Structural basis for substrate binding and regioselective oxidation of monosaccharides at C3 by pyranose 2-oxidase

Pyranose 2-oxidase (P2Ox) participates in fungal lignin degradation by producing the H2O2 needed for lignin-degrading peroxidases. The enzyme oxidizes cellulose- and hemicellulose-derived aldopyranoses at C2 preferentially, but also on C3, to the corresponding ketoaldoses. To investigate the structural determinants of catalysis, covalent flavinylation, substrate binding, and regioselectivity, wild-type and mutant P2Ox enzymes were produced and characterized biochemically and structurally. Removal of the histidyl-FAD linkage resulted in a catalytically competent enzyme containing tightly, but noncovalently bound FAD. This mutant (H167A) is characterized by a 5-fold lower kcat, and a 35-mV lower redox potential, although no significant structural changes were seen in its crystal structure. In previous structures of P2Ox, the substrate loop (residues 452-457) covering the active site has been either disordered or in a conformation incompatible with carbohydrate binding. We present here the crystal structure of H167A in complex with a slow substrate, 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose. Based on the details of 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose binding in position for oxidation at C3, we also outline a probable binding mode for D-glucose positioned for regioselective oxidation at C2. The tentative determinant for discriminating between the two binding modes is the position of the O6 hydroxyl group, which in the C2-oxidation mode can make favorable interactions with Asp452 in the substrate loop and, possibly, a nearby arginine residue (Arg472). We also substantiate our hypothesis with steady-state kinetics data for the alanine replacements of Asp452 and Arg472 as well as the double alanine 452/472 mutant.     

A Conserved Active-site Threonine Is Important for Both Sugar and Flavin Oxidations of Pyranose 2-Oxidase

Pyranose 2-oxidase (P2O) catalyzes the oxidation by O² of d-glucose and several aldopyranoses to yield the 2-ketoaldoses and H²O². Based on crystal structures, in one rotamer conformation, the threonine hydroxyl of Thr¹⁶⁹ forms H-bonds to the flavin-N5/O4 locus, whereas, in a different rotamer, it may interact with either sugar or other parts of the P2O·sugar complex. Transient kinetics of wild-type (WT) and Thr¹⁶⁹ → S/N/G/A replacement variants show that d-Glc binds to T169S, T169N, and WT with the same K_d (45–47 mm), and the hydride transfer rate constants (k^red) are similar (15.3–9.7 s⁻¹ at 4 °C). k^red of T169G with d-glucose (0.7 s⁻¹, 4 °C) is significantly less than that of WT but not as severely affected as in T169A (k^red of 0.03 s⁻¹ at 25 °C). Transient kinetics of WT and mutants using d-galactose show that P2O binds d-galactose with a one-step binding process, different from binding of d-glucose. In T169S, T169N, and T169G, the overall turnover with d-Gal is faster than that of WT due to an increase of k^red. In the crystal structure of T169S, Ser¹⁶⁹ Oγ assumes a position identical to that of Oγ1 in Thr¹⁶⁹; in T169G, solvent molecules may be able to rescue H-bonding. Our data suggest that a competent reductive half-reaction requires a side chain at position 169 that is able to form an H-bond within the ES complex. During the oxidative half-reaction, all mutants failed to stabilize a C4a-hydroperoxyflavin intermediate, thus suggesting that the precise position and geometry of the Thr¹⁶⁹ side chain are required for intermediate stabilization.     

Development of genotype-independent regeneration system for transformation of rice (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza sativa</Emphasis> ssp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">indica</Emphasis>)

Rice (Oryza sativa ssp. indica) is an important economic crop in many countries. Although a variety of conventional methods have been developed to improve this plant, manipulation by genetic engineering is still complicated. We have established a system of multiple shoot regeneration from rice shoot apical meristem. By use of MS medium containing 4 mg L⁻¹ thidiazuron (TDZ) multiple shoots were successfully developed directly from the meristem without an intervening callus stage. All rice cultivars tested responded well on the medium and regenerated to plantlets that were readily transferred to soil within 5–8 weeks. The tissue culture system was suitable for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and different factors affecting transformation efficiency were investigated. Agrobacterium strain EHA105 containing the plasmid pCAMBIA1301 was used. The lowest concentration of hygromycin B in combined with either 250 mg L⁻¹ carbenicillin or 250 mg L⁻¹ cefotaxime to kill the rice shoot apical meristem was 50 mg L⁻¹ and carbenicillin was more effective than cefotaxime. Two-hundred micromolar acetosyringone had no effect on the efficiency of transient expression. Sonication of rice shoot apical meristem for 10 s during bacterial immersion increased transient GUS expression in three-day co-cultivated seedlings. The gus gene was found to be integrated into the genome of the T₀ transformant plantlets.     

Detection of a C4a-hydroperoxyflavin intermediate in the reaction of a flavoprotein oxidase

This work describes for the first time the identification of a reaction intermediate, C4a-hydroperoxyflavin, during the oxidative half-reaction of a flavoprotein oxidase, pyranose 2-oxidase (P2O) from Trametes multicolor, by using rapid kinetics. The reduced P2O reacted with oxygen with a forward rate constant of 5.8 x 10 (4) M (-1) s (-1) and a reverse rate constant of 2 s (-1), resulting in the formation of a C4a-hydroperoxyflavin intermediate which decayed with a rate constant of 18 s (-1). The absorption spectrum of the intermediate resembled the spectra of flavin-dependent monooxygenases. A hydrophobic cavity formed at the re side of the flavin ring in the closed state structure of P2O may help in stabilizing the intermediate.