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Serine hydroxymethyltransferases (SHMTs) play an essential role in one-carbon unit metabolism and are used in biomimetic reactions. We determined the crystal structure of free (apo) and pyridoxal-5′-phosphate-bound (holo) SHMT from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii, the first from a hyperthermophile, from the archaea domain of life and that uses H4MPT as a cofactor, at 2.83 and 3.0 A resolution, respectively. Idiosyncratic features were observed that are likely to contribute to structure stabilization. At the dimer interface, the C-terminal region folds in a unique fashion with respect to SHMTs from eubacteria and eukarya. At the active site, the conserved tyrosine does not make a cation-π interaction with an arginine like that observed in all other SHMT structures, but establishes an amide-aromatic interaction with Asn257, at a different sequence position. This asparagine residue is conserved and occurs almost exclusively in (hyper)thermophile SHMTs. This led us to formulate the hypothesis that removal of frustrated interactions (such as the Arg-Tyr cation-π interaction occurring in mesophile SHMTs) is an additional strategy of adaptation to high temperature. Both peculiar features may be tested by designing enzyme variants potentially endowed with improved stability for applications in biomimetic processes. Proteins 2014; 82:3437–3449. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Polyamine oxidases are FAD-dependent enzymes catalyzing the oxidation of polyamines at the secondary amino groups. Zea mays PAO (ZmPAO) oxidizes the carbon on the endo-side of the N5-nitrogen of spermidine (Spd) and spermine (Spm). The structure of ZmPAO revealed that the active site is formed by a catalytic tunnel in which the N5 atom of FAD lies in close proximity to the K300 side chain, the only active-site residue conserved in all PAOs. A water molecule, (HOH309), is hydrogen-bound to the amino group of K300 and mutation of this residue results in a 1400-fold decrease in the rate of flavin reduction. The structural studies on the catalytically impaired ZmPAO-K300M mutant described here show that substrates are bound in an 'out-of-register' mode and the HOH309 water molecule is absent in the enzyme-substrate complexes. Moreover, K300 mutation brings about a 60 mV decrease in the FAD redox potential and a 30-fold decrease in the FAD reoxidation rate, within a virtually unaltered geometry of the catalytic pocket. Taken together, these results indicate that the HOH309-K300 couple plays a major role in multiple steps of ZmPAO catalytic mechanism, such as correct substrate binding geometry as well as FAD reduction and reoxidation kinetics.

The cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus elongatus is one the few bacteria to possess two Dps proteins, DpsA-Te and Dps-Te. The present characterization of DpsA-Te reveals unusual structural and functional features that differentiate it from Dps-Te and the other known Dps proteins. Notably, two Zn(II) are bound at the ferroxidase center, owing to the unique substitution of a metal ligand at the A-site (His78 in place of the canonical aspartate) and to the presence of a histidine (His164) in place of a hydrophobic residue at a metal-coordinating distance in the B-site. Only the latter Zn(II) is displaced by incoming iron, such that Zn(II)-Fe(III) complexes are formed upon oxidation, as indicated by absorbance and atomic emission spectroscopy data. In contrast to the typical behavior of Dps proteins, where Fe(II) oxidation by H(2)O(2) is about 100-fold faster than by O(2), in DpsA-Te the ferroxidation efficiency of O(2) is very high and resembles that of H(2)O(2). Oxygraphic experiments show that two Fe(II) are required to reduce O(2), and that H(2)O(2) is not released into solution at the end of the reaction. On this basis, a reaction mechanism is proposed that also takes into account the formation of Zn(II)-Fe(III) complexes. The physiological significance of the DpsA-Te behavior is discussed in the framework of a possible localization of the protein at the thylakoid membranes, where photosynthesis takes place, with the consequent increased formation of reactive oxygen species.

