Dynamics of laser-induced electroconvection pulses.

We first report that, for planar nematic 4-methoxy-benzilidene-4-butylaniline (MBBA), the electroconvection threshold voltage has a nonmonotonic temperature dependence, with a well-defined minimum, and a slope of about -0.12 V/degrees C near room temperature at 70 Hz. Motivated by this observation, we have designed an experiment in which a weak continuous-wave absorbed laser beam with a diameter comparable to the pattern wavelength generates a locally supercritical region, or pulse, in dye-doped MBBA. Working 10-20 % below the laser-free threshold voltage, we observe a steady-state pulse shaped as an ellipse with the semimajor axis oriented parallel to the nematic director, with a typical size of several wavelengths. The pulse is robust, persisting even when spatially extended rolls develop in the surrounding region, and displays rolls that counterpropagate along the director at frequencies of tenths of Hz, with the rolls on the left (right) side of the ellipse moving to the right (left). Systematic measurements of the sample-voltage dependence of the pulse amplitude, spatial extent, and frequency show a saturation or decrease when the control parameter (evaluated at the center of the pulse) approaches approximately 0.3. We propose that the model for these pulses should be based on the theory of control-parameter ramps, supplemented with new terms to account for the advection of heat away from the pulse when the surrounding state becomes linearly unstable. The advection creates a negative feedback between the pulse size and the efficiency of heat transport, which we argue is responsible for the attenuation of the pulse at larger control-parameter values.

The reaction of yeast cystathionine beta-synthase is rate-limited by the conversion of aminoacrylate to cystathionine.

Our studies of the reaction mechanism of cystathionine beta-synthase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) are facilitated by the spectroscopic properties of the pyridoxal phosphate coenzyme that forms a series of intermediates in the reaction of L-serine and L-homocysteine to form L-cystathionine. To characterize these reaction intermediates, we have carried out rapid-scanning stopped-flow and single-wavelength stopped-flow kinetic measurements under pre-steady-state conditions, as well as circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy under steady-state conditions. We find that the gem-diamine and external aldimine of aminoacrylate are the primary intermediates in the forward half-reaction with L-serine and that the external aldimine of aminoacrylate or its complex with L-homocysteine is the primary intermediate in the reverse half-reaction with L-cystathionine. The second forward half-reaction of aminoacrylate with L-homocysteine is rapid. No primary kinetic isotope effect was obtained in the forward half-reaction with L-serine. The results provide evidence (1) that the formation of the external aldimine of L-serine is faster than the formation of the aminoacrylate intermediate, (2) that aminoacrylate is formed by the concerted removal of the alpha-proton and the hydroxyl group of L-serine, and (3) that the rate of the overall reaction is rate-limited by the conversion of aminoacrylate to L-cystathionine. We compare our results with cystathionine beta-synthase with those of related investigations of tryptophan synthase and O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase.

Beta D305A mutant of tryptophan synthase shows strongly perturbed allosteric regulation and substrate specificity.

Substrate channeling in the tryptophan synthase bienzyme is regulated by allosteric interactions. Allosteric signals are transmitted via a scaffolding of structural elements that includes a monovalent cation-binding site and salt-bridging interactions between the side chains of betaAsp 305, betaArg 141, betaLys 167, and alphaAsp 56 that appear to modulate the interconversion between open and closed conformations. betaAsp 305 also interacts with the hydroxyl group of the substrate L-Ser in some structures. One possible functional role for betaAsp 305 is to ensure the allosteric transmission that triggers the switching of alphabeta-dimeric units between open and closed conformations of low and high activity. This work shows that substitution of betaAsp 305 with Ala (betaD305A) decreases the affinity of the beta-site for the substrate L-Ser, destabilizes the enzyme-bound alpha-aminoacrylate, E(A-A), and quinonoid species, E(Q), and changes the nucleophile specificity of the beta-reaction. The altered specificity provides a biosynthetic route for new L-amino acids derived from substrate analogues. betaD305A also shows an increased rate of formation of pyruvate upon reaction with L-Ser relative to the wild-type enzyme. The formation of pyruvate is strongly inhibited by the binding of benzimidazole to E(A-A). Upon reaction with L-Ser and in the presence of the alpha-site substrate analogue, alpha-glycerol phosphate, the Na(+) form of betaD305A undergoes inactivation via reaction of nascent alpha-aminoacrylate with bound PLP. This work establishes important roles for betaAsp 305 both in the conformational change between open and closed states that takes place at the beta-site during the formation of the E(A-A) and in substrate binding and recognition.

