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Harrison MA, Farthing RJ, Allen N, Ahern LM, Birchall K, Bond M, Kaur H, Wren BW, Bergeron JRC, Dawson LF. Identification of novel p-cresol inhibitors that reduce Clostridioides difficile's ability to compete with species of the gut microbiome. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9492. [PMID: 37303029 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32656-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Treatment of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is expensive and complex, with a high proportion of patients suffering infection relapse (20-35%), and some having multiple relapses. A healthy, unperturbed gut microbiome provides colonisation resistance against CDI through competition for nutrients and space. However, antibiotic consumption can disturb the gut microbiota (dysbiosis) resulting in the loss of colonisation resistance allowing C. difficile to colonise and establish infection. A unique feature of C. difficile is the production of high concentrations of the antimicrobial compound para-cresol, which provides the bacterium with a competitive advantage over other bacteria found in the gut. p-cresol is produced by the conversion of para-Hydroxyphenylacetic acid (p-HPA) by the HpdBCA enzyme complex. In this study, we have identified several promising inhibitors of HpdBCA decarboxylase, which reduce p-cresol production and render C. difficile less able to compete with a gut dwelling Escherichia coli strain. We demonstrate that the lead compound, 4-Hydroxyphenylacetonitrile, reduced p-cresol production by 99.0 ± 0.4%, whereas 4-Hydroxyphenylacetamide, a previously identified inhibitor of HpdBCA decarboxylase, only reduced p-cresol production by 54.9 ± 13.5%. To interpret efficacy of these first-generation inhibitors, we undertook molecular docking studies that predict the binding mode for these compounds. Notably, the predicted binding energy correlated well with the experimentally determined level of inhibition, providing a molecular basis for the differences in efficacy between the compounds. This study has identified promising p-cresol production inhibitors whose development could lead to beneficial therapeutics that help to restore colonisation resistance and therefore reduce the likelihood of CDI relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Harrison
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Rebecca J Farthing
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, London, WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Nyasha Allen
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Lucy M Ahern
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | | | - Michael Bond
- LifeArc, Lynton House, 7-12 Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9LT, UK
| | - Harparkash Kaur
- Department of Clinical Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Brendan W Wren
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Julien R C Bergeron
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, London, WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Lisa F Dawson
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
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Reconsidering the in vivo functions of Clostridial Stickland amino acid fermentations. Anaerobe 2022; 76:102600. [PMID: 35709938 PMCID: PMC9831356 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2022.102600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Stickland amino acid fermentations occur primarily among species of Clostridia. An ancient form of metabolism, Stickland fermentations use amino acids as electron acceptors in the absence of stronger oxidizing agents and provide metabolic capabilities to support growth when other fermentable substrates, such as carbohydrates, are lacking. The reactions were originally described as paired fermentations of amino acid electron donors, such as the branched-chain amino acids, with recipients that include proline and glycine. We present a redox-focused view of Stickland metabolism following electron flow through metabolically diverse oxidative reactions and the defined-substrate reductase systems, including for proline and glycine, and the role of dual redox pathways for substrates such as leucine and ornithine. Genetic studies and Environment and Gene Regulatory Interaction Network (EGRIN) models for the pathogen Clostridioides difficile have improved our understanding of the regulation and metabolic recruitment of these systems, and their functions in modulating inter-species interactions within host-pathogen-commensal systems and uses in industrial and environmental applications.
