1
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Ouadhi S, López DMV, Mohideen FI, Kwan DH. Engineering the enzyme toolbox to tailor glycosylation in small molecule natural products and protein biologics. Protein Eng Des Sel 2023; 36:gzac010. [PMID: 36444941 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzac010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Many glycosylated small molecule natural products and glycoprotein biologics are important in a broad range of therapeutic and industrial applications. The sugar moieties that decorate these compounds often show a profound impact on their biological functions, thus biocatalytic methods for controlling their glycosylation are valuable. Enzymes from nature are useful tools to tailor bioproduct glycosylation but these sometimes have limitations in their catalytic efficiency, substrate specificity, regiospecificity, stereospecificity, or stability. Enzyme engineering strategies such as directed evolution or semi-rational and rational design have addressed some of the challenges presented by these limitations. In this review, we highlight some of the recent research on engineering enzymes to tailor the glycosylation of small molecule natural products (including alkaloids, terpenoids, polyketides, and peptides), as well as the glycosylation of protein biologics (including hormones, enzyme-replacement therapies, enzyme inhibitors, vaccines, and antibodies).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Ouadhi
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H4B 2A6, Canada
- PROTEO, Quebec Network for Research on Protein Function, Structure, and Engineering, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Dulce María Valdez López
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H4B 2A6, Canada
- PROTEO, Quebec Network for Research on Protein Function, Structure, and Engineering, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - F Ifthiha Mohideen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G2, Canada
| | - David H Kwan
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H4B 2A6, Canada
- PROTEO, Quebec Network for Research on Protein Function, Structure, and Engineering, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
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2
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Sheikhi Moghaddam L, Adegbite A, McCarthy PC. Investigation of bioluminescence-based assays for determination of kinetic parameters for the bifunctional Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W capsule polymerase. BMC Res Notes 2021; 14:417. [PMID: 34794506 PMCID: PMC8600345 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-021-05831-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Neisseria meningitidis is a Gram-negative bacterium that causes meningitis. N. meningitidis serogroup W (NmW) capsule polymerase synthesizes capsular polysaccharide of this serogroup. This enzyme could be a tool for meningococcal glycoconjugate vaccine development. Our long-term goal is to control activity of the NmW capsule polymerase for production of defined carbohydrates for vaccines. The enzyme lacks a simple, high-throughput activity assay. Here, we describe the use of high-throughput bioluminescence assays (CMP-Glo and UDP-Glo by Promega) to investigate NmW capsule polymerase activity. These assays detect free nucleotides produced during transfer of sugar from UDP-Galactose and CMP-Sialic Acid to an acceptor. Kinetic studies using NmW hydrolyzed polysaccharide (PS) acceptor are described as well as preliminary work with a sialic acid trimer (DP3) acceptor. Results In CMP-Glo kinetic studies, with constant donor (80 µM) and varied NmW hydrolyzed polysaccharide (0–2000 µg/mL), a Km of 629.2 ± 101.4 µg/mL and a Vmax of 0.8965 ± 0.05823 µM/min was obtained. Using UDP-Glo, Km and Vmax values of 13.84 ± 9.675 µM and 0.6205 ± 0.1331 µM/min were obtained with varied CMP-NeuNAc (0–80 µM) and constant acceptor (400 µg/mL) and UDP-Gal (80 µM). This is the first report of using bioluminescence assays for NmW kinetics. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13104-021-05831-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laleh Sheikhi Moghaddam
- Bioenvironmental Sciences Program, Morgan State University, 1700 East Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD, 21251, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Morgan State University, 1700 East Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD, 21251, USA
| | - Ayobami Adegbite
- Bioenvironmental Sciences Program, Morgan State University, 1700 East Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD, 21251, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Morgan State University, 1700 East Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD, 21251, USA
| | - Pumtiwitt C McCarthy
- Department of Chemistry, Morgan State University, 1700 East Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD, 21251, USA.
