scholarly journals Investigation of the nature of the two metal-binding sites in 5-aminolaevulinic acid dehydratase from Escherichia coli

1994 ◽  
Vol 300 (2) ◽  
pp. 373-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Spencer ◽  
P M Jordan

Two distinct metal-binding sites, termed alpha and beta, have been characterized in 5-aminolaevulinic acid dehydratase from Escherichia coli. The alpha-site binds a Zn2+ ion that is essential for catalytic activity. This site can also utilize other metal ions able to function as a Lewis acid in the reaction mechanism, such as Mg2+ or Co2+. The beta-site is exclusively a transition-metal-ion-binding site thought to be involved in protein conformation, although a metal bound at this site only appears to be essential for activity if Mg2+ is to be bound at the alpha-site. The alpha- and beta-sites may be distinguished from one another by their different abilities to bind divalent-metal ions at different pH values. The occupancy of the beta-site with Zn2+ results in a decrease of protein fluorescence at pH 6. Occupancy of the alpha- and beta-sites with Co2+ results in u.v.-visible spectral changes. Spectroscopic studies with Co2+ have tentatively identified three cysteine residues at the beta-site and one at the alpha-site. Reaction with N-ethyl[14C]maleimide preferentially labels cysteine-130 at the alpha-site when Co2+ occupies the beta-site.

1995 ◽  
Vol 305 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Spencer ◽  
P M Jordan

Experiments are described in which the individual properties of the two 5-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) binding sites, the A-site and the P-site, of 5-aminolaevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) have been investigated. The ALA binding affinity at the A-site is greatly enhanced (at least 10-fold) on the binding of the catalytic metal ion (bound at the alpha-site). The nature of the catalytic metal ion, Mg2+ or Zn2+, also gave major variations in the substrate Km, P-site affinity for ALA, the effect of potassium and phosphate ions and the pH-dependence of substrate binding. Modification of the P-site by reaction of the enzyme-substrate Schiff base with NaBH4 and analysis of the reduced adduct by electro-spray mass spectrometry indicated a maximum of 1 mol of substrate incorporated/mol of subunit, correlating with a linear loss of enzyme activity. The reduced Schiff-base adduct was used to investigate substrate binding at the A-site by using rate-of-dialysis analysis. The affinity for ALA at the A-site of Mg alpha Zn beta ALAD was found to determine the Km for the reaction and was pH-dependent, with its affinity increasing from 1 mM at pH 6 to 70 microM at pH 8.5. The affinity of ALA at the P-site of Zn alpha An beta ALAD is proposed to limit the Km at pH values above 7, since the measured Kd for ALA at the A-site in 45 microM Tris, pH 8, was well below the observed Km (600 microM) under the same conditions. The amino group of the ALA molecule bound at the P-site was identified as a critical binding component for the A-site, explaining why ALA binding to ALAD is ordered, with the P-site ALA binding first. Structural requirements for ALA binding at the A- and P-sites have been identified: the P-site requires the carbonyl and carboxylate groups, whereas the A-site requires the amino, carbonyl and carboxylate groups of the substrate.


2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunseli Bayram Akcapinar ◽  
Osman Ugur Sezerman

Metal ions play pivotal roles in protein structure, function and stability. The functional and structural diversity of proteins in nature expanded with the incorporation of metal ions or clusters in proteins. Approximately one-third of these proteins in the databases contain metal ions. Many biological and chemical processes in nature involve metal ion-binding proteins, aka metalloproteins. Many cellular reactions that underpin life require metalloproteins. Most of the remarkable, complex chemical transformations are catalysed by metalloenzymes. Realization of the importance of metal-binding sites in a variety of cellular events led to the advancement of various computational methods for their prediction and characterization. Furthermore, as structural and functional knowledgebase about metalloproteins is expanding with advances in computational and experimental fields, the focus of the research is now shifting towards de novo design and redesign of metalloproteins to extend nature’s own diversity beyond its limits. In this review, we will focus on the computational toolbox for prediction of metal ion-binding sites, de novo metalloprotein design and redesign. We will also give examples of tailor-made artificial metalloproteins designed with the computational toolbox.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (17) ◽  
pp. 5221
Author(s):  
Salvatore La Gatta ◽  
Linda Leone ◽  
Ornella Maglio ◽  
Maria De Fenza ◽  
Flavia Nastri ◽  
...  

Understanding the structural determinants for metal ion coordination in metalloproteins is a fundamental issue for designing metal binding sites with predetermined geometry and activity. In order to achieve this, we report in this paper the design, synthesis and metal binding properties of METP3, a homodimer made up of a small peptide, which self assembles in the presence of tetrahedrally coordinating metal ions. METP3 was obtained through a redesign approach, starting from the previously developed METP molecule. The undecapeptide sequence of METP, which dimerizes to house a Cys4 tetrahedral binding site, was redesigned in order to accommodate a Cys2His2 site. The binding properties of METP3 were determined toward different metal ions. Successful assembly of METP3 with Co(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II), in the expected 2:1 stoichiometry and tetrahedral geometry was proven by UV-visible spectroscopy. CD measurements on both the free and metal-bound forms revealed that the metal coordination drives the peptide chain to fold into a turned conformation. Finally, NMR data of the Zn(II)-METP3 complex, together with a retrostructural analysis of the Cys-X-X-His motif in metalloproteins, allowed us to define the model structure. All the results establish the suitability of the short METP sequence for accommodating tetrahedral metal binding sites, regardless of the first coordination ligands.


