A model for interfacial activation in lipases from the structure of a fungal lipase-inhibitor complex

The sequence, crystal structure determination and refinement of two crystal forms of lipase B from Candida antarctica

BACKGROUND

Lipases constitute a family of enzymes that hydrolyze triglycerides. They occur in many organisms and display a wide variety of substrate specificities. In recent years, much progress has been made towards explaining the mechanism of these enzymes and their ability to hydrolyze their substrates at an oil-water interface.

RESULTS

We have determined the DNA and amino acid sequences for lipase B from the yeast Candida antarctica. The primary sequence has no significant homology to any other known lipase and deviates from the consensus sequence around the active site serine that is found in other lipases. We have determined the crystal structure of this enzyme using multiple isomorphous replacement methods for two crystal forms. Models for the orthorhombic and monoclinic crystal forms of the enzyme have been refined to 1.55 A and 2.1 A resolution, respectively. Lipase B is an alpha/beta type protein that has many features in common with previously determined lipase structures and other related enzymes. In the monoclinic crystal form, lipid-like molecules, most likely beta-octyl glucoside, can be seen close to the active site. The behaviour of these lipid molecules in the crystal structure has been studied at different pH values.

CONCLUSION

The structure of Candida antarctica lipase B shows that the enzyme has a Ser-His-Asp catalytic triad in its active site. The structure appears to be in an 'open' conformation with a rather restricted entrance to the active site. We believe that this accounts for the substrate specificity and high degree of stereospecificity of this lipase.

Enzymic catalysis in heterogeneous eutectic mixtures of substrates

Enzymic catalysis in heterogeneous eutectic mixtures offers advantages over conventional reactions conducted in organic solvents. Such benefits include the avoidance of bulk solvents and the attainment of greatly improved productivities. A wide range of proteases have been shown to retain their catalytic activity in eutectic mixtures of substrates, and have been used to synthesize various model and bioactive oligopeptides. Further work is required to establish what factors affect the kinetics and productivity of biocatalysis in eutectic media, and to what extent this approach can be applied to other enzyme-catalysed reactions of interest.

Saponin-induced release of cell-surface-anchored Thy-1 by serum glycosylphosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase D

A glycosylphosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase D (GPI-PLD) was purified from human serum and used for studies on the release of GPI-anchored Thy-1 glycoprotein from mouse T lymphoma cells Y191. Previous studies have shown that whereas GPI-PLD is highly active against detergent-solubilized GPI-anchored proteins, it is normally unable to release GPI-containing proteins anchored in a lipid bilayer. Confirming these findings, the addition of GPI-PLD to intact Y191 cells did not result in cleavage of Thy-1. However, pretreatment of cells with saponin, a cholesterol-sequestering agent, rendered Thy-1 susceptible to hydrolysis. Very little solubilization of GPI-containing Thy-1 occurred under these conditions. From experiments with reconstituted liposomes it was inferred that the effect of saponin on cells was to aid in the presentation of Thy-1 to GPI-PLD. Furthermore, it was concluded that cholesterol-saponin complexes formed in the membrane were not alone responsible for the effect. Rather, additional molecules in the plasma membrane are possibly involved in the presentation of Thy-1 on saponin-treated cells. This finding may have implications for a physiological role of circulating GPI-PLD in the regulation of GPI-anchored proteins on cells.

Nucleotide sequence of a novel arylesterase gene from Vibro mimicus and characterization of the enzyme expressed in Escherichia coli

A gene coding for an arylesterase of Vibrio mimicus was cloned. Sequence determination reveals that the esterase gene has an open reading frame of 600 nucleotides which encodes a protein of M(r) 22,300. The deduced amino acid sequence contain a pentapeptide GDSLS (residues 27-31), which was also found in the phospholipid-cholesterol acyltransferase from Aeromonas hydrophila. Substitution of Ser-29 by alanine or cysteine in the cloned gene abolished the esterase activity in the tributyrin plate assay. On the other hand, the activity was not lost when Ser-31 was changed to alanine. The cloned gene was expressed in Escherichia coli, and the protein purified by a four-step procedure. The purified protein migrated on SDS/PAGE as a single band with an apparent M(r) of 22,100. This enzyme favoured the hydrolysis of several arylesters and was classified as an arylesterase (EC 3.1.1.2). N-Terminal analysis showed that Ser-20 was the first amino acid of the mature secreted protein, suggesting that the N-terminal 19 hydrophobic amino acids served as a signal peptide.

