Comparative inhibition by substrate analogues 3-methoxy- and 3-hydroxydesaminokynurenine and an improved 3 step purification of recombinant human kynureninase.

Background  

Kynureninase is a key enzyme on the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism. One of the end products of the pathway is the neurotoxin quinolinic acid which appears to be responsible for neuronal cell death in a number of important neurological diseases. This makes kynureninase a possible therapeutic target for diseases such as Huntington's, Alzheimer's and AIDS related dementia, and the development of potent inhibitors an important research aim.     

Archazolid and apicularen: Novel specific V-ATPase inhibitors

Background  

V-ATPases constitute a ubiquitous family of heteromultimeric, proton translocating proteins. According to their localization in a multitude of eukaryotic membranes, they energize many different transport processes. Since their malfunction is correlated with various diseases in humans, the elucidation of the properties of this enzyme for the development of selective inhibitors and drugs is one of the challenges in V-ATPase research.     

ExplorEnz: a MySQL database of the IUBMB enzyme nomenclature

Background  

We describe the database ExplorEnz, which is the primary repository for EC numbers and enzyme data that are being curated on behalf of the IUBMB. The enzyme nomenclature is incorporated into many other resources, including the ExPASy-ENZYME, BRENDA and KEGG bioinformatics databases.     

Synthesis and preliminary cytotoxicity study of a cephalosporin-CC-1065 analogue prodrug

Background  

Antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (ADEPT) is a promising new approach to deliver anticancer drugs selectively to tumor cells. In this approach, an enzyme is conjugated to a tumor-specific antibody. The antibody selectively localizes the enzyme to the tumor cell surface. Subsequent administration of a prodrug substrate of the enzyme leads to the enzyme-catalyzed release of the free drug at the tumor site. The free drug will destroy the tumor cells selectively, thus, reducing side effects.     

Immunoaffinity purification and characterization of mitochondrial membrane-bound D-3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Jaculus orientalis</Emphasis>

Background  

The interconversion of two important energy metabolites, 3-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate (the major ketone bodies), is catalyzed by D-3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (BDH¹: EC 1.1.1.30), a NAD⁺-dependent enzyme. The eukaryotic enzyme is bound to the mitochondrial inner membrane and harbors a unique lecithin-dependent activity. Here, we report an advanced purification method of the mammalian BDH applied to the liver enzyme from jerboa (Jaculus orientalis), a hibernating rodent adapted to extreme diet and environmental conditions.     

Orthophosphate binding at the dimer interface of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Corynebacterium callunae</Emphasis> starch phosphorylase: mutational analysis of its role for activity and stability of the enzyme

Background  

Orthophosphate recognition at allosteric binding sites is a key feature for the regulation of enzyme activity in mammalian glycogen phosphorylases. Protein residues co-ordinating orthophosphate in three binding sites distributed across the dimer interface of a non-regulated bacterial starch phosphorylase (from Corynebacterium callunae) were individually replaced by Ala to interrogate their unknown function for activity and stability of this enzyme.     

The yeast <Emphasis Type="Italic">ISN1</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">YOR155c</Emphasis>) gene encodes a new type of IMP-specific 5'-nucleotidase

Background  

The purine salvage enzyme inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP)-specific 5'-nucleotidase catalyzes degradation of IMP to inosine. Although this enzymatic activity has been purified and characterized in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the gene encoding IMP 5'-nucleotidase had not been identified.     

Optimising biocatalyst design for obtaining high transesterification activity by α-chymotrypsin in non-aqueous media

Background  

Enzymes are often used in organic solvents for catalyzing organic synthesis. Two enzyme preparations, EPRP (enzyme precipitated and rinsed with n-propanol) and PCMC (protein coated microcrystals) show much higher activities than lyophilized powders in such systems. Both preparations involve precipitation by an organic solvent. The clear understanding of why these preparations show higher catalytic activity than lyophilized powders in organic solvents is not available.     

The effect of engineered disulfide bonds on the stability of Drosophila melanogaster acetylcholinesterase

Background  

Acetylcholinesterase is irreversibly inhibited by organophosphate and carbamate insecticides allowing its use in biosensors for detection of these insecticides. Drosophila acetylcholinesterase is the most sensitive enzyme known and has been improved by in vitro mutagenesis. However, its stability has to be improved for extensive utilization.     

Theoretical studies of 1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarboxamides as possible inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis enoyl reductase

Abstract  

The binding affinity of some novel 1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarboxamides to enoyl-ACP reductase (InhA) from M. tuberculosis was studied by the docking method. A molecular dynamics simulation lasting 230 ns in total was performed for 19 ligand–enzyme complexes to calculate the binding free energies of these ligands to the enzyme. All of the studied compounds stayed in the active site. An energetics analysis revealed that the van der Waals share is more important than electrostatic in binding of all ligands to the active site.     

A new classification system for bacterial Rieske non-heme iron aromatic ring-hydroxylating oxygenases

Background  

Rieske non-heme iron aromatic ring-hydroxylating oxygenases (RHOs) are multi-component enzyme systems that are remarkably diverse in bacteria isolated from diverse habitats. Since the first classification in 1990, there has been a need to devise a new classification scheme for these enzymes because many RHOs have been discovered, which do not belong to any group in the previous classification. Here, we present a scheme for classification of RHOs reflecting new sequence information and interactions between RHO enzyme components.     

