scholarly journals Ligand binding on to maize (Zea mays) malate synthase: a structural study

1994 ◽  
Vol 303 (2) ◽  
pp. 413-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Beeckmans ◽  
A S Khan ◽  
L Kanarek ◽  
E Van Driessche

A kinetic and ligand binding study on maize (Zea mays) malate synthase is presented. It is concluded from kinetic measurements that the enzyme proceeds through a ternary-complex mechanism. Michaelis constants (Km,glyoxylate and Km,acetyl-CoA) were determined to be 104 microM and 20 microM respectively. C.d. measurements in the near u.v.-region indicate that a conformational change is induced in the enzyme by its substrate, glyoxylate. From these studies we are able to calculate the affinity for the substrate (Kd,glyoxylate) as 100 microM. A number of inhibitors apparently trigger the same conformational change in the enzyme, i.e. pyruvate, glycollate and fluoroacetate. Another series of inhibitors bearing more bulky groups and/or an extra carboxylic acid also induce a conformational change, which is, however, clearly different from the former one. Limited proteolysis with trypsin results in cleavage of malate synthase into two fragments of respectively 45 and 19 kDa. Even when no more intact malate synthase chains are present, the final enzymic activity still amounts to 30% of the original activity. If trypsinolysis is performed in the presence of acetyl-CoA, the cleavage reaction is appreciably slowed down. The dissociation constant for acetyl-CoA (Kd,acetyl-CoA) was calculated to be 14.8 microM when the glyoxylate subsite is fully occupied by pyruvate and 950 microM (= 50 x Km) when the second subsite is empty. It is concluded that malate synthase follows a compulsory-order mechanism, glyoxylate being the first-binding substrate. Glyoxylate triggers a conformational change in the enzyme and, as a consequence, the correctly shaped binding site for acetyl-CoA is created. Demetallization of malate synthase has no effect on the c.d. spectrum in the near u.v.-region. Moreover, glyoxylate induces the same spectral change in the absence of Mg2+ as in its presence. Nevertheless, malate synthase shows no activity in the absence of the cation. We conclude that Mg2+ is essential for catalysis, rather than for the structure of the enzyme's catalytic site.

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary N Parkinson ◽  
David Vines ◽  
Paul C Driscoll ◽  
Snezana Djordjevic

2002 ◽  
Vol 76 (9) ◽  
pp. 4456-4466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. Gruenke ◽  
R. Todd Armstrong ◽  
William W. Newcomb ◽  
Jay C. Brown ◽  
Judith M. White

ABSTRACT Influenza virus hemagglutinin undergoes a conformational change in which a loop-to-helix “spring-loaded” conformational change forms a coiled coil that positions the fusion peptide for interaction with the target bilayer. Previous work has shown that two proline mutations designed to disrupt this change disrupt fusion but did not determine the basis for the fusion defect. In this work, we made six additional mutants with single proline substitutions in the region that undergoes the spring-loaded conformational change and two additional mutants with double proline substitutions in this region. All double mutants were fusion inactive. We analyzed one double mutant, F63P/F70P, as an example. We observed that F63P/F70P undergoes key low-pH-induced conformational changes and binds tightly to target membranes. However, limited proteolysis and electron microscopy observations showed that the mutant forms a coiled coil that is only ∼50% the length of the wild type, suggesting that it is splayed in its N-terminal half. This work further supports the hypothesis that the spring-loaded conformational change is necessary for fusion. Our data also indicate that the spring-loaded conformational change has another role beyond presenting the fusion peptide to the target membrane.


1992 ◽  
Vol 285 (2) ◽  
pp. 419-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
U Christensen ◽  
L Mølgaard

