Cloning of lipoxygenase genes from a cyanobacterium, Nostoc punctiforme, and its expression in Eschelichia coli

Thirty years with three-dimensional structures of lipoxygenases

The X-ray crystal structures of soybean lipoxygenase (LOX) and rabbit 15-LOX were reported in the 1990s. Subsequent 3D structures demonstrated a conserved U-like shape of the substrate cavities as reviewed here. The 8-LOX:arachidonic acid (AA) complex showed AA bound to the substrate cavity carboxylate-out with C10 at 3.4 Å from the iron metal center. A recent cryo-electron microscopy (EM) analysis of the 12-LOX:AA complex illustrated AA in the same position as in the 8-LOX:AA complex. The 15- and 12-LOX complexes with isoenzyme-specific inhibitors/substrate mimics confirmed the U-fold. 5-LOX oxidizes AA to leukotriene A4, the first step in biosynthesis of mediators of asthma. The X-ray structure showed that the entrance to the substrate cavity was closed to AA by Phe and Tyr residues of a partly unfolded α2-helix. Recent X-ray analysis revealed that soaking with inhibitors shifted the short α2-helix to a long and continuous, which opened the substrate cavity. The α2-helix also adopted two conformations in 15-LOX. 12-LOX dimers consisted of one closed and one open subunit with an elongated α2-helix. 13C-ENDOR-MD computations of the 9-MnLOX:linoleate complex showed carboxylate-out position with C11 placed 3.4 ± 0.1 Å from the catalytic water. 3D structures have provided a solid ground for future research.

Evidences for antioxidant response and biosorption potential of Bacillus simplex strain 115 against lead

In this study, we investigated effects of lead on growth response and antioxidant defense protection in a new identified strain isolated from a soil, in the rhizosphere of Sainfoin Hedysarum coronarium L. Different concentrations of lead (0, 0.2, 1.5 and 3 g L^-1) added to Bacillus simplex strain 115 cultures surprisingly did not inhibit its growth. However, a resulting oxidative stress as attested by overproduction of H₂O₂ (+ 6.2 fold) and malondialdehyde (+ 2.3 fold) concomitantly to the enhancement of proteins carbonylation (+ 221%) and lipoxygenase activity (+ 59%) was observed in presence of 3 g L^-1 of lead. Intrinsic antioxidant defenses were revealed by the coupled up-regulation of catalase (+ 416%) and superoxide dismutase (+ 4 fold) activities, with a more important Fe-SOD increase in comparison to the other isoforms. Bioaccumulation assays showed both intracellular and extracellular lead accumulation. Biosorption was confirmed as a particularly lead resistance mechanism for Bacillus simplex strain 115 as the metal sequestration in cell wall accounted for 88.5% to 98.5% of the total endogenous metal accumulation. Potentiality of this new isolated microorganism as a biotechnological tool for agricultural soil lead bioremediation was thus proposed.

Bacterial and Protozoan Lipoxygenases Could be Involved in Cell-to-Cell Signaling and Immune Response Suppression

Lipoxygenases are found in animals, plants, and fungi, where they are involved in a wide range of cell-to-cell signaling processes. The presence of lipoxygenases in a number of bacteria and protozoa has been also established, but their biological significance remains poorly understood. Several hypothetical functions of lipoxygenases in bacteria and protozoa have been suggested without experimental validation. The objective of our study was evaluating the functions of bacterial and protozoan lipoxygenases by evolutionary and taxonomic analysis using bioinformatics tools. Lipoxygenase sequences were identified and examined using BLAST, followed by analysis of constructed phylogenetic trees and networks. Our results support the theory on the involvement of lipoxygenases in the formation of multicellular structures by microorganisms and their possible evolutionary significance in the emergence of multicellularity. Furthermore, we observed association of lipoxygenases with the suppression of host immune response by parasitic and symbiotic bacteria including dangerous opportunistic pathogens.

