A importância do estudo das celulases não se limita à aquisição de conhecimento científico, mas também ao grande potencial biotecnológico que elas representam. Isso se deve ao fato da celulose ser a molécula mais abundante presente na natureza e prover uma vasta gama de produtos e processos sustentáveis. Muitas famílias de celulases já foram bem caracterizadas, enquanto outras permanecem ainda desconhecidas. Dentre estas últimas, a família 45 das hidrolases de glicosídeos é a família de celulases fúngicas menos caracterizada tanto estruturalmente quanto funcionalmente. Recentemente foi proposta a divisão dessa família em três subfamílias e, até agora, apenas membros da subfamília A tiveram enzimas estruturalmente elucidadas. Nesse trabalho reportamos a estrutura cristalográfica da proteína recombinante endoglucanase de Phanerochaete chrysosporium (PcCel45A), a primeira das hidrolases de glicosídeos da subfamília C, e seu complexo com celobiose a 1,4 Å e 1,7 Å de resolução, respectivamente. A PcCel45A é uma enzima de domínio único, com uma estrutura em β-barril e seu empacotamento geral remete ao formato de âncora. O sítio ativo da enzima forma um longo sulco na superfície da estrutura, sendo que o seu centro catalítico é diferente das outras enzimas publicadas dessa família e o aspartato catalítico, que atua como aceptor de próton na reação de inversão, (Asp10) não é conservado. Adicionalmente, a estrutura cristalográfica dessa enzima apresenta mais similaridades com as β-expansinas (proteínas de plantas) e transglicosilases líticas (proteínas que clivam o peptidoglicano de bactérias) do que com as outras representantes da família 45, o que a torna ainda mais singular. Para entendermos melhor seu funcionamento foram realizadas mutações sítio-dirigidas nos principais resíduos do sítio ativo. O Asp121, conhecido por participar da reação de inversão das outras enzimas da família como doador de próton, mostrou-se essencial para a atividade da enzima, enquanto que outros resíduos conservados como a Tyr25, o Trp161 e o Asp92 afetaram, mas não aniquilaram a atividade da enzima, apresentando aproximadamente 20%, 50% e 10% da atividade da enzima nativa, respectivamente. / The importance of the study of the cellulases is not limited to generating significant scientific knowledge, since these enzymes represents an enormous potential in biotechnology. This is partly because cellulose is the most abundant molecule in nature and provides a wide range of products and sustainable process. Many cellulases families have been well characterized, while others still remain unknown. Among them, the glycoside hydrolase family 45 is the least well characterized both structurally and functionally, between fungal cellulases. It was recently proposed the subdivision of this family into three subfamilies, with structural information available only for subfamily A. In this work, we report the chrystallographic structure of the recombinant endoglucanase from Phanerochaete chrysosporium (PcCel45A), the first GH45 subfamily C and its complex with cellobiose at 1.4 Å and 1.7 Å respectively. The PcCel45A is a single domain enzyme, which has a β-barrel structure with the overall shape resembling an anchor. The active site of the enzyme has a long cleft on the surface, being remarkably different from those members of subfamily A, and the catalytic aspartate responsible for acting as proton acceptor (Asp10) is not present. Additionally, the chrystallographic structure of this enzyme has shown more similarity with β -expansins (plant proteins) and lytic transglycosylase (proteins that cleave the peptidoglycan of bacteria) than others representants of family 45, which makes it more singular. For a better understanding of its function, we perform pontual mutations in the main residues from active site. The Asp121, known for acting as proton acceptor in the inversion reaction of others enzymes, proved to be essential for the enzyme activity, while others conserved residues as Tyr25, Trp161 and Asp92 affected but not annihilated the enzyme activity, leaving approximately 20%, 50% and 10% of the native enzyme activity.

