scholarly journals Functional Characterization of an Evolutionarily Distinct Phosphopantetheinyl Transferase in the Apicomplexan Cryptosporidium parvum

2005 ◽  
Vol 4 (7) ◽  
pp. 1211-1220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaomin Cai ◽  
Dustin Herschap ◽  
Guan Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Cryptosporidium Parvum ◽  
Acyl Carrier Protein ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Type I ◽  
Phosphopantetheinyl Transferase ◽  
Apicomplexan Parasites ◽  
Fatty Acid Synthases

ABSTRACT Recently, two types of fatty acid synthases (FASs) have been discovered from apicomplexan parasites. Although significant progress has been made in characterizing these apicomplexan FASs, virtually nothing was previously known about the activation and regulation of these enzymes. In this study, we report the discovery and characterization of two distinct types of phosphopantetheinyl transferase (PPTase) that are responsible for synthesizing holo-acyl carrier protein (ACP) from three apicomplexan parasites: surfactin production element (SFP) type in Cryptosporidium parvum (CpSFP-PPT), holo-ACP synthase (ACPS)-type in Plasmodium falciparum (PfACPS-PPT), and both SFP and ACPS types in Toxoplasma gondii (TgSFP-PPT and TgACPS-PPT). CpSFP-PPT and TgSFP-PPT are monofunctional, cytosolic, and phylogenetically related to animal PPTases. However, PfACPS-PPT and TgACPS-PPT are bifunctional (fused with a metal-dependent hydrolase), likely targeted to the apicoplast, and more closely related to proteobacterial PPTases. The function of apicomplexan PPTases has been confirmed by detailed functional analysis using recombinant CpSFP-PPT expressed from an artificially synthesized gene with codon usage optimized for Escherichia coli. The recombinant CpSFP-PPT was able to activate the ACP domains from the C. parvum type I FAS in vitro using either CoA or acetyl-CoA as a substrate, or in vivo when coexpressed in bacteria, with kinetic characteristics typical of PPTases. These observations suggest that the two types of fatty acid synthases in the Apicomplexa are activated and regulated by two evolutionarily distinct PPTases.

Expression and functional characterization of a giant Type I fatty acid synthase (CpFAS1) gene from Cryptosporidium parvum

2004 ◽  
Vol 134 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guan Zhu ◽  
Yanan Li ◽  
Xiaomin Cai ◽  
Jason J. Millership ◽  
Mary J. Marchewka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Cryptosporidium Parvum ◽  
Fatty Acid Synthase ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Type I

Acyl carrier protein: structure–function relationships in a conserved multifunctional protein family

2007 ◽  
Vol 85 (6) ◽  
pp. 649-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Byers ◽  
Huansheng Gong
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Active Sites ◽  
Fatty Acid Synthase ◽  
Acyl Carrier Protein ◽  
Divalent Cations ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Carrier Protein ◽  
Type I ◽  
Prosthetic Group

Acyl carrier protein (ACP) is a universal and highly conserved carrier of acyl intermediates during fatty acid synthesis. In yeast and mammals, ACP exists as a separate domain within a large multifunctional fatty acid synthase polyprotein (type I FAS), whereas it is a small monomeric protein in bacteria and plastids (type II FAS). Bacterial ACPs are also acyl donors for synthesis of a variety of products, including endotoxin and acylated homoserine lactones involved in quorum sensing; the distinct and essential nature of these processes in growth and pathogenesis make ACP-dependent enzymes attractive antimicrobial drug targets. Additionally, ACP homologues are key components in the production of secondary metabolites such as polyketides and nonribosomal peptides. Many ACPs exhibit characteristic structural features of natively unfolded proteins in vitro, with a dynamic and flexible conformation dominated by 3 parallel α helices that enclose the thioester-linked acyl group attached to a phosphopantetheine prosthetic group. ACP conformation may also be influenced by divalent cations and interaction with partner enzymes through its “recognition” helix II, properties that are key to its ability to alternately sequester acyl groups and deliver them to the active sites of ACP-dependent enzymes. This review highlights recent progress in defining how the structural features of ACP are related to its multiple carrier roles in fatty acid metabolism.

scholarly journals Characterization of PPTNs, a Cyanobacterial Phosphopantetheinyl Transferase from Nodularia spumigena NSOR10