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3
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Janesch B, Baumann L, Mark A, Thompson N, Rahmani S, Sim L, Withers SG, Wakarchuk WW. Directed evolution of bacterial polysialyltransferases. Glycobiology 2020; 29:588-598. [PMID: 30976781 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwz021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Revised: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Polysialyltransferases (polySTs) are glycosyltransferases that synthesize polymers of sialic acid found in vertebrates and some bacterial pathogens. Bacterial polySTs have utility in the modification of therapeutic proteins to improve serum half-life, and the potential for tissue engineering. PolySTs are membrane-associated proteins and as recombinant proteins suffer from inherently low solubility, low expression levels and poor thermal stability. To improve their physicochemical and biochemical properties, we applied a directed evolution approach using a FACS-based ultrahigh-throughput assay as a simple, robust and reliable screening method. We were able to enrich a large mutant library and, in combination with plate-based high-throughput secondary screening, we discovered mutants with increased enzymatic activity and improved stability compared to the wildtype enzyme. This work presents a powerful strategy for the screening of directed evolution libraries of bacterial polySTs to identify better catalysts for in vitro polysialylation of therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Janesch
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lars Baumann
- Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Michael Smith Laboratory, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Alison Mark
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nicole Thompson
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sadia Rahmani
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lyann Sim
- Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Michael Smith Laboratory, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Stephen G Withers
- Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Michael Smith Laboratory, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Warren W Wakarchuk
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada
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4
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Abstract
Extracellular polysaccharides and glycoproteins of pathogenic bacteria assist in adherence, autoaggregation, biofilm formation, and host immune system evasion. As a result, considerable research in the field of glycobiology is dedicated to study the composition and function of glycans associated with virulence, as well as the enzymes involved in their biosynthesis with the aim to identify novel antibiotic targets. Especially, insights into the enzyme mechanism, substrate binding, and transition-state structures are valuable as a starting point for rational inhibitor design. An intriguing aspect of enzymes that generate or process polysaccharides and glycoproteins is the level of processivity. The existence of enzymatic processivity reflects the need for regulation of the final glycan/glycoprotein length and structure, depending on the role they perform. In this Review, we describe the currently reported examples of various processive enzymes involved in polymerization and transfer of sugar moieties, predominantly in bacterial pathogens, with a focus on the biochemical methods, to showcase the importance of studying processivity for understanding the mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liubov Yakovlieva
- Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marthe T. C. Walvoort
- Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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5
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Ming SA, Caro NC, Lanz N, Vionnet J, Vann WF. Effect of Acceptor Chain Length and Hydrophobicity on Polymerization Kinetics of the Neisseria meningitidis Group C Polysialyltransferase. Biochemistry 2019; 58:679-686. [PMID: 30602109 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b01114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Polysialic acids (PSA) are important extracellular virulence factors of the human pathogens Neisseria meningitidis and Escherichia coli. The importance of these polysaccharides in virulence make the polysialyltransferases (PST) targets for therapeutic drugs and protein engineering to facilitate efficient vaccine production. Here, we have generated recombinant bovine nucleotide monophosphate kinase to facilitate steady state kinetic assays of the PST. We have characterized the N. meningitidis group C (NmC) PST kinetically, using substrate analogues to describe the polymerization reaction. We observed a decrease in Km as the length of the oligo-sialic acid acceptor was increased, indicating a tighter binding of longer oligomers. In addition, we observed a biphasic relationship between kcat and chain length, which can be attributed to a switch in the mechanism of transfer of sialic acid from distributive to processive as the chain length increased above six sialic acid units. Substitution of donor substrate with the analogue CMP-9-F-sialic acid had minimal effect on acceptor Km, but it decreased kcat 6-fold. We propose that this decrease in kcat is caused by a destabilization of the transition state and/or an increase affinity of the product due to presence of the fluoro substituent. The acceptor's hydrophobicity also plays a role in catalysis. The kinetic analysis of the NmC PST with hydrophobic aglycon acceptor substrates indicated that they bind tighter and are turned over at a faster rate than the α-2,9 polysialic acid substrates lacking the hydrophobic end. This finding suggests the presence of a secondary ligand binding site that tethers the acceptor substrate to the enzyme active site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shonoi A Ming
