Substrate-binding Residues Research Articles

Purification and characterization of guanylate kinase, a nucleoside monophosphate kinase of Brugia malayi.

Guanylate kinase, a nucleoside monophosphate kinase of Brugia malayi which is involved in reversible transfer of phosphate groups from ATP to GMP, was cloned, expressed and characterized. The native molecular mass of BmGK was found to be 45 kDa as determined by size exclusion chromatography and glutaraldehyde cross-linking which revealed that the protein is homodimer in nature. This is a unique characteristic among known eukaryotic GKs. GMP and ATP served as the most effective phosphate acceptor and donor, respectively. Recombinant BmGK utilized both GMP and dGMP, as substrates showing Km values of 30 and 38 μ m, respectively. Free Mg+2 (un-complexed to ATP) and GTP play a regulatory role in catalysis of BmGK. The enzyme showed higher catalytic efficiency as compared with human GK and showed ternary complex (BmGK-GMP-ATP) formation with sequential substrate binding. The secondary structure of BmGK consisted of 45% α-helices, 18% β-sheets as revealed by CD analysis. Homology modelling and docking with GMP revealed conserved substrate binding residues with slight differences. Differences in kinetic properties and oligomerization of BmGK compared with human GK can provide the way for design of parasite-specific inhibitors.

Defining critical residues for substrate binding to 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase--active site substitutions stabilize the predecarboxylation intermediate C2α-lactylthiamin diphosphate.

1-Deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate (DXP) synthase catalyzes the formation of DXP from pyruvate and D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (GraP) in a thiamin diphosphate-dependent manner, and is the first step in the essential pathway to isoprenoids in human pathogens. Understanding the mechanism of this unique enzyme is critical for developing new anti-infective agents that selectively target isoprenoid biosynthesis. The present study used mutagenesis and a combination of protein fluorescence, CD and kinetics experiments to investigate the roles of Arg420, Arg478 and Tyr392 in substrate binding and catalysis. The results support a random sequential, preferred order mechanism, and predict that Arg420 and Arg478 are involved in binding of the acceptor substrate, GraP. D-Glyceraldehyde, an alternative acceptor substrate lacking the phosphoryl group predicted to interact with Arg420 and Arg478, also accelerates decarboxylation of the predecarboxylation intermediate C2α-lactylthiamin diphosphate (LThDP) on DXP synthase, indicating that this binding interaction is not absolutely required, and that the hydroxyaldehyde sufficiently triggers decarboxylation. Unexpectedly, Tyr392 contributes to GraP affinity, and is not required for LThDP formation or its GraP-promoted decarboxylation. Time-resolved CD spectroscopy and NMR experiments indicate that LThDP is significantly stabilized on R420A and Y392F variants as compared with wild-type DXP synthase in the absence of acceptor substrate, but these substitutions do not appear to affect the rate of GraP-promoted LThDP decarboxylation in the presence of high levels of GraP, and LThDP formation remains the rate-limiting step. These results suggest a role of these residues in promoting GraP binding, which in turn facilitates decarboxylation, and also highlight interesting differences between DXP synthase and other thiamin diphosphate-dependent enzymes.

Chaperone function and mechanism of small heat-shock proteins

Small heat-shock proteins (sHSPs) are ubiquitous ATP-independent molecular chaperones that play crucial roles in protein quality control in cells. They are able to prevent the aggregation and/or inactivation of various non-native substrate proteins and assist the refolding of these substrates independently or under the help of other ATP-dependent chaperones. Substrate recognition and binding by sHSPs are essential for their chaperone functions. This review focuses on what natural substrate proteins an sHSP protects and how it binds the substrates in cells under fluctuating conditions. It appears that sHSPs of prokaryotes, although being able to bind a wide range of cellular proteins, preferentially protect certain classes of functional proteins, such as translation-related proteins and metabolic enzymes, which may well explain why they could increase the resistance of host cells against various stresses. Mechanistically, the sHSPs of prokaryotes appear to possess numerous multi-type substrate-binding residues and are able to hierarchically activate these residues in a temperature-dependent manner, and thus act as temperature-regulated chaperones. The mechanism of hierarchical activation of substrate-binding residues is also discussed regarding its implication for eukaryotic sHSPs.

