Recombinant Leucine Aminopeptidase Research Articles

High-level expression and characterization of the thermostable leucine aminopeptidase Thelap from the thermophilic fungus Thermomyces lanuginosus in Aspergillus niger and its application in soy protein hydrolysis

Leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), an exopeptidase that releases amino acid residues, especially leucine, from the N-terminus of polypeptides, is often applied to debitter protein hydrolysate in the food industry. However, there are no thermostable and high activity enzymes that can be used in the food industry. In this study, we obtained the highly active and thermostable leucine aminopeptidases screened from the thermophilic fungi Thermomyces lanuginosus, Talaromyces thermophilus, and Malbranchea cinnamomea. The activity of the recombinant leucine aminopeptidase Thelap was significantly increased to 2771.5 U/mL, as mediated by the CRISPR/Cas9 tool. The recombinant Thelap was easily purified from fermentation broth by Ni-affinity chromatography, and the specific activity of the purified Thelap was increased to 7449.6 U/mg. The recombinant Thelap showed optimal activity at pH 8.5 and 75 °C and remained above 70% of the maximum activity over a wide temperature range (30–80 °C). With regard to temperature stability, Thelap retained more than 90% activity when it was incubated at 65–75 °C for 2 h. K+ and Co2+ increased the enzyme activity of the recombinant Thelap, while Ba2+, Mn2+, Ni2+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and SDS inhibited its enzyme activity, and the inhibition capacity of Mg2+ was the weakest. Upon application in soy protein hydrolysis, Thelap could significantly increase the degree of hydrolysis and remove more hydrophobic amino acids from the N-terminal region of the polypeptide to decrease the bitterness.

Performance of an immobilized recombinant leucine aminopeptidase after storage in ethanol–water solution

Immobilized enzymes offer different benefits such as the feasibility to be reused for reproducible bioprocesses. The challenge is to establish the appropriate storage conditions that allow the maintenance of their properties for long periods. In this study, we immobilized a recombinant leucine aminopeptidase (I-rLAP) on a siliceous support synthesized from tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) activated with glutaraldehyde to evaluate its residual activity after storage in 20% v/v ethanol and sodium azide solutions at 4 and 25 °C. The characterization of the support by X-ray diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) and field emission probe microanalyzer (EPMA) was consistent with previous characterization reports of silica gel matrices. Particle size ≤420 μm exhibited a suitable performance that avoided high backpressure into the columns and increased the amount of immobilized enzyme. I-rLAP recovered up to 90% of the applied activity after 64 days of storage at 4 and 25 °C in 20% v/v ethanol. Conversely, no effect was observed when the insoluble enzyme was stored in sodium azide. Activity recovery of I-rLAP after storage in ethanol solution could be related to the formation of disulfide bonds as suggested by free thiol analyses. Reverse phase-ultra performance liquid chromatography (RP-UPLC) and Mass Spectrometry confirmed that the immobilized enzyme maintained its specificity to remove N-terminal methionine from a recombinant hormone. The obtained results indicate that this methodology constitutes an alternative for bioprocesses involving long-term storage of immobilized enzymes.

The Structure and Enzyme Characteristics of a Recombinant Leucine Aminopeptidase rLap1 from Aspergillus sojae and Its Application in Debittering.

A leucine aminopeptidase Lap1 was cloned from Aspergillus sojae GIM3.30. The truncated Lap1 without a signal peptide was over-expressed in P. pastoris, and the enzymatic characteristics of recombinant Lap1 (rLap1) were tested. The rLap1 was about 36.7 kDa with an optimal pH 8.0 and optimal temperature 50 °C for substrate Leu-p-nitroanilide and it sustained 50 % activity after 1 h incubation at 50 °C. The activity of rLap1 was significantly inhibited by EDTA, whereas Co(2+), Mn(2+), and Ca(2+) ions, but not Zn(2+) ions, restored its activity. rLap1 showed the highest activity against Arg-pNA and then Leu-, Lys-, Met-, and Phe-pNA. The 3D structure of rLap1 showed it had a conserved functional charge/dipole complex and a hydrogen bond network of Zn2-D179-S228-Q177-D229-S158 around its active center. An acidic Asp residue was found at the bottom of the substrate binding pocket, which explains its preference for basic N-terminal amino acid substrates such as Arg and Lys. rLap1 improved the degree of hydrolysis of casein and soy protein hydrolysates and also decreased their bitterness, indicating its potential utility in food production.

Structural and functional characterization of a recombinant leucine aminopeptidase

The function of proteins, such as the catalytic enzyme activity, depends on the interaction of their active sites with their specific substrates and the environment conditions that affect the stability of those sites. This study presents a structure-to-function characterization of the folding process of a recombinant 6×-His tag leucine aminopeptidase (rLAP) based on a platform of analytical techniques. The results demonstrated an increase up to 31U/mg in the activity of the enzyme after folding as revealed by circular dichroism, intrinsic fluorescence, differential scanning calorimetry, and free thiol analysis. Collectively, these techniques revealed a larger number of covalent and non-covalent bonds within the protein seen as an increase in the chemical and thermal stability, while exhibited a lower level of non-bonded cysteines after the protein was folded. Mass spectrometry analysis showed the maintenance of the distribution of the enzyme isoforms related to N-terminal histidine residues after folding, which confirmed that the enzymatic activity of rLAP depends on its three-dimensional structure rather than N-terminal self-processing activity. In summary, the studied attributes allow a better understanding of the structure-to-function relationship of rLAP, that permit a more proficient manufacturing of the enzyme that would improve the bioprocesses in which is employed.

