N-Linked Oligosaccharides of Aspergillus awamori Feruloyl Esterase Are Important for Thermostability and Catalysis

A unique N-linked glycosylation motif (Asn⁷⁹-Tyr-Thr) was found in the sequence of type-A feruloyl esterases from Aspergillus spp. To clarify the function of the flap, the role of N-linked oligosaccharides located in the flap region on the biochemical properties of feruloyl esterase (AwFAEA) from Aspergillus awamori expressed in Pichia pastoris was analyzed by removing the N-linked glycosylation recognition site by site-directed mutagenesis. N79 was replaced with A or Q. N-glycosylation-free N79A and N79Q mutant enzymes had lower activity than that of the glycosylated recombinant AwFAEA wild-type enzyme toward α-naphthylbutyrate (C4), α-naphthylcaprylate (C8), and phenolic acid methyl esters. Kinetic analysis of the mutant enzymes indicated that the lower catalytic efficiency was due to a combination of increased K _m and decreased k _cat for N79A, and to a considerably decreased k _cat for N79Q. N79A and N79Q mutant enzymes also exhibited considerably reduced thermostability relative to the wild-type.     

X-ray crystal structures of the oxidized and reduced forms of the rubredoxin from the marine hyperthermophilic archaebacterium Pyrococcus furiosus.

The structures of the oxidized and reduced forms of the rubredoxin from the archaebacterium, Pyrococcus furiosus, an organism that grows optimally at 100 degrees C, have been determined by X-ray crystallography to a resolution of 1.8 A. Crystals of this rubredoxin grow in space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with room temperature cell dimensions a = 34.6 A, b = 35.5 A, and c = 44.4 A. Initial phases were determined by the method of molecular replacement using the oxidized form of the rubredoxin from the mesophilic eubacterium, Clostridium pasteurianum, as a starting model. The oxidized and reduced models of P. furiosus rubredoxin each contain 414 nonhydrogen protein atoms comprising 53 residues. The model of the oxidized form contains 61 solvent H2O oxygen atoms and has been refined with X-PLOR and TNT to a final R = 0.178 with root mean square (rms) deviations from ideality in bond distances and bond angles of 0.014 A and 2.06 degrees, respectively. The model of the reduced form contains 37 solvent H2O oxygen atoms and has been refined to R = 0.193 with rms deviations from ideality in bond lengths of 0.012 A and in bond angles of 1.95 degrees. The overall structure of P. furiosus rubredoxin is similar to the structures of mesophilic rubredoxins, with the exception of a more extensive hydrogen-bonding network in the beta-sheet region and multiple electrostatic interactions (salt bridge, hydrogen bonds) of the Glu 14 side chain with groups on three other residues (the amino-terminal nitrogen of Ala 1; the indole nitrogen of Trp 3; and the amide nitrogen group of Phe 29). The influence of these and other features upon the thermostability of the P. furiosus protein is discussed.     

The influence of polyalcohols and carbohydrates on the thermostability of alpha-amylase

The influence of polyhydric alcohols and carbohydrates on the thermostability, i.e., the heat inactivation kinetics, of Bacillus licheniformis alpha-amylase was studied in the temperature range 96 degrees to 130 degrees C. High concentrations (from 9 to 60 weight percent) of glycerol, sorbitol, mannitol, sucrose, or starch can markedly decrease the inactivation rate constant, k, and in the studied cases, this stabilizing effect grows stronger with increasing additive concentration. Statements about stabilization should, however, be specified carefully with respect to temperature, because E(A) is mostly altered likewise. For dissolved enzyme E(A) was almost always decreased in the presence of polyol or carbohydrate, whereas for immobilized enzyme it was augmented in each studied instance. The inactivation of dissolved enzyme can, in all the studied cases, be adequately described as a first-order process. Immobilized enzyme, however, shows biphasic then first-order inactivation kinetics, depending on the additive concentration and temperature.     