2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (8) ◽  
pp. 3133-3139 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. N. Copp ◽  
A. A. Roberts ◽  
M. A. Marahiel ◽  
B. A. Neilan
Keyword(s):  
Acyl Carrier Protein ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Bioactive Metabolites ◽  
Sequence Motifs ◽  
Phosphopantetheinyl Transferase ◽  
Carrier Proteins ◽  
Nodularia Spumigena ◽  
Conserved Sequence ◽  
Wide Range

ABSTRACT The phosphopantetheinyl transferases (PPTs) are a superfamily of essential enzymes required for the synthesis of a wide range of compounds, including fatty acids, polyketides, and nonribosomal peptide metabolites. These enzymes activate carrier proteins in specific biosynthetic pathways by transfer of a phosphopantetheinyl moiety. The diverse PPT superfamily can be divided into two families based on specificity and conserved sequence motifs. The first family is typified by the Escherichia coli acyl carrier protein synthase (AcpS), which is involved in fatty acid synthesis. The prototype of the second family is the broad-substrate-range PPT Sfp, which is required for surfactin biosynthesis in Bacillus subtilis. Most cyanobacteria do not encode an AcpS-like PPT, and furthermore, some of their Sfp-like PPTs belong to a unique phylogenetic subgroup defined by the PPTs involved in heterocyst differentiation. Here, we describe the first functional characterization of a cyanobacterial PPT based on a structural analysis and subsequent functional analysis of the Nodularia spumigena NSOR10 PPT. Southern hybridizations suggested that this enzyme may be the only PPT encoded in the N. spumigena NSOR10 genome. Expression and enzyme characterization showed that this PPT was capable of modifying carrier proteins resulting from both heterocyst glycoplipid synthesis and nodularin toxin synthesis. Cyanobacteria are a unique and vast source of bioactive metabolites; therefore, an understanding of cyanobacterial PPTs is important in order to harness the biotechnological potential of cyanobacterial natural products.

scholarly journals Antimycobacterial action of thiolactomycin: an inhibitor of fatty acid and mycolic acid synthesis.

1996 ◽  
Vol 40 (12) ◽  
pp. 2813-2819 ◽  
Author(s):  
R A Slayden ◽  
R E Lee ◽  
J W Armour ◽  
A M Cooper ◽  
I M Orme ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Fatty Acid Synthase ◽  
Acyl Carrier Protein ◽  
Mycolic Acid ◽  
Carrier Protein ◽  
Type I ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Fas Ii

Thiolactomycin (TLM) possesses in vivo antimycobacterial activity against the saprophytic strain Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2155 and the virulent strain M. tuberculosis Erdman, resulting in complete inhibition of growth on solid media at 75 and 25 micrograms/ml, respectively. Use of an in vitro murine macrophage model also demonstrated the killing of viable intracellular M. tuberculosis in a dose-dependent manner. Through the use of in vivo [1,2-14C]acetate labeling of M. smegmatis, TLM was shown to inhibit the synthesis of both fatty acids and mycolic acids. However, synthesis of the shorter-chain alpha'-mycolates of M. smegmatis was not inhibited by TLM, whereas synthesis of the characteristic longer-chain alpha-mycolates and epoxymycolates was almost completely inhibited at 75 micrograms/ml. The use of M. smegmatis cell extracts demonstrated that TLM specifically inhibited the mycobacterial acyl carrier protein-dependent type II fatty acid synthase (FAS-II) but not the multifunctional type I fatty acid synthase (FAS-I). In addition, selective inhibition of long-chain mycolate synthesis by TLM was demonstrated in a dose-response manner in purified, cell wall-containing extracts of M. smegmatis cells. The in vivo and in vitro data and knowledge of the mechanism of TLM resistance in Escherichia coli suggest that two distinct TLM targets exist in mycobacteria, the beta-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein synthases involved in FAS-II and the elongation steps leading to the synthesis of the alpha-mycolates and oxygenated mycolates. The efficacy of TLM against M. smegmatis and M. tuberculosis provides the prospects of identifying fatty acid and mycolic acid biosynthetic genes and revealing a novel range of chemotherapeutic agents directed against M. tuberculosis.

