Survey of microbial enzymes in soil, water, and plant microenvironments

Detection of microbial enzymes in natural environments is important to understand biochemical activities and to verify the biotechnological potential of the microorganisms. In the present report, 346 isolates from soil, water, and plants were screened for enzyme production (caseinase, gelatinase, amylase, carboxymethyl cellulase, and esterase). Our results showed that 89.6% of isolates produced at least one tested enzyme. A predominance of amylase in soil samples, carboxymethyl cellulase in plants, as well as esterase and gelatinase in water was observed. Interesting enzymatic profiles were found in some microenvironments, suggesting specificity of available nutrients and/or natural selection. This study revealed the potential of microorganisms present in water, soil, and plant to produce important enzymes for biotechnological exploration. A predominance of certain enzymes was found, depending on the type of environmental sample. The distribution of microbial enzymes in soil, water and plants has been little exploited in previous reports.

Inhibition of polyisoprenylated methylated protein methyl esterase by synthetic musks induces cell degeneration

Synthetic fragrances are persistent environmental pollutants that tend to bioaccumulate in animal tissues. They are widely used in personal care products and cleaning agents. Worldwide production of Galaxolide and Tonalide are in excess of 4500 tons annually. Because of their widespread production and use, they have been detected in surface waters and fish in the US and Europe. Consumption of contaminated water and fish from such sources leads to bioaccumulation and eventual toxicity. Since fragrances and flavors bear structural similarities to polyisoprenes, it was of interest to determine whether toxicity by Galaxolide and Tonalide may be linked with polyisoprenylated methylated protein methyl esterase (PMPMEase) inhibition. A concentration-dependent study of PMPMEase inhibition by Galaxolide and Tonalide as well as their effects on the degeneration of cultured cells were conducted. Galaxolide and Tonalide inhibited purified porcine liver PMPMEase with Ki values of 11 and 14 μM, respectively. Galaxolide and Tonalide also induced human cancer cell degeneration with EC50 values of 26 and 98 μM (neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells) and 58 and 14 μM (lung cancer A549 cells), respectively. The effects on cell viability correlate well with the inhibition of PMPMEase activity in the cultured cells. Molecular docking analysis revealed that the binding interactions are most likely between the fragrance molecules and hydrophobic amino acids in the active site of the enzyme. These results appear to suggest that the reported neurotoxicity of these compounds may be associated with their inhibition of PMPMEase. Exposure to fragrances may pose a significant risk to individuals predisposed to developing degenerative disorders.

Polyisoprenylated methylated protein methyl esterase overexpression and hyperactivity promotes lung cancer progression

The involvement of hyperactive polyisoprenylated proteins in cancers has stimulated the search for drugs to target and suppress their excessive activities. Polyisoprenylated methylated protein methyl esterase (PMPMEase) inhibition has been shown to modulate polyisoprenylated protein function. For PMPMEase inhibition to be effective against cancers, polyisoprenylated proteins, the signaling pathways they mediate and/or PMPMEase must be overexpressed, hyperactive and be involved in at least some cases of cancer. PMPMEase activity in lung cancer cells and its expression in lung cancer cells and cancer tissues were investigated. PMPMEase was found to be overexpressed and significantly more active in lung cancer A549 and H460 cells than in normal lung fibroblasts. In a tissue microarray study, PMPMEase immunoreactivity was found to be significantly higher in lung cancer tissues compared to the normal controls (p < 0.0001). The mean scores ± SEM were 118.8 ± 7.7 (normal), 232.1 ± 25.1 (small-cell lung carcinomas), 352.1 ± 9.4 (squamous cell carcinomas), 311.7 ± 9.8 (adenocarcinomas), 350.0 ± 24.2 (papillary adenocarcinomas), 334.7 ± 30.1 (adenosquamous carcinomas), 321.9 ± 39.7 (bronchioloalveolar carcinomas), and 331.3 ± 85.0 (large-cell carcinomas). Treatment of lung cancer cells with L-28, a specific PMPMEase inhibitor, resulted in concentration-dependent cell death (EC50 of 8.5 μM for A549 and 2.8 μM for H460 cells). PMPMEase inhibition disrupted actin filament assembly, significantly inhibited cell migration and altered the transcription of cancer-related genes. These results indicate that elevated PMPMEase activity spur cell growth and migration, implying the possible use of PMPMEase as a protein biomarker and drug target for lung cancer.

