Lysine 190 is the catalytic base in MenF, the menaquinone-specific isochorismate synthase from Escherichia coli: implications for an enzyme family

Genome-wide identification of the ICS family genes and its role in resistance to Plasmodiophora brassicae in Brassica napus L

The isochorismate synthase (ICS) proteins are essential regulators of salicylic acid (SA) synthesis, which has been reported to regulate resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses in plants. Clubroot caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae is a common disease that threatens the yield and quality of Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). Exogenous application of salicylic acid reduced the incidence of clubroot in oilseed rape. However, the potential importance of the ICS genes family in B. napus and its diploid progenitors has been unclear. Here, we identified 16, 9, and 10 ICS genes in the allotetraploid B. napus, diploid ancestor Brassica rapa and Brassica oleracea, respectively. These ICS genes were classified into three subfamilies (I-III), and member of the same subfamilies showed relatively conserved gene structures, motifs, and protein domains. Furthermore, many hormone-response and stress-related promoter cis-acting elements were observed in the BnaICS genes. Exogenous application of SA delayed the growth of clubroot galls, and the expression of BnaICS genes was significantly different compared to the control groups. Protein-protein interaction analysis identified 58 proteins involved in the regulation of ICS in response to P. brassicae in B. napus. These results provide new clues for understanding the resistance mechanism to P. brassicae.

Enzymatic reconstitution of salicylate formation in promysalin biosynthesis

Promysalin is an amphipathic antibiotic isolated from Pseudomonas promysalinigenes (previously Pseudomonas putida RW10S1) which shows potent antibacterial activities against Gram-negative pathogens by inactivating succinate dehydrogenase. Based on the in-vivo studies, promysalin is hypothesized to be assembled from three building blocks: salicylic acid, proline, and myristic acid via a proposed but uncharacterized hybrid NRPS-PKS biosynthetic pathway. So far, no in-vitro biosynthetic studies have been reported for this promising antibiotic. Here, we report the first in-vitro reconstitution and biochemical characterization of two early enzymes on the pathway: PpgH, an isochorismate synthase (IS), and PpgG, an isochorismate pyruvate lyase (IPL) which are involved in the biosynthesis of salicylic acid, the polar fragment of promysalin. We also report a secondary chorismate mutase (CM) activity for PpgG. Based on our biochemical experiments, preliminary mechanistic proposals have been postulated for PpgH and PpgG. We believe this study will lay a strong foundation for elucidating the functions and mechanisms of other intriguing enzymes of the promysalin biosynthesis pathway, which may potentially unravel interesting enzyme chemistries and promote pathway engineering in the future.

Organizing Enzymes on Self-Assembled Protein Cages for Cascade Reactions

Cells use self-assembled biomaterials such as lipid membranes or proteinaceous shells to coordinate thousands of reactions that simultaneously take place within crowded spaces. However, mimicking such spatial organization for synthetic applications in engineered systems remains a challenge, resulting in inferior catalytic efficiency. In this work, we show that protein cages as an ideal scaffold to organize enzymes to enhance cascade reactions both in vitro and in living cells. We demonstrate that not only enzyme-enzyme distance but also the improved K_m value contribute to the enhanced reaction rate of cascade reactions. Three sequential enzymes for lycopene biosynthesis have been co-localized on the exterior of the engineered protein cages in Escherichia coli, leading to an 8.5-fold increase of lycopene production by streamlining metabolic flux towards its biosynthesis. This versatile system offers a powerful tool to achieve enzyme spatial organization for broad applications in biocatalysis.

Production of salicylic acid; a potent pharmaceutically active agent and its future prospects

Salicylic acid is one of the potent pharmaceutical organic acids that have various applications in the medical field. It acts as a plant hormone and helps in plant's growth & defence against pathogens. Beyond its numerous functions in plants, SA has great pharmaceutical importance since it acts as an intermediate for the synthesis of various drugs and dyes e.g. aspirin. At the industrial scale, chemical methods are used for the synthesis of SA but presently, several other sources are available that have the capability to alternate the chemical process which will be a step forward toward green synthesis. Aim of this paper is to provide comprehensive knowledge of SA production and its biological application.

