The Structure of the Oxidized Form of Clostridial Flavodoxin at 1.9-A Resolution

Structural and Biochemical Analysis of 3-Dehydroquinate Dehydratase from Corynebacterium glutamicum

Dehydroquinate dehydratase (DHQD) catalyzes the conversion of 3-dehydroquinic acid (DHQ) into 3-dehydroshikimic acid in the mid stage of the shikimate pathway, which is essential for the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids and folates. Here, we report two the crystal structures of type II DHQD (CgDHQD) derived from Corynebacterium glutamicum, which is a widely used industrial platform organism. We determined the structures for CgDHQDWT with the citrate at a resolution of 1.80Å and CgDHQDR19A with DHQ complexed forms at a resolution of 2.00 Å, respectively. The enzyme forms a homododecamer consisting of four trimers with three interfacial active sites. We identified the DHQ-binding site of CgDHQD and observed an unusual binding mode of citrate inhibitor in the site with a half-opened lid loop. A structural comparison of CgDHQD with a homolog derived from Streptomyces coelicolor revealed differences in the terminal regions, lid loop, and active site. Particularly, CgDHQD, including some Corynebacterium species, possesses a distinctive residue P105, which is not conserved in other DHQDs at the position near the 5-hydroxyl group of DHQ. Replacements of P105 with isoleucine and valine, conserved in other DHQDs, caused an approximately 70% decrease in the activity, but replacement of S103 with threonine (CgDHQDS103T) caused a 10% increase in the activity. Our biochemical studies revealed the importance of key residues and enzyme kinetics for wild type and CgDHQDS103T, explaining the effect of the variation. This structural and biochemical study provides valuable information for understanding the reaction efficiency that varies due to structural differences caused by the unique sequences of CgDHQD.

Flavodoxin with an air-stable flavin semiquinone in a green sulfur bacterium

Flavodoxins are small proteins with a non-covalently bound FMN that can accept two electrons and accordingly adopt three redox states: oxidized (quinone), one-electron reduced (semiquinone), and two-electron reduced (quinol). In iron-deficient cyanobacteria and algae, flavodoxin can substitute for ferredoxin as the electron carrier in the photosynthetic electron transport chain. Here, we demonstrate a similar function for flavodoxin from the green sulfur bacterium Chlorobium phaeovibrioides (cp-Fld). The expression of the cp-Fld gene, found in a close proximity with the genes for other proteins associated with iron transport and storage, increased in a low-iron medium. cp-Fld produced in Escherichia coli exhibited the optical, ERP, and electron-nuclear double resonance spectra that were similar to those of known flavodoxins. However, unlike all other flavodoxins, cp-Fld exhibited unprecedented stability of FMN semiquinone to oxidation by air and difference in midpoint redox potentials for the quinone-semiquinone and semiquinone-quinol couples (- 110 and - 530 mV, respectively). cp-Fld could be reduced by pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase found in the membrane-free extract of Chl. phaeovibrioides cells and photo-reduced by the photosynthetic reaction center found in membrane vesicles from these cells. The green sulfur bacterium Chl. phaeovibrioides appears thus to be a new type of the photosynthetic organisms that can use flavodoxin as an alternative electron carrier to cope with iron deficiency.

Molecular recognition studies of selected isoalloxazines with 2,6-diamidopyridine derivatives

Triple hydrogen bond formation towards the uracil moiety of an isoalloxazine ring with 2,6-diamidopyridine derivatives has been observed in chloroform. A hydrogen bonded isoalloxazine–pyridine complex has been successfully utilised in disulfide formation as a metal-free organocatalyst.

Distinctive structural motifs co-ordinate the catalytic nucleophile and the residues of the oxyanion hole in the alpha/beta-hydrolase fold enzymes

The alpha/beta-hydrolases (ABH) are among the largest structural families of proteins that are found in nature. Although they vary in their sequence and function, the ABH enzymes use a similar acid-base-nucleophile catalytic mechanism to catalyze reactions on different substrates. Because ABH enzymes are biocatalysts with a wide range of potential applications, protein engineering has taken advantage of their catalytic versatility to develop enzymes with industrial applications. This study is a comprehensive analysis of 40 ABH enzyme families focusing on two identified substructures: the nucleophile zone and the oxyanion zone, which co-ordinate the catalytic nucleophile and the residues of the oxyanion hole, and independently reported as critical for the enzymatic activity. We also frequently observed an aromatic cluster near the nucleophile and oxyanion zones, and opposite the ligand-binding site. The nucleophile zone, the oxyanion zone and the residue cluster enriched in aromatic side chains comprise a three-dimensional structural organization that shapes the active site of ABH enzymes and plays an important role in the enzymatic function by structurally stabilizing the catalytic nucleophile and the residues of the oxyanion hole. The structural data support the notion that the aromatic cluster can participate in co-ordination of the catalytic histidine loop, and properly place the catalytic histidine next to the catalytic nucleophile.

NMR spectroscopy on flavins and flavoproteins

(1)H-, (11)B-, (13)C-, (15)N-, (17)O-, (19)F-, and (31)P-NMR chemical shifts of flavocoenzymes and derivatives of it, as well as of alloxazines and isoalloxazinium salts, from NMR experiments performed under various experimental conditions (e.g., dependence of the chemical shifts on temperature, concentration, solvent polarity, and pH) are reported. Also solid-state (13)C- and (15)N-NMR experiments are described revealing the anisotropic values of corresponding chemical shifts. These data, in combination with a number of coupling constants, led to a detailed description of the electronic structure of oxidized and reduced flavins. The data also demonstrate that the structure of oxidized flavin can assume a configuration deviating from coplanarity, depending on substitutions in the isoalloxazine ring, while that of reduced flavin exhibits several configurations, from almost planar to quite bended. The complexes formed between oxidized flavin and metal ions or organic molecules revealed three coordination sites with metal ions (depending on the chemical nature of the ion), and specific interactions between the pyrimidine moiety of flavin and organic molecules, mimicking specific interactions between apoflavoproteins and their coenzymes. Most NMR studies on flavoproteins were performed using (13)C- and (15)N-substituted coenzymes, either specifically enriched in the pterin moiety of flavin or uniformly labeled flavins. The chemical shifts of free flavins are used as a guide in the interpretation of the chemical shifts observed in flavoproteins. Although the hydrogen-bonding pattern in oxidized and reduced flavoproteins varies considerably, no correlation is obvious between these patterns and the corresponding redox potentials. In all reduced flavoproteins the N(1)H group of the flavocoenzyme is deprotonated, an exception is thioredoxin reductase. Three-dimensional structures of only a few flavoproteins, mostly belonging to the family of flavodoxins, have been solved. Also the kinetics of unfolding and refolding of flavodoxins has been investigated by NMR techniques. In addition, (31)P-NMR data of all so far studied flavoproteins and some (19)F-NMR spectra are discussed.

Mechanisms of toxicity of triphenyltin chloride (TPTC) determined by a live cell reporter array

Triphenyltin chloride (TPTC), which has been extensively used in industry and agriculture, can occur at concentrations in the environment sufficient to be toxic. Here, potency of TPTC to modulate genes in a library containing 1,820 modified green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing promoter reporter vectors constructed from Escherichia coli K12 strains was determined. Exposure to TPTC resulted in 22 (fold change > 2) or 71 (fold change > 1.5) differentially expressed genes. The no observed transcriptional effect (NOTEC) and median transcriptional effect concentrations (TEC50) were determined to be 0.036 and 0.45 mg/L in E. coli. These responses were 1,230 and 97 times more sensitive than the acute median effect concentration (EC50) required to inhibit growth of cells, which demonstrated that this live cell array represents a sensitive method to assess toxic potency of chemicals. The 71 differentially expressed genes could be classified into seven functional groups. Of all the altered genes, three groups which encoded for catalytic enzymes, regulatory proteins, and structural proteins accounted for 28 %, 18 %, and 14 % of all altered genes, respectively. The pattern of differential expression observed during this study was used to elucidate the mechanism of toxicity of TPTC. To determine potential relationships among genes that were changed greater than 2.0-fold by exposure to TPTC, a correlation network analysis was constructed, and four genes were related to aroH, which is the primary target for metabolic regulation of aromatic biosynthesis by feedback inhibition in bacteria. The genes rnC, cld, and glgS were selected as potential biomarkers for TPTC, since their expression was more than 2.0-fold greater after exposure to TPTC.

