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Acyl-CoA dehydrogenases constitute a family of flavoproteins that catalyze the alpha,beta-dehydrogenation of fatty acid acyl-CoA conjugates. While they differ widely in their specificity, they share the same basic chemical mechanism of alpha,beta-dehydrogenation. Medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase is probably the best-studied member of the class and serves as a model for the study of catalytic mechanisms. Based on medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase we discuss the main factors that bring about catalysis, promote specificity and determine the selective transfer of electrons to electron transferring flavoprotein. The mechanism of alpha,beta-dehydrogenation is viewed as a process in which the substrate alphaC-H and betaC-H bonds are ruptured concertedly, the first hydrogen being removed by the active center base Glu376-COO- as an H+, the second being transferred as a hydride to the flavin N(5) position. Hereby the pKa of the substrate alphaC-H is lowered from > 20 to approximately 8 by the effect of specific hydrogen bonds. Concomitantly, the pKa of Glu376-COO- is also raised to 8-9 due to the decrease in polarity brought about by substrate binding. The kinetic sequence of medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase is rather complex and involves several intermediates. A prominent one is the molecular complex of reduced enzyme with the enoyl-CoA product that is characterized by an intense charge transfer absorption and serves as the point of transfer of electrons to the electron transferring flavoprotein. These views are also discussed in the context of the accompanying paper on the three-dimensional properties of acyl-CoA dehydrogenases.

Medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCADH) deficiency, an autosomal recessive inherited disorder, is the most common genetic disorder in mitochondrial beta-oxidation in humans. In addition to one prevalent disease-causing mutation (K304E), a series of rarer mutations has been reported, but none of these has yet been characterized in detail. We report here on the biochemical characterization of the purified recombinant mutant protein in which threonine is replaced by alanine at position 168 of the mature protein (T168A-MCADH). It is the first mutation to be found in patients that is located in the active site of the enzyme. Thr-168 is hydrogen-bonded to the flavin N(5) of the cofactor FAD. The thermostability of T168A-MCADH is markedly decreased compared with human wild-type MCADH (hwt-MCADH). Catalytic activity with ferricenium as acceptor is lowered by 80% and with the natural acceptor electron-transferring flavoprotein by over 90% compared with hwt-MCADH. In the mutant the extent of flavin semiquinone formed on reduction is approx. 50% that of hwt-MCADH. The pK reflected by the pH-dependence of Vmax is shifted from approx. 8.2 (hwt-MCADH) to approx. 7 (T168A-MCADH) and the rates of enzyme flavin reduction (stopped-flow measurements) are only approx. 1/10 those of the parent enzyme. These properties are discussed in the light of the possible mechanisms leading to disease in humans.

The flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) cofactor of pig kidney medium-chain specific acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) dehydrogenase (MCADH) has been replaced by ribityl-3'-deoxy-FAD and ribityl-2'-deoxy-FAD. 3'-Deoxy-FAD-MCADH has properties very similar to those of native MCADH, indicating that the FAD-ribityl side-chain 3'-OH group does not play any particular role in cofactor binding or catalysis. 2'-Deoxy-FAD-MCADH was characterized using the natural substrate C8CoA as well as various substrate and transition-state analogues. Substrate dehydrogenation in 2'-deoxy-FAD-MCADH is approximately 1.5 x 10(7)-fold slower than that of native MCADH, indicating that disruption of the hydrogen bond between 2'-OH and substrate thioester carbonyl leads to a substantial transition-state destabilization equivalent to approximately 38 kJ mol-1. The alphaC-H microscopic pKa of the substrate analogue 3S-C8CoA, which undergoes alpha-deprotonation on binding to MCADH, is lowered from approximately 16 in the free state to approximately 11 (+/-0.5) when bound to 2'-deoxy-FAD-MCADH. This compares with a decrease of the same pKa to approximately 5 in the complex with unmodified hwtMCADH, which corresponds to a pK shift of approximately 11 pK units, i.e., approximately 65 kJ mol-1 [Vock, P., Engst, S., Eder, M., and Ghisla, S. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 1848-1860]. The difference of this effect of approximately 6 pK units ( approximately 35 kJ mol-1) between MCADH and 2'-deoxy-FAD-MCADH is taken as the level of stabilization of the substrate carbanionic species caused by the interaction with the FAD-2'-OH. This energetic parameter derived from the kinetic experiments (stabilization of transition state) is in agreement with those obtained from static experiments (lowering of alphaC-H microscopic pKa of analogue, i.e., stabilization of anionic transition-state analogue). The contributions of the two single H-bonds involved in substrate activation (Glu376amide-N-H and ribityl-2'-OH) thus appear to behave additively toward the total effect. The crystal structures of native pMCADH and of 2'-deoxy-FAD-MCADH complexed with octanoyl-CoA/octenoyl-CoA show unambiguously that the FAD cofactor and the substrate/product bind in an identical fashion, implying that the observed effects are mainly due to (the absence of) the FAD-ribityl-2'-OH hydrogen bond. The large energy associated with the 2'-OH hydrogen bond interaction is interpreted as resulting from the changes in charge and the increased hydrophobicity induced by binding of lipophilic substrate. This is the first example demonstrating the direct involvement of a flavin cofactor side chain in catalysis.