Chorismate- and isochorismate converting enzymes: versatile catalysts acting on an important metabolic node

Chorismate and isochorismate represent an important branching point connecting primary and secondary metabolism in bacteria, fungi, archaea and plants. Chorismate- and isochorismate-converting enzymes are potential targets for new bioactive compounds, as well as valuable biocatalysts for the in vivo and in vitro synthesis of fine chemicals. The diversity of the products of chorismate- and isochorismate-converting enzymes is reflected in the enzymatic three-dimensional structures and molecular mechanisms. Due to the high reactivity of chorismate and its derivatives, these enzymes have evolved to be accurately tailored to their respective reaction; at the same time, many of them exhibit a fascinating flexibility regarding side reactions and acceptance of alternative substrates. Here, we give an overview of the different (sub)families of chorismate- and isochorismate-converting enzymes, their molecular mechanisms, and three-dimensional structures. In addition, we highlight important results of mutagenetic approaches that generate a broader understanding of the influence of distinct active site residues for product formation and the conversion of one subfamily into another. Based on this, we discuss to what extent the recent advances in the field might influence the general mechanistic understanding of chorismate- and isochorismate-converting enzymes. Recent discoveries of new chorismate-derived products and pathways, as well as biocatalytic conversions of non-physiological substrates, highlight how this vast field is expected to continue developing in the future.

Advances in menaquinone biosynthesis: sublocalisation and allosteric regulation

Menaquinones (vitamin K2) are a family of redox-active small molecules with critical functions across all domains of life, including energy generation in bacteria and bone health in humans. The enzymes involved in menaquinone biosynthesis also have bioengineering applications and are potential antimicrobial drug targets. New insights into the essential roles of menaquinones, and their potential to cause redox-related toxicity, have highlighted the need for this pathway to be tightly controlled. Here, we provide an overview of our current understanding of the classical menaquinone biosynthesis pathway in bacteria. We also review recent discoveries on protein-level allostery and sublocalisation of membrane-bound enzymes that have provided insight into the regulation of flux through this biosynthetic pathway.

Comparative analysis of plant isochorismate synthases reveals structural mechanisms underlying their distinct biochemical properties

Isochorismate synthase (ICS) converts chorismate into isochorismate, a precursor of primary and secondary metabolites including salicylic acid (SA). SA plays important roles in responses to stress conditions in plants. Many studies have suggested that the function of plant ICSs is regulated at the transcriptional level. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the expression of AtICS1 is induced by stress conditions in parallel with SA synthesis, and AtICS1 is required for SA synthesis. In contrast, the expression of NtICS is not induced when SA synthesis is activated in tobacco, and it is unlikely to be involved in SA synthesis. Studies on the biochemical properties of plant ICSs are limited, compared with those on transcriptional regulation. We analyzed the biochemical properties of four plant ICSs: AtICS1, NtICS, NbICS from Nicotiana benthamiana, and OsICS from rice. Multiple sequence alignment analysis revealed that their primary structures were well conserved, and predicted key residues for ICS activity were almost completely conserved. However, AtICS1 showed much higher activity than the other ICSs when expressed in Escherichia coli and N. benthamiana leaves. Moreover, the levels of AtICS1 protein expression in N. benthamiana leaves were higher than the other ICSs. Construction and analysis of chimeras between AtICS1 and OsICS revealed that the putative chloroplast transit peptides (TPs) significantly affected the levels of protein accumulation in N. benthamiana leaves. Chimeric and point-mutation analyses revealed that Thr531, Ser537, and Ile550 of AtICS1 are essential for its high activity. These distinct biochemical properties of plant ICSs may suggest different roles in their respective plant species.

Unraveling the Structure and Mechanism of the MST(ery) Enzymes

The menaquinone, siderophore, and tryptophan (MST) enzymes transform chorismate to generate precursor molecules for the biosynthetic pathways defined in their name. Kinetic data, both steady-state and transient-state, and X-ray crystal structures indicate that these enzymes are highly conserved both in mechanism and in structure. Because these enzymes are found in pathogens but not in humans, there is considerable interest in these enzymes as drug design targets. While great progress has been made in defining enzyme structure and mechanism, inhibitor design has lagged behind. This review provides a detailed description of the evidence that begins to unravel the mystery of how the MST enzymes work, and how that information has been used in inhibitor design.

Nonribosomal peptides for iron acquisition: pyochelin biosynthesis as a case study

Microbes synthesize small, iron-chelating molecules known as siderophores to acquire iron from the environment. One way siderophores are generated is by nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs). The bioactive peptides generated by NRPS enzymes have unique chemical features, which are incorporated by accessory and tailoring domains or proteins. The first part of this review summarizes recent progress in NRPS structural biology. The second part uses the biosynthesis of pyochelin, a siderophore from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as a case study to examine enzymatic methods for generating the observed diversity in NRPS-derived natural products.

