Molecular characterization of the soybean L-asparaginase gene induced by low temperature stress

L-asparaginase (EC 3.5.1.1) catalyzes the hydrolysis of the amide group of L-asparagine, releasing aspartate and NH4+. We isolated a low temperature-inducible cDNA sequence encoding L-asparaginase from soybean leaves. The full-length L-asparaginase cDNA, designated GmASP1, contains an open reading frame of 1,258 bp coding for a protein of 326 amino acids. Genomic DNA blotting and fluorescence in situ hybridization showed that the soybean genome has two copies of GmASP1. GmASP1 mRNA was induced by low temperature, ABA and NaCl, but not by heat shock or drought stress. E. coli cells expressing recombinant GmASP1 had 3-fold increased L-asparaginase activity. A possible function of L-asparaginase in the early response to low temperature stress is discussed.

Crystal structure and allosteric regulation of the cytoplasmic Escherichia coli L-asparaginase I

AnsA is the cytoplasmic asparaginase from Escherichia coli involved in intracellular asparagine utilization. Analytical ultracentifugation and X-ray crystallography reveal that AnsA forms a tetrameric structure as a dimer of two intimate dimers. Kinetic analysis of the enzyme reveals that AnsA is positively cooperative, displaying a sigmoidal substrate dependence curve with an [S](0.5) of 1 mM L-asparagine and a Hill coefficient (n(H)) of 2.6. Binding of L-asparagine to an allosteric site was observed in the crystal structure concomitant with a reorganization of the quarternary structure, relative to the apo enzyme. The carboxyl group of the bound asparagine makes salt bridges and hydrogen bonds to Arg240, while the N(delta2) nitrogen interacts with Thr162. Mutation of Arg240 to Ala increases the [S](0.5) value to 5.9 mM, presumably by reducing the affinity of the site for L-asparagine, although the enzyme retains cooperativity. Mutation of Thr162 to Ala results in an active enzyme with no cooperativity. Transmission of the signal from the allosteric site to the active site appears to involve subtle interactions at the dimer-dimer interface and relocation of Gln118 into the vicinity of the active site to position the probable catalytic water molecule. These data define the structural basis for the cooperative regulation of the intracellular asparaginase that is required for proper functioning within the cell.

Tailoring structure-function properties of L-asparaginase: engineering resistance to trypsin cleavage

Bacterial L-ASNases (L-asparaginases) catalyse the conversion of L-asparagine into L-aspartate and ammonia, and are widely used for the treatment of ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukaemia). In the present paper, we describe an efficient approach, based on protein chemistry and protein engineering studies, for the construction of trypsin-resistant PEGylated L-ASNase from Erwinia carotovora (EcaL-ASNase). Limited proteolysis of EcaL-ASNase with trypsin was found to be associated with a first cleavage of the peptide bond between Lys53 and Gly54, and then a second cleavage at Arg206-Ser207 of the C-terminal fragment, peptide 54-327, showing that the initial recognition sites for trypsin are Lys53 and Arg206. Site-directed mutagenesis of Arg206 to histidine followed by covalent coupling of mPEG-SNHS [methoxypoly(ethylene glycol) succinate N-hydroxysuccinimide ester] to the mutant enzyme resulted in an improved modified form of EcaL-ASNase that retains 82% of the original catalytic activity, exhibits enhanced resistance to trypsin degradation, and has higher thermal stability compared with the wild-type enzyme.

L-asparaginase and L-glutaminase activities in submerged rice soil amended with municipal solid waste compost and decomposed cow manure

The field study was conducted to evaluate the effect of municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) as a soil amendment on L-asparaginase (LA) and L-glutaminase (LG) activities. Experiments were conducted during the wet seasons of 1997, 1998 and 1999 on rice grown under a submerged condition, at the Agriculture Experimental Farm, Calcutta University at Baruipur, West Bengal, India. The treatments consisted of control, no input; MSWC, at 60 Kg N ha(- 1); well-decomposed cow manure (DCM), at 60 Kg N ha(- 1); MSWC (30 Kg N ha(- 1)) + Urea (U) (30 Kg N ha(- 1)); DCM (30 Kg N ha(- 1)) + U (30 Kg N ha(- 1)) and Fertilizer, (at 60:30:30 NPK kg ha(- 1)) through urea, single superphosphate and muriate of potash respectively). LA and LG activities alone and their ratio with organic-C (ratio index value, RIV), straw and grain yield were higher in DCM than MSWC-treated soils, due to higher amount of biogenic organic materials like water-soluble organic carbon, carbohydrate and mineralizable nitrogen in the former. The studied parameters were higher when urea was integrated with DCM or MSWC, compared to their single applications. The heavy metals in MSWC did not detrimentally influence the above-measured activities of soil. In the event of long term MSWC application, changes in soil quality parameters should be monitored regularly, since heavy metals once entering into soil persist over a long period.

Single QTL mapping and nucleotide-level resolution of a physiologic trait in wine Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains

Natural Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strains exhibit very large genotypic and phenotypic diversity. However, the link between phenotype variation and genetic determinism is still difficult to identify, especially in wild populations. Using genome hybridization on DNA microarrays, it is now possible to identify single-feature polymorphisms among divergent yeast strains. This tool offers the possibility of applying quantitative genetics to wild yeast strains. In this instance, we studied the genetic basis for variations in acetic acid production using progeny derived from two strains from grape must isolates. The trait was quantified during alcoholic fermentation of the two strains and 108 segregants derived from their crossing. A genetic map of 2212 markers was generated using oligonucleotide microarrays, and a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) was mapped with high significance. Further investigations showed that this QTL was due to a nonsynonymous single-nucleotide polymorphism that targeted the catalytic core of asparaginase type I (ASP1) and abolished its activity. This QTL was only effective when asparagine was used as a major nitrogen source. Our results link nitrogen assimilation and CO(2) production rate to acetic acid production, as well as, on a broader scale, illustrating the specific problem of quantitative genetics when working with nonlaboratory microorganisms.

Probing the antigenicity of E. coli L-asparaginase by mutational analysis

A strategy, termed alanine-scanning mutagenesis, was used to identify the amino acid residues which are critical to the antigenicity of Escherichia coli L-asparaginase (L-ASP). Three continuous alkaline residues, 195RKH197, were mutated to Ala selectively. Four mutant recombinant L-ASPs were constructed and expressed in E. coli, and then purified. The purified mutants showed a single band by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and were more than 95% pure by reverse high-performance liquid chromatography. The activities of wild-type and mL-ASPs in the fermentative medium were all about 130 U/mL. The change from 195RKH197 to 195AAA197 reduced the antigenicity of the enzyme greatly as shown in competition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using polyclonal antibodies raised against the wild-type L-ASP from rabbits. The results show that residues 195RKH197 of E. coli L-ASP are critical to its antigenicity.

