Crystal structure and site-directed mutagenesis studies of N-carbamoyl-D-amino-acid amidohydrolase from Agrobacterium radiobacter reveals a homotetramer and insight into a catalytic cleft

Molecular Modification Strategies of Nitrilase for Its Potential Application in Agriculture

Some feed source plants will produce secondary metabolites such as cyanogenic glycosides during metabolism, which will produce some poisonous nitrile compounds after hydrolysis and remain in plant tissues. The consumption of feed-source plants without proper treatment affect the health of the animals' bodies. Nitrilases can convert nitriles and have been used in industry as green biocatalysts. However, due to their bottleneck problems, their application in agriculture is still facing challenges. Acid-resistant nitrilase preparations, high-temperature resistance, antiprotease activity, strong activity, and strict reaction specificity urgently need to be developed. In this paper, the application potential of nitrilase in agriculture, especially in feed processing industry was explored, the source properties and catalytic mechanism of nitrilase were reviewed, and modification strategies for nitrilase application in agriculture were proposed to provide references for future research and application of nitrilase in agricultural and especially in the biological feed scene.

State-of-the-art strategies and research advances for the biosynthesis of D-amino acids

D-amino acids (D-AAs) are the enantiomeric counterparts of L-amino acids (L-AAs) and important functional factors with a wide variety of physiological activities and applications in the food manufacture industry. Some D-AAs, such as D-Ala, D-Leu, and D-Phe, have been favored by consumers as sweeteners and fragrances because of their unique flavor. The biosynthesis of D-AAs has attracted much attention in recent years due to their unique advantages. In this review, we comprehensively analyze the structure-function relationships, biosynthesis pathways, multi-enzyme cascade and whole-cell catalysis for the production of D-AAs. The state-of-the-art strategies, including immobilization, protein engineering, and high-throughput screening, are summarized. Future challenges and perspectives of strategies-driven by bioinformatics technologies and smart computing technologies, as well as enzyme immobilization, are also discussed. These new approaches will promote the commercial production and application of D-AAs in the food industry by optimizing the key enzymes for industrial biocatalysts.

Nickel in terrestrial biota: Comprehensive review on contamination, toxicity, tolerance and its remediation approaches

Nickel (Ni) has been a subject of interest for environmental, physiological, biological scientists due to its dual effect (toxicity and essentiality) in terrestrial biota. In general, the safer limit of Ni is 1.5 μg g^-1 in plants and 75-150 μg g^-1 in soil. Litreature review indicates that Ni concentrations have been estimated up to 26 g kg^-1 in terrestrial, and 0.2 mg L^-1 in aquatic resources. In case of vegetables and fruits, mean Ni content has been reported in the range of 0.08-0.26 and 0.03-0.16 mg kg^-1. Considering, Ni toxicity and its potential health hazards, there is an urgent need to find out the suitable remedial approaches. Plant vascular (>80%) and cortical (<20%) tissues are the major sequestration site (cation exchange) of absorbed Ni. Deciphering molecular mechanisms in transgenic plants have immense potential for enhancing Ni phytoremediation and microbial remediation efficiency. Further, it has been suggested that integrated bioremediation approaches have a potential futuristic path for Ni decontamination in natural resources. This systematic review provides insight on Ni effects on terrestrial biota including human and further explores its transportation, bioaccumulation through food chain contamination, human health hazards, and possible Ni remediation approaches.

Labile metal assessment in water by diffusive gradients in thin films in shipyards on the Brazilian subtropical coast

Shipyards impact on estuarine environments because of the use of antifouling paints and petroleum products, which release trace metals that may remain in their bioavailable or labile form. Regardless of its importance, the relation between continuous input of trace metals (hotspot area) and their availability in the water column has been scarcely studied. This study evaluated seasonal variations in the concentrations of labile fractions of metals in shipyards located in estuarine areas on the Brazilian subtropical coast. These fractions were determined by the Diffuse Gradients in Thin Films (DGT) technique. Maximum labile fraction concentrations of Cr (0.3 μg L^-1), Ni (2.2 μg L^-1) and V (2.0 μg L^-1) are directly related to (i) their specific source: antifouling paints (for Cr), metal and steel alloys (for Cr and Ni) and petroleum products (for V), besides (ii) periods of intensive traffic and vessel repair. Additionally, variations in labile fractions of Ni and V in the Patos Lagoon estuary were influenced by salinity, which is known to affect metal desorption from surface sediments in resuspension events. Even though Cr is affected by the same processes, it is available as Cr(III) and does not represent any ecological risk in the study areas. Although the areas under study are affected by variations in physical and chemical conditions, shipyards were effectively hotspots of trace metals in their labile fraction in various estuarine systems in southeastern and southern Brazil. Thus, they represent areas where Ecological Risk Assessment, mainly of V, should be carried out.

Amidase as a versatile tool in amide-bond cleavage: From molecular features to biotechnological applications

Amidases (EC 3. 5. 1. X) are versatile biocatalysts for synthesis of chiral carboxylic acids, α-amino acids and amides due to their hydrolytic and acyl transfer activity towards the C-N linkages. They have been extensively exploited and studied during the past years for their high specific activity and excellent enantioselectivity involved in various biotechnological applications in pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. Additionally, they have attracted considerable attentions in biodegradation and bioremediation owing to environmental pressures. Motivated by industrial demands, crystallographic investigations and catalytic mechanisms of amidases based on structural biology have witnessed a dramatic promotion in the last two decades. The protein structures showed that different types of amidases have their typical stuctural elements, such as the conserved AS domains in signature amidases and the typical architecture of metal-associated active sites in acetamidase/formamidase family amidases. This review provides an overview of recent research advances in various amidases, with a focus on their structural basis of phylogenetics, substrate specificities and catalytic mechanisms as well as their biotechnological applications. As more crystal structures of amidases are determined, the structure/function relationships of these enzymes will also be further elucidated, which will facilitate molecular engineering and design of amidases to meet industrial requirements.