Recombinant Lipoxygenases and Hydroperoxide Lyases for the Synthesis of Green Leaf Volatiles

Green leaf volatiles (GLVs) are mainly C₆- and in rare cases also C₉-aldehydes, -alcohols, and -esters, which are released by plants in response to biotic or abiotic stresses. These compounds are named for their characteristic smell reminiscent of freshly mowed grass. This review focuses on GLVs and the two major pathway enzymes responsible for their formation: lipoxygenases (LOXs) and fatty acid hydroperoxide lyases (HPLs). LOXs catalyze the peroxidation of unsaturated fatty acids, such as linoleic and α-linolenic acids. Hydroperoxy fatty acids are further converted by HPLs into aldehydes and oxo-acids. In many industrial applications, plant extracts have been used as LOX and HPL sources. However, these processes are limited by low enzyme concentration, stability, and specificity. Alternatively, recombinant enzymes can be used as biocatalysts for GLV synthesis. The increasing number of well-characterized enzymes efficiently expressed by microbial hosts will foster the development of innovative biocatalytic processes for GLV production.

Changes in the levels of 12/15-lipoxygenase, apoptosis-related proteins and inflammatory factors in the cortex of diabetic rats and the neuroprotection of baicalein

This study was designed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of baicalein and the effect of the cortical 12/15-lipoxygenase (12/15-LOX) pathway on diabetic cognitive dysfunction. Our results showed that spatial learning and memory ability, as well as cortex neurons, were significantly impaired after the onset of diabetes. The fasting blood glucose and random blood glucose levels in the model group were significantly higher than those in the normal group. The levels of TG and TC in the plasma of the model group were significantly increased, but there was no significant difference in the LDL level. The insulin content in the plasma of diabetic rats was significantly lower than that of the normal group. The levels of inflammatory factors and 12(S)-HETE were significantly increased in diabetic rats, as were the protein expression levels of cPLA2, 12/15-LOX, p38MAPK, phospho-p38MAPK, caspase-3, caspase-9 and Aβ_1-42; by contrast, protein expression of Bcl-2 was significantly decreased. Administration of baicalein was shown to improve the spatial learning and memory ability and significantly decrease the levels of inflammatory cytokines. However, baicalein did not significantly influence the levels of blood glucose, lipids or insulin in rats. Baicalein treatment significantly protected diabetes rats from neuron death; significantly attenuated the overexpression of cPLA2, 12/15-LOX, p38MAPK, phospho-p38MAPK, caspase-3, caspase-9 and Aβ_1-42; and upregulated the expression of Bcl-2. These findings suggest that baicalein improves the cognitive function of diabetic rats by directly acting in the brain rather than by regulating the levels of blood glucose, lipids or insulin. In addition, baicalein can protect rat cortical neurons from damage caused by diabetes via inhibiting the 12/15-LOX pathway and relieving inflammation and apoptosis of the central nervous system.

Applications of Microbial Enzymes in Food Industry

The use of enzymes or microorganisms in food preparations is an age-old process. With the advancement of technology, novel enzymes with wide range of applications and specificity have been developed and new application areas are still being explored. Microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast and fungi and their enzymes are widely used in several food preparations for improving the taste and texture and they offer huge economic benefits to industries. Microbial enzymes are the preferred source to plants or animals due to several advantages such as easy, cost-effective and consistent production. The present review discusses the recent advancement in enzyme technology for food industries. A comprehensive list of enzymes used in food processing, the microbial source of these enzymes and the wide range of their application are discussed.

Structural and functional basis of phospholipid oxygenase activity of bacterial lipoxygenase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa expresses a secreted LOX-isoform (PA-LOX, LoxA) capable of oxidizing polyenoic fatty acids to hydroperoxy derivatives. Here we report high-level expression of this enzyme in E. coli and its structural and functional characterization. Recombinant PA-LOX oxygenates polyenoic fatty acids including eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid to the corresponding (n-6)S-hydroperoxy derivatives. This reaction involves abstraction of the proS-hydrogen from the n-8 bisallylic methylene. PA-LOX lacks major leukotriene synthase activity but converts 5S-HETE and 5S,6R/S-DiHETE to anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving lipoxins. It also exhibits phospholipid oxygenase activity as indicated by the formation of a specific pattern of oxygenation products from different phospholipid subspecies. Multiple mutagenesis studies revealed that PA-LOX does not follow classical concepts explaining the reaction specificity of mammalian LOXs. The crystal structure of PA-LOX was solved with resolutions of up to 1.48Å and its polypeptide chain is folded as single domain. The substrate-binding pocket consists of two fatty acid binding subcavities and lobby. Subcavity-1 contains the catalytic non-heme iron. A phosphatidylethanolamine molecule occupies the substrate-binding pocket and its sn1 fatty acid is located close to the catalytic non-heme iron. His377, His382, His555, Asn559 and the C-terminal Ile685 function as direct iron ligands and a water molecule (hydroxyl) completes the octahedral ligand sphere. Although the biological relevance of PA-LOX is still unknown its functional characteristics (lipoxin synthase activity) implicate this enzyme in a bacterial evasion strategy aimed at downregulating the hosts' immune system.

