"Ketotic hypoglycemia" due to hepatic fructose-1,6-diphosphatase deficiency: treatment with folic acid.
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The phenylalanine-regulated isozyme of 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase (DAHPS) from Escherichia coli, its binary complexes with either substrate, phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), or feedback inhibitor, Phe, and its ternary complexes with either PEP or Phe plus metal cofactor (either Mn2+, Cd2+, or Pb2+) were crystallized from polyethylglycol (PEG) solutions. All crystals of the DAHPS without Phe belong to space group C2, with cell parameters a = 213.5 A, b = 54.3 A, c = 149.0 A, beta = 116.6 degrees. All crystals of the enzyme with Phe also belong to space group C2, but with cell parameters a = 297.1 A, b = 91.4 A, c = 256.5 A, and beta = 148.2 degrees.
3-Deoxy-D-manno-octulosonate-8-phosphate (KDOP) synthase catalyzes the production of KDOP from phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and arabinose-5-phosphate (A5P). In gram-negative bacteria KDOP is subsequently dephosphorylated, cytidylylated, and linked to lipid A and is required for lipid A incorporation into the outer membrane (Raetz, Annu. Rev. Biochem. 59:129-170, 1990). We have crystallized two forms of KDOP synthase belonging to space groups I23 or I2(1)3, one with a = b = c = 118.0 A and the other with a = b = c = 233 A.
A similar fold has been found in four archetype enzymes that perform different functions. This new fold has been named the T-fold because it is found in multimeric proteins crossed by a tunnel. The T-fold consists of an antiparallel beta-sheet of four sequential strands, and two antiparallel helices between the second and third strand, layered on the concave side of the beta-sheet. The presently known T-fold proteins share a high structural similarity (a mean of 1.4 A root mean square (r.m.s.) deviation on the common core) while they only exhibit a low level of sequence identity (a mean of 10.5% on the aligned regions). They bind to substrates belonging to the purine or pterin families, and share a fold-related binding site with a glutamate or glutamine residue anchoring the substrate and a lot of conserved interactions. They also share a similar oligomerization mode: several T-folds join together to form a beta(2n)alpha(n) barrel, then two barrels join together in a head-to-head fashion to made up the native enzymes. The T-fold has the characteristics of a globular domain, with a hydrophobic core and a clearly defined topohydrophobic network. It defines a new class of common folds or recurrent domains found in distantly related proteins. However, it is likely not stable in monomeric form and until now is only observed in association with other T-folds through multimerization. Proteins 2000;39:142-154.
In recent years there has been an increase in the interest in the production of compounds by isolation from natural sources or through processes that can be deemed "natural". This is of particular interest in the food and beverage industry for flavors and aromas. Hexanal, organoleptically known to possess "green character", is of considerable commercial interest. The objective of this study was to determine if the enzyme template known to be responsible for the synthesis of hexanal from linoleic acid (18:2) in tomato fruits could be harnessed using a hollow-fiber reactor. A hollow-fiber reactor system was set up and consisted of a XAMPLER ultrafiltration module coupled to a reservoir. The enzyme template was extracted from ripe tomato fruits and processed through an ultrafiltration unit (NMWC of 100 kDa) to produce a retentate enriched in soluble and membrane-associated lipoxygenase (LOX) and hydroperoxide lyase (HPL). This extract was recirculated through the lumen of the hollow-fiber ultrafiltration unit with the addition of substrate in the form of linoleic acid, with buffer addition to the reaction flask to maintain a constant retentate volume. Product formation was measured in the permeate using solid phase microextraction (SPME) developed for this system. At exogenous substrate concentrations of 16 mM and a transmembrane pressure of 70 kPa, hexanal production rates are in the order of 5.1 microg/min. Addition of Triton X-100 resulted in membrane fouling and reduced flux. The reactor system has been run for periods of up to 1 week and has been shown to be stable over this period.
An enzyme-specific staining method for trimethylamine oxide demethylase (TMAO-ase) was developed. Direct visualization could be reached by coupling the reactions of the specific TMAO-ase assay with another reaction step generating as final product a dark-blue formazan. For these purposes 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) as tetrazolium salt and phenazine methosulfate (PMS) as electron transfer substance were used. Clear, dark-blue colored bands could be detected on 300 microm isoelectric focusing gels (IEF). Comparisons of enzyme-stained and protein-stained gels showed that diffusion could not be observed and that the band pattern of TMAO-ase could also be seen in the protein stain. The pI range where TMAO-ase was located was 5.6-6.6 for extracts and 6.2-6.6 for partially purified TMAO-ase. Specificity of stained TMAO-ase bands was assessed by the preparation of staining solution without the substrate trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) and by extraction of TMAO-ase from the gel and performance of the specific TMAO-ase assay.
