Christopher F. Blanford

Designer laccases: a vogue for high-potential fungal enzymes?

Laccases are blue multicopper oxidases that catalyse the four-electron reduction of O(2) to water coupled with the oxidation of small organic substrates. Secreted basidiomycete white-rot fungal laccases orchestrate this with high thermodynamic efficiency, making these enzymes excellent candidates for exploitation as industrial oxidants. However, these fungi are less tractable genetically than the ascomycetes, which predominantly produce lower-potential laccases. We address the state-of-play regarding expression of high reduction potential laccases in heterologous hosts, and issues regarding enzyme glycosylation status. We describe the synergistic role of structural biology, particularly in unmasking structure-function relationships following genetic modification and their collective impact on laccase yields. Such recent research draws closer the prospect of industrial quantities of designer, fit-for-purpose laccases.

A highly active single-mutation variant of P450BM3 (CYP102A1)

The power of proline: Bold amino acid substitutions in sensitive protein regions are frequently unproductive, while more subtle mutations can be sufficient to bring about dramatic changes. But introducing proline at the residue next to the sulfur ligand in P450BM3 (CYP102A1) has the unexpected and desirable effect of enhancing the activity of this fatty acid hydroxylase with a broad range of non‐natural substrates, as illustrated by the figure.

Structural Basis for the Properties of Two Single‐Site Proline Mutants of CYP102A1 (P450BM3)

The crystal structures of the haem domains of Ala330Pro and Ile401Pro, two single‐site proline variants of CYP102A1 (P450BM3) from Bacillus megaterium, have been solved. In the A330P structure, the active site is constricted by the relocation of the Pro329 side chain into the substrate access channel, providing a basis for the distinctive CH bond oxidation profiles given by the variant and the enhanced activity with small molecules. I401P, which is exceptionally active towards non‐natural substrates, displays a number of structural similarities to substrate‐bound forms of the wild‐type enzyme, notably an off‐axial water ligand, a drop in the proximal loop, and the positioning of two I‐helix residues, Gly265 and His266, the reorientation of which prevents the formation of several intrahelical hydrogen bonds. Second‐generation I401P variants gave high in vitro oxidation rates with non‐natural substrates as varied as fluorene and propane, towards which the wild‐type enzyme is essentially inactive. The substrate‐free I401P haem domain had a reduction potential slightly more oxidising than the palmitate‐bound wild‐type haem domain, and a first electron transfer rate that was about 10 % faster. The electronic properties of A330P were, by contrast, similar to those of the substrate‐free wild‐type enzyme.

Structural changes caused by radiation-induced reduction and radiolysis: the effect of X-ray absorbed dose in a fungal multicopper oxidase

X-ray radiation induces two main effects at metal centres contained in protein crystals: radiation-induced reduction and radiolysis and a resulting decrease in metal occupancy. In blue multicopper oxidases (BMCOs), the geometry of the active centres and the metal-to-ligand distances change depending on the oxidation states of the Cu atoms, suggesting that these alterations are catalytically relevant to the binding, activation and reduction of O(2). In this work, the X-ray-determined three-dimensional structure of laccase from the basidiomycete Coriolopsis gallica (Cg L), a high catalytic potential BMCO, is described. By combining spectroscopic techniques (UV-Vis, EPR and XAS) and X-ray crystallography, structural changes at and around the active copper centres were related to pH and absorbed X-ray dose (energy deposited per unit mass). Depletion of two of the four active Cu atoms as well as low occupancies of the remaining Cu atoms, together with different conformations of the metal centres, were observed at both acidic pH and high absorbed dose, correlating with more reduced states of the active coppers. These observations provide additional evidence to support the role of flexibility of copper sites during O(2) reduction. This study supports previous observations indicating that interpretations regarding redox state and metal coordination need to take radiation effects explicitly into account.

