Formation of 3-hydroxyglutaric acid in glutaric aciduria type I: in vitro participation of medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase.

3-Hydroxyglutaric acid (3-OH-GA) in urine has been identified as the most reliable diagnostic marker for glutaric aciduria type I (GA I). We showed that hydratation of glutaconyl-CoA to 3-hydroxyglutaryl-CoA, which is subsequently hydrolyzed to 3-OH-GA, is efficiently catalyzed by 3-methylglutaconyl-CoA hydratase (3-MGH). We have now investigated whether mitochondrial acyl-CoA-dehydrogenases can convert glutaryl-CoA to glutaconyl-CoA. Short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (SCAD), medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD), and long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCAD) accepted glutaryl-CoA as a substrate. The highest k cat of glutaryl-CoA was found for MCAD (0.12 ± 0.01 second-1) and was about 26-fold and 52-fold higher than those of LCAD and SCAD, respectively. The turnover of MCAD for glutaryl-CoA was about 1.5% of that of its natural substrate octanoyl-CoA. Despite high K m (above 600 µM) and low turnover rate, the oxidation of glutaryl-CoA by MCAD in combination with 3-MGH could explain the urinary concentration of 3-OH-GA in GA I patients.

Plant-type phytoene desaturase: Functional evaluation of structural implications.

Phytoene desaturase (PDS) is an essential plant carotenoid biosynthetic enzyme and a prominent target of certain inhibitors, such as norflurazon, acting as bleaching herbicides. PDS catalyzes the introduction of two double bonds into 15-cis-phytoene, yielding 9,15,9'-tri-cis-ζ-carotene via the intermediate 9,15-di-cis-phytofluene. We present the necessary data to scrutinize functional implications inferred from the recently resolved crystal structure of Oryza sativa PDS in a complex with norflurazon. Using dynamic mathematical modeling of reaction time courses, we support the relevance of homotetrameric assembly of the enzyme observed in crystallo by providing evidence for substrate channeling of the intermediate phytofluene between individual subunits at membrane surfaces. Kinetic investigations are compatible with an ordered ping-pong bi-bi kinetic mechanism in which the carotene and the quinone electron acceptor successively occupy the same catalytic site. The mutagenesis of a conserved arginine that forms a hydrogen bond with norflurazon, the latter competing with plastoquinone, corroborates the possibility of engineering herbicide resistance, however, at the expense of diminished catalytic activity. This mutagenesis also supports a "flavin only" mechanism of carotene desaturation not requiring charged residues in the active site. Evidence for the role of the central 15-cis double bond of phytoene in determining regio-specificity of carotene desaturation is presented.

Structure of Phytoene Desaturase Provides Insights into Herbicide Binding and Reaction Mechanisms Involved in Carotene Desaturation.

Cyanobacteria and plants synthesize carotenoids via a poly-cis pathway starting with phytoene, a membrane-bound C40 hydrocarbon. Phytoene desaturase (PDS) introduces two double bonds and concomitantly isomerizes two neighboring double bonds from trans to cis. PDS assembles into homo-tetramers that interact monotopically with membranes. A long hydrophobic tunnel is proposed to function in the sequential binding of phytoene and the electron acceptor plastoquinone. The herbicidal inhibitor norflurazon binds at a plastoquinone site thereby blocking reoxidation of FADred. Comparison with the sequence-dissimilar bacterial carotene desaturase CRTI reveals substantial similarities in the overall protein fold, defining both as members of the GR2 family of flavoproteins. However, the PDS active center architecture is unprecedented: no functional groups are found in the immediate flavin vicinity that might participate in dehydrogenation and isomerization. This suggests that the isoalloxazine moiety is sufficient for catalysis. Despite mechanistic differences, an ancient evolutionary relation of PDS and CRTI is apparent.

Insights into the formation of carlactone from in-depth analysis of the CCD8-catalyzed reactions.

