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L-Ribose isomerase from Cellulomonas parahominis MB426 (CpL-RI) can catalyze the isomerization between L-ribose and L-ribulose, which are non-abundant in nature and called rare sugars. CpL-RI has a broad substrate specificity and can catalyze the isomerization between D-lyxose and D-xylulose, D-talose and D-tagatose, L-allose and L-psicose, L-gulose and L-sorbose, and D-mannose and D-fructose. To elucidate the molecular basis underlying the substrate recognition mechanism of CpL-RI, the crystal structures of CpL-RI alone and in complexes with L-ribose, L-allose, and L-psicose were determined. The structure of CpL-RI was very similar to that of L-ribose isomerase from Acinetobacter sp. strain DL-28, previously determined by us. CpL-RI had a cupin-type β-barrel structure, and the catalytic site was detected between two large β-sheets with a bound metal ion. The bound substrates coordinated to the metal ion, and Glu113 and Glu204 were shown to act as acid/base catalysts in the catalytic reaction via a cis-enediol intermediate. Glu211 and Arg243 were found to be responsible for the recognition of substrates with various configurations at 4- and 5-positions of sugar. CpL-RI formed a homo-tetramer in crystals, and the catalytic site independently consisted of residues within a subunit, suggesting that the catalytic site acted independently. Crystal structure and site-direct mutagenesis analyses showed that the tetramer structure is essential for the enzyme activity and that each subunit of CpL-RI could be structurally stabilized by intermolecular contacts with other subunits. The results of growth complementation assays suggest that CpL-RI is involved in a novel metabolic pathway using L-ribose as a carbon source.

3-Acetamido-3,6-dideoxy-d-galactose (Fuc3NAc) and 3-acetamido-3,6-dideoxy-d-glucose (Qui3NAc) are unusual sugars found on the lipopolysaccharides of Gram-negative bacteria and on the S-layers of Gram-positive bacteria. The 3,4-ketoisomerases, referred to as FdtA and QdtA, catalyze the third steps in the respective biosynthetic pathways for these sugars. Whereas both enzymes utilize the same substrate, the stereochemistries of their products are different. Specifically, the hydroxyl groups at the hexose C-4' positions assume the "galactose" and "glucose" configurations in the FdtA and QdtA products, respectively. In 2007 we reported the structure of the apoform of FdtA from Aneurinibacillus thermoaerophilus, which was followed in 2014 by the X-ray analysis of QdtA from Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum as a binary complex. Both of these enzymes belong to the cupin superfamily. Here we report a combined structural and enzymological study to explore the manner in which these enzymes control the stereochemistry of their products. Various site-directed mutant proteins of each enzyme were constructed, and their dTDP-sugar products were analyzed by NMR spectroscopy. In addition, the kinetic parameters for these protein variants were measured, and the structure of one, namely, the QdtA Y17R/R97H double mutant form, was determined to 2.3-Å resolution. Finally, in an attempt to obtain a model of FdtA with a bound dTDP-linked sugar, the 3,4-ketoisomerase domain of a bifunctional enzyme from Shewanella denitrificans was cloned, purified, and crystallized in the presence of a dTDP-linked sugar analogue. Taken together, the results from this investigation demonstrate that it is possible to convert a "galacto" enzyme into a "gluco" enzyme and vice versa., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest.

The second-harmonic generation (SHG) activity of protein crystals was found to be enhanced by up to ∼1000-fold by the intercalation of SHG phores within the crystal lattice. Unlike the intercalation of fluorophores, the SHG phores produced no significant background SHG from solvated dye or from dye intercalated into amorphous aggregates. The polarization-dependent SHG is consistent with the chromophores adopting the symmetry of the crystal lattice. In addition, the degree of enhancement for different symmetries of dyes is consistent with theoretical predictions based on the molecular nonlinear optical response. Kinetics studies indicate that intercalation arises over a timeframe of several minutes in lysozyme, with detectable enhancements within seconds. These results provide a potential means to increase the overall diversity of protein crystals and crystal sizes amenable to characterization by SHG microscopy.

The major constituents of agarwood oils are sesquiterpenes that are obtained from isoprenoid precursors through the plastidial methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway and the cytosolic mevalonate pathway. In this study, a novel full-length cDNA of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR), which was the second key enzyme in the plastid MEP pathway of sesquiterpenes biosynthesis was isolated from the stem of Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Gilg by the methods of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) technique for the first time, and named as AsDXR. The full-length cDNA of AsDXR was 1768 bp, containing a 1437 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a polypeptide of 478 amino acids with a molecular weight of 51.859 kD and the theoretical isoelectric point of 6.29. Comparative and bioinformatic analysis of the deduced AsDXR protein showed extensive homology with DXRs from other plant species, especially Theobroma cacao and Gossypium barbadense, and contained a conserved transit peptide for plastids, and extended pro-rich region and a highly conserved NADPH-binding motif owned by all plant DXRs. Southern blot analysis indicated that AsDXR belonged to a small gene family. Tissue expression pattern analysis revealed that AsDXR expressed strongly in root and stem, but weakly in leaf. Additionally, AsDXR expression was found to be activated by exogenous elicitor of MeJA (methyl jasmonate). The contents of three sesquiterpenes (α-guaiene, α-humulene and Δ-guaiene) were significantly induced by MeJA. This study enables us to further elucidate the role of AsDXR in the biosynthesis of agarwood sesquiterpenes in A. sinensis at the molecular level.

Assessing similarity between data sets with the reduced χ(2) test requires the estimation of experimental errors, which, if incorrect, may render statistical comparisons invalid. We report a goodness-of-fit test, Correlation Map (CorMap), for assessing differences between one-dimensional spectra independently of explicit error estimates, using only data point correlations. Using small-angle X-ray scattering data, we demonstrate that CorMap maintains the power of the reduced χ(2) test; moreover, CorMap is also applicable to other physical experiments.

Blocking the 2-C-methyl-d-erythrithol-4-phosphate (MEP) pathway for isoprenoid biosynthesis offers interesting prospects for inhibiting Plasmodium or Mycobacterium spp. growth. Fosmidomycin (1) and its homologue FR900098 (2) potently inhibit 1-deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase (Dxr), a key enzyme in this pathway. Here we introduced aryl or aralkyl substituents at the β-position of the hydroxamate analogue of 2. While direct addition of a β-aryl moiety resulted in poor inhibition, longer linkers between the carbon backbone and the phenyl ring were generally associated with better binding to the enzymes. X-ray structures of the parasite Dxr-inhibitor complexes show that the "longer" compounds generate a substantially different flap structure, in which a key tryptophan residue is displaced, and the aromatic group of the ligand lies between the tryptophan and the hydroxamate's methyl group. Although the most promising new Dxr inhibitors lack activity against Escherichia coli and Mycobacterium smegmatis, they proved to be highly potent inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum in vitro growth.

For the first time the influence of the chirality of the gel fibers in protein crystallogenesis has been studied. Enantiomeric hydrogels 1 and 2 were tested with model proteins lysozyme and glucose isomerase and a formamidase extracted from B. cereus. Crystallization behaviour and crystal quality of these proteins in both hydrogels are presented and compared.

