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Polysaccharides are used extensively in various industrial applications, such as food, adhesives, coatings, construction, paper, pharmaceuticals, and personal care. Many polysaccharide structures need to be modified in order to improve their end-use properties; this is mostly done through chemical reactions. In the past 20 years many enzyme-catalyzed modifications have been developed to supplement chemical derivatization methods. Typical reactions include enzymatic oxidation, ester formation, amidation, glycosylation, and molecular weight reduction. These reactions are reviewed in this paper, with emphasis placed on the work done by the authors. The polymers covered in this review include cellulosic derivatives, starch, guar, pectin, and poly(ethylene glycol).

A new modification of the peptide ladder sequencing technique is described in which allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) replaces trifluoroethyl isothiocyanate as the volatile amine-modification reagent. AITC is commercially available, readily purified, stable up to 80 degrees C and reacts cleanly and rapidly with all amino groups of polypeptides. Several model peptides and two side chain-modified peptides were sequentially degraded using AITC and the cleavage reagent heptafluorobutyric acid (HFBA) up to seven amino acids from the N-terminus. Matrix-assisted laser-desorption and ionization coupled with time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectroscopy of the peptide mixture provided a clear ladder-like mass profile with consecutive molecular ions corresponding to each shortened peptide at picomole range. The results indicate the general utility of this analytical protocol by the use of AITC as the amine-coupling reagent.

The reaction of starch and alkyl or alkenyl ketene dimer and starch gave a novel type of hydrophobically modified starch. The reaction was facilitated with the use of an enzyme, which gave products with higher degrees of substitution (DS) at lower temperatures. The starch used included maltodextrin, amylose, cationic starch, and pre-gelatinised starch, with molecular weights ranging from several hundreds to several millions. The DS of the products could be controlled by varying the reaction conditions, such as the amount of enzyme used, the reaction temperature, the concentration of the reactants, and the reaction solvent. This hydrophobically modified starch had improved properties as compared to the original starch and may be used as a thickener or an emulsifier.

The objective of this brief review is to present an overview of the bioorganic chemistry of cyclic-ADP-ribose (cADPR) with special emphasis on the methodology used for the synthesis of analogues of cADPR. New structural analogues of cADPR can be prepared using either the biomimetic method or ADP-ribosyl cyclase from Aplysia californica. For the most part, both procedures give similar product profiles, but higher yields are generally obtained with the enzymatic method. These synthetic methodologies have allowed the transformation of a variety of structurally modified analogues of NAD+ into their corresponding cyclic nucleotides. Several of these novel analogues are more potent than cADPR in inducing calcium release and are also more stable towards degradative enzymes. They could serve as valuable affinity probes for the isolation of cADPR-binding proteins.

Two types of enzymatic reactions are given here as examples of synthetic problems encountered in industry. In the first case, commercially available β-D-galactosidase from Escherichia coli was used as a catalyst to transfer galactose from β-lactose to oligosaccharides. A preference for galactosyl transfer to the 3- or 4-position of the sugar moiety of the oligosaccharide was observed for the products. As expected, only the β-anomer was produced. A wide variety of sugars, including disaccharides, trisaccharides, cellotetraose, and maltodextrins, has been shown to act as acceptors, yielding oligosaccharides. In the second example, α-galactomannan that had been previously treated to contain cationic groups (cationic guar gum) was subjected to treatment with a series of inexpensive commercial enzymes such as lipases, protease, and cellulases. Some enzyme preparations showed significant changes in the viscosities of 1% cationic guar solution. For example, lipases from Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus saitoi and protease XIII from Rhizopus niveus produced a substantial viscosity reduction (0–20% of original viscosity). These examples demonstrate the utility of low-cost enzymes in manipulating polymer structures.

Background: Profilin is a widely and highly expressed 14 kDa protein that binds actin monomers, poly(L-proline) and polyp hosphoinositol lipids. It participates in regulating actin-filament dynamics that are essential for many types of cell motility. We sought to investigate the site of interaction of profilin with phosphoinositides. Results: Human profilin I was covalently modified using three tritium-labeled 4-benzoyldihydrocinnamoyl (BZDC)-containing photoaffinity analogs of phosphatidylinositol 4,5- bis phosphate (Ptdlns(4,5)P 2 ). The P-1-tethered D- myo -inositol 1,4,5- tris phosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P 3 ) modified profilin I efficiently and specifically; the covalent labeling could be displaced by co-incubation with an excess of Ptdlns(4,5)P 2 but not with Ins(1,4,5)P 3 . The acyl-modified Ptdlns(4,5)P 2 analog showed little protein labeling even at very low concentrations, whereas the head-group-modified PtdIns(4,5)P 2 phosphotriester-labeled monomeric and oligomeric profilin. Mass spectroscopic analyses of CNBr digests of [ 3 H]BZDC-Ins(1,4,5)P 3 -modified recombinant profilin suggested that modification was in the amino-terminal helical CNBr fragment. Edman degradation confirmed Ala1 of profilin I (residue 4 of the recombinant protein) was modified. Molecular models show a minimum energy conformation in which the hydrophobic region of the ligand contacts the amino-terminal helix whereas the 4,5-bisphosphate interacts with Arg135 and Arg136 of the carboxy-terminal helix. Conclusions: The Ptdlns(4,5)P 2 -binding site of profilin I includes a bis phosphate interaction with a base-rich motif in the carboxy-terminal helix and contact between the lipid moiety of Ptdlns(4,5)P 2 and a hydrophobic region of the aminoterminal helix of profilin. This is the first direct evidence for a site of interaction of the lipid moiety of a phosphoinositide bisphosphate analog with profilin.