The adverse effects of phoxim exposure in the midgut of silkworm, Bombyx mori

The silkworm is an important economic insect. Poisoning of silkworms by organophosphate pesticides causes tremendous loss to the sericulture. In this study, Solexa sequencing technology was performed to profile the gene expression changes in the midgut of silkworms in response to 24h of phoxim exposure and the impact on detoxification, apoptosis and immune defense were addressed. The results showed that 254 genes displayed at least 2.0-fold changes in expression levels, with 148 genes up-regulated and 106 genes down-regulated. Cytochrome P450 played an important role in detoxification. Histopathology examination and transmission electron microscope revealed swollen mitochondria and disappearance of the cristae of mitochondria, which are the important features in insect apoptotic cells. Cytochrome C release from mitochondria into the cytoplasm was confirmed. In addition, the Toll and immune deficiency (IMD) signal pathways were all inhibited using qRT-PCR. Our results could help better understand the impact of phoxim exposure on silkworm.

Endophytic fungi producing of esterases: evaluation in vitro of the enzymatic activity using pH indicator

A sensitive and efficient colorimetric method was optimized for detection of esterase enzymes produced by endophytic fungi for development of High-Throughput Screening (HTS). The fungi were isolated and obtained previously from plant species of Cerrado and Atlantic Forest located in areas of environmental preservation in the State of Sao Paulo / Brazil, as part of the project “Chemical and biological prospecting endophytic fungi associated to plant species of Cerrado and Atlantic Forest”. The compounds ethyl butyrate, ethyl acetate and methyl propionate were used as standards esters which were hydrolyzed by extracellular enzyme from endophytic fungi (EC. 3.1.1.1 - carboxyl-esterases) for production of carboxylic acids. Thus, the reduction of the pH increases the protonated indicator concentration (bromothymol blue), changing the color of the reaction medium (from blue to yellow), that can be observed and measured by spectrophotometry at 616 nm. The methodology with acid-base indicator was performed on 13 microorganisms, aiming Periconia atropurpurea as a potential source of esterase for biotransformation of short chain esters. The results also evidenced that this methodology showed to be efficient, fast, cheap, having low consumption of reagents and easy development, and can be applied to screen carboxylic-ester hydrolases in a large number of microorganisms.

On the species status of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne ulmi Palmisano & Ambrogioni, 2000 (Nematoda, Meloidogynidae)

The root-knot nematode Meloidogyne ulmi is synonymised with Meloidogyne mali based on morphological and morphometric similarities, common hosts, as well as biochemical similarities at both protein and DNA levels. M. mali was first described in Japan on Malus prunifolia Borkh.; and M. ulmi in Italy on Ulmus chenmoui W.C. Cheng. Morphological and morphometric studies of their holo- and paratypes revealed important similarities in the major characters as well as some general variability in a few others. Host test also showed that besides the two species being able to parasitize the type hosts of the other, they share some other common hosts. Our study of the esterase and malate dehydrogenase isozyme phenotypes of some M. ulmi populations gave a perfectly comparable result to that already known for M. mali. Finally, phylogenetic studies of their SSU and LSU rDNA sequence data revealed that the two are not distinguishable at DNA level. All these put together, leave strong evidences to support the fact that M. ulmi is not a valid species, but a junior synonym of M. mali. Brief discussion on the biology and life cycle of M. mali is given. An overview of all known hosts and the possible distribution of M. mali in Europe are also presented.

