Functional roles of the 6-S-cysteinyl, 8alpha-N1-histidyl FAD in glucooligosaccharide oxidase from Acremonium strictum

The crystal structure of glucooligosaccharide oxidase from Acremonium strictum was demonstrated to contain a bicovalent flavinylation, with the 6- and 8alpha-positions of the flavin isoalloxazine ring cross-linked to Cys(130) and His(70), respectively. The H70A and C130A single mutants still retain the covalent FAD, indicating that flavinylation at these two residues is independent. Both mutants exhibit a decreased midpoint potential of approximately +69 and +61 mV, respectively, compared with +126 mV for the wild type, and possess lower activities with k(cat) values reduced to approximately 2 and 5%, and the flavin reduction rate reduced to 0.6 and 14%. This indicates that both covalent linkages increase the flavin redox potential and alter the redox properties to promote catalytic efficiency. In addition, the isolated H70A/C130A double mutant does not contain FAD, and addition of exogenous FAD was not able to restore any detectable activity. This demonstrates that the covalent attachment is essential for the binding of the oxidized cofactor. Furthermore, the crystal structure of the C130A mutant displays conformational changes in several cofactor and substrate-interacting residues and hence provides direct evidence for novel functions of flavinylation in assistance of cofactor and substrate binding. Finally, the wild-type enzyme is more heat and guanidine HCl-resistant than the mutants. Therefore, the bicovalent flavin linkage not only tunes the redox potential and contributes to cofactor and substrate binding but also increases structural stability.     

6-S-cysteinylation of bi-covalently attached FAD in berberine bridge enzyme tunes the redox potential for optimal activity

A mutagenic analysis of the amino acid residues His-104 and Cys-166, which are involved in the bi-covalent attachment of FAD to berberine bridge enzyme, was performed. Here we present a detailed biochemical characterization of the cysteine link to FAD observed in this recently discovered group of flavoproteins. The C166A mutant protein still has residual activity, but reduced to approximately 6% of the turnover rate observed for wild-type berberine bridge enzyme. A more detailed analysis of single reaction steps by stopped-flow spectrophotometry showed that the reductive half-reaction is greatly influenced by the lack of the 6-S-cysteinyl linkage, resulting in a 370-fold decrease in the rate of flavin reduction. Determination of the redox potentials for both wild type and the C166A mutein revealed that the difference in the redox potential observed can fully account for the change in the kinetic properties. The wild-type protein exhibits a midpoint potential of +132 mV, which is the highest redox potential determined for any flavoenzyme so far. Removal of the cysteine linkage to FAD in the C166A mutein leads to a redox potential of +53 mV, which is in the expected range for flavoproteins with a single covalent attachment of FAD to a His residue via its 8-alpha position. We also show that the biochemical properties of the mutein resemble that of typical flavoprotein oxidases and that deviations from this behavior observed for the wild type are due to the FAD-6-S-cysteinyl bond. In addition, rapid reaction stopped-flow experiments give no indication for a radical mechanism supporting the direct transfer of a hydride from the substrate to the cofactor.     

Structural and kinetic analyses of the H121A mutant of cholesterol oxidase

Cholesterol oxidase is a monomeric flavoenzyme that catalyses the oxidation of cholesterol to cholest-5-en-3-one followed by isomerization to cholest-4-en-3-one. The enzyme from Brevibacterium sterolicum contains the FAD cofactor covalently bound to His121. It was previously demonstrated that the H121A substitution results in a approximately 100 mV decrease in the midpoint redox potential and a approximately 40-fold decrease in turnover number compared to wild-type enzyme [Motteran, Pilone, Molla, Ghisla and Pollegioni (2001) Journal of Biological Chemistry 276, 18024-18030]. A detailed kinetic analysis of the H121A mutant enzyme shows that the decrease in turnover number is largely due to a corresponding decrease in the rate constant of flavin reduction, whilst the re-oxidation reaction is only marginally altered and the isomerization reaction is not affected by the substitution and precedes product dissociation. The X-ray structure of the mutant protein, determined to 1.7 A resolution (1 A identical with 0.1 nm), reveals only minor changes in the overall fold of the protein, namely: two loops have slight movements and a tryptophan residue changes conformation by a rotation of 180 degrees about chi1 compared to the native enzyme. Comparison of the isoalloxazine ring moiety of the FAD cofactor between the structures of the native and mutant proteins shows a change from a non-planar to a planar geometry (resulting in a more tetrahedral-like geometry for N5). This change is proposed to be a major factor contributing to the observed alteration in redox potential. Since a similar distortion of the flavin has not been observed in other covalent flavoproteins, it is proposed to represent a specific mode to facilitate flavin reduction in covalent cholesterol oxidase.     

