Lid Domain Research Articles

Conformational Dynamics of Mitochondrial Hsp70

Recently, we have investigated the conformation of Mitochondrial Heat Shock Protein 70 (mtHsp70), a protein involved in the import of proteins into mitochondria and in protein folding in the mitochondrial matrix. To investigate the distribution of conformations in mtHsp70 molecules under different conditions, we performed single-pair Forster resonance energy transfer (spFRET) experiments using burst analysis and pulsed interleaved excitation (PIE). The FRET efficiency is a very sensitive measure for the distance between donor and acceptor on the scale of 2-10 nm and thus provides information over the conformation of mtHsp70 during its conformational cycle. To extract quantitative information about the homogeneity of the observed states, we used probability distribution analysis on the burst analysis data.MtHsp70 consists of two functional domains: the N-terminal nucleotide binding domain and the C-terminal substrate binding domain with a lid to hold the substrate peptide. Experiments were performed using FRET sensors for the interdomain distance and for the lid conformation with different nucleotides as well as in the absence or presence of peptide substrates and cochaperons. Our results show a surprisingly heterogenous conformational distribution for ADP bound mtHsp70, opposed by a more homogenous state with an open lid and close domain in the ATP bound state. Substrate binding in the presence of the cochaperone Mdj1 results in the undocking of the domains and closure of the lid holding the peptide. To investigate the conformational dynamics on a longer timescale (10 ms to 10 s) , we have performed spFRET TIRF experiments on immobilized molecules. We utilized two techniques to avoid immobilization artifacts. Either the protein was encapsulated in lipid vesicles or the substrate peptide was immobilized. The dynamics for the two sensors in the different states were compared.

Predicting Sequence of Events upon Ligand Binding Using PMT Model: A Case Study of Adenylate Kinase

Conformational transitions play a crucial role during the reaction cycle of many enzymes. In the case of adenylate kinase (AK), binding of ATP and AMP induces a conformational change where the closing of the LID and NMP domains over the core domain is followed by the phosphate transfer from ATP to ADP. This conformational change is rate-limiting for the enzymatic reaction, and AK is thought to be in equilibrium between open and close states. In this work, we studied the sequence of events along the conformational transition pathway. Using the Perturbation-based Markovian Transmission (PMT) model [Lu and Liang, PLOS Computational Biology, 2009], we study each of the 45 intermediate conformations available in PDB. We apply an initial perturbation on the binding domains of the enzyme, whose transmission is modeled as a Markovian Process. The dynamics of the probability flow is then computed by solving the Master Equation using a Krylov subspace method. From the landscape of time-evolving probability flow of all residues upon initial perturbation, we calculated the information entropy and related parameter for each residue. By analyzing time-dependent changes in entropy of residues located within or are in-contact with the LID/NMP domains, we predicted contacts that would break first for each conformation. Using the initial open state conformation only we are able to identify the next conformation along the conformation transition pathway with an average accuracy of 85% in predicted bond breakage We also predicted a set of critical residues with distinct dynamic behavior that are important in ligand binding.

Dynamic coupling between the LID and NMP domain motions in the catalytic conversion of ATP and AMP to ADP by adenylate kinase

The catalytic conversion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) by adenylate kinase (ADK) involves large amplitude, ligand induced domain motions, involving the opening and the closing of ATP binding domain (LID) and AMP binding domain (NMP) domains, during the repeated catalytic cycle. We discover and analyze an interesting dynamical coupling between the motion of the two domains during the opening, using large scale atomistic molecular dynamics trajectory analysis, covariance analysis, and multidimensional free energy calculations with explicit water. Initially, the LID domain must open by a certain amount before the NMP domain can begin to open. Dynamical correlation map shows interesting cross-peak between LID and NMP domain which suggests the presence of correlated motion between them. This is also reflected in our calculated two-dimensional free energy surface contour diagram which has an interesting elliptic shape, revealing a strong correlation between the opening of the LID domain and that of the NMP domain. Our free energy surface of the LID domain motion is rugged due to interaction with water and the signature of ruggedness is evident in the observed root mean square deviation variation and its fluctuation time correlation functions. We develop a correlated dynamical disorder-type theoretical model to explain the observed dynamic coupling between the motion of the two domains in ADK. Our model correctly reproduces several features of the cross-correlation observed in simulations.

