This report describes a functional and structural analysis of fused glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase dehydrogenase-phosphogluconolactonase protein from the protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis (T. vaginalis). The glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (g6pd) gene from T. vaginalis was isolated by PCR and the sequence of the product showed that is fused with 6pgl gene. The fused Tvg6pd::6pgl gene was cloned and overexpressed in a heterologous system. The recombinant protein was purified by affinity chromatography, and the oligomeric state of the TvG6PD::6PGL protein was found as tetramer, with an optimal pH of 8.0. The kinetic parameters for the G6PD domain were determined using glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP+) as substrates. Biochemical assays as the effects of temperature, susceptibility to trypsin digestion, and analysis of hydrochloride of guanidine on protein stability in the presence or absence of NADP+ were performed. These results revealed that the protein becomes more stable in the presence of the NADP+. In addition, we determined the dissociation constant for the binding (Kd) of NADP+ in the protein and suggests the possible structural site in the fused TvG6PD::6PGL protein. Finally, computational modeling studies were performed to obtain an approximation of the structure of TvG6PD::6PGL. The generated model showed differences with the GlG6PD::6PGL protein (even more so with human G6PD) despite both being fused.
Keywords: 3D-structure; G6PD; Trichomonas vaginalis; biochemical characterization; heterologous expression.