L-Arabinose Binding, Isomerization, and Epimerization by D-Xylose Isomerase: X-Ray/Neutron Crystallographic and Molecular Simulation Study

Xylose isomerase: From fundamental research to applied enzyme technology

Xylose isomerases (XI, EC 5.3.1.5) are key enzymes for the metabolism of pentoses by microorganisms. The importance of XIs goes beyond academic biochemical research and the catalysis of aldo-ketose conversion by XIs is among the most successful examples of industrial enzyme technology in a market that generates multibillion dollar annual revenues. Here we present an in-depth review of how structural information has contributed to the current understanding of XI catalysis, and discuss topics related to the ongoing efforts to elucidate key aspects of the catalytic mechanism. An overview of XI immobilization is also provided that illustrates how the discoveries in basic enzyme technology research can generate opportunities for novel uses of XI, and we review not only historical aspects but also more recent applications in HFCS, biofuels and other applications. The systems biology revolution will impact all aspects of XI research and application, and we finalize by reviewing the contemporary efforts of metabolic and protein engineering using XI and the future roles of the enzyme in the expanding bioeconomy.

The metal cofactor: stationary or mobile?

Metal cofactors are essential for catalysis and enable countless conversions in nature. Interestingly, the metal cofactor is not always static but mobile with movements of more than 4 Å. These movements of the metal can have different functions. In the case of the xylose isomerase and medium-chain dehydrogenases, it clearly serves a catalytic purpose. The metal cofactor moves during substrate activation and even during the catalytic turnover. On the other hand, in class II aldolases, the enzymes display resting states and active states depending on the movement of the catalytic metal cofactor. This movement is caused by substrate docking, causing the metal cofactor to take the position essential for catalysis. As these metal movements are found in structurally and mechanistically unrelated enzymes, it has to be expected that this metal movement is more common than currently perceived. KEY POINTS: • Metal ions are essential cofactors that can move during catalysis. • In class II aldolases, the metal cofactors can reside in a resting state and an active state. • In MDR, the movement of the metal cofactor is essential for substrate docking.

Xylitol binding to the M1 site of glucose isomerase induces a conformational change in the substrate binding channel

Glucose isomerase (GI) is extensively used in the food industry for production of high-fructose corn syrup and for the production of biofuels and other renewable chemicals. Structure-based studies on GI inhibitors are important for improving its efficiency in industrial applications. Here, we report the subatomic crystal structure of Streptomyces rubiginosus GI (SruGI) complexed with its inhibitor, xylitol, at 0.99 Å resolution. Electron density map and temperature factor analysis showed partial binding of xylitol to the M1 metal binding site of SruGI, providing two different conformations of the metal binding site and the substrate binding channel. The xylitol molecule induced a conformational change in the M2 metal ion-interacting Asp255 residue, which subsequently led to a conformational change in the side chain of Asp181 residue. This led to the positional shift of Pro25 by 1.71 Å and side chain rotation of Phe26 by 21°, where located on the neighboring protomer in tetrameric SruGI. The conformation change of these two residues affect the size of the substrate-binding channel of GI. Therefore, xylitol binding to M1 site of SruGI induces not only a conformational changes of the metal-binding site, but also conformational change of substrate-binding channel of the tetrameric SruGI. These results expand our knowledge about the mechanism underlying the inhibitory effect of xylitol on GI.

Xylose isomerase from Piromyces sp. E2 is a promiscuous enzyme with epimerase activity

Xylose isomerase catalyzes the isomerization of D-xylose to D-xylulose with promiscuous activity for other saccharides including D-glucose, D-allose, and L-arabinose. The xylose isomerase from the fungus Piromyces sp. E2 (PirE2_XI) is used to engineer xylose usage by the fermenting yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but its biochemical characterization is poorly understood with divergent catalytic parameters reported. We have measured the kinetic parameters of the PirE2_XI and analyzed its thermostability and pH-dependence towards different substrates. The PirE2_XI shows promiscuous activity towards D-xylose, D-glucose, D-ribose and L-arabinose with variable effects depending on different divalent ions and epimerizes D-xylose at C3 to produce D-ribulose in a substrate/product dependent ratio. The enzyme follows Michaelis-Menten kinetics for the substrates used and although K_M values for D-xylose are comparable at 30 and 60 °C, the k_cat/K_M is three-fold greater at 60 °C. The purified PirE2_XI shows maximal activity at 65 °C in the pH range of 6.5-7.5 and is a thermostable enzyme, maintaining full activity over 48 h at 30 °C or 12 h at 60 °C. This is the first report demonstrating epimerase activity of the PirE2_XI and its ability to isomerize D-ribose and L-arabinose, and provides a comprehensive in vitro study of substrate specificity, effect of metal ions and temperature on enzyme activity and these findings advance the knowledge of the mechanism of action of this enzyme.