Computational modeling for mutational analysis of nitrilase enzyme towards enhancement of binding empathy

Nitrilase enzyme (a green catalyst) is an industrially important enzyme which hydrolyses various nitrile compounds (containing -CN functional group) into amides and corresponding carboxylic acids. The current study explored the binding affinity and a method to enhance the catalysis activity of the enzyme using computational approaches. Four mutants were generated using sequential site-directed mutagenesis aiming that an increase in hydrogen bonds that will further increase binding efficiency towards the ligand. Molecular dynamics simulation was rigorously performed to check the stability of those mutants followed by docking to verify its interaction with the ligand. Various statistical dynamics analyses were performed to validate the structure. All the studies predict that built mutants are stable. Mutants 2 and 3 showed a better affinity towards acrylamide by forming the highest number of hydrogen bonds implying better catalysis. The binding affinity values of the Mutant 2 and Mutant 3 with acrylamide are -7.44 kcal/mol and -7.17 kcal/mol, respectively. This study may prove useful for the industry to develop efficient nitrilase enzymes with improved catalytic activity.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Nickel: Human Health and Environmental Toxicology

Nickel is a transition element extensively distributed in the environment, air, water, and soil. It may derive from natural sources and anthropogenic activity. Although nickel is ubiquitous in the environment, its functional role as a trace element for animals and human beings has not been yet recognized. Environmental pollution from nickel may be due to industry, the use of liquid and solid fuels, as well as municipal and industrial waste. Nickel contact can cause a variety of side effects on human health, such as allergy, cardiovascular and kidney diseases, lung fibrosis, lung and nasal cancer. Although the molecular mechanisms of nickel-induced toxicity are not yet clear, mitochondrial dysfunctions and oxidative stress are thought to have a primary and crucial role in the toxicity of this metal. Recently, researchers, trying to characterize the capability of nickel to induce cancer, have found out that epigenetic alterations induced by nickel exposure can perturb the genome. The purpose of this review is to describe the chemical features of nickel in human beings and the mechanisms of its toxicity. Furthermore, the attention is focused on strategies to remove nickel from the environment, such as phytoremediation and phytomining.

A novel cysteine carbamoyl-switch is responsible for the inhibition of formamidase, a nitrilase superfamily member

Formamidases (EC 3.5.1.49) and amidases (EC 3.5.1.4) are paralogous cysteine-dependent enzymes which catalyze the conversion of amide substrates to ammonia and the corresponding carboxylic acid. Both enzymes have been suggested as an alternative pathway for ammonia production during urea shortage. Urea was proved key in the transcriptional regulation of formamidases/amidases, connecting urea level to amide metabolism. In addition, different amidases have also been shown to be inhibited by urea, pointing to urea-regulation at the enzymatic level. Although amidases have been widely studied due to its biotechnological application in the hydrolysis of aliphatic amides, up to date, only two formamidases have been extensively characterized, belonging to Helicobacter pylori (HpyAmiF) and Bacillus cereus (BceAmiF). In this work, we report the first structure of an acyl-intermediate of BceAmiF. We also report the inhibition of BceAmiF by urea, together with mass spectrometry studies confirming the S-carbamoylation of BceAmiF after urea treatment. X-ray studies of urea-soaked BceAmiF crystals showed short- and long-range rearrangements affecting oligomerization interfaces. Since cysteine-based switches are known to occur in the regulation of different metabolic and signaling pathways, our results suggest a novel S-carbamoylation-switch for the regulation of BceAmiF. This finding could relate to previous observations of unexplained modifications in the catalytic cysteine of different nitrilase superfamily members and therefore extending this regulation mechanism to the whole nitrilase superfamily.

Structural analysis of a novel N-carbamoyl-d-amino acid amidohydrolase from a Brazilian Bradyrhizobium japonicum strain: In silico insights by molecular modelling, docking and molecular dynamics

In this work we performed several in silico analyses to describe the relevant structural aspects of an enzyme N-Carbamoyl-d-amino acid amidohydrolase (d-NCAase) encoded on the genome of the Brazilian strain CPAC 15 (=SEMIA 5079) of Bradyrhizobium japonicum, a nonpathogenic species belonging to the order Rhizobiales. d-NCAase has wide applications particularly in the pharmaceutical industry, since it catalyzes the production of d-amino acids such as D-p-hydroxyphenylglycine (D-HPG), an intermediate in the synthesis of β-lactam antibiotics. We applied a homology modelling approach and 50 ns of molecular dynamics simulations to predict the structure and the intersubunit interactions of this novel d-NCAase. Also, in order to evaluate the substrate binding site, the model was subjected to 50 ns of molecular dynamics simulations in the presence of N-Carbamoyl-d-p-hydroxyphenylglycine (Cp-HPG) (a d-NCAase canonical substrate) and water-protein/water-substrate interactions analyses were performed. Overall, the structural analysis and the molecular dynamics simulations suggest that d-NCAase of B. japonicum CPAC-15 has a homodimeric structure in solution. Here, we also examined the substrate specificity of the catalytic site of our model and the interactions with water molecules into the active binding site were comprehensively discussed. Also, these simulations showed that the amino acids Lys123, His125, Pro127, Cys172, Asp174 and Arg176 are responsible for recognition of ligand in the active binding site through several chemical associations, such as hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. Our results show a favourable environment for a reaction of hydrolysis that transforms N-Carbamoyl-d-p-hydroxyphenylglycine (Cp-HPG) into the active compound D-p-hydroxyphenylglycine (D-HPG). This work envisage the use of d-NCAase from the Brazilian Bradyrhizobium japonicum strain CPAC-15 (=SEMIA 5079) for the industrial production of D-HPG, an important intermediate for semi-synthesis of β-lactam antibiotics such as penicillins, cephalosporins and amoxicillin.