The kinetics of a series of Glu-plasminogen ligand-binding processes were investigated at pH 7.8 and 25 degrees C (in 0.1 M-NaCl). The ligands include compounds analogous to C-terminal lysine residues and to normal lysine residues. Changes of the Glu-plasminogen protein fluorescence were measured in a stopped-flow instrument as a function of time after rapid mixing of Glu-plasminogen and ligand at various concentrations. Large positive fluorescence changes (approximately 10%) accompany the ligand-induced conformational changes of Glu-plasminogen resulting from binding at weak lysine-binding sites. Detailed studies of the concentration-dependencies of the equilibrium signals and the rate constants of the process induced by various ligands showed the conformational change to involve two sites in a concerted positive co-operative process with three steps: (i) binding of a ligand at a very weak lysine-binding site that preferentially, but not exclusively, binds C-terminal-type lysine ligands, (ii) the rate-determining actual-conformational-change step and (iii) binding of one more lysine ligand at a second weak lysine-binding site that then binds the ligand more tightly. Further, totally independent initial small negative fluorescence changes (approximately 2-4%) corresponding to binding at the strong lysine-binding site of kringle 1 [Sottrup-Jensen, Claeys, Zajdel, Petersen & Magnusson (1978) Prog. Chem. Fibrinolysis Thrombolysis 3, 191-209] were observed for the C-terminal-type ligands. The finding that the conformational change in Glu-plasminogen involves two weak lysine-binding sites indicates that the effect cannot be assigned to any single kringle and that the problem of whether kringle 4 or kringle 5 is responsible for the process resolves itself. Probably kringle 4 and 5 are both participating. The involvement of two lysine binding-sites further makes the high specificity of Glu-plasminogen effectors more conceivable.


2010 ◽  
Vol 192 (5) ◽  
pp. 1249-1258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias J. Erb ◽  
Lena Frerichs-Revermann ◽  
Georg Fuchs ◽  
Birgit E. Alber

ABSTRACT Assimilation of acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) is an essential process in many bacteria that proceeds via the glyoxylate cycle or the ethylmalonyl-CoA pathway. In both assimilation strategies, one of the final products is malate that is formed by the condensation of acetyl-CoA with glyoxylate. In the glyoxylate cycle this reaction is catalyzed by malate synthase, whereas in the ethylmalonyl-CoA pathway the reaction is separated into two proteins: malyl-CoA lyase, a well-known enzyme catalyzing the Claisen condensation of acetyl-CoA with glyoxylate and yielding malyl-CoA, and an unidentified malyl-CoA thioesterase that hydrolyzes malyl-CoA into malate and CoA. In this study the roles of Mcl1 and Mcl2, two malyl-CoA lyase homologs in Rhodobacter sphaeroides, were investigated by gene inactivation and biochemical studies. Mcl1 is a true (3S)-malyl-CoA lyase operating in the ethylmalonyl-CoA pathway. Notably, Mcl1 is a promiscuous enzyme and catalyzes not only the condensation of acetyl-CoA and glyoxylate but also the cleavage of β-methylmalyl-CoA into glyoxylate and propionyl-CoA during acetyl-CoA assimilation. In contrast, Mcl2 was shown to be the sought (3S)-malyl-CoA thioesterase in the ethylmalonyl-CoA pathway, which specifically hydrolyzes (3S)-malyl-CoA but does not use β-methylmalyl-CoA or catalyze a lyase or condensation reaction. The identification of Mcl2 as thioesterase extends the enzyme functions of malyl-CoA lyase homologs that have been known only as “Claisen condensation” enzymes so far. Mcl1 and Mcl2 are both related to malate synthase, an enzyme which catalyzes both a Claisen condensation and thioester hydrolysis reaction.


1972 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. L. Howden ◽  
H. Lees ◽  
Isamu Suzuki

Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxylase (orthophosphate:oxalacetate carboxy-lyase (phosphorylating), EC 4.1.1.31) was purified 19-fold from Thiobacillus thiooxidans. The level of enzyme activity was dependent on culture age. No enzyme activity could be obtained from frozen cells.The pH optimum of the enzyme was determined to be around 8.0. Apparent Michaelis constants were determined for the substrates:phosphoenolpyruvate (1.4, 1.5 mM), bicarbonate (0.4, 1.1 mM), and magnesium (1.1, 0.8 mM) at pH 7.0 and 8.0, respectively. Acetyl-CoA was found to be a powerful activator of this enzyme, with the degree of activation increasing with decreasing pH. The concentration of acetyl-CoA to obtain half-maximal activation, however, remained fairly constant and low, namely 1.2 and 1.0 μM at pH 7.0 and 8.0, respectively. L-Aspartate and L-malate were strong inhibitors of enzyme activity. In the presence of aspartate at pH 7.0 the double reciprocal activity plots for PEP became nonlinear, a characteristic of negative cooperativity. These plots became linear with the addition of acetyl-CoA with aspartate now acting as a noncompetitive inhibitor with respect to PEP. At pH 8.0, the same plots were linear with aspartate acting as a competitive inhibitor of PEP. All the other effectors of PEP carboxylase from Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli were found to be ineffective towards the enzyme from T. thiooxidans.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document