Regulation of the mechanism of Type-II NADH: Quinone oxidoreductase from S. aureus

The monotopic quinone reductases from Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus, a Gram-positive bacterium, is an opportunistic pathogen and one of the most frequent causes for community acquired and nosocomial infections that has become a major public health threat due to the increased incidence of its drug resistance. Although being a prominent pathogen, its energetic metabolism is still underexplored, and its respiratory enzymes have been escaping attention. S. aureus can adapt to different environmental conditions by performing both aerobic and anaerobic respirations, which is particularly important as it frequently colonizes niches with different oxygen concentrations. This adaptability is derived from the composition of its respiratory chain, specifically from the presence of terminal electron acceptor reductases. The plasticity of S. aureus energy metabolism is enlarged by the ten quinone reductases encoded in its genome, eight of them being monotopic proteins. The role of these proteins is critical as they connect the different catabolic pathways to the respiratory chain. In this work, we identify, describe, and revise the monotopic quinone reductases present in S. aureus, providing an integrated view of its respiratory chain.

The two alternative NADH:quinone oxidoreductases from Staphylococcus aureus: two players with different molecular and cellular roles

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen that has emerged as a major public health threat due to the increased incidence of its drug resistance. S. aureus presents a remarkable capacity to adapt to different niches due to the plasticity of its energy metabolism. In this work, we investigated the energy metabolism of S. aureus, focusing on the alternative NADH:quinone oxidoreductases, NDH-2s. S. aureus presents two genes encoding NDH-2s (NDH-2A and NDH-2B) and lacks genes coding for Complex I, the canonical respiratory NADH:quinone oxidoreductase. This observation makes the action of NDH-2s crucial for the regeneration of NAD+ and, consequently, for the progression of metabolism. Our study involved the comprehensive biochemical characterization of NDH-2B and the exploration of the cellular roles of NDH-2A and NDH-2B, utilizing knockout mutants (Δndh-2a and Δndh-2b). We show that NDH-2B uses NADPH instead of NADH, does not establish a charge-transfer complex in the presence of NADPH, and its reduction by this substrate is the catalytic rate-limiting step. In the case of NDH-2B, the reduction of the flavin is inherently slow, and we suggest the establishment of a charge transfer complex between NADP+ and FADH2, as previously observed for NDH-2A, to slow down quinone reduction and, consequently, prevent the overproduction of reactive oxygen species, which is potentially unnecessary. Furthermore, we observed that the lack of NDH-2A or NDH-2B impacts cell growth, volume, and division differently. The absence of these enzymes results in distinct metabolic phenotypes, emphasizing the unique cellular roles of each NDH-2 in energy metabolism.IMPORTANCEStaphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen, posing a global challenge in clinical medicine due to the increased incidence of its drug resistance. For this reason, it is essential to explore and understand the mechanisms behind its resistance, as well as the fundamental biological features such as energy metabolism and the respective players that allow S. aureus to live and survive. Despite its prominence as a pathogen, the energy metabolism of S. aureus remains underexplored, with its respiratory enzymes often escaping thorough investigation. S. aureus bioenergetic plasticity is illustrated by its ability to use different respiratory enzymes, two of which are investigated in the present study. Understanding the metabolic adaptation strategies of S. aureus to bioenergetic challenges may pave the way for the design of therapeutic approaches that interfere with the ability of the pathogen to successfully adapt when it invades different niches within its host.