Structure, biochemical characterization and analysis of the pleomorphism of carboxylesterase Cest-2923 from Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1

The hydrolase fold is one of the most versatile structures in the protein realm according to the diversity of sequences adopting such a three-dimensional architecture. In the present study, we clarified the crystal structure of the carboxylesterase Cest-2923 from the lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 refined to 2.1 Å resolution, determined its main biochemical characteristics and also carried out an analysis of its associative behaviour in solution. We found that the versatility of a canonical α/β hydrolase fold, the basic framework of the crystal structure of Cest-2923, also extends to its oligomeric behaviour in solution. Thus, we discovered that Cest-2923 exhibits a pH-dependent pleomorphic behaviour in solution involving monomers, canonical dimers and tetramers. Although, at neutral pH, the system is mainly shifted to dimeric species, under acidic conditions, tetrameric species predominate. Despite these tetramers resulting from the association of canonical dimers, as is commonly found in many other carboxylesterases from the hormone-sensitive lipase family, they can be defined as 'noncanonical' because they represent a different association mode. We identified this same type of tetramer in the closest relative of Cest-2923 that has been structurally characterized: the sugar hydrolase YeeB from Lactococcus lactis. The observed associative behaviour is consistent with the different crystallographic results for Cest-2923 from structural genomics consortia. Finally, the presence of sulfate or acetate molecules (depending on the crystal form analysed) in the close vicinity of the nucleophile Ser116 allows us to identify interactions with the putative oxyanion hole and deduce the existence of hydrolytic activity within Cest-2923 crystals.

Design, synthesis and in vitro degradation of a novel co-drug for the treatment of psoriasis

Psoriasis is a common, chronic and relapsing inflammatory skin disease. It affects approximately 2% of the western population and has no cure. Combination therapy for psoriasis often proves more efficacious and better tolerated than monotherapy with a single drug. Combination therapy could be administered in the form of a co-drug, where two or more therapeutic compounds active against the same condition are linked by a cleavable covalent bond. Similar to the pro-drug approach, the liberation of parent moieties post-administration, by enzymatic and/or chemical mechanisms, is a pre-requisite for effective treatment. In this study, a series of co-drugs incorporating dithranol in combination with one of several non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, both useful for the treatment of psoriasis, were designed, synthesized and evaluated. An ester co-drug comprising dithranol and naproxen in a 1:1 stoichiometric ratio was determined to possess the optimal physicochemical properties for topical delivery. The co-drug was fully hydrolyzed in vitro by porcine liver esterase within four hours. When incubated with homogenized porcine skin, 9.5% of the parent compounds were liberated after 24 h, suggesting in situ esterase-mediated cleavage of the co-drug would occur within the skin. The kinetics of the reaction revealed first order kinetics, Vmax = 10.3 μM·min-1 and Km = 65.1 μM. The co-drug contains a modified dithranol chromophore that was just 37% of the absorbance of dithranol at 375 nm and suggests reduced skin/clothes staining. Overall, these findings suggest that the dithranol-naproxen co-drug offers an attractive, novel approach for the treatment of psoriasis.

New structural motif for carboxylic acid perhydrolases

Some serine hydrolases also catalyze a promiscuous reaction--reversible perhydrolysis of carboxylic acids to make peroxycarboxylic acids. Five X-ray crystal structures of these carboxylic acid perhydrolases show a proline in the oxyanion loop. Here, we test whether this proline is essential for high perhydrolysis activity using Pseudomonas fluorescens esterase (PFE). The L29P variant of this esterase catalyzes perhydrolysis 43-fold faster (k(cat) comparison) than the wild type. Surprisingly, saturation mutagenesis at the 29 position of PFE identified six other amino acid substitutions that increase perhydrolysis of acetic acid at least fourfold over the wild type. The best variant, L29I PFE, catalyzed perhydrolysis 83-times faster (k(cat) comparison) than wild-type PFE and twice as fast as L29P PFE. Despite the different amino acid in the oxyanion loop, L29I PFE shows a similar selectivity for hydrogen peroxide over water as L29P PFE (β(0)=170 vs. 160 M(-1)), and a similar fast formation of acetyl-enzyme (140 vs. 62 U mg(-1)). X-ray crystal structures of L29I PFE with and without bound acetate show an unusual mixture of two different oxyanion loop conformations. The type II β-turn conformation resembles the wild-type structure and is unlikely to increase perhydrolysis, but the type I β-turn conformation creates a binding site for a second acetate. Modeling suggests that a previously proposed mechanism for L29P PFE can be extended to include L29I PFE, so that an acetate accepts a hydrogen bond to promote faster formation of the acetyl-enzyme.

