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The aromatic peroxygenase (APO; EC 1.11.2.1) from the agraric basidomycete Marasmius rotula (MroAPO) immobilized at the chitosan-capped gold-nanoparticle-modified glassy carbon electrode displayed a pair of redox peaks with a midpoint potential of −278.5 mV vs. AgCl/AgCl (1 M KCl) for the Fe2+/Fe3+ redox couple of the heme-thiolate-containing protein. MroAPO oxidizes aromatic substrates such as aniline, p-aminophenol, hydroquinone, resorcinol, catechol, and paracetamol by means of hydrogen peroxide. The substrate spectrum overlaps with those of cytochrome P450s and plant peroxidases which are relevant in environmental analysis and drug monitoring. In M. rotula peroxygenase-based enzyme electrodes, the signal is generated by the reduction of electrode-active reaction products (e.g., p-benzoquinone and p-quinoneimine) with electro-enzymatic recycling of the analyte. In these enzyme electrodes, the signal reflects the conversion of all substrates thus representing an overall parameter in complex media. The performance of these sensors and their further development are discussed.
Unspecific peroxygenases (UPO; EC 1.11.2.1) represent a group of secreted heme-thiolate proteins that are capable of catalyzing the mono-oxygenation of diverse organic compounds, using only H2O2 as a co-substrate. Here we show that the four peroxygenases AaeUPO, MroUPO, rCciUPO and rNOVO catalyze the stepwise hydroxylation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone. The catalytic efficiencies (kcat/Km) for the initial hydroxylation were in the same order of magnitude for all four peroxygenases (∼104 M−1 s−1), whereas they differed in the second step. The conversion of cyclohexanol by AaeUPO and rCciUPO was 1–2 orders of magnitude less efficient (∼102 M−1 s−1) than by MroUPO and rNOVO (∼104 M−1 s−1). The highest conversion rate in terms of H2O2 utilization was accomplished by MroUPO under repeated addition of the peroxide (87% in relation to the total products formed). Using the latter UPO, we successfully established a micro-mixing reaction device (SIMM-V2) for the oxidation of cyclohexane. As cyclohexanone is a chemical of high relevance, for example, as starting material for polymer syntheses or as organic solvent, new enzymatic production pathways for this compound are of interest to complement existing chemical and biotechnological approaches. Stable and versatile peroxygenases, as those presented here, may form a promising biocatalytic platform for the development of such enzyme-based processes.
The formation of naphthalene hydrates (i.e. 1- and 2-hydroxy-1,2-dihydronaphthalene) displays a new activity (besides epoxidation) in the enzymatic transformation of 1,2-dihydronaphthalene by two fungal unspecific peroxygenases (UPOs) accounting for 16–19% of the overall turnover. These arene hydrates decayed into naphthalene that in turn was converted by UPOs into naphthols. The oxygen transferred during hydroxylation was shown to derive from hydrogen peroxide proving a true peroxygenation reaction.
Here we report on the stereoselective benzylic hydroxylation and C1-C2 epoxidation of alkylbenzenes and styrene derivatives, respectively, by a heme-thiolate peroxygenase (EC 1.11.2.1) from the fungus Agrocybe aegerita. Benzylic hydroxylation led exclusively to the (R)-1-phenylalkanols. For (R)-1-phenylethanol, (R)-1-phenylpropanol and (R)-1-tetralol, the ee reached >99%. For longer chain lengths, the enantiomeric excesses (ee) and total turnover numbers (TTN) decreased while the number of by-products, e.g. 1-phenylketones, increased. Epoxidation of straight chain and cyclic styrene derivatives gave a heterogeneous picture and resulted in moderate to excellent ee values and TTN: e.g., in the case of (1R,2S)-cis-[small beta]-methylstyrene oxide formation, an ee >99% and a TTN of 110 000 was achieved. Hydroxylation and epoxidation were true peroxygenations, which was demonstrated by the incorporation of 18O from H218O2 into the products. The use of fed-batch devices and varying feeding strategies for the substrate and co-substrate turned out to be a suitable approach to optimize peroxygenase catalysis.