Preparation and structure of 3D ordered macroporous alloys by PMMA colloidal crystal templating

Three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) metal alloys of NixCo1−x (a solid solution) and Mn3Co7 (an intermetallic compound) have been prepared by templated precipitation of mixed metal salts within colloidal crystals of poly(methyl methacrylate) spheres and subsequent chemical conversion of the inorganic precursors.

Electron radiation damage of MCM-41 and related materials

The article compares the relative stability of MCM-41 and related mesoporous materials in electron beam at an accelerating voltage of 100-300 kV. The work encountered in electron microscopy presents a comparison with similar research that has been carried out on nonporous and microporous silicates, especially alpha-quartz and zeolite Y. The trends in stability are analyzed, classifying the effects of sample preparation, organic and inorganic moieties, and electron accelerating voltage on beam stability. A higher synthesis temperature, the use of an acid catalyst in the synthesis, and the presence of additional organic or inorganic material within the channels were all found to stabilize these materials. The dose required to completely disrupt the structure increased with accelerating voltage for nearly all samples, suggesting a primarily radiolytic damage mechanism. The exception, MCM-41 containing nanometer-sized titania particles in its channels, was found to be almost insensitive to accelerating voltage.

Surface Characterization and in situ Protein Adsorption Studies on Carbene-Modified Polymers.

Polystyrene thin films were functionalized using a facile two-step chemical protocol involving carbene insertion followed by azo-coupling, permitting the introduction of a range of chemical functional groups, including aniline, hexyl, amine, carboxyl, phenyl, phosphonate diester, and ethylene glycol. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the success of the two-step chemical modification with a grafting density of at least 1/10th of the typical loading density (10(14)-10(15)) of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM). In situ, real-time quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) studies show that the dynamics of binding of bovine serum albumin (BSA) are different at each modified surface. Mass, viscoelastic, and kinetic data were analyzed, and compared to cheminformatic descriptors (i.e., c log P, polar surface area) typically used for drug discovery. Results show that functionalities may either resist or adsorb BSA, and uniquely influence its adsorption dynamics. It is concluded that carbene-based surface modification can usefully influence BSA binding dynamics in a manner consistent with, and more robust than, traditional systems based on SAM chemistry.

The birth of protein electrochemistry

The results from a final-year undergraduate project led to an

Robust Covalently Cross-linked Polybenzimidazole/Graphene Oxide Membranes for High-Flux Organic Solvent Nanofiltration

876M sale of a spin-out company 19 years later: the 1977 communication from Mark Eddowes and Allen Hill seeded the rich field of protein electrochemistry, the technology that underpins commercial glucose biosensors.

Developing the mechanism of dioxygen reduction catalyzed by multicopper oxidases using protein film electrochemistry

Robust, readily scalable, high-flux graphene oxide (GO) mixed matrix composite membranes were developed for organic solvent nanofiltration. Hydroxylated polybenzimidazole was synthesized by N-benzylation of polybenzimidazole with 4-(chloromethyl)benzyl alcohol, which was confirmed by FTIR and NMR spectroscopy. Flat-sheet composite membranes comprising of polybenzimidazoles and 1 or 2 wt % GO were fabricated via conventional blade coating and phase inversion. Subsequently, GO was covalently anchored to the hydroxyl groups of the polymer using a diisocyanate cross-linking agent. The even distribution of GO in the membranes was mapped by visible-light microscopy. Hydroxylation and incorporation of GO in the polymer matrix increased the permeance up to 45.2 ± 1.6 L m-2 h-1 bar-1 in acetone, nearly 5 times higher than the unmodified benchmark membrane. The enhancement in permeance from the addition of GO did not compromise the solute rejection. The composite membranes were found to be tight in seven organic solvents, having molecular weight cut-offs (MWCO) as low as 140 g mol-1. Permeance increased with increasing solvent polarity, while rejection of a 420 g mol-1 pharmaceutical remained over 93%. The covalent anchoring resulted in robust composite membranes that maintained constant performance over 14 days in a continuous cross-flow configuration.