Biosynthesis and applications of prenylquinones

Prenylquinones are isoprenoid compounds with a characteristic quinone structure and isoprenyl tail that are ubiquitous in almost all living organisms. There are four major prenylquinone classes: ubiquinone (UQ), menaquinone (MK), plastoquinone (PQ), and rhodoquinone (RQ). The quinone structure and isoprenyl tail length differ among organisms. UQ, PQ, and RQ contain benzoquinone, while MK contains naphthoquinone. UQ, MK, and RQ are involved in oxidative phosphorylation, while PQ functions in photosynthetic electron transfer. Some organisms possess two types of prenylquinones; Escherichia coli has UQ₈ and MK₈, and Caenorhabditis elegans has UQ₉ and RQ₉. Crystal structures of most of the enzymes involved in MK synthesis have been solved. Studies on the biosynthesis and functions of quinones have advanced recently, including for phylloquinone (PhQ), which has a phytyl moiety instead of an isoprenyl tail. Herein, the synthesis and applications of prenylquinones are reviewed.

An Open and Shut Case: The Interaction of Magnesium with MST Enzymes

The shikimate pathway of bacteria, fungi, and plants generates chorismate, which is drawn into biosynthetic pathways that form aromatic amino acids and other important metabolites, including folates, menaquinone, and siderophores. Many of the pathways initiated at this branch point transform chorismate using an MST enzyme. The MST enzymes (menaquinone, siderophore, and tryptophan biosynthetic enzymes) are structurally homologous and magnesium-dependent, and all perform similar chemical permutations to chorismate by nucleophilic addition (hydroxyl or amine) at the 2-position of the ring, inducing displacement of the 4-hydroxyl. The isomerase enzymes release isochorismate or aminodeoxychorismate as the product, while the synthase enzymes also have lyase activity that displaces pyruvate to form either salicylate or anthranilate. This has led to the hypothesis that the isomerase and lyase activities performed by the MST enzymes are functionally conserved. Here we have developed tailored pre-steady-state approaches to establish the kinetic mechanisms of the isochorismate and salicylate synthase enzymes of siderophore biosynthesis. Our data are centered on the role of magnesium ions, which inhibit the isochorismate synthase enzymes but not the salicylate synthase enzymes. Prior structural data have suggested that binding of the metal ion occludes access or egress of substrates. Our kinetic data indicate that for the production of isochorismate, a high magnesium ion concentration suppresses the rate of release of product, accounting for the observed inhibition and establishing the basis of the ordered-addition kinetic mechanism. Moreover, we show that isochorismate is channeled through the synthase reaction as an intermediate that is retained in the active site by the magnesium ion. Indeed, the lyase-active enzyme has 3 orders of magnitude higher affinity for the isochorismate complex relative to the chorismate complex. Apparent negative-feedback inhibition by ferrous ions is documented at nanomolar concentrations, which is a potentially physiologically relevant mode of regulation for siderophore biosynthesis in vivo.

Conversion of anthranilate synthase into isochorismate synthase: implications for the evolution of chorismate-utilizing enzymes

Chorismate-utilizing enzymes play a vital role in the biosynthesis of metabolites in plants as well as free-living and infectious microorganisms. Among these enzymes are the homologous primary metabolic anthranilate synthase (AS) and secondary metabolic isochorismate synthase (ICS). Both catalyze mechanistically related reactions by using ammonia and water as nucleophiles, respectively. We report that the nucleophile specificity of AS can be extended from ammonia to water by just two amino acid exchanges in a channel leading to the active site. The observed ICS/AS bifunctionality demonstrates that a secondary metabolic enzyme can readily evolve from a primary metabolic enzyme without requiring an initial gene duplication event. In a general sense, these findings add to our understanding how nature has used the structurally predetermined features of enzyme superfamilies to evolve new reactions.

Biosynthesis of Menaquinone (Vitamin K2) and Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q)

Escherichia coli and Salmonella contain the naphthoquinones menaquinone (MK; vitamin K2) and demethylmenaquinone and the benzoquinone ubiquinone (coenzyme Q; Q). Both quinones are derived from the shikimate pathway, which has been called a "metabolic tree with many branches." There are two different pathways for the biosynthesis of the naphthoquinones. The vast majority of prokaryotes, including E. coli and Salmonella, and the plants use the o-succinylbenzoate pathway, while a minority uses the futalosine pathway. The quinone nucleus of Q is derived directly from chorismate, while that of MK is derived from chorismate via isochorismate. The prenyl side chains of both quinones are from isopentenyl diphosphate formed by the 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate (non-mevalonate) pathway and the methyl groups are from S-adenosylmethionine. In addition, MK biosynthesis requires 2-ketoglutarate and cofactors ATP, coenzyme A, and thiamine pyrophosphate. Despite the fact that both quinones originate from the shikimate pathway, there are important differences in their biosyntheses. The prenyl side chain in MK biosynthesis is introduced at the penultimate step, accompanied by decarboxylation, whereas in Q biosynthesis it is introduced at the second step, with retention of the carboxyl group. In MK biosynthesis, all the reactions of the pathway up to prenylation are carried out by soluble enzymes, whereas all the enzymes involved in Q biosynthesis except the first are membrane bound. In MK biosynthesis, the last step is a C-methylation; in Q biosynthesis, the last step is an O-methylation. In Q biosynthesis a second C-methylation and O-methylation take place in the middle part of the pathway. Despite the fact that Q and MK biosyntheses diverge at chorismate, the C-methylations in both pathways are carried out by the same methyltransferase.

