scholarly journals Enhanced chemoselectivity of a plant cytochrome P450 through protein engineering of surface and catalytic residues

aBIOTECH ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaopeng Zhang ◽  
Wei Luo ◽  
Yinying Yao ◽  
Xuming Luo ◽  
Chao Han ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Engineering ◽  
Active Site ◽  
Computational Design ◽  
Simultaneous Optimization ◽  
Evolutionary Information ◽  
Active Site Residues ◽  
Tailoring Enzymes ◽  
Functionally Diverse ◽  
Complementary Strategy ◽  
High Degree

AbstractCytochrome P450s (P450s) are the most versatile catalysts utilized by plants to produce structurally and functionally diverse metabolites. Given the high degree of gene redundancy and challenge to functionally characterize plant P450s, protein engineering is used as a complementary strategy to study the mechanisms of P450-mediated reactions, or to alter their functions. We previously proposed an approach of engineering plant P450s based on combining high-accuracy homology models generated by Rosetta combined with data-driven design using evolutionary information of these enzymes. With this strategy, we repurposed a multi-functional P450 (CYP87D20) into a monooxygenase after redesigning its active site. Since most plant P450s are membrane-anchored proteins that are adapted to the micro-environments of plant cells, expressing them in heterologous hosts usually results in problems of expression or activity. Here, we applied computational design to tackle these issues by simultaneous optimization of the protein surface and active site. After screening 17 variants, effective substitutions of surface residues were observed to improve both expression and activity of CYP87D20. In addition, the identified substitutions were additive and by combining them a highly efficient C11 hydroxylase of cucurbitadienol was created to participate in the mogrol biosynthesis. This study shows the importance of considering the interplay between surface and active site residues for P450 engineering. Our integrated strategy also opens an avenue to create more tailoring enzymes with desired functions for the metabolic engineering of high-valued compounds like mogrol, the precursor of natural sweetener mogrosides.

Radical Tropolone Biosynthesis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyler J. Doyon ◽  
Kevin Skinner ◽  
Di Yang ◽  
Leena Mallik ◽  
Troy Wymore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Active Site ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Ring Expansion ◽  
Heme Iron ◽  
Active Site Residues ◽  
Molecular Scaffolds ◽  
Radical Ring ◽  
Full Characterization ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
Functionally Diverse

<div> <div> <div> <p>Non-heme iron (NHI) enzymes perform a variety of oxidative rearrangements to advance simple building blocks toward complex molecular scaffolds within secondary metabolite pathways. Many of these transformations occur with selectivity that is unprecedented in small molecule catalysis, spurring an interest in the enzymatic processes which lead to a particular rearrangement. In-depth investigations of NHI mechanisms examine the source of this selectivity and can offer inspiration for the development of novel synthetic transformations. However, the mechanistic details of many NHI-catalyzed rearrangements remain underexplored, hindering full characterization of the chemistry accessible to this functionally diverse class of enzymes. For NHI-catalyzed rearrangements which have been investigated, mechanistic proposals often describe one-electron processes, followed by single electron oxidation from the substrate to the iron(III)-hydroxyl active site species. Here, we examine the ring expansion mechanism employed in fungal tropolone biosynthesis. TropC, an α-ketoglutarate- dependent NHI dioxygenase, catalyzes a ring expansion in the biosynthesis of tropolone natural product stipitatic acid through an under-studied mechanism. Investigation of both polar and radical mechanistic proposals suggests tropolones are constructed through a radical ring expansion. This biosynthetic route to tropolones is supported by X-ray crystal structure data combined with molecular dynamics simulations, alanine-scanning of active site residues, assessed reactivity of putative biosynthetic intermediates, and quantum mechanical (QM) calculations. These studies support a radical ring expansion in fungal tropolone biosynthesis. </p> </div> </div> </div>

Radical Tropolone Biosynthesis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyler J. Doyon ◽  
Kevin Skinner ◽  
Di Yang ◽  
Leena Mallik ◽  
Troy Wymore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Active Site ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Ring Expansion ◽  
Heme Iron ◽  
Active Site Residues ◽  
Molecular Scaffolds ◽  
Radical Ring ◽  
Full Characterization ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
Functionally Diverse

<div> <div> <div> <p>Non-heme iron (NHI) enzymes perform a variety of oxidative rearrangements to advance simple building blocks toward complex molecular scaffolds within secondary metabolite pathways. Many of these transformations occur with selectivity that is unprecedented in small molecule catalysis, spurring an interest in the enzymatic processes which lead to a particular rearrangement. In-depth investigations of NHI mechanisms examine the source of this selectivity and can offer inspiration for the development of novel synthetic transformations. However, the mechanistic details of many NHI-catalyzed rearrangements remain underexplored, hindering full characterization of the chemistry accessible to this functionally diverse class of enzymes. For NHI-catalyzed rearrangements which have been investigated, mechanistic proposals often describe one-electron processes, followed by single electron oxidation from the substrate to the iron(III)-hydroxyl active site species. Here, we examine the ring expansion mechanism employed in fungal tropolone biosynthesis. TropC, an α-ketoglutarate- dependent NHI dioxygenase, catalyzes a ring expansion in the biosynthesis of tropolone natural product stipitatic acid through an under-studied mechanism. Investigation of both polar and radical mechanistic proposals suggests tropolones are constructed through a radical ring expansion. This biosynthetic route to tropolones is supported by X-ray crystal structure data combined with molecular dynamics simulations, alanine-scanning of active site residues, assessed reactivity of putative biosynthetic intermediates, and quantum mechanical (QM) calculations. These studies support a radical ring expansion in fungal tropolone biosynthesis. </p> </div> </div> </div>