Structural and biochemical analysis of a type II free methionine‐R‐sulfoxide reductase from Thermoplasma acidophilum (774.7)

Free methionine‐R‐sulfoxide reductase (fRMsr) enzymes only reduce the free form of methionine‐R‐sulfoxide (Met‐R‐O). These enzymes can be grouped into two types with respect to the number of conserved Cys residues in the active sites. Type I fRMsr enzymes, which have three conserved Cys residues, have been characterized biochemically and structurally. However, the structural and biochemical properties of type II enzymes, which have two conserved Cys residues, are unknown. Here, we present the crystal structures of type II fRMsr from Thermoplasma acidophilum in native form and in a complex with Met‐R‐O. T. acidophilum fRMsr functions as an antioxidant protein. Based on biochemical and growth complementation assays, Cys84 is demonstrated to be the catalytic Cys. Structural analyses also support the catalytic function of Cys84 and provide insights into substrate recognition and orientation, conformational changes in the active site during substrate binding, and the role of active site residues in substrate binding and catalysis. A model for the catalytic mechanism of type II T. acidophilum fRMsr is proposed, in which a resolving Cys is not involved and the catalytic Cys84 sulfenic acid is directly reduced by the reductant thioredoxin.

Role of human glutathione synthetase H‐loop residues in substrate binding and activity (773.4)

Glutathione (GSH) is an antioxidant essential for mammalian cell survival and is found in every cell of almost all organisms. GSH cannot be taken up by the cell, so understanding the intercellular synthesis of this important antioxidant is crucial. GSH is synthesized in a two‐step process. In the second step, human glutathione synthetase (hGS) binds γ‐glutamylcysteine and glycine and then uses the energy of ATP to make GSH. hGS is a homodimer that displays negative cooperativity, toward the γ‐glutamylcysteine substrate, a phenomenon which contributes to metabolic regulation but is not yet fully understood. The H‐loop (147‐TISASF‐152) of hGS is highly conserved and located near the binding site of γ‐glutamylcysteine. The role of H‐loop residues was examined using site‐directed mutagenesis of H‐loop residues, followed by purification and kinetic characterization of H‐loop mutant hGS enzymes. Our results show that the H‐loop mutant hGS enzymes have altered binding affinity (Km) for the negatively cooperative substrate, γ‐glutamylcysteine.Grant Funding Source: Supported by NIH R15GM086833 (MEA), REP Grant (TWU, MEA), Welch Chem Dept Grant (TWU)

Role of substrate loop residues in catalytic loop motion and substrate binding in human glutathione synthetase (773.2)

Human glutathione synthetase (hGS) catalyzes the second step in the synthesis of the key antioxidant glutathione. The homodimeric enzyme displays negative cooperativity towards the ɣ‐glutamylcysteine substrate. The presented work probes the significance of residues within the substrate binding loop of hGS responsible for loop motion throughout the catalytic cycle and provides insight into the precise mechanism of communication between active sites. Molecular dynamics simulations and docking studies elucidate the interactions that mediate binding. Experimental point mutations, coupled activity assays, kinetic studies, and differential scanning calorimetry provide information on the role of these residues in activity, cooperativity and thermal stability. A deeper understanding of the residues responsible for loop motion within the substrate binding loop of hGS shows that interactions at the active site have significant impact on the structure and function of the enzyme.Grant Funding Source: Supported by NIH R15GM086833, Research Enhancement Program Grant (TWU), UNT Faculty Research Grant

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia KJ-2 균주로부터 얻은 PolyMG-specific 알긴산분해효소의 상동성 모델링 및 활성자리 연구

