Biomedical subjects

Gloria C Ferreira

Publications and source records attributed to Gloria C Ferreira.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Modulation of inhibition of ferrochelatase by N-methylprotoporphyrin.

Protoporhyrin IX ferrochelatase catalyses the terminal step of the haem-biosynthetic pathway by inserting ferrous iron into protoporphyrin IX. NMPP (N-methylprotoporphyrin), a transition-state analogue and potent inhibitor of ferrochelatase, is commonly used to induce haem deficiency in mammalian cell cultures. To create ferrochelatase variants with different extents of tolerance towards NMPP and to understand further the mechanism of ferrochelatase inhibition by NMPP, we isolated variants with increased NMPP resistance, bearing mutations in an active-site loop (murine ferrochelatase residues 248-257), which was previously shown to mediate a protein conformational change triggered by porphyrin binding. The kinetic mechanisms of inhibition of two variants, in which Pro255 was replaced with either arginine (P255R) or glycine (P255G), were investigated and compared with that of wild-type ferrochelatase. While the binding affinity of the P255X variants for NMPP decreased by one order of magnitude in relation to that of wild-type enzyme, the inhibition constant increased by approximately two orders of magnitude (K(i)(app) values of 1 microM and 2.3 microM for P255R and P255G respectively, as against 3 nM for wild-type ferrochelatase). Nonetheless, the drastically reduced inhibition of the variants by NMPP was not paralleled with a decrease in specificity constant (kcat/K(m, protoporhyrin IX)) and/or catalytic activity (kcat). Further, although NMPP binding to either wild-type ferrochelatase or P255R occurred via a similar two-step kinetic mechanism, the forward and reverse rate constants associated with the second and rate-limiting step were comparable for the two enzymes. Collectively, these results suggest that Pro255 has a crucial role in maintaining an appropriate protein conformation and modulating the selectivity and/or regiospecificity of ferrochelatase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2006

The first structure from the SOUL/HBP family of heme-binding proteins, murine P22HBP.

Murine p22HBP, a 22-kDa monomer originally identified as a cytosolic heme-binding protein ubiquitously expressed in various tissues, has 27% sequence identity to murine SOUL, a heme-binding hexamer specifically expressed in the retina. In contrast to murine SOUL, which binds one heme per subunit via coordination of the Fe(III)-heme to a histidine, murine p22HBP binds one heme molecule per subunit with no specific axial ligand coordination of the Fe(III)-heme. Using intrinsic protein fluorescence quenching, the values for the dissociation constants of p22HBP for hemin and protoporphyrin-IX were determined to be in the low nanomolar range. The three-dimensional structure of murine p22HBP, the first for a protein from the SOUL/HBP family, was determined by NMR methods to consist of a 9-stranded distorted beta-barrel flanked by two long alpha-helices. Although homologous domains have been found in three bacterial proteins, two of which are transcription factors, the fold determined for p22HBP corresponds to a novel alpha plus beta fold in a eukaryotic protein. Chemical shift mapping localized the tetrapyrrole binding site to a hydrophobic cleft formed by residues from helix alphaA and an extended loop. In an attempt to assess the structural basis for tetrapyrrole binding in the SOUL/HBP family, models for the p22HBP-protoporphyrin-IX complex and the SOUL protein were generated by manual docking and automated methods.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2006

The conserved active-site loop residues of ferrochelatase induce porphyrin conformational changes necessary for catalysis.

