Location of the two genes encoding glutaconate coenzyme A-transferase at the beginning of the hydroxyglutarate operon in Acidaminococcus fermentans

Direct fermentation route for the production of acrylic acid

There have been growing concerns regarding the limited fossil resources and global climate changes resulting from modern civilization. Currently, finding renewable alternatives to conventional petrochemical processes has become one of the major focus areas of the global chemical industry sector. Since over 4.2 million tons of acrylic acid (AA) is annually employed for the manufacture of various products via petrochemical processes, this chemical has been the target of efforts to replace the petrochemical route by ecofriendly processes. However, there has been limited success in developing an approach combining the biological production of 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) and its chemical conversion to AA. Here, we report the first direct fermentative route for producing 0.12 g/L of AA from glucose via 3-HP, 3-HP-CoA, and Acryloyl-CoA, leading to a strain of Escherichia coli capable of directly producing acrylic acid. This route was developed through extensive screening of key enzymes and designing a novel metabolic pathway for AA.

A propionate CoA-transferase of Ralstonia eutropha H16 with broad substrate specificity catalyzing the CoA thioester formation of various carboxylic acids

In this study, we have investigated a propionate CoA-transferase (Pct) homologue encoded in the genome of Ralstonia eutropha H16. The corresponding gene has been cloned into the vector pET-19b to yield a histidine-tagged enzyme which was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). After purification, high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS) analyses revealed that the enzyme exhibits a broad substrate specificity for carboxylic acids. The formation of the corresponding CoA-thioesters of acetate using propionyl-CoA as CoA donor, and of propionate, butyrate, 3-hydroxybutyrate, 3-hydroxypropionate, crotonate, acrylate, lactate, succinate and 4-hydroxybutyrate using acetyl-CoA as CoA donor could be shown. According to the substrate specificity, the enzyme can be allocated in the family I of CoA-transferases. The apparent molecular masses as determined by gel filtration and detected by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were 228 and 64 kDa, respectively, and point to a quaternary structure of the native enzyme (α4). The enzyme exhibited similarities in sequence and structure to the well investigated Pct of Clostridium propionicum. It does not contain the typical conserved (S)ENG motif, but the derived motif sequence EXG with glutamate 342 to be, most likely, the catalytic residue. Due to the homo-oligomeric structure and the sequence differences with the subclasses IA-C of family I CoA-transferases, a fourth subclass of family I is proposed, comprising - amongst others - the Pcts of R. eutropha H16 and C. propionicum. A markerless precise-deletion mutant R. eutropha H16∆pct was generated. The growth and accumulation behaviour of this mutant on gluconate, gluconate plus 3,3'-dithiodipropionic acid (DTDP), acetate and propionate was investigated but resulted in no observable phenotype. Both, the wild type and the mutant showed the same growth and storage behaviour with these carbon sources. It is probable that R. eutropha H16 is upregulating other CoA-transferase(s) or CoA-synthetase(s), thereby compensating for the lacking Pct. The ability of R. eutropha H16 to substitute absent enzymes by isoenzymes has been already shown in different other studies in the past.

Substrate specificity of 2-hydroxyglutaryl-CoA dehydratase from Clostridium symbiosum: toward a bio-based production of adipic acid

Expression of six genes from two glutamate fermenting clostridia converted Escherichia coli into a producer of glutaconate from 2-oxoglutarate of the general metabolism (Djurdjevic, I. et al. 2010, Appl. Environ. Microbiol.77, 320-322). The present work examines whether this pathway can also be used to reduce 2-oxoadipate to (R)-2-hydroxyadipic acid and dehydrate its CoA thioester to 2-hexenedioic acid, an unsaturated precursor of the biotechnologically valuable adipic acid (hexanedioic acid). 2-Hydroxyglutaryl-CoA dehydratase from Clostridium symbiosum, the key enzyme of this pathway and a potential radical enzyme, catalyzes the reversible dehydration of (R)-2-hydroxyglutaryl-CoA to (E)-glutaconyl-CoA. Using a spectrophotometric assay and mass spectrometry, it was found that (R)-2-hydroxyadipoyl-CoA, oxalocrotonyl-CoA, muconyl-CoA, and butynedioyl-CoA, but not 3-methylglutaconyl-CoA, served as alternative substrates. Hydration of butynedioyl-CoA most likely led to 2-oxosuccinyl-CoA, which spontaneously hydrolyzed to oxaloacetate and CoASH. The dehydratase is not specific for the CoA-moiety because (R)-2-hydroxyglutaryl-thioesters of N-acetylcysteamine and pantetheine served as almost equal substrates. Whereas the related 2-hydroxyisocaproyl-CoA dehydratase generated the stable and inhibitory 2,4-pentadienoyl-CoA radical, the analogous allylic ketyl radical could not be detected with muconyl-CoA and 2-hydroxyglutaryl-CoA dehydratase. With the exception of (R)-2-hydroxyglutaryl-CoA, all mono-CoA-thioesters of dicarboxylates used in this study were synthesized with glutaconate CoA-transferase from Acidaminococcus fermentans. The now possible conversion of (R)-2-hydroxyadipate via (R)-2-hydroxyadipoyl-CoA and 2-hexenedioyl-CoA to 2-hexenedioate paves the road for a bio-based production of adipic acid.

Production of glutaconic acid in a recombinant Escherichia coli strain

The assembly of six genes that encode enzymes from glutamate-fermenting bacteria converted Escherichia coli into a glutaconate producer when grown anaerobically on a complex medium. The new anaerobic pathway starts with 2-oxoglutarate from general metabolism and proceeds via (R)-2-hydroxyglutarate, (R)-2-hydroxyglutaryl-coenzyme A (CoA), and (E)-glutaconyl-CoA to yield 2.7 ± 0.2 mM (E)-glutaconate in the medium.

Complete genome sequence of Acidaminococcus fermentans type strain (VR4)

Acidaminococcus fermentans (Rogosa 1969) is the type species of the genus Acidaminococcus, and is of phylogenetic interest because of its isolated placement in a genomically little characterized region of the Firmicutes. A. fermentans is known for its habitation of the gastrointestinal tract and its ability to oxidize trans-aconitate. Its anaerobic fermentation of glutamate has been intensively studied and will now be complemented by the genomic basis. The strain described in this report is a nonsporulating, nonmotile, Gram-negative coccus, originally isolated from a pig alimentary tract. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence, and annotation. This is the first complete genome sequence of a member of the family Acidaminococcaceae, and the 2,329,769 bp long genome with its 2,101 protein-coding and 81 RNA genes is part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.

An asymmetric model for Na+-translocating glutaconyl-CoA decarboxylases

Glutaconyl-CoA decarboxylase (Gcd) couples the biotin-dependent decarboxylation of glutaconyl-CoA with the generation of an electrochemical Na(+) gradient. Sequencing of the genes encoding all subunits of the Clostridium symbiosum decarboxylase membrane complex revealed that it comprises two distinct biotin carrier subunits, GcdC(1) and GcdC(2), which differ in the length of a central alanine- and proline-rich linker domain. Co-crystallization of the decarboxylase subunit GcdA with the substrate glutaconyl-CoA, the product crotonyl-CoA, and the substrate analogue glutaryl-CoA, respectively, resulted in a high resolution model for substrate binding and catalysis revealing remarkable structural changes upon substrate binding. Unlike the GcdA structure from Acidaminococcus fermentans, these data suggest that in intact Gcd complexes, GcdA is associated as a tetramer crisscrossed by a network of solvent-filled tunnels.

