An extremely thermostable aldolase from Sulfolobus solfataricus with specificity for non-phosphorylated substrates.

Sulfolobus solfataricus is a hyperthermophilic archaeon growing optimally at 80-85 degrees C. It metabolizes glucose via a novel non-phosphorylated Entner-Doudoroff pathway, in which the reversible C(6) to C(3) aldol cleavage is catalysed by 2-keto-3-deoxygluconate aldolase (KDG-aldolase), generating pyruvate and glyceraldehyde. Given the ability of such a hyperstable enzyme to catalyse carbon-carbon-bond synthesis with non-phosphorylated metabolites, we report here the cloning and sequencing of the S. solfataricus gene encoding KDG-aldolase, and its expression in Escherichia coli to give fully active enzyme. The recombinant enzyme was purified in a simple two-step procedure, and shown to possess kinetic properties indistinguishable from the enzyme purified from S. solfataricus cells. The KDG-aldolase is a thermostable tetrameric protein with a half-life at 100 degrees C of 2.5 h, and is equally active with both d- and l-glyceraldehyde. It exhibits sequence similarity to the N-acetylneuraminate lyase superfamily of Schiff-base-dependent aldolases, dehydratases and decarboxylases, and evidence is presented for a similar catalytic mechanism for the archaeal enzyme by substrate-dependent inactivation by reduction with NaBH(4).

Expression, reactivation, and purification of enzymes from Haloferax volcanii in Escherichia coli.

Enzymes from extreme halophiles have potential as catalysts in biotransformations. We have developed methods for the expression in Escherichia coli and purification of two enzymes from Haloferax volcanii: dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase and citrate synthase. Both enzymes were expressed in E. coli using the cytoplasmic expression vectors, pET3a and pET3d. Citrate synthase was soluble and inactive, whereas dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase was expressed as inclusion bodies. Citrate synthase was reactivated following overnight incubation in 2 M KCl, and dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase was refolded by solubilisation in 8 M urea followed by dilution into a buffer containing 2 M KCl, 10 microM FAD, 1 mM NAD, and 0.3 mM GSSG/3 mM GSH. Maximal activity was obtained after 3 days incubation at 4 degrees C. Purification of the two active enzymes was carried out using high-resolution methods. Dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase was purified using copper-based metal ion affinity chromatography in the presence of 2 M KCl. Citrate synthase was recovered using dye-affinity chromatography in the presence of salt. A high yield of active enzyme was obtained in both cases. Following purification, characterisation of both recombinant proteins showed that their kinetics and salt-dependence were comparable to those of the native enzymes. Expression of active protein was attempted both by growth of E. coli in the presence of salt and betaine, and also by using periplasmic expression vectors in combination with a high salt growth media. Neither strategy was successful.

Cloning and overexpression in Escherichia coli of the gene encoding citrate synthase from the hyperthermophilic Archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus.

The citrate synthase (CS) gene from the hyperthermophilic Archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus has been cloned and sequenced. The gene encodes a polypeptide of 378 amino acids with a calculated polypeptide molecular mass of 42679. High-level expression was achieved in Escherichia coli and the recombinant citrate synthase was purified to homogeneity using a heat step and dye-ligand affinity chromatography. This procedure yielded approximately 26 mg of pure CS per liter of culture, with a specific activity of 41 U/mg. The enzyme exhibited a half-life of 8 min at 95 degrees C. A homology-modelled structure of the S. solfataricus CS has been generated using the crystal structure of the enzyme form the thermoacidophilic Archaeon Thermoplasma acidophilum with which it displays 58% sequence identity. The modelled structure is discussed with respect to the thermostability properties of the enzyme.