The effect of Beauveria brongniartii and its secondary metabolites on the detoxification enzymes of the pine caterpillar, Dendrolimus tabulaeformis

The mortality of pine caterpillar, Dendrolimus tabulaeformis Tsai et Liu (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae), larvae treated with Beauveria brongniartii (Saccardo) Petch (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) conidia and cell-free culture supernatants enriched for the secondary metabolites of the fungus was investigated. In addition, the effects of the treatments on the activities of two insect-related defense response proteins, glutathione S-transferase (GST) and esterase (EST), were measured over time. Bioassays were performed using a range of fungal spore (6 × 10⁵ through 6 × 10⁷ spores/mL) and supernatant extract concentrations (5.5-550 µg/mL). The results showed that the mortalities of D. tabulaeformis larvae were closely related to the concentration of the conidia and the metabolites of B. brongniartii. The differences among the treatments all reached a significant level. The activities of the two detoxifying enzymes, GST and EST, in the larvae increased simultaneously post-treatment. After infection with the conidial suspensions, the highest GST activity appeared at 3 days, and the activities of the caterpillars infected with 6 × 10⁶ spores/mL and 6 × 10⁷ spores/mL were significantly higher than in the control. Using α-naphthyl, the highest activity of EST also appeared at 3 days, and the differences for the three different concentrations were significant. A similar trend of change in the EST activity was observed using β-naphthyl. After treatment with the secondary metabolite solution, the highest GST activity appeared at 6 hr, and significant differences were found both for the different durations (2, 4, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hr) and in the three concentration groups. When using α-naphthyl, the EST activity peak appeared at 24 hr, and the differences were significant among the durations of 2, 4, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hr. The effect of the concentration of the secondary metabolite solution notably induced the EST activity in the insects, and a similar result was obtained using β-naphthyl. The data suggest that B. brongniartii produces secondary metabolites that disable the immune mechanisms of D. tabulaeformis, allowing the fungus to overcome and then kill its host. It was concluded that both the conidial suspensions and the metabolites of B. brongniartii were toxic to D. tabulaeformis larvae.

Global and local molecular dynamics of a bacterial carboxylesterase provide insight into its catalytic mechanism

Carboxylesterases (CEs) are ubiquitous enzymes responsible for the detoxification of xenobiotics. In humans, substrates for these enzymes are far-ranging, and include the street drug heroin and the anticancer agent irinotecan. Hence, their ability to bind and metabolize substrates is of broad interest to biomedical science. In this study, we focused our attention on dynamic motions of a CE from B. subtilis (pnbCE), with emphasis on the question of what individual domains of the enzyme might contribute to its catalytic activity. We used a 10 ns all-atom molecular dynamics simulation, normal mode calculations, and enzyme kinetics to understand catalytic consequences of structural changes within this enzyme. Our results shed light on how molecular motions are coupled with catalysis. During molecular dynamics, we observed a distinct C-C bond rotation between two conformations of Glu310. Such a bond rotation would alternately facilitate and impede protonation of the active site His399 and act as a mechanism by which the enzyme alternates between its active and inactive conformation. Our normal mode results demonstrate that the distinct low-frequency motions of two loops in pnbCE, coil_5 and coil_21, are important in substrate conversion and seal the active site. Mutant CEs lacking these external loops show significantly reduced rates of substrate conversion, suggesting this sealing motion prevents escape of substrate. Overall, the results of our studies give new insight into the structure-function relationship of CEs and have implications for the entire family of α/β fold family of hydrolases, of which this CE is a member.

