Hiroki Ashida

Bacterial variations on the methionine salvage pathway

BackgroundThe thiomethyl group of S-adenosylmethionine is often recycled as methionine from methylthioadenosine. The corresponding pathway has been unravelled in Bacillus subtilis. However methylthioadenosine is subjected to alternative degradative pathways depending on the organism.ResultsThis work uses genome in silico analysis to propose methionine salvage pathways for Klebsiella pneumoniae, Leptospira interrogans, Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis and Xylella fastidiosa. Experiments performed with mutants of B. subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa substantiate the hypotheses proposed. The enzymes that catalyze the reactions are recruited from a variety of origins. The first, ubiquitous, enzyme of the pathway, MtnA (methylthioribose-1-phosphate isomerase), belongs to a family of proteins related to eukaryotic intiation factor 2B alpha. mtnB codes for a methylthioribulose-1-phosphate dehydratase. Two reactions follow, that of an enolase and that of a phosphatase. While in B. subtilis this is performed by two distinct polypeptides, in the other organisms analyzed here an enolase-phosphatase yields 1,2-dihydroxy-3-keto-5-methylthiopentene. In the presence of dioxygen an aci-reductone dioxygenase yields the immediate precursor of methionine, ketomethylthiobutyrate. Under some conditions this enzyme produces carbon monoxide in B. subtilis, suggesting a route for a new gaseous mediator in bacteria. Ketomethylthiobutyrate is finally transaminated by an aminotransferase that exists usually as a broad specificity enzyme (often able to transaminate aromatic aminoacid keto-acid precursors or histidinol-phosphate).ConclusionA functional methionine salvage pathway was experimentally demonstrated, for the first time, in P. aeruginosa. Apparently, methionine salvage pathways are frequent in Bacteria (and in Eukarya), with recruitment of different polypeptides to perform the needed reactions (an ancestor of a translation initiation factor and RuBisCO, as an enolase, in some Firmicutes). Many are highly dependent on the presence of oxygen, suggesting that the ecological niche may play an important role for the existence and/or metabolic steps of the pathway, even in phylogenetically related bacteria. Further work is needed to uncover the corresponding steps when dioxygen is scarce or absent (this is important to explore the presence of the pathway in Archaea). The thermophile T. tengcongensis, that thrives in the absence of oxygen, appears to possess the pathway. It will be an interesting link to uncover the missing reactions in anaerobic environments.

Production of biologically active human thioredoxin 1 protein in lettuce chloroplasts

The production of human therapeutic proteins in plants provides opportunities for low-cost production, and minimizes the risk of contamination from potential human pathogens. Chloroplast genetic engineering is a particularly promising strategy, because plant chloroplasts can produce large amounts of foreign target proteins. Oxidative stress is a key factor in various human diseases. Human thioredoxin 1 (hTrx1) is a stress-induced protein that functions as an antioxidant against oxidative stress, and overexpression of hTrx1 has been shown to suppress various diseases in mice. Therefore, hTrx1 is a prospective candidate as a new human therapeutic protein. We created transplastomic lettuce expressing hTrx1 under the control of the psbA promoter. Transplastomic plants grew normally and were fertile. The hTrx1 protein accumulated to approximately 1% of total soluble protein in mature leaves. The hTrx1 protein purified from lettuce leaves was functionally active, and reduced insulin disulfides. The purified protein protected mouse insulinoma line 6 cells from damage by hydrogen peroxide, as reported previously for a recombinant hTrx1 expressed in Escherichia coli. This is the first report of expression of the biologically active hTrx1 protein in plant chloroplasts. This research opens up possibilities for plant-based production of hTrx1. Considering that this expression host is an edible crop plant, this transplastomic lettuce may be suitable for oral delivery of hTrx1.

A new rubisco-like protein coexists with a photosynthetic rubisco in the planktonic cyanobacteria microcystis

Two genes encoding proteins related to large subunits of Rubisco were identified in the genome of the planktonic cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa PCC 7806 that forms water blooms worldwide. The rbcLI gene belongs to the form I subfamily typically encountered in cyanobacteria, green algae, and land plants. The second and newly discovered gene is of the form IV subfamily and widespread in the Microcystis genus. In M. aeruginosa PCC 7806 cells, the expression of both rbcLI and rbcLIV is sulfur-dependent. The purified recombinant RbcLIV overexpressed in Escherichia coli cells did not display CO2 fixation activity but catalyzed enolization of 2,3-diketo-5-methylthiopentyl-1-phosphate, and the rbcLIV gene rescued a Bacillus subtilis MtnW-deficient mutant. Therefore, the Microcystis RbcLIV protein functions both in vitro and in vivo and might be involved in a methionine salvage pathway. Despite variations in the amino acid sequences, RbcLIV shares structural similarities with all members of the Rubisco superfamily. Invariant amino acids within the catalytic site may thus represent the minimal set for enolization, whereas variations, especially located in loop 6, may account for the limitation of the catalytic reaction to enolization. Even at low protein concentrations in vitro, the recombinant RbcLIV assembles spontaneously into dimers, the minimal unit required for Rubisco forms I–III activity. The discovery of the coexistence of RbcLI and RbcLIV in cyanobacteria, the ancestors of chloroplasts, enlightens episodes of the chaotic evolutionary history of the Rubiscos, a protein family of major importance for life on Earth.

