Sulfation of Various Alcoholic Groups by an Arylsulfate Sulfotransferase fromDesulfitobacterium hafnienseand Synthesis of Estradiol Sulfate

Biocatalytic sulfation of aromatic and aliphatic alcohols catalyzed by arylsulfate sulfotransferases

Many relevant metabolites, as well as chemical commodities, contain at least one sulfate ester group. Consequently, biocatalytic strategies to attach sulfate to a molecule under mild conditions are of high interest. In order to expand the enzymatic toolbox available, five new arylsulfate sulfotransferases (ASSTs) were identified in this study. Overexpression in Escherichia coli and enzyme purification resulted in soluble proteins which catalyzed the sulfate transfer to an acceptor substrate using p-nitrophenyl sulfate (pNPS) as sulfate donor. Optimal reaction conditions were established with respect to temperature and pH, as well as their tolerance to organic co-solvents and melting temperature. Additionally, the kinetic parameters (Vmax, KM, and kcat) were determined. The substrate scope for the acceptor showed that a structurally diverse spectrum of alcohols is accepted. The substrates included phenolic alcohols with one, two, and three hydroxy groups, linear and cyclic aliphatic alcohols, and amines. The phenolic substrates were accepted reaching activities of up to 154 U/mg purified enzyme. Additionally, also the aliphatic alcohols (both linear and cyclic) were accepted at reduced activity, showing that these enzymes are not limited to phenolic alcohols. Moreover, catalytic activity was detected when using aniline as an acceptor substrate implying their ability to sulfate also amino groups. Finally, the consecutive sulfation of di- and trihydroxy compounds was observed, resulting in the detection of the corresponding disulfated molecules. KEY POINTS: • Five novel arylsulfate sulfotransferases were identified and characterized. • Accepted substrates included aromatic and aliphatic alcohols, as well as aniline. • Disulfation of di- and trihydroxy aromatic compounds was studied and confirmed.

New Bacterial Aryl Sulfotransferases: Effective Tools for Sulfation of Polyphenols

The preparation of pure metabolites of bioactive compounds, particularly (poly)phenols, is essential for the accurate determination of their pharmacological profiles in vivo. Since the extraction of these metabolites from biological material is tedious and impractical, they can be synthesized enzymatically in vitro by bacterial PAPS-independent aryl sulfotransferases (ASTs). However, only a few ASTs have been studied and used for (poly)phenol sulfation. This study introduces new fully characterized recombinant ASTs selected according to their similarity to the previously characterized ASTs. These enzymes, produced in Escherichia coli, were purified, biochemically characterized, and screened for the sulfation of nine flavonoids and two phenolic acids using p-nitrophenyl sulfate. All tested compounds were proved to be substrates for the new ASTs, with kaempferol and luteolin being the best converted acceptors. ASTs from Desulfofalx alkaliphile (DalAST) and Campylobacter fetus (CfAST) showed the highest efficiency in the sulfation of tested polyphenols. To demonstrate the efficiency of the present sulfation approach, a series of new authentic metabolite standards, regioisomers of kaempferol sulfate, were enzymatically produced, isolated, and structurally characterized.

Evolution and multiple functions of sulfonation and cytosolic sulfotransferases across species

Organisms have conversion systems for sulfate ion to take advantage of the chemical features. The use of biologically converted sulfonucleotides varies in an evolutionary manner, with the universal use being that of sulfonate donors. Sulfotransferases have the ability to transfer the sulfonate group of 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate to a variety of molecules. Cytosolic sulfotransferases (SULTs) play a role in the metabolism of low-molecular-weight compounds in response to the host organism's living environment. This review will address the diverse functions of the SULT in evolution, including recent findings. In addition to the diversity of vertebrate sulfotransferases, the molecular aspects and recent studies on bacterial and plant sulfotransferases are also addressed.

