1
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Chen L, Zhang L, Ye X, Deng Z, Zhao C. Ergothioneine and its congeners: anti-ageing mechanisms and pharmacophore biosynthesis. Protein Cell 2024; 15:191-206. [PMID: 37561026 PMCID: PMC10903977 DOI: 10.1093/procel/pwad048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Ergothioneine, Ovothiol, and Selenoneine are sulfur/selenium-containing histidine-derived natural products widely distributed across different organisms. They exhibit significant antioxidant properties, making them as potential lead compounds for promoting health. Increasing evidence suggests that Ergothioneine is positively correlated with healthy ageing and longevity. The mechanisms underlying Ergothioneine's regulation of the ageing process at cellular and molecular levels are beginning to be understood. In this review, we provide an in-depth and extensive coverage of the anti-ageing studies on Ergothioneine and discuss its possible intracellular targeting pathways. In addition, we highlight the recent efforts in elucidating the biosynthetic details for Ergothioneine, Ovothiol, and Selenoneine, with a particular focus on the study of their pharmacophore-forming enzymology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Chen
- Department of Geriatrics, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
- Key Laboratory of Combinatory Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Liping Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Combinatory Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Xujun Ye
- Department of Geriatrics, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Zixin Deng
- Department of Geriatrics, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
- Key Laboratory of Combinatory Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Changming Zhao
- Department of Geriatrics, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
- Key Laboratory of Combinatory Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
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2
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Wang X, Hu S, Wang J, Zhang T, Ye K, Wen A, Zhu G, Vegas A, Zhang L, Yan W, Liu X, Liu P. Biochemical and Structural Characterization of OvoA Th2: A Mononuclear Nonheme Iron Enzyme from Hydrogenimonas thermophila for Ovothiol Biosynthesis. ACS Catal 2023; 13:15417-15426. [PMID: 38058600 PMCID: PMC10696552 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.3c04026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Ovothiol A and ergothioneine are thiol-histidine derivatives with sulfur substitutions at the δ-carbon or ε-carbon of the l-histidine imidazole ring, respectively. Both ovothiol A and ergothioneine have protective effects on many aging-related diseases, and the sulfur substitution plays a key role in determining their chemical and biological properties, while factors governing sulfur incorporation regioselectivities in ovothiol and ergothioneine biosynthesis in the corresponding enzymes (OvoA, Egt1, or EgtB) are not yet known. In this study, we have successfully obtained the first OvoA crystal structure, which provides critical information to explain their C-S bond formation regioselectivity. Furthermore, OvoATh2 exhibits several additional activities: (1) ergothioneine sulfoxide synthase activity akin to Egt1 in ergothioneine biosynthesis; (2) cysteine dioxygenase activity using l-cysteine and l-histidine analogues as substrates; (3) cysteine dioxygenase activity upon mutation of an active site tyrosine residue (Y406). The structural insights and diverse chemistries demonstrated by OvoATh2 pave the way for future comprehensive structure-function correlation studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinye Wang
- State
Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Sha Hu
- Department
of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Jun Wang
- School
of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai
Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Department
of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Ke Ye
- State
Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Aiwen Wen
- Department
of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Guoliang Zhu
- State
Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Arturo Vegas
- Department
of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Lixin Zhang
- State
Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Wupeng Yan
- School
of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai
Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xueting Liu
- State
Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Pinghua Liu
- Department
of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
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3