Strigolactones are a new class of phytohormones synthesized from carotenoids via carlactone. The complex structure of carlactone is not easily deducible from its precursor, a cis-configured ß-carotene cleavage product, and is thus formed via a poorly understood series of reactions and molecular rearrangements, all catalyzed by only one enzyme, the carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 8 (CCD8). Moreover, the reactions leading to carlactone are expected to form a second, yet unidentified product. In this study, we used 13 C and 18 O-labeling to shed light on the reactions catalyzed by CCD8. The characterization of the resulting carlactone by LC-MS and NMR, and the identification of the assumed, less accessible second product allowed us to formulate a minimal reaction mechanism for carlactone generation.

l-Amino acid oxidase isolated from calloselasma rhodostoma snake venom induces cytotoxicity and apoptosis in JAK2V617F-positive cell lines

BACKGROUND: Myeloproliferative neoplasms are Philadelphia chromosome-negative diseases characterized by hyperproliferation of mature myeloid cells, associated or not with the Janus kinase 2 tyrosine kinase mutation, JAK2V617F. As there is no curative therapy, researchers have been investigating new drugs to treat myeloproliferative neoplasms, including l-amino acid oxidase from Calloselasma rhodostoma snake venom (CR-LAAO), which is a toxin capable of eliciting apoptosis in several tumor cell lines. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of l-amino acid oxidase from C. rhodostoma snake venom in the apoptotic machinery of JAK2-mutated cell lines. METHODS: The HEL 92.1.7 and SET-2 cell lines were cultured with l-amino acid oxidase and catalase for 12 h at 37 °C in 5% carbon dioxide. The cell viability was assessed by the multi-table tournament method, the level of apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry, and the expression of cysteine-dependent aspartate-specific proteases and cleaved Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase were analyzed by Western blotting. RESULTS: l-Amino acid oxidase from C. rhodostoma snake venom was cytotoxic to HEL 92.1.7 and SET-2 cells (50% inhibitory concentration = 0.15 µg/mL and 1.5 µg/mL, respectively) and induced apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner. Cell treatment with catalase mitigated the l-amino acid oxidase toxicity, indicating that hydrogen peroxide is a key component of its cytotoxic effect.The activated caspases 3 and 8 expression and cleaved PARP in HEL 92.1.7 and SET-2 cells confirmed the apoptosis activation by CR-LAAO. CONCLUSIONS: l-Amino acid oxidase from C. rhodostoma snake venom is a potential antineoplastic agent against HEL 92.1.7 and SET-2 JAK2V617F-positive cells as it activates the extrinsic apoptosis pathway.

l-Amino acid oxidase isolated from Calloselasma rhodostoma snake venom induces cytotoxicity and apoptosis in JAK2V617F-positive cell lines.

BACKGROUND: Myeloproliferative neoplasms are Philadelphia chromosome-negative diseases characterized by hyperproliferation of mature myeloid cells, associated or not with the Janus kinase 2 tyrosine kinase mutation, JAK2V617F. As there is no curative therapy, researchers have been investigating new drugs to treat myeloproliferative neoplasms, including l-amino acid oxidase from Calloselasma rhodostoma snake venom (CR-LAAO), which is a toxin capable of eliciting apoptosis in several tumor cell lines. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of l-amino acid oxidase from C. rhodostoma snake venom in the apoptotic machinery of JAK2-mutated cell lines. METHODS: The HEL 92.1.7 and SET-2 cell lines were cultured with l-amino acid oxidase and catalase for 12h at 37°C in 5% carbon dioxide. The cell viability was assessed by the multi-table tournament method, the level of apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry, and the expression of cysteine-dependent aspartate-specific proteases and cleaved Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase were analyzed by Western blotting. RESULTS: l-Amino acid oxidase from C. rhodostoma snake venom was cytotoxic to HEL 92.1.7 and SET-2 cells (50% inhibitory concentration=0.15µg/mL and 1.5µg/mL, respectively) and induced apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner. Cell treatment with catalase mitigated the l-amino acid oxidase toxicity, indicating that hydrogen peroxide is a key component of its cytotoxic effect.The activated caspases 3 and 8 expression and cleaved PARP in HEL 92.1.7 and SET-2 cells confirmed the apoptosis activation by CR-LAAO. CONCLUSIONS: l-Amino acid oxidase from C. rhodostoma snake venom is a potential antineoplastic agent against HEL 92.1.7 and SET-2 JAK2V617F-positive cells as it activates the extrinsic apoptosis pathway.

