A novel acetyltransferase found in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sigma1278b that detoxifies a proline analogue, azetidine-2-carboxylic acid

Proline Analogues

Within the canonical repertoire of the amino acid involved in protein biogenesis, proline plays a unique role as an amino acid presenting a modified backbone rather than a side-chain. Chemical structures that mimic proline but introduce changes into its specific molecular features are defined as proline analogues. This review article summarizes the existing chemical, physicochemical, and biochemical knowledge about this peculiar family of structures. We group proline analogues from the following compounds: substituted prolines, unsaturated and fused structures, ring size homologues, heterocyclic, e.g., pseudoproline, and bridged proline-resembling structures. We overview (1) the occurrence of proline analogues in nature and their chemical synthesis, (2) physicochemical properties including ring conformation and cis/trans amide isomerization, (3) use in commercial drugs such as nirmatrelvir recently approved against COVID-19, (4) peptide and protein synthesis involving proline analogues, (5) specific opportunities created in peptide engineering, and (6) cases of protein engineering with the analogues. The review aims to provide a summary to anyone interested in using proline analogues in systems ranging from specific biochemical setups to complex biological systems.

Molecular mechanisms and highly functional development for stress tolerance of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In response to environmental stress, microorganisms adapt to drastic changes while exerting cellular functions by controlling gene expression, metabolic pathways, enzyme activities, and protein-protein interactions. Microbial cells that undergo a fermentation process are subjected to stresses, such as high temperature, freezing, drying, changes in pH and osmotic pressure, and organic solvents. Combinations of these stresses that continue over long terms often inhibit cells' growth and lead to their death, markedly limiting the useful functions of microorganisms (eg their fermentation ability). Thus, high stress tolerance of cells is required to improve productivity and add value to fermented/brewed foods and biofuels. This review focuses on stress tolerance mechanisms, including l-proline/l-arginine metabolism, ubiquitin system, and transcription factors, and the functional development of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which has been used not only in basic science as a model of higher eukaryotes but also in fermentation processes for making alcoholic beverages, food products, and bioethanol.

A highly conserved mechanism for the detoxification and assimilation of the toxic phytoproduct L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid in Aspergillus nidulans

Plants produce toxic secondary metabolites as defense mechanisms against phytopathogenic microorganisms and predators. L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (AZC), a toxic proline analogue produced by members of the Liliaceae and Agavaciae families, is part of such a mechanism. AZC causes a broad range of toxic, inflammatory and degenerative abnormalities in human and animal cells, while it is known that some microorganisms have evolved specialized strategies for AZC resistance. However, the mechanisms underlying these processes are poorly understood. Here, we identify a widespread mechanism for AZC resistance in fungi. We show that the filamentous ascomycete Aspergillus nidulans is able to not only resist AZC toxicity but also utilize it as a nitrogen source via GABA catabolism and the action of the AzhA hydrolase, a member of a large superfamily of detoxifying enzymes, the haloacid dehalogenase-like hydrolase (HAD) superfamily. This detoxification process is further assisted by the NgnA acetyltransferase, orthologue of Mpr1 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We additionally show that heterologous expression of AzhA protein can complement the AZC sensitivity of S. cerevisiae. Furthermore, a detailed phylogenetic analysis of AzhA homologues in Fungi, Archaea and Bacteria is provided. Overall, our results unravel a widespread mechanism for AZC resistance among microorganisms, including important human and plant pathogens.

Interspecies Differences in Proteome Turnover Kinetics Are Correlated With Life Spans and Energetic Demands

Cells continually degrade and replace damaged proteins. However, the high energetic demand of protein turnover generates reactive oxygen species that compromise the long-term health of the proteome. Thus, the relationship between aging, protein turnover, and energetic demand remains unclear. Here, we used a proteomic approach to measure rates of protein turnover within primary fibroblasts isolated from a number of species with diverse life spans including the longest-lived mammal, the bowhead whale. We show that organismal life span is negatively correlated with turnover rates of highly abundant proteins. In comparison with mice, cells from long-lived naked mole rats have slower rates of protein turnover, lower levels of ATP production, and reduced reactive oxygen species levels. Despite having slower rates of protein turnover, naked mole rat cells tolerate protein misfolding stress more effectively than mouse cells. We suggest that in lieu of a rapid constitutive turnover, long-lived species may have evolved more energetically efficient mechanisms for selective detection and clearance of damaged proteins.

