Effect of endo-beta-galactosidase on intact human erythrocytes.
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Endo-beta-galactosidase, a glycosidase that hydrolyzes Gal beta 1-4 GlcNAc linkages in glycoconjugates, has been used to probe the plasma membrane of human erythrocytes. Coomassie blue staining of stroma components separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-acrylamide gel electrophoresis indicates that treatment of red cells with endo-beta-galactosidase converts Protein 3, the anion transporter of the erythrocyte, to a more compact staining band. No other components detected by Coomassie staining are affected. Following labeling of red cells with galactose oxidase + NaB3H4, 45 to 50% of the [3H]galactose residues can be released by endo-beta-galactosidase. In contrast, only 5% of the label incorporated by treatment with periodate + NaB3H4, can be removed. [3H]Galactose residues are released from three components: Protein 3, Band 4.5, and the megaloglycolipids. The susceptibility of these components to endo-beta-galactosidase, together with the high content of Gal and GlcNAc present in Protein 3 and the megaloglycolipids, suggests that the erythrocyte membrane contains several components with N-acetyllactosamine repeating units, a structure commonly found in connective tissue glycoconjugates. (+info)
Application of a very high-throughput digital imaging screen to evolve the enzyme galactose oxidase.
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Directed evolution has become an important enabling technology for the development of new enzymes in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Some of the most interesting substrates for these enzymes, such as polymers, have poor solubility or form highly viscous solutions and are therefore refractory to traditional high-throughput screens used in directed evolution. We combined digital imaging spectroscopy and a new solid-phase screening method to screen enzyme variants on problematic substrates highly efficiently and show here that the specific activity of the enzyme galactose oxidase can be improved using this technology. One of the variants we isolated, containing the mutation C383S, showed a 16-fold increase in activity, due in part to a 3-fold improvement in K(m). The present methodology should be applicable to the evolution of numerous other enzymes, including polysaccharide-modifying enzymes that could be used for the large-scale synthesis of modified polymers with novel chemical properties. (+info)
Crystal structure of the precursor of galactose oxidase: an unusual self-processing enzyme.
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Galactose oxidase (EC ) is a monomeric enzyme that contains a single copper ion and catalyses the stereospecific oxidation of primary alcohols to their corresponding aldehydes. The protein contains an unusual covalent thioether bond between a tyrosine, which acts as a radical center during the two-electron reaction, and a cysteine. The enzyme is produced in a precursor form lacking the thioether bond and also possessing an additional 17-aa pro-sequence at the N terminus. Previous work has shown that the aerobic addition of Cu(2+) to the precursor is sufficient to generate fully processed mature enzyme. The structure of the precursor protein has been determined to 1.4 A, revealing the location of the pro-sequence and identifying structural differences between the precursor and the mature protein. Structural alignment of the precursor and mature forms of galactose oxidase shows that five regions of main chain and some key residues of the active site differ significantly between the two forms. The precursor structure provides a starting point for modeling the chemistry of thioether bond formation and pro-sequence cleavage. (+info)
Expression and stabilization of galactose oxidase in Escherichia coli by directed evolution.
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We have used directed evolution methods to express a fungal enzyme, galactose oxidase (GOase), in functional form in Escherichia coli. The evolved enzymes retain the activity and substrate specificity of the native fungal oxidase, but are more thermostable, are expressed at a much higher level (up to 10.8 mg/l of purified GOase), and have reduced negative charge compared to wild type, all properties which are expected to facilitate applications and further evolution of the enzyme. Spectroscopic characterization of the recombinant enzymes reveals a tyrosyl radical of comparable stability to the native GOase from Fusarium. (+info)
Role of galactose in bovine factor V.
