Electron nuclear double resonance differentiates complementary roles for active site histidines in (6-4) photolyase

(6-4) photolyase catalyzes the light-dependent repair of UV-damaged DNA containing (6-4) photoproducts. Blue light excitation of the enzyme generates the neutral FAD radical, FADH., which is believed to be transiently formed during the enzymatic DNA repair. Here (6-4) photolyase has been examined by optical spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance, and pulsed electron nuclear double resonance spectroscopy. Characterization of selected proton hyperfine couplings of FADH., namely those of H(8alpha) and H(1'), yields information on the micropolarity at the site where the DNA substrate is expected to bind. Shifts in the hyperfine couplings as a function of structural modifications induced by point mutations and pH changes distinguish the protonation states of two highly conserved histidines, His(354) and His(358), in Xenopus laevis (6-4) photolyase. These are proposed to catalyze formation of the oxetane intermediate that precedes light-initiated DNA repair. The results show that at pH 9.5, where the enzymatic repair activity is highest, His(358) is deprotonated, whereas His(354) is protonated. Hence, the latter is likely the proton donor that initiates oxetane formation from the (6-4) photoproduct.     

Role of Lys281 in the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dunaliella salina</Emphasis> (6-4) Photolyase Reaction

His³⁵⁴ and His³⁵⁸, two highly conserved histidines in Xenopus laevis (6-4) photolyase [equivalent to His⁴⁰¹ and His⁴⁰⁵, in Dunaliella salina (6-4) photolyase], are critical for photoreactivation. They act as a base and an acid, respectively. However, the remaining high repair activity when the pH value is higher than the pKa of histidine suggests the involvement of other basic amino acids in photoreactivation. According to the results of in vivo enzyme assay and three-dimension structural model of Dunaliella salina (6-4) photolyase we hypothesized that Lys²⁸¹ might be involved in the photoreactivation over the pH range from 10.0 to 11.0. To test this, we generated two mutant forms of the (6-4) photolyase, K281G and K281R mutant, by overlap extension polymerase chain reaction, and performed the enzyme assay with these mutants. From these results we conclude that the Lys²⁸¹, which is highly conserved in (6-4) photolyases, participates in the photoreactivation and acts as an acid to donate a proton to His⁴⁰¹ when the environmental pH is higher than the pKa value of histidine.     

The function of hydrophobic residues in the catalytic cleft of Streptococcus pneumoniae hyaluronate lyase. Kinetic characterization of mutant enzyme forms

Streptococcus pneumoniae hyaluronate lyase is a surface antigen of this Gram-positive human bacterial pathogen. The primary function of this enzyme is the degradation of hyaluronan, which is a major component of the extracellular matrix of the tissues of vertebrates and of some bacteria. The enzyme degrades its substrate through a beta-elimination process called proton acceptance and donation. The inherent part of this degradation is a processive mode of action of the enzyme degrading hyaluronan into unsaturated disaccharide hyaluronic acid blocks from the reducing to the nonreducing end of the polymer following the initial random endolytic binding to the substrate. The final degradation product is the unsaturated disaccharide hyaluronic acid. The residues of the enzyme that are involved in various aspects of such degradation were identified based on the three-dimensional structures of the native enzyme and its complexes with hyaluronan substrates of various lengths. The catalytic residues were identified to be Asn(349), His(399), and Tyr(408). The residues responsible for the release of the product of the reaction were identified as Glu(388), Asp(398), and Thr(400), and they were termed negative patch. The hydrophobic residues Trp(291), Trp(292), and Phe(343) were found to be responsible for the precise positioning of the substrate for enzyme catalysis and named hydrophobic patch. The comparison of the specific activities and kinetic properties of the wild type and the mutant enzymes involving the hydrophobic patch residues W292A, F343V, W291A/W292A, W292A/F343V, and W291A/W292A/F343V allowed for the characterization of every mutant and for the correlation of the activity and kinetic properties of the enzyme with its structure as well as the mechanism of catalysis.     

