scholarly journals Critical role of Arg433 in rat transketolase activity as probed by site-directed mutagenesis

1998 ◽  
Vol 333 (2) ◽  
pp. 367-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunjo SOH ◽  
Byoung J. SONG ◽  
Jiingjau JENG ◽  
Abraham T. KALLARAKAL

It has been shown that one arginine per monomer at an unknown position is essential for enzyme activity of the homodimeric transketolase (TK) [Kremer, Egan and Sable (1980) J. Biol. Chem. 255, 2405–2410]. To identify the critical arginine, four highly conserved arginine residues of rat TK (Arg102, Arg350, Arg433 and Arg506) were replaced with alanine by site-directed mutagenesis. Wild-type and mutant TK proteins were produced in Escherichia coli and characterized. The Arg102 → Ala mutant exhibited similar catalytic activity to the wild-type enzyme, whereas Arg350 → Ala, Arg506 → Ala and Arg433 → Ala mutants exhibited 36.7, 37.0 and 6.1% of the wild-type activity respectively. Three recombinant proteins (wild-type, Arg350 → Ala and Arg433 → Ala) were purified to apparent homogeneity using Ni2+-affinity chromatography and further characterized. All these proteins were able to form homodimers (148 kDa), as shown by immunoblot analysis subsequent to non-denaturing gel electrophoresis. The Arg433 → Ala mutant protein was less stable than the wild-type and Arg350 → Ala proteins at 55 °C. Kinetic analyses revealed that both Vmax and Km values were markedly affected in the Arg433 → Ala mutant. The Km values for two substrates xylulose 5-phosphate and ribose 5-phosphate were 11.5- and 24.3-fold higher respectively. The kcat/Km values of the Arg433 → Ala mutant for the two substrates were less than 1% of those of the wild-type protein. Molecular modelling of the rat TK revealed that Arg433 of one monomer has three potential hydrogen-bond interactions with the catalytically important highly conserved loop of the other monomer. Thus, our biochemical analyses and modelling data suggest the critical role of the previously uncharacterized Arg433 in TK activity.


1987 ◽  
Author(s):  
G A Vehar ◽  
K M Tate ◽  
D L Higgins ◽  
W E Holmes ◽  
H L Heyneker

The significance of the cleavage at arginine-275 of human t-PA has been the subject of debate. It has been reported, as expected for a member of the serine protease family, that the single chain form is a zymogen and that generation of catalytic activity is dependent upon cleavage at arginine-275. Other groups, in contrast, have found considerable enzyme activity associated with the one-chain form of t-PA. To clarify the functional significance of this proteolysis and circumvent cleavage of one-chain t-PA by itself or plasmin, site-directed mutagenesis was employed to change the codon of arginine-275 to specify a glutamic acid. The resulting plasmid was used to transfect CHO cells. The single chain mutant [Glu-275 t-PA] was expressed in CHO cells and the protein purified by conventional techniques. The mutant enzyme could be converted to the two-chain form by V8 protease, but not by plasmin. Glu-275 t-PA was 8 times less active in the cleavage of a tripeptide substrate and 20-50 times less active in the activation of plasminogen in the absence of firbrin(ogen) than its two-chain form. In the presence of fibrin(ogen), in contrast, the one and two-chain forms of Glu-275 t-PA were equal in their ability to activate plasminogen in the presence of fibrin(ogen). The activity in these assays was equal to the activity of wild type t-PA. In addition, it was observed that fibrin bound considerably more of the one-chain form of t-PA than the two chain forms of t-PA and the Glu-275 mutant. The one and two-chain forms of the wild type and mutated t-PA were found to slowly form complexes with plasma protease inhibitors in vitro, although the one-chain forms were less reactive with alpha-2-macroglobulin. It can be concluded that the one-chain form of t-PA appears to be fully functional under physiologic conditions and has an increased affinity for fibrin compared to two-chain t-PA.



