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Alfonso Leiva,1 Antonio Aguiló,2 Marta Fajó-Pascual,3 Lucia Moreno,4 Ma Carmen Martín,5 Elena Marina Garcia,6 Rosa Elena Duro,7 Francisca Serra,8 Pilar Dagosto,9 Ana Aurelia Iglesias-Iglesias,10 Rosa Maria Company,11 Aina Yañez,12 Joan Llobera13 On behalf of The Adherence Group 1Primary Care Research Unit of Mallorca, Baleares Health Services-IbSalut, Mallorca, 2Research Group on Evidence, Lifestyles and Health, Universitat Illes Balears, Palma, 3Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Zaragoza, Huesca, 4Son Cladera Health Centre, Baleares Health Services-IbSalut, Mallorca, 5Actur Sur Health Centre, Aragon Health Services-Salud, Aragón, Zaragoza, 6Coll D’en Rabassa Health Centre, Baleares Health Services-IbSalut, Mallorca, 7San Agustín Health Centre, Baleares Health Services-IbSalut, Mallorca, 8Santa María Health Centre, Baleares Health Services-IbSalut, Mallorca, 9Sineu Health Centre, Baleares Health Services-IbSalut, Mallorca, 10Santa Ponça Health Centre, Baleares Health Services-IbSalut, Mallorca, 11Department of Pharmacy, Manacor Hospital-Llevant Sector, Baleares Health Services-IbSalut, Mallorca 12Montuiri Health Centre, Baleares Health Services-IbSalut, Mallorca, 13Fundació d’Investigació Sanitaria Illes Balears (FISIB), Son Espases Hospital, Baleares Health Services-IbSalut, Mallorca, SpainBackground: Lowering blood pressure (BP) by antihypertensive (AHT) drugs reduces the risks of cardiovascular events, stroke, and total mortality. However, poor adherence to AHT medications reduces their effectiveness and increases the risk of adverse events.Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a multifactorial adherence-based intervention in a primary care setting in lowering BP.Methods/design: Multicenter parallel randomized controlled trial. Thirty two nurses in 28 primary care centers of three Spanish regions. Patients aged 18–80 years, taking AHT drugs with uncontrolled BP (n=221) were randomized to a control group (usual care) or a multifactorial adherence-based intervention including nurse-led motivational interviews, pill reminders, family support, BP self-recording, and simplification of the dosing regimen by a pharmacist.Main outcome measures: The primary outcome was 12-month blinded measure of systolic BP (mean of three measurements). The secondary outcomes were 12-month diastolic BP and proportion of patients with adequately controlled BP.Results: One hundred and fourteen patients were allocated to the intervention group and 109 to the control group. At 12 months, 212 (89%) participants completed the study. The systolic BP in the intervention group was 151.3 versus 153.7 in the control group (P=0.294). The diastolic BP did not differ between groups (83.4 versus 83.6). Of the patients in the control group, 9.2% achieved BP control versus a 15.8% in the intervention group. The relative risk for achieving BP control was 1.72 (95% confidence interval: 0.83–3.56).Conclusion: A multifactorial intervention based on improving adherence in patients with uncontrolled hypertension failed to find evidence of effectiveness in lowering systolic BP.Trial registration: ISRCTN21229328.Keywords: hypertension, medication adherence, blood pressure, intervention studies

The bacterial genus Rhodococcus comprises organisms performing oleaginous behaviors under certain growth conditions and ratios of carbon and nitrogen availability. Rhodococci are outstanding producers of biofuel precursors, where lipid and glycogen metabolisms are closely related. Thus, a better understanding of rhodococcal carbon partitioning requires identifying catalytic steps redirecting sugar moieties to storage molecules. Here, we analyzed two GT4 glycosyl-transferases from Rhodococcus jostii ( Rjo GlgAb and Rjo GlgAc) annotated as α-glucan-α-1,4-glucosyl transferases, putatively involved in glycogen synthesis. Both enzymes were produced in Escherichia coli cells, purified to homogeneity, and kinetically characterized. Rjo GlgAb and Rjo GlgAc presented the "canonical" glycogen synthase activity and were actives as maltose-1P synthases, although to a different extent. Then, Rjo GlgAc is a homologous enzyme to the mycobacterial GlgM, with similar kinetic behavior and glucosyl-donor preference. Rjo GlgAc was two orders of magnitude more efficient to glucosylate glucose-1P than glycogen, also using glucosamine-1P as a catalytically efficient aglycon. Instead, Rjo GlgAb exhibited both activities with similar kinetic efficiency and preference for short-branched α-1,4-glucans. Curiously, Rjo GlgAb presented a super-oligomeric conformation (higher than 15 subunits), representing a novel enzyme with a unique structure-to-function relationship. Kinetic results presented herein constitute a hint to infer on polysaccharides biosynthesis in rhodococci from an enzymological point of view., (© 2024 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.)

Transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) induces a cellular process known as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) associated with metabolic reprogramming, including enhanced glycolysis. Given the involvement of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose 2,6-bisphosphatase (PFKFB) enzymes in glycolysis, we aimed to investigate whether TGFβ1 regulates expressions of PFKFB genes and if PFKFBs are required for TGFβ1-driven phenotypes. A549 and MCF-10A cell lines were used as TGFβ1-driven EMT models. Messenger RNA expressions of PFKFB and EMT genes were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. A small interfering RNA approach was used to deplete PFKFB4 expression. A Matrigel invasion assay was conducted to assess the effect of PFKFB4 silencing on the TGFβ1-enhanced invasion of A549 cells. F2,6BP levels were analyzed using an enzyme-coupled assay. Glucose and lactate concentrations were determined using colorimetric assays. TGFβ1 robustly induced expression of the fourth isoform of PFKFBs, PFKFB4, in both cell lines. PFKFB4 depletion partially inhibits mesenchymal transdifferentiation caused by TGFβ1 in A549 cells, as assessed by microscopy. Inductions of Snail in MCF-10A cells and Fibronectin in A549 cells and repressions of E-cadherin in both cell lines by TGFβ1 are attenuated by PFKFB4 silencing. PFKFB4 silencing reduces F2,6BP and glycolytic activity, although TGFβ1 alone does not affect these parameters. Finally, PFKFB4 depletion suppresses the TGFβ1-driven invasion of A549 cells through Matrigel. Presented data suggest that TGFβ1 induces the expression of PFKFB4 in A549 and MCF-10 cells, and PFKFB4 may be required for TGFβ1-driven phenotypes such as EMT and invasion in these models., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Entamoeba histolytica, an intestinal parasitic protozoan that usually lives and multiplies within the human gut, is the causative agent of amoebiasis. To date, de novo glutathione biosynthesis and its associated enzymes have not been identified in the parasite. Cysteine has been proposed to be the main intracellular thiol., Methods: Using bioinformatics tools to search for glutaredoxin homologs in the E. histolytica genome database, we identified a coding sequence for a putative Grx-like small protein (EhGLSP) in the E. histolytica HM-1:IMSS genome. We produced the recombinant protein and performed its biochemical characterization., Results: Through in vitro experiments, we observed that recombinant EhGLSP could bind GSH and L-Cys as ligands. However, the protein exhibited very low GSH-dependent disulfide reductase activity. Interestingly, via UV-Vis spectroscopy and chemical analysis, we detected that recombinant EhGLSP (freshly purified from Escherichia coli cells by IMAC) was isolated together with a redox-labile [FeS] bio-inorganic complex, suggesting that this protein could have some function linked to the metabolism of this cofactor. Western blotting showed that EhGLSP protein levels were modulated in E. histolytica cells exposed to exogenous oxidative species and metronidazole, suggesting that this protein cooperates with the antioxidant mechanisms of this parasite., Conclusions and General Significance: Our findings support the existence of a new metabolic actor in this pathogen. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on this protein class in E. histolytica., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Trypanosoma cruzi is the causal agent of Chagas Disease and is a unicellular parasite that infects a wide variety of mammalian hosts. The parasite exhibits auxotrophy by L-Met; consequently, it must be acquired from the extracellular environment of the host, either mammalian or invertebrate. Methionine (Met) oxidation produces a racemic mixture (R and S forms) of methionine sulfoxide (MetSO). Reduction of L-MetSO (free or protein-bound) to L-Met is catalyzed by methionine sulfoxide reductases (MSRs). Bioinformatics analyses identified the coding sequence for a free-R-MSR (fRMSR) enzyme in the genome of T. cruzi Dm28c. Structurally, this enzyme is a modular protein with a putative N-terminal GAF domain linked to a C-terminal TIP41 motif. We performed detailed biochemical and kinetic characterization of the GAF domain of fRMSR in combination with mutant versions of specific cysteine residues, namely, Cys 12 , Cys 98 , Cys 108 , and Cys 132 . The isolated recombinant GAF domain and full-length fRMSR exhibited specific catalytic activity for the reduction of free L-Met(R)SO (non-protein bound), using tryparedoxins as reducing partners. We demonstrated that this process involves two Cys residues, Cys 98 and Cys 132 . Cys 132 is the essential catalytic residue on which a sulfenic acid intermediate is formed. Cys 98 is the resolutive Cys, which forms a disulfide bond with Cys 132 as a catalytic step. Overall, our results provide new insights into redox metabolism in T. cruzi, contributing to previous knowledge of L-Met metabolism in this parasite., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.)

ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase is a key regulatory enzyme involved in starch and glycogen synthesis in plants and bacteria, respectively. It has been hypothesized that inter-subunit communications are important for the allosteric effect in this enzyme. However, no specific interactions have been identified as part of the regulatory signal. The enzyme from Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a homotetramer allosterically regulated by fructose 6-phosphate and pyruvate. Three pairs of distinct subunit-subunit interfaces are present. Here we focus on an interface that features two symmetrical interactions between Arg11 and Asp141 from one subunit with residues Asp141 and Arg11 of the neighbor subunit, respectively. Previously, scanning mutagenesis showed that a mutation at the Arg11 position disrupted the activation of the enzyme. Considering the distance of these residues from the allosteric and catalytic sites, we hypothesized that the interaction between Arg11 and Asp141 is critical for allosteric signaling rather than effector binding. To prove our hypothesis, we mutated those two sites (D141A, D141E, D141N, D141R, R11D, and R11K) and performed kinetic and binding analysis. Mutations that altered the charge affected the regulation the most. To prove that the interaction per se (rather than the presence of specific residues) is critical, we partially rescued the R11D protein by introducing a second mutation (R11D/D141R). This could not restore the activator effect on k cat , but it did rescue the effect on substrate affinity. Our results indicate the critical functional role of Arg11 and Asp141 to relay the allosteric signal in this subunit interface., (© 2023 The Authors. Protein Science published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Protein Society.)

Data on protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) increased exponentially in the last years due to the refinement of mass spectrometry techniques and the development of databases to store and share datasets. Nevertheless, these data per se do not create comprehensive biochemical knowledge. Complementary studies on protein biochemistry are necessary to fully understand the function of these PTMs at the molecular level and beyond, for example, designing rational metabolic engineering strategies to improve crops. Phospho enol pyruvate carboxykinases (PEPCKs) are critical enzymes for plant metabolism with diverse roles in plant development and growth. Multiple lines of evidence showed the complex regulation of PEPCKs, including PTMs. Herein, we present PEPCKs as an example of the integration of combined mechanisms modulating enzyme activity and metabolic pathways. PEPCK studies strongly advanced after the production of the recombinant enzyme and the establishment of standardized biochemical assays. Finally, we discuss emerging open questions for future research and the challenges in integrating all available data into functional biochemical models., Competing Interests: None declared., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company.)

Plant metabolism is finely orchestrated to allow the occurrence of complementary and sometimes opposite metabolic pathways. In part this is achieved by the allosteric regulation of enzymes, which has been a cornerstone of plant research for many decades. The completion of the Arabidopsis genome and the development of the associated toolkits for Arabidopsis research moved the focus of many researchers to other fields. This is reflected by the increasing number of high-throughput proteomic studies, mainly focused on post-translational modifications. However, follow-up 'classical' biochemical studies to assess the functions and upstream signaling pathways responsible for such modifications have been scarce. In this work, we review the basic concepts of allosteric regulation of enzymes involved in plant carbon metabolism, comprising photosynthesis and photorespiration, starch and sucrose synthesis, glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Additionally, we revisit the latest results on the allosteric control of the enzymes involved in these pathways. To conclude, we elaborate on the current methods for studying protein-metabolite interactions, which we consider will become crucial for discoveries in the future., (© 2023 Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Endo-β-1,3-glucanases from several organisms have attracted much attention in recent years because of their capability for in vitro degrading β-1,3-glucan as a critical step for both biofuels production and short-chain oligosaccharides synthesis. In this study, we biochemically characterized a putative endo-β-1,3-glucanase (EgrGH64) belonging to the family GH64 from the single-cell protist Euglena gracilis. The gene coding for the enzyme was heterologously expressed in a prokaryotic expression system supplemented with 3% (v/v) ethanol to optimize the recombinant protein right folding. Thus, the produced enzyme was highly purified by immobilized-metal affinity and gel filtration chromatography. The enzymatic study demonstrated that EgrGH64 could hydrolyze laminarin (K M 23.5 mg ml -1 ,k cat 1.20 s -1 ) and also, but with less enzymatic efficiency, paramylon (K M 20.2 mg ml -1 ,k cat 0.23 ml mg -1  s -1 ). The major product of the hydrolysis of both substrates was laminaripentaose. The enzyme could also use ramified β-glucan from the baker's yeast cell wall as a substrate (K M 2.10 mg ml -1 , k cat 0.88 ml mg -1  s -1 ). This latter result, combined with interfacial kinetic analysis evidenced a protein's greater efficiency for the yeast polysaccharide, and a higher number of hydrolysis sites in the β-1,3/β-1,6-glucan. Concurrently, the enzyme efficiently inhibited the fungal growth when used at 1.0 mg/mL (15.4 μM). This study contributes to assigning a correct function and determining the enzymatic specificity of EgrGH64, which emerges as a relevant biotechnological tool for processing β-glucans., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.)

