03 Fakultät Chemie
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Item Open Access Impact of remote mutations on metallo-beta-lactamase substrate specificity : implications for the evolution of antibiotic resistance(2005) Ölschläger, Peter; Mayo, Stephen L.; Pleiss, JürgenMetallo-beta-lactamases have raised concerns due to their ability to hydrolyze a broad spectrum of beta-lactam antibiotics. The G262S point mutation distinguishing the metallo-beta-lactamase IMP 1 from IMP 6 has no effect on the hydrolysis of the drugs cephalothin and cefotaxime, but significantly improves catalytic efficiency toward cephaloridine, ceftazidime, benzylpenicillin, ampicillin, and imipenem. This change in specificity occurs even though residue 262 is remote from the active site. We investigated the substrate specificities of five other point mutants resulting from single nucleotide substitutions at positions near residue 262: G262A, G262V, S121G, F218Y and F218I. The results suggest two types of substrates: type I (nitrocefin, cephalothin and cefotaxime), which are converted equally well by IMP-6, IMP-1, and G262A, but even more efficiently by the other mutants, and type II (ceftazidime, benzylpenicillin, ampicillin, and imipenem), which are hydrolyzed much less efficiently by all the mutants, with IMP-1 being the most active. G262V, S121G, F218Y, and F218I improve conversion of type I substrates, whereas G262A and IMP-1 improve conversion of type II substrates, indicating two distinct evolutionary adaptations from IMP-6. Substrate structure may explain the catalytic efficiencies observed. Type I substrates have R2 electron donors, which may stabilize the substrate intermediate in the binding pocket and lead to enhanced activity. In contrast, the absence of these stabilizing interactions with type II substrates may result in poor conversion and increased sensitivity to mutations. This observation may assist future drug design. As the G262A and F218Y mutants confer effective resistance to Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) cells (high minimal inhibitory concentrations), they are likely to evolve naturally.Item Open Access The Lipase Engineering Database – a navigation and analysis tool for protein families(2003) Fischer, Markus; Pleiss, JürgenThe Lipase Engineering Database (http://www.led.uni-stuttgart.de) integrates information on sequence, structure, and function of lipases, esterases, and related proteins. Sequence data on 806 protein entries are assigned to 38 homologous families, which are grouped into 16 superfamilies with no global sequence similarity between each other. For each family, multisequence alignments are provided with functionally relevant residues annotated. Pre-calculated phylogenetic trees allow navigation inside superfamilies. Experimental structures of 45 proteins are superposed and consistently annotated. The Lipase Engineering Database has been applied to systematically analyze sequence-structure-function relationships of this vast and diverse enzyme class. It is a useful tool to identify functionally relevant residues apart from the active site residues, and to design mutants with desired substrate specificity.Item Open Access How to find soluble proteins : a comprehensive analysis of alpha/beta hydrolases for recombinant expression in E. coli(2005) Koschorreck, Markus; Fischer, Markus; Barth, Sandra; Pleiss, JürgenBackground: In screening of libraries derived by expression cloning, expression of active proteinsin E. coli can be limited by formation of inclusion bodies. In these cases it would be desirable to enrich gene libraries for coding sequences with soluble gene products in E. coli and thus to improve the efficiency of screening. Previously Wilkinson and Harrison showed that solubility can be predicted from amino acid composition (Biotechnology 1991, 9(5):443-448). We have applied this analysis to members of the alpha/beta hydrolase fold family to predict their solubility in E. coli. alpha/beta hydrolases are a highly diverse family with more than 1800 proteins which have been grouped into homologous families and superfamilies. Results: The predicted solubility in E. coli depends on hydrolase size, phylogenetic origin of the host organism, the homologous family and the superfamily, to which the hydrolase belongs. In general small hydrolases are predicted to be more soluble than large hydrolases, and eukaryotic hydrolases are predicted to be less soluble in E. coli than prokaryotic ones. However, combining phylogenetic origin and size leads to more complex conclusions. Hydrolases from prokaryotic, fungal and metazoan origin are predicted to be most soluble if they are of small, medium and large size, respectively. We observed large variations of predicted solubility between hydrolases from different homologous families and from different taxa. Conclusion: A comprehensive analysis of all alpha/beta hydrolase sequences allows more efficient screenings for new soluble alpha/beta hydrolases by the use of libraries which contain more soluble gene products. Screening of hydrolases from families whose members are hard to express as soluble proteins in E. coli should first be done in coding sequences of organisms from phylogenetic groups with the highest average of predicted solubility for proteins of this family. The tools developed here can be used to identify attractive