Bacterial catabolism of threonine. Threonine degradation initiated by L-threonine acetaldehyde-lyase (aldolase) in species of Pseudomonas

Current Advances on Structure-Function Relationships of Pyridoxal 5'-Phosphate-Dependent Enzymes

Pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) functions as a coenzyme in many enzymatic processes, including decarboxylation, deamination, transamination, racemization, and others. Enzymes, requiring PLP, are commonly termed PLP-dependent enzymes, and they are widely involved in crucial cellular metabolic pathways in most of (if not all) living organisms. The chemical mechanisms for PLP-mediated reactions have been well elaborated and accepted with an emphasis on the pure chemical steps, but how the chemical steps are processed by enzymes, especially by functions of active site residues, are not fully elucidated. Furthermore, the specific mechanism of an enzyme in relation to the one for a similar class of enzymes seems scarcely described or discussed. This discussion aims to link the specific mechanism described for the individual enzyme to the same types of enzymes from different species with aminotransferases, decarboxylases, racemase, aldolase, cystathionine β-synthase, aromatic phenylacetaldehyde synthase, et al. as models. The structural factors that contribute to the reaction mechanisms, particularly active site residues critical for dictating the reaction specificity, are summarized in this review.

Engineering Halomonas TD01 for the low-cost production of polyhydroxyalkanoates

The halophile Halomonas TD01 and its derivatives have been successfully developed as a low-cost platform for the unsterile and continuous production of chemicals. Therefore, to increase the genetic engineering stability of this platform, the DNA restriction/methylation system of Halomonas TD01 was partially inhibited. In addition, a stable and conjugative plasmid pSEVA341 with a high-copy number was constructed to contain a LacI(q)-Ptrc system for the inducible expression of multiple pathway genes. The Halomonas TD01 platform, was further engineered with its 2-methylcitrate synthase and three PHA depolymerases deleted within the chromosome, resulting in the production of the Halomonas TD08 strain. The overexpression of the threonine synthesis pathway and threonine dehydrogenase made the recombinant Halomonas TD08 able to produce poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) or PHBV consisting of 4-6 mol% 3-hydroxyvalerate or 3 HV, from various carbohydrates as the sole carbon source. The overexpression of the cell division inhibitor MinCD during the cell growth stationary phase in Halomonas TD08 elongated its shape to become at least 1.4-fold longer than its original size, resulting in enhanced PHB accumulation from 69 wt% to 82 wt% in the elongated cells, further promoting gravity-induced cell precipitations that simplify the downstream processing of the biomass. The resulted Halomonas strains contributed to further reducing the PHA production cost.

Serine hydroxymethyltransferase and threonine aldolase: are they identical?

Serine hydroxymethyltransferase, a pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzyme, catalyses the interconversion of serine and glycine, both of which are major sources of one-carbon units necessary for the synthesis of purine, thymidylate, methionine, and so on. Threonine aldolase catalyzes the pyridoxal phosphate-dependent, reversible reaction between threonine and acetaldehyde plus glycine. No extensive studies have been carried out on threonine aldolase in animal tissues, and it has long been believed that serine hydroxymethyltransferase and threonine aldolase are the same, i.e. one entity. This is based on the finding that rabbit liver serine hydroxymethyltransferase possesses some threonine aldolase activity. Recently, however, many kinds of threonine aldolase and corresponding genes were isolated from micro-organisms, and these enzymes were shown to be distinct from serine hydroxymethyltransferase. The experiments with isolated hepatocytes and cell-free extracts from various animals revealed that threonine is degraded mainly through the pathway initiated by threonine 3-dehydrogenase, and there is little or no contribution by threonine aldolase. Thus, although serine hydroxymethyltransferase from some mammalian livers exhibits a low threonine aldolase activity, the two enzymes are distinct from each other and mammals lack the "genuine" threonine aldolase.

