Crystal structure of an iron-containing 1,3-propanediol dehydrogenase (TM0920) from Thermotoga maritima at 1.3 Å resolution

Molecular Characterization of the Iron-Containing Alcohol Dehydrogenase from the Extremely Thermophilic Bacterium Pseudothermotoga hypogea

Pseudothermotoga hypogea is an extremely thermophilic bacterium capable of growing at 90 °C and producing ethanol, which is catalyzed by an alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). The gene encoding P. hypogea ADH (PhADH) was cloned, sequenced and over-expressed. The gene sequence (1164 bp) was obtained by sequencing all fragments of the gene, which were amplified from the genomic DNA. The deduced amino acid sequence showed high identity to iron-containing ADHs from other Thermotoga species and harbored typical iron- and NADP-binding motifs, Asp195His199His268His282 and Gly39Gly40Gly41Ser42, respectively. Structural modeling showed that the N-terminal domain of PhADH contains an α/β-dinucleotide-binding motif and that its C-terminal domain is an α-helix-rich region containing the iron-binding motif. The recombinant PhADH was soluble, active, and thermostable, with a subunit size of 43 ± 1 kDa revealed by SDS-PAGE analyses. The recombinant PhADH (69 ± 2 U/mg) was shown to have similar properties to the native enzyme. The optimal pH values for alcohol oxidation and aldehyde reduction were 11.0 and 8.0, respectively. It was also thermostable, with a half-life of 5 h at 70 °C. The successful expression of the recombinant PhADH in E. coli significantly enhanced the yield of enzyme production and thus will facilitate further investigation of the catalytic mechanisms of iron-containing ADHs.

Structures of lactaldehyde reductase, FucO, link enzyme activity to hydrogen bond networks and conformational dynamics

A group-III iron containing 1,2-propanediol oxidoreductase, FucO, (also known as lactaldehyde reductase) from Escherichia coli was examined regarding its structure-dynamics-function relationships in the catalysis of the NADH-dependent reduction of (2S)-lactaldehyde. Crystal structures of FucO variants in the presence or absence of cofactors have been determined, illustrating large domain movements between the apo and holo enzyme structures. Different structures of FucO variants co-crystallized with NAD⁺ or NADH together with substrate further suggest dynamic properties of the nicotinamide moiety of the coenzyme that are important for the reaction mechanism. Modelling of the native substrate (2S)-lactaldehyde into the active site can explain the stereoselectivity exhibited by the enzyme, with a critical hydrogen bond interaction between the (2S)-hydroxyl and the side-chain of N151, as well as the previously experimentally demonstrated pro-(R) selectivity in hydride transfer from NADH to the aldehydic carbon. Furthermore, the deuterium kinetic isotope effect of hydride transfer suggests that reduction chemistry is the main rate-limiting step for turnover which is not the case in FucO catalysed alcohol oxidation. We further propose that a water molecule in the active site - hydrogen bonded to a conserved histidine (H267) and the 2'-hydroxyl of the coenzyme ribose - functions as a catalytic proton donor in the protonation of the product alcohol. A hydrogen bond network of water molecules and the side-chains of amino acid residues D360 and H267 links bulk solvent to this proposed catalytic water molecule.

Characterization of a novel type III alcohol dehydrogenase from Thermococcus barophilus Ch5

The genome of the hyperthermophilic and piezophilic euryarchaeaon Thermococcus barophilus Ch5 encodes three putative alcohol dehydrogenases (Tba ADHs). Herein, we characterized Tba ADH₅₄₇ biochemically and probed its catalytic mechanism by mutational studies. Our data demonstrate that Tba ADH₅₄₇ can oxidize ethanol and reduce acetaldehyde at high temperature with the same optimal temperature (75 °C) and exhibit similar thermostability for oxidization and reduction reactions. However, Tba ADH₅₄₇ has different optimal pH for oxidation and reduction: 8.5 for oxidation and 7.0 for reduction. Tba ADH₅₄₇ is dependent on a divalent ion for its oxidation activity, among which Mn²⁺ is optimal. However, Tba ADH₅₄₇ displays about 20% reduction activity without a divalent ion, and the maximal activity with Fe²⁺. Furthermore, Tba ADH₅₄₇ showcases a strong substrate preference for 1-butanol and 1-hexanol over ethanol and other alcohols. Similarly, Tba ADH₅₄₇ prefers butylaldehyde to acetaldehyde as its reduction substrate. Mutational studies showed that the mutations of residues D195, H199, H262 and H274 to Ala result in the significant activity loss of Tba ADH₅₄₇, suggesting that residues D195, H199, H262 and H274 are responsible for catalysis. Overall, Tba ADH₅₄₇ is a thermoactive ADH with novel biochemical characteristics, thereby allowing this enzyme to be a potential biocatalyst.