Tuning Ligands Ratio Allows for Controlling Gold Nanocluster Conformation and Activating a Nonantimicrobial Thiol Fragrance for Effective Treatment of MRSA-Induced Keratitis

Bacterial keratitis is a serious ocular disease that affects millions of people worldwide each year, among which ≈25% are caused by Staphylococcus aureus. With the spread of bacterial resistance, refractory keratitis caused by methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) affects ≈120 000-190 000 people annually and is a significant cause of infectious blindness. Atomically precise gold nanoclusters (GNCs) recently emerged as promising antibacterial agents; although how the GNC structure and capping ligands control the antibacterial properties remains largely unexplored. In this study, by adjusting the ratio of a "bulky" thiol fragrance to a linear zwitterionic ligand, the GNC conformation is transformed from Au25 (SR)18 to Au23 (SR)16 species, simultaneously converting both inactive thiol ligands into potent antibacterial nanomaterials. Surprisingly, mixed-ligand capped Au23 (SR)16 GNCs exhibit superior antibacterial potency compared to their monoligand counterparts. The optimal GNC is highly potent against MRSA, showing >1024-fold lower minimum inhibitory concentration than the corresponding free ligands. Moreover, it displays excellent potency in treating MRSA-induced keratitis in mice with greatly accelerated corneal recovery (by approximately ninefold). Thus, this study establishes a feasible method to synthesize antibacterial GNCs by adjusting the ligand ratio to control GNC conformation and active non-antibacterial ligands, thereby greatly increasing the repertoires for combating multidrug-resistant bacterial infections.

Unveiling the membrane bound dihydroorotate: Quinone oxidoreductase from Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen and one of the most frequent causes for community acquired and nosocomial bacterial infections. Even so, its energy metabolism is still under explored and its respiratory enzymes have been vastly overlooked. In this work, we unveil the dihydroorotate:quinone oxidoreductase (DHOQO) from S. aureus, the first example of a DHOQO from a Gram-positive organism. This protein was shown to be a FMN containing menaquinone reducing enzyme, presenting a Michaelis-Menten behaviour towards the two substrates, which was inhibited by Brequinar, Leflunomide, Lapachol, HQNO, Atovaquone and TFFA with different degrees of effectiveness. Deletion of the DHOQO coding gene (Δdhoqo) led to lower bacterial growth rates, and effected in cell morphology and metabolism, most importantly in the pyrimidine biosynthesis, here systematized for S. aureus MW2 for the first time. This work unveils the existence of a functional DHOQO in the respiratory chain of the pathogenic bacterium S. aureus, enlarging the understanding of its energy metabolism.

New Insights into the Modification of the Non-Core Metabolic Pathway of Steroids in Mycolicibacterium and the Application of Fermentation Biotechnology in C-19 Steroid Production

Androsta-4-ene-3,17-dione (AD), androsta-1,4-diene-3,17-dione (ADD), and 9α-hydroxy-4-androstene-3,17-dione (9-OHAD), which belong to C-19 steroids, are critical steroid-based drug intermediates. The biotransformation of phytosterols into C-19 steroids by Mycolicibacterium cell factories is the core step in the synthesis of steroid-based drugs. The production performance of engineered mycolicibacterial strains has been effectively enhanced by sterol core metabolic modification. In recent years, research on the non-core metabolic pathway of steroids (NCMS) in mycolicibacterial strains has made significant progress. This review discusses the molecular mechanisms and metabolic modifications of NCMS for accelerating sterol uptake, regulating coenzyme I balance, promoting propionyl-CoA metabolism, reducing reactive oxygen species, and regulating energy metabolism. In addition, the recent applications of biotechnology in steroid intermediate production are summarized and compared, and the future development trend of NCMS research is discussed. This review provides powerful theoretical support for metabolic regulation in the biotransformation of phytosterols.

Effect of the pseudomonas metabolites HQNO on the Toxoplasma gondii RH strain in vitro and in vivo

