Browsing by Author "Benedik, M J"

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    Comparison of cyanide-degrading nitrilases
    (Springer, 2005) Jandhyala, D M; Willson, R C; Sewell, B T; Benedik, M J
    Recombinant forms of three cyanide-degrading nitrilases, CynD from Bacillus pumilus C1, CynD from Pseudomonas stutzeri, and CHT from Gloeocercospora sorghi, were prepared after their genes were cloned with C-terminal hexahistidine purification tags and expressed in Escherichia coli, and the enzymes purified using nickel-chelate affinity chromatography. The enzymes were compared with respect to their pH stability, thermostability, metal tolerance, and kinetic constants. The two bacterial genes, both cyanide dihydratases, were similar with respect to pH range, retaining greater than 50% activity between pH 5.2 and pH 8 and kinetic properties, having similar Km (6–7 mM) and Vmax (0.1 mmol min−1 mg−1). They also exhibited similar metal tolerances. However, the fungal CHT enzyme had notably higher Km (90 mM) and Vmax (4 mmol min−1 mg−1) values. Its pH range was slightly more alkaline (retaining nearly full activity above 8.5), but exhibited a lower thermal tolerance. CHT was less sensitive to Hg2+ and more sensitive to Pb2+ than the CynD enzymes. These data describe, in part, the current limits that exist for using nitrilases as agents in the bioremediation of cyanide-containing waste effluent, and may help serve to determine where and under what conditions these nitrilases may be applied.
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    The cyanide degrading nitrilase from Pseudomonas stutzeri AK61 is a two-fold symmetric, 14-subunit spiral
    (Elsevier, 2003) Sewell, B T; Berman, M N; Meyers, P R; Jandhyala, D; Benedik, M J
    The quaternary structure of the cyanide dihydratase from Pseudomonas stutzeri AK61 was determined by negative stain electron microscopy and three-dimensional reconstruction using the single particle technique. The structure is a spiral comprising 14 subunits with 2-fold symmetry. Interactions across the groove cause a decrease in the radius of the spiral at the ends and the resulting steric hindrance prevents the addition of further subunits. Similarity to two members of the nitrilase superfamily, the Nit domain of NitFhit and N-carbamyl-D-amino acid amidohydrolase, enabled the construction of a partial atomic model that could be unambiguously fitted to the stain envelope. The model suggests that interactions involving two significant insertions in the sequence relative to these structures leads to the left-handed spiral assembly.
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    Helical structure of unidirectionally shadowed metal replicas of cyanide hydratase from Gloeocercospora sorghi
    (Elsevier, 2008) Woodward, J D; Weber, B W; Scheffer, M P; Benedik, M J; Hoenger, A; Sewell, B T
    The helical filaments of the cyanide hydratase from Gloeocercospora sorghi have been reconstructed in three dimensions from freeze dried, unidirectionally shadowed specimens using iterative real-space helical reconstruction. The average power spectrum of all selected images has three clear reflections on different layer lines. The reconstruction is complicated by the fact that three possible indexing schemes are possible and reconstructions using the starting symmetries based on each of these indexing schemes converge on three-dimensional volumes which appear plausible. Because only one side is visible in shadowed specimens, it is necessary to examine the phases from a single filament by cryo-electron microscopy in order to make an unequivocal assignment of the symmetry. Because of the novel nature of the reconstruction method used here, conventional cryo-EM methods were also used to determine a second reconstruction, allowing us to make comparisons between the two. The filament is shown to have a left-handed one-start helix with D1 symmetry, 5.46 dimers per turn and a pitch of 7.15 nm. The reconstruction suggests the presence of an interaction across the groove not previously seen in nitrilase helical fibres.
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    Helical structure of unidirectionally shadowed metal replicas of cyanide hydratase from Gloeocercospora sorghi.
    (Elsevier, 2008) Woodward, J D; Weber, B W; Scheffer, M P; Benedik, M J; Hoenger A; Sewell, B T
    The helical filaments of the cyanide hydratase from Gloeocercospora sorghi have been reconstructed in three dimensions from freeze dried, unidirectionally shadowed specimens using iterative real-space helical reconstruction. The average power spectrum of all selected images has three clear reflections on different layer lines. The reconstruction is complicated by the fact that three possible indexing schemes are possible and reconstructions using the starting symmetries based on each of these indexing schemes converge on threedimensional volumes which appear plausible. Because only one side is visible in shadowed specimens, it is necessary to examine the phases from a single filament by cryo-electron microscopy in order to make an unequivocal assignment of the symmetry. Because of the novel nature of the reconstruction method used here, conventional cryo-EM methods were also used to determine a second reconstruction, allowing us to make comparisons between the two. The filament is shown to have a left-handed one-start helix with D1 symmetry, 5.46 dimers per turn and a pitch of 7.15 nm. The reconstruction suggests the presence of an interaction across the groove not previously seen in nitrilase helical fibres.
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    Microbial nitrilases: versatile, spiral forming, industrial enzymes
    (Wiley, 2009) Thuku, R N; Brady, D; Benedik, M J; Sewell, B T
    The nitrilases are enzymes that convert nitriles to the corresponding acid and ammonia. They are members of a superfamily, which includes amidases and occur in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The superfamily is characterized by having a homodimeric building block with a abba–abba sandwich fold and an active site containing four positionally conserved residues: cys, glu, glu and lys. Their high chemical specificity and frequent enantioselectivity makes them attractive biocatalysts for the production of fine chemicals and pharmaceutical intermediates. Nitrilases are also used in the treatment of toxic industrial effluent and cyanide remediation. The superfamily enzymes have been visualized as dimers, tetramers, hexamers, octamers, tetradecamers, octadecamers and variable length helices, but all nitrilase oligomers have the same basic dimer interface. Moreover, in the case of the octamers, tetradecamers, octadecamers and the helices, common principles of subunit association apply. While the range of industrially interesting reactions catalysed by this enzyme class continues to increase, research efforts are still hampered by the lack of a high resolution microbial nitrilase structure which can provide insights into their specificity, enantioselectivity and the mechanism of catalysis. This review provides an overview of the current progress in elucidation of structure and function in this enzyme class and emphasizes insights that may lead to further biotechnological applications.
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    Oligomeric structure of nitrilases: effect of mutating interfacial residues on activity
    (Wiley, 2005) Sewell, B T; Thuku, R N; Zhang, X; Benedik, M J
    Nitrilases are important industrial enzymes that convert nitriles into their corresponding acids or, occasionally, amides. Atomic resolution structures of four members of the nitrilase superfamily have been determined, but these differ from microbial nitrilases in that they do not form typical large homo-oligomeric complexes. At least two nitrilases, the cyanide dihydratases from Pseudomonas stutzeri AK61 and Bacillus pumilus C1, form unusual spiral structures of 14 and 18 subunits, respectively. Evidence suggests that the formation of the spiral structure is essential for activity. Sequence analysis reveals that the nitrilases differ from the nonspiral-forming homologs by two insertions of between 12 and 14 amino acids and a C-terminal extension of up to 35 amino acids. The insertions are positioned at an intermolecular interface in the spiral and probably contribute to its formation. The other interfaces responsible for the formation and/or stabilization of the spirals can also be identified. Comparative structure modeling enables identification of the residues involved in these interacting surfaces, which are remote from the active site. Mutation of these interacting residues usually leads to loss of activity. The effect of the mutations on activity in most cases can be rationalized in terms of a possible effect on spiral formation.