Characterization of active site residues of nitroalkane oxidase

The flavoenzyme nitroalkane oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of primary and secondary nitroalkanes to the corresponding aldehydes and ketones plus nitrite. The structure of the enzyme shows that Ser171 forms a hydrogen bond to the flavin N5, suggesting that it plays a role in catalysis. Cys397 and Tyr398 were previously identified by chemical modification as potential active site residues. To more directly probe the roles of these residues, the S171A, S171V, S171T, C397S, and Y398F enzymes have been characterized with nitroethane as substrate. The C397S and Y398 enzymes were less stable than the wild-type enzyme, and the C397S enzyme routinely contained a substoichiometric amount of FAD. Analysis of the steady-state kinetic parameters for the mutant enzymes, including deuterium isotope effects, establishes that all of the mutations result in decreases in the rate constants for removal of the substrate proton by approximately 5-fold and decreases in the rate constant for product release of approximately 2-fold. Only the S171V and S171T mutations alter the rate constant for flavin oxidation. These results establish that these residues are not involved in catalysis, but rather are required for maintaining the protein structure.

Regulation of phenylalanine hydroxylase: conformational changes upon phenylalanine binding detected by hydrogen/deuterium exchange and mass spectrometry

Phenylalanine acts as an allosteric activator of the tetrahydropterin-dependent enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase. Hydrogen/deuterium exchange monitored by mass spectrometry has been used to gain insight into local conformational changes accompanying activation of rat phenylalanine hydroxylase by phenylalanine. Peptides in the regulatory and catalytic domains that lie in the interface between these two domains show large increases in the extent of deuterium incorporation from solvent in the presence of phenylalanine. In contrast, the effects of phenylalanine on the exchange kinetics of a mutant enzyme lacking the regulatory domain are limited to peptides surrounding the binding site for the amino acid substrate. These results support a model in which the N-terminus of the protein acts as an inhibitory peptide, with phenylalanine binding causing a conformational change in the regulatory domain that alters the interaction between the catalytic and regulatory domains.

Measurement of intrinsic rate constants in the tyrosine hydroxylase reaction

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TyrH) is a pterin-dependent mononuclear non-heme aromatic amino acid hydroxylase that catalyzes the conversion of tyrosine to dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA). Chemical quench analyses of the enzymatic reaction show a burst of DOPA formation, followed by a linear rate equal to the k(cat) value at both 5 and 30 degrees C. The effects of increasing solvent viscosity confirm that k(cat) is approximately 84% limited by diffusion, most probably due to slow product release, and that tyrosine has a commitment to catalysis of 0.45. The effect of viscosity on the k(cat)/K(m) for 6-methyltetrahydropterin is greater than the theoretical limit, consistent with the coupling of pterin binding to the movement of a surface loop. The absorbance changes in the spectrum of the tetrahydropterin during the first turnover, the kinetics of DOPA formation during the first turnover, and the previously described kinetics for formation and decay of the Fe(IV)O intermediate [Eser, B. E., Barr, E. W., Frantom, P. A., Saleh, L., Bollinger, J. M., Jr., Krebs, C., and Fitzpatrick, P. F. (2007) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 129, 11334-11335] were analyzed globally, yielding a single set of rate constants for the TyrH reaction. Reversible binding of oxygen is followed by formation of Fe(IV)O and 4a-hydroxypterin with a rate constant of 13 s(-1) at 5 degrees C. Transfer of oxygen from Fe(IV)O to tyrosine to form DOPA follows with a rate constant of 22 s(-1). Release of DOPA and/or the 4a-hydroxypterin with a rate constant of 0.86 s(-1) completes the turnover.

Mechanistic studies of human spermine oxidase: kinetic mechanism and pH effects

In mammalian cells, the flavoprotein spermine oxidase (SMO) catalyzes the oxidation of spermine to spermidine and 3-aminopropanal. Mechanistic studies have been conducted with the recombinant human enzyme. The initial velocity pattern in which the ratio between the concentrations of spermine and oxygen is kept constant establishes the steady-state kinetic pattern as ping-pong. Reduction of SMO by spermine in the absence of oxygen is biphasic. The rate constant for the rapid phase varies with the substrate concentration, with a limiting value (k(3)) of 49 s(-1) and an apparent K(d) value of 48 microM at pH 8.3. The rate constant for the slow step is independent of the spermine concentration, with a value of 5.5 s(-1), comparable to the k(cat) value of 6.6 s(-1). The kinetics of the oxidative half-reaction depend on the aging time after the spermine and enzyme are mixed in a double-mixing experiment. At an aging time of 6 s, the reaction is monophasic with a second-order rate constant of 4.2 mM(-1) s(-1). At an aging time of 0.3 s, the reaction is biphasic with two second-order constants equal to 4.0 and 40 mM(-1) s(-1). Neither is equal to the k(cat)/K(O(2)) value of 13 mM(-1) s(-1). These results establish the existence of more than one pathway for the reaction of the reduced flavin intermediate with oxygen. The k(cat)/K(M) value for spermine exhibits a bell-shaped pH profile, with an average pK(a) value of 8.3. This profile is consistent with the active form of spermine having three charged nitrogens. The pH profile for k(3) shows a pK(a) value of 7.4 for a group that must be unprotonated. The pK(i)-pH profiles for the competitive inhibitors N,N'-dibenzylbutane-1,4-diamine and spermidine show that the fully protonated forms of the inhibitors and the unprotonated form of an amino acid residue with a pK(a) of approximately 7.4 in the active site are preferred for binding.

Mechanistic studies of para-substituted N,N'-dibenzyl-1,4-diaminobutanes as substrates for a mammalian polyamine oxidase

The kinetics of oxidation of a series of para-substituted N,N'-dibenzyl-1,4-diaminobutanes by the flavoprotein polyamine oxidase from mouse have been determined to gain insight into the mechanism of amine oxidation by this member of the monoamine oxidase structural family. The k(cat)/K(m) values are maximal at pH 9, consistent with the singly charged substrate being the active form. The rate constant for flavin reduction, k(red), by N,N'-dibenzyl-1,4-diaminobutane decreases about 5-fold below a pK(a) of approximately 8; this is attributed to the need for a neutral nitrogen at the site of oxidation. The k(red) and k(cat) values are comparable for each of the N,N'-dibenzyl-1,4-diaminobutanes, consistent with rate-limiting reduction. The deuterium kinetic isotope effects on k(red) and k(cat) are identical for each of the N,N'-dibenzyl-1,4-diaminobutanes, consistent with rate-limiting cleavage of the substrate CH bond. The k(red) values for seven different para-substituted N,N'-dibenzyl-1,4-diaminobutanes correlate with a combination of the van der Waals volume and sigma value of the substrates, with rho values of -0.59 at pH 8.6 and -0.09 at pH 6.6. These results are consistent with direct transfer of a hydride from the neutral CN bond of the substrate to the flavin as the mechanism of polyamine oxidase.