Chemical-Genetic Interactions with the Proline Analog L-Azetidine-2-Carboxylic Acid in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Non-proteinogenic amino acids, such as the proline analog L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (AZC), are detrimental to cells because they are mis-incorporated into proteins and lead to proteotoxic stress. Our goal was to identify genes that show chemical-genetic interactions with AZC in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and thus also potentially define the pathways cells use to cope with amino acid mis-incorporation. Screening the yeast deletion and temperature sensitive collections, we found 72 alleles with negative chemical-genetic interactions with AZC treatment and 12 alleles that suppress AZC toxicity. Many of the genes with negative chemical-genetic interactions are involved in protein quality control pathways through the proteasome. Genes involved in actin cytoskeleton organization and endocytosis also had negative chemical-genetic interactions with AZC. Related to this, the number of actin patches per cell increases upon AZC treatment. Many of the same cellular processes were identified to have interactions with proteotoxic stress caused by two other amino acid analogs, canavanine and thialysine, or a mistranslating tRNA variant that mis-incorporates serine at proline codons. Alleles that suppressed AZC-induced toxicity functioned through the amino acid sensing TOR pathway or controlled amino acid permeases required for AZC uptake. Further suggesting the potential of genetic changes to influence the cellular response to proteotoxic stress, overexpressing many of the genes that had a negative chemical-genetic interaction with AZC suppressed AZC toxicity.

Genes affecting the extension of chronological lifespan in Schizosaccharomyces pombe (fission yeast)

So far, more than 70 genes involved in the chronological lifespan (CLS) of Schizosaccharomyces pombe (fission yeast) have been reported. In this mini‐review, we arrange and summarize these genes based on the reported genetic interactions between them and the physical interactions between their products. We describe the signal transduction pathways that affect CLS in S. pombe: target of rapamycin complex 1, cAMP‐dependent protein kinase, Sty1, and Pmk1 pathways have important functions in the regulation of CLS extension. Furthermore, the Php transcription complex, Ecl1 family proteins, cyclin Clg1, and the cyclin‐dependent kinase Pef1 are important for the regulation of CLS extension in S. pombe. Most of the known genes involved in CLS extension are related to these pathways and genes. In this review, we focus on the individual genes regulating CLS extension in S. pombe and discuss the interactions among them.

Crossroads of Antibiotic Resistance and Biosynthesis

The biosynthesis of antibiotics and self-protection mechanisms employed by antibiotic producers are an integral part of the growing antibiotic resistance threat. The origins of clinically relevant antibiotic resistance genes found in human pathogens have been traced to ancient microbial producers of antibiotics in natural environments. Widespread and frequent antibiotic use amplifies environmental pools of antibiotic resistance genes and increases the likelihood for the selection of a resistance event in human pathogens. This perspective will provide an overview of the origins of antibiotic resistance to highlight the crossroads of antibiotic biosynthesis and producer self-protection that result in clinically relevant resistance mechanisms. Some case studies of synergistic antibiotic combinations, adjuvants, and hybrid antibiotics will also be presented to show how native antibiotic producers manage the emergence of antibiotic resistance.

Stable N-acetyltransferase Mpr1 improves ethanol productivity in the sake yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

N-Acetyltransferase Mpr1 was originally discovered as an enzyme that detoxifies l-azetidine-2-carboxylate through its N-acetylation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae Σ1278b. Mpr1 protects yeast cells from oxidative stresses possibly by activating a novel l-arginine biosynthesis. We recently constructed a stable variant of Mpr1 (N203K) by a rational design based on the structure of the wild-type Mpr1 (WT). Here, we examined the effects of N203K on ethanol fermentation of the sake yeast S. cerevisiae strain lacking the MPR1 gene. When N203K was expressed in the diploid Japanese sake strain, its fermentation performance was improved compared to WT. In a laboratory-scale brewing, a sake strain expressing N203K produced more ethanol than WT. N203K also affected the contents of flavor compounds and organic acids. These results suggest that the stable Mpr1 variant contributes to the construction of new industrial yeast strains with improved fermentation ability and diversity of taste and flavor.

Metabolic regulatory mechanisms and physiological roles of functional amino acids and their applications in yeast

In yeast, amino acid metabolism and its regulatory mechanisms vary under different growth environments by regulating anabolic and catabolic processes, including uptake and export, and the metabolic styles form a complicated but robust network. There is also crosstalk with various metabolic pathways, products and signal molecules. The elucidation of metabolic regulatory mechanisms and physiological roles is important fundamental research for understanding life phenomenon. In terms of industrial application, the control of amino acid composition and content is expected to contribute to an improvement in productivity, and to add to the value of fermented foods, alcoholic beverages, bioethanol, and other valuable compounds (proteins and amino acids, etc.). This review article mainly describes our research in constructing yeast strains with high functionality, focused on the metabolic regulatory mechanisms and physiological roles of "functional amino acids", such as l-proline, l-arginine, l-leucine, l-valine, l-cysteine, and l-methionine, found in yeast.

