Crystal structure of threonine synthase from Arabidopsis thaliana

Threonine synthase (TS) is a PLP-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the last reaction in the synthesis of threonine from aspartate. In plants, the methionine pathway shares the same substrate, O-phospho-L-homoserine (OPH), and TS is activated by S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM), a downstream product of methionine synthesis. This positive allosteric effect triggered by the product of another pathway is specific to plants. The crystal structure of Arabidopsis thaliana apo threonine synthase was solved at 2.25 A resolution from triclinic crystals using MAD data from the selenomethionated protein. The structure reveals a four-domain dimer with a two-stranded beta-sheet arm protruding from one monomer onto the other. This domain swap could form a lever through which the allosteric effect is transmitted. The N-terminal domain (domain 1) has a unique fold and is partially disordered, whereas the structural core (domains 2 and 3) shares the functional domain of PLP enzymes of the same family. It also has similarities with SAM-dependent methyltransferases. Structure comparisons allowed us to propose potential sites for pyridoxal-phosphate and SAM binding on TS; they are close to regions that are disordered in the absence of these molecules.     

Crystal structure of the pyridoxal-5'-phosphate-dependent serine dehydratase from human liver

L-serine dehydratase (SDH), a member of the beta-family of pyridoxal phosphate-dependent (PLP) enzymes, catalyzes the deamination of L-serine and L-threonine to yield pyruvate or 2-oxobutyrate. The crystal structure of L-serine dehydratase from human liver (hSDH) has been solved at 2.5 A-resolution by molecular replacement. The structure is a homodimer and reveals a fold typical for beta-family PLP-dependent enzymes. Each monomer serves as an active unit and is subdivided into two distinct domains: a small domain and a PLP-binding domain that covalently anchors the cofactor. Both domains show the typical open alpha/beta architecture of PLP enzymes. Comparison with the rSDH-(PLP-OMS) holo-enzyme reveals a large structural difference in active sites caused by the artifical O-methylserine. Furthermore, the activity of hSDH-PLP was assayed and it proved to show catalytic activity. That suggests that the structure of hSDH-PLP is the first structure of the active natural holo-SDH.     

Crystal structure of 3-amino-5-hydroxybenzoic acid (AHBA) synthase.

The biosynthesis of ansamycin antibiotics, including rifamycin B, involves the synthesis of an aromatic precursor, 3-amino-5-hydroxybenzoic acid (AHBA), which serves as starter for the assembly of the antibiotics' polyketide backbone. The terminal enzyme of AHBA formation, AHBA synthase, is a dimeric, pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) dependent enzyme with pronounced sequence homology to a number of PLP enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of antibiotic sugar moieties. The structure of AHBA synthase from Amycolatopsis mediterranei has been determined to 2.0 A resolution, with bound cofactor, PLP, and in a complex with PLP and an inhibitor (gabaculine). The overall fold of AHBA synthase is similar to that of the aspartate aminotransferase family of PLP-dependent enzymes, with a large domain containing a seven-stranded beta-sheet surrounded by alpha-helices and a smaller domain consisting of a four-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet and four alpha-helices. The uninhibited form of the enzyme shows the cofactor covalently linked to Lys188 in an internal aldimine linkage. On binding the inhibitor, gabaculine, the internal aldimine linkage is broken, and a covalent bond is observed between the cofactor and inhibitor. The active site is composed of residues from two subunits of AHBA synthase, indicating that AHBA synthase is active as a dimer.     

Three-dimensional structure of 2-amino-3-ketobutyrate CoA ligase from Escherichia coli complexed with a PLP-substrate intermediate: inferred reaction mechanism