Active site of Escherichia coli DNA photolyase: mutations at Trp277 alter the selectivity of the enzyme without affecting the quantum yield of photorepair

Escherichia coli DNA photolyase repairs pyrimidine dimers by a photoinduced electron-transfer reaction. The enzyme binds to UV-damaged DNA independent of light (the dark reaction) and upon absorbing a 300-500-nm photon breaks the cyclobutane ring of the dimer (the light reaction) and thus restores the DNA. No structural information on the enzyme is available at present. However, comparison of the sequences of photolyases from five different organisms has identified highly conserved regions of homology. These regions are presumably involved in chromophore (flavin and folate) and substrate binding or catalysis. Trp277 (W277) in E. coli photolyase is conserved in all photolyases sequenced to date. We replaced this residue with Arg, Glu, Gln, His, and Phe by site-specific mutagenesis. Properties of the mutant proteins indicate that W277 is involved in binding to DNA but not in chromophore binding or catalysis. Of particular significance is the finding that compared to wild type W277R and W277E mutants have about 300- and 1000-fold lower affinity, respectively, for substrate but were indistinguishable from wild-type enzyme in their photochemical and photocatalytic properties.     

Characterization of a Neurospora crassa photolyase-deficient mutant generated by repeat induced point mutation of the phr gene.

We produced a photolyase-deficient mutant by repeat induced point mutation using the Neurospora crassa photolyase gene cloned previously. This mutation identified a new gene, phr, which was mapped on the right arm of linkage group I by both RFLP mapping and conventional mapping. To investigate the relationship between photoreactivation and dark repair processes, especially excision repair, double mutants of phr with representative repair-defective mutants of different types were constructed and tested for UV sensitivity and photoreactivation. The results show that the phr mutation has no influence on dark repair. Tests with CPD and TC(6-4) photoproduct-specific antibodies demonstrated that the phr mutant is defective in CPD photolyase and confirmed that there is no TC(6-4) photolyase activity in N. crassa. Furthermore, N. crassa photolyase is not a blue light receptor in the signal transduction that induces carotenoid biosynthesis.     

Active site of Escherichia coli DNA photolyase: Asn378 is crucial both for stabilizing the neutral flavin radical cofactor and for DNA repair

Escherichia coli DNA photolyase repairs cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) in UV-damaged DNA through a photoinduced electron transfer mechanism. The catalytic activity of the enzyme requires fully reduced FAD (FADH (-)). After purification in vitro, the cofactor FADH (-) in photolyase is oxidized into the neutral radical form FADH (*) under aerobic conditions and the enzyme loses its repair function. We have constructed a mutant photolyase in which asparagine 378 (N378) is replaced with serine (S). In comparison with wild-type photolyase, we found N378S mutant photolyase containing oxidized FAD (FAD ox) but not FADH (*) after routine purification procedures, but evidence shows that the mutant protein contains FADH (-) in vivo as the wild type. Although N378S mutant photolyase is photoreducable and capable of binding CPD in DNA, the activity assays indicate the mutant protein is catalytically inert. We conclude that the Asn378 residue of E. coli photolyase is crucial both for stabilizing the neutral flavin radical cofactor and for catalysis.     

Eukaryotic class II cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer photolyase structure reveals basis for improved ultraviolet tolerance in plants