Effects of triacylglycerol-saturated acyl chains on the clearance of chylomicron-like emulsions from the plasma of the rat

We previously found that a single saturated acyl chain at the glycerol 2-position affected the metabolism of chylomicrons. The explanation for the effect is not clear, but could be reproduced by saturated monoacylglycerols. In the present work we have extended our measurements to several different triacylglycerols containing one or two saturated chains in specific locations in an attempt to define structural features that affect chylomicron clearance. Lipid emulsions containing triacylglycerol, egg yolk phosphatidylcholine, free cholesterol, cholesteryl oleate (CO) and labelled with 3H-CO and [14C]triolein (OOO) were prepared as models of lymph chylomicrons. When injected intravenously into rats, the metabolism of the emulsions was influenced by the acyl chains of the constituent triacylglycerols. Compared with emulsions containing OOO as the only triacylglycerol, plasma clearances of emulsion [3H]CO were extremely slow in emulsions containing either 1,2-dioleoyl-3-stearoylglycerol (OOS) or 1-stearoyl-2,3-dioleoylglycerol (SOO). As little as 10% of SOO in mixture with OOO slowed the clearance, and increasing proportions of SOO in OOO emulsions progressively slowed the removal of OOO and CO labels from plasma. With 50% and 100% SOO in the emulsions clearance was negligible. In emulsions containing the triacyl-sn-glycerols, 1,3-dimyristoyl-2-oleoylglycerol (MOM), 1,3-dipalmitoyl-2-oleoylglycerol (POP), 1-oleoyl-2,3-distearoylglycerol (OSS) or 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-3-stearoylglycerol (POS), clearance rates of CO and OOO labels from plasma were significantly decreased compared with control OOO emulsions. With emulsions prepared with the triacylglycerols, 1-oleoyl-2,3-dimyristoylglycerol (OMM) and 1-oleoyl-2,3-dipalmitoylglycerol (OPP), clearances of CO label were significantly slower than with control OOO emulsions, while the removal of OOO label was not significantly affected. The uptake of CO label in the liver was decreased in conjunction with the lower rates of clearance of emulsion CO from the plasma. The clearance from plasma of 1,3-distearoyl-2-oleoylglycerol (SOS) emulsions was similar to the control OOO emulsions, but significantly more emulsion OOO label was taken up by the liver. Emulsions made with the triacylglycerols extracted from natural cocoa butter, which contained a high proportion of saturated acyl chains, were cleared similarly to the control OOO emulsions. Our findings indicate that the plasma clearance of triacylglycerol-rich lipoprotein particles depends upon the specific arrangements of the acyl chains of the constituent triacylglycerols, and not necessarily on the overall saturation of the triacylglycerols.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Interfacial hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate by turkey erythrocyte phospholipase C

The activity of a beta-isoform of phospholipase C (PLC) partially purified from turkey erythrocyte cytosol was assayed using phospholipid monolayers formed at an air-water interface. PLC was rapidly purified at least 8000-fold by a sequence of ion-exchange, hydrophobic and heparin chromatographies. 33P-labelled substrates were prepared using partially purified PtdIns kinase and PtdIns4P 5-kinases, respectively, and purified by h.p.l.c. using an amino-cyano analytical column. Using such 33P-labelled phosphoinositides of high specific radioactivity, PLC activity was monitored directly by measuring the loss of radioactivity from monolayers as a result of the release of inositol phosphates and their subsequent dissolution and quenching in the subphase. Under these conditions, PtdIns4P hydrolysis obeyed approximately first-order kinetics whereas PtdIns(4,5)P2 hydrolysis was zero-order at least until 80% of the substrate had been degraded. PLC activity was markedly affected by the surface pressure of the monolayer, with reduced activity at extremes of initial pressure and with the most permissive pressures in the middle of the range investigated. The optimum surface pressure for hydrolysis of PtdIns4P was approx. 25 mN/m, but for PtdIns(4,5)P2 the maximum activity occurred at the markedly higher surface pressure of 30 mN/m. These data are discussed in terms of the substrate specificity and likely regulation of PLC beta isoforms engaged in degrading their substrate in biological membranes.

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic studies of the precursor and mature forms of a neutral lipase from the fungus Rhizopus delemar

A neutral lipase from the filamentous fungus Rhizopus delemar has been crystallized in both its proenzyme and mature forms. Although the latter crystallizes readily and produces a variety of crystal forms, only one was found to be suitable for X-ray studies. It is monoclinic (C2, a = 92.8 A, b = 128.9 A, c = 78.3 A, beta = 135.8) with two molecules in the asymmetric unit related by a noncrystallographic diad. The prolipase crystals are orthorhombic (P2(1)2(1)2(1), with a = 79.8 A, b = 115.2 A, c = 73.0 A) and also contain a pair of molecules in the asymmetric unit. Initial results of molecular replacement calculations using the refined coordinates of the related lipase from Rhizomucor miehei identified the correct orientations and positions of the protein molecules in the unit cells of crystals of both proenzyme and the mature form.