Biochemical characterization of allene oxide synthases from the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha and green microalgae Klebsormidium flaccidum provides insight into the evolutionary divergence of the plant CYP74 family

Allene oxide synthases (AOSs) were isolated from liverworts and charophytes. These AOSs exhibited enzymatic properties similar to those of angiosperms but formed a distinct phylogenetic clade. Allene oxide synthase (AOS) and hydroperoxide lyase (HPL) mediate the formation of precursors of jasmonates and carbon-six volatiles, respectively. AOS and HPL utilize fatty acid hydroperoxides and belong to the plant cytochrome P450 74 (CYP74) family that mediates plant defense against herbivores, pathogens, or abiotic stresses. Although members of the CYP74 family have been reported in mosses and other species, the evolution and function of multiple CYP74 genes in plants remain elusive. Here, we show that the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha belongs to a basal group in the evolution of land plants; has two closely related proteins (59% identity), MpAOS1 and MpAOS2, that are similar to moss PpAOS1 (49 and 47% identity, respectively); and exhibits AOS activity but not HPL activity. We also found that the green microalgae Klebsormidium flaccidum, consist of multicellular and non-branching filaments, contains an enzyme, KfAOS, that is similar to PpAOS1 (37% identity), and converts 13-hydroperoxide of linolenic acid to 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid in a coupled reaction with allene oxide cyclase. Phylogenetic analysis showed two evolutionarily distinct clusters. One cluster comprised AOS and HPL from charophytic algae, liverworts, and mosses, including MpAOSs and KfAOS. The other cluster was formed by angiosperm CYP74. Our results suggest that plant CYP74 enzymes with AOS, HPL, and divinyl ether synthase activities have arisen multiple times and in the two different clades, which occurred prior to the divergence of the flowering plant lineage.

Secreted lipoxygenase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhibits biomembrane oxygenase activity and induces hemolysis in human red blood cells

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) expresses a secreted lipoxygenase (LOX), which oxygenates free arachidonic acid predominantly to 15S-H(p)ETE. The enzyme is capable of binding phospholipids at its active site and physically interacts with model membranes. However, its membrane oxygenase activity has not been quantified. To address this question, we overexpressed PA-LOX as intracellular his-tag fusion protein in Escherichia coli, purified it to electrophoretic homogeneity and compared its biomembrane oxygenase activity with that of rabbit ALOX15. We found that both enzymes were capable of oxygenating mitochondrial membranes to specific oxygenation products and 13S-H(p)ODE and 15S-H(p)ETE esterified to phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine were identified as major oxygenation products. When normalized to similar linoleic acid oxygenase activity, the rabbit enzyme exhibited a much more effective mitochondrial membrane oxygenase activity. In contrast, during long-term incubations (24 h) with red blood cells PA-LOX induced significant (50%) hemolysis whereas rabbit ALOX15 was more or less ineffective. These data indicate the principle capability of PA-LOX of oxygenating membrane bound phospholipids which is likely to alter the barrier function of the biomembranes. Although the membrane oxygenase activity was lower than the fatty acid oxygenase activity of PA-LOX red blood cell membrane oxygenation might be of biological relevance for P. aeruginosa septicemia.