알긴산은 <TEX>${\alpha}$</TEX>-L-guluronic acid와 <TEX>${\beta}$</TEX>-D-mannuronic acid가 (1-4) 결합한 선형 산성다당류이다. 알긴산은 다양한 알긴산 분해효소들에 의하여 분해되는데 <TEX>${\beta}$</TEX>-제거반응으로 비환원 말단에 이중결합이 있는 불포화 우론산 올리고머가 생산된다. 본 연구실에서는 이전에 Stenotrophomonas maltophilia KJ-2로부터 새로운 구조를 가진 polyMG lyase를 재조합하였다. KJ-2 polyMG lyase의 단백질구조를 예측하기 위하여 상동성 모델링을 한 결과 Azotobacter vinelandii가 생산하는 세 종류의 polyMG lyase들이 모두 PL7 family에 속하는 반면 KJ-2 polyMG lyase는 PL6 family에 속하였다. 또한 <TEX>$^1H$</TEX>-NMR spectra를 분석한 결과 polyMG lyase는 M-<TEX>${\beta}$</TEX>(1-4)-G 당쇄결합을 분해하고 G-<TEX>${\alpha}$</TEX>(1-4)-M 결합은 거의 분해하지 못하는 것으로 나타났다. 예측된 polyMG lyase 모델을 기초로 하여 14군데 아미노산 잔기를 선택하였으며 17개의 돌연변이체를 만들어 알긴산 분해효소의 활성을 측정하였다. Lys220Ala, Arg241Ala, Arg241Lys및 Arg265Ala 돌연변이체들은 완전히 알긴산 분해효소의 활성을 잃었으며 Arg155Ala, Gly303Glu 및 Tyr304Phe 돌연변이체들의 분해활성은 19.1-39.3%까지 감소하였다. 이러한 결과들로부터 Arg155, Lys220, Arg241, Arg265, Gly303 및 Tyr304 들은 알긴산 분해효소의 촉매활성과 기질결합에 중요한 잔기들임을 알 수 있다. Alginates are linear acidic polysaccharides composed with (1-4)-linked <TEX>${\alpha}$</TEX>-L-guluronic acid and <TEX>${\beta}$</TEX>-Dmannuronic acid. Alginate can be degraded by diverse alginate lyases, which cleave the alginate using a <TEX>${\beta}$</TEX>-elimination reaction and produce unsaturated uronate oligomers. A gene for a polyMG-specific alginate lyase possessing a novel structure was previously identified and cloned from Stenotrophomonas maltophilia KJ-2. Homology modeling of KJ-2 polyMG-specific alginate lyase showed it belongs to the PL6 family, whereas three Azotobacter vinelandii polyMG lyases belong to the PL7 family of polysaccharide lyases. From <TEX>$^1H$</TEX>-NMR spectra data, KJ-2 polyMG lyase preferably degraded the M-<TEX>${\beta}$</TEX>(1-4)-G glycosidic bond than the G-<TEX>${\alpha}$</TEX>(1-4)-M glycosidic bond. Seventeen mutants were made by site-directed mutagenesis, and alginate lyase activity was analyzed. Lys220Ala, Arg241Ala, Arg241Lys, and Arg265Ala lost alginate lyase activity completely. Arg155Ala, Gly303Glu, and Tyr304Phe also lost the activity by 60.7-80.1%. These results show that Arg155, Lys220, Arg241, Arg265, Gly303, and Tyr304 are important residues for catalytic activity and substrate binding.