2-Amino-3-ketobutyrate CoA ligase (KBL, EC 2.3.1.29) is a pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) dependent enzyme, which catalyzes the second reaction step on the main metabolic degradation pathway for threonine. It acts in concert with threonine dehydrogenase and converts 2-amino-3-ketobutyrate, the product of threonine dehydrogenation by the latter enzyme, with the participation of cofactor CoA, to glycine and acetyl-CoA. The enzyme has been well conserved during evolution, with 54% amino acid sequence identity between the Escherichia coli and human enzymes. We present the three-dimensional structure of E. coli KBL determined at 2.0 A resolution. KBL belongs to the alpha family of PLP-dependent enzymes, for which the prototypic member is aspartate aminotransferase. Its closest structural homologue is E. coli 8-amino-7-oxononanoate synthase. Like many other members of the alpha family, the functional form of KBL is a dimer, and one such dimer is found in the asymmetric unit in the crystal. There are two active sites per dimer, located at the dimer interface. Both monomers contribute side chains to each active/substrate binding site. Electron density maps indicated the presence in the crystal of the Schiff base intermediate of 2-amino-3-ketobutyrate and PLP, an external aldimine, which remained bound to KBL throughout the protein purification procedure. The observed interactions between the aldimine and the side chains in the substrate binding site explain the specificity for the substrate and provide the basis for a detailed proposal of the reaction mechanism of KBL. A putative binding site of the CoA cofactor was assigned, and implications for the cooperation with threonine dehydrogenase were considered.     

Allosteric threonine synthase. Reorganization of the pyridoxal phosphate site upon asymmetric activation through S-adenosylmethionine binding to a novel site

Threonine synthase (TS) is a fold-type II pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the ultimate step of threonine synthesis in plants and microorganisms. Unlike the enzyme from microorganisms, plant TS is activated by S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet). The mechanism of activation has remained unknown up to now. We report here the crystallographic structures of Arabidopsis thaliana TS in complex with PLP (aTS) and with PLP and AdoMet (aTS-AdoMet), which show with atomic detail how AdoMet activates TS. The aTS structure reveals a PLP orientation never previously observed for a type II PLP-dependent enzyme and explains the low activity of plant TS in the absence of its allosteric activator. The aTS-AdoMet structure shows that activation of the enzyme upon AdoMet binding triggers a large reorganization of active site loops in one monomer of the structural dimer and allows the displacement of PLP to its active conformation. Comparison with other TS structures shows that activation of the second monomer may be triggered by substrate binding. This structure also discloses a novel fold for two AdoMet binding sites located at the dimer interface, each site containing two AdoMet effectors bound in tandem. Moreover, aTS-AdoMet is the first structure of an enzyme that uses AdoMet as an allosteric effector.     

The modular structure of ThDP‐dependent enzymes

Thiamine diphosphate (ThDP)‐dependent enzymes form a diverse protein family which was classified into nine superfamilies. The cofactor ThDP is bound at the interface between two catalytic domains, the PYR and the PP domain. The nine superfamilies were assigned to five different structural architectures. Two superfamilies, the sulfopyruvate decarboxylases and α‐ketoacid dehydrogenases 2, consist of separate PYR and PP domains. The oxidoreductase superfamily is of the intra‐monomer/PYR‐PP type with an N‐terminal PYR and a subsequent PP domain. The active enzymes form homodimers with the ThDP cofactor bound at the interface between a PYR and a PP domain of the same monomer. Decarboxylases are of the inter‐monomer/PYR‐PP type with the cofactor bound between domains from different monomers. 1‐Deoxy‐d ‐xylulose‐5‐phosphate synthases are of the intra‐monomer/PP‐PYR type. The transketolases, α‐ketoglutarate dehydrogenases, and α‐ketoacid dehydrogenases 1 are of the inter‐monomer/PP‐PYR type. For the phosphonopyruvate decarboxylases, definitive assessment of the structural architecture is not possible due to lack of structure information. By applying a structure‐based domain alignment method, sequences of more than 62,000 PYR and PP domains were identified and aligned. Although the sequence similarity of the catalytic domains is low between different superfamilies, seven positions were identified to be highly conserved, including the cofactor binding GDGX_24,27N motif, the cofactor‐activating glutamic acid, and two structurally equivalent glycines in both the PYR and the PP domain. An evolutionary pathway of ThDP‐dependent enzymes is proposed which explains the sequence and structure diversity of this family by three basic evolutionary events: domain recruitment, domain linkage, and structural rearrangement of catalytic domains. Proteins 2014; 82:2523–2537. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Evolutionary analysis of a novel zinc ribbon in the N-terminal region of threonine synthase

