Carbonic anhydrase activators: Activation of the β-carbonic anhydrase Nce103 from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae with amines and amino acids

Abstract

The protein encoded by the Nce103 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a beta-carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) designated as scCA, was investigated for its activation with amines and amino acids. scCA was poorly activated by amino acids such as L-/D-His, Phe, DOPA, Trp (K(A)s of 82 - 90 mu M) and more effectively activated by amines such as histamine, dopamine, serotonin, pyridyl-alkylamines, aminoethyl-piperazine/morpholine (K(A)s of 10.2-21.3 mu M). The best activator was L-adrenaline, with an activation constant of 0.95 mu M. This study may help to better understand the catalytic/activation mechanisms of the beta-CAs and eventually to design modulators of CA activity for similar enzymes present in pathogenic fungi, such as Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans.