In vitro Mutagenesis of Human Dihydropteridine Reductase at the Active Site and at Altered Sites Found in the Reductases of Deficient Children

Pteridines ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 123-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong-Ping Zhang ◽  
Nan Yang ◽  
Wilfred L. F. Armarego

Summary A general procedure for in vitro site-directed mutagenesis of the wild-type dihydropteridine reductase gene has been used successfully to make eight mutant proteins. Five mutations were at the active site, viz Tyrl50His, Tyrl50Ser, Tyrl50Phe, Tyr150Glu and Tyrl50Lys. The proteins were expressed as glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins from which the unconjugated reductases were obtained by thrombin cleavage. The kinetic parameters of the conjugated and unconjugated reductases were measured using natural quinonoid R-7,8(6H)-dihydrobiopterin and non-natural quinonoid RS-6-methyl-7,8(6H)-dihydropterin and NADH. The kcat (maximum velocity at saturating concentrations of substrates) and kcatl Km (first order rate constant at low concentration of substrates) values show that the phenolic OH of Tyr 150 was the most likely proton source to complete the hydride reduction of the quinonoid pterin cofactor. However in the absence of a proton source at residue 150, measurable enzyme activities were observed indicating that a proton was relayed via a water molecule(s) from some neighbouring acidic amino acid residue. Three mutant dihydropteridine reductases, which were found in defective children, have been similarly attempted, viz GlylSlSer, Gly23Asp and a threonine insertion at position 123. The enzyme activities of the first two mutant reductases were consistent with the severity of the disease. The unconjugated reductase from the third mutation could not be obtained due to proteolysis but the fusion protein was enzymically active.

2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (20) ◽  
pp. 12721-12731 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ákos Putics ◽  
Witold Filipowicz ◽  
Jonathan Hall ◽  
Alexander E. Gorbalenya ◽  
John Ziebuhr

ABSTRACT Replication of the ∼30-kb plus-strand RNA genome of coronaviruses and synthesis of an extensive set of subgenome-length RNAs are mediated by the replicase-transcriptase, a membrane-bound protein complex containing several cellular proteins and up to 16 viral nonstructural proteins (nsps) with multiple enzymatic activities, including protease, polymerase, helicase, methyltransferase, and RNase activities. To get further insight into the replicase gene-encoded functions, we characterized the coronavirus X domain, which is part of nsp3 and has been predicted to be an ADP-ribose-1"-monophosphate (Appr-1"-p) processing enzyme. Bacterially expressed forms of human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E) and severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus X domains were shown to dephosphorylate Appr-1"-p, a side product of cellular tRNA splicing, to ADP-ribose in a highly specific manner. The enzyme had no detectable activity on several other nucleoside phosphates. Guided by the crystal structure of AF1521, an X domain homolog from Archaeoglobus fulgidus, potential active-site residues of the HCoV-229E X domain were targeted by site-directed mutagenesis. The data suggest that the HCoV-229E replicase polyprotein residues, Asn 1302, Asn 1305, His 1310, Gly 1312, and Gly 1313, are part of the enzyme's active site. Characterization of an Appr-1"-pase-deficient HCoV-229E mutant revealed no significant effects on viral RNA synthesis and virus titer, and no reversion to the wild-type sequence was observed when the mutant virus was passaged in cell culture. The apparent dispensability of the conserved X domain activity in vitro indicates that coronavirus replicase polyproteins have evolved to include nonessential functions. The biological significance of the novel enzymatic activity in vivo remains to be investigated.


