1,5-Anhydro-D-fructose; a versatile chiral building block: biochemistry and chemistry

Enzymatic Synthesis of 1,5-Anhydro-4-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-D-fructose Using Cellobiose Phosphorylase and Its Spontaneous Decomposition via β-Elimination

Cellobiose phosphorylase from Cellvibrio gilvus was used to prepare 1,5-anhydro-4-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-D-fructose [βGlc(1→4)AF] from 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose and α-D-glucose 1-phosphate. βGlc(1→4)AF decomposed into D-glucose and ascopyrone T via β-elimination. Higher pH and temperature caused faster decomposition. However, decomposition proceeded significantly even under mild conditions. For instance, the half-life of βGlc(1→4)AF was 17 h at 30 °C and pH 7.0. Because βGlc(1→4)AF is a mimic of cellulose, in which the C2 hydroxyl group is oxidized, such decomposition may occur in oxidized cellulose in nature. Here we propose a possible oxidizing pathway by which this occurs.

Practical aqueous reactions leading to skeletally diverse carbohydrate-derived ketones

The reactions starting from aldosyl hemiacetals and methyl ketones catalyzed by cheap catalysts and mediated by water producing four types of ketones are reported.

The structure of substrate-free 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose reductase from Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021 reveals an open enzyme conformation

1,5-Anhydro-D-fructose (1,5-AF) is an interesting building block for enantioselective and stereoselective organic synthesis. Enzymes acting on this compound are potential targets for structure-based protein/enzyme design to extend the repertoire of catalytic modifications of this and related building blocks. Recombinant 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose reductase (AFR) from Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021 was produced in Escherichia coli, purified using a fused 6×His affinity tag and crystallized in complex with the cofactor NADP(H) using the hanging-drop technique. Its structure was determined to 1.93 Å resolution using molecular replacement. The structure displays an empty substrate-binding site and can be interpreted as an open conformation reflecting the enzyme state shortly after the release of product, presumably with bound oxidized cofactor NADP⁺. Docking simulations indicated that amino-acid residues Lys94, His151, Trp162, Arg163, Asp176 and His180 are involved in substrate binding, catalysis or product release. The side chain of Lys94 seems to have the ability to function as a molecular switch. The crystal structure helps to characterize the interface relevant for dimer formation as observed in solution. The crystal structure is compared with the structure of the homologue from S. morelense, which was solved in a closed conformation and for which dimer formation in solution could not be verified but seems to be likely based on the presented studies of S. meliloti AFR.

Lyase activity of glycogen synthase: Is an elimination/addition mechanism a possible reaction pathway for retaining glycosyltransferases?

Despite the biological relevance of glycosyltrasferases (GTs) and the many efforts devoted to this subject, the catalytic mechanism through which a subclass of this large family of enzymes, namely those that operate with net retention of the anomeric configuration, has not been fully established. Here, we show that in the absence of an acceptor, an archetypal retaining GT such as Pyrococcus abyssi glycogen synthase (PaGS) reacts with its glucosyl donor substrate, uridine 5'-diphosphoglucose (UDP-Glc), to produce the scission of the covalent bond between the terminal phosphate oxygen of UDP and the sugar ring. X-ray diffraction analysis of the PaGS/UDP-Glc complex shows no electronic density attributable to the UDP moiety, but establishes the presence in the active site of the enzyme of a glucose-like derivative that lacks the exocyclic oxygen attached to the anomeric carbon. Chemical derivatization followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of the isolated glucose-like species allowed us to identify the molecule found in the catalytic site of PaGS as 1,5-anhydro-D-arabino-hex-1-enitol (AA) or its tautomeric form, 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose. These findings are consistent with a stepwise S(N) i-like mechanism as the modus operandi of retaining GTs, a mechanism that involves the discrete existence of an oxocarbenium intermediate. Even in the absence of a glucosyl acceptor, glycogen synthase (GS) promotes the formation of the cationic intermediate, which, by eliminating the proton of the adjacent C2 carbon atom, yields AA. Alternatively, these observations could be interpreted assuming that AA is a true intermediate in the reaction pathway of GS and that this enzyme operates through an elimination/addition mechanism.