The phosphorolysis of cello-oligosaccharides is a critical process played in the rumen by Ruminococcus albus to degrade cellulose. Cellodextrins, made up of a few glucosyl units, have gained lots of interest by their potential applications. Here, we characterized a cellobiose phosphorylase ( Ral CBP) and a cellodextrin phosphorylase ( Ral CDP) from R. albus 8. This latter was further analyzed in detail by constructing a truncated mutant ( Ral ∆N63CDP) lacking the N-terminal domain and a chimeric protein by fusing a CBM ( Ral CDP-CBM37). Ral CBP showed a typical behavior with high activity on cellobiose. Instead, Ral CDP extended its activity to longer soluble or insoluble cello-oligosaccharides. The catalytic efficiency of Ral CDP was higher with cellotetraose and cellopentaose as substrates for both reaction directions. Concerning properties of Ral ∆N63CDP, results support roles for the N-terminal domain in the conformation of the homo-dimer and conferring the enzyme the capacity to catalyze the phosphorolytic reaction. This mutant exhibited reduced affinity toward phosphate and increased to glucose-1-phosphate. Further, the CBM37 module showed functionality when fused to Ral CDP, as Ral CDP-CBM37 exhibited an enhanced ability to use insoluble cellulosic substrates. Data obtained from this enzyme's binding parameters to cellulosic polysaccharides agree with the kinetic results. Besides, studies of synthesis and phosphorolysis of cello-saccharides at long-time reactions served to identify the utility of these enzymes. While Ral CDP produces a mixture of cello-oligosaccharides (from cellotriose to longer oligosaccharides), the impaired phosphorolytic activity makes Ral ∆N63CDP lead mainly toward the synthesis of cellotetraose. On the other hand, Ral CDP-CBM37 remarks on the utility of obtaining glucose-1-phosphate from cellulosic compounds., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Storani, Guerrero and Iglesias.)

Sugar-alcohols are major photosynthates in plants from the Rosaceae family. Expression of the gene encoding aldose-6-phosphate reductase (Ald6PRase), the critical enzyme for glucitol synthesis in rosaceous species, is regulated by physiological and environmental cues. Additionally, Ald6PRase is inhibited by small molecules (hexose-phosphates and inorganic orthophosphate) and oxidizing compounds. This work demonstrates that Ald6PRase from peach leaves is phosphorylated in planta at the N-terminus. We also show in vitro phosphorylation of recombinant Ald6PRase by a partially purified kinase extract from peach leaves containing Ca 2+ -dependent protein kinases (CDPKs). Moreover, phosphorylation of recombinant Ald6PRase was inhibited by hexose-phosphates, phosphoenolpyruvate and pyrophosphate. We further show that phosphorylation of recombinant Ald6PRase was maximal using recombinant CDPKs. Overall, our results suggest that phosphorylation could fine-tune the activity of Ald6PRase., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Thiol redox proteins and low molecular mass thiols have essential functions in maintaining cellular redox balance in almost all living organisms. In the pathogenic bacterium Leptospira interrogans, several redox components have been described, namely, typical 2-Cys peroxiredoxin, a functional thioredoxin system, glutathione synthesis pathway, and methionine sulfoxide reductases. However, until now, information about proteins linked to GSH metabolism has not been reported in this pathogen. Glutaredoxins (Grxs) are GSH-dependent oxidoreductases that regulate and maintain the cellular redox state together with thioredoxins. This work deals with recombinant production at a high purity level, biochemical characterization, and detailed kinetic and structural study of the two Grxs (Lin1CGrx and Lin2CGrx) identified in L. interrogans serovar Copenhageni strain Fiocruz L1-130. Both recombinant LinGrxs exhibited the classical in vitro GSH-dependent 2-hydroxyethyl disulfide and dehydroascorbate reductase activity. Strikingly, we found that Lin2CGrx could serve as a substrate of methionine sulfoxide reductases A1 and B from L. interrogans. Distinctively, only recombinant Lin1CGrx contained a [2Fe2S] cluster confirming a homodimeric structure. The functionality of both LinGrxs was assessed by yeast complementation in null grx mutants, and both isoforms were able to rescue the mutant phenotype. Finally, our data suggest that protein glutathionylation as a post-translational modification process is present in L. interrogans. As a whole, our results support the occurrence of two new redox actors linked to GSH metabolism and iron homeostasis in L. interrogans., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.)

Sugar alcohols are major photosynthetic products in plant species from the Apiaceae and Plantaginaceae families. Mannose-6-phosphate reductase (Man6PRase) and aldose-6-phosphate reductase (Ald6PRase) are key enzymes for synthesizing mannitol and glucitol in celery (Apium graveolens) and peach (Prunus persica), respectively. In this work, we report the first crystal structures of dimeric plant aldo/keto reductases (AKRs), celery Man6PRase (solved in the presence of mannonic acid and NADP+) and peach Ald6PRase (obtained in the apo form). Both structures displayed the typical TIM barrel folding commonly observed in proteins from the AKR superfamily. Analysis of the Man6PRase holo form showed that residues putatively involved in the catalytic mechanism are located close to the nicotinamide ring of NADP+, where the hydride transfer to the sugar phosphate should take place. Additionally, we found that Lys48 is important for the binding of the sugar phosphate. Interestingly, the Man6PRase K48A mutant had a lower catalytic efficiency with mannose-6-phosphate but a higher catalytic efficiency with mannose than the wild type. Overall, our work sheds light on the structure-function relationships of important enzymes to synthesize sugar alcohols in plants., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

We explored the ability of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (ADP-Glc PPase) from different bacteria to use glucosamine (GlcN) metabolites as a substrate or allosteric effectors. The enzyme from the actinobacteria Kocuria rhizophila exhibited marked and distinctive sensitivity to allosteric activation by GlcN-6P when producing ADP-Glc from glucose-1-phosphate (Glc-1P) and ATP. This behavior is also seen in the enzyme from Rhodococcus spp., the only one known so far to portray this activation. GlcN-6P had a more modest effect on the enzyme from other Actinobacteria ( Streptomyces coelicolor ), Firmicutes ( Ruminococcus albus ), and Proteobacteria ( Agrobacterium tumefaciens ) groups. In addition, we studied the catalytic capacity of ADP-Glc PPases from the different sources using GlcN-1P as a substrate when assayed in the presence of their respective allosteric activators. In all cases, the catalytic efficiency of Glc-1P was 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than GlcN-1P, except for the unregulated heterotetrameric protein (GlgC/GgD) from Geobacillus stearothermophilus . The Glc-1P substrate preference is explained using a model of ADP-Glc PPase from A. tumefaciens based on the crystallographic structure of the enzyme from potato tuber. The substrate-binding domain localizes near the N-terminal of an α-helix, which has a partial positive charge, thus favoring the interaction with a hydroxyl rather than a charged primary amine group. Results support the scenario where the ability of ADP-Glc PPases to use GlcN-1P as an alternative occurred during evolution despite the enzyme being selected to use Glc-1P and ATP for α-glucans synthesis. As an associated consequence in such a process, certain bacteria could have improved their ability to metabolize GlcN. The work also provides insights in designing molecular tools for producing oligo and polysaccharides with amino moieties., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Bhayani, Iglesias, Minen, Cereijo, Ballicora, Iglesias and Asencion Diez.)

We describe a patient in Argentina with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Although both coronavirus disease and HPS can be fatal when not diagnosed and treated promptly, HPS is much more lethal. This case report may contribute to improved detection of co-infections in HPS-endemic regions.

