Hyperthermophilic DNA Methyltransferase M.PabI from the Archaeon Pyrococcus abyssi

Genome sequence comparisons among multiple species of Pyrococcus, a hyperthermophilic archaeon, revealed a linkage between a putative restriction-modification gene complex and several large genome polymorphisms/rearrangements. From a region apparently inserted into the Pyrococcus abyssi genome, a hyperthermoresistant restriction enzyme [PabI; 5′-(GTA/C)] with a novel structure was discovered. In the present work, the neighboring methyltransferase homologue, M.PabI, was characterized. Its N-terminal half showed high similarities to the M subunit of type I systems and a modification enzyme of an atypical type II system, M.AhdI, while its C-terminal half showed high similarity to the S subunit of type I systems. M.PabI expressed within Escherichia coli protected PabI sites from RsaI, a PabI isoschizomer. M.PabI, purified following overexpression, was shown to generate 5′-GTm6AC, which provides protection against PabI digestion. M.PabI was found to be highly thermophilic; it showed methylation at 95°C and retained at least half the activity after 9 min at 95°C. This hyperthermophilicity allowed us to obtain activation energy and other thermodynamic parameters for the first time for any DNA methyltransferases. We also determined the kinetic parameters of k_cat, K_{m, DNA}, and K_{m, AdoMet}. The activity of M.PabI was optimal at a slightly acidic pH and at an NaCl concentration of 200 to 500 mM and was inhibited by Zn²⁺ but not by Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, or Mn²⁺. These and previous results suggest that this unique methyltransferase and PabI constitute a type II restriction-modification gene complex that inserted into the P. abyssi genome relatively recently. As the most thermophilic of all the characterized DNA methyltransferases, M.PabI may help in the analysis of DNA methylation and its application to DNA engineering.     

Kinetics of Phosphomevalonate Kinase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The mevalonate-based isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway is responsible for producing cholesterol in humans and is used commercially to produce drugs, chemicals, and fuels. Heterologous expression of this pathway in Escherichia coli has enabled high-level production of the antimalarial drug artemisinin and the proposed biofuel bisabolane. Understanding the kinetics of the enzymes in the biosynthetic pathway is critical to optimize the pathway for high flux. We have characterized the kinetic parameters of phosphomevalonate kinase (PMK, EC 2.7.4.2) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a previously unstudied enzyme. An E. coli codon-optimized version of the S. cerevisiae gene was cloned into pET-52b+, then the C-terminal 6X His-tagged protein was expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3) and purified on a Ni²⁺ column. The K_M of the ATP binding site was determined to be 98.3 µM at 30°C, the optimal growth temperature for S. cerevisiae, and 74.3 µM at 37°C, the optimal growth temperature for E. coli. The K_M of the mevalonate-5-phosphate binding site was determined to be 885 µM at 30°C and 880 µM at 37°C. The V_max was determined to be 4.51 µmol/min/mg enzyme at 30°C and 5.33 µmol/min/mg enzyme at 37°C. PMK is Mg²⁺ dependent, with maximal activity achieved at concentrations of 10 mM or greater. Maximum activity was observed at pH = 7.2. PMK was not found to be substrate inhibited, nor feedback inhibited by FPP at concentrations up to 10 µM FPP.     

A novel thermostable arylesterase from the archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus P1: purification, characterization, and expression