Bacterial Aryl Sulfotransferases in Selective and Sustainable Sulfation of Biologically Active Compounds using Novel Sulfate Donors

Regioselective sulfation of bioactive compounds is a vital and scarcely studied topic in enzyme-catalyzed transformations and metabolomics. The major bottleneck of enzymatic sulfation consists in finding suitable sulfate donors. In this regard, 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS)-independent aryl sulfotransferases using aromatic sulfate donors are a favored choice due to their cost-effectiveness. This work presents a unique study of five sulfate donors differing in their leaving group pK_a values with a new His-tagged construct of aryl sulfotransferase from Desulfitobacterium hafniense (DhAST-tag). DhAST-tag was purified to homogeneity and biochemically characterized. Two new donors (3-nitrophenyl sulfate and 2-nitrophenyl sulfate) were synthesized. The kinetic parameters of these and other commercial sulfates (4-nitrophenyl, 4-methylumbelliferyl, and phenyl) revealed large differences with respect to the structure of the leaving group. These donors were screened for the sulfation of selected flavonoids (myricetin, chrysin) and phenolic acids (gallate, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetate). The donor impact on the sulfation regioselectivity and yield was assessed. The obtained regioselectively sulfated compounds are authentic human metabolites required as standards in clinical trials.

Loop engineering of aryl sulfotransferase B for improving catalytic performance in regioselective sulfation

Loop engineering of aryl sulfotransferase B improves catalytic performance in regioselective sulfation.

Chemoenzymatic Synthesis and Radical Scavenging of Sulfated Hydroxytyrosol, Tyrosol, and Acetylated Derivatives

Potential metabolites of bioactive compounds are important for their biological activities and as authentic standards for metabolic studies. The phenolic compounds contained in olive oil are an important part of the human diet, and therefore their potential metabolites are of utmost interest. We developed a convenient, scalable, one-pot chemoenzymatic method using the arylsulfotransferase from Desulfitobacterium hafniense for the sulfation of the natural olive oil phenols tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol, and of their monoacetylated derivatives. Respective monosulfated (tentative) metabolites were fully structurally characterized using LC-MS, NMR, and HRMS. In addition, Folin-Ciocalteu reduction, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging, and antilipoperoxidant activity in rat liver microsomes damaged by tert-butylhydroperoxide were measured and compared to the parent compounds. As expected, the sulfation diminished the radical scavenging properties of the prepared compounds. These compounds will serve as authentic standards of phase II metabolites.

Directed aryl sulfotransferase evolution toward improved sulfation stoichiometry on the example of catechols

Sulfation is an important way for detoxifying xenobiotics and endobiotics including catechols. Enzymatic sulfation occurs usually with high chemo- and/or regioselectivity under mild reaction conditions. In this study, a two-step p-NPS-4-AAP screening system for laboratory evolution of aryl sulfotransferase B (ASTB) was developed in 96-well microtiter plates to improve the sulfate transfer efficiency toward catechols. Increased transfer efficiency and improved sulfation stoichiometry are achieved through the two-step screening procedure in a one-pot reaction. In the first step, the p-NPS assay is used (detection of the colorimetric by-product, p-nitrophenol) to determine the apparent ASTB activity. The sulfated product, 3-chlorocatechol-1-monosulfate, is quantified by the 4-aminoantipyrine (4-AAP) assay in the second step. Comparison of product formation to p-NPS consumption ensures successful directed evolution campaigns of ASTB. Optimization yielded a coefficient of variation below 15% for the two-step screening system (p-NPS-4-AAP). In total, 1760 clones from an ASTB-SeSaM library were screened toward the improved sulfation activity of 3-chlorocatechol. The turnover number (k_cat = 41 ± 2 s^-1) and catalytic efficiency (k_cat/K_M = 0.41 μM^-1 s^-1) of the final variant ASTB-M5 were improved 2.4- and 2.3-fold compared with ASTB-WT. HPLC analysis confirmed the improved sulfate stoichiometry of ASTB-M5 with a conversion of 58% (ASTB-WT 29%; two-fold improvement). Mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) confirmed the chemo- and regioselectivity, which yielded exclusively 3-chlorocatechol-1-monosulfate. For all five additionally investigated catechols, the variant ASTB-M5 achieved an improved k_cat value of up to 4.5-fold and sulfate transfer efficiency was also increased (up to 2.3-fold).