Decoding the Rich Biological Properties of Noble Gases: How Well Can We Predict Noble Gas Binding to Diverse Proteins?

The chemically inert noble gases display a surprisingly rich spectrum of useful biological properties. Relatively little is known about the molecular mechanisms behind these effects. It is clearly not feasible to conduct large numbers of pharmacological experiments on noble gases to identify activity. Computational studies of the binding of noble gases and proteins can address this paucity of information and provide insight into mechanisms of action. We used bespoke computational grid calculations to predict the positions of energy minima in the interactions of noble gases with diverse proteins. The method was validated by quantifying how well simulations could predict binding positions in 131 diverse protein X-ray structures containing 399 Xe and Kr atoms. We found excellent agreement between calculated and experimental binding positions of noble gases. 94 % of all crystallographic xenon atoms were within 1 Xe van der Waals (vdW) diameter of a predicted binding site, and 97 % lay within 2 vdW diameters. 100 % of crystallographic krypton atoms were within 1 Kr vdW diameter of a predicted binding site. We showed the feasibility of large-scale computational screening of all ≈60 000 unique structures in the Protein Data Bank. This will elucidate biochemical mechanisms by which these novel 'atomic drugs' elicit their valuable biochemical properties and identify new medical uses.

Crystal structure and pH-dependent allosteric regulation of human β-ureidopropionase, an enzyme involved in anticancer drug metabolism

β-Ureidopropionase (βUP) catalyzes the third step of the reductive pyrimidine catabolic pathway responsible for breakdown of uracil-, thymine- and pyrimidine-based antimetabolites such as 5-fluorouracil. Nitrilase-like βUPs use a tetrad of conserved residues (Cys233, Lys196, Glu119 and Glu207) for catalysis and occur in a variety of oligomeric states. Positive co-operativity toward the substrate N-carbamoyl-β-alanine and an oligomerization-dependent mechanism of substrate activation and product inhibition have been reported for the enzymes from some species but not others. Here, the activity of recombinant human βUP is shown to be similarly regulated by substrate and product, but in a pH-dependent manner. Existing as a homodimer at pH 9, the enzyme increasingly associates to form octamers and larger oligomers with decreasing pH. Only at physiological pH is the enzyme responsive to effector binding, with N-carbamoyl-β-alanine causing association to more active higher molecular mass species, and β-alanine dissociation to inactive dimers. The parallel between the pH and ligand-induced effects suggests that protonation state changes play a crucial role in the allosteric regulation mechanism. Disruption of dimer-dimer interfaces by site-directed mutagenesis generated dimeric, inactive enzyme variants. The crystal structure of the T299C variant refined to 2.08 Å resolution revealed high structural conservation between human and fruit fly βUP, and supports the hypothesis that enzyme activation by oligomer assembly involves ordering of loop regions forming the entrance to the active site at the dimer-dimer interface, effectively positioning the catalytically important Glu207 in the active site.

Identification of d-carbamoylase for biocatalytic cascade synthesis of d-tryptophan featuring high enantioselectivity

In this study, an enantioselective d-carbamoylase (AcHyuC) was identified from Arthrobacter crystallopoietes with optimum pH of 8.5, much more compatible with hydantoinase process than other reported d-N-carbamoylases. AcHyuC has a substrate preference for aromatic carbamoyl-compounds. The dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) cascade was developed by combining this AcHyuC with hydantoin racemase from Arthrobacter aurescens (AaHyuA) and d-hydantoinase from Agrobacterium tumefaciens (AtHyuH) for enantioselective resolution of l-indolylmethylhydantoin into d-Trp. The optimum pH of DKR cascade reaction was determined to be 8.0, and PEG 400 could facilitate the reaction. As much as 80mM l-indolylmethylhydantoin could be fully converted to d-Trp within 12h at 0.5L scale, with 99.4% yield, >99.9% e.e. and productivity of 36.6gL^-1d^-1. This study provides a new d-carbamoylase compatible with the DKR cascade for efficient production of optically pure d-Trp from l-indolylmethylhydantoin.

Cyanide bioremediation: the potential of engineered nitrilases

The cyanide-degrading nitrilases are of notable interest for their potential to remediate cyanide contaminated waste streams, especially as generated in the gold mining, pharmaceutical, and electroplating industries. This review provides a brief overview of cyanide remediation in general but with a particular focus on the cyanide-degrading nitrilases. These are of special interest as the hydrolysis reaction does not require secondary substrates or cofactors, making these enzymes particularly good candidates for industrial remediation processes. The genetic approaches that have been used to date for engineering improved enzymes are described; however, recent structural insights provide a promising new approach.

Probing an Interfacial Surface in the Cyanide Dihydratase from Bacillus pumilus, A Spiral Forming Nitrilase

Nitrilases are of significant interest both due to their potential for industrial production of valuable products as well as degradation of hazardous nitrile-containing wastes. All known functional members of the nitrilase superfamily have an underlying dimer structure. The true nitrilases expand upon this basic dimer and form large spiral or helical homo-oligomers. The formation of this larger structure is linked to both the activity and substrate specificity of these nitrilases. The sequences of the spiral nitrilases differ from the non-spiral forming homologs by the presence of two insertion regions. Homology modeling suggests that these regions are responsible for associating the nitrilase dimers into the oligomer. Here we used cysteine scanning across these two regions, in the spiral forming nitrilase cyanide dihydratase from Bacillus pumilus (CynD), to identify residues altering the oligomeric state or activity of the nitrilase. Several mutations were found to cause changes to the size of the oligomer as well as reduction in activity. Additionally one mutation, R67C, caused a partial defect in oligomerization with the accumulation of smaller oligomer variants. These results support the hypothesis that these insertion regions contribute to the unique quaternary structure of the spiral microbial nitrilases.