- Laboratory of Bacterial Polysaccharides , Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research , Silver Spring , Maryland 20993 , United States
| | - Natalee C Caro
- Laboratory of Bacterial Polysaccharides , Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research , Silver Spring , Maryland 20993 , United States
| | - Nicholas Lanz
- Laboratory of Bacterial Polysaccharides , Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research , Silver Spring , Maryland 20993 , United States
| | - Justine Vionnet
- Laboratory of Bacterial Polysaccharides , Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research , Silver Spring , Maryland 20993 , United States
| | - Willie F Vann
- Laboratory of Bacterial Polysaccharides , Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research , Silver Spring , Maryland 20993 , United States
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6
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Sharyan A, Gonzalez C, Ukaegbu O, Powell K, McCarthy PC. Determination of the binding affinities of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W capsule polymerase with two nucleotide sugar substrates. BMC Res Notes 2018; 11:482. [PMID: 30012207 PMCID: PMC6048754 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-018-3596-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Meningococcal meningitis is a public health burden. Immunization strategies have reduced global incidence of the disease. Glycoconjugate vaccines are the most effective type of vaccine to combat most causes of meningococcal meningitis. These vaccines contain capsular polysaccharide fragments from disease-causing serogroups of Neisseria meningitidis that are chemically attached to a carrier protein. The enzymes responsible for capsular polysaccharide synthesis can serve as tools to make these critical vaccine components. One such enzyme is the N. meningitidis serogroup W capsule polymerase. This enzyme is responsible for creating the galactose-sialic acid containing capsular polysaccharide of this serogroup. Our aim in this study was to determine the binding affinities of nucleotide sugar donors CMP-sialic acid and UDP-galactose using a coupled transferase assay to inform future work to modulate polysaccharide synthesis by this enzyme. Results We determined a Km of 66.8 µM for CMP-sialic acid and a Km for UDP-galactose of 3.9 µM. These values are lower than reported values for other retaining galactosyltransferases and inverting sialyltransferases respectively. There were difficulties obtaining reliable data for galactosyltransferase activity. An alternate strategy is needed to assess kinetic parameters of the separate transferase activities for this enzyme. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13104-018-3596-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abeer Sharyan
- Department of Chemistry, Morgan State University, 1700 East Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD, 21251, USA
| | - Cendy Gonzalez
- Department of Biology, Morgan State University, 1700 East Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD, 21251, USA
| | - Ophelia Ukaegbu
- Department of Chemistry, Morgan State University, 1700 East Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD, 21251, USA
| | - Kayla Powell
- Department of Chemistry, Morgan State University, 1700 East Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD, 21251, USA
| | - Pumtiwitt C McCarthy
- Department of Chemistry, Morgan State University, 1700 East Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD, 21251, USA.
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7
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Litschko C, Oldrini D, Budde I, Berger M, Meens J, Gerardy-Schahn R, Berti F, Schubert M, Fiebig T. A New Family of Capsule Polymerases Generates Teichoic Acid-Like Capsule Polymers in Gram-Negative Pathogens. mBio 2018; 9:e00641-18. [PMID: 29844111 PMCID: PMC5974469 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00641-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Group 2 capsule polymers represent crucial virulence factors of Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria. They are synthesized by enzymes called capsule polymerases. In this report, we describe a new family of polymerases that combine glycosyltransferase and hexose- and polyol-phosphate transferase activity to generate complex poly(oligosaccharide phosphate) and poly(glycosylpolyol phosphate) polymers, the latter of which display similarity to wall teichoic acid (WTA), a cell wall component of Gram-positive bacteria. Using modeling and multiple-sequence alignment, we showed homology between the predicted polymerase domains and WTA type I biosynthesis enzymes, creating a link between Gram-negative and Gram-positive cell wall biosynthesis processes. The polymerases of the new family are highly abundant and found in a variety of capsule-expressing pathogens such as Neisseria meningitidis, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Bibersteinia trehalosi, and Escherichia coli with both human and animal hosts. Five representative candidates were purified, their activities were confirmed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and their predicted folds were validated by site-directed mutagenesis.IMPORTANCE Bacterial capsules play an important role in the interaction between a pathogen and the immune system of its host. During the last decade, capsule polymerases have become attractive tools for the production of capsule polymers applied as antigens in glycoconjugate vaccine formulations. Conventional production of glycoconjugate vaccines requires the cultivation of the pathogen and thus the highest biosafety standards, leading to tremendous costs. With regard to animal husbandry, where vaccines could avoid the extensive use of antibiotics, conventional production is not sufficiently cost-effective. In contrast, enzymatic synthesis of capsule polymers is pathogen-free and fast, offers high stereo- and regioselectivity, and works with high efficacy. The new capsule polymerase family described here vastly increases the toolbox of enzymes available for biotechnology purposes. Representatives are abundantly found in human pathogens but also in animal pathogens, paving the way for the exploitation of polymerases for the development of a new generation of vaccines for animal husbandry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christa Litschko
