Reactivation of heterodimer and individual subunits of penicillin acylase from E. coli after inactivation in urea

Individual subunits of penicillin acylase from E. coli were isolated by gel-filtration under denaturing conditions (8 M urea). Recovery of the catalytic activity of the penicillin acylase heterodimer was studied after removal of urea. In the case of the heterodimer, 40-60% of the initial activity was recovered, whereas the activity of individual subunits was not recovered. Combination of native enzyme subunits with subunits isolated from the enzyme pre-inactivated with the irreversible inhibitor phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride resulted in heterodimers which were active only in the case of involvement of the beta-subunit of the active enzyme.

Identification of a new active site for autocatalytic processing of penicillin acylase precursor in Escherichia coli ATCC11105

Penicillin acylase (PA) from Escherichia coli ATCC11105 is a periplasmic heterodimer consisting of a 24 kDa small subunit and a 65 kDa large subunit. It is synthesized as a single 96 kDa precursor and then matures to functional PA via a posttranslational processing pathway. The GST-PA fusion protein expression system was established for monitoring the precursor PA processing in vitro. The purified PA precursor was processed into mature PA the same way as in vivo, but pH dependently. From the primary sequence analysis, we identified a putative conserved lysine residue (K299) responsible for the pH dependent processing. The substitution of K299 residue by site-directed mutagenesis affected both the enzyme activity and the precursor PA processing in vivo. Furthermore, it was shown that the processing rates of wild-type and mutant precursor PAs depended on the pKa values of their side chain R group. These results demonstrated that the lysine residue (K299) was involved in the precursor processing of PA together with N-terminal serine residue (S290) of the large subunit.

Cross-linked enzyme aggregates: a simple and effective method for the immobilization of penicillin acylase

[reaction--see text] Penicillin G acylase (penicillin amidohydrolase, E.C. 3.5.1.11) was immobilized in a simple and effective way by physical aggregation of the enzyme, using a precipitant, followed by chemical cross-linking to form insoluble cross-linked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs). These had the same activity in the synthesis of ampicillin as cross-linked crystals of the same enzyme, but the accompanying hydrolysis of the side-chain donor was much less. Penicillin G acylase CLEAs also catalyzed the synthesis of ampicillin in a broad range of organic solvents.

Activation and stabilization of penicillin V acylase from streptomyces lavendulae in the presence of glycerol and glycols

Penicillin V acylase (EC 3.5.1.11) from Streptomyces lavendulae showed both enhanced activity and stability in mixed water/glycerol and water/glycols solvents. The catalytic activity was increased up to a critical concentration of these cosolvents, but further addition of the latter led to a gradual protein deactivation. The highest stabilizing effect was achieved in the presence of glycerol. Thermal stability was increased proportionally to the concentration of glycerol and glycols in the reaction mixture only if the amount added is below the threshold concentration. Reaction conditions that allow simultaneously enhanced activity and stability in the hydrolysis of penicillin V catalyzed by penicillin V acylase from S. lavendulae could be established.

Penicillin acylase catalyzed synthesis of penicillin-G from substrates anchored in cyclodextrins

Penicillin acylase (EC 3.5.1.11) catalyses the condensation of phenylacetic acid (PAA) and 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA) to form benzylpenicillin (BP). Both PAA and 6-APA were found to form host-guest complexes with beta-methylcyclodextrin (beta m-CD) and gamma-cyclodextrin (gamma-CD) respectively. The rate of the reaction catalyzed by the enzyme remained unaffected if one of the substrates used was in the cyclodextrin complexed form. However, in this case, the reaction lasted longer and yielded about 20 per cent more products compared to the condensation reaction involving only uncomplexed substrates. There was distinct increase in the rate of formation of the antibiotic, if both substrates used are in CD-complexed form.

[The selection of fluoroacetate-resistant mutant from E. coli MMR204 and its influence on the expression of heterologous GL-7ACA acylase]

In the cultivation of gene engineered strain of Escherichia coli on glucose medium, excretion and accumulation of acetic acid inhibit not only cell growth but also the the expression of heterologous protein. It is obvious that the desirable host strain maintaining acetate at a low level is one of the approaches to increase the production of recombinant protein. The present article deals with the selection of mutants of E. coli DP19, DP8, which grow on the medium containing pyruvate as the sole carbon source in the presence of 50 mmol/L fluoroacetic acid. It is shown that mutant DP19 is defective in its phosphotransacetylase(PTA) activity and accumulates less acetate in the medium, while DP8 is defective in acetate kinase (ACK) and accumulates similar level of acetate comparing with its parent. Using pta- mutant E. coli DP19 as host, the expression of GL-7ACA acylase gene on the recombinant plasmid pMR24 is improved, and the yield of enzyme activity in flask fermentation is about twice as much as its parent.

Folate-targeted enzyme prodrug cancer therapy utilizing penicillin-V amidase and a doxorubicin prodrug

In antibody-targeted enzyme prodrug therapy, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) covalently linked to an enzyme is commonly exploited to concentrate the enzyme on the tumor cell surface prior to administration of a relatively nontoxic prodrug. The tumor-localized enzyme then converts the prodrug into a cytotoxic agent, which in turn diffuses into the tumor causing localized cell death. In this paper, we have substituted folic acid for the mAb as a mean of delivering an attached enzyme, penicillin-V amidase (PVA), to folate receptor (FR)-positive tumor cells. The enzyme PVA is capable of converting a doxorubicin-N-p-hydroxyphenoxyacetamide prodrug (DPO) into its potent parent drug, doxorubicin. For PVA targeting, each PVA molecule was covalently labeled with three molecules of folic acid via the formation of amide bonds. In vitro binding assays showed that folate-PVA-125I conjugates bind specifically to KB cells (FR-positive tumor cells) but not to A549 cells (FR-negative tumor cells). Moreover, in a series of in vitro cytotoxicity tests, folate-PVA conjugates were found to kill folate receptor positive but not receptor negative cells, and when bound to FR-positive cells, folate-PVA conjugates rendered the DPO prodrug as toxic as free doxorubicin (IC50, approximately 0.6 microM). Finally, preliminary in vivo plasma clearance studies in normal mice revealed that i.v. administered folate-PVA-125I and PVA-125I are both cleared from the blood within a 24 h time period, removing concern that nonspecifically trapped folate-PVA might activate prodrug in nontargeted tissues. In view of the fact that only a small number of folate-PVA molecules are required to mediate killing of target cells in vitro, these data argue that folate-targeted enzyme prodrug therapy should be considered for tumor eradication in vivo.

