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The Mycobacterium tuberculosis trifunctional enzyme (MtTFE) is an α 2 β 2 tetrameric enzyme in which the α-chain harbors the 2E-enoyl-CoA hydratase (ECH) and 3S-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HAD) active sites, and the β-chain provides the 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase (KAT) active site. Linear, medium-chain and long-chain 2E-enoyl-CoA molecules are the preferred substrates of MtTFE. Previous crystallographic binding and modeling studies identified binding sites for the acyl-CoA substrates at the three active sites, as well as the NAD binding pocket at the HAD active site. These studies also identified three additional CoA binding sites on the surface of MtTFE that are different from the active sites. It has been proposed that one of these additional sites could be of functional relevance for the substrate channeling (by surface crawling) of reaction intermediates between the three active sites. Here, 226 fragments were screened in a crystallographic fragment-binding study of MtTFE crystals, resulting in the structures of 16 MtTFE-fragment complexes. Analysis of the 121 fragment-binding events shows that the ECH active site is the `binding hotspot' for the tested fragments, with 41 binding events. The mode of binding of the fragments bound at the active sites provides additional insight into how the long-chain acyl moiety of the substrates can be accommodated at their proposed binding pockets. In addition, the 20 fragment-binding events between the active sites identify potential transient binding sites of reaction intermediates relevant to the possible channeling of substrates between these active sites. These results provide a basis for further studies to understand the functional relevance of the latter binding sites and to identify substrates for which channeling is crucial., (open access.)

Protein crystallography is an established method to study the atomic structures of macromolecules and their complexes. A prerequisite for successful structure determination is diffraction-quality crystals, which may require extensive optimization of both the protein and the conditions, and hence projects can stretch over an extended period, with multiple users being involved. The workflow from crystallization and crystal treatment to deposition and publication is well defined, and therefore an electronic laboratory information management system (LIMS) is well suited to management of the data. Completion of the project requires key information on all the steps being available and this information should also be made available according to the FAIR principles. As crystallized samples are typically shipped between facilities, a key feature to be captured in the LIMS is the exchange of metadata between the crystallization facility of the home laboratory and, for example, synchrotron facilities. On completion, structures are deposited in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) and the LIMS can include the PDB code in its database, completing the chain of custody from crystallization to structure deposition and publication. A LIMS designed for macromolecular crystallography, IceBear, is available as a standalone installation and as a hosted service, and the implementation of key features for the capture of metadata in IceBear is discussed as an example., (open access.)

Multifunctional enzyme, type-1 (MFE1) catalyzes the second and third step of the β-oxidation cycle, being, respectively, the 2E-enoyl-CoA hydratase (ECH) reaction (N-terminal part, crotonase fold) and the NAD + -dependent, 3S-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HAD) reaction (C-terminal part, HAD fold). Structural enzymological properties of rat MFE1 (RnMFE1) as well as of two of its variants, namely the E123A variant (a glutamate of the ECH active site is mutated into alanine) and the BCDE variant (without domain A of the ECH part), were studied, using as substrate 3S-hydroxybutanoyl-CoA. Protein crystallographic binding studies show the hydrogen bond interactions of 3S-hydroxybutanoyl-CoA as well as of its 3-keto, oxidized form, acetoacetyl-CoA, with the catalytic glutamates in the ECH active site. Pre-steady state binding experiments with NAD + and NADH show that the k on and k off rate constants of the HAD active site of monomeric RnMFE1 and the homologous human, dimeric 3S-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HsHAD) for NAD + and NADH are very similar, being the same as those observed for the E123A and BCDE variants. However, steady state and pre-steady state kinetic data concerning the HAD-catalyzed dehydrogenation reaction of the substrate 3S-hydroxybutanoyl-CoA show that, respectively, the k cat and k chem rate constants for conversion into acetoacetyl-CoA by RnMFE1 (and its two variants) are about 10 fold lower as when catalyzed by HsHAD. The dynamical properties of dehydrogenases are known to be important for their catalytic efficiency, and it is discussed that the greater complexity of the RnMFE1 fold correlates with the observation that RnMFE1 is a slower dehydrogenase than HsHAD., (© 2024 The Authors. FEBS Open Bio published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Federation of European Biochemical Societies.)