The modulation of the electron-transfer properties of human medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (hwtMCADH) has been studied using wild-type and site-directed mutants by determining their midpoint potentials at various pH values and estimating the involved pKs. The mutants used were E376D, in which the negative charge is retained; E376Q, in which one negative charge (pKa approximately 6. 0) is removed from the active center; E99G, in which a different negative charge (pKa approximately 7.3) also is affected; and E376H (pKa approximately 9.3) in which a positive charge is present. Em for hwtMCADH at pH 7.6 is -0.114 V. Results for the site-directed mutants indicate that loss of a negative charge in the active site causes a +0.033 V potential shift. This is consistent with the assumption that electrostatic interactions (as in the case of flavodoxins) and specific charges are important in the modulation of the electron-transfer properties of this class of dehydrogenases. Specifically, these charge interactions appear to correlate with the positive Em shift observed upon binding of substrate/product couple to MCADH [Lenn, N. D., Stankovich, M. T., and Liu, H. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 3709-3715], which coincides with a pK increase of Glu376-COOH from approximately 6 to 8-9 [Rudik, I., Ghisla, S., and Thorpe, C. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 8437-8445]. From the pH dependence of the midpoint potentials of hwtMCADH two mechanistically important ionizations are estimated. The pKa value of approximately 6.0 is assigned to the catalytic base, Glu376-COOH, in the oxidized enzyme based on comparison with the pH behavior of the E376H mutant, it thus coincides with the pK value recently estimated [Vock, P., Engst, S., Eder, M., and Ghisla, S. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 1848-1860]. The pKa of approximately 7.1 is assigned to Glu376-COOH in reduced hwtMCADH. Comparable values for these pKas for Glu376-COOH in pig kidney MCADH are pKox = 6.5 and pKred = 7.9. The Em measured for K304E-MCADH (a major mutant resulting in a deficiency syndrome) is essentially identical to that of hwtMCADH, indicating that the disordered enzyme has an intact active site.

Oxidation of thioester substrates in the medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase involves alpha-proton abstraction by the catalytic base, Glu376, with transfer of a beta-hydride equivalent to the flavin prosthetic group. Polarization of bound acyl-CoA derivatives by the recombinant human liver enzyme has been studied with 4-thia-trans-2-enoyl-CoA analogues. Polarization is maximal at low pH, with an apparent pK of 9.2 for complexes with the C8 analogue, and progressively lower pK values as the length of the chain increases. This pH effect reflects ionization of the catalytic base, since polarization of a variety of enoyl-CoA analogues by the Glu376Gln mutant is pH independent. Binding of these ligands is accompanied by uptake of about 1 proton with the wild-type enzyme, but only about 0.1 proton with the Glu376Gln mutant. Rapid reaction studies show that proton uptake with the wild-type enzyme occurs at the same rate as polarization of the enoyl-CoA thioester, but is much slower than the initial ligand binding step. Studies with 6-OH-FAD-substituted enzyme show that this isomerization reaction also influences the flavin prosthetic group inducing deprotonation to the green anionic form. The failure of the bound thioether analogue, octyl-SCoA, to elicit pK shifts to flavin and Glu376 shows the importance of the thioester carbonyl oxygen in modulating key properties of the medium-chain enzyme. The role of thioester-mediated desolvation within the active site of the acyl-CoA dehydrogenases is discussed.