A novel thermostable arylesterase, a 35-kDa monomeric enzyme, was purified from the thermoacidophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus P1. The optimum temperature and pH were 94°C and 7.0, respectively. The enzyme displayed remarkable thermostability: it retained 52% of its activity after 50 h of incubation at 90°C. In addition, the purified enzyme showed high stability against denaturing agents, including various detergents, urea, and organic solvents. The enzyme has broad substrate specificity besides showing an arylesterase activity toward aromatic esters: it exhibits not only carboxylesterase activity toward tributyrin and p-nitrophenyl esters containing unsubstituted fatty acids from butyrate (C₄) to palmitate (C₁₆), but also paraoxonase activity toward organophosphates such as p-nitrophenylphosphate, paraoxon, and methylparaoxon. The k_cat/K_m ratios of the enzyme for phenyl acetate and paraoxon, the two most preferable substrates among all tested, were 30.6 and 119.4 s⁻¹·μM⁻¹, respectively. The arylesterase gene consists of 918 bp corresponding to 306 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence shares 34% identity with that of arylesterase from Acinetobacter sp. strain ADP1. Furthermore, we successfully expressed active recombinant S. solfataricus arylesterase in Escherichia coli. Together, our results show that the enzyme is a serine esterase belonging to the A-esterases and contains a catalytic triad composed of Ser156, Asp251, and His281 in the active site.     

Escherichia coli HU protein has a role in the repair of abasic sites in DNA

HU is one of the most abundant DNA binding proteins in Escherichia coli. We find that it binds strongly to DNA containing an abasic (AP) site or tetrahydrofuran (THF) (apparent K_d ≈50 nM). It also possesses an AP lyase activity that cleaves at a deoxyribose but not at a THF residue. The binding and cleavage of an AP site was observed only with the HUαβ heterodimer. Site-specific mutations at K3 and R61 residues led to a change in substrate binding and cleavage. Both K3A(α)K3A(β) and R61A(α)R61A(β) mutant HU showed significant reduction in binding to DNA containing AP site; however, only R61A(α)R61A(β) mutant protein exhibited significant loss in AP lyase activity. Both K3A(α)K3A(β) and R61K(α)R61K(β) showed slight reduction in AP lyase activities. The function of HU protein as an AP lyase was confirmed by the ability of hupA or hupB mutations to further reduce the viability of an E. coli dut(Ts) xth mutant, which generates lethal AP sites at 37°C; the hupA and hupB derivatives, respectively, had a 6-fold and a 150-fold lower survival at 37°C than did the parental strain. These data suggest, therefore, that HU protein plays a significant role in the repair of AP sites in E. coli.     

Probiotics Prevent Intestinal Barrier Dysfunction in Acute Pancreatitis in Rats via Induction of Ileal Mucosal Glutathione Biosynthesis

Background

During acute pancreatitis (AP), oxidative stress contributes to intestinal barrier failure. We studied actions of multispecies probiotics on barrier dysfunction and oxidative stress in experimental AP.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Fifty-three male Spraque-Dawley rats were randomly allocated into five groups: 1) controls, non-operated, 2) sham-operated, 3) AP, 4) AP and probiotics and 5) AP and placebo. AP was induced by intraductal glycodeoxycholate infusion and intravenous cerulein (6 h). Daily probiotics or placebo were administered intragastrically, starting five days prior to AP. After cerulein infusion, ileal mucosa was collected for measurements of E. coli K12 and ⁵¹Cr-EDTA passage in Ussing chambers. Tight junction proteins were investigated by confocal immunofluorescence imaging. Ileal mucosal apoptosis, lipid peroxidation, and glutathione levels were determined and glutamate-cysteine-ligase activity and expression were quantified. AP-induced barrier dysfunction was characterized by epithelial cell apoptosis and alterations of tight junction proteins (i.e. disruption of occludin and claudin-1 and up-regulation of claudin-2) and correlated with lipid peroxidation (r>0.8). Probiotic pre-treatment diminished the AP-induced increase in E. coli passage (probiotics 57.4±33.5 vs. placebo 223.7±93.7 a.u.; P<0.001), ⁵¹Cr-EDTA flux (16.7±10.1 vs. 32.1±10.0 cm/s10⁻⁶; P<0.005), apoptosis, lipid peroxidation (0.42±0.13 vs. 1.62±0.53 pmol MDA/mg protein; P<0.001), and prevented tight junction protein disruption. AP-induced decline in glutathione was not only prevented (14.33±1.47 vs. 8.82±1.30 nmol/mg protein, P<0.001), but probiotics even increased mucosal glutathione compared with sham rats (14.33±1.47 vs. 10.70±1.74 nmol/mg protein, P<0.001). Glutamate-cysteine-ligase activity, which is rate-limiting in glutathione biosynthesis, was enhanced in probiotic pre-treated animals (probiotics 2.88±1.21 vs. placebo 1.94±0.55 nmol/min/mg protein; P<0.05) coinciding with an increase in mRNA expression of glutamate-cysteine-ligase catalytic (GCLc) and modifier (GCLm) subunits.