Hsp70-associated chaperones have a critical role in buffering protein production costs

Proteins are necessary for cellular growth. Concurrently, however, protein production has high energetic demands associated with transcription and translation. Here, we propose that activity of molecular chaperones shape protein burden, that is the fitness costs associated with expression of unneeded proteins. To test this hypothesis, we performed a genome-wide genetic interaction screen in baker's yeast. Impairment of transcription, translation, and protein folding rendered cells hypersensitive to protein burden. Specifically, deletion of specific regulators of the Hsp70-associated chaperone network increased protein burden. In agreement with expectation, temperature stress, increased mistranslation and a chemical misfolding agent all substantially enhanced protein burden. Finally, unneeded protein perturbed interactions between key components of the Hsp70-Hsp90 network involved in folding of native proteins. We conclude that specific chaperones contribute to protein burden. Our work indicates that by minimizing the damaging impact of gratuitous protein overproduction, chaperones enable tolerance to massive changes in genomic expression.

Whole Genome Comparison Reveals High Levels of Inbreeding and Strain Redundancy Across the Spectrum of Commercial Wine Strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Humans have been consuming wines for more than 7000 yr . For most of this time, fermentations were presumably performed by strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that naturally found their way into the fermenting must . In contrast, most commercial wines are now produced by inoculation with pure yeast monocultures, ensuring consistent, reliable and reproducible fermentations, and there are now hundreds of these yeast starter cultures commercially available. In order to thoroughly investigate the genetic diversity that has been captured by over 50 yr of commercial wine yeast development and domestication, whole genome sequencing has been performed on 212 strains of S. cerevisiae, including 119 commercial wine and brewing starter strains, and wine isolates from across seven decades. Comparative genomic analysis indicates that, despite their large numbers, commercial strains, and wine strains in general, are extremely similar genetically, possessing all of the hallmarks of a population bottle-neck, and high levels of inbreeding. In addition, many commercial strains from multiple suppliers are nearly genetically identical, suggesting that the limits of effective genetic variation within this genetically narrow group may be approaching saturation.

Structure-based molecular design for thermostabilization of N-acetyltransferase Mpr1 involved in a novel pathway of L-arginine synthesis in yeast

Previously, N-Acetyltransferase Mpr1 was suggested to be involved in a novel pathway of L-arginine biosynthesis in yeast. Our recent crystallographic analysis demonstrated that the overall structure of Mpr1 is a typical folding among proteins in the Gcn5-related N-acetyltransferase superfamily, and also provided clues to the design of mutations for improvement of the enzymatic functions. Here, we constructed new stable variants, Asn203Lys- and Asn203Arg-Mpr1, which exhibited 2.4-fold and 2.2-fold longer activity half-lives than wild-type Mpr1, respectively, by structure-based molecular design. The replacement of Asn203 with a basic amino acid was suggested to stabilize α-helix 2, which is important for the Mpr1 structure, probably by neutralizing its dipole. In addition, the combination of two amino acid substitutions at positions 65 and 203 in Mpr1, Phe65Leu, which was previously isolated by the screening from PCR random mutagenesis library of MPR1, and Asn203Lys or Asn203Arg, led to further stabilization of Mpr1. Our growth assay suggests that overexpression of the stable Mpr1 variants increase L-arginine synthesis in yeast cells. Our finding is the first report on the rational engineering of Mpr1 for thermostabilization and could be useful in the construction of new yeast strains with higher L-arginine synthetic activity and also improved fermentation ability.

The dtd gene from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens encodes a putative D-tyrosyl-tRNATyr deacylase and is a selectable marker for Bacillus subtilis

Genetically engineered microbes are of high practical importance due to their cost-effective production of valuable metabolites and enzymes, and the search for new selectable markers for genetic manipulation is of particular interest. Here, we revealed that the soil bacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaciens A50 is tolerant to the non-canonical amino acid D-tyrosine (D-Tyr), in contrast to the closely related Bacillus strain B. subtilis 168, which is a widely used "domesticated" laboratory strain. The gene responsible for resistance to D-Tyr was identified. The resistance was associated with the activity of a potential D-tyrosyl-tRNA(Tyr) deacylase. Orthologs of this enzyme are capable of hydrolyzing the ester bond and recycling misacetylated D-aminoacyl-tRNA molecules into free tRNAs and D-amino acids. This gene, yrvI (dtd), is applicable as a convenient, small selectable marker for non-antibiotic resistance selection in experiments aimed at genome editing of D-Tyr-sensitive microorganisms.