Kinetics and conformational stability studies of recombinant leucine aminopeptidase

Leucine aminopeptidase from Vibrio proteolyticus is a broad specificity N-terminal aminopeptidase that is widely used in pharmaceutical processes where the removal of N-terminal residues in recombinant proteins is required. We previously reported the expression of a heterologous construction of the mature protein fused to a 6-histidine tag that presents a reasonable refolding rate for its use at industrial level. Here, we investigate this recombinant leucine aminopeptidase (rLAP) to explain the gain of activity observed when incubated at 37°C after its production. Unfolding transitions of rLAP as a function of urea concentration were monitored by circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence (FL) spectroscopy exhibiting single transitions by both techniques. Free energy change for unfolding measured by CD and FL spectroscopy are 2.8±0.4 and 3.7±0.4kcalmol−1, respectively. Thermal stability conformation of rLAP is 2.6±0.1 and 6.1kcalmol−1 for CD and Nano-Differential Scanning Calorimetry (Nano-DSC), respectively. Enzyme activity was assessed with l-leucine-p-nitroanilide (L-pNA) as substrate. The catalytic efficiency was 3.87±0.10min−1μM−1 at 37°C and pH 8.0. Kinetic and conformation studies show differences between the enzyme native and rLAP; however rLAP is selective and specific to remove N-terminal groups from amino acids.

Immunization with recombinant leucine aminopeptidase showed protection against Fasciola gigantica in mice

Leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) is expressed in all stages of Fasciola gigantica and, hence, is considered as a potential vaccine candidate. In this study, we have tested a vaccine potential of LAP and the types of immune responses it elicited in vaccinated mice. Recombinant F. gigantica leucine aminopeptidase (rFgLAP) was expressed in Escherichia coli, BL21 (DE3). The imprinting control region mice subcutaneously immunized with 50 μg of rFgLAP combined with Freund's adjuvant (n = 10) exhibited a significant reduction in worm recoveries when compared with non-immunized and Freund's adjuvant controls at 60.8 and 64.3%, respectively, and both T helper (Th)1 and Th2 humoral immune responses were elicited in the hosts as reflected by the levels of IgG1 and IgG2a, with Th2 predominating. The levels of IgG1- and IgG2a-specific antibodies to rFgLAP were inversely and significantly correlated with the numbers of worm recoveries. The rFgLAP-vaccinated mice showed significantly reduced levels of serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase and liver damage. These indicated that rFgLAP has a potential as a vaccine candidate against F. gigantica, whose efficacy will be studied further in economic animals including cattle, sheep, and goat.

Biochemical Properties of Recombinant Leucine Aminopeptidase II from Bacillus stearothermophilus and Potential Applications in the Hydrolysis of Chinese Anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) Proteins

The effects of various factors on the activity and conformation of recombinant leucine aminopeptidase II (rLAP II) from Bacillus stearothermophilus and its potential utilization in the hydrolysis of anchovy proteins were investigated. The optimal temperature and pH of rLAP II were 55 °C and 8.0 in phosphate buffer, and its activity was strongly stimulated by Co(2+). Conformational studies indicated that maintaining the α-helical structure had a critical effect on rLAP II activity. rLAP II was used to hydrolyze anchovy proteins, and it exhibited high specificity for peptides with molecular weight between 6000 and 1000 Da and positive coordination with endogenous enzymes and commercial Flavourzyme. Its use will enhance protein hydrolysis in species of aquatic animals. rLAP II could potentially be used to remove bitterness in the protein hydrolysis industry.

Biochemical Properties and Potential Applications of Recombinant Leucine Aminopeptidase from Bacillus kaustophilus CCRC 11223

Experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of various factors on the activity and conformation of recombinant leucine aminopeptidase of Bacillus kaustophilus CCRC 11223 (BkLAP) and potential utilization of BkLAP in the hydrolysis of anchovy protein. Optimal temperature and pH of BkLAP were 70 °C and 8.0 in potassium-phosphate buffer, respectively, and the activity was strongly stimulated by Ni2+, followed by Mn2+ and Co2+. Conformational studies via circular dichroism spectroscopy indicated that various factors could influence the secondary structure of BkLAP to different extents and further induce the changes in enzymatic activity. The secondary structure of BkLAP was slightly modified by Ni2+ at the concentration of 1×10−4 M, however, significant changes on the secondary structures of the enzyme were observed when Hg2+ was added to the concentration of 1×10−4 M. The potential application of BkLAP was evaluated through combination with the commercial or endogenous enzyme to hydrolysis the anchovy protein. Results showed that combining the BkLAP with other enzymes could significantly increase the degree of hydrolysis and amino acid component of hydrolysate. In this regard, BkLAP is a potential enzyme that can be used in the protein hydrolysate industry.