Binding of porphyrin to murine ferrochelatase, the terminal enzyme of the heme biosynthetic pathway, is investigated by employing a set of variants harboring mutations in a putative porphyrin-binding loop. Using resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopy, the structural properties of the ferrochelatase-bound porphyrins are examined, especially with respect to the porphyrin deformation occurring in the environment of the active site. This deformation is thought to be a key step in the enzymatic insertion of ferrous iron into the porphyrin ring to make heme. Our previous RR spectroscopic studies of binding of porphyrin to murine ferrochelatase led us to propose that the wild-type enzyme induces porphyrin distortion even in the absence of the metal ion substrate. Here, we broaden this view by presenting evidence that the degree of a specific nonplanar porphyrin deformation contributes to the catalytic efficiency of ferrochelatase and its variants. The results also suggest that the conserved Trp256 (murine ferrochelatase numbering) is partially responsible for the observed porphyrin deformation. Binding of porphyrin to the ferrochelatase variants causes a decrease in the intensity of RR out-of-plane vibrational mode gamma(15), a saddling-like mode that is strong in the wild-type enzyme. In particular, the variant with a catalytic efficiency 1 order of magnitude lower than that of the wild-type enzyme is estimated to produce less than 30% of the wild-type saddling deformation. These results suggest that specific conserved loop residues (especially Trp256) are directly involved in the saddling of the porphyrin substrate.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2006

Chelatases: distort to select?

Chelatases catalyze the insertion of a specific metal ion into porphyrins, a key step in the synthesis of metalated tetrapyrroles that are essential for many cellular processes. Despite apparent common structural features among chelatases, no general reaction mechanism accounting for metal ion specificity has been established. We propose that chelatase-induced distortion of the porphyrin substrate not only enhances the reaction rate by decreasing the activation energy of the reaction but also modulates which divalent metal ion is incorporated into the porphyrin ring. We evaluate the recently recognized interaction between ferrochelatase and frataxin as a way to regulate iron delivery to ferrochelatase, and thus iron and heme metabolism. We postulate that the ferrochelatase-frataxin interaction controls the type of metal ion that is delivered to ferrochelatase.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Mitochondrial iron detoxification is a primary function of frataxin that limits oxidative damage and preserves cell longevity.

Friedreich ataxia is a severe autosomal-recessive disease characterized by neurodegeneration, cardiomyopathy and diabetes, resulting from reduced synthesis of the mitochondrial protein frataxin. Although frataxin is ubiquitously expressed, frataxin deficiency leads to a selective loss of dorsal root ganglia neurons, cardiomyocytes and pancreatic beta cells. How frataxin normally promotes survival of these particular cells is the subject of intense debate. The predominant view is that frataxin sustains mitochondrial energy production and other cellular functions by providing iron for heme synthesis and iron-sulfur cluster (ISC) assembly and repair. We have proposed that frataxin not only promotes the biogenesis of iron-containing enzymes, but also detoxifies surplus iron thereby affording a critical anti-oxidant mechanism. These two functions have been difficult to tease apart, however, and the physiologic role of iron detoxification by frataxin has not yet been demonstrated in vivo. Here, we describe mutations that specifically impair the ferroxidation or mineralization activity of yeast frataxin, which are necessary for iron detoxification but do not affect the iron chaperone function of the protein. These mutations increase the sensitivity of yeast cells to oxidative stress, shortening chronological life span and precluding survival in the absence of the anti-oxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase. Thus, the role of frataxin is not limited to promoting ISC assembly or heme synthesis. Iron detoxification is another function of frataxin relevant to anti-oxidant defense and cell longevity that could play a critical role in the metabolically demanding environment of non-dividing neuronal, cardiac and pancreatic beta cells.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed2005

Metallation of the transition-state inhibitor N-methyl mesoporphyrin by ferrochelatase: implications for the catalytic reaction mechanism.