Glucose Isomerase: Functions, Structures, and Applications

Glucose isomerase (GI, also known as xylose isomerase) reversibly isomerizes D-glucose and D-xylose to D-fructose and D-xylulose, respectively. GI plays an important role in sugar metabolism, fulfilling nutritional requirements in bacteria. In addition, GI is an important industrial enzyme for the production of high-fructose corn syrup and bioethanol. This review introduces the functions, structure, and applications of GI, in addition to presenting updated information on the characteristics of newly discovered GIs and structural information regarding the metal-binding active site of GI and its interaction with the inhibitor xylitol. This review provides an overview of recent advancements in the characterization and engineering of GI, as well as its industrial applications, and will help to guide future research in this field.

Newly identified C–H⋯O hydrogen bond in histidine

Histidine C–H bonds observed in protein structures include (clockwise from top left): myoglobin, β-lactamase, and photoactive yellow protein; calculations indicate that tautomeric/protonation state influences H-bonding ability (bottom left).

Paradigm shift in xylose isomerase usage: a novel scenario with distinct applications

Isomerases are enzymes that induce physical changes in a molecule without affecting the original molecular formula. Among this class of enzymes, xylose isomerases (XIs) are the most studied to date, partly due to their extensive application in industrial processes to produce high-fructose corn sirups. In recent years, the need for sustainable initiatives has triggered efforts to improve the biobased economy through the use of renewable raw materials. In this context, D-xylose usage is crucial as it is the second-most abundant sugar in nature. The application of XIs in biotransforming xylose, enabling downstream metabolism in several microorganisms, is a smart strategy for ensuring a low-carbon footprint and producing several value-added biochemicals with broad industrial applications such as in the food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and polymer industries. Considering recent advancements that have expanded the range of applications of XIs, this review provides a comprehensive and concise overview of XIs, from their primary sources to the biochemical and structural features that influence their mechanisms of action. This comprehensive review may help address the challenges involved in XI applications in different industries and facilitate the exploitation of xylose bioprocesses.

Structural insights into protein folding, stability and activity using in vivo perdeuteration of hen egg-white lysozyme

This structural and biophysical study exploited a method of perdeuterating hen egg-white lysozyme based on the expression of insoluble protein in Escherichia coli followed by in-column chemical refolding. This allowed detailed comparisons with perdeuterated lysozyme produced in the yeast Pichia pastoris, as well as with unlabelled lysozyme. Both perdeuterated variants exhibit reduced thermal stability and enzymatic activity in comparison with hydrogenated lysozyme. The thermal stability of refolded perdeuterated lysozyme is 4.9°C lower than that of the perdeuterated variant expressed and secreted in yeast and 6.8°C lower than that of the hydrogenated Gallus gallus protein. However, both perdeuterated variants exhibit a comparable activity. Atomic resolution X-ray crystallographic analyses show that the differences in thermal stability and enzymatic function are correlated with refolding and deuteration effects. The hydrogen/deuterium isotope effect causes a decrease in the stability and activity of the perdeuterated analogues; this is believed to occur through a combination of changes to hydrophobicity and protein dynamics. The lower level of thermal stability of the refolded perdeuterated lysozyme is caused by the unrestrained Asn103 peptide-plane flip during the unfolded state, leading to a significant increase in disorder of the Lys97-Gly104 region following subsequent refolding. An ancillary outcome of this study has been the development of an efficient and financially viable protocol that allows stable and active perdeuterated lysozyme to be more easily available for scientific applications.