The phosphoinositide binding selectivity of Golgi coatomer COPI polypeptides was examined using photoaffinity analogs of the soluble inositol polyphosphates Ins(1,4,5)P3, Ins(1,3,4,5)P4, and InsP6, and of the polyphosphoinositides PtdIns(3,4,5)P3, PtdIns(4,5)P2, and PtdIns(3,4)P2. Highly selective Ins(1,3,4,5)P4-displaceable photocovalent modification of the alpha-COP subunit was observed with a p-benzoyldihydrocinnamide (BZDC)-containing probe, [3H]BZDC-Ins(1,3,4,5)P4. A more highly phosphorylated probe, [3H]BZDC-InsP6 probe labeled six of the seven subunits, with only beta, beta', delta, and epsilon-COP showing competitive displacement by excess InsP6. Importantly, [3H]BZDC-triester-PtdIns(3,4,5)P3, the lipid with the same phosphorylation pattern as Ins(1,3,4,5)P4, showed specific, PtdIns(3,4,5)P3-displaceable labeling of only alpha-COP. Labeling by the PtdIns(4,5)P2 and PtdIns(3,4)P2 photoaffinity probes was less intense and showed no discrimination based on PtdInsPn ligand. Thus, both the D-3 and D-5 phosphates are critical for the alpha-COP-PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 interaction, suggesting an important role for this polyphosphoinositide in vesicular trafficking.

We tested for the presence of high-affinity phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2] and PI(3,4,5)P3 binding sites in four phospholipase C (PLC) isozymes (delta1, beta1, beta2, and beta3), by probing these proteins with analogs of inositol phosphates, D-Ins(1,4,5)P3, D-Ins(1,3,4,5)P4, and InsP6, and polyphosphoinositides PI(4,5)P2 and PI(3,4,5)P3, which contain a photoactivatable benzoyldihydrocinnamide moiety. Only PLC-delta1 was specifically radiolabeled. More than 90% of the label was found in tryptic and chymotryptic fragments which reacted with antisera against the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain, whereas less than 5% was recovered in fragments that encompassed the catalytic core. In separate experiments, the isolated delta1-PH domain was also specifically labeled. Equilibrium binding of D-Ins(1,4,5)P3 to PLC-delta1 indicated the presence of a single, high-affinity binding site; binding of D-Ins(1,4,5)P3 to PLC-beta1, -beta2, or -beta3 was not detected. The catalytic activity of PLC-delta1 was inhibited by the product D-Ins(1,4,5)P3, whereas no inhibition of PLC-beta1, -beta2, or -beta3 activity was observed. These results demonstrate that the PH domain is the sole high-affinity PI(4,5)P2 binding site of PLC-delta1 and that a similar site is not present in PLC-beta1, -beta2, or -beta3. The data are consistent with the idea that the PH domain of PLC-delta1, but not the beta isozymes, directs the catalytic core to membranes enriched in PI(4,5)P2 and is subject to product inhibition.

We previously reported the cloning of a cDNA encoding human phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase D1 (PLD1), an ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF)-activated phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase D (Hammond, S. M., Tsung, S., Autschuller, Y., Rudge, S. A., Rose, K., Engebrecht, J., Morris, A. J., and Frohman, M. A. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 29640-29643). We have now identified an evolutionarily conserved shorter splice variant of PLD1 lacking 38 amino acids (residues 585-624) that arises from regulated splicing of an alternate exon. Both forms of PLD1 (PLD1a and 1b) have been expressed in Sf9 cells using baculovirus vectors and purified to homogeneity by detergent extraction and immunoaffinity chromatography. PLD1a and 1b have very similar properties. PLD1a and 1b activity is Mg2+dependent but insensitive to changes in free Ca2+ concentration. Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate and phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate activate PLD1a and 1b but a range of other acidic phospholipids are ineffective. PLD1a and 1b are highly responsive to activation by GTP-γS-liganded ADP-ribosylation factor-1 (ARF-1) and can also be activated to a lesser extent by three purified RHO family monomeric GTP-binding proteins, RHO A, RAC-1, and CDC42. Activation of PLD1a and 1b by the RHO family monomeric GTP-binding proteins is GTP-dependent and synergistic with ARF-1. Purified protein kinase C-α activates PLD1a and 1b in a manner that is stimulated by phorbol esters and does not require ATP. Activation of PLD1a and 1b by protein kinase C-α is synergistic with ARF and with the RHO family monomeric GTP-binding proteins, suggesting that these three classes of regulators interact with different sites on the enzyme.

