In studies of enzyme kinetics, reaction time courses are often condensed into a single set of initial rates describing the rate at the start of the reaction. This set is then analysed with the Henri-Michaelis-Menten equation. However, this process necessarily removes information from experimental data and diminishes its statistical significance due to a reduction of available data points. Further, if the examined system does not approach steady-state rapidly, the application of the steady-state-assumption can lead to flawed conclusions. Here, the analysis of two complex enzyme systems by numerical integration of kinetic rate equations is demonstrated. DNA polymerase catalyses the synthesis of DNA in a reaction that involves two substrates, DNA template and dNTP, both of which are highly heterogeneous in nature. The tight binding of DNA to DNA polymerase and its polymer properties prohibit the application of the initial-rate approach. By combining an explicit DNA binding step with a steady-state dNTP incorporation on a template of finite length, the DNA binding parameters and the dNTP incorporation steady-state parameters were estimated from processive polymerisation data in a global regression analysis. This approach is described in Chapter 2 and the results are in good agreement with previously published values. Further properties were investigated in studies of the temperature dependence and solvent isotope dependence of the kinetics. The processive polymerisation of DNA template was monitored using the fluorophore PicoGreen in a simple and inexpensive method described in Chapter 3. The catalytic cycle of ethanolamine ammonia lyase involves the homoloysis of the Co-C bond within the intrinsic B12 cofactor. This homolysis results in the formation of a Co(II)-adenosyl radical intermediate, which can be monitored using stopped-flow spectroscopy. The stopped-flow transients observed for EAL and related enzymes have long been difficult to analyse and interpret, possibly due to rapid methyl group rotation on the substrate. In Chapter 4 of this thesis we were able to rationalise this behaviour using numerical integration of the rate equations of a branched 16-state-kinetic model to fit stopped-flow transients in a global regression analysis. We were able to determine some intrinsic rate constants, and showed that the initial hydrogen atom transfer step is unlikely to have an inflated primary kinetic isotope effect, despite previous claims. More generally, this study demonstrates that the numerical integration analysis used here is likely to be applicable to a broad range of enzyme reaction kinetics.

O gene TrCit do fungo filamentoso Trichoderma reesei codifica a proteína citrato sintase, uma enzima chave do ciclo de Krebs. Análise da região 5´ upstream de TrCit mostra que o gene está adjacente ao gene TrIcl (que codifica a proteína isocitrato liase, uma enzima do ciclo de glioxalato), em uma orientação cabeça-cabeça. A região promotora intergênica de 647 pb rica em G + C, apresenta uma ilha CpG, seqüência INR, caixas GC, caixas CAAT, sítios de ligação para diversos fatores de transcrição e é isenta de caixa TATA. O gene TrCit de 1573 pb contém 3 éxons e 2 íntrons. Sua seqüência codificadora de 1422 pb produz uma proteína de 474 aminoácidos, com um peso molecular estimado de 52,3 kD. O gene TrIcl de 1880 pb contém 3 éxons e 2 íntrons. Sua seqüência codificadora de 1788 pb produz uma proteína de 596 aminoácidos, com um peso molecular estimado de 65,4 kD. A atividade transcricional da região promotora foi analisada utilizando como repórter o gene de higromicina B fosfotransferase (hph). Uma região funcional necessária à transcrição de ambos os genes foi identificada na região central do promotor e contém uma caixa GC que liga o putativo fator de transcrição Sp1 de T. reesei (TrZnFSp1). O gene do putativo fator de transcrição “zinc-finger” TrZnFSp1 de 1500 pb contém 3 éxons e 2 íntrons. Sua seqüência codificadora de 1344 pb produz uma proteína de 448 aminoácidos, com um peso molecular estimado de 48,4 kD. Os resultados mostram que ambos os genes são transcritos de forma divergente a partir de um promotor bidirecional que compartilha na região central uma caixa GC, necessária para a transcrição de ambos os genes. / The TrCit gene from the filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei codes for the citrate synthase protein, a key enzyme in the Krebs cycle. Analysis of TrCit 5’ upstream region showed that it is adjacent to the TrIcl gene that codes for isocitrate lyase protein, an enzyme involved in the glyoxylate cycle. Both genes, on a head-to-head orientation, are separated by an intergenic GC-rich and TATA-less promoter region of 647 base pairs. This bidirectional promoter has diverse cis regulatory elements: a CpG island, two INR sequences, GC boxes, CAAT boxes and several putative interaction sites for different transcription factors. The TrCit gene, 1,573-base pair-long, has an open reading frame of 1,422 base pairs interrupted by two introns. The gene codes for a protein with an estimated molecular weight of 52.3 kD. The TrIcl gene, 1,880-base pair-long, contains 3 exons and 2 introns and a putative coding sequence of 1,788 base pairs. The estimated molecular weight of TrICL is 65.4 kD. he transcriptional activity of the intergenic promoter region was analyzed using hygromicin B phosphotransferase (hph) as a reporter gene. A functional region required for the transcription of both genes was identified in the centre of this promoter. It has a GC box that interacts with a putative transcription factor Sp1 from T. reesei (TrZnFSp1). The results presented in this work show that both genes are divergently transcribed from a bidirectional promoter that shares an essential central GC box.

