Immobilization of β-galactosidase and α-mannosidase onto magnetic nanoparticles: A strategy for increasing the potentiality of valuable glycomic tools for glycosylation analysis and biological role determination of glycoconjugates

Purification and characterization of α-fucosidase from Dichostereum sordulentum 1488

Biological glycans mediate several physiological processes, thus altered glycosylation patterns can lead to different diseases such as autoimmune, infectious, chronic anti-inflammatory diseases, or even cancer. In fact, alterations in fucosylation in either N- or O-glycans are among the most frequent changes in glycosylation patterns associated with cancer. Therefore, elucidation of the role of glycoconjugate glycans is essential for understanding the development of pathologies where they are involved. In this sense glycosidases are excellent tools, since they catalyse the selective removal of sugar residues, allowing the evaluation of changes in their biological role due to glycan removal. This work describes the purification and characterization of a α-fucosidase from the fungus Dichostereum sordulentum 1488. It is a homodimer with a molecular weight of 214 kDa and optimum pH and temperature of 4.0 and 70 °C respectively. It has a KM of 0.27 mM and VMax of 3.3 μmoles PNP/min per mg for the substrate p-nitrophenyl-α-l-fucopyranoside, showing a substrate inhibition profile. It showed high specificity for the hydrolysis of fucose linked by α-(1,2) bonds. The identification, purification, and characterization of this new α-fucosidase is highly relevant for enlarging the availability of glycosidases for use as tools for glycan elucidation.

Enzyme-responsive mannose-grafted magnetic nanoparticles for breast and liver cancer therapy and tumor-associated macrophage immunomodulation

BACKGROUND

Chemo-immunotherapy modifies the tumor microenvironment to enhance the immune response and improve chemotherapy. This study introduces a dual-armed chemo-immunotherapy strategy combating breast tumor progression while re-polarizing Tumor-Associated Macrophage (TAM) using prodigiosin-loaded mannan-coated magnetic nanoparticles (PG@M-MNPs).

METHODS

The physicochemical properties of one-step synthetized M-MNPs were analyzed, including X-ray diffraction, FTIR, DLS, VSM, TEM, zeta potential analysis, and drug loading content were carried out. Biocompatibility, cancer specificity, cellular uptake, and distribution of PG@M-MNPs were investigated using fluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy, and flow cytometry. Furthermore, the expression levels of IL-6 and ARG-1 after treatment with PG and PG@M-MNPs on M1 and M2 macrophage subsets were studied.

RESULTS

The M-MNPs were successfully synthesized and characterized, demonstrating a size below 100 nm. The release kinetics of PG from M-MNPs showed sustained and controlled patterns, with enzyme-triggered release. Cytotoxicity assessments revealed an enhanced selectivity of PG@M-MNPs against cancer cells and minimal effects on normal cells. Additionally, immuno-modulatory activity demonstrates the potential of PG@M-MNPs to change the polarization dynamics of macrophages.

CONCLUSION

These findings highlight the potential of a targeted approach to breast cancer treatment, offering new avenues for improved therapeutic outcomes and patient survival.

Trypanosoma cruzi-Derived Molecules Induce Anti-Tumour Protection by Favouring Both Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Thus, the development of strategies against this type of cancer is of high value. Parasite infections can correlate with lower cancer incidence in humans and their use as vaccines has been recently explored in preclinical models. In this study, we investigated whether immunisations with a Trypanosoma cruzi lysate from epimastigotes protect from lung tumour growth in mice. We also explore the role of parasite glycans in the induction of the protective immune response. A pre-clinical murine cancer model using the lung tumour cell line LL/2 was used to evaluate the anti-tumour potential, both in preventive and therapeutic settings, of a T. cruzi epimastigote-derived protein lysate. Immunisation with the parasite lysate prevents tumour growth and induces both humoral and cellular anti-tumour immune responses to LL-2 cancer cells. The induced immunity and tumour protection were associated with the activation of natural killer (NK) cells, the production of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and tumour cell cytotoxicity. We also show that mannose residues in the T. cruzi lysate induce Toll-like receptor (TLR) signalling. The evaluated T. cruzi lysate possesses anti-tumour properties likely by activating innate and adaptive immunity in a process where carbohydrates seem to be essential.

