Isolation, purification, and characterization of amadoriase isoenzymes (fructosyl amine-oxygen oxidoreductase EC 1.5.3) from Aspergillus sp

The molecular basis of Human FN3K mediated phosphorylation of glycated substrate

Glycation, a non-enzymatic post-translational modification occurring on proteins, can be actively reversed via site-specific phosphorylation of the fructose-lysine moiety by FN3K kinase, to impact the cellular function of target protein. A regulatory axis between FN3K and glycated protein targets has been associated with conditions like diabetes and cancer. However the molecular basis of this relationship has not been explored so far. Here, we determined a series of crystal structures of HsFN3K in apo-state, and in complex with different nucleotide analogs together with a sugar substrate mimic to reveal the features important for its kinase activity and substrate recognition. Additionally, the dynamics in sugar substrate binding during the kinase catalytic cycle provide important mechanistic insights into HsFN3K function. Our structural work provides the molecular basis for rationale small molecule design targeting FN3K.

Engineering of Therapeutic and Detoxifying Enzymes

Therapeutic enzymes present excellent opportunities for the treatment of human disease, modulation of metabolic pathways and system detoxification. However, current use of enzyme therapy in the clinic is limited as naturally occurring enzymes are seldom optimal for such applications and require substantial improvement by protein engineering. Engineering strategies such as design and directed evolution that have been successfully implemented for industrial biocatalysis can significantly advance the field of therapeutic enzymes, leading to biocatalysts with new-to-nature therapeutic activities, high selectivity, and suitability for medical applications. This minireview highlights case studies of how state-of-the-art and emerging methods in protein engineering are explored for the generation of therapeutic enzymes and discusses gaps and future opportunities in the field of enzyme therapy.

1-Amino-1-deoxy-d-fructose ("fructosamine") and its derivatives

Fructosamine has long been considered as a key intermediate of the Maillard reaction, which to a large extent is responsible for specific aroma, taste, and color formation in thermally processed or dehydrated foods. Since the 1980s, however, as a product of the Amadori rearrangement reaction between glucose and biologically significant amines such as proteins, fructosamine has experienced a boom in biomedical research, mainly due to its relevance to pathologies in diabetes and aging. In this chapter, we assess the scope of the knowledge on and applications of fructosamine-related molecules in chemistry, food, and health sciences, as reflected mostly in publications within the past decade. Methods of fructosamine synthesis and analysis, its chemical, and biological properties, and degradation reactions, together with fructosamine-modifying and -recognizing proteins are surveyed.

Tailoring FPOX enzymes for enhanced stability and expanded substrate recognition

Fructosyl peptide oxidases (FPOX) are deglycating enzymes that find application as key enzymatic components in diabetes monitoring devices. Indeed, their use with blood samples can provide a measurement of the concentration of glycated hemoglobin and glycated albumin, two well-known diabetes markers. However, the FPOX currently employed in enzymatic assays cannot directly detect whole glycated proteins, making it necessary to perform a preliminary proteolytic treatment of the target protein to generate small glycated peptides that can act as viable substrates for the enzyme. This is a costly and time consuming step. In this work, we used an in silico protein engineering approach to enhance the overall thermal stability of the enzyme and to improve its catalytic activity toward large substrates. The final design shows a marked improvement in thermal stability relative to the wild type enzyme, a distinct widening of its access tunnel and significant enzymatic activity towards a range of glycated substrates.

The vast repertoire of carbohydrate oxidases: An overview

Carbohydrates are widely abundant molecules present in a variety of forms. For their biosynthesis and modification, nature has evolved a plethora of carbohydrate-acting enzymes. Many of these enzymes are of particular interest for biotechnological applications, where they can be used as biocatalysts or biosensors. Among the enzymes catalysing conversions of carbohydrates are the carbohydrate oxidases. These oxidative enzymes belong to different structural families and use different cofactors to perform the oxidation reaction of CH-OH bonds in carbohydrates. The variety of carbohydrate oxidases available in nature reflects their specificity towards different sugars and selectivity of the oxidation site. Thanks to their properties, carbohydrate oxidases have received a lot of attention in basic and applied research, such that nowadays their role in biotechnological processes is of paramount importance. In this review we provide an overview of the available knowledge concerning the known carbohydrate oxidases. The oxidases are first classified according to their structural features. After a description on their mechanism of action, substrate acceptance and characterisation, we report on the engineering of the different carbohydrate oxidases to enhance their employment in biocatalysis and biotechnology. In the last part of the review we highlight some practical applications for which such enzymes have been exploited.