Cholesterol oxidase from Brevibacterium sterolicum. The relationship between covalent flavinylation and redox properties

Brevibacterium sterolicum possesses two forms of cholesterol oxidase, one containing noncovalently bound FAD, the second containing a FAD covalently linked to His(69) of the protein backbone. The functional role of the histidyl-FAD bond in the latter cholesterol oxidase was addressed by studying the properties of the H69A mutant in which the FAD is bound tightly, but not covalently, and by comparison with native enzyme. The mutant retains catalytic activity, but with a turnover rate decreased 35-fold; the isomerization step of the intermediate 3-ketosteroid to the final product is also preserved. Stabilization of the flavin semiquinone and binding of sulfite are markedly decreased, this correlates with a lower midpoint redox potential (-204 mV compared with -101 mV for wild-type). Reconstitution with 8-chloro-FAD led to a holoenzyme form of H69A cholesterol oxidase with a midpoint redox potential of -160 mV. In this enzyme form, flavin semiquinone is newly stabilized, and a 3.5-fold activity increase is observed, this mimicking the thermodynamic effects induced by the covalent flavin linkage. It is concluded that the flavin 8alpha-linkage to a (N1)histidine is a pivotal factor in the modulation of the redox properties of this cholesterol oxidase to increase its oxidative power.     

Covalent flavinylation is essential for efficient redox catalysis in vanillyl-alcohol oxidase

By mutating the target residue of covalent flavinylation in vanillyl-alcohol oxidase, the functional role of the histidyl-FAD bond was studied. Three His(422) mutants (H422A, H422T, and H422C) were purified, which all contained tightly but noncovalently bound FAD. Steady state kinetics revealed that the mutants have retained enzyme activity, although the turnover rates have decreased by 1 order of magnitude. Stopped-flow analysis showed that the H422A mutant is still able to form a stable binary complex of reduced enzyme and a quinone methide product intermediate, a crucial step during vanillyl-alcohol oxidase-mediated catalysis. The only significant change in the catalytic cycle of the H422A mutant is a marked decrease in reduction rate. Redox potentials of both wild type and H422A vanillyl-alcohol oxidase have been determined. During reduction of H422A, a large portion of the neutral flavin semiquinone is observed. Using suitable reference dyes, the redox potentials for the two one-electron couples have been determined: -17 and -113 mV. Reduction of wild type enzyme did not result in any formation of flavin semiquinone and revealed a remarkably high redox potential of +55 mV. The marked decrease in redox potential caused by the missing covalent histidyl-FAD bond is reflected in the reduced rate of substrate-mediated flavin reduction limiting the turnover rate. Elucidation of the crystal structure of the H422A mutant established that deletion of the histidyl-FAD bond did not result in any significant structural changes. These results clearly indicate that covalent interaction of the isoalloxazine ring with the protein moiety can markedly increase the redox potential of the flavin cofactor, thereby facilitating redox catalysis. Thus, formation of a histidyl-FAD bond in specific flavoenzymes might have evolved as a way to contribute to the enhancement of their oxidative power.     

Trp(359) regulates flavin thermodynamics and coenzyme selectivity in Mycobacterium tuberculosis FprA