Sulfated Metabolites of Flavonolignans and 2,3-Dehydroflavonolignans: Preparation and Properties

Silymarin, an extract from milk thistle (Silybum marianum) fruits, is consumed in various food supplements. The metabolism of silymarin flavonolignans in mammals is complex, the exact structure of their metabolites still remains partly unclear and standards are not commercially available. This work is focused on the preparation of sulfated metabolites of silymarin flavonolignans. Sulfated flavonolignans were prepared using aryl sulfotransferase from Desulfitobacterium hafniense and p-nitrophenyl sulfate as a sulfate donor and characterized by high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Their 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine (DMPD) radical scavenging; ferric (FRAP) and Folin⁻Ciocalteu reagent (FCR) reducing activity; anti-lipoperoxidant potential; and effect on the nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway were examined. Pure silybin A 20-O-sulfate, silybin B 20-O-sulfate, 2,3-dehydrosilybin-20-O-sulfate, 2,3-dehydrosilybin-7,20-di-O-sulfate, silychristin-19-O-sulfate, 2,3-dehydrosilychristin-19-O-sulfate, and silydianin-19-O-sulfate were prepared and fully characterized. Sulfated 2,3-dehydroderivatives were more active in FCR and FRAP assays than the parent compounds, and remaining sulfates were less active chemoprotectants. The sulfated flavonolignans obtained can be now used as authentic standards for in vivo metabolic experiments and for further research on their biological activity.

A robust protocol for directed aryl sulfotransferase evolution toward the carbohydrate building block GlcNAc

Bacterial aryl sulfotransferases (AST) utilize p-nitrophenylsulfate (pNPS) as a phenolic donor to sulfurylate typically a phenolic acceptor. Interest in aryl sulfotransferases is growing because of their broad variety of acceptors and cost-effective sulfuryl-donors. For instance, aryl sulfotransferase A (ASTA) from Desulfitobacterium hafniense was recently reported to sulfurylate d-glucose. In this study, a directed evolution protocol was developed and validated for aryl sulfotransferase B (ASTB). Thereby the well-known pNPS quantification system was advanced to operate efficiently as a continuous screening system in 96-well MTP format with a true coefficient of variation of 14.3%. A random mutagenesis library (SeSaM library) of ASTB was screened (1,760 clones) to improve sulfurylation of the carbohydrate building block N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc). The beneficial variant ASTB-V1 (Val579Asp) showed an up to 3.4-fold increased specific activity toward GlcNAc when compared to ASTB-WT. HPLC- and MS-analysis confirmed ASTB-V1's increased GlcNAc monosulfurylation (2.4-fold increased product formation) representing the validation of the first successful directed evolution round of an AST for a saccharide substrate.

Chemoenzymatic Preparation and Biophysical Properties of Sulfated Quercetin Metabolites

Sulfated quercetin derivatives are important authentic standards for metabolic studies. Quercetin-3′-O-sulfate, quercetin-4′-O-sulfate, and quercetin-3-O-sulfate as well as quercetin-di-O-sulfate mixture (quercetin-7,3′-di-O-sulfate, quercetin-7,4′-di-O-sulfate, and quercetin-3′,4′-di-O-sulfate) were synthetized by arylsulfotransferase from Desulfitobacterium hafniense. Purified monosulfates and disulfates were fully characterized using MS and NMR and tested for their 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS⁺) and N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine (DMPD) radical scavenging, Folin-Ciocalteau reduction (FCR), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and anti-lipoperoxidant activities in rat liver microsomes damaged by tert-butylhydroperoxide. Although, as expected, the sulfated metabolites were usually less active than quercetin, they remained still effective antiradical and reducing agents. Quercetin-3′-O-sulfate was more efficient than quercetin-4′-O-sulfate in DPPH and FCR assays. In contrast, quercetin-4′-O-sulfate was the best ferric reductant and lipoperoxidation inhibitor. The capacity to scavenge ABTS^+• and DMPD was comparable for all substances, except for disulfates, which were the most efficient. Quantum calculations and molecular dynamics simulations on membrane models supported rationalization of free radical scavenging and lipid peroxidation inhibition. These results clearly showed that individual metabolites of food bioactives can markedly differ in their biological activity. Therefore, a systematic and thorough investigation of all bioavailable metabolites with respect to native compounds is needed when evaluating food health benefits.

Synthesis of New Sulfated and Glucuronated Metabolites of Dietary Phenolic Compounds Identified in Human Biological Samples

(Poly)phenols are a large group of dietary compounds present in fruits and vegetables; their consumption is associated with health beneficial effects. After ingestion, (poly)phenols suffer extensive metabolization, and the identification of their metabolites is an emerging area, because these metabolites are considered the effective bioactive molecules in the human organism. However, a lack of commercially available standards has hampered the study of metabolite bioactivity and the exact structural confirmation in biological samples. New (poly)phenol metabolites previously identified in human samples after the intake of berry juice were chemically synthesized. Efficient chemical reactions were performed with moderate to excellent yields and selectivities. These new compounds could be used as standard chemicals for confirmation of the structure of metabolites in biological samples and will also allow mechanistic studies in cellular models.

