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On the catalytic mechanism and stereospecificity of Escherichia coli L-threonine aldolase.

ABSTRACT: L-threonine aldolases (L-TAs) represent a family of homologous pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent enzymes found in bacteria and fungi, and catalyse the reversible cleavage of several L-3-hydroxy-?-amino acids. L-TAs have great biotechnological potential, as they catalyse the formation of carbon-carbon bonds, and therefore may be exploited for the bioorganic synthesis of L-3-hydroxyamino acids that are biologically active or constitute building blocks for pharmaceutical molecules. Many L-TAs, showing different stereospecificity towards the C? configuration, have been isolated. Because of their potential to carry out diastereoselective syntheses, L-TAs have been subjected to structural, functional and mechanistic studies. Nevertheless, their catalytic mechanism and the structural bases of their stereospecificity have not been elucidated. In this study, we have determined the crystal structure of low-specificity L-TA from Escherichia coli at 2.2-Å resolution, in the unliganded form and cocrystallized with L-serine and L-threonine. Furthermore, several active site mutants have been functionally characterized in order to elucidate the reaction mechanism and the molecular bases of stereospecificity. No active site catalytic residue was revealed, and a structural water molecule was assumed to act as the catalytic base in the retro-aldol cleavage reaction. Interestingly, the very large active site opening of E. coli L-TA suggests that much larger molecules than L-threonine isomers may be easily accommodated, and L-TAs may actually have diverse physiological functions in different organisms. Substrate recognition and reaction specificity seem to be guided by the overall microenvironment that surrounds the substrate at the enzyme active site, rather than by one ore more specific residues.

SUBMITTER: di Salvo ML

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4366684 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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On the catalytic mechanism and stereospecificity of Escherichia coli L-threonine aldolase.

di Salvo Martino L ML Remesh Soumya G SG Vivoli Mirella M Ghatge Mohini S MS Paiardini Alessandro A D'Aguanno Simona S Safo Martin K MK Contestabile Roberto R

The FEBS journal 20131113 1

L-threonine aldolases (L-TAs) represent a family of homologous pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent enzymes found in bacteria and fungi, and catalyse the reversible cleavage of several L-3-hydroxy-α-amino acids. L-TAs have great biotechnological potential, as they catalyse the formation of carbon-carbon bonds, and therefore may be exploited for the bioorganic synthesis of L-3-hydroxyamino acids that are biologically active or constitute building blocks for pharmaceutical molecules. Many L-TAs, showi ...[more]

PMID: 24165453

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Project description:BackgroundDihydroneopterin aldolase (DHNA) catalyzes the conversion of 7,8-dihydroneopterin to 6-hydroxymethyl-7,8-dihydropterin and also the epimerization of DHNP to 7,8-dihydromonapterin. Previously, we determined the crystal structure of Staphylococcus aureus DHNA (SaDHNA) in complex with the substrate analogue neopterin (NP). We also showed that Escherichia coli DHNA (EcDHNA) and SaDHNA have significantly different binding and catalytic properties by biochemical analysis. On the basis of these structural and functional data, we proposed a catalytic mechanism involving two proton wires.ResultsTo understand the structural basis for the biochemical differences and further investigate the catalytic mechanism of DHNA, we have determined the structure of EcDHNA complexed with NP at 1.07-Å resolution [PDB:2O90], built an atomic model of EcDHNA complexed with the substrate DHNP, and performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulation analysis of the substrate complex. EcDHNA has the same fold as SaDHNA and also forms an octamer that consists of two tetramers, but the packing of one tetramer with the other is significantly different between the two enzymes. Furthermore, the structures reveal significant differences in the vicinity of the active site, particularly in the loop that connects strands β3 and β4, mainly due to the substitution of nearby residues. The building of an atomic model of the complex of EcDHNA and the substrate DHNP and the MD simulation of the complex show that some of the hydrogen bonds between the substrate and the enzyme are persistent, whereas others are transient. The substrate binding model and MD simulation provide the molecular basis for the biochemical behaviors of the enzyme, including noncooperative substrate binding, indiscrimination of a pair of epimers as the substrates, proton wire switching during catalysis, and formation of epimerization product.ConclusionsThe EcDHNA and SaDHNA structures, each in complex with NP, reveal the basis for the biochemical differences between EcDHNA and SaDHNA. The atomic substrate binding model and MD simulation offer insights into substrate binding and catalysis by DHNA. The EcDHNA structure also affords an opportunity to develop antimicrobials specific for Gram-negative bacteria, as DHNAs from Gram-negative bacteria are highly homologous and E. coli is a representative of this class of bacteria.

Dataset Information

On the catalytic mechanism and stereospecificity of Escherichia coli L-threonine aldolase.

Publications

On the catalytic mechanism and stereospecificity of Escherichia coli L-threonine aldolase.

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