Simultaneous Improvement in the Thermostability and Catalytic Activity of Epoxidase Lsd18 for the Synthesis of Lasalocid A.

Enzymes used in the synthesis of natural products are potent catalysts, capable of efficient and stereoselective chemical transformations. Lsd18 catalyzes two sequential epoxidations during the biosynthesis of lasalocid A, a polyether polyketide natural product. We performed protein engineering on Lsd18 to improve its thermostability and catalytic activity. Utilizing structure-guided methods of FoldX and Rosetta-ddG, we designed 15 mutants of Lsd18. Screening of these mutants using thermal shift assay identified stabilized variants Lsd18-T189M, Lsd18-S195M, and the double mutant Lsd18-T189M-S195M. Trypsin digestion, molecular dynamic simulation, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography provided insights into the molecular basis for the improved enzyme properties. Notably, enhanced hydrophobic interaction within the enzyme core and interaction of the protein with the FAD cofactor appear to be responsible for its better thermostability.

Expanding the antibacterial selectivity of polyether ionophore antibiotics through diversity-focused semisynthesis.

Polyether ionophores are complex natural products capable of transporting cations across biological membranes. Many polyether ionophores possess potent antimicrobial activity and a few selected compounds have the ability to target aggressive cancer cells. Nevertheless, ionophore function is believed to be associated with idiosyncratic cellular toxicity and, consequently, human clinical development has not been pursued. Here, we demonstrate that structurally novel polyether ionophores can be efficiently constructed by recycling components of highly abundant polyethers to afford analogues with enhanced antibacterial selectivity compared to a panel of natural polyether ionophores. We used classic degradation reactions of the natural polyethers lasalocid and monensin and combined the resulting fragments with building blocks provided by total synthesis, including halogen-functionalized tetronic acids as cation-binding groups. Our results suggest that structural optimization of polyether ionophores is possible and that this area represents a potential opportunity for future methodological innovation.

Synthesis and Anticancer Activity of Dimeric Polyether Ionophores.

Polyether ionophores represent a group of natural lipid-soluble biomolecules with a broad spectrum of bioactivity, ranging from antibacterial to anticancer activity. Three seem to be particularly interesting in this context, namely lasalocid acid, monensin, and salinomycin, as they are able to selectively target cancer cells of various origin including cancer stem cells. Due to their potent biological activity and abundant availability, some research groups around the world have successfully followed semi-synthetic approaches to generate original derivatives of ionophores. However, a definitely less explored avenue is the synthesis and functional evaluation of their multivalent structures. Thus, in this paper, we describe the synthetic access to a series of original homo- and heterodimers of polyether ionophores, in which (i) two salinomycin molecules are joined through triazole linkers, or (ii) salinomycin is combined with lasalocid acid, monensin, or betulinic acid partners to form 'mixed' dimeric structures. Of note, all 11 products were tested in vitro for their antiproliferative activity against a panel of six cancer cell lines including the doxorubicin resistant colon adenocarcinoma LoVo/DX cell line; five dimers (14-15, 17-18 and 22) were identified to be more potent than the reference agents (i.e., both parent compound(s) and commonly used cytostatic drugs) in selective targeting of various types of cancer. Dimers 16 and 21 were also found to effectively overcome the resistance of the LoVo/DX cancer cell line.

Spectroscopic studies of the equilibrium between complexes of lasalocid acid with propargylamine and metal cations.

The molecular structure of 1:1 complex formed between the naturally occurring polyether ionophore, called lasalocid acid (LAS) and propargylamine (PROP) is studied by X-ray, FT-IR, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR and ESI-MS methods. The complex formed between deprotonated LAS acid and protonated PROP molecule is stabilized by intra- and inter-molecular hydrogen bonds. The protons of the protonated amine group are hydrogen bonded to etheric and hydroxyl oxygen atoms of the LAS anion. The similarity of the FT-IR spectra of the LAS-PROP complex in solid state and in solution demonstrated that the molecular structures of the complex in both states are comparable. It is shown that LAS in solution can form concurrent complexes with metal cations (M=Li(+), Na(+), K(+)) and amine existing in equilibrium. Analysis of the structures of lasalocid complexes is important for a better understanding of the antibacterial and anticancer properties of lasalocid acid.

Development of intramammary delivery systems containing lasalocid for the treatment of bovine mastitis: impact of solubility improvement on safety, efficacy, and milk distribution in dairy cattle.

