Menaquinone Biosynthesis: The Mechanism of 5,8-Dihydroxy-2-naphthoate Synthase (MqnD).

MqnD catalyzes the conversion of cyclic dehypoxanthine futalosine (6) to 5,8-dihydroxy-2-naphthoic acid (7) and an uncharacterized product. This study describes a chemoenzymatic synthesis of 6. This synthesis achieved a 2-fold yield enhancement by using titanium(III) citrate as the reducing agent and another 5-fold yield enhancement using a fluorinated analogue of dehypoxanthine futalosine (5) that was converted to 6 by an ipso substitution mechanism. This synthetic route enabled the synthesis of 6 in sufficient quantity to identify the second reaction product and to determine that the MqnD-catalyzed reaction proceeds by a hemiacetal ring opening-tautomerization-retroaldol sequence.

O-acetylhomoserine sulfhydrylase from Clostridium novyi. Cloning, expression of the gene and characterization of the enzyme.

The gene NT01CX_1210 of pathogenic bacterium Clostridium novyi annotated as encoding O-acetylhomoserine sulfhydrylase was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The gene product having O-acetylhomoserine sulfhydrylase activity was purified to homogeneity. The protein showed molecular mass of approximately 184 kDa for the native form and 46 kDa for the subunit. The enzyme catalyzes the γ-substitution reaction of O-acetylhomoserine with maximum activity at pH 7.5. Analysis of C. novyi genome allowed us to suggest that there is only one way for the synthesis of l-methionine in the bacterium. The data obtained may provide the basis for further study of the role of OAHS in Clostridium bacteria and an ascertainment of its mechanism.

Modeling and simulation study to identify threonine synthase as possible drug target in Leishmania major.

Leishmaniasis is one of the most neglected tropical diseases that demand immediate attention to the identification of new drug targets and effective drug candidates. The present study demonstrates the possibility of using threonine synthase (TS) as a putative drug target in leishmaniasis disease management. We report the construction of an effective homology model of the enzyme that appears to be structurally as well as functionally well conserved. The 200 nanosecond molecular dynamics data on TS with and without pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) shed light on mechanistic details of PLP-induced conformational changes. Moreover, we address some important structural and dynamic interactions in the PLP binding region of TS that are in good agreement with previously speculated crystallographic estimations. Additionally, after screening more than 44,000 compounds, we propose 10 putative inhibitor candidates for TS based on virtual screening data and refined Molecular Mechanics Generalized Born Surface Area calculations. We expect that structural and functional dynamics data disclosed in this study will help initiate experimental endeavors toward establishing TS as an effective antileishmanial drug target.

Discovery and Biocatalytic Application of a PLP-Dependent Amino Acid γ-Substitution Enzyme That Catalyzes C-C Bond Formation.

Pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzymes can catalyze transformations of l-amino acids at α, ß, and γ positions. These enzymes are frequently involved in the biosynthesis of nonproteinogenic amino acids as building blocks of natural products and are attractive biocatalysts. Here, we report the discovery of a two-step enzymatic synthesis of (2S,6S)-6-methyl pipecolate 1, from the biosynthetic pathway of citrinadin. The key enzyme CndF is PLP-dependent and catalyzes the synthesis of (S)-2-amino-6-oxoheptanoate 3 that is in equilibrium with the cyclic Schiff base. The second enzyme CndE is a stereoselective imine reductase that gives 1. Biochemical characterization of CndF showed this enzyme performs γ-elimination of O-acetyl-l-homoserine to generate the vinylglycine ketimine, which is subjected to nucleophilic attack by acetoacetate to form the new Cγ-Cδ bond in 3 and complete the γ-substitution reaction. CndF displays promiscuity toward different ß-keto carboxylate and esters. With use of an Aspergillus strain expressing CndF and CndE, feeding various alkyl-ß-keto esters led to the biosynthesis of 6-substituted l-pipecolates. The discovery of CndF expands the repertoire of reactions that can be catalyzed by PLP-dependent enzymes.

Structural basis for the regulatory interaction of the methylglyoxal synthase MgsA with the carbon flux regulator Crh in Bacillus subtilis.

