Transglycosylation Activity of Engineered Bifidobacterium Lacto-N-Biosidase Mutants at Donor Subsites for Lacto-N-Tetraose Synthesis

The health benefits of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) make them attractive targets as supplements for infant formula milks. However, HMO synthesis is still challenging and only two HMOs have been marketed. Engineering glycoside hydrolases into transglycosylases may provide biocatalytic routes to the synthesis of complex oligosaccharides. Lacto-N-biosidase from Bifidobacterium bifidum (LnbB) is a GH20 enzyme present in the gut microbiota of breast-fed infants that hydrolyzes lacto-N-tetraose (LNT), the core structure of the most abundant type I HMOs. Here we report a mutational study in the donor subsites of the substrate binding cleft with the aim of reducing hydrolytic activity and conferring transglycosylation activity for the synthesis of LNT from p-nitrophenyl β-lacto-N-bioside and lactose. As compared with the wt enzyme with negligible transglycosylation activity, mutants with residual hydrolase activity within 0.05% to 1.6% of the wild-type enzyme result in transglycosylating enzymes with LNT yields in the range of 10–30%. Mutations of Trp394, located in subsite -1 next to the catalytic residues, have a large impact on the transglycosylation/hydrolysis ratio, with W394F being the best mutant as a biocatalyst producing LNT at 32% yield. It is the first reported transglycosylating LnbB enzyme variant, amenable to further engineering for practical enzymatic synthesis of LNT.     

Crossing the Border: From Keto- to Imine Reduction in Short-Chain Dehydrogenases/Reductases

The family of NAD(P)H-dependent short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases (SDRs) comprises numerous biocatalysts capable of C=O or C=C reduction. The highly homologous noroxomaritidine reductase (NR) from Narcissus sp. aff. pseudonarcissus and Zt_SDR from Zephyranthes treatiae, however, are SDRs with an extended imine substrate scope. Comparison with a similar SDR from Asparagus officinalis (Ao_SDR) exhibiting keto-reducing activity, yet negligible imine-reducing capability, and mining the Short-Chain Dehydrogenase/Reductase Engineering Database indicated that NR and Zt_SDR possess a unique active-site composition among SDRs. Adapting the active site of Ao_SDR accordingly improved its imine-reducing capability. By applying the same strategy, an unrelated SDR from Methylobacterium sp. 77 (M77_SDR) with distinct keto-reducing activity was engineered into a promiscuous enzyme with imine-reducing activity, thereby confirming that the ability to reduce imines can be rationally introduced into members of the “classical” SDR enzyme family. Thus, members of the SDR family could be a promising starting point for protein approaches to generate new imine-reducing enzymes.     

Biocatalytic Alkylation Cascades: Recent Advances and Future Opportunities for Late-Stage Functionalization

This Concept article describes the latest developments in the emerging area of late-stage biocatalytic alkylation. Central to these developments is the ability to efficiently prepare S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) cofactor analogues and couple this with enzymatic alkyl transfer. Recent developments in the enzymatic synthesis of SAM cofactor analogues are summarized first, followed by their application as alkyl transfer agents catalyzed by methyltransferases (MTases). Second, innovative methods to regenerate SAM cofactors by enzymatic cascades is reported. Finally, future opportunities towards establishing a generalized platform for late-stage alkylation are described.     

Identification of the Catalytic Residues in the Cyclase Domain of the Class IV Lanthipeptide Synthetase SgbL

Lanthipeptides belong to the family of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) and are subdivided into different classes based on their processing enzymes. The three-domain class IV lanthipeptide synthetases (LanL enzymes) consist of N-terminal lyase, central kinase, and C-terminal cyclase domains. While the catalytic residues of the kinase domains (mediating ATP-dependent Ser/Thr phosphorylations) and the lyase domains (carrying out subsequent phosphoserine/phosphothreonine (pSer/pThr) eliminations to yield dehydroalanine/dehydrobutyrine (Dha/Dhb) residues) have been characterized previously, such studies are missing for LanL cyclase domains. To close this gap of knowledge, this study reports on the identification and validation of the catalytic residues in the cyclase domain of the class IV lanthipeptide synthetase SgbL, which facilitate the nucleophilic attacks by Cys thiols on Dha/Dhb residues for the formation of β-thioether crosslinks.     

CYP154C5 Regioselectivity in Steroid Hydroxylation Explored by Substrate Modifications and Protein Engineering**

CYP154C5 from Nocardia farcinica is a P450 monooxygenase able to hydroxylate a range of steroids with high regio- and stereoselectivity at the 16α-position. Using protein engineering and substrate modifications based on the crystal structure of CYP154C5, an altered regioselectivity of the enzyme in steroid hydroxylation had been achieved. Thus, conversion of progesterone by mutant CYP154C5 F92A resulted in formation of the corresponding 21-hydroxylated product 11-deoxycorticosterone in addition to 16α-hydroxylation. Using MD simulation, this altered regioselectivity appeared to result from an alternative binding mode of the steroid in the active site of mutant F92A. MD simulation further suggested that the entrance of water to the active site caused higher uncoupling in this mutant. Moreover, exclusive 15α-hydroxylation was observed for wild-type CYP154C5 in the conversion of 5α-androstan-3-one, lacking an oxy-functional group at C17. Overall, our data give valuable insight into the structure–function relationship of this cytochrome P450 monooxygenase for steroid hydroxylation.     