Mtb (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) FprA (flavoprotein reductase A) is an NAD(P)H-dependent FAD-binding reductase that is structurally related to mammalian adrenodoxin reductase, and which supports the catalytic function of Mtb cytochrome P450s. Trp(359), proximal to the FAD, was investigated in light of its potential role in controlling coenzyme interactions, as observed for similarly located aromatic residues in diflavin reductases. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that a tryptophan residue corresponding to Trp(359) is conserved across FprA-type enzymes and in adrenodoxin reductases. W359A/H mutants of Mtb FprA were generated, expressed and the proteins characterized to define the role of Trp(359). W359A/H mutants exhibited perturbed UV-visible absorption/fluorescence properties. The FAD semiquinone formed in wild-type NADPH-reduced FprA was destabilized in the W359A/H mutants, which also had more positive FAD midpoint reduction potentials (-168/-181 mV respectively, versus the standard hydrogen electrode, compared with -230 mV for wild-type FprA). The W359A/H mutants had lower ferricyanide reductase k(cat) and NAD(P)H K(m) values, but this led to improvements in catalytic efficiency (k(cat)/K(m)) with NADH as reducing coenzyme (9.6/18.8 muM(-1).min(-1) respectively, compared with 5.7 muM(-1).min(-1) for wild-type FprA). Stopped-flow spectroscopy revealed NAD(P)H-dependent FAD reduction as rate-limiting in steady-state catalysis, and to be retarded in mutants (e.g. limiting rate constants for NADH-dependent FAD reduction were 25.4 s(-1) for wild-type FprA and 4.8 s(-1)/13.4 s(-1) for W359A/H mutants). Diminished mutant FAD content (particularly in W359H FprA) highlighted the importance of Trp(359) for flavin stability. The results demonstrate that the conserved Trp(359) is critical in regulating FprA FAD binding, thermodynamic properties, catalytic efficiency and coenzyme selectivity.     

Cytochrome b5 reductase: role of the si-face residues, proline 92 and tyrosine 93, in structure and catalysis

The conserved sequence motif "RxY(T)(S)xx(S)(N)" coordinates flavin binding in NADH:cytochrome b(5) reductase (cb(5)r) and other members of the flavin transhydrogenase superfamily of oxidoreductases. To investigate the roles of Y93, the third and only aromatic residue of the "RxY(T)(S)xx(S)(N)" motif, that stacks against the si-face of the flavin isoalloxazine ring, and P92, the second residue in the motif that is also in close proximity to the FAD moiety, a series of rat cb(5)r variants were produced with substitutions at either P92 or Y93, respectively. The proline mutants P92A, G, and S together with the tyrosine mutants Y93A, D, F, H, S, and W were recombinantly expressed in E. coli and purified to homogeneity. Each mutant protein was found to bind FAD in a 1:1 cofactor:protein stoichiometry while UV CD spectra suggested similar secondary structure organization among all nine variants. The tyrosine variants Y93A, D, F, H, and S exhibited varying degrees of blue-shift in the flavin visible absorption maxima while visible CD spectra of the Y93A, D, H, S, and W mutants exhibited similar blue-shifted maxima together with changes in absorption intensity. Intrinsic flavin fluorescence was quenched in the wild type, P92S and A, and Y93H and W mutants while Y93A, D, F, and S mutants exhibited increased fluorescence when compared to free FAD. The tyrosine variants Y93A, D, F, and S also exhibited greater thermolability of FAD binding. The specificity constant (k(cat)/K(m)(NADH)) for NADH:FR activity decreased in the order wild type > P92S > P92A > P92G > Y93F > Y93S > Y93A > Y93D > Y93H > Y93W with the Y93W variant retaining only 0.5% of wild-type efficiency. Both K(s)(H4NAD) and K(s)(NAD+) values suggested that Y93A, F, and W mutants had compromised NADH and NAD(+) binding. Thermodynamic measurements of the midpoint potential (E degrees ', n = 2) of the FAD/FADH(2) redox couple revealed that the potentials of the Y93A and S variants were approximately 30 mV more positive than that of wild-type cb(5)r (E degrees ' = -268 mV) while that of Y93H was approximately 30 mV more negative. These results indicate that neither P92 nor Y93 are critical for flavin incorporation in cb(5)r and that an aromatic side chain is not essential at position 93, but they demonstrate that Y93 forms contacts with the FAD that effectively modulate the spectroscopic, catalytic, and thermodynamic properties of the bound cofactor.     

Relevance of the flavin binding to the stability and folding of engineered cholesterol oxidase containing noncovalently bound FAD

The flavoprotein cholesterol oxidase (CO) from Brevibacterium sterolicum is a monomeric flavoenzyme containing one molecule of FAD cofactor covalently linked to His69. The elimination of the covalent link following the His69Ala substitution was demonstrated to result in a significant decrease in activity, in the midpoint redox potential of the flavin, and in stability with respect to the wild-type enzyme, but does not modify the overall structure of the enzyme. We used CO as a model system to dissect the changes due to the elimination of the covalent link between the flavin and the protein (by comparing the wild-type and H69A CO holoproteins) with those due to the elimination of the cofactor (by comparing the holo- and apoprotein forms of H69A CO). The apoprotein of H69A CO lacks the characteristic tertiary structure of the holoprotein and displays larger hydrophobic surfaces; its urea-induced unfolding does not occur by a simple two-state mechanism and is largely nonreversible. Minor alterations in the flavin binding region are evident between the native and the refolded proteins, and are likely responsible for the low refolding yield observed. A model for the equilibrium unfolding of H69A CO that also takes into consideration the effects of cofactor binding and dissociation, and thus may be of general significance in terms of the relationships between cofactor uptake and folding in flavoproteins, is presented.     

