The mechanism of the adenylosuccinate synthetase reaction as studied by positional isotope exchange

In an attempt to gain insight into the mechanism of the rat muscle adenylosuccinate synthetase reaction, experiments using the technique of positional isotope exchange (isotope scrambling) were undertaken. [gamma-18O]GTP was prepared and incubated with Mg2+ and the synthetase in the presence of various ligands. Positional isotope exchange occurred, as measured by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, when IMP was present. In the absence of IMP, with or without aspartate or succinate, the [gamma-18O]GTP did not exhibit scrambling. These results suggest that the adenylosuccinate synthetase reaction involves the participation of 6-phosphoryl-IMP as an obligatory intermediate. On the basis of experiments carried out in our laboratory as well as in others, we believe the GDP remains bound to the enzyme until the product, adenylosuccinate, is formed. All products may then dissociate randomly from the enzyme. The positional isotope exchange experiments, along with initial-rate experiments carried out in our laboratory, serve to explain the lack of partial exchange reactions associated with the synthetase (Fromm, H. J. (1958) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 29, 255-262), as well as the net inversion of configuration when chiral thio-GTP is converted to thiophosphate (Webb, M. R., Reed, G. H., Cooper, B. F., and Rudolph, F. B. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 3044-3046).     

Studies of ligand binding to Escherichia coli adenylosuccinate synthetase

Dissociation constants of Escherichia coli adenylosuccinate synthetase with IMP, GTP, adenylosuccinate, and AMP (a competitive inhibitor for IMP) were determined by measuring the extent of quenching of the intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence of the enzyme. The enzyme has one binding site for each of these ligands. Aspartate and GDP did not quench the fluorescence to any great extent, and their dissociation constants could not be determined. These ligand binding studies were generally supportive of the kinetic mechanism proposed earlier for the enzyme. Cys291 was modified with the fluorescent chromophores N-(iodoacetylaminoethyl)-5-naphthylamine-1-sulfonate and tetramethylrhodamine maleimide in order to measure enzyme conformational changes attending ligand binding. The excitation and emission spectra of these fluorophores are not altered by the addition of active site binding ligands. TbGTP and TbGDP were used as native reporter groups, and changes in their fluorescence on complexing with the enzyme and various ligands made it possible to detect conformational changes occurring at the active site. Evidence is presented for abortive complexes of the type: enzyme-TbGTP-adenylosuccinate and enzyme-TbGTP-adenylosuccinate-aspartate. These results suggest that the IMP and aspartate binding sites are spatially separated.     

Feedback inhibition and product complexes of recombinant mouse muscle adenylosuccinate synthetase

Adenylosuccinate synthetase governs the committed step of AMP biosynthesis, the generation of 6-phosphoryl-IMP from GTP and IMP followed by the formation of adenylosuccinate from 6-phosphoryl-IMP and l-aspartate. The enzyme is subject to feedback inhibition by AMP and adenylosuccinate, but crystallographic complexes of the mouse muscle synthetase presented here infer mechanisms of inhibition that involve potentially synergistic ligand combinations. AMP alone adopts the productive binding mode of IMP and yet stabilizes the active site in a conformation that favors the binding of Mg(2+)-IMP to the GTP pocket. On the other hand, AMP, in the presence of GDP, orthophosphate, and Mg(2+), adopts the binding mode of adenylosuccinate. Depending on circumstances then, AMP behaves as an analogue of IMP or as an analogue of adenylosuccinate. The complex of adenylosuccinate.GDP.Mg(2+).sulfate, the first structure of an adenylosuccinate-bound synthetase, reveals significant geometric distortions and tight nonbonded contacts relevant to the proposed catalytic mechanism. Adenylosuccinate forms from 6-phosphoryl-IMP and l-aspartate by the movement of the purine ring into the alpha-amino group of l-aspartate.     

Molecular mechanism of GTP hydrolysis by bovine transducin: pre-steady-state kinetic analyses.