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Fu B, Nazemi A, Levin BJ, Yang Z, Kulik HJ, Balskus EP. Mechanistic Studies of a Skatole-Forming Glycyl Radical Enzyme Suggest Reaction Initiation via Hydrogen Atom Transfer. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:11110-11119. [PMID: 35704859 PMCID: PMC9248008 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c13580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Gut microbial decarboxylation
of amino acid-derived arylacetates
is a chemically challenging enzymatic transformation which generates
small molecules that impact host physiology. The glycyl radical enzyme
(GRE) indoleacetate decarboxylase from Olsenella uli (Ou IAD) performs the non-oxidative radical decarboxylation
of indole-3-acetate (I3A) to yield skatole, a disease-associated metabolite
produced in the guts of swine and ruminants. Despite the importance
of IAD, our understanding of its mechanism is limited. Here, we characterize
the mechanism of Ou IAD, evaluating previously proposed
hypotheses of: (1) a Kolbe-type decarboxylation reaction involving
an initial 1-e– oxidation of the carboxylate of
I3A or (2) a hydrogen atom abstraction from the α-carbon of
I3A to generate an initial carbon-centered radical. Site-directed
mutagenesis, kinetic isotope effect experiments, analysis of reactions
performed in D2O, and computational modeling are consistent
with a mechanism involving initial hydrogen atom transfer. This finding
expands the types of radical mechanisms employed by GRE decarboxylases
and non-oxidative decarboxylases, more broadly. Elucidating the mechanism
of IAD decarboxylation enhances our understanding of radical enzymes
and may inform downstream efforts to modulate this disease-associated
metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beverly Fu
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Azadeh Nazemi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Benjamin J Levin
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Zhongyue Yang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Heather J Kulik
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Emily P Balskus
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
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Lu Q, Wei Y, Lin L, Liu J, Duan Y, Li Y, Zhai W, Liu Y, Ang EL, Zhao H, Yuchi Z, Zhang Y. The Glycyl Radical Enzyme Arylacetate Decarboxylase from Olsenella scatoligenes. ACS Catal 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.1c01253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Lu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yifeng Wei
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138669, Singapore
| | - Lianyun Lin
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Jiayi Liu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yongxu Duan
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yaxin Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Weixiang Zhai
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Yangping Liu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Ee Lui Ang
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138669, Singapore
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138669, Singapore
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Zhiguang Yuchi
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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Saito Y, Sato T, Nomoto K, Tsuji H. Identification of phenol- and p-cresol-producing intestinal bacteria by using media supplemented with tyrosine and its metabolites. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2019; 94:5042942. [PMID: 29982420 PMCID: PMC6424909 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiy125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
To identify intestinal bacteria that produce phenols (phenol and p-cresol), we screened 153 strains within 152 species in 44 genera by culture-based assay using broth media supplemented with 200 µM each of tyrosine and its predicted microbial metabolic intermediates (4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate, DL-4-hydroxyphenyllactate, 3-(p-hydroxyphenyl)propionate, 4-hydroxyphenylacetate and 4-hydroxybenzoate). Phenol-producing activity was found in 36 strains and p-cresol-producing activity in 55 strains. Fourteen strains had both types of activity. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences of strains that produced 100 µM or more of phenols revealed that 16 phenol producers belonged to the Coriobacteriaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Fusobacteriaceae and Clostridium clusters I and XIVa; four p-cresol-producing bacteria belonged to the Coriobacteriaceae and Clostridium clusters XI and XIVa; and one strain producing both belonged to the Coriobacteriaceae. A genomic search for protein homologs of enzymes involved in the metabolism of tyrosine to phenols in 10 phenol producers and four p-cresol producers, the draft genomes of which were available in public databases, predicted that phenol producers harbored tyrosine phenol-lyase or hydroxyarylic acid decarboxylase, or both, and p-cresol producers harbored p-hydroxyphenylacetate decarboxylase or tyrosine lyase, or both. These results provide important information about the bacterial strains that contribute to production of phenols in the intestine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Saito
- Yakult Central Institute, 5-11 Izumi, Kunitachi-shi, Tokyo 186-8650, Japan
- Corresponding author: Yakult Central Institute, 5-11 Izumi, Kunitachi-shi, Tokyo 186-8650, Japan. Tel: +81-42-577-8960; Fax: +81-42-577-3020; E-mail:
| | - Tadashi Sato
- Yakult Central Institute, 5-11 Izumi, Kunitachi-shi, Tokyo 186-8650, Japan
| | - Koji Nomoto
- Yakult Central Institute, 5-11 Izumi, Kunitachi-shi, Tokyo 186-8650, Japan
- Tokyo University of Agriculture, 1-1-1 Sakuragaoka, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8502, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Tsuji
- Yakult Central Institute, 5-11 Izumi, Kunitachi-shi, Tokyo 186-8650, Japan
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Abstract
Covering: up to the end of 2017 The human body is composed of an equal number of human and microbial cells. While the microbial community inhabiting the human gastrointestinal tract plays an essential role in host health, these organisms have also been connected to various diseases. Yet, the gut microbial functions that modulate host biology are not well established. In this review, we describe metabolic functions of the human gut microbiota that involve metalloenzymes. These activities enable gut microbial colonization, mediate interactions with the host, and impact human health and disease. We highlight cases in which enzyme characterization has advanced our understanding of the gut microbiota and examples that illustrate the diverse ways in which metalloenzymes facilitate both essential and unique functions of this community. Finally, we analyze Human Microbiome Project sequencing datasets to assess the distribution of a prominent family of metalloenzymes in human-associated microbial communities, guiding future enzyme characterization efforts.
