Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases: perspectives for synthetic application

Strategies found not to be suitable for stabilizing high steroid hydroxylation activities of CYP450 BM3-based whole-cell biocatalysts

The implementation of biocatalytic steroid hydroxylation processes plays a crucial role in the pharmaceutical industry due to a plethora of medicative effects of hydroxylated steroid derivatives and their crucial role in drug approval processes. Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYP450s) typically constitute the key enzymes catalyzing these reactions, but commonly entail drawbacks such as poor catalytic rates and the dependency on additional redox proteins for electron transfer from NAD(P)H to the active site. Recently, these bottlenecks were overcome by equipping Escherichia coli cells with highly active variants of the self-sufficient single-component CYP450 BM3 together with hydrophobic outer membrane proteins facilitating cellular steroid uptake. The combination of the BM3 variant KSA14m and the outer membrane pore AlkL enabled exceptionally high testosterone hydroxylation rates of up to 45 U gCDW-1 for resting (i.e., living but non-growing) cells. However, a rapid loss of specific activity heavily compromised final product titers and overall space-time yields. In this study, several stabilization strategies were evaluated on enzyme-, cell-, and reaction level. However, neither changes in biocatalyst configuration nor variation of cultivation media, expression systems, or inducer concentrations led to considerable improvement. This qualified the so-far used genetic construct pETM11-ksa14m-alkL, M9 medium, and the resting-cell state as the best options enabling comparatively efficient activity along with fast growth prior to biotransformation. In summary, we report several approaches not enabling a stabilization of the high testosterone hydroxylation rates, providing vital guidance for researchers tackling similar CYP450 stability issues. A comparison with more stable natively steroid-hydroxylating CYP106A2 and CYP154C5 in equivalent setups further highlighted the high potential of the investigated CYP450 BM3-based whole-cell biocatalysts. The immense and continuously developing repertoire of enzyme engineering strategies provides promising options to stabilize the highly active biocatalysts.

Molecular Basis for Chemoselectivity Control in Oxidations of Internal Aryl-Alkenes Catalyzed by Laboratory Evolved P450s

P450 enzymes naturally perform selective hydroxylations and epoxidations of unfunctionalized hydrocarbon substrates, among other reactions. The adaptation of P450 enzymes to a particular oxidative reaction involving alkenes is of great interest for the design of new synthetically useful biocatalysts. However, the mechanism that these enzymes utilize to precisely modulate the chemoselectivity and distinguishing between competing alkene double bond epoxidations and allylic C-H hydroxylations is sometimes not clear, which hampers the rational design of specific biocatalysts. In a previous work, a P450 from Labrenzia aggregata (P450LA1) was engineered in the laboratory using directed evolution to catalyze the direct oxidation of trans-β-methylstyrene to phenylacetone. The final variant, KS, was able to overcome the intrinsic preference for alkene epoxidation to directly generate a ketone product via the formation of a highly reactive carbocation intermediate. Here, additional library screening along this evolutionary lineage permitted to serendipitously detect a mutation that overcomes epoxidation and carbonyl formation by exhibiting a large selectivity of 94 % towards allylic C-H hydroxylation. A multiscalar computational methodology was applied to reveal the molecular basis towards this hydroxylation preference. Enzyme modelling suggests that introduction of a bulky substitution dramatically changes the accessible conformations of the substrate in the active site, thus modifying the enzymatic selectivity towards terminal hydroxylation and avoiding the competing epoxidation pathway, which is sterically hindered.

Advanced Electroanalysis for Electrosynthesis

Electrosynthesis is a popular, environmentally friendly substitute for conventional organic methods. It involves using charge transfer to stimulate chemical reactions through the application of a potential or current between two electrodes. In addition to electrode materials and the type of reactor employed, the strategies for controlling potential and current have an impact on the yields, product distribution, and reaction mechanism. In this Review, recent advances related to electroanalysis applied in electrosynthesis were discussed. The first part of this study acts as a guide that emphasizes the foundations of electrosynthesis. These essentials include instrumentation, electrode selection, cell design, and electrosynthesis methodologies. Then, advances in electroanalytical techniques applied in organic, enzymatic, and microbial electrosynthesis are illustrated with specific cases studied in recent literature. To conclude, a discussion of future possibilities that intend to advance the academic and industrial areas is presented.

Dimer Stabilization by SpyTag/SpyCatcher Coupling of the Reductase Domains of a Chimeric P450 BM3 Monooxygenase from Bacillus spp. Improves its Stability, Activity, and Purification

The vast majority of known enzymes exist as oligomers, which often gives them high catalytic performance but at the same time imposes constraints on structural conformations and environmental conditions. An example of an enzyme with a complex architecture is the P450 BM3 monooxygenase CYP102A1 from Bacillus megaterium. Only active as a dimer, it is highly sensitive to dilution or common immobilization techniques. In this study, we engineered a thermostable P450BM3 chimera consisting of the heme domain of a CYP102A1 variant and the reductase domain of the homologous CYP102A3. The dimerization of the hybrid was even weaker compared to the corresponding CYP102A1 variant. To create a stable dimer, we covalently coupled the C-termini of two monomers of the chimera via SpyTag003/SpyCatcher003 interaction. As a result, purification, thermostability, pH stability, and catalytic activity were improved. Via a bioorthogonal two-step affinity purification, we obtained high purity (94 %) of the dimer-stabilized variant being robust against heme depletion. Long-term stability was increased with a half-life of over 2 months at 20 °C and 80-90 % residual activity after 2 months at 5 °C. Most catalytic features were retained with even an enhancement of the overall activity by ~2-fold compared to the P450BM3 chimera without SpyTag003/SpyCatcher003.