1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 7836-7849
Author(s):  
P Russo ◽  
W Z Li ◽  
Z Guo ◽  
F Sherman

The cyc1-512 mutant was previously shown to contain a 38-bp deletion, 8 nucleotides upstream from the major wild-type poly(A) site, in the CYC1 gene, which encodes iso-1-cytochrome c of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This 38-bp deletion caused a 90% reduction in the CYC1 transcripts, which were heterogeneous in size, aberrantly long, and presumably labile (K. S. Zaret and F. Sherman, Cell 28:563-573, 1982). Site-directed mutagenesis in and adjacent to the 38-bp region was used to identify signals involved in the formation and positioning of CYC1 mRNA 3' ends. In addition, combinations of various putative 3' end-forming signals were introduced by in vitro mutagenesis into the 3' region of the cyc1-512 mutant. The combined results from both studies suggest that 3' end formation in yeast cells involves signals having the following three distinct but integrated elements acting in concert: (i) the upstream element, including sequences TATATA, TAG ... TATGTA, and TTTTTATA, which function by enhancing the efficiency of downstream elements; (ii) downstream elements, such as TTAAGAAC and AAGAA, which position the poly(A) site; and (iii) the actual site of polyadenylation, which often occurs after cytidine residues that are 3' to the so-called downstream element. While the upstream element is required for efficient 3' end formation, alterations of the downstream element and poly(A) sites generally do not affect the efficiency of 3' end formation but appear to alter the positions of poly(A) sites. In addition, we have better defined the upstream elements by examining various derivatives of TATATA and TAG ... TATGTA, and we have examined the spatial requirements of the three elements by systematically introducing or deleting upstream and downstream elements and cytidine poly(A) sites.


2001 ◽  
Vol 56 (9-10) ◽  
pp. 810-813 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paxton Loke ◽  
Tiow-Suan Sim

Abstract In this comparative study, three different mutagenesis kits, namely the MutaGene phagemid in vitro mutagenesis kit (Bio-Rad), the Transformerä Site-Directed mutagenesis kit (Clontech) and the Quik-change site-directed mutagenesis kit (Stratagene) were used for the mutagenesis of IPNS genes. However, a large difference in mutation efficiencies among these kits was encountered. Furthermore, these kits employ different strategies with its own individual strengths and weaknesses. Thus, a comparison among these three kits to evaluate their usefulness and improvements on the strategy adopted by the Quik-change site-directed mutagenesis kit, which was the kit of choice for our work, are presented for the benefit of research work.


1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 7836-7849 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Russo ◽  
W Z Li ◽  
Z Guo ◽  
F Sherman

The cyc1-512 mutant was previously shown to contain a 38-bp deletion, 8 nucleotides upstream from the major wild-type poly(A) site, in the CYC1 gene, which encodes iso-1-cytochrome c of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This 38-bp deletion caused a 90% reduction in the CYC1 transcripts, which were heterogeneous in size, aberrantly long, and presumably labile (K. S. Zaret and F. Sherman, Cell 28:563-573, 1982). Site-directed mutagenesis in and adjacent to the 38-bp region was used to identify signals involved in the formation and positioning of CYC1 mRNA 3' ends. In addition, combinations of various putative 3' end-forming signals were introduced by in vitro mutagenesis into the 3' region of the cyc1-512 mutant. The combined results from both studies suggest that 3' end formation in yeast cells involves signals having the following three distinct but integrated elements acting in concert: (i) the upstream element, including sequences TATATA, TAG ... TATGTA, and TTTTTATA, which function by enhancing the efficiency of downstream elements; (ii) downstream elements, such as TTAAGAAC and AAGAA, which position the poly(A) site; and (iii) the actual site of polyadenylation, which often occurs after cytidine residues that are 3' to the so-called downstream element. While the upstream element is required for efficient 3' end formation, alterations of the downstream element and poly(A) sites generally do not affect the efficiency of 3' end formation but appear to alter the positions of poly(A) sites. In addition, we have better defined the upstream elements by examining various derivatives of TATATA and TAG ... TATGTA, and we have examined the spatial requirements of the three elements by systematically introducing or deleting upstream and downstream elements and cytidine poly(A) sites.