A coupled enzymatic assay was developed for quantitative determination of the stereoisomeric products formed in aldol reactions catalyzed by dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP)-dependent aldolases. Three of the four stereoisomers could be determined directly; the fourth one was calculated. This procedure is based on the reversibility of the aldol reaction and requires no derivatization or work-up of the product samples, only removal or inactivation of the biocatalyst. In comparison with other methods the enzymatic assay is highly accurate and fast. Determination of isomer formation with 10 different acceptor substrates applying this procedure gave unprecedented insight in the stereochemistry of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase from Staphylococcus carnosus and l-rhamnulose-1-phosphate aldolase from E. coli.
Plants continuously have to defend themselves against life-threatening events such as drought, mechanical damage, temperature stress, and potential pathogens. Nowadays, more and more similarities between the defense mechanism of plants and that of animals are being discovered. In both cases, the lipoxygenase pathway plays an important role. In plants, products of this pathway are involved in wound healing, pest resistance, and signaling, or they have antimicrobial and antifungal activity. The first step in the lipoxygenase pathway is the reaction of linoleic or linolenic acids with molecular oxygen, catalyzed by the enzyme lipoxygenase. The hydroperoxy fatty acids thus formed are highly reactive and dangerous for the plant and therefore further metabolized by other enzymes such as allene oxide synthase, hydroperoxide lyase, peroxygenase, or divinyl ether synthase. Recently, these enzymes have been characterized as a special class of cytochrome P450 enzymes. Hydroperoxide lyases cleave the lipoxygenase products, resulting in the formation of omega-oxo acids and volatile C6- and C9-aldehydes and -alcohols. These compounds are major contributors to the characteristic "fresh green" odor of fruit and vegetables. They are widely used as food flavors, for example, to restore the freshness of food after sterilization processes. The low abundance of these compounds in nature and the high demand make it necessary to synthesize them on a large scale. Lipoxygenase and hydroperoxide lyase are suitable biocatalysts for the production of "natural" food flavors. In contrast to lipoxygenase, which has been extensively studied, little is yet known about hydroperoxide lyase. Hydroperoxide lyases from different organisms have been isolated, and a few genes have been published lately. However, the structure and reaction mechanism of this enzyme are still unclear. The identification of this enzyme as a cytochrome P450 sheds new light on its structure and possible reaction mechanism, whereas recombinant expression brings a biocatalytic application into sight.
Three monoclonal aldolase antibodies (84G3, 85H6, and 93F3), generated against a beta-diketone hapten (II) by the reactive immunization technique, catalyzed highly enantioselective retro-aldol reactions of the racemic thiazole aldols 13-20. Antibody 84G3 (0.0004-0.005 mol%) was used to resolve (+/-)-13-(+/-)-18 to afford compounds 13-18 in multigram quantities. Multiple 13-alkyl analogues of epothilone (7-12) and their trans isomers ((E)-7-(E)-12) were synthesized starting from thiazole aldols 13-18. Construction of the trisubstituted olefin moiety in compounds 7-12 and (E)-7-(E)-12 was catalyzed by Grubbs' catalyst (X). Initial biological testing with compounds 7-10 and their trans isomers showed that compounds 9, 10, and (E)-10 have appreciable tubulin polymerization and antiproliferative activities that approached those of epothilone C. The most active compound, (E)-9, even displayed potencies comparable to those observed for epothilones A and D. Interestingly, all trans analogues were more potent than their corresponding cis isomers. While introduction of an alkyl group at C-13 in the cis series led to an overall reduction in biological activity (compared to epothilone C), appropriate modification of the thiazole moiety (replacement of the 2-methyl substituent by a 2-methylthio group) was able to compensate for this loss. These results are encouraging in view of the expectation that epoxidations of these compounds should further increase their cellular activities. Thus, compounds 9, 10, and (E)-9 and (E)-10 represent highly promising candidates for further studies.