Investigation of allosteric linkages in the regulation of tryptophan synthase: the roles of salt bridges and monovalent cations probed by site-directed mutation, optical spectroscopy, and kinetics.

The tryptophan synthase bienzyme complex is the most extensively documented example of substrate channeling in which the oligomeric unit has been described at near atomic resolution. Transfer of the common metabolite, indole, between the alpha- and the beta-sites occurs by diffusion along a 25-A-long interconnecting tunnel within each alphabeta-dimeric unit of the alpha(2)beta(2) oligomer. The control of metabolite transfer involves allosteric interactions that trigger the switching of alphabeta-dimeric units between open and closed conformations and between catalytic states of low and high activity. This allosteric signaling is triggered by covalent transformations at the beta-site and ligand binding to the alpha-site. The signals are transmitted between sites via a scaffolding of structural elements that includes a monovalent cation (MVC) binding site and salt bridging interactions of betaLys 167 with betaAsp 305 or alphaAsp 56. Through the combined strategies of site-directed mutations of these amino acid residues and cation substitutions at the MVC site, this work examines the interrelationship of the MVC site and the alternative salt bridges formed between Lys beta167 with Asp beta305 or Asp alpha56 to the regulation of channeling. These experiments show that both the binding of a MVC and the formation of the Lys beta167-Asp alpha56 salt bridge are important to the transmission of allosteric signals between the sites, whereas, the salt bridge between betaK167 and betaD305 appears to be only of minor significance to catalysis and allosteric regulation. The mechanistic implications of these findings both for substrate channeling and for catalysis are discussed.

Tryptophan synthase: a multienzyme complex with an intramolecular tunnel.

Tryptophan synthase is a classic enzyme that channels a metabolic intermediate, indole. The crystal structure of the tryptophan synthase alpha2beta2 complex from Salmonella typhimurium revealed for the first time the architecture of a multienzyme complex and the presence of an intramolecular tunnel. This remarkable hydrophobic tunnel provides a likely passageway for indole from the active site of the alpha subunit, where it is produced, to the active site of the beta subunit, where it reacts with L-serine to form L-tryptophan in a pyridoxal phosphate-dependent reaction. Rapid kinetic studies of the wild type enzyme and of channel-impaired mutant enzymes provide strong evidence for the proposed channeling mechanism. Structures of a series of enzyme-substrate intermediates at the alpha and beta active sites are elucidating enzyme mechanisms and dynamics. These structural results are providing a fascinating picture of loops opening and closing, of domain movements, and of conformational changes in the indole tunnel. Solution studies provide further evidence for ligand-induced conformational changes that send signals between the alpha and beta subunits. The combined results show that the switching of the enzyme between open and closed conformations couples the catalytic reactions at the alpha and beta active sites and prevents the escape of indole.

Protein evolution. On the ancestry of barrels.

Most proteins consist of several domains linked together in a single polypeptide chain, and many of these proteins have evolved by gene duplication and fusion. Miles and Davies discuss the study by Lang et al., who show that this type of protein evolution may also occur in b/a barrel proteins, a common single-domain protein fold. Other single domain proteins may have arisen from similar evolutionary mechanisms.

Stereochemistry of the transamination reaction catalyzed by aminodeoxychorismate lyase from Escherichia coli: close relationship between fold type and stereochemistry.

