scholarly journals Biosynthesis of heparin/heparan sulphate: mechanism of epimerization of glucuronyl C-5

2000 ◽  
Vol 347 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Åsa HAGNER-MCWHIRTER ◽  
Ulf LINDAHL ◽  
Jin-ping LI

In the biosynthesis of heparin and heparan sulphate, D-glucuronic acid residues are converted into L-iduronic acid (IdoA) units by C-5 epimerization, at the polymer level. The reaction catalysed by the epimerase occurs by reversible abstraction and readdition of a proton at C-5 of target hexuronic acid residues, through a carbanion intermediate, with or without an inversion of configuration at C-5 [Prihar, Campbell, Feingold, Jacobsson, Jensen, Lindahl and Rodén (1980) Biochemistry 19, 495-500]. Incubation of chemically N-sulphated capsular polysaccharide from Escherichia coli K5 ([4GlcAβ1-4GlcNSO3α1-]n), or of O-desulphated heparin (predominantly [4IdoAα1-4GlcNSO3α1-]n) with purified C-5 epimerase from bovine liver, resulted in the interconversion of glucuronic acid and IdoA residues, which reached equilibrium (30-40% IdoA/total hexuronic acid) after approx. 1 h of incubation. Similar incubations performed in the presence of 3H2O resulted in progressive labelling at C-5 of the target hexuronic acid units of either substrate polysaccharide. Contrary to chemical D-gluco/L-ido equilibrium, established within 1 h of incubation, the accumulation of 3H label continued for at least 6 h. This isotope effect suggests that the second stage of the reaction, i.e. the re-addition of a proton to the carbanion intermediate, is the rate-limiting step of the overall process. Analysis of the 5-3H-labelled polysaccharide products showed that the 3H was approximately equally distributed between glucuronic acid and IdoA units, irrespective of incubation time (from 15 min to 72 h) and of the relative proportions of the two epimers in the substrate. This finding points to a catalytic mechanism in which the abstraction and re-addition of C-5 protons are effected by two polyprotic bases, presumably lysine residues. Previous experiments relating to the biosynthesis of dermatan sulphate were similarly interpreted in terms of a two-base epimerization mechanism but differed from the present findings by implicating one monoprotic and one polyprotic base function [Hannesson, Hagner-McWhirter, Tiedemann, Lindahl and Malmström (1996) Biochem. J. 313, 589-596].

Scientifica ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arghya Barman ◽  
Rajeev Prabhakar

In this review, information regarding substrate and site specificities, catalytic mechanism, and protonation states of the catalytic Asp dyad ofβ-secretase (BACE1) derived from computational studies has been discussed. BACE1 catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the generation of Alzheimer amyloid beta peptide through the proteolytic cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein. Due to its biological functioning, this enzyme has been considered as one of the most important targets for finding the cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations suggested that structural differences in the key regions (inserts A, D, and F and the 10s loop) of the enzyme are responsible for the observed difference in its activities towards the WT- and SW-substrates. The modifications in the flap, third strand, and insert F regions were found to be involved in the alteration in the site specificity of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol bound form of BACE1. Our QM and QM/MM calculations suggested that BACE1 hydrolyzed the SW-substrate more efficiently than the WT-substrate and that cleavage of the peptide bond occurred in the rate-determining step. The results from molecular docking studies showed that the information concerning a single protonation state of the Asp dyad is not enough to run an in silico screening campaign.


1980 ◽  
Vol 191 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid Sjöberg ◽  
Lars-Ȧke Fransson