2002 ◽  
Vol 365 (1) ◽  
pp. 303-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wynand B.L. ALKEMA ◽  
Antoon K. PRINS ◽  
Erik de VRIES ◽  
Dick B. JANSSEN

The active site of penicillin acylase of Escherichia coli contains two conserved arginine residues. The function of these arginines, αArg145 and βArg263, was studied by site-directed mutagenesis and kinetic analysis of the mutant enzymes. The mutants αArg145→Leu (αArg145Leu), αArg145Cys and αArg145Lys were normally processed and exported to the periplasm, whereas expression of the mutants βArg263Leu, βArg263Asn and βArg263Lys yielded large amounts of precursor protein in the periplasm, indicating that βArg263 is crucial for efficient processing of the enzyme. Either modification of both arginine residues by 2,3-butanedione or replacement by site-directed mutagenesis yielded enzymes with a decreased specificity (kcat/Km) for 2-nitro-5-[(phenylacetyl)amino]benzoic acid, indicating that both residues are important in catalysis. Compared with the wild type, the αArg145 mutants exhibited a 3–6-fold-increased preference for 6-aminopenicillanic acid as the deacylating nucleophile compared with water. Analysis of the steady-state parameters of these mutants for the hydrolysis of penicillin G and phenylacetamide indicated that destabilization of the Michaelis—Menten complex accounts for the improved activity with β-lactam substrates. Analysis of pH—activity profiles of wild-type enzyme and the βArg263Lys mutant showed that βArg263 has to be positively charged for catalysis, but is not involved in substrate binding. The results provide an insight into the catalytic mechanism of penicillin acylase, in which αArg145 is involved in binding of β-lactam substrates and βArg263 is important both for stabilizing the transition state in the reaction and for correct processing of the precursor protein.



1993 ◽  
Vol 295 (2) ◽  
pp. 485-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Zapata ◽  
P P Roller ◽  
J Crowley ◽  
W F Vann

N-Acetylneuraminic acid cytidyltransferase (CMP-NeuAc synthase) of Escherichia coli K1 is sensitive to mercurials and has cysteine residues only at positions 129 and 329. The role of these residues in the catalytic activity and structure of the protein has been investigated by site-directed mutagenesis and chemical modification. The enzyme is inactivated by the thiol-specific reagent dithiodipyridine. Inactivation by this reagent is decreased in the presence of the nucleotide substrate CTP, suggesting that a thiol residue is at or near the active site. Site-directed mutagenesis of either residue Cys-129 to serine or Cys-329 to selected amino acids has minor effects on the specific activity of the enzyme, suggesting that cysteine is not essential for catalysis and that a disulphide bond is not an essential structural component. The limited reactivity of the enzyme to other thiol-blocking reagents suggests that its cysteine residues are partially exposed. The accessibility and role of the cysteine residues in enzyme structure were investigated by fluorescence, c.d. and denaturation studies of wild-type and mutant enzymes. The mutation of Cys-129 to serine makes the enzyme more sensitive to heat and chemical denaturation, but does not cause gross changes in the protein structure as judged by the c.d. spectrum. The mutant containing Ser-129 instead of Cys-129 had a complex denaturation pathway similar to that of wild-type E. coli K1 CMP-NeuAc synthase consisting of several partially denatured states. Cys-329 reacts more readily with N-[14C]ethylmaleimide when the enzyme is in a heat-induced relaxed state. Cys-129 is less reactive and is probably a buried residue.



2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (5) ◽  
pp. 3123-3126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlo Bottoni ◽  
Mariagrazia Perilli ◽  
Francesca Marcoccia ◽  
Alessandra Piccirilli ◽  
Cristina Pellegrini ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTSite-directed mutagenesis of CphA indicated that prolines in the P158-P172 loop are essential for the stability and the catalytic activity of subclass B2 metallo-β-lactamases against carbapenems. The sequential substitution of proline led to a decrease of the catalytic efficiency of the variant compared to the wild-type (WT) enzyme but also to a higher affinity for the binding of the second zinc ion.



1992 ◽  
Vol 283 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Bourguignon-Bellefroid ◽  
B Joris ◽  
J Van Beeumen ◽  
J M Ghuysen ◽  
J M Frère

Incubation of the exocellular DD-carboxypeptidase/transpeptidase of Streptomyces R61 with phenylglyoxal resulted in a time-dependent decrease in the enzyme activity. This inactivation was demonstrated to be due to modification of the Arg-99 side chain. In consequence, the role of that residue was investigated by site-directed mutagenesis. Mutation of Arg-99 into leucine appeared to be highly detrimental to enzyme stability, reflecting a determining structural role for this residue. The conserved Arg-103 residue was also substituted by using site-directed mutagenesis. The modification to a serine residue yielded a stable enzyme, the catalytic properties of which were similar to those of the wild-type enzyme. Thus Arg-103, although strictly conserved or replaced by a lysine residue in most of the active-site penicillin-recognizing proteins, did not appear to fulfil any essential role in either the enzyme activity or structure.



