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Highly Stable Zr(IV)-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks for Chiral Separation in Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography
Separation of racemic mixtures is of great importance and interest in chemistry and pharmacology. Porous materials including metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been widely explored as chiral stationary phases (CSPs) in chiral resolution. However, it remains a challenge to develop new CSPs for reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), which is the most popular chromatographic mode and accounts for over 90% of all separations. Here we demonstrated for the first time that highly stable Zr-based MOFs can be efficient CSPs for RP-HPLC. By elaborately designing and synthesizing three tetracarboxylate ligands of enantiopure 1,1′-biphenyl-20-crown-6, we prepared three chiral porous Zr(IV)-MOFs with the framework formula [Zr6O4(OH)8(H2O)4(L)2]. They share the same flu topological structure but channels of different sizes and display excellent tolerance to water, acid, and base. Chiral crown ether moieties are periodically aligned within the framework channels, allowing for stereoselective recognition of guest molecules via supramolecular interactions. Under acidic aqueous eluent conditions, the Zr-MOF-packed HPLC columns provide high resolution, selectivity, and durability for the separation of a variety of model racemates, including unprotected and protected amino acids and N-containing drugs, which are comparable to or even superior to several commercial chiral columns for HPLC separation. DFT calculations suggest that the Zr-MOF provides a confined microenvironment for chiral crown ethers that dictates the separation selectivity.
Jiang, Hong,Yang, Kuiwei,Zhao, Xiangxiang,Zhang, Wenqiang,Liu, Yan,Jiang, Jianwen,Cui, Yong
supporting information
p. 390 - 398
(2021/01/13)

Direct monitoring of biocatalytic deacetylation of amino acid substrates by1H NMR reveals fine details of substrate specificity
Amino acids are key synthetic building blocks that can be prepared in an enantiopure form by biocatalytic methods. We show that thel-selective ornithine deacetylase ArgE catalyses hydrolysis of a wide-range ofN-acyl-amino acid substrates. This activity was revealed by1H NMR spectroscopy that monitored the appearance of the well resolved signal of the acetate product. Furthermore, the assay was used to probe the subtle structural selectivity of the biocatalyst using a substrate that could adopt different rotameric conformations.
De Cesare, Silvia,McKenna, Catherine A.,Mulholland, Nicholas,Murray, Lorna,Bella, Juraj,Campopiano, Dominic J.
supporting information
p. 4904 - 4909
(2021/06/16)

Motobamide, an Antitrypanosomal Cyclic Peptide from a Leptolyngbya sp. Marine Cyanobacterium
Motobamide (1), a new cyclic peptide containing a C-prenylated cyclotryptophan residue, was isolated from a marine Leptolyngbya sp. cyanobacterium. Its planar structure was established by spectroscopic and MS/MS analyses. The absolute configuration was elucidated based on a combination of chemical degradations, chiral-phase HPLC analyses, spectroscopic analyses, and computational chemistry. Motobamide (1) moderately inhibited the growth of bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (IC50 2.3 μM). However, it exhibited a weaker cytotoxicity against normal human cells (IC50 55 μM).
Iwasaki, Arihiro,Jeelani, Ghulam,Kurisawa, Naoaki,Matsubara, Teruhiko,Nozaki, Tomoyoshi,Sato, Toshinori,Suenaga, Kiyotake,Suzuki, Ryota,Takahashi, Hiroki
p. 1649 - 1655
(2021/05/29)

Process for producing L-methionine from methional
A method is useful for the biocatalytic synthesis of proteinogenic L-amino acids, such as L-alanine, L-valine, L-methionine, L-leucine, L-isoleucine or L-phenylalanine from a respective aldehyde and carbon dioxide. In particular, the method is useful for the biocatalytic synthesis of L-methionine from 3-methylthio-propanal (“methional”) and carbon dioxide.
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Page/Page column 5; 8; 9

(2021/02/17)

Safe and Effective Method of Treating Ulcerative Colitis with Anti-IL12/IL23 Antibody
Described are methods and compositions for clinical proven safe and effective treatment of ulcerative colitis, particularly moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis in patients who have had an inadequate response to or are intolerant of a conventional or existing therapy by intravenous and/or subcutaneous administration of an anti-IL-12/IL-23p40 antibody.
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(2020/04/10)

Mutations of key substrate binding residues of leishmanial peptidase T alter its functional and structural dynamics
Background: M20 aminopeptidases, such as Peptidase T (PepT), are implicated in the hydrolysis of oligopeptides during the terminal stages of protein degradation pathway to maintain turnover. Therefore, specific inhibition of PepT bores well for the development of novel next-generation antileishmanials. This work describes the metal dependence, substrate preferences and inhibition of PepT, and demonstrates in detail the role of its two conserved substrate binding residues. Methods: PepT was purified and characterized using a scheme of peptide substrates and peptidomimetic inhibitors. Residues T364 and N378 were mutated and characterized with an array of biochemical, biophysical and structural biology methods. Results: PepT sequence carries conserved motifs typical of M20 peptidases and our work on its biochemistry shows that this cytosolic enzyme carries broad substrate specificity with best cleavage preference for peptides carrying alanine at the P1 position. Peptidomimetics amastatin and actinonin occupied S1 pocket by competing with the substrate for binding to active site and inhibited PepT potently, while arphamenine A and bestatin were less effective inhibitors. We further show that the mutation of conserved substrate binding residues (T364 and N378) to alanine affects structure, reduces substrate binding and alters the amidolytic activity of this dimeric enzyme. Conclusions: PepT preferentially hydrolyzes oligopeptides carrying alanine at P1 position and is potently inhibited by peptidomimetics. Reduced substrate binding after mutations was a key factor involved in amidolytic digressions. General significance: This study provides insights for further exploration of the druggability of PepT and highlights prospective applications of this enzyme along with its mutazyme T364A/N378A.
Bhat, Saleem Yousuf,Qureshi, Insaf Ahmed
(2019/11/11)

Ultrasound-Controlled Chiral Separation of Four Amino Acids and 2,2,2-Trifluoro-1-(9-anthryl)ethanol
Chiral separation of 4-hydroxyphenylglycine, phenylglycine, tryptophan, methionine, and 2,2,2-trifluoro-1-(9-anthryl)ethanol (TFAE) was performed under ultrasound reduction at room temperature and high temperature (50 °C). At high temperature (50 °C), both α and Rs were improved slightly under ultrasound reduction as compared to those under non-ultrasonic and ultrasonic irradiation (50 watt/L) conditions. Even at low temperatures, the largest α was observed under ultrasound reduction conditions, except in the case of methionine. However, at low temperature, Rs was reduced under ultrasound (50 watt/L) irradiation, but was improved under ultrasound reduction rather than under the continuous ultrasonic irradiation. Similar to the fact that gradient elution (based on solvent polarity) can improve α, ultrasound reduction can improve α and Rs. Ultrasound reduction is demonstrated to aid the rapid separation of chiral compounds with improved resolution, especially, at high temperatures. Although chromatographic separation using ultrasound has been rarely dealt with until now, ultrasound can be used as an external field in chromatography.
Lee, Jae Hwan,Ryoo, Jae Jeong
p. 146 - 149
(2019/02/07)

