Structural basis for non-radical catalysis by TsrM, a radical SAM methylase.

Tryptophan 2C methyltransferase (TsrM) methylates C2 of the indole ring of L-tryptophan during biosynthesis of the quinaldic acid moiety of thiostrepton. TsrM is annotated as a cobalamin-dependent radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) methylase; however, TsrM does not reductively cleave SAM to the universal 5'-deoxyadenosyl 5'-radical intermediate, a hallmark of radical SAM (RS) enzymes. Herein, we report structures of TsrM from Kitasatospora setae, which are the first structures of a cobalamin-dependent radical SAM methylase. Unexpectedly, the structures show an essential arginine residue that resides in the proximal coordination sphere of the cobalamin cofactor, and a [4Fe-4S] cluster that is ligated by a glutamyl residue and three cysteines in a canonical CXXXCXXC RS motif. Structures in the presence of substrates suggest a substrate-assisted mechanism of catalysis, wherein the carboxylate group of SAM serves as a general base to deprotonate N1 of the tryptophan substrate, facilitating the formation of a C2 carbanion.

Understanding the role of electron donors in the reaction catalyzed by Tsrm, a cobalamin-dependent radical S-adenosylmethionine methylase.

The cobalamin-dependent radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) enzyme TsrM catalyzes the methylation of C2 of L-tryptophan to form 2-methyltryptophan during the biosynthesis of thiostrepton A. Although TsrM is a member of the radical SAM superfamily, unlike all other annotated members, it does not catalyze a reductive cleavage of SAM to a 5'-deoxyadenosyl 5'-radical intermediate. In fact, it has been proposed that TsrM catalyzes its reaction through two polar nucleophilic displacements, with its cobalamin cofactor cycling directly between methylcobalamin (MeCbl) and cob(I)alamin. Nevertheless, the enzyme has been stated to require the action of a reductant, which can be satisfied by dithiothreitol. By contrast, all other annotated RS enzymes require a reductant that exhibits a much lower reduction potential, which is necessary for the reductive cleavage of SAM. Herein, we show that TsrM can catalyze multiple turnovers in the absence of any reducing agent, but only when it is pre-loaded with MeCbl. When hydroxocobalamin (OHCbl) or cob(II)alamin is bound to TsrM, a reductant is required to convert it to cob(I)alamin, which can acquire a methyl group directly from SAM. Our studies suggest that TsrM uses an external reductant to prime its reaction by converting bound OHCbl or cob(II)alamin to MeCbl, and to regenerate the MeCbl form of the cofactor upon adventitious oxidation of the cob(I)alamin intermediate to cob(II)alamin.

Stereochemical and Mechanistic Investigation of the Reaction Catalyzed by Fom3 from Streptomyces fradiae, a Cobalamin-Dependent Radical S-Adenosylmethionine Methylase.

Fom3, a cobalamin-dependent radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) methylase, has recently been shown to catalyze the methylation of carbon 2″ of cytidylyl-2-hydroxyethylphosphonate (HEP-CMP) to form cytidylyl-2-hydroxypropylphosphonate (HPP-CMP) during the biosynthesis of fosfomycin, a broad-spectrum antibiotic. It has been hypothesized that a 5'-deoxyadenosyl 5'-radical (5'-dA•) generated from the reductive cleavage of SAM abstracts a hydrogen atom from HEP-CMP to prime the substrate for addition of a methyl group from methylcobalamin (MeCbl); however, the mechanistic details of this reaction remain elusive. Moreover, it has been reported that Fom3 catalyzes the methylation of HEP-CMP to give a mixture of the ( S)-HPP and ( R)-HPP stereoisomers, which is rare for an enzyme-catalyzed reaction. Herein, we describe a detailed biochemical investigation of a Fom3 that is purified with 1 equiv of its cobalamin cofactor bound, which is almost exclusively in the form of MeCbl. Electron paramagnetic resonance and Mössbauer spectroscopies confirm that Fom3 contains one [4Fe-4S] cluster. Using deuterated enantiomers of HEP-CMP, we demonstrate that the 5'-dA• generated by Fom3 abstracts the C2″- pro-R hydrogen of HEP-CMP and that methyl addition takes place with inversion of configuration to yield solely ( S)-HPP-CMP. Fom3 also sluggishly converts cytidylyl-ethylphosphonate to the corresponding methylated product but more readily acts on cytidylyl-2-fluoroethylphosphonate, which exhibits a lower C2″ homolytic bond-dissociation energy. Our studies suggest a mechanism in which the substrate C2″ radical, generated upon hydrogen atom abstraction by the 5'-dA•, directly attacks MeCbl to transfer a methyl radical (CH3•) rather than a methyl cation (CH3+), directly forming cob(II)alamin in the process.