Efficiency aspects of regioselective testosterone hydroxylation with highly active CYP450-based whole-cell biocatalysts

Steroid hydroxylations belong to the industrially most relevant reactions catalysed by cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYP450s) due to the pharmacological relevance of hydroxylated derivatives. The implementation of respective bioprocesses at an industrial scale still suffers from several limitations commonly found in CYP450 catalysis, that is low turnover rates, enzyme instability, inhibition and toxicity related to the substrate(s) and/or product(s). Recently, we achieved a new level of steroid hydroxylation rates by introducing highly active testosterone-hydroxylating CYP450 BM3 variants together with the hydrophobic outer membrane protein AlkL into Escherichia coli-based whole-cell biocatalysts. However, the activity tended to decrease, which possibly impedes overall productivities and final product titres. In this study, a considerable instability was confirmed and subject to a systematic investigation regarding possible causes. In-depth evaluation of whole-cell biocatalyst kinetics and stability revealed a limitation in substrate availability due to poor testosterone solubility as well as inhibition by the main product 15β-hydroxytestosterone. Instability of CYP450 BM3 variants was disclosed as another critical factor, which is of general significance for CYP450-based biocatalysis. Presented results reveal biocatalyst, reaction and process engineering strategies auguring well for industrial implementation of the developed steroid hydroxylation platform.

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor sulfenylation promotes glycogenolysis and rescues cancer chemoresistance

Elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels is a general consequence of tumor cells' response to treatment and may cause tumor cell death. Mechanisms by which tumor cells clear fatal ROS, thereby rescuing redox balance and entering a chemoresistant state, remain unclear. Here, we show that cysteine sulfenylation by ROS confers on aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) the ability to dissociate from the heat shock protein 90 complex but to bind to the PPP1R3 family member PPP1R3C of the glycogen complex in drug-treated tumor cells, thus activating glycogen phosphorylase to initiate glycogenolysis and the subsequent pentose phosphate pathway, leading to NADPH production for ROS clearance and chemoresistance formation. We found that basic ROS levels were higher in chemoresistant cells than in chemosensitive cells, guaranteeing the rapid induction of AHR sulfenylation for the clearance of excess ROS. These findings reveal that AHR can act as an ROS sensor to mediate chemoresistance, thus providing a potential strategy to reverse chemoresistance in patients with cancer.

Bioelectrocatalytic Synthesis: Concepts and Applications

Bioelectrocatalytic synthesis is the conversion of electrical energy into value-added products using biocatalysts. These methods merge the specificity and selectivity of biocatalysis and energy-related electrocatalysis to address challenges in the sustainable synthesis of pharmaceuticals, commodity chemicals, fuels, feedstocks and fertilizers. However, the specialized experimental setups and domain knowledge for bioelectrocatalysis pose a significant barrier to adoption. This review introduces key concepts of bioelectrosynthetic systems. We provide a tutorial on the methods of biocatalyst utilization, the setup of bioelectrosynthetic cells, and the analytical methods for assessing bioelectrocatalysts. Key applications of bioelectrosynthesis in ammonia production and small-molecule synthesis are outlined for both enzymatic and microbial systems. This review serves as a necessary introduction and resource for the non-specialist interested in bioelectrosynthetic research.

Human sperm proteome reveals the effect of environmental borne seminal polyaromatic hydrocarbons exposome in etiology of idiopathic male factor infertility

Introduction: Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are considered as redox active environmental toxicants inducing oxidative stress (OS) mediated injury to cells. Oxidative predominance is reported in 30%-80% of idiopathic male infertility (IMI) patients. Hence, this work aims to unravel correlation, if any, between seminal PAH exposome and sperm function in IMI patients through a proteomic approach. Methods: Seminal PAH exposome was analyzed in 43 fertile donors and 60 IMI patients by HPLC and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to find out the cut-off limits. Spermatozoa proteome was analyzed by label free liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy (LC-MS/MS) followed by molecular pathway analysis using bioinformatic tools. Validation of key proteins' expression and protein oxidative modifications were analyzed by western blot. Results and discussion: Of the 16 standards toxic PAH, 13 were detected in semen. Impact of the different PAHs on fertility are Anthracene < benzo (a) pyrene < benzo [b] fluoranthene < Fluoranthene < benzo (a) anthracene <indol (123CD) pyrene < pyrene < naphthalene < dibenzo (AH) anthracene < fluorene < 2bromonaphthalene < chrysene < benzo (GH1) perylene as revealed by ROC Curve analysis (AUC_ROC). Benzo [a] pyrene is invariably present in all infertile patients while naphthalene is present in both groups. Of the total 773 detected proteins (Control: 631 and PAH: 717); 71 were differentially expressed (13 underexpressed, 58 overexpressed) in IMI patients. Enrichment analysis revealed them to be involved in mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative phosphorylation, DNA damage, Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) signaling, xenobiotic metabolism and induction of NRF-2 mediated OS response. Increased 4-hydroxynonenal and nitrosylated protein adduct formation, and declined antioxidant defense validates induction of OS. Increased GSH/GSSG ratio in patients may be an adaptive response for PAH metabolism via conjugation as evidenced by over-expression of AHR and Heat shock protein 90 beta (HSP90β) in patients. Seminal PAH concentrations, particularly benzo (a) pyrene can be used as a marker to distinguish IMI from fertile ones with 66.67% sensitivity and 100% specificity (95% confidence interval) along with oxidative protein modification and expression of AHR and HSP90β.

