Expanding the Scope of Polyoxometalates as Artificial Proteases towards Hydrolysis of Insoluble Proteins

Despite the enormous importance of insoluble proteins in biological processes, their structural investigation remains a challenging task. Development of artificial enzymatic catalysts would greatly facilitate elucidation of their structure as currently used enzymes in proteomics largely lose activity in the presence of surfactants, which are necessary to solubilize insoluble proteins. In this study the hydrolysis of a fully insoluble protein by a polyoxometalate complex as an artificial protease in surfactant solutions is reported for the first time. The hydrolysis of zein as a model protein was investigated in the presence of Zr(IV)-substituted Keggin-type polyoxometalate (POM), (Et2NH2)10[Zr(α-PW11O39)2], and different concentrations of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The selective hydrolysis of the protein upon incubation with the catalyst was observed, and the results indicate that hydrolytic selectivity and activity of the POM catalysts strongly depends on the concentration of surfactant. The molecular interactions between the POM catalyst and zein in the presence of SDS were explored using a combination of spectroscopic techniques which indicated competitive binding between POM and SDS towards the protein. The formation of micellar superstructures in tertiary POM/surfactant/protein solutions has been confirmed by electrical conductivity and Dynamic Light Scattering.

Synthesis of N-pentofuranosyl oxazolines and amides though the selective transformations of D-sugar acetonides

The method for synthesis of N-pentofuranosyl oxazolines was developed from the protected 1,2-O-acetonides of D-xylofuranose, -ribofuranose, and -arabinofuranose using boron trifluoride diethyl etherate, acetonitrile, and potassium hydrogen difluoride. A possible mechanism of the catalyzed reaction of acylated acetonides with acetonitrile in the presence of Lewis acid was considered in terms of the activation and cleavage of the 1,3-dioxalane part of the xylose derivative fol- lowed by the conversions of intermediates to α-isooxazoline. The hydrolysis reactions of N-α-glycosyl oxazolines were stud- ied in the acidic and neutral conditions. N-α-xylofuranosyl acetamide derivatives were prepared in high yields as a result of selective hydrolysis of protected α-xylofuranosyl isooxazolines in the neutral conditions.

Exploitation of E. coli for the production of penicillin G amidase: a tool for the synthesis of semisynthetic β-lactam antibiotics

Background Penicillin G amidase/acylases from microbial sources is a unique enzyme that belongs to the N-terminal nucleophilic hydrolase structural superfamily. It catalyzes the selective hydrolysis of side chain amide/acyl bond of penicillins and cephalosporins whereas the labile amide/acyl bond in the β-lactam ring remains intact. Main body of abstract This review summarizes the production aspects of PGA from various microbial sources at optimized conditions. The minimal yield from wild strains has been extensively improved using varying strain improvement techniques like recombination and mutagenesis; further applied for the subsequent synthesis of 6-aminopenicillanic acid, which is an intermediate molecule for synthesis of a wide range of novel β-lactam antibiotics. Immobilization of PGA has also been attempted to enhance the durability of enzyme for the industrial purposes. Short conclusion The present review provides an emphasis on exploitation of E. coli to enhance the microbial production of PGA. The latest achievements in the production of recombinant enzymes have also been discussed. Besides E. coli, other potent microbial strains with PGA activity must be explored to enhance the yields. Graphical abstract

Preparation of the Key Dolutegravir Intermediate via MgBr2-Promoted Cyclization

A novel approach for synthesizing the key dolutegravir intermediate is described via MgBr2-promoted intramolecular cyclization. Condensation of commercially available methyl oxalyl chloride and ethyl 3-(N,N-dimethylamino)acrylate afforded the vinylogous amide in an excellent yield. Subsequent substitution by aminoacetaldehyde dimethyl acetal and methyl bromoacetate gave rise to the expected precursor for cyclization, which was promoted by MgBr2 to highly selectively convert into pyridinone diester. The key dolutegravir intermediate was finally prepared by the selective hydrolysis of the corresponding diester via LiOH.

Broadening the Scope of Polyoxometalates as Artificial Proteases in Surfactant Solutions: Hydrolysis of Ovalbumin by Zr(IV)-Substituted Keggin Complex

Development of catalysts for the selective hydrolysis of proteins is challenging, yet important for many applications in biotechnology and proteomics. The hydrolysis of hydrophobic proteins is particularly challenging, as due to their poor solubility, the use of surfactants is often required. In this study, the proteolytic potential of catalyst systems based on the Zr(IV)-substituted Keggin polyoxometalate (Et2NH2)10[Zr(PW11O39)2] (Zr-K 1:2) and three different surfactants (ionic SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate); zwitterionic Zw3-12 (n-dodecyl-N,N-dimethyl-3-ammonio-1-propanesulfonate); and CHAPS (3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate)), which differ in structure and polarity, has been investigated. Hydrolysis of ovalbumin (OVA) was examined in the presence of Zr-K 1:2 and surfactants by sodium dodecyl sulfate poly(acrylamide) gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), which showed the appearance of new polypeptide fragments at lower molecular weight, indicating that selective hydrolysis of OVA took place for all three catalyst systems. The same fragmentation pattern was observed, showing that the selectivity was not affected by surfactants. However, the surfactants influenced the performance of the catalyst. Hence, the interactions of OVA with surfactants and Zr-K 1:2 were investigated using different techniques such as tryptophan fluorescence, Circular Dichroism, and Dynamic Light Scattering. The speciation of the catalyst in surfactant solutions was also followed by 31P Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy providing insight into its stability under reaction conditions.