Structure-based Reevaluation of the Mechanism of Class I Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate Aldolase

The enzymatic reaction carried out by class I fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase is known in great detail in terms of reaction intermediates, but the precise role of individual amino acids in the active site is poorly understood. Therefore, on the basis of the crystallographic structure of the complex between aldolase and dihydroxyacetone phosphate a molecular modelling study was undertaken to predict the Michaelis complex with fructose-1,6-bisphosphate and several covalent enzymatic reaction intermediates. This model reveals the unknown 6-phosphate binding site and assigns distinct roles to crucial residues. Asp33 is responsible for aligning the 2-keto function of the substrate correctly for nucleophilic attack by Lys229, and plays a role in carbinolamine formation. Lys146 assists in carbinolamine dehydration and is essential for stabilising the developing negative charge on O4 of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate during hydroxyl proton abstraction by Glu187. Subsequently, Glu187 is also responsible for protonating C1 of the dihydroxyacetone phosphate enamine. In addition, the absolute configuration of the fructose-1,6-bisphosphate carbinol intermediate is shown to be (2S), in agreement with the crystal structure, but opposite from the interpretation in the literature of the stereospecific reduction of the aldolase fructose-1,6-bisphosphate complex with sodium borohydride. It is demonstrated that the outcome of the latter type of experiment critically depends on conformational changes triggered by Schiff base formation. Electronic Supplementary Material available.