Utilization of energy-rich carbon sources such as glucose is fundamental to the evolutionary success of bacteria. Glucose can be catabolized via glycolysis for feeding the intermediary metabolism. The methylglyoxal synthase MgsA produces methylglyoxal from the glycolytic intermediate dihydroxyacetone phosphate. Methylglyoxal is toxic, requiring stringent regulation of MgsA activity. In the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis, an interaction with the phosphoprotein Crh controls MgsA activity. In the absence of preferred carbon sources, Crh is present in the nonphosphorylated state and binds to and thereby inhibits MgsA. To better understand the mechanism of regulation of MgsA, here we performed biochemical and structural analyses of B. subtilis MgsA and of its interaction with Crh. Our results indicated that MgsA forms a hexamer (i.e. a trimer of dimers) in the crystal structure, whereas it seems to exist in an equilibrium between a dimer and hexamer in solution. In the hexamer, two alternative dimers could be distinguished, but only one appeared to prevail in solution. Further analysis strongly suggested that the hexamer is the biologically active form. In vitro cross-linking studies revealed that Crh interacts with the N-terminal helices of MgsA and that the Crh-MgsA binding inactivates MgsA by distorting and thereby blocking its active site. In summary, our results indicate that dimeric and hexameric MgsA species exist in an equilibrium in solution, that the hexameric species is the active form, and that binding to Crh deforms and blocks the active site in MgsA.

Mechanism of a Standalone ß-Lactone Synthetase: New Continuous Assay for a Widespread ANL Superfamily Enzyme.

Enzyme-catalyzed ß-lactone formation from ß-hydroxy acids is a crucial step in bacterial biosynthesis of ß-lactone natural products and membrane hydrocarbons. We developed a novel, continuous assay for ß-lactone synthetase activity using synthetic ß-hydroxy acid substrates with alkene or alkyne moieties. ß-Lactone formation is followed by rapid decarboxylation to form a conjugated triene chromophore for real-time evaluation by UV/Vis spectroscopy. The assay was used to determine steady-state kinetics of a long-chain ß-lactone synthetase, OleC, from the plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to test the involvement of conserved active site residues in Mg2+ and ATP binding. A previous report suggested OleC adenylated the substrate hydroxy group. Here we present several lines of evidence, including hydroxylamine trapping of the AMP intermediate, to demonstrate the substrate carboxyl group is adenylated prior to making the ß-lactone final product. A panel of nine substrate analogues were used to investigate the substrate specificity of X. campestris OleC by HPLC and GC-MS. Stereoisomers of 2-hexyl-3hydroxyoctanoic acid were synthesized and OleC preferred the (2R,3S) diastereomer consistent with the stereo-preference of upstream and downstream pathway enzymes. This biochemical knowledge was used to guide phylogenetic analysis of the ß-lactone synthetases to map their functional diversity within the acyl-CoA synthetase, NRPS adenylation domain, and luciferase superfamily.

Mechanistic Insight through Irreversible Inhibition: DNA Polymerase θ Uses a Common Active Site for Polymerase and Lyase Activities.

DNA polymerase Î¸ (Pol Î¸) is a multifunctional enzyme. It is nonessential in normal cells, but its upregulation in cancer cells correlates with cellular resistance to oxidative damage and poor prognosis. Pol Î¸ possesses polymerase activity and poorly characterized lyase activity. We examined the Pol Î¸ lyase activity on various abasic sites and determined that the enzyme is inactivated upon attempted removal of the oxidized abasic site commonly associated with C4'-oxidation (pC4-AP). Covalent modification of Pol Î¸ by the DNA lesion enabled determination of the primary nucleophile (Lys2383) responsible for Schiff base formation in the lyase reaction. Unlike some other base excision repair polymerases, Pol Î¸ uses a single active site for polymerase and lyase activity. Mutation of Lys2383 significantly reduces both enzyme activities but not DNA binding. Demonstration that Lys2383 is required for polymerase and lyase activities indicates that this residue is an Achilles heel for Pol Î¸ and suggests a path forward for designing inhibitors of this attractive anticancer target.

Sequencing of chondroitin sulfate oligosaccharides using a novel exolyase from a marine bacterium that degrades hyaluronan and chondroitin sulfate/dermatan sulfate.