[Preparation of immobilized penicillin V acylase from Fusarium oxysporum and its properties]

Extracellular penicillin V acylase from Fusarium oxysporum FP941 was partially purified by means of adsorption on, and elution from gamma-alumina and (HN4)2SO4 fractional precipitation. The enzyme was immobilized on acrylic polymer support linkaged with covalent bond. The activity of wet immobilized enzyme was 217 IU/g, The activity yield of Immobilized enzyme was 53%. Optimum pH and temperature for immobilized enzyme action wer 8.0 and 55 degrees C, respectively. The enzyme was stable below 50 degrees C and pH 4-11. The activity of the immobilized enzyme remained 90% after it was reused 25 times.

Beta-lactamase-free penicillin amidase from Alcaligenes sp.: isolation strategy, strain characteristics, and enzyme immobilization

Isolation and characterization of a beta-lactamase (EC 3.5.2.6)-free, penicillin amidase (penicillin amidohydrolase, EC 3.5.1. 11)-producing organism is reported. The test strain was isolated by an enrichment technique with a substrate other than penicillins. The isolated strain belongs to the genus Alcaligenes. Phenylacetic acid was found to be the inducer of penicillin amidase. The amidase has a broad substrate spectrum. It is very active against penicillin G and semisynthetic cephalosporins, whereas penicillin V and semisynthetic penicillins acted moderately as a substrate. Immobilized cells of Alcaligenes sp. were shown to act as a reversible enzyme.

The use of chromogenic reference substrates for the kinetic analysis of penicillin acylases

Determination of kinetic parameters of penicillin acylases for phenylacetylated compounds is complicated due to the low K(m) values for these substrates, the lack of a spectroscopic signal, and the strong product inhibition by phenylacetic acid. To overcome these difficulties, a spectrophotometric method was developed, with which kinetic parameters could be determined by measuring the effects on the hydrolysis of the chromogenic reference substrate 2-nitro-5-[(phenylacetyl)amino]benzoic acid (NIPAB). To that end, spectrophotometric progress curves with NIPAB in the absence and presence of the phenylacetylated substrates and their products were measured and analyzed by numerical fitting to the appropriate equations for competing substrates with product inhibition. This analysis yielded kinetic constants for phenylacetylated substrates such as penicillin G, which are in close agreement with those obtained in independent initial velocity experiments. Using NIPAB analogs with lower k(cat)/K(m) values, kinetic parameters for the hydrolysis of cephalexin and penicillin V were determined. This method was suitable for determining the kinetic constants of penicillin acylases in periplasmic extracts from Escherichia coli, Alcaligenes faecalis, and Kluyvera citrophila. The use of chromogenic reference substrates thus appears to be a rapid and reliable method for determining kinetic constants with various substrates and enzymes.

Use of enzyme penicillin acylase in selective amidation/amide hydrolysis to resolve ethyl 3-amino-4-pentynoate isomers

The beta-amino acid, (S)-ethyl-3-amino-4-pentynoate, is a chiral synthon used in the synthesis of xemilofiban hydrochloride, an anti-platelet agent. A biocatalytic approach was developed to resolve (R)- and (S)-enantiomers of ethyl 3-amino-4-pentynoate in enantiomerically pure form employing the enzyme Penicillin acylase. In the acylation, phenylacetic acid was used as an acylating agent. We have shown that both the acylation and deacylation can be employed and that the activity of the enzyme Penicillin acylase can be controlled by maintaining an appropriate pH of the reaction medium.

Stability and catalytic properties of penicillin acylase in systems with low water content

Stability and catalytic properties of native and immobilized penicillin acylase were studied in systems with low water content. Preparations of both native and immobilized penicillin acylase demonstrated the catalytic activity even in solid-phase systems which contained 3-5 wt. % of water. The stability and catalytic activity of penicillin acylase at low water content depended on the thermodynamic water activity (aw) in the system.

Crystal structure of penicillin G acylase from the Bro1 mutant strain of Providencia rettgeri

Penicillin G acylase is an important enzyme in the commercial production of semisynthetic penicillins used to combat bacterial infections. Mutant strains of Providencia rettgeri were generated from wild-type cultures subjected to nutritional selective pressure. One such mutant, Bro1, was able to use 6-bromohexanamide as its sole nitrogen source. Penicillin acylase from the Bro1 strain exhibited an altered substrate specificity consistent with the ability of the mutant to process 6-bromohexanamide. The X-ray structure determination of this enzyme was undertaken to understand its altered specificity and to help in the design of site-directed mutants with desired specificities. In this paper, the structure of the Bro1 penicillin G acylase has been solved at 2.5 A resolution by molecular replacement. The R-factor after refinement is 0.154 and R-free is 0.165. Of the 758 residues in the Bro1 penicillin acylase heterodimer (alpha-subunit, 205; beta-subunit, 553), all but the eight C-terminal residues of the alpha-subunit have been modeled based on a partial Bro1 sequence and the complete wild-type P. rettgeri sequence. A tightly bound calcium ion coordinated by one residue from the alpha-subunit and five residues from the beta-subunit has been identified. This enzyme belongs to the superfamily of Ntn hydrolases and uses Ogamma of Ser beta1 as the characteristic N-terminal nucleophile. A mutation of the wild-type Met alpha140 to Leu in the Bro1 acylase hydrophobic specificity pocket is evident from the electron density and is consistent with the observed specificity change for Bro1 acylase. The electron density for the N-terminal Gln of the alpha-subunit is best modeled by the cyclized pyroglutamate form. Examination of aligned penicillin acylase and cephalosporin acylase primary sequences, in conjunction with the P. rettgeri and Escherichia coli penicillin acylase crystal structures, suggests several mutations that could potentially allow penicillin acylase to accept charged beta-lactam R-groups and to function as a cephalosporin acylase and thus be used in the manufacture of semi-synthetic cephalosporins.

