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Structural and kinetic analysis of the substrate specificity of human fibroblast activation protein alpha.

Fibroblast activation protein alpha (FAPalpha) is highly expressed in epithelial cancers and has been implicated in extracellular matrix remodeling, tumor growth, and metastasis. We present the first high resolution structure for the apoenzyme as well as kinetic data toward small dipeptide substrates. FAPalpha exhibits a dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV)-like fold, featuring an alpha/beta-hydrolase domain and an eight-bladed beta-propeller domain. Known DPPIV dipeptides are cleaved by FAPalpha with an approximately 100-fold decrease in catalytic efficiency compared with DPPIV. Moreover, FAPalpha, but not DPPIV, possesses endopeptidase activity toward N-terminal benzyloxycarbonyl (Z)-blocked peptides. Comparison of the crystal structures of FAPalpha and DPPIV revealed one major difference in the vicinity of the Glu motif (Glu(203)-Glu(204) for FAPalpha; Glu(205)-Glu(206) for DPPIV) within the active site of the enzyme. Ala(657) in FAPalpha, instead of Asp(663) as in DP-PIV, reduces the acidity in this pocket, and this change could explain the lower affinity for N-terminal amines by FAPalpha. This hypothesis was tested by kinetic analysis of the mutant FAPalpha/A657D, which shows on average an approximately 60-fold increase in the catalytic efficiency, as measured by k(cat)/K(m), for the cleavage of dipeptide substrates. Furthermore, the catalytic efficiency of the mutant is reduced by approximately 350-fold for cleavage of Z-Gly-Pro-7-amino-4-methylcoumarin. Our data provide a clear understanding of the molecular determinants responsible for the substrate specificity and endopeptidase activity of FAPalpha.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

Redesigning the substrate specificity of the hepatitis C virus NS3 protease.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) non-structural protein 3 (NS3) encodes a trypsin-like serine protease that catalyzes the cleavages at the NS3/NS4A, NS4A/NS4B, NS4B/NS5A and NS5A/NS5B junctions in the viral polyprotein and that shows a preference for a cysteine as the P1 residue. RESULTS: We describe here a partial model of the HCV NS3 protease which allowed us to predict the position of the secondary structure elements of the enzyme and of the residues involved in its specificity. By replacing these with the corresponding residues of Streptomyces griseus protease B1 we obtained a protease that, similar to the bacterial protein and unlike the wild-type enzyme, is able to cleave a substrate containing a phenylalanine in the P1 position. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm the reliability of our model and represent one of the few examples of redesign of a serine protease substrate specificity directed by molecular modelling.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Substrate specificity in the highly heterogeneous M4 peptidase family is determined by a small subset of amino acids.

The members of the M4 peptidase family are involved in processes as diverse as pathogenicity and industrial applications. For the first time a number of M4 family members, also known as thermolysin-like proteases, has been characterized with an identical substrate set and a uniform set of assay conditions. Characterization with peptide substrates as well as high performance liquid chromatography analysis of beta-casein digests shows that the M4 family is a homogeneous family in terms of catalysis, even though there is a significant degree of amino acid sequence variation. The results of this study show that differences in substrate specificity within the M4 family do not correlate with overall sequence differences but depend on a small number of identifiable amino acids. Indeed, molecular modeling followed by site-directed mutagenesis of one of the substrate binding pocket residues of the thermolysin-like proteases of Bacillus stearothermophilus converted the catalytic characteristics of this variant into that of thermolysin.

Amino Acids↗

The 87-kDa protein, a major specific substrate for protein kinase C: purification from bovine brain and characterization.