Coordination of PsAS1 and PsASPG expression controls timing of re-allocated N utilization in hypocotyls of pine seedlings

During pine seed germination, a large amount of N mobilized from the storage proteins is re-allocated in the hypocotyl as free asparagine, as a result of the high levels of asparagine synthetase (AS) encoded by the PsAS1 gene. To determine the role of this re-allocated N reserve, a full-length cDNA encoding L: -asparaginase (ASPG) has been cloned from Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings and characterized. Like other N-terminal nucleophile hydrolases, pine ASPG requires a post-translational processing to exhibit enzymatic activity. However, in contrast to previous reports on other plant ASPGs, purified recombinant pine ASPG does not undergo autoproteolytic cleavage in vitro. Our results suggest that the processing requires accessory proteins to assist in the proteolysis or in the proper folding before autocleavage in a divalent cation-dependent manner. Sequence comparison analysis revealed that the pine protein is included in the K+-dependent subfamily of plant ASPGs. The expression of the ASPG-encoding gene (PsASPG) was higher in organs with extensive secondary development of the vascular system. The increase in transcript abundance observed at advanced stages of hypocotyl development was concomitant with a decrease of PsAS1 transcript abundance and a remarkable increase in the number of xylem elements and highly lignified cell walls. These results, together with the precise localization of PsASPG transcripts in cells of the cambial region, suggest that the expression of PsAS1 and PsASPG is temporally coordinated, to control the re-allocation of N from seed storage proteins toward the hypocotyl to be later used during early development of secondary vascular system.

Studies on L-asparaginase enzyme of actinomycetes isolated from estuarine fishes

Actinomycetes were isolated from different organs viz. skin, gills and gut contents of three species of fishes viz. Mugil cephalus (Linnaeus, 1758), Chanos chanos (Forskal, 1775) and Etroplus suratensis (Bloch, 1780) using three different media from the Vellar estuary, situated along the southeast coast of India. Among the three fishes, M. cephalus harboured highest number of actinomycetes population in all the three body parts examined followed by C. chanos and E. suratensis. Out of the three body parts of all fishes, gut contents had highest actinomycetes population followed by gills and skin. Among the three media used for isolation of actinomycetes, Kuster's agar medium was found to be suitable than the starch casein agar and glucose asparagine agar media. Out of the 40 strains isolated, only six strains (LA-2, LA-8, LA-15, LA-20, LA-29 and LA-35) showed significant L-asparagianse activity and were taken up for further studies. Impact of various physical and chemical factors such as pH, temperature, sodium chloride concentration, carbon sources and amino acids on the growth of actinomycetes and L-asparaginase activity was also studied. Optimum growth and enzyme activity was noticed under pH 7 to 8, temperature 37 degrees C, 1-2% sodium chloride concentration, sucrose as carbon source and without any amino acids. Analysis of the cell components of the isolated strains has revealed the wall type-I (the wall type-I is typical for the genus Streptomyces) and the strains were micromorphologically similar to the genus Streptomyces. Hence, the morphological, physiological and biochemical along with the micromorphological results obtained for the L-asparaginase producing strains were compared and the strains were tentatively identified as Streptomyces aureofasciculus (LA-2), S. chattanoogenesis (LA-8), S. hawaiiensis (LA-15), S. orientalis (LA-20), S. canus (LA-29) and S. olivoviridis (LA-35).

Site-Specific PEGylation of Protein Disulfide Bonds Using a Three-Carbon Bridge

The covalent conjugation of a functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to multiple nucleophilic amine residues results in a heterogeneous mixture of PEG positional isomers. Their physicochemical, biological, and pharmaceutical properties vary with the site of conjugation of PEG. Yields are low because of inefficient conjugation chemistry and production costs high because of complex purification procedures. Our solution to these fundamental problems in PEGylating proteins has been to exploit the latent conjugation selectivity of the two sulfur atoms that are derived from the ubiquitous disulfide bonds of proteins. This approach to PEGylation involves two steps: (1) disulfide reduction to release the two cysteine thiols and (2) re-forming the disulfide by bis-alkylation via a three-carbon bridge to which PEG was covalently attached. During this process, irreversible denaturation of the protein did not occur. Mechanistically, the conjugation is conducted by a sequential, interactive bis-alkylation using alpha,beta-unsaturated beta'-monosulfone functionalized PEG reagents. The combination of (a) maintaining the protein's tertiary structure after disulfide reduction, (b) the mechanism for bis-thiol selectivity of the PEG reagent, and (c) the steric shielding of PEG ensure that only one PEG molecule is conjugated at each disulfide bond. PEG was site-specifically conjugated via a three-carbon bridge to 2 equiv of the tripeptide glutathione, the cyclic peptide hormone somatostatin, the tetrameric protein l-asparaginase, and to the disulfides in interferon alpha-2b (IFN). SDS-PAGE, mass spectral, and NMR analyses were used to confirm conjugation, thiol selectivity, and connectivity. The biological activity of the l-asparaginase did not change after the attachment of four PEG molecules. In the case of IFN, a small reduction in biological activity was seen with the single-bridged IFN (without PEG attached). A significantly larger reduction in biological activity was seen with the three-carbon disulfide single-bridged PEG-IFNs and with the double-bridged IFN (without PEG attached). The reduction of the PEG-IFN's in vitro biological activity was a consequence of the steric shielding caused by PEG, and it was comparable to that seen with all other forms of PEG-IFNs reported. However, when a three-carbon bridge was used to attach PEG, our PEG-IFN's biological activity was found to be independent of the length of the PEG. This property has not previously been described for PEG-IFNs. Our studies therefore suggest that peptides, proteins, enzymes, and antibody fragments can be site-specifically PEGylated across a native disulfide bond using three-carbon bridges without destroying their tertiary structure or abolishing their biological activity. The stoichiometric efficiency of this approach also enables recycling of any unreacted protein. It therefore offers the potential to make PEGylated biopharmaceuticals as cost-effective medicines for global use.

Co-occurrence of both L-asparaginase subtypes in Arabidopsis: At3g16150 encodes a K+-dependent L-asparaginase

L-asparaginases (EC 3.5.1.1) are hypothesized to play an important role in nitrogen supply to sink tissues, especially in legume-developing seeds. Two plant L-asparaginase subtypes were previously identified according to their K(+)-dependence for catalytic activity. An L-asparaginase homologous to Lupinus K(+)-independent enzymes with activity towards beta-aspartyl dipeptides, At5g08100, has been previously characterized as a member of the N-terminal nucleophile amidohydrolase superfamily in Arabidopsis. In this study, a K(+)-dependent L-asparaginase from Arabidopsis, At3g16150, is characterized. The recombinants At3g16150 and At5g08100 share a similar subunit structure and conserved autoproteolytic pentapeptide cleavage site, commencing with the catalytic Thr nucleophile, as determined by ESI-MS. The catalytic activity of At3g16150 was enhanced approximately tenfold in the presence of K(+). At3g16150 was strictly specific for L-Asn, and had no activity towards beta-aspartyl dipeptides. At3g16150 also had an approximately 80-fold higher catalytic efficiency with L-Asn relative to At5g08100. Among the beta-aspartyl dipeptides tested, At5g08100 had a preference for beta-aspartyl-His, with catalytic efficiency comparable to that with L-Asn. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that At3g16150 and At5g08100 belong to two distinct subfamilies. The transcript levels of At3g16150 and At5g08100 were highest in sink tissues, especially in flowers and siliques, early in development, as determined by quantitative RT-PCR. The overlapping spatial patterns of expression argue for a partially redundant function of the enzymes. However, the high catalytic efficiency suggests that the K(+)-dependent enzyme may metabolize L-Asn more efficiently under conditions of high metabolic demand for N.

