The 1.3 A crystal structure of human mitochondrial Delta3-Delta2-enoyl-CoA isomerase shows a novel mode of binding for the fatty acyl group

The crystal structure of Delta3-Delta2-enoyl-CoA isomerase from human mitochondria (hmEci), complexed with the substrate analogue octanoyl-CoA, has been refined at 1.3 A resolution. This enzyme takes part in the beta-oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids by converting both cis-3 and trans-3-enoyl-CoA esters (with variable length of the acyl group) to trans-2-enoyl-CoA. hmEci belongs to the hydratase/isomerase (crotonase) superfamily. Most of the enzymes belonging to this superfamily are hexamers, but hmEci is shown to be a trimer. The mode of binding of the ligand, octanoyl-CoA, shows that the omega-end of the acyl group binds in a hydrophobic tunnel formed by residues of the loop preceding helix H4 as well as by side-chains of the kinked helix H9. From the structure of the complex it can be seen that Glu136 is the only catalytic residue. The importance of Glu136 for catalysis is confirmed by mutagenesis studies. A cavity analysis shows the presence of two large, adjacent empty hydrophobic cavities near the active site, which are shaped by side-chains of helices H1, H2, H3 and H4. The structure comparison of hmEci with structures of other superfamily members, in particular of rat mitochondrial hydratase (crotonase) and yeast peroxisomal enoyl-CoA isomerase, highlights the variable mode of binding of the fatty acid moiety in this superfamily.     

The crystal structure of delta(3)-delta(2)-enoyl-CoA isomerase

The active-site geometry of the first crystal structure of a Delta(3)-Delta(2)-enoyl-coenzyme A (CoA) isomerase (the peroxisomal enzyme from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae) shows that only one catalytic base, Glu158, is involved in shuttling the proton from the C2 carbon atom of the substrate, Delta(3)-enoyl-CoA, to the C4 atom of the product, Delta(2)-enoyl-CoA. Site-directed mutagenesis has been performed to confirm that this glutamate residue is essential for catalysis. This Delta(3)-Delta(2)-enoyl-CoA isomerase is a hexameric enzyme, consisting of six identical subunits. It belongs to the hydratase/isomerase superfamily of enzymes which catalyze a wide range of CoA-dependent reactions. The members of the hydratase/ isomerase superfamily have only a low level of sequence identity. Comparison of the crystal structure of the Delta(3)-Delta(2)-enoyl-CoA isomerase with the other structures of this superfamily shows only one region of large structural variability, which is in the second turn of the spiral fold and which is involved in defining the shape of the binding pocket.     

Structural and sequence comparisons of bacterial enoyl-CoA isomerase and enoyl-CoA hydratase

Crystal structures of enoyl-coenzyme A (CoA) isomerase from Bosea sp. PAMC 26642 (BoECI) and enoyl-CoA hydratase from Hymenobacter sp. PAMC 26628 (HyECH) were determined at 2.35 and 2.70 Å resolution, respectively. BoECI and HyECH are members of the crotonase superfamily and are enzymes known to be involved in fatty acid degradation. Structurally, these enzymes are highly similar except for the orientation of their C-terminal helix domain. Analytical ultracentrifugation was performed to determine the oligomerization states of BoECI and HyECH revealing they exist as trimers in solution. However, their putative ligand-binding sites and active site residue compositions are dissimilar. Comparative sequence and structural analysis revealed that the active site of BoECI had one glutamate residue (Glu135), this site is occupied by an aspartate in some ECIs, and the active sites of HyECH had two highly conserved glutamate residues (Glu118 and Glu138). Moreover, HyECH possesses a salt bridge interaction between Glu98 and Arg152 near the active site. This interaction may allow the catalytic Glu118 residue to have a specific conformation for the ECH enzyme reaction. This salt bridge interaction is highly conserved in known bacterial ECH structures and ECI enzymes do not have this type of interaction. Collectively, our comparative sequential and structural studies have provided useful information to distinguish and classify two similar bacterial crotonase superfamily enzymes.     

