Host- and Age-Dependent Transcriptional Changes in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Cell Envelope Biosynthesis Genes after Exposure to Human Alveolar Lining Fluid.

Tuberculosis (TB) infection, caused by the airborne pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb), resulted in almost 1.4 million deaths in 2019, and the number of deaths is predicted to increase by 20% over the next 5 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Upon reaching the alveolar space, M.tb comes into close contact with the lung mucosa before and after its encounter with host alveolar compartment cells. Our previous studies show that homeostatic, innate soluble components of the alveolar lining fluid (ALF) can quickly alter the cell envelope surface of M.tb upon contact, defining subsequent M.tb-host cell interactions and infection outcomes in vitro and in vivo. We also demonstrated that ALF from 60+ year old elders (E-ALF) vs. healthy 18- to 45-year-old adults (A-ALF) is dysfunctional, with loss of homeostatic capacity and impaired innate soluble responses linked to high local oxidative stress. In this study, a targeted transcriptional assay shows that M.tb exposure to human ALF alters the expression of its cell envelope genes. Specifically, our results indicate that A-ALF-exposed M.tb upregulates cell envelope genes associated with lipid, carbohydrate, and amino acid metabolism, as well as genes associated with redox homeostasis and transcriptional regulators. Conversely, M.tb exposure to E-ALF shows a lesser transcriptional response, with most of the M.tb genes unchanged or downregulated. Overall, this study indicates that M.tb responds and adapts to the lung alveolar environment upon contact, and that the host ALF status, determined by factors such as age, might play an important role in determining infection outcome.

Discovery and biochemical characterization of a mannose phosphorylase catalyzing the synthesis of novel ß-1,3-mannosides.

BACKGROUND: Mannoside phosphorylases are frequently found in bacteria and play an important role in carbohydrate processing. These enzymes catalyze the reversible conversion of ß-1,2- or ß-1,4-mannosides to mannose and mannose-1-phosphate in the presence of inorganic phosphate. METHODS: The biochemical parameters of this recombinantly expressed novel mannose phosphorylase were obtained. Furthermore purified reaction products were subjected to ESI- and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and detailed NMR analysis to verify this novel type of ß-1,3-mannose linkage. RESULTS: We describe the first example of a phosphorylase specifically targeting ß-1,3-mannoside linkages. In addition to mannose, this phosphorylase originating from the bacterium Zobellia galactanivorans could add ß-1,3-linked mannose to various other monosaccharides and anomerically modified 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-glycosides (X-sugars). CONCLUSIONS: An unique bacterial phosphorylase specifically targeting ß-1,3-mannoside linkages was discovered. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Functional extension of glycoside hydrolase family 130.

Structural basis for selective recognition of acyl chains by the membrane-associated acyltransferase PatA.

The biosynthesis of phospholipids and glycolipids are critical pathways for virtually all cell membranes. PatA is an essential membrane associated acyltransferase involved in the biosynthesis of mycobacterial phosphatidyl-myo-inositol mannosides (PIMs). The enzyme transfers a palmitoyl moiety from palmitoyl-CoA to the 6-position of the mannose ring linked to 2-position of inositol in PIM1/PIM2. We report here the crystal structures of PatA from Mycobacterium smegmatis in the presence of its naturally occurring acyl donor palmitate and a nonhydrolyzable palmitoyl-CoA analog. The structures reveal an α/ß architecture, with the acyl chain deeply buried into a hydrophobic pocket that runs perpendicular to a long groove where the active site is located. Enzyme catalysis is mediated by an unprecedented charge relay system, which markedly diverges from the canonical HX4D motif. Our studies establish the mechanistic basis of substrate/membrane recognition and catalysis for an important family of acyltransferases, providing exciting possibilities for inhibitor design.

Improvement of regio-specific production of myricetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside in engineered Escherichia coli.