scholarly journals Structural insight into Pichia pastoris fatty acid synthase

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph S. Snowden ◽  
Jehad Alzahrani ◽  
Lee Sherry ◽  
Martin Stacey ◽  
David J. Rowlands ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Protein Production ◽  
Fatty Acid Synthase ◽  
Acyl Carrier Protein ◽  
Expression System ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Type I ◽  
Structural Insight ◽  
Fatty Acid Synthases ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractType I fatty acid synthases (FASs) are critical metabolic enzymes which are common targets for bioengineering in the production of biofuels and other products. Serendipitously, we identified FAS as a contaminant in a cryoEM dataset of virus-like particles (VLPs) purified from P. pastoris, an important model organism and common expression system used in protein production. From these data, we determined the structure of P. pastoris FAS to 3.1 Å resolution. While the overall organisation of the complex was typical of type I FASs, we identified several differences in both structural and enzymatic domains through comparison with the prototypical yeast FAS from S. cerevisiae. Using focussed classification, we were also able to resolve and model the mobile acyl-carrier protein (ACP) domain, which is key for function. Ultimately, the structure reported here will be a useful resource for further efforts to engineer yeast FAS for synthesis of alternate products.

scholarly journals Transcriptional and functional characterization of the gene encoding acyl carrier protein in Bacillus subtilis

Microbiology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 156 (2) ◽  
pp. 484-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariano A. Martinez ◽  
Diego de Mendoza ◽  
Gustavo E. Schujman
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Fatty Acid Biosynthesis ◽  
Acyl Carrier Protein ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Carrier Protein ◽  
Normal Fatty Acid ◽  
Gram Positive

Acyl carrier protein (ACP) is a universal and highly conserved carrier of acyl intermediates during fatty acid biosynthesis. The molecular mechanisms of regulation of the acpP structural gene, as well as the function of its gene product, are poorly characterized in Bacillus subtilis and other Gram-positive organisms. Here, we report that transcription of acpP takes place from two different promoters: PfapR and PacpP. Expression of acpP from PfapR is coordinated with a cluster of genes involved in lipid synthesis (the fapR operon); the operon consists of fapR-plsX-fabD-fabG-acpP. PacpP is located immediately upstream of the acpP coding sequence, and is necessary and sufficient for normal fatty acid synthesis. We also report that acpP is essential for growth and differentiation, and that ACP localizes in the mother-cell compartment of the sporangium during spore formation. These results provide the first detailed characterization of the expression of the ACP-encoding gene in a Gram-positive bacterium, and highlight the importance of this protein in B. subtilis physiology.

scholarly journals Genetic Characterization of Accumulation of Polyhydroxyalkanoate from Styrene in Pseudomonas putida CA-3

2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (8) ◽  
pp. 4380-4387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niall D. O'Leary ◽  
Kevin E. O'Connor ◽  
Patrick Ward ◽  
Miriam Goff ◽  
Alan D. W. Dobson
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Pseudomonas Putida ◽  
Fatty Acid Synthesis ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Acyl Carrier Protein ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Random Mutagenesis ◽  
Acid Synthesis ◽  
Sole Source

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas putida CA-3 is capable of accumulating medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates (MCL-PHAs) when growing on the toxic pollutant styrene as the sole source of carbon and energy. In this study, we report on the molecular characterization of the metabolic pathways involved in this novel bioconversion. With a mini-Tn5 random mutagenesis approach, acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA) was identified as the end product of styrene metabolism in P. putida CA-3. Amplified flanking-region PCR was used to clone functionally expressed phenylacetyl-CoA catabolon genes upstream from the sty operon in P. putida CA-3, previously reported to generate acetyl-CoA moieties from the styrene catabolic intermediate, phenylacetyl-CoA. However, the essential involvement of a (non-phenylacetyl-CoA) catabolon-encoded 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase is also reported. The link between de novo fatty acid synthesis and PHA monomer accumulation was investigated, and a functionally expressed 3-hydroxyacyl-acyl carrier protein-CoA transacylase (phaG) gene in P. putida CA-3 was identified. The deduced PhaG amino acid sequence shared >99% identity with a transacylase from P. putida KT2440, involved in 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA MCL-PHA monomer sequestration from de novo fatty acid synthesis under inorganic nutrient-limited conditions. Similarly, with P. putida CA-3, maximal phaG expression was observed only under nitrogen limitation, with concomitant PHA accumulation. Thus, β-oxidation and fatty acid de novo synthesis appear to converge in the generation of MCL-PHA monomers from styrene in P. putida CA-3. Cloning and functional characterization of the pha locus, responsible for PHA polymerization/depolymerization is also reported and the significance and future prospects of this novel bioconversion are discussed.

