Substitution of both histidines in the active site of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase 1 exposes underlying pH dependencies.

Histidine residues 44 and 48 in yeast alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) bind to the coenzymes NAD(H) and contribute to catalysis. The individual H44R and H48Q substitutions alter the kinetics and pH dependencies, and now the roles of other ionizable groups in the enzyme were studied in the doubly substituted H44R/H48Q ADH. The substitutions make the enzyme more resistant to inactivation by diethyl pyrocarbonate, modestly improve affinity for coenzymes, and substantially decrease catalytic efficiencies for ethanol oxidation and acetaldehyde reduction. The pH dependencies for several kinetic parameters are shifted from pK values for wild-type ADH of 7.3-8.1 to values for H44R/H48Q ADH of 8.0-9.6, and are assigned to the water or alcohol bound to the catalytic zinc. It appears that the rate of binding of NAD+ is electrostatically favored with zinc-hydroxide whereas binding of NADH is faster with neutral zinc-water. The pH dependencies of catalytic efficiencies (V/EtKm) for ethanol oxidation and acetaldehyde reduction are similarly controlled by deprotonation and protonation, respectively. The substitutions make an enzyme that resembles the homologous horse liver H51Q ADH, which has Arg-47 and Gln-51 and exhibits similar pK values. In the wild-type ADHs, it appears that His-48 (or His-51) in the proton relay systems linked to the catalytic zinc ligands modulate catalytic efficiencies.

Solvent isotope and mutagenesis studies on the proton relay system in yeast alcohol dehydrogenase 1.

Alcohol dehydrogenase catalyzes the reversible transfer of a hydride directly from an alcohol to the nicotinamide ring of NAD+ to form an aldehyde and NADH, and the proton from the alcohol probably is transferred through a hydrogen-bonded system to the imidazole of His-48. Studies of the pH dependencies, and solvent and substrate isotope effects on the wild-type and the enzyme with His-48 substituted with Gln-48 were used to demonstrate a role for the proton relay system. The H48Q substitution increases affinities for NAD+ and NADH by ∼2-fold, suggesting that the overall protein structure is maintained. In contrast, catalytic efficiencies (V/Km) on ethanol and acetaldehyde and affinity for 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol are decreased by about 10-fold. The pH dependencies for catalytic efficiencies on ethanol and acetaldehyde (log V/Km versus pH), show pK values of about 7.5 for wild-type enzyme, but ethanol oxidation by H48Q ADH is essentially linear over the pH range from 5.5 to 9.2 with a slope of 0.47. Steady-state kinetics and substrate isotope effects suggest that the kinetic mechanism of H48Q ADH has become partly random for oxidation of ethanol. Both wild-type and H48Q ADHs have pH-independent isotope effects for oxidation (V1/Kb) of 1-butanol/1-butanol-d9 of 4, suggesting that hydride transfer is a major rate-limiting step. The pH dependence for butanol oxidation by wild type ADH shows a wavy profile over the pH range from pH 6 to 10, with a ∼2.3-fold larger V1/Kb in D2O than in H2O, an "inverse" isotope effect. The substrate isotope effect of 4 is not altered by the solvent isotope effect, suggesting concerted proton/hydride transfer. The solvent isotope effect can be explained by a ground state with a water bound to the catalytic zinc in the enzyme-NAD+ complex, and a transition state that resembles a complex with NADH and aldehyde. In contrast, the H48Q enzyme has a diminished inverse solvent isotope effect of ∼1.3 and an essentially linear pH dependence with a slope of log V1/Kb against pH of 0.49 for oxidation of 1-butanol, which together are consistent with a transition state where hydroxide ion directly accepts a proton from the 2'-hydroxyl group of the nicotinamide ribose in the proton relay system in the enzyme-NAD+-alcohol complex. The results support a catalytic role for His-48 in the proton relay system.

Specific base catalysis by yeast alcohol dehydrogenase I with substitutions of histidine-48 by glutamate or serine residues in the proton relay system.

