Crystalline enzyme kinetics: activity of the Streptomyces R61 D-alanyl-D-alanine peptidase.

The specificity constant, kcat/Km, for the hydrolysis of hippuryl-mercaptoacetate by crystals of the Streptomyces R61 D-D peptidase was measured by reaction of the thiol produced with 4,4'-dithiodipyridine. The values of kcat/Km for the crystal and in solution were the same (within experimental error). A novel method for treating the lag in the progress curves was developed.     

Nucleophilic re-activation of the PC1 beta-lactamase of Staphylococcus aureus and of the DD-peptidase of Streptomyces R61 after their inactivation by cephalosporins and cephamycins.

It has been shown previously [Faraci & Pratt (1985) Biochemistry 24, 903-910; (1986) Biochemistry 25, 2934-2941; (1986) Biochem. J. 238, 309-312] that certain beta-lactam-processing enzymes form inert acyl-enzymes with cephems that possess good leaving groups at the C-3' position. These inert species arise by elimination of the leaving group from the initially formed and more rapidly hydrolysing acyl-enzyme, which has the 'normal' cephalosporoate structure. The present paper shows that a strong nucleophile, thiophenoxide, can catalyse the re-activation of three examples of these inert acyl-enzymes, generated on reaction of cephalothin and cefoxitin with the PC1 beta-lactamase of Staphylococcus aureus and of cephalothin with D-alanyl-D-alanine transpeptidase/carboxypeptidase of Streptomyces R61. In view of the reversibility of the elimination reaction, demonstrated in model systems [Pratt & Faraci (1986) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 108, 5328-5333], this catalysis is proposed to arise through nucleophilic addition to the exo-methylene carbon atom of the inert acyl-enzyme to regenerate a more rapidly hydrolysing normal cephalosporoate. Strong support for this scenario was obtained through comparison of the kinetics of the catalysed re-activation reaction with those of turnover of the relevant 3'-thiophenoxycephems, thiophenoxycephalothin and thiophenoxycefoxitin. The enzymes appear to stabilize the products of the elimination reaction with respect to the normal cephalosporoate, but more strongly to destabilize the transition states. The effects of other nucleophiles, including cysteine, glycine amide and imidazole, on the above enzymes and on other beta-lactamases can be understood in terms of the model reaction kinetics and thermodynamics.     

The active-site-serine penicillin-recognizing enzymes as members of the Streptomyces R61 DD-peptidase family.

Homology searches and amino acid alignments, using the Streptomyces R61 DD-peptidase/penicillin-binding protein as reference, have been applied to the beta-lactamases of classes A and C, the Oxa-2 beta-lactamase (considered as the first known member of an additional class D), the low-Mr DD-peptidases/penicillin-binding proteins (protein no. 5 of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis) and penicillin-binding domains of the high-Mr penicillin-binding proteins (PBP1A, PBP1B, PBP2 and PBP3 of E. coli). Though the evolutionary distance may vary considerably, all these penicillin-interactive proteins and domains appear to be members of a single superfamily of active-site-serine enzymes distinct from the classical trypsin or subtilisin families. The amino acid alignments reveal several conserved boxes that consist of strict identities or homologous amino acids. The significance of these boxes is highlighted by the known results of X-ray crystallography, chemical derivatization and site-directed-mutagenesis experiments.     

Primary structure of the Streptomyces R61 extracellular DD-peptidase. 2. Amino acid sequence data

In order to confirm the Streptomyces codon usage, the Streptomyces R61 DD-peptidase was fragmented by cyanogen bromide cleavage of the carboxymethylated protein, trypsin digestion of the carboxymethylated protein and trypsin digestion of the protein treated with beta-iodopenicillinate and endoxo-delta 4-tetrahydrophthalic acid. The isolated peptides, which altogether represented more than 50% of the polypeptide chain, were sequenced. The data thus obtained were in excellent agreement with the primary structure of the protein as deduced from the nucleotide sequence of the cloned gene. Though a weak acylating agent, beta-iodopenicillanate reacted selectively with the active site of the DD-peptidase and formed an adduct which mas much more stable than that formed with benzylpenicillin, thus facilitating the isolation and characterization of the active-site peptide.     

Interactions of Streptomyces serine-protease inhibitors with Streptomyces griseus metalloendopeptidase II.

