Taiwanofungus camphorata nitroreductase: cDNA cloning and biochemical characterisation

Crystal structure of the fungal nitroreductase Frm2 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Nitroreductases are flavoenzymes that catalyze nitrocompounds and are widely utilized in industrial applications due to their detoxification potential and activation of biomedicinal prodrugs. Type I nitroreductases are classified into subgroups depending on the use of NADPH or NADH as the electron donor. Here, we report the crystal structure of the fungal nitroreductase Frm2 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, one of the uncharacterized subgroups of proteins, to reveal its minimal architecture previously observed in bacterial nitroreductases such as CinD and YdjA. The structure lacks protruding helical motifs that form part of the cofactor and substrate binding site, resulting in an open and wide active site geometry. Arg82 is uniquely conserved in proximity to the substrate binding site in Frm2 homologues and plays a crucial role in the activity of the active site. Frm2 primarily utilizes NADH to reduce 4-NQO. Because missing helical elements are involved in the direct binding to the NAD(P)H in group A or group B in Type I family, Frm2 and its homologues may represent a distinctive subgroup with an altered binding mode for the reducing compound. This result provides a structural basis for the rational design of novel prodrugs with the ability to reduce nitrogen-containing hazardous molecules.

Molecular cloning and characterization of a thioredoxin from Taiwanofungus camphorata

BACKGROUND

Thioredoxin (Trx) is reduced by thioredoxin reductase. Trx is used in ribonucleoide reduction, assimilatory sulfate reduction, in modulation of protein sulfhydryl groups, and refolding proteins.

RESULTS

A TcTrx (Tc: Taiwanofungus camphorata) cDNA (640 bp, GenBank AY838902.1) encoding a putative thioredoxin (Trx) of 135 amino acid residues with calculated molecular mass of 16.17 kDa was cloned from Taiwanofungus c amphorata. The deduced amino acid sequence containing a motif (Cys-Gly-Pro-Cys) that is highly conserved among the reported Trxs. A three dimensional structural model of the TcTrx has been created based on the known structure of Malassezia sympodialis Trx (MsTrx, PDB ID: 2j23). To characterize the TcTrx, the codon optimized coding region was subcloned into an expression vector and transformed into Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The recombinant His8-tagged TcTrx was expressed and purified by Ni affinity chromatography. The purified enzyme showed a band of approximately 32 kDa (expected dimeric form) on a 12% SDS-PAGE. The molecular mass determined by MALDI-TOF is 33.16 kDa which suggests that the purified enzyme is a dimeric enzyme. Furthermore, the enzyme exhibited TcTrx activity via insulin assay. The Michaelis constant (K _M ) value for insulin was 3.78 × 10^-2 mM. The enzyme's half-life of deactivation was 13 min at 45°C. The enzyme was most active at pH 7.

CONCLUSIONS

A three dimensional structural model of T. camphorata Trx based on its TcTrx cDNA sequence. The active form of the TcTrx has been successfully expressed in yeast. The enzyme possesses Trx activity and is capable of reduction of disulfide bonds during the formation of newly synthesized proteins.