Ozone depletion increases terrestrial solar ultraviolet B (UV-B; 280–315 nm) radiation, intensifying the risks plants face from DNA damage, especially covalent cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD). Without efficient repair, UV-B destroys genetic integrity, but plant breeding creates rice cultivars with more robust photolyase (PHR) DNA repair activity as an environmental adaptation. So improved strains of Oryza sativa (rice), the staple food for Asia, have expanded rice cultivation worldwide. Efficient light-driven PHR enzymes restore normal pyrimidines to UV-damaged DNA by using blue light via flavin adenine dinucleotide to break pyrimidine dimers. Eukaryotes duplicated the photolyase gene, producing PHRs that gained functions and adopted activities that are distinct from those of prokaryotic PHRs yet are incompletely understood. Many multicellular organisms have two types of PHR: (6-4) PHR, which structurally resembles bacterial CPD PHRs but recognizes different substrates, and Class II CPD PHR, which is remarkably dissimilar in sequence from bacterial PHRs despite their common substrate. To understand the enigmatic DNA repair mechanisms of PHRs in eukaryotic cells, we determined the first crystal structure of a eukaryotic Class II CPD PHR from the rice cultivar Sasanishiki. Our 1.7 Å resolution PHR structure reveals structure-activity relationships in Class II PHRs and tuning for enhanced UV tolerance in plants. Structural comparisons with prokaryotic Class I CPD PHRs identified differences in the binding site for UV-damaged DNA substrate. Convergent evolution of both flavin hydrogen bonding and a Trp electron transfer pathway establish these as critical functional features for PHRs. These results provide a paradigm for light-dependent DNA repair in higher organisms.     

FTIR study of light-dependent activation and DNA repair processes of (6-4) photolyase

The UV component of sunlight threatens all life on the earth by damaging DNA. The photolyase (PHR) DNA repair proteins maintain genetic integrity by harnessing blue light to restore intact bases from the major UV-induced photoproducts, cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD), and (6-4) photoproducts ((6-4) PPs). The (6-4) PHR must catalyze not only covalent bond cleavage between two pyrmidine bases but also hydroxyl or amino group transfer from the 5'- to 3'-pyrimidine base, requiring a more complex mechanism than that postulated for CPD PHR. In this paper, we apply Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to (6-4) PHR and report difference FTIR spectra that correspond to its photoactivation, substrate binding, and light-dependent DNA repair processes. The presence of DNA carrying a single (6-4) PP uniquely influences vibrations of the protein backbone and a protonated carboxylic acid, whereas photoactivation produces IR spectral changes for the FAD cofactor and the surrounding protein. Difference FTIR spectra for the light-dependent DNA damage repair reaction directly show significant DNA structural changes in the (6-4) lesion and the neighboring phosphate group. Time-dependent illumination of samples with different enzyme:substrate stoichiometries successfully distinguished signals characteristic of structural changes in the protein and the DNA resulting from binding and catalysis.     

Roles of the heme proximal side residues tryptophan409 and tryptophan421 of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in the electron transfer reaction

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) has an oxygenase domain with a thiol-coordinated heme active side similar to cytochrome P450. In contrast to cytochrome P450, however, conserved aromatic amino acids are situated in the heme proximal side of NOS. For example, in endothelial NOS (eNOS), the indole-ring nitrogen of Trp180 hydrogen-binds to the thiol of Cys186, the internal axial ligand to the heme. And, the aromatic side chain of Trp192 forms a bridge between this residue and the protein. Trp180 and Trp192 of eNOS correspond to Trp409 and Trp421 of neuronal NOS (nNOS), respectively. In order to understand the roles of the aromatic amino acids in catalysis, we generated Trp409His, Trp409Leu, Trp421His and Trp421Leu mutants of nNOS and determined their catalytic parameters. The Trp409Leu mutant was very poorly expressed in E. coli and was easily denatured during purification procedures. The NO formation activities of the Trp409His and Trp421Leu mutants were 11 and 25 micromol/min per micromol heme, respectively, and are lower than that (44 micromol/min per micromol heme) of the wild type. The activity (46 micromol/min per micromol heme) of the Trp421His mutant was comparable to that of the wild-type enzyme. However, NADPH oxidation rates of Trp421His (230 micromol/min per micromol heme) and Trp421Leu (104 micromol/min per microol heme) in the presence of L-Arg were much larger than those observed for the wild type (65 micromol/min per micromol heme) and the Trp409His mutant (43 micromol/min per micromol heme). The cytochrome c reduction rate of the Trp421His mutant was 6-fold larger than that of the wild type. The heme reduction rate with NADPH for the Trp421His mutant (0.09 min(-1)) was much lower than that (1.0 min(-1)) of the wild type. Taken together, it appears that Trp421 may be involved in inter-domain/inter-subunit electron transfer reactions.     