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Shifts in the Gut Metabolome and Clostridium difficile Transcriptome throughout Colonization and Infection in a Mouse Model. mSphere 2018; 3:mSphere00089-18. [PMID: 29600278 PMCID: PMC5874438 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00089-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium difficile is a bacterial pathogen of global significance that is a major cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Antibiotics deplete the indigenous gut microbiota and change the metabolic environment in the gut to one favoring C. difficile growth. Here we used metabolomics and transcriptomics to define the gut environment after antibiotics and during the initial stages of C. difficile colonization and infection. We show that amino acids, in particular, proline and branched-chain amino acids, and carbohydrates decrease in abundance over time and that C. difficile gene expression is consistent with their utilization by the bacterium in vivo. We employed an integrated approach to analyze the metabolome and transcriptome to identify associations between metabolites and transcripts. This highlighted the importance of key nutrients in the early stages of colonization, and the data provide a rationale for the development of therapies based on the use of bacteria that specifically compete for nutrients that are essential for C. difficile colonization and disease. Antibiotics alter the gut microbiota and decrease resistance to Clostridium difficile colonization; however, the mechanisms driving colonization resistance are not well understood. Loss of resistance to C. difficile colonization due to antibiotic treatment is associated with alterations in the gut metabolome, specifically, with increases in levels of nutrients that C. difficile can utilize for growth in vitro. To define the nutrients that C. difficile requires for colonization and pathogenesis in vivo, we used a combination of mass spectrometry and RNA sequencing (RNA Seq) to model the gut metabolome and C. difficile transcriptome throughout an acute infection in a mouse model at the following time points: 0, 12, 24, and 30 h. We also performed multivariate-based integration of the omics data to define the signatures that were most important throughout colonization and infection. Here we show that amino acids, in particular, proline and branched-chain amino acids, and carbohydrates decrease in abundance over time in the mouse cecum and that C. difficile gene expression is consistent with their utilization in vivo. This was also reinforced by the multivariate-based integration of the omics data where we were able to discriminate the metabolites and transcripts that support C. difficile physiology between the different time points throughout colonization and infection. This report illustrates how important the availability of amino acids and other nutrients is for the initial stages of C. difficile colonization and progression of disease. Future studies identifying the source of the nutrients and engineering bacteria capable of outcompeting C. difficile in the gut will be important for developing new targeted bacterial therapeutics. IMPORTANCEClostridium difficile is a bacterial pathogen of global significance that is a major cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Antibiotics deplete the indigenous gut microbiota and change the metabolic environment in the gut to one favoring C. difficile growth. Here we used metabolomics and transcriptomics to define the gut environment after antibiotics and during the initial stages of C. difficile colonization and infection. We show that amino acids, in particular, proline and branched-chain amino acids, and carbohydrates decrease in abundance over time and that C. difficile gene expression is consistent with their utilization by the bacterium in vivo. We employed an integrated approach to analyze the metabolome and transcriptome to identify associations between metabolites and transcripts. This highlighted the importance of key nutrients in the early stages of colonization, and the data provide a rationale for the development of therapies based on the use of bacteria that specifically compete for nutrients that are essential for C. difficile colonization and disease.
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Nývltová E, Šut'ák R, Žárský V, Harant K, Hrdý I, Tachezy J. Lateral gene transfer of p-cresol- and indole-producing enzymes from environmental bacteria to Mastigamoeba balamuthi. Environ Microbiol 2017; 19:1091-1102. [PMID: 27902886 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Revised: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
p-Cresol and indole are volatile biologically active products of the bacterial degradation of tyrosine and tryptophan respectively. They are typically produced by bacteria in animal intestines, soil and various sediments. Here, we demonstrate that the free-living eukaryote Mastigamoeba balamuthi and its pathogenic relative Entamoeba histolytica produce significant amounts of indole via tryptophanase activity. Unexpectedly, M. balamuthi also produces p-cresol in concentrations that are bacteriostatic to non-p-cresol-producing bacteria. The ability of M. balamuthi to produce p-cresol, which has not previously been observed in any eukaryotic microbe, was gained due to the lateral acquisition of a bacterial gene for 4-hydroxyphenylacetate decarboxylase (HPAD). In bacteria, the genes for HPAD and the S-adenosylmethionine-dependent activating enzyme (AE) are present in a common operon. In M. balamuthi, HPAD displays a unique fusion with the AE that suggests the operon-mediated transfer of genes from a bacterial donor. We also clarified that the tyrosine-to-4-hydroxyphenylacetate conversion proceeds via the Ehrlich pathway. The acquisition of the bacterial HPAD gene may provide M. balamuthi a competitive advantage over other microflora in its native habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Nývltová
