Biology subjects

Wijma, H. J.

Publications and source records attributed to Wijma, H. J..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2021

A photo-switchable yeast isocitrate dehydrogenase to control metabolic flux through the citric acid cycle

For various research questions in metabolism, it is highly desirable to have means available, with which the flux through specific pathways can be perturbed dynamically, in a reversible manner, and at a timescale that is consistent with the fast turnover rates of metabolism. Optogenetics, in principle, offers such possibility. Here, we developed an initial version of a photo-switchable isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) aimed at controlling the metabolic flux through the citric acid cycle in budding yeast. By inserting a protein-based light switch (LOV2) into computationally identified active/regulatory-coupled sites of IDH and by using in vivo screening in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we obtained a number of IDH enzymes whose activity can be switched by light. Subsequent in-vivo characterization and optimization resulted in an initial version of photo-switchable (PS) IDH. While further improvements of the enzyme are necessary, our study demonstrates the efficacy of the overall approach from computational design, via in vivo screening and characterization. It also represents one of the first few examples, where optogenetics were used to control the activity of a metabolic enzyme.

synthetic biology↗

bioRxiv2020

CYP154C5 regioselectivity in steroid hydroxylation explored by substrate and protein engineering

CYP154C5 from Nocardia farcinica is a P450 monooxygenase able to hydroxylate a range of steroids with high regio- and stereoselectivity at the 16-position. Using protein and substrate engineering based on the crystal structure of CYP154C5, an altered regioselectivity of the enzyme in steroid hydroxylation could be achieved. Thus, conversion of progesterone by mutant CYP154C5 F92A resulted in formation of the corresponding 21-hydroxylated product 11-deoxycorticosterone in addition to 16-hydroxylation. Using MD simulation, this altered regioselectivity appeared to result from an alternate binding mode of the steroid in the active site of mutant F92A. MD simulation further suggested that water entrance to the active site caused higher uncoupling in this mutant. Moreover, exclusive 15-hydroxylation was observed for wild-type CYP154C5 in the conversion of 5-androstan-3-one, lacking an oxy-functional group at C17. Overall, our data give valuable insight into the structure-function relationship of this cytochrome P450 monooxygenase for steroid hydroxylation.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2019

Measuring glycolytic flux in single yeast cells with an orthogonal synthetic biosensor

Metabolic heterogeneity between individual cells of a population harbors offers significant challenges for fundamental and applied research. Identifying metabolic heterogeneity and investigating its emergence requires tools to zoom into metabolism of individual cells. While methods exist to measure metabolite levels in single cells, we lack capability to measure metabolic flux, i.e. the ultimate functional output of metabolic activity, on the single-cell level. Here, combining promoter engineering, computational protein design, biochemical methods, proteomics and metabolomics, we developed a biosensor to measure glycolytic flux in single yeast cells, by drawing on the robust cell-intrinsic correlation between glycolytic flux and levels of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (FBP), and by transplanting the B. subtilis FBP-binding transcription factor CggR into yeast. As proof of principle, using fluorescence microscopy, we applied the sensor to identify metabolic subpopulations in yeast cultures. We anticipate that our biosensor will become a valuable tool to identify and study metabolic heterogeneity in cell populations.

synthetic biology↗