Analysis of the role of intraprotein electron transfer in photoreactivation by DNA photolyase in vivo

Escherichia coli DNA photolyase contains FADH(-) as the catalytic cofactor. The cofactor becomes oxidized to the FADH(*) blue neutral radical during purification. The E-FADH(*) form of the enzyme is catalytically inert but can be converted to the active E-FADH(-) form by a photoreduction reaction that involves intraprotein electron transfer from Trp306. It is thought that the E-FADH(*) form is also transiently generated during pyrimidine dimer repair by photoinduced electron transfer, and it has been suggested that the FADH(*) that is generated after each round of catalysis must be photoreduced before the enzyme can engage in subsequent rounds of repair. In this study, we introduced the Trp306Phe mutation into the chromosomal gene and tested the non-photoreducible W306F mutant for photorepair in vivo. We find that both wild-type and W306F mutant photolyases carry out at least 25 rounds of photorepair at the same rate. We conclude that photoreduction by intraprotein electron transfer is not part of the photolyase photocycle under physiological conditions.     

Similarities and differences between cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer photolyase and (6-4) photolyase as revealed by resonance Raman spectroscopy: Electron transfer from the FAD cofactor to ultraviolet-damaged DNA

The cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) and (6-4) photoproduct, two major types of DNA damage caused by UV light, are repaired under illumination with near UV-visible light by CPD and (6-4) photolyases, respectively. To understand the mechanism of DNA repair, we examined the resonance Raman spectra of complexes between damaged DNA and the neutral semiquinoid and oxidized forms of (6-4) and CPD photolyases. The marker band for a neutral semiquinoid flavin and band I of the oxidized flavin, which are derived from the vibrations of the benzene ring of FAD, were shifted to lower frequencies upon binding of damaged DNA by CPD photolyase but not by (6-4) photolyase, indicating that CPD interacts with the benzene ring of FAD directly but that the (6-4) photoproduct does not. Bands II and VII of the oxidized flavin and the 1398/1391 cm(-1) bands of the neutral semiquinoid flavin, which may reflect the bending of U-shaped FAD, were altered upon substrate binding, suggesting that CPD and the (6-4) photoproduct interact with the adenine ring of FAD. When substrate was bound, there was an upshifted 1528 cm(-1) band of the neutral semiquinoid flavin in CPD photolyase, indicating a weakened hydrogen bond at N5-H of FAD, and band X seemed to be downshifted in (6-4) photolyase, indicating a weakened hydrogen bond at N3-H of FAD. These Raman spectra led us to conclude that the two photolyases have different electron transfer mechanisms as well as different hydrogen bonding environments, which account for the higher redox potential of CPD photolyase.     

Cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers are responsible for the vast majority of mutations induced by UVB irradiation in mammalian cells

The most prevalent DNA lesions induced by UVB are the cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) and the pyrimidine (6-4) pyrimidone photoproducts ((6-4)PPs). It has been a long standing controversy as to which of these photoproduct is responsible for mutations in mammalian cells. Here we have introduced photoproduct-specific DNA photolyases into a mouse cell line carrying the transgenic mutation reporter genes lacI and cII. Exposure of the photolyase-expressing cell lines to photoreactivating light resulted in almost complete repair of either CPDs or (6-4)PPs within less than 3 h. The mutations produced by the remaining, nonrepaired photoproducts were scored. The mutant frequency in the cII gene after photoreactivation by CPD photolyase was reduced from 127 x 10(-5) to 34 x 10(-5) (background, 8-10 x 10(-5)). Photoreactivation with (6-4) photolyase did not lower the mutant frequency appreciably. In the lacI gene the mutant frequency after photoreactivation repair of CPDs was reduced from 148 x 10(-5) to 28 x 10(-5) (background, 6-10 x 10(-5)). Mutation spectra obtained with and without photoreactivation by CPD photolyase indicated that the remaining mutations were derived from background mutations, unrepaired CPDs, and other DNA photopoducts including perhaps a small contribution from (6-4)PPs. We conclude that CPDs are responsible for at least 80% of the UVB-induced mutations in this mammalian cell model.     