2020 ◽  
Vol 202 (20) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yamilet Macias-Orihuela ◽  
Thomas Cast ◽  
Ian Crawford ◽  
Kevin J. Brandecker ◽  
Jennifer J. Thiaville ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Chlamydia trachomatis lacks the canonical genes required for the biosynthesis of p-aminobenzoate (pABA), a component of essential folate cofactors. Previous studies revealed a single gene from C. trachomatis, the CT610 gene, that rescues Escherichia coli ΔpabA, ΔpabB, and ΔpabC mutants, which are otherwise auxotrophic for pABA. CT610 shares low sequence similarity to nonheme diiron oxygenases, and the previously solved crystal structure revealed a diiron active site. Genetic studies ruled out several potential substrates for CT610-dependent pABA biosynthesis, including chorismate and other shikimate pathway intermediates, leaving the actual precursor(s) unknown. Here, we supplied isotopically labeled potential precursors to E. coli ΔpabA cells expressing CT610 and found that the aromatic portion of tyrosine was highly incorporated into pABA, indicating that tyrosine is a precursor for CT610-dependent pABA biosynthesis. Additionally, in vitro enzymatic experiments revealed that purified CT610 exhibits low pABA synthesis activity under aerobic conditions in the absence of tyrosine or other potential substrates, where only the addition of a reducing agent such as dithiothreitol appears to stimulate pABA production. Furthermore, site-directed mutagenesis studies revealed that two conserved active site tyrosine residues are essential for the pABA synthesis reaction in vitro. Thus, the current data are most consistent with CT610 being a unique self-sacrificing enzyme that utilizes its own active site tyrosine residue(s) for pABA biosynthesis in a reaction that requires O2 and a reduced diiron cofactor. IMPORTANCE Chlamydia trachomatis is the most reported sexually transmitted infection in the United States and the leading cause of infectious blindness worldwide. Unlike many other intracellular pathogens that have undergone reductive evolution, C. trachomatis is capable of de novo biosynthesis of the essential cofactor tetrahydrofolate using a noncanonical pathway. Here, we identify the biosynthetic precursor to the p-aminobenzoate (pABA) portion of folate in a process that requires the CT610 enzyme from C. trachomatis. We further provide evidence that CT610 is a self-sacrificing or “suicide” enzyme that uses its own amino acid residue(s) as the substrate for pABA synthesis. This work provides the foundation for future investigation of this chlamydial pABA synthase, which could lead to new therapeutic strategies for C. trachomatis infections.


1995 ◽  
Vol 118 (6) ◽  
pp. 1303-1309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshio Shibagaki ◽  
Hideo Gotoh ◽  
Misako Kato ◽  
Kiyohisa Mizumoto

2003 ◽  
Vol 185 (4) ◽  
pp. 1167-1173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Ekberg ◽  
Pernilla Birgander ◽  
Britt-Marie Sjöberg

ABSTRACT Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) catalyzes the essential production of deoxyribonucleotides in all living cells. In this study we have established a sensitive in vivo assay to study the activity of RNR in aerobic Escherichia coli cells. The method is based on the complementation of a chromosomally encoded nonfunctional RNR with plasmid-encoded RNR. This assay can be used to determine in vivo activity of RNR mutants with activities beyond the detection limits of traditional in vitro assays. E. coli RNR is composed of two homodimeric proteins, R1 and R2. The R2 protein contains a stable tyrosyl radical essential for the catalysis that takes place at the R1 active site. The three-dimensional structures of both proteins, phylogenetic studies, and site-directed mutagenesis experiments show that the radical is transferred from the R2 protein to the active site in the R1 protein via a radical transfer pathway composed of at least nine conserved amino acid residues. Using the new assay we determined the in vivo activity of mutants affecting the radical transfer pathway in RNR and identified some residual radical transfer activity in two mutant R2 constructs (D237N and W48Y) that had previously been classified as negative for enzyme activity. In addition, we show that the R2 mutant Y356W is completely inactive, in sharp contrast to what has previously been observed for the corresponding mutation in the mouse R2 enzyme.


The dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase (E2p) component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex of Escherichia coli contains three highly homologous lipoyl domains ( ca . 100 residues) that are tandemly repeated to form the N-terminal half of the polypeptide chain. These lipoyl domains are linked to a much larger ( ca . 300 residues) subunit-binding domain that aggregates to form the octahedral inner core of the complex and also contains the acetyltransferase active site. Selective in vitro deletions in the E2p gene ( aceF )have allowed the creation of truncated E2p chains in which one or more of the lipoyl domains has been excised. Site-directed mutagenesis has been used to change individual residues. The effects of these deletions and mutations on the assembly, catalytic activity and active-site coupling in the complex are assessed.


2004 ◽  
Vol 279 (44) ◽  
pp. 46172-46181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stéphanie Voisin ◽  
Didier Rognan ◽  
Claude Gros ◽  
Tanja Ouimet

Neprilysin 2 (NEP2), a recently identified member of the M13 subfamily of metalloproteases, shares the highest degree of homology with the prototypical member of the family neprilysin. Whereas the study of thein vitroenzymatic activity of NEP2 shows that it resembles that of NEP as it cleaves the same substrates often at the same amide bonds and binds the same inhibitory compounds albeit with different potencies, its physiological role remains elusive because of the lack of selective inhibitors. To aid in the design of these novel compounds and better understand the different inhibitory patterns of NEP and NEP2, the x-ray structure of NEP was used as a template to build a model of the NEP2 active site. The results of our modeling suggest that the overall structure of NEP2 closely resembles that of NEP. The model of the active site reveals a 97% sequence identity with that of NEP with differences located within the S′2subsite of NEP2 where Ser133and Leu739replace two glycine residues in NEP. To validate the proposed model, site-directed mutagenesis was performed on a series of residues of NEP2, mutants expressed in AtT20 cells, and their ability to bind various substrates and inhibitory compounds was tested. The results confirm the involvement of the conserved Arg131and Asn567in substrate binding and catalytic activity of NEP2 and further show that the modifications in its S′2pocket, particularly the presence therein of Leu739, account for a number of differences in inhibitor binding between NEP and NEP2.


2001 ◽  
Vol 276 (15) ◽  
pp. 11631-11638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Celia Quijano ◽  
Daniel Hernandez-Saavedra ◽  
Laura Castro ◽  
Joe M. McCord ◽  
Bruce A. Freeman ◽  
...  

Manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), a critical mitochondrial antioxidant enzyme, becomes inactivated and nitratedin vitroand potentiallyin vivoby peroxynitrite. Since peroxynitrite readily reacts with transition metal centers, we assessed the role of the manganese ion in the reaction between peroxynitrite and Mn-SOD. Peroxynitrite reacts with human recombinant andEscherichia coliMn-SOD with a second order rate constant of 1.0 ± 0.2 × 105and 1.4 ± 0.2 × 105m−1s−1at pH 7.47 and 37 °C, respectively. TheE. coliapoenzyme, obtained by removing the manganese ion from the active site, presents a rate constant <104m−1s−1for the reaction with peroxynitrite, whereas that of the manganese-reconstituted apoenzyme (apo/Mn) was comparable to that of the holoenzyme. Peroxynitrite-dependent nitration of 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid was increased 21% by Mn-SOD. The apo/Mn also promoted nitration, but the apo and the zinc-substituted apoenzyme (apo/Zn) enzymes did not. The extent of tyrosine nitration in the enzyme was also affected by the presence and nature (i.e.manganese or zinc) of the metal center in the active site. For comparative purposes, we also studied the reaction of peroxynitrite with low molecular weight complexes of manganese and zinc with tetrakis-(4-benzoic acid) porphyrin (tbap). Mn(tbap) reacts with peroxynitrite with a rate constant of 6.8 ± 0.1 × 104m−1s−1and maximally increases nitration yields by 350%. Zn(tbap), on the other hand, affords protection against nitration. Our results indicate that the manganese ion in Mn-SOD plays an important role in the decomposition kinetics of peroxynitrite and in peroxynitrite-dependent nitration of self and remote tyrosine residues.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document