Rational backbone redesign of a fructosyl peptide oxidase to widen its active site access tunnel

Fructosyl peptide oxidases (FPOXs) are enzymes currently used in enzymatic assays to measure the concentration of glycated hemoglobin and albumin in blood samples, which serve as biomarkers of diabetes. However, since FPOX are unable to work directly on glycated proteins, current enzymatic assays are based on a preliminary proteolytic digestion of the target proteins. Herein, to improve the speed and costs of the enzymatic assays for diabetes testing, we applied a rational design approach to engineer a novel enzyme with a wider access tunnel to the catalytic site, using a combination of Rosetta design and molecular dynamics simulations. Our final design, L3_35A, shows a significantly wider and shorter access tunnel, resulting from the deletion of five-amino acids lining the gate structures and from a total of 35 point mutations relative to the wild-type (WT) enzyme. Indeed, upon experimental testing, our engineered enzyme shows good structural stability and maintains significant activity relative to the WT.

Thermal stabilization of the deglycating enzyme Amadoriase I by rational design

Amadoriases are a class of FAD-dependent enzymes that are found in fungi, yeast and bacteria and that are able to hydrolyze glycated amino acids, cleaving the sugar moiety from the amino acidic portion. So far, engineered Amadoriases have mostly found practical application in the measurement of the concentration of glycated albumin in blood samples. However, these engineered forms of Amadoriases show relatively low absolute activity and stability levels, which affect their conditions of use. Therefore, enzyme stabilization is desirable prior to function-altering molecular engineering. In this work, we describe a rational design strategy based on a computational screening method to evaluate a library of potentially stabilizing disulfide bonds. Our approach allowed the identification of two thermostable Amadoriase I mutants (SS03 and SS17) featuring a significantly higher T₅₀ (55.3 °C and 60.6 °C, respectively) compared to the wild-type enzyme (52.4 °C). Moreover, SS17 shows clear hyperstabilization, with residual activity up to 95 °C, whereas the wild-type enzyme is fully inactive at 55 °C. Our computational screening method can therefore be considered as a promising approach to expedite the design of thermostable enzymes.

Molecular dynamics simulations provide insights into the substrate specificity of FAOX family members

Enzymatic assays based on Fructosyl Amino Acid Oxidases (FAOX) represent a potential, rapid and economical strategy to measure glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), which is in turn a reliable method to monitor the insurgence and the development of diabetes mellitus.

Structural basis of the substrate specificity of the FPOD/FAOD family revealed by fructosyl peptide oxidase from Eupenicillium terrenum

The FAOD/FPOD family of proteins has the potential to be useful for the longterm detection of blood glucose levels in diabetes patients. A bottleneck for this application is to find or engineer a FAOD/FPOD family enzyme that is specifically active towards α-fructosyl peptides but is inactive towards other types of glycated peptides. Here, the crystal structure of fructosyl peptide oxidase from Eupenicillium terrenum (EtFPOX) is reported at 1.9 Å resolution. In contrast to the previously reported structure of amadoriase II, EtFPOX has an open substrate entrance to accommodate the large peptide substrate. The functions of residues critical for substrate selection are discussed based on structure comparison and sequence alignment. This study reveals the first structural details of group I FPODs that prefer α-fructosyl substrates and could provide significant useful information for uncovering the mechanism of substrate specificity of FAOD/FPODs and guidance towards future enzyme engineering for diagnostic purposes.

Expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of EtFPOX from Eupenicillium terrenum sp

The flavoenzyme fructosyl peptide oxidase (FPOX) catalyses the oxidative deglycation of fructosyl amino acids or fructosyl dipeptides to produce amino acids, glucosone and hydrogen peroxide. In this study, FPOX protein from Eupenicillium terrenum sp. (EtFPOX) was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by Ni-affinity and gel-filtration chromatography. EtFPOX crystals were obtained using the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method with polyethylene glycol 3350 as precipitant. X-ray diffraction data were collected to 1.90 Å resolution using a synchrotron-radiation source. The crystals belonged to space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 65.6, b = 80.0, c = 83.4 Å, and contained one molecule in the asymmetric unit. The calculated Matthews coefficient and solvent content were 2.22 Å(3) Da(-1) and 44.62%, respectively.

