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1.
Carbohydr Polym ; 339: 122248, 2024 Sep 01.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38823916

Arabinoxylan is a major hemicellulose in the sugarcane plant cell wall with arabinose decorations that impose steric restrictions on the activity of xylanases against this substrate. Enzymatic removal of the decorations by arabinofuranosidases can allow a more efficient arabinoxylan degradation by xylanases. Here we produced and characterized a recombinant Bifidobacterium longum arabinofuranosidase from glycoside hydrolase family 43 (BlAbf43) and applied it, together with GH10 and GH11 xylanases, to produce xylooligosaccharides (XOS) from wheat arabinoxylan and alkali pretreated sugarcane bagasse. The enzyme synergistically enhanced XOS production by GH10 and GH11 xylanases, being particularly efficient in combination with the latter family of enzymes, with a degree of synergism of 1.7. We also demonstrated that the enzyme is capable of not only removing arabinose decorations from the arabinoxylan and from the non-reducing end of the oligomeric substrates, but also hydrolyzing the xylan backbone yielding mostly xylobiose and xylose in particular cases. Structural studies of BlAbf43 shed light on the molecular basis of the substrate recognition and allowed hypothesizing on the structural reasons of its multifunctionality.


Bifidobacterium longum , Cellulose , Endo-1,4-beta Xylanases , Glucuronates , Glycoside Hydrolases , Oligosaccharides , Saccharum , Xylans , Oligosaccharides/chemistry , Oligosaccharides/metabolism , Glycoside Hydrolases/metabolism , Glycoside Hydrolases/chemistry , Glucuronates/metabolism , Glucuronates/chemistry , Endo-1,4-beta Xylanases/metabolism , Endo-1,4-beta Xylanases/chemistry , Xylans/metabolism , Xylans/chemistry , Saccharum/chemistry , Saccharum/metabolism , Cellulose/chemistry , Cellulose/metabolism , Bifidobacterium longum/enzymology , Bifidobacterium longum/metabolism , Hydrolysis , Substrate Specificity , Recombinant Proteins/metabolism , Recombinant Proteins/chemistry , Disaccharides
2.
Science ; 384(6700): 1091-1095, 2024 Jun 07.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38843321

Successive cleavages of amyloid precursor protein C-terminal fragment with 99 residues (APP-C99) by γ-secretase result in amyloid-ß (Aß) peptides of varying lengths. Most cleavages have a step size of three residues. To elucidate the underlying mechanism, we determined the atomic structures of human γ-secretase bound individually to APP-C99, Aß49, Aß46, and Aß43. In all cases, the substrate displays the same structural features: a transmembrane α-helix, a three-residue linker, and a ß-strand that forms a hybrid ß-sheet with presenilin 1 (PS1). Proteolytic cleavage occurs just ahead of the substrate ß-strand. Each cleavage is followed by unwinding and translocation of the substrate α-helix by one turn and the formation of a new ß-strand. This mechanism is consistent with existing biochemical data and may explain the cleavages of other substrates by γ-secretase.


Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases , Amyloid beta-Peptides , Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor , Presenilin-1 , Humans , Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases/metabolism , Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases/chemistry , Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor/metabolism , Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor/chemistry , Substrate Specificity , Presenilin-1/chemistry , Presenilin-1/metabolism , Amyloid beta-Peptides/metabolism , Amyloid beta-Peptides/chemistry , Proteolysis , Peptide Fragments/metabolism , Peptide Fragments/chemistry , Protein Conformation, alpha-Helical , Protein Conformation, beta-Strand , Crystallography, X-Ray , Models, Molecular
3.
Sci Rep ; 14(1): 12976, 2024 06 05.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38839792

Crystal structures of human long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCAD) and the catalytically inactive Glu291Gln mutant, have been determined. These structures suggest that LCAD harbors functions beyond its historically defined role in mitochondrial ß-oxidation of long and medium-chain fatty acids. LCAD is a homotetramer containing one FAD per 43 kDa subunit with Glu291 as the catalytic base. The substrate binding cavity of LCAD reveals key differences which makes it specific for longer and branched chain substrates. The presence of Pro132 near the start of the E helix leads to helix unwinding that, together with adjacent smaller residues, permits binding of bulky substrates such as 3α, 7α, l2α-trihydroxy-5ß-cholestan-26-oyl-CoA. This structural element is also utilized by ACAD11, a eucaryotic ACAD of unknown function, as well as bacterial ACADs known to metabolize sterol substrates. Sequence comparison suggests that ACAD10, another ACAD of unknown function, may also share this substrate specificity. These results suggest that LCAD, ACAD10, ACAD11 constitute a distinct class of eucaryotic acyl CoA dehydrogenases.


Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase, Long-Chain , Models, Molecular , Substrate Specificity , Humans , Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase, Long-Chain/metabolism , Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase, Long-Chain/genetics , Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase, Long-Chain/chemistry , Crystallography, X-Ray , Catalytic Domain , Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenases/metabolism , Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenases/genetics , Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenases/chemistry , Protein Conformation , Amino Acid Sequence
4.
Sci Adv ; 10(19): eadk7283, 2024 May 10.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38728392

Cyanobacterial CO2 concentrating mechanisms (CCMs) sequester a globally consequential proportion of carbon into the biosphere. Proteinaceous microcompartments, called carboxysomes, play a critical role in CCM function, housing two enzymes to enhance CO2 fixation: carbonic anhydrase (CA) and Rubisco. Despite its importance, our current understanding of the carboxysomal CAs found in α-cyanobacteria, CsoSCA, remains limited, particularly regarding the regulation of its activity. Here, we present a structural and biochemical study of CsoSCA from the cyanobacterium Cyanobium sp. PCC7001. Our results show that the Cyanobium CsoSCA is allosterically activated by the Rubisco substrate ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate and forms a hexameric trimer of dimers. Comprehensive phylogenetic and mutational analyses are consistent with this regulation appearing exclusively in cyanobacterial α-carboxysome CAs. These findings clarify the biologically relevant oligomeric state of α-carboxysomal CAs and advance our understanding of the regulation of photosynthesis in this globally dominant lineage.


Carbonic Anhydrases , Cyanobacteria , Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase , Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase/metabolism , Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase/chemistry , Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase/genetics , Carbonic Anhydrases/metabolism , Carbonic Anhydrases/genetics , Carbonic Anhydrases/chemistry , Cyanobacteria/metabolism , Cyanobacteria/genetics , Cyanobacteria/enzymology , Allosteric Regulation , Phylogeny , Ribulosephosphates/metabolism , Models, Molecular , Protein Multimerization , Carbon Dioxide/metabolism , Substrate Specificity , Bacterial Proteins/metabolism , Bacterial Proteins/genetics , Bacterial Proteins/chemistry
5.
Dis Model Mech ; 17(5)2024 May 01.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38818856

Prenylated proteins are prevalent in eukaryotic biology (∼1-2% of proteins) and are associated with human disease, including cancer, premature aging and infections. Prenylated proteins with a C-terminal CaaX sequence are targeted by CaaX-type prenyltransferases and proteases. To aid investigations of these enzymes and their targets, we developed Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains that express these human enzymes instead of their yeast counterparts. These strains were developed in part to explore human prenyltransferase specificity because of findings that yeast FTase has expanded specificity for sequences deviating from the CaaX consensus (i.e. atypical sequence and length). The humanized yeast strains displayed robust prenyltransferase activity against CaaX sequences derived from human and pathogen proteins containing typical and atypical CaaX sequences. The system also recapitulated prenylation of heterologously expressed human proteins (i.e. HRas and DNAJA2). These results reveal that substrate specificity is conserved for yeast and human farnesyltransferases but is less conserved for type I geranylgeranyltransferases. These yeast systems can be easily adapted for investigating the prenylomes of other organisms and are valuable new tools for helping define the human prenylome, which includes physiologically important proteins for which the CaaX modification status is unknown.