Activity of penicillin acylase from E. coli in the reversed-micelle system AOT--H2O--octane

The behavior of a penicillin acylase from E. coli was studied in the reversed-micelle system AOT--H2O--octane. Kinetic studies of the enzymatic hydrolysis of the m-carboxy-p-nitroanilide of phenylacetic acid, titration of the penicillin acylase active site with an irreversible specific inhibitor (phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride), sedimentation analysis at different hydration degrees, and chemical modification showed that the enzyme loses no more than 20% of its initial activity during 3-4 h in the reversed-micelle systems of different hydration degrees and retains its catalytically active structure.

Processing and functional display of the 86 kDa heterodimeric penicillin G acylase on the surface of phage fd

The large heterodimeric penicillin G acylase from Alcaligenes faecalis was displayed on the surface of phage fd. We fused the coding sequence (alpha subunit-internal peptide-beta subunit) to the gene of a phage coat protein. A modified g3p signal sequence was used to direct the polypeptide to the periplasm. Here we show that a heterodimeric enzyme can be expressed as a fusion protein that matures to an active biocatalyst connected to the coat protein of phage fd, resulting in a phage to which the beta-subunit is covalently linked and the alpha-subunit is non-covalently attached. The enzyme can be displayed either fused to the minor coat protein g3p or fused to the major coat protein g8p. In both cases the penicillin G acylase on the phage has the same Michaelis constant as its freely soluble counterpart, indicating a proper folding and catalytic activity of the displayed enzyme. The display of the heterodimer on phage not only allows its further use in protein engineering but also offers the possibility of applying this technology for the excretion of the enzyme into the extracellular medium, facilitating purification of the protein. With the example of penicillin acylase the upper limit for a protein to become functionally displayed by phage fd has been further explored. Polyvalent display was not observed despite the use of genetic constructs designed for this aim. These results are discussed in relation to the pore size being formed by the g4p multimer.

Electrically immobilized enzyme reactors: bioconversion of a charged substrate. Hydrolysis Of penicillin G by penicillin G acylase

The possibility of using the multicompartment immobilized enzyme reactor (MIER) in presence of a charged substrate is here explored. Penicillin G acylase is used to convert penicillin G (a free acid, with a pK of 2.6) into two charged products: phenyl acetic acid (PAA, with a pK of 4.2) and 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA, a zwitterion with a pI of 3.6). The enzyme is trapped by an isoelectric mechanism in a chamber of the electrolyzer delimited by a pI 5.0 and a pI 9.0 amphoteric, isoelectric membranes. Under normal operating conditions (continuous substrate feeding in the presence of an electric field), only a low substrate conversion can be achieved, due to rapid electrophoretic transport of unreacted penicillin G out of the reaction chamber towards the anode. Excellent conversion rates (>96%) are obtained under a "doubly-discontinuous" operation mode: a time-lapse substrate feeding, accompanied by short times (4-8 min) of electric field interruption. The product of interest (6-APA, a precursor of semisynthetic penicillins), by virtue of its amphoteric nature, is trapped in a chamber delimited by a pI 3.5 membrane and a pI 5.5 membrane, adjacent to the reaction chamber on its anodic side. The other contaminant product (PAA) first accumulates in the same chamber and then progressively vacates it to collect in the anodic reservoir, leaving behind a pure 6-APA solution. In this operation mode, vanishing amounts of unreacted substrate (penicillin G) leave the reaction chamber to contaminate the adjacent, anodic chambers. A novel class of zwitterionic buffers is additionally reported, able to cover very thoroughly any pH value along the pH 3-10 interval: polymeric, zwitterionic buffers, synthesized with the principle of the Immobiline (acrylamido weak acids and bases) chemicals. Enhanced enzyme reactivity is found in this macromolecular buffers as compared to conventional ones.

Intramolecular autoproteolysis initiates the maturation of penicillin amidase from Escherichia coli

The penicillin amidase (PA) from Escherichia coli belongs to a group of proteolytically processed bacterial enzymes. The mechanism of the maturation of the single polypeptide proenzyme has been studied for the PA from E. coli using a slowly processing mutant proenzyme. The mutant proenzyme was constructed by replacing Thr with Gly in the Thr(263)-Ser(264) bond that must be hydrolysed in active PA. The mutant proenzyme was purified by biospecific affinity chromatography using an immobilized monoclonal antibody against PA. The maturation of the free and covalently immobilized purified proenzyme was studied in vitro. For the free proenzyme the same products with PA activity as observed in homogenates of wild-type PA-producing E. coli cells were found to be formed during this process. A kinetic analysis of the possible inter- and intramolecular processes involved in the maturation demonstrated that unambiguous evidence for the existence of intramolecular processes can only be obtained in systems where intermolecular processes are excluded. The Gly(263)-Ser(264) bond was found to be hydrolysed first in the free and immobilized mutant proenzyme, based on determinations of mass spectra, N-terminal sequences and active site concentrations. In the system with immobilized proenzyme intermolecular processes are excluded, demonstrating that this bond is hydrolysed by intramolecular autoproteolysis. Based on the known three-dimensional structure of the PA from E. coli the same maturation mechanism should apply for the wild-type proenzyme.

New insights into the regulation of the pac gene from Escherichia coli W ATCC 11105

The regulation of the pac gene encoding the penicillin G acylase of Escherichia coli W ATCC 11015 has been investigated by a molecular approach using lacZ as a reporter gene. This analysis revealed that a region of 170 bp located upstream of the pac structural gene contains the regulatory sequences that control its expression. The cAMP receptor protein is involved not only in the catabolite repression of penicillin G acylase production caused by glucose but also in the induction of pac gene expression by phenylacetic acid. Primer extension analyses have demonstrated that the transcription of the pac gene can be initiated from at least three different promoters. Although all these promoters are functional, their relative activity depends on the transcribed gene, the P1 and P3 promoters being more active in the presence of the pac gene, whereas the P2 promoter was stronger when the upstream region of the pac gene was fused to the lacZ reporter. A deletion of the region surrounding the -10 box of the P3 promoter produced a constitutive expression of the fused gene indicating that this sequence is required for phenylacetic acid induction and suggesting that the expression of the pac gene is regulated by a repression mechanism. This work reveals that the regulation of the pac gene is more complex than previously envisioned and provides new clues to investigate further this interesting regulatory system.