The 87-kDa protein, a major specific substrate for protein kinase C, has been purified 500-fold to apparent homogeneity from bovine forebrain supernatant. The purification procedure included batch adsorption to DE-52 (DEAE-cellulose), (NH4)2SO4 precipitation, and chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel, Bio-Gel HTP (hydroxylapatite), Sephacryl S-400, and fast protein liquid chromatography ProRPC. The amino acid composition was notable for its high proportion of alanine (28.6 mol%) and its enrichment in glutamate/glutamine (18.1 mol%), glycine (12.6 mol%), and proline (11.3 mol%). The partial specific volume was 0.702 ml/g; the Stokes radius and sedimentation coefficient were 85 A and 2.11 S, respectively. Although the relative molecular mass of the protein on NaDodSO4/8% PAGE was 87-90 kDa, the molecular mass as determined from the above values was 68 kDa. The frictional ratio was 3.2, and the axial ratio was 60, indicating that the 87-kDa protein is an extremely elongated monomer. The purified 87-kDa protein was phosphorylated by purified protein kinase C to a stoichiometry of 2.2 mol of 32P per mol of 87-kDa protein (calculated using a value of 68 kDa for the molecular mass). Phosphorylation was exclusively on serine residues.

Amino Acids↗

Substrate specificity of protein kinase C studied with peptides containing D-amino acid residues.

A set of stereoisomeric nonapeptides KRPSQRAKY with one, two, or all L-amino acid residues replaced by the corresponding D-amino acids, and two analogs with L- and D-threonine instead of serine, were synthesized and tested as substrates for protein kinase C. All of the peptides were phosphorylated by the enzyme. The maximal rate of the reaction with the all-D peptide was more than one order of magnitude lower than that for all-L peptide with serine. The same applied to the peptides with D-Ser or with D-Arg in position +2 with respect to Ser. The Km values for the peptides containing one D-amino acid were close to that for the prototype peptide (53 microM). On the other hand, when two or more D-amino acids were present, the Km value increased considerably. Replacement of serine by threonine also reduced the phosphorylation rate and increased the Km values. One can conclude that the stereospecificity of protein kinase C is much less pronounced than that of protein kinase A, which is in agreement with the less clearly pronounced substrate specificity of the former enzyme.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The stem region of the sulfotransferase GlcNAc6ST-1 is a determinant of substrate specificity.

The GlcNAc-6-sulfotransferases are a family of Golgi-resident enzymes that modulate glycan function. Two members of this family, GlcNAc6ST-1 and -2, collaborate in the biosynthesis of ligands for the leukocyte adhesion molecule L-selectin. Although their biochemical properties are similar in vitro, the enzymes have distinct glycoprotein substrate preferences in vivo. The sulfotransferases share similar overall architecture with the exception of an extended stem region in GlcNAc6ST-1 that is absent in GlcNAc6ST-2. In this study we probed the importance of the stem region with respect to substrate preference, localization, and oligomerization. Analysis of truncation mutants demonstrated that perturbation of the stem region of GlcNAc6ST-1 affects the cellular substrate preference of the enzyme without altering its retention within the Golgi. A chimeric enzyme comprising the stem region of GlcNAc6ST-1 inserted between the catalytic and transmembrane domains of GlcNAc6ST-2 had the same substrate preference as native GlcNAc6ST-1. In cells, GlcNAc6ST-1 exists as a dimer; two cysteine residues within the stem and transmembrane domain were found to be critical for dimerization. However, disruption of the dimer by mutagenesis did not affect either localization or substrate preference. Collectively, these results indicate that the stem region of GlcNAc6ST-1 influences substrate specificity, independent of its role in dimerization or Golgi retention.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Enzymatic cyclizations of squalene analogs with threo- and erythro-diols at the 6,7- or 10,11-positions by recombinant squalene cyclase. Trapping of carbocation intermediates and mechanistic insights into the product and substrate specificities.

