Improvement thermostability of Pseudoalteromonas carrageenovora arylsulfatase by rational design.

This study aimed to improve the thermostability of arylsulfatase from Pseudoalteromonas carrageenovora. A total of 10 single-site mutants were chosen using the PoPMuSiC program, and two mutants of K253N and P314T showed enhanced thermal stability. By saturation mutagenesis and thermostability analysis, K253H and P314T were the best mutants at the two sites. Combinational mutations of K253H, P314T and H260L were subsequently introduced, and the best mutant of K253H/H260L was selected. Thermal inactivation analysis showed the half-life (t1/2) value at 55°C for K253H/H260L was 7.7-fold that of the wild-type enzyme (WT), meanwhile this mutant maintained the specific enzyme activity. Structure modeling demonstrated that the additional hydrogen bonds, optimization of surface charge-charge interactions, and increasing of hydrophobic interaction could account for the improved thermostability imparted by K253H/H260L.

Facile Alkaline Lysis of Escherichia coli Cells in High-Throughput Mode for Screening Enzyme Mutants: Arylsulfatase as an Example.

Facile alkaline lysis of Escherichia coli cells in high-throughput (HTP) mode for screening enzyme mutants was tested with Pseudomonas aeruginosa arylsulfatase (PAAS). The alkaline lysis buffer was 1.0 M Tris-HCl at pH 9.0 plus 0.1 % Tween-20 and 2.0 mM 4-aminobenzamidine, mixed with cell suspension at 8:1 to 12:1 ratio for continuous agitation of mixtures in 96-well plates under room temperature; enzymatic activity in lysates was measured with 96-well microplate. PAAS activity tolerated final 0.1 % Tween-20. Individual clones were amplified for 12 h in 0.50 mL TB medium with 48-well plates to enhance the repeatability of induced expression. During continuous agitation of the mixture of cells and the lysis buffer, PAAS activities in lysates were steady from 3 to 9 h and comparable to sonication treatment but better than freezing-thawing. Coefficients of variation of activities of PAAS/mutants in lysates after treatment for 7 h reached ∼22 %. The mutant M72Q had specific activity 2-fold of G138S. By HTP lysis of cells, M72Q was recognized as a positive mutant over G138S with the area under the curve of 0.873. Therefore, for enzymes tolerating concentrated alkaline buffers, the proposed alkaline lysis approach may be generally applicable for HTP lysis of host cells during directed evolution.

Homologous expression and biochemical characterization of the arylsulfatase from Kluyveromyces lactis and its relevance in milk processing.

The industrial manufacturing process of lactose-free milk products depends on the application of commercial ß-galactosidase (lactase) preparations. These preparations are often obtained from Kluyveromyces lactis. There is a gene present in the genome of K. lactis which should encode for an enzyme called arylsulfatase (EC 3.1.6.1). Therefore, this enzyme could also be present in ß-galactosidase preparations. The arylsulfatase is suspected of being responsible for an unpleasant "cowshed-like" off-flavor resulting from the release of p-cresol from milk endogenous alkylphenol sulfuric esters. So far, no gene/functionality relationship is described. In addition, no study is available which has shown that arylsulfatase from K. lactis is truly responsible for the flavor generation. In this study, we cloned the putative arylsulfatase gene from K. lactis GG799 into the commercially available vector pKLAC2. The cloning strategy chosen resulted in a homologous, secretory expression of the arylsulfatase. We showed that the heretofore putative arylsulfatase has the desired activity with the synthetic substrate p-nitrophenyl sulfate and with the natural substrate p-cresol sulfate. The enzyme was biochemically characterized and showed an optimum temperature of 45-50 °C and an optimum pH of 9-10. Additionally, the arylsulfatase was activated by Ca(2+) ions and was inactivated by Zn(2+) ions. Moreover, the arylsulfatase was inhibited by p-cresol and sulfate ions. Finally, the enzyme was added to ultra-heat treated (UHT) milk and a sensory triangle test verified that the arylsulfatase from K. lactis can cause an unpleasant "cowshed-like" off-flavor.

