Molecular characterisation of gibberellin 20-oxidases. Structure-function studies on recombinant enzymes and chimaeric proteins

Gibberellin (GA) 20-oxidases are multifunctional enzymes that catalyse reactions at an important branch point in the GA biosynthetic pathway. These enzymes oxidise the C-20 methyl group of a diterpene carboxylic acid precursor (e.g. GA₁₂) to form an alcohol (in our case GA₁₅-open lactone) and an aldehyde (GA₂₄). The aldehyde is either oxidised to a tricarboxylic acid (GA₂₅) or, with loss of carbon-20 and lactonisation, to a C₁₉-GA (GA₉). This branching is interesting to study, because C₁₉-GA derivatives function as plant hormones in different tissues, whereas the C₂₀-GA tricarboxylic acids have no known function. We have constructed chimaeric proteins by combining a GA 20-oxidase from immature seeds of Cucurbita maxima L., which produces mainly C-20 carboxylic acids, with a 20-oxidase from Marah macrocarpus immature seeds, which forms predominantly CC₁₉-GAs. The cDNAs encoding these two very similar 20-oxidases were digested with restriction endonucleases Van 911. Bcl 1, and Bsa WI, and six chimaeric sequences were produced by recombination of the DNA fragments. The pCM1 -construct was obtained by exchanging nt 303–809 of the Cucurbita cDNA with the homologous DNA from the March 20-oxidase. In pCM2, pCM3, pCM4, pCM5 and pCM6, nt 810–992, nt 993–end, nt 303–992, nt 810–end, and nt 311–end were exchanged, respectively. All constructs were cloned in a pUC18 vector and functionally expressed in E. coli NM522 cells. GA 20-oxidase activity was detectable in cell-lysates from the transformed E. coli, but the extent and kind of conversion depended on the construct. Highest conversion of GA₁₂was found with pCM1 and pCM3, one-tenth of this conversion was observed with pCM5 and pCM6, and one-hundredth was obtained with the hybrid proteins from pCM2 and pCM4. With pCM2 and pCM4, neither the C₁₉-end product, GA₉, nor the C₂₀-end product, GA₂₅-was formed. However, after transformation with constructs pCM1, pCM3, pCM5 or pCM6. GA₉accounted for 30, 40, 60 and 90%, respectively, of the end products formed. Thus, the segments originating from M. macrocarpus conferred upon the chimaeric proteins an increasing ability to direct the biosynthetic flow into C₁₉-GAs in this order. Although GA₂₄is the immediate precursor, much less end products were formed by using this substrate.     

Sialic acids inTrichoplusia ni andDanaus plexippus egg glycoproteins

Baculovirus expression vector insect cell system (BEVIS) is useful for high level production of human therapeutic proteins. However, it has been reported that recombinant glycoproteins produced from this system are, in many cases, biologically inactive or less active than authentic counterparts, due to incomplete glycosylation potential of insect cells used so far, producing recombinant proteins with only high-or paucimannosidic oligosaccharides without sialylation. The presence of sialic acids in insects is still controversial. Egg proteins ofTrichoplusia ni andDanaus plexippus were isolated, and the presence of sialic acids was examined using reverse-phase fluorescent HPLC after derivatization of samples with 1,2-diamino-4,5-methylenedioxybenzene (DMB). The proteins of both eggs were shown to contain 5-N-acetylneuraminic acid. The results suggest that both insects may be able to produce proteins with sialylated complex-type oligosaccharide chains.     

Leishmania amazonensis: biosynthesis of polyprenols of 9 isoprene units by amastigotes

The isoprenoid metabolic pathway in protozoa of the Leishmania genus exhibits distinctive characteristics. These parasites, as well as other members of the Trypanosomatidae family, synthesize ergosterol, instead of cholesterol, as the main membrane sterol lipid. Leishmania has been shown to utilize leucine, instead of acetate as the main precursor for sterol biosynthesis. While mammalian dolichols are molecules containing 15-23 isoprene units, Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes synthesize dolichol of 11 and 12 units. In this paper, we show that the intracellular stages of L. amazonensis, amastigotes, synthesize mainly polyprenols of 9 isoprene units, instead of dolichol.     