During the visual transduction process in rod photoreceptor cells, transducin (T) mediates the flow of information from photoexcited rhodopsin (R*) to the cGMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) via a cycle of GTP binding and hydrolysis. The pre-steady-state kinetics of GTP hydrolysis by T was studied by rapid quenching and filtration techniques in a reconstituted system containing purified R* and T. Kinetic analyses have shown that the turnover of T-bound GTP can be dissected into four partial reactions: (1) the R*-catalyzed GTP binding via a GDP/GTP exchange reaction, (2) the on-site hydrolysis of bound GTP, which leads to the formation of a T-GDP.Pi complex, (3) the release of the tightly bound inorganic phosphate (Pi) from T-GDP.Pi, and (4) the recycling of T-GDP. The R*-catalyzed GTP binding was estimated to occur in less than 1 s. In rapid acid quenching experiments, the rate of Pi formation due to GTP hydrolysis exhibited biphasic characteristics. An initial burst of Pi formation occurred between 1 and 4 s, which was followed by a slow steady-state rate. Increasing T concentration yielded a proportional increase in the burst and steady-state rate. The addition of Gpp(NH)p decreased both parameters. D2O decreased the rise of the initial burst with a kinetic isotope effect of approximately 1.7 but has no effect on the steady-state rate of Pi formation. These results indicate that the burst represents the fast hydrolysis of GTP at the binding site of T, which results in the accumulation of T-GDP.Pi complexes. The steady-state rate represents the slow release of Pi. This finding was further supported by rapid filtration experiments that monitored the formation of free Pi in solution. An initial lag time in the formation of free Pi was observed before a steady-state rate was established, indicating that the initially formed Pi was tightly bound to T. Finally, the release of GDP from T-GDP.Pi was not detected. This suggests that another cycle of GTP exchange catalyzed by R* should occur before the release of bound GDP. The rate of Pi release from T-GDP.Pi was measured under single-turnover conditions and had a half life of approximately 20 s, which was identical with the rate of deactivation of the PDE due to GTP hydrolysis by T.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Investigation of the mechanism of CTP synthetase using rapid quench and isotope partitioning methods

The UTP-dependent ATPase reaction and the glutamine-dependent overall reaction of Escherichia coli CTP synthetase have been studied by rapid quench and isotope partitioning kinetics. The effect of GTP, an allosteric effector, on the pre-steady-state kinetics of both reactions has also been examined. The time courses of the UTP-dependent ATPase reaction in the presence and absence of GTP are both characterized by a burst of acid-labile phosphate equivalent to 0.93 and 0.43 subunits, respectively. The time course of the glutamine-dependent reaction in the absence of GTP is also characterized by a burst of acid-labile phosphate corresponding to 0.8 subunit; however, in the presence of GTP, no burst was observed. These results along with positional isotope exchange experiments [von der Saal, W., Anderson, P. M., & Villafranca, J. J. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 14997] provide evidence that the mechanism of CTP formation involves phosphorylation of UTP followed by attack of NH3, and finally release of phosphate, producing CTP, ADP, and Pi. A kinetic model for the first stages of the enzymatic reaction was developed from the rapid quench data, and the internal equilibrium constant for the formation of the phosphorylated UTP intermediate was determined. The internal equilibrium constants for the UTP-dependent reaction in the presence and absence of GTP were found to be 1.1 and 18, respectively. By contrast, the internal equilibrium constant for the reaction in the presence of glutamine was 50. Thus, the presence of glutamine shifts the internal equilibrium constant to favor formation of the phosphorylated UTP intermediate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Kinetic characterization of adenylosuccinate synthetase from the thermophilic archaea Methanocaldococcus jannaschii