Catalysis by a de novo zinc-mediated protein interface: implications for natural enzyme evolution and rational enzyme engineering

Here we show that a recent computationally designed zinc-mediated protein interface is serendipitously capable of catalyzing carboxyester and phosphoester hydrolysis. Although the original motivation was to design a de novo zinc-mediated protein-protein interaction (called MID1-zinc), we observed in the homodimer crystal structure a small cleft and open zinc coordination site. We investigated if the cleft and zinc site at the designed interface were sufficient for formation of a primitive active site that can perform hydrolysis. MID1-zinc hydrolyzes 4-nitrophenyl acetate with a rate acceleration of 10(5) and a k(cat)/K(M) of 630 M(-1) s(-1) and 4-nitrophenyl phosphate with a rate acceleration of 10(4) and a k(cat)/K(M) of 14 M(-1) s(-1). These rate accelerations by an unoptimized active site highlight the catalytic power of zinc and suggest that the clefts formed by protein-protein interactions are well-suited for creating enzyme active sites. This discovery has implications for protein evolution and engineering: from an evolutionary perspective, three-coordinated zinc at a homodimer interface cleft represents a simple evolutionary path to nascent enzymatic activity; from a protein engineering perspective, future efforts in de novo design of enzyme active sites may benefit from exploring clefts at protein interfaces for active site placement.

Scenario of the spread of the invasive species Zaprionus indianus Gupta, 1970 (Diptera, Drosophilidae) in Brazil

Zaprionus indianus was first recorded in Brazil in 1999 and rapidly spread throughout the country. We have obtained data on esterase loci polymorphisms (Est2 and Est3), and analyzed them, using Landscape Shape Interpolation and the Monmonier Maximum Difference Algorithm to discover how regional invasion occurred. Hence, it was apparent that Z. indianus, after first arriving in São Paulo state, spread throughout the country, probably together with the transportation of commercial fruits by way of the two main Brazilian freeways, BR 153, to the south and the surrounding countryside, and the BR 116 along the coast and throughout the north-east.

A comparison of multiple esterases as biomarkers of organophosphate exposure and effect in two earthworm species

Two different earthworm species, Eisenia fetida and Lumbricus terrestris, were exposed to 5 μg/cm(2) of malathion to evaluate their usefulness as sentinels of organophosphate exposure and to assess three different esterases, as biomarkers of malathion exposure and effect. Tissue xenobiotic burdens and esterase activity were determined for each species and each esterase in order to assess variability. E. fetida exhibited 4-fold less variability in tissue burdens than did L. terrestris and had less variable basal esterase activities. An attempt was made to correlate malathion and malaoxon tissue burdens with esterase activity post-exposure. There was no malaoxon present in the earthworm tissues. No significant correlations were determined by comparing acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, nor carboxylesterase activities with malathion burdens.

Nongradient blue native gel analysis of serum proteins and in-gel detection of serum esterase activities

The objective of the present study was to analyze serum protein complexes and detect serum esterase activities using nongradient blue native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (BN-PAGE). For analysis of potential protein complexes, serum from rat was used. Results demonstrate that a total of 8 gel bands could be clearly distinguished after Coomassie blue staining, and serum albumin could be isolated nearly as a pure protein. Moreover, proteins in these bands were identified by electrospray mass spectrometry and low-energy collision induced dissociation (CID)-MS/MS peptide sequencing and the existence of serum dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (DLDH) was confirmed. For studies of in-gel detection of esterase activities, serum from rat, mouse, and human was used. In-gel staining of esterase activity was achieved by the use of either α-naphthylacetate or β-naphthylacetate in the presence of Fast blue BB salt. There were three bands exhibiting esterase activities in the serum of both rat and mouse. In contrast, there was only one band showing esterase activity staining in the human serum. When serum samples were treated with varying concentrations of urea, esterase activity staining was abolished for all the bands except the one containing esterase 1 (Es1) protein that is known to be a single polypeptide enzyme, indicating that majority of these esterases were protein complexes or multimeric proteins. We also identified the human serum esterase as butyrylcholinesterase following isolation and partial purification using ammonium sulfate fractioning and ion exchange column chromatographies. Where applicable, demonstrations of the gel-based method for measuring serum esterase activities under physiological or pathophysiological conditions were illustrated. Results of the present study demonstrate that nongradient BN-PAGE can serve as a feasible analytical tool for proteomic and enzymatic analysis of serum proteins.

