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G A Petsko

Publications and source records attributed to G A Petsko.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Anatomy of a conformational change: hinged "lid" motion of the triosephosphate isomerase loop.

Triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) is used as a model system for the study of how a localized conformational change in a protein structure is produced and related to enzyme reactivity. An 11-residue loop region moves more than 7 angstroms and closes over the active site when substrate binds. The loop acts like a "lid" in that it moves rigidly and is attached by two hinges to the remainder of the protein. The nature of the motion appears to be built into the loop by conserved residues; the hinge regions, in contrast, are not conserved. Results of molecular dynamics calculations confirm the structural analysis and suggest a possible ligand-induced mechanism for loop closure.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Photolysis and deacylation of inhibited chymotrypsin.

Inhibited chymotrypsin was reactivated through the photolysis of the covalently bound light-reversible cinnamates described in our previous paper [Stoddard, B.L., Bruhnke, J., Porter, N.A., Ringe, D., & Petsko, G. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 4871-4879]. The light-induced deacylation was accomplished both in solution and in protein crystals, with the release of inhibitor from the crystal monitored and confirmed by X-ray diffraction. The product of photolysis has been characterized as a 3-methylcoumarin, leading to a mechanism for light-driven deacylation of an internal lactonization that is dependent on the presence of an internal hydroxyl nucleophile. The acyl enzyme formed from cinnamate A is not suitable for photochemical studies, as the complex has a short half-life in solution and does not have a chromophore that is well separated from protein absorbance. Cinnamate B, with a p-diethylamino substituent, shows an enzyme deacylation rate enhancement of 10(9) for the cis photoisomer relative to the trans starting material. The half-life and deacylation rate of this compound in the E-I complex after photon absorption have been directly measured by subsecond UV absorption studies. X-ray diffraction studies of photoactivation using a flow cell show that the cinnamate B acyl enzyme complex is fully capable of light-induced isomerization and regeneration of native enzyme in the crystalline state. The E-I complex formed upon binding of cinnamate A, however, shows little if any effect from irradiation due to competitive absorbance by the highly concentrated protein at the shorter UV wavelengths. Photolysis of cinnamate B appears to occur on a time scale fast enough for applications in crystallographic studies of enzymatic intermediate-state structures.

Chymotrypsin↗

Structure of yeast triosephosphate isomerase at 1.9-A resolution.

The structure of yeast triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) has been solved at 3.0-A resolution and refined at 1.9-A resolution to an R factor of 21.0%. The final model consists of all non-hydrogen atoms in the polypeptide chain and 119 water molecules, a number of which are found in the interior of the protein. The structure of the active site clearly indicates that the carboxylate of the catalytic base, Glu 165, is involved in a hydrogen-bonding interaction with the hydroxyl of Ser 96. In addition, the interactions of the other active site residues, Lys 12 and His 95, are also discussed. For the first time in any TIM structure, the "flexible loop" has well-defined density; the conformation of the loop in this structure is stabilized by a crystal contact. Analysis of the subunit interface of this dimeric enzyme hints at the source of the specificity of one subunit for another and allows us to estimate an association constant of 10(14)-10(16) M-1 for the two monomers. The analysis also suggests that the interface may be a particularly good target for drug design. The conserved positions (20%) among sequences from 13 sources ranging on the evolutionary scale from Escherichia coli to humans reveal the intense pressure to maintain the active site structure.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Crystallographic analysis of the complex between triosephosphate isomerase and 2-phosphoglycolate at 2.5-A resolution: implications for catalysis.

The binding of the transition-state analogue 2-phosphoglycolate to triosephosphate isomerase from yeast has been investigated crystallographically. An atomic model of the enzyme-inhibitor complex has been refined against data to 2.5-A resolution to a final R factor of 0.18. The interactions between the inhibitor and enzyme have been analyzed. The inhibitor forms hydrogen bonds to the side chains of His 95 and Glu 165. The latter hydrogen bond confirms that Glu 165 is protonated upon PGA binding. The structure of the complexed enzyme has been compared to that of the unbound form of the enzyme, and conformational changes have been observed: the side chain of Glu 165 moves over 2 A and a 10-residue flexible loop moves over 7 A to close over the active site. Spectroscopic results of phosphoglycolic acid binding to triosephosphate isomerase that have been amassed over the years are also explained in structural terms. The implications for catalysis are noted.

Binding Sites↗

Time-resolved X-ray crystallographic study of the conformational change in Ha-Ras p21 protein on GTP hydrolysis.

