Structural insights into oxidation of medium-chain fatty acids and flavanone by myxobacterial cytochrome P450 CYP267B1.

Oxidative biocatalytic reactions performed by cytochrome P450 enzymes (P450s) are of high interest for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. CYP267B1 is a P450 enzyme from myxobacterium Sorangium cellulosum So ce56 displaying a broad substrate scope. In this work, a search for new substrates was performed, combined with product characterization and a structural analysis of substrate-bound complexes using X-ray crystallography and computational docking. The results demonstrate the ability of CYP267B1 to perform in-chain hydroxylations of medium-chain saturated fatty acids (decanoic acid, dodecanoic acid and tetradecanoic acid) and a regioselective hydroxylation of flavanone. The fatty acids are mono-hydroxylated at different in-chain positions, with decanoic acid displaying the highest regioselectivity towards ω-3 hydroxylation. Flavanone is preferably oxidized to 3-hydroxyflavanone. High-resolution crystal structures of CYP267B1 revealed a very spacious active site pocket, similarly to other P450s capable of converting macrocyclic compounds. The pocket becomes more constricted near to the heme and is closed off from solvent by residues of the F and G helices and the B-C loop. The crystal structure of the tetradecanoic acid-bound complex displays the fatty acid bound near to the heme, but in a nonproductive conformation. Molecular docking allowed modeling of the productive binding modes for the four investigated fatty acids and flavanone, as well as of two substrates identified in a previous study (diclofenac and ibuprofen), explaining the observed product profiles. The obtained structures of CYP267B1 thus serve as a valuable prediction tool for substrate hydroxylations by this highly versatile enzyme and will encourage future selectivity changes by rational protein engineering.

Biophysical Screening of a Focused Library for the Discovery of CYP121 Inhibitors as Novel Antimycobacterials.

The development of novel antimycobacterial agents against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is urgently required due to the appearance of multidrug resistance (MDR) combined with complicated long-term treatment. CYP121 was shown to be a promising novel target for inhibition of mycobacterial growth. In this study, we describe the rational discovery of new CYP121 inhibitors by a systematic screening based on biophysical and microbiological methods. The best hits originating from only one structural class gave initial information about molecular motifs required for binding and activity. The initial screening procedure was followed by mode-of-action studies and further biological characterizations. The results demonstrate superior antimycobacterial efficacy and a decreased toxicity profile of our frontrunner compound relative to the reference compound econazole. Due to its low molecular weight, promising biological profile, and physicochemical properties, this compound is an excellent starting point for further rational optimization.

Improvement of a P450-Based Recombinant Escherichia coli Whole-Cell System for the Production of Oxygenated Sesquiterpene Derivatives.

Sesquiterpenes are common constituents of essential oil in plants. Their oxygenated derivatives often possess desirable flavor, fragrance, and pharmaceutical properties. Recently, the CYP264B1-based recombinant Escherichia coli whole-cell system has been constructed for the oxidation of sesquiterpenes. However, limiting factors of this system related to the high volatility of substrates and the suitability of the P450 redox partner need to be addressed. In this work, the improvement of the system was implemented with (+)-α-longipinene as a model substrate. By using 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin and an alternative ferredoxin reductase, the conversion of (+)-α-longipinene was improved 77.1%. Applying the optimized conditions, the yields of the main products were 54.2, 34.2, and 47.2 mg L-1, corresponding to efficiencies of 82.1, 51.8, and 71.5% for the conversion of (+)-α-longipinene, (-)-isolongifolene, and α-humulene, respectively, at a 200 mL scale. These products were characterized as 12-hydroxy-α-longipinene, isolongifolene-9-one, and 5-hydroxy-α-humulene, respectively, by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Investigating the effect of available redox protein ratios for the conversion of a steroid by a myxobacterial CYP260A1.

Since cytochromes P450 are external monooxygenases, available surrogate redox partners have been used to reconstitute the P450 activity. However, the effect of various ratios of P450s and the redox proteins have not been extensively studied so far, although different combinations of the redox partners have shown variations in substrate conversion. To address this issue, CYP260A1 was reconstituted with various ratios of adrenodoxin and adrenodoxin reductase to convert 11-deoxycorticosterone, and the products were characterized by NMR. We show the effect of the available redox protein ratios not only on the P450 catalytic activity but also on the product pattern.