Kinetics aspects of Gamma-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase

Two groups of metabolically related enzymes, the Group III family of Fe2+-dependent alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) and the separate subfamily of nucleoside diphosphates linked to x (nudix) hydrolases that activate Group III ADHs are under-characterized. Here we report the steady-state initial-velocity forward direction (alcohol → aldehyde) reaction of a Group III ADH, namely gamma-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (GHBDH, UniProt: Q59104), cloned from Cupriavidus necator as a fusion protein. We also report the effects of nudix hydrolases on the GHBDH reaction. At optimal pH 9.0, the GHBDH reaction is activated ~2-fold by two different saturating purified nudix hydrolases, namely Bacillus methanolicus activator (ACT, UniProt: I3EA59) and Escherichia coli NudF (UniProt Q93K97) proteins. At physiological pH values of ~7.0, ACT activates by >3.5-fold. Initial-rate characterization at pH 9.0 of the forward direction un-activated and ACT-activated reactions show for both cases competitive inhibition by the product succinic semialdehyde versus GHB, and noncompetitive inhibitions by the three other substrate-product combinations. This pattern is consistent with NAD+ binding first in Mono-Iso Theorell-Chance kinetics. Mutants of some possibly important residues in GHBDH also were characterized. H265, conserved among all Group III ADHs and previously proposed to be a critical general base, is only ~4-fold helpful for GHBDH activity relevant to H265A. The four previously proposed conserved Fe2+ chelators (D193, H197, H261 and H280) each are essential for GHBDH activity. A 2-step explanation for cross-species stimulation by sub-stoichiometric ACT in the forward direction and confirmed lack of ACT stimulation in the reverse direction reaction is proposed.

The structure of an iron-containing alcohol dehydrogenase from a hyperthermophilic archaeon in two chemical states

An iron-containing alcohol dehydrogenase (FeADH) from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus thioreducens was crystallized in unit cells belonging to space groups P2₁, P2₁2₁2₁ and P4₃2₁2, and the crystal structures were solved at 2.4, 2.1 and 1.9 Å resolution, respectively, by molecular replacement using the FeADH from Thermotoga maritima (Schwarzenbacher et al., 2004) as a model. In the monoclinic and orthorhombic crystals the dehydrogenase (molecular mass 41.5 kDa) existed as a dimer containing a twofold noncrystallographic symmetry axis, which was crystallographic in the tetragonal crystals. In the monoclinic and orthorhombic asymmetric units one molecule contained iron and an NADP molecule, while the other did not. The tetragonal crystals lacked both iron and NADP. The structure is very similar to that of the FeADH from T. maritima (average r.m.s. difference for C^α atoms of 1.8 Å for 341 aligned atoms). The iron, which is internally sequestered, is bound entirely by amino acids from one domain: three histidines and one aspartic acid. The coenzyme is in an extended conformation, a feature that is common to the large superfamily of NADH-dependent dehydrogenases that share a classical nucleotide-binding domain. A long broad tunnel passes entirely through the enzyme between the two domains, completely encapsulating the coenzyme.

Role of Trace Elements as Cofactor: An Efficient Strategy toward Enhanced Biobutanol Production

Metabolic engineering has the potential to steadily enhance product titers by inducing changes in metabolism. Especially, availability of cofactors plays a crucial role in improving efficacy of product conversion. Hence, the effect of certain trace elements was studied individually or in combinations, to enhance butanol flux during its biological production. Interestingly, nickel chloride (100 mg L^-1) and sodium selenite (1 mg L^-1) showed a nearly 2-fold increase in solvent titer, achieving 16.13 ± 0.24 and 12.88 ± 0.36 g L^-1 total solvents with yields of 0.30 and 0.33 g g^-1, respectively. Subsequently, the addition time (screened entities) was optimized (8 h) to further increase solvent production up to 18.17 ± 0.19 and 15.5 ± 0.13 g L^-1 by using nickel and selenite, respectively. A significant upsurge in butanol dehydrogenase (BDH) levels was observed, which reflected in improved solvent productions. Additionally, a three-dimensional structure of BDH was also constructed using homology modeling and subsequently docked with substrate, cofactor, and metal ion to investigate proper orientation and molecular interactions.

