Molecular Modeling Investigation of the Interaction between Humicola insolens Cutinase and SDS Surfactant Suggests a Mechanism for Enzyme Inactivation.

One of the largest commercial applications of enzymes and surfactants is as main components in modern detergents. The high concentration of surfactant compounds usually present in detergents can, however, negatively affect the enzymatic activity. To remedy this drawback, it is of great importance to characterize the interaction between the enzyme and the surfactant molecules at an atomistic resolution. The protein enzyme cutinase from the thermophilic and saprophytic fungus called Humicola insolens (HiC) is a promising candidate for use in detergents thanks to its hydrolase activity targeting mostly biopolyesters (e.g., cutin). HiC is, however, inhibited by low concentrations of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), an ubiquitous surfactant. In this work, we investigate the interaction between HiC and SDS using molecular dynamics simulations. Simulations of HiC dissolved in different aqueous concentrations of SDS show the interaction between HiC and SDS monomers, as well as the formation and dynamics of SDS micelles on the surface of the enzyme. These results suggest a mechanism of cutinase inhibition by SDS, which involves the nucleation of aggregates of SDS molecules on hydrophobic patches on the cutinase surface. Notably, a primary binding site for monomeric SDS is identified near the active site of HiC constituting a possible nucleation point for micelles and leading to the blockage of the entrance to the enzymatic site. Detailed analysis of the simulations allow us to suggest a set of residues from the SDS binding site on HiC to probe as engineered mutations aimed at reducing SDS binding to HiC, thereby decreasing SDS inhibition of HiC.

Structural Basis for Simvastatin Competitive Antagonism of Complement Receptor 3.

The complement system is an important part of the innate immune response to infection but may also cause severe complications during inflammation. Small molecule antagonists to complement receptor 3 (CR3) have been widely sought, but a structural basis for their mode of action is not available. We report here on the structure of the human CR3 ligand-binding I domain in complex with simvastatin. Simvastatin targets the metal ion-dependent adhesion site of the open, ligand-binding conformation of the CR3 I domain by direct contact with the chelated Mg(2+) ion. Simvastatin antagonizes I domain binding to the complement fragments iC3b and C3d but not to intercellular adhesion molecule-1. By virtue of the I domain's wide distribution in binding kinetics to ligands, it was possible to identify ligand binding kinetics as discriminator for simvastatin antagonism. In static cellular experiments, 15-25 µm simvastatin reduced adhesion by K562 cells expressing recombinant CR3 and by primary human monocytes, with an endogenous expression of this receptor. Application of force to adhering monocytes potentiated the effects of simvastatin where only a 50-100 nm concentration of the drug reduced the adhesion by 20-40% compared with untreated cells. The ability of simvastatin to target CR3 in its ligand binding-activated conformation is a novel mechanism to explain the known anti-inflammatory effects of this compound, in particular because this CR3 conformation is found in pro-inflammatory environments. Our report points to new designs of CR3 antagonists and opens new perspectives and identifies druggable receptors from characterization of the ligand binding kinetics in the presence of antagonists.

Thermodynamic and structural investigation of the specific SDS binding of Humicola insolens cutinase.

The interaction of lipolytic enzymes with anionic surfactants is of great interest with respect to industrially produced detergents. Here, we report the interaction of cutinase from the thermophilic fungus Humicola insolens with the anionic surfactant SDS, and show the enzyme specifically binds a single SDS molecule under nondenaturing concentrations. Protein interaction with SDS was investigated by NMR, ITC and molecular dynamics simulations. The NMR resonances of the protein were assigned, with large stretches of the protein molecule not showing any detectable resonances. SDS is shown to specifically interact with the loops surrounding the catalytic triad with medium affinity (Ka ≈ 10(5) M(-1) ). The mode of binding is closely similar to that seen previously for binding of amphiphilic molecules and substrate analogues to cutinases, and hence SDS acts as a substrate mimic. In addition, the structure of the enzyme has been solved by X-ray crystallography in its apo form and after cocrystallization with diethyl p-nitrophenyl phosphate (DNPP) leading to a complex with monoethylphosphate (MEP) esterified to the catalytically active serine. The enzyme has the same fold as reported for other cutinases but, unexpectedly, esterification of the active site serine is accompanied by the ethylation of the active site histidine which flips out from its usual position in the triad.