Enzymatic synthesis of beta-lactam antibiotics using penicillin-G acylase in frozen media

Penicillin-G acylase (EC 3.5.1.11) from Escherichia coli catalyzed the synthesis of various beta-lactam antibiotics in ice at -20 degrees C with higher yields than obtained in solution at 20 degrees C. The initial ratio between aminolysis and hydrolysis of the acyl-enzyme complex in the synthesis of cephalexin increased from 1.3 at 20 degrees C to 25 at -20 degrees C. The effect on the other antibiotics studied was less, leading us to conclude that freezing of the reaction medium influences the hydrolysis of each nucleophile-acyl-enzyme complex to a different extent. Only free penicillin-G acylase could perform transformations in frozen media: immobilized preparations showed a low, predominantly hydrolytic activity under these conditions.

In vivo post-translational processing and subunit reconstitution of cephalosporin acylase from Pseudomonas sp. 130

Cephalosporin acylases are a group of enzymes that hydrolyze cephalosporin C (CPC) and/or glutaryl 7-amino cephalosporanic acid (GL-7ACA) to produce 7-amino cephalosporanic acid (7-ACA). The acylase from Pseudomonas sp. 130 (CA-130) is highly active on GL-7ACA and glutaryl 7-aminodesacetoxycephalosporanic acid (GL-7ADCA), but much less active on CPC and penicillin G. The gene encoding the enzyme is expressed as a precursor polypeptide consisting of a signal peptide followed by alpha- and beta-subunits, which are separated by a spacer peptide. Removing the signal peptide has little effect on precursor processing or enzyme activity. Substitution of the first residue of the beta-subunit, Ser, results in a complete loss of enzyme activity, and substitution of the last residue of the spacer, Gly, leads to an inactive and unprocessed precursor. The precursor is supposed to be processed autocatalytically, probably intramolecularly. The two subunits of the acylase, which separately are inactive, can generate enzyme activity when coexpressed in Escherichia coli. Data on this and other related acylases indicate that the cephalosporin acylases may belong to a novel class of enzymes (N-terminal nucleophile hydrolases) described recently.

Synthesis and secretion of Providencia rettgeri and Escherichia coli heterodimeric penicillin amidases in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The Providencia rettgeri and Escherichia coli pac genes encoding heterodimeric penicillin G amidases (PAC) were successfully expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Furthermore, these recombinant enzymes are secreted from the yeast cell into the medium which is in contrast to bacterial hosts, where the enzymes are retained in the periplasm. Contrary to the P. rettgeri PAC-encoding gene, the E. coli pac is poorly expressed in yeast. The highest yield of P. rettgeri PAC was obtained with a multi-copy plasmid, resulting in of 1500units per liter. This yield is higher by an order of magnitude than that obtained in the best recombinant bacterial expression system. The recombinant P. rettgeri enzyme is only partially and selectively O-glycosylated. Only every sixth or seventh alpha-subunit is glycosylated, while the beta-subunit is not glycosylated at all. N-Glycosylation has not been detected.

Hydrogen bonding and protein perturbation in beta-lactam acyl-enzymes of Streptococcus pneumoniae penicillin-binding protein PBP2x

A soluble form of Streptococcus pneumoniae PBP2x, a molecular target of penicillin and cephalosporin antibiotics, has been expressed and purified. IR difference spectra of PBP2x acylated with benzylpenicillin, cloxacillin, cephalothin and ceftriaxone have been measured. The difference spectra show two main features. The ester carbonyl vibration of the acyl-enzyme is ascribed to a small band between 1710 and 1720 cm-1, whereas a much larger band at approx. 1640 cm-1 is ascribed to a perturbation in the structure of the enzyme, which occurs on acylation. The protein perturbation has been interpreted as occurring in beta-sheet. The acyl-enzyme formed with benzylpenicillin shows the lowest ester carbonyl vibration frequency, which is interpreted to mean that the carbonyl oxygen is the most strongly hydrogen-bonded in the oxyanion hole of the antibiotics studied. The semi-synthetic penicillin cloxacillin is apparently less well organized in the active site and shows two partially overlapping ester carbonyl bands. The penicillin acyl-enzyme has been shown to deacylate more slowly than that formed with cloxacillin. This demonstrates that the natural benzylpenicillin forms a more optimized and better-bonded acyl-enzyme and that this in turn leads to the stabilization of the acyl-enzyme required for effective action in the inhibition of PBP2x. The energetics of hydrogen bonding in the several acyl-enzymes is discussed and comparison is made with carbonyl absorption frequencies of model ethyl esters in a range of organic solvents. A comparison of hydrolytic deacylation with hydroxaminolysis for both chymotryspin and PBP2x leads to the conclusion that deacylation is uncatalysed.

The kinetics of acylation and deacylation of penicillin acylase from Escherichia coli ATCC 11105: evidence for lowered pKa values of groups near the catalytic centre

Penicillin G acylase catalysed the hydrolysis of 4-nitrophenyl acetate with a kcat of 0.8 s-1 and a Km of 10 microM at pH 7.5 and 20 degreesC. Results from stopped-flow experiments fitted a dissociation constant of 0.16 mM for the Michaelis complex, formation of an acetyl enzyme with a rate constant of 32 s-1 and a subsequent deacylation step with a rate constant of 0.81 s-1. Non-linear Van't Hoff and Arrhenius plots for these parameters, measured at pH 7.5, may be partly explained by a conformational transition affecting catalytic groups, but a linear Arrhenius plot for the ratio of the rate constant for acylation relative to KS was consistent with energy-compensation between the binding of the substrate and catalysis of the formation of the transition state. At 20 degreesC, the pH-dependence of kcat was similar to that of kcat/Km, indicating that formation of the acyl-enzyme did not affect the pKa values (6.5 and 9.0) of an acidic and basic group in the active enzyme. The heats of ionization deduced from values of pKa for kcat, which measures the rate of deacylation, are consistent with alpha-amino and guanidinium groups whose pKa values are decreased in a non-polar environment. It is proposed that, for catalytic activity, the alpha-amino group of the catalytic SerB1 and the guanidinium group of ArgB263 are required in neutral and protonated states respectively.