Inhibition spectrum studies of microthecin and other anhydrofructose derivatives using selected strains of Gram-positive and -negative bacteria, yeasts and moulds, and investigation of the cytotoxicity of microthecin to malignant blood cell lines

AIMS

To prepare 1,5-anhydro-d-fructose (AF) derivatives, test their microbial inhibition spectrum, and to further examine the most effective AF derivative against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and malignant blood cell lines.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Microthecin and nine other AF derivatives were synthesized from AF. The 10 compounds were tested in vitro against Gram-positive (GP) and Gram-negative (GN) bacteria, yeasts and moulds using a well diffusion method and in a Bioscreen growth analyser. Of the test compounds, microthecin exhibited the most significant antibacterial activity at 100-2000 ppm against both GP and GN bacteria, including Ps. aeruginosa. Further tests with three malignant blood cell lines (Mutu, Ramos, Raji) and one normal cell line indicated that microthecin was a cell toxin, with a cell mortality >85% at 50 ppm. The other nine AF derivatives demonstrated low or no antimicrobial activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Microthecin was active 100-2000 ppm against GP and GN bacteria including Ps. aeruginosa, but was inactive against yeasts and moulds. Microthecin was also a cytotoxin to some mammalian cell lines.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Microthecin might have potential for development as a novel drug against Ps. aeruginosa and to target cancer cells. It might also be developed as a food processing aid to control bacterial growth.

Biosynthesis of ethers: unusual or common natural events?

Ether bonds are found in a wide variety of natural products--mainly secondary metabolites--including lipids, oxiranes, terpenoids, flavonoids, polyketides, and carbohydrate derivatives, to name some representative examples. To furnish such a biodiversity of structures, a large number of different enzymes are involved in several different biosynthetic pathways. Depending on the compound and on the (micro) environment in which the reaction is performed, ethers are produced by very different (enzymatic) reactions, thus providing an impressive display of how Nature has combined evolution and thermodynamics to be able to produce a vast number of compounds. In addition, many of these compounds possess different biological activities of pharmacological interest. Moreover, some of these ethers (i.e., epoxides) have high chemical reactivity, and can be useful starting materials for further synthetic processes. This review aims to provide an overview of the different strategies that are found in Nature for the formation of these "bioethers". Both fundamental and practical insights of the biosynthetic processes will be discussed.

1,5-Anhydro-d-fructose from d-fructose

1,5-anhydro-D-fructose was efficiently prepared from D-fructose via regiospecific 1,5-anhydro ring formation of 2,3-O-isopropylidene-1-O-methyl(tolyl)sulfonyl-D-fructopyranose and subsequent deprotection.

A Facile Synthesis of a Polyhydroxylated 2-Azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane

Synthetic or natural aza-sugars have shown promise as a therapeutic approach to a variety of disease states by acting as transition state mimics to sugar processing enzymes. Although the synthesis of functionalized bicyclo[3.2.1]octanes has been reported, the procedures are relatively long and low yielding. Herein, we report the facile synthesis of polyhydroxylated 2-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane that can be selectively functionalized.

The anhydrofructose pathway and its possible role in stress response and signaling

Anhydrofructose (AF) pathway describes the catabolism of alpha-1,4-glucans of glycogen, starch and maltosaccharides to various metabolites via the central intermediate AF. The reaction sequence of the pathway consists of more than 10 enzymatic steps. This pathway occurs in certain bacteria, fungi, algae and mammals. In this communication, the AF pathway and its regulatory mechanisms in these organisms are presented and the metabolites of this pathway as antioxidants and antimicrobials in biotic and abiotic stress responses and in carbon starvation signaling are discussed.

Synthesis of 1,4-anhydro-d-fructose and 1,4-anhydro-d-tagatose

1,4-Anhydro-D-fructose and 1,4-anhydro-D-tagatose were prepared from 1,2-O-isopropylidene-D-glucofuranose via the common intermediate 3,5,6-tri-O-benzyl-D-glucitol. The title compounds may be interesting anti-oxidants and feature activities akin to their natural pyranoid counterpart, 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose.

