Stereochemistry and function of oxaloacetate keto-enol tautomerase

Escherichia coli fumarase A catalyzes the isomerization of enol and keto oxalacetic acid

Fumarase A, a product of the fumA gene of Escherichia coli, has been found to catalyze the isomerization of enol to keto oxalacetic acid (OAA) in addition to catalyzing the fumarase reaction. The kcat/Km for the isomerization is almost identical to that for the fumarase reaction. The isomerization reaction apparently takes place at the same active site as the fumarase reaction since both reactions show a similar sensitivity to inactivation by O2, both reactions are strongly inhibited by 2-hydroxy-3-nitropropionate, and the isomerization reaction is inhibited by fumarate and malate. The isomerization requires the presence of a [4Fe-4S] or [3Fe-4S] cluster, perhaps for structural rather than catalytic reasons. Hydration of enol OAA to the gem diol has been ruled out as a possible mechanism of isomerization on the basis of the preservation of the oxygen on carbon 2 and the position of protonation on carbon 3. The isomerization is not stereospecific in the position of protonation at carbon 3 but appears to be stereoselective, with protonation preferentially occurring in the 3-pro-S position. Porcine fumarase, isopropyl malate isomerase, and dihydroxyacid dehydratase do not catalyze this isomerization. Fumarase A and aconitase, two enzymes with 4Fe-4S clusters that bind a linear 4-carbon dicarboxylic acid moiety in the trans conformation during their normal hydro-lyase reaction, do catalyze this isomerization.

Direct demonstration of enol-oxaloacetate as an immediate product of malate oxidation by the mammalian succinate dehydrogenase

Rapid malonate-sensitive transitory formation of enol-oxaloacetate followed by slow ketonization of the product was observed after addition of malate to the mammalian succinate-ubiquinone reductase in the presence of electron acceptor. The initial rate of enol-oxaloacetate production was equal to that of malate oxidation. Oxaloacetate keto-enol tautomerase had no effect on the initial rate of enol-oxaloacetate production nor on the kinetics of malate oxidation; the enzyme drastically accelerated the ketonization of the product. The solubilized and partially purified membrane-bound flavine adenine dinucleotide-dependent malate dehydrogenase from Acetobacter xylinum catalyzed oxidation of L- and D-malate without formation of enol-oxaloacetate as an intermediate of the reaction.

Isolation and properties of oxaloacetate keto-enol-tautomerases from bovine heart mitochondria

Two highly purified proteins with quite different properties capable of oxaloacetate keto-enol-tautomerase activity (oxaloacetate keto-enol-isomerase, EC 5.3.2.2) were isolated from the bovine heart mitochondrial matrix. The first protein has an apparent molecular mass of 37 kDa as determined by SDS-gel electrophoresis and Sephacryl SF-200 gel filtration. It is quite stable upon storage at 40 degrees C and reaches the maximal catalytic activity at pH 8.5 with a half-maximal activity at pH 7.0. The enzyme is specifically inhibited by oxalate and diethyloxaloacetate. When assayed in the enol----ketone direction at 25 degrees C (pH 9.0), the enzyme obeys a simple substrate saturation kinetics with Km and Vmax values of 45 microM and 74 units per mg of protein, respectively; the latter value corresponds to the turnover number of 2700 min-1. The second protein has an apparent molecular mass of 80 kDa as determined by SDS-gel electrophoresis and Sephacryl SF-300 gel filtration. The enzyme is rapidly inactivated at 40 degrees C and shows a sharp pH optimum of activity at pH 9.0. The enzyme can be completely protected from thermal inactivation by oxaloacetate and dithiothreitol. The kinetic parameters of the enzyme as assayed in the enol----ketone direction at 25 degrees C (pH 9.0) are: Km = 220 microM and Vmax = 20 units per mg of protein; the latter corresponds to the turnover number of 1600 min-1. The enzyme activity is specifically inhibited by maleate and pyrophosphate. About 30% of the total oxaloacetate tautomerase activity in crude mitochondrial matrix is represented by the 37 kDa enzyme and about 70% by the 80 kDa protein.

Oxidation of malate by the mitochondrial succinate-ubiquinone reductase

The purified succinate-ubiquinone reductase catalyzes the L- (or D-) malate: acceptor oxidoreductase reaction with Km for malate of about 2.10(-3) M and initial Vmax of 50 and 100 nmol per min per mg of protein for L- and D-stereoisomers, respectively (25 degrees C, pH 7.0). The reaction rate rapidly decreases both in the absence and presence of L-glutamate and L-glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase added for trapping of oxaloacetate. Both keto and enol forms of oxaloacetate were found to be strong, slowly dissociating inhibitors of succinate dehydrogenase; the first-order rate constant for the enzyme inhibition by the enol form is about 3 times as high as that by the keto form. Oxidation of malate by succinate dehydrogenase in the presence of the oxaloacetate trapping system occurs at an indefinitely constant rate when enoloxaloacetate, which is an immediate product of the reaction, is rapidly converted into the keto isomer--a substrate for transaminase. A quantitative kinetic scheme for malate oxidation by succinate dehydrogenase which includes two kinetically distinct enzyme-oxaloacetate complexes is proposed, and the specific role of the mitochondrial oxaloacetate keto-enol-tautomerase (EC 5.3.2.2) in the regulation of succinate dehydrogenase is suggested.

Interpreting the behavior of enzymes: purpose or pedigree?

To interpret the growing body of data describing the structural, physical, and chemical behaviors of biological macromolecules, some understanding must be developed to relate these behaviors to the evolutionary processes that created them. Behaviors that are the products of natural selection reflect biological function and offer clues to the underlying chemical principles. Nonselected behaviors reflect historical accident and random drift. This review considers experimental data relevant to distinguishing between nonfunctional and functional behaviors in biological macromolecules. In the first segment, tools are developed for building functional and historical models to explain macromolecular behavior. These tools are then used with recent experimental data to develop a general outline of the relationship between structure, behavior, and natural selection in proteins and nucleic acids. In segments published elsewhere, specific functional and historical models for three properties of enzymes--kinetics, stereospecificity, and specificity for cofactor structures--are examined. Functional models appear most suitable for explaining the kinetic behavior of proteins. A mixture of functional and historical models appears necessary to understand the stereospecificity of enzyme reactions. Specificity for cofactor structures appears best understood in light of purely historical models based on a hypothesis of an early form of life exclusively using RNA catalysis.