Structural Investigations of N-carbamoylputrescine Amidohydrolase from Medicago truncatula: Insights into the Ultimate Step of Putrescine Biosynthesis in Plants

Putrescine, 1,4-diaminobutane, is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of more complexed polyamines, spermidine and spermine. Unlike other eukaryotes, plants have evolved a multistep pathway for putrescine biosynthesis that utilizes arginine. In the final reaction, N-carbamoylputrescine is hydrolyzed to putrescine by N-carbamoylputrescine amidohydrolase (CPA, EC 3.5.1.53). During the hydrolysis, consecutive nucleophilic attacks on the substrate by Cys158 and water lead to formation of putrescine and two by-products, ammonia and carbon dioxide. CPA from the model legume plant, Medicago truncatula (MtCPA), was investigated in this work. Four crystal structures were determined: the wild-type MtCPA in complex with the reaction intermediate, N-(dihydroxymethyl)putrescine as well as with cadaverine, which is a longer analog of putrescine; and also structures of MtCPA-C158S mutant unliganded and with putrescine. MtCPA assembles into octamers, which resemble an incomplete left-handed helical twist. The active site of MtCPA is funnel-like shaped, and its entrance is walled with a contribution of the neighboring protein subunits. Deep inside the catalytic cavity, Glu48, Lys121, and Cys158 form the catalytic triad. In this studies, we have highlighted the key residues, highly conserved among the plant kingdom, responsible for the activity and selectivity of MtCPA toward N-carbamoylputrescine. Moreover, since, according to previous reports, a close MtCPA relative from Arabidopsis thaliana, along with several other nitrilase-like proteins, are subjected to allosteric regulation by substrates, we have used the structural information to indicate a putative secondary binding site. Based on the docking experiment, we postulate that this site is adjacent to the entrance to the catalytic pocket.

Nitrile-converting enzymes: an eco-friendly tool for industrial biocatalysis

Nitriles are organic compounds bearing a − C ≡ N group; they are frequently known to occur naturally in both fauna and flora and are also synthesized chemically. They have wide applicability in the fields of medicine, industry, and environmental monitoring. However, the majority of nitrile compounds are considered to be lethal, mutagenic, and carcinogenic in nature and are known to cause potential health problems such as nausea, bronchial irritation, respiratory distress, convulsions, coma, and skeletal deformities in humans. Nitrile-converting enzymes, which are extracted from microorganisms, are commonly termed nitrilases and have drawn the attention of researchers all over the world to combat the toxicity of nitrile compounds. The present review focuses on the utility of nitrile-converting enzymes, sources, classification, structure, properties, and applications, as well as the future perspective on nitrilases.

HylA, an alternative hydrolase for initiation of catabolism of the phenylurea herbicide linuron in Variovorax sp. strains

Variovorax sp. strain WDL1, which mineralizes the phenylurea herbicide linuron, expresses a novel linuron-hydrolyzing enzyme, HylA, that converts linuron to 3,4-dichloroaniline (DCA). The enzyme is distinct from the linuron hydrolase LibA enzyme recently identified in other linuron-mineralizing Variovorax strains and from phenylurea-hydrolyzing enzymes (PuhA, PuhB) found in Gram-positive bacteria. The dimeric enzyme belongs to a separate family of hydrolases and differs in Km, temperature optimum, and phenylurea herbicide substrate range. Within the metal-dependent amidohydrolase superfamily, HylA and PuhA/PuhB belong to two distinct protein families, while LibA is a member of the unrelated amidase signature family. The hylA gene was identified in a draft genome sequence of strain WDL1. The involvement of hylA in linuron degradation by strain WDL1 is inferred from its absence in spontaneous WDL1 mutants defective in linuron hydrolysis and its presence in linuron-degrading Variovorax strains that lack libA. In strain WDL1, the hylA gene is combined with catabolic gene modules encoding the downstream pathways for DCA degradation, which are very similar to those present in Variovorax sp. SRS16, which contains libA. Our results show that the expansion of a DCA catabolic pathway toward linuron degradation in Variovorax can involve different but isofunctional linuron hydrolysis genes encoding proteins that belong to evolutionary unrelated hydrolase families. This may be explained by divergent evolution and the independent acquisition of the corresponding genetic modules.

Novel amidases of two Aminobacter sp. strains: Biotransformation experiments and elucidation of gene sequences

The amidase activities of two Aminobacter sp. strains (DSM24754 and DSM24755) towards the aryl-substituted substrates phenylhydantoin, indolylmethyl hydantoin, D,L-6-phenyl-5,6-dihydrouracil (PheDU) and para-chloro-D,L-6-phenyl-5,6-dihydrouracil were compared. Both strains showed hydantoinase and dihydropyrimidinase activity by hydrolyzing all substrates to the corresponding N-carbamoyl-α- or N-carbamoyl-β-amino acids. However, carbamoylase activity and thus a further degradation of these products to α- and β-amino acids was not detected. Additionally, the genes coding for a dihydropyrimidinase and a carbamoylase of Aminobacter sp. DSM24754 were elucidated. For Aminobacter sp. DSM24755 a dihydropyrimidinase gene flanked by two genes coding for putative ABC transporter proteins was detected. The deduced amino acid sequences of both dihydropyrimidinases are highly similar to the well-studied dihydropyrimidinase of Sinorhizobium meliloti CECT4114. The latter enzyme is reported to accept substituted hydantoins and dihydropyrimidines as substrates. The deduced amino acid sequence of the carbamoylase gene shows a high similarity to the very thermostable enzyme of Pseudomonas sp. KNK003A.