(S)-Ketone cyanohydrins (S)-2 are accessible by enantioselective HCN addition to ketones 1 by using hydroxynitrile lyase from Manihot esculenta ((S)-MeHNL) as a biocatalyst. Acylation of (S)-2 gave the corresponding (S)-acyloxynitriles (S)-3, which can be cyclized by LHMDS to give 5,5-disubstituted (S)-4-amino-2(5H)-furanones (S)-4 and (S)-5. Different substituents (H. Me, OBn, OH) in the 3-position of the furanones were introduced by selecting the appropriate acylating agent, which in the case of benzyloxyacetyl chloride led to the novel structure type of 4-amino-3-hydroxyfuranones (S)-5. For the synthesis of 5,5-disubstituted (S)-tetronic acids (S)-8, ketone cyanohydrins (S)-2 were first transformed into the corresponding 2-hydroxy esters (S)-6. Acylation of (S)-6 gave 2-acyloxy esters (S)-7, which, by treatment with LHMDS or LDA, afforded tetronic acids (S)-8 in high yields and enantiomeric excesses. By debenzylation of benzyloxy acetoxy derivatives (S)-8e,f, the new vitamin C analogues (S)-9a,b were generated. All the described tetronic acid and aminofuranone derivatives were obtained in good chemical yields and without racemization with respect to the starting cyanohydrins (S)-2. In many cases the enantiomeric purity could be enriched by simple recrystallization (e.g. (S)-4a from 69% ee to > 99% ee).
A series of fluorogenic polypropionate fragments has been prepared. These undergo retroaldolization to an intermediate aldehyde that liberates the fluorescent product umbelliferone by a secondary beta-elimination reaction. leading to a >20-fold increase in fluorescence (lambda(em) = 460 +/- 20 nm, lambdaex = 360 +/- 20 nm). By applying the principle of microscopic reversibility to the reversible aldol reaction, we can use these substrates to detect stereoselective aldolases. Test substrates are available to probe the classical cases of syn- and anti-selective aldolization (11a-d), Cram/ anti-Cram-selective aldolization (10a-d), and double stereoselective aldolization (3a-h). The selectivity of aldolase antibody 38C2 for these substrates is demonstrated as an example. The assay is suitable for high-throughput screening for catalysis in microtiter plates, and therefore provides a convenient tool for the isolation of new stereoselective aldolases from catalyst libraries.
Starting from a thorough investigation of mechanistic aspects of ThDP-dependent (ThDP = thiamin diphosphate) enzymes in combination with mutagenesis studies and a detailed substrate screening, new general synthetic methods have been developed based on Umpolung reactions by thiamin catalysis. A selective donor-acceptor concept was established leading to the first asymmetric cross-benzoin condensation, and a kinetic racemic resolution through C-C bond cleavage was developed. With these tools and in combination with protein engineering, we approached the synthesis of new chiral building blocks on a preparative scale. An outlook is given with respect to the potential of other ThDP-dependent enzymes as catalysts in asymmetric synthesis.
Biochemical studies on the degradation of D-galactonate by cell-free extracts of Aspergillus niger indicated that the pH value and temperature optima were 8.0 and 7.5 and 40 degrees C and 50 degrees C for the two enzymes responsible for this degradation namely D-galactonate dehydratase and 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-galactonate (KDGal) aldolase respectively. The effects of the nature of the buffer substance, buffer molarity and enzyme concentration were also studied. Thermal stability behaviour studies show that D-galactonate dehydratase was stable at 40 degrees C for 60 minutes and about 41%, 80% and 90% of enzyme activity were lost by exposing the extracts to 50 degrees C, 60 degrees C and 70 degrees C, respectively, for the same period. However, exposing the extracts to 70 degrees C after 60 minutes caused a complete inhibition for KDGal aldolase activity and a gradual decrease in activity was noticed by incubation the extracts at 60 degrees C. The results of freezing and thawing treatment indicated that KDGal aldolase was more stable than D-galactonate dehydratase in this respect, as only 27% of enzyme activity was lost after 5 days of storage at -5 degrees C. Dialyzing the extracts significantly affects KDGal formation from D-galactonate. Results obtained also indicated the non-requirement of metal ions for activation of KDGal aldolase. On the other, hand D-galactonate dehydratase has a requirement for Mg++ and Mn++, however ZnSO4 and HgCl2 caused a complete inhibition of the enzymatic activity of this enzyme.