Structural insights into conserved l‐arabinose metabolic enzymes reveal the substrate binding site of a thermophilic l‐arabinose isomerase

Structural genomics demonstrates that despite low levels of structural similarity of proteins comprising a metabolic pathway, their substrate binding regions are likely to be conserved. Herein based on the 3D-structures of the α/β-fold proteins involved in the ara operon, we attempted to predict the substrate binding residues of thermophilic Geobacillus stearothermophilus L-arabinose isomerase (GSAI) with no 3D-structure available. Comparison of the structures of L-arabinose catabolic enzymes revealed a conserved feature to form the substrate-binding modules, which can be extended to predict the substrate binding site of GSAI (i.e., D195, E261 and E333). Moreover, these data implicated that proteins in the l-arabinose metabolic pathway might retain their substrate binding niches as the modular structure through conserved molecular evolution even with totally different structural scaffolds.

Identification of substrate-binding and selectivity-related residues of maltooligosyltrehalose synthase from the thermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus ATCC 35092

Maltooligosyltrehalose synthase (MTSase) is a key enzyme in the synthesis of trehalose. Computer simulations using AutoDock and NAMD were employed to assess the substrate-binding and selectivity-related residues of MTSase. We introduced mutations at residues D411, D610, and R614 to determine the substrate-binding residues of Sulfolobus solfataricus ATCC 35092 MTSase, and introduced mutations at residues P402, A406, and V426 to investigate the enzyme's selectivity-related residues. Kinetic studies of D411A, D610A, and R614A MTSases reveal significant reductions in catalytic efficiency and cause increase in the transition-state energy of mutant MTSases, indicating that residues D411, D610, and R614 form hydrogen bonds to the substrate. Compared with wild-type MTSase, the hydrolysis: transglycosylation selectivity ratio was significantly decreased for P402Q and significantly increased for A406S MTSases, while the ratio for V426T MTSase showed little change. The results suggest that P402 and A406 residues are selectivity-related.

Coordination chemical studies on the zinc enzymes

The metal dissociation constants of bovine carbonic anhydrase II, bovine carboxypeptidase A, rat aminopeptidase B, and rat dipeptidyl peptidase III were measured using metal buffer solutions. The zinc dissociation constants of bovine carbonic anhydrase II, bovine carboxypeptidase A, rat aminopeptidase B, and rat dipeptidyl peptidase III were 5.8×10(-14), 3.5×10(-12), 3.7×10(-13), and 1.9×10(-13) M, respectively. The ternary complex between metal derivatives of bovine carbonic anhydrase and various chelating agents were characterized using the kinetic method and visible and magnetic circular dichroism spectra. The coordination geometry of the ternary complex was in the equilibrium state between the five and the tetrahedral coordination geometry. The equilibrium state depends on the character of ligands. Dipeptidyl peptidase III which has an abnormal zinc binding motif (HEXXXH) was characterized using the point mutation and computer simulation methods. The abnormal zinc binding motif (HEXXXH) of rat dipeptidyl peptidase III has a large helix part. It is generally known that the cupric derivatives of the zinc peptidase loses enzyme activity, but the cupric derivative of dipeptidyl peptidase III surprisingly has enzyme activity. The measurement of the electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of the cupric rat dipeptidyl peptidase III in the presence of the substrate showed that the coordination geometry is very flexible. The flexibility of the coordination geometry in the cupric rat dipeptidyl peptidase III is important for the expression of enzyme activity. Docking simulation was used to identify the substrate binding site of aminopeptidase B, which is a powerful tool to estimate substrate binding residues in enzymes.

Production, Partial Purification and Kinetic Characterization of Dextransucrase from Leuconostoc mesenteroides in Relation to Dextran Problem in Sugarcane

