Glutamate 190 is a general acid catalyst in the 6-phosphogluconate-dehydrogenase-catalyzed reaction

6-Phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and its crystal structures

6-Phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH; EC 1.1.1.44) catalyses the oxidative decarboxylation of 6-phosphogluconate to ribulose 5-phosphate in the context of the oxidative part of the pentose phosphate pathway. Depending on the species, it can be a homodimer or a homotetramer. Oligomerization plays a functional role not only because the active site is at the interface between subunits but also due to the interlocking tail-modulating activity, similar to that of isocitrate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme, which catalyse a similar type of reaction. Since the pioneering crystal structure of sheep liver 6PGDH, which allowed motifs common to the β-hydroxyacid dehydrogenase superfamily to be recognized, several other 6PGDH crystal structures have been solved, including those of ternary complexes. These showed that more than one conformation exists, as had been suggested for many years from enzyme studies in solution. It is inferred that an asymmetrical conformation with a rearrangement of one of the two subunits underlies the homotropic cooperativity. There has been particular interest in the presence or absence of sulfate during crystallization. This might be related to the fact that this ion, which is a competitive inhibitor that binds in the active site, can induce the same 6PGDH configuration as in the complexes with physiological ligands. Mutagenesis, inhibitors, kinetic and binding studies, post-translational modifications and research on the enzyme in cancer cells have been complementary to the crystallographic studies. Computational modelling and new structural studies will probably help to refine the understanding of the functioning of this enzyme, which represents a promising therapeutic target in immunity, cancer and infective diseases. 6PGDH also has applied-science potential as a biosensor or a biobattery. To this end, the enzyme has been efficiently immobilized on specific polymers and nanoparticles. This review spans the 6PGDH literature and all of the 6PGDH crystal structure data files held by the Protein Data Bank.

Functional Genomics Reveals Synthetic Lethality between Phosphogluconate Dehydrogenase and Oxidative Phosphorylation

The plasticity of a preexisting regulatory circuit compromises the effectiveness of targeted therapies, and leveraging genetic vulnerabilities in cancer cells may overcome such adaptations. Hereditary leiomyomatosis renal cell carcinoma (HLRCC) is characterized by oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) deficiency caused by fumarate hydratase (FH) nullizyogosity. To identify metabolic genes that are synthetically lethal with OXPHOS deficiency, we conducted a genetic loss-of-function screen and found that phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (PGD) inhibition robustly blocks the proliferation of FH mutant cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, PGD inhibition blocks glycolysis, suppresses reductive carboxylation of glutamine, and increases the NADP⁺/NADPH ratio to disrupt redox homeostasis. Furthermore, in the OXPHOS-proficient context, blocking OXPHOS using the small-molecule inhibitor IACS-010759 enhances sensitivity to PGD inhibition in vitro and in vivo. Together, our study reveals a dependency on PGD in OXPHOS-deficient tumors that might inform therapeutic intervention in specific patient populations.

Structure and Mechanism of Isopropylmalate Dehydrogenase from Arabidopsis thaliana: INSIGHTS ON LEUCINE AND ALIPHATIC GLUCOSINOLATE BIOSYNTHESIS

Isopropylmalate dehydrogenase (IPMDH) and 3-(2'-methylthio)ethylmalate dehydrogenase catalyze the oxidative decarboxylation of different β-hydroxyacids in the leucine- and methionine-derived glucosinolate biosynthesis pathways, respectively, in plants. Evolution of the glucosinolate biosynthetic enzyme from IPMDH results from a single amino acid substitution that alters substrate specificity. Here, we present the x-ray crystal structures of Arabidopsis thaliana IPMDH2 (AtIPMDH2) in complex with either isopropylmalate and Mg(2+) or NAD(+) These structures reveal conformational changes that occur upon ligand binding and provide insight on the active site of the enzyme. The x-ray structures and kinetic analysis of site-directed mutants are consistent with a chemical mechanism in which Lys-232 activates a water molecule for catalysis. Structural analysis of the AtIPMDH2 K232M mutant and isothermal titration calorimetry supports a key role of Lys-232 in the reaction mechanism. This study suggests that IPMDH-like enzymes in both leucine and glucosinolate biosynthesis pathways use a common mechanism and that members of the β-hydroxyacid reductive decarboxylase family employ different active site features for similar reactions.