Covalent flavinylation of vanillyl-alcohol oxidase is an autocatalytic process

Vanillyl-alcohol oxidase (VAO; EC 1.1.3.38) contains a covalently 8alpha-histidyl bound FAD, which represents the most frequently encountered covalent flavin-protein linkage. To elucidate the mechanism by which VAO covalently incorporates the FAD cofactor, apo VAO was produced by using a riboflavin auxotrophic Escherichia coli strain. Incubation of apo VAO with FAD resulted in full restoration of enzyme activity. The rate of activity restoration was dependent on FAD concentration, displaying a hyperbolic relationship (K(FAD )= 2.3 microM, k(activation) = 0.13 min(-1)). The time-dependent increase in enzyme activity was accompanied by full covalent incorporation of FAD, as determined by SDS/PAGE and ESI-MS analysis. The results obtained show that formation of the covalent flavin-protein bond is an autocatalytic process, which proceeds via a reduced flavin intermediate. Furthermore, ESI-MS experiments revealed that, although apo VAO mainly exists as monomers and dimers, FAD binding promotes the formation of VAO dimers and octamers. Tandem ESI-MS experiments revealed that octamerization is not dependent on full covalent flavinylation.     

Structural analysis of flavinylation in vanillyl-alcohol oxidase

Vanillyl-alcohol oxidase (VAO) is member of a newly recognized flavoprotein family of structurally related oxidoreductases. The enzyme contains a covalently linked FAD cofactor. To study the mechanism of flavinylation we have created a design point mutation (His-61 --> Thr). In the mutant enzyme the covalent His-C8alpha-flavin linkage is not formed, while the enzyme is still able to bind FAD and perform catalysis. The H61T mutant displays a similar affinity for FAD and ADP (K(d) = 1.8 and 2.1 microm, respectively) but does not interact with FMN. H61T is about 10-fold less active with 4-(methoxymethyl)phenol) (k(cat) = 0.24 s(-)(1), K(m) = 40 microm) than the wild-type enzyme. The crystal structures of both the holo and apo form of H61T are highly similar to the structure of wild-type VAO, indicating that binding of FAD to the apoprotein does not require major structural rearrangements. These results show that covalent flavinylation is an autocatalytical process in which His-61 plays a crucial role by activating His-422. Furthermore, our studies clearly demonstrate that in VAO, the FAD binds via a typical lock-and-key approach to a preorganized binding site.     

Dissecting the structural determinants of the stability of cholesterol oxidase containing covalently bound flavin

Cholesterol oxidase from Brevibacterium sterolicum is a monomeric flavoenzyme catalyzing the oxidation and isomerization of cholesterol to cholest-4-en-3-one. This protein is a class II cholesterol oxidases, with the FAD cofactor covalently linked to the enzyme through the His(69) residue. In this work, unfolding of wild-type cholesterol oxidase was compared with that of a H69A mutant, which does not covalently bind the flavin cofactor. The two protein forms do not show significant differences in their overall topology, but the urea-induced unfolding of the H69A mutant occurred at significant lower urea concentrations than wild-type (approximately 3 versus approximately 5 M, respectively), and the mutant protein had a melting temperature approximately 10-15 degrees C lower than wild-type in thermal denaturation experiments. The different sensitivity of the various spectroscopic features used to monitor protein unfolding indicated that in both proteins a two-step (three-state) process occurs. The presence of an intermediate was more evident for the H69A mutant at 2 m urea, where catalytic activity and tertiary structure were lost, and new hydrophobic patches were exposed on the protein surface, resulting in protein aggregation. Comparative analysis of the changes occurring upon urea and thermal treatment of the wild-type and H69A protein showed a good correlation between protein instability and the elimination of the covalent link between the flavin and the protein. This covalent bond represents a structural device to modify the flavin redox potentials and stabilize the tertiary structure of cholesterol oxidase, thus pointing to a specific meaning of the flavin binding mode in enzymes that carry out the same reaction in pathogenic versus non-pathogenic bacteria.     