Myricetin is an important flavonol whose medically important properties include activities as an antioxidant, anticarcinogen, and antimutagen. The solubility, stability, and other biological properties of the compounds can be enhanced by conjugating aglycon with sugar moieties. The type of sugar moiety also plays a significant role in the biological and physical properties of the natural product glycosides. Reconstructed Escherichia coli containing thymidine diphosphate-α-L-rhamnose sugar gene cassette and Arabidopsis-derived glycosyltransferase were used for rhamnosylation of myricetin. Myricetin (100 µM) was exogenously supplemented to induced cultures of engineered E. coli. The formation of target product-myricetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside-was confirmed by chromatographic and NMR analyses. The yield of product was improved by using various mutants and methylated cyclodextrin as a molecular carrier for myricetin in combination with E. coli M3G3. The maximal yield of product is 55.6 µM (3.31-fold higher than the control E. coli MG3) and shows 55.6 % bioconversion of substrate under optimized conditions.

Identification of a polyprenylphosphomannosyl synthase involved in the synthesis of mycobacterial mannosides.

We report on the identification of a glycosyltransferase (GT) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, Rv3779, of the membranous GT-C superfamily responsible for the direct synthesis of polyprenyl-phospho-mannopyranose and thus indirectly for lipoarabinomannan, lipomannan, and the higher-order phosphatidyl-myo-inositol mannosides.

Tri- and hexavalent mannoside clusters as potential inhibitors of type 1 fimbriated bacteria using pentaerythritol and triazole linkages.

Several oligomannoside clusters having a hundred-fold increase in affinities toward E. coli were synthesized by Cu(I)-catalyzed [1,3]-dipolar cycloadditions using pentaerythritol scaffolds bearing either alkyne or azide functionalities.

Synthesis of FimH receptor-active manno-oligosaccharides by reverse hydrolysis using alpha-mannosidases from Penicillium citrinum, Aspergillus phoenicis and almond.

Recombinant Penicillium citrinum alpha-1,2-mannosidase, expressed in Aspergillus oryzae, was employed to carry out regioselective synthesis of alpha- d-mannopyranosyl-(1-->2)- d-mannose. Yields (w/w) of 16.68% disaccharide, 3.07% trisaccharide and 0.48% tetrasaccharide were obtained, with alpha1-->2 linkages present at 98.5% of the total linkages formed. Non-specific alpha-mannosidase from almond was highly efficient in reverse hydrolysis and oligosaccharide yields of 45-50% were achieved. The products of the almond mannosidase were a mixture of disaccharides (30.75%, w/w), trisaccharides (12.26%, w/w) and tetrasaccharides (1.89%, w/w) with 1-->2, 1-->3 and 1-->6 isomers. alpha-1,2-linkage specific mannosidase from P. citrinum and alpha-1,6-linkage-specific mannosidase from Aspergillus phoenicis were used in combination to hydrolyse the respective linkages from the mixture of isomers, resulting in alpha- d-mannopyranosyl-(1-->3)- d-mannose in 86.4% purity. The synthesised oligosaccharides can potentially inhibit the adhesion of pathogens by acting as "decoys" of receptors of type-1 fimbriae carried by enterobacteria.

The irpexans, a new group of biologically active metabolites produced by the basidiomycete Irpex sp. 93028.

Five novel antibiotics described as irpexans (1, 2, 3a, 3b, 4) were isolated from fermentations of an Irpex species in the course of a screening for new inhibitors of AP-1 and NF-kappaB mediated signal transduction pathways in COS-7 cells using secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) as a reporter gene. The expression of an AP-1 and NF-kappaB driven SEAP reporter gene was inhibited in a dose dependent manner with 14-acetoxy-15-hydroxyirpexan (3b) being the most potent compound, followed by 14,15-irpexanoxide (2), 14,15-dihydroxyirpexan (3a) and 14-acetoxy-22,23-dihydro-15,23-dihydroxyirpexan (4). Irpexan (1) exhibited no activity. The irpexans (1, 2, 3a, 3b, 4) are characterized by weak cytotoxic but neither antibacterial nor antifungal activities. All five compounds are terpenoids with a mannose moiety. The structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods.

Biosynthesis of glycosylphosphatidylinositols of Plasmodium falciparum in a cell-free incubation system: inositol acylation is needed for mannosylation of glycosylphosphatidylinositols.