Dissolving Lignin in Water through Enzymatic Sulfation with Aryl Sulfotransferase

We introduce the concept of using site-specific sulfation of various lignins for increasing their aqueous solubility and thereby their processability. Using p-nitrophenylsulfate as a sulfate source and an aryl sulfotransferase enzyme as catalyst, lignins are easily sulfated at ambient conditions. We demonstrate the specific sulfation of phenolic hydroxyl groups on five different lignins: Indulin AT (Kraft softwood), Protobind 1000 (mixed wheat straw/Sarkanda grass soda) and three organosolv lignins. The reaction proceeds smoothly and the increase in solubility is visible to the naked eye. We then examine the reaction kinetics, and show that these are easily monitored qualitatively and quantitatively using UV/Vis spectroscopy. The UV/Vis results are validated with ³¹ P NMR spectroscopy of the lignin phenol groups after derivatization with phosphorylation reagent II. In general, the results are more significant with organosolv lignins, as Kraft and soda lignins are produced from aqueous lignocellulose extraction processes.

Exploiting Acid Phosphatases in the Synthesis of Phosphorylated Monoalcohols and Diols

A set of phosphatases was evaluated for their potential to catalyze the regio‐ and stereoselective phosphorylation of alcohols using a high‐energy inorganic phosphate donor, such as di‐, tri‐ and polyphosphate. Parameters such as type and amount of phosphate donor and pH of the reaction were investigated in order to minimize the thermodynamically favored hydrolysis of the phosphate donor and the formed phosphate ester. Diols were monophosphorylated with high selectivities. This biocatalytic phosphorylation method provides selectively activated and/or protected synthetic intermediates for further chemical and/or enzymatic transformations and is applicable to a large scale (6.86 g) in a flow setup with immobilized phosphatase.

Sulfation modulates the cell uptake, antiradical activity and biological effects of flavonoids in vitro: An examination of quercetin, isoquercitrin and taxifolin

Quercetin 3'-O-sulfate is one of the main metabolites of the natural flavonoid quercetin in humans. This study was designed to prepare quercetin 3'-O-sulfate (1), isoquercitrin 4'-O-sulfate (2) and taxifolin 4'-O-sulfate (3) by the sulfation of quercetin, isoquercitrin (quercetin 3-O-glucoside) and taxifolin (2,3-dihydroquercetin) using the arylsulfate sulfotransferase from Desulfitobacterium hafniense, and to examine the effect of sulfation on selected biological properties of the flavonoids tested. We found that flavonoid sulfates 1-3 were weaker DPPH radical scavengers than the corresponding nonsulfated flavonoids, and that 1-3, unlike quercetin, did not induce the expression of either heme oxygenase-1 in RAW264.7 cells or cytochrome P450 1A1 in HepG2 cells. In both cell types, the cell uptake of compounds 1-3 was much lower than that of quercetin, but comparable to that of the glycoside isoquercitrin. Moreover, HPLC/MS metabolic profiling in HepG2 cells showed that flavonoid sulfates 1-3 were metabolized to a limited extent compared to the nonsulfated compounds. We conclude that sulfation of the tested flavonoids reduces their antiradical activity, and affects their cell uptake and biological activity in vitro.

Identification of Triclosan-O-Sulfate and other transformation products of Triclosan formed by activated sludge

Aerobic degradation experiments of Triclosan were performed in activated sludge to identify possible transformation products for this compound. During 7 days, the formation of biotransformation products such as 2,4-Dichlorophenol, 4-Chlorocatechol, 5-Hydroxy-Triclosan and other Monohydroxy-Triclosan derivatives as well as Dihydroxy-Triclosan-derivatives were observed. The structure of 5-Hydroxy-Triclosan was elucidated by NMR data for the first time in sludge degradation experiments. Additionally the production of a hitherto unknown transformation product in sludge, i.e., Triclosan-O-Sulfate was detected. During the incubations, the concentrations of this transformation product changed from zero to 330 μg L(-1). Based on the analysis of the biodegradation products, three types of reactions were identified: 1) chemical scission of ether bond to form phenols and catechols, 2) addition of OH moieties to the aromatic ring, and 3) adding of methyl or sulfate groups to the original hydroxyl group.