An L-glucitol oxidizing dehydrogenase from Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA 110 for production of D-sorbose with enzymatic or electrochemical cofactor regeneration.

A gene in Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA 110, annotated as a ribitol dehydrogenase (RDH), had 87 % sequence identity (97 % positives) to the N-terminal 31 amino acids of an L-glucitol dehydrogenase from Stenotrophomonas maltophilia DSMZ 14322. The 729-bp long RDH gene coded for a protein consisting of 242 amino acids with a molecular mass of 26.1 kDa. The heterologously expressed protein not only exhibited the main enantio selective activity with D-glucitol oxidation to D-fructose but also converted L-glucitol to D-sorbose with enzymatic cofactor regeneration and a yield of 90 %. The temperature stability and the apparent K m value for L-glucitol oxidation let the enzyme appear as a promising subject for further improvement by enzyme evolution. We propose to rename the enzyme from the annotated RDH gene (locus tag bll6662) from B. japonicum USDA as a D-sorbitol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.14).

The structure of substrate-free 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose reductase from Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021 reveals an open enzyme conformation.

1,5-Anhydro-D-fructose (1,5-AF) is an interesting building block for enantioselective and stereoselective organic synthesis. Enzymes acting on this compound are potential targets for structure-based protein/enzyme design to extend the repertoire of catalytic modifications of this and related building blocks. Recombinant 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose reductase (AFR) from Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021 was produced in Escherichia coli, purified using a fused 6×His affinity tag and crystallized in complex with the cofactor NADP(H) using the hanging-drop technique. Its structure was determined to 1.93 Å resolution using molecular replacement. The structure displays an empty substrate-binding site and can be interpreted as an open conformation reflecting the enzyme state shortly after the release of product, presumably with bound oxidized cofactor NADP⁺. Docking simulations indicated that amino-acid residues Lys94, His151, Trp162, Arg163, Asp176 and His180 are involved in substrate binding, catalysis or product release. The side chain of Lys94 seems to have the ability to function as a molecular switch. The crystal structure helps to characterize the interface relevant for dimer formation as observed in solution. The crystal structure is compared with the structure of the homologue from S. morelense, which was solved in a closed conformation and for which dimer formation in solution could not be verified but seems to be likely based on the presented studies of S. meliloti AFR.

Controlled feeding of hydrogen peroxide as oxygen source improves production of 5-ketofructose from L-sorbose using engineered pyranose 2-oxidase from Peniophora gigantea.

5-Keto-D-fructose is a useful starting material for the synthesis of pyrrolidine iminosugars. It can be prepared by regioselective oxidation of L-sorbose using pyranose 2-oxidase (P2Ox) and O(2) as a cosubstrate. As the solubility of O(2) in aqueous solution is low and the affinity of P2Ox for O(2) is poor, we developed a new and efficient process for the production of 5-keto-D-fructose based on engineered P2Ox from Peniophora gigantea and in situ generation of O(2) from H(2) O(2) with catalase. This kind of oxygen supply required efficient mixing of the bioreactor which was achieved by controlled feeding of H(2) O(2) close to the impeller tip where energy dissipation rate is highest. Thus bubbling, known to affect enzyme stability, was largely avoided, and the process could be run up to 145% oxygen super-saturation which speeds-up P2Ox activity. Under these conditions quantitative oxidation of 180 g L(-1) L-sorbose to 5-keto-D-fructose could be achieved within 4 h, resulting in a threefold higher overall productivity of the process compared to a process using gaseous oxygen supply. In addition, in situ generation of O(2) from H(2) O(2) lowered the oxygen demand of the process by a factor of 100 compared to gaseous oxygen supply.

Enzyme immobilisation on self-organised nanopatterned electrode surfaces.

A new method is described for immobilisation of enzymes on polymer-coated Pt islands. These islands are deposited on top of a SAM-covered Au(111) electrode by a combination of electroless and electrochemical deposition, which allows for a variation of island size and distance between the islands. Here we describe the immobilisation of pyranose-2-oxidase (P2Ox) and the catalytic response to D-glucose on such a nanopatterned surface, which provides optimum access to the active centres of the enzyme.