The structures of glycosylphosphatidylinositols (GPIs) in Plasmodium have been described [Gerold, Schuppert and Schwarz (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 2597-2606]. A detailed understanding of GPI synthesis in Plasmodium is a prerequisite for identifying differences present in biosynthetic pathways of parasites and host cells. A comparison of the biosynthetic pathway of GPIs has revealed differences between mammalian cells and parasitic protozoans. A cell-free incubation system prepared from asexual erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of malaria in humans, is capable of synthesizing the same spectrum of GPIs as that found in metabolically labelled parasites. The formation of mannosylated GPIs in the cell-free system is shown to be inhibited by GTP and, unexpectedly, micromolar concentrations of GDP-Man. Lower concentrations of GDP-Man affect the spectrum of GPIs synthesized. The inositol ring of GPIs of P. falciparum is modified by an acyl group. The preferred donor of this fatty acid at the inositol ring is myristoyl-CoA. Inositol acylation has to precede the mannosylation of GPIs because, in the absence of acyl-CoA or CoA, mannosylated GPIs were not detected. Inositol myristoylation is a unique feature of plasmodial GPIs and thus might provide a potential target for drug therapy.

Hydrolase-catalyzed beta-mannosylations.

Transmannosylations catalysed by beta-mannosidase from snail viscera or beta-galactosidase from Aspergillus oryzae were accomplished with 4-nitrophenyl beta-D-mannopyranoside as donor substrate. With suitable hydrophobic acceptor molecules preferentially beta1-4-linked disaccharides were obtained. The activities of both glycosidases in buffer cosolvent mixtures were determined, and conditions for their immobilization were elaborated and optimized. A model of the enzymic transfer mechanism is suggested.

Accumulation of glucosaminyl(acyl)phosphatidylinositol in an S3 HeLa subline expressing normal dolicholphosphomannose synthase activity.

Glucosaminyl(acyl)phosphatidylinositol [GlcN(acyl)PI], the third intermediate in the mammalian glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor pathway, is undetectable in most cells. This intermediate was previously shown to accumulate, however, in murine lymphoma mutant E and in yeast mutant dpm1, both of which lack dolicholphosphomannose synthase activity. Here we report that a mammalian HeLa S3 subline, denoted D, produces large amounts of GlcN(acyl)PI. The level of GlcN(acyl)PI in this subline is twice that in the murine lymphoma mutant E and 4 times that in the parental S3 line. This HeLa D subline differs from the previously reported mutants that accumulate GlcN(acyl)PI because no defects in the synthesis or utilization of dolicholphosphomannose were found. Kinetic analysis indicated that in this HeLa subline there is an increased rate of synthesis of GlcN(acyl)PI, whereas the rate of metabolism for this GPI is comparable to that in wild-type cells. Furthermore, HeLa D cells accumulate GlcN(acyl)PI without a block in the synthesis of the downstream mannosylated GPI anchor precursors and GPI-anchored proteins. These findings might be relevant for understanding the regulation of the GPI pathway.

The ultrastructure of hepatocytes in alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency with the genotype Pi--.

The ultrastructural appearance of the endoplasmic reticulum of the hepatocytes was found to be normal in a 5-year-old girl with alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency with the genotype Pi--. The liver ultrastructure of this variant is therefore different from that of alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency with the genotype PiZZ in which aggregates of an abnormal, unsecreted alpha-1-antitrypsin accumulate in the endoplasmic reticulum of the hepatocytes. The normal appearance of the endoplasmic reticulum in alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency with the genotype Pi-- is compatible with the hypothesis, in this variant, synthesis of alpha-1-antitrypsin is completely, or nearly completely, absent; an alternative hypothesis would be that an abnormal alpha-1-antitrypsin is produced by the liver and secreted into the plasma, but disappears rapidly from the plasma.

Anomeric configuration of the dolichyl D-mannosyl phosphate formed in calf pancreas microsomes.