Les oomycètes représentent un groupe de microorganismes eucaryotes filamenteux distincts phylogénétiquement des champignons incluant de nombreuses espèces phytopathogènes. CBEL est une glycoprotéine pariétale de Phytophthora parasitica constituée d'une répétition de deux régions séparées par un linker. Chaque région protéique est constituée d'un domaine protéique de liaison à la cellulose (CBM1) et un motif PAN /Apple impliqué dans des interactions protéines-protéines ou protéines-polysaccharides. Cette étude doctorale porte sur la caractérisation de la protéine CBEL et plus particulièrement de ses CBM1s ainsi que sur l'évaluation et optimisation du potentiel de cette protéine à : (i) stimuler les défenses naturelles des plantes (ii) augmenter l'activité de glycosides hydrolases. Dans la première partie de ce travail doctoral différents tests visant à reproduire un traitement éliciteur externe sur plante entière ont pour cela été développés. Ces tests ont permis de mettre en évidence que formulée en présence de surfactants CBEL est capable d'induire diverses réponses de défense chez A. thaliana. Une production en masse de cette protéine a été réalisée dans la levure Pichia pastoris et la bactérie Escherichia coli dans l'optique d'une future application agronomique. Les protéines recombinantes CBELcol et CBELpic produite dans ces différents systèmes d'expression présentent des profils de glycosylation différents de celui de la protéine native CBELnat. Alors que ces protéines semblent se lier de manière identique à la cellulose les différents tests d'élicitation développés au cours de ce travail mettent en évidence des variations dans leur activité élicitrice suggérant que la nature des résidus glucidiques présents sur cette glycoprotéine peut avoir un impact sur sa capacité induire des réponses de défenses en application externe. Lors de la deuxième partie de ce travail de thèse la capacité de CBEL à interagir avec différents substrats cellulosiques a été caractérisée. Les résultats obtenus ont permis de montrer que CBEL se lie avec une haute affinité à la cellulose cristalline avicel et que la présence de CBM1 fonctionnels est nécessaire à cette interaction. De manière intéressante, le CBM1-1 et CBM1-2 ne semblent pas contribuer de manière égale à cette interaction. Par ailleurs la laison de CBEL à la cellulose induit des perturbations structurales sur le substrat et permet d'améliorer l'activité de la xylanase XynB de Talaromyces versatilis sur paille de blé. En outre une xylanase chimère possédant dans sa séquence le CBM1-1 de CBEL possède également une activité augmentée sur paille blé. L'ensemble de ces résultats met en évidence le potentiel de CBEL et de son CBM1-1 pour l'amélioration de l'activité de glycoside hydrolases utilisables par exemple en bioraffinerie. En dernier lieu un travail de caractérisation structurale de la protéine CBEL a également été entamé au cours de cette étude. L'enveloppe de la protéine CBEL en solution à notamment été déterminée par SAXS (Small Angle X-ray Scattering) et un modèle 3D de cette protéine a été obtenu. / Oomycetes are fungal like microorganisms evolutionary distinct from true fungi that include pathogens of plants. CBEL is a cell wall glycoprotein isolated from the oomycete Phytophthora parasitica that is composed of two distinct regions linked by a threonine/proline rich linker. Each region owns a cellulose binding module (CBM1) and a PAN-Apple domain involved in protein-protein or proteins-polysaccharides interactions. Since CBEL is able to induce defense responses in numerous plant species, its use for the development of products able to protect crops has been envisaged. For this purpose we analysed the effect of an external CBEL treatment on plants. We found that in the presence of surfactants CBEL is able to induce cytosolic calcium changes, defense gene expression, and cell death on A. thaliana. CBEL application for crop protection requires the development of economically reliable production processes. In the case of proteinaceous elicitors, an attractive strategy to obtain large amount of elicitors is to express them in heterologous hosts such as bacteria or yeasts. CBELcol and CBELpic were produced respectively in E. coli and in P. pastoris. CBELcol is unglycosylated whereas CBELpic displays a glycosylation profile distinct from the native protein (CBELnat). We found that all these proteins are able to bind crystalline cellulose. On the other side we found that the elicitor activity of CBELpic is distinct from CBELnat and CBELcol suggesting that the glycosylation on CBEL can have an impact on its ability to induce plant defense responses after external treatment on A. thaliana. In the second part of this work the two CBMs (1-1 and 1-2) that form part of CBEL have been submitted to detailed characterization, first to better quantify their interaction with cellulose and second to determine whether these CBMs can be useful for biotechnological applications, such as biomass hydrolysis. A variety of biophysical techniques were used to study the interaction of the CBMs with various substrates and the data obtained clearly indicate that CBEL's CBM1-1 exhibits much greater cellulose binding ability than CBM1-2. Engineering of the family 11 xylanase from Talaromyces versatilis (TvXynB), an enzyme that naturally bears a family 1 CBM, has produced two variants. The first one lacks a CBM, whereas the second contains the CBEL CBM1-1 in the place of the natural CBM1. The study of these enzymes has revealed that wild type TvXynB binds to cellulose, probably via its CBM1, and that the substitution of its CBM by oomycetal CBM1-1 does not affect its activity on this substrate. Moreover, the presence of CBEL during the hydrolysis of wheat straw actually potentiates the action of TvXynB, a result that is consistent with the hypothesis that CBM1-1 can alter cellulose surface fibres rather like some other members of CBM family 1.