The crotonase fold is generated by a framework of four repeats of a ββα-unit, extended by two helical regions. The active site of crotonase superfamily (CS) enzymes is located at the N-terminal end of the helix of the third repeat, typically being covered by a C-terminal helix. A major subset of CS-enzymes catalyzes acyl-CoA-dependent reactions, allowing for a diverse range of acyl-tail modifications. Most of these enzymes occur as trimers or hexamers (dimers of trimers), but monomeric forms are also observed. A common feature of the active sites of CS-enzymes is an oxyanion hole, formed by two peptide-NH hydrogen bond donors, which stabilises the negatively charged thioester oxygen atom of the reaction intermediate. Structural properties and possible use of these enzymes for biotechnological applications are discussed., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Facultative anaerobic bacteria such as Escherichia coli have two α 2 β 2 heterotetrameric trifunctional enzymes (TFE), catalyzing the last three steps of the β-oxidation cycle: soluble aerobic TFE (EcTFE) and membrane-associated anaerobic TFE (anEcTFE), closely related to the human mitochondrial TFE (HsTFE). The cryo-EM structure of anEcTFE and crystal structures of anEcTFE-α show that the overall assembly of anEcTFE and HsTFE is similar. However, their membrane-binding properties differ considerably. The shorter A5-H7 and H8 regions of anEcTFE-α result in weaker α-β as well as α-membrane interactions, respectively. The protruding H-H region of anEcTFE-β is therefore more critical for membrane-association. Mutational studies also show that this region is important for the stability of the anEcTFE-β dimer and anEcTFE heterotetramer. The fatty acyl tail binding tunnel of the anEcTFE-α hydratase domain, as in HsTFE-α, is wider than in EcTFE-α, accommodating longer fatty acyl tails, in good agreement with their respective substrate specificities., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The Fe 2+ -dependent E. coli enzyme FucO catalyzes the reversible interconversion of short-chain (S)-lactaldehyde and (S)-1,2-propanediol, using NADH and NAD + as cofactors, respectively. Laboratory-directed evolution experiments have been carried out previously using phenylacetaldehyde as the substrate for screening catalytic activity with bulky substrates, which are very poorly reduced by wild-type FucO. These experiments identified the N151G/L259V double mutant (dubbed DA1472) as the most active variant with this substrate via a two-step evolutionary pathway, in which each step consisted of one point mutation. Here the crystal structures of DA1472 and its parent D93 (L259V) are reported, showing that these amino acid substitutions provide more space in the active site, though they do not cause changes in the main-chain conformation. The catalytic activity of DA1472 with the physiological substrate (S)-lactaldehyde and a series of substituted phenylacetaldehyde derivatives were systematically quantified and compared with that of wild-type as well as with the corresponding point-mutation variants (N151G and L259V). There is a 9000-fold increase in activity, when expressed as k cat /K M values, for DA1472 compared with wild-type FucO for the phenylacetaldehyde substrate. The crystal structure of DA1472 complexed with a non-reactive analog of this substrate (3,4-dimethoxyphenylacetamide) suggests the mode of binding of the bulky group of the new substrate. These combined structure-function studies therefore explain the dramatic increase in catalytic activity of the DA1472 variant for bulky aldehyde substrates. The structure comparisons also suggest why the active site in which Fe 2+ is replaced by Zn 2+ is not able to support catalysis., (open access.)

Thiolases are CoA-dependent enzymes that catalyze the thiolytic cleavage of 3-ketoacyl-CoA, as well as its reverse reaction, which is the thioester-dependent Claisen condensation reaction. Thiolases are dimers or tetramers (dimers of dimers). All thiolases have two reactive cysteines: ( a ) a nucleophilic cysteine, which forms a covalent intermediate, and ( b ) an acid/base cysteine. The best characterized thiolase is the Zoogloea ramigera thiolase, which is a bacterial biosynthetic thiolase belonging to the CT-thiolase subfamily. The thiolase active site is also characterized by two oxyanion holes, two active site waters, and four catalytic loops with characteristic amino acid sequence fingerprints. Three thiolase subfamilies can be identified, each characterized by a unique sequence fingerprint for one of their catalytic loops, which causes unique active site properties. Recent insights concerning the thiolase reaction mechanism, as obtained from recent structural studies, as well as from classical and recent enzymological studies, are addressed, and open questions are discussed.

Four catalytic amino acids at triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) are highly conserved: N11, K13, H95, and E167. Asparagine 11 is the last of these to be characterized in mutagenesis studies. The ND2 side chain atom of N11 is hydrogen bonded to the O-1 hydroxyl of enzyme-bound dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP), and it sits in an extended chain of hydrogen-bonded side chains that includes T75' from the second subunit. The N11A variants of wild-type TIM from Trypanosoma brucei brucei ( Tbb TIM) and Leishmania mexicana ( Lm TIM) undergo dissociation from the dimer to monomer under our assay conditions. Values of K as = 8 × 10 3 and 1 × 10 6 M -1 , respectively, were determined for the conversion of monomeric N11A Tbb TIM and Lm TIM into their homodimers. The N11A substitution at the variant of Lm TIM previously stabilized by the E65Q substitution gives the N11A/E65Q variant that is stable to dissociation under our assay conditions. The X-ray crystal structure of N11A/E65Q Lm TIM shows an active site that is essentially superimposable on that for wild-type Tbb TIM, which also has a glutamine at position 65. A comparison of the kinetic parameters for E65Q Lm TIM and N11A/E65Q Lm TIM-catalyzed reactions of ( R )-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (GAP) and (DHAP) shows that the N11A substitution results in a (13-14)-fold decrease in k cat / K m for substrate isomerization and a similar decrease in k cat for DHAP but only a 2-fold decrease in k cat for GAP.

Mitochondrial fatty acid synthesis (mtFAS) is essential for respiratory function. MtFAS generates the octanoic acid precursor for lipoic acid synthesis, but the role of longer fatty acid products has remained unclear. The structurally well-characterized component of mtFAS, human 2E-enoyl-ACP reductase (MECR) rescues respiratory growth and lipoylation defects of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae Δetr1 strain lacking native mtFAS enoyl reductase. To address the role of longer products of mtFAS, we employed in silico molecular simulations to design a MECR variant with a shortened substrate binding cavity. Our in vitro and in vivo analyses indicate that the MECR G165Q variant allows synthesis of octanoyl groups but not long chain fatty acids, confirming the validity of our computational approach to engineer substrate length specificity. Furthermore, our data imply that restoring lipoylation in mtFAS deficient yeast strains is not sufficient to support respiration and that long chain acyl-ACPs generated by mtFAS are required for mitochondrial function., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