In order to trap the carbocation intermediates formed during the squalene cyclization cascade, squalene analogs with threo- and erythro-diols at the 6,7- and 10,11-positions were incubated with the recombinant squalene cyclase from Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius, leading to the construction of the triterpenes with tetrahydropyran, octahydrochromene, decahydronaphthalene with a carbonyl group, dodecahydrobenzo[f]chromene, tetradecahydronaphtho[2,1-b]oxepine and malabaricane skeletons, almost of which are novel compounds. These products indicate that 6-membered monocyclic, 6/6-fused bicyclic and 6/6/5-fused tricyclic cations were involved in the cyclization reaction in addition to acyclic cation. All the trapped cations were the stable tertiary cation, but not the secondary one, indicating that the polycyclization reaction proceeds with a Markovnikov closure. The product profiles revealed that the cyclization reactions proceeded with the product and substrate specificities in addition to enantioselectivity. Mechanistic insight into the observed stereochemical specificities indicated that the pre-organized chair-conformation of squalene-diols is tightly constricted by the cyclase and a free motion or a conformational change is not allowed in the reaction cavity, thus, the substrate and product specificities are dominantly directed by the least motion of the nucleophilic hydroxyl group toward the intermediary carbocation; a small rotation of the hydroxyl group afforded the cyclization products in a good yield, but a large rotation of the hydroxyl group gave a marginal or no detectable amount of products.

Carbohydrate Conformation↗

Substrate specificity, inhibition and enzymological analysis of recombinant human glutamate carboxypeptidase II.

Glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII, EC 3.4.17.21) is a membrane peptidase expressed in a number of tissues such as kidney, prostate and brain. The brain form of GCPII (also known as NAALADase) cleaves N-acetyl-aspartyl glutamate to yield free glutamate. Animal model experiments show that inhibition of GCPII prevents neuronal cell death during experimental ischaemia. GCPII thus represents an important target for the treatment of neuronal damage caused by excess glutamate. In this paper we report expression of an extracellular portion of human glutamate carboxypeptidase II (amino acids 44-750) in Drosophila Schneider's cells and its purification to homogeneity. A novel assay for hydrolytic activity of recombinant human GCPII (rhGCPII), based on fluorimetric detection of released alpha-amino groups was established, and used for its enzymological characterization. rhGCPII does not show dipeptidylpeptidase IV-like activity assigned to the native form of the enzyme previously. Using a complete set of protected dipeptides, substrate specificity of rhGCPII was elucidated. In addition to the previously described substrates, four novel compounds, Ac-Glu-Met, Ac-Asp-Met and, surprisingly, Ac-Ala-Glu and Ac-Ala-Met were identified as substrates for GCPII, and their respective kinetic constants determined. The glycosylation of rhGCPII was found indispensable for the enzymatic activity.

Animals↗

Crystal structures of the wild type and the Glu376Gly/Thr255Glu mutant of human medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase: influence of the location of the catalytic base on substrate specificity.

Crystal structures of the wild type human medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCADH) and a double mutant in which its active center base-arrangement has been altered to that of long chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCADH), Glu376Gly/Thr255Glu, have been determined by X-ray crystallography at 2.75 and 2.4 A resolution, respectively. The catalytic base responsible for the alpha-proton abstraction from the thioester substrate is Glu376 in MCADH, while that in LCADH is Glu255 (MCADH numbering), located over 100 residues away in its primary amino acid sequence. The structures of the mutant complexed with C8-, C12, and C14-CoA have also been determined. The human enzyme structure is essentially the same as that of the pig enzyme. The structure of the mutant is unchanged upon ligand binding except for the conformations of a few side chains in the active site cavity. The substrate with chain length longer than C12 binds to the enzyme in multiple conformations at its omega-end. Glu255 has two conformations, "active" and "resting" forms, with the latter apparently stabilized by forming a hydrogen bond with Glu99. Both the direction in which Glu255 approaches the C alpha atom of the substrate and the distance between the Glu255 carboxylate and the C alpha atom are different from those of Glu376; these factors are responsible for the intrinsic differences in the kinetic properties as well as the substrate specificity. Solvent accessible space at the "midsection" of the active site cavity, where the C alpha-C beta bond of the thioester substrate and the isoalloxazine ring of the FAD are located, is larger in the mutant than in the wild type enzyme, implying greater O2 accessibility in the mutant which might account for the higher oxygen reactivity.