Mining the Active Proteome of Arabidopsis thaliana

Assigning functions to the >30,000 proteins encoded by the Arabidopsis genome is a challenging task of the Arabidopsis Functional Genomics Network. Although genome-wide technologies like proteomics and transcriptomics have generated a wealth of information that significantly accelerated gene annotation, protein activities are poorly predicted by transcript or protein levels as protein activities are post-translationally regulated. To directly display protein activities in Arabidopsis proteomes, we developed and applied activity-based protein profiling (ABPP). ABPP is based on the use of small molecule probes that react with the catalytic residues of distinct protein classes in an activity-dependent manner. Labeled proteins are separated and detected from proteins gels and purified and identified by mass spectrometry. Using probes of six different chemotypes we have displayed activities of 76 Arabidopsis proteins. These proteins represent over 10 different protein classes that contain over 250 Arabidopsis proteins, including cysteine, serine, and metalloproteases, lipases, acyltransferases, and the proteasome. We have developed methods for identification of in vivo labeled proteins using click chemistry and for in vivo imaging with fluorescent probes. In vivo labeling has revealed additional protein activities and unexpected subcellular activities of the proteasome. Labeling of extracts displayed several differential activities, e.g., of the proteasome during immune response and methylesterases during infection. These studies illustrate the power of ABPP to display the functional proteome and testify to a successful interdisciplinary collaboration involving chemical biology, organic chemistry, and proteomics.

Reactivity versus steric effects in fluorinated ketones as esterase inhibitors: a quantum mechanical and molecular dynamics study

Carboxylesterases (CEs) are a family of ubiquitous enzymes with broad substrate specificity, and their inhibition may have important implications in pharmaceutical and agrochemical fields. One of the most potent inhibitors both for mammalian and insect CEs are trifluoromethyl ketones (TFMKs), but the mechanism of action of these chemicals is not completely understood. This study examines the balance between reactivity versus steric effects in modulating the activity against human carboxylesterase 1. The intrinsic reactivity of the ketone moiety is determined from quantum mechanical computations, which combine gas phase B3LYP calculations with hydration free energies estimated with the IEF/MST model. In addition, docking and molecular dynamics simulations are used to explore the binding mode of the inhibitors along the deep gorge that delineates the binding site. The results point out that the activity largely depends on the nature of the fluorinated ketone, since the activity is modulated by the balance between the intrinsic electrophilicity of the carbonyl carbon atom and the ratio between keto and hydrate forms. However, the results also suggest that the correct alignment of the alkyl chain in the binding site can exert a large influence on the inhibitory activity, as this effect seems to override the intrinsic reactivity features of the fluorinated ketone. Overall, the results sustain a subtle balance between reactivity and steric effects in modulating the inhibitory activity of TFMK inhibitors.

Involvement of TBL/DUF231 proteins into cell wall biology

Through map-based cloning we determined TRICHOME BIREFRINGENCE (TBR) to belong to a plant-specific, yet anonymous gene family with 46 members in Arabidopsis thaliana. These genes all encode the domain of unknown function 231 (DUF231). TBR and its homolog TRICHOME BIREFRINGENCE-LIKE3 (TBL3) are transcriptionally coordinated with CELLULOSE SYNTHASE (CESA) genes, and loss of TBR or TBL3 results in decreased levels of crystalline secondary wall cellulose in trichomes and stems, respectively. Loss of TBR or TBL3 further results in increased pectin methylesterase (PME) activity and reduced pectin esterification in etiolated Arabidopsis hypocotyls. Together, the results suggest that DUF231 proteins might function in the maintenance of pectin- and probably homogalacturonan esterification, and that this is a requirement for normal secondary wall cellulose synthesis, at least in some tissues and organs. Here we expand the discussion about the role of TBL/DUF231 proteins in cell wall biology based on sequence and structure analyses. Our analysis revealed structural similarities of TBR with a rhamnogalacturonan acetylesterase (RGAE) of Aspergillus aculeatus and the protein LUSTRIN A-LIKE (Oryza sativa). The implications of these findings in regard to TBL functions are discussed.

