• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.37 no.10
• /
• pp.719-726
• /
• 2014

The ${\gamma}$-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) that is found in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms has been used in various ways as a signaling molecule or a significant component generating metabolic energy under conditions of nutrient limitation or stress, through GABA catabolism. Succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase (SSADH) catalyzes the oxidation of succinic semialdehyde to succinic acid in the final step of GABA catabolism. Here, we report the catalytic properties and two crystal structures of SSADH from Streptococcus pyogenes (SpSSADH) regarding its cofactor preference. Kinetic analysis showed that SpSSADH prefers $NADP^+$ over $NAD^+$ as a hydride acceptor. Moreover, the structures of SpSSADH were determined in an apo-form and in a binary complex with $NADP^+$ at $1.6{\AA}$ and $2.1{\AA}$ resolutions, respectively. Both structures of SpSSADH showed dimeric conformation, containing a single cysteine residue in the catalytic loop of each subunit. Further structural analysis and sequence comparison of SpSSADH with other SSADHs revealed that Ser158 and Tyr188 in SpSSADH participate in the stabilization of the 2'-phosphate group of adenine-side ribose in $NADP^+$. Our results provide structural insights into the cofactor preference of SpSSADH as the gram-positive bacterial SSADH.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.23 no.12
• /
• pp.1699-1707
• /
• 2013

During the fermentative production of 1,3-propanediol under high substrate concentrations, accumulation of intracellular 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde will cause premature cessation of cell growth and glycerol consumption. Discovery of oxidoreductases that can convert 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde to 1,3-propanediol using NADPH as cofactor could serve as a solution to this problem. In this paper, the yqhD gene from Klebsiella pneumoniae DSM2026, which was found encoding an aldehyde reductase (KpAR), was cloned and characterized. KpAR showed broad substrate specificity under physiological direction, whereas no catalytic activity was detected in the oxidation direction, and both NADPH and NADH can be utilized as cofactors. The cofactor binding mechanism was then investigated employing homology modeling and molecular dynamics simulations. Hydrogen-bond analysis showed that the hydrogen-bond interactions between KpAR and NADPH are much stronger than that for NADH. Free-energy decomposition dedicated that residues Gly37 to Val41 contribute most to the cofactor preference through polar interactions. In conclusion, this work provides a novel aldehyde reductase that has potential applications in the development of novel genetically engineered strains in the 1,3-propanediol industry, and gives a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in cofactor binding.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.24 no.7
• /
• pp.954-958
• /
• 2014

Succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase (SSADH) catalyzes the oxidation of succinic semialdehyde (SSA) into succinic acid in the final step of ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid degradation. Here, we characterized Bacillus subtilis SSADH (BsSSADH) regarding its cofactor discrimination and substrate inhibition. BsSSADH showed similar values of the catalytic efficiency ($k_{ca}t/K_m$) in both $NAD^+$ and $NADP^+$ as cofactors, and exhibited complete uncompetitive substrate inhibition at higher SSA concentrations. Further analyses of the sequence alignment and homology modeling indicated that the residues of catalytic and cofactor-binding sites in other SSADHs were highly conserved in BsSSADH.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.218-224
• /
• 2013

The aldo-keto reductases catalyze reduction reactions using various aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes/ketones. Most reductases require NADPH exclusively as their cofactors. However, NADPH is much more expensive and unstable than NADH. In this study, we attempted to change the five amino acid residues that interact with the 2'-phosphate group of the adenosine ribose of NADPH. These residues were selected based on a docking model of the YOL151W reductase and were substituted with other amino acids to develop NADH-utilizing enzymes. Ten mutants were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis and expressed in Escherichia coli. Among them, four mutants showed higher reductase activities than wild-type when using the NADH cofactor. Analysis of the kinetic parameters for the wild type and mutants indicated that the $k_{cat}/K_{m}$ value of the Asn9Glu mutant toward NADH increased 3-fold. A docking model was used to show that the carboxyl group of Glu 9 of the mutant formed an additional hydrogen bond with the 2'-hydroxyl group of adenosine ribose. The Asn9Glu mutant was able to produce (R)-ethyl-4-chloro-3-hydroxyl butanoate rapidly when using the NADH regeneration system.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.283-286
• /
• 2008

The methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase/cyclohydrolase (MTHFDC) from the thermoacidophilic archaeon Thermoplasma acidophilum is a 30.6kDa molecular-mass enzyme that sequentially catalyzes the conversion of formyltetrahydrofollate to methylenetetrahydrofolate, with a preference for NADP as a cofactor, rather than NAD. In order to elucidate the functional and structural features of MTHFDC from archaeons at a molecular level, it was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and crystallized in the presence of its cofactor, NADP, at 295K using polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000 as a precipitant. The crystal is a member of the monoclinic space group $P2_1$, with the following unit cell parameters: $a=66.333{\AA},\;b=52.868{\AA},\;c=86.099{\AA},\;and\;{\beta}=97.570^{\circ}$, and diffracts to a resolution of at least $2.40{\AA}$ at the synchrotron. Assuming a dimer in the crystallographic asymmetric unit, the calculated Matthews parameter $(V_M)\;was\;2.44{\AA}^3/Da$ and the solvent content was 49.7%.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.597-605
• /
• 2018

Acyl-CoA oxidases (ACOXs) play important roles in lipid metabolism, including peroxisomal fatty acid ${\beta}$-oxidation by the conversion of acyl-CoAs to 2-trans-enoyl-CoAs. The yeast Yarrowia lipolytica can utilize fatty acids as a carbon source and thus has extensive biotechnological applications. The crystal structure of ACOX3 from Y. lipolytica (YlACOX3) was determined at a resolution of $2.5{\AA}$. It contained two molecules per asymmetric unit, and the monomeric structure was folded into four domains; $N{\alpha}$, $N{\beta}$, $C{\alpha}1$, and $C{\alpha}2$ domains. The cofactor flavin adenine dinucleotide was bound in the dimer interface. The substrate-binding pocket was located near the cofactor, and formed at the interface between the $N{\alpha}$, $N{\beta}$, and $C{\alpha}1$ domains. Comparisons with other ACOX structures provided structural insights into how YlACOX has a substrate preference for short-chain acyl-CoA. In addition, the structure of YlACOX3 was compared with those of medium- and long-chain ACOXs, and the structural basis for their differences in substrate specificity was discussed.