The first activation studies of the η-carbonic anhydrase from the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum with amines and amino acids

The first activation study of a η-class carbonic anhydrase (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) is reported. A panel of 24 natural and non-natural amino acids and amines was used to explore the activation profile of Plasmodium falciparum CA (PfACA). The most effective activators belonged to the amino acid chemotype, with d-Glu, l-Asp, l-/d-Phe and l-/d-DOPA possessing activation constant in the range of 82 nM-0.75 µM, whereas l-/d-His, l-Tyr, 4-amino-l-Phe and l-Gln were slightly less effective (K_A in the range of 1.00-2.51 µM. The only amine with submicromolar activating properties was 1-(2-aminoethyl-piperazine) with a K_A of 0.71 µM, whereas histamine, dopamine and serotonin showed K_A ranging between 7.18 and 9.97 µM. As CA activators have scarcely been investigated for their interaction with protozoan CAs, this study may be relevant for an improved understanding of the role of this enzyme in the life cycle of the malaria producing organisms belonging to the genus Plasmodium.

The zinc - but not cadmium - containing ζ-carbonic from the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii is potently activated by amines and amino acids

The activation of the ζ-class carbonic anhydrase (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) from the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii (TweCAζ) incorporating both Zn(II) and Cd(II) at the active site, was investigated for the first time, using a panel of natural and non-natural amino acids and amines. CdTweCAζ was completely insensitive to activation, whereas all these compounds were effective activators of the zinc-containing enzyme ZnTweCAζ, with activation constants ranging between 92 nM and 37.9 µM. The most effective ZnTweCAζ activators were l-adrenaline, 1-(2-aminoethyl)-piperazine and 4-(2-aminoethyl)-morpholine, with K_As in the range of 92-150 nM. l-His, l- and d-Tyr and some pyridyl-alkylamines, had K_As in the range of 0.62-0.98 µM, whereas l-/d-DOPA, d-Trp, histamine, serotonin and l-Asn were the next most efficient activators, with K_As in the range of 1.27-3.19 µM. The least effective activators were l-Phe (K_A of 15.4 µM) and l-Asp (K_A of 37.9 µM). This in vitro study may be useful for a more complete understanding of the activation processes of various CA enzyme families, of which the ζ-class was scarcely investigated.

Activation studies with amines and amino acids of the β-carbonic anhydrase from the pathogenic protozoan Leishmania donovani chagasi

The activation of a β-class carbonic anhydrase (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) from Leishmania donovani chagasi (LdcCA) was investigated using a panel of natural and non-natural amino acids and amines. The most effective activators belonged to the amine class, with histamine, dopamine, serotonin, 2-pyridyl-methylamine and 4-(2-aminoethyl)-morpholine with activation constants in the range of 0.23-0.94 µM. In addition, 2-(2-aminoethyl)pyridine and 1-(aminoethyl)-piperazine were even more effective activators (K_As of 9-12 nM). Amino acids such as L-/D-His, L-/D-Phe, L-/D-DOPA, L-/D-Trp and L-/D-Tyr were slightly less effective activators compared to the amines, but showed activation constants in the low micromolar range (1.27-9.16 µM). Many of the investigated activators are autacoids that are present in rather high concentrations in different tissues of the host mammals infected by these parasites. As CA activators have not yet been investigated for protozoan CAs, this study may be relevant for an improved understanding of the role of this enzyme in the life cycle of Leishmania.

Inhibitors of Selected Bacterial Metalloenzymes

The utilization of bacterial metalloenzymes, especially ones not having mammalian (human) counterparts, has drawn attention to develop novel antibacterial agents to overcome drug resistance and especially multidrug resistance. In this review, we focus on the recent achievements on the development of inhibitors of bacterial enzymes peptide deformylase (PDF), metallo-β-lactamase (MBL), methionine aminopeptidase (MetAP) and UDP-3-O-acyl- N-acetylglucosamine deacetylase (LpxC). The state of the art of the design and investigation of inhibitors of bacterial metalloenzymes is presented, and challenges are outlined and discussed.