Aminodeoxychorismate lyase is a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent enzyme that converts 4-aminodeoxychorismate to pyruvate and p-aminobenzoate, a precursor of folic acid in bacteria. The enzyme exhibits significant sequence similarity to two aminotransferases, D-amino acid aminotransferase and branched-chain L-amino acid aminotransferase. In the present study, we have found that aminodeoxychorismate lyase catalyzes the transamination between D-alanine and pyridoxal phosphate to produce pyruvate and pyridoxamine phosphate. L-Alanine and other D- and L-amino acids tested were inert as substrates of transamination. The pro-R hydrogen of C4' of pyridoxamine phosphate was stereospecifically abstracted during the reverse half transamination from pyridoxamine phosphate to pyruvate. Aminodeoxychorismate lyase is identical to D-amino acid aminotransferase and branched-chain L-amino acid aminotransferase in the stereospecificity of the hydrogen abstraction, and differs from all other pyridoxal enzymes that catalyze pro-S hydrogen transfer. Aminodeoxychorismate lyase is the first example of a lyase that catalyzes pro-R-specific hydrogen abstraction. The result is consistent with recent X-ray crystallographic findings showing that the topological relationships between the cofactor and the catalytic residue for hydrogen abstraction are conserved among aminodeoxychorismate lyase, D-amino acid aminotransferase and branched-chain L-amino acid aminotransferase [Nakai, T., Mizutani, H., Miyahara, I., Hirotsu, K., Takeda, S., Jhee, K.-H., Yoshimura, T., and Esaki, N. (2000) J. Biochem. 128, 29-38].

Domain architecture of the heme-independent yeast cystathionine beta-synthase provides insights into mechanisms of catalysis and regulation.

Cystathionine beta-synthase from yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) provides a model system for understanding some of the effects of disease-causing mutations in the human enzyme. The mutations, which lead to accumulation of L-homocysteine, are linked to homocystinuria and cardiovascular diseases. Here we characterize the domain architecture of the heme-independent yeast cystathionine beta-synthase. Our finding that the homogeneous recombinant truncated enzyme (residues 1-353) is catalytically active and binds pyridoxal phosphate stoichiometrically establishes that the N-terminal residues 1-353 compose a catalytic domain. Removal of the C-terminal residues 354-507 increases the specific activity and alters the steady-state kinetic parameters including the K(d) for pyridoxal phosphate, suggesting that the C-terminal residues 354-507 compose a regulatory domain. The yeast enzyme, unlike the human enzyme, is not activated by S-adenosyl-L-methionine. The truncated yeast enzyme is a dimer, whereas the full-length enzyme is a mixture of tetramer and octamer, suggesting that the C-terminal domain plays a role in the interaction of the subunits to form higher oligomeric structures. The N-terminal catalytic domain is more stable and less prone to aggregate than full-length enzyme and is thus potentially more suitable for structure determination by X-ray crystallography. Comparisons of the yeast and human enzymes reveal significant differences in catalytic and regulatory properties.

Thermal repair of tryptophan synthase mutations in a regulatory intersubunit salt bridge. Evidence from arrhenius plots, absorption spectra, and primary kinetic isotope effects.

This work is aimed at understanding how protein structure and conformation regulate activity and allosteric communication in the tryptophan synthase alpha(2)beta(2) complex from Salmonella typhimurium. Previous crystallographic and kinetic results suggest that both monovalent cations and a salt bridge between alpha subunit Asp(56) and beta subunit Lys(167) play allosteric roles. Here we show that mutation of either of these salt bridging residues produced deleterious effects that could be repaired by increased temperature in combination with CsCl or with NaCl plus an alpha subunit ligand, alpha-glycerol 3-phosphate. Arrhenius plots of the activity data under these conditions were nonlinear. The same conditions yielded temperature-dependent changes in the equilibrium distribution of enzyme-substrate intermediates and in primary kinetic isotope effects. We correlate the results with a model in which the mutant enzymes are converted by increased temperature from a low activity, "open" conformation to a high activity, "closed" conformation under certain conditions. The allosteric ligand and different monovalent cations affected the equilibrium between the open and closed forms. The results suggest that alpha subunit Asp(56) and beta subunit Lys(167) are not essential for catalysis and for allosteric communication between the alpha and beta subunits but that their mutual interaction is important in stabilization of the active, closed form of the alpha(2)beta(2) complex.