Protein Prenylation , Saccharomyces cerevisiae , Humans , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolism , Substrate Specificity , Amino Acid Sequence , Dimethylallyltranstransferase/metabolism , Viral Proteins/metabolism , Alkyl and Aryl Transferases/metabolism
6.
Mol Cell ; 84(10): 1948-1963.e11, 2024 May 16.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38759627

The yeast glucose-induced degradation-deficient (GID) E3 ubiquitin ligase forms a suite of complexes with interchangeable receptors that selectively recruit N-terminal degron motifs of metabolic enzyme substrates. The orthologous higher eukaryotic C-terminal to LisH (CTLH) E3 complex has been proposed to also recognize substrates through an alternative subunit, WDR26, which promotes the formation of supramolecular CTLH E3 assemblies. Here, we discover that human WDR26 binds the metabolic enzyme nicotinamide/nicotinic-acid-mononucleotide-adenylyltransferase 1 (NMNAT1) and mediates its CTLH E3-dependent ubiquitylation independently of canonical GID/CTLH E3-family substrate receptors. The CTLH subunit YPEL5 inhibits NMNAT1 ubiquitylation and cellular turnover by WDR26-CTLH E3, thereby affecting NMNAT1-mediated metabolic activation and cytotoxicity of the prodrug tiazofurin. Cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of NMNAT1- and YPEL5-bound WDR26-CTLH E3 complexes reveal an internal basic degron motif of NMNAT1 essential for targeting by WDR26-CTLH E3 and degron mimicry by YPEL5's N terminus antagonizing substrate binding. Thus, our data provide a mechanistic understanding of how YPEL5-WDR26-CTLH E3 acts as a modulator of NMNAT1-dependent metabolism.


Nicotinamide-Nucleotide Adenylyltransferase , Prodrugs , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases , Ubiquitination , Humans , HEK293 Cells , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/metabolism , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/genetics , Prodrugs/metabolism , Nicotinamide-Nucleotide Adenylyltransferase/metabolism , Nicotinamide-Nucleotide Adenylyltransferase/genetics , Substrate Specificity , Cryoelectron Microscopy , Protein Binding
7.
Arch Microbiol ; 206(6): 264, 2024 May 18.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38760519

Fungi that inhabit fire-prone forests have to be adapted to harsh conditions and fungi affiliated to Ascomycota recovered from foliar litter samples were used for bioprospecting of molecules such as enzymes. Agni's fungi isolated from leaf litter, whose spores are capable of tolerating 110 oC were screened for thermostable lipases. One of the isolates, Leptosphaerulina trifolii A SMR-2011 exhibited high positive lipase activity than other isolates while screening through agar plate assay using Tween 20 in the medium. Maximum lipase activity (173.2 U/mg) of L. trifolii was observed at six days of inoculation and decreased thereafter. Among different oils used, the maximum lipase activity was attained by soybean oil (940.1 U/mg) followed by sunflower oil (917.1 U/mg), and then by mustard oil (884.8 U/mg), showing its specificity towards unsaturated fatty acids. Among the various organic nitrogen sources tested, soybean meal showed maximum lipase activity (985.4 U/mg). The partially purified enzyme was active over a wide range of pH from 8 to 12 with a pH optimum of 11.0 (728.1 U/mg) and a temperature range of 60-80 oC with an optimal temperature of 70 oC (779.1 U/mg). The results showed that lipase produced by L. trifolii is alkali stable and retained 85% of its activity at pH 11.0. This enzyme also showed high thermal stability retaining more than 50% of activity when incubated at 60 oC to 90 °C for 2 h. The ions Ca2+ and Mn2+ induced the lipase activity, while Cu2+ and Zn2+ ions lowered the activity compared to control. These results suggests that the leaf litter fungus L. trifolii serves as a potential source for the production of alkali-tolerant and thermostable lipase.


Ascomycota , Enzyme Stability , Fungal Proteins , Lipase , Plant Leaves , Lipase/metabolism , Lipase/genetics , Plant Leaves/microbiology , Ascomycota/enzymology , Ascomycota/genetics , Ascomycota/metabolism , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Fungal Proteins/metabolism , Fungal Proteins/genetics , Temperature , Substrate Specificity , Hot Temperature , Bacterial Proteins
8.
Gut Microbes ; 16(1): 2353229, 2024.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38752423

Members of the genus Bifidobacterium are commonly found in the human gut and are known to utilize complex carbohydrates that are indigestible by the human host. Members of the Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum taxon can metabolize various plant-derived carbohydrates common to the human diet. To metabolize such polysaccharides, which include arabinoxylan, bifidobacteria need to encode appropriate carbohydrate-active enzymes in their genome. In the current study, we describe two GH43 family enzymes, denoted here as AxuA and AxuB, which are encoded by B. longum subsp. longum NCIMB 8809 and are shown to be required for cereal-derived arabinoxylan metabolism by this strain. Based on the observed hydrolytic activity of AxuA and AxuB, assessed by employing various synthetic and natural substrates, and based on in silico analyses, it is proposed that both AxuA and AxuB represent extracellular α-L-arabinofuranosidases with distinct substrate preferences. The variable presence of the axuA and axuB genes and other genes previously described to be involved in the metabolism of arabinose-containing glycans can in the majority cases explain the (in)ability of individual B. longum subsp. longum strains to grow on cereal-derived arabinoxylans and arabinan.