Insertion of metals into various tetrapyrroles is catalysed by a group of enzymes called chelatases, e.g. nickel, cobalt, magnesium and ferro-chelatase. It has been proposed that catalytic metallation includes distorting the porphyrin substrate by the enzyme towards a transition state-like geometry in which at least one of the pyrrole rings will be available for metal chelation. Here, we present a study of metal insertion into the transition-state inhibitor of protoporphyrin IX ferrochelatase, N-methyl mesoporphyrin (N-MeMP), by time-resolved crystallography and mass spectrometry with and without the presence of ferrochelatase. The results show that metallation of N-MeMP has a very limited effect on the conformation of the residues that participate in porphyrin and metal binding. These findings support theoretical data, which indicate that product release is controlled largely by the strain created by metal insertion into the distorted porphyrin. The results suggest that, similar to non-catalytic metallation of N-MeMP, the ferrochelatase-assisted metallation depends on the ligand exchange rate for the respective metal. Moreover, ferrochelatase catalyses insertion of Cu(II) and Zn(II) into N-MeMP with a rate that is about 20 times faster than non-enzymatic metallation in solution, suggesting that the catalytic strategy of ferrochelatase includes a stage of acceleration of the rate of ligand exchange for the metal substrate. The greater efficiency of N-MeMP metallation by Cu(II), as compared to Zn(II), contrasts with the K(m) values for Zn(II) (17 microM) and Cu(II) (170 microM) obtained for metallation of protoporphyrin IX. We suggest that this difference in metal specificity depends on the type of distortion imposed by the enzyme on protoporphyrin IX, which is different from the intrinsic non-planar distortion of N-MeMP. A mechanism of control of metal specificity by porphyrin distortion may be general for different chelatases, and may have common features with the mechanism of metal specificity in crown ethers.

Bacillus subtilis↗

PubMed2005

Supraphysiological concentrations of 5-aminolevulinic acid dimerize in solution to produce superoxide radical anions via a protonated dihydropyrazine intermediate.

5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is the committed biological precursor to porphyrins. At supraphysiological concentrations ALA can dimerize to form 3,6-dihydropyrazine-2,5-dipropanoic acid (DHPY), which transfers electrons to XTT in a reaction that does not require metal ions and is specifically inhibited by superoxide dismutase. The formation of DHPY from ALA follows dimerization kinetics with a pK of 7.8+/-0.1. At pH 11.2, DHPY is relatively stable, but when the pH is dropped to 6.0 rapid conversion to 2,5-(beta-carboxyethyl)pyrazine occurs via an intermediate with an absorption maximum of 370 nm. Formation of this intermediate is pH-dependent with a pK of 6.0+/-0.1. These data indicate that ALA dimerizes to produce superoxide from a protonated form of DHPY. The significance of these results with respect to the concentrations of ALA used in photodynamic therapy, and the increased incidence of liver cancer in acute intermittent porphyria, is discussed.

Aminolevulinic Acid↗

PubMed2005

Porphyrin-substrate binding to murine ferrochelatase: effect on the thermal stability of the enzyme.

Ferrochelatase (EC 4.99.1.1), the terminal enzyme of the haem biosynthetic pathway, catalyses the chelation of Fe(II) into the protoporphyrin IX ring. The energetics of the binding between murine ferrochelatase and mesoporphyrin were determined using isothermal titration calorimetry, which revealed a stoichiometry of one molecule of mesoporphyrin bound per protein monomer. The binding is strongly exothermic, with a large intrinsic enthalpy (DeltaH=-97.1 kJ x mol(-1)), and is associated with the uptake of two protons from the buffer. This proton transfer suggests that hydrogen bonding between ferrochelatase and mesoporphyrin is a key factor in the thermodynamics of the binding reaction. Differential scanning calorimetry thermograms indicated a co-operative two-state denaturation process with a single transition temperature of 56 degrees C for wild-type murine ferrochelatase. An increase in the thermal stability of ferrochelatase is dependent upon mesoporphyrin binding. Similarly, murine ferrochelatase variants, in which the active site Glu-289 was replaced by either glutamine or alanine and, when purified, contained specifically-bound protoporphyrin, exhibited enhanced protein stability when compared with wild-type ferrochelatase. However, in contrast with the wild-type enzyme, the thermal denaturation of ferrochelatase variants was best described as a non-co-operative denaturation process.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Assembly of human frataxin is a mechanism for detoxifying redox-active iron.