L-Proline uptake in Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitochondria can contribute to bioenergetics during nutrient stress as alternative mitochondrial fuel

L-Proline (pyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid) is a distinctive metabolite both biochemically and biotechnologically and is currently recognized to have a cardinal role in gene expression and cellular signaling pathways in stress response. Proline-fueled mitochondrial metabolism involves the oxidative conversion of L-Proline to L-Glutamate in two enzymatic steps by means of Put1p and Put2p that help Saccharomyces cerevisiae to respond to changes in the nutritional environment by initiating the breakdown of L-Proline as a source for nitrogen, carbon, and energy. Compartmentalization of L-Proline catabolic pathway implies that extensive L-Proline transport must take place between the cytosol where its biogenesis via Pro1p, Pro2p, Pro3p occurs and mitochondria. L-Proline uptake in S. cerevisiae purified and active mitochondria was investigated by swelling experiments, oxygen uptake and fluorimetric measurement of a membrane potential generation (ΔΨ). Our results strongly suggest that L-Proline uptake occurs via a carried-mediated process as demonstrated by saturation kinetics and experiments with N-ethylmaleimide, a pharmacological compound that is a cysteine-modifying reagent in hydrophobic protein domains and that inhibited mitochondrial transport. Plasticity of S. cerevisiae cell biochemistry according to background fluctuations is an important factor of adaptation to stress. Thus L-Proline → Glutamate route feeds Krebs cycle providing energy and anaplerotic carbon for yeast survival.

Structural and functional analysis of the yeast N-acetyltransferase Mpr1 involved in oxidative stress tolerance via proline metabolism

Mpr1 (sigma1278b gene for proline-analog resistance 1), which was originally isolated as N-acetyltransferase detoxifying the proline analog L-azetidine-2-carboxylate, protects yeast cells from various oxidative stresses. Mpr1 mediates the L-proline and L-arginine metabolism by acetylating L-Δ(1)-pyrroline-5-carboxylate, leading to the L-arginine-dependent production of nitric oxide, which confers oxidative stress tolerance. Mpr1 belongs to the Gcn5-related N-acetyltransferase (GNAT) superfamily, but exhibits poor sequence homology with the GNAT enzymes and unique substrate specificity. Here, we present the X-ray crystal structure of Mpr1 and its complex with the substrate cis-4-hydroxy-L-proline at 1.9 and 2.3 Å resolution, respectively. Mpr1 is folded into α/β-structure with eight-stranded mixed β-sheets and six α-helices. The substrate binds to Asn135 and the backbone amide of Asn172 and Leu173, and the predicted acetyl-CoA-binding site is located near the backbone amide of Phe138 and the side chain of Asn178. Alanine substitution of Asn178, which can interact with the sulfur of acetyl-CoA, caused a large reduction in the apparent kcat value. The replacement of Asn135 led to a remarkable increase in the apparent Km value. These results indicate that Asn178 and Asn135 play an important role in catalysis and substrate recognition, respectively. Such a catalytic mechanism has not been reported in the GNAT proteins. Importantly, the amino acid substitutions in these residues increased the L-Δ(1)-pyrroline-5-carboxylate level in yeast cells exposed to heat stress, indicating that these residues are also crucial for its physiological functions. These studies provide some benefits of Mpr1 applications, such as the breeding of industrial yeasts and the development of antifungal drugs.

Parameterization of the proline analogue Aze (azetidine-2-carboxylic acid) for molecular dynamics simulations and evaluation of its effect on homo-pentapeptide conformations

We have parameterized and evaluated the proline homologue Aze (azetidine-2-carboxylic acid) for the gromos56a3 force-field for use in molecular dynamics simulations using GROMACS. Using bi-phasic cyclohexane/water simulation systems and homo-pentapeptides, we measured the Aze solute interaction potential energies, ability to hydrogen bond with water, and overall compaction, for comparison to Pro, Gly, and Lys. Compared to Pro, Aze has a slightly higher H-bonding potential, and stronger electrostatic but weaker non-electrostatic interactions with water. The 20-ns simulations revealed the preferential positioning of Aze and Pro at the interface of the water and cyclohexane layers, with Aze spending more time in the aqueous layer. We also demonstrated through simulations of the homo-pentapeptides that Aze has a greater propensity than Pro to undergo trans→cis peptide bond isomerization, which results in a severe 180° bend in the polypeptide chain. The results provide evidence for the hypothesis that the misincorporation of Aze within proline-rich regions of proteins could disrupt the formation of poly-proline type II structures and compromise events such as recognition and binding by SH3-domains.

The proline metabolism intermediate Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate directly inhibits the mitochondrial respiration in budding yeast

The proline metabolism intermediate Δ(1)-pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C) induces cell death in animals, plants and yeasts. To elucidate how P5C triggers cell death, we analyzed P5C metabolism, mitochondrial respiration and superoxide anion generation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Gene disruption analysis revealed that P5C-mediated cell death was not due to P5C metabolism. Interestingly, deficiency in mitochondrial respiration suppressed the sensitivity of yeast cells to P5C. In addition, we found that P5C inhibits the mitochondrial respiration and induces a burst of superoxide anions from the mitochondria. We propose that P5C regulates cell death via the inhibition of mitochondrial respiration.