- Department of Parasitology, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Robert Šut'ák
- Department of Parasitology, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtěch Žárský
- Department of Parasitology, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Harant
- Department of Parasitology, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan Hrdý
- Department of Parasitology, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Tachezy
- Department of Parasitology, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
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Interspecies Interactions between Clostridium difficile and Candida albicans. mSphere 2016; 1:mSphere00187-16. [PMID: 27840850 PMCID: PMC5103046 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00187-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans and Clostridium difficile are two opportunistic pathogens that reside in the human gut. A few studies have focused on the prevalence of C. albicans in C. difficile-infected patients, but none have shown the interaction(s) that these two organisms may or may not have with each other. In this study, we used a wide range of different techniques to better understand this interaction at a macroscopic and microscopic level. We found that in the presence of C. albicans, C. difficile can survive under ambient aerobic conditions, which would otherwise be toxic. We also found that C. difficile affects the hypha formation of C. albicans, most likely through the excretion of p-cresol. This ultimately leads to an inability of C. albicans to form a biofilm. Our study provides new insights into interactions between C. albicans and C. difficile and bears relevance to both fungal and bacterial disease. The facultative anaerobic polymorphic fungus Candida albicans and the strictly anaerobic Gram-positive bacterium Clostridium difficile are two opportunistic pathogens residing in the human gut. While a few studies have focused on the prevalence of C. albicans in C. difficile-infected patients, the nature of the interactions between these two microbes has not been studied thus far. In the current study, both chemical and physical interactions between C. albicans and C. difficile were investigated. In the presence of C. albicans, C. difficile was able to grow under aerobic, normally toxic, conditions. This phenomenon was neither linked to adherence of bacteria to hyphae nor to biofilm formation by C. albicans. Conditioned medium of C. difficile inhibited hyphal growth of C. albicans, which is an important virulence factor of the fungus. In addition, it induced hypha-to-yeast conversion. p-Cresol, a fermentation product of tyrosine produced by C. difficile, also induced morphological effects and was identified as an active component of the conditioned medium. This study shows that in the presence of C. albicans, C. difficile can persist and grow under aerobic conditions. Furthermore, p-cresol, produced by C. difficile, is involved in inhibiting hypha formation of C. albicans, directly affecting the biofilm formation and virulence of C. albicans. This study is the first detailed characterization of the interactions between these two gut pathogens. IMPORTANCECandida albicans and Clostridium difficile are two opportunistic pathogens that reside in the human gut. A few studies have focused on the prevalence of C. albicans in C. difficile-infected patients, but none have shown the interaction(s) that these two organisms may or may not have with each other. In this study, we used a wide range of different techniques to better understand this interaction at a macroscopic and microscopic level. We found that in the presence of C. albicans, C. difficile can survive under ambient aerobic conditions, which would otherwise be toxic. We also found that C. difficile affects the hypha formation of C. albicans, most likely through the excretion of p-cresol. This ultimately leads to an inability of C. albicans to form a biofilm. Our study provides new insights into interactions between C. albicans and C. difficile and bears relevance to both fungal and bacterial disease.
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In vitro Characterization of Phenylacetate Decarboxylase, a Novel Enzyme Catalyzing Toluene Biosynthesis in an Anaerobic Microbial Community. Sci Rep 2016; 6:31362. [PMID: 27506494 PMCID: PMC4979209 DOI: 10.1038/srep31362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Anaerobic bacterial biosynthesis of toluene from phenylacetate was reported more than two decades ago, but the biochemistry underlying this novel metabolism has never been elucidated. Here we report results of in vitro characterization studies of a novel phenylacetate decarboxylase from an anaerobic, sewage-derived enrichment culture that quantitatively produces toluene from phenylacetate; complementary metagenomic and metaproteomic analyses are also presented. Among the noteworthy findings is that this enzyme is not the well-characterized clostridial p-hydroxyphenylacetate decarboxylase (CsdBC). However, the toluene synthase under study appears to be able to catalyze both phenylacetate and p-hydroxyphenylacetate decarboxylation. Observations suggesting that phenylacetate and p-hydroxyphenylacetate decarboxylation in complex cell-free extracts were catalyzed by the same enzyme include the following: (i) the specific activity for both substrates was comparable in cell-free extracts, (ii) the two activities displayed identical behavior during chromatographic separation of cell-free extracts, (iii) both activities were irreversibly inactivated upon exposure to O2, and (iv) both activities were similarly inhibited by an amide analog of p-hydroxyphenylacetate. Based upon these and other data, we hypothesize that the toluene synthase reaction involves a glycyl radical decarboxylase. This first-time study of the phenylacetate decarboxylase reaction constitutes an important step in understanding and ultimately harnessing it for making bio-based toluene.
