Structure and mechanism of the lipooligosaccharide sialyltransferase from Neisseria meningitidis.

The first x-ray crystallographic structure of a CAZY family-52 glycosyltransferase, that of the membrane associated α2,3/α2,6 lipooligosaccharide sialyltransferase from Neisseria meningitidis serotype L1 (NST), has been solved to 1.95 Å resolution. The structure of NST adopts a GT-B-fold common with other glycosyltransferase (GT) families but exhibits a novel domain swap of the N-terminal 130 residues to create a functional homodimeric form not observed in any other class to date. The domain swap is mediated at the structural level by a loop-helix-loop extension between residues Leu-108 and Met-130 (we term the swapping module) and a unique lipid-binding domain. NST catalyzes the creation of α2,3- or 2,6-linked oligosaccharide products from a CMP-sialic acid (Neu5Ac) donor and galactosyl-containing acceptor sugars. Our structures of NST bound to the non-hydrolyzable substrate analog CMP-3F((axial))-Neu5Ac show that the swapping module from one monomer of NST mediates the binding of the donor sugar in a composite active site formed at the dimeric interface. Kinetic analysis of designed point mutations observed in the CMP-3F((axial))-Neu5Ac binding site suggests potential roles of a requisite general base (Asp-258) and general acid (His-280) in the NST catalytic mechanism. A long hydrophobic tunnel adjacent to the dimer interface in each of the two monomers contains electron density for two extended linear molecules that likely belong to either the two fatty acyl chains of a diglyceride lipid or the two polyethylene glycol groups of the detergent Triton X-100. In this work, Triton X-100 maintains the activity and increases the solubility of NST during purification and is critical to the formation of ordered crystals. Together, the mechanistic implications of the NST structure provide insight into lipooligosaccharide sialylation with respect to the association of substrates and the essential membrane-anchored nature of NST on the bacterial surface.

A flavin-dependent monooxygenase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis involved in cholesterol catabolism.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 have similar cholesterol catabolic pathways. This pathway contributes to the pathogenicity of Mtb. The hsaAB cholesterol catabolic genes have been predicted to encode the oxygenase and reductase, respectively, of a flavin-dependent mono-oxygenase that hydroxylates 3-hydroxy-9,10-seconandrost-1,3,5(10)-triene-9,17-dione (3-HSA) to a catechol. An hsaA deletion mutant of RHA1 did not grow on cholesterol but transformed the latter to 3-HSA and related metabolites in which each of the two keto groups was reduced: 3,9-dihydroxy-9,10-seconandrost-1,3,5(10)-triene-17-one (3,9-DHSA) and 3,17-dihydroxy-9,10-seconandrost-1,3,5(10)-triene-9-one (3,17-DHSA). Purified 3-hydroxy-9,10-seconandrost-1,3,5(10)-triene-9,17-dione 4-hydroxylase (HsaAB) from Mtb had higher specificity for 3-HSA than for 3,17-DHSA (apparent k(cat)/K(m) = 1000 +/- 100 M(-1) s(-1) versus 700 +/- 100 M(-1) s(-1)). However, 3,9-DHSA was a poorer substrate than 3-hydroxybiphenyl (apparent k(cat)/K(m) = 80 +/- 40 M(-1) s(-1)). In the presence of 3-HSA the K(m)(app) for O(2) was 100 +/- 10 microM. The crystal structure of HsaA to 2.5-A resolution revealed that the enzyme has the same fold, flavin-binding site, and catalytic residues as p-hydroxyphenyl acetate hydroxylase. However, HsaA has a much larger phenol-binding site, consistent with the enzyme's substrate specificity. In addition, a second crystal form of HsaA revealed that a C-terminal flap (Val(367)-Val(394)) could adopt two conformations differing by a rigid body rotation of 25 degrees around Arg(366). This rotation appears to gate the likely flavin entrance to the active site. In docking studies with 3-HSA and flavin, the closed conformation provided a rationale for the enzyme's substrate specificity. Overall, the structural and functional data establish the physiological role of HsaAB and provide a basis to further investigate an important class of monooxygenases as well as the bacterial catabolism of steroids.

Structure of the bacterial teichoic acid polymerase TagF provides insights into membrane association and catalysis.

Teichoic acid polymers are composed of polyol-phosphate units and form a major component of Gram-positive bacterial cell walls. These anionic compounds perform a multitude of important roles in bacteria and are synthesized by monotopic membrane proteins of the TagF polymerase family. We have determined the structure of Staphylococcus epidermidis TagF to 2.7-A resolution from a construct that includes both the membrane-targeting region and the glycerol-phosphate polymerase domains. TagF possesses a helical region for interaction with the lipid bilayer, placing the active site at a suitable distance for access to the membrane-bound substrate. Characterization of active-site residue variants and analysis of a CDP-glycerol substrate complex suggest a mechanism for polymer synthesis. With the importance of teichoic acid in Gram-positive physiology, this elucidation of the molecular details of TagF function provides a critical new target in the development of novel anti-infectives.