Structural investigation of inhibitor designs targeting 3-dehydroquinate dehydratase from the shikimate pathway of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The shikimate pathway is essential in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its absence from humans makes the enzymes of this pathway potential drug targets. In the present paper, we provide structural insights into ligand and inhibitor binding to 3-dehydroquinate dehydratase (dehydroquinase) from M. tuberculosis (MtDHQase), the third enzyme of the shikimate pathway. The enzyme has been crystallized in complex with its reaction product, 3-dehydroshikimate, and with six different competitive inhibitors. The inhibitor 2,3-anhydroquinate mimics the flattened enol/enolate reaction intermediate and serves as an anchor molecule for four of the inhibitors investigated. MtDHQase also forms a complex with citrazinic acid, a planar analogue of the reaction product. The structure of MtDHQase in complex with a 2,3-anhydroquinate moiety attached to a biaryl group shows that this group extends to an active-site subpocket inducing significant structural rearrangement. The flexible extensions of inhibitors designed to form π-stacking interactions with the catalytic Tyr24 have been investigated. The high-resolution crystal structures of the MtDHQase complexes provide structural evidence for the role of the loop residues 19-24 in MtDHQase ligand binding and catalytic mechanism and provide a rationale for the design and efficacy of inhibitors.

A crystallographic study of Cys69Ala flavodoxin II from Azotobacter vinelandii: structural determinants of redox potential

Flavodoxin II from Azotobacter vinelandii is a "long-chain" flavodoxin and has one of the lowest E1 midpoint potentials found within the flavodoxin family. To better understand the relationship between structural features and redox potentials, the oxidized form of the C69A mutant of this flavodoxin was crystallized and its three-dimensional structure determined to a resolution of 2.25 A by molecular replacement. Its overall fold is similar to that of other flavodoxins, with a central five-stranded parallel beta-sheet flanked on either side by alpha-helices. An eight-residue insertion, compared with other long-chain flavodoxins, forms a short 3(10) helix preceding the start of the alpha3 helix. The flavin mononucleotide (FMN) cofactor is flanked by a leucine on its re face instead of the more conserved tryptophan, resulting in a more solvent-accessible FMN binding site and stabilization of the hydroquinone (hq) state. In particular the absence of a hydrogen bond to the N5 atom of the oxidized FMN was identified, which destabilizes the ox form, as well as an exceptionally large patch of acidic residues in the vicinity of the FMN N1 atom, which destabilizes the hq form. It is also argued that the presence of a Gly at position 58 in the sequence stabilizes the semiquinone (sq) form, as a result, raising the E2 value in particular.

Exploring the Mechnisms of Molecular Recognition by Flavins

The design and development of chemical models for enzymes depends on the fundamental principles observed in biological systems. Molecular recognition of flavins by various receptors has attracted attention due to their applications as chemical models for flavoenzymes. The area of molecular recognition is being investigated through research at the interface of chemistry and biology. In this review, the literature has been surveyed to provide comprehensive coverage of the synthetic methodology of different flavins and receptors and their molecular-recognition studies. Various applications of flavin-receptor complexes have also been highlighted.

The unusual redox properties of flavocytochrome P450 BM3 flavodoxin domain

Flavocytochrome P450 BM3 FMN domain is unique among the family of flavodoxins and homologues, in not forming a stable neutral blue FMN semiquinone radical. Anaerobic, one-electron reduction of the isolated domain over the pH 7-9.5 range showed that it forms an anionic red semiquinone that disproportionates slowly (0.014s(-1) at pH 7). The rate of disproportionation decreased at higher pH, indicating that protonation of the anionic semiquinone is an important feature of the mechanism. The reduction potential for the oxidised-semiquinone couple was determined to be -240mV and was largely independent of pH. The semiquinone appears, therefore, to be kinetically trapped by a slow protonation event, enabling it to act as a low-potential electron donor to the P450 heme.

The three-dimensional structures of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis dihydrodipicolinate reductase-NADH-2,6-PDC and -NADPH-2,6-PDC complexes. Structural and mutagenic analysis of relaxed nucleotide specificity

Dihydrodipicolinate reductase (DHPR) catalyzes the reduced pyridine nucleotide-dependent reduction of the alpha,beta-unsaturated cyclic imine, dihydrodipicolinate, to generate tetrahydrodipicolinate. This enzyme catalyzes the second step in the bacterial biosynthetic pathway that generates meso-diaminopimelate, a component of bacterial cell walls, and the amino acid L-lysine. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis dapB-encoded DHPR has been cloned, expressed, purified, and crystallized in two ternary complexes with NADH or NADPH and the inhibitor 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylate (2,6-PDC). The structures have been solved using molecular replacement strategies, and the DHPR-NADH-2,6-PDC and DHPR-NADPH-2,6-PDC complexes have been refined against data to 2.3 and 2.5 A, respectively. The M. tuberculosis DHPR is a tetramer of identical subunits, with each subunit composed of two domains connected by two flexible hinge regions. The N-terminal domain binds pyridine nucleotide, while the C-terminal domain is involved in both tetramer formation and substrate/inhibitor binding. The M. tuberculosis DHPR uses NADH and NADPH with nearly equal efficiency based on V/K values. To probe the nature of this substrate specificity, we have generated two mutants, K9A and K11A, residues that are close to the 2'-phosphate of NADPH. These two mutants exhibit decreased specificity for NADPH by factors of 6- and 30-fold, respectively, but the K11A mutant exhibits 270% of WT activity using NADH. The highly conserved structure of the nucleotide fold may permit other enzyme's nucleotide specificity to be altered using similar mutagenic strategies.

Cloning, sequencing, and characterization of the hexahydro-1,3,5-Trinitro-1,3,5-triazine degradation gene cluster from Rhodococcus rhodochrous

Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) is a high explosive which presents an environmental hazard as a major land and groundwater contaminant. Rhodococcus rhodochrous strain 11Y was isolated from explosive contaminated land and is capable of degrading RDX when provided as the sole source of nitrogen for growth. Products of RDX degradation in resting-cell incubations were analyzed and found to include nitrite, formaldehyde, and formate. No ammonium was excreted into the medium, and no dead-end metabolites were observed. The gene responsible for the degradation of RDX in strain 11Y is a constitutively expressed cytochrome P450-like gene, xplA, which is found in a gene cluster with an adrenodoxin reductase homologue, xplB. The cytochrome P450 also has a flavodoxin domain at the N terminus. This study is the first to present a gene which has been identified as being responsible for RDX biodegradation. The mechanism of action of XplA on RDX is thought to involve initial denitration followed by spontaneous ring cleavage and mineralization.