Bifidobacterium longum , Edible Grain , Glycoside Hydrolases , Xylans , Xylans/metabolism , Glycoside Hydrolases/metabolism , Glycoside Hydrolases/genetics , Edible Grain/microbiology , Edible Grain/metabolism , Bifidobacterium longum/enzymology , Bifidobacterium longum/metabolism , Bifidobacterium longum/genetics , Substrate Specificity , Bacterial Proteins/metabolism , Bacterial Proteins/genetics , Humans
9.
Arch Microbiol ; 206(6): 261, 2024 May 16.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38753095

The search for affordable enzymes with exceptional characteristics is fundamental to overcoming industrial and environmental constraints. In this study, a recombinant GH10 xylanase (Xyn10-HB) from the extremely alkaliphilic bacterium Halalkalibacterium halodurans C-125 cultivated at pH 10 was cloned and expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3). Removal of the signal peptide improved the expression, and an overall activity of 8 U/mL was obtained in the cell-free supernatant. The molecular weight of purified Xyn10-HB was estimated to be 42.6 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The enzyme was active across a wide pH range (5-10) with optimal activity recorded at pH 8.5 and 60 °C. It also presented good stability with a half-life of 3 h under these conditions. Substrate specificity studies showed that Xyn10-HB is a cellulase-free enzyme that conventionally hydrolyse birchwood and oat spelts xylans (Apparent Km of 0.46 mg/mL and 0.54 mg/mL, respectively). HPLC analysis showed that both xylans hydrolysis produced xylooligosaccharides (XOS) with a degree of polymerization (DP) ranging from 2 to 9. The conversion yield was 77% after 24 h with xylobiose and xylotriose as the main end-reaction products. When assayed on alkali-extracted wheat straw heteroxylan, the Xyn10-HB produced active XOS with antioxidant activity determined by the DPPH radical scavenging method (IC50 of 0.54 mg/mL after 4 h). Owing to its various characteristics, Xyn10-HB xylanase is a promising candidate for multiple biotechnological applications.


Endo-1,4-beta Xylanases , Recombinant Proteins , Xylans , Substrate Specificity , Hydrolysis , Xylans/metabolism , Endo-1,4-beta Xylanases/metabolism , Endo-1,4-beta Xylanases/genetics , Endo-1,4-beta Xylanases/chemistry , Recombinant Proteins/metabolism , Recombinant Proteins/genetics , Recombinant Proteins/chemistry , Recombinant Proteins/isolation & purification , Escherichia coli/genetics , Escherichia coli/metabolism , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Cloning, Molecular , Bacterial Proteins/genetics , Bacterial Proteins/metabolism , Bacterial Proteins/chemistry , Glucuronates/metabolism , Enzyme Stability , Kinetics , Molecular Weight , Oligosaccharides/metabolism , Disaccharides
10.
Sci Adv ; 10(19): eadj5185, 2024 May 10.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38728403

CK1 kinases participate in many signaling pathways, and their regulation is of meaningful biological consequence. CK1s autophosphorylate their C-terminal noncatalytic tails, and eliminating these tails increases substrate phosphorylation in vitro, suggesting that the autophosphorylated C-termini act as inhibitory pseudosubstrates. To test this prediction, we comprehensively identified the autophosphorylation sites on Schizosaccharomyces pombe Hhp1 and human CK1ε. Phosphoablating mutations increased Hhp1 and CK1ε activity toward substrates. Peptides corresponding to the C-termini interacted with the kinase domains only when phosphorylated, and substrates competitively inhibited binding of the autophosphorylated tails to the substrate binding grooves. Tail autophosphorylation influenced the catalytic efficiency with which CK1s targeted different substrates, and truncating the tail of CK1δ broadened its linear peptide substrate motif, indicating that tails contribute to substrate specificity as well. Considering autophosphorylation of both T220 in the catalytic domain and C-terminal sites, we propose a displacement specificity model to describe how autophosphorylation modulates substrate specificity for the CK1 family.


Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins , Schizosaccharomyces , Substrate Specificity , Phosphorylation , Schizosaccharomyces/metabolism , Schizosaccharomyces/genetics , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/metabolism , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/chemistry , Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/genetics , Humans , Catalytic Domain , Protein Binding , Peptides/metabolism , Peptides/chemistry , Mutation , Casein Kinase 1 epsilon/metabolism , Casein Kinase 1 epsilon/genetics , Amino Acid Sequence
11.
Plant Mol Biol ; 114(3): 60, 2024 May 17.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38758412

Pyruvate kinase (Pyk, EC 2.7.1.40) is a glycolytic enzyme that generates pyruvate and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) from phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and adenosine diphosphate (ADP), respectively. Pyk couples pyruvate and tricarboxylic acid metabolisms. Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 possesses two pyk genes (encoded pyk1, sll0587 and pyk2, sll1275). A previous study suggested that pyk2 and not pyk1 is essential for cell viability; however, its biochemical analysis is yet to be performed. Herein, we biochemically analyzed Synechocystis Pyk2 (hereafter, SyPyk2). The optimum pH and temperature of SyPyk2 were 7.0 and 55 °C, respectively, and the Km values for PEP and ADP under optimal conditions were 1.5 and 0.053 mM, respectively. SyPyk2 is activated in the presence of glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) and ribose-5-phosphate (R5P); however, it remains unaltered in the presence of adenosine monophosphate (AMP) or fructose-1,6-bisphosphate. These results indicate that SyPyk2 is classified as PykA type rather than PykF, stimulated by sugar monophosphates, such as G6P and R5P, but not by AMP. SyPyk2, considering substrate affinity and effectors, can play pivotal roles in sugar catabolism under nonphotosynthetic conditions.


Glucose-6-Phosphate , Phosphoenolpyruvate , Pyruvate Kinase , Ribosemonophosphates , Synechocystis , Synechocystis/metabolism , Synechocystis/genetics , Pyruvate Kinase/metabolism , Pyruvate Kinase/genetics , Phosphoenolpyruvate/metabolism , Glucose-6-Phosphate/metabolism , Ribosemonophosphates/metabolism , Substrate Specificity , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Bacterial Proteins/metabolism , Bacterial Proteins/genetics , Kinetics , Temperature
12.
Commun Biol ; 7(1): 566, 2024 May 14.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38745065

Quinolone synthase from Aegle marmelos (AmQNS) is a type III polyketide synthase that yields therapeutically effective quinolone and acridone compounds. Addressing the structural and molecular underpinnings of AmQNS and its substrate interaction in terms of its high selectivity and specificity can aid in the development of numerous novel compounds. This paper presents a high-resolution AmQNS crystal structure and explains its mechanistic role in synthetic selectivity. Additionally, we provide a model framework to comprehend structural constraints on ketide insertion and postulate that AmQNS's steric and electrostatic selectivity plays a role in its ability to bind to various core substrates, resulting in its synthetic diversity. AmQNS prefers quinolone synthesis and can accommodate large substrates because of its wide active site entrance. However, our research suggests that acridone is exclusively synthesized in the presence of high malonyl-CoA concentrations. Potential implications of functionally relevant residue mutations were also investigated, which will assist in harnessing the benefits of mutations for targeted polyketide production. The pharmaceutical industry stands to gain from these findings as they expand the pool of potential drug candidates, and these methodologies can also be applied to additional promising enzymes.