CR-LAAO antileukemic effect against Bcr-Abl(+) cells is mediated by apoptosis and hydrogen peroxide.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by the presence of the Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase protein, which confers resistance to apoptosis in leukemic cells. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are effectively used to treat CML; however, CML patients in the advanced (CML-AP) and chronic (CML-CP) phases of the disease are usually resistant to TKI therapy. Thus, it is necessary to seek for novel agents to treat CML, such as the enzyme l-amino acid oxidase from Calloselasma rhodostoma (CR-LAAO) snake venom. We examined the antitumor effect of CR-LAAO in Bcr-Abl(+) cell lines and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy subjects and CML patients. CR-LAAO was more cytotoxic towards Bcr-Abl(+) cell lines than towards healthy subjects' PBMC. The H2O2 produced during the enzymatic action of CR-LAAO mediated its cytotoxic effect. The CR-LAAO induced apoptosis in Bcr-Abl(+) cells, as detected by caspases 3, 8, and 9 activation, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and DNA damage. CR-LAAO elicited apoptosis in PBMC from CML-CP patients without TKI treatment more strongly than in PBMC from healthy subjects and TKI-treated CML-CP and CML-AP patients. The antitumor effect of CR-LAAO against Bcr-Abl(+) cells makes this toxin a promising candidate to CML therapy.

Phytoene Desaturase from Oryza sativa: Oligomeric Assembly, Membrane Association and Preliminary 3D-Analysis.

Recombinant phytoene desaturase (PDS-His6) from rice was purified to near-homogeneity and shown to be enzymatically active in a biphasic, liposome-based assay system. The protein contains FAD as the sole protein-bound redox-cofactor. Benzoquinones, not replaceable by molecular oxygen, serve as a final electron acceptor defining PDS as a 15-cis-phytoene (donor):plastoquinone oxidoreductase. The herbicidal PDS-inhibitor norflurazon is capable of arresting the reaction by stabilizing the intermediary FAD(red), while an excess of the quinone acceptor relieves this blockage, indicating competition. The enzyme requires its homo-oligomeric association for activity. The sum of data collected through gel permeation chromatography, non-denaturing polyacrylamide electrophoresis, chemical cross-linking, mass spectrometry and electron microscopy techniques indicate that the high-order oligomers formed in solution are the basis for an active preparation. Of these, a tetramer consisting of dimers represents the active unit. This is corroborated by our preliminary X-ray structural analysis that also revealed similarities of the protein fold with the sequence-inhomologous bacterial phytoene desaturase CRTI and other oxidoreductases of the GR2-family of flavoproteins. This points to an evolutionary relatedness of CRTI and PDS yielding different carotene desaturation sequences based on homologous protein folds.

Evaluating the microbicidal, antiparasitic and antitumor effects of CR-LAAO from Calloselasma rhodostoma venom.

CR-LAAO is an L-amino acid oxidase from Calloselasma rhodostoma snake venom that has been broadly studied regarding its structural and biochemical characteristics, however, few studies have investigated its pharmacological effects. The present study aimed at the evaluation of the biotechnological potential of CR-LAAO by determining its bactericidal, antifungal, leishmanicidal and trypanocidal activity, as well as its cytotoxicity on human tumor and non-tumor cell lines. After 24 h of preincubation, CR-LAAO showed bactericidal effects against both Staphylococcus aureus (MIC 0.78 µg/mL) and Escherichia coli (MIC 31.25 µg/mL) strains, inducing dismantle of bacterial cell walls. After 6 h of preincubation with Candida albicans, CR-LAAO was able to inhibit 80% of the yeast growth, and it also showed cytotoxic activity on Leishmania species and Trypanosoma cruzi. Additionally, CR-LAAO showed high cytotoxicity on HepG2 and HL-60 tumor cells (IC50 10.78 and 1.7 µg/mL), with lower effects on human mononuclear cells (PBMC). The cytotoxic effects of CR-LAAO were significantly inhibited in the presence of catalase, which suggests the involvement of hydrogen peroxide in its mechanisms of toxicity. Therefore, CR-LAAO showed promising pharmacological effects, and these results provide important information for the development of therapeutic strategies with directed action, such as more effective antimicrobial agents.

On the structure and function of the phytoene desaturase CRTI from Pantoea ananatis, a membrane-peripheral and FAD-dependent oxidase/isomerase.