Production of N-acetyl cis-4-hydroxy-L-proline by the yeast N-acetyltransferase Mpr1

The proline analog cis-4-hydroxy-L-proline (CHOP), which inhibits the biosynthesis of collagen, has been evaluated as an anticancer, antifibrosis, and antihypertension drug. However, its water solubility and low molecular weight limit its therapeutic potential since it is rapidly excreted. In addition, CHOP is considered to be too toxic due primarily to its systematic effects on noncollagen proteins. To promote retention in blood or decrease toxicity, N-acetylation of CHOP might be a novel approach as a prodrug, instead of other approaches such as the conjugation of poly(ethylene glycol-Lys) or the modification of O-acetylation. In this study, we found that N-acetyltransferase Mpr1 that detoxifies the proline analog azetidine-2-carboxylate in Saccharomyces cerevisiae also converts CHOP into N-acetyl CHOP in vitro and in vivo. Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) cells overexpressing Mpr1 showed greater CHOP resistance than those carrying the vector. To increase the productivity of N-acetyl CHOP, the addition of NaCl into the medium that induces osmotic stress accelerates CHOP uptake into E. coli cells. As a result, the amount of N-acetyl CHOP production in Mpr1-overexpressing cells was 3.5-fold higher than that observed in the cells cultured in the absence of NaCl. The highest yield was achieved during the exponential growth phase of cells in the presence of 2% NaCl (52 μmol N-acetyl CHOP per g wet cell weight). Our results provide a promising approach to microbial production of N-acetyl CHOP as a new prodrug.

The application of the yeast N-acetyltransferase MPR1 gene and the proline analogue L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid as a selectable marker system for plant transformation

The yeast N-acetyltransferase MPR1 gene has previously been shown to confer resistance to the toxic proline analogue azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (A2C) in yeast and transgenic tobacco. Here experiments were carried out to determine if MPR1 and A2C can work as a selectable marker system for plant transformation. The MPR1 gene was inserted into a binary vector under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter and nopaline synthase terminator, and transformed into tobacco via the Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated leaf disc method. A2C was applied in the selection medium to select for putative transformants. PCR analysis showed that 28.4% and 66.7% of the plantlets selected by 250 muM and 300 muM A2C were positive for the MPR1 gene, respectively. Southern and northern blot analysis and enzyme activity assay confirmed the stable gene incorporation, transcription, and translation of the MPR1 transgene in the transgenic plants. The transgene-carrying T(1) progeny could be distinguished from the recessive progeny when grown on 400, 450, or 500 muM A2C. Examination of the metabolism of 22 transgenic plants by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry profiling did not reveal any significant changes. In conclusion, the results demonstrate that MPR1/A2C is a safe and efficient selection system that does not involve microbial antibiotic or herbicide resistance genes. Recent studies showed that MPR1 can protect yeast against oxidative stresses by decreasing the accumulation of the proline catabolite Delta(1)-pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C). However, H(2)O(2) treatment resulted in contradictory responses among the five transgenic lines tested. Further experiments are required to assess the response of MPR1 transgenic plants under oxidative stress.

MPR1 as a novel selection marker in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

L-Azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (AZC) is a toxic four-membered ring analogue of L-proline that is transported into cells by proline transporters. AZC and L-proline in the cells are competitively incorporated into nascent proteins. When AZC is present in a minimum medium, misfolded proteins are synthesized in the cells, thereby inhibiting cell growth. The MPR1 gene has been isolated from the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sigma1278b as a multicopy suppressor of AZC-induced growth inhibition. MPR1 encodes a novel acetyltransferase that detoxifies AZC via N-acetylation. Since MPR1 is absent in the laboratory strain of S. cerevisiae S288C, it could be a positive selection marker that confers AZC resistance in the S288C background strains. To examine the usefulness of MPR1, we constructed some plasmid vectors that harboured MPR1 under the control of various promoters and introduced them into the S288C-derived strains. The expression of MPR1 conferred AZC resistance that was largely dependent on the expression level of MPR1. In an additional experiment, the galactose-inducible MPR1 and ppr1(+), the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe homologue of MPR1, were used for gene disruption by homologous recombination, and here AZC-resistant colonies were also successfully selected. We concluded that our MPR1-AZC system provides a powerful tool for yeast transformation.

