UDP-galactose 4-epimerase Research Articles

Metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli for the biosynthesis of flavonoid-O-glucuronides and flavonoid-O-galactoside.

Most flavonoids are glycosylated and the nature of the attached sugar can strongly affect their physiological properties. Although many flavonoid glycosides have been synthesized in Escherichia coli, most of them are glucosylated. In order to synthesize flavonoids attached to alternate sugars such as glucuronic acid and galactoside, E. coli was genetically modified to express a uridine diphosphate (UDP)-dependent glycosyltransferase (UGT) specific for UDP-glucuronic acid (AmUGT10 from Antirrhinum majus or VvUGT from Vitis vinifera) and UDP-galactoside (PhUGT from Petunia hybrid) along with the appropriate nucleotide biosynthetic genes to enable simultaneous production of their substrates, UDP-glucuronic acid and UDP-galactose. To engineer UDP-glucuronic acid biosynthesis, the araA gene encoding UDP-4-deoxy-4-formamido-L-arabinose formyltransferase/UDP-glucuronic acid C-4″ decarboxylase, which also used UDP-glucuronic acid as a substrate, was deleted in E. coli, and UDP-glucose dehydrogenase (ugd) gene was overexpressed to increase biosynthesis of UDP-glucuronic acid. Using these strategies, luteolin-7-O-glucuronide and quercetin-3-O-glucuronide were biosynthesized to levels of 300 and 687mg/L, respectively. For the synthesis of quercetin 3-O-galactoside, UGE (encoding UDP-glucose epimerase from Oryza sativa) was overexpressed along with a glycosyltransferase specific for quercetin and UDP-galactose. Using this approach, quercetin 3-O-galactoside was successfully synthesized to a level of 280mg/L.

A gene stacking approach leads to engineered plants with highly increased galactan levels in Arabidopsis.

BackgroundEngineering of plants with a composition of lignocellulosic biomass that is more suitable for downstream processing is of high interest for next-generation biofuel production. Lignocellulosic biomass contains a high proportion of pentose residues, which are more difficult to convert into fuels than hexoses. Therefore, increasing the hexose/pentose ratio in biomass is one approach for biomass improvement. A genetic engineering approach was used to investigate whether the amount of pectic galactan can be specifically increased in cell walls of Arabidopsis fiber cells, which in turn could provide a potential source of readily fermentable galactose.ResultsFirst it was tested if overexpression of various plant UDP-glucose 4-epimerases (UGEs) could increase the availability of UDP-galactose and thereby increase the biosynthesis of galactan. Constitutive and tissue-specific expression of a poplar UGE and three Arabidopsis UGEs in Arabidopsis plants could not significantly increase the amount of cell wall bound galactose. We then investigated co-overexpression of AtUGE2 together with the β-1,4-galactan synthase GalS1. Co-overexpression of AtUGE2 and GalS1 led to over 80% increase in cell wall galactose levels in Arabidopsis stems, providing evidence that these proteins work synergistically. Furthermore, AtUGE2 and GalS1 overexpression in combination with overexpression of the NST1 master regulator for secondary cell wall biosynthesis resulted in increased thickness of fiber cell walls in addition to the high cell wall galactose levels. Immunofluorescence microscopy confirmed that the increased galactose was present as β-1,4-galactan in secondary cell walls.ConclusionsThis approach clearly indicates that simultaneous overexpression of AtUGE2 and GalS1 increases the cell wall galactose to much higher levels than can be achieved by overexpressing either one of these proteins alone. Moreover, the increased galactan content in fiber cells while improving the biomass composition had no impact on plant growth and development and hence on the overall biomass amount. Thus, we could show that the gene stacking approach described here is a promising method to engineer advanced feedstocks for biofuel production.

