The Enzymatic Synthesis of Holotranscarboxylase from Apotranscarboxylase and (+)-Biotin

Current and Emerging Approaches for Studying Inter-Organelle Membrane Contact Sites

Inter-organelle membrane contact sites (MCSs) are classically defined as areas of close proximity between heterologous membranes and established by specific proteins (termed tethers). The interest on MCSs has rapidly increased in the last years, since MCSs play a crucial role in the transfer of cellular components between different organelles and have been involved in important cellular functions such as apoptosis, organelle division and biogenesis, and cell growth. Recently, an unprecedented depth and breadth in insights into the details of MCSs have been uncovered. On one hand, extensive MCSs (organelles interactome) are revealed by comprehensive analysis of organelle network with high temporal-spatial resolution at the system level. On the other hand, more and more tethers involving in MCSs are identified and further works are focusing on addressing the role of these tethers in regulating the function of MCSs at the molecular level. These enormous progresses largely depend on the powerful approaches, including several different types of microscopies and various biochemical techniques. These approaches have greatly accelerated recent advances in MCSs at the system and molecular level. In this review, we summarize the current and emerging approaches for studying MCSs, such as various microscopies, proximity-driven fluorescent signal generation and proximity-dependent biotinylation. In addition, we highlight the advantages and disadvantages of the techniques to provide a general guidance for the study of MCSs.

Form, Fabric, and Function of a Flagellum-Associated Cytoskeletal Structure

Trypanosoma brucei is a uniflagellated protist and the causative agent of African trypanosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease. The single flagellum of T. brucei is essential to a number of cellular processes such as motility, and has been a longstanding focus of scientific enquiry. A number of cytoskeletal structures are associated with the flagellum in T. brucei, and one such structure—a multiprotein complex containing the repeat motif protein TbMORN1—is the focus of this review. The TbMORN1-containing complex, which was discovered less than ten years ago, is essential for the viability of the mammalian-infective form of T. brucei. The complex has an unusual asymmetric morphology, and is coiled around the flagellum to form a hook shape. Proteomic analysis using the proximity-dependent biotin identification (BioID) technique has elucidated a number of its components. Recent work has uncovered a role for TbMORN1 in facilitating protein entry into the cell, thus providing a link between the cytoskeleton and the endomembrane system. This review summarises the extant data on the complex, highlights the outstanding questions for future enquiry, and provides speculation as to its possible role in a size-exclusion mechanism for regulating protein entry. The review additionally clarifies the nomenclature associated with this topic, and proposes the adoption of the term “hook complex” to replace the former name “bilobe” to describe the complex.

β-Keto and β-hydroxyphosphonate analogs of biotin-5'-AMP are inhibitors of holocarboxylase synthetase

Holocarboxylase synthetase (HLCS) catalyzes the covalent attachment of biotin to cytoplasmic and mitochondrial carboxylases, nuclear histones, and over a hundred human proteins. Nonhydrolyzable ketophosphonate (β-ketoP) and hydroxyphosphonate (β-hydroxyP) analogs of biotin-5'-AMP inhibit holocarboxylase synthetase (HLCS) with IC50 values of 39.7 μM and 203.7 μM. By comparison, an IC50 value of 7 μM was observed with the previously reported biotinol-5'-AMP. The Ki values, 3.4 μM and 17.3 μM, respectively, are consistent with the IC50 results, and close to the Ki obtained for biotinol-5'-AMP (7 μM). The β-ketoP and β-hydroxyP molecules are competitive inhibitors of HLCS while biotinol-5'-AMP inhibited HLCS by a mixed mechanism.