Polymorphism in the lipase genes of Geotrichum candidum strains

The fungus Geotrichum candidum produces extracellular lipases. Purification and characterization of different lipase isoforms from various G. candidum strains is difficult due to the close physical and biochemical properties of the isoforms. Consequently, the characterization of these enzymes and their substrate specificities has been difficult. We have determined the lipase genes present in four strains of G. candidum (ATCC 34614, NRCC 205002, NRRL Y-552 and NRRL Y-553) by molecular cloning and DNA sequencing. Each strain contains two genes similar to the previously identified lipase I and lipase II cDNAs. Our data suggest that no other related lipase genes are present in these strains. Each lipase-gene family shows sequence variation (polymorphism) that is confirmed by Southern-blot analysis. This polymorphism and the sequence differences between lipase I and lipase II have been localized within the previously determined three-dimensional structure of lipase II. Although most of the amino acid substitutions are located on the protein surface, some are present in structural features possibly involved in determining substrate specificity.

A structural model of mono- and diacylglycerol lipase from Penicillium camembertii

The amino acid sequence of lipase from Penicillium camembertii was aligned with Rhizomucor miehei lipase without permitting any deletion or insertion in the structurally conserved regions. This lipase was classified into the R. miehei lipase family, because 33% of the residues were identical and 18% of the exchanges were conserved. A graphic molecular model for P. camembertii lipase was built using information from the sequence and X-ray structure of R. miehei lipase. The primary specificity pocket in the model of P. camembertii lipase predicted a substrate preference for monoacylglycerols and diacylglycerols. The close region to reactive His259 in P. camembertii lipase, which located in the opposite shore to the helical lid that was predictable to move in the activated state, contributed to the decision of the unique substrate specificity.

Cutinase, a lipolytic enzyme with a preformed oxyanion hole

Cutinases, a group of cutin degrading enzymes with molecular masses of around 22-25 kDa (Kolattukudy, 1984), are also able to efficiently hydrolyse triglycerides (De Geus et al., 1989; Lauwereys et al., 1991), but without exhibiting the interfacial activation phenomenom (Sarda et al., 1958). They belong to a class of proteins with a common structural framework, called the alpha/beta hydrolase fold (Martinez et al., 1992; Ollis et al., 1992). We describe herein the structure of cutinase covalently inhibited by diethyl-p-nitrophenyl phosphate (E600) and refined at 1.9-A resolution. Contrary to what has previously been reported with lipases (Brzozowski et al., 1991; Derewenda et al., 1992; Van Tilbeurgh et al., 1993), no significant structural rearrangement was observed here in cutinase upon the inhibitor binding. Moreover, the structure of the active site machinery, consisting of a catalytic triad (S120, H188, D175) and an oxyanion hole (Q121 and S42), was found to be identical to that of the native enzyme, whereas the oxyanion hole of Rhizomucor lipase (Brzozowski et al., 1991; Derewenda et al., 1992), like that of pancreatic lipase (van Tilbeurgh et al., 1993), is formed only upon enzyme-ligand complex formation. The fact that cutinase does not display interfacial activation cannot therefore only be due to the absence of a lid but might also be attributable to the presence of a preformed oxyanion hole.

Steady-state fluorescence studies on lipase-vesicle interactions

The interaction of lipase from Candida cylindracea (CCL) with positively charged polymerizable surfactant vesicles was studied by the use of steady-state fluorescence techniques. The phase transition of vesicles composed of nonpolymerized and polymerized N-allylbis[2-(hexadecanoyloxy)ethyl]methylammonium bromide (ABHEMA Br) was determined in the absence of lipase, by measuring the change in fluorescence anisotropy of the membrane probe 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH). The phase transition temperature for nonpolymerized vesicles is 49 degrees C and for the polymerized analogues 45 degrees C. Fluorescence anisotropy and resonance energy transfer measurements were used to illustrate the incorporation of the lipase in the vesicle membrane. These studies demonstrated that CCL is incorporated into the hydrophobic bilayer of the vesicle. By using an interfacial membrane probe 1-[4-(trimethylammonium)phenyl]-6-phenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene p-toluene sulphonate, TMA-DPH) and an internal membrane probe (DPH), it could be determined that the enzyme is incorporated more efficiently into nonpolymerized vesicles, and that the penetration of the enzyme into the bilayer is less deep in the case of the polymerized vesicles.

Digestive lipases: inactivation by phosphonates

Phosphonates mimicking the transition state which occurs during carboxyester hydrolysis were synthesized and investigated as potential inactivators of human pancreatic (HPL) and gastric (HGL) lipases. Their efficiency as inactivators was studied on the basis of the alkyl chain length, the nature of the leaving group and the influence of the ester substituent. In each case, HGL was found to be more sensitive than HPL towards these phosphonates. The released p-nitrophenol to enzyme ratio indicates that a 1:1 complex was formed. In the absence of substrate, the most powerful inactivator was O-methyl O-(p-nitrophenyl) n-pentylphosphonate (4A), which has a short alkyl chain, a small methoxy substituent and a good leaving group.