scholarly journals Improved System for Protein Engineering of the Hydroxylase Component of Soluble Methane Monooxygenase

2002 ◽  
Vol 68 (11) ◽  
pp. 5265-5273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Smith ◽  
Susan E. Slade ◽  
Nicolas P. Burton ◽  
J. Colin Murrell ◽  
Howard Dalton
Keyword(s):  
Protein Engineering ◽  
Active Site ◽  
Methane Monooxygenase ◽  
Expression System ◽  
Active Form ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Active Site Residues ◽  
Α Subunit ◽  
Soluble Methane Monooxygenase ◽  
Type Activity

ABSTRACT Soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) of Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b is a three-component oxygenase that catalyses the O2- and NAD(P)H-dependent oxygenation of methane and numerous other substrates. Despite substantial interest in the use of genetic techniques to study the mechanism of sMMO and manipulate its substrate specificity, directed mutagenesis of active-site residues was previously impossible because no suitable heterologous expression system had been found for expression in a highly active form of the hydroxylase component, which is an (αβγ)2 complex containing the binuclear iron active site. A homologous expression system that enabled the expression of recombinant wild-type sMMO in a derivative of M. trichosporium OB3b from which the chromosomal copy of the sMMO-encoding operon had been partially deleted was previously reported. Here we report substantial development of this method to produce a system for the facile construction and expression of mutants of the hydroxylase component of sMMO. This new system has been used to investigate the functions of Cys 151 and Thr 213 of the α subunit, which are the only nonligating protonated side chains in the hydrophobic active site. Both residues were found to be critical for the stability and/or activity of sMMO, but neither was essential for oxygenation reactions. The T213S mutant was purified to >98% homogeneity. It had the same iron content as the wild type and had 72% wild-type activity toward toluene but only 17% wild-type activity toward propene; thus, its substrate profile was significantly altered. With these results, we have demonstrated proof of the principle for protein engineering of this uniquely versatile enzyme.

scholarly journals Structure of the E. coli agmatinase, SPEB

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. e0248991
Author(s):  
Iva Chitrakar ◽  
Syed Fardin Ahmed ◽  
Andrew T. Torelli ◽  
Jarrod B. French
Keyword(s):  
Active Site ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Structural Similarity ◽  
Active Site Residues ◽  
Polyamine Biosynthesis ◽  
Final Model ◽  
X Ray ◽  
E Coli ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Hydrolytic Mechanism

Agmatine amidinohydrolase, or agmatinase, catalyzes the conversion of agmatine to putrescine and urea. This enzyme is found broadly across kingdoms of life and plays a critical role in polyamine biosynthesis and the regulation of agmatine concentrations. Here we describe the high-resolution X-ray crystal structure of the E. coli agmatinase, SPEB. The data showed a relatively high degree of pseudomerohedral twinning, was ultimately indexed in the P31 space group and led to a final model with eighteen chains, corresponding to three full hexamers in the asymmetric unit. There was a solvent content of 38.5% and refined R/Rfree values of 0.166/0.216. The protein has the conserved fold characteristic of the agmatine ureohydrolase family and displayed a high degree of structural similarity among individual protomers. Two distinct peaks of electron density were observed in the active site of most of the eighteen chains of SPEB. As the activity of this protein is known to be dependent upon manganese and the fold is similar to other dinuclear metallohydrolases, these peaks were modeled as manganese ions. The orientation of the conserved active site residues, in particular those amino acids that participate in binding the metal ions and a pair of acidic residues (D153 and E274 in SPEB) that play a role in catalysis, are similar to other agmatinase and arginase enzymes and is consistent with a hydrolytic mechanism that proceeds via a metal-activated hydroxide ion.