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are a family of chemically heterogeneous polysaccharides that play important roles in physiological and pathological processes. Owing to the structural complexity of GAGs, their sophisticated chemical structures and biological functions have not been extensively studied. Lyases that cleave GAGs are important tools for structural analysis. Although various GAG lyases have been identified, exolytic lyases with unique enzymatic property are urgently needed for GAG sequencing. In the present study, a putative exolytic GAG lyase from a marine bacterium was recombinantly expressed and characterized in detail. Since it showed exolytic lyase activity toward hyaluronan (HA), chondroitin sulfate (CS), and dermatan sulfate (DS), it was designated as HCDLase. This novel exolyase exhibited the highest activity in Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.0) at 30°C. Especially, it showed a specific activity that released 2-aminobenzamide (2-AB)-labeled disaccharides from the reducing end of 2-AB-labeled CS oligosaccharides, which suggest that HCDLase is not only a novel exolytic lyase that can split disaccharide residues from the reducing termini of sugar chains but also a useful tool for the sequencing of CS chains. Notably, HCDLase could not digest 2-AB-labeled oligosaccharides from HA, DS, or unsulfated chondroitin, which indicated that sulfates and bond types affect the catalytic activity of HCDLase. Finally, this enzyme combined with CSase ABC was successfully applied for the sequencing of several CS hexa- and octasaccharides with complex structures. The identification of HCDLase provides a useful tool for CS-related research and applications.

Structure determination of contaminant proteins using the MarathonMR procedure.

In the recent decades, essential steps of protein structure determination such as phasing by multiple isomorphous replacement and multi wave length anomalous dispersion, molecular replacement, refinement of the structure determined and its validation have been fully automated. Several computer program suites that execute all these steps as a pipeline operation have been made available. In spite of these great advances, determination of a protein structure may turn out to be a challenging task for a variety of reasons. It might be difficult to obtain multiple isomorphous replacement or multi wave length anomalous dispersion data or the crystal may have defects such as twinning or pseudo translation. Apart from these usual difficulties, more frequent difficulties have been encountered in recent years because of the large number of projects handled by structural biologists. These new difficulties usually result from contamination of the protein of interest by other proteins or presence of proteins from pathogenic organisms that could withstand the antibiotics used to prevent bacterial contamination. It could also be a result of poor book keeping. Recently, we have developed a procedure called MarathonMR that has the power to resolve some of these problems automatically. In this communication, we describe how the MarathonMR was used to determine four different protein structures that had remained elusive for several years. We describe the plausible reasons for the difficulties encountered in determining these structures and point out that the method presented here could be a validation tool for protein structures deposited in the protein data bank.

Role of F225 in O-phosphoserine sulfhydrylase from Aeropyrum pernix K1.

O-Phosphoserine sulfhydrylase (OPSS) synthesizes cysteine from O-phospho-L-serine (OPS) and sulfide. We have determined the three-dimensional structures of OPSS from hyperthermophilic archaeon Aeropyrum pernix K1 (ApOPSS) in complex with aminoacrylate intermediate (AA) formed from pyridoxal 5'-phosphate with OPS or in complex with cysteine and compared them with that of ApOPSS. We found an orientational change of F225 at the active-site entrance and constructed an F225A mutant to examine its activities and AA stability and clarify the role of F225 in ApOPSS. The OPS and O-acetyl-L-serine (OAS) sulfhydrylase activities of the F225A mutant decreased by 4.2- and 15-fold compared to those of the wild-type (wt) ApOPSS, respectively. The ability of OPS and OAS to form AA also decreased by 12- and 27-fold, respectively. AA was less stable in the F225A mutant than in the wt ApOPSS. Simulated docking showed that leaving groups, such as phosphate and acetate, were oriented to the inside of the active site in the F225A mutant, whereas they were oriented to the entrance in the wt ApOPSS. These results suggest that F225 in ApOPSS plays important roles in maintaining the hydrophobic environment of AA from solvent water and in controlling the orientation of leaving groups.

Biochemical and structural studies of 6-carboxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropterin synthase reveal the molecular basis of catalytic promiscuity within the tunnel-fold superfamily.