Novel bilobe components in Trypanosoma brucei identified using proximity-dependent biotinylation

The trypanosomes are a family of parasitic protists of which the African trypanosome, Trypanosoma brucei, is the best characterized. The complex and highly ordered cytoskeleton of T. brucei has been shown to play vital roles in its biology but remains difficult to study, in large part owing to the intractability of its constituent proteins. Existing methods of protein identification, such as bioinformatic analysis, generation of monoclonal antibody panels, proteomics, affinity purification, and yeast two-hybrid screens, all have drawbacks. Such deficiencies-troublesome proteins and technical limitations-are common not only to T. brucei but also to many other protists, many of which are even less well studied. Proximity-dependent biotin identification (BioID) is a recently developed technique that allows forward screens for interaction partners and near neighbors in a native environment with no requirement for solubility in nonionic detergent. As such, it is extremely well suited to the exploration of the cytoskeleton. In this project, BioID was adapted for use in T. brucei. The trypanosome bilobe, a discrete cytoskeletal structure with few known protein components, represented an excellent test subject. Use of the bilobe protein TbMORN1 as a probe resulted in the identification of seven new bilobe constituents and two new flagellum attachment zone proteins. This constitutes the first usage of BioID on a largely uncharacterized structure, and demonstrates its utility in identifying new components of such a structure. This remarkable success validates BioID as a new tool for the study of unicellular eukaryotes in particular and the eukaryotic cytoskeleton in general.

Efficient and versatile one-step affinity purification of in vivo biotinylated proteins: expression, characterization and structure analysis of recombinant human glutamate carboxypeptidase II

Affinity purification is a useful approach for purification of recombinant proteins. Eukaryotic expression systems have become more frequently used at the expense of prokaryotic systems since they afford recombinant eukaryotic proteins with post-translational modifications similar or identical to the native ones. Here, we present a one-step affinity purification set-up suitable for the purification of secreted proteins. The set-up is based on the interaction between biotin and mutated streptavidin. Drosophila Schneider 2 cells are chosen as the expression host, and a biotin acceptor peptide is used as an affinity tag. This tag is biotinylated by Escherichia coli biotin-protein ligase in vivo. We determined that localization of the ligase within the ER led to the most effective in vivo biotinylation of the secreted proteins. We optimized a protocol for large-scale expression and purification of AviTEV-tagged recombinant human glutamate carboxypeptidase II (Avi-GCPII) with milligram yields per liter of culture. We also determined the 3D structure of Avi-GCPII by X-ray crystallography and compared the enzymatic characteristics of the protein to those of its non-tagged variant. These experiments confirmed that AviTEV tag does not affect the biophysical properties of its fused partner. Purification approach, developed here, provides not only a sufficient amount of highly homogenous protein but also specifically and effectively biotinylates a target protein and thus enables its subsequent visualization or immobilization.

The neurology of biotinidase deficiency

Biotinidase deficiency is an autosomal recessively inherited metabolic disorder in which the enzyme, biotinidase, is defective and the vitamin, biotin, is not recycled. Individuals with biotinidase deficiency, if not treated with biotin, usually exhibit neurological and cutaneous abnormalities. Biotin treatment can ameliorate or prevent symptoms. Biotinidase deficiency meets the major criteria for inclusion in newborn screening programs. With the advent of universal newborn screening for the disorder, the "window-of-opportunity" to characterize the consequences of the untreated disease is essentially gone. To understand the neurology of biotinidase deficiency, we must depend on what is already known about symptomatic individuals with the disorder. Therefore, in this review, the neurological findings of symptomatic individuals with profound biotinidase deficiency have been compiled to catalog the characteristic features of the disorder and the consequences of biotin treatment on these findings. In addition, based on the available evidence, I have speculated on the cause of neurological problems associated with the disorder. Future studies in biotinidase-deficient animals should allow us to demonstrate more definitively if these speculations are correct.

Insight into the carboxyl transferase domain mechanism of pyruvate carboxylase from Rhizobium etli