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Using galactose oxidase as well as beta-galactosidase to produce modifications of the galactose units, the functional significance of these carbohydrate residues on the coagulant activity of bovine Factor V glycoprotein was evaluated. Incubation of native Factor V with galactose oxidase or hydrolysis of asialo-Factor V with beta-galactosidase results in a loss of Factor V activity. The inactivation of Factor V by oxidation of galactose moieties is partially reversible upon reduction of the newly formed aldehyde groups with sodium borohydride. The extent of reversal depends upon the degree of inactivation achieved. Thus, Factor V which retained 30% of the original activity following galactose oxidation returns to 75% of the original coagulant activity upon borohydride reduction; but, after destruction of 85% of the original activity treatment with borohydride returns to about 30%. In the initial stages of the inactivation of Factor V by treatment with galactose oxidase, the loss of Factor V coagulant activity is directly proportional to the moles of galactose oxidized. However, as the reaction progresses, the rate of galactose oxidation exceeds the rate of loss of Factor V activity. Moreover, galactose oxidation continues even after complete inactivation of Factor V. These results suggest that the galactose residues most susceptible to attack by galactose oxidase are those necessary for the activity of this coagulant protein. Only 15 galactose residues/mol of Factor V are susceptible to galactose oxidase prior to removal of sialic acid. In contrast, 37 galactose residues/mol of Factor V are found after acid hydrolysis. These results suggest that Factor V glycoprotein contains more than one type of sialyl-galactose linkages, the C2,3 or C2,4 linkages susceptible to oxidation in the native protein and the C2,6 linkage which is resistant. Native Factor V binds with diarachidonyl lecithin forming an active complex of lower buoyant density, while the Factor V oxidized with galactose oxidase does not. The Factor V-phospholipid complex is protected from inactivation by galactose oxidase. Moreover, lipid binding diminishes the extent of oxidation of galactose residues. Certain galactose groups are essential for coagulant activity probably because they are required for binding to phospholipid, a prerequisite to Factor V action. (+info)
Enzymatic induction of interferon production by galactose oxidase treatment of human lymphoid cells.
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Human lymphocyte cultures produced large amounts of interferon after treatment with the enzyme galactose oxidase. Interferon production was detectable as early as 3 h after enzymatic treatment and reached a level of about 10(4) reference units 20 to 24 h later. Galactose oxidase-induced interferon appeared to be immune interferon on the basis of acid lability, lack of neutralization by antibody to leukocyte interferon, and slow kinetics of activation of the cellular antiviral state. Interferon production was inhibited to the same extent (99%) by pretreatment of the cells with beta-galactosidase or with neuraminidase followed by beta-galactosidase, suggesting that the critical event for activation of interferon production is the oxidation of exposed galactose residues on lymphocyte membrane. (+info)
Galactose oxidase-induced blastogenesis of human lymphocytes and the effect of macrophages on the reaction.
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Treatment of human lymphocytes with neuraminidase and galactose oxidase induced extensive blastogenesis. A less pronounced effect was observed after treatment of the cells with galactose oxidase alone. Macrophage-depleted human lymphocytes had a markedly reduced blastogenic response after treatment with neuraminidase and galactose oxidase. Incubation of the purified lymphocytes on macrophage monolayers markedly enhanced their response to neuraminidase and galactose oxidase. Furthermore, a stimulation of thymidine incorporation into purified untreated lymphocytes was noted after incubation of the cells on neuraminidase and galactose oxidase-treated macrophage monolayers. (+info)
External labeling of human erythrocyte glycoproteins. Studies with galactose oxidase and fluorography.
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Glycoproteins of the human erythrocyte membrane were labeled with tritiated sodium borohydride after oxidation of terminal galactosyl and N-acetylgalactosaminyl residues with galactose oxidase. After separation of the polypeptides on polyacrylamide slab gels, a scintillator was introduced into the gel, and the radioactive proteins were visualed by autoradiography (fluorography). The following results were obtained. (a) The erythrocyte membrane contains at least 20 glycoproteins, many of which are minor components. (b) The carbohydrate of all the labeled glycoproteins is exposed only to the outside, since no additional glycoproteins can be labeled in isolated unsealed ghosts. (c) The membrane contains two major groups of glycoproteins. The first group of proteins contains sialic acids linked to the penultimate galactosyl/N-acetylgalactosaminyl residues, which are efficiently labeled only after pretreatment with neuraminidase. The second group has terminal galactosyl/N-acetylgalactosaminyl residues which can be easily labeled without neuraminidase treatment. The glycoproteins from fetal erythrocytes all belong to the first group, whereas only five glycoproteins of erythrocytes from adults belong. (d) Trypsin cleaves the proteins containing sialic acids, and fragments containing carbohydrate remain tightly bound and exposed in the membrane. (e) Pronase cleaves Band 3 in addition to the sialic acid containing glycoproteins, but most of the glycoproteins still remain unmodified in the membrane. (f) No difference is seen between membrane glycoproteins from cells of different ABH blood groups. (+info)