D-psicose 3-epimerase (DPEase) is demonstrated to be useful in the bioproduction of D-psicose, a rare hexose sugar, from D-fructose, found plenty in nature. Clostridium cellulolyticum H10 has recently been identified as a DPEase that can epimerize D-fructose to yield D-psicose with a much higher conversion rate when compared with the conventionally used DTEase. In this study, the crystal structure of the C. cellulolyticum DPEase was determined. The enzyme assembles into a tetramer and each subunit shows a (β/α)(8) TIM barrel fold with a Mn(2+) metal ion in the active site. Additional crystal structures of the enzyme in complex with substrates/products (D-psicose, D-fructose, D-tagatose and D-sorbose) were also determined. From the complex structures of C. cellulolyticum DPEase with D-psicose and D-fructose, the enzyme has much more interactions with D-psicose than D-fructose by forming more hydrogen bonds between the substrate and the active site residues. Accordingly, based on these ketohexose-bound complex structures, a C3-O3 proton-exchange mechanism for the conversion between D-psicose and D-fructose is proposed here. These results provide a clear idea for the deprotonation/protonation roles of E150 and E244 in catalysis.

Glucooligosaccharide oxidase from Acremonium strictum has been screened for potential applications in oligosaccharide acid production and alternative carbohydrate detection, because it catalyzes the oxidation of glucose, maltose, lactose, cellobiose and cello-and maltooligosaccharides. We report the crystal structures of the enzyme and of its complex with an inhibitor, 5-amino-5-deoxycellobiono-1,5-lactam at 1.55-and 1.98-Å resolution, respectively. Unexpectedly, the protein structure demonstrates the first known double attachment flavinylation, 6-S-cysteinyl, 8␣-N1-histidyl FAD. The FAD cofactor is cross-linked to the enzyme via the C Sugar oxidases and dehydrogenases that catalyze carbohydrate oxidation to the corresponding lactones are of considerable commercial importance as potential diagnostic reagents and industrial biocatalysts. For example, glucose oxidase (GOX) 4 is widely used in analytical biochemistry and in the food industry (1). A search of the BRENDA enzyme data base (2) reveals that most of these enzymes are specific for a variety of mono-and disaccharides, and only a few enzymes are highly selective for oligosaccharides. These include galactose oxidase, cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH), and glucooligosaccharide oxidase (GOOX). GOOX from Acremonium strictum was screened with the aim of identifying enzymes with potential applications in oligosaccharide acid production and alternative carbohydrate assays (3). It is a monomeric glycoprotein with a covalently linked FAD and catalyzes the oxidization of a variety of carbohydrates with the concomitant reduction of molecular oxygen to hydrogen peroxide. A screening of more than 50 carbohydrates and derivatives showed that D-glucose, maltose, lactose, and cellobiose are good substrates. In addition, this enzyme can react with malto-and cellooligosaccharides, and hence the name of this novel oxidase. The broad substrate specificity of GOOX, particularly toward oligosaccharides, suggests that it may have great potential applicability.To facilitate further characterization and potential industrial use of A. strictum GOOX, we have cloned the encoding gene, which is composed of a 25-residue signal peptide and a 474-residue mature protein (4). Although GOOX shows a similar substrate specificity as GOX, CDH, and pyranose oxidase (POX), it shares no sequence similarity with them. However, GOOX displays significant sequence homology to the FADbinding domain (F domain) of berberine bridge enzyme-like proteins including three other sugar oxidases, a red alga hexose oxidase (CcHEOX), a tobacco nectar protein (nectarin V, NlNEC5), and a sunflower defense protein (HaCHOX) (5-7). Interestingly, although NlNEC5 catalyzes oxidation of glucose, and GOOX, CcHEOX and HaCHOX catalyze the oxidation of glucose, maltose, lactose, and cellobiose, the protein sequences of their substrate-binding domains (S domains) are quite diverse and apparently lack conserved carbohydrateinteracting residues. Moreover, structural and mutational studies demonstrated a consensus histidine for f...

We have obtained the structure of the bacterial diterpene synthase, tuberculosinol/iso-tuberculosinol synthase (Rv3378c) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a target for anti-infective therapies that block virulence factor formation. This phosphatase adopts the same fold as found in the Z- or cis-prenyltransferases. We also obtained structures containing the tuberculosinyl diphosphate substrate together with one bisphosphonate inhibitor-bound structure. These structures together with the results of site-directed mutagenesis suggest an unusual mechanism of action involving two Tyr residues. Given the similarity in local and global structure between Rv3378c and the M. tuberculosis cis-decaprenyl diphosphate synthase (DPPS; Rv2361c), the possibility exists for the development of inhibitors that target not only virulence but also cell wall biosynthesis, based in part on the structures reported here.