Energy cost for the proper ionization of active site residues in 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase from T. brucei

The catalytic mechanism of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase requires the inversion of a Lys/Glu couple from its natural ionization state. The pKa of these residues in free and substrate bound enzymes has been determined measuring by ITC the proton release/uptake induced by substrate binding at different pH values. Wt 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase from Trypanosoma brucei and two active site enzyme mutants, K185H and E192Q were investigated. Substrate binding was accompanied by proton release and was dependent on the ionization of a group with pKa 7.07 which was absent in the E192Q mutant. Kinetic data highlighted two pKa, 7.17 and 9.64, in the enzyme-substrate complex, the latter being absent in the E192Q mutant, suggesting that the substrate binding shifts Glu192 pKa from 7.07 to 9.64. A comparison of wt and E192Q mutant appears to show that the substrate binding shifts Lys185 pKa from 9.9 to 7.17. By comparing differences in proton release and the binding enthalpy of wt and mutant enzymes, the enthalpic cost of the change in the protonation state of Lys185 and Glu192 was estimated at ≈6.1kcal/mol. The change in protonation state of Lys185 and Glu192 has little effect on Gibbs free energy, 240-325cal/mol. However proton balance evidences the dissociation of other group(s) that can be collectively described by a single pKa shift from 9.1 to 7.54. This further change in ionization state of the enzyme causes an increase of free energy with a total cost of 1.2-2.3kcal/mol to set the enzyme into a catalytically competent form.

Identification of catalytically important amino acid residues for enzymatic reduction of glyoxylate in plants

NADPH-dependent glyoxylate reductases from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtGLYR) convert both glyoxylate and succinic semialdehyde into their corresponding hydroxyacid equivalents. The primary sequence of cytosolic AtGLYR1 reveals several sequence elements that are consistent with the β-HAD (β-hydroxyacid dehydrogenase) protein family, whose members include 3-hydroxyisobutyrate dehydrogenase, tartronate semialdehyde reductase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase. Here, site-directed mutagenesis was utilized to identify catalytically important amino acid residues for glyoxylate reduction in AtGLYR1. Kinetic studies and binding assays established that Lys170 is essential for catalysis, Phe231, Asp239, Ser121 and Thr95 are more important in substrate binding than in catalysis, and Asn174 is more important in catalysis. The low activity of the mutant enzymes precluded kinetic studies with succinic semialdehyde. The crystal structure of AtGLYR1 in the absence of substrate was solved to 2.1Å by molecular replacement using a previously unrecognized member of the β-HAD family, cytokine-like nuclear factor, thereby enabling the 3-D structure of the protein to be modeled with substrate and co-factor. Structural alignment of AtGLYR1 with β-HAD family members provided support for the essentiality of Lys170, Phe173, Asp239, Ser121, Asn174 and Thr95 in the active site and preliminary support for an acid/base catalytic mechanism involving Lys170 as the general acid and a conserved active-site water molecule. This information established that AtGLYR1 is a member of the β-HAD protein family. Sequence and activity comparisons indicated that AtGLYR1 and the plastidial AtGLYR2 possess structural features that are absent in Arabidopsis hydroxypyruvate reductases and probably account for their stronger preference for glyoxylate over hydroxypyruvate.

Virtual fragment screening for novel inhibitors of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase

The enzyme 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase is a potential drug target for the parasitic protozoan Trypanosoma brucei, the causative organism of human African trypanosomiasis. This enzyme has a polar active site to accommodate the phosphate, hydroxyl and carboxylate groups of the substrate, 6-phosphogluconate. A virtual fragment screen was undertaken of the enzyme to discover starting points for the development of inhibitors which are likely to have appropriate physicochemical properties for an orally bioavailable compound. A virtual screening library was developed, consisting of compounds with functional groups that could mimic the phosphate group of the substrate, but which have a higher pKa. Following docking, hits were clustered and appropriate compounds purchased and assayed against the enzyme. Three fragments were identified that had IC50 values in the low micromolar range and good ligand efficiencies. Based on these initial hits, analogues were procured and further active compounds were identified. Some of the fragments identified represent potential starting points for a medicinal chemistry programme to develop potent drug-like inhibitors of the enzyme.