Kinetic mechanism of glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase

Glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase (GCD) is a homotetrameric enzyme containing one noncovalently bound FAD per monomer that oxidatively decarboxylates glutaryl-CoA to crotonyl-CoA and CO2. GCD belongs to the family of acyl-CoA dehydrogenases that are evolutionarily conserved in their sequence, structure, and function. However, there are differences in the kinetic mechanisms among the different acyl-CoA dehydrogenases. One of the unanswered aspects is that of the rate-determining step in the steady-state turnover of GCD. In the present investigation, the major rate-determining step is identified to be the release of crotonyl-CoA product because the chemical steps and reoxidation of reduced FAD are much faster than the turnover of the wild-type GCD. Other steps are only partially rate-determining. This conclusion is based on the transit times of the individual reactions occurring in the active site of GCD.

Characterization of (R)-2-hydroxyisocaproate dehydrogenase and a family III coenzyme A transferase involved in reduction of L-leucine to isocaproate by Clostridium difficile

The strictly anaerobic pathogenic bacterium Clostridium difficile occurs in the human gut and is able to thrive from fermentation of leucine. Thereby the amino acid is both oxidized to isovalerate plus CO(2) and reduced to isocaproate. In the reductive branch of this pathway, the dehydration of (R)-2-hydroxyisocaproyl-coenzyme A (CoA) to (E)-2-isocaprenoyl-CoA is probably catalyzed via radical intermediates. The dehydratase requires activation by an ATP-dependent one-electron transfer (J. Kim, D. Darley, and W. Buckel, FEBS J. 272:550-561, 2005). Prior to the dehydration, a dehydrogenase and a CoA transferase are supposed to be involved in the formation of (R)-2-hydroxyisocaproyl-CoA. Deduced amino acid sequences of ldhA and hadA from the genome of C. difficile showed high identities to d-lactate dehydrogenase and family III CoA transferase, respectively. Both putative genes encoding the dehydrogenase and CoA transferase were cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli; the recombinant Strep tag II fusion proteins were purified to homogeneity and characterized. The substrate specificity of the monomeric LdhA (36.5 kDa) indicated that 2-oxoisocaproate (K(m) = 68 muM, k(cat) = 31 s(-1)) and NADH were the native substrates. For the reverse reaction, the enzyme accepted (R)- but not (S)-2-hydroxyisocaproate and therefore was named (R)-2-hydroxyisocaproate dehydrogenase. HadA showed CoA transferase activity with (R)-2-hydroxyisocaproyl-CoA as a donor and isocaproate or (E)-2-isocaprenoate as an acceptor. By site-directed mutagenesis, the conserved D171 was identified as an essential catalytic residue probably involved in the formation of a mixed anhydride with the acyl group of the thioester substrate. However, neither hydroxylamine nor sodium borohydride, both of which are inactivators of the CoA transferase, modified this residue. The dehydrogenase and the CoA transferase fit well into the proposed pathway of leucine reduction to isocaproate.

Biochemical characterization of human 3-methylglutaconyl-CoA hydratase and its role in leucine metabolism

The metabolic disease 3-methylglutaconic aciduria type I (MGA1) is characterized by an abnormal organic acid profile in which there is excessive urinary excretion of 3-methylglutaconic acid, 3-methylglutaric acid and 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid. Affected individuals display variable clinical manifestations ranging from mildly delayed speech development to severe psychomotor retardation with neurological handicap. MGA1 is caused by reduced or absent 3-methylglutaconyl-coenzyme A (3-MG-CoA) hydratase activity within the leucine degradation pathway. The human AUH gene has been reported to encode for a bifunctional enzyme with both RNA-binding and enoyl-CoA-hydratase activity. In addition, it was shown that mutations in the AUH gene are linked to MGA1. Here we present kinetic data of the purified gene product of AUH using different CoA-substrates. The best substrates were (E)-3-MG-CoA (V(max) = 3.9 U.mg(-1), K(m) = 8.3 microM, k(cat) = 5.1 s(-1)) and (E)-glutaconyl-CoA (V(max) = 1.1 U.mg(-1), K(m) = 2.4 microM, k(cat) = 1.4 s(-1)) giving strong evidence that the AUH gene encodes for the major human 3-MG-CoA hydratase in leucine degradation. Based on these results, a new assay for AUH activity in fibroblast homogenates was developed. The only missense mutation found in MGA1 phenotypes, c.719C>T, leading to the amino acid exchange A240V, produces an enzyme with only 9% of the wild-type 3-MG-CoA hydratase activity.

3-Methylglutaconyl-CoA hydratase from Acinetobacter sp

Acinetobacter strain IVS-B aerobically grows on isovalerate as sole carbon and energy source. Isovalerate is metabolised via isovaleryl-CoA, an intermediate of the oxidative (S)-leucine degradation pathway. A 3-methylglutaconyl-CoA hydratase (EC 4.2.1.18) was purified 65-fold to apparent homogeneity from cell-free extracts of isovalerate-grown cells of Acinetobacter strain IVS-B. The enzyme was found to be a homotetramer (115.2 kDa) composed of four identical subunits of 28.8 kDa not containing any cofactors. The enzyme was shown to catalyse the hydration of (E)-glutaconyl-CoA (k (cat)=18 s(-1), K (m)=40 microM) and the dehydration of (S)-3-hydroxyglutaryl-CoA (k (cat)=13 s(-1), K (m)=52 microM), albeit with somewhat lower catalytic efficiencies as compared to the 3-methyl derivatives, 3-methylglutaconyl-CoA (k (cat)=138 s(-1), K (m)=14 microM) and (S)-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (k (cat)=60 s(-1), K (m)=36 microM). Thus, the mechanistically simple syn-addition of water to the (E)-isomer of 3-methylglutaconyl-CoA of the leucine degradative pathway leading to the common intermediate (S)-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA was assigned as the major physiological role to this enzyme. The amino acid sequence of 3-methylglutaconyl-CoA hydratase from Acinetobacter sp. was found to be related to over 100 prokaryotic enoyl-CoA hydratases (up to 50% identity), possibly all being 3-methylglutaconyl-CoA hydratases.

Crystallographic trapping of the glutamyl-CoA thioester intermediate of family I CoA transferases

Coenzyme A transferases are involved in a broad range of biochemical processes in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, and exhibit a diverse range of substrate specificities. The YdiF protein from Escherichia coli O157:H7 is an acyl-CoA transferase of unknown physiological function, and belongs to a large sequence family of CoA transferases, present in bacteria to humans, which utilize oxoacids as acceptors. In vitro measurements showed that YdiF displays enzymatic activity with short-chain acyl-CoAs. The crystal structures of YdiF and its complex with CoA, the first co-crystal structure for any Family I CoA transferase, have been determined and refined at 1.9 and 2.0 A resolution, respectively. YdiF is organized into tetramers, with each monomer having an open alpha/beta structure characteristic of Family I CoA transferases. Co-crystallization of YdiF with a variety of CoA thioesters in the absence of acceptor carboxylic acid resulted in trapping a covalent gamma-glutamyl-CoA thioester intermediate. The CoA binds within a well defined pocket at the N- and C-terminal domain interface, but makes contact only with the C-terminal domain. The structure of the YdiF complex provides a basis for understanding the different catalytic steps in the reaction of Family I CoA transferases.