Trypanosomatid parasites are the causative agents of many neglected tropical diseases and there is currently considerable interest in targeting endogenous sterol biosynthesis in these organisms as a route to the development of novel anti-infective drugs. Here, we report the first x-ray crystallographic structures of the enzyme squalene synthase (SQS) from a trypanosomatid parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. We obtained five structures of T. cruzi SQS and eight structures of human SQS with four classes of inhibitors: the substrate-analog S-thiolo-farnesyl diphosphate, the quinuclidines E5700 and ER119884, several lipophilic bisphosphonates, and the thiocyanate WC-9, with the structures of the two very potent quinuclidines suggesting strategies for selective inhibitor development. We also show that the lipophilic bisphosphonates have low nM activity against T. cruzi and inhibit endogenous sterol biosynthesis and that E5700 acts synergistically with the azole drug, posaconazole. The determination of the structures of trypanosomatid and human SQS enzymes with a diverse set of inhibitors active in cells provides insights into SQS inhibition, of interest in the context of the development of drugs against Chagas disease.

BackgroundWound healing is a complex biologic process that involves the integration of inflammation, mitosis, angiogenesis, synthesis, and remodeling of the extracellular matrix. However, some wounds fail to heal properly and become chronic. Although some simulated chronic wound models have been established, an efficient approach to treat chronic wounds in animal models has not been determined. The aim of this study was to develop a modified rat model simulating the chronic wounds caused by clinical radiation ulcers and examine the treatment of chronic wounds with adipose-derived stem cells.ResultsSprague–Dawley rats were irradiated with an electron beam, and wounds were created. The rats received treatment with adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs), and a wound-healing assay was performed. The wound sizes after ASC treatment for 3 weeks were significantly smaller compared with the control condition (p < 0.01). Histological observations of the wound edge and immunoblot analysis of the re-epithelialization region both indicated that the treatment with ASCs was associated with the development of new blood vessels. Cell-tracking experiments showed that ASCs were colocalized with endothelial cell markers in ulcerated tissues.ConclusionsWe established a modified rat model of radiation-induced wounds and demonstrated that ASCs accelerate wound-healing.

We report the results of an investigation of the activity of a series of amidine and bisamidine compounds against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The most active compounds bound to an AT-rich DNA dodecamer (CGCGAATTCGCG)2, and using DSC were found to increase the melting transition by up to 24 °C. Several compounds also inhibited undecaprenyl diphosphate synthase (UPPS) with IC50 values of 100–500 nM and we found good correlations (R2 = 0.89, S. aureus; R2 = 0.79, E. coli)) between experimental and predicted cell growth inhibition by using DNA ΔTm and UPPS IC50 experimental results together with 1 computed descriptor. We also solved the structures of three bisamidines binding to DNA as well as three UPPS structures. Overall, the results are of general interest in the context of the development of resistance-resistant antibiotics that involve multi-targeting.

Structure-guided design of substrate-binding pocket inversed the stereoselectivity of an NADH-dependent medium-chain alcohol dehydrogenase (MDR) from Prelog to anti-Prelog. The pocket-forming amino acids, especially the unconserved residues as hotspots, play critical roles in directing MDRs' stereoselectivity.

Pullulanase is a debranching enzyme that specifically hydrolyzes the α-1,6 glycosidic linkage of α-glucans, and has wide industrial applications. Here, we report structural and functional studies of a new thermostable pullulanase from Anoxybacillus sp. LM18-11 (PulA). Based on the hydrolysis products, PulA was classified as a type I pullulanase. It showed maximum activity at 60°C and pH 6.0. Kinetic study showed that the specific activity and Km for pullulan of PulA are 750 U mg(-1) and 16.4 μmol L(-1), respectively. PulA has a half-life of 48 h at 60°C. The remarkable thermostability makes PulA valuable for industrial usage. To further investigate the mechanism of the enzyme, we solved the crystal structures of PulA and its complexes with maltotriose and maltotetraose at 1.75-2.22 Å resolution. The PulA structure comprises four domains (N1, N2, A, and C). A is the catalytic domain, in which three conserved catalytic residues were identified (D413, E442, and D526). Two molecules of oligosaccharides were seen in the catalytic A domain in a parallel binding mode. Interestingly, another two oligosaccharides molecules were found between the N1 domain and the loop between the third β-strand and the third α-helix in the A domain. Based on sequence alignment and the ligand binding pattern, the N1 domain is identified as a new type of carbohydrate-binding motif and classified to the CBM68 family. The structure solved here is the first structure of pullulanase which has carbohydrate bound to the N1 domain.