1,721,249 research outputs found
To be or not to be an oxidase: challenging the oxygen reactivity of flavoenzymes
No full textFlavin-dependent enzymes catalyse a wide range of reactions and, thereby, facilitate a variety of cellular processes. Among the properties that equip flavoenzymes with this chemical versatility is their reactivity towards oxygen, which shows huge variation among flavoproteins. A survey of known 3D structures of flavin-dependent oxidases and dehydrogenases and the correlation with their functional properties indicates that there are no structural rules that enable prediction of whether or how a flavoenzyme reacts with oxygen. Combinations of subtle factors such as dipole pre-organization, charge distribution, dynamics and solvation in the active centre determine the balance of interactions that control oxygen reactivity. The chemical basis of oxygen reactivity remains a puzzling problem and represents one of the challenging questions in modern flavoenzymology
A monotopic membrane protein goes solo
No full textCarnitine palmitoyltransferases (CPTs) are part of the enzymatic system that imports fatty acids into mitochondria. The crystal structure of rat CPT-2 by Rufer et al. (2006) (this issue of Structure) reveals a Y-shaped tunnel for binding the CoA and acyl-carnitine substrates and a hydrophobic insert mediating membrane association
The PHBH fold: not only flavoenzymes
No full textp-Hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase, D-amino acid oxidase, cholesterol oxidase and glucose oxidase form a family of structurally related flavoenzymes. Comparison of their three-dimensional structures reveal how the same FAD-binding scaffold has been employed to implement diverse active-site architectures, suited for different types of catalytic reactions. The substrate binding mode differs in each of these enzymes, with the catalytically relevant residues not located on homologous positions. A common feature is provided by the ability of these enzyme to bury their substrates beneath the protein surface. In D-amino acid oxidase and cholesterol oxidase, a loop forms a 'lid' controlling the active site accessibility, whereas in p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase is the flavin itself, which swings out to allow substrate binding. The crystallographic analysis has revealed that the GTP-dissociation inhibitor of RAB GTPases has a folding topology remarkably similar to p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase. This finding highlights the versatile nature of this folding topology, which in addition to flavin-dependent catalysis, is suited for diverse functions, such as the regulation of GTPases
A close look at NAD biosynthesis
No full textTwo new studies on the structure of an enzyme involved in mammalian biosynthesis of NAD shed new light on the evolutionary and biochemical complexity of this fundamental metabolic pathway
At Long Last Potent and Selective KDM5 Inhibitors
No full textHistone lysine demethylase 5 enzymes (KDM5s) have recently been proposed as crucial oncogenic drivers. In this issue of Cell Chemical Biology, Horton et al. (2016) describe results of an extensive structural analysis that reveals how distinct inhibitor chemotypes bind KDM5 and suggest avenues for improving KDM5 inhibitory potency and selectivity
Mechanistic Aspects Regarding the Elimination of H2O2 from C(4a)-Hydroperoxyflavin. The Role of a Proton Shuttle Required for H2O2 Elimination.
Full text linkDFT calculations presented for C(4a)-hydroperoxyflavin (C(4a)-FLHOOH) at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level suggest a new mechanism for the elimination of H2O2. The calculated activation barrier for a concerted four-centered elimination (DeltaE() = 32.86 kcal/mol) strongly suggests that in the absence of interactions with the local environment a spontaneous elimination is not feasible. A proton shuttle from the N5 hydrogen to the proximal oxygen of the OOH moiety involving three water molecules has an activation barrier that is reduced to 17.11 kcal/mol. Calculations that utilize CH3OH to model the role of a local Thr or Ser residue shows that an alcohol functionality hydrogen bonded to the N5 H-atom can catalyze the elimination of H2O2 with a free energy of activation of 21.5 kcal/mol. Interaction of amines and amide residues (CH3NH2 and CH3(C═O)NH2) with the N5 locus of C(4a)-hydroperoxyflavin markedly reduce the activation barrier for H2O2 elimination relative to the concerted pathway. Proton transfer from a COOH group (DeltaG() = 8.36 kcal/mol) or the NH2 group of a positively charged Arg model (DeltaG() = 9.99 kcal/mol) to the proximal oxygen of the OOH moiety of C(4a)-FLHOOH in the TS for H2O2 elimination strongly enhances elimination of H2O
Enzymes Without Borders: Mobilizing Substrates, Delivering Products
No full textMany cellular reactions involve both hydrophobic and hydrophilic molecules that reside within the chemically distinct environments defined by the phospholipid-based membranes and the aqueous lumens of cytoplasm and organelles. Enzymes performing this type of reaction are required to access a lipophilic substrate located in the membranes and to catalyze its reaction with a polar, water-soluble compound. Here, we explore the different binding strategies and chemical tricks that enzymes have developed to overcome this problem. These reactions can be catalyzed by integral membrane proteins that channel a hydrophilic molecule into their active site, as well as by water-soluble enzymes that are able to capture a lipophilic substrate from the phospholipid bilayer. Many chemical and biological aspects of this type of enzymology remain to be investigated and will require the integration of protein chemistry with membrane biology
Expanding the structural biology toolbox with single-molecule holography
No full textThe discovery of the double-helical structure of DNA is generally considered to be the milestone discovery that led to the birth of molecular biology. Since then, the impact of structural studies on all aspects of biology, from the understanding of basic cellular processes to the development of drugs and vaccines, can be hardly overestimate
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