Engineering of 2-Cys peroxiredoxin for enhanced stress-tolerance

Site-specific mutagenesis of yeast 2-Cys peroxiredoxin improves heat or oxidative stress tolerance by enhancing its chaperone or peroxidase function

Yeast peroxiredoxin II (yPrxII) is an antioxidant enzyme that plays a protective role against the damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This enzyme consists of 196 amino acids containing 2-Cys Prx with highly conserved two active cysteine residues at positions 48 and 171. The yPrxII has dual enzymatic functions as a peroxidase and molecular chaperone. To understand the effect of additional cysteine residues on dual functions of yPrxII, S79C-yPrxII and S109C-yPrxII, the substitution of Ser with Cys residue at 79 and 109 positions, respectively, was generated. S109C-yPrxII and S79C-yPrxII showed 3.7- and 2.7-fold higher chaperone and peroxidase activity, respectively, than the wild type (WT). The improvement in enzyme activity was found to be closely associated with structural changes in proteins. S109C-yPrxII had increased β-sheet in its secondary structure and formed high-molecular-weight (HMW) as well as low-molecular-weight (LMW) complexes, but S79C-yPrxII formed only LMW complexes. HMW complexes predominantly exhibited a chaperone function, and LMW complexes showed a peroxidase function. In addition, transgenic yeast cells over-expressing Cys-substituted yPrxII showed greater tolerance against heat and oxidative stress compared to WT-yPrxII.

Epigenetic and Glucocorticoid Receptor-Mediated Regulation of Glutathione Peroxidase 3 in Lung Cancer Cells

Glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPx3), an antioxidant enzyme, acts as a modulator of redox signaling, has immunomodulatory function, and catalyzes the detoxification of reactive oxygen species (ROS). GPx3 has been identified as a tumor suppressor in many cancers. Although hyper-methylation of the GPx3 promoter has been shown to down-regulate its expression, other mechanisms by which GPx3 expression is regulated have not been reported. The aim of this study was to further elucidate the mechanisms of GPx3 regulation. GPx3 gene analysis predicted the presence of ten glucocorticoid response elements (GREs) on the GPx3 gene. This result prompted us to investigate whether GPx3 expression is regulated by the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), which is implicated in tumor response to chemotherapy. The corticosteroid dexamethasone (Dex) was used to examine the possible relationship between GR and GPx3 expression. Dex significantly induced GPx3 expression in H1299, H1650, and H1975 cell lines, which exhibit low levels of GPx3 expression under normal conditions. The results of EMSA and ChIP-PCR suggest that GR binds directly to GRE 6 and 7, both of which are located near the GPx3 promoter. Assessment of GPx3 transcription efficiency using a luciferase reporter system showed that blocking formation of the GR-GRE complexes reduced luciferase activity by 7-8-fold. Suppression of GR expression by siRNA transfection also induced down-regulation of GPx3. These data indicate that GPx3 expression can be regulated independently via epigenetic or GR-mediated mechanisms in lung cancer cells, and suggest that GPx3 could potentiate glucocorticoid (GC)-mediated anti-inflammatory signaling in lung cancer cells.

Enhancement of Chaperone Activity of Plant-Specific Thioredoxin through γ-Ray Mediated Conformational Change

AtTDX, a thioredoxin-like plant-specific protein present in Arabidospis is a thermo-stable and multi-functional enzyme. This enzyme is known to act as a thioredoxin and as a molecular chaperone depending upon its oligomeric status. The present study examines the effects of γ-irradiation on the structural and functional changes of AtTDX. Holdase chaperone activity of AtTDX was increased and reached a maximum at 10 kGy of γ-irradiation and declined subsequently in a dose-dependent manner, together with no effect on foldase chaperone activity. However, thioredoxin activity decreased gradually with increasing irradiation. Electrophoresis and size exclusion chromatography analysis showed that AtTDX had a tendency to form high molecular weight (HMW) complexes after γ-irradiation and γ-ray-induced HMW complexes were tightly associated with a holdase chaperone activity. The hydrophobicity of AtTDX increased with an increase in irradiation dose till 20 kGy and thereafter decreased further. Analysis of the secondary structures of AtTDX using far UV-circular dichroism spectra revealed that the irradiation remarkably increased the exposure of β-sheets and random coils with a dramatic decrease in α-helices and turn elements in a dose-dependent manner. The data of the present study suggest that γ-irradiation may be a useful tool for increasing holdase chaperone activity without adversely affecting foldase chaperone activity of thioredoxin-like proteins.