Key Message: This review outlines research performed in the last two decades on the structural, kinetic, regulatory and evolutionary aspects of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, the regulatory enzyme for starch biosynthesis. ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (ADP-Glc PPase) catalyzes the first committed step in the pathway of glycogen and starch synthesis in bacteria and plants, respectively. Plant ADP-Glc PPase is a heterotetramer allosterically regulated by metabolites and post-translational modifications. In this review, we focus on the three-dimensional structure of the plant enzyme, the amino acids that bind the regulatory molecules, and the regions involved in transmitting the allosteric signal to the catalytic site. We provide a model for the evolution of the small and large subunits, which produce heterotetramers with distinct catalytic and regulatory properties. Additionally, we review the various post-translational modifications observed in ADP-Glc PPases from different species and tissues. Finally, we discuss the subcellular localization of the enzyme found in grain endosperm from grasses, such as maize and rice. Overall, this work brings together research performed in the last two decades to better understand the multiple mechanisms involved in the regulation of ADP-Glc PPase. The rational modification of this enzyme could improve the yield and resilience of economically important crops, which is particularly important in the current scenario of climate change and food shortage., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Background: The hallmarks of HPS are increase of vascular permeability and endothelial dysfunction. Although an exacerbated immune response is thought to be implicated in pathogenesis, clear evidence is still elusive. As orthohantaviruses are not cytopathic CD8 + T cells are believed to be the central players involved in pathogenesis., Methods: Serum and blood samples from Argentinean HPS patients were collected from 2014 to 2019. Routine white blood cell analyses, quantification and characterization of T-cell phenotypic profile, viral load, neutralizing antibody response and quantification of inflammatory mediators were performed., Findings: High numbers of activated CD4 + and CD8 + T cells were found in all HPS cases independently of disease severity. We found increased levels of some proinflammatory mediators during the acute phase of illness. Nonetheless, viral RNA remained high, showing a delay in clearance from blood up to late convalescence, when titers of neutralizing antibodies reached a high level., Interpretation: The high activated phenotypic profile of T cells seems to be unable to resolve infection during the acute and early convalescent phases, and it was not associated with the severity of the disease. Thus, at least part of the activated T cells could be induced by the dysregulated inflammatory response in an unspecific manner. Viral clearance seems to have been more related to high titers of neutralizing antibodies than to the T-cell response., Funding: This work was supported mainly by the Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud (ANLIS) "Dr. Carlos Malbrán". Further details of fundings sources is included in the appendix., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest All authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Until recently, the cyanobacterial phylum only included oxygenic photosynthesizer members. The discovery of Melainabacteria as a group of supposed non-photosynthetic cyanobacteria asked to revisit such scenario. From metagenomic data, we were able to identify sequences encoding putative ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylases (ADP-GlcPPase) from free-living and intestinal Melainabacteria. The respective genes were de novo synthesized and over-expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified recombinant proteins from both Melainabacteria species were active as ADP-GlcPPases, exhibiting V max values of 2.3 (free-living) and 7.1 U/mg (intestinal). The enzymes showed similar S 0.5 values (∼0.3 mM) for ATP, while the one from the intestinal source exhibited a 6-fold higher affinity toward glucose-1P. Both recombinant ADP-GlcPPases were sensitive to glucose-6P activation (A 0.5 ∼0.3 mM) and Pi and ADP inhibition (I 0.5 between 0.2 and 3 mM). Interestingly, the enzymes from Melainabacteria were insensitive to 3-phosphoglycerate, which is the principal activator of ADP-GlcPPases from photosynthetic cyanobacteria. As far as we know, this is the first biochemical characterization of an active enzyme from Melainabacteria. This work contributes to a better understanding of the evolution of allosteric regulation in the ADP-GlcPPase family, which is critical for synthesizing the main reserve polysaccharide in prokaryotes (glycogen) and plants (starch). In addition, our results offer further information to discussions regarding the phylogenetic position of Melainabacteria., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.)

Activating mutations of the oncogenic KRAS in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are associated with an aberrant metabolic phenotype that may be therapeutically exploited. Increased glutamine utilization via glutaminase-1 (GLS1) is one such feature of the activated KRAS signaling that is essential to cell survival and proliferation; however, metabolic plasticity of PDAC cells allow them to adapt to GLS1 inhibition via various mechanisms including activation of glycolysis, suggesting a requirement for combinatorial anti-metabolic approaches to combat PDAC. We investigated whether targeting the glycolytic regulator 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase-3 (PFKFB3) in combination with GLS1 can selectively prevent the growth of KRAS-transformed cells. We show that KRAS-transformation of pancreatic duct cells robustly sensitizes them to the dual targeting of GLS1 and PFKFB3. We also report that this sensitivity is preserved in the PDAC cell line PANC-1 which harbors an activating KRAS mutation. We then demonstrate that GLS1 inhibition reduced fructose-2,6-bisphosphate levels, the product of PFKFB3, whereas PFKFB3 inhibition increased glutamine consumption, and these effects were augmented by the co-inhibition of GLS1 and PFKFB3, suggesting a reciprocal regulation between PFKFB3 and GLS1. In conclusion, this study identifies a novel mutant KRAS-induced metabolic vulnerability that may be targeted via combinatorial inhibition of GLS1 and PFKFB3 to suppress PDAC cell growth., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this study was to know the prevalence and severity of COVID-19 in patients treated with long-term macrolides and to describe the factors associated with worse outcomes. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Primary Care setting. Patients with macrolides dispensed continuously from 1 October 2019 to 31 March 2020, were considered. Main outcome: diagnosis of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). Secondary outcomes: symptoms, severity, characteristics of patients, comorbidities, concomitant treatments. A total of 3057 patients met the inclusion criteria. Median age: 73 (64-81) years; 55% were men; 62% smokers/ex-smokers; 56% obese/overweight. Overall, 95% of patients had chronic respiratory diseases and four comorbidities as a median. Prevalence of COVID-19: 4.8%. This was in accordance with official data during the first wave of the pandemic. The most common symptoms were respiratory: shortness of breath, cough, and pneumonia. Additionally, 53% percent of patients had mild/moderate symptoms, 28% required hospital admission, and 19% died with COVID-19. The percentage of patients hospitalized and deaths were 2.6 and 5.8 times higher, respectively, in the COVID-19 group ( p < 0.001). There was no evidence of a beneficial effect of long-term courses of macrolides in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection or the progression to worse outcomes in old patients with underlying chronic respiratory diseases and a high burden of comorbidity.

How organisms integrate metabolism with the external environment is a central question in biology. Here, we describe a novel regulatory small molecule, a proteogenic dipeptide Tyr-Asp, which improves plant tolerance to oxidative stress by directly interfering with glucose metabolism. Specifically, Tyr-Asp inhibits the activity of a key glycolytic enzyme, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPC), and redirects glucose toward pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) and NADPH production. In line with the metabolic data, Tyr-Asp supplementation improved the growth performance of both Arabidopsis and tobacco seedlings subjected to oxidative stress conditions. Moreover, inhibition of Arabidopsis phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) activity by a group of branched-chain amino acid-containing dipeptides, but not by Tyr-Asp, points to a multisite regulation of glycolytic/gluconeogenic pathway by dipeptides. In summary, our results open the intriguing possibility that proteogenic dipeptides act as evolutionarily conserved small-molecule regulators at the nexus of stress, protein degradation, and metabolism., (© 2021 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY NC ND 4.0 license.)