Conclusions

Probiotic pre-treatment diminished AP-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction and prevented oxidative stress via mechanisms mainly involving mucosal glutathione biosynthesis.     

Expression of a Temperature-Sensitive Esterase in a Novel Chaperone-Based Escherichia coli Strain

A new principle for expression of heat-sensitive recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli at temperatures close to 4°C was experimentally evaluated. This principle was based on simultaneous expression of the target protein with chaperones (Cpn60 and Cpn10) from a psychrophilic bacterium, Oleispira antarctica RB8^T, that allow E. coli to grow at high rates at 4°C (maximum growth rate, 0.28 h⁻¹) (M. Ferrer, T. N. Chernikova, M. Yakimov, P. N. Golyshin, and K. N. Timmis, Nat. Biotechnol. 21:1266-1267, 2003). The expression of a temperature-sensitive esterase in this host at 4 to 10°C yielded enzyme specific activity that was 180-fold higher than the activity purified from the non-chaperonin-producing E. coli strain grown at 37°C (32,380 versus 190 μmol min⁻¹ g⁻¹). We present evidence that the increased specific activity was not due to the low growth temperature per se but was due to the fact that low temperature was beneficial to folding, with or without chaperones. This is the first report of successful use of a chaperone-based E. coli strain to express heat-labile recombinant proteins at temperatures below the theoretical minimum growth temperature of a common E. coli strain (7.5°C).     

An Endoglucanase, EglA, from the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus Hydrolyzes β-1,4 Bonds in Mixed-Linkage (1→3),(1→4)-β-d-Glucans and Cellulose

The eglA gene, encoding a thermostable endoglucanase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus, was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The nucleotide sequence of the gene predicts a 319-amino-acid protein with a calculated molecular mass of 35.9 kDa. The endoglucanase has a 19-amino-acid signal peptide but not cellulose-binding domain. The P. furiosus endoglucanase has significant amino acid sequence similarities, including the conserved catalytic nucleophile and proton donor, with endoglucanases from glucosyl hydrolase family 12. The purified recombinant enzyme hydrolyzed β-1,4 but not β-1,3 glucosidic linkages and had the highest specific activity on cellopentaose (degree of polymerization [DP] = 5) and cellohexaose (DP = 6) oligosaccharides. To a lesser extent, EglA also hydrolyzed shorter cellodextrins (DP < 5) as well as the amorphous portions of polysaccharides which contain only β-1,4 bonds such as carboxymethyl cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, Whatman paper, and cotton linter. The highest specific activity toward polysaccharides occurred with mixed-linkage β-glucans such as barley β-glucan and lichenan. Kinetics studies with cellooliogsaccharides and p-nitrophenyl-cellooligosaccharides indicated that the enzyme had three glucose binding subsites (−I, −II, and −III) for the nonreducing end and two glucose binding subsites (+I and +II) for the reducing end from the scissile glycosidic linkage. The enzyme had temperature and pH optima of 100°C and 6.0, respectively; a half-life of 40 h at 95°C; and a denaturing temperature of 112°C as determined by differential scanning calorimetry. The discovery of a thermostable enzyme with this substrate specificity has implications for both the evolution of enzymes involved in polysaccharide hydrolysis and the occurrence of growth substrates in hydrothermal vent environments.     

