Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 87 p. : ill. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

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B. anthracis alters its virulence gene expression profile in response to a number of environmental signals, including levels of bicarbonate and CO2. Virulence plasmid pXO1 is important to Bacillus anthracis pathogenicity as it carries the genes encoding the anthrax toxin and virulence regulatory factors. Induction of toxin and other virulence genes requires the pXO1-encoded AtxA regulatory protein. The cytochrome c maturation system influences the expression of virulence factors in Bacillus anthracis. B. anthracis carries two copies of the ccdA gene, encoding predicted thiol-disulfide oxidoreductases that contribute to cytochrome c maturation. Loss of both ccdA genes results in a reduction of cytochrome c production, an increase in virulence factor expression, and a reduction in sporulation efficiency. pXO1 also carries a gene encoding an Hfq-like protein, pXO1-137. Loss of pXO1-137 results in significant growth defects and reductions in toxin gene expression only when grown under toxin inducing conditions. Similarly, loss of a small RNA on pXO1, sRNA-1, results in similar growth defects and reductions in toxin gene production. Both increased and decreased expression of pXO1-137 and sRNA-1 result in growth defects suggesting narrow functional set points for Hfq and sRNA levels.

Abstract Cytochromes P450 (P450, CYP) are a superfamily of enzymes that participate especially in the oxidative metabolism of various xenobiotics and endogenous compounds. The major goal of this study was to characterise suitable methods for routine preclinical in vitro testing of new chemical entities (NCE) and to test the methods for the affinity screening of selected drugs. In vitro methods used involve the utilisation of human liver microsomes for studies with P450-selective reference inhibitors, inhibitory antibodies and cDNA-expressed enzymes in cytochrome P450-catalysed activities and for studying the reactions of selegiline and entacapone. In this project, the CYP-catalysed oxidative in vitro biotransformation of selegiline into its primary metabolites desmethylselegiline and l-methamphetamine and the transformation of entacapone into its in vitro metabolite N-desethylentacapone were studied. The affinities of selegiline, desmethylselegiline, l-methamphetamine, entacapone, candesartan, eprosartan, irbesartan, losartan and valsartan to P450 enzymes were also elucidated, and the selectivity of tranylcypromine as a CYP2A6-selective reference inhibitor was characterised. The most important findings were that the methodology developed during this work is suitable for preclinical in vitro testing of NCEs and that the results obtained for the studied compounds are in line with the available in vivo data. By the in vitro testing methodology, it is possible to target the in vivo interaction studies to the relevant groups of compounds. The in vitro methods presented in this thesis could also make the early phases of drug development more cost-effective. Further, the number of animals used for in vivo testing in preclinical metabolism and interaction studies can be markedly reduced by effectively using this methodology.

Two separate systems were developed for the expression of recombinant metalloproteins. A synthetic gene encoding the lipase-solubilized form of bovine liver microsomal cytochrome b₅ was designed and assembled for expression in E. coli. Analysis of the initial recombinant cytochrome revealed differences in several physical characteristics of the molecule compared to the authentic bovine liver species, including a reduction potential that was lower by 17 mV. Further studies showed the primary sequence of the initial recombinant differed from the authentic protein in the amidation status of three residues which, when corrected yielded a recombinant protein identical in behaviour to the authentic protein. The participation of Ser64 in the stabilization of the oxidized form of cytochrome b₅ was investigated using site-directed mutagenesis to alter this residue to Ala, which was predicted to ablate a hydrogen bond formed between the protein and heme-propionate 7. Spectroelectrochemical analysis of this variant showed that the reduction potential had been shifted downwards by 7 mV, in contrast to predictions from a structural model describing the red/ox behaviour of cytochrome b₅ (Argos and Mathews, 1975). The role of heme carboxylates in determining the reduction potential was confirmed for both the wild-type and Ala64 variants by heme replacement studies using the esterified derivative of protoporphyrin IX, suggesting that the presence of free carboxylates contributes to the stabilization of the oxidized species. In addition, constructions for the expression of the trypsin-solubilized form of bovine liver microsomal cytochrome b₅ and the erythrocytic form of human cytochrome b₅ are described. A tissue culture cell system was developed for the expression of the N-terminal half molecule of human serum transferrin. The recombinant molecule (hTF/2N) was secreted at high levels from selected eukaryotic cells, and displayed high identity with the proteolytically-derived molecule from authentic human serum transferrin as judged by sequence analysis, electrophoretic mobility and iron binding capacity. A construction for the expression of the C-terminal half molecule was assembled but failed to express recombinant protein when introduced into tissue culture cells. The production of these two heterologous expression systems allows for high-level recovery of recombinant protein and provides a convenient approach to structure-function studies employing site-directed mutagenesis techniques. / Medicine, Faculty of / Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of / Graduate

