On the mechanism of the metallo-beta-lactamase from Bacteroides fragilis

The catalytic mechanism of metallo-beta-lactamase from Bacteroides fragilis, a dinuclear Zn(II)-containing enzyme responsible for multiple antibiotic resistance, has been investigated by using nitrocefin as a substrate. Rapid-scanning and single-wavelength stopped-flow studies revealed the accumulation during turnover of an enzyme-bound intermediate with intense absorbance at 665 nm (epsilon = 30 000 M(-1) cm(-1)). The proposed minimum kinetic mechanism for the B. fragilis metallo-beta-lactamase-catalyzed nitrocefin hydrolysis [Wang, Z., and Benkovic, S. J. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 22402-22408] was confirmed, and more accurate kinetic parameters were obtained from computer simulations and fitting. The intermediate was shown to be a novel anionic species bound to the enzyme through a Zn-acyl linkage and contains a negatively charged nitrogen leaving group. This is the first time such an intermediate was observed in the catalytic cycle of a Zn(II)-containing hydrolase and is evidence for a unique beta-lactam hydrolysis mechanism in which the amine can leave as an anion; prior protonation is not required. The electrostatic interaction between the negatively charged intermediate and the positively charged dinuclear Zn(II) center of the enzyme is important for stabilization of the intermediate. The catalytic reaction was accelerated in the presence of exogenous nucleophiles or anions, and neither the product nor the enzyme was modified during turnover, indicating that a Zn-bound hydroxide (rather than Asp-103) is the active site nucleophile. On the basis of all the information on hand, a catalytic mechanism of the B. fragilis metallo-beta-lactamase is proposed.

N omega-propargyl-L-arginine and N omega-hydroxy-N omega-propargyl-L-arginine are inhibitors, but not inactivators, of neuronal and macrophage nitric oxide synthases

N omega-Propargyl-L-arginine (7) was synthesized as a potential mechanism-based inactivator of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and macrophage nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Compound 7 is a potent reversible competitive inhibitor for both isoforms, having Ki values of 430 +/- 50 nM and 620 +/- 30 nM for nNOS and iNOS, respectively. These values are 12 and 32 times lower than the K(m) for L-arginine with nNOS and iNOS, respectively; however, 7 does not exhibit time-dependent inhibition with either. It also only undergoes oxidation very slowly. N omega-Hydroxy-N omega-propargyl-L-arginine also was synthesized to determine if the initial proposed enzyme-catalyzed hydroxylation of N omega-propargyl-L-arginine was problematic. This compound also is a potent reversible inhibitor of both nNOS and iNOS, but is not a time-dependent inactivator and is oxidized only very slowly. These results are in sharp contrast with the corresponding olefins, N omega-allyl-L-arginine and N omega-allyl-N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine recently reported to be potent time-dependent, irreversible inhibitors of nNOS (Zhang, H. Q.; Dixon, R. P.; Marletta, M. A.; Silverman, R. B., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1997, 119, in press); N omega-allyl-L-arginine also was reported to be an inactivator of iNOS (Olken, N. M.; Marletta, M. A. J. Med. Chem. 1992, 35, 1137). This suggests that the active site of both isoforms of NOS can accommodate a variety of structures, but binding must have the appropriate juxtaposition for hydroxylation; otherwise, no oxidation occurs.

Hydrophobic interactions control zymogen activation in the trypsin family of serine proteases

Trypsinogen is converted to trypsin by the removal of a peptide from the N terminus, which permits formation of a salt bridge between the new N-terminal Ile (residue 16) and Asp194. Formation of this salt bridge triggers a conformational change in the "activation domain" of trypsin, creating the S1 binding site and oxyanion hole. Thus, the activation of trypsinogen appears to represent an example of protein folding driven by electrostatic interactions. The following trypsin mutants have been constructed to explore this problem: Asp194Asn, Ile16Val, Ile16Ala, and Ile16Gly. The bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI), benzamidine, and leupeptin affinities and activity and pH-rate profiles of these mutants have been measured. The changes in BPTI and benzamidine affinity measure destabilization of the activation domain. These experiments indicate that hydrophobic interactions of the Ile16 side chain provide 5 kcal/mol of stabilization energy to the activation domain while the salt bridge accounts for 3 kcal/mol. Thus, hydrophobic interactions provide the majority of stabilization energy for the trypsinogen to trypsin conversion. The pH-rate profiles of I16A and I16G are significantly different than the pH-rate profile of trypsin, further confirming that the activation domain has been destabilized. Moreover, these mutations decrease kcat/Km and leupeptin affinity in parallel with the decrease in stability of the activation domain. Acylation is selectively decreased, while substrate binding and deacylation are not affected. Together these observations indicate that the stability of protein structure is an important component of transition state stabilization in enzyme catalysis. These results also suggest that active zymogens can be created without providing a counterion for Asp194, and thus have important implications for the elucidation of the structural features which account for the zymogen activity of tissue plasminogen activator and urokinase.