Characterization of hypothetical protein VNG0128C from Halobacterium NRC-1 reveals GALE like activity and its involvement in Leloir pathway of galactose metabolism

VNG0128C, a hypothetical protein from Halobacterium NRC-1, was chosen for detailed insilico and experimental investigations. Computational exercises revealed that VNG0128C functions as NAD+ binding protein. The phylogenetic analysis with the homolog sequences of VNG0128C suggested that it could act as UDP-galactose 4-epimerase. Hence, the VNG0128C sequence was modeled using a suitable template and docking studies were performed with NAD and UDP-galactose as ligands. The binding interactions strongly indicate that VNG0128C could plausibly act as UDP-galactose 4-epimerase. In order to validate these insilico results, VNG0128C was cloned in pUC57, subcloned in pET22b+, expressed in BL21 cells and purified using nickel affinity chromatography. An assay using blue dextran was performed to confirm the presence of NAD binding domain. To corroborate the epimerase like enzymatic role of the hypothetical protein, i.e. the ability of the enzyme to convert UDP-galactose to UDP-glucose, the conversion of NAD to NADH was measured. The experimental assay significantly correlated with the insilico predictions, indicating that VNG0128C has a NAD+ binding domain with epimerase activity. Consequently, its key role in nucleotide-sugar metabolism was thus established. Additionally, the work highlights the need for a methodical characterization of hypothetical proteins (less studied class of biopolymers) to exploit them for relevant applications in the field of biology.

Functional characterization of the rice UDP-glucose 4-epimerase 1, OsUGE1: a potential role in cell wall carbohydrate partitioning during limiting nitrogen conditions.

Plants grown under inadequate mineralized nitrogen (N) levels undergo N and carbon (C) metabolic re-programming which leads to significant changes in both soluble and insoluble carbohydrate profiles. However, relatively little information is available on the genetic factors controlling carbohydrate partitioning during adaptation to N-limitation conditions in plants. A gene encoding a uridine-diphospho-(UDP)-glucose 4-epimerase (OsUGE-1) from rice (Oryza sativa) was found to be N-responsive. We developed transgenic rice plants to constitutively over-express the OsUGE-1 gene (OsUGE1-OX1–2). The transgenic rice lines were similar in size to wild-type plants at the vegetative stage and at maturity regardless of the N-level tested. However, OsUGE1-OX lines maintained 18–24% more sucrose and 12–22% less cellulose in shoots compared to wild-type when subjected to sub-optimal N-levels. Interestingly, OsUGE1-OX lines maintained proportionally more galactose and glucose in the hemicellulosic polysaccharide profile of plants compared to wild-type plants when grown under low N. The altered cell wall C-partitioning during N-limitation in the OsUGE1-OX lines appears to be mediated by OsUGE1 via the repression of the cellulose synthesis associated genes, OsSus1, OsCesA4, 7, and 9. This relationship may implicate a novel control point for the deposition of UDP-glucose to the complex polysaccharide profiles of rice cell walls. However, a direct relationship between OsUGE1 and cell wall C-partitioning during N-limitation requires further investigation.

Identification and Characterization of an Arabidopsis Mutant with Altered Localization of NIP5;1, a Plasma Membrane Boric Acid Channel, Reveals the Requirement for d-Galactose in Endomembrane Organization

Endomembrane organization is important for various aspects of cell physiology, including membrane protein trafficking. To explore the molecular mechanisms regulating the trafficking of plasma membrane-localized proteins in plants, we screened for Arabidopsis mutants with defective localization of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-nodulin 26-like intrinsic protein (NIP)5;1. Fluorescence imaging-based screening led to the isolation of a mutant which accumulated abnormal intracellular aggregates labeled by GFP-NIP5;1. The aggregates appeared in epidermal cells in the root elongation zone and included the trans-Golgi network/early endosomes. Rough mapping and whole-genome sequencing identified the mutant as an allele of UDP-glucose 4-epimerase 4 (uge4)/root hair defective 1 (rhd1) /root epidermal bulgar 1 (reb 1), which was originally defined as a cell wall mutant. The responsible gene encodes UDP-glucose 4-epimerase 4 (UGE4), which functions in the biosynthesis of d-galactose, especially for the synthesis of the cell wall polysaccharide xyloglucan and arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs). The endomembrane aggregates in the mutants were absent in the presence of d-galactose, indicative of a requirement for a d-galactose-containing component in endomembrane organization. Genetic and pharmacological analyses suggested that the aggregates were not caused by the disruption of cell wall polysaccharides or the cytoskeleton. Overall, our results suggest that UGE4 activity in d-galactose synthesis is required for the structure of cell wall polysaccharides and endomembrane organization.