Enhanced Solubilization of Class B Radical S-Adenosylmethionine Methylases by Improved Cobalamin Uptake in Escherichia coli.

The methylation of unactivated carbon and phosphorus centers is a burgeoning area of biological chemistry, especially given that such reactions constitute key steps in the biosynthesis of numerous enzyme cofactors, antibiotics, and other natural products of clinical value. These kinetically challenging reactions are catalyzed exclusively by enzymes in the radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) superfamily and have been grouped into four classes (A-D). Class B radical SAM (RS) methylases require a cobalamin cofactor in addition to the [4Fe-4S] cluster that is characteristic of RS enzymes. However, their poor solubility upon overexpression and their generally poor turnover has hampered detailed in vitro studies of these enzymes. It has been suggested that improper folding, possibly caused by insufficient cobalamin during their overproduction in Escherichia coli, leads to formation of inclusion bodies. Herein, we report our efforts to improve the overproduction of class B RS methylases in a soluble form by engineering a strain of E. coli to take in more cobalamin. We cloned five genes ( btuC, btuE, btuD, btuF, and btuB) that encode proteins that are responsible for cobalamin uptake and transport in E. coli and co-expressed these genes with those that encode TsrM, Fom3, PhpK, and ThnK, four class B RS methylases that suffer from poor solubility during overproduction. This strategy markedly enhances the uptake of cobalamin into the cytoplasm and improves the solubility of the target enzymes significantly.

TsrM as a Model for Purifying and Characterizing Cobalamin-Dependent Radical S-Adenosylmethionine Methylases.

Cobalamin-dependent radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) methylases play vital roles in the de novo biosynthesis of many antibiotics, cofactors, and other important natural products, yet remain an understudied subclass of radical SAM enzymes. In addition to a [4Fe-4S] cluster that is ligated by three cysteine residues, these enzymes also contain an N-terminal cobalamin-binding domain. In vitro studies of these enzymes have been severely limited because many are insoluble or sparingly soluble upon their overproduction in Escherichia coli. This solubility issue has led a number of groups either to purify the protein from inclusion bodies or to purify soluble protein that often lacks proper cofactor incorporation. Herein, we use TsrM as a model to describe methods that we have used to generate soluble protein that is purified in an active form with both cobalamin and [4Fe-4S] cluster cofactors bound. Additionally, we highlight the methods that we developed to characterize the enzyme following purification.

Efficient methylation of C2 in l-tryptophan by the cobalamin-dependent radical S-adenosylmethionine methylase TsrM requires an unmodified N1 amine.

TsrM catalyzes the methylation of C2 in l-tryptophan (Trp). This reaction is the first step in the biosynthesis of the quinaldic acid moiety of the thiopeptide antibiotic thiostrepton, which exhibits potent activity against Gram-positive pathogens. TsrM is a member of the radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) superfamily of enzymes, but it does not catalyze the formation of 5'-deoxyadenosin-5'-yl or any other SAM-derived radical. In addition to a [4Fe-4S] cluster, TsrM contains a cobalamin cofactor that serves as an intermediate methyl carrier in its reaction. However, how this cofactor donates a methyl moiety to the Trp substrate is unknown. Here, we showed that the unmodified N1 position of Trp is important for turnover and that 1-thia-Trp and 1-oxa-Trp serve as competitive inhibitors. We also showed that ß-cyclopropyl-Trp undergoes C2 methylation in the absence of cyclopropyl ring opening, disfavoring mechanisms that involve unpaired electron density at C3 of the indole ring. Moreover, we showed that all other indole-substituted analogs of Trp undergo methylation at varying but measurable rates and that the analog 7-aza-Trp, which is expected to temper the nucleophilicity of C2 in Trp, is a very poor substrate. Last, no formation of cob(II)alamin or substrate radicals was observed during the reaction with Trp or any molecule within a tested panel of Trp analogs. In summary, our results are most consistent with a mechanism that involves two polar nucleophilic displacements, the second of which requires deprotonation of the indole nitrogen in Trp during its attack on methylcobalamin.