Topo II inhibition and DNA intercalation by new phthalazine-based derivatives as potent anticancer agents: design,synthesis, anti-proliferative,docking, and in vivo studies

This research presents the design and synthesis of a novel series of phthalazine derivatives as Topo II inhibitors, DNA intercalators, and cytotoxic agents. In vitro testing of the new compounds against HepG-2, MCF-7, and HCT-116 cell lines confirmed their potent cytotoxic activity with low IC₅₀ values. Topo II inhibition and DNA intercalating activities were evaluated for the most cytotoxic members. IC₅₀ values determination demonstrated Topo II inhibitory activities and DNA intercalating affinities of the tested compounds at a micromolar level. Amongst, compound 9d was the most potent member. It inhibited Topo II enzyme at IC₅₀ value of 7.02 ± 0.54 µM with DNA intercalating IC₅₀ of 26.19 ± 1.14 µM. Compound 9d was then subjected to an in vivo antitumor examination. It inhibited tumour proliferation reducing solid tumour volume and mass. Additionally, it restored liver enzymes, proteins, and CBC parameters near-normal, indicating a remarkable amelioration in their functions along with histopathological examinations.     

Ornithine carbamoyltransferase genes and phaseolotoxin immunity in Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola

Two different DNA fragments encoding ornithine carbamoyltransferase (OCTase) were cloned from Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola NPS3121. These fragments did not cross-hybridize and encoded OCTases which differed with respect to their sensitivity to purified phaseolotoxin, an OCTase inhibitor produced by this phytopathogenic bacterium. Recombinant plasmids carrying these DNA fragments complemented OCTase-deficient strains of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Extracts of the complemented E. coli strain contained OCTase enzyme activities with similar degrees of sensitivity to purified phaseolotoxin as extracts of P.s.phaseolicola grown at either 20 or 30°C. The OCTase activity detectable in extracts of P.s.phaseolicola grown at 20°C is insensitive to phaseolotoxin while that detectable in extracts of cells grown at 30°C is sensitive to the toxin. E.coli HB101 harboring recombinant plasmids carrying the gene(s) encoding the phaseolotoxin-insensitive enzyme activity exhibited resistance to purified phaseolotoxin. The results of Tn5 mutagenesis and Southern blotting and the pattern of complementation of OCTase-deficient and Tox^- mutant strains suggest that the gene(s) encoding the phaseolotoxin-insensitive OCTase is part of a gene cluster involved in phaseolotoxin production.     

Purification, Characterization, and Gene Cloning of Purine Nucleosidase from Ochrobactrum anthropi

A bacterium, Ochrobactrum anthropi, produced a large amount of a nucleosidase when cultivated with purine nucleosides. The nucleosidase was purified to homogeneity. The enzyme has a molecular weight of about 170,000 and consists of four identical subunits. It specifically catalyzes the irreversible N-riboside hydrolysis of purine nucleosides, the K_m values being 11.8 to 56.3 μM. The optimal activity temperature and pH were 50°C and pH 4.5 to 6.5, respectively. Pyrimidine nucleosides, purine and pyrimidine nucleotides, NAD, NADP, and nicotinamide mononucleotide are not hydrolyzed by the enzyme. The purine nucleoside hydrolyzing activity of the enzyme was inhibited (mixed inhibition) by pyrimidine nucleosides, with K_i and K_i′ values of 0.455 to 11.2 μM. Metal ion chelators inhibited activity, and the addition of Zn²⁺ or Co²⁺ restored activity. A 1.5-kb DNA fragment, which contains the open reading frame encoding the nucleosidase, was cloned, sequenced, and expressed in Escherichia coli. The deduced 363-amino-acid sequence including a 22-residue leader peptide is in agreement with the enzyme molecular mass and the amino acid sequences of NH₂-terminal and internal peptides, and the enzyme is homologous to known nucleosidases from protozoan parasites. The amino acid residues forming the catalytic site and involved in binding with metal ions are well conserved in these nucleosidases.     

