In Vivo Titration of Folate Pathway Enzymes

Enzyme dynamics: Looking beyond a single structure

Conventional understanding of how enzymes function strongly emphasizes the role of structure. However, increasing evidence clearly indicates that enzymes do not remain fixed or operate exclusively in or close to their native structure. Different parts of the enzyme (from individual residues to full domains) undergo concerted motions on a wide range of time-scales, including that of the catalyzed reaction. Information obtained on these internal motions and conformational fluctuations has so far uncovered and explained many aspects of enzyme mechanisms, which could not have been understood from a single structure alone. Although there is wide interest in understanding enzyme dynamics and its role in catalysis, several challenges remain. In addition to technical difficulties, the vast majority of investigations are performed in dilute aqueous solutions, where conditions are significantly different than the cellular milieu where a large number of enzymes operate. In this review, we discuss recent developments, several challenges as well as opportunities related to this topic. The benefits of considering dynamics as an integral part of the enzyme function can also enable new means of biocatalysis, engineering enzymes for industrial and medicinal applications.

Effects of Osmolytes on Ligand Binding to Dihydropteroate Synthase from Bacillus anthracis

Osmolyte interactions with ligands can affect their affinity for proteins and are dependent upon the cosolute and the functional groups of the ligand. Here, we explored ligand binding to Bacillus anthracis dihydropteroate synthase (BaDHPS) under osmotic stress conditions. Osmolyte effects were specific to the cosolute and ligand, suggesting interaction of the osmolytes with the free ligands in solution. The association rates of pterin pyrophosphate were mostly unaffected by the osmolytes, except for a 2-fold decrease in the presence of 1 M trehalose, while the dissociation rates decreased in most osmolyte solutions. The viscosity and dielectric constant of the solution did not correlate with the effects of the osmolytes. Experimental results were compared with predicted preferential interaction coefficients (Δμ₂₃/RT) between the osmolytes and ligands. The Δμ₂₃/RT were able to predict the experimental data for most of the osmolytes. Trehalose and proline effects did not correlate with the predicted values, indicating that these two osmolytes may affect binding in more complex ways than simple preferential interactions. Additionally, osmolytes weakly interacted with the sulfa drug sulfathiazole, which altered its affinity for BaDHPS, suggesting that these types of weak interactions can also impact drug binding. As osmolytes affect ligands binding to two different folate cycle enzymes (DHFRs and DHPS), we predicted how ligand binding to other folate cycle enzymes will be altered by the presence of osmolytes.