Fesoterodine for the treatment of urinary incontinence and overactive bladder

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a highly prevalent condition, affecting males and females. The prevalence increases with age. Behavioral therapy and antimuscarinic therapy remain the first-line therapies for management of OAB. Despite improvements in symptoms, persistence with antimuscarinic therapy has remained low. Multiple factors including patient expectations, adverse effects and cost may affect persistence. Fesoterodine is one of the newest antimuscarinic agent approved for the management of OAB. It is unique in that it shares the same active metabolite as tolterodine, 5-hydoxymethyltolterodine (5-HMT); however, this conversion is established via ubiquitous esterases and not via the cytochrome P450 system, thus providing a faster and more efficient conversion to 5-HMT. Fesoterodine is available in 2 doses, 4 mg and 8 mg. Clinical trials have established a dose response relationship in efficacy parameters as well as improvements in quality of life. As with all antimuscarinics, dry mouth and constipation are the more common side effects. A combination of medical therapy and behavioral therapy improves the overall outcome in management of OAB. Dose flexibility may help improve efficacy outcomes and patient education on the management of common adverse effects may improve tolerability with these agents.

The role of negatively charged lipids in lysosomal phospholipase A2 function

Lysosomal phospholipase A2 (LPLA2) is characterized by increased activity toward zwitterionic phospholipid liposomes containing negatively charged lipids under acidic conditions. The effect of anionic lipids on LPLA2 activity was investigated. Mouse LPLA2 activity was assayed as C2-ceramide transacylation. Sulfatide incorporated into liposomes enhanced LPLA2 activity under acidic conditions and was weakened by NaCl or increased pH. Amiodarone, a cationic amphiphilic drug, reduced LPLA2 activity. LPLA2 exhibited esterase activity when p-nitro-phenylbutyrate (pNPB) was used as a substrate. Unlike the phospholipase A2 activity, the esterase activity was detected over wide pH range and not inhibited by NaCl or amiodarone. Presteady-state kinetics using pNPB were consistent with the formation of an acyl-enzyme intermediate. C2-ceramide was an acceptor for the acyl group of the acyl-enzyme but was not available as the acyl group acceptor when dispersed in liposomes containing amiodarone. Cosedimentation of LPLA2 with liposomes was enhanced in the presence of sulfatide and was reduced by raising NaCl, amiodarone, or pH in the reaction mixture. LPLA2 adsorption to negatively charged lipid membrane surfaces through an electrostatic attraction, therefore, enhances LPLA2 enzyme activity toward insoluble substrates. Thus, anionic lipids present within lipid membranes enhance the rate of phospholipid hydrolysis by LPLA2 at lipid-water interfaces.

Influence of sulfur oxidation state and steric bulk upon trifluoromethyl ketone (TFK) binding kinetics to carboxylesterases and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH)

Carboxylesterases metabolize numerous exogenous and endogenous ester-containing compounds including the chemotherapeutic agent CPT-11, anti-influenza viral agent oseltamivir, and many agrochemicals. Trifluoromethyl ketone (TFK)-containing compounds with a sulfur atom beta to the ketone moiety are some of the most potent carboxylesterase and amidase inhibitors identified to date. This study examined the effects of alkyl chain length (i.e., steric effects) and sulfur oxidation state upon TFK inhibitor potency (IC50) and binding kinetics (k(i)). The selective carboxylesterase inhibitor benzil was used as a non-TFK containing control. These effects were examined using two commercial esterases (porcine and rabbit liver esterase) and two human recombinant esterases (hCE-1 and hCE-2) as well as human recombinant fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). In addition, the inhibition mechanism was examined using a combination of 1H NMR, X-ray crystallography, and ab initio calculations. Overall, the data show that while sulfur oxidation state profoundly affects both inhibitor potency and binding kinetics, the steric effects dominate and override the contributions of sulfur oxidation. In addition, the data suggest that inclusion of a sulfur atom beta to the ketone contributes an increase (approximately 5-fold) in inhibitor potency due to effects upon ketone hydration and/or intramolecular hydrogen bond formation. These results provide further information on the nature of the TFK binding interaction and will be useful in increasing our understanding of this basic biochemical process.