6-Phosphogluconate dehydrogenase mechanism: evidence for allosteric modulation by substrate

The reductive carboxylation of ribulose-5-phosphate (Ru5P) by 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH) from Candida utilis was investigated using kinetic isotope effects. The intrinsic isotope effect for proton abstraction from Ru5P was found at 4.9 from deuterium isotope effects on V and V/K and from tritium isotope effects on V/K. The presence of 6-phosphogluconate (6PG) in the assay mixture changes the magnitude of the observed isotope effects. In the absence of 6PG (D)(V/K) and (D)(V) are 1.68 and 2.46, respectively, whereas the presence of 6PG increases (D)(V/K) to 2.84 and decreases (D)(V) to 1.38. A similar increase of (T)(V/K) is observed as 6PG builds up in the reaction mixture. These data indicate that in the absence of 6PG, a slow step, which precedes the chemical process, is rate-limiting for the reaction, whereas in the presence of 6PG, the rate-limiting step follows the isotope-sensitive step. Kinetic analysis of reductive carboxylation shows that 6PG at low concentrations decreases the K(m) of Ru5P, whereas at higher concentrations, the usual competitive pattern is observed. These data indicate that full activity of 6PGDH is achieved when one subunit carries out the catalysis and the other subunit carries an unreacted 6PG. Thus, 6PG is like an allosteric activator of 6PGDH.

Chemical mechanism of homoisocitrate dehydrogenase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Homoisocitrate dehydrogenase (HIcDH, 3-carboxy-2-hydroxyadipate dehydrogenase) catalyzes the fourth reaction of the alpha-aminoadipate pathway for lysine biosynthesis, the conversion of homoisocitrate to alpha-ketoadipate using NAD as an oxidizing agent. A chemical mechanism for HIcDH is proposed on the basis of the pH dependence of kinetic parameters, dissociation constants for competitive inhibitors, and isotope effects. According to the pH-rate profiles, two enzyme groups act as acid-base catalysts in the reaction. A group with a p K a of approximately 6.5-7 acts as a general base accepting a proton as the beta-hydroxy acid is oxidized to the beta-keto acid, and this residue participates in all three of the chemical steps, acting to shuttle a proton between the C2 hydroxyl and itself. The second group acts as a general acid with a p K a of 9.5 and likely catalyzes the tautomerization step by donating a proton to the enol to give the final product. The general acid is observed in only the V pH-rate profile with homoisocitrate as a substrate, but not with isocitrate as a substrate, because the oxidative decarboxylation portion of the isocitrate reaction is limiting overall. With isocitrate as the substrate, the observed primary deuterium and (13)C isotope effects indicate that hydride transfer and decarboxylation steps contribute to rate limitation, and that the decarboxylation step is the more rate-limiting of the two. The multiple-substrate deuterium/ (13)C isotope effects suggest a stepwise mechanism with hydride transfer preceding decarboxylation. With homoisocitrate as the substrate, no primary deuterium isotope effect was observed, and a small (13)C kinetic isotope effect (1.0057) indicates that the decarboxylation step contributes only slightly to rate limitation. Thus, the chemical steps do not contribute significantly to rate limitation with the native substrate. On the basis of data from solvent deuterium kinetic isotope effects, viscosity effects, and multiple-solvent deuterium/ (13)C kinetic isotope effects, the proton transfer step(s) is slow and likely reflects a conformational change prior to catalysis.

Thermodynamic characterization of substrate and inhibitor binding to Trypanosoma brucei 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase

6-Phosphogluconate dehydrogenase is a potential target for new drugs against African trypanosomiasis. Phosphorylated aldonic acids are strong inhibitors of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, and 4-phospho-d-erythronate (4PE) and 4-phospho-d-erythronohydroxamate are two of the strongest inhibitors of the Trypanosoma brucei enzyme. Binding of the substrate 6-phospho-d-gluconate (6PG), the inhibitors 5-phospho-d-ribonate (5PR) and 4PE, and the coenzymes NADP, NADPH and NADP analogue 3-amino-pyridine adenine dinucleotide phosphate to 6-phospho-d-gluconate dehydrogenase from T. brucei was studied using isothermal titration calorimetry. Binding of the substrate (K(d) = 5 microm) and its analogues (K(d) =1.3 microm and K(d) = 2.8 microm for 5PR and 4PE, respectively) is entropy driven, whereas binding of the coenzymes is enthalpy driven. Oxidized coenzyme and its analogue, but not reduced coenzyme, display a half-site reactivity in the ternary complex with the substrate or inhibitors. Binding of 6PG and 5PR poorly affects the dissociation constant of the coenzymes, whereas binding of 4PE decreases the dissociation constant of the coenzymes by two orders of magnitude. In a similar manner, the K(d) value of 4PE decreases by two orders of magnitude in the presence of the coenzymes. The results suggest that 5PR acts as a substrate analogue, whereas 4PE mimics the transition state of dehydrogenation. The stronger affinity of 4PE is interpreted on the basis of the mechanism of the enzyme, suggesting that the inhibitor forces the catalytic lysine 185 into the protonated state.