A group-III iron containing 1,2-propanediol oxidoreductase, FucO, (also known as lactaldehyde reductase) from Escherichia coli was examined regarding its structure-dynamics-function relationships in the catalysis of the NADH-dependent reduction of (2S)-lactaldehyde. Crystal structures of FucO variants in the presence or absence of cofactors have been determined, illustrating large domain movements between the apo and holo enzyme structures. Different structures of FucO variants co-crystallized with NAD + or NADH together with substrate further suggest dynamic properties of the nicotinamide moiety of the coenzyme that are important for the reaction mechanism. Modelling of the native substrate (2S)-lactaldehyde into the active site can explain the stereoselectivity exhibited by the enzyme, with a critical hydrogen bond interaction between the (2S)-hydroxyl and the side-chain of N151, as well as the previously experimentally demonstrated pro-(R) selectivity in hydride transfer from NADH to the aldehydic carbon. Furthermore, the deuterium kinetic isotope effect of hydride transfer suggests that reduction chemistry is the main rate-limiting step for turnover which is not the case in FucO catalysed alcohol oxidation. We further propose that a water molecule in the active site - hydrogen bonded to a conserved histidine (H267) and the 2'-hydroxyl of the coenzyme ribose - functions as a catalytic proton donor in the protonation of the product alcohol. A hydrogen bond network of water molecules and the side-chains of amino acid residues D360 and H267 links bulk solvent to this proposed catalytic water molecule., (© 2022 The Authors. The FEBS Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Federation of European Biochemical Societies.)

Collagen prolyl 4-hydroxylases (C-P4H) are α 2 β 2 tetramers, which catalyze the prolyl 4-hydroxylation of procollagen, allowing for the formation of the stable triple-helical collagen structure in the endoplasmic reticulum. The C-P4H α-subunit provides the N-terminal dimerization domain, the middle peptide-substrate-binding (PSB) domain, and the C-terminal catalytic (CAT) domain, whereas the β-subunit is identical to the enzyme protein disulfide isomerase (PDI). The structure of the N-terminal part of the α-subunit (N-terminal region and PSB domain) is known, but the structures of the PSB-CAT linker region and the CAT domain as well as its mode of assembly with the β/PDI subunit, are unknown. Here, we report the crystal structure of the CAT domain of human C-P4H-II complexed with the intact β/PDI subunit, at 3.8 Å resolution. The CAT domain interacts with the a, b', and a' domains of the β/PDI subunit, such that the CAT active site is facing bulk solvent. The structure also shows that the C-P4H-II CAT domain has a unique N-terminal extension, consisting of α-helices and a β-strand, which is the edge strand of its major antiparallel β-sheet. This extra region of the CAT domain interacts tightly with the β/PDI subunit, showing that the CAT-PDI interface includes an intersubunit disulfide bridge with the a' domain and tight hydrophobic interactions with the b' domain. Using this new information, the structure of the mature C-P4H-II α 2 β 2 tetramer is predicted. The model suggests that the CAT active-site properties are modulated by α-helices of the N-terminal dimerization domains of both subunits of the α 2 -dimer., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest A patent for the production system used to make the protein for structural studies using sulfhydryl oxidases in the cytoplasm of E. coli is held by the University of Oulu: Method for producing natively folded proteins in a prokaryotic host (Patent number: 9238817; date of patent: January 19, 2016). Inventor: L. W. R. J. M. owns equity in FibroGen, Inc, which develops HIF-P4H inhibitors as potential therapeutics. This company supports research in the J. M. group. All the other authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest with the contents of this article., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis trifunctional enzyme (MtTFE) is an α 2 β 2 tetrameric enzyme. The α-chain harbors the 2E-enoyl-CoA hydratase (ECH) and 3S-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HAD) activities and the β-chain provides the 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase (KAT) activity. Enzyme kinetic data reported here show that medium and long chain enoyl-CoA molecules are preferred substrates for MtTFE. Modelling studies indicate how the linear medium and long acyl chains of these substrates can bind to each of the active sites. In addition, crystallographic binding studies have identified three new CoA binding sites which are different from the previously known CoA binding sites of the three TFE active sites. Structure comparisons provide new insights into the properties of ECH, HAD and KAT active sites of MtTFE. The interactions of the adenine moiety of CoA with loop-2 of the ECH active site cause a conformational change of this loop by which a competent ECH active site is formed. The NAD + binding domain (domain C) of the HAD part of MtTFE has only a few interactions with the rest of the complex and adopts a range of open conformations, whereas the A-domain of the ECH part is rigidly fixed with respect to the HAD part. Two loops, the CB1-CA1 region and the catalytic CB4-CB5 loop, near the thiolase active site and the thiolase dimer interface, have high B-factors. Structure comparisons suggest that a competent and stable thiolase dimer is formed only when complexed with the α-chains, highlighting the importance of the assembly for the proper functioning of the complex., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) is a key enzyme in glycolysis that catalyses the interconversion of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and dihydroxy-acetone phosphate. This simple reaction involves the shuttling of protons mediated by protolysable side chains. The catalytic power of TIM is thought to stem from its ability to facilitate the deprotonation of a carbon next to a carbonyl group to generate an enediolate intermediate. The enediolate intermediate is believed to be mimicked by the inhibitor 2-phosphoglycolate (PGA) and the subsequent enediol intermediate by phosphoglycolohydroxamate (PGH). Here, neutron structures of Leishmania mexicana TIM have been determined with both inhibitors, and joint neutron/X-ray refinement followed by quantum refinement has been performed. The structures show that in the PGA complex the postulated general base Glu167 is protonated, while in the PGH complex it remains deprotonated. The deuteron is clearly localized on Glu167 in the PGA-TIM structure, suggesting an asymmetric hydrogen bond instead of a low-barrier hydrogen bond. The full picture of the active-site protonation states allowed an investigation of the reaction mechanism using density-functional theory calculations., (© Vinardas Kelpšas et al. 2021.)