Rapid and simple spectrophotometric methods are required for the unambiguous detection of recently discovered fungal peroxygenases in vivo and in vitro. This paper describes a peroxygenase-specific assay using 5-nitro-1,3-benzodioxole as substrate. The product, 4-nitrocatechol, produces a yellow color at pH 7, which can be followed over time at 425 nm (ε425 = 9,700 M−1 cm−1), and a red color when adjusted to pH >12, which can be measured in form of an end-point determination at 514 nm (ε514 = 11,400 M−1 cm−1). The assay is suitable for detecting peroxygenase activities in complex growth media and environmental samples as well as for high-throughput screenings.
Agrocybe aegerita peroxidase (AaP) is a versatile heme-thiolate protein that can act as a peroxygenase and catalyzes, among other reactions, the hydroxylation of aromatic rings. This paper reports a rapid and selective spectrophotometric method for directly detecting aromatic hydroxylation by AaP. The weakly activated aromatic compound naphthalene served as the substrate that was regioselectively converted into 1-naphthol in the presence of the co-substrate hydrogen peroxide. Formation of 1-naphthol was followed at 303 nm (ɛ 303 = 2,010 M−1 cm−1), and the apparent Michaelis–Menten (K m) and catalytic (k cat) constants for the reaction were estimated to be 320 μM and 166 s−1, respectively. This method will be useful in screening of fungi and other microorganisms for extracellular peroxygenase activities and in comparing and assessing different catalytic activities of haloperoxidase–peroxygenases.
Agrocybe aegerita, a bark mulch- and wood-colonizing basidiomycete, was found to produce a peroxidase (AaP) that oxidizes aryl alcohols, such as veratryl and benzyl alcohols, into the corresponding aldehydes and then into benzoic acids. The enzyme also catalyzed the oxidation of typical peroxidase substrates, such as 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (DMP) or 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS). A. aegerita peroxidase production depended on the concentration of organic nitrogen in the medium, and highest enzyme levels were detected in the presence of soybean meal. Two fractions of the enzyme, AaP I and AaP II, which had identical molecular masses (46 kDa) and isoelectric points of 4.6 to 5.4 and 4.9 to 5.6, respectively (corresponding to six different isoforms), were identified after several steps of purification, including anion- and cation-exchange chromatography. The optimum pH for the oxidation of aryl alcohols was found to be around 7, and the enzyme required relatively high concentrations of H2O2 (2 mM) for optimum activity. The apparent Km values for ABTS, DMP, benzyl alcohol, veratryl alcohol, and H2O2 were 37, 298, 1,001, 2,367 and 1,313 μM, respectively. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of the main AaP II spots blotted after two-dimensional gel electrophoresis were almost identical and exhibited almost no homology to the sequences of other peroxidases from basidiomycetes, but they shared the first three amino acids, as well as two additional amino acids, with the heme chloroperoxidase (CPO) from the ascomycete Caldariomyces fumago. This finding is consistent with the fact that AaP halogenates monochlorodimedone, the specific substrate of CPO. The existence of haloperoxidases in basidiomycetous fungi may be of general significance for the natural formation of chlorinated organic compounds in forest soils.
Most industrial enzymes are hydrolases, such as glycosidases and esterases. However, oxidoreductases have an unexploited potential for substituting harsh (and scarcely selective) chemical processes. A group of basidiomycetes are the only organisms degrading the aromatic lignin polymer, enabling the subsequent use of plant polysaccharides. Therefore, these fungi and their ligninolytic peroxidases are the biocatalysts of choice for industrial delignification and oxidative biotransformations of aromatic and other organic compounds. The latter also include oxygenation reactions, which are catalyzed with high regio/stereo selectivity by fungal peroxygenases. In search for novel and more robust peroxidases/peroxygenases, basidiomycetes from unexplored habitats were screened, and hundreds of genes identified in basidiomycete genomes (in collaboration with the DOE JGI). The most interesting genes were heterologously expressed, and the corresponding enzymes structurally-functionally characterized. The information obtained enabled us to improve the enzyme operational and catalytic properties by directed mutagenesis. However, the structural-functional relationships explaining some desirable properties are not established yet and, therefore, their introduction was addressed by ‘non-rational’ directed evolution. Then, over 100 oxidative biotransformations were analyzed. Among them, it is noteworthy to mention the regio/stereo selective hydroxylation of long/short-chain alkanes (a chemically challenging reaction), epoxidation of alkenes, and production of hydroxy-fatty acids. Concerning aromatic oxygenations, the regioselective hydroxylation of flavonoids, and stereoselective hydroxylation/epoxidation of alkyl/alkenyl-benzenes were among the most remarkable reactions, together with enzymatic hydroxylation of benzene (as an alternative for harsh chemical process). Finally, peroxidases and peroxygenases also showed a potential as delignification biocatalysts and in the decolorization of contaminant dyes from textile industries.
