Enzyme-enzyme interaction and the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids in Escherichia coli

Biosynthesis of the Aromatic Amino Acids

This chapter describes in detail the genes and proteins of Escherichia coli involved in the biosynthesis and transport of the three aromatic amino acids tyrosine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan. It provides a historical perspective on the elaboration of the various reactions of the common pathway converting erythrose-4-phosphate and phosphoenolpyruvate to chorismate and those of the three terminal pathways converting chorismate to phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan. The regulation of key reactions by feedback inhibition, attenuation, repression, and activation are also discussed. Two regulatory proteins, TrpR (108 amino acids) and TyrR (513 amino acids), play a major role in transcriptional regulation. The TrpR protein functions only as a dimer which, in the presence of tryptophan, represses the expression of trp operon plus four other genes (the TrpR regulon). The TyrR protein, which can function both as a dimer and as a hexamer, regulates the expression of nine genes constituting the TyrR regulon. TyrR can bind each of the three aromatic amino acids and ATP and under their influence can act as a repressor or activator of gene expression. The various domains of this protein involved in binding the aromatic amino acids and ATP, recognizing DNA binding sites, interacting with the alpha subunit of RNA polymerase, and changing from a monomer to a dimer or a hexamer are all described. There is also an analysis of the various strategies which allow TyrR in conjunction with particular amino acids to differentially affect the expression of individual genes of the TyrR regulon.

Use of protein-protein interactions in affinity chromatography

Biospecific recognition between proteins is a phenomenon that can be exploited for designing affinity-chromatographic purification systems for proteins. In principle, the approach is straightforward, and there are usually many alternative ways, since a protein can be always found which binds specifically enough to the desired protein. Routine immunoaffinity chromatography utilizes the recognition of antigenic epitopes by antibodies. However, forces involved in protein-protein interactions as well the forces keeping the three-dimensional structures of proteins intact are complicated, and proteins are easily unfolded by various factors with unpredictable results. Because of this and because of the generally high association strength between proteins, the correct adjustment of binding forces between an immobilized protein and the protein to be purified as well as the release of bound proteins in biologically active form from affinity complexes are the main problem. Affinity systems involving interactions like enzyme-enzyme, subunit-oligomer, protein-antibody, protein-chaperone and the specific features involved in each case are presented as examples. This article also aims to sketch prospects for further development of the use of protein-protein interactions for the purification of proteins.

Chromatographic methods to study protein-protein interactions

Proteins and enzymes are now generally thought to be organized within the cell to form clusters in a dynamic and versatile way, and heterologous protein-protein interactions are believed to be involved in virtually all cellular events. Therefore we need appropriate tools to detect and study such interactions. Chromatographic techniques prove to be well suited for this kind of investigation. Real complexes formed between proteins can be studied by classic gel filtration. When enzymes are studied, active enzyme gel chromatography is a useful alternative. A variant of classic gel filtration is gel filtration equilibrium analysis, which is similar to equilibrium dialysis. When the association formed is only dynamic and equilibrates very rapidly, either the Hummel-Dryer method of equilibrium gel filtration or large-zone equilibrium filtration sometimes allows the interactions to be analyzed, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Very often, however, interactions between enzymes and proteins can only be evidenced in vitro in media that mimic the intracellular situation. Immobilized proteins are excellent tools for this type of research. Several examples are indeed known where the immobilization of an enzyme on a solid support does not affect its real properties, but rather changes its environment in such a way that the diffusion becomes limiting. Affinity chromatography using immobilized proteins allows the analysis of heterologous protein-protein interactions, both qualitatively and quantitatively. A useful alternative appears to be affinity electrophoresis. The latter technique, however, is exclusively qualitative. All these techniques are described and illustrated with examples taken from the literature.

Interaction of immobilized phosphofructokinase with soluble muscle proteins

Selected glycolytic enzymes (including phosphoglucose isomerase, aldolase, glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase, enolase, pyruvate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase), as well as glycogen phosphorylase, creatine kinase, and adenylate kinase, bound to phosphofructokinase immobilized on an agarose gel. The affinity of phosphofructokinase to these various proteins differed, with phosphorylase exhibiting the strongest binding. Binding was reversed either by: (1) elution with high-ionic-strength buffer (0.4 M KCl); (2) the addition of a 5-10 mM concentration of ATP; or (3) high concentrations of fructose 6-phosphate (5 mM).

