scholarly journals Identification of a Residue Affecting Fatty Alcohol Selectivity in Wax Ester Synthase

2012 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 396-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brett M. Barney ◽  
Rachel L. Mann ◽  
Janet M. Ohlert
Keyword(s):  
Kinetic Parameters ◽  
Fatty Alcohol ◽  
Biosynthetic Pathway ◽  
Fatty Acyl ◽  
Wax Ester ◽  
Acinetobacter Baylyi ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Marinobacter Aquaeolei ◽  
Acyl Coenzyme A ◽  
Wax Ester Synthase

ABSTRACT The terminal enzyme in the bacterial wax ester biosynthetic pathway is the bifunctional wax ester synthase/acyl-coenzyme A:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT), which utilizes a fatty alcohol and a fatty acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) to synthesize the corresponding wax ester. In this report, we identify a specific residue in WS/DGAT enzymes obtained from Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8 and Acinetobacter baylyi that alters fatty alcohol selectivity and kinetic parameters when modified to alternative residues.

scholarly journals Differences in Substrate Specificities of Five Bacterial Wax Ester Synthases

2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (16) ◽  
pp. 5734-5745 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brett M. Barney ◽  
Bradley D. Wahlen ◽  
EmmaLee Garner ◽  
Jiashi Wei ◽  
Lance C. Seefeldt
Keyword(s):  
Kinetic Studies ◽  
Fatty Acyl ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
Wax Ester ◽  
Acinetobacter Baylyi ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rapid Purification ◽  
Range Characterization ◽  
Acyl Coenzyme A

ABSTRACTWax esters are produced in certain bacteria as a potential carbon and energy storage compound. The final enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway responsible for wax ester production is the bifunctional wax ester synthase/acyl-coenzyme A (acyl-CoA):diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT), which utilizes a range of fatty alcohols and fatty acyl-CoAs to synthesize the corresponding wax ester. We report here the isolation and substrate range characterization for five WS/DGAT enzymes from four different bacteria:Marinobacter aquaeoleiVT8,Acinetobacter baylyi,Rhodococcus jostiiRHA1, andPsychrobacter cryohalolentisK5. The results from kinetic studies of isolated enzymes reveal a differential activity based on the order of substrate addition and reveal subtle differences between the substrate selectivity of the different enzymes. Thesein vitroresults are compared to the wax ester and triacylglyceride product profiles obtained from each organism grown under neutral lipid accumulating conditions, providing potential insights into the role that the WS/DGAT enzyme plays in determining the final wax ester products that are produced under conditions of nutrient stress in each of these bacteria. Further, the analysis revealed that one enzyme in particular fromM. aquaeoleiVT8 showed the greatest potential for future study based on rapid purification and significantly higher activity than was found for the other isolated WS/DGAT enzymes. The results provide a framework to test prospective differences between these enzymes for potential biotechnological applications such as high-value petrochemicals and biofuel production.

scholarly journals Fatty Alcohols for Wax Esters in Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8: Two Optional Routes in the Wax Biosynthesis Pathway

2013 ◽  
Vol 79 (22) ◽  
pp. 7055-7062 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric M. Lenneman ◽  
Janet M. Ohlert ◽  
Nagendra P. Palani ◽  
Brett M. Barney
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Alcohol ◽  
Fatty Acyl ◽  
Wax Esters ◽  
Transcriptional Analysis ◽  
Wax Ester ◽  
Fatty Aldehyde ◽  
Marinobacter Aquaeolei

ABSTRACTThe biosynthesis of wax esters in bacteria is accomplished by a unique pathway that combines a fatty alcohol and a fatty acyl coenzyme A substrate. Previousin vitroenzymatic studies indicated that two different enzymes could be involved in the synthesis of the required fatty alcohol inMarinobacter aquaeoleiVT8. In this study, we demonstrate through a series of gene deletions and transcriptional analysis that either enzyme is capable of fulfilling the role of providing the fatty alcohol required for wax ester biosynthesisin vivo, but evolution has clearly selected one of these, a previously characterized fatty aldehyde reductase, as the preferred enzyme to perform this reaction under typical wax ester-accumulating conditions. These results complement previousin vitrostudies and provide the first glimpse into the role of each enzymein vivoin the native organism.