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Selvaraj B, Buckel W, Golding BT, Ullmann GM, Martins BM. Structure and Function of 4-Hydroxyphenylacetate Decarboxylase and Its Cognate Activating Enzyme. J Mol Microbiol Biotechnol 2016; 26:76-91. [DOI: 10.1159/000440882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
4-Hydroxyphenylacetate decarboxylase (4Hpad) is the prototype of a new class of Fe-S cluster-dependent glycyl radical enzymes (Fe-S GREs) acting on aromatic compounds. The two-enzyme component system comprises a decarboxylase responsible for substrate conversion and a dedicated activating enzyme (4Hpad-AE). The decarboxylase uses a glycyl/thiyl radical dyad to convert 4-hydroxyphenylacetate into <i>p</i>-cresol (4-methylphenol) by a biologically unprecedented Kolbe-type decarboxylation. In addition to the radical dyad prosthetic group, the decarboxylase unit contains two [4Fe-4S] clusters coordinated by an extra small subunit of unknown function. 4Hpad-AE reductively cleaves S-adenosylmethionine (SAM or AdoMet) at a site-differentiated [4Fe-4S]<sup>2+/+</sup> cluster (RS cluster) generating a transient 5′-deoxyadenosyl radical that produces a stable glycyl radical in the decarboxylase by the abstraction of a hydrogen atom. 4Hpad-AE binds up to two auxiliary [4Fe-4S] clusters coordinated by a ferredoxin-like insert that is C-terminal to the RS cluster-binding motif. The ferredoxin-like domain with its two auxiliary clusters is not vital for SAM-dependent glycyl radical formation in the decarboxylase, but facilitates a longer lifetime for the radical. This review describes the 4Hpad and cognate AE families and focuses on the recent advances and open questions concerning the structure, function and mechanism of this novel Fe-S-dependent class of GREs.
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Wieninger SA, Ullmann GM. CoMoDo: Identifying Dynamic Protein Domains Based on Covariances of Motion. J Chem Theory Comput 2015; 11:2841-54. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.5b00150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Silke A. Wieninger
- Structural Biology/Bioinformatics, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, BGI, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - G. Matthias Ullmann
- Structural Biology/Bioinformatics, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, BGI, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
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Lanz ND, Booker SJ. Auxiliary iron-sulfur cofactors in radical SAM enzymes. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2015; 1853:1316-34. [PMID: 25597998 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2015.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2014] [Revised: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 01/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A vast number of enzymes are now known to belong to a superfamily known as radical SAM, which all contain a [4Fe-4S] cluster ligated by three cysteine residues. The remaining, unligated, iron ion of the cluster binds in contact with the α-amino and α-carboxylate groups of S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM). This binding mode facilitates inner-sphere electron transfer from the reduced form of the cluster into the sulfur atom of SAM, resulting in a reductive cleavage of SAM to methionine and a 5'-deoxyadenosyl radical. The 5'-deoxyadenosyl radical then abstracts a target substrate hydrogen atom, initiating a wide variety of radical-based transformations. A subset of radical SAM enzymes contains one or more additional iron-sulfur clusters that are required for the reactions they catalyze. However, outside of a subset of sulfur insertion reactions, very little is known about the roles of these additional clusters. This review will highlight the most recent advances in the identification and characterization of radical SAM enzymes that harbor auxiliary iron-sulfur clusters. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Fe/S proteins: Analysis, structure, function, biogenesis and diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas D Lanz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States
| | - Squire J Booker
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States; Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States.
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Broderick JB, Duffus B, Duschene KS, Shepard EM. Radical S-adenosylmethionine enzymes. Chem Rev 2014; 114:4229-317. [PMID: 24476342 PMCID: PMC4002137 DOI: 10.1021/cr4004709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 563] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joan B. Broderick
- Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, United States
| | - Benjamin
R. Duffus
- Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, United States
| | - Kaitlin S. Duschene
- Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, United States
| | - Eric M. Shepard
- Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, United States
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15
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Shisler KA, Broderick JB. Glycyl radical activating enzymes: structure, mechanism, and substrate interactions. Arch Biochem Biophys 2014; 546:64-71. [PMID: 24486374 PMCID: PMC4083501 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2014.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2013] [Revised: 01/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The glycyl radical enzyme activating enzymes (GRE-AEs) are a group of enzymes that belong to the radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) superfamily and utilize a [4Fe-4S] cluster and SAM to catalyze H-atom abstraction from their substrate proteins. GRE-AEs activate homodimeric proteins known as glycyl radical enzymes (GREs) through the production of a glycyl radical. After activation, these GREs catalyze diverse reactions through the production of their own substrate radicals. The GRE-AE pyruvate formate lyase activating enzyme (PFL-AE) is extensively characterized and has provided insights into the active site structure of radical SAM enzymes including GRE-AEs, illustrating the nature of the interactions with their corresponding substrate GREs and external electron donors. This review will highlight research on PFL-AE and will also discuss a few GREs and their respective activating enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krista A Shisler
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the Astrobiology Biogeocatalysis Research Center, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, United States
| | - Joan B Broderick
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the Astrobiology Biogeocatalysis Research Center, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, United States.