Interconvertible molecular-weight forms of the bifunctional chorismate mutase-prephenate dehydratase from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus

Acinetobacter calcoaceticus belongs to a large phylogenetic cluster of gram-negative procaryotes that all utilize a bifunctional P-protein (chorismate mutase-prephenate dehydratase) [EC 5.4.99.5-4.2.1.51] for phenylalanine biosynthesis. These two enzyme activities from Ac. calcoaceticus were inseparable by gel-filtration or DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The molecular weight of the P-protein in the absence of effectors was 65,000. In the presence of L-tyrosine (dehydratase activator) or L-phenylalanine (inhibitor of both P-protein activities), the molecular weight increased to 122,000. Maximal activation (23-fold) of prephenate dehydratase was achieved at 0.85 mM L-tyrosine. Under these conditions, dehydratase activity exhibited a hysteretic response to increasing protein concentration. Substrate saturation curves for prephenate dehydratase were hyperbolic at L-tyrosine concentrations sufficient to give maximal activation (yielding a Km,app of 0.52 mM for prephenate), whereas at lower L-tyrosine concentrations the curves were sigmoidal. Dehydratase activity was inhibited by L-phenylalanine, and exhibited cooperative interactions for inhibitor binding. A Hill plot yielded an n' value of 3.1. Double-reciprocal plots of substrate saturation data obtained in the presence of L-phenylalanine indicated cooperative interactions for prephenate in the presence of inhibitor. The n values obtained were 1.4 and 3.0 in the absence or presence of 0.3 mM L-phenylalanine, respectively. The hysteretic response of chorismate mutase activity to increasing enzyme concentration was less dramatic than that of prephenate dehydratase. A Km,app for chorismate of 0.63 mM was obtained. L-Tyrosine did not affect chorismate mutase activity, but mutase activity was inhibited both by L-phenylalanine and by prephenate. Interpretations are given about the physiological significance of the overall pattern of allosteric control of the P-protein, and the relationship between this control and the effector-induced molecular-weight transitions. The properties of the P-protein in Acinetobacter are considered within the context of the ubiquity of the P-protein within the phylogenetic cluster to which this genus belongs.

Chorismate mutase-prephenate dehydrogenase from Escherichia coli: cooperative effects and inhibition by L-tyrosine

The effects of a variety of structural analogs of L-tyrosine on the mutase and dehydrogenase activities of hydroxyphenylpyruvate synthase have been investigated. From these studies it is concluded that the alpha-NH3+ alpha-COO-, and the 4-OH groups are essential for binding of L-tyrosine as an inhibitor of the dehydrogenase and that the L configuration is also essential. Dixon plots for inhibition of the dehydrogenase activity by some of these analogs were nonlinear and could be described by a velocity equation that is the ratio of quadratic polynomials (a 2/1 function). Dixon plots for inhibition of the mutase by prephenate at low concentrations of chorismate could also be described by a 2/1 function, but at low concentrations of prephenate chorismate acts as an apparent hyperbolic activator of the dehydrogenase activity. Up to concentrations of 300 microM, L-tyrosine activates the mutase but acts as a potent inhibitor of the dehydrogenase. Such data for the dehydrogenase could not be described by a 2/1 function in 1/[prephenate] but could be fitted to the Hill equation with increasing concentrations of L-tyrosine in the presence of 1.0 mM NAD yielding increasing values for the Hill number (n): in the absence of L-tyrosine, n = 1.6 +/- 0.1; at 150 microM L-tyrosine, n = 2.1 +/- 0.1; at 300 microM L-tyrosine, n = 2.3 +/- 0.4. L-Tyrosine bears a close structural resemblance to both prephenate and hydroxyphenylpyruvate, and evidence is presented which is consistent with L-tyrosine acting as a competitive inhibitor with respect to prephenate of the dehydrogenase.

Characterization of enzyme-enzyme interaction using an affinity batch system

NAD-Sepharose 4B gel was used to study the complexation between glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate:NAD+ oxidoreductase (phosphorylating) EC 1.2.1.12) and aldolase (D-fructose-1,6-bisphosphate D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate-lyase, EC 4.1.2.13). An affinity sorbent specific for glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase was utilised in a batch system. The dissociation constant of the enzyme complex was calculated. The method elaborated in our laboratory was used to investigate the effects of temperature and pH on the complex formation.

