scholarly journals Insight into the Function of Active Site Residues in the Catalytic Mechanism of Human Ferrochelatase

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy E. Medlock ◽  
Wided Najahi-Missaoui ◽  
Mesafint T. Shiferaw ◽  
Angela N. Albetel ◽  
William N. Lanzilotta ◽  
...  

Ferrochelatase catalyzes the insertion of ferrous iron into a porphyrin macrocycle to produce the essential cofactor, heme. In humans this enzyme not only catalyzes the terminal step, but also serves a regulatory step in the heme synthesis pathway. Over a dozen crystal structures of human ferrochelatase have been solved and many variants have been characterized kinetically. In addition, hydrogen deuterium exchange, resonance Raman, molecular dynamics, and high level quantum mechanic studies have added to our understanding of  the catalytic cycle of the enzyme. However, an understanding of how the metal ion is delivered and the specific role that active site residues play in catalysis remain open questions. Data are consistent with metal binding and insertion occurring from the side opposite from where pyrrole proton abstraction takes place. To better understand iron delivery and binding as well as the role of conserved residues in the active site, we have constructed and characterized a series of enzyme variants. Crystallographic studies as well as rescue and kinetic analysis of variants were performed. Data from these studies are consistent with the M76 residue playing a role in active site metal binding and formation of a weak iron protein ligand being necessary for product release. Additionally, structural data support a role for E343 in proton abstraction and product release in coordination with a peptide loop composed of Q302, S303 and K304 that act a metal sensor.

2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (7) ◽  
pp. 1854-1872 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena Bejger ◽  
Barbara Imiolczyk ◽  
Damien Clavel ◽  
Miroslaw Gilski ◽  
Agnieszka Pajak ◽  
...  

Plant-type L-asparaginases, which are a subclass of the Ntn-hydrolase family, are divided into potassium-dependent and potassium-independent enzymes with different substrate preferences. While the potassium-independent enzymes have already been well characterized, there are no structural data for any of the members of the potassium-dependent group to illuminate the intriguing dependence of their catalytic mechanism on alkali-metal cations. Here, three crystal structures of a potassium-dependent plant-type L-asparaginase fromPhaseolus vulgaris(PvAspG1) differing in the type of associated alkali metal ions (K+, Na+or both) are presented and the structural consequences of the different ions are correlated with the enzyme activity. As in all plant-type L-asparaginases, immature PvAspG1 is a homodimer of two protein chains, which both undergo autocatalytic cleavage to α and β subunits, thus creating the mature heterotetramer or dimer of heterodimers (αβ)2. The αβ subunits of PvAspG1 are folded similarly to the potassium-independent enzymes, with a sandwich of two β-sheets flanked on each side by a layer of helices. In addition to the `sodium loop' (here referred to as the `stabilization loop') known from potassium-independent plant-type asparaginases, the potassium-dependent PvAspG1 enzyme contains another alkali metal-binding loop (the `activation loop') in subunit α (residues Val111–Ser118). The active site of PvAspG1 is located between these two metal-binding loops and in the immediate neighbourhood of three residues, His117, Arg224 and Glu250, acting as a catalytic switch, which is a novel feature that is identified in plant-type L-asparaginases for the first time. A comparison of the three PvAspG1 structures demonstrates how the metal ion bound in the activation loop influences its conformation, setting the catalytic switch to ON (when K+is coordinated) or OFF (when Na+is coordinated) to respectively allow or prevent anchoring of the reaction substrate/product in the active site. Moreover, it is proposed that Ser118, the last residue of the activation loop, is involved in the potassium-dependence mechanism. The PvAspG1 structures are discussed in comparison with those of potassium-independent L-asparaginases (LlA, EcAIII and hASNase3) and those of other Ntn-hydrolases (AGA and Tas1), as well as in the light of noncrystallographic studies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 476 (21) ◽  
pp. 3333-3353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malti Yadav ◽  
Kamalendu Pal ◽  
Udayaditya Sen

Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) have emerged as the central molecules that aid bacteria to adapt and thrive in changing environmental conditions. Therefore, tight regulation of intracellular CDN concentration by counteracting the action of dinucleotide cyclases and phosphodiesterases (PDEs) is critical. Here, we demonstrate that a putative stand-alone EAL domain PDE from Vibrio cholerae (VcEAL) is capable to degrade both the second messenger c-di-GMP and hybrid 3′3′-cyclic GMP–AMP (cGAMP). To unveil their degradation mechanism, we have determined high-resolution crystal structures of VcEAL with Ca2+, c-di-GMP-Ca2+, 5′-pGpG-Ca2+ and cGAMP-Ca2+, the latter provides the first structural basis of cGAMP hydrolysis. Structural studies reveal a typical triosephosphate isomerase barrel-fold with substrate c-di-GMP/cGAMP bound in an extended conformation. Highly conserved residues specifically bind the guanine base of c-di-GMP/cGAMP in the G2 site while the semi-conserved nature of residues at the G1 site could act as a specificity determinant. Two metal ions, co-ordinated with six stubbornly conserved residues and two non-bridging scissile phosphate oxygens of c-di-GMP/cGAMP, activate a water molecule for an in-line attack on the phosphodiester bond, supporting two-metal ion-based catalytic mechanism. PDE activity and biofilm assays of several prudently designed mutants collectively demonstrate that VcEAL active site is charge and size optimized. Intriguingly, in VcEAL-5′-pGpG-Ca2+ structure, β5–α5 loop adopts a novel conformation that along with conserved E131 creates a new metal-binding site. This novel conformation along with several subtle changes in the active site designate VcEAL-5′-pGpG-Ca2+ structure quite different from other 5′-pGpG bound structures reported earlier.


2004 ◽  
Vol 382 (2) ◽  
pp. 751-757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pakorn WINAYANUWATTIKUN ◽  
Albert J. KETTERMAN

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are dimeric proteins that play a major role in cellular detoxification. The GSTs in mosquito Anopheles dirus species B, an important malaria vector in South East Asia, are of interest because they can play an important role in insecticide resistance. In the present study, we characterized the Anopheles dirus (Ad)GST D3-3 which is an alternatively spliced product of the adgst1AS1 gene. The data from the crystal structure of GST D3-3 shows that Ile-52, Glu-64, Ser-65, Arg-66 and Met-101 interact directly with glutathione. To study the active-site function of these residues, alanine substitution site-directed mutagenesis was performed resulting in five mutants: I52A (Ile-52→Ala), E64A, S65A, R66A and M101A. Interestingly, the E64A mutant was expressed in Escherichia coli in inclusion bodies, suggesting that this residue is involved with the tertiary structure or folding property of this enzyme. However, the I52A, S65A, R66A and M101A mutants were purified by glutathione affinity chromatography and the enzyme activity characterized. On the basis of steady-state kinetics, difference spectroscopy, unfolding and refolding studies, it was concluded that these residues: (1) contribute to the affinity of the GSH-binding site (‘G-site’) for GSH, (2) influence GSH thiol ionization, (3) participate in kcat regulation by affecting the rate-limiting step of the reaction, and in the case of Ile-52 and Arg-66, influenced structural integrity and/or folding of the enzyme. The structural perturbations from these mutants are probably transmitted to the hydrophobic-substrate-binding site (‘H-site’) through changes in active site topology or through effects on GSH orientation. Therefore these active site residues appear to contribute to various steps in the catalytic mechanism, as well as having an influence on the packing of the protein.


2011 ◽  
Vol 92 (7) ◽  
pp. 1607-1616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji-Hye Lee ◽  
Intekhab Alam ◽  
Kang Rok Han ◽  
Sunyoung Cho ◽  
Sungho Shin ◽  
...  