6-Pyruvoyltetrahydropterin synthase (PTPS) homologs in both mammals and bacteria catalyze distinct reactions using the same 7,8-dihydroneopterin triphosphate substrate. The mammalian enzyme converts 7,8-dihydroneopterin triphosphate to 6-pyruvoyltetrahydropterin, whereas the bacterial enzyme catalyzes the formation of 6-carboxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropterin. To understand the basis for the differential activities we determined the crystal structure of a bacterial PTPS homolog in the presence and absence of various ligands. Comparison to mammalian structures revealed that although the active sites are nearly structurally identical, the bacterial enzyme houses a His/Asp dyad that is absent from the mammalian protein. Steady state and time-resolved kinetic analysis of the reaction catalyzed by the bacterial homolog revealed that these residues are responsible for the catalytic divergence. This study demonstrates how small variations in the active site can lead to the emergence of new functions in existing protein folds.

Identification and characterization of a methionine γ-lyase in the calicheamicin biosynthetic cluster of Micromonospora echinospora.

CalE6 is a previously uncharacterized protein involved in the biosynthesis of calicheamicins in Micromonospora echinospora. It is a pyridoxal-5'-phosphate-dependent enzyme and exhibits high sequence homology to cystathionine γ-lyases and cystathionine γ-synthases. However, it was found to be active towards methionine and to convert this amino acid into α-ketobutyrate, ammonium, and methanethiol. The crystal structure of the cofactor-bound holoenzyme was resolved at 2.0 Å; it contains two active site residues, Gly105 and Val322, specific for methionine γ-lyases. Modeling of methionine into the active site allows identification of the active site residues responsible for substrate recognition and catalysis. These findings support that CalE6 is a putative methionine γ-lyase producing methanethiol as a building block in biosynthesis of calicheamicins.

Thermostability and reactivity in organic solvent of O-phospho-L-serine sulfhydrylase from hyperthermophilic archaeon Aeropyrum pernix K1.

O-phospho-l-serine sulfhydrylase (OPSS) from archaeon Aeropyrum pernix K1 is able to synthesize l-cysteine even at 80 °C. In this article, we compared thermal stability and reactivity in organic solvent of OPSS with those of O-acetyl-l-serine sulfhydrylase B (OASS-B) from Escherichia coli. As a result, the thermostability of OPSS was much higher than that of OASS-B. Moreover, the activity of OPSS increased in the reaction mixture containing the organic solvent, such as N, N'-dimethyl formamide and 1,4-dioxane, whereas that of OASS-B gradually decreased as the content of organic solvent increased. From the crystal structural analysis, the intramolecular electrostatic interactions of N-terminal domain in OPSS seemed to be correlated with the tolerance of OPSS to high temperature and organic solvent. These results indicate that OPSS is more superior to OASS-B for the industrial production of l-cysteine and unnatural amino acids that are useful pharmaceuticals in the presence of organic solvent.

Exploration of structure-function relationships in Escherichia coli cystathionine γ-synthase and cystathionine ß-lyase via chimeric constructs and site-specific substitutions.

Cystathionine γ-synthase (CGS) and cystathionine ß-lyase (CBL) share a common structure and several active-site residues, but catalyze distinct side-chain rearrangements in the two-step transsulfuration pathway that converts cysteine to homocysteine, the precursor of methionine. A series of 12 chimeric variants of Escherichia coli CGS (eCGS) and CBL (eCBL) was constructed to probe the roles of two structurally distinct, ~25-residue segments situated in proximity to the amino and carboxy termini and located at the entrance of the active-site. In vivo complementation of methionine-auxotrophic E. coli strains, lacking the genes encoding eCGS and eCBL, demonstrated that exchange of the targeted regions impairs the activity of the resulting enzymes, but does not produce a corresponding interchange of reaction specificity. In keeping with the in vivo results, the catalytic efficiency of the native reactions is reduced by at least 95-fold, and α,ß versus α,γ-elimination specificity is not modified. The midpoint of thermal denaturation monitored by circular dichroism, ranges between 59 and 80°C, compared to 66°C for the two wild-type enzymes, indicating that the chimeric enzymes adopt a stable folded structure and that the observed reductions in catalytic efficiency are due to reorganization of the active site. Alanine-substitution variants of residues S32 and S33, as well as K42 of eCBL, situated in proximity to and within, respectively, the targeted amino-terminal region were also investigated to explore their role as determinants of reaction specificity via positioning of key active-site residues. The catalytic efficiency of the S32A, S33A and the K42A site-directed variants of eCBL is reduced by less than 10-fold, demonstrating that, while these residues may participate in positioning S339, which tethers the catalytic base, their role is minor.