Evolutionary aspects of lipoxygenases and genetic diversity of human leukotriene signaling

Leukotrienes are pro-inflammatory lipid mediators, which are biosynthesized via the lipoxygenase pathway of the arachidonic acid cascade. Lipoxygenases form a family of lipid peroxidizing enzymes and human lipoxygenase isoforms have been implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory, hyperproliferative (cancer) and neurodegenerative diseases. Lipoxygenases are not restricted to humans but also occur in a large number of pro- and eucaryotic organisms. Lipoxygenase-like sequences have been identified in the three domains of life (bacteria, archaea, eucarya) but because of lacking functional data the occurrence of catalytically active lipoxygenases in archaea still remains an open question. Although the physiological and/or pathophysiological functions of various lipoxygenase isoforms have been studied throughout the last three decades there is no unifying concept for the biological importance of these enzymes. In this review we are summarizing the current knowledge on the distribution of lipoxygenases in living single and multicellular organisms with particular emphasis to higher vertebrates and will also focus on the genetic diversity of enzymes and receptors involved in human leukotriene signaling.

Hydrogen tunneling in a prokaryotic lipoxygenase

A bacterial lipoxygenase (LOX) shows a deuterium kinetic isotope effect (KIE) that is similar in magnitude and temperature dependence to the very large KIE of eukaryotic LOXs. This occurs despite the evolutionary distance, an ~25% smaller catalytic domain, and an increase in Ea of ~11 kcal/mol. Site-specific mutagenesis leads to a protein variant with an Ea similar to that of the prototypic plant LOX, providing possible insight into the origin of evolutionary differences. These findings, which extend the phenomenon of hydrogen tunneling to a prokaryotic LOX, are discussed in the context of a role for protein size and/or flexibility in enzymatic hydrogen tunneling.

Bacterial lipoxygenases, a new subfamily of enzymes? A phylogenetic approach

Lipoxygenases (EC. 1.13.11.12) are a non-heme iron enzymes consisting of one polypeptide chain folded into two domains, the N-terminal domain and the catalytic moiety β-barrel domain. They catalyze the dioxygenation of 1Z,4Z-pentadiene moieties of polyunsaturated fatty acids obtaining hydroperoxy fatty acids. For years, the presence of lipoxygenases was considered a eukaryotic feature, present in mammals, plants, small marine invertebrates, and fungi, but now, some lipoxygenase sequences have been detected on prokaryotic organisms, changing the idea that lipoxygenases are exclusively a eukaryotic affair. Lipoxygenases are involved in different types of reactions on eukaryote organisms where the biological role and the structural characteristics of these enzymes are well studied. However, these aspects of the bacterial lipoxygenases have not yet been elucidated and are unknown. This revision discusses biochemical aspects, biological applications, and some characteristics of these enzymes and tries to determine the existence of a subfamily of bacterial lipoxygenases in the context of the phylogeny of prokaryotic lipoxygenases, supporting the results of phylogenetic analyzes with the comparison and discussion of structural information of the first prokaryotic lipoxygenase crystallized and other eukaryotic lipoxygenases structures.

Lipoxygenase pathways in Homo neanderthalensis: functional comparison with Homo sapiens isoforms

Lipoxygenases (LOX) have been implicated in biosynthesis of pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators, and a previous report suggested compromised leukotriene signaling in H. neanderthalensis. To search for corresponding differences in leukotriene biosynthesis, we screened the Neandertal genome for LOX genes and found that, as modern humans, this archaic hominid contains six LOX genes (nALOX15, nALOX12, nALOX5, nALOX15B, nALOX12B, and nALOXE3) and one pseudogene. In the Neandertal genome, 60-75% of the amino acids of the different human LOX isoforms have been identified, and the degree of identity varies between 96 and 99%. Most functional amino acids (iron ligands, specificity determinants, calcium and ATP-binding sites, membrane-binding determinants, and phosphorylation sites) are well conserved in the Neandertal LOX isoforms, and expression of selected neandertalized human LOX mutants revealed no major functional defects. However, in nALOX12 and nALOXE3, two premature stop codons were found, leading to inactive enzyme species. These data suggest that ALOX15, ALOX5, ALOX15B, and ALOX12B should have been present as functional enzymes in H. neanderthalensis and that in contrast to lower nonhuman primates (M. mulatta) and other mammals (mice, rats), this ancient hominid expressed a 15-lipoxygenating ALOX15. Expression of ALOXE3 and ALOX12 was compromised, which might have caused problems in epidermal differentiation.