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Paris JC, Hu S, Wen A, Weitz AC, Cheng R, Gee LB, Tang Y, Kim H, Vegas A, Chang WC, Elliott SJ, Liu P, Guo Y. An S=1 Iron(IV) Intermediate Revealed in a Non-Heme Iron Enzyme-Catalyzed Oxidative C-S Bond Formation. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202309362. [PMID: 37640689 PMCID: PMC10592081 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202309362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Ergothioneine (ESH) and ovothiol A (OSHA) are two natural thiol-histidine derivatives. ESH has been implicated as a longevity vitamin and OSHA inhibits the proliferation of hepatocarcinoma. The key biosynthetic step of ESH and OSHA in the aerobic pathways is the O2 -dependent C-S bond formation catalyzed by non-heme iron enzymes (e.g., OvoA in ovothiol biosynthesis), but due to the lack of identification of key reactive intermediate the mechanism of this novel reaction is unresolved. In this study, we report the identification and characterization of a kinetically competent S=1 iron(IV) intermediate supported by a four-histidine ligand environment (three from the protein residues and one from the substrate) in enabling C-S bond formation in OvoA from Methyloversatilis thermotoleran, which represents the first experimentally observed intermediate spin iron(IV) species in non-heme iron enzymes. Results reported in this study thus set the stage to further dissect the mechanism of enzymatic oxidative C-S bond formation in the OSHA biosynthesis pathway. They also afford new opportunities to study the structure-function relationship of high-valent iron intermediates supported by a histidine rich ligand environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared C Paris
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Sha Hu
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Aiwen Wen
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Andrew C Weitz
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Ronghai Cheng
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Leland B Gee
- LCLS, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Rd., Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Yijie Tang
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Hyomin Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Arturo Vegas
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Wei-Chen Chang
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Sean J Elliott
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Pinghua Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Yisong Guo
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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4
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Chen X, Li B. How nature incorporates sulfur and selenium into bioactive natural products. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2023; 76:102377. [PMID: 37598530 PMCID: PMC10538389 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.102377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Living organisms have evolved various strategies to incorporate sulfur and selenium into bioactive natural products. These chalcogen-containing compounds serve important and diverse biological functions for their producers and many of them are essential medicines against infectious diseases and cancer. We review recent advances in the biosynthesis of some sulfur/selenium-containing natural products with a focus on the formation or cleavage of C-S/C-Se bonds. We highlight unusual enzymes that catalyze these transformations, describe their proposed mechanisms, and discuss how understanding these enzymes may facilitate the discovery and synthesis of novel natural products containing sulfur or selenium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Bo Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Chemistry, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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5
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Steele AD, Kiefer AF, Shen B. The many facets of sulfur incorporation in natural product biosynthesis. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2023; 76:102366. [PMID: 37451204 PMCID: PMC10527158 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.102366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Sulfur-containing natural products (S-containing NPs) exhibit diverse chemical structures and biosynthetic machineries. Unraveling the intricate chemistry of S-incorporation requires innovative and multidisciplinary approaches. In this review, we surveyed the landscape of S-containing NP biosynthetic machineries, classified the S-incorporation chemistry into four distinct classes, and highlighted each of the four classes with representative examples from recent studies. All highlighted chemistry has been correlated to the genes encoding the biosynthetic machineries of the S-containing NPs, which open new opportunities to discover S-containing NPs through genome mining. These examples should inspire the community to explore uncharted territories in NP research, promoting further advancements in both novel S-containing NP discovery and S-incorporation chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Steele
- Department of Chemistry, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, University of Florida, Jupiter, FL 33458, United States
| | - Alexander F Kiefer
- Department of Chemistry, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, University of Florida, Jupiter, FL 33458, United States
| | - Ben Shen
- Department of Chemistry, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, University of Florida, Jupiter, FL 33458, United States; Natural Products Discovery Center, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, University of Florida, Jupiter, FL 33458, United States; Department of Molecular Medicine, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, University of Florida, Jupiter, FL 33458, United States; Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Scripps Research, Jupiter, FL 33458, United States.
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6
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Abstract
Carbenes are highly reactive compounds with unique value to synthetic chemistry. However, a small number of natural enzymes have been shown to utilize carbene chemistry, and artificial enzymes engineered with directed evolution required transition metal ions to stabilize the carbene intermediates. To facilitate the design of broader classes of enzymes that can take advantage of the rich carbene chemistry, it is thus important to better understand how to stabilize carbene species in enzyme active sites without metal ions. Motivated by our recent studies of the anaerobic ergothioneine biosynthesis enzyme EanB, we examine carbene-protein interaction with both cluster models and QM/MM simulations. The cluster calculations find that an N-heterocyclic carbene interacts strongly with polar and positively charged protein motifs. In particular, the interaction between a guanidinium group and carbene is as strong as ∼30 kcal/mol, making arginine a great choice for the preferential stabilization of carbenes. We also compare the WT EanB and its mutant in which the key tyrosine was replaced by a non-natural analogue (F2Tyr) using DFTB3/MM simulations. The calculations suggest that the carbene intermediate in the F2Tyr mutant is more stable than that in the WT enzyme by ∼3.5 kcal/mol, due to active site rearrangements that enable a nearby arginine to better stabilize the carbene in the mutant. Overall, the current work lays the foundation for the pursuit of enzyme designs that can take advantage of the unique chemistry offered by carbenes without the requirement of metal ions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Lai
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Qiang Cui
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Physics, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, 44 Cummington Mall, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
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7
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Chatterjee S, Hausinger RP. Sulfur incorporation into biomolecules: recent advances. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2022; 57:461-476. [PMID: 36403141 PMCID: PMC10192010 DOI: 10.1080/10409238.2022.2141678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Sulfur is an essential element for a variety of cellular constituents in all living organisms and adds considerable functionality to a wide range of biomolecules. The pathways for incorporating sulfur into central metabolites of the cell such as cysteine, methionine, cystathionine, and homocysteine have long been established. Furthermore, the importance of persulfide intermediates during the biosynthesis of thionucleotide-containing tRNAs, iron-sulfur clusters, thiamin diphosphate, and the molybdenum cofactor are well known. This review briefly surveys these topics while emphasizing more recent aspects of sulfur metabolism that involve unconventional biosynthetic pathways. Sacrificial sulfur transfers from protein cysteinyl side chains to precursors of thiamin and the nickel-pincer nucleotide (NPN) cofactor are described. Newer aspects of synthesis for lipoic acid, biotin, and other compounds are summarized, focusing on the requisite iron-sulfur cluster destruction. Sulfur transfers by using a noncore sulfide ligand bound to a [4Fe-4S] cluster are highlighted for generating certain thioamides and for alternative biosynthetic pathways of thionucleotides and the NPN cofactor. Thioamide formation by activating an amide oxygen atom via phosphorylation also is illustrated. The discussion of these topics stresses the chemical reaction mechanisms of the transformations and generally avoids comments on the gene/protein nomenclature or the sources of the enzymes. This work sets the stage for future efforts to decipher the diverse mechanisms of sulfur incorporation into biological molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shramana Chatterjee
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Robert P. Hausinger
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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8
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Beliaeva M, Seebeck FP. Discovery and Characterization of the Metallopterin-Dependent Ergothioneine Synthase from Caldithrix abyssi. JACS AU 2022; 2:2098-2107. [PMID: 36186560 PMCID: PMC9516567 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.2c00365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Ergothioneine is a histidine derivative with a 2-mercaptoimidazole side chain and a trimethylated α-amino group. Although the physiological function of this natural product is not yet understood, the facts that many bacteria, some archaea, and most fungi produce ergothioneine and that plants and animals have specific mechanisms to absorb and distribute ergothioneine in specific tissues suggest a fundamental role in cellular life. The observation that ergothioneine biosynthesis has emerged multiple times in molecular evolution points to the same conclusion. Aerobic bacteria and fungi attach sulfur to the imidazole ring of trimethylhistidine via an O2-dependent reaction that is catalyzed by a mononuclear non-heme iron enzyme. Green sulfur bacteria and archaea use a rhodanese-like sulfur transferase to attach sulfur via oxidative polar substitution. In this report, we describe a third unrelated class of enzymes that catalyze sulfur transfer in ergothioneine production. The metallopterin-dependent ergothioneine synthase from Caldithrix abyssi contains an N-terminal module that is related to the tungsten-dependent acetylene hydratase and a C-terminal domain that is a functional cysteine desulfurase. The two modules cooperate to transfer sulfur from cysteine onto trimethylhistidine. Inactivation of the C-terminal desulfurase blocks ergothioneine production but maintains the ability of the metallopterin to exchange sulfur between ergothioneine and trimethylhistidine. Homologous bifunctional enzymes are encoded exclusively in anaerobic bacterial and archaeal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariia
A. Beliaeva
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 24a, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
- Molecular
Systems Engineering, National Competence
Center in Research (NCCR), 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Florian P. Seebeck
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 24a, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
- Molecular
Systems Engineering, National Competence
Center in Research (NCCR), 4058 Basel, Switzerland
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9
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Cordell GA, Lamahewage SNS. Ergothioneine, Ovothiol A, and Selenoneine-Histidine-Derived, Biologically Significant, Trace Global Alkaloids. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27092673. [PMID: 35566030 PMCID: PMC9103826 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27092673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The history, chemistry, biology, and biosynthesis of the globally occurring histidine-derived alkaloids ergothioneine (10), ovothiol A (11), and selenoneine (12) are reviewed comparatively and their significance to human well-being is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey A. Cordell
- Natural Products Inc., Evanston, IL 60202, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Sujeewa N. S. Lamahewage
- Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA;
- Department of Chemistry, University of Ruhuna, Matara 81000, Sri Lanka
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10
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Cheng R, Weitz AC, Paris J, Tang Y, Zhang J, Song H, Naowarojna N, Li K, Qiao L, Lopez J, Grinstaff MW, Zhang L, Guo Y, Elliott S, Liu P. OvoA Mtht from Methyloversatilis thermotolerans ovothiol biosynthesis is a bifunction enzyme: thiol oxygenase and sulfoxide synthase activities. Chem Sci 2022; 13:3589-3598. [PMID: 35432880 PMCID: PMC8943887 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc05479a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Mononuclear non-heme iron enzymes are a large class of enzymes catalyzing a wide-range of reactions. In this work, we report that a non-heme iron enzyme in Methyloversatilis thermotolerans, OvoAMtht, has two different activities, as a thiol oxygenase and a sulfoxide synthase. When cysteine is presented as the only substrate, OvoAMtht is a thiol oxygenase. In the presence of both histidine and cysteine as substrates, OvoAMtht catalyzes the oxidative coupling between histidine and cysteine (a sulfoxide synthase). Additionally, we demonstrate that both substrates and the active site iron's secondary coordination shell residues exert exquisite control over the dual activities of OvoAMtht (sulfoxide synthase vs. thiol oxygenase activities). OvoAMtht is an excellent system for future detailed mechanistic investigation on how metal ligands and secondary coordination shell residues fine-tune the iron-center electronic properties to achieve different reactivities. Modulation of OvoAMtht's dual activities: sulfoxide synthase and thiol oxygenase.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronghai Cheng
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University 590 Commonwealth Ave. Boston MA 02215 USA
| | - Andrew C Weitz
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University 590 Commonwealth Ave. Boston MA 02215 USA
| | - Jared Paris
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University 4400 Fifth Avenue Pittsburgh PA 1521 USA
| | - Yijie Tang
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University 4400 Fifth Avenue Pittsburgh PA 1521 USA
| | - Jingyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology 130 Meilong Rd Shanghai 200237 China
| | - Heng Song
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University 590 Commonwealth Ave. Boston MA 02215 USA
| | - Nathchar Naowarojna
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University 590 Commonwealth Ave. Boston MA 02215 USA
| | - Kelin Li
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University 590 Commonwealth Ave. Boston MA 02215 USA
| | - Lu Qiao
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University 590 Commonwealth Ave. Boston MA 02215 USA
| | - Juan Lopez
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University 590 Commonwealth Ave. Boston MA 02215 USA
| | - Mark W Grinstaff
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University 590 Commonwealth Ave. Boston MA 02215 USA
| | - Lixin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology 130 Meilong Rd Shanghai 200237 China
| | - Yisong Guo
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University 4400 Fifth Avenue Pittsburgh PA 1521 USA
| | - Sean Elliott
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University 590 Commonwealth Ave. Boston MA 02215 USA
| | - Pinghua Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University 590 Commonwealth Ave. Boston MA 02215 USA
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11
