pH modulates the quinone position in the photosynthetic reaction center from Rhodobacter sphaeroides in the neutral and charge separated states.

The structure of the photosynthetic reaction-center from Rhodobacter sphaeroides has been determined at four different pH values (6.5, 8.0, 9.0, 10.0) in the neutral and in charge separated states. At pH 8.0, in the neutral state, we obtain a resolution of 1.87 A, which is the best ever reported for the bacterial reaction center protein. Our crystallographic data confirm the existence of two different binding positions of the secondary quinone (QB). We observe a new orientation of QB in its distal position, which shows no ring-flip compared to the orientation in the proximal position. Datasets collected for the different pH values show a pH-dependence of the population of the proximal position. The new orientation of QB in the distal position and the pH-dependence could be confirmed by continuum electrostatics calculations. Our calculations are in agreement with the experimentally observed proton uptake upon charge separation. The high resolution of our crystallographic data allows us to identify new water molecules and external residues being involved in two previously described hydrogen bond proton channels. These extended proton-transfer pathways, ending at either of the two oxo-groups of QB in its proximal position, provide additional evidence that ring-flipping is not required for complete protonation of QB upon reduction.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of strictosidine synthase and its complex with the substrate tryptamine.

Strictosidine synthase (STR1) is a central enzyme that participates in the biosynthesis of almost all plant monoterpenoid indole alkaloids. After heterologous expression in Escherichia coli, crystals of STR1 and its substrate complex with tryptamine were obtained by the hanging-drop technique at 302-304 K with potassium sodium tartrate tetrahydrate as precipitant. All crystals belong to space group R3. The native STR1 crystals diffract to 2.95 A and have unit-cell parameters a = b = 150.3, c = 122.4 A. The tryptamine complex crystals diffract to 2.38 A, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 147.3, c = 122.3 A.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of native and selenomethionyl vinorine synthase from Rauvolfia serpentina.

Vinorine synthase (VS) is a central enzyme of the biosynthesis of the antiarrhythmic drug ajmaline and is a member of the BAHD superfamily of acyltransferases. So far, no three-dimensional structure with significant sequence homology with VS is known. Crystals of VS and selenomethionyl-labelled VS from the medicinal plant Rauvolfia serpentina have been obtained by the hanging-drop technique at 305 K with ammonium sulfate and PEG 400 as precipitants. VS crystals diffract to 2.8 A and belong to space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 82.3, b = 89.6, c = 136.2 A. The selenomethionyl VS crystal was nearly isomorphous with the VS crystal.

Mutational and structural studies of the diisopropylfluorophosphatase from Loligo vulgaris shed new light on the catalytic mechanism of the enzyme.

The active site, the substrate binding site, and the metal binding sites of the diisopropylfluorophosphatase (DFPase) from Loligo vulgaris have been modified by means of site-directed mutagenesis to improve our understanding of the reaction mechanism. Enzymatic characterization of mutants located in the major groove of the substrate binding pocket indicates that large hydrophobic side chains at these positions are favorable for substrate turnover. Moreover, the active site residue His287 proved to be beneficial, but not essential, for DFP hydrolysis. In most cases, hydrophobic side chains at position 287 led to significant catalytic activities although reduced relative to the wild-type enzyme. With respect to the Ca-1 binding site, where catalysis occurs, various mutants indicated that the net charge at this calcium-binding site as well as the relative positions of the charged calcium ligands is crucial for catalytic activity. The importance of the electrostatic potential at the active site was furthermore revealed by various mutations of residues lining the interior of the central water-filled tunnel, which traverses the entire protein structure. In this respect, the structural features of residue His181, which is located at the opposite end of the DFPase tunnel relative to the active site, were characterized extensively. It was concluded that a tunnel-spanning hydrogen bond network, which includes a large number of apparently slow exchanging water molecules, relays any modifications in the electrostatics of the system to the active site, thus affecting the catalytic reactivity of the enzyme.

Crystal structure of vinorine synthase, the first representative of the BAHD superfamily.