Crystal structure of 5‐methylthioribose 1‐phosphate isomerase product complex from Bacillus subtilis: Implications for catalytic mechanism

The methionine salvage pathway (MSP) plays a crucial role in recycling a sulphahydryl derivative of the nucleoside. Recently, the genes and reactions in MSP from Bacillus subtilis have been identified, where 5‐methylthioribose 1‐phosphate isomerase (M1Pi) catalyzes a conversion of 5‐methylthioribose 1‐phosphate (MTR‐1‐P) to 5‐methylthioribulose 1‐phosphate (MTRu‐1‐P). Herein, we report the crystal structures of B. subtilis M1Pi (Bs‐M1Pi) in complex with its product MTRu‐1‐P, and a sulfate at 2.4 and 2.7 Å resolution, respectively. The electron density clearly shows the presence of each compound in the active site. The structural comparison with other homologous proteins explains how the substrate uptake of Bs‐M1Pi may be induced by an open/closed transition of the active site. The highly conserved residues at the active site, namely, Cys160 and Asp240 are most likely to be involved in catalysis. The structural analysis sheds light on its catalytic mechanism of M1Pi.

Enzymatic Characterization of 5-Methylthioribose 1-Phosphate Isomerase from Bacillus subtilis

The product of the mtnA gene of Bacillus subtilis catalyzes the isomerization of 5-methylthioribose 1-phosphate (MTR-1-P) to 5-methylthioribulose 1-phosphate (MTRu-1-P). The catalysis of MtnA is a novel isomerization of an aldose phosphate harboring a phosphate group on the hemiacetal group. This enzyme is distributed widely among bacteria through higher eukaryotes. The isomerase reaction analyzed using the recombinant B. subtilis enzyme showed a Michaelis constant for MTR-1-P of 138 μM, and showed that the maximum velocity of the reaction was 20.4 μmol min−1 (mg protein)−1. The optimum reaction temperature and reaction pH were 35 °C and 8.1. The activation energy of the reaction was calculated to be 68.7 kJ mol−1. The enzyme, with a molecular mass of 76 kDa, was composed of two subunits. The equilibrium constant in the reversible isomerase reaction [MTRu-1-P]/[MTR-1-P] was 6. We discuss the possible reaction mechanism.

Structural and biochemical basis for the inhibition of cell death by APIP, a methionine salvage enzyme

Significance Apaf-1 interacting protein (APIP) inhibits two main types of programmed cell death: apoptosis and pyroptosis. In addition, APIP is a 5-methylthioribulose-1-phosphate dehydratase (MtnB) in the methionine salvage pathway. We verified its enzymatic activity directly through an enzyme assay and determined its high-resolution structure. Furthermore, we explored the relationship between two distinct functions of APIP/MtnB, cell death inhibition and methionine salvage, and determined that it functions as a cell death inhibitor independently of its MtnB enzyme activity for apoptosis, but dependently for caspase-1–induced pyroptosis. Our results provide groundwork for studies of the role of APIP/MtnB in development of cancers and inflammatory diseases. APIP, Apaf-1 interacting protein, has been known to inhibit two main types of programmed cell death, apoptosis and pyroptosis, and was recently found to be associated with cancers and inflammatory diseases. Distinct from its inhibitory role in cell death, APIP was also shown to act as a 5-methylthioribulose-1-phosphate dehydratase, or MtnB, in the methionine salvage pathway. Here we report the structural and enzymatic characterization of human APIP as an MtnB enzyme with a Km of 9.32 μM and a Vmax of 1.39 μmol min−1 mg−1. The crystal structure was determined at 2.0-Å resolution, revealing an overall fold similar to members of the zinc-dependent class II aldolase family. APIP/MtnB exists as a tetramer in solution and exhibits an assembly with C4 symmetry in the crystal lattice. The pocket-shaped active site is located at the end of a long cleft between two adjacent subunits. We propose an enzymatic reaction mechanism involving Glu139* as a catalytic acid/base, as supported by enzymatic assay, substrate-docking study, and sequence conservation analysis. We explored the relationship between two distinct functions of APIP/MtnB, cell death inhibition, and methionine salvage, by measuring the ability of enzymatic mutants to inhibit cell death, and determined that APIP/MtnB functions as a cell death inhibitor independently of its MtnB enzyme activity for apoptosis induced by either hypoxia or etoposide, but dependently for caspase-1-induced pyroptosis. Our results establish the structural and biochemical groundwork for future mechanistic studies of the role of APIP/MtnB in modulating cell death and inflammation and in the development of related diseases.

Generation of transplastomic lettuce with enhanced growth and high yield.

