skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Stereochemical Features of Glutathione-dependent Enzymes in the Sphingobium sp. Strain SYK-6 β-Aryl Etherase Pathway

Journal Article · · Journal of Biological Chemistry

Glutathione-dependent enzymes play important protective, repair, or metabolic roles in cells. In particular, enzymes in the glutathione S-transferase (GST) superfamily function in stress responses, defense systems, or xenobiotic detoxification. Here, we identify novel features of bacterial GSTs that cleave -aryl ether bonds typically found in plant lignin. Our data reveal several original features of the reaction cycle of these GSTs, including stereospecific substrate recognition and stereoselective formation of -S-thioether linkages. Products of recombinant GSTs (LigE, LigP, and LigF) are -S-glutathionyl--ketothioethers that are degraded by a -S-thioetherase (LigG). All three Lig GSTs produced the ketone product (-S-glutathionyl- -veratrylethanone) from an achiral side chain-truncated model substrate (-guaiacyl--veratrylethanone). However, when -etherase assays were conducted with a racemic model substrate, -guaiacyl--veratrylglycerone, LigE- or LigP-catalyzed reactions yielded only one of two potential product (-Sglutathionyl--veratrylglycerone) epimers, whereas the other diastereomer (differing in configuration at the -position (i.e. its-epimer)) was produced only in the LigF-catalyzed reaction. Thus, -etherase catalysis causes stereochemical inversion of the chiral center, converting a (R)-substrate to a (S)-product (LigE and LigP), and a (S)-substrate to a (R)-product (LigF). Further, LigG catalyzed glutathione-dependent -S-thioether cleavage with-S-glutathionyl--veratrylethanone and with(R)- configured -S-glutathionyl--veratrylglycerone but exhibited no or significantly reduced -S-thioether-cleaving activity with the (S)-epimer, demonstrating that LigG is a stereospecific -thioetherase. We therefore propose that multiple Lig enzymes are needed in this -aryl etherase pathway in order to cleave the racemic -ether linkages that are present in the backbone of the lignin polymer.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
FC02-07ER64494
OSTI ID:
1904221
Journal Information:
Journal of Biological Chemistry, Vol. 289, Issue 12; ISSN 0021-9258
Publisher:
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (45)