Crystal structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase Gnd1

BACKGROUND

As the third enzyme of the pentose phosphate pathway, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH) is the main generator of cellular NADPH. Both thioredoxin reductase and glutathione reductase require NADPH as the electron donor to reduce oxidized thioredoxin or glutathione (GSSG). Since thioredoxin and GSH are important antioxidants, it is not surprising that 6PGDH plays a critical role in protecting cells from oxidative stress. Furthermore the activity of 6PGDH is associated with several human disorders including cancer and Alzheimer's disease. The 3D structural investigation would be very valuable in designing small molecules that target this enzyme for potential therapeutic applications.

RESULTS

The crystal structure of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH/Gnd1) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been determined at 2.37 A resolution by molecular replacement. The overall structure of Gnd1 is a homodimer with three domains for each monomer, a Rossmann fold NADP+ binding domain, an all-alpha helical domain contributing the majority to hydrophobic interaction between the two subunits and a small C-terminal domain penetrating the other subunit. In addition, two citrate molecules occupied the 6PG binding pocket of each monomer. The intact Gnd1 had a Km of 50 +/- 9 microM for 6-phosphogluconate and of 35 +/- 6 microM for NADP+ at pH 7.5. But the truncated mutants without the C-terminal 35, 39 or 53 residues of Gnd1 completely lost their 6PGDH activity, despite remaining the homodimer in solution.

CONCLUSION

The overall tertiary structure of Gnd1 is similar to those of 6PGDH from other species. The substrate and coenzyme binding sites are well conserved, either from the primary sequence alignment, or from the 3D structural superposition. Enzymatic activity assays suggest a sequential mechanism of catalysis, which is in agreement with previous studies. The C-terminal domain of Gnd1 functions as a hook to further tighten the dimer, but it is not necessary for the dimerization. This domain also works as a lid on the substrate binding pocket to control the binding of substrate and the release of product, so it is indispensable for the 6PGDH activity. Moreover, the co-crystallized citrate molecules, which mimic the binding mode of the substrate 6-phosphogluconate, provided us a novel strategy to design the 6PDGH inhibitors.

Crystal structures of a bacterial 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase reveal aspects of specificity, mechanism and mode of inhibition by analogues of high-energy reaction intermediates

Crystal structures of recombinant Lactococcus lactis 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (LlPDH) in complex with substrate, cofactor, product and inhibitors have been determined. LlPDH shares significant sequence identity with the enzymes from sheep liver and the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei for which structures have been reported. Comparisons indicate that the key residues in the active site are highly conserved, as are the interactions with the cofactor and the product ribulose 5-phosphate. However, there are differences in the conformation of the substrate 6-phosphogluconate which may reflect distinct states relevant to catalysis. Analysis of the complex formed with the potent inhibitor 4-phospho-d-erythronohydroxamic acid, suggests that this molecule does indeed mimic the high-energy intermediate state that it was designed to. The analysis also identified, as a contaminant by-product of the inhibitor synthesis, 4-phospho-d-erythronamide, which binds in similar fashion. LlPDH can now serve as a model system for structure-based inhibitor design targeting the enzyme from Trypanosoma species.

The 2'-phosphate of NADP is responsible for proper orientation of the nicotinamide ring in the oxidative decarboxylation reaction catalyzed by sheep liver 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase

Sheep liver 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase shows a high specificity for NADP, with a much lower affinity for NAD. Discrimination between NADP and NAD suggests that the interactions between the 2'-phosphate and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase contribute most of the binding energy for NADP. There are three active site residues, Asn-32, Arg-33, and Thr-34, that hydrogen-bond to the 2'-phosphate of NADP according to the crystal structure of the E.Nbr(8)ADP complex. In this study alanine mutagenesis was used to probe the contribution of each of the three residues to binding the cofactor and to catalysis. All mutant enzymes exhibit no significant change in V/E(t) or K(6PG) but an increase in K(NADP) that ranges from 6- to 80-fold. All mutant enzymes also exhibit at least a 7-fold increase in the primary kinetic (13)C-isotope effect-1, indicating that the decarboxylation step has become more rate-limiting. Data are consistent with significant roles for Asn-32, Arg-33, and Thr-34 in providing binding energy for NADP, and more importantly, the 2'-phosphate of NADP is required for proper orientation of the cofactor to allow rotation about the N-glycosidic bond as it is reduced in the hydride transfer step.