Dehydration of (R)-2-hydroxyacyl-CoA to enoyl-CoA in the fermentation of alpha-amino acids by anaerobic bacteria

Several clostridia and fusobacteria ferment alpha-amino acids via (R)-2-hydroxyacyl-CoA, which is dehydrated to enoyl-CoA by syn-elimination. This reaction is of great mechanistic interest, since the beta-hydrogen, to be eliminated as proton, is not activated (pK 40-50). A mechanism has been proposed, in which one high-energy electron acts as cofactor and transiently reduces the electrophilic thiol ester carbonyl to a nucleophilic ketyl radical anion. The 2-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydratases are two-component systems composed of an extremely oxygen-sensitive component A, an activator, and component D, the actual dehydratase. Component A, a homodimer with one [4Fe-4S]cluster, transfers an electron to component D, a heterodimer with 1-2 [4Fe-4S]clusters and FMN, concomitant with hydrolysis of two ATP. From component D the electron is further transferred to the substrate, where it facilitates elimination of the hydroxyl group. In the resulting enoxyradical the beta-hydrogen is activated (pK14). After elimination the electron is handed-over to the next incoming substrate without further hydrolysis of ATP. The helix-cluster-helix architecture of component A forms an angle of 105 degrees, which probably opens to 180 degrees upon binding of ATP resembling an archer shooting arrows. Therefore we designated component A as 'Archerase'. Here, we describe 2-hydroxyglutaryl-CoA dehydratase from Acidaminococcus fermentans, Clostridium symbiosum and Fusobacterium nucleatum, 2-phenyllactate dehydratase from Clostridium sporogenes, 2-hydroxyisocaproyl-CoA dehydratase from Clostridium difficile, and lactyl-CoA dehydratase from Clostridium propionicum. A relative of the 2-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydratases is benzoyl-CoA reductase from Thauera aromatica. Analogous but unrelated archerases are the iron proteins of nitrogenase and bacterial protochlorophyllide reductase. In anaerobic organisms, which do not oxidize 2-oxo acids, a second energy-driven electron transfer from NADH to ferredoxin, the electron donor of component A, has been established. The transfer is catalysed by a membrane-bound NADH-ferredoxin oxidoreductase driven by an electrochemical Na(+)-gradient. This enzyme is related to the Rnf proteins involved in Rhodobacter capsulatus nitrogen fixation.

Evolution of function in the crotonase superfamily: (3S)-methylglutaconyl-CoA hydratase from Pseudomonas putida

Members of the enoyl-CoA hydratase (crotonase) superfamily catalyze different overall reactions that utilize a common catalytic strategy delivered by a shared structural scaffold; the substrates are usually acyl esters of coenzyme A, and the intermediates are usually thioester enolate anions stabilized by a conserved oxyanion hole. In many bacterial genomes, orthologous members that contain homologues of acid/base catalyst Glu164 but not of Glu144 in rat mitochondrial crotonase are encoded by operons of which the functions have not been assigned. Focusing on the orthologues from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and P. putida, we have determined that these operons encode enzymes in leucine catabolism with the unknown enzyme assigned as (3S)-methylglutaconyl-CoA hydratase (MGCH), which catalyzes the syn-hydration of (E)-3-methylglutaconyl-CoA to (3S)-hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA. The discovery that bacterial MGCHs catalyze hydration of enoyl-CoAs utilizing a single active-site residue contrasts with the paradigm crotonases as well as with the recently identified mammalian MGCHs that use homologues of both Glu144 and Glu164 in crotonase. Substrate analogues lacking a gamma-carboxylate have been shown to be competitive inhibitors of the enzyme, and installation of a glutamate for the "missing" homologue of Glu144 fails to introduce hydratase activity with the substrate analogues. Thus, bacterial MGCHs may provide an example of opportunistic evolution in which a carboxylate group of the substrate functionally replaces one of the active site glutamate residues in the reactions catalyzed by crotonases and the eukaryotic MGCHs.

A 49 kDa microtubule cross-linking protein from Artemia franciscana is a coenzyme A-transferase

Embryos and larvae of the brine shrimp, Artemia franciscana, were shown previously to possess a protein, now termed p49, which cross-links microtubules in vitro. Molecular characteristics of p49 were described, but the protein's identity and its role in the cell were not determined. Degenerate oligonucleotide primers designed on the basis of peptide sequence obtained by Edman degradation during this study were used to generate p49 cDNAs by RT-PCR and these were cloned and sequenced. Comparison with archived sequences revealed that the deduced amino acid sequence of p49 resembled the Drosophila gene product CG7920, as well as related proteins encoded in the genomes of Anopheles and Caenorhabditis. Similar proteins exist in several bacteria but no evident homologues were found in vertebrates and plants, and only very distant homologues resided in yeast. When evolutionary relationships were compared, p49 and the homologues from Drosophila, Anopheles and Caenorhabditis formed a distinct subcluster within phylogenetic trees. Additionally, the predicted secondary structures of p49, 4-hydroxybutyrate CoA-transferase from Clostridium aminobutyricum and glutaconate CoA-transferase from Acidaminococcus fermentans were similar and the enzymes may possess related catalytic mechanisms. The purified Artemia protein exhibited 4-hydroxybutyrate CoA-transferase activity, thereby establishing p49 as the first crustacean CoA-transferase to be characterized. Probing of Western blots with an antibody against p49 revealed a cross-reactive protein in Drosophila that associated with microtubules, but to a lesser extent than did p49 from Artemia.

Acryloyl-CoA reductase from Clostridium propionicum. An enzyme complex of propionyl-CoA dehydrogenase and electron-transferring flavoprotein

Acryloyl-CoA reductase from Clostridium propionicum catalyses the irreversible NADH-dependent formation of propionyl-CoA from acryloyl-CoA. Purification yielded a heterohexadecameric yellow-greenish enzyme complex [(alpha2betagamma)4; molecular mass 600 +/- 50 kDa] composed of a propionyl-CoA dehydrogenase (alpha2, 2 x 40 kDa) and an electron-transferring flavoprotein (ETF; beta, 38 kDa; gamma, 29 kDa). A flavin content (90% FAD and 10% FMN) of 2.4 mol per alpha2betagamma subcomplex (149 kDa) was determined. A substrate alternative to acryloyl-CoA (Km = 2 +/- 1 microm; kcat = 4.5 s-1 at 100 microm NADH) is 3-buten-2-one (methyl vinyl ketone; Km = 1800 microm; kcat = 29 s-1 at 300 microm NADH). The enzyme complex exhibits acyl-CoA dehydrogenase activity with propionyl-CoA (Km = 50 microm; kcat = 2.0 s-1) or butyryl-CoA (Km = 100 microm; kcat = 3.5 s-1) as electron donor and 200 microm ferricenium hexafluorophosphate as acceptor. The enzyme also catalysed the oxidation of NADH by iodonitrosotetrazolium chloride (diaphorase activity) or by air, which led to the formation of H2O2 (NADH oxidase activity). The N-terminus of the dimeric propionyl-CoA dehydrogenase subunit is similar to those of butyryl-CoA dehydrogenases from several clostridia and related anaerobes (up to 55% sequence identity). The N-termini of the beta and gamma subunits share 40% and 35% sequence identities with those of the A and B subunits of the ETF from Megasphaera elsdenii, respectively, and up to 60% with those of putative ETFs from other anaerobes. Acryloyl-CoA reductase from C. propionicum has been characterized as a soluble enzyme, with kinetic properties perfectly adapted to the requirements of the organism. The enzyme appears not to be involved in anaerobic respiration with NADH or reduced ferredoxin as electron donors. There is no relationship to the trans-2-enoyl-CoA reductases from various organisms or the recently described acryloyl-CoA reductase activity of propionyl-CoA synthase from Chloroflexus aurantiacus.

