Threonine Aldolase Activity Research Articles

Threonine Metabolism of Chicks Fed Threonine-Imbalanced Diets

Experiments were conducted to determine the metabolic fate of threonine in chicks fed threonine-imbalanced diets. Threonine imbalance was produced by the addition of 3% serine to a threonine-limiting diet, and prevented by the addition of 0.2% threonine to the diet. Serine decreased plasma and liver free threonine concentrations, and increased hepatic threonine dehydrogenase and threonine aldolase activities. All changes, including reduced food intake, appeared to occur within 1 day of feeding the imbalanced diet. Despite the decrease in free threonine concentrations and the increase in threonine aldolase and threonine dehydrogenase activities, net threonine catabolism was not markedly increased. This was evidenced by similar amounts of 14CO2 exhaled by chicks fed control and imbalanced diets containing l-[U-14C]threonine, and by similar growth of chicks that were force-fed both diets to maintain equivalent food intake. It is possible that increases in threonine catabolism contribute to depressions of plasma and tissue threonine concentrations. However, the growth depression caused by serine-induced threonine imbalance is due to depressed food intake.threonine serine imbalance chicks threonine catabolism enzymes

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine by L-threonine 3-dehydrogenase and 2-amino-3-ketobutyrate CoA ligase/L-threonine aldolase

Pyrazines are typically formed from amino acids and sugars in chemical reactions such as the Maillard reaction. In this study, we demonstrate that 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine can be produced from L-Thr by a simple bacterial operon. We conclude that EDMP is synthesized chemoenzymatically from L-Thr via the condensation reaction of two molecules of aminoacetone and one molecule of acetaldehyde. Aminoacetone is supplied by L-threonine 3-dehydrogenase using L-Thr as a substrate via 2-amino-3-ketobutyrate. Acetaldehyde is supplied by 2-amino-3-ketobutyrate CoA ligase bearing threonine aldolase activity from L-Thr when CoA was at low concentrations. Considering the rate of EDMP production, the reaction intermediate is stable for a certain time, and moderate reaction temperature is important for the synthesis of EDMP. When the precursor was supplied from L-Thr by these enzymes, the yield of EDMP was increased up to 20.2%. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this reaction is useful for synthesizing various alkylpyrazines.

Excess of threonine compared with serine promotes threonine aldolase activity in Lactococcus lactis IL1403.

Lactococcus lactis is an important lactic acid starter for food production as well as a cell factory for production of food grade additives, among which natural flavour production is one of the main interests of food producers. Flavour production is associated with the degradation of amino acids and comprehensive studies are required to elucidate mechanisms behind these pathways. In this study using chemically defined medium, labelled substrate and steady-state cultivation, new data for the catabolism of threonine in Lc. lactis have been obtained. The biosynthesis of glycine in this organism is associated with the catabolic pathways of glucose and serine. Nevertheless, if threonine concentration in the growth environment exceeds that of serine, threonine becomes the main source for glycine biosynthesis and the utilization of serine decreases. Also, the conversion of threonine to glycine was initiated by a threonine aldolase and this was the principal pathway used for threonine degradation. As in Streptococcus thermophilus, serine hydroxymethyltransferase in Lc. lactis may possess a secondary activity as threonine aldolase. Other catabolic pathways of threonine (e.g. threonine dehydrogenase and threonine dehydratase) were not detected.

Effect of l-Threonine Concentrations on Acetaldehyde Production and glyA Gene Expression in Fermented Milk by Streptococcus thermophilus

Serine hydroxymethyltransferase encoded by the glyA gene, which has been reported to possess threonine aldolase activity, is able to catalyze the conversion of L-threonine to glycine and acetaldehyde. In this study, eight strains of Streptococcus thermophilus strains with good flavor-enhancing property were investigated to evaluate the acetaldehyde production as well as the expression of glyA gene. S. thermophilus strain MGD4–7, with high levels of acetaldehyde production, was selected for the determination of acetaldehyde and for the analysis of glyA gene using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in the presence and absence of L-threonine. The results indicated that the increased acetaldehyde production was linear with increasing L-threonine levels in the fermented milk. Further more, quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the glyA gene was upregulated in the fermented milk in the presence of L-threonine. Understanding the degradation pathway from threonine to glycine and acetaldehyde can be applied to control and improve acetaldehyde production in fermented products with S. thermophilus as the starter culture.