1. 3H- and 35S-labelled heparan sulphate was isolated from monolayers of human lung fibroblasts and subjected to degradations by (a) deaminative cleavage and (b) periodate oxidation/alkaline elimination. Fragments were resolved by gel- and ion-exchange-chromatography. 2. Deaminative cleavage of the radioactive glycan afforded mainly disaccharides with a low content of ester-sulphate and free sulphate, indicating that a large part (approx. 80%) of the repeating units consisted of uronosyl-glucosamine-N-sulphate. Blocks of non-sulphated [glucuronosyl-N-acetyl glucosamine] repeats (3–4 consecutive units) accounted for the remainder of the chains. 3. By selective oxidation of glucuronic acid residues associated with N-acetylglucosamine, followed by scission in alkali, the radioactive glycan was degraded into a series of fragments. The glucuronosyl-N-acetylglucosamine-containing block regions yielded a compound N-acetylglucosamine–R, where R is the remnant of an oxidized and degraded glucuronic acid. Periodate-insensitive uronic acid residues were recovered in saccharides of the general structure glucosamine–(uronic acid–glucosamine)n–R. 4. Further degradations of these saccharides via deaminative cleavage and re-oxidations with periodate revealed that iduronic acid may be located in sequences such as glucosamine-N-sulphate→iduronic acid→N-acetylglucosamine. Occasionally the iduronic acid was sulphated. Blocks of iduronic acid-containing repeats may contain up to five consecutive units. Alternating arrangements of iduronic acid- and glucuronic acid-containing repeats were also observed. 5. 3H- and 35S-labelled heparan sulphates from sequential extracts of fibroblasts (medium, EDTA, trypsin digest, dithiothreitol extract, cell-soluble and cell-insoluble material) afforded similar profiles after both periodate oxidation/alkaline elimination and deaminative cleavage.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos M. De Leon-Rodriguez ◽  
Man Shun Fu ◽  
M. Osman Corbali ◽  
Radames J.B. Cordero ◽  
Arturo Casadevall

AbstractPhagosomal acidification is a critical cellular mechanism for the inhibition and killing of ingested microbes by phagocytic cells. The acidic environment activates microbicidal proteins and creates an unfavorable environment for the growth of many microbes. Consequently, numerous pathogenic microbes have developed strategies for countering phagosomal acidification through various mechanisms that include interference with phagosome maturation. The human pathogenic fungusCryptococcus neoformansresides in acidic phagosome after macrophage ingestion that actually provides a favorable environment for replication since the fungus replicates faster at acidic pH. We hypothesized that the glucuronic acid residues in the capsular polysaccharide had the capacity to affect phagosome acidity through their acid-base properties. A ratiometric fluorescence comparison of imaged phagosomes containingC. neoformansto those containing beads showed that the latter were significantly more acidic. Similarly, phagosomes containing non-encapsulatedC. neoformanscells were more acidic than those containing encapsulated cells. Acid-base titrations of isolatedC. neoformanspolysaccharide revealed that it behaves as a weak acid with maximal buffering capacity around pH 4-5. We interpret these results as indicating that the glucuronic acid residues in theC. neoformanscapsular polysaccharide can buffer phagosomal acidification. Interference with phagosomal acidification represents a new function for the cryptococcal capsule in virulence and suggests the importance of considering the acid-base properties of microbial capsules in the host-microbe interaction for other microbes with charged residues in their capsules.ImportanceCryptococcus neoformansis the causative agent of cryptococcosis, a devastating fungal disease that affects thousands of individuals worldwide. This fungus has the capacity to survive inside phagocytic cells, which contributes to persistence of infection and dissemination. One of the major mechanisms of host phagocytes is to acidify the phagosomal compartment after ingestion of microbes. This study shows that the capsule ofC. neoformanscan interfere with full phagosomal acidification by serving as a buffer.


2010 ◽  
Vol 88 (8) ◽  
pp. 804-814 ◽  
Author(s):  
WenJuan Huang ◽  
Jorge Llano ◽  
James W. Gauld

Uridine 5′-diphosphate glucuronic acid (UDPGlcUA) is a key intermediary metabolite in many species, including pathogenic bacteria and humans. It is biosynthesized from UDP-glucose (UDPGlc) by uridine diphosphate glucose dehydrogenase (UDPGlcDH) via a twofold two-electron–one-proton oxidation that successively transforms the 6-hydroxymethyl of glucopyranose into a formyl, and the latter into the final carboxylic function. The catalytic mechanism of UDPGlcDH was investigated using a large enzyme active-site model in combination with the B3LYP method and the polarizable continuum model (IEF-PCM) self-consistent reaction field. The latter was used to correct for the long-range electrostatic effect of the protein environment. The overall mechanism consists of four catalytic steps: (i) NAD+-dependent oxidation of glucose to glucuronaldehyde, (ii) nucleophilic addition of Cys260–SH to glucuronaldehyde to form a 6-thiohemiacetal intermediate, (iii) NAD+-dependent oxidation of the 6-thiohemiacetal to form a 6-thioester intermediate, and finally, (iv) hydrolysis of the 6-thioester to give glucuronic acid. In addition, this study also provides insight into the debated roles of Lys204 and Asp264, and the most likely protonation state of a reactive Michaelis complex of UDPGlcDH.