Adenylosuccinate synthetase (AdSS) catalyzes the Mg2+ dependent condensation of a molecule of IMP with aspartate to form adenylosuccinate, in a reaction driven by the hydrolysis of GTP to GDP. AdSS from the thermophilic archaea, Methanocaldococcus jannaschii (MjAdSS) is 345 amino acids long against an average length of 430-457 amino acids for most mesophilic AdSS. This short AdSS has two large deletions that map to the middle and C-terminus of the protein. This article discusses the detailed kinetic characterization of MjAdSS. Initial velocity and product inhibition studies, carried out at 70 degrees C, suggest a rapid equilibrium random AB steady-state ordered C kinetic mechanism for the MjAdSS catalyzed reaction. AdSS are known to exhibit monomer-dimer equilibrium with the dimer being implicated in catalysis. In contrast, our studies show that MjAdSS is an equilibrium mixture of dimers and tetramers with the tetramer being the catalytically active form. The tetramer dissociates into dimers with a minor increase in ionic strength of the buffer, while the dimer is extremely stable and does not dissociate even at 1.2 M NaCl. Phosphate, a product of the reaction, was found to be a potent inhibitor of MjAdSS showing biphasic inhibition of enzyme activity. The inhibition was competitive with IMP and noncompetitive with GTP. MjAdSS, like the mouse acidic isozyme, exhibits substrate inhibition, with IMP inhibiting enzyme activity at subsaturating GTP concentrations. Regulation of enzyme activity by the glycolytic intermediate, fructose 1,6 bisphosphate, was also observed with the inhibition being competitive with IMP and noncompetitive against GTP.     

Implication of arginine-131 and arginine-303 in the substrate site of adenylosuccinate synthetase of Escherichia coli by affinity labeling with 6-(4-bromo-2,3-dioxobutyl)thioadenosine 5'-monophosphate

Adenylosuccinate synthetase from Escherichia coli is inactivated in a biphasic reaction by 6-(4-bromo-2,3-dioxobutyl)thioadenosine 5'-monophosphate (6-BDB-TAMP) at pH 7.0 and 25 degrees C. The initial fast-phase inactivation is not affected by the presence of active-site ligands and can be completely eliminated by blocking Cys291 of the enzyme with N-ethylmaleimide (NEM). Reaction of the NEM-treated enzyme with 6-BDB-[32P]TAMP results in 2 mol of reagent incorporated/mol of enzyme subunit. The inactivation kinetics of the slow-phase exhibit an apparent KI of 40.6 microM and kmax of 0.0228 min-1. Active-site ligands, either adenylosuccinate or IMP and GTP, completely prevent inactivation of the enzyme by 6-BDB-TAMP, whereas IMP or IMP and aspartate is much less effective in protection. 6-BDB-TAMP-inactivated enzyme has a 3-fold increase in Km for aspartate with no change in Km for IMP or GTP. Protease digestion of 6-BDB-[32P]TAMP inactivated enzyme reveals that both Arg131 and Arg303 are modified by the affinity-labeling reagent. The crystal structure [Poland, B. W., Fromm, H. J., and Honzatko, R. B. (1996) J. Mol. Biol. 264, 1013-1027] and site-directed mutagenesis [Kang, C., Sun, N., Poland, B. W., Gorrell, A., and Fromm, H. J. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 11881-11885] of E. coli adenylosuccinate synthetase show that Arg303 interacts with the carboxyl group of aspartate and the 2'-OH of the ribose of IMP and Arg131 is involved in stabilizing aspartate in the active site of the enzyme. We conclude that 6-BDB-TAMP functions as a reactive adenylosuccinate analogue in modifying both Arg131 and Arg303 in the active site of adenylosuccinate synthetase.     