Residues His172 and Lys238 are Essential for the Catalytic Activity of the Maleylacetate Reductase from Sphingobium chlorophenolicum Strain L-1

Maleylacetate reductase (PcpE), the last enzyme in the pentachlorophenol biodegradation pathway in Sphingobium chlorophenolicum L-1, catalyzes two consecutive reductive reactions, reductive dehalogenation of 2-chloromaleylacetate (2-CMA) to maleylacetate (MA) and subsequent reduction of MA to 3-oxoadipate (3-OXO). In each reaction, one molecule of NADH is consumed. To better understand its catalytic function, we undertook a structural model-based site-directed mutagenesis and steady-state kinetics study of PcpE. Our results showed that the putative catalytic site of PcpE is located in a positively charged solvent channel at the interface of the two domains and the binding of 2-CMA/MA involves seven basic amino acids, His172, His236, His237, His241 and His251, Lys140 and Lys238. Mutagenesis studies showed that His172 and Lys238 are essential for the catalytic activity of PcpE. However, the mutation of His236 to an alanine can increase the catalytic efficiency (k _cat /K _m ) of PcpE by more than 2-fold, implying that PcpE is still in an early stage of molecular evolution. Similar to tetrachlorobenzoquinone reductase (PcpD), PcpE is also inhibited by pentachlorophenol in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, our studies showed that PcpE exhibits an extremely low but detectable level of alcohol dehalogenase activity toward ethanol and supports the notion that it is evolved from an iron-containing alcohol dehydrogenase.

Diversity and Evolutionary Analysis of Iron-Containing (Type-III) Alcohol Dehydrogenases in Eukaryotes

BACKGROUND

Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity is widely distributed in the three domains of life. Currently, there are three non-homologous NAD(P)+-dependent ADH families reported: Type I ADH comprises Zn-dependent ADHs; type II ADH comprises short-chain ADHs described first in Drosophila; and, type III ADH comprises iron-containing ADHs (FeADHs). These three families arose independently throughout evolution and possess different structures and mechanisms of reaction. While types I and II ADHs have been extensively studied, analyses about the evolution and diversity of (type III) FeADHs have not been published yet. Therefore in this work, a phylogenetic analysis of FeADHs was performed to get insights into the evolution of this protein family, as well as explore the diversity of FeADHs in eukaryotes.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Results showed that FeADHs from eukaryotes are distributed in thirteen protein subfamilies, eight of them possessing protein sequences distributed in the three domains of life. Interestingly, none of these protein subfamilies possess protein sequences found simultaneously in animals, plants and fungi. Many FeADHs are activated by or contain Fe2+, but many others bind to a variety of metals, or even lack of metal cofactor. Animal FeADHs are found in just one protein subfamily, the hydroxyacid-oxoacid transhydrogenase (HOT) subfamily, which includes protein sequences widely distributed in fungi, but not in plants), and in several taxa from lower eukaryotes, bacteria and archaea. Fungi FeADHs are found mainly in two subfamilies: HOT and maleylacetate reductase (MAR), but some can be found also in other three different protein subfamilies. Plant FeADHs are found only in chlorophyta but not in higher plants, and are distributed in three different protein subfamilies.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

FeADHs are a diverse and ancient protein family that shares a common 3D scaffold with a patchy distribution in eukaryotes. The majority of sequenced FeADHs from eukaryotes are distributed in just two subfamilies, HOT and MAR (found mainly in animals and fungi). These two subfamilies comprise almost 85% of all sequenced FeADHs in eukaryotes.

Cofactor Specificity of the Bifunctional Alcohol and Aldehyde Dehydrogenase (AdhE) in Wild-Type and Mutant Clostridium thermocellum and Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum

Clostridium thermocellum and Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum are thermophilic bacteria that have been engineered to produce ethanol from the cellulose and hemicellulose fractions of biomass, respectively. Although engineered strains of T. saccharolyticum produce ethanol with a yield of 90% of the theoretical maximum, engineered strains of C. thermocellum produce ethanol at lower yields (∼50% of the theoretical maximum). In the course of engineering these strains, a number of mutations have been discovered in their adhE genes, which encode both alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) enzymes. To understand the effects of these mutations, the adhE genes from six strains of C. thermocellum and T. saccharolyticum were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli, the enzymes produced were purified by affinity chromatography, and enzyme activity was measured. In wild-type strains of both organisms, NADH was the preferred cofactor for both ALDH and ADH activities. In high-ethanol-producing (ethanologen) strains of T. saccharolyticum, both ALDH and ADH activities showed increased NADPH-linked activity. Interestingly, the AdhE protein of the ethanologenic strain of C. thermocellum has acquired high NADPH-linked ADH activity while maintaining NADH-linked ALDH and ADH activities at wild-type levels. When single amino acid mutations in AdhE that caused increased NADPH-linked ADH activity were introduced into C. thermocellum and T. saccharolyticum, ethanol production increased in both organisms. Structural analysis of the wild-type and mutant AdhE proteins was performed to provide explanations for the cofactor specificity change on a molecular level.

