Human neutrophil elastase (HNE) is a uniquely destructive serine protease with the ability to unleash a wave of proteolytic activity by destroying the inhibitors of other proteases. Although this phenomenon forms an important part of the innate immune response to invading pathogens, it is responsible for the collateral host tissue damage observed in chronic conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and in more acute disorders such as the lung injuries associated with COVID-19 infection. Previously, a combinatorially selected activity-based probe revealed an unexpected substrate preference for oxidised methionine, which suggests a link to oxida-tive pathogen clearance by neutrophils. Here we use oxidised model substrates and inhibitors to confirm this observation and to show that neutrophil elastase is specifically selective for the di-oxygenated methionine sulfone rather than the mono-oxygenated methionine sulfoxide. We also posit a critical role for ordered solvent in the mechanism of HNE discrimination between the two oxidised forms methionine residue. Preference for the sulfone form of oxidised methionine is especially significant. While both host and pathogens have the ability to reduce methionine sulfoxide back to methionine, a biological pathway to reduce methionine sulfone is not known. Taken to-gether, these data suggest that the oxidative activity of neutrophils may create rapidly cleaved elas-tase “super substrates” that directly damage tissue, while initiating a cycle of neutrophil oxidation that increases elastase tissue damage and further neutrophil recruitment.

Protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) are enzymes that catalyze the methylation of protein arginine residues, resulting in the formation of monomethylarginine, and/or asymmetric or symmetric dimethylarginines. Although understanding of the PRMTs has grown rapidly over the last few years, several challenges still remain in the PRMT field. Here, we describe the development of two techniques that will be very useful in investigating PRMT regulation, small molecule inhibition, oligomerization, protein-protein interaction, and substrate specificity, which will ultimately lead to the advancement of the PRMT field. Studies have shown that having an N-terminal tag can influence enzyme activity and substrate specificity. The first protocol tackles this problem by developing a way to obtain active untagged recombinant PRMT proteins. The second protocol describes a fast and efficient method for quantitative measurement of AdoMet-dependent methyltranseferase activity with protein substrates. In addition to being very sensitive, this method decreases the processing time for the analysis of PRMT activity to a few minutes compared to weeks by traditional methods, and generates 3000-fold less radioactive waste. We then used these methods to investigate the effect of truncating the NT of human PRMT1 variant 1 (hPRMT1-V1) on enzyme activity, protein-protein interactions, and substrate specificity. Our studies show that the NT of hPRMT1-V1 influences enzymatic activity and protein-protein interactions. In particular, methylation of a variety of protein substrates was more efficient when the first 10 amino acids of hPRMT1v1 were removed, suggesting an autoinhibitory role for this small section of the N-terminus. Likewise, as portions of the NT were removed, the altered hPRMT1v1 constructs were able to interact with more proteins. Overall, my studies suggest the the sequence and length of the NT of hPRMT1v1 is capable of enforcing specific protein interactions.

No description available.

No description available.

Homocysteine-Methionine (HM) cycle produces a universal methyl group donor S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), a competitive methylation inhibitor S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), and an intermediate amino acid product homocysteine (Hcy). Elevated plasma levels of Hcy is termed as hyperhomocycteinemia (HHcy) which is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and neural degenerative disease. We were the first to describe methylation inhibition as a mediating biochemical mechanism for endothelial injury and inflammatory monocyte differentiation in HHcy-related CVD and diabetes. We proposed metabolism-associated danger signal (MADS) recognition as a novel mechanism for metabolic risk factor-induced inflammatory responses, independent from pattern recognition receptor (PRR)-mediated pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP)/danger-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) recognition. In this study, we examined the relationship of HM cycle gene expression with methylation regulation in human disease. We selected 115 genes in the extended HM cycle, including 31 metabolic enzymes and 84 methyltransferases (MT), examined their mRNA levels in 35 human disease conditions using a set of public databases. We discovered that: 1) HM cycle senses metabolic risk factor and controls SAM/SAH-dependent methylation. 2) Most of metabolic enzymes in HM cycle (8/11) are located in cytosol, while most of the SAM-dependent MTs (61/84) are located in the nucleus, and Hcy metabolism is absent in the nucleus. 3) 11 up-regulated, 3 down-regulated and 24 differentially regulated SAM/SAH-responsive signal pathways are involved in 7 human disease categories. 4) 8 SAM/SAH-responsive H3/H4 hypomethylation sites are identified in 8 disease conditions. We conclude that HM cycle is a key metabolic sensor system which mediates receptor-independent MADS recognition and modulates SAM/SAH-dependent methylation in human disease. We propose that HM metabolism takes place in cytosol and that nuclear methylation equilibration requires nuclear-cytosol transfer of SAM, SAH and Hcy. CD40 is a cell surface molecule which is expressed on antigen presenting cells such as monocyte, macrophage, dendritic cells and neutrophils. The costimulatory pair, CD40 and CD40L, enhances T cell activation and induce chronic inflammatory disease. Also, DNA hypomethylation on CD40 promotor induces inflammatory monocyte differentiation in chronic kidney disease. In order to figure out if CD40 is a prototypic HM cycle regulated master gene, RNA-seq analysis were performed for CD40+ and CD40- monocytes from mouse peripheral blood and 1,093 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were selected from those two groups. All the DEGs modulate as much as 15 functional gene groups such as cytokines, enzymes and transcriptional factors. Furthermore, CD40+ monocytes activated trained immunity pathways especially in Acetyl-CoA generation and mevalonate pathway. In HM cycle, CD40 is a prototypic HM cycle regulated master gene to induce the most of the Hcy metabolic enzymes as well as MT, which can further modulate the methylation-regulated pathological signaling. / Biomedical Sciences