Identification of domain-domain docking sites within Clostridium symbiosum pyruvate phosphate dikinase by amino acid replacement

Potential domain-domain docking residues, identified from the x-ray structure of the Clostridium symbiosum apoPPDK, were replaced by site-directed mutagenesis. The steady-state and transient kinetic properties of the mutant enzymes were determined as a way of evaluating docking efficiency. PPDK mutants, in which one of two stringently conserved docking residues located on the N-terminal domain (Arg(219) and Glu(271)) was substituted, displayed largely unimpeded catalysis of the phosphoenolpyruvate partial reaction at the C-terminal domain, but significantly impaired catalysis (>10(4)) of the ATP pyrophosphorylation of His(455) at the N-terminal domain. In contrast, alanine mutants of two potential docking residues located on the N-terminal domain (Ser(262) and Lys(149)), which are not conserved among the PPDKs, exhibited essentially normal catalytic turnover. Arg(219) and Glu(271) were thus proposed to play an important role in guiding the central domain and, hence, the catalytic His(455) into position for catalysis. Substitution of central domain residues Glu(434)/Glu(437) and Thr(453), the respective docking partners of Arg(219) and Glu(271), resulted in mutants impaired in catalysis at the ATP active site. The x-ray crystal structure of the apo-T453A PPDK mutant was determined to test for possible misalignment of residues at the N-terminal domain-central domain interface that might result from loss of the Thr(453)-Glu(271) binding interaction. With the exception of the mutation site, the structure of T453A PPDK was found to be identical to that of the wild-type enzyme. It is hypothesized that the two Glu(271) interfacial binding sites that remain in the T453A PPDK mutant, Thr(453) backbone NH and Met(452) backbone NH, are sufficient to stabilize the native conformation as observed in the crystalline state but may be less effective in populating the reactive conformation in solution.     

Crystal structure and site-directed mutagenesis studies of N-carbamoyl-D-amino-acid amidohydrolase from Agrobacterium radiobacter reveals a homotetramer and insight into a catalytic cleft

The N-carbamoyl-D-amino-acid amidohydrolase (D-NCAase) is used on an industrial scale for the production of D-amino acids. The crystal structure of D-NCAase was solved by multiple isomorphous replacement with anomalous scattering using xenon and gold derivatives, and refined to 1.95 A resolution, to an R-factor of 18.6 %. The crystal structure shows a four-layer alpha/beta fold with two six-stranded beta sheets packed on either side by two alpha helices. One exterior layer faces the solvent, whereas the other one is buried and involved in the tight intersubunit contacts. A long C-terminal fragment extends from a monomer to a site near a dyad axis, and associates with another monomer to form a small and hydrophobic cavity, where a xenon atom can bind. Site-directed mutagenesis of His129, His144 and His215 revealed strict geometric requirements of these conserved residues to maintain a stable conformation of a putative catalytic cleft. A region located within this cleft involving Cys172, Glu47, and Lys127 is proposed for D-NCAase catalysis and is similar to the Cys-Asp-Lys site of N-carbamoylsarcosine amidohydrolase. The homologous active-site framework of these enzymes with distinct structures suggests convergent evolution of a common catalytic mechanism.     

Cysteine proteases of positive strand RNA viruses and chymotrypsin-like serine proteases. A distinct protein superfamily with a common structural fold

Evidence is presented, based on sequence comparison and secondary structure prediction, of structural and evolutionary relationship between chymotrypsin-like serine proteases, cysteine proteases of positive strand RNA viruses (3C proteases of picornaviruses and related enzymes of como-, nepo- and potyviruses) and putative serine protease of a sobemovirus. These observations lead to re-identification of principal catalytic residues of viral proteases. Instead of the pair of Cys and His, both located in the C-terminal part of 3C proteases, a triad of conserved His, Asp(Glu) and Cys(Ser) has been identified, the first two residues resident in the N-terminal, and Cys in the C-terminal beta-barrel domain. These residues are suggested to form a charge-transfer system similar to that formed by the catalytic triad of chymotrypsin-like proteases. Based on the structural analogy with chymotrypsin-like proteases, the His residue previously implicated in catalysis, together with two partially conserved Gly residues, is predicted to constitute part of the substrate-binding pocket of 3C proteases. A partially conserved ThrLys/Arg dipeptide located in the loop preceding the catalytic Cys is suggested to confer the primary cleavage specificity of 3C toward Glx/Gly(Ser) sites. These observations provide the first example of relatedness between proteases belonging, by definition, to different classes.     