Structural insight into substrate differentiation of the sugar-metabolizing enzyme galactitol dehydrogenase from Rhodobacter sphaeroides D.

Galactitol 2-dehydrogenase (GatDH) belongs to the protein superfamily of short-chain dehydrogenases. As an enzyme capable of the stereo- and regioselective modification of carbohydrates, it exhibits a high potential for application in biotechnology as a biocatalyst. We have determined the crystal structure of the binary form of GatDH in complex with its cofactor NAD(H) and of the ternary form in complex with NAD(H) and three different substrates. The active form of GatDH constitutes a homo-tetramer with two magnesium-ion binding sites each formed by two opposing C termini. The catalytic tetrad is formed by Asn(116), Ser(144), Tyr(159), and Lys(163). GatDH structurally aligns well with related members of the short-chain dehydrogenase family. The substrate binding pocket can be divided into two parts of different size and polarity. In the smaller part, the side chains of amino acids Ser(144), Ser(146), and Asn(151) are important determinants for the binding specificity and the orientation of (pro-) chiral compounds. The larger part of the pocket is elongated and flanked by polar and non-polar residues, enabling a rather broad substrate spectrum. The presented structures provide valuable information for a rational design of this enzyme to improve its stability against pH, temperature, or solvent concentration and to optimize product yield in bioreactors.

Crystal structure of NADP(H)-dependent 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose reductase from Sinorhizobium morelense at 2.2 A resolution: construction of a NADH-accepting mutant and its application in rare sugar synthesis.

Recombinant 1,5-anhydro-d-fructose reductase (AFR) from Sinorhizobium morelense S-30.7.5 was crystallized in complex with the cofactor NADP(H) and its structure determined to 2.2 A resolution using selenomethionine SAD (refined R(work) and R(free) factors of 18.9 and 25.0%, respectively). As predicted from the sequence and shown by the structure, AFR can be assigned to the GFO/IDH/MocA protein family. AFR consists of two domains. The N-terminal domain displays a Rossmann fold and contains the cofactor binding site. The intact crystals contain the oxidized cofactor NADP(+), whose attachment to the cofactor binding site is similar to that of NADP(+) in glucose-fructose oxidoreductase (GFOR) from Zymomonas mobilis. Due to variations in length and sequence within loop regions L3 and L5, respectively, the adenine moiety of NADP(+) adopts a different orientation in AFR caused by residue Arg38 forming hydrogen bonds with the 2'-phosphate moiety of NADP(+) and cation-pi stacking interactions with the adenine ring. Amino acid replacements in AFR (S10G, A13G, and S33D) showed that Ala13 is crucial for the discrimination between NADPH and NADH and yielded the A13G variant with dual cosubstrate specificity. The C-terminal domain contains the putative substrate binding site that was occupied by an acetate ion. As determined by analogy to GFOR and by site-directed mutagenesis of K94G, D176A, and H180A, residues Lys94, Asp176, and His180 are most likely involved in substrate binding and catalysis, as substitution of any of these residues resulted in a significant decrease in k(cat) for 1,5-AF. In this context, His180 might serve as a general acid-base catalyst by polarizing the carbonyl function of 1,5-AF to enable the transfer of the hydride from NADPH to the substrate. Here we present the first structure of an AFR enzyme catalyzing the stereoselective reduction of 1,5-AF to 1,5-anhydro-d-mannitol, the final step of a modified anhydrofructose pathway in S. morelense S-30.7.5. We also emphasize the importance of the A13G variant in biocatalysis for the synthesis of 1,5-AM and related derivatives.

A cold active (2R,3R)-(-)-di-O-benzoyl-tartrate hydrolyzing esterase from Rhodotorula mucilaginosa.