Mitochondrial function depends on a continuous supply of iron to the iron-sulfur cluster (ISC) and heme biosynthetic pathways as well as on the ability to prevent iron-catalyzed oxidative damage. The mitochondrial protein frataxin plays a key role in these processes by a novel mechanism that remains to be fully elucidated. Recombinant yeast and human frataxin are able to self-associate in large molecular assemblies that bind and store iron as a ferrihydrite mineral. Moreover, either single monomers or polymers of human frataxin have been shown to serve as donors of Fe(II) to ISC scaffold proteins, oxidatively inactivated [3Fe-4S](+) aconitase, and ferrochelatase. These results suggest that frataxin can use different molecular forms to accomplish its functions. Here, stable monomeric and assembled forms of human frataxin purified from Escherichia coli have provided a tool for testing this hypothesis at the biochemical level. We show that human frataxin can enhance the availability of Fe(II) in monomeric or assembled form. However, the monomer is unable to prevent iron-catalyzed radical reactions and the formation of insoluble ferric iron oxides. In contrast, the assembled protein has ferroxidase activity and detoxifies redox-active iron by sequestering it in a protein-protected compartment.

Biological Availability↗

PubMed2005

Conversion of 5-aminolevulinate synthase into a more active enzyme by linking the two subunits: spectroscopic and kinetic properties.

The two active sites of dimeric 5-aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS), a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme, are located on the subunit interface with contribution of essential amino acids from each subunit. Linking the two subunits into a single polypeptide chain dimer (2XALAS) yielded an enzyme with an approximate sevenfold greater turnover number than that of wild-type ALAS. Spectroscopic and kinetic properties of 2XALAS were investigated to explore the differences in the coenzyme structure and kinetic mechanism relative to those of wild-type ALAS that confer a more active enzyme. The absorption spectra of both ALAS and 2XALAS had maxima at 410 and 330 nm, with a greater A(410)/A(330) ratio at pH approximately 7.5 for 2XALAS. The 330 nm absorption band showed an intense fluorescence at 385 nm but not at 510 nm, indicating that the 330 nm absorption species is the substituted aldamine rather than the enolimine form of the Schiff base. The 385 nm emission intensity increased with increasing pH with a single pK of approximately 8.5 for both enzymes, and thus the 410 and 330 nm absorption species were attributed to the ketoenamine and substituted aldamine, respectively. Transient kinetic analysis of the formation and decay of the quinonoid intermediate EQ(2) indicated that, although their rates were similar in ALAS and 2XALAS, accumulation of this intermediate was greater in the 2XALAS-catalyzed reaction. Collectively, these results suggest that ketoenamine is the active form of the coenzyme and forms a more prominent coenzyme structure in 2XALAS than in ALAS at pH approximately 7.5.

5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase↗

PubMed2004

Probing the active site loop motif of murine ferrochelatase by random mutagenesis.

Ferrochelatase catalyzes the terminal step of the heme biosynthetic pathway by inserting ferrous iron into protoporphyrin IX. A conserved loop motif was shown to form part of the active site and contact the bound porphyrin by molecular dynamics calculations and structural analysis. We applied a random mutagenesis approach and steady-state kinetic analysis to assess the role of the loop motif in murine ferrochelatase function, particularly with respect to porphyrin interaction. Functional substitutions in the 10 consecutive loop positions Gln(248)-Leu(257) were identified by genetic complementation in Escherichia coli strain Deltavis. Lys(250), Val(251), Pro(253), Val(254), and Pro(255) tolerated a variety of replacements including single substitutions and contained low informational content. Gln(248), Ser(249), Gly(252), Trp(256), and Leu(257) possessed high informational content, since permissible replacements were limited and only observed in multiply substituted mutants. Selected active loop variants exhibited k(cat) values comparable with or higher than that of wild-type murine ferrochelatase. The K(m) values for porphyrin increased, except for the single mutant V251L. Other than a moderate increase observed in the triple mutant S249A/K250Q/V251C, the K(m) values for Fe(2+) were lowered. The k(cat)/K(m) for porphyrin remained largely unchanged, with the exception of a 10-fold reduction in the triple mutant K250M/V251L/W256Y. The k(cat)/K(m) for Fe(2+) was improved. Molecular modeling of these active loop variants indicated that loop mutations resulted in alterations of the active site architecture. However, despite the plasticity of the loop primary structure, the relative spatial positioning of the loop in the active site appeared to be maintained in functional variants, supporting a role for the loop in ferrochelatase function.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