Actinobacillus succinogenes cells were grown on Poraver® support particles in a packed-bed reactor. Dilution rates (D) of 0.054–0.72 h-1 were investigated. Glucose was used as substrate. CO2 (g) was bubbled into a complex medium to satisfy the fixation requirements and maintain anaerobic conditions. At D ≥ 0.31 h-1, an initial glucose concentration of 35 g.L-1 was used; at lower dilution rates, this was increased to 60 g.L-1 in order to avoid substrate limitations. By-product formation included acetic and formic acids. A maximum productivity of 10.7 g.L-1 was obtained at D = 0.7 h-1. It was found that the system provided repeatable results at a given D. The longest steady state period was maintained for about 97 h at D = 0.31 h-1. Steady state stability was maintained for > 72 h at D < 0.31 h-1. For periods longer than 75 h, however, inhibitory acid titres resulted in a gradual decline in productivity. At higher dilution rates, long-term stability could not be maintained. The low acid titres produced significant biofilm sloughing following aggressive biofilm growth, resulting in oscillatory system behaviour. For fermentation times < 115 h, the dilution rate was secondary to the attachment area in determining the total biomass at steady state. Total biomass values were then used to determine specific rates. A clear trend was observed, with the specific glucose consumption rate, and specific acid production rates, increasing with increasing D. This was explained by assuming a maintenance-driven system at all Ds studied. A product analysis indicated that at ΔS < 15 g.L-1, pyruvate formate lyase was the preferred oxidative route. A shift to the pyruvate dehydrogenase pathway occurred at higher ΔS values, so that the highest YSS values obtained exceeded 0.85 g.g-1. A decrease in C3 by-product formation resulted in high YSS values being maintained, indicating an additional, unknown source of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). It is recommended that any process utilising immobilised A. succinogenes cells should operate at an intermediate D, in order to maintain long-term reactor stability, high productivities and good yields. / Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Chemical Engineering / unrestricted

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Cholesterol and fatty acid homeostasis is maintained by a complex network of regulatory mechanisms that control the biosynthesis and deposition of lipids over diverse physiological conditions. However, these processes can become dysregulated and uncoupled from energy metabolism by metabolic stress such as a hyper-caloric diet and physical inactivity; eventually manifesting as risk factors associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), Type 2 diabetes (T2D), and/or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a sensor of cellular energy status that promotes metabolic homeostasis by mediating effects on multiple cellular processes including cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis biosynthesis. However, the mechanisms linking AMPK to lipid metabolism under normal and pathological conditions, remain undefined. In these studies, we identify a novel nutrient sensing mechanism whereby the coenzyme A (CoA) activated esters of long-chain fatty acids (LCFA-CoA) directly activate AMPK via specific interactions within the β1-regulatory subunit involving a Ser108 residue previously shown only with synthetic activators. We demonstrate the physiological relevance for this mechanism in an acute setting by showing that fatty acid oxidation was attenuated in mice harboring an AMPKβ1-S108A knock-in mutation compared to WT mice. We then demonstrated that β1-selctive AMPK activation is mimicked by the CoA conjugated form of bempedoic acid, a synthetic small molecule lipid synthesis inhibitor in clinical development for lowering elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). The importance of this mechanism was determined by assessing multiple disease outcomes in Ampkβ1-/-/Apoe-/- double knockout (DKO) mice fed a high fat-high cholesterol (HFHC) diet ± bempedoic acid. In these studies, bempedoic acid treatment reduced plasma LDL-C and atherosclerosis in both Apoe-/- and DKO mice, while no differences in disease outcomes was detected between the two genotypes in response to HFHC feeding. Further mechanistic investigations in rodent and primary human hepatocytes, revealed that the CoA conjugate of bempedoic acid suppressed lipid synthesis via competitive inhibition of ATP-citrate lyase (ACL), which promoted LDL receptor upregulation and associated reductions in LDL-C. We then integrate these findings with published literature in a written synthesis aimed to evaluate the role of ACL in metabolism, and its potential utility as a therapeutic target to treat ASCVD and metabolic disorders in humans. Although several questions remain regarding the metabolic role of AMPK activation by LCFA-CoAs, these studies have expanded our understanding of how cells acutely integrate lipid and energy signals to maintain lipid homeostasis, and identified ACL as a promising strategy to treat hypercholesterolemia, ASCVD, and associated metabolic disorders. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / The dysregulation of cholesterol and triglyceride metabolism can manifest as risk factors for life-threating diseases such as atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD), Type-2 diabetes (T2D), and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the underlying mechanisms controlling lipid homeoastasis in health and disease are not completely understood. ATP-citrate lyase (ACL) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) are emerging as key nodes in metabolism that integrate lipid metabolism with signals of nutrient availability and cellular energy status, respectively. These strategic positions in metabolism suggest that both these enzymes could play an important role in the underlying pathophysiology of lipid-related diseases, and are therefore, prime candidates for therapeutic intervention. In these studies, we expand our understanding of the role of AMPK in metabolism beyond energy sensing by identifying specific lipid metabolites as direct allosteric activators of kinase activity. We also evaluate the therapeutic utility of targeting both AMPK and ACL in novel models of hypercholesterolemia and metabolic disease, and demonstrate that ACL inhibition offers a promising strategy to address multiple unmet medical needs.

