Structural studies on the active site of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase. 1. Interaction of metals on the i and i + 1 sites

The two substrates between which an internucleotide bond is formed in RNA synthesis occupy two subsites, i and i + 1, on the active site of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase, and each subsite is associated with a metal ion. These ions are therefore useful as probes of substrate interaction during RNA synthesis. We have studied interactions between the metals by EPR spectroscopy. The Zn(II) in the i site and the Mg(II) in the i + 1 site were substituted separately or jointly by Mn(II). The proximity of the metals was established by EPR monitoring of the titration at 5.5 K of the enzyme containing Mn(II) in i with Mn(II) going into the i + 1 site, and the 1:1 ratio of the metals in the two sites was confirmed in this way. The distance between the two metals was determined by EPR titration at room temperature of both the enzyme containing Zn(II) in i and Mn(II) in i with Mn(II) going into the i + 1 site, making use of the fact that EPR spectra are affected by dipolar interactions between the metals. The distances calculated in the presence of enzyme alone, in the presence of enzyme and two ATP substrates, and when poly(dAdT).poly(dAdT) was added to the latter system ranged from 5.2 to 6.7 A.     

Sedimentation analysis of polyadenylation-specific complexes.

Precursor RNA containing the adenovirus L3 polyadenylation site is assembled into a 50S complex upon incubation with HeLa nuclear extract at 30 degrees C. The cofactor and sequence requirements for 50S complex formation are similar to those of the in vitro polyadenylation reaction. Assembly of this complex requires ATP but is not dependent upon synthesis of a poly(A) tract. In addition, a 50S complex does not form on substrate RNA in which the AAUAAA hexanucleotide upstream of the poly(A) site has been mutated to AAGAAA or on RNA in which sequences between +5 and +48 nucleotides downstream of the site have been removed. These mutations also prevent in vitro processing of substrate RNA. Kinetic studies suggest that the 50S complex is an intermediate in the polyadenylation reaction. It forms at an early stage in the reaction and at later times contains both poly(A)+ RNA as well as unreacted precursor. U-type small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles are components of the 50S complex, as shown by immunoprecipitation with antiserum specific to the trimethyl cap of these small nuclear RNAs.     

Kinetic co-operativity of wheat-germ RNA polymerase II with adenosine 5''-[beta gamma-imido]triphosphate as substrate.

A kinetic study of productive RNA chain elongation indicates that adenosine 5'-[beta gamma-imido]triphosphate can serve as substrate in reactions catalysed by purified wheat-germ RNA polymerase II on a poly[d(A-T)] template. However, in contrast with the results obtained with the natural substrate ATP, the double-reciprocal plots, 1/velocity versus 1/[nucleotide], are not linear but characteristic of apparent negative co-operativity. The extent of the kinetic co-operativity is modified when the reactions are conducted in the additional presence of fixed amounts of an alternative substrate such as ATP or inhibitors such as dATP or cordycepin triphosphate. Analogous results are obtained whether the reactions are carried out in the presence of Mg2+ or Mn2+ as the metal ion cofactor. However, the data show that with Mn2+ the RNA polymerase is less specific in substrate recognition than with Mg2+. Tentative kinetic models are proposed to account for the rate measurements.     

Purification of wheat germ RNA ligase. I. Characterization of a ligase-associated 5'-hydroxyl polynucleotide kinase activity

An RNA ligase that catalyzes the formation of a 2'-phosphomonoester-3',5'-phosphodiester bond in the presence of ATP and Mg2+ was purified approximately 6000-fold from raw wheat germ. A 5'-hydroxyl polynucleotide kinase activity copurified with RNA ligase through all chromatographic steps. Both activities cosedimented upon glycerol gradient centrifugation even in the presence of high salt and urea. RNA ligase and kinase activities sedimented as a single peak on glycerol gradients with a sedimentation coefficient of 6.2 S. The purified polynucleotide kinase activity required dithiothreitol and a divalent cation for activity and was inhibited by pyrophosphate and by ADP. The kinase phosphorylated a variety of 5'-hydroxyl-terminated polynucleotide chains including some that were substrates for the RNA ligase (e.g. 2',3'-cyclic phosphate-terminated poly(A)) and others that were not ligase substrates (e.g. DNA or RNA containing 3'-hydroxyl termini). RNA molecules containing either 5'-hydroxyl or 5'-phosphate and 2',3'-cyclic or 2'-phosphate termini were substrates for the purified RNA ligase activity. The rate of ligation of 5'-hydroxyl-terminated RNA chains was greater than that of 5'-phosphate-terminated molecules, suggesting that an interaction between the wheat germ kinase and ligase activities occurs during the course of ligation.     