Aspartate transport and metabolism in the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi

Aspartate is one of the compounds that induce the differentiation process of the non-infective epimastigote stage to the infective trypomastigote stage of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. l-aspartate is transported by both epimastigote and trypomastigote cells at the same rate, about 3.4 pmolmin(-1) per 10(7) cells. Aspartate transport is only competed by glutamate suggesting that this transport system is specific for anionic amino acids. Aspartate uptake rates increase along the parasite growth curve, by amino acids starvation or pH decrease. The metabolic fate of the transported aspartate was predicted in silico by identification of seven putative genes coding for enzymes involved in aspartate metabolism that could be related to the differentiation process.

Asparaginase Display of Human Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein (CETP) B Cell Epitopes for Inducing High Titers of Anti-CETP Antibodies In Vivo

The recombinant chimeric enzyme, AnsB-TTP-CETPC, comprising asparaginase, tetanus toxin helper T cell epitope and human CETP B cell epitope was expressed as a soluble protein in Escherichia coli. The purified chimeric enzyme exhibited approximate 83% activity of the native asparaginase. After immunization with three doses of chimeric enzyme, high titers of anti-CETP antibodies were induced and lasted more than eighteen weeks in mice, and could even be detected at a dilution of 1:12800 by normal ELISA assay. The specificity of anti-CETP antibody was verified by Western blot assay. After displaying on the surface of asparaginase, the weak antigenicity of CETP epitope was effectively overcome, there after a strong CETP-specific immune response was evoked in mice immunized with the chimeric enzyme. Histochemical analysis of mice kidney tissue showed that immunization with the chimeric enzyme did not cause any pathological changes in mice. Collectively, the chimeric enzyme may be further developed as a vaccine against atherosclerosis in the future.

[Significance of L-asparaginase activity and biochemical parameters evaluation in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia]

L-asparaginase is one of the most important agent used in multidrug chemotherapy regimens in the treatment of malignancies which derive from lymphoid system (acute lymhoblastic leukemias and non-hodgkin lymphoma). L-asparaginase leads to enzymatic cleavage of L-asparagine (amino acid essential for lymphoblasts' growth) to ammonia and L-aspartic acid, what results in depletion of L-asparagine in a serum and cerebrospinal fluid, and finally leads to destruction of lymphoblasts, which lack ability of endogenic L-asparagine production. In the course of L-asparaginase therapy severe side effects could be observed such as: coagulation disturbances, acute pancreatitis, anaphilactic shock and other types of allergic reaction, as well as liver and CNS failure. Monitoring of L-asparaginase activity in serum is recomended in order to optimalize therapy with L-asparaginase and reducing risk of severe side effects. Continuous assessment of L-asparaginase activity during therapy gives also opportunity to detect asymptomatic inactivation of L-ASPA - so called "silent inactivation", which is cused by production of antibodies against xenogenic protein, especcialy in IgG class. This process leads to shortening of half-life of L-ASPA. The paper shows presently available monitoring methods during therapy with L-ASPA, with all their pros and cons.

Cloning, expression and characterisation of Erwinia carotovora l-asparaginase

Bacterial L-asparaginases (E.C. 3.5.1.1) have been used as therapeutic agents in the treatment of acute childhood lymphoblastic leukaemia. L-asparaginase from Erwinia carotovora NCYC 1526 (ErA) was cloned and expressed in E. coli. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity by a two-step procedure comprising cation-exchange chromatography and affinity chromatography on immobilised L-asparagine. The enzymatic properties of the recombinant enzyme were investigated and the kinetic parameters (K(m), k(cat)) for a number of substrates were determined. Molecular modelling studies were also employed to create a model of ErA, based on the known structure of the Erwinia chrysanthemi enzyme. The molecular model was used to help interpret biochemical data concerning substrate specificity and catalytic mechanism of the enzyme. The kinetic parameters of selected substrates were determined at various pH values, and the pH-dependence profiles of V(max) and V(max)/K(m) were analyzed. The pH-dependence of V(max) shows one transition in the acidic pH range with pK(a)=5.4, and the pH-dependence of V(max)/K(m) exhibits two transitions with pK(a)=5.4 and 8.5. Based on analysis of alternative substrates and molecular modelling studies, it was concluded that the pK(a) at the acidic pH range corresponds to the active site residues Asp115 or Glu82, whereas the pK(a) observed at the alkaline pH range is not due to substrate amino group ionisation, but rather is the result of enzyme ionisation. The effect of temperature and viscosity on the catalytic activity of the enzyme was also investigated and it was concluded that the rate-limiting step of the catalytic reaction is relevant to structural transitions of the protein. Thermodynamic analysis of the activity data showed that the activation energies are dependent on the substrate, and entropy changes appear to be the main determinant contributing to substrate specificity.

Extracellular expression and single step purification of recombinant Escherichia coli L-asparaginase II

L-Asparaginase (isozyme II) from Escherichia coli is an important therapeutic enzyme used in the treatment of leukemia. Extracellular expression of recombinant asparaginase was obtained by fusing the gene coding for asparaginase to an efficient pelB leader sequence and an N-terminal 6x histidine tag cloned under the T7lac promoter. Media composition and the induction strategy had a major influence on the specificity and efficiency of secretion of recombinant asparaginase. Induction of the cells with 0.1 mM IPTG at late log phase of growth in TB media resulted in fourfold higher extracellular activity in comparison to growing the cells in LB media followed by induction during the mid log phase. Using an optimized expression strategy a yield of 20,950 UI/L of recombinant asparaginase was obtained from the extracellular medium. The recombinant protein was purified from the culture supernatant in a single step using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography which gave an overall yield of 95 mg/L of purified protein, with a recovery of 86%. This is approximately 8-fold higher to the previously reported data in literature. The fluorescence spectra, analytical size exclusion chromatography, and the specific activity of the purified protein were observed to be similar to the native protein which demonstrated that the protein had folded properly and was present in its active tetramer form in the culture supernatant.

[Effects of salinity stress on poplars seedling growth and soil enzyme activity]

A pot culture experiment with two clones of poplars (P1 and P2) showed that soil salinity had a definite inhibitory effect on the establishment and growth of seedlings. The survival rate, seedling height and weight, and root weight were all declined with increasing soil salinity. When the salinity was 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6% and 0.8%, the shoot growth of P1 and P2 decreased by 23.24%, 48.56%, 70.76% and 83.33%, and 71.77%, 83.25%, 86.28% and 91.39%, respectively, in comparing with the control. Regressive analyses showed that soil salinity had a linear relationship with chlorophyll content, and a binomial relationship with leaf proline content. The activities of soil beta-glucosidase and L-asparaginase were decreased with increasing soil salinity. When the salinity was 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6% and 0.8%, the beta-glucosidase activity in P1 and P2 soils decreased by 10.96%, 20.07%, 30.96% and 37.44%, and 11.21%, 18.94%, 34.89% and 41.31%, respectively. The salinity tolerance of P1 was better than that of P2.