Mechanisms of nickel toxicity in microorganisms

Nickel has long been known to be an important human toxicant, including having the ability to form carcinomas, but until recently nickel was believed to be an issue only to microorganisms living in nickel-rich serpentine soils or areas contaminated by industrial pollution. This assumption was overturned by the discovery of a nickel defense system (RcnR/RcnA) found in microorganisms that live in a wide range of environmental niches, suggesting that nickel homeostasis is a general biological concern. To date, the mechanisms of nickel toxicity in microorganisms and higher eukaryotes are poorly understood. In this review, we summarize nickel homeostasis processes used by microorganisms and highlight in vivo and in vitro effects of exposure to elevated concentrations of nickel. On the basis of this evidence we propose four mechanisms of nickel toxicity: (1) nickel replaces the essential metal of metalloproteins, (2) nickel binds to catalytic residues of non-metalloenzymes; (3) nickel binds outside the catalytic site of an enzyme to inhibit allosterically and (4) nickel indirectly causes oxidative stress.

The essential Escherichia coli apolipoprotein N-acyltransferase (Lnt) exists as an extracytoplasmic thioester acyl-enzyme intermediate

Escherichia coli apolipoprotein N-acyltransferase (Lnt) transfers an acyl group from sn-1-glycerophospholipid to the free alpha-amino group of the N-terminal cysteine of apolipoproteins, resulting in mature triacylated lipoprotein. Here we report that the Lnt reaction proceeds through an acyl-enzyme intermediate in which a palmitoyl group forms a thioester bond with the thiol of the active site residue C387 that was cleaved by neutral hydroxylamine. Lnt(C387S) also formed a fatty acyl intermediate that was resistant to neutral hydroxylamine treatment, consistent with formation of an oxygen-ester linkage. Lnt(C387A) did not form an acyl-enzyme intermediate and, like Lnt(C387S), did not have any detectable Lnt activity, indicating that acylation cannot occur at other positions in the catalytic domain. The existence of this thioacyl-enzyme intermediate allowed us to determine whether essential residues in the catalytic domain of Lnt affect the first step of the reaction, the formation of the acyl-enzyme intermediate, or the second step in which the acyl chain is transferred to the apolipoprotein substrate. In the catalytic triad, E267 is required for the formation of the acyl-enzyme intermediate, indicating its role in enhancing the nucleophilicity of C387. E343 is also involved in the first step but is not in close proximity to the active site. W237, Y388, and E389 play a role in the second step of the reaction since acyl-Lnt is formed but N-acylation does not occur. The data presented allow discrimination between the functions of essential Lnt residues in catalytic activity and substrate recognition.

Regulation of hydantoin-hydrolyzing enzyme expression in Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain RU-AE01

Optically pure D-: amino acids, like D-: hydroxyphenylglycine, are used in the semi-synthetic production of pharmaceuticals. They are synthesized industrially via the biocatalytic hydrolysis of p-hydroxyphenylhydantoin using enzymes derived from Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains. The reaction proceeds via a three-step pathway: (a) the ring-opening cleavage of the hydantoin ring by a D-: hydantoinase (encoded by hyuH), (b) conversion of the resultant D-: N-carbamylamino acid to the corresponding amino acid by a D-: N-carbamoylase (encoded by hyuC), and (c) chemical or enzymatic racemization of the un-reacted hydantoin substrate. While the structure and biochemical properties of these enzymes are well understood, little is known about their origin, their function, and their regulation in the native host. We investigated the mechanisms involved in the regulation of expression of the hydantoinase and N-carbamoylase enzyme activity in A. tumefaciens strain RU-AE01. We present evidence for a complex regulatory network that responds to the growth status of the cells, the presence of inducer, and nitrogen catabolite repression. Deletion analysis and site-directed mutagenesis were used to identify regulatory elements involved in transcriptional regulation of hyuH and hyuC expression. Finally, a comparison between the hyu gene clusters in several Agrobacterium strains provides insight into the function of D-: selective hydantoin-hydrolyzing enzyme systems in Agrobacterium species.

Functional proteomic and structural insights into molecular recognition in the nitrilase family enzymes

Nitrilases are a large and diverse family of nonpeptidic C-N hydrolases. The mammalian genome encodes eight nitrilase enzymes, several of which remain poorly characterized. Prominent among these are nitrilase-1 (Nit1) and nitrilase-2 (Nit2), which, despite having been shown to exert effects on cell growth and possibly serving as tumor suppressor genes, are without known substrates or selective inhibitors. In previous studies, we identified several nitrilases, including Nit1 and Nit2, as targets for dipeptide-chloroacetamide activity-based proteomics probes. Here, we have used these probes, in combination with high-resolution crystallography and molecular modeling, to systematically map the active site of Nit2 and identify residues involved in molecular recognition. We report the 1.4 A crystal structure of mouse Nit2 and use this structure to identify residues that discriminate probe labeling between the Nit1 and Nit2 enzymes. Interestingly, some of these residues are conserved across all vertebrate Nit2 enzymes and, conversely, not found in any vertebrate Nit1 enzymes, suggesting that they are key discriminators of molecular recognition between these otherwise highly homologous enzymes. Our findings thus point to a limited set of active site residues that establish distinct patterns of molecular recognition among nitrilases and provide chemical probes to selectively perturb the function of these enzymes in biological systems.