A new chemical synthesis of Ascopyrone P from 1,5-anhydro-d-fructose

The naturally occurring antioxidant Ascopyrone P (1,5-anhydro-4-deoxy-D-glycero-hex-1-en-3-ulose, 1) was prepared from the rare sugar 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose (AF, 3) in three steps in an overall yield of 36%. Thus, acetylation of 3 afforded the enolone 3,6-di-O-acetyl-1,5-anhydro-4-deoxy-D-glycero-hex-3-en-2-ulopyranose (4), which could be isomerised to 2,6-di-O-acetyl-1,5-anhydro-4-deoxy-D-glycero-hex-1-ene-3-ulose (6). Deacetylation of 6 under mild conditions gave crystalline Ascopyrone P (1).

Catabolism of 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose in Sinorhizobium morelense S-30.7.5: discovery, characterization, and overexpression of a new 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose reductase and its application in sugar analysis and rare sugar synthesis

The bacterium Sinorhizobium morelense S-30.7.5 was isolated by a microbial screening using the sugar 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose (AF) as the sole carbon source. This strain metabolized AF by a novel pathway involving its reduction to 1,5-anhydro-D-mannitol (AM) and the further conversion of AM to D-mannose by C-1 oxygenation. Growth studies showed that the AF metabolizing capability is not confined to S. morelense S-30.7.5 but is a more common feature among the Rhizobiaceae. The AF reducing enzyme was purified and characterized as a new NADPH-dependent monomeric reductase (AFR, EC 1.1.1.-) of 35.1 kDa. It catalyzed the stereoselective reduction of AF to AM and also the conversion of a number of 2-keto aldoses (osones) to the corresponding manno-configurated aldoses. In contrast, common aldoses and ketoses, as well as nonsugar aldehydes and ketones, were not reduced. A database search using the N-terminal AFR sequence retrieved a putative 35-kDa oxidoreductase encoded by the open reading frame Smc04400 localized on the chromosome of Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021. Based on sequence information for this locus, the afr gene was cloned from S. morelense S-30.7.5 and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. In addition to the oxidoreductase of S. meliloti 1021, AFR showed high sequence similarities to putative oxidoreductases of Mesorhizobium loti, Brucella suis, and B. melitensis but not to any oxidoreductase with known functions. AFR could be assigned to the GFO/IDH/MocA family on the basis of highly conserved common structural features. His6-tagged AFR was used to demonstrate the utility of this enzyme for AF analysis and synthesis of AM, as well as related derivatives.

Examination of 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose and the enolone ascopyrone P, metabolites of the anhydrofructose pathway of glycogen and starch degradation, for their possible application in fruits, vegetables, and beverages as antibrowning agents

The anhydrofructose pathway describes the degradation of glycogen and starch to 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose (1,5AnFru) and its further conversion to the enolone ascopyrone P (APP) via the transit intermediate ascopyrone M. The two products, 1,5AnFru and APP, were examined in this study for their effects in controlling the browning of selected fruits, vegetables, and beverages. The results showed that 1,5AnFru had an antibrowning effect in green tea and was able to slow turbidity development in black currant wine. APP proved to be an antibrowning agent comparable to kojic acid. It showed an antibrowning effect in a range of agricultural products, such as various cultivars of apple, pear, potato, lettuce, and varieties of green tea in an efficacy concentration range from 300 to 500 ppm. Mechanism studies indicated that, like kojic acid, APP showed inhibition toward plant polyphenol oxidase and was able to decolor quinones.

A 90-day toxicological evaluation of 1,5-anhydro-d-fructose in Sprague-Dawley rats

1,5-anhydro-d-fructose (1,5-AF) is a novel monosaccharide produced by the action of alpha-1,4-glucan lyase (EC 4.2.2.13) on glycogen, starch, or related substrates such as maltose and maltosaccharides. 1,5-AF is of interest as a compound to be used as a food supplement because of its antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antidiabetic properties. This enforces the safety of 1,5-AF and therefore, in the current study, four groups of male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were provided with 1,5-AF in the drinking water (at 0 or 1.0 g/kg body weight daily) for a period of 90 days (n=10 in each group). All the animals survived, and no clinical signs of toxicity or alterations in hematological or clinical chemistry parameters were observed. Furthermore, organ weight and histopathological examination of brain, heart, urinary bladder, gastrointestinal tract, and pancreas were normal after 1,5-AF treatment. Moreover, there was no change in food consumption, water intake, or body weight gain in rats receiving 1,5-AF. In conclusion, administration of 1,5-AF did not induce any significant toxicological effects and, therefore, 1,5-AF seems safe to administer in vivo over a long period of time.

