Activation of the binuclear metal center through formation of phosphotriesterase-inhibitor complexes

Phosphotriesterase (PTE) from Pseudomonas diminuta is a binuclear metalloenzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of organophosphate nerve agents at rates approaching the diffusion-controlled limit. The proposed catalytic mechanism postulates the interaction of the substrate with the metal center and subsequent nucleophilic attack by the bridging hydroxide. X-band EPR spectroscopy was utilized to monitor the active site of Mn/Mn-substituted PTE upon addition of two inhibitors, diisopropyl methyl phosphonate and triethyl phosphate, and the product of hydrolysis, diethyl phosphate. The effects of inhibitor and product binding on the magnetic properties of the metal center and the hydroxyl bridge were evaluated by measuring changes in the features of the EPR spectra. The EPR spectra support the proposal that the binding of substrate analogues to the binuclear metal center diminishes the population of hydroxide-bridged species. These results, in conjunction with previously published kinetic and crystallographic data, suggest that substrate binding via the phosphoryl oxygen at the beta-metal weakens the coordination of the hydroxide bridge to the beta-metal. The weakened coordination to the beta-metal ion increases the nucleophilic character of the hydroxide and is coupled to the increase in the electrophilic character of the substrate.     

Structure of diethyl phosphate bound to the binuclear metal center of phosphotriesterase

The bacterial phosphotriesterase (PTE) from Pseudomonas diminuta catalyzes the hydrolysis of organophosphate esters at rates close to the diffusion limit. X-ray diffraction studies have shown that a binuclear metal center is positioned in the active site of PTE and that this complex is responsible for the activation of the nucleophilic water from solvent. In this paper, the three-dimensional structure of PTE was determined in the presence of the hydrolysis product, diethyl phosphate (DEP), and a product analogue, cacodylate. In the structure of the PTE-diethyl phosphate complex, the DEP product is found symmetrically bridging the two divalent cations. The DEP displaces the hydroxide from solvent that normally bridges the two divalent cations in structures determined in the presence or absence of substrate analogues. One of the phosphoryl oxygen atoms in the PTE-DEP complex is 2.0 A from the alpha-metal ion, while the other oxygen is 2.2 A from the beta-metal ion. The two metal ions are separated by a distance of 4.0 A. A similar structure is observed in the presence of cacodylate. Analogous complexes have previously been observed for the product complexes of isoaspartyl dipeptidase, d-aminoacylase, and dihydroorotase from the amidohydrolase superfamily of enzymes. The experimentally determined structure of the PTE-diethyl phosphate product complex is inconsistent with a recent proposal based upon quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical simulations which postulated the formation of an asymmetrical product complex bound exclusively to the beta-metal ion with a metal-metal separation of 5.3 A. This structure is also inconsistent with a chemical mechanism for substrate hydrolysis that utilizes the bridging hydroxide as a base to abstract a proton from a water molecule loosely associated with the alpha-metal ion. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations support a reaction mechanism that utilizes the bridging hydroxide as the direct nucleophile in the hydrolysis of organophosphate esters by PTE.     

Electronic and geometric structures of the organophosphate-degrading enzyme from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium radiobacter</Emphasis> (OpdA)

The organophosphate-degrading enzyme from Agrobacterium radiobacter (OpdA) is a highly efficient catalyst for the degradation of pesticides and some nerve agents such as sarin. OpdA requires two metal ions for catalytic activity, and hydrolysis is initiated by a nucleophilic hydroxide that is bound to one of these metal ions. The precise location of this nucleophile has been contentious, with both a terminal and a metal-ion-bridging hydroxide as likely candidates. Here, we employed magnetic circular dichroism to probe the electronic and geometric structures of the Co(II)-reconstituted dinuclear metal center in OpdA. In the resting state the metal ion in the more secluded α site is five-coordinate, whereas the Co(II) in the solvent-exposed β site is predominantly six-coordinate with two terminal water ligands. Addition of the slow substrate diethyl 4-methoxyphenyl phosphate does not affect the α site greatly but lowers the coordination number of the β site to five. A reduction in the exchange coupling constant indicates that substrate binding also triggers a shift of the μ-hydroxide into a pseudoterminal position in the coordination sphere of either the α or the β metal ion. Mechanistic implications of these observations are discussed.     