2000 ◽  
Vol 350 (3) ◽  
pp. 677-683 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana M. PAJOR ◽  
Esther S. KAHN ◽  
Rama GANGULA

The role of cationic amino acids in the Na+/dicarboxylate co-transporter NaDC-1 was investigated by site-directed mutagenesis and subsequent expression of mutant transporters in Xenopus oocytes. Of the ten residues chosen for mutagenesis, eight (Lys-34, Lys-107, Arg-108, Lys-333, Lys-390, Arg-368, Lys-414 and Arg-541) were found to be non-essential for function or targeting. Only two conserved residues, Lys-84 (at the cytoplasmic end of helix 3) and Arg-349 (at the extracellular end of helix 7), were found to be important for transport. Both mutant transporters were expressed at the plasma membrane. The mutation of Lys-84 to Ala resulted in an increased Km for succinate of 1.8mM, compared with 0.3mM in the wild-type NaDC-1. The R349A mutant had Na+ and citrate kinetics that were similar to those of the wild type. However, succinate handling in the R349A mutant was altered, with evidence of inhibition at high succinate concentrations. In conclusion, charge neutralization of Lys-84 and Arg-349 in NaDC-1 affects succinate handling, suggesting that these residues might have roles in substrate binding.



1991 ◽  
Vol 275 (2) ◽  
pp. 447-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Lander ◽  
A R Pitt ◽  
P R Alefounder ◽  
D Bardy ◽  
C Abell ◽  
...  

The role of conserved arginine residues in hydroxymethylbilane synthase was investigated by replacing these residues in the enzyme from Escherichia coli with leucine residues by using site-directed mutagenesis. The kinetic parameters for these mutant enzymes and studies on the formation of intermediate enzyme-substrate complexes indicate that several of these arginine residues are involved in binding the carboxylate side chains of the pyrromethane cofactor and the growing oligopyrrole chain.



1996 ◽  
Vol 40 (9) ◽  
pp. 1983-1987 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Q Zhu ◽  
K M Remington ◽  
T W North

We selected mutants of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) that are resistant to 2',3'-dideoxy-2',3'-didehydrothymidine (d4T). Two mutants were selected in cultured cells with a stepwise increase in d4T concentration, resulting in mutants able to replicate in 100 microM d4T. These mutants were three- to sixfold more resistant to d4T than wild-type FIV. They were also cross-resistant to 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT), 3'-fluoro-2',3'-dideoxythymidine, 2',3'-dideoxycytidine, 2',3'-dideoxyinosine, and 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine, and they were highly resistant to phosphonoformic acid (PFA). Plaque-purified mutants were isolated from each of the mutant populations. The mutant phenotype was stable, because both of the plaque-purified mutants remained d4T resistant even after three passages in the absence of d4T. One of the plaque-purified mutants, designated D4R-3c, was further characterized. Compared with wild-type reverse transcriptase (RT), RT purified from D4R-3c was 3-fold resistant to inhibition by the 5'-triphosphate of d4T, 10-fold resistant to inhibition by the 5'-triphosphate of AZT, and 6-fold resistant to PFA. D4R-3c had a single point mutation in the RT-encoding region of the pol gene at position 2474, resulting in a Val to Ile mutation at codon 47 of the FIV RT. The role of this mutation in d4T resistance was confirmed by site-directed mutagenesis.



2003 ◽  
Vol 372 (2) ◽  
pp. 329-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teijo PELLINEN ◽  
Helena AHLFORS ◽  
Nicolas BLOT ◽  
Guy CONDEMINE

The Erwinia chrysanthemi oligogalacturonate-specific monomeric porin, KdgM, does not present homology with any porins of known structure. A model of this protein, based on sequence similarity and the amphipathy profile, was constructed. The model depicts a β-barrel composed of 14 antiparallel β-strands. The accuracy of this model was tested by the chemical labelling of cysteine residues introduced by site-directed mutagenesis. The protein has seven surface-exposed loops. They are rather small with the exception of one, loop L6. Deletion of this loop allowed the entry of maltopentaose into the bacteria, a molecule too large to enter through the wild-type KdgM. Loop L6 could fold back into the lumen of the pore and play the role of the constriction loop L3 of general porins. With 14 transmembrane segments, the KdgM porin family could represent the smallest porin characterized to date.



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