Streptomyces griseus metalloendopeptidase II (SGMPII) was shown to form tight complexes with several Streptomyces protein inhibitors which had been believed to be specific to serine proteases, such as Streptomyces subtilisin inhibitor (SSI), plasminostreptin (PS), and alkaline protease inhibitor-2c' (API-2c'), as well as with Streptomyces metalloprotease inhibitor (SMPI). The dissociation constants of complexes between SGMPII and these inhibitors were successfully determined by using a novel fluorogenic bimane-peptide substrate. The values ranged from nM to pM. The results of studies by gel chromatographic and enzymatic analyses indicated that SGMPII is liberated from the complex with SSI by the addition of subtilisin BPN'. SGMPII and subtilisin BPN' proved, therefore, to interact with SSI in a competitive manner, despite the difference in the chemical nature of their active sites.     

Crystallographic data for a penicillin receptor : exocellular DD-carboxypeptidase-transpeptidase from Streptomyces R61.

A pencillin-sensitive enzyme, the exocellular dd-carboxypeptidase-transpeptidase from Streptomyces R61, has been crystallized from polyethylene glycol (M_r = 6000 to 7500) solution at pH 7·6. X-ray examination of the orthorhombic crystals shows the space group is P2₁2₁2₁, with unit cell dimensions $\text{a = 51·1}\text{A}\text{?}\text{, b = 67·4}\text{A}\text{?}\text{,}\text{and}\text{c = 102·9}\text{A}\text{?}$. With four molecules of molecular weight 38,000, the $\text{A}\text{?}{}^3\text{/}\text{dalton}$ ratio for the cell is 2·33. The crystals are stable to irradiation for 75 hours and are suitable for structure analysis to at least 2·4 Å resolution. The radius of gyration of the molecule in solution at pH 6.8 is 20.8 Å.     

2.8-A Structure of penicillin-sensitive D-alanyl carboxypeptidase-transpeptidase from Streptomyces R61 and complexes with beta-lactams

The crystallographic structure of the penicillin-sensitive D-alanyl carboxypeptidase-transpeptidase from Streptomyces R61 has been solved to 2.8-A resolution. The 38,000-dalton serine peptidase has two regions of secondary structure, an alpha/beta cluster, and a region which contains five helical segments. The beta sheet is composed of five beta strands. The tertiary structure has no homology with the classic serine proteases or with the zinc carboxypeptidases. The binding at a common site of three types of beta-lactam (a penicillin, a cephalosporin, a monocyclic beta-lactam) and a desazacyclobutanone has been observed in Fourier difference maps. The binding site sequence is Val-Gly-Ser-Val-Thr-Lys. The beta-lactam ring lies near the enzyme's catalytic serine at position 37, and the C3 substituent of a cephalosporin falls near lysine 40.     

Catalytic mechanism of the Streptomyces K15 DD-transpeptidase/penicillin-binding protein probed by site-directed mutagenesis and structural analysis

The Streptomyces K15 penicillin-binding DD-transpeptidase is presumed to be involved in peptide cross-linking during bacterial cell wall peptidoglycan assembly. To gain insight into the catalytic mechanism, the roles of residues Lys38, Ser96, and Cys98, belonging to the structural elements defining the active site cleft, have been investigated by site-directed mutagenesis, biochemical studies, and X-ray diffraction analysis. The Lys38His and Ser96Ala mutations almost completely abolished the penicillin binding and severely impaired the transpeptidase activities while the geometry of the active site was essentially the same as in the wild-type enzyme. It is proposed that Lys38 acts as the catalytic base that abstracts a proton from the active serine Ser35 during nucleophilic attack and that Ser96 is a key intermediate in the proton transfer from the Ogamma of Ser35 to the substrate leaving group nitrogen. The role of these two residues should be conserved among penicillin-binding proteins containing the Ser-Xaa-Asn/Cys sequence in motif 2. Conversion of Cys98 into Asn decreased the transpeptidase activity and increased hydrolysis of the thiolester substrate and the acylation rate with most beta-lactam antibiotics. Cys98 is proposed to play the same role as Asn in motif 2 of other penicilloyl serine transferases in properly positioning the substrate for the catalytic process.     

Kinetics of interaction between the exocellular DD-carboxypeptidase-transpeptidase from Streptomyces R61 and beta-lactam antibiotics. A choice of models.

