Biochemical characterization of the bifunctional enzyme dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase from Leishmania ( Viannia ) and its evaluation as a drug target / Caracterización bioquímica de la enzima bifuncional dihidrofolato reductasa-timidilato sintasa de Leishmania ( Viannia ) y su evaluación como blanco molecular

Introduction. Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) has been used successfully as a drug target in the area of anti-bacterial, anti-cancer and anti-malarial therapy. Although this bifunctional enzyme is also a potential drug target for treatment of leishmaniasis, there have been no reports on its efficacy against Leishmania ( Viannia ) species . Materials and methods. The gene encoding the bifunctional DHFR and thymidylate synthase (TS) of Le. (V.) braziliensis was isolated and expressed in E. coli. The enzyme was purified and characterized. The inhibitory effects of antifolates and four aporphine alkaloids on its activity were evaluated. Results. The full-length gene consists of a 1560-bp open reading frame encoding a 58 kDa translated peptide containing DHFR and TS domains linked together in a single polypeptide chain. The recombinant DHFR-TS enzyme revealed K m and V max values of 55.35 ± 4.02 µ M (mean ± SE) and 0.02 ± 5.34 x 10 -4 µ M/min respectively for dihydrofolic acid (H 2 F). The Le. braziliensis rDHFR-TS have Ki values for antimicrobial antifolates in the µM range. Methotrexate (MTX) was a more-potent inhibitor of enzymatic activity ( Ki = 22.0 µM) than trimethoprim ( Ki = 33 µM) and pyrimethamine ( Ki = 68 µM). These Ki values are significantly lower than those obtained for the aporphine alkaloids. Conclusion. The results of the study show the inhibitory effect of antifolate drugs on enzymatic activity, indicating that Le. braziliensis rDHFR-TS could be a model to studying antifolate compounds as potential antiprotozoal drugs.

Introducción. La dihidrofolato reductasa (DHFR) se ha utilizado como blanco molecular en tratamientos antibacterianos, anticancerígenos y antipalúdicos. También, actúa como blanco molecular en Leishmania ; sin embargo, no existen reportes de la enzima bifuncional en especies de Leishmania ( Viannia ). Materiales y métodos. Se ha aislado y expresado en Escherichia coli el gen que codifica para la enzima bifuncional DHFR y la timidilato-sintasa (TS) de Leishmania braziliensis . La enzima recombinante se purificó y caracterizó, y se evaluó el efecto inhibitorio de algunos antifolatos, así como de cuatro alcaloides aporfínicos. Resultados. El gen se compone de aproximadamente 1.560 pb y codifica un péptido de 58 kDa que contiene los dominios DHFR y TS ligados en una sola cadena polipeptídica. La enzima recombinante DHFR-TS, utilizando el dihidrofolato (H2F) como sustrato, presentó valores de K m y V max de 55,35 ± 4,02 (media ± el error estándar de la media) y de 0,02 ± 5,34 x 10 -4 , respectivamente. La enzima rDHFR-TS de L. braziliensis presentó valores de Ki para los antifolatos en el rango de micras. El metotrexato fue el inhibidor más potente de la actividad enzimática ( Ki =22,0 mM) en comparación del trimetoprim ( Ki =33 mM) y la pirimetamina ( Ki =68 mM). Estos valores de Ki son significativamente más bajos en comparación con los obtenidos para los alcaloides aporfínicos. Conclusión. Los resultados muestran el efecto inhibitorio de los antifolatos sobre la actividad enzimática, lo cual indica que la rDHFR-TS de L. braziliensis podría ser un modelo para estudiar moléculas antiprotozoarias potenciales.

Physico-chemical properties of thymidylate synthase from Lactobacillus leichmannii: thiol groups, amino acid composition and the terminal end-groups.

Thymidylate synthase (5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate: deoxyuridylate C-methyltransferase, EC 2.1.1.45) from Lactobacillus leichmannii was completely inactivated after 5 min of heat treatment at 55 degrees C. A remarkable synergistic effect with no loss in activity was noted when 10(-3) M dUMP was added to the enzyme before subjecting to heat treatment. The enzyme got activated in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol (75 mM) and inhibited by pCMB (I50 = 5 microM). It had 2 free sulfhydryl groups and a single disulfide bond. The two identical subunits of the 74 kDa dimer were possibly bonded by a single disulfide linkage. It had a total of 652 amino acids with methionine as the amino-terminal and alanine as the carboxy-terminal amino acid residues. The carboxy-terminal end-group alanine was preceded by valine, lysine and proline sequentially in that order.

Purification, relative molecular mass and subunits of thymidylate synthase from Lactobacillus leichmannii.

Thymidylate synthase (5, 10-methylenetetrahydrofolate: dUMP C-methyltransferase, EC 2.1.1.45) from crude cell extracts of Lactobacillus leichmannii has been purified 190-fold to homogeneity by chromatography on hydroxylapatite, DEAE-cellulose and Sephadex G-100 columns. It has UV absorption maxima at 280 nm. The crude extracts, however, have RNA associated with the native enzyme. This is in line with our earlier observation on the Streptococcus faecium thymidylate synthase [Narasimha Rao K & Kisliuk R L, (1983) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 80, 916-920]. Optimal conditions for dTMP synthase activity are: 275 microM (dl)-L-H4PteGlu, 13 mM HCHO, 13 mM MgCl2, 100 microM dUMP and 75 mM 2-mercaptoethanol at pH 7.4 using Tris-HCl buffer. The enzyme has M(r) of 74 kDa, Stokes radius of 1.24 nm and a sedimentation coefficient value of 0.45 S. The enzyme is a dimer composed of 2 identical subunits each with M(r) of 37 kDa.