This review commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded to Luis F. Leloir 'for his discovery of sugar-nucleotides and their role in the biosynthesis of carbohydrates'. He and his co-workers discovered that activated forms of simple sugars, such as UDP-glucose and UDP-galactose, are essential intermediates in the interconversion of sugars. They elucidated the biosynthetic pathways for sucrose and starch, which are the major end-products of photosynthesis, and for trehalose. Trehalose 6-phosphate, the intermediate of trehalose biosynthesis that they discovered, is now a molecule of great interest due to its function as a sugar signalling metabolite that regulates many aspects of plant metabolism and development. The work of the Leloir group also opened the doors to an understanding of the biosynthesis of cellulose and other structural cell wall polysaccharides (hemicelluloses and pectins), and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Nucleotide-sugars also serve as sugar donors for a myriad of glycosyltransferases that conjugate sugars to other molecules, including lipids, phytohormones, secondary metabolites, and proteins, thereby modifying their biological activity. In this review, we highlight the diversity of nucleotide-sugars and their functions in plants, in recognition of Leloir's rich and enduring legacy to plant science., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Euglena gracilis is a eukaryotic single-celled and photosynthetic organism grouped under the kingdom Protista. This phytoflagellate can accumulate the carbon photoassimilate as a linear β-1,3-glucan chain called paramylon. This storage polysaccharide can undergo degradation to provide glucose units to obtain ATP and reducing power both in aerobic and anaerobic growth conditions. Our group has recently characterized an essential enzyme for accumulating the polysaccharide, the UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (Biochimie vol 154, 2018, 176-186), which catalyzes the synthesis of UDP-glucose (the substrate for paramylon synthase). Additionally, the identification of nucleotide sequences coding for putative UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylases suggests the occurrence of an alternative source of UDP-glucose. In this study, we demonstrate the active involvement of both pyrophosphorylases in paramylon accumulation. Using techniques of single and combined knockdown of transcripts coding for these proteins, we evidenced a substantial decrease in the polysaccharide synthesis from 39 ± 7 μg/10 6  cells determined in the control at day 21st of growth. Thus, the paramylon accumulation in Euglena gracilis cells decreased by 60% and 30% after a single knockdown of the expression of genes coding for UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase and UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase, respectively. Besides, the combined knockdown of both genes resulted in a ca. 65% reduction in the level of the storage polysaccharide. Our findings indicate the existence of a physiological dependence between paramylon accumulation and the partitioning of sugar nucleotides into other metabolic routes, including the Leloir pathway's functionality in Euglena gracilis., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.)

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) plays a crucial role in gluconeogenesis. In this work, we analyze the proteolysis of Arabidopsis thaliana PEPCK1 (AthPEPCK1) in germinating seedlings. We found that the amount of AthPEPCK1 protein peaks at 24-48 h post-imbibition. Concomitantly, we observed shorter versions of AthPEPCK1, putatively generated by metacaspase-9 (AthMC9). To study the impact of AthMC9 cleavage on the kinetic and regulatory properties of AthPEPCK1, we produced truncated mutants based on the reported AthMC9 cleavage sites. The Δ19 and Δ101 truncated mutants of AthPEPCK1 showed similar kinetic parameters and the same quaternary structure as the wild type. However, activation by malate and inhibition by glucose 6-phosphate were abolished in the Δ101 mutant. We propose that proteolysis of AthPEPCK1 in germinating seedlings operates as a mechanism to adapt the sensitivity to allosteric regulation during the sink-to-source transition., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Methionine (Met) oxidation leads to a racemic mixture of R and S forms of methionine sulfoxide (MetSO). Methionine sulfoxide reductases (Msr) are enzymes that can reduce specifically each isomer of MetSO, both free and protein-bound. The Met oxidation could change the structure and function of many proteins, not only of those redox-related but also of others involved in different metabolic pathways. Until now, there is no information about the presence or function of Msrs enzymes in Leptospira interrogans., Methods: We identified genes coding for putative MsrAs (A1 and A2) and MsrB in L. interrogans serovar Copenhageni strain Fiocruz L1-130 genome project. From these, we obtained the recombinant proteins and performed their functional characterization., Results: The recombinant L. interrogans MsrB catalyzed the reduction of Met(R)SO using glutaredoxin and thioredoxin as reducing substrates and behaves like a 1-Cys Msr (without resolutive Cys residue). It was able to partially revert the in vitro HClO-dependent inactivation of L. interrogans catalase. Both recombinant MsrAs reduced Met(S)SO, being the recycle mediated by the thioredoxin system. LinMsrAs were more efficient than LinMsrB for free and protein-bound MetSO reduction. Besides, LinMsrAs are enzymes involving a Cys triad in their catalytic mechanism. LinMsrs showed a dual localization, both in cytoplasm and periplasm., Conclusions and General Significance: This article brings new knowledge about redox metabolism in L. interrogans. Our results support the occurrence of a metabolic pathway involved in the critical function of repairing oxidized macromolecules in this pathogen., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Backgound: Studying enzymes that determine glucose-1P fate in carbohydrate metabolism is important to better understand microorganisms as biotechnological tools. One example ripe for discovery is the UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase enzyme from Rhodococcus spp. In the R. jostii genome, this gene is duplicated, whereas R. fascians contains only one copy., Methods: We report the molecular cloning of galU genes from R. jostii and R. fascians to produce recombinant proteins RjoGalU1, RjoGalU2, and RfaGalU. Substrate saturation curves were conducted, kinetic parameters were obtained and the catalytic efficiency (k cat /K m ) was used to analyze enzyme promiscuity. We also investigated the response of R. jostii GlmU pyrophosphorylase activity with different sugar-1Ps, which may compete for substrates with RjoGalU2., Results: All enzymes were active as pyrophosphorylases and exhibited substrate promiscuity toward sugar-1Ps. Remarkably, RjoGalU2 exhibited one order of magnitude higher activity with glucosamine-1P than glucose-1P, the canonical substrate. Glucosamine-1P activity was also significant in RfaGalU. The efficient use of the phospho-amino-sugar suggests the feasibility of the reaction to occur in vivo. Also, RjoGalU2 and RfaGalU represent enzymatic tools for the production of (amino)glucosyl precursors for the putative synthesis of novel molecules., Conclusions: Results support the hypothesis that partitioning of glucosamine-1P includes an uncharacterized metabolic node in Rhodococcus spp., which could be important for producing diverse alternatives for carbohydrate metabolism in biotechnological applications., General Significance: Results presented here provide a model to study evolutionary enzyme promiscuity, which could be used as a tool to expand an organism's metabolic repertoire by incorporating non-canonical substrates into novel metabolic pathways., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: From November 2018 through February 2019, person-to-person transmission of Andes virus (ANDV) hantavirus pulmonary syndrome occurred in Chubut Province, Argentina, and resulted in 34 confirmed infections and 11 deaths. Understanding the genomic, epidemiologic, and clinical characteristics of person-to-person transmission of ANDV is crucial to designing effective interventions., Methods: Clinical and epidemiologic information was obtained by means of patient report and from public health centers. Serologic testing, contact-tracing, and next-generation sequencing were used to identify ANDV infection as the cause of this outbreak of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and to reconstruct person-to-person transmission events., Results: After a single introduction of ANDV from a rodent reservoir into the human population, transmission was driven by 3 symptomatic persons who attended crowded social events. After 18 cases were confirmed, public health officials enforced isolation of persons with confirmed cases and self-quarantine of possible contacts; these measures most likely curtailed further spread. The median reproductive number (the number of secondary cases caused by an infected person during the infectious period) was 2.12 before the control measures were enforced and decreased to 0.96 after the measures were implemented. Full genome sequencing of the ANDV strain involved in this outbreak was performed with specimens from 27 patients and showed that the strain that was present (Epuyén/18-19) was similar to the causative strain (Epilink/96) in the first known person-to-person transmission of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome caused by ANDV, which occurred in El Bolsón, Argentina, in 1996. Clinical investigations involving patients with ANDV hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in this outbreak revealed that patients with a high viral load and liver injury were more likely than other patients to spread infection. Disease severity, genomic diversity, age, and time spent in the hospital had no clear association with secondary transmission., Conclusions: Among patients with ANDV hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, high viral titers in combination with attendance at massive social gatherings or extensive contact among persons were associated with a higher likelihood of transmission. (Funded by the Ministerio de Salud y Desarrollo Social de la Nación Argentina and others.)., (Copyright © 2020 Massachusetts Medical Society.)

