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Kholodar SA, Finer-Moore JS, Świderek K, Arafet K, Moliner V, Stroud RM, Kohen A. Caught in Action: X-ray Structure of Thymidylate Synthase with Noncovalent Intermediate Analog. Biochemistry 2021; 60:1243-1247. [PMID: 33829766 PMCID: PMC10627423 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Methylation of 2-deoxyuridine-5'-monophosphate (dUMP) at the C5 position by the obligate dimeric thymidylate synthase (TSase) in the sole de novo biosynthetic pathway to thymidine 5'-monophosphate (dTMP) proceeds by forming a covalent ternary complex with dUMP and cosubstrate 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate. The crystal structure of an analog of this intermediate gives important mechanistic insights but does not explain the half-of-the-sites activity of the enzyme. Recent experiments showed that the C5 proton and the catalytic Cys are eliminated in a concerted manner from the covalent ternary complex to produce a noncovalent bisubstrate intermediate. Here, we report the crystal structure of TSase with a close synthetic analog of this intermediate in which it has partially reacted with the enzyme but in only one protomer, consistent with the half-of-the-sites activity of this enzyme. Quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics simulations confirmed that the analog could undergo catalysis. The crystal structure shows a new water 2.9 Å from the critical C5 of the dUMP moiety, which in conjunction with other residues in the network, may be the elusive general base that abstracts the C5 proton of dUMP during the reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana A Kholodar
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United States
| | - Janet S Finer-Moore
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Katarzyna Świderek
- Departament de Química Física i Analítica, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castelló, Spain
| | - Kemel Arafet
- Departament de Química Física i Analítica, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castelló, Spain
| | - Vicent Moliner
- Departament de Química Física i Analítica, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castelló, Spain
| | - Robert M Stroud
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Amnon Kohen
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United States
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Gurevic I, Islam Z, Świderek K, Trepka K, Ghosh AK, Moliner V, Kohen A. Experimental and Computational Studies Delineate the Role of Asparagine 177 in Hydride Transfer for E. coli Thymidylate Synthase. ACS Catal 2018; 8:10241-10253. [PMID: 31275729 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.8b02554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Thymidylate synthase (TSase), an enzyme responsible for the de novo biosynthesis of 2'-deoxythymidine 5'-monophosphate (thymidylate, dTMP) necessary for DNA synthesis, has been a drug target for decades. TSase is a highly conserved enzyme across species ranging from very primitive organisms to mammals. Among the many conserved active site residues, an asparagine (N177, using Escherichia coli residues numbering) appears to make direct hydrogen bonds with both the C4=O4 carbonyl of the 2'-deoxyuridine 5'-monophosphate (uridylate, dUMP) substrate and its pyrimidine ring's N3. Recent studies have reassessed the TSase catalytic mechanism, focusing on the degree of negative charge accumulation at the O4 carbonyl of the substrate during two critical H-transfers - a proton abstraction and a hydride transfer. To obtain insights into the role of this conserved N177 on the hydride transfer, we examined its aspartic acid (D) and serine (S) mutants - each of which is expected to alter hydrogen bonding and charge stabilization around the C4=O4 carbonyl of the 2'-deoxyuridine 5'-monophosphate (uridylate, dUMP) substrate. Steady-state kinetics, substrate binding order studies and temperature-dependency analysis of intrinsic KIEs for the hydride transfer step of the TSase catalytic cycle suggest the active site of N177D is not precisely organized for that step. A smaller disruption was observed for N177S, which could be rationalized by partial compensation by water molecules and rearrangement of other residues toward preparation of the system for the hydride transfer under study. These experimental findings are qualitatively mirrored by QM/MM computational simulations, thereby shedding light on the sequence and synchronicity of steps in the TSase-catalyzed reaction. This information could potentially inform the design of mechanism-based drugs targeting this enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilya Gurevic
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1727, United States
| | - Zahidul Islam
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1727, United States
| | - Katarzyna Świderek
- Departament de Química Física i Analítica, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castelló, Spain
| | - Kai Trepka
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1727, United States
| | - Ananda K. Ghosh
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1727, United States
| | - Vicent Moliner
- Departament de Química Física i Analítica, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castelló, Spain
| | - Amnon Kohen
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1727, United States
