Stability and functional consequences of disulfide bond engineering in Aspergillus flavus uricase

Abstract Disulfide bond engineering is a promising strategy for enhancing the stability and functional lifespan of enzymes in therapeutic and industrial applications. In this study, we applied computational modeling to introduce interchain disulfide bonds in Aspergillus flavus uricase to increase it...

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Main Authors: Mohammad Reza Rahbar, Navid Nezafat, Mohammad Hossein Morowvat, Amir Savardashtaki, Mohammad Bagher Ghoshoon, Mohammad Soroosh Hajizade, Younes Ghasemi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-05-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-01683-y
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author Mohammad Reza Rahbar
Navid Nezafat
Mohammad Hossein Morowvat
Amir Savardashtaki
Mohammad Bagher Ghoshoon
Mohammad Soroosh Hajizade
Younes Ghasemi
author_facet Mohammad Reza Rahbar
Navid Nezafat
Mohammad Hossein Morowvat
Amir Savardashtaki
Mohammad Bagher Ghoshoon
Mohammad Soroosh Hajizade
Younes Ghasemi
author_sort Mohammad Reza Rahbar
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Disulfide bond engineering is a promising strategy for enhancing the stability and functional lifespan of enzymes in therapeutic and industrial applications. In this study, we applied computational modeling to introduce interchain disulfide bonds in Aspergillus flavus uricase to increase its stability without compromising catalytic efficiency. Six uricase muteins were engineered with targeted disulfide bonds at positions selected based on energetic frustration, structural integrity, and tunnel profiling analyses. By employing frustration density mapping, Root Mean Square Fluctuation (RMSF) profiling, and tunnel analysis, we evaluated the structural stability, flexibility, and substrate accessibility of each variant. Our findings revealed that muteins with disulfide bonds between residues such as Ala6-Cys290 and Ser119-Cys220 exhibited significant reductions in highly frustrated regions, enhancing the enzyme’s structural resilience. RMSF analysis indicated decreased local flexibility near disulfide sites, contributing to increased stability. Tunnel profiling further demonstrated that muteins with strategically placed disulfide bonds maintained favorable substrate access and low-energy barriers, critical for catalytic turnover. These results underscore the potential of targeted disulfide bond engineering for optimizing enzyme stability, offering valuable insights for the development of stable, high-performance biocatalysts suitable for therapeutic and industrial use.
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spelling doaj-art-0656af8d77264e6ebcae383b431e11262025-08-20T02:03:31ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-05-0115112910.1038/s41598-025-01683-yStability and functional consequences of disulfide bond engineering in Aspergillus flavus uricaseMohammad Reza Rahbar0Navid Nezafat1Mohammad Hossein Morowvat2Amir Savardashtaki3Mohammad Bagher Ghoshoon4Mohammad Soroosh Hajizade5Younes Ghasemi6Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical SciencesPharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical SciencesPharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical SciencesPharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical SciencesPharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical SciencesAbstract Disulfide bond engineering is a promising strategy for enhancing the stability and functional lifespan of enzymes in therapeutic and industrial applications. In this study, we applied computational modeling to introduce interchain disulfide bonds in Aspergillus flavus uricase to increase its stability without compromising catalytic efficiency. Six uricase muteins were engineered with targeted disulfide bonds at positions selected based on energetic frustration, structural integrity, and tunnel profiling analyses. By employing frustration density mapping, Root Mean Square Fluctuation (RMSF) profiling, and tunnel analysis, we evaluated the structural stability, flexibility, and substrate accessibility of each variant. Our findings revealed that muteins with disulfide bonds between residues such as Ala6-Cys290 and Ser119-Cys220 exhibited significant reductions in highly frustrated regions, enhancing the enzyme’s structural resilience. RMSF analysis indicated decreased local flexibility near disulfide sites, contributing to increased stability. Tunnel profiling further demonstrated that muteins with strategically placed disulfide bonds maintained favorable substrate access and low-energy barriers, critical for catalytic turnover. These results underscore the potential of targeted disulfide bond engineering for optimizing enzyme stability, offering valuable insights for the development of stable, high-performance biocatalysts suitable for therapeutic and industrial use.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-01683-yDisulfide Bond EngineeringUricase StabilityEnergetic FrustrationProtein Folding DynamicsEnzyme Tunnel ProfilingIn Silico Protein Design
spellingShingle Mohammad Reza Rahbar
Navid Nezafat
Mohammad Hossein Morowvat
Amir Savardashtaki
Mohammad Bagher Ghoshoon
Mohammad Soroosh Hajizade
Younes Ghasemi
Stability and functional consequences of disulfide bond engineering in Aspergillus flavus uricase
Scientific Reports
Disulfide Bond Engineering
Uricase Stability
Energetic Frustration
Protein Folding Dynamics
Enzyme Tunnel Profiling
In Silico Protein Design
title Stability and functional consequences of disulfide bond engineering in Aspergillus flavus uricase
title_full Stability and functional consequences of disulfide bond engineering in Aspergillus flavus uricase
title_fullStr Stability and functional consequences of disulfide bond engineering in Aspergillus flavus uricase
title_full_unstemmed Stability and functional consequences of disulfide bond engineering in Aspergillus flavus uricase
title_short Stability and functional consequences of disulfide bond engineering in Aspergillus flavus uricase
title_sort stability and functional consequences of disulfide bond engineering in aspergillus flavus uricase
topic Disulfide Bond Engineering
Uricase Stability
Energetic Frustration
Protein Folding Dynamics
Enzyme Tunnel Profiling
In Silico Protein Design
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-01683-y
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