A biotechnological tool for glycoprotein desialylation based on immobilized neuraminidase from Clostridium perfringens

Background

Sialic acids are widely distributed in nature and have biological relevance owing to their varied structural and functional roles. Immobilized neuraminidase can selectively remove terminal N-acetyl neuraminic acid from glycoproteins without altering the protein backbone while it can be easily removed from the reaction mixture avoiding sample contamination. This enables the evaluation of changes in glycoprotein performance upon desialylation.

Methods

Neuraminidase was immobilized onto agarose activated with cyanate ester groups and further used for desialylation of model glycoproteins, a lysate from tumour cells and tumour cells. Desialylation process was analysed by lectin binding assay, determination of sialyl-Tn or flow cytometry.

Results

Clostridium perfringens neuraminidase was immobilized with 91 % yield and expressed activity yield was of 41%. It was effective in the desialylation of bovine fetal serum fetuin, bovine lactoferrin and ovine submaxilar mucin. A decrease in sialic-specific SNA lectin recognition of 83% and 53 % was observed for fetuin and lactoferrin with a concomitant increase in galactose specific ECA and PNA lectin recognition. Likewise, a decrease in the recognition of a specific antibody (82%) upon mucin desialylation was observed. Moreover, desialylation of a protein lysate from the sialic acid-rich cell line TA3/Ha was also possible leading to a decrease in 47 % in SNA recognition. Immobilized neuraminidase kept 100% of its initial activity upon five desialylation cycles.

Conclusions

Immobilized neuraminidase is an interesting as well as a robust biotechnological tool for enzymatic desialylation purposes.

General significance

Immobilized neuraminidase would contribute to understand the role of sialic acid in biological processes.

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Neuraminidase immobilization was successfully achieved.

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Immobilized neuraminidase was effective in the desialylation of several model glycoproteins.

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TA3/Ha tumour cell lysates were desialylated with immobilized neuraminidase.

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Immobilized neuraminidase was successfully re-used.

Activity, stability, and binding capacity of β-galactosidase immobilized on electrospun nylon-6 fiber membrane

In this research, we explored various immobilized enzyme support materials, including the novel nylon-6 fiber membrane (NFM), and evaluated the increase in surface area and its effect on enzyme binding potential. We also manipulated incubation and reaction conditions and assessed the subsequent effects on activity and stability of β-galactosidase, with comparisons between various solid support materials and free (dissolved) enzyme. Nylon-6 fiber membranes were created by electrospinning and were compared with other materials as solid supports for enzyme binding. The other materials included polyvinylidene fluoride 5-kDa nanofiltration dairy membranes, nylon-6 pellets, and silica glass beads. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the large surface area of NFM, which correlated with greater enzyme activity compared with the relatively flatter surfaces of the other solid support materials. Enzyme activity was measured spectrophotometrically with the color-changing substrate o-nitrophenyl-β-d-galactopyranoside. Compared with the other solid supports, NFM had greater maximum enzyme binding potential. Across pH conditions ranging from 3.5 to 6.0 (including the optimal pH of 4.0-5.0), enzyme activity was maintained on the membrane-immobilized samples, whereas free enzyme did not maintain activity. Altering the storage temperature (4, 22, and 50°C) affected enzyme stability (i.e., the ability of the enzyme to maintain activity over time) of free and polyvinylidene fluoride membrane samples. However, NFM samples maintained stability across the varying storage temperatures. Increasing the immobilization solution enzyme concentration above the maximum enzyme binding capacity had no significant effect on enzyme stability for membrane-immobilized samples; however, both had lower mean stability than free enzyme by approximately 74%. With further development, β-galactosidase immobilized on NFM or other membranes could be used in continuous processing in the dairy industry for a combination of filtration and lactose hydrolysis-creating products that are reduced in lactose and increased in sweetness, with no requirement for "added sugars" on the nutrition label and no enzyme listed as final product ingredient.