Glycan modification of a thermostable recombinant (1-3,1-4)-β-glucanase secreted fromSaccharomyces cerevisiae is determined by strain and culture conditions

High level biosynthesis and secretion of the thermostable hybrid (1-3,1-4)--glucanase H(A16-M) has been achieved inSaccharomyces cerevisiae by means of the yeast vacuolar endoprotease B promoter (PRB1_p) and theBacillus macerans (1-3,1-4)--glucanase signal peptide. The N-glycans present on the yeast-secreted H(A16-M), denoted H(A16-M)-Y, were released by endoglycosidase H, and identified by proton NMR spectroscopy to be a homologous series of Man_8-13GlcNAc₂, although only traces of Man₉GlcNAc₂ were found. Therefore, processing of N-glycans on H(A16-M)-Y is similar to that on homologous proteins. Most of the N-glycans (88%) were neutral while the remainder were charged due to phosphorylation. Site-directed mutagenesis of Asn to Gln in two of the N-glycosylation sequons, and subsequent analysis of the N-glycans on the yeast-secreted proteins together with analysis of the N-glycans from the individual sites of H(A16-M)-Y suggest the presence of steric hindrance to glycan modification by the glycans themselves. H(A16-M)-Y produced under control of either the yeast protease B or the yeast 3-phosphoglycerate kinase promoter, each in two differentSaccharomyces strains revealed a dependence of N-glycan profile on both strain and culture conditions. The extent of O-glycosylation was found to be nine mannose units per H(A16-M)-Y molecule. An attempt to identify the linkage-sites for the O-glycans by amino acid sequencing failed, suggesting non-stoichiometric or heterogeneous O-glycosylation. The possible modes in which N-glycans might contribute to resistance of H(A16-M)-Y to irreversible thermal denaturation are discussed with respect to structural information available for H(A16-M)-Y. Abbreviations: AMY,B. amyloliquefaciens (1-3,1-4)--glucanse; MAC,B. macerans (1-3,1-4)--glucanase H(A16-M), H(A36-M), H(A78-M),H(A107-M) and H(A152-M), hybrid (1-3,1-4)--glucanases containing 16, 36, 78, 107 and 152 N-terminal amino acids, respectively, derived from AMY with the remaining amino acids derived from MAC; similar enzyme abbreviations followed by Y, e.g. H(A16-M)-Y, denote the enzymes secreted from yeast cells; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; PGK_p, yeast 3-phosphoglycerate kinase promoter; PRB1_p, yeast protease B promoter; LB, Luria-Bertani medium; SC, minimal medium; CNBr, cyanogen bromide; Endo H_f, endoglycosidase H fusion protein; PNGase F, peptide:N-glycosidase F; HPAEC; high pH anion exchange chromatography; HVE, high voltage paper electrophoresis; CPY, yeast carboxypeptidase Y.     

Characterization of crystals of the thermostable DNA polymerase I from thermus aquaticus

Thermus aquaticus DNA polymerase I is an enzyme that is of both physiological and technological interest. It carries out template-directed polymerization of DNA at elevated temperatures and is widely used in polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We have obtained crystals of the enzyme that diffracts X-rays to at least 3.0 Å resolution in a cubic space group. Determination of the three-dimensional structure of the native enzyme along with those of relevant complexes will greatly enhance our knowledge of molecular events involved in DNA replication, will permit improvements in PCR, and will add to our knowledge of the structural bases of thermo stability in proteins. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Chemical characterization of a new Japanese variant of carbonic anhydrase I,CA INagasaki 1 (76 Arg→Gln)

A new inherited variant of carbonic anhydrase I (CA I), designated CA I_{Nagasaki 1} (CA I_{NGS 1}), was discovered during a survey of hemolysates from 5852 individuals from the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. Analysis of the amino acid composition of a tryptic peptide from the CA I_{NGS 1} variant indicated that a glutaminyl residue was substituted for an arginyl residue at position 76. Heat degradation studies showed that the CA I_{NGS 1} variant was less stable than normal CA I. The CO₂ hydrase and esterase activities of the normal and variant carbonic anhydrases I, as well as the relative amounts of the two enzymes in heterozygotes, were similar.This work was supported in part by Contract E(11-1)-1552 with the Energy Research and Development Administration, Washington, D.C. (to J. V. Neel), and by U.S. Public Health Service Grant GM-24681.     