The effects of mutations in the active site of the carboxyl transferase domain of Rhizobium etli pyruvate carboxylase have been determined for the forward reaction to form oxaloacetate, the reverse reaction to form MgATP, the oxamate-induced decarboxylation of oxaloacetate, the phosphorylation of MgADP by carbamoyl phosphate, and the bicarbonate-dependent ATPase reaction. Additional studies with these mutants examined the effect of pyruvate and oxamate on the reactions of the biotin carboxylase domain. From these mutagenic studies, putative roles for catalytically relevant active site residues were assigned and a more accurate description of the mechanism of the carboxyl transferase domain is presented. The T882A mutant showed no catalytic activity for reactions involving the carboxyl transferase domain but surprisingly showed 7- and 3.5-fold increases in activity, as compared to that of the wild-type enzyme, for the ADP phosphorylation and bicarbonate-dependent ATPase reactions, respectively. Furthermore, the partial inhibition of the T882A-catalyzed BC domain reactions by oxamate and pyruvate further supports the critical role of Thr882 in the proton transfer between biotin and pyruvate in the carboxyl transferase domain. The catalytic mechanism appears to involve the decarboxylation of carboxybiotin and removal of a proton from Thr882 by the resulting biotin enolate with either a concerted or subsequent transfer of a proton from pyruvate to Thr882. The resulting enolpyruvate then reacts with CO(2) to form oxaloacetate and complete the reaction.

A channel connecting the mother cell and forespore during bacterial endospore formation

At an early stage during Bacillus subtilis endospore development the bacterium divides asymmetrically to produce two daughter cells. The smaller cell (forespore) differentiates into the endospore, while the larger cell (mother cell) becomes a terminally differentiated cell that nurtures the developing forespore. During development the mother cell engulfs the forespore to produce a protoplast, surrounded by two bilayer membranes, which separate it from the cytoplasm of the mother cell. The activation of sigma(G), which drives late gene expression in the forespore, follows forespore engulfment and requires expression of the spoIIIA locus in the mother cell. One of the spoIIIA-encoded proteins SpoIIIAH is targeted specifically to the membrane surrounding the forespore, through an interaction of its C-terminal extracellular domain with the C-terminal extracellular domain of the forespore membrane protein SpoIIQ. We identified a homologous relationship between the C-terminal domain of SpoIIIAH and the YscJ/FliF protein family, members of which form multimeric rings involved in type III secretion systems and flagella. If SpoIIIAH forms a similar ring structure, it may also form a channel between the mother cell and forespore membranes. To test this hypothesis we developed a compartmentalized biotinylation assay, which we used to show that the C-terminal extracellular domain of SpoIIIAH is accessible to enzymatic modification from the forespore cytoplasm. These and other results lead us to suggest that SpoIIIAH forms part of a channel between the forespore and mother cell that is required for the activation of sigma(G).

Biotinidase: its role in biotinidase deficiency and biotin metabolism

Renewed interest in biotinidase, the enzyme responsible for recycling the vitamin biotin, initially came from the discovery of biotinidase deficiency in 1982. Since then, the elucidation of other activities of the enzyme, alternative splicing of the biotinidase gene and differential subcellular localization of the enzyme have prompted speculation and investigations of its other possible functions. The results of these studies have implicated biotinidase in aspects of biotin metabolism, specifically the biotinylation of various proteins, such as histones. Biotinidase may have an important regulatory role(s) in chromatin/DNA function.

Identification of the tRNA-binding protein Arc1p as a novel target of in vivo biotinylation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Biotin is an essential cofactor of cell metabolism serving as a protein-bound coenzyme in ATP-dependent carboxylation, in transcarboxylation, and certain decarboxylation reactions. The involvement of biotinylated proteins in other cellular functions has been suggested occasionally, but available data on this are limited. In the present study, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae protein was identified that reacts with streptavidin on Western blots and is not identical to one of the known biotinylated yeast proteins. After affinity purification on monomeric avidin, the biotinylated protein was identified as Arc1p. Using 14C-labeled biotin, the cofactor was shown to be incorporated into Arc1p by covalent and alkali-stable linkage. Similar to the known carboxylases, Arc1p biotinylation is mediated by the yeast biotin:protein ligase, Bpl1p. Mutational studies revealed that biotinylation occurs at lysine 86 within the N-terminal domain of Arc1p. In contrast to the known carboxylases, however, in vitro biotinylation of Arc1p is incomplete and increases with BPL1 overexpression. In accordance to this fact, Arc1p lacks the canonical consensus sequence of known biotin binding domains, and the bacterial biotin:protein ligase, BirA, is unable to use Arc1p as a substrate. Arc1p was shown previously to organize the association of MetRS and GluRS tRNA synthetases with their cognate tRNAs thereby increasing the substrate affinity and catalytic efficiency of these enzymes. Remarkably, not only biotinylated but also the biotin-free Arc1p obtained by replacement of lysine 86 with arginine were capable of restoring Arc1p function in both arc1Delta and arc1Deltalos1Delta mutants, indicating that biotinylation of Arc1p is not essential for activity.