Site-directed mutagenesis substituting cysteine for serine in 2-Cys peroxiredoxin (2-Cys Prx A) of Arabidopsis thaliana effectively improves its peroxidase and chaperone functions

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The 2-Cys peroxiredoxin (Prx) A protein of Arabidopsis thaliana performs the dual functions of a peroxidase and a molecular chaperone depending on its conformation and the metabolic conditions. However, the precise mechanism responsible for the functional switching of 2-Cys Prx A is poorly known. This study examines various serine-to-cysteine substitutions on α-helix regions of 2-Cys Prx A in Arabidopsis mutants and the effects they have on the dual function of the protein.

METHODS

Various mutants of 2-Cys Prx A were generated by replacing serine (Ser) with cysteine (Cys) at different locations by site-directed mutagenesis. The mutants were then over-expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified protein was further analysed by size exclusion chromatography, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, circular dichroism spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and image analysis. Peroxidase activity, molecular chaperone activity and hydrophobicity of the proteins were also determined. Molecular modelling analysis was performed in order to demonstrate the relationship between mutation positions and switching of 2-Cys Prx A activity.

KEY RESULTS

Replacement of Ser(150) with Cys(150) led to a marked increase in holdase chaperone and peroxidase activities of 2-Cys Prx A, which was associated with a change in the structure of an important domain of the protein. Molecular modelling demonstrated the relationship between mutation positions and the switching of 2-Cys Prx A activity. Examination of the α2 helix, dimer-dimer interface and C-term loop indicated that the peroxidase function is associated with a fully folded α2 helix and easy formation of a stable reduced decamer, while a more flexible C-term loop makes the chaperone function less likely.

CONCLUSIONS

Substitution of Cys for Ser at amino acid location 150 of the α-helix of 2-Cys Prx A regulates/enhances the dual enzymatic functions of the 2-Cys Prx A protein. If confirmed in planta, this leads to the potential for it to be used to maximize the functional utility of 2-Cys Prx A protein for improved metabolic functions and stress resistance in plants.

Oxidative stress response in Pseudomonas putida

Pseudomonas putida is widely distributed in nature and is capable of degrading various organic compounds due to its high metabolic versatility. The survival capacity of P. putida stems from its frequent exposure to various endogenous and exogenous oxidative stresses. Oxidative stress is an unavoidable consequence of interactions with various reactive oxygen species (ROS)-inducing agents existing in various niches. ROS could facilitate the evolution of bacteria by mutating genomes. Aerobic bacteria maintain defense mechanisms against oxidative stress throughout their evolution. To overcome the detrimental effects of oxidative stress, P. putida has developed defensive cellular systems involving induction of stress-sensing proteins and detoxification enzymes as well as regulation of oxidative stress response networks. Genetic responses to oxidative stress in P. putida differ markedly from those observed in Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. Two major redox-sensing transcriptional regulators, SoxR and OxyR, are present and functional in the genome of P. putida. However, the novel regulators FinR and HexR control many genes belonging to the E. coli SoxR regulon. Oxidative stress can be generated by exposure to antibiotics, and iron homeostasis in P. putida is crucial for bacterial cell survival during treatment with antibiotics. This review highlights and summarizes current knowledge of oxidative stress in P. putida, as a model soil bacterium, together with recent studies from molecular genetics perspectives.