[X-ray microanalysis of the activity of immobilized L-asparaginase]

The localization of activity of immobilzed L-asparaginase by covalent binding was studied by X-ray microanalysis. Asparagine and MgCl2 served as substrate and capture agent respectively. Substrate was catalysed by immobilized L-asparaginase to produce NH3, and NH3 was captured by MgCl2 to form precipitate MgNH4PO4. Precipitae was deposited on active site of immobilized L-asparaginase. The results show that the macroporous resins of immobilized L-asparaginase has greater enzyme activity, while distribution of activated enzyme was uniform. Most of activated enzyme was immobilized on the macroporous resins. The optimum condition of localization of activity of immobilized L-asparaginase was studied.

Production and enhanced biological activity of a novel GHRH analog, hGHRH with an N-terminal Pro–Pro extension

Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone (GHRH) is one of the most important hormones in life. Because of its potential clinical importance, its short half-life, and its expensive chemical synthesis, an analog of hGHRH with a prolonged half-life and better activity has been studied for clinical application, especially for the treatment of muscle wasting, type II diabetes, or sleep disorders. The Pro-Pro-hGHRH(1-44) peptide has better activity. The fusion partner gene with 127 amino acid residues of the C-terminus from l-asparaginase was recombined with asp-pro-pro-hGHRH(1-44) gene synthesized by PCR method to form a fusion protein with the unique acid labile linker Asp-Pro. The recombinant protein was expressed to high levels in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The Pro-Pro-hGHRH(1-44) peptide was purified to homogeneity by means of cell disruption, washing, ethanol precipitation, acid hydrolysis, and SP-Sephadex C-25, and Sephadex G-25 column chromatography. The fold of the purification was about 88 times and the yield was 1.1% of the total protein weight of the inclusion body. The peptide molecular mass of 5235.25 Da was determined by ESI mass spectroscopy. Its purity was determined by SDS-PAGE. In the study of the activity, we measured GH release of rat pituitary by using the antiserum kit against human GH. The peptide doses of 0.01, 0.1, 1.0, 7.72, and 20.9 microg/ml used, respectively, released the GH values of 0.1+/-0.1, 12.5+/-7.3, 16.6+/-5.8, 49.8+/-7.6, and 79.5+/-5.7 ng/ml whereas their blank controls, respectively, were 0.5+/-0.8, 4.1+/-2.6, 3.1+/-3.1, 4.7+/-1.8, and 1.2+/-0.3 ng/ml. The activity results of all dose groups except 0.01 microg/ml Pro-Pro-hGHRH(1-44) group and hGHRH(1-40) group showed that there were significant differences between GH released by the peptide and that by its blank control. With the increase of dosage, the differences were more significant. hGHRH(1-40) showed no measured GH release when the dose was up to 2 microg/ml. The activity results show that the Pro-Pro-hGHRH(1-44) peptide is a potential GH releasing analog.

l-Asparagine depletion levels and l-asparaginase activity in plasma of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia under asparaginase treatment

PURPOSE

To determine the minimum levels of L-asparaginase (ASNase) activity necessary to maintain L-asparagine (Asn) depletion under ASNase treatment in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

METHODS

We measured ASNase activity using an enzyme coupling method with a limit of detection of 2 U/l and examined the relationship between ASNase activity and Asn levels in blood samples from 14 children with ALL.

RESULTS

In all but one patient showing high ASNase antibody titers, minimum ASNase activity to maintain Asn depletion levels below the limit of detection (40 ng/ml) ranged from 6 to 180 U/l with a median value of 16 U/l. In 11 patients, the enzyme activity corresponding to minimum detectable Asn levels ranged from 2 to 32 U/l with a median value of 6.5 U/l. Patients with an ASNase activity of 2 U/l or an undetectable activity (<2 U/l) had nearly normal Asn levels: 4140+/-1161 ng/ml at 2 U/l and 7235+/-3107 ng/ml at <2 U/l (mean+/-SD). Statistical analysis showed that ASNase activity in the range of 2-32 U/l was inversely correlated with Asn levels ( r=-0.803, P=0.001).

CONCLUSION

These results show that Asn levels are strongly correlated with plasma ASNase activity even at low enzyme activities (<50 U/l) and that this sensitive ASNase assay can be used to estimate plasma Asn depletion levels.

Molecular cloning of a novel human gene encoding histone acetyltransferase-like protein involved in transcriptional activation of hTERT

To isolate proteins involved in hTERT transcriptional regulation, the HeLa cDNA library was screened using the hTERT promoter-based yeast one-hybrid assay. A positive clone was rescued and proved to contain an open reading frame and the upstream coding sequences were obtained by 5'-RACE. The assembled full cDNA consisted of a 2.5 kb reading frame encoding 834 amino acids, in which a conserved N-acetyltransferase domain (GNAT family) was searched out in bioinformatics, and thus named as hALP (human N-acetyltransferase-like protein, GenBank Accession No. AF 489535). The expression of native hALP was identified in HeLa cells and proved to distribute in the cellular nucleus. The binding potential of hALP to hTERT promoter was confirmed by EMSA and the interacting sequence involved to -201- to -56-nt upstream region of the promoter. On transfection assay, hALP could obviously transactivate hTERT promoter and stimulate endogenous telomerase activity of cells. The analysis on histone acetyltransferase showed that hALP could specifically acetylate free histones in vitro. The investigation suggested that hALP influences the activity of histone acetylation and could up-regulate telomerase activity through transactivation of hTERT promoter.

Production of l-asparaginase in Enterobacter aerogenes expressing Vitreoscilla hemoglobin for efficient oxygen uptake

This study is the first utilizing Vitreoscilla hemoglobin in a heterologous bacterium, Enterobacter aerogenes, to determine the effect of such a highly efficient oxygen-uptake system on the production of l-asparaginase, an enzyme that has attracted considerable attention due to its anti-tumor activity. Here, we show that the Vitreoscilla hemoglobin expressing strain has from 10-fold to more than two orders of magnitude lower l-asparaginase activity than the wild type or the control without the Vitreoscilla hemoglobin gene under different aeration conditions. Aeration and agitation were also determining factors for enzyme production. The enzyme activity was reduced considerably under both full aerobic and anaerobic conditions, while the highest enzyme activity was determined in cultures under low aeration and low agitation. Also, the effect of different concentrations of glucose on enzyme production showed catabolic repression. Glucose at 1% caused almost total inhibition of enzyme activity, while at 0.1% it showed a slightly stimulatory effect on enzyme production, compared with glucose-free medium.

Identification of CRASH, a gene deregulated in gynecological tumors

We have identified CRASH, a human asparaginase-like protein which is composed of 308 amino acids and exhibits 32% homology to human aspartylglucosaminadase at the amino acid level. Database analysis revealed that the gene corresponding to CRASH is composed of 7 exons and 6 introns. Steady-state level of CRASH mRNA was found to be increased in 5 cell lines derived from metastatic lesions compared with 2 cell lines derived from primary mammary carcinoma and HMEC (human mammary epithelial cells). We found that the mRNA level of CRASH correlates with the metastatic propensity of several isogenic human colon cancer and pancreatic carcinoma cell lines. CRASH corresponds to a recently identified sperm autoantigen and furthermore we have demonstrated inducibility of CRASH mRNA by androgen and progesterone. Investigation of several types of human cancers and their corresponding normal tissues revealed high levels of CRASH mRNA in uterine, mammary and ovarian tumors compared with the corresponding normal tissues. CRASH mRNA expression was analysed in breast cancer samples with disclosed clinico-pathological features and corresponding normal tissues. The levels of CRASH mRNA were significantly up-regulated in tumors compared with normal breast tissues and correlate with lack of estrogen receptor expression of the tumors.

