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Biotin carboxylase catalyzes the ATP-dependent carboxylation of biotin and is one component of the multienzyme complex acetyl-CoA carboxylase that catalyzes the first committed step in fatty acid synthesis. The Escherichia colibiotin carboxylase is readily isolated from the other components of the acetyl-CoA carboxylase complex such that enzymatic activity is retained. The three-dimensional structure of biotin carboxylase, determined by x-ray crystallography, demonstrated that the enzyme is a homodimer consisting of two active sites in which each subunit contains a complete active site. To understand how each subunit contributes to the overall function of biotin carboxylase, we made hybrid molecules in which one subunit had a wild-type active site, and the other subunit contained an active site mutation known to significantly affect the activity of the enzyme. One of the two genes encoded a poly-histidine tag at its N terminus, whereas the other gene had an N-terminal FLAG epitope tag. The two genes were assembled into a mini-operon that was induced to give high level expression of both enzymes. “Hybrid” dimers composed of one subunit with a wild-type active site and a second subunit having a mutant active site were obtained by sequential chromatographic steps on columns of immobilized nickel chelate and anti-FLAG affinity matrices. In vitrokinetic studies of biotin carboxylase dimers in which both subunits were wild type revealed that the presence of the N-terminal tags did not alter the activity of the enzyme. However, kinetic assays of hybrid dimer biotin carboxylase molecules in which one subunit had an active site mutation (R292A, N290A, K238Q, or E288K) and the other subunit had a wild-type active site resulted in 39-, 28-, 94-, and 285-fold decreases in the activity of these enzymes, respectively. Thedominant negativeeffects of these mutant subunits were also detected in vivoby monitoring the rate of fatty acid biosynthesis by [14C]acetate labeling of cellular lipids. Expression of the mutant biotin carboxylase genes from an inducible arabinose promoter resulted in a significantly reduced rate of fatty acid synthesis relative to the same strain that expressed the wild type gene. Thus, both the in vitroand in vivodata indicate that both subunits of biotin carboxylase are required for activity and that the two subunits must be in communication during enzyme function.

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase catalyzes the first committed step in the biosynthesis of long-chain fatty acids. TheEscherichia coliform of the enzyme consists of a biotin carboxylase activity, a biotin carboxyl carrier protein, and a carboxyltransferase activity. The C-terminal 87 amino acids of the biotin carboxyl carrier protein (BCCP87) form a domain that can be independently expressed, biotinylated, and purified (Chapman-Smith, A., Turner, D. L., Cronan, J. E., Morris, T. W., and Wallace, J. C. (1994) Biochem. J. 302, 881–887). The ability of the biotinylated form of this 87-residue protein (holoBCCP87) to act as a substrate for biotin carboxylase and carboxyltransferase was assessed and compared with the results with free biotin. In the case of biotin carboxylase holoBCCP87 was an excellent substrate with a Kmof 0.16 ± 0.05 mmand Vmaxof 1000.8 ± 182.0 min−1. The V/Kor catalytic efficiency of biotin carboxylase with holoBCCP87 as substrate was 8000-fold greater than with biotin as substrate. Stimulation of the ATP synthesis reaction of biotin carboxylase where carbamyl phosphate reacted with ADP by holoBCCP87 was 5-fold greater than with an equivalent amount of biotin. The interaction of holoBCCP87 with carboxyltransferase was characterized in the reverse direction where malonyl-CoA reacted with holoBCCP87 to form acetyl-CoA and carboxyholoBCCP87. The Kmfor holoBCCP87 was 0.45 ± 0.07 mmwhile the Vmaxwas 2031.8 ± 231.0 min−1. TheV/Kor catalytic efficiency of carboxyltransferase with holoBCCP87 as substrate is 2000-fold greater than with biotin as substrate.