Biotin protein ligase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The N-terminal domain is required for complete activity

Catalytically active biotin protein ligase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (EC 6.3.4.15) was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified to near homogeneity in three steps. Kinetic analysis demonstrated that the substrates ATP, biotin, and the biotin-accepting protein bind in an ordered manner in the reaction mechanism. Treatment with any of three proteases of differing specificity in vitro revealed that the sequence between residues 240 and 260 was extremely sensitive to proteolysis, suggesting that it forms an exposed linker between an N-terminal 27-kDa domain and the C-terminal 50-kDa domain containing the active site. The protease susceptibility of this linker region was considerably reduced in the presence of ATP and biotin. A second protease-sensitive sequence, located in the presumptive catalytic site, was protected against digestion by the substrates. Expression of N-terminally truncated variants of the yeast enzyme failed to complement E. coli strains defective in biotin protein ligase activity. In vitro assays performed with purified N-terminally truncated enzyme revealed that removal of the N-terminal domain reduced BPL activity by greater than 3500-fold. Our data indicate that both the N-terminal domain and the C-terminal domain containing the active site are necessary for complete catalytic function.

Human biotinidase isn't just for recycling biotin

For years, the major role of biotin has been as the coenzyme for four carboxylases in humans. Although there has been evidence that biotin might have other functions, none has been firmly established. The discovery that human serum biotinidase has biotinyl-transferase activity, in addition to biotinidase hydrolase activity, presents new possibilities for the role of biotinidase in biotin metabolism. Specific transfer of biotin to histones by biotinidase provides a possible explanation for why biotin is found in the nucleus and the nature of its role in the regulation of protein transcription. Future studies will help to determine the functions of biotinidase in biotin metabolism and in disease states.

Biotinidase and its roles in biotin metabolism

Biotinidase is the enzyme responsible for the recycling of the vitamin biotin. Biotinidase acts as a hydrolase by cleaving biocytin and biotinyl-peptides, thereby liberating biotin for reutilization. Biotinidase is also important for making biotin bioavailable from bound dietary sources. The interest in this enzyme has been increased by the discovery of biotinidase deficiency, an inherited biotin-responsive disorder that can result in neurological and cutaneous abnormalities, but can be treated effectively with biotin supplementation. Biotinidase has recently been shown to be biotinylated in the presence of biocytin, but not biotin, at neutral and alkaline pH. This raises the possibility that biotinidase acts as a biotin-binding or biotin-carrier protein. Biotinidase has also been shown to have biotinyl-transferase activity resulting in the transfer of biotin from biocytin to nucleophilic acceptors, such as histones. Transferase activity occurs at physiological pH and at physiological concentrations of biocytin and, therefore, may be the main function of the enzyme in serum and other tissues. These novel functions of the enzyme may indicate that biotinidase plays a critical role in the metabolism of biotin in nuclei, particularly of neuronal cells. The role of biotinidase in biotin metabolism may be a paradigm for better understanding the metabolism of other vitamins.

The urea amidolyase (DUR1,2) gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The DNA sequence of the urea amidolyase (DUR1,2) gene from S. cerevisiae has been determined. The polypeptide structure deduced from the DNA sequence contains 1,835 amino acid residues and possesses a calculated weight of 201,665 daltons which favorably correlates with that predicted from compositional analysis of purified protein (1,881 amino acid residues and a molecular weight of 203,900). The C-terminal 57 residues of the polypeptide exhibit significant homology with similarly situated sequences found in five other biotin carboxylases whose primary structures have been determined or deduced from protein and DNA sequence data, respectively. Major S1 nuclease protection fragments derived from DUR1,2 RNA-DNA hybrids exhibit apparent termini at positions -140 and -141 upstream of the coding region. The termini of minor protection fragments also occur at eleven other positions as well.