Solid-phase enzyme modification via affinity chromatography

In the present study antileukemic enzyme L-asparaginase (ASNase) and catalase (as a model enzyme) were modified in solid-phase with activated polyethylene glycol (PEG(2)) by using ligand-immobilized affinity column systems L-asparagine-Sepharose CL-4B and Procion red-Sepharose CL-4B, respectively. Studies on change of specific activity with modification time showed negligible differences between batches of modified catalase. Modification of ASNase for 1 h resulted in 50.2% recovery of the specific activity and the attachment of 69 molecules of PEG(2) per molecule of ASNase forming 'PEGylated ASNase'. Sequential modification of ASNase by activated PEG and heparin resulted in coupling of about nine molecules of heparin per molecule of PEGylated ASNase. Intravenous (i.v.) administration of PEG(2)-modified ASNase showed prolonged presence in the blood circulation and no adverse effects or symptoms of anaphylaxis were observed in presensitized mice.

Stabilisation and determination of the biological activity of L-asparaginase in poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) nanospheres

The preservation of biological activity of protein drugs in formulations is still a major challenge for successful drug delivery. The enzyme L-asparaginase, which exhibits a short in vivo half-life and is only active against leukaemia in its tetrameric form, was encapsulated in poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) nanospheres by the (w/o)/w-emulsion solvent evaporation technique in presence of various potential stabilisers. Elucidation of the preparation steps revealed that the enzyme is denaturated at the aqueous/organic interface and by sonication. The preparation of L-asparaginase nanospheres with trehalose, PEG 400, and glycerol as components of the inner aqueous phase yielded colloidal formulations with increased biological activity as determined by an improved protocol for quantification of the active enzyme encapsulated. After lyophilisation the enzyme activity and particle size distribution were retained only by use of Pluronic F68 as a lyoprotectant. Despite the unaltered particle size and improved biological activity, the release profile of the enzyme was strongly altered by coencapsulation of the stabilisers resulting in increased first bursts. In consequence, the biological activity of L-asparaginase during preparation and storage can be improved by combining appropriate additives but concurrently the release profile is influenced.

Utilization of acidic amino acids and their amides by pseudomonads: role of periplasmic glutaminase-asparaginase

The acidic amino acids (Asp, Glu) and their amides (Asn, Gln) support rapid growth of a variety of Pseudomonas strains when provided as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen. All key enzymes of glutamate metabolism were detected in P. fluorescence, with glutaminase and asparaginase showing the highest specific activities. A periplasmic glutaminase/asparaginase activity (PGA) was found in all pseudomonads examined, including a number of root-colonizing biocontrol strains. The enzyme was purified and shown to be identical with the ansB gene product described previously. In addition to PGA, P. fluorescens contains a cytoplasmic asparaginase with marked specificity for Asn. PGA is strongly and specifically induced by its substrates (Asn, Gln) but also by the reaction products (Asp, Glu). In addition, PGA is subject to efficient carbon catabolite repression by glucose and by citrate cycle metabolites. A mutant of P. putida KT2440 with a disrupted ansB gene was unable to utilize Gln, whereas growth of the mutant on other amino acids was normal.

β-Aspartylpeptides as substrates ofL-asparaginases fromEscherichia coliandErwinia chrysanthemi

L-Asparaginase is known to catalyze the hydrolysis of L-asparagine to L-aspartic and ammonia, but little is known about its action on peptides. When we incubated L-asparaginases purified either from Escherichia coli or Erwinia chrysanthemi - commonly used as chemotherapeutic agents because of their antitumour activity - with eight small beta-aspartylpeptides such as beta-aspartylserineamide, beta-aspartylalanineamide, beta-aspartylglycineamide and beta-aspartylglycine, we found that both L-asparaginases could catalyze the hydrolysis of five of them yielding L-aspartic acid and amino acids or peptides. Our data show that L-asparaginases can hydrolyze beta-aspartylpeptides and suggest that L-asparaginase therapy may affect the metabolism of beta-aspartylpeptides present in human body.

[Construction of a set of secreting expression vectors for Saccharomyces cerevisiea]

The DNA fragment ecoding the Signal peptide of inulinase of Kluyveromyces smarxianu was synthesized chemically. This fragment was cloned in-frame in the expression vector pYES2 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, resulting in a set of new secreting expression vectors pYES2 I, pYES2 II, pYES2 III. The L-Asparaginase gene (ASN) of E. coli and alpha-acetylactate decarboxylase gene (ALDC) of B. brevis which were amplified by PCR and cloned into the new vectors respectively were transformed into Saccharomyces cerevisia, and most of enzyme activities were secreted into the medium. The new secreting expression vectors still have excellent segregational stability even after growth for 100 h in the absence of selective pressure.

Isoaspartyl dipeptidase activity of plant-type asparaginases

Recombinant plant-type asparaginases from the cyanobacteria Synechocystis sp. PCC (Pasteur culture collection) 6803 and Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, from Escherichia coli and from the plant Arabidopsis thaliana were expressed in E. coli with either an N-terminal or a C-terminal His tag, and purified. Although each of the four enzymes is encoded by a single gene, their mature forms consist of two protein subunits that are generated by autoproteolytic cleavage of the primary translation products at the Gly-Thr bond within the sequence GTI/VG. The enzymes not only deamidated asparagine but also hydrolysed a range of isoaspartyl dipeptides. As various isoaspartyl peptides are known to arise from proteolytic degradation of post-translationally altered proteins containing isoaspartyl residues, and from depolymerization of the cyanobacterial reserve polymer multi-L-arginyl-poly-L-aspartic acid (cyanophycin), plant-type asparaginases may not only function in asparagine catabolism but also in the final steps of protein and cyanophycin degradation. The properties of these enzymes are compared with those of the sequence-related glycosylasparaginases.

In vitro effects of chemotherapeutic agents on human osteoblast-like cells

Osteopenia is a complicating problem that may occur during and after treatment for childhood malignancy. Clinical studies suggest that chemotherapeutic agents directly affect osteoblasts in vivo. Since combinations of agents are used for treatment, we individually investigated the chemosensitivity of human osteoblast-like cells to 11 of the chemotherapeutic agents used. The relative chemosensitivity of osteoblast-like cells representing different stages of cell differentiation was also examined. Cell numbers were evaluated following culture of an established human osteoblast-like cell line (MG63) for 3 days with clinically relevant concentrations of the chemotherapeutic agents. The chemosensitivity of MG63 cells was compared to that of a human osteoprogenitor cell line (HCC1) and primary osteoblast-like (HOB) cells derived from pediatric bone. Cell numbers were reduced by all agents in all cell types, although there was a varied response between agents at equimolar concentrations. In MG63 cells the lowest concentration of agent significantly reducing cell numbers varied between agents, for example, methotrexate (10(-7) M), vincristine (10(-9) M), and etoposide (10(-7) M) (all P <0.01). The less differentiated osteoblast phenotypes were significantly more chemosensitive at equimolar concentrations of methotrexate, vincristine, asparaginase, and dexamethasone than more differentiated phenotypes (all P <0.01). Furthermore, four agents significantly increased alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity in HOB cells. We conclude that individual chemotherapeutic agents added to osteoblast cell cultures reduce cell numbers, with osteoblast precursor cells being preferentially depleted. These results suggest that most of the agents may contribute to osteopenia in childhood malignancy by direct effects on cell numbers.