BACKGROUND: Mastitis is a major disease of dairy cattle. Given the recent emergence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as a cause of bovine mastitis, new intramammary (IMA) treatments are urgently required. Lasalocid, a member of the polyether ionophore class of antimicrobial agents, has not been previously administered to cows by the IMA route and has favorable characteristics for development as a mastitis treatment. This study aimed to develop an IMA drug delivery system (IMDS) of lasalocid for the treatment of bovine mastitis. METHODS: Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined applying the procedures recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Solid dispersions (SDs) of lasalocid were prepared and characterized using differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. IMDSs containing lasalocid of micronized, nano-sized, or as SD form were tested for their IMA safety in cows. Therapeutic efficacy of lasalocid IMDSs was tested in a bovine model involving experimental IMA challenge with the mastitis pathogen Streptococcus uberis. RESULTS: Lasalocid demonstrated antimicrobial activity against the major Gram-positive mastitis pathogens including S. aureus (MIC range 0.5-8 µg/mL). The solubility test confirmed limited, ion-strength-dependent water solubility of lasalocid. A kinetic solubility study showed that SDs effectively enhanced water solubility of lasalocid (21-35-fold). Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-lasalocid SD caused minimum mammary irritation in treated cows and exhibited faster distribution in milk than either nano or microsized lasalocid. IMDSs with PVP-lasalocid SD provided effective treatment with a higher mastitis clinical and microbiological cure rate (66.7%) compared to cloxacillin (62.5%). CONCLUSION: Lasalocid SD IMDS provided high cure rates and effectiveness in treating bovine mastitis with acceptable safety in treated cows.

Epoxide hydrolase-lasalocid a structure provides mechanistic insight into polyether natural product biosynthesis.

Biosynthesis of some polyether natural products involves a kinetically disfavored epoxide-opening cyclic ether formation, a reaction termed anti-Baldwin cyclization. One such example is the biosynthesis of lasalocid A, an ionophore antibiotic polyether. During lasalocid A biosynthesis, an epoxide hydrolase, Lsd19, converts the bisepoxy polyketide intermediate into the tetrahydrofuranyl-tetrahydropyran product. We report the crystal structure of Lsd19 in complex with lasalocid A. The structure unambiguously shows that the C-terminal domain of Lsd19 catalyzes the intriguing anti-Baldwin cyclization. We propose a general mechanism for epoxide selection by ionophore polyether epoxide hydrolases.

Spectroscopic, crystallographic and theoretical studies of lasalocid complex with ammonia and benzylamine.

A natural antibiotic--Lasalocid is able to form stable complexes with ammonia and organic amines. New complexes of lasalocid with benzylamine and ammonia were obtained in the crystal forms and studied using X-ray, FT-IR, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR and DFT methods. These studies have shown that in both complexes the proton is transferred from the carboxylic group to the amine group with the formation of a pseudo-cyclic structure of lasalocid anion complexing the protonated amine or NH4(+) cation. The spectroscopic and DFT studies demonstrated that the structure of the complex formed between Lasalocid and benzylamine in the solid is also conserved in the solution and gas phase. In contrast, the structure of the complex formed between lasalocid and ammonium cation found in the solid state undergoes dissociation in chloroform solution accompanied with a change in the coordination form of the NH4(+) cation.

One-pot synthesis and cytotoxicity studies of new Mannich base derivatives of polyether antibiotic--lasalocid acid.

Seven Mannich base derivatives of polyether antibiotic Lasalocid acid (2a-2g) were synthesized and screened for their antiproliferative activity against various human cancer cell lines. A novel chemoselective one-pot synthesis of these Mannich bases was developed. Compounds 2a-2c and 2g with sterically smaller dialkylamine substituent, displayed potent antiproliferative activity (IC50: 3.2-7.3 µM), and demonstrated higher than twofold selectivity for specific type of cancer. The nature of Mannich base substituent on C-2 atom at the aromatic ring may be critical in the search for selectivity towards a particular cancer cell.

Abiotic degradation of antibiotic ionophores.