Isotope exchange as a probe of the kinetic mechanism of pyrophosphate-dependent phosphofructokinase

Data obtained from isotope exchange at equilibrium, exchange of inorganic phosphate against forward reaction flux, and positional isotope exchange of 18O from the bridge position of pyrophosphate to a nonbridge position all indicate that the pyrophosphate-dependent phosphofructokinase from Propionibacterium freudenreichii has a rapid equilibrium random kinetic mechanism. The maximum rates of isotope exchange at equilibrium for the [14C]fructose 1,6-bisphosphate in equilibrium fructose 6-phosphate, [32P]Pi in equilibrium MgPPi, and Mg[32P]PPi in equilibrium fructose 1,6-bisphosphate exchange reactions increasing all four possible substrate-product pairs in constant ratio are identical, consistent with a rapid equilibrium mechanism. All exchange reactions are strongly inhibited at high concentrations of the fructose 6-phosphate (F6P)/Pi and MgPPi/Pi substrate-product pairs and weakly inhibited at high concentrations of the MgPPi/fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (FBP) pair suggesting three dead-end complexes, E:F6P:Pi, E:MgPPi:Pi, and E:FBP:MgPPi, in agreement with initial velocity studies [Bertagnolli, B.L., & Cook, P.F. (1984) Biochemistry 23, 4101]. Neither back-exchange by [32P]Pi nor positional isotope exchange of 18O-bridge-labeled pyrophosphate was observed under any conditions, suggesting that either the chemical interconversion step or a step prior to it limits the overall rate of the reaction.     

Studies on active site mutants of P. falciparum adenylosuccinate synthetase: Insights into enzyme catalysis and activation

Adenylosuccinate synthetase catalyzes a reversible reaction utilizing IMP, GTP and aspartate in the presence of Mg²⁺ to form adenylosuccinate, GDP and inorganic phosphate. Comparison of similarly liganded complexes of Plasmodium falciparum, mouse and Escherichia coli AdSS reveals H-bonding interactions involving nonconserved catalytic loop residues (Asn429, Lys62 and Thr307) that are unique to the parasite enzyme. Site-directed mutagenesis has been used to examine the role of these interactions in catalysis and structural organization of P. falciparum adenylosuccinate synthetase (PfAdSS). Mutation of Asn429 to Val, Lys62 to Leu and Thr307 to Val resulted in an increase in K_m values for IMP, GTP and aspartate, respectively along with a 5 fold drop in the k_cat value for N429V mutant suggesting the role of these residues in ligand binding and/or catalysis. We have earlier shown that the glycolytic intermediate, fructose 1,6 bisphosphate, which is an inhibitor of mammalian AdSS is an activator of the parasite enzyme. Enzyme kinetics along with molecular docking suggests a mechanism for activation wherein F16BP seems to be binding to the Asp loop and inducing a conformation that facilitates aspartate binding to the enzyme active site. Like in other AdSS, a conserved arginine residue (Arg155) is involved in dimer crosstalk and interacts with IMP in the active site of the symmetry related subunit of PfAdSS. We also report on the biochemical characterization of the arginine mutants (R155L, R155K and R155A) which suggests that unlike in E. coli AdSS, Arg155 in PfAdSS influences both ligand binding and catalysis.     

Studies on inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase. Isotope exchange at equilibrium.

Investigations on the mechanism of the IMP dehydrogenase (IMP: NAD+ oxidoreductase, EC 1.2.1.14) reactions have been made at pH 7.0 by measuring rates of isotope exchange at chemical equilibrium with K+ maintained at a constant concentration. The results are generally in accord with the conclusions reached on the basis of the steady-state kinetic data obtained previously and confirm that there is random addition of IMP and NAD to the enzyme. The data also indicate clearly that at pH 7.0 catalysis is faster than the rate of IMP and/or XMP release which is rate limiting for the reaction sequence. The binding of IMP to the enzyme at pH 8.1 has been demonstrated to occur in the absence of both K+ and NAD and id independent of the K+ concentration.     