Metabolic flux analysis of the central carbon metabolism of the industrial vitamin B12 producing strain Pseudomonas denitrificans using 13C-labeled glucose

The network topology and metabolic fluxes of central carbon metabolism in the industrial vitamin B12 producing strain Pseudomonas denitrificans were characterized under oxygen limiting levels. Cultivations were carried out with 100% [1-13C] or 20% [U-13C] glucose as substrates under different oxygen supply conditions. The labeling patterns of the proteinogenic amino acids of exponentially growing cells were used to accurately estimate the fluxes in the central carbon metabolism of P. denitrificans. Metabolic flux analysis showed that glucose was mostly catabolized by the Entner–Doudoroff and pentose phosphate pathways. Up to 33% of glucose was consumed via the PP pathway under high specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR) conditions. This amount was 77.9% higher than that under low oxygen uptake conditions. Quantitative evidence was also found for reversible serine hydroxymethyl transferase and threonine aldolase activities. Metabolic flux and cofactor analyses further showed that higher SOUR accelerated the supply of precursors and methyl groups. SOUR also provided more NADPH for higher vitamin B12 production under the same glucose consumption.

Preparation of optically active β-hydroxy-α-amino acid by immobilized Escherichia coli cells with serine hydroxymethyl transferase activity

In this research, an improved method for preparation of optically pure β-hydroxy-α-amino acids, catalyzed by serine hydroxymethyl transferase with threonine aldolase activity, is reported. Using recombinant serine hydroxymethyl transferase (SHMT), an enzymatic resolution process was established. A series of new substrates, β-phenylserine, β-(nitrophenyl) serine and β-(methylsulfonylphenyl) serine were used in the resolution process catalyzed by immobilized Escherichia coli cells with SHMT activity. It was observed that the K (m) for L: -threonine was 28-fold higher than that for L: -allo-threonine, suggesting that this enzyme can be classified as a low-specificity L: -allo-threonine aldolase. The results also shows that SHMT activity with β-phenylserine as substrate was about 1.48-fold and 1.25-fold higher than that with β-(methylsulfonylphenyl) serine and β-(nitrophenyl) serine as substrate, respectively. Reaction conditions were optimized by using 200 mmol/l β-hydroxy-α-amino acid, and 0.1 g/ml of immobilized SHMT cells at pH 7.5 and 45°C. Under these conditions, the immobilized cells were continuously used 10 times, yielding an average conversion rate of 60.4%. Bead activity did not change significantly the first five times they were used, and the average conversion rate during the first five instances was 84.1%. The immobilized cells exhibited favourable operational stability.

Identification and characterization of a complete carnitine biosynthesis pathway inCandida albicans

Carnitine is an essential metabolite that enables intracellular transport of fatty acids and acetyl units. Here we show that the yeast Candida albicans can synthesize carnitine de novo, and we identify the 4 genes of the pathway. Null mutants of orf19.4316 (trimethyllysine dioxygenase), orf19.6306 (trimethylaminobutyraldehyde dehydrogenase), and orf19.7131 (butyrobetaine dioxygenase) lacked their respective enzymatic activities and were unable to utilize fatty acids, acetate, or ethanol as a sole carbon source, in accordance with the strict requirement for carnitine-mediated transport under these growth conditions. The second enzyme of carnitine biosynthesis, hydroxytrimethyllysine aldolase, is encoded by orf19.6305, a member of the threonine aldolase (TA) family in C. albicans. A strain lacking orf19.6305 showed strongly reduced growth on fatty acids and was unable to utilize either acetate or ethanol, but TA activity was unaffected. Growth of the null mutants on nonfermentable carbon sources is restored only by carnitine biosynthesis intermediates after the predicted enzymatic block in the pathway, which provides independent evidence for a specific defect in carnitine biosynthesis for each of the mutants. In conclusion, we have genetically characterized a complete carnitine biosynthesis pathway in C. albicans and show that a TA family member is mainly involved in the aldolytic cleavage of hydroxytrimethyllysine in vivo.

Recombinant production of serine hydroxymethyl transferase from Streptococcus thermophilus and its preliminary evaluation as a biocatalyst

The glyA gene encoding a serine hydroxymethyl transferase (SHMT) with threonine aldolase activity was isolated from Streptococcus thermophilus YKA-184 chromosomal DNA. This aldolase is a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent enzyme that stereospecifically catalyzes the interconversion of L-threonine to glycine and acetaldehyde. The enzyme was overexpressed in Escherichia coli M15 as a recombinant protein of 45 kDa with a His6-tag at its N-terminus. The recombinant enzyme was purified to homogeneity by a single chromatographic step using Ni-nitrilotriacetic acid affinity, obtaining a high activity-recovery yield (83%). Lyophilized and precipitated enzymes were stable at least for 10 weeks when stored at -20 degrees C and 4 degrees C. It was observed that the Km for L-allo-threonine was 38-fold higher than that for L-threonine, suggesting this enzyme can be classified as a specific L-allo-threonine aldolase. The optimum pH range of threonine aldolase activity for the recombinant SHMT was pH 6-7. When tested for aldol addition reactions with non-natural aldehydes, such as benzyloxyacetaldehyde and (R)-N-Cbz-alaninal, two possible beta-hydroxy-alpha-amino acid diastereoisomers were produced, but with moderate stereospecificity. The enzyme showed potential as a biocatalyst for the stereoselective synthesis of beta-hydroxy-alpha-amino acids.