Toxoplasmosis is a widespread disease in humans and animals. Currently, toxoplasmosis chemotherapy options are limited due to severe side effects. There is an urgent need to develop new drugs with better efficacy and few side effects. HQNO, a cytochrome bc1 and type II NADH inhibitor in eukaryotes and bacteria, possesses extensive bioactivity. In this study, the cytotoxicity of HQNO was evaluated in Vero cells. The in vitro effects of HQNO were determined by plaque assay and qPCR assay. To determine the in vivo effect of HQNO, pharmacokinetic experiments and in vivo infection assays were performed in mice. The changes in tachyzoites after HQNO exposure were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), MitoTracker Red CMXRos staining, ROS detection and ATP detection. HQNO inhibited T. gondii invasion and proliferation with an EC₅₀ of 0.995 μM. Pharmacokinetic experiments showed that the C_max of HQNO (20 mg/kg·bw) was 3560 ± 1601 ng/mL (13.73 μM) in healthy BALB/c mouse plasma with no toxicity in vivo. Moreover, HQNO induced a significant decrease in the parasite burden load of T. gondii in mouse peritoneum. TEM revealed alterations in the mitochondria of T. gondii. Further assays verified that HQNO also decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and ATP levels and enhanced the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in T. gondii. Hence, HQNO exerted anti-T. gondii activity, which may be related to the damage to the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC).

Inhibition of planktonic growth and biofilm formation of Staphylococcus aureus by entrectinib through disrupting the cell membrane

Over the last few decades, Staphylococcus aureus infection remain a major medical challenge and health concern worldwide. Biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance caused by S. aureus make it difficult to be eradicated from bacterial infections in clinics. In this study, our data demonstrated the antibacterial and excellent anti-biofilm activity of entrectinib against S. aureus. Entrectinib also exhibited the good safety, suggesting no toxicity with antibacterial concentration of entrectinib toward the erythrocytes and mammalian 239 T cells. Moreover, entrectinib significantly reduced the bacterial burden of septic tissue in a murine model of MRSA infection. Global proteomic analysis of S. aureus treated with entrectinib showed significant changes in the expression levels of ribosomal structure-related (rpmC, rpmD, rplX, and rpsT) and oxidative stress-related proteins (Thioredoxin system), suggesting the possible inhibition of bacterial protein biosynthesis with entrectinib exposure. The increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was demonstrated in the entrectinib-treated S. aureus, supported the impact of entrectinib on the expression changes of ROS-correlated proteins involved in oxidative stress. Furthermore, entrectinib-induced resistant S. aureus clone was selected by in vitro induction under entrectinib exposure and 3 amino acid mutations in the entrectinib-induced resistant S. aureus strain, 2 of which were located in the gene encoding Type II NADH: quinoneoxidoreductase and one were found in GTP pyrophosphokinase family protein. Finally, the bactericidal action of entrectinib on S. aureus were confirmed by disrupting the bacterial cell membrane. Conclusively, entrectinib exhibit the antibacterial and anti-biofilm activity by destroying cell membrane against S. aureus.

Quinone binding site in a type VI sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase

Monotopic membrane-bound flavoproteins, sulfide:quinone oxidoreductases (SQRs), have a variety of physiological functions, including sulfide detoxification. SQR enzymes are classified into six groups. SQRs use the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) cofactor to transfer electrons from sulfide to quinone. A type VI SQR of the photosynthetic purple sulfur bacterium, Thiocapsa roseopersicina (TrSqrF), has been previously characterized, and the mechanism of sulfide oxidation has been proposed. This paper reports the characterization of quinone binding site (QBS) of TrSqrF composed of conserved aromatic and apolar amino acids. Val331, Ile333, and Phe366 were identified near the benzoquinone ring of enzyme-bound decylubiquinone (dUQ) using the TrSqrF homology model. In silico analysis revealed that Val331 and Ile333 alternately connected with the quinone head group via hydrogen bonds, and Phe366 and Trp369 bound the quinones via hydrophobic interactions. TrSqrF variants containing alanine (V331A, I333A, F366A) and aromatic amino acid (V331F, I333F, F366Y), as well as a C-terminal α-helix deletion (CTD) mutant were generated. These amino acids are critical for quinone binding and, thus, catalysis. Spectroscopic analyses proved that all mutants contained FAD. I333F replacement resulted in the lack of the charge transfer complex. In summary, the interactions described above maintain the quinone molecule's head in an optimal position for direct electron transfer from FAD. Surprisingly, the CTD mutant retained a relatively high level of specific activity while remaining membrane-anchored. This is a unique study because it focuses on the QBS and the oxidative stage of a type VI sulfide-dependent quinone reduction. KEY POINTS: • V331, I333, F366, and W369 were shown to interact with decylubiquinone in T. roseopersicina SqrF • These amino acids are involved in proper positioning of quinones next to FAD • I333 is essential in formation of a charge transfer complex from FAD to quinone.