Light-Driven Kinetic Resolution of α-Functionalized Carboxylic Acids Enabled by an Engineered Fatty Acid Photodecarboxylase
Chiral α-functionalized carboxylic acids are valuable precursors for a variety of medicines and natural products. Herein, we described an engineered fatty acid photodecarboxylase (CvFAP)-catalyzed kinetic resolution of α-amino acids and α-hydroxy acids, which provides the unreacted R-configured substrates with high yields and excellent stereoselectivity (ee up to 99 %). This efficient light-driven process requires neither NADPH recycling nor prior preparation of esters, which were required in previous biocatalytic approaches. The structure-guided engineering strategy is based on the scanning of large amino acids at hotspots to narrow the substrate binding tunnel. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of asymmetric catalysis by an engineered CvFAP.
Xu, Jian,Hu, Yujing,Fan, Jiajie,Arkin, Mamatjan,Li, Danyang,Peng, Yongzhen,Xu, Weihua,Lin, Xianfu,Wu, Qi
supporting information
p. 8474 - 8478
(2019/05/24)

Structural and functional highlights of methionine aminopeptidase 2 from Leishmania donovani
Methionine aminopeptidase 2 (MAP2) is a principal regulator of apoptosis for Leishmania donovani and a potential candidate for the design and synthesis of novel antileishmanials. The LdMAP2 gene was cloned in pET28a(+)-SUMO vector, expressed in E. coli and then purified by chromatographic methods. It was found to be a monomer and required divalent metal ion for its activity against synthetic substrates with Co(II), Mg(II), Mn(II) and Ni(II) being the major activators. Moreover, Ca(II) showed the tightest binding with Km value of 124.7 ± 9.2 μM, while Co(II) proved most efficient for catalysis with kcat value of 128.1 ± 4 min?1. The naturally occurring aminopeptidase B inhibitor bestatin was found to be a potent inhibitor of LdMAP2 with a Ki value of 0.86 μM. Further, structural studies with circular dichroism (CD) showed an increase in the α-helical and β-sheet contents and a decrease in random coils in LdMAP2 upon interactions with both bestatin and fluorogenic substrates. Finally, structural studies pointed out key differences in the structure of LdMAP2 and HsMAP2 and their interactions with inhibitor bestatin, Ala-AMC, Leu-AMC and Met-AMC. The structural differences of two orthologs and different binding modes with bestatin can be crucial for the development of novel and specific inhibitor against leishmaniasis.
Bhat, Saleem Yousuf,Dey, Arijit,Qureshi, Insaf A.
p. 940 - 954
(2018/05/23)

The identification of inhibitory compounds of Rickettsia prowazekii methionine aminopeptidase for antibacterial applications
Methionine aminopeptidase (MetAP) is a dinuclear metalloprotease responsible for the cleavage of methionine initiator residues from nascent proteins. MetAP activity is necessary for bacterial proliferation and is therefore a projected novel antibacterial
Helgren, Travis R.,Seven, Elif S.,Chen, Congling,Edwards, Thomas E.,Staker, Bart L.,Abendroth, Jan,Myler, Peter J.,Horn, James R.,Hagen, Timothy J.
p. 1376 - 1380
(2018/04/11)

Chromatographic Resolution of α-Amino Acids by (R)-(3,3'-Halogen Substituted-1,1'-binaphthyl)-20-crown-6 Stationary Phase in HPLC
Three new chiral stationary phases (CSPs) for high-performance liquid chromatography were prepared from R-(3,3'-halogen substituted-1,1'-binaphthyl)-20-crown-6 (halogen = Cl, Br and I). The experimental results showed that R-(3,3'-dibromo-1,1'-binaphthyl)-20-crown-6 (CSP-1) possesses more prominent enantioselectivity than the two other halogen-substituted crown ether derivatives. All twenty-one α-amino acids have different degrees of separation on R-(3,3'-dibromo-1,1'-binaphthyl)-20-crown-6-based CSP-1 at room temperature. The enantioselectivity of CSP-1 is also better than those of some commercial R-(1,1'-binaphthyl)-20-crown-6 derivatives. Both the separation factors (α) and the resolution (Rs) are better than those of commercial crown ether-based CSPs [CROWNPAK CR(+) from Daicel] under the same conditions for asparagine, threonine, proline, arginine, serine, histidine and valine, which cannot be separated by commercial CR(+). This study proves the commercial usefulness of the R-(3,3'-dibromo-1,1'-binaphthyl)-20-crown-6 chiral stationary phase.
Wu, Peng,Wu, Yuping,Zhang, Junhui,Lu, Zhenyu,Zhang, Mei,Chen, Xuexian,Yuan, Liming
p. 1037 - 1042
(2017/07/25)

Purification, structural characterization and bioactivity evaluation of a novel proteoglycan produced by Corbicula fluminea
A novel proteoglycan, named CFPS-11, was isolated from Corbicula fluminea, which is a food source of freshwater bivalve mollusk. CFPS-11 had an average molecular weight of 807.7 kDa and consisted of D-glucose and D-glucosamine in a molar ratio of 12.2:1.0. The protein moiety (～5%) of CFPS-11 was covalently bonded to the polysaccharide chain in O-linkage type through both serine and thereonine residues. The polysaccharide chain of CFPS-11 was composed of (1 → 4)-α-D-glucopyranosyl and (1 → 3,6)-α-D-glucopyranosyl residues, which branched at O-6. The branch chain consisted of (1 →)-α-D-glucopyranosyl and (1 →)-α-D-N-acetylglucosamine residues. CFPS-11 exhibited significant antioxidant activity in a dose-dependent manner and remarkable inhibition activities against α-amylase and α-glucosidase by in vitro assays. These findings indicated that the CFPS-11 from C. fluminea has the potential for development as a health food ingredient.
Yan, Jing-Kun,Wang, Yao-Yao,Qiu, Wen-Yi,Wu, Li-Xia,Ding, Zhi-Chao,Cai, Wu-Dan
p. 11 - 18
(2017/08/29)

Tetrabutylammonium Fluoride as a Mild and Versatile Reagent for Cleaving Boroxazolidones to Their Corresponding Free α-Amino Acids
Protection of α-amino acids with 9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane (9-BBN) to give their corresponding boroxazolidones is highly attractive, as it concurrently masks both the amino and the carboxylic acid functionalities. However, the harsh methods required for deprotection of these boroxazolidones have limited their use. Herein, we report that tetrabutylammonium fluoride serves as a mild and versatile reagent that can be used to cleave boroxazolidones to their corresponding free α-amino acids. The reaction conditions were explored, including the use of various nucleophilic fluoride sources, solvents, and reaction temperatures. Nucleophilic fluoride sources comprising an ammonium cation proved superior to other countercations. The scope of the reaction was extended to the cleavage of B,B-diphenyl- and B,B-diethyl boroxazolidone complexes. Furthermore, a wide range of α-amino acid side-chain functionalities were shown to be compatible, including acids, esters, amides, thiols, thioethers, alkynes, phenols, basic heterocycles, and important biorelevant molecules such as glutathione, (S)-adenosyl-l-homocysteine, and l-biocytin.
Poulie, Christian B. M.,Bunch, Lennart
supporting information
p. 1475 - 1478
(2017/04/01)

