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We report biochemical and structural studies on inhibiting bacterial S -adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolase by transition metal cations. Our results revealed diverse molecular mechanisms of enzyme inactivation. Depending on the cation, the mechanism is based on arresting the enzyme in its closed, inactive conformation, disulfide bond formation within the active site or oxidation of the intermediate form of a cofactor.

The potential of recombinant human prolidase (rhPEPD) to induce wound healing in an experimental model of IL-1β-induced inflammation in human fibroblasts was studied. It was found that rhPEPD significantly increased cell proliferation and viability, as well as the expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and downstream signaling proteins, such as phosphorylated PI3K, AKT, and mTOR, in the studied model. Moreover, rhPEPD upregulated the expression of the β1 integrin receptor and its downstream signaling proteins, such as p-FAK, Grb2 and p-ERK 1/2. The inhibition of EGFR signaling by gefitinib abolished rhPEPD-dependent functions in an experimental model of inflammation. Subsequent studies showed that rhPEPD augmented collagen biosynthesis in IL-1β-treated fibroblasts as well as in a wound healing model (wound closure/scratch test). Although IL-1β treatment of fibroblasts increased cell migration, rhPEPD significantly enhanced this process. This effect was accompanied by an increase in the activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9, suggesting extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling during the inflammatory process. The data suggest that rhPEPD may play an important role in EGFR-dependent cell growth in an experimental model of inflammation in human fibroblasts, and this knowledge may be useful for further approaches to the treatment of abnormalities of wound healing and other skin diseases.

Prolidase is an enzyme hydrolyzing dipeptides containing proline or hydroxyprolineat the C-terminus and plays an important role in collagen turnover. Human prolidase is active as a dimer with the C-terminal domain containing two Mn 2+ ions in its active site. The study aimed to develop a highly efficient expression system of recombinant human prolidase (rhPEPD) and to evaluate the effect of the N-terminal His-Tag on its enzymatic and biological activity. An optimized bacterial expression system and an optimized purification procedure for rhPEPD included the two-step rhPEPD purification procedure based on (i) affinity chromatography on an Ni 2+ ion-bound chromatography column and (ii) gel filtration with the possibility of tag removal by selective digestion with protease Xa. As the study showed, a high concentration of IPTGand high temperature of induction led to a fast stimulation of gene expression, which as a result forced the host into an intensive and fast production of rhPEPD. The results demonstrated that a slow induction of gene expression (low concentration of inducing factor, temperature, and longer induction time) led to efficient protein production in the soluble fraction. Moreover, the study proved that the presence of His-Tag changed neither the expression pattern of EGFR-downstream signaling proteins nor the prolidase catalytic activity.

The mesophilic cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 encodes an S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolase (SAHase) of archaeal origin in its genome. SAHases are essential enzymes involved in the regulation of cellular S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM)-dependent methylation reactions. They are usually active as homotetramers or, less commonly, as homodimers. A SAHase subunit is composed of two major domains: a cofactor (NAD + )-binding domain and a substrate (S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine)-binding domain. These are connected by a hinge element that is also a coordination site for an alkali-metal cation that influences domain movement during the catalytic cycle. Typically, the highest activity and strongest substrate binding of bacterial SAHases are observed in the presence of K + ions. The SAHase from Synechocystis (SynSAHase) is an exception in this respect. Enzymatic and isothermal titration calorimetry studies demonstrated that in contrast to K + -dependent SAHases, the activity and ligand binding of SynSAHase are not affected by the presence of any particular alkali ion. Moreover, in contrast to other SAHases, the cyanobacterial enzyme is in an equilibrium of two distinct oligomeric states corresponding to its dimeric and tetrameric forms in solution. To explain these phenomena, crystal structures of SynSAHase were determined for the enzyme crystallized in the presence of adenosine (a reaction byproduct or substrate) and sodium or rubidium cations. The structural data confirm that while SynSAHase shares common structural features with other SAHases, no alkali metal is coordinated by the cyanobacterial enzyme as a result of a different organization of the macromolecular environment of the site that is normally supposed to coordinate the metal cation. This inspired the generation of SynSAHase mutants that bind alkali-metal cations analogously to K + -dependent SAHases, as confirmed by crystallographic studies. Structural comparisons of the crystal structure of SynSAHase with other experimental models of SAHases suggest a possible explanation for the occurrence of the cyanobacterial enzyme in the tetrameric state. On the other hand, the reason for the existence of SynSAHase in the dimeric state in solution remains elusive.

Two accessory loop regions that are present in numerous variants of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamases (NDM) are important for the enzymatic activity. The first one is a flexible loop L3 that is located near the active site and is thought to play an important role in the catalytic process. The second region, Ω loop is located close to a structural element that coordinates two essential zinc ions. Both loops are not involved in any specific interactions with a substrate. Herein, we investigated how the length and hydrophobicity of loop L3 influence the enzymatic activity of NDMs, by analyzing mutants of NDM-1 with various deletions/point mutations within the L3 loop. We also investigated NDM variants with sequence variations/artificial deletions within the Ω loop. For all these variants we determined kinetic parameters for the hydrolysis of ampicillin, imipenem, and a chromogenic cephalosporin (CENTA). None of the mutations in the L3 loop completely abolished the enzymatic activity of NDM-1. Our results suggest that various elements of the loop play different roles in the hydrolysis of different substrates and the flexibility of the loop seems necessary to fulfill the requirements imposed by various substrates. Deletions within the Ω loop usually enhanced the enzymatic activity, particularly for the hydrolysis of ampicillin and imipenem. However, the exact role of the Ω loop in the catalytic reaction remains unclear. In our kinetic tests, the NDM enzymes were inhibited in the β-lactamase reaction by the CENTA substrate. We also present the X-ray crystal structures of the NDM-1, NDM-9 and NDM-12 proteins., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None declared., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Metallophthalocyanine (MPc) and carbon nano-onion (CNO) derivatives were synthesized and characterized by using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction. The unmodified CNOs and MPc-CNO derivatives were used as photocatalysts for rhodamine B (RhB) degradation under visible-light irradiation. The photocatalytic studies revealed that the MPc-CNO nanostructural materials simultaneously exhibited a high absorption capacity and an excellent visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity towards RhB. These nanostructures possess great potential for use as active photocatalysts for organic pollutant degradation., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)