Use of pH and kinetic isotope effects to establish chemistry as rate-limiting in oxidation of a peptide substrate by LSD1

The mechanism of oxidation of a peptide substrate by the flavoprotein lysine-specific demethylase (LSD1) has been examined using the effects of pH and isotopic substitution on steady-state and rapid-reaction kinetic parameters. The substrate contained the 21 N-terminal residues of histone H3, with a dimethylated lysyl residue at position 4. At pH 7.5, the rate constant for flavin reduction, k(red), equals k(cat), establishing the reductive half-reaction as rate-limiting at physiological pH. Deuteration of the lysyl methyls results in identical kinetic isotope effects of 3.1 +/- 0.2 on the k(red), k(cat), and k(cat)/K(m) values for the peptide, establishing C-H bond cleavage as rate-limiting with this substrate. No intermediates between oxidized and reduced flavin can be detected by stopped-flow spectroscopy, consistent with the expectation for a direct hydride transfer mechanism. The k(cat)/K(m) value for the peptide is bell-shaped, consistent with a requirement that the nitrogen at the site of oxidation be uncharged and that at least one of the other lysyl residues be charged for catalysis. The (D)(k(cat)/K(m)) value for the peptide is pH-independent, suggesting that the observed value is the intrinsic deuterium kinetic isotope effect for oxidation of this substrate.

Spectroscopy and kinetics of wild-type and mutant tyrosine hydroxylase: mechanistic insight into O2 activation

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) is a pterin-dependent nonheme iron enzyme that catalyzes the hydroxylation of L-tyr to L-DOPA in the rate-limiting step of catecholamine neurotransmitter biosynthesis. We have previously shown that the Fe(II) site in phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) converts from six-coordinate (6C) to five-coordinate (5C) only when both substrate + cofactor are bound. However, steady-state kinetics indicate that TH has a different co-substrate binding sequence (pterin + O(2) + L-tyr) than PAH (L-phe + pterin + O(2)). Using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and variable-temperature-variable-field magnetic circular dichroism (VTVH MCD) spectroscopy, we have investigated the geometric and electronic structure of the wild-type (WT) TH and two mutants, S395A and E332A, and their interactions with substrates. All three forms of TH undergo 6C --> 5C conversion with tyr + pterin, consistent with the general mechanistic strategy established for O(2)-activating nonheme iron enzymes. We have also applied single-turnover kinetic experiments with spectroscopic data to evaluate the mechanism of the O(2) and pterin reactions in TH. When the Fe(II) site is 6C, the two-electron reduction of O(2) to peroxide by Fe(II) and pterin is favored over individual one-electron reactions, demonstrating that both a 5C Fe(II) and a redox-active pterin are required for coupled O(2) reaction. When the Fe(II) is 5C, the O(2) reaction is accelerated by at least 2 orders of magnitude. Comparison of the kinetics of WT TH, which produces Fe(IV)=O + 4a-OH-pterin, and E332A TH, which does not, shows that the E332 residue plays an important role in directing the protonation of the bridged Fe(II)-OO-pterin intermediate in WT to productively form Fe(IV)=O, which is responsible for hydroxylating L-tyr to L-DOPA.

Identification by hydrogen/deuterium exchange of structural changes in tyrosine hydroxylase associated with regulation

The activity of tyrosine hydroxylase is regulated by reversible phosphorylation of serine residues in an N-terminal regulatory domain and catecholamine inhibition at the active site. Catecholamines such as dopamine bind very tightly to the resting enzyme; phosphorylation of Ser40 decreases the affinity for catecholamines by 3 orders of magnitude. The effects of dopamine binding and phosphorylation of Ser40 on the kinetics of deuterium incorporation into peptide bonds were examined by mass spectrometry. When dopamine is bound, three peptic peptides show significantly slower deuterium incorporation, 35-41 and 42-71 in the regulatory domain and 295-299 in the catalytic domain. In the phosphorylated enzyme, peptide 295-299 shows more rapid incorporation of deuterium, while 35-41 and 42-71 can not be detected. These results are consistent with tyrosine hydroxylase existing in two different conformations. In the closed conformation, the regulatory domain lies across the active site loop containing residues 295-298; this is stabilized when dopamine is bound in the active site. In the open conformation, the regulatory domain has moved out of the active site, allowing substrate access; this conformation is favored by phosphorylation of Ser40.

Crystal structures of intermediates in the nitroalkane oxidase reaction

The flavoenzyme nitroalkane oxidase is a member of the acyl-CoA dehydrogenase superfamily. Nitroalkane oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of neutral nitroalkanes to nitrite and the corresponding aldehydes or ketones. Crystal structures to 2.2 A resolution or better of enzyme complexes with bound substrates and of a trapped substrate-flavin adduct are described. The D402N enzyme has no detectable activity with neutral nitroalkanes [Valley, M. P., and Fitzpatrick, P. F. (2003) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 125, 8738-8739]. The structure of the D402N enzyme crystallized in the presence of 1-nitrohexane or 1-nitrooctane shows the presence of the substrate in the binding site. The aliphatic chain of the substrate extends into a tunnel leading to the enzyme surface. The oxygens of the substrate nitro group interact both with amino acid residues and with the 2'-hydroxyl of the FAD. When nitroalkane oxidase oxidizes nitroalkanes in the presence of cyanide, an electrophilic flavin imine intermediate can be trapped [Valley, M. P., Tichy, S. E., and Fitzpatrick, P. F. (2005) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 127, 2062-2066]. The structure of the enzyme trapped with cyanide during oxidation of 1-nitrohexane shows the presence of the modified flavin. A continuous hydrogen bond network connects the nitrogen of the CN-hexyl-FAD through the FAD 2'-hydroxyl to a chain of water molecules extending to the protein surface. Together, our complementary approaches provide strong evidence that the flavin cofactor is in the appropriate oxidation state and correlates well with the putative intermediate state observed within each of the crystal structures. Consequently, these results provide important structural descriptions of several steps along the nitroalkane oxidase reaction cycle.

Demonstration of a peroxide shunt in the tetrahydropterin-dependent aromatic amino acid monooxygenases

The nonheme iron enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase, tyrosine hydroxylase, and tryptophan hydroxylase catalyze the hydroxylation of their aromatic amino acid substrates using a tetrahydropterin as the source of electrons. The hydroxylating intermediate is proposed to be an Fe(IV)O species. We report here that all three enzymes will catalyze hydroxylation reactions using H(2)O(2) in place of tetrahydropterin and oxygen, forming tyrosine and 3-hydroxyphenylalanine from phenylalanine, 4-HOCH(2)-phenylalanine from 4-CH(3)-phenylalanine, and hydroxycyclohexylalanine from 3-cyclohexylalanine. No peroxide-dependent reaction is seen with active site mutants of TyrH and PheH in which the stability or reactivity of the iron center is compromised. These results provide further support for an Fe(IV)O hydroxylating intermediate.

pH dependence of a mammalian polyamine oxidase: insights into substrate specificity and the role of lysine 315

Mammalian polyamine oxidases (PAOs) catalyze the oxidation of N1-acetylspermine and N1-acetylspermidine to produce N-acetyl-3-aminopropanaldehyde and spermidine or putrescine. Structurally, PAO is a member of the monoamine oxidase family of flavoproteins. The effects of pH on the kinetic parameters of mouse PAO have been determined to provide insight into the protonation state of the polyamine required for catalysis and the roles of ionizable residues in the active site in amine oxidation. For N1-acetylspermine, N1-acetylspermidine, and spermine, the k(cat)/K(amine)-pH profiles are bell-shaped. In each case, the profile agrees with that expected if the productive form of the substrate has a single positively charged nitrogen. The pK(i)-pH profiles for a series of polyamine analogues are most consistent with the nitrogen at the site of oxidation being neutral and one other nitrogen being positively charged in the reactive form of the substrate. With N1-acetylspermine as the substrate, the value of k(red), the limiting rate constant for flavin reduction, is pH-dependent, decreasing below a pK(a) value of 7.3, again consistent with the requirement for an uncharged nitrogen for substrate oxidation. Lys315 in PAO corresponds to a conserved active site residue found throughout the monoamine oxidase family. Mutation of Lys315 to methionine has no effect on the k(cat)/K(amine) profile for spermine; the k(red) value with N1-acetylspermine is only 1.8-fold lower in the mutant protein, and the pK(a) in the k(red)-pH profile with N1-acetylspermine shifts to 7.8. These results rule out Lys315 as a source of a pK(a) in the k(cat)/K(amine) or k(cat)/k(red) profiles. They also establish that this residue does not play a critical role in amine oxidation by PAO.

