Due to their central physiological roles in living organisms, retaining beta-glycosidases have been the subject of tremendous research efforts to examine their structure/function relation using... Show moreDue to their central physiological roles in living organisms, retaining beta-glycosidases have been the subject of tremendous research efforts to examine their structure/function relation using numerous biophysical and biochemical approaches. Since the proposition of the hydrolysis mechanism in the late fifties by Koshland1, the fundamental research on retaining b-glycosidases has been revolutionized by the discovery of multiple reversible and irreversible inhibitors. One of the most successful class of inhibitors are mechanism based inactivators, which were extensively used to identify the nucleophilic catalytic residues and to comprehend the catalytic mechanism and substrate itinerary. Subsequently, covalent inhibitors were used as warheads to synthesize chromogenic activity based probes (ABPs), which were widely used to selectively label and discover new retaining beta-glycosidases in complex biological samples. The organic synthesis and biological applications of these ABPs has become routine. Nevertheless, their binding mechanism and influences on protein conformation and dynamics remained unexplored. Therefore, this work is aimed to establish a bridge between the two research disciplines, using ABP technology to understand functional dynamics and conformational stability of retaining bglycosidases in solution and in vivo. The research relied on standard biochemistry and advanced NMR spectroscopy research approaches. Show less
This thesis describes biochemical investigations of glucocerebrosidase (GBA), the lysosomal β- glucosidase that is deficient in Gaucher disease (GD). Central in the performed research was the... Show moreThis thesis describes biochemical investigations of glucocerebrosidase (GBA), the lysosomal β- glucosidase that is deficient in Gaucher disease (GD). Central in the performed research was the examination of factors influencing the intralysosomal stability and half-life of GBA. The investigations made use of new chemical biology tools such as activity based probes (ABPs) and photo-activatable and clickable (PAC) lipids.The Discussion reviews the present insights into GBA in health and disease. In this connection, the molecular basis and clinical manifestation of Gaucher disease and Action Myoclonus Renal Failure syndrome are discussed, including the metabolic adaptations to GBA deficiency. Particular attention is paid to the lysosomal structural stability of GBA and associated resistance against proteolytic degradation by cysteine cathepsins. Literature findings and novel own results on this topic are discussed. New technology to study GBA by labeling with GlcCer and cyclophellitol derived probes is introduced and the application is described. Unresolved research questions on GBA and related disease conditions are identified. As future research objective the translation of fundamental knowledge on GBA to effective therapy of neuronopathic Gaucher disease and other disease conditions caused by enzyme reduction are discussed. Show less
The synthesis of different tools to study protease activities are presented. Irreversible inhibitors of the proteasome or cathepsins were equipped with reporter groups and other functionalities to... Show moreThe synthesis of different tools to study protease activities are presented. Irreversible inhibitors of the proteasome or cathepsins were equipped with reporter groups and other functionalities to generate probes to study these proteases under different conditions. A two step labeling strategy allowed labeling of all proteasome subunits in living cells, and visualizing these activities after cell lysis. This strategy was employed further to visualize the subunit specificity of a newly developed proteasome inhibitor. An isotope coded tag was introduced in a cathepsin inhibitor in order to assess relative cathepsin activities. An crosslinking functionality or cell penetrating peptide sequence allowed active transport of cathepsin probes into cells, thereby shining a light on the uptake mechanism. Show less