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Brancaccio M, Tangherlini M, Danovaro R, Castellano I. Metabolic adaptations to marine environments: molecular diversity and evolution of ovothiol biosynthesis in Bacteria. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6323227. [PMID: 34272861 PMCID: PMC8433421 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Ovothiols are sulfur-containing amino acids synthesized by marine invertebrates, protozoans, and bacteria. They act as pleiotropic molecules in signaling and protection against oxidative stress. The discovery of ovothiol biosynthetic enzymes, sulfoxide synthase OvoA and β-lyase OvoB, paves the way for a systematic investigation of ovothiol distribution and molecular diversification in nature. In this work, we conducted genomic and metagenomics data mining to investigate the distribution and diversification of ovothiol biosynthetic enzymes in Bacteria. We identified the bacteria endowed with this secondary metabolic pathway, described their taxonomy, habitat and biotic interactions in order to provide insight into their adaptation to specific environments. We report that OvoA and OvoB are mostly encountered in marine aerobic Proteobacteria, some of them establishing symbiotic or parasitic relationships with other organisms. We identified a horizontal gene transfer event of OvoB from Bacteroidetes living in symbiosis with Hydrozoa. Our search within the Ocean Gene Atlas revealed the occurrence of ovothiol biosynthetic genes in Proteobacteria living in a wide range of pelagic and highly oxygenated environments. Finally, we tracked the evolutionary history of ovothiol biosynthesis from marine bacteria to unicellular eukaryotes and metazoans. Our analysis provides new conceptual elements to unravel the evolutionary and ecological significance of ovothiol biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariarita Brancaccio
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Michael Tangherlini
- Department of Research Infrastructures for Marine Biological Resources, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Fano Marine Centre, Fano, Italy
| | - Roberto Danovaro
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.,Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, Italy
| | - Immacolata Castellano
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli, Naples, Italy
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12
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Cheng R, Lai R, Peng C, Lopez J, Li Z, Naowarojna N, Li K, Wong C, Lee N, Whelan SA, Qiao L, Grinstaff MW, Wang J, Cui Q, Liu P. Implications for an imidazol-2-yl carbene intermediate in the rhodanase-catalyzed C-S bond formation reaction of anaerobic ergothioneine biosynthesis. ACS Catal 2021; 11:3319-3334. [PMID: 34745712 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.0c04886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
In the anaerobic ergothioneine biosynthetic pathway, a rhodanese domain containing enzyme (EanB) activates tne hercynine's sp2 ε-C-H Dona ana replaces it with a C-S bond to produce ergothioneine. The key intermediate for this trans-sulfuration reaction is the Cys412 persulfide. Substitution of the EanB-Cys412 persulfide with a Cys412 perselenide does not yield the selenium analog of ergothioneine, selenoneine. However, in deuterated buffer, the perselenide-modified EanB catalyzes the deuterium exchange between hercynine's sp2 ε-C-H bond and D2O. Results from QM/MM calculations suggest that the reaction involves a carbene intermediate and that Tyr353 plays a key role. We hypothesize that modulating the pKa of Tyr353 will affect the deuterium-exchange rate. Indeed, the 3,5-difluoro tyrosine containing EanB catalyzes the deuterium exchange reaction with k ex of ~10-fold greater than the wild-type EanB (EanBWT). With regards to potential mechanisms, these results support the involvement of a carbene intermediate in EanB-catalysis, rendering EanB as one of the few carbene-intermediate involving enzymatic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronghai Cheng
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Rui Lai
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Chao Peng
- National Facility for Protein Science in Shanghai, Zhangjiang Lab, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Juan Lopez
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Zhihong Li
- National Facility for Protein Science in Shanghai, Zhangjiang Lab, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Nathchar Naowarojna
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Kelin Li
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Christina Wong
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Norman Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Stephen A. Whelan
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Lu Qiao
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Mark W. Grinstaff
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Jiangyun Wang
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qiang Cui
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Pinghua Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
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Beliaeva MA, Burn R, Lim D, Seebeck FP. In Vitro Production of Ergothioneine Isotopologues. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:5209-5212. [PMID: 32996678 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202011096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Ergothioneine is an emerging component of the redox homeostasis system in human cells and in microbial pathogens, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Burkholderia pseudomallei. The synthesis of stable isotope-labeled ergothioneine derivatives may provide important tools for deciphering the distribution, function, and metabolism of this compound in vivo. We describe a general protocol for the production of ergothioneine isotopologues with programmable 2 H, 15 N, 13 C, 34 S, and 33 S isotope labeling patterns. This enzyme-based approach makes efficient use of commercial isotope reagents and is also directly applicable to the synthesis of radio-isotopologues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariia A Beliaeva
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 24a, 4002, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Reto Burn
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 24a, 4002, Basel, Switzerland
| | - David Lim
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 24a, 4002, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Florian P Seebeck
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 24a, 4002, Basel, Switzerland
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