Primary or secondary? Versatile nitrilases in plant metabolism

The potential of plant nitrilases to convert indole-3-acetonitrile into the plant growth hormone indole-3-acetic acid has earned them the interim title of "key enzyme in auxin biosynthesis". Although not widely recognized, this view has changed considerably in the last few years. Recent work on plant nitrilases has shown them to be involved in the process of cyanide detoxification, in the catabolism of cyanogenic glycosides and presumably in the catabolism of glucosinolates. All plants possess at least one nitrilase that is homologous to the nitrilase 4 isoform of Arabidopsis thaliana. The general function of these nitrilases lies in the process of cyanide detoxification, in which they convert the intermediate detoxification product beta-cyanoalanine into asparagine, aspartic acid and ammonia. Cyanide is a metabolic by-product in biosynthesis of the plant hormone ethylene, but it may also be released from cyanogenic glycosides, which are present in a large number of plants. In Sorghum bicolor, an additional nitrilase isoform has been identified, which can directly use a catabolic intermediate of the cyanogenic glycoside dhurrin, thus enabling the plant to metabolize its cyanogenic glycoside without releasing cyanide. In the Brassicaceae, a family of nitrilases has evolved, the members of which are able to hydrolyze catabolic products of glucosinolates, the predominant secondary metabolites of these plants. Thus, the general theme of nitrilase function in plants is detoxification and nitrogen recycling, since the valuable nitrogen of the nitrile group is recovered in the useful metabolites asparagine or ammonia. Taken together, a picture emerges in which plant nitrilases have versatile functions in plant metabolism, whereas their importance for auxin biosynthesis seems to be minor.

Facile immobilization of evolved agrobacterium radiobacter carbamoylase with high thermal and oxidative stability

Optically pure amino acids have been widely used as intermediates in the synthesis of antibiotics, antifungal agents, pesticides, and sweeteners. Of particular importance, d- p-hydroxyphenylglycine (D-HPG) can be produced from d, l-hydroxyphenly hydantoin (D,L-HPH) in a two-step reaction mediated by d-hydantoinase and N-carbamoyl- d-amino acid amidohydrolase (or carbamoylase). To make this production more industrially appealing, the carbamoylase gene from Agrobacterium radiobacter NRRL B11291 cloned in an Escherichia coli strain was intensively mutated to improve the thermal stability of carbamoylase by three rounds of DNA shuffling. After an extensive screening of the mutant library, the mutant E. coli strain M303 was obtained to produce variant carbamoylase, CBL303, with three critical mutated residues, including V40A, G75S, and V237A. Further characterization showed that in comparison with the wild-type counterpart the evolved carbamoylase exhibited more than 20-fold tolerance to heat and, in addition, hydrogen peroxide as a result of the synergistic effect caused by the three mutations. Moreover, with the fusion of the chitin-binding domain (ChBD) of Chitinase A1, the evolved carbamoylase CBL303 was specifically adsorbed on chitin beads. Subsequent analysis indicated that the linkage between the enzyme and the affinity matrix was substantially stable. The half-life of the immobilized carbamolyase CBL303 could reach 210 h at 45 degrees C, whereas its free form had that of 17 h. In particular, when applied to D-HPG production, the immobilized enzyme could be recycled 16 times with the achievement of 100% conversion yield. Along with the previous illustration of d-hydantoinase immobilization, the success achieved by immobilization of the evolved carbamoylase in this work apparently offers a promising way for the efficient production of D-HPG from D,L-HPH.

The crystal structure of beta-alanine synthase from Drosophila melanogaster reveals a homooctameric helical turn-like assembly

Beta-alanine synthase (betaAS) is the third enzyme in the reductive pyrimidine catabolic pathway, which is responsible for the breakdown of the nucleotide bases uracil and thymine in higher organisms. It catalyzes the hydrolysis of N-carbamyl-beta-alanine and N-carbamyl-beta-aminoisobutyrate to the corresponding beta-amino acids. betaASs are grouped into two phylogenetically unrelated subfamilies, a general eukaryote one and a fungal one. To reveal the molecular architecture and understand the catalytic mechanism of the general eukaryote betaAS subfamily, we determined the crystal structure of Drosophila melanogaster betaAS to 2.8 A resolution. It shows a homooctameric assembly of the enzyme in the shape of a left-handed helical turn, in which tightly packed dimeric units are related by 2-fold symmetry. Such an assembly would allow formation of higher oligomers by attachment of additional dimers on both ends. The subunit has a nitrilase-like fold and consists of a central beta-sandwich with a layer of alpha-helices packed against both sides. However, the core fold of the nitrilase superfamily enzymes is extended in D. melanogaster betaAS by addition of several secondary structure elements at the N-terminus. The active site can be accessed from the solvent by a narrow channel and contains the triad of catalytic residues (Cys, Glu, and Lys) conserved in nitrilase-like enzymes.

Structure of Amidase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa Showing a Trapped Acyl Transfer Reaction Intermediate State

Microbial amidases belong to the thiol nitrilases family and have potential biotechnological applications in chemical and pharmaceutical industries as well as in bioremediation. The amidase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa isa6 x 38-kDa enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of a small range of short aliphatic amides. The hereby reported high resolution crystallographic structure shows that each amidase monomer is formed by a globular four-layer alphabetabetaalpha sandwich domain with an additional 81-residue long C-terminal segment. This wraps arm-in-arm with a homologous C-terminal chain of another monomer, producing a strongly packed dimer. In the crystal, the biological active homo-hexameric amidase is built grouping three such dimers around a crystallographic 3-fold axis. The structure also elucidates the structural basis for the enzyme activity, with the nitrilases catalytic triad at the bottom of a 13-A deep, funnel-shaped pocket, accessible from the solvent through a narrow neck with 3-A diameter. An acyl transfer intermediate, resulting from the purification protocol, was found bound to the amidase nucleophilic agent, Cys(166). These results suggest that some pocket defining residues should undergo conformational shifts to allow substrates and products to access and leave the catalytic pocket, for turnover to occur.