Overlapping and Distinct Roles of Aspergillus fumigatus UDP-glucose 4-Epimerases in Galactose Metabolism and the Synthesis of Galactose-containing Cell Wall Polysaccharides

The cell wall of Aspergillus fumigatus contains two galactose-containing polysaccharides, galactomannan and galactosaminogalactan, whose biosynthetic pathways are not well understood. The A. fumigatus genome contains three genes encoding putative UDP-glucose 4-epimerases, uge3, uge4, and uge5. We undertook this study to elucidate the function of these epimerases. We found that uge4 is minimally expressed and is not required for the synthesis of galactose-containing exopolysaccharides or galactose metabolism. Uge5 is the dominant UDP-glucose 4-epimerase in A. fumigatus and is essential for normal growth in galactose-based medium. Uge5 is required for synthesis of the galactofuranose (Galf) component of galactomannan and contributes galactose to the synthesis of galactosaminogalactan. Uge3 can mediate production of both UDP-galactose and UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) and is required for the production of galactosaminogalactan but not galactomannan. In the absence of Uge5, Uge3 activity is sufficient for growth on galactose and the synthesis of galactosaminogalactan containing lower levels of galactose but not the synthesis of Galf. A double deletion of uge5 and uge3 blocked growth on galactose and synthesis of both Galf and galactosaminogalactan. This study is the first survey of glucose epimerases in A. fumigatus and contributes to our understanding of the role of these enzymes in metabolism and cell wall synthesis.

Influence of casein hydrolysates on exopolysaccharide synthesis byStreptococcus thermophilusandLactobacillus delbrueckiissp.bulgaricus

A lot of interesting research has been undertaken to enhance the yield of exopolysaccharides (EPS) produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The objective of this study was to determine the influence of casein hydrolysates (CH) with molecular weight less than 3 kDa on cell viability, EPS synthesis and the enzyme activity involved in EPS synthesis during the co-culturing of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus in MRS broth for 72 h at 37 ± 0.1 °C. The highest EPS yield (150.1 mg L⁻¹) was obtained on CH prepared with papain (CHP) at 48 h. At 24 h, EPS were composed of galactose, glucose and rhamnose in a molar ratio of 1.0:2.4:1.5. The monosaccharide composition changed with extension of the fermentation time. The activities of α-phosphoglucomutase, uridine 5'-diphosphate (UDP)-glucose pyrophosphorylase and UDP-galactose 4-epimerase were associated with EPS synthesis. Moreover, the activities of β-phosphoglucomutase and deoxythymadine 5'-diphosphate (dTDP)-glucose pyrophosphorylase involved in rhamnose synthesis were very low at the exponential growth phase and could not be detected during other given periods. The influence of different CH (<3 kDa) on LAB viability, EPS production, EPS monomeric composition and activity levels of key metabolic enzymes was distinct. Besides, their influence was related to the distribution of amino acids.

Functional characterization and transcriptional analysis of galE gene encoding a UDP-galactose 4-epimerase in Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris

The Gram-negative plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) is the causative agent of black rot in crucifers, a disease that causes tremendous agricultural loss. In this study, the Xcc galE gene was characterized. Sequence and mutational analysis demonstrated that the Xcc galE encodes a UDP-galactose 4-epimerase (EC 5.1.3.2), which catalyzes the interconversion of UDP-galactose and UDP-glucose. Alanine substitution of the putative catalytic residues (Ser124, Tyr147, and Lys151) of GalE caused loss of epimerase activity. Further study showed that the Xcc galE mutant had reduced biofilm formation ability. Furthermore, reporter assays revealed that galE transcription exhibits a distinct expression profile under different culture conditions, is subject to catabolite repression, and is positively regulated by Clp and RpfF. In addition, the galE transcription initiation site was mapped. This is the first time that UDP-galactose 4-epimerase has been characterized in the crucifer pathogen Xcc.

