Peptide recognition by a synthetic receptor at subnanomolar concentrations.

This paper describes the discovery and characterization of a dipeptide sequence, Lys-Phe, that binds to the synthetic receptor cucurbit[8]uril (Q8) in neutral aqueous solution with subnanomolar affinity when located at the N-terminus. The thermodynamic and structural basis for the binding of Q8 to a series of four pentapeptides was characterized by isothermal titration calorimetry, NMR spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography. Submicromolar binding affinity was observed for the peptides Phe-Lys-Gly-Gly-Tyr (FKGGY, 0.3 µM) and Tyr-Leu-Gly-Gly-Gly (YLGGG, 0.2 µM), whereas the corresponding sequence isomers Lys-Phe-Gly-Gly-Tyr (KFGGY, 0.3 nM) and Leu-Tyr-Gly-Gly-Gly (LYGGG, 1.2 nM) bound to Q8 with 1000-fold and 170-fold increases in affinity, respectively. To our knowledge, these are the highest affinities reported between a synthetic receptor and an unmodified peptide. The high-resolution crystal structures of the Q8·Tyr-Leu-Gly-Gly-Gly and Q8·Leu-Tyr-Gly-Gly-Gly complexes have enabled a detailed analysis of the structural determinants for molecular recognition. The high affinity, sequence-selectivity, minimal size of the target binding site, reversibility in the presence of a competitive guest, compatibility with aqueous media, and low toxicity of Q8 should aid in the development of applications involving low concentrations of target polypeptides.

Evidence for the Chemical Mechanism of RibB (3,4-Dihydroxy-2-butanone 4-phosphate Synthase) of Riboflavin Biosynthesis.

RibB (3,4-dihydroxy-2-butanone 4-phosphate synthase) is a magnesium-dependent enzyme that excises the C4 of d-ribulose-5-phosphate (d-Ru5P) as formate. RibB generates the four-carbon substrate for lumazine synthase that is incorporated into the xylene moiety of lumazine and ultimately the riboflavin isoalloxazine. The reaction was first identified by Bacher and co-workers in the 1990s, and their chemical mechanism hypothesis became canonical despite minimal direct evidence. X-ray crystal structures of RibB typically show two metal ions when solved in the presence of non-native metals and/or liganding non-substrate analogues, and the consensus hypothetical mechanism has incorporated this cofactor set. We have used a variety of biochemical approaches to further characterize the chemistry catalyzed by RibB from Vibrio cholera (VcRibB). We show that full activity is achieved at metal ion concentrations equal to the enzyme concentration. This was confirmed by electron paramagnetic resonance of the enzyme reconstituted with manganese and crystal structures liganded with Mn2+ and a variety of sugar phosphates. Two transient species prior to the formation of products were identified using acid quench of single turnover reactions in combination with NMR for singly and fully 13C-labeled d-Ru5P. These data indicate that dehydration of C1 forms the first transient species, which undergoes rearrangement by a 1,2 migration, fusing C5 to C3 and generating a hydrated C4 that is poised for elimination as formate. Structures determined from time-dependent Mn2+ soaks of VcRibB-d-Ru5P crystals show accumulation in crystallo of the same intermediates. Collectively, these data reveal for the first time crucial transient chemical states in the mechanism of RibB.

Ectopic Defense Gene Expression Is Associated with Growth Defects in Medicago truncatula Lignin Pathway Mutants.

Lignin provides essential mechanical support for plant cell walls but decreases the digestibility of forage crops and increases the recalcitrance of biofuel crops. Attempts to modify lignin content and/or composition by genetic modification often result in negative growth effects. Although several studies have attempted to address the basis for such effects in individual transgenic lines, no common mechanism linking lignin modification with perturbations in plant growth and development has yet been identified. To address whether a common mechanism exists, we have analyzed transposon insertion mutants resulting in independent loss of function of five enzymes of the monolignol pathway, as well as one double mutant, in the model legume Medicago truncatula These plants exhibit growth phenotypes from essentially wild type to severely retarded. Extensive phenotypic, transcriptomic, and metabolomics analyses, including structural characterization of differentially expressed compounds, revealed diverse phenotypic consequences of lignin pathway perturbation that were perceived early in plant development but were not predicted by lignin content or composition alone. Notable phenotypes among the mutants with severe growth impairment were increased trichome numbers, accumulation of a variety of triterpene saponins, and extensive but differential ectopic expression of defense response genes. No currently proposed model explains the observed phenotypes across all lines. We propose that reallocation of resources into defense pathways is linked to the severity of the final growth phenotype in monolignol pathway mutants of M. truncatula, although it remains unclear whether this is a cause or an effect of the growth impairment.

