Molecular dynamics complemented by site-directed mutagenesis reveals significant difference between the interdomain salt bridge networks stabilizing oligopeptidases B from bacteria and protozoa in their active conformations.

Oligopeptidases B (OpdBs) are trypsin-like peptidases from protozoa and bacteria that belong to the prolyl oligopeptidase (POP) family. All POPs consist of C-terminal catalytic domain and N-terminal ß-propeller domain and exist in two major conformations: closed (active), where the domains and residues of the catalytic triad are positioned close to each other, and open (non-active), where two domains and residues of the catalytic triad are separated. The interdomain interface, particularly, one of its salt bridges (SB1), plays a role in the transition between these two conformations. However, due to double amino acid substitution (E/R and R/Q), this functionally important SB1 is absent in γ-proteobacterial OpdBs including peptidase from Serratia proteamaculans (PSP). In this study, molecular dynamics was used to analyze inter- and intradomain interactions stabilizing PSP in the closed conformation, in which catalytic H652 is located close to other residues of the catalytic triad. The 3D models of either wild-type PSP or of mutant PSPs carrying activating mutations E125A and D649A in complexes with peptide-substrates were subjected to the analysis. The mechanism that regulates transition of H652 from active to non-active conformation upon domain separation in PSP and other γ-proteobacterial OpdB was proposed. The complex network of polar interactions within H652-loop/C-terminal α-helix and between these areas and ß-propeller domain, established in silico, was in a good agreement with both previously published results on the effects of single-residue mutations and new data on the effects of the activating mutations on each other and on the low active mutant PSP-K655A.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Activity modulation of the oligopeptidase B from Serratia proteamaculans by site-directed mutagenesis of amino acid residues surrounding catalytic triad histidine.

Oligopeptidase B (OpdB; EC 3.4.21.83) is a trypsin-like peptidase belonging to the family of serine prolyl oligopeptidases; two-domain structure of the enzyme includes C-terminal peptidase catalytic domain and N-terminal seven-bladed ß-propeller domain. Importance of the interface between these domains and particularly of the 5 salt bridges for enzyme activity was established for protozoan OpdBs. However, these salt bridges are not conserved in γ -proteobacterial OpdBs including the peptidase from Serratia proteamaculans (PSP). In this work, using comparative modelling and protozoan OpdBs' crystal structures we created 3D models of PSP in open and closed forms to elucidate the mechanism underlying inactivation of the truncated form of PSP1-655 obtained earlier. Analysis of the models shows that in the closed form of PSP charged amino acid residues of histidine loop, surrounding the catalytic triad His652, participate in formation of the inter-domain contact interface between catalytic and ß-propeller domains, while in the open form of PSP disconnection of the catalytic triad and distortion of these contacts can be observed. Complete destruction of this interface by site-directed mutagenesis causes inactivation of PSP while elimination of the individual contacts leads to differential effects on the enzyme activity and substrate specificity. Thus, we identified structural factors regulating activity of PSP and supposedly of other γ-proteobacterial OpdBs and discovered the possibility of directed modulation of their enzymatic features.