Cloning and characterization of fructosamine-6-kinase from Arthrobacter aurescens

Fructosamine-6-kinases (FN6Ks) that catalyze phosphorylation of glycated amino acids, i.e., fructosyl amino acids (FAs), have been shown as a potential recognition element for glycated protein detection. However, there are only two available FN6Ks: those from Escherichia coli which is specific for ε-fructosyl lysine (ε-FK) and Bacillus subtilis which recognizes both ε-FK and α-FA as substrates. In this study, we characterized an FN6K homologue isolated from Arthrobacter, some of whose species are reported to assimilate FA. The BLAST searches of Arthrobacter genomic database, using the bacterial FN6K primary structure information, revealed the presence of an FN6K homologue in Arthrobacter aurescens TC1 strain. Indeed, enzymatic assays confirmed that the putative FN6K from A. aurescens is an FN6K that is specific for ε-FK, although the primary sequence alignments showed similarity of A. aurescens FN6Ks with FN6Ks from B. subtilis and E. coli at the same level. In this study, we describe for the first time the presence of FN6K in Arthrobacter spp. and ε-FK-specific degradation pathway from Gram-positive bacteria, providing important information for the development of FA-recognizing molecules as well as for the FA assimilation system in bacteria.

Streamlined protein expression and purification using cleavable self-aggregating tags

Background

Recombinant protein expression and purification remains a fundamental issue for biotechnology. Recently we found that two short self-assembling amphipathic peptides 18A (EWLKAFYEKVLEKLKELF) and ELK16 (LELELKLKLELELKLK) can induce the formation of active protein aggregates in Escherichia coli (E. coli), in which the target proteins retain high enzymatic activities. Here we further explore this finding to develop a novel, facile, matrix-free protein expression and purification approach.

Results

In this paper, we describe a streamlined protein expression and purification approach by using cleavable self-aggregating tags comprising of one amphipathic peptide (18A or ELK16) and an intein molecule. In such a scheme, a target protein is first expressed as active protein aggregate, separated by simple centrifugation, and then released into solution by intein-mediated cleavage. Three target proteins including lipase A, amadoriase II and β-xylosidase were used to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach. All the target proteins released after cleavage were highly active and pure (over 90% in the case of intein-ELK16 fusions). The yields were in the range of 1.6-10.4 μg/mg wet cell pellet at small laboratory scale, which is comparable with the typical yields from the classical his-tag purification, the IMPACT-CN system (New England Biolabs, Beverly, MA), and the ELP tag purification scheme.

Conclusions

This tested single step purification is capable of producing proteins with high quantity and purity. It can greatly reduce the cost and time, and thus provides application potentials for both industrial scale up and laboratorial usage.

Genetic control of amadori product degradation in Bacillus subtilis via regulation of frlBONMD expression by FrlR

Bacillus subtilis is capable of degrading fructosamines. The phosphorylation and the cleavage of the resulting fructosamine 6-phosphates is catalyzed by the frlD and frlB gene products, respectively. This study addresses the physiological importance of the frlBONMD genes (formerly yurPONML), revealing the necessity of their expression for growth on fructosamines and focusing on the complex regulation of the corresponding transcription unit. In addition to the known regulation by the global transcriptional regulator CodY, the frl genes are repressed by the convergently transcribed FrlR (formerly YurK). The latter causes repression during growth on substrates other than fructosamines. Additionally, we identified in the first intergenic region of the operon an FrlR binding site which is centrally located within a 38-bp perfect palindromic sequence. There is genetic evidence that this sequence, in combination with FrlR, contributes to the remarkable decrease in the transcription downstream of the first gene of the frl operon.

The ubiquitous conserved glycopeptidase Gcp prevents accumulation of toxic glycated proteins

Amadori-modified proteins (AMPs) are the products of nonenzymatic glycation formed by reaction of reducing sugars with primary amine-containing amino acids and can develop into advanced glycated end products (AGEs), highly stable toxic compounds. AGEs are known to participate in many age-related human diseases, including cardiovascular, neurological, and liver diseases. The metabolism of these glycated proteins is not yet understood, and the mechanisms that reduce their accumulation are not known so far. Here, we show for Escherichia coli that a conserved glycopeptidase (Gcp, also called Kae1), which is encoded by nearly every sequenced genome in the three domains of life, prevents the accumulation of Amadori products and AGEs. Using mutants, we show that Gcp depletion results in accumulation of AMPs and eventually leads to the accumulation of AGEs. We demonstrate that Gcp binds to glycated proteins, including pyruvate dehydrogenase, previously shown to be a glycation-prone enzyme. Our experiments also show that the severe phenotype of Gcp depletion can be relieved under conditions of low intracellular glycation. As glycated proteins are ubiquitous, the involvement of Gcp in the metabolism of AMPs and AGEs is likely to have been conserved in evolution, suggesting a universal involvement of Gcp in cellular aging and explaining the essentiality of Gcp in many organisms.