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Bacterial versus human thymidylate synthase: Kinetics and functionality. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0196506. [PMID: 29715278 PMCID: PMC5929524 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Thymidylate Synthase (TSase) is a highly conserved enzyme that catalyzes the production of the DNA building block thymidylate. Structurally, functionally and mechanistically, bacterial and mammalian TSases share remarkable similarities. Because of this closeness, bacterial enzymes have long been used as model systems for human TSase. Furthermore, while TSase inhibitors have long served as chemotherapeutic drugs, no TSase inhibitor serves as an antibiotic. Despite their high resemblance, the mammalian TSases are distinct in a few known aspects, such as having a N-terminal tail and two insertions in the primary sequence and active/inactive conformations. Here, we aim to comprehensively characterize human (hs) TSase and delineate its contrasts and the similarities to the well-studied Escherichia coli (ec) TSase. We found that, in contrast to ecTSase, Mg2+ does not enhance reaction rates for hsTSase. The temperature dependence of intrinsic kinetic isotope effects (KIEs), on the other hand, suggests that Mg2+ has little or no impact on the transition state of hydride transfer in either enzyme, and that the transition state for the hydride transfer in hsTSase is looser than in ecTSase. Additionally, the substrates’ binding order is strictly ordered for ecTSase but slightly less ordered for hsTSase. The observed kinetic and functional differences between bacterial and human enzymes may aid in the development of antibiotic drugs with reduced toxicity.
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Ranasinghe C, Guo Q, Sapienza PJ, Lee AL, Quinn DM, Cheatum CM, Kohen A. Protein Mass Effects on Formate Dehydrogenase. J Am Chem Soc 2017; 139:17405-17413. [PMID: 29083897 PMCID: PMC5800309 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b08359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Isotopically labeled enzymes (denoted as "heavy" or "Born-Oppenheimer" enzymes) have been used to test the role of protein dynamics in catalysis. The original idea was that the protein's higher mass would reduce the frequency of its normal-modes without altering its electrostatics. Heavy enzymes have been used to test if the vibrations in the native enzyme are coupled to the chemistry it catalyzes, and different studies have resulted in ambiguous findings. Here the temperature-dependence of intrinsic kinetic isotope effects of the enzyme formate dehydrogenase is used to examine the distribution of H-donor to H-acceptor distance as a function of the protein's mass. The protein dynamics are altered in the heavy enzyme to diminish motions that determine the transition state sampling in the native enzyme, in accordance with a Born-Oppenheimer-like effect on bond activation. Findings of this work suggest components related to fast frequencies that can be explained by Born-Oppenheimer enzyme hypothesis (vibrational) and also slower time scale events that are non-Born-Oppenheimer in nature (electrostatic), based on evaluations of protein mass dependence of donor-acceptor distance and forward commitment to catalysis along with steady state and single turnover measurements. Together, the findings suggest that the mass modulation affected both local, fast, protein vibrations associated with the catalyzed chemistry and the protein's macromolecular electrostatics at slower time scales; that is, both Born-Oppenheimer and non-Born-Oppenheimer effects are observed. Comparison to previous studies leads to the conclusion that isotopic labeling of the protein may have different effects on different systems, however, making heavy enzyme studies a very exciting technique for exploring the dynamics link to catalysis in proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chethya Ranasinghe
- Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242-1727, USA
| | - Qi Guo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242-1727, USA
| | - Paul J. Sapienza
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Andrew L. Lee
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
| | - Daniel M. Quinn
- Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242-1727, USA
| | | | - Amnon Kohen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242-1727, USA
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Abstract
Enzyme isotope effects, or the kinetic effects of "heavy" enzymes, refer to the effect of isotopically labeled protein residues on the enzyme's activity or physical properties. These effects are increasingly employed in the examination of the possible contributions of protein dynamics to enzyme catalysis. One hypothesis assumed that isotopic substitution of all 12C, 14N, and nonexchangeable 1H by 13C, 15N, and 2H, would slow down protein picosecond to femtosecond dynamics without any effect on the system's electrostatics following the Born-Oppenheimer approximation. It was suggested that reduced reaction rates reported for several "heavy" enzymes accords with that hypothesis. However, numerous deviations from the predictions of that hypothesis were also reported. Current studies also attempt to test the role of individual residues by site-specific labeling or by labeling a pattern of residues on activity. It appears that in several systems the protein's fast dynamics are indeed reduced in "heavy" enzymes in a way that reduces the probability of barrier crossing of its chemical step. Other observations, however, indicated that slower protein dynamics are electrostatically altered in isotopically labeled enzymes. Interestingly, these effects appear to be system dependent, thus it might be premature to suggest a general role of "heavy" enzymes' effect on catalysis.