Gene cloning, nucleotide sequencing, and purification and characterization of the low-specificity L-threonine aldolase from Pseudomonas sp. strain NCIMB 10558

A low-specificity L-threonine aldolase (L-TA) gene from Pseudomonas sp. strain NCIMB 10558 was cloned and sequenced. The gene contains an open reading frame consisting of 1,041 nucleotides corresponding to 346 amino acid residues. The gene was overexpressed in Escherichia coli cells, and the recombinant enzyme was purified and characterized. The enzyme, requiring pyridoxal 5'-phosphate as a coenzyme, is strictly L specific at the alpha position, whereas it cannot distinguish between threo and erythro forms at the beta position. In addition to threonine, the enzyme also acts on various other L-beta-hydroxy-alpha-amino acids, including L-beta-3,4-dihydroxyphenylserine, L-beta-3,4-methylenedioxyphenylserine, and L-beta-phenylserine. The predicted amino acid sequence displayed less than 20% identity with those of low-specificity L-TA from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, L-allo-threonine aldolase from Aeromonas jandaei, and four relevant hypothetical proteins from other microorganisms. However, lysine 207 of low-specificity L-TA from Pseudomonas sp. strain NCIMB 10558 was found to be completely conserved in these proteins. Site-directed mutagenesis experiments showed that substitution of Lys207 with Ala or Arg resulted in a significant loss of enzyme activity, with the corresponding disappearance of the absorption maximum at 420 nm. Thus, Lys207 of the L-TA probably functions as an essential catalytic residue, forming an internal Schiff base with the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate of the enzyme to catalyze the reversible aldol reaction.

Isolation and characterization of D-threonine aldolase, a pyridoxal-5'-phosphate-dependent enzyme from Arthrobacter sp. DK-38

D-Threonine aldolase is an enzyme that catalyzes the cleavage of D-threonine into glycine and acetaldehyde. Its activity was found in several genera of bacteria such as Arthrobacter, Alcaligenes, Xanthomonas, and Pseudomonas, but not in yeasts or fungi. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity from one strain, Arthrobacter sp. DK-38. The enzyme appeared to consist of a single polypeptide chain with an apparent molecular mass of 51 kDa. This enzyme, as well as L-threonine aldolase, requires pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (pyridoxal-P) as a coenzyme. Unlike other pyridoxal-P enzymes, D-threonine aldolase also requires a divalent cation such as Co2+, Ni2+, Mn2+, or Mg2+ for its catalytic activity. The enzyme completely lost its activity in the absence of either pyridoxal-P or a divalent cation. A divalent cation was also essential for the thermal stability of the enzyme. The metal-free enzyme tends to become thermally unstable, resulting in the irreversible loss of its catalytic activity. The enzyme is strictly D-specific for the alpha-position, whereas it cannot distinguish between threo and erythro forms at the beta-position. Thus, D-threonine and D-allothreonine act as substrates of the enzyme, but their kinetic parameters are different; the Km and Vmax values are 3.81 mM and 38.8 micromol x min(-1) x mg(-1) toward D-threonine, and 14.0 mM and 102 micromol x min(-1) x mg(-1) toward D-allothreonine. respectively. The aldolase reaction is reversible, and the enzyme is therefore able to produce nearly equimolar amounts of D-threonine and D-allothreonine through C-C bond formation between glycine and acetaldehyde. The enzyme also acts, in the same manner, on several other D-beta-hydroxy-alpha-amino acids, including D-beta-phenylserine, D-beta-hydroxy-alpha-aminovaleric acid, D-beta-3,4-dihydroxyphenylserine, and D-beta-3,4-methylenedioxyphenylserine.

Purification and characterization of L-allo-threonine aldolase from Aeromonas jandaei DK-39

L-allo-Threonine aldolase (L-allo-threonine acetaldehyde-lyase), which exhibited specificity for L-allo-threonine but not for L-threonine, was purified from a cell-free extract of Aeromonas jandaei DK-39. The purified enzyme catalyzed the aldol cleavage reaction of L-allo-threonine (K(m) = 1.45 mM, Vmax = 45.2 mumol min-1 mg-1). The activity of the enzyme was inhibited by carbonyl reagents, which suggests that pyridoxal-5'-phosphate participates in the enzymatic reaction. The enzyme does not act on either L-serine or L-threonine, and thus it can be distinguished from serine hydroxy-methyltransferase (L-serine:tetrahydrofolate 5,10-hydroxy-methyltransferase, EC 2.1.2.1) or L-threonine aldolase (EC 4.1.2.5).