Metabolic profiling of Medicago truncatula cell cultures reveals the effects of biotic and abiotic elicitors on metabolism

GC-MS-based metabolite profiling was used to analyse the response of Medicago truncatula cell cultures to elicitation with methyl jasmonate (MeJa), yeast elicitor (YE), or ultraviolet light (UV). Marked changes in the levels of primary metabolites, including several amino acids, organic acids, and carbohydrates, were observed following elicitation with MeJa. A similar, but attenuated response was observed following YE elicitation, whereas little response was observed following UV elicitation. MeJa induced the accumulation of the triterpene beta-amyrin, a precursor to the triterpene saponins, and LC-MS analysis confirmed the accumulation of triterpene saponins in MeJa-elicited samples. In addition, YE induced a slight, but significant accumulation of shikimic acid, an early precursor to the phenylpropanoid pathway, which was also demonstrated to be YE-inducible by LC-MS analyses. Correlation analyses of metabolite relationships revealed perturbation of the glycine, serine, and threonine biosynthetic pathway, and suggested the induction of threonine aldolase activity, an enzyme as yet uncharacterized from plants. Members of the branched chain amino acid pathway accumulated in a concerted fashion, with the strongest correlation being that between leucine and isoleucine (r2=0.941). While UV exposure itself had little effect on primary metabolites, the experimental procedure, as revealed by control treatments, induced changes in several metabolites which were similar to those following MeJa elicitation. Sucrose levels were lower in MJ- and YE-elicited samples compared with control samples, suggesting that a portion of the effects observed on the primary metabolic pool are a consequence of fundamental metabolic repartitioning of carbon resources rather than elicitor-specific induction. In addition, beta-alanine levels were elevated in all elicited samples, which, when viewed in the context of other elicitation responses, suggests the altered metabolism of coenzyme A and its esters, which are essential in secondary metabolism.

Disruption of the SHM2 gene, encoding one of two serine hydroxymethyltransferase isoenzymes, reduces the flux from glycine to serine in Ashbya gossypii.

Riboflavin overproduction in the ascomycete Ashbya gossypii is limited by glycine, a precursor of purine biosynthesis, and therefore an indicator of glycine metabolism. Disruption of the SHM 2 gene, encoding a serine hydroxymethyltransferase, resulted in a significant increase in riboflavin productivity. Determination of the enzyme's specific activity revealed a reduction from 3 m-units/mg of protein to 0.5 m-unit/mg protein. The remaining activity was due to an isoenzyme encoded by SHM 1, which is probably mitochondrial. A hypothesis proposed to account for the enhanced riboflavin overproduction of SHM 2-disrupted mutants was that the flux from glycine to serine was reduced, thus leading to an elevated supply with the riboflavin precursor glycine. Evidence for the correctness of that hypothesis was obtained from (13)C-labelling experiments. When 500 microM 99% [1-(13)C]threonine was fed, more than 50% of the label was detected in C-1 of glycine resulting from threonine aldolase activity. More than 30% labelling determined in C-1 of serine can be explained by serine synthesis via serine hydroxymethyltransferase. Knockout of SHM 1 had no detectable effect on serine labelling, but disruption of SHM 2 led to a decrease in serine (2-5%) and an increase in glycine (59-67%) labelling, indicating a changed carbon flux.

Metabolic engineering of acetaldehyde production by Streptococcus thermophilus.

The process of acetaldehyde formation by the yogurt bacterium Streptococcus thermophilus is described in this paper. Attention was focused on one specific reaction for acetaldehyde formation catalyzed by serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT), encoded by the glyA gene. In S. thermophilus, SHMT also possesses threonine aldolase (TA) activity, the interconversion of threonine into glycine and acetaldehyde. In this work, several wild-type S. thermophilus strains were screened for acetaldehyde production in the presence and absence of L-threonine. Supplementation of the growth medium with L-threonine led to an increase in acetaldehyde production. Furthermore, acetaldehyde formation during fermentation could be correlated to the TA activity of SHMT. To study the physiological role of SHMT, a glyA mutant was constructed by gene disruption. Inactivation of glyA resulted in a severe reduction in TA activity and complete loss of acetaldehyde formation during fermentation. Subsequently, an S. thermophilus strain was constructed in which the glyA gene was cloned under the control of a strong promoter (P(LacA)). When this strain was used for fermentation, an increase in TA activity and in acetaldehyde and folic acid production was observed. These results show that, in S. thermophilus, SHMT, displaying TA activity, constitutes the main pathway for acetaldehyde formation under our experimental conditions. These findings can be used to control and improve acetaldehyde production in fermented (dairy) products with S. thermophilus as starter culture.

