Discovery and characterization of a putrescine oxidase from Rhodococcus erythropolis NCIMB 11540

A gene encoding a putrescine oxidase (PuO(Rh), EC 1.4.3.10) was identified from the genome of Rhodococcus erythropolis NCIMB 11540. The gene was cloned in the pBAD vector and overexpressed at high levels in Escherichia coli. The purified enzyme was shown to be a soluble dimeric flavoprotein consisting of subunits of 50 kDa and contains non-covalently bound flavin adenine dinucleotide as a cofactor. From all substrates, the highest catalytic efficiency was found with putrescine (K(M) = 8.2 μM, k(cat) = 26 s(−1)). PuO(Rh) accepts longer polyamines, while short diamines and monoamines strongly inhibit activity. PuO(Rh) is a reasonably thermostable enzyme with t(1/2) at 50°C of 2 h. Based on the crystal structure of human monoamine oxidase B, we constructed a model structure of PuO(Rh), which hinted to a crucial role of Glu324 for substrate binding. Mutation of this residue resulted in a drastic drop (five orders of magnitude) in catalytic efficiency. Interestingly, the mutant enzyme showed activity with monoamines, which are not accepted by wt-PuO(Rh). ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00253-007-1310-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Hot or not? Discovery and characterization of a thermostable alditol oxidase from Acidothermus cellulolyticus 11B

We describe the discovery, isolation and characterization of a highly thermostable alditol oxidase from Acidothermus cellulolyticus 11B. This protein was identified by searching the genomes of known thermophiles for enzymes homologous to Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) alditol oxidase (AldO). A gene (sharing 48% protein sequence identity to AldO) was identified, cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Following 6xHis tag purification, characterization revealed the protein to be a covalent flavoprotein of 47 kDa with a remarkably similar reactivity and substrate specificity to that of AldO. A steady-state kinetic analysis with a number of different polyol substrates revealed lower catalytic rates but slightly altered substrate specificity when compared to AldO. Thermostability measurements revealed that the novel AldO is a highly thermostable enzyme with an unfolding temperature of 84 °C and an activity half-life at 75 °C of 112 min, prompting the name HotAldO. Inspired by earlier studies, we attempted a straightforward, exploratory approach to improve the thermostability of AldO by replacing residues with high B-factors with corresponding residues from HotAldO. None of these mutations resulted in a more thermostable oxidase; a fact that was corroborated by in silico analysis

Kinetic mechanism of putrescine oxidase from Rhodococcus erythropolis

Putrescine oxidase from Rhodococcus erythropolis (PuO) is a flavin-containing amine oxidase from the monoamine oxidase family that performs oxidative deamination of aliphatic diamines. In this study we report pre-steady-state kinetic analyses of the enzyme with the use of single-and double-mixing stopped-flow spectroscopy and putrescine as a substrate. During the fast and irreversible reductive half-reaction no radical intermediates were observed, suggesting a direct hydride transfer from the substrate to the FAD. The rate constant of flavin reoxidation depends on the ligand binding; when the imine product was bound to the enzyme the rate constant was higher than with free enzyme species. Similar results were obtained with product-mimicking ligands and this indicates that a ternary complex is formed during catalysis. The obtained kinetic data were used together with steady-state rate equations derived for ping-pong, ordered sequential and bifurcated mechanisms to explore which mechanism is operative. The integrated analysis revealed that PuO employs a bifurcated mechanism due to comparable rate constants of product release from the reduced enzyme and reoxidation of the reduced enzyme-product complex

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of an alditol oxidase from Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)

Alditol oxidase oxidizes a range of alditols into the corresponding aldoses and is an interesting candidate for biotechnological applications. Crystals of alditol oxidase from S. coelicolor A3(2) were obtained by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method and diffracted to 1.1 Å resolution

A Lifetime of Native American Architecture: Building Towards the Indigenous Millennium

Carbohydrate oxidases are found in all kingdoms of life but are mostly found in fungi. Their natural role is not always clear. Usage of molecular oxygen as electron acceptor is not a logical choice when the enzyme is part of a catabolic pathway. This chapter provides an overview of the occurrence and properties of carbohydrate oxidases. The physiological role of the different enzymes is discussed in relation to their origin, and the catalytic and structural properties are discussed in relation to their family background. It also provides a summary of the biocatalytic applications of carbohydrate oxidases. Carbohydrate oxidases are valuable enzymes for several applications. They are relatively stable and do not need expensive coenzymes. Carbohydrate oxidases are widely used in diagnostic applications, in the food and drinks industry, and for carbohydrate synthesis. They are also used for bleaching (production of H2O2) and as oxygen scavenger

Origin of the Proton-transfer Step in the Cofactor-free (1H)-3-Hydroxy-4-oxoquinaldine 2,4-Dioxygenase

Dioxygenases catalyze a diverse range of chemical reactions that involve the incorporation of oxygen into a substrate and typically use a transition metal or organic cofactor for reaction. Bacterial 1-H-3- hydroxy-4-oxoquinaldine-2,4-dioxygenase (HOD) belongs to a class of oxygenases able to catalyze this energetically unfavourable reaction without any cofactor. In the quinaldine metabolic pathway HOD breaks down its natural N-heteroaromatic substrate using a mechanism that is still incompletely understood. Experimental and computational approaches were combined to study the initial step of the catalytic cycle. We have investigated the role of the active site His251/Asp126 dyad, proposed to be involved in substrate hydroxyl group deprotonation, a critical requirement for subsequent oxygen reaction. The pH profiles obtained under steady-state conditions for the H251A and D126A variants show a strong pH effect on their kcat and kcat/Km constants, with a decrease in kcat/Km of 5500-fold and 9-fold at pH 10.5, respectively. Substrate deprotonation studies under transient-state conditions show that this step is not rate limiting and yield a pKa value of ~7.2 for wt HOD. A large solvent isotope effect was found and the pKa value was shifted to ~8.3 in D2O. Crystallographic and computational studies reveal that the mutations have minor effect on substrate positioning. Computational work shows that both His251 and Asp126 are essential for the proton transfer driving force of the initial reaction. This multi-disciplinary study offers unambiguous support to the view that substrate deprotonation, driven by the His/Asp dyad, is an essential requirement for its activation