Conservation of Atypical Allostery in C. elegans UDP-Glucose Dehydrogenase.

Human UDP-glucose dehydrogenase (hUGDH) oxidizes uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glucose to UDP-glucuronic acid, an essential substrate in the phase II metabolism of drugs. The activity of hUGDH is controlled by an atypical allosteric mechanism in which the feedback inhibitor UDP-xylose competes with the substrate for the active site and triggers a buried allosteric switch to produce an inactive complex (EΩ). Previous comparisons with a nonallosteric UGDH identified six large-to-small substitutions that produce packing defects in the protein core and provide the conformational flexibility necessary for the allosteric transition. Here, we test the hypothesis that these large-to-small substitutions form a motif that can be used to identify allosteric UGDHs. Caenorhabditis elegans UGDH (cUGDH) conserves this motif with the exception of an Ala-to-Pro substitution in position 109. The crystal structures of unliganded and UDP-xylose bound cUGDH show that the A109P substitution is accommodated by an Asn-to-Ser substitution at position 290. Steady-state analysis and sedimentation velocity studies show that the allosteric transition is conserved in cUGDH. The enzyme also exhibits hysteresis in progress curves and negative cooperativity with respect to NAD+ binding. Both of these phenomena are conserved in the human enzyme, which is strong evidence that these represent fundamental features of atypical allostery in UGDH. A phylogenetic analysis of UGDH shows that the atypical allostery motif is ancient and identifies a potential transition point in the evolution of the UGDH family.

The structural and biochemical impacts of monomerizing human acetylcholinesterase.

Serving a critical role in neurotransmission, human acetylcholinesterase (hAChE) is the target of organophosphate nerve agents. Hence, there is an active interest in studying the mechanism of inhibition and recovery of enzymatic activity, which could lead to better countermeasures against nerve agents. As hAChE is found in different oligomeric assemblies, certain approaches to studying it have been problematic. Herein, we examine the biochemical and structural impact of monomerizing hAChE by using two mutations: L380R/F535K. The activities of monomeric hAChE L380R/F535K and dimeric hAChE were determined to be comparable utilizing a modified Ellman's assay. To investigate the influence of subunit-subunit interactions on the structure of hAChE, a 2.1 Å X-ray crystallographic structure was determined. Apart from minor shifts along the dimer interface, the overall structure of the hAChE L380R/F535K mutant is similar to that of dimeric hAChE. To probe whether the plasticity of the active site was overtly impacted by monomerizing hAChE, the kinetic constants of (PR/S ) - VX (ethyl({2-[bis(propan-2-yl)amino]ethyl}sulfanyl)(methyl)phosphinate) inhibition and subsequent rescue of hAChE L380R/F535K activity with HI-6 (1-(2'-hydroxyiminomethyl-1'-pyridinium)-3-(4'-carbamoyl-1-pyridinium)) were determined and found to be comparable to those of dimeric hAChE. Thus, hAChE L380R/F535K could be used as a substitute for dimeric hAChE when experimentally probing the ability of the hAChE active site to accommodate future nerve agent threats or judge the ability of new therapeutics to access the active site.

Hysteresis and Allostery in Human UDP-Glucose Dehydrogenase Require a Flexible Protein Core.

Human UDP-glucose dehydrogenase (hUGDH) oxidizes UDP-glucose to UDP-glucuronic acid, an essential substrate in the phase II metabolism of drugs. The activity of hUGDH is regulated by the conformation of a buried allosteric switch (T131 loop/α6 helix). Substrate binding induces the allosteric switch to slowly isomerize from an inactive E* conformation to the active E state, which can be observed as enzyme hysteresis. When the feedback inhibitor UDP-xylose binds, the allosteric switch and surrounding residues in the protein core repack, converting the hexamer into an inactive, horseshoe-shaped complex (EΩ). This allosteric transition is facilitated by large cavities and declivities in the protein core that provide the space required to accommodate the alternate packing arrangements. Here, we have used the A104L substitution to fill a cavity in the E state and sterically prevent repacking of the core into the EΩ state. Steady state analysis shows that hUGDHA104L binds UDP-xylose with lower affinity and that the inhibition is no longer cooperative. This means that the allosteric transition to the high-UDP-xylose affinity EΩ state is blocked by the substitution. The crystal structures of hUGDHA104L show that the allosteric switch still adopts the E and E* states, albeit with a more rigid protein core. However, the progress curves of hUGDHA104L do not show hysteresis, which suggests that the E* and E states are now in rapid equilibrium. Our data suggest that hysteresis in native hUGDH originates from the conformational entropy of the E* state protein core.