L-allo-threonine aldolase from Aeromonas jandaei DK-39: gene cloning, nucleotide sequencing, and identification of the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-binding lysine residue by site-directed mutagenesis

We have isolated the gene encoding L-allo-threonine aldolase (L-allo-TA) from Aeromonas jandaei DK-39, a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme that stereospecifically catalyzes the interconversion of L-allo-threonine and glycine. The gene contains an open reading frame consisting of 1,014 nucleotides corresponding to 338 amino acid residues. The protein molecular weight was estimated to be 36,294, which is in good agreement with the subunit molecular weight of the enzyme determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme was overexpressed in recombinant Escherichia coli cells and purified to homogeneity by one hydrophobic column chromatography step. The predicted amino acid sequence showed no significant similarity to those of the currently known PLP-dependent enzymes but displayed 40 and 41% identity with those of the hypothetical GLY1 protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the GLY1-like protein of Caenorhabditis elegans, respectively. Accordingly, L-allo-TA might represent a new type of PLP-dependent enzyme. To determine the PLP-binding site of the enzyme, all of the three conserved lysine residues of L-allo-TA were replaced by alanine by site-directed mutagenesis. The purified mutant enzymes, K51A and K224A, showed properties similar to those of the wild type, while the mutant enzyme K199A was catalytically inactive, with corresponding disappearance of the absorption maximum at 420 nm. Thus, Lys199 of L-allo-TA probably functions as an essential catalytic residue forming an internal Schiff base with PLP of the enzyme to catalyze the reversible aldol reaction.

The GLY1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a low-specific L-threonine aldolase that catalyzes cleavage of L-allo-threonine and L-threonine to glycine--expression of the gene in Escherichia coli and purification and characterization of the enzyme

The GLY1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is required for the biosynthesis of glycine for cell growth [McNeil, J. B., McIntosh, E. V., Taylor, B. V., Zhang, F-R., Tang, S. & Bognar, A. L. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 9155-9165], but its gene product has not been identified. We have found that the GLY1 protein is similar in primary structure to L-allo-threonine aldolase of Aeromonas jandiae DK-39, which stereospecifically catalyzes the interconversion of L-allo-threonine and glycine. The GLY1 gene was amplified by PCR, with a designed ribosome-binding site, cloned into pUC118, and expressed in Escherichia coli cells. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity, as judged by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme has a molecular mass of about 170 kDa and consists of four subunits identical in molecular mass. The enzyme contains 2 mol pyridoxal 5'-phosphate/4 mol of subunit as a cofactor, and its absorption spectrum exhibits maxima at 280 nm and 420 nm. The enzyme catalyzes the cleavage of not only L-allo-threonine to glycine but also L-threonine. We have termed the enzyme a low-specific L-threonine aldolase to distinguish it from L-allo-threonine aldolase.

Identity and some properties of the L-threonine aldolase activity manifested by pure 2-amino-3-ketobutyrate ligase of Escherichia coli

2-Amino-3-ketobutyrate ligase catalyzes the reversible, pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent condensation of glycine with acetyl CoA forming the unstable intermediate, 2-amino-3-ketobutyrate. Several independent lines of evidence indicate that the pure protein obtained in the purification of this ligase from Escherichia coli also has L-threonine aldolase activity. The evidence includes: (a), a constant ratio of specific activities (aldolase/ligase) at all stages of purifying 2-amino-3-ketobutyrate ligase to homogeneity; (b), the same rate of loss of aldolase and ligase activities during controlled heat inactivation of the pure protein at 60 degrees C in the absence, as well as in the presence of acetyl CoA, a protective substrate; (c), ratios of the two enzymatic activities that are not significantly different during slow inactivation by iodoacetamide, with and without L-threonine added; (d), coincident rates of loss and essentially identical rates of recovery of aldolase activity and ligase activity during resolution of the holoenzyme with hydroxylamine followed by reconstitution with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. No aldolase activity is observed with D-threonine as substrate and L-allothreonine is about 25% as effective as L-threonine. Whereas ligase activity has a sharp pH optimum at 7.5, the aldolase activity of this pure protein is maximal at pH 9.0. Comparative apparent Km values for glycine (ligase) and L-threonine (aldolase) are 10 mM and 0.9 mM, respectively, whereas corresponding respective Vmax values were found to be 2.5 mumol of CoA released/min per mg vs. 0.014 mumol of acetaldehyde formed (NADH oxidized)/min per mg.

Threonine as a carbon source for Escherichia coli

Threonine can be used aerobically as the sole source of carbon and energy by mutants of Escherichia coli K-12. The pathway used involves the conversion of threonine via threonine dehydrogenase to aminoketobutyric acid, which is further metabolized by aminoketobutyric acid ligase, forming acetyl coenzyme A and glycine. A strain devoid of serine transhydroxymethylase uses this pathway and excretes glycine as a waste product. Aminoketobutyric acid ligase activity was demonstrated after passage of crude extracts through Sephadex G100.