Norovirus is one of the leading agents of gastroenteritis and is a major public health concern. In this study, the crystal structures of recombinant RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) from murine norovirus-1 (MNV-1) and its complex with 5-fluorouracil (5FU) were determined at 2.5 Å resolution. Crystals with C2 symmetry revealed a dimer with half a dimer in the asymmetrical unit, and the protein exists predominantly as a monomer in solution, in equilibrium with a smaller population of dimers, trimers and hexamers. MNV-1 RdRp exhibited polymerization activity with a right-hand fold typical of polynucleotide polymerases. The metal ion modelled in close proximity to the active site was found to be coordinated tetrahedrally to the carboxyl groups of aspartate clusters. The orientation of 5FU observed in three molecules in the asymmetrical unit was found to be slightly different, but it was stabilized by a network of favourable interactions with the conserved active-site residues Arg185, Asp245, Asp346, Asp347 and Arg395. The information gained on the structural and functional features of MNV-1 RdRp will be helpful in understanding replication of norovirus and in designing novel therapeutic agents against this important pathogen.


2013 ◽  
Vol 450 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debajyoti Dutta ◽  
Sudipta Bhattacharyya ◽  
Amlan Roychowdhury ◽  
Rupam Biswas ◽  
Amit Kumar Das

FabGs, or β-oxoacyl reductases, are involved in fatty acid synthesis. The reaction entails NADPH/NADH-mediated conversion of β-oxoacyl-ACP (acyl-carrier protein) into β-hydroxyacyl-ACP. HMwFabGs (high-molecular-weight FabG) form a phylogenetically separate group of FabG enzymes. FabG4, an HMwFabG from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, contains two distinct domains, an N-terminal ‘flavodoxintype’ domain and a C-terminal oxoreductase domain. The catalytically active C-terminal domain utilizes NADH to reduce β-oxoacyl-CoA to β-hydroxyacyl-CoA. In the present study the crystal structures of the FabG4–NADH binary complex and the FabG4–NAD+–hexanoyl-CoA ternary complex have been determined to understand the substrate specificity and catalytic mechanism of FabG4. This is the first report to demonstrate how FabG4 interacts with its coenzyme NADH and hexanoyl-CoA that mimics an elongating fattyacyl chain covalently linked with CoA. Structural analysis shows that the binding of hexanoyl-CoA within the active site cavity of FabG significantly differs from that of the C16 fattyacyl substrate bound to mycobacterial FabI [InhA (enoyl-ACP reductase)]. The ternary complex reveals that both loop I and loop II interact with the phosphopantetheine moiety of CoA or ACP to align the covalently linked fattyacyl substrate near the active site. Structural data ACP inhibition studies indicate that FabG4 can accept both CoA- and ACP-based fattyacyl substrates. We have also shown that in the FabG4 dimer Arg146 and Arg445 of one monomer interact with the C-terminus of the second monomer to play pivotal role in substrate association and catalysis.


Author(s):  
Taichi Mizobuchi ◽  
Risako Nonaka ◽  
Motoki Yoshimura ◽  
Katsumasa Abe ◽  
Shouji Takahashi ◽  
...  

Aspartate racemase (AspR) is a pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme that is responsible for D-aspartate biosynthesis in vivo. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report an X-ray crystal structure of a PLP-dependent AspR, which was resolved at 1.90 Å resolution. The AspR derived from the bivalve mollusc Scapharca broughtonii (SbAspR) is a type II PLP-dependent enzyme that is similar to serine racemase (SR) in that SbAspR catalyzes both racemization and dehydration. Structural comparison of SbAspR and SR shows a similar arrangement of the active-site residues and nucleotide-binding site, but a different orientation of the metal-binding site. Superposition of the structures of SbAspR and of rat SR bound to the inhibitor malonate reveals that Arg140 recognizes the β-carboxyl group of the substrate aspartate in SbAspR. It is hypothesized that the aromatic proline interaction between the domains, which favours the closed form of SbAspR, influences the arrangement of Arg140 at the active site.