Yeast cystathionine beta-synthase is a pyridoxal phosphate enzyme but, unlike the human enzyme, is not a heme protein.

Our studies of cystathionine beta-synthase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) are aimed at clarifying the cofactor dependence and catalytic mechanism and obtaining a system for future investigations of the effects of mutations that cause human disease (homocystinuria or coronary heart disease). We report methods that yielded high expression of the yeast gene in Escherichia coli and of purified yeast cystathionine beta-synthase. The absorption and circular dichroism spectra of the homogeneous enzyme were characteristic of a pyridoxal phosphate enzyme and showed the absence of heme, which is found in human and rat cystathionine beta-synthase. The absence of heme in the yeast enzyme facilitates spectroscopic studies to probe the catalytic mechanism. The reaction of the enzyme with L-serine in the absence of L-homocysteine produced the aldimine of aminoacrylate, which absorbed at 460 nm and had a strong negative circular dichroism band at 460 nm. The formation of this intermediate from the product, L-cystathionine, demonstrates the partial reversibility of the reaction. Our results establish the overall catalytic mechanism of yeast cystathionine beta-synthase and provide a useful system for future studies of structure and function. The absence of heme in the functional yeast enzyme suggests that heme does not play an essential catalytic role in the rat and human enzymes. The results are consistent with the absence of heme in the closely related enzymes O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase, threonine deaminase, and tryptophan synthase.

Regulation of tryptophan synthase by temperature, monovalent cations, and an allosteric ligand. Evidence from Arrhenius plots, absorption spectra, and primary kinetic isotope effects.

To investigate the linkage between enzyme conformation and catalysis, we have determined the effects of temperature on catalytic properties of the tryptophan synthase alpha(2)beta(2) complex and beta(2) subunit in the absence or presence of different monovalent cations (Cs(+), Na(+), and GuH(+)) and of an allosteric ligand, alpha-glycerol 3-phosphate. Arrhenius plots of the activity data between 5 and 50 degrees C are nonlinear in the presence of certain ligands but not others. The conditions that yield nonlinear Arrhenius plots also yield temperature-dependent changes in the equilibrium distribution of enzyme-substrate intermediates and in primary kinetic isotope effects. The results provide evidence that the nonlinear Arrhenius plots are caused by a temperature-dependent conformational change that precedes the rate-limiting step in catalysis. Thermodynamic analysis of the data associated with the conformational change shows that the activation energies are much higher at low temperatures than at high temperatures. We correlate the results with a model in which the enzyme is converted by increased temperature under certain conditions from a low-activity "open" conformation to a high-activity "closed" conformation. The allosteric ligand and different monovalent cations, including GuH(+), which also acts as a chaotropic agent, affect the equilibrium between the open and closed forms. The large positive entropy changes in the conformational conversion suggest that the closed conformation results from tightened hydrophobic interactions that exclude water from the active site of the beta subunit.

Structure and function of the tryptophan synthase alpha(2)beta(2) complex. Roles of beta subunit histidine 86.

To probe the structural and functional roles of active-site residues in the tryptophan synthase alpha(2)beta(2) complex from Salmonella typhimurium, we have determined the effects of mutation of His(86) in the beta subunit. His(86) is located adjacent to beta subunit Lys(87), which forms an internal aldimine with the pyridoxal phosphate and catalyzes the abstraction of the alpha-proton of L-serine. The replacement of His(86) by leucine (H86L) weakened pyridoxal phosphate binding approximately 20-fold and abolished the circular dichroism signals of the bound coenzyme and of a reaction intermediate. Correlation of these results with previous crystal structures indicates that beta-His(86) plays a structural role in binding pyridoxal phosphate and in stabilizing the correct orientation of pyridoxal phosphate in the active site of the beta subunit. The H86L mutation also altered the pH profiles of absorbance and fluorescence signals and shifted the pH optimum for the synthesis of L-tryptophan from pH 7.5 to 8.8. We propose that the interaction of His(86) with the phosphate of pyridoxal phosphate and with Lys(87) lowers the pK(a) of Lys(87) in the wild-type alpha(2)beta(2) complex and thereby facilitates catalysis by Lys(87) in the physiological pH range.