高温大曲中地衣芽胞杆菌(Bacillus licheniformis CGMCC 3963)的耐高温特征

【目的】高温大曲的使用是中国酱香型白酒酿造的特征之一,耐高温的细菌是高温大曲中重要的优势功能菌,它们对酱香型白酒的酿造具有重要的价值。研究高温大曲中细菌的耐高温特征对于认识酱香型白酒的酿造特征具有一定的作用。【方法】本文以中国白酒高温大曲中筛选获得的一株具有自主知识产权的耐高温功能细菌地衣芽胞杆菌(Bacillus licheniformis)CGMCC 3963为对象,测定其耐高温特征,并首次通过细胞形态学的分析,以及转录组学等技术的应用系统研究了B.licheniformis CGMCC 3963的耐高温机制。【结果】地衣芽胞杆菌B.licheniformis CGMCC 3963能够耐受55℃高温生长。在高温条件下,该菌仍具有较旺盛的代谢生长能力,且产生大量荚膜,同时大量I类热休克蛋白基因以及聚谷氨酸合成基因的表达水平均得到明显提高。【结论】B.licheniformis CGMCC 3963在高温下,I类热休克蛋白以及以聚谷氨酸为主要成分的荚膜大量产生,对功能细菌耐高温具有重要的作用。该结果首次从分子水平认识了中国白酒酿造微生物的耐高温特征,丰富了白酒酿造微生物学的科学理论。     

定向进化提高来源于Arthrobacter ramosus的MTHase的热稳定性

麦芽寡糖基海藻糖水解酶(mahosyhrehalose hydrolase,MTHase)是以淀粉或麦芽糊精为底物制备海藻糖的关键酶之一.来源于Arthrobacter ramosus的MTHase,表达量好,比活高,但热稳定性差,限制了其工业化应用.采用定向进化技术,筛选得到L137M和A216T两个突变体,在60℃...     

无机离子和有机溶质对α-淀粉酶热稳定性的影响

长期以来,如何提高酶蛋白的热稳定性是分子生物学、生物工程学、化学工业等所关注的重要研究课题之一。分析了多种无机离子、糖和氨基酸对枯草杆菌液化型α-淀粉酶热稳定性的影响以及它们的共存效应,获取了一些对相关研究领域具有理论参考和实际应用价值的实验结果。在无机盐中,1mmol/L的钙离子或50mmol/L的钠离子能显著地提高该酶的热稳定性;酸性氨基酸和碱性氨基酸表现出相反的结果：酸性氨基酸具有明显的增强作用,碱性氨基酸却使之降低;随着糖浓度的增加（0～1000mmol/L）,该淀粉酶的热稳定性呈线性增高;当钠离子或钾离子与某些氨基酸或糖类共同存在时,对该淀粉酶的热稳定性表现出了明显的协同作用。试图通过检测酶蛋白分子荧光强度改变来反映该酶的热稳定性变化,其结果是：随着温度的改变,酶蛋白的荧光强度的衰减与残余酶活性之间显示了良好的相关性。从而说明热环境使酶蛋白分子的螺旋结构发生变化而失活,某些溶质的存在可能是通过作用于蛋白质分子的立体结构而影响该酶的热稳定性。     

Understanding thermostability in cytochrome P450 by combinatorial mutagenesis

The cytochromes P450 are an important class of mono-oxygenases involved in xenobiotic metabolism and steroid biosynthesis in a diverse set of life forms. Discovery of CYP-119, a P450 from the archea Sulfolobus solfataricus has provided a means for understanding nature's method of stabilizing this important protein superfamily. To identify classes of stabilizing interactions used by CYP-119, we have generated a randomized library of point mutants and screened for mutants that are less thermostable than the wild type by monitoring the characteristic Soret band in the visible region of the cell lysis. The selected mutants were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry to compare the temperatures of the melting transitions of the various mutants. The identified mutations suggested that electrostatic interactions involving salt links and charge-charge interactions, as well as contributions from other interactions such as aromatic stacking, and side chain volume of hydrophobic residues contribute to enhanced thermostability in this cytochrome P450.