Quinolones , Substrate Specificity , Quinolones/chemistry , Quinolones/metabolism , Catalytic Domain , Models, Molecular , Polyketide Synthases/chemistry , Polyketide Synthases/metabolism , Polyketide Synthases/genetics , Crystallography, X-Ray , Protein Conformation
13.
Protein Sci ; 33(6): e5009, 2024 Jun.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38747379

PHPT1 is a histidine phosphatase that modulates signaling in eukaryotes through its catalytic activity. Here, we present an analysis of the structure and dynamics of PHPT1 through a combination of solution NMR, molecular dynamics, and biochemical experiments. We identify a salt bridge formed between the R78 guanidinium moiety and the C-terminal carboxyl group on Y125 that is critical for ligand binding. Disruption of the salt bridge by appending a glycine residue at the C-terminus (G126) leads to a decrease in catalytic activity and binding affinity for the pseudo substrate, para-nitrophenylphosphate (pNPP), as well as the active site inhibitor, phenylphosphonic acid (PPA). We show through NMR chemical shift, 15N relaxation measurements, and analysis of molecular dynamics trajectories, that removal of this salt bridge results in an active site that is altered both structurally and dynamically thereby significantly impacting enzymatic function and confirming the importance of this electrostatic interaction.


Catalytic Domain , Molecular Dynamics Simulation , Substrate Specificity , Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular , Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases/chemistry , Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases/metabolism , Humans
14.
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol ; 108(1): 335, 2024 May 15.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38747981

Glucuronoyl esterases (GEs) are serine-type hydrolase enzymes belonging to carbohydrate esterase family 15 (CE15), and they play a central role in the reduction of recalcitrance in plant cell walls by cleaving ester linkages between glucuronoxylan and lignin in lignocellulose. Recent studies have suggested that bacterial CE15 enzymes are more heterogeneous in terms of sequence, structure, and substrate preferences than their fungal counterparts. However, the sequence space of bacterial GEs has still not been fully explored, and further studies on diverse enzymes could provide novel insights into new catalysts of biotechnological interest. To expand our knowledge on this family of enzymes, we investigated three unique CE15 members encoded by Dyadobacter fermentans NS114T, a Gram-negative bacterium found endophytically in maize/corn (Zea mays). The enzymes are dissimilar, sharing ≤ 39% sequence identity to each other' and were considerably different in their activities towards synthetic substrates. Combined analysis of their primary sequences and structural predictions aided in establishing hypotheses regarding specificity determinants within CE15, and these were tested using enzyme variants attempting to shift the activity profiles. Together, the results expand our existing knowledge of CE15, shed light into the molecular determinants defining specificity, and support the recent thesis that diverse GEs encoded by a single microorganism may have evolved to fulfil different physiological functions. KEY POINTS: • D. fermentans encodes three CE15 enzymes with diverse sequences and specificities • The Region 2 inserts in bacterial GEs may directly influence enzyme activity • Rational amino acid substitutions improved the poor activity of the DfCE15A enzyme.


Zea mays , Substrate Specificity , Esterases/genetics , Esterases/metabolism , Esterases/chemistry , Lignin/metabolism , Bacterial Proteins/genetics , Bacterial Proteins/metabolism , Bacterial Proteins/chemistry , Phylogeny
15.
Sci Adv ; 10(20): eadn5143, 2024 May 17.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38748788

Marine heterotrophic prokaryotes primarily take up ambient substrates using transporters. The patterns of transporters targeting particular substrates shape the ecological role of heterotrophic prokaryotes in marine organic matter cycles. Here, we report a size-fractionated pattern in the expression of prokaryotic transporters throughout the oceanic water column due to taxonomic variations, revealed by a multi-"omics" approach targeting ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters and TonB-dependent transporters (TBDTs). Substrate specificity analyses showed that marine SAR11, Rhodobacterales, and Oceanospirillales use ABC transporters to take up organic nitrogenous compounds in the free-living fraction, while Alteromonadales, Bacteroidetes, and Sphingomonadales use TBDTs for carbon-rich organic matter and metal chelates on particles. The expression of transporter proteins also supports distinct lifestyles of deep-sea prokaryotes. Our results suggest that transporter divergency in organic matter assimilation reflects a pronounced niche separation in the prokaryote-mediated organic matter cycles.