His-48 in yeast alcohol dehydrogenase I (His 51 in horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase) is a highly conserved residue in the active sites of many alcohol dehydrogenases. The imidazole group of His-48 may participate in base catalysis of proton transfer as it is linked by hydrogen bonds through the 2'-hydroxyl group of the nicotinamide ribose and the hydroxyl group of Thr-45 to the hydroxyl group of the alcohol bound to the catalytic zinc. In this study, His-48 was substituted with a glutamic acid residue to determine if a carboxylate could replace imidazole or to a serine residue to determine if the exposure of the 2'-hydroxyl group of the ribose to solvent would allow proton transfer to water without base catalysis. At pH 7.3, the H48E substitution increases affinity for NAD+ and NADH 17- or 2.6-fold, but decreases catalytic efficiency (V/Km) on ethanol by 70-fold and on acetaldehyde by 6-fold relative to wild-type enzyme. The H48S substitution increases affinity for coenzymes by 2-fold and decreases (V/Km) on ethanol and acetaldehyde only by ∼3-fold. The substituted enzymes show substrate deuterium isotope (H/D) effects of 3-4 for turnover number (V1) and catalytic efficiency (V1/Kb) for ethanol oxidation, indicating that hydrogen transfer is partially rate-limiting and suggesting a somewhat more random mechanism for binding of ethanol and NAD+. For reduction of acetaldehyde, the deuterium isotope effects are small, and the kinetic mechanism appears to be ordered for binding of NADH first and acetaldehyde next. The pH dependencies for H48E and H48S ADHs can be described by a mechanism with pK values of about 6-7 and 9. However, the pH dependencies for oxidation of ethanol and butanol by the H48S enzyme are also simply described by a straight line, with slopes of log V1/Kb against pH of 0.37 or 0.43, respectively. The linear dependence apparently represents catalysis by hydroxide that has a low activity coefficient due to the protein environment, or to a kinetically complex proton transfer. The effects of the substitutions of His-48 show that this residue contributes to catalysis, although many dehydrogenases also have other residues.

Dependence of crystallographic atomic displacement parameters on temperature (25-150†K) for complexes of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase.

Enzymes catalyze reactions by binding and orienting substrates with dynamic interactions. Horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase catalyzes hydrogen transfer with quantum-mechanical tunneling that involves fast motions in the active site. The structures and B factors of ternary complexes of the enzyme with NAD+ and 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl alcohol or NAD+ and 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol were determined to 1.1-1.3 Šresolution below the `glassy transition' in order to extract information about the temperature-dependent harmonic motions, which are reflected in the crystallographic B factors. The refinement statistics and structures are essentially the same for each structure at all temperatures. The B factors were corrected for a small amount of radiation decay. The overall B factors for the complexes are similar (13-16 Å2) over the range 25-100 K, but increase somewhat at 150 K. Applying TLS refinement to remove the contribution of pseudo-rigid-body displacements of coenzyme binding and catalytic domains provided residual B factors of 7-10 Å2 for the overall complexes and of 5-10 Å2 for C4N of NAD+ and the methylene carbon of the alcohols. These residual B factors have a very small dependence on temperature and include local harmonic motions and apparently contributions from other sources. Structures at 100 K show complexes that are poised for hydrogen transfer, which involves atomic displacements of ∼0.3 Šand is compatible with the motions estimated from the residual B factors and molecular-dynamics simulations. At 298 K local conformational changes are also involved in catalysis, as enzymes with substitutions of amino acids in the substrate-binding site have similar positions of NAD+ and pentafluorobenzyl alcohol and similar residual B factors, but differ by tenfold in the rate constants for hydride transfer.

The Thr45Gly substitution in yeast alcohol dehydrogenase substantially decreases catalysis, alters pH dependencies, and disrupts the proton relay system.

