Steady state and time resolved effects of guanidine hydrochloride on the structure of Humicola lanuginosa lipase revealed by fluorescence spectroscopy

A SiO2 Microcarrier with an Opal-like Structure for Cross-Linked Enzyme Immobilization

The opal-like SiO₂ microcarriers with different pore diameters named opal-SiO₂I and opal-SiO₂II were synthesized and utilized as microcarriers to immobilize Rhizopus oryzae lipase (ROL) and Aspergillus oryzae α-amylases (AOA). ROL and AOA can be more stably immobilized on the cross-linked SiO₂ opals by neopentyl glycol diglycidyl ether (NGDE), which is the first attempt to use it as a cross-linking agent compared with glutaraldehyde. According to the morphology analysis, multiple layers of SiO₂ monodisperse microspheres were regularly packed and formed an opal-like structure, and enzymes were well scattered and immobilized throughout the SiO₂ opals. The results showed that the performance of enzymes immobilized on opal-SiO₂II with a larger specific surface area was much better than that of opal-SiO₂I. The enzyme activity of ROL@opal-SiO₂II and AOA@opal-SiO₂II cross-linked with 1% NGDE increased 5.32 and 9.32 times compared with their free counterpart, respectively. Furthermore, pH and thermal stability and reusability of ROL/AOA@opal-SiO₂II were significantly improved and higher than those of ROL/AOA@opal-SiO₂I and free enzymes. This study provides an easily obtained microcarrier opal-SiO₂II, which shows potential for efficient different enzyme immobilizations and further industrial applications.

Influence of glycosylation on the adsorption of Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase to hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces

In the pharmaceutical industry, protein drugs are modified by, for instance, glycosylation in order to obtain protein drugs with improved delivery profiles and/or increased stability. The effect of glycosylation on protein adsorption behaviour is one of the stability aspects that must be evaluated during development of glycosylated protein drug products. We have studied the effect of glycosylation on the adsorption behaviour of Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase to hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces using total internal reflection fluorescence, surface plasmon resonance, far-UV circular dichroism and fluorescence. Three glyco-variants were used, namely the mono-glycosylated wildtype T. lanuginosus lipase, a non-glycosylated variant and a penta-glycosylated variant, the latter two containing one and nine amino acid substitutions, respectively. All the glycosylations were N-linked and contained no charged sugar residues. Glycosylation did not affect the adsorption of wildtype T. lanuginosus lipase to the hydrophobic surfaces. The number of molecules adsorbing per unit surface area, the structural changes occurring upon adsorption, and the orientation upon adsorption were found to be unaffected by the varying glycosylation. However, the interaction with a hydrophilic surface was different between the three glyco-variants. The penta-glycosylated T. lanuginosus lipase adsorbed, in contrast to the two other glyco-variants. In conclusion, adsorption of T. lanuginosus lipase to hydrophobic surfaces was not affected by N-linked glycosylation. Only penta-glycosylated T. lanuginosus lipase adsorbed to the hydrophilic surface, apparently due to its increased net charge of +3 caused by amino acid substitutions in the primary sequence.

Fluorescence spectroscopic characterization of Humicola lanuginosa lipase dissolved in its substrate

The conformational dynamics of Humicola lanuginosa lipases (HLL) and its three mutants were investigated by steady state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy in two different media, aqueous buffer and the substrate triacetin. The fluorescence of the four Trps of the wild-type HLL (wt) reports on the global changes of the whole lipase molecule. In order to monitor conformational changes specifically in the alpha-helical surface loop, the so-called 'lid' of HLL comprised of residues 86-93, the single Trp mutant W89m (W117F, W221H, W260H) was employed. Mutants W89L and W89mN33Q (W117F, W221H, W260H, N33Q) were used to survey the impact of Trp89 and mannose residues, respectively. Based on the data obtained, the following conclusions can be drawn. (i) HLL adapts the 'open' conformation in triacetin, with the alpha-helical surface loop moving so as to expose the active site. (ii) Trp89 contained in the lid plays an unprecedently important role in the structural stability of HLL. (iii) In triacetin, but not in the buffer, the motion of the Trp89 side chain becomes distinguishable from the motion of the lid. (iv) The carbohydrate moiety at Asn33 has only minor effects on the dynamics of Trp89 in the lid as judged from the fluorescence characteristics of the latter residue.