Cyclic ATP-ribose, synthesized by a combination of chemical and enzymatic methods, was twenty times more potent than cADPR in inducing Ca 2+ release from rat brain microsomes. It induced Ca 2+ release from the same Ca 2+ stores as that of cADPR, but different from those of IP 3 and cyclic ADP-ribose-phosphate.

A synthetic route was developed for the preparation of novel O-(3-aminopropyl) tethered phosphotriester analogs (5) of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5,)P2, or PIP2) and phosphatid...

The ADP-ribosyl cyclase of Aplysia californica catalyzed the conversion of NADP, 3′-NADP and 2′,3′-cyclic NADP into their corresponding cyclic nucleotides (established by NMR, UV, and MS analyses). Cyclic-ADP-ribose-phosphate (cADPRP) was more potent than cADPR in mobilizing calcium in the rat brain microsomal system; the EC50 for cADPRP and cADPR were 9.2 μM and 22 μM respectively.

Papain, a thiol protease was shown to utilize 5(4H)-oxazolinones of peptides as acyl donors in peptide segment condensations. The effectiveness of this methodology is illustrated by the successful coupling of oxidized insulin B chain (30 residues) to angiotensin III (7 residues) in 59% yield.

Pseudomonas cepacia lipase-catalyzed enantioselective hydrolysis of 2 in water afforded (3S,6R)-3. The antipode (3R,6S)-3 was prepared by enantioselective acylation of 4 using the same enzyme.

The objective of this brief review is to present an overview of the bioorganic chemistry of cyclic-ADP-ribose (cADPR) with special emphasis on the methodology used for the synthesis of analogues of cADPR. New structural analogues of cADPR can be prepared using either the biomimetic method or ADP-ribosyl cyclase from Aplysia californica. For the most part, both procedures give similar product profiles, but higher yields are generally obtained with the enzymatic method. These synthetic methodologies have allowed the transformation of a variety of structurally modified analogues of NAD+ into their corresponding cyclic nucleotides. Several of these novel analogues are more potent than cADPR in inducing calcium release and are also more stable towards degradative enzymes. They could serve as valuable affinity probes for the isolation of cADPR-binding proteins.

Different approaches to improve the enantioselectivity of biocatalytic systems are presented. These methodologies have been successfully applied to the preparation of optically active dihydropyridine, calcium antagonists, and cis-3-hydroxy-6-acetoxy-cyclohex-1-ene, a valuable chiral building block for natural products synthesis. The phenomenon of enantioselective inhibition is described and several new heterocyclic amines have been shown to be effective enantioselective inhibitors in the Candida lipase system.

The lipase of Candida cylindracea (B-form) was treated with the classical chemoselective reagents with a view to modifying the specific amino acid residue(s) in the protein. Nitration of the tyrosyl residues of this enzyme was achieved using an excess of tetranitromethane (TNM). This chemically modified TNM-lipase showed a remarkable improvement in enantioselectivity towards the hydrolysis of a series of aryloxypropionic and arylpropionic esters.

Pseudomonas cepacia lipase-catalyzed enantioselective hydrolysis of 2 in water afforded (3S,6R)-3. The antipode (3R,6S)-3 was prepared by enantioselective acylation of 4 using the same enzyme.

[reaction: see text] Galactose oxidase produced a C-6 aldehyde in various terminal-containing galactose hydroxylamines for the simultaneous in situ generation of an A-B type condensation for the construction of unique oxime polymers. Molecular weights of the corresponding polymers were determined to be in the range of 4200-8900 g/mol, respectively. This indicates that approximately 20-25 sugar units were incorporated in these unique polymers.

The synaptic vesicle membrane protein synaptotagmin (tagmin) is essential for fast, calcium-dependent, neurotransmitter release and is likely to be the calcium sensor for exocytosis, because of its many calcium-dependent properties. Polyphosphoinositides are needed for exocytosis, but it has not been known why. We now provide a possible connection between these observations with the finding that the C2B domain of tagmin I binds phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIns-4,5-P 2 ), its isomer phosphatidylinositol-3,4-bisphosphate and phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIns-3,4,5-P 3 ). Calcium ions switch the specificity of this binding from PIns-3,4,5-P 3 (at calcium concentrations found in resting nerve terminals) to PIns-4,5-P 2 (at concentration of calcium required for transmitter release). Inositol polyphosphates, known blockers of neurotransmitter release, inhibit the binding of both PIns-4,5-P 2 and PIns-3,4,5-P 3 to tagmin. Our findings imply that tagmin may operate as a bimodal calcium sensor, switching bound lipids during exocytosis. This connection to polyphosphoinositides, compounds whose levels are physiologically regulated, could be important for long-term memory and learning.

(+)- S -2-(6-Methoxy-2-naphthyl)propionic acid ( 1 ) has been prepared via enzymatic enantlospecific hydrolysis of(±)-chloroethyl-2-(6-methoxy-2-naphthyl) propionate ( 3 ), catalyzed by the lipase of Candida cylindracea.

Optically-active 3-aroylthio-2-methylpropionic acids have been prepared via lipase-catalyzed enantiospecific hydrolysis of their corresponding esters.