X-Ray crystallography shows that the hydroxyl group of Thr-45 in the fermentative alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH1) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae is hydrogen-bonded to the hydroxyl group of the alcohol bound to the catalytic zinc and is part of a proton relay system linked to His-48. The contribution of Thr-45 to catalysis was studied with steady state kinetics of the enzyme with the T45G substitution. Affinities for coenzymes decrease by only 2-4-fold, but the turnover numbers (V/Et) and catalytic efficiencies (V/KmEt) decrease 480-fold and 2900-fold for the oxidation of ethanol and 450-fold and 8400-fold for acetaldehyde reduction, respectively, relative to wild-type enzyme. Binding of NADH appears to require protonation of a group with a pK value of ∼7.4 in wild-type ADH1, but the pK value for T45G ADH1 appears to be less than 5. For wild-type enzyme, the pH dependencies for ethanol oxidation (V1/Et and V1/KbEt) are maximal above pK values of 7.0-7.7 and are attributed to the ionization of the alcohol or water bound to the catalytic zinc facilitated by His-48 in the enzyme-NAD+ complexes. For T45G ADH1, these pK values are shifted to 6.3. The reduction of acetaldehyde (V2/Et and V2/KpEt) modestly increases as the pH increases for wild-type and T45G enzymes. The removal of the hydroxyethyl group of Thr-45 disrupts the connection of the oxygen of ligands bound to the catalytic zinc with the proton relay system and formation of productive catalytic states. The conformational change of the enzyme and the exchange of ligands on the catalytic zinc can also be affected. Assignments of groups responsible for the pK values are discussed in the context of studies on other forms of horse liver and yeast ADHs. The substitutions with Ala-45 and Cys-45 in yeast ADH1 and the homologous substitutions with Ala-48 in horse and human liver ADHs also significantly decrease catalytic efficiency. Threonine or serine residues at this position in alcohol dehydrogenases are highly conserved and contribute substantially to catalysis.

Alternative binding modes in abortive NADH-alcohol complexes of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase.

Enzymes typically have high specificity for their substrates, but the structures of substrates and products differ, and multiple modes of binding are observed. In this study, high resolution X-ray crystallography of complexes with NADH and alcohols show alternative modes of binding in the active site. Enzyme crystallized with the good substrates NAD+ and 4-methylbenzyl alcohol was found to be an abortive complex of NADH with 4-methylbenzyl alcohol rotated to a "non-productive" mode as compared to the structures that resemble reactive Michaelis complexes with NAD+ and 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol or 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl alcohol. The NADH is formed by reduction of the NAD+ with the alcohol during the crystallization. The same structure was also formed by directly crystallizing the enzyme with NADH and 4-methylbenzyl alcohol. Crystals prepared with NAD+ and 4-bromobenzyl alcohol also form the abortive complex with NADH. Surprisingly, crystals prepared with NAD+ and the strong inhibitor 1H,1H-heptafluorobutanol also had NADH, and the alcohol was bound in two different conformations that illustrate binding flexibility. Oxidation of 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol during the crystallization apparently led to reduction of the NAD+. Kinetic studies show that high concentrations of alcohols can bind to the enzyme-NADH complex and activate or inhibit the enzyme. Together with previous studies on complexes with NADH and formamide analogues of the carbonyl substrates, models for the Michaelis complexes with NAD+-alcohol and NADH-aldehyde are proposed.

Cryo-Electron Microscopy Structures of Yeast Alcohol Dehydrogenase.

Structures of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase determined by X-ray crystallography show that the subunits have two different conformational states in each of the two dimers that form the tetramer. Apoenzyme and holoenzyme complexes relevant to the catalytic mechanism were described, but the asymmetry led to questions about the cooperativity of the subunits in catalysis. This study used cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to provide structures for the apoenzyme, two different binary complexes with NADH, and a ternary complex with NAD+ and 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol. All four subunits in each of these complexes are identical, as the tetramers have D2 symmetry, suggesting that there is no preexisting asymmetry and that the subunits can be independently active. The apoenzyme and one enzyme-NADH complex have "open" conformations and the inverted coordination of the catalytic zinc with Cys-43, His-66, Glu-67, and Cys-153, whereas another enzyme-NADH complex and the ternary complex have closed conformations with the classical coordination of the zinc with Cys-43, His-66, Cys-153, and a water or the oxygen of trifluoroethanol. The conformational change involves interactions of Arg-340 with the pyrophosphate group of the coenzyme and Glu-67. The cryo-EM and X-ray crystallography studies provide structures relevant for the catalytic mechanism.