Methods for identifying lipoxygenase producing microorganisms on agar plates

Plate assays for lipoxygenase producing microorganisms on agar plates have been developed. Both potassium iodide-starch and indamine dye formation methods were effective for detecting soybean lipoxygenase activity on agar plates. A positive result was also achieved using the β-carotene bleaching method, but the sensitivity of this method was lower than the other two methods. The potassium iodide-starch and indamine dye formation methods were also applied for detecting lipoxygenase production by Trichoderma reesei and Pichia pastoris transformants expressing the lipoxygenase gene of the fungus Gaeumannomyces graminis. In both cases lipoxygenase production in the transformants could be identified. For detection of the G. graminis lipoxygenase produced by Aspergillus nidulans the potassium iodide-starch method was successful. When Escherichia coli was grown on agar and soybean lipoxygenase was applied on the culture lipoxygenase activity could clearly be detected by the indamine dye formation method. This suggests that the method has potential for screening of metagenomic libraries in E. coli for lipoxygenase activity.

Stereocontrol of arachidonic acid oxygenation by vertebrate lipoxygenases: newly cloned zebrafish lipoxygenase 1 does not follow the Ala-versus-Gly concept

Animal lipoxygenases (LOXs) are classified according to their specificity of arachidonic acid oxygenation, and previous sequence alignments suggested that S-LOXs contain a conserved Ala at a critical position at the active site but R-LOXs carry a Gly instead. Here we cloned, expressed, and characterized a novel LOX isoform from the model vertebrate Danio rerio (zebrafish) that carries a Gly at this critical position, classifying this enzyme as putative arachidonic acid R-LOX. Surprisingly, the almost exclusive arachidonic acid oxygenation product was 12S-H(p)ETE (hydro(pero)xyeicosatetraenoic acid), and extensive mutation around Gly-410 failed to induce R-lipoxygenation. This finding prompted us to explore the importance of the corresponding amino acids in other vertebrate S-LOXs. We found that Ala-to-Gly exchange in human 15-LOX2 and human platelet 12-LOX induced major alterations in the reaction specificity with an increase of specific R-oxygenation products. For mouse 5-LOX and 12/15-LOX from rabbits, men, rhesus monkeys, orangutans, and mice, only minor alterations in the reaction specificity were observed. For these enzymes, S-HETE (hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid) isomers remained the major oxygenation products, whereas chiral R-HETEs contributed only 10-30% to the total product mixture. Taken together these data indicate that the Ala-versus-Gly concept may not always predict the reaction specificity of vertebrate LOX isoforms.

Molecular enzymology of lipoxygenases

Lipoxygenases (LOXs) are lipid peroxidizing enzymes, implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory and hyperproliferative diseases, which represent potential targets for pharmacological intervention. Although soybean LOX1 was discovered more than 60years ago, the structural biology of these enzymes was not studied until the mid 1990s. In 1993 the first crystal structure for a plant LOX was solved and following this protein biochemistry and molecular enzymology became major fields in LOX research. This review focuses on recent developments in molecular enzymology of LOXs and summarizes our current understanding of the structural basis of LOX catalysis. Various hypotheses explaining the reaction specificity of different isoforms are critically reviewed and their pros and cons briefly discussed. Moreover, we summarize the current knowledge of LOX evolution by profiling the existence of LOX-related genomic sequences in the three kingdoms of life. Such sequences are found in eukaryotes and bacteria but not in archaea. Although the biological role of LOXs in lower organisms is far from clear, sequence data suggests that this enzyme family might have evolved shortly after the appearance of atmospheric oxygen on earth.

