scholarly journals Histidine-193 of rat glucosylceramide synthase resides in a UDP-glucose- and inhibitor (D-threo-1-phenyl-2-decanoylamino-3-morpholinopropan-1-ol)-binding region: a biochemical and mutational study

1999 ◽  
Vol 341 (2) ◽  
pp. 395-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kangjian WU ◽  
David L. MARKS ◽  
Rikio WATANABE ◽  
Pascal PAUL ◽  
Niveda RAJAN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Binding Site ◽  
Catalytic Mechanism ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agents ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Wild Type Enzyme ◽  
Glucosylceramide Synthase ◽  
Mutant Proteins ◽  
Histidine Residues ◽  
Common Precursor ◽  
Pharmaceutical Properties

Glucosylceramide synthase (GCS) catalyses the transfer of glucose from UDP-glucose (UDP-Glc) to ceramide to form glucosylceramide, the common precursor of most higher-order glycosphingolipids. Inhibition of GCS activity has been proposed as a possible target of chemotherapeutic agents for a number of diseases, including cancer. Design of new GCS inhibitors with desirable pharmaceutical properties is hampered by lack of knowledge of the secondary structure or catalytic mechanism of the GCS protein. Thus we cloned the rat homologue of GCS to begin studies to identify its catalytic regions. The histidine-modifying agent diethyl pyrocarbonate (DEPC) inhibited recombinant rat GCS expressed in bacteria; this inhibition was rapidly reversible by hydroxylamine and could be diminished by preincubation of GCS with UDP-Glc. These data suggest that DEPC acts on histidine residues within or near the UDP-Glc-binding site of GCS. Mutant proteins were expressed in which the eight histidine residues in GCS were individually replaced by other amino acids. H193A (His193 → Ala) and H193N (His193 → Asn) mutants were unaffected by 0.1 mM DEPC, a concentration that inhibited other histidine mutants and the wild-type enzyme by at least 60%. These results indicate that His193 is the primary target of DEPC and is at, or near, the UDP-Glc-binding site of GCS. His193 mutants were also insensitive to the GCS inhibitor D - threo - 1 - phenyl - 2 - decanoylamino - 3 - morpholinopropan - 1 - ol, at concentrations which inhibited the wild-type enzyme by > 80%. These results have significance for both an understanding of the GCS active site and also for the possible design of new and specific inhibitors of GCS.

Substitution of murine ferrochelatase glutamate-287 with glutamine or alanine leads to porphyrin substrate-bound variants

2001 ◽  
Vol 356 (1) ◽  
pp. 217-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo FRANCO ◽  
Alice S. PEREIRA ◽  
Pedro TAVARES ◽  
Arianna MANGRAVITA ◽  
Michael J. BARBER ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Absorption Spectra ◽  
Catalytic Mechanism ◽  
Protoporphyrin Ix ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Iron Chelation ◽  
Enzymic Activity ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Wild Type Enzyme ◽  
Flow Experiments

Ferrochelatase (EC 4.99.1.1) is the terminal enzyme of the haem biosynthetic pathway and catalyses iron chelation into the protoporphyrin IX ring. Glutamate-287 (E287) of murine mature ferrochelatase is a conserved residue in all known sequences of ferrochelatase, is present at the active site of the enzyme, as inferred from the Bacillus subtilis ferrochelatase three-dimensional structure, and is critical for enzyme activity. Substitution of E287 with either glutamine (Q) or alanine (A) yielded variants with lower enzymic activity than that of the wild-type ferrochelatase and with different absorption spectra from the wild-type enzyme. In contrast to the wild-type enzyme, the absorption spectra of the variants indicate that these enzymes, as purified, contain protoporphyrin IX. Identification and quantification of the porphyrin bound to the E287-directed variants indicate that approx. 80% of the total porphyrin corresponds to protoporphyrin IX. Significantly, rapid stopped-flow experiments of the E287A and E287Q variants demonstrate that reaction with Zn2+ results in the formation of bound Zn-protoporphyrin IX, indicating that the endogenously bound protoporphyrin IX can be used as a substrate. Taken together, these findings suggest that the structural strain imposed by ferrochelatase on the porphyrin substrate as a critical step in the enzyme catalytic mechanism is also accomplished by the E287A and E287Q variants, but without the release of the product. Thus E287 in murine ferrochelatase appears to be critical for the catalytic process by controlling the release of the product.