Development of a multi-enzymatic desymmetrization and its application for the biosynthesis of L-norvaline from DL-norvaline
Perindopril is an effective antihypertensive drug in strong demand used to treat hypertension. L-norvaline is a vital intermediate of Perindopril production mainly produced by chemical synthesis with low purity. We developed an environmentally friendly method to produce L-norvaline with high purity based on a desymmetrization process. D-Norvaline was oxidized to the corresponding keto acid by D-amino acid oxidase from the substrate DL-norvaline. Asymmetric hydrogenation of the keto acid to L-norvaline was carried out by leucine dehydrogenase with concomitant oxidation of NADH to NAD+. A NADH regeneration system was introduced by overexpressing a formate dehydrogenase. The unwanted H2O2by-product generated during D-norvaline oxidation was removed by adding catalase. A total of 54.09?g/L of L-norvaline was achieved, with an enantiomeric excess over 99% under optimal conditions, with a 96.7% conversion rate. Our desymmetrization method provides an environmental friendly strategy for the production of enantiomerically pure L-norvaline in the pharmaceutical industry.
Qi, Yunlong,Yang, Taowei,Zhou, Junping,Zheng, Junxian,Xu, Meijuan,Zhang, Xian,Rao, Zhiming,Yang, Shang-Tian
p. 104 - 109
(2017/03/23)

A process for the preparation of L-methionine
The invention aims to the field of chemical engineering, and relates to a method for preparing L-methionine. According to the method, acetylated saponification liquid is used as production raw material, acid is added into the raw material, the pH is adjusted to be acidic, after reduced pressure distillation, an organic solvent is used for treatment, so that a solution containing D,L-acetyl methionine is obtained, then the organic solvent is removed to obtain D,L-acetyl methionine crystals, and a resolution reaction is performed on the produced D,L-acetyl methionine crystals, so that the L-methionine is obtained; the technology does not need refined D,L-methionine, the soponification liquid for producing the D,L-methionine is used for performing an acetylated reaction, and therefore production cost is reduced; after the acetylation, water is evaporated to dryness, the organic solvent is used for desalting, the yield of the D,L-acetyl methionine reaches 97-99%, and the purity of the D,L-acetyl methionine reaches above 96%; the enzymolysis speed of the D,L-acetyl methionine is higher than that of a traditional method, the obtained L-methionine is good in crystal form and whiteness, the purity reaches above 99.5%, and the total yield of the L-methionine is improved to 78%; according to the technology, a circulation technology is integrated, the design is reasonable, and production cost is reduced.
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Paragraph 0055; 0056

(2017/03/24)

A Ratiometric Fluorescent Probe for Imaging of the Activity of Methionine Sulfoxide Reductase A in Cells
Methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MsrA) is an enzyme involved in redox balance and signaling, and its aberrant activity is implicated in a number of diseases (for example, Alzheimer's disease and cancer). Since there is no simple small molecule tool to monitor MsrA activity in real time in vivo, we aimed at developing one. We have designed a BODIPY-based probe called (S)-Sulfox-1, which is equipped with a reactive sulfoxide moiety. Upon reduction with a model MsrA (E. coli), it exhibits a bathochromic shift in the fluorescence maximum. This feature was utilized for the real-time ratiometric fluorescent imaging of MsrA activity in E. coli cells. Significantly, our probe is capable of capturing natural variations of the enzyme activity in vivo.
Makukhin, Nikolai,Tretyachenko, Vyacheslav,Moskovitz, Jackob,Mí?ek, Ji?í
supporting information
p. 12727 - 12730
(2016/10/03)

Characterization of aromatic aminotransferases from Ephedra sinica Stapf
Ephedra sinica Stapf (Ephedraceae) is a broom-like shrub cultivated in arid regions of China, Korea and Japan. This plant accumulates large amounts of the ephedrine alkaloids in its aerial tissues. These analogs of amphetamine mimic the actions of adrenaline and stimulate the sympathetic nervous system. While much is known about their pharmacological properties, the mechanisms by which they are synthesized remain largely unknown. A functional genomics platform was established to investigate their biosynthesis. Candidate enzymes were obtained from an expressed sequence tag collection based on similarity to characterized enzymes with similar functions. Two aromatic aminotransferases, EsAroAT1 and EsAroAT2, were characterized. The results of quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction indicated that both genes are expressed in young stem tissue, where ephedrine alkaloids are synthesized, and in mature stem tissue. Nickel affinity-purified recombinant EsAroAT1 exhibited higher catalytic activity and was more homogeneous than EsAroAT2 as determined by size-exclusion chromatography. EsAroAT1 was highly active as a tyrosine aminotransferase with α-ketoglutarate followed by α-ketomethylthiobutyrate and very low activity with phenylpyruvate. In the reverse direction, catalytic efficiency was similar for the formation of all three aromatic amino acids using l-glutamate. Neither enzyme accepted putative intermediates in the ephedrine alkaloid biosynthetic pathway, S-phenylacetylcarbinol or 1-phenylpropane-1,2-dione, as substrates.
Kilpatrick, Korey,Pajak, Agnieszka,Hagel, Jillian M.,Sumarah, Mark W.,Lewinsohn, Efraim,Facchini, Peter J.,Marsolais, Frédéric
p. 1209 - 1220
(2016/04/26)

A novel thyroglobulin-binding lectin from the brown alga Hizikia fusiformis and its antioxidant activities
A lectin (HFL) was isolated from the brown alga, Hizikia fusiformis, through ion exchange on cellulose DE52 and HPLC with a TSK-gel G4000PWXL column. SDS-PAGE showed that HFL had a molecular mass of 16.1 kDa. The HPLC (with a TSK-gel G4000PWXL column) indicated that HFL is a tetramer in its native state. The total carbohydrate content was 41%. Glucose, galactose and fucose were the monosaccharide units of HFL, and the normalized mol% values were 6, 14 and 80, respectively. HFL contains a large amount of the acidic amino acid, Asx. The β-elimination reaction suggested that the oligosaccharide and peptide moieties of HFL may belong to the N-glucosidic linkage. The amino acid sequences, of about five segments of HFL, were acquired by MALDI-TOF/TOF, and the sequences have no homology with other lectins. HFL was found to agglutinate sheep erythrocytes. The hemagglutination activity was inhibited by thyroglobulin, from bovine thyroid, but not by any of the monosaccharides tested. The lectin reaction was independent of the presence of the divalent cation Ca2+. HFL showed free radical scavenging activity against hydroxyl, DPPH and ABTS+ radicals.
Wu, Mingjiang,Tong, Changqing,Wu, Yue,Liu, Shuai,Li, Wei
p. 7 - 13
(2016/02/03)

Stereochemical Course of the Reaction Catalyzed by RimO, a Radical SAM Methylthiotransferase
RimO is a member of the growing radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) superfamily of enzymes, which use a reduced [4Fe-4S] cluster to effect reductive cleavage of the 5′ C-S bond of SAM to form a 5′-deoxyadenosyl 5′-radical (5′-dA? intermediate. RimO uses this potent oxidant to catalyze the attachment of a methylthio group (-SCH3) to C3 of aspartate 89 of protein S12, one of 21 proteins that compose the 30S subunit of the bacterial ribosome. However, the exact mechanism by which this transformation takes place has remained elusive. Herein, we describe the stereochemical course of the RimO reaction. Using peptide mimics of the S12 protein bearing deuterium at the 3 pro-R or 3 pro-S positions of the target aspartyl residue, we show that RimO from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (Bt) catalyzes abstraction of the pro-S hydrogen atom, as evidenced by the transfer of deuterium into 5′-deoxyadenosine (5′-dAH). The observed kinetic isotope effect on H atom versus D atom abstraction is ～1.9, suggesting that this step is at least partially rate determining. We also demonstrate that Bt RimO can utilize the flavodoxin/flavodoxin oxidoreductase/NADPH reducing system from Escherichia coli as a source of requisite electrons. Use of this in vivo reducing system decreases, but does not eliminate, formation of 5′-dAH in excess of methylthiolated product.
Landgraf, Bradley J.,Booker, Squire J.
supporting information
p. 2889 - 2892
(2016/03/19)