The simplest model for the interaction between the exocellular DD-carboxypeptidase-transpeptidase from Streptomyces R61 and beta-lactam antibiotics involves the three following steps: (a) the formation of a reversible equimolar enzyme - antibiotic complex; (b) the irreversible transformation of this complex into a modified enzyme - antibiotic complex; and (c) the breakdown of this latter complex and the concomitant release of a regenerated enzyme and a modified antibiotic molecule. The dissociation constant for step 1 and the rate constants for steps 2 and 3 were measured with various beta-lactam antibiotics. With antibiotic such as benzylpenicillin, which behaves as a good 'substrate', steps 1 and 2 occur at enzymic velocities, whereas step 3 occurs at a very low velocity and hence is responsible for the low efficiency of the overall process.     

Interactions between non-classical beta-lactam compounds and the beta-lactamases of Actinomadura R39 and Streptomyces albus G.

6-Aminopenicillanic acid, 7-aminocephalosporanic acid, mecillinam and quinacillin have varying substrate activities for both the R39 beta-lactamase (excreted by Actinomadura R39) and the G beta-lactamase (excreted by Streptomyces albus G). Cefoxitin and quinacillin sulphone are not recognized by the G beta-lactamase and are weak inactivators of the R39 beta-lactamase. N-Formimidoylthienamycin is a poor substrate for the G beta-lactamase and a potent inactivator of the R39 beta-lactamase. The high value of the bimolecular rate constant for enzyme inactivation is mainly due to a very low dissociation constant (1 microM). Clavulanate is an inactivator of both G and R39 beta-lactamases. The reaction with this latter enzyme is a branched pathway where normal turnover and permanent enzyme inactivation occur concomitantly. Between 28 and 43 molecules of clavulanate are hydrolysed before one of them has the opportunity to inactivate one molecule of enzyme.     

Streptomyces R61 DD-carboxypeptidase: hydrolysis of X-D-alanyl-D-alanine peptides measured by a fluorometric assay

A fluorometric procedure for measuring the activity of DD-carboxypeptidase is described. The method is based on the reaction of one of the products, D-alanine, with o-phthaldialdehyde to form a highly fluorescent adduct. The method has been applied in examining a series of X-D-alanyl-D-alanine peptides as substrates of the penicillin-sensitive DD-carboxypeptidase from Streptomyces R61. The effect of the third residue, X, on kinetic parameters and its implications on the steric analog model for penicillin action are also discussed.     

Interactions of the Streptomyces lividans initiator protein DnaA with its target.

The Streptomyces lividans DnaA protein (73 kDa) consists, like other bacterial DnaA proteins, of four domains; it binds to 19 DnaA boxes in the complex oriC region. The S. lividans DnaA protein differs from others in that it contains an additional stretch of 120 predominantly acidic amino acids within domain II. Interactions between the DnaA protein and the two DnaA boxes derived from the promoter region of the S. lividans dnaA gene were analysed in vitro using three independent methods: Dnase-I-footprinting experiments, mobility-shift assay and surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The Dnase-I-footprinting analysis showed that the wild-type DnaA protein binds to both DnaA boxes. Thus, as in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, the S. lividans dnaA gene may be autoregulated. SPR analysis showed that the affinity of the DnaA protein for a DNA fragment containing both DnaA boxes from the dnaA promoter region (KD = 1.25 nM) is 10 times higher than its affinity for the single 'strong' DnaA box (KD = 12.0 nM). The mobility-shift assay suggests the presence of at least two classes of complex containing different numbers of bound DnaA molecules. The above data reveal that the DnaA protein binds to the two DnaA boxes in a cooperative manner. To deduce structural features of the Streptomyces domain II of DnaA protein, the amino acid DnaA sequences of three Streptomyces species were compared. However, according to the secondary structure prediction, Streptomyces domain II does not contain any common relevant secondary structural element(s). It can be assumed that domain II of DnaA protein can play a role as a flexible protein spacer between the N-terminal domain I and the highly conserved C-terminal part of DnaA protein containing ATP-binding domain III and DNA-binding domain IV.     

Purification and specificity of carboxypeptidase from Streptomyces griseus K-1.

A carboxypeptidase of St. griseus K-1 (CPase S) was found to possess the specificities of both mammalian pancreatic CPase A and B. Three adsorbents for affinity chromatography were prepared by coupling l-Leu, d-Leu, and d-Arg with CH-Sepharose 4B. d-Arg-CH-Sepharose and l-Leu-CH-Sepharose retained the purified CPase S but d-Leu-CH-Sepharose did not. The activities of CPase S toward CGL and BGA were eluted in the same position. CPase S migrated as a single band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and the two activities were both extracted from this band on the gel.