IMPORTANCE

This work describes the characterization of the AdhE enzyme from different strains of C. thermocellum and T. saccharolyticum. C. thermocellum and T. saccharolyticum are thermophilic anaerobes that have been engineered to make high yields of ethanol and can solubilize components of plant biomass and ferment the sugars to ethanol. In the course of engineering these strains, several mutations arose in the bifunctional ADH/ALDH protein AdhE, changing both enzyme activity and cofactor specificity. We show that changing AdhE cofactor specificity from mostly NADH linked to mostly NADPH linked resulted in higher ethanol production by C. thermocellum and T. saccharolyticum.

Substrate scope and selectivity in offspring to an enzyme subjected to directed evolution

We have analyzed the effects of mutations inserted during directed evolution of a specialized enzyme, Escherichia coli S-1,2-propanediol oxidoreductase (FucO). The kinetic properties of evolved variants have been determined and the observed differences have been rationalized by modeling the tertiary structures of isolated variants and the wild-type enzyme. The native substrate, S-1,2-propanediol, as well as phenylacetaldehyde and 2S-3-phenylpropane-1,2-diol, which are new substrates accepted by isolated variants, were docked into the active sites. The study provides a comprehensive picture of how acquired catalytic properties have arisen via an intermediate generalist enzyme, which had acquired a single mutation (L259V) in the active site. Further mutagenesis of this generalist resulted in a new specialist catalyst. We have also been able to relate the native enzyme activities to the evolved ones and linked the differences to individual amino acid residues important for activity and selectivity. F254 plays a dual role in the enzyme function. First, mutation of F254 into an isoleucine weakens the interactions with the coenzyme thereby increasing its dissociation rate from the active site and resulting in a four-fold increase in turnover number with S-1,2-propanediol. Second, F254 is directly involved in binding of aryl-substituted substrates via π-π interactions. On the other hand, N151 is critical in determining the substrate scope since the side chain amide group stabilizes binding of 1,2-substituted diols and is apparently necessary for enzymatic activity with these substrates. Moreover, the side chain of N151 introduces steric hindrance, which prevents high activity with phenylacetaldehyde. Additionally, the hydroxyl group of T149 is required to maintain the catalytically important hydrogen bonding network.

Structure of a bifunctional alcohol dehydrogenase involved in bioethanol generation inGeobacillus thermoglucosidasius

Bifunctional alcohol/aldehyde dehydrogenase (ADHE) enzymes are found within many fermentative microorganisms. They catalyse the conversion of an acyl-coenzyme A to an alcoholviaan aldehyde intermediate; this is coupled to the oxidation of two NADH molecules to maintain the NAD+pool during fermentative metabolism. The structure of the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) domain of an ADHE protein from the ethanol-producing thermophileGeobacillus thermoglucosidasiushas been determined to 2.5 Å resolution. This is the first structure to be reported for such a domain.In silicomodelling has been carried out to generate a homology model of the aldehyde dehydrogenase domain, and this was subsequently docked with the ADH-domain structure to model the structure of the complete ADHE protein. This model suggests, for the first time, a structural mechanism for the formation of the large multimeric assemblies or `spirosomes' that are observed for this ADHE protein and which have previously been reported for ADHEs from other organisms.

Water-mediated ionic interactions in protein structures

It is well known that water molecules play an indispensable role in the structure and function of biological macromolecules. The water-mediated ionic interactions between the charged residues provide stability and plasticity and in turn address the function of the protein structures. Thus, this study specifically addresses the number of possible water-mediated ionic interactions, their occurrence, distribution and nature found in 90% non-redundant protein chains. Further, it provides a statistical report of different charged residue pairs that are mediated by surface or buried water molecules to form the interactions. Also, it discusses its contributions in stabilizing various secondary structural elements of the protein. Thus, the present study shows the ubiquitous nature of the interactions that imparts plasticity and flexibility to a protein molecule.

Mutant alcohol dehydrogenase leads to improved ethanol tolerance in Clostridium thermocellum

Clostridium thermocellum is a thermophilic, obligately anaerobic, gram-positive bacterium that is a candidate microorganism for converting cellulosic biomass into ethanol through consolidated bioprocessing. Ethanol intolerance is an important metric in terms of process economics, and tolerance has often been described as a complex and likely multigenic trait for which complex gene interactions come into play. Here, we resequence the genome of an ethanol-tolerant mutant, show that the tolerant phenotype is primarily due to a mutated bifunctional acetaldehyde-CoA/alcohol dehydrogenase gene (adhE), hypothesize based on structural analysis that cofactor specificity may be affected, and confirm this hypothesis using enzyme assays. Biochemical assays confirm a complete loss of NADH-dependent activity with concomitant acquisition of NADPH-dependent activity, which likely affects electron flow in the mutant. The simplicity of the genetic basis for the ethanol-tolerant phenotype observed here informs rational engineering of mutant microbial strains for cellulosic ethanol production.