Kinetic isotope effects on aromatic and benzylic hydroxylation by Chromobacterium violaceum phenylalanine hydroxylase as probes of chemical mechanism and reactivity

Phenylalanine hydroxylase from Chromobacterium violaceum (CvPheH) is a non-heme iron monooxygenase that catalyzes the hydroxylation of phenylalanine to tyrosine. In this study, we used deuterium kinetic isotope effects to probe the chemical mechanisms of aromatic and benzylic hydroxylation to compare the reactivities of bacterial and eukaryotic aromatic amino acid hydroxylases. The (D) k cat value for the reaction of CvPheH with [(2)H 5]phenylalanine is 1.2 with 6-methyltetrahydropterin and 1.4 with 6,7-dimethyltetrahydropterin. With the mutant enzyme I234D, the (D) k cat value decreases to 0.9 with the latter pterin; this is likely to be the intrinsic effect for addition of oxygen to the amino acid. The isotope effect on the subsequent tautomerization of a dienone intermediate was determined to be 5.1 by measuring the retention of deuterium in tyrosine produced from partially deuterated phenylalanine; this large isotope effect is responsible for the normal effect on k cat. The isotope effect for hydroxylation of the methyl group of 4-CH 3-phenylalanine, obtained from the partitioning of benzylic and aromatic hydroxylation products, is 10. The temperature dependence of this isotope effect establishes the contribution of hydrogen tunneling to benzylic hydroxylation by this enzyme. The results presented here provide evidence that the reactivities of the prokaryotic and eukaryotic hydroxylases are similar and further define the reactivity of the iron center for the family of aromatic amino acid hydroxylases.

Characterization of metal ligand mutants of phenylalanine hydroxylase: Insights into the plasticity of a 2-histidine-1-carboxylate triad

The iron atom in the nonheme iron monooxygenase phenylalanine hydroxylase is bound on one face by His285, His290, and Glu330. This arrangement of metal ligands is conserved in the other aromatic amino acid hydroxylases, tyrosine hydroxylase and tryptophan hydroxylase. A similar 2-His-1-carboxylate facial triad of two histidines and an acidic residue are the ligands to the iron in other nonheme iron enzymes, including the alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent hydroxylases and the extradiol dioxygenases. Previous studies of the effects of conservative mutations of the iron ligands in tyrosine hydroxylase established that there is some plasticity in the nature of the ligands and that the three ligands differ in their sensitivity to mutagenesis. To determine the generality of this finding for enzymes containing a 2-His-1-carboxylate facial triad, the His285, His290, and Glu330 in rat phenylalanine hydroxylase were mutated to glutamine, glutamate, and histidine. All of the mutant proteins had low but measurable activities for tyrosine formation. In general, mutation of Glu330 had the greatest effect on activity and mutation of His290 the least. All of the mutations resulted in an excess of tetrahydropterin oxidized relative to tyrosine formation, with mutation of His285 having the greatest effect on the coupling of the two partial reactions. The H285Q enzyme had the highest activity as tetrahydropterin oxidase at 20% the wild-type value. All of the mutations greatly decreased the affinity for iron, with mutation of Glu330 the most deleterious. The results complement previous results with tyrosine hydroxylase in establishing the plasticity of the individual iron ligands in this enzyme family.

Mechanistic studies of the flavoenzyme tryptophan 2-monooxygenase: deuterium and 15N kinetic isotope effects on alanine oxidation by an L-amino acid oxidase

Tryptophan 2-monooxygenase (TMO) from Pseudomonas savastanoi catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of l-tryptophan during the biosynthesis of indoleacetic acid. Structurally and mechanistically, the enzyme is a member of the family of l-amino acid oxidases. Deuterium and 15N kinetic isotope effects were used to probe the chemical mechanism of l-alanine oxidation by TMO. The primary deuterium kinetic isotope effect was pH independent over the pH range 6.5-10, with an average value of 6.0 +/- 0.5, consistent with this being the intrinsic value. The deuterium isotope effect on the rate constant for flavin reduction by alanine was 6.3 +/- 0.9; no intermediate flavin species were observed during flavin reduction. The kcat/Kala value was 1.0145 +/- 0.0007 at pH 8. NMR analyses gave an equilibrium 15N isotope effect for deprotonation of the alanine amino group of 1.0233 +/- 0.0004, allowing calculation of the 15N isotope effect on the CH bond cleavage step of 0.9917 +/- 0.0006. The results are consistent with TMO oxidation of alanine occurring through a hydride transfer mechanism.

Mechanistic and structural analyses of the roles of Arg409 and Asp402 in the reaction of the flavoprotein nitroalkane oxidase

The flavoprotein nitroalkane oxidase (NAO) catalyzes the oxidation of primary and secondary nitroalkanes to the corresponding aldehydes and ketones. The enzyme is a homologue of acyl-CoA dehydrogenase. Asp402 in NAO has been proposed to be the active site base responsible for removing the substrate proton in the first catalytic step; structurally it corresponds to the glutamate which acts as the base in medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase. In the active site of NAO, the carboxylate of Asp402 forms an ionic interaction with the side chain of Arg409. The R409K enzyme has now been characterized kinetically and structurally. The mutation results in a decrease in the rate constant for proton abstraction of 100-fold. Analysis of the three-dimensional structure of the R409K enzyme, determined by X-ray crystallography to a resolution of 2.65 A, shows that the critical structural change is an increase in the distance between the carboxylate of Asp402 and the positively charged nitrogen in the side chain of the residue at position 409. The D402E mutation results in a smaller decrease in the rate constant for proton abstraction of 18-fold. The structure of the D402E enzyme, determined at 2.4 A resolution, shows that there is a smaller increase in the distance between Arg409 and the carboxylate at position 402, and the interaction of this residue with Ser276 is perturbed. These results establish the critical importance of the interaction between Asp402 and Arg409 for proton abstraction by nitroalkane oxidase.