Substitutions of Amino Acid Residues in the Substrate Binding Site of Horse Liver Alcohol Dehydrogenase Have Small Effects on the Structures but Significantly Affect Catalysis of Hydrogen Transfer.

Previous studies showed that the L57F and F93W alcohol dehydrogenases catalyze the oxidation of benzyl alcohol with some quantum mechanical hydrogen tunneling, whereas the V203A enzyme has diminished tunneling. Here, steady-state kinetics for the L57F and F93W enzymes were studied, and microscopic rate constants for the ordered bi-bi mechanism were estimated from simulations of transient kinetics for the S48T, F93A, S48T/F93A, F93W, and L57F enzymes. Catalytic efficiencies for benzyl alcohol oxidation (V1/EtKb) vary over a range of ∼100-fold for the less active enzymes up to the L57F enzyme and are mostly associated with the binding of alcohol rather than the rate constants for hydride transfer. In contrast, catalytic efficiencies for benzaldehyde reduction (V2/EtKp) are ∼500-fold higher for the L57F enzyme than for the less active enzymes and are mostly associated with the rate constants for hydride transfer. Atomic-resolution structures (1.1 Å) for the F93W and L57F enzymes complexed with NAD+ and 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl alcohol or 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol are almost identical to previous structures for the wild-type, S48T, and V203A enzymes. Least-squares refinement with SHELXL shows that the nicotinamide ring is slightly strained in all complexes and that the apparent donor-acceptor distances from C4N of NAD to C7 of pentafluorobenzyl alcohol range from 3.28 to 3.49 Å (±0.02 Å) and are not correlated with the rate constants for hydride transfer or hydrogen tunneling. How the substitutions affect the dynamics of reorganization during hydrogen transfer and the extent of tunneling remain to be determined.

Substitution of cysteine-153 ligated to the catalytic zinc in yeast alcohol dehydrogenase with aspartic acid and analysis of mechanisms of related medium chain dehydrogenases.

The catalytic zincs in complexes of horse liver and yeast alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH) with NAD+ and the substrate analogue, 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol, are ligated to two cysteine residues and one histidine residue from the protein and the oxygen from the alcohol. The zinc facilitates deprotonation of the alcohol and is essential for catalysis. In the yeast apoenzyme, the zinc is coordinated to a nearby glutamic acid, which is displaced by the alcohol in the complex with NAD+. Some homologous medium chain dehydrogenases have a cysteine replaced by aspartic or glutamic acid residues. How an aspartic acid would affect catalysis was studied by replacing Cys-153 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae ADH1 by using site-directed mutagenesis. The C153D enzyme was about as stable as the wild-type enzyme, if EDTA was not included in the buffers. The substitution increased affinity for NAD+ by 3-fold, but did not affect NADH binding. At pH 7.3, the turnover number for ethanol oxidation (V1/Et) decreased by 7-fold and catalytic efficiency decreased 18-fold (V1/EtKb), but turnover for acetaldehyde reduction (V2/Et) was the same as for wild-type enzyme and catalytic efficiency decreased 8-fold (V2/EtKp). Deuterium isotope effects of 3.0 on V1/Et and 3.8 on V1/EtKb for ethanol oxidation suggest that hydride transfer is more rate-limiting for turnover for the C153D enzyme than by wild-type enzyme. The patterns of pH dependence for V1/EtKb for ethanol oxidation were similar for both enzymes in the pH range from 7 to 9. The C153D substitution decreased binding of trifluoroethanol by 5-fold and of pyrazole by 65-fold. Substrate specificities for C153D and wild-type ADHs for primary alcohols have similar patterns. Efficiency for secondary alcohols decreased only about 4-fold, and efficiencies for 1,2-propanediol and acetone were about the same as for wild-type enzyme. The C153D substitution modestly affects catalysis by altering ligand exchange on the zinc or local structure. Structures and mechanisms for acid-base catalysis in related medium chain dehydrogenases with substitutions of the homologous cysteine are reviewed and analyzed.