Effects of polyethylene glycol attachment on physicochemical and biological stability of E. coli L-asparaginase

L-asparaginase obtained from E. coli strains is an important enzyme widely used in leukemia treatment. However, hypersensitivity reactions must be considered a relevant adverse effect of asparaginase therapy. One approach to reduce the hypersensitivity reactions caused by this enzyme is to change its physicochemical and biological properties by means of polyethylene glycol (PEG) conjugation, resulting in a less immunogenic enzyme with much longer half-time of plasmatic life. This work investigated the factors that could interfere in PEG-enzyme's stability. The complexation did not affect the range of pH activity and stability was improved in acid medium remaining stable during 1 h at pH 3.5. The PEG-enzyme exhibited activity restoration capacity (32% after 60 min) when subjected to temperatures of 65 degrees C in physiological solution. The PEG-enzyme in vitro assays showed a very high stability in a human serum sample, keeping its activity practically unchanged during 40 min (strength to non-specific antibodies or proteases in serum). An increase of PEG-enzyme catalytic activity during the lyophilization was observed. The process of modification of L-asparaginase with PEG improved both physicochemical and biological stability.

Production and properties of asparaginase from a new Erwinia sp

Asparaginase production by a mesophilic strain of Erwinia sp. was examined; the maximum of activity was found at 40 degrees C and pH 8.5. Among the various carbon sources, mannitol was shown to be the best for production of activity. Inorganic nitrogen sources were better than the organic ones. The enzyme activity was not inhibited by 10 mmol/L metal ions (Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Ba2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Zn2+); the activity was strongly inhibited by addition of EDTA. L-Arginine, DL-alanine, L-asparagine and L-glutamine stimulated the L-asparaginase production by 3.9, 1.7, 4.3 and 4.0 fold, respectively. The combination of L-arginine, L-asparagine and L-glutamine synergistically stimulated the asparaginase up to 5.8 fold.

Do bacterial L-asparaginases utilize a catalytic triad Thr-Tyr-Glu?

The structures of Erwinia chrysanthemi L-asparaginase (ErA) complexed with the L- and D-stereoisomers of the suicide inhibitor, 6-diazo-5-oxy-norleucine, have been solved using X-ray crystallography and refined with data extending to 1.7 A. The distances between the Calpha atoms of the inhibitor molecules and the hydroxyl oxygen atoms of Thr-15 and Tyr-29 (1.20 and 1.60 A, respectively) clearly indicate the presence of covalent bonds between these moieties, confirming the nucleophilic role of Thr-15 during the first stage of enzymatic reactions and also indicating direct involvement of Tyr-29. The factors responsible for activating Tyr-29 remain unclear, although some structural changes around Ser-254', Asp-96, and Glu-63, common to both complexes, suggest that those residues play a function. The role of Glu-289' as the activator of Tyr-29, previously postulated for the closely related Pseudomonas 7A L-glutaminase-asparaginase, is not confirmed in this study, due to the lack of interactions between these residues in these complexes and in holoenzymes. The results reported here are consistent with previous reports that mutants of Escherichia coli L-asparaginase lacking Glu-289 remain catalytically active and prove the catalytic roles of both Thr-15 and Tyr-29, while still leaving open the question of the exact mechanism resulting in the unusual chemical properties of these residues.

An inhibitory factor for cell-free protein synthesis from Salmonella enteritidis exhibits cytopathic activity against Chinese hamster ovary cells

A factor inhibiting cell-free protein synthesis was purified from Salmonella enteritidis cell lysate by sequential ammonium sulfate precipitation, chromatography on anion exchange and hydrophobic interaction columns, and polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis. The purified factor, which was named SIPS (Salmonella inhibitor of protein synthesis), inhibited in vitro protein synthesis in rabbit reticulocyte lysate and had a molecular mass of 38 kDa, estimated by PAGE under denaturing conditions. SIPS was also cytopathic for Chinese hamster ovary cells. The N-terminal amino acid sequence (20 residues) of SIPS was found to be identical to that of mature L-asparaginase II of Escherichia coli. Indeed, the purified SIPS exhibited asparaginase activity, E. coli L-asparaginase II had cytopathic activity and inhibited in vitro protein synthesis. The results suggest that at least a part of cytotoxicity and inhibition of cell-free protein synthesis caused by S. enteritidis is a property of the bacterial L-asparaginase.

Monitoring of Erwinia asparaginase therapy in childhood ALL in the Nordic countries

AIMS

Evaluation of L-asparaginase therapy in the NOPHO-92 ALL-protocol (treatment protocol of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia of the Nordic Society of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology, initiated in 1992) after intravenous and intramuscular administration of Erwinia asparaginase during induction and re-induction therapy.

METHODS

Forty children with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia received Erwinia asparaginase (30 000 IU/m2 i.v. or i.m.) during induction therapy (every day for 10 days), and 19 children received Erwinia asparaginase (30 000 IU/m2 i.v. or i.m.) during re-induction therapy (twice a week for 2 weeks). Within the treatment periods asparaginase trough activity (using a spectrophotometric assay) was determined on specific days. The goal of therapy is complete L-asparagine depletion, which asparaginase activities above 100 IU l(-1) have been shown to ensure. Therefore determination of L-asparagine (using a h.p.l.c. method) was performed only in plasma samples with asparaginase activities below 100 IU l(-1).

RESULTS

During induction therapy 92.2% of the trough enzyme activities were above 500 IU l(-1) for the i.v.-treated patients, and 92.4% of the trough enzyme activities were above 500 IU l(-1) for the i.m.-treated patients. During re-induction therapy 64.7% of the trough enzyme activities were below 100 IU l(-1) in the i.v.-treated group, and 73.3% of the trough enzyme activities were below 100 IU l(-1) in the i.m.-treated group. For trough enzyme activities below 100 IU l(-1) L-asparagine depletion was complete in two thirds of the samples.

CONCLUSIONS

In the NOPHO-92 ALL-protocol L-asparaginase treatment during induction therapy was unnecessarily intense, but during the re-induction phase it appeared inadequate.

Hypermethylation of CpG islands in the mouse asparagine synthetase gene: relationship to asparaginase sensitivity in lymphoma cells. Partial methylation in normal cells

We have sequenced the promoter region of the murine asparagine synthetase gene and examined its methylation profile in the CpG islands of L-asparaginase-sensitive 6C3HED cells (asparagine auxotrophs) and resistant variants (prototrophs). In the former, complete methylation of the CpG island is correlated with failure of expression of mRNA: cells of the latter possess both methylated and unmethylated alleles, as do cells of the intrinsically asparagine-independent lines L1210 and EL4. A similar phenomenon was seen in normal splenic cells of adult mice. This was age related: no methylation was found in weanlings, but up to 45% of gene copies in animals 18 weeks or older were methylated. It was also tissue related, with methylation occurring rarely in liver cells. The relationship of these changes to oncogenesis is considered.

