S-adenosylhomocysteine Nucleosidase Research Articles

Deciphering the Role of S-adenosyl Homocysteine Nucleosidase in Quorum Sensing Mediated Biofilm Formation.

S-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidase (MTAN) is a protein that plays a crucial role in several pathways of bacteria that are essential for its survival and pathogenesis. In addition to the role of MTAN in methyl-transfer reactions, methionine biosynthesis, and polyamine synthesis, MTAN is also involved in bacterial quorum sensing (QS). In QS, chemical signaling autoinducer (AI) secreted by bacteria assists cell to cell communication and is regulated in a cell density-dependent manner. They play a significant role in the formation of bacterial biofilm. MTAN plays a major role in the synthesis of these autoinducers. Signaling molecules secreted by bacteria, i.e., AI-1 are recognized as acylated homoserine lactones (AHL) that function as signaling molecules within bacteria. QS enables bacteria to establish physical interactions leading to biofilm formation. The formation of biofilm is a primary reason for the development of multidrug-resistant properties in pathogenic bacteria like Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis). In this regard, inhibition of E. faecalis MTAN (EfMTAN) will block the QS and alter the bacterial biofilm formation. In addition to this, it will also block methionine biosynthesis and many other critical metabolic processes. It should also be noted that inhibition of EfMTAN will not have any effect on human beings as this enzyme is not present in humans. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the structural-functional relationship of MTAN. We have also highlighted the current status, enigmas that warrant further studies, and the prospects for identifying potential inhibitors of EfMTAN for the treatment of E. faecalis infections. In addition to this, we have also reported structural studies of EfMTAN using homology modeling and highlighted the putative binding sites of the protein.

Selective Inhibitors of Helicobacter pylori Methylthioadenosine Nucleosidase and Human Methylthioadenosine Phosphorylase.

Bacterial 5'-methylthioadenosine/ S-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidase (MTAN) hydrolyzes adenine from its substrates to form S-methyl-5-thioribose and S-ribosyl-l-homocysteine. MTANs are involved in quorum sensing, menaquinone synthesis, and 5'-methylthioadenosine recycling to S-adenosylmethionine. Helicobacter pylori uses MTAN in its unusual menaquinone pathway, making H. pylori MTAN a target for antibiotic development. Human 5'-methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP), a reported anticancer target, catalyzes phosphorolysis of 5'-methylthioadenosine to salvage S-adenosylmethionine. Transition-state analogues designed for HpMTAN and MTAP show significant overlap in specificity. Fifteen unique transition-state analogues are described here and are used to explore inhibitor specificity. Several analogues of HpMTAN bind in the picomolar range while inhibiting human MTAP with orders of magnitude weaker affinity. Structural analysis of HpMTAN shows inhibitors extending through a hydrophobic channel to the protein surface. The more enclosed catalytic sites of human MTAP require the inhibitors to adopt a folded structure, displacing the phosphate nucleophile from the catalytic site.

Product inhibition in the radical S-adenosylmethionine family

Members of the radical S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) superfamily reductively cleave AdoMet to generate the highly reactive 5′-deoxyadenosyl radical (DOA ) which initiates biological transformations by abstraction of a hydrogen atom. We demonstrate that three members of the family: biotin synthase (BioB), lipoyl synthase (LipA) and tyrosine lyase (ThiH) are inhibited in vitro by a combination of the products 5′-deoxyadenosine (DOA) and methionine. These results suggest the observed inhibition is a common feature of the radical AdoMet proteins that form DOA and methionine as products. Addition of 5′-methylthioadenosine/ S-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidase (MTAN) to BioB, LipA or ThiH activity assays removed the product inhibition by catalysing the hydrolysis of DOA and gave an increase in activity.