The effect of ultrasonic pre-treatment on the catalytic activity of lipases in aqueous and non-aqueous media

Background  

Ultrasound has been used to accelerate the rates of numerous chemical reactions, however its effects on enzymatic reactions have been less extensively studied. While known to result in the acceleration of enzyme-catalysed reactions, ultrasonication has also been shown to induce enzyme inactivation. In this study we investigated the effects of ultrasonic pretreatment on lipases in both aqueous and non-aqueous media.     

Characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus anthracis</Emphasis> arginase: effects of pH,temperature, and cell viability on metal preference

Background  

Arginase (RocF) hydrolyzes L-arginine to L-ornithine and urea. While previously characterized arginases have an alkaline pH optimum and require activation with manganese, arginase from Helicobacter pylori is optimally active with cobalt at pH 6. The arginase from Bacillus anthracis is not well characterized; therefore, this arginase was investigated by a variety of strategies and the enzyme was purified.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhodobacter capsulatus</Emphasis> porphobilinogen synthase,a high activity metal ion independent hexamer

Background  

The enzyme porphobilinogen synthase (PBGS), which is central to the biosynthesis of heme, chlorophyll and cobalamins, has long been known to use a variety of metal ions and has recently been shown able to exist in two very different quaternary forms that are related to metal ion usage. This paper reports new information on the metal ion independence and quaternary structure of PBGS from the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus.     

Increasing stability of water-soluble PQQ glucose dehydrogenase by increasing hydrophobic interaction at dimeric interface

Background  

Water-soluble quinoprotein glucose dehydrogenase (PQQGDH-B) from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus has a great potential for application as a glucose sensor constituent. Because this enzyme shows no activity in its monomeric form, correct quaternary structure is essential for the formation of active enzyme. We have previously reported on the increasing of the stability of PQQGDH-B by preventing the subunit dissociation. Previous studies were based on decreasing the entropy of quaternary structure dissociation but not on increasing the interaction between the two subunits. We therefore attempted to introduce a hydrophobic interaction in the dimeric interface to increase the stability of PQQGDH-B.     

Phage display-derived inhibitor of the essential cell wall biosynthesis enzyme MurF

Background  

To develop antibacterial agents having novel modes of action against bacterial cell wall biosynthesis, we targeted the essential MurF enzyme of the antibiotic resistant pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. MurF catalyzes the formation of a peptide bond between D-Alanyl-D-Alanine (D-Ala-D-Ala) and the cell wall precursor uridine 5'-diphosphoryl N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanyl-D-glutamyl-meso-diaminopimelic acid (UDP-MurNAc-Ala-Glu-meso-A2pm) with the concomitant hydrolysis of ATP to ADP and inorganic phosphate, yielding UDP-N-acetylmuramyl-pentapeptide. As MurF acts on a dipeptide, we exploited a phage display approach to identify peptide ligands having high binding affinities for the enzyme.     

Sugar recognition by human galactokinase

Background  

Galactokinase catalyses the first committed step of galactose catabolism in which the sugar is phosphorylated at the expense of MgATP. Recent structural studies suggest that the enzyme makes several contacts with galactose – five side chain and two main chain hydrogen bonds. Furthermore, it has been suggested that inhibition of galactokinase may help sufferers of the genetic disease classical galactosemia which is caused by defects in another enzyme of the pathway galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase. Galactokinases from different sources have a range of substrate specificities and a diversity of kinetic mechanisms. Therefore only studies on the human enzyme are likely to be of value in the design of therapeutically useful inhibitors.     

Chemical tools selectively target components of the PKA system

Background  

In the eukaryotic cell the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) is a key enzyme in signal transduction and represents the main target of the second messenger cAMP. Here we describe the design, synthesis and characterisation of specifically tailored cAMP analogs which can be utilised as a tool for affinity enrichment and purification as well as for proteomics based analyses of cAMP binding proteins.     

Measurement of peroxisomal enzyme activities in the liver of brown trout (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Salmo trutta</Emphasis>), using spectrophotometric methods

Background  

This study was aimed primarily at testing in the liver of brown trout (Salmo trutta ) spectrophotometric methods previously used to measure the activities of catalase and hydrogen peroxide producing oxidases in mammals. To evaluate the influence of temperature on the activities of those peroxisomal enzymes was the second objective. A third goal of this work was the study of enzyme distribution in crude cell fractions of brown trout liver.     

A study on the two binding sites of hexokinase on brain mitochondria

Background  

Type I hexokinase (HK-I) constitutes the predominant form of the enzyme in the brain, a major portion of which is associated with the outer mitochondrial membrane involving two sets of binding sites. In addition to the glucose-6-phosphate (G6P)-sensitive site (Type A), the enzyme is bound on a second set of sites (Type B) which are, while insensitive to G6P, totally releasable by use of high concentrations of chaotropic salts such as KSCN. Results obtained on release of HK-I from these "sites" suggested the possibility for the existence of distinct populations of the bound enzyme, differing in susceptibility to release by G6P.