Mechanistic and structural studies of H373Q flavocytochrome b2: effects of mutating the active site base

His373 in flavocytochrome b2 has been proposed to act as an active site base during the oxidation of lactate to pyruvate, most likely by removing the lactate hydroxyl proton. The effects of mutating this residue to glutamine have been determined to provide further insight into its role. The kcat and kcat/Klactate values for the mutant protein are 3 to 4 orders of magnitude smaller than the wild-type values, consistent with a critical role for His373. Similar effects are seen when the mutation is incorporated into the isolated flavin domain of the enzyme, narrowing the effects to lactate oxidation rather than subsequent electron transfers. The decrease of 3500-fold in the rate constant for reduction of the enzyme-bound FMN by lactate confirms this part of the reaction as that most effected by the mutation. The primary deuterium and solvent kinetic isotope effects for the mutant enzyme are significantly smaller than the wild-type values, establishing that bond cleavage steps are less rate-limiting in H373Q flavocytochrome b2 than in the wild-type enzyme. The structure of the mutant enzyme with pyruvate bound, determined at 2.8 A, provides a rationale for these effects. The orientation of pyruvate in the active site is altered from that seen in the wild-type enzyme. In addition, the active site residues Arg289, Asp 292, and Leu 286 have altered positions in the mutant protein. The combination of an altered active site and the small kinetic isotope effects is consistent with the slowest step in turnover being a conformational change involving a conformation in which lactate is bound unproductively.

Insights into the mechanism of flavoprotein-catalyzed amine oxidation from nitrogen isotope effects on the reaction of N-methyltryptophan oxidase

The mechanism of N-methyltryptophan oxidase, a flavin-dependent amine oxidase from Escherichia coli, was studied using a combination of kinetic isotope effects and theoretical calculations. The 15(kcat/Km) kinetic isotope effect for sarcosine oxidation is pH-dependent with a limiting value of 0.994-0.995 at high pH. Density functional theory calculations on model systems were used to interpret these isotope effects. The isotope effects are inconsistent with proposed mechanisms involving covalent amine-flavin adducts but cannot by themselves conclusively distinguish between some discrete electron-transfer mechanisms and a direct hydride-transfer mechanism, although the latter mechanism is more consistent with the energetics of the reaction.

The synthesis of deuterium-labeled spermine, N-acetylspermine and N-acetylspermidine

The synthesis of deuterium labeled spermine, N(1)-acetylspermine and N(1)-acetylspermidine is reported. 1,1,3,3-(2)H(4)-N(1)-Acetylspermine hydrochloride, 1,1,3,3-(2)H(4)-N(1)-acetylspermidine hydrochloride and 1,1,3,3,10,10,12,12-(2)H(8)-spermine dihydrochloride were obtained in seven, four and three steps respectively. All the syntheses were carried out by simple protection and deprotection steps from commonly used selective protecting reagents. These deuterium labeled compounds can be used as mechanistic probes of polyamine oxidizing enzymes.

Insights into the mechanisms of flavoprotein oxidases from kinetic isotope effects

Deuterium, solvent, and (15)N kinetic isotope effects have been used to probe the mechanisms by which flavoproteins oxidize carbon-oxygen and carbon-nitrogen bonds in amines, hydroxy acids, and alcohols. For the amine oxidases d-amino acid oxidase, N-methyltryptophan oxidase, and tryptophan monooxygenase, d-serine, sarcosine, and alanine are slow substrates for which CH bond cleavage is fully rate limiting. Inverse isotope effects for each of 0.992-0.996 are consistent with a common mechanism involving hydride transfer from the uncharged amine. Computational analyses of possible mechanisms support this conclusion. Deuterium and solvent isotope effects with wild-type and mutant variants of the lactate dehydrogenase flavocytochrome b(2) show that OH and CH bond cleavage are not concerted, but become so in the Y254F enzyme. This is consistent with a highly asynchronous reaction in which OH bond cleavage precedes hydride transfer. The results of Hammett analyses and solvent and deuterium isotope effects support a similar mechanism for alcohol oxidase.

Insights into the catalytic mechanisms of phenylalanine and tryptophan hydroxylase from kinetic isotope effects on aromatic hydroxylation

Phenylalanine hydroxylase (PheH) and tryptophan hydroxylase (TrpH) catalyze the aromatic hydroxylation of phenylalanine and tryptophan, forming tyrosine and 5-hydroxytryptophan, respectively. The reactions of PheH and TrpH have been investigated with [4-(2)H]-, [3,5-(2)H(2)]-, and (2)H(5)-phenylalanine as substrates. All (D)k(cat) values are normal with Delta117PheH, the catalytic core of rat phenylalanine hydroxylase, ranging from 1.12-1.41. In contrast, for Delta117PheH V379D, a mutant protein in which the stoichiometry between tetrahydropterin oxidation and amino acid hydroxylation is altered, the (D)k(cat) value with [4-(2)H]-phenylalanine is 0.92 but is normal with [3,5-(2)H(2)]-phenylalanine. The ratio of tetrahydropterin oxidation to amino acid hydroxylation for Delta117PheH V379D shows a similar inverse isotope effect with [4-(2)H]-phenylalanine. Intramolecular isotope effects, determined from the deuterium contents of the tyrosine formed from [4-(2)H]-and [3,5(2)H(2)]-phenylalanine, are identical for Delta117PheH and Delta117PheH V379D, suggesting that steps subsequent to oxygen addition are unaffected in the mutant protein. The inverse effects are consistent with the reaction of an activated ferryl-oxo species at the para position of the side chain of the amino acid to form a cationic intermediate. The normal effects on the (D)k(cat) value for the wild-type enzyme are attributed to an isotope effect of 5.1 on the tautomerization of a dienone intermediate to tyrosine with a rate constant 6- to7-fold that for hydroxylation. In addition, there is a slight ( approximately 34%) preference for the loss of the hydrogen originally at C4 of phenylalanine. With (2)H(5)-indole-tryptophan as a substrate for Delta117PheH, the (D)k(cat) value is 0.89, consistent with hydroxylation being rate-limiting in this case. When deuterated phenylalanines are used as substrates for TrpH, the (D)k(cat) values are within error of those for Delta117PheH V379D. Overall, these results are consistent with the aromatic amino acid hydroxylases all sharing the same chemical mechanism, but with the isotope effect for hydroxylation by PheH being masked by tautomerization of an enedione intermediate to tyrosine.

Effects of ligands on the mobility of an active-site loop in tyrosine hydroxylase as monitored by fluorescence anisotropy

Fluorescence anisotropy has been used to monitor the effect of ligands on a mobile loop over the active site of tyrosine hydroxylase. Phe184 in the center of the loop was mutated to tryptophan, and the three native tryptophan residues were mutated to phenylalanine to form an enzyme with a single tryptophan residue in the mobile loop. The addition of 6-methyl-5-deazatetrahydropterin to the enzyme resulted in a significant increase in the fluorescence anisotropy. The addition of phenylalanine did not result in a significant change in the anisotropy in the presence or absence of the deazapterin. The K(d) value for the deazapterin was unaffected by the presence of phenylalanine. Qualitatively similar results were obtained with apoenzyme, except that the addition of phenylalanine led to a slight decrease in anisotropy. Frequency-domain lifetime measurements showed that the distribution of lifetimes was unaffected by both the amino acid and deazapterin. Frequency-domain anisotropy analyses were consistent with a decrease in the motion of the sole tryptophan in the presence of the deazapterin. This could be modeled as a decrease in the cone angle for the indole ring of about 12 degrees . The data are consistent with a model in which binding of a tetrahydropterin results in a change in the conformation of the surface loop required for proper formation of the amino acid binding site.

