In a previous work, we have introduced Neighborhood Behavior (NB) criteria for calculated molecular similarity metrics, based on the analysis of in vitro activity spaces that simultaneously monitor the responses of a compound with respect to an entire panel of biologically relevant receptors and enzymes. Now, these novel NB criteria will be used as a benchmark for the comparison of different in...

The periplasmic iron binding protein of pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria performs an essential role in iron acquisition from transferrin and other iron sources. Structural analysis of this protein from Haemophilus influenzae identified four amino acids that ligand the bound iron: His(9), Glu(57), Tyr(195), and Tyr(196). A phosphate provides an additional ligand, and the presence of a water mol...

We have studied the apo (Fe(3+) free) form of periplasmic ferric binding protein (FbpA) under different conditions and we have monitored the changes in the binding and release dynamics of H2PO4(-) that acts as a synergistic anion in the presence of Fe(3+). Our simulations predict a dissociation constant in agreement with the experimentally measured value under the same ionic pH conditions. We a...

The Brazilian purpuric fever (BPF) clone of Haemophilus influenzae biogroup aegyptius causes a fatal septicaemic disease, resembling fulminant meningococcal sepsis, in children. When isolate F3031 was grown under iron-limiting conditions, the presence of several iron-regulated proteins of 38-110 kDa was revealed by electrophoretic analysis and a Fur homologue was shown by immunoblotting. Dot-bl...

A bifunctional aldolase/kinase enzyme named DLF has been constructed by gene fusion through overlap extension. This fusion enzyme consists of monomeric fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (FBPA) from Staphylococcus carnosus and the homodimeric dihydroxyacetone kinase (DHAK) from Citrobacter freundii CECT 4626 with an intervening linker of five amino acid residues. The fusion protein was expresse...

The periodontopathic bacterium Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans possesses a 35-kDa periplasmic iron-repressible protein. Its regulation is mediated by the Fur protein, as was inferred from the Fur-binding consensus sequence at the -35 position of the gene for the 35-kDa protein and from the relaxed expression of the gene in a mutant with an altered Fur-binding sequence. The 35-kDa protein, ...

The Pyrococcus furiosus fbpA gene was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli, and the fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase produced was subsequently purified and characterized. The dimeric enzyme showed a preference for fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, with a K(m) of 0.32 mM and a V(max) of 12.2 U/mg. The P. furiosus fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase was strongly inhibited by Li(+) (50% inhibitory concentration, ...