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Insa Budde
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Monika Berger
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jochen Meens
- Institute for Microbiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Rita Gerardy-Schahn
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Mario Schubert
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Timm Fiebig
- Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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8
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Ghimire S, McCarthy PC. Capture of Pb 2+ and Cu 2+ Metal Cations by Neisseria meningitidis-type Capsular Polysaccharides. Biomolecules 2018; 8:E23. [PMID: 29734757 PMCID: PMC6023028 DOI: 10.3390/biom8020023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Heavy metal pollution of water is a significant environmental and public health concern. Current biological strategies for heavy metal removal from water are performed using microbial biopolymers, including polysaccharides, that are already fully formed. This creates limitations in adapting polysaccharides to increase binding affinity for specific metals. We propose that altering the specificity of polysaccharide-producing enzymes could be beneficial to improving metal capture by modified polysaccharides. We assess binding of Cu2+ and Pb2+ metal cations to Neisseria meningitidis-type polysaccharides. All concentrations of metal cations tested were able to completely bind to colominic acid. This polymer is equivalent to the capsular polysaccharide of N. meningitidis serogroup B comprised of a homopolymer of negatively charged sialic acid. There was slightly less binding observed with N. meningitidis serogroup W, which contains repeating units of the neutral sugar galactose and sialic acid. Our work represents the first assessment of the metal-binding properties of these capsular polysaccharides. Future work will seek to optimize metal-binding with Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W polysaccharide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujan Ghimire
- Department of Chemistry, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD 21251, USA.
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9
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Meningococcal Vaccines: Current Status and Emerging Strategies. Vaccines (Basel) 2018; 6:vaccines6010012. [PMID: 29495347 PMCID: PMC5874653 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines6010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis causes most cases of bacterial meningitis. Meningococcal meningitis is a public health burden to both developed and developing countries throughout the world. There are a number of vaccines (polysaccharide-based, glycoconjugate, protein-based and combined conjugate vaccines) that are approved to target five of the six disease-causing serogroups of the pathogen. Immunization strategies have been effective at helping to decrease the global incidence of meningococcal meningitis. Researchers continue to enhance these efforts through discovery of new antigen targets that may lead to a broadly protective vaccine and development of new methods of homogenous vaccine production. This review describes current meningococcal vaccines and discusses some recent research discoveries that may transform vaccine development against N. meningitidis in the future.
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10
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X-ray crystallographic structure of a bacterial polysialyltransferase provides insight into the biosynthesis of capsular polysialic acid. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5842. [PMID: 28724897 PMCID: PMC5517516 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05627-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Polysialic acid (polySia) is a homopolymeric saccharide that is associated with some neuroinvasive pathogens and is found on selective cell types in their eukaryotic host. The presence of a polySia capsule on these bacterial pathogens helps with resistance to phagocytosis, cationic microbial peptides and bactericidal antibody production. The biosynthesis of bacterial polySia is catalysed by a single polysialyltransferase (PST) transferring sialic acid from a nucleotide-activated donor to a lipid-linked acceptor oligosaccharide. Here we present the X-ray structure of the bacterial PST from Mannheimia haemolytica serotype A2, thereby defining the architecture of this class of enzymes representing the GT38 family. The structure reveals a prominent electropositive groove between the two Rossmann-like domains forming the GT-B fold that is suitable for binding of polySia chain products. Complex structures of PST with a sugar donor analogue and an acceptor mimetic combined with kinetic studies of PST active site mutants provide insight into the principles of substrate binding and catalysis. Our results are the basis for a molecular understanding of polySia biosynthesis in bacteria and might assist the production of polysialylated therapeutic reagents and the development of novel antibiotics.