Evaluation of two thioesterases from Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8: Relationship to wax ester production

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amelia M Lijewski ◽  
Carolann M Knutson ◽  
Eric M Lenneman ◽  
Brett M Barney
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Acyl Carrier Protein ◽  
Fatty Acyl ◽  
Wax Ester ◽  
Transcriptional Level ◽  
Marinobacter Aquaeolei ◽  
Integral Role ◽  
Conventional Oils ◽  
Biodiesel Fuels ◽  
Acyl Coenzyme A

Abstract The biosynthesis of lipid-based biofuels is an important aspect of developing sustainable alternatives to conventional oils derived from fossil fuel reserves. Many biosynthetic approaches to biodiesel fuels and oils involve fatty acid derivatives as a precursor, and thioesterases have been employed in various strategies to increase fatty acid pools. Thioesterases liberate fatty acids from fatty acyl-coenzyme A or fatty acyl-acyl carrier protein substrates. The role played by thioesterases has not been extensively studied in model bacteria that accumulate elevated levels of biological oils based on fatty acid precursors. In this report, two primary thioesterases from the wax ester accumulating bacterium Marinobacter aquaeolei VT8 were heterologously expressed, isolated and characterized. These genes were further analyzed at the transcriptional level in the native bacterium during wax ester accumulation, and their genes were disrupted to determine the effect these changes had on wax ester levels. Combined, these results indicate that these two thioesterases do not play an integral role in wax ester accumulation in this natural lipid-accumulating model bacterium.

Directed evolution of a bacterial WS/DGAT acyltransferase: improving tDGAT from Thermomonospora curvata

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar Santín ◽  
Serena Galié ◽  
Gabriel Moncalián
Keyword(s):  
Directed Evolution ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Neutral Lipids ◽  
Nile Red ◽  
Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase ◽  
Wax Ester ◽  
Bacterial Lipid ◽  
Acyl Coenzyme A ◽  
Wax Ester Synthase ◽  
Tag Accumulation

Abstract Some bacteria belonging to the actinobacteria and proteobacteria groups can accumulate neutral lipids expressing enzymes of the wax ester synthase/acyl coenzyme A: diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT) family. tDGAT is a WS/DGAT-like enzyme from Thermomonospora curvata able to produce TAGs and WEs when heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. In this study, a protocol for the directed evolution of bacterial lipid-producing enzymes based on fluorimetry is developed and tested. tDGAT has been successfully evolved towards the improvement of TAG production with an up to 2.5 times increase in TAG accumulation. Mutants with no ability to produce TAGs but able to accumulate waxes were also selected during the screening. The localization of the mutations that enhance TAG production in the outer surface of tDGAT points out possible new mechanisms that contribute to the activity of this family of enzymes. This Nile red-based high throughput screening provides an evolution platform for other WS/DGAT-like enzymes.

scholarly journals A Fatty Acyl Coenzyme A Reductase Promotes Wax Ester Accumulation in Rhodococcus jostii RHA1

2017 ◽  
Vol 83 (20) ◽  
Author(s):  
James Round ◽  
Raphael Roccor ◽  
Shu-Nan Li ◽  
Lindsay D. Eltis
Keyword(s):  
Specific Activity ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Fatty Acyl ◽  
Wax Esters ◽  
Wax Ester ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Considerable Potential ◽  
Commodity Chemicals ◽  
Acyl Coenzyme A ◽  
Rhodococcus Jostii

ABSTRACT Many rhodococci are oleaginous and, as such, have considerable potential for the sustainable production of lipid-based commodity chemicals. Herein, we demonstrated that Rhodococcus jostii RHA1, a soil bacterium that catabolizes a wide range of organic compounds, produced wax esters (WEs) up to 0.0002% of its cellular dry weight during exponential growth on glucose. These WEs were fully saturated and contained primarily 31 to 34 carbon atoms. Moreover, they were present at higher levels during exponential growth than under lipid-accumulating conditions. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that RHA1 contains a gene encoding a putative fatty acyl coenzyme A (acyl-CoA) reductase (FcrA). The purified enzyme catalyzed the NADPH-dependent transformation of stearoyl-CoA to stearyl alcohol with a specific activity of 45 ± 3 nmol/mg · min and dodecanal to dodecanol with a specific activity of 5,300 ± 300 nmol/mg · min. Deletion of fcrA did not affect WE accumulation when grown in either carbon- or nitrogen-limited medium. However, the ΔfcrA mutant accumulated less than 20% of the amount of WEs as the wild-type strain under conditions of nitric oxide stress. A strain of RHA1 overproducing FcrA accumulated WEs to ∼13% cellular dry weight under lipid-accumulating conditions, and their acyl moieties had longer average chain lengths than those in wild-type cells (C17 versus C16). The results provide insight into the biosynthesis of WEs in rhodococci and facilitate the development of this genus for the production of high-value neutral lipids. IMPORTANCE Among the best-studied oleaginous bacteria, rhodococci have considerable potential for the sustainable production of lipid-based commodity chemicals, such as wax esters. However, many aspects of lipid synthesis in these bacteria are poorly understood. The current study identifies a key enzyme in wax ester synthesis in rhodococci and exploits it to significantly improve the yield of wax esters in bacteria. In so doing, this work contributes to the development of novel bioprocesses for an important class of oleochemicals that may ultimately allow us to phase out their unsustainable production from sources such as petroleum and palm oil.