Dextransucrase was produced from Leuconostoc mesenteroides strain MTCC 107. Maximum enzyme production was observed after 60 h of incubation, with drop in pH from 7.0 at 0 h to 5.5 at 60 h. The crude enzyme was subjected to ammonium sulphate fractionation and DEAE-cellulose anion-exchange chromatography. Three isoforms of dextransucrase viz. DS-I, DS-II and DS-III, each with optimum pH 5.5 and optimum temperature 45 °C were identified. Isoforms DS-I and DS-III were found to be thermostable between 10 and 60 °C while isoform DS-II was thermostable between 10 and 50 °C. The Km values (for sucrose as substrate) of the isoforms DS-I, DS-II and DS-III at their optimum pH and temperature were 206.34, 492.45 and 108.00 mM, respectively. Corresponding Vmax values were 428.08, 505.58 and 410.85 μmol reducing sugars produced/min/mg protein, respectively. The pK a values of ionizing groups obtained by using Dixon and Marangoni methods suggested the participation of Asp/Glu residues and His residues in both substrate binding and catalysis. Lineweaver Burk plots obtained by varying concentrations of dextran (as substrate) at fixed sucrose concentration were found to be biphasic for all the three dextransucrase isoforms, suggesting negative cooperativity. Both the transferase and sucrase activities of the dextransucrase isoforms were markedly inhibited by sodium lauryl sulphate, barium chloride, EDTA, potassium chloride, manganese chloride and sodium metasilicate. These metal salts/chemicals when exogenously added to sugarcane juice effectively reduced the dextran formation during storage.

Xylo- and cello-oligosaccharide oxidation by gluco-oligosaccharide oxidase from Sarocladium strictumand variants with reduced substrate inhibition

BackgroundThe oxidation of carbohydrates from lignocellulose can facilitate the synthesis of new biopolymers and biochemicals, and also reduce sugar metabolism by lignocellulolytic microorganisms, reserving aldonates for fermentation to biofuels. Although oxidoreductases that oxidize cellulosic hydrolysates have been well characterized, none have been reported to oxidize substituted or branched xylo-oligosaccharides. Moreover, this is the first report that identifies amino acid substitutions leading to GOOX variants with reduced substrate inhibition.ResultsThe recombinant wild type gluco-oligosaccharide oxidase (GOOX) from the fungus Sarocladium strictum, along with variants that were generated by site-directed mutagenesis, retained the FAD cofactor, and showed high activity on cello-oligosaccharide and xylo-oligosaccharides, including substituted and branched xylo-oligosaccharides. Mass spectrometric analyses confirmed that GOOX introduces one oxygen atom to oxidized products, and 1H NMR and tandem mass spectrometry analysis confirmed that oxidation was restricted to the anomeric carbon. The A38V mutation, which is close to a predicted divalent ion-binding site in the FAD-binding domain of GOOX but 30 Å away from the active site, significantly increased the kcat and catalytic efficiency of the enzyme on all oligosaccharides. Eight amino acid substitutions were separately introduced to the substrate-binding domain of GOOX-VN (at positions Y72, E247, W351, Q353 and Q384). In all cases, the Km of the enzyme variant was higher than that of GOOX, supporting the role of corresponding residues in substrate binding. Most notably, W351A increased Km values by up to two orders of magnitude while also increasing kcat up to 3-fold on cello- and xylo-oligosaccharides and showing no substrate inhibition.ConclusionsThis study provides further evidence that S. strictum GOOX has broader substrate specificity than the enzyme name implies, and that substrate inhibition can be reduced by removing aromatic side chains in the -2 binding subsite. Of the enzyme variants, W351A might be particularly advantageous when oxidizing oligosaccharides present at high substrate concentrations often experienced in industrial processes.

Plasmodium falciparum Hsp70-x: a heat shock protein at the host–parasite interface