Rapid, effective deprotection of tert-butoxycarbonyl (Boc) amino acids and peptides at high temperatures using a thermally stable ionic liquid
A method for high temperature Boc deprotection of amino acids and peptides in a phosphonium ionic liquid is described. The ionic liquid had low viscosity, high thermal stability and demonstrated a beneficial effect. The study extended the possibility for extraction of water soluble polar organic molecules using ionic liquids. Trace water significantly improved product purity and yield, while only 2 equiv. TFA led to deprotection within 10 min. The trityl group was also deprotected.
Bhawal, Sumit S.,Patil, Rahul A.,Armstrong, Daniel W.
p. 95854 - 95856
(2015/11/24)

Characterization of two putative prolinases (PepR1 and PepR2) from Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1: Occurrence of two isozymes with structural similarity and different catalytic properties
Two putative prolinases (PepR1 and PepR2) of Lactobacillus plantarum WCSF1 share 48.5% amino acid sequence identity (55.5% at the DNA level); however, PepR1 exhibits over 80% identity at the protein level with other lactobacilli prolinases while PepR2 exhibits only 51% or less identity. In this study, the putative genes were overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified to gel electrophoretic homogeneity, and then characterized. Purified PepR1 and PepR2 hydrolysed Pro-Xaa dipeptide substrates at similar rates, proving their nature as prolinases. Structural analyses using circular dichroism, dynamic light scattering, gel filtration, and molecular modelling revealed that the two prolinases have similar structural characteristics: high β-sheet content, homotetrameric structure, and similar folding to the PepI/PepL/PepR peptidase family. However, kinetic and thermodynamic analyses of PepR1 and PepR2 indicated differences in many aspects: optimum temperatures (25 and 30 °C, respectively), optimum pH (pH 7.5 and 8.0, respectively), substrate specificities (high stringency of PepR2), kinetic parameters, and thermal stability (29 and 48 °C, respectively). Also, these prolinases behaved differently towards inhibitor treatments, suggesting structural and/or functional differences in their active sites. Differences in the two prolinases would contribute to a diversity of catalytic activities, so that they work together cooperatively and complementarily to hydrolyse proline-containing peptides with broader specificity, working pH, working temperature, and higher efficiency, thus allowing adaptation to a wider range of environments.
Huang, Yanyu,Tanaka, Takuji
p. 91 - 100
(2015/02/19)

Comparison of the sustainability metrics of the petrochemical and biomass-based routes to methionine
Sustainability metrics, based on material efficiency, energy input, land use and costs, of three processesfor the manufacture of methionine are compared. The petrochemical process affords dl-methionine whilethe two biomass-based routes afford the l-enantiomer. From the point of view of the major application,in animal feed, either can be used. The first bio-based route, developed by CJ Cheil-Jedang, involves theproduction of an l-methionine precursor, O-succinyl homoserine by fermentation followed by enzymaticreaction of the latter with methyl mercaptan.The second bio-based route involves the isolation of l-methionine from grass protein. Based on thisconcise evaluation of the sustainability metrics we conclude that both bio-based processe are potentiallyattractive sustainable routes for the manufacture of methionine.
Sanders, Johan P.M.,Sheldon, Roger A.
p. 44 - 49
(2015/01/16)

Amidohydrolase Process: Expanding the use of l-N-carbamoylase/N-succinyl- amino acid racemase tandem for the production of different optically pure l-amino acids
A bienzymatic system comprising an N-succinylamino acid racemase from Geobacillus kaustophilus CECT4264 (GkNSAAR) and an enantiospecific l-N-carbamoylase from Geobacillus stearothermophilus CECT43 (BsLcar) has been developed. This biocatalyst has been able to produce optically pure natural and non-natural l-amino acids starting from racemic mixtures of N-acetyl-, N-formyl- and N-carbamoyl-amino acids by dynamic kinetic resolution. The fastest conversion rate was found with N-formyl-amino acids, followed by N-carbamoyl- and N-acetyl-amino acids, and GkNSAAR proved to be the limiting step of the system due to its lower specific activity. Metal ion cobalt was essential for the activity of the biocatalyst and the system was optimally active when Co 2+ was added directly to the reaction mixture. The optimum pH for the biocatalyst proved to be 8.0, for both N-formyl- and N-carbamoyl-amino acid substrates, whereas optimum temperature ranges were 45-55 °C for N-formyl-amino acids and 55-70 °C for N-carbamoyl-derivatives. The bienzymatic system was equally efficient in converting aromatic and aliphatic substrates. Total conversion was also achieved using high substrate concentrations (100 and 500 mM) with no noticeable inhibition. This "Amidohydrolase Process" enables the production of both natural and non-natural l-amino acids from a broad substrate spectrum with yields of over 95%.
Soriano-Maldonado, Pablo,Rodríguez-Alonso, María José,Hernández-Cervantes, Carmen,Rodríguez-García, Ignacio,Clemente-Jiménez, Josefa María,Rodríguez-Vico, Felipe,Martínez-Rodríguez, Sergio,Las Heras-Vázquez, Francisco Javier
p. 1281 - 1287
(2014/07/22)

Deracemization of racemic amino acids using (R)- and (S)-alanine racemase chiral analogues as chiral converters
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Paik, Man-Jeong,Jeon, So Hee,Kang, Jong Seong,Kim, Kwan Mook,Lee, Wonjae
p. 2186 - 2188
(2014/12/10)

Hydrogenation of sulfoxides to sulfides under mild conditions using ruthenium nanoparticle catalysts
The first demonstration of the hydrogenation of sulfoxides under atmospheric H2 pressure is reported. The highly efficient reaction is facilitated by a heterogeneous Ru nanoparticle catalyst. The mild reaction conditions enable the selective hydrogenation of a wide range of functionalized sulfoxides to the corresponding sulfides. The high redox ability of RuO x nanoparticles plays a key role in the hydrogenation.
Mitsudome, Takato,Takahashi, Yusuke,Mizugaki, Tomoo,Jitsukawa, Koichiro,Kaneda, Kiyotomi
supporting information
p. 8348 - 8351
(2014/08/18)

Biochemical characterisation and assessment of fibril-forming ability of collagens extracted from Bester sturgeon Huso huso × Acipenser ruthenus
Collagens purified from Bester sturgeon organs were characterised biochemically, and their fibril-forming abilities and fibril morphologies formed in vitro clarified. Yields of collagens were 2.1%, 11.9%, 0.4%, 18.1%, 0.4%, 0.8% and 0.03% (collagen dry weight/tissue wet weight) from scales, skin, muscle, swim bladder, digestive tract, notochord and snout cartilage, respectively. Using SDS-PAGE and amino acid composition analyses, collagens from scales, skin, muscle, the swim bladder and digestive tract were characterised as type I, and collagens from the notochord and snout cartilage as type II. Denaturation temperatures of the collagens, measured using circular dichroism, were 29.6, 26.8, 29.0, 32.9, 31.6 and 36.3 °C in scales, skin, muscle, swim bladder, digestive tract, and notochord, respectively. For fibril formation, swim bladder and skin collagen showed a more rapid rate of increase in turbidity, a shorter time to attain the maximum turbidity, and formed thicker fibrils compared with porcine tendon type I collagen.
Zhang, Xi,Ookawa, Mika,Tan, Yongkai,Ura, Kazuhiro,Adachi, Shinji,Takagi, Yasuaki
p. 305 - 312
(2014/05/06)

