Control activity of yeast geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase from dimer interface through H-bonds and hydrophobic interaction

Characterisation of lepidopteran geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase as a putative pesticide target

Geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (diphosphate) synthase (GGPPS) plays an important role in various physiological processes in insects, such as isoprenoid biosynthesis and protein prenylation. Here, we functionally characterised the GGPPS from the major agricultural lepidopteran pests Spodoptera frugiperda and Helicoverpa armigera. Partial disruption of GGPPS by CRISPR in S. frugiperda decreased embryo hatching rate and larval survival, suggesting that this gene is essential. Functional expression in vitro of Helicoverpa armigera GGPPS in Escherichia coli revealed a catalytically active enzyme. Next, we developed and optimised an enzyme assay to screen for potential inhibitors, such as the zoledronate and the minodronate, which showed a dose-dependent inhibition. Phylogenetic analysis of GGPPS across insects showed that GGPPS is highly conserved but also revealed several residues likely to be involved in substrate binding, which were substantially different in bee pollinator and human GGPPS. Considering the essentiality of GGPPS and its putative binding residue variability qualifies a GGPPS as a novel pesticide target. The developed assay may contribute to the identification of novel insecticide leads.

Cloning and functional characterization of the geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase(GGPPS)from Elizabethkingia meningoseptica sp.F2

To date, there is no functional characterization of EmGGPPS (from Elizabethkingia meningoseptica sp.F2) as enzymes catalyzing GGPP. In this research, maltose-binding protein (MBP), disulfide bond A (DbsA), disulfide bond C (DbsC), and two other small protein tags, GB1 (Protein G B1 domain) and ZZ (Protein A IgG ZZ repeat domain), were used as fusion partners to construct an EmGGPPS fusion expression system. The results indicated that the expression of MBP-EmGGPPS was higher than that of the other four fusion proteins in E. coli BL21 (DE3). Additionally, using EmGGPPS as a catalyst for the production of GGPP was verified using a color complementation assay in Escherichia coli. In parallel with it, the enzyme activity experiment in vitro showed that the EmGGPPS protein could produce GGPP, GPP and FPP. Finally, we successfully demonstrated MK-4 production in engineered E. coli by overexpression of EmGGPPS.