Engineering of the yeast antioxidant enzyme Mpr1 for enhanced activity and stability

The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sigma1278b has the MPR1 gene, which confers resistance to the proline analogue azetidine-2-carboxylate (AZC). This gene encodes an N-acetyltransferase Mpr1 that detoxifies AZC, and the homologous genes have been found in many yeasts. Recently, we found that Mpr1 protects yeast cells by reducing the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels under oxidative stresses, such as heat-shock, freezing, or ethanol treatment. Unlike the known antioxidant enzymes, Mpr1 is thought to acetylate toxic metabolite(s) involved in ROS generation via oxidative events. To improve the enzymatic functions of Mpr1, we applied PCR random mutagenesis to MPR1. The mutagenized plasmid library was introduced into the S. cerevisiae S288C strain lacking MPR1, and we successfully isolated two Mpr1 variants with higher AZC resistance (K63R and F65L/L117V). Interestingly, overexpression of the K63R variant was found to increase cell viability or decrease intracellular ROS levels after exposure to H(2)O(2) or ethanol compared with the wild-type Mpr1. In vitro studies with the recombinant enzymes showed that the catalytic efficiency of the K63R variant for AZC and acetyl-CoA was higher than that of the wild-type Mpr1 and that the F65L mutation greatly enhanced the thermal stability. The mutational analysis and molecular modeling suggest that an alpha-helix containing Lys63 and Phe65 has important roles in the function of Mpr1. In addition, the wild-type and K63R variant Mpr1 reduced intracellular ROS levels under ethanol stress conditions on haploid sake yeast cells. These results suggest that engineering Mpr1 might be useful in breeding oxidative stress-tolerant yeast strains.

Identification of amino acid residues essential for the yeast N-acetyltransferase Mpr1 activity by site-directed mutagenesis

We previously discovered that the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sigma1278b has the MPR1 gene that confers resistance to the proline analogue azetidine-2-carboxylate (AZC). The MPR1-encoded protein (Mpr1) is an N-acetyltransferase that detoxifies AZC and is a novel member of the GCN5-related N-acetyltransferase (GNAT) superfamily. Mpr1 can reduce intracellular oxidation levels and protect yeast cells from oxidative stress, heat shock, freezing, or ethanol treatment. Here, we analyzed the amino acid residues in Mpr1 involved in substrate binding and catalysis by site-directed mutagenesis. The mutated genes were expressed in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant Strep-tagged fusion proteins were analyzed in terms of AZC resistance and acetyltransferase activity. The replacement of Arg145, which is conserved in the GNAT superfamily, by Ala, Asp, Glu, Gly, or Trp led to a growth defect of transformants grown in the presence of AZC. Kinetic studies demonstrated that these mutations caused a large reduction in the affinity for AZC and acetyl-CoA, suggesting that Arg145 interacts with both substrates. Among seven conserved Tyr residues, one of which may be a catalytic residue in the GNAT superfamily, Tyr166Ala- showed no detectable activity and Tyr166Phe-Mpr1, a remarkable decrease of the k(cat)/K(m) value. This result suggests that Tyr166 is critical for the catalysis.

N-Acetyltransferase Mpr1 confers ethanol tolerance on Saccharomyces cerevisiae by reducing reactive oxygen species

N-Acetyltransferase Mpr1 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae can reduce intracellular oxidation levels and protect yeast cells under oxidative stress, including H(2)O(2), heat-shock, or freeze-thaw treatment. Unlike many antioxidant enzyme genes induced in response to oxidative stress, the MPR1 gene seems to be constitutively expressed in yeast cells. Based on a recent report that ethanol toxicity is correlated with the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), we examined here the role of Mpr1 under ethanol stress conditions. The null mutant of the MPR1 and MPR2 genes showed hypersensitivity to ethanol stress, and the expression of the MPR1 gene conferred stress tolerance. We also found that yeast cells exhibited increased ROS levels during exposure to ethanol stress, and that Mpr1 protects yeast cells from ethanol stress by reducing intracellular ROS levels. When the MPR1 gene was overexpressed in antioxidant enzyme-deficient mutants, increased resistance to H(2)O(2) or heat shock was observed in cells lacking the CTA1, CTT1, or GPX1 gene encoding catalase A, catalase T, or glutathione peroxidase, respectively. These results suggest that Mpr1 might compensate the function of enzymes that detoxify H(2)O(2). Hence, Mpr1 has promising potential for the breeding of novel ethanol-tolerant yeast strains.

Expression of theSaccharomyces cerevisiae MPR1 gene encodingN-acetyltransferase inZygosaccharomyces rouxii confers resistance tol-azetidine-2-carboxylate

The osmotolerant yeast Zygosaccharomyces rouxii is sensitive to the toxic L-proline analogue, L-azetidine-2-carboxylate (AZC). The possibility of use of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae MPR1 gene (ScMPR1) encoding the AZC-detoxifying enzyme as a dominant selection marker in Z. rouxii was examined. The heterologous expression of ScMPR1 in two Z. rouxii strains resulted in AZC-resistant colonies, but that of ScMPR1 as a dominant marker gene in vectors was affected by a high frequency of spontaneously resistant colonies. The same was found for an AZC-sensitive S. cerevisiae strain in which the ScMPR1 was expressed. In both yeasts, ScMPR1 can be used only as an auxiliary marker gene.

