A simple and efficient one-step, regioselective, enzymatic glucosylation of arbutin by α-glucosidase

4-Hydroxyphenyl-β-isomaltoside has been synthesized by α-glucosidase assisted transglycosylation between arbutin as acceptor and sucrose as donor molecules, respectively. Optimum conditions for the transglucosylation reaction were 40 °C for 20 h with 10 mM arbutin and 1.5 M sucrose in a 100 mM sodium citrate/phosphate buffer at pH 5.0. The new glucoside was obtained in a 50% molar yield with respect to arbutin.     

On the Protein Fibrillation Pathway: Oligomer Intermediates Detection Using ATR-FTIR Spectroscopy

Oligomeric intermediates on the pathway of amyloid fibrillation are suspected as the main cytotoxins responsible for amyloid-related pathogenicity. As they appear to be a part of the lag phase of amyloid fibrillation when analyzed using standard methods such as Thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence, a more sensitive method is needed for their detection. Here we apply Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) in attenuated total reflectance (ATR) mode for fast and cheap analysis of destabilized hen-egg-white lysozyme solution and detection of oligomer intermediates of amyloid fibrillation. Standard methods of protein aggregation analysis— Thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and 8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulphonic acid (ANS) fluorescence were applied and compared to FTIR spectroscopy data. Results show the great potential of FTIR for both, qualitative and quantitative monitoring of oligomer formation based on the secondary structure changes. While oligomer intermediates do not induce significant changes in ThT fluorescence, their secondary structure changes were very prominent. Normalization of specific Amide I region peak intensities by using Amide II peak intensity as an internal standard provides an opportunity to use FTIR spectroscopy for both qualitative and quantitative analysis of biological samples and detection of potentially toxic oligomers, as well as for screening of efficiency of fibrillation procedures.     

Rationalizing perhydrolase activity of aryl-esterase and subtilisin Carlsberg mutants by molecular dynamics simulations of the second tetrahedral intermediate state

The perhydrolysis reaction in hydrolases is an important example of catalytic promiscuity and has many potential industrial applications. The mechanisms of perhydrolase activity of a subtilisin Carlsberg mutant and of an aryl-esterase mutant have been investigated using classical molecular dynamics simulations of the second tetrahedral intermediate (TI) state. The simulations demonstrated that hydrogen bonding between the second TI of the perhydrolysis reaction is possible in the mutants but not wild type. The stabilization by hydrogen bonds was specific for the perhydrolysis intermediate and either no hydrogen bonding or only weakened hydrogen bonding to the second TI state of the hydrolysis reaction was observed. Furthermore, a significant hindrance to the formation of the catalytically important hydrogen bond between His64 and Ser221 in the catalytic triad by competing hydrogen bonds was found for the subtilisin mutant but not wild type enzyme in case of the hydrolysis intermediate. The opposite was observed in case of the perhydrolysis intermediate. The result offers a qualitative explanation for the overall reduced hydrolysis activity of the subtilisin mutant. In addition, the simulations also explain qualitatively the perhydrolysis activity of the enzyme variants and may be helpful for designing enzyme mutants with further improved perhydrolysis activity.     

Electrochemical Oxidation of Glucose Using Mutant Glucose Oxidase from Directed Protein Evolution for Biosensor and Biofuel Cell Applications

In this study, electrochemical characterisation of glucose oxidation has been carried out in solution and using enzyme polymer electrodes prepared by mutant glucose oxidase (B11-GOx) obtained from directed protein evolution and wild-type enzymes. Higher glucose oxidation currents were obtained from B11-GOx both in solution and polymer electrodes compared to wt-GOx. This demonstrates an improved electrocatalytic activity towards electrochemical oxidation of glucose from the mutant enzyme. The enzyme electrode with B11-GOx also showed a faster electron transfer indicating a better electronic interaction with the polymer mediator. These encouraging results have shown a promising application of enzymes developed by directed evolution tailored for the applications of biosensors and biofuel cells.     

Ultrahigh-throughput screening system for directed glucose oxidase evolution in yeast cells

A compartmentalized tyramide labeling system (CoaTi) employing flow cytometry for sorting of yeast cells was developed as ultrahigh-throughput screening for Glucose oxidase (GOx) from Aspergillus niger. CoaTi combines in vitro compartmentalization technology with the CARD reporter system which uses fluorescein tyramide labels for detection of peroxidase activity. Physical connection between cells and fluorescein tyramide radicals was achieved by compartmentalization of yeast cells inside microdroplets of single water-in-oil emulsions. After reaction cells were recovered from single emulsions and sorted by flow cytometry, an error prone PCR mutant library of Glucose oxidase (GOx) containing 10(7) cells and ~10(5) of different GOx variants was screened. Mutagenic conditions of GOx mutant library were selected to generate <1 % of active GOx population in order to explore influence of high mutation frequency on GOx activity. GOx variant Mut12 that contains 5 mutations (N2Y, K13E, T30V, I94V, K152R) showed a 1.2 times decreased K(m) (22.0 vs 18.1 mM) and a 2.7 fold increased k(cat) (150 s(-1) vs 54.8 s(-1)) compared to wt GOx. Compared to the employed parent B11 GOx (16 mM, 80 s(-1)) it has a slightly increased K(m) and 1.8 times increased k(cat).     