scholarly journals Active Multienzyme Assemblies for Long-Chain Olefinic Hydrocarbon Biosynthesis

2017 ◽  
Vol 199 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
James K. Christenson ◽  
Matthew R. Jensen ◽  
Brandon R. Goblirsch ◽  
Fatuma Mohamed ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Active Sites ◽  
Xanthomonas Campestris ◽  
Fatty Acyl ◽  
Biosynthetic Activity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Large Structures ◽  
Negative Stain ◽  
Acyl Coenzyme A ◽  
Hydrocarbon Biosynthesis ◽  
Long Chain

ABSTRACT Bacteria from different phyla produce long-chain olefinic hydrocarbons derived from an OleA-catalyzed Claisen condensation of two fatty acyl coenzyme A (acyl-CoA) substrates, followed by reduction and oxygen elimination reactions catalyzed by the proteins OleB, OleC, and OleD. In this report, OleA, OleB, OleC, and OleD were individually purified as soluble proteins, and all were found to be essential for reconstituting hydrocarbon biosynthesis. Recombinant coexpression of tagged OleABCD proteins from Xanthomonas campestris in Escherichia coli and purification over His6 and FLAG columns resulted in OleA separating, while OleBCD purified together, irrespective of which of the four Ole proteins were tagged. Hydrocarbon biosynthetic activity of copurified OleBCD assemblies could be reconstituted by adding separately purified OleA. Immunoblots of nondenaturing gels using anti-OleC reacted with X. campestris crude protein lysate indicated the presence of a large protein assembly containing OleC in the native host. Negative-stain electron microscopy of recombinant OleBCD revealed distinct large structures with diameters primarily between 24 and 40 nm. Assembling OleB, OleC, and OleD into a complex may be important to maintain stereochemical integrity of intermediates, facilitate the movement of hydrophobic metabolites between enzyme active sites, and protect the cell against the highly reactive β-lactone intermediate produced by the OleC-catalyzed reaction. IMPORTANCE Bacteria biosynthesize hydrophobic molecules to maintain a membrane, store carbon, and for antibiotics that help them survive in their niche. The hydrophobic compounds are often synthesized by a multidomain protein or by large multienzyme assemblies. The present study reports on the discovery that long-chain olefinic hydrocarbons made by bacteria from different phyla are produced by multienzyme assemblies in X. campestris. The OleBCD multienzyme assemblies are thought to compartmentalize and sequester olefin biosynthesis from the rest of the cell. This system provides additional insights into how bacteria control specific biosynthetic pathways.

scholarly journals Role of Wax Ester Synthase/Acyl Coenzyme A:Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase in Oleaginous Streptomyces sp. Strain G25

2016 ◽  
Vol 82 (19) ◽  
pp. 5969-5981 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annika Röttig ◽  
Carl Simon Strittmatter ◽  
Jennifer Schauer ◽  
Sebastian Hiessl ◽  
Anja Poehlein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Genome Sequence ◽  
Lipid Accumulation ◽  
Draft Genome ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Lipid Storage ◽  
Draft Genome Sequence ◽  
Wax Ester ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wax Ester Synthase

ABSTRACTRecently, we isolated a novelStreptomycesstrain which can accumulate extraordinarily large amounts of triacylglycerol (TAG) and consists of 64% fatty acids (dry weight) when cultivated with glucose and 50% fatty acids (dry weight) when cultivated with cellobiose. To identify putative gene products responsible for lipid storage and cellobiose utilization, we analyzed its draft genome sequence. A single gene encoding a wax ester synthase/acyl coenzyme A (CoA):diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT) was identified and heterologously expressed inEscherichia coli. The purified enzyme AtfG25showed acyltransferase activity with C12- or C16-acyl-CoA, C12to C18alcohols, or dipalmitoyl glycerol. This acyltransferase exhibits 24% amino acid identity to the model enzyme AtfA fromAcinetobacter baylyibut has high sequence similarities to WS/DGATs from otherStreptomycesspecies. To investigate the impact of AtfG25on lipid accumulation, the respective gene,atfG25, was inactivated inStreptomycessp. strain G25. However, cells of the insertion mutant still exhibited DGAT activity and were able to store TAG, albeit in lower quantities and at lower rates than the wild-type strain. These findings clearly indicate that AtfG25has an important, but not exclusive, role in TAG biosynthesis in the novelStreptomycesisolate and suggest the presence of alternative metabolic pathways for lipid accumulation which are discussed in the present study.IMPORTANCEA novelStreptomycesstrain was isolated from desert soil, which represents an extreme environment with high temperatures, frequent drought, and nutrient scarcity. We believe that these harsh conditions promoted the development of the capacity for this strain to accumulate extraordinarily large amounts of lipids. In this study, we present the analysis of its draft genome sequence with a special focus on enzymes potentially involved in its lipid storage. Furthermore, the activity and importance of the detected acyltransferase were studied. As discussed in this paper, and in contrast to many other bacteria, streptomycetes seem to possess a complex metabolic network to synthesize lipids, whereof crucial steps are still largely unknown. This paper therefore provides insights into a range of topics, including extremophile bacteria, the physiology of lipid accumulation, and the biotechnological production of bacterial lipids.