Visualization of hydrogen atoms in a perdeuterated lectin-fucose complex reveals key details of protein-carbohydrate interactions

Carbohydrate-binding proteins from pathogenic bacteria and fungi have been shown to be implicated in various pathological processes, where they interact with glycans present on the surface of the host cells. These interactions are part of the initial processes of infection of the host and are very important to study at the atomic level. Here, we report the room temperature neutron structures of PLL lectin from Photorhabdus laumondii in its apo form and in complex with deuterated L-fucose, which is, to our knowledge, the first neutron structure of a carbohydrate-binding protein in complex with a fully deuterated carbohydrate ligand. A detailed structural analysis of the lectin-carbohydrate interactions provides information on the hydrogen bond network, the role of water molecules, and the extent of the CH-π stacking interactions between fucose and the aromatic amino acids in the binding site.

Spectroscopic FTIR and NMR study of the interactions of sugars with proteins

FTIR and NMR spectra were measured in parallel for specific two-components mixtures of various proteins with different sugar molecules, such as arabinose, glucose, and sucrose. In the FTIR spectra of arabinose with some of these proteins, the bands assigned to the vibrational modes of the CH and COH groups disappeared, and new ones, related to an arabinose-protein CN mode, appeared. Similar changes were observed in the FTIR spectra of lyophilized mixtures of arabinose with different amino acids. In additional FTIR spectra, measured for other protein-sugar mixtures, the bands correlated to the ring modes of arabinose, in the range 1150-1000 cm^-1, disappeared, and two new very strong narrow bands became dominant, indicating ring opening or some kind of arabinose decomposition. Contrary to the prevailing opinion that complexes between sugars and proteins are formed mainly by hydrogen bonds, the IR and NMR spectra of the sugar-protein mixtures studied here suggest that significant chemical reactions also take place between the interacting sugar and the protein. Two types of sugar-protein chemical reactions can be distinguished on the basis of these IR spectra, leading to the formation of a new CN bond and to the decomposition of sugar skeletal bonds. The new IR bands suggest that the latter reaction results in the formation of new bonds, which are related to new polyether moieties. These results highlight the often ignored non-specific chemical reactions that take place between sugars and proteins, and demonstrate that the simultaneous application of FTIR and NMR spectroscopic analyses can detect and further characterize these types of sugar-protein interactions.

Neutron macromolecular crystallography

Neutron diffraction techniques permit direct determination of the hydrogen (H) and deuterium (D) positions in crystal structures of biological macromolecules at resolutions of ∼1.5 and 2.5 Å, respectively. In addition, neutron diffraction data can be collected from a single crystal at room temperature without radiation damage issues. By locating the positions of H/D-atoms, protonation states and water molecule orientations can be determined, leading to a more complete understanding of many biological processes and drug-binding. In the last ca. 5 years, new beamlines have come online at reactor neutron sources, such as BIODIFF at Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum and IMAGINE at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and at spallation neutron sources, such as MaNDi at ORNL and iBIX at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex. In addition, significant improvements have been made to existing beamlines, such as LADI-III at the Institut Laue-Langevin. The new and improved instrumentations are allowing sub-mm3 crystals to be regularly used for data collection and permitting the study of larger systems (unit-cell edges >100 Å). Owing to this increase in capacity and capability, many more studies have been performed and for a wider range of macromolecules, including enzymes, signalling proteins, transport proteins, sugar-binding proteins, fluorescent proteins, hormones and oligonucleotides; of the 126 structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank, more than half have been released since 2013 (65/126, 52%). Although the overall number is still relatively small, there are a growing number of examples for which neutron macromolecular crystallography has provided the answers to questions that otherwise remained elusive.

Fifteen years of the Protein Crystallography Station: the coming of age of macromolecular neutron crystallography

The Protein Crystallography Station (PCS), located at the Los Alamos Neutron Scattering Center (LANSCE), was the first macromolecular crystallography beamline to be built at a spallation neutron source. Following testing and commissioning, the PCS user program was funded by the Biology and Environmental Research program of the Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE-OBER) for 13 years (2002-2014). The PCS remained the only dedicated macromolecular neutron crystallography station in North America until the construction and commissioning of the MaNDi and IMAGINE instruments at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which started in 2012. The instrument produced a number of research and technical outcomes that have contributed to the field, clearly demonstrating the power of neutron crystallo-graphy in helping scientists to understand enzyme reaction mechanisms, hydrogen bonding and visualization of H-atom positions, which are critical to nearly all chemical reactions. During this period, neutron crystallography became a technique that increasingly gained traction, and became more integrated into macromolecular crystallography through software developments led by investigators at the PCS. This review highlights the contributions of the PCS to macromolecular neutron crystallography, and gives an overview of the history of neutron crystallography and the development of macromolecular neutron crystallography from the 1960s to the 1990s and onwards through the 2000s.