Plasmodium falciparum 70 kDa heat shock proteins (PfHsp70s) are expressed at all stages of the pathogenic erythrocytic phase of the malaria parasite life cycle. There are six PfHsp70s, all of which have orthologues in other plasmodial species, except for PfHsp70-x which is unique to P. falciparum. This research highlights a number of original results obtained by a detailed bioinformatics analysis of the protein. Large-scale sequence analysis indicated the presence of an extended transit peptide sequence of PfHsp70-x which potentially directs it to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Further analysis showed that PfHsp70-x does not have an ER-retention sequence, suggesting that the protein transits through the ER and is secreted into the parasitophorous vacuole or beyond into the erythrocyte cytosol. These results are consistent with experimental findings. Next, possible interactions between PfHsp70-x and exported P. falciparum Hsp40s or host erythrocyte Hsp40 were interrogated by modelling and docking. Docking results indicated that interaction between PfHsp70-x and each of the Hsp40s, regardless of biological feasibility, seems equally likely. This suggests that J domain might not provide the specificity in the formation of unique Hsp70-Hsp40 complexes, but that the specificity might be provided by other domains of Hsp40s. By studying different structural conformations of PfHsp70-x, it was shown that Hsp40s can only bind when PfHsp70-x is in a certain conformation. Additionally, this work highlighted the possible dependence of the substrate-binding domain residues on the orientation of the α-helical lid for formation of the substrate-binding pocket.

Roles of Phosphate Recognition in Inositol 1,3,4,5,6-Pentakisphosphate 2-Kinase (IPK1) Substrate Binding and Activation

Inositol phosphate kinases (IPKs) sequentially phosphorylate inositol phosphates (IPs) to yield a group of small signaling molecules involved in diverse cellular processes. IPK1 (inositol 1,3,4,5,6-pentakisphosphate 2-kinase) phosphorylates inositol 1,3,4,5,6-pentakisphosphate to inositol 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexakisphosphate; however, the mechanism of IP recognition employed by IPK1 is currently unresolved. We demonstrated previously that IPK1 possesses an unstable N-terminal lobe in the absence of IP, which led us to propose that the phosphate profile of the IP was linked to stabilization of IPK1. Here, we describe a systematic study to determine the roles of the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 6-phosphate groups of inositol 1,3,4,5,6-pentakisphosphate in IP binding and IPK1 activation. The 5- and 6-phosphate groups were the most important for IP binding to IPK1, and the 1- and 3-phosphate groups were more important for IPK1 activation than the others. Moreover, we demonstrate that there are three critical residues (Arg-130, Lys-170, and Lys-411) necessary for IPK1 activity. Arg-130 is the only substrate-binding N-terminal lobe residue that can render IPK1 inactive; its 1-phosphate is critical for full IPK1 activity and for stabilization of the active conformation of IPK1. Taken together, our results support the model for recognition of the IP substrate by IPK1 in which (i) the 4-, 5-, and 6-phosphates are initially recognized by the C-terminal lobe, and subsequently, (ii) the interaction between the 1-phosphate and Arg-130 stabilizes the N-terminal lobe and activates IPK1. This model of IP recognition, believed to be unique among IPKs, could be exploited for selective inhibition of IPK1 in future studies that investigate the role of higher IPs.

Structural basis of kinetic variations in Sucrose Phosphate Phosphatase (SPP) of rice and Anabaena unveiled through computational analysis

Sucrose is an important storage form of assimilated carbon in many plant species. Unlike other sucrose biosynthetic enzymes, Sucrose Phosphate Phosphatase (SPP), the terminal enzyme in sucrose biosynthetic pathway, is the least understood. SPPs from different organisms have different kinetic properties. The current study focuses on the structural differences among SPP homologues and unveils the probable structural basis of kinetic variations. We have employed computational methods of molecular modeling and structure comparisons and identified structural variations in some of the substrate binding residues, amino acid substitutions in regions that are lining the active site and minute structural differences that can enhance the nucleophilicity of a catalytic nucleophile (Asp 9 ). We report a structurally and hence functionally important amino acid substitution (Asp 159 by Alanine) in one of the rice SPP isoforms, which can result in the disruption of a H-bond that helps in binding of sucrose at the active site of the enzyme. In this paper we discuss the structural basis of enhanced catalytic efficiency of rice SPP in comparison with a cyanobacterium (Anabaena variabilis). The natural mutations identified in our analysis of the SPP catalytic domain would be useful in re-designing the enzyme for enhanced catalytic efficiency and higher sucrose production.