Enantioselective reactions are one of the ways to produce pure chiral compounds. Understanding the basis of this selectivity makes it possible to guide enzyme design towards more efficient catalysts. One approach to study enzymes involved in chiral chemistry is through the use of computational models that are able to simulate the chemical reaction taking place. The potato epoxide hydrolase is one enzyme that is known to be both highly enantioselective, while still being robust upon mutation of residues to change substrate scope. The enzyme was used to investigate the epoxide hydrolysis mechanism for a number of different substrates, using the EVB approach to the reaction both in solution and in several enzyme variants. In addition to this, work has been performed on new ways of performing simulations of divalent transition metals, as well as development of new simulation software.

Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) terminates the endocannabinoid signaling pathway that regulates numerous neurobehavioral processes in animals by hydrolyzing a class of lipid mediators, N-acylethanolamines (NAEs). Recent identification of an Arabidopsis FAAH homologue (AtFAAH) and several studies, especially those using AtFAAH overexpressing and knock-out lines suggest that a FAAH-mediated pathway exists in plants for the metabolism of endogenous NAEs. Here, I provide evidence to support this concept by identifying candidate FAAH cDNA sequences in diverse plant species. NAE amidohydrolase assays confirmed that several of the proteins encoded by these cDNAs indeed catalyzed the hydrolysis of NAEs in vitro. Kinetic parameters, inhibition properties, and substrate specificities of the plant FAAH enzymes were very similar to those of mammalian FAAH. Five amino acid residues determined to be important for catalysis by rat FAAH were absolutely conserved within the plant FAAH sequences. Site-directed mutation of each of the five putative catalytic residues in AtFAAH abolished its hydrolytic activity when expressed in Escherichia coli. Contrary to overexpression of native AtFAAH in Arabidopsis that results in enhanced seedling growth, and in seedlings that were insensitive to exogenous NAE, overexpression of the inactive AtFAAH mutants showed no growth enhancement and no NAE tolerance. However, both active and inactive AtFAAH overexpressors displayed hypersensitivity to ABA, suggesting a function of the enzyme independent of its catalytic activity toward NAE substrates. Yeast two-hybrid screening identified Arg/Ser-rich zinc knuckle-containing protein as a candidate protein that physically and domain-specifically interacts with AtFAAH and its T-DNA knock-out Arabidopsis was hypersensitive to ABA to a degree similar to AtFAAH overexpressors. Taken together, AtFAAH appears to have a bifurcating function, via NAE hydrolysis and protein-protein interaction, to control Arabidopsis growth and interaction with phytohormone signaling pathways. These studies help to functionally define the group of enzymes that metabolize NAEs in plants, and further will expand the knowledge-base of lipid metabolism and signaling for manipulation of various physiological processes important to plant growth and responses to environmental stress.