The multifunctional role of hormone-sensitive lipase in lipid metabolism

Hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) is an enzyme of relatively broad specificity, having the ability to hydrolyze tri-, di- and mono-acylglycerols as well as cholesterol esters and small water-soluble substrates. This broad specificity allows HSL to perform a variety of functions in several tissues. A key feature of HSL is its ability to be activated via phosphorylation by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. In addition it is phosphorylated at a second site by several kinases, notably AMP-activated protein kinase. Phosphorylation of this site apparently plays a role in rendering the enzyme hormone-insensitive, in that prior phosphorylation at site 2 prevents phosphorylation and activation at site 1 by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. Investigation of the protein phosphatases responsible for dephosphorylation of these sites has indicated that phosphatase 2A plays a predominant role but also that protein phosphatase 2C is a significant phosphatase targeted against both phosphorylation sites. Evidence indicates that HSL has at least three functional domains which contain (a) the phosphorylation sites which control activity, (b) the active site responsible for the catalytic activity and (c) a lipid binding site responsible for anchoring the lipase at the water-lipid interface. Using limited proteolytic studies we have found that it is possible to cleave HSL into several fragments including a stable domain of M(r) approximately 17.6 kDa which contains the active site serine residue. Digestion under similar conditions also generates a stable domain of M(r) approximately 11.5 kDa containing both phosphorylation sites. Furthermore, under appropriate conditions it is possible to digest HSL and retain activity against water-soluble substrates but with the concomitant loss of activity against triacylglycerol, implying that a lipid binding domain is lost during this procedure. HSL is responsible for the neutral cholesterol esterase activity in macrophages and it may play a role in the accumulation of cholesterol esters which occur during the development of foam cells. HSL activity is reduced in macrophage foam cells, at least partly due to increased activity of a cytosolic HSL inhibitor protein. A finding unexplained for many years has been that, although lipolysis can be stimulated 50-100-fold in adipocytes by lipolytic hormones, HSL can apparently only be activated 2-3-fold via phosphorylation in vitro by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. One possibility to explain this discrepancy is that an additional anchoring protein is missing from the in vitro system and indirect evidence is now accumulating for such a protein.

Pseudomonas lipases: molecular genetics and potential industrial applications

Lipases are esterases able to hydrolyze water-insoluble esters such as long-chain triglycerides. These enzymes also catalyze the formation of esters (esterification) and the exchange of ester bonds (transesterification) when present in nonaqueous media. Lipases display a high degree of specificity and enantioselectivity for esterification and transesterification reactions, and thus their potential uses in industry are very wide. These potential industrial applications have been an important driving force for lipase research during the last several years, and in particular for the study of lipases produced by microorganisms. Pseudomonas lipases are very interesting because they display special biochemical characteristics not common among the lipases produced by other microorganisms, such as their thermoresistance and activity at alkaline pHs. Recently, several Pseudomonas genes have been cloned and sequenced, and the regulation of their expression is beginning to be understood. The molecular genetic approach to the study of Pseudomonas lipases will permit the construction of recombinant strains with increased lipase productivity and will provide the opportunity to modify these enzymes to suit particular industrial applications.

An unusual buried polar cluster in a family of fungal lipases

The stability of globular proteins arises largely from the burial of non-polar amino acids in their interior. These residues are efficiently packed to eliminate energetically unfavorable cavities. Contrary to these observations, high resolution X-ray crystallographic analyses of four homologous lipases from filamentous fungi reveal an alpha/beta fold which contains a buried conserved constellation of charged and polar side chains with associated cavities containing ordered water molecules. It is possible that this structural arrangement plays an important role in interfacial catalysis.

Two conformational states of Candida rugosa lipase

The structure of Candida rugosa lipase in a new crystal form has been determined and refined at 2.1 A resolution. The lipase molecule was found in an inactive conformation, with the active site shielded from the solvent by a part of the polypeptide chain-the flap. Comparison of this structure with the previously determined "open" form of this lipase, in which the active site is accessible to the solvent and presumably the substrate, shows that the transition between these 2 states requires only movement of the flap. The backbone NH groups forming the putative oxyanion hole do not change position during this rearrangement, indicating that this feature is preformed in the inactive state. The 2 lipase conformations probably correspond to states at opposite ends of the pathway of interfacial activation. Quantitative analysis indicates a large increase of the hydrophobic surface in the vicinity of the active site. The flap undergoes a flexible rearrangement during which some of its secondary structure refolds. The interactions of the flap with the rest of the protein change from mostly hydrophobic in the inactive form to largely hydrophilic in the "open" conformation. Although the flap movement cannot be described as a rigid body motion, it has very definite hinge points at Glu 66 and at Pro 92. The rearrangement is accompanied by a cis-trans isomerization of this proline, which likely increases the energy required for the transition between the 2 states, and may play a role in the stabilization of the active conformation at the water/lipid interface. Carbohydrate attached at Asn 351 also provides stabilization for the open conformation of the flap.