1993 ◽  
Vol 290 (1) ◽  
pp. 279-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Spencer ◽  
P M Jordan

5-Aminolaevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) from a recombinant strain of Escherichia coli was purified to homogeneity. The enzyme is a homo-octamer of subunit M(r) 36554 +/- 17. Enzyme activity was dependent on the presence of Zn2+ ions and an exogenous thiol. Two molar equivalents of Zn2+ are bound/mol of subunit under reducing conditions. On exposure to the metal chelator EDTA, the two Zn2+ ions are removed, giving an inactive metal-depleted apo-ALAD. On oxidation of holo-ALAD, two disulphide bonds are formed with the loss of 1 mol of Zn2+/mol of subunit. The formation of the first disulphide led to the loss of catalytic activity. Replacement of the two bound Zn2+ ions with Co2+ resulted in the formation of a green protein with a spectrum indicative of the presence of charge-transfer bands from one or more cysteine-Co2+ ligands. While Mg2+ could not activate apo-ALAD alone, it was able to substitute for the second molar equivalent of bound Zn2+, leading to a further 4-fold stimulation in activity. The four cysteine residues involved in the formation of the two disulphide bonds were identified by protein-chemistry studies and were all located in a region of the protein extending from amino acid residues 120-134. Protein sequence data obtained in the present study has permitted the resolution of several differences between the published gene-derived protein sequences for ALAD from E. coli.


1992 ◽  
Vol 287 (2) ◽  
pp. 533-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Kar ◽  
P Z De Croos ◽  
S J Roman ◽  
P Matsumura ◽  
M E Johnson

1H- and 31P-n.m.r. have been used to study the interaction of the bacterial chemotaxis protein, CheY, with ATP and a variety of other phosphates in the presence and absence of bivalent metal ions. In the metal-bound conformation, CheY will bind nucleotide phosphates and phosphates in general, while in the metal-free conformation CheY loses its affinity for phosphates. In the presence of low concentrations of nitroxide-spin-labelled ATP (SL-ATP), specific proton resonances of metal-bound CheY are suppressed, indicating that ATP binds to a specific site on this metal-bound form of the protein. These studies also show that the same resonances are affected by the binding of SL-ATP and Mn2+, indicating that the phosphate- and metal-binding sites are close to each other and to Asp-57 (the site of phosphorylation in CheY). 1H- and 31P-n.m.r. studies using ATP, GTP, TTP, UTP, ADP, AMP and inorganic phosphates show that the binding is not specific for adenine, and does not involve the base directly, but is mediated primarily by the phosphate groups. Experiments with a phosphorylation mutant (Asp-13-->Asn) suggest that the observed phosphate binding and activation of CheY by phosphorylation may be related. Our results indicate that the conformational change and charge interactions brought about by the binding of a metal ion at the active site are required for CheY to interact with a phosphate. These studies also demonstrate the utility of spin-label-induced relaxation in conjunction with two-dimensional-n.m.r. measurements for exploring ligand-binding sites.


2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (39) ◽  
pp. 13976-13984 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele Baldrighi ◽  
Giulia Locatelli ◽  
John Desper ◽  
Christer B. Aakeröy ◽  
Silvia Giordani

2002 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 584-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. M. Shoolingin-Jordan ◽  
P. Spencer ◽  
M. Sarwar ◽  
P. E. Erskine ◽  
K.-M. Cheung ◽  
...  

5-Aminolaevulinic acid dehydratase catalyses the formation of porphobilinogen from two molecules of 5-aminolaevulinic acid. The studies described highlight the importance of a bivalent metal ion and two active-site lysine residues for the functioning of 5-aminolaevulinic acid dehydratase. Dehydratases fall into two main categories: zinc-dependent enzymes and magnesium-dependent enzymes. Mutations that introduced zinc-binding ligands into a magnesium-dependent enzyme conferred an absolute requirement for zinc. Mutagenesis of lysine residues 247 and 195 in the Escherichia coli enzyme lead to dramatic effects on enzyme activity, with lysine 247 being absolutely essential. Mutation of either lysine 247 or 195 to cysteine, and treatment of the mutant enzyme with 2-bromethylamine, resulted in the recovery of substantial enzyme activity. The effects of the site-directed alkylating inhibitor, 5-chlorolaevulinic acid, and 4,7-dioxosebacic acid, a putative intermediate analogue, were investigated by X-ray crystallography. These inhibitors reacted with both active-site lysine residues. The role of these two lysine residues in the enzyme mechanism is discussed.


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