Phosphate-bound structure of an organophosphate-degrading enzyme from Agrobacterium radiobacter

OpdA is a binuclear metalloenzyme that can hydrolyze organophosphate pesticides and nerve agents. In this study the crystal structure of the complex between OpdA and phosphate has been determined to 2.20 Å resolution. The structure shows the phosphate bound in a tripodal mode to the metal ions whereby two of the oxygen atoms of PO₄ are terminally bound to each metal ion and a third oxygen bridges the two metal ions, thus displacing the μOH in the active site. In silico modelling demonstrates that the phosphate moiety of a reaction product, e.g. diethyl phosphate, may bind in the same orientation, positioning the diethyl groups neatly into the substrate binding pocket close to the metal center. Thus, similar to the binuclear metallohydrolases urease and purple acid phosphatase the tripodal arrangement of PO₄ is interpreted in terms of a role of the μOH as a reaction nucleophile.     

The bioremediator glycerophosphodiesterase employs a non-processive mechanism for hydrolysis

Glycerophosphodiesterase (GpdQ) from Enterobacter aerogenes is a binuclear metallohydrolase that catalyzes the breakdown of a broad range of phosphate ester substrates, and it is of interest for its potential application in the destruction of organophosphate nerve agents and pesticides. The reaction mechanism of GpdQ has been proposed to involve a nucleophilic attack by a terminally bound hydroxide molecule. The hydroxide species bridging the two metal ions is suggested to activate the nucleophile, thus favoring a sequential rather than a processive mechanism of action. Here, the hydrolysis of the two ester bonds in the substrate bis(para-nitrophenyl) phosphate (bpNPP) is probed using ³¹P NMR. The kinetic rates measured compare well with those determined spectrophotometrically. Furthermore, the data indicate that the diester bonds are cleaved in two separate (non-processive) reactions, indicating that only a single nucleophile (the terminal hydroxide molecule) is likely to be employed as a nucleophile for GpdQ.     

Stepwise analyses of metal ions in RNase H catalysis from substrate destabilization to product release

In two-metal catalysis, metal ion A has been proposed to activate the nucleophile and metal ion B to stabilize the transition state. We recently reported crystal structures of RNase H-RNA/DNA substrate complexes obtained at 1.5-2.2 Angstroms. We have now determined and report here structures of reaction intermediate and product complexes of RNase H at 1.65-1.85 Angstroms. The movement of the two metal ions suggests how they may facilitate RNA hydrolysis during the catalytic process. Firstly, metal ion A may assist nucleophilic attack by moving towards metal ion B and bringing the nucleophile close to the scissile phosphate. Secondly, metal ion B transforms from an irregular coordination in the substrate complex to a more regular geometry in the product complex. The exquisite sensitivity of Mg(2+) to the coordination environment likely destabilizes the enzyme-substrate complex and reduces the energy barrier to form product. Lastly, product release probably requires dissociation of metal ion A, which is inhibited by either high concentrations of divalent cations or mutation of an assisting protein residue.     

The reaction mechanism of paraoxon hydrolysis by phosphotriesterase from combined QM/MM simulations

Molecular dynamics simulations employing combined quantum mechanical and molecular mechanical (QM/MM) potentials have been carried out to investigate the reaction mechanism of the hydrolysis of paraoxon by phosphotriesterase (PTE). We used a dual-level QM/MM approach that synthesizes accurate results from high-level electronic structure calculations with computational efficiency of semiempirical QM/MM potentials for free energy simulations. In particular, the intrinsic (gas-phase) energies of the active site in the QM region are determined by using density functional theory (B3LYP) and second-order M?ller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) and the molecular dynamics free energy simulations are performed by using the mixed AM1:CHARMM potential. The simulation results suggest a revised mechanism for the phosphotriester hydrolysis mechanism by PTE. The reaction free energy profile is mirrored by structural motions of the binuclear metal center in the active site. The two zinc ions occupy a compact conformation with an average zinc-zinc distance of 3.5 +/- 0.1 A in the Michaelis complex, whereas it is elongated to 5.3 +/- 0.3 A at the transition state and product state. The substrate is loosely bound to the more exposed zinc ion (Znbeta2+) at an average distance of 3.8 A +/- 0.3 A. The P=O bond of the substrate paraoxon is activated by adopting a tight coordination to the Znbeta2+, releasing the coordinate to the bridging hydroxide ion and increasing its nucleophilicity. It was also found that a water molecule enters into the binding pocket of the loosely bound binuclear center, originally occupied by the nucleophilic hydroxide ion. We suggest that the proton of this water molecule is taken up by His254 at low pH or released to the solvent at high pH, resulting in a hydroxide ion that pulls the Znbeta2+ ion closer to form the compact configuration and restores the resting state of the enzyme.     