A discordant of blood glucose analysed by Glucometer and the Central lab method in an infant with Galactosemia

Galactosemia is an autosomal recessive disorder, which caused by a deficiency of one of three enzymes that involved in the metabolism of galactose; galactokinase (GALK), galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase (GALT) and uridine-diphosphate galactose-4'epimerase (GALE). Clinical manifestations including poor feeding, jaundice, hepatomegaly, vomiting, hypoglycemia, convulsions, failure to thrive, cataracts, bleeding disorder, renal failure, liver cirrhosis, mental retardation and increased risk for E. coli sepsis,develop after milk feeding. We reported an infant who presented with prolonged hyperbilirubinemia and different result of blood glucose between glucometer and the central lab which is an unusual presentation of galactosemia. A 11- day-old male infant born to non-consanguineous parents presented with jaundice, poor feeding, poor weight gain, vomiting and drowsiness when he was 6-day-old. On physical examination revealed lethargic, icteric sclerae and hepatomegaly. Cataract examined by the opththalomologist was not found. Routine work up for the causes of neonatal jaundice was found to be normal. LFTs showed TB of 26.8, DB 3.57 mg/dL, SGOT 82, SGPT 50 and ALP 871U/L. TFTs showed FT4 of 1.62 ng/dL, TSH 4.91 mu/L. Electrolytes and coagulogram were normal. His blood sugar was 220 mg/dL by Glucometer (Accu-chek Performa) without any symptoms and signs of hyperglycemia and glucosuria, but it was 60 mg/dL by the central lab method. Galactosemia was confirmed by the high level of urine Galactitol and the genetic analysis of Galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase (GALT) found compound heterozygous mutation of p.R259W in exon 8 and p.E340K in exon 10 which is a known mutation. One day after soy-based formula was started, the bilirubin levels were gradually reduced to normal for 1 week and the discrepancy of blood glucose between Glucometer and the central lab method was resolved. Sepsis can not be totally excluded by this clinical setting, antibiotic was started to cover the organism which is common for this age group including E Coli. This paper reported infant with Galactosemia who presented with an unusual finding of the discordance between blood sugar levels analysed by Glucometer and the central lab method due to some Glucometer analyse other form of sugar especially Galactose and its metabolites.

Toward Repurposing Ciclopirox as an Antibiotic against Drug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae

Antibiotic-resistant infections caused by gram-negative bacteria are a major healthcare concern. Repurposing drugs circumvents the time and money limitations associated with developing new antimicrobial agents needed to combat these antibiotic-resistant infections. Here we identified the off-patent antifungal agent, ciclopirox, as a candidate to repurpose for antibiotic use. To test the efficacy of ciclopirox against antibiotic-resistant pathogens, we used a curated collection of Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates that are representative of known antibiotic resistance phenotypes. We found that ciclopirox, at 5–15 µg/ml concentrations, inhibited bacterial growth regardless of the antibiotic resistance status. At these same concentrations, ciclopirox reduced growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates, but some of these pathogens required higher ciclopirox concentrations to completely block growth. To determine how ciclopirox inhibits bacterial growth, we performed an overexpression screen in E. coli. This screen revealed that galE, which encodes UDP-glucose 4-epimerase, rescued bacterial growth at otherwise restrictive ciclopirox concentrations. We found that ciclopirox does not inhibit epimerization of UDP-galactose by purified E. coli GalE; however, ΔgalU, ΔgalE, ΔrfaI, or ΔrfaB mutant strains all have lower ciclopirox minimum inhibitory concentrations than the parent strain. The galU, galE, rfaI, and rfaB genes all encode enzymes that use UDP-galactose or UDP-glucose for galactose metabolism and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthesis. Indeed, we found that ciclopirox altered LPS composition of an E. coli clinical isolate. Taken together, our data demonstrate that ciclopirox affects galactose metabolism and LPS biosynthesis, two pathways important for bacterial growth and virulence. The lack of any reported fungal resistance to ciclopirox in over twenty years of use in the clinic, its excellent safety profiles, novel target(s), and efficacy, make ciclopirox a promising potential antimicrobial agent to use against multidrug-resistant problematic gram-negative pathogens.