Mechanism of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline biosynthesis in Bassia latifolia Roxb. flowers

The flowers of Bassia latifolia are known to contain 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP), the compound responsible for pleasant aroma in basmati and other scented rice. Four growth stages of Bassia flowers were identified and 2AP contents were analysed in each stage. It was found that 2AP (3.30 ppm) gets synthesized only in fleshy corolla of mature flowers (fourth stage). The activity of γ-aminobutyraldehyde dehydrogenase (AADH); an enzyme responsible for synthesis of γ-aminobutyricacid (GABA) from γ-aminobutyraldehyde (GABald) was assessed in these four stages. The AADH activity was absent in the fourth stage. It was concluded that ceased activity of AADH in fourth stage flowers leads to the accumulation of γ-aminobutyraldehyde which is cyclised spontaneously to Δ¹-pyrroline, the key precursor of 2AP. Δ¹-pyrroline further reacts unenzymatically with methylglyoxal to form 2AP.     

Searching the Cytochrome P450 Enzymes for the Metabolism of Meranzin Hydrate: A Prospective Antidepressant Originating from Chaihu-Shugan-San

Meranzin hydrate (MH), an absorbed bioactive compound from the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Chaihu-Shugan-San (CSS), was first isolated in our laboratory and was found to possess anti-depression activity. However, the role of cytochrome P450s (CYPs) in the metabolism of MH was unclear. In this study, we screened the CYPs for the metabolism of MH in vitro by human liver microsomes (HLMs) or human recombinant CYPs. MH inhibited the enzyme activities of CYP1A2 and CYP2C19 in a concentration-dependent manner in the HLMs. The K_m and V_max values of MH were 10.3±1.3 µM and 99.1±3.3 nmol/mg protein/min, respectively, for the HLMs; 8.0±1.6 µM and 112.4±5.7 nmol/nmol P450/min, respectively, for CYP1A2; and 25.9±6.6 µM and 134.3±12.4 nmol/nmol P450/min, respectively, for CYP2C19. Other human CYP isoforms including CYP2A6, CYP2C9, CYP2D6, CYP2E1 and CYP3A4 showed minimal or no effect on MH metabolism. The results suggested that MH was simultaneously a substrate and an inhibitor of CYP1A2 and CYP2C9, and MH had the potential to perpetrate drug-drug interactions with other CYP1A2 and CYP2C19 substrates.     

Gene Cloning, Purification, and Characterization of a Phosphodiesterase from Delftia acidovorans

A novel phosphodiesterase (PdeA) was purified from Delftia acidovorans, the gene encoding the enzyme was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant enzyme was purified to apparent homogeneity and characterized. PdeA is an 85-kDa trimer that exhibits maximal activity at 65°C and pH 10 even though it was isolated from a mesophilic bacterium. Although PdeA exhibited both mono- and diesterase activity, it was most active on the phosphodiester bis(p-nitrophenyl)phosphate with a K_m of 2.9 ± 0.1 mM and a k_cat of 879 ± 73 min⁻¹. The enzyme showed sequence similarity to cyclic AMP (cAMP) phosphodiesterase and cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases and exhibited activity on cAMP in vivo when the gene was expressed in E. coli. The IS1071 transposon insertion sequence was found downstream of pdeA.     