This study was designed to determine whether feeding an Aspergillus product would influence growth or feed utilization and intestinal mucosal cell function as indicated by uptake of methionine and glucose by isolated intestinal brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV). In Experiment 1, 24 weanling pigs were paired by sex, BW, and litter and were allotted, within pairs, to either an 18% CP corn-soy diet (control) or the same diet supplemented (.15%) with an Aspergillus product. There were no differences (P > .05) in ADG, daily feed intake, or feed/gain between the two groups. In Experiment 2, 24 weanling wether lambs were paired by BW and were randomly assigned within pair to a 14% CP diet containing 61.1 % cracked corn, 17.3% soybean meal, and 15% ground orchard grass hay (control) or the same diet fortified (.07%) with an Aspergillus product. There were no differences (P > .05) in ADG, daily feed intake, or feed/gain between the two groups. Enrichment of alkaline phosphatase in BBMV used in transport studies were 12.7-fold higher in pigs and 5.6-fold higher in lambs over the original homogenate. / Ph. D.

The bacterial enzyme t-RNA (m1G37) methyltransferase (TrmD) is an ideal anti-microbial drug target since it is found in all eubacteria, serves an essential role during protein synthesis, and shares very little sequence or structural homology with its eukaryotic counterpart, Trm5. TrmD, a homodimeric protein, methylates the G37 nucleotide of tRNA using S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) as the methyl donor and thus enables proper codon-anticodon alignment during translation. The two deeply buried binding sites for SAM seen in X-ray crystallography suggest that significant conformational changes must occur for substrate binding and catalytic turnover. Results from molecular dynamics simulations implicate a flexible loop region and a halo-like loop which may be gating the entrance to the active site. Analysis of simulation trajectories indicates an alternating pattern of active site accessibility between the two SAM binding sites, suggesting a single site mechanism for enzyme activity. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), demonstrates that binding of SAM to TrmD is an exothermic reaction resulting from sequential binding at two sites. A similar mode of binding at higher affinities was observed for the product, S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (SAH) suggesting that product inhibition may be important in vivo. ITC reveals that tRNA binding is an endothermic reaction in which one tRNA molecule binds to one TrmD dimer. This further supports the hypothesis of a single site mechanism for enzyme function. However, mutational analysis using hybrid mutant proteins suggests that catalytic integrity must be maintained in both active sites for maximum enzymatic efficiency. Mutations impeding flexibility of the halo loop were particularly detrimental to enzyme activity. Noncompetitive inhibition of TrmD was observed in the presence of bis-ANS, an extrinsic fluorescent dye. In silico ligand docking of bis-ANS to TrmD suggests that dye interferes with mobility of the flexible linker above the active site. Because SAM is a ubiquitous cofactor in methyltransferase reactions, analogs of this ligand may not be suitable for drug development. It is therefore important to investigate allosteric modes of inhibition. These experiments have identified key, mobile structural elements in the TrmD enzyme important for activity, and provide a basis for further research in the development of allosteric inhibitors for this enzyme.