We analyzed the structure to function relationships in Ruminococcus albus 8 xylanase 10A (RalXyn10A) finding that the N-terminus 34-amino acids sequence (N34) in the protein is particularly functional. We performed the recombinant wild type enzyme's characterization and that of the truncated mutant lacking the N34 extreme (RalΔN34Xyn10A). The truncated enzyme exhibited about half of the activity and reduced affinity for binding to insoluble saccharides. These suggest a (CBM)-like function for the N34 motif. Besides, RalXyn10A activity was diminished by redox agent dithiothreitol, a characteristic absent in RalΔN34Xyn10A. The N34 sequence exhibited a significant similarity with protein components of the ABC transporter of the bacterial membrane, and this motif is present in other proteins of R. albus 8. Data suggest that N34 would confer RalXyn10A the capacity to interact with polysaccharides and components of the cell membrane, enhancing the degradation of the substrate and uptake of the products by the bacterium., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Raffinose (Raf) protects plant cells during seed desiccation and under different abiotic stress conditions. The biosynthesis of Raf starts with the production of UDP-galactose by UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase (USPPase) and continues with the synthesis of galactinol by galactinol synthase (GolSase). Galactinol is then used by Raf synthase to produce Raf. In this work, we report the biochemical characterization of USPPase (BdiUSPPase) and GolSase 1 (BdiGolSase1) from Brachypodium distachyon. The catalytic efficiency of BdiUSPPase was similar with galactose 1-phosphate and glucose 1-phosphate, but 5- to 17-fold lower with other sugar 1-phosphates. The catalytic efficiency of BdiGolSase1 with UDP-galactose was three orders of magnitude higher than with UDP-glucose. A structural model of BdiGolSase1 allowed us to determine the residues putatively involved in the binding of substrates. Among these, we found that Cys 261 lies within the putative catalytic pocket. BdiGolSase1 was inactivated by oxidation with diamide and H 2 O 2 . The activity of the diamide-oxidized enzyme was recovered by reduction with dithiothreitol or E. coli thioredoxin, suggesting that BdiGolSase1 is redox-regulated., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: Methionine is an amino acid susceptible to be oxidized to give a racemic mixture of R and S forms of methionine sulfoxide (MetSO). This posttranslational modification has been reported to occur in vivo under either normal or stress conditions. The reduction of MetSO to methionine is catalyzed by methionine sulfoxide reductases (MSRs), thiol-dependent enzymes present in almost all organisms. These enzymes can reduce specifically one or another of the isomers of MetSO (free and protein-bound). This redox modification could change the structure and function of many proteins, either concerned in redox or other metabolic pathways. The study of antioxidant systems in Trypanosoma cruzi has been mainly focused on the involvement of trypanothione, a specific redox component for these organisms. Though, little information is available concerning mechanisms for repairing oxidized methionine residues in proteins, which would be relevant for the survival of these pathogens in the different stages of their life cycle., Methods: We report an in vitro functional and in vivo cellular characterization of methionine sulfoxide reductase B (MSRB, specific for protein-bound MetSO R-enantiomer) from T. cruzi strain Dm28c., Results: MSRB exhibited both cytosolic and mitochondrial localization in epimastigote cells. From assays involving parasites overexpressing MSRB, we observed the contribution of this protein to increase the general resistance against oxidative damage, the infectivity of trypomastigote cells, and intracellular replication of the amastigote stage. Also, we report that epimastigotes overexpressing MSRB exhibit inhibition of the metacyclogenesis process; this suggesting the involvement of the proteins as negative modulators in this cellular differentiation., Conclusions and General Significance: This report contributes to novel insights concerning redox metabolism in T. cruzi. Results herein presented support the importance of enzymatic steps involved in the metabolism of L-Met and in repairing oxidized macromolecules in this parasite., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Glycogen was described as a temporal storage molecule in rhodococci, interconnecting lipids and carbon availability. The Rhodococcus jostii ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (ADP-GlcPPase) kinetic and regulatory properties support this role. Curiously, the enzyme uses glucosamine-1P as alternative substrate. Herein, we report the in-depth study of glucosamine-1P activity and its regulation in two rhodocoocal ADP-GlcPPases, finding that glucosamine-6P (representing a metabolic carbon/nitrogen node) is a critical activator, then reinforcing the role of glycogen as an "intermediary metabolite" in rhodococci. Glucosamine-1P activity in rhodococcal ADP-GlcPPases responds to activation by metabolites improving their catalytic performance, strongly suggesting its metabolic feasibility. This work supports a scenario for new molecules/metabolites discovery and hypothesizes on evolutionary mechanisms underlying enzyme promiscuity opening novel metabolic features in (actino)bacteria., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Starch is the dominant reserve polysaccharide accumulated in the seed of grasses (like wheat). It is the most common carbohydrate in the human diet and a material applied to the bioplastics and biofuels industry. Hence, the complete understanding of starch metabolism is critical to design rational strategies to improve its allocation in plant reserve tissues. ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (ADP-Glc PPase) catalyzes the key (regulated) step in the synthetic starch pathway. The enzyme comprises a small (S) and a large (L) subunit forming an S 2 L 2 heterotetramer, which is allosterically regulated by orthophosphate, fructose-6P, and 3P-glycerate. ADP-Glc PPase was found in a phosphorylated state in extracts from wheat seeds. The amount of the phosphorylated protein increased along with the development of the seed and correlated with relative increases of the enzyme activity and starch content. Conversely, this post-translational modification was absent in seeds from Ricinus communis . In vitro , the recombinant ADP-Glc PPase from wheat endosperm was phosphorylated by wheat seed extracts as well as by recombinant Ca 2+ -dependent plant protein kinases. Further analysis showed that the preferential phosphorylation takes place on the L subunit. Results suggest that the ADP-Glc PPase is a phosphorylation target in seeds from grasses but not from oleaginous plants. Accompanying seed maturation and starch accumulation, a combined regulation of ADP-Glc PPase by metabolites and phosphorylation may provide an enzyme with stable levels of activity. Such concerted modulation would drive carbon skeletons to the synthesis of starch for its long-term storage, which later support seed germination., (Copyright © 2020 Ferrero, Piattoni, Asencion Diez, Rojas, Hartman, Ballicora and Iglesias.)