Identification of the Omega4514 regulatory region, a developmental promoter of Myxococcus xanthus that is transcribed in vitro by the major vegetative RNA polymerase

Omega4514 is the site of a Tn5 lac insertion in the Myxococcus xanthus genome that fuses lacZ expression to a developmentally regulated promoter. DNA upstream of the insertion site was cloned, and the promoter was localized. The promoter resembles vegetative promoters in sequence, and sigma(A) RNA polymerase, the major form of RNA polymerase in growing M. xanthus, initiated transcription from this promoter in vitro. Two complete open reading frames were identified downstream of the promoter and before the Omega4514 insertion. The first gene product (ORF1) has a putative helix-turn-helix DNA-binding motif and shows sequence similarity to transcriptional regulators. ORF2 is most similar to subunit A of glutaconate coenzyme A (CoA) transferase, which is involved in glutamate fermentation. Tn5 lac Omega4514 is inserted in the third codon of ORF3, which is similar to subunit B of glutaconate CoA-transferase. An orf1 disruption mutant exhibited a mild sporulation defect, whereas neither a disruption of orf2 nor insertion Omega4514 in orf3 caused a defect. Based on DNA sequence analysis, the three genes are likely to be cotranscribed with a fourth gene whose product is similar to alcohol dehydrogenases. ORF1 delays and reduces expression of the operon during development, but relief from this negative autoregulation does not fully explain the regulation of the operon, because expression from a small promoter-containing fragment is strongly induced during development of an orf1 mutant. Also, multiple upstream DNA elements are necessary for full developmental expression. These results suggest that transcriptional activation also regulates the operon. Omega4514 is the first example of a developmentally regulated M. xanthus operon that is transcribed by the major vegetative RNA polymerase, and its regulation appears to involve both negative autoregulation by ORF1 and positive regulation by one or more transcriptional activators.

Adenosine triphosphate-induced electron transfer in 2-hydroxyglutaryl-CoA dehydratase from Acidaminococcus fermentans

2-hydroxyglutaryl-CoA dehydratase from Acidaminococcus fermentans catalyzes the chemical difficult elimination of water from (R)-2-hydroxyglutaryl-CoA to glutaconyl-CoA. The enzyme consists of two oxygen-sensitive protein components, the homodimeric activator (A) with one [4Fe-4S]1+/2+ cluster and the heterodimeric dehydratase (D) with one nonreducible [4Fe-4S]2+ cluster and reduced riboflavin 5'-monophosphate (FMNH2). For activation, ATP, Mg2+, and a reduced flavodoxin (16 kDa) purified from A. fermentans are required. The [4Fe-4S](1+/2+) cluster of component A is exposed to the solvent since it is accessible to iron chelators. Upon exchange of the bound ADP by ATP, the chelation rate is 8-fold enhanced, indicating a large conformational change. Oxidized component A exhibits ATPase activity of 6 s(-1), which is completely abolished upon reduction by one electron. UV-visible spectroscopy revealed a spontaneous one-electron transfer from flavodoxin hydroquinone (E(0)' = -430 mV) to oxidized component A, whereby the [4Fe-4S]2+ cluster of component A became reduced. Combined kinetic, EPR, and Mössbauer spectrocopic investigations exhibited an ATP-dependent oxidation of component A by component D. Whereas the [4Fe-4S]2+ cluster of component D remained in the oxidized state, a new EPR signal became visible attributed to a d1-metal species, probably Mo(V). Metal analysis with neutron activation and atomic absorption spectroscopy gave 0.07-0.2 Mo per component D. In summary, the data suggest that in the presence of ATP one electron is transferred from flavodoxin hydroquinone via the [4Fe-4S]1+/2+ cluster of component A to Mo(VI) of component D, which is thereby reduced to Mo(V). The latter may supply the electron necessary for transient charge reversal in the unusual dehydration.

Molecular characterization of phenyllactate dehydratase and its initiator from Clostridium sporogenes

The heterotrimeric phenyllactate dehydratase from Clostridium sporogenes, FldABC, catalyses the reversible dehydration of (R)-phenyllactate to (E)-cinnamate in two steps: (i) CoA-transfer from the cofactor cinnamoyl-CoA to phenyllactate to yield phenyllactyl-CoA and the product cinnamate mediated by FldA, a (R)-phenyllactate CoA-transferase; followed by (ii) dehydration of phenyllactyl-CoA to cinnamoyl-CoA mediated by heterodimeric FldBC, a phenyllactyl-CoA dehydratase. Phenyllactate dehydratase requires initiation by ATP, MgCl2 and a reducing agent such as dithionite mediated by an extremely oxygen-sensitive initiator protein (FldI) present in the cell-free extract. All four genes coding for these proteins were cloned and shown to be clustered in the order fldAIBC, which shares over 95% sequence identity of nucleotide and protein levels with a gene cluster detected in the genome of the closely related Clostridium botulinum Hall strain A. FldA shows sequence similarities to a new family of CoA-transferases, which apparently do not form covalent enzyme CoA-ester intermediates. An N-terminal Strep II-Tag containing enzymatically active FldI was overproduced and purified from Escherichia coli. FldI was characterized as a homodimeric protein, which contains one [4Fe-4S]1+/2+ cluster with an electron spin S = 3/2 in the reduced form. The amino acid sequence as well as the chemical and EPR-properties of the pure protein are very similar to those of component A of 2-hydroxyglutaryl-CoA dehydratase from Acidaminococcus fermentans (HgdC), which was able to replace FldI in the activation of phenyllactate dehydratase. Only in the oxidized state, FldI and component A exhibit significant ATPase activity, which appears to be essential for unidirectional electron transfer. Both subunits of phenyllactyl-CoA dehydratase (FldBC) show significant sequence similarities to both subunits of 2-hydroxyglutaryl-CoA dehydratase (HgdAB). The fldAIBC gene cluster resembles the hadAIBC gene cluster in the genome of Clostridium difficile and the hadABC,I genes in C. botulinum. The four subunits of these deduced 2-hydroxyacid dehydratases (65-81% amino acid sequence identity between the had genes) probably code for a 2-hydroxyisocaproate dehydratase involved in leucine fermentation. This enzyme could be the target for metronidazole in the treatment of pseudomembranous enterocolitis caused by C. difficile.