Kinetic mechanism of native Escherichia coli aspartate transcarbamylase

Equilibrium isotope exchange kinetics have been used to reinvestigate the kinetic mechanism of Escherichia coli aspartate transcarbamylase (aspartate carbamoyl-transferase) at pH 7.0, 30 degrees C. Keq = 5.9 (+/- 0.6) X 10(3), allowing variation of substrate concentrations above and below their Km values in all experiments, a condition not possible at pH 7.8 [F. C. Wedler and F. J. Gasser (1974) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 163, 57-68]. The rate of the [14C]Asp in equilibrium N-carbamoyl L-aspartate (C-Asp) exchange reaction was five times faster than that of [32P]carbamyl phosphate (C-P) in equilibrium Pi, which argues strongly against the rapid equilibrium random mechanism previously proposed by E. Heyde, A. Nagabhushanam, and J. F. Morrison [Biochemistry 12, 4718-4726 (1973]. Substrate concentrations were varied either as reactant-product pairs (holding the other pair constant) or together simultaneously in constant ratio at equilibrium. The resulting kinetic saturation patterns were most consistent with a preferred order random kinetic mechanism, with C-P binding prior to Asp and with C-Asp being released before Pi. Weak inhibition effects at high substrate levels could be accounted for by multiple weak dead-end complexes or ionic strength effects. Computer-based simulations have led to a set of rate constants that fit the experimental data, are in agreement with rate constants measured previously by pre-steady-state methods, and predict the correct initial velocities in the forward and reverse directions. Simulations also show that rate constants consistent with any of the various alternative mechanisms do not provide good fit to the experimental data. A model for the kinetic mechanism is considered, in which the binding of Asp prior to C-P may restrict access of C-P to the active site, but C-P binding prior to Asp potentiates the enzyme for the allosteric (T-R) transition, centered entirely upon the Asp binding process.     

Effectors of Escherichia coli aspartate transcarbamoylase differentially perturb aspartate binding rather than the T-R transition

New systematic methods developed for equilibrium isotope exchange kinetics have been used to analyze the effects of activator ATP and inhibitor CTP with Escherichia coli aspartate transcarbamoylase. This indepth approach requires (a) variation of [modifier] with fixed subsaturating levels of substrates, and (b) variation of at least three combinations of reactant-product pairs in constant ratio at equilibrium: [A,B,P,Q], [A,P], and [B,Q] with the co-substrates held constant, in the presence and absence of added modifier. Both ATP and CTP had much stronger effects on the [14C]Asp in equilibrium C-Asp exchange rate than on [32P]C-P in equilibrium Pi. The bisubstrate analog N-phosphonacetyl-L-aspartate activated, then inhibited, Asp in equilibrium C-Asp more strongly than C-P in equilibrium Pi. N-Phosphonacetyl-L-aspartate gave complete (100%) inhibition, whereas CTP inhibition of either exchange was only partial. Substrate saturation curves in the presence and absence of effectors indicate that ATP and CTP perturb the observed values of Rmax and S0.5 in different fashions without appreciably changing the observed Hill number. Computer simulations indicate that the primary site of ATP and CTP action is the association rate for Asp, not the allosteric T-R transition. This finding is substantiated by previous studies in which modified aspartate transcarbamoylase had lost cooperative Asp binding without loss of sensitivity to effectors, or in which sensitivity to one effector could be deleted selectively. The present results, with newly devised computer simulation and analysis methods, illustrate the usefulness of equilibrium isotope exchange kinetic probes for providing unique insights to enzyme regulatory mechanisms, to define exactly which steps are altered in a given kinetic mechanism.     