Isolation and characterization of compound-resistant isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

This chapter describes the isolation and characterization of spontaneous resistant mutants of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The overall objective of resistant mutant isolation is to determine the mode of action and/or cellular targets of new antimycobacterial agents. Whole-genome sequencing of resistant mutants can identify targets of antimycobacterial drugs and mechanisms of resistance, such as efflux, changes in drug permeability, or drug recognition. Mutants allow insight into in vivo biological processes and can help elucidate the number and identity of genes in a given pathway. Resistant mutant characterization can also lay the groundwork for structure/function studies, especially in conjunction with binding studies and X-ray crystallography.

Expanding the results of a high throughput screen against an isochorismate-pyruvate lyase to enzymes of a similar scaffold or mechanism

Antibiotic resistance is a growing health concern, and new avenues of antimicrobial drug design are being actively sought. One suggested pathway to be targeted for inhibitor design is that of iron scavenging through siderophores. Here we present a high throughput screen to the isochorismate-pyruvate lyase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an enzyme required for the production of the siderophore pyochelin. Compounds identified in the screen are high nanomolar to low micromolar inhibitors of the enzyme and produce growth inhibition in PAO1 P. aeruginosa in the millimolar range under iron-limiting conditions. The identified compounds were also tested for enzymatic inhibition of Escherichia coli chorismate mutase, a protein of similar fold and similar chemistry, and of Yersinia enterocolitica salicylate synthase, a protein of differing fold but catalyzing the same lyase reaction. In both cases, subsets of the inhibitors from the screen were found to be inhibitory to enzymatic activity (mutase or synthase) in the micromolar range and capable of growth inhibition in their respective organisms (E. coli or Y. enterocolitica).

Cascade biocatalysis by multienzyme-nanoparticle assemblies

Multienzyme complexes are of paramount importance in biosynthesis in cells. Yet, how sequential enzymes of cascade catalytic reactions synergize their activities through spatial organization remains elusive. Recent development of site-specific protein-nanoparticle conjugation techniques enables us to construct multienzyme assemblies using nanoparticles as the template. Sequential enzymes in menaquinone biosynthetic pathway were conjugated to CdSe-ZnS quantum dots (QDs, a nanosized particulate material) through metal-affinity driven self-assembly. The assemblies were characterized by electrophoretic methods, the catalytic activities were monitored by reverse-phase chromatography, and the composition of the multienzyme-QD assemblies was optimized through a progressive approach to achieve highly efficient catalytic conversion. Shorter enzyme-enzyme distance was discovered to facilitate intermediate transfer, and a fine control on the stoichiometric ratio of the assembly was found to be critical for the maximal synergy between the enzymes. Multienzyme-QD assemblies thereby provide an effective model to scrutinize the synergy of cascade enzymes in multienzyme complexes.

Menaquinone and iron are essential for complex colony development in Bacillus subtilis

Cells of undomesticated species of Bacillus subtilis frequently form complex colonies during spreading on agar surfaces. Given that menaquinone is involved in another form of coordinated behavior, namely, sporulation, we looked for a possible role for menaquinone in complex colony development (CCD) in the B. subtilis strain NCIB 3610. Here we show that inhibition of menaquinone biosynthesis in B. subtilis indeed abolished its ability to develop complex colonies. Additionally some mutations of B. subtilis which confer defective CCD could be suppressed by menaquinone derivatives. Several such mutants mapped to the dhb operon encoding the genes responsible for the biosynthesis of the iron siderophore, bacillibactin. Our results demonstrate that both menaquinone and iron are essential for CCD in B. subtilis.

