Glutamate versus glutamine exchange swaps substrate selectivity in tRNA-guanine transglycosylase: insight into the regulation of substrate selectivity by kinetic and crystallographic studies.

Bacterial tRNA-guanine transglycosylase (Tgt) catalyses the exchange of guanine in the wobble position of particular tRNAs by the modified base preQ(1). In vitro, however, the enzyme is also able to insert the immediate biosynthetic precursor, preQ(0), into those tRNAs. This substrate promiscuity is based on a peptide switch in the active site, gated by the general acid/base Glu235. The switch alters the properties of the binding pocket to allow either the accommodation of guanine or preQ(1). The peptide conformer recognising guanine, however, is also able to bind preQ(0). To investigate selectivity regulation, kinetic data for Zymomonas mobilis Tgt were recorded. They show that selectivity in favour of the actual substrate preQ(1) over preQ(0) is not achieved by a difference in affinity but via a higher turnover rate. Moreover, a Tgt(Glu235Gln) variant was constructed. The mutation was intended to stabilise the peptide switch in the conformation favouring guanine and preQ(0) binding. Kinetic characterisation of the mutated enzyme revealed that the Glu235Gln exchange has, with respect to all substrate bases, no significant influence on k(cat). In contrast, K(M)(preQ(1)) is drastically increased, while K(M)(preQ(0)) seems to be decreased. Hence, regarding k(cat)/K(M) as an indicator for catalytic efficiency, selectivity of Tgt in favour of preQ(1) is abolished or even inverted in favour of preQ(0) for Tgt(Glu235Gln). Crystal structures of the mutated enzyme confirm that the mutation strongly favours the binding pocket conformation required for the accommodation of guanine and preQ(0). The way this is achieved, however, significantly differs from that predicted based on crystal structures of wild-type Tgt.

Side chain contributions to the interconversion of the topological isomers of guanylin-like peptides.

The peptide hormones guanylin and uroguanylin are ligands of the intestinal guanylyl cyclase-C (GC-C) that is involved in the regulation of epithelial water and electrolyte transport. The small peptides contain 15 and 16 amino acids, respectively, and two disulfide bonds with a 1-3/2-4 connectivity. This structural feature causes the unique existence of two topological isoforms for each peptide in an approximate 3:2 ratio, with only one of the isoforms exhibiting GC-C-activating potential. The two uroguanylin isomers can be separated by HPLC and are of sufficient stability to be studied separately at ambient temperatures while the two guanylin isomers are rapidly interconverting even at low temperatures. Both isomers show clearly distinguishable (1)H chemical shifts. To investigate the influence of certain amino acid side chains on this isomerism and interconversion kinetics, derivatives of guanylin and uroguanylin (L-alanine scan and chimeric peptides) were designed and synthesized by Fmoc solid-phase chemistry and compared by HPLC and 2D (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Amino acid residues with the most significant effects on the interconversion kinetics were predominantly identified in the COOH-terminal part of both peptides, whereas amino acids in the central part of the peptides only moderately affected the interconversion. Thus, the conformational conversion among the isomers of both peptides is under the control of a COOH-terminal sterical hindrance, providing a detailed model for this dynamic isomerism. Our results demonstrate that kinetic control of the interconversion process can be achieved by the introduction of side chains with a defined sterical profile at suitable sequence positions. This is of potential impact for the future development of GC-C peptide agonists and antagonists.