scholarly journals Active-Site Residues of Escherichia coli DNA Gyrase Required in Coupling ATP Hydrolysis to DNA Supercoiling and Amino Acid Substitutions Leading to Novobiocin Resistance

2003 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 1037-1046 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian H. Gross ◽  
Jonathan D. Parsons ◽  
Trudy H. Grossman ◽  
Paul S. Charifson ◽  
Steven Bellon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Atp Hydrolysis ◽  
Dna Gyrase ◽  
Dna Supercoiling ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Wild Type Enzyme ◽  
Mutant Proteins ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Novobiocin Resistance

ABSTRACT DNA gyrase is a bacterial type II topoisomerase which couples the free energy of ATP hydrolysis to the introduction of negative supercoils into DNA. Amino acids in proximity to bound nonhydrolyzable ATP analog (AMP · PNP) or novobiocin in the gyrase B (GyrB) subunit crystal structures were examined for their roles in enzyme function and novobiocin resistance by site-directed mutagenesis. Purified Escherichia coli GyrB mutant proteins were complexed with the gyrase A subunit to form the functional A2B2 gyrase enzyme. Mutant proteins with alanine substitutions at residues E42, N46, E50, D73, R76, G77, and I78 had reduced or no detectable ATPase activity, indicating a role for these residues in ATP hydrolysis. Interestingly, GyrB proteins with P79A and K103A substitutions retained significant levels of ATPase activity yet demonstrated no DNA supercoiling activity, even with 40-fold more enzyme than the wild-type enzyme, suggesting that these amino acid side chains have a role in the coupling of the two activities. All enzymes relaxed supercoiled DNA to the same extent as the wild-type enzyme did, implying that only ATP-dependent reactions were affected. Mutant genes were examined in vivo for their abilities to complement a temperature-sensitive E. coli gyrB mutant, and the activities correlated well with the in vitro activities. We show that the known R136 novobiocin resistance mutations bestow a significant loss of inhibitor potency in the ATPase assay. Four new residues (D73, G77, I78, and T165) that, when changed to the appropriate amino acid, result in both significant levels of novobiocin resistance and maintain in vivo function were identified in E. coli.

scholarly journals The role of tyrosine-9 and the C-terminal helix in the catalytic mechanism of Alpha-class glutathione S-transferases

1999 ◽  
Vol 343 (3) ◽  
pp. 525-531 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire S. ALLARDYCE ◽  
Paul D. MCDONAGH ◽  
Lu-Yun LIAN ◽  
C. Roland WOLF ◽  
Gordon C. K. ROBERTS
Keyword(s):  
Conformational Change ◽  
Catalytic Mechanism ◽  
Ethacrynic Acid ◽  
Marked Decrease ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Wild Type Enzyme ◽  
Turnover Number ◽  
Hydrophobic Substrate ◽  
Glutathione S Transferases

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) play a key role in the metabolism of drugs and xenobiotics. To investigate the catalytic mechanism, substrate binding and catalysis by the wild-type and two mutants of GST A1-1 have been studied. Substitution of the ‘essential’ Tyr9 by phenylalanine leads to a marked decrease in the kcat for 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB), but has no affect on kcat for ethacrynic acid. Similarly, removal of the C-terminal helix by truncation of the enzyme at residue 209 leads to a decrease in kcat for CDNB, but an increase in kcat for ethacrynic acid. The binding of a GSH analogue increases the affinity of the wild-type enzyme for CDNB, and increases the rate of the enzyme-catalysed conjugation of this substrate with the small thiols 2-mercaptoethanol and dithiothreitol. This suggests that GSH binding produces a conformational change which is transmitted to the binding site for the hydrophobic substrate, where it alters both the affinity for the substrate and the catalytic-centre activity (‘turnover number‘) for conjugation, perhaps by increasing the proportion of the substrate bound productively. Neither of these two effects of GSH analogues are seen in the C-terminally truncated enzyme, indicating a role for the C-terminal helix in the GSH-induced conformational change.

scholarly journals Topology of the substrate-binding site of a Lys49-phospholipase A2 influences Ca2+-independent membrane-damaging activity

2004 ◽  
Vol 382 (1) ◽  
pp. 191-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Martha SÁ ◽  
Lucimara CHIOATO ◽  
Tatiana Lopes FERREIRA ◽  
Arthur H. C. de OLIVEIRA ◽  
Roberto RULLER ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phospholipase A2 ◽  
Binding Site ◽  
Inclusion Bodies ◽  
Substrate Binding ◽  
Membrane Damage ◽  
Cd Spectra ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Mutant Proteins ◽  
Substrate Binding Site ◽  
Independent Mechanism