Biocatalytic Carbon-Hydrogen and Carbon-Fluorine Bond Cleavage through Hydroxylation Promoted by a Histidyl-Ligated Heme Enzyme.

LmbB2 is a peroxygenase-like enzyme that hydroxylates L-tyrosine to L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. However, its heme cofactor is ligated by a proximal histidine, not cysteine. We show that LmbB2 can oxidize L-tyrosine analogs with ring-deactivated substituents such as 3-nitro-, fluoro-, chloro-, iodo-L-tyrosine. We also found that the 4-hydroxyl group of the substrate is essential for reacting with the heme-based oxidant and activating the aromatic C-H bond. The most interesting observation of this study was obtained with 3-fluoro-L-tyrosine as a substrate and mechanistic probe. The LmbB2-mediated catalytic reaction yielded two hydroxylated products with comparable populations, i.e., oxidative C-H bond cleavage at C5 to generate 3-fluoro-5-hydroxyl-L-tyrosine and oxygenation at C3 concomitant with a carbon-fluorine bond cleavage to yield DOPA and fluoride. An iron protein-mediated hydroxylation on both C-H and C-F bonds with multiple turnovers is unprecedented. Thus, this finding reveals a significant potential of biocatalysis in C-H/C-X bond (X = halogen) cleavage. Further 18O-labeling results suggest that the source of oxygen for hydroxylation is a peroxide, and that a commonly expected oxidation by a high-valent iron intermediate followed by hydrolysis is not supported for the C-F bond cleavage. Instead, the C-F bond cleavage is proposed to be initiated by a nucleophilic aromatic substitution mediated by the iron-hydroperoxo species. Based on the experimental results, two mechanisms are proposed to explain how LmbB2 hydroxylates the substrate and cleaves C-H/C-F bond. This study broadens the understanding of heme enzyme catalysis and sheds light on enzymatic applications in medicinal and environmental fields.

Metabolomics of Two Pecan Varieties Provides Insights into Scab Resistance.

UHPLC-MS-based non-targeted metabolomics was used to investigate the biochemical basis of pecan scab resistance. Two contrasting pecan varieties, Kanza (scab-resistant) and Pawnee (scab-susceptible), were profiled and the metabolomics data analyzed using multivariate statistics. Significant qualitative and quantitative metabolic differences were observed between the two varieties. Both varieties were found to have some unique metabolites. Metabolites that were only present or more abundant in Kanza relative to Pawnee could potentially contribute to the scab resistance in Kanza. Some of these metabolites were putatively identified as quercetin derivatives using tandem mass spectrometry. This suggests that quercetin derivatives could be important to pecan scab resistance.

Cleavage of a carbon-fluorine bond by an engineered cysteine dioxygenase.

Cysteine dioxygenase (CDO) plays an essential role in sulfur metabolism by regulating homeostatic levels of cysteine. Human CDO contains a post-translationally generated Cys93-Tyr157 cross-linked cofactor. Here, we investigated this Cys-Tyr cross-linking by incorporating unnatural tyrosines in place of Tyr157 via a genetic method. The catalytically active variants were obtained with a thioether bond between Cys93 and the halogen-substituted Tyr157, and we determined the crystal structures of both wild-type and engineered CDO variants in the purely uncross-linked form and with a mature cofactor. Along with mass spectrometry and 19F NMR, these data indicated that the enzyme could catalyze oxidative C-F or C-Cl bond cleavage, resulting in a substantial conformational change of both Cys93 and Tyr157 during cofactor assembly. These findings provide insights into the mechanism of Cys-Tyr cofactor biogenesis and may aid the development of bioinspired aromatic carbon-halogen bond activation.