PubMed2003

A continuous anaerobic fluorimetric assay for ferrochelatase by monitoring porphyrin disappearance.

A continuous spectrofluorimetric assay for determining ferrochelatase activity has been developed using the physiological substrates ferrous iron and protoporphyrin IX under strictly anaerobic conditions. In contrast to heme, the product of the ferrochelatase-catalyzed reaction, protoporphyrin IX is fluorescent, and therefore the progress of the reaction can be monitored by following the decrease in protoporphyrin fluorescence intensity (with excitation and emission wavelengths at 505 and 635 nm, respectively). This continuous fluorimetric assay detects activities as low as 0.01 nmol porphyrin consumed min(-1), representing an increase in sensitivity of up to two orders of magnitude over the currently used, discontinuous assays. The determination of the steady-state kinetic parameters of ferrochelatase yielded K(m)(PPIX)=1.4+/-0.2 microM, K(m)(Fe(2+))=1.9+/-0.3 microM, and k(cat)=4.0+/-0.3 min(-1). In addition to its applicability for acquisition of kinetic data to characterize ferrochelatase and recombinant variants, this new method should permit detection of low concentrations of ferrochelatase in biological samples.

Anaerobiosis↗

PubMed2003

Circular permutation of 5-aminolevulinate synthase: effect on folding, conformational stability, and structure.

The first and regulatory step of heme biosynthesis in mammals begins with the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent condensation reaction catalyzed by 5-aminolevulinate synthase. The enzyme functions as a homodimer with the two active sites at the dimer interface. Previous studies demonstrated that circular permutation of 5-aminolevulinate synthase does not prevent folding of the polypeptide chain into a structure amenable to binding of the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate cofactor and assembly of the two subunits into a functional enzyme. However, while maintaining a wild type-like three-dimensional structure, active, circularly permuted 5-aminolevulinate synthase variants possess different topologies. To assess whether the aminolevulinate synthase overall structure can be reached through alternative or multiple folding pathways, we investigated the guanidine hydrochloride-induced unfolding, conformational stability, and structure of active, circularly permuted variants in relation to those of the wild type enzyme using fluorescence, circular dichroism, activity, and size exclusion chromatography. Aminolevulinate synthase and circularly permuted variants folded reversibly; the equilibrium unfolding/refolding profiles were biphasic and, in all but one case, protein concentration-independent, indicating a unimolecular process with the presence of at least one stable intermediate. The formation of this intermediate was preceded by the disruption of the dimeric interface or dissociation of the dimer without significant change in the secondary structural content of the subunits. In contrast to the similar stabilities associated with the dimeric interface, the energy for the unfolding of the intermediate as well as the overall conformational stabilities varied among aminolevulinate synthase and variants. The unfolding of one functional permuted variant was protein concentration-dependent and had a potentially different folding mechanism. We propose that the order of the ALAS secondary structure elements does not determine the ability of the polypeptide chain to fold but does affect its folding mechanism.

5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase↗

PubMed2003

Yeast frataxin sequentially chaperones and stores iron by coupling protein assembly with iron oxidation.