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16
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Feliks M, Martins BM, Ullmann GM. Catalytic Mechanism of the Glycyl Radical Enzyme 4-Hydroxyphenylacetate Decarboxylase from Continuum Electrostatic and QC/MM Calculations. J Am Chem Soc 2013; 135:14574-85. [DOI: 10.1021/ja402379q] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mikolaj Feliks
- Computational
Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30,
BGI, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Berta M. Martins
- Structural Biology/Biochemistry
− Radical Enzymes, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den
Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany
| | - G. Matthias Ullmann
- Computational
Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30,
BGI, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
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17
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Lanz ND, Booker SJ. Identification and function of auxiliary iron-sulfur clusters in radical SAM enzymes. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2012; 1824:1196-212. [PMID: 22846545 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2012.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2012] [Revised: 07/16/2012] [Accepted: 07/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Radical SAM (RS) enzymes use a 5'-deoxyadenosyl 5'-radical generated from a reductive cleavage of S-adenosyl-l-methionine to catalyze over 40 distinct reaction types. A distinguishing feature of these enzymes is a [4Fe-4S] cluster to which each of three iron ions is ligated by three cysteinyl residues most often located in a Cx(3)Cx(2)C motif. The α-amino and α-carboxylate groups of SAM anchor the molecule to the remaining iron ion, which presumably facilitates its reductive cleavage. A subset of RS enzymes contains additional iron-sulfur clusters, - which we term auxiliary clusters - most of which have unidentified functions. Enzymes in this subset are involved in cofactor biosynthesis and maturation, post-transcriptional and post-translational modification, enzyme activation, and antibiotic biosynthesis. The additional clusters in these enzymes have been proposed to function in sulfur donation, electron transfer, and substrate anchoring. This review will highlight evidence supporting the presence of multiple iron-sulfur clusters in these enzymes as well as their predicted roles in catalysis. This article is part of a special issue entitled: Radical SAM enzymes and radical enzymology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas D Lanz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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18
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Martins BM, Blaser M, Feliks M, Ullmann GM, Buckel W, Selmer T. Structural Basis for a Kolbe-Type Decarboxylation Catalyzed by a Glycyl Radical Enzyme. J Am Chem Soc 2011; 133:14666-74. [DOI: 10.1021/ja203344x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Berta M. Martins
- Institute für Biologie, Strukturbiologie/Biochemie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, D-10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Blaser
- Laboratorium für Mikrobiologie, FB Biologie, Philipps-Universität, D-35032 Marburg, Germany
- Max-Planck-Institut für Terrestrische Mikrobiologie, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Mikolaj Feliks
- Structural Biology/Bioinformatics, Universität Bayreuth, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - G. Matthias Ullmann
- Structural Biology/Bioinformatics, Universität Bayreuth, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Buckel
- Laboratorium für Mikrobiologie, FB Biologie, Philipps-Universität, D-35032 Marburg, Germany
- Max-Planck-Institut für Terrestrische Mikrobiologie, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Thorsten Selmer
- Laboratorium für Mikrobiologie, FB Biologie, Philipps-Universität, D-35032 Marburg, Germany
- AG Biotechnologie/Enzymtechnologie, Fachhochschule Aachen-Jülich, D-52428 Jülich, Germany
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19
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Hilberg M, Pierik AJ, Bill E, Friedrich T, Lippert ML, Heider J. Identification of FeS clusters in the glycyl-radical enzyme benzylsuccinate synthase via EPR and Mössbauer spectroscopy. J Biol Inorg Chem 2011; 17:49-56. [DOI: 10.1007/s00775-011-0828-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2011] [Accepted: 07/21/2011] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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20
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Challand MR, Driesener RC, Roach PL. Radical S-adenosylmethionine enzymes: mechanism, control and function. Nat Prod Rep 2011; 28:1696-721. [PMID: 21779595 DOI: 10.1039/c1np00036e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martin R Challand
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Medical Sciences Building, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS81TD, USA
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21