1998 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Ennamany ◽  
D Saboureau ◽  
N Mekideche ◽  
E E Creppy

SECMA 1® is a polypeptide purified from a green algeae of the Ulva species by several gel chromatographies, showing the following sequence (Glu-Asp-Arg-Leu-Lys-Pro). In order to determine the effect of SECMA 1® on human skin fibroblasts extracellular matrix, proteoglycans (PGs) and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) were assayed after 24 h incubation of 20 day-old foreskin fibroblasts at the 2nd passage. The results revealed that most of [35S]sulphate was associated with fibroblast membranes, which contained (67%) of the total de novo synthesized sulphated PGs, in two distinct forms: one hydrophilic (39%), and one hydrophobic (28%). The remaining `matrix' retained 5% of proteoglycans. The remaining 35S-label may represent the free label in the cytosol. After 24 h incubation of skin fibroblasts with different concentrations of SECMA 1® (2, 4 and 10 μg/ml), the [35S] sulphate incorporation into PGs of Salt-extract, sodium deoxycholate (DOC) extract and Guanidine hydrochloride (GuA-HCl)-extract was increased significantly ( P<0.005) with 4 μg/ml, as compared to untreated control. The most effective concentration (4 μg/ml) increased the different [35S]sulphate PGs extracts (NaCl, DOC and GuA-HCl) by respectively (66; 17 and 75%). The relative contents of iduronic and glucuronic acid in the GAG produced by skin fibroblasts were estimated. No effect of SECMA 1® on the incorporation of [35S]sulphate into Heparan sulphate was found. The incorporation of [35S]sulphate into (chondroïtine sulphate + heparan sulphate) and (chondroïtine sulphate + dermatan sulphate) was increased by respectively 37% and 11% by SECMA 1® (4 μg/ml).


2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 945-955 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Chen ◽  
Shulin Yang

AbstractUDP-glucose dehydrogenase (UGDH), an oxidoreductase, catalyzes the NAD+-dependent four-electron oxidation of UDP-glucose to UDP-glucuronic acid. The catalytic mechanism of UGDH remains controversial despite extensive investigation and is classified into two types according to whether an aldehyde intermediate is generated in the first oxidation step. The first type, which involves the presence of this putative aldehyde, is inconsistent with some experimental findings. In contrast, the second type, which indicates that the first oxidation step bypasses the aldehyde via an NAD+-dependent bimolecular nucleophilic substitution (SN2) reaction, is consistent with the experimental phenomena, including those that cannot be explained by the first type. This NAD+-dependent SN2 mechanism is thus more reasonable and likely applicable to other oxidoreductases that catalyze four-electron oxidation reactions.


1983 ◽  
Vol 211 (3) ◽  
pp. 677-682 ◽  
Author(s):  
P N Sanderson ◽  
I A Nieduszynski ◽  
T N Huckerby

Oligosaccharides with the general structure UA-(GlcNAc-GlcUA-)m-aManOH (m = 1-5) (where UA represents uronic acid, GlcNAc N-acetylglucosamine, GlcUA glucuronic acid and aManOH anhydromannitol) were prepared from low-sulphated heparan sulphates of bovine lung origin by nitrous acid deaminative cleavage followed by reduction. Analysis of the methylene signals in the 100 MHz 13C-n.m.r. spectrum of the tetrasaccharide (m = 1) shows that, whereas the extent of C-6 O-sulphation in the GlcNAc is approx. 65%, in the aManOH [formerly a GlcNSO3 (N-sulphoglucosamine) residue in the parent heparan sulphate] it is only approx. 10%. In the higher oligosaccharides (m = 2-5) the gross extent of C-6 O-sulphation of GlcNAc residues falls systematically with increasing oligosaccharide size, whereas that in the aManOH residues remains below 10%. There is also evidence that the C-6 O-sulphation of the GlcNAc residues is confined to the GlcNAc residue adjacent to the non-reducing terminal uronic acid residue. It is therefore tentatively proposed that the GlcNAc in the sequence -GlcNSO3-UA-GlcNAc- might be a favoured substrate for the 6-O-sulphotransferase. It is concluded that in the low-sulphated heparan sulphates GlcNSO3 residues that do not occur in (GlcNSO3-UA-)n blocks tend to have a significantly smaller extent of C-6 O-sulphation than do GlcNAc residues that occur in -GlcNSO3-UA-GlcNAc-GlcUA-GlcNSO3-sequences.