The goal of this study is the selective oxyfunctionalization of steroids under mild and environmentally-friendly conditions using fungal enzymes. With this purpose, peroxygenases from three basidiomycete species were tested for hydroxylation of a variety of steroidal compounds, using H2O2 as the only cosubstrate. Two of them are wild-type enzymes from Agrocybe aegerita and Marasmius rotula, and the third one is a recombinant enzyme from Coprinopsis cinerea. The enzymatic reactions on free and esterified sterols, and steroid hydrocarbons and ketones were followed by gas chromatography, and the products were identified by mass spectrometry. Hydroxylation at the side chain over the steroidal rings was preferred, with the 25-hydroxyderivatives predominating (interestingly antiviral and other biological activities of 25-hydroxycholesterol have been recently reported). However, hydroxylation in the ring moiety and terminal hydroxylation at the side-chain was also observed in some steroids, the former favored by the absence of oxygenated groups at C3 and by the presence of conjugated double bonds in the rings. To understand the yield and selectivity differences between the different steroids, a computational study was performed using Protein Energy Landscape Exploration (PELE) software for dynamic ligand diffusion. These simulations showed that the active site geometry and hydrophobicity favors the entrance of the steroid side-chain, while the entrance of the ring is energetically penalized. Also, a direct correlation between the conversion rate and the side-chain entrance ratio could be established, that explains the varying reaction yields observed.
Immobilization of unspecific peroxygenases (EC 1.11.2.1) in PVA/PEG gel and hollow fiber modules
(2015)
The immobilization of enzymes has many advantages, such as higher stability, easier handling, and reuse of the catalyst. Here we report, for the first time, two effective methods for the immobilization of unspecific peroxygenase (UPO; EC 1.11.2.1). This biocatalyst type comprises heavily glycosylated heme-thiolate proteins that catalyze various biotechnologically relevant oxyfunctionalizations. Both the encapsulation in cryogel and the retention of the enzyme in hollow fiber modules were found to be efficient methods for their immobilization. After encapsulation, the enzyme still exhibited 60% of its initial activity. Interestingly, we did not find differences in the kinetic parameters of free and immobilized UPOs. In long-term experiments, the conversion of the pharmaceutical diclofenac with immobilized UPOs in different reactor types yielded between 62 mg and 154 mg of the major human drug metabolite 4′-hydroxydiclofenac. The maximal total turnover number was about 60-fold higher compared to the free enzyme. A test over 5 months showed that storage of encapsulated UPOs in non-polar solvents (e.g., cyclohexane) helps to preserve the enzyme stability and increases their relative activity (by about ∼150%, in the case of diclofenac hydroxylation). In addition to the hydrophilic substrate diclofenac, encapsulated UPOs also oxidized the hydrophobic model compound cyclohexane.