Structures of iron-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase 2 from Zymomonas mobilis ZM4 with and without NAD+ cofactor

The ethanologenic bacterium Zymomonas mobilis ZM4 is of special interest because it has a high ethanol yield. This is made possible by the two alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) present in Z. mobilis ZM4 (zmADHs), which shift the equilibrium of the reaction toward the synthesis of ethanol. They are metal-dependent enzymes: zinc for zmADH1 and iron for zmADH2. However, zmADH2 is inactivated by oxygen, thus implicating zmADH2 as the component of the cytosolic respiratory system in Z. mobilis. Here, we show crystal structures of zmADH2 in the form of an apo-enzyme and an NAD+–cofactor complex. The overall folding of the monomeric structure is very similar to those of other functionally related ADHs with structural variations around the probable substrate and NAD+ cofactor binding region. A dimeric structure is formed by the limited interactions between the two subunits with the bound NAD+ at the cleft formed along the domain interface. The catalytic iron ion binds near to the nicotinamide ring of NAD+, which is likely to restrict and locate the ethanol to the active site together with the oxidized Cys residue and several nonpolar bulky residues. The structures of the zmADH2 from the proficient ethanologenic bacterium Z. mobilis, with and without NAD+ cofactor, and modeling ethanol in the active site imply that there is a typical metal-dependent catalytic mechanism.

YqhD: a broad-substrate range aldehyde reductase with various applications in production of biorenewable fuels and chemicals

The Escherichia coli NADPH-dependent aldehyde reductase YqhD has contributed to a variety of metabolic engineering projects for production of biorenewable fuels and chemicals. As a scavenger of toxic aldehydes produced by lipid peroxidation, YqhD has reductase activity for a broad range of short-chain aldehydes, including butyraldehyde, glyceraldehyde, malondialdehyde, isobutyraldehyde, methylglyoxal, propanealdehyde, acrolein, furfural, glyoxal, 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde, glycolaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acetol. This reductase activity has proven useful for the production of biorenewable fuels and chemicals, such as isobutanol and 1,3- and 1,2-propanediol; additional capability exists for production of 1-butanol, 1-propanol, and allyl alcohol. A drawback of this reductase activity is the diversion of valuable NADPH away from biosynthesis. This YqhD-mediated NADPH depletion provides sufficient burden to contribute to growth inhibition by furfural and 5-hydroxymethyl furfural, inhibitory contaminants of biomass hydrolysate. The structure of YqhD has been characterized, with identification of a Zn atom in the active site. Directed engineering efforts have improved utilization of 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde and NADPH. Most recently, two independent projects have demonstrated regulation of yqhD by YqhC, where YqhC appears to function as an aldehyde sensor.

Expression, purification and X-ray analysis of 1,3-propanediol dehydrogenase (Aq_1145) from Aquifex aeolicus VF5

1,3-Propanediol dehydrogenase is an enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of 1,3-propanediol to 3-hydroxypropanal with the simultaneous reduction of NADP(+) to NADPH. SeMet-labelled 1,3-propanediol dehydrogenase protein from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Aquifex aeolicus VF5 was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. Crystals of this protein were grown from an acidic buffer with ammonium sulfate as the precipitant. Single-wavelength data were collected at the selenium peak to a resolution of 2.4 A. The crystal belonged to space group P3(2), with unit-cell parameters a = b = 142.19, c = 123.34 A. The structure contained two dimers in the asymmetric unit and was solved by the MR-SAD approach.

Engineering the isobutanol biosynthetic pathway in Escherichia coli by comparison of three aldehyde reductase/alcohol dehydrogenase genes

Biofuels synthesized from renewable resources are of increasing interest because of global energy and environmental problems. We have previously demonstrated production of higher alcohols from Escherichia coli using a 2-keto acid-based pathway. Here, we have compared the effect of various alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH) for the last step of the isobutanol production. E. coli has the yqhD gene which encodes a broad-range ADH. Isobutanol production significantly decreased with the deletion of yqhD, suggesting that the yqhD gene on the genome contributed to isobutanol production. The adh genes of two bacteria and one yeast were also compared in E. coli harboring the isobutanol synthesis pathway. Overexpression of yqhD or adhA in E. coli showed better production than ADH2, a result confirmed by activity measurements with isobutyraldehyde.

