterodimer formation, homodimer and heterodimer structures, based on the NMR 3D structure of GPA, were subjected to a molecular dynamics simulation. The resulting heterodimer structure maintained most of the original inter-helical interactions, and its structure is similar to that of the homodimer. We postulate that the need to satisfy all H-bonds can compensate for the structural strain induced by the presence of the d-amino acid residues.     

Synthesis and surface-active properties of a new class of surfactants derived from D-gluconic acid

Novel sugar-based surfactants were synthesized starting from D-gluconolactone. Three different functional groups were used to link the sugar moiety and the hydrophobic part. The physico-chemical properties for the use as adjuvant for pesticidal formulations of one of these compounds were evaluated and compared.     

Yeast D-amino acid oxidase: structural basis of its catalytic properties

The 3D structure of the flavoprotein D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) from the yeast Rhodotorula gracilis (RgDAAO) in complex with the competitive inhibitor anthranilate was solved (resolution 1.9A) and structural features relevant for the overall conformation and for catalytic activity are described. The FAD is bound in an elongated conformation in the core of the enzyme. Two anthranilate molecules are found within the active site cavity; one is located in a funnel forming the entrance, and the second is in contact with the flavin. The anchoring of the ligand carboxylate with Arg285 and Tyr223 is found for all complexes studied. However, while the active site group Tyr238-OH interacts with the carboxylate in the case of the substrate D-alanine, of D-CF(3)-alanine, or of L-lactate, in the anthranilate complex the phenol group rotates around the C2-C3 bond thus opening the entrance of the active site, and interacts there with the second bound anthranilate. This movement serves in channeling substrate to the bottom of the active site, the locus of chemical catalysis. The absence in RgDAAO of the "lid" covering the active site, as found in mammalian DAAO, is interpreted as being at the origin of the differences in kinetic mechanism between the two enzymes. This lid has been proposed to regulate product dissociation in the latter, while the side-chain of Tyr238 might exert a similar role in RgDAAO. The more open active site architecture of RgDAAO is the origin of its much broader substrate specificity. The RgDAAO enzyme forms a homodimer with C2 symmetry that is different from that reported for mammalian D-amino acid oxidase. This different mode of aggregation probably causes the differences in stability and tightness of FAD cofactor binding between the DAAOs from different sources.     

Identification of a D-amino acid decapeptide HIV-1 entry inhibitor

Entry of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) virion into host cells involves three major steps, each being a potential target for the development of entry inhibitors: gp120 binding to CD4, gp120-CD4 complex interacting with a coreceptor, and gp41 refolding to form a six-helix bundle. Using a D-amino acid decapeptide combinatorial library, we identified peptide dC13 as having potent HIV-1 fusion inhibitory activity, and effectively inhibiting infection by several laboratory-adapted and primary HIV-1 strains. While dC13 did not block binding of gp120 to CD4, nor disrupt the gp41 six-helix bundle formation, it effectively blocked the binding of an anti-CXCR4 monoclonal antibody and chemokine SDF-1alpha to CXCR4-expressing cells. However, because R5-using primary viruses were also neutralized, the antiviral activity of dC13 implies additional mode(s) of action. These results suggest that dC13 is a useful HIV-1 coreceptor antagonist for CXCR4 and, due to its biostability and simplicity, may be of value for developing a new class of HIV-1 entry inhibitors.     

Base catalysed isomerisation of aldoses of the arabino and lyxo series in the presence of aluminate

Base-catalysed isomerisation of aldoses of the arabino and lyxo series in aluminate solution has been investigated. L-Arabinose and D-galactose give L-erythro-2-pentulose (L-ribulose) and D-lyxo-2-hexulose (D-tagatose), respectively, in good yields, whereas lower reactivity is observed for 6-deoxy-D-galactose (D-fucose). From D-lyxose, D-mannose and 6-deoxy-L-mannose (L-rhamnose) are obtained mixtures of ketoses and C-2 epimeric aldoses. Small amounts of the 3-epimers of the ketoses were also formed. 6-Deoxy-L-arabino-2-hexulose (6-deoxy-L-fructose) and 6-deoxy-L-glucose (L-quinovose) were formed in low yields from 6-deoxy-L-mannose and isolated as their O-isopropylidene derivatives. Explanations of the differences in reactivity and course of the reaction have been suggested on the basis of steric effects.     

Ni(II) complexes with Schiff bases derived from amino sugars

It was found by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy that the Schiff base, 2-deoxy-2-(2-hydroxybenzaldimino)-D-glucopyranose exhibits enol-imine-keto-amine and anomeric equilibria in methanolic, and in dimethyl sulfoxide solutions. The reaction of the Schiff base with nickel acetate gave the bidentate, mononuclear Ni(II) complex that was characterized by spectroscopic methods and by cyclic voltammetry. The coordination of the Schiff base to the metal is through the enol-imine tautomeric form, and the anomeric equilibrium remains in dimethyl sulfoxide solutions. This complex was also obtained by reaction of D-glucosamine with Ni(II) salicylaldehydate. The same reaction was employed for the synthesis of bis-N-[2-deoxy-D-galactopyranosyl-2-(2-hydroxybenzaldiminate)]Ni(II). The small paramagnetic shifts of the 1H NMR resonances of the complexes suggest that paramagnetic species are present in low proportions.     

Levels of D-serine in the brain and peripheral organs of serine racemase (Srr) knock-out mice

d-Serine, an endogenous co-agonist of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, plays an important role in mammalian brain neurotransmission, via the NMDA receptor. d-Serine is synthesized from l-serine by the pyridoxal-5′ phosphate-dependent enzyme serine racemase (SRR), and d-serine is metabolized by d-amino acid oxidase (DAAO). In this study, we measured levels of the neurotransmission related amino acids, d-serine, l-serine, glycine, glutamine and glutamate in the frontal cortex, hippocampus, striatum and cerebellum as well as in peripheral tissues of blood, heart, pancreas, spleen, liver, kidney, testis, epididymis, heart, lung, muscle and eyeball, in wild-type (WT) and Srr-knockout (Srr-KO) mice. Levels of d-serine in the frontal cortex, hippocampus, and striatum of Srr-KO mice were significantly lower than in WT mice, while levels in the cerebellum stayed the same. In contrast, levels of l-serine, glycine, glutamine and glutamate remained the same in all tested brain regions. In vivo microdialysis using free-moving mice showed that extracellular levels of d-serine in the hippocampus of Srr-KO mice were significantly lower than in WT mice while the other amino acid levels remained the same between mice. In peripheral organs, levels of d-serine in the kidney, testis, and muscle of Srr-KO mice were significantly lower than in WT mice. Tissue levels of the other tested amino acids in peripheral organs were not altered. These results suggest that SRR is the major enzyme responsible for d-serine production in the mouse forebrain, and that other pathways of d-serine production may exist in the brain and peripheral organs.