Crystal structures of nitroalkane oxidase: insights into the reaction mechanism from a covalent complex of the flavoenzyme trapped during turnover

Nitroalkane oxidase (NAO) from Fusarium oxysporum catalyzes the oxidation of neutral nitroalkanes to the corresponding aldehydes or ketones with the production of H(2)O(2) and nitrite. The flavoenzyme is a new member of the acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (ACAD) family, but it does not react with acyl-CoA substrates. We present the 2.2 A resolution crystal structure of NAO trapped during the turnover of nitroethane as a covalent N5-FAD adduct (ES*). The homotetrameric structure of ES* was solved by MAD phasing with 52 Se-Met sites in an orthorhombic space group. The electron density for the N5-(2-nitrobutyl)-1,5-dihydro-FAD covalent intermediate is clearly resolved. The structure of ES was used to solve the crystal structure of oxidized NAO at 2.07 A resolution. The c axis for the trigonal space group of oxidized NAO is 485 A, and there are six subunits (1(1)/(2) holoenzymes) in the asymmetric unit. Four of the active sites contain spermine (EI), a weak competitive inhibitor, and two do not contain spermine (E(ox)). The active-site structures of E(ox), EI, and ES* reveal a hydrophobic channel that extends from the exterior of the protein and terminates at Asp402 and the N5 position on the re face of the FAD. Thus, Asp402 is in the correct position to serve as the active-site base, where it is proposed to abstract the alpha proton from neutral nitroalkane substrates. The structures for NAO and various members of the ACAD family overlay with root-mean-square deviations between 1.7 and 3.1 A. The homologous region typically spans more than 325 residues and includes Glu376, which is the active-site base in the prototypical member of the ACAD family. However, NAO and the ACADs exhibit differences in hydrogen-bonding patterns between the respective active-site base, substrate molecules, and FAD. These likely differentiate NAO from the homologues and, consequently, are proposed to result in the unique reaction mechanism of NAO.

A flexible loop in tyrosine hydroxylase controls coupling of amino acid hydroxylation to tetrahydropterin oxidation

The role of a polypeptide loop in tyrosine hydroxylase (TyrH) whose homolog in phenylalanine hydroxylase (PheH) takes on a different conformation when substrates are bound has been studied using site-directed mutagenesis. The loop spans positions 177 to 191; alanine was introduced into those positions, introducing one alanine substitution per TyrH variant. Mutagenesis of residues in the center of the loop resulted in alterations in the KM values for substrates, the Vmax value for dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) synthesis, and the coupling of tetrahydropterin oxidation to tyrosine hydroxylation. The variant with the most altered KM value for 6-methyltetrahydropterin was TyrH F184A. The variants with the most affected K(tyr) values were those with substitutions in the center of the loop, TyrH K183A, F184A, D185A, P186A and D187A. These five variants also had the most reduced Vmax values for DOPA synthesis. Alanine substitution in positions 182-186 resulted in lowered ratios of tyrosine hydroxylation to tetrahydropterin oxidation. TyrH F184Y and PheH Y138F, variants with the residue at the center of the loop substituted with the residue present at the homologous position in the other hydroxylase, were also studied. The V/K(tyr) to V/K(phe) ratios for these variants were altered significantly, but the results did not suggest that F184 of TyrH or Y138 of PheH plays a dominant role in determining amino acid substrate specificity.

Intrinsic isotope effects on benzylic hydroxylation by the aromatic amino acid hydroxylases: evidence for hydrogen tunneling, coupled motion, and similar reactivities

Deuterium kinetic isotope effects for hydroxylation of the methyl group of 4-methylphenylalanine have been used as a probe of the relative reactivities of the hydroxylating intermediates in the aromatic amino acid hydroxylases phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan hydroxylase. When there are three deuterium atoms in the methyl group, all three enzymes exhibit an intrinsic isotope effect of about 13. The temperature dependence of the isotope effect is consistent with moderate tunneling, with the extent of tunneling identical for all three enzymes. In the case of phenylalanine hydroxylase, the presence of the regulatory domain has no effect on the values. The intrinsic primary and secondary isotope effects were determined using 4-methylphenylalanine containing one or two deuterium atoms in the methyl group. With one deuterium atom, the intrinsic primary and secondary effects have average values of 10 and 1.1, respectively. With two deuterium atoms, the primary effects decrease to 7.4 and the secondary effect increases to 1.3, consistent with coupled motion of the primary and secondary hydrogens. The results with all three enzymes are consistent with a hydrogen abstraction mechanism. The similarities of the isotope effects and extent of tunneling establish that the reactivities of the hydroxylating intermediates in the three enzymes are essentially identical.

Reduction and oxidation of the active site iron in tyrosine hydroxylase: kinetics and specificity

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TyrH) is a pterin-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the hydroxylation of tyrosine to form dihydroxyphenylalanine. The oxidation state of the active site iron atom plays a central role in the regulation of the enzyme. The kinetics of reduction of ferric TyrH by several reductants were determined by anaerobic stopped-flow spectroscopy. Anaerobic rapid freeze-quench EPR confirmed that the change in the near-UV absorbance of TyrH upon adding reductant corresponded to iron reduction. Tetrahydrobiopterin reduces wild-type TyrH following a simple second-order mechanism with a rate constant of 2.8 +/- 0.1 mM(-)(1) s(-)(1). 6-Methyltetrahydropterin reduces the ferric enzyme with a second-order rate constant of 6.1 +/- 0.1 mM(-)(1) s(-)(1) and exhibits saturation kinetics. No EPR signal for a radical intermediate was detected. Ascorbate, glutathione, and 1,4-benzoquinone all reduce ferric TyrH, but much more slowly than tetrahydrobiopterin, suggesting that the pterin is a physiological reductant. E332A TyrH, which has an elevated K(m) for tetrahydropterin in the catalytic reaction, is reduced by tetrahydropterins with the same kinetic parameters as those of the wild-type enzyme, suggesting that BH(4) does not bind in the catalytic conformation during the reduction. Oxidation of ferrous TyrH by molecular oxygen can be described as a single-step second-order reaction, with a rate constant of 210 mM(-)(1) s(-)(1). S40E TyrH, which mimics the phosphorylated state of the enzyme, has oxidation and reduction kinetics similar to those of the wild-type enzyme, suggesting that phosphorylation does not directly regulate the interconversion of the ferric and ferrous forms.

Effects of mutations in tyrosine hydroxylase associated with progressive dystonia on the activity and stability of the protein

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TyrH) catalyzes the conversion of tyrosine to dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA), the rate-limiting step in the biosynthesis of dopamine. Four mutations in the TyrH gene have recently been described in cases of autosomal recessive DOPA-responsive dystonia (Swaans et al., Ann Hum Genet 2000;64:25-31). All four are predicted to result in changes in single amino acid residues in the catalytic domain of the protein: T245P, T283M, R306H, and T463M. To determine the effects of these mutations on the molecular properties of the enzyme, mutant proteins containing the individual single amino acid changes have been expressed in bacteria and purified. Only the T283M mutation results in a decrease in the enzyme k(cat) value, while the T245P enzyme has a slightly higher value than the wild-type enzyme. The only case in which a K(m) value for either tyrosine or tetrahydrobiopterin is perturbed is the T245P enzyme, for which the K(m) value for tyrosine has increased about 50%. In contrast to the minor effects of the mutations on enzyme activity, the stability is decreased significantly by the mutations. The R306H and T283M enzymes are the least stable, losing activity 30- and 50-fold more rapidly than the wild-type enzyme. The apparent T(m) value for unfolding was decreased by 3.9, 8.2, and 7.2 degrees for the T245P, R306H, and T463M enzymes, while the T283M enzyme was too unstable for measurement of a T(m) value. The results establish that the physiological effects of the mutations are primarily due to the decreased stability of the mutant proteins rather than decreases in their intrinsic activities.