The mechanism by which acyl-CoA dehydrogenases initiate catalysis was studied by using p-substituted phenylacetyl-CoAs (substituents-NO2, -CN, and CH3CO-), 3S-C8-, and 3'-dephospho-3S-C8CoA. These analogues lack a beta C-H and cannot undergo alpha,beta-dehydrogenation. Instead they deprotonate at alpha C-H at pH > or = 14 to form delocalized carbanions having strong absorbancies in the near UV-visible spectrum. The pKas of the corresponding phenylacetone analogues were determined as approximately 13.6 (-NO2), approximately 14.5 (-CN), and approximately 14.6 (CH3CO-). Upon binding to human wild-type medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCADH), all analogues undergo alpha C-H deprotonation. While the extent of deprotonation varies, the anionic products from charge-transfer complexes with the oxidized flavin. From the pH dependence of the dissociation constants (Kd) of p-NO2-phenylacetyl-CoA (4NPA-CoA), 3S-C8-CoA, and 3'-dephospho-3S-C8CoA, four pKas at approximately 5, approximately 6, approximately 7.3, and approximately 8 were identified. They were assigned to the following ionizations: (a) pKa approximately 5, ligand (L-H) in the MCADH approximately ligand complex; (b) pKa approximately 6, Glu376-COOH in uncomplexed MCADH; (c) pKa approximately 7.3, Glu99-COOH in uncomplexed MCADH (Glu99 is a residue that flanks the bottom of the active-center cavity; this pK is absent in the mutant Glu99Gly-MCADH); and (d) pK approximately 8, Glu99-COOH in the MCADH approximately 4NPA-CoA complex. The pKa approximately 6 (b) is not significantly affected in the MCADH approximately 4NPA-CoA complex, but it is increased by > or = 1 pK unit in that with 3S-C8CoA and further in the presence of C8-CoA, the best substrate. The alpha C-H pKas of 4NPA-CoA, of 3S-C8-CoA, and of 3'-dephospho-3S-C8CoA in the complex with MCADH are approximately 5, approximately 5, and approximately 6. Compared to those of the free species these pKa values are therefore lowered by 8 to > or = 11 pH units (50 to > or = 65 kJ mol-1) and are close to the pKa of Glu376-COOH in the complex with substrate/ligand. This effect is ascribed mainly to the hydrogen-bond interactions of the thioester carbonyl group with the ribityl-2'-OH of FAD and Glu376-NH. It is concluded that the pKa shifts induced with normal substrates such as n-octanoyl-CoA are still higher and of the order of 9-13 pK units. With 4NPA-CoA and MCADH, alpha C-H abstraction is fast (kapp approximately 55 s-1 at pH 7.5 and 25 degrees C, deuterium isotope effect approximately 1.34). However, it does not proceed to completion since it constitutes an approach to equilibrium with a finite rate for reprotonation in the pH range 6-9.5. The extent of deprotonation and the respective rates are pH-dependent and reflect apparent pKas of approximately 5 and approximately 7.3, which correspond to those determined in static experiments.