We have investigated the mechanism of frataxin, a conserved mitochondrial protein involved in iron metabolism and neurodegenerative disease. Previous studies revealed that the yeast frataxin homologue (mYfh1p) is activated by Fe(II) in the presence of O2 and assembles stepwise into a 48-subunit multimer (alpha48) that sequesters >2000 atoms of iron in 2-4-nm cores structurally similar to ferritin iron cores. Here we show that mYfh1p assembly is driven by two sequential iron oxidation reactions: A ferroxidase reaction catalyzed by mYfh1p induces the first assembly step (alpha --> alpha3), followed by a slower autoxidation reaction that promotes the assembly of higher order oligomers yielding alpha48. Depending on the ionic environment, stepwise assembly is associated with accumulation of 50-75 Fe(II)/subunit. Initially, this Fe(II) is loosely bound to mYfh1p and can be readily mobilized by chelators or made available to the mitochondrial enzyme ferrochelatase to synthesize heme. Transfer of mYfh1p-bound Fe(II) to ferrochelatase occurs in the presence of citrate, a physiologic ferrous iron chelator, suggesting that the transfer involves an intermolecular interaction. If mYfh1p-bound Fe(II) is not transferred to a ligand, iron oxidation, and mineralization proceed to completion, Fe(III) becomes progressively less accessible, and a stable iron-protein complex is formed. Iron oxidation-driven stepwise assembly is a novel mechanism by which yeast frataxin can function as an iron chaperone or an iron store.

Catalysis↗

PubMed2002

Hypoxic up-regulation of erythroid 5-aminolevulinate synthase.

The erythroid-specific isoform of 5-aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS2) catalyzes the rate-limiting step in heme biosynthesis. The hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) transcriptionally up-regulates erythropoietin, transferrin, and transferrin receptor, leading to increased erythropoiesis and hematopoietic iron supply. To test the hypothesis that ALAS2 expression might be regulated by a similar mechanism, we exposed murine erythroleukemia cells to hypoxia (1% O(2)) and found an up to 3-fold up-regulation of ALAS2 mRNA levels and an increase in cellular heme content. A fragment of the ALAS2 promoter ranging from -716 to +1 conveyed hypoxia responsiveness to a heterologous luciferase reporter gene construct in transiently transfected HeLa cells. In contrast, iron depletion, known to induce HIF-1 activity but inhibit ALAS2 translation, did not increase ALAS2 promoter activity. Mutation of a previously predicted HIF-1-binding site (-323/-318) within this promoter fragment and DNA-binding assays revealed that hypoxic up-regulation is independent of this putative HIF-1 DNA-binding site.

5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase↗

PubMed2002

Transient state kinetic investigation of 5-aminolevulinate synthase reaction mechanism.

5-Aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS), a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent enzyme, catalyzes the first, and regulatory, step of the heme biosynthetic pathway in nonplant eukaryotes and some bacteria. 5-Aminolevulinate synthase is a dimeric protein having an ordered kinetic mechanism with glycine binding before succinyl-CoA and with aminolevulinate release after CoA and carbon dioxide. Rapid scanning stopped-flow absorption spectrophotometry in conjunction with multiple turnover chemical quenched-flow kinetic analyses and a newly developed CoA detection method were used to examine the ALAS catalytic reaction and identify the rate-determining step. The reaction of glycine with ALAS follows a three-step kinetic process, ascribed to the formation of the Michaelis complex and the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-glycine aldimine, followed by the abstraction of the glycine pro-R proton from the external aldimine. Significantly, the rate associated with this third step (k(3) = 0.002 s(-1)) is consistent with the rate determined for the ALAS-catalyzed removal of tritium from [2-(3)H(2)]glycine. Succinyl-CoA and acetoacetyl-CoA increased the rate of glycine proton removal approximately 250,000- and 10-fold, respectively, supporting our previous proposal that the physiological substrate, succinyl-CoA, promotes a protein conformational change, which accelerates the conversion of the external aldimine into the initial quinonoid intermediate (Hunter, G. A., and Ferreira, G. C. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 12222-12228). Rapid scanning stopped-flow and quenched-flow kinetic analyses of the ALAS reaction under single turnover conditions lend evidence for two quinonoid reaction intermediates and a model of the ALAS kinetic mechanism in which product release is at least the partially rate-limiting step. Finally, the carbonyl and carboxylate groups of 5-aminolevulinate play a major protein-interacting role by inducing a conformational change in ALAS and, thus, possibly modulating product release.