1989 ◽  
Vol 67 (6) ◽  
pp. 1038-1050 ◽  
Author(s):  
James C. Richards ◽  
Malcolm B. Perry ◽  
Peter J. Kniskern

The structure of the specific capsular polysaccharide produced by Streptococcuspneumoniae type 22F (American type 22) was investigated by high-field 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, composition, methylation analysis, and periodate oxidation studies. The polysaccharide was found to be a high molecular weight acidic polymer composed of D-glucose, D-galactose, D-glucuronic acid, and L-rhamnose residues to form a regular repeating hexasaccharide unit having the structure[Formula: see text]in which the β-L-rhamnopyranosyl residues were substituted by O-acetyl groups in 80% of the repeating units. The 1H and 13C nmr resonances of the O-deacetylated type 22F polysaccharide were completely assigned by application of two-dimensional homo- and heteronuclear chemical shift correlation techniques. Keywords: Streptococcuspneumoniae polysaccharide, NMR analysis.


1974 ◽  
Vol 141 (3) ◽  
pp. 667-673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul A. Gainey ◽  
Charles F. Phelps

The binding of NAD+and NADH to bovine liver UDP-glucose dehydrogenase was studied by using gel-filtration and fluorescence-titration methods. The enzyme bound 0.5mol of NAD+and 2 mol of NADH/mol of subunit at saturating concentrations of both substrate and product. The dissociation constant for NADH was 4.3μm. The binding of NAD+to the enzyme resulted in a small quench of protein fluorescence whereas the binding of NADH resulted in a much larger (60–70%) quench of protein fluorescence. The binding of NADH to the enzyme was pH-dependent. At pH8.1 a biphasic profile was obtained on titrating the enzyme with NADH, whereas at pH8.8 the titration profile was hyperbolic. UDP-xylose, and to a lesser extent UDP-glucuronic acid, lowered the apparent affinity of the enzyme for NADH.


2003 ◽  
Vol 372 (2) ◽  
pp. 371-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emanuel SMEDS ◽  
Hiroko HABUCHI ◽  
Anh-Tri DO ◽  
Eva HJERTSON ◽  
Helena GRUNDBERG ◽  
...  

Glycosaminoglycan heparan sulphate interacts with a variety of proteins, such as growth factors, cytokines, enzymes and inhibitors and, thus, influences cellular functions, including adhesion, motility, differentiation and morphogenesis. The interactions generally involve saccharide domains in heparan sulphate chains, with precisely located O-sulphate groups. The 6-O-sulphate groups on glucosamine units, supposed to be involved in various interactions of functional importance, occur in different structural contexts. Three isoforms of the glucosaminyl 6-O-sulphotransferase (6-OST) have been cloned and characterized [H. Habuchi, M. Tanaka, O. Habuchi, K. Yoshida, H. Suzuki, K. Ban and K. Kimata (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 2859–2868]. We have studied the substrate specificities of the recombinant enzymes using various O-desulphated poly- and oligo-saccharides as substrates, and using adenosine 3′-phosphate 5′-phospho[35S]sulphate as sulphate donor. All three enzymes catalyse 6-O-sulphation of both -GlcA-GlcNS- and -IdoA-GlcNS- (where GlcA represents d-glucuronic acid, NS the N-sulphate group and IdoA the l-iduronic acid) sequences, with preference for IdoA-containing targets, with or without 2-O-sulphate substituents. 6-OST1 showed relatively higher activity towards target sequences lacking 2-O-sulphate, e.g. the -GlcA-GlcNS- disaccharide unit. Sulphation of such non-O-sulphated acceptor sequences was generally favoured at low acceptor polysaccharide concentrations. Experiments using partially O-desulphated antithrombin-binding oligosaccharide as the acceptor revealed 6-O-sulphation of N-acetylated as well as 3-O-sulphated glucosamine residues with each of the three 6-OSTs. We conclude that the three 6-OSTs have qualitatively similar substrate specificities, with minor differences in target preference.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document