Le gène RhDIF1 s'exprime uniquement dans les pétales de roses parfumées et au moment où la fleur produit des monoterpènes comme le géraniol, le citronellol ou le nérol. RhDIF1est donc un gène candidat pour être impliqué dans la production de monoterpènes chez les roses parfumées. Le travail de cette thèse consiste à trouver une explication pour l'absence de l'expression de RhDIFI1 chez des roses peu parfumées et à caractériser moléculairement la protéine recombinante RhDIF1. L'absence d'expression de RhDIF1 chez les roses peu parfumées est probablement due à des perturbations importantes dans le promoteur du gène en comparaison avec le promoteur de RhDIF1 chez une rose parfumée. La séquence de la protéine RhDIF1 possède un domaine caractéristique nudix hydrolase. Les nudix hydrolases sont des pyrophosphohydrolases clivant par exemple des dNTPs oxydés mutagènes, des molécules tels que l'ADP-ribose potentiellement toxiques ou encore le NADP. Des essais d'activités enzymatiques de la protéine RhDIF1 avec du GPP n'ont pas montré la production de monoterpènes. Une potentielle activité IPP isomérase de RhDIF1 doit être testée. Aussi, des conversions entre le géraniol et d'autres monoterpènes chez les roses parfumées peuvent nécessiter du NADP comme cofacteur et une possible implication de RhDIF1 dans ces réactions via le métabolisme du NADP doit également être vérifiée. Sur la base de l’homologie de séquence de RhDIF1 avec la 8-oxo-dGTPase AtNUDX1 d’Arabidopsis thaliana, des essais d'activités enzymatiques avec le dATP, dCTP, dGTP, dTTP et le nucléotide oxydé mutagène 8-oxo-dGTP ont montré que RhDIF1 clive ces substrats sauf le dCTP. En outre, la détermination de valeurs de Km vis à vis de ces dNTPs tendent à montrer que RhDIF1 clive préférentiellement des substrats contenant une purine. Une activité spécifique de RhDIF1 sur le dATP nettement supérieure à celles des autres dNTPs nous incitent à nous poser la question si le nucléotide oxydé mutagène 2-hydroxy-dATP n'est pas aussi un potentiel substrat de RhDIF1. Dans l'hypothèse où RhDIF1 serait une nudix hydrolase dégradant des dNTPs oxydés mutagènes, RhDIF1 aurait alors comme rôle la détoxification du pool de nucléotide en éliminant les dNTPs oxydés apparus suite à un stress oxydatif pouvant avoir comme origine la production de géraniol par les pétales de rose / The expression of the RhDIF1 gene is observed only in petals of scented roses when the flower emit monoterpenes. Thus, RhDIF1 has been thought to be involved in the production of such compouds in scented roses. During this thesis, an explanation for the absence of expression of RhDIF1 in non-scented roses and a molecular characterization of the RhDIF1 recombinant protein have been investigated. The absence of expression of RhDIF1 in non-scented roses may be due to strong modifications observed in the promoter compared to the RhDIF1 homolog in a scented rose. A typical nudix domain is included in the RhDIF1 protein sequence. Nudix hydrolases are pyrophosphohydrolases cleaving mutagenic oxidated dNTPs, potentially toxic molecules like ADP-ribose or NADP for examples. Enzymatic assays of RhDIF1 with GPP showed any production of monoterpenes. A potential IPP isomerase activity of RhDIF1 must be tested. Also, conversions between geraniol and other monoterpenes in scented roses may needs NADP as cofactor and a possible involvement of RhDIF1 in these reactions via the NADP metabolism must be checked too. Based on the sequence homology between RhDIFI1and the Arabidopsis thaliana 8-oxo-dGTPase AtNUDX1, enzymatic assays with RhDIF1 and dATP, dCTP, dGTP, dTTP and the mutagenic oxidated nucleotide 8-oxo-dGTP showed a catalytic activity of RhDIF1 on these substracts excepted for dCTP. Moreover, Km values seem to show that RhDIF1 preferentially cleaves purine containing substract. A specific activity higher for dATP than the other dNTP lead us to think if the mutagenic oxidated nucleotide 2-hydroxy-dATP could be a potential substract for RhDIF1. Thus, RhDIF1 could be involved in the nucleotide pool sanitization by eliminating oxidated nucleotides appeared from an oxidative stress potentially due to the geraniol production by rose petal

Orientador: Luciana Gonzaga de Oliveira / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Química / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-22T05:28:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rampasio_RaquelRodrigues_M.pdf: 2052024 bytes, checksum: 07f4cd2fcba87af264e6efceab06d527 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: Epóxidos enantiopuros e dióis vicinais têm sido utilizados na síntese de inúeras moléculas bioativas. Dessa forma, as epóxido-hidrolases microbianas capazes de hidrolisar enantioseletivamente epóxidos racêmicos emergiram como uma alternativa promissora na obtenção destes compostos. Recentemente, a linhagem P. stipitis CCT 2617 foi selecionada por apresentar atividade hidrolítica frente a epóxidos terminais e