The web-based IceBear software is a versatile tool to monitor the results of crystallization experiments and is designed to facilitate supervisor and student communications. It also records and tracks all relevant information from crystallization setup to PDB deposition in protein crystallography projects. Fully automated data collection is now possible at several synchrotrons, which means that the number of samples tested at the synchrotron is currently increasing rapidly. Therefore, the protein crystallography research communities at the University of Oulu, Weizmann Institute of Science and Diamond Light Source have joined forces to automate the uploading of sample metadata to the synchrotron. In IceBear, each crystal selected for data collection is given a unique sample name and a crystal page is generated. Subsequently, the metadata required for data collection are uploaded directly to the ISPyB synchrotron database by a shipment module, and for each sample a link to the relevant ISPyB page is stored. IceBear allows notes to be made for each sample during cryocooling treatment and during data collection, as well as in later steps of the structure determination. Protocols are also available to aid the recycling of pins, pucks and dewars when the dewar returns from the synchrotron. The IceBear database is organized around projects, and project members can easily access the crystallization and diffraction metadata for each sample, as well as any additional information that has been provided via the notes. The crystal page for each sample connects the crystallization, diffraction and structural information by providing links to the IceBear drop-viewer page and to the ISPyB data-collection page, as well as to the structure deposited in the Protein Data Bank., (open access.)

Prolyl 4-hydroxylases (P4Hs) catalyze post-translational hydroxylation of peptidyl proline residues. In addition to collagen P4Hs and hypoxia-inducible factor P4Hs, a third P4H-the poorly characterized endoplasmic reticulum-localized transmembrane prolyl 4-hydroxylase (P4H-TM)-is found in animals. P4H-TM variants are associated with the familiar neurological HIDEA syndrome, but how these variants might contribute to disease is unknown. Here, we explored this question in a structural and functional analysis of soluble human P4H-TM. The crystal structure revealed an EF domain with two Ca 2+ -binding motifs inserted within the catalytic domain. A substrate-binding groove was formed between the EF domain and the conserved core of the catalytic domain. The proximity of the EF domain to the active site suggests that Ca 2+ binding is relevant to the catalytic activity. Functional analysis demonstrated that Ca 2+ -binding affinity of P4H-TM is within the range of physiological Ca 2+ concentration in the endoplasmic reticulum. P4H-TM was found both as a monomer and a dimer in the solution, but the monomer-dimer equilibrium was not regulated by Ca 2+ . The catalytic site contained bound Fe 2+ and N-oxalylglycine, which is an analogue of the cosubstrate 2-oxoglutarate. Comparison with homologous P4H structures complexed with peptide substrates showed that the substrate-interacting residues and the lid structure that folds over the substrate are conserved in P4H-TM, whereas the extensive loop structures that surround the substrate-binding groove, generating a negative surface potential, are different. Analysis of the structure suggests that the HIDEA variants cause loss of P4H-TM function. In conclusion, P4H-TM shares key structural elements with other P4Hs while having a unique EF domain., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest J. M. owns equity in FibroGen Inc, which develops hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl 4-hydroxylase inhibitors as potential therapeutics. This company supports research in the J. M. group., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The peroxisomal multifunctional enzyme type 1 (MFE1) catalyzes two successive reactions in the β-oxidation cycle: the 2E-enoyl-CoA hydratase (ECH) and NAD + -dependent 3S-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HAD) reactions. MFE1 is a monomeric enzyme that has five domains. The N-terminal part (domains A and B) adopts the crotonase fold and the C-terminal part (domains C, D and E) adopts the HAD fold. A new crystal form of MFE1 has captured a conformation in which both active sites are noncompetent. This structure, at 1.7 Å resolution, shows the importance of the interactions between Phe272 in domain B (the linker helix; helix H10 of the crotonase fold) and the beginning of loop 2 (of the crotonase fold) in stabilizing the competent ECH active-site geometry. In addition, protein crystallographic binding studies using optimized crystal-treatment protocols have captured a structure with both the 3-ketodecanoyl-CoA product and NAD + bound in the HAD active site, showing the interactions between 3-ketodecanoyl-CoA and residues of the C, D and E domains. Structural comparisons show the importance of domain movements, in particular of the C domain with respect to the D/E domains and of the A domain with respect to the HAD part. These comparisons suggest that the N-terminal part of the linker helix, which interacts tightly with domains A and E, functions as a hinge region for movement of the A domain with respect to the HAD part.