Synthesis and co-polymerization of an unsaturated 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose derivative

An unsaturated derivative, 3,6-di-O-acetyl-1,5-anhydro-4-deoxy-D-glycero-hex-3-enopyranos-2-ulose (3), was obtained via regioselective elimination and acetylation of monohydrated 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose (1) in a single step reaction. High yield (80%) was achieved without any dimeric by-products. Its co-polymerization to saccharide polymers was investigated with different commercial vinyl co-monomers. Co-polymers were obtained and characterized.

Enzymatic description of the anhydrofructose pathway of glycogen degradation

The anhydrofructose pathway describes the degradation of glycogen and starch to metabolites via 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose (1,5AnFru). Enzymes that form 1,5AnFru, ascopyrone P (APP), and ascopyrone M (APM) have been reported from our laboratory earlier. In the present study, APM formed from 1,5AnFru was found to be the intermediate to the antimicrobial microthecin. The microthecin forming enzyme from the fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium proved to be aldos-2-ulose dehydratase (AUDH, EC 4.2.1.-), which was purified and characterized for its enzymatic and catalytic properties. The purified AUDH showing a molecular mass of 97.4 kDa on SDS-PAGE was partially sequenced. Total 332 amino acid residues in length were obtained, representing some 37% of the AUDH protein. The obtained amino acid sequences showed no homology to known proteins but to an unannotated DNA sequence in Scaffold 62 of the published genome of the fungus. The alignment revealed three introns of the identified AUDH gene (Audh; ph.chr), thus the first gene coding for a neutral sugar dehydratase is identified. AUDH was found to be a bi-functional enzyme, being able to dehydrate 1,5AnFru to APM and further isomerizing the APM formed to microthecin. The optimal pH for the formation of APM and microthecin was pH 5.8 and 6.8, respectively. AUDH showed 5 fold higher activity toward 1,5AnFru than toward its analogue glucosone, when tested at concentrations from 0.6 mM to 0.2 M. Based on the characteristic UV absorbance of microthecin (230 nm) and APM (262 nm) assay methods were developed for the microthecin forming enzymes.

Engineering of pyranose 2-oxidase from Peniophora gigantea towards improved thermostability and catalytic efficiency

To improve the stability and catalytic efficiency of pyranose 2-oxidase (P2Ox) by molecular enzyme evolution, we cloned P2Ox cDNA by RACE-PCR from a cDNA library derived from the basidiomycete Peniophora gigantea. The P2Ox gene was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), yielding an intracellular and enzymatically active P2OxB with a volumetric yield of 500 units/l. Site-directed mutagenesis was employed to construct the P2Ox variant E540K (termed P2OxB1), which exhibited increased thermo- and pH-stability compared with the wild type, concomitantly with increased catalytic efficiencies (k(cat)/K(m)) for D-xylose and L-sorbose. P2OxB1 was provided with a C-terminal His(6)-tag (termed P2OxB1H) and subjected to directed evolution using error-prone PCR. Screening based on a chromogenic assay yielded the new P2Ox variant K312E (termed P2OxB2H) that showed significant improvements with respect to k(cat)/K(m) for D-glucose (5.3-fold), methyl-beta-D-glucoside (2.0-fold), D-galactose (4.8-fold), D-xylose (59.9-fold), and L-sorbose (69.0-fold), compared with wild-type P2Ox. The improved catalytic performance of P2OxB2H was demonstrated by bioconversions of L-sorbose that initially was a poor substrate for wild-type P2Ox. This is the first report on the improvement of a pyranose 2-oxidase by a dual approach of site-directed mutagenesis and directed evolution, and the application of the engineered P2Ox in bioconversions.