The entropic force generated by intrinsically disordered segments tunes protein function.

Protein structures are dynamic and can explore a large conformational landscape1,2. Only some of these structural substates are important for protein function (such as ligand binding, catalysis and regulation)3-5. How evolution shapes the structural ensemble to optimize a specific function is poorly understood3,4. One of the constraints on the evolution of proteins is the stability of the folded 'native' state. Despite this, 44% of the human proteome contains intrinsically disordered peptide segments greater than 30 residues in length6, the majority of which have no known function7-9. Here we show that the entropic force produced by an intrinsically disordered carboxy terminus (ID-tail) shifts the conformational ensemble of human UDP-α-D-glucose-6-dehydrogenase (UGDH) towards a substate with a high affinity for an allosteric inhibitor. The function of the ID-tail does not depend on its sequence or chemical composition. Instead, the affinity enhancement can be accurately predicted based on the length of the intrinsically disordered segment, and is consistent with the entropic force generated by an unstructured peptide attached to the protein surface10-13. Our data show that the unfolded state of the ID-tail rectifies the dynamics and structure of UGDH to favour inhibitor binding. Because this entropic rectifier does not have any sequence or structural constraints, it is an easily acquired adaptation. This model implies that evolution selects for disordered segments to tune the energy landscape of proteins, which may explain the persistence of intrinsic disorder in the proteome.

Anaerobic Heme Degradation: ChuY Is an Anaerobilin Reductase That Exhibits Kinetic Cooperativity.

Heme catabolism is an important biochemical process that many bacterial pathogens utilize to acquire iron. However, tetrapyrrole catabolites can be reactive and often require further processing for transport out of the cell or conversion to another useful cofactor. In previous work, we presented in vitro evidence of an anaerobic heme degradation pathway in Escherichia coli O157:H7. Consistent with reactions that have been reported for other radical S-adenosyl-l-methionine methyltransferases, ChuW transfers a methyl group to heme by a radical-mediated mechanism and catalyzes the ß-scission of the porphyrin macrocycle. This facilitates iron release and the production of a new linear tetrapyrrole termed "anaerobilin". In this work, we describe the structure and function of ChuY, an enzyme expressed downstream from chuW within the same heme utilization operon. ChuY is structurally similar to biliverdin reductase and forms a dimeric complex in solution that reduces anaerobilin to the product we have termed anaerorubin. Steady state analysis of ChuY exhibits kinetic cooperativity that is best explained by a random addition mechanism with a kinetically preferred path for initial reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate binding.

Allostery and Hysteresis Are Coupled in Human UDP-Glucose Dehydrogenase.

Human UDP-glucose dehydrogenase (hUGDH) is regulated by an atypical allosteric mechanism in which the feedback inhibitor UDP-xylose (UDP-Xyl) competes with the substrate for the active site. Binding of UDP-Xyl triggers the T131-loop/α6 allosteric switch, which converts the hexameric structure of hUGDH into an inactive, horseshoe-shaped complex (EΩ). This allosteric transition buries residue A136 in the protein core to produce a subunit interface that favors the EΩ structure. Here we use a methionine substitution to prevent the burial of A136 and trap the T131-loop/α6 switch in the active conformation. We show that hUGDHA136M does not exhibit substrate cooperativity, which is strong evidence that the methionine substitution prevents the formation of the low-UDP-Glc-affinity EΩ state. In addition, the inhibitor affinity of hUGDHA136M is reduced 14-fold, which most likely represents the Ki for competitive inhibition in the absence of the allosteric transition to the higher-affinity EΩ state. hUGDH also displays a lag in progress curves, which is caused by a slow, substrate-induced isomerization that activates the enzyme. Stopped-flow analysis shows that hUGDHA136M does not exhibit hysteresis, which suggests that the T131-loop/α6 switch is the source of the slow isomerization. This interpretation is supported by the 2.05 Å resolution crystal structure of hUGDHA136M, which shows that the A136M substitution has stabilized the active conformation of the T131-loop/α6 allosteric switch. This work shows that the T131-loop/α6 allosteric switch couples allostery and hysteresis in hUGDH.