Several mechanistically unrelated enzymes utilize the binding energy of their substrate's nonreacting phosphoryl group to accelerate catalysis. Evidence for the involvement of the phosphodianion in transition state formation has come from reactions of the substrate in pieces, in which reaction of a truncated substrate lacking its phosphorylmethyl group is activated by inorganic phosphite. What has remained unknown until now is how the phosphodianion group influences the reaction energetics at different points along the reaction coordinate. 1-Deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate (DXP) reductoisomerase (DXR), which catalyzes the isomerization of DXP to 2-C-methyl-D-erythrose 4-phosphate (MEsP) and subsequent NADPH-dependent reduction, presents a unique opportunity to address this concern. Previously, we have reported the effect of covalently linked phosphate on the energetics of DXP turnover. Through the use of chemically synthesized MEsP and its phosphate-truncated analogue, 2-C-methyl-D-glyceraldehyde, the current study revealed a loss of 6.1 kcal/mol of kinetic barrier stabilization upon truncation, of which 4.4 kcal/mol was regained in the presence of phosphite dianion. The activating effect of phosphite was accompanied by apparent tightening of its interactions within the active site at the intermediate stage of the reaction, suggesting a role of the phosphodianion in disfavoring intermediate release and in modulation of the on-enzyme isomerization equilibrium. The results of kinetic isotope effect and structural studies indicate rate limitation by physical steps when the covalent linkage is severed. These striking differences in the energetics of the natural reaction and the reactions in pieces provide a deeper insight into the contribution of enzyme-phosphodianion interactions to the reaction coordinate.

Leishmaniases are caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania and are considered the second-highest cause of death worldwide by parasitic infection. The drugs available for treatment in humans are becoming ineffective mainly due to parasite resistance; therefore, it is extremely important to develop a new chemotherapy against these parasites. A crucial aspect of drug design development is the identification and characterization of novel molecular targets. In this work, through an in silico comparative analysis between the genomes of Leishmania major and Homo sapiens, the enzyme ribose 5-phosphate isomerase (R5PI) was indicated as a promising molecular target. R5PI is an important enzyme that acts in the pentose phosphate pathway and catalyzes the interconversion of d-ribose-5-phosphate (R5P) and d-ribulose-5-phosphate (5RP). R5PI activity is found in two analogous groups of enzymes called RpiA (found in H. sapiens) and RpiB (found in L. major). Here, we present the first report of the three-dimensional (3D) structures and active sites of RpiB from L. major (LmRpiB) and RpiA from H. sapiens (HsRpiA). Three-dimensional models were constructed by applying a hybrid methodology that combines comparative and ab initio modeling techniques, and the active site was characterized based on docking studies of the substrates R5P (furanose and ring-opened forms) and 5RP. Our comparative analyses show that these proteins are structural analogs and that distinct residues participate in the interconversion of R5P and 5RP. We propose two distinct reaction mechanisms for the reversible isomerization of R5P to 5RP, which is catalyzed by LmRpiB and HsRpiA. We expect that the present results will be important in guiding future molecular modeling studies to develop new drugs that are specially designed to inhibit the parasitic form of the enzyme without significant effects on the human analog., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Knowledge of protein phase behavior is essential for downstream process design in the biopharmaceutical industry. Proteins can either be soluble, crystalline or precipitated. Additionally liquid-liquid phase separation, gelation and skin formation can occur. A method to generate phase diagrams in high throughput on an automated liquid handling station in microbatch scale was developed. For lysozyme from chicken egg white, human lysozyme, glucose oxidase and glucose isomerase phase diagrams were generated at four different pH values – pH 3, 5, 7 and 9. Sodium chloride, ammonium sulfate, polyethylene glycol 300 and polyethylene glycol 1000 were used as precipitants. Crystallizing conditions could be found for lysozyme from chicken egg white using sodium chloride, for human lysozyme using sodium chloride or ammonium sulfate and glucose isomerase using ammonium sulfate. PEG caused destabilization of human lysozyme and glucose oxidase solutions or a balance of stabilizing and destabilizing effects for glucose isomerase near the isoelectric point. This work presents a systematic generation and extensive study of phase diagrams of proteins. Thus, it adds to the general understanding of protein behavior in liquid formulation and presents a convenient methodology applicable to any protein solution., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

L-ribose isomerase (L-RI) from Cellulomonas parahominis MB426 can convert L-psicose and D-tagatose to L-allose and D-talose, respectively. Partially purified recombinant L-RI from Escherichia coli JM109 was immobilized on DIAION HPA25L resin and then utilized to produce L-allose and D-talose. Conversion reaction was performed with the reaction mixture containing 10% L-psicose or D-tagatose and immobilized L-RI at 40 °C. At equilibrium state, the yield of L-allose and D-talose was 35.0% and 13.0%, respectively. Immobilized enzyme could convert L-psicose to L-allose without remarkable decrease in the enzyme activity over 7 times use and D-tagatose to D-talose over 37 times use. After separation and concentration, the mixture solution of L-allose and D-talose was concentrated up to 70% and crystallized by keeping at 4 °C. L-Allose and d-talose crystals were collected from the syrup by filtration. The final yield was 23.0% L-allose and 7.30% D-talose that were obtained from L-psicose and D-tagatose, respectively.

X-ray scattering of biological macromolecules in solution is an increasingly popular tool for structural biology and benefits greatly from modern high-brightness synchrotron sources. The upgraded MacCHESS BioSAXS station is now located at the 49-pole wiggler beamline G1. The 20-fold improved flux over the previous beamline F2 provides higher sample throughput and autonomous X-ray scattering data collection using a unique SAXS/WAXS dual detectors configuration. This setup achieves a combined q-range from 0.007 to 0.7 Å(-1), enabling better characterization of smaller molecules, while opening opportunities for emerging wide-angle scattering methods. In addition, a facility upgrade of the positron storage ring to continuous top-up mode has improved beam stability and eliminated beam drift over the course of typical BioSAXS experiments. Single exposure times have been reduced to 2 s for 3.560 mg ml(-1) lysozyme with an average quality factor I/σ of 20 in the Guinier region. A novel disposable plastic sample cell design that incorporates lower background X-ray window material provides users with a more pristine sample environment than previously available. Systematic comparisons of common X-ray window materials bonded to the cell have also been extended to the wide-angle regime, offering new insight into best choices for various q-space ranges. In addition, a quantitative assessment of signal-to-noise levels has been performed on the station to allow users to estimate necessary exposure times for obtaining usable signals in the Guinier regime. Users also have access to a new BioSAXS sample preparation laboratory which houses essential wet-chemistry equipment and biophysical instrumentation. User experiments at the upgraded BioSAXS station have been on-going since commissioning of the beamline in Summer 2013. A planned upgrade of the G1 insertion device to an undulator for the Winter 2014 cycle is expected to further improve flux by an order of magnitude.