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11
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Galuska SP, Galuska CE, Tharmalingam T, Zlatina K, Prem G, Husejnov FCO, Rudd PM, Vann WF, Reid C, Vionnet J, Gallagher ME, Carrington FA, Hassett SL, Carrington SD. In vitro generation of polysialylated cervical mucins by bacterial polysialyltransferases to counteract cytotoxicity of extracellular histones. FEBS J 2017; 284:1688-1699. [PMID: 28371406 DOI: 10.1111/febs.14073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Revised: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Neutrophil extracellular traps (NET) are formed against pathogens. However, various diseases are directly linked to this meshwork of DNA. The cytotoxic properties of extracellular histones especially seem to be an important trigger during these diseases. Furthermore, NET accumulation on implants is discussed to result in an impaired efficiency or failure, depending on the category of implant. Interestingly, mucins have been investigated as surface coatings potentially capable of reducing neutrophil adhesion. Similarly, polysialic acid was shown to inactivate the cytotoxic properties of extracellular histones. We wanted to combine the probability to decrease the adhesion of neutrophils using mucins with the capability of sialic acid polymers to counteract histone-mediated cytotoxicity. To this end, we elongate cervical mucins using bacterial polysialyltransferases. Subsequent cell-based experiments demonstrated the activity of elongated mucins against histone-mediated cytotoxicity. Thus, polysialylated mucins may represent a novel component to coat implants or to combat diseases with exaggerated NET formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian P Galuska
- Department of Reproductive Biology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, Germany.,Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Christina E Galuska
- Department of Reproductive Biology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, Germany.,Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
| | | | - Kristina Zlatina
- Department of Reproductive Biology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, Germany.,Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Gerlinde Prem
- Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Farzali C O Husejnov
- Department of Reproductive Biology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, Germany.,Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Pauline M Rudd
- Dublin-Oxford Glycobiology Laboratory, NIBRT - The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Blackrock Co., Dublin, Ireland
| | - Willie F Vann
- Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Colm Reid
- UCD Veterinary Sciences Centre, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland
| | | | - Mary E Gallagher
- UCD Veterinary Sciences Centre, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland
| | - Faye A Carrington
- UCD Veterinary Sciences Centre, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland
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12
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Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis, a devastating pathogen exclusive to humans, expresses capsular polysaccharides that are the major meningococcal virulence determinants and the basis for successful meningococcal vaccines. With rare exceptions, the expression of capsule (serogroups A, B, C, W, X, Y) is required for systemic invasive meningococcal disease. Changes in capsule expression or structure (e.g. hypo- or hyper-encapsulation, capsule "switching", acetylation) can influence immunologic diagnostic assays or lead to immune escape. The loss or down-regulation of capsule is also critical in meningococcal biology facilitating meningococcal attachment, microcolony formation and the carriage state at human mucosal surfaces. Encapsulated meningococci contain a cps locus with promoters located in an intergenic region between the biosynthesis and the conserved capsule transport operons. The cps intergenic region is transcriptionally regulated (and thus the amount of capsule expressed) by IS element insertion, by a two-component system, MisR/MisS and through sequence changes that result in post-transcriptional RNA thermoregulation. Reversible on-off phase variation of capsule expression is controlled by slipped strand mispairing of homo-polymeric tracts and by precise insertion and excision of IS elements (e.g. IS1301) in the biosynthesis operon. Capsule structure can be altered by phase-variable expression of capsular polymer modification enzymes or "switched" through transformation and homologous recombination of different polymerases. Understanding the complex regulation of meningococcal capsule has important implications for meningococcal biology, pathogenesis, diagnostics, current and future vaccine development and vaccine strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yih-Ling Tzeng
- a Department of Medicine , Emory University School of Medicine, Woodruff Health Sciences Center , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - Jennifer Thomas
- a Department of Medicine , Emory University School of Medicine, Woodruff Health Sciences Center , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - David S Stephens
- a Department of Medicine , Emory University School of Medicine, Woodruff Health Sciences Center , Atlanta , GA , USA
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13
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Elkashef SM, Sutherland M, Patterson LH, Loadman PM, Falconer RA. An optimised assay for quantitative, high-throughput analysis of polysialyltransferase activity. Analyst 2016; 141:5849-5856. [DOI: 10.1039/c6an01073c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Optimisation of a highly sensitive cell-free high-throughput HPLC-based assay for assessment of human polysialyltransferase activity is reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara M. Elkashef