1,2-Propanediol Dehydration in Roseburia inulinivorans: STRUCTURAL BASIS FOR SUBSTRATE AND ENANTIOMER SELECTIVITY.

Glycyl radical enzymes (GREs) represent a diverse superfamily of enzymes that utilize a radical mechanism to catalyze difficult, but often essential, chemical reactions. In this work we present the first biochemical and structural data for a GRE-type diol dehydratase from the organism Roseburia inulinivorans (RiDD). Despite high sequence (48% identity) and structural similarity to the GRE-type glycerol dehydratase from Clostridium butyricum, we demonstrate that the RiDD is in fact a diol dehydratase. In addition, the RiDD will utilize both (S)-1,2-propanediol and (R)-1,2-propanediol as a substrate, with an observed preference for the S enantiomer. Based on the new structural information we developed and successfully tested a hypothesis that explains the functional differences we observe.

An unprecedented NADPH domain conformation in lysine monooxygenase NbtG provides insights into uncoupling of oxygen consumption from substrate hydroxylation.

N-Hydroxylating monooxygenases are involved in the biosynthesis of iron-chelating hydroxamate-containing siderophores that play a role in microbial virulence. These flavoenzymes catalyze the NADPH- and oxygen-dependent hydroxylation of amines such as those found on the side chains of lysine and ornithine. In this work we report the biochemical and structural characterization of Nocardia farcinica Lys monooxygenase (NbtG), which has similar biochemical properties to mycobacterial homologs. NbtG is also active on d-Lys, although it binds l-Lys with a higher affinity. Differently from the ornithine monooxygenases PvdA, SidA, and KtzI, NbtG can use both NADH and NADPH and is highly uncoupled, producing more superoxide and hydrogen peroxide than hydroxylated Lys. The crystal structure of NbtG solved at 2.4 Å resolution revealed an unexpected protein conformation with a 30° rotation of the NAD(P)H domain with respect to the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) domain that precludes binding of the nicotinamide cofactor. This "occluded" structure may explain the biochemical properties of NbtG, specifically with regard to the substantial uncoupling and limited stabilization of the C4a-hydroperoxyflavin intermediate. Biological implications of these findings are discussed.

Hysteresis in human UDP-glucose dehydrogenase is due to a restrained hexameric structure that favors feedback inhibition.

Human UDP-α-d-glucose-6-dehydrogenase (hUGDH) displays hysteresis because of a slow isomerization from an inactive state (E*) to an active state (E). Here we show that the structure of E* constrains hUGDH in a conformation that favors feedback inhibition at physiological pH. The feedback inhibitor UDP-α-d-xylose (UDP-Xyl) competes with the substrate UDP-α-d-glucose for the active site. Upon binding, UDP-Xyl triggers an allosteric switch that changes the structure and affinity of the intersubunit interface to form a stable but inactive horseshoe-shaped hexamer. Using sedimentation velocity studies and a new crystal structure, we show that E* represents a stable conformational intermediate between the active and feedback-inhibited conformations. Because the allosteric switch occludes the cofactor and substrate binding sites in the inactive hexamer, the intermediate conformation observed in the crystal structure is consistent with the E* transient observed in relaxation studies. Steady-state analysis shows that the E* conformation enhances the affinity of hUGDH for the allosteric inhibitor UDP-Xyl by 8.6-fold (Ki = 810 nM). We present a model in which the constrained quaternary structure permits a small effector molecule to leverage a disproportionately large allosteric response.