L-Arabinose isomerase (AI) catalyzes the isomerization of L-arabinose to L-ribulose, as well as that of D-galactose to D-tagatose. A thermophilic AI derived from Lactobacillus fermentum CGMCC2921 (LFAI) was overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). This enzyme was purified to over 95% purity by nickel affinity, Mono-Q ion-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography. The LFAI protein was crystallized from either 0.1 M bis-tris pH 6.5, 23% PEG 3350, 0.3 M NaCl (form 1 crystals) or 0.1 M bis-tris pH 6.0, 25% PEG monomethyl ether 5000 (form 2 crystals). Diffraction data from form 1 LFAI crystals were collected to 2.80 Å resolution using synchrotron radiation. The form 1 crystals belonged to the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a=85.11, b=184.57, c=186.26 Å, α=β=γ=90°. The asymmetric unit contained six LFAI subunits, corresponding to a calculated Matthews coefficient of 2.29 Å3 Da(-1) and a solvent content of 46.22%.

Serial femtosecond X-ray crystallography (SFX) has revolutionized atomic-resolution structural investigation by expanding applicability to micrometer-sized protein crystals, even at room temperature, and by enabling dynamics studies. However, reliable crystal-carrying media for SFX are lacking. Here we introduce a grease-matrix carrier for protein microcrystals and obtain the structures of lysozyme, glucose isomerase, thaumatin and fatty acid-binding protein type 3 under ambient conditions at a resolution of or finer than 2 Å.

The oligoHis-tagged versions of glucosamine-6-phosphate deaminase from Giardia lamblia (GlmNagB-HisN, GlmNagB-HisC) were constructed and purified to hear homogeneity, and their kinetic and structural properties were compared to those of the wild-type enzyme (GlmNagB). Introduction of the oligoHis tag at the GlmNagB C-terminus resulted in almost complete loss of the catalytic activity, while the catalytic properties of GlmNagB-HisN and GlmNagB were very similar. The recombinant and wild-type enzyme exhibits heterogeneity of the quaternary structure and in solution exists in three interconvertible forms, namely, monomeric, homodimeric, and homotetrameric. Although the monomeric form is prevalent, the monomer/dimer/tetramer ratios depended on protein concentration and fell within the range from 72:27:1 to 39:23:38. The enzyme is fully active in each of the oligomeric structures, efficiently catalyzes synthesis of D-glucosamine-6-phosphate from D-fructose-6-phosphate and ammonia, and its activity is not modified by GlcNAc6P, UDP-GlcNAc, or UDP-GalNAc. GlcN6P deaminase of G. lamblia represents a novel structural and functional type of enzyme of the NagB subfamily.

The non-mevalonate or 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol-4-phosphate (MEP) pathway is responsible for generating isoprenoid precursors in plants, protozoa, and bacteria. Because this pathway is absent in humans, its enzymes represent potential targets for the development of herbicides and antibiotics. 1-Deoxy-d-xylulose (DXP) reductoisomerase (DXR) is a particularly attractive target that catalyzes the pathway's first committed step: the sequential isomerization and NADPH-dependent reduction of DXP to MEP. This article provides a comprehensive review of the mechanistic and structural investigations on DXR, including its discovery and validation as a drug target, elucidation of its chemical and kinetic mechanisms, characterization of inhibition by the natural antibiotic fosmidomycin, and identification of structural features that provide the molecular basis for inhibition of and catalysis., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

L-Arabinose isomerase (AI), a key enzyme in the microbial pentose phosphate pathway, has been regarded as an important biological catalyst in rare sugar production. This enzyme could isomerize L-arabinose into L-ribulose, as well as D-galactose into D-tagatose. Both the two monosaccharides show excellent commercial values in food and pharmaceutical industries. With the identification of novel AI family members, some of them have exhibited remarkable potential in industrial applications. The biological production processes for D-tagatose and L-ribose (or L-ribulose) using AI have been developed and improved in recent years. Meanwhile, protein engineering techniques involving rational design has effectively enhanced the catalytic properties of various AIs. Moreover, the crystal structure of AI has been disclosed, which sheds light on the understanding of AI structure and catalytic mechanism at molecular levels. This article reports recent developments in (i) novel AI screening, (ii) AI-mediated rare sugar production processes, (iii) molecular modification of AI, and (iv) structural biology study of AI. Based on previous reports, an analysis of the future development has also been initiated.

A series of site-directed mutant glucose isomerase at tryptophan 139 from Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum strain B6A were purified to gel electrophoretic homogeneity, and the biochemical properties were determined. W139F mutation is the most efficient mutant derivative with a tenfold increase in its catalytic efficiency toward glucose compared with the native GI. With a maximal activity at 80 °C of 59.58 U/mg on glucose, this mutant derivative is the most active type ever reported. The enzyme activity was maximal at 90 °C and like other glucose isomerase, this mutant enzyme required Co(2+) or Mg(2+) for enzyme activity and thermal stability (stable for 20 h at 80 °C in the absence of substrate). Its optimum pH was around 7.0, and it had 86 % of its maximum activity at pH 6.0 incubated for 12 h at 60 °C. This enzyme was determined as thermostable and weak-acid stable. These findings indicated that the mutant GI W139F from T. saccharolyticum strain B6A is appropriate for use as a potential candidate for high-fructose corn syrup producing enzyme.

The crystal structure of arabinose-5-phosphate isomerase (API) from Bacteroides fragilis (bfAPI) was determined at 1.7 Å resolution and was found to be a tetramer of a single-domain sugar isomerase (SIS) with an endogenous ligand, CMP-Kdo (cytidine 5'-monophosphate-3-deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulosonate), bound at the active site. API catalyzes the reversible isomerization of D-ribulose 5-phosphate to D-arabinose 5-phosphate in the first step of the Kdo biosynthetic pathway. Interestingly, the bound CMP-Kdo is neither the substrate nor the product of the reaction catalyzed by API, but corresponds to the end product in the Kdo biosynthetic pathway and presumably acts as a feedback inhibitor for bfAPI. The active site of each monomer is located in a surface cleft at the tetramer interface between three monomers and consists of His79 and His186 from two different adjacent monomers and a Ser/Thr-rich region, all of which are highly conserved across APIs. Structure and sequence analyses indicate that His79 and His186 may play important catalytic roles in the isomerization reaction. CMP-Kdo mimetics could therefore serve as potent and specific inhibitors of API and provide broad protection against many different bacterial infections.

The glucosamine 6-phosphate deaminase (NagB), which catalyzes the conversion of D-glucosamine 6-phosphate (GlcN6P) into d-fructose 6-phosphate (F6P) and ammonia, determines the final metabolic fate of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc). Here using state-of-the-art ab initio QM/MM MD simulations, we have explored the plausible mechanisms for the enzymatic ring-opening of GlcN6P in the basic environment. Two different proton-shuttle mechanisms have been proposed. Calculations show that the protonated state of the amino group in the substrate dominates the concerted and stepwise catalytic pathways and a catalytic triad plays an important role in mediating the proton transfer and the resulting ring-opening process. The free energy barrier for the rate-determining step in the low-energy stepwise reaction is 17.9 kcal mol(-1). In acidic solution, the lid motif prefers a closed state while it always stays in the open state in basic solution upon substrate binding, which is basically dominated by the protonated state of the residue His145.