Molecular structure of dihydroorotase: a paradigm for catalysis through the use of a binuclear metal center

Dihydroorotase plays a key role in pyrimidine biosynthesis by catalyzing the reversible interconversion of carbamoyl aspartate to dihydroorotate. Here we describe the three-dimensional structure of dihydroorotase from Escherichia coli determined and refined to 1.7 A resolution. Each subunit of the homodimeric enzyme folds into a "TIM" barrel motif with eight strands of parallel beta-sheet flanked on the outer surface by alpha-helices. Unexpectedly, each subunit contains a binuclear zinc center with the metal ions separated by approximately 3.6 A. Lys 102, which is carboxylated, serves as a bridging ligand between the two cations. The more buried or alpha-metal ion in subunit I is surrounded by His 16, His 18, Lys 102, Asp 250, and a solvent molecule (most likely a hydroxide ion) in a trigonal bipyramidal arrangement. The beta-metal ion, which is closer to the solvent, is tetrahedrally ligated by Lys 102, His 139, His 177, and the bridging hydroxide. L-Dihydroorotate is observed bound to subunit I, with its carbonyl oxygen, O4, lying 2.9 A from the beta-metal ion. Important interactions for positioning dihydroorotate into the active site include a salt bridge with the guanidinium group of Arg 20 and various additional electrostatic interactions with both protein backbone and side chain atoms. Strikingly, in subunit II, carbamoyl L-aspartate is observed binding near the binuclear metal center with its carboxylate side chain ligating the two metals and thus displacing the bridging hydroxide ion. From the three-dimensional structures of the enzyme-bound substrate and product, it has been possible to propose a unique catalytic mechanism for dihydroorotase. In the direction of dihydroorotate hydrolysis, the bridging hydroxide attacks the re-face of dihydroorotate with general base assistance by Asp 250. The carbonyl group is polarized for nucleophilic attack by the bridging hydroxide through a direct interaction with the beta-metal ion. During the cyclization of carbamoyl aspartate, Asp 250 initiates the reaction by abstracting a proton from N3 of the substrate. The side chain carboxylate of carbamoyl aspartate is polarized through a direct electrostatic interaction with the binuclear metal center. The ensuing tetrahedral intermediate collapses with C-O bond cleavage and expulsion of the hydroxide which then bridges the binuclear metal center.     

Insights into the catalytic mechanism of human sEH phosphatase by site-directed mutagenesis and LC-MS/MS analysis

We have recently reported that human soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) is a bifunctional enzyme with a novel phosphatase enzymatic activity. Based on a structural relationship with other members of the haloacid dehalogenase superfamily, the sEH N-terminal phosphatase domain revealed four conserved sequence motifs, including the proposed catalytic nucleophile D9, and several other residues potentially implicated in substrate turnover and/or Mg²⁺ binding. To enlighten the catalytic mechanism of dephosphorylation, we constructed sEH phosphatase active-site mutants by site-directed mutagenesis. A total of 18 mutants were constructed and recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli as soluble proteins, purified to homogeneity and subsequently analysed for their kinetic parameters. A replacement of residues D9, K160, D184 or N189 resulted in a complete loss of phosphatase activity, consistent with an essential function for catalysis. In contrast, a substitution of D11, T123, N124 and D185 leads to sEH mutant proteins with altered kinetic properties. We further provide evidence of the formation of an acylphosphate intermediate on D9 by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry based on the detection of homoserine after NaBH₄ reduction of the phosphorylated enzyme, which identifies D9 as the catalytic nucleophile. Surprisingly, we could only show such homoserine formation using the D11N mutant, which strongly suggests D11 to be involved in the acylphosphate hydrolysis. In the D11 mutant, the second catalytic step becomes rate limiting, which then allows trapping of the labile intermediate. Substrate turnover in the presence of ¹⁸H₂O revealed that the nucleophilic attack during the second reaction step occurs at the acylphosphate phosphorous. Based on these findings, we propose a two-step catalytic mechanism of dephosphorylation that involves the phosphate substrate hydrolysis by nucleophilic attack by the catalytic nucleophile D9 followed by hydrolysis of the acylphosphate enzyme intermediate supported by D11.     