A mild removal of Fmoc group using sodium azide
A mild method for effectively removing the fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) group using sodium azide was developed. Without base, sodium azide completely deprotected Nα-Fmoc-amino acids in hours. The solvent-dependent conditions were carefully studied and then optimized by screening different sodium azide amounts and reaction temperatures. A variety of Fmoc-protected amino acids containing residues masked with different protecting groups were efficiently and selectively deprotected by the optimized reaction. Finally, a biologically significant hexapeptide, angiotensin IV, was successfully synthesized by solid phase peptide synthesis using the developed sodium azide method for all Fmoc removals. The base-free condition provides a complement method for Fmoc deprotection in peptide chemistry and modern organic synthesis. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]
Chen, Chun-Chi,Rajagopal, Basker,Liu, Xuan Yu,Chen, Kuan Lin,Tyan, Yu-Chang,Lin, Fui,Lin, Po-Chiao
p. 367 - 374
(2014/03/21)

Facile synthesis of α-hydroxy carboxylic acids from the corresponding α-amino acids
An effective and improved procedure is developed for the synthesis of α-hydroxy carboxylic acids by treatment of the corresponding protonated α-amino acid with tert-butyl nitrite in 1,4-dioxane-water. The amino moiety must be protonated and located α to a carboxylic acid function in order to undergo initial diazotization and successive hydroxylation, since neither β-amino acids nor acid derivatives such as esters and amides undergo hydroxylations. The method is successfully applied for the synthesis of 18 proteinogenic amino acids.
Stuhr-Hansen, Nicolai,Padrah, Shahrokh,Str?mgaard, Kristian
supporting information
p. 4149 - 4151
(2015/02/02)

SEPARATING AGENT AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF
An embodiment of the present invention is a separating agent wherein a group represented by a chemical formula of: or a group represented by a chemical formula of: is introduced on a surface thereof.
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Paragraph 0067; 0068; 0069; 0070; 0071; 0072; 0097; 0098

(2015/01/07)

A sensitive mass spectrum assay to characterize engineered methionine adenosyltransferases with S-alkyl methionine analogues as substrates
Methionine adenosyltransferases (MATs) catalyze the formation of S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) inside living cells. Recently, S-alkyl analogues of SAM have been documented as cofactor surrogates to label novel targets of methyltransferases. However, these chemically synthesized SAM analogues are not suitable for cell-based studies because of their poor membrane permeability. This issue was recently addressed under a cellular setting through a chemoenzymatic strategy to process membrane-permeable S-alkyl analogues of methionine (SAAMs) into the SAM analogues with engineered MATs. Here we describe a general sensitive activity assay for engineered MATs by converting the reaction products into S-alkylthioadenosines, followed by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) quantification. With this assay, 40 human MAT mutants were evaluated against 7 SAAMs as potential substrates. The structure-activity relationship revealed that, besides better engaged SAAM binding by the MAT mutants (lower Km value in contrast to native MATs), the gained activity toward the bulky SAAMs stems from their ability to maintain the desired linear SN2 transition state (reflected by higher kcat value). Here the I117A mutant of human MATI was identified as the most active variant for biochemical production of SAM analogues from diverse SAAMs.
Wang, Rui,Zheng, Weihong,Luo, Minkui
p. 11 - 19
(2014/03/21)

SEPARATING AGENT FOR CHROMATOGRAPHY
A separating agent for chromatography is provided that is useful for the separation of specific compounds, e.g., for the optical resolution of amino acids. This separating agent for chromatography provides a higher productivity and contains a crown ether-like cyclic structure and optically active binaphthyl. This separating agent for chromatography containing a crown ether-like cyclic structure and optically active binaphthyl is provided by introducing a substitution group for binding to carrier into a specific commercially available 1,1′-binaphthyl derivative that has substituents at the 2, 2′, 3, and 3′ positions, then introducing a crown ether-like cyclic structure, and subsequently chemically bonding the binaphthyl derivative to the carrier through the substitution group for binding to carrier.
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Paragraph 0074; 0075

(2013/08/15)

In situ deprotection and incorporation of unnatural amino acids during cell-free protein synthesis
The S30 extract from E. coli BL21 Star (DE3) used for cell-free protein synthesis removes a wide range of α-amino acid protecting groups by cleaving α-carboxyl hydrazides; methyl, benzyl, tert-butyl, and adamantyl esters; tert-butyl and adamantyl carboxamides; α-amino form-, acet-, trifluoroacet-, and benzamides and sidechain hydrazides and esters. The free amino acids are produced and incorporated into a protein under standard conditions. This approach allows the deprotection of amino acids to be carried out in situ to avoid separate processing steps. The advantages of this approach are demonstrated by the efficient incorporation of the chemically intractable (S)-4-fluoroleucine, (S)-4,5- dehydroleucine, and (2S,3R)-4-chlorovaline into a protein through the direct use of their respective precursors, namely, (S)-4-fluoroleucine hydrazide, (S)-4,5-dehydroleucine hydrazide, and (2S,3R)-4-chlorovaline methyl ester. These results also show that the fluoroand dehydroleucine and the chlorovaline are incorporated into a protein by the normal biosynthetic machinery as substitutes for leucine and isoleucine, respectively. Copyright
Arthur, Isaac N.,Hennessy, James E.,Padmakshan, Dharshana,Stigers, Dannon J.,Lesturgez, Stéphanie,Fraser, Samuel A.,Liutkus, Mantas,Otting, Gottfried,Oakeshott, John G.,Easton, Christopher J.
p. 6824 - 6830
(2013/06/26)

Kinetics and mechanism of base hydrolysis of a-aminoacid esters catalysed by [pd(1,3-diamino-2-hydroxypropane)(H2O)2]2+ complex
Amino acid esters (L) react with [Pd(DHP(H2O)2] 2+ , (DHP = 1,3-diamino-2-hydroxopropane) giving mixed ligand [Pd(DHP)L]2+ The kinetics of hydrolysis of [Pd(DHP)L]2+ have been studied by pH-stat technique and rate constants were obtained. Rate acceleration observed for glycine methyl ester is high. The effect with methionine methyl ester and histidine methyl ester are much less marked, as the mixed-ligand complexes with these ligands do not involve alkoxycarbonyl donors. Possible mechanisms for these reactions are considered. Activation parameters have been determined for glycine methyl ester.
Al-Qalaf,Al Bassam,Shoukry
p. 1706 - 1708
(2013/09/24)

