Quantitative analysis of isoprenoid diphosphate intermediates in recombinant and wild-type Escherichia coli strains.

In biotechnology, the heterologous biosynthesis of isoprenoid compounds in Escherichia coli is a field of great interest and growth. In order to achieve higher isoprenoid yields in heterologous E. coli strains, it is necessary to quantify the pathway intermediates and adjust gene expression. In this study, we developed a precise and sensitive nonradioactive method for the simultaneous quantification of the isoprenoid precursors farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) and geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) in recombinant and wild-type E. coli cells. The method is based on the dephosphorylation of FPP and GGPP into the respective alcohols and involves their in situ extraction followed by separation and detection using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The integration of a geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase gene into the E. coli chromosome leads to the accumulation of GGPP, generating quantities as high as those achieved with a multicopy expression vector.

Expression and identification of the RfbE protein from Vibrio cholerae O1 and its use for the enzymatic synthesis of GDP-D-perosamine.

The 4-amino-6-deoxy-monosaccharide D-perosamine is an important element in the glycosylation of interesting cell products, such as antibiotics and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The biosynthetic pathway of the precursor molecule, GDP-D-perosamine, in Vibrio cholerae O1 starts with an isomerisation of fructose-6-phosphate catalyzed by the bifunctional enzyme phosphomannose isomerase-guanosine diphosphomannose pyrophosphorylase (RfbA; E.C. 2.7.7.22) creating the intermediate mannose-6-phosphate, which is subsequently converted by the phosphomanno-mutase (RfbB; E.C. 5.4.2.8) and further by RfbA to GDP-D-mannose, to GDP-4 keto-6-deoxymannose by a 4,6-dehydratase (RfbD; E.C. 4.2.1.47) and finally to GDP-D-perosamine by an aminotransferase (RfbE; E.C. not yet classified). We cloned the rfbD and the rfbE genes of V. cholerae O1 in Escherichia coli expression vectors. Both biosynthetic enzymes were overproduced in E. coli BL21 (DE3) and their activities were analyzed. The enzymatic conversion from GDP-D-mannose to GDP-D-perosamine was optimized and the final product, GDP-D-perosamine, was purified and identified by nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry, and chromatography. The catalytically active form of the GDP-4-keto-6-deoxy-D-mannose-4-aminotransferase seems to be a tetramer of 170 kDa. The His-tag RfbE fusion protein has a Km of 0.06 mM and a Vmax value of 38 nkat/mg protein for the substrate GDP-4-keto-6-deoxy-D-mannose. The Km and Vmax values for the cosubstrate L-glutamate were 0.1 mM and 42 nkat/mg protein, respectively. The intention of this work is to establish a basis for both the in vitro production of GDP-D-perosamine and for an in vivo perosaminylation system in a suitable bacterial host, preferably E. coli.

Synthesis of the milk oligosaccharide 2'-fucosyllactose using recombinant bacterial enzymes.

The enzymatic synthesis of GDP-beta-L-fucose and its enzymatic transfer reaction using recombinant enzymes from bacterial sources was examined. The GDP-D-mannose 4,6-dehydratase and the GDP-4-keto-6-deoxy-D-mannose 3,5-epimerase-4-reductase from Escherichia coli K-12, respectively, were used to catalyse the conversion of GDP-alpha-D-mannose to GDP-beta-L-fucose with 78% yield. For the transfer of the L-fucose to an acceptor, we cloned and overproduced the alpha-(1-->2)-fucosyltransferase (FucT2) protein from Helicobacter pylori. We were able to synthesise 2'-fucosyllactose using the overproduced FucT2 enzyme, enzymatically synthesised GDP-L-fucose and lactose. The isolation of 2'-fucosyllactose was accomplished by anion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration to give 65% yield.

Preparative synthesis of GDP-beta-L-fucose by recombinant enzymes from enterobacterial sources.

The 6-deoxyhexose L-fucose is an important and characteristic element in glycoconjugates of bacteria (e.g., lipopolysaccharides), plants (e.g., xyloglucans) and animals (e.g., glycolipids, glycoproteins, and oligosaccharides). The biosynthetic pathway of GDP-L-fucose starts with a dehydration of GDP-D-mannose catalyzed by GDP-D-mannose 4,6-dehydratase (Gmd) creating GDP-4-keto-6-deoxymannose which is subsequently converted by the GDP-4-keto-6-deoxy-D-mannose 3,5-epimerase-4-reductase (WcaG; GDP-beta-L-fucose synthetase) to GDP-beta-L-fucose. Both biosynthetic genes gmd and wcaG were cloned from Escherichia coli K12 and the enzymes overexpressed under control of the T7 promoter in the expression vectors pET11a and pET16b, yielding both native and N-terminal His-tag fusion proteins, respectively. The activities of the Gmd and WcaG were analyzed. The enzymatic conversion from GDP-D-mannose to GDP-beta-L-fucose was optimized and the final product was purified. The formation of GDP-beta-L-fucose by the recombinant enzymes was verified by HPLC and NMR analyses. The His-tag fusion variants of the Gmd and WcaG proteins were purified to near homogeneity. The His-tag Gmd recombinant enzyme was inactive, whereas His-tag WcaG showed very similar enzymatic properties relative to the native GDP-beta-L-fucose synthetase. With the purified His-tag WcaG Km and Vmax values, respectively, of 40 microM and 23 nkat/mg protein for the substrate GDP-4-keto-6-deoxy-D-mannose and of 21 microM and 10 nkat/mg protein for the cosubstrate NADPH were obtained; a pH optimum of 7.5 was determined and the enzyme was stimulated to equal extend by the divalent cations Mg2+ and Ca2+. The Gmd enzyme showed a strong feedback inhibition by GDP-beta-L-fucose.