Conversion and synthesis of chemicals catalyzed by fungal cytochrome P450 monooxygenases: A review

Cytochrome P450s (also called CYPs or P450s) are a superfamily of heme-containing monooxygenases. They are distributed in all biological kingdoms. Most fungi have at least two P450-encoding genes, CYP51 and CYP61, which are housekeeping genes that play important roles in the synthesis of sterols. However, the kingdom fungi is an interesting source of numerous P450s. Here, we review reports on fungal P450s and their applications in the bioconversion and biosynthesis of chemicals. We highlight their history, availability, and versatility. We describe their involvement in hydroxylation, dealkylation, oxygenation, C═C epoxidation, C-C cleavage, C-C ring formation and expansion, C-C ring contraction, and uncommon reactions in bioconversion and/or biosynthesis pathways. The ability of P450s to catalyze these reactions makes them promising enzymes for many applications. Thus, we also discuss future prospects in this field. We hope that this review will stimulate further study and exploitation of fungal P450s for specific reactions and applications.

Biosynthesis using cytochrome P450 enzymes: Focus on synthesis of drug metabolites

While modern synthetic chemistry provides the ability to synthesize an incredible variety of new structures, the natural world provides unmatched chemical diversity. This diversity can be employed in the drug discovery process either through isolation of an organic molecule from a biological source as a drug candidate, usually referred to as natural product chemistry, or by providing enzymes that are capable to performing chemistry not available through synthetic chemistry approaches. Natural or engineered enzymes can be used in candidate discovery to generate chemical diversity in conjunction with synthetic efforts. As a candidate progresses into develop there is often a need to characterize metabolites, thus a need for metabolite standard synthesis. Metabolite synthesis is best accomplished with a flexible application of both chemical and biosynthetic approaches. This overview of the use of biosynthesis to aid in the drug discovery and development process will cover multiple methodologies with a focus on the use of microbes as a flexible and cost-effective resource.

Effects of Heat Stress and Exogenous Salicylic Acid on Secondary Metabolites Biosynthesis in Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.) P. Kumm

Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.) P. Kumm has high medicinal value, but few studies exist on regulating secondary metabolite biosynthesis. Environmental factors play a substantial role in the accumulation of microbial secondary metabolites. In this study, the effects of heat stress (24 h) and salicylic acid (0.05 mmol/L) treatment on the secondary metabolism of P. ostreatus were analyzed by metabolome, transcriptome, and gene differential expression analysis. Metabolome and transcriptome analyses showed that salicylic acid significantly increased the accumulation of antibiotics and polyketones, while heat stress increased the accumulation of flavonoids, polyketones, terpenoids, and polysaccharides. The content and the biosynthetic genes expression of heparin were markedly increased by heat stress, and the former was increased by 4565.54-fold. This study provides a reference for future studies on secondary metabolite accumulation in edible fungi.

The 16α-Hydroxylation of Progesterone by Cytochrome P450 107X1 from Streptomyces avermitilis

Cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs or P450s) are ubiquitous heme-dependent enzymes that catalyze the monooxygenation of non-activated C-H bonds to modify the structure of the substrate. In this study, we heterologously expressed CYP107X1 from Streptomyces avermitilis and conducted in vitro substrate screening using the alternative redox partners putidaredoxin and putidaredoxin reductase. CYP107X1 catalyzed the 16α-hydroxylation of progesterone with regio- and stereoselectivity. The spectroscopic analyses showed that CYP107X1 bound progesterone with a relatively high K_d value of 65.3±38.9 μM. The K_m and k_cat values for progesterone were estimated to be 47.7±12.0 μM and 0.30 min^-1 , respectively. Furthermore, a crystal structure was obtained of CYP107X1 bound with glycerol from the buffer solution. Interestingly, a conserved threonine was replaced with asparagine in CYP107X1, indicating that it may adopt an unnatural proton transfer process and play a crucial role in its catalytic activity.

Latent Functions and Applications of Cytochrome P450 Monooxygenases from Thamnidium elegans: A Novel Biocatalyst for 14α-Hydroxylation of Testosterone

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) are ubiquitous enzymes with high availability and diversity in nature. Fungi provide a diverse and complex array of P450s, and these enzymes play essential roles in various secondary metabolic processes. Besides the physiological impacts of P450s on fungal life, their versatile functions are attractive for use in advanced applications of the biotechnology sector. Herein, we report gene identification and functional characterization of P450s from the zygomycetous fungus Thamnidium elegans (TeCYPs). We identified 48 TeCYP genes, including two putative pseudogenes, from the whole-genome sequence of T. elegans. Furthermore, we constructed a functional library of TeCYPs and heterologously expressed 46 TeCYPs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Recombinants of S. cerevisiae were then used as whole-cell biocatalysts for bioconversion of various compounds. Catalytic potentials of various TeCYPs were demonstrated through a functionomic survey to convert a series of compounds, including steroidal substrates. Notably, CYP5312A4 was found to be highly active against testosterone. Based on nuclear magnetic resonance analysis, enzymatic conversion of testosterone to 14α-hydroxytestosterone by CYP5312A4 was demonstrated. This is the first report to identify a novel fungal P450 that catalyzes the 14α-hydroxylation of testosterone. In addition, we explored the latent potentials of TeCYPs using various substrates. This study provides a platform to further study the potential use of TeCYPs as catalysts in pharmaceutical and agricultural industries and biotechnology.