Hydrolytic and photolytic degradation were investigated for the ionophore antibiotics lasalocid, monensin, salinomycin, and narasin. The hydrolysis study was carried out by dissolving the ionophores in solutions of pH 4, 7, and 9, followed by incubation at three temperatures of 6, 22, and 28 °C for maximum 34 days. Using LC-MS/MS for chemical analysis, lasalocid was not found to hydrolyse in any of the tested environments. Monensin, salinomycin, and narasin were all stable in neutral or alkaline solution but hydrolysed in the solution with a pH of 4. Half-lives at 25 °C were calculated to be 13, 0.6, and 0.7 days for monensin, salinomycin, and narasin, respectively. Absorbance spectra from each compound indicated that only lasalocid is degraded by photolysis (half-life below 1 h) due to an absorbance maximum around 303 nm, and monensin, salinomycin, and narasin are resistant to direct photolysis because they absorb light of environmentally irrelevant wavelengths.

Biosynthetic machinery of ionophore polyether lasalocid: enzymatic construction of polyether skeleton.

Diversity of natural polycyclic polyethers originated from very simple yet versatile strategy consisting of epoxidation of linear polyene followed by epoxide opening cascade. To understand two-step enzymatic transformations at molecular basis, a flavin containing monooxygenase (EPX) Lsd18 and an epoxide hydrolase (EH) Lsd19 were selected as model enzymes for extensive investigation on substrate specificity, catalytic mechanism, cofactor requirement and crystal structure. This pioneering study on prototypical lasalocid EPX and EH provides insight into detailed mechanism of ionophore polyether assembly machinery and clarified remaining issues for polyether biosynthesis.

Synthesis, FT-IR, ¹H, ¹³CNMR, ESI MS and PM5 studies of a new Mannich base of polyether antibiotic - Lasalocid acid and its complexes with Li⁺, Na⁺ and K⁺ cations.

The polyether antibiotic Lasalocid acid has been converted to its Mannich base derivative by a chemoselective one-pot reaction with formaldehyde and morpholine through the decarboxylation process. Spectroscopic studies of the structure of this new derivative have shown that in this ortho-phenol Mannich base the O-H⋯N intarmolecular hydrogen bond is present. The compound forms complexes with Li(+), Na(+) and K(+) cations of exclusively 1:1 stoichiometry. The structures of these complexes have been studied and visualized by semi-empirical calculation based on results of spectrometric and spectroscopic investigation. It is demonstrated that in contrast to Lasalocid acid the novel Mannich type derivative forms preferential complexes with Li(+) cation.

Structural characterization of polyketides using high mass accuracy tandem mass spectrometry.

The tandem mass spectrometry techniques electron-induced dissociation (EID) and collision-activated dissociation (CAD) have been compared as tools for providing detailed structural information of polyketides. Polyketides are an important class of natural products that account for a significant proportion of the drugs currently in clinical use. Three polyketide natural products, namely erythromycin A, lasalocid A, and iso-lasalocid A, were subjected to both CAD and EID, and their fragment ions were assigned with sub-part-per-million accuracy. The number of fragment ions detected through EID was much greater than for CAD, leading to a greater amount of structural information obtained for each polyketide, albeit with a decreased signal-to-noise ratio. The effect of different bound cations on the fragment pattern of the isomers lasalocid A and iso-lasalocid A was studied, with CAD and EID performed on the [M + H](+), [M + Na](+), [M + Li](+), and [M + NH(4)](+) precursor ions. The lithiated species were found to produce the greatest degree of fragmentation and enabled detailed structural information on the isomers to be obtained. Multistage mass spectrometry (MS(3)) experiments, combining CAD and EID, could also be performed on the lithiated species, generating new fragment information which enables the two isomers to be distinguished. Combining CAD and EID for the structural characterization of polyketides will therefore be a useful tool for identifying and characterizing unknown polyketides and their biosynthetic intermediates.

Sequential enzymatic epoxidation involved in polyether lasalocid biosynthesis.

Enantioselective epoxidation followed by regioselective epoxide opening reaction are the key processes in construction of the polyether skeleton. Recent genetic analysis of ionophore polyether biosynthetic gene clusters suggested that flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs) could be involved in the oxidation steps. In vivo and in vitro analyses of Lsd18, an FMO involved in the biosynthesis of polyether lasalocid, using simple olefin or truncated diene of a putative substrate as substrate mimics demonstrated that enantioselective epoxidation affords natural type mono- or bis-epoxide in a stepwise manner. These findings allow us to figure out enzymatic polyether construction in lasalocid biosynthesis.

Enzymatic catalysis of anti-Baldwin ring closure in polyether biosynthesis.