Ligand-induced conformational change in penicillin acylase

The enzyme penicillin acylase (penicillin amidohydrolase EC 3.5.1. 11) catalyses the cleavage of the amide bond in the benzylpenicillin (penicillin G) side-chain to produce phenylacetic acid and 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA). The enzyme is of great pharmaceutical importance, as the product 6-APA is the starting point for the synthesis of many semi-synthetic penicillin antibiotics. Studies have shown that the enzyme is specific for hydrolysis of phenylacetamide derivatives, but is more tolerant of features in the rest of the substrate. It is this property that has led to many other applications for the enzyme, and greater knowledge of the enzyme's structure and specificity could facilitate engineering of the enzyme, enhancing its potential for chemical and industrial applications. An extensive study of the binding of a series of phenylacetic acid derivatives has been carried out. A measure of the relative degree of inhibition of the enzyme by each of the compounds has been obtained using a competitive inhibition assay, and the structures of a number of these complexes have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The structures reveal a clear rationale for the observed kinetic results, but show also that some of the ligands cause a conformational change within the binding pocket. This change can generally be understood in terms of the size and orientation of the ligand within the active site.The results reveal that ligand binding in penicillin acylase is facilitated by certain amino acid residues that can adopt two distinct, energetically favourable positions in order to accommodate a variety of compounds within the active site. The structures of these complexes provide evidence for conformational changes in the substrate-binding region that may act as a switch in the mechanism of autocatalytic processing of this enzyme.

Production of D-phenylglycine from racemic (D,L)-phenylglycine via isoelectrically-trapped penicillin G acylase

Penicillin G acylase (PGA) is exploited for producing pure D-phenylglycine from a racemate mixture, via an acylation reaction onto a cosubstrate, the ester methyl-4-hydroxyphenyl acetate. The reaction, when carried in a batch, is severely hampered by the reverse process, by which the product, 4-hydroxyphenylacetyl-(L)phenyl glycine, upon consumption of L-phenylglycine, is converted by the enzyme back into free substrate and 4-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid via lysis of the amido bond. To prevent this noxious reaction, a multicompartment electrolyzer with isoelectric membranes (MIER) is used as enzyme reactor, operating in an electric field. PGA is trapped between pI 5.5 and pI 10.5 membranes, together with an amphoteric, isoelectric buffer (lysine). As the 4-hydroxyphenylacetyl-(L)phenyl glycine product is formed, it vacates the reaction chamber by electrophoretic transport and is collected close to the anode, in a chamber delimited by pI 2.5 and 4.0 membranes. The same fate occurs to the free acid 4-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid, formed upon spontaneous (and enzyme-driven) hydrolysis of the methyl ester in the reaction chamber. These combined processes leave behind, in the enzyme reaction chamber, the desired product, pure D-phenylglycine. The advantages of the MIER reactor over batch operations: the consumption of the L-form in the racemate is driven to completion and the enzyme is kept in a highly stable form, maintaining 100% activity after one day of operation, during which time the PGA enzyme, in the batch reactor, has already lost >75% catalytic activity.

Chainia penicillin V acylase: strain characteristics, enzyme immobilization, and kinetic studies

Aerobic cultures of an actinomycete were found to produce penicillin V acylase (PVA) (PA, EC-3.5.1.11) extracellularly. The presence of L-2-3 diamino-propionic acid in cell wall and formation of sclerotia on culture media led to its identification as Chainia, a sclerotial Streptomyces. Partially purified acylase was adsorbed on kieselguhr and entrapped in polyacrylamide gel. The immobilized preparation proved effective with respect to retention of enzyme and enzyme activity even after 15 successful cycles. The pH optimum for crude enzyme was in the range of pH 7.5-8.0, and for the (NH4)2 SO4 fraction it was pH 8.5. The immobilized enzyme showed maximal activity at pH 9.5. The optimum temperature for acylase activity was at 55 degrees C. The crude enzyme, ammonium sulfate fraction, and immobilized enzyme showed Km value for penicillin V of 6.13 mM, 14.3 mM, and 17.1 mM, respectively.

Specific substrates for spectrophotometric determination of penicillin acylase activity

Penicillin acylase substrates suitable for colorimetric determination of the enzyme activity have been tested in this study. The kinetic parameters (Km and kcat) have been elucidated for the following nine substrates: six phenylacetic acid derivatives (p-nitroanilide, p-nitrophenyl ester, p-nitro-m-carboxyanilide, p-nitro-o-carboxyanilide, p-nitro-o-hydroxyanilide, m-nitro-p-carboxyanilide), two D-phenylglycine derivatives (p-nitroanilide, p-nitro-m-carboxyanilide), and also p-nitrophenyl ester of acetic acid (p-nitrophenyl acetate). With the exception of p-nitrophenyl acetate, all the compounds studied are highly specific chromogenic substrates for penicillin acylase, but their reactivity is very variable and kcat/Km values are in a range from 0.8.10(4) to 5.10(6) M(-1).sec(-1).

[Enzymatic synthesis of cephradine]

Cephradine was synthesized by gamma-alumina-immobilized form of the penicillin G acylase of Bacillus megaterium with D-phenyglycine methylester hydrochloride (CH DGME.HCl) as acyl donor and 7-aminodeacetoxycephalosporanic acid (7-ADCA) as acyl acceptor. 0.1 g of 7-ADCA was dissolved by adding 2.5 ml of distilled water and about 0.25 ml of 2 mol/L NaOH in a 25 ml flask. To the solution, after 0.25 g of CHDGME.HCl was added, 0.1 mol/L phosphate-0.05 mol/L citric acid buffer, pH 7.5 was added to result in a volume of 5 ml with pH 7.5 Then 1 g(220 IU) of immobilized enzyme was added. The flask was shaken on a rotary shaker at 110 r/min and 25 degrees C for 5 h. The conversion rate of 7-ADCA was 81%. In an expanded experiment in 500 ml of reactive volume, 11.8 g of cephradine was obtained from 10 g of 7-ADCA. The conversion rate of 7-ADCA was 80% with about 87% yield of cephradine. Enzymatic synthesis was inhibited in varying degrees by phenylacetic acid, phenoxyacetic acid and cephalosporin G.