target genes for expression using protein sequences published in databases. This analysis also directs the design of degenerate, family- specific primers to amplify new members from homologous families or superfamilies with a high probability of soluble alpha/beta hydrolases.Item Open Access "In gel patch electrophoresis" : a new method for environmental DNA purification(2005) Roh, Changhyun; Villatte, Francois; Kim, Byung-Gee; Schmid, Rolf D.Most of the microorganism species are largely untapped and could represent an interesting reservoir of genes useful for biotechnological applications. Unfortunately, a major difficulty associated with the methods used to isolate environmental DNA is related to the contamination of the extracted material with humic substances. These polyphenolic compounds inhibit the DNA processing reactions and severely impede cloning procedures. In this work, we describe a rapid, simple and efficient method for the purification of genomic DNA from environmental samples: we added a chromatography step directly embedded into an agarose gel electrophoresis. This strategy enabled the DNA extraction from various environmental samples and it appeared that the purity grade was compatible with digestion by restriction enzymes and PCR amplifications.Item Open Access Insight into the mechanism of the IMP-1 metallo-beta-lactamase by molecular dynamics simulations(2003) Ölschläger, Peter; Schmid, Rolf D.; Pleiss, JürgenTwo models, a purely nonbonded model and a cationic dummy atom approach, were examined for the modeling of the binuclear zinc-containing IMP-1 metallo-beta-lactamase in complex with a mercaptocarboxylate inhibitor. The cationic dummy atom approach had substantial advantages as it maintained the initial, experimentally determined geometry of the metal-containing active site during molecular dynamics simulations in water. The method was extended to the modeling of the free enzyme and the enzyme in complex with a cephalosporin substrate docked in an intermediate structure. For all three systems, the modeled complexes and the tetrahedral coordination of the zinc ions were stable. The average zinc-zinc distance increased by about 1 Å in the substrate complex compared to the inhibitor complex and the free enzyme in which a hydroxide ion acts as a bridging ligand. Thus, the zinc ions are predicted to undergo a back and forth movement upon the cycle of hydrolysis. In contrast to previous assumptions, no interaction of the Asn167 side chain with the bound cephalosporin substrate was observed. Our observations are in agreement with quantum-mechanical calculations and experimental data and indicate that the cationic dummy atom approach is useful to model zinc-containing metallo-beta-lactamases as free proteins, in complex with inhibitors and in complex with substrates.Item Open Access Microbial P450 enzymes in biotechnology(2004) Urlacher, Vlada B.; Lutz-Wahl, Sabine; Schmid, Rolf D.Oxidations are key reactions in chemical syntheses. Biooxidations using fermentation processes have already conquered some niches in industrial oxidation processes, since they allow the introduction of oxygen even into non-activated carbon atoms in a sterically and optically selective manner which is difficult or impossible to achieve by synthetic organic chemistry. Biooxidation using isolated enzymes is limited to oxidases and dehydrogenases. Surprisingly, cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs) have scarcely been studied for use in biooxidations, although they are one of the largest known superfamilies of enzyme proteins. Their gene sequences have been identified in various organisms such as humans, bacteria, algae, fungi and plants. The reactions catalyzed by P450s are quite diverse and range from biosynthetic pathways (e.g. those of animal hormones and secondary plant metabolites) to the activation or biodegradation of hydrophobic xenobiotic compounds (e. g. those of various drugs in the liver of higher animals). From a practical point of view, the great potential of P450s is limited by their functional complexity, low activity, and limited stability. In addition, P450-catalyzed reactions require a constant supply of NAD(P)H which makes continuous cell-free processes very expensive. Quite recently, several groups have started to investigate cost-efficient ways which could allow the continuous supply of electrons to the heme iron. These include, for example, the use of electron mediators, direct electron supply from electrodes and enzymatic approaches. In addition, methods of protein design and directed evolution have been applied in an attempt to enhance the activity of the enzymes and improve their selectivity. The promising application of bacterial P450s as catalyzing agents in biocatalytic reactions and recent progress made in this field are covered in this review.Item Open Access Biotransformation of ionones by engineered cytochrome P450 BM-3(2005) Urlacher, Vlada B.; Makhsumkhanov, Akhmadjan; Schmid, Rolf D.Wild type cytochrome P450 monooxygenase from Bacillus megaterium (P450 BM-3) has low activity for the hydroxylation of beta-ionone (>1 min-1). Substitution of phenylalanine by valine at position 87 increased the beta-ionone hydroxylation activity up to 100-fold (115 min-1). For further activity improvement methods of site-directed and random mutagenesis were applied. The