IMP,GTP, and 6-phosphoryl-IMP complexes of recombinant mouse muscle adenylosuccinate synthetase

Prokaryotes have a single form of adenylosuccinate synthetase that controls the committed step of AMP biosynthesis, but vertebrates have two isozymes of the synthetase. The basic isozyme, which predominates in muscle, participates in the purine nucleotide cycle, has an active site conformation different from that of the Escherichia coli enzyme, and exhibits significant differences in ligand recognition. Crystalline complexes presented here of the recombinant basic isozyme from mouse show the following. GTP alone binds to the active site without inducing a conformational change. IMP in combination with an acetate anion induces major conformational changes and organizes the active site for catalysis. IMP, in the absence of GTP, binds to the GTP pocket of the synthetase. The combination of GTP and IMP results in the formation of a stable complex of 6-phosphoryl-IMP and GDP in the presence or absence of hadacidin. The response of the basic isozyme to GTP alone differs from that of synthetases from plants, and yet the conformation of the mouse basic and E. coli synthetases in their complexes with GDP, 6-phosphoryl-IMP, and hadacidin are nearly identical. Hence, reported differences in ligand recognition among synthetases probably arise from conformational variations observed in partially ligated enzymes.     

Investigations of the partial reactions catalyzed by pyruvate phosphate dikinase

The kinetic mechanism of pyruvate phosphate dikinase (PPDK) from Bacteroides symbiosus was investigated with several different kinetic diagnostics. Initial velocity patterns were intersecting for AMP/PPi and ATP/Pi substrate pairs and parallel for all other substrate pairs. PPDK was shown to catalyze [14C]pyruvate in equilibrium phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) exchange in the absence of cosubstrates, [14C]AMP in equilibrium ATP exchange in the presence of Pi/PPi but not in their absence, and [32P]Pi in equilibrium PPi exchange in the presence of ATP/AMP but not in their absence. The enzyme was also shown, by using [alpha beta-18O, beta, beta-18O2]ATP and [beta gamma-18O, gamma, gamma, gamma-18O3]ATP and 31P NMR techniques, to catalyze exchange in ATP between the alpha beta-bridge oxygen and the alpha-P nonbridge oxygen and also between the beta gamma-bridge oxygen and the beta-P nonbridge oxygen. The exchanges were catalyzed by PPDK in the presence of Pi but not in its absence. These results were interpreted to support a bi(ATP,Pi) bi(AMP,PPi) uni(pyruvate) uni(PEP) mechanism. AMP and Pi binding order was examined by carrying out dead-end inhibition studies. The dead-end inhibitor adenosine 5'-monophosphorothioate (AMPS) was found to be competitive vs AMP, noncompetitive vs PPi, and uncompetitive vs PEP. The dead-end inhibitor imidodiphosphate (PNP) was found to be competitive vs PPi, uncompetitive vs AMP, and uncompetitive vs PEP. These results showed that AMP binds before PPi. The ATP and Pi binding order was studied by carrying out inhibition, positional isotope exchange, and alternate substrate studies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Site-specific mutation of Tyr240----Phe in the catalytic chain of Escherichia coli aspartate transcarbamylase. Consequences for kinetic mechanism

In the catalytic chain of Escherichia coli aspartate transcarbamylase, Tyr240 helps stabilize the T-state conformation by an intrachain hydrogen bond to Asp271. Changes in kinetic characteristics of ATCase that result from disruption of this bond by site-specific mutation of Tyr240----Phe have been investigated by isotopic exchanges at chemical equilibrium. The Tyr240----Phe (Y240F) mutation caused the rate of the [32P] carbamyl phosphate (C-P) in equilibrium Pi exchange to decrease by 2-8-fold, without altering the [14C]Asp in equilibrium N-carbamyl-L-aspartate (C-Asp) rate. The mutation also caused the S0.5 and Hill nH values to decrease in virtually every substrate saturation experiment. Upon increasing the concentrations of the C-P,Pi or C-P,C-Asp reactant-product pairs, inhibition effects observed with the C-P in equilibrium Pi exchange for wild-type enzyme were not apparent with the Y240F mutant enzyme. In contrast, upon increasing the concentrations of the Asp,C-Asp and Asp,Pi pairs, inhibition effects on C-P in equilibrium Pi observed with wild-type enzyme became stronger with the Y240F mutant enzyme. These data indicate that the Tyr240----Phe mutation alters the kinetic mechanism in two different ways: on the reactant side, C-P binding prior to Asp shifts from preferred to compulsory order, and, on the product side, C-Asp and Pi release changes from preferred to nearly random order. These conclusions were also confirmed on a quantitative basis by computer simulations and fitting of the data, which also produced an optimal set of rate constants for the Y240F enzyme. The Arrhenius plot for wild-type holoenzyme was biphasic, but those for catalytic subunits and Y240F enzyme were linear (monophasic). Taken together, the data indicate that the Tyr240----Phe mutation destabilizes the T-state and shifts the equilibrium for the T-R allosteric transition toward the R-state by increasing the rate of T----R conversion.     