Guanidine hydrochloride exerts dual effects on the tryptophan synthase alpha 2 beta 2 complex as a cation activator and as a modulator of the active site conformation.

To characterize the conformational transitions that regulate the activity and specificity of the tryptophan synthase alpha 2 beta 2 complex, we have determined some effects of low concentrations of guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl) and of urea on functional properties. We report the novel finding that GuHCl at low concentrations (0. 02-0.08 M) is a cation activator of the tryptophan synthase alpha 2 beta 2 complex. Molecular modeling studies show that GuH+ could bind at a previously identified cation binding site in the tryptophan synthase beta subunit. Addition of increasing concentrations of GuHCl has strikingly different effects on the rates of different reactions with L-serine or beta-chloro-L-alanine in the presence or absence of indole. Spectroscopic studies demonstrate that GuHCl alters the equilibrium distribution of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate intermediates formed in reactions at the active site of the beta subunit. Data analysis shows that GuHCl binds preferentially with the conformer of the enzyme that predominates when the aldimine of L-serine is formed and shifts the equilibrium in favor of this conformer. These results provide evidence that GuHCl exerts dual effects on tryptophan synthase as a cation, stimulating activity, and as a chaotropic agent, altering the distribution of conformational states that exhibit different reaction specificities. Our finding that the nonionic urea stabilizes the aldimine of L-serine in the presence, but not in the absence, of NaCl shows that cation binding plays an important role in the conformational transitions that regulate activity and the transmission of allosteric signals between the alpha and beta sites.

Tryptophan synthase mutations that alter cofactor chemistry lead to mechanism-based inactivation.

Mutations in the pyridoxal phosphate binding site of the tryptophan synthase beta subunit (S377D and S377E) alter cofactor chemistry [Jhee, K.-H., et al. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 11417-11422]. We now report that the S377D, S377E, and S377A beta2 subunits form alpha2 beta2 complexes with the alpha subunit and activate the alpha subunit-catalyzed cleavage of indole 3-glycerol phosphate. The apparent Kd for dissociation of the alpha and beta subunits is unaffected by the S377A mutation but is increased up to 500-fold by the S377D and S377E mutations. Although the three mutant alpha2 beta2 complexes exhibit very low activities in beta elimination and beta replacement reactions catalyzed at the beta site in the presence of Na+, the activities and spectroscopic properties of the S377A alpha2 beta2 complex are partially repaired by addition of Cs+. The S377D and S377E alpha2 beta2 complexes, unlike the wild-type and S377A alpha2 beta2 complexes and the mutant beta2 subunits, undergo irreversible substrate-induced inactivation by L-serine or by beta-chloro-L-alanine. The rates of inactivation (kinact) are similar to the rates of catalysis (kcat). The partition ratios are very low (kcat/kinact = 0.25-3) and are affected by alpha subunit ligands and monovalent cations. The inactivation product released by alkali was shown by HPLC and by fluorescence, absorption, and mass spectroscopy to be identical to a compound previously synthesized from pyridoxal phosphate and pyruvate. We suggest that alterations in the cofactor chemistry that result from the engineered Asp377 in the active site of the beta subunit may promote the mechanism-based inactivation.

A thermodynamic investigation of reactions catalyzed by tryptophan synthase.