QM/MM reveals the sequence of substrate binding during OPRT action

Computational investigation of orotate phosphoribosyltransferase (OPRT) action, an enzymatic reaction between phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate (PRPP) and orotic acid (OA) to yield orotidine 5'-monophosphate (OMP), was carried out. Insights into the pathways of the substrate attack step of the reaction were developed under the quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics framework with S. cerevisiae strain as the representative enzyme bearer. Four pathways were proposed for PRPP and OA binding differing in the sequence of PRPP, OA and Mg²⁺ ion complexation with OPRT. The formation of Mg²⁺-OPRT complex was accompanied by a small energy change while the largest stabilization was observed for the formation of Mg²⁺-PRPP complex supporting the experimental observation of Mg²⁺-PRPP complex as the true substrate for the reaction. Formation of PRPP-OPRT complex was found to be energetically not probable rendering the pathway requiring Mg²⁺-OA complex not probable. Further, PRPP migration towards the active site was found to be energetically not favoured rendering the pathway involving Mg²⁺-OA complexation improbable. Migration of OA and Mg²⁺-PRPP complex towards the active site was found to be energetically probable with a large stabilization of the system when Mg²⁺-PRPP complex bound to the OA-OPRT complex. This conclusively proved the sequential binding of OA and Mg²⁺-PRPP complexes during OPRT action.

The γ-carbonic anhydrase from the pathogenic bacterium Vibrio cholerae is potently activated by amines and amino acids

The γ-class carbonic anhydrase (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) from the pathogenic bacterium Vibrio cholerae, VchCAγ, was investigated for its activation with a panel of natural and non-natural amino acids and amines. The enzyme was effectively activated by l-tryptophan, 1-(2-minoethyl)-piperazine and 4-(2-aminoethyl)-morpholine, in the low nanomolar range (K_As 8-71 nM). In contrast, l-/d-Phe, l-/d-DOPA, d-Trp, l-/d-Tyr, 4-amino-l-Phe, histamine, dopamine, serotonin, some pyridyl-alkylamines, as well as l-adrenaline were submicromolar activators (K_As between 0.10 and 0.73 µM). l- and d-His were the least effective VchCAγ activators (K_As of 1.01-14.2 µM). The activation of CAs from bacteria have not been considered to date for possible biomedical applications. It would be of interest to study in more details the role of CA activators in processes connected with the virulence and colonization of the host by pathogenic bacteria, such as Vibrio cholerae, which is highly dependent on the concentration of bicarbonate in tissues.

Metallomics Applied to the Study of Neurodegenerative and Mental Diseases

Biochemical imbalances, provoked by aging or a secondary illness, might directly affect the brain, causing severe problems, such as loss of memory or alteration of behavior patterns. Brain disorders are usually classified as injuries (such as stroke, hematomas, and concussions), tumors, and neurodegenerative (such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases) and mental (such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia) diseases. As the pathophysiology of these illnesses is not completely established and multiple factors are involved, metallomics, a bioanalytical strategy that allows the detection of metal ions and metalloproteins in diverse biological matrices, is of extreme relevance in identifying which elements are affected by a disease and/or treatment. Thus, determining which element ions suffer disturbances in their homeostasis during the disease progress is relevant to understand the biochemical changes and propose new drug targets. In addition, it is well known that oxidative stress plays an important role in the development of pathological neurodegenerative and mental diseases, which may be caused by metal ion dyshomeostasis, so it is also important to understand endogenous antioxidant metalloprotein and metalloenzyme mechanisms in this regard. In this context, recent applications of metallomics in the study of neurodegenerative and mental disorders are discussed in this chapter, as well as future trends in this research area.

Sample treatment in Mössbauer spectroscopy for protein-related analyses: Nondestructive possibilities to look inside metal-containing biosystems

In this review, the unique possibilities are considered of the ⁵⁷Fe transmission (TMS) and ⁵⁷Co emission (EMS) variants of Mössbauer (nuclear γ-resonance) spectroscopy as nondestructive techniques with minimal sample preparation/treatment and a significant analytical potential, with a focus on the analysis of cation-binding sites in metalloproteins. The techniques are shown to provide unique structural and quantitative information on the coordination microenvironment, the chemical state and transformations of the Mössbauer nuclides in sophisticated metal-containing proteins, including those within complicated supramolecular structures, and in microbial cells or tissues. Recent representative examples of analyses of Fe-containing proteins by ⁵⁷Fe TMS are briefly discussed, along with the newly emerging data on using ⁵⁷Co EMS for probing the structural organisation of ⁵⁷Co-doped cation-binding sites in sophisticated biocomplexes including metalloenzymes. Finally, some rare or exotic applications of Mössbauer spectroscopy (including the synchrotron-based methodology) in protein-related studies are outlined.

Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Reveals Evidence of Specific Complex Formation between Human Histone Deacetylase 8 and Poly-r(C)-binding Protein 1

Histone deacetylase 8, part of a broad class of proteins responsible for regulating transcription and many other cellular processes and directly linked to a host of human disease through its mis-function, has been canonically described as a zinc-based mettalo-enzyme for many years. Recent evidence, however, has linked this protein to iron incorporation, loaded through transient interactions with the poly r(C)-binding protein 1, a metallo-chaperone and storage protein. In this report, we construct and deploy an electrospray-mass spectrometry based assay aimed at quantifying the interaction strength between these two weakly-associated proteins, as well as the zinc and iron associated form of the histone deacetylase. Despite challenges derived from artifact protein complexes derived from the electrospray process, we use carefully-constructed positive and negative control experiments, along with detailed measurements of protein ionization efficiency to validate our dissociation constant measurements for protein dimers in this size range. Furthermore, our data strongly support that complexes between histone deacetylase 8 and poly r(C)-binding protein 1 are specific, and that they are equally strong when both zinc and iron-loaded proteins are involved, or perhaps mildly promoted in the latter case, suggesting an in vivo role for the non-canonical, iron-incorporated histone deacetylase.

Inhibition of Bacterial Carbonic Anhydrases as a Novel Approach to Escape Drug Resistance

BACKGROUND

Clinically used antibiotics act through one of these four mechanisms: cell wall biosynthesis inhibition, inhibition of protein biosynthesis, interference with DNA and RNA synthesis and the folate pathway.

OBJECTIVE

The metalloenzymes carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) widespread in microorganisms and present as three genetically distinct families may be considered for the design of antiinfective agents with a different mechanism of action compared to the clinically used antibiotics. CAs are crucial for the life cycle of the pathogen, interfering with pH regulation and biosynthetic processes in which CO2 or bicarbonate are substrates. CA inhibition was shown to lead to debilitation or growth defects of several pathogenic bacteria.

METHOD

CAs catalyzes the interconversion between carbon dioxide to bicarbonate, leading to the formation of protons, and thus affecting pH homeostasis. Several classes of CA inhibitors (CAIs) are known to date, among which the metal complexing anions, the unsubstituted sulfonamides, the dithiocarbamates, etc., which bind to the Zn(II) ion of the enzyme either by substituting the non-protein zinc ligand or add to the metal coordination sphere.

RESULTS

Effective inhibitors for many bacterial CAs belonging to the α-, β-, and γ-CA classes were detected, some of which inhibited bacterial growth in vivo. Few of the inhibitors investigated so far were also selective for the bacterial over the human CA isoforms, which may pose problems for their wide clinical applications.

CONCLUSION

Structure-based drug design campaigns might lead to the achievement of the desired selectivity/ potency for preferentially inhibiting bacterial but not the host CAs.

Evaluation of selenide, diselenide and selenoheterocycle derivatives as carbonic anhydrase I, II, IV, VII and IX inhibitors

A series of selenides, diselenides and organoselenoheterocycles were evaluated as carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) inhibitors against the human (h) isoforms hCA I, II, IV, VII and IX, involved in a variety of diseases among which glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, epilepsy, arthritis and tumors etc. These investigated compounds showed inhibitory action against these isoforms and some of them were selective for inhibiting the cytosolic over the membrane-bound isoforms, thus making them interesting leads for the development of isoform-selective inhibitors.