Identification of Critical Residues of the Mycobacterial Dephosphocoenzyme A Kinase by Site-Directed Mutagenesis

Dephosphocoenzyme A kinase performs the transfer of the γ-phosphate of ATP to dephosphocoenzyme A, catalyzing the last step of coenzyme A biosynthesis. This enzyme belongs to the P-loop-containing NTP hydrolase superfamily, all members of which posses a three domain topology consisting of a CoA domain that binds the acceptor substrate, the nucleotide binding domain and the lid domain. Differences in the enzymatic organization and regulation between the human and mycobacterial counterparts, have pointed out the tubercular CoaE as a high confidence drug target (HAMAP database). Unfortunately the absence of a three-dimensional crystal structure of the enzyme, either alone or complexed with either of its substrates/regulators, leaves both the reaction mechanism unidentified and the chief players involved in substrate binding, stabilization and catalysis unknown. Based on homology modeling and sequence analysis, we chose residues in the three functional domains of the enzyme to assess their contributions to ligand binding and catalysis using site-directed mutagenesis. Systematically mutating the residues from the P-loop and the nucleotide-binding site identified Lys14 and Arg140 in ATP binding and the stabilization of the phosphoryl intermediate during the phosphotransfer reaction. Mutagenesis of Asp32 and Arg140 showed catalytic efficiencies less than 5–10% of the wild type, indicating the pivotal roles played by these residues in catalysis. Non-conservative substitution of the Leu114 residue identifies this leucine as the critical residue from the hydrophobic cleft involved in leading substrate, DCoA binding. We show that the mycobacterial enzyme requires the Mg2+ for its catalytic activity. The binding energetics of the interactions of the mutant enzymes with the substrates were characterized in terms of their enthalpic and entropic contributions by ITC, providing a complete picture of the effects of the mutations on activity. The properties of mutants defective in substrate recognition were consistent with the ordered sequential mechanism of substrate addition for CoaE.

Substrate discrimination of the chaperone BiP by autonomous and cochaperone-regulated conformational transitions

The endoplasmic reticulum is the site of folding, assembly and quality control for proteins of the secretory pathway. The ATP-regulated Hsp70 chaperone BiP (heavy chain-binding protein), together with cochaperones, has important roles in all of these processes. The functional cycle of Hsp70s is determined by conformational transitions that are required for substrate binding and release. Here, we used the intrinsically disordered C(H)1 domain of antibodies as an authentic substrate protein and analyzed the conformational cycle of BiP by single-molecule and ensemble Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements. Nucleotide binding resulted in concerted domain movements of BiP. Conformational transitions of the lid domain allowed BiP to discriminate between peptide and protein substrates. A major BiP cochaperone in antibody folding, ERdj3, modulated the conformational space of BiP in a nucleotide-dependent manner, placing the lid subdomain in an open, protein-accepting state.

In silico characterization of thermostable lipases

Thermostable lipases are of high priority for industrial applications as they are endowed with the capability of carrying out diversified reactions at elevated temperatures. Extremophiles are their potential source. Sequence and structure annotation of thermostable lipases can elucidate evolution of lipases from their mesophilic counterparts with enhanced thermostability hence better industrial potential. Sequence analysis highlighted the conserved residues in bacterial and fungal thermostable lipases. Higher frequency of AXXXA motif and poly Ala residues in lid domain of thermostable Bacillus lipases were distinguishing characteristics. Comparison of amino acid composition among thermostable and mesostable lipases brought into light the role of neutral, charged and aromatic amino acid residues in enhancement of thermostability. Structural annotation of thermostable lipases with that of mesostable lipases revealed some striking features which are increment of gamma turns in thermostable lipases; being first time reported in our paper, longer beta strands, lesser beta-branched residues in helices, increase in charged-neutral hydrogen bonding pair, hydrophobic-hydrophobic contact and differences in the N-cap and C-cap residues of the α helices. Conclusively, it can be stated that subtle changes in the arrangement of amino acid residues in the tertiary structure of lipases contributes to enhanced thermostability.

Improving the catalytic activity of lipase LipK107 from Proteus sp. by site-directed mutagenesis in the lid domain based on computer simulation

Abstract The capacity of lipase LipK107 from Proteus sp. catalyzing the kinetic resolution of racemates was investigated. The resolution of racemic 1-phenylethanol in organic medium was selected as model reaction. The conversion was dramatically dependent on the water content and the LipK107 showed high activity in a wide range of water content without appreciable loss of enzyme enantiodiscrimination. Besides, the chain length of acyl donor also had a significant effect on the conversion, and the highest enantioselectivity was achieved when methyl palmitate was used. Based on the analysis of computer model structure of LipK107, different mutations were introduced into the lid region. Each derivative of LipK107 was expressed, purified, and assessed of the activity. According to the prediction, using mutants E130L + K131I and T138V as catalyst, respectively, the conversions of 1-phenylethanol improved greatly with a slight increase of enantiodiscrimination. In addition, the effects of hydrophobicity and electrostatic of the lid on lipase activity were determined. This work indicated that the modification of the lid might considerably enhance the activity and improve the yield of catalytic reactions, which could apply to other lipases. The computer simulations would make the process of identifying amino acids for substitution efficiently.