Inactivation of pancreatic lipases by amphiphilic reagents 5-(dodecyldithio)-2-nitrobenzoic acid and tetrahydrolipstatin. Dependence upon partitioning between micellar and oil phases

We have reported previously that Cys103 (SHII) of human pancreatic lipase (HPL), unlike the nonessential Cys181 (SHI), was buried and inaccessible to classical water-soluble sulfhydryl reagents. The lipolytic activity of HPL was lost after the labeling of the above two SH groups with the amphiphilic sulfhydryl reagent, 5-(dodecyldithio)-2-nitrobenzoic acid (C12-TNB), suggesting that the SHII residue may play an important role in the hydrolytic process [Gargouri, Y., Cudrey, C., Medjoub, H., & Verger, R. (1992) Eur. J. Biochem. 204, 1063-1067]. For the present experiments, we selected dog pancreatic lipase (DPL), purifying it for the first time, and recombinant guinea pig pancreatic lipase (r-GPL), which both contain a buried SHII group but no accessible SHI group. The single SHII of DPL and r-GPL reacted only with the amphiphilic SH reagent (C12-TNB), and its labeling was correlated with a rapid lipase inactivation. Although it is spatially remote from the catalytic triad, the SHII group of pancreatic lipases, when chemically labeled, was found to be responsible for the loss of their lipolytic activity. The presence of a bulky dodecyl chain, linked by a disulfide bond to the SHII, may have prevented the critical beta-5 loop (residues 76-85) movement by steric hindrance and consequently disturbed the formation of the oxyanion hole. Thus, pancreatic lipase inactivation by the amphiphilic sulfhydryl reagent can be said to be due to the prevention of a productive induced fit. Tetrahydrolipstatin (THL) is an amphiphilic inactivator reacting with the essential serine of the lipase active site.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Lipases from Rhizomucor miehei and Humicola lanuginosa: modification of the lid covering the active site alters enantioselectivity

The homologous lipases from Rhizomucor miehei and Humicola lanuginosa showed approximately the same enantioselectivity when 2-methyldecanoic acid esters were used as substrates. Both lipases preferentially hydrolyzed the S-enantiomer of 1-heptyl 2-methyldecanoate (R. miehei: ES = 8.5; H. lanuginosa: ES = 10.5), but the R-enantiomer of phenyl 2-methyldecanoate (ER = 2.9). Chemical arginine specific modification of the R. miehei lipase with 1,2-cyclohexanedione resulted in a decreased enantioselectivity (ER = 2.0), only when the phenyl ester was used as a substrate. In contrast, treatment with phenylglyoxal showed a decreased enantioselectivity (ES = 2.5) only when the heptyl ester was used as a substrate. The presence of guanidine, an arginine side chain analog, decreased the enantioselectivity with the heptyl ester (ES = 1.9) and increased the enantioselectivity with the aromatic ester (ER = 4.4) as substrates. The mutation, Glu 87 Ala, in the lid of the H. lanuginosa lipase, which might decrease the electrostatic stabilization of the open-lid conformation of the lipase, resulted in 47% activity compared to the native lipase, in a tributyrin assay. The Glu 87 Ala mutant showed an increased enantioselectivity with the heptyl ester (ES = 17.4) and a decreased enantioselectivity with the phenyl ester (ER = 2.5) as substrates, compared to native lipase. The enantioselectivities of both lipases in the esterification of 2-methyldecanoic acid with 1-heptanol were unaffected by the lid modifications.

Effects of the interaction of porcine pancreatic lipase with AOT/isooctane reverse micelles on enzyme structure and function follow predictable patterns

Aerosol OT/isooctane reverse micelles were used to investigate the dependence of the lipolytic activity of porcine pancreatic lipase on surfactant concentration. Kinetic constants for the lipolytic reaction were measured in parallel with structural studies using protein fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Km and kcat values decreased with increasing surfactant concentration at constant water to surfactant ratio (wo = 11.85) from 25 to 100 mM AOT. These data suggested an association of the lipase with the micellar membrane and an uncompetitive inhibition of lipase activity by AOT. Structure prediction based on far-UV CD spectral data demonstrated structural reorganization of porcine pancreatic lipase upon incorporation into reverse micelles that was characterized by a large increase in beta-sheet, a decrease in alpha-helix, and slight increases in the random and beta-turn elements of structure. Other spectral changes of the lipase upon incorporation into reverse micelles included a blue shift in the fluorescence emission maximum from 342 to 335 nm and a 2.2-fold increase in the fluorescence intensity. These structure-function changes seem to be characteristic for the incorporation of lipases in AOT/isooctane reverse micelles.