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Li L, Patterson DP, Fox CC, Lin B, Coschigano PW, Marsh ENG. Subunit structure of benzylsuccinate synthase. Biochemistry 2009; 48:1284-92. [PMID: 19159265 DOI: 10.1021/bi801766g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Benzylsuccinate synthase is a member of the glycyl radical family of enzymes. It catalyzes the addition of toluene to fumarate to form benzylsuccinate as the first step in the anaerobic pathway of toluene fermentation. The enzyme comprises three subunits, alpha, beta, and gamma, that in Thauera aromatica strain T1 are encoded by the tutD, tutG, and tutF genes, respectively. The large alpha-subunit contains the essential glycine and cysteine residues that are conserved in all glycyl radical enzymes. However, the function of the small beta- and gamma-subunits has remained unclear. We have overexpressed all three subunits of benzylsuccinate synthase in Escherichia coli, both individually and in combination. Coexpression of the gamma-subunit (but not the beta-subunit) is essential for efficient expression of the alpha-subunit. The benzylsuccinate synthase complex lacking the glycyl radical could be purified as an alpha(2)beta(2)gamma(2) hexamer by nickel affinity chromatography through a "His(6)" affinity tag engineered onto the C-terminus of the alpha-subunit. Unexpectedly, BSS was found to contain two iron-sulfur clusters, one associated with the beta-subunit and the other with the gamma-subunit that appear to be necessary for the structural integrity of the complex. The spectroscopic properties of these clusters suggest that they are most likely [4Fe-4S] clusters. Removal of iron with chelating agents results in dissociation of the complex; similarly, a mutant gamma-subunit lacking the [4Fe-4S] cluster is unable to stabilize the alpha-subunit when the proteins are coexpressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1055, USA
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22
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Kriek M, Martins F, Challand MR, Croft A, Roach PL. Thiamine biosynthesis in Escherichia coli: identification of the intermediate and by-product derived from tyrosine. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2008; 46:9223-6. [PMID: 17969213 DOI: 10.1002/anie.200702554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Kriek
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
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23
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Thiamine Biosynthesis inEscherichia coli: Identification of the Intermediate and By-Product Derived from Tyrosine. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2007. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.200702554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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24
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Kacprzak S, Reviakine R, Kaupp M. Understanding the electon paramagnetic resonance parameters of protein-bound glycyl radicals. J Phys Chem B 2007; 111:820-31. [PMID: 17249826 DOI: 10.1021/jp0674571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The number of enzymes that require a glycyl-based radical for their function is growing. Here, we provide systematic quantum-chemical studies of spin-density distributions, electronic g-tensors, and hyperfine couplings of various models of protein-bound glycyl radicals. Similarly to what is found in a companion paper on N-acetylglycyl, the small g-anisotropy for this delocalized, unsymmetrical system presents appreciable challenges to state-of-the-art computational methodology. This pertains to the quality of structure optimization, as well as to the choice of the spin-orbit Hamiltonian and the gauge origin of the magnetic vector potential. Environmental effects due to hydrogen bonding are complicated and depend in a subtle fashion on the different intramolecular hydrogen bonding for different conformations of the radical. Indeed, the conformation has the largest overall effect on the computed g-tensors (less so on the hyperfine tensors). This is discussed in the context of different g-tensors obtained by recent high-field electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements for three different enzymes. On the basis of results of a parallel calibration study for N-acetylglycyl, it is suggested that the glycyl radical observed for E. coli anaerobic RNR may have a fully extended conformation, which differs from those of the corresponding radicals in pyruvate formate-lyase or benzylsuccinate synthase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylwia Kacprzak
- Institut für Anorganische Chemie, Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, D 97074 Würzburg, Germany
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25
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Abstract
This review describes enzymes that contain radicals and/or catalyze reactions with radical intermediates. Because radicals irreversibly react with dioxygen, most of these enzymes occur in anaerobic bacteria and archaea. Exceptions are the families of coenzyme B(12)- and S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)-dependent radical enzymes, of which some members also occur in aerobes. Especially oxygen-sensitive radical enzymes are the glycyl radical enzymes and 2-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydratases. The latter are activated by an ATP-dependent one-electron transfer and act via a ketyl radical anion mechanism. Related enzymes are the ATP-dependent benzoyl-CoA reductase and the ATP-independent 4-hydroxybenzoyl-CoA reductase. Ketyl radical anions may also be generated by one-electron oxidation as shown by the flavin-adenine-dinucleotide (FAD)- and [4Fe-4S]-containing 4-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydratase. Finally, two radical enzymes are discussed, pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase and methane-forming methyl-CoM reductase, which catalyze their main reaction in two-electron steps, but subsequent electron transfers proceed via radicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Buckel
- Fachbereich Biologie, Philipps-Universität, D-35032 Marburg, Germany.