Animal Fatty Acid Synthase: A Chemical Nanofactory

Fatty acids are crucial molecules for most living beings, very well spread and conserved across species. These molecules play a role in energy storage, cell membrane architecture, and cell signaling, the latter through their derivative metabolites. De novo synthesis of fatty acids is a complex chemical process that can be achieved either by a metabolic pathway built by a sequence of individual enzymes, such as in most bacteria, or by a single, large multi-enzyme, which incorporates all the chemical capabilities of the metabolic pathway, such as in animals and fungi, and in some bacteria. Here we focus on the multi-enzymes, specifically in the animal fatty acid synthase (FAS). We start by providing a historical overview of this vast field of research. We follow by describing the extraordinary architecture of animal FAS, a homodimeric multi-enzyme with seven different active sites per dimer, including a carrier protein that carries the intermediates from one active site to the next. We then delve into this multi-enzyme's detailed chemistry and critically discuss the current knowledge on the chemical mechanism of each of the steps necessary to synthesize a single fatty acid molecule with atomic detail. In line with this, we discuss the potential and achieved FAS applications in biotechnology, as biosynthetic machines, and compare them with their homologous polyketide synthases, which are also finding wide applications in the same field. Finally, we discuss some open questions on the architecture of FAS, such as their peculiar substrate-shuttling arm, and describe possible reasons for the emergence of large megasynthases during evolution, questions that have fascinated biochemists from long ago but are still far from answered and understood.

Insights into the catalytic mechanism of type VI sulfide:quinone oxidoreductases

Sulfide oxidation is catalyzed by ancient membrane-bound sulfide:quinone oxidoreductases (SQR) which are classified into six different types. For catalysis of sulfide oxidation, all SQRs require FAD cofactor and a redox-active centre in the active site, usually formed between conserved essential cysteines. SQRs of different types have variation in the number and position of cysteines, highlighting the potential for diverse catalytic mechanisms. The photosynthetic purple sulfur bacterium, Thiocapsa roseopersicina contains a type VI SQR enzyme (TrSqrF) having unusual catalytic parameters and four cysteines likely involved in the catalysis. Site-directed mutagenesis was applied to identify the role of cysteines in the catalytic process of TrSqrF. Based on biochemical and kinetic characterization of these TrSqrF variants, Cys121 is identified as crucial for enzyme activity. The cofactor is covalently bound via a heterodisulfide bridge between Cys121 and the C8M group of FAD. Mutation of another cysteine present in all SQRs (Cys332) causes remarkably decreased enzyme activity (14.6% of wild type enzyme) proving important, but non-essential role of this residue in enzyme catalysis. The sulfhydril-blocking agent, iodoacetamide can irreversibly inactivate TrSqrF but only if substrates are present and the enzyme is actively catalyzing its reaction. When the enzyme is inhibited by iodoacetamide, the FAD cofactor is released. The inhibition studies support a mechanism that entails opening and reforming of the heterodisulfide bridge during the catalytic cycle of TrSqrF. Our study thus reports the first detailed structure-function analysis of a type VI SQR enzyme which enables the proposal of a distinct mechanism of sulfide oxidation for this class.