The use of neutron scattering to determine the functional structure of glycoside hydrolase

Neutron diffraction provides different information from X-ray diffraction, because neutrons are scattered by atomic nuclei, whereas X-rays are scattered by electrons. One of the key advantages of neutron crystallography is the ability to visualize hydrogen and deuterium atoms, making it possible to observe the protonation state of amino acid residues, hydrogen bonds, networks of water molecules and proton relay pathways in enzymes. But, because of technical difficulties, less than 100 enzyme structures have been evaluated by neutron crystallography to date. In this review, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of neutron crystallography as a tool to investigate the functional structure of glycoside hydrolases, with some examples.

X-ray structures of the Pseudomonas cichorii D-tagatose 3-epimerase mutant form C66S recognizing deoxy sugars as substrates

Pseudomonas cichorii D-tagatose 3-epimerase (PcDTE), which has a broad substrate specificity, efficiently catalyzes the epimerization of not only D-tagatose to D-sorbose but also D-fructose to D-psicose (D-allulose) and also recognizes the deoxy sugars as substrates. In an attempt to elucidate the substrate recognition and catalytic reaction mechanisms of PcDTE for deoxy sugars, the X-ray structures of the PcDTE mutant form with the replacement of Cys66 by Ser (PcDTE_C66S) in complexes with deoxy sugars were determined. These X-ray structures showed that substrate recognition by the enzyme at the 1-, 2-, and 3-positions is responsible for enzymatic activity and that substrate-enzyme interactions at the 4-, 5-, and 6-positions are not essential for the catalytic reaction of the enzyme leading to the broad substrate specificity of PcDTE. They also showed that the epimerization site of 1-deoxy 3-keto D-galactitol is shifted from C3 to C4 and that 1-deoxy sugars may bind to the catalytic site in the inhibitor-binding mode. The hydrophobic groove that acts as an accessible surface for substrate binding is formed through the dimerization of PcDTE. In PcDTE_C66S/deoxy sugar complex structures, bound ligand molecules in both the linear and ring forms were detected in the hydrophobic groove, while bound ligand molecules in the catalytic site were in the linear form. This result suggests that the sugar-ring opening of a substrate may occur in the hydrophobic groove and also that the narrow channel of the passageway to the catalytic site allows a substrate in the linear form to pass through.

Crystal structures of two monomeric triosephosphate isomerase variants identified via a directed-evolution protocol selecting for L-arabinose isomerase activity

The crystal structures are described of two variants of A-TIM: Ma18 (2.7 Å resolution) and Ma21 (1.55 Å resolution). A-TIM is a monomeric loop-deletion variant of triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) which has lost the TIM catalytic properties. Ma18 and Ma21 were identified after extensive directed-evolution selection experiments using an Escherichia coli L-arabinose isomerase knockout strain expressing a randomly mutated A-TIM gene. These variants facilitate better growth of the Escherichia coli selection strain in medium supplemented with 40 mM L-arabinose. Ma18 and Ma21 differ from A-TIM by four and one point mutations, respectively. Ma18 and Ma21 are more stable proteins than A-TIM, as judged from CD melting experiments. Like A-TIM, both proteins are monomeric in solution. In the Ma18 crystal structure loop 6 is open and in the Ma21 crystal structure loop 6 is closed, being stabilized by a bound glycolate molecule. The crystal structures show only small differences in the active site compared with A-TIM. In the case of Ma21 it is observed that the point mutation (Q65L) contributes to small structural rearrangements near Asn11 of loop 1, which correlate with different ligand-binding properties such as a loss of citrate binding in the active site. The Ma21 structure also shows that its Leu65 side chain is involved in van der Waals interactions with neighbouring hydrophobic side-chain moieties, correlating with its increased stability. The experimental data suggest that the increased stability and solubility properties of Ma21 and Ma18 compared with A-TIM cause better growth of the selection strain when coexpressing Ma21 and Ma18 instead of A-TIM.