Redesign of MST enzymes to target lyase activity instead promotes mutase and dehydratase activities

The isochorismate and salicylate synthases are members of the MST family of enzymes. The isochorismate synthases establish an equilibrium for the conversion chorismate to isochorismate and the reverse reaction. The salicylate synthases convert chorismate to salicylate with an isochorismate intermediate; therefore, the salicylate synthases perform isochorismate synthase and isochorismate-pyruvate lyase activities sequentially. While the active site residues are highly conserved, there are two sites that show trends for lyase-activity and lyase-deficiency. Using steady state kinetics and HPLC progress curves, we tested the "interchange" hypothesis that interconversion of the amino acids at these sites would promote lyase activity in the isochorismate synthases and remove lyase activity from the salicylate synthases. An alternative, "permute" hypothesis, that chorismate-utilizing enzymes are designed to permute the substrate into a variety of products and tampering with the active site may lead to identification of adventitious activities, is tested by more sensitive NMR time course experiments. The latter hypothesis held true. The variant enzymes predominantly catalyzed chorismate mutase-prephenate dehydratase activities, sequentially generating prephenate and phenylpyruvate, augmenting previously debated (mutase) or undocumented (dehydratase) adventitious activities.

Structure of isochorismate synthase DhbC from Bacillus anthracis

The isochorismate synthase DhbC from Bacillus anthracis is essential for the biosynthesis of the siderophore bacillibactin by this pathogenic bacterium. The structure of the selenomethionine-substituted protein was determined to 2.4 Å resolution using single-wavelength anomalous diffraction. B. anthracis DhbC bears the strongest resemblance to the Escherichia coli isochorismate synthase EntC, which is involved in the biosynthesis of another siderophore, namely enterobactin. Both proteins adopt the characteristic fold of other chorismate-utilizing enzymes, which are involved in the biosynthesis of various products, including siderophores, menaquinone and tryptophan. The conservation of the active-site residues, as well as their spatial arrangement, suggests that these enzymes share a common Mg(2+)-dependent catalytic mechanism.

Lysine221 is the general base residue of the isochorismate synthase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PchA) in a reaction that is diffusion limited

The isochorismate synthase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PchA) catalyzes the conversion of chorismate to isochorismate, which is subsequently converted by a second enzyme (PchB) to salicylate for incorporation into the salicylate-capped siderophore pyochelin. PchA is a member of the MST family of enzymes, which includes the structurally homologous isochorismate synthases from Escherichia coli (EntC and MenF) and salicylate synthases from Yersinia enterocolitica (Irp9) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MbtI). The latter enzymes generate isochorismate as an intermediate before generating salicylate and pyruvate. General acid-general base catalysis has been proposed for isochorismate synthesis in all five enzymes, but the residues required for the isomerization are a matter of debate, with both lysine221 and glutamate313 proposed as the general base (PchA numbering). This work includes a classical characterization of PchA with steady state kinetic analysis, solvent kinetic isotope effect analysis and by measuring the effect of viscosogens on catalysis. The results suggest that isochorismate production from chorismate by the MST enzymes is the result of general acid-general base catalysis with a lysine as the base and a glutamic acid as the acid, in reverse protonation states. Chemistry is determined to not be rate limiting, favoring the hypothesis of a conformational or binding step as the slow step.

Structure of aminodeoxychorismate synthase from Stenotrophomonas maltophilia

PabB, aminodeoxychorismate synthase, is the chorismic acid binding component of the heterodimeric PabA-PabB complex that converts chorismic acid to 4-amino-4-deoxychorismate, a precursor of p-aminobenzoate and folic acid in microorganisms. The second component, a glutamine amidotransferase subunit, PabA, generates ammonia that is channeled to the PabB active site where it attacks C4 of a chorismate-derived intermediate that is covalently bound, through C2, to an active site lysine residue. The presence of a PIKGT motif was, until recently, believed to allow discrimination of PabB enzymes from the closely related enzyme anthranilate synthase, which typically contains a PIAGT active site motif and does not form a covalent enzyme-substrate intermediate with chorismate. A subclass of PabB enzymes that employ an alternative mechanism requiring 2 equiv of ammonia from glutamine and that feature a noncovalently bound 2-amino-2-deoxyisochorismate intermediate was recently identified. Here we report the 2.25 Å crystal structure of PabB from the emerging pathogen Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. It is the first reported structure of a PabB that features the PIAGT motif. Surprisingly, no dedicated pabA is evident in the genome of S. maltophilia, suggesting that another cellular amidotransferase is able to fulfill the role of PabA in this organism. Evaluation of the ammonia-dependent aminodeoxychorismate synthase activity of S. maltophilia PabB alone revealed that it is virtually inactive. However, in the presence of a heterologous PabA surrogate, typical levels of activity were observed using either glutamine or ammonia as the nitrogen source. Additionally, the structure suggests that a key segment of the polypeptide can remodel itself to interact with a nonspecialized or shared amidotransferase partner in vivo. The structure and mass spectral analysis further suggest that S. maltophilia PabB, like Escherichia coli PabB, binds tryptophan in a vestigial regulatory site. The observation that the binding site is unoccupied in the crystal structure, however, suggests the affinity may be low relative to that of E. coli PabB.