Trimeric crystal structure of the glycoside hydrolase family 42 beta-galactosidase from Thermus thermophilus A4 and the structure of its complex with galactose

The beta-galactosidase from an extreme thermophile, Thermus thermophilus A4 (A4-beta-Gal), is thermostable and belongs to the glycoside hydrolase family 42 (GH-42). As the first known structures of a GH-42 enzyme, we determined the crystal structures of free and galactose-bound A4-beta-Gal at 1.6A and 2.2A resolution, respectively. A4-beta-Gal forms a homotrimeric structure resembling a flowerpot. Each monomer has an active site located inside a large central tunnel. The N-terminal domain of A4-beta-Gal has a TIM barrel fold, as predicted from hydrophobic cluster analysis. The putative catalytic residues of A4-beta-Gal (Glu141 and Glu312) superimpose well with the catalytic residues of Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase. The environment around the catalytic nucleophile (Glu312) is similar to that in the case of E.coli beta-galactosidase, but the recognition mechanism for a substrate is different. Trp182 of the next subunit of the trimer constitutes a part of the active-site pocket, indicating that the trimeric structure is essential for the enzyme activity. Structural comparison with other glycoside hydrolases revealed that many features of the 4/7 superfamily are conserved in the A4-beta-Gal structure. On the basis of the results of 1H NMR spectroscopy, A4-beta-Gal was determined to be a "retaining" enzyme. Interestingly, the active site was similar with those of retaining enzymes, but the overall fold of the TIM barrel domain was very similar to that of an inverting enzyme, beta-amylase.     

Crystal structure of amylomaltase from thermus aquaticus, a glycosyltransferase catalysing the production of large cyclic glucans

Amylomaltase is involved in the metabolism of starch, one of the most important polysaccharides in nature. A unique feature of amylomaltase is its ability to catalyze the formation of cyclic amylose. In contrast to the well studied cyclodextrin glucanotransferases (CGTases), which synthesize cycloamylose with a ring size (degree of polymerization or DP) of 6-8, the amylomaltase from Thermus aquaticus produces cycloamyloses with a DP of 22 and higher. The crystal structure of amylomaltase from Thermus aquaticus was determined to 2.0 A resolution. It is a member of the alpha-amylase superfamily of enzymes, whose core structure consists of a (beta, alpha)(8) barrel. In amylomaltase, the 8-fold symmetry of this barrel is disrupted by several insertions between the barrel strands. The largest insertions are between the third and fifth barrel strands, where two insertions form subdomain B1, as well as between the second and third barrel strands, forming the alpha-helical subdomain B2. Whereas part of subdomain B1 is also present in other enzyme structures of the alpha-amylase superfamily, subdomain B2 is unique to amylomaltase. Remarkably, the C-terminal domain C, which is present in all related enzymes of the alpha-amylase family, is missing in amylomaltase. Amylomaltase shows a similar arrangement of the catalytic side-chains (two Asp residues and one Glu residue) as in previously characterized members of the alpha-amylase superfamily, indicating similar mechanisms of the glycosyl transfer reaction. In amylomaltase, a conserved loop of around eight amino acid residues is partially shielding the active center. This loop, which is well conserved among other amylomaltases, may sterically hinder the formation of small cyclic products.     

Solution structure of the catalytic domain of gammadelta resolvase. Implications for the mechanism of catalysis

The site-specific DNA recombinase, gammadelta resolvase, from Escherichia coli catalyzes recombination of res site-containing plasmid DNA to two catenated circular DNA products. The catalytic domain (residues 1-105), lacking a C-terminal dimerization interface, has been constructed and the NMR solution structure of the monomer determined. The RMSD of the NMR conformers for residues 2-92 excluding residues 37-45 and 64-73 is 0.41 A for backbone atoms and 0.88 A for all heavy atoms. The NMR solution structure of the monomeric catalytic domain (residues 1-105) was found to be formed by a four-stranded parallel beta-sheet surrounded by three helices. The catalytic domain (residues 1-105), deficient in the C-terminal dimerization domain, was monomeric at high salt concentration, but displayed unexpected dimerization at lower ionic strength. The unique solution dimerization interface at low ionic strength was mapped by NMR. With respect to previous crystal structures of the dimeric catalytic domain (residues 1-140), differences in the average conformation of active-site residues were found at loop 1 containing the catalytic S10 nucleophile, the beta1 strand containing R8, and at loop 3 containing D67, R68 and R71, which are required for catalysis. The active-site loops display high-frequency and conformational backbone dynamics and are less well defined than the secondary structures. In the solution structure, the D67 side-chain is proximal to the S10 side-chain making the D67 carboxylate group a candidate for activation of S10 through general base catalysis. Four conserved Arg residues can function in the activation of the phosphodiester for nucleophilic attack by the S10 hydroxyl group. A mechanism for covalent catalysis by this class of recombinases is proposed that may be related to dimer interface dissociation.     

Structural and Biochemical Insights into the Peptidoglycan Hydrolase Domain of FlgJ from Salmonella typhimurium

FlgJ is a glycoside hydrolase (GH) enzyme belonging to the Carbohydrate Active enZyme (CAZy) family GH73. It facilitates passage of the bacterial flagellum through the peptidoglycan (PG) layer by cleaving the β-1,4 glycosidic bond between N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylmuramic acid sugars that comprise the glycan strands of PG. Here we describe the crystal structure of the GH domain of FlgJ from bacterial pathogen Salmonella typhimurium (StFlgJ). Interestingly, the active site of StFlgJ was blocked by the C-terminal α-helix of a neighbouring symmetry mate and a β-hairpin containing the putative catalytic glutamic acid residue Glu223 was poorly resolved and could not be completely modeled into the electron density, suggesting it is flexible. Previous reports have shown that the GH73 enzyme Auto from Listeria monocytogenes is inhibited by an N-terminal α-helix that may occlude the active site in similar fashion. To investigate if the C-terminus of StFlgJ inhibits GH activity, the glycolytic activity of StFlgJ was assessed with and without the C-terminal α-helix. The GH activity of StFlgJ was unaffected by the presence or absence of the α-helix, suggesting it is not involved in regulating activity. Removal of the C-terminal α-helix did, however, allow a crystal structure of the domain to be obtained where the flexible β-hairpin containing residue Glu223 was entirely resolved. The β-hairpin was positioned such that the active site groove was fully solvent-exposed, placing Glu223 nearly 21.6 Å away from the putative general acid/base residue Glu184, which is too far apart for these two residues to coordinate glycosidic bond hydrolysis. The mobile nature of the StFlgJ β-hairpin is consistent with structural studies of related GH73 enzymes, suggesting that a dynamic active site may be common to many GH73 enzymes, in which the active site opens to capture substrate and then closes to correctly orient active site residues for catalysis.     

Molecular basis of the substrate specificity and the catalytic mechanism of citramalate synthase from Leptospira interrogans

Leptospira interrogans is the causative agent for leptospirosis, a zoonotic disease of global importance. In contrast with most other micro-organisms, L. interrogans employs a pyruvate pathway to synthesize isoleucine and LiCMS (L. interrogans citramalate synthase) catalyses the first reaction of the pathway which converts pyruvate and acetyl-CoA into citramalate, thus making it an attractive target for the development of antibacterial agents. We report here the crystal structures of the catalytic domain of LiCMS and its complexes with substrates, and kinetic and mutagenesis studies of LiCMS, which together reveal the molecular basis of the high substrate specificity and the catalytic mechanism of LiCMS. The catalytic domain consists of a TIM barrel flanked by an extended C-terminal region. It forms a homodimer in the crystal structure, and the active site is located at the centre of the TIM barrel near the C-terminal ends of the beta-strands and is composed of conserved residues of the beta-strands of one subunit and the C-terminal region of the other. The substrate specificity of LiCMS towards pyruvate against other alpha-oxo acids is dictated primarily by residues Leu(81), Leu(104) and Tyr(144), which form a hydrophobic pocket to accommodate the C(2)-methyl group of pyruvate. The catalysis follows the typical aldol condensation reaction, in which Glu(146) functions as a catalytic base to activate the methyl group of acetyl-CoA to form an enolated acetyl-CoA intermediate and Arg(16) as a general acid to stabilize the intermediate.     