Glycated proteins (Amadori-modified proteins [AMPs] and advanced glycated end products [AGEs]) are known to participate in many age-related diseases. Their existence in fast-growing organisms was considered unlikely, as their formation was assumed to be slow. Yet, recent evidence demonstrated their existence in bacteria, and our data suggest a bacterial mechanism that reduced their accumulation. We identify in Escherichia coli a protein, Gcp, which carries out this function. Gcp is conserved in all domains of life and is essential in many organisms. Although it was annotated as a chaperon protease, there were no experimental data to support this function. Our findings are compatible with the annotation and will open up studies of the bacterial metabolism of glycated proteins. Furthermore, the data from the bacterial systems may also be instrumental in understanding the metabolism of glycated proteins, including their toxicity in human health and disease.

Motif-based search for a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase from genome databases

The measurement of glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) has important implications for diagnosis of diabetes and assessment of treatment effectiveness. We proposed specific sequence motifs to identify enzymes that oxidize glycated compounds from genome database searches. The gene encoding a putative fructosyl amino acid oxidase was found in the Phaeosphaeria nodorum SN15 genome and successfully expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein (XP_001798711) was confirmed to be a novel fructosyl peptide oxidase (FPOX) with high specificity for alpha-glycated compounds, such as HbA1c model compounds fructosyl-(alpha)N-valine (f-(alpha)Val) and fructosyl-(alpha)N-valyl-histidine (f-(alpha)Val-His). Unlike previously reported FPOXs, the P. nodorum FPOX has a K(m) value for f-(alpha)Val-His (0.185 mM) that is considerably lower than that for f-(alpha)Val (0.458 mM). Based on amino acid sequence alignment, three dimensional structural modeling, and site-directed mutagenesis, Gly60 was found to be a determining residue for the activity towards f-(alpha)Val-His. A flexible surface loop region was also found to likely play an important role in accepting f-(alpha)Val-His.

Identification and quantification of the glucose degradation product glucosone in peritoneal dialysis fluids by HPLC/DAD/MSMS

Glucose degradation products (GDPs) formed during heat sterilization of peritoneal dialysis (PD) fluids exert cytotoxic effects and promote the formation of advanced glycation end-products in the peritoneal cavity. As a result, long-term application of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis is limited. The composition and concentration of GDPs in PD fluids must be known to evaluate their biological effects. The present study describes a targeted screening for novel GDPs in PD fluids. For this purpose, dicarbonyl compounds were converted with o-phenylenediamine to give the respective quinoxaline derivatives, which were selectively monitored by HPLC/diode array detector. Glucosone was thereby identified as a novel major GDP in PD fluids. Product identity was confirmed by LC/MSMS analysis using independently synthesized glucosone as a reference compound. Furthermore, a method was developed to quantify glucosone in PD fluids by HPLC/UV after derivatization with o-phenylenediamine. The method's limit of detection was 0.6 microM and the limit of quantitation 1.1 microM. A linear calibration curve was obtained between 1.1 and 113.9 microM (R(2)=0.9999). Analyzed at three different concentration levels, recovery varied between 95.6% and 102.0%. The coefficient of variation ranged between 0.4% and 4.7%. The method was then applied to the measurement of glucosone in typical PD fluids. Glucosone levels in double chamber bag PD fluids varied between not detectable and 6.7 microM. In single chamber bag fluids, glucosone levels ranged between 28.7 and 40.7 microM.

Engineered amadoriase II exhibiting expanded substrate range

Amadori compounds are ubiquitous in vivo as well as in food and have been implicated in diabetic complications and aging. In recent years, fructosyl amine oxidases (FAOXs) which cleave Amadori products are gaining increasing attention. Until now, however, all FAOXs can only react with small glycated substrates (such as fructosyl amino acids or dipeptides), which has hindered the applications of this new class of enzymes in diagnosis, therapeutics, and detergents. In this study, Aspergillus fumigatus amadoriase II was engineered with the aim to expand its substrate range, using a heat-inducible autolytic vector and fructosyl-polylysine (3-13 lysines) as an intermediate-sized model substrate. After two rounds of directed evolution, a mutant (SII-82) was obtained that showed an 8.78-fold increase in the activity toward fructosyl-polylysine and which also performed several fold better than the wild-type on real gravy stains at concentrations of 10-100 microg/ml (parts per million). Mutational analyses revealed useful clues for altering the substrate-binding pocket. This study suggests that it is possible to manipulate fructosyl amine oxidases to accommodate larger substrates, and that mutant SII-82 might serve as a template for further engineering.

Review of fructosyl amino acid oxidase engineering research: a glimpse into the future of hemoglobin A1c biosensing

Glycated proteins, particularly glycated hemoglobin A1c, are important markers for assessing the effectiveness of diabetes treatment. Convenient and reproducible assay systems based on the enzyme fructosyl amino acid oxidase (FAOD) have become attractive alternatives to conventional detection methods. We review the available FAOD-based assays for measurement of glycated proteins as well as the recent advances and future direction of FAOD research. Future research is expected to lead to the next generation of convenient, simple, and economical sensors for glycated protein, ideally suited for point-of-care treatment and self-monitoring applications.