Structure andin silicosubstrate-binding mode of ADP-L-glycero-D-manno-heptose 6-epimerase fromBurkholderia thailandensis

ADP-L-glycero-D-manno-heptose 6-epimerase (AGME), the product of the rfaD gene, is the last enzyme in the heptose-biosynthesis pathway; it converts ADP-D-glycero-D-manno-heptose (ADP-D,D-Hep) to ADP-L-glycero-D-manno-heptose (ADP-L,D-Hep). AGME contains a catalytic triad involved in catalyzing hydride transfer with the aid of NADP(+). Defective lipopolysaccharide is found in bacterial mutants lacking this gene. Therefore, it is an interesting target enzyme for a novel epimerase inhibitor for use as a co-therapy with antibiotics. The crystal structure of AGME from Burkholderia thailandensis (BtAGME), a surrogate organism for studying the pathogenicity of melioidosis caused by B. pseudomallei, has been determined. The crystal structure determined with co-purified NADP(+) revealed common as well as unique structural properties of the AGME family when compared with UDP-galactose 4-epimerase homologues. They form a similar architecture with conserved catalytic residues. Nevertheless, there are differences in the substrate- and cofactor-binding cavities and the oligomerization domains. Structural comparison of BtAGME with AGME from Escherichia coli indicates that they may recognize their substrate in a `lock-and-key' fashion. Unique structural features of BtAGME are found in two regions. The first region is the loop between β8 and β9, affecting the binding affinity of BtAGME for the ADP moiety of ADP-D,D-Hep. The second region is helix α8, which induces decamerization at low pH that is not found in other AGMEs. With the E210G mutant, it was observed that the resistance of the wild type to acid-induced denaturation is related to the decameric state. An in silico study was performed using the Surflex-Dock GeomX module of the SYBYL-X 1.3 software to predict the catalytic mechanism of BtAGME with its substrate, ADP-D,D-Hep. In the in silico study, the C7'' hydroxymethyl group of ADP-D,D-Hep is predicted to form hydrogen bonds to Ser116 and Gln293. With the aid of these interactions, the hydroxyl of Tyr139 forms a hydrogen bond to O6″ of ADP-D,D-Hep and the proton at C6″ orients closely to C4 of NADP(+). Therefore, the in silico study supports a one-base mechanism as a major catalytic pathway, in which Tyr139 solely functions as a catalytic acid/base residue. These results provide a new insight into the development of an epimerase inhibitor as an antibiotic adjuvant against melioidosis.

Upregulation of galactose metabolic pathway by N-acetylglucosamine induced endogenous synthesis of galactose in Candida albicans