Propionate CoA-transferase from Clostridium propionicum. Cloning of gene and identification of glutamate 324 at the active site

Propionate CoA-transferase from Clostridium propionicum has been purified and the gene encoding the enzyme has been cloned and sequenced. The enzyme was rapidly and irreversibly inactivated by sodium borohydride or hydroxylamine in the presence of propionyl-CoA. The reduction of the thiol ester between a catalytic site glutamate and CoA with borohydride and the cleavage by hydroxylamine were used to introduce a site-specific label, which was followed by MALDI-TOF-MS. This allowed the identification of glutamate 324 at the active site. Propionate CoA-transferase and similar proteins deduced from the genomes of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus halodurans and Aeropyrum pernix are proposed to form a novel subclass of CoA-transferases. Secondary structure element predictions were generated and compared to known crystal structures in the databases. A high degree of structural similarity was observed between the arrangement of secondary structure elements in these proteins and glutaconate CoA-transferase from Acidaminococcus fermentans.

Degradation of aromatics and chloroaromatics by Pseudomonas sp. strain B13: purification and characterization of 3-oxoadipate:succinyl-coenzyme A (CoA) transferase and 3-oxoadipyl-CoA thiolase

The degradation of 3-oxoadipate in Pseudomonas sp. strain B13 was investigated and was shown to proceed through 3-oxoadipyl-coenzyme A (CoA) to give acetyl-CoA and succinyl-CoA. 3-Oxoadipate:succinyl-CoA transferase of strain B13 was purified by heat treatment and chromatography on phenyl-Sepharose, Mono-Q, and Superose 6 gels. Estimation of the native molecular mass gave a value of 115,000 +/- 5,000 Da with a Superose 12 column. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions resulted in two distinct bands of equal intensities. The subunit A and B values were 32,900 and 27,000 Da. Therefore it can be assumed that the enzyme is a heterotetramer of the type A2B2 with a molecular mass of 120,000 Da. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of both subunits are as follows: subunit A, AELLTLREAVERFVNDGTVALEGFTHLIPT; subunit B, SAYSTNEMMTVAAARRLKNGAVVFV. The pH optimum was 8.4. Km values were 0.4 and 0.2 mM for 3-oxoadipate and succinyl-CoA, respectively. Reversibility of the reaction with succinate was shown. The transferase of strain B13 failed to convert 2-chloro- and 2-methyl-3-oxoadipate. Some activity was observed with 4-methyl-3-oxoadipate. Even 2-oxoadipate and 3-oxoglutarate were shown to function as poor substrates of the transferase. 3-oxoadipyl-CoA thiolase was purified by chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose, blue 3GA, and reactive brown-agarose. Estimation of the native molecular mass gave 162,000 +/- 5,000 Da with a Superose 6 column. The molecular mass of the subunit of the denatured protein, as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, was 42 kDa. On the basis of these results, 3-oxoadipyl-CoA thiolase should be a tetramer of the type A4. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of 3-oxoadipyl-CoA thiolase was determined to be SREVYI-DAVRTPIGRFG. The pH optimum was 7.8. Km values were 0.15 and 0.01 mM for 3-oxoadipyl-CoA and CoA, respectively. Sequence analysis of the thiolase terminus revealed high percentages of identity (70 to 85%) with thiolases of different functions. The N termini of the transferase subunits showed about 30 to 35% identical amino acids with the glutaconate-CoA transferase of an anaerobic bacterium but only an identity of 25% with the respective transferases of aromatic compound-degrading organisms was found.

Degradation of aromatics and chloroaromatics by Pseudomonas sp. strain B13: cloning, characterization, and analysis of sequences encoding 3-oxoadipate:succinyl-coenzyme A (CoA) transferase and 3-oxoadipyl-CoA thiolase

3-oxoadipate:succinyl-coenzyme A (CoA) transferase and 3-oxoadipyl-CoA thiolase carry out the ultimate steps in the conversion of benzoate and 3-chlorobenzoate to tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates in bacteria utilizing the 3-oxoadipate pathway. This report describes the characterization of DNA fragments with the overall length of 5.9 kb from Pseudomonas sp. strain B13 that encode these enzymes. DNA sequence analysis revealed five open reading frames (ORFs) plus an incomplete one. ORF1, of unknown function, has a length of 414 bp. ORF2 (catI) encodes a polypeptide of 282 amino acids and starts at nucleotide 813. ORF3 (catJ) encodes a polypeptide of 260 amino acids and begins at nucleotide 1661. CatI and CatJ are the subunits of the 3-oxoadipate:succinyl-CoA transferase, whose activity was demonstrated when both genes were ligated into expression vector pET11a. ORF4, termed catF, codes for a protein of 401 amino acid residues with a predicted mass of 41,678 Da with 3-oxoadipyl-CoA thiolase activity. The last three ORFs seem to form an operon since they are oriented in the same direction and showed an overlapping of 1 bp between catI and catJ and of 4 bp between catJ and catF. Conserved functional groups important for the catalytic activity of CoA transferases and thiolases were identified in CatI, CatJ, and CatF. ORF5 (catD) encodes the 3-oxoadipate enol-lactone hydrolase. An incomplete ORF6 of 1,183 bp downstream of ORF5 and oriented in the opposite direction was found. The protein sequence deduced from ORF6 showed a putative AMP-binding domain signature.

Meta-cleavage enzyme gene tesB is necessary for testosterone degradation in Comamonas testosteroni TA441

Comamonas testosteroni metabolizes testosterone as the sole carbon source via a meta-cleavage reaction. A meta-cleavage enzyme gene, tesB, was cloned from C. testosteroni TA441. The deduced N-terminal amino acid sequence of tesB matched that of the purified meta-cleavage enzyme which is induced in TA441 during growth on testosterone as the sole carbon source. The tesB-disrupted mutant did not show growth on testosterone, suggesting that tesB is necessary for TA441 to grow on testosterone. Downstream from tesB, three putative ORFs which encode products also necessary for growth of TA441 on testosterone were identified. The usual substrate of TesB is probably 3,4-dihydroxy-9,10-secoandrosta-1,3,5(10)-triene-9,17-dione. Although this compound was not identified in the gene disrupted mutants, accumulation of upstream metabolites of testosterone degradation, 4-androstene-3,17-dione and 1,4-androstadiene-3,17-dione, was shown by TLC analysis.

Binding, hydration, and decarboxylation of the reaction intermediate glutaconyl-coenzyme A by human glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase

Glutaconyl-coenzyme A (CoA) is the presumed enzyme-bound intermediate in the oxidative decarboxylation of glutaryl-CoA that is catalyzed by glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase. We demonstrated glutaconyl-CoA bound to glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase after anaerobic reduction of the dehydrogenase with glutaryl-CoA. Glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase also has intrinsic enoyl-CoA hydratase activity, a property of other members of the acyl-CoA dehydrogenase family. The enzyme rapidly hydrates glutaconyl-CoA at pH 7.6 with a k(cat) of 2.7 s(-1). The k(cat) in the overall oxidation-decarboxylation reaction at pH 7.6 is about 9 s(-1). The binding of glutaconyl-CoA was quantitatively assessed from the K(m) in the hydratase reaction, 3 microM, and the K(i), 1.0 microM, as a competitive inhibitor of the dehydrogenase. These values compare with K(m) and K(i) of 4.0 and 12.9 microM, respectively, for crotonyl-CoA. Glu370 is the general base catalyst in the dehydrogenase that abstracts an alpha-proton of the substrate to initiate the catalytic pathway. The mutant dehydrogenase, Glu370Gln, is inactive in the dehydrogenation and the hydratase reactions. However, this mutant dehydrogenase decarboxylates glutaconyl-CoA to crotonyl-CoA without oxidation-reduction reactions of the dehydrogenase flavin. Addition of glutaconyl-CoA to this mutant dehydrogenase results in a rapid, transient increase in long-wavelength absorbance (lambda(max) approximately 725 nm), and crotonyl-CoA is found as the sole product. We propose that this 725 nm-absorbing species is the delocalized crotonyl-CoA anion that follows decarboxylation and that the decay is the result of slow protonation of the anion in the absence of the general acid catalyst, Glu370(H(+)). In the absence of detectable oxidation-reduction, the data indicate that oxidation-reduction of the dehydrogenase flavin is not essential for decarboxylation of glutaconyl-CoA.