Enzymic synthesis of lignin precursors. Comparison of cinnamoyl-CoA reductase and cinnamyl alcohol:NADP+ dehydrogenase from spruce (Picea abies L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.)

Cambial sap of spruce (Picea abies) proved to be a good source for isolation of cinnamoyl-CoA reductase and cinnamyl alcohol:NADP+ dehydrogenase. Apparently homogeneous enzymes were obtained by a multistep procedure including dye-ligand chromatography and for the reductase also affinity chromatography on (coenzyme A)-agarose. An improved purification procedure for the reductase from soybean cell cultures is also reported. Molecular weights and subunit composition of reductase and dehydrogenase from spruce are very similar to those of the corresponding enzymes from soybean. Reduction of feruloyl-CoA to coniferaldehyde catalysed by the reductase is a freely reversible reaction with an equilibrium constant of 5.6 x 10(-4) M at pH 6.25. A strong dependence of the Michaelis constants on the type of buffer was found. For reductase the Km-value of feruloyl-CoA in phosphate buffer (5.2 microM) is about 14-times similar than in citrate buffer (73 microM). Pronounced differences in substrate specificities between the enzymes from spruce and soybean were found, which reflect the different lignin composition of gymnosperms and dicotyledenous angiosperms. From the kinetic constants of the enzymes it can be concluded that under physiological conditions feruloyl-CoA is the preferred substrate for the reductase from both sources whereas sinapoyl-CoA is a substrate only for the soybean reductase and sinapyldehyde a substrate only for the soybean dehydrogenase. 4-Coumaroyl-CoA is a poor substrate for the reductase from both spruce and soybean. This result is consistent with the low content of 4-coumaryl alcohol units in gymnosperm and angiosperm lignin.

Interactions between soluble enzymes and subcellular structure

Soluble enzymes contribute significantly to the metabolic capabilities of living organisms, but it is becoming increasingly clear that the activities of these enzymes are significantly modified by their interactions with structural components of the cells, and that these interactions may make important contributions to metabolic regulation. In the past, specification of these interactions has been limited by the availability of suitable experimental techniques, but this deficiency is now being rectified and our understanding of these processes if advancing rapidly. Research in this area is moving into a second phase, with the emphasis no longer being focused on demonstrations of the biological reality of these interactions, but directed more towards quantitative aspects of binding, the determination of the characteristics of binding domains, and the theoretical basis of regulatory involvements. All of these aspects are discussed in the present review.

Substrate-induced dissociation of glyceraldehyde-phosphate dehydrogenase detected by affinity chromatography. Study of subunit interactions by affinity sorption

All four Nad-binding domains of the tetrameric apoglyceraldehyde-phosphate dehydrogenase (D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate:NAD+ oxidoreductase (phosphorylating), EC 1.2.1.12) displayed identical affinities (Kd = 4.8 x 10(-5) M) towards the chromophore of Blue Dextran. The enzyme species which contained only the most firmly bound NAD coupled the dye through the remaining free sites with the same affinity as the apoenzyme. The interaction of glyceraldehyde-phosphate dehydrogenase and Blue Dextran-Sepharose was characterized by the aid of an affiinity sorbent batch technique. We found that the apparent dissociation constant varied with enzyme concentration showing preferential binding in diulte solutions. This suggests that the monomeric and/or dimeric form(s) of glyceraldehyde-phosphate dehydrogenase have higher affinity towards the sorbent than the tetramer. The apparent Kd of the enzyme-Blue Dextran-Sepharose complex at low enzyme concentration was similar to the Ki of the competitive inhibition of enzyme activity by free Blue Dextran, i.e. about 10(-6) M. Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate increased the binding of the enzyme to the immobilized dye in chromatographic experiments and decreased the apparent dissociation constant in the batch system if enzyme solutions of around 10(-6) M were examined. In more dilute solutions glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate had no effect on complex formation. These data suggest that glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate influences the interaction of the enzyme and the immobilized dye, first of all, by shifting the equilibrium of the different enzyme forms towards dissociation.