Mesophilic and Hyperthermophilic Adenylate Kinases Differ in Their Tolerance to Random Fragmentation

The extent to which thermostability influences the location of protein fragmentation sites that allow retention of function is not known. To evaluate this, we used a novel transposase-based approach to create libraries of vectors that express structurally-related fragments of Bacillus subtilis adenylate kinase (BsAK) and Thermotoga neapolitana adenylate kinase (TnAK) with identical modifications at their termini, and we selected for variants in each library that complement the growth of Escherichia coli with a temperature-sensitive adenylate kinase (AK). Mutants created using the hyperthermophilic TnAK were found to support growth with a higher frequency (44%) than those generated from the mesophilic BsAK (6%), and selected TnAK mutants complemented E. coli growth more strongly than homologous BsAK variants. Sequencing of functional clones from each library also identified a greater dispersion of fragmentation sites within TnAK. Nondisruptive fission sites were observed within the AMP binding and core domains of both AK homologs. However, only TnAK contained sites within the lid domain, which undergoes dynamic fluctuations that are critical for catalysis. These findings implicate the flexible lid domain as having an increased sensitivity to fission events at physiological temperatures. In addition, they provide evidence that comparisons of nondisruptive fission sites in homologous proteins could be useful for finding dynamic regions whose conformational fluctuations are important for function, and they show that the discovery of protein fragments that cooperatively function in mesophiles can be aided by the use of thermophilic enzymes as starting points for protein design.

Expression of multiple membrane-associated phospholipase A1 beta transcript variants and lysophosphatidic acid receptors in Ewing tumor cells

The prognosis for patients with advanced stages of Ewing family tumors (EFT) is very poor. EFT express high levels of phosphatidic acid specific membrane-associated phospholipase A1 beta (lipase I, LIPI). LIPI is a cancer/testis antigen and the high tumor specificity suggests that LIPI might be an attractive target for new diagnostic and/or therapeutic developments. By using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), we observed simultaneous presence of multiple LIPI transcript variants in EFT. We cloned and sequenced these transcript variants from EFT cell lines. Sequence analysis indicated that all transcript variants were derived by alternative splicing. Homology modeling of corresponding protein structures suggested that different transcript variants differ in their regulatory lid domains. In addition, expression of receptors for lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) was analyzed in a panel of EFT cell lines by RT-PCR. We observed that EFT cell lines expressed high levels of LPA receptors. Different LIPI transcript variants present in EFT might be involved in the pathogenesis of EFT by signaling via these LPA receptors.

Crystal Structure and Mutational Analysis of Aminoacylhistidine Dipeptidase from Vibrio alginolyticus Reveal a New Architecture of M20 Metallopeptidases

Aminoacylhistidine dipeptidases (PepD, EC 3.4.13.3) belong to the family of M20 metallopeptidases from the metallopeptidase H clan that catalyze a broad range of dipeptide and tripeptide substrates, including L-carnosine and L-homocarnosine. Homocarnosine has been suggested as a precursor for the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and may mediate the antiseizure effects of GABAergic therapies. Here, we report the crystal structure of PepD from Vibrio alginolyticus and the results of mutational analysis of substrate-binding residues in the C-terminal as well as substrate specificity of the PepD catalytic domain-alone truncated protein PepD(CAT). The structure of PepD was found to exist as a homodimer, in which each monomer comprises a catalytic domain containing two zinc ions at the active site center for its hydrolytic function and a lid domain utilizing hydrogen bonds between helices to form the dimer interface. Although the PepD is structurally similar to PepV, which exists as a monomer, putative substrate-binding residues reside in different topological regions of the polypeptide chain. In addition, the lid domain of the PepD contains an "extra" domain not observed in related M20 family metallopeptidases with a dimeric structure. Mutational assays confirmed both the putative di-zinc allocations and the architecture of substrate recognition. In addition, the catalytic domain-alone truncated PepD(CAT) exhibited substrate specificity to l-homocarnosine compared with that of the wild-type PepD, indicating a potential value in applications of PepD(CAT) for GABAergic therapies or neuroprotection.