Pathway-specific metabolome analysis with 18O2-labeled Medicago truncatula via a mass spectrometry-based approach.

INTRODUCTION: Oxygen from carbon dioxide, water or molecular oxygen, depending on the responsible enzyme, can lead to a large variety of metabolites through chemical modification. OBJECTIVES: Pathway-specific labeling using isotopic molecular oxygen (18O2) makes it possible to determine the origin of oxygen atoms in metabolites and the presence of biosynthetic enzymes (e.g., oxygenases). In this study, we established the basis of 18O2-metabolome analysis. METHODS: 18O2 labeled whole Medicago truncatula seedlings were prepared using 18O2-air and an economical sealed-glass bottle system. Metabolites were analyzed using high-accuracy and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Identification of the metabolite was confirmed by NMR following UHPLC-solid-phase extraction (SPE). RESULTS: A total of 511 peaks labeled by 18O2 from shoot and 343 peaks from root were annotated by untargeted metabolome analysis. Additionally, we identified a new flavonoid, apigenin 4'-O-[2'-O-coumaroyl-glucuronopyranosyl-(1-2)-O-glucuronopyranoside], that was labeled by 18O2. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of apigenin 4'-glucuronide in M. truncatula. Using MSn analysis, we estimated that 18O atoms were specifically incorporated in apigenin, the coumaroyl group, and glucuronic acid. For apigenin, an 18O atom was incorporated in the 4'-hydroxy group. Thus, non-specific incorporation of an 18O atom by recycling during one month of labeling is unlikely compared with the more specific oxygenase-catalyzing reaction. CONCLUSION: Our finding indicated that 18O2 labeling was effective not only for the mining of unknown metabolites which were biosynthesized by oxygenase-related pathway but also for the identification of metabolites whose oxygen atoms were derived from oxygenase activity.

Cofactor Biogenesis in Cysteamine Dioxygenase: C-F Bond Cleavage with Genetically Incorporated Unnatural Tyrosine.

Cysteamine dioxygenase (ADO) is a thiol dioxygenase whose study has been stagnated by the ambiguity as to whether or not it possesses an anticipated protein-derived cofactor. Reported herein is the discovery and elucidation of a Cys-Tyr cofactor in human ADO, crosslinked between Cys220 and Tyr222 through a thioether (C-S) bond. By genetically incorporating an unnatural amino acid, 3,5-difluoro-tyrosine (F2 -Tyr), specifically into Tyr222 of human ADO, an autocatalytic oxidative carbon-fluorine bond activation and fluoride release were identified by mass spectrometry and 19 F NMR spectroscopy. These results suggest that the cofactor biogenesis is executed by a powerful oxidant during an autocatalytic process. Unlike that of cysteine dioxygenase, the crosslinking results in a minimal structural change of the protein and it is not detectable by routine low-resolution techniques. Finally, a new sequence motif, C-X-Y-Y(F), is proposed for identifying the Cys-Tyr crosslink.

Chemical synthesis of 7α-hydroxypregnenolone, a neuroactive steroid that stimulates locomotor activity.

7α-Hydroxypregnenolone is an endogenous neuroactive steroid that stimulates locomotor activity. A synthesis of 7α-hydroxypregnenolone from pregnenolone, which takes advantage of an orthogonal protecting group strategy, is described. In detail, the C7-position was oxidized with CrO3 and 3,5-dimethylpyrazole to yield a 7-keto steroid intermediate. The resulting 7-ketone was stereoselectively reduced to the 7α-hydroxy group with lithium tri-sec-butylborohydride. In contrast, reduction of the same 7-ketone intermediate with NaBH4 resulted in primarily the 7ß-hydroxy epimer. Furthermore, in an alternative route to the target compound, the 7α-hydroxy group was successfully incorporated by direct C-H allylic benzoyloxylation of pregnenolone-3-acetate with CuBr and tert-butyl peroxybenzoate followed by saponification. The disclosed syntheses to 7-oxygenated steroids are amenable to potentially obtain other biologically active sterols and steroids.