Polycyclic polyether natural products have fascinated chemists and biologists alike owing to their useful biological activity, highly complex structure and intriguing biosynthetic mechanisms. Following the original proposal for the polyepoxide origin of lasalocid and isolasalocid and the experimental determination of the origins of the oxygen and carbon atoms of both lasalocid and monensin, a unified stereochemical model for the biosynthesis of polyether ionophore antibiotics was proposed. The model was based on a cascade of nucleophilic ring closures of postulated polyepoxide substrates generated by stereospecific oxidation of all-trans polyene polyketide intermediates. Shortly thereafter, a related model was proposed for the biogenesis of marine ladder toxins, involving a series of nominally disfavoured anti-Baldwin, endo-tet epoxide-ring-opening reactions. Recently, we identified Lsd19 from the Streptomyces lasaliensis gene cluster as the epoxide hydrolase responsible for the epoxide-opening cyclization of bisepoxyprelasalocid A to form lasalocid A. Here we report the X-ray crystal structure of Lsd19 in complex with its substrate and product analogue to provide the first atomic structure-to our knowledge-of a natural enzyme capable of catalysing the disfavoured epoxide-opening cyclic ether formation. On the basis of our structural and computational studies, we propose a general mechanism for the enzymatic catalysis of polyether natural product biosynthesis.

Determination of lasalocid residues in the tissues of broiler chickens by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Lasalocid is a polyether ionophoric coccidiostat used for the prevention of coccidiosis in poultry at a prescribed concentration and during a certain time interval. Due to a public health concern about the presence of coccidiostat residues in poultry, the aim of the present study was to determine the levels of lasalocid residues in the edible tissues of broiler chickens (breast muscle, thigh muscle, heart, liver, gizzard, kidneys and skin/fat) fed commercially produced feed containing 100 mg kg⁻¹) of lasalocid in complete feed throughout the 5-day withdrawal period (WP). The residues were investigated by liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionisation (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) with triple quadrupole. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) of the method were 0.47 and 1.44 µg kg⁻¹, respectively. The average recovery based on the matrix-fortified calibrations for chicken tissues ranged between 79% and 98%. Lasalocid was found to accumulate in the liver, followed by the heart, skin/fat, kidneys, thigh muscle and gizzard. The lowest concentrations of lasalocid residues were found in the breast muscle. On day 5 of the WP, residue concentrations of lasalocid did not decline below the LOQ of the method, but were far below the maximum residue level (MRL) established for lasalocid in poultry from 20 to 100 µg kg⁻¹ by European Commission Regulation (EU) No. 37/2010. The results confirmed that the WP established for lasalocid is sufficient to ensure the decline of its residues in the tissues of broiler chickens to the safe residue level.

Intriguing substrate tolerance of epoxide hydrolase Lsd19 involved in biosynthesis of the ionophore antibiotic lasalocid A.

Recently, we reported that the epoxide hydrolase Lsd19, the first enzyme shown to catalyze epoxide-opening cascades, can catalyze the conversion of a putative bisepoxide intermediate to polyether antibiotic lasalocid, which involves energetically disfavored 6-endo-tet cyclization of the epoxy alcohol. Here, we examined the substrate tolerance of Lsd19. Lsd19 accepts various substrate analogues differing in the left segment of lasalocid and epoxide stereochemistry to afford either THF-THP or THF-THF products with excellent regioselectivity.

Doubly compensated multiplicity-edited HSQC experiments utilizing broadband inversion pulses.

We propose a family of doubly compensated multiplicity-edited heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) pulse sequences. The key difference between our proposed sequences and the compensation of refocusing inefficiency with synchronized inversion sweeps (CRISIS)-HSQC experiments they are based on is that the conventional rectangular 180 degrees pulses on the proton channel in the latter have been replaced by the computer-optimized broadband inversion pulses (BIPs) with superior inversion performance as well as much improved tolerance to B(1) field inhomogeneity. Moreover, all adiabatic carbon 180 degrees pulses during the INEPT and reverse-INEPT periods in the CRISIS-HSQC sequences have also been replaced with the much shorter BIPs, while the adiabatic sweeps during the heteronuclear spin echo for multiplicity editing are kept in place in order to maintain the advantage of the CRISIS feature of the original sequences, namely J-independent refocusing of the one-bond (1)H--(13)C coupling constants. These modifications have also been implemented to the preservation of equivalent pathways (PEP)-HSQC experiments. We demonstrate through a detailed comparison that replacing the proton 180 degrees pulses with the BIPs provide additional sensitivity gain that can be mainly attributed to the improved tolerance to B(1) field inhomogeneity of the BIPs. The proposed sequences can be easily adapted for (19)F--(13)C correlations.