The influence of monovalent cations and hydrostatic pressure on beta-galactosidase activity

LacZ β-galactosidase: structure and function of an enzyme of historical and molecular biological importance

This review provides an overview of the structure, function, and catalytic mechanism of lacZ β-galactosidase. The protein played a central role in Jacob and Monod's development of the operon model for the regulation of gene expression. Determination of the crystal structure made it possible to understand why deletion of certain residues toward the amino-terminus not only caused the full enzyme tetramer to dissociate into dimers but also abolished activity. It was also possible to rationalize α-complementation, in which addition to the inactive dimers of peptides containing the "missing" N-terminal residues restored catalytic activity. The enzyme is well known to signal its presence by hydrolyzing X-gal to produce a blue product. That this reaction takes place in crystals of the protein confirms that the X-ray structure represents an active conformation. Individual tetramers of β-galactosidase have been measured to catalyze 38,500 ± 900 reactions per minute. Extensive kinetic, biochemical, mutagenic, and crystallographic analyses have made it possible to develop a presumed mechanism of action. Substrate initially binds near the top of the active site but then moves deeper for reaction. The first catalytic step (called galactosylation) is a nucleophilic displacement by Glu537 to form a covalent bond with galactose. This is initiated by proton donation by Glu461. The second displacement (degalactosylation) by water or an acceptor is initiated by proton abstraction by Glu461. Both of these displacements occur via planar oxocarbenium ion-like transition states. The acceptor reaction with glucose is important for the formation of allolactose, the natural inducer of the lac operon.

Assembly of Anionic Conjugated Polymer with 6-O-Modified PNP-β-Galactoside for Fluorescence Logic-signal-based Multiplex Detections of Enzymes

Anionic conjugated polymer (PFP-SO 3-) was assembled with a novel enzymatic substrate 6-O-modified PNP-β-galactoside (1) for sensitive multiplex enzyme detections. The PFP-SO 3-/1/lipase/β-galactosidase system has two chemical input signals which are Input 1 (lipase) and Input 2 (β-galactosidase), and output optical signals such as fluorescence emission at 416 nm or 450 nm. Four types of logic gates, including YES, INH, NAND and AND, were successfully constructed and utilized for multiplex detections of lipase and β-galactosidase in one tube.

Stabilities of uncomplemented and complemented M15 beta-galactosidase (Escherichia coli) and the relationship to alpha-complementation

M15 beta-galactosidase (Escherichia coli) is a mutant form of beta-galactosidase having residues 11-41 deleted. It is an inactive dimer but can be complemented to the active tetrameric form by the addition of a peptide containing the deleted residues. The activities of uncomplemented and complemented M15 beta-galactosidases decreased starting at 42 degrees C--uncomplemented over a narrow temperature range, complemented over a broad range. This is because uncomplemented protein is a simple dimer while complemented is a mix of interacting oligomers at high temperatures. The effects of added components on stability and alpha-complementation are best explained by binding effects on equilibria between native forms and forms susceptible to inactivation. Mg2+ stabilized complemented protein but destabilized uncomplemented protein (10x less Mg2+ was needed for complemented protein). Alpha-complementation increased somewhat at low Mg2+ but decreased at high Mg2+. These effects can be explained by differential Mg2+ binding to the native and susceptible forms. The enhancement of both stability and alpha-complementation by Na+ can be explained by preferential binding of Na+ to the native forms of both the uncomplemented and complemented proteins. Low 2-mercaptoethanol concentrations stabilized uncomplemented M15 beta-galactosidase, but high concentrations destabilized it. All concentrations destabilized complemented M15 beta-galactosidase. Alpha-complementation was enhanced by 2-mercaptoethanol. Thus, there is a correlation between stability of the uncomplemented protein and alpha-complementation at low 2-mercaptoethanol owing to interactions with native forms. The lack of correlation at higher 2-mercaptoethanol probably results from precipitation by 2-mercaptoethanol. In contrast to irreversible thermal inactivation, differences in reversible stability in urea were small. This suggests that quaternary structure and Mg2+ and Na+ sites are lost at low urea concentrations and are unimportant at the urea concentrations that result in reversible denaturation.

Differences in the hydrolysis of lactose and other substrates by beta-D-galactosidase from Kluyveromyces lactis

The hydrolysis of o-nitrophenyl galactopyranoside and lactose by beta-D-galactosidase from Kluyveromyces lactis was enhanced by the addition of Mg2+ and Mn2+, but the rates of activation by each metal on both substrates were not the same. The Co2+, Zn2+, and Ni2+ activated the o-nitrophenyl galactopyranoside-hydrolyzing activity of the enzyme, but these same metals inhibited the lactose-hydrolyzing activity. The addition of Mg2+ and EDTA to the assay buffer increased the hydrolysis of o-nitrophenyl galactopyranoside and lactose at different rates. The responses of o-nitrophenyl galactopyranoside and lactose to the enzyme activity were different as a function of pH. The hydrolyzing activity toward both substrates also was influenced by the concentration of the phosphate in the assay buffer. However, the profile of the enzyme activity toward each substrate was different as a function of concentration. Because the assay of beta-galactosidase using o-nitrophenyl galactopyranoside is fast and convenient, the estimation of lactose-hydrolyzing activity of the enzyme has frequently been made based on the assay of o-nitrophenyl galactopyranoside hydrolysis. As shown in this study, a slight change in the conditions of the assay system and the enzyme application may cause changes in the ability of the enzyme to hydrolyze both lactose and o-nitrophenyl galactopyranoside. The change in o-nitrophenyl galactopyranoside-hydrolyzing activity is not always consistent with that of the lactose-hydrolyzing activity under the given condition, which may cause an inaccurate estimation of the enzyme activity in the enzyme preparation as well as in actual applications of the enzyme.

The Michaelis constants of a nonchromogenic substrate may be determined using a chromogenic substrate

A general method is presented for the determination of the KM and Vmax for a nonchromogenic substrate in an experimental system where a chromogenic and a nonchromogenic substrate compete for the active site of a single enzyme. Entire progress curves of absorbance versus time for the transformation of the chromogenic substrate must be obtained in the absence and presence of the nonchromgenic substrate. Two quantities may then be extracted from the entire kinetic curves: the value of a delta Area, the area bounded by the kinetic traces of absorbance versus time in the presence and absence of the nonchromogenic substrate; and the value of delta t(5%), the time required to transform 5% of the chromogenic substrate in the presence of the nonchromogenic substrate minus the corresponding time required in its absence. The values of KM and Vmax for the nonchromogenic substrate may be obtained from the dependencies of delta Area and delta t(5%) upon the concentration of the nonchromogenic substrate. The ability of this procedure to yield the correct values of KM and Vmax was demonstrated using beta-lactamase, beta-galactosidase, alkaline phosphatase, and 19 chromogenic/nonchromogenic substrate pairs. This method is equally valid in the absence or presence of competitive product inhibition and should be applicable to any enzyme-catalyzed, strongly exergonic reaction.