D-xylose isomerase (XI) is capable of sugar isomerization and slow conversion of some monosaccharides into their C2-epimers. We present X-ray and neutron crystallographic studies to locate H and D atoms during the respective isomerization and epimerization of L-arabinose to L-ribulose and L-ribose, respectively. Neutron structures in complex with cyclic and linear L-arabinose have demonstrated that the mechanism of ring-opening is the same as for the reaction with D-xylose. Structural evidence and QM/MM calculations show that in the reactive Michaelis complex L-arabinose is distorted to the high-energy (5)S1 conformation; this may explain the apparent high KM for this sugar. MD-FEP simulations indicate that amino acid substitutions in a hydrophobic pocket near C5 of L-arabinose can enhance sugar binding. L-ribulose and L-ribose were found in furanose forms when bound to XI. We propose that these complexes containing Ni(2+) cofactors are Michaelis-like and the isomerization between these two sugars proceeds via a cis-ene-diol mechanism., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway found in many bacteria governs the synthesis of isoprenoids, which are crucial lipid precursors for vital cell components such as ubiquinone. Because mammals synthesize isoprenoids via an alternate pathway, the bacterial MEP pathway is an attractive target for novel antibiotic development, necessitated by emerging antibiotic resistance as well as biodefense concerns. The first committed step in the MEP pathway is the reduction and isomerization of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate (DXP) to methylerythritol phosphate (MEP), catalyzed by MEP synthase. To facilitate drug development, we cloned, expressed, purified, and characterized MEP synthase from Yersinia pestis. Enzyme assays indicate apparent kinetic constants of KMDXP = 252 µM and KMNADPH = 13 µM, IC50 values for fosmidomycin and FR900098 of 710 nM and 231 nM respectively, and Ki values for fosmidomycin and FR900098 of 251 nM and 101 nM respectively. To ascertain if the Y. pestis MEP synthase was amenable to a high-throughput screening campaign, the Z-factor was determined (0.9) then the purified enzyme was screened against a pilot scale library containing rationally designed fosmidomycin analogs and natural product extracts. Several hit molecules were obtained, most notably a natural product allosteric affector of MEP synthase and a rationally designed bisubstrate derivative of FR900098 (able to associate with both the NADPH and DXP binding sites in MEP synthase). It is particularly noteworthy that allosteric regulation of MEP synthase has not been described previously. Thus, our discovery implicates an alternative site (and new chemical space) for rational drug development.

Fast 8 MHz polarization modulation coupled with analytical modeling, fast beam-scanning, and synchronous digitization (SD) have enabled simultaneous nonlinear optical Stokes ellipsometry (NOSE) and polarized laser transmittance imaging with image acquisition rates up to video rate. In contrast to polarimetry, in which the polarization state of the exiting beam is recorded, NOSE enables recovery of the complex-valued Jones tensor of the sample that describes all polarization-dependent observables of the measurement. Every video-rate scan produces a set of 30 images (10 for each detector with three detectors operating in parallel), each of which corresponds to a different polarization-dependent result. Linear fitting of this image set contracts it down to a set of five parameters for each detector in second harmonic generation (SHG) and three parameters for the transmittance of the incident beam. These parameters can in turn be used to recover the Jones tensor elements of the sample. Following validation of the approach using z-cut quartz, NOSE microscopy was performed for microcrystals of both naproxen and glucose isomerase. When weighted by the measurement time, NOSE microscopy was found to provide a substantial (>7 decades) improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio relative to our previous measurements based on the rotation of optical elements and a 3-fold improvement relative to previous single-point NOSE approaches.

Ribose-5-phosphate isomerase B (RpiB), a crucial enzyme of pentose phosphate pathway, was proposed to be a potential drug target for visceral leishmaniasis. In this study, we have analyzed the biophysical properties of Leishmania donovani RpiB (LdRpiB) enzyme to gain insight into its unfolding pathway under various chemical and thermal denaturation conditions by using fluorescence and CD spectroscopy. LdRpiB inactivation precedes the structural transition at lower concentrations of both urea and guanidine hydrochloride (GdHCl). 8-Anilinonapthalene 1-sulfonic (ANS) binding experiments revealed the presence of molten globule intermediate at 1.5 M GdHCl and a nonnative intermediate state at 6-M urea concentration. Acrylamide quenching experiments further validated the above findings, as solvent accessibility of tryptophan residues increased with increase in GdHCl and urea concentration. The recombinant LdRpiB was completely unfolded at 6 M GdHCl, whereas the enzyme molecule was resistant to complete unfolding even at 8-M urea concentration. The GdHCl- and urea-mediated unfolding involves a three-state transition process. Thermal-induced denaturation revealed complete loss of enzyme activity at 65 °C with only 20 % secondary structure loss. The formation of the well-ordered β-sheet structures of amyloid fibrils was observed after 55 °C which increased linearly till 85 °C as detected by thioflavin T dye. This study depicts the stability of the enzyme in the presence of chemical and thermal denaturants and stability-activity relationship of the enzyme. The presence of the intermediate states may have major implications in the way the enzyme binds to its natural ligand under various conditions. Also, the present study provides insights into the properties of intermediate entities of this important enzyme.

Wide-angle x-ray scattering (WAXS) experiments of biomolecules in solution have become increasingly popular because of technical advances in light sources and detectors. However, the structural interpretation of WAXS profiles is problematic, partly because accurate calculations of WAXS profiles from structural models have remained challenging. In this work, we present the calculation of WAXS profiles from explicit-solvent molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of five different proteins. Using only a single fitting parameter that accounts for experimental uncertainties because of the buffer subtraction and dark currents, we find excellent agreement to experimental profiles both at small and wide angles. Because explicit solvation eliminates free parameters associated with the solvation layer or the excluded solvent, which would require fitting to experimental data, we minimize the risk of overfitting. We further find that the influence from water models and protein force fields on calculated profiles are insignificant up to q≈15nm(-1). Using a series of simulations that allow increasing flexibility of the proteins, we show that incorporating thermal fluctuations into the calculations significantly improves agreement with experimental data, demonstrating the importance of protein dynamics in the interpretation of WAXS profiles. In addition, free MD simulations up to one microsecond suggest that the calculated profiles are highly sensitive with respect to minor conformational rearrangements of proteins, such as an increased flexibility of a loop or an increase of the radius of gyration by < 1%. The present study suggests that quantitative comparison between MD simulations and experimental WAXS profiles emerges as an accurate tool to validate solution ensembles of biomolecules., (Copyright © 2014 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Unlabelled: l-Ribose, a pentose, is not known to exist in nature. Although organisms typically do not have a metabolic pathway that uses l-ribose as a carbon source, prokaryotes use various sugars as carbon sources for survival. Acinetobacter sp. DL-28 has been shown to express the novel enzyme, l-ribose isomerase (AcL-RbI), which catalyzes reversible isomerization between l-ribose and l-ribulose. AcL-RbI showed the highest activity to l-ribose, followed by d-lyxose with 47% activity, and had no significant amino acid sequence similarity to structure-known proteins, except for weak homology with the d-lyxose isomerases from Escherichia coli O157 : H7 (18%) and Bacillus subtilis strain (19%). Thus, AcL-RbI is expected to have the unique three-dimensional structure to recognize l-ribose as its ideal substrate. The X-ray structures of AcL-RbI in complexes with substrates were determined. AcL-RbI had a cupin-type β-barrel structure, and the catalytic site was found between two large β-sheets with a bound metal ion. The catalytic site structures clearly showed that AcL-RbI adopted a cis-enediol intermediate mechanism for the isomerization reaction using two glutamate residues (Glu113 and Glu204) as acid/base catalysts. In its crystal form, AcL-RbI formed a unique homotetramer with many substrate sub-binding sites, which likely facilitated capture of the substrate., Database: The atomic coordinates and structure factors of AcL-RbI/l-ribose, AcL-RbI/l-ribulose, AcL-RbI/ribitol, E204Q/l-ribose and E204Q/l-ribulose have been deposited in the Protein Data Bank under accession codes, 4Q0P, 4Q0Q, 4Q0S, 4Q0U and 4Q0V., (© 2014 FEBS.)