Topological characterization and modeling of the 3D structure of lipase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Lipase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a M(r) 29 kDa protein with a single functional disulfide bond as shown by a shift in electrophoretic mobility after treatment with dithiothreitol and iodoacetamide. Limited proteolysis of lipase with Staphylococcus aureus protease V8 resulted in cleavage after amino acid residues Asp38 and Glu46. Comparison of the lipase amino acid sequence with those of other hydrolases with known 3D structures indicated that the folding pattern might be compatible with the alpha/beta hydrolase fold, thereby allowing us to construct a 3D model which fitted the biochemical properties. The model predicts a catalytic triad consisting of Ser82, Asp229 and His251, and contains a disulfide bond connecting residues Cys183 and Cys235. Residues Asp38 and Glu46 are located at the surface of the enzyme, whereas the disulfide bond is rather inaccessible, which is in agreement with the finding that the protein needed to be partly unfolded before a reduction of the disulfide bond could take place. A striking prediction from the model was the lack of a lid-like alpha-helical loop structure covering the active site which confers to other well-characterized lipases a unique property known as interfacial activation. Experimental determination of lipase activity under conditions where the substrate existed either as monomeric solutions or aggregates confirmed the absence of interfacial activation.

The crystal structure of triacylglycerol lipase from Pseudomonas glumae reveals a partially redundant catalytic aspartate

The family of lipases (triacylglycerol-acyl-hydrolases EC 3.1.1.3) constitutes an interesting class of enzymes because of their ability to interact with lipid-water interfaces, their wide range of substrate specificities, and their potential industrial applications. Here we report the first crystal structure of a bacterial lipase, from Pseudomonas glumae. The structure is formed from three domains, the largest of which contains a subset of the alpha/beta hydrolase fold and a calcium site. Asp263, the acidic residue in the catalytic triad, has previously been mutated into an alanine with only a modest reduction in activity.

A genetically engineered vaccine against the alpha-toxin of Clostridium perfringens protects mice against experimental gas gangrene

Fragments of the alpha-toxin of Clostridium perfringens have been produced using genetic manipulation techniques. Antibody which cross-reacted with the alpha-toxin was induced after immunization with fragments representing the N- (Cpa1-249) and C-terminal (Cpa247-370) domains of the toxin. Smaller fragments of the alpha-toxin did not induce cross-reacting antibody. Anti-Cpa1-249 serum neutralized phospholipase C activity but not haemolytic activity of the toxin. Anti-Cpa247-370 serum neutralized both the phospholipase C and haemolytic activities. Only immunization with Cpa247-370 induced protection against the lethal effects of the toxin. Immunization with Cpa247-370 also provided protection in a mouse model against at least 10 LD100 doses of C. perfringens type A. This result confirms the essential role of this toxin in the pathogenesis of gas gangrene.

The role of arginines in stabilizing the active open-lid conformation of Rhizomucor miehei lipase

Molecular dynamics simulations for the lid covering the active site of Rhizomucor miehei lipase [EC 3.1.1.3] postulated that, among other interactions, Arg86 in the lid stabilized the open-lid conformation of the protein by multiple hydrogen bonding to the protein surface. Chemical modification of arginine residues in R. miehei lipase with 1,2-cyclohexanedione or phenylglyoxal resulted in residual activities in the hydrolysis of tributyrin of 66 and 46%, respectively. Tryptic maps of native and phenylglyoxal-reacted R. miehei lipase showed that Arg86 was the residue modified most, when the lipase was inhibited to the greatest extent. Guanidine, a structural analog to an arginine side chain, inhibited both the native enzyme and the arginine-modified enzymes, resulting in residual activities of 26% as compared to the native enzyme. The inhibition was not an effect of enzyme denaturation. The native enzyme was also inhibited by 1-ethylguanidine, benzamidine and urea, but to a lesser degree than by guanidine. Lipases from Humicola lanuginosa and porcine pancreas in 100 mM guanidine showed residual activities of 88 and 70%, respectively. The lipases from Candida antarctica, C. rugosa, Pseudomonas cepacia and P. fluorescens were not inhibited by guanidine. The inhibition of R. miehei lipase by structural analogs of the arginine side chain and after chemical modification of arginine residues suggest a role of an arginine residue in stabilizing the active open-lid conformation of the enzyme.

Serine carboxypeptidases: a new and versatile family of enzymes

Several structural and biochemical studies in the past year have revealed the potential application of a new family of serine proteinase, the serine carboxypeptidases, in peptide synthesis, carboxy-terminal peptide sequencing and the production of biologically active carboxy-terminal peptide amides. The recent determination of the high-resolution crystal structures for two members of the family, CPDW-II and CPDY, should permit protein engineering to further increase their utility.

Pseudomonas lipases: biochemical properties and molecular cloning

Lipases (glycerol ester hydrolases; EC 3.1.1.3) are important enzymes which, due to their ability to catalyze a number of reactions, are receiving considerable interest from both academia and industry. The bacterial genus Pseudomonas is a prolific producer of a number of extracellular enzymes including lipase. This review summarizes the biochemical properties and recent advances in the molecular genetic analysis of a wide variety of Pseudomonas lipases. In particular, a comparison is made between the amino acid sequences of the various lipases as well as their secondary gene products, which are thought to be essential for secretion of the enzyme.

