Membrane proteins classically are handled in aqueous solutions as complexes with detergents. The dissociating character of detergents, combined with the need to maintain an excess of them, frequently results in more or less rapid inactivation of the protein under study. Over the past few years, we have endeavored to develop a novel family of surfactants, dubbed amphipols (APs). APs are amphiphilic polymers that bind to the transmembrane surface of the protein in a noncovalent but, in the absence of a competing surfactant, quasi-irreversible manner. Membrane proteins complexed by APs are in their native state, stable, and they remain water-soluble in the absence of detergent or free APs. An update is presented of the current knowledge about these compounds and their demonstrated or putative uses in membrane biology.

The O antigen of lipopolysaccharide in Gram-negative bacteria plays a critical role in bacterium-host interactions, and for pathogenic bacteria it is a major virulence factor. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa serotype O6 one of the initial steps in O-antigen biosynthesis is catalyzed by a saccharide epimerase, WbpP. WbpP is a member of the UDP-hexose 4-epimerase family of enzymes and exists as a homo-dimer. This enzyme preferentially catalyzes the conversion between UDP-GlcNAc and UDPGalNAc above UDP-Glc and UDP-Gal, using NAD ؉ as a cofactor. The crystal structures of WbpP in complex with cofactor and either UDP-Glc or UDP-GalNAc were determined at 2.5 and 2.1 Å, respectively, which represents the first structural studies of a genuine UDP-GlcNAc 4-epimerase. These structures in combination with complementary mutagenesis studies suggest that the basis for the differential substrate specificity of WbpP is a consequence of the presence of a pliable solvent network in the active site. This information allows for a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between sequence and substrate specificity for UDP-hexose 4-epimerases and enables the formulation of consensus sequences that predict substrate specificity of UDP-hexose 4-epimerases yet to be biochemically characterized. Furthermore, the examination indicates that as little as one residue can dictate substrate specificity. Nonetheless, phylogenetic analysis suggests that this substrate specificity is an evolutionary and highly conserved property within UDP-hexose 4-epimerases.

B-band lipopolysaccharide is an important virulence factor of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. WbpP is an enzyme essential for B-band lipopolysaccharide production in serotype O6. Sequence analysis suggests that it is involved in the formation of N-acetylgalacturonic acid. To test this hypothesis, overexpression and biochemical characterization of WbpP were performed. By using spectrophotometric assays and capillary electrophoresis, we show that WbpP is a UDP-GlcNAc C4 epimerase. The K m for UDPGlcNAc and UDP-GalNAc are 197 and 224 M, respectively. At equilibrium, 70% of UDP-GalNAc is converted to UDP-GlcNAc, whereas the yield of the reverse reaction is only 30%. The enzyme can also catalyze the interconversion of non-acetylated substrates, although the efficiency of catalysis is significantly lower. Only 15 and 40% of UDP-Glc and UDP-Gal, respectively, are converted at equilibrium. WbpP contains tightly bound NAD(H) and does not require additional cofactors for activity. It exists as a dimer in its native state. This paper is the first report of expression and characterization of a C4 UDP-GlcNAc epimerase at the biochemical level. Moreover, the characterization of the enzymatic function of WbpP will help clarify ambiguous surface carbohydrate biosynthetic pathways in P. aeruginosa and other organisms where homologues of WbpP exist.

FlaA1 is a small soluble protein of unknown function in Helicobacter pylori. It has homologues that are essential for the virulence of numerous medically relevant bacteria. FlaA1 was overexpressed as a histidine-tagged protein and purified to homogeneity by nickel chelation and cation exchange chromatography. Spectrophotometric assays, capillary electrophoresis, and mass spectrometry analyses showed that FlaA1 is a novel bifunctional C 6 dehydratase/C 4 reductase specific for UDPGlcNAc. It converts UDP-GlcNAc into a UDP-4-keto-6-methyl-GlcNAc intermediate, which is stereospecifically reduced into UDP-QuiNAc. Substrate conversions as high as 80% were obtained at equilibrium. The K m and V max for UDP-GlcNAc were 159 M and 65 pmol/min, respectively. No exogenous cofactor was required to obtain full activity of FlaA1. Additional NADH was only used with poor efficiency for the reduction step. The biochemical characterization of FlaA1 is important for the elucidation of biosynthetic pathways that lead to the formation of 2,6-deoxysugars in medically relevant bacteria. It establishes unambiguously the first step of the pathway and provides the means of preparing the substrate UDP-QuiNAc, which is necessary for the study of downstream enzymes.