Construction of Aspergillus niger lipase mutants with oil–water interface independence

Based on previous bioinformational analytical results [Shu ZY, et al. Biotechnol Prog 2009;25:409–16], four A. niger lipase (ANL) mutants, ANL-Ser84Gly, ANL-Asp99Pro, ANL-Lys108Glu and ANL-EαH (obtained by replacing the lid domain of ANL with the corresponding domain from A. niger feruloyl esterase), were constructed to screen out ANL mutants with oil–water interface independence. ANL-S84G displayed a pronounced interfacial activation, while ANL-D99P and ANL-K108E displayed no interfacial activation. The specific activity of ANL-S84G towards p-nitrophenyl esters decreased from 29.8% to 76.5% compared with that of ANL, while the specific activity of ANL-D99P towards p-nitrophenyl palmitate increased 2.2-fold. The thermostability of ANL-K108E was almost unchanged, while the thermostability of ANL-S84G and ANL-D99P significantly decreased compared with that of ANL. The construction of oil–water interface-independent ANL mutants would help to further understand the mechanism of lipase interfacial activation.

Archaeal-like chaperonins in bacteria.

Chaperonins (CPN) are ubiquitous oligomeric protein machines that mediate the ATP-dependent folding of polypeptide chains. These chaperones have not only been assigned stress response and normal housekeeping functions but also have a role in certain human disease states. A longstanding convention divides CPNs into two groups that share many conserved sequence motifs but differ in both structure and distribution. Group I complexes are the well known GroEL/ES heat-shock proteins in bacteria, that also occur in some species of mesophilic archaea and in the endosymbiotic organelles of eukaryotes. Group II CPNs are found only in the cytosol of archaea and eukaryotes. Here we report a third, divergent group of CPNs found in several species of bacteria. We propose to name these Group III CPNs because of their distant relatedness to both Group I and II CPNs as well as their unique genomic context, within the hsp70 operon. The prototype Group III CPN, Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans chaperonin (Ch-CPN), is able to refold denatured proteins in an ATP-dependent manner and is structurally similar to the Group II CPNs, forming a 16-mer with each subunit contributing to a flexible lid domain. The Group III CPN represent a divergent group of bacterial CPNs distinct from the GroEL/ES CPN found in all bacteria. The Group III lineage may represent an ancient horizontal gene transfer from an archaeon into an early Firmicute lineage. An analysis of their functional and structural characteristics may provide important insights into the early history of this ubiquitous family of proteins.

Crystal Structure of Group II Chaperonin in the Open State

Thermosomes are group II chaperonins responsible for protein refolding in an ATP-dependent manner. Little is known regarding the conformational changes of thermosomes during their functional cycle due to a lack of high-resolution structure in the open state. Here, we report the first complete crystal structure of thermosome (rATcpnβ) in the open state from Acidianus tengchongensis. There is a ∼30° rotation of the apical and lid domains compared with the previous closed structure. Besides, the structure reveals a conspicuous hydrophobic patch in the lid domain, and residues locating in this patch are conserved across species. Both the closed and open forms of rATcpnβ were also reconstructed by electron microscopy (EM). Structural fitting revealed the detailed conformational change from the open to the closed state. Structural comparison as well as protease K digestion indicated only ATP binding without hydrolysis does not induce chamber closure of thermosome.

Role of Water in the Enzymatic Catalysis: Study of ATP + AMP → 2ADP Conversion by Adenylate Kinase

The catalytic conversion ATP + AMP → 2ADP by the enzyme adenylate kinase (ADK) involves the binding of one ATP molecule to the LID domain and one AMP molecule to the NMP domain. The latter is followed by a phosphate transfer and then the release of two ADP molecules. We have computed a novel two-dimensional configurational free energy surface (2DCFES), with one reaction coordinate each for the LID and the NMP domain motions, while considering explicit water interactions. Our computed 2DCFES clearly reveals the existence of a stable half-open half-closed (HOHC) intermediate state of the enzyme. Cycling of the enzyme through the HOHC state reduces the conformational free energy barrier for the reaction by about 20 kJ/mol. We find that the stability of the HOHC state (missed in all earlier studies with implicit solvent model) is largely because of the increase of specific interactions of the polar amino acid side chains with water, particularly with the arginine and the histidine residues. Free energy surface of the LID domain is rather rugged, which can conveniently slow down LID's conformational motion, thus facilitating a new substrate capture after the product release in the catalytic cycle.