No presente experimento, foi testada a inclusão do éster isopropílico do análogo de metionina (HMBi) no concentrado de vacas Holandesas (HPB) e vacas ½ HPB ½ Jersey mantidas em pastagens de capim Elefante, com o objetivo de atingir relação entre lisina e metionina de 3:1 na proteína metabolizável. As variáveis avaliadas foram a produção e composição de leite. A massa de forragem e as composições nutricional e morfológica da pastagem também foram avaliadas. Foram utilizadas 16 vacas HPB e 12 vacas ½ HPB ½ Jersey, com aproximadamente 150 dias em lactação no início do período experimental. A pastagem de capim Elefante foi manejada em sistema rotacionado com dois dias de ocupação e período de descanso variável, determinado pela altura do dossel de 1m para a entrada dos animais no piquete. A pastagem foi adubada com 80 kg de N por ciclo de pastejo. As vacas experimentais faziam o pastejo no primeiro dia de ocupação e animais extras do rebanho realizavam o repasse no segundo dia de ocupação de cada piquete, garantindo que o resíduo pós pastejo ficasse em torno de 40 cm. A pastagem continha em média 22% de PB, 66% de FDN e 71,5% de DIVMS. O concentrado foi fornecido individualmente, na dose média de 6,6 kg de MN por vaca/dia com base na relação 1 kg de concentrado para cada 3 kg de leite, estabelecida no início do período experimental. O concentrado era idêntico entre os tratamentos, com exceção da inclusão ou não do éster análogo da metionina (HMBi). O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em crossover (2x2), dois tratamentos e dois períodos. Exceto os dados de contagem de células somáticas, os dados foram analisados pelo PROC MIXED (SAS® versão 9.1.3, 2003). Para os dados de células somáticas foi utilizada uma distribuição de Poisson, sendo analisados sob abordagem de modelos lineares generalizados. Não foram encontradas diferenças estatisticamente significativas para produção de leite (16,20 x 16,49), produção de leite corrigido para 3,50% de gordura (16,34 x 16,61), concentração de gordura no leite (3,57 x 3,57%) e concentração protéica no leite (3,12 x 3,13%), respectivamente para as vacas do grupo controle e as que receberam HMBi. Vacas ½ HPB ½ Jersey, apesar do menor peso corporal e menor consumo de concentrado, produziram leite com maior teor protéico que vacas HPB, e produziram a mesma quantidade de gordura e de proteína láctea. / In this trial, was tested the inclusion of isopropyl ester of methionine analogue (HMBi) in the concentrate of BWH cows and ½ BWH ½ Jersey cows kept in pastures of Elephant grass, with the goal of achieving lysine: methionine ratio of 3:1 in metabolizable protein. Variables analyzed were milk production and composition. The forage mass and the nutritional composition and morphology of the pasture were also evaluated. 16 Holstein cows and 12 ½ WBH ½ Jersey cows, with approximately 150 days in milk at the beginning of the trial period were used. The Elephant grass pasture was managed by rotational system with two days of occupation and variable rest period, determined by the sward height of 1m at the entry of animals in each paddock. The pasture was fertilized with 80 kg N per grazing cycle. The experimental cows were grazed in the first occupation day and extra animals of the herd grazed on the second occupation day of each paddock, ensuring the post grazing residue to be around 40 cm. The pasture contained on average 22% of CP, 66% of NDF and 71.5% of IVDDM. The concentrate was provided individually, the average dose of 6.6 kilograms of MN per cow per day, based on 1 kg of concentrate for every 3 kg of milk, established at the beginning of the trial period. The concentrate was similar among treatments, except for the inclusion or not of methionine ester analog (HMBi). The experimental design was a crossover (2x2), two treatments and two periods. Except the somatic cell count, the data were analyzed by the PROC MIXED (SAS ® version 9.1.3, 2003). For SCC data was used a Poisson distribution, and examined under approach of generalized linear models. There were no statistically significant differences in milk production (16.20 x 16.49), 3,50% fat corrected milk production (16.34 x 16.61), milk fat concentration (3.57 x 3.57%) and milk protein concentration (3.12 x 3.13%) respectively for cows from the control group and those receiving HMBi. Cows ½ BWH ½ Jersey, despite the lower body weight and lower concentrate intake, produced milk with higher protein content than cows BWH, and produced the same amount of milk fat and protein.