Characterization of a novel alkaline arylsulfatase from Marinomonas sp. FW-1 and its application in the desulfation of red seaweed agar.

A bacterial strain capable of hydrolyzing sulfate ester bonds of p-nitrophenyl sulfate (pNPS) and agar was isolated from the coast area of Qingdao, China. It was identified as Marinomonas based on its 16S rRNA gene sequence and named as Marinomonas sp. FW-1. An arylsulfatase with a recovery of 13 % and a fold of 12 was purified to a homogeneity using ion exchange and gel filtration chromatographies. The enzyme was composed of a single polypeptide chain with the molecular mass of 33 kDa estimated using SDS-PAGE. The optimal pH and temperature of arylsulfatase were pH 9.0 and 45, respectively. Arylsulfatase was stable over pH 8-11 and at temperature below 55 °C. The K m and V max of this enzyme for the hydrolysis of pNPS were determined to be 13.73 and 270.27 µM/min, respectively. The desulfation ratio against agar from red seaweed Gelidium amansii and Gracilaria lemaneiformis were 86.11 and 89.61 %, respectively. There was no difference between the DNA electrophoresis spectrum on the gel of the arylsulfatase-treated G. amansii agar and that of the commercial agarose. Therefore, this novel alkaline arylsulfatase might have a great potential for application in enzymatic conversion of agar to agarose.

Contamination of deconjugation enzymes derived from Helix pomatia with the plant bioactive compounds 3,3'-diindolylmethane, 5-methoxypsoralen, and 8-methoxypsoralen.

Bioactive compounds from plant foods are intensely investigated for effects on disease prevention. ß-Glucuronidase/arylsulfatase from Helix pomatia (snail) is commonly used when quantifying exposure to metabolized dietary components. However, we describe here the contamination of multiple formulations of this enzyme preparation with 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM), 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP), and 5-methoxypsoralen (5-MOP), bioactives from cruciferous and apiaceous vegetables under investigation as putative cancer chemopreventive agents. We identified an Escherichia coli preparation of ß-glucuronidase as free from contamination with any of the compounds tested. These results demonstrate the importance of selecting appropriate enzyme preparations when quantifying naturally occurring, trace level compounds in biological fluids.

Arylsulfatase K, a novel lysosomal sulfatase.

The human sulfatase family has 17 members, 13 of which have been characterized biochemically. These enzymes specifically hydrolyze sulfate esters in glycosaminoglycans, sulfolipids, or steroid sulfates, thereby playing key roles in cellular degradation, cell signaling, and hormone regulation. The loss of sulfatase activity has been linked to severe pathophysiological conditions such as lysosomal storage disorders, developmental abnormalities, or cancer. A novel member of this family, arylsulfatase K (ARSK), was identified bioinformatically through its conserved sulfatase signature sequence directing posttranslational generation of the catalytic formylglycine residue in sulfatases. However, overall sequence identity of ARSK with other human sulfatases is low (18-22%). Here we demonstrate that ARSK indeed shows desulfation activity toward arylsulfate pseudosubstrates. When expressed in human cells, ARSK was detected as a 68-kDa glycoprotein carrying at least four N-glycans of both the complex and high-mannose type. Purified ARSK turned over p-nitrocatechol and p-nitrophenyl sulfate. This activity was dependent on cysteine 80, which was verified to undergo conversion to formylglycine. Kinetic parameters were similar to those of several lysosomal sulfatases involved in degradation of sulfated glycosaminoglycans. An acidic pH optimum (~4.6) and colocalization with LAMP1 verified lysosomal functioning of ARSK. Further, it carries mannose 6-phosphate, indicating lysosomal sorting via mannose 6-phosphate receptors. ARSK mRNA expression was found in all tissues tested, suggesting a ubiquitous physiological substrate and a so far non-classified lysosomal storage disorder in the case of ARSK deficiency, as shown before for all other lysosomal sulfatases.