Molecular mechanism of ADP-ribose hydrolysis by human NUDT5 from structural and kinetic studies

Human NUDT5 (hNUDT5) is an ADP-ribose (ADPR) pyrophosphatase (ADPRase) that plays important roles in controlling the intracellular levels of ADPR and preventing non-enzymatic ADP-ribosylation of proteins by hydrolyzing ADPR to AMP and ribose 5′-phosphate. We report the crystal structure of hNUDT5 in complex with a non-hydrolyzable ADPR analogue, α,β-methyleneadenosine diphosphoribose, and three Mg^2 + ions representing the transition state of the enzyme during catalysis. Analysis of this structure and comparison with previously reported hNUDT5 structures identify key residues involved in substrate binding and catalysis. In the transition-state structure, three metal ions are bound at the active site and are coordinated by surrounding residues and water molecules. A conserved water molecule is at an ideal position for nucleophilic attack on the α-phosphate of ADPR. The side chain of Glu166 on loop L9 changes its conformation to interact with the conserved water molecule compared with that in the substrate-bound structure and appears to function as a catalytic base. Mutagenesis and kinetic studies show that Trp28 and Trp46 are important for the substrate binding; Arg51 is involved in both the substrate binding and the catalysis; and Glu112 and Glu116 of the Nudix motif, Glu166 on loop L9, and Arg111 are critical for the catalysis. The structural and biochemical data together reveal the molecular basis of the catalytic mechanism of ADPR hydrolysis by hNUDT5. Specifically, Glu166 functions as a catalytic base to deprotonate a conserved water molecule that acts as a nucleophile to attack the α-phosphate of ADPR, and three Mg^2 + ions are involved in the activation of the nucleophile and the binding of the substrate. Structural comparison of different ADPRases also suggests that most dimeric ADPRases may share a similar catalytic mechanism of ADPR hydrolysis.     

Probing the two-metal ion mechanism in the restriction endonuclease BamHI

The choreography of restriction endonuclease catalysis is a long-standing paradigm in molecular biology. Bivalent metal ions are required almost for all PD..D/ExK type enzymes, but the number of cofactors essential for the DNA backbone scission remained ambiguous. On the basis of crystal structures and biochemical data for various restriction enzymes, three models have been developed that assign critical roles for one, two, or three metal ions during the phosphodiester hydrolysis. To resolve this apparent controversy, we investigated the mechanism of BamHI catalysis using quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical simulation techniques and determined the activation barriers of three possible pathways that involve a Glu-113 or a neighboring water molecule as a general base or an external nucleophile that penetrated from bulk solution. The extrinsic mechanism was found to be the most favorable with an activation free energy of 23.4 kcal/mol, in reasonable agreement with the experimental data. On the basis of the effect of the individual metal ions on the activation barrier, metal ion A was concluded to be pivotal for the reaction, while the enzyme lacking metal ion B still has moderate efficiency. Thus, we propose that the catalytic scheme of BamHI does not involve a general base for nucleophile generation and requires one obligatory metal ion for catalysis that stabilizes the attacking nucleophile and coordinates it throughout the nucleophilic attack. Such a model may also explain the variation in the number of metal ions in the crystal structures and thus could serve as a framework for a unified catalytic scheme of type II restriction endonucleases.     