Les Méthionine sulfoxyde réductases (Msr) catalysent la réduction spécifique des méthionine sulfoxydes (Met-O) en méthionines (Met). Elles sont impliquées dans la résistance des cellules à un stress oxydant et dans la virulence des bactéries pathogènes du genre Neisseria. Cette famille d'enzyme se compose de trois classes, les MsrA et B, structuralement distinctes, et présentant une stéréosléctivité respectivement pour l'isomère S et R de la fonction sulfoxyde du substrat. Une troisième classe, découverte récemment, et appelée fRMsr, catalyse la réduction spécifique de la forme libre de l'isomère R de la fonction sulfoxyde. La fRMsr appartient à la famille des domaines GAF, généralement impliqués dans la signalisation cellulaire, et les fRMsr représentent le premier domaine GAF présentant une activité enzymatique. Les études réalisées au cours de ma thèse sur la fRMsr de Neisseria meningitidis ont permis de montrer que : 1) fRMsr de N. meningitidis présente un mécanisme catalytique identique à MsrA/B avec la formation d'au moins un pont disulfure intramoléculaire Cys84-Cys118 réduit par la thiorédoxine (Trx) ; 2) La Cys118 est le résidu catalytique sur lequel l'intermédiaire acide sulfénique doit se former ; 3) L'étape réductase est l'étape cinétiquement déterminante du mécanisme à deux étapes conduisant à la formation du pont disulfure Cys84-Cys118. La combinaison de l'analyse des résultats cinétiques, et de la structure tridimensionnelle de la fRMsr de N. meningitidis en complexe avec le substrat ont permis de montrer : 1) L'existence d'un site de reconnaissance oxyanion impliqué dans la stabilisation de la fonction carboxylate ; 2) Un rôle de la fonction carboxylate du résidu Asp143 dans la catalyse de l'étape réductase ; 3) Le résidu Glu125 est impliqué dans la reconnaissance et/ou le positionnement du substrat Met-O probablement via la stabilisation du groupement NH3+ ; 4) Un rôle du résidu Asp141 dans le positionnement des résidus Asp143 et Glu125 ; 5) le noyau indole du Trp62 est impliqué dans la stabilisation du groupe méthyle-[epsilon] / Methionine sulfoxide reductases (Msr) catalyze the specific reduction of methionine sulfoxides (Met-O) into methionine (Met). They are involved in cell defences against oxidative stress and virulence of pathogenic bacteria of Neisseria genius. This family of enzymes consists of three classes, MsrA and MsrB, structurally-unrelated, Specific for the S and the R epimer of the sulfoxide function of the substrate, respectively. A third class, recently discovered and called fRMsr, selectively reduce the free form of the R epimer of the sulfoxide function. The fRMsr belongs to the family of GAF domains, they are usually involved in cell signaling, and fRMsr represent the first GAF domain to show enzymatic activity. The studies of the Neisseria meningitidis fRMsr have shown that: 1) The Neisseria meningitidis fRMsr have a identical catalytic mechanism to MsrA and MsrB with the formation of at least one intramolecular disulfide bond, Cys84-Cys118 reduced by thioredoxin (Trx) ; 2) The Cys118 is demonstrated to be the catalytic Cys on which a sulfenic acid is formed ; 3) The Reductase step is the rate determining step of the mechanism leading to the formation of the disulfide bond Cys84-Cys118. The combination of the biochemical and kinetics data, and the examination of the 3D structure of the N. meningitidis fRMsr in complex with its substrate shown: 1) an oxyanion hole involved in the accommodation of the carboxylate group ; 2) the carboxylate group of the Asp143 residue involved in the catalysis of step reductase, and 3) The Glu125 residue involved in the recognition and/or positioning of the Met-O probably by the stabilization of the NH3+; 4) the Asp141 residue involved in the positioning of Asp143 and Glu125 residues ; 5) the indole ring of the Trp62 residue involved in stabilizing of the epsilon-methyl group

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Nesse trabalho investigamos as propriedades vibracionais em monocristais D-Metionina, utilizando as espectroscopias Raman e Infravermelho. As medidas de espectroscopia Raman foram realizadas sob a variaÃÃo de pressÃo hidrostÃtica no intervalo de 0GPA atà 7GPa, mostraram duas transiÃÃes de fase, uma por volta 2.0GPa e outra em 2.5GPa, as quais foram detectadas no espectro Raman atravÃs das mudanÃas exibidas pelos picos associados principalmente Ãs vibraÃÃes atribuÃdas à carboxila (CO2-), amina (NH3+), , ligaÃÃes CS e CSC e grupos CH2 e CH3. Esses modos vibracionais tambÃm foram sensibilizados em baixas temperaturas, sendo que suas mudanÃas serviram como referÃncia para identificar a transiÃÃo de fase nas medidas de espalhamento infravermelho no intervalo de temperatura de 298K a 84K. Nas medidas de espalhamento Raman de 298K a 13K, a transiÃÃo foi identificada pelo surgimento do modo translacional em 91 cm-1 por volta de 84K. AlÃm disso, nesse trabalho comparamos o comportamento das mudanÃas apresentadas na rede cristalina dos monocristais de D-metionina de L-metionina sob condiÃÃes extremas de pressÃo. / In this work we have been investigated the vibrational properties of the D-methionine single crystals using the Raman and Infrared spectroscopies. The Raman spectroscopy measurements were performed under varying hydrostatic pressure from 0 GPa up to 7.0 GPa, indicated two transitions, one around 2.0 GPa and another in 2.5GPa, which were detected by changes of the vibrationals modes of the carboxilic (CO2-), amino (NH3+), CS, CSC, CH2 and CH3, respectively. These vibrationals modes also have been sensitized under low temperatures, whose changes have been helpful to identify the phase transition with the measurements of the infrared scattering from 298K up to 84K. In the measurements of the Raman scattering realized between 298K and 84K, the transition was identified by emerging of the translational mode in 91 cm-1 around 84K. Further, in this work we have been compared changes presented by crystal lattice between D-methionine and L-methionine under extremes conditions of the pressure.