Evidence for the involvement of tryptophan 38 in the active site of glutathione S-transferase P.

Glutathione S-transferase P (GST-P) exists as a homodimeric form and has two tryptophan residues, Trp28 and Trp38, in each subunit. In order to elucidate the role of the two tryptophan residues in catalytic function, we examined intrinsic fluorescence of tryptophan residues and effect of chemical modification by N-bromosuccinimide (NBS). The quenching of intrinsic fluorescence was observed by the addition of S-hexylglutathione, a substrate analogue, and the enzymatic activity was totally lost when single tryptophan residue was oxidized by NBS. To identify which tryptophan residue is involved in the catalytic function, each tryptophan was changed to histidine by site-directed mutagenesis. Trp28His GST-P mutant enzyme showed a comparable enzymatic activity with that of the wild type one. Trp38His mutant neither was bound to S-hexylglutathione-linked Sepharose nor exhibited any GST activity. These findings indicate that Trp38 is important for the catalytic function and substrate binding of GST-P.     

Human nucleotide excision repair in vitro: repair of pyrimidine dimers, psoralen and cisplatin adducts by HeLa cell-free extract.

We searched for nucleotide excision repair in human cell-free extracts using two assays: damage-specific incision of DNA (the nicking assay) and damage-stimulated DNA synthesis (the repair synthesis assay). HeLa cell-free extract prepared by the method of Manley et al. (1980) has a weak nicking activity on UV irradiated DNA and the nicking is only slightly reduced when pyrimidine dimers are eliminated from the substrate by DNA photolyase. In contrast to the nicking assay, the extract gives a strong signal with UV irradiated substrate in the repair synthesis assay. The repair synthesis activity is ATP dependent and is reduced by about 50% by prior treatment of the substrate with DNA photolyase indicating that this fraction of repair synthesis is due to removal of pyrimidine dimers by nucleotide excision. Psoralen and cisplatin adducts which are known to be removed by nucleotide excision repair also elicited repair synthesis activity 5-10 fold above the background synthesis. When M13RF DNA containing a uniquely placed psoralen adduct was used in the reaction, complete repair was achieved in a fraction of molecules as evidenced by the restoration of psoralen inactivated KpnI restriction site. This activity is absent in xeroderma pigmentosum group A cells. We conclude that our cell-free extract contains the human nucleotide excision repair enzyme activity.     

Functional determinants in the autoinhibitory domain of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. Role of His282 and multiple basic residues.

