Marie-Hélène Remy

Acetylcholinesterases from Elapidae snake venoms: biochemical, immunological and enzymatic characterization

We analyzed 45 batches of venom from 20 different species belonging to 11 genera from the 3 main families of venomous snakes (Elapidae, Viperidae and Crotalidae). We found high acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in all venoms from Elapidae, except in those from the Dendroaspis genus. AChE was particularly abundant in Bungarus venoms which contain up to 8 mg of enzyme per gram of dried venom. We could not detect acetylcholinesterase activity in any batch of venom from Viperidae or Crotalidae. Titration of active sites with an organophosphorous agent (MPT) revealed that the AChE of all venoms have similar turnovers (6000 to 8000 s(-1)) which are clearly higher than those of Torpedo and mammalian enzymes but lower than that of Electrophorus. AChEs from the venom of elapid snakes of the Bungarus, Naja, Ophiophagus and Haemacatus genera were purified by affinity chromatography. SDS-PAGE analysis and sucrose gradient centrifugation demonstrated that AChE is exclusively present as a nonamphiphilic monomer. These enzymes are true AChEs, hydrolyzing acetylthiocholine faster than propionylthiocholine and butyrylthiocholine and exhibiting excess substrate inhibition. Twenty-seven different monoclonal antibodies directed against AChE from Bungarus fasciatus venom were raised in mice. Half of them recognized exclusively the Bungarus enzyme while the others cross-reacted with AChEs from other venoms. Polyspecific mAbs were used to demonstrate that venoms from Dendroaspis, which contain the AChE inhibitor fasciculin but lack AChE activity, were also devoid of immunoreactive AChE protein. AChE inhibitors acting at the active site (edrophonium, tacrine) and at the peripheral site (propidium, fasciculin), as well as bis-quaternary ligands (BW284C51, decamethonium), were tested against the venom AChEs from 11 different species. All enzymes had a very similar pattern of reactivity with regard to the different inhibitors, with the exception of fasciculin. AChEs from Naja and Haemacatus venoms were relatively insensitive to fasciculin inhibition (IC50 >> 10(-6) M), while Bungarus (IC50 approximately 10(-8) M) and especially Ophiophagus (IC50 < 10(-10) M) AChEs were inhibited very efficiently. Ophiophagus and Bungarus AChEs were also efficiently inhibited by a monoclonal antibody (Elec-410) previously described as a specific ligand for the Electrophorus electricus peripheral site. Taken together, these results show that the venoms of most Elapidae snakes contain large amounts of a highly active non-amphiphilic monomeric AChE. All snake venom AChEs show strong immunological similarities and possess very similar enzymatic properties. However, they present quite different sensitivity to peripheral site inhibitors, fasciculin and the monoclonal antibody Elec-410.

Crystal structure of γ-tubulin complex protein GCP4 provides insight into microtubule nucleation

Microtubule nucleation in all eukaryotes involves γ-tubulin small complexes (γTuSCs) that comprise two molecules of γ-tubulin bound to γ-tubulin complex proteins (GCPs) GCP2 and GCP3. In many eukaryotes, multiple γTuSCs associate with GCP4, GCP5 and GCP6 into large γ-tubulin ring complexes (γTuRCs). Recent cryo-EM studies indicate that a scaffold similar to γTuRCs is formed by lateral association of γTuSCs, with the C-terminal regions of GCP2 and GCP3 binding γ-tubulin molecules. However, the exact role of GCPs in microtubule nucleation remains unknown. Here we report the crystal structure of human GCP4 and show that its C-terminal domain binds directly to γ-tubulin. The human GCP4 structure is the prototype for all GCPs, as it can be precisely positioned within the γTuSC envelope, revealing the nature of protein-protein interactions and conformational changes regulating nucleation activity.

Direct electrochemical determination of glucose oxidase in biological samples

An electrochemical method for the quantitation of glucose oxidase in murine plasma and tissues has been developed. Instead of oxygen, this method uses benzoquinone as an artificial cosubstrate of glucose oxidase. The quantitative detection of the enzymatically produced hydroquinone by controlled-potential amperometry allows measurement of glucose oxidase concentrations in biological samples. The use of an internal standard corrects for all possible interfering effects. We demonstrated a 10-fold increase in sensitivity, as well as the ability to work in turbid media, in comparison to spectrophotometric methods.

Antiidiotypic Antibodies Exhibiting an Acetylcholinesterase Abzyme Activity

In 1986, catalytic antibodies (abzymes) were obtained with monoclonal antibodies elicited to haptens that are analogues of the transition state for hydrolysis of esters.’J Since then more sophisticated transformations have been reported, including bimolecular reactions, pericyclic rearrangements, photoreductions, redox reactions, elimination reactions, or peptide bond hydr~lysis.~ Since the network theory of immune regulation, the properties of antiidiotypic antibodies (anti-IdAbs) have been investigated widely. The combining site of an anti-IdAb may contain information regarding the three-dimensional structure of an antigen.4 Anti-IdAbs have thus been used as probes of protein active sites and in structure-function analysis in receptor-ligand interactions. However, these remarkable properties of “internal imagery” have not been exploited to design catalytic anti-IdAbs. The monoclonal antibody AE-2 raised against human erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase (AChE) has been previously described to inhibit the enzyme ac t i~ i ty .~ The epitope resides on each of the individual subunits of the enzyme, but is still not completely characterized. However, competition studies with active site-specific directed reversible inhibitors of AChE (BW 28401, edrophonium, or 2-PAM) indicate that the AE-2 epitope is putatively one of the anionic sites.6~~ In the present paper, the monoclonal antibody AE-2 was used to induce antiidiotypic antibodies. These anti-IdAbs are exhibiting an acetylcholinesterase abzyme activity.