Cholesterol sulphate sulphohydrolase of human placenta lysosomal membrane.

In this paper we report that the activity of cholesterol sulphate sulphohydrolase (CHS-ase) is associated with the lysosomal membranes. The procedure of purification of CHS-ase from human placenta lysosomes was elaborated. The purified enzyme is highly specific to cholesterol sulphate (specific activity 2126.60+/-940.90 nmol min(-1) mg protein(-1)) and acts optimally at pH 3.4. The K(M) value for the hydrolysis of cholesterol sulphate is 3.6+/-0.95 x 10(-5)mol/l. The isoelectric point (pI) has the value 5.7, molecular weight estimated by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis is 38 kDa. The described enzyme may be involved in a regulation of cholesterol and cholesterol sulphate levels in the lysosomal membrane.

Purification and characterization of the recombinant arylsulfatase cloned from Pseudoalteromonas carrageenovora.

Arylsulfatase cloned from a marine aerobic Gram-negative bacterium, Pseudoalteromonas carrageenovora, was overexpressed in Escherichia coli with 10 microM IPTG induction. The expressed recombinant arylsulfatase was purified to homogeneity from the harvested cells through osmotic disruption and column chromatography methods, such as DEAE-cellulose anion exchange chromatography and Heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography. The purified arylsulfatase was kinetically characterized using the synthetic substrate of phenolic ester, p-nitrophenyl sulfate (pNPS). One unit of arylsulfatase catalyzes the liberation of 1.0 micromol p-nitrophenol from pNPS per minute. The purified enzyme has a specific activity of 468 U/mg with a purification yield of 27% from the cell lysate, and exhibited an estimated molecular mass of 33 kDa in SDS-PAGE analysis. The precursor polypeptide of 36 kDa was processed by releasing a putative signal peptide, and the mature arylsulfatase of 33.1 kDa with a N-terminal sequence of S-E-T-K-N was trafficked to periplasmic space. The enzyme had optimum reaction conditions for activity at pH 7.0 and at a temperature range of 40-45 degrees C. The apparent K(M) and k(cat) of the enzyme for hydrolysis of pNPS at pH 7.0 and at 45 degrees C were determined to be 1.15 mM and 1000 s-1, respectively. Based on inhibitor studies along with optimal pH values and preferential periplasmic location of the enzyme, we suggest that the recombinant arylsulfatase from P. carrageenovora is probably similar to the Klebsiella sulfatase with serine residue in the active site.

Purification and characterization of arylsulfatase from Sphingomonas sp. AS6330.

Arylsulfatase was purified from Sphingomonas sp. AS6330 through ionic exchange, hydrophobic- and gel-chromatographies. The purity increased 12,800-fold with approximately 19.1% yield against cell homogenate. The enzyme was a monomeric protein with apparent molecular weight of 62 kDa as determined by sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and 41 kDa as determined by gel filtration. The enzyme had optimum reaction conditions for hydrolysis of sulfate ester bonds in agar and p-nitrophenyl sulfate (NPS) at pH 7.0 and 45 degrees C, with a specific activity of 3.93 and 97.2 U, respectively. The enzyme showed higher activity towards agar than other sulfated marine polysaccharides such as porphyran, fucoidan and carrageenan. The K(m) and V(max) of the enzyme for hydrolysis of NPS were 54.9 microM and 113 mM/min, respectively. With reaction of 200 g agar with 100 U arylsulfatase for 8 h at 45 degrees C, gel strength increased 2.44-fold, and 97.7% of the sulfate in the agar was hydrolyzed.

Aryl sulfatase from Naja nigricolis venom: characterization and possible contribution in the pathology of snake poisoning.