Degradation of fatty acids by the β-oxidation pathway results in the formation of acetyl-CoA which enters the TCA cycle for the production of ATP. In E. coli, the last three steps of the β-oxidation are catalyzed by two heterotetrameric α 2 β 2 enzymes namely the aerobic trifunctional enzyme (EcTFE) and the anaerobic TFE (anEcTFE). The α-subunit of TFE has 2E-enoyl-CoA hydratase (ECH) and 3S-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HAD) activities whereas the β-subunit is a thiolase with 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase (KAT) activity. Recently, it has been shown that the two TFEs have complementary substrate specificities allowing for the complete degradation of long chain fatty acyl-CoAs into acetyl-CoA under aerobic conditions. Also, it has been shown that the tetrameric EcTFE and anEcTFE assemblies are similar to the TFEs of Pseudomans fragi and human, respectively. Here the properties of the EcTFE subunits are further characterized. Strikingly, it is observed that when expressed separately, EcTFE-α is a catalytically active monomer whereas EcTFE-β is inactive. However, when mixed together active EcTFE tetramer is reconstituted. The crystal structure of the EcTFE-α chain is also reported, complexed with ATP, bound in its HAD active site. Structural comparisons show that the EcTFE hydratase active site has a relatively small fatty acyl tail binding pocket when compared to other TFEs in good agreement with its preferred specificity for short chain 2E-enoyl-CoA substrates. Furthermore, it is observed that millimolar concentrations of ATP destabilize the EcTFE complex, and this may have implications for the ATP-mediated regulation of β-oxidation in E. coli., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Mitochondrial acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase (T2, encoded by the ACAT1 gene) deficiency is an inherited disorder of ketone body and isoleucine metabolism. It typically manifests with episodic ketoacidosis. The presence of isoleucine-derived metabolites is the key marker for biochemical diagnosis. To date, 105 ACAT1 variants have been reported in 149 T2-deficient patients. The 56 disease-associated missense ACAT1 variants have been mapped onto the crystal structure of T2. Almost all these missense variants concern residues that are completely or partially buried in the T2 structure. Such variants are expected to cause T2 deficiency by having lower in vivo T2 activity because of lower folding efficiency and/or stability. Expression and activity data of 30 disease-associated missense ACAT1 variants have been measured by expressing them in human SV40-transformed fibroblasts. Only two variants (p.Cys126Ser and p.Tyr219His) appear to have equal stability as wild-type. For these variants, which are inactive, the side chains point into the active site. In patients with T2 deficiency, the genotype does not correlate with the clinical phenotype but exerts a considerable effect on the biochemical phenotype. This could be related to variable remaining residual T2 activity in vivo and has important clinical implications concerning disease management and newborn screening., (© 2019 The Authors. Human Mutation Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The trifunctional enzyme (TFE) catalyzes the last three steps of the fatty acid β-oxidation cycle. Two TFEs are present in Escherichia coli , EcTFE and anEcTFE. EcTFE is expressed only under aerobic conditions, whereas anEcTFE is expressed also under anaerobic conditions, with nitrate or fumarate as the ultimate electron acceptor. The anEcTFE subunits have higher sequence identity with the human mitochondrial TFE (HsTFE) than with the soluble EcTFE. Like HsTFE, here it is found that anEcTFE is a membrane-bound complex. Systematic enzyme kinetic studies show that anEcTFE has a preference for medium- and long-chain enoyl-CoAs, similar to HsTFE, whereas EcTFE prefers short chain enoyl-CoA substrates. The biophysical characterization of anEcTFE and EcTFE shows that EcTFE is heterotetrameric, whereas anEcTFE is purified as a complex of two heterotetrameric units, like HsTFE. The tetrameric assembly of anEcTFE resembles the HsTFE tetramer, although the arrangement of the two anEcTFE tetramers in the octamer is different from the HsTFE octamer. These studies demonstrate that EcTFE and anEcTFE have complementary substrate specificities, allowing for complete degradation of long-chain enoyl-CoAs under aerobic conditions. The new data agree with the notion that anEcTFE and HsTFE are evolutionary closely related, whereas EcTFE belongs to a separate subfamily., (© 2019 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.)

The SCP2 (sterol carrier protein 2)-thiolase (type-1) functions in the vertebrate peroxisomal, bile acid synthesis pathway, converting 24-keto-THC-CoA and CoA into choloyl-CoA and propionyl-CoA. This conversion concerns the β-oxidation chain shortening of the steroid fatty acyl-moiety of 24-keto-THC-CoA. This class of dimeric thiolases has previously been poorly characterized. High-resolution crystal structures of the zebrafish SCP2-thiolase (type-1) now reveal an open catalytic site, shaped by residues of both subunits. The structure of its non-dimerized monomeric form has also been captured in the obtained crystals. Four loops at the dimer interface adopt very different conformations in the monomeric form. These loops also shape the active site and their structural changes explain why a competent active site is not present in the monomeric form. Native mass spectrometry studies confirm that the zebrafish SCP2-thiolase (type-1) as well as its human homolog are weak transient dimers in solution. The crystallographic binding studies reveal the mode of binding of CoA and octanoyl-CoA in the active site, highlighting the conserved geometry of the nucleophilic cysteine, the catalytic acid/base cysteine and the two oxyanion holes. The dimer interface of SCP2-thiolase (type-1) is equally extensive as in other thiolase dimers; however, it is more polar than any of the corresponding interfaces, which correlates with the notion that the enzyme forms a weak transient dimer. The structure comparison of the monomeric and dimeric forms suggests functional relevance of this property. These comparisons provide also insights into the structural rearrangements that occur when the folded inactive monomers assemble into the mature dimer., (© 2019 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.)