scholarly journals The Wax Ester Synthase/Acyl Coenzyme A:Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase from Acinetobacter sp. Strain ADP1: Characterization of a Novel Type of Acyltransferase

2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (4) ◽  
pp. 1369-1376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Stöveken ◽  
Rainer Kalscheuer ◽  
Ursula Malkus ◽  
Rudolf Reichelt ◽  
Alexander Steinbüchel
Keyword(s):  
Wax Ester ◽  
Biotechnological Production ◽  
Medium Chain Length ◽  
Homologous Genes ◽  
Apparent Homogeneity ◽  
Acyl Coenzyme A ◽  
Wax Ester Synthase ◽  
Purification Protocol

ABSTRACT The wax ester synthase/acyl coenzyme A (acyl-CoA):diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WS/DGAT) catalyzes the final steps in triacylglycerol (TAG) and wax ester (WE) biosynthesis in the gram-negative bacterium Acinetobacter sp. strain ADP1. It constitutes a novel class of acyltransferases which is fundamentally different from acyltransferases involved in TAG and WE synthesis in eukaryotes. The enzyme was purified by a three-step purification protocol to apparent homogeneity from the soluble fraction of recombinant Escherichia coli Rosetta (DE3)pLysS (pET23a::atfA). Purified WS/DGAT revealed a remarkably low substrate specificity, accepting a broad range of various substances as alternative acceptor molecules. Besides having DGAT and WS activity, the enzyme possesses acyl-CoA:monoacylglycerol acyltransferase (MGAT) activity. The sn-1 and sn-3 positions of acylglycerols are accepted with higher specificity than the sn-2 position. Linear alcohols ranging from ethanol to triacontanol are efficiently acylated by the enzyme, which exhibits highest specificities towards medium-chain-length alcohols. The acylation of cyclic and aromatic alcohols, such as cyclohexanol or phenylethanol, further underlines the unspecific character of this enzyme. The broad range of possible substrates may lead to biotechnological production of interesting wax ester derivatives. Determination of the native molecular weight revealed organization as a homodimer. The large number of WS/DGAT-homologous genes identified in pathogenic mycobacteria and their possible importance for the pathogenesis and latency of these bacteria makes the purified WS/DGAT from Acinetobacter sp. strain ADP1 a valuable model for studying this group of proteins in pathogenic mycobacteria.

scholarly journals Long-Chain Fatty Acyl Coenzyme A Ligase FadD2 Mediates Intrinsic Pyrazinamide Resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

2016 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon C. Rosen ◽  
Nicholas A. Dillon ◽  
Nicholas D. Peterson ◽  
Yusuke Minato ◽  
Anthony D. Baughn
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Coenzyme A ◽  
Fatty Acyl ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Intrinsic Resistance ◽  
First Line ◽  
Minimum Concentration ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Acyl Coenzyme A ◽  
Long Chain

ABSTRACT Pyrazinamide (PZA) is a first-line tuberculosis (TB) drug that has been in clinical use for 60 years yet still has an unresolved mechanism of action. Based upon the observation that the minimum concentration of PZA required to inhibit the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is approximately 1,000-fold higher than that of other first-line drugs, we hypothesized that M. tuberculosis expresses factors that mediate intrinsic resistance to PZA. To identify genes associated with intrinsic PZA resistance, a library of transposon-mutagenized Mycobacterium bovis BCG strains was screened for strains showing hypersusceptibility to the active form of PZA, pyrazinoic acid (POA). Disruption of the long-chain fatty acyl coenzyme A (CoA) ligase FadD2 enhanced POA susceptibility by 16-fold on agar medium, and the wild-type level of susceptibility was restored upon expression of fadD2 from an integrating mycobacterial vector. Consistent with the recent observation that POA perturbs mycobacterial CoA metabolism, the fadD2 mutant strain was more vulnerable to POA-mediated CoA depletion than the wild-type strain. Ectopic expression of the M. tuberculosis pyrazinamidase PncA, necessary for conversion of PZA to POA, in the fadD2 transposon insertion mutant conferred at least a 16-fold increase in PZA susceptibility under active growth conditions in liquid culture at neutral pH. Importantly, deletion of fadD2 in M. tuberculosis strain H37Rv also resulted in enhanced susceptibility to POA. These results indicate that FadD2 is associated with intrinsic PZA and POA resistance and provide a proof of concept for the target-based potentiation of PZA activity in M. tuberculosis.

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