A reduced amino acid alphabet for understanding and designing protein adaptation to mutation

Protein sequence world is considerably larger than structure world. In consequence, numerous non-related sequences may adopt similar 3D folds and different kinds of amino acids may thus be found in similar 3D structures. By grouping together the 20 amino acids into a smaller number of representative residues with similar features, sequence world simplification may be achieved. This clustering hence defines a reduced amino acid alphabet (reduced AAA). Numerous works have shown that protein 3D structures are composed of a limited number of building blocks, defining a structural alphabet. We previously identified such an alphabet composed of 16 representative structural motifs (5-residues length) called Protein Blocks (PBs). This alphabet permits to translate the structure (3D) in sequence of PBs (1D). Based on these two concepts, reduced AAA and PBs, we analyzed the distributions of the different kinds of amino acids and their equivalences in the structural context. Different reduced sets were considered. Recurrent amino acid associations were found in all the local structures while other were specific of some local structures (PBs) (e.g Cysteine, Histidine, Threonine and Serine for the alpha-helix Ncap). Some similar associations are found in other reduced AAAs, e.g Ile with Val, or hydrophobic aromatic residues Trp with Phe and Tyr. We put into evidence interesting alternative associations. This highlights the dependence on the information considered (sequence or structure). This approach, equivalent to a substitution matrix, could be useful for designing protein sequence with different features (for instance adaptation to environment) while preserving mainly the 3D fold.

Identification of essential residues in apolipoprotein N-acyl transferase, a member of the CN hydrolase family

Apolipoprotein N-acyl transferase (Lnt) is an essential membrane-bound protein involved in lipid modification of all lipoproteins in gram-negative bacteria. Essential residues in Lnt of Escherichia coli were identified by using site-directed mutagenesis and an in vivo complementation assay. Based on sequence conservation and known protein structures, we predict a model for Lnt, which is a member of the CN hydrolase family. Besides the potential catalytic triad E267-K335-C387, four residues that directly affect the modification of Braun's lipoprotein Lpp are absolutely required for Lnt function. Residues Y388 and E389 are part of the hydrophobic pocket that constitutes the active site. Residues W237 and E343 are located on two flexible arms that face away from the active site and are expected to open and close upon the binding and release of phospholipid and/or apolipoprotein. Substitutions causing temperature-dependent effects were located at different positions in the structural model. These mutants were not affected in protein stability. Lnt proteins from other proteobacteria, but not from actinomycetes, were functional in vivo, and the essential residues identified in Lnt of E. coli are conserved in these proteins.

Crystal Structure of Helicobacter pylori Formamidase AmiF Reveals a Cysteine-Glutamate-Lysine Catalytic Triad

Helicobacter pylori AmiF formamidase that hydrolyzes formamide to produce formic acid and ammonia belongs to a member of the nitrilase superfamily. The crystal structure of AmiF was solved to 1.75A resolution using single-wavelength anomalous dispersion methods. The structure consists of a homohexamer related by 3-fold symmetry in which each subunit has an alpha-beta-beta-alpha four-layer architecture characteristic of the nitrilase superfamily. One exterior alpha layer faces the solvent, whereas the other one associates with that of the neighbor subunit, forming a tight alpha-beta-beta-alpha-alpha-beta-beta-alpha dimer. The apo and liganded crystal structures of an inactive mutant C166S were also determined to 2.50 and 2.30 A, respectively. These structures reveal a small formamide-binding pocket that includes Cys(166), Glu(60), and Lys(133) catalytic residues, in which Cys(166) acts as a nucleophile. Analysis of the liganded AmiF and N-carbamoyl d-amino acid amidohydrolase binding pockets reveals a common Cys-Glu-Lys triad, another conserved glutamate, and different subsets of ligand-binding residues. Molecular dynamic simulations show that the conserved triad has minimal fluctuations, catalyzing the hydrolysis of a specific nitrile or amide in the nitrilase superfamily efficiently.

Directed evolution and structural analysis of N-carbamoyl-D-amino acid amidohydrolase provide insights into recombinant protein solubility in Escherichia coli

One of the greatest bottlenecks in producing recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli is that over-expressed target proteins are mostly present in an insoluble form without any biological activity. DCase (N-carbamoyl-D-amino acid amidohydrolase) is an important enzyme involved in semi-synthesis of beta-lactam antibiotics in industry. In the present study, in order to determine the amino acid sites responsible for solubility of DCase, error-prone PCR and DNA shuffling techniques were applied to randomly mutate its coding sequence, followed by an efficient screening based on structural complementation. Several mutants of DCase with reduced aggregation were isolated. Solubility tests of these and several other mutants generated by site-directed mutagenesis indicated that three amino acid residues of DCase (Ala18, Tyr30 and Lys34) are involved in its protein solubility. In silico structural modelling analyses suggest further that hydrophilicity and/or negative charge at these three residues may be responsible for the increased solubility of DCase proteins in E. coli. Based on this information, multiple engineering designated mutants were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis, among them a triple mutant A18T/Y30N/K34E (named DCase-M3) could be overexpressed in E. coli and up to 80% of it was soluble. DCase-M3 was purified to homogeneity and a comparative analysis with wild-type DCase demonstrated that DCase-M3 enzyme was similar to the native DCase in terms of its kinetic and thermodynamic properties. The present study provides new insights into recombinant protein solubility in E. coli.

Cloning, crystallization and preliminary X-ray study of XC1258, a CN-hydrolase superfamily protein from Xanthomonas campestris

CN-hydrolase superfamily proteins are involved in a wide variety of non-peptide carbon-nitrogen hydrolysis reactions, producing some important natural products such as auxin, biotin, precursors of antibiotics etc. These reactions all involve attack on a cyano or carbonyl carbon by a conserved novel catalytic triad Glu-Lys-Cys through a thiol acylenzyme intermediate. However, classification into the CN-hydrolase superfamily based on sequence similarity alone is not straightforward and further structural data are necessary to improve this categorization. Here, the cloning, expression, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of XC1258, a CN-hydrolase superfamily protein from the plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris (Xcc), are reported. The SeMet-substituted XC1258 crystals diffracted to a resolution of 1.73 A. They are orthorhombic and belong to space group P2(1)2(1)2, with unit-cell parameters a = 143.8, b = 154.63, c = 51.3 A, respectively.