Mechanistic studies of mouse polyamine oxidase with N1,N12-bisethylspermine as a substrate

In mammalian cells, the flavoprotein polyamine oxidase catalyzes a key step in the catabolism of polyamines, the oxidation of N1-acetylspermine and N1-acetylspermidine to spermidine and putrescine, respectively. The mechanism of the mouse enzyme has been studied with N1,N12-bisethylspermine (BESPM) as a substrate. At pH 10, the pH optimum, the limiting rate of reduction of the flavin in the absence of oxygen is comparable to the k(cat) value for turnover, establishing reduction as rate-limiting. Oxidation of the reduced enzyme is a simple second-order reaction. No intermediates are seen in the reductive or oxidative half-reactions. The k(cat) value decreases below a pK(a) of 9.0. The k(cat)/K(m) value for BESPM exhibits a bell-shaped pH profile, with pK(a) values of 9.8 and 10.8. These pK(a) values are assigned to the substrate nitrogens. The rate constant for the reaction of the reduced enzyme with oxygen is not affected by a pH between 7.5 and 10. Active site residue Tyr430 is conserved in the homologous protein monoamine oxidase. Mutation of this residue to phenylalanine results in a 6-fold decrease in the k(cat) value and the k(cat)/K(m) value for oxygen due to a comparable decrease in the rate constant for flavin reduction. This moderate change is not consistent with this residue forming a tyrosyl radical during catalysis.

pH and kinetic isotope effects on sarcosine oxidation by N-methyltryptophan oxidase

N-Methyltryptophan oxidase (MTOX), a flavoenzyme from Escherichia coli, catalyzes the oxidative demethylation of secondary amino acids such as N-methyltryptophan or N-methylglycine (sarcosine). MTOX is one of several flavin-dependent amine oxidases whose chemical mechanism is still debated. The kinetic properties of MTOX with the slow substrate sarcosine were determined. Initial rate data are well-described by the equation for a ping-pong kinetic mechanism, in that the V/K(O)()2 value is independent of the sarcosine concentration at all accessible concentrations of oxygen. The k(cat)/K(sarc) pH profile is bell-shaped, with pK(a) values of 8.8 and about 10; the latter value matches the pK(a) value of the substrate nitrogen. The k(cat) pH profile exhibits a single pK(a) value of 9.1 for a group that must be unprotonated for catalysis. There is no significant solvent isotope effect on the k(cat)/K(sarc) value. With N-methyl-(2)H(3)-glycine as the substrate, there is a pH-independent kinetic isotope effect on k(cat), k(cat)/K(sarc), and the rate constant for flavin reduction, with an average value of 7.2. Stopped-flow spectroscopy with both the protiated and deuterated substrate failed to detect any intermediates between the enzyme-substrate complex and the fully reduced enzyme. These results are used to evaluate proposed chemical mechanisms.

Establishing the kinetic competency of the cationic imine intermediate in nitroalkane oxidase

The flavoprotein nitroalkane oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of neutral nitroalkanes to the corresponding aldehydes and ketones. Cyanide inactivates the enzyme during turnover in a concentration-dependent fashion. Mass spectrometry of the flavin from enzyme inactivated by cyanide in the presence of nitroethane or nitrohexane shows that a flavin cyanoethyl or cyanohexyl intermediate has formed. At high concentrations of cyanide, inactivation does not consume oxygen. Rapid reaction studies show that formation of the adduct with 2-(2H2)-nitroethane shows a kinetic isotope effect of 7.9. These results are consistent with cyanide reacting with a species formed after proton abstraction but before flavin oxidation. The proposed mechanism for nitroalkane oxidase involves removal of a proton from the nitroalkane, forming a carbanion which adds to the flavin N(5). Elimination of nitrite from the resulting adduct would form an electrophilic imine which can be attacked by hydroxide. The present results are consistent with cyanide trapping this electrophilic intermediate.

Mutation of regulatory serines of rat tyrosine hydroxylase to glutamate: effects on enzyme stability and activity

Tyrosine hydroxylase is phosphorylated at four serine residues in its amino-terminus by multiple kinases. Phosphorylation of serine 40 by cAMP-dependent protein kinase results in alleviation of dopamine inhibition [J. Biol. Chem. 267 (1992) 12639]. The other serines are at positions 8, 19, and 31. The effect of phosphorylation at these serines has been investigated using mutated forms of tyrosine hydroxylase containing glutamates at the positions of the serines. The S8E, S19E, and S31E tyrosine hydroxylase variants have similar steady-state kinetic parameters and similar binding affinity for catecholamines to wild-type enzyme. The S8E, S19E, S31E, and S40E variants differ in stability at elevated temperatures. The S40E variant is the least stable, while the others are all more stable than wild-type enzyme. The increased stability of S8E, S19E, and S31E tyrosine hydroxylases may be one of the physiological effects of phosphorylation. It may also have implications for the interpretation of activities of heterogeneous mixtures of tyrosine hydroxylase which have been phosphorylated.

Nitroalkane oxidase, a carbanion-forming flavoprotein homologous to acyl-CoA dehydrogenase

While several flavoproteins will oxidize nitroalkanes in addition to their physiological substrates, nitroalkane oxidase (NAO) is the only one which does not require the anionic nitroalkane. This, in addition to the induction of NAO by nitroethane seen in Fusarium oxysporum, suggests that oxidation of a nitroaliphatic species is the physiological role of the enzyme. Mechanistic studies of the reaction with nitroethane as substrate have established many of the details of the enzymatic reaction. The enzyme is unique in being the only flavoprotein to date for which a carbanion is definitively established as an intermediate in catalysis. Recent structural analyses show that NAO is homologous to the acyl-CoA dehydrogenase and acyl-CoA oxidase families of enzymes. In NAO, the glutamate which acts as the active site base in the latter enzymes is replaced by an aspartate.

Carbanion versus hydride transfer mechanisms in flavoprotein-catalyzed dehydrogenations

The present understanding of the mechanisms by which flavoproteins oxidize amino acid or hydroxy acids to the respective imino or keto acids is reviewed. The observation that many of these enzymes catalyze the elimination of HBr or HCl from the appropriate beta-halogenated substrate was long considered evidence for a carbanion intermediate. Recent structural and mechanistic studies are not compatible with the intermediacy of carbanions in the reactions catalyzed by d-amino acid oxidase and flavocytochrome b(2). In contrast, the data are most consistent with mechanisms involving direct hydride transfer.