Threonine synthase (TS) catalyzes the terminal reaction in the biosynthetic pathway of threonine and requires pyridoxal phosphate as a cofactor. TSs share a common catalytic domain with other fold type II PALP dependent enzymes. TSs are broadly grouped into two classes based on their sequence, quaternary structure, and enzyme regulation. We report the presence of a novel zinc ribbon domain in the N-terminal region preceding the catalytic core in TS. The zinc ribbon domain is present in TSs belonging to both classes. Our sequence analysis reveals that archaeal TSs possess all zinc chelating residues to bind a metal ion that are lacking in the structurally characterized homologs. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that TSs with an N-terminal zinc ribbon likely represents the ancestral state of the enzyme while TSs without a zinc ribbon must have diverged later in specific lineages. The zinc ribbon and its N- and C-terminal extensions are important for enzyme stability, activity and regulation. It is likely that the zinc ribbon domain is involved in higher order oligomerization or mediating interactions with other biomolecules leading to formation of larger metabolic complexes.     

The Crystal Structure of D-Threonine Aldolase from Alcaligenes xylosoxidans Provides Insight into a Metal Ion Assisted PLP-Dependent Mechanism

Threonine aldolases catalyze the pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) dependent cleavage of threonine into glycine and acetaldehyde and play a major role in the degradation of this amino acid. In nature, L- as well as D-specific enzymes have been identified, but the exact physiological function of D-threonine aldolases (DTAs) is still largely unknown. Both types of enantio-complementary enzymes have a considerable potential in biocatalysis for the stereospecific synthesis of various β-hydroxy amino acids, which are valuable building blocks for the production of pharmaceuticals. While several structures of L-threonine aldolases (LTAs) have already been determined, no structure of a DTA is available to date. Here, we report on the determination of the crystal structure of the DTA from Alcaligenes xylosoxidans (AxDTA) at 1.5 Å resolution. Our results underline the close relationship of DTAs and alanine racemases and allow the identification of a metal binding site close to the PLP-cofactor in the active site of the enzyme which is consistent with the previous observation that divalent cations are essential for DTA activity. Modeling of AxDTA substrate complexes provides a rationale for this metal dependence and indicates that binding of the β-hydroxy group of the substrate to the metal ion very likely activates this group and facilitates its deprotonation by His193. An equivalent involvement of a metal ion has been implicated in the mechanism of a serine dehydratase, which harbors a metal ion binding site in the vicinity of the PLP cofactor at the same position as in DTA. The structure of AxDTA is completely different to available structures of LTAs. The enantio-complementarity of DTAs and LTAs can be explained by an approximate mirror symmetry of crucial active site residues relative to the PLP-cofactor.     

Crystal structure at 1.45 A resolution of alanine racemase from a pathogenic bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, contains both internal and external aldimine forms

The structure of the catabolic alanine racemase, DadX, from the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, reported here at 1.45 A resolution, is a dimer in which each monomer is comprised of two domains, an eight-stranded alpha/beta barrel containing the PLP cofactor and a second domain primarily composed of beta-strands. The geometry of each domain is very similar to that of Bacillus stearothermophilus alanine racemase, but the rotation between domains differs by about 15 degrees. This change does not alter the structure of the active site in which almost all residues superimpose well with a low rms difference of 0.86 A. Unexpectedly, the active site of DadX contains a guest substrate that is located where acetate and propionate have been observed in the Bacillus structures. It is modeled as d-lysine and oriented such that its terminal NZ atom makes a covalent bond with C4' of PLP. Since the internal aldimine bond between the protein lysine, Lys33, and C4' of PLP is also unambiguously observed, there appears to be an equilibrium between both internally and externally reacted forms. The PLP cofactor adopts two partially occupied conformational states that resemble previously reported internal and external aldimine complexes.     

Crystal structures of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) synthase in complex with aminoethoxyvinylglycine and pyridoxal-5'-phosphate provide new insight into catalytic mechanisms.