The crystal structure of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) iso-1- cytochrome c has been determined through molecular replacement techniques, and refined against X-ray diffraction data in the resolution range 6.0-1.23 Å to a crystallographic R-factor of 0.192. The yeast iso-1-cytochrome c molecule has the typical cytochrome c fold, with the polypeptide chain organized into five α-helices and a series of loops which serve to enclose almost completely the heme prosthetic group within a hydrophobic pocket Comparison of the structures of yeast iso-1-, tuna and rice cytochromes c shows that the polypeptide backbone fold, intramolecular hydrogen bonding, conformation of side chains and particularly packing within the heme crevice of protein groups against the heme moiety are very similar in the three proteins. Significant structural differences among the three cytochromes c can be explained by differences in amino acid sequence. X-ray crystallographic techniques have also been used to study the effect of single-site amino acid substitutions at Phe82 and at Arg38 in iso-1-cytochrome c. The structures of the various variant iso-1-cytochromes c have been determined at nominal resolutions in the range 2.8 to 1.76 Å. Conspicuous structural perturbations in the neighborhood of the substituted side chain are evident in all of the variant proteins. In wild-type iso-1-cytochrome c, the phenyl ring of Phe82 is positioned adjacent and approximately parallel to the heme group, and occupies a non-polar cavity within the heme crevice. In the Ser82 variant, a channel extending from the surface of the molecule down into the heme crevice is created. In the Gly82 variant, the polypeptide backbone has refolded into the space formerly occupied by the phenyl ring of Phe82. Steric conflicts prevent both the phenolic ring of Tyr82 and the side chain of Ile82 from being completely accommodated within the pocket normally occupied by a phenyl ring. Substitution of alanine at position 38 causes a slight reorganization of the hydrogen bonding network in which Arg38 normally participates, and also exposes to external solvent a normally buried propionic acid group of the heme. The altered functional properties of the position 82 variant proteins have been interpreted with respect to the observed structural perturbations. The drop in reduction potential, most notably for the Ser82 and Gly82 variants, can be explained by the elevated heme environment polarity arising from the increased access of solvent or polar protein groups to the heme pocket The reduced stability of the heme crevice, as indicated by lowered pKa's for alkaline isomerization, is likely due to the disruption of stabilizing packing forces formed by the Phe82 phenyl ring within its hydrophobic cavity. The lowered activity, in comparison to the wild-type protein and the Tyr82 variant, for electron transfer with Zn+-cytochrome c peroxidase is attributed to the loss of an aromatic group positioned adjacent to the heme group. The altered surface topography of the variant proteins (particularly the Gly82, Tyr82 and Ile82 variants) may further hinder productive complex formation between cytochrome c and its redox partners. These results suggest that the invariant Phe82 contributes in at least three ways to the proper functioning of cytochrome c. It has an important structural role in maintaining the integrity of the heme crevice and in establishing the appropriate heme environment The phenyl ring of Phe82 may also be required for efficient movement of an electron to and from the heme of cytochrome c. Finally, Phe82 may have a role in forming intermolecular interactions with enzymic redox partners of cytochrome c. / Medicine, Faculty of / Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of / Graduate