In a screening procedure a pink-colored yeast was isolated from enrichment cultures with (2R,3R)-(-)-di-O-benzoyl-tartrate (benzoyl-tartrate) as the sole carbon source. The organism saar1 was identified by morphological, physiological, and 18S ribosomal DNA/internal transcribed spacer analysis as Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, a basidiomycetous yeast. During growth the yeast hydrolyzed the dibenzoyl ester stoichiometrically to the monoester using the separated benzoate as the growth substrate, before the monoester was further cleaved into benzoate and tartrate, which were both metabolized. The corresponding benzoyl esterase was purified from the culture supernatant and characterized as a monomeric glycosylated 86-kDa protein with an optimum pH of 7.5 and an optimum temperature of 45 degrees C. At 0 degrees C the esterase still exhibited 20% of the corresponding activity at 30 degrees C, which correlates it to psychrophilic enzymes. The esterase could hydrolyze short chain p-nitrophenyl-alkyl esters and several benzoyl esters like benzoyl-methyl ester, ethylene-glycol-dibenzoyl ester, phenyl-benzoyl ester, cocaine, and 1,5-anhydro-D: -fructose-tribenzoyl ester. However feruloyl-ethyl ester was not hydrolyzed. The activity characteristics let the enzyme appear as a promising tool for synthesis of benzoylated compounds for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, or fine chemical applications, even at low temperatures.

Reaction geometry and thermostable variant of pyranose 2-oxidase from the white-rot fungus Peniophora sp.

Pyranose 2-oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of a number of carbohydrates using dioxygen; glucose, for example, is oxidized at carbon 2. The structure of pyranose 2-oxidase with the reaction product 2-keto-beta-d-glucose bound in the active center is reported in a new crystal form at 1.41 A resolution. The binding structure suggests that the alpha-anomer cannot be processed. The binding mode of the oxidized product was used to model other sugars accepted by the enzyme and to explain its specificity and catalytic rates. The reported structure at pH 6.0 shows a drastic conformational change in the loop of residues 454-461 (loop 454-461) at the active center compared to that of a closely homologous enzyme analyzed at pH 4.5 with a bound acetate inhibitor. In our structures, the loop is highly mobile and shifts to make way for the sugar to pass into the active center. Presumably, loop 454-461 functions as a gatekeeper. Apart from the wild-type enzyme, a thermostable variant was analyzed at 1.84 A resolution. In this variant, Glu542 is exchanged for a lysine. The observed stabilization could be a result of the mutated residue changing an ionic contact at a comparatively weak interface of the tetramer.

Catabolism of 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose in Sinorhizobium morelense S-30.7.5: discovery, characterization, and overexpression of a new 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose reductase and its application in sugar analysis and rare sugar synthesis.

The bacterium Sinorhizobium morelense S-30.7.5 was isolated by a microbial screening using the sugar 1,5-anhydro-D-fructose (AF) as the sole carbon source. This strain metabolized AF by a novel pathway involving its reduction to 1,5-anhydro-D-mannitol (AM) and the further conversion of AM to D-mannose by C-1 oxygenation. Growth studies showed that the AF metabolizing capability is not confined to S. morelense S-30.7.5 but is a more common feature among the Rhizobiaceae. The AF reducing enzyme was purified and characterized as a new NADPH-dependent monomeric reductase (AFR, EC 1.1.1.-) of 35.1 kDa. It catalyzed the stereoselective reduction of AF to AM and also the conversion of a number of 2-keto aldoses (osones) to the corresponding manno-configurated aldoses. In contrast, common aldoses and ketoses, as well as nonsugar aldehydes and ketones, were not reduced. A database search using the N-terminal AFR sequence retrieved a putative 35-kDa oxidoreductase encoded by the open reading frame Smc04400 localized on the chromosome of Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021. Based on sequence information for this locus, the afr gene was cloned from S. morelense S-30.7.5 and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. In addition to the oxidoreductase of S. meliloti 1021, AFR showed high sequence similarities to putative oxidoreductases of Mesorhizobium loti, Brucella suis, and B. melitensis but not to any oxidoreductase with known functions. AFR could be assigned to the GFO/IDH/MocA family on the basis of highly conserved common structural features. His6-tagged AFR was used to demonstrate the utility of this enzyme for AF analysis and synthesis of AM, as well as related derivatives.

Structure of zinc-independent sorbitol dehydrogenase from Rhodobacter sphaeroides at 2.4 A resolution.