Stability studies on a lipase from Bacillus subtilis in guanidinium chloride

Lipase from Bacillus subtilis is a "lidless" lipase that does not show interfacial activation. Due to exposure of the active site to solvent, the lipase tends to aggregate. We have investigated the solution properties and unfolding of the lipase in guanidinium chloride (GdmCl) to understand its aggregation behavior and stability. Dynamic light scattering (DLS), near- and far-UV circular dichroism, activity and intrinsic fluorescence of lipase suggest that the protein undergoes unfolding between 1 M and 2 M GdmCl. The polarity sensitive dye, 1,1',-bis-(4anilino)naphthalene-5,5"-disulfonic acid (bis-ANS), a probe for hydrophobic pockets, binds cooperatively to the native lipase. An intermediate populated in 1.75 M GdmCl that strongly binds bis-ANS was identified. Tendency of the native protein to aggregate in solution and specific binding to bis-ANS confirms that the lipase has exposed hydrophobic pockets and this surface hydrophobicity strongly influences the unfolding pathway of the lipase in GdmCl.

Selective reduction and chemical modification of oxidized lipase cysteine mutants

Thirteen single-cysteine mutants of the 33 kDa fungal triacylglycerol lipase Thermomyces (formerly Humicola) lanuginosa lipase (TLL, EC 3.1.1.3) were produced and characterized for the purpose of site-directed chemical modification with spectroscopic reporter groups. All cysteine mutants were found to be predominantly blocked by oxidation to disulfides with endogenous cysteine during production. The fraction of lipase molecules with free sulfhydryl groups was analyzed by labeling with N-biotinylaminoethyl methanethiosulfonate, followed by a novel dot-blot method based on biotin-streptavidin interactions. A non-invasive method for the reduction of the introduced cysteine was elaborated for this protein containing three native disulfide bridges. The site-specifically reduced TLL mutants were then labeled with the sulfhydryl-specific reagents 2-(5-dimethylaminonaphth-1-ylsulfonamido)ethyl methanethiosulfonate or (1-oxyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-Δ3-pyrroline-3-methyl) methanethiosulfonate, and studied by fluorescence and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy.Key words: lipase, cysteine mutant, selective reduction, chemical modification, methanethiosulfonate.

Impact of the tryptophan residues of Humicola lanuginosa lipase on its thermal stability

Thermal stability of wild type Humicola lanuginosa lipase (wt HLL) and its two mutants, W89L and the single Trp mutant W89m (W117F, W221H, and W260H), were compared. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed unfolding of HLL at T(d)=74.4 degrees C whereas for W89L and W89m this endotherm was decreased to 68.6 and 62 degrees C, respectively, demonstrating significant contribution of the above Trp residues to the structural stability of HLL. Fluorescence emission spectra revealed the average microenvironment of Trps of wt HLL and W89L to become more hydrophilic at elevated temperatures whereas the opposite was true for W89m. These changes in steady-state emission were sharp, with midpoints (T(m)) at approx. 70.5, 61.0, and 65.5 degrees C for wt HLL, W89L, and W89m, respectively. Both steady-state and time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy further indicated that upon increasing temperature, the local movements of tryptophan(s) in these lipases were first attenuated. However, faster mobilities became evident when the unfolding temperatures (T(m)) were exceeded, and the lipases became less compact as indicated by the increased hydrodynamic radii. Even at high temperatures (up to 85 degrees C) a significant extent of tertiary and secondary structure was revealed by circular dichroism. Activity measurements are in agreement with increased amplitudes of conformational fluctuations of HLL with temperature. Our results also indicate that the thermal unfolding of these lipases is not a two-state process but involves intermediate states. Interestingly, a heating and cooling cycle enhanced the activity of the lipases, suggesting the protein to be trapped in an intermediate, higher energy state. The present data show that the mutations, especially W89L in the lid, contribute significantly to the stability, structure and activity of HLL.