Equilibrium and <Superscript>1</Superscript>H NMR Kinetic Study of the Reactions of Dichlorido [S-Methyl-L-Cysteine(N,S)]Platinum(II) Complex with Some Relevant Biomolecules

The formation equilibria of the [Pt(SMC)(H₂O)₂]⁺ complex with some biologically relevant ligands such as L-methionine (L-met) and glutathione (GSH) were studied. The stoichiometry and stability constants of the formed complexes are reported, and the concentration distribution of the various complex species has been evaluated as a function of pH. The reaction between [PtCl₂(SMC)] and guanosine-5′-monophosphate (5′-GMP) was studied by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The NMR spectra indicated that first step is the hydrolysis of the [PtCl₂(SMC)] complex and second step is the substitution of an aqua ligand, either in the cis or trans position with guanosine-5′-monophosphate in molar ratio 1:1. The values of rate constant showed faster substitution of coordinated H₂O in the trans position to the S donor atom of S-methyl-L-cysteine, whereas the slower reaction was assigned to the displacement of the cis coordinated aqua molecule. This is due to the strong trans labilization effect of coordinated sulfur. Electronic Supplementary Material  The online version of this article () contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Vanadium bromoperoxidase-coupled fluorescent assay for flow cytometry sorting of glucose oxidase gene libraries in double emulsions

A Vanadium bromoPeroxidase-coupled fluorescent assay (ViPer) for ultrahigh-throughput screening of glucose oxidase (GOx) gene libraries employing double emulsions and flow cytometry was developed. The assay is based on detection of the product of a GOx reaction, hydrogen peroxide, that is first converted to a hypobromide by vanadium bromoperoxidase in the presence of sodium bromide. The hypobromide is afterwards detected in a reaction with a fluorogenic probe, 3-carboxy-7-(4'-aminophenoxy)-coumarine, where fluorescent 3-carboxy-coumarine is released. The ViPer screening system is three times more sensitive than a horseradish peroxidase coupled detection system and more resistant to bleaching of fluorescence in excess of peroxide. Using the ViPer screening system a high epPCR gene library containing 100,000 different GOx variants was screened for active clones in less than 1 h by flow cytometry. A library containing 0.15% of yeast cells expressing active enzyme variants and with an average GOx activity in the liquid culture of 0.47 U/mL, after one round of sorting, had 28.12% of the yeast cells expressing the active GOx (an enrichment factor of 200) and 26.8 U/mL of the GOx activity in the liquid culture (an enrichment factor of 57). The developed screening system could be adapted and used in a directed evolution of GOx and other hydrogen peroxide-producing enzymes (oxidases) and glycosidases if coupled with a carbohydrate oxidase.     

Identification of SARS-CoV-2 Papain-like Protease (PLpro) Inhibitors Using Combined Computational Approach**

In the current pandemic, finding an effective drug to prevent or treat the infection is the highest priority. A rapid and safe approach to counteract COVID-19 is in silico drug repurposing. The SARS-CoV-2 PLpro promotes viral replication and modulates the host immune system, resulting in inhibition of the host antiviral innate immune response, and therefore is an attractive drug target. In this study, we used a combined in silico virtual screening for candidates for SARS-CoV-2 PLpro protease inhibitors. We used the Informational spectrum method applied for Small Molecules for searching the Drugbank database followed by molecular docking. After in silico screening of drug space, we identified 44 drugs as potential SARS-CoV-2 PLpro inhibitors that we propose for further experimental testing.     

Improved Covalent Immobilization of Horseradish Peroxidase on Macroporous Glycidyl Methacrylate-Based Copolymers

A macroporous copolymer of glycidyl methacrylate and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, poly(GMA-co-EGDMA), with various surface characteristics and mean pore size diameters ranging from 44 to 200 nm was synthesized, modified with 1,2-diaminoethane, and tested as a carrier for immobilization of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) by two covalent methods, glutaraldehyde and periodate. The highest specific activity of around 35 U g^?1 dry weight of carrier was achieved on poly(GMA-co-EGDMA) copolymers with mean pore diameters of 200 and 120 nm by the periodate method. A study of deactivation kinetics at 65 °C and in 80 % dioxane revealed that periodate immobilization also produced an appreciable stabilization of the biocatalyst, while stabilization factor depended strongly on the surface characteristics of the copolymers. HRP immobilized on copolymer with a mean pore diameter of 120 nm by periodate method showing not only the highest specific activity but also good stability was further characterized. It appeared that the immobilization resulted in the stabilization of enzyme over a broader pH range while the Michaelis constant value (K _m) of the immobilized HRP was 10.8 mM, approximately 5.6 times higher than that of the free enzyme. After 6 cycles of repeated use in a batch reactor for pyrogallol oxidation, the immobilized HRP retained 45 % of its original activity.