Dicarbonyls linked to damage in the powerhouse: glycation of mitochondrial proteins and oxidative stress

Protection of mitochondrial proteins from glycation by endogenous dicarbonyl compounds, methylglyoxal and glyoxal, was found recently to prevent increased formation of reactive oxygen species and oxidative and nitrosative damage to the proteome during aging and produce life extension in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. This suggests that dicarbonyl glycation damage to the mitochondrial proteome may be a preceding event to mitochondrial dysfunction leading to oxidative stress. Future research will address the functional charges in mitochondrial proteins that are the targets for dicarbonyl glycation.

Crystal structure of the deglycating enzyme fructosamine oxidase (amadoriase II)

Fructosamine oxidases (FAOX) catalyze the oxidative deglycation of low molecular weight fructosamines (Amadori products). These proteins are of interest in developing an enzyme to deglycate proteins implicated in diabetic complications. We report here the crystal structures of FAOX-II from the fungi Aspergillus fumigatus, in free form and in complex with the inhibitor fructosyl-thioacetate, at 1.75 and 1.6A resolution, respectively. FAOX-II is a two domain FAD-enzyme with an overall topology that is most similar to that of monomeric sarcosine oxidase. Active site residues Tyr-60, Arg-112 and Lys-368 bind the carboxylic portion of the fructosamine, whereas Glu-280 and Arg-411 bind the fructosyl portion. From structure-guided sequence comparison, Glu-280 was identified as a signature residue for FAOX activity. Two flexible surface loops become ordered upon binding of the inhibitor in a catalytic site that is about 12A deep, providing an explanation for the very low activity of FAOX enzymes toward protein-bound fructosamines, which would have difficulty accessing the active site. Structure-based mutagenesis showed that substitution of Glu-280 and Arg-411 eliminates enzyme activity. In contrast, modification of other active site residues or of amino acids in the flexible active site loops has little effect, highlighting these regions as potential targets in designing an enzyme that will accept larger substrates.

Functional analysis of genes encoding putative oxidoreductases in Aspergillus oryzae, which are similar to fungal fructosyl-amino acid oxidase

We found 11 genes (FAO1-11) encoding putative oxidoreductases in the Aspergillus oryzae genome, which are similar to fungal fructosyl-amino acid oxidases. The cDNAs corresponding to the genes were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. rFao2 had fructosyl-amino acid oxidase activity, whereas rFao1 did not show any enzyme activity, even though the deduced amino acid sequence of Fao1 is identical to that of one of the fructosyl-amino acid oxidase isozymes from Aspergillus oryzae. rFao7 and rFao8 showed oxidase activity toward sarcosine, L-pipecolate, and L-proline. rFao10 was active toward only sarcosine, of the substrates tested. The functions of the other proteins were also predicted from a phylogenetic analysis.

Protein and nucleotide damage by glyoxal and methylglyoxal in physiological systems--role in ageing and disease

Glycation of proteins, nucleotides and basic phospholipids by glyoxal and methylglyoxal--physiological substrates of glyoxalase 1--is potentially damaging to the proteome, genome and lipidome. Glyoxalase 1 suppresses glycation by these alpha-oxoaldehyde metabolites and thereby represents part of the enzymatic defence against glycation. Albert Szent-Györgyi pioneered and struggled to understand the physiological function of methylglyoxal and the glyoxalase system. We now appreciate that glyoxalase 1 protects against dicarbonyl modifications of the proteome, genome and lipome. Latest research suggests there are functional modifications of this process--implying a role in cell signalling, ageing and disease.

Cellular therapy using microglial cells

Recent insights into the function and dysfunction of microglia may inform future therapies to combat neurodegeneration. We hypothesise how different aspects of microglial activity including migration, activation, oxidative response, phagocytosis, proteolysis, and replenishment could be targeted by novel therapeutic approaches. A combined approach is suggested, encompassing opsonization and anti-inflammatory strategies in conjunction with an engineering of microglial precursors. Xenoproteases for bioremediation could be used to enhance intracellular and extracellular proteolytic capacity. The capacity of microglial precursors to cross the blood-brain barrier and to home in on sites of neural damage and inflammation might prove to be particularly useful for future therapeutic strategies.