Crystallographic investigation of the role of aspartate 95 in the modulation of the redox potentials of Desulfovibrio vulgaris flavodoxin

The side chain of aspartate 95 in flavodoxin from Desulfovibrio vulgaris provides the closest negative charge to N(1) of the bound FMN in the protein. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to substitute alanine, asparagine, or glutamate for this amino acid to assess the effect of this charge on the semiquinone/hydroquinone redox potential (E(1)) of the FMN cofactor. The D95A mutation shifts the E(1) redox potential positively by 16 mV, while a negative shift of 23 mV occurs in the oxidized/semiquinone midpoint redox potential (E(2)). The crystal structures of the oxidized and semiquinone forms of this mutant are similar to the corresponding states of the wild-type protein. In contrast to the wild-type protein, a further change in structure occurs in the D95A mutant in the hydroquinone form. The side chain of Y98 flips into an energetically more favorable edge-to-face interaction with the bound FMN. Analysis of the structural changes in the D95A mutant, taking into account electrostatic interactions at the FMN binding site, suggests that the pi-pi electrostatic repulsions have only a minor contribution to the very low E(1) redox potential of the FMN cofactor when bound to apoflavodoxin. Substitution of D95 with glutamate causes only a slight perturbation of the two one-electron redox potentials of the FMN cofactor. The structure of the D95E mutant reveals a large movement of the 60-loop (residues 60-64) away from the flavin in the oxidized structure. Reduction of this mutant to the hydroquinone causes the conformation of the 60-loop to revert back to that occurring in the structures of the wild-type protein. The crystal structures of the D95E mutant imply that electrostatic repulsion between a carboxylate on the side chain at position 95 and the phenol ring of Y98 prevents rotation of the Y98 side chain to a more energetically favorable conformation as occurs in the D95A mutant. Replacement of D95 with asparagine has no effect on E(2) but causes E(1) to change by 45 mV. The D95N mutant failed to crystallize. The K(d) values of the protein FMN complex in all three oxidation-reduction states differ from those of the wild-type complexes. Molecular modeling showed that the conformational energy of the protein changes with the redox state, in qualitative agreement with the observed changes in K(d), and allowed the electrostatic interactions between the FMN and the surrounding groups on the protein to be quantified.

Anabaena sp. PCC 7119 flavodoxin as electron carrier from photosystem I to ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase. Role of Trp(57) and Tyr(94)

The influence of the amino acid residues sandwiching the flavin ring in flavodoxin (Fld) from the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7119 in complex formation and electron transfer (ET) with its natural partners, photosystem I (PSI) and ferredoxin-NADP(+) reductase (FNR), was examined in mutants of the key residues Trp(57) and Tyr(94). The mutants' ability to form complexes with either FNR or PSI is similar to that of wild-type Fld. However, some of the mutants exhibit altered kinetic properties in their ET processes that can be explained in terms of altered flavin accessibility and/or thermodynamic parameters. The most noticeable alteration is produced upon replacement of Tyr(94) by alanine. In this mutant, the processes that involve the transfer of one electron from either PSI or FNR are clearly accelerated, which might be attributable to a larger accessibility of the flavin to the reductant. However, when the opposite ET flow is analyzed with FNR, the reduced Y94A mutant transfers electrons to FNR slightly more slowly than wild type. This can be explained thermodynamically from a decrease in driving force due to the significant shift of 137 mV in the reduction potential value for the semiquinone/hydroquinone couple (E(1)) of Y94A, relative to wild type (Lostao, A., Gómez-Moreno, C., Mayhew, S. G., and Sancho, J. (1997) Biochemistry 36, 14334-14344). The behavior of the rest of the mutants can be explained in the same way. Overall, our data indicate that Trp(57) and Tyr(94) do not play any active role in flavodoxin redox reactions providing a path for the electrons but are rather involved in setting an appropriate structural and electronic environment that modulates in vivo ET from PSI to FNR while providing a tight FMN binding.

Alanine-scanning of the 50's loop in the Clostridium beijerinckii flavodoxin: evaluation of additivity and the importance of interactions provided by the main chain in the modulation of the oxidation-reduction potentials

The four-residue reverse turn -Met56-Gly-Asp-Glu59- in the Clostridium beijerinckii flavodoxin provides the majority of the critical interactions with the isoalloxazine ring of the flavin mononucleotide (FMN) cofactor that contribute to the binding and the differential stabilization of its three redox states. Direct side chain contacts include the sulfur-ring interaction of Met56, which primarily influences the oxidized and hydroquinone states, and the hydrogen bond by Glu59 with the N3H, which directly (and indirectly through its "anchoring" function) influences all three states to various extents. Involving a novel redox-dependent conformational change, the hydrogen bond formed between the carbonyl group of Gly57 and the N5H of the reduced cofactor strongly influences the stability of the semiquinone state. In this study, the sequential elimination of all side chain interactions in various combinations through a systematic alanine-scanning mutagenesis approach was conducted to more completely understand the functional inter-relationships as well as any synergistic interactions that might occur within the loop. In general, additive effects for each side chain on the midpoint potentials for both couples were observed except for the hydroquinone state where some degree of nonadditivity was noted in multiple mutants involving Glu59. The study concluded with the generation of the triple mutant -Ala56-Gly-Ala-Ala59- in which all side chain interactions are removed. Gly57 was left unchanged because of its critical conformational contribution. Remarkably, this mutant retained the ability to bind the FMN and to thermodynamically stabilize the semiquinone state despite the absence of all side chain interactions. Collectively, these observations emphasize the overriding importance of the main chain interactions with the N5H of the FMN and the associated redox-dependent conformational change in this loop and leaves little doubt as to its role in the thermodynamic stabilization of the neutral semiquinone state of the FMN cofactor.

Artificial flavin receptors: effects of hydrogen bonding on redox properties of a flavin mimic

This review describes the roles of hydrogen bonding on the redox properties of a flavin mimic by using artificial flavin receptors. The receptors exploited are melamine derivatives bearing guanidinium ion(s) that strongly bind 6-azaflavin through five or seven hydrogen bonds involving N(1), C(2)=O, N(3)-H, C(4)=O, N(5), and N(6) positions in CHCl3 and CHCl3-acetonitrile. It has been shown that receptors are quite useful for examination of the hydrogen bonding effects on the redox potential, stability of the anionic semiquinone radical, and the oxidation activity of 6-azaflavin. The functionalized receptors have a substrate- or a metal-binding site have been shown to facilitate the reactions by forming the noncovalent assemblies. A possibility as an apoprotein model of the receptors has been mentioned also.

Role of hydrogen bonding interactions to N(3)H of the flavin mononucleotide cofactor in the modulation of the redox potentials of the Clostridium beijerinckii flavodoxin

The role of the hydrogen bonding interaction with the N(3)H of the flavin cofactor in the modulation of the redox properties of flavoproteins has not been extensively investigated. In the flavodoxin from Clostridium beijerinckii, the gamma-carboxylate group of glutamate-59 serves as a dual hydrogen bond acceptor with the N(3)H of flavin mononucleotide (FMN) cofactor and the amide hydrogen of the adjacent polypeptide backbone in all three oxidation states. This "bridging" interaction serves to anchor the FMN in the binding site, which, based on the E59Q mutant, indirectly affects the stability of the neutral flavin semiquinone by facilitating a strong and critical interaction at the FMN N(5)H [Bradley, L. H., and Swenson, R. P. (1999) Biochemistry 38, 12377-12386]. In this study, the specific role of the N(3)H interaction itself was investigated through the systematic replacement of Glu59 by aspartate, asparagine, and alanine in an effort to weaken, disrupt, and/or eliminate this interaction, respectively. Just as for the E59Q mutant, each replacement significantly weakened the binding of the cofactor, particularly for the semiquinone state, affecting the midpoint potentials of each one-electron couple in opposite directions. (1)H-(15)N HSQC nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic studies revealed that not only was the N(3)H interaction weakened as anticipated, but so also was the hydrogen bonding interaction with the N(5)H. Using the temperature coefficients of the N(5)H to quantify and correct for changes in this interaction, the contribution of the N(3)H hydrogen bond to the binding of each redox state of the FMN was isolated and estimated. Based on this analysis, the N(3)H hydrogen bonding interaction appears to contribute primarily to the stability of the oxidized state (by as much as 2 kcal/mol) and to a lesser extent the reduced states. It is concluded that this interaction contributes only modestly (<45 mV) to the modulation of the midpoint potential for each redox couple in the flavodoxin. These conclusions are generally consistent with ab initio calculations and model studies on the non-protein-bound cofactor.