Preliminary crystallographic studies of Y25F mutant of periplasmic Escherichia coli L-asparaginase

Periplasmic Escherichia coli L-asparaginase II with Y25F mutation in the active-site cavity has been obtained by recombinant techniques. The protein was crystallized in a new hexagonal form (P6(5)22). Single crystals of this polymorph, suitable for X-ray diffraction, were obtained by vapor diffusion using 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol as precipitant (pH 4.8). The crystals are characterized by a = 81.0, c = 341.1 A and diffract to 2.45 A resolution. The asymmetric unit contains two protein molecules arranged into an AB dimer. The physiologically relevant ABA'B' homotetramer is generated by the action of the crystallographic 2-fold axis along [1, -1, 0]. Kinetic studies show that the loss of the phenolic hydroxyl group at position 25 brought about by the replacement of Y with F strongly impairs kcat without significantly affecting Km.

Structural basis for the activity and substrate specificity of Erwinia chrysanthemi L-asparaginase

Bacterial L-asparaginases, enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of L-asparagine to aspartic acid, have been used for over 30 years as therapeutic agents in the treatment of acute childhood lymphoblastic leukemia. Other substrates of asparaginases include L-glutamine, D-asparagine, and succinic acid monoamide. In this report, we present high-resolution crystal structures of the complexes of Erwinia chrysanthemi L-asparaginase (ErA) with the products of such reactions that also can serve as substrates, namely L-glutamic acid (L-Glu), D-aspartic acid (D-Asp), and succinic acid (Suc). Comparison of the four independent active sites within each complex indicates unique and specific binding of the ligand molecules; the mode of binding is also similar between complexes. The lack of the alpha-NH3(+) group in Suc, compared to L-Asp, does not affect the binding mode. The side chain of L-Glu, larger than that of L-Asp, causes several structural distortions in the ErA active side. The active site flexible loop (residues 15-33) does not exhibit stable conformation, resulting in suboptimal orientation of the nucleophile, Thr15. Additionally, the delta-COO(-) plane of L-Glu is approximately perpendicular to the plane of gamma-COO(-) in L-Asp bound to the asparaginase active site. Binding of D-Asp to the ErA active site is very distinctive compared to the other ligands, suggesting that the low activity of ErA against D-Asp could be mainly attributed to the low k(cat) value. A comparison of the amino acid sequence and the crystal structure of ErA with those of other bacterial L-asparaginases shows that the presence of two active-site residues, Glu63(ErA) and Ser254(ErA), may correlate with significant glutaminase activity, while their substitution by Gln and Asn, respectively, may lead to minimal L-glutaminase activity.

Structural and functional stabilization of L-asparaginase via multisubunit immobilization onto highly activated supports

A new protocol for the stabilization of the quaternary structure of multimeric enzymes has been attempted using as model enzyme (tetrameric) L-asparaginase from Escherichia coli. Such strategy is based upon multisubunit covalent immobilization of the enzyme onto activated supports (agarose-glutaraldehyde). Supports activated with different densities of reactive groups were used; the higher the density of groups, the higher the stabilization attained. However, because of the complexity of that enzyme, even the use of the highest densities of reactive groups was not enough to encompass all four subunits in the immobilization process. Therefore, a further chemical intersubunit cross-linking with aldehyde-dextran was pursued; these derivatives displayed a fully stabilized multimeric structure. In fact, boiling the modified enzyme derivative in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate and beta-mercaptoethanol did not lead to release of any enzyme subunit into the medium. Such a derivative, prepared under optimal conditions, retained ca. 40% of the intrinsic activity of the free enzyme and was also functionally stabilized, with thermostabilization enhancements of ca. 3 orders of magnitude when compared with its soluble counterpart. This type of derivative may be appropriate for extracorporeal devices in the clinical treatment of acute leukemia and might thus bring about inherent advantages in that all subunits are covalently bound to the support, with a longer half-life and a virtually nil risk of subunit release into the circulating blood stream.

L-asparaginase release from Escherichia coli cells with K2HPO4 and Triton X100

A method to release L-asparaginase (EC 3.5.1.1) from ATCC Escherichia coli 11303 cells by chemical permeabilization was studied. It was found that a combination of K2HPO4 and Triton X100 was effective. The influences of K2HPO4 concentration, Triton concentration, E. coli cell concentration and pH on the release of enzyme and proteins were investigated in detail. Experimental results showed that 12.5% (w/v) K2HPO4, 2% (w/v) Triton X100 and 3 x 10(8) cells/mL made the amount of enzyme released over 70%. L-Asparaginase in K2HPO4 and Triton solution could remain stable at least for 24 h. The release effect of K2HPO4 and Triton X100 used simultaneously was better than that of K2HPO4 and Triton X100 used separately in succession. Electron microscopy indicated that the chemical treatment altered the surface structure of E. coli cells but did not break them. As the method does not produce a large amount of cell fragments and the amount of enzyme released is relatively high, it can be thought to be an valuable and economic method to release intracellular enzyme.

Development of a double-drug-resistant human leukemia model to cytosine arabinoside and L-asparaginase: evaluation of cross-resistance to other treatment modalities

We have developed an in vitro model of 38 T-lymphoblastic leukemia lines resistant to cytosine arabinoside (ara-C) and L-asparaginase (ASNase). Of these, 26 cell lines resistant to both drugs, 6 resistant to ara-C, and 6 resistant to ASNase were isolated. In 18 of these cell lines, all randomly selected, resistance to ara-C, ASNase and gamma radiation was documented by the MTT and trypan blue assays, as well as flow cytometry with Annexin V and propidium iodide (PI) staining. In these lines, p53, p21WAF1, and bcl-2 levels were measured by ELISA. Results show that P21WAF1 upregulation following p53 induction did not occur, suggesting that p53 function may be lost. Moreover, the data imply that upregulation of bcl-2 is critical in the development of resistance to ara-C and ASNase in these leukemic lines. In the CEM/0 parent line, p53 maintained its ability to interact with its DNA binding site as documented by the electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). But in one single- and one double-resistant leukemic cell line examined, p53 was not shown to maintain this ability. We conclude that double-resistant clones to ara-C and ASNase are refractory to both drugs, providing an excellent leukemic model to investigate the multiple-drug resistance.

L-asparaginase of Thermus thermophilus: purification, properties and identification of essential amino acids for its catalytic activity

L-asparaginase EC 3.5.1.1 was purified to homogeneity from Thermus thermophilus. The apparent molecular mass of L-asparaginase by SDS-PAGE was found to be 33 kDa, whereas by its mobility on Sephacryl S-300 superfine column was around 200 kDa, indicating that the enzyme at the native stage acts as hexamer. The purified enzyme showed a single band on acrylamide gel electrophoresis with pI = 6.0. The optimum pH was 9.2 and the Km for L-asparagine was 2.8 mM. It is a thermostable enzyme and it follows linear kinetics even at 77 degrees C. Chemical modification experiments implied the existence ofhistidyl, arginyl and a carboxylic residues located at or near active site while serine and mainly cysteine seems to be necessary for active form.