Expression and characterization of PhzE from P. aeruginosa PAO1: aminodeoxyisochorismate synthase involved in pyocyanin and phenazine-1-carboxylate production

PhzE from Pseudomonas aeruginosa catalyzes the first step in the biosynthesis of phenazine-1-carboxylic acid, pyocyanin, and other phenazines, which are virulence factors for Pseudomonas species. The reaction catalyzed converts chorismate into aminodeoxyisochorismate using ammonia supplied by a glutamine amidotransferase domain. It has structural and sequence homology to other chorismate-utilizing enzymes such as anthranilate synthase, isochorismate synthase, aminodeoxychorismate synthase, and salicylate synthase. Like these enzymes, it is Mg(2+) dependent and catalyzes a similar S(N)2" nucleophilic substitution reaction. PhzE catalyzes the addition of ammonia to C2 of chorismate, as does anthranilate synthase, yet unlike anthranilate synthase it does not catalyze elimination of pyruvate from enzyme-bound aminodeoxyisochorismate. Herein, the cloning of the phzE gene, high level expression of active enzyme in E. coli, purification, and kinetic characterization of the enzyme is presented, including temperature and pH dependence. Steady-state kinetics give K(chorismate)=20±4μM, K(Mg)(2+)=294±22μM, K(L-gln)=11±1mM, and k(cat)=2.2±0.2s(-1) for a random kinetic mechanism. PhzE can use NH(4)(+) as an alternative nucleophile, while Co(2+) and Mn(2+) are alternative divalent metals.

Pericyclic reactions catalyzed by chorismate-utilizing enzymes

One of the fundamental questions of enzymology is how catalytic power is derived. This review focuses on recent developments in the structure--function relationships of chorismate-utilizing enzymes involved in siderophore biosynthesis to provide insight into the biocatalysis of pericyclic reactions. Specifically, salicylate synthesis by the two-enzyme pathway in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is examined. The isochorismate-pyruvate lyase is discussed in the context of its homologues, the chorismate mutases, and the isochorismate synthase is compared to its homologues in the MST family (menaquinone, siderophore, or tryptophan biosynthesis) of enzymes. The tentative conclusion is that the activities observed cannot be reconciled by inspection of the active site participants alone. Instead, individual activities must arise from unique dynamic properties of each enzyme that are tuned to promote specific chemistries.

Ligand binding induces an ammonia channel in 2-amino-2-desoxyisochorismate (ADIC) synthase PhzE

PhzE utilizes chorismate and glutamine to synthesize 2-amino-2-desoxyisochorismate (ADIC) in the first step of phenazine biosynthesis. The PhzE monomer contains both a chorismate-converting menaquinone, siderophore, tryptophan biosynthesis (MST) and a type 1 glutamine amidotransferase (GATase1) domain connected by a 45-residue linker. We present here the crystal structure of PhzE from Burkholderia lata 383 in a ligand-free open and ligand-bound closed conformation at 2.9 and 2.1 Å resolution, respectively. PhzE arranges in an intertwined dimer such that the GATase1 domain of one chain provides NH(3) to the MST domain of the other. This quaternary structure was confirmed by small angle x-ray scattering. Binding of chorismic acid, which was found converted to benzoate and pyruvate in the MST active centers of the closed form, leads to structural rearrangements that establish an ammonia transport channel approximately 25 Å in length within each of the two MST/GATase1 functional units of the dimer. The assignment of PhzE as an ADIC synthase was confirmed by mass spectrometric analysis of the product, which was also visualized at 1.9 Å resolution by trapping in crystals of an inactive mutant of PhzD, an isochorismatase that catalyzes the subsequent step in phenazine biosynthesis. Unlike in some of the related anthranilate synthases, no allosteric inhibition was observed in PhzE. This can be attributed to a tryptophan residue of the protein blocking the potential regulatory site. Additional electron density in the GATase1 active center was identified as zinc, and it was demonstrated that Zn(2+), Mn(2+), and Ni(2+) reduce the activity of PhzE.