Towards area‐based in vitro metabolic engineering: Assembly of Pfs enzyme onto patterned microfabricated chips

We report an approach for spatially selective assembly of an enzyme onto selected patterns of microfabricated chips. Our approach is based on electrodeposition of the aminopolysaccharide chitosan onto selected electrode patterns and covalent conjugation of a target enzyme to chitosan upon biochemical activation of a genetically fused "pro-tag." We report assembly of S-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidase (Pfs) fused with a C-terminal pentatyrosine pro-tag. Pfs is a member of the bacterial autoinducer-2 biosynthesis pathway, catalyzing the irreversible cleavage of S-adenosylhomocysteine. The assembled Pfs retains its catalytic activity and structure, as demonstrated by retained antibody recognition. Assembly is controlled by the electrode area, resulting in reproducible rates of catalytic conversion for a given area, and thus allowing for area-based manipulation of catalysis and small molecule biosynthesis. Our approach enables optimization of small molecule biosynthesis in 1-step as well as multistep enzymatic reactions, including entire metabolic pathways, and we envision a wide variety of potential applications.

Cloning and characterizations of the Serratia marcescens metK and pfs genes involved in AI-2-dependent quorum-sensing system

Serratia marcescens utilizes two types of quorum-sensing signal molecules: N-acyl homoserine lactones and furanosyl borate diester (AI-2). S-adenosylmethionine synthetase (METK), S-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidase (PFS), and S-ribosylhomocysteinase (LUXS) are three key enzymes in the biosynthetic pathway leading to AI-2 production. The sequence of luxS gene was published at NCBI (Accession number: EF164926). So in this study, Serratia marcescens metK and pfs genes were successfully cloned with inverse PCR. The results show that the ORF lengths of metK and pfs are 1155 and 702 bp, and encode proteins of 384 and 233 residues. Their molecular weights and isoelectric points are 41.85 kD and 5.50; 27.67 kD and 5.56, which are acidic proteins judging from the calculated pI values. Expression products of two genes with pET28a((+)) system exhibited molecular weights in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis comparable with a theoretical estimation. The sequences of these two genes were conferred China patent application numbers CN 200710048016.X and CN 200710048015.5, respectively.

Programmable assembly of a metabolic pathway enzyme in a pre-packaged reusable bioMEMS device

We report a biofunctionalization strategy for the assembly of catalytically active enzymes within a completely packaged bioMEMS device, through the programmed generation of electrical signals at spatially and temporally defined sites. The enzyme of a bacterial metabolic pathway, S-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidase (Pfs), is genetically fused with a pentatyrosine "pro-tag" at its C-terminus. Signal responsive assembly is based on covalent conjugation of Pfs to the aminopolysaccharide, chitosan, upon biochemical activation of the pro-tag, followed by electrodeposition of the enzyme-chitosan conjugate onto readily addressable sites in microfluidic channels. Compared to traditional physical entrapment and surface immobilization approaches in microfluidic environments, our signal-guided electrochemical assembly is unique in that the enzymes are assembled under mild aqueous conditions with spatial and temporal programmability and orientational control. Significantly, the chitosan-mediated enzyme assembly can be reversed, making the bioMEMS reusable for repeated assembly and catalytic activity. Additionally, the assembled enzymes retain catalytic activity over multiple days, demonstrating enhanced enzyme stability. We envision that this assembly strategy can be applied to rebuild metabolic pathways in microfluidic environments for antimicrobial drug discovery.

Colorimetric Activity Measurement of a Recombinant Putrescine N-Methyltransferase from Datura stramonium