Lack of protective efficacy in buffaloes vaccinated with Fasciola gigantica leucine aminopeptidase and peroxiredoxin recombinant proteins

Gene coding for leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), a metalloprotease, was identified in the tropical liver fluke, Fasciola gigantica; that on sequence analysis showed a close homology (98.6%) with leucine aminopeptidase of the temperate liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica. The recombinant leucine aminopeptidase protein was expressed in Escherichia coli. F. gigantica peroxiredoxin, a hydrogen peroxide scavenger and an immunomodulating protein, was also cloned and expressed in E. coli. A vaccination trial in buffaloes was conducted with these two recombinant proteins, with 150 and 300μg of leucine aminopeptidase and a cocktail of 150μg each of recombinant leucine aminopeptidase and peroxiredoxin in three groups, respectively. Both Th1- and Th2-associated humoral immune responses were elicited to immunization with these antigens. A challenge study with 400 metacercariae did not show a significant protection in terms of reduction in the worm burden (8.4%) or anti-fecundity/embryonation effect in the immunized groups, as to the non-immunized control animals. Our observations in this buffalo vaccination trial are contrary to the earlier promise shown by leucine aminopeptidase of F. hepatica as a leading candidate vaccine molecule. Identification of leucine aminopeptidase gene and evaluation of the protein for its protective efficacy in buffaloes is the first scientific report on this protein in F. gigantica.

Leucine Aminopeptidase Is an Immunodominant Antigen of Fasciola hepatica Excretory and Secretory Products in Human Infections

The liver fluke Fasciola hepatica parasitizes humans and ruminant livestock worldwide, and it is now being considered a reemerging zoonotic disease, especially in areas in which it is endemic, such as South America. This study investigates the immune response to excretory and secretory products produced by F. hepatica in a group of patients from the Peruvian Altiplano, where the disease is highly endemic. Using a proteomic approach and immunoblotting techniques, we have identified the enzymes leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase as immunodominant antigens recognized by sera from fasciolosis patients. An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using recombinant LAP as the antigen was developed to check sera from individuals of this region. Our results demonstrate that LAP produces a specific and strong reaction, suggesting its potential use in the serologic diagnosis of F. hepatica infections in humans.

The Catalytic Role of Glutamate 151 in the Leucine Aminopeptidase from Aeromonas proteolytica

Glutamate 151 has been proposed to act as the general acid/base during the peptide hydrolysis reaction catalyzed by the co-catalytic metallohydrolase from Aeromonas proteolytica (AAP). However, to date, no direct evidence has been reported for the role of Glu-151 during catalytic turnover by AAP. In order to elucidate the catalytic role of Glu-151, altered AAP enzymes have been prepared in which Glu-151 has been substituted with a glutamine, an alanine, and an aspartate. The Michaelis constant (K(m)) does not change upon substitution to aspartate or glutamine, but the rate of the reaction changes drastically in the following order: glutamate (100% activity), aspartate (0.05%), glutamine (0.004%), and alanine (0%). Examination of the pH dependence of the kinetic constants k(cat) and K(m) revealed a change in the pK(a) of a group that ionizes at pH 4.8 in recombinant leucine aminopeptidase (rAAP) to 4.2 for E151D-AAP. The remaining pK(a) values at 5.2, 7.5, and 9.9 do not change. Proton inventory studies indicate that one proton is transferred in the rate-limiting step of the reaction at pH 10.50 for both rAAP and E151D-AAP, but at pH 6.50 two protons and general solvation effects are responsible for the observed effects in the reaction catalyzed by rAAP and E151D-AAP, respectively. Based on these data, Glu-151 is intrinsically involved in the peptide hydrolysis reaction catalyzed by AAP and can be assigned the role of a general acid and base.

Overexpression, purification, and characterization of the recombinant leucine aminopeptidase II of Bacillus stearothermophilus.

For expression of Bacillus stearothermophilus NCIB 8924 leucine aminopeptidase II (LAP II) in Escherichia coli regulated by a T5 promoter, the gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and cloned into expression vector pQE-32 to generate pQE-LAPII. The His(6)-tagged enzyme was overexpressed in IPTG-induced E. coli M15 (pQE-LAPII) as a soluble protein and was purified to homogeneity by nickel-chelate chromatography to a specific activity of 425 U/mg protein with a final yield of 76%. The subunit molecular mass of the purified protein was estimated to be 44.5 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The temperature and pH optima for the purified protein were 60 degrees C and 8.0, respectively. Under optimal condition, the purified enzyme showed a marked preference for Leu- p-nitroanilide, followed by Arg- and Lys-derivatives. The His(6)-tagged enzyme was stimulated by Co(2+) ions, but was strongly inhibited by Cu(2+) and Hg(2+) and by the chelating agents, DTT and EDTA. The EDTA-treated enzyme could be reactivated with Co(2+) ions, indicating that it is a cobalt-dependent exopeptidase. Taking the biochemical characteristics together, we found that the recombinant LAP II exhibits no important differences from those properties described for the native enzyme.