Biochemical and Functional Studies on the Burkholderia cepacia Complex bceN Gene,Encoding a GDP-D-Mannose 4,6-Dehydratase

This work reports the biochemical and functional analysis of the Burkholderia cenocepacia J2315 bceN gene, encoding a protein with GDP-D-mannose 4,6-dehydratase enzyme activity (E.C.4.2.1.47). Data presented indicate that the protein is active when in the tetrameric form, catalyzing the conversion of GDP-D-mannose into GDP-4-keto-6-deoxy-D-mannose. This sugar nucleotide is the intermediary necessary for the biosynthesis of GDP-D-rhamnose, one of the sugar residues of cepacian, the major exopolysaccharide produced by environmental and human, animal and plant pathogenic isolates of the Burkholderia cepacia complex species. V_max and K_m values of 1.5±0.2 µmol.min⁻¹.mg⁻¹ and 1024±123 µM, respectively, were obtained from the kinetic characterization of the B. cenocepacia J2315 BceN protein by NMR spectroscopy, at 25°C and in the presence of 1 mol MgCl₂ per mol of protein. The enzyme activity was strongly inhibited by the substrate, with an estimated K_i of 2913±350 µM. The lack of a functional bceN gene in a mutant derived from B. cepacia IST408 slightly reduced cepacian production. However, in the B. multivorans ATCC17616 with bceN as the single gene in its genome with predicted GMD activity, a bceN mutant did not produce cepacian, indicating that this gene product is required for cepacian biosynthesis.     

Purification and Partial Characterization of a Prolyl-Dipeptidyl Aminopeptidase from Lactobacillus helveticus CNRZ 32

X-prolyl-dipeptidyl aminopeptidase, which hydrolyzed Gly-Pro-p-nitroanilide (relative activity [RA] = 100%) and Arg-Pro-p-nitroanilide (RA, 130%), was purified to homogeneity from the cell extract of Lactobacillus helveticus CNRZ 32. The enzyme also hydrolyzed Ala-Pro-Gly (RA, 11%) and Ala-Ala-p-nitroanilide (RA, 2%) but was not active on Ala-Leu-Ala, dipeptides, and endopeptidase and carboxypeptidase substrates. The enzyme was purified 145-fold by streptomycin sulfate precipitation, ammonium sulfate fractionation, and a series of column chromatographies on DEAE-cellulose, arginine-Sepharose 4B, and glycyl-prolyl-AH-Sepharose 4B. The purified enzyme appeared as a single band on native polyacrylamide gel and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoreses and had a molecular weight of 72,000. Optima for activity by the purified enzyme were pH 7.0 and 40°C. The enzyme was incubated at 40°C for 15 min with various metal ions. It was activated by Mg²⁺ (2.5 mM), Ca²⁺ (0.1 to 2.5 mM), Na⁺ (10 to 50 mM), and K⁺ (10 to 50 mM) and was inhibited by Hg²⁺ (0.1 to 2.5 mM), Cu²⁺ (0.1 to 2.5 mM), and Zn²⁺ (0.1 to 2.5 mM). Enzyme activity was partially inhibited by EDTA (1.0 mM, 20 h at 40°C), 1,10-phenanthroline (1.0 mM, 15 min at 40°C), phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (1.0 mM), N-ethylmaleimide (1.0 mM), and iodoacetate (1.0 mM). It was completely inhibited by diisopropyl fluorophosphate (1.0 mM, 2 h at 40°C) and p-chloromercuribenzoate (1.0 mM, 15 min at 40°C). The enzyme was not affected by dithioerythritol (1.0 to 10 mM).     

CotA,a Multicopper Oxidase from Bacillus pumilus WH4, Exhibits Manganese-Oxidase Activity