Sodium ion-translocating decarboxylases

The review is concerned with three Na(+)-dependent biotin-containing decarboxylases, which catalyse the substitution of CO(2) by H(+) with retention of configuration (DeltaG degrees '=-30 kJ/mol): oxaloacetate decarboxylase from enterobacteria, methylmalonyl-CoA decarboxylase from Veillonella parvula and Propiogenium modestum, and glutaconyl-CoA decarboxylase from Acidaminococcus fermentans. The enzymes represent complexes of four functional domains or subunits, a carboxytransferase, a mobile alanine- and proline-rich biotin carrier, a 9-11 membrane-spanning helix-containing Na(+)-dependent carboxybiotin decarboxylase and a membrane anchor. In the first catalytic step the carboxyl group of the substrate is converted to a kinetically activated carboxylate in N-carboxybiotin. After swing-over to the decarboxylase, an electrochemical Na(+) gradient is generated; the free energy of the decarboxylation is used to translocate 1-2 Na(+) from the inside to the outside, whereas the proton comes from the outside. At high [Na(+)], however, the decarboxylases appear to catalyse a mere Na(+)/Na(+) exchange. This finding has implications for the life of P. modestum in sea water, which relies on the synthesis of ATP via Delta(mu)Na(+) generated by decarboxylation. In many sequenced genomes from Bacteria and Archaea homologues of the carboxybiotin decarboxylase from A. fermentans with up to 80% sequence identity have been detected.

Dimeric pig heart succinate-coenzyme A transferase uses only one subunit to support catalysis

Pig heart succinate-coenzyme A transferase (succinyl-coenzyme A: 3-oxoacid coenzyme A transferase; E. C. 2.8.3.5.), a dimeric enzyme purified by affinity chromatography on Procion Blue MX-2G Sepharose, reacts with acetoacetyl-coenzyme A to form a covalent enzyme-coenzyme A thiolester intermediate in which the active site glutamate (E344) of both subunits each forms thiolester links with coenzyme A. Reaction of this dimeric enzyme-coenzyme A species with sodium borohydride leads to inactivation of the enzyme and reduction of the thiolester on both subunits to the corresponding enzyme alcohol, as judged by electrospray mass spectrometry. Reaction of the dimeric enzyme-coenzyme A intermediate with either succinate or acetoacetate, however, results in only one-half of the coenzyme A being transferred to the acceptor carboxylate to form either succinyl-coenzyme A or acetoacetyl-coenzyme A. Reaction of this latter enzyme species with borohydride caused no loss of enzyme activity despite the reduction of the remaining half of the enzyme-coenzyme A thiolester to the enzyme alcohol. That this catalytic asymmetry existed between subunits within the same enzyme dimer was demonstrated by showing that the enzyme species, created by successive reaction with acetoacetyl-coenzyme A and succinate, bound to Blue MX-2G Sepharose through the remaining available active site and could be eluted as a single chromatographic species by succinyl-coenzyme A. It is concluded that while both of the subunits of the succinate-coenzyme A transferase dimer are able to form enzyme-coenzyme A thiolester intermediates, only one subunit is competent to transfer the coenzyme A moiety to a carboxylic acid acceptor to form the new acyl-coenzyme A product. The possible structural basis for this catalytic asymmetry and its mechanistic implications are discussed.

Pig heart CoA transferase exists as two oligomeric forms separated by a large kinetic barrier

Pig heart CoA transferase (EC 2.8.3.5) has been shown previously to adopt a homodimeric structure, in which each subunit has a molecular weight of 52 197 and consists of N- and C-domains linked by a hydrophilic linker or "hinge". Here we identify and characterize a second oligomeric form constituent in purified enzyme preparations, albeit at low concentrations. Both species catalyze the transfer of CoA with similar values for k(cat) and K(M). This second form sediments more rapidly than the homodimer under the conditions of conventional sedimentation velocity and active enzyme centrifugation. Apparent molecular weight values determined by sedimentation equilibrium and gel filtration chromatography are 4-fold greater than the subunit molecular weight, confirming that this form is a homotetramer. The subunits of both oligomeric forms are indistinguishable with respect to molecular mass, far-UV CD, intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence, and equilibrium unfolding. Dissociation of the homotetramer to the homodimer occurs very slowly in benign solutions containing high salt concentrations (0.25-2.0 M KCl). The homotetramer is fully converted to homodimer during refolding from denaturant at low protein concentrations. Disruption of the hydrophilic linker between the N- and C-domains by mutagenesis or mild proteolysis causes a decrease in the relative amount of the larger conformer. The homotetramer is stabilized by interactions involving the helical hinge region, and a substantial kinetic barrier hinders interconversion of the two oligomeric species under nondenaturing conditions.

The involvement of coenzyme A esters in the dehydration of (R)-phenyllactate to (E)-cinnamate by Clostridium sporogenes

Phenyllactate dehydratase from Clostridium sporogenes grown anaerobically on L-phenylalanine catalyses the reversible syn-dehydration of (R)-phenyllactate to (E)-cinnamate. Purification yielded a heterotrimeric enzyme complex (130 +/- 15 kDa) composed of FldA (46 kDa), FldB (43 kDa) and FldC (40 kDa). By re-chromatography on Q-Sepharose, the major part of FldA could be separated and identified as oxygen insensitive cinnamoyl-CoA:phenyllactate CoA-transferase, whereas the transferase depleted trimeric complex retained oxygen sensitive phenyllactate dehydratase activity and contained about one [4Fe-4S] cluster. The dehydratase activity required 10 microM FAD, 0.4 mM ATP, 2.5 mM MgCl2, 0.1 mM NADH, 5 microM cinnamoyl-CoA and small amounts of cell-free extract (10 microg protein per mL) similar to that known for 2-hydroxyglutaryl-CoA dehydratase from Acidaminococcus fermentans. The N-terminus of the homogenous FldA (39 amino acids) is homologous to that of CaiB (39% sequence identity) involved in carnitine metabolism in Escherichia coli. Both enzymes are members of an emerging group of CoA-transferases which exhibit high substrate specificity but apparently do not form enzyme CoA-ester intermediates. It is concluded that dehydration of (R)-phenyllactate to (E)-cinnamate proceeds in two steps, a CoA-transfer from cinnamoyl-CoA to phenyllactate, catalysed by FldA, followed by the dehydration of phenyllactyl-CoA, catalysed by FldB and FldC, whereby the noncovalently bound prosthetic group cinnamoyl-CoA is regenerated. This demonstrates the necessity of a 2-hydroxyacyl-CoA intermediate in the dehydration of 2-hydroxyacids. The transient CoA-ester formation during the dehydration of phenyllactate resembles that during citrate cleavage catalysed by bacterial citrate lyase, which contain a derivative of acetyl-CoA covalently bound to an acyl-carrier-protein (ACP).

