The Rapid and Sensitive Quantitative Determination of Galactose by Combined Enzymatic and Colorimetric Method: Application in Neonatal Screening

The quantitative measurement of galactose in blood is essential for the early diagnosis, treatment, and dietary monitoring of galactosemia patients. In this communication, we aimed to develop a rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective combined method for galactose determination in dry blood spots. This procedure was based on the combination of enzymatic reactions of galactose dehydrogenase (GalDH), dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase (DLD), and alkaline phosphates with a colorimetric system. The incubation time and the concentration of enzymes used in new method were also optimized. The analytical performance was studied by the precision, recovery, linearity, and sensitivity parameters. Statistical analysis was applied to method comparison experiment. The regression equation and correlation coefficient (R (2)) were Y = 0.0085x + 0.032 and R (2) = 0.998, respectively. This assay exhibited a recovery in the range of 91.7-114.3 % and had the limit detection of 0.5 mg/dl for galactose. The between-run coefficient of variation (CV) was between 2.6 and 11.1 %. The within-run CV was between 4.9 and 9.2 %. Our results indicated that the new and reference methods were in agreement because no significant biases exist between them. Briefly, a quick and reliable combined enzymatic and colorimetric assay was presented for application in newborn mass screening and monitoring of galactosemia patients.

Expression, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of rice L-galactose dehydrogenase

In plants, L-galactose dehydrogenase (L-GalDH) is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of ascorbic acid (AsA), which is well known as a unique antioxidant compound and a cofactor for many enzymes. L-GalDH catalyses the oxidation of L-galactose to L-galactono-1,4-lactone. Rice L-GalDH was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized. Diffraction-quality rod-shaped crystals were grown using a sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method. The L-GalDH crystals exhibited the symmetry of space group P21 and diffracted to a resolution of 1.2 Å. The crystals had unit-cell parameters a = 46.8, b = 54.9, c = 56.9 Å, β = 102.3°. On the basis of the Matthews coefficient (VM = 2.1 Å(3) Da(-1), solvent content of 42.3%), it was estimated that one peptide was present in the asymmetric unit.

NAD(H) recycling activity of an engineered bifunctional enzyme galactose dehydrogenase/lactate dehydrogenase

A chimeric bifunctional enzyme composing of galactose dehydrogenase (galDH; from Pseudomonas fluorescens) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH; from Bacillus stearothermophilus) was successfully constructed. The chimeric galDH/LDH possessed dual characteristics of both galactose dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase activities while exhibiting hexameric rearrangement with a molecular weight of approximately 400 kDa. In vitro observations showed that the chimeric enzyme was able to recycle NAD with a continuous production of lactate without any externally added NADH. Two fold higher recycling rate (0.3 mM/h) than that of the native enzyme was observed at pH values above 8.5. Proximity effects became especially pronounced during the recycling assay when diffusion hindrance was induced by polyethylene glycol. All these findings open up a high feasibility to apply the NAD(H) recycling system for metabolic engineering purposes e.g. as a model to gain a better understanding on the molecular proximity process and as the routes for synthesizing of numerous high-value-added compounds.

Feedback inhibition of spinach L-galactose dehydrogenase by L-ascorbate

We have studied the enzymological properties of L-galactose dehydrogenase (l-GalDH), a key enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of l-ascorbate (AsA) in plants. L-GalDH was purified approximately 560-fold from spinach leaves. The enzyme was a homodimer with a subunit mass of 36 kDa. We also cloned the full-length cDNA of spinach L-GalDH, which contained an open reading frame encoding 322 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 35,261 Da. The deduced amino acid sequence of the cDNA showed 82, 79 and 75% homology to L-GalDH from kiwifruit, apple and Arabidopsis, respectively. Recombinant enzyme expressed from the cDNA in Escherichia coli showed L-GalDH activity. Southern blot analysis revealed that the spinach L-GalDH gene occurs in a single copy. Northern blot analysis suggests that L-GalDH is expressed in different organs of spinach. The purified native L-GalDH showed high specificity for L-galactose with a Km of 116.2+/-3.2 microM. Interestingly, spinach L-GalDH exhibited reversible inhibition by AsA, the end-product of the biosynthetic pathway. The inhibition kinetics indicated a linear-competitive inhibition with a Ki of 133.2+/-7.2 microM, suggesting feedback regulation in AsA synthesis in the plant.