The structure of an enzyme–product complex reveals the critical role of a terminal hydroxide nucleophile in the bacterial phosphotriesterase mechanism

A detailed understanding of the catalytic mechanism of enzymes is an important step toward improving their activity for use in biotechnology. In this paper, crystal soaking experiments and X-ray crystallography were used to analyse the mechanism of the Agrobacterium radiobacter phosphotriesterase, OpdA, an enzyme capable of detoxifying a broad range of organophosphate pesticides. The structures of OpdA complexed with ethylene glycol and the product of dimethoate hydrolysis, dimethyl thiophosphate, provide new details of the catalytic mechanism. These structures suggest that the attacking nucleophile is a terminally bound hydroxide, consistent with the catalytic mechanism of other binuclear metallophosphoesterases. In addition, a crystal structure with the potential substrate trimethyl phosphate bound non-productively demonstrates the importance of the active site cavity in orienting the substrate into an approximation of the transition state.     

Mechanism for the hydrolysis of organophosphates by the bacterial phosphotriesterase

Phosphotriesterase (PTE) from Pseudomonas diminuta is a zinc metalloenzyme that hydrolyzes a variety of organophosphorus compounds. The kinetic parameters of Zn/Zn PTE, Cd/Cd PTE, and a mixed-metal Zn/Cd hybrid PTE were obtained with a variety of substrates to determine the role of each metal ion in binding and catalysis. pH-rate profiles for the hydrolysis of diethyl p-nitrophenyl phosphate (I) and diethyl p-chlorophenyl phosphate (II) demonstrated that the ionization of a single group in the pH range of 5-10 was critical for substrate turnover. The pK(a) values determined from the kinetic assays were dependent on the identity of the metal ion that occupied the alpha site within the binuclear metal center. These results suggest that the hydrolytic nucleophile is activated as a hydroxide via the ionization of a water molecule attached to the alpha-metal ion. The kinetic constants for the hydrolysis of II and diethyl p-chlorophenyl thiophosphate (IV) were determined for the metal substituted forms of PTE. The kinetic constants for IV were greater than those for II. The inverse thio effect is consistent with the polarization of the phosphoryl oxygen/sulfur bond via a direct ligation to the metal center. The rate enhancement is greater when Cd(2+) occupies the beta-metal-ion position. A series of alanine and asparagine mutations were used to characterize the catalytic roles of Asp233, His254, and Asp301. Mutations to either Asp233 or His254 resulted in an enhanced rate of hydrolysis for the sluggish substrate, diethyl p-chlorophenyl phosphate, and a decrease in the kinetic constants for paraoxon (I). These results are consistent with the existence of a proton relay from Asp301 to His254 to Asp233 that is used to ferry protons away from the active site with substrates that do not require activation of the leaving group phenol. A mechanism for the hydrolysis of organophosphates by the bacterial PTE has been proposed.     

Protonation of the binuclear metal center within the active site of phosphotriesterase

Phosphotriesterase (PTE) is a binuclear metalloenzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of organophosphates, including pesticides and chemical warfare agents, at rates approaching the diffusion controlled limit. The catalytic mechanism of this enzyme features a bridging solvent molecule that is proposed to initiate nucleophilic attack at the phosphorus center of the substrate. X-band EPR spectroscopy is utilized to investigate the active site of Mn/Mn-substituted PTE. Simulation of the dominant EPR spectrum from the coupled binuclear center of Mn/Mn-PTE requires slightly rhombic zero-field splitting parameters. Assuming that the signal arises from the S = 2 manifold, an exchange coupling constant of J = -2.7 +/- 0.2 cm(-)(1) (H(ex) = -2JS(1) x S(2)) is calculated. A kinetic pK(a) of 7.1 +/- 0.1 associated with loss in activity at low pH indicates that a protonation event is responsible for inhibition of catalysis. Analysis of changes in the EPR spectrum as a function of pH provides a pK(a) of 7.3 +/- 0.1 that is assigned as the protonation of the hydroxyl bridge. From the comparison of kinetic and spectral pK(a) values, it is concluded that the loss of catalytic activity at acidic pH results from the protonation of the hydroxide that bridges the binuclear metal center.     