One-step purification and characterization of human pancreatic lipase expressed in insect cells

A cDNA clone encoding the sequence of human pancreatic lipase (HPL) was subcloned into the baculovirus transfer vector pVL1392 and used in co-transfection of Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) insect cells with wild-type Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcNPV) DNA. A single recombinant protein (50 kDa) secreted by Sf9 cells was detectable in the culture medium 24 h post-infection using both anti-HPL polyclonal antibodies and potentiometric measurements of lipolytic activity. The expression level reached 40 mg/l of enzyme at 6 days. A single cation-exchange chromatography was sufficient to obtain a highly pure recombinant HPL as demonstrated by N-terminal sequencing, amino acid composition and carbohydrate analysis, as well as by mass spectrometry. These analyses revealed the production of mature protein with the correct processing of signal peptide and an homogenous glycosylation pattern. The kinetic properties of recombinant and native HPL were compared. Both enzymes showed similar profiles of interfacial activation, inhibition by bile salts and re-activation by colipase.

Movable lobes and flexible loops in proteins. Structural deformations that control biochemical activity

Two classes of protein whose structure is modified by small ligands are reviewed. Proteins of one group contain two massive domains joined by a flexible link; in response to small molecules, the two lobes approach and enclose the ligand. In the other, a short segment of amino acids moves as a flexible loop over the ligand which often is trapped in a non-aqueous environment. Biochemical reaction rates are altered dramatically by these movements.

Activation of a bacterial lipase by its chaperone

The gene lipA of Pseudomonas cepacia DSM 3959 encodes a prelipase from which a signal peptide is cleaved during secretion, producing a mature extracellular lipase. Expression of lipase in several heterologous hosts depends on the presence of another gene, limA, in cis or in trans. Lipase protein has been overproduced in Escherichia coli in the presence and absence of the lipase modulator gene limA. Therefore, limA is not required for the transcription of lipA or for the translation of the lipA mRNA. However, no lipase activity is observed in the absence of limA. limA has been overexpressed and encodes a 33-kDa protein, Lim. If lipase protein is denatured in 8 M urea and the urea is removed by dialysis, lipase activity is quantitatively recovered provided Lim protein is present during renaturation. Lip and Lim proteins form a complex precipitable either by an anti-lipase or anti-Lim antibody. The Lim protein has therefore the properties of a chaperone.

Bacterial phospholipases C

A variety of pathogenic bacteria produce phospholipases C, and since the discovery in 1944 that a bacterial toxin (Clostridium perfringens alpha-toxin) possessed an enzymatic activity, there has been considerable interest in this class of proteins. Initial speculation that all phospholipases C would have lethal properties has not been substantiated. Most of the characterized enzymes fall into one of four groups of structurally related proteins: the zinc-metallophospholipases C, the sphingomyelinases, the phosphatidylinositol-hydrolyzing enzymes, and the pseudomonad phospholipases C. The zinc-metallophospholipases C have been most intensively studied, and lethal toxins within this group possess an additional domain. The toxic phospholipases C can interact with eukaryotic cell membranes and hydrolyze phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin, leading to cell lysis. However, measurement of the cytolytic potential or lethality of phospholipases C may not accurately indicate their roles in the pathogenesis of disease. Subcytolytic concentrations of phospholipase C can perturb host cells by activating the arachidonic acid cascade or protein kinase C. Nonlethal phospholipases C, such as the Listeria monocytogenes PLC-A, appear to enhance the release of the organism from the host cell phagosome. Since some phospholipases C play important roles in the pathogenesis of disease, they could form components of vaccines. A greater understanding of the modes of action and structure-function relationships of phospholipases C will facilitate the interpretation of studies in which these enzymes are used as membrane probes and will enhance the use of these proteins as models for eukaryotic phospholipases C.

A structural domain (the lid) found in pancreatic lipases is absent in the guinea pig (phospho)lipase

Typically pancreatic lipases are characterized by the following properties: (1) they are activated by lipid/water interfaces (interfacial activation), (2) they are inhibited by bile salts but reactivated by colipase (a small activator protein), and (3) they do not hydrolyze significantly phospholipids. A cDNA clone encoding a guinea pig pancreatic (phospho)lipase (GPL) has been sequenced and expressed. The enzyme (recombinant as well as native) differs from other pancreatic lipases in that (1) it is not interfacially activated, (2) its activity is unaffected by the presence of bile salts and/or colipase using tributyrin as substrate, and (3) it exhibits equally phospholipase A1 and lipase activities. The amino acid sequence of GPL is highly homologous to that of other known pancreatic lipases, with the exception of a deletion in the so-called lid domain that regulates access to the active centers of other lipases. We propose that this deletion is directly responsible for the anomalous behavior of this enzyme. Thus GPL challenges the classical distinction between lipases, esterases, and phospholipases.

