Sugar Transport

The bacterial phosphoenolpyruvate: sugar phosphotransferase system

The bacterial phosphotransferase system participates in diverse physiological phenomena; its best characterized function is in the group translocation of sugars that are substrates of the system. Such sugars are phosphorylated as they are translocated across the cell membrane. Isolation of different proteins of the phosphotransferase system and reconstitution of the complex shows that in the net transfer of the phosphoryl group from phosphoenolpyruvate to a given sugar the phosphoryl group is sequentially transferred from one protein to another. In all cases so far studied, with one important exception, the phosphoryl group is linked to the proteins through a nitrogen atom in the imidazole ring of a histidyl residue. In the exceptional protein, the phosphoryl group is linked to a carboxy group. An additional function of the phosphotransferase system is to regulate the uptake of sugars that cannot be phosphorylated.

How phosphotransferase system-related protein phosphorylation regulates carbohydrate metabolism in bacteria

The phosphoenolpyruvate(PEP):carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PTS) is found only in bacteria, where it catalyzes the transport and phosphorylation of numerous monosaccharides, disaccharides, amino sugars, polyols, and other sugar derivatives. To carry out its catalytic function in sugar transport and phosphorylation, the PTS uses PEP as an energy source and phosphoryl donor. The phosphoryl group of PEP is usually transferred via four distinct proteins (domains) to the transported sugar bound to the respective membrane component(s) (EIIC and EIID) of the PTS. The organization of the PTS as a four-step phosphoryl transfer system, in which all P derivatives exhibit similar energy (phosphorylation occurs at histidyl or cysteyl residues), is surprising, as a single protein (or domain) coupling energy transfer and sugar phosphorylation would be sufficient for PTS function. A possible explanation for the complexity of the PTS was provided by the discovery that the PTS also carries out numerous regulatory functions. Depending on their phosphorylation state, the four proteins (domains) forming the PTS phosphorylation cascade (EI, HPr, EIIA, and EIIB) can phosphorylate or interact with numerous non-PTS proteins and thereby regulate their activity. In addition, in certain bacteria, one of the PTS components (HPr) is phosphorylated by ATP at a seryl residue, which increases the complexity of PTS-mediated regulation. In this review, we try to summarize the known protein phosphorylation-related regulatory functions of the PTS. As we shall see, the PTS regulation network not only controls carbohydrate uptake and metabolism but also interferes with the utilization of nitrogen and phosphorus and the virulence of certain pathogens.

Unconventional mechanism of mRNA capping by the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of vesicular stomatitis virus

All known eukaryotic and some viral mRNA capping enzymes (CEs) transfer a GMP moiety of GTP to the 5'-diphosphate end of the acceptor RNA via a covalent enzyme-GMP intermediate to generate the cap structure. In striking contrast, the putative CE of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), a prototype of nonsegmented negative-strand (NNS) RNA viruses including rabies, measles, and Ebola, incorporates the GDP moiety of GTP into the cap structure of transcribing mRNAs. Here, we report that the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase L protein of VSV catalyzes the capping reaction by an RNA:GDP polyribonucleotidyltransferase activity, in which a 5'-monophosphorylated viral mRNA-start sequence is transferred to GDP generated from GTP via a covalent enzyme-RNA intermediate. Thus, the L proteins of VSV and, by extension, other NNS RNA viruses represent a new class of viral CEs, which have evolved independently from known eukaryotic CEs.

Focus on phosphohistidine

Phosphohistidine has been identified as an enzymic intermediate in numerous biochemical reactions and plays a functional role in many regulatory pathways. Unlike the phosphoester bond of its cousins (phosphoserine, phosphothreonine and phosphotyrosine), the phosphoramidate (P-N) bond of phosphohistidine has a high DeltaG degrees of hydrolysis and is unstable under acidic conditions. This acid-lability has meant that the study of protein histidine phosphorylation and the associated protein kinases has been slower to progress than other protein phosphorylation studies. Histidine phosphorylation is a crucial component of cell signalling in prokaryotes and lower eukaryotes. It is also now becoming widely reported in mammalian signalling pathways and implicated in certain human disease states. This review covers the chemistry of phosphohistidine in terms of its isomeric forms and chemical derivatives, how they can be synthesized, purified, identified and the relative stabilities of each of these forms. Furthermore, we highlight how this chemistry relates to the role of phosphohistidine in its various biological functions.