Catalytic effect of riboflavin on electron transfer from NADH to aquacobalamin

Reduction of cobalamin by non-dedicated cellular reductases has been reported in earlier work, however, the sources of reducing power and the mechanisms are unknown. This study reports results of kinetic and mechanistic investigation of the reaction between aquacobalamin, H₂OCbl, and reduced β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, NADH. This interaction leads to the formation of one-electron reduced cobalamin, cob(II)alamin, and proceeds via water substitution on aquacobalamin by NADH and further decomposition of NADH-Co(III) complex to cob(II)alamin and NADH^·+. Riboflavin catalyzes the reduction of aquacobalamin by NADH both in free form and with aquacobalamin bound to the cobalamin processing enzyme CblC. The rate-determining step of this catalytic reaction is the interaction between riboflavin and NADH to produce a charge transfer complex that reacts with aquacobalamin. Aquacobalamin quenches the fluorescence of NADH and riboflavin predominantly via a static mechanism.

The global motion affecting electron transfer in Plasmodium falciparum type II NADH dehydrogenases: a novel non-competitive mechanism for quinoline ketone derivative inhibitors

With the emergence of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum, the treatment of malaria has become a significant challenge; therefore, the development of antimalarial drugs acting on new targets is extremely urgent. In Plasmodium falciparum, type II nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) dehydrogenase (NDH-2) is responsible for catalyzing the transfer of two electrons from NADH to flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), which in turn transfers the electrons to coenzyme Q (CoQ). As an entry enzyme for oxidative phosphorylation, NDH-2 has become one of the popular targets for the development of new antimalarial drugs. In this study, reliable motion trajectories of the NDH-2 complex with its co-factors (NADH and FAD) and inhibitor, RYL-552, were obtained by comparative molecular dynamics simulations. The influence of cofactor binding on the global motion of NDH-2 was explored through conformational clustering, principal component analysis and free energy landscape. The molecular interactions of NDH-2 before and after its binding with the inhibitor RYL-552 were analyzed, and the key residues and important hydrogen bonds were also determined. The results show that the association of RYL-552 results in the weakening of intramolecular hydrogen bonds and large allosterism of NDH-2. There was a significant positive correlation between the angular change of the key pocket residues in the NADH-FAD-pockets that represents the global functional motion and the change in distance between NADH-C4 and FAD-N5 that represents the electron transfer efficiency. Finally, the possible non-competitive inhibitory mechanism of RYL-552 was proposed. Specifically, the association of inhibitors with NDH-2 significantly affects the global motion mode of NDH-2, leading to widening of the distance between NADH and FAD through cooperative motion induction; this reduces the electron transfer efficiency of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. The simulation results provide useful theoretical guidance for subsequent antimalarial drug design based on the NDH-2 structure and the respiratory chain electron transfer mechanism.

Efficient production of androstenedione by repeated batch fermentation in waste cooking oil media through regulating NAD+/NADH ratio and strengthening cell vitality of Mycobacterium neoaurum

The bioprocess for producing androstenedione (AD) from phytosterols by using Mycobacterium neoaurum is hindered by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotides (NAD⁺ and NADH) ratio imbalance, insoluble substrate, and lengthy biotransformation period. This study aims to improve the efficiency of AD production through a combined application of cofactor, solvent, and fermentation engineering technologies. Through the enhanced type II NADH dehydrogenase (NDH-II), the NAD⁺/NADH ratio and ATP levels increased; the release of reactive oxygen species decreased by 42.32%, and the cell viability improved by 54.17%. In surfactant-waste cooking oil-water media, the conversion of phytosterol increased from 23.92% to 94.98%. Repeated batch culture successfully reduced the biotransformation period from 30 to 17 days, the productivity was 13.75 times more than the parent strain. This study is the first to improve the productivity of AD by enhancing NDH-II and provides a new strategy to increase the accumulation of NAD⁺-dependent metabolites during biotransformation.