Immobilized peptide-N-glycosidase F onto magnetic nanoparticles: A biotechnological tool for protein deglycosylation under native conditions

The elucidation of glycans biological function is essential to understand their role in biological processes, both normal and pathological. Immobilized glycoenzymes are excellent tools for this purpose as they can selectively release glycans from glycoproteins without altering their backbone. They can be easily removed from the reaction mixture avoiding their interference in subsequent experiments. Here, we describe the immobilization of peptide-N-glycosidase F (PNGase F) onto silica magnetic nanoparticles with immobilization yields of 86% and activity yields of 12%. Immobilized PNGase F showed higher thermal stability than its soluble counterpart, and could be reused for at least seven deglycosylation cycles. It was efficient in the deglycosylation of several glycoproteins (ribonuclease B, bovine fetuin, and ovalbumin) and a protein lysate from the parasite Fasciola hepatica under native conditions, with similar performance to that of the soluble enzyme. Successful deglycosylation was evidenced by a decrease in specific lectin recognition of the glycoproteins (40%-80%). Moreover, deglycosylated F. hepatica lysate allowed us to confirm the role of parasite N-glycans in the inhibition of the lipopolysaccharide-induced maturation of dendritic cells. Immobilized PNGase F probed to be a robust biotechnological tool for deglycosylation of glycoproteins and complex biological samples under native conditions.

Magnetic graphene oxide nanocomposites as an effective support for lactase immobilization with improved stability and enhanced photothermal enzymatic activity

Magnetic graphene oxide-immobilized lactase with high loading capacity, improved stabilities, and photothermal enhancement of activity has been reported.

Simultaneous synthesis of l-DOPA and oxidation of d-amino acid by specific coupling of a peroxidase to d-amino acid oxidase

3,4 Dihydroxy phenyl l-alanine (L-DOPA) is the gold standard Parkinson's disease therapy. A heme-dependent peroxidase (HDP) catalyzes the ortho-hydroxylation of l-tyrosine to l-DOPA using H₂O₂ as the co-substrate. d-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) catalyzes the oxidative deamination of d-amino acids (e.g. d-alanine), and H₂O₂ is evolved. However, both the enzymes DAAO and HDP can be inactivated by H₂O₂ during the catalysis. In situ generation and utilization of H₂O₂ can siginificatly reduce the inactivation by H₂O₂. HDP exists as a monomer and DAAO is a dimeric enzyme. Herein, the C-terminus of HDP was specifically ligated to the N-terminus of the DAAO subunit with native peptide through the in vivo monomer-subunit splicing. In the splicing product HDP&DAAO, HDP is close to the DAAO subunit at a molecular distance, and the transfer of H₂O₂ from DAAO to HDP is facilitated. In addition, HDP&DAAO exhibited a higher stability than HDP. Kinetics analysis showed that both the substrates l-tyrosine and d-alanine obey the Michaelis-Menten kinetics. For the deamination of d-alanine, the catalytic efficiency of HDP&DAAO is 3.05 times that of DAAO. For the sybthesis of l-DOPA from l-tyrosine, the catalytic efficiency of HDP&DAAO is 1.58 times that of HDP. Furthermore, HDP&DAAO was encapsulated within a Znic-based coordination polymer (Zn-CP). The morphorogy of HDP&DAAO/Zn-CP can be regulated by the enzyme concentration, the catalytic efficiency of the conjugates was found to be dependent on the morphorogy. The conjugates HDP&DAAO/Zn-CP exhibited a higher catalytic efficiency than free HDP&DAAO.