Birgit Christine Bønsager

Mutational Analysis of Target Enzyme Recognition of the β-Trefoil Fold Barley α-Amylase/Subtilisin Inhibitor

The barley α-amylase/subtilisin inhibitor (BASI) inhibits α-amylase 2 (AMY2) with subnanomolar affinity. The contribution of selected side chains of BASI to this high affinity is discerned in this study, and binding to other targets is investigated. Seven BASI residues along the AMY2-BASI interface and four residues in the putative protease-binding loop on the opposite side of the inhibitor were mutated. A total of 15 variants were compared with the wild type by monitoring the α-amylase and protease inhibitory activities using Blue Starch and azoalbumin, respectively, and the kinetics of binding to target enzymes by surface plasmon resonance. Generally, the mutations had little effect on kon, whereas the koff values were increased up to 67-fold. The effects on the inhibitory activity, however, were far more pronounced, and the Ki values of some mutants on the AMY2-binding side increased 2–3 orders of magnitude, whereas mutations on the other side of the inhibitor had virtually no effect. The mutants K140L, D150N, and E168T lost inhibitory activity, revealing the pivotal role of charge interactions for BASI activity on AMY2. A fully hydrated Ca2+ at the AMY2-BASI interface mediates contacts to the catalytic residues of AMY2. Mutations involving residues contacting the solvent ligands of this Ca2+ had weaker affinity for AMY2 and reduced sensitivity to the Ca2+ modulation of the affinity. These results suggest that the Ca2+ and its solvation sphere are integral components of the AMY2-BASI complex, thus illuminating a novel mode of inhibition and a novel role for calcium in relation to glycoside hydrolases.

Proteomic and activity profiles of ascorbate-glutathione cycle enzymes in germinating barley embryo.

Enzymes involved in redox control are important during seed germination and seedling growth. Ascorbate-glutathione cycle enzymes in barley embryo extracts were monitored both by 2D-gel electrophoresis and activity measurements from 4 to 144 h post imbibition (PI). Strikingly different activity profiles were observed. No ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity was present in mature seeds but activity was detected after 24 h PI and increased 14-fold up to 144 h PI. In contrast, dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) activity was present at 4h PI and first decreased by 9-fold until 72 h PI followed by a 5-fold increase at 144 h PI. Glutathione reductase and monodehydroascorbate reductase activities were also detected at 4 h PI, and showed modest increases of 1.8- and 2.7-fold, respectively, by 144 h PI. The combination of functional analysis with the proteomics approach enabled correlation of the activity profiles and protein abundance. While gel spots containing APX showed intensity changes consistent with the activity profile from 0 to 72 h PI, DHAR spot intensities indicated that post-translational regulation may be responsible for the observed changes in activity. Transcript profiling, 2D-western blotting and mass spectrometric characterization of multiple APX spots demonstrated the presence of APX1 and minor amounts of APX2.

Efficient secretory expression of functional barley limit dextrinase inhibitor by high cell-density fermentation of Pichia pastoris

The limit dextrinase inhibitor (LDI) from barley seeds acts specifically on limit dextrinase (LD), an endogenous starch debranching enzyme. LDI is a 14 kDa hydrophobic protein containing four disulfide bonds and one unpaired thiol group previously found to be either glutathionylated or cysteinylated. It is a member of the so-called CM-protein family that includes α-amylase and serine protease inhibitors, which have been extremely challenging to produce recombinantly in functional form and in good yields. Here, LDI is produced in very high yields by secretory expression by Pichia pastoris applying high cell-density fermentation in a 5L fed-batch bioreactor. Thus about 200mg of LDI, which showed twofold higher inhibitory activity towards LD than LDI from barley seeds, was purified from 1L of culture supernatant by His-tag affinity chromatography and gel filtration. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry verified the identity of the produced glutathionylated LDI-His(6). At a 1:1M ratio the recombinant LDI completely inhibited hydrolysis of pullulan catalyzed by 5-10 nM LD. LDI retained stability in the pH 2-12 range and at pH 6.5 displayed a half-life of 53 and 33 min at 90 and 93°C, respectively. The efficient heterologous production of LDI suggests secretory expression by P. pastoris to be a promising strategy to obtain other recombinant CM-proteins.

Engineering of Barley α-Amylase

Abstract Protein engineering of barley α-amylase addressed the roles of Ca2+ in activity and inhibition by barley α-amylase/subtilisin inhibitor (BASI), multiple attach in polysaccharide hydrolysis, secondary starch binding sites, and BASI hot spots in AMY2 recognition. AMY1/AMY2 isozyme chimeras faciliatated assignment of function to specific regions of the structure. An AMY1 fusion with starch binding domain and AMY1 mutants in the substrate binding cleft gave degree of multiple attack of 0.9–3.3, compared to 1.9 for wild-type. About 40% of the secondary attacks, succeeding the initial endo-attack, produced DP5-10 maltooligosaccharides in similar proportion for all enzyme variants, whereas shorter products, comprising about 25%, varied depending on the mutation. Secondary binding sites were important in both multiple attack and starch granule hydrolysis. Surface plasmon resonance and inhibition analyses indicated the importance of fully hydrated Ca2+ at the AMY2/BASI interface to strengthen the complex. Engineering of intermolecular contacts in BASI modulated the affinity for AMY2 and the target enzyme specificity.

Interactions of barley α-amylase isozymes with Ca2 + , substrates and proteinaceous inhibitors

α-Amylases are endo-acting retaining enzymes of glycoside hydrolase family 13 with a catalytic (β/α)8-domain containing an inserted loop referred to as domain B and a C-terminal anti-parallel β-sheet termed domain C. New insights integrate the roles of Ca2 + , different substrates, and proteinaceous inhibitors for α-amylases. Isozyme specific effects of Ca2 +  on the 80% sequence identical barley α-amylases AMY1 and AMY2 are not obvious from the two crystal structures, containing three superimposable Ca2 +  with identical ligands. A fully hydrated fourth Ca2 +  at the interface of the AMY2/barley α-amylase/subtilisin inhibitor (BASI) complex interacts with catalytic groups in AMY2, and Ca2 +  occupies an identical position in AMY1 with thiomaltotetraose bound at two surface sites. EDTA-treatment, DSC, and activity assays indicate that AMY1 has the highest affinity for Ca2 + . Subsite mapping has revealed that AMY1 has ten functional subsites which can be modified by means protein engineering to modulate the substrate specificity. Other mutational analyses show that surface carbohydrate binding sites are critical for interaction with polysaccharides. The conserved Tyr380 in the newly discovered ‘sugar tongs’ site in domain C of AMY1 is thus critical for binding to starch granules. Furthermore, mutations of binding sites mostly reduced the degree of multiple attack in amylose hydrolysis. AMY1 has higher substrate affinity than AMY2, but isozyme chimeras with AMY2 domain C and other regions from AMY1 have higher substrate affinity than both parent isozymes. The latest revelations addressing various structural and functional aspects that govern the mode of action of barley α-amylases are reported in this review.