Structure-stability-activity relationship in covalently cross-linked N-carbamoyl D-amino acid amidohydrolase and N-acylamino acid racemase

N-Acylamino acid racemase (NAAAR) and N-carbamoyl-D-amino-acid amidohydrolase (D-NCAase) are important biocatalysts for producing enantiopure alpha-amino acids. NAAAR forms an octameric assembly and displays induced fit movements upon substrate binding, while D-NCAase is a tetramer that does not change conformation in the presence of a ligand. To investigate the effects of introducing potentially stabilizing S-S bridges in these different multimeric enzymes, cysteine residues predicted to form inter or intra-subunit disulfide bonds were introduced by site-directed mutagenesis. Inter-subunit S-S bonds were formed in two NAAAR variants (A68C-D72C and P60C-Y100C) and two d-NCAase variants (A302C and P295C-F304C). Intra-subunit S-S bonds were formed in two additional NAAAR variants (E149C-A182C and V265C). Crystal structures of NAAARs variants show limited deviations from the wild-type overall tertiary structure. An apo A68C-D72C subunit differs from the wild-type enzyme, in which it has an ordered lid loop, resembling ligand-bound NAAAR. The structures of A222C and A302C D-NCAases are nearly identical to the wild-type enzyme. All mutants with inter-subunit bridges had increases in thermostability. Compared with the wild-type enzyme, A68C-D72C NAAAR showed similar kcat/Km ratios, whereas mutant D-NCAases demonstrated increased kcat/Km ratios at high temperatures (A302C: 4.2-fold at 65 degrees C). Furthermore, molecular dynamic simulations reveal that A302C substantially sustains the fine-tuned catalytic site as temperature increases, achieving enhanced activity.

Evolution of a microbial nitrilase gene family: a comparative and environmental genomics study

BACKGROUND

Completed genomes and environmental genomic sequences are bringing a significant contribution to understanding the evolution of gene families, microbial metabolism and community eco-physiology. Here, we used comparative genomics and phylogenetic analyses in conjunction with enzymatic data to probe the evolution and functions of a microbial nitrilase gene family. Nitrilases are relatively rare in bacterial genomes, their biological function being unclear.

RESULTS

We examined the genetic neighborhood of the different subfamily genes and discovered conserved gene clusters or operons associated with specific nitrilase clades. The inferred evolutionary transitions that separate nitrilases which belong to different gene clusters correlated with changes in their enzymatic properties. We present evidence that Darwinian adaptation acted during one of those transitions and identified sites in the enzyme that may have been under positive selection.

CONCLUSION

Changes in the observed biochemical properties of the nitrilases associated with the different gene clusters are consistent with a hypothesis that those enzymes have been recruited to a novel metabolic pathway following gene duplication and neofunctionalization. These results demonstrate the benefits of combining environmental genomic sampling and completed genomes data with evolutionary and biochemical analyses in the study of gene families. They also open new directions for studying the functions of nitrilases and the genes they are associated with.

Glutamine amidotransferase activity of NAD+ synthetase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis depends on an amino-terminal nitrilase domain

NAD(+) synthetase (NadE; E.C. 6.3.5.1) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis utilizes both glutamine and ammonia to catalyze NAD(+) production, in contrast to the corresponding NH(3)-dependent enzymes from other prokaryotes. Here we report the site-directed mutagenesis of amino acids located in the N-terminal domain and predicted to be essential for glutamine hydrolysis. The residues forming the putative catalytic triad (Cys176, Glu52 and Lys121) were replaced by alanine; the mutated enzymes were expressed in the Escherichia coli Origami (DE3) strain and purified. The three mutants completely lost their glutamine-dependent activity, clearly indicating that Cys176, Glu52 and Lys121 are crucial for this activity. In contrast, the C176A and E52A variants, respectively, retained 90 and 30% of the original NH(3)-dependent specific activity, while the K121A mutant lost this activity. The results show that glutamine-amidotransferase activity is mediated by an N-terminal domain belonging to the superfamily of nitrilases. This domain, a new type of glutamine amide transfer (GAT) domain, is the first to be characterized in bacterial NAD(+) synthetases.

Structural Basis for Catalytic Racemization and Substrate Specificity of an N-Acylamino Acid Racemase Homologue from Deinococcus radiodurans

N-acylamino acid racemase (NAAAR) catalyzes the racemization of N-acylamino acids and can be used in concert with an aminoacylase to produce enantiopure alpha-amino acids, a process that has potential industrial applications. Here we have cloned and characterized an NAAAR homologue from a radiation-resistant ancient bacterium, Deinococcus radiodurans. The expressed NAAAR racemized various substrates at an optimal temperature of 60 degrees C and had Km values of 24.8 mM and 12.3 mM for N-acetyl-D-methionine and N-acetyl-L-methionine, respectively. The crystal structure of NAAAR was solved to 1.3 A resolution using multiwavelength anomalous dispersion (MAD) methods. The structure consists of a homooctamer in which each subunit has an architecture characteristic of enolases with a capping domain and a (beta/alpha)7 beta barrel domain. The NAAAR.Mg2+ and NAAAR.N-acetyl-L-glutamine.Mg2+ structures were also determined, allowing us to define the Lys170-Asp195-Glu220-Asp245-Lys269 framework for catalyzing 1,1-proton exchange of N-acylamino acids. Four subsites enclosing the substrate are identified: catalytic site, metal-binding site, side-chain-binding region, and a flexible lid region. The high conservation of catalytic and metal-binding sites in different enolases reflects the essentiality of a common catalytic platform, allowing these enzymes to robustly abstract alpha-protons of various carboxylate substrates efficiently. The other subsites involved in substrate recognition are less conserved, suggesting that divergent evolution has led to functionally distinct enzymes.