2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (a1) ◽  
pp. C437-C437
Author(s):  
Aruna Bitra ◽  
Ruchi Anand

Guanine deaminases (GDs) are important enzymes involved in both purine metabolism and nucleotide anabolism pathways. Here we present the molecular and catalytic mechanism of NE0047 and use the information obtained to engineer specific enzyme activities. NE0047 from Nitrosomonas europaea was found to be a high fidelity guanine deaminase (catalytic efficiency of 1.2 × 105 M–1 s–1). However; it exhibited secondary activity towards the structurally non-analogous triazine based compound ammeline. The X-ray structure of NE0047 in the presence of the substrate analogue 8-azaguanine help establish that the enzyme exists as a biological dimer and both the proper closure of the C-terminal loop and cross talk via the dimeric interface is crucial for conferring catalytic activity. It was further ascertained that the highly conserved active site residues Glu79 and Glu143 facilitate the deamination reaction by serving as proton shuttles. Moreover, to understand the structural basis of dual substrate specificity, X-ray structures of NE0047 in complex with a series of nucleobase analogs, nucleosides and substrate ammeline were determined. The crystal structures demonstrated that any substitutions in the parent substrates results in the rearrangement of the ligand in a catalytically unfavorable orientation and also impede the closure of catalytically important loop, thereby abrogating activity. However, ammeline was able to adopt a catalytically favorable orientation which, also allowed for proper loop closure. Based on the above knowledge of the crystal structures and the catalytic mechanism, the active site was subsequently engineered to fine-tune NE0047 activity. The mutated versions of the enzyme were designed so that they can function either exclusively as a GD or serve as specific ammeline deaminases. For example, mutations in the active site E143D and N66A confer the enzyme to be an unambiguous GD with no secondary activity towards ammeline. On the other hand, the N66Q mutant of NE0047 only deaminates ammeline. Additionally, a series of crystal structures of the mutant versions were solved that shed light on the structural basis of this differential selectivity.


Biochemistry ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 40 (10) ◽  
pp. 3056-3061 ◽  
Author(s):  
John S. Cantwell ◽  
Walter R. Novak ◽  
Pan-Fen Wang ◽  
Michael J. McLeish ◽  
George L. Kenyon ◽  
...  

Biochemistry ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 48 (29) ◽  
pp. 6921-6931 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Jiang ◽  
Xiaolei Chen ◽  
Xian-Hui Wu ◽  
Minjiao Chen ◽  
Yun-Dong Wu ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 293 (21) ◽  
pp. 7993-8008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subrata Debnath ◽  
Dalibor Kosek ◽  
Harichandra D. Tagad ◽  
Stewart R. Durell ◽  
Daniel H. Appella ◽  
...  

Metal-dependent protein phosphatases (PPM) are evolutionarily unrelated to other serine/threonine protein phosphatases and are characterized by their requirement for supplementation with millimolar concentrations of Mg2+ or Mn2+ ions for activity in vitro. The crystal structure of human PPM1A (also known as PP2Cα), the first PPM structure determined, displays two tightly bound Mn2+ ions in the active site and a small subdomain, termed the Flap, located adjacent to the active site. Some recent crystal structures of bacterial or plant PPM phosphatases have disclosed two tightly bound metal ions and an additional third metal ion in the active site. Here, the crystal structure of the catalytic domain of human PPM1A, PPM1Acat, complexed with a cyclic phosphopeptide, c(MpSIpYVA), a cyclized variant of the activation loop of p38 MAPK (a physiological substrate of PPM1A), revealed three metal ions in the active site. The PPM1Acat D146E–c(MpSIpYVA) complex confirmed the presence of the anticipated third metal ion in the active site of metazoan PPM phosphatases. Biophysical and computational methods suggested that complex formation results in a slightly more compact solution conformation through reduced conformational flexibility of the Flap subdomain. We also observed that the position of the substrate in the active site allows solvent access to the labile third metal-binding site. Enzyme kinetics of PPM1Acat toward a phosphopeptide substrate supported a random-order, bi-substrate mechanism, with substantial interaction between the bound substrate and the labile metal ion. This work illuminates the structural and thermodynamic basis of an innate mechanism regulating the activity of PPM phosphatases.


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