Effects of metal-ion replacement on pyrazinamidase activity: A quantum mechanical study

Pyrazinamidase (PZase), a metalloenzyme, is responsible for acidic modification of pyrazinamide (PZA), a drug used in tuberculosis treatment. The metal coordination site of the enzyme is able to coordinate various divalent metal cofactors. Previous experimental studies have demonstrated that metal ions, such as Co²⁺, Mn²⁺, and Zn²⁺, are able to reactivate metal-depleted PZase, while others including Cu²⁺, Fe²⁺, and Mg²⁺, cannot restore activity. In this study, we investigated binding of various metal ions to the metal coordination site (MCS) of the enzyme using quantum mechanical calculations. We calculated the metal-ligand (residue) binding energy and the atomic partial charges in the presence of various ions. The results indicated that the tendency of alkaline earth metals to bind to PZase MCS is very low and not suitable for enzyme structural and catalytic function. In contrast, Co²⁺ and Ni²⁺ ions have very high binding affinity and are favorable to the structural and functional properties of the enzyme. Furthermore, we observed that the rate at which Ni²⁺, Co²⁺ and Fe²⁺ ions in PZase MCS polarize the OH bond of coordinated water molecules is much higher than the polarization rate created by other ions. This finding suggests that the coordination of Ni²⁺, Co²⁺, or Fe²⁺ to PZase facilitates the deprotonation of coordinated water molecules to generate a nucleophile that catalyzes the enzymatic reaction.

Comparison of the anion inhibition profiles of the β- and γ-carbonic anhydrases from the pathogenic bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei

We report the cloning, purification and characterization of BpsβCA, a β-class carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) from the pathogenic bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, the etiological agent of melioidosis, and compare its activity and inhibition with those of the γ-CA from the same organism, BpsγCA, recently investigated by our groups. BpsβCA showed a significant catalytic activity for the physiologic, CO₂ hydration reaction, with the following kinetic parameters, k_cat of 1.6×10⁵s^-1 and k_cat/K_m of 3.4×10⁷M^-1×s^-1. The inhibition of BpsβCA with a group of anions and small molecules was also investigated. The best inhibitors were sulfamide, sulfamic acid and phenylarsonic acid, which showed K_Is in the range of 83-92µM, whereas phenylboronic acid, fluoride, cyanide, azide, bisulfite, tetraborate, perrhenate, perruthenate, peroxydisulfate, perchlorate, tetrafluoroborate, fluorosulfonate and hexafluorophosphate showed K_Is>100mM. Other inhibitors of this new enzyme were bicarbonate, trithiocarbonate, some complex inorganic anions and N,N-diethyldithiocarbamate, which had inhibition constants of 0.32-8.6mM. As little is known of the life cycle and virulence of this bacterium, this type of study may bring information of interest for the development of novel strategies to fight bacterial infection and drug resistance to commonly used antibiotics.

Oxygen activation by mononuclear Mn, Co, and Ni centers in biology and synthetic complexes

The active sites of metalloenzymes that catalyze O₂-dependent reactions generally contain iron or copper ions. However, several enzymes are capable of activating O₂ at manganese or nickel centers instead, and a handful of dioxygenases exhibit activity when substituted with cobalt. This minireview summarizes the catalytic properties of oxygenases and oxidases with mononuclear Mn, Co, or Ni active sites, including oxalate-degrading oxidases, catechol dioxygenases, and quercetin dioxygenase. In addition, recent developments in the O₂ reactivity of synthetic Mn, Co, or Ni complexes are described, with an emphasis on the nature of reactive intermediates featuring superoxo-, peroxo-, or oxo-ligands. Collectively, the biochemical and synthetic studies discussed herein reveal the possibilities and limitations of O₂ activation at these three "overlooked" metals.

Anion inhibition profiles of the γ-carbonic anhydrase from the pathogenic bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei responsible of melioidosis and highly drug resistant to common antibiotics

Burkholderia pseudomallei is a Gram-negative saprophytic bacterium responsible of melioidosis, an endemic disease of tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. A recombinant γ-CA (BpsγCA) identified in the genome of this bacterium was cloned and purified. Its catalytic activity and anion inhibition profiles were investigated. The enzyme was an efficient catalyst for the CO₂ hydration showing a k_cat of 5.3×10⁵s^-1 and k_cat/K_m of 2.5×10⁷M^-1×s^-1. The best BpsγCA inhibitors were sulfamide, sulfamic acid, phenylboronic acid and phenylarsonic acid, which showed K_I in the range of 49-83μM (these inhibitors showed millimolar inhibition constant against hCA II), followed by diethyldithiocarbamate, selenate, tellurate, perrhenate, selenocyanate, trithiocarbonate, tetraborato, pyrophosphate, stannate, carbonate, bicarbonate, azide, cyanide, thiocyanate and cyanate with K_Is in the range of 0.55-9.1mM. In our laboratories, work is in progress to resolve the X-ray crystal structures of BpsγCA, which may allow the development of small molecule inhibitors with desired properties for targeting and inhibiting specifically the bacterial over the human CAs, considering the fact that B. pseudomallei is involved in a serious bacterial disease.