BthTx-I (bothropstoxin-I) is a myotoxic Lys49-PLA2 (phospholipase A2 with Lys49) isolated from Bothrops jararacussu venom, which damages liposome membranes by a Ca2+-independent mechanism. The highly conserved Phe5/Ala102/Phe106 motif in the hydrophobic substrate-binding site of the Asp49-PLA2s is substituted by Leu5/Val102/Leu106 in the Lys49-PLA2s. The Leu5/Val102/Leu106 triad in BthTx-I was sequentially mutated via all single- and double-mutant combinations to the Phe5/Ala102/Phe106 mutant. All mutants were expressed as inclusion bodies in Escherichia coli, and the thermal stability (Tm), together with the myotoxic and Ca2+-independent membrane-damaging activities of the recombinant proteins, were evaluated. The far-UV CD profiles of the native, wild-type recombinant and the L106F (Leu106→Phe) and L5F/F102A/L106F mutant proteins were identical. The L5F, V102A, L5F/V102A and V102A/L106F mutants showed distorted far-UV CD profiles; however, only the L5F and L5F/V102A mutants showed significant decreases in Tm. Alterations in the far-UV CD spectra correlated with decreased myotoxicity and protein-induced release of a liposome-entrapped marker. However, the V102A/L106F and L5F/V102A/L106F mutants, which presented high myotoxic activities, showed significantly reduced membrane-damaging activity. This demonstrates that the topology of the substrate-binding region of BthTx-I has a direct effect on the Ca2+-independent membrane damage, and implies that substrate binding retains an important role in this process.

scholarly journals Identification by site-directed mutagenesis of three essential histidine residues in membrane dipeptidase, a novel mammalian zinc peptidase

1997 ◽  
Vol 326 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shoshana KEYNAN ◽  
Nigel M. HOOPER ◽  
Anthony J. TURNER
Keyword(s):  
Specific Activity ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Competitive Inhibitor ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Wild Type Enzyme ◽  
Renal Metabolism ◽  
Leukotriene D4 ◽  
Histidine Residues

Membrane dipeptidase (EC 3.4.13.19) is a plasma membrane zinc peptidase that is involved in the renal metabolism of glutathione and its conjugates, such as leukotriene D4. The enzyme lacks the classical signatures of other zinc-dependent hydrolases and shows no homology with any other mammalian protein. We have used site-directed mutagenesis to explore the roles of five histidine residues in pig membrane dipeptidase that are conserved among mammalian species. When expressed in COS-1 cells, the mutants H49K and H128L exhibited a specific activity and Km for the substrate Gly-D-Phe comparable with those of the wild-type enzyme. However, the mutants H20L, H152L and H198K were inactive, but were expressed at the cell surface at equivalent levels to the wild-type, as assessed by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence. These three mutants were compared with regard to their ability to bind to the competitive inhibitor cilastatin, which binds with equal efficacy to native and EDTA-treated pig kidney membrane dipeptidase. Expressed wild-type enzyme and mutants H20L and H198K were efficiently bound by cilastatin–Sepharose, but H152L failed to bind. Thus His-152 appears to be involved in the binding of substrate or inhibitor, whereas His-20 and His-198 appear to be involved in catalysis. Membrane dipeptidase shares some similarity with a dipeptidase recently cloned from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus. In particular, His-20 and His-198 of membrane dipeptidase are conserved in the bacterial enzyme, as are Glu-125 and His-219, previously shown to be required for catalytic activity.

scholarly journals A large displacement of the SXN motif of Cys115-modified penicillin-binding protein 5 from Escherichia coli

2005 ◽  
Vol 392 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Nicola ◽  
Alena Fedarovich ◽  
Robert A. Nicholas ◽  
Christopher Davies
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Active Site ◽  
Catalytic Mechanism ◽  
Major Change ◽  
Penicillin Binding Protein ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Wild Type Enzyme ◽  
Penicillin Binding Proteins ◽  
Peptidoglycan Biosynthesis ◽  
Covalent Adduct

Penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), which are the lethal targets of β-lactam antibiotics, catalyse the final stages of peptidoglycan biosynthesis of the bacterial cell wall. PBP 5 of Escherichia coli is a D-alanine CPase (carboxypeptidase) that has served as a useful model to elucidate the catalytic mechanism of low-molecular-mass PBPs. Previous studies have shown that modification of Cys115 with a variety of reagents results in a loss of CPase activity and a large decrease in the rate of deacylation of the penicilloyl–PBP 5 complex [Tamura, Imae and Strominger (1976) J. Biol. Chem. 251, 414–423; Curtis and Strominger (1978) J. Biol. Chem. 253, 2584–2588]. The crystal structure of wild-type PBP 5 in which Cys115 fortuitously had formed a covalent adduct with 2-mercaptoethanol was solved at 2.0 Å (0.2 nm) resolution, and these results provide a structural rationale for how thiol-directed reagents lower the rate of deacylation. When compared with the structure of the unmodified wild-type enzyme, a major change in the architecture of the active site is observed. The two largest differences are the disordering of a loop comprising residues 74–90 and a shift in residues 106–111, which results in the displacement of Ser110 of the SXN active-site motif. These results support the developing hypothesis that the SXN motif of PBP 5, and especially Ser110, is intimately involved in the catalytic mechanism of deacylation.

scholarly journals Contribution of five amino acid residues in the glutathione-binding site to the function of human glutathione transferase P1-1

1992 ◽  
Vol 285 (2) ◽  
pp. 377-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Widersten ◽  
R H Kolm ◽  
R Björnestedt ◽  
B Mannervik
Keyword(s):  
Catalytic Mechanism ◽  
Glutathione Transferase ◽  
Catalytic Efficiency ◽  
Amino Acid Residues ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Ph Profile ◽  
Mutant Proteins ◽  
Catalytically Active ◽  
Active Site Cavity ◽  
Important Structure

Five amino acids in proximity to GSH bound in the active-site cavity of human Class Pi glutathione transferase (GST) P1-1 were mutated by oligonucleotide-directed site-specific mutagenesis. The following mutations gave catalytically active mutant proteins with the proper dimeric structure: Arg14----Ala, Lys45----Ala, Gln52----Ala, Gln65----His and Asp99----Asn. The mutation Gln65----Ala was also made, but the protein was not characterized because of its poor catalytic activity. Residues Arg14, Lys45, Gln52 and Gln65 all contribute to binding of glutathione, and the substitutions caused an approx. 10-fold decrease in affinity, corresponding to 5 kJ/mol, except for Arg14, for which the effect was larger. In addition, Arg14 appears to have an important structure role, since the Arg14----Ala mutant demonstrated a significantly lower stability as compared with the wild-type and the other mutant enzymes. Asp99 primarily contributes to catalysis rather than to binding. The kcat./Km-versus-pH profile for the Asp99----Asn mutant is shifted by 0.5 pH unit in the alkaline direction, and it is proposed that Asp99 may participate in proton transfer in the catalytic mechanism. The possibility of redesigning the substrate specificity for GSTs was shown by the fact that the mutant Lys45----Ala displayed a higher catalytic efficiency with GSH monoethyl ester than with its natural substrate, GSH.

scholarly journals Probing the S-adenosylmethionine-binding site of rat guanidinoacetate methyltransferase. Effect of site-directed mutagenesis of residues that are conserved across mammalian non-nucleic acid methyltransferases. Effect of site-directed mutagenesis of residues that are conserved across mammalian non-nucleic acid methyltransferases

1996 ◽  
Vol 317 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akiko HAMAHATA ◽  
Yoshimi TAKATA ◽  
Tomoharu GOMI ◽  
Motoji FUJIOKA
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Binding Site ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Sequence Motifs ◽  
Cd Spectra ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Wild Type Enzyme ◽  
Aromatic Side Chain ◽  
A Minor

Most mammalian non-nucleic acid methyltransferases share three sequence motifs. To gain insight into the S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet)-binding site of guanidinoacetate methyltransferase, we mutated several conserved residues that are found in or near motifs I and II. Conversion of either of two glycine residues of motif I (Gly67 and Gly69) to an alanine resulted in an inactive enzyme. These enzymes, although having UV absorption, fluorescence and far-UV CD spectra virtually identical with those of the wild-type enzyme, seem to be conformationally different from the wild-type enzyme as judged by near-UV CD spectra and the extent of urea denaturation, and are apparently not capable of binding AdoMet. Mutation of Tyr136 of motif II to a valine resulted in a decrease in kcat/Km values for substrates. Changing this residue to a phenylalanine caused only a minor change in kcat/Km for AdoMet. This suggests that the aromatic side chain stabilizes the binding of AdoMet. Mutagenic changes of Glu89, which is the residue corresponding to the conserved acidic residue on the C-terminal side of motif I, indicated its contribution to AdoMet binding. These results are consistent with the idea that both motifs I and II are crucial in forming the AdoMet binding site of guanidinoacetate methyltransferase.