Characterization of two tyrosine-specific protein kinases from pig spleen. Substrate-specific effect of autophosphorylation.

Spontaneously active tyrosine-specific protein kinases I and II (designated TyrK I and TyrK II) have been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from a particulate fraction of porcine spleen based on an assay that used poly(4Tyr, Glu) as a substrate. SDS/polyacrylamide gels revealed a doublet of bands of about Mr 51,000 for TyrK I and two protein bands of Mr 55,000 and 54,000 for TyrK II. After incubation in the presence of [gamma-32P]ATP, the bands corresponding to both protein kinases contained phosphotyrosine. The two tyrosine protein kinases showed high activities with poly(Tyr, 4Glu) and poly(Tyr, 3Ala, 6Glu) as substrates and lower activity with angiotensin II. Neither histone, phosvitin, casein nor bovine serum albumin were phosphorylated. Both protein tyrosine kinases were activated by millimolar concentrations of Mg2+ whereas Mn2+ was less effective. The effects of various polyanionic and polycationic substances depended on the nature of the peptide substrate. With poly(Tyr, 4Glu) as a substrate, the substances either inhibited the activities of TyrK I and TyrK II or had no effect. However, activation was observed with angiotensin II as substrate in the presence of polylysine, polyornithine, protamine sulfate, and heparin as effectors. When angiotensin II was used as substrate, activation also occurred by autophosphorylation, in parallel to the phosphate incorporation into the protein kinases. Activation by autophosphorylation was not observed with the synthetic peptide substrates, poly(Tyr, 4Glu) and poly(Tyr, 3Ala, 6Glu).     

Magnetic resonance and kinetic studies of the role of the divalent cation activator of RNA polymerase from Escherichia coli.

The interaction of Mn2+, substrates and initiators with RNA polymerase have been studied by kinetic and magnetic resonance methods. As determined by electron paramagnetic resonance, Mn2+ binds to RNA polymerase at one tight binding site with a dissociation constant less than 10 muM and at 6 +/- 1 weak binding sites with dissociation constants 100-fold greater. The binding of Mn2+ to RNA polymerase at both types of sites causes an order of magnitude enhancement of the paramagnetic effect of Mn2+ on the longitudinal relaxation rate of water protons, indicating the presence of residual water ligands on the enzyme-bound Mn2+. A kinetic analysis of the Mn2+-activated enzyme with poly(dT) as template indicates the substrate to be MnATP under steady-state conditions in the presence or absence of the initiator ApA. ATP and UTP interact with the tightly bound Mn2+ to form ternary complexes with approximately 50% greater enhancement factors. The dissociation constant of MnATP from the tight Mn2+ site as determined by longitudinal proton relaxation rate (PRR) titration (4.7 muM) is similar to the KM of MnATP in the ApA-initiated RNA polymerase reaction (10 +/- 3 muM) but not in the ATP-initiated reaction (160 +/- 30 muM). Similarly, the dissociation constant of the substrate MnUTP from the tight Mn2+ site (90 muM) is in agreement with the KM of MnUTP (101 +/- 13 muM) when poly[d(A-T)]-poly[d(A-T)] is used as template, indicating the tight Mn2+ site to be the catalytic site for RNA chain elongation. Manganese adenylyl imidodiphosphate (MnAMP-PNP) has been found to be a substrate for RNA polymerase. It has the same affinity as MnATP for the tight site but, unlike the results obtained with MnATP, the enhancement is decreased by 43% in the enzyme Mn-AMP-PNP complex. These results suggest that the enzyme-bound Mn2+ interacts with the leaving pyrophosphate group. The initiators ApA and ApU and the inhibitor rifamycin interact with the enzyme-Mn2+ complex producing small (15-20%) decreases in the enhancement. The dissociation constant of ApA estimated from PRR data (less than or equal to 1.5 muM) agrees with that determined kinetically (1.0 +/- 0.5 muM) as the concentration of ApA required to produce half-maximal change in the KM of MnATP. In the presence of the initiation specific reagents ApA, ApU, or rifamycin, the affinity of the enzyme-Mn complex for ATP or UTP shows little change. However, ATP and UTP no longer increase the enhancement factor of the tightly bound Mn2+ but decrease it by 30-55%, indicating a change in the environment of the Mn2+-substrate complex on the enzyme when the initiation site is either occupied or blocked. Although the role of the six weak Mn2+ binding sites is not clear, the presence of a single tightly bound Mn2+ at the catalytic site for chain elongation which interacts with the substrate reinforces the number of active sites as one per molecule of holoenzyme and provides a paramagnetic reference point for further structural studies.     