1-Deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR), which catalyzes the first committed step in the 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol 4-phosphate pathway of isoprenoid biosynthesis used by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other infectious microorganisms, is absent in humans and therefore an attractive drug target. Fosmidomycin is a nanomolar inhibitor of DXR, but despite great efforts, few analogues with comparable potency have been developed. DXR contains a strictly conserved residue, Trp203, within a flexible loop that closes over and interacts with the bound inhibitor. We report that while mutation to Ala or Gly abolishes activity, mutation to Phe and Tyr only modestly impacts kcat and Km. Moreover, pre-steady-state kinetics and primary deuterium kinetic isotope effects indicate that while turnover is largely limited by product release for the wild-type enzyme, chemistry is significantly more rate-limiting for W203F and W203Y. Surprisingly, these mutants are more sensitive to inhibition by fosmidomycin, resulting in Km/Ki ratios up to 19-fold higher than that of wild-type DXR. In agreement, isothermal titration calorimetry revealed that fosmidomycin binds up to 11-fold more tightly to these mutants. Most strikingly, mutation strongly tips the entropy-enthalpy balance of total binding energy from 50% to 75% and 91% enthalpy in W203F and W203Y, respectively. X-ray crystal structures suggest that these enthalpy differences may be linked to differences in hydrogen bond interactions involving a water network connecting fosmidomycin's phosphonate group to the protein. These results confirm the importance of the flexible loop, in particular Trp203, in ligand binding and suggest that improved inhibitor affinity may be obtained against the wild-type protein by introducing interactions with this loop and/or the surrounding structured water network.

The role of tertiary conformational changes associated to ligand binding was explored using the allosteric enzyme glucosamine-6-phosphate (GlcN6P) deaminase from Escherichia coli (EcGNPDA) as an experimental model. This is an enzyme of amino sugar catabolism that deaminates GlcN6P, giving fructose 6-phosphate and ammonia, and is allosterically activated by N-acetylglucosamine 6-phosphate (GlcNAc6P). We resorted to the nanoencapsulation of this enzyme in wet silica sol-gels for studying the role of intrasubunit local mobility in its allosteric activation under the suppression of quaternary transition. The gel-trapped enzyme lost its characteristic homotropic cooperativity while keeping its catalytic properties and the allosteric activation by GlcNAc6P. The nanoencapsulation keeps the enzyme in the T quaternary conformation, making possible the study of its allosteric activation under a condition that is not possible to attain in a soluble phase. The involved local transition was slowed down by nanoencapsulation, thus easing the fluorometric analysis of its relaxation kinetics, which revealed an induced-fit mechanism. The absence of cooperativity produced allosterically activated transitory states displaying velocity against substrate concentration curves with apparent negative cooperativity, due to the simultaneous presence of subunits with different substrate affinities. Reaction kinetics experiments performed at different tertiary conformational relaxation times also reveal the sequential nature of the allosteric activation. We assumed as a minimal model the existence of two tertiary states, t and r, of low and high affinity, respectively, for the substrate and the activator. By fitting the velocity-substrate curves as a linear combination of two hyperbolic functions with Kt and Kr as KM values, we obtained comparable values to those reported for the quaternary conformers in solution fitted to MWC model. These results are discussed in the background of the known crystallographic structures of T and R EcGNPDA conformers. These results are consistent with the postulates of the Tertiary Two-States (TTS) model.

L-Arabinose isomerase (L-AI) catalyzes the isomerization of L-arabinose to L-ribulose and D-galactose to D-tagatose. Most reported L-AIs exhibit neutral or alkaline optimum pH, which is less beneficial than acidophilic ones in industrial D-tagatose production. Lactobacillus fermentum L-AI (LFAI) is a thermostable enzyme that can achieve a high conversion rate for D-galactose isomerization. However, its biocatalytic activity at acidic conditions can still be further improved. In this study, we report the single- and multiple-site mutagenesis on LFAI targeting three aspartic acid residues (D268, D269, and D299). Some of the lysine mutants, especially D268K/D269K/D299K, exhibited significant optimum pH shifts (from 6.5 to 5.0) and enhancement of pH stability (half-life time increased from 30 to 62 h at pH 6.0), which are more favorable for industrial applications. With the addition of borate, D-galactose was isomerized into D-tagatose by D268K/D269K/D299K at pH 5.0, resulting in a high conversion rate of 62 %. Based on the obtained 3.2-Å crystal structure of LFAI, the three aspartic acid residues were found to be distant from the active site and possibly did not participate in substrate catalysis. However, they were proven to possess similar optimum pH control ability in other L-AI, such as that derived from Escherichia coli. This study sheds light on the essential residues of L-AIs that can be modified for desired optimum pH and better pH stability, which are useful in D-tagatose bioproduction.

The functional sweetener, d-tagatose, is commonly transformed from galactose by l-arabinose isomerase. To make use of a much cheaper starting material, lactose, hydrolization, and isomerization are required to take place collaboratively. Therefore, a single-step method involving β-d-galactosidase was explored for d-tagatose production. The two vital genes, β-d-galactosidase gene (lacZ) and l-arabinose isomerase mutant gene (araA') were extracted separately from Escherichia coli strains and incorporated into E. coli simultaneously. This gave us E. coli-ZY, a recombinant producing strain capable of coexpressing the two key enzymes. The resulted cells exhibited maximum d-tagatose producing activity at 34 °C and pH 6.5 and in the presence of borate, 10 mM Fe(2+), and 1 mM Mn(2+). Further monitoring showed that the recombinant cells could hydrolyze more than 95% lactose and convert 43% d-galactose into d-tagatose. This research has verified the feasibility of single-step d-tagatose fermentation, thereby laying down the foundation for industrial usage of lactose.