Putrescine N-methyltransferase (PMT, EC 2.1.1.53) catalyses the S-adenosyl- L-methionine (SAM or AdoMet)-dependent methylation of putrescine to N-methylputrescine within the biosynthetic pathways of calystegines, nicotine, and tropane alkaloids in medicinal plants and produces S-adenosyl- L-homocysteine (SAH or AdoHcy). Determination of PMT activity was time-consuming and hardly reproducible in the past because it required tedious separation steps after chemical derivatisation or radioactive labelling of N-methylputrescine. A convenient and accurate enzyme-coupled colorimetric assay is based on the conversion of SAH to homocysteine by 5'-methylthioadenosine/ S-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidase (MTAN/SAHN, EC 3.2.2.9) and S-ribosylhomocysteine lyase (LuxS, EC 4.4.1.21). Homocysteine is quantified by 5,5'-dithiobis-2-nitrobenzoic acid. Putrescine was shown not to interfere with MTAN or LuxS. The colorimetric assay was validated by HPLC analysis. K(m) values determined by the assay, 108 microM for putrescine and 42 microM for SAM, are lower than the previously reported values, due to alleviation of PMT inhibition by SAH. DTNB:5,5'-dithiobis-2-nitrobenzoic acid LuxS: S-ribosylhomocysteine lyase MTAN:5'-methylthioadenosine nucleosidase PMT:putrescine N-methyltransferase SAH: S-adenosyl- L-homocysteine SAM: S-adenosyl- L-methionine TNB:2-nitro-5-thiobenzoic acid.

Structure of Escherichia coli5′-Methylthioadenosine/ S-Adenosylhomocysteine Nucleosidase Inhibitor Complexes Provide Insight into the Conformational Changes Required for Substrate Binding and Catalysis

5'-Methylthioadenosine/S-adenosylhomocysteine (MTA/AdoHcy) nucleosidase is a key enzyme in a number of critical biological processes in many microbes. This nucleosidase catalyzes the irreversible hydrolysis of the N(9)-C(1') bond of MTA or AdoHcy to form adenine and the corresponding thioribose. The key role of the MTA/AdoHcy nucleosidase in biological methylation, polyamine biosynthesis, methionine recycling, and bacterial quorum sensing has made it an important antimicrobial drug target. The crystal structures of Escherichia coli MTA/AdoHcy nucleosidase complexed with the transition state analog, formycin A (FMA), and the nonhydrolyzable substrate analog, 5'-methylthiotubercidin (MTT) have been solved to 2.2- and 2.0-A resolution, respectively. These are the first MTA/AdoHcy nucleosidase structures to be solved in the presence of inhibitors. These structures clearly identify the residues involved in substrate binding and catalysis in the active site. Comparisons of the inhibitor complexes to the adenine-bound MTA/AdoHcy nucleosidase (Lee, J. E., Cornell, K. A., Riscoe, M. K., and Howell, P. L. (2001) Structure (Camb.) 9, 941-953) structure provide evidence for a ligand-induced conformational change in the active site and the substrate preference of the enzyme. The enzymatic mechanism has been re-examined.

S-Adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase deficiency in cysteine auxotrophs of Tetrahymena thermophila.

The biochemical lesion in two cysteine auxotrophs of Tetrahymena thermophila has been established as a defect in S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase, an enzyme of the transsulfuration pathway. As a result, these mutants require cysteine (or cystathionine or homocysteine) for growth in a defined medium. Cell-free extracts of the mutants contained less than 5% of the level of the enzyme seen in the wild type. One of the mutant strains accumulated intracellular levels of S-adenosylhomocysteine as high as 1380 microM, a level 200 times normal. When both mutant strains were maintained in defined medium without cysteine, growth occurred after a long lag; this phenomenon was termed "adaptation." Adaptation was a) reversed by passage through rich medium, b) was not a recovery of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase, and c) was probably linked to induction of an alternate pathway for cysteine biosynthesis, involving a lysosomal S-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidase activity.

Occurrence of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase in prokaryote cells. Characterization of the enzyme from Alcaligenes faecalis and role of the enzyme in the activated methyl cycle.