The venom of Naja nigricolis was found to contain a high level of the enzyme aryl sulfatase. The enzyme was isolated from the venom of N. nigriclois and purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by gel chromatography on Sephadex G-100, DEAE-cellulose, and phenyl-sepharose columns. The enzyme was optimally active at pH 5 and 40 degrees C. Arrhenius plot for the determination of the activation energy (E(a)) gave the value 25 kJ/mol with a half-life (t(1/2)) of 5 min at 50 degrees C. It was highly activated by Fe(2+) and Ca(2+) and inhibited by Co(2+) and Mn(2+). The enzyme catalyzed the hydrolysis of the fluorescent compound methylumbelliferyl-sulfate (MU-SO(4)). Double reciprocal plots of initial velocity data, using MU-SO(4) as substrate, gave a K(M) value of 110 microM and V(max) of 225 micromol min(-1) x mg(-1). N. nigricolis Aryl sulphatase also hydrolyzed chondroitin-4-sulphate. It was inhibited competitively by N-acetyl glucosamine sulfate (GlcNAc-SO(4)), glucose-6-sulfate (Glc-6-SO(4)), and glucose 1-sulfate (Glc-1-SO(4)). Extrapolated inhibition binding constants (K(i)) gave the values of 3, 25, and 315 microM for GlcNAc-SO(4), Glc-6-SO(4), and Glc-1-SO(4) respectively.

Purification, characterization and crystallization of human placental estrone/dehydroepiandrosterone sulfatase, a membrane-bound enzyme of the endoplasmic reticulum.

Estrone (E1)/dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) sulfatase (ES/DHEAS) catalyzes the hydrolysis of E1 and DHEA-sulfates releasing unconjugated steroids. ES is a component of the three-enzyme system that has been implicated in intracrine biosynthesis of estradiol, hence, proliferation of hormone dependent breast tumors. ES is bound to the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum, presumably through multiple transmembrane and other membrane anchoring segments. The highly hydrophobic nature of the enzyme has so far prevented its purification to homogeneity in quantities sufficient for crystallization. We report here the purification, biochemical characterization and crystallization of the full-length, active form of the enzyme from the membrane bound fraction of human placenta. Our results demonstrate that the key to successful purification and growth of diffraction quality crystals of this difficult membrane bound enzyme is the exploitation of optimal solubilization and detergent conditions to protect the structural and functional integrity of the molecule, thereby preventing nonspecific aggregation and other instabilities. This work paves the way for the first structural study of a membrane bound human sulfatase and subsequent rational design of inhibitors for use as anti-tumor agents.

Subunits of neurosteroid sulfatase from bovine brain.

We have purified the neurosteroid sulfatase (NSS) from Triton X-100 solubilized microsomes of bovine brain about 100-fold. The purified enzyme is composed of two catalytic units (MW: 57 kDa) and two regulatory units (MW: 38 kDa), making it an alpha(2)beta(2) heterotetramer, whose apparent molecular weight was 180 kDa by gel filtration in the presence of Triton X-100.

Cholesterol sulphate sulphohydrolase from human placenta microsomes--purification and properties of the dephosphorylated form of enzyme.

The procedure for purification of cholesterol sulphate sulphohydrolase (ChS-ase) from human placenta microsomes was elaborated. The highly purified enzyme preparation (specific activity 2000 nmol x min(-1) x mg protein(-1)) exhibited optimal activity at pH 9.0. The K(m) value was established to be 1.5+/-0.85 x 10(-5) M. The high molecular weight form (200 kDa) and the low molecular weight form (20 kDa) of the enzyme were separated. The interconversion of the high molecular weight variant into the low one occurs under the influence of dephosphorylation. Both forms exhibited typical Michaelis-Menten saturation kinetics. The effect of different compounds on the enzyme activity was tested.

Efficient cleavage of conjugates of drugs or poisons by immobilized beta-glucuronidase and arylsulfatase in columns.