Analysis of the biotin-binding site on acetyl-CoA carboxylase from rat

The biotin-binding site of acetyl-CoA carboxylase from rat was characterized as to its amino acid sequence and relative position in the enzyme molecule. Biotin binds to the lysyl residue in the tetrapeptide Val-Met-Lys-Met; this tetrapeptide is located in close proximity to the NH2 terminus. In all other biotin-containing enzymes, the conserved tetrapeptide Ala-Met-Lys-Met is the counterpart to that of rat acetyl-CoA carboxylase; and the lysyl residue is 35 residues from the COOH terminus. To examine the significance of these unusual features of the biotinylation site of animal acetyl-CoA carboxylase, cDNA fragments were expressed in a bacterial system and the effects of specific site-directed mutagenesis were examined. Replacement of Val by Ala in the conserved tetrapeptide abolished biotinylation of the expressed protein. However, introduction of a termination codon at residue 36, in such a way that the distance between the lysine on which biotin binds and the COOH-terminal amino acid was 35 residues and the penultimate amino acid was the hydrophobic residue leucine, increased the efficiency of biotinylation, provided a substantial portion of the NH2-terminal peptide was removed.

Sequence homology around the biotin-binding site of human propionyl-CoA carboxylase and pyruvate carboxylase

Biotin-dependent carboxylases require covalently bound biotin for enzymatic activity. The biotin is attached through a lysine residue, which in a number of bacterial, avian, and mammalian carboxylases, is found within the conserved sequence Ala-Met-Lys-Met. We have determined the partial nucleotide sequence of cDNA clones for human propionyl-CoA carboxylase and pyruvate carboxylase. The predicted amino acid sequence of both these proteins contains the conserved tetrapeptide 35 residues from the carboxy terminus. In addition, both proteins contain the tripeptide, Pro-Met-Pro, 26 residues toward the amino terminus from the biotin attachment site. The overall amino acid homology through this region is 43%. Similar findings have been made for the biotin-containing polypeptides of transcarboxylase of Propionibacterium shermanii and acetyl-CoA carboxylase of Escherichia coli (W. L. Maloy, B. U. Bowien, G. K. Zwolinski, K. G. Kumar, and H. G. Wood (1979) J. Biol. Chem. 254, 11615-11622). The implications of this sequence conservation with regard to the function and evolution of biotin-dependent carboxylases is discussed. We propose that the 60 amino acids surrounding the biotin site are bounded by a proline "hinge" and the carboxy terminus has remained conserved as a result of constraints imposed by biotinylation of the enzyme.

Studies in vitro on the flavinylation of 6-hydroxy-D-nicotine oxidase

The gene of 6-hydroxy-D-nicotine oxidase (6-HDNO), a flavoenzyme from Arthrobacter oxidans with covalently bound FAD, was expressed with the aid of an expression vector in a cell-free coupled transcription-translation system derived from Escherichia coli MZ9. Ultraviolet irradiation of the E. coli extract did not affect synthesis of the 6-HDNO polypeptide nor total protein synthesis but enzymatic 6-HDNO activity could not be detected. Addition of FAD to the irradiated cell extract restored the capability of the transcription-translation assays to synthesize enzymatically active 6-HDNO. However, enzymatic activity could not be restored on addition of FAD plus cell-free extract to the ultraviolet-inactivated assays after completion of apo-6-HDNO synthesis (60 min) nor to immunoprecipitates thereof. Under similar conditions, addition of [14C]FAD did not increase the protein-bound radioactivity. These results indicate that under conditions of limited FAD supply in the in vitro system a flavinless apo-6-HDNO-polypeptide was synthesized. It was, however, not possible to bind the cofactor to the completed polypeptide chain. These findings argue for a cotranslational cofactor binding.