- Institute of Cancer Therapeutics
- Faculty of Life Sciences
- University of Bradford
- Bradford BD7 1DP
- UK
| | - Mark Sutherland
- Institute of Cancer Therapeutics
- Faculty of Life Sciences
- University of Bradford
- Bradford BD7 1DP
- UK
| | - Laurence H. Patterson
- Institute of Cancer Therapeutics
- Faculty of Life Sciences
- University of Bradford
- Bradford BD7 1DP
- UK
| | - Paul M. Loadman
- Institute of Cancer Therapeutics
- Faculty of Life Sciences
- University of Bradford
- Bradford BD7 1DP
- UK
| | - Robert A. Falconer
- Institute of Cancer Therapeutics
- Faculty of Life Sciences
- University of Bradford
- Bradford BD7 1DP
- UK
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14
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Yu CC, Withers SG. Recent Developments in Enzymatic Synthesis of Modified Sialic Acid Derivatives. Adv Synth Catal 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/adsc.201500349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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15
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Colley KJ, Kitajima K, Sato C. Polysialic acid: biosynthesis, novel functions and applications. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2014; 49:498-532. [PMID: 25373518 DOI: 10.3109/10409238.2014.976606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
As an anti-adhesive, a reservoir for key biological molecules, and a modulator of signaling, polysialic acid (polySia) is critical for nervous system development and maintenance, promotes cancer metastasis, tissue regeneration and repair, and is implicated in psychiatric diseases. In this review, we focus on the biosynthesis and functions of mammalian polySia, and the use of polySia in therapeutic applications. PolySia modifies a small subset of mammalian glycoproteins, with the neural cell adhesion molecule, NCAM, serving as its major carrier. Studies show that mammalian polysialyltransferases employ a unique recognition mechanism to limit the addition of polySia to a select group of proteins. PolySia has long been considered an anti-adhesive molecule, and its impact on cell adhesion and signaling attributed directly to this property. However, recent studies have shown that polySia specifically binds neurotrophins, growth factors, and neurotransmitters and that this binding depends on chain length. This work highlights the importance of considering polySia quality and quantity, and not simply its presence or absence, as its various roles are explored. The capsular polySia of neuroinvasive bacteria allows these organisms to evade the host immune response. While this "stealth" characteristic has made meningitis vaccine development difficult, it has also made polySia a worthy replacement for polyetheylene glycol in the generation of therapeutic proteins with low immunogenicity and improved circulating half-lives. Bacterial polysialyltransferases are more promiscuous than the protein-specific mammalian enzymes, and new studies suggest that these enzymes have tremendous therapeutic potential, especially for strategies aimed at neural regeneration and tissue repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen J Colley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago , Chicago, IL , USA and
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Program Overview * Conference Program * Conference Posters * Conference Abstracts. Glycobiology 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwu087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
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Fiebig T, Freiberger F, Pinto V, Romano MR, Black A, Litschko C, Bethe A, Yashunsky D, Adamo R, Nikolaev A, Berti F, Gerardy-Schahn R. Molecular cloning and functional characterization of components of the capsule biosynthesis complex of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A: toward in vitro vaccine production. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:19395-407. [PMID: 24849599 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.575142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The human pathogen Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) is a leading cause of bacterial meningitis and sepsis globally. A major virulence factor of Nm is the capsular polysaccharide (CPS), which in Nm serogroup A consists of N-acetyl-mannosamine-1-phosphate units linked together by phosphodiester linkages [ → 6)-α-D-ManNAc-(1 → OPO3 (-)→]n. Acetylation in O-3 (to a minor extent in O-4) position results in immunologically active polymer. In the capsule gene cluster (cps) of Nm, region A contains the genetic information for CPSA biosynthesis. Thereby the open reading frames csaA, -B, and -C are thought to encode the UDP-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine-2-epimerase, poly-ManNAc-1-phosphate-transferase, and O-acetyltransferase, respectively. With the aim to use a minimal number of recombinant enzymes to produce immunologically active CPSA, we cloned the genes csaA, csaB, and csaC and functionally characterized the purified recombinant proteins. If recombinant CsaA and CsaB were combined in one reaction tube, priming CPSA-oligosaccharides were efficiently elongated with UDP-GlcNAc as the donor substrate, confirming that CsaA is the functional UDP-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine-2-epimerase and CsaB the functional poly-ManNAc-1-phosphate-transferase. Subsequently, CsaB was shown to transfer ManNAc-1P onto O-6 of the non-reducing end sugar of priming oligosaccharides, to prefer non-O-acetylated over O-acetylated primers, and to efficiently elongate the dimer of ManNAc-1-phosphate. The in vitro synthesized CPSA was purified, O-acetylated with recombinant CsaC, and proven to be identical to the natural CPSA by (1)H NMR, (31)P NMR, and immunoblotting. If all three enzymes and their substrates were combined in a one-pot reaction, nature identical CPSA was obtained. These data provide the basis for the development of novel vaccine production protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timm Fiebig