Network identification and flux quantification in the central metabolism of Saccharomyces cerevisiae under different conditions of glucose repression.

The network structure and the metabolic fluxes in central carbon metabolism were characterized in aerobically grown cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The cells were grown under both high and low glucose concentrations, i.e., either in a chemostat at steady state with a specific growth rate of 0.1 h(-1) or in a batch culture with a specific growth rate of 0.37 h(-1). Experiments were carried out using [1-(13)C]glucose as the limiting substrate, and the resulting summed fractional labelings of intracellular metabolites were measured by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The data were used as inputs to a flux estimation routine that involved appropriate mathematical modelling of the central carbon metabolism of S. cerevisiae. The results showed that the analysis is very robust, and it was possible to quantify the fluxes in the central carbon metabolism under both growth conditions. In the batch culture, 16.2 of every 100 molecules of glucose consumed by the cells entered the pentose-phosphate pathway, whereas the same relative flux was 44.2 per 100 molecules in the chemostat. The tricarboxylic acid cycle does not operate as a cycle in batch-growing cells, in contrast to the chemostat condition. Quantitative evidence was also found for threonine aldolase and malic enzyme activities, in accordance with published data. Disruption of the MIG1 gene did not cause changes in the metabolic network structure or in the flux pattern.

Origin of acetaldehyde during milk fermentation using (13)C-labeled precursors.

Acetaldehyde formation by Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus during fermentation of cow's milk was investigated using (13)C-labeled glucose, L-threonine, and pyruvate with a recent static-and-trapped-headspace technique that does not require derivatization of acetaldehyde prior to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Over 90% and almost 100% of acetaldehyde originated from glucose during fermentation by L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus, respectively, taking into account both singly and doubly labeled acetaldehyde. As both microorganisms showed threonine aldolase activity and formed labeled acetaldehyde from (13)C-labeled threonine during the fermentation of milk, this amino acid should also contribute to the acetaldehyde produced.

Serine hydroxymethyltransferase and threonine aldolase: are they identical?

Serine hydroxymethyltransferase, a pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzyme, catalyses the interconversion of serine and glycine, both of which are major sources of one-carbon units necessary for the synthesis of purine, thymidylate, methionine, and so on. Threonine aldolase catalyzes the pyridoxal phosphate-dependent, reversible reaction between threonine and acetaldehyde plus glycine. No extensive studies have been carried out on threonine aldolase in animal tissues, and it has long been believed that serine hydroxymethyltransferase and threonine aldolase are the same, i.e. one entity. This is based on the finding that rabbit liver serine hydroxymethyltransferase possesses some threonine aldolase activity. Recently, however, many kinds of threonine aldolase and corresponding genes were isolated from micro-organisms, and these enzymes were shown to be distinct from serine hydroxymethyltransferase. The experiments with isolated hepatocytes and cell-free extracts from various animals revealed that threonine is degraded mainly through the pathway initiated by threonine 3-dehydrogenase, and there is little or no contribution by threonine aldolase. Thus, although serine hydroxymethyltransferase from some mammalian livers exhibits a low threonine aldolase activity, the two enzymes are distinct from each other and mammals lack the “genuine” threonine aldolase.

Threonine aldolase overexpression plus threonine supplementation enhanced riboflavin production in Ashbya gossypii.

Riboflavin production in the filamentous fungus Ashbya gossypii is limited by glycine, an early precursor required for purine synthesis. We report an improvement of riboflavin production in this fungus by overexpression of the glycine biosynthetic enzyme threonine aldolase. The GLY1 gene encoding the threonine aldolase of A. gossypii was isolated by heterologous complementation of the glycine-auxotrophic Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain YM13 with a genomic library from A. gossypii. The deduced amino acid sequence of GLY1 showed 88% similarity to threonine aldolase from S. cerevisiae. In the presence of the GLY1 gene, 25 mU of threonine aldolase specific activity mg-1 was detectable in crude extracts of S. cerevisiae YM13. Disruption of GLY1 led to a complete loss of threonine aldolase activity in A. gossypii crude extracts, but growth of and riboflavin production by the knockout mutant were not affected. This indicated a minor role of the enzyme in glycine biosynthesis of A. gossypii. However, overexpression of GLY1 under the control of the constitutive TEF promoter and terminator led to a 10-fold increase of threonine aldolase specific activity in crude extracts along with a 9-fold increase of riboflavin production when the medium was supplemented with threonine. This strong enhancement, which could not be achieved by supplementation with glycine alone, was attributed to an almost quantitative uptake of threonine and its intracellular conversion into glycine. This became evident by a subsequent partial efflux of the glycine formed.