Two novel metal-independent long-chain alkyl alcohol dehydrogenases from Geobacillus thermodenitrificans NG80-2

Two alkyl alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) genes from the long-chain alkane-degrading strain Geobacillus thermodenitrificans NG80-2 were characterized in vitro. ADH1 and ADH2 were prepared heterologously in Escherichia coli as a homooctameric and a homodimeric protein, respectively. Both ADHs can oxidize a broad range of alkyl alcohols up to at least C(30), as well as 1,3-propanediol and acetaldehyde. ADH1 also oxidizes glycerol, and ADH2 oxidizes isopropyl alcohol, isoamylol, acetone, octanal and decanal. The best substrate is ethanol for ADH1 and 1-octanol for ADH2. For both ADHs, the optimum assay condition is at 60 degrees C and pH 8.0, and both NAD and NADP can be used as the cofactor. Sequence analysis reveals that ADH1 and ADH2 belong to the Fe-containing/activated long-chain ADHs. However, the two enzymes contain neither Fe nor other metals, and Fe is not required for the activity, suggesting a new type of ADH. The ADHs characterized here are potentially useful in crude oil bioremediation and other bioconversion processes.

Molecular characterization of the recombinant iron-containing alcohol dehydrogenase from the hyperthermophilic Archaeon, Thermococcus strain ES1

The gene encoding a thermostable iron-containing alcohol dehydrogenase from Thermococcus Strain ES1 (ES1 ADH) was cloned, sequenced and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant and native ES1 ADHs were purified using multistep column chromatography under anaerobic conditions. Both enzymes appeared to be homotetramers with a subunit size of 45+/-1 kDa as revealed by SDS-PAGE, which was close to the calculated value (44.8 kDa). The recombinant ADH contained 1.0+/-0.1 g-atom iron per subunit. Both enzymes were sensitive to oxygen with a half-life upon exposure to air of about 4 min. The recombinant enzyme exhibited a specific activity of 105+/-2 U mg(-1), which was very similar to that of the native enzyme (110+/-3 U mg(-1)). The optimal pH-values for both enzymes for ethanol oxidation and acetaldehyde reduction were 10.4 and 7.0, respectively. Both enzymes also showed similar temperature-dependent activities, and catalyzed the oxidation of primary alcohols, but there was no activity towards methanol and secondary alcohols. Kinetic parameters of the enzymes showed lower K (m)-values for acetaldehyde and NADPH and higher K (m)-values for ethanol and NADP(+). It is concluded that the gene encoding ES1 ADH was expressed successfully in E. coli. This is the first report of a fully active recombinant version of an iron-containing ADH from a hyperthermophile.

1,3-Propanediol dehydrogenase from Klebsiella pneumoniae: decameric quaternary structure and possible subunit cooperativity

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a nosocomial pathogen frequently isolated from opportunistic infections, especially in clinical environments. In spite of its potential pathogenicity, this microorganism has several metabolic potentials that could be used in biotechnology applications. K. pneumoniae is able to metabolize glycerol as a sole source of carbon and energy. 1,3-Propanediol dehydrogenase is the core of the metabolic pathway for the use of glycerol. We have determined the crystallographic structure of 1,3-propanediol dehydrogenase, a type III Fe-NAD-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase, at 2.7-A resolution. The structure of the enzyme monomer is closely related to that of other alcohol dehydrogenases. The overall arrangement of the enzyme showed a decameric structure, formed by a pentamer of dimers, which is the catalytic form of the enzyme. Dimers are associated by strong ionic interactions that are responsible for the highly stable in vivo packing of the enzyme. Kinetic properties of the enzyme as determined in the article would suggest that this decameric arrangement is related to the cooperativity between monomers.

A variety of electrostatic interactions and adducts can activate NAD(P) cofactors for hydride transfer

In NAD(P)-dependent enzymes the coenzyme gives or takes a hydride ion, but how the nicotinamide ring is activated to form the transition state for hydride transfer is not clear. On the basis of ultra-high resolution X-ray crystal structures of liver alcohol dehydrogenase (LADH) in complex with NADH and a number of substrate analogues we proposed that the activation of NADH is an integral part of the enzyme mechanism of aldehyde reduction [R. Meijers, R.J. Morris, H.W. Adolph, A. Merli, V.S. Lamzin, E.S. Cedergren-Zeppezauer, On the enzymatic activation of NADH, The Journal of Biological Chemistry 276(12) (2001) 9316-9321, %U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11134046; R. Meijers, H.-W. Adolph, Z. Dauter, K.S. Wilson, V.S. Lamzin, E.S. Cedergren-Zeppezauer, Structural evidence for a ligand coordination switch in liver alcohol dehydrogenase, Biochemistry 46(18) (2007) 5446-5454, %U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17429946]. We observed a nicotinamide with a severely distorted pyridine ring and a water molecule in close proximity to the ring. Quantum chemical calculations indicated that (de)protonation of the water molecule can be directly coupled to activation of NADH for hydride transfer. A systematic search of the Protein Data Bank (PDB) for atoms that come within van der Waals distance of the pyridine ring of the nicotinamide reveals that a large number of NAD(P)-containing protein complexes are involved in electrostatic interactions with the enzymatic environment. Using the deposited diffraction data to analyze the cofactor and its surroundings, we observe several adducts between protein atoms and the pyridine ring that were not previously reported. This further indicates that the enzymatic activation of NAD(P) induced by electrostatic interactions is an essential part of the hydride transfer mechanism.