Structural genomics demonstrates that despite low levels of structural similarity of proteins comprising a metabolic pathway, their substrate binding regions are likely to be conserved. Herein based on the 3D-structures of the α/β-fold proteins involved in the ara operon, we attempted to predict the substrate binding residues of thermophilic Geobacillus stearothermophilus L-arabinose isomerase (GSAI) with no 3D-structure available. Comparison of the structures of L-arabinose catabolic enzymes revealed a conserved feature to form the substrate-binding modules, which can be extended to predict the substrate binding site of GSAI (i.e., D195, E261 and E333). Moreover, these data implicated that proteins in the l-arabinose metabolic pathway might retain their substrate binding niches as the modular structure through conserved molecular evolution even with totally different structural scaffolds., (Copyright © 2014 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In order to investigate the role of helix α1 in the different biochemical properties between class I and class II Glucose Isomerases, a histidine and a phenylalanine residue were inserted at position 17 and 19 of Streptomyces sp. SK Glucose Isomerase (SKGI). In addition, W16 was substituted by a histidine. The H17/F19 insertion displaced the optimal pH of SKGI from 6.5 to 7-8 and slightly decreased the thermostability. As for the W16H mutant, a shift in optimal pH of SKGI from 6.5 to 6 was observed along with a decrease in the enzyme thermostability at 85°C with a half-life time reduced twice compared to the wild-type enzyme. Three-dimensional structure analysis suggested that the insertion of a histidine at position 17 results in the formation of new hydrogen bond with D287, thereby preventing it from deprotonating the O2 hydroxyl of the sugar at low pH, while the substitution W16H induced opposite effect by preventing hydrogen bond formation between D287 and W16 and thereby probably facilitating the hydrogen transfer during the isomerization reaction. The findings highlight the essential role of helix α1, which bears the three introduced mutations, in the acid-tolerance and the thermostability of SKGI and of glucose isomerases in general., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The L-arabinose isomerase (L-AI) and the D-xylose isomerase (D-XI) encoding genes from Lactobacillus reuteri (DSMZ 17509) were cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The proteins were purified to homogeneity by one-step affinity chromatography and characterized biochemically. L-AI displayed maximum activity at 65 °C and pH 6.0, whereas D-XI showed maximum activity at 65 °C and pH 5.0. Both enzymes require divalent metal ions. The genes were also ligated into the inducible lactobacillal expression vectors pSIP409 and pSIP609, the latter containing a food grade auxotrophy marker instead of an antibiotic resistance marker, and the L-AI- and D-XI-encoding sequences/genes were coexpressed in the food grade host Lactobacillus plantarum . The recombinant enzymes were tested for applications in carbohydrate conversion reactions of industrial relevance. The purified L-AI converted D-galactose to D-tagatose with a maximum conversion rate of 35%, and the D-XI isomerized D-glucose to D-fructose with a maximum conversion rate of 48% at 60 °C.

The development of multistep nucleation theory has spurred on experimentalists to find intermediate metastable states that are relevant to the solidification pathway of the molecule under interest. A great deal of studies focused on characterizing the so-called "precritical clusters" that may arise in the precipitation process. However, in macromolecular systems, the role that these clusters might play in the nucleation process and in the second stage of the precipitation process, i.e., growth, remains to a great extent unknown. Therefore, using biological macromolecules as a model system, we have studied the mesoscopic intermediate, the solid end state, and the relationship that exists between them. We present experimental evidence that these clusters are liquid-like and stable with respect to the parent liquid and metastable compared with the emerging crystalline phase. The presence of these clusters in the bulk liquid is associated with a nonclassical mechanism of crystal growth and can trigger a self-purifying cascade of impurity-poisoned crystal surfaces. These observations demonstrate that there exists a nontrivial connection between the growth of the macroscopic crystalline phase and the mesoscopic intermediate which should not be ignored. On the other hand, our experimental data also show that clusters existing in protein solutions can significantly increase the nucleation rate and therefore play a relevant role in the nucleation process.

To maximize bioethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass, all sugars must be utilized. Yeast fermentation can be improved by introducing the d-xylose isomerase enzyme to convert the pentose sugar d-xylose, which cannot be fermented by Saccharomyces cerevisiae, into the fermentable ketose d-xylulose. The low activity of d-xylose isomerase, especially at the low pH required for optimal fermentation, limits its use. A rational enzyme engineering approach was undertaken, and seven amino acid positions were replaced to improve the activity of Streptomyces rubiginosus d-xylose isomerase towards its physiological substrate at pH values below 6. The active-site design was guided by mechanistic insights and the knowledge of amino acid protonation states at low pH obtained from previous joint X-ray/neutron crystallographic experiments. Tagging the enzyme with 6 or 12 histidine residues at the N-terminus resulted in a significant increase in the active-site affinity towards substrate at pH 5.8. Substituting an asparagine at position 215, which hydrogen bonded to the metal-bound Glu181 and Asp245, with an aspartate gave a variant with almost an order of magnitude lower KM than measured for the native enzyme, with a 4-fold increase in activity. Other studied variants showed similar (Asp57Asn, Glu186Gln/Asn215Asp), lower (Asp57His, Asn247Asp, Lys289His, Lys289Glu) or no (Gln256Asp, Asp287Asn, ΔAsp287) activity in acidic conditions relative to the native enzyme.

The gene encoding L-arabinose isomerase from food-grade strain Pediococcus pentosaceus PC-5 was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein was purified and characterized. It was optimally active at 50 °C and pH 6.0. Furthermore, this enzyme exhibited a weak requirement for metallic ions for its maximal activity evaluated at 0.6 mM Mn(2+) or 0.8 mM Co(2+). Interestingly, this enzyme was distinguished from other L-AIs, it could not use L-arabinose as its substrate. In addition, a three-dimensional structure of L-AI was built by homology modeling and L-arabinose and D-galactose were docked into the active site pocket of PPAI model to explain the interaction between L-AI and its substrate. The purified P. pentosaceus PC-5 L-AI converted D-galactose into D-tagatose with a high conversion rate of 52% after 24 h at 50 °C, suggesting its excellent potential in D-tagatose production., (Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Ketol-isomerases catalyze the reversible isomerization between aldoses and ketoses. D-Xylose isomerase carries out the first reaction in the catabolism of D-xylose, but is also able to convert D-glucose to D-fructose. The first step of the reaction is an enzyme-catalyzed ring opening of the cyclic substrate. The active-site amino-acid acid/base pair involved in ring opening has long been investigated and several models have been proposed. Here, the structure of the xylose isomerase E186Q mutant with cyclic glucose bound at the active site, refined against joint X-ray and neutron diffraction data, is reported. Detailed analysis of the hydrogen-bond networks at the active site of the enzyme suggests that His54, which is doubly protonated, is poised to protonate the glucose O5 position, while Lys289, which is neutral, promotes deprotonation of the glucose O1H hydroxyl group via an activated water molecule. The structure also reveals an extended hydrogen-bonding network that connects the conserved residues Lys289 and Lys183 through three structurally conserved water molecules and residue 186, which is a glutamic acid to glutamine mutation.