scholarly journals Insights into Acinetobacter baumannii fatty acid synthesis 3-oxoacyl-ACP reductases

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily M. Cross ◽  
Felise G. Adams ◽  
Jack K. Waters ◽  
David Aragão ◽  
Bart A. Eijkelkamp ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Weight ◽  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
High Molecular Weight ◽  
Fatty Acid Synthesis ◽  
Acyl Carrier Protein ◽  
Acid Synthesis ◽  
Type I ◽  
Pellicle Formation

AbstractTreatments for ‘superbug’ infections are the focus for innovative research, as drug resistance threatens human health and medical practices globally. In particular, Acinetobacter baumannii (Ab) infections are repeatedly reported as difficult to treat due to increasing antibiotic resistance. Therefore, there is increasing need to identify novel targets in the development of different antimicrobials. Of particular interest is fatty acid synthesis, vital for the formation of phospholipids, lipopolysaccharides/lipooligosaccharides, and lipoproteins of Gram-negative envelopes. The bacterial type II fatty acid synthesis (FASII) pathway is an attractive target for the development of inhibitors and is particularly favourable due to the differences from mammalian type I fatty acid synthesis. Discrete enzymes in this pathway include two reductase enzymes: 3-oxoacyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) reductase (FabG) and enoyl-ACP reductase (FabI). Here, we investigate annotated FabG homologs, finding a low-molecular weight 3-oxoacyl-ACP reductase, as the most likely FASII FabG candidate, and high-molecular weight 3-oxoacyl-ACP reductase (HMwFabG), showing differences in structure and coenzyme preference. To date, this is the second bacterial high-molecular weight FabG structurally characterized, following FabG4 from Mycobacterium. We show that ΔAbHMwfabG is impaired for growth in nutrient rich media and pellicle formation. We also modelled a third 3-oxoacyl-ACP reductase, which we annotated as AbSDR. Despite containing residues for catalysis and the ACP coordinating motif, biochemical analyses showed limited activity against an acetoacetyl-CoA substrate in vitro. Inhibitors designed to target FabG proteins and thus prevent fatty acid synthesis may provide a platform for use against multidrug-resistant pathogens including A. baumannii.

Functional characterization of replication protein A2 (RPA2) from Cryptosporidium parvum

Microbiology ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 150 (5) ◽  
pp. 1197-1205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason J. Millership ◽  
Xiaomin Cai ◽  
Guan Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Cryptosporidium Parvum ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Protein A ◽  
Replication Protein ◽  
Start Codon ◽  
Heterologous Proteins ◽  
Single Stranded Dna

Replication protein A (RPA) is a heterotrimeric complex of single-stranded DNA-binding proteins that play multiple roles in eukaryotic DNA metabolism. The RPA complex is typically composed of heterologous proteins (termed RPA1, RPA2 and RPA3) in animals, plants and fungi, which possess different functions. Previously, two distinct, short-type RPA large subunits (CpRPA1 and CpRPA1B) from the apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum were characterized. Here are reported the identification and characterization of a putative middle RPA subunit (CpRPA2) from this unicellular organism. Although the CpRPA2 gene encodes a predicted 40·1 kDa peptide, which is larger than other RPA2 subunits characterized to date, Western blot analysis of oocyst preparations detected a native CpRPA2 protein with a molecular mass of approximately 32 kDa, suggesting that CpRPA2 might undergo post-translational cleavage or the gene was translated at an alternative start codon. Immunofluorescence microscopy using a rabbit anti-CpRPA2 antibody revealed that CpRPA2 protein was mainly distributed in the cytosol (rather than the nuclei) of C. parvum sporozoites. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR data indicated that CpRPA2 was differentially expressed in a tissue culture model with highest expression in intracellular parasites infecting HCT-8 cells for 36 and 60 h. Sequence comparison suggests that RPA2 is a group of poorly conserved proteins. Nonetheless, functional analyses of recombinant proteins confirmed that CpRPA2 is a single-stranded DNA-binding protein and that it could serve as an in vitro phosphorylation target by a DNA-dependent protein kinase. The minimal length of poly(dT) required for CpRPA2 binding is 17 nucleotides, and the DNA-binding capability was inhibited by phosphorylation in vitro. These observations provide additional evidence on the divergence of RPA proteins between C. parvum and host, implying that the parasite DNA replication machinery could be explored as a chemotherapeutic target.

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