Yes / Dickeya chrysanthemi is well known as a plant pathogen that caused major blackleg in the European potato industry in the 1990s. D. chrysanthemi strain L11 was discovered in a recreational lake in Malaysia. Here, we present its draft genome sequence. / University of Malaya High Impact Research (HIR) Grants UM C/625/1/HIR/MOHE/CHAN/01 (grant no. A-000001-50001) and UM C/625/1/HIR/MOHE/CHAN/14/1 (grant no. H-50001-A000027)

The thesis describes structural and functional studies of two PLP-dependent enzymes, diaminopropionate (DAP) ammonia lyase (DAPAL) and N-acetylornithine aminotransferase (AcOAT). The main objective of this work was to understand the structural features that control and impart specificity for PLP-dependent catalysis. DAPAL is a prokaryotic enzyme that catalyzes the degradation of D and L forms of DAP to pyruvate and ammonia. The first crystal structure of DAPAL was determined from Escherichia coli (EcDAPAL) in holo and apo forms, and in complex with various ligands. The structure with a transient reaction intermediate (aminoacrylate-PLP azomethine) bound at the active site was obtained from crystals soaked with substrate, DL-DAP. Apo and holo structures revealed that the region around the active site undergoes transition from disordered to ordered state and assumes a conformation suitable for catalysis only upon PLP binding. A novel disulfide was found to occur near a channel that is likely to regulate entry of ligands to the active site. Based on the crystal structures and biochemical studies, as well as studies on active site mutant enzymes, a two base mechanism of catalysis involving Asp120 and Lys77 is suggested. AcOAT is an enzyme of arginine biosynthesis pathway that catalyses the reversible conversion of N-acetylglutamate semialdehyde and glutamate to N-acetyl ornithine and α-ketoglutarate. It belongs to subgroup III of fold type I PLP dependent enzymes. Many clinically important aminotransferases belong to the same subgroup and share many structural similarities. We have carried out extensive comparative analysis of these enzymes to identify the unique features important for substrate specificity. Crystal structures of AcOAT from Salmonella typhimurium were determined in presence of two ligands, canaline and gabaculine, which are known to act as general inhibitors for most of the enzymes of this class. There structures provided important insights into the mode of binding of the substrates. The structures illustrated the switching of conformation of an active site glutamate side chain on binding of the two substrates. In addition to that, structural transitions involving three loop regions near the active site were observed in different ligand bound structures. Kinetics of single turnover fast reactions and multiple turnover steady state reactions indicated that N-AcOAT dimer might follow a mechanism involving sequential half site reactivity for efficient catalysis. The changes observed in loop conformation that resulted in asymmetric forms of the dimer enzyme might form the structural basis for half site reactivity. Single site mutants were designed to understand the significance of these structural transitions and the specific role of active site residues in determining substrate specificity and catalysis. Biochemical characterization of wild type and mutant enzymes by steady state and fast kinetic studies, along with their crystal structures provided detailed insights into subtlety of active site features that manifest substrate specificity and catalytic activity. The thesis also describes the investigations on fold type II enzymes directed towards analyses of polypeptide folds of these enzymes, features of their active sites, nature of interactions between the cofactor and the polypeptide, oligomeric structure, catalytic activities with various ligands, origin of specificity and plausible regulation of activity. Analysis of the available crystal structures of fold type II enzymes revealed five different classes. The dimeric interfaces found in these enzymes vary across the classes and probably have functional significance. Contributions made towards structural and functional studies of three other PLP-dependent enzymes, serine hydoxymethyltransferase (SHMT), D-serine deaminase (DSD) and D-cysteine desulfhydrase (DCyD) are described in an appendix.