Pyruvate carboxylase deficiency in yeast: a mutant affecting the interaction between the glyoxylate and Krebs cycles

A single-gene nuclear mutant has been isolated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae which cannot grow on minimal medium supplemented with ethanol, acetate, pyruvate, aspartate, or oxaloacetate as sole carbon sources. It will grow on complete medium with these carbon sources, and on minimal medium with dextrose as carbon source. The only supplement which will permit growth on minimal medium with ethanol or pyruvate is aspartate, so the mutant is an aspartate auxotroph when grown on these nonfermentable substrates. It exhibits enhanced levels of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (EC 4.1.1.49) when grown on dextrose. The mutant can survive as an alcohol dehydrogenase-negative, indicating that the defect is not in the Krebs Cycle or in electron transport. When grown on pyruvate, it produces two to three times as much free alanine and half as much aspartate plus asparagine as the wild type. Two different assays show that the mutant phenotype is due to a deficiency of pyruvate carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.1), an important anaplerotic enzyme. Inferences that can be drawn from the characteristics of this mutant include (a) the glyoxylate cycle is probably located entirely outside the mitochondria, (b) the inner mitochondrial membrane appears to be impermeable to oxaloacetate, and (c) a succinate-malate exchange across the inner mitochondrial membrane connects the glyoxylate and Krebs cycles when yeast is grown on minimal medium with ethanol as a sole carbon source.

Regulation and intracellular localization of the biotin holocarboxylase synthetase of 3T3-L1 cells

A quantitative assay has been developed to measure holocarboxylase synthetase activity in cellular extracts. This assay was based on measuring the incorporation of [3H]biotin of high specific activity (4.3 Ci/mmol) into purified rat liver apopyruvate carboxylase. With this assay, holocarboxylase synthetase in 3T3-L1 mouse fibroblasts has been monitored. During the differentiation of this cell from a fibroblast to an adipocyte, holocarboxylase synthetase activity was found to increase threefold, while pyruvate carboxylase activity rose 20-fold. The results suggest a possible relationship between the activity of the holocarboxylase synthetase and the level of the biotin-dependent carboxylases within the mammalian cell. Utilizing digitonin fractionation. the intracellular distribution of this enzyme has also been examined. In the 3T3-L1 cell, the large majority (approximately 70%) of the total holocarboxylase synthetase activity was found in the cytosolic compartment.

Mechanism of the antibiotic action of alpha-dehydrobiotin

alpha-Dehydrobiotin, a naturally occurring biotin analogue, exhibits antibiotic properties [Hanka, L. J., Reineke, L. M., & Martin, D. G.(1969) J. Bacteriol. 100, 42--46]. It is shown in this paper that in addition to its activity as corepressor of the transcription of the biotin locus [Guha, A., Saturen, Y., & Szybalski, W. (1971) J. Mol. Biol. 56, 53--62] alpha-dehydrobiotin acts at the enzyme level. The synthesis of specifically tritiated alpha-dehydrobiotin has been achieved. By use of this labeled compound and a biotin-department strain of Escherichia coli, it has been demonstrated that alpha-dehydrobiotin can be linked covalently to proteins without further transformation. The fixation of biotin to apocarboxylases is inhibited irreversibly after preincubation with alpha-dehydrobiotin. This strongly supports the hypothesis that alpha-dehydrobiotin can be specifically linked to apocarboxylases in place of biotin and leads to carboxylases that are inactive. Thus, the antibiotic properties of alpha-dehydrobiotin would be partly due to the fact that it compete with biotin for the fixation on the apocarboxylases, producing irreversibly inactive enzymes.

Mutant of Escherichia coli with derepressed levels of the biotin biosynthetic enzymes

A cross-feeding technique was used to isolate a mutant of Escherichia coli K-12 that excretes 1,000 times more biotin into the growth medium than the parent strain. The mutant has high levels of the biotin biosynthetic enzymes even when grown in the presence of biotin. Desthiobiotin synthetase, the level of which was used as a measure of the biosynthetic activity of the biotin pathway, is not repressed by biotin at the concentration 250,000 times that sufficient to repress the enzyme in the wild type. The mutant gene is cotransducible with argC located at 77 min on the E. coli chromosome.