Arginine 49 is a bifunctional residue important in catalysis and biosynthesis of monomeric sarcosine oxidase: a context-sensitive model for the electrostatic impact of arginine to lysine mutations

Monomeric sarcosine oxidase (MSOX) contains covalently bound FAD and catalyzes the oxidative demethylation of sarcosine ( N-methylglycine). The side chain of Arg49 is in van der Waals contact with the si face of the flavin ring; sarcosine binds just above the re face. Covalent flavin attachment requires a basic residue (Arg or Lys) at position 49. Although flavinylation is scarcely affected, mutation of Arg49 to Lys causes a 40-fold decrease in k cat and a 150-fold decrease in k cat/ K m sarcosine. The overall structure of the Arg49Lys mutant is very similar to wild-type MSOX; the side chain of Lys49 in the mutant is nearly congruent to that of Arg49 in the wild-type enzyme. The Arg49Lys mutant exhibits several features consistent with a less electropositive active site: (1) Charge transfer bands observed for mutant enzyme complexes with competitive inhibitors absorb at higher energy than the corresponding wild-type complexes. (2) The p K a for ionization at N(3)H of FAD is more than two pH units higher in the mutant than in wild-type MSOX. (3) The reduction potential of the oxidized/radical couple in the mutant is 100 mV lower than in the wild-type enzyme. The lower reduction potential is likely to be a major cause of the reduced catalytic activity of the mutant. Electrostatic interactions with Arg49 play an important role in catalysis and covalent flavinylation. A context-sensitive model for the electrostatic impact of an arginine to lysine mutation can account for the dramatically different consequences of the Arg49Lys mutation on MSOX catalysis and holoenzyme biosysnthesis.     

alpha Arg-237 in Methylophilus methylotrophus (sp. W3A1) electron-transferring flavoprotein affords approximately 200-millivolt stabilization of the FAD anionic semiquinone and a kinetic block on full reduction to the dihydroquinone

The midpoint reduction potentials of the FAD cofactor in wild-type Methylophilus methylotrophus (sp. W3A1) electron-transferring flavoprotein (ETF) and the alphaR237A mutant were determined by anaerobic redox titration. The FAD reduction potential of the oxidized-semiquinone couple in wild-type ETF (E'(1)) is +153 +/- 2 mV, indicating exceptional stabilization of the flavin anionic semiquinone species. Conversion to the dihydroquinone is incomplete (E'(2) < -250 mV), because of the presence of both kinetic and thermodynamic blocks on full reduction of the FAD. A structural model of ETF (Chohan, K. K., Scrutton, N. S., and Sutcliffe, M. J. (1998) Protein Pept. Lett. 5, 231-236) suggests that the guanidinium group of Arg-237, which is located over the si face of the flavin isoalloxazine ring, plays a key role in the exceptional stabilization of the anionic semiquinone in wild-type ETF. The major effect of exchanging alphaArg-237 for Ala in M. methylotrophus ETF is to engineer a remarkable approximately 200-mV destabilization of the flavin anionic semiquinone (E'(2) = -31 +/- 2 mV, and E'(1) = -43 +/- 2 mV). In addition, reduction to the FAD dihydroquinone in alphaR237A ETF is relatively facile, indicating that the kinetic block seen in wild-type ETF is substantially removed in the alphaR237A ETF. Thus, kinetic (as well as thermodynamic) considerations are important in populating the redox forms of the protein-bound flavin. Additionally, we show that electron transfer from trimethylamine dehydrogenase to alphaR237A ETF is severely compromised, because of impaired assembly of the electron transfer complex.     

