Altering product outcome in Abies grandis (-)-limonene synthase and (-)-limonene/(-)-alpha-pinene synthase by domain swapping and directed mutagenesis

(-)-(4S)-limonene synthase (LS) and (-)-(4S)-limonene/(-)-(1S, 5S)-alpha-pinene synthase (LPS) from grand fir (Abies grandis) exhibit nearly 91% sequence identity (93% similarity) at the amino acid level, yet produce very different mixtures of monoterpene olefins. To elucidate critical amino acids involved in determining monoterpene product distribution, a combination of domain swapping and reciprocal site-directed mutagenesis was carried out between these two enzymes. Exchange of the predicted helix D through F region in LS gave rise to an LPS-like product outcome, whereas reciprocal substitutions of four amino acids in LPS (two in the predicted helix D and two in the predicted helix F) altered the product distribution to that intermediate between LS and LPS, and resulted in a 5-fold increase in relative velocity. These results, in conjunction with modeling of the two enzymes, suggest that amino acids in the predicted D through F helix regions are critical for product determination.     

Branched Chain Amino Acid Aminotransferase of Pseudomonas sp

Branched chain amino acid aminotransferase was partially purified from Pseudomonas sp. by ammonium sulfate fractionation, aminohexyl-agarose and Bio-Gel A-0.5 m column chromatography.

This enzyme showed different substrate specificity from those of other origins, namely lower reactivity for l-isoleucine and higher reactivity for l-methionine.

Km values at pH 8.0 were calculated to be 0.3 mm for l-leucine, 0.3 mm for α-ketoglutarate, 1.1 mm for α-ketoisocaproate and 3.2 mm for l-glutamate.

This enzyme was activated with β-mercaptoethanol, and this activated enzyme had different kinetic properties from unactivated enzyme, namely, Km values at pH 8.0 were calculated to be 1.2 mm for l-leucine, 0.3 mm for α-ketoglutarate.

Isocaproic acid which is the substrate analog of l-leucine was competitive inhibitor for pyridoxal form of unactivated and activated enzymes, and inhibitor constants were estimated to be 6 mm and 14 mm, respectively.     

Epoxidation of 6,7- and 10,11-oxidosqualenes by the squalene epoxidase present in rat liver microsomes

Incubation of 6,7-oxidosqualene (2) or 10,11-oxidosqualene (3) with rat liver microsomes led to the formation of mixtures of the corresponding dioxidosqualenes (4 and 5, or 6 and 7, respectively), resulting from the epoxidation of 2 and 3 at their terminal double bonds. The epoxidation requires the presence of both NADPH and FAD. In addition, the HPLC analysis of the Mosher esters resulting from the controlled hydrolysis of dioxide 5 to give the corresponding epoxydiols 9 followed by derivatization with (R)-MTPA, showed that the epoxidation had been stereoselective. These facts support the hypothesis that these dioxidosqualenes had been generated by the squalene epoxidase present in the incubation medium.     

Regulation and cellular localization of ent-kaurene synthesis

The two-step cyclization reaction of ent -kaurene synthesis from geranylgeranyl diphosphate is the first committed step in the biosynthetic pathway of the plant hormone gibberellin. Recent molecular cloning and characterization of the genes encoding the two corresponding enzymes, copalyl diphosphate synthase (CPS) and ent -kau-rene synthase (KS), have demonstrated that ent -kaurene synthesis is localized in the plastids and is highly regulated in specific tissues and cell types during plant development. In addition to occurring in actively growing tissues, ent -kaurene synthesis also takes place in fully expanded leaves. Therefore mature leaves may produce gibberellin intermediates or bioactive gibberellins for transport to responsive tissues. DNA sequence analyses have revealed a conserved aspartate-rich motif, D(I/V)DDTA among CPS and other protonation-initiated terpene cyclases, while KS contains a highly conserved DDXXD motif which was proposed to function as a divalent metal ion-diphos-phate complex binding site in ionization-initiated terpene cyclases and prenyltrans-ferases.