The structures of tomato 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase (ACS) in complex with either cofactor pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP) or both PLP and inhibitor aminoethoxyvinylglycine have been determined by x-ray crystallography. The structures showed good conservation of the catalytic residues, suggesting a similar catalytic mechanism for ACS and other PLP-dependent enzymes. However, the proximity of Tyr152 to the C-gamma-S bond of model substrate S-adenosylmethionine implies its critical role in the catalysis. The concerted accomplishment of catalysis by cofactor PLP and a protein residue, as proposed on the basis of the ACS structures in this paper, may represent a general scheme for the diversity of PLP-dependent catalyses. PLP-dependent enzymes have been categorized into four types of folds. A structural comparison revealed that a core fragment of ACS in fold type I is superimposable over tryptophan synthase beta subunit in fold type II and mouse ornithine decarboxylase in fold type III, thus suggesting a divergent evolution of PLP-dependent enzymes.     

Crystal structure of histidinol phosphate aminotransferase (HisC) from Escherichia coli, and its covalent complex with pyridoxal-5'-phosphate and l-histidinol phosphate

The biosynthesis of histidine is a central metabolic process in organisms ranging from bacteria to yeast and plants. The seventh step in the synthesis of histidine within eubacteria is carried out by a pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent l-histidinol phosphate aminotransferase (HisC, EC 2.6.1.9). Here, we report the crystal structure of l-histidinol phosphate aminotransferase from Escherichia coli, as a complex with pyridoxamine-5'-phosphate (PMP) at 1.5 A resolution, as the internal aldimine with PLP, and in a covalent, tetrahedral complex consisting of PLP and l-histidinol phosphate attached to Lys214, both at 2.2 A resolution. This covalent complex resembles, in structural terms, the gem-diamine intermediate that is formed transiently during conversion of the internal to external aldimine.HisC is a dimeric enzyme with a mass of approximately 80 kDa. Like most PLP-dependent enzymes, each HisC monomer consists of two domains, a larger PLP-binding domain having an alpha/beta/alpha topology, and a smaller domain. An N-terminal arm contributes to the dimerization of the two monomers. The PLP-binding domain of HisC shows weak sequence similarity, but significant structural similarity with the PLP-binding domains of a number of PLP-dependent enzymes. Residues that interact with the PLP cofactor, including Tyr55, Asn157, Asp184, Tyr187, Ser213, Lys214 and Arg222, are conserved in the family of aspartate, tyrosine and histidinol phosphate aminotransferases. The imidazole ring of l-histidinol phosphate is bound, in part, through a hydrogen bond with Tyr110, a residue that is substituted by Phe in the broad substrate specific HisC enzymes from Zymomonas mobilis and Bacillus subtilis.Comparison of the structures of the HisC internal aldimine, the PMP complex and the HisC l-histidinol phosphate complex reveal minimal changes in protein or ligand structure. Proton transfer, required for conversion of the gem-diamine to the external aldimine, does not appear to be limited by the distance between substrate and lysine amino groups. We propose that the tetrahedral complex has resulted from non-productive binding of l-histidinol phosphate soaked into the HisC crystals, resulting in its inability to be converted to the external aldimine at the HisC active site.     

Structural insights into the mechanism of the PLP synthase holoenzyme from Thermotoga maritima

Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) is the biologically active form of vitamin B6 and is an important cofactor for several of the enzymes involved in the metabolism of amine-containing natural products such as amino acids and amino sugars. The PLP synthase holoenzyme consists of two subunits: YaaD catalyzes the condensation of ribulose 5-phosphate, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, and ammonia, and YaaE catalyzes the production of ammonia from glutamine. Here we describe the structure of the PLP synthase complex (YaaD-YaaE) from Thermotoga maritima at 2.9 A resolution. This complex consists of a core of 12 YaaD monomers with 12 noninteracting YaaE monomers attached to the core. Compared with the previously published structure of PdxS (a YaaD ortholog in Geobacillus stearothermophilus), the N-terminus (1-18), which includes helix alpha0, the beta2-alpha2 loop (46-56), which includes new helix alpha2a, and the C-terminus (270-280) of YaaD are ordered in the complex but disordered in PdxS. A ribulose 5-phosphate is bound to YaaD via an imine with Lys82. Previous studies have demonstrated a similar imine at Lys149 and not at Lys81 (equivalent to Lys150 and Lys82 in T. maritima) for the Bacillus subtilis enzyme suggesting the possibility that two separate sites on YaaD are involved in PLP formation. A phosphate from the crystallization solution is found bound to YaaD and also serves as a marker for a possible second active site. An ammonia channel that connects the active site of YaaE with the ribulose 5-phosphate binding site was identified. This channel is similar to one found in imidazole glycerol phosphate synthase; however, when the beta-barrels of the two complexes are superimposed, the glutaminase domains are rotated by about 180 degrees with respect to each other.     