R47L Y51F F87V mutant, designed by site-directed mutagenesis and the A74E F87V P386S mutant, obtained after two rounds of error-prone PCR, exhibit an increase in activity up to 300-fold compared to the wild type enzyme. All mutants converted -ionone regioselectively to 4-hydroxy-beta-ionone.Item Open Access Molecular modelling of family GH16 glycoside hydrolases : potential roles for xyloglucan endotransglucosylases/hydrolases in cell wall modification in the Poaceae(2004) Strohmeier, Marco; Hrmova, Maria; Fischer, Markus; Harvey, Andrew J.; Pleiss, Jürgen; Fincher, Geoffrey B.Family GH16 glycoside hydrolases can be assigned to five sub-groups according to their substrate specificities, including xyloglucan endotransglucosylases/hydrolases (XTHs), (1,3)-β- galactanases, (1,4)-β-galactanases/κ-carrageenases, “non-specific” (1,3/1,3;1,4)-β-D-glucan endohydrolases and (1,3;1,4)-β-D-glucan endohydrolases. A structured family GH16 glycoside hydrolase database has been constructed (http://www.ghdb.uni-stuttgart.de) and provides multiple sequence alignments with functionally annotated amino acid residues and phylogenetic trees. The database has been used for homology modelling of seven family GH16 glycoside hydrolases, based on structural coordinates for (1,3;1,4)-β-D-glucan endohydrolases and a κ-carrageenase. In combination with multiple sequence alignments, the models predict the three-dimensional dispositions of amino acid residues in the substrate-binding and catalytic sites of XTHs and (1,3/1,3;1,4)-β-D-glucan endohydrolases, for which no structural information is available. Furthermore, they reveal similarities with the active sites of family GH11 (1,4)-β-D-xylan endohydrolases. From a biological viewpoint, the classification and molecular modelling establish structural and evolutionary connections between XTHs, (1,3;1,4)-β-D-glucan endohydrolases and xylan endohydrolases, and raise the possibility that XTHs from higher plants could be active not only on cell wall xyloglucans, but also on (1,3;1,4)-β-D-glucans and arabinoxylans, which are major components of walls in grasses. A role for XTHs in (1,3;1,4)-β-D-glucan and arabinoxylan modification would be consistent with the apparent over-representation of XTH sequences in cereal EST databases.Item Open Access Regioselectivity of CYP2B6 : homology modelling, molecular dynamics simulation, docking(2002) Bathelt, Christine; Schmid, Rolf D.; Pleiss, JürgenHuman cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2B6 activates the anticancer prodrug cyclophosphamide (CPA) by 4-hydroxylation. In contrast, the same enzyme catalyzes N-deethylation of a structural isomer, the prodrug ifos-famide (IFA) thus causing severe adverse drug effects. To model the molecular interactions leading to a switch in regioselectivity, the structure of CYP2B6 was modelled based on the structure of rabbit CYP2C5. We mod-elled the lacking 22 residue loop in CYP2C5 between helix F and G (F-G loop) which is not resolved in the X-ray structure by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using a simulated annealing protocol. The modelled conformation of the loop was validated by unconstrained MD simulations of the complete enzymes (CYP2C5 and CYP2B6) in water for 70 and 120 ps, respectively. The simulations were stable and led to a backbone r.m.s. deviation of 1.7 Å between the two CYPs. The shape of the substrate binding site of CYP2B6 was further analyzed. It consists of three well-defined hydro-phobic binding pockets adjacent to the catalytic heme. Size, shape and hydrophobicity of these pockets was compared to the shapes of the two structurally isomeric substrates. In their preferred orientation in the binding site both substrates fill all three binding pockets without repulsive interactions. The distance to the heme iron is short enough for 4-hydroxylation and N-deethylation to occur for CPA and IFA, respectively. However, if the substrates are docked in the non-preferred orientation (such that 4-hydroxylation and N-deethylation would occur for IFA and CPA, respectively), one pocket is left empty, and clashes were observed between the substrates.Item Open Access Design of acetylcholinesterases for biosensor applications(2003) Schulze, Holger; Vorlová, Sandra; Villatte, Francois; Bachmann, Till T.; Schmid, Rolf D.In recent years, the use of acetylcholinesterases (AChEs) in biosensor technology has gained enormous attention, in particular with respect to insecticide detection. The principle of biosensors using AChE as a biological recognition element is based on the inhibition of the enzyme’s natural catalytic activity by the agent that is to be detected. The advanced understanding of the structure-function-relationship of AChEs serves as the basis for developing enzyme variants, which, compared to the wild type, show an increased inhibition efficiency at low insecticide concentrations and thus a higher sensitivity. This review describes different expression systems that have been used for the production of recombinant AChE. In addition, approaches to purify recombinant AChEs to a degree that is suitable for analytical applications will be elucidated as well as the various attempts that have been undertaken to increase the sensitivity of AChE to specified organophosphates and carbamates using side-directed mutagenesis and employing the enzyme in different assay formats.