In methanol, the reaction of stoichiometric amounts of Mn(OAc)(2)·4H(2)O and the ligand H(3)hpnbpda [H(3)hpnbpda=N,N'-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-2-hydroxy-1,3-propanediamine-N,N'-diacetic acid] in the presence of NaOH, afforded a new water soluble dinuclear manganese(II) complex, [Mn2(hpnbpda)(μ-OAc)] (1). Similarly, the reaction of Mg(OAc)(2)·4H(2)O and the ligand H3hpnbpda in the presence of NaOH, in methanol, yielded a new water soluble dinuclear magnesium(II) complex, [Mg2(hpnbpda)(μ-OAc)(H2O)2] (2). DFT calculations have been performed for the structural optimization of complexes 1 and 2. The DFT optimized structure of complex 1 shows that two manganese(II) centers are in a distorted square pyramidal geometry, whereas the DFT optimized structure of complex 2 reveals that two magnesium(II) centers adopt a six-coordinate distorted octahedral geometry. To understand the mode of substrate binding and the mechanistic details of the active site metals in xylose/glucose isomerases (XGI), we have investigated the binding interactions of biologically important monosaccharides d-glucose and d-xylose with complexes 1 and 2, in aqueous alkaline solution by a combined approach of FTIR, UV-vis, fluorescence, and (13)C NMR spectroscopic techniques. Fluorescence spectra show the binding-induced gradual decrease in emission of complexes 1 and 2 accompanied by a significant blue shift upon increasing the concentration of sugar substrates. The binding modes of d-glucose and d-xylose with complex 2 are indicated by their characteristic coordination induced shift (CIS) values in (13)C NMR spectra for C1 and C2 carbon atoms., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Herein, we demonstrate the potential of droplet-based microfluidics for controlling protein crystallization and generating single-protein crystals. We estimated the critical droplet size for obtaining a single crystal within a microdroplet and investigated the crystallization of four model proteins to confirm the effect of protein molecular diffusion on crystallization. A single crystal was obtained in microdroplets smaller than the critical size by using droplet-based microfluidics. In the case of thaumatin crystallization, a single thaumatin crystal was obtained in a 200 μm droplet even with high supersaturation. In the case of ferritin crystallization, the nucleation profile of ferritin crystals had a wider distribution than the nucleation profiles of lysozyme, thaumatin, and glucose isomerase crystallization. We found that the droplet-based microfluidic approach was able to control the nucleation of a protein by providing control over the crystallization conditions and the droplet size, and that the diffusion of protein molecules is a significant factor in controlling the nucleation of protein crystals in droplet-based microfluidics., (Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The crystallization behaviour of the highly thermostable glucose isomerase from the Streptomyces sp. strain isolated from Tunisian soil was investigated using ammonium sulfate as a precipitating agent. We established phase diagrams at different temperatures and protein concentrations. It was found that the solubility increased with increasing temperature and decreased with increasing salt concentration. The temperature-dependent solubility was used to characterize the thermodynamic parameters of crystallization such as enthalpy, entropy and free energy.

L-arabinose isomerase (AI), which catalyzes the isomerization of L-arabinose to L-ribulose, can also convert D-galactose to D-tagatose, a natural sugar replacer, which is of commercial interest in the food and healthcare industries. Intriguingly, mesophilic and thermophilic AIs showed different substrate preferences and metal requirements in catalysis and different thermostabilities. However, the catalytic mechanism of thermophilic AIs still remains unclear. Therefore, thermophilic Geobacillus kaustophilus AI (GKAI) was overexpressed, purified and crystallized, and a preliminary X-ray diffraction data set was obtained. Diffraction data were collected from a GKAI crystal to 2.70 Å resolution. The crystal belonged to the monoclinic space group C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 224.12, b = 152.95, c = 91.28 Å, β = 103.61°. The asymmetric unit contained six molecules, with a calculated Matthews coefficient of 2.25 Å(3) Da(-1) and a solvent content of 45.39%. The three-dimensional structure determination of GKAI is currently in progress by molecular replacement and model building.

The D-glucose/D-xylose isomerase was purified from a thermophilic bacterium, Geobacillus thermodenitrificans TH2, by precipitating with heat shock and using Q-Sepharose ion exchange column chromatography, and then characterized. The purified enzyme had a single band having molecular weight of 49 kDa on SDS-PAGE. In the presence of D-glucose as a substrate, the optimum temperature and pH of the enzyme were found to be 80 degrees C and 7.5, respectively. The purified xylose isomerase of G. thermodenitrificans TH2 was extremely stable at pH 7.5 after 96 h incubation at 4 degrees C and 50 degrees C. When the thermal stability profile was analyzed, it was determined that the purified enzyme was extremely stable during incubation periods of 4 months and 4 days at 4 degrees C and 50 degrees C, respectively. The K(m) and V(max) values of the purified xylose isomerase from G. thermodenitrificans TH2 were calculated as 32 mM and 4.68 micromol/min per mg of protein, respectively. Additionally, it was detected that some metal ions affected the enzyme activity at different ratios. The enzyme was active and stable at high temperatures and nearly neutral pHs which are desirable for the usage in the food and ethanol industry.

Protein crystals form in supersaturated solutions via a nucleation and growth mechanism. The amyloid fibrils of denatured proteins also form via a nucleation and growth mechanism. This similarity suggests that, although protein crystals and amyloid fibrils are distinct in their morphologies, both processes can be controlled in a similar manner. It has been established that ultrasonication markedly accelerates the formation of amyloid fibrils and simultaneously breaks them down into fragmented fibrils. In this study, we investigated the effects of ultrasonication on the crystallization of hen egg white lysozyme and glucose isomerase from Streptomyces rubiginosus. Protein crystallization was monitored by light scattering, tryptophan fluorescence, and light transmittance. Repeated ultrasonic irradiations caused the crystallization of lysozyme and glucose isomerase after cycles of irradiations. The size of the ultrasonication-induced crystals was small and homogeneous, and their numbers were larger than those obtained under quiescent conditions. Switching off ultrasonic irradiation when light scattering or tryptophan fluorescence began to change resulted in the formation of larger crystals due to the suppression of the further nucleation and fractures in preformed crystals. The results indicate that protein crystallization and amyloid fibrillation are explained on the basis of a common phase diagram in which ultrasonication accelerates the formation of crystals or crystal-like amyloid fibrils as well as fragmentation of preformed crystals or fibrils., (© 2013.)

The role of residue 219 in the physicochemical properties of D-glucose isomerase from Streptomyces sp. SK strain (SKGI) was investigated by site-directed mutagenesis and structural studies. Mutants G219A, G219N, and G219F were generated and characterized. Comparative studies of their physicochemical properties with those of the wild-type enzyme highlighted that mutant G219A displayed increased specific activity and thermal stability compared to that of the wild-type enzyme, while for G219N and G219F, these properties were considerably decreased. A double mutant, SKGI F53L/G219A, displayed a higher optimal temperature and a higher catalytic efficiency than both the G219A mutant and the wild-type enzyme and showed a half-life time of about 150 min at 85 °C as compared to 50 min for wild-type SKGI. Crystal structures of SKGI wild-type and G219A enzymes were solved to 1.73 and 2.15 Å, respectively, and showed that the polypeptide chain folds into two structural domains. The larger domain consists of a (β/α)8 unit, and the smaller domain forms a loop of α helices. Detailed analyses of the three-dimensional structures highlighted minor but important changes in the active site region as compared to that of the wild-type enzyme leading to a displacement of both metal ions, and in particular that in site M2. The structural analyses moreover revealed how the substitution of G219 by an alanine plays a crucial role in improving the thermostability of the mutant enzyme.

