Characterization of β-Ketoacyl-Acyl Carrier Protein Synthase III from Streptomyces glaucescens and Its Role in Initiation of Fatty Acid Biosynthesis

ABSTRACT The Streptomyces glaucescens fabH gene, encoding β-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein (β-ketoacyl-ACP) synthase (KAS) III (FabH), was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, and the resulting gene product was purified to homogeneity by metal chelate chromatography. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of the purified protein revealed anM r of 37,000, while gel filtration analysis determined a native M r of 72,000 ± 3,000 (mean ± standard deviation), indicating that the enzyme is homodimeric. The purified recombinant protein demonstrated both KAS activity and acyl coenzyme A (acyl-CoA):ACP transacylase (ACAT) activity in a 1:0.12 ratio. The KAS and ACAT activities were both sensitive to thiolactomycin inhibition. The KAS activity of the protein demonstrated a Km value of 3.66 μM for the malonyl-ACP substrate and an unusual broad specificity for acyl-CoA substrates, with Km values of 2.4 μM for acetyl-CoA, 0.71 μM for butyryl-CoA, and 0.41 μM for isobutyryl-CoA. These data suggest that the S. glaucescensFabH is responsible for initiating both straight- and branched-chain fatty acid biosynthesis in Streptomyces and that the ratio of the various fatty acids produced by this organism will be dictated by the ratios of the various acyl-CoA substrates that can react with FabH. Results from a series of in vivo directed biosynthetic experiments in which the ratio of these acyl-CoA substrates was varied are consistent with this hypothesis. An additional set of in vivo experiments using thiolactomycin provides support for the role of FabH and further suggests that a FabH-independent pathway for straight-chain fatty acid biosynthesis operates in S. glaucescens.

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β-Ketoacyl-Acyl Carrier Protein Synthase III (FabH) Is a Determining Factor in Branched-Chain Fatty Acid Biosynthesis

Journal of Bacteriology ◽

10.1128/jb.182.2.365-370.2000 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 182 (2) ◽

pp. 365-370 ◽

Cited By ~ 173

Author(s):

Keum-Hwa Choi ◽

Richard J. Heath ◽

Charles O. Rock

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acid ◽

Fatty Acid Synthase ◽

Fatty Acid Biosynthesis ◽

Acyl Carrier Protein ◽

Chain Fatty Acid ◽

Carrier Protein ◽

Acid Biosynthesis ◽

Biochemical Basis ◽

E Coli ◽

Branched Chain

ABSTRACT A universal set of genes encodes the components of the dissociated, type II, fatty acid synthase system that is responsible for producing the multitude of fatty acid structures found in bacterial membranes. We examined the biochemical basis for the production of branched-chain fatty acids by gram-positive bacteria. Two genes that were predicted to encode homologs of the β-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein synthase III of Escherichia coli (eFabH) were identified in theBacillus subtilis genome. Their protein products were expressed, purified, and biochemically characterized. Both B. subtilis FabH homologs, bFabH1 and bFabH2, carried out the initial condensation reaction of fatty acid biosynthesis with acetyl-coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) as a primer, although they possessed lower specific activities than eFabH. bFabH1 and bFabH2 also utilized iso- and anteiso-branched-chain acyl-CoA primers as substrates. eFabH was not able to accept these CoA thioesters. Reconstitution of a complete round of fatty acid synthesis in vitro with purified E. coli proteins showed that eFabH was the only E. colienzyme incapable of using branched-chain substrates. Expression of either bFabH1 or bFabH2 in E. coli resulted in the appearance of a branched-chain 17-carbon fatty acid. Thus, the substrate specificity of FabH is an important determinant of branched-chain fatty acid production.

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Purification, Characterization, and Identification of Novel Inhibitors of the β-Ketoacyl-Acyl Carrier Protein Synthase III (FabH) from Staphylococcus aureus

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy ◽

10.1128/aac.46.5.1310-1318.2002 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 46 (5) ◽

pp. 1310-1318 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Xin He ◽

Kevin A. Reynolds

Keyword(s):

Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Fatty Acid ◽

Fatty Acid Synthase ◽

Fatty Acid Biosynthesis ◽

Genomic Sequence ◽

Acyl Carrier Protein ◽

Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis ◽

Sodium Dodecyl ◽

Size Exclusion ◽

Carrier Protein

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus aureus is a versatile and dangerous pathogen and one of the major causes of community-acquired and hospital-acquired infections. The rise of multidrug-resistant strains of S. aureus requires the development of new antibiotics with previously unexploited mechanisms of action, such as inhibition of the β-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) synthase III (FabH). This enzyme initiates fatty acid biosynthesis in a bacterial type II fatty acid synthase, catalyzing a decarboxylative condensation between malonyl-ACP and an acyl coenzyme A (CoA) substrate and is essential for viability. We have identified only one fabH in the genome of S. aureus and have shown that it encodes a protein with 57, 40, and 34% amino acid sequence identity with the FabH proteins of Bacillus subtilis (bFabH1), Escherichia coli (ecFabH), and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (mtFabH). Additional genomic sequence analysis revealed that this S. aureus FabH (saFabH) is not mutated in certain methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA) strains. saFabH was expressed in E. coli with an N-terminal polyhistidine tag and subsequently purified by metal chelate and size exclusion chromatography. Analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed a molecular mass of 37 kDa, while gel filtration demonstrated a mass of 66.7 kDa, suggesting a noncovalent homodimeric structure for saFabH. The apparent Km for malonyl-ACP was 1.76 ± 0.40 μM, and the enzyme was active with acetyl-CoA (k cat, 16.18 min−1; Km , 6.18 ± 0.9 μM), butyryl-CoA (k cat, 42.90 min−1; Km , 2.32 ± 0.12 μM), and isobutyryl-CoA (k cat, 98.0 min−1; Km , 0.32 ± 0.04 μM). saFabH was weakly inhibited by thiolactomycin (50% inhibitory concentration [IC50], >100 μM) yet was efficiently inhibited by two new FabH inhibitors, 5-chloro-4-phenyl-[1,2]-dithiol-3-one (IC50, 1.87 ± 0.10 μM) and 4-phenyl-5-phenylimino-[1,2,4]dithiazolidin-3-one (IC50, 0.775 ± 0.08 μM).

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