“绿色”溶剂离子液的研究进展

近年来，离子液由于其独特的优点, 在生物催化及化学合成领域越来越受到青睐。由于缺乏蒸气压，离子液作为绿色溶剂有很大潜能。此外，离子液不像极性有机溶剂那样会使酶失活，因而简化了类似含有糖类这样极性底物的反应。在离子液中，生物催化反应表现出较高的选择性、较快的反应速率和较高的酶稳定性。但这些溶剂还存在着离子液的纯化、控制水活性和pH、高粘度以及产品分离等问题。     

非常规汽油脱硫技术

水蒸气脱硫是一种以水代替氢的脱硫方法,降低脱硫成本显著。以酶代替传统加氢催化剂的生物脱硫技术是一个引人注目的课题。结合催化和精馏的催化精馏脱硫法,在选择脱硫的对象上,相对传统的催化脱硫更具优势。萃取脱硫是采用一些极性溶剂混合物脱除汽油馏分中的硫化物,须加入氧化助剂才有较好的脱硫效果,由此将导致大的辅助车间和有限脱硫效率。膜过程脱硫、声化学脱硫、等离子体和光脱硫都属于物理方法,环保意义很大。对于吸附脱硫,从流化催化裂化汽油中除硫完全,而汽油产率降低很少,辛烷值几乎没有损失,是一种有前途的脱硫方法。     

离子液介质中生物催化与生物转化的研究进展

Ionic liquids have negligibly low vapor pressure, high stability and polarity. They are regarded as green solvents. Enzymes, especially lipases, as well as whole-cell of microbe, are catalytically active in ionic liquids or aqueous-ionic liquid biphasic systems. Up to date, there have been many reports on enzyme-exhibited features and enzyme-mediated reactions in ionic liquids. In many cases, remarkable results with respect to yield, catalytic activity, stability and (enantio-, regio-) selectivity were obtained in ionic liquids in comparison with those observed in conventional media. Accordingly, ionic liquids provide new possibilities for the application of new type of solvent in biocatalytic reactions.     

葡聚糖修饰漆酶的制备及其催化特性和稳定性

将经NaIO₄氧化处理的葡聚糖（500×10³）连接在漆酶分子上以提高漆酶在酸性溶液环境中的稳定性。HPLC和SDS-PAGE分析表明葡聚糖修饰漆酶的分子量在200×10³以上。荧光光谱和圆二色性光谱分析表明修饰漆酶保持了天然漆酶的三级和二级结构。酶催化反应显示修饰漆酶与天然漆酶具有类似的底物亲和性和催化活性，而其在酸性条件下的稳定性显著提高。通过葡聚糖修饰使得漆酶在pH 3,50℃下的酶活半衰期从0. 07 h提高到17. 1 h，在含30%（体积）乙腈, pH 3下的酶活半衰期从0. 11 h提高到10. 3 h。在不同pH下测定修饰漆酶在216 nm处的圆二色性光谱，结果显示偶联葡聚糖增强了漆酶分子的结构稳定性，提高了其在高温及有机溶剂存在下的催化活性。     

Discovery of New Phenylacetone Monooxygenase Variants for the Development of Substituted Indigoids through Biocatalysis

Indigoids are natural pigments obtained from plants by ancient cultures. Romans used them mainly as dyes, whereas Asian cultures applied these compounds as treatment agents for several diseases. In the modern era, the chemical industry has made it possible to identify and develop synthetic routes to obtain them from petroleum derivatives. However, these processes require high temperatures and pressures and large amounts of solvents, acids, and alkali agents. Thus, enzyme engineering and the development of bacteria as whole-cell biocatalysts emerges as a promising green alternative to avoid the use of these hazardous materials and consequently prevent toxic waste generation. In this research, we obtained two novel variants of phenylacetone monooxygenase (PAMO) by iterative saturation mutagenesis. Heterologous expression of these two enzymes, called PAMO_HPCD and PAMO_HPED, in E. coli was serendipitously found to produce indigoids. These interesting results encourage us to characterize the thermal stability and enzyme kinetics of these new variants and to evaluate indigo and indirubin production in a whole-cell system by HPLC. The highest yields were obtained with PAMO_HPCD supplemented with L-tryptophan, producing ~3000 mg/L indigo and ~130.0 mg/L indirubin. Additionally, both enzymes could oxidize and produce several indigo derivatives from substituted indoles, with PAMO_HPCD being able to produce the well-known Tyrian purple. Our results indicate that the PAMO variants described herein have potential application in the textile, pharmaceutics, and semiconductors industries, prompting the use of environmentally friendly strategies to obtain a diverse variety of indigoids.