BACKGROUND: Cleavage of conjugates is an important step in toxicological analysis, especially of urine samples. The aim of this study was to combine the advantages and to reduce the disadvantages of acid hydrolysis and conventional enzymatic hydrolysis procedures. METHODS: beta-Glucuronidase (GRD; EC 3.2.1.31) and arylsulfatase (ARS; EC 3.1.6.1) were purified and coimmobilized on an agarose gel matrix and packed into columns. RESULTS: In columns packed with GRD and ARS, the test conjugates 4-nitrophenyl glucuronide and 4-nitrophenyl sulfate added into urine could be completely cleaved within 25 min. Even the relatively stable morphine conjugates could be completely hydrolyzed within 60 min in authentic urine samples. Therefore, an incubation time of 1 h is recommended. Enzyme inhibition by matrix or by rather high concentrations of acetaminophen conjugates was tested and found to be up to 50%. However, a large excess of GRD and ARS was used. The immobilizate columns could be reused for at least 70 incubations and had a storage stability of at least 12 weeks. Carryover of analytes in reused columns could be avoided by rinsing with 200 mL/L methanol in acetate buffer. Thus, five drugs known to be contaminants added in very high concentrations into urine could be completely removed from the columns. A study on the applicability in systematic toxicological analysis showed that 120 different drugs and/or their metabolites could be detected in 35 different authentic urine samples. CONCLUSIONS: Use of immobilized and column-packed GRD and ARS is an efficient alternative for the cleavage of urinary conjugates in clinical toxicology.

A two-component affinity chromatography purification of Helix pomatia arylsulfatase by tyrosine vanadate.

The inhibition of Helix pomatia arylsulfatase by the synergistic combination of N-acetyl-l-tyrosine ethyl ester and vanadate has been extended to affinity chromatography for purification. In the presence of vanadate, l-tyrosine ethyl ester (TEE), immobilized on CH-Sepharose 4B retained arylsulfatase from the digestive juice or lyophilized powder of H. pomatia. No enzyme was retained without vanadate or with arsenate or phosphate. Arylsulfatase was eluted from the column matrix by removing the vanadate to less than 50 microM with buffer containing EDTA to chelate the vanadate. Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase and potato acid phosphatase, two enzymes which are inhibited by vanadate but not by the vanadate-TEE complex, were not retained by the immobilized TEE under any conditions used. The sulfatase activity was completely separated from contaminating glucuronidase activity present in the crude enzyme extracts. The Ki for the immobilized vanadate-TEE system was found to be 5.0 x 10(-7) M with a capacity of 25 mg/ml swollen gel. A purification of greater than 40-fold from the lyophilized powder of H. pomatia (Sigma Type H-5) was achieved using this technique. The Ki/Keq of other phenols with vanadate were determined in a 96-well plate format as an example of a rapid screening technique that could be extended to other phosphoryl and sulfuryl-transfer enzyme classes.

Steroid sulphatase: expression, isolation and inhibition for active-site identification studies.

Steroid sulphatase, which can hydrolyse 3-hydroxysteroid sulphates, has important roles in several physiological and pathological processes. A number of steroid sulphatase inhibitors have now been developed, of which the most potent to date is oestrone-3-O-sulphamate (EMATE). This inhibitor inactivates steroid sulphatase in an irreversible, time- and concentration-dependent manner. In order to be able to use a radiolabelled derivative of EMATE to study the active site, it will be essential to prepare the steroid sulphatase in a pure form. For this, attempts have been made to express the protein, using the steroid sulphatase cDNA, in the pGEX2T expression system and also to express a mutant form of the protein, in which the putative membrane-spanning domain was deleted, in CHO cells. In addition, a soluble steroid sulphatase has been identified from the snail Helix pomatia. This steroid sulphatase is inhibited by EMATE in an irreversible manner, similar to the human steroid sulphatase and appears to possess a histidine residue at its active site. The expression and/or isolation of a steroid sulphatase, in conjunction with the use of a radiolabelled derivative of EMATE should allow important new information about the active site of this enzyme and the mechanism of its inactivation to be obtained.