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic organisms that efficiently capture light by utilizing the light-harvesting complexes called phycobilisomes. In many cyanobacteria, phycobilisomes are composed of an allophycocyanin core with phycocyanin and phycoerythrin (PE) rods radiating from the core. These phycobiliproteins have multiple bilin chromophores, such as phycoerythrobilin (PEB), covalently attached to specific cysteine (Cys) residues for efficient photosynthetic light capture. Chromophore ligation on phycobiliprotein subunits occurs through bilin lyase catalyzed reactions. This study mainly focuses on characterizing the roles of enzymes that are involved in the biosynthetic pathway of the phycobiliproteins within two cyanobacteria Thermosynechococcus elongatus and Fremyella diplosiphon. A combination of molecular and biochemical techniques were used to better understand the roles of these proteins in the post-translational modification and/or stability of phycobiliproteins. Using a heterologous plasmid coexpression system in E. coli, recombinant CpcS-III from T. elongatus was shown to ligate three different bilins to both subunits of allophycocyanin and to the beta subunit of phycocyanin, thus, acting as a bilin lyase. The crystal structure of CpcS-III was also solved, the first bilin lyase structure. Next, the roles of three proteins from F. diplosiphon CpeY, CpeZ, and CpeF were analyzed using a combination of gene knock-out mutants and recombinant protein expression techniques. In the absence of cpeY, chromophorylation to the alpha subunit of PE at Cys-82 was reduced, coinciding with the recombinant data that CpeY is the lyase that attaches PEB to this site. Removing cpeZ from the genome resulted in the destabilization and reduced accumulation of PE, especially the beta subunit CpeB. Recombinant CpeZ was shown to act like a chaperone-like protein and increased the solubility and fluorescence of both recombinant and native CpeB by increasing the stability of the phycobiliprotein and/or by increasing the activities of other lyases. The deletion of cpeF resulted in a reduced-PE phenotype with the doubly attached PEB missing from CpeB at Cys-48/Cys-59. Recombinant CpeF was shown to ligate PEB to CpeB-Cys-48/Cys-59 in the presence of recombinant CpeS (lyase attaches PEB to CpeB-Cys-80) and CpeZ. CpeF also showed a chaperone-like function by stabilizing CpeB, but its main role appears to be as a bilin lyase.

Chez les mammifères, la méthylation est une marque épigénétique ciblant la cytosine principalement dans un contexte CpG pour produire une 5mC. 5mC est très sensible à une déamination spontanée ou enzymatique, conduisant à la formation d'un mésappariement G/T. La 5mCpeut également être oxydée pour former successivement la 5hmC, la 5fC et la 5caC. Ces modifications de la 5mC participent aux processus actifs de déméthylation de l’ADN. Chez les mammifères, la thymine, dans le mésappariement G/T, est clivée par TDG et MBD4. TDG est également en mesure d'exciser 5fC et 5caC. Cette thèse avait pour but de clarifier la fonction de TDG et MBD4 dans la dynamique de la 5mC. Nous avons montré que MBD4 est associée aux protéines de réparation des mésappariements. Les tests enzymatiques, in vitro, montrent que le complexe MBD4/MMR a une activité bifonctionnelle (glycosylase/lyase) spécifique pour G/T, qui est régulée par la méthylation. Pour TDG, nous avons ciblé cette enzyme dans les cellules MEF et caractérisé la distribution des cytosines modifiées. Les résultats montrent des profils de méthylation/oxydation d'ADN qui sont régulés par TDG et surviennent principalement au niveau des répétitions de CA et dans les rétroéléments spécifiques de la lignée souris. / In mammals, methylation is an epigenetic mark targeting cytosine mainly in a CpG context, producing 5mC. 5mC is highly sensitive to a spontaneous or enzymatic deamination leading to G/Tmismatch. 5mC can also be oxidized to 5- 5hmC, 5fC and 5caC. These modifications of 5mC participate in the active demethylation processes. In mammals, the thymine in G/T mismatch is cleaved by TDG and MBD4 glycosylases. TDG is able also to excise the 5fC and 5caC.This thesis was to clarify the function of TDG and MBD4 in the dynamics of 5mC. We showed that MBD4 is associated with PMS2, MLH1, MSH2 and MSH6 proteins, four proteins involved in DNA mismatch repair (MMR). The in vitro enzymatic tests show that MBD4/MMR complex has a bifunctional glycosylase/lyase activity specific for G/T and is regulated by methylation.For TDG, we targeted this enzyme in MEF cells and characterized the distribution of modified cytosines. The results show that DNA methylation/oxidation patterns are regulated by TDG and occur mainly at CA repeats and at the mouse-lineage specific retro-elements.