Solution Structure of Enzyme IIAChitobiose from the N,N′-Diacetylchitobiose Branch of the Escherichia coli Phosphotransferase System

The solution structure of trimeric Escherichia coli enzyme IIA(Chb) (34 kDa), a component of the N,N'-diacetylchitobiose/lactose branch of the phosphotransferase signal transduction system, has been determined by NMR spectroscopy. Backbone residual dipolar couplings were used to provide long range orientational restraints, and long range (|i - j| > or = 5 residues) nuclear Overhauser enhancement restraints were derived exclusively from samples in which at least one subunit was 15N/13C/2H/(Val-Leu-Ile)-methyl-protonated. Each subunit consists of a three-helix bundle. Hydrophobic residues lining helix 3 of each subunit are largely responsible for the formation of a parallel coiled-coil trimer. The active site histidines (His-89 from each subunit) are located in three symmetrically placed deep crevices located at the interface of two adjacent subunits (A and C, C and B, and B and A). Partially shielded from bulk solvent, structural modeling suggests that phosphorylated His-89 is stabilized by electrostatic interactions with the side chains of His-93 from the same subunit and Gln-91 from the adjacent subunit. Comparison with the x-ray structure of Lactobacillus lactis IIA(Lac) reveals some substantial structural differences, particularly in regard to helix 3, which exhibits a 40 degrees kink in IIA(Lac) versus a 7 degrees bend in IIA(Chb). This is associated with the presence of an unusually large (230-angstroms3) buried hydrophobic cavity at the trimer interface in IIA(Lac) that is reduced to only 45 angstroms3) in IIA(Chb).

Whole genome sequencing of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

BACKGROUND

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the major causes of community-acquired and hospital-acquired infections. It produces numerous toxins including superantigens that cause unique disease entities such as toxic-shock syndrome and staphylococcal scarlet fever, and has acquired resistance to practically all antibiotics. Whole genome analysis is a necessary step towards future development of countermeasures against this organism.

METHODS

Whole genome sequences of two related S aureus strains (N315 and Mu50) were determined by shot-gun random sequencing. N315 is a meticillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) strain isolated in 1982, and Mu50 is an MRSA strain with vancomycin resistance isolated in 1997. The open reading frames were identified by use of GAMBLER and GLIMMER programs, and annotation of each was done with a BLAST homology search, motif analysis, and protein localisation prediction.

FINDINGS

The Staphylococcus genome was composed of a complex mixture of genes, many of which seem to have been acquired by lateral gene transfer. Most of the antibiotic resistance genes were carried either by plasmids or by mobile genetic elements including a unique resistance island. Three classes of new pathogenicity islands were identified in the genome: a toxic-shock-syndrome toxin island family, exotoxin islands, and enterotoxin islands. In the latter two pathogenicity islands, clusters of exotoxin and enterotoxin genes were found closely linked with other gene clusters encoding putative pathogenic factors. The analysis also identified 70 candidates for new virulence factors.

INTERPRETATION

The remarkable ability of S aureus to acquire useful genes from various organisms was revealed through the observation of genome complexity and evidence of lateral gene transfer. Repeated duplication of genes encoding superantigens explains why S aureus is capable of infecting humans of diverse genetic backgrounds, eliciting severe immune reactions. Investigation of many newly identified gene products, including the 70 putative virulence factors, will greatly improve our understanding of the biology of staphylococci and the processes of infectious diseases caused by S aureus.

Isolation and characterization of IIAChb, a soluble protein of the enzyme II complex required for the transport/phosphorylation of N, N'-diacetylchitobiose in Escherichia coli

N,N'-Diacetylchitobiose is transported/phosphorylated in Escherichia coli by the (GlcNAc)(2)-specific Enzyme II permease of the phosphoenolpyruvate:glycose phosphotransferase system. IIA(Chb), one protein of the Enzyme II complex, was cloned and purified to homogeneity. IIA(Chb) and phospho-IIA(Chb) form stable homodimers (). Phospho-IIA(Chb) behaves as a typical epsilon2-N (i.e. N-3) phospho-His protein. However, the rate constants for hydrolysis of phospho-IIA(Chb) at pH 8.0 unexpectedly increased 7-fold between 25 and 37 degrees C and increased approximately 4-fold with decreasing protein concentration at 37 degrees C (but not 25 degrees C). The data were explained by thermal denaturation studies using CD spectroscopy. IIA(Chb) and phospho-IIA(Chb) exhibit virtually identical spectra at 25 degrees C (approximately 80% alpha-helix), but phospho-IIA(Chb) loses about 30% of its helicity at 37 degrees C, whereas IIA(Chb) shows only a slight change. Furthermore, the T(m) for thermal denaturation of IIA(Chb) was 54 degrees C, only slightly affected by concentration, whereas the T(m) for phospho-IIA(Chb) was much lower, ranging from 40 to 46 degrees C, depending on concentration. In addition, divalent cations (Mg(2+), Cu(2+), and Ni(2+)) have a dramatic and differential effect on the structure, depending on the state of phosphorylation of the protein. Thus, phosphorylation destabilizes IIA(Chb) at 37 degrees C, potentially affecting the monomer/dimer transition, which correlates with its chemical instability at this temperature. The physiological consequences of this phenomenon are briefly considered.