Acyl Coenzyme A↗

Class I and III polyhydroxyalkanoate synthases from Ralstonia eutropha and Allochromatium vinosum: characterization and substrate specificity studies.

Class I and III polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthases catalyze the conversion of beta-hydroxybutyryl coenzyme A (HBCoA) to polyhydroxybutyrate. The Class I PHA synthase from Ralstonia eutropha has been purified by numerous labs with reported specific activities that vary between 1 and 160 U/mg. An N-terminal (His)6-PHA synthase was constructed and purified with specific activity of 40 U/mg. The variable activity is shown to be related to the protein's propensity to aggregate and not to incomplete post-translational modification by coenzyme A and a phosphopantetheinyl transferase. The substrate specificities of this enzyme and the Class III PHA synthase from Allochromatium vinosum have been determined with nine analogs of varied chain length and branching, OH group position within the chain, and thioesters. The results suggest that in vitro, both PHA synthases are very specific and provide further support for their active site structural similarities. In vitro results differ from studies in vivo.

Acyltransferases↗

Origin of substrate specificity of human and rat 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1, using chimeric enzymes and site-directed substitutions.

Human 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17-HSD) type 1 predominantly catalyzes the 17beta-reduction of estrone to estradiol. The present results, however, show that rat 17-HSD type 1 equally uses both estrone and androstenedione as substrates. Analyzing the activity of various rat/human chimeric enzymes indicated that the region between amino acids 148 and 268 is responsible for the difference in substrate specificity, which is in line with the structural data showing that the recognition end of the active site is primarily at residues 185-230. The enzymes are highly conserved between amino acids 148-191, and the data indicate that in this region Asn152HisAsp153Glu and Pro187Ala variations are most closely related to the differential steroid specificity. The structural analyses furthermore suggested that the presence of His instead of Asn at position 152 of the human enzyme might result in considerable rearrangement of the loop located close to the beta-face of the A- and B-rings of the bound substrate, and that the Pro187Ala variation could modify the flexible region involved in substrate recognition and access of the substrate to the active site. Altogether, our results indicate that the Asn152His and Pro187Ala variations, together with several amino acid variations at the recognition end of the catalytic cleft built by residues 190-230, alter the structure of the active site of rat 17-HSD type 1 to one more favorable to an androgenic substrate.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Substrate specificity of O-alkylglycerol monooxygenase (E.C. 1.14.16.5), solubilized from rat liver microsomes.

Synthetic alkyl lysophospholipids (ALP) show antineoplastic activity. In the present discussion, the cytotoxicity of ALP is attributed to their accumulation in tumor cells. Some neoplastic cell species, in contrast to normal cells, cannot metabolize ALP because of a lack of O-alkylglycerol monooxygenase (AGMO) activity. To understand the metabolic fate of ether lipids and ether-linked phospholipids, AGMO substrate specificity studies were undertaken. Thirty-five different natural and synthetic ether lipids and their metabolites (including a thioether) were tested as substrates for AGMO. The study revealed that the potent cytostatic substance, 1-O-octadecyl-2-O-methyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine is not a substrate for AGMO. Therefore, its selective toxicity to tumor cells cannot be based on the differences in direct detoxification of 1-O-octadecyl-2-O-methyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine by AGMO in normal and malignant cells. However, 1-O-octadecyl-2-O-methyl-rac-glycerol, which can be formed by phospholipase C hydrolysis, is a good substrate for AGMO.

Animals↗

Probing the substrate specificity of Escherichia coli RNase E using a novel oligonucleotide-based assay.