Arylsulfatase exists as non-enzymatic cell surface protein in sea urchin embryos.

The physiological role of arylsulfatase (Ars) and its function during development have yet to be satisfactorily defined in any species, though the proteins are widely distributed and the genes have been cloned from various organisms. Here we report the dual location of two types of Ars in sea urchin embryos. The majority of sea urchin Ars does not exhibit enzyme activity and is extracellularly distributed in aboral ectoderm cells (nonenzymatic Ars). Only a small portion has enzyme activity and is localized in lysosomal vesicles (enzymatic Ars). The elution pattern of Ars proteins processed by DEAE-cellulose or analytical gel-column chromatography reveals that although the molecular radius of enzymatic Ars differs from that of nonenzymatic Ars, they have the same charge. Furthermore, sedimentation analysis shows that purified Ars of sea urchin embryos is soluble in the absence of divalent cations but becomes insoluble in the presence of Ca2+ or Mg2+. Taken together, the present results suggest that non-enzymatic Ars is a new member of the cell surface component or extracellular matrix. It is possible that this cell surface Ars plays an important role in morphogenesis of sea urchin embryos.

Assimilation of sulfur from alkyl- and arylsulfonates by Clostridium spp.

Organisms able to utilize one of several alkyl- and arylsulfonates as sole source of sulfur under anoxic conditions were enriched. Three fermenting bacteria, all putative Clostridium spp., were isolated in pure culture. All three organisms had wide substrate ranges for alkylsulfonates, taurine and arylsulfonates, presumably due to three different enzyme systems. One organism, strain KNNDS (DSM 10612) was selected for further characterization. The organism was possibly a new Clostridium sp., with Clostidium intestinalis as its nearest neighbor (97.6% similarity of rDNA). Strain KNNDS catalyzed complete sulfonate utilization concomitant with growth. Growth yields of approximtely 3 kg protein/mol sulfur were observed, independent of the sulfur source [e.g. sulfate, sulfide, 4-(phenyl)butyl-1-sulfonate, 2,6-naphthyldisulfonate or 4-nitrocatechol sulfate]. We failed to detect significant amounts of either an arylsulfonatase or an arylsulfatase, and we hypothesize different arylsulfatases [EC 3.1.6.1] in aerobes and in Clostridium spp.

The evolutionary conservation of a novel protein modification, the conversion of cysteine to serinesemialdehyde in arylsulfatase from Volvox carteri.

A novel post-translational protein modification has recently been described in two human sulfatases, by which a cysteine is replaced by a serinesemialdehyde (2-amino-3-oxopropionic acid) residue [Schmidt, B., Selmer, T., Ingendoh, A. & von Figura, K. (1995) Cell 82, 271-278]. This cysteine is conserved among all known eukaryotic sulfatases. Here we report the presence of this modification in arylsulfatase from the green alga Volvox carteri. The evolutionary conservation of this novel protein modification between sulfatases of V. carteri and man lends further support to the assumption that this modification is required for the catalytic activity of sulfatases and may be present in all sulfatases of eukaryotic origin.

Arylsulfatase from Streptomyces griseorubiginosus S980-14.

A new arylsulfatase designated Es-1, which desulfated etoposide 4'-sulfate and p-nitrophenyl sulfate, was isolated from Streptomyces griseorubiginosus S980-14 and purified to protein homogeneity by ammonium sulfate fractionation, ion exchange column chromatography, and chromatofocusing. The enzyme was active in monomeric form with an approximate molecular weight of 45,000, had a pI value of 4.95, and required calcium for full activity. At an optimum reaction pH of 8.5, iodoacetate, mercurous chloride, and EDTA severely inhibited the activity of Es-1 arylsulfatase.