Microcalorimetry and high-performance liquid chromatography have been used to conduct a thermodynamic investigation of the following reactions catalyzed by the tryptophan synthase alpha 2 beta 2 complex (EC 4.2.1.20) and its subunits: indole(aq) + L-serine(aq) = L-tryptophan(aq) + H2O(1); L-serine(aq) = pyruvate(aq) + ammonia(aq); indole(aq) + D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate(aq) = 1-(indol-3-yl)glycerol 3-phosphate(aq); L-serine(aq) + 1-(indol-3-yl)glycerol 3-phosphate(aq) = L-tryptophan(aq) + D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate(aq) + H2O(1). The calorimetric measurements led to standard molar enthalpy changes for all four of these reactions. Direct measurements yielded an apparent equilibrium constant for the third reaction; equilibrium constants for the remaining three reactions were obtained by using thermochemical cycle calculations. The results of the calorimetric and equilibrium measurements were analyzed in terms of a chemical equilibrium model that accounted for the multiplicity of the ionic states of the reactants and products. Thermodynamic quantities for chemical reference reactions involving specific ionic forms have been obtained. These quantities permit the calculation of the position of equilibrium of the above four reactions as a function of temperature, pH, and ionic strength. Values of the apparent equilibrium constants and standard transformed Gibbs free energy changes delta r G'(m) degree under approximately physiological conditions are given. Le Châtelier's principle provides an explanation as to why, in the metabolic pathway leading to the synthesis of L-tryptophan, the third reaction proceeds in the direction of formation of indole and D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate even though the apparent equilibrium constant greatly favors the formation of 1-(indol-3-yl)glycerol 3-phosphate.

Cryocrystallography and microspectrophotometry of a mutant (alpha D60N) tryptophan synthase alpha 2 beta 2 complex reveals allosteric roles of alpha Asp60.

We have investigated the role of Asp60 of the alpha-subunit in allosteric communication between the tryptophan synthase alpha- and beta-subunits. Crystallographic and microspectrophotometric studies have been carried out on a mutant (alpha D60N) tryptophan synthase alpha 2 beta 2 complex which has no observable alpha-activity, but has substantial beta-activity. Single-crystal polarized absorption spectra indicate that the external aldimine is the predominant L-serine intermediate and that the amount of the intermediate formed is independent of pH, monovalent cations, and allosteric effectors. The three-dimensional structure is reported for this mutant enzyme complexed with indole 3-propanol phosphate bound to the alpha-site and L-serine bound to the beta-site (alpha D60N-IPP-Ser), and this structure is compared with that of the unliganded mutant enzyme (alpha D60N). In the complex, L-serine forms a stable external aldimine with the pyridoxal phosphate coenzyme at the active site of the beta-subunit. The conformation of the unliganded mutant is almost identical to that of the wild type enzyme. However, the structure of the mutant complexed with IPP and serine exhibits ligand-induced conformational changes much smaller than those observed previously for another mutant enzyme in the presence of the same ligands (beta K87T-IPP-Ser) [Rhee, S., Parris, K. D., Hyde, C. C., Ahmed, S. A., Miles, E. W., and Davies, D. R. (1997) Biochemistry 36, 7664-7680]. The alpha D60N-IPP-Ser alpha 2 beta 2 complex does not undergo the following ligand-induced conformational changes: (1) the closure of the alpha-subunit loop 6 (residues 178-191), (2) the movement of the mobile subdomain (residues 93-189) of the beta-subunit, and (3) the rotation of the alpha-subunit relative to the beta-subunit. These observations show that alpha Asp60 plays important roles in the closure of loop 6 and in allosteric communication between the alpha- and beta-subunits.

Mutation of an active site residue of tryptophan synthase (beta-serine 377) alters cofactor chemistry.