Basic toxicology and metabolism studies of 1,5-anhydro-d-fructose using bacteria, cultured mammalian cells, and rodents

1,5-Anhydro-D-fructose (AF) is a monosaccharide occurring in edible morels, red seaweeds and certain mammalian tissues. It can be formed directly from starch and glycogen in vivo by alpha-1,4-glucan lyase (EC 4.2.2.13). In this study, the toxicity, absorption and metabolism of AF using bacteria, mammalian cells, rat and mouse models were examined. In Ames test, AF showed no genotoxicity using five strains of the bacterium Salmonella typhimurium TA 98, 100, 102, 1535 and 1537. AF caused no mammalian gene mutation as tested with mouse lymphoma L5178Y cells. AF did not cause toxic symptoms in rats when it was administered as a single oral dose of 5 g/kg and observed over a 14-day period. Furthermore, at necropsy, no signs of abnormality were detected. Daily intraperitoneal (ip) administration of 2 g/kg AF to mice did not induce adverse effects throughout a 28-day period. Radioactive tracing experiments using 14C-labeled AF indicated that AF was efficiently absorbed since the major portion of radioactive material was recovered in urine. Further work using unlabeled AF indicated that the cyclic polyol 1,5-anhydro-D-sorbitol (AS) increased dramatically in both blood and urine upon AF administration at 1 g/kg ip, suggesting the existence of an efficient reduction mechanism from AF to AS, which was then excreted in urine. In conclusion, these studies indicate that AF had low or no toxicity and showed no mutagenicity.

Preparation and reactivity of a novel disaccharide, glucosyl 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose (1,5-anhydro-3-O-alpha-glucopyranosyl-D-fructose)

A novel disaccharide, glucosyl 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose (1,5-anhydro-3-O-alpha-glucopyranosyl-D-fructose, GAF) was enzymatically prepared from 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose (1,5-AF) and cyclomaltoheptaose (beta-cyclodextrin). Cyclodextrin glucanotransferase transferred various sizes of maltooligosaccharide to 1,5-AF. Glucoamylase digested the maltooligosyl chain of the products to a glucosyl residue giving a final product, GAF. An NMR analysis of GAF elucidated that the glucose residue was linked to C-3 of the 1,5-AF residue with an ether linkage. Reactivity on the aminocarbonyl reaction of GAF with bovine serum albumin was lower than that of 1,5-AF, but was higher than that of glucose.

Enzymatic description of the anhydrofructose pathway of glycogen degradation; I. Identification and purification of anhydrofructose dehydratase, ascopyrone tautomerase and alpha-1,4-glucan lyase in the fungus Anthracobia melaloma

The anhydrofructose pathway describes the degradation of glycogen and starch to metabolites via 1,5-anhydro-d-fructose (1,5AnFru). The enzyme catalyzing the first reaction step of this pathway, i.e., alpha-1,4-glucan lyase (EC 4.2.1.13), has been purified, cloned and characterized from fungi and red algae in our laboratory earlier. In the present study, two 1,5AnFru metabolizing enzymes were discovered in the fungus Anthracobia melaloma for the formation of ascopyrone P (APP), a fungal secondary metabolite exhibiting antibacterial and antioxidant activity. These are 1,5AnFru dehydratase (AFDH) and ascopyrone tautomerase (APTM). AFDH catalyzed the conversion of 1,5AnFru to ascopyrone M (APM), a compound that has been earlier presumed to occur biologically, while APTM isomerized the APM formed to APP. Both enzymes were purified 400-fold by (NH(4))(2)SO(4) fractionation, hydrophobic interaction, ion-exchange and gel filtration chromatography. The purified AFDH showed a molecular mass of 98 kDa on SDS-PAGE and 230 kDa by gel filtration. The corresponding values for APTM was 60 and 140 kDa. Spectrophotometric and HPLC methods were developed for the assay of these two enzymes. To confirm that A. melaloma possessed all enzymes needed for conversion of glycogen to APP, an alpha-1,4-glucan lyase from this fungus was isolated and partially sequenced. Based on this work, a scheme of the enzymatic description of the anhydrofructose pathway in A. melaloma was proposed.