Salicylic Acid biosynthesis and metabolism

Salicylic acid (SA) has been shown to regulate various aspects of growth and development; it also serves as a critical signal for activating disease resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana and other plant species. This review surveys the mechanisms involved in the biosynthesis and metabolism of this critical plant hormone. While a complete biosynthetic route has yet to be established, stressed Arabidopsis appear to synthesize SA primarily via an isochorismate-utilizing pathway in the chloroplast. A distinct pathway utilizing phenylalanine as the substrate also may contribute to SA accumulation, although to a much lesser extent. Once synthesized, free SA levels can be regulated by a variety of chemical modifications. Many of these modifications inactivate SA; however, some confer novel properties that may aid in long distance SA transport or the activation of stress responses complementary to those induced by free SA. In addition, a number of factors that directly or indirectly regulate the expression of SA biosynthetic genes or that influence the rate of SA catabolism have been identified. An integrated model, encompassing current knowledge of SA metabolism in Arabidopsis, as well as the influence other plant hormones exert on SA metabolism, is presented.

Targeting multiple chorismate-utilizing enzymes with a single inhibitor: validation of a three-stage design

Chorismate-utilizing enzymes are attractive antimicrobial drug targets due to their absence in humans and their central role in bacterial survival and virulence. The structural and mechanistic homology of a group of these inspired the goal of discovering inhibitors that target multiple enzymes. Previously, we discovered seven inhibitors of 4-amino-4-deoxychorismate synthase (ADCS) in an on-bead, fluorescent-based screen of a 2304-member one-bead-one-compound combinatorial library. The inhibitors comprise PAYLOAD and COMBI stages, which interact with active site and surface residues, respectively, and are linked by a SPACER stage. These seven compounds, and six derivatives thereof, also inhibit two other enzymes in this family, isochorismate synthase (IS) and anthranilate synthase (AS). The best binding compound inhibits ADCS, IS, and AS with K(i) values of 720, 56, and 80 microM, respectively. Inhibitors with varying SPACER lengths show the original choice of lysine to be optimal. Lastly, inhibition data confirm the PAYLOAD stage directs the inhibitors to the ADCS active site.

Specificity and reactivity in menaquinone biosynthesis: the structure of Escherichia coli MenD (2-succinyl-5-enolpyruvyl-6-hydroxy-3-cyclohexadiene-1-carboxylate synthase)

The thiamine diphosphate (ThDP) and metal-ion-dependent enzyme 2-succinyl-5-enolpyruvyl-6-hydroxy-3-cyclohexadiene-1-carboxylate synthase, or MenD, catalyze the Stetter-like conjugate addition of alpha-ketoglutarate with isochorismate to release 2-succinyl-5-enolpyruvyl-6-hydroxy-3-cyclohexadiene-1-carboxylate and carbon dioxide. This reaction represents the first committed step for biosynthesis of menaquinone, or vitamin K2, a key cofactor for electron transport in bacteria and a metabolite for posttranslational modification of proteins in mammals. The medium-resolution structure of MenD from Escherichia coli (EcMenD) in complex with its cofactor and Mn2+ has been determined in two related hexagonal crystal forms. The subunit displays the typical three-domain structure observed for ThDP-dependent enzymes in which two of the domains bind and force the cofactor into a configuration that supports formation of a reactive ylide. The structures reveal a stable dimer-of-dimers association in agreement with gel filtration and analytical ultracentrifugation studies and confirm the classification of MenD in the pyruvate oxidase family of ThDP-dependent enzymes. The active site, created by contributions from a pair of subunits, is highly basic with a pronounced hydrophobic patch. These features, formed by highly conserved amino acids, match well to the chemical properties of the substrates. A model of the covalent intermediate formed after reaction with the first substrate alpha-ketoglutarate and with the second substrate isochorismate positioned to accept nucleophilic attack has been prepared. This, in addition to structural and sequence comparisons with putative MenD orthologues, provides insight into the specificity and reactivity of MenD and allows a two-stage reaction mechanism to be proposed.

Structure of isochorismate synthase in complex with magnesium

The structure of the menaquinone-specific isochorismate synthase (MenF) from Escherichia coli has been refined at a resolution of 2.0 Å in complex with magnesium. The magnesium-bound structure has a well defined and organized active site which better represents the active conformation of the enzyme than the currently available structure.

The electron carrier menaquinone is one of many important bacterial metabolites that are derived from the key intermediate chorismic acid. MenF, the first enzyme in the menaquinone pathway, catalyzes the isomerization of chorismate to isochorismate. Here, an improved structure of MenF in a new crystal form is presented. The structure, solved at 2.0 Å resolution in complex with magnesium, reveals a well defined closed active site. Existing evidence suggests that the mechanism of the reaction catalyzed by MenF involves nucleophilic attack of a water molecule on the chorismate ring. The structure reveals a well defined water molecule located in an appropriate position for activation by Lys190 and attack on the substrate.