To better understand how an enzyme controls cofactor chemistry, we have changed a tryptophan synthase residue that interacts with the pyridine nitrogen of the pyridoxal phosphate cofactor from a neutral Ser (beta-Ser377) to a negatively charged Asp or Glu. The spectroscopic properties of the mutant enzymes are altered and become similar to those of tryptophanase and aspartate aminotransferase, enzymes in which an Asp residue interacts with the pyridine nitrogen of pyridoxal phosphate. The absorption spectrum of each mutant enzyme undergoes a pH-dependent change (pKa approximately 7.7) from a form with a protonated internal aldimine nitrogen (lambdamax = 416 nm) to a deprotonated form (lambdamax = 336 nm), whereas the absorption spectra of the wild type tryptophan synthase beta2 subunit and alpha2 beta2 complex are pH-independent. The reaction of the S377D alpha2 beta2 complex with L-serine, L-tryptophan, and other substrates results in the accumulation of pronounced absorption bands (lambdamax = 498-510 nm) ascribed to quinonoid intermediates. We propose that the engineered Asp or Glu residue changes the cofactor chemistry by stabilizing the protonated pyridine nitrogen of pyridoxal phosphate, reducing the pKa of the internal aldimine nitrogen and promoting formation of quinonoid intermediates.

Cryo-crystallography of a true substrate, indole-3-glycerol phosphate, bound to a mutant (alphaD60N) tryptophan synthase alpha2beta2 complex reveals the correct orientation of active site alphaGlu49.

The reversible cleavage of indole-3-glycerol by the alpha-subunit of tryptophan synthase has been proposed to be catalyzed by alphaGlu49 and alphaAsp60. Although previous x-ray crystallographic structures of the tryptophan synthase alpha2beta2 complex showed an interaction between the carboxylate of alphaAsp60 and the bound inhibitor indole-3-propanol phosphate, the carboxylate of alphaGlu49 was too distant to play its proposed role. To clarify the structural and functional roles of alphaGlu49, we have determined crystal structures of a mutant (alphaD60N) alpha2beta2 complex in the presence and absence of the true substrate, indole-3-glycerol phosphate. The enzyme in the crystal cleaves indole-3-glycerol phosphate very slowly at room temperature but not under cryo-conditions of 95 K. The structure of the complex with the true substrate obtained by cryo-crystallography reveals that indole-3-glycerol phosphate and indole-3-propanol phosphate have similar binding modes but different torsion angles. Most importantly, the side chain of alphaGlu49 interacts with 3-hydroxyl group of indole-3-glycerol phosphate as proposed. The movement of the side chain of alphaGlu49 into an extended conformation upon binding the true substrate provides evidence for an induced fit mechanism. Our results demonstrate how cryo-crystallography and mutagenesis can provide insight into enzyme mechanism.

Mutations in the contact region between the alpha and beta subunits of tryptophan synthase alter subunit interaction and intersubunit communication.

Interaction between the alpha and beta subunits of tryptophan synthase leads to mutual stabilization of the active conformations and to coordinated control of the activities of the two subunits. To elucidate the roles of specific residues in the interaction site between the alpha and beta subunits, mutant alpha and beta subunits were constructed, and the effects of mutation on subunit interaction and intersubunit communication were determined. Mutation of either alpha subunit Asp56 (alphaD56A) or beta subunit Lys167 (betaK167T), residues that interact in some crystal structures of the tryptophan synthase alpha2beta2 complex, decreases the ability of the alpha subunit to activate the beta subunit and alters the reaction and substrate specificity of the beta subunit. Partial conformational repair is provided by alpha-glycerol 3-phosphate, a ligand that binds to the alpha subunit, or by Cs+ or NH4+, ligands that bind to the beta subunit. Mutation of beta subunit Arg175 (betaR175A), a residue that interacts with alpha subunit Pro57 in some structures, has much smaller effects on activity but results in a 15-fold increase in the apparent Kd for dissociation of the alpha and beta subunits. Replacement of the single tryptophan in the beta subunit by phenylalanine (W177F) has only small effects on activity but increases the apparent subunit dissociation constant approximately 10-fold. The most important conclusions of this investigation are that interaction between alphaAsp56 and betaLys167 is important for intersubunit communication and that mutual stabilization of the active conformations of the two subunits is impaired by mutation of either residue.