Dolichyl D-[14C]mannosyl phosphate formed in calf pancreas microsomes was compared to dolichyl alpha-D-[14C]mannopyranosyl phosphate, a chemical synthesis of which is described. Jack bean alpha-mannosidase, which converted citronellyl alpha-D-mannopyranosyl phosphate, but not its beta anomer, to citronellyl phosphate and D-mannose, was effective in releasing D-[14C]mannose from dolichyl alpha-D-[14C]manopyranosyl phosphate in the presence of detergent. In contrast, alpha-mannosidase did not cause any significant release from the pancreatic dolichyl D-[14C]mannosyl phosphate. Alkali treatment (0.1 M NaOH in propanol at 65 and 90 degrees) degraded both dolichyl D-[14C]mannosyl phosphates with the formation of water-soluble 14C-labeled products. The pattern of 14C-labeled breakdown products formed from the synthetic dolichyl alpha-D-[14C]mannopyranosyl phosphate differed from that obtained from the pancreatic dolichyl D-[14C]mannosyl phosphate. Dolichyl alpha-D-[14C]mannopyranosyl phosphate yielded several 14C-labeled products, including a trace of D-[14C]mannosyl phosphate, and an acidic fraction which appeared to result from degradation of D-[14C]mannose. The pancreatic dolichyl D-[14C]mannosyl phosphate gave various products, depending on the temperature of the reaction: at 90 degrees, 20 to 30% of the radioactivity was found in D-[14C]mannosyl phosphate and the rest in acidic breakdown products; at 65 degrees, about two-thirds of the radioactivity was recovered in a compound which behaved as D-MANNOSE 2-PHOSPHATE, A Product characteristic of a beta-linked D-mannosyl residue. It is concluded that the pancreatic compound is dolichyl beta-D-[14C]mannosyl phosphate.

Glycoprotein biosynthesis: studies on thyroid mannosyltransferases. II. Characterization of a polyisoprenyl mannosyl phosphate and evaluation of its intermediary role in the glycosylation of exogenous acceptors.

The transfer of mannose from GDP-mannonse to exogenous glycopeptides and simple glycosides has been shown to be carried out by calf thyroid particles (Adamany, A. M., and Spiro, R. G. (1975) J. Biol. Chem. 250, 2830-2841). The present investigation indicates that this mannosylation process is accomplished through two sequential enzymatic reactions. The first involves the transfer of mannose from the sugar nucleotide to an endogenous acceptor to form a compound which has the properties of dolichyl mannosyl phosphate, while in the properties of dolichyl mannosyl phosphate, while in the second reaction this mannolipid serves as the glycosyl donor to exogenous acceptors. The particle-bound enzyme which catalyzed the first reaction utilized GDP-mannose (Km = 0.29 microM) as the most effective mannosyl donor, required a divalent cation, preferably manganese or calcium, and acted optimally at pH 6.3. Mannolipid synthesis was reversed by addition of GDP and a ready exchange of the mannose moiety was observed between [14C]mannolipid and unlabeled GDP-mannose. Exogenously supplied dolichyl phosphate, and to a lesser extent ficaprenyl phosphate, served as acceptors for the transfer reaction. The 14C-labeled endogenous lipid had the same chromatographic behavior as synthetic dolichyl mannosyl phosphate and enzymatically mannosylated dolichyl phosphate. The mannose component in the endogenous lipid was not susceptible to reduction with sodium borohydride and was released by mild acid hydrolysis. Alkaline treatment of the mannolipid released a phosphorylated mannose with properties consistent with that of mannose 2-phosphate. The formation of this compound which can arise from a cyclic 1,2-phosphate indicated, on the basis of steric considerations, that the mannose is present in beta linkage to the phosphate of the lipid. An intermediate role of the mannolipid in the glycosylation of exogenous acceptors was suggested by the observation that addition of dolichyl phosphate to thyroid particles resulted in a marked enhancement of mannose transfer from GDP-mannose to methyl-alpha-D-mannopyranoside acceptor while the presence of the glycoside caused a decrease in the mannolipid level. The glycosyl donor function of the polyisoprenyl mannosyl phosphate in the second reaction of the mannosylation sequence could be directly demonstrated by the transfer of [14C]mannose from purified endogenous mannolipid to either methyl-alpha-D-mannoside or dinitrophenyl unit A glycopeptides by thyroid enzyme in the presence of Triton X-100. The mannosylation of the glycoside was not inhibited by EDTA whereas the transfer of mannose to glycopeptide was cation-dependent. While dolichyl [14C]mannosyl phosphate, prepared from exogenous dolichyl phosphate, served as a donor of mannose to exogenous acceptor, this function could not be fulfilled by ficaprenyl [14C]mannosyl phosphate. The two-step reaction sequence carried out by thyroid enzymes which leads to the formation of an alpha-D-manno-pyranosyl-D-mannose linkage in exogenous acceptors by transfer of mannose from GDP-mannose through a beta-linked intermediate appears to involve a double inversion of anomeric configuration of this sugar.