CRTI-type phytoene desaturases prevailing in bacteria and fungi can form lycopene directly from phytoene while plants employ two distinct desaturases and two cis-tans isomerases for the same purpose. This property renders CRTI a valuable gene to engineer provitamin A-formation to help combat vitamin A malnutrition, such as with Golden Rice. To understand the biochemical processes involved, recombinant CRTI was produced and obtained in homogeneous form that shows high enzymatic activity with the lipophilic substrate phytoene contained in phosphatidyl-choline (PC) liposome membranes. The first crystal structure of apo-CRTI reveals that CRTI belongs to the flavoprotein superfamily comprising protoporphyrinogen IX oxidoreductase and monoamine oxidase. CRTI is a membrane-peripheral oxidoreductase which utilizes FAD as the sole redox-active cofactor. Oxygen, replaceable by quinones in its absence, is needed as the terminal electron acceptor. FAD, besides its catalytic role also displays a structural function by enabling the formation of enzymatically active CRTI membrane associates. Under anaerobic conditions the enzyme can act as a carotene cis-trans isomerase. In silico-docking experiments yielded information on substrate binding sites, potential catalytic residues and is in favor of single half-site recognition of the symmetrical C(40) hydrocarbon substrate.

The path from ß-carotene to carlactone, a strigolactone-like plant hormone.

Strigolactones, phytohormones with diverse signaling activities, have a common structure consisting of two lactones connected by an enol-ether bridge. Strigolactones derive from carotenoids via a pathway involving the carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases 7 and 8 (CCD7 and CCD8) and the iron-binding protein D27. We show that D27 is a ß-carotene isomerase that converts all-trans-ß-carotene into 9-cis-ß-carotene, which is cleaved by CCD7 into a 9-cis-configured aldehyde. CCD8 incorporates three oxygens into 9-cis-ß-apo-10'-carotenal and performs molecular rearrangement, linking carotenoids with strigolactones and producing carlactone, a compound with strigolactone-like biological activities. Knowledge of the structure of carlactone will be crucial for understanding the biology of strigolactones and may have applications in combating parasitic weeds.

Revisitation of the ßCl-elimination reaction of D-amino acid oxidase: new interpretation of the reaction that sparked flavoprotein dehydrogenation mechanisms.

D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) from pig has been reported to catalyze the ß-elimination of Cl(-) from ßCl-D-alanine via abstraction of the substrate α-H as H(+) ("carbanion mechanism") (Walsh, C. T., Schonbrunn, A., and Abeles, R. H. (1971) J. Biol. Chem. 246, 6855-6866). In view of the fundamental mechanistic importance of this reaction and of the recent reinterpretation of the DAAO dehydrogenation step as occurring via a hydride mechanism, we reinvestigated the elimination reaction using yeast DAAO. That enzyme catalyzes the same reactions as the pig enzyme but with a much higher efficiency and a substantially different kinetic behavior. The reaction is initiated by a very rapid and fully reversible dehydrogenation step. This leads to an equilibrium (k(on) ≈ k(reverse)) between the complexes of oxidized enzyme-ßCl-D-alanine and reduced enzyme-ßCl-iminopyruvate. In the presence of O(2) the latter complex can partition between an oxidative half-reaction and elimination of Cl(-), which proceeds at a rate of ≈50 s(-1). This step forms a complex between oxidized enzyme and enamine that is characterized by a charge transfer absorption (which describes its rates of formation and decay). A minimal scheme that lists relevant steps of the reductive and oxidative half-reactions and elimination pathways along with the estimate of the corresponding rate constants is presented. ß-Elimination of Cl(-) is proposed to originate at the locus of the enzyme-ßCl-iminopyruvate complex. A chemical mechanism that can account for elimination is discussed in detail.

Plant carotene cis-trans isomerase CRTISO: a new member of the FAD(RED)-dependent flavoproteins catalyzing non-redox reactions.

The carotene cis-trans isomerase CRTISO is a constituent of the carotene desaturation pathway as evolved in cyanobacteria and prevailing in plants, in which a tetra-cis-lycopene species, termed prolycopene, is formed. CRTISO, an evolutionary descendant of the bacterial carotene desaturase CRTI, catalyzes the cis-to-trans isomerization reactions leading to all-trans-lycopene, the substrate for the subsequent lycopene cyclization to form all-trans-α/ß-carotene. CRTISO and CRTI share a dinucleotide binding motif at the N terminus. Here we report that this site is occupied by FAD in CRTISO. The reduced form of this cofactor catalyzes a reaction not involving net redox changes. Results obtained with C(1)- and C(5)-deaza-FAD suggest mechanistic similarities with type II isopentenyl diphosphate: dimethylallyl diphosphate isomerase (IDI-2). CRTISO, together with lycopene cyclase CRTY and IDI-2, thus represents the third enzyme in isoprenoid metabolism belonging to the class of non-redox enzymes depending on reduced flavin for activity. The regional specificity and the kinetics of the isomerization reaction were investigated in vitro using purified enzyme and biphasic liposome-based systems carrying specific cis-configured lycopene species as substrates. The reaction proceeded from cis to trans, recognizing half-sides of the symmetrical prolycopene and was accompanied by one trans-to-cis isomerization step specific for the C(5)-C(6) double bond. Rice lycopene ß-cyclase (OsLCY-b), when additionally introduced into the biphasic in vitro system used, was found to be stereospecific for all-trans-lycopene and allowed the CRTISO reaction to proceed toward completion by modifying the thermodynamics of the overall reaction.