scholarly journals Site-directed mutagenesis establishes cysteine-110 as essential for enzyme activity in human γ-glutamyl hydrolase

1999 ◽  
Vol 343 (3) ◽  
pp. 551-555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen J. CHAVE ◽  
John GALIVAN ◽  
Thomas J. RYAN
Keyword(s):  
Enzyme Activity ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Catalytic Mechanism ◽  
Iodoacetic Acid ◽  
Amino Acid Sequences ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Mutant Proteins ◽  
Key Enzyme

γ-Glutamyl hydrolase (GH), which hydrolyses the γ-glutamyl conjugates of folic acid, is a key enzyme in the maintenance of cellular folylpolyglutamate concentrations. The catalytic mechanism of GH is not known. Consistent with earlier reports that GH is sulphydryl-sensitive, we found that recombinant human GH is inhibited by iodoacetic acid, suggesting that at least one cysteine is important for activity [Rhee, Lindau-Shepard, Chave, Galivan and Ryan (1998) Mol. Pharmacol. 53, 1040-1046]. Using site-directed mutagenesis, the cDNA for human GH was altered to encode four different proteins each with one of four cysteine residues changed to alanine. Three of the mutant proteins had activities similar to wild-type GH and were inhibited by iodoacetic acid, whereas the C110A mutant had no activity. Cys-110 is conserved among the human, rat and mouse GH amino acid sequences. The wild-type protein and all four mutants had similar intrinsic fluorescence spectra, indicating no major structural changes had been introduced. These results indicate that Cys-110 is essential for enzyme activity and suggest that GH is a cysteine peptidase. These studies represent the first identification of the essential Cys residue in this enzyme and provide the beginning of a framework to determine the catalytic mechanism, important in defining GH as a therapeutic target.

scholarly journals Catalytic mechanism of a family 3 β-glucosidase and mutagenesis study on residue Asp-247

2001 ◽  
Vol 355 (3) ◽  
pp. 835-840 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaw-Kuen LI ◽  
Jiunly CHIR ◽  
Fong-Yi CHEN
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Essential Amino Acid ◽  
Catalytic Mechanism ◽  
Bond Cleavage ◽  
Isotope Effects ◽  
Kinetic Isotope Effects ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Wild Type Enzyme ◽  
Kinetic Isotope

A family 3 β-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.21) from Flavobacterium meningosepticum has been cloned and overexpressed. The mechanistic action of the enzyme was probed by NMR spectroscopy and kinetic investigations, including substrate reactivity, secondary kinetic isotope effects and inhibition studies. The stereochemistry of enzymic hydrolysis was identified as occurring with the retention of an anomeric configuration, indicating a double-displacement reaction. Based on the kcat values with a series of aryl glucosides, a Bronsted plot with a concave-downward shape was constructed. This biphasic behaviour is consistent with a two-step mechanism involving the formation and breakdown of a glucosyl–enzyme intermediate. The large Bronsted constant (β =-0.85) for the leaving-group-dependent portion (pKa of leaving phenols > 7) indicates substantial bond cleavage at the transition state. Secondary deuterium kinetic isotope effects with 2,4-dinitrophenyl β-D-glucopyanoside, o-nitrophenyl β-D-glucopyanoside and p-cyanophenyl β-D-glucopyanoside as substrates were 1.17±0.02, 1.19±0.02 and 1.04±0.02 respectively. These results support an SN1-like mechanism for the deglucosylation step and an SN2-like mechanism for the glucosylation step. Site-directed mutagenesis was also performed to study essential amino acid residues. The activities (kcat/Km) of the D247G and D247N mutants were 30000- and 200000-fold lower respectively than that of the wild-type enzyme, whereas the D247E mutant retained 20% of wild-type activity. These results indicate that Asp-247 is an essential amino acid. It is likely that this residue functions as a nucleophile in the reaction. This conclusion is supported by the kinetics of the irreversible inactivation of the wild-type enzyme by conduritol-B-epoxide, compared with the much slower inhibition of the D247E mutant and the lack of irreversible inhibition of the D247G mutant.

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