An Unprecedented Number of Cytochrome P450s Are Involved in Secondary Metabolism in Salinispora Species

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs/P450s) are heme thiolate proteins present in species across the biological kingdoms. By virtue of their broad substrate promiscuity and regio- and stereo-selectivity, these enzymes enhance or attribute diversity to secondary metabolites. Actinomycetes species are well-known producers of secondary metabolites, especially Salinispora species. Despite the importance of P450s, a comprehensive comparative analysis of P450s and their role in secondary metabolism in Salinispora species is not reported. We therefore analyzed P450s in 126 strains from three different species Salinispora arenicola, S. pacifica, and S. tropica. The study revealed the presence of 2643 P450s that can be grouped into 45 families and 103 subfamilies. CYP107 and CYP125 families are conserved, and CYP105 and CYP107 families are bloomed (a P450 family with many members) across Salinispora species. Analysis of P450s that are part of secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters (smBGCs) revealed Salinispora species have an unprecedented number of P450s (1236 P450s-47%) part of smBGCs compared to other bacterial species belonging to the genera Streptomyces (23%) and Mycobacterium (11%), phyla Cyanobacteria (8%) and Firmicutes (18%) and the classes Alphaproteobacteria (2%) and Gammaproteobacteria (18%). A peculiar characteristic of up to six P450s in smBGCs was observed in Salinispora species. Future characterization Salinispora species P450s and their smBGCs have the potential for discovering novel secondary metabolites.

Cytochrome P450 168A1 from Pseudomonas aeruginosa is involved in the hydroxylation of biologically relevant fatty acids

The cytochrome P450 CYP168A1 from Pseudomonas aeruginosa was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli followed by purification and characterization of function. CYP168A1 is a fatty acid hydroxylase that hydroxylates saturated fatty acids, including myristic (0.30 min-1), palmitic (1.61 min-1) and stearic acids (1.24 min-1), at both the ω-1- and ω-2-positions. However, CYP168A1 only hydroxylates unsaturated fatty acids, including palmitoleic (0.38 min-1), oleic (1.28 min-1) and linoleic acids (0.35 min-1), at the ω-1-position. CYP168A1 exhibited a catalytic preference for palmitic, oleic and stearic acids as substrates in keeping with the phosphatidylcholine-rich environment deep in the lung that is colonized by P. aeruginosa.

Immobilization of the Peroxygenase from Agrocybe aegerita. The Effect of the Immobilization pH on the Features of an Ionically Exchanged Dimeric Peroxygenase

This paper outlines the immobilization of the recombinant dimeric unspecific peroxygenase from Agrocybe aegerita (rAaeUPO). The enzyme was quite stable (remaining unaltered its activity after 35 h at 47 °C and pH 7.0). Phosphate destabilized the enzyme, while glycerol stabilized it. The enzyme was not immobilized on glyoxyl-agarose supports, while it was immobilized albeit in inactive form on vinyl-sulfone-activated supports. rAaeUPO immobilization on glutaraldehyde pre-activated supports gave almost quantitative immobilization yield and retained some activity, but the biocatalyst was very unstable. Its immobilization via anion exchange on PEI supports also produced good immobilization yields, but the rAaeUPO stability dropped. However, using aminated agarose, the enzyme retained stability and activity. The stability of the immobilized enzyme strongly depended on the immobilization pH, being much less stable when rAaeUPO was adsorbed at pH 9.0 than when it was immobilized at pH 7.0 or pH 5.0 (residual activity was almost 0 for the former and 80% for the other preparations), presenting stability very similar to that of the free enzyme. This is a very clear example of how the immobilization pH greatly affects the final biocatalyst performance.

Conformational Motion of Ferredoxin Enables Efficient Electron Transfer to Heme in the Full-Length P450TT

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) are versatile biocatalysts used in natural products biosynthesis, xenobiotic metabolisms, and biotechnologies. In P450s, the electrons required for O₂ activation are supplied by NAD(P)H through stepwise electron transfers (ETs) mediated by redox partners. While much is known about the machinery of the catalytic cycle of P450s, the mechanisms of long-range ET are largely unknown. Very recently, the first crystal structure of full-length P450_TT was solved. This enables us to decipher the interdomain ET mechanism between the [2Fe-2S]-containing ferredoxin and the heme, by use of molecular dynamics simulations. In contrast to the "distal" conformation characterized in the crystal structure where the [2Fe-2S] cluster is ∼28 Å away from heme-Fe, our simulations demonstrated a "proximal" conformation of [2Fe-2S] that is ∼17 Å [and 13.7 Å edge-to-edge] away from heme-Fe, which may enable the interdomain ET. Key residues involved in ET pathways and interdomain complexation were identified, some of which have already been verified by recent mutation studies. The conformational transit of ferredoxin between "distal" and "proximal" was found to be controlled mostly by the long-range electrostatic interactions between the ferredoxin domain and the other two domains. Furthermore, our simulations show that the full-length P450_TT utilizes a flexible ET pathway that resembles either P450_Scc or P450_cam. Thus, this study provides a uniform picture of the ET process between reductase domains and heme domain.

Advanced Understanding of the Electron Transfer Pathway of Cytochrome P450s

Cytochrome P450s are heme-thiolate enzymes that participate in carbon source assimilation, natural compound biosynthesis and xenobiotic metabolism in all kingdoms of life. P450s can catalyze various reactions by using a wide range of organic compounds, thus exhibiting great potential in biotechnological applications. The catalytic reactions of P450s are driven by electron equivalents that are sourced from pyridine nucleotides and delivered by cognate or matching redox partners (RPs). The electron transfer (ET) route from RPs to P450s involves one or more redox center-containing domains. As the rate of ET is one of the main determinants of P450 efficacy, an in-depth understanding of the P450 ET pathway should increase our knowledge of these important enzymes and benefit their further applications. Here, the various P450 RP systems along with current understanding of their ET routes will be reviewed. Notably, state-of-the-art structural studies of the two main types of self-sufficient P450 will also be summarized.

