Structural and functional study of the Arabidopsis halleri HMA4 N-terminal domain

Poster (2013, April 18)

Biochemical and Structural studies of the type I tagatose bisphosphate aldolases

Poster (2013, February 26)

Kinetic and crystallographic studies of extended-spectrum GES-11, GES-12, and GES-14 β-lactamases.

in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (2012), 56(11)

GES-1 is a class A extended-spectrum β-lactamase conferring resistance to penicillins, narrow- and expanded-spectrum cephalosporins, and ceftazidime. However, GES-1 poorly hydrolyzes aztreonam and ... [more ▼]

GES-1 is a class A extended-spectrum β-lactamase conferring resistance to penicillins, narrow- and expanded-spectrum cephalosporins, and ceftazidime. However, GES-1 poorly hydrolyzes aztreonam and cephamycins and exhibits very low k(cat) values for carbapenems. Twenty-two GES variants have been discovered thus far, differing from each other by 1 to 3 amino acid substitutions that affect substrate specificity. GES-11 possesses a Gly243Ala substitution which seems to confer to this variant an increased activity against aztreonam and ceftazidime. GES-12 differs from GES-11 by a single Thr237Ala substitution, while GES-14 differs from GES-11 by the Gly170Ser mutation, which is known to confer increased carbapenemase activity. GES-11 and GES-12 were kinetically characterized and compared to GES-1 and GES-14. Purified GES-11 and GES-12 showed strong activities against most tested β-lactams, with the exception of temocillin, cefoxitin, and carbapenems. Both variants showed a significantly increased rate of hydrolysis of cefotaxime, ceftazidime, and aztreonam. On the other hand, GES-11 and GES-12 (and GES-14) variants all containing Ala243 exhibited increased susceptibility to classical inhibitors. The crystallographic structures of the GES-11 and GES-14 β-lactamases were solved. The overall structures of GES-11 and GES-14 are similar to that of GES-1. The Gly243Ala substitution caused only subtle local rearrangements, notably in the typical carbapenemase disulfide bond. The active sites of GES-14 and GES-11 are very similar, with the Gly170Ser substitution leading only to the formation of additional hydrogen bonds of the Ser residue with hydrolytic water and the Glu166 residue. [less ▲]

Amyloid-like fibril formation by polyQ proteins: a critical balance between the polyQ length and the constraints imposed by the host protein

in PLoS ONE (2012), 7(3),

Novel fragments of clavulanate observed in the structure of the class A b-lactamase from Bacillus licheniformis BS3

in Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (2012), 67(10), 2379-2387

Cellulase involvement in the bacterial cellulose biosynthesis

Poster (2012)

Insight into the structural factors that modulate the metal binding affinity of the Arabidospsis halleri HMA4

Conference (2011, October 14)

OXA-198, an acquired carbapenem-hydrolyzing class D beta-lactamase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (2011), 55(10)

A carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain (PA41437) susceptible to expanded-spectrum cephalosporins was recovered from several consecutive lower-respiratory-tract specimens of a patient who ... [more ▼]

A carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain (PA41437) susceptible to expanded-spectrum cephalosporins was recovered from several consecutive lower-respiratory-tract specimens of a patient who developed a ventilator-associated pneumonia while hospitalized in an intensive care unit. Cloning experiments identified OXA-198, a new class D β-lactamase which was weakly related (less than 45% amino acid identity) to other class D β-lactamases. Expression in Escherichia coli TOP10 and in P. aeruginosa PAO1 led to transformants that were resistant to ticarcillin and showed reduced susceptibility to carbapenems and cefepime. The bla(OXA-198) gene was harbored by a class 1 integron carried by a ca. 46-kb nontypeable plasmid. This study describes a novel class D β-lactamase involved in carbapenem resistance in P. aeruginosa. [less ▲]

Broad antibiotic resistance profile of the subclass B3 metallo-β-lactamase GOB-1, a di-zinc enzyme.

in FEBS Journal (2011), 278(8)

The metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) GOB-1 was expressed via a T7 expression system in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). The MBL was purified to homogeneity and shown to exhibit a broad substrate profile, hydrolyzing ... [more ▼]

The metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) GOB-1 was expressed via a T7 expression system in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). The MBL was purified to homogeneity and shown to exhibit a broad substrate profile, hydrolyzing all the tested β-lactam compounds efficiently. The GOB enzymes are unique among MBLs due to the presence of a glutamine residue at position 116, a zinc-binding residue in all known class B1 and B3 MBL structures. Here we produced and studied the Q116A, Q116N and Q116H mutants. The substrate profiles were similar for each mutant, but with significantly reduced activity compared with that of the wild-type. In contrast to the Q116H enzyme, which bound two zinc ions just like the wild-type, only one zinc ion is present in Q116A and Q116N. These results suggest that the Q116 residue plays a role in the binding of the zinc ion in the QHH site. [less ▲]

Cellulase involvement in the cellulose biosynthesis of Pseudomonas stutzeri

Poster (2011)