N-Acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) is an important signaling molecule that plays multiple roles in Candida albicans. Induction of galactose metabolic pathway by GlcNAc is an intriguing aspect of C. albicans biology. In order to investigate the role of galactose metabolic genes (GAL genes) in presence of GlcNAc, we created knockouts of galactokinase (GAL1) and UDP galactose epimerase (GAL10) genes. These mutants failed to grow on galactose and also showed lower growth rate in presence of GlcNAc. Interestingly, expression of GAL genes in presence of GlcNAc was higher in gal1Δ strain relative to that of wild type strain. Moreover, no GlcNAc induced upregulation of GAL genes was observed in the gal10Δ strain suggesting that UDP galactose epimerase is essential for GlcNAc induced activation of GAL genes. GlcNAc induced expression of GAL genes was also investigated in GlcNAc metabolic pathway triple mutant N216 (hxk1Δ nag1Δ dac1Δ). Interestingly, in this mutant the GAL genes are neither induced nor repressed and remain derepressed as found on a neutral carbon source such as glycerol, suggesting that catabolism of GlcNAc play an important role in the expression of GAL genes. GC/MS analysis of derivatized metabolites revealed a significant accumulation of galactose in the gal1Δ strain while no galactose was detected in gal10Δ and N216 strain. Solution-state NMR spectroscopy using N-acetyl-13C1-glucosamine confirmed the flow of 13C label from GlcNAc to galactose. Thus, internal galactose synthesized via UDP galactose pathway from GlcNAc metabolites acts as the inducer of GAL genes in presence of GlcNAc.

Proteomic Analysis of Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis Reveals the Metabolic Insight on Consumption of Prebiotics and Host Glycans

Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis is a common member of the intestinal microbiota in breast-fed infants and capable of metabolizing human milk oligosaccharides (HMO). To investigate the bacterial response to different prebiotics, we analyzed both cell wall associated and whole cell proteins in B. infantis. Proteins were identified by LC-MS/MS followed by comparative proteomics to deduce the protein localization within the cell. Enzymes involved in the metabolism of lactose, glucose, galactooligosaccharides, fructooligosaccharides and HMO were constitutively expressed exhibiting less than two-fold change regardless of the sugar used. In contrast, enzymes in N-Acetylglucosamine and sucrose catabolism were induced by HMO and fructans, respectively. Galactose-metabolizing enzymes phosphoglucomutase, UDP-glucose 4-epimerase and UTP glucose-1-P uridylytransferase were expressed constitutively, while galactokinase and galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase, increased their expression three fold when HMO and lactose were used as substrates for cell growth. Cell wall-associated proteomics also revealed ATP-dependent sugar transport systems associated with consumption of different prebiotics. In addition, the expression of 16 glycosyl hydrolases revealed the complete metabolic route for each substrate. Mucin, which possesses O-glycans that are structurally similar to HMO did not induced the expression of transport proteins, hydrolysis or sugar metabolic pathway indicating B. infantis do not utilize these glycoconjugates.