Optimized enzymatic dual functions of PaPrx protein by proton irradiation

We investigated the effects of proton irradiation on the function and structure of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa peroxiredoxin (PaPrx). Polyacrylamide gel demonstrated that PaPrx proteins exposed to proton irradiation at several doses exhibited simultaneous formation of high molecular weight (HMW) complexes and fragmentation. Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) analysis revealed that the number of fragments and very low molecular weight (LMW) structures increased as the proton irradiation dose increased. The peroxidase activity of irradiated PaPrx was preserved, and its chaperone activity was significantly increased by increasing the proton irradiation dose. The chaperone activity increased about 3-4 fold after 2.5 kGy proton irradiation, compared with that of non-irradiated PaPrx, and increased to almost the maximum activity after 10 kGy proton irradiation. We previously obtained functional switching in PaPrx proteins, by using gamma rays and electron beams as radiation sources, and found that the proteins exhibited increased chaperone activity but decreased peroxidase activity. Interestingly, in this study we newly found that proton irradiation could enhance both peroxidase and chaperone activities. Therefore, we can suggest proton irradiation as a novel protocol for conserved 2-Cys protein engineering.

The conformational bases for the two functionalities of 2-cysteine peroxiredoxins as peroxidase and chaperone

2-Cysteine peroxiredoxins (2-CysPrxs) are ubiquitous and highly abundant proteins that serve multiple functions as peroxidases, chaperones, and thiol oxidases and in redox-dependent cell signalling. The chloroplast protein plays a role in seedling development and protection of the photosynthetic apparatus. This study aimed to unequivocally link conformation and function. To this end, a set of non-tagged site-directed mutagenized At2-CysPrx variants was engineered, which mimicked the conformational states and their specific functions: hyperoxidized form (C54D), reduced form (C54S, C176S), oxidized form (C54DC176K), phosphorylated form (T92D), reduced ability for oligomerization by interfering with the dimer-dimer interface (F84R) and a C-terminally truncated form [ΔC (-20 aa)]. These variants were fully or partly fixed in their quaternary structure and function, respectively, and were analysed for their conformational state and peroxidase and chaperone activity, as well as for their sensitivity to hyperoxidation. The presence of a His6-tag strongly influenced the properties of the protein. The ΔC variant became insensitive to hyperoxidation, while T92D and F84R became more sensitive. The C54D variant revealed the highest chaperone activity. The highest peroxidase activity was observed for the F84R and ΔC variants. Efficient interaction with NADP-dependent thioredoxin reductase C depended on the presence of Cys residues and the C-terminal tail. The results suggest that the structural flexibility is important for the switch between peroxidase and chaperone function and that evolution has conserved the functional switch instead of maximizing a single function. These variants are ideal tools for future conformation-specific studies in vivo and in vitro.

Molecular and functional properties of three different peroxiredoxin isotypes in Chinese cabbage

Peroxiredoxins (Prxs), which are classified into three isotypes in plants, play important roles in protection systems as peroxidases or molecular chaperones. The three Prx isotypes of Chinese cabbage, namely C1C-Prx, C2C-Prx, and C-PrxII, have recently been identified and characterized. The present study compares their molecular properties and biochemical functions to gain insights into their concerted roles in plants. The three Prx isotype genes were differentially expressed in tissue- and developmental stage-specific manners. The transcript level of the C1C-Prx gene was abundant at the seed stage, but rapidly decreased after imbibitions. In contrast, the C2C-Prx transcript was not detected in the seeds, but its expression level increased at germination and was maintained thereafter. The C-PrxII transcript level was mild at the seed stage, rapidly increased for 10 days after imbibitions, and gradually disappeared thereafter. In the localization analysis using GFP-fusion proteins, the three isotypes showed different cellular distributions. C1C-Prx was localized in the cytosol and nucleus, whereas C2C-Prx and C-Prx were found mainly in the chloroplast and cytosol, respectively. In vitro thiol-dependent antioxidant assays revealed that the relative peroxidase activities of the isotypes were CPrxII > C2C-Prx > C1C-Prx. C1C-Prx and C2C-Prx, but not C-PrxII, prevented aggregation of malate dehydrogenase as a molecular chaperone. Taken together, these results suggest that the three isotypes of Prx play specific roles in the cells in timely and spatially different manners, but they also cooperate with each other to protect the plant.