Production of L-tryptophan by enantioselective hydrolysis of d,l-tryptophanamide using a newly isolated bacterium
Bacterial strain ZJB-09211 capable of amidase production has recently been isolated from soil samples. The strain is able to asymmetrically hydrolyze l-tryptophanamide from d,l-tryptophanamide to produce l-tryptophan in high yield and with excellent stereoselectivity (enantiomeric excess > 99.9 %, and enantiomeric ratio > 200). Strain ZJB-09211 has been identified as Flavobacterium aquatile based on the cell morphology analysis, physiological tests, and the 16S rDNA sequence analysis. Optimization of the fermentation medium led to an about six-fold increase in the amidase activity of strain ZJB-09211, which reached 501.5 U L-1. Substrate specifity and stereoselectivity investigations revealed that amidase of F. aquatile possessed a broad substrate spectrum and high enantioselectivity.
Xu, Jian-Miao,Chen, Ben,Wang, Yuan-Shan,Zheng, Yu-Guo
p. 1262 - 1270
(2013/07/19)

Identification of new peptide amides as selective cathepsin L inhibitors: The first step towards selective irreversible inhibitors?
A small library of peptide amides was designed to profile the cathepsin L active site. Within the cathepsin family of cysteine proteases, the first round of selection was on cathepsin L and cathepsin B, and then selected hits were further evaluated for binding to cathepsin K and cathepsin S. Five highly selective sequences with submicromolar affinities towards cathepsin L were identified. An acyloxymethyl ketone warhead was then attached to these sequences. Although these original irreversible inhibitors inactivate cathepsin L, it appears that the nature of the warhead drastically impact the selectivity profile of the resulting covalent inhibitors.
Torkar, Ana,Lenar?i?, Brigita,Lah, Tamara,Dive, Vincent,Devel, Laurent
supporting information
p. 2968 - 2973
(2013/06/27)

Microbial enantioselective removal of the N-benzyloxycarbonyl amino protecting group
In order to deprotect N-carbobenzoxy-l-aminoacids (Cbz-AA) and related compounds, a series of microorganisms was selected from soil by enrichment cultures with Cbz-l-Glu as sole nitrogen source. A lyophilized whole-cell preparation of two Arthrobacter sp. strains grown on Cbz-Glu or Cbz-Gly exhibited a high cleavage activity. The conditions of hydrolysis have been optimized and a quantitative enantioselective deprotection of several Cbz-dl-amino acids was obtained, as well as the deprotection of N-carbamoylester derivatives of several synthetic amino compounds. The preparation of Cbz-d-allylglycine and l-allylglycine in high yield and high optical purity is described as an application of this method.
Maurs, Michele,Acher, Francine,Azerad, Robert
p. 22 - 26
(2012/10/29)

Comparative studies on enantiomer resolution of α-amino acids and their esters using (18-crown-6)-tetracarboxylic acid as a chiral crown ether selector by nmr spectroscopy and high-performance liquid chromatography
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Bang, Eunjung,Jin, Jing Yu,Hong, Joon Hee,Kang, Jong Seong,Lee, Weontae,Lee, Wonjae
p. 3481 - 3484
(2013/01/15)

Aminoacylase 1-catalysed deacetylation of bioactives epoxides mycotoxin-derived mercapturates; 3,4-epoxyprecocenes as models of cytotoxic epoxides
The mycotoxin aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a carcinogenic food contaminant which is metabolically activated by epoxydation. The metabolism of mycotoxins via the mercapturate metabolic pathway was shown, in general, to lead to their detoxication. Mercapturic acids thus formed (S-substitued-N-acetyl-l-cysteines) may be accumulated in the kidney and either excreted in the urine or desacetylated by Acylase 1 (ACY1) to yield cysteine S-conjugates. To be toxic, the N-acetyl-l-cysteine-S-conjugates first have to undergo deacetylation by ACY 1. The specificity and rate of mercapturic acid deacetylation may determine the toxicity, however the exact deacetylation processes involved are not well known. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of ACY1 in the toxicity of some bioactive epoxides from Aflatoxin B1. We characterized the kinetic parameters of porcine kidney and human recombinant aminoacylase-1 towards some aromatic and aliphatic-derived mercapturates analogue of mycotoxin-mercapturic acids and 3,4-epoxyprecocene, a bioactive epoxide derivated from aflatoxin. The deacetylation of mercapturated substrates was followed both by reverse phase HPLC and by TNBS method. Catalytic activity was discussed in a structure-function relationship. Ours results indicate for the first time that aminoacylase-1 could play an important role in deacetylating mercapturate metabolites of aflatoxin analogues and this process may be in relation with their cyto- and nephrotoxicity in human.
Stocker, Pierre,Brunel, Jean Michel,De Rezende, Leandro,-Do Amaral, Antonia Tavares,Morelli, Xavier,Roche, Phillipe,Vidal, Nicolas,Giardina, Thierry,Perrier, Josette
experimental part
p. 1668 - 1675
(2012/08/29)

An improved racemase/acylase biotransformation for the preparation of enantiomerically pure amino acids
Using directed evolution, a variant N-acetyl amino acid racemase (NAAAR G291D/F323Y) has been developed with up to 6-fold higher activity than the wild-type on a range of N-acetylated amino acids. The variant has been coupled with an enantiospecific acylase to give a preparative scale dynamic kinetic resolution which allows 98% conversion of N-acetyl-dl-allylglycine into d-allylglycine in 18 h at high substrate concentrations (50 g L-1). This is the first example of NAAAR operating under conditions which would allow it to be successfully used on an industrial scale for the production of enantiomerically pure α-amino acids. X-ray crystal analysis of the improved NAAAR variant allowed a comparison with the wild-type enzyme. We postulate that a network of novel interactions that result from the introduction of the two side chains is the source of improved catalytic performance.
Baxter, Scott,Royer, Sylvain,Grogan, Gideon,Brown, Fraser,Holt-Tiffin, Karen E.,Taylor, Ian N.,Fotheringham, Ian G.,Campopiano, Dominic J.
supporting information
p. 19310 - 19313
(2013/02/23)

Peptide bond hydrolysis catalyzed by the Wells-Dawson Zr(α 2-P2W17O61)2 polyoxometalate
In this paper we report the first example of peptide hydrolysis catalyzed by a polyoxometalate complex. A series of metal-substituted Wells-Dawson polyoxometalates were synthesized, and their hydrolytic activity toward the peptide bond in glycylglycine (GG) was examined. Among these, the Zr(IV)- and Hf(IV)-substituted ones were the most reactive. Detailed kinetic studies were performed with the Zr(IV)-substituted Wells-Dawson type polyoxometalate K 15H[Zr(α2-P2W17O 61)2]·25H2O which was shown to act as a catalyst for the hydrolysis of the peptide bond in GG. The speciation of K 15H[Zr(α2-P2W17O 61)2]·25H2O which is highly dependent on the pD, concentration, and temperature of the solution, was fully determined with the help of 31P NMR spectroscopy and its influence on the GG hydrolysis rate was examined. The highest reaction rate (kobs = 9.2 (±0.2) × 10-5 min-1) was observed at pD 5.0 and 60 °C. A 10-fold excess of GG was hydrolyzed in the presence of K 15H[Zr(α2-P2W17O 61)2]·25H2O proving the principles of catalysis. 13C NMR data suggested the coordination of GG to the Zr(IV) center in K15H[Zr(α2-P2W 17O61)2]·25H2O via its N-terminal amine group and amide carbonyl oxygen. These findings were confirmed by the inactivity of K15H[Zr(α2-P2W 17O61)2]·25H2O toward the N-blocked analogue acetamidoglycylglycinate and the inhibitory effect of oxalic, malic, and citric acid. Triglycine, tetraglycine, and pentaglycine were also fully hydrolyzed in the presence of K15H[Zr(α2- P2W17O61)2]·25H2O yielding glycine as the final product of hydrolysis. K15H[Zr(α 2-P2W17O61)2] ·25H2O also exhibited hydrolytic activity toward a series of other dipeptides.
Absillis, Gregory,Parac-Vogt, Tatjana N.
p. 9902 - 9910,9
(2012/12/11)