Multicopper oxidases (MCOs) are a family of enzymes that use copper ions as cofactors to oxidize various substrates. Previous research has demonstrated that several MCOs such as MnxG, MofA and MoxA can act as putative Mn(II) oxidases. Meanwhile, the endospore coat protein CotA from Bacillus species has been confirmed as a typical MCO. To study the relationship between CotA and the Mn(II) oxidation, the cotA gene from a highly active Mn(II)-oxidizing strain Bacillus pumilus WH4 was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli strain M15. The purified CotA contained approximately four copper atoms per molecule and showed spectroscopic properties typical of blue copper oxidases. Importantly, apart from the laccase activities, the CotA also displayed substantial Mn(II)-oxidase activities both in liquid culture system and native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The optimum Mn(II) oxidase activity was obtained at 53°C in HEPES buffer (pH 8.0) supplemented with 0.8 mM CuCl₂. Besides, the addition of o-phenanthroline and EDTA both led to a complete suppression of Mn(II)-oxidizing activity. The specific activity of purified CotA towards Mn(II) was 0.27 U/mg. The K_m, V_max and k_cat values towards Mn(II) were 14.85±1.17 mM, 3.01×10⁻⁶±0.21 M·min⁻¹ and 0.32±0.02 s⁻¹, respectively. Moreover, the Mn(II)-oxidizing activity of the recombinant E. coli strain M15-pQE-cotA was significantly increased when cultured both in Mn-containing K liquid medium and on agar plates. After 7-day liquid cultivation, M15-pQE-cotA resulted in 18.2% removal of Mn(II) from the medium. Furthermore, the biogenic Mn oxides were clearly observed on the cell surfaces of M15-pQE-cotA by scanning electron microscopy. To our knowledge, this is the first report that provides the direct observation of Mn(II) oxidation with the heterologously expressed protein CotA, Therefore, this novel finding not only establishes the foundation for in-depth study of Mn(II) oxidation mechanisms, but also offers a potential biocatalyst for Mn(II) removal.     

Diaryl azo derivatives as anti-diabetic and antimicrobial agents: synthesis,in vitro,kinetic and docking studies

In the present study, a series of azo derivatives (TR-1 to TR-9) have been synthesised via the diazo-coupling approach between substituted aromatic amines with phenol or naphthol derivatives. The compounds were evaluated for their therapeutic applications against alpha-glucosidase (anti-diabetic) and pathogenic bacterial strains E. coli (gram-negative), S. aureus (gram-positive), S. aureus (gram-positive) drug-resistant strain, P. aeruginosa (gram-negative), P. aeruginosa (gram-negative) drug-resistant strain and P. vulgaris (gram-negative). The IC₅₀ (µg/mL) of TR-1 was found to be most effective (15.70 ± 1.3 µg/mL) compared to the reference drug acarbose (21.59 ± 1.5 µg/mL), hence, it was further selected for the kinetic studies in order to illustrate the mechanism of inhibition. The enzyme inhibitory kinetics and mode of binding for the most active inhibitor (TR-1) was performed which showed that the compound is a non-competitive inhibitor and effectively inhibits the target enzyme by binding to its binuclear active site reversibly.     

A Novel Type II NAD+-Specific Isocitrate Dehydrogenase from the Marine Bacterium Congregibacter litoralis KT71

In most living organisms, isocitrate dehydrogenases (IDHs) convert isocitrate into ɑ-ketoglutarate (ɑ-KG). Phylogenetic analyses divide the IDH protein family into two subgroups: types I and II. Based on cofactor usage, IDHs are either NAD⁺-specific (NAD-IDH) or NADP⁺-specific (NADP-IDH); NADP-IDH evolved from NAD-IDH. Type I IDHs include NAD-IDHs and NADP-IDHs; however, no type II NAD-IDHs have been reported to date. This study reports a novel type II NAD-IDH from the marine bacterium Congregibacter litoralis KT71 (ClIDH, GenBank accession no. EAQ96042). His-tagged recombinant ClIDH was produced in Escherichia coli and purified; the recombinant enzyme was NAD⁺-specific and showed no detectable activity with NADP⁺. The K _m values of the enzyme for NAD⁺ were 262.6±7.4 μM or 309.1±11.2 μM with Mg²⁺ or Mn²⁺ as the divalent cation, respectively. The coenzyme specificity of a ClIDH Asp487Arg/Leu488His mutant was altered, and the preference of the mutant for NADP⁺ was approximately 24-fold higher than that for NAD⁺, suggesting that ClIDH is an NAD⁺-specific ancestral enzyme in the type II IDH subgroup. Gel filtration and analytical ultracentrifugation analyses revealed the homohexameric structure of ClIDH, which is the first IDH hexamer discovered thus far. A 163-amino acid segment of CIIDH is essential to maintain its polymerization structure and activity, as a truncated version lacking this region forms a non-functional monomer. ClIDH was dependent on divalent cations, the most effective being Mn²⁺. The maximal activity of purified recombinant ClIDH was achieved at 35°C and pH 7.5, and a heat inactivation experiment showed that a 20-min incubation at 33°C caused a 50% loss of ClIDH activity. The discovery of a NAD⁺-specific, type II IDH fills a gap in the current classification of IDHs, and sheds light on the evolution of type II IDHs.     