Development of Xanthine Based Inhibitors Targeting Phosphodiesterase 9A

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 1122-1137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nivedita Singh ◽  
Parameswaran Saravanan ◽  
M.S. Thakur ◽  
Sanjukta Patra
Keyword(s):  
Free Energy ◽  
Active Site ◽  
Signal Transduction Pathway ◽  
Docking Study ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Cgmp Level ◽  
Active Site Residues ◽  
Aromatic Fragment ◽  
Docking Approach ◽  
Free Energy Of Binding

Background: Phosphodiesterases 9A (PDE9A) is one of the prominent regulating enzymes of the signal transduction pathway having highest catalytic affinity for second messenger, cGMP. When the cGMP level is lowered, an uncontrolled expression of PDE9A may lead to various neurodegenerative diseases. To regulate the catalytic activity of PDE9A, potent inhibitors are needed. Objective: The primary objective of the present study was to develop new xanthine based inhibitors targeting PDE9A. This study was an attempt to bring structural diversification in PDE9A inhibitor development because most of the existing inhibitors are constructed over pyrazolopyrimidinone scaffold. Methods: Manual designing and parallel molecular docking approach were used for the development of xanthine derivatives. In this study, N1, N3, N9 and C8 positions of xanthine scaffold were selected as substitution sites to design 200 new compounds. Reverse docking and pharmaceutical analyses were used for final validation of most promising compounds. Results: By keeping free energy of binding cut-off of -6.0 kcal/mol, 52 compounds were screened. The compounds with substitution at N1, N3 and C8 positions of xanthine showed good occupancy in PDE9A active site pocket with a significant interaction pattern. This was further validated by screening different factors such as free energy of binding, inhibition constant and interacting active site residues in the 5Å region. Substitution at C8 position with phenyl substituent determined the inhibition affinity of compounds towards PDE9A by establishing a strong hydrophobic - hydrophobic interaction. The alkyl chain at N1 position generated selectivity of compounds towards PDE9A. The aromatic fragment at N3 position increased the binding affinity of compounds. Thus, by comparative docking study, it was found that compound 39-42 formed selective interaction towards PDE9A over other members of the PDE superfamily. Conclusion: From the present study, N1, N3 and C8 positions of xanthine were concluded as the best sites for substitution for the generation of potent PDE9A inhibitors.

scholarly journals An enzymatic activation of formaldehyde for nucleotide methylation

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Bou-Nader ◽  
Frederick W. Stull ◽  
Ludovic Pecqueur ◽  
Philippe Simon ◽  
Vincent Guérineau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Thymidylate Synthase ◽  
Active Site ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Crystallographic Structure ◽  
De Novo Synthesis ◽  
Active Site Residues ◽  
Enzymatic Activation ◽  
Enzyme Cofactors ◽  
Unique Ability

AbstractFolate enzyme cofactors and their derivatives have the unique ability to provide a single carbon unit at different oxidation levels for the de novo synthesis of amino-acids, purines, or thymidylate, an essential DNA nucleotide. How these cofactors mediate methylene transfer is not fully settled yet, particularly with regard to how the methylene is transferred to the methylene acceptor. Here, we uncovered that the bacterial thymidylate synthase ThyX, which relies on both folate and flavin for activity, can also use a formaldehyde-shunt to directly synthesize thymidylate. Combining biochemical, spectroscopic and anaerobic crystallographic analyses, we showed that formaldehyde reacts with the reduced flavin coenzyme to form a carbinolamine intermediate used by ThyX for dUMP methylation. The crystallographic structure of this intermediate reveals how ThyX activates formaldehyde and uses it, with the assistance of active site residues, to methylate dUMP. Our results reveal that carbinolamine species promote methylene transfer and suggest that the use of a CH2O-shunt may be relevant in several other important folate-dependent reactions.

scholarly journals Important Role for Phylogenetically Invariant PP2Acα Active Site and C-Terminal Residues Revealed by Mutational Analysis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Genetics ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 156 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R H Evans ◽  
Brian A Hemmings
Keyword(s):  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Active Site ◽  
Protein Function ◽  
Mutational Analysis ◽  
Yeast Cells ◽  
Temperature Sensitive ◽  
Active Site Residues ◽  
Catalytic Function

Abstract PP2A is a central regulator of eukaryotic signal transduction. The human catalytic subunit PP2Acα functionally replaces the endogenous yeast enzyme, Pph22p, indicating a conservation of function in vivo. Therefore, yeast cells were employed to explore the role of invariant PP2Ac residues. The PP2Acα Y127N substitution abolished essential PP2Ac function in vivo and impaired catalysis severely in vitro, consistent with the prediction from structural studies that Tyr-127 mediates substrate binding and its side chain interacts with the key active site residues His-118 and Asp-88. The V159E substitution similarly impaired PP2Acα catalysis profoundly and may cause global disruption of the active site. Two conditional mutations in the yeast Pph22p protein, F232S and P240H, were found to cause temperature-sensitive impairment of PP2Ac catalytic function in vitro. Thus, the mitotic and cell lysis defects conferred by these mutations result from a loss of PP2Ac enzyme activity. Substitution of the PP2Acα C-terminal Tyr-307 residue by phenylalanine impaired protein function, whereas the Y307D and T304D substitutions abolished essential function in vivo. Nevertheless, Y307D did not reduce PP2Acα catalytic activity significantly in vitro, consistent with an important role for the C terminus in mediating essential protein-protein interactions. Our results identify key residues important for PP2Ac function and characterize new reagents for the study of PP2A in vivo.

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