- From the Institute for Cellular Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Friedrich Freiberger
- From the Institute for Cellular Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Vittoria Pinto
- Novartis Vaccines, Research, Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | | | - Alan Black
- College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, Scotland, United Kingdom, and
| | - Christa Litschko
- From the Institute for Cellular Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Andrea Bethe
- From the Institute for Cellular Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Dmitry Yashunsky
- the Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Pogodinskaya Street 10, Moscow 119832, Russian Federation
| | - Roberto Adamo
- Novartis Vaccines, Research, Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Andrei Nikolaev
- College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, Scotland, United Kingdom, and
| | - Francesco Berti
- Novartis Vaccines, Research, Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy,
| | - Rita Gerardy-Schahn
- From the Institute for Cellular Chemistry, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany,
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Engineering the product profile of a polysialyltransferase. Nat Chem Biol 2014; 10:437-42. [PMID: 24727899 DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.1501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2013] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Oligo- and polysaccharides have myriad applications as therapeutic reagents from glycoconjugate vaccines to matrices for tissue engineering. Polysaccharide length may vary over several orders of magnitude and is a critical determinant of both their physical properties and biological activities. Therefore, the tailored synthesis of oligo- and polysaccharides of defined size is a major goal for glycoengineering. By mutagenesis and screening of a bacterial polysialyltransferase (polyST), we identified a single-residue switch that controls the size distribution of polymeric products. Specific substitutions at this site yielded distributive enzymes that synthesize polysaccharides with narrow size distribution ideal for glycoengineering applications. Mechanistic investigation revealed that the wild-type enzyme has an extended binding site that accommodates at least 20 residues of the growing polymer; changes in affinity along this binding site allow fine-tuning of the enzyme's product distribution.
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Yeung JHF, Telford JC, Shidmoossavee FS, Bennet AJ, Taylor GL, Moore MM. Kinetic and Structural Evaluation of Selected Active Site Mutants of the Aspergillus fumigatus KDNase (Sialidase). Biochemistry 2013; 52:9177-86. [DOI: 10.1021/bi401166f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Garry L. Taylor
- BSRC, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, U.K
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McCarthy PC, Saksena R, Peterson DC, Lee CH, An Y, Cipollo JF, Vann WF. Chemoenzymatic synthesis of immunogenic meningococcal group C polysialic acid-tetanus Hc fragment glycoconjugates. Glycoconj J 2013; 30:857-70. [DOI: 10.1007/s10719-013-9490-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2013] [Revised: 07/25/2013] [Accepted: 07/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Biochemical characterization of a polysialyltransferase from Mannheimia haemolytica A2 and comparison to other bacterial polysialyltransferases. PLoS One 2013; 8:e69888. [PMID: 23922842 PMCID: PMC3724679 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0069888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2013] [Accepted: 06/13/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Polysialic acids are bioactive carbohydrates found in eukaryotes and some bacterial pathogens. The bacterial polysialyltransferases (PSTs), which catalyze the synthesis of polysialic acid capsules, have previously been identified in select strains of Escherichia coli and Neisseria meningitidis and are classified in the Carbohydrate-Active enZYmes Database as glycosyltransferase family GT-38. In this study using DNA sequence analysis and functional characterization we have identified a novel polysialyltransferase from the bovine/ovine pathogen Mannheimia haemolytica A2 (PSTMh). The enzyme was expressed in recombinant form as a soluble maltose-binding-protein fusion in parallel with the related PSTs from E. coli K1 and N. meningitidis group B in order to perform a side-by-side comparison. Biochemical properties including solubility, acceptor preference, reaction pH optima, thermostability, kinetics, and product chain length for the enzymes were compared using a synthetic fluorescent acceptor molecule. PSTMh exhibited biochemical properties that make it an attractive candidate for chemi-enzymatic synthesis applications of polysialic acid. The activity of PSTMh was examined on a model glycoprotein and the surface of a neuroprogenitor cell line where the results supported its development for use in applications to therapeutic protein modification and cell surface glycan remodelling to enable cell migration at implantation sites to promote wound healing. The three PSTs examined here demonstrated different properties that would each be useful to therapeutic applications.