On the reaction of D-amino acid oxidase with dioxygen: O2 diffusion pathways and enhancement of reactivity.

Evidence is accumulating that oxygen access in proteins is guided and controlled. We also have recently described channels that might allow access of oxygen to pockets at the active site of the flavoprotein D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) that have a high affinity for dioxygen and are in close proximity to the flavin. With the goal of enhancing the reactivity of DAAO with oxygen, we have performed site-saturation mutagenesis at three positions that flank the putative oxygen channels and high-affinity sites. The most interesting variants at positions 50, 201 and 225 were identified by a screening procedure at low oxygen concentration. The biochemical properties of these variants have been studied and compared with those of wild-type DAAO, with emphasis on the reactivity of the reduced enzyme species with dioxygen. The substitutions at positions 50 and 225 do not enhance this reaction, but mainly affect the protein conformation and stability. However, the T201L variant shows an up to a threefold increase in the rate constant for reaction of O(2) with reduced flavin, together with a fivefold decrease in the K(m) for dioxygen. This effect was not observed when a valine is located at position 201, and is thus attributed to a specific alteration in the micro-environment of one high-affinity site for dioxygen (site B) close to the flavin that plays an important role in the storage of oxygen. The increase in O(2) reactivity observed for T201L DAAO is of great interest for designing new flavoenzymes for biotechnological applications.

O2 reactivity of flavoproteins: dynamic access of dioxygen to the active site and role of a H+ relay system in D-amino acid oxidase.

Molecular dynamics simulations and implicit ligand sampling methods have identified trajectories and sites of high affinity for O(2) in the protein framework of the flavoprotein D-amino-acid oxidase (DAAO). A specific dynamic channel for the diffusion of O(2) leads from solvent to the flavin Si-side (amino acid substrate and product bind on the Re-side). Based on this, amino acids that flank the putative O(2) high affinity sites have been exchanged with bulky residues to introduce steric constraints. In G52V DAAO, the valine side chain occupies the site that in wild-type DAAO has the highest O(2) affinity. In this variant, the reactivity of the reduced enzyme with O(2) is decreased >or=100-fold and the turnover number approximately 1000-fold thus verifying the concept. In addition, the simulations have identified a chain of three water molecules that might serve in relaying a H(+) from the product imino acid =NH(2)(+) group bound on the flavin Re-side to the developing peroxide on the Si-side. This function would be comparable with that of a similarly located histidine in the flavoprotein glucose oxidase.

The lycopene cyclase CrtY from Pantoea ananatis (formerly Erwinia uredovora) catalyzes an FADred-dependent non-redox reaction.

The cyclization of lycopene generates provitamin A carotenoids such as beta-carotene and paves the way toward the formation of cyclic xanthophylls playing distinct roles in photosynthesis and as precursors for regulatory molecules in plants and animals. The biochemistry of lycopene cyclization has been enigmatic, as the previously proposed acid-base catalysis conflicted with the possibility of redox catalysis as predicted by the presence of a dinucleotide binding site. We show that reduced FAD is the essential lycopene cyclase (CrtY) cofactor. Using flavin analogs, mass spectrometry, and mutagenesis, evidence was obtained based on which a catalytic mechanism relying on cryptic (net) electron transfer can be refuted. The role of reduced FAD is proposed to reside in the stabilization of a transition state carrying a (partial) positive charge or of a positively charged intermediate via a charge transfer interaction, acid-base catalysis serving as the underlying catalytic principle. Lycopene cyclase, thus, ranks among the novel class of non-redox flavoproteins, such as isopentenyl diphosphate:dimethylallyl diphosphate isomerase type 2 (IDI-2) that requires the reduced form of the cofactor.

