scholarly journals Crystal structures of γ-glutamylmethylamide synthetase provide insight into bacterial metabolism of oceanic monomethylamine

2020 ◽  
pp. jbc.RA120.015952
Author(s):  
Ning Wang ◽  
Xiu-Lan Chen ◽  
Chao Gao ◽  
Ming Peng ◽  
Peng Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Structures ◽  
Catalytic Mechanism ◽  
Structural Information ◽  
Trace Gas ◽  
Microbial Genomes ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Tetrahedral Intermediate ◽  
Surface Ocean ◽  
Biochemical Analyses ◽  
Global Carbon

Monomethylamine (MMA) is an important climate-active oceanic trace gas and ubiquitous in the oceans. The γ-glutamylmethylamide synthetase (GmaS) catalyzes the conversion of MMA to γ-glutamylmethylamide (GMA), the first step in MMA metabolism in many marine bacteria. The gmaS gene occurs in ~23% of microbial genomes in the surface ocean and is a validated biomarker to detect MMA-utilizing bacteria. However, the catalytic mechanism of GmaS has not been studied due to the lack of structural information. Here, the GmaS from Rhodovulum sp. 12E13 (RhGmaS) was characterized, and the crystal structures of apo-RhGmaS and RhGmaS with different ligands in five states were solved. Based on structural and biochemical analyses, the catalytic mechanism of RhGmaS was explained. ATP is first bound in RhGmaS, leading to a conformational change of a flexible loop (Lys287-Ile305), which is essential for the subsequent binding of glutamate. During the catalysis of RhGmaS, the residue Arg312 participates in polarizing the γ-phosphate of ATP and in stabilizing the γ-glutamyl phosphate intermediate; Asp177 is responsible for the deprotonation of MMA, assisting the attack of MMA on γ-glutamyl phosphate to produce a tetrahedral intermediate; and Glu186 acts as a catalytic base to abstract a proton from the tetrahedral intermediate to finally generate GMA. Sequence analysis suggested that the catalytic mechanism of RhGmaS proposed in this study has universal significance in bacteria containing GmaS. Our results provide novel insights into MMA metabolism, contributing to a better understanding of MMA catabolism in global carbon and nitrogen cycles.

scholarly journals Crystal structures and biochemical analyses of the bacterial arginine dihydrolase ArgZ suggests a “bond rotation” catalytic mechanism

2019 ◽  
Vol 295 (7) ◽  
pp. 2113-2124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ningning Zhuang ◽  
Hao Zhang ◽  
Lingting Li ◽  
Xiaoxian Wu ◽  
Chen Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Structures ◽  
Catalytic Mechanism ◽  
Enzymatic Assays ◽  
Bond Rotation ◽  
Arginine Dihydrolase ◽  
Arginine Catabolism ◽  
Enzyme Superfamily ◽  
Covalently Linked ◽  
Biochemical Analyses ◽  
Guanidino Group

A recently discovered ornithine–ammonia cycle (OAC) serves as a conduit in the nitrogen storage and remobilization machinery in cyanobacteria. The OAC involves an arginine catabolic reaction catalyzed by the arginine dihydrolase ArgZ whose catalytic mechanism is unknown. Here we determined the crystal structures at 1.2–3.0 Å of unliganded ArgZ from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 and of ArgZ complexed with its substrate arginine, a covalently linked reaction intermediate, or the reaction product ornithine. The structures reveal that a key residue, Asn71, in the ArgZ active center functions as the determinant distinguishing ArgZ from other members of the guanidino group–modifying enzyme superfamily. The structures, along with biochemical evidence from enzymatic assays coupled with electrospray ionization MS techniques, further suggest that ArgZ-catalyzed conversion of arginine to ornithine, ammonia, and carbon dioxide consists of two successive cycles of amine hydrolysis. Finally, we show that arginine dihydrolases are broadly distributed among bacteria and metazoans, suggesting that the OAC may be frequently used for redistribution of nitrogen from arginine catabolism or nitrogen fixation.

Crystal structures of Magnaporthe oryzae trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (MoTps1) suggest a model for catalytic process of Tps1

2019 ◽  
Vol 476 (21) ◽  
pp. 3227-3240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanshan Wang ◽  
Yanxiang Zhao ◽  
Long Yi ◽  
Minghe Shen ◽  
Chao Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Structures ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Magnaporthe Oryzae ◽  
Structural Information ◽  
Complex Structure ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Catalytic Process ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Salt Bridges ◽  
Terminal Domain

Trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P) synthase (Tps1) catalyzes the formation of T6P from UDP-glucose (UDPG) (or GDPG, etc.) and glucose-6-phosphate (G6P), and structural basis of this process has not been well studied. MoTps1 (Magnaporthe oryzae Tps1) plays a critical role in carbon and nitrogen metabolism, but its structural information is unknown. Here we present the crystal structures of MoTps1 apo, binary (with UDPG) and ternary (with UDPG/G6P or UDP/T6P) complexes. MoTps1 consists of two modified Rossmann-fold domains and a catalytic center in-between. Unlike Escherichia coli OtsA (EcOtsA, the Tps1 of E. coli), MoTps1 exists as a mixture of monomer, dimer, and oligomer in solution. Inter-chain salt bridges, which are not fully conserved in EcOtsA, play primary roles in MoTps1 oligomerization. Binding of UDPG by MoTps1 C-terminal domain modifies the substrate pocket of MoTps1. In the MoTps1 ternary complex structure, UDP and T6P, the products of UDPG and G6P, are detected, and substantial conformational rearrangements of N-terminal domain, including structural reshuffling (β3–β4 loop to α0 helix) and movement of a ‘shift region' towards the catalytic centre, are observed. These conformational changes render MoTps1 to a ‘closed' state compared with its ‘open' state in apo or UDPG complex structures. By solving the EcOtsA apo structure, we confirmed that similar ligand binding induced conformational changes also exist in EcOtsA, although no structural reshuffling involved. Based on our research and previous studies, we present a model for the catalytic process of Tps1. Our research provides novel information on MoTps1, Tps1 family, and structure-based antifungal drug design.

Investigating the dynamic nature of the ABC transporters: ABCB1 and MsbA as examples for the potential synergies of MD theory and EPR applications

2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 1023-1032 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Stockner ◽  
Anna Mullen ◽  
Fraser MacMillan
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Structures ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Abc Transporters ◽  
Epr Spectroscopy ◽  
Structural Information ◽  
Dynamic Properties ◽  
Molecular System ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Md Simulations ◽  
Substrate Spectrum

ABC transporters are primary active transporters found in all kingdoms of life. Human multidrug resistance transporter ABCB1, or P-glycoprotein, has an extremely broad substrate spectrum and confers resistance against chemotherapy drug treatment in cancer cells. The bacterial ABC transporter MsbA is a lipid A flippase and a homolog to the human ABCB1 transporter, with which it partially shares its substrate spectrum. Crystal structures of MsbA and ABCB1 have been solved in multiple conformations, providing a glimpse into the possible conformational changes the transporter could be going through during the transport cycle. Crystal structures are inherently static, while a dynamic picture of the transporter in motion is needed for a complete understanding of transporter function. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy can provide structural information on ABC transporters, but the strength of these two methods lies in the potential to characterise the dynamic regime of these transporters. Information from the two methods is quite complementary. MD simulations provide an all atom dynamic picture of the time evolution of the molecular system, though with a narrow time window. EPR spectroscopy can probe structural, environmental and dynamic properties of the transporter in several time regimes, but only through the attachment sites of an exogenous spin label. In this review the synergistic effects that can be achieved by combining the two methods are highlighted, and a brief methodological background is also presented.

scholarly journals The Principle of Maximal Simplicity for Modular Inorganic Crystal Structures

Crystals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1472
Author(s):  
Sergey V. Krivovichev
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Structures ◽  
Structure Prediction ◽  
Structural Information ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Configurational Entropy ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Least Action ◽  
Inorganic Crystal ◽  
Principle Of Least Action ◽  
Structure Description

Modularity is an important construction principle of many inorganic crystal structures that has been used for the analysis of structural relations, classification, structure description and structure prediction. The principle of maximal simplicity for modular inorganic crystal structures can be formulated as follows: in a modular series of inorganic crystal structures, the most common and abundant in nature and experiments are those arrangements that possess maximal simplicity and minimal structural information. The latter can be quantitatively estimated using information-based structural complexity parameters. The principle is applied for the modular series based upon 0D (lovozerite family), 1D (biopyriboles) and 2D (spinelloids and kurchatovite family) modules. This principle is empirical and is valid for those cases only, where there are no factors that may lead to the destabilization of simplest structural arrangements. The physical basis of the principle is in the relations between structural complexity and configurational entropy sensu stricto (which should be distinguished from the entropy of mixing). It can also be seen as an analogy of the principle of least action in physics.

scholarly journals Structural insights into the effect of active-site mutation on the catalytic mechanism of carbonic anhydrase

IUCrJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 985-994 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Kyun Kim ◽  
Cheol Lee ◽  
Seon Woo Lim ◽  
Jacob T. Andring ◽  
Aniruddha Adhikari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbonic Anhydrase ◽  
Kinetic Parameters ◽  
Active Site ◽  
Systematic Approach ◽  
Catalytic Mechanism ◽  
Structural Information ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Site Mutation ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Reaction Rate Constants