Structural Basis for the Divergence of Substrate Specificity and Biological Function within HAD Phosphatases in Lipopolysaccharide and Sialic Acid Biosynthesis

The haloacid dehalogenase enzyme superfamily (HADSF) is largely composed of phosphatases that have been particularly successful at adaptating to novel biological functions relative to members of other phosphatase families. Herein, we examine the structural basis for the divergence of function in two bacterial homologues: 2-keto-3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonate 8-phosphate phosphohydrolase (KDO8P phosphatase, KDO8PP) and 2-keto-3-deoxy-9-O-phosphonononic acid phosphohydrolase (KDN9P phosphatase, KDN9PP). KDO8PP and KDN9PP catalyze the final step in KDO and KDN synthesis, respectively, prior to transfer to CMP to form the activated sugar nucleotide. KDO8PP and KDN9PP orthologs derived from an evolutionarily diverse collection of bacterial species were subjected to steady-state kinetic analysis to determine their specificities toward catalyzed KDO8P and KDN9P hydrolysis. Although each enzyme was more active with its biological substrate, the degree of selectivity (as defined by the ratio of kcat/Km for KDO8P vs KDN9P) varied significantly. High-resolution X-ray structure determination of Haemophilus influenzae KDO8PP bound to KDO/VO3(-) and Bacteriodes thetaiotaomicron KDN9PP bound to KDN/VO3(-) revealed the substrate-binding residues. The structures of the KDO8PP and KDN9PP orthologs were also determined to reveal the differences in their active-site structures that underlie the variation in substrate preference. Bioinformatic analysis was carried out to define the sequence divergence among KDN9PP and KDO8PP orthologs. The KDN9PP orthologs were found to exist as single-domain proteins or fused with the pathway nucleotidyl transferases; the fusion of KDO8PP with the transferase is rare. The KDO8PP and KDN9PP orthologs share a stringently conserved Arg residue that forms a salt bridge with the substrate carboxylate group. The split of the KDN9PP lineage from the KDO8PP orthologs is easily tracked by the acquisition of a Glu/Lys pair that supports KDN9P binding. Moreover, independently evolved lineages of KDO8PP orthologs exist, and are separated by diffuse active-site sequence boundaries. We infer a high tolerance of the KDO8PP catalytic platform to amino acid replacements that in turn influence substrate specificity changes and thereby facilitate the divergence in biological function.

Discovery and characterization of a novel ATP/polyphosphate xylulokinase from a hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima

Xylulokinase (XK, E.C. 2.7.1.17) is one of the key enzymes in xylose metabolism and it is essential for the activation of pentoses for the sustainable production of biocommodities from biomass sugars. The open reading frame (TM0116) from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima MSB8 encoding a putative xylulokinase were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 Star (DE3) in the Luria-Bertani and auto-inducing high-cell-density media. The basic biochemical properties of this thermophilic XK were characterized. This XK has the optimal temperature of 85 °C. Under a suboptimal condition of 60 °C, the k cat was 83 s⁻¹, and the K(m) values for xylulose and ATP were 1.24 and 0.71 mM, respectively. We hypothesized that this XK could work on polyphosphate possibly because this ancestral thermophilic microorganism utilizes polyphosphate to regulate the Embden-Meyerhof pathway and its substrate-binding residues are somewhat similar to those of other ATP/polyphosphate-dependent kinases. This XK was found to work on low-cost polyphosphate, exhibiting 41 % of its specific activity on ATP. This first ATP/polyphosphate XK could have a great potential for xylose utilization in thermophilic ethanol-producing microorganisms and cell-free biosystems for low-cost biomanufacturing without the use of ATP.