teve seu genoma completo publicado. Assim, esta levedura foi selecionada para o trabalho de clonagem e expressão de sua epóxido hidrolase. Neste trabalho, a clonagem do gene SEH1, que codifica para a epóxido hidrolase de P. stipitis, foi efetuada com sucesso em P. pastoris, tanto no vetor pPICZa A, quanto no vetor pPICZ B. A clonagem da proteína com a cauda de histidina deve auxiliar na detecção da expressão. A detecção de uma banda, referente a uma proteína de 46 kDa, no gel de eletroforese foi um indício de que a expressão da enzima SEH (contendo o fator a) ocorreu, porém, não conseguimos reproduzir este resultado posteriormente. Além disso, buscamos melhores alternativas para a detecção da atividade enzimática, como o teste de adrenalina e o ensaio baseado em substrato fluorogênico, que devem ser aperfeiçoados para a utilização com células íntegras. A modelagem computacional da estrutura tridimensional da PSEH resultou em um modelo contendo 40% de hélices a e 12% de folhas b. Determinamos que os resíduos que devem fazer parte do sítio ativo são Tyr319, Asp209, Asp352 e His383 e, tendo em vista que a PSEH deve se apresentar na forma de um homodímero com sítio ativo similar ao das EHs de P. aeruginosa, A. radiobacter e A. niger, nossa hipótese é que esta enzima deve hidrolisar epóxidos pouco volumosos e aromáticos com algum nível de enantiosseletividade / Abstract: Enantiopure epoxides and vicinal diols have been used to prepare a number of bioactive molecules. Thus, the microbial epoxide hydrolases able to enantioselectivity hydrolyze racemic epoxides emerged as a promising alternative in the synthesis of these compounds. Recently, the P. stipitis CCT2617 strain was selected due to the presence of hydrolytic activity against terminal epoxides and had its genome completely described. Therefore, this yeast was selected for cloning and expression of the gene SEH1, which was annoted as epoxide hydrolase. In this work, the cloning of SEH1 gene, codifying for the epoxide hydrolase of P. stipitis, was done with success in P. pastoris, both in pPICZa A and pPICZ B vectors. The cloning of the protein with a histidine tag should help in the detection of expression. The detection of a protein with 46 kDa evidenced that the expression of SEH enzyme (containing the a factor) is occurring, however, this result was not reproducible due to the sample degradation. Furthermore, better alternatives for the detection of enzyme activity were performed, as adrenaline test and fluorogenic assay, which must be optimized for application with whole cells. The 3D structure computational modeling of PSEH resulted in a model that contains 40% of a helices and 12% of b sheets. Our hypothesis is that the residues that make part of the active site are Tyr319, Asp209, Asp352 and His 383. And, considering that the PSEH should be in the homodimeric form with an active site similar to that of the EHs of P. aeruginosa, A. radiobacter and A. niger, this enzyme should hydrolyze small and aromatic epoxides probably with some enantioselectivity / Mestrado / Quimica Organica / Mestre em Química

Orientador: Anita Jocelyne Marsaioli / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Química / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-27T18:00:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Costa_BrunaZucolotoda_D.pdf: 6212345 bytes, checksum: ec8b84a214cbc377e0f9f13d33ddc561 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: Os processos biocatalíticos foram abordados nesta tese de doutorado deste a triagem de micro-organismos para a seleção de biocatalisadores adequados até o uso de enzimas isoladas em reações de interesse biotecnológico. O primeiro capítulo apresenta o isolamento, identificação e a triagem enzimática de bactérias heterotróficas isoladas de rejeitos de mineração de cobre. A partir destas amostras foi possível isolar 189 bactérias, as quais apresentaram uma diversificada atuação catalítica. As bactérias isoladas foram identificadas por MALDI-TOF e por sequenciamento do gene RNAr 16S sendo encontrados diversos gêneros como Bacillus, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Delftia, Stenotrophomonas, Hydrogenophaga, Rhodococcus, entre outros. O segundo capítulo apresenta o estudo do potencial catalítico de uma nova epóxido hidrolase de Aspergillus brasiliensis CCT1435, recombinante e expressa em E. coli. Esta EH é ativa em uma ampla faixa de pH e temperatura, apresentando um desempenho ótimo em pH 6,0 e 30 °C. Este trabalho ainda permitiu uma avaliação detalhada da aplicação biocatalítica desta EH na hidrólise do óxido de estireno em meio aquoso e bifásico. Por fim, o terceiro capítulo apresenta resultados preliminares envolvendo um processo quimio-enzimático para a produção de alcalóides pirrolidínicos a partir das respectivas 1,4-dicetonas. Esta metodologia é promissora uma vez que diversas 1,4-dicetonas foram convertidas nas suas respectivas iminas cíclicas, sendo que a subsequente