Vinorine synthase is an acetyltransferase that occupies a central role in the biosynthesis of the antiarrhythmic monoterpenoid indole alkaloid ajmaline in the plant Rauvolfia. Vinorine synthase belongs to the benzylalcohol acetyl-, anthocyanin-O-hydroxy-cinnamoyl-, anthranilate-N-hydroxy-cinnamoyl/benzoyl-, deacetylvindoline acetyltransferase (BAHD) enzyme superfamily, members of which are involved in the biosynthesis of several important drugs, such as morphine, Taxol, or vindoline, a precursor of the anti-cancer drugs vincaleucoblastine and vincristine. The x-ray structure of vinorine synthase is described at 2.6-angstrom resolution. Despite low sequence identity, the two-domain structure of vinorine synthase shows surprising similarity with structures of several CoA-dependent acyltransferases such as dihydrolipoyl transacetylase, polyketide-associated protein A5, and carnitine acetyltransferase. All conserved residues typical for the BAHD family are found in domain 1. His160 of the HXXXD motif functions as a general base during catalysis. It is located in the center of the reaction channel at the interface of both domains and is accessible from both sides. The channel runs through the entire molecule, allowing the substrate and co-substrate to bind independently. Asp164 points away from the catalytic site and seems to be of structural rather than catalytic importance. Surprisingly, the DFGWG motif, which is indispensable for the catalyzed reaction and unique to the BAHD family, is located far away from the active site and seems to play only a structural role. Vinorine synthase represents the first solved protein structure of the BAHD superfamily.

Vinorine synthase from Rauvolfia: the first example of crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of an enzyme of the BAHD superfamily.

Crystals of vinorine synthase (VS) from medicinal plant Rauvolfia serpentina expressed in Escherichia coli have been obtained by the hanging-drop technique at 305 K with ammonium sulfate and PEG 400 as precipitants. The enzyme is involved in the biosynthesis of the antiarrhythmic drug ajmaline and is a member of the BAHD superfamily of acyltransferases. So far, no three-dimensional structure of a member of this enzyme family is known. The crystals belong to the space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with cell dimensions of a=82.3 A, b=89.6 A and c=136.2 A. Under cryoconditions (120 K), a complete data set up to 2.8 A was collected at a synchrotron source.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of strictosidine synthase from Rauvolfia: the first member of a novel enzyme family.

Strictosidine synthase is a central enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of almost all plant monoterpenoid indole alkaloids. Strictosidine synthase from Rauvolfia serpentina was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. Crystals of the purified recombinant enzyme have been obtained by the hanging-drop technique at 303 K with potassium sodium tartrate tetrahydrate as precipitant. The crystals belong to the space group R3 with cell dimensions of a=b=150.3 A and c=122.4 A. Under cryoconditions (120 K), the crystals diffract to about 2.95 A.

Statistical analysis of crystallographic data obtained from squid ganglion DFPase at 0.85 A resolution.

The X-ray crystal structure of squid-type diisopropylfluorophosphatase (DFPase) has been refined to a resolution of 0.85 A and a crystallographic R value of 9.4%. Crystal annealing improved both the mosaicity and resolution of the crystals considerably. The overall structure of this protein represents a six-bladed beta-propeller with two calcium ions bound in a central water-filled tunnel. 496 water, two glycerol and two MES buffer molecules and 18 PEG fragments of different lengths could be refined in the solvent region. 45 of the 314 residues have been refined with alternative orientations. H atoms have been omitted from disordered residues. For the residues of the inner beta-strands, H atoms are visible in a normal F(o) - F(c) difference map of a hydrogen-deficient structure model. The 208 most reliable residues, without disorder or reduced occupancy in their side chains, were finally refined without restraints. A subsequent full-matrix refinement cycle for the positional parameters yielded estimated standard deviations (e.s.d.s) by matrix inversion. The thus calculated bond lengths and bond angles and their e.s.d.s were used to obtain averaged bond lengths and bond angles, which were compared with the restraints applied in the preceding refinement cycles. The lengths and angles of the hydrogen bonds inside the antiparallel beta-sheets of the DFPase structure were compared with data averaged over 11 high-resolution protein structures. Torsion angles were averaged according to angle types used as restraints in X-PLOR and CNS and subsequently compared with values obtained from 46 high-resolution structures. Side-chain torsion angles were also classified into rotamer types according to the Penultimate Rotamer Library. Moreover, precise dimensions for both Ca(2+)-coordination polyhedra could be obtained and the coordination of one Ca(2+) ion by an imidazole N atom was confirmed. This statistical analysis thus provides a first step towards a set of restraints that are founded completely on macromolecular data; however, 10-20 additional protein data sets of comparable accuracy and size will be required to obtain a larger statistical base, especially for side-chain analysis.