Leveraging Oxidative Stress to Regulate Redox Balance-Based, In Vivo Growth Selections for Oxygenase Engineering

Directed evolution methods based on high-throughput growth selection enable efficient discovery of enzymes with improved function in vivo. High-throughput selection is particularly useful when engineering oxygenases, which are sensitive to structural perturbations and prone to uncoupled activity. In this work, we combine the principle that reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by uncoupled oxygenase activity are detrimental to cell fitness with a redox balance-based growth selection method for oxygenase engineering that enables concurrent advancement in catalytic activity and coupling efficiency. As a proof-of-concept, we engineered P450-BM3 for degradation of acenaphthene (ACN), a recalcitrant environmental pollutant. Selection of site-saturation mutagenesis libraries in E. coli strain MX203 identified P450-BM3 variants GVQ-AL and GVQ-D222N, which have both improved coupling efficiency and catalytic activity compared to the starting variant. Computational modeling indicates that the discovered mutations cooperatively optimize binding pocket shape complementarity to ACN, and shift the protein's conformational dynamics to favor the lid-closed, catalytically competent state. We further demonstrated that the selective pressure on coupling efficiency can be tuned by modulating cellular ROS defense mechanisms.

Improved soluble expression and use of recombinant human renalase

Electrochemical bioreactor systems have enjoyed significant attention in the past few decades, particularly because of their applications to biobatteries, artificial photosynthetic systems, and microbial electrosynthesis. A key opportunity with electrochemical bioreactors is the ability to employ cofactor regeneration strategies critical in oxidative and reductive enzymatic and cell-based biotransformations. Electrochemical cofactor regeneration presents several advantages over other current cofactor regeneration systems, such as chemoenzymatic multi-enzyme reactions, because there is no need for a sacrificial substrate and a recycling enzyme. Additionally, process monitoring is simpler and downstream processing is less costly. However, the direct electrochemical reduction of NAD(P)⁺ on a cathode may produce adventitious side products, including isomers of NAD(P)H that can act as potent competitive inhibitors to NAD(P)H-requiring enzymes such as dehydrogenases. To overcome this limitation, we examined how nature addresses the adventitious formation of isomers of NAD(P)H. Specifically, renalases are enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of 1,2- and 1,6-NAD(P)H to NAD(P)⁺, yielding an effective recycling of unproductive NAD(P)H isomers. We designed several mutants of recombinant human renalase isoform 1 (rhRen1), expressed them in E. coli BL21(DE3) to enhance protein solubility, and evaluated the activity profiles of the renalase variants against NAD(P)H isomers. The potential for rhRen1 to be employed in engineering applications was then assessed in view of the enzyme’s stability upon immobilization. Finally, comparative modeling was performed to assess the underlying reasons for the enhanced solubility and activity of the mutant enzymes.

Regioselective Hydroxylation of Rhododendrol by CYP102A1 and Tyrosinase

Rhododendrol (RD) is a naturally occurring phenolic compound found in many plants. Tyrosinase (Ty) converts RD to RD-catechol and subsequently RD-quinone via two-step oxidation reactions, after which RD-melanin forms spontaneously from RD-quinone. RD is cytotoxic in melanocytes and lung cancer cells, but not in keratinocytes and fibroblasts. However, the function of RD metabolites has not been possible to investigate due to the lack of available high purity metabolites. In this study, an enzymatic strategy for RD-catechol production was devised using engineered cytochrome P450 102A1 (CYP102A1) and Ty, and the product was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), LC-MS, and NMR spectroscopy. Engineered CYP102A1 regioselectively produced RD-catechol via hydroxylation at the ortho position of RD. Although RD-quinone was subsequently formed by two step oxidation in Ty catalyzed reactions, L-ascorbic acid (LAA) inhibited RD-quinone formation and contributed to regioselective production of RD-catechol. When LAA was present, the productivity of RD-catechol by Ty was 5.3-fold higher than that by engineered CYP102A1. These results indicate that engineered CYP102A1 and Ty can be used as effective biocatalysts to produce hydroxylated products, and Ty is a more cost-effective biocatalyst for industrial applications than engineered CYP102A1.

Streptomyces sp. S501, a Marine Petroleum-Degrading Actinobacterium Isolated from Sediment of Yalujiang Estuary, Northern China, and Its Genome Annotation

Streptomyces sp. S501, which was isolated from the sediment of Yalujiang Estuary in China, was the first marine Streptomyces species discovered to act as an excellent petroleum degrader. We analyzed the effect of pH, temperature, and concentration of NH₄NO₃ on the petroleum degradation of strain S501, and the optimum biodegradation rate reached 63.02% under the condition of 2 g/L NH₄NO₃ addition at 30 °C and pH 8. The complete genome sequence of Streptomyces sp. S501 was determined by using the PacBio RSII platform, which contains a linear chromosome with 7,173,651 bp and a linear plasmid with 288,181 bp, with GC contents of 71.19% and 67.57%, respectively. The genome sequence suggests that Streptomyces sp. S501 has the ability to degrade several hazardous pollutants, as well as the ability to biosynthesize diverse secondary metabolites and enzymes. There are fifty annotated genes involved in oil component degradation, and there are three genes without known annotation information in Streptomyces sp. S501, which have high homology with genes encoding P450 family enzymes and should be novel genes involved in alkane degradation. This study provides useful genetic information for investigating the molecular mechanisms of marine Streptomyces, with biodegradation and application potential.