Crystal structure of the zinc-, cobalt-, and iron-containing adenylate kinase from Desulfovibrio gigas: a novel metal-containing adenylate kinase from Gram-negative bacteria

Adenylate kinases (AK) from Gram-negative bacteria are generally devoid of metal ions in their LID domain. However, three metal ions, zinc, cobalt, and iron, have been found in AK from Gram-negative bacteria. Crystal structures of substrate-free AK from Desulfovibrio gigas with three different metal ions (Zn(2+), Zn-AK; Co(2+), Co-AK; and Fe(2+), Fe-AK) bound in its LID domain have been determined by X-ray crystallography to resolutions 1.8, 2.0, and 3.0Å, respectively. The zinc and iron forms of the enzyme were crystallized in space group I222, whereas the cobalt-form crystals were C2. The presence of the metals was confirmed by calculation of anomalous difference maps and by X-ray fluorescence scans. The work presented here is the first report of a structure of a metal-containing AK from a Gram-negative bacterium. The native enzyme was crystallized, and only zinc was detected in the LID domain. Co-AK and Fe-AK were obtained by overexpressing the protein in Escherichia coli. Zn-AK and Fe-AK crystallized as monomers in the asymmetric unit, whereas Co-AK crystallized as a dimer. Nevertheless, all three crystal structures are very similar to each other, with the same LID domain topology, the only change being the presence of the different metal atoms. In the absence of any substrate, the LID domain of all holoforms of AK was present in a fully open conformational state. Normal mode analysis was performed to predict fluctuations of the LID domain along the catalytic pathway.

How many atoms are required to characterize accurately trajectory fluctuations of a protein?

Large molecules, whose thermal fluctuations sample a complex energy landscape, exhibit motions on an extended range of space and time scales. Principal component analysis (PCA) is often used to extract dominant motions that in proteins are typically domain motions. These motions are captured in the large eigenvalue (leading) principal components. There is also information in the small eigenvalues, arising from approximate linear dependencies among the coordinates. These linear dependencies suggest that instead of using all the atom coordinates to represent a trajectory, it should be possible to use a reduced set of coordinates with little loss in the information captured by the large eigenvalue principal components. In this work, methods that can monitor the correlation (overlap) between a reduced set of atoms and any number of retained principal components are introduced. For application to trajectory data generated by simulations, where the overall translational and rotational motion needs to be eliminated before PCA is carried out, some difficulties with the overlap measures arise and methods are developed to overcome them. The overlap measures are evaluated for a trajectory generated by molecular dynamics for the protein adenylate kinase, which consists of a stable, core domain, and two more mobile domains, referred to as the LID domain and the AMP-binding domain. The use of reduced sets corresponding, for the smallest set, to one-eighth of the alpha carbon (CA) atoms relative to using all the CA atoms is shown to predict the dominant motions of adenylate kinase. The overlap between using all the CA atoms and all the backbone atoms is essentially unity for a sum over PCA modes that effectively capture the exact trajectory. A reduction to a few atoms (three in the LID and three in the AMP-binding domain) shows that at least the first principal component, characterizing a large part of the LID-binding and AMP-binding motion, is well described. Based on these results, the overlap criterion should be applicable as a guide to postulating and validating coarse-grained descriptions of generic biomolecular assemblies.

Increasing the Conformational Entropy of the Ω-Loop Lid Domain in Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase Impairs Catalysis and Decreases Catalytic Fidelity,

Many studies have shown that the dynamic motions of individual protein segments can play an important role in enzyme function. Recent structural studies of the gluconeogenic enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) demonstrate that PEPCK contains a 10-residue Omega-loop domain that acts as an active site lid. On the basis of these structural studies, we have previously proposed a model for the mechanism of PEPCK catalysis in which the conformation of this mobile lid domain is energetically coupled to ligand binding, resulting in the closed conformation of the lid, necessary for correct substrate positioning, becoming more energetically favorable as ligands associate with the enzyme. Here we test this model by introducing a point mutation (A467G) into the center of the Omega-loop lid that is designed to increase the entropic penalty for lid closure. Structural and kinetic characterization of this mutant enzyme demonstrates that the mutation has decreased the favorability of the enzyme adapting the closed lid conformation. As a consequence of this shift in the equilibrium defining the conformation of the active site lid, the enzyme's ability to stabilize the reaction intermediate is weakened, resulting in catalytic defect. This stabilization is initially surprising, as the lid domain makes no direct contacts with the enolate intermediate formed during the reaction. Furthermore, during the conversion of OAA to PEP, the destabilization of the lid-closed conformation results in the reaction becoming decoupled as the enolate intermediate is protonated rather than phosphorylated, resulting in the formation of pyruvate. Taken together, the structural and kinetic characterization of A467G-PEPCK supports our model of the role of the active site lid in catalytic function and demonstrates that the shift in the lowest-energy conformation between open and closed lid states is a function of the free energy available to the enzyme through ligand binding and the entropic penalty for ordering of the 10-residue Omega-loop lid domain.