Designing Hydroxamates and Reversed Hydroxamates to Inhibit Zinc-containing Proteases but not Cytochrome P450s: Insights from Quantum Mechanics and Protein-ligand Crystal Structures

The Hydroxamate is a useful functional group that binds to metals in a range of enzymes, notably zinc in matrix metalloproteases and histone deacetylases. The group is also able to form interactions with iron leading to inhibition of the cytochromes P450, particularly the 3A4 isoform. We have studied the available crystal structures of zinc-containing proteins bound to hydroxamates and compared the observed geometries with those found by quantum mechanical calculations. This has revealed the likely binding mode preferences for neutral and anionic protonation states and highlighted the importance of electrostatic complementarity. Calculations were also performed for the interaction of the hydroxamate with iron in a heme environment, as found in the cytochromes P450. These reveal that the preferred binding mode of hydroxamates in this environment involves the s-trans conformation. These calculations provide design guidelines for those interested in designing inhibitors of metalloenzymes that do not block metabolism of other drugs. The ability to predict the geometries and energies of binding modes that cannot be studied experimentally is an advantage offered by this kind of study.

Cloning, expression, purification and sulfonamide inhibition profile of the complete domain of the η-carbonic anhydrase from Plasmodium falciparum

We report the cloning, purification and characterization of the full domain of carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) from Plasmodium falciparum, which incorporates 358 amino acid residues (from 181 to 538, in the sequence of this 600 amino acid long protein), called PfCAdom. The enzyme, which belongs to the η-CA class showed the following kinetic parameters: kcat of 3.8×10(5)s(-1) and kcat/Km of 7.2×10(7)M(-1)×s(-1), being 13.3 times more effective as a catalyst compared to the truncated form PfCA. PfCAdom is more effective than the human (h) isoform hCA I, being around 50% less effective compared to hCA II, one of the most catalytically efficient enzymes known so far. Intriguingly, the sulfonamides CA inhibitors generally showed much weaker inhibitory activity against PfCAdom compared to PfCA, prompting us to hypothesize that the 69 amino acid residues insertion present in the active site of this η-CA is crucial for the active site architecture. The best sulfonamide inhibitors for PfCAdom were acetazolamide, methazolamide, metanilamide and sulfanilamide, with KIs in the range of 366-808nM.

Anion inhibition profiles of the complete domain of the η-carbonic anhydrase from Plasmodium falciparum

We have cloned, purified and investigated the catalytic activity and anion inhibition profiles of a full catalytic domain (358 amino acid residues) carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) from Plasmodium falciparum, PfCAdom, an enzyme belonging to the η-CA class and identified in the genome of the malaria-producing protozoa. A truncated such enzyme, PfCA1, containing 235 residues was investigated earlier for its catalytic and inhibition profiles. The two enzymes were efficient catalysts for CO2 hydration: PfCAdom showed a kcat of 3.8×10(5)s(-1) and kcat/Km of 7.2×10(7)M(-1)×s(-1), whereas PfCA showed a lower activity compared to PfCAdom, with a kcat of 1.4×10(5)s(-1) and kcat/Km of 5.4×10(6)M(-1)×s(-1). PfCAdom was generally less inhibited by most anions and small molecules compared to PfCA1. The best PfCAdom inhibitors were sulfamide, sulfamic acid, phenylboronic acid and phenylarsonic acid, which showed KIs in the range of 9-68μM, followed by bicarbonate, hydrogensulfide, stannate and N,N-diethyldithiocarbamate, which were submillimolar inhibitors, with KIs in the range of 0.53-0.97mM. Malaria parasites CA inhibition was proposed as a new strategy to develop antimalarial drugs, with a novel mechanism of action.

