R. S. Esipov

Crystal growth of phosphopantetheine adenylyltransferase, carboxypeptidase t, and thymidine phosphorylase on the international space station by the capillary counter-diffusion method

Crystals of phosphopantetheine adenylyltransferase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, thymidine phosphorylase from Escherichia coli, carboxypeptidase T from Thermoactinomyces vulgaris and its mutant forms, and crystals of complexes of these proteins with functional ligands and inhibitors were grown by the capillary counter-diffusion method in the Japanese Experimental Module Kibo on the International Space Station. The high-resolution X-ray diffraction data sets suitable for the determination of high-resolution three-dimensional structures of these proteins were collected from the grown crystals on the SPring-8 synchrotron radiation facility. The conditions of crystal growth for the proteins and the data-collection statistics are reported. The crystals grown in microgravity diffracted to a higher resolution than crystals of the same proteins grown on Earth.

Production of recombinant human epidermal growth factor using Ssp dnaB mini-intein system

Chemical-enzymatic synthesis of human Epidermal Growth Factor (hEGF) cDNA has been performed, following by cloning into expression vector pTWIN1 (New England Biolabs). The resulting recombinant fusion protein expressed in Escherichia coli consisted of the N-terminal chitin-binding domain, mini-intein Ssp dnaB domain and hEGF polypeptide at the C-terminus. In this construct, mini-intein Ssp dnaB played a role of catalytically active subunit capable under certain conditions of autocatalytic cleavage resulting in separation of the target protein. As the hybrid protein had several cysteins in its sequence-one in chitin-binding domain, one in mini-intein and six in hEGF, it was necessary to work out optimal scheme for refolding and purification of the recombinant hEGF. As a result of this work, two schemes of the recombinant hEGF purification have been developed: according to the first scheme, the recombinant protein with reduced cysteins is bound to the chitin column, the hEGF is cleaved off and eluted, and then refolded to form appropriate cystein bridges. In the second scheme, the entire hybrid protein is first refolded to form disulfide bonds and then loaded to affinity resin; the recombinant hEGF is cleaved off and eluted in its native state. In spite of the fact that the first scheme is more common and suitable for a variety of recombinant proteins, in case of recombinant hEGF, the second scheme proved to be more productive and cost-effective.

Substrate specificity of Escherichia coli thymidine phosphorylase

Substrate specificity of Escherichia coli thymidine phosphorylase to thymidine derivatives modified at 5′-, 3′-, and 2′,3′-positions of the sugar moiety was studied. Equilibrium and kinetic constants (Km, KI, kcat) of the phosphorolysis reaction have been determined for 20 thymidine analogs. The results are compared with X-ray and molecular dynamics data. The most important hydrogen bonds in the enzyme-substrate complex are revealed.

The chemoenzymatic synthesis of clofarabine and related 2′-deoxyfluoroarabinosyl nucleosides: the electronic and stereochemical factors determining substrate recognition by E. coli nucleoside phosphorylases

Summary Two approaches to the synthesis of 2-chloro-9-(2-deoxy-2-fluoro-β-D-arabinofuranosyl)adenine (1, clofarabine) were studied. The first approach consists in the chemical synthesis of 2-deoxy-2-fluoro-α-D-arabinofuranose-1-phosphate (12a, 2FAra-1P) via three step conversion of 1,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-α-D-arabinofuranose (9) into the phosphate 12a without isolation of intermediary products. Condensation of 12a with 2-chloroadenine catalyzed by the recombinant E. coli purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) resulted in the formation of clofarabine in 67% yield. The reaction was also studied with a number of purine bases (2-aminoadenine and hypoxanthine), their analogues (5-aza-7-deazaguanine and 8-aza-7-deazahypoxanthine) and thymine. The results were compared with those of a similar reaction with α-D-arabinofuranose-1-phosphate (13a, Ara-1P). Differences of the reactivity of various substrates were analyzed by ab initio calculations in terms of the electronic structure (natural purines vs analogues) and stereochemical features (2FAra-1P vs Ara-1P) of the studied compounds to determine the substrate recognition by E. coli nucleoside phosphorylases. The second approach starts with the cascade one-pot enzymatic transformation of 2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-arabinose into the phosphate 12a, followed by its condensation with 2-chloroadenine thereby affording clofarabine in ca. 48% yield in 24 h. The following recombinant E. coli enzymes catalyze the sequential conversion of 2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-arabinose into the phosphate 12a: ribokinase (2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-arabinofuranose-5-phosphate), phosphopentomutase (PPN; no 1,6-diphosphates of D-hexoses as co-factors required) (12a), and finally PNP. The substrate activities of D-arabinose, D-ribose and D-xylose in the similar cascade syntheses of the relevant 2-chloroadenine nucleosides were studied and compared with the activities of 2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-arabinose. As expected, D-ribose exhibited the best substrate activity [90% yield of 2-chloroadenosine (8) in 30 min], D-arabinose reached an equilibrium at a concentration of ca. 1:1 of a starting base and the formed 2-chloro-9-(β-D-arabinofuranosyl)adenine (6) in 45 min, the formation of 2-chloro-9-(β-D-xylofuranosyl)adenine (7) proceeded very slowly attaining ca. 8% yield in 48 h.