Use of aqueous two-phase systems for in situ extraction of water soluble antibiotics during their synthesis by enzymes immobilized on porous supports

Yields of kinetically controlled synthesis of antibiotics catalyzed by penicillin G acylase from Escherichia coli (PGA) have been greatly increased by continuous extraction of water soluble products (cephalexin) away from the surroundings of the enzyme. In this way its very rapid enzymatic hydrolysis has been avoided. Enzymes covalently immobilized inside porous supports acting in aqueous two-phase systems have been used to achieve such improvements of synthetic yields. Before the reaction is started, the porous structure of the biocatalyst can be washed and filled with one selected phase. In this way, when the pre-equilibrated biocatalyst is mixed with the second phase (where the reaction product will be extracted), the immobilized enzyme remains in the first selected phase in spite of its possibly different natural trend. Partition coefficients (K) of cephalexin in very different aqueous two-phase systems were firstly evaluated. High K values were obtained under drastic conditions. The best K value for cephalexin (23) was found in 100% PEG 600-3 M ammonium sulfate where cephalexin was extracted to the PEG phase. Pre-incubation of immobilized PGA derivatives in ammonium sulfate and further suspension with 100% PEG 600 allowed us to obtain a 90% synthetic yield of cephalexin from 150 mM phenylglycine methyl ester and 100 mM 7-amino desacetoxicephalosporanic acid (7-ADCA). In this reaction system, the immobilized enzyme remains in the ammonium sulfate phase and hydrolysis of the antibiotic becomes suppressed because of its continuous extraction to the PEG phase. On the contrary, synthetic yields of a similar process carried out in monophasic systems were much lower (55%) because of a rapid enzymatic hydrolysis of cephalexin.

[Studies on some properties of the immobilized penicillin acylase by polyacrylonitrile fibres]

The extracellular penicillin acylase from Bacillus megaterium was immobilized by coupling to derivatives of polyacrylonitrile fibres. The apparent activity of the immobilized penicillin acylase was about 2,000 u/g (dry weight). The optimal pH and temperature were 9.0 and 50 degrees C for hydrolysis of penicillin G, respectively. The immobilized enzyme was stable in the pH range of 5.5-10.3, and at the temperature below 50 degrees C. The apparent Michaelis constant Ka and Vm of the immobilization enzyme were 1.33 x 10(-2) mol/L and 2.564 mmol.min-1, respectively. The inhibition constant of phenylacetic acid acted as a competitive inhibitor for The immobilization enzyme was 0.16 mol/L. The remained activity was about 80% after operating 20 times.

Effect of amino acids on the production and activities of cephalosporin C acylase and penicillin V acylase from Aeromonas species ACY 95

Amino acids altered the production and activities of cephalosporin C acylase and penicillin V acylase from Aeromonas species ACY 95 to a varying degree. DL-Tryptophan enhanced the cephalosporin C acylase formation by 222% while suppressed the penicillin V acylase formation by 68%.

Kinetic study of penicillin acylase from Alcaligenes faecalis

Penicillin acylase from Alcaligenes faecalis has a very high affinity for both natural (benzylpenicillin, Km = 0.0042 mM) and colorimetric (6-nitro-3-phenylacetamidobenzoic acid, Km = 0.0045 mM) substrates as well as the product of their hydrolysis, phenylacetic acid (Ki = 0.016 mM). The enzyme is partially inhibited at high benzylpenicillin concentrations but the triple SES complex formed still retains 43% of the maximal catalytic activity; the affinity of benzylpenicillin for the second substrate molecule binding site is much lower (K(S)' = 54 mM) than for the first one. Phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride was shown to be a very effective irreversible inhibitor, completely inactivating the penicillin acylase from A. faecalis in a few minutes at micromolar concentrations; this compound was used for enzyme active site titration. The absolute values of the determined kinetic parameters for enzymatic hydrolysis of 6-nitro-3-phenylacetamidobenzoic acid (k(cat) = 95 s(-1) and k(cat)/Km = 2.1 x 10(-7) M(-1) s(-1)) and benzylpenicillin (k(cat) = 54 s(-1) and k(cat)/Km = 1.3 x 10(-7) M(-1) s(-1)) by penicillin acylase from A. faecalis were shown to be highest of all the enzymes of this family that have so far been studied.

Molecular cloning and analysis of the gene encoding the thermostable penicillin G acylase from Alcaligenes faecalis

Alcaligenes faecalis penicillin G acylase is more stable than the Escherichia coli enzyme. The activity of the A. faecalis enzyme was not affected by incubation at 50 degrees C for 20 min, whereas more than 50% of the E. coli enzyme was irreversibly inactivated by the same treatment. To study the molecular basis of this higher stability, the A. faecalis enzyme was isolated and its gene was cloned and sequenced. The gene encodes a polypeptide that is characteristic of periplasmic penicillin G acylase (signal peptide-alpha subunit-spacer-beta subunit). Purification, N-terminal amino acid analysis, and molecular mass determination of the penicillin G acylase showed that the alpha and beta subunits have molecular masses of 23.0 and 62.7 kDa, respectively. The length of the spacer is 37 amino acids. Amino acid sequence alignment demonstrated significant homology with the penicillin G acylase from E. coli A unique feature of the A. faecalis enzyme is the presence of two cysteines that form a disulfide bridge. The stability of the A. faecalis penicillin G acylase, but not that of the E. coli enzyme, which has no cysteines, was decreased by a reductant. Thus, the improved thermostability is attributed to the presence of the disulfide bridge.

Stabilization of Escherichia coli penicillin G acylase against thermal inactivation by cross-linking with dextran dialdehyde polymers

The thermostabilization of penicillin G acylase (PGA) obtained from a mutant of Escherichia coli ATCC 11,105 by cross-linking with dextran dialdehyde molecules, at a molecular mass of 11,500, 37,700 and 71,000 Da, was studied. The thermal inactivation mechanisms of the native and modified PGA were both considered to obey first-order inactivation kinetics during prolonged heat treatment, forming fully active but temperature-sensitive transient states. The highest enhancement to the thermostability of PGA was obtained using dextran-71000-dialdehyde modification, as a nearly ninefold increase at temperatures above 50 degrees C. The modification of PGA by dextran-11500-dialdehyde resulted in a considerable reduction of the Vm and Km parameters of the enzyme. However, other dextran dialdehyde derivatives used for modification did not cause a meaningful change in either Vm and Km. Modification by dextran dialdehyde derivatives did not result in significant change to either the optimal temperature or the activation energy of PGA. All modified PGA preparations showed lower inactivation rate constants but higher half-lives for inactivation than those of the native PGA at all temperatures studied. As indicated by the half-life times and Ki values, dextran 71000-dialdehyde was found to be more effective at cross-linking in the thermo-stabilization of PGA than any other agent studied in this work.

