No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Peptidases are enzymes that hydrolyse peptide bonds. This potentially dangerous activity is regulated by post translational modification and peptidase inhibitors. The best characterized of the peptidase inhibitors are the serpins whilst the aspartic peptidase inhibitors are the least characterized. Aspartic peptidase inhibitors are rare with only nine known sources. However, they are of great interest because they play an important part in several human diseases such as metastasis of breast cancer cells, Candida albicans infections and HIV. The aims of this research project were to investigate the structure of Squash Aspartic peptidase inhibitor (SQAPI), using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). This required large amounts of relatively pure and isotopically labeled protein, which was achieved by heterologously expressing His-tagged rSQAPI fusion protein in Escherichia coli using a rich to minimal media transfer method. The fusion protein was purified with a nickel column and the N-terminal extension containing the His6-tag was removed by cleavage of the fusion protein with enterokinase followed by nickel column purification. Preliminary 1 dimensional NMR spectra indicated that SQAPI was folded in solution at pH 3. This was confirmed from the results of a preliminary 15N-edited HSQC. These results combined justified the production of a 15N 13C labeled SQAPI sample for the collection of further NMR spectra. From the spectra produced with double labeled protein the backbone and the side-chain atoms of SQAPI were assigned. The chemical shifts are currently 88.89% complete and have been submitted to the biological magnetic resonance bank (BMRB). A preliminary estimate of the secondary structure of SQAPI has been calculated from the HNHA spectrum suggesting that the SQAPI structure has some similarity to the previously proposed model of the inhibitor’s structure. Furthermore, the region corresponding to the putative binding loop on the model of SQAPI was found to be mobile and deuterium exchange experiments indicate that the SQAPI structure is more globular than open.

The mammalian ADP-dependent glucokinase is the most recent mammalian glucokinase to have been discovered, and is unique in its ability to catalyse the phosphorylation of glucose to glucose-6-phosphate using ADP as the phosphoryl donor. Up until the discovery of this enzyme, the traditional biochemical view was that the first step of glycolysis was solely catalysed by ATP-dependent hexokinases, types I-IV. The particular role played by ADP-GK in the mammalian cell and the significance of this role has not yet been determined, although it is hypothesised that the ADP-dependent glucokinase could be potentially significant in contributing to the survival of cells under low energy and hypoxic or ischemic conditions. By using ADP as the energy investment in phase one of the glycolytic cycle instead of ATP, it is predicted that glycolysis could be sustained for longer during lower energy conditions (conditions of high ADP:ATP ratios). Since the phosphorylation of glucose by ADP-GK results in the production of AMP, it may also be possible that this has a direct effect on the energy charge of the cell. The AMP produced could lead to the regulation of cellular metabolism during hypoxia and/or ischemia via the activation of the cell-energy regulator AMPK. The study of mammalian ADP-dependent glucokinase is a very new area, and prior to this no investigation of the human ADP-GK enzyme had been undertaken. The main objective of this project was to clone, express and purify the recombinant ADP-GK so it could be kinetically characterised and directly compared with the recombinant mouse kinetic characteristics, the only other mammalian ADP-GK to have been studied. Unfortunately, due to complications in the expression and purification of soluble recombinant human ADP-GK, the project did not incorporate the kinetic characterisation of the enzyme. Acquiring data on the kinetic characteristics of the human ADP-GK will, in the long term, assist in the elucidation of the metabolic role of this enzyme, so the continuation of this project would be worthwhile.

Content removed due to copyright restrictions: Webby, C.J., Patchett, M.L. & Parker, E.J. (2005) Characterization of a recombinant type II 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase from Helicobacter pylori. Biochemical Journal 390, 223-230 Webby C.J., Lott J.S., Baker H.M., Baker E.N., & Parker E.J. (2005) Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Acta Crystallographica Section F - Sturctural Biology and Crystallization Communications 61(4) 403-406. Webby C.J., Baker H.M., Lott J.S., Baker E.N. & Parker E.J. (2005) The structure of 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis reveals a common catalytic scaffold and ancestry for type I and type II enzymes. Journal of Molecular Biology 354(4), 927-939 / The shikimate pathway, responsible for the biosynthesis of aromatic compounds, is found in microorganisms and plants but absent in higher organisms. This makes the enzymes of this pathway attractive as targets for the development of antibiotics and herbicides. Recent gene disruption studies have shown that the operation of the shikimate pathway is essential for the viability of M. tuberculosis, validating the choice of enzymes from this pathway as targets for the development of novel anti-TB drugs. 3-Deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase (DAH7PS) catalyzes the first committed step of the shikimate pathway. Two distinct classes of DAH7PS have been defined based on sequence similarity. The type I DAH7PSs are well characterized, however prior to this project there was limited mechanistic and no structural information about type II enzymes. Sequence identity between type I and type II enzymes is less than 10% raising the possibility that they represent distinct protein families, unrelated by evolution. We have functionally characterized the type II enzyme from Helicobacter pylori, and have shown that type I and type II enzymes catalyze a metal-dependent ordered sequential reaction following the same stereochemical course. We have solved the structure of the type II DAH7PS from M. tuberculosis using single-wavelength anomalous diffraction (SAD) methods and the structure reveals a tightly associated dimer of (β/α)8 TIM barrels. The monomer fold, the arrangement of key residues in the active site, and the binding modes of PEP and Mn2+, all match those of the type I enzymes. This similarity of protein fold and catalytic architecture makes it unequivocal that type I and type II enzymes are related by divergent evolution from a common ancestor. Interestingly, there are significant differences in the additional structural elements that extend from the core (β/α)8 barrel and in the quaternary structure. Further structural and functional analysis of M. tuberculosis DAH7PS revealed that the two major additions decorating the barrel are involved in the binding of the aromatic amino acids. Two distinct inhibitory binding sites for Trp and Phe have been identified providing an explanation for the synergistic inhibition displayed with Trp and Phe. The role of several active site residues of Mt-DAH7PS in enzyme catalysis has also been investigated.