New insights into the metabolism of organomercury compounds: Mercury-containing cysteine S-conjugates are substrates of human glutamine transaminase K and potent inactivators of cystathionine γ-lyase
Anthropogenic practices and recycling in the environment through natural processes result in release of potentially harmful levels of mercury into the biosphere. Mercury, especially organic forms, accumulates in the food chain. Mercury reacts readily with sulfur-containing compounds and often exists as a thiol S-conjugate, such as the l-cysteine (Cys)-S-conjugate of methylmercury (CH3Hg-S-Cys) or inorganic mercury (Cys-S-Hg-S-Cys). These S-conjugates are structurally similar to l-methionine and l-cystine/l- cystathionine, respectively. Bovine and rat glutamine transaminase K (GTK) catalyze transamination of sulfur-containing amino acids. Recombinant human GTK (rhGTK) has a relatively open catalytic active site, and we report here that this enzyme, like the rat and bovine enzymes, can also utilize sulfur-containing l-amino acids, including l-methionine, l-cystine, and l-cystathionine as substrates. The current study extends this list to include mercuric S-conjugates, and shows that CH3Hg-S-Cys and Cys-S-Hg-S-Cys are substrates and reversible inhibitors of rhGTK. The homocysteine S-conjugates, Hcy-S-Hg-S-Hcy and CH3Hg-S-Hcy, are also inhibitors. Finally, we show that HgCl2, CH3Hg-S-Cys and Cys-S-Hg-S-Cys are potent irreversible inhibitors of rat cystathionine γ-lyase. The present study broadens our knowledge of the biochemistry of mercury compounds by showing that Cys S-conjugates of mercury interact with enzymes that catalyze transformations of biologically important sulfur-containing amino acids.
Bridges, Christy C.,Krasnikov, Boris F.,Joshee, Lucy,Pinto, John T.,Hallen, Andre,Li, Jianyong,Zalups, Rudolfs K.,Cooper, Arthur J.L.
experimental part
p. 20 - 29
(2012/05/04)

Process for Enantioseparation of Chiral Systems with Compound Formation Using Two Subsequent Crystallization Steps
Method for enantioseparation of a chiral system with compound formation comprising a pair of enantiomers. The method comprises the steps of: placing the chiral system to be processed, which is optically enriched by a target enantiomer, in the 3-phase region of the ternary phase diagram of chiral compound forming systems to achieve the establishment of the solid/liquid phase equilibria; phase-separating the liquid and solid phase formed by the placing step; shifting the eutectic composition of the remaining liquid towards a lower eutectic composition (xE) until the overall composition is located in the 2-phase region of the ternary phase diagram of chiral compound forming systems; and performing crystallisation in the 2-phase region of the ternary phase diagram for obtaining the target enantiomer in the solid phase. In some cases the shifting step can be skipped.
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Page/Page column 3

(2011/11/06)

Peptide bond formation by aminolysin-A catalysis: A simple approach to enzymatic synthesis of diverse short oligopeptides and biologically active puromycins
A new S9 family aminopeptidase derived from the actinobacterial thermophile Acidothermus cellulolyticus was cloned and engineered into a transaminopeptidase by site-directed mutagenesis of catalytic Ser491 into Cys. The engineered biocatalyst, designated aminolysin-A, can catalyze the formation of peptide bonds to give linear homo-oligopeptides, hetero-dipeptides, and cyclic dipeptides using cost-effective substrates in a one-pot reaction. Aminolysin-A can recognize several C-terminal-modified amino acids, including the l- and d-forms, as acyl donors as well as free amines, including amino acids and puromycin aminonucleoside, as acyl acceptors. The absence of amino acid esters prevents the formation of peptides; therefore, the reaction mechanism involves aminolysis and not a reverse reaction of hydrolysis. The aminolysin system will be a beneficial tool for the preparation of structurally diverse peptide mimetics by a simple approach.
Usuki, Hirokazu,Yamamoto, Yukihiro,Arima, Jiro,Iwabuchi, Masaki,Miyoshi, Shozo,Nitoda, Teruhiko,Hatanaka, Tadashi
supporting information; scheme or table
p. 2327 - 2335
(2011/05/02)

Radical SAM Activation of the B12-Independent Glycerol Dehydratase Results in Formation of 5′-Deoxy-5′-(methylthio) adenosine and Not 5′-Deoxyadenosine
Activation of glycyl radical enzymes (GREs) by S-adenosylmethonine (AdoMet or SAM)-dependent enzymes has long been shown to proceed via the reductive cleavage of SAM. The AdoMet-dependent (or radical SAM) enzymes catalyze this reaction by using a [4Fe-4S] cluster to reductively cleave AdoMet to form a transient 5′deoxyadenosyl radical and methionine. This radical is then transferred to the GRE, and methionine and 5′deoxyadenosine are also formed. In contrast to this paradigm, we demonstrate that generation of a glycyl radical on the B12-independent glycerol dehydratase by the glycerol dehydratase activating enzyme results in formation of 5′deoxy- 5′(methylthio) adenosine and not 5′deoxyadenosine. This demonstrates for the first time that radical SAM activases are also capable of an alternative cleavage pathway for SAM.
Demick, Jonathan M.,Lanzilotta, William N.
scheme or table
p. 440 - 442
(2012/03/27)

Structure of Candida albicans methionine synthase determined by employing surface residue mutagenesis
Fungal methionine synthase, Met6p, transfers a methyl group from 5-methyl-tetrahydrofolate to homocysteine to generate methionine. The enzyme is essential to fungal growth and is a potential anti-fungal drug design target. We have characterized the enzyme from the pathogen Candida albicans but were unable to crystallize it in native form. We converted Lys103, Lys104, and Glu107 all to Tyr (Met6pY), Thr (Met6pT) and Ala (Met6pA). All variants showed wild-type kinetic activity and formed useful crystals, each with unique crystal packing. In each case the mutated residues participated in beneficial crystal contacts. We have solved the three structures at 2.0-2.8 resolution and analyzed crystal packing, active-site residues, and similarity to other known methionine synthase structures. C. albicans Met6p has a two domain structure with each of the domains having a (βα)8-barrel fold. The barrels are arranged face-to-face and the active site is located in a cleft between the two domains. Met6p utilizes a zinc ion for catalysis that is bound in the C-terminal domain and ligated by four conserved residues: His657, Cys659, Glu679 and Cys739.
Ubhi, Devinder,Kavanagh, Kathryn L.,Monzingo, Arthur F.,Robertus, Jon D.
experimental part
p. 19 - 26
(2012/03/27)