Cholesterol oxidase: biochemistry and structural features.

Cholesterol oxidases are bifunctional flavoenzymes that catalyze the oxidation of steroid substrates which have a hydroxyl group at the 3beta position of the steroid ring system. The enzyme is found, in a wide range of bacterial species, in two forms: one with the FAD cofactor bound noncovalently to the enzyme; and one with the cofactor linked covalently to the protein. Here we discuss, compare and contrast the salient biochemical properties of the two forms of the enzyme. Specifically, the structural features are discussed that affect the redox potentials of the flavin cofactor, the chemical mechanism of substrate dehydrogenation by active-center amino acid residues, the kinetic parameters of both types of enzymes and the reactivity of reduced enzymes with molecular dioxygen. The presence of a molecular tunnel that is proposed to serve in the access of dioxygen to the active site and mechanisms of its control by a 'gate' formed by amino acid residues are highlighted.

Optimization of D-amino acid oxidase for low substrate concentrations--towards a cancer enzyme therapy.

D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) has recently become of interest as a biocatalyst for industrial applications and for therapeutic treatments. It has been used in gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapies, in which its production of H2O2 in tumor cells can be regulated by administration of substrate. This approach is limited by the locally low O2 concentration and the high K(m) for this substrate. Using the directed evolution approach, one DAAO mutant was identified that has increased activity at low O2 and D-Ala concentrations and a 10-fold lower K(m) for O2. We report on the mechanism of this DAAO variant and on its cytotoxicity towards various mammalian cancer cell lines. The higher activity observed at low O2 and D-Ala concentrations results from a combination of modifications of specific kinetic steps, each being of small magnitude. These results highlight the potential in vivo applicability of this evolved mutant DAAO for tumor therapy.

Catalytic and redox properties of glycine oxidase from Bacillus subtilis.

Glycine oxidase (GO) from Bacillus subtilis is a homotetrameric flavoprotein oxidase that catalyzes the oxidation of the amine functional group of sarcosine or glycine (and some D-amino acids) to yield the corresponding keto acids, ammonia/amine and H(2)O(2). It shows optima at pH 7-8 for stability and pH 9-10 for activity, depending on the substrate. The tetrameric oligomeric state of the holoenzyme is not affected by pH in the 6.5-10 range. Free GO forms the anionic red semiquinone upon photoreduction. This species is thermodynamically stable, as indicated by the large separation of the two single-electron reduction potentials (DeltaE >or = 290 mV). The first potential is pH independent, while the second is dependent. The midpoint reduction potential exhibits a -23.4 mV/pH unit slope, which is consistent with an overall two-electrons/one-proton transfer in the reduction to yield anionic reduced flavin. In the presence of glycolate (a substrate analogue) and at pH 7.5 the potential for the semiquinone-reduced enzyme couple is shifted positively by approximately 160 mV: this favors a two-electron transfer compared to the free enzyme. Binding of glycolate and sulfite is also affected by pH, showing dependencies that reflect the ionization of an active site residue with a pK(a) approximately equal 8.0. These results highlight substantial differences between GO and related flavoenzymes. This knowledge will facilitate biotechnological use of GO, e.g. as an innovative tool for the in vivo detection of the neurotransmitter glycine.

On the oxygen reactivity of flavoprotein oxidases: an oxygen access tunnel and gate in brevibacterium sterolicum cholesterol oxidase.

The flavoprotein cholesterol oxidase from Brevibacterium sterolicum (BCO) possesses a narrow channel that links the active center containing the flavin to the outside solvent. This channel has been proposed to serve for the access of dioxygen; it contains at its "bottom" a Glu-Arg pair (Glu-475-Arg-477) that was found by crystallographic studies to exist in two forms named "open" and "closed," which in turn was suggested to constitute a gate functioning in the control of oxygen access. Most mutations of residues that flank the channel have minor effects on the oxygen reactivity. Mutations of Glu-311, however, cause a switch in the basic kinetic mechanism of the reaction of reduced BCO with dioxygen; wild-type BCO and most mutants show a saturation behavior with increasing oxygen concentration, whereas for Glu-311 mutants a linear dependence is found that is assumed to reflect a "simple" second order process. This is taken as support for the assumption that residue Glu-311 finely tunes the Glu-475-Arg-477 pair, forming a gate that functions in modulating the access/reactivity of dioxygen.