In vitro evaluation of new functional properties of poly-γ-glutamic acid produced by Bacillus subtilis D7

We investigated the functionality of poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA), which is produced by Bacillus subtilis D7, for its potential applications in medicine and cosmetics. The γ-PGA had angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition activity. ACE inhibition activity was dependent on the γ-PGA concentration; the highest ACE inhibition activity was observed at 1.25 mg/l of γ-PGA. IC₅₀ (0.108 mg/ml) of the γ-PGA was lower than that of standard ACE inhibitory drug, N-[(S)-mercapto-2-methylpropionyl]-L-proline (0.247 mg/ml). The γ-PGA also had water-holding capacity and hygroscopicity. Furthermore, the γ-PGA inhibited growth of some pathogenic bacteria, including Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia and Esherichia coli. The γ-PGA exhibited a good metal adsorption capacity; Cr (VI) adsorption capacity of γ-PGA increased with decreasing pH, and the maximal adsorption was observed at pH 2. Our results suggest that γ-PGA may be expected to be widely applied in cosmetics, biomedical and environmental industries with the feature of being less harmful to humans and the environment.     

Purification,Cloning, Characterization,and N-Glycosylation Analysis of a Novel β-Fructosidase from Aspergillus oryzae FS4 Synthesizing Levan- and Neolevan-Type Fructooligosaccharides

β-Fructosidases are a widespread group of enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of terminal fructosyl units from various substrates. These enzymes also exhibit transglycosylation activity when they function with high concentrations of sucrose, which is used to synthesize fructooligosaccharides (FOS) in the food industry. A β-fructosidase (BfrA) with high transglycosylation activity was purified from Aspergillus oryzae FS4 as a monomeric glycoprotein. Compared with the most extensively studied Aspergillus spp. fructosidases that synthesize inulin-type β-(2-1)-linked FOS, BfrA has unique transfructosylating property of synthesizing levan- and neolevan-type β-(2-6)-linked FOS. The coding sequence (bfrAFS4, 1.86 kb) of BfrA was amplified and expressed in Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris. Both native and recombinant proteins showed transfructosylation and hydrolyzation activities with broad substrate specificity. These proteins could hydrolyze the following linkages: Glc α-1, 2-β Fru; Glc α-1, 3-α Fru; and Glc α-1, 5-β Fru. Compared with the unglycosylated E. coli-expressed BfrA (E.BfrA), the N-glycosylated native (N.BfrA) and the P. pastoris-expressed BfrA (P.BfrA) were highly stable at a wide pH range (pH 4 to 11), and significantly more thermostable at temperatures up to 50°C with a maximum activity at 55°C. Using sucrose as substrate, the Km and k_cat values for total activity were 37.19±5.28 mM and 1.0016±0.039×10⁴ s⁻¹ for N.BfrA. Moreover, 10 of 13 putative N-glycosylation sites were glycosylated on N.BfrA, and N-glycosylation was essential for enzyme thermal stability and optima activity. Thus, BfrA has demonstrated as a well-characterized A. oryzae fructosidase with unique transfructosylating capability of synthesizing levan- and neolevan-type FOS.