Metallo-β-lactamase and phosphotriesterase activities of some zinc(II) complexes

Metallo-β-lactamases (mβl) and phosphotriesterase (PTE) are zinc(II) enzymes, which hydrolyze the β-lactam antibiotics and toxic organophosphotriesters, respectively. In the present work, we have synthesized a few asymmetric phenolate-based ligands by sequential Mannich reaction and their corresponding zinc(II) complexes. These zinc(II) complexes were studied for their mβl and PTE activities. It is shown that the zinc(II) complexes can hydrolyze oxacillin, the β-lactam antibiotic, at much higher rates as compared to the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl diphenylphosphate (PNPDPP), the phosphotriester. Among the complexes studied, the binuclear asymmetric complex 1 having a water molecule coordinated to one of the zinc(II) ions exhibits much better mβl activity than the mononuclear complexes. However, the mononuclear zinc(II) complexes having labile chloride ions exhibit significant PTE activity, which can be ascribed to the replacement of chloride ions by hydroxide ions during hydrolysis reactions.     

Dipeptide hydrolysis by the dinuclear zinc enzyme human renal dipeptidase: Mechanistic insights from DFT calculations

The reaction mechanism of the dinuclear zinc enzyme human renal dipeptidase is investigated using hybrid density functional theory. This enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of dipeptides and β-lactam antibiotics. Two different protonation states in which the important active site residue Asp288 is either neutral or ionized were considered. In both cases, the bridging hydroxide is shown to be capable of performing the nucleophilic attack on the substrate carbonyl carbon from its bridging position, resulting in the formation of a tetrahedral intermediate. This step is followed by protonation of the dipeptide nitrogen, coupled with C-N bond cleavage. The calculations establish that both cases have quite feasible energy barriers. When the Asp288 is neutral, the hydrolytic reaction occurs with a large exothermicity. However, the reaction becomes very close to thermoneutral with an ionized Asp288. The two zinc ions are shown to play different roles in the reaction. Zn1 binds the amino group of the substrate, and Zn2 interacts with the carboxylate group of the substrate, helping in orienting it for the nucleophilic attack. In addition, Zn2 stabilizes the oxyanion of the tetrahedral intermediate, thereby facilitating the nucleophilic attack.     

Mechanism of the dihydroorotase reaction

Dihydroorotase (DHO) is a zinc metalloenzyme that functions in the pathway for the biosynthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides by catalyzing the reversible interconversion of carbamoyl aspartate and dihydroorotate. A chemical mechanism was proposed on the basis of an analysis of the effects of pH, metal substitution, solvent isotope effects, mutant proteins, and alternative substrates on the enzyme-catalyzed reaction. The pH-rate profiles for the hydrolysis of dihydroorotate or thiodihydroorotate demonstrated that a single group from the enzyme must be unprotonated for maximal catalytic activity. Conversely, the pH-rate profiles for the condensation of carbamoyl aspartate to dihydroorotate showed that a single group from the enzyme must be protonated for maximal catalytic activity. The native zinc ions within the active site of DHO were substituted with cobalt or cadmium by reconstitution of the apoenzyme with divalent cations in the presence of bicarbonate. The ionizations observed in the pH-rate profiles were dependent on the specific metal ion bound to the active site. Mutation of the residue (Asp-250) that hydrogen bonds to the bridging hydroxide (or water) resulted in the loss of catalytic activity. These results are consistent with the formation of a hydroxide bridge between the two divalent cations that functions as the nucleophile during the hydrolysis of dihydroorotate. In addition, Asp-250 is postulated to shuttle the proton from the bridging hydroxide to the leaving group amide during hydrolysis of dihydroorotate. The X-ray crystal structure of DHO showed that the exocyclic alpha-carboxylate of dihydroorotate is bound to the protein via electrostatic interactions with Arg-20, Asn-44, and His-254. Mutation of these residues resulted in the loss of catalytic activity, indicating that these residues are critical for substrate recognition. The thio analogue of dihydroorotate was found to be a good substrate of the enzyme. A comprehensive chemical mechanism for DHO was proposed on the basis of the experimental findings in this study and the X-ray crystal structure.     