Molecular characterization of a novel thermostable mannose-6-phosphate isomerase from Thermus thermophilus

Mannose-6-phosphate isomerase catalyzes the interconversion of mannose-6-phosphate and fructose-6-phosphate. The gene encoding a putative mannose-6-phosphate isomerase from Thermus thermophilus was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The native enzyme was a 29 kDa monomer with activity maxima for mannose 6-phosphate at pH 7.0 and 80 °C in the presence of 0.5 mM Zn²⁺ that was present at one molecule per monomer. The half-lives of the enzyme at 65, 70, 75, 80, and 85 °C were 13, 6.5, 3.7, 1.8, and 0.2 h, respectively. The 15 putative active-site residues within 4.5 Å of the substrate mannose 6-phosphate in the homology model were individually replaced with other amino acids. The sequence alignments, activities, and kinetic analyses of the wild-type and mutant enzymes with amino acid changes at His50, Glu67, His122, and Glu132 as well as homology modeling suggested that these four residues are metal-binding residues and may be indirectly involved in catalysis. In the model, Arg11, Lys37, Gln48, Lys65 and Arg142 were located within 3 Å of the bound mannose 6-phosphate. Alanine substitutions of Gln48 as well as Arg142 resulted in increase of K_m and dramatic decrease of k_cat, and alanine substitutions of Arg11, Lys37, and Lys65 affected enzyme activity. These results suggest that these 5 residues are substrate-binding residues. Although Trp13 was located more than 3 Å from the substrate and may not interact directly with substrate or metal, the ring of Trp13 was essential for enzyme activity.     

Restricted domain mobility in the Candida albicans Ess1 prolyl isomerase

Ess1 is a peptidyl prolyl cis/trans isomerase that is required for virulence of the pathogenic fungi Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans. The enzyme isomerizes the phospho-Ser-Pro linkages in the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II. Its human homolog, Pin1, has been implicated in a wide range of human diseases, including cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Crystallographic and NMR studies have demonstrated that the sequence linking the catalytic isomerase domain and the substrate binding WW domain of Pin1 is unstructured and that the two domains are only loosely associated in the absence of the substrate. In contrast, the crystal structure of C. albicans Ess1 revealed a highly ordered linker that contains a three turn α-helix and extensive association between the two tightly juxtaposed domains. In part to address the concern that the marked differences in the domain interactions for the human and fungal structures might reflect crystal lattice effects, NMR chemical shift analysis and ¹⁵N relaxation measurements have been employed to confirm that the linker of the fungal protein is highly ordered in solution. With the exception of two loops within the active site of the isomerase domain, the local backbone geometry observed in the crystal structure appears to be well preserved throughout the protein chain. The marked differences in interdomain interactions and linker flexibility between the human and fungal enzymes provide a structural basis for therapeutic targeting of the fungal enzymes.     

Substrate and product complexes of Escherichia coli adenylosuccinate lyase provide new insights into the enzymatic mechanism

Adenylosuccinate lyase (ADL) catalyzes the breakdown of 5-aminoimidazole- (N-succinylocarboxamide) ribotide (SAICAR) to 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribotide (AICAR) and fumarate, and of adenylosuccinate (ADS) to adenosine monophosphate (AMP) and fumarate in the de novo purine biosynthetic pathway. ADL belongs to the argininosuccinate lyase (ASL)/fumarase C superfamily of enzymes. Members of this family share several common features including: a mainly alpha-helical, homotetrameric structure; three regions of highly conserved amino acid residues; and a general acid-base catalytic mechanism with the overall beta-elimination of fumarate as a product. The crystal structures of wild-type Escherichia coli ADL (ec-ADL), and mutant-substrate (H171A-ADS) and -product (H171N-AMP.FUM) complexes have been determined to 2.0, 1.85, and 2.0 A resolution, respectively. The H171A-ADS and H171N-AMP.FUM structures provide the first detailed picture of the ADL active site, and have enabled the precise identification of substrate binding and putative catalytic residues. Contrary to previous suggestions, the ec-ADL structures implicate S295 and H171 in base and acid catalysis, respectively. Furthermore, structural alignments of ec-ADL with other superfamily members suggest for the first time a large conformational movement of the flexible C3 loop (residues 287-303) in ec-ADL upon substrate binding and catalysis, resulting in its closure over the active site. This loop movement has been observed in other superfamily enzymes, and has been proposed to be essential for catalysis. The ADL catalytic mechanism is re-examined in light of the results presented here.     