The occurrence of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (EC 3.3.1.1) was found in a variety of prokaryotes. These prokaryotes did not exhibit any activities of S-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidase (EC 3.2.2.9) and S-ribosyl-homocysteine hydrolase (EC 3.3.1.3), which had been the generally accepted prokaryote enzymes for the regeneration of free homocysteine from S-adenosylhomocysteine in the activated methyl cycle. In these prokaryotes S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase was suggested to be the only enzyme functioning for the regeneration of free homocysteine by enzymological and immunochemical studies. S-Adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase was purified and crystallized from cells of a prokaryote, Alcaligenes faecalis. The purified enzyme was found to be homogeneous on ultracentrifugation and gel electrophoresis. Its relative molecular mass is approximately 280 000 and it is composed of six identical subunits with a Mr of approximately 48 000. The NH2-terminal and COOH-terminal amino acids are lysine and tyrosine respectively. The enzyme contains 6 mol NAD/mol. Some nucleosides, such as formycin A, nebularine, adenosine N1-oxide and so on, are able to substitute for adenosine yielding the corresponding S-nucleosidylhomocysteine congeners. Modification of the 5'-hydroxymethyl group in adenosine leads to the most potent inhibition of the thioether formation of homocysteine with adenosine. The enzyme from A. faecalis has some immunological similarities to other prokaryote S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolases, but is different from the enzymes of animal sources.

S-adenosylhomocysteine metabolism in various species.

Eleven microorganisms, four plants, and major organs from the chicken, dog, rat and rabbit were assayed for the presence of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase, S-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidase, and S-ribosylhomocysteine-cleavage enzyme. All bacteria (procaryotes) were found to possess S-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidase and S-ribosylhomocysteine-cleavage enzyme but not S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase; All eucaryotes tested, including yeasts, plants, birds, and mammals, possessed S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase but not S-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidase or S-ribosylhomocysteine-cleavage enzyme. Of all the organs assayed in the vertebrates, the level of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase was highest in liver, pancreas, and kidney, lower spleen and testis, and very low in brain and heart; In all systems tested, equilibrium of the hydrolase reaction always favored synthesis over hydrolysis. We studied some of the kinetic properties of the hydrolase from rat liver; In the direction of synthesis, the Km value was 1.5 mM for adenosine and 4.5 mM for L-homocysteine, whereas marked substrate inhibition was observed with L-homocysteine. The condensation reaction is subject to product inhibition, and was inhibited by adenine. Results from in-vivo experiments revealed that the cells of the various organs of the dog are impermeable to the exogenously administered S-adenosylhomocysteine.

ENZYMES RELEASED FROM ESCHERICHIA COLI WITH THE AID OF A SERVALL CELL FRACTIONATOR.

The release and stability of the enzymes S-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidase, lysine decarboxylase, arginine decarboxylase, glutamic decarboxylase, formic hydrogenlyase, formic oxidase, and glucose oxidase from Escherichia coli during disruption of the organisms in a Servall-Ribi refrigerated cell fractionator were examined. With the possible exception of arginine decarboxylase, maximal activity was retained by all the enzymes reported here when the cell suspensions were processed at pressures necessary for rupture of all the organisms (15,000 to 25,000 psi). Considerable variation in the stability of different enzymes liberated by disruption at higher pressures (45,000 to 55,000 psi) was observed. It is reasonable to assume that mechanical forces rather than effects of temperature are responsible for inactivation of these enzymes.

Enzymes Released from Escherichia coli With the Aid of a Servall Cell Fractionator

The release and stability of the enzymes S-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidase, lysine decarboxylase, arginine decarboxylase, glutamic decarboxylase, formic hydrogenlyase, formic oxidase, and glucose oxidase from Escherichia coli during disruption of the organisms in a Servall-Ribi refrigerated cell fractionator were examined. With the possible exception of arginine decarboxylase, maximal activity was retained by all the enzymes reported here when the cell suspensions were processed at pressures necessary for rupture of all the organisms (15,000 to 25,000 psi). Considerable variation in the stability of different enzymes liberated by disruption at higher pressures (45,000 to 55,000 psi) was observed. It is reasonable to assume that mechanical forces rather than effects of temperature are responsible for inactivation of these enzymes.