A bisallylic mini-lipoxygenase from cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. that has an iron as cofactor

Lipoxygenases are enzymes that are found ubiquitously in higher animals and plants, but have only recently been identified in a number of bacteria. The genome of the diazotrophic unicellular cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. harbors two genes with homology to lipoxygenases. Here we describe the isolation of one gene, formerly named csplox2. It was cloned, and the protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. The purified enzyme belongs to the group of prokaryotic mini lipoxygenases, because it had a molecular mass of 65 kDa. Interestingly, it catalyzed the conversion of linoleic acid, the only endogenously found polyunsaturated fatty acid, primarily to the bisallylic hydroperoxide 11R-hydroperoxyoctadecadienoic acid. This product had previously only been described for the manganese lipoxygenase from the take all fungus, Gaeumannomyces graminis. By contrast, CspLOX2 was shown to be an iron lipoxygenase. In addition, CspLOX2 formed a mixture of typical conjugated lipoxygenase products, e.g. 9R- and 13S-hydroperoxide. The conversion of linoleic acid took place with a maximum reaction rate of 31 s(-1). Incubation of the enzyme with [(11S)-(2)H]linoleic acid led to the formation of hydroperoxides that had lost the deuterium label, thus suggesting that CspLOX2 catalyzes antarafacial oxygenation as opposed to the mechanism of manganese lipoxygenase. CspLOX2 could also oxidize diarachidonylglycerophosphatidylcholine with similar specificity as the free fatty acid, indicating that binding of the substrate takes place with a "tail-first" orientation. We conclude that CspLOX2 is a novel iron mini-lipoxygenase that catalyzes the formation of bisallylic hydroperoxide as the major product.

Identification of oxylipins with antifungal activity by LC-MS/MS from the supernatant of Pseudomonas 42A2

In microorganisms hydroxy fatty acids are produced from the biotransformation of unsaturated fatty acids. Such compounds belong to a class of oxylipins which are reported to perform a variety of biological functions such as anti-inflammatory or cytotoxic activity. These compounds have been found in rice and timothy plants after being infected by specific fungus. When grown in submerged culture with linoleic acid, Pseudomonas 42A2 accumulated in the supernatant several hydroxy fatty acids. In this work LC-MS/MS has been used to elucidate the structure of the components form the organic extract: 9-hydroxy-10,12-octadecadienoic acid; 13-hydroxy-9,11-octadecadienoic acid; 7,10-dihydroxy-8E-octadecenoic acid; 9,10,13-trihydroxy-11-octadecenoic acid and 9,12,13-trihydroxy-10-octadecenoic acid. Antimicrobial activity against several pathogenic fungal strains is presented: MIC (microg/mL) Verticillium dhaliae, 32; Macrophonia phaesolina, 32; Arthroderma uncinatum, 32; Trycophyton mentagrophytes, 64.

Applicability of the triad concept for the positional specificity of mammalian lipoxygenases

The nomenclature of lipoxygenases (LOXs) is partly based on the positional specificity of arachidonic acid oxygenation, but there is no unifying concept explaining the mechanistic basis of this enzyme property. According to the triad model, Phe-353, Ile-418, and Ile-593 of the rabbit 12/15-LOX form the bottom of the substrate-binding pocket, and introduction of less space-filling residues at either of these positions favors arachidonic acid 12-lipoxygenation. The present study was aimed at exploring the validity of the triad concept for two novel primate 12/15-LOX (Macaca mulatta and Pongo pygmaeus) and for five known members of the mammalian LOX family (human 12/15-LOX, mouse 12/15-LOX, human 15-LOX2, human platelet type 12-LOX, and mouse (12R)-LOX). The enzymes were expressed as N-terminal His tag fusion proteins in E. coli, the potential sequence determinants were mutated, and the specificity of arachidonic acid oxygenation was quantified. Taken together, our data indicate that the triad concept explains the positional specificity of all 12/15-LOXs tested (rabbit, human, M. mulatta, P. pygmaeus, and mouse). For the new enzymes of M. mulatta and P. pygmaeus, the concept had predictive value because the positional specificity predicted on the basis of the amino acid sequence was confirmed experimentally. The specificity of the platelet 12-LOX was partly explained by the triad hypothesis, but the concept was not applicable for 15-LOX2 and (12R)-LOX.