Recombinant sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) from Rhodobacter sphaeroides has been crystallized in the absence of the cofactor NAD(H) and its structure determined to 2.4 A resolution using molecular replacement (refined R and R free factors of 18.8 and 23.8%, respectively). As expected from the sequence and shown by the conserved fold, SDH can be assigned to the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase protein family. The cofactor NAD and the substrate sorbitol have been modelled into the structure and the active-site architecture, which displays the highly conserved catalytic tetrad of Asn-Ser-Tyr-Lys residues, is discussed in relation to the enzyme mechanism. This is the first structure of a bacterial SDH belonging to the SDR family.

Engineering of pyranose 2-oxidase from Peniophora gigantea towards improved thermostability and catalytic efficiency.

To improve the stability and catalytic efficiency of pyranose 2-oxidase (P2Ox) by molecular enzyme evolution, we cloned P2Ox cDNA by RACE-PCR from a cDNA library derived from the basidiomycete Peniophora gigantea. The P2Ox gene was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), yielding an intracellular and enzymatically active P2OxB with a volumetric yield of 500 units/l. Site-directed mutagenesis was employed to construct the P2Ox variant E540K (termed P2OxB1), which exhibited increased thermo- and pH-stability compared with the wild type, concomitantly with increased catalytic efficiencies (k(cat)/K(m)) for D-xylose and L-sorbose. P2OxB1 was provided with a C-terminal His(6)-tag (termed P2OxB1H) and subjected to directed evolution using error-prone PCR. Screening based on a chromogenic assay yielded the new P2Ox variant K312E (termed P2OxB2H) that showed significant improvements with respect to k(cat)/K(m) for D-glucose (5.3-fold), methyl-beta-D-glucoside (2.0-fold), D-galactose (4.8-fold), D-xylose (59.9-fold), and L-sorbose (69.0-fold), compared with wild-type P2Ox. The improved catalytic performance of P2OxB2H was demonstrated by bioconversions of L-sorbose that initially was a poor substrate for wild-type P2Ox. This is the first report on the improvement of a pyranose 2-oxidase by a dual approach of site-directed mutagenesis and directed evolution, and the application of the engineered P2Ox in bioconversions.

Crystal structure of pyranose 2-oxidase from the white-rot fungus Peniophora sp.

Pyranose 2-oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of a number of carbohydrates using dioxygen. The enzyme forms a D(2) symmetric homotetramer and contains one covalently bound FAD per subunit. The structure of the enzyme from Peniophora sp. was determined by multiwavelength anomalous diffraction (MAD) based on 96 selenium sites per crystallographic asymmetric unit and subsequently refined to good-quality indices. According to its chain fold, the enzyme belongs to the large glutathione reductase family and, in a more narrow sense, to the glucose-methanol-choline oxidoreductase (GMC) family. The tetramer contains a spacious central cavity from which the substrate enters one of the four active centers by penetrating a mobile barrier. Since this cavity can only be accessed by glucose-sized molecules, the enzyme does not convert sugars that are part of a larger molecule. The geometry of the active center and a comparison with an inhibitor complex of the homologous enzyme cellobiose dehydrogenase allow the modeling of the reaction at a high confidence level.

Screening of sugar converting enzymes using quantitative MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry.

Quantitative matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-ToF MS) was applied for the screening of ten pyranose oxidase variants. Quantitative MALDI-ToF MS using isotopic labeled internal standards and ionic liquid matrices was performed using aliquots of enzyme reaction mixtures without prepurification steps. The results obtained were in good agreement with HPLC measurements. Analysis time was approx. 3.5 min for a five-fold determination. Thus, quantitative MALDI-ToF MS can be used as a tool for screening of sugar converting enzymes.

Enzymatic synthesis of D-glucosone 6-phosphate (D-arabino-hexos-2-ulose 6-(dihydrogen phosphate)) and NMR analysis of its isomeric forms.

D-Glucosone 6-phosphate (D-arabino-hexos-2-ulose 6-(dihydrogen phosphate)) was prepared from D-glucosone (D-arabino-hexos-2-ulose) by enzymatic conversion with hexokinase. The isomeric composition of D-glucosone 6-phosphate in aqueous solution was quantitatively determined by NMR spectroscopy and compared to D-glucosone. The main isomers are the alpha-anomer (58%) and the beta-anomer (28%) of the hydrated pyranose form, and the beta-D-fructofuranose form (14%).

L-glucitol catabolism in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Ac.