Biosynthesis of the enediyne antitumor antibiotic C-1027 involves a new branching point in chorismate metabolism

C-1027 is an enediyne antitumor antibiotic composed of four distinct moieties: an enediyne core, a deoxy aminosugar, a beta-amino acid, and a benzoxazolinate moiety. We now show that the benzoxazolinate moiety is derived from chorismate by the sequential action of two enzymes-SgcD, a 2-amino-2-deoxyisochorismate (ADIC) synthase and SgcG, an iron-sulfur, FMN-dependent ADIC dehydrogenase-to generate 3-enolpyruvoylanthranilate (OPA), a new intermediate in chorismate metabolism. The functional elucidation and catalytic properties of each enzyme are described, including spectroscopic characterization of the products and the development of a fluorescence-based assay for kinetic analysis. SgcD joins isochorismate (IC) synthase and 4-amino-4-deoxychorismate (ADC) synthase as anthranilate synthase component I (ASI) homologues that are devoid of pyruvate lyase activity inherent in ASI; yet, in contrast to IC and ADC synthase, SgcD has retained the ability to aminate chorismate identically to that observed for ASI. The net conversion of chorismate to OPA by the tandem action of SgcD and SgcG unambiguously establishes a new branching point in chorismate metabolism.

Structure of Staphylococcus aureus1,4-dihydroxy-2-naphthoyl-CoA synthase (MenB) in complex with acetoacetyl-CoA

Vitamin K(2), or menaquinone, is an essential cofactor for many organisms and the enzymes involved in its biosynthesis are potential antimicrobial drug targets. One of these enzymes, 1,4-dihydroxy-2-naphthoyl-CoA synthase (MenB) from the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus, has been obtained in recombinant form and its quaternary structure has been analyzed in solution. Cubic crystals of the enzyme allowed a low-resolution structure (2.9 A) to be determined. The asymmetric unit consists of two subunits and a crystallographic threefold axis of symmetry generates a hexamer consistent with size-exclusion chromatography. Analytical ultracentrifugation indicates the presence of six states in solution, monomeric through to hexameric, with the dimer noted as being particularly stable. MenB displays the crotonase-family fold with distinct N- and C-terminal domains and a flexible segment of structure around the active site. The smaller C-terminal domain plays an important role in oligomerization and also in substrate binding. The presence of acetoacetyl-CoA in one of the two active sites present in the asymmetric unit indicates how part of the substrate binds and facilitates comparisons with the structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis MenB.

Structure and reaction mechanism of basil eugenol synthase

Phenylpropenes, a large group of plant volatile compounds that serve in multiple roles in defense and pollinator attraction, contain a propenyl side chain. Eugenol synthase (EGS) catalyzes the reductive displacement of acetate from the propenyl side chain of the substrate coniferyl acetate to produce the allyl-phenylpropene eugenol. We report here the structure determination of EGS from basil (Ocimum basilicum) by protein x-ray crystallography. EGS is structurally related to the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductases (SDRs), and in particular, enzymes in the isoflavone-reductase-like subfamily. The structure of a ternary complex of EGS bound to the cofactor NADP(H) and a mixed competitive inhibitor EMDF ((7S,8S)-ethyl (7,8-methylene)-dihydroferulate) provides a detailed view of the binding interactions within the EGS active site and a starting point for mutagenic examination of the unusual reductive mechanism of EGS. The key interactions between EMDF and the EGS-holoenzyme include stacking of the phenyl ring of EMDF against the cofactor's nicotinamide ring and a water-mediated hydrogen-bonding interaction between the EMDF 4-hydroxy group and the side-chain amino moiety of a conserved lysine residue, Lys132. The C4 carbon of nicotinamide resides immediately adjacent to the site of hydride addition, the C7 carbon of cinnamyl acetate substrates. The inhibitor-bound EGS structure suggests a two-step reaction mechanism involving the formation of a quinone-methide prior to reduction. The formation of this intermediate is promoted by a hydrogen-bonding network that favors deprotonation of the substrate's 4-hydroxyl group and disfavors binding of the acetate moiety, akin to a push-pull catalytic mechanism. Notably, the catalytic involvement in EGS of the conserved Lys132 in preparing the phenolic substrate for quinone methide formation through the proton-relay network appears to be an adaptation of the analogous role in hydrogen bonding played by the equivalent lysine residue in other enzymes of the SDR family.