Bacterial and archaeal endo-beta-1,3-glucanases that belong to glycoside hydrolase family 16 share a beta-jelly-roll fold, but differ significantly in sequence and in substrate specificity. The crystal structure of the laminarinase (EC 3.2.1.39) from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus (pfLamA) has been determined at 2.1 A resolution by molecular replacement. The pfLamA structure reveals a kink of six residues (72-77) at the entrance of the catalytic cleft. This peptide is absent in the endoglucanases from alkaliphilic Nocardiopsis sp. strain F96 and Bacillus macerans, two proteins displaying an overall fold similar to that of pfLamA, but with different substrate specificity. A deletion mutant of pfLamA, lacking residues 72-75, hydrolyses the mixed-linkage beta-1,3-1,4-glucan lichenan 10 times more efficiently than the wild-type protein, indicating the importance of the kink in substrate preference.

DNA-binding proteins from starved cells (Dps proteins) protect bacteria primarily from oxidative damage. They are composed of 12 identical subunits assembled with 23-symmetry to form a compact cage-like structure known to be stable at temperatures > 70 °C and over a wide pH range. Thermosynechococcus elongatus Dps thermostability is increased dramatically relative to mesophilic Dps proteins. Hydrophobic interactions at the dimeric and trimeric interfaces called Dps-like are replaced by salt bridges and hydrogen bonds, a common strategy in thermophiles. Moreover, the buried surface area at the least-extended Dps-like interface is significantly increased. A peculiarity of T. elongatus Dps is the presence of a chloride ion coordinated with threefold symmetry-related arginine residues lining the opening of the Dps-like pore toward the internal cavity. T. elongatus Dps conserves the unusual intersubunit ferroxidase centre that allows the Dps protein family to oxidize Fe(II) with hydrogen peroxide, thereby inhibiting free radical production via Fenton chemistry. This catalytic property is of special importance in T. elongatus (which lacks the catalase gene) in the protection of DNA and photosystems I and II from hydrogen peroxide-mediated oxidative damage.

The gene coding for a hemoglobin-like protein (Tf-trHb) has been identified in the thermophilic actinobacterium Thermobifida fusca and cloned in Escherichia coli for overexpression. The crystal structure of the ferric, acetate-bound derivative, was obtained at 2.48 A resolution. The three-dimensional structure of Tf-trHb is similar to structures reported for the truncated hemoglobins from Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Bacillus subtilis in its central domain. The complete lack of diffraction patterns relative to the N- and C-terminal segments indicates that these are unstructured polypeptides chains, consistent with their facile cleavage in solution. The absence of internal cavities and the presence of two water molecules between the bound acetate ion and the protein surface suggest that the mode of ligand entry is similar to that of typical hemoglobins. The protein is characterized by higher thermostability than the similar mesophilic truncated hemoglobin from B. subtilis, as demonstrated by far-UV CD melting experiments on the cyano-met derivatives. The ligand-binding properties of Tf-trHb, analyzed in stopped flow experiments, demonstrate that Tf-trHb is capable of efficient O2 binding and release between 55 and 60 degrees C, the optimal growth temperature for Thermobifida fusca.

The stability of the dodecameric Listeria innocua ferritin at low pH values has been investigated by spectroscopic methods and size-exclusion chromatography. The dodecamer is extremely stable in comparison to the classic ferritin tetracosamer and preserves its quaternary assembly at pH 2.0, despite an altered tertiary structure. Below pH 2.0, dissociation into dimers occurs and is paralleled by the complete loss of tertiary structure and a significant decrease in secondary structure elements. Dissociation of dimers into monomers occurs only at pH 1.0. Addition of NaCl to the protein at pH 2.0 induces structural changes similar to those observed upon increasing the proton concentration, although dissociation proceeds only to the dimer stage. Addition of sulfate at pH values ≥ 1.5 prevents the dissociation of the dodecamer. The role played by hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions in determining the resistance to dissociation of L. innocua ferritin at low pH is discussed in the light of its three-dimensional structure.