Alteration of substrate specificity of fructosyl-amino acid oxidase from Fusarium oxysporum

Fructosyl-amino acid oxidase (FOD-F) from Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. raphani (NBRC 9972) is the enzyme catalyzing the oxidative deglycation of fructosyl-amino acids such as N(epsilon)-fructosyl N(alpha)-benzyloxycarbonyl-lysine (FZK) and fructosyl valine (FV), which are model compounds of the glycated proteins in blood. Wild-type FOD-F has high activities toward both substrates. We obtained a mutant FOD-F, which reacts with FZK but not with FV by random mutagenesis. One amino-acid substitution (K373R) occurred in the mutant FOD-F. In addition to K373R, K373W, K373M, K373T, and K373V, which were selected for optimization of the substitution at position K373, were purified and characterized. Kinetic analysis showed that the catalytic turnover for FV greatly decreased, whereas that for FZK did not. In consequence, the specificities toward FZK were increased in the mutant FOD-Fs. The relation between the substrate specificity of the mutant FOD-Fs and the position of the carboxyl group of the substrates was demonstrated using a series of the substrates having the carboxyl group at the different position. The mutant FOD-Fs are attractive candidates for developing an enzymatic measurement method for glycated proteins such as glycated albumin in serum. This study will be helpful to establish an easier and rapid clinical assay system of glycated albumin.

Prevention and repair of protein damage by the Maillard reaction in vivo

The aging human extracellular matrix (ECM) and tissues rich in long-lived proteins undergo extensive changes with age that include increased stiffening, loss of elasticity, insolubilization, and decreased proteolytic digestibility. Most if not all these changes can be duplicated by the Maillard reaction in vitro, that is, the incubation of the proteins with reducing sugars and oxoaldehydes. These carbonyls eventually form advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and crosslinks that impair proteolytic digestibility and alter protein conformation. To date, close to 20 AGEs have been found in the human skin, of which ornithine is the single major result of damage to arginine residues, and glucosepane the single major crosslink. Although redox active metals and oxoaldehydes appear to play an important role in protein damage in experimental diabetes, their role in diabetic humans is still poorly understood. Evidence for the existence of deglycating enzymes has been found in vertebrates, bacteria, and fungi. However, only the vertebrate enzymes can deglycate larger, intracellular proteins via an ATP-dependent mechanism. Protein engineering will thus be needed to adapt Amadoriase enzymes toward deglycation of ECM proteins for purpose of probing the role of advanced glycation in animal models of diabetes and age-related diseases. The blocking of the reactivity of the glucosepane precursor using potent nucleophiles may be useful in preventing age-related changes in ECM proteins. However, there currently is no evidence in support of the proposed ability of so-called "AGE breakers" to cleave existing crosslinks of the Maillard reaction in vivo, and other mechanisms of action should be sought for this class of compounds.

Identification of glucoselysine-6-phosphate deglycase, an enzyme involved in the metabolism of the fructation product glucoselysine

The metabolism of the glycation product fructose-epsilon-lysine in Escherichia coli involves its ATP-dependent phosphorylation by a specific kinase (FrlD), followed by the conversion of fructoselysine 6-phosphate into glucose 6-phosphate and lysine by fructoselysine-6-phosphate deglycase (FrlB), which is distantly related to the isomerase domain of glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase. As shown in the present work, several bacterial operons comprise: (1) a homologue of fructoselysine-6-phosphate deglycase; (2) a second homologue of the isomerase domain of glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase, more closely related to it; and (3) components of a novel phosphotransferase system, but no FrlD homologue. The FrlB homologue (GfrF) and the closer glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase homologue (GfrE) encoded by an Enterococcus faecium operon were expressed in E. coli and purified. Similar to FrlB, GfrF catalysed the reversible conversion of fructoselysine 6-phosphate into glucose 6-phosphate and lysine. When incubated with fructose 6-phosphate and elevated concentrations of lysine, GfrE catalysed the formation of a compound identified as 2-epsilon-lysino-2-deoxy-6-phospho-glucose (glucoselysine 6-phosphate) by NMR. GfrE also catalysed the reciprocal conversion, i.e. the formation of fructose 6-phosphate (but not glucose 6-phosphate) from glucoselysine 6-phosphate. The equilibrium constant of this reaction (0.8 M) suggests that the enzyme serves to degrade glucoselysine 6-phosphate. In conclusion, GfrF and GfrE serve to metabolize glycation products formed from lysine and glucose (fructoselysine) or fructose (glucoselysine), via their 6-phospho derivatives. The latter are presumably formed by the putative phosphotransferase system encoded by gfrA-gfrD. The designation gfr (glycation and fructation product degradation) is proposed for this operon. This is the first description of an enzyme participating in the metabolism of fructation products.