A lipoxygenase with dual positional specificity is expressed in olives (Olea europaea L.) during ripening

Plant lipoxygenases (LOXs) are a class of widespread dioxygenases catalysing the hydroperoxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Although multiple isoforms of LOX have been detected in a wide range of plants, their physiological roles remain to be clarified. With the aim to clarify the occurrence of LOXs in olives and their contribution to the elaboration of the olive oil aroma, we cloned and characterized the first cDNA of the LOX isoform which is expressed during olive development. The open reading frame encodes a polypeptide of 864 amino acids. This olive LOX is a type-1 LOX which shows a high degree of identity at the peptide level towards hazelnut (77.3%), tobacco (76.3%) and almond (75.5%) LOXs. The recombinant enzyme shows a dual positional specificity, as it forms both 9- and 13-hydroperoxide of linoleic acid in a 2:1 ratio, and would be defined as 9/13-LOX. Although a LOX activity was detected throughout the olive development, the 9/13-LOX is mainly expressed at late developmental stages. Our data suggest that there are at least two Lox genes expressed in black olives, and that the 9/13-LOX is associated with the ripening and senescence processes. However, due to its dual positional specificity and its expression pattern, its contribution to the elaboration of the olive oil aroma might be considered.

A lipoxygenase with linoleate diol synthase activity from Nostoc sp. PCC 7120

The dioxygenation of PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids) in plants is mainly catalysed by members of the LOX (lipoxygenase) enzyme family. LOX products may be further metabolized, and are known as signalling substances in plant development and in responses to wounding and pathogen attack. In contrast with the situation in eukaryotes, information on the relevance of lipid peroxide metabolism in prokaryotic organisms is scarce. Therefore, we aimed to analyse LOXs and oxylipin patterns of cyanobacterial origin. A search of the genomic sequence of the cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. PCC 7120 suggested an open reading frame encoding a putative LOX named NspLOX that harboured an N-terminal extension. Individual analysis of recombinant C-terminal domain revealed enzymatic activity as a linoleate (9R)-LOX. Analysis of the full-length NspLOX protein, however, revealed linoleate diol synthase activity, generating (10E,12E)-9,14-dihydroxy-10,12-octadecadienoic acid as the main product from LA (linoleic acid) and (10E,12E,14E)-9,16-dihydroxy-10,12,14-octadecatrienoic acid as the main product from ALA (α-LA) substrates respectively, with ALA as preferred substrate. The enzyme exhibited a broad pH optimum between pH 7 and pH 10. Soluble extracts of Nostoc sp. contain more 9-LOX-derived hydroperoxides in sonified than in non-sonified cells, but products of full-length NspLOX were not detectable under the conditions used. As no other LOX-like sequence was identified in the genome of Nostoc sp. PCC 7120, the results presented suggest that (9R)-LOX-derived oxylipins may represent the endogenous products of NspLOX. Based on the biochemical results of NspLOX, we suggest that this bifunctional enzyme may represent a more ancient way to control the intracellular amount of oxylipins in this cyanobacterium.

A 49-kDa mini-lipoxygenase from Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 retains catalytically complete functionality

Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 is one of the few prokaryotes harboring a lipoxygenase (LOX) gene. The sequence resides in an open reading frame encoding a fusion protein of a catalase-like hemoprotein with an unusually short LOX (approximately 49 kDa) at the C terminus. The recombinant mini-LOX contains a non-heme iron in the active site and is highly active with linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids (which occur naturally in Anabaena) giving the respective 9R-hydroperoxides, the mirror image of the 9S-LOX products of plants. Using stereospecifically labeled [11-(3)H]linoleic acids we show that reaction is catalyzed via a typical antarafacial relationship of initial hydrogen abstraction and oxygenation. The mini-LOX oxygenated C16/C18:2-phosphatidylcholine with 9R specificity, suggesting a "tail first" mode of fatty acid binding. Site-directed mutagenesis of an active site Ala (Ala215), typically conserved as Gly in R-LOX, revealed that substitution with Gly retained 9R specificity, whereas the larger Val substitution switched oxygenation to 13S, implying that Ala215 represents the functional equivalent of the Gly in other R-LOX. Metabolism studies using a synthetic fatty acid with extended double bond conjugation, 9E,11Z,14Z-20:3omega6, showed that the mini-LOX can control oxygenation two positions further along the fatty acid carbon chain. We conclude that the mini-LOX, despite lacking the beta-barrel domain and much additional sequence, is catalytically complete. Interestingly, animal and plant LOX, which undoubtedly share a common ancestor, are related in sequence only in the catalytic domain; it is possible that the prokaryotic LOX represents a common link and that the beta-barrel domain was then acquired independently in the animal and plant kingdoms.