Galactosyl-mimodye ligands for Pseudomonas fluorescens beta-galactose dehydrogenase

Protein molecular modelling and ligand docking were employed for the design of anthraquinone galactosyl-biomimetic dye ligands (galactosyl-mimodyes) for the target enzyme galactose dehydrogenase (GaDH). Using appropriate modelling methodology, a GaDH model was build based on a glucose-fructose oxidoreductase (GFO) protein template. Subsequent computational analysis predicted chimaeric mimodye-ligands comprising a NAD-pseudomimetic moiety (anthraquinone diaminobenzosulfonic acid) and a galactosyl-mimetic moiety (2-amino-2-deoxygalactose or shikimic acid) bearing an aliphatic 'linker' molecule. In addition, the designed mimodye ligands had an appropriate in length and chemical nature 'spacer' molecule via which they can be attached onto a chromatographic support without steric clashes upon interaction with GaDH. Following their synthesis, purification and analysis, the ligands were immobilized to agarose. The respective affinity adsorbents, compared to other conventional adsorbents, were shown to be superior affinity chromatography materials for the target enzyme, Pseudomonas fluorescensbeta-galactose dehydrogenase. In addition, these mimodye affinity adsorbents displayed good selectivity, binding low amounts of enzymes other than GaDH. Further immobilized dye-ligands, comprising different linker and/or spacer molecules, or not having a biomimetic moiety, had inferior chromatographic behavior. Therefore, these new mimodyes suggested by computational analysis, are candidates for application in affinity labeling and structural studies as well as for purification of galactose dehydrogenase.

Kinetics of the coupled reaction catalysed by a fusion protein of beta-galactosidase and galactose dehydrogenase

The mechanistic implications of the kinetic behaviour of a fusion protein of beta-galactosidase and galactose dehydrogenase have been analysed in view of predictions based on experimentally determined kinetic parameter values for the galactosidase and dehydrogenase activities of the protein. The results show that the time course of galactonolactone formation from lactose in the coupled reaction catalysed by the fusion protein can be most satisfactorily accounted for in terms of a free-diffusion mechanism when consideration is given to the mutarotation of the reaction intermediate galactose. It is concluded that no tenable kinetic evidence is available to support the proposal that the fusion protein catalyses galactonolactone formation from lactose by a mechanism involving channelling of galactose.

Selective disruption of protein aggregation by cyclodextrin dimers

Beta-cyclodextrin (CD) dimers (n = 11) were synthesized and tested against eight enzymes, seven of which were dimeric or tetrameric, for inhibitor activity. Initial screening showed that only L-lactate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase were inhibited but only by two specific CD dimers in which two beta-CDs were linked on the secondary face by a pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic group. Further investigation suggested that these CD dimers inhibit the activity of L-lactate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase at least in part by disruption of protein-protein aggregation.

Physical and kinetic effects on induction of various linker regions in beta-galactosidase/galactose dehydrogenase fusion enzymes

To examine the role of the connecting region in the artificial bifunctional enzyme beta-galactosidase/galactose dehydrogenase, linkers of different length were inserted between the catalytic units. The specific activity of the galactose dehydrogenase part of the complex was increased when longer linkers (9 and 13 amino acids) were used as connectors. These bifunctional enzymes were predominantly found to comprise hexamers, however, complexes of higher molecular weight were also formed. The sequential reaction was carried out more efficiently when hybrid enzymes with the longer linkers were used as demonstrated both in vitro by using purified protein preparations as well as in vivo by determining the growth rates of recombinant E. coli cells on a minimal medium containing lactose.

Characterization of a recombinant bifunctional enzyme, galactose dehydrogenase/bacterial luciferase, displaying an improved bioluminescence in a three-enzyme system

The two structural genes encoding galactose dehydrogenase (Pseudomonas fluorescens) and the beta subunit of luciferase (Vibrio harveyi) were fused in-frame in order to prepare and subsequently characterize an artificial bifunctional enzyme complex. This hybrid enzyme exhibited both galactose dehydrogenase activity and bioluminescence when expressed in Escherichia coli together with the alpha subunit of luciferase. The purified conjugate was used to study possible proximity effects in a sequential three-enzyme reaction with the bifunctional enzyme catalyzing the first and the last reaction. The intermediate enzyme, diaphorase, was added separately. The engineered enzyme system, comprising the galactose dehydrogenase/luciferase conjugate, could display a twofold higher bioluminescence in the overall enzyme reaction compared to a corresponding reference system with separate native enzymes. The increased bioluminescence obtained for the engineered enzyme system is proposed to be due to an improved organization of the enzyme in solution.