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Willis LM, Whitfield C. Structure, biosynthesis, and function of bacterial capsular polysaccharides synthesized by ABC transporter-dependent pathways. Carbohydr Res 2013; 378:35-44. [PMID: 23746650 DOI: 10.1016/j.carres.2013.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2013] [Revised: 05/06/2013] [Accepted: 05/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial capsules are formed primarily from long-chain polysaccharides with repeat-unit structures. A given bacterial species can produce a range of capsular polysaccharides (CPSs) with different structures and these help distinguish isolates by serotyping, as is the case with Escherichia coli K antigens. Capsules are important virulence factors for many pathogens and this review focuses on CPSs synthesized via ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter-dependent processes in Gram-negative bacteria. Bacteria utilizing this pathway are often associated with urinary tract infections, septicemia, and meningitis, and E. coli and Neisseria meningitidis provide well-studied examples. CPSs from ABC transporter-dependent pathways are synthesized at the cytoplasmic face of the inner membrane through the concerted action of glycosyltransferases before being exported across the inner membrane and translocated to the cell surface. A hallmark of these CPSs is a conserved reducing terminal glycolipid composed of phosphatidylglycerol and a poly-3-deoxy-d-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo) linker. Recent discovery of the structure of this conserved lipid terminus provides new insights into the early steps in CPS biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Willis
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
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Keys TG, Fuchs HLS, Galuska SP, Gerardy-Schahn R, Freiberger F. A single amino acid toggles Escherichia coli polysialyltransferases between mono- and bifunctionality. Glycobiology 2013; 23:613-8. [DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwt003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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A universal fluorescent acceptor for high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of pro- and eukaryotic polysialyltransferases. Anal Biochem 2012; 427:107-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2012.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2012] [Revised: 05/07/2012] [Accepted: 05/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Sialic acid metabolism and sialyltransferases: natural functions and applications. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2012; 94:887-905. [PMID: 22526796 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-012-4040-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 196] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2012] [Revised: 03/16/2012] [Accepted: 03/16/2012] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Sialic acids are a family of negatively charged monosaccharides which are commonly presented as the terminal residues in glycans of the glycoconjugates on eukaryotic cell surface or as components of capsular polysaccharides or lipooligosaccharides of some pathogenic bacteria. Due to their important biological and pathological functions, the biosynthesis, activation, transfer, breaking down, and recycle of sialic acids are attracting increasing attention. The understanding of the sialic acid metabolism in eukaryotes and bacteria leads to the development of metabolic engineering approaches for elucidating the important functions of sialic acid in mammalian systems and for large-scale production of sialosides using engineered bacterial cells. As the key enzymes in biosynthesis of sialylated structures, sialyltransferases have been continuously identified from various sources and characterized. Protein crystal structures of seven sialyltransferases have been reported. Wild-type sialyltransferases and their mutants have been applied with or without other sialoside biosynthetic enzymes for producing complex sialic acid-containing oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates. This mini-review focuses on current understanding and applications of sialic acid metabolism and sialyltransferases.
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