N-Acetyltransferase Mpr1 Confers Freeze Tolerance on Saccharomyces cerevisiae by Reducing Reactive Oxygen Species

N-Acetyltransferase Mpr1 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae can reduce intracellular oxidation levels and protect yeast cells under oxidative stress. We found that yeast cells exhibited increased levels of reactive oxygen species during freezing and thawing. Gene disruption and expression experiments indicated that Mpr1 protects yeast cells from freezing stress by reducing the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species. The combination of Mpr1 and l-proline could further enhance the resistance to freezing stress. Hence, Mpr1 as well as l-proline has promising potential for the breeding of novel freeze-tolerant yeast strains.

D-amino acid N-acetyltransferase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: a close homologue of histone acetyltransferase Hpa2p acting exclusively on free D-amino acids

D-Amino acid N-acetyltransferase is a unique enzyme of Saccharomyces cerevisiae acting specifically on D-amino acids. The enzyme was found to be encoded by HPA3, a putative histone/protein acetyl transferase gene, and we purified its gene product, Hpa3p, from recombinant Escherichia coli cells. Hpa3p shares 49% sequence identity and 81% sequence similarity with a histone acetyltransferase, Hpa2p, of S. cerevisiae. Hpa3p acts on a wide range of D-amino acids but shows extremely low activity toward histone. However, Hpa2p does not act on any of the free amino acids except L-lysine and D-lysine. Kinetic analyses suggest that Hpa3p catalyzes the N-acetylation of D-amino acids through an ordered bi-bi mechanism, in which acetyl-CoA is the first substrate to be bound and CoA is the last product to be liberated.

Role of the yeast acetyltransferase Mpr1 in oxidative stress: regulation of oxygen reactive species caused by a toxic proline catabolism intermediate

The MPR1 gene, which is found in the Sigma1278b strain but is not present in the sequenced laboratory strain S288C, of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a previously uncharacterized N-acetyltransferase that detoxifies the proline analogue azetidine-2-carboxylate (AZC). However, it is unlikely that AZC is a natural substrate of Mpr1 because AZC is found only in some plant species. In our search for the physiological function of Mpr1, we found that mpr1-disrupted cells were hypersensitive to oxidative stresses and contained increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In contrast, overexpression of MPR1 leads to an increase in cell viability and a decrease in ROS level after oxidative treatments. These results indicate that Mpr1 can reduce intracellular oxidation levels. Because put2-disrupted yeast cells lacking Delta(1)-pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C) dehydrogenase have increased ROS, we examined the role of Mpr1 in put2-disrupted strains. When grown on media containing urea and proline as the nitrogen source, put2-disrupted cells did not grow as well as WT cells and accumulated intracellular levels of P5C that were first detected in yeast cells and ROS. On the other hand, put2-disrupted cells that overexpressed MPR1 had considerably lower ROS levels. In vitro studies with bacterially expressed Mpr1 demonstrated that Mpr1 can acetylate P5C, or, more likely, its equilibrium compound glutamate-gamma-semialdehyde, at neutral pH. These results suggest that the proline catabolism intermediate P5C is toxic to yeast cells because of the formation of ROS, and Mpr1 regulates the ROS level under P5C-induced oxidative stress.

Gene dosage effect of L-proline biosynthetic enzymes on L-proline accumulation and freeze tolerance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We have previously reported that L-proline has cryoprotective activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A freeze-tolerant mutant with L-proline accumulation was recently shown to carry an allele of the PRO1 gene encoding gamma-glutamyl kinase, which resulted in a single amino acid substitution (Asp154Asn). Interestingly, this mutation enhanced the activities of gamma-glutamyl kinase and gamma-glutamyl phosphate reductase, both of which catalyze the first two steps of L-proline synthesis and which together may form a complex in vivo. Here, we found that the Asp154Asn mutant gamma-glutamyl kinase was more thermostable than the wild-type enzyme, which suggests that this mutation elevated the apparent activities of two enzymes through a stabilization of the complex. We next examined the gene dosage effect of three L-proline biosynthetic enzymes, including Delta(1)-pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase, which converts Delta(1)-pyrroline-5-carboxylate into L-proline, on L-proline accumulation and freeze tolerance in a non-L-proline-utilizing strain. Overexpression of the wild-type enzymes has no influence on L-proline accumulation, which suggests that the complex is very unstable in nature. However, co-overexpression of the mutant gamma-glutamyl kinase and the wild-type gamma-glutamyl phosphate reductase was effective for L-proline accumulation, probably due to a stabilization of the complex. These results indicate that both enzymes, not Delta(1)-pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase, are rate-limiting enzymes in yeast cells. A high tolerance for freezing clearly correlated with higher levels of L-proline in yeast cells. Our findings also suggest that, in addition to its cryoprotective activity, intracellular L-proline could protect yeast cells from damage by oxidative stress. The approach described here provides a valuable method for breeding novel yeast strains that are tolerant of both freezing and oxidative stresses.