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Abstract
Advances in computational and experimental methods in enzymology have aided comprehension of enzyme-catalyzed chemical reactions. The main difficulty in comparing computational findings to rate measurements is that the first examines a single energy barrier, while the second frequently reflects a combination of many microscopic barriers. We present here intrinsic kinetic isotope effects and their temperature dependence as a useful experimental probe of a single chemical step in a complex kinetic cascade. Computational predictions are tested by this method for two model enzymes: dihydrofolate reductase and thymidylate synthase. The description highlights the significance of collaboration between experimentalists and theoreticians to develop a better understanding of enzyme-catalyzed chemical conversions.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Singh
- University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Z Islam
- University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - A Kohen
- University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States.
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Islam Z, Strutzenberg TS, Ghosh AK, Kohen A. Activation of Two Sequential H-transfers in the Thymidylate Synthase Catalyzed Reaction. ACS Catal 2015; 5:6061-6068. [PMID: 26576323 PMCID: PMC4643671 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.5b01332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Thymidylate synthase (TSase) catalyzes the de novo biosynthesis of thymidylate, a precursor for DNA, and is thus an important target for chemotherapeutics and antibiotics. Two sequential C-H bond cleavages catalyzed by TSase are of particular interest: a reversible proton abstraction from the 2'-deoxy-uridylate substrate, followed by an irreversible hydride transfer forming the thymidylate product. QM/MM calculations of the former predicted a mechanism where the abstraction of the proton leads to formation of a novel nucleotide-folate intermediate that is not covalently bound to the enzyme (Wang, Z.; Ferrer, S.; Moliner, V.; Kohen, A. Biochemistry2013, 52, 2348-2358). Existence of such intermediate would hold promise as a target for a new class of drugs. Calculations of the subsequent hydride transfer predicted a concerted H-transfer and elimination of the enzymatic cysteine (Kanaan, N.; Ferrer, S.; Marti, S.; Garcia-Viloca, M.; Kohen, A.; Moliner, V. J. Am. Chem. Soc.2011, 133, 6692-6702). A key to both C-H activations is a highly conserved arginine (R166) that stabilizes the transition state of both H-transfers. Here we test these predictions by studying the R166 to lysine mutant of E. coli TSase (R166K) using intrinsic kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) and their temperature dependence to assess effects of the mutation on both chemical steps. The findings confirmed the predictions made by the QM/MM calculations, implicate R166 as an integral component of both reaction coordinates, and thus provide critical support to the nucleotide-folate intermediate as a new target for rational drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahidul Islam
- The Department of Chemistry, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, U.S.A
| | | | - Ananda K. Ghosh
- The Department of Chemistry, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, U.S.A
| | - Amnon Kohen
- The Department of Chemistry, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, U.S.A
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