Endoribonuclease RNase E has a central role in both processing and decay of RNA in Escherichia coli, and apparently in many other organisms, where RNase E homologs were identified or their existence has been predicted from genomic data. Although the biochemical properties of this enzyme have been already studied for many years, the substrate specificity of RNase E is still poorly characterized. Here, I have described a novel oligonucleotide-based assay to identify specific sequence determinants that either facilitate or impede the recognition and cleavage of RNA by the catalytic domain of the enzyme. The knowledge of these determinants is crucial for understanding the nature of RNA-protein interactions that control the specificity and efficiency of RNase E cleavage and opens new perspectives for further studies of this multi-domain protein. Moreover, the simplicity and efficiency of the proposed assay suggest that it can be a valuable tool not only for the characterization of RNase E homologs but also for the analysis of other site-specific nucleases.

Base Sequence↗

Differential estrogen substrate specificities for transiently expressed human placental 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and an endogenous enzyme expressed in cultured COS-m6 cells.

The metabolism of estrogens catalyzed by human placental 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17HSD) transiently expressed in COS-m6 cells was studied, and the properties of the enzyme were compared with those of an endogenous hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD) expressed in the cells. In cultured cells, the endogenous HSD had almost exclusively oxidative activity, converting estradiol to estrone (oxidative and reductive activity, 0.84 +/- 0.164 and 0.034 +/- 0.01 nmol/mg protein.h, respectively). This was, nevertheless, opposed to the activity of the transiently expressed human placental 17HSD, as a high reductive activity (0.86 +/- 0.30 nmol/mg protein.h) appeared in the cells after transfection, whereas oxidative activity was not significantly induced. In the different transfections, the reductive activity was induced 13- to 34-fold, and the oxidative activity in the 17HSD-transfected cells was 65-162% of that in the mock-transfected cells. Thus, in cultured cells, these two enzymes preferentially catalyze opposite reactions. When the metabolism of the estrogens was followed up to 20 h, the two enzymes were found to regulate the proportion of estrone to estradiol in the culture medium. The different properties found for the enzymes show that the endogenous HSD expressed in the COS-m6 cells is an additional member of the family of 17HSD enzymes. It is suggested that different 17HSD enzymes exist, with differential estrogen substrate specificities in cultured cells. Thus, in addition to cofactor and substrate availability, the biological activity of estrogens in different cell types may be regulated by the expression of different forms of 17HSD enzymes, resulting in the dominance of either estradiol or estrone production.

17-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases↗

Differential expression of two related amino acid transporters with differing substrate specificity in Arabidopsis thaliana.

A general amino acid permease cDNA (AAP2) was isolated from Arabidopsis by complementation of a yeast mutant defective in citrulline uptake. Direct transport measurements in yeast show that the protein mediates uptake of L-[14C]-citrulline and L-[14C]-proline. Detailed analyses of the substrate specificity by competition studies demonstrate that all proteogenic amino acids are recognized by the carrier, including those that represent the major transport forms of reduced nitrogen in many species, i.e. glutamine, glutamate and asparagine. Thus, AAP2 is less selective as compared with AAP1 and transports basic amino acids such as histidine as shown by expression in a histidine transport-deficient yeast strain. The predicted polypeptide of 53 kDa is highly hydrophobic with 12 putative membrane-spanning regions and shows significant homologies to the Arabidopsis broad specificity permease AAP1, and a limited homology to bacterial branched chain amino acid transporters, but not to any other known proteins. Alterations in the charged residues as compared with AAP1 in four regions might be involved in the difference in selectivity towards basic amino acids. Both genes are highly expressed in developing pods indicating a role in supplying the developing seeds with reduced nitrogen. AAP2 is selectively expressed in the stem and might therefore play a role in xylem-to-phloem transfer of amino acids during seed filling. Furthermore in situ hybridization shows that both genes are expressed in the vascular system of cotyledons in developing seedlings.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

WOR5, a novel tungsten-containing aldehyde oxidoreductase from Pyrococcus furiosus with a broad substrate Specificity.