Molecular characterization of the non-biotin-containing subunit of 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase

The biotin enzyme, 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase (MCCase) (3-methylcrotonyl-CoA:carbon-dioxide ligase (ADP-forming), EC 6.4.1. 4), catalyzes a pivotal reaction required for both leucine catabolism and isoprenoid metabolism. MCCase is a heteromeric enzyme composed of biotin-containing (MCC-A) and non-biotin-containing (MCC-B) subunits. Although the sequence of the MCC-A subunit was previously determined, the primary structure of the MCC-B subunit is unknown. Based upon sequences of biotin enzymes that use substrates structurally related to 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA, we isolated the MCC-B cDNA and gene of Arabidopsis. Antibodies directed against the bacterially produced recombinant protein encoded by the MCC-B cDNA react solely with the MCC-B subunit of the purified MCCase and inhibit MCCase activity. The primary structure of the MCC-B subunit shows the highest similarity to carboxyltransferase domains of biotin enzymes that use methyl-branched thiol esters as substrate or products. The single copy MCC-B gene of Arabidopsis is interrupted by nine introns. MCC-A and MCC-B mRNAs accumulate in all cell types and organs, with the highest accumulation occurring in rapidly growing and metabolically active tissues. In addition, these two mRNAs accumulate coordinately in an approximately equal molar ratio, and they each account for between 0.01 and 0.1 mol % of cellular mRNA. The sequence of the Arabidopsis MCC-B gene has enabled the identification of animal paralogous MCC-B cDNAs and genes, which may have an impact on the molecular understanding of the lethal inherited metabolic disorder methylcrotonylglyciuria.

2-hydroxyglutaryl-CoA dehydratase from Clostridium symbiosum

Component D (HgdAB) of 2-hydroxyglutaryl-CoA dehydratase from Clostridium symbiosum was purified to homogeneity. It is able to use component A from Acidaminococcus fermentans (HgdC) to initiate catalysis together with ATP, Mg2+ and a strong reducing agent such as Ti(III)citrate. Component D from C. symbiosum has a 6 x higher specific activity compared with that from A. fermentans and contains a second [4Fe-4S] cluster but the same amount of riboflavin 5'-phosphate (1.0 per heterodimeric enzyme, m = 100 kDa). Mössbauer spectroscopy revealed symmetric cube-type structures of the two [4Fe-4S]2+ clusters. EPR spectroscopy showed the resistance of the clusters to reducing agents, but detected a sharp signal at g = 2. 004 probably due to a stabilized flavin semiquinone. Three genes from C. symbiosum coding for components D (hgdA and hgdB) and A (hgdC) were cloned and sequenced. Primer extension experiments indicated that the genes are transcribed in the order hgdCAB from an operon only half the size of that from A. fermentans. Sequence comparisons detected a close relationship to the dehydratase system from A. fermentans and HgdA from Fusobacterium nucleatum, as well as to putative proteins of unknown function from Archaeoglobus fulgidus. Lower, but significant, identities were found with putative enzymes from several methanogenic Archaea and Escherichia coli, as well as with the mechanistically related benzoyl-CoA reductases from the Proteobacteria Rhodopseudomonas palustris and Thauera aromatica.

Oxygen exchange between acetate and the catalytic glutamate residue in glutaconate CoA-transferase from Acidaminococcus fermentans. Implications for the mechanism of CoA-ester hydrolysis

The exchange of oxygen atoms between acetate, glutaryl-CoA, and the catalytic glutamate residue in glutaconate CoA-transferase from Acidaminococcus fermentans was analyzed using [(18)O(2)]acetate together with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry of an appropriate undecapeptide. The exchange reaction was shown to be site-specific, reversible, and required both glutaryl-CoA and [(18)O(2)]acetate. The observed exchange is in agreement with the formation of a mixed anhydride intermediate between the enzyme and acetate. In contrast, with a mutant enzyme, which was converted to a thiol ester hydrolyase by replacement of the catalytic glutamate residue by aspartate, no (18)O uptake from H(2)(18)O into the carboxylate was detectable. This result is in accord with a mechanism in which the carboxylate of aspartate acts as a general base in activating a water molecule for hydrolysis of the thiol ester intermediate. This mechanism is further supported by the finding of a significant hydrolyase activity of the wild-type enzyme using acetyl-CoA as substrate, whereas glutaryl-CoA is not hydrolyzed. The small acetate molecule in the substrate binding pocket may activate a water molecule for hydrolysis of the nearby enzyme-CoA thiol ester.

The sodium ion translocating glutaconyl-CoA decarboxylase from Acidaminococcus fermentans: cloning and function of the genes forming a second operon

Glutaconyl-CoA decarboxylase from Acidaminococcus fermentans (clostridal cluster IX), a strict anaerobic inhabitant of animal intestines, uses the free energy of decarboxylation (delta G(o) approximately -30 kJ mol-1) in order to translocate Na+ from the inside through the cytoplasmic membrane. The proton, which is required for decarboxylation, most probably comes from the outside. The enzyme consists of four different subunits. The largest subunit, alpha or GcdA (65 kDa), catalyses the transfer of CO2 from glutaconyl-CoA to biotin covalently attached to the gamma-subunit, GcdC. The beta-subunit, GcdB, is responsible for the decarboxylation of carboxybiotin, which drives the Na+ translocation (approximate K(m) for Na+ 1 mM), whereas the function of the smallest subunit, delta or GcdD, is unclear. The gene gcdA is part of the 'hydroxyglutarate operon', which does not contain genes coding for the other three subunits. This paper describes that the genes, gcdDCB, are transcribed in this order from a distinct operon. The delta-subunit (GcdD, 12 kDa), with one potential transmembrane helix, probably serves as an anchor for GcdA. The biotin carrier (GcdC, 14 kDa) contains a flexible stretch of 50 amino acid residues (A26-A75), which consists of 34 alanines, 14 prolines, one valine and one lysine. The beta-subunit (GcdB, 39 kDa) comprising 11 putative transmembrane helices shares high amino acid sequence identities with corresponding deduced gene products from Veillonella parvula (80%, clostridial cluster IX), Archaeoglobus fulgidus (61%, Euryarchaeota), Propionigenium modestum (60%, clostridial cluster XIX), Salmonella typhimurium (51%, enterobacteria) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (50%, enterobacteria). Directly upstream of the promoter region of the gcdDCB operon, the 3' end of gctM was detected. It encodes a protein fragment with 73% sequence identity to the C-terminus of the alpha-subunit of methylmalonyl-CoA decarboxylase from V. parvula (MmdA). Hence, it appears that A. fermentans should be able to synthesize this enzyme by expression of gctM together with gdcDCB, but methylmalonyl-CoA decarboxylase activity could not be detected in cell-free extracts. Earlier observations of a second, lower affinity binding site for Na+ of glutaconyl-CoA decarboxylase (apparent K(m) 30 mM) were confirmed by identification of the cysteine residue 243 of GcdB between the putative hellces VII and VIII, which could be specifically protected from alkylation by Na+. The alpha-subunit was purified from an overproducing Escherichia coli strain and was characterized as a putative homotrimer able to catalyse the carboxylation of free biotin.