Guanosine 5'-diphosphate-3'-diphosphate inhibition of adenylosuccinate synthetase.

The mechanism of ppGpp inhibition of adenylosuccinate synthetase (EC 6.3.4.4) was examined. Initial rate kinetic studies demonstrate the ppGpp inhibition is competitive with respect to GTP and noncompetitive with respect to L-aspartate and IMP. This is in contrast to an earlier report (Gallant, J., Irr, J., and Cashel, M. (1971) J. Biol. Chem. 246, 5812-5816), which suggested that ppGpp did not bind at the GTP site. Possible reasons for the discrepancy are discussed. The potency of the ppGpp inhibition is confirmed.     

Adenylosuccinate synthetase from Dictyostelium discoideum: effects of hadacidin analogs and binding of [14C]hadacidin

The enzyme adenylosuccinate (sAMP) synthetase has been partially purified from Dictyostelium discoideum using hadacidin-Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography, anion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and gel-filtration HPLC, resulting in a 2600-fold purification. Using a newly developed HPLC procedure to assay activity, it has been found that D. discoideum adenylosuccinate synthetase activity has apparent Km values for the substrates IMP, GTP, and aspartate of 36, 23, and 714 microM, respectively. The analog guanosine-5'-(beta, gamma-imino)triphosphate was found to be an inhibitor of GTP with a Ki of 15 microM, and IMP was competitively inhibited by its analog formycin B monophosphate with a Ki of 80 microM. An analysis of these kinetic data showed a pattern consistent with a fully random terter mechanism. Hadacidin, an analog of aspartate, was an inhibitor of that substrate at 86 microM. Other analogs of hadacidin were synthesized and examined for their effect on the sAMP synthetase activity. Compared to hadacidin, which produced 100% inhibition at 5 mM, it was observed that N-acetyl-N-hydroxyglycine, N-formylglycine, N-acetylglycine, and N-hydroxyglycine all inhibited between 50 and 75%, with N-(thiocarboxy)-L-aspartic anhydride less effective at 27%, and N-benzoylglycine at only 6%. N-Formylsarcosine, N-acetylmethionine, O-methylpyruvate oxime, and hadacidin methylester had no effect at this concentration. The adenylosuccinate synthetase activity was dependent on metal ions with maximum activity being obtained with Mg2+. The ability of the aspartate analog hadacidin to bind to the purified adenylosuccinate synthetase was demonstrated using anion-exchange HPLC and [formyl-14C]hadacidin. The radioactivity coeluted with the adenylosuccinate synthetase and the bound, radiolabeled hadacidin was displaced by excess aspartate.     

Magnesium ion dependent rabbit skeletal muscle myosin guanosine and thioguanosine triphosphatase mechanism and a novel guanosine diphosphatase reaction.