WOR5 is the fifth and last member of the family of tungsten-containing oxidoreductases purified from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. It is a homodimeric protein (subunit, 65 kDa) that contains one [4Fe-4S] cluster and one tungstobispterin cofactor per subunit. It has a broad substrate specificity with a high affinity for several substituted and nonsubstituted aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes with various chain lengths. The highest catalytic efficiency of WOR5 is found for the oxidation of hexanal (V(max) = 15.6 U/mg, K(m) = 0.18 mM at 60 degrees C). Hexanal-incubated enzyme exhibits S = 1/2 electron paramagnetic resonance signals from [4Fe-4S]1+ (g values of 2.08, 1.93, and 1.87) and W5+ (g values of 1.977, 1.906, and 1.855). Cyclic voltammetry of ferredoxin and WOR5 on an activated glassy carbon electrode shows a catalytic wave upon addition of hexanal, suggesting that ferredoxin can be a physiological redox partner. The combination of WOR5, formaldehyde oxidoreductase, and aldehyde oxidoreductase forms an efficient catalyst for the oxidation of a broad range of aldehydes in P. furiosus.

Aldehyde Oxidoreductases↗

Formation of ether lipids from isomeric cis-octadecen-1-ols in normal and neoplastic cells: substrate specificity of enzymes with regard to position of double bonds.

The pattern of incorporation of isomeric cis-[1-14C]octadecen-1-ols into alkyl moieties of glycerophospholipids of rat brain as well as of L 1210 and S 180 murine ascites cells revealed the following: 1) The enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of acylalkylglycerophospholamines have no substrate specificity with regard to position of the double bond of either cis-oectadecen-1-ols or of intermediate ether lipids derived therefrom. 2) CDPcholine: diradylglycerol cholinephosphotransferases exhibit a strong preference for acylalkylglycerols with cis-8, cis-9 and cis-10-octadecenyl moieties as substrates.

Animals↗

Substrate specificity of and product formation by muconate cycloisomerases: an analysis of wild-type enzymes and engineered variants.

Muconate cycloisomerases play a crucial role in the bacterial degradation of aromatic compounds by converting cis,cis-muconate, the product of catechol ring cleavage, to (4S)-muconolactone. Chloromuconate cycloisomerases catalyze both the corresponding reaction and a dehalogenation reaction in the transformation of chloroaromatic compounds. This study reports the first thorough examination of the substrate specificity of the muconate cycloisomerases from Pseudomonas putida PRS2000 and Acinetobacter "calcoaceticus" ADP1. We show that they transform, in addition to cis,cis-muconate, 3-fluoro-, 2-methyl-, and 3-methyl-cis, cis-muconate with high specificity constants but not 2-fluoro-, 2-chloro-, 3-chloro-, or 2,4-dichloro-cis,cis-muconate. Based on known three-dimensional structures, variants of P. putida muconate cycloisomerase were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis to contain amino acids found in equivalent positions in chloromuconate cycloisomerases. Some of the variants had significantly increased specificity constants for 3-chloro- or 2,4-dichloromuconate (e.g., A271S and I54V showed 27- and 22-fold increases, respectively, for the former substrate). These kinetic improvements were not accompanied by a change from protoanemonin to cis,cis-dienelactone as the product of 3-chloro-cis,cis-muconate conversion. The rate of 2-chloro-cis,cis-muconate turnover was not significantly improved, nor was this compound dehalogenated to any significant extent. However, the direction of 2-chloro-cis,cis-muconate cycloisomerization could be influenced by amino acid exchange. While the wild-type enzyme discriminated only slightly between the two possible cycloisomerization directions, some of the enzyme variants showed a strong preference for either (+)-2-chloro- or (+)-5-chloromuconolactone formation. These results show that the different catalytic characteristics of muconate and chloromuconate cycloisomerases are due to a number of features that can be changed independently of each other.

Acinetobacter calcoaceticus↗