The Bacillus subtilis nucleotidyltransferase is a tRNA CCA-adding enzyme

There has been increased interest in bacterial polyadenylation with the recent demonstration that 3' poly(A) tails are involved in RNA degradation. Poly(A) polymerase I (PAP I) of Escherichia coli is a member of the nucleotidyltransferase (Ntr) family that includes the functionally related tRNA CCA-adding enzymes. Thirty members of the Ntr family were detected in a search of the current database of eubacterial genomic sequences. Gram-negative organisms from the beta and gamma subdivisions of the purple bacteria have two genes encoding putative Ntr proteins, and it was possible to predict their activities as either PAP or CCA adding by sequence comparisons with the E. coli homologues. Prediction of the functions of proteins encoded by the genes from more distantly related bacteria was not reliable. The Bacillus subtilis papS gene encodes a protein that was predicted to have PAP activity. We have overexpressed and characterized this protein, demonstrating that it is a tRNA nucleotidyltransferase. We suggest that the papS gene should be renamed cca, following the notation for its E. coli counterpart. The available evidence indicates that cca is the only gene encoding an Ntr protein, despite previous suggestions that B. subtilis has a PAP similar to E. coli PAP I. Thus, the activity involved in RNA 3' polyadenylation in the gram-positive bacteria apparently resides in an enzyme distinct from its counterpart in gram-negative bacteria.

Glutaconate CoA-transferase from Acidaminococcus fermentans: the crystal structure reveals homology with other CoA-transferases

BACKGROUND

Coenzyme A-transferases are a family of enzymes with a diverse substrate specificity and subunit composition. Members of this group of enzymes are found in anaerobic fermenting bacteria, aerobic bacteria and in the mitochondria of humans and other mammals, but so far none have been crystallized. A defect in the human gene encoding succinyl-CoA: 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase causes a metabolic disease which leads to severe ketoacidosis, thus reflecting the importance of this family of enzymes. All CoA-transferases share a common mechanism in which the CoA moiety is transferred from a donor (e.g. acetyl CoA) to an acceptor, (R)-2-hydroxyglutarate, whereby acetate is formed. The transfer has been described by a ping-pong mechanism in which CoA is bound to the active-site residue of the enzyme as a covalent thiol ester intermediate. We describe here the crystal structure of glutaconate CoA-transferase (GCT) from the strictly anaerobic bacterium Acidaminococcus fermentans. This enzyme activates (R)-2-hydroxyglutarate to (R)-2-hydroxyglutaryl-CoA in the pathway of glutamate fermentation. We initiated this project to gain further insight into the function of this enzyme and the structural basis for the characteristics of CoA-transferases.

RESULTS

The crystal structure of GCT was solved by multiple isomorphous replacement to 2.55 A resolution. The enzyme is a heterooctamer and its overall arrangement of subunits can be regarded as an (AB)4tetramer obeying 222 symmetry. Both subunits A and B belong to the open alpha/beta-protein class and can be described as a four-layered alpha/alpha/beta/alpha type with a novel composition and connectivity of the secondary structure elements. The core of subunit A consists of seven alpha/beta repeats resulting in an all parallel central beta sheet, against which helices pack from both sides. In contrast, the centre of subunit B is formed by a ninefold mixed beta sheet. In both subunits the helical C terminus is folded back onto the N-terminal domain to form the third layer of helices.

CONCLUSIONS

The active site of GCT is located at the interface of subunits A and B and is formed by loops of both subunits. The funnel-shaped opening to the active site has a depth and diameter of about 20 A with the catalytic residue, Glu54 of subunit B, at the bottom. The active-site glutamate residue is stabilized by hydrogen bonds. Despite very low amino acid sequence similarity, subunits A and B reveal a similar overall fold. Large parts of their structures can be spatially superimposed, suggesting that both subunits have evolved from a common ancestor.

Unusual dehydrations in anaerobic bacteria: considering ketyls (radical anions) as reactive intermediates in enzymatic reactions

Dehydratases have been detected in anaerobic bacteria which use 2-, 4- or 5-hydroxyacyl-CoA as substrates and are involved in the removal of hydrogen atoms from the unactivated beta- or gamma-positions. In addition there are bacterial dehydratases acting on 1,2-diols which are substrates lacking any activating group. These enzymes contain either FAD, or flavins + iron-sulfur clusters or coenzyme B12. It has been proposed that the overall dehydrations are actually reductions followed by oxidations or vice versa mediated by these prosthetic groups. Whereas the gamma-hydrogen of 5-hydroxyvaleryl-CoA is activated by a transient two-election alpha, beta-oxidation, the other substrates are proposed to require either a transient one-electron reduction or an oxidation to a ketyl (radical anion).

Purification and characterization of a tRNA nucleotidyltransferase from Lupinus albus and functional complementation of a yeast mutation by corresponding cDNA

ATP (CTP):tRNA nucleotidyltransferase (EC 2.7.7.25) was purified to apparent homogeneity from a crude extract of Lupinus albus seeds. Purification was accomplished using a multistep protocol including ammonium sulfate fractionation and chromatography on anion-exchange, hydroxylapatite and affinity columns. The lupin enzyme exhibited a pH optimum and salt and ion requirements that were similar to those of tRNA nucleotidyltransferases from other sources. Oligonucleotides, based on partial amino acid sequence of the purified protein, were used to isolate the corresponding cDNA. The cDNA potentially encodes a protein of 560 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 64 164 Da in good agreement with the apparent molecular mass of the pure protein determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The size and predicted amino acid sequence of the lupin enzyme are more similar to the enzyme from yeast than from Escherichia coli with some blocks of amino acid sequence conserved among all three enzymes. Functionality of the lupin cDNA was shown by complementation of a temperature-sensitive mutation in the yeast tRNA nucleotidyltransferase gene. While the lupin cDNA compensated for the nucleocytoplasmic defect in the yeast mutant it did not enable the mutant strain to grow at the non-permissive temperature on a non-fermentable carbon source.

The energy conserving N5-methyltetrahydromethanopterin:coenzyme M methyltransferase complex from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum is composed of eight different subunits

N5-Methyltetrahydromethanopterin:coenzyme M methyltransferase (Mtr) from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum strain Marburg is a membrane-associated enzyme complex which catalyzes an energy-conserving, sodium-ion-translocating step in methanogenesis from H2 and CO2. We report here that the complex is composed of eight different subunits for which evidence was obtained at the protein, DNA and RNA levels: (a) SDS/PAGE of the purified complex revealed the presence of eight different polypeptides of apparent molecular masses of 34 (MtrH), 28 (MtrE), 24 (MtrC), 23 (MtrA), 21 (MtrD), 13 (MtrG), 12.5 (MtrB) and 12 kDa (MtrF). The N-terminal amino acid sequences of the 12-, 12.5- and 13-kDa polypeptides, which had previously not been accessible, were determined; (b) cloning and sequencing of the corresponding genes revealed the presence of the eight mtr genes organized in a 4.9-kbp gene cluster in the order mtrEDCBAFGH; (c) Northern-blot analysis revealed the presence of a 5-kbp transcript. DNA probes derived from the mtrE and mtrH genes hybridized to the transcript, indicating that the eight mtr genes are organized in a transcription unit. By primer extension, the 5' end of the mtrEDC-BAFGH mRNA was analyzed. The mtr operon was found to be located between the methyl-coenzyme M reductase I operon (mcr) and a downstream open reading frame predicted to encode a Na+/Ca2+, K+ exchanger.