Purification and characterization of an iron-containing alcohol dehydrogenase in extremely thermophilic bacterium Thermotoga hypogea

Thermotoga hypogea is an extremely thermophilic anaerobic bacterium capable of growing at 90 degrees C. It uses carbohydrates and peptides as carbon and energy sources to produce acetate, CO(2), H(2), L-alanine and ethanol as end products. Alcohol dehydrogenase activity was found to be present in the soluble fraction of T. hypogea. The alcohol dehydrogenase was purified to homogeneity, which appeared to be a homodimer with a subunit molecular mass of 40 +/- 1 kDa revealed by SDS-PAGE analyses. A fully active enzyme contained iron of 1.02 +/- 0.06 g-atoms/subunit. It was oxygen sensitive; however, loss of enzyme activity by exposure to oxygen could be recovered by incubation with dithiothreitol and Fe(2+). The enzyme was thermostable with a half-life of about 10 h at 70 degrees C, and its catalytic activity increased along with the rise of temperature up to 95 degrees C. Optimal pH values for production and oxidation of alcohol were 8.0 and 11.0, respectively. The enzyme had a broad specificity to use primary alcohols and aldehydes as substrates. Apparent K (m) values for ethanol and 1-butanol were much higher than that of acetaldehyde and butyraldehyde. It was concluded that the physiological role of this enzyme is likely to catalyze the reduction of aldehydes to alcohols.

Microbial biochemistry, physiology, and biotechnology of hyperthermophilic Thermotoga species

High-throughput sequencing of microbial genomes has allowed the application of functional genomics methods to species lacking well-developed genetic systems. For the model hyperthermophile Thermotoga maritima, microarrays have been used in comparative genomic hybridization studies to investigate diversity among Thermotoga species. Transcriptional data have assisted in prediction of pathways for carbohydrate utilization, iron-sulfur cluster synthesis and repair, expolysaccharide formation, and quorum sensing. Structural genomics efforts aimed at the T. maritima proteome have yielded hundreds of high-resolution datasets and predicted functions for uncharacterized proteins. The information gained from genomics studies will be particularly useful for developing new biotechnology applications for T. maritima enzymes.

Formate synthesis by Clostridium thermocellum during anaerobic fermentation

We have detected formate synthesis by Clostridium thermocellum 27405 cultured in both cellobiose and alpha-cellulose. While formate synthesis has been reported for one strain of C. thermocellum (strain I-1-B), numerous studies of C. thermocellum 27405 fermentation, conducted under different growth conditions, failed to detect the presence of formate. Thus, the status of formate synthesis as a fermentation end product by C. thermocellum has been uncertain. Formate synthesis competes with the synthesis of hydrogen (H2) as a fermentation end product, and thus would negatively impact H2 yields in processes designed to generate H2 from biomass. Understanding the mechanism of formate synthesis is the first step in devising means of mitigating its production. Transcription of putative pfl, fnr, and adhE genes, encoding pyruvate formate-lyase (PFL), PFL-activating enzyme (PFL-AE), and alcohol dehydrogenase E (ADH-E) enzymes, respectively, were detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reactions using total RNA extracted from stationary phase C. thermocellum cultured on cellobiose. The PCR products observed correspond to the expected amplicon sizes. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the cloned PCR products followed by BLAST analyses confirmed their identity. Formate production was detected throughout growth, and PFL enzyme activity was detected in late log and stationary phase (OD600 = 0.7 and 0.9, respectively) in extracts of C. thermocellum cultured on cellobiose. BLAST analyses revealed that C. thermocellum PFL and PFL-AE have greater amino acid sequence identity with equivalent enzymes from Bacillus and Thermocynechococcus species than with other Clostridium species, but C. thermocellum ADH-E has greater amino acid sequence identity with Clostridium species.