Modified fluorimetric assay for estimating ampicilloate concentrations and its use for detecting beta-lactamase and penicillin acylase activity in bacteria

Sodium ampicilloate concentrations were estimated fluorimetrically by heating solutions with ascorbic acid, EDTA and a modified Lowry A reagent which was prepared by including copper sulfate and potassium sodium tartrate in 0.5 mol dm-3 acetate buffer at pH 4. A concentration range of 0.5-50 mumol dm-3 was used for the estimations. The reaction was used to estimate beta-lactamase activity on ampicillin but the substrate also showed some fluorescence and a calculation was required to determine the amount of ampicilloate formed when both substances were present in the one reaction mixture. The beta-lactamase was inhibited by treatment with trichloroacetic acid so the procedure could be used to assay the enzyme activity after a fixed time. 6-Aminopenicillanic acid did not fluoresce on treatment with the modified reagent and organisms which contained penicillin acylase lowered the amount of ampicillin which could be converted to ampicilloate. When penicillin acylase and beta-lactamase co-existed in the one organism, the respective activities were determined by use of the copper-ascorbate-EDTA fluorescence assay for ampicilloate coupled with a fluorescamine assay for 6-aminopenicillanic acid determinations. On prolonged incubation, some organisms containing penicillin acylases lowered the amount of ampicilloate which formed a fluorescent product. This effect was attributed to deacylation of ampicilloate by the penicillin acylases.

Localization and characterization of inclusion bodies in recombinant Escherichia coli cells overproducing penicillin G acylase

Various concentrations of isopropyl beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) were used to induce production of the enzyme penicillin G acylase by recombinant Escherichia coli harboring plasmid pQEA11. The plasmid pQEA11 carries a wild-type pga gene, which is under the control of the tac promoter and lacIq. At low IPTG concentrations (0.025-0.1 mM), enzyme activity increased with increasing IPTG concentrations. At higher IPTG concentrations (0.2 and 0.5 mM), enzyme activity declined progressively. Examination of induced recombinant E. coli cells by transmission electron microscopy showed the presence of only periplasmic inclusion bodies at low IPTG concentrations (up to 0.1 mM) and both periplasmic and cytoplasmic inclusion bodies at high IPTG concentrations (0.2 mM and 0.5 mM). Results from sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblots of whole-cell proteins, membrane proteins and inclusion body proteins in these cells indicated that cytoplasmic inclusion bodies constituted an accumulation of preproenzyme (i.e., precursor polypeptide containing a signal peptide) and that periplasmic inclusion bodies constituted an accumulation of proenzyme (i.e., precursor polypeptide lacking a signal peptide).

Bacillus sphaericus penicillin V acylase: purification, substrate specificity, and active-site characterization

Penicillin V acylase from Bacillus sphaericus was purified to homogeneity with an overall yield of 15%. The enzyme exhibited comparatively high specificity for penicillin V, penicillin G, and other related compounds being hydrolyzed at less than 10% of the rate of penicillin V. Moreover, the high rate of hydrolysis was observed when the side chain of the substrate molecule was unsubstituted. Lysine-modifying reagents inactivated the enzyme rapidly. Kinetics and titration studies indicated the involvement of lysine in the catalytic activity of the enzyme.

Stabilization of Escherichia coli penicillin G acylase by polyethylene glycols against thermal inactivation

The effects of five polyethylene glycol (PEG) compounds of different molecular weight on the thermal stability of penicillin G acylase (PGA) obtained from a mutant of Escherichia coli ATCC 11105 have been investigated. The molecular weights of PEG compounds were 400, 4000, 6000, 10,000, and 15,000. The thermal inactivation mechanisms of both native and PEG-containing PGA were considered to obey first order inactivation kinetics during prolonged heart treatments. Optimal concentrations of PEGs at molecular weights of 400, 4000, 6000, 10,000, and 15,000 were found to be 250, 150, 150, 100, and 50 mM, respectively. The greatest enhancement of thermostability was observed with PEG 4000 and PEG 6000, as a nearly 20-fold increase above 50 degrees C. PGA showed almost the same temperature activity profile and optimal temperature values both in the presence and absence of PEG. The addition of PEGs did not cause any change in the optimal temperature value of PGA, but the parameters Vm, K(m), the activation energy, and the Kcat values of enzyme were markedly decreased because of the mixed inhibition by PEG compounds. The type of inhibition was found to be hyperbolic uncompetitive.

Dynamic reaction design of enzymic biotransformations in organic media: equilibrium-controlled synthesis of antibiotics by penicillin G acylase

Parameters relevant to the thermodynamically controlled synthesis of cephalothin utilizing highly active stabilized penicillin G acylase derivatives were studied. These included solubility/stability of substrates, enzyme derivative activity/stability, reaction course and synthetic yields. These parameters were altered by varying the pH, dimethylformamide concentration and temperature. Simultaneous optimization of the selected parameters could not be achieved with a single set of conditions. However, continuous adjustment of conditions throughout the reaction course allowed each parameter to be optimized (dynamic reaction design). This strategy works by optimizing those parameters that are critical to the overall reaction at a given point, whilst leaving others sub-optimal when their contribution to the total is minimal. This strategy has achieved a 90% transformation of antibiotic nucleus to cephalothin at a final concentration of 20 g/l, high enzyme and reactant stability, with a reaction period of 3 h (using 1 ml of derivative/40 ml of reaction solution).

Phenoxymethylpenicillin amidohydrolases from Penicillium chrysogenum

A phenoxymethylpenicillin amidohydrolase which hydrolyses phenoxymethylpenicillin to 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA) has been isolated from two species of Penicillium chrysogenum. The amidohydrolase had a molecular mass of approx. 42 kDa. Its activity with benzylpenicillin as substrate was only 1.5% of that with phenoxymethylpenicillin and it was inhibited by its products. No penicillin formation from 6-APA and phenoxyacetyl or phenylacetyl coenzyme A was observed. The enzyme is thus distinct from the phenylacetyl coenzyme A:6-APA acyltransferase, which also has amidohydrolase activity and is involved in the final stages of the biosynthesis of penicillins.