Conformational energetics of a reverse turn in the Clostridium beijerinckii flavodoxin is directly coupled to the modulation of its oxidation-reduction potentials

A surface loop in the flavodoxin from Clostridium beijerinckii comprised of residues -Met(56)-Gly-Asp-Glu(59)- forms a four-residue reverse turn which undergoes a conversion from a mix of cis/trans peptide configurations that approximate a type II configuration in the oxidized state to a type II' turn upon reduction of the bound flavin mononucleotide (FMN) cofactor. This change results in the formation of a new hydrogen bond between the N(5)H of the reduced cofactor and the carbonyl group of Gly57 of the central peptide bond of the turn, an interaction that is thought to contribute to the modulation of the oxidation-reduction potentials of the cofactor [Ludwig, M. L., Pattridge, K. A., Metzger, A. L., Dixon, M. M., Eren, M., Feng, Y., and Swenson, R. P. (1997) Biochemistry 36, 1259-1280]. In this study, the direct linkage of the conformational energetics of this turn to the stabilization of the FMN semiquinone was established by systematically replacing the second and third residues of the turn (Gly57 and Asp58) with the -Gly-Gly-, -Gly-Ala-, -Ala-Gly-, and -Ala-Ala- dipeptidyl sequences. On the basis of published position specific preferences for residues with side chains (mimicked by Ala) and glycine, a strong correlation was observed between E(ox/sq) and the calculated free-energy differences between the type II and type II' conformations of each of these sequence combinations. The -Ala-Gly- sequence, which favors the type II turn configuration primarily adopted in the oxidized state, displays a E(ox/sq) value that is about 150 mV more negative than that for the wild-type-like -Gly-Ala- sequence, which prefers the type II' conformation observed in the reduced states. The -Gly-Gly- and -Ala-Ala- mutants exhibit intermediate E(ox/sq) values consistent with their ambivalent turn preferences. The potential changes are primarily the result of alterations in the stability of the semiquinone state. These results provide more conclusive evidence for the crucial role of this conformational change in the modulation of the redox potentials of this flavodoxin. Furthermore, this study establishes a direct association between the conformational energetics of the protein, induced in this case by the sequence specificity of a beta-turn, and the differential thermodynamic stabilization of specific redox states of the cofactor, demonstrating another means by which flavoproteins can modulate the redox potentials of the bound cofactor.

Role of glutamate-59 hydrogen bonded to N(3)H of the flavin mononucleotide cofactor in the modulation of the redox potentials of the Clostridium beijerinckii flavodoxin. Glutamate-59 is not responsible for the pH dependency but contributes to the stabilization of the flavin semiquinone

The midpoint potentials for both redox couples of the noncovalently bound flavin mononucleotide (FMN) cofactor in the flavodoxin are known to be pH dependent. While the pH dependency for the oxidized-semiquinone (ox/sq) couple is consistent with the formation of the blue neutral form of the flavin semiquinone, that of the semiquinone-hydroquinone (sq/hq) couple is more enigmatic. The apparent pK(a) of 6.7 for this couple in the flavodoxin from Clostridium beijerinckii has been attributed to the ionization of the FMN(HQ); however, nuclear magnetic resonance data strongly suggest the FMN(HQ) remains anionic over the entire pH range testable. As an alternative explanation, a specific glutamate residue (Glu59 in this flavodoxin), which is hydrogen-bonded to N(3)H of the FMN, has been postulated to be the primary redox-linked proton acceptor responsible for the pH effect in some flavodoxins. This model was directly tested in this study by permanently neutralizing Glu59 by its replacement with glutamine. This conservative substitution resulted in an increase of 86 mV (at pH 7) in midpoint potential of the sq/hq couple; however, the pH dependency of this couple was not altered. Thus, the redox-linked protonation of Glu59 clearly cannot be responsible for this effect as proposed. The pH dependency of the ox/sq couple was also similar to wild type, but the midpoint potential has decreased by 65 mV (pH 7). The K(d) values for the oxidized, semiquinone, and hydroquinone complexes increased by 43-, 590-, and 20-fold, respectively, relative to the wild type. Thus, the Glu59 to glutamine substitution substantially effects the stability of the semiquinone but, on a relative basis, slightly favors the formation of the hydroquinone. On the basis of (1)H-(15)N HSQC nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic studies, the increased temperature coefficients for the protons on N(3) and N(5) of the reduced FMN in E59Q suggest that the hydrogen-bonding interactions at these positions are significantly weakened in this mutant. The increase for N(5)H correlates with the reduced stability of the FMN(SQ) and the more negative midpoint potential for the ox/sq couple. On the basis of the X-ray structure, an "anchoring" role is proposed for the side chain carboxylate of Glu59 that stabilizes the structure of the 50's loop in such a way so as to promote the crucial hydrogen-bonding interaction that stabilizes the flavin semiquinone, contributing to the low potential of this flavodoxin.

Electron-nuclear double resonance and hyperfine sublevel correlation spectroscopic studies of flavodoxin mutants from Anabaena sp. PCC 7119

The influence of the amino acid residues surrounding the flavin ring in the flavodoxin of the cyanobacterium Anabaena PCC 7119 on the electron spin density distribution of the flavin semiquinone was examined in mutants of the key residues Trp(57) and Tyr(94) at the FMN binding site. Neutral semiquinone radicals of the proteins were obtained by photoreduction and examined by electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) and hyperfine sublevel correlation (HYSCORE) spectroscopies. Significant differences in electron density distribution were observed in the flavodoxin mutants Trp(57) --> Ala and Tyr(94) --> Ala. The results indicate that the presence of a bulky residue (either aromatic or aliphatic) at position 57, as compared with an alanine, decreases the electron spin density in the nuclei of the benzene flavin ring, whereas an aromatic residue at position 94 increases the electron spin density at positions N(5) and C(6) of the flavin ring. The influence of the FMN ribityl and phosphate on the flavin semiquinone was determined by reconstituting apoflavodoxin samples with riboflavin and with lumiflavin. The coupling parameters of the different nuclei of the isoalloxazine group, as detected by ENDOR and HYSCORE, were very similar to those of the native flavodoxin. This indicates that the protein conformation around the flavin ring and the electron density distribution in the semiquinone form are not influenced by the phosphate and the ribityl of FMN.