Analytical sedimentation of the IIAChb and IIBChb proteins of the Escherichia coli N,N'-diacetylchitobiose phosphotransferase system. Demonstration of a model phosphotransfer transition state complex

The phosphoenolpyruvate:glycose transferase system (PTS) is a prototypic signaling system responsible for the vectorial uptake and phosphorylation of carbohydrate substrates. The accompanying papers describe the proteins and product of the Escherichia coli N, N-diacetylchitobiose ((GlcNAc)(2)) PTS-mediated permease. Unlike most PTS transporters, the Chb system is composed of two soluble proteins, IIA(Chb) and IIB(Chb), and one transmembrane receptor (IIC(Chb)). The oligomeric states of PTS permease proteins and phosphoproteins have been difficult to determine. Using analytical ultracentrifugation, both dephospho and phosphorylated IIA(Chb) are shown to exist as stable dimers, whereas IIB(Chb), phospho-IIB(Chb) and the mutant Cys10SerIIB(Chb) are monomers. The mutant protein Cys10SerIIB(Chb) is unable to accept phosphate from phospho-IIA(Chb) but forms a stable higher order complex with phospho-IIA(Chb) (but not with dephospho-IIA(Chb)). The stoichiometry of proteins in the purified complex was determined to be 1:1, indicating that two molecules of Cys10SerIIB(Chb) are associated with one phospho-IIA(Chb) dimer in the complex. The complex appears to be a transition state analogue in the phosphotransfer reaction between the proteins. A model is presented that describes the concerted assembly and disassembly of IIA(Chb)-IIB(Chb) complexes contingent on phosphorylation-dependent conformational changes, especially of IIA(Chb).

The structure of enzyme IIAlactose from Lactococcus lactis reveals a new fold and points to possible interactions of a multicomponent system

BACKGROUND

The bacterial phosphoenolpyruvate: sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS) is responsible for the binding, transmembrane transport and phosphorylation of numerous sugar substrates. The system is also involved in the regulation of a variety of metabolic and transcriptional processes. The PTS consists of two non-specific energy coupling components, enzyme I and a heat stable phosphocarrier protein (HPr), as well as several sugar-specific multiprotein permeases known as enzymes II. In most cases, enzymes IIA and IIB are located in the cytoplasm, while enzyme IIC acts as a membrane channel. Enzyme IIAlactose belongs to the lactose/cellobiose-specific family of enzymes II, one of four functionally and structurally distinct groups. The protein, which normally functions as a trimer, is believed to separate into its subunits after phosphorylation.

RESULTS

The crystal structure of the trimeric enzyme IIAlactose from Lactococcus lactis has been determined at 2.3 A resolution. The subunits of the enzyme, related to each other by the inherent threefold rotational symmetry, possess interesting structural features such as coiled-coil-like packing and a methionine cluster. The subunits each comprise three helices (I, II and III) and pack against each other forming a nine-helix bundle. This helical bundle is stabilized by a centrally located metal ion and also encloses a hydrophobic cavity. The three phosphorylation sites (His78 on each monomer) are located in helices III and their sidechains protrude into a large groove between helices I and II of the neighbouring subunits. A model of the complex between phosphorylated HPr and enzyme IIAlactose has been constructed.

CONCLUSIONS

Enzyme IIAlactose is the first representative of the family of lactose/cellobiose-specific enzymes IIA for which a three-dimensional structure has been determined. Some of its structural features, like the presence of two histidine residues at the active site, seem to be common to all enzymes no overall structural homology is observed to any PTS proteins or to any other proteins in the Protein Data Bank. Enzyme IIAlactose shows surface complementarity to the phosphorylated form of HPr and several energetically favourable interactions between the two molecules can be predicted.