Structural insight into the electron transfer pathway of a self-sufficient P450 monooxygenase

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases are versatile heme-thiolate enzymes that catalyze a wide range of reactions. Self-sufficient cytochrome P450 enzymes contain the redox partners in a single polypeptide chain. Here, we present the crystal structure of full-length CYP116B46, a self-sufficient P450. The continuous polypeptide chain comprises three functional domains, which align well with the direction of electrons traveling from FMN to the heme through the [2Fe-2S] cluster. FMN and the [2Fe-2S] cluster are positioned closely, which facilitates efficient electron shuttling. The edge-to-edge straight-line distance between the [2Fe-2S] cluster and heme is approx. 25.3 Å. The role of several residues located between the [2Fe-2S] cluster and heme in the catalytic reaction is probed in mutagenesis experiments. These findings not only provide insights into the intramolecular electron transfer of self-sufficient P450s, but are also of interest for biotechnological applications of self-sufficient P450s.

Self-sufficient cytochrome P450 monooxygenases, which contain all redox partners in a single polypeptide chain, are of interest for biotechnological applications. Here, the authors present the crystal structure of full-length Thermobispora bispora CYP116B46 and discuss the potential electron transfer pathway.

The “Green” FMOs: Diversity, Functionality and Application of Plant Flavoproteins

Flavin-dependent monooxygenases (FMOs) are ancient enzymes present in all kingdoms of life. FMOs typically catalyze the incorporation of an oxygen atom from molecular oxygen into small molecules. To date, the majority of functional characterization studies have been performed on mammalian, fungal and bacterial FMOs, showing that they play fundamental roles in drug and xenobiotic metabolism. By contrast, our understanding of FMOs across the plant kingdom is very limited, despite plants possessing far greater FMO diversity compared to both bacteria and other multicellular organisms. Here, we review the progress of plant FMO research, with a focus on FMO diversity and functionality. Significantly, of the FMOs characterized to date, they all perform oxygenation reactions that are crucial steps within hormone metabolism, pathogen resistance, signaling and chemical defense. This demonstrates the fundamental role FMOs have within plant metabolism, and presents significant opportunities for future research pursuits and downstream applications.

An overview of cephalosporin antibiotics as emerging contaminants: a serious environmental concern

Antibiotics have been categorized as emerging pollutants due to their indiscriminate usage, continuous input and persistence in various environmental matrices even at lower concentrations. Cephalosporins are the broad-spectrum antibiotics of β-lactam family. Owing to its enormous production and consumption, it is reported as the second most prescribed antibiotic classes in Europe. The cephalosporin wastewater contains toxic organic compounds, inorganic salts, and active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) which pose a potential threat to the organisms in the environment. Therefore, removal of cephalosporin antibiotics from the environment has become mandatory as it contributes to increase in the level of chemical oxygen demand (COD), causing toxicity of the effluent and production of cephalosporin-resistant microbes. So far, several processes have been reported for degradation/removal of cephalosporins from the environment. A number of individual studies have been published within the last decade covering the various aspects of antibiotics. However, a detailed compilation on cephalosporin antibiotics as an emerging environmental contaminant is still lacking. Hence, the present review intends to highlight the current ecological scenario with respect to distribution, toxicity, degradation, various remediation technologies, and the regulatory aspects concerning cephalosporins. The latest successful technologies for cephalosporin degradation/removal discussed in this review will help researchers for a better understanding of the nature and persistence of cephalosporins in the environment along with the risks associated with their existence. The research thrust discussed in this review will also evoke new technologies to be attempted by the future researchers to develop sustainable options to remediate cephalosporin-contaminated environments.

Characterization of Two Self-Sufficient Monooxygenases, CYP102A15 and CYP102A170, as Long-Chain Fatty Acid Hydroxylases

Self-sufficient P450s, due to their fused nature, are the most effective tools for electron transfer to activate C-H bonds. They catalyze the oxygenation of fatty acids at different omega positions. Here, two new, self-sufficient cytochrome P450s, named CYP102A15 and CYP102A170, from polar Bacillus sp. PAMC 25034 and Paenibacillus sp. PAMC 22724, respectively, were cloned and expressed in E. coli. The genes are homologues of CYP102A1 from Bacillus megaterium. They catalyzed the hydroxylation of both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids ranging in length from C12-C20, with a moderately diverse profile compared to other members of the CYP102A subfamily. CYP102A15 exhibited the highest activity toward linoleic acid with Km 15.3 μM, and CYP102A170 showed higher activity toward myristic acid with Km 17.4 μM. CYP10A170 also hydroxylated the Eicosapentaenoic acid at ω-1 position only. Various kinetic parameters of both monooxygenases were also determined.

The characterisation of two members of the cytochrome P450 CYP150 family: CYP150A5 and CYP150A6 from Mycobacterium marinum

BACKGROUND

Actinobacteria, including the Mycobacteria, have a large component of cytochrome P450 family monooxygenases. This includes Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. ulcerans and M. marinum, and M. vanbaalenii. These enzymes can abstract CH bonds and have important roles in natural product biosynthesis.

METHODS

Two members of the bacterial CYP150 family, CYP150A5 and CYP150A6 from M. marinum, were produced, purified and characterised. The potential substrate ranges of both enzymes were analysed and the monooxygenase activity of CYP150A5 was reconstituted using a physiological electron transfer partner system. CYP150A6 was structurally characterised by X-ray crystallography.