Important determinants in the autoinhibitory domain of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMK-II), corresponding to residues 281-302 of the kinase alpha-subunit sequence, were identified. Replacement of Thr286 with Ala (CaMK-(281-302 Ala286)) had no effect on either the potency (IC50 = 2 MicroM) or inhibitory mechanism (competitive with ATP) using the catalytic fragment of CaMK-II. Single replacement of charged residues in CaMK-(281-302, Ala286) identified His282, Arg283, Lys291, Arg297, and Lys298 as important determinants (greater than 10-fold increase in IC50) for potent inhibition of CaMK-II. Glu285, Asp288, Lys291, Arg296, and Lys300 were not as essential (less than 4-fold change in IC50) for potent CaMK-II inhibition. Replacement of either Arg283, Lys291, or Arg297, and Lys298 with Ala did not alter the ATP-competitive mechanism of inhibition although the Ki values increased 16-530-fold. However, replacement of His282 with Ala decreased the IC50 by 20-fold and altered the mechanism of inhibition to noncompetitive with respect to ATP. The non-protonated form of His282 was functionally active since decreasing the pH from 7.5 to 5.5 increased the IC50 of CaMK-(281-302, Ala286) almost 20-fold. Histidine protonation also appeared to disrupt the autoinhibitory domain of intact forms of CaMK-II since preincubation of non-proteolyzed rat brain CaMK-II with calcium/calmodulin (in the absence of ATP) at pH 5.5 generated up to 16% calcium-independent activity when assayed at pH 5.5. Similarly, the level of calcium-independent activity of a baculovirus-expressed Asp286 mutant CaMK-II ((D286)mCaMK alpha) increased to almost 80% calcium independence when assayed at pH 5.5 compared to only 20% when assayed at pH 7.5. The levels of calcium-independent activity of both the (D286)mCaMK alpha (at pH 5.5 and 7.5) and the rat brain CaMK-II (at pH 5.5) were sensitive to the concentrations of both ATP and peptide substrate (syntide-2) in the assays. These data suggest that the basic residues Arg283, Lys291, Arg297, and Lys298 are important for potent inhibition of CaMK-II and that the non-protonated form of His282 may play a unique role in the ATP-directed mechanism of inhibition by the CaMK-II autoinhibitory domain.     

Effects on general acid catalysis from mutations of the invariant tryptophan and arginine residues in the protein tyrosine phosphatase from Yersinia

General acid catalysis in protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPases) is accomplished by a conserved Asp residue, which is brought into position for catalysis by movement of a flexible loop that occurs upon binding of substrate. With the PTPase from Yersinia, we have examined the effect on general acid catalysis caused by mutations to two conserved residues that are integral to this conformation change. Residue Trp354 is at a hinge of the loop, and Arg409 forms hydrogen bonding and ionic interactions with the phosphoryl group of substrates. Trp354 was mutated to Phe and to Ala, and residue Arg409 was mutated to Lys and to Ala. The four mutant enzymes were studied using steady state kinetics and heavy-atom isotope effects with the substrate p-nitrophenyl phosphate. The data indicate that mutation of the hinge residue Trp354 to Ala completely disables general acid catalysis. In the Phe mutant, general acid catalysis is partially effective, but the proton is only partially transferred in the transition state, in contrast to the native enzyme where proton transfer to the leaving group is virtually complete. Mutation of Arg409 to Lys has a minimal effect on the K(m), while this parameter is increased 30-fold in the Ala mutant. The k(cat) values for R409K and for R409A are about 4 orders of magnitude lower than that for the native enzyme. General acid catalysis is rendered inoperative by the Lys mutation, but partial proton transfer during catalysis still occurs in the Ala mutant. Structural explanations for the differential effects of these mutations on movement of the flexible loop that enables general acid catalysis are presented.     

Complex structures of Thermoactinomyces vulgaris R-47 alpha-amylase 2 with acarbose and cyclodextrins demonstrate the multiple substrate recognition mechanism

Thermoactinomyces vulgaris R-47 alpha-amylase 2 (TVAII) has the unique ability to hydrolyze cyclodextrins (CDs), with various sized cavities, as well as starch. To understand the relationship between structure and substrate specificity, x-ray structures of a TVAII-acarbose complex and inactive mutant TVAII (D325N/D421N)/alpha-, beta- and gamma-CDs complexes were determined at resolutions of 2.9, 2.9, 2.8, and 3.1 A, respectively. In all complexes, the interactions between ligands and enzymes at subsites -1, -2, and -3 were almost the same, but striking differences in the catalytic site structure were found at subsites +1 and +2, where Trp(356) and Tyr(374) changed the conformation of the side chain depending on the structure and size of the ligands. Trp(356) and Tyr(374) are thought to be responsible for the multiple substrate-recognition mechanism of TVAII, providing the unique substrate specificity. In the beta-CD complex, the beta-CD maintains a regular conical structure, making it difficult for Glu(354) to protonate the O-4 atom at the hydrolyzing site as a previously proposed hydrolyzing mechanism of alpha-amylase. From the x-ray structures, it is suggested that the protonation of the O-4 atom is possibly carried out via a hydrogen atom of the inter-glucose hydrogen bond at the hydrolyzing site.     