3-Deoxy-D-manno-octulosonate 8-phosphate (KDO8P) synthase is the enzyme responsible for catalyzing the first reaction in the biosynthesis of KDO. KDO is an essential component in the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria and plants. This compound is not present in mammals; therefore the enzymes responsible for its biosynthesis are potential targets for the development of new antibiotic agents. KDO8P synthase catalyzes the condensation reaction between phosphoenol pyruvate (PEP) and D-arabinose 5-phosphate (A5P) to form KDO8P. Two types of KDO8P synthase have been identified; a metal-dependent type and a non metal-dependent type. KDO8P synthase from the organism Chlorobium tepidum (Cte) has been partially purified and partially characterized. In line with predictions based on sequence alone, the activity of this enzyme is dependent on the presence of a divalent metal ion and is sensitive to the presence of the metal chelating agent EDTA. Cte KDO8P synthase was found to have the highest activity in the presence of Mn2+ or Cd2+. KDO8P synthase from the organism Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (Afe) has also been cloned, purified and biochemically characterized. Afe KDO8P synthase was also found to be a metallo enzyme and the catalytic activity is highest in the presence of Mn2+ or Co2+. Afe KDO8P synthase was found to exist as a tetramer in solution and is most active within the pH range of 6.8 to 7.5 and within a temperature range of 35 ºC to 40 ºC. Sequence analysis suggests that this enzyme has characteristics conserved throughout the metallo and the non-metallo KDO8P synthases and is closely related to the metal-dependent 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate (DAH7P) synthases. The role of several active-site residues of Afe KDO8P synthase has been investigated. A C21N mutant of Afe KDO8P synthase was found to retain 0.5% of wildtype activity and did not require a divalent metal ion for catalytic activity. This suggests that the metallo and non-metallo KDO8P synthases have similar catalytic mechanisms.

Lectin nucleotide phosphohydrolases (LNPs) are proteins which possess both apyrase catalytic activity (E.C. 3.6.1.5) and specific carbohydrate binding properties, and these are linked. To investigate the structural and functional properties for these proteins, two putative soluble plant LNPs, 4WC and 7WC (from white clover), and a putative soluble plant apyrase 6RG (from ryegrass) were chosen. Rabbit polyclonal antibodies for each plant apyrase were generated using highly purified, overexpressed recombinant 4WC or 7WC. In the case of 6RG, the C-terminal half of the protein constituted the best antigen for generating polyclonal antibodies. These antibodies showed high specificity and sensitivity. Active, recombinant 4WC and 6RG were overexpressed and purified using the baculoviral insect cell expression system (4WCbac-sup and 6RG:Hisbac), while 7WC (7WCcoli) was produced from E. coli inclusion bodies and subsequently refolded to give active enzyme. In course of overexpression, recombinant 4WC was localised in both the cellular fraction (4WCbac) and in the media supernatant (4WCbac-sup), while recombinant 6RG:Hisbac was only found in the cellular fraction (6RG:Hisbac) indicating that it was not secreted during insect cell growth. Secretion of 4WCbac was found to be dependent on N-glycosylation at N313 but not at N85 and elimination of one or both of these sites appeared to have little influence on apyrase activity. In addition, both 4WCbac and 6RG:Hisbac from the cellular fraction were fully functional. These results were compared with similar work performed on the animal ecto-apyrases which have different specific N-glycosylation sites required for secretion and activity. The 4WCbac-sup, 7WCcoli and 6RG:Hisbac proteins all showed apyrase activity, that is they catalysed the hydrolysis of nucleotide tri- and/or di-phosphates to their corresponding nucleotide monophosphates, and released inorganic phosphate in a divalent cation-dependent manner. However, the proteins exhibited different activities, substrate specificities, pH profiles and influence of inhibitors: 4WCbac-sup had a preference for NDPs with a pH optimum ≥9.5; 7WCcoli had a modest preference for NTPs with a pH optimum at 8.5; 6RG:Hisbac was almost exclusively an NTPase with a pH optimum at 6.5. Contrary to predictions based on phylogeny the proteins all bound to sulphated disaccharides and their catalytic activities were influenced both positively and negatively by the binding of specific chitosans. The data indicates that all three soluble plant apyrases investigated here were LNPs, in contrast to predictions from the literature. In order to pinpoint the regions responsible for determining substrate specificity and chitosan binding, chimeras were made using the N- and C-terminal halves of 4WC and 6RG. This resulted in fully functional reciprocal chimeras. Comparison of the apyrase activity for parents and chimeras, substrate specificity, optimal pH, influence of inhibitors on activity and effects of chitosans indicated that the C-terminus was responsible for determining substrate specificity. However, the influence of specific chitosans on the chimeras appeared to be dependent on both the N- and C-terminal portions of the proteins. In addition, chimeras were found to bind to the same sulphated disaccharides as the parent proteins. Preliminary crystal screening experiments were performed with highly purified preparations of 7WCcoli and 6RG:Hisbac. Under specific conditions 7WCcoli was found to form cube-like crystalline arrangements while 6RG:Hisbac formed hexagonal-like crystalline structures. A potential model for carbohydrate binding by LNPs is proposed and the possible biological roles of plant LNPs are discussed.