Directed Evolution of the DnaK Chaperone: Mutations in the Lid Domain Result in Enhanced Chaperone Activity

We improved the DnaK molecular chaperone system for increased folding efficiency towards two target proteins, by using a multi-parameter screening procedure. First, we used a folding-deficient C-terminal truncated chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT_Cd9) to obtain tunable selective pressure for enhanced DnaK chaperon function in vivo. Second, we screened selected clones in vitro for CAT_Cd9 activity after growth under selective pressure. We then analyzed how these variants performed as compared to wild type DnaK towards folding assistance of a second target protein; namely, chemically denatured firefly luciferase. A total of 11 single point DnaK mutants and 1 truncated variant were identified using CAT_Cd9 as the protein target, while 4 of the 12 selected variants showed improved luciferase refolding in vitro. This shows that improving the DnaK chaperone by using a certain target substrate protein, does not necessarily result in a loss or reduction in its ability to assist other proteins. Of the 12 identified mutations, half were clustered in the nucleotide binding domain, and half in the lid domain (LD) of DnaK. The truncated variant is characterized by a 35-residue C-terminal truncation (Cd35) and exhibited the highest improvement for luciferase refolding. Cd35 showed a 7-fold increase in initial refolding rate for denatured luciferase and resulted in a 5-fold increase in maximal luminescence as compared to wild type DnaK. Given that the best in vitro performing mutants contained LD substitutions, and that the LD is not involved in ATP binding, ATP hydrolysis or client protein association, but is involved in allosteric regulation of the chaperone cycle, we propose that improved DnaK variants result in changes to allosteric domain communication, ultimately retuning the ATP-dependent chaperone cycle.

3′-[4-Aryl-(1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)]-3′-deoxythymidine Analogues as Potent and Selective Inhibitors of Human Mitochondrial Thymidine Kinase

In an effort to increase the potency and selectivity of earlier identified substrate-based inhibitors of mitochondrial thymidine kinase 2 (TK-2), we now describe the synthesis of new thymidine analogues containing a 4- or 5-substituted 1,2,3-triazol-1-yl substituent at the 3'-position of the 2'-deoxyribofuranosyl ring. These analogues were prepared by Cu- and Ru-catalyzed cycloadditions of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine and the appropriate alkynes, which produced the 1,4- and 1,5-triazoles, respectively. Selected analogues showed nanomolar inhibitory activity for TK-2, while virtually not affecting the TK-1 counterpart. Enzyme kinetics indicated a competitive and uncompetitive inhibition profile against thymidine and the cosubstrate ATP, respectively. This behavior is rationalized by suggesting that the inhibitors occupy the substrate-binding site in a TK-2-ATP complex that maintains the enzyme's active site in a closed conformation through the stabilization of a small lid domain.

A novel thermophilic lipase from Fervidobacterium nodosum Rt17-B1 representing a new subfamily of bacterial lipases

Abstract Thermophilic enzymes have significant potential for industry applications due to their high inherent stability and high reaction rates at high temperatures. In this study a gene coding for a putative lipase composed of 302 amino acids from an anaerobic thermophilic bacterium Fervidobacterium nodosum Rt17-B1 was cloned and characterized. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that this novel lipase represents a new subfamily of family I of bacterial lipases, annotated as family I.8. The recombinant protein can catalyze the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl esters and shows substrate preference for p-nitrophenyl caprate with a kcat/Km of 22,500 s−1 μM−1. Most importantly, it can hydrolyze triacylglycerols with long acyl chains. In the test conditions applied here it has a maximum activity at 70 °C and pH 9.0 and displays extreme thermal stability. Interestingly, it was not only stable, but was also activated by treatment with polar organic solvents including propanol, acetone, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF). Structural modeling showed that it is composed of an α/β-hydrolase fold and a lid domain comprised of four α-helices. A canonical catalytic triad consisting of Ser119, Asp206 and His282 was verified by site-directed mutagenesis.