Spindle assembly defects leading to the formation of a monopolar mitotic apparatus

Mitotic spindle formation in animal cells involves microtubule nucleation from two centrosomes that are positioned at opposite sides of the nucleus. Microtubules are captured by the kinetochores and stabilized. In addition, microtubules can be nucleated independently of the centrosome and stabilized by a gradient of Ran—GTP, surrounding the mitotic chromatin. Complex regulation ensures the formation of a bipolar apparatus, involving motor proteins and controlled polymerization and depolymerization of microtubule ends. The bipolar apparatus is, in turn, responsible for faithful chromosome segregation. During recent years, a variety of experiments has indicated that defects in specific motor proteins, centrosome proteins, kinases and other proteins can induce the assembly of aberrant spindles with a monopolar morphology or with poorly separated poles. Induction of monopolar spindles may be a useful strategy for cancer therapy, since ensuing aberrant mitotic exit will usually lead to cell death. In this review, we will discuss the various underlying molecular mechanisms that may be responsible for monopolar spindle formation.

Microenvironmental effects on enzyme catalysis. A kinetic study of hydrophobic derivatives of chymotrypsin.

The aim of this work was to study the role of hydrophobic interactions in the enzymic activity of chymotrypsin. The amino groups of chymotrypsin were chemically modified by aliphatic aldehydes of various chain lengths - acetaldehyde, butyraldehyde, hexanal - and with two aldehydes of different steric hindrance - benzaldehyde and trimethyl acetaldehyde. After a rapid study of the derivated enzymes, the hexylchymotrypsin has been chosen for its new catalytic properties: the Michaelis constant is not modified and the maximal velocity with N-glutaryl-L-phenylalanine-4-nitroaniline is increased to 164%. The increase is due to the increase of the acylation constant, k2, by 230%. The value of k3 is not modified or less modified. In the modified enzyme, 85% of free amino acids are still able to react with trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid. The optimum pH is shifted by one pH unit towards the alkaline pH. The thermodynamic study shows that the catalytic process itself is not modified. The increase in Vm could be a simple increase of k2 linked to a modification of the site or of the protein. The phenomenon described is very specific and obtained only with one modification, hexanal, and with one enzyme, alpha-chymotrypsin.

Virtual and Biophysical Screening Targeting the γ-Tubulin Complex – A New Target for the Inhibition of Microtubule Nucleation

Microtubules are the main constituents of mitotic spindles. They are nucleated in large amounts during spindle assembly, from multiprotein complexes containing γ-tubulin and associated γ-tubulin complex proteins (GCPs). With the aim of developing anti-cancer drugs targeting these nucleating complexes, we analyzed the interface between GCP4 and γ-tubulin proteins usually located in a multiprotein complex named γ-TuRC (γ-Tubulin Ring Complex). 10 ns molecular dynamics simulations were performed on the heterodimers to obtain a stable complex in silico and to analyze the residues involved in persistent protein-protein contacts, responsible for the stability of the complex. We demonstrated in silico the existence of a binding pocket at the interface between the two proteins upon complex formation. By combining virtual screening using a fragment-based approach and biophysical screening, we found several small molecules that bind specifically to this pocket. Sub-millimolar fragments have been experimentally characterized on recombinant proteins using differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF) for validation of these compounds as inhibitors. These results open a new avenue for drug development against microtubule-nucleating γ-tubulin complexes.

Kinetics of amino acid esterification catalyzed by hydrophobic derivatives of α-chymotrypsin

Abstract Hexyl-α-chymotrypsin, a hydrophobic derivative of the enzyme, is explored for the proteinase-catalyzed ester synthesis reaction with N- acetyl - l - tyrosine and ethanol. To guarantee the preservation of the enzyme activity and to allow for the extraction of the product in the organic phase, a biphasic system was used. The Vm increased for the modified enzyme. This phenomenon was linked to the modification of the protein as demonstrated by its chemical denaturation with sodium dodecyl sulfate.

Neoglycoenzymes: production and physicochemical properties

Abstract Some neoglycoenzymes have been prepared by reductive alkylation of enzymes and reduction of disaccharides in the presence of sodium cyanoborohydride. For neoglycochymotrypsin and neoglycogalactosidase, resistance to chemical and thermal denaturation and the Michaelis constants were compared with the native enzymes. Neoglycochymotrypsin was more resistant to thermal denaturation at 50°C under autolysis conditions or otherwise. For immobilized neoglycochymotrypsin, although the protection conferred by glycosylation disappeared, protection due to the immobilization process was observed which increased with the degree of polymerization. For soluble chymotrypsin polymers, the attachment of lactose increased the resistance to wards thermal denaturation. The Michaelis constant may or may not vary after modification of amino groups. These neoglycoenzymes modified by low molecular weight sugars are more thermally resistant and may be applied to industrial processes, or in medicine in lysosomal storage diseases for targeting enzymes towards specific cells.