Conversion of the proximal histidine ligand to glutamine restores activity to an inactive mutant of cytochrome c peroxidase.

Using site-directed mutagenesis, a double mutant in yeast cytochrome c peroxidase (CCP) has been constructed where the proximal ligand, His175, has been converted to glutamine and the neighboring Trp191 has been converted to phenylalanine. The refined 2.4-A crystal structure of the double mutant shows that the Gln175 side chain is within coordination distance of the heme iron atom and that Phe191 occupies the same position as Trp191 in the native enzyme with very little rearrangement outside the immediate vicinity of the mutations. Consistent with earlier work, we find that the single mutant, His175-->Gln, is fully active under steady state assay conditions and that as reported earlier (Mauro et al., 1988), the Trp191-->Phe mutant exhibits only < 0.05% activity. However, the double mutant, His175-->Gln/Phe191-->Phe, exhibits 20% wild type activity. Since it is known that the Trp191-->Phe mutant is inactive because it can no longer transfer electrons from ferrocytochrome c, changing the nature of the proximal ligand is able to restore this activity. These results raise interesting questions regarding the mechanism of interprotein electron transfer reactions.     

Functional analysis of four CYP21 mutations from spanish patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Deleterious mutations in the CYP21 (steroid 21-hydroxylase) gene cause congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). These mutations usually result from recombinations between CYP21 and an adjacent pseudogene, CYP21P, including deletions and transfers of deleterious mutations from CYP21P to CYP21 (gene conversions). Additional rare mutations that are not gene conversions account for 5-10% of 21-hydroxylase deficiency alleles. Recently, four novel CYP21 point mutations leading to amino acid changes were identified in a population of 57 Spanish families with CAH. A nonsense mutation, K74X, was also identified. The enzymatic activities of 21-hydroxylase mutants G90V, G178A, G291C, and R354H were examined in transiently transfected CHOP cells using progesterone and 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone as substrates. The G90V, G291C, and R354H mutations effectively eliminated 21-hydroxylase activity. However, the G178A mutant retained significant activity when 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone was the substrate. These results correlate well with the identification of G90V, G291C, and R354H in patients with severe "salt-wasting" disease and G178A in a patient with the milder simple virilizing form.     

Identification of residues critical for activity of the wound-induced leucine aminopeptidase (LAP-A) of tomato.

The importance of two putative Zn2+-binding (Asp347, Glu429) and two catalytic (Arg431, Lys354) residues in the tomato leucine aminopeptidase (LAP-A) function was tested. The impact of substitutions at these positions, corresponding to the bovine LAP residues Asp255, Glu334, Arg336, and Lys262, was evaluated in His6-LAP-A fusion proteins expressed in Escherichia coli. Sixty-five percent of the mutant His6-LAP-A proteins were unstable or had complete or partial defects in hexamer assembly or stability. The activity of hexameric His6-LAP-As on Xaa-Leu and Leu-Xaa dipeptides was tested. Most substitutions of Lys354 (a catalytic residue) resulted in His6-LAP-As that cleaved dipeptides at slower rates. The Glu429 mutants (a Zn2+-binding residue) had more diverse phenotypes. Some mutations abolished activity and others retained partial or complete activity. The E429D His6-LAP-A enzyme had Km and kcat values similar to the wild-type His6-LAP-A. One catalytic (Arg431) and one Zn-binding (Asp347) residue were essential for His6-LAP-A activity, as most R431 and D347 mutant His6-LAP-As did not hydrolyze dipeptides. The R431K His6-LAP-A that retained the positive charge had partial activity as reflected in the 4.8-fold decrease in kcat. Surprisingly, while the D347E mutant (that retained a negative charge at position 347) was inactive, the D347R mutant that introduced a positive charge retained partial activity. A model to explain these data is proposed.