Structural comparison of phosphorylated and unphosphorylated forms of IIIGlc, a signal-transducing protein from Escherichia coli, using three-dimensional NMR techniques

The 18.1-kDa protein IIIGlc from Escherichia coli acts as both a phosphocarrier protein in the phosphoenolpyruvate:glycose phosphotransferase system (PTS) and as a signal-transducing protein with respect to the uptake of non-PTS sugars. Phosphorylation of IIIGlc at the N epsilon (N3) position of His-90 was effected through a regeneration system that included MgCl2, DTT, excess PEP, and catalytic amounts of Enzyme I and HPr. NH, 15N, and 13C alpha signal assignments for P-IIIGlc were made through comparison of 15N-1H correlation spectra (HSQC) of uniformly 15N-labeled preparations of phosphorylated and unphosphorylated protein and through analysis of three-dimensional triple-resonance HNCA spectra of P-IIIGlc uniformly labeled with both 15N and 13C. Backbone and side-chain 1H and 13C beta signals were assigned using 3D heteronuclear HCCH-COSY and HCCH-TOCSY spectra of P-IIIGlc. Using this approach, the assignments were made without reference to nuclear Overhauser effect data or assumptions regarding protein structure. The majority of NH, 15N, H alpha, and 13C alpha chemical shifts measured for P-IIIGlc were identical to those obtained for the unphosphorylated protein [Pelton, J. G., Torchia, D. A., Meadow, N. D., Wong, C.-Y., & Roseman, S. (1991) Biochemistry 30, 10043]. Those signals that exhibited shifts corresponded to residues within four segments (1) Leu-87-Gly-100, (2) Val-36-Val-46, (3) His-75-Ser-78, and (4) Ala-131-Val-138. These four segments are in close proximity to the active site residues His-75 and His-90 in the unphosphorylated protein [Worthylake, D., Meadow, N. D., Roseman, S., Liao, D., Hertzberg, O., & Remington, S.J. (1991) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88, 10382], and the chemical shift data provide strong evidence that if any structural changes accompany phosphorylation, they are confined to residues in these four segments. This conclusion is confirmed by comparing NOEs observed in 3D 15N/13C NOESY-HMQC spectra of the two forms of the protein. No NOE differences are seen for residues having the same chemical shifts in IIIGlc and P-IIIGlc. Furthermore, with the exception of residues Ala-76, Asp-94, and Val-96, the NOEs of residues (in the four segments) which exhibited chemical shift differences also had the same NOEs in IIIGlc and P-IIIGlc. In the case of residues Ala-76, Asp-94, and Val-96, minor differences in NOEs, corresponding to interproton distances changes of less than 1.5 A, were observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the lactose-specific phosphocarrier protein IIAlac of the phosphoenolpyruvate: sugar phosphotransferase system from Staphylococcus aureus

The IIA constituent of the lactose permease from Staphylococcus aureus has been crystallized in two different forms. Crystals of form I have been grown from polyethylene glycol 4000 with beta-octyl glucoside. They diffract to 3.0 A resolution and belong to space group C2 with unit cell dimensions a = 141.7 A, b = 130.7 A, c = 96.5 A and beta = 96.2 degrees. Form II crystals have been obtained from a solution containing polyethylene glycol 400, ammonium sulfate and manganese chloride. They diffract to at least 2.8 A resolution and belong to space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with unit cell dimensions a = 89.9 A, b = 101.5 A and c = 90.9 A.

Uncommon pathways of metabolism among lactic acid bacteria

A small number of lactic acid bacteria possess the ability to derive energy from organic molecules not utilized by the vast majority of representatives of this large group of microorganisms. Thus, strains of Lactobacillus casei and enterococci readily grow at the expense of substrates such as gluconate, malate and pentitols. Transport of gluconate and pentitols is catalysed by phosphotransferase systems unique to these bacteria. Similarly, the initial steps in pentitol dissimilation are mediated by enzymes found only in Lb. casei and Streptococcus avium.

The phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system in gram-positive bacteria: properties, mechanism, and regulation

This review consists of three major sections. The first and largest section reviews the protein constituents and known properties of the phosphotransferase systems present in well-studied Gram-positive bacteria. These bacteria include species of the following genera: (1) Staphylococcus, (2) Streptococcus, (3) Bacillus, (4) Lactobacillus, (5) Clostridium, (6) Arthrobacter, and (7) Brochothrix. The properties of the different systems are compared. The second major section deals with the regulation of carbohydrate uptake. There are four parts: (1) inhibition by intracellular sugar phosphates in Staphylococcus aureus, (2) PTS-mediated regulation of glycerol uptake in Bacillus subtilis, (3) competition for phospho-HPr in Streptococcus mutans, and (4) the possible involvement of protein kinases in the regulation of sugar uptake via the phosphotransferase system. The third section deals with the phenomenon of inducer expulsion. The first part is concerned with the physiological characterization of the phenomenon; then the consequences of unregulated uptake and expulsion, a futile cycle of energy expenditure, are considered. Finally, the biochemistry of the protein kinase and the protein phosphate phosphatase system, which appears to regulate sugar transport via the phosphotransferase system, is defined. The review, therefore, concentrates on the phosphotransferase system, its functions in carbohydrate transport and phosphorylation, the mechanisms of its regulation, and the mechanism by which it participates in the regulation of other physiological processes in the bacterial cell.

Evidence for the evolutionary relatedness of the proteins of the bacterial phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system

The phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS) found in enteric bacteria is a complex enzyme system consisting of a non-sugar-specific phosphotransfer protein called Enzyme I, two small non-sugar-specific phosphocarrier substrates of Enzyme I, designated HPr and FPr, and at least 11 sugar-specific Enzymes II or Enzyme II-III pairs which are phosphorylated at the expense of phospho-HPr or phospho-FPr. In this communication, evidence is presented which suggests that these proteins share a common evolutionary origin and that a fructose-specific phosphotransferase may have been the primordial ancestor of them all. The evidence results from an evaluation of 1) PTS protein sequence data; 2) structural analysis of operons encoding proteins of the PTS; 3) genetic regulatory mechanisms controlling expression of these operons; 4) enzymatic characteristics of the PTS systems; 5) immunological cross reactivities of these proteins; 6) comparative studies of phosphotransferase systems from evolutionarily divergent bacteria; 7) the nature of the phosphorylated protein intermediates; 8) molecular weight comparisons among the different Enzymes II and Enzyme II-III pairs; and 9) interaction studies involving different PTS protein constituents. The evidence leads to a unifying theory concerning the evolutionary origin of the system, explains many structural, functional, and regulatory properties of the phosphotransferase system, and leads to specific predictions which should guide future research concerned with genetic, biochemical, and physiological aspects of the system.

Phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system of Staphylococcus aureus: factor IIIlac, a trimeric phospho-carrier protein that also acts as a phase transfer catalyst

Factor IIIlac (FIII) consists of three identical subunits. It could be shown that each of the subunits carries a phosphoryl group upon phosphorylation (P-FIII) with phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), enzyme I, and histidine-containing phospho-carrier protein (HPr). The phosphoryl group is bound to a histidyl residue in P-FIII. Each subunit of FIII contains four histidyl residues. After tryptic cleavage a peptide was isolated that contained one other histidyl residue besides the active center histidine. By further cleavage of the peptide T-2 with V-8 Staphylococcus aureus protease it could be shown that His-19 in the sequence of the peptide T-2 is the active center histidine. Another peptide (1-38), caused by incomplete tryptic cleavage, could be isolated. It inhibited the phospho-transfer reaction from PEP to the sugar molecule at the step of factor III-enzyme II recognition. It competes with factor III for the binding site of enzyme II, the membrane component. It is a very hydrophobic peptide. This hydrophobic region is buried in factor III. But upon phosphorylation of factor III it is turned out. Thus P-FIII binds to Triton X-100 micelles whereas factor III does not. This conformational change caused by phosphorylation could be shown by proton nuclear magnetic resonance methods [Kalbitzer, H.R., Deutscher, J., Hengstenberg, W., & Rösch, P. (1981) Biochemistry 20, 6178-6185], by circular dichroism spectroscopy, and by the Ouchterlony double-diffusion method. Antibodies against FIII do not precipitate P-FIII.

Phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system of Staphylococcus aureus: 1H nuclear magnetic resonance studies on phosphorylated and unphosphorylated factor IIIlac and its interaction with the phosphocarrier protein HPr

The trimeric phosphocarrier protein factor III specific for galactosides was investigated by 1H NMR spectroscopy. The protomer contains four histidyl residues with acidic pK values in the range 5.6-6.2. One of the histidyl residues, His-B, carries the phosphoryl group. The pK value of His-B increases from 6.0 to 8.6 upon phosphorylation. To determine the position of the phosphoryl group with respect to the nitrogens required the isolation of a peptide T-2 containing the phosphorylated active-center histidine and one of the other histidines. The pK value and the chemical shift of the phosphopeptide clearly indicated the phosphorus to be bound to the N-3 atom of the imidazole ring. The temperature dependence of the factor III spectrum demonstrates multiple conformations which exchange rapidly on the NMR time scale. Titration of factor III with HPr protein showed an upfield shift of the active-center histidine, indicating complex formation between both proteins. Phosphorylation of both proteins abolished the interaction, which is plausible from mechanistic considerations.

The staphylococcal phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system. Purification and characterisation of the galactoside-specific membrane-component enzyme II

The galactoside-specific membrane-bound component of the staphylococcal phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system, enzyme IIlac, was purified to homogeneity. The purification procedure involved several extractions steps at the particulate state, followed by solubilisation with Triton X-100. Up to this stage the biological activity of enzyme II was preserved. Isolation of the homogeneous protein involved gel filtration of the dodecylsulfate-denatured material. An apparent molecular weight of the polypeptide chain was estimated by dodecylsulfate gel electrophoresis. The 55000-Mr protein is visible in dodecylsulfate gels upon induction of the staphylococcal lac operon as a more intensively stained area. Antibodies against the denatured 55000-Mr protein inhibit the mutant complementation assay of enzyme II offered as membrane fragments. This demonstrates that the 55000-Mr protein and enzyme IIlac are identical. Polarity and the solubility of the protein in detergents are typical for an integral membrane protein.

Catalytic activities associated with the enzymes II of the bacterial phosphotransferase system

The phosphotransferase system (PTS) in Escherichia coli is a multifunctional, multicomponent enzyme system. Its primary functions deal with carbon source acquisition, while its secondary functions are concerned with the regulation of bacterial physiology. The primary functions of the system include 1) extracellular detection, 2) unidirectional and exchange transmembrane transport, and 3) phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent and sugar phosphate-dependent phosphorylation of the sugar substrates of the system. The secondary functions include 1) regulation of the activities of adenylate cyclase and various non-PTS permeases and 2) regulation of the induced synthesis of several PTS enzymes. Both the primary and secondary functions appear to be elicited by the binding of a sugar substrate to an Enzyme II complex. One of these integral transmembrane enzymes, the mannitol Enzyme II (IImtl), has been solubilized with detergent, purified to homogeneity, and reconstituted in an artificial membrane system. The molecular weight of this protein, IImtl, is 60,000 daltons. It possesses an extracellular sugar binding site and distinct intracellular combining sites for sugar phosphate and phospho-HPr. An essential sulfhydryl group and an antibody combining site are localized to the cytoplasmic surface of the enzyme, while a dextran combining site is localized to the external surface. Preliminary experiments suggest that the different functions of the Enzyme IImtl can be dissected by genetic and biochemical techniques. These studies emphasize the functional complexity of the PTS and its integral membrane protein constituents.

Escherichia coli phosphoenolpyruvate dependent phosphotransferase system. NMR studies of the conformation of HPr and P-HPr and the mechanism of energy coupling

1H and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance investigations of the phosphoprotein intermediate P-HPr and the parent molecule HPr of the E. coli phosphoenolpyruvate dependent phosphotransferase system (PTS) show that HPr can exist in two conformations. These conformations influence the protonation state of the reactive histidine residue, thereby determining the reaction pathway in the phosphoryl group transfer step. A general mechanism is proposed for the energy-coupling process in the PTS.

The phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system of Staphylococcus aureus. 1. Amino-acid sequence of the phosphocarrier protein HPr