Investigation of the cumulative tissue doses of naphthoquinones in human serum using protein adducts as biomarker of exposure

Both 1,2-naphthoquinone (1,2-NPQ) and 1,4-naphthoquinone (1,4-NPQ) are reactive metabolites of naphthalene that are thought to be responsible for the naphthalene-induced cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate the cumulative tissue dose of 1,2-NPQ and 1,4-NPQ in human serum derived from blood donors in Taiwan via measurements of albumin adducts by a methodology, which employs trifluoroacetic acid anhydride and methanesulfonic acid to selectively cleave cysteinyl adducts on proteins. Both 1,2-NPQ and 1,4-NPQ adducts were detected in all male and female subjects (n = 22). The median levels of 1,2-NPQ adduct in human subjects were estimated to be 268 (range 139-857) and 203 (range 128-1352) (pmol/g) in male (n = 11) and female (n = 11) subjects, respectively. In contrast, the median levels of 1,4-NPQ adduct were estimated to be 45.0 (range 22.0-117) and 38.9 (range 21.5-172) (pmol/g) in male and female subjects, respectively. We noticed that levels of 1,2-NPQ adduct were significantly correlated with those of 1,4-NPQ adduct (correlation coefficient r = 0.643, p < 0.01). Results from in vitro experiments confirmed that the production of naphthoquinones-derived adducts on serum albumin increased with increased concentration of naphthoquinones (0-100 μM). Linear relationships were observed over the range of concentration. Time-course experiments suggested that both 1,2-NPQ and 1,4-NPQ-derived adducts rapidly reached maximum values at 10 min mark and remained constant thereafter. The reaction rate constant analyses indicated that the second-order rate constants, representing in vitro reactions between naphthoquinones and cysteine residues of serum albumin, were estimated to be 0.0044/0.0002 L(g protein)⁻¹ h⁻¹, respectively. Overall, the cumulative tissue doses of 1,4-NPQ (217-316 nM h) in male and female subjects were ∼3-fold greater than those of 1,2-NPQ (76-98 nM h) in the study population. The initial concentrations of serum 1,2-NPQ and 1,4-NPQ in the study population were estimated to be between 145-188 and 807-1175 nM, respectively. We conclude that the relatively large amounts of naphthoquinones present in human serum may point to toxicological consequences.     

Microscale HPLC enables a new paradigm for commercialization of complex chiral stationary phases

The small column size (0.3 mm i.d. x 15 cm) used in microscale HPLC contains only a small fraction (<1%) of the chromatographic packing material of a typical analytical HPLC column. Consequently, chromatographic stationary phases that are prohibitively expensive in conventional HPLC, owing either to synthetic complexity or costly starting materials, may become commercially viable in the microscale format. To illustrate this point, a previously described, synthetically complex, crown ether chiral stationary phase was prepared and evaluated in the microscale format, showing excellent separation of the enantiomers of underivatized amine analytes.     

HPLC enantioseparation and absolute configuration of novel anti-inflammatory pyrrole derivatives

The assignment of the absolute configuration of novel anti-inflammatory pyrrole derivatives has been accomplished by a combined strategy based on independent physical methods. The key step of our stereochemical characterization approach is the production at mg-scale of enantiomerically pure forms by HPLC on Chiralpak IA stationary phase.     

Identification of a Passiflora alata Curtis dimeric peptide showing identity with 2S albumins

Antifungal proteins and peptides, essential compounds for plant defense, have been isolated from several tissues of various plants. These proteins could be used as a natural alternative to control phytopathogenic fungi. In this report a heterodimeric antifungal protein named Pa-AFP1, showing higher identity with the 2S albumin family, was purified by using 70-100% ammonium sulfate saturation and further purification steps such as anionic exchange Q-Sepharose chromatography associated with HPLC reversed-phase C4 chromatography. Analysis by Tricine-SDS-PAGE revealed two peptidic molecular masses of approximately 4500 Da and 7000 Da, in the presence of β-mercaptoethanol, while by removing the reducing agent a single protein with molecular mass of about 11,500 Da was obtained. Moreover, dimer mass was confirmed by MALDI-TOF analyses (11,569.76 Da). The antifungal protein, named Pa-AFP1, efficiently inhibited the growth of filamentous fungi Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and was added to a short list of 2S albumins with antimicrobial properties. Otherwise, this same peptide showed no activity toward bacteria and yeasts. In summary, this compound could be used in the future to develop biotechnological products for the control of phytopathogenic fungi.     