A nonconserved Ala401 in the yeast Rsp5 ubiquitin ligase is involved in degradation of Gap1 permease and stress-induced abnormal proteins

A toxic l-proline analogue, l-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (AZC), causes misfolding of the proteins into which it is incorporated competitively with l-proline, thereby inhibiting the growth of the cells. AZC enters budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells primarily through the general amino acid permease Gap1, not through the proline-specific permease Put4. We isolated an AZC-hypersensitive mutant that cannot grow even at low concentrations of AZC because of the accumulation of intracellular AZC. By screening through a yeast genomic library, the mutant was found to carry an allele of RSP5 encoding an E3 ubiquitin ligase. A single amino acid change replacing Ala (GCA) at position 401 with Glu (GAA) showed that Ala-401 in the third WW domain (a protein interaction module) is not conserved in the domain. The addition of NH4+ to yeast cells growing on l-proline induced rapid ubiquitination, endocytosis, and vacuolar degradation of the plasma membrane protein Gap1. However, immunoblot and permease assays indicated that Gap1 in the rsp5 mutant remained stable and active on the plasma membrane probably with no ubiquitination, leading to AZC accumulation and hypersensitivity. The rsp5 mutants also showed hypersensitivity to various stresses (toxic amino acid analogues, high temperature in a rich medium, and oxidative treatments) and defects in spore growth. These results suggest that Rsp5 is involved in selective degradation of abnormal proteins and specific proteins for spore growth, in addition to nitrogen-regulated degradation of Gap1. Furthermore, Ala-401 of Rsp5 was considered to have an important role in the ubiquitination of targeted proteins.

L-proline accumulation and freeze tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are caused by a mutation in the PRO1 gene encoding gamma-glutamyl kinase

We previously isolated a mutant which showed a high tolerance to freezing that correlated with higher levels of intracellular L-proline derived from L-proline analogue-resistant mutants. The mutation responsible for the analogue resistance and L-proline accumulation was a single nuclear dominant mutation. By introducing the mutant-derived genomic library into a non-L-proline-utilizing strain, the mutant was found to carry an allele of the wild-type PRO1 gene encoding gamma-glutamyl kinase, which resulted in a single amino acid replacement; Asp (GAC) at position 154 was replaced by Asn (AAC). Interestingly, the allele of PRO1 was shown to enhance the activities of gamma-glutamyl kinase and gamma-glutamyl phosphate reductase, both of which catalyze the first two steps of L-proline synthesis from L-glutamate and which together may form a complex in vivo. When cultured in liquid minimal medium, yeast cells expressing the mutated gamma-glutamyl kinase were found to accumulate intracellular L-proline and showed a prominent increase in cell viability after freezing at -20 degrees C compared to the viability of cells harboring the wild-type PRO1 gene. These results suggest that the altered gamma-glutamyl kinase results in stabilization of the complex or has an indirect effect on gamma-glutamyl phosphate reductase activity, which leads to an increase in L-proline production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The approach described in this paper could be a practical method for breeding novel freeze-tolerant yeast strains.

Polymorphism of the MPR1 gene required for toxic proline analogue resistance in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae complex species

We recently discovered, on the chromosome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae sigma 1278b, novel MPR1 and MPR2 genes required for resistance to a toxic analogue of L-proline, L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid. The MPR genes, which were absent in the S. cerevisiae genome project strain S288C, encoded a novel acetyltransferase of 229 amino acids that detoxifies the analogue by acetylating it. The MPR1 gene homologue found in Schizosaccharomyces pombe was also shown to encode a similar acetyltransferase. To further analyse the origin and the physiological role of the yeast novel gene, we report here the comparative analysis of the MPR1 gene in the S. cerevisiae complex spp. which belong to the Saccharomyces sensu stricto group. Only the type strain of S. paradoxus exhibited resistance and acetyltransferase activity to L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid. PCR was then used to isolate the new MPR1 homologue (Spa MPR1) from S. paradoxus with the primers based on the sequence of the MPR1 gene. Gene expression and enzymatic analysis showed that the cloned Spa MPR1 gene encodes an L-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid acetyltransferase of 231 amino acids, which has 87% identity to the MPR1 protein. We also found in the protein databases that S. bayanus contains a DNA fragment that is partly homologous to the MPR1 gene. However, the gene product was considered to lose the enzymatic activity, possibly due to the gene truncation or the base substitution(s) at the important region for catalysis. Further, genomic PCR analysis showed that most of the S. cerevisiae complex spp. have the sequence highly homologous to the MPR1 gene.