A ferredoxin-dependent dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase in Clostridium chromiireducens

Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (PydA) catalyzes the first step of the reductive pyrimidine degradation (Pyd) pathway in bacteria and eukaryotes, enabling pyrimidines to be utilized as substrates for growth. PydA homologs studied to date catalyze the reduction of uracil to dihydrouracil, coupled to the oxidation of NAD(P)H. Uracil reduction occurs at a flavin mononucleotide (FMN) site, and NAD(P)H oxidation occurs at a flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) site, with two ferredoxin domains thought to mediate inter-site electron transfer. Here, we report the biochemical characterization of a Clostridial PydA homolog (PydAc) from a Pyd gene cluster in the strict anaerobic bacterium Clostridium chromiireducens. PydAc lacks the FAD domain, and instead is able to catalyze uracil reduction using reduced methyl viologen or reduced ferredoxin as the electron source. Homologs of PydAc are present in Pyd gene clusters in many strict anaerobic bacteria, which use reduced ferredoxin as an intermediate in their energy metabolism.

Dihydropyrimidinase protects from DNA replication stress caused by cytotoxic metabolites

Imbalance in the level of the pyrimidine degradation products dihydrouracil and dihydrothymine is associated with cellular transformation and cancer progression. Dihydropyrimidines are degraded by dihydropyrimidinase (DHP), a zinc metalloenzyme that is upregulated in solid tumors but not in the corresponding normal tissues. How dihydropyrimidine metabolites affect cellular phenotypes remains elusive. Here we show that the accumulation of dihydropyrimidines induces the formation of DNA–protein crosslinks (DPCs) and causes DNA replication and transcriptional stress. We used Xenopus egg extracts to recapitulate DNA replication invitro. We found that dihydropyrimidines interfere directly with the replication of both plasmid and chromosomal DNA. Furthermore, we show that the plant flavonoid dihydromyricetin inhibits human DHP activity. Cellular exposure to dihydromyricetin triggered DPCs-dependent DNA replication stress in cancer cells. This study defines dihydropyrimidines as potentially cytotoxic metabolites that may offer an opportunity for therapeutic-targeting of DHP activity in solid tumors.

De novoβ-alanine synthesis in α-proteobacteria involves a β-alanine synthase from the uracil degradation pathway

Abstractβ-alanine synthesis in bacteria occurs by the decarboxylation of L-aspartate as part of the pantothenate synthesis pathway. In the other two domains of life we find different pathways for β-alanine formation, such as sources from spermine in plants, uracil in yeast and by transamination reactions in insects and mammals. There are also promiscuous decarboxylases that can decarboxylate aspartate. Several bioinformatics studies about the conservation of pantothenate synthesis pathway performed on bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes, have shown a partial conservation of the pathway. As a part of our work, we performed an analysis of the prevalence of reported β-alanine synthesis pathways in 204 genomes of alpha-proteobacteria, with a focus on theRhizobialesorder. The aim of this work was to determine the enzyme or pathway used to synthetize β-alanine inRhizobium etliCFN42. Our bioinformatics analysis showed that this strain encodes the pyrimidine degradation pathway in its genome. We obtained a β-alanine synthase (amaB)mutant that was a β-alanine auxotroph. Complementation with the cloned gene restored the wild type phenotype. Biochemical analysis confirmed that the recombinant AmaB catalyzed the formation of β-alanine from 3-Ureidopropionic acidin vitro. Here we show a different way in bacteria to produce this essential metabolite.ImportanceSince the pioneer studies of Cronan (1980) on β-alanine synthesis inE. coli, it has been assumed that the decarboxilation of aspartate by the L-aspartate-α-decarboxylase it’s the main enzymatic reaction for β-alanine synthesis in bacteria. Forty years later, while we were studying the pantothenic acid synthesis in rhizobia, we demonstrate that a numerous and diverse group of bacteria classified as α-proteobacteria synthesize β-alaninede novousing β-alanine synthase, the last enzyme from the reductive pathway for uracil degradation.Additionally, there is a growing interest in β-amino acid due to its remarkable pharmaceuticals properties as hypoglycemic, antiketogenic and anti-fungal agents.

Dihydropyrimidinase protects from DNA replication stress caused by cytotoxic metabolites.

Imbalance in the level of the pyrimidine degradation products dihydrouracil and dihydrothymine is associated with cellular transformation and cancer progression. Dihydropyrimidines are degraded by dihydropyrimidinase (DHP), a zinc metalloenzyme that is upregulated in solid tumors but not in the corresponding normal tissues. How dihydropyrimidine metabolites affect cellular phenotypes remains elusive. Here we show that the suppression of DHP in cancer cell lines is cytotoxic. An increase in the level of dihydropyrimidines induced DNA replication and transcriptional stress. Cells lacking DHP accumulated DNA-protein crosslinks (DPCs), including covalently trapped DNA polymerase eta. Furthermore, we show that the plant flavonoid dihydromyricetin inhibits human DHP activity. Cellular exposure to dihydromyricetin triggered DPCs-dependent DNA replication stress in cancer cells. This study defines dihydropyrimidines as potentially cytotoxic metabolites that may offer an opportunity for therapeutic-targeting of DHP activity in solid tumors.