Substitutions of a buried glutamate residue hinder the conformational change in horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase and yield a surprising complex with endogenous 3'-Dephosphocoenzyme A.

Glu-267 is highly conserved in alcohol dehydrogenases and buried as a negatively-charged residue in a loop of the NAD coenzyme binding domain. Glu-267 might have a structural role and contribute to a rate-promoting vibration that facilitates catalysis. Substitutions of Glu-267 with histidine or asparagine residues increase the dissociation constants for the coenzymes (NAD+ by ∼40-fold, NADH by ∼200-fold) and significantly decrease catalytic efficiencies by 16-1200-fold various substrates and substituted enzymes. The turnover numbers modestly change with the substitutions, but hydride transfer is at least partially rate-limiting for turnover for alcohol oxidation. X-ray structures of the E267H and E267 N enzymes are similar to the apoenzyme (open) conformation of the wild-type enzyme, and the substitutions are accommodated by local changes in the structure. Surprisingly, the E267H and E267 N enzymes have endogenous (from the expression in E. coli) 3'-dephosphocoenzyme A bound in the active site with the ADP moiety in the NAD binding site and the pantethiene sulfhydryl bound to the catalytic zinc. The kinetics and crystallography show that the substitutions of Glu-267 hinder the conformational change, which occurs when wild-type enzyme binds coenzymes, and affect productive binding of substrates.

Contribution of buried distal amino acid residues in horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase to structure and catalysis.

The dynamics of enzyme catalysis range from the slow time scale (∼ms) for substrate binding and conformational changes to the fast time (∼ps) scale for reorganization of substrates in the chemical step. The contribution of global dynamics to catalysis by alcohol dehydrogenase was tested by substituting five different, conserved amino acid residues that are distal from the active site and located in the hinge region for the conformational change or in hydrophobic clusters. X-ray crystallography shows that the structures for the G173A, V197I, I220 (V, L, or F), V222I, and F322L enzymes complexed with NAD+ and an analogue of benzyl alcohol are almost identical, except for small perturbations at the sites of substitution. The enzymes have very similar kinetic constants for the oxidation of benzyl alcohol and reduction of benzaldehyde as compared to the wild-type enzyme, and the rates of conformational changes are not altered. Less conservative substitutions of these amino acid residues, such as G173(V, E, K, or R), V197(G, S, or T), I220(G, S, T, or N), and V222(G, S, or T) produced unstable or poorly expressed proteins, indicating that the residues are critical for global stability. The enzyme scaffold accommodates conservative substitutions of distal residues, and there is no evidence that fast, global dynamics significantly affect the rate constants for hydride transfers. In contrast, other studies show that proximal residues significantly participate in catalysis.

Horse Liver Alcohol Dehydrogenase: Zinc Coordination and Catalysis.

During catalysis by liver alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), a water bound to the catalytic zinc is replaced by the oxygen of the substrates. The mechanism might involve a pentacoordinated zinc or a double-displacement reaction with participation by a nearby glutamate residue, as suggested by studies of human ADH3, yeast ADH1, and some other tetrameric ADHs. Zinc coordination and participation of water in the enzyme mechanism were investigated by X-ray crystallography. The apoenzyme and its complex with adenosine 5'-diphosphoribose have an open protein conformation with the catalytic zinc in one position, tetracoordinated by Cys-46, His-67, Cys-174, and a water molecule. The bidentate chelators 2,2'-bipyridine and 1,10-phenanthroline displace the water and form a pentacoordinated zinc. The enzyme-NADH complex has a closed conformation similar to that of ternary complexes with coenzyme and substrate analogues; the coordination of the catalytic zinc is similar to that found in the apoenzyme, except that a minor, alternative position for the catalytic zinc is ∼1.3 Šfrom the major position and closer to Glu-68, which could form the alternative coordination to the catalytic zinc. Complexes with NADH and N-1-methylhexylformamide or N-benzylformamide (or with NAD+ and fluoro alcohols) have the classical tetracoordinated zinc, and no water is bound to the zinc or the nicotinamide rings. The major forms of the enzyme in the mechanism have a tetracoordinated zinc, where the carboxylate group of Glu-68 could participate in the exchange of water and substrates on the zinc. Hydride transfer in the Michaelis complexes does not involve a nearby water.