Asp-170 is crucial for the redox properties of vanillyl-alcohol oxidase

Vanillyl-alcohol oxidase is a flavoprotein containing a covalent flavin that catalyzes the oxidation of 4-(methoxymethyl)phenol to 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde. The reaction proceeds through the formation of a p-quinone methide intermediate, after which, water addition takes place. Asp-170, located near the N5-atom of the flavin, has been proposed to act as an active site base. To test this hypothesis, we have addressed the properties of D170E, D170S, D170A, and D170N variants. Spectral and fluorescence analysis, together with the crystal structure of D170S, suggests that the Asp-170 replacements do not induce major structural changes. However, in D170A and D170N, 50 and 100%, respectively, of the flavin is non-covalently bound. Kinetic characterization of the vanillyl-alcohol oxidase variants revealed that Asp-170 is required for catalysis. D170E is 50-fold less active, and the other Asp-170 variants are about 10(3)-fold less active than wild type enzyme. Impaired catalysis of the Asp-170 variants is caused by slow flavin reduction. Furthermore, the mutant proteins have lost the capability of forming a stable complex between reduced enzyme and the p-quinone methide intermediate. The redox midpoint potentials in D170E (+6 mV) and D170S (-91 mV) are considerably decreased compared with wild type vanillyl-alcohol oxidase (+55 mV). This supports the idea that Asp-170 interacts with the protonated N5-atom of the reduced cofactor, thus increasing the FAD redox potential. Taken together, we conclude that Asp-170 is involved in the process of autocatalytic flavinylation and is crucial for efficient redox catalysis.     

Crystallographic investigation of the role of aspartate 95 in the modulation of the redox potentials of Desulfovibrio vulgaris flavodoxin

The side chain of aspartate 95 in flavodoxin from Desulfovibrio vulgaris provides the closest negative charge to N(1) of the bound FMN in the protein. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to substitute alanine, asparagine, or glutamate for this amino acid to assess the effect of this charge on the semiquinone/hydroquinone redox potential (E(1)) of the FMN cofactor. The D95A mutation shifts the E(1) redox potential positively by 16 mV, while a negative shift of 23 mV occurs in the oxidized/semiquinone midpoint redox potential (E(2)). The crystal structures of the oxidized and semiquinone forms of this mutant are similar to the corresponding states of the wild-type protein. In contrast to the wild-type protein, a further change in structure occurs in the D95A mutant in the hydroquinone form. The side chain of Y98 flips into an energetically more favorable edge-to-face interaction with the bound FMN. Analysis of the structural changes in the D95A mutant, taking into account electrostatic interactions at the FMN binding site, suggests that the pi-pi electrostatic repulsions have only a minor contribution to the very low E(1) redox potential of the FMN cofactor when bound to apoflavodoxin. Substitution of D95 with glutamate causes only a slight perturbation of the two one-electron redox potentials of the FMN cofactor. The structure of the D95E mutant reveals a large movement of the 60-loop (residues 60-64) away from the flavin in the oxidized structure. Reduction of this mutant to the hydroquinone causes the conformation of the 60-loop to revert back to that occurring in the structures of the wild-type protein. The crystal structures of the D95E mutant imply that electrostatic repulsion between a carboxylate on the side chain at position 95 and the phenol ring of Y98 prevents rotation of the Y98 side chain to a more energetically favorable conformation as occurs in the D95A mutant. Replacement of D95 with asparagine has no effect on E(2) but causes E(1) to change by 45 mV. The D95N mutant failed to crystallize. The K(d) values of the protein FMN complex in all three oxidation-reduction states differ from those of the wild-type complexes. Molecular modeling showed that the conformational energy of the protein changes with the redox state, in qualitative agreement with the observed changes in K(d), and allowed the electrostatic interactions between the FMN and the surrounding groups on the protein to be quantified.     

Characterization of the flavin association in hexose oxidase from Chondrus crispus

Hexose oxidase (EC 1.1.3.5) from Hansenula polymorpha was found to exhibit a dual covalent association of FAD with His79 via an 8 alpha-histidyl linkage as well as a covalent association between Cys138 and C-6 of the isoalloxazine moiety of FAD. Spectral properties of the wild-type enzyme exhibited maxima at 364 nm and 437 nm as well as a distinct shoulder at 445 nm. An H79K mutant enzyme exhibited only one maximum at 437 nm. The difference absorption spectrum between an oxidized and a substrate-reduced enzyme preparation showed maxima at 360 nm and 445 nm corresponding to an apparent novel type of association. Hexose oxidase showed a low, pH-independent fluorescence at 525 nm when excited at 450 nm. Flavin was released from the holoenzyme by treatment with trypsin. Sequencing of the flavopeptide revealed two peptides comprising positions 74-91 and 132-157 associated with FAD in equimolar amounts. A homology model of hexose oxidase was constructed using the crystal structure of glucooligosaccharide oxidase from Acremonium strictum as template. The model placed both of the sequences found above in the close vicinity of the FAD cofactor, and suggests covalent bonds between both His79 and Cys138 and FAD, in accordance with the chemical evidence. Based on the results, hexose oxidase is identified as incorporating FAD with a double covalent association with His79 and Cys138 in the holoenzyme. A reaction mechanism involving the concerted action of Tyr488 and Asp409 in hexose oxidase is suggested as the initiator of the proton abstraction from the substrate molecule in the active site.     