Rapid burst kinetics in the hydrolysis of 4-nitrophenyl acetate by penicillin G acylase from Kluyvera citrophila. Effects of mutation F360V on rate constants for acylation and de-acylation

The kinetics of release of 4-nitrophenol were followed by stopped-flow spectrophotometry with two 4-nitrophenyl ester substrates of penicillin G acylase from Kluyvera citrophila. With the ester of acetic acid, but not of propionic acid, there was a pre-steady-state exponential phase, the kinetics of which were inhibited by phenylacetic acid (a product of hydrolysis of specific substrates) to the extent predicted from Ki values. This was interpreted as deriving from rapid formation (73 mM-1.s-1) and slow hydrolysis (0.76 s-1) of an acetyl derivative of the side chain of the catalytic-centre residue Ser-290. With the mutant F360V, which differs from the wild-type enzyme in its ability to hydrolyse adipyl-L-leucine and has a kcat for 4-nitrophenyl acetate one-twentieth that of the wild-type enzyme, the corresponding values for the rates of formation and hydrolysis of the acetyl-enzyme were 11.1 mM-1.s-1 and 0.051 s-1 respectively. The ratio of these rate constants was three times that for the wild-type enzyme, suggesting that the mutant is less impaired in the rate of formation of an acetyl-enzyme than in its subsequent hydrolysis.

Engineering antibiotic producers to overcome the limitations of classical strain improvement programs

Improvement of the antibiotic yield of industrial strains is invariably the main target of industry-oriented research. The approaches used in the past were rational selection, extensive mutagenesis, and biochemical screening. These approaches have their limitations, which are likely to be overcome by the judicious application of recombinant DNA techniques. Efficient cloning vectors and transformation systems have now become available even for antibiotic producers that were previously difficult to manipulate genetically. The genes responsible for antibiotic biosynthesis can now be easily isolated and manipulated. In the first half of this review article, the limitations of classical strain improvement programs and the development of recombinant DNA techniques for cloning and analyzing genes responsible for antibiotic biosynthesis are discussed. The second half of this article addresses some of the major achievements, including the development of genetically engineered microbes, especially with reference to beta-lactams, anthracyclines, and rifamycins.

Synthesis and secretion of recombinant penicillin G acylase in bacterial L-forms

L-form strains of Proteus mirabilis and Escherichia coli lacking the cell wall represent an alternative prokaryotic cell system for the production of recombinant proteins (KLESSEN et al. 1988, LAPLACE et al. 1988a, 1989b). We could demonstrate that they are also able to synthesize the enzyme penicillin G acylase (PAC)1). PAC was processed and secreted into the medium by recombinant L-form strains. The synthesis of PAC was growth-associated and stably regulated. Expression, secretion, and processing were not temperature-dependent and occurred at 26 degrees C, 32 degrees C and even 37 degrees C. The expression vector pHC1 carried the pac gene under the control of the lac UV promotor and a kanamycin resistance gene. It could be maintained in L-form cells, showing low structural as well as segregational instability. The secretion of the biologically active enzyme into the medium indicated that the postranslational processing of the PAC molecule, including the excision of a 54 amino acid spacer peptide between the alpha and beta subunit, is not carried out in the periplasmic space, but occurs at the cytoplasmic membrane or autocatalytically.

A protein catalytic framework with an N-terminal nucleophile is capable of self-activation

The crystal structures of three amidohydrolases have been determined recently: glutamine PRPP amidotransferase (GAT), penicillin acylase, and the proteasome. These enzymes use the side chain of the amino-terminal residue, incorporated in a beta-sheet, as the nucleophile in the catalytic attack at the carbonyl carbon. The nucleophile is cysteine in GAT, serine in penicillin acylase, and threonine in the proteasome. Here we show that all three enzymes share an unusual fold in which the nucleophile and other catalytic groups occupy equivalent sites. This fold provides both the capacity for nucleophilic attack and the possibility of autocatalytic processing. We suggest the name Ntn (N-terminal nucleophile) hydrolases for this structural superfamily of enzymes which appear to be evolutionarily related but which have diverged beyond any recognizable sequence similarity.

Improvement of the catalytic properties of penicillin G acylase from Escherichia coli ATCC 11105 by selection of a new substrate specificity

Cloned penicillin G acylase (PGA) from Escherichia coli ATCC 11105 was mutagenized in vivo using N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. Mutants of PGA were selected by their ability to allow growth of the host strain E. coli M8820 with the new substrates phenylacetyl-beta-alanyl-L-proline (PhAc-beta Ala-Pro) phthalyl-L-leucine (Pht-Leu) or phthalylglycyl-L-proline (Pht-Gly-Pro) as sole source of proline and leucine respectively. PGA mutants were purified and immobilized onto spherical methacrylate (G-gel). The immobilized form of mutant PGA selected with (PhAc-beta Ala-Pro) hydrolyzed 95% of 9 mmol penicillin G 30% faster than wild-type PGA using the same specific activities. The specific activity of the soluble enzyme was 2.7-fold, and inhibition by phenylacetic acid was halved. Immobilized PGA mutant selected with Pht-Gly-Pro hydrolyzed penicillin G 20% faster than wild-type PGA. The Km of the soluble enzyme was increased 1.7-fold. Furthermore, the latter two mutants were also 3.6-fold more stable at 45 degrees C than wild-type PGA. The specific activity of the mutant selected with Pht-Leu was 6.3-fold lower, and inhibition by phenylacetic acid was increased 13-fold.

[Penicillin acylase from Escherichia coli: catalytically active subunits]

Gel filtration under denaturing conditions was used to isolate the alpha- and beta-subunits of penicillin acylase (PA). Refolded subunits were obtained through removing urea by dialysis. Both renatured subunits were catalytically active during hydrolysis of phenylacetic acid p-nitroanilide; this activity decreased after addition of a serine-specific inhibitor--phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride. The subunits were also active in reversed micelles of Aerosol OT (AOT) in octane, the optimum hydration degree being 11.9 and 17.5 for the light (alpha) and heavy (beta) subunits, respectively. The positions of the maxima were consistent with both theoretically calculated optimum hydration degrees and the earlier reported profile of enzymatic activity for native PA in reversed micelles.