A QM/MM study of the L-threonine formation reaction of threonine synthase: implications into the mechanism of the reaction specificity.

Threonine synthase catalyzes the most complex reaction among the pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzymes. The important step is the addition of a water molecule to the Cß-Cα double bond of the PLP-α-aminocrotonate aldimine intermediate. Transaldimination of this intermediate with Lys61 as a side reaction to form α-ketobutyrate competes with the normal addition reaction. We previously found that the phosphate ion released from the O-phospho-l-homoserine substrate plays a critical role in specifically promoting the normal reaction. In order to elucidate the detailed mechanism of this "product-assisted catalysis", we performed comparative QM/MM calculations with an exhaustive search for the lowest-energy-barrier reaction pathways starting from PLP-α-aminocrotonate aldimine intermediate. Satisfactory agreements with the experiment were obtained for the free energy profile and the UV/vis spectra when the PLP pyridine N1 was unprotonated and the phosphate ion was monoprotonated. Contrary to an earlier proposal, the base that abstracts a proton from the attacking water was the ε-amino group of Lys61 rather than the phosphate ion. Nevertheless, the phosphate ion is important for stabilizing the transition state of the normal transaldimination to form l-threonine by making a hydrogen bond with the hydroxy group of the l-threonine moiety. The absence of this interaction may account for the higher energy barrier of the side reaction, and explains the mechanism of the reaction specificity afforded by the phosphate ion product. Additionally, a new mechanism, in which a proton temporarily resides at the phenolate O3' of PLP, was proposed for the transaldimination process, a prerequisite step for the catalysis of all the PLP enzymes.

The N-terminal cleavable pre-sequence encoded in the first exon of cystathionine γ-synthase contains two different functional domains for chloroplast targeting and regulation of gene expression.

Chloroplast transit peptide sequences (cTPs) located in the N-terminal region of nuclear-encoded chloroplast proteins are essential for their sorting, and are generally cleaved from the proteins after their import into the chloroplasts. The Arabidopsis thaliana cystathionine γ-synthase (CGS), the first committed enzyme of methionine biosynthesis, is a nuclear-encoded chloroplast protein. Arabidopsis CGS possesses an N-terminal extension region that is dispensable for enzymatic activity. This N-terminal extension contains the cTP and several functional domains including an MTO1 region, the cis-element for post-transcriptional feedback regulation of CGS1 that codes for CGS. A previous report suggested that the cTP cleavage site of CGS is located upstream of the MTO1 region. However, the region required for protein sorting has not been analyzed. In this study, we carried out functional analyses to elucidate the region required for chloroplast targeting by using a chimeric protein, Ex1:GFP, in which the CGS1 exon 1 coding region containing the N-terminal extension was tagged with green fluorescent protein. The sequence upstream of the MTO1 region was responsible for efficient chloroplast targeting and for avoidance of missorting to the mitochondria. Our data also showed that the major N-terminus of Ex1:GFP is Ala91, which is located immediately downstream of the MTO1 region, and the MTO1 region is not retained in the mature Ex1:GFP accumulated in the chloroplast. These findings suggest that the N-terminal cleavable pre-sequence harbors dual functions in protein sorting and in regulating gene expression. Our study highlights the unique properties of Arabidopsis CGS cTP among chloroplast-targeted proteins.

Production and purification of a novel xanthan lyase from a xanthan-degrading Microbacterium sp. strain XT11.

A xanthan lyase was produced and purified from the culture supernatant of an excellent xanthan-modifying strain Microbacterium sp. XT11. Xanthan lyase was induced by xanthan but was inhibited by its structural monomer glucose. Its production by strain XT11 is much higher than that by all other reported strains. The purified xanthan lyase has a molecular mass of 110 kDa and a specific activity of 28.2 U/mg that was much higher than that of both Paenibacillus and Bacillus lyases. It was specific on the pyruvated mannosyl residue in the intact xanthan molecule, but about 50% lyase activity remained when xanthan was partially depyruvated. Xanthan lyase was optimally active at pH 6.0-6.5 and 40°C and alkali-tolerant at a high pH value of 11.0. The metal ions including K(+), Ca(2+), Na(+), Mg(2+), Mn(2+), and Li(+) strongly stimulated xanthan lyase activity but ions Zn(2+) and Cu(2+) were its inhibitor. Xanthan lyase should be a novel enzyme different from the other xanthan lyases ever reported.