Highly selective acylation of polyamines and aminoglycosides by 5-acyl-5-phenyl-1,5-dihydro-4H-pyrazol-4-ones.

5-Acyl-5-phenyl-1,5-dihydro-4H-pyrazol-4-ones, accessible from arylpropargyl phenyldiazoacetates, are highly selective acyl transfer reagents for di- and polyamines, as well as aminoalcohols and aminothiols. As reagents with a carbon-based leaving group, they have been applied for benzoyl transfer with a broad selection of substrates containing aliphatic amino in combination with other competing nucleophilic functional groups. The substrate scope and levels of selectivity for direct benzoyl transfer exceed those of known benzoylating reagents. With exceptional selectivity for acylation between primary amines bound to primary and secondary carbons, these new reagents have been used in direct site-selective monobenzoylation of aminoglycoside antibiotics.

Medicago truncatula Oleanolic-Derived Saponins Are Correlated with Caterpillar Deterrence.

Plant resistance mechanisms to insect herbivory can potentially be bred into crops as an important strategy for integrated pest management. Medicago truncatula ecotypes inoculated with the rhizobium Ensifer medicae (Sinorhizobium medica) WSM419 were screened for resistance to herbivory by caterpillars of the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua, through leaf and whole plant choice studies; TN1.11 and F83005.5 are identified as the least and most deterrent ecotypes, respectively. In response to caterpillar herbivory, both ecotypes mount a robust burst of plant defensive jasmonate phytohormones. Restriction of caterpillars to either of these ecotypes does not adversely affect pest performance. This argues for an antixenosis (deterrence) resistance mechanism associated with the F83005.5 ecotype. Unbiased metabolomic profiling identified strong ecotype-specific differences in metabolite profile, particularly in the content of oleanolic-derived saponins that may act as antifeedants. Compared to the more susceptible ecotype, F83005.5 has higher levels of oleanolic-type zanhic acid- and medicagenic acid-derived compounds. Together, these data support saponin-mediated deterrence as a resistance mechanism of the F83005.5 ecotype and implicates these compounds as potential antifeedants that could be used in agricultural sustainable pest management strategies.

PlantMAT: A Metabolomics Tool for Predicting the Specialized Metabolic Potential of a System and for Large-Scale Metabolite Identifications.

Custom software entitled Plant Metabolite Annotation Toolbox (PlantMAT) has been developed to address the number one grand challenge in metabolomics, which is the large-scale and confident identification of metabolites. PlantMAT uses informed phytochemical knowledge for the prediction of plant natural products such as saponins and glycosylated flavonoids through combinatorial enumeration of aglycone, glycosyl, and acyl subunits. Many of the predicted structures have yet to be characterized and are absent from traditional chemical databases, but have a higher probability of being present in planta. PlantMAT allows users to operate an automated and streamlined workflow for metabolite annotation from a user-friendly interface within Microsoft Excel, a familiar, easily accessed program for chemists and biologists. The usefulness of PlantMAT is exemplified using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS) metabolite profiling data of saponins and glycosylated flavonoids from the model legume Medicago truncatula. The results demonstrate PlantMAT substantially increases the chemical/metabolic space of traditional chemical databases. Ten of the PlantMAT-predicted identifications were validated and confirmed through the isolation of the compounds using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-solid-phase extraction (UHPLC-MS-SPE) followed by de novo structural elucidation using 1D/2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). It is further demonstrated that PlantMAT enables the dereplication of previously identified metabolites and is also a powerful tool for the discovery of structurally novel metabolites.

Malonylation of Glucosylated N-Lauroylethanolamine: A NEW PATHWAY THAT DETERMINES N-ACYLETHANOLAMINE METABOLIC FATE IN PLANTS.