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease that the World Health Organisation (WHO) regards as a global pandemic. There is a great need for new drugs to combat this threat. Drug resistant strains of the causative agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), have increased the urgency of this quest for novel anti-mycobacterial medicines. Publication of the Mtb genome sequence revealed a large number of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes [Cole, S. T. et al. 1998]. These mono-oxygenase enzymes have been studied for many years and are responsible for metabolic functions in every kingdom of life. Research on the Mtb P450s to date has highlighted several of them as having critcal roles within the organism. CYP121 and CYP128 have been implicated as essential through gene knockout studies. It has been demonstrated that CYP125 is not essential for viability. However, it is part of a gene cluster highly important for Mtb infectivity and virulence. Due to the prospective importance of P450s to Mtb, this group of enzymes is under investigation as a source of novel drug targets. CYP142 was discovered as a potential drug target after it was located to a gene cluster involved in cholesterol catabolism during Mtb dormancy. As part of this PhD project, it was demonstrated that CYP142 performs an almost identical role to that reported for CYP125. These enzymes both perform C27 hydroxylation and carboxylation of the cholesterol side chain. However, variations in the level of oxidation have been identified, dependent upon the redox system with which these P450s are associated. A crystal structure of CYP142 showing high similarity in active site architecture to CYP125 supports the physiological role of CYP142 in cholesterol catabolism. Combining this with in vitro data which demonstrates that CYP142 possesses high affinity for a range of azole anti-fungal agents [Ahmad, Z. et al. 2005, 2006] supports the suggestion that it is a candidate target for the next generation of anti-mycobacterial drugs. CYP144 was highlighted as being important during the latent phase of Mtb growth, a phase that is not targeted by any of the current antimycobacterials. Work performed as part of this PhD has shown that many characteristics of CYP144 are highly comparable to those reported for other MtbP450s. CYP144 shows high affinity and specificity towards many azole molecules. Econazole, clotrimazole and miconazole have repeatedly been shown to bind to MtbP450s, including CYP144 and CYP142, with high affinity and are excellent potential candidates as novel anti-mycobacterial agents. An N-terminally truncated form of CYP144, CYP144-T, has been investigated in the pursuit of a CYP144 crystal structure. It is hoped that this will enable the elucidation of a physiological role for CYP144. Both CYP142 and CYP144 have demonstrated biochemical and biophysical characteristics that contribute to our knowledge of P450 enzymes. This PhD has established that CYP142 exhibits an equilibrium between P450 and P420 species in its CO-bound, ferrous form. A conversion from P420, and stabilisation of P450, upon substrate binding was also demonstrated. CYP144 displays unusual azole coordination characteristics when examined by EPR and removal of the CYP144 gene from Mtb increased sensitivity of the strain to clotrimazole. Studies of these enzymes has advanced knowledge of P450 and Mtb redox chemistry, established roles for the MtbP450 cohort and identified the potential of anti-mycobacterial drugs and associated targets.

The biophysical and spectroscopic characterisation of two novel P450 fusion enzymes is reported. The first of these is CYP102A3, which is a fusion of P450 haem and cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR)-like domains and functions as a catalytically self-sufficient fatty acid hydroxylase in its host organism Bacillus subtilis. The elucidation of structural aspects of the isolated haem domain of CYP102A3 (HDCYP102A3) is described. This reveals a strong homology between HDCYP102A3 and the haem domain of the related, well studied enzyme CYP102A1 (known as BM3). Examination of the substrate binding and redox properties of HDCYP102A3 reveals variations in substrate selectivity and the influence of substrate binding over the haem-iron redox potential compared to BM3. Of particular note is the apparent cooperative binding profile displayed for some branched chain fatty acid substrates with CYP102A3. The second system characterised is CYP116B1 from Cupriavidus metallidurans, a P450 fusion with a reductase domain that resembles phthalate dioxygenase reductase (PDOR). The purification of the intact CYP116B1 enzyme, and also of its isolated haem domain (expressed from the relevant gene section), is optimised and biophysical characterisations are reported. The haem iron redox potential is found to be unusually positive (-85 mV) and the influence of thiocarbamate herbicide substrate binding upon this potential is found to be minimal, unlike the case in CYP102A£ with its fatty acid substrates and likely as a consequence of the relatively small degree of shift in haem-iron spin-state towards the high-spin form. From a panel of eight potential substrates for CYP116B1, six were found to stimulate NADPH oxidation, but only two of these were themselves oxidised by the enzyme, with hydroxylated products observable. The genetically dissected reductase domain of CYP116B1 was also expressed and purified, and kinetic studies of the reductase domain revealed a preference for NADPH over NADH coenzyme, and enables comparisons with kinetic features and coenzyme selectivity in other members of the ferredoxin reductase family of enzymes. Collectively, these studies advance our knowledge of the properties of two distinct types of P450-redox partner fusion enzymes, a growing class of enzymes with potential for biotechnological applications.

Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of food poisoning and according to the World Health Organisation accounts for majority of the 4.5 billion cases of global food poisoning each year. Genome sequencing by Parkhill et al. (2000) identified a gene, cj1411c, which is thought to encode a lone cytochrome P450, CYP172A1. In this thesis the role of CYP172A1 was studied using in vivo and in vitro techniques. The genomic location of cj1411c is adjacent to the capsular biosynthetic genes. The capsular and P450 genes are conserved in some species of Campylobacter and Helicobacter, as well as in Comamonas testosteroni. Importantly, this work has demonstrated that the P450 gene is expressed in two well characterised laboratory C. jejuni strains, 11168H and 81-176. Protein production was disrupted using insertional knockout mutagenesis, which allowed for investigations into the role of the enzyme in the host. Alterations to the observed autoagglutination rate and growth characteristics indicated that CYP172A1 has a role in modifying the bacterial surface. The insertional knockout mutant also resulted in cells which were more susceptible to detergent-like compounds (e.g. polymyxin B and sodium deoxycholate). In a previous report, it was suggested that the loss of the P450 function resulted in bacteria which were “shorter and fatter”, compared to wild type cells, but this thesis could find no evidence of such a phenomenon. CYP172A1 was successfully purified using recombinant expression in E. coli to enable biochemical and biophysical characterisation in vitro. CYP172A1 contains a typical P450 cysteine thiolate coordination to the heme iron, and exists in a low spin ferric heme state under neutral buffer conditions. The P450 was found to self aggregate, and despite rigorous investigations the cause of this aggregation was not fully established. Despite this issue, CYP172A1 was shown to bind to a wide range of P450 inhibitor-type compounds, with econazole displaying the tightest binding affinity (Kd = 100 nM). Identification of substrate-like compounds was achieved using high throughput compound screening, and a number of organic compounds were identified and shown to bind CYP172A1, inducing heme iron absorbance changes typical of either P450 inhibitors or substrates. Optical titrations for these molecules indicated that their CYP172A1 Kd values were in the low micromolar range. The catalytic capability of CYP172A1 was successfully demonstrated by providing the P450 with non native redox partners to oxidise one of such substrate-like compound (213071), resulting in the sulfoxidation of this compound.

Cytochrome P450 (P450) enzymes are found in all kingdoms of life, catalysing a wide range of biosynthetic and metabolic processes. They are, in fact, of particular interest in a variety of applications such as the design of agents for the inhibition of a particular P450 to combat pathogens or the engineering of enzymes to produce a particular activity. Bacterial P450BM3 is of particular interest as it is a self-sufficient multi-domain protein with high reaction rates and a primary structure and function similar to mammalian isoforms. It is an attractive enzyme to study due to its potential for engineering catalysts with fast reaction rates which selectively produce molecules of high value.In order to study this enzyme in detail and characterise intermediate species and reactions, the first step was to design a general hybrid quantum mechanical /molecular mechanics (QM/MM) computational method for their investigation. Two QM/MM approaches were developed and tested against existing experimental and theoretical data and were then applied to subsequent investigations.The dissociation of water from the water-bound resting state was scrutinised to determine the nature of the spin conversion that occurs during this transformation. A displacement of merely 0.5 Å from the starting state was found to trigger spin crossing, with no requirement for the presence of a substrate or large conformational changes in the enzyme.A detailed investigation of the sulfoxidation reaction was undertaken to establish the nature of the oxidant species. Both reactions involving Compound 0 (Cpd0) and Compound I (CpdI) confirmed a concerted pathway proceeding via a single-state reactivity mechanism. As the reaction involving Cpd0 was found to be unrealistically high, the reaction proceeds preferentially via the quartet state of CpdI. This QM/MM study revealed that the preferred spin-state and the transition state structure for sulfoxidation are influenced by the protein environment. P450cam and P450BM3 were found to have CpdI species with different Fe-S distances and spin density distributions, and the latter having a larger reaction barrier for sulfoxidation.A novel P450 species, the doubly-reduced pentacoordinated system, was characterised using gas-phase and QM/MM methods. It was discovered to have a heme radical coupled to two unpaired electrons on the iron centre, making it the only P450 species to have similar characteristics to CpdI. Calculated spectroscopic parameters may assist experimentalists in the identification of the elusive CpdI.