Identification of tyrosine hydroxylase as a physiological substrate for Cdk5

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is emerging as a neuronal protein kinase involved in multiple aspects of neurotransmission in both post- and presynaptic compartments. Within the reward/motor circuitry of the basal ganglia, Cdk5 regulates dopamine neurotransmission via phosphorylation of the postsynaptic signal transduction pathway integrator, DARPP-32 (dopamine- and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein, M(r) 32,000). Cdk5 has also been implicated in regulating various steps in the presynaptic vesicle cycle. Here we report that Cdk5 phosphorylates tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the key enzyme for synthesis of dopamine. Using phosphopeptide mapping, site-directed mutagenesis, and phosphorylation state-specific antibodies, the site was identified as Ser31, a previously defined extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) site. The phosphorylation of Ser31 by Cdk5 versus ERK1/2 was investigated in intact mouse striatal tissue using a pharmacological approach. The results indicated that Cdk5 phosphorylates TH directly and also regulates ERK1/2-dependent phosphorylation of TH through the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1 (MEK1). Finally, phospho-Ser31 TH levels were increased in dopaminergic neurons of rats trained to chronically self-administer cocaine. These results demonstrate direct and indirect regulation of the phosphorylation state of a Cdk5/ERK1/2 site on TH and suggest a role for these pathways in the neuroadaptive changes associated with chronic cocaine exposure.

Effects of phosphorylation by protein kinase A on binding of catecholamines to the human tyrosine hydroxylase isoforms

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TyrH), the catalyst for the key regulatory step in catecholamine biosynthesis, is phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) on a serine residue in a regulatory domain. In the case of the rat enzyme, phosphorylation of Ser40 by PKA is critical in regulating the enzyme activity; the effect of phosphorylation is to relieve the enzyme from inhibition by dopamine and dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA). There are four isoforms of human tyrosine hydroxylase (hTyrH), differing in the size of an insertion after Met30. The effects of phosphorylation by PKA on the binding of DOPA and dopamine have now been determined for all four human isoforms. There is an increase of about two-fold in the Kd value for DOPA for isoform 1 upon phosphorylation, from 4.4 to 7.4 microM; this effect decreases with the larger isoforms such that there is no effect of phosphorylation on the Kd value for isoform 4. Dopamine binds more much tightly, with Kd values less than 3 nM for all four unphosphorylated isoforms. Phosphorylation decreases the affinity for dopamine at least two orders of magnitude, resulting in Kd values of about 0.1 microM for the phosphorylated human enzymes, due primarily to increases in the rate constant for dissociation of dopamine. Dopamine binds about two-fold less tightly to the phosphorylated isoform 1 than to the other three isoforms. The results extend the regulatory model developed for the rat enzyme, in which the activity is regulated by the opposing effects of catecholamine binding and phosphorylation by PKA. The small effects on the relatively high Kd values for DOPA suggest that DOPA levels do not regulate the activity of hTyrH.

Comparison of enzymatic and non-enzymatic nitroethane anion formation: thermodynamics and contribution of tunneling

In the reaction of nitroalkane oxidase (NAO), the oxidation of nitroalkanes to the corresponding aldehydes or ketones is initiated by the deprotonation of the neutral nitroalkane. The energetics of nitroethane ionization for both the enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions have been determined by measuring rate constants as a function of temperature. At 25 degrees C, the rate constant for the acetate-catalyzed reaction is a billionfold smaller than the kcat/Km value for NAO. This corresponds to a difference of 12.3 kcal/mol in the free energy of activation that is largely due to a difference in the activation enthalpy. Analysis of the temperature dependence of the deuterium kinetic isotope effects on the reactions yields similar DeltaEa and AH/AD values for the acetate, phosphate, and NAO-catalyzed reactions that fall within the semiclassical limits, consistent with similar contributions of tunneling to the enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions.

Crystallization and preliminary analysis of active nitroalkane oxidase in three crystal forms

Nitroalkane oxidase (NAO), a flavoprotein cloned and purified from Fusarium oxysporum, catalyzes the oxidation of neutral nitroalkanes to the corresponding aldehydes or ketones, with the production of H2O2 and nitrite. In this paper, the crystallization and preliminary X-ray data analysis of three crystal forms of active nitroalkane oxidase are described. The first crystal form belongs to a trigonal space group (either P3(1)21 or P3(2)21, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 103.8, c = 487.0 A) and diffracts to at least 1.6 A resolution. Several data sets were collected using 2theta and kappa geometry in order to obtain a complete data set to 2.07 A resolution. Solvent-content and Matthews coefficient analysis suggests that crystal form 1 contains two homotetramers per asymmetric unit. Crystal form 2 (P2(1)2(1)2(1); a = 147.3, b = 153.5, c = 169.5 A) and crystal form 3 (P3(1) or P3(2); a = b = 108.9, c = 342.5 A) are obtained from slightly different conditions and also contain two homotetramers per asymmetric unit, but have different solvent contents. A three-wavelength MAD data set was collected from selenomethionine-enriched NAO (SeMet-NAO) in crystal form 3 and will be used for phasing.

Solvent and primary deuterium isotope effects show that lactate CH and OH bond cleavages are concerted in Y254F flavocytochrome b2, consistent with a hydride transfer mechanism

Yeast flavocytochrome b(2) catalyzes the oxidation of lactate to pyruvate; because of the wealth of structural and mechanistic information available, this enzyme has served as the model for the family of flavoproteins catalyzing oxidation of alpha-hydroxy acids. Primary deuterium and solvent isotope effects have now been used to analyze the effects of mutating the active site residue Tyr254 to phenylalanine. Both the V(max) and the V/K(lactate) values decrease about 40-fold in the mutant enzyme. The primary deuterium isotope effects on the V(max) and the V/K(lactate) values increase to 5.0, equivalent to the intrinsic isotope effect for the wild-type enzyme. In addition, both the V(max) and the V/K(lactate) values exhibit solvent isotope effects of 1.5. Measurement of the solvent isotope effect with deuterated lactate establishes that the primary and solvent isotope effects arise from the same chemical step, consistent with concerted cleavage of the lactate OH and CH bonds. The pH dependence of the mutant enzyme is not significantly different from that of the wild-type enzyme; this is most consistent with a requirement that the side chain of Tyr254 be uncharged for catalysis. The results support a hydride transfer mechanism for the mutant protein and, by extension, wild-type flavocytochrome b(2) and the other flavoproteins catalyzing oxidation of alpha-hydroxy acids.

Specificity of the MAP kinase ERK2 for phosphorylation of tyrosine hydroxylase

Short-term regulation of catecholamine biosynthesis involves reversible phosphorylation of several serine residues in the N-terminal regulatory domain of tyrosine hydroxylase. The MAP kinases ERK1/2 have been identified as responsible for phosphorylation of Ser31. As an initial step in elucidating the effects of phosphorylation of Ser31 on the structure and activity of tyrosine hydroxylase, the kinetics of phosphorylation of the rat enzyme by recombinant rat ERK2 have been characterized. Complete phosphorylation results in incorporation of 2mol of phosphate into each subunit of tyrosine hydroxylase. The S8A and S31A enzymes only incorporate a single phosphate, while the S19A and S40A enzymes incorporate two. Phosphorylation of S8A tyrosine hydroxylase is nine times as rapid as phosphorylation of the S31A enzyme, consistent with a ninefold preference of ERK2 for Ser31 over Ser8.