MALDI QqTOF MS combined with off-line HPLC for characterization of protein primary structure and post-translational modifications.

The addition of off-line high-performance liquid chromatography to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry greatly reduces congestion in the mass spectra, and also provides complete decoupling of the separation process from mass detection and measurement. This removes the time constraints inherent in on-line coupling, and so enables the detailed mass-spectrometric study of samples at later times. We describe here our use of this method to successfully characterize two "unknown" protein mixtures that were set as problems by the ABRF Proteomics Research Group (PRG) in the years 2003 and 2004.     

Metabolic products and pathways of fluorotelomer alcohols in isolated rat hepatocytes

Fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs; CF(3)(CF(2))(x)C(2)H(4)OH; where x=3, 5, 7, 9) are a novel class of polyfluorinated contaminants, recently detected in the North American atmosphere, that are possible precursors to the series of perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs) in human blood. An in vivo rat study validated earlier independent work that poly- and per-fluoroalkyl carboxylates were metabolites of FTOHs, but our detection of several novel metabolites prompted us to examine their pathways in greater detail using isolated rat hepatocytes. Using 8:2 FTOH (i.e. where x=7) as a model compound, the metabolic products formed by isolated rat hepatocytes were identified, and three synthesized intermediates were incubated separately to elucidate the metabolic pathways. For 8:2 FTOH, a major fate was direct conjugation to form the O-glucuronide and O-sulfate. Using 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) trapping, the immediate oxidation product of 8:2 FTOH was identified as 8:2 fluorotelomer aldehyde (8:2 FTAL; CF(3)(CF(2))(7)CH(2)C(H)O). 8:2 FTAL was transient and eliminated HF non-enzymatically to yield 8:2 fluorotelomer alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehyde (8:2 FTUAL; CF(3)(CF(2))(6)CFCHC(H)O) which was also short-lived and reacted GSH and perhaps other endogenous nucleophiles. Four polyfluorinated acid intermediates were also detected, including 8:2 fluorotelomer carboxylate (8:2 FTCA; CF(3)(CF(2))(7)CH(2)C(O)O(-)), 8:2 fluorotelomer alpha,beta-unsaturated carboxylate (8:2 FTUCA; CF(3)(CF(2))(6)CFCHC(O)O(-)), tetrahydroperfluorodecanoate (CF(3)(CF(2))(6)(CH(2))(2)CO(2)(-)), and dihydroperfluorodecenoate (CF(3)(CF(2))(6)CHCHCO(2)(-)). The pathways leading to 8:2 FTCA and FTUCA involve oxidation of 8:2 FTAL, however, the pathways leading to the latter two polyfluorinated acids remain inconclusive. The fate of the unsaturated metabolites, 8:2 FTUAL and FTUCA, included conjugation with GSH and dehydrofluorination to yield alpha,beta-unsaturated GSH conjugates, and GS-8:2 FTUAL which was subsequently reduced to the corresponding alcohol. Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and minor amounts of perfluorononanoate (PFNA) were confirmed as metabolites of 8:2 FTOH, and the respective roles of beta- and alpha-oxidation mechanisms are discussed. The analogous acids, aldehydes, and conjugated metabolites of 4:2, 6:2, and 10:2 FTOH (i.e. where x=3, 5, and 9, respectively) were also detected, and metabolite profiles among FTOHs generally differed only in the length of their perfluoroalkyl chains. Preincubation with aminobenzotriazole, but not pyrazole, inhibited the formation of metabolites from all FTOHs, suggesting that their oxidation was catalyzed by P450, not alcohol dehydrogenase.