Crystals of Ha-Ras p21 with caged GTP at the active site have been used to investigate the conformational changes of p21 on GTP hydrolysis. The structure of the short-lived p21.GTP complex was determined by Laue diffraction methods. After GTP hydrolysis, substantial structural changes occur in the parts of the molecule implicated in the interaction with GTPase-activating protein. The trigger for this process seems to be a change in coordination of the active-site Mg2+ ion as a result of loss of the gamma-phosphate of GTP.

Binding Sites↗

Structure and activity of two photoreversible cinnamates bound to chymotrypsin.

The serine protease gamma-chymotrypsin was covalently inhibited with two different photoreversible cinnamate compounds, and the structures of the resulting complexes were determined to 1.9-A resolution. The inhibitors show different kinetics of binding, inhibition, and nonphotochemical deacylation relative to each other in solution activity assays. The crystal structures of the enzyme-cinnamate complexes show that both compounds acylate serine 195 and that the two molecules are bound in similar nonproductive conformations which have drastic effects on their ability to turn over. Substitution of a diethylamino group on the para position of the cinnamate ring causes a 1000-fold increase in the thermal stability of the inhibitor toward hydrolysis and deacylation.

Binding Sites↗

Refined crystal structure of the triphosphate conformation of H-ras p21 at 1.35 A resolution: implications for the mechanism of GTP hydrolysis.

The crystal structure of the H-ras oncogene protein p21 complexed to the slowly hydrolysing GTP analogue GppNp has been determined at 1.35 A resolution. 211 water molecules have been built into the electron density. The structure has been refined to a final R-factor of 19.8% for all data between 6 A and 1.35 A. The binding sites of the nucleotide and the magnesium ion are revealed in high detail. For the stretch of amino acid residues 61-65, the temperature factors of backbone atoms are four times the average value of 16.1 A2 due to the multiple conformations. In one of these conformations, the side chain of Gln61 makes contact with a water molecule, which is perfectly placed to be the nucleophile attacking the gamma-phosphate of GTP. Based on this observation, we propose a mechanism for GTP hydrolysis involving mainly Gln61 and Glu63 as activating species for in-line attack of water. Nucleophilic displacement is facilitated by hydrogen bonds from residues Thr35, Gly60 and Lys16. A mechanism for rate enhancement by GAP is also proposed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The evolution of alpha/beta barrel enzymes.

Of the enzymes whose structure is known, roughly one out of ten has an eight-stranded alpha/beta barrel domain. Structural and chemical evidence suggests that all of these domains may have diverged from a common ancestor.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Crystal structure of the antigen-binding fragment of the murine anti-arsonate monoclonal antibody 36-71 at 2.9-A resolution.

The structure of the antigen-binding fragment (Fab) of an anti-phenylarsonate monoclonal antibody (36-71) bearing a major crossreacting idiotype of A/J mice has been solved and refined to an R factor of 19.3% at a resolution of 2.9 A. An initial electron density map was obtained with phase information from a total of six isomorphous heavy-atom derivatives (from two different compounds) and a molecular replacement solution using the HED10 Fab crystal structure as a model. The structure of the McPC603 Fab was used to provide an initial set of atomic coordinates. The electron density maps are clear and easily interpretable for the entire sequence except for sections from two of the heavy-chain complementarity-determining regions totaling 21 residues. These residues have been left out of the refinement and are not represented in our current model. The antigen-combining site was located by means of a difference Fourier synthesis with one of the heavy-atom derivatives, which contained arsanilic acid. It lies in a small pocket formed by residues from the hypervariable regions of both the heavy and the light chains. Interactions with the hapten from framework residues are also possible.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The structure of iron superoxide dismutase from Pseudomonas ovalis complexed with the inhibitor azide.

The 2.9 A resolution structure of iron superoxide dismutase (FeSOD) (EC 1.15.1.1) from Pseudomonas ovalis complexed with the inhibitor azide was solved. Comparison of this structure with free enzyme shows that the inhibitor is bound at the open coordination position of the iron, with a bond length of 2.0 A. The metal moves by 0.4 A into the trigonal plane to produce an orthogonal geometry at the iron. Binding of the inhibitor also causes a movement of the axial ligand (histidine 26) away from the metal, a lengthening of the iron-histidine bond, and a rotation of the histidine 74 ring. The inhibitor possesses contacts in the binding pocket with a pair of conserved tryptophan residues and with the side chains of tyrosine 34 and glutamine 70. This glutamine is conserved between all FeSODs, but is absent in MnSOD. Comparisons with MnSOD show that a different glutamine which possesses the same interactions in the active site as Gln70 in FeSOD is conserved at position 154 in the overall SOD sequence, implying that while manganese and FeSODs are structural homologues in a global sense, their functional and evolutionary relationship is that of second-site mutation revertants.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Restructuring catalysis in the mandelate pathway.

