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Multicopper oxidase-1 orthologs from diverse insect species have ascorbate oxidase activity.

ABSTRACT: Members of the multicopper oxidase (MCO) family of enzymes can be classified by their substrate specificity; for example, ferroxidases oxidize ferrous iron, ascorbate oxidases oxidize ascorbate, and laccases oxidize aromatic substrates such as diphenols. Our previous work on an insect multicopper oxidase, MCO1, suggested that it may function as a ferroxidase. This hypothesis was based on three lines of evidence: RNAi-mediated knock down of Drosophila melanogaster MCO1 (DmMCO1) affects iron homeostasis, DmMCO1 has ferroxidase activity, and DmMCO1 has predicted iron binding residues. In our current study, we expanded our focus to include MCO1 from Anopheles gambiae, Tribolium castaneum, and Manduca sexta. We verified that MCO1 orthologs have similar expression profiles, and that the MCO1 protein is located on the basal surface of cells where it is positioned to oxidize substrates in the hemolymph. In addition, we determined that RNAi-mediated knock down of MCO1 in A. gambiae affects iron homeostasis. To further characterize the enzymatic activity of MCO1 orthologs, we purified recombinant MCO1 from all four insect species and performed kinetic analyses using ferrous iron, ascorbate and two diphenols as substrates. We found that all of the MCO1 orthologs are much better at oxidizing ascorbate than they are at oxidizing ferrous iron or diphenols. This result is surprising because ascorbate oxidases are thought to be specific to plants and fungi. An analysis of three predicted iron binding residues in DmMCO1 revealed that they are not required for ferroxidase or laccase activity, but two of the residues (His374 and Asp380) influence oxidation of ascorbate. These two residues are conserved in MCO1 orthologs from insects and crustaceans; therefore, they are likely to be important for MCO1 function. The results of this study suggest that MCO1 orthologs function as ascorbate oxidases and influence iron homeostasis through an unknown mechanism.

SUBMITTER: Peng Z

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4387078 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Multicopper oxidase-1 orthologs from diverse insect species have ascorbate oxidase activity.

Peng Zeyu Z Dittmer Neal T NT Lang Minglin M Brummett Lisa M LM Braun Caroline L CL Davis Lawrence C LC Kanost Michael R MR Gorman Maureen J MJ

Insect biochemistry and molecular biology 20150217

Members of the multicopper oxidase (MCO) family of enzymes can be classified by their substrate specificity; for example, ferroxidases oxidize ferrous iron, ascorbate oxidases oxidize ascorbate, and laccases oxidize aromatic substrates such as diphenols. Our previous work on an insect multicopper oxidase, MCO1, suggested that it may function as a ferroxidase. This hypothesis was based on three lines of evidence: RNAi-mediated knock down of Drosophila melanogaster MCO1 (DmMCO1) affects iron homeo ...[more]

PMID: 25701385

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Project description:Multicopper oxidases (MCOs) are a family of enzymes that use copper ions as cofactors to oxidize various substrates. Previous research has demonstrated that several MCOs such as MnxG, MofA and MoxA can act as putative Mn(II) oxidases. Meanwhile, the endospore coat protein CotA from Bacillus species has been confirmed as a typical MCO. To study the relationship between CotA and the Mn(II) oxidation, the cotA gene from a highly active Mn(II)-oxidizing strain Bacillus pumilus WH4 was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli strain M15. The purified CotA contained approximately four copper atoms per molecule and showed spectroscopic properties typical of blue copper oxidases. Importantly, apart from the laccase activities, the CotA also displayed substantial Mn(II)-oxidase activities both in liquid culture system and native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The optimum Mn(II) oxidase activity was obtained at 53°C in HEPES buffer (pH 8.0) supplemented with 0.8 mM CuCl2. Besides, the addition of o-phenanthroline and EDTA both led to a complete suppression of Mn(II)-oxidizing activity. The specific activity of purified CotA towards Mn(II) was 0.27 U/mg. The Km, Vmax and kcat values towards Mn(II) were 14.85±1.17 mM, 3.01×10(-6)±0.21 M·min(-1) and 0.32±0.02 s(-1), respectively. Moreover, the Mn(II)-oxidizing activity of the recombinant E. coli strain M15-pQE-cotA was significantly increased when cultured both in Mn-containing K liquid medium and on agar plates. After 7-day liquid cultivation, M15-pQE-cotA resulted in 18.2% removal of Mn(II) from the medium. Furthermore, the biogenic Mn oxides were clearly observed on the cell surfaces of M15-pQE-cotA by scanning electron microscopy. To our knowledge, this is the first report that provides the direct observation of Mn(II) oxidation with the heterologously expressed protein CotA, Therefore, this novel finding not only establishes the foundation for in-depth study of Mn(II) oxidation mechanisms, but also offers a potential biocatalyst for Mn(II) removal.

Project description:Ascorbate (vitamin C) is an important antioxidant in leaves with multiple functions in photosynthesis and its levels are tightly regulated by light quality. The majority of work to date has focussed on regulation of ascorbate levels via biosynthesis. However, the pathway of ascorbate degradation, which is localised in the apoplast may additionally play a significant role. The degradative pathway begins with ascorbate oxidation by the enzyme ascorbate oxidase (AO) and hence we have examined the impact of manipulation of ascorbate oxidase activity on the content of ascorbate and the acclimation of photosynthesis to changing light levels. Leaf ascorbate content was highly light dependent in Nicotiana tobaccum being double in high compared with low light conditions. In contrast ascorbate oxidase activity was not altered by changing light levels. Transgenic tobacco lines with reduced or enhanced AO activity exhibited no morphological phenotype and photosynthesis under high light was similarly impaired irrespective of the measured AO activity. However further investigation between AO activity and leaf acclimation to changing light intensity revealed a suite of metabolic and transcriptome changes indicating a role for the apoplastic ascorbate pool in chloroplast to nucleus communication. In all genotypes, transcripts associated with ascorbate synthesis and recycling were less abundant following transition from high to low light. However transcripts associated with glutathione recycling, light harvesting, reaction centre function and the Calvin cycle were all increased in abundance. Following the transition from high to low light increases in leaf threonate, an ascorbate degradation product, were proportional to AO activity. A number of chloroplast synthesised amino acids were significantly increased both during high light and following transfer back to LL for 12 h. Similarly, several primary carbohydrates and TCA intermediates were significantly enhanced following high light treatment. In addition to light effects, AO activity had a significant impact on ï¢-alanine, aspartate and threonine. Intriguingly, a large number of fatty acids were reduced in antisense AO and wild-type plants immediately after high light stress however the content of these compounds were significantly increased in overexpressing sense lines. We conclude that AO mediated turnover plays an important role in adjusting cellular ascorbate content to photosynthetic need in a fluctuating light environment and that light mediated signals rapidly adjust that the apoplastic ascorbate pool.

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Multicopper oxidase-1 orthologs from diverse insect species have ascorbate oxidase activity.

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Multicopper oxidase-1 orthologs from diverse insect species have ascorbate oxidase activity.

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