Lectin nucleotide phosphohydrolases (LNPs) are proteins which possess both apyrase catalytic activity (E.C. 3.6.1.5) and specific carbohydrate binding properties, and these are linked. To investigate the structural and functional properties for these proteins, two putative soluble plant LNPs, 4WC and 7WC (from white clover), and a putative soluble plant apyrase 6RG (from ryegrass) were chosen. Rabbit polyclonal antibodies for each plant apyrase were generated using highly purified, overexpressed recombinant 4WC or 7WC. In the case of 6RG, the C-terminal half of the protein constituted the best antigen for generating polyclonal antibodies. These antibodies showed high specificity and sensitivity. Active, recombinant 4WC and 6RG were overexpressed and purified using the baculoviral insect cell expression system (4WCbac-sup and 6RG:Hisbac), while 7WC (7WCcoli) was produced from E. coli inclusion bodies and subsequently refolded to give active enzyme. In course of overexpression, recombinant 4WC was localised in both the cellular fraction (4WCbac) and in the media supernatant (4WCbac-sup), while recombinant 6RG:Hisbac was only found in the cellular fraction (6RG:Hisbac) indicating that it was not secreted during insect cell growth. Secretion of 4WCbac was found to be dependent on N-glycosylation at N313 but not at N85 and elimination of one or both of these sites appeared to have little influence on apyrase activity. In addition, both 4WCbac and 6RG:Hisbac from the cellular fraction were fully functional. These results were compared with similar work performed on the animal ecto-apyrases which have different specific N-glycosylation sites required for secretion and activity. The 4WCbac-sup, 7WCcoli and 6RG:Hisbac proteins all showed apyrase activity, that is they catalysed the hydrolysis of nucleotide tri- and/or di-phosphates to their corresponding nucleotide monophosphates, and released inorganic phosphate in a divalent cation-dependent manner. However, the proteins exhibited different activities, substrate specificities, pH profiles and influence of inhibitors: 4WCbac-sup had a preference for NDPs with a pH optimum ≥9.5; 7WCcoli had a modest preference for NTPs with a pH optimum at 8.5; 6RG:Hisbac was almost exclusively an NTPase with a pH optimum at 6.5. Contrary to predictions based on phylogeny the proteins all bound to sulphated disaccharides and their catalytic activities were influenced both positively and negatively by the binding of specific chitosans. The data indicates that all three soluble plant apyrases investigated here were LNPs, in contrast to predictions from the literature. In order to pinpoint the regions responsible for determining substrate specificity and chitosan binding, chimeras were made using the N- and C-terminal halves of 4WC and 6RG. This resulted in fully functional reciprocal chimeras. Comparison of the apyrase activity for parents and chimeras, substrate specificity, optimal pH, influence of inhibitors on activity and effects of chitosans indicated that the C-terminus was responsible for determining substrate specificity. However, the influence of specific chitosans on the chimeras appeared to be dependent on both the N- and C-terminal portions of the proteins. In addition, chimeras were found to bind to the same sulphated disaccharides as the parent proteins. Preliminary crystal screening experiments were performed with highly purified preparations of 7WCcoli and 6RG:Hisbac. Under specific conditions 7WCcoli was found to form cube-like crystalline arrangements while 6RG:Hisbac formed hexagonal-like crystalline structures. A potential model for carbohydrate binding by LNPs is proposed and the possible biological roles of plant LNPs are discussed.