Unspecific peroxygenases (UPO, EC 1.11.2.1) secreted by fungi open an efficient way to selectively oxyfunctionalize diverse organic substrates including less activated hydrocarbons by transferring peroxide-borne oxygen. Herein, we investigated a cell-free approach to incorporate epoxy and hydroxyl functionalities directly into the bulky molecule of testosterone by a novel unspecific peroxygenase that was produced by the ascomycetous fungus Chaetomium globosum in a complex medium rich in carbon and nitrogen. Purification by fast protein liquid chromatography revealed two enzyme fractions with the same molecular mass of 36 kDa and specific activities of 4.4 to 12 U mg-1. Whereas well-known UPOs of Agrocybe aegerita (AaeUPO) and Marasmius rotula (MroUPO) failed to convert testosterone in a comparative study, the UPO of C. globosum (CglUPO) accepted testosterone as substrate and converted it with up to 7,000 total turnovers (TTN) into two oxygenated products: the 4,5-epoxide of testosterone in β-configuration and 16α-hydroxytestosterone. The reaction was performed at 100-mg scale resulting in the formation of about 90 % of the epoxide and 10 % of the hydroxylation product, which both could be isolated with purities above 96 %. Thus, CglUPO may be a promising biocatalyst for the oxyfunctionalization of bulky steroids and provide a useful tool for the synthesis of pharmaceutically relevant steroidal molecules.
The catalase activity of three unspecific peroxygenases (UPOs) from the agaric basidiomycetes Agrocybe aegerita, Coprinopsis cinerea and Marasmius rotula was investigated. The study included analysis of pH dependency of the catalase reaction and H₂O₂ mediated enzyme inactivation as well as experiments on the influence of a second substrate on the course of catalase reaction. Apparent kinetic parameters (Km, kcat) for the catalase activity of UPOs were determined. Inactivation of UPOs by H₂O₂ is discussed with regard to O₂ production and remaining UPO activity. Furthermore formation of biliverdin as heme destruction product was demonstrated along with the formation of UPO compound III as a possible intermediate that forces the destruction process. Radical trapping experiments with methyl benzoate gave indication for the formation of hydroxyl radicals in the presence of excess H₂O₂. Eventually, a plausible pathway of heme destruction has been proposed, proceeding via UPO compound III and subsequent hydroxyl radical formation, which in turn may cause heme bleaching and verdoheme and biliverdin formation.
Firewalls for the Web 2.0
(2016)
The widespread use of Web 2.0 technologies yields an increasing threat potential for users and related systems. Modern web applications and online services are nowadays based on Web 2.0 technologies, such as JavaScript and AJAX, and thus on the execution of active content in the browsers of the users. Firewalls are a common practice to securely connecting to the internet. In this paper, we propose a novel perimeter firewall architecture for web applications that addresses the entire process chain starting from the data transfer with HTTP via the analysis of manipulated web documents to the extraction and analysis of active contents. The basic idea is to allow only a restricted set of web applications to pass the firewall based on a model of their HTML and JavaScript structure. We evaluate the capability of the resulting models for identifying the underlying web applications and their ability to ward off additional malicious inputs.
Unspecific peroxygenases (UPOs) are secreted fungal enzymes with promiscuity for oxygen transfer and oxidation reactions. Functionally, they represent hybrids of P450 monooxygenases and heme peroxidases; phylogenetically they belong to the family of heme-thiolate peroxidases. Two UPOs from the basidiomycetous fungi Agrocybe aegerita (AaeUPO) and Marasmius rotula (MroUPO) converted 35 out of 40 compounds listed as EPA priority pollutants, including chlorinated benzenes and their derivatives, halogenated biphenyl ethers, nitroaromatic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and phthalic acid derivatives. These oxygenations and oxidations resulted in diverse products and-if at all-were limited for three reasons: (i) steric hindrance caused by multiple substitutions or bulkiness of the compound as such (e.g., hexachlorobenzene or large PAHs), (ii) strong inactivation of aromatic rings (e.g., nitrobenzene), and (iii) low water solubility (e.g., complex arenes). The general outcome of our study is that UPOs can be considered as extracellular counterparts of intracellular monooxygenases, both with respect to catalyzed reactions and catalytic versatility. Therefore, they should be taken into consideration as a relevant biocatalytic detoxification and biodegradation tool used by fungi when confronted with toxins, xenobiotics and pollutants in their natural environments.