Tumor cells increase glucose metabolism through glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathways to meet the bioenergetic and biosynthetic demands of rapid cell proliferation. The family of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatases (PFKFB1-4) are key regulators of glucose metabolism via their synthesis of fructose-2,6-bisphosphate (F2,6BP), a potent activator of glycolysis. Previous studies have reported the co-expression of PFKFB isozymes, as well as the mRNA splice variants of particular PFKFB isozymes, suggesting non-redundant functions. Majority of the evidence demonstrating a requirement for PFKFB activity in increased glycolysis and oncogenic properties in tumor cells comes from studies on PFKFB3 and PFKFB4 isozymes. In this study, we show that the PFKFB2 isozyme is expressed in tumor cell lines of various origin, overexpressed and localizes to the nucleus in pancreatic adenocarcinoma, relative to normal pancreatic tissue. We then demonstrate the differential intracellular localization of two PFKFB2 mRNA splice variants and that, when ectopically expressed, cytoplasmically localized mRNA splice variant causes a greater increase in F2,6BP which coincides with an increased glucose uptake, as compared with the mRNA splice variant localizing to the nucleus. We then show that PFKFB2 expression is required for steady-state F2,6BP levels, glycolytic activity, and proliferation of pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells. In conclusion, this study may provide a rationale for detailed investigation of PFKFB2's requirement for the glycolytic and oncogenic phenotype of pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells.

Bacterial ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylases are allosterically regulated by metabolites that are key intermediates of central pathways in the respective microorganism. Pyruvate (Pyr) and fructose 6-phosphate (Fru6P) activate the enzyme from Agrobacterium tumefaciens by increasing V max about 10- and 20-fold, respectively. Here, we studied the combined effect of both metabolites on the enzyme activation. Our results support a model in which there is a synergistic binding of these two activators to two distinct sites and that each activator leads the enzyme to distinct active forms with different properties. In presence of both activators, Pyr had a catalytically dominant effect over Fru6P determining the active conformational state. By mutagenesis we obtained enzyme variants still sensitive to Pyr activation, but in which the allosteric signal by Fru6P was disrupted. This indicated that the activation mechanism for each effector was not the same. The ability for this enzyme to have more than one allosteric activator site, active forms, and allosteric signaling mechanisms is critical to expand the evolvability of its regulation. These synergistic interactions between allosteric activators may represent a feature in other allosteric enzymes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.)

Background: Glutathione (GSH) plays a role as a main antioxidant metabolite in all eukaryotes and many prokaryotes. Most of the organisms synthesize GSH by a pathway involving two enzymatic reactions, each one consuming one molecule of ATP. In a first step mediated by glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCL), the carboxylate of l-glutamic acid reacts with l-cysteine to form the dipeptide γ-glutamylcysteine (γ-GC). The second step involves the addition of glycine to the C-terminal of γ-GC catalyzed by glutathione synthetase (GS). In many bacteria, such as in the pathogen Leptospira interrogans, the main intracellular thiol has not yet been identified and the presence of GSH is not clear., Methods: We performed the molecular cloning of the genes gshA and gshB from L. interrogans; which respectively code for GCL and GS. After heterologous expression of the cloned genes we recombinantly produced the respective proteins with high degree of purity. These enzymes were exhaustively characterized in their biochemical properties. In addition, we determined the contents of GSH and the activity of related enzymes (and proteins) in cell extracts of the bacterium., Results: We functionally characterized GCL and GS, the two enzymes putatively involved in GSH synthesis in L. interrogans serovar Copenhageni. LinGCL showed higher substrate promiscuity (was active in presence of l-glutamic acid, l-cysteine and ATP, and also with GTP, l-aspartic acid and l-serine in lower proportion) unlike LinGS (which was only active with γ-GC, l-glycine and ATP). LinGCL is significantly inhibited by γ-GC and GSH, the respective intermediate and final product of the synthetic pathway. GSH showed inhibitory effect over LinGS but with a lower potency than LinGCL. Going further, we detected the presence of GSH in L. interrogans cells grown under basal conditions and also determined enzymatic activity of several GSH-dependent/related proteins in cell extracts., Conclusions: and General Significance. Our results contribute with novel insights concerning redox metabolism in L. interrogans, mainly supporting that GSH is part of the antioxidant defense in the bacterium., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

ATP-dependent phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinases (PEPCKs, EC 4.1.1.49) from C4 and CAM plants have been widely studied due to their crucial role in photosynthetic CO2 fixation. However, our knowledge on the structural, kinetic and regulatory properties of the enzymes from C3 species is still limited. In this work, we report the recombinant production and biochemical characterization of two PEPCKs identified in Arabidopsis thaliana: AthPEPCK1 and AthPEPCK2. We found that both enzymes exhibited high affinity for oxaloacetate and ATP, reinforcing their role as decarboxylases. We employed a high-throughput screening for putative allosteric regulators using differential scanning fluorometry and confirmed their effect on enzyme activity by performing enzyme kinetics. AthPEPCK1 and AthPEPCK2 are allosterically modulated by key intermediates of plant metabolism, namely succinate, fumarate, citrate and α-ketoglutarate. Interestingly, malate activated and glucose 6-phosphate inhibited AthPEPCK1 but had no effect on AthPEPCK2. Overall, our results demonstrate that the enzymes involved in the critical metabolic node constituted by phosphoenolpyruvate are targets of fine allosteric regulation., (© 2019 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.)

The enzyme ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (ADP-Glc PPase) controls the biosynthesis of glycogen in bacteria and starch in plants. It is regulated by various activators in different organisms according to their metabolic characteristics. In Escherichia coli , the major allosteric activator is fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (FBP). Other potent activator analogs include 1,6-hexanediol bisphosphate (HBP) and pyridoxal 5 ' -phosphate (PLP). Recently, a crystal structure with FBP bound was reported (PDB ID: 5L6S). However, it is possible that the FBP site found is not directly responsible for the activation of the enzyme. We hypothesized FBP activates by binding one of its phosphate groups to another site ("P1") in which a sulfate molecule was observed. In the E. coli enzyme, Arg40, Arg52, and Arg386 are part of this "P1" pocket and tightly complex this sulfate, which is also present in the crystal structures of ADP-Glc PPases from Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Solanum tuberosum . To test this hypothesis, we modeled alternative binding conformations of FBP, HBP, and PLP into "P1." In addition, we performed a scanning mutagenesis of Arg residues near potential phosphate binding sites ("P1," "P2," "P3"). We found that Arg40 and Arg52 are essential for FBP and PLP binding and activation. In addition, mutation of Arg386 to Ala decreased the apparent affinity for the activators more than 35-fold. We propose that the activator binds at this "P1" pocket, as well as "P2." Arg40 and Arg52 are highly conserved residues and they may be a common feature to complex the phosphate moiety of different sugar phosphate activators in the ADP-Glc PPase family., (Copyright © 2019 Bhayani, Hill, Sharma, Iglesias, Olsen and Ballicora.)

Most oxidoreductases that use NAD + or NADP + to transfer electrons in redox reactions display a strong preference for the cofactor. The catalytic efficiency of peach glucitol dehydrogenase (GolDHase) for NAD + is 1800-fold higher than that for NADP + . Herein, we combined structural and kinetic data to reverse the cofactor specificity of this enzyme. Using site-saturation mutagenesis, we obtained the D216A mutant, which uses both NAD + and NADP + , although with different catalytic efficiencies (1000 ± 200 and 170 ± 30 M -1 s -1 , respectively). This mutant was used as a template to introduce further mutations by site-directed mutagenesis, using information from the fruit fly NADP-dependent GolDHase. The D216A/V217R/D218S triple mutant displayed a 2-fold higher catalytic efficiency with NADP + than with NAD + . Overall, our results indicate that the triple mutant has the potential to be used for metabolic and cellular engineering and for cofactor recycling in industrial processes.