The midpoint potentials for the oxidized-semiquinone couple for Gly57 mutants of the Clostridium beijerinckii flavodoxin correlate with changes in the hydrogen-bonding interaction with the proton on N(5) of the reduced flavin mononucleotide cofactor as measured by NMR chemical shift temperature dependencies

In the Clostridium beijerinckii flavodoxin, the reduction of the flavin mononucleotide (FMN) cofactor is accompanied by a local conformation change in which the Gly57-Asp58 peptide bond "flips" from primarily the unusual cis O-down conformation in the oxidized state to the trans O-up conformation such that a new hydrogen bond can be formed between the carbonyl group of Gly57 and the proton on N(5) of the neutral FMN semiquinone radical [Ludwig, M. L., Pattridge, K. A., Metzger, A. L., Dixon, M. M., Eren, M., Feng, Y., and Swenson, R. P. (1997) Biochemistry 36, 1259-1280]. This interaction is thought to contribute to the relative stabilization of the flavin semiquinone and may be at least partially responsible for the substantial separation of the midpoint potentials of the two one-electron reduction steps. Through a series of amino acid substitutions, the above cited study demonstrated the critical role of the often conserved glycine residue in this process. However, it has not been directly established experimentally as to whether these substitutions brought about the changes in the midpoint potentials by altering the strength of this hydrogen-bonding interaction as proposed. In this study, the relative strengths of the FMN N(5)H.O57 hydrogen bond in wild type and the G57A, G57N, and G57T mutants were evaluated by measuring the temperature dependency of the chemical shift for the proton on N(5) of the fully reduced cofactor by 1H-15N HSQC nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Based on the established correlation between the temperature coefficient of amide protons and the strength of hydrogen bonding in small peptides, the apparent strength of the N(5)H.O57 interaction was found to depend on the properties of the side chain at position 57. The glycine residue found in the wild-type flavodoxin appears to provide the strongest interaction while the beta-branched side chain in the G57T mutant provides the weakest. A good correlation was noted between the temperature coefficients of N(5)H and the one-electron reduction potential for the ox/sq couple as well as the binding free energy of the FMN semiquinone in this group of mutants. These results provide more direct quantitative evidence that support the previous hypothesis that this conformation change and the associated formation of the hydrogen bonding interaction with N(5)H of the reduced FMN represent an important means of stabilizing the neutral semiquinone and in modulating the oxidation-reduction potentials of the flavin cofactor in this and perhaps other flavodoxins.

Role of methionine 56 in the control of the oxidation-reduction potentials of the Clostridium beijerinckii flavodoxin: effects of substitutions by aliphatic amino acids and evidence for a role of sulfur-flavin interactions

Flavodoxins are small electron transferases that participate in low-potential electron transfer pathways. The flavodoxin protein is able to separate the two redox couples of the noncovalently bound flavin mononucleotide (FMN) cofactor through the differential thermodynamic stabilization or destabilization of each of its redox states. In the flavodoxin from Clostridium beijerinckii, the sulfur atom of methionine 56 is in direct contact with the re or inner face of the isoalloxazine ring of the FMN cofactor. In this study, evidence was sought for a possible role for sulfur-aromatic (flavin) interactions in the regulation of one-electron reduction potentials in flavoproteins. Met56 was systematically replaced with all the naturally occurring aliphatic amino acids by site-directed mutagenesis. Replacement of Met56 with alanine or glycine increased the midpoint potentials at pH 7 for the oxidized-semiquinone couple by up to 20 mV compared to that of the wild type, while replacement by the longer chain aliphatic residues decreased the midpoint potential by >30 mV. The midpoint potential for the semiquinone-hydroquinone couple was less negative than that for the wild type for all the mutants, increasing by as much as 90 mV for the M56I mutant. For the M56A mutant, the loss of approximately 0.5 kcal/mol in the binding energy for oxidized FMN and an increase of 1. 6 kcal/mol for the flavin hydroquinone, relative to that of the wild type, are responsible for the observed changes in the midpoint potentials. The stability of the semiquinone complex of this mutant was not affected. The one-election reduction potentials for the M56L, M56I, and M56V mutants are also influenced by the differential stabilization of the three redox states; however, the semiquinone complex was significantly less stable in these proteins. These differences are likely the consequence of the introduction of additional steric factors and an apparent structural preference for a smaller or more flexible side chain at this position in the semiquinone complex. While the other factors may contribute, it is argued that the results obtained for the entire group of mutants are consistent with the elimination of important sulfur-flavin interactions that contribute in part to the stabilization of the oxidized and destabilization of the hydroquinone states of the cofactor in this flavodoxin. The results of this study also demonstrate unequivocally the functional importance of this methionine residue and that it is unique among the aliphatic amino acids in its capacity to generate the physiologically relevant low reduction potential exhibited by the C. beijerinckii flavodoxin.

A flavodoxin that is required for enzyme activation: the structure of oxidized flavodoxin from Escherichia coli at 1.8 A resolution

In Escherichia coli, flavodoxin is the physiological electron donor for the reductive activation of the enzymes pyruvate formate-lyase, anaerobic ribonucleotide reductase, and B12-dependent methionine synthase. As a basis for studies of the interactions of flavodoxin with methionine synthase, crystal structures of orthorhombic and trigonal forms of oxidized recombinant flavodoxin from E. coli have been determined. The orthorhombic form (space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), a = 126.4, b = 41.10, c = 69.15 A, with two molecules per asymmetric unit) was solved initially by molecular replacement at a resolution of 3.0 A, using coordinates from the structure of the flavodoxin from Synechococcus PCC 7942 (Anacystis nidulans). Data extending to 1.8-A resolution were collected at 140 K and the structure was refined to an Rwork of 0.196 and an Rfree of 0.250 for reflections with I > 0. The final model contains 3,224 non-hydrogen atoms per asymmetric unit, including 62 flavin mononucleotide (FMN) atoms, 354 water molecules, four calcium ions, four sodium ions, two chloride ions, and two Bis-Tris buffer molecules. The structure of the protein in the trigonal form (space group P312, a = 78.83, c = 52.07 A) was solved by molecular replacement using the coordinates from the orthorhombic structure, and was refined with all data from 10.0 to 2.6 A (R = 0.191; Rfree = 0.249). The sequence Tyr 58-Tyr 59, in a bend near the FMN, has so far been found only in the flavodoxins from E. coli and Haemophilus influenzae, and may be important in interactions of flavodoxin with its partners in activation reactions. The tyrosine residues in this bend are influenced by intermolecular contacts and adopt different orientations in the two crystal forms. Structural comparisons with flavodoxins from Synechococcus PCC 7942 and Anaebaena PCC 7120 suggest other residues that may also be critical for recognition by methionine synthase.

Differential stabilization of the three FMN redox forms by tyrosine 94 and tryptophan 57 in flavodoxin from Anabaena and its influence on the redox potentials

Flavodoxins are electron transfer proteins that carry a noncovalently bound flavin mononucleotide molecule as the redox-active center. The redox potentials of the flavin nucleotide are profoundly altered upon interaction with the protein. In Anabaena flavodoxin, as in many flavodoxins, the flavin is sandwiched between two aromatic residues (Trp57 and Tyr94) thought to be implicated in the alteration of the redox potentials. We have individually replaced these two residues by each of the other aromatic residues, by alanine and by leucine. For each mutant, we have determined the redox potentials and the binding energies of the oxidized FMN--apoflavodoxin complexes. From these data, the binding energies of the semireduced and reduced complexes have been calculated. Comparison of the binding energies of wild-type and mutant flavodoxins at the three redox states suggests that the interaction between Tyr94 and FMN stabilizes the apoflavodoxin--FMN complex in all redox states. The oxidized and semireduced complexes are, however, more strongly stabilized than the reduced complex, making the semiquinone/hydroquinone midpoint potential more negative in flavodoxin than in unbound FMN. Trp57 also stabilizes all redox forms of FMN, thus cooperating with Tyr94 in strong FMN binding. On the other hand, Trp57 seems to slightly destabilize the semireduced complex relative to the oxidized one. Finally, we have observed that reduction of mutants lacking Trp57 is slow relative to that of wild-type or mutants lacking Tyr94, which suggests that Trp57 could play a role in the kinetics of flavodoxin redox reactions.