Inversion of substrate stereoselectivity of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase by substitutions of Ser-48 and Phe-93.

The substrate specificities of alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH) are of continuing interest for understanding the physiological functions of these enzymes. Ser-48 and Phe-93 have been identified as important residues in the substrate binding sites of ADHs, but more comprehensive structural and kinetic studies are required. The S48T substitution in horse ADH1E has small effects on kinetic constants and catalytic efficiency (V/Km) with ethanol, but decreases activity with benzyl alcohol and affinity for 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE) and 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl alcohol (PFB). Nevertheless, atomic resolution crystal structures of the S48T enzyme complexed with NAD+ and TFE or PFB are very similar to the structures for the wild-type enzyme. (The S48A substitution greatly diminishes catalytic activity.) The F93A substitution significantly decreases catalytic efficiency (V/Km) for ethanol and acetaldehyde while increasing activity for larger secondary alcohols and the enantioselectivity for the R-isomer relative to the S-isomer of 2-alcohols. The doubly substituted S48T/F93A enzyme has kinetic constants for primary and secondary alcohols similar to those for the F93A enzyme, but the effect of the S48T substitution is to decrease V/Km for (S)-2-alcohols without changing V/Km for (R)-2-alcohols. Thus, the S48T/F93A substitutions invert the enantioselectivity for alcohol oxidation, increasing the R/S ratio by 10, 590, and 200-fold for 2-butanol, 2-octanol, and sec-phenethyl alcohol, respectively. Transient kinetic studies and simulations of the ordered bi bi mechanism for the oxidation of the 2-butanols by the S48T/F93A ADH show that the rate of hydride transfer is increased about 7-fold for both isomers (relative to wild-type enzyme) and that the inversion of enantioselectivity is due to more productive binding for (R)-2-butanol than for (S)-2-butanol in the ternary complex. Molecular modeling suggests that both of the sec-phenethyl alcohols could bind to the enzyme and that dynamics must affect the rates of catalysis.

Mechanistic implications from structures of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase complexed with coenzyme and an alcohol.

Yeast alcohol dehydrogenase I is a homotetramer of subunits with 347 amino acid residues, catalyzing the oxidation of alcohols using NAD(+) as coenzyme. A new X-ray structure was determined at 3.0 Å where both subunits of an asymmetric dimer bind coenzyme and trifluoroethanol. The tetramer is a pair of back-to-back dimers. Subunit A has a closed conformation and can represent a Michaelis complex with an appropriate geometry for hydride transfer between coenzyme and alcohol, with the oxygen of 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol ligated at 2.1 Å to the catalytic zinc in the classical tetrahedral coordination with Cys-43, Cys-153, and His-66. Subunit B has an open conformation, and the coenzyme interacts with amino acid residues from the coenzyme binding domain, but not with residues from the catalytic domain. Coenzyme appears to bind to and dissociate from the open conformation. The catalytic zinc in subunit B has an alternative, inverted coordination with Cys-43, Cys-153, His-66 and the carboxylate of Glu-67, while the oxygen of trifluoroethanol is 3.5 Å from the zinc. Subunit B may represent an intermediate in the mechanism after coenzyme and alcohol bind and before the conformation changes to the closed form and the alcohol oxygen binds to the zinc and displaces Glu-67.

Contribution of liver alcohol dehydrogenase to metabolism of alcohols in rats.