Analysis of the role of the active site residue Arg98 in the flavoprotein tryptophan 2-monooxygenase, a member of the L-amino oxidase family

The flavoprotein tryptophan 2-monooxygenase catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of tryptophan to indoleacetamide. We have previously identified tryptophan 2-monooxygenase as a homologue of L-amino acid oxidase [Sobrado, P., and Fitzpatrick, P. F. (2002) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 402, 24-30]. On the basis of the sequence comparisons of the different LAAO family members, Arg98 of tryptophan 2-monooxygenase can be identified as an active site residue which interacts with the carboxylate of the amino acid substrate. The catalytic properties of R98K and R98A tryptophan 2-monooxygenase have been characterized to evaluate the role of this residue. Mutation of Arg98 to lysine decreases the first-order rate constant for flavin reduction by 180-fold and the second-order rate constant for flavin oxidation by 26-fold, has no significant effect on the K(d) value for tryptophan or the K(i) value for the competitive inhibitor indoleacetamide, and increases the K(i) value for indolepyruvate less than 2-fold. Mutation of this residue to alanine decreases the rate constants for reduction and oxidation an additional 5- and 2-fold, respectively, and increases the K(d) value for tryptophan and the K(i) value for indolepyruvate by 31- and 17-fold, respectively, while having an only 2-fold effect on the K(i) value for indoleacetamide. Both mutations increase the value of the primary deuterium isotope effect with tryptophan as a substrate, consistent with a later transition state. Both mutant enzymes catalyze a simple oxidase reaction, producing indolepyruvate and hydrogen peroxide. The pH dependences of the V/K(trp) values for the mutant enzymes show that the anionic form of the substrate is preferred but that the zwitterionic form is a substrate. The results are consistent with the interaction between Arg98 and the carboxylate of the amino acid substrate being critical for correct positioning of the substrate in the active site for efficient catalysis.

Identification of Tyr413 as an active site residue in the flavoprotein tryptophan 2-monooxygenase and analysis of its contribution to catalysis

The flavoenzyme tryptophan 2-monooxygenase catalyzes the oxidation of tryptophan to indoleacetamide, carbon dioxide, and water. The enzyme is a homologue of l-amino acid oxidase. In the structure of l-amino acid oxidase complexed with aminobenzoate, Tyr372 hydrogen bonds with the carboxylate of the inhibitor in the active site. All 10 conserved tyrosine residues in tryptophan 2-monooxygenase were mutated to phenylalanine; steady state kinetic characterization of the purified proteins identified Tyr413 as the residue homologous to Tyr372 of l-amino acid oxidase. Y413F and Y413A tryptophan 2-monooxygenase were characterized more completely with tryptophan as the substrate to probe the contribution of this residue to catalysis. Mutation of Tyr413 to phenylalanine results in a decrease in the value of the first-order rate constant for reduction of 35-fold and a decrease in the rate constant for oxidation of 11-fold. Mutation to alanine decreases the rate constant for reduction by 200-fold and that for oxidation by 33-fold. Both mutations increase the K(d) value for tryptophan and the K(i) values for the competitive inhibitors indoleacetamide and indole pyruvate by 5-10-fold. Both mutations convert the enzyme to an oxidase, in that the products of the catalytic reactions of both are indolepyruvate and hydrogen peroxide. The V/K(trp)-pH profiles for the Tyr413 mutant enzymes no longer show the pK(a) value of 9.9 seen in that for the wild-type enzyme, allowing identification of Tyr413 as the active site residue in the wild-type enzyme which must be protonated for catalysis. Substitution of Tyr413 abolishes the formation of the long wavelength charge transfer species observed in the wild-type enzyme. The data are consistent with the main role of Tyr413 being to maintain the correct orientation of tryptophan for effective hydride transfer and imino acid decarboxylation.

Uncoupled forms of tyrosine hydroxylase unmask kinetic isotope effects on chemical steps

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TyrH) catalyzes the hydroxylation of tyrosine to dihydroxyphenylalanine. In the proposed mechanism, a ferryl-oxo species attacks the aromatic ring of tyrosine, forming a cationic intermediate. However, no significant isotope effect is found for wild-type TyrH when 3,5-2H2-tyrosine is used as a substrate. The isotope effect has now been determined with 3,5-2H2-tyrosine using mutant forms of TyrH in which the oxidation of the pterin is uncoupled from hydroxylation of the amino acid. Three mutant enzymes exhibit significant inverse deuterium isotope effects and inverse solvent isotope effects. A proton inventory for the E326A enzyme is consistent with a normal solvent isotope effect of 2.4 on an unproductive step. The results support the proposed mechanism and demonstrate the utility of using mutant proteins with branched pathways to reveal isotope effects which are masked in the wild-type enzyme.

Inactivation of nitroalkane oxidase upon mutation of the active site base and rescue with a deprotonated substrate

Mutation of Asp402 in nitroalkane oxidase to Asn or Ala inactivates the enzyme with neutral nitroethane as substrate, but the activity can be rescued with the nitroethane anion. The V/K values of the D402N and D402A enzymes with the nitroethane anion are independent of pH, whereas the V/K values of the wild-type and D402E enzymes are pH dependent with both the protonated and the deprotonated forms of nitroethane. Moreover, although the V/K value of the D402E enzyme with neutral nitroethane is 20-fold less than that of the wild-type enzyme, there is only a 2-fold difference in the V/K values with the nitroethane anion. These results are fully consistent with a primary role for Asp402 as the active site base in nitroalkane oxidase which abstracts the substrate alpha-proton.

Reductive half-reaction of nitroalkane oxidase: effect of mutation of the active site aspartate to glutamate

The flavoenzyme nitroalkane oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of primary and secondary nitroalkanes to the respective aldehydes or ketones, releasing nitrite. The enzyme has recently been identified as being homologous to the acyl-CoA dehydrogenase family of enzymes [Daubner, S. C., Gadda, G., Valley, M. P., and Fitzpatrick, P. F. (2002) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 99, 2702-2707]. The glutamate which acts as an active site base in that family of enzymes aligns with Asp402 of nitroalkane oxidase. To evaluate the identification of Asp402 as an active site base, the effect of mutation of Asp402 to glutamate on the rate of cleavage of the nitroalkane C-H bond has been determined. Deuterium kinetic isotope effects on steady state kinetic parameters and direct measurement of the rate of flavin reduction establish that the mutation increases the DeltaG(++) for C-H bond cleavage by 1.6-1.9 kcal/mol. There is no effect on the rate of reaction of the reduced enzyme with oxygen. These results support the assignment of Asp402 as the active site base in nitroalkane oxidase.

Characterization of metal ligand mutants of tyrosine hydroxylase: insights into the plasticity of a 2-histidine-1-carboxylate triad

The amino acid ligands to the active site iron in the aromatic amino acid hydroxylase tyrosine hydroxylase are two histidines and a glutamate. This 2-histidine-1-carboxylate motif has been found in a number of other metalloenzymes which catalyze a variety of oxygenase reactions. As a probe of the plasticity of this metal binding site, each of the ligands in TyrH has been mutated to glutamine, glutamate, or histidine. The H336E and H336Q enzymes show dramatic decreases in iron affinity but retain substantial activity for both tyrosine hydroxylation and tetrahydropterin oxidation. The H331E enzyme shows a lesser decrease in iron affinity and is unable to hydroxylate tyrosine. Instead, this enzyme oxidizes tetrahydropterin in the absence of added tyrosine. The E376H enzyme has no significant activity, while the E376Q enzyme hydroxylates tyrosine at about 0.4% the wild-type rate. When dopamine is bound to either the H336Q or H331E enzymes, the position of the long wavelength charge-transfer absorbance band is consistent with the change in the metal ligand. In contrast, the H336E enzyme does not form a stable binary complex with dopamine, while the E376H and E376Q enzymes catalyze dopamine oxidation.