Microbiota , Seawater/microbiology , Prokaryotic Cells/metabolism , ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters/metabolism , Substrate Specificity , Phylogeny , Bacteria/metabolism , Bacteria/classification , Aquatic Organisms/metabolism , Membrane Transport Proteins/metabolism , Carbon/metabolism
16.
Nat Commun ; 15(1): 4158, 2024 May 16.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38755143

Photosynthetic organisms, fungi, and animals comprise distinct pathways for vitamin C biosynthesis. Besides this diversity, the final biosynthetic step consistently involves an oxidation reaction carried out by the aldonolactone oxidoreductases. Here, we study the origin and evolution of the diversified activities and substrate preferences featured by these flavoenzymes using molecular phylogeny, kinetics, mutagenesis, and crystallographic experiments. We find clear evidence that they share a common ancestor. A flavin-interacting amino acid modulates the reactivity with the electron acceptors, including oxygen, and determines whether an enzyme functions as an oxidase or a dehydrogenase. We show that a few side chains in the catalytic cavity impart the reaction stereoselectivity. Ancestral sequence reconstruction outlines how these critical positions were affixed to specific amino acids along the evolution of the major eukaryotic clades. During Eukarya evolution, the aldonolactone oxidoreductases adapted to the varying metabolic demands while retaining their overarching vitamin C-generating function.


Ascorbic Acid , Evolution, Molecular , Phylogeny , Ascorbic Acid/biosynthesis , Ascorbic Acid/metabolism , Kinetics , Oxidoreductases/metabolism , Oxidoreductases/genetics , Oxidoreductases/chemistry , Crystallography, X-Ray , Oxidation-Reduction , Animals , Catalytic Domain , Substrate Specificity , Models, Molecular
17.
Protein Sci ; 33(6): e5028, 2024 Jun.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38757396

Prolyl-tRNA synthetase (ProRS), belonging to the family of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases responsible for pairing specific amino acids with their respective tRNAs, is categorized into two distinct types: the eukaryote/archaeon-like type (E-type) and the prokaryote-like type (P-type). Notably, these types are specific to their corresponding cognate tRNAs. In an intriguing paradox, Thermus thermophilus ProRS (TtProRS) aligns with the E-type ProRS but selectively charges the P-type tRNAPro, featuring the bacterium-specific acceptor-stem elements G72 and A73. This investigation reveals TtProRS's notable resilience to the inhibitor halofuginone, a synthetic derivative of febrifugine emulating Pro-A76, resembling the characteristics of the P-type ProRS. Furthermore, akin to the P-type ProRS, TtProRS identifies its cognate tRNA through recognition of the acceptor-stem elements G72/A73, along with the anticodon elements G35/G36. However, in contrast to the P-type ProRS, which relies on a strictly conserved R residue within the bacterium-like motif 2 loop for recognizing G72/A73, TtProRS achieves this through a non-conserved sequence, RTR, within the otherwise non-interacting eukaryote-like motif 2 loop. This investigation sheds light on the adaptive capacity of a typically conserved housekeeping enzyme to accommodate a novel substrate.


Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases , Thermus thermophilus , Thermus thermophilus/enzymology , Thermus thermophilus/genetics , Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases/metabolism , Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases/chemistry , Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases/genetics , Substrate Specificity , Evolution, Molecular , Bacterial Proteins/metabolism , Bacterial Proteins/chemistry , Bacterial Proteins/genetics , Quinazolinones/chemistry , Quinazolinones/metabolism , RNA, Transfer/metabolism , RNA, Transfer/chemistry , RNA, Transfer/genetics , Piperidines
18.
Biomolecules ; 14(5)2024 Apr 30.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38785941

Only a few halophilic archaea producing carboxylesterases have been reported. The limited research on biocatalytic characteristics of archaeal esterases is primarily due to their very low production in native organisms. A gene encoding carboxylesterase from Halobacterium salinarum NRC-1 was cloned and successfully expressed in Haloferax volcanii. The recombinant carboxylesterase (rHsEst) was purified by affinity chromatography with a yield of 81%, and its molecular weight was estimated by SDS-PAGE (33 kDa). The best kinetic parameters of rHsEst were achieved using p-nitrophenyl valerate as substrate (KM = 78 µM, kcat = 0.67 s-1). rHsEst exhibited great stability to most metal ions tested and some solvents (diethyl ether, n-hexane, n-heptane). Purified rHsEst was effectively immobilized using Celite 545. Esterase activities of rHsEst were confirmed by substrate specificity studies. The presence of a serine residue in rHsEst active site was revealed through inhibition with PMSF. The pH for optimal activity of free rHsEst was 8, while for immobilized rHsEst, maximal activity was at a pH range between 8 to 10. Immobilization of rHsEst increased its thermostability, halophilicity and protection against inhibitors such as EDTA, BME and PMSF. Remarkably, immobilized rHsEst was stable and active in NaCl concentrations as high as 5M. These biochemical characteristics of immobilized rHsEst reveal its potential as a biocatalyst for industrial applications.