Crystal structure of the catalytic domain of PigE: A transaminase involved in the biosynthesis of 2-methyl-3-n-amyl-pyrrole (MAP) from Serratia sp. FS14

Prodigiosin, a tripyrrole red pigment synthesized by Serratia and some other microbes through a bifurcated biosynthesis pathway, MBC (4-methoxy-2,2′-bipyrrole-5-carbaldehyde) and MAP (2-methyl-3-n-amyl-pyrrole) are synthesized separately and then condensed by PigC to form prodigiosin. MAP is synthesized sequentially by PigD, PigE and PigB. PigE catalyzes the transamination of an amino group to the aldehyde group of 3-acetyloctanal, resulting in an aminoketone, which spontaneously cyclizes to form H₂MAP. Here we report the crystal structure of the catalytic domain of PigE which involved in the biosynthesis of prodigiosin precursor MAP for the first time to a resolution of 2.3 Å with a homodimer in the asymmetric unit. The monomer of PigE catalytic domain is composed of three domains with PLP as cofactor: a small N-terminal domain connecting the catalytic domain with the front part of PigE, a large PLP-binding domain and a C-terminal domain. The residues from both monomers build the PLP binding site at the interface of the dimer which resembles the other PLP-dependent enzymes. Structural comparison of PigE with Thermus thermophilus AcOAT showed a higher hydrophobic and smaller active site of PigE, these differences may be the reason for substrate specificity.     

Common structural elements in the architecture of the cofactor-binding domains in unrelated families of pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzymes

A detailed comparison of the structures of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine race-mase, the beta subunit of tryptophan synthase, D-amino acid aminotransferase and glycogen phosphorylase has revealed more extensive structural similarities among pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-binding domains in these enzymes than was observed previously. These similarities consist of seven common structural segments of the polypeptide chain, which form an extensive common structural organization of the backbone chain responsible for the appropriate disposition of key residues, some from the aligned fragments and some from variable loops joined to these fragments, interacting with PLPs in these enzymes. This common structural organization contains an analogous hydrophobic minicore formed from four amino acid side chains present in the two most conserved structural elements. In addition, equivalent alpha-beta-alpha-beta supersecondary structures are formed by these seven fragments in three of the five structures: alanine racemase, tryptophan synthase and glycogen phosphorylase. Despite these similarities, it is generally accepted that these proteins do not share a common heritage, but have arisen on five separate occasions. The common and contiguous alpha-beta-alpha-beta structure accounts for only 28 residues and all five enzymes differ greatly in both the orientation of the PLP pyridoxal rings and their contacts with residues close to the common structural elements.     

Crystal structure analysis of omega-amino acid:pyruvate aminotransferase with a newly developed Weissenberg camera and an imaging plate using synchrotron radiation

The three-dimensional structure of omega-amino acid:pyruvate aminotransferase from Pseudomonas sp. F-126, an isologous alpha 4 tetramer containing pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) as a cofactor, has been determined at 2.0 A resolution. The diffraction data were collected with a newly developed Weissenberg camera with a Fuji Imaging Plate, using synchrotron radiation. The mean figure-of-merit was 0.57. The subunit is rich in secondary structure and comprises two domains. PLP is located in the large domain. The high homology in the secondary structure between this enzyme and aspartate aminotransferase strongly indicates that these two types of enzymes have evolved from a common ancestor.     