Fructosyl-amino acid oxidases of Aspergillus oryzae are induced by the reaction product, glucosone

Aspergillus oryzae has two fructosyl-amino acid oxidase (FAOD) isozymes (AoFao1 and AoFao2), which are different in the substrate specificities. Northern blot analysis showed both FAO genes were induced by autoclave-browned medium containing l-lysine or l-valine. Studies with a mutant, that had a disrupted AoFAO2 gene, revealed that the expression of AoFAO1 by fructosyl l-valine depended on the expression of AoFAO2. Both genes were also induced by one of the FAOD-reaction products, glucosone. In contrast, other alpha-dicarbonyl compounds, which display a similar structure to that of glucosone were not able to induce the genes expression. These results imply that glucosone may contribute to the expression of FAO genes.

Genes for utilization of deoxyfructosyl glutamine (DFG), an amadori compound, are widely dispersed in the family Rhizobiaceae

Amadori compounds form spontaneously in decomposing plant material and can be found in the rhizosphere. As such, these compounds could influence microbial populations by serving as sources of carbon, nitrogen and energy to microorganisms expressing suitable catabolic pathways. Two distinct sets of genes for utilization of deoxyfructosyl glutamine (DFG), an Amadori compound, have been identified in isolates of Agrobacterium spp. One, the soc gene set, is encoded by pAtC58, a 543 kb plasmid in A. tumefaciens strain C58. The second, mocD dissimilates DFG formed in the pathway for catabolism of mannopine (MOP) a non-Amadori, imine-type member of the mannityl opine family characteristic of certain Ti and Ri plasmids. To assess the level of dispersal of these two Amadori-utilizing systems, isolates of Agrobacterium spp. and related bacteria in the family Rhizobiaceae were examined by Southern analysis for homologs of socD and mocD. Homologs of mocD were associated only with Ti plasmid-encoded pathways for catabolism of MOP. Homologs of socD were more widely distributed, being detectable in many but not all of the isolates of Agrobacterium, Sinorhizobium, and Rhizobium spp. tested. However, this gene was never associated with the virulence elements, such as the Ti and Ri plasmids, in these strains. Regardless of genus most of the isolates containing socD homologs could utilize DFG as sole source of carbon, nitrogen and energy. Correlation studies suggested that mocD has evolved uniquely as part of the mannityl opine catabolic pathway while socD has evolved for the general utilization of Amadori compounds. Certain isolates of Agrobacterium and Rhizobium that lacked detectable homologs of socD and mocD also could utilize DFG suggesting the existence of additional, unrelated pathways for the catabolism of this Amadori compound. These results suggest that Amadori compounds constitute a source of nutrition that is important to microflora in the rhizosphere.

Occurrence of fructosyl-amino acid oxidase-reactive compounds in fungal cells

Fructosyl-amino acid oxidase (FAOD)-reactive fraction (FRY) was found in commercial yeast extract. FRY showed very hydrophilic property and was adsorbed to phenylboronate silica gel, indicating that it contained the Amadori compound. TLC and amino acid analyses revealed that glucosone, lysine, and arginine were produced from FRY after incubation with FAOD. TOF-MS analysis confirmed that FRY is a mixture of fructosyl lysine and fructosyl arginine. These compounds were also detected in mycelial extract of an FAOD-producer, Aspergillus terreus GP1, grown on the minimum medium, suggesting that a glycation reaction occurs in fungal cells and that FAOD acts toward the resultant Amadori compounds.

A continuous enzyme assay and characterisation of fructosyl amine oxidase enzymes (EC 1.5.3)

Enzymatic reversal of the Maillard reaction is a growing area of research. Fructosyl amine oxidase enzymes (EC 1.5.3) have attracted recent attention through demonstration of their ability to deglycate Amadori products, low molecular weight intermediates formed during the early stage of the Maillard reaction. Although stopped assays have been described, a bottleneck in current studies is the lack of continuous kinetic assays. Here, we describe the development of a continuous, coupled enzyme assay and its successful application to determining optimal storage conditions and the steady-state kinetic parameters of an enzyme from this group, amadoriase I. A K(m)(app) of 11 microM and a K(cat)(app) of 3.5s(-1) were determined using this assay using fructosyl propylamine as a substrate, which differ from previous reports. This method was also used to test the activity of two site-directed mutants of amadoriase I, H357N and S370A, which were found to be catalytically inactive.

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of bacterial fructosyl amino acid oxidase

Bacterial fructosyl amino acid oxidase [fructosyl alpha-L-amino acid:oxygen oxidoreductase (defructosylating); EC 1.5.3] has been crystallized by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion technique using sodium citrate as the precipitant. Two types of crystals were grown: one type are rhombic prismatic yellow crystals that belong to space group C2 with unit-cell parameters a = 101.08, b = 63.36, c = 83.07 A, beta = 108.80 degrees and diffract to at least 1.8 A resolution, while the second type are rod-like crystals that belong to space group P4(1)22 or P4(3)22 with unit-cell parameters a = b = 119.09, c = 164.66 A and diffract to 2.7 A resolution.