The binding mode of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate (DXP) to 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR) (EC 1.1.1.267) from Escherichia coli was investigated via (18) O isotope exchange experiments and determination of the kinetic parameters of the reaction. The results support a C3-C4 substrate binding mode in which DXP chelates a DXR-bound divalent cation via its hydroxyl groups at C3 and C4. Based on this binding mode and the early results, a catalytic cycle for the conversion of DXP to 2-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate mediated by DXR including a pseudo-single molecule transition state of the retro-aldol intermediates is proposed. Taking into account the binding mode of DXP and the catalytic cycle of DXR, the mechanistic insights of DXR are disclosed and the current discrepancies concerning the catalysis of this enzyme are interpreted within the accepted retro-aldol/aldol sequence., (© 2013 FEBS.)

Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron BT0793, a putative xylose isomerase, was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized using polyethylene glycol monomethyl ether 550 as the precipitant. X-ray diffraction data were collected to 2.10 Å resolution at 100 K using synchrotron X-rays. The crystal was found to belong to space group P1, with unit-cell parameters a=96.3, b=101.7, c=108.3 Å, α=82.8, β=68.2, γ=83.0°. The asymmetric unit contained eight subunits of xylose isomerase with a crystal volume per protein weight (VM) of 2.38 Å3 Da(-1) and a solvent content of 48.3%.

The methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway of Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) has become an attractive target for anti-malarial drug discovery. This study describes a kinetic model of this pathway, its use in validating 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR) as drug target from the systemic perspective, and additional target identification, using metabolic control analysis and in silico inhibition studies. In addition to DXR, 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase (DXS) can be targeted because it is the first enzyme of the pathway and has the highest flux control coefficient followed by that of DXR. In silico inhibition of both enzymes caused large decrement in the pathway flux. An added advantage of targeting DXS is its influence on vitamin B1 and B6 biosynthesis. Two more potential targets, 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol 2,4-cyclodiphosphate synthase and 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl 4-diphosphate synthase, were also identified. Their inhibition caused large accumulation of their substrates causing instability of the system. This study demonstrates that both types of enzyme targets, one acting via flux reduction and the other by metabolite accumulation, exist in P. falciparum MEP pathway. These groups of targets can be exploited for independent anti-malarial drugs., (Copyright © 2013 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Despite the prominent role of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in shaping bacterial metabolism, little is known about the impact of HGT on the evolution of enzyme function. Specifically, what is the influence of a recently acquired gene on the function of an existing gene? For example, certain members of the genus Corynebacterium have horizontally acquired a whole l-tryptophan biosynthetic operon, whereas in certain closely related actinobacteria, for example, Mycobacterium, the trpF gene is missing. In Mycobacterium, the function of the trpF gene is performed by a dual-substrate (βα)8 phosphoribosyl isomerase (priA gene) also involved in l-histidine (hisA gene) biosynthesis. We investigated the effect of a HGT-acquired TrpF enzyme upon PriA's substrate specificity in Corynebacterium through comparative genomics and phylogenetic reconstructions. After comprehensive in vivo and enzyme kinetic analyses of selected PriA homologs, a novel (βα)8 isomerase subfamily with a specialized function in l-histidine biosynthesis, termed subHisA, was confirmed. X-ray crystallography was used to reveal active-site mutations in subHisA important for narrowing of substrate specificity, which when mutated to the naturally occurring amino acid in PriA led to gain of function. Moreover, in silico molecular dynamic analyses demonstrated that the narrowing of substrate specificity of subHisA is concomitant with loss of ancestral protein conformational states. Our results show the importance of HGT in shaping enzyme evolution and metabolism.

D-Galactose-6-phosphate isomerase from Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LacAB; EC 5.3.1.26), which is encoded by the tagatose-6-phosphate pathway gene cluster (lacABCD), catalyzes the isomerization of D-galactose-6-phosphate to D-tagatose-6-phosphate during lactose catabolism and is used to produce rare sugars as low-calorie natural sweeteners. The crystal structures of LacAB and its complex with D-tagatose-6-phosphate revealed that LacAB is a homotetramer of LacA and LacB subunits, with a structure similar to that of ribose-5-phosphate isomerase (Rpi). Structurally, LacAB belongs to the RpiB/LacAB superfamily, having a Rossmann-like αβα sandwich fold as has been identified in pentose phosphate isomerase and hexose phosphate isomerase. In contrast to other family members, the LacB subunit also has a unique α7 helix in its C-terminus. One active site is distinctly located at the interface between LacA and LacB, whereas two active sites are present in RpiB. In the structure of the product complex, the phosphate group of D-tagatose-6-phosphate is bound to three arginine residues, including Arg-39, producing a different substrate orientation than that in RpiB, where the substrate binds at Asp-43. Due to the proximity of the Arg-134 residue and backbone Cα of the α6 helix in LacA to the last Asp-172 residue of LacB with a hydrogen bond, a six-carbon sugar-phosphate can bind in the larger pocket of LacAB, compared with RpiB. His-96 in the active site is important for ring opening and substrate orientation, and Cys-65 is essential for the isomerization activity of the enzyme. Two rare sugar substrates, D-psicose and D-ribulose, show optimal binding in the LacAB-substrate complex. These findings were supported by the results of LacA activity assays.

Metastatic melanoma is among the most intractable cancers to treat; patients show resistance to therapy and limited survival time. A critical step in the development of metastatic melanoma is the acquisition of invasion and transition from thin to thick tumors on the skin, followed by invasion to lymph nodes. Prior studies have shown that metastatic melanoma is associated with dysregulation of RhoA and enhanced expression of a protein named "mediator of RhoA-dependent invasion (MRDI)". Importantly, MRDI is a "moonlighting" enzyme, with two distinct functions in melanoma cells. First, MRDI acts as a methylthioribose-1-phosphate (MTR-1-P) isomerase, catalyzing a critical step in methionine salvage. Second, MRDI promotes and is necessary for melanoma cell invasion, independent of its catalytic activity. This paper demonstrates that MtnA, a bacterial MTR-1-P isomerase, rescues the methionine salvage function of MRDI, but is unable to rescue its role in invasion. The crystal structure of MRDI was solved to a resolution of 2.5 Å to identify structural elements important for its invasion activity. This structure and its comparison with other MTR-1-P isomerases are presented, and mutations within a region separate from the MTR-1-P binding site, which interfere with invasion, are identified. Thus, structural elements in MRDI distal from the MTR-1-P catalytic site are responsible for the invasion phenotype.