The carbohydrate catabolism of the bacterium Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Ac (previously named Pseudomonas sp. strain Ac), which is known to convert the unnatural polyol L-glucitol to D-sorbose during growth on the former as the sole source of carbon and energy, was studied in detail. All enzymes operating in a pathway that channels L-glucitol via D-sorbose into compounds of the intermediary metabolism were demonstrated, and for some prominent reactions the products of conversion were identified. D-Sorbose was converted by C-3 epimerization to D-tagatose, which, in turn, was isomerized to D-galactose. D-Galactose was the initial substrate of the De Ley-Doudoroff pathway, involving reactions of NAD-dependent oxidation of D-galactose to D-galactonate, its dehydration to 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-galactonate, and its phosphorylation to 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-galactonate 6-phosphate. Finally, aldol cleavage yielded pyruvate and D-glycerate 3-phosphate as the central metabolic intermediates.

Polyol metabolism of Rhodobacter sphaeroides: biochemical characterization of a short-chain sorbitol dehydrogenase.

A sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH; L-iditol:NAD+ 2-oxidoreductase; EC 1.1.1.14) was isolated from the phototrophic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides strain M22, a transposon mutant of R. sphaeroides Si4 with the transposon inserted in the mannitol dehydrogenase (MDH) gene. SDH was purified 470-fold to apparent homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation, chromatography on Phenyl-Sepharose, Q-Sepharose and Matrex Gel Red-A, and by gel filtration on Superdex 200. The relative molecular mass (M(r)) of the native SDH was 61000 as calculated from its Stokes' radius (rs = 3.5 nm) and sedimentation coefficient (S20,w = 4.23S). SDS-PAGE resulted in one single band representing a polypeptide with a M(r) of 29,000, indicating that the native protein is a dimer. The isoelectric point of SDH was determined to be pH 4.8. The enzyme was specific for NAD+ and catalysed the oxidation of D-glucitol (sorbitol) to D-fructose, galactitol to D-tagatose and of L-iditol. The apparent Km values were NAD+, 0.06 mM; D-glucitol, 6.2 mM; galactitol, 1.5 mM; NADH, 0.13 mM; D-fructose, 160 mM; and D-tagatose, 13 mM. The pH-optimum of substrate oxidation was 11.0 and that of substrate reduction 6.0-7.2. It was demonstrated that SDH is expressed in the wild-type strain R. sphaeroides Si4 together with MDH during growth on D-glucitol. Forty-four amino acids of the SDH N terminus were sequenced. This sequence exhibited 45-55% identity to the N-terminal sequence of 10 enzymes belonging to the short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase family.

Enzyme evolution in Rhodobacter sphaeroides: selection of a mutant expressing a new galactitol dehydrogenase and biochemical characterization of the enzyme.

A gain of function mutant of Rhodobacter sphaeroides Si4, capable of growing on galactitol, was isolated from a chemostat culture. Continuous cultivation was performed for 54 d with a limiting concentration (1 mM) of the substrate D-glucitol and an excess (20 mM) of the non-metabolizable galactitol. The mutant strain, R. sphaeroides D, grew in galactitol minimal medium with a growth rate of 0.11 h-1 (td = 6.3 h). In crude extracts of R. sphaeroides D, a specific galactitol dehydrogenase (GDH) activity of 380 mU mg-1 was found, while the wild-type strain exhibited GDH activities lower than 50 mU mg-1 when grown on different polyols. Unlike mannitol, sorbitol or ribitol dehydrogenase from the wild-type strain, the new GDH was expressed constitutively. To study whether it was a newly evolved enzyme or an improved side activity of one of the pre-existing polyol dehydrogenases, GDH was purified to apparent homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation and chromatography on Phenyl-Sepharose, Q-Sepharose, Matrex Gel Red-A and Mono-Q. The relative molecular mass (M(r)) of the native GDH was 110,000. SDS-PAGE resulted in one single band that represented a polypeptide with a M(r) of 28,000, indicating that the native protein is a tetramer. The isoelectric point of GDH was determined to be pH 4.2. The enzyme was specific for NAD+ but catalysed the oxidation of different sugar alcohols as well as different diols and secondary alcohols.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)