Shotgun crystallization strategy for structural genomics II: crystallization conditions that produce high resolution structures for T. maritima proteins

Currently, 119 high resolution structures of Thermotoga maritima proteins have been determined by the Joint Center for Structural Genomics (JCSG, www.jcsg.org). Sixty-seven of these were solved using the first implementation of the multi-tiered crystallization strategy at the JCSG for the efficient crystallization of large numbers of protein targets. Previously, we reported the analysis of all proteins crystallized using this multi-tiered strategy [Lesley, S.A. et al. (2002) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99, 11664-11669; Page, R. et al. (2003) Acta Crystallogr. D Biol. Crystallogr. 59, 1028-1037]. Here, we extend the analysis and describe the crystallization characteristics of those proteins that produced diffraction quality crystals, ultimately resulting in high resolution structures. First, we found that over 77% (52) of the crystals used for structure determination were produced directly from high-throughput coarse screens, indicating that less than one quarter of the crystals (15) required fine screening. In addition, as observed for the proteome screen [Page, R. et al. (2003) Acta Crystallogr. D Biol. Crystallogr. 59, 1028-1037], the majority of conditions that produced crystals for natively expressed proteins, whose structures have been determined, were distinct from those of their more extensively purified and selenomethionine-labeled counterparts. Finally, 99% of the proteins whose structures were solved crystallized in conditions contained in the JCSG Minimal Core Screen [Page, R. et al. (2003) Acta Crystallogr. D Biol. Crystallogr. 59, 1028-1037; Page, R. and Stevens, R.C. (2004) Methods 34, 373-389], a set of 67 conditions previously identified as those most likely to produce crystals of a diverse set of proteins, confirming its success for rapid identification of proteins with a natural propensity to crystallize.

Crystal structure of an iron-dependent group III dehydrogenase that interconverts L-lactaldehyde and L-1,2-propanediol in Escherichia coli

The FucO protein, a member of the group III "iron-activated" dehydrogenases, catalyzes the interconversion between L-lactaldehyde and L-1,2-propanediol in Escherichia coli. The three-dimensional structure of FucO in a complex with NAD(+) was solved, and the presence of iron in the crystals was confirmed by X-ray fluorescence. The FucO structure presented here is the first structure for a member of the group III bacterial dehydrogenases shown experimentally to contain iron. FucO forms a dimer, in which each monomer folds into an alpha/beta dinucleotide-binding N-terminal domain and an all-alpha-helix C-terminal domain that are separated by a deep cleft. The dimer is formed by the swapping (between monomers) of the first chain of the beta-sheet. The binding site for Fe(2+) is located at the face of the cleft formed by the C-terminal domain, where the metal ion is tetrahedrally coordinated by three histidine residues (His200, His263, and His277) and an aspartate residue (Asp196). The glycine-rich turn formed by residues 96 to 98 and the following alpha-helix is part of the NAD(+) recognition locus common in dehydrogenases. Site-directed mutagenesis and enzyme kinetic assays were performed to assess the role of different residues in metal, cofactor, and substrate binding. In contrast to previous assumptions, the essential His267 residue does not interact with the metal ion. Asp39 appears to be the key residue for discriminating against NADP(+). Modeling L-1,2-propanediol in the active center resulted in a close approach of the C-1 hydroxyl of the substrate to C-4 of the nicotinamide ring, implying that there is a typical metal-dependent dehydrogenation catalytic mechanism.

Crystal structure of E.coli alcohol dehydrogenase YqhD: evidence of a covalently modified NADP coenzyme

In the course of a structural genomics program aiming at solving the structures of Escherichia coli open reading frame (ORF) products of unknown function, we have determined the structure of YqhD at 2.0A resolution using the single wavelength anomalous diffraction method at the Pt edge. The crystal structure of YqhD reveals that it is an NADP-dependent dehydrogenase, a result confirmed by activity measurements with several alcohols. The current interpretation of our findings is that YqhD is an alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) with preference for alcohols longer than C(3). YqhD is a dimer of 2x387 residues, each monomer being composed of two domains, a Rossmann-type fold and an alpha-helical domain. The crystals contain two dimers in the asymmetric unit. While one of the dimers contains a cofactor in both subunits, only one of the subunits in the second dimer contains it, making it possible to compare bound and unbound active sites. The active site contains a Zn atom, as verified by EXAFS on the crystals. The electron density maps of NADP revealed modifications of the nicotinamide ring by oxygen atoms at positions 5 and 6. Further analysis by electrospray mass spectrometry and comparison with the mass spectra of NADP and NADPH revealed the nature of the modification and the incorporation of two hydroxyl moieties at the 5 and 6 position in the nicotinamide ring, yielding NADPH(OH)(2). These modifications might be due to oxygen stress on an enzyme, which would functionally work under anaerobic conditions.