RESULTS

CYP150A5 was shown to bind various norisoprenoids and terpenoids. It could regioselectively hydroxylate β-ionol. The X-ray crystal structure of substrate-free CYP150A6 was solved to 1.5 Å. This displayed an open conformation with short F and G helices, an unresolved F-G loop region and exposed active site pocket. The active site residues could be identified and important variations were found among the CYP150A enzymes. Haem-binding azole inhibitors were identified for both enzymes.

CONCLUSIONS

The structure of CYP150A6 will facilitate the identification of physiological substrates and the design of better inhibitors for members of this P450 family. Based on the observed differences in substrate binding preference and sequence variations among the active site residues, their roles are predicted to be different.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

Multiple CYP150 family members were found in many bacteria and are prevalent in the Mycobacteria including several human pathogens. Inhibition and structural data are reported here for these enzymes for the first time.

Electricity-driven 7α-hydroxylation of a steroid catalyzed by a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase in engineered yeast

Schematic diagram of the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase-catalyzed BES.

Comparative Analyses of Cytochrome P450s and Those Associated with Secondary Metabolism in Bacillus Species

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs/P450s) are among the most catalytically-diverse enzymes, capable of performing enzymatic reactions with chemo-, regio-, and stereo-selectivity. Our understanding of P450s' role in secondary metabolite biosynthesis is becoming broader. Among bacteria, Bacillus species are known to produce secondary metabolites, and recent studies have revealed the presence of secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) in these species. However, a comprehensive comparative analysis of P450s and P450s involved in the synthesis of secondary metabolites in Bacillus species has not been reported. This study intends to address these two research gaps. In silico analysis of P450s in 128 Bacillus species revealed the presence of 507 P450s that can be grouped into 13 P450 families and 28 subfamilies. No P450 family was found to be conserved in Bacillus species. Bacillus species were found to have lower numbers of P450s, P450 families and subfamilies, and a lower P450 diversity percentage compared to mycobacterial species. This study revealed that a large number of P450s (112 P450s) are part of different secondary metabolite BGCs, and also identified an association between a specific P450 family and secondary metabolite BGCs in Bacillus species. This study opened new vistas for further characterization of secondary metabolite BGCs, especially P450s in Bacillus species.

Deconstruction of the CYP153A6 Alkane Hydroxylase System: Limitations and Optimization of In Vitro Alkane Hydroxylation

Some of the most promising results for bacterial alkane hydroxylation to alcohols have been obtained with the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase CYP153A6. CYP153A6 belongs to the class I CYPs and is generally expressed from an operon that also encodes the ferredoxin (Fdx) and ferredoxin reductase (FdR) which transfer electrons to CYP153A6. In this study, purified enzymes (CYP, Fdx, FdR and dehydrogenases for cofactor regeneration) were used to deconstruct the CYP153A6 system into its separate components, to investigate the factors limiting octane hydroxylation in vitro. Proteins in the cytoplasm (cell-free extract) were found to better enhance and stabilize hydroxylase activity compared to bovine serum albumin (BSA) and catalase. Optimization of the CYP:Fdx:FdR ratio also significantly improved both turnover frequencies (TFs) and total turnover numbers (TTNs) with the ratio of 1:1:60 giving the highest values of 3872 h−1 and 45,828 moloctanol molCYP−1, respectively. Choice and concentration of dehydrogenase for cofactor regeneration also significantly influenced the reaction. Glucose dehydrogenase concentrations had to be as low as possible to avoid fast acidification of the reaction medium, which in the extreme caused precipitation of the CYP and other proteins. Cofactor regeneration based on glycerol failed, likely due to accumulation of dihydroxyacetone. Scaling the reactions up from 1 mL in vials to 60 mL in shake flasks and 120 mL in bioreactors showed that mixing and shear forces will be important obstacles to overcome in preparative scale reactions.

Biochemical Characterization of the Cytochrome P450 CYP107CB2 from Bacillus lehensis G1

The bioconversion of vitamin D3 catalyzed by cytochrome P450 (CYP) requires 25-hydroxylation and subsequent 1α-hydroxylation to produce the hormonal activated 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. Vitamin D3 25-hydroxylase catalyses the first step in the vitamin D3 biosynthetic pathway, essential in the de novo activation of vitamin D3. A CYP known as CYP107CB2 has been identified as a novel vitamin D hydroxylase in Bacillus lehensis G1. In order to deepen the understanding of this bacterial origin CYP107CB2, its detailed biological functions as well as biochemical characteristics were defined. CYP107CB2 was characterized through the absorption spectral analysis and accordingly, the enzyme was assayed for vitamin D3 hydroxylation activity. CYP-ligand characterization and catalysis optimization were conducted to increase the turnover of hydroxylated products in an NADPH-regenerating system. Results revealed that the over-expressed CYP107CB2 protein was dominantly cytosolic and the purified fraction showed a protein band at approximately 62 kDa on SDS-PAGE, indicative of CYP107CB2. Spectral analysis indicated that CYP107CB2 protein was properly folded and it was in the active form to catalyze vitamin D3 reaction at C25. HPLC and MS analysis from a reconstituted enzymatic reaction confirmed the hydroxylated products were 25-hydroxyitamin D3 and 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 when the substrates vitamin D3 and 1α-hydroxyvitamin D3 were used. Biochemical characterization shows that CYP107CB2 performed hydroxylation activity at 25 °C in pH 8 and successfully increased the production of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 up to four fold. These findings show that CYP107CB2 has a biologically relevant vitamin D3 25-hydroxylase activity and further suggest the contribution of CYP family to the metabolism of vitamin D3.

