The structure of S. lividans acetoacetyl-CoA synthetase shows a novel interaction between the C-terminal extension and the N-terminal domain.

The adenosine monoposphate-forming acyl-CoA synthetase enzymes catalyze a two-step reaction that involves the initial formation of an acyl adenylate that reacts in a second partial reaction to form a thioester between the acyl substrate and CoA. These enzymes utilize a Domain Alternation catalytic mechanism, whereby a ∼ 110 residue C-terminal domain rotates by 140° to form distinct catalytic conformations for the two partial reactions. The structure of an acetoacetyl-CoA synthetase (AacS) is presented that illustrates a novel aspect of this C-terminal domain. Specifically, several acetyl- and acetoacetyl-CoA synthetases contain a 30-residue extension on the C-terminus compared to other members of this family. Whereas residues from this extension are disordered in prior structures, the AacS structure shows that residues from this extension may interact with key catalytic residues from the N-terminal domain.

Insights into the specificity of lysine acetyltransferases.

Reversible lysine acetylation by protein acetyltransferases is a conserved regulatory mechanism that controls diverse cellular pathways. Gcn5-related N-acetyltransferases (GNATs), named after their founding member, are found in all domains of life. GNATs are known for their role as histone acetyltransferases, but non-histone bacterial protein acetytransferases have been identified. Only structures of GNAT complexes with short histone peptide substrates are available in databases. Given the biological importance of this modification and the abundance of lysine in polypeptides, how specificity is attained for larger protein substrates is central to understanding acetyl-lysine-regulated networks. Here we report the structure of a GNAT in complex with a globular protein substrate solved to 1.9 Å. GNAT binds the protein substrate with extensive surface interactions distinct from those reported for GNAT-peptide complexes. Our data reveal determinants needed for the recognition of a protein substrate and provide insight into the specificity of GNATs.