Mandelate racemase (MR) is the first enzyme in the bacterial pathway that converts mandelic acid to benzoic acid. The mandelate pathway can utilize either enantiomer of mandelate because this enzyme interconverts them. We have solved the structure of MR at 2.5 A resolution. The enzyme is almost identical in conformation to another bacterial enzyme, muconate lactonizing enzyme (MLE). Both enzymes are TIM-barrel proteins. This result has profound implications for the evolution of enzymic function and the origin of metabolic pathways. It also implies that it should be possible to transform one enzyme into the other by site-directed mutagenesis.

Catalysis↗

Effects of D-serine on bacterial D-amino acid transaminase: accumulation of an intermediate and inactivation of the enzyme.

Incubation of pure bacterial D-amino acid transaminase with D-serine or erythro-beta-hydroxy-DL-aspartic acid, which are relatively poor substrates, leads to generation of a new absorbance band at 493 nm that is probably the quinonoid intermediate. The 420-nm absorbance band (due to the pyridoxal phosphate coenzyme) decreases, and the 338-nm absorbance band (due to the pyridoxamine phosphate or some other form of the coenzyme) increases. A negative Cotton effect at 493 nm in the circular dichroism spectra is also generated. Closely related D amino acids do not lead to generation of this new absorption band, which has a half-life of the order of several hours. Treatment of the enzyme with the good substrate D-alanine leads to a small but detectable amount of the same absorbance band. D-Serine but not erythro-beta-hydroxyaspartate leads to inactivation of D-amino acid transaminase, and D-alanine affords partial protection. The results indicate that D-serine is a unique type of inhibitor in which the initial steps of the half-reaction of transamination are so slow that a quinonoid intermediate with a 493-nm absorption band accumulates. A derivative formed from this intermediate inactivates the enzyme.

Circular Dichroism↗

Crystallographic studies of the mechanism of xylose isomerase.

The mechanism of xylose isomerase (EC 5.3.1.5) has been studied with X-ray crystallography. Four refined crystal structures are reported at 3-A resolution: native enzyme, enzyme + glucose, enzyme + glucose + Mg2+, and enzyme + glucose + Mn2+. One of these structures (E.G.Mg) was determined in a crystal mounted in a flow cell. The other structures were equilibrium experiments carried out by soaking crystals in substrate containing solution. These structures and other studies suggest that, contrary to expectation, xylose isomerase may not use the generally expected base-catalyzed enolization mechanism. A mechanism involving a hydride shift is consistent with the structures presented here and warrants further investigation. Additional evidence in support of a hydride shift comes from comparing xylose isomerase with triosephosphate isomerase which is known to catalyze an analogous reaction via an enediol intermediate. Evidence is presented that suggests that aldose-ketose isomerases can be divided into two groups. Phospho sugar isomerases generally do not require a metal ion for activity and show exchange of substrate protons with solvent. In contrast, simple sugar isomerases all require a metal ion and show very low solvent exchange. These observations are rationalized on the basis of the need for stereospecific sugar binding.

Aldose-Ketose Isomerases↗

Characterization of crystals of xylose isomerase from Streptomyces violaceoniger.

Crystals of the tetrameric xylose isomerase from Streptomyces violaceoniger have been examined by x-ray analysis. Octahedral crystals with a maximum dimension of 0.7 mm were grown from ammonium sulfate solution. They possess the symmetry of P4(1)2(1)2 or P4(3)2(1)2 space groups, which are crystallographically indistinguishable. The unit cell dimensions are a = b = 140 A and c = 134 A. There is one tetramer of molecular weight 160,000 per asymmetric unit. The crystals diffract to 2.2 A.

Aldose-Ketose Isomerases↗

A structure of sperm whale myoglobin at a nitrogen gas pressure of 145 atmospheres.

A structure of sperm whale metmyoglobin under a nitrogen gas pressure of 145 atm (2200 psi) has been solved by X-ray diffraction using data to 2.0-A resolution. The perturbation of the gas pressure on the overall structure of the protein is minimal with a root mean square deviation of backbone atoms between the pressurized and unpressurized structures of 0.22 A. Additional electron density is observed, however, in two cavities of the protein molecule. The density is interpreted as a nitrogen molecule bound in the proximal cavity and as a water molecule hydrogen bonded in a separate cavity (cavity 3). In addition, alternate conformations are observed for three internal residues (Leu-135, Phe-138, and Ile-142) that border these cavities. These alternate conformations are not observed in atmospheric pressure structures and are presumed due to the effects of pressure and/or gas binding. The appearance of these alternate conformations implies a repacking of the protein interior and produces a new distribution of cavity spaces. The profile of the Debye-Waller factors for the pressurized structure is similar to that for the room pressure except for a small increase in the distal region (residues 61-69) of the protein.

Animals↗