Isolation and characterization of a fructosyl-amine oxidase from an Arthrobacter sp

An Arthrobacter sp. was isolated that, when induced by fructosyl-valine, expressed a fructosyl-amine oxidase (FAOD) that was specific for alpha-glycated amino acids. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified oxidase was determined and used to design oligonucleotides to amplify the gene by inverse PCR. Expression of the gene in Escherichia coli produced 0.23 units FAOD per mg protein, over 30-fold greater than native expression levels, with properties almost indistinguishable from the native enzyme. The presence of FAOD was confirmed in other Arthrobacter ssp.

Functional analysis of fructosyl-amino acid oxidases of Aspergillus oryzae

Three active fractions of fructosyl-amino acid oxidase (FAOD-Ao1, -Ao2a, and -Ao2b) were isolated from Aspergillus oryzae strain RIB40. N-terminal and internal amino acid sequences of FAOD-Ao2a corresponded to those of FAOD-Ao2b, suggesting that these two isozymes were derived from the same protein. FAOD-Ao1 and -Ao2 were different in substrate specificity and subunit assembly; FAOD-Ao2 was active toward N(epsilon)-fructosyl N(alpha)-Z-lysine and fructosyl valine (Fru-Val), whereas FAOD-Ao1 was not active toward Fru-Val. The genes encoding the FAOD isozymes (i.e., FAOAo1 and FAOAo2) were cloned by PCR with an FAOD-specific primer set. The deduced amino acid sequences revealed that FAOD-Ao1 was 50% identical to FAOD-Ao2, and each isozyme had a peroxisome-targeting signal-1, indicating their localization in peroxisomes. The genes was expressed in Escherichia coli and rFaoAo2 showed the same characteristics as FAOD-Ao2, whereas rFaoAo1 was not active. FAOAo2 disruptant was obtained by using ptrA as a selective marker. Wild-type strain grew on the medium containing Fru-Val as the sole carbon and nitrogen sources, but strain Delta faoAo2 did not grow. Addition of glucose or (NH(4))(2)SO(4) to the Fru-Val medium did not affect the assimilation of Fru-Val by wild-type, indicating glucose and ammonium repressions did not occur in the expression of the FAOAo2 gene. Furthermore, conidia of the wild-type strain did not germinate on the medium containing Fru-Val and NaNO(2) as the sole carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively, suggesting that Fru-Val may also repress gene expression of nitrite reductase. These results indicated that FAOD is needed for utilization of fructosyl-amino acids as nitrogen sources in A. oryzae.

Fructoselysine 3-epimerase, an enzyme involved in the metabolism of the unusual Amadori compound psicoselysine in Escherichia coli

The frl (fructoselysine) operon encodes fructoselysine 6-kinase and fructoselysine 6-phosphate deglycase, allowing the conversion of fructoselysine into glucose 6-phosphate and lysine. We now show that a third enzyme encoded by this operon catalyses the metal-dependent reversible interconversion of fructoselysine with its C-3 epimer, psicoselysine. The enzyme can be easily assayed through the formation of tritiated water from [3-3H]fructoselysine. Psicoselysine supports the growth of Escherichia coli, causing the induction of the three enzymes of the frl operon. No growth on fructoselysine or psicoselysine was observed with Tn5 mutants in which the putative transporter (FrlA) or fructoselysine 6-phosphate deglycase (FrlB) had been inactivated, indicating the importance of the frl operon for the metabolism of both substrates. The ability of E. coli to grow on psicoselysine suggests the occurrence of this unusual Amadori compound in Nature.

Enzymatic deglycation of proteins

Reducing sugars such as glucose react with amino groups in proteins to form the Amadori product, which can undergo a wide range of chemical modifications and form cross-links in tissue proteins. There is growing evidence to suggest that accumulation of glycation products is associated with aging and disease progression, as in diabetes. Thus, the design and discovery of inhibitors for the glycation cascade would potentially offer a promising therapeutic approach for the prevention of glycation related diseases, especially diabetes. Two types of enzymes, fructosyl lysine oxidase and fructose lysine 3-phosphokinase, catalyze the deglycation reaction and generate free amine groups. This paper reviews the biochemical properties of these "amadoriase" enzymes, such as structural-function relationship, kinetic mechanism, and substrate specificity, as well as their biological roles and applications in the protein deglycation.