5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase↗

PubMed2002

Binding of protoporphyrin IX and metal derivatives to the active site of wild-type mouse ferrochelatase at low porphyrin-to-protein ratios.

Resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopy is used to examine porphyrin substrate, product, and inhibitor interactions with the active site of murine ferrochelatase (EC 4.99.1.1), the terminal enzyme in the biosynthesis of heme. The enzyme catalyzes in vivo Fe(2+) chelation into protoporphyrin IX to give heme. The RR spectra of native ferrochelatase show that the protein, as isolated, contains varying amounts of endogenously bound high- or low-spin ferric heme, always at much less than 1 equiv. RR data on the binding of free-base protoporphyrin IX and its metalated complexes (Fe(III), Fe(II), and Ni(II)) to active wild-type protein were obtained at varying ratios of porphyrin to protein. The binding of ferric heme, a known inhibitor of the enzyme, leads to the formation of a low-spin six-coordinate adduct. Ferrous heme, the enzyme's natural product, binds in the ferrous high-spin five-coordinate state. Ni(II) protoporphyrin, a metalloporphyrin that has a low tendency toward axial ligation, becomes distorted when bound to ferrochelatase. Similarly for free-base protoporphyrin, the natural substrate of ferrochelatase, the RR spectra of porphyrin-protein complexes reveal a saddling distortion of the porphyrin. These results corroborate and extend our previous findings that porphyrin distortion, a crucial step of the catalytic mechanism, occurs even in the absence of bound metal substrate. Moreover, RR data reveal the presence of an amino acid residue in the active site of ferrochelatase which is capable of specific axial ligation to metals.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Unraveling the substrate-metal binding site of ferrochelatase: an X-ray absorption spectroscopic study.

Ferrochelatase (EC 4.99.1.1), the terminal enzyme of the heme biosynthetic pathway, catalyzes the insertion of ferrous iron into the protoporphyrin IX ring. Ferrochelatases can be arbitrarily divided into two broad categories: those with and those without a [2Fe-2S] center. In this work we have used X-ray absorption spectroscopy to investigate the metal ion binding sites of murine and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) ferrochelatases, which are representatives of the former and latter categories, respectively. Co(2+) and Zn(2+) complexes of both enzymes were studied, but the Fe(2+) complex was only studied for yeast ferrochelatase because the [2Fe-2S] center of the murine enzyme interferes with the analysis. Co(2+) and Zn(2+) binding to site-directed mutants of the murine enzyme were also studied, in which the highly conserved and potentially metal-coordinating residues H207 and Y220 were substituted by residues that should not coordinate metal (i.e., H207N, H207A, and Y220F). Our experiments indicate four-coordinate zinc with Zn(N/O)(3)(S/Cl)(1) coordination for the yeast and Zn(N/O)(2)(S/Cl)(2) coordination for the wild-type murine enzyme. In contrast to zinc, a six-coordinate site for Co(2+) coordinated with oxygen or nitrogen was present in both the yeast and murine (wild-type and mutated) enzymes, with evidence of two histidine ligands in both. Like Co(2+), Fe(2+) bound to yeast ferrochelatase was coordinated by approximately six oxygen or nitrogen ligands, again with evidence of two histidine ligands. For the murine enzyme, mutation of both H207 and Y220 significantly changed the spectra, indicating a likely role for these residues in metal ion substrate binding. This is in marked disagreement with the conclusions from X-ray crystallographic studies of the human enzyme, and possible reasons for this are discussed.

Amino Acid Substitution↗