Design of anti-thyroid drugs: Binding studies and structure determination of the complex of lactoperoxidase with 2-mercaptoimidazole at 2.30 Å resolution.

Lactoperoxidase (LPO) belongs to mammalian heme peroxidase superfamily, which also includes myeloperoxidase (MPO), eosinophil peroxidase (EPO), and thyroid peroxidase (TPO). LPO catalyzes the oxidation of a number of substrates including thiocyanate while TPO catalyzes the biosynthesis of thyroid hormones. LPO is also been shown to catalyze the biosynthesis of thyroid hormones indicating similar functional and structural properties. The binding studies showed that 2-mercaptoimidazole (MZY) bound to LPO with a dissociation constant of 0.63 µM. The inhibition studies showed that the value of IC50 was 17 µM. The crystal structure of the complex of LPO with MZY showed that MZY bound to LPO in the substrate-binding site on the distal heme side. MZY was oriented in the substrate-binding site in such a way that the sulfur atom is at a distance of 2.58 Å from the heme iron. Previously, a similar compound, 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (amitrole) was also shown to bind to LPO in the substrate-binding site on the distal heme side. The amino nitrogen atom of amitrole occupied the same position as that of sulfur atom in the present structure indicating a similar mode of binding. Recently, the structure of the complex of LPO with a potent antithyroid drug, 1-methylimidazole-2-thiol (methimazole, MMZ) was also determined. It showed that MMZ bound to LPO in the substrate-binding site on the distal heme side with 2 orientations. The position of methyl group was same in the 2 orientations while the positions of sulfur atom differed indicating a higher preference for a methyl group.

Structure of bovine lactoperoxidase with a partially linked heme moiety at 1.98Å resolution.

Lactoperoxidase (LPO) is a member of mammalian heme peroxidase superfamily whose other members are myeloperoxidase (MPO), eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) and thyroid peroxidase (TPO). In these enzymes, the heme moiety is linked to protein through two or three covalent bonds. In the mature LPO, the heme moiety is linked to protein through two ester bonds with highly conserved glutamate and aspartate residues. The previously reported structures of LPO have confirmed the formation of two covalent linkages involving Glu258 and Asp108 with 1-methyl and 5-methyl groups of pyrrole rings A and C respectively. We report here a new form of structure of LPO where the covalent bond between Glu258 and 1-methyl group of pyrrole ring A is present only in a fraction of protein molecules. In this case, the side chain of Glu258 occupies two distinct positions, each of which has a 0.5 occupancy. In one position, it forms a normal ester covalent linkage while in the second position, the side chain of Glu258 is located in the middle of the substrate binding site on the distal heme side. In this position, the atom of the side chain of Glu258 forms several contacts with atoms of other residues and heme moiety. Out of the two observed positions of the side chain of Glu258, the former contributes to the stabilization of heme position and improved catalytic action of LPO while the latter is responsible for the reduced stability of the heme position as well as it blocks the substrate binding site.

Structural basis of activation of mammalian heme peroxidases.

The mammalian heme peroxidases including lactoperoxidase (LPO), myeloperoxidase (MPO), eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) and thyroid peroxidase (TPO) contain a covalently linked heme moiety. Initially, it was believed that the heme group was fully cross-linked to protein molecule through at least two ester linkages involving conserved glutamate and aspartate residues with 1-methyl and 5-methyl groups of pyrrole rings A and C respectively. In MPO, an additional sulfonium ion linkage was present between 2-vinyl group of pyrrole ring A of the heme moiety and a methionine residue of the protein. These linkages were formed through a self processing mechanism. Subsequently, biochemical studies indicated that the heme moiety was partially attached to protein. The recent structural studies have shown that the covalent linkage involving glutamate and 1-methyl group of pyrrole ring of heme moiety was partially formed. When glutamate is not covalently linked to heme moiety, its side chain occupies a position in the substrate binding site on the distal heme side and blocks the substrate binding site leading to inactivation. However, an exposure to H2O2 converts it to a fully covalently linked state with heme. Thus in mammalian heme peroxidases, the Glu-heme linkage is essential for catalytic action.