The catalytic mechanism of electron-bifurcating electron transfer flavoproteins (ETFs) involves an intermediary complex with NAD<sup/>

Electron bifurcation plays a key role in anaerobic energy metabolism, but it is a relatively new discovery, and only limited mechanistic information is available on the diverse enzymes that employ it. Herein, we focused on the bifurcating electron transfer flavoprotein (ETF) from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrobaculum aerophilum The EtfABCX enzyme complex couples NADH oxidation to the endergonic reduction of ferredoxin and exergonic reduction of menaquinone. We developed a model for the enzyme structure by using nondenaturing MS, cross-linking, and homology modeling in which EtfA, -B, and -C each contained FAD, whereas EtfX contained two [4Fe-4S] clusters. On the basis of analyses using transient absorption, EPR, and optical titrations with NADH or inorganic reductants with and without NAD+, we propose a catalytic cycle involving formation of an intermediary NAD+-bound complex. A charge transfer signal revealed an intriguing interplay of flavin semiquinones and a protein conformational change that gated electron transfer between the low- and high-potential pathways. We found that despite a common bifurcating flavin site, the proposed EtfABCX catalytic cycle is distinct from that of the genetically unrelated bifurcating NADH-dependent ferredoxin NADP+ oxidoreductase (NfnI). The two enzymes particularly differed in the role of NAD+, the resting and bifurcating-ready states of the enzymes, how electron flow is gated, and the two two-electron cycles constituting the overall four-electron reaction. We conclude that P. aerophilum EtfABCX provides a model catalytic mechanism that builds on and extends previous studies of related bifurcating ETFs and can be applied to the large bifurcating ETF family.

The plethora of membrane respiratory chains in the phyla of life

The diversity of microbial cells is reflected in differences in cell size and shape, motility, mechanisms of cell division, pathogenicity or adaptation to different environmental niches. All these variations are achieved by the distinct metabolic strategies adopted by the organisms. The respiratory chains are integral parts of those strategies especially because they perform the most or, at least, most efficient energy conservation in the cell. Respiratory chains are composed of several membrane proteins, which perform a stepwise oxidation of metabolites toward the reduction of terminal electron acceptors. Many of these membrane proteins use the energy released from the oxidoreduction reaction they catalyze to translocate charges across the membrane and thus contribute to the establishment of the membrane potential, i.e. they conserve energy. In this work we illustrate and discuss the composition of the respiratory chains of different taxonomic clades, based on bioinformatic analyses and on biochemical data available in the literature. We explore the diversity of the respiratory chains of Animals, Plants, Fungi and Protists kingdoms as well as of Prokaryotes, including Bacteria and Archaea. The prokaryotic phyla studied in this work are Gammaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Epsilonproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Chlamydiae, Verrucomicrobia, Acidobacteria, Planctomycetes, Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Deinococcus-Thermus, Aquificae, Thermotogae, Deferribacteres, Nitrospirae, Euryarchaeota, Crenarchaeota and Thaumarchaeota.

The multidomain flavodiiron protein from Clostridium difficile 630 is an NADH:oxygen oxidoreductase

Flavodiiron proteins (FDPs) are enzymes with a minimal core of two domains: a metallo-β-lactamase-like, harbouring a diiron center, and a flavodoxin, FMN containing, domains. FDPs are O₂ or NO reducing enzymes; for many pathogens, they help mitigate the NO produced by the immune system of the host, and aid survival during fluctuating concentrations concentrations of oxygen. FDPs have a mosaic structure, being predicted to contain multiple extra domains. Clostridium difficile, a threatening human pathogen, encodes two FDPs: one with the two canonical domains, and another with a larger polypeptide chain of 843 amino acids, CD1623, with two extra domains, predicted to be a short-rubredoxin-like and an NAD(P)H:rubredoxin oxidoreductase. This multi-domain protein is the most complex FDP characterized thus far. Each of the predicted domains was characterized and the presence of the predicted cofactors confirmed by biochemical and spectroscopic analysis. Results show that this protein operates as a standalone FDP, receiving electrons directly from NADH, and reducing oxygen to water, precluding the need for extra partners. CD1623 displayed negligible NO reductase activity, and is thus considered an oxygen selective FDP, that may contribute to the survival of C. difficile in the human gut and in the environment.