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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.

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis trifunctional enzyme (MtTFE) is an α2β2 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.

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 α2β2 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.

In the active site of the bacterial α-methylacyl-CoA racemase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MCR), the chirality of the 2-methyl branched C2-atom is interconverted between (S) and (R) isomers. Protein crystallographic data and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) computational approaches show that this interconversion is achieved via a planar enolate intermediate. The crystal structure, at 1.4 Å, visualizes the mode of binding of a reaction intermediate analogue, 2-methylacetoacetyl-CoA, in a well-defined planar enolate form. The computational studies confirm that in the conversion from (S) to (R), first a proton is abstracted by Nδ1 (His126), and subsequently the planar enolate form is reprotonated by Oδ2 (Asp156). The calculations also show that the negatively charged thioester oxygen of the enolate intermediate is stabilized by an oxyanion hole formed by N (Asp127), as well as by the side chain atoms of the catalytic residues, Asp156 and His126, both being protonated simultaneously, at the intermediate stage of the catalytic cycle. The computational analysis also reveals that the conversion of the (S)- to (R)- chirality is achieved by a movement of 1.7 Å of the chiral C2-carbon, with smaller shifts (approximately 1 Å) of the carbon atom of the 2-methyl group, the C3-atom of the fatty acid tail, and the C1-carbon and O1-oxygen atoms of the thioester moiety.

The key residue of the active site of triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) is the catalytic glutamate, which is proposed to be important (i) as a catalytic base, for initiating the reaction, as well as (ii) for the subsequent proton shuttling steps. The structural properties of this glutamate in the liganded complex have been investigated by studying the high resolution crystal structures of typanosomal TIM, complexed with three suicide inhibitors: (S)-glycidol phosphate ((S)-GOP, at 0.99 A resolution), (R)-glycidol phosphate, ((R)-GOP, at 1.08 A resolution), and bromohydroxyacetone phosphate (BHAP, at 1.97 A resolution). The structures show that in the (S)-GOP active site this catalytic glutamate is in the well characterized, competent conformation. However, an unusual side chain conformation is observed in the (R)-GOP and BHAP complexes. In addition, Glu97, salt bridged to the catalytic lysine in the competent active site, adopts an unusual side chain conformation in these two latter complexes. The higher chemical reactivity of (S)-GOP compared with (R)-GOP, as known from solution studies, can be understood: the structures indicate that in the case of (S)-GOP, Glu167 can attack the terminal carbon of the epoxide in a stereoelectronically favored, nearly linear OCO arrangement, but this is not possible for the (R)-GOP isomer. These structures confirm the previously proposed conformational flexibility of the catalytic glutamate in its closed, liganded state. The importance of this conformational flexibility for the proton shuttling steps in the TIM catalytic cycle, which is apparently achieved by a sliding motion of the side chain carboxylate group above the enediolate plane, is also discussed.

The crystal structure of the full-length rat peroxisomal multifunctional enzyme, type 1 (rpMFE1), has been determined at 2.8 Å resolution. This enzyme has three catalytic activities and two active sites. The N-terminal part has the crotonase fold, which builds the active site for the Δ3,Δ2-enoyl-CoA isomerase and the Δ2-enoyl-CoA hydratase-1 catalytic activities, and the C-terminal part has the (3S)-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase fold and makes the (3S)-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase active site. rpMFE1 is a multidomain protein having five domains (A–E). The crystal structure of full-length rpMFE1 shows a flexible arrangement of the A-domain with respect to the B–E-domains. Because of a hinge region near the end of the A-domain, two different positions of the A-domain were observed for the two protein molecules (A and B) of the asymmetric unit. In the most closed conformation, the mode of binding of CoA is stabilized by domains A and B (helix-10), as seen in other crotonase fold members. Domain B, although functionally belonging to the N-terminal part, is found tightly associated with the C-terminal part, i.e. fixed to the E-domain. The two active sites of rpMFE1 are ∼40 Å apart, separated by a tunnel, characterized by an excess of positively charged side chains. Comparison of the structures of rpMFE1 with the monofunctional crotonase and (3S)-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase superfamily enzymes, as well as with the bacterial α2β2-fatty acid oxidation multienzyme complex, reveals that this tunnel could be important for substrate channeling, as observed earlier on the basis of the kinetics of rpMFE1 purified from rat liver.

Triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) is a perfectly evolved enzyme which very fast interconverts dihydroxyacetone phosphate and D: -glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate. Its catalytic site is at the dimer interface, but the four catalytic residues, Asn11, Lys13, His95 and Glu167, are from the same subunit. Glu167 is the catalytic base. An important feature of the TIM active site is the concerted closure of loop-6 and loop-7 on ligand binding, shielding the catalytic site from bulk solvent. The buried active site stabilises the enediolate intermediate. The catalytic residue Glu167 is at the beginning of loop-6. On closure of loop-6, the Glu167 carboxylate moiety moves approximately 2 Å to the substrate. The dynamic properties of the Glu167 side chain in the enzyme substrate complex are a key feature of the proton shuttling mechanism. Two proton shuttling mechanisms, the classical and the criss-cross mechanism, are responsible for the interconversion of the substrates of this enolising enzyme.