Interfacial activation of the lipase-procolipase complex by mixed micelles revealed by X-ray crystallography

The three-dimensional structure of the lipase-procolipase complex, co-crystallized with mixed micelles of phosphatidylcholine and bile salt, has been determined at 3 A resolution by X-ray crystallography. The lid, a surface helix covering the catalytic triad of lipase, adopts a totally different conformation which allows phospholipid to bind to the enzyme's active site. The open lid is an essential component of the active site and interacts with procolipase. Together they form the lipid-water interface binding site. This reorganization of the lid structure provokes a second drastic conformational change in an active site loop, which in its turn creates the oxyanion hole (induced fit).

Spectroscopic and kinetic studies of lipases solubilized in reverse micelles

The conformation and activity of three different lipases have been studied in reverse micelles formed by sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) in isooctane. In the case of human pancreatic lipase, the conformation of the polypeptide chain--as judged from far-UV circular dichroism measurements--is only slightly altered after the enzyme is transferred from a bulk aqueous solution into the microenvironment of reverse micelles. Significant spectral changes in the near-UV circular dichroism and fluorescence spectrum indicate, however, that the solvation of aromatic amino acid side chains is considerably different in reverse micelles. Conversely, the circular dichroism spectra of the lipases from Candida rugosa and Pseudomonas sp. are considerably different in reverse micelles, compared with the spectra in aqueous solution, indicating that both enzymes loose the native structure at the water/AOT/oil interface. Bound substrate and/or product can prevent this denaturation. While Pseudomonas sp. and human pancreatic lipase are inhibited by tetrahydrolipstatin (THL), the lipase from Candida rugosa is not. These data, together with additional activity and inhibition data, indicate that the micellar microenvironment accentuates the difference between the different enzymes in terms of the relation structure/activity.

Chymotryptic cleavage of lipoprotein lipase. Identification of cleavage sites and functional studies of the truncated molecule

Treatment of bovine lipoprotein lipase (LPL) with chymotrypsin results in cleavage between residues Phe390-Ser391 and between Trp392-Ser393, indicating that this region is exposed in the native conformation of LPL. Two main fragments are generated, one large including the amino-terminus (chymotrypsin-truncated LPL = c-LPL) and one small, carboxy-terminal fragment. The small fragment is not stable, but is further degraded by the protease. Isolated c-LPL has full catalytic activity against tributyryl glycerol (tributyrin) and p-nitrophenyl butyrate, while the activity against emulsions of long-chain triacylglycerols and against liposomes is reduced and the activity against milk fat globules and chylomicrons is lost. Several properties of c-LPL were investigated. It was found that c-LPL interacts with apolipoprotein CII (apo CII) as efficiently as intact LPL. The truncated enzyme bound to liposomes and to emulsions of long-chain triacylglycerols as well as the intact enzyme did. In contrast, c-LPL did not bind to milk fat globules or to chylomicrons. The activity of c-LPL was more sensitive to inhibition by other lipid-binding proteins, e.g. apolipoprotein CIII (apo CIII), than was the intact enzyme. The affinity for heparin was as high with c-LPL as with intact LPL. Like intact LPL, c-LPL is dimeric in its active form, as evidenced by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. It is concluded that the reduced catalytic and lipid-binding properties of c-LPL compared with intact LPL are related to the properties of the substrate interface. It is speculated that the carboxy-terminal part of LPL contains a secondary lipid-binding site, which is important for activity against chylomicrons and related substrates.

3D-structures of the lipase from Rhizomucor miehei at different temperatures and computer modelling of a complex of the lipase with trilaurylglycerol

The lipase of Rhizomucor miehei was measured at two different wavelengths (synchroton lambda = 1.06 A and at a rotating anode lambda = 1.542 A) and two temperatures (293 and 110 K). The structure could be solved using the C alpha-coordinates from the Brookhaven data base (code name 1TGL). Both structures were refined to R-values of 18.7% (synchrotron 293 K) and 20.0% (rotating anode 110 K) at a resolution of 8-2.3 and 8-2.5 A, respectively. Both structures are almost identical to the original 1TGL data set. The side chain positions of both crystal structures differ mainly in the parts of the molecule with relatively high temperature factors in the crystallographic refinement. The low-temperature structure forms more hydrogen bridges than the room temperature structure. From the results of Brzozowski et al. (1991), a preliminary model of the active RML was constructed. A docking of trilaurylglycerol led to a first model of the complex of RML/substrate.

Cloning and analysis of Candida cylindracea lipase sequences

Lipases (Lip) hydrolyze triglycerides into fatty acids and glycerol. Lip produced by the yeast Candida cylindracea are encoded by multiple genomic sequences. We report the molecular cloning and characterization of three genes from this family. They encode putative mature 57-kDa proteins of 534 amino acids (aa). To date, five Lip-encoding genomic sequences from C. cylindracea have been characterized in our laboratory. The five deduced aa sequences share an overall homology of 80%. These sequences have been aligned with each other and with those of homologous enzymes, the Lip from the mould Geotrichum candidum and the acetylcholinesterase from Torpedo californica, whose three-dimensional structures have been solved by X-ray analysis. The C. cylindracea Lip appear to have a structural organization similar to that described for both enzymes.