The mechanism of the Mg2+-dependent myosin subfragment 1 catalyzed hydrolysis of GTP and 2-amino-6-mercapto-9-beta-ribofuranosylpurine 5'-triphosphate (thioGTP) has been investigated by rapid-reaction techniques. The myosin was isolated from rabbit skeletal muscle. The steady-state intermediate of these reactions consists pre-dominantly of a protein-substrate complex unlike the myosin subfragment 1 ATPase reaction which has a protein-products complex as the principal steady-state component. The mechanism of GTP hydrolysis catalyzed by subfragment 1 has other marked differences from the ATPase mechanism. The second-order rate constant of binding of GTP to subfragment 1 is tenfold greater than that for GDP binding. The dissociation rate constant of GDP from subfragment 1 is 0.06 s-1 compared with the subfragment 1 catalytic center activity for GTP hydrolysis of 0.5 s-1 at pH 8.0 and 20 degrees C. This shows that GDP bound to subfragment 1 forms a complex which is not kinetically competent to be an intermediate of the GTPase mechanism. GDP is hydrolyzed in the presence of subfragment 1 to GMP and Pi. The subfragment 1 GTPase mechanism has a nuber if features in common with that of the elongation factor Tu GTPase of the protein biosynthetic system of Escherichia coli.     

Tubulin exchanges divalent cations at both guanine nucleotide-binding sites

The tubulin heterodimer binds a molecule of GTP at the nonexchangeable nucleotide-binding site (N-site) and either GDP or GTP at the exchangeable nucleotide-binding site (E-site). Mg2+ is known to be tightly linked to the binding of GTP at the E-site (Correia, J. J., Baty, L. T., and Williams, R. C., Jr. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 17278-17284). Measurements of the exchange of Mn2+ for bound Mg2+ (as monitored by atomic absorption and EPR) demonstrate that tubulin which has GDP at the E-site possesses one high affinity metal-binding site and that tubulin which has GTP at the E-site possesses two such sites. The apparent association constants are 0.7-1.1 x 10(6) M-1 for Mg2+ and approximately 4.1-4.9 x 10(7) M-1 for Mn2+. Divalent cations do bind to GDP at the E-site, but with much lower affinity (2.0-2.3 x 10(3) M-1 for Mg2+ and 3.9-6.6 x 10(3) M-1 for Mn2+). These data suggest that divalent cations are involved in GTP binding to both the N- and E-sites of tubulin. The N-site metal exchanges slowly (kapp = 0.020 min-1), suggesting a mechanism involving protein "breathing" or heterodimer dissociation. The N-site metal exchange rate is independent of the concentration of protein and metal, an observation consistent with the possibility that a dynamic breathing process is the rate-limiting step. The exchange of Mn2+ for Mg2+ has no effect on the secondary structure of tubulin at 4 degrees C or on the ability of tubulin to form microtubules. These results have important consequences for the interpretation of distance measurements within the tubulin dimer using paramagnetic ions. They are also relevant to the detailed mechanism of divalent cation release from microtubules after GTP hydrolysis.     

Evidence for an arginine residue at the substrate binding site of Escherichia coli adenylosuccinate synthetase as studied by chemical modification and site-directed mutagenesis

Chemical modification of adenylosuccinate synthetase from Escherichia coli with phenylglyoxal resulted in an inhibition of enzyme activity with a second-order rate constant of 13.6 M-1 min-1. The substrates, GTP or IMP, partially protected the enzyme against inactivation by the chemical modification. The other substrate, aspartate, had no such effect even at a high concentration. In the presence of both IMP and GTP during the modification, nearly complete protection of the enzyme against inactivation was observed. Stoichiometry studies with [7-14C]phenylglyoxal showed that only 1 reactive arginine residue was modified by the chemical reagent and that this arginine residue could be shielded by GTP and IMP. Sequence analysis of tryptic peptides indicated that Arg147 is the site of phenylglyoxal chemical modification. This arginine has been changed to leucine by site-directed mutagenesis. The mutant enzyme (R147L) showed increased Michaelis constants for IMP and GTP relative to the wild-type system, whereas the Km for aspartate exhibited a modest decrease as compared with the native enzyme. In addition, kcat of the R147L mutant decreased by a factor of 1.3 x 10(4). On the bases of these observations, it is suggested that Arg147 is critical for enzyme catalysis.