Histidine 282 in 5-aminolevulinate synthase affects substrate binding and catalysis

5-Aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS), the first enzyme of the heme biosynthetic pathway in mammalian cells, is a member of the alpha-oxoamine synthase family of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzymes. In all structures of the enzymes of the -oxoamine synthase family, a conserved histidine hydrogen bonds with the phenolic oxygen of the PLP cofactor and may be significant for substrate binding, PLP positioning, and maintenance of the pKa of the imine nitrogen. In ALAS, replacing the equivalent histidine, H282, with alanine reduces the catalytic efficiency for glycine 450-fold and decreases the slow phase rate for glycine binding by 85%. The distribution of the absorbing 420 and 330 nm species was altered with an A420/A330 ratio increased from 0.45 to 1.05. This shift in species distribution was mirrored in the cofactor fluorescence and 300-500 nm circular dichroic spectra and likely reflects variation in the tautomer distribution of the holoenzyme. The 300-500 nm circular dichroism spectra of ALAS and H282A diverged in the presence of either glycine or aminolevulinate, indicating that the reorientation of the PLP cofactor upon external aldimine formation is impeded in H282A. Alterations were also observed in the K(Gly)d value and spectroscopic and kinetic properties, while the K(PLP)d increased 9-fold. Altogether, the results imply that H282 coordinates the movement of the pyridine ring with the reorganization of the active site hydrogen bond network and acts as a hydrogen bond donor to the phenolic oxygen to maintain the protonated Schiff base and enhance the electron sink function of the PLP cofactor.     

X-ray structure of ornithine decarboxylase from Trypanosoma brucei: the native structure and the structure in complex with alpha-difluoromethylornithine

Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) is a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) dependent homodimeric enzyme. It is a recognized drug target against African sleeping sickness, caused by Trypanosoma brucei. One of the currently used drugs, alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), is a suicide inhibitor of ODC. The structure of the T. brucei ODC (TbODC) mutant K69A bound to DFMO has been determined by X-ray crystallography to 2.0 A resolution. The protein crystallizes in the space group P2(1) (a = 66.8 A, b = 154.5 A, c = 77.1 A, beta = 90.58 degrees ), with two dimers per asymmetric unit. The initial phasing was done by molecular replacement with the mouse ODC structure. The structure of wild-type uncomplexed TbODC was also determined to 2.9 A resolution by molecular replacement using the TbODC DFMO-bound structure as the search model. The N-terminal domain of ODC is a beta/alpha-barrel, and the C-terminal domain of ODC is a modified Greek key beta-barrel. In comparison to structurally related alanine racemase, the two domains are rotated 27 degrees relative to each other. In addition, two of the beta-strands in the C-terminal domain have exchanged positions in order to maintain the location of essential active site residues in the context of the domain rotation. In ODC, the contacts in the dimer interface are formed primarily by the C-terminal domains, which interact through six aromatic rings that form stacking interactions across the domain boundary. The PLP binding site is formed by the C-termini of beta-strands and loops in the beta/alpha-barrel. In the native structure Lys69 forms a Schiff base with PLP. In both structures, the phosphate of PLP is bound between the seventh and eighth strands forming interactions with Arg277 and a Gly loop (residues 235-237). The pyridine nitrogen of PLP interacts with Glu274. DFMO forms a Schiff base with PLP and is covalently attached to Cys360. It is bound at the dimer interface and the delta-carbon amino group of DFMO is positioned between Asp361 of one subunit and Asp332 of the other. In comparison to the wild-type uncomplexed structure, Cys-360 has rotated 145 degrees toward the active site in the DFMO-bound structure. No domain, subunit rotations, or other significant structural changes are observed upon ligand binding. The structure offers insight into the enzyme mechanism by providing details of the enzyme/inhibitor binding site and allows for a detailed comparison between the enzymes from the host and parasite which will aid in selective inhibitor design.     

Structure of mammalian ornithine decarboxylase at 1.6 A resolution: stereochemical implications of PLP-dependent amino acid decarboxylases.