Carboxylesterase , Cloning, Molecular , Halobacterium salinarum , Recombinant Proteins , Carboxylesterase/genetics , Carboxylesterase/metabolism , Carboxylesterase/chemistry , Recombinant Proteins/chemistry , Recombinant Proteins/genetics , Recombinant Proteins/metabolism , Substrate Specificity , Halobacterium salinarum/enzymology , Halobacterium salinarum/genetics , Enzymes, Immobilized/metabolism , Enzymes, Immobilized/chemistry , Enzymes, Immobilized/genetics , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Kinetics , Enzyme Stability , Archaeal Proteins/genetics , Archaeal Proteins/chemistry , Archaeal Proteins/metabolism , Temperature
19.
Mar Drugs ; 22(5)2024 May 18.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38786621

Alginate oligosaccharides (AOS), products of alginate degradation by endotype alginate lyases, possess favorable biological activities and have broad applications. Although many have been reported, alginate lyases with homogeneous AOS products and secretory production by an engineered host are scarce. Herein, the alginate lyase AlyC7 from Vibrio sp. C42 was characterized as a trisaccharide-producing lyase exhibiting high activity and broad substrate specificity. With PelB as the signal peptide and 500 mM glycine as the additive, the extracellular production of AlyC7 in Escherichia coli reached 1122.8 U/mL after 27 h cultivation in Luria-Bertani medium. The yield of trisaccharides from sodium alginate degradation by the produced AlyC7 reached 758.6 mg/g, with a purity of 85.1%. The prepared AOS at 20 µg/mL increased the root length of lettuce, tomato, wheat, and maize by 27.5%, 25.7%, 9.7%, and 11.1%, respectively. This study establishes a robust foundation for the industrial and agricultural applications of AlyC7.


Escherichia coli , Polysaccharide-Lyases , Trisaccharides , Vibrio , Polysaccharide-Lyases/metabolism , Trisaccharides/biosynthesis , Vibrio/enzymology , Substrate Specificity , Alginates , Zea mays , Oligosaccharides
20.
Carbohydr Polym ; 337: 122141, 2024 Aug 01.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38710568

Production of value-added compounds and sustainable materials from agro-industrial residues is essential for better waste management and building of circular economy. This includes valorization of hemicellulosic fraction of plant biomass, the second most abundant biopolymer from plant cell walls, aiming to produce prebiotic oligosaccharides, widely explored in food and feed industries. In this work, we conducted biochemical and biophysical characterization of a prokaryotic two-domain R. champanellensis xylanase from glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 30 (RcXyn30A), and evaluated its applicability for XOS production from glucuronoxylan in combination with two endo-xylanases from GH10 and GH11 families and a GH11 xylobiohydrolase. RcXyn30A liberates mainly long monoglucuronylated xylooligosaccharides and is inefficient in cleaving unbranched oligosaccharides. Crystallographic structure of RcXyn30A catalytic domain was solved and refined to 1.37 Å resolution. Structural analysis of the catalytic domain releveled that its high affinity for glucuronic acid substituted xylan is due to the coordination of the substrate decoration by several hydrogen bonds and ionic interactions in the subsite -2. Furthermore, the protein has a larger ß5-α5 loop as compared to other GH30 xylanases, which might be crucial for creating an additional aglycone subsite (+3) of the catalytic site. Finally, RcXyn30A activity is synergic to that of GH11 xylobiohydrolase.


Endo-1,4-beta Xylanases , Gastrointestinal Microbiome , Glucuronates , Oligosaccharides , Xylosidases , Glucuronates/metabolism , Glucuronates/chemistry , Oligosaccharides/chemistry , Oligosaccharides/metabolism , Endo-1,4-beta Xylanases/metabolism , Endo-1,4-beta Xylanases/chemistry , Xylosidases/metabolism , Xylosidases/chemistry , Humans , Crystallography, X-Ray , Xylans/chemistry , Xylans/metabolism , Catalytic Domain , Models, Molecular , Substrate Specificity
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