etapa de redução com NaBH3CN promoveu a formação das pirrolidinas de interesse. Portanto, esta tese de doutorado apresenta um estudo amplo e diversificado envolvendo processos biocatalíticos aplicados em uma série de reações de interesse biotecnológico / Abstract: Biocatalytic processes have been addressed in this thesis from the microorganism screening for the selection of suitable biocatalysts to the use of isolated enzymes in biotechnological reactions. The first chapter presents the isolation, identification and enzymatic screening of heterotrophic bacteria isolated from copper mine drainages. From these samples, 189 bacteria were isolated, which showed diverse catalytic activities. The isolated bacteria were identified by MALDI-TOF and 16S rRNA gene sequencing and several genera were found: Bacillus, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Delftia, Stenotrophomonas, Hydrogenophaga, Rhodococcus, among others. The second chapter presents the catalytic potential of a new epoxide hydrolase from Aspergillus brasiliensis CCT1435 (AbEH), recombinant and expressed in E. coli. This EH is active in a wide pH and temperature range, with a great performance at pH 6.0 and 30 °C. This work also presents the AbEH biocatalytic application for the styrene oxide hydrolysis in aqueous and biphasic media. Finally, the third chapter presents preliminary results involving a chemo-enzymatic method for the production of pyrrolidine alkaloids from the corresponding 1,4-diketones. This approach is promising since several 1,4-diketones were converted to their respective cyclic imines, and the subsequent reduction with NaBH3CN promoted the pyrrolidines formation. Therefore, this thesis presents a broad and diverse study of biocatalytic processes applied in a number of interesting biotechnological reactions / Doutorado / Quimica Organica / Doutora em Ciências

No tubo digestivo das larvas de Anastrepha fraterculus e Anastrepha pickeli há β-glicosidases capazes de clivar dissacarideos, β-glicosídeos tóxicos produzidos por plantas e substratos sintéticos. As β-glicosidases de A. fraterculus são pouco ativas e as de A. pickeli são bastante ativas sobre alguns compostos, entre eles linamarina, um glicosídeo cianogênico. Esse composto está presente, em altas concentrações, no fruto da mandioca do qual a larva se alimenta. A. fraterculus alimenta-se do fruto da goiaba e aparentemente consegue o carboidrato que necessita por ação de α-glicosidases, que são bem mais ativas do que as β. O fruto da mandioca não é tão nutritivo e A. pickeli deve aproveitar a glicose da linamarina para obter energia e consegue desintoxicar-se do aglicone tóxico. Rhynchosciara americana apresenta quatro β-glicosidases nas membranas microvilares intestinais, sendo três delas β-galactosidases. Dessas, duas são ativadas por Triton X-100 sendo que a glicosidase, de maior mobilidade eletroforética é ativada por este composto, com uma Ka de 4µM, um α de 0,5 e um β de 2. β-tioglicosidases foram demonstradas em afideos. Nós verificamos que ocorre a clivagem do tioglicosídeo sinigrina após separação das β-glicosidases digestivas do Lepidoptera Diatraea saccharalis por cromatografia hidrofóbica. Nesse inseto, a mesma enzima é capaz de clivar O- e S-glicosídeos com atividades semelhantes. Enzimas com essas características nunca foram descritas anteriormente. Esses experimentos ilustram a viabilidade das adaptações dos insetos na utilização de compostos formados for ligações β-glicosídicas, viabilizando a exploração de nutrientes normalmente inacessíveis a outros animais. / Anastrepha fraterculus and Anastrepha pickeli have in their midguts 13-glycosidases able to hydrolase dissaccharides, synthetic substrate and plant toxic β-glucosides. β-glycosidases from A. fraterculus have low activity and the enzymes from A. pickeli may be highly active depending on the substrate used. Linamarin, a cyanogenic β-glucoside present in A. pickeli food (Manihot fruit) is easly hydrolysed by A. pickeli β-glycosidases (A. fraterculus eats on guava fruits and may obtain carbohydrate through the action of α-glycosidases, that are much more active them the β-glycosidases). A. pickeli probably uses glucose derived from linamarinan avoiding the effects of the toxic aglycon. Rhynchosciara americana has 4 β-glycosidases (3 galactosidases and I glucosidase) in their intestinal microvilar membranes. Two of these enzymes are activated by Triton X-100. In β glucosidase the activation has Ka= 4µM, α=0,5 e β=2. β-thioglycosidases occur in Aphids. One digestive β-glucosidase from Diatraea saccharalis resolved by hydrofobic chrornatography hydrolyses sinigrin. The same enzyme may hydrolyse O- and S-glucosides with the same efficienly. Enzymes with this specificity have never been described before. In this study we shown some adaptations of insects to use substrates with β-glycosidic bonds, allowing these organisrns to explore nutrients usualy avoided by other animals.