Role of critical charged residues in reduction potential modulation of ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase.

Reduction potential determinations of K75E, E139K and E301A ferredoxin-NADP+ reductases provide valuable information concerning the factors that contribute to tune the flavin reduction potential. Thus, while E139 is not involved in such modulation, the K75 side-chain tunes the flavin potential by creating a defined environment that modulates the FAD conformation. Finally, the E301 side-chain influences not only the flavin reduction potential, but also the electron transfer mechanism, as suggested from the values determined for the E301A mutant, where E(ox/rd) and E(sq/rd) shifted +41 and +102 mV, respectively, with regard to wild-type. Reduction potentials allowed estimation of binding energies differences of the FAD cofactor upon reduction.     

Identification of the residues involved in stabilization of the semiquinone radical in the high-affinity ubiquinone binding site in cytochrome bo(3) from Escherichia coli by site-directed mutagenesis and EPR spectroscopy

During turnover of cytochrome bo(3) from Escherichia coli, a semiquinone radical is stabilized in a high-affinity binding site. To identify binding partners of this radical, site-directed mutants have been designed on the basis of a recently modeled quinone binding site (Abramson et al., 2000). The R71H, H98F, D75H, and I102W mutant enzymes were found to show very little or no quinol oxidase activity. The thermodynamic and EPR spectroscopic properties of semiquinone radicals in these mutants were characterized. For the H98F and the R71H mutants, no EPR signal of the semiquinone radical was observed in the redox potential range from -100 to 250 mV. During potentiometric titration of the D75H mutant enzyme, a semiquinone signal was detected in the same potential range as that of the wild-type enzyme. However, the EPR spectrum of the D75H mutant lacks the characteristic hyperfine structure of the semiquinone radical signal observed in the wild-type oxidase, indicating that D75 or the introduced His, interacts with the semiquinone radical. For the I102W mutant, a free radical signal was observed with a redox midpoint potential downshifted by about 200 mV. On the basis of these observations, it is suggested that R71, D75, and H98 residues are involved in the stabilization of the semiquinone state in the high-affinity binding site. Details of the possible binding motif and mechanistic implications are discussed.     

The effect of mutation at valine-45 on the stability and redox potentials of trypsin-cleaved cytochrome b5

In an attempt to elucidate the determinants of redox potential and protein stability in cytochrome b5, three mutants at a highly conserved residue Val45, which is a member of heme hydrophobic pocket residues have been characterized. The V45Y mutant was designed to introduce a bulkier residue and a hydroxyl group to the heme pocket. The mutants V45H and V45E were constructed to test the effect of positive and negative charge on the stability and redox potential of proteins. The influence of these mutants on the protein stability towards thermal, urea, acid, ethanol and on the redox potential were studied. It is concluded that the decrease of hydrophobic free energy and the larger volume of the tyrosine make the phenylhydroxyl group of tyrosine still sitting inside the hydrophobic pocket, while the side chain of the mutant V45E and V45H shift away from the heme pocket. The redox potentials of mutants V45Y, V45H, V45E and wild-type of cytochrome b5 are -35 mV, 8 mV, -26 mV and -3 mV, respectively. The bigger change of the V45Y on redox potential is due to the close contact between the hydroxyl group and the heme, while the changes of the V45E and V45H result from the alteration of charge density and distribution around the heme. Different relative stability of these mutants towards heat have been observed with the order: WT > V45Y-V45H > V45E being both in the oxidized and reduced state. The relative stability induced by addition of urea decreases in the order: WT > V45Y > V45H > V45E. These results suggest that the difference in the hydrophobic free energy is a major factor contributing to the stability of the Val45 mutants. Also the loose of the helix III in the mutant V45E makes it more unstable. These results indicate that residue Val45 plays an important role in the stability and redox potential of the protein.