The kinetics of oxidation of various alcohols by purified rat liver alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) were compared with the kinetics of elimination of the alcohols in rats in order to investigate the roles of ADH and other factors that contribute to the rates of metabolism of alcohols. Primary alcohols (ethanol, 1-propanol, 1-butanol, 2-methyl-1-propanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol) and diols (1,3-propanediol, 1,3-butanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,5-pentanediol) were eliminated in rats with zero-order kinetics at doses of 5-20 mmol/kg. Ethanol was eliminated most rapidly, at 7.9 mmol/kgh. Secondary alcohols (2-propanol-d7, 2-propanol, 2-butanol, 3-pentanol, cyclopentanol, cyclohexanol) were eliminated with first order kinetics at doses of 5-10 mmol/kg, and the corresponding ketones were formed and slowly eliminated with zero or first order kinetics. The rates of elimination of various alcohols were inhibited on average 73% (55% for 2-propanol to 90% for ethanol) by 1 mmol/kg of 4-methylpyrazole, a good inhibitor of ADH, indicating a major role for ADH in the metabolism of the alcohols. The Michaelis kinetic constants from in vitro studies (pH 7.3, 37 °C) with isolated rat liver enzyme were used to calculate the expected relative rates of metabolism in rats. The rates of elimination generally increased with increased activity of ADH, but a maximum rate of 6±1 mmol/kg h was observed for the best substrates, suggesting that ADH activity is not solely rate-limiting. Because secondary alcohols only require one NAD(+) for the conversion to ketones whereas primary alcohols require two equivalents of NAD(+) for oxidation to the carboxylic acids, it appears that the rate of oxidation of NADH to NAD(+) is not a major limiting factor for metabolism of these alcohols, but the rate-limiting factors are yet to be identified.

Yeast alcohol dehydrogenase structure and catalysis.

Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) alcohol dehydrogenase I (ADH1) is the constitutive enzyme that reduces acetaldehyde to ethanol during the fermentation of glucose. ADH1 is a homotetramer of subunits with 347 amino acid residues. A structure for ADH1 was determined by X-ray crystallography at 2.4 Å resolution. The asymmetric unit contains four different subunits, arranged as similar dimers named AB and CD. The unit cell contains two different tetramers made up of "back-to-back" dimers, AB:AB and CD:CD. The A and C subunits in each dimer are structurally similar, with a closed conformation, bound coenzyme, and the oxygen of 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol ligated to the catalytic zinc in the classical tetrahedral coordination with Cys-43, Cys-153, and His-66. In contrast, the B and D subunits have an open conformation with no bound coenzyme, and the catalytic zinc has an alternative, inverted coordination with Cys-43, Cys-153, His-66, and the carboxylate of Glu-67. The asymmetry in the dimeric subunits of the tetramer provides two structures that appear to be relevant for the catalytic mechanism. The alternative coordination of the zinc may represent an intermediate in the mechanism of displacement of the zinc-bound water with alcohol or aldehyde substrates. Substitution of Glu-67 with Gln-67 decreases the catalytic efficiency by 100-fold. Previous studies of structural modeling, evolutionary relationships, substrate specificity, chemical modification, and site-directed mutagenesis are interpreted more fully with the three-dimensional structure.

Effects of cavities at the nicotinamide binding site of liver alcohol dehydrogenase on structure, dynamics and catalysis.

A role for protein dynamics in enzymatic catalysis of hydrogen transfer has received substantial scientific support, but the connections between protein structure and catalysis remain to be established. Valine residues 203 and 207 are at the binding site for the nicotinamide ring of the coenzyme in liver alcohol dehydrogenase and have been suggested to facilitate catalysis with "protein-promoting vibrations" (PPV). We find that the V207A substitution has small effects on steady-state kinetic constants and the rate of hydrogen transfer; the introduced cavity is empty and is tolerated with minimal effects on structure (determined at 1.2 Å for the complex with NAD(+) and 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl alcohol). Thus, no evidence is found to support a role for Val-207 in the dynamics of catalysis. The protein structures and ligand geometries (including donor-acceptor distances) in the V203A enzyme complexed with NAD(+) and 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl alcohol or 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (determined at 1.1 Å) are very similar to those for the wild-type enzyme, except that the introduced cavity accommodates a new water molecule that contacts the nicotinamide ring. The structures of the V203A enzyme complexes suggest, in contrast to previous studies, that the diminished tunneling and decreased rate of hydride transfer (16-fold, relative to that of the wild-type enzyme) are not due to differences in ground-state ligand geometries. The V203A substitution may alter the PPV and the reorganization energy for hydrogen transfer, but the protein scaffold and equilibrium thermal motions within the Michaelis complex may be more significant for enzyme catalysis.