Distribution of Threonine Aldolase Activity with Different Stereospecificities in Aerobic Bacteria.

Threonine aldolase activities (threonine acetaldehyde-lyase activity) with different stereospecificities toward 4 isomers of threonine were found in a variety of aerobic bacteria. The strains could be divided into three groups on the basis of the substrate specificity of a cell-free extract. The enzyme activities toward D-allo- and D-threonine were inhibited by EDTA, which suggested that a metal ion participates in the D-specific aldolase reaction.

Acetaldehyde Production by Strains Used as Probiotics in Fermented Milk

Lactic acid bacteria have diverse shunts for the metabolism of acetaldehyde, which is involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and nucleic acids. In Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei, strains isolated from feces of healthy children, acetaldehyde can be formed from different sources. Phosphotransacetilase, acetate kinase, aldehyde dehydrogenase and 2-deoxiriboaldolase activities were found in both strains. α-Carboxilase and threonine aldolase activities only occurred in L. acidophilus. In contrast, phosphoketolase activity was present in L. casei, but absent in the other strain studied. The accumulation of acetaldehyde in the growth medium is possible because the enzymes specific activities to form it are higher than those able to convert it to ethanol.

INFLUENCE OF PYRUVATE, THREONINE AND PHOSPHOETHANOLAMINE ON ACTIVITIES OF SOME ACETALDEHYDE-PRODUCING ENZYMES

Threonine (50 mg/100 g, i.p.) leads to increased hepatic threonine aldolase activity in rats, although endogenous ethanol concentrations remain stable. After pyruvate administration (50 mg/100 g, i.p.), endogenous blood ethanol levels are raised within 30 min, but return to normal at 60 min. The activity of threonine aldolase is decreased in the liver, whereas phosphoethanolamine lyase and pyruvate dehydrogenase activities remain unchanged. Phosphoethanolamine administration (23 mg/100 g, i.p.) did not change the endogenous ethanol concentration or pyruvate dehydrogenase, threonine aldolase and phosphoethanolamine lyase activities. Pyruvate appears to be a better precursor of acetaldehyde than threonine or phosphoethanolamine.

High Levels of Acetaldehyde in Nonalcoholic Liver Injury After Threonine or Ethanol Administration

Acetaldehyde, a product of ethanol oxidation which forms adducts with proteins, has been incriminated in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver injury. High serum antibody titers against acetaldehyde-protein adducts have been found not only in alcoholics but also in patients with nonalcoholic liver disease, suggesting a contribution of acetaldehyde derived from sources other than exogenous ethanol. To investigate the effect of liver injury on the removal and the production of acetaldehyde, we produced fibrosis and cirrhosis (by chronic administration of carbon tetrachloride) and fatty liver (with very small doses of dimethylnitrosamine) in rats. Endogenous blood acetaldehyde levels increased by 38% in rats with severe liver injury (p less than 0.005), but not significantly in rats with fatty liver. However, an i.v. load of threonine (a physiological source of acetaldehyde), in amounts equivalent to the daily intake of this amino acid, increased blood and hepatic acetaldehyde levels in the rats with both types of liver injury more than in controls. Threonine dehydrogenase and dehydratase activities, involved in the major pathways for threonine degradation in mitochondria and cytosol, respectively, were markedly decreased in rats with liver injury with a resulting increase in hepatic threonine concentration. Moreover, the threonine aldolase activity, which splits threonine into glycine and acetaldehyde, remained unaffected or even slightly increased. Liver injury was also associated with impaired mitochondrial functions, including a 10 to 23% decrease in acetaldehyde oxidation (depending upon the severity of the lesions). As a consequence, administration of ethanol (an exogenous source of acetaldehyde) resulted in striking elevations in the levels of acetaldehyde in carbon tetrachloride-treated rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Survey of the inhibitory effects of glycine on threonine aldolase activity of yogurt microorganisms

L'effet inhibiteur de la glycine est etudie sur des souches de Streptococcus thermophilus et de Lactobacillus bulgaricus. L'activite de l'enzyme est evaluee par chromatographie de l'espace de tete