BACKGROUND: Pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP) dependent enzymes catalyze a broad range of reactions, resulting in bond cleavage at C alpha, C beta, or C gamma carbons of D and L amino acid substrates. Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) is a PLP-dependent enzyme that controls a critical step in the biosynthesis of polyamines, small organic polycations whose controlled levels are essential for proper growth. ODC inhibition has applications for the treatment of certain cancers and parasitic ailments such as African sleeping sickness. RESULTS: The structure of truncated mouse ODC (mODC') was determined by multiple isomorphous replacement methods and refined to 1.6 A resolution. This is the first structure of a Group IV decarboxylase. The monomer contains two domains: an alpha/beta barrel that binds the cofactor, and a second domain consisting mostly of beta structure. Only the dimer is catalytically active, as the active sites are constructed of residues from both monomers. The interactions stabilizing the dimer shed light on its regulation by antizyme. The overall structure and the environment of the cofactor are compared with those of alanine racemase. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of the mODC' structure and its comparison with alanine racemase, together with modeling studies of the external aldimine intermediate, provide insight into the stereochemical characteristics of PLP-dependent decarboxylation. The structure comparison reveals stereochemical differences with other PLP-dependent enzymes and the bacterial ODC. These characteristics may be exploited in the design of new inhibitors specific for eukaryotic and bacterial ODCs, and provide the basis for a detailed understanding of the mechanism by which these enzymes regulate reaction specificity.     

Structural insights into the second step of RNA-dependent cysteine biosynthesis in archaea: crystal structure of Sep-tRNA:Cys-tRNA synthase from Archaeoglobus fulgidus

In the ancient organisms, methanogenic archaea, lacking the canonical cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase, Cys-tRNA(Cys) is produced by an indirect pathway, in which O-phosphoseryl-tRNA synthetase ligates O-phosphoserine (Sep) to tRNA(Cys) and Sep-tRNA:Cys-tRNA synthase (SepCysS) converts Sep-tRNA(Cys) to Cys-tRNA(Cys). In this study, the crystal structure of SepCysS from Archaeoglobus fulgidus has been determined at 2.4 A resolution. SepCysS forms a dimer, composed of monomers bearing large and small domains. The large domain harbors the seven-stranded beta-sheet, which is typical of the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzymes. In the active site, which is located near the dimer interface, PLP is covalently bound to the side-chain of the conserved Lys209. In the proximity of PLP, a sulfate ion is bound by the side-chains of the conserved Arg79, His103, and Tyr104 residues. The active site is located deep within the large, basic cleft to accommodate Sep-tRNA(Cys). On the basis of the surface electrostatic potential, the amino acid residue conservation mapping, the position of the bound sulfate ion, and the substrate amino acid binding manner in other PLP-dependent enzymes, a binding model of Sep-tRNA(Cys) to SepCysS was constructed. One of the three strictly conserved Cys residues (Cys39, Cys42, or Cys247), of one subunit may play a crucial role in the catalysis in the active site of the other subunit.     

Structure and catalytic mechanism of eukaryotic selenocysteine synthase

In eukaryotes and Archaea, selenocysteine synthase (SecS) converts O-phospho-L-seryl-tRNA [Ser]Sec into selenocysteyl-tRNA [Ser]Sec using selenophosphate as the selenium donor compound. The molecular mechanisms underlying SecS activity are presently unknown. We have delineated a 450-residue core of mouse SecS, which retained full selenocysteyl-tRNA [Ser]Sec synthesis activity, and determined its crystal structure at 1.65 A resolution. SecS exhibits three domains that place it in the fold type I family of pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzymes. Two SecS monomers interact intimately and together build up two identical active sites around PLP in a Schiff-base linkage with lysine 284. Two SecS dimers further associate to form a homotetramer. The N terminus, which mediates tetramer formation, and a large insertion that remodels the active site set SecS aside from other members of the family. The active site insertion contributes to PLP binding and positions a glutamate next to the PLP, where it could repel substrates with a free alpha-carboxyl group, suggesting why SecS does not act on free O-phospho-l-serine. Upon soaking crystals in phosphate buffer, a previously disordered loop within the active site insertion contracted to form a phosphate binding site. Residues that are strictly conserved in SecS orthologs but variant in related enzymes coordinate the phosphate and upon mutation corrupt SecS activity. Modeling suggested that the phosphate loop accommodates the gamma-phosphate moiety of O-phospho-l-seryl-tRNA [Ser]Sec and, after phosphate elimination, binds selenophosphate to initiate attack on the proposed aminoacrylyl-tRNA [Ser]Sec intermediate. Based on these results and on the activity profiles of mechanism-based inhibitors, we offer a detailed reaction mechanism for the enzyme.