Bradykinetic alcohol dehydrogenases make yeast fitter for growth in the presence of allyl alcohol.

Previous studies showed that fitter yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) that can grow by fermenting glucose in the presence of allyl alcohol, which is oxidized by alcohol dehydrogenase I (ADH1) to toxic acrolein, had mutations in the ADH1 gene that led to decreased ADH activity. These yeast may grow more slowly due to slower reduction of acetaldehyde and a higher NADH/NAD(+) ratio, which should decrease the oxidation of allyl alcohol. We determined steady-state kinetic constants for three yeast ADHs with new site-directed substitutions and examined the correlation between catalytic efficiency and growth on selective media of yeast expressing six different ADHs. The H15R substitution (a test for electrostatic effects) is on the surface of ADH and has small effects on the kinetics. The H44R substitution (affecting interactions with the coenzyme pyrophosphate) was previously shown to decrease affinity for coenzymes 2-4-fold and turnover numbers (V/Et) by 4-6-fold. The W82R substitution is distant from the active site, but decreases turnover numbers by 5-6-fold, perhaps by effects on protein dynamics. The E67Q substitution near the catalytic zinc was shown previously to increase the Michaelis constant for acetaldehyde and to decrease turnover for ethanol oxidation. The W54R substitution, in the substrate binding site, increases kinetic constants (Ks, by >10-fold) while decreasing turnover numbers by 2-7-fold. Growth of yeast expressing the different ADHs on YPD plates (yeast extract, peptone and dextrose) plus antimycin to require fermentation, was positively correlated with the log of catalytic efficiency for the sequential bi reaction (V1/KiaKb=KeqV2/KpKiq, varying over 4 orders of magnitude, adjusted for different levels of ADH expression) in the order: WT≈H15R>H44R>W82R>E67Q>W54R. Growth on YPD plus 10mM allyl alcohol was inversely correlated with catalytic efficiency. The fitter yeast are "bradytrophs" (slow growing) because the ADHs have decreased catalytic efficiency.

Atomic-resolution structures of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase with NAD(+) and fluoroalcohols define strained Michaelis complexes.

Structures of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase complexed with NAD(+) and unreactive substrate analogues, 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol or 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl alcohol, were determined at 100 K at 1.12 or 1.14 Å resolution, providing estimates of atomic positions with overall errors of ~0.02 Å, the geometry of ligand binding, descriptions of alternative conformations of amino acid residues and waters, and evidence of a strained nicotinamide ring. The four independent subunits from the two homodimeric structures differ only slightly in the peptide backbone conformation. Alternative conformations for amino acid side chains were identified for 50 of the 748 residues in each complex, and Leu-57 and Leu-116 adopt different conformations to accommodate the different alcohols at the active site. Each fluoroalcohol occupies one position, and the fluorines of the alcohols are well-resolved. These structures closely resemble the expected Michaelis complexes with the pro-R hydrogens of the methylene carbons of the alcohols directed toward the re face of C4N of the nicotinamide rings with a C-C distance of 3.40 Å. The oxygens of the alcohols are ligated to the catalytic zinc at a distance expected for a zinc alkoxide (1.96 Å) and participate in a low-barrier hydrogen bond (2.52 Å) with the hydroxyl group of Ser-48 in a proton relay system. As determined by X-ray refinement with no restraints on bond distances and planarity, the nicotinamide rings in the two complexes are slightly puckered (quasi-boat conformation, with torsion angles of 5.9° for C4N and 4.8° for N1N relative to the plane of the other atoms) and have bond distances that are somewhat different compared to those found for NAD(P)(+). It appears that the nicotinamide ring is strained toward the transition state on the path to alcohol oxidation.