Crystal structure of 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid 3,4-dioxygenase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae: a special subgroup of the type III extradiol dioxygenases

3-Hydroxyanthranilic acid 3,4-dioxygenase (3HAO) is a non-heme ferrous extradiol dioxygenase in the kynurenine pathway from tryptophan. It catalyzes the conversion of 3-hydroxyanthranilate (HAA) to quinolinic acid (QUIN), an endogenous neurotoxin, via the activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors and the precursor of NAD(+) biosynthesis. The crystal structure of 3HAO from S. cerevisiae at 2.4 A resolution shows it to be a member of the functionally diverse cupin superfamily. The structure represents the first eukaryotic 3HAO to be resolved. The enzyme forms homodimers, with two nickel binding sites per molecule. One of the bound nickel atoms occupies the proposed ferrous-coordinated active site, which is located in a conserved double-strand beta-helix domain. Examination of the structure reveals the participation of a series of residues in catalysis different from other extradiol dioxygenases. Together with two iron-binding residues (His49 and Glu55), Asp120, Asn51, Glu111, and Arg114 form a hydrogen-bonding network; this hydrogen-bond network is key to the catalysis of 3HAO. Residues Arg101, Gln59, and the substrate-binding hydrophobic pocket are crucial for substrate specificity. Structure comparison with 3HAO from Ralstonia metallidurans reveals similarities at the active site and suggests the same catalytic mechanism in prokaryotic and eukaryotic 3HAO. Based on sequence comparison, we suggest that bicupin of human 3HAO is the first example of evolution from a monocupin dimer to bicupin monomer in the diverse cupin superfamilies. Based on the model of the substrate HAA at the active site of Y3HAO, we propose a mechanism of catalysis for 3HAO.     

Homology modeling and mutational analysis of Ho endonuclease of yeast

Ho endonuclease is a LAGLIDADG homing endonuclease that initiates mating-type interconversion in yeast. Ho is encoded by a free-standing gene but shows 50% primary sequence similarity to the intein (protein-intron encoded) PI-SceI. Ho is unique among LAGLIDADG endonucleases in having a 120-residue C-terminal putative zinc finger domain. The crystal structure of PI-SceI revealed a bipartite enzyme with a protein-splicing domain (Hint) and intervening endonuclease domain. We made a homology model for Ho on the basis of the PI-SceI structure and performed mutational analysis of putative critical residues, using a mating-type switch as a bioassay for activity and GFP-fusion proteins to detect nuclear localization. We found that residues of the N-terminal sequence of the Hint domain are important for Ho activity, in particular the DNA recognition region. C-terminal residues of the Hint domain are dispensable for Ho activity; however, the C-terminal putative zinc finger domain is essential. Mutational analysis indicated that residues in Ho that are conserved relative to catalytic, active-site residues in PI-SceI and other related homing endonucleases are essential for Ho activity. Our results indicate that in addition to the conserved catalytic residues, Hint domain residues and the zinc finger domain have evolved a critical role in Ho activity.     

Crystal structure of a biliverdin IXalpha reductase enzyme-cofactor complex

Biliverdin reductase (BVR) catalyzes the last step in heme degradation by reducing the gamma-methene bridge of the open tetrapyrrole, biliverdin IXalpha, to bilirubin with the concomitant oxidation of a beta-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) or beta-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) cofactor. Bilirubin is the major bile pigment in mammals and has antioxidant and anticompliment activity. We have determined X-ray crystal structures of apo rat BVR and its complex with NADH at 1.2 A and 1.5 A resolution, respectively. In agreement with an independent structure determination of the apo-enzyme, BVR consists of an N-terminal dinucleotide-binding domain (Rossmann-fold) and a C-terminal domain that contains a six-stranded beta-sheet that is flanked on one face by several alpha-helices. The C-terminal and N-terminal domains interact extensively, forming the active site cleft at their interface. The cofactor complex structure reported here reveals that the cofactor nicotinamide ring extends into the active site cleft, where it is adjacent to conserved amino acid residues and, consistent with the known stereochemistry of the reaction catalyzed by BVR, the si face of the ring is accessible for hydride transfer. The only titratable side-chain that appears to be suitably positioned to function as a general acid in catalysis is Tyr97. This residue, however, is not essential for catalysis, since the Tyr97Phe mutant protein retains 50% activity. This finding suggests that the dominant role in catalysis may be performed by hydride transfer from the cofactor, a process that may be promoted by proximity of the invariant residues Glu96, Glu123, and Glu126, to the nicotinamide ring.     