Identification of a human trans-3-hydroxy-L-proline dehydratase, the first characterized member of a novel family of proline racemase-like enzymes.

A family of eukaryotic proline racemase-like genes has recently been identified. Several members of this family have been well characterized and are known to catalyze the racemization of free proline or trans-4-hydroxyproline. However, the majority of eukaryotic proline racemase-like proteins, including a human protein called C14orf149, lack a specific cysteine residue that is known to be critical for racemase activity. Instead, these proteins invariably contain a threonine residue at this position. The function of these enzymes has remained unresolved until now. In this study, we demonstrate that three enzymes of this type, including human C14orf149, catalyze the dehydration of trans-3-hydroxy-L-proline to Δ(1)-pyrroline-2-carboxylate (Pyr2C). These are the first enzymes of this subclass of proline racemase-like genes for which the enzymatic activity has been resolved. C14orf149 is also the first human enzyme that acts on trans-3-hydroxy-L-proline. Interestingly, a mutant enzyme in which the threonine in the active site is mutated back into cysteine regained 3-hydroxyproline epimerase activity. This result suggests that the enzymatic activity of these enzymes is dictated by a single residue. Presumably, human C14orf149 serves to degrade trans-3-hydroxy-L-proline from the diet and originating from the degradation of proteins that contain this amino acid, such as collagen IV, which is an important structural component of basement membrane.

Modification of residue 42 of the active site loop with a lysine-mimetic side chain rescues isochorismate-pyruvate lyase activity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PchB.

PchB is an isochorismate-pyruvate lyase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A positively charged lysine residue is located in a flexible loop that behaves as a lid to the active site, and the lysine residue is required for efficient production of salicylate. A variant of PchB that lacks the lysine at residue 42 has a reduced catalytic free energy of activation of up to 4.4 kcal/mol. Construction of a lysine isosteric residue bearing a positive charge at the appropriate position leads to the recovery of 2.5-2.7 kcal/mol (about 60%) of the 4.4 kcal/mol by chemical rescue. Exogenous addition of ethylamine to the K42A variant leads to a neglible recovery of activity (0.180 kcal/mol, roughly 7% rescue), whereas addition of propylamine caused an additional modest loss in catalytic power (0.056 kcal/mol, or 2% loss). This is consistent with the view that (a) the lysine-42 residue is required in a specific conformation to stabilize the transition state and (b) the correct conformation is achieved for a lysine-mimetic side chain at site 42 in the course of loop closure, as expected for transition-state stabilization by the side chain ammonio function. That the positive charge is the main effector of transition state stabilization is shown by the construction of a lysine-isosteric residue capable of exerting steric effects and hydrogen bonding but not electrostatic effects, leading to a modest increase of catalytic power (0.267-0.505 kcal/mol of catalytic free energy, or roughly 6-11% rescue).

Product-assisted catalysis as the basis of the reaction specificity of threonine synthase.

Threonine synthase (TS), which is a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme, catalyzes the elimination of the γ-phosphate group from O-phospho-L-homoserine (OPHS) and the subsequent addition of water at Cß to form L-threonine. The catalytic course of TS is the most complex among the PLP enzymes, and it is an intriguing problem how the elementary steps are controlled in TS to carry out selective reactions. When L-vinylglycine was added to Thermus thermophilus HB8 TS in the presence of phosphate, L-threonine was formed with k(cat) and reaction specificity comparable with those when OPHS was used as the substrate. However, in the absence of phosphate or when sulfate was used in place of phosphate, only the side reaction product, α-ketobutyrate, was formed. Global analysis of the spectral changes in the reaction of TS with L-threonine showed that compared with the more acidic sulfate ion, the phosphate ion decreased the energy levels of the transition states of the addition of water at the Cß of the PLP-α-aminocrotonate aldimine (AC) and the transaldimination to form L-threonine. The x-ray crystallographic analysis of TS complexed with an analog for AC gave a distinct electron density assigned to the phosphate ion derived from the solvent near the Cß of the analog. These results indicated that the phosphate ion released from OPHS by γ-elimination acts as the base catalyst for the addition of water at Cß of AC, thereby providing the basis of the reaction specificity. The phosphate ion is also considered to accelerate the protonation/deprotonation at Cγ.