Purification of wheat germ RNA ligase. II. Mechanism of action of wheat germ RNA ligase

The mechanism of action of purified wheat germ RNA ligase has been examined. ATP was absolutely required for the ligation of substrates containing 5'-OH or 5'-P and 2',3'-cyclic P or 2'-P termini. Ligation of 1 mol of 5'-P-2',3'-cyclic P-terminated poly(A) was accompanied by the hydrolysis of 1 mol of ATP to 1 mol each of AMP and PPi. Purified RNA ligase catalyzed an ATP-PPi exchange reaction, specific for ATP and dATP, and formed a covalent enzyme-adenylate complex that was detected by autoradiography following incubation with [alpha-32P]ATP and separation of the products by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A protein doublet with a molecular weight of approximately 110 kDa, the major product detected by silver staining, was labeled in these reactions. Isolated E-AMP complex was dissociated by the addition of ligatable poly(A), containing 5'-P-2',3'-cyclic P termini, to yield AMP and by the addition of PPi to yield ATP. The unique feature of the reactions leading to an exchange reaction between ATP and PPi and to the formation of an E-AMP complex was their marked stimulation (up to 400-fold) by the addition of RNA. This property distinguishes the wheat germ RNA ligase from other known RNA and DNA ligases which catalyze ATP-PPi exchange reactions and form E-AMP complexes in the absence of substrate. Thus, RNA appears to function in two capacities in the wheat germ system: as a cofactor, to stimulate the reaction of the enzyme with ATP, and as an authentic substrate for ligation.     

Two distinct poly(A) polymerases isolated from the cytoplasm of Ehrlich ascites tumour cells

The poly(A) polymerases from the cytosol and ribosomal fractions of Ehrlich ascites tumour cells are isolated and partially purified by DEAE-cellulose and phosphocellulose column chromatography. Two distinct enzymes are identified: (a) a cytosol Mn2+-dependent poly(A) polymerase (ATP:RNA adenylyltransferase) and (b) a ribosome-associated enzyme defined tentatively as ATP(UTP): RNA nucleotidyltransferase. The cytosol poly(A) polymerase is strictly Mn2+-dependent (optimum at 1 mM Mn2+) and uses only ATP as substrate, poly(A) is a better primer than ribosomal RNA. The purified enzyme is free of poly(A) hydrolase activity, but degradation of [3H]poly(A) takes place in the presence of inorganic pyrophosphate. Most likely this enzyme is of nuclear origin. The ribosomal enzyme is associated with the ribosomes but it is found also in free state in the cytosol. The purified enzyme uses both ATP and UTP as substrates. The substrate specificity varies depending on ionic conditions: the optimal enzyme activity with ATP as substrate is at 1 mM Mn2+, while that with UTP as substrate is at 10--20 mM Mg2+. The enzymes uses both ribosomal RNA and poly(A) [but not poly(U)] as primers. The purified enzyme is free of poly(A) hydrolase activity.     

Defining the enzyme binding domain of a ribonuclease III processing signal. Ethylation interference and hydroxyl radical footprinting using catalytically inactive RNase III mutants.

Ethylation interference and hydroxyl radical footprinting were used to identify substrate ribose-phosphate backbone sites that interact with the Escherichia coli RNA processing enzyme, ribonuclease III. Two RNase III mutants were employed, which bind substrate in vitro similarly as wild-type enzyme, but lack detectable phosphodiesterase activity. Specifically, altering glutamic acid at position 117 to lysine or alanine uncouples substrate binding from cleavage. The two substrates examined are based on the bacteriophage T7 R1.1 RNase III processing signal. One substrate, R1.1 RNA, undergoes accurate single cleavage at the canonical site, while a close variant, R1.1[WC-L] RNA, undergoes coordinate double cleavage. The interference and footprinting patterns for each substrate (i) overlap, (ii) exhibit symmetry and (iii) extend approximately one helical turn in each direction from the RNase III cleavage sites. Divalent metal ions (Mg2+, Ca2+) significantly enhance substrate binding, and confer stronger protection from hydroxyl radicals, but do not significantly affect the interference pattern. The footprinting and interference patterns indicate that (i) RNase III contacts the sugar-phosphate backbone; (ii) the RNase III-substrate interaction spans two turns of the A-form helix; and (iii) divalent metal ion does not play an essential role in binding specificity. These results rationalize the conserved two-turn helix motif seen in most RNase III processing signals, and which is necessary for optimal processing reactivity. In addition, the specific differences in the footprint and interference patterns of the two substrates suggest why RNase III catalyzes the coordinate double cleavage of R1.1[WC-L] RNA, and dsRNA in general, while catalyzing only single cleavage of R1.1 RNA and related substrates in which the scissle bond is within an asymmetric internal loop.     