The primary structure of the histidine-containing phosphocarrier protein HPr of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system from Staphylococcus aureus was determined by automated Edman degradation. The complete sequence was deduced from the direct analysis of the protein by automated Edman degradation in a liquid-phase sequencer of Edman and from the sequence of tryptic, thermolytic and cyanogen bromide peptides as obtained by automated Edman degradation in a solid-phase sequencer of Laursen. The amino-acid sequence was found to be Met-Glu-Gln-Asn-Ser-Tyr-Val-Ile-Ile-Asp-Glu-Thr-Gly-Ile-His-Ala-Arg-Pro-Ala-Thr-Met-Leu-Val-Gln-Thr-Ala-Ser-Lys-Phe-Asp-Ser-Ile-Asp-Gln-Gly-Gly-Tyr-Asp-Ser-Met-Gln-Leu-Lys-Ser-Leu-Gly-Val-Gly-Lys-Asp-Glu-Glu-Ile-Thr-Ile-Tm-Ser-Ala-Asp-Lys-Lys-Glu-Gly-Leu-Thr-Lys-Met-Ser-Ile-Val. The 70 residues correspond to a molecular weight of 7685. The one histidine involved in the phosphotransfer reaction of this protein was found at position 15 as part of a region of the sequence which has no predictable secondary structure. It is suggested that this protein belongs to the group of male proteins with the active center located on a protrusion rather than a cleft.

Irreversibel inactivation of the membrane-bound enzyme IIlac of the lactose phosphotransferase system of Staphylococcus aureus by triton X-100 and protection by substrates

Enzyme IIlac, the membrane-bound component of the lactose phosphotransferase system of Staphylococcus aureus, catalyzes the phosphorylation-transport reaction below: (see article). (The sugar can be lactose or one of its analogs.) The effects of the non-ionic detergents Triton X-100, Brij 35, and Tween 40 on the activity of Enzyme IIlac were studied. Especially striking effects were observed using Triton X-100, a detergent previously used to solubilize and isolate this enzyme. A systematic study of Triton effects over a range of concentrations and temperatures demonstrated three aspects of Triton-membrane interaction. At 0.1% Triton and 25 degrees C Enzyme IIlac is activated, but remains particulate. At 0.5% Triton and 0.5% Triton and 37 degrees C, it is rapidly and irreversibly inactivated. Sugar substrates and inhibitory sugar analogs protect Enzyme IIlac against inactivation; the effect is specific for beta-galactosides. The other substrate of Enzyme IIlac, phospho-Factor IIIlac, does not affect Triton inactivation, and the product analog galactose 6-phosphate slightly enhances the inactivation rate.

Studies on the mechanism of phosphorylation and transport of beta-galactosides by the lactose phosphotransferase system of Staphylococcus aureus. Kinetic investigations using tosyl galactosides as reversible dead-end inhibitors

Tosyl galactosides, previously shown to be potent reversible dead-end inhibitors of the membrane-bound Enzyme IIlac of the lactose phosphotransferase system of Staphylococcus aureus, were used for an investigation of the kinetic mechanism of the sugar phosphorylation/transport reaction catalyzed by this enzyme: phospho-Factor IIIlac&sugar Enzyme IIlac lead to Factor IIIlac&sugar phosphate. Inhibition of Enzyme IIlac was studied in three different systems. Washed membranes, and washed membranes in the presence of 0.1% Triton X-100 were used for phosphorylation experiments, and whole cells were used for transport studies. When washed membranes were used to supply Enzyme IIlac, inhibition of phosphorylation by tosyl galactoside was linear non-competitive against both the sugar and phospho-Factor IIIlac substrates, with an apparent Ki of about 0.5 mM. This Ki decreased with increasing Factor IIIlac concentration. In the presence of 0.1% Triton X-100, the phosphorylation reaction was stimulated; under these conditions the inhibition became strictly competitive against sugar, and completely uncompetitive against phospho-Factor IIIlac. Apparently washed membranes can catalyze phosphorylation both via a reaction sequence in which sugar binds first and via one in which phospho-Factor IIIlac binds first, but in the presence of 0.1% Triton the reaction does not occur by the former sequence. The inability of bound phospho-Factor IIIlac to hinder the binding of tosyl galactosides suggests that the initial binding sites of the two substrates of Enzyme IIlac are separated by at least the distance of the tosyl moiety. Radioactive methyl 6-O-(p-toluenesulfonyl) beta-galactoside was not converted into a phosphorylated product in the reaction mixtures, i.e. it is a true dead-end inhibitor. Inhibition of beta-galactoside transport into whole cells by tosyl galactosides was competitive, with an apparent Ki of 5-10 mM, an order of magnitude higher than the Ki for inhibition of phosphorylation by membrane preparations. This result suggest that a significant level of unphosphorylated phospho-Factor IIIlac is present inside the cells, or that cellular levels of this compound are considerably lower than those used for in vitro sugar phosphorylation assays. Radioactive tosyl galactoside inhibitor was not transported into whole cells.