We generated transplastomic lettuce plants expressing cyanobacterial fructose-1,6-/sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase (FBP/SBPase) in chloroplasts. Their photosynthetic capacity and productivity were increased 1.3-fold and 1.6-fold, respectively, compared with control plants transformed with pRL200, indicating that the introduction of the enzyme affects the photosynthetic capacity and growth of lettuce plants at ambient CO2 levels (360 ppm).

Structural and Functional Similarities between a Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase (RuBisCO)-like Protein from Bacillus subtilis and Photosynthetic RuBisCO

The sequences classified as genes for various ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO)-like proteins (RLPs) are widely distributed among bacteria, archaea, and eukaryota. In the phylogenic tree constructed with these sequences, RuBisCOs and RLPs are grouped into four separate clades, forms I-IV. In RuBisCO enzymes encoded by form I, II, and III sequences, 19 conserved amino acid residues are essential for CO2 fixation; however, 1-11 of these 19 residues are substituted with other amino acids in form IV RLPs. Among form IV RLPs, the only enzymatic activity detected to date is a 2,3-diketo-5-methylthiopentyl 1-phosphate (DK-MTP-1-P) enolase reaction catalyzed by Bacillus subtilis, Microcystis aeruginosa, and Geobacillus kaustophilus form IV RLPs. RLPs from Rhodospirillum rubrum, Rhodopseudomonas palustris, Chlorobium tepidum, and Bordetella bronchiseptica were inactive in the enolase reaction. DK-MTP-1-P enolase activity of B. subtilis RLP required Mg2+ for catalysis and, like RuBisCO, was stimulated by CO2. Four residues that are essential for the enolization reaction of RuBisCO, Lys175, Lys201, Asp203, and Glu204, were conserved in RLPs and were essential for DK-MTP-1-P enolase catalysis. Lys123, the residue conserved in DK-MTP-1-P enolases, was also essential for B. subtilis RLP enolase activity. Similarities between the active site structures of RuBisCO and B. subtilis RLP were examined by analyzing the effects of structural analogs of RuBP on DK-MTP-1-P enolase activity. A transition state analog for the RuBP carboxylation of RuBisCO was a competitive inhibitor in the DK-MTP-1-P enolase reaction with a Ki value of 103 μm. RuBP and d-phosphoglyceric acid, the substrate and product, respectively, of RuBisCO, were weaker competitive inhibitors. These results suggest that the amino acid residues utilized in the B. subtilis RLP enolase reaction are the same as those utilized in the RuBisCO RuBP enolization reaction.

Enzymatic Characterization of 5-Methylthioribulose-1-phosphate Dehydratase of the Methionine Salvage Pathway in Bacillus subtilis

5-Methylthioribulose-1-phosphate (MTRu-1-P) dehydratase catalyzes the reaction from MTRu-1-P to 2,3-diketo-5-methylthiopentyl-1-phosphate (DK-MTP-1-P) in the methionine salvage pathway in Bacillus subtilis. The properties of this enzyme remain to be determined. We characterized these properties using a recombinant protein. The enzyme, with a molecular mass of 90 kDa, was composed of four subunits. The K m and V max of the enzyme were 8.9 μM and 42.7 μmole min−1 mg protein−1 at 25 °C respectively. Maximum activity was observed at pH 7.5 to 8.5 and 40 °C. The activation energy of the reaction from MTRu-1-P to DK-MTP-1-P was 63.5 kJ mol−1. The reaction product DK-MTP-1-P was labile, and decomposed at a rate constant of 0.048 s−1 to an unknown compound that was not utilized by DK-MTP-1-P enolase, the enzyme catalyzing the next step. The function of this enzyme in the pathway is discussed.

A Phosphofructokinase B-Type Carbohydrate Kinase Family Protein, NARA5, for Massive Expressions of Plastid-Encoded Photosynthetic Genes in Arabidopsis

To date, there have been no reports on screening for mutants defective in the massive accumulation of Rubisco in higher plants. Here, we describe a screening method based on the toxic accumulation of ammonia in the presence of methionine sulfoximine, a specific inhibitor of glutamine synthetase, during photorespiration initiated by the oxygenase reaction of Rubisco in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Five recessive mutants with decreased amounts of Rubisco were identified and designated as nara mutants, as they contained a mutation in genes necessary for the achievement of Rubisco accumulation. The nara5-1 mutant showed markedly lower levels of plastid-encoded photosynthetic proteins, including Rubisco. Map-based cloning revealed that NARA5 encoded a chloroplast phosphofructokinase B-type carbohydrate kinase family protein of unknown function. The NARA5 protein fused to green fluorescent protein localized in chloroplasts. We conducted expression analyses of photosynthetic genes during light-induced greening of etiolated seedlings of nara5-1 and the T-DNA insertion mutant, nara5-2. Our results strongly suggest that NARA5 is indispensable for hyperexpression of photosynthetic genes encoded in the plastid genome, particularly rbcL.