Mature medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase isolated from pig kidney (pkMCADH) and originating from mitochondria carries a phosphate group as demonstrated by 31P-NMR-spectroscopy and chemical analysis. Two broad resonances at -6.3 and -8 ppm are observed and are assigned to the pyrophosphate group of the cofactor FAD. A third, narrow resonance at 4.65 ppm indicates the presence of a phosphomonoester residue. Chemical analysis of intact pkMCADH shows the presence of 3 +/- 0.3 phosphates, those of FAD and of an additional covalently attached phosphate. With recombinant, human wild type MCADH expressed in and purified from E. coli only the two FAD phosphates (2 +/- 0.35) are found. Similarly, pkMCADH which has been converted to the apoenzyme and reconstituted to holoenzyme also contains 2 +/- 0.4 phosphates. The covalently bound phosphate can be hydrolyzed by phosphatase and subsequently removed by dialysis. The phosphate group has no detectable effect on the catalytic activity of the MCADH measured with artificial and natural electron acceptors such as pig electron transferring flavoprotein. However, phosphorylation has a marked effect on protein solubility which is +5-fold lower for the dephosphorylated protein.

We have used expression of human medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) in Escherichia coli as a model system for dissecting the molecular effects of two mutations detected in patients with MCAD deficiency. We demonstrate that the R28C mutation predominantly affects polypeptide folding. The amounts of active R28C mutant enzyme produced could be modulated between undetectable to 100% of the wild-type control by manipulating the level of available chaperonins and the growth temperature. For the prevalent K304E mutation, however, the amounts of active mutant enzyme could be modulated only in a range from undetectable to approximately 50% of the wild-type, and the assembled mutant enzyme displayed a decreased thermal stability. Two artificially constructed mutants (K304Q and K304E/D346K) yielded clearly higher amounts of active MCAD enzyme than the K304E mutant but were also responsive to chaperonin co-overexpression and growth at low temperature. The thermal stability profile of the K304E/D346K double mutant was shifted to even lower temperatures than that of the K304E mutant, whereas that of the K304Q mutant was closely similar to the wild-type. Taken together, the results show that the K304E mutation affects (i) polypeptide folding due to elimination of the positively charged lysine and (ii) oligomer assembly and stability due to replacement of lysine 304 with the negatively charged glutamic acid.

Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was used to study and compare wild-type medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD; EC 1.3.99.3) and mis-sense mutant enzyme found in patients with MCAD deficiency. By comparing the patterns for wild-type and mutant MCAD expressed in Escherichia coli or in eukaryotic COS-7 cells we demonstrate that variants with point mutations changing the net charge of the protein can be readily resolved from the wild-type protein. After expression of the cDNA in eukaryotic cells two spots representing mature MCAD can be distinguished, one with an isoelectric point (pI) corresponding to that obtained for the mature protein expressed in E. coli and another one shifted to lower pI. This demonstrates that MCAD protein is partially modified after transport into the mitochondria and removal of the transit peptide. The observed pI shift would be compatible with phosphorylation of one aspartic acid residue per monomer. Comparison of pulse labeling and steady-state amounts of MCAD protein in overexpressing COS-7 cells confirms that K304E MCAD is synthesized and transported into mitochondria in amounts similar to the wild-type protein, but is degraded much more readily. For wild-type MCAD, the spot representing the nonmodified form predominates after pulse labeling while that representing the modified form is relatively stronger in steady state, demonstrating that the modification occurs in mitochondria after the transit peptide has been removed. For K304E mutant MCAD, the nonmodified spot is relatively stronger both in pulse labeling and in steady state, indicating that either the efficiency of modification or the stability of the modified form is affected by the K304E mutation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The influence of co-overexpression of the bacterial chaperonins GroEL and GroES on solubility, tetramer formation and enzyme activity of three variants of heterologously-expressed human medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) was analysed in order to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying MCAD deficiency caused by the prevalent K304E mutation. Depending on which of the three amino acids--lysine (wild-type), glutamic acid (K304E) or glutamine (K304Q) are present at position 304 of the mature polypeptide, three different patterns were observed in our assay system: (i) solubility, tetramer formation and yield of enzyme activity of wild-type MCAD is largely independent of GroESL co-overexpression; (ii) the larger part of the K304Q mutant is insoluble without and solubility is enhanced with GroESL co-overexpression; solubility correlates with the amount of tetramer detected and the enzyme activity measured as observed for the wild-type protein. (iii) Solubility of the K304E mutant is in a similar fashion GroESL responsive as the K304Q mutant, but the amount of tetramer observed and the enzyme activity measured do not correlate with the amount of soluble K304E MCAD protein detected in Western blotting. In a first attempt to estimate the specific activity, we show that tetrameric K304E and K304Q mutant MCAD display a specific activity in the range of the wild-type enzyme. Taken together, our results strongly suggest, that the K304E mutation primarily impairs the rate of folding and subunit assembly. Based on the data presented, we propose that lysine-304 is important for the folding pathway and that an exchange of this amino acid both to glutamine or glutamic acid leads to an increased tendency to misfold/aggregate. Furthermore, exchange of lysine-304 with an amino acid with negative charge at position 304 (glutamic acid) but not with a neutral charge (glutamine) negatively affects conversion to active tetramers. A possible explanation for this latter effect--charge repulsion upon subunit docking--is discussed.