Chemical and Stereochemical Actions of UDP–Galactose 4-Epimerase

Uridine(5')diphospho(1)α-D-galactose (UDP-gal) provides all galactosyl units in biologically synthesized carbohydrates. All healthy cells produce UDP-gal from uridine(5')diphospho(1)α-D-glucose (UDP-glc) by the action of UDP-galactose 4-epimerase (GalE). This Account provides our recent results describing unusual mechanistic features of this enzyme. Fully active GalE is dimeric and contains one tightly bound nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) per subunit. The NAD undergoes reversible reduction to NADH in the chemical mechanism. GalE displays unusual enzymological, chemical, and stereochemical properties. These include practically irreversible binding of NAD, nonstereospecific hydride transfer, uridine nucleotide-induced activation of NAD, Tyr149 as a base catalyst, and [GalE-NADH]-oxidation in one-electron steps by one-electron acceptors. Early studies revealed that uridine(5')diphospho(1)α-D-4-ketopyranose (UDP-4-ketopyranose) and NADH are reaction intermediates. Weak binding of the 4-ketopyranosyl moiety and strong binding of the UDP-moiety allowed either face of the 4-ketopyranosyl moiety to accept hydride from NADH. In crystal structures of GalE, NAD bound within a Rossmann-type fold and uridine nucleotides within a substrate domain. Structures of [GalE-NADH] in complex with UDP-glc show Lys153, Tyr149, and Ser124 in contact with NAD or glucosyl-C4(OH). Lys153 forms hydrogen bonds to the ribosyl-OH groups of NAD. The phenolate of Tyr149 is associated with both the nicotinamide ring of NAD and glucosyl-C4(OH). Ser124 is hydrogen-bonded to glucosyl-C4(OH). Spectrophotometry studies show a pH-dependent charge transfer (CT) complex between Tyr149 and NAD. The CT-complex has a pKa of 6.1, which results in bleaching of the CT-band. The CT-band also bleaches upon binding of a uridine nucleotide. Kinetic experiments with wild-type GalE and Ser124Ala-GalE show the same kinetic pKa values as the corresponding CT-band pKa, which point to Tyr149 as the base catalyst for hydride transfer. We used NMR studies to verify that uridine nucleotide binding polarizes nicotinamide π-electrons. The binding of uridine(5')-diphosphate (UDP) to GalE-[nicotinamide-1-¹⁵N]NAD shifts the ¹⁵N-signal upfield 3 ppm, whereas UDP-binding to GalE-[nicotinamide-4-¹³C]NAD shifts the ¹³C-signal downfield by 3.4 ppm. Electrochemical and ¹³C NMR data for a series of N-alkylnicotinamides show that the 3.4 ppm downfield ¹³C-perturbation in GalE corresponds to an elevation of the NAD reduction potential by 150 mV. These results account for the uridine nucleotide-dependence in the reduction of [GalE-NAD] by glucose or NaBH₃CN. Kinetics in the reduction of Tyr149Phe- and Lys153Met-GalE-NAD implicate Tyr149 and Lys153 in the nucleotide-dependent reduction of NAD. They further implicate electrostatic repulsion between N1 of NAD and the ε-aminium group of Lys153 in nucleotide-induced activation of NAD. In an O₂-dependent reaction, [GalE-NADH] reduces the stable radical UDP-TEMPO with production of superoxide radical. The reaction must proceed by way of a NAD-pyridinyl radical intermediate.

Schistosoma Japonicum UDP-Glucose 4-Epimerase Protein Is Located on the Tegument and Induces Moderate Protection against Challenge Infection

Schistosomiasis is an important global public health problem, as millions of people are at risk of acquiring this infection. An ideal method for sustainable control of schistosomiasis is using a vaccine alone or in combination with drugs. In the present study, we cloned the SjGALE gene and generated the expression product in E. coli. The expression level of SjGALE during different developmental stages of S. japonicum was evaluated by real-time RT-PCR and western blotting. Immunolocalization indicated that the protein was mainly located on the tegument of the parasite. Infection of rSjGALE-immunized mice demonstrated a 34% and 49% reduction of the mean worm burden and liver egg burden, respectively, in two independent experiments, indicating immune protection. The liver egg count from each female adult worm was significantly reduced by 63% in the two trials. The cytokine profile and IgG isotype analysis demonstrated the induction of a Th1 immune profile in response to immunization with this protein, further suggesting protection against infection. In conclusion, these findings indicated that SjGALE is a potential vaccine against S. japonicum.

Galactosemia: diagnosis and treatment

AbstractGalactosemia is a hereditary metabolic disease, having autosomal recessivetransmission. It can be the result of three distinct enzyme deficits on the path ofgalactose metabolism: Galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase (GALT),Galactokinase and UDP-glucose 4-epimerase (GALE). The symptoms and signsappear in the first 2-3 days of life and has a poor prognosis: repeated haemorrhages,modified liver tests, hepatosplenomegaly, jaundice, sistemic infections, especiallywith gram-negative bacteria (usually E coli), liver and renal failure, cataract. Thenewborn metabolic screening plays a decisive role in early detection ofgalactosemia.

