Insights into the carboxyltransferase reaction of pyruvate carboxylase from the structures of bound product and intermediate analogs

Pyruvate carboxylase (PC) is a biotin-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the MgATP- and bicarbonate-dependent carboxylation of pyruvate to oxaloacetate, an important anaplerotic reaction in central metabolism. The carboxyltransferase (CT) domain of PC catalyzes the transfer of a carboxyl group from carboxybiotin to the accepting substrate, pyruvate. It has been hypothesized that the reactive enolpyruvate intermediate is stabilized through a bidentate interaction with the metal ion in the CT domain active site. Whereas bidentate ligands are commonly observed in enzymes catalyzing reactions proceeding through an enolpyruvate intermediate, no bidentate interaction has yet been observed in the CT domain of PC. Here, we report three X-ray crystal structures of the Rhizobium etli PC CT domain with the bound inhibitors oxalate, 3-hydroxypyruvate, and 3-bromopyruvate. Oxalate, a stereoelectronic mimic of the enolpyruvate intermediate, does not interact directly with the metal ion. Instead, oxalate is buried in a pocket formed by several positively charged amino acid residues and the metal ion. Furthermore, both 3-hydroxypyruvate and 3-bromopyruvate, analogs of the reaction product oxaloacetate, bind in an identical manner to oxalate suggesting that the substrate maintains its orientation in the active site throughout catalysis. Together, these structures indicate that the substrates, products and intermediates in the PC-catalyzed reaction are not oriented in the active site as previously assumed. The absence of a bidentate interaction with the active site metal appears to be a unique mechanistic feature among the small group of biotin-dependent enzymes that act on α-keto acid substrates.     

四甲基氯化铵在PCR扩增小麦基因中的关键作用

利用高简并性引物,用PCR法从小麦DNA或cDNA中合成小麦几丁质酶基因、葡 聚糖酶基因和苯丙氨酸解氨酶基因片段。在PCR反应中添加四甲基氯化铵(TMACl)是合成这些特异基因片段的关键。合成的PCR片段都经末端补齐和磷酸化后用于克隆。核酸序列分析证实,这些PCR产物分别与用于设计PCR引物的基因具有高度的同源性。 Abstract:In the presence of tetramethy1 ammonium chloride(TMAC1),a chitinase gene sequence,a phenylalanine ammonia-lyase gene sequence and a glucanase cDNA sequence of wheat were amplified with highly degenerate primers by PCR.The inclusion of TMAC1 in the PCR reactions was essential for successful amplification of the desired sequences from genomic DNA or cDNA in wheat.The ends of the PCR fragments were made flush and phosphorylated prior to cloning.Sequence analyses of the above PCR fragments confirmed their identities,showing high sequence similarities to the genes used for the design of PCR primers.