Spectroscopic and Electrochemical Characterization of the Iron-Sulfur and Cobalamin Cofactors of TsrM, an Unusual Radical S-Adenosylmethionine Methylase.

TsrM, an annotated radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) enzyme, catalyzes the methylation of carbon 2 of the indole ring of L-tryptophan. Its reaction is the first step in the biosynthesis of the unique quinaldic acid moiety of thiostrepton A, a thiopeptide antibiotic. The appended methyl group derives from SAM; however, the enzyme also requires cobalamin and iron-sulfur cluster cofactors for turnover. In this work we report the overproduction and purification of TsrM and the characterization of its metallocofactors by UV-visible, electron paramagnetic resonance, hyperfine sublevel correlation (HYSCORE), and Mössbauer spectroscopies as well as protein-film electrochemistry (PFE). The enzyme contains 1 equiv of its cobalamin cofactor in its as-isolated state and can be reconstituted with iron and sulfide to contain one [4Fe-4S] cluster with a site-differentiated Fe(2+)/Fe(3+) pair. Our spectroscopic studies suggest that TsrM binds cobalamin in an uncharacteristic five-coordinate base-off/His-off conformation, whereby the dimethylbenzimidazole group is replaced by a non-nitrogenous ligand, which is likely a water molecule. Electrochemical analysis of the protein by PFE indicates a one-electron redox feature with a midpoint potential of -550 mV, which is assigned to a [4Fe-4S](2+)/[4Fe-4S](+) redox couple. Analysis of TsrM by Mössbauer and HYSCORE spectroscopies suggests that SAM does not bind to the unique iron site of the cluster in the same manner as in other radical SAM (RS) enzymes, yet its binding still perturbs the electronic configuration of both the Fe/S cluster and the cob(II)alamin cofactors. These biophysical studies suggest that TsrM is an atypical RS enzyme, consistent with its reported inability to catalyze formation of a 5'-deoxyadenosyl 5'-radical.

Consecutive radical S-adenosylmethionine methylations form the ethyl side chain in thienamycin biosynthesis.

Despite their broad anti-infective utility, the biosynthesis of the paradigm carbapenem antibiotic, thienamycin, remains largely unknown. Apart from the first two steps shared with a simple carbapenem, the pathway sharply diverges to the more structurally complex members of this class of ß-lactam antibiotics, such as thienamycin. Existing evidence points to three putative cobalamin-dependent radical S-adenosylmethionine (RS) enzymes, ThnK, ThnL, and ThnP, as potentially being responsible for assembly of the ethyl side chain at C6, bridgehead epimerization at C5, installation of the C2-thioether side chain, and C2/3 desaturation. The C2 substituent has been demonstrated to be derived by stepwise truncation of CoA, but the timing of these events with respect to C2-S bond formation is not known. We show that ThnK of the three apparent cobalamin-dependent RS enzymes performs sequential methylations to build out the C6-ethyl side chain in a stereocontrolled manner. This enzymatic reaction was found to produce expected RS methylase coproducts S-adenosylhomocysteine and 5'-deoxyadenosine, and to require cobalamin. For double methylation to occur, the carbapenam substrate must bear a CoA-derived C2-thioether side chain, implying the activity of a previous sulfur insertion by an as-yet unidentified enzyme. These insights allow refinement of the central steps in complex carbapenem biosynthesis.