Doctor Scientiae / An esterase and lipase producing Burkholderia multivorans strain was isolated by culture enrichment strategies. A shotgun library of Burkholderia multivorans genomic DNA (prepared in E. coli/pUC18) was screened for lipase and esterase activities. Three positive recombinant clones, pTEND5, pHOLA6 and pRASHI4, conferring esterolytic and lipolytic phenotypes respectively, were identified. Full-length sequencing of DNA inserts was performed using subeloning and "primer-walking" strategies. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that the pRASH14 plasmid DNA consisted of two open reading frames (ORPI and ORP2) encoding 356 and 350 amino acids, respectively. Database searches revealed that ORPI and ORP2 were homologous to lipases and chaperones from subfamily I.2. In the pTEND5 sequence, an open reading frame consisting of 978 bp, encoding 326 amino acids, was identified. Database searches revealed that this open reading frame was homologous to family Vesterases. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that pHOLA6, plasmid DNA consisted of 1194 bp encoding 398 amino acids and showed homology to family VIII esterases. The primary structures of LipA, EstEFH5 and EstBL from pRASHI4, pTEND5 and pHOLA6, respectively, showed a classical GxSxG motif, which is conserved in many serine hydrolases. In addition, EstBL also showed a consensus SxxK motif, the serine of which acts as a catalytic nucleophile in class C B-lactames and some peptidases.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a hepatotropic positive-sense RNA virus of the Flaviviridae virus family and is a major cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. Like all obligate parasites, HCV relies on host pathways to enable its pathogenesis. HCV, in particular, has a clear link with hepatic lipid metabolism, promoting a lipid-rich environment for its proliferation. This manifests as liver steatosis in many patients harboring chronic HCV infection. Based on our recent findings regarding an immunometabolic and HCV antiviral microRNA (miRNA), miRNA-185 targeting and down regulating serine hydrolases (SH) involved in lipid and endocannabinoid metabolism, here we investigate HCV and its dependency on certain metabolic serine hydrolases involved in lipid and endocannabinoid metabolism. Serine hydrolases are one of the largest and most diverse enzyme families. This enzyme family has emerged as a center of therapeutic potential due to its implications in many metabolic roles. Here, we demonstrate that pharmacological inhibition of metabolic serine hydrolases alpha-beta hydrolyzing domain 6 (ABHD6), carboxylesterase 1 (CES1), and monoacylglycerol lipase (MGLL), enzymes involved in the hydrolysis of the endogenous cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) agonist 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) are potently antiviral against HCV. Serine hydrolase inhibition with the MGLL inhibitor MJN110 paired with endocannabinoid signaling antagonization led to additive antiviral effects against HCV and has revealed modulation of the viral pathogenic phenotype to be its key course of action. MGLL inhibitor MJN110 transcriptomic characterization revealed modulations in humoral immunity and phagocytosis and acts antiviraly against HCV independent of CB1 antagonization. This provides an avenue for future investigation, assessing the viability of CB1 antagonization, and MGLL as a key host targeted antiviral factor in affecting HCV viral life cycle.