The effect of histidine-228 on the catalytic efficiency and stereospecificity of the serine hydroxymethyltransferase catalysed exchange of the alpha-protons of amino acids

Stereospecificity of alpha-proton exchange reactions catalysed by pyridoxal-5'-phosphate-dependent enzymes

A NMR method for quantifying the catalytic efficiency and stereospecificity of the exchange of the alpha-protons of glycine is described. It is used to determine how the binding of the alpha-carboxylate group of amino acids contributes to the stereospecificity of exchange reactions catalysed by tryptophan synthase, serine hydroxymethyltransferase and a catalytic antibody utilising pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP) as a cofactor. Using larger substrates, it is shown how the size of the amino acid side chain contributes to the stereospecificity of exchange. Mutants of aspartate aminotransferase are used to determine how substrate binding controls the catalytic efficiency and stereospecificity of the exchange of the alpha-protons of aspartate and glutamate. Evidence is presented which shows that with serine hydroxymethyltransferase, L-norleucine is not bound at the same catalytic site as glycine. Finally the catalytic efficiency and stereospecificity of the alpha-proton exchange reactions catalysed by all the PLP-dependent catalysts examined are compared.

Molecular organization, catalytic mechanism and function of serine hydroxymethyltransferase--a potential target for cancer chemotherapy

Serine hydroxymethyltransferase, a pyridoxal-5'-phosphate dependent enzyme, catalyzes the retro-aldol cleavage of serine to yield glycine and the hydroxymethyl group is transferred to 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolate to generate 5,10-methylene-H4-folate. The enzyme plays a pivotal role in channeling metabolites between amino acid and nucleotide metabolism. Dihydrofolate reductase and thymidylate synthase have been favorite targets for the development of anticancer drugs. However, development of resistance to drugs, due to a variety of reasons, has necessitated the identification of alternate targets for cancer chemotherapy and serine hydroxymethyltransferase is one such potential target. A detailed study of the kinetics of interaction of serine and folate analogs with this enzyme revealed several unique features that can be exploited for the design of new chemotherapeutic agents. The pathways for the reversible unfolding of the dimeric Escherichia coli and the tetrameric sheep liver enzyme, although different, revealed a requirement for the cofactor in the final step for generating an active enzyme. The gly A gene of Escherichia coli has been shown to code for this enzyme. Analysis of available gene sequences indicate that serine hydroxymethyltransferase is one of the most highly conserved proteins. The isolation of the cDNA clones for the enzyme and their overexpression in heterologous systems has enabled the probing of the molecular mechanisms of catalysis and the role of lysine, arginine and histidine in cofactor, substrate(s) binding and in maintaining the structure of the protein. Recently, the three-dimensional structure of the human liver serine hydroxymethyltransferase has been published. This, along with the information already available, provides a framework for the rational design of drugs targeted specifically towards this enzyme.

The aspartate aminotransferase-catalysed exchange of the alpha-protons of aspartate and glutamate: the effects of the R386A and R292V mutations on this exchange reaction

1H-NMR was used to follow the aspartate aminotransferase-catalysed exchange of the alpha-protons of aspartate and glutamate. The effect of the concentrations of both the amino acids and the cognate keto acids on exchange rates was determined for wild-type and the R386A and R292V mutant forms of aspartate aminotransferase. The wild-type enzyme is found to be highly stereospecific for the exchange of the alpha-protons of L-aspartate and L-glutamate. The R386A mutation which removes the interaction of Arg-386 with the alpha-carboxylate group of aspartate causes an approximately 10,000-fold decrease in the first order exchange rate of the alpha-proton of L-aspartate. The R292V mutation which removes the interaction of Arg-292 with the beta-carboxylate group of L-aspartate and the gamma-carboxylate group of L-glutamate causes even larger decreases of 25,000- and 100,000-fold in the first order exchange rate of the alpha-proton of L-aspartate and L-glutamate respectively. Apparently both Arg-386 and Arg-292 must be present for optimal catalysis of the exchange of the alpha-protons of L-aspartate and L-glutamate, perhaps because the interaction of both these residues with the substrate is essential for inducing the closed conformation of the active site.