This work reports the molecular cloning and heterologous expression of the genes coding for α and β subunits of pyrophosphate-dependent phosphofructokinase (PPi-PFK) from orange. When expressed individually, both recombinant subunits were produced as highly purified monomeric proteins able to phosphorylate fructose-6-phosphate at the expenses of PPi (specific activity of 0.075 and 0.017 units. mg -1 for α and β subunits, respectively). On the other hand, co-expression rendered a α 3 β 3 hexamer with specific activity three orders of magnitude higher than the single subunits. All the conformations of the enzyme were characterized with respect to its kinetic properties and sensitivity to the regulator fructose-2,6-bisphosphate. A thorough review of current knowledge on the matter indicates that this is the first report of the recombinant production of active plant PPi-PFK and the characterization of its different conformations. This is a main contribution for future studies focused to better understand the enzyme properties and how it accomplishes its relevant role in plant metabolism., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The pathways for biosynthesis of glycogen in bacteria and starch in plants are evolutionarily and biochemically related. They are regulated primarily by ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, which evolved to satisfy metabolic requirements of a particular organism. Despite the importance of these two pathways, little is known about the mechanism that controls pyrophosphorylase activity or the location of its allosteric sites. Here, we report pyruvate-bound crystal structures of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from the bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens , identifying a previously elusive activator site for the enzyme. We found that the tetrameric enzyme binds two molecules of pyruvate in a planar conformation. Each binding site is located in a crevice between the C-terminal domains of two subunits where they stack via a distinct β-helix region. Pyruvate interacts with the side chain of Lys-43 and with the peptide backbone of Ser-328 and Gly-329 from both subunits. These structural insights led to the design of two variants with altered regulatory properties. In one variant (K43A), the allosteric effect was absent, whereas in the other (G329D), the introduced Asp mimicked the presence of pyruvate. The latter generated an enzyme that was preactivated and insensitive to further activation by pyruvate. Our study furnishes a deeper understanding of how glycogen biosynthesis is regulated in bacteria and the mechanism by which transgenic plants increased their starch production. These insights will facilitate rational approaches to enzyme engineering for starch production in crops of agricultural interest and will promote further study of allosteric signal transmission and molecular evolution in this important enzyme family., (© 2019 Hill et al.)

Many oligo and polysaccharides (including paramylon) are critical in the Euglena gracilis life-cycle and they are synthesized by glycosyl transferases using UDP-glucose as a substrate. Herein, we report the molecular cloning of a gene putatively coding for a UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (EgrUDP-GlcPPase) in E. gracilis. After heterologous expression of the gene in Escherichia coli, the recombinant enzyme was characterized structural and functionally. Highly purified EgrUDP-GlcPPase exhibited a monomeric structure, able to catalyze synthesis of UDP-glucose with a V max of 3350 U.mg -1 . Glucose-1P and UTP were the preferred substrates, although the enzyme also used (with lower catalytic efficiency) TTP, galactose-1P and mannose-1P. Oxidation by hydrogen peroxide inactivated the enzyme, an effect reversed by reduction with dithiothreitol or thioredoxin. The redox process would involve sulfenic acid formation, since no pair of the 7 cysteine residues is close enough in the 3D structure of the protein to form a disulfide bridge. Electrophoresis studies suggest that, after oxidation, the enzyme arranges in many enzymatically inactive structural conformations; which were also detected in vivo. Finally, confocal fluorescence microscopy provided evidence for a cytosolic (mainly in the flagellum) localization of the enzyme., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.)

ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (ADP-Glc PPase) catalyzes the first committed step for the synthesis of glycogen in cyanobacteria and starch in green algae and plants. The enzyme from cyanobacteria is homotetrameric (α 4 ), while that from green algae and plants is heterotetrameric (α 2 β 2 ). These ADP-Glc PPases are allosterically regulated by 3-phosphoglycerate (3PGA, activator) and inorganic orthophosphate (Pi, inhibitor). Previous studies on the cyanobacterial and plant enzymes showed that 3PGA binds to two highly conserved Lys residues located in the C-terminal domain. We observed that both Lys residues are present in the small (α) subunit of the Ostreococcus tauri enzyme; however, one of these Lys residues is replaced by Arg in the large (β) subunit. In this work, we obtained the K443R and R466K mutants of the O. tauri small and large subunits, respectively, and co-expressed them together or with their corresponding wild type counterparts. Our results show that restoring the Lys residue in the large subunit enhanced 3PGA affinity, whereas introduction of an Arg residue in the small subunit reduced 3PGA affinity of the heterotetramers. Inhibition kinetics also showed that heterotetramers containing the K443R small subunit mutant were less sensitive to Pi inhibition, but only minor changes were observed for those containing the R466K large subunit mutant, suggesting a leading role of the small subunit for Pi inhibition of the heterotetramer. We conclude that, during evolution, the ADP-Glc PPase large subunit from green algae and plants acquired mutations in its regulatory site. The rationale for this could have been to accommodate sensitivity to particular metabolic needs of the cell or tissue.

Starch is the major energy storage carbohydrate in photosynthetic eukaryotes. Several enzymes are involved in building highly organized semi-crystalline starch granules, including starch-synthase III (SSIII), which is widely conserved in photosynthetic organisms. This enzyme catalyzes the extension of the α-1,4 glucan chain and plays a regulatory role in the synthesis of starch. Interestingly, unlike most plants, the unicellular green alga Ostreococcus tauri has three SSIII isoforms. In the present study, we describe the structure and function of OsttaSSIII-B, which has a similar modular organization to SSIII in higher plants, comprising three putative starch-binding domains (SBDs) at the N-terminal region and a C-terminal catalytic domain (CD). Purified recombinant OsttaSSIII-B displayed a high affinity toward branched polysaccharides such as glycogen and amylopectin, and to ADP-glucose. Lower catalytic activity was detected for the CD lacking the associated SBDs, suggesting that they are necessary for enzyme function. Moreover, analysis of enzyme kinetic and polysaccharide-binding parameters of site-directed mutants with modified conserved aromatic amino acid residues W122, Y124, F138, Y147, W279, and W304, belonging to the SBDs, revealed their importance for polysaccharide binding and SS activity. Our results suggest that OT&#95;ostta13g01200 encodes a functional SSIII comprising three SBD domains that are critical for enzyme function.

The ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from wheat endosperm controls starch synthesis in seeds and has unique regulatory properties compared to others from this family. It comprises two types of subunits, but despite its importance little is known about their roles. Here, we synthesized de novo the wheat endosperm ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase small (S) and large (L) subunit genes, heterologously expressed them in Escherichia coli , and kinetically characterized the recombinant proteins. To understand their distinct roles, we co-expressed them with well characterized subunits from the potato tuber enzyme to obtain hybrids with one S subunit from one source and an L subunit from the other. After kinetic analyses of these hybrids, we concluded that the unusual insensitivity to activation of the wheat endosperm enzyme is caused by a pre-activation of the L subunit. In addition, the heat stability and sensitivity to phosphate are given by the S subunit.

Protein kinases constitute one of the largest protein families in nature. Current methods to assay their activity involve the use of radioactive ATP or very expensive reagents. In this work, we developed a highly sensitive, cost-effective and straightforward protocol to measure protein kinase activity using a microplate layout. Released ADP is converted into NAD + , which is quantified by its fluorescent properties after alkaline treatment (linear range 0-10 nmol ADP). To validate our protocol, we characterized a recombinant calcium-dependent protein kinase from potato. Overall, this tool represents a critical step forward in the functional characterization of protein kinases., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)