Crystal Structure of Binary and Ternary Complexes of Archaeal UDP-galactose 4-Epimerase-like l-Threonine Dehydrogenase from Thermoplasma volcanium

A gene from the thermophilic archaeon Thermoplasma volcanium encoding an L-threonine dehydrogenase (L-ThrDH) with a predicted amino acid sequence that was remarkably similar to the sequence of UDP-galactose 4-epimerase (GalE) was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, and its product was purified and characterized. The expressed enzyme was moderately thermostable, retaining more than 90% of its activity after incubation for 10 min at up to 70 °C. The catalytic residue was assessed using site-directed mutagenesis, and Tyr(137) was found to be essential for catalysis. To clarify the structural basis of the catalytic mechanism, four different crystal structures were determined using the molecular replacement method: L-ThrDH-NAD(+), L-ThrDH in complex with NAD(+) and pyruvate, Y137F mutant in complex with NAD(+) and L-threonine, and Y137F in complex with NAD(+) and L-3-hydroxynorvaline. Each monomer consisted of a Rossmann-fold domain and a C-terminal catalytic domain, and the fold of the catalytic domain showed notable similarity to that of the GalE-like L-ThrDH from the psychrophilic bacterium Flavobacterium frigidimaris KUC-1. The substrate binding model suggests that the reaction proceeds through abstraction of the β-hydroxyl hydrogen of L-threonine via direct proton transfer driven by Tyr(137). The factors contributing to the thermostability of T. volcanium L-ThrDH were analyzed by comparing its structure to that of F. frigidimaris L-ThrDH. This comparison showed that the presence of extensive inter- and intrasubunit ion pair networks are likely responsible for the thermostability of T. volcanium L-ThrDH. This is the first description of the molecular basis for the substrate recognition and thermostability of a GalE-like L-ThrDH.

Novel drug target identification on UDP-Glucose 4-epimerase enzyme in Catharanthus roseus by insilico model

ObjectiveTo investigate the definite crystal structure of UDP-glucose 4-epimerase enzymes (EC 5.1.3.2) from Catharanthus roseus (C. roseus) for further research activities. MethodsThe structure was modeled using homologous templates. The model validated under PROCHECK and WHAT-IF. ResultsThe model constructed using Modeller9v7 was validated. Moreover, 89% of residues lie in the most favored region. The model was checked for its grand average of hydropathicity and three binding sites were predicted using Molsoft ICM Pro v3.5. ConclusionsThe model was suggested to be the good model. The constructed model can be used for further pharmacological studies and it can act as potential target against novel inhibitors.

Characterization of UDP-glucose 4-epimerase from Pyrococcus horikoshii: Regeneration of UDP to produce UDP-galactose using two-enzyme system with trehalose

A gene encoding a putative UDP-glucose 4-epimerase (pGALE) in Pyrococcus horikoshii was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified enzyme could reversibly catalyze both the synthesis of UDP-Gal and UDP-Glc but preferred the binding of UDP-Gal by approximately 10-fold. The optimum pH and temperature were 6.5 and 65°C. The enzyme acted effectively without the addition of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), possibly due to the presence of tightly bound NAD+. In particular, pGALE could be coupled with trehalose synthase (TreT) from P. horikoshii to regenerate UDP-Gal from UDP. The possible byproduct of glycosyltransferase, UDP, was capable of being converted to UDP-Glc with trehalose by TreT, and UDP-Glc was simultaneously converted to UDP-Gal by pGALE. Conclusively, the results suggest that pGALE and TreT with trehalose is an effective one-pot two-enzyme system for the regeneration of UDP-Gal, a high-cost substrate of galactosyltransferase, to complete a sugar nucleotide cycle.

To the Happy Few

I became a microbiologist in post-WWII Japan, working with Toshio Fukasawa on galactose metabolism in Salmonella. We characterized mutants defective in UDP-galactose 4-epimerase, which produced a defective lipopolysaccharide, and this opened doors for me to study lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis, which I pursued in the United States, in the laboratory of Herman Kalckar. After I moved to Berkeley, California, in 1969, I became interested in the function of bacterial outer membranes, a line of work that led to the discovery and characterization of porins as well as the studies on the mycobacterial cell wall. In the early 1990s, it became clear that the outer membrane permeability barrier and the activity of periplasmic β-lactamase are not enough to explain the resistance of some strains to β-lactam antibiotics, and the search for the missing factor led to the discovery of RND family multidrug efflux pumps, subjects that continue to fascinate me to this day.