Guaiacylglycerol and its beta-Guaiacyl Ether. journal January 1955
Bacterial glutathione S-transferases: what are they good for? journal March 1997
Stress-Induced Phenylpropanoid Metabolism journal July 1995
Detection and localization of a new enzyme catalyzing the β-aryl ether cleavage in the soil bacterium ( Pseudomonas paucimobilis SYK-6) journal June 1989
Mutational analysis of tobacco etch virus polyprotein processing: cis and trans proteolytic activities of polyproteins containing the 49-kilodalton proteinase journal July 1988
Derivatization Followed by Reductive Cleavage (DFRC Method), a New Method for Lignin Analysis:  Protocol for Analysis of DFRC Monomers journal July 1997
Protein production by auto-induction in high-density shaking cultures journal May 2005
DFRC Method for Lignin Analysis. 1. New Method for β-Aryl Ether Cleavage:  Lignin Model Studies journal December 1997
Autoprocessing of the Vibrio cholerae RTX toxin by the cysteine protease domain journal April 2007
Gene Splicing by Overlap Extension: Tailor-Made Genes Using the Polymerase Chain Reaction journal March 2013
Studies on Lysogenesis i. journal January 1951
A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding journal May 1976
Biochemical and mutational analysis of a plant virus polyprotein cleavage site. journal May 1988
The Catalytic Valorization of Lignin for the Production of Renewable Chemicals journal June 2010
Construction of long DNA molecules using long PCR-based fusion of several fragments simultaneously journal January 2004
Are Lignins Optically Active? journal August 1999
Characterization of the Third Glutathione S -Transferase Gene Involved in Enantioselective Cleavage of the β-Aryl Ether by Sphingobium sp. Strain SYK-6 journal December 2011
Characterization of the Cα-Dehydrogenase Gene Involved in the Cleavage of β-Aryl Ether by Pseudomonas paucimobilis journal January 1993
Proof of the presence of racemic forms of arylglycerol-Β-aryl ether structure in lignin: studies on the stereo structure of lignin by ozonation journal October 2000
Glutathione Transferases journal September 2005
Lignin: Occurrence, Biogenesis and Biodegradation journal June 1990
Structure, function and evolution of glutathione transferases: implications for classification of non-mammalian members of an ancient enzyme superfamily journal November 2001
Glutathione transferases: new functions journal December 2005
Advances in modifying lignin for enhanced biofuel production journal June 2010
Cloning and sequencing of the gene for a Pseudomonas paucimobilis enzyme that cleaves beta-aryl ether. journal January 1991
A combined approach to improving large-scale production of tobacco etch virus protease journal September 2007
Mechanistic and structural insights into the proteolytic activation of Vibrio cholerae MARTX toxin journal May 2009
Convenient synthesis of chiral lignin model compounds via optical resolution: four stereoisomers of guaiacylglycerol-β-guaiacyl ether and both enantiomers of 3-hydroxy-1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-propan-1-one (erone) journal February 2012
Structural and Molecular Mechanism for Autoprocessing of MARTX Toxin of Vibrio cholerae at Multiple Sites journal September 2009
Lignin chemistry?past, present and future journal January 1977
Genetic and Biochemical Investigations on Bacterial Catabolic Pathways for Lignin-Derived Aromatic Compounds journal January 2007
A bacterial enzyme degrading the model lignin compound β-etherase is a member of the glutathione- S -transferase superfamily journal May 1993
Overlap extension PCR cloning: a simple and reliable way to create recombinant plasmids journal June 2010
Biosynthesis and Constitution of Lignin journal April 1959
Simplified, Enhanced Protein Purification Using an Inducible, Autoprocessing Enzyme Tag journal December 2009
The emerging role for bacteria in lignin degradation and bio-product formation journal June 2011
Erythro/threo ratio ofβ-O-4 structures as an important structural characteristic of lignin. I: Improvement of ozonation method for the quantitative analysis of lignin side-chain structure journal June 2002
Molecular genetic analysis of a plant virus polyprotein cleavage site: A model journal August 1989
Post-translational processing of the tobacco etch virus 49-kDa small nuclear inclusion polyprotein: Identification of an internal cleavage site and delimitation of VPg and proteinase domains journal August 1991
Stress-Induced Phenylpropanoid Metabolism. journal July 1995
Identification of Three Alcohol Dehydrogenase Genes Involved in the Stereospecific Catabolism of Arylglycerol- -Aryl Ether by Sphingobium sp. Strain SYK-6 journal June 2009
The 4-Oxalomesaconate Hydratase Gene, Involved in the Protocatechuate 4,5-Cleavage Pathway, Is Essential to Vanillate and Syringate Degradation in Sphingomonas paucimobilis SYK-6 journal December 2000
Roles of the Enantioselective Glutathione S-Transferases in Cleavage of  -Aryl Ether journal March 2003
Lysogeny at Mid-Twentieth Century: P1, P2, and Other Experimental Systems journal January 2004
Methods in 2012, part 2 journal July 2012

Cited By (8)

Enzymatic Specific Production and Chemical Functionalization of Phenylpropanone Platform Monomers from Lignin journal December 2016
Lignocellulose degradation mechanisms across the Tree of Life journal December 2015
Combination of six enzymes of a marine Novosphingobium converts the stereoisomers of β-O-4 lignin model dimers into the respective monomers journal October 2015
Structural Basis of Stereospecificity in the Bacterial Enzymatic Cleavage of β-Aryl Ether Bonds in Lignin journal December 2015
Degradation of lignin β-aryl ether units in Arabidopsis thaliana expressing LigD , LigF and LigG from Sphingomonas paucimobilis SYK-6 journal November 2016
Phylogenetic and Kinetic Characterization of a Suite of Dehydrogenases from a Newly Isolated Bacterium, Strain SG61-1L, That Catalyze the Turnover of Guaiacylglycerol-β-Guaiacyl Ether Stereoisomers journal September 2015
Bacterial Valorization of Lignin: Strains, Enzymes, Conversion Pathways, Biosensors, and Perspectives journal September 2019
Two decades of warming increases diversity of a potentially lignolytic bacterial community journal May 2015