QM/MM Analysis of Transition States and Transition State Analogues in Metalloenzymes

Enzymology is approaching an era where many problems can benefit from computational studies. While ample challenges remain in quantitatively predicting behavior for many enzyme systems, the insights that often come from computations are an important asset for the enzymology community. Here we provide a primer for enzymologists on the types of calculations that are most useful for mechanistic problems in enzymology. In particular, we emphasize the integration of models that range from small active-site motifs to fully solvated enzyme systems for cross-validation and dissection of specific contributions from the enzyme environment. We then use a case study of the enzyme alkaline phosphatase to illustrate specific application of the methods. The case study involves examination of the binding modes of putative transition state analogues (tungstate and vanadate) to the enzyme. The computations predict covalent binding of these ions to the enzymatic nucleophile and that they adopt the trigonal bipyramidal geometry of the expected transition state. By comparing these structures with transition states found through free energy simulations, we assess the degree to which the transition state analogues mimic the true transition states. Technical issues worth treating with care as well as several remaining challenges to quantitative analysis of metalloenzymes are also highlighted during the discussion.

Anion inhibition profiles of α-, β- and γ-carbonic anhydrases from the pathogenic bacterium Vibrio cholerae

Among the numerous metalloenzymes known to date, carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) was the first zinc containing one, being discovered decades ago. CA is a hydro-lyase, which catalyzes the following hydration-dehydration reaction: CO2+H2O⇋HCO3(-)+H(+). Several CA classes are presently known, including the α-, β-, γ-, δ-, ζ- and η-CAs. In prokaryotes, the existence of genes encoding CAs from at least three classes (α-, β- and γ-class) suggests that these enzymes play a key role in the physiology of these organisms. In many bacteria CAs are essential for the life cycle of microbes and their inhibition leads to growth impairment or growth defects of the pathogen. CAs thus started to be investigated in detail in bacteria, fungi and protozoa with the aim to identify antiinfectives with a novel mechanism of action. Here, we investigated the catalytic activity, biochemical properties and anion inhibition profiles of the three CAs from the bacterial pathogen Vibrio cholera, VchCA, VchCAβ and VchCAγ. The three enzymes are efficient catalysts for CO2 hydration, with kcat values ranging between (3.4-8.23)×10(5)s(-1) and kcat/KM of (4.1-7.0)×10(7)M(-1)s(-1). A set of inorganic anions and small molecules was investigated for inhibition of these enzymes. The most potent VchCAγ inhibitors were N,N-diethyldithiocarbamate, sulfamate, sulfamide, phenylboronic acid and phenylarsonic acid, with KI values ranging between 44 and 91μM.

Design and fine-tuning redox potentials of metalloproteins involved in electron transfer in bioenergetics

Redox potentials are a major contributor in controlling the electron transfer (ET) rates and thus regulating the ET processes in the bioenergetics. To maximize the efficiency of the ET process, one needs to master the art of tuning the redox potential, especially in metalloproteins, as they represent major classes of ET proteins. In this review, we first describe the importance of tuning the redox potential of ET centers and its role in regulating the ET in bioenergetic processes including photosynthesis and respiration. The main focus of this review is to summarize recent work in designing the ET centers, namely cupredoxins, cytochromes, and iron-sulfur proteins, and examples in design of protein networks involved these ET centers. We then discuss the factors that affect redox potentials of these ET centers including metal ion, the ligands to metal center and interactions beyond the primary ligand, especially non-covalent secondary coordination sphere interactions. We provide examples of strategies to fine-tune the redox potential using both natural and unnatural amino acids and native and nonnative cofactors. Several case studies are used to illustrate recent successes in this area. Outlooks for future endeavors are also provided. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Biodesign for Bioenergetics--the design and engineering of electronic transfer cofactors, proteins and protein networks, edited by Ronald L. Koder and J.L. Ross Anderson.

Biochemical and Biophysical Understanding of Metal Ion Selectivity of DNAzymes

This review summarizes research into the metal-binding properties of catalytic DNAzymes, towards the goal of understanding the structural properties leading to metal ion specificity. Progress made and insight gained from a range of biochemical and biophysical techniques are covered, and promising directions for future investigations are discussed.