X-ray study of the conformational changes in the molecule of phosphopantetheine adenylyltransferase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis during the catalyzed reaction.

Structures of recombinant phosphopantetheine adenylyltransferase (PPAT) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (PPATMt) in the apo form and in complex with the substrate ATP were determined at 1.62 and 1.70 Å resolution, respectively, using crystals grown in microgravity by the counter-diffusion method. The ATP molecule of the PPATMt-ATP complex was located with full occupancy in the active-site cavity. Comparison of the solved structures with previously determined structures of PPATMt complexed with the reaction product dephosphocoenzyme A (dPCoA) and the feedback inhibitor coenzyme A (CoA) was performed using superposition on C(α) atoms. The peculiarities of the arrangement of the ligands in the active-site cavity of PPATMt are described. The conformational states of the PPAT molecule in the consequent steps of the catalyzed reaction in the apo enzyme and the enzyme-substrate and enzyme-product complexes are characterized. It is shown that the binding of ATP and dPCoA induces the rearrangement of a short part of the polypeptide chain restricting the active-site cavity in the subunits of the hexameric enzyme molecule. The changes in the quaternary structure caused by this rearrangement are accompanied by a variation of the size of the inner water-filled channel which crosses the PPAT molecule along the threefold axis of the hexamer. The molecular mechanism of the observed changes is described.

A New Strategy for the Synthesis of Nucleosides: One-Pot Enzymatic Transformation of D-Pentoses into Nucleosides

A possibility of the one-pot synthesis of purine and pyrimidine nucleosides employing pure recombinant ribokinase, phosphopentomutase and nucleoside phosphorylases in a caskade transformation of D-pentoses into nucleosides is demonstrated. Preliminary results of this study point to reliability to develop practical methods for the preparation of a number of biologically important nucleosides.

An Enzymatic Transglycosylation of Purine Bases

An enzymatic transglycosylation of purine heterocyclic bases employing readily available natural nucleosides or sugar-modified nucleosides as donors of the pentofuranose fragment and recombinant nucleoside phosphorylases as biocatalysts has been investigated. An efficient enzymatic method is suggested for the synthesis of purine nucleosides containing diverse substituents at the C6 and C2 carbon atoms. The glycosylation of N6-benzoyladenine and N2-acetylguanine and its O6-derivatives is not accompanied by deacylation of bases.

Production and Purification of Recombinant Human Glucagon Overexpressed as Intein Fusion Protein in Escherichia coli

Chemico-enzymatic synthesis and cloning in Esherichia coli of an artificial gene coding human glucagon was performed. Recombinant plasmid containing hybrid glucagons gene and intein Ssp dnaB from Synechocestis sp. was designed. Expression of the obtained hybrid gene in E. coli, properties of the formed hybrid protein, and conditions of its autocatalytic cleavage leading to glucagon formation were studied.

Preparation of the Crystal Complex of Phosphopantetheine Adenylyltransferase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis with Coenzyme A and Investigation of Its Three-Dimensional Structure at 2.1-Å Resolution

Recombinant phosphopantetheine adenylyltransferase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (PPAT Mt), which was produced by a high-producing strain and purified to 99%, was used for the crystal growth of the complex of the enzyme with coenzyme A (CoA). Crystals suitable for X-ray diffraction study were obtained by cocrystallization. The crystals belong to sp. gr. R32 and have the unit-cell parameters a = b = 98.840 Å, c = 112.880 Å, α = β = 90.00°, and γ = 120.00°. The three-dimensional structure of the complex was determined based on X-ray diffraction data collected from the crystals to 2.1 Å resolution and refined to Rf = 22.7% and Rfree = 25.93%. Active-site bound coenzyme A was found, and its nearest environment was described. The conformational changes of the enzyme due to ligand binding were revealed. The binding of CoA by tuberculosis phosphopantetheine adenylyltransferase was characterized by comparing the structures of the title complex to a similar complex of PPAT from E. coli (PPAT Ec).

Production of thymosin α1 via non-enzymatic acetylation of the recombinant precursor

Human thymosin α1 is an effective immune system enhancer for the treatment of cancer and viral diseases. Therefore the development of new methods for its synthesis is an urgent problem. In the present work, we propose an efficient scalable scheme for the production of recombinant thymosin α1. We used an expression system based on the pET32b+ plasmid and Escherichia coli strain ER2566 to obtain a fusion protein consisting of thymosin α1 and thioredoxin separated by a TEV (tobacco etch virus) protease cleavage site. The fusion protein was overexpressed in soluble form and purified by ion‐exchange chromatography. After proteolytic cleavage of the fusion protein with TEV protease, recombinant desacetylthymosin α1 was isolated by ultrafiltration. Acetic anhydride was used for selective N‐terminal acetylation of the obtained peptide (yield=62%). The resultant thymosin α1 was purified by RP‐HPLC (reversed‐phase HPLC). The distinctive feature of this technology is that it is a combination of different approaches: the biotechnological production of recombinant fusion protein, its enzymatic cleavage, and chemical acetylation of desacetylthymosin α1. Each stage of the process was optimized to increase the yield of the target peptide, which averaged 29 mg/litre of bacterial culture. The proposed method is simple and cost‐effective and is suitable for large‐scale production of recombinant thymosin α1.