Mechanism of inhibition of RNA polymerase II and poly(adenylic acid) polymerase by the O-n-octyloxime of 3-formylrifamycin SV.

Factors affecting the inhibition of RNA polymerase II from rat liver by the O-n-octyloxime of 3-formylrifamycin SV (AF/013) were investigated. Using either native or denatured calf-thymus DNA as template, almost complete inhibition of RNA polymerase II was observed when AF/013 was added directly to the enzyme. Considerable resistance to AF/013 was observed when RNA polymerase II was preincubated with denatured DNA at either 0 or 37 degrees. However, under similar conditions, no resistance was observed when enzyme was preincubated with native DNA. Only when AF/013 was added to the ongoing reaction using native DNA did a resistance to AF/013 occur. The inhibition of RNA polymerase II by AF/013 was competitive with respect to all four nucleoside triphosphate substrates. The inhibition by AF/013 remaining after enzyme-DNA complex formation also appeared competitive with nucleoside triphosphate levels. The effect of exogenous protein (bovine serum albumin, BSA) on the inhibition of RNA polymerase II was also investigated. BSA reduced the extent of inhibition by AF/013, but did not alter the competitive nature of inhibition. Concurrently, the inhibition of highly purified nuclear poly(A) polymerase from rat liver, a template independent enzyme which incorporates AMP in a chain elongation reaction, was examined. As in the case of RNA polymerase, poly(A) polymerase was inhibited by AF/013 in a manner competitive with the nucleoside triphosphate substrate. The competitive nature of inhibition of RNA polymerase by AF/013 with respect to all four nucleoside triphosphate substrates, before and after enzyme-DNA complex formation, as well as the competitive nature of inhibition of poly(A) polymerase with respect to ATP tend to indicate that the major effect of AF/013 on RNA polymerase II is at the level of the substrate binding as opposed to a specific inhibition of initiation.     

Purification and some novel properties of Escherichia coli RNase II.

RNase II of Escherichia coli (EC 3.1.4.23) has been purified to apparent homogeneity. The K+-activated diesterase activity against poly(U), which defines RNase II, cochromatographs with activity against T4 mRNA or pulse-labeled E. coli RNA successively on DEAE-cellulose, hydroxyapatite or phosphocellulose, and Sephadex G-150 columns. Activities with both substrates are selectively reduced to less than 2% of the wild type level in a newly isolated mutant strain, S296, or after thermal inactivation in a mutant strain with temperature-sensitive RNase II. RNase II releases 5'-XMP without a lag as its only detectable alcohol-soluble produce from all substrates and has an apparent molecular weight of 80,000 to 90,000 in both nondissociating and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. The pure enzyme shows the standard K+ activation against poly(A), poly(U), or poly(C), but only a slight preference for K+ over Na+ ions with T4 mRNA or pulse labeled E. coli RNA as substrate. Uniformly labeled E. coli rRNA or tRNA is degraded little if at all.     

Crystal structure of carbapenam synthetase (CarA)

Carbapenam synthetase (CarA) is an ATP/Mg2+-dependent enzyme that catalyzes formation of the beta-lactam ring in (5R)-carbapenem-3-carboxylic acid biosynthesis. CarA is homologous to beta-lactam synthetase (beta-LS), which is involved in clavulanic acid biosynthesis. The catalytic cycles of CarA and beta-LS mediate substrate adenylation followed by beta-lactamization via a tetrahedral intermediate or transition state. Another member of this family of ATP/Mg2+-dependent enzymes, asparagine synthetase (AS-B), catalyzes intermolecular, rather than intramolecular, amide bond formation in asparagine biosynthesis. The crystal structures of apo-CarA and CarA complexed with the substrate (2S,5S)-5-carboxymethylproline (CMPr), ATP analog alpha,beta-methyleneadenosine 5'-triphosphate (AMP-CPP), and a single Mg2+ ion have been determined. CarA forms a tetramer. Each monomer resembles beta-LS and AS-B in overall fold, but key differences are observed. The N-terminal domain lacks the glutaminase active site found in AS-B, and an extended loop region not observed in beta-LS or AS-B is present. Comparison of the C-terminal synthetase active site to that in beta-LS reveals that the ATP binding site is highly conserved. By contrast, variations in the substrate binding pocket reflect the different substrates of the two enzymes. The Mg2+ coordination is also different. Several key residues in the active site are conserved between CarA and beta-LS, supporting proposed roles in beta-lactam formation. These data provide further insight into the structures of this class of enzymes and suggest that CarA might be a versatile target for protein engineering experiments aimed at developing improved production methods and new carbapenem antibiotics.     

5-Chlorolevulinate modification of porphobilinogen synthase identifies a potential role for the catalytic zinc.

Porphobilinogen synthase (PBGS) is a Zn(II) metalloenzyme which catalyzes the asymmetric condensation of two molecules of 5-aminolevulinate (ALA). The nitrogen of the first substrate ends up in the pyrrole ring of product (P-side ALA); by contrast, the nitrogen of the second substrate molecule remains an amino group (A-side ALA). A reactive mimic of the substrate molecules, 5-chlorolevulinate (5-CLA), has been prepared and used as an active site directed irreversible inhibitor of PBGS. Native octameric PBGS binds eight substrate molecules and eight Zn(II) ions, with two types of sites for each ligand. As originally demonstrated by Seehra and Jordan [(1981) Eur. J. Biochem. 113, 435-446], 5-CLA inactivates the enzyme at the site where one of the two substrate molecules binds, and modification at four sites per octamer (one per active site) affords near-total inactivation. Here we report that 5-CLA-modified PBGS (5-CLA-PBGS) can bind up to four substrate molecules and four Zn(II) ions. Contrary to the conclusion of Seehra and Jordan, we find that the preferential site of 5-CLA inactivation is the A-side ALA binding site. On the basis of the dissociation constants, the metal ion binding sites lost upon 5-CLA modification are assigned to the four catalytic Zn(II) sites. 5-CLA-PBGS is shown to be modified at cysteine-223 on half of the subunits. We conclude that cysteine-223 is near the amino group of A-side ALA and propose that this cysteine is a ligand to the catalytic Zn(II). The vacant substrate binding site on 5-CLA-PBGS is that of P-side ALA. We have used 13C and 15N NMR to view [4-13C]ALA and [15N]ALA bound to 5-CLA-PBGS. The NMR results are nearly identical to those obtained previously for the enzyme-bound P-side Schiff base intermediate [Jaffe et al. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 8345-8350]. It appears that, in the absence of the catalytic Zn(II), 5-CLA-PBGS does not catalyze the condensation of the amino group of the P-side Schiff base intermediate with the C4 carbonyl derived from 5-CLA. On this basis we propose that Zn(II) plays an essential role in formation of the first bond between the two substrate molecules.     

An unconventional origin of metal-ion rescue and inhibition in the Tetrahymena group I ribozyme reaction

The presence of catalytic metal ions in RNA active sites has often been inferred from metal-ion rescue of modified substrates and sometimes from inhibitory effects of alternative metal ions. Herein we report that, in the Tetrahymena group I ribozyme reaction, the deleterious effect of a thio substitution at the pro-Sp position of the reactive phosphoryl group is rescued by Mn2+. However, analysis of the reaction of this thio substrate and of substrates with other modifications strongly suggest that this rescue does not stem from a direct Mn2+ interaction with the Sp sulfur. Instead, the apparent rescue arises from a Mn2+ ion interacting with the residue immediately 3' of the cleavage site, A(+1), that stabilizes the tertiary interactions between the oligonucleotide substrate (S) and the active site. This metal site is referred to as site D herein. We also present evidence that a previously observed Ca2+ ion that inhibits the chemical step binds to metal site D. These and other observations suggest that, whereas the interactions of Mn2+ at site D are favorable for the chemical reaction, the Ca2+ at site D exerts its inhibitory effect by disrupting the alignment of the substrates within the active site. These results emphasize the vigilance necessary in the design and interpretation of metal-ion rescue and inhibition experiments. Conversely, in-depth mechanistic analysis of the effects of site-specific substrate modifications can allow the effects of specific metal ion-RNA interactions to be revealed and the properties of individual metal-ion sites to be probed, even within the sea of metal ions bound to RNA.