Functional characterization of methionine sulfoxide reductase A from Trypanosoma spp.
Methionine is an amino acid susceptible to being oxidized to methionine sulfoxide (MetSO). The reduction of MetSO to methionine is catalyzed by methionine sulfoxide reductase (MSR), an enzyme present in almost all organisms. In trypanosomatids, the study of antioxidant systems has been mainly focused on the involvement of trypanothione, a specific redox component in these organisms. However, no information is available concerning their mechanisms for repairing oxidized proteins, which would be relevant for the survival of these pathogens in the various stages of their life cycle. We report the molecular cloning of three genes encoding a putative A-type MSR in trypanosomatids. The genes were expressed in Escherichia coli, and the corresponding recombinant proteins were purified and functionally characterized. The enzymes were specific for L-Met(S)SO reduction, using Trypanosoma cruzi tryparedoxin I as the reducing substrate. Each enzyme migrated in electrophoresis with a particular profile reflecting the differences they exhibit in superficial charge. The in vivo presence of the enzymes was evidenced by immunological detection in replicative stages of T. cruzi and Trypanosoma brucei. The results support the occurrence of a metabolic pathway in Trypanosoma spp. involved in the critical function of repairing oxidized macromolecules.
Arias, Diego G.,Cabeza, Matías S.,Erben, Esteban D.,Carranza, Pedro G.,Lujan, Hugo D.,I?ón, María T. Téllez,Iglesias, Alberto A.,Guerrero, Sergio A.
experimental part
p. 37 - 46
(2011/12/15)

Modulation of the pharmacological activities of secretory phospholipase A2 from Crotalus durissus cascavella induced by naringin
In this work we have characterized the action of the naringin, a flavonoid found in grapefruit and known for its various pharmacological effects, which include antioxidant, blood lipid lowering and anticancer activity, on the structure and biochemical activities of a secretory phospholipase A (sPLA2) from Crotalus durissus cascavella, an important protein involved in the releasinge of arachidonic acid in phospholipid membranes. sPLA2 was incubated with naringin (mol:mol) at 37 °C and a discrete reduction in the UV scanning signal and a modification of the circular dichroism spectra were observed after treatment with naringin, suggesting modifications of the secondary structure of the protein. This flavonoid was able to decrease enzymatic activity and some pharmacological effects, such as myonecrosis, platelet aggregation, and neurotoxic activity caused by sPLA2, however, the inflammatory effect was not affected by naringin. In addition, small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data were collected for sPLA2 and naringin-treated sPLA2 to evaluate possible modifications of the protein structure. These structural investigations have shown that sPLA2 is an elongated dimer in solution and after treatment with naringin a conformational change in the dimeric configuration was observed. Our results suggest that structural modification may be correlated with the loss of enzymatic activity and alterations in pharmacological properties.
Santos, Marcelo L.,Toyama, Daniela O.,Oliveira, Simone C. B.,Cotrim, Camila A.,Diz-Filho, Eduardo B. S.,Fagundes, Fabio H. R.,Soares, Veronica C. G.,Aparicio, Ricardo,Toyama, Marcos H.
experimental part
p. 738 - 761
(2011/04/15)

Formation and hydrolysis of amide bonds by lipase A from Candida antarctica; Exceptional features
Various commercial lyophilized and immobilized preparations of lipase A from Candida antarctica (CAL-A) were studied for their ability to catalyze the hydrolysis of amide bonds in N-acylated α-amino acids, 3-butanamidobutanoic acid (β-amino acid) and its ethyl ester. The activity toward amide bonds is highly untypical of lipases, despite the close mechanistic analogy to amidases which normally catalyze the corresponding reactions. Most CAL-A preparations cleaved amide bonds of various substrates with high enantioselectivity, although high variations in substrate selectivity and catalytic rates were detected. The possible role of contaminant protein species on the hydrolytic activity toward these bonds was studied by fractionation and analysis of the commercial lyophilized preparation of CAL-A (Cat#ICR-112, Codexis). In addition to minor impurities, two equally abundant proteins were detected, migrating on SDS-PAGE a few kDa apart around the calculated size of CAL-A. Based on peptide fragment analysis and sequence comparison both bands shared substantial sequence coverage with CAL-A. However, peptides at the C-terminal end constituting a motile domain described as an active-site flap were not identified in the smaller fragment. Separated gel filtration fractions of the two forms of CAL-A both catalyzed the amide bond hydrolysis of ethyl 3-butanamidobutanoate as well as the N-acylation of methyl pipecolinate. Hydrolytic activity towards N-acetylmethionine was, however, solely confined to the fractions containing the truncated form of CAL-A. These fractions were also found to contain a trace enzyme impurity identified in sequence analysis as a serine carboxypeptidase. The possible role of catalytic impurities versus the function of CAL-A in amide bond hydrolysis is further discussed in the paper. The Royal Society of Chemistry 2010.
Liljeblad, Arto,Kallio, Pauli,Vainio, Marita,Niemi, Jarmo,Kanerva, Liisa T.
scheme or table
p. 886 - 895
(2010/06/20)

Development of a high throughput screening tool for biotransformations utilising a thermophilic l-aminoacylase enzyme
Micro-reactors containing a monolith-immobilised thermophilic l-aminoacylase, from Thermococcus litoralis, have been developed for use in biotransformation reactions and a study has been carried out to investigate the stereospecificity and stability of the immobilised enzyme. The potential to use the developed micro-reactors as a tool for rapid screening of enzyme specificity was demonstrated, confirming that the l-aminoacylase showed a similar substrate specificity to that previously reported of the free enzyme. From this baseline, the technique was employed as a tool to evaluate potential unreported substrates with N-benzoyl- (l-threonine, l-leucine and l-arginine) and N-acetyl- (d,l-serine, d,l-leucine, l-tyrosine and l-lysine) protecting groups. The order of preferred substrates was found to be Phe > Thr > Leu > Arg for N-benzoyl substrates and Phe ? Ser > Leu > Met > Tyr > Trp for N-acetyl substrates. It was found that by using the micro-reactor a significantly smaller quantity of enzyme and substrates was required. It was shown that the micro-reactors were still operational in the presence of selected organic solvents, such as ethanol, methanol, acetone, dimethylformamide (DMF) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). The results indicated that a combination of a small amount of an appropriate solvent (5% DMSO) and a higher reaction temperature could be employed in biotransformations where substrate solubility was an issue.
Ngamsom,Hickey,Greenway,Littlechild,Watts,Wiles
scheme or table
p. 81 - 86
(2010/10/21)

Increasing the synthesis/hydrolysis ratio of aminoacylase 1 by site-directed mutagenesis
Aminoacylase-1 from pig kidney (pAcy1) catalyzes the highly stereoselective acylation of amino acids, a useful conversion for the preparation of optically pure N-acyl-l-amino acids. The kinetic of this thermodynamically controlled conversion is determined by maximal velocities for synthesis (VmS) and hydrolysis (VmH) of the N-acyl-l-amino acid. To investigate which parameter affects maximal velocities, we focused on?the proton acceptor potential of the catalytic base, E146, and studied the influence of the active site architecture on its contribution to the pKa of residue E146. The modeled structure of pAcy1 identified residue D346 as having the strongest impact on the electrostatic features of the catalytic base. Substitutions of D346 generally decreased enzymatic activities but also altered both the pH-dependency of hydrolytic activity and the VmS/VmH ratio of pAcy1. A reduced theoretical pKa value and a lowered experimental pH optimum of hydrolytic rates for the D346A mutant were associated with a 9-fold increase in VmS/VmH. This?supports the importance of electrostatic contributions of D346 to the acid-base properties of E146 and demonstrates for the first time the possibility of engineering the VmS/VmH ratio of pAcy1.
Wardenga, Rainer,Lindner, Holger A.,Hollmann, Frank,Thum, Oliver,Bornscheuer, Uwe
experimental part
p. 102 - 109
(2011/02/22)