Synthesis and properties of a new water-soluble prodrug of the adenosine A 2A receptor antagonist MSX-2

The compound L-valine-3-{8-[(E)-2-[3-methoxyphenyl)ethenyl]-7-methyl-1-propargylxanthine-3-yl}propyl ester hydrochloride (MSX-4) was synthesized as an amino acid ester prodrug of the adenosine A2A receptor antagonist MSX-2. It was found to be stable in artificial gastric acid, but readily cleaved by pig liver esterase.

A deficit of detoxification enzymes: pesticide sensitivity and environmental response in the honeybee

The honeybee genome has substantially fewer protein coding genes ( approximately 11 000 genes) than Drosophila melanogaster ( approximately 13 500) and Anopheles gambiae ( approximately 14 000). Some of the most marked differences occur in three superfamilies encoding xenobiotic detoxifying enzymes. Specifically there are only about half as many glutathione-S-transferases (GSTs), cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) and carboxyl/cholinesterases (CCEs) in the honeybee. This includes 10-fold or greater shortfalls in the numbers of Delta and Epsilon GSTs and CYP4 P450s, members of which clades have been recurrently associated with insecticide resistance in other species. These shortfalls may contribute to the sensitivity of the honeybee to insecticides. On the other hand there are some recent radiations in CYP6, CYP9 and certain CCE clades in A. mellifera that could be associated with the evolution of the hormonal and chemosensory processes underpinning its highly organized eusociality.

The esterase and PHD domains in CR1-like non-LTR retrotransposons

Most active non-LTR (long terminal repeat) retrotransposons carry two open reading frames (ORFs) encoding ORF1p and ORF2p proteins. The ORF2p proteins are relatively well studied and are known to contain endonuclease/reverse transcriptase domains. At the same time, the biological function of ORF1p proteins remains poorly understood, except in that they nonspecifically bind single-stranded mRNA/DNA molecules. CR1-like elements form the most widely distributed clade/superfamily of non-LTR retrotransposons. We found that ORF1p proteins encoded by diverse CR1-like elements contain conserved esterase domain (ES) or plant homeodomain (PHD). This indicates that CR1-like ORF1p proteins are either lipolytic enzymes or are involved in protein-protein interactions related to chromatin remodeling. Sequence conservation of ES suggests that interaction with cellular membranes is an important phase in life circles of CR1-like elements. Presumably such interaction helps in penetrating host cells. As a consequence, the presence of multiple young CR1 families characterized by approximately 10% intrafamily and 40% interfamily identities may be explained by a relatively frequent horizontal transfer of these CR1-like elements. Unexpectedly, ES links together non-LTR retrotransposons and single-stranded RNA viruses like influenza C and coronaviruses, which are known to depend on their own ES.

EstB from Burkholderia gladioli: a novel esterase with a beta-lactamase fold reveals steric factors to discriminate between esterolytic and beta-lactam cleaving activity

Esterases form a diverse class of enzymes of largely unknown physiological role. Because many drugs and pesticides carry ester functions, the hydrolysis of such compounds forms at least one potential biological function. Carboxylesterases catalyze the hydrolysis of short chain aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic ester compounds. Esterases, D-alanyl-D-alanine-peptidases (DD-peptidases) and beta-lactamases can be grouped into two distinct classes of hydrolases with different folds and topologically unrelated catalytic residues, the one class comprising of esterases, the other one of beta-lactamases and DD-peptidases. The chemical reactivities of esters and beta-lactams towards hydrolysis are quite similar, which raises the question of which factors prevent esterases from displaying beta-lactamase activity and vice versa. Here we describe the crystal structure of EstB, an esterase isolated from Burkholderia gladioli. It shows the protein to belong to a novel class of esterases with homology to Penicillin binding proteins, notably DD-peptidase and class C beta-lactamases. Site-directed mutagenesis and the crystal structure of the complex with diisopropyl-fluorophosphate suggest Ser75 within the "beta-lactamase" Ser-x-x-Lys motif to act as catalytic nucleophile. Despite its structural homology to beta-lactamases, EstB shows no beta-lactamase activity. Although the nature and arrangement of active-site residues is very similar between EstB and homologous beta-lactamases, there are considerable differences in the shape of the active site tunnel. Modeling studies suggest steric factors to account for the enzyme's selectivity for ester hydrolysis versus beta-lactam cleavage.