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26
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Kacprzak S, Reviakine R, Kaupp M. Understanding the EPR Parameters of Glycine-Derived Radicals: The Case of N-Acetylglycyl in the N-Acetylglycine Single-Crystal Environment. J Phys Chem B 2006; 111:811-9. [PMID: 17249825 DOI: 10.1021/jp0660379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
As a step toward an in-depth understanding of the electron paramagnetic resonance parameters of glycyl radicals in proteins, the hyperfine tensors and, particularly, the g-tensor of N-acetylglcyl in the environment of a single crystal of N-acetylglycine have been studied by systematic state-of-the-art quantum chemical calculations on various suitable model systems. The quantitative computation of the g-tensors for such glycyl-derived radicals is a veritable challenge, mainly because of the very small g-anisotropy combined with a nonsymmetrical, delocalized spin-density distribution and several atoms with comparable spin-orbit contributions to the g-tensors. The choice of gauge origin of the magnetic vector potential, and of approximate spin-orbit operators, both turn out to be more critical than found in previous studies of g-tensors for organic radicals. Environmental effects, included by supermolecular hydrogen-bonded models, were found to be moderate, because of a partial compensation between the influences from intramolecular and intermolecular hydrogen bonds. The largest effects on the g-tensor are caused by the conformation of the radical. The density functional theory methods employed systematically overestimate both the Delta gx and Delta gy components of the g-tensor. This is important for parallel investigations on the protein-glycyl radicals. The 1H alpha and 13C alpha hyperfine couplings depend only slightly on the supermolecular model chosen and appear less sensitive probes of detailed structure and environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylwia Kacprzak
- Institut für Anorganische Chemie, Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, D 97074 Würzburg, Germany
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27
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Lehtiö L, Grossmann JG, Kokona B, Fairman R, Goldman A. Crystal Structure of a Glycyl Radical Enzyme from Archaeoglobus fulgidus. J Mol Biol 2006; 357:221-35. [PMID: 16414072 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2005.12.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2005] [Revised: 12/05/2005] [Accepted: 12/07/2005] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
We have solved the crystal structure of a PFL2 from Archaeglobus fulgidus at 2.9 A resolution. Of the three previously solved enzyme structures of glycyl radical enzymes, pyruvate formate lyase (PFL), anaerobic ribonucleotide reductase and glycerol dehydratase (GD), the last one is clearly most similar to PFL2. We observed electron density in the active site of PFL2, which we modelled as glycerol. The orientation of the glycerol is different from that in GD, and changes in the active site indicate that the actual substrate of PFL2 is bigger than a glycerol molecule, but sequence and structural homology suggest that PFL2 may be a dehydratase. Crystal packing, solution X-ray scattering and ultracentrifugation experiments show that PFL2 is tetrameric, unlike other glycyl radical enzymes. A.fulgidus is a hyperthermophile and PFL2 appears to be stabilized by several factors including an increased number of ion pairs, differences in buried charges, a truncated N terminus, anchoring of loops and N terminus via salt-bridges, changes in the oligomeric interface and perhaps also the higher oligomerization state of the protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lari Lehtiö
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, FIN-00014, Helsinki, Finland
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28
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Selmer T, Pierik AJ, Heider J. New glycyl radical enzymes catalysing key metabolic steps in anaerobic bacteria. Biol Chem 2005; 386:981-8. [PMID: 16218870 DOI: 10.1515/bc.2005.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
During the last decade, an increasing number of new enzymes containing glycyl radicals in their active sites have been identified and biochemically characterised. These include benzylsuccinate synthase (Bss), 4-hydroxyphenylacetate decarboxylase (Hpd) and the coenzyme B12-independent glycerol dehydratase (Gdh). These are involved in metabolic pathways as different as anaerobic toluene metabolism, fermentative production of p-cresol and glycerol fermentation. Some features of these newly discovered enzymes are described and compared with those of the previously known glycyl radical enzymes pyruvate formate-lyase (Pfl) and anaerobic ribonucleotide reductase (Nrd). Among the new enzymes, Bss and Hpd share the presence of small subunits, the function of which in the catalytic mechanisms is still enigmatic, and both enzymes contain metal centres in addition to the glycyl radical prosthetic group. The activating enzymes of the novel systems also deviate from the standard type, containing at least one additional Fe-S cluster. Finally, the available whole-genome sequences of an increasing number of strictly or facultative anaerobic bacteria revealed the presence of many more hitherto unknown glycyl radical enzyme (GRE) systems. Recent studies suggest that the particular types of these enzymes represent the ends of different evolutionary lines, which emerged early in evolution and diversified to yield remarkably versatile biocatalysts for chemical reactions that are otherwise difficult to perform in anoxic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorsten Selmer
- Laboratorium für Mikrobiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, D-35032 Marburg, Germany.
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