The domain architecture of cytochrome P450BM-3

Cytochromes P450 utilize redox partners to deliver electrons from NADPH/NADH to the P450 heme center. Microsomal P450s utilize an FAD/FMN reductase. The bacterial fatty acid hydroxylase, P450BM-3, is similar except the P450 heme and FAD/FMN proteins are linked together in a single polypeptide chain arranged as heme-FMN-FAD. Sequence comparisons indicate that the P450BM-3 FMN and FAD domains are similar to flavodoxin and ferredoxin reductase, respectively. Previous work has shown that the heme and FMN/FAD domains can be separately expressed and purified. In this study we have expressed, purified, and characterized the following additional domains: heme-FMN, FMN, and FAD. Each domain retains their prosthetic groups although the FMN domain is more labile. The FAD domain retains a high level of ferricyanide reductase activity but no cytochrome c reductase activity. In addition, we have deleted a 110-residue stretch in the FAD domain that is not present in ferredoxin reductase. This protein retains both FAD and heme but not FMN. We also have investigated the dimerization pattern of the individual domains that lead to the following conclusions. Holo-P450BM-3 appears to dimerize via interactions that do not involve disulfide bond formation, whereas the reductase and FAD domains form intermolecular disulfides. This indicates that the Cys residues not available for dimerization in holo-P450BM-3 are unmasked in the individual domains.

Control of oxidation-reduction potentials in flavodoxin from Clostridium beijerinckii: the role of conformation changes

X-ray analyses of wild-type and mutant flavodoxins from Clostridium beijerinckii show that the conformation of the peptide Gly57-Asp58, in a bend near the isoalloxazine ring of FMN, is correlated with the oxidation state of the FMN prosthetic group. The Gly-Asp peptide may adopt any of three conformations: trans O-up, in which the carbonyl oxygen of Gly57 (O57) points toward the flavin ring; trans O-down, in which O57 points away from the flavin; and cis O-down. Interconversions among these conformers that are linked to oxidation-reduction of the flavin can modulate the redox potentials of bound FMN. In the semiquinone and reduced forms of the protein, the Gly57-Asp58 peptide adopts the trans O-up conformation and accepts a hydrogen bond from the flavin N5H [Smith, W. W., Burnett, R. M., Darling, G. D., & Ludwig, M. L. (1977) J. Mol. Biol. 117, 195-225; Ludwig, M. L., & Luschinsky, C. L. (1992) in Chemistry and Biochemistry of Flavoenzymes III (Müller, F., Ed.) pp 427-466, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL]. Analyses reported in this paper confirm that, in crystals of wild-type oxidized C. beijerinckii flavodoxin, the Gly57-Asp58 peptide adopts the O-down orientation and isomerizes to the cis conformation. This cis form is preferentially stabilized in the crystals by intermolecular hydrogen bonding to Asn137. Structures for the mutant Asn137Ala indicate that a mixture of all three conformers, mostly O-down, exists in oxidized C. beijerinckii flavodoxin in the absence of intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Redox potentials have been manipulated by substitutions that alter the conformational energies of the bend at 56M-G-D-E. The mutation Asp58Pro was constructed to study a case where energies for cis-trans conversion would be different from that of wild type. Intermolecular interactions with Asn137 are precluded in the crystal, yet Gly57-Pro58 is cis, and O-down, when the flavin is oxidized. Reduction of the flavin induces rearrangement to the trans O-up conformation. Redox potential shifts reflect the altered energies associated with the peptide rearrangement; E(ox/sq) decreases by approximately 60 mV (1.3 kcal/mol). Further, the results of mutation of Gly57 agree with predictions that a side chain at residue 57 should make addition of the first electron more difficult, by raising the energy of the O-up conformer that forms when the flavin is reduced to its semiquinone state. The ox/sq potentials in the mutants Gly57Ala, Gly57Asn, and Gly57Asp are all decreased by approximately 60 mV (1.3 kcal/mol). Introduction of the beta-branched threonine side chain at position 57 has much larger effects on the conformations and potentials. The Thr57-Asp58 peptide adopts a trans O-down conformation when the flavin is oxidized; upon reduction to the semiquinone, the 57-58 peptide rotates to a trans O-up conformation resembling that found in the wild-type protein. Changes in FMN-protein interactions and in conformational equilibria in G57T combine to decrease the redox potential for the ox/sq equilibrium by 180 mV (+4.0 kcal/mol) and to increase the sq/hq potential by 80 mV (-1.7 kcal/mol). A thermodynamic scheme is introduced as a framework for rationalizing the properties of wild-type flavodoxin and the effects of the mutations.

Flavin reductase P: structure of a dimeric enzyme that reduces flavin

We report the structure of an NADPH:FMN oxidoreductase (flavin reductase P) that is involved in bioluminescence by providing reduced FMN to luciferase. The 1.8 A crystal structure of flavin reductase P from Vibrio harveyi was solved by multiple isomorphous replacement and reveals that the enzyme is a unique dimer of interlocking subunits, with 9352 A2 of surface area buried in the dimer interface. Each subunit comprises two domains. The first domain consists of a four-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet flanked by helices on either side. The second domain reaches out from one subunit and embraces the other subunit and is responsible for interlocking the two subunits. Our structure explains why flavin reductase P is specific for FMN as cofactor. FMN is recognized and tightly bound by a network of 16 hydrogen bonds, while steric considerations prevent the binding of FAD. A flexible loop containing a Lys and an Arg could account for the NADPH specificity. The structure reveals information about several aspects of the catalytic mechanism. For example, we show that the first step in catalysis, which is hydride transfer from C4 of NADPH to cofactor FMN, involves addition to the re face of the FMN, probably at the N5 position. The limited accessibility of the FMN binding pocket and the extensive FMN-protein hydrogen bond network are consistent with the observed ping-pong bisubstrate--biproduct reaction kinetics. Finally, we propose a model for how flavin reductase P might shuttle electrons between NADPH and luciferase.

Three-dimensional structure of meso-diaminopimelic acid dehydrogenase from Corynebacterium glutamicum

Diaminopimelate dehydrogenase catalyzes the NADPH-dependent reduction of ammonia and L-2-amino-6-ketopimelate to form meso-diaminopimelate, the direct precursor of L-lysine in the bacterial lysine biosynthetic pathway. Since mammals lack this metabolic pathway inhibitors of enzymes in this pathway may be useful as antibiotics or herbicides. Diaminopimelate dehydrogenase catalyzes the only oxidative deamination of an amino acid of D configuration and must additionally distinguish between two chiral amino acid centers on the same symmetric substrate. The Corynebacterium glutamicum enzyme has been cloned, expressed in Escherichia coli, and purified to homogeneity using standard biochemical procedures [Reddy, S. G., Scapin, G., & Blanchard, J. S. (1996) Proteins: Structure, Funct. Genet. 25, 514-516]. The three-dimensional structure of the binary complex of diaminopimelate dehydrogenase with NADP+ has been solved using multiple isomorphous replacement procedures and noncrystallographic symmetry averaging. The resulting model has been refined against 2.2 A diffraction data to a conventional crystallographic R-factor of 17.0%. Diaminopimelate dehydrogenase is a homodimer of structurally not identical subunits. Each subunit is composed of three domains. The N-terminal domain contains a modified dinucleotide binding domain, or Rossman fold (six central beta-strands in a 213456 topology surrounded by five alpha-helices). The second domain contains two alpha-helices and three beta-strands. This domain is referred to as the dimerization domain, since it is involved in forming the monomer--monomer interface of the dimer. The third or C-terminal domain is composed of six beta-strands and five alpha-helices. The relative position of the N- and C-terminal domain in the two monomers is different, defining an open and a closed conformation that may represent the enzyme's binding and active state, respectively. In both monomers the nucleotide is bound in an extended conformation across the C-terminal portion of the beta-sheet of the Rossman fold, with its C4 facing the C-terminal domain. In the closed conformer two molecules of acetate have been refined in this region, and we postulate that they define the DAP binding site. The structure of diaminopimelate dehydrogenase shows interesting similarities to the structure of glutamate dehydrogenase [Baker, P. J., Britton, K. L., Rice, D. W., Rob, A., & Stillmann, T.J. (1992a) J. Mol. Biol. 228, 662-671] and leucine dehydrogenase [Baker, P.J., Turnbull, A.P., Sedelnikova, S.E., Stillman, T. J., & Rice, D. W. (1995) Structure 3, 693-705] and also resembles the structure of dihydrodipicolinate reductase [Scapin, G., Blanchard, J. S., & Sacchettini, J. C. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 3502-3512], the enzyme immediately preceding it in the diaminopimelic acid/lysine biosynthetic pathway.