Discovery and Biophysical Evaluation of First Low Nanomolar Hits Targeting CYP125 of M.†tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis, which is predominantly caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is still the most lethal bacterial infection with 1.5 million casualties in 2014. Moreover, the fact that the appearance of resistant mutants and long-term treatment are coupled with economic problems in developing countries hampers an efficient therapy. Interference with the essential cholesterol metabolism of Mtb could be a promising novel strategy to fight Mtb infections. CYP125, a P450 enzyme in Mtb, has been shown to play an important role in this metabolic pathway. For this reason, we used a combined screening approach involving surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy and a heme coordination assay to identify new CYP125 binders by employing a focused P450-inhibitor library. We identified the first hits with high affinity and favorable ligand efficiencies. Furthermore, frontrunner compounds also showed selectivity toward CYP121 specific to Mtb and required for its survival. To date, these are the first compounds targeting CYP125 with low nanomolar affinity.

A single terpene synthase is responsible for a wide variety of sesquiterpenes in Sorangium cellulosum Soce56.

The myxobacterium Sorangium cellulosum So ce56 is a prolific producer of volatile sesquiterpenes. The strain harbours one of the largest prokaryotic genomes (13.1 Mbp). However, it codes only for three type I terpene synthases (TSs; sce1440, sce6369, sce8552) and one type II TS (sce4636), responsible for the production of at least 17 sesquiterpenes. We report here the gene expression of TSs and biosynthesis of the TS products in E. coli. Comparison with the So ce56 volatiles allows the assignment of the terpenes to their synthesizing genes. Both, the geosmin synthase sce1440 and the previously examined (+)-eremophilene synthase sce8552 are highly specific. In contrast, Sce6369, the first characterized 10-epi-cubebol synthase, is responsible for the formation of most of the So ce56 sesquiterpenes, mainly cadalanes and cubebanes. In contrast, Sce4636 does not convert FPP. Having characterized the So ce56 TSs, we screened all the 27 sequenced myxobacterial species from the NCBI and JGI-IMG databases for parent genes to predict the sesquiterpenes produced by them.

New Sesquiterpene Oxidations with CYP260A1 and CYP264B1 from Sorangium cellulosum So ce56.

Sesquiterpenes are natural products derived from the common precursor farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) but are highly diverse in structure and function. Cytochrome P450 enzymes (P450s) exhibit the unique ability to introduce molecular oxygen into non-activated C-H bonds. In plant biosynthetic pathways, P450s commonly derivatize sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. However, the potential of bacterial P450s for terpene derivatization is still underinvestigated. This work compares the substrate specificities and regioselectivities of the sesquiterpene hydroxylases CYP260A1 and CYP264B1 from myxobacterium Sorangium cellulosum So ce56. Four tested substrate classes (eremophilanes, humulanes, caryophyllanes, and cedranes) were converted by both P450s. The achievable variety of oxidations is demonstrated on the model substrates (+)-nootkatone and zerumbone. Increasing the number of functionally investigated P450s, this study represents a step towards the selective derivatization of sesquiterpenes.

Characterization of the gene cluster CYP264B1-geoA from Sorangium cellulosum So ce56: biosynthesis of (+)-eremophilene and its hydroxylation.

Terpenoids can be found in almost all forms of life; however, the biosynthesis of bacterial terpenoids has not been intensively studied. This study reports the identification and functional characterization of the gene cluster CYP264B1-geoA from Sorangium cellulosum So ce56. Expression of the enzymes and synthesis of their products for NMR analysis and X-ray diffraction were carried out by employing an Escherichia coli whole-cell conversion system that provides the geoA substrate farnesyl pyrophosphate through simultaneous overexpression of the mevalonate pathway genes. The geoA product was identified as a novel sesquiterpene, and assigned NMR signals unambiguously proved that geoA is an (+)-eremophilene synthase. The very tight binding of (+)-eremophilene (∼0.40 µM), which is also available in S. cellulosum So ce56, and its oxidation by CYP264B1 suggest that the CYP264B1-geoA gene cluster is required for the biosynthesis of (+)-eremophilene derivatives.