Enzymes are catalysts of biological processes. Significant insight into their catalytic mechanisms has been obtained by relating site-directed mutagenesis studies to kinetic activity assays. However, revealing the detailed relationship between structural modifications and functional changes remains challenging owing to the lack of information on reaction intermediates and of a systematic way of connecting them to the measured kinetic parameters. Here, a systematic approach to investigate the effect of an active-site-residue mutation on a model enzyme, human carbonic anhydrase II (CA II), is described. Firstly, structural analysis is performed on the crystallographic intermediate states of native CA II and its V143I variant. The structural comparison shows that the binding affinities and configurations of the substrate (CO2) and product (HCO3 −) are altered in the V143I variant and the water network in the water-replenishment pathway is restructured, while the proton-transfer pathway remains mostly unaffected. This structural information is then used to estimate the modifications of the reaction rate constants and the corresponding free-energy profiles of CA II catalysis. Finally, the obtained results are used to reveal the effect of the V143I mutation on the measured kinetic parameters (k cat and k cat/K m) at the atomic level. It is believed that the systematic approach outlined in this study may be used as a template to unravel the structure–function relationships of many other biologically important enzymes.

scholarly journals A global carbon and nitrogen isotope perspective on modern and ancient human diet

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Human Diet ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Global Carbon

Abstract The authors have requested that this preprint be withdrawn due to erroneous posting.

scholarly journals Comparative Genomics of Ethanolamine Utilization

2009 ◽  
Vol 191 (23) ◽  
pp. 7157-7164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Tsoy ◽  
Dmitry Ravcheev ◽  
Arcady Mushegian
Keyword(s):  
Computational Analysis ◽  
Catalytic Mechanism ◽  
Food Poisoning ◽  
Structural Components ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Dna Motif ◽  
Serovar Typhimurium ◽  
Tim Barrel ◽  
Per Se ◽  
Horizontal Transfers

ABSTRACT Ethanolamine can be used as a source of carbon and nitrogen by phylogenetically diverse bacteria. Ethanolamine-ammonia lyase, the enzyme that breaks ethanolamine into acetaldehyde and ammonia, is encoded by the gene tandem eutBC. Despite extensive studies of ethanolamine utilization in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, much remains to be learned about EutBC structure and catalytic mechanism, about the evolutionary origin of ethanolamine utilization, and about regulatory links between the metabolism of ethanolamine itself and the ethanolamine-ammonia lyase cofactor adenosylcobalamin. We used computational analysis of sequences, structures, genome contexts, and phylogenies of ethanolamine-ammonia lyases to address these questions and to evaluate recent data-mining studies that have suggested an association between bacterial food poisoning and the diol utilization pathways. We found that EutBC evolution included recruitment of a TIM barrel and a Rossmann fold domain and their fusion to N-terminal α-helical domains to give EutB and EutC, respectively. This fusion was followed by recruitment and occasional loss of auxiliary ethanolamine utilization genes in Firmicutes and by several horizontal transfers, most notably from the firmicute stem to the Enterobacteriaceae and from Alphaproteobacteria to Actinobacteria. We identified a conserved DNA motif that likely represents the EutR-binding site and is shared by the ethanolamine and cobalamin operons in several enterobacterial species, suggesting a mechanism for coupling the biosyntheses of apoenzyme and cofactor in these species. Finally, we found that the food poisoning phenotype is associated with the structural components of metabolosome more strongly than with ethanolamine utilization genes or with paralogous propanediol utilization genes per se.

scholarly journals Structural and Functional Analyses of Human ChaC2 in Glutathione Metabolism

Biomolecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yen T. K. Nguyen ◽  
Joon Sung Park ◽  
Jun Young Jang ◽  
Kyung Rok Kim ◽  
Tam T. L. Vo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Catalytic Mechanism ◽  
Docking Study ◽  
Binding Mode ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Glutathione Metabolism ◽  
Binding Assays ◽  
Biochemical Analyses ◽  
Functional Analyses

Glutathione (GSH) degradation plays an essential role in GSH homeostasis, which regulates cell survival, especially in cancer cells. Among human GSH degradation enzymes, the ChaC2 enzyme acts on GSH to form 5-l-oxoproline and Cys-Gly specifically in the cytosol. Here, we report the crystal structures of ChaC2 in two different conformations and compare the structural features with other known γ-glutamylcyclotransferase enzymes. The unique flexible loop of ChaC2 seems to function as a gate to achieve specificity for GSH binding and regulate the constant GSH degradation rate. Structural and biochemical analyses of ChaC2 revealed that Glu74 and Glu83 play crucial roles in directing the conformation of the enzyme and in modulating the enzyme activity. Based on a docking study of GSH to ChaC2 and binding assays, we propose a substrate-binding mode and catalytic mechanism. We also found that overexpression of ChaC2, but not mutants that inhibit activity of ChaC2, significantly promoted breast cancer cell proliferation, suggesting that the GSH degradation by ChaC2 affects the growth of breast cancer cells. Our structural and functional analyses of ChaC2 will contribute to the development of inhibitors for the ChaC family, which could effectively regulate the progression of GSH degradation-related cancers.

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