Expression, purification, and characterization of mouse glycine N-acyltransferase in Escherichia coli

Glycine N-acyltransferase (GLYAT) is a phase II metabolic detoxification enzyme for exogenous (xenobiotic) and endogenous carboxylic acids; consisting of fatty acids, benzoic acid, and salicylic acid. GLYAT catalyzes the formation of hippurate (N-benzoylglycine) from the corresponding glycine and benzoyl-CoA. Herein, we report the successful expression, purification, and characterization of recombinant mouse GLYAT (mGLYAT). A 34 kDa mGLYAT protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity by nickel affinity chromatography to a final yield of 2.5 mg/L culture. Characterization for both amino donors and amino acceptors were completed, with glycine serving as the best amino donor substrate, (kcat/Km)app = (5.2 ± 0.20) × 102 M−1 s−1, and benzoyl-CoA serving as the best the amino acceptor substrate, (kcat/Km)app = (4.5 ± 0.27) × 105 M−1 s−1. Our data demonstrate that mGLYAT will catalyzed the chain length specific (C2-C6) formation of N-acylglycines. The steady-state kinetic constants determined for recombinant mGLYAT for the substrates benzoyl-CoA and glycine, were shown to be consistent with other reported species (rat, human, bovine, ovine, and rhesus monkey). The successful recombinant expression and purification of mGLYAT can lead to solve unanswered questions associated with this enzyme, consisting of what is the chemical mechanism and what catalytic residues are essential for the how this phase II metabolic detoxification enzyme conjugates glycine to xenobiotic and endogenous carboxylic acids.