The catabolism of cyanogenic glycosides is initiated by cleavage of the carbohydrate moiety by one or more beta-glycosidases, which yields the corresponding alpha-hydroxynitrile. Until recently, the mode by which cyanogenic disaccharides are hydrolysed was largely unclear. Investigation of highly purified beta-glycosidases from plants containing cyanogenic disaccharides has now indicated that these compounds may be degraded via two distinct pathways, depending on the plant species. beta-Glycosidases from Davallia trichomanoides and Vicia angustifolia hydrolysed (R)-vicianin and (R)-amygdalin at the aglycone-disaccharide bond producing mandelonitrile and the corresponding disaccharide. Alternatively, hydrolysis of cyanogenic disaccharides in Prunus serotina, almonds, and Linum usitatissimum involves stepwise removal of the sugar residues. The nature of these enzymes and of other beta-glycosidases responsible for hydrolysis of simple cyanogenic monosaccharides is discussed. Hydroxynitriles may decompose either spontaneously or enzymically in the presence of a hydroxynitrile lyase to produce hydrogen cyanide and an aldehyde or ketone. The major kinetic and molecular properties of hydroxynitrile lyases purified from species accumulating aromatic and aliphatic cyanogens are reviewed. Cyanogenesis occurs rapidly only after cyanogenic plant tissues are macerated, allowing glycosides access to their catabolic enzymes. The possible nature of the compartmentation which prevents cyanogenesis under normal physiological conditions is discussed in relation to our knowledge of the tissue and subcellular localizations of cyanogens and catabolic enzymes.
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Novel sulfur-containing glutethimide derivatives, substituted with either thiol or methylsulfide groups in the ortho/para positions of the aromatic ring, were synthesized and tested for both human placental aromatase and bovine adrenocortical desmolase inhibitory activities. The synthesis was achieved by the chlorosulfonation of gluthethimide, which yielded a 3:1 mixture of the para to ortho sulfonyl chlorides 2a/b. The sulfonyl chlorides of gluthethimide were reduced with Zn/H2SO4 to give the thioglutethimides 3a/b, which in turn were methylated with MeI/EtOH to give the corresponding methylsulfides 4a/b. In comparison to aminoglutethimide (AG), 3a/b and 4a/b were weak inhibitors of aromatase, with 3a/b being more potent than 4a/b. Aromatase inhibition by the thiol compound was pH-dependent; 3a/b was most potent at higher pH (7.4) than at lower (6.6). This suggested that the thiolate form of 4 coordinates with the ferric heme of aromatase. Likewise, both 3a/b were less potent at inhibiting bovine adrenal desmolase than AG. Possible reasons for the surprisingly poor aromatase inhibitor activity of these compounds are discussed.
A process model for the enzymatic synthesis of (R)-cyanohydrins in an aqueous-organic biphasic-stirred tank reactor was developed. The conversion of benzal-dehyde into (R)-mandelonitrile, catalyzed by Prunus amygdalus hydroxynitrile lyase at 5 degrees C and pH 5.5, was chosen as a model system with methyl tert-butyl ether as the organic phase. The process model consisted of a description of the reaction kinetics, mass transfer kinetics, and the mass balances for both the aqueous and the organic phase. Values for the enzyme kinetic parameters, according to ordered bi-uni kinetics, the lumped mass transfer coefficient for benzaldehyde, and the partition coefficients were determined separately. The process model is validated by using 11 experimental data sets of batch conversions in the aqueous-organic biphasic-stirred tank reactor. In these 11 experiments, different enzyme concentrations and phase volume ratios were used. The model was found to be valid with respect to both the conversion and the enantiomeric excess. To synthesize cyanohydrins with a high enantiomeric excess, the enzyme is required to work at mass transfer limited conditions. The developed process model will be used to investigate other process concepts and other substrates.
A kinetic framework is developed to describe enzyme activity and stability in two-phase liquid-liquid systems. In particular, the model is applied to the enzymatic production of benzaldehyde from mandelonitrile by Prunus amygdalus hydroxynitrile lyase (pa-Hnl) adsorbed at the diisopropyl ether (DIPE)/aqueous buffer interface (pH = 5.5). We quantitatively describe our previously obtained experimental kinetic results (Hickel et al., 1999; 2001), and we successfully account for the aqueous-phase enzyme concentration dependence of product formation rates and the observed reaction rates at early times. Multilayer growth explains the early time reversibility of enzyme adsorption at the DIPE/buffer interface observed by both enzyme-activity and dynamic-interfacial-tension washout experiments that replace the aqueous enzyme solution with a buffer solution. The postulated explanation for the unusual stability of pa-Hnl adsorbed at the DIPE/buffer interface is attributed to a two-layer adsorption mechanism. In the first layer, slow conformational change from the native state leads to irreversible attachment and partial loss of catalytic activity. In the second layer, pa-Hnl is reversibly adsorbed without loss in catalytic activity. The measured catalytic activity is the combined effect of the deactivation kinetics of the first layer and of the adsorption kinetics of each layer. For the specific case of pa-Hnl adsorbed at the DIPE/buffer interface, this combined effect is nearly constant for several hours resulting in no apparent loss of catalytic activity. Our proposed kinetic model can be extended to other interfacially active enzymes and other organic solvents. Finally, we indicate how interfacial-tension lag times provide a powerful tool for rational solvent selection and enzyme engineering.