Importance in catalysis of the 6-phosphate-binding site of 6-phosphogluconate in sheep liver 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase

The 6-phosphate of 6-phosphogluconate (6PG) is proposed to anchor the sugar phosphate in the active site and aid in orientating the substrate for catalysis. In order to test this hypothesis, alanine mutagenesis was used to probe the contribution of residues in the vicinity of the 6-phosphate to binding of 6PG and catalysis. The crystal structure of sheep liver 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase shows that Tyr-191, Lys-260, Thr-262, Arg-287, and Arg-446 contribute a mixture of ionic and hydrogen bonding interactions to the 6-phosphate, and these interactions are likely to provide the majority of the binding energy for 6PG. All mutant enzymes, with the exception of T262A, exhibit an increase in K(6PG) that ranges from 5- to 800-fold. There is also a less pronounced increase in K(NADP), ranging from 3- to 15-fold, with the exception of T262A. The R287A and R446A mutant enzymes exhibit a dramatic decrease in V/E(t) (600- and 300-fold, respectively) as well as in V/K(6PG)E(t) (10(5) - and 10(4)-fold), and therefore no further characterization was carried out with these two mutant enzymes. No change in V/E(t) was observed for the Y191A mutant enzyme, whereas 20- and 3-fold decreases were obtained for the K260A and T262A mutant enzymes, respectively, resulting in a decrease in V/K(6PG)E(t) range from 3- to 120-fold. All mutant enzymes also exhibit at least an order of magnitude increase in 13C-isotope effect -1, indicating that the decarboxylation step has become more rate-limiting. Data are consistent with significant roles for Tyr-191, Lys-260, Thr-262, Arg-287, and Arg-446 in providing the binding energy for 6PG. In addition, these residues also likely ensure proper orientation of 6PG for catalysis and aid in inducing the conformation change that precedes, and sets up the active site for, catalysis.

Catalytic mechanism of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase: a theoretical investigation

Density functional calculations are employed to theoretically explore the mechanism of all elementary reaction steps involved in the catalytic reaction of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH). The model systems we choose for the enzyme contain the essential parts of the cofactor (NADP+), the substrate 6-phosphogluconate (6PG), and some key residues (Lys183 and Glu190) in the active site of sheep liver 6PGDH. The effect of the apoenzyme electrostatic environment on the studied reaction is treated by the self-consistent reaction-field method. Our calculations demonstrate that the first step of the catalytic reaction is the formation of a 3-keto 6PG intermediate, which proceeds through a concerted transition state involving a hydride transfer from 6PG to NADP+, and a proton transfer from 6PG to Lys183. The second step is the elimination of a CO2 molecule from 6-PG, concomitant with a proton transfer from Lys183 to 6-PG. In the final step, a concerted double proton transfer (one from Glu190 to the substrate, another from the substrate to Lys183) results in the final product, the keto form of ribulose 5-phosphate (Ru5P). The rate-limiting step is the formation of a 3-keto 6PG intermediate, with a free energy barrier of 22.7 kcal/mol at room temperature in the protein environment, and all three steps are calculated to be thermodynamically favorable. These results are in good agreement with the general acid/general base mechanism suggested from previous experiments for the 6PGDH reaction.

Functional constraints of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6-PGD) based on sequence and structural information

The pentose phosphate cycle is considered as a major source of NADPH and pentose needed for nucleic acid biosynthesis. 6-Phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD), an enzyme participating in this cycle, catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of 6PGD to ribulose 5-phosphate with the subsequent release of CO2 and the reduction of NADP. We have determined the amino acid sequence of 6PGD of Bactrocera oleae and constructed a three-dimensional model based on the homologous known sheep structure. In a comparative study of 6PGD sequences from numerous species, all the conserved and variable regions of the enzyme were analyzed and the regions of functional importance were localized, in an attempt promoted also by the direct involvement of the enzyme in various human diseases. Thus, analysis of amino acid variability of 37 6PGD sequences revealed that all regions important for the catalytic activity, such as those forming the substrate and coenzyme binding sites, are highly conserved in all species examined. Moreover, several amino acid residues responsible for substrate and coenzyme specificity were also found to be identical in all species examined. The higher percentage of protein divergence is observed at two regions that accumulate mutations, located at the distant parts of the two domains of the enzyme with respect to their interface. These peripheral regions of non-functional importance are highly variable and are predicted as antigenic, thus reflecting possible regions for antibody recognition. Furthermore, locating the differences between diptera 6PGD sequences on the three-dimensional model suggests probable positions of different amino acid residues appearing at B. oleae fast, intermediate, and slow allozymic variants.