Sub-atomic resolution X-ray crystallography and neutron crystallography: promise, challenges and potential

The International Year of Crystallography saw the number of macromolecular structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank cross the 100000 mark, with more than 90000 of these provided by X-ray crystallography. The number of X-ray structures determined to sub-atomic resolution (i.e. ≤1 Å) has passed 600 and this is likely to continue to grow rapidly with diffraction-limited synchrotron radiation sources such as MAX-IV (Sweden) and Sirius (Brazil) under construction. A dozen X-ray structures have been deposited to ultra-high resolution (i.e. ≤0.7 Å), for which precise electron density can be exploited to obtain charge density and provide information on the bonding character of catalytic or electron transfer sites. Although the development of neutron macromolecular crystallography over the years has been far less pronounced, and its application much less widespread, the availability of new and improved instrumentation, combined with dedicated deuteration facilities, are beginning to transform the field. Of the 83 macromolecular structures deposited with neutron diffraction data, more than half (49/83, 59%) were released since 2010. Sub-mm(3) crystals are now regularly being used for data collection, structures have been determined to atomic resolution for a few small proteins, and much larger unit-cell systems (cell edges >100 Å) are being successfully studied. While some details relating to H-atom positions are tractable with X-ray crystallography at sub-atomic resolution, the mobility of certain H atoms precludes them from being located. In addition, highly polarized H atoms and protons (H(+)) remain invisible with X-rays. Moreover, the majority of X-ray structures are determined from cryo-cooled crystals at 100 K, and, although radiation damage can be strongly controlled, especially since the advent of shutterless fast detectors, and by using limited doses and crystal translation at micro-focus beams, radiation damage can still take place. Neutron crystallography therefore remains the only approach where diffraction data can be collected at room temperature without radiation damage issues and the only approach to locate mobile or highly polarized H atoms and protons. Here a review of the current status of sub-atomic X-ray and neutron macromolecular crystallography is given and future prospects for combined approaches are outlined. New results from two metalloproteins, copper nitrite reductase and cytochrome c', are also included, which illustrate the type of information that can be obtained from sub-atomic-resolution (∼0.8 Å) X-ray structures, while also highlighting the need for complementary neutron studies that can provide details of H atoms not provided by X-ray crystallography.

The pentameric nucleoplasmin fold is present in Drosophila FKBP39 and a large number of chromatin-related proteins

Nucleoplasmin is a histone chaperone that consists of a pentameric N-terminal domain and an unstructured C-terminal tail. The pentameric core domain, a doughnut-like structure with a central pore, is only found in the nucleoplasmin family. Here, we report the first structure of a nucleoplasmin-like domain (NPL) from the unrelated Drosophila protein, FKBP39, and we present evidence that this protein associates with chromatin. Furthermore, we show that two other chromatin proteins, Arabidopsis thaliana histone deacetylase type 2 (HD2) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fpr4, share the NPL fold and form pentamers, or a dimer of pentamers in the case of HD2. Thus, we propose a new family of proteins that share the pentameric nucleoplasmin-like NPL domain and are found in protists, fungi, plants and animals.

Binding site asymmetry in human transthyretin: insights from a joint neutron and X-ray crystallographic analysis using perdeuterated protein

Human transthyretin has an intrinsic tendency to form amyloid fibrils and is heavily implicated in senile systemic amyloidosis. Here, detailed neutron structural studies of perdeuterated transthyretin are described. The analyses, which fully exploit the enhanced visibility of isotopically replaced hydrogen atoms, yield new information on the stability of the protein and the possible mechanisms of amyloid formation. Residue Ser117 may play a pivotal role in that a single water molecule is closely associated with the γ-hydrogen atoms in one of the binding pockets, and could be important in determining which of the two sites is available to the substrate. The hydrogen-bond network at the monomer-monomer interface is more extensive than that at the dimer-dimer interface. Additionally, the edge strands of the primary dimer are seen to be favourable for continuation of the β-sheet and the formation of an extended cross-β structure through sequential dimer couplings. It is argued that the precursor to fibril formation is the dimeric form of the protein.