Insights into cephamycin biosynthesis: the crystal structure of CmcI from Streptomyces clavuligerus

Cephamycin C-producing microorganisms use two enzymes to convert cephalosporins to their 7alpha-methoxy derivatives. Here we report the X-ray structure of one of these enzymes, CmcI, from Streptomyces clavuligerus. The polypeptide chain of the enzyme folds into a C-terminal Rossmann domain and a smaller N-terminal domain, and the molecule packs as a hexamer in the crystal. The Rossmann domain binds S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) and the demethylated product, S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine, in a fashion similar to the common binding mode of this cofactor in SAM-dependent methyltransferases. There is a magnesium-binding site in the vicinity of the SAM site with a bound magnesium ion ligated by residues Asp160, Glu186 and Asp187. The expected cephalosporin binding site near the magnesium ion is occupied by polyethyleneglycol (PEG) from the crystallisation medium. The geometry of the SAM and the magnesium binding sites is similar to that found in cathechol O-methyltransferase. The results suggest CmcI is a methyltransferase, and its most likely function is to catalyse the transfer of a methyl group from SAM to the 7alpha-hydroxy cephalosporin in the second catalytic reaction of cephamycin formation. Based on the docking of the putative substrate, 7alpha-hydroxy-O-carbamoyldeacetylcephalosporin C, to the structure of the ternary CmcI-Mg2+-SAM complex, we propose a model for substrate binding and catalysis. In this model, the 7-hydroxy group of the beta-lactam ring ligates the Mg2+ with its alpha-side facing the methyl group of SAM at a distance that would allow methylation of the hydroxyl-group.     

Crystal structure of human DJ-1, a protein associated with early onset Parkinson's disease

We report the crystal structure at 1.8-A resolution of human DJ-1, which has been linked to early onset Parkinson's disease. The monomer of DJ-1 contains the alpha/beta-fold that is conserved among members of the DJ-1/ThiJ/PfpI superfamily. However, the structure also contains an extra helix at the C terminus, which mediates a novel mode of dimerization for the DJ-1 proteins. A putative active site has been identified near the dimer interface, and the residues Cys-106, His-126, and Glu-18 may play important roles in the catalysis by this protein. Studies with the disease-causing L166P mutant suggest that the mutation has disrupted the C-terminal region and the dimerization of the protein. The DJ-1 proteins may function only as dimers. The Lys to Arg mutation at residue 130, the site of sumoylation of DJ-1, has minimal impact on the structure of the protein.     

Site-directed mutational analysis of active site residues in the acetate kinase from Methanosarcina thermophila

Acetate kinase catalyzes the magnesium-dependent transfer of the gamma-phosphate of ATP to acetate. The recently determined crystal structure of the Methanosarcina thermophila enzyme identifies it as a member of the sugar kinase/Hsc70/actin superfamily based on the fold and the presence of five putative nucleotide and metal binding motifs that characterize the superfamily. Residues from four of these motifs in M. thermophila acetate kinase were selected for site-directed replacement and analysis of the variants. Replacement of Asp(148) and Asn(7) resulted in variants with catalytic efficiencies less than 1% of that of the wild-type enzyme, indicating that these residues are essential for activity. Glu(384) was also found to be essential for catalysis. A 30-fold increase in the magnesium concentration required for half-maximal activity of the E384A variant relative to that of the wild type implicated Glu(384) in magnesium binding. The kinetic analysis of variants and structural data is consistent with nonessential roles for active site residues Ser(10), Ser(12), and Lys(14) in catalysis. The results are discussed with respect to the acetate kinase catalytic mechanism and the relationship to other sugar kinase/Hsc70/actin superfamily members.