Purification, Cloning, Characterization and Essential Amino Acid Residues Analysis of a New ι-Carrageenase from Cellulophaga sp. QY3

ι-Carrageenases belong to family 82 of glycoside hydrolases that degrade sulfated galactans in the red algae known as ι-carrageenans. The catalytic mechanism and some substrate-binding residues of family GH82 have been studied but the substrate recognition and binding mechanism of this family have not been fully elucidated. We report here the purification, cloning and characterization of a new ι-carrageenase CgiA_Ce from the marine bacterium Cellulophaga sp. QY3. CgiA_Ce was the most thermostable carrageenase described so far. It was most active at 50°C and pH 7.0 and retained more than 70% of the original activity after incubation at 50°C for 1 h at pH 7.0 or at pH 5.0–10.6 for 24 h. CgiA_Ce was an endo-type ι-carrageenase; it cleaved ι-carrageenan yielding neo-ι-carrabiose and neo-ι-carratetraose as the main end products, and neo-ι-carrahexaose was the minimum substrate. Sequence analysis and structure modeling showed that CgiA_Ce is indeed a new member of family GH82. Moreover, sequence analysis of ι-carrageenases revealed that the amino acid residues at subsites −1 and +1 were more conserved than those at other subsites. Site-directed mutagenesis followed by kinetic analysis identified three strictly conserved residues at subsites −1 and +1 of ι-carrageenases, G228, Y229 and R254 in CgiA_Ce, which played important roles for substrate binding. Furthermore, our results suggested that Y229 and R254 in CgiA_Ce interacted specifically with the sulfate groups of the sugar moieties located at subsites −1 and +1, shedding light on the mechanism of ι-carrageenan recognition in the family GH82.

Small Heat Shock Protein IbpB Acts as a Robust Chaperone in Living Cells by Hierarchically Activating Its Multi-type Substrate-binding Residues

As ubiquitous molecular chaperones, small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are crucial for protein homeostasis. It is not clear why sHSPs are able to bind a wide spectrum of non-native substrate proteins and how such binding is enhanced by heat shock. Here, by utilizing a genetically incorporated photo-cross-linker (p-benzoyl-l-phenylalanine), we systematically characterized the substrate-binding residues in IbpB (a sHSP from Escherichia coli) in living cells over a wide spectrum of temperatures (from 20 to 50 °C). A total of 20 and 48 residues were identified at normal and heat shock temperatures, respectively. They are not necessarily hydrophobic and can be classified into three types: types I and II were activated at low and normal temperatures, respectively, and type III mediated oligomerization at low temperature but switched to substrate binding at heat shock temperature. In addition, substrate binding of IbpB in living cells began at temperatures as low as 25 °C and was further enhanced upon temperature elevation. Together, these in vivo data provide novel structural insights into the wide substrate spectrum of sHSPs and suggest that sHSP is able to hierarchically activate its multi-type substrate-binding residues and thus act as a robust chaperone in cells under fluctuating growth conditions.

In silico model for P-glycoprotein substrate prediction: insights from molecular dynamics and in vitro studies

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a plasma membrane efflux transporter belonging to ATP-binding cassette superfamily, responsible for multidrug resistance in tumor cells. Over-expression of P-gp in cancer cells limits the efficacy of many anticancer drugs. A clear understanding of P-gp substrate binding will be advantageous in early drug discovery process. However, substrate poly-specificity of P-gp is a limiting factor in rational drug design. In this investigation, we report a dynamic trans-membrane model of P-gp that accurately identified the substrate binding residues of known anticancer agents. The study included homology modeling of human P-gp based on the crystal structure of C. elegans P-gp, molecular docking, molecular dynamics analyses and binding free energy calculations. The model was further utilized to speculate substrate propensity of in-house anticancer compounds. The model demonstrated promising results with one anticancer compound (NSC745689). As per our observations, the molecule could be a potential lead for anticancer agents devoid of P-gp mediated multiple drug resistance. The in silico results were further validated experimentally using Caco-2 cell lines studies, where NSC745689 exhibited poor permeability (P app 1.03±0.16×10(-6) cm/s) and low efflux ratio of 0.26.