19F NMR studies with 2'-F-2'-deoxyarabinoflavoproteins

Apoproteins of several flavoproteins were reconstituted with 2'-F-2'-deoxyarabinoflavins and studied by 19F NMR and absorption spectroscopy. Extensive protein-fluorine interactions were observed by large chemical shift changes on binding to the apoprotein of Old Yellow Enzyme (apoOYE) and apoflavodoxin, whereas binding to apoglucose oxidase and apo -amino acid oxidase (apoDAAO) resulted in minimal interactions. Modification at the flavin 2'-position in OYE resulted in a substantial decrease in the binding affinity of the flavin, possibly from the disruption of two important hydrogen bonds to Pro-35 and Arg-243. 19F NMR studies of complexes of OYE with testosterone, cyclohexenone, and beta-estradiol suggest that phenols and alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones orient differently at the active site on binding. The two separate one-electron potentials for the EFlox/EFlsq and EFlsq/EFlred couples were different for the reconstituted OYE. With native enzyme, there is 15-20% thermodynamic stabilization of the anionic flavin semiquinone, while no detectable amount of semiquinone was observed with modified OYE. This change in potential was further substantiated by blue shifts for the maxima of the modified protein-phenol charge transfer complexes. In accordance with the crystal structure of the OYE-p-OH-benzaldehyde complex (Fox, K.M. & Karplus, P.A. (1994) Structure 2, 1089-1105), 19F NMR studies with the modified OYE-2,4-F2-phenol suggest strong interaction between the para-fluorine of the phenol and Tyr-375.

Crystal structure of a phosphatase-resistant mutant of sporulation response regulator Spo0F from Bacillus subtilis

BACKGROUND

Spo0F, a phosphotransferase containing an aspartyl pocket, is involved in the signaling pathway (phosphorelay) controlling sporulation in Bacillus subtilis. It belongs to the superfamily of bacterial response regulatory proteins, which are activated upon phosphorylation of an invariant aspartate residue. This phosphorylation is carried out in a divalent cation dependent reaction catalyzed by cognate histidine kinases. Knowledge of the Spo0F structure would provide valuable information that would enable the elucidation of its function as a secondary messenger in a system in which a phosphate is donated from Spo0F to Spo0B, the third of four main proteins that constitute the phosphorelay.

RESULTS

We have determined the crystal structure of a Rap phosphatase resistant mutant, Spo0F Tyr13-->Ser, at 1.9 A resolution. The structure was solved by single isomorphous replacement and anomalous scattering techniques. The overall structural fold is (beta/alpha)5 and contains a central beta sheet. The active site of the molecule is formed by three aspartate residues and a lysine residue which come together at the C terminus of the beta sheet. The active site accommodates a calcium ion.

CONCLUSIONS

The structural analysis reveals that the overall topology and metal-binding coordination at the active site are similar to those of the bacterial chemotaxis response regulator CheY. Structural differences between Spo0F and CheY in the vicinity of the active site provide an insight into how similar molecular scaffolds can be adapted to perform different biological roles by the alteration of only a few amino acid residues. These differences may contribute to the observed stability of the phosphorylated species of Spo0F, a feature demanded by its role as a secondary messenger within the phosphorelay system which controls sporulation.

NMR investigation of the solution conformation of oxidized flavodoxin from Desulfovibrio vulgaris. Determination of the tertiary structure and detection of protein-bound water molecules

Desulfovibrio vulgaris flavodoxin has been investigated with a combination of homo- and hetero-nuclear two-dimensional and three-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. The analysis of NOE, hydrogen exchange and J-coupling data led to a set of 1349 NOE, 63 hydrogen bond and 109 backbone phi-angle restraints which were used to determine the solution structure of the oxidized flavodoxin applying the distance geometry program DIANA combined with restrained energy minimization methods. Flavodoxin in solution consists of a five-stranded parallel beta-sheet which is pairwise flanked by four alpha-helices. The solution structure has been compared with the known crystal structure. While the global fold is identical, differences have been detected concerning local conformations. In addition, protein-bound water molecules have been localized by NOE effects which were detected in NMR experiments avoiding solvent suppression. The locations of these water molecules have been compared with those found in the X-ray structure.

Molecular dynamics simulations of rubredoxin from Clostridium pasteurianum: changes in structure and electrostatic potential during redox reactions

Molecular dynamics simulations of Clostridium pasteurianum rubredoxin in the oxidized and reduced forms have been performed. Good agreement between both forms and crystal data has been obtained (rms deviation of backbone atoms of 1.06 and 1.42 A, respectively), which was due in part to the use of explicit solvent and counterions. The reduced form exhibits an unexpected structural change: the redox site becomes much more solvent-accessible, so that water enters a channel between the surface and the site, but with little actual structural rearrangement (the rms deviation of backbone atoms between the oxidized and reduced is 0.77 A). The increase in solvent accessibility is also seen, although to a much lesser extent, between the oxidized and reduced crystal structures of Pyrococcus furiosus rubredoxin, but no high resolution crystal or nuclear magnetic resonance solution data exist for reduced C. pasteurianum rubredoxin. The electrostatic potential at the iron site and fluctuations in the potential, which contribute to both the redox and electron transfer properties, have also been evaluated for both the oxidized and the reduced simulations. These results show that the backbone plays a significant role (62-70 kcal/mol/e) and the polar side chains contribute relatively little (0-4 kcal/mol/e) to the absolute electrostatic potential at the iron of rubredoxin for both forms. However, both groups contribute significantly to the change in redox state by becoming more polarized and more densely packed around the redox site upon reduction. Furthermore, these results show that the solvent becomes much more polarized in the reduced form than in the oxidized form, even excluding the penetrating water. Finally, the simulation indicates that the contribution of the charged side chains to the electrostatic potential is largely canceled by that of the counterions.

Structural analysis of peptides encompassing all alpha-helices of three alpha/beta parallel proteins: Che-Y, flavodoxin and P21-ras: implications for alpha-helix stability and the folding of alpha/beta parallel proteins

In an attempt to delineate the early folding events of structurally related proteins with no sequence homology, peptides including all five alpha-helices of three alpha/beta parallel open-sheet proteins, Che-Y, flavodoxin and P21-ras, have been analyzed by circular dichroism (far-UV CD) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in water and 30% (v/v) trifluoroethanol (TFE). Comparison between the helical content estimations from far-UV CD and the results from the NMR analysis renders a reasonably good qualitative correlation, indicating that the same phenomenon is underlined by both methods. Helix limits, as indicated by the existence of (i,i + 3) nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) cross-correlations and significant up-field conformational shifts of the C alpha H protons, are practically coincident with those in the folded protein. On the other hand, the conformation of the side-chains differs markedly from those in the folded protein. Observation of NOE cross-correlations between pairs of residues at positions i,i + 3 has been used to statistically quantify free energies of i,i + 3 side-chain-side-chain interactions between the different pairs of residues in an alpha-helix. This analysis indicates that interactions between hydrophobic side-chains seem to be quite favorable for helix formation. The behaviour in aqueous solution of the structural equivalent peptides for the three proteins is quite unrelated except for the peptides corresponding to helices two and five. We postulate that, in the alpha/beta parallel proteins, those helices that join two beta-strands flanking another non-consecutive beta-strand should not be stable for folding reasons.