Polysialic acids: potential in improving the stability and pharmacokinetics of proteins and other therapeutics

Naturally occurring polymers of N-acetylneuraminic acid (polysialic acids) are biodegradable, highly hydrophilic and have no known receptors in the body. Following intravenous injection, polysialic acids exhibit long half-lives in the blood circulation and have therefore been proposed as carriers of short-lived drugs and small peptides. In addition, shorter-chain polysialic acids can be used as a means to increase the circulatory half-life of proteins and thus serve as an alternative to the nonbiodegradable monomethoxypoly(ethylene glycol). Recent work has shown that covalent coupling of a low molecular weight polysialic acid (colominic acid) to catalase and asparaginase leads to a considerable increase of enzyme stability in the presence of proteolytic enzymes or blood plasma. Comparative studies in vivo with polysialylated and intact asparaginase revealed that polysialylation significantly increases the half-life of the enzyme. The highly hydrophilic and innocuous nature of polysialic acids renders them suitable as a means to prolong the circulation of peptides and proteins.

Construction and structural modeling of a single-chain Fv-asparaginase fusion protein resistant to proteolysis

In this study, we construct a fusion protein composed of L-asparaginase (ASNase; from Escherichia coli AS 1.357) and a protective single-chain Fv (scFv), which was selected from a phage-display scFv library from our previous studies. The antibody moiety of the fusion protein was fused to the N-terminus of the enzyme moiety via a linker peptide, (Gly(4)Ser)(6). Recombinant plasmid pET-SLA was constructed to express scFv-ASNase fusion to high levels in E. coli and the expressed product was found to form inclusion bodies. We obtained a soluble fusion protein by refolding and purification. The soluble fusion protein exhibited about 82% of the enzymatic activity of the native ASNase at the same molar concentration, and had a K(m) value similar to that of the native enzyme for the substrate L-asparagine. Importantly, the fusion protein was more stable than native ASNase. In addition: (1) following treatment with trypsin, alpha-chymotrypsin, and rennet, at 37 degrees C for 30 min, scFv-ASNase fusion retained 94.0%, 88.8%, and 84.5% of its original activity, respectively, whereas native ASNase became inactive; and (2) ScFv-ASNase fusion had a much longer in vitro half-life (9 h) in serum than the native enzyme (2 h). The three-dimensional structure of the fusion protein was obtained by modeling with the Homology and Discover modules of the INSIGHT II software package. On the basis of the structural evidence and biochemical properties, we propose that the scFv moiety of the fusion protein may confer ASNase moiety resistance to proteolysis as a result of both steric hindrance and a change in the electrostatic surface of the enzyme.

L-asparaginase activity in Aeromonas sp. isolated from freshwater mussel

Aeromonas sp. from Lamellidens marginalis produced L-asparaginase when grown at 37 degrees C. The optimum enzyme activity was at pH 9 when temperature was 45 degrees C. Half-life of partially purified enzyme at 50 degrees C and 55 degrees C was 35 and 20 min, respectively. Activation and deactivation energies of partially purified enzyme were 17.48 and 24.86 kcal mol-1 respectively. The enzyme exhibited a Km (L-asparagine) value of 4.9 x 10(-6) mol l-1 and a Vmax of 9.803 IU ml-1. Three metal ions inhibited the enzyme activity at 10-20 mumol l-1 concentrations. Catalytic activity was also inhibited by EDTA, iodoacetic acid, parachloromercuribenzoic acid and phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride at 0.1 mumol l-1.

Engineering the substrate specificity of Escherichia coli asparaginase. II. Selective reduction of glutaminase activity by amino acid replacements at position 248

The use of Escherichia coli asparaginase II as a drug for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia is complicated by the significant glutaminase side activity of the enzyme. To develop enzyme forms with reduced glutaminase activity, a number of variants with amino acid replacements in the vicinity of the substrate binding site were constructed and assayed for their kinetic and stability properties. We found that replacements of Asp248 affected glutamine turnover much more strongly than asparagine hydrolysis. In the wild-type enzyme, N248 modulates substrate binding to a neighboring subunit by hydrogen bonding to side chains that directly interact with the substrate. In variant N248A, the loss of transition state stabilization caused by the mutation was 15 kJ mol(-1) for L-glutamine compared to 4 kJ mol(-1) for L-aspartic beta-hydroxamate and 7 kJ mol(-1) for L-asparagine. Smaller differences were seen with other N248 variants. Modeling studies suggested that the selective reduction of glutaminase activity is the result of small conformational changes that affect active-site residues and catalytically relevant water molecules.

Nitrogen regulation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae invertase. Role of the URE2 gene

The regulation of extracellular enzymes is of great biotechnological interest. We studied the regulatory role of the URE2 gene on the periplasmic invertase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, because its periplasmic asparaginase is regulated by the URE2/GLN3 system. Enzymatic activity was measured in the isogenic strains P40-1B, the ure2 mutant P40-3C, and the P40-3C strain transformed with the pIC-CS plasmid carrying the URE2 gene. The assays were performed using midlog and stationary phase cells and nitrogen-starved cells from these growth phases. During exponential growth, the level of invertase in both wild-type and ure2 mutant cells was comparable. However, the invertase activity in ure2 mutant cells from stationary phase was sixfold lower than in the wild-type cells. When P40-3C cells were transformed with the pIC-CS plasmid, the wild-type phenotype was restored. On nitrogen starvation in the presence of sucrose, the invertase activity in wild-type cells from midlog phase decreased three times, whereas in stationary cells, the activity decreased eight times. However, invertase activity doubled in ure2 mutant cells from both phases. When these cells were transformed with the aforementioned plasmid, the wild-type phenotype was restored, although a significant invertase decrease in stationary cell was not observed. These results suggested that the URE2 protein plays a role in invertase activity.

Dynamics of a mobile loop at the active site of Escherichia coli asparaginase

Asparaginase II from Escherichia coli is well-known member of the bacterial class II amidohydrolases. Enzymes of this family utilize a peculiar catalytic mechanism in which a pair of threonine residues play pivotal roles. Another common feature is a mobile surface loop that closes over the active site when the substrates is bound. We have studied the motion of the loop by stopped-flow experiments using the fluorescence of tryptophan residues as the spectroscopic probe. With wild-type enzyme the fluorescence of the only tryptophan, W66, was monitored. Here asparagine induced a rapid closure of the loop. The rate constants of the process (100-150 s(-1) at 4 degrees C) were considerably higher than those of the rate-limiting catalytic step. A more selective spectroscopic probe was generated by replacing W66 with tyrosine and Y25, a component of the loop, with tryptophan. In the resulting enzyme variant, k(cat) and the rate of loop movement were reduced by factors of 10(2) and >10(3), respectively, while substrate binding was unaffected. This indicates that the presence of tyrosine in position 25 is essential for both loop closure and catalysis. Numerical simulations of the observed transients are consistent with a model where loop closure is an absolute prerequisite for substrate turnover.