Sulfonamide inhibition studies of the β-carbonic anhydrase from the newly discovered bacterium Enterobacter sp. B13

The genome of the newly identified bacterium Enterobacter sp. B13 encodes for a β-class carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1), EspCA. This enzyme was recently cloned, and characterized kinetically by this group (J. Enzyme Inhib. Med. Chem. 2016, 31). Here we report an inhibition study with sulfonamides and sulfamates of this enzyme. The best EspCA inhibitors were some sulfanylated sulfonamides with elongated molecules, metanilamide, 4-aminoalkyl-benzenesulfonamides, acetazolamide, and deacetylated methazolamide (KIs in the range of 58.7-96.5nM). Clinically used agents such as methazolamide, ethoxzolamide, dorzolamide, brinzolamide, benzolamide, zonisamide, sulthiame, sulpiride, topiramate and valdecoxib were slightly less effective inhibitors (KIs in the range of 103-138nM). Saccharin, celecoxib, dichlorophenamide and many simple benzenesulfonamides were even less effective as EspCA inhibitors, with KIs in the range of 384-938nM. Identification of effective inhibitors of this bacterial enzyme may lead to pharmacological tools useful for understanding the physiological role(s) of the β-class CAs in bacterial pathogenicity/virulence.

Comparison of the sulfonamide inhibition profiles of the α-, β- and γ-carbonic anhydrases from the pathogenic bacterium Vibrio cholerae

Carbonic anhydrases (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) are ubiquitous metalloenzymes, which catalyze the conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) to bicarbonate (HCO3(-)) and protons (H(+)). In prokaryotes, the existence of genes encoding for α-, β- and γ-classes suggests that these enzymes play an important role in the prokaryotic physiology. It has been demonstrated, in fact, that their inhibition in vivo leads to growth impairment or growth defects of the microorganism. Ultimately, we started to investigate the biochemical properties and the inhibitory profiles of the α- and β-CAs identified in the genome of Vibrio cholerae, which is the causative agent of cholera. The genome of this pathogen encodes for CAs belonging to α, β and γ classes. Here, we report a sulfonamide inhibition study of the γ-CA (named VchCAγ) comparing it with data obtained for the α- and β-CA enzymes. VchCAγ activity (kcat=7.39 × 10(5)s(-1)) was significantly higher than the other γ-CAs. The inhibition study with a panel of sulfonamides and one sulfamate led to the detection of a large number of nanomolar VchCAγ inhibitors, including simple aromatic/heterocyclic sulfonamides (compounds 2-9, 11, 13-15, 24) as well as EZA, DZA, BRZ, BZA, TPM, ZNS, SLP, IND (KIs in the range of 66.2-95.3 nM). As it was proven that bicarbonate is a virulence factor of this bacterium and since ethoxzolamide was shown to inhibit this virulence in vivo, we propose that VchCA, VchCAβ and VchCAγ may be a target for antibiotic development, exploiting a mechanism of action rarely considered up until now, i.e., interference with bicarbonate supply as a virulence factor.

Anion inhibition studies of the β-carbonic anhydrase from the pathogenic bacterium Vibrio cholerae

The genome of the pathogenic bacterium Vibrio cholerae encodes for three carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) belonging to the α-, β- and γ-classes. Here we report and anion inhibition study of the β-CA, VchCAβ with anions and other small molecules which inhibit metalloenzymes. The best VchCAβ anion inhibitors were sulfamide, sulfamate, phenylboronic acid and phenylarsonic acid, which showed KIs in the range of 54-86μM. Diethyldithiocarbonate was also an effective VchCAβ inhibitor, with an inhibition constant of 0.73mM. The halides, cyanate, thiocyanate, cyanide, bicarbonate, carbonate, nitrate, nitrite, stannate, selenate, tellurate, divanadate, tetraborate, perrhenate, perruthenate, peroxydisulfate, selenocyanide, trithiocarbonate, and fluorosulfonate showed affinity in the low millimolar range, with KIs of 2.3-9.5mM. Identification of selective inhibitors of VchCAβ (over the human CA isoforms) may lead to pharmacological tools useful for understanding the physiological role(s) of this under-investigated enzyme.