Electrostatic effects of surface acidic amino acid residues on the oxidation-reduction potentials of the flavodoxin from Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough)

The flavodoxin from Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough) is a member of a family of small, acidic proteins that contain a single noncovalently bound flavin mononucleotide (FMN) cofactor. These proteins function as low-potential one-electron transferases in bacteria. A distinguishing feature of these flavoproteins is the dramatic decrease in the midpoint potential of the semiquinone/hydroquinone couple of the FMN upon binding to the apoprotein (-172 mV for FMN free in solution versus -443 mV when bound), a perturbation thought to be essential for physiological function. The structural basis of this phenomenon is not yet thoroughly understood. In this study, the contribution of six acidic residues (Asp62, Asp63, Glu66, Asp95, Glu99, and Asp106) to the perturbation of the redox properties of the cofactor has been investigated. These residues are clustered about the FMN binding site within 13 A of the N(1) atom of the cofactor. Using oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis, these residues were neutralized in various combinations through the substitution of asparagine for aspartate and glutamine for glutamate. Seventeen mutant flavodoxins were generated in which one to all six acidic residues were systematically neutralized, often in various spatial configurations. There was no obvious correlation between the midpoint potentials for the oxidized/semiquinone couple and general electrostatic environment, although some differences were noted. However, the midpoint potential for the semiquinone/hydroquinone couple for each of the mutants was less negative than that of the wild type. These increases are strongly correlated with the number of acid to amide substitutions, with an average contribution of about 15 mV per substitution. Collectively, the unfavorable electrostatic environment provided by these acidic residues accounts for approximately one-third of the large midpoint potential shift for the semiquinone/hydroquinone couple that typifies the flavodoxin family, apparently through the destabilization of the flavin hydroquinone anion.

Six new candidate members of the alpha/beta twisted open-sheet family detected by sequence similarity to flavodoxin

Strong sequence similarity has been reported among WrbA (the Trp repressor-binding protein of Escherichia coli); Ycp4, a protein of unknown function from the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae; P25, the pap1-dependent protein of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe; and the translation product of a partial cDNA sequence from rice seedling root (Oryza sativa, locus Ricr02421a; here referred to as RicR). Further homology search with the profile method indicates that all the above sequences are related to the flavodoxin family and, in turn, allows detection of the recently proposed flavodoxin-like proteins from E. coli, MioC and the hypothetical protein YihB. We discuss sequence conservation with reference to the known 3-dimensional structures of flavodoxins. Conserved sequence and hydrophobicity patterns, as well as residue-pair interaction potentials, strongly support the hypothesis that these proteins share the alpha/beta twisted open-sheet fold typical of flavodoxins, with an additional alpha/beta unit in the WrbA family. On the basis of the proposed structural homology, we discuss the details of the putative FMN-binding sites. Our analysis also suggests that the helix-turn-helix motif we identified previously in the C-terminal region of the WrbA family is unlikely to reflect a DNA-binding function of this new protein family.

Crystal structure of the cysteine protease interleukin-1 beta-converting enzyme: a (p20/p10)2 homodimer

Interleukin-1 beta-converting enzyme (ICE) proteolytically cleaves pro-IL-1 beta to its mature, active form. The crystal structure at 2.5 A resolution of a recombinant human ICE-tetrapeptide chloromethylketone complex reveals that the holoenzyme is a homodimer of catalytic domains, each of which contains a p20 and a p10 subunit. The spatial separation of the C-terminus of p20 and the N-terminus of p10 in each domain suggests two alternative pathways of assembly and activation in vivo. ICE is homologous to the C. elegans cell death gene product, CED-3, and these may represent a novel class of cytoplasmic cysteine proteases that are important in programmed cell death (apoptosis). Conservation among members of the ICE/CED-3 family of the amino acids that form the active site region of ICE supports the hypothesis that they share functional similarities.

Flavin dynamics in oxidized Clostridium beijerinckii flavodoxin as assessed by time-resolved polarized fluorescence

The time-resolved fluorescence characteristics of flavin in oxidized flavodoxin isolated from the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium beijerinckii have been examined. The fluorescence intensity decays were analyzed using the maximum-entropy method. It is demonstrated that there exist large differences in fluorescence behaviour between free and protein-bound FMN. Three fluorescence lifetime components are found in oxidized flavodoxin, two of which are not present in the fluorescence-intensity decay of free FMN. The main component is distributed at 30 ps, with relative contribution of 90%. Another minor component (4% contribution) is distributed at 0.5 ns. The third component is distributed at 4.8 ns (6%), coinciding with the main distribution present in the fluorescence decay of free FMN. The results allowed us to determine the dissociation constant, Kd = 2.61 x 10(-10) M (at 20 degrees C). Collisional fluorescence-quenching experiments revealed that the flavin moiety responsible for the longest fluorescence lifetime is, at least partially, exposed to the solvent. The shortest lifetime is not affected significantly, indicating that it possibly originates from an active-site conformation in which the flavin is more or less buried in the protein and not accessible to iodide. The fluorescence anisotropy behaviour of free and protein-bound FMN was examined and analyzed with the maximum-entropy method. It was found that an excess of apoflavodoxin is required to detect differences between free and protein-bound FMN. In free FMN one single distribution of rotational correlation times is detected, whereas in flavodoxin the anisotropy decay is composed of more than one distribution. Associative analysis of fluorescence anisotropy decays shows that part of the 4.8 ns fluorescence lifetime present in the flavodoxin fluorescence decay, is coupled to a rotational correlation time similar to that of free FMN in solution, while another part of this lifetime is coupled to a longer correlation time of about 1 ns. This finding is in accordance with earlier studies [Barman, B. G. & Tollin, G. (1972) Biochemistry 11, 4746-4754] in which it was proposed that the first binding step of the flavin to the protein involves the phosphate group rather than another part of the FMN. The two shortest fluorescence lifetimes, which do not carry information on the long-term rotational behaviour of the protein, seem nonetheless to be associated with a longer rotational correlation time which is comparable to overall protein tumbling. These lifetime components probably originate from a complex in which the flavin-ring system is more or less immobilized within the protein matrix.

Flavin dynamics in reduced flavodoxins. A time-resolved polarized fluorescence study

The time-resolved fluorescence and fluorescence anisotropy characteristics of reduced flavin mononucleotide in solution as well as bound in flavodoxins isolated from the bacteria Desulfovibrio gigas, Desulfovibrio vulgaris, Clostridium beijerinckii MP and Megasphaera elsdenii have been examined. All fluorescence and fluorescence anisotropy decays were analyzed by two different methods: (a) least-squares fitting with a sum of exponentials and (b) the maximum entropy method to yield distributed lifetimes and correlation times. The results of both approaches are in excellent agreement. The fluorescence decay of the free as well as protein-bound reduced flavin chromophore is made up of three components. The shortest component proves to be relatively sensitive to the environment and can therefore be used as a diagnostic tool to probe the microenvironment of the reduced isoalloxazine ring system. The other two longer fluorescence lifetime components are insensitive to the chromophore environment and seem therefore to be related to intrinsic, photophysical properties of the reduced chromophore. Fluorescence anisotropy decays show that the flavin mononucleotide in all four reduced flavodoxins is immobilized within the protein matrix, as indicated by the recovery of a single rotational correlation time, reflecting the rotation of the whole protein. No indications are found that rapid structural fluctuations occur in reduced flavodoxins, and the mechanism of electron transfer from flavodoxin to other redox proteins seems to involve immobilized reduced flavin.