Crystallographic snapshot of a productive glycosylasparaginase-substrate complex

Glycosylasparaginase (GA) plays an important role in asparagine-linked glycoprotein degradation. A deficiency in the activity of human GA leads to a lysosomal storage disease named aspartylglycosaminuria. GA belongs to a superfamily of N-terminal nucleophile hydrolases that autoproteolytically generate their mature enzymes from inactive single chain protein precursors. The side-chain of the newly exposed N-terminal residue then acts as a nucleophile during substrate hydrolysis. By taking advantage of mutant enzyme of Flavobacterium meningosepticum GA with reduced enzymatic activity, we have obtained a crystallographic snapshot of a productive complex with its substrate (NAcGlc-Asn), at 2.0 A resolution. This complex structure provided us an excellent model for the Michaelis complex to examine the specific contacts critical for substrate binding and catalysis. Substrate binding induces a conformational change near the active site of GA. To initiate catalysis, the side-chain of the N-terminal Thr152 is polarized by the free alpha-amino group on the same residue, mediated by the side-chain hydroxyl group of Thr170. Cleavage of the amide bond is then accomplished by a nucleophilic attack at the carbonyl carbon of the amide linkage in the substrate, leading to the formation of an acyl-enzyme intermediate through a negatively charged tetrahedral transition state.     

The crystal structure of AMP-bound PDE4 suggests a mechanism for phosphodiesterase catalysis

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) regulate the intracellular concentrations of cyclic 3',5'-adenosine and guanosine monophosphates (cAMP and cGMP, respectively) by hydrolyzing them to AMP and GMP, respectively. Family-selective inhibitors of PDEs have been studied for treatment of various human diseases. However, the catalytic mechanism of cyclic nucleotide hydrolysis by PDEs has remained unclear. We determined the crystal structure of the human PDE4D2 catalytic domain in complex with AMP at 2.4 A resolution. In this structure, two divalent metal ions simultaneously interact with the phosphate group of AMP, implying a binuclear catalysis. In addition, the structure suggested that a hydroxide ion or a water bridging two metal ions may serve as the nucleophile for the hydrolysis of the cAMP phosphodiester bond.     

Electronic property and reactivity of (hydroperoxo)metal compounds

DFT calculations were done for the (hydroperoxo)metal complexes with eta1-coordination mode, where metal ions are Fe(III), Al(III), Cu(II) and Zn(II). Results shows that 1) the electron density at the two oxygen atoms of the hydroperoxide ion is highly dependent on the angle O-O-H in M-OOH species and the difference in electron density between the two oxygen atoms reaches a maximum at the angle O-O-H = 180 degrees, 2) total electron density at the two oxygen atoms of the peroxide ion increases by approach of methane to the (hydroperoxo)metal species in the cases of Fe(III) and Cu(II); on the other hand, significant decrease of the electron density on peroxide oxygen atoms was observed for the cases of Al(III) and Zn(II) compounds. These findings suggest that the (hydroperoxo)metal species acts as an electrophile in the former cases (M = Fe(III), Cu(II)) and as a nucleophile for the latter two compounds (M = Zn(II), Al(III)). The electrophilicity observed for the Fe(III) and Cu(II) complexes is attributed to the presence of unoccupied- or half-filled d-orbitals interacting with the hydroperoxide ion. 3) Two oxygen atoms of the (hydroperoxo)-compounds of Fe(III) and Cu(II) complexes exhibit quite different reactivity toward the substrate, such as methane. When methane approaches the oxygen atom which is coordinated to a metal ion, a strong decrease of electron density at the methane carbon atom occurs with concomitant increase of electron density at the peroxide oxygen atoms inducing its heterolytic O-O cleavage. When methane approaches the terminal oxygen atom, an oxidative coupling reaction occurs between peroxide ion and methane; at first a nucleophilic attack by the terminal electron-rich oxygen atom occurs at the carbon atom to induce C-O bond formation, and a subsequent oxidative electron transfer proceeds from substrate to the metal-peroxide species yielding CH3-OOH, CH3OH, or other oxidized products. These results clearly demonstrate that the (hydroperoxo)-metal compound itself is a rather stable compound, and activation of the peroxide ion is induced by interaction with the substrate, and the products obtained by the oxygenation reaction are dependent on the chemical property of the substrate, redox property of a metal ion, and stability of the compounds formed in the intermediate process.