Different forms of rat liver medium-chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) (EC 1.3.99.3) were produced in Escherichia coli carrying expression plasmids (pRMCADm-1 approximately 9) differing at the 5'-region of the cDNA. The proteins expressed could be readily extracted from the cells. The protein (approximately 44 kDa) directed by pRMCADm-3 showed the highest activity and was readily purified to homogeneity. The purified enzyme contained non-covalently bound FAD and was similar to rat liver mitochondrial enzyme in all respects examined. The purified protein (approximately 45 kDa) directed by pRMCADm-1 did not contain FAD and showed no enzymatic activity. Therefore, the leader peptide disturbs the binding of FAD to the apoprotein. The purified protein (approximately 40 kDa) directed by pRMCADm-6 did not contain FAD. Thus, the deletion of the NH2-terminal portion of the apoprotein to some extent results in its inability to combine with FAD.

The cDNA of human medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCADH) was modified by in vitro mutagenesis, and the sequence encoding the mature form of MCADH was introduced into an inducible expression plasmid. We observed synthesis of the protein in Escherichia coli cells transformed with this plasmid with measurable MCADH enzyme activity in cell extracts. Glutamic acid 376, which has been proposed by Powell and Thorpe (Powell, P. J., and Thorpe, J. (1988) Biochemistry 27, 8022-8028) as an essential residue and the proton-abstracting base at the active site of the enzyme, was mutated to glutamine. After expression in bacteria of this plasmid, the corresponding extracts show no detectable MCADH activity, although mutant MCADH-protein production was detected by protein immunoblots. The mature enzyme and the Gln376 mutant were purified to apparent homogeneity. The wild-type enzyme is a yellow protein due to the content of stoichiometric FAD and had a specific activity which is 50% of MCADH purified from pig kidney. The Gln376 mutant is devoid of activity (less than 0.02% that of wild type, expressed enzyme) and is green because of bound CoA persulfide. Properties of the mutant enzyme suggest that the Glu376----Gln change specifically affects substrate binding. These results prove that Glu376 plays an important role in the initial step of dehydrogenation catalysis.

Pig kidney general acyl-CoA dehydrogenase is irreversibly inactivated by methylenecyclopropylacetyl-CoA, a metabolite of the hypoglycemic amino acid hypoglycin from Blighia sapida, to less that 2% of native activity. Octanoyl-CoA affords strong protection against this inhibition. During inactivation, about 80% of the enzyme FAD is covalently and irreversibly modified with the residual inhibition possibly resulting from modification of the protein. Denaturation of the inactivated enzyme yields several modified flavin derivatives in addition to about 20% unmodified FAD. From spectral comparison, the structure of one of these species is tentatively assigned to a derivative of 4a,5-dihydroflavin, while two further products resemble 6-, and 8-substituted flavins. These results suggest that methylenecyclopropylacetyl-CoA (and consequently the methylenecyclopropylmethano moiety of hypoglycin) be considered "suicide" substrates.

Pig kidney general acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (GAD) can be reduced by butyryl-CoA to form reduced enzyme and crotonyl-CoA. This reaction is reversible. Stopped-flow, kinetic investigations on GAD have been made, using the following reaction pairs: oxidized GAD/butyryl-CoA, oxidized GAD/crotonyl-CoA, oxidized GAD/