A recently discovered peroxygenase from the
fungus Marasmius rotula (MroUPO) is able to catalyze the
progressive one-carbon shortening of medium and longchain mono- and dicarboxylic acids by itself alone, in the presence of H₂O₂. The mechanism, analyzed using H₂O, starts with an a-oxidation catalyzed by MroUPO generat- ing an α-hydroxy acid, which is further oxidized by the enzyme to a reactive α-keto intermediate whose decarboxylation yields the one-carbon shorter fatty acid. Compared with the previously characterized peroxygenase of Agrocybe aegerita, a wider heme access channel, enabling fatty acid positioning with the carboxylic end near the heme cofactor (as seen in one of the crystal structures available) could be at the origin of the unique ability of MroUPO shortening carboxylic acid chains.
Fungi produce heme-containing peroxidases and peroxygenases, flavin-containing oxidases and dehydrogenases, and different copper-containing oxidoreductases involved in the biodegradation of lignin and other recalcitrant compounds. Heme peroxidases comprise the classical ligninolytic peroxidases and the new dye-decolorizing peroxidases, while heme peroxygenases belong to a still largely unexplored superfamily of heme-thiolate proteins. Nevertheless, basidiomycete unspecific peroxygenases have the highest biotechnological interest due to their ability to catalyze a variety of regio- and stereo-selective monooxygenation reactions with H2O2 as the source of oxygen and final electron acceptor. Flavo-oxidases are involved in both lignin and cellulose decay generating H2O2 that activates peroxidases and generates hydroxyl radical. The group of copper oxidoreductases also includes other H2O2 generating enzymes - copper-radical oxidases - together with classical laccases that are the oxidoreductases with the largest number of reported applications to date. However, the recently described lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases have attracted the highest attention among copper oxidoreductases, since they are capable of oxidatively breaking down crystalline cellulose, the disintegration of which is still a major bottleneck in lignocellulose biorefineries, along with lignin degradation. Interestingly, some flavin-containing dehydrogenases also play a key role in cellulose breakdown by directly/indirectly “fueling” electrons for polysaccharide monooxygenase activation. Many of the above oxidoreductases have been engineered, combining rational and computational design with directed evolution, to attain the selectivity, catalytic efficiency and stability properties required for their industrial utilization. Indeed, using ad hoc software and current computational capabilities, it is now possible to predict substrate access to the active site in biophysical simulations, and electron transfer efficiency in biochemical simulations, reducing in orders of magnitude the time of experimental work in oxidoreductase screening and engineering. What has been set out above is illustrated by a series of remarkable oxyfunctionalization and oxidation reactions developed in the frame of an intersectorial and multidisciplinary European RTD project. The optimized reactions include enzymatic synthesis of 1-naphthol, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3, drug metabolites, furandicarboxylic acid, indigo and other dyes, and conductive polyaniline, terminal oxygenation of alkanes, biomass delignification and lignin oxidation, among others. These successful case stories demonstrate the unexploited potential of oxidoreductases in medium and large-scale biotransformations.
Two unspecific peroxygenases (UPO, EC 1.11.2.1) from the basidiomycetous fungi Marasmius rotula and Marasmius wettsteinii oxidized steroids with hydroxyacetyl and hydroxyl functionalities at C17 - such as cortisone, Reichstein's substance S and prednisone - via stepwise oxygenation and final fission of the side chain. The sequential oxidation started with the hydroxylation of the terminal carbon (C21) leading to a stable geminal alcohol (e.g. cortisone 21-gem-diol) and proceeded via a second oxygenation resulting in the corresponding α-ketocarboxylic acid (e.g. cortisone 21-oic acid). The latter decomposed under formation of adrenosterone (4-androstene-3,11,17-trione) as well as formic acid and carbonic acid (that is in equilibrium with carbon dioxide); fission products comprising two carbon atoms such as glycolic acid or glyoxylic acid were not detected. Protein models based on the crystal structure data of MroUPO (Marasmius rotula unspecific peroxygenase) revealed that the bulky cortisone molecule suitably fits into the enzyme's access channel, which enables the heme iron to come in close contact to the carbons (C21, C20) of the steroidal side chain. ICP-MS analysis of purified MroUPO confirmed the presence of magnesium supposedly stabilizing the porphyrin ring system.