The peptide-substrate-binding (PSB) domain of collagen prolyl 4-hydroxylase (C-P4H, an α 2 β 2 tetramer) binds proline-rich procollagen peptides. This helical domain (the middle domain of the α subunit) has an important role concerning the substrate binding properties of C-P4H, although it is not known how the PSB domain influences the hydroxylation properties of the catalytic domain (the C-terminal domain of the α subunit). The crystal structures of the PSB domain of the human C-P4H isoform II (PSB-II) complexed with and without various short proline-rich peptides are described. The comparison with the previously determined PSB-I peptide complex structures shows that the C-P4H-I substrate peptide (PPG) 3 , has at most very weak affinity for PSB-II, although it binds with high affinity to PSB-I. The replacement of the middle PPG triplet of (PPG) 3 to the nonhydroxylatable PAG, PRG, or PEG triplet, increases greatly the affinity of PSB-II for these peptides, leading to a deeper mode of binding, as compared to the previously determined PSB-I peptide complexes. In these PSB-II complexes, the two peptidyl prolines of its central P(A/R/E)GP region bind in the Pro5 and Pro8 binding pockets of the PSB peptide-binding groove, and direct hydrogen bonds are formed between the peptide and the side chains of the highly conserved residues Tyr158, Arg223, and Asn227, replacing water mediated interactions in the corresponding PSB-I complex. These results suggest that PxGP (where x is not a proline) is the common motif of proline-rich peptide sequences that bind with high affinity to PSB-II., (© 2018 The Protein Society.)

Oxidative protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum is catalyzed by the protein disulfide isomerase family of proteins. Of the 20 recognized human family members, the structures of eight have been deposited in the PDB along with domains from six more. Three members of this family, ERp18, anterior gradient protein 2 (AGR2) and anterior gradient protein 3 (AGR3), are single-domain proteins which share sequence similarity. While ERp18 has a canonical active-site motif and is involved in native disulfide-bond formation, AGR2 and AGR3 lack elements of the active-site motif found in other family members and may both interact with mucins. In order to better define its function, the structure of AGR3 is required. Here, the recombinant expression, purification, crystallization and crystal structure of human AGR3 are described.

De novo biosynthesis of lipids is essential for Trypanosoma brucei, a protist responsible for the sleeping sickness. Here, we demonstrate that the ketogenic carbon sources, threonine, acetate and glucose, are precursors for both fatty acid and sterol synthesis, while leucine only contributes to sterol production in the tsetse fly midgut stage of the parasite. Degradation of these carbon sources into lipids was investigated using a combination of reverse genetics and analysis of radio-labelled precursors incorporation into lipids. For instance, (i) deletion of the gene encoding isovaleryl-CoA dehydrogenase, involved in the leucine degradation pathway, abolished leucine incorporation into sterols, and (ii) RNAi-mediated down-regulation of the SCP2-thiolase gene expression abolished incorporation of the three ketogenic carbon sources into sterols. The SCP2-thiolase is part of a unidirectional two-step bridge between the fatty acid precursor, acetyl-CoA, and the precursor of the mevalonate pathway leading to sterol biosynthesis, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA. Metabolic flux through this bridge is increased either in the isovaleryl-CoA dehydrogenase null mutant or when the degradation of the ketogenic carbon sources is affected. We also observed a preference for fatty acids synthesis from ketogenic carbon sources, since blocking acetyl-CoA production from both glucose and threonine abolished acetate incorporation into sterols, while incorporation of acetate into fatty acids was increased. Interestingly, the growth of the isovaleryl-CoA dehydrogenase null mutant, but not that of the parental cells, is interrupted in the absence of ketogenic carbon sources, including lipids, which demonstrates the essential role of the mevalonate pathway. We concluded that procyclic trypanosomes have a strong preference for fatty acid versus sterol biosynthesis from ketogenic carbon sources, and as a consequence, that leucine is likely to be the main source, if not the only one, used by trypanosomes in the infected insect vector digestive tract to feed the mevalonate pathway., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Multifunctional enzyme, type-1 (MFE1) is a monomeric enzyme with a 2E-enoyl-CoA hydratase and a 3S-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HAD) active site. Enzyme kinetic data of rat peroxisomal MFE1 show that the catalytic efficiencies for converting the short-chain substrate 2E-butenoyl-CoA into acetoacetyl-CoA are much lower when compared with those of the homologous monofunctional enzymes. The mode of binding of acetoacetyl-CoA (to the hydratase active site) and the very similar mode of binding of NAD + and NADH (to the HAD part) are described and compared with those of their monofunctional counterparts. Structural comparisons suggest that the conformational flexibility of the HAD and hydratase parts of MFE1 are correlated. The possible importance of the conformational flexibility of MFE1 for its biocatalytic properties is discussed., Database: Structural data are available in PDB database under the accession number 5MGB.

C: Structures of the C123A variant of the dimeric Leishmania mexicana SCP2-thiolase (type-2) (Lm-thiolase), complexed with acetyl-CoA and acetoacetyl-CoA, respectively, are reported. The catalytic site of thiolase contains two oxyanion holes, OAH1 and OAH2, which are important for catalysis. The two structures reveal for the first time the hydrogen bond interactions of the CoA-thioester oxygen atom of the substrate with the hydrogen bond donors of OAH1 of a CHH-thiolase. The amino acid sequence fingerprints ( xS, EAF, G P) of three catalytic loops identify the active site geometry of the well-studied CNH-thiolases, whereas SCP2-thiolases (type-1, type-2) are classified as CHH-thiolases, having as corresponding fingerprints xS, DCF and G P. In all thiolases, OAH2 is formed by the main chain NH groups of two catalytic loops. In the well-studied CNH-thiolases, OAH1 is formed by a water (of the Wat-Asn(NEAF) dyad) and NE2 (of the GHP-histidine). In the two described liganded Lm-thiolase structures, it is seen that in this CHH-thiolase, OAH1 is formed by NE2 of His338 (HDCF) and His388 (GHP). Analysis of the OAH1 hydrogen bond networks suggests that the GHP-histidine is doubly protonated and positively charged in these complexes, whereas the HDCF histidine is neutral and singly protonated., (© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com)

Collagen prolyl 4-hydroxylase (C-P4H), an α 2 β 2 heterotetramer, is a crucial enzyme for collagen synthesis. The α-subunit consists of an N-terminal dimerization domain, a central peptide substrate-binding (PSB) domain, and a C-terminal catalytic (CAT) domain. The β-subunit [also known as protein disulfide isomerase (PDI)] acts as a chaperone, stabilizing the functional conformation of C-P4H. C-P4H has been studied for decades, but its structure has remained elusive. Here, we present a three-dimensional small-angle X-ray scattering model of the entire human C-P4H-I heterotetramer. C-P4H is an elongated, bilobal, symmetric molecule with a length of 290 Å. The dimerization domains from the two α-subunits form a protein-protein dimer interface, assembled around the central antiparallel coiled-coil interface of their N-terminal α-helices. This region forms a thin waist in the bilobal tetramer. The two PSB/CAT units, each complexed with a PDI/β-subunit, form two bulky lobes pointing outward from this waist region, such that the PDI/β-subunits locate at the far ends of the βααβ complex. The PDI/β-subunit interacts extensively with the CAT domain. The asymmetric shape of two truncated C-P4H-I variants, also characterized in the present study, agrees with this assembly. Furthermore, data from these truncated variants show that dimerization between the α-subunits has an important role in achieving the correct PSB-CAT assembly competent for catalytic activity. Kinetic assays with various proline-rich peptide substrates and inhibitors suggest that, in the competent assembly, the PSB domain binds to the procollagen substrate downstream from the CAT domain., (© 2017 The Author(s); published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.)

Bioinformatics studies have shown that the genomes of trypanosomatid species each encode one SCP2-thiolase-like protein (SLP), which is characterized by having the YDCF thiolase sequence fingerprint of the Cβ2-Cα2 loop. SLPs are only encoded by the genomes of these parasitic protists and not by those of mammals, including human. Deletion of the Trypanosoma brucei SLP gene (TbSLP) increases the doubling time of procyclic T. brucei and causes a 5-fold reduction of de novo sterol biosynthesis from glucose- and acetate-derived acetyl-CoA. Fluorescence analyses of EGFP-tagged TbSLP expressed in the parasite located the TbSLP in the mitochondrion. The crystal structure of TbSLP (refined at 1.75 Å resolution) confirms that TbSLP has the canonical dimeric thiolase fold. In addition, the structures of the TbSLP-acetoacetyl-CoA (1.90 Å) and TbSLP-malonyl-CoA (2.30 Å) complexes reveal that the two oxyanion holes of the thiolase active site are preserved. TbSLP binds malonyl-CoA tightly (Kd 90 µM), acetoacetyl-CoA moderately (Kd 0.9 mM) and acetyl-CoA and CoA very weakly. TbSLP possesses low malonyl-CoA decarboxylase activity. Altogether, the data show that TbSLP is a mitochondrial enzyme involved in lipid metabolism. Proteins 2016; 84:1075-1096. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Thiolases catalyze the Claisen condensation of two acetyl-CoA molecules to give acetoacetyl-CoA, as well as the reverse degradative reaction. Four genes coding for thiolases or thiolase-like proteins are found in the Escherichia coli genome. In this communication, the successful cloning, purification, crystallization and structure determination at 1.8 Å resolution of a homotetrameric E. coli thiolase are reported. The structure of E. coli thiolase co-crystallized with acetyl-CoA at 1.9 Å resolution is also reported. As observed in other tetrameric thiolases, the present E. coli thiolase is a dimer of two tight dimers and probably functions as a biodegradative enzyme. Comparison of the structure and biochemical properties of the E. coli enzyme with those of other well studied thiolases reveals certain novel features of this enzyme, such as the modification of a lysine in the dimeric interface, the possible oxidation of the catalytic Cys88 in the structure of the enzyme obtained in the presence of CoA and active-site hydration. The tetrameric enzyme also displays an interesting departure from exact 222 symmetry, which is probably related to the deformation of the tetramerization domain that stabilizes the oligomeric structure of the protein. The current study allows the identification of substrate-binding amino-acid residues and water networks at the active site and provides the structural framework required for understanding the biochemical properties as well as the physiological function of this E. coli thiolase.

The crystal structures are described of two variants of A-TIM: Ma18 (2.7 Å resolution) and Ma21 (1.55 Å resolution). A-TIM is a monomeric loop-deletion variant of triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) which has lost the TIM catalytic properties. Ma18 and Ma21 were identified after extensive directed-evolution selection experiments using an Escherichia coli L-arabinose isomerase knockout strain expressing a randomly mutated A-TIM gene. These variants facilitate better growth of the Escherichia coli selection strain in medium supplemented with 40 mM L-arabinose. Ma18 and Ma21 differ from A-TIM by four and one point mutations, respectively. Ma18 and Ma21 are more stable proteins than A-TIM, as judged from CD melting experiments. Like A-TIM, both proteins are monomeric in solution. In the Ma18 crystal structure loop 6 is open and in the Ma21 crystal structure loop 6 is closed, being stabilized by a bound glycolate molecule. The crystal structures show only small differences in the active site compared with A-TIM. In the case of Ma21 it is observed that the point mutation (Q65L) contributes to small structural rearrangements near Asn11 of loop 1, which correlate with different ligand-binding properties such as a loss of citrate binding in the active site. The Ma21 structure also shows that its Leu65 side chain is involved in van der Waals interactions with neighbouring hydrophobic side-chain moieties, correlating with its increased stability. The experimental data suggest that the increased stability and solubility properties of Ma21 and Ma18 compared with A-TIM cause better growth of the selection strain when coexpressing Ma21 and Ma18 instead of A-TIM.

Kinetic parameters are reported for the reactions of whole substrates (kcat/Km, M(-1) s(-1)) (R)-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (GAP) and dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) and for the substrate pieces [(kcat/Km)E·HPi/Kd, M(-2) s(-1)] glycolaldehyde (GA) and phosphite dianion (HPi) catalyzed by the I172A/L232A mutant of triosephosphate isomerase from Trypanosoma brucei brucei (TbbTIM). A comparison with the corresponding parameters for wild-type, I172A, and L232A TbbTIM-catalyzed reactions shows that the effect of I172A and L232A mutations on ΔG(⧧) for the wild-type TbbTIM-catalyzed reactions of the substrate pieces is nearly the same as the effect of the same mutations on TbbTIM previously mutated at the second side chain. This provides strong evidence that mutation of the first hydrophobic side chain does not affect the functioning of the second side chain in catalysis of the reactions of the substrate pieces. By contrast, the effects of I172A and L232A mutations on ΔG(⧧) for wild-type TbbTIM-catalyzed reactions of the whole substrate are different from the effect of the same mutations on TbbTIM previously mutated at the second side chain. This is due to the change in the rate-determining step that determines the barrier to the isomerization reaction. X-ray crystal structures are reported for I172A, L232A, and I172A/L232A TIMs and for the complexes of these mutants to the intermediate analogue phosphoglycolate (PGA). The structures of the PGA complexes with wild-type and mutant enzymes are nearly superimposable, except that the space opened by replacement of the hydrophobic side chain is occupied by a water molecule that lies ∼3.5 Å from the basic side chain of Glu167. The new water at I172A mutant TbbTIM provides a simple rationalization for the increase in the activation barrier ΔG(⧧) observed for mutant enzyme-catalyzed reactions of the whole substrate and substrate pieces. By contrast, the new water at the L232A mutant does not predict the decrease in ΔG(⧧) observed for the mutant enzyme-catalyzed reactions of the substrate piece GA.

The type III secretion system (T3SS) is required for the virulence of many gram-negative bacterial human pathogens. It is composed of several structural proteins, forming the secretion needle and its basis, the basal body. In Chlamydia spp., the T3SS inner membrane ring (IM-ring) of the basal body is formed by the periplasmic part of CdsD (outer ring) and CdsJ (inner ring). Here we describe the crystal structure of the C-terminal, periplasmic part of CdsD, not including the last 60 residues. Two crystal forms were obtained, grown in three different crystallization conditions. In both crystal forms there is one molecule per asymmetric unit adopting a similar extended structure. The structures consist of three periplasmic domains (PDs) of similar αββαβ topology as seen also in the structures of the homologous PrgH (Salmonella typhimurium) and YscD (Yersinia enterocolitica). Only in the C2 crystal form, there is a C-terminal additional helix after the PD3 domain. The relative orientation of the three subsequent CdsD PD domains with respect to each other is more extended than in PrgH but less extended than in YscD. Small-angle X-ray scattering data show that also in solution this CdsD construct adopts the same elongated shape. In both crystal forms the CdsD molecules are packed in a parallel fashion, using translational crystallographic symmetry. The most extensive crystal contacts are preserved in both crystal forms, suggesting a possible mode of assembly of the CdsD periplasmic part into a 24-mer complex forming the outer ring of the IM-ring of the T3SS., (© 2016 The Protein Society.)

Thiolases catalyze the degradation and synthesis of 3-ketoacyl-CoA molecules. Here, the crystal structures of a T1-like thiolase (MSM-13 thiolase) from Mycobacterium smegmatis in apo and liganded forms are described. Systematic comparisons of six crystallographically independent unliganded MSM-13 thiolase tetramers (dimers of tight dimers) from three different crystal forms revealed that the two tight dimers are connected to a rigid tetramerization domain via flexible hinge regions, generating an asymmetric tetramer. In the liganded structure, CoA is bound to those subunits that are rotated towards the tip of the tetramerization loop of the opposing dimer, suggesting that this loop is important for substrate binding. The hinge regions responsible for this rotation occur near Val123 and Arg149. The Lα1-covering loop-Lα2 region, together with the Nβ2-Nα2 loop of the adjacent subunit, defines a specificity pocket that is larger and more polar than those of other tetrameric thiolases, suggesting that MSM-13 thiolase has a distinct substrate specificity. Consistent with this finding, only residual activity was detected with acetoacetyl-CoA as the substrate in the degradative direction. No activity was observed with acetyl-CoA in the synthetic direction. Structural comparisons with other well characterized thiolases suggest that MSM-13 thiolase is probably a degradative thiolase that is specific for 3-ketoacyl-CoA molecules with polar, bulky acyl chains.