Electrochemical Bioreactor Technology for Biocatalysis and Microbial Electrosynthesis

Two seemingly distinct fields, industrial biocatalysis and microbial electrosynthesis, can be viewed together through the lens of electrochemical bioreactor technology in order to highlight the challenges that exist in creating a versatile platform technology for use in chemical and biological applications. Industrial biocatalysis applications requiring NAD(P)H to perform redox transformations often necessitate convoluted coupled-enzyme regeneration systems to regenerate reduced cofactor, NAD(P)H from oxidized cofactor, NAD(P). Renewed interest in continuously recycling the cofactor via electrochemical reduction is motivated by the low cost of performing electrochemical reactions, easy monitoring of the reaction progress, and straightforward product recovery. However, electrochemical cofactor regeneration methods invariably produce adventitious reduced cofactor side products which result in unproductive loss of input NAD(P). Microbial electrosynthesis is a form of microbially driven catalysis in which electricity is supplied to living microorganisms for the production of industrially relevant chemical products at higher carbon efficiencies and yields compared with traditional, nonelectrically driven, fermentations. The fundamental biochemistry of these organisms as related to selected biochemical redox processes will be explored in order to highlight opportunities to devise strategies for taking advantage of these biochemical processes in engineered systems.

Genome-wide analysis of cytochrome P450s of Trichoderma spp.: annotation and evolutionary relationships

Background

Cytochrome P450s form an important group of enzymes involved in xenobiotics degradation and metabolism, both primary and secondary. These enzymes are also useful in industry as biotechnological tools for bioconversion and a few are reported to be involved in pathogenicity. Trichoderma spp. are widely used in industry and agriculture and are known for their biosynthetic potential of a large number of secondary metabolites. For realising the full biosynthetic potential of an organism, it is important to do a genome-wide annotation and cataloguing of these enzymes.

Results

Here, we have studied the genomes of seven species (T. asperellum, T. atroviride, T. citrinoviride, T. longibrachiatum, T. reesei , T. harzianum and T. virens) and identified a total of 477 cytochrome P450s. We present here the classification, evolution and structure as well as predicted function of these proteins. This study would pave the way for functional characterization of these groups of enzymes and will also help in realization of their full economic potential.

Conclusion

Our CYPome annotation and evolutionary studies of the seven Trichoderma species now provides opportunities for exploration of research-driven strategies to select Trichoderma species for various applications especially in relation to secondary metabolism and degradation of environmental pollutants.

Characterization of the genome of a Nocardia strain isolated from soils in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau that specifically degrades crude oil and of this biodegradation

A strain of Nocardia isolated from crude oil-contaminated soils in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau degrades nearly all components of crude oil. This strain was identified as Nocardia soli Y48, and its growth conditions were determined. Complete genome sequencing showed that N. soli Y48 has a 7.3 Mb genome and many genes responsible for hydrocarbon degradation, biosurfactant synthesis, emulsification and other hydrocarbon degradation-related metabolisms. Analysis of the clusters of orthologous groups (COGs) and genomic islands (GIs) revealed that Y48 has undergone significant gene transfer events to adapt to changing environmental conditions (crude oil contamination). The structural features of the genome might provide a competitive edge for the survival of N. soli Y48 in oil-polluted environments and reflect the adaptation of coexisting bacteria to distinct nutritional niches.

Molecular LEGO by domain-imprinting of cytochrome P450 BM3

HYPOTHESIS

Electrosynthesis of the MIP nano-film after binding of the separated domains or holo-cytochrome BM3 via an engineered anchor should result in domain-specific cavities in the polymer layer.

EXPERIMENTS

Both the two domains and the holo P450 BM3 have been bound prior polymer deposition via a N-terminal engineered his6-anchor to the electrode surface. Each step of MIP preparation was characterized by cyclic voltammetry of the redox-marker ferricyanide. Rebinding after template removal was evaluated by quantifying the suppression of the diffusive permeability of the signal for ferricyanide and by the NADH-dependent reduction of cytochrome c by the reductase domain (BMR).

FINDINGS

The working hypothesis is verified by the discrimination of the two domains by the respective MIPs: The holoenzyme P450 BM3 was ca. 5.5 times more effectively recognized by the film imprinted with the oxidase domain (BMO) as compared to the BMR-MIP or the non-imprinted polymer (NIP). Obviously, a cavity is formed during the imprinting process around the his₆-tag-anchored BMR which cannot accommodate the broader BMO or the P450 BM3. The affinity of the MIP towards P450 BM3 is comparable with that to the monomer in solution. The his₆-tagged P450 BM3 binds (30 percent) stronger which shows the additive effect of the interaction with the MIP and the binding to the electrode.

Improved strategies for electrochemical 1,4-NAD(P)H2 regeneration: A new era of bioreactors for industrial biocatalysis

Industrial enzymatic reactions requiring 1,4-NAD(P)H₂ to perform redox transformations often require convoluted coupled enzyme regeneration systems to regenerate 1,4-NAD(P)H₂ from NAD(P) and recycle the cofactor for as many turnovers as possible. Renewed interest in recycling the cofactor via electrochemical means is motivated by the low cost of performing electrochemical reactions, easy monitoring of the reaction progress, and straightforward product recovery. However, electrochemical cofactor regeneration methods invariably produce adventitious reduced cofactor side products which result in unproductive loss of input NAD(P). We review various literature strategies for mitigating adventitious product formation by electrochemical cofactor regeneration systems, and offer insight as to how a successful electrochemical bioreactor system could be constructed to engineer efficient 1,4-NAD(P)H₂-dependent enzyme reactions of interest to the industrial biocatalysis community.