N-Acylethanolamines (NAEs) are bioactive fatty acid derivatives present in trace amounts in many eukaryotes. Although NAEs have signaling and physiological roles in animals, little is known about their metabolic fate in plants. Our previous microarray analyses showed that inhibition of Arabidopsis thaliana seedling growth by exogenous N-lauroylethanolamine (NAE 12:0) was accompanied by the differential expression of multiple genes encoding small molecule-modifying enzymes. We focused on the gene At5g39050, which encodes a phenolic glucoside malonyltransferase 1 (PMAT1), to better understand the biological significance of NAE 12:0-induced gene expression changes. PMAT1 expression was induced 3-5-fold by exogenous NAE 12:0. PMAT1 knockouts (pmat1) had reduced sensitivity to the growth-inhibitory effects of NAE 12:0 compared with wild type leading to the hypothesis that PMAT1 might be a previously uncharacterized regulator of NAE metabolism in plants. To test this hypothesis, metabolic profiling of wild-type and pmat1 seedlings treated with NAE 12:0 was conducted. Wild-type seedlings treated with NAE 12:0 accumulated glucosylated and malonylated forms of this NAE species, and structures were confirmed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. By contrast, only the peak corresponding to NAE 12:0-glucoside was detected in pmat1 Recombinant PMAT1 catalyzed the reaction converting NAE 12:0-glucoside to NAE 12:0-mono- or -dimalonylglucosides providing direct evidence that this enzyme is involved in NAE 12:0-glucose malonylation. Taken together, our results indicate that glucosylation of NAE 12:0 by a yet to be determined glucosyltransferase and its subsequent malonylation by PMAT1 could represent a mechanism for modulating the biological activities of NAEs in plants.

A rapid injection NMR study of the reaction of organolithium reagents with esters, amides, and ketones.

Unexpectedly high rates of reaction between alkyllithium reagents and amides, compared to esters and ketones, were observed by Rapid Inject NMR and competition experiments. Spectroscopic investigations with 4-fluorophenyllithium (ArLi, mixture of monomer and dimer in THF) and a benzoate ester identified two reactive intermediates, a homodimer of the tetrahedral intermediate, stable below -100 °C, and a mixed dimer with ArLi. Direct formation of dimers suggested that the ArLi dimer may be the reactive aggregate rather than the usually more reactive monomer. In contrast, RINMR experiments with ketones demonstrated that the ArLi monomer was the reactive species.

Mechanistic studies of the lithium enolate of 4-fluoroacetophenone: rapid-injection NMR study of enolate formation, dynamics, and aldol reactivity.

Lithium enolates are widely used nucleophiles with a complicated and only partially understood solution chemistry. Deprotonation of 4-fluoroacetophenone in THF with lithium diisopropylamide occurs through direct reaction of the amide dimer to yield a mixed enolate-amide dimer (3), then an enolate homodimer (1-Li)(2), and finally an enolate tetramer (1-Li)(4), the equilibrium structure. Aldol reactions of both the metastable dimer and the stable tetramer of the enolate were investigated. Each reacted directly with the aldehyde to give a mixed enolate-aldolate aggregate, with the dimer only about 20 times as reactive as the tetramer at -120 °C.

Solid-phase synthesis of alkanethiols for the preparation of self-assembled monolayers.

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiols (ATs) on gold can be used to fabricate surfaces for nanoscience and biology. The chemical structure of the interface can be tailored simply by modifying the AT headgroup. To streamline access to different precursor ATs, we developed a general solid-phase synthetic route. A key feature of this route is the use of a modified resin containing an AT linker ("AT resin") because it minimizes purification steps. The precursor to the AT resin was prepared in five steps, and all of the synthetic intermediates are stable solids that can be purified by crystallization. Accordingly, the AT resin can be prepared on a multigram scale. The utility of the AT resin was evaluated by using it to generate a variety of ATs. For example, ATs presenting different types of integrin-binding ligands (linear and cyclic RGD derivatives) were prepared and used to form arrays of SAMs that support cell adhesion. Additionally, the AT resin also provides a starting point for the synthesis of ATs presenting reactive groups (e.g., an amine-reactive AT or a maleimide-containing alkanedisulfide) or protein immobilization tags (e.g., biotin-AT). Thus, our synthetic strategy provides a convenient and flexible means for the synthesis of the necessary building blocks for custom SAMs and SAM arrays.