Isolation, characterization and electron microscopic single particle analysis of the NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) from the hyperthermophilic eubacterium Aquifex aeolicus.

The proton-translocating NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) has been purified from Aquifex aeolicus, a hyperthermophilic eubacterium of known genome sequence. The purified detergent solubilized enzyme is highly active above 50 degrees C. The specific activity for electron transfer from NADH to decylubiquinone is 29 U/mg at 80 degrees C. The A. aeolicus complex I is completely sensitive to rotenone and 2-n-decyl-quinazoline-4-yl-amine. SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis shows that it may contain up to 14 subunits. N-terminal amino acid sequencing of the bands indicates the presence of a stable subcomplex, which is composed of subunits E, F, and G. The isolated complex is highly stable and active in a temperature range from 50 to 90 degrees C, with a half-life of about 10 h at 80 degrees C. The activity shows a linear Arrhenius plot at 50-85 degrees C with an activation energy at 31.92 J/mol K. Single particle electron microscopy shows that the A. aeolicus complex I has the typical L-shape. However, visual inspection of averaged images reveals many more details in the external arm of the complex than has been observed for complex I from other sources. In addition, the angle (90 degrees ) between the cytoplasmic peripheral arm and the membrane intrinsic arm of the complex appears to be invariant.

Charge separation induces conformational changes in the photosynthetic reaction centre of purple bacteria.

X-ray structures of the wild-type reaction centre from Rhodobacter sphaeroides have been determined to a resolution of 1.87 A in the neutral (dark) state and to 2.06 A in the charge-separated (light-excited) state. Whereas the overall protein structures of both states are rather similar, the domain around the secondary quinone shows significant shifts. The quinone molecule itself is observed at two different positions. In the neutral state, 55% of the quinone is located distally and 45% proximally to the cytoplasmic side. After excitation by light, however, at least 90% of the quinone is found at the proximal position. Results presented by Stowell et al. (1997) are confirmed, but the quality of crystallographic data has been improved. We compare the data with the structure of the mutant RC L 209 PY that keeps the Q(B) molecule in the proximal position even in the charge-neutral state.

Atomic resolution crystal structure of squid ganglion DFPase.

Diisopropylfluorophosphatases (DFP-ases) are capable of detoxifying chemical warfare agents like diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) by hydrolysis. The protein reported here was recombinantely expressed in E. coli. The X-ray crystal structure of this enzyme has been refined to a resolution of 0.85 A and a crystallographic R value of 9.4%. Reversible flash-cooling improved both, mosaicity and resolution of the crystals considerably. The overall structure of this protein represents a six-bladed beta-propeller with two calcium ions bound in a central water filled tunnel. 496 water, 2 glycerol, 2 MES-buffer molecules, and 18 PEG fragments of different lengths could be refined in the solvent region. The 208 most reliable residues, without disorder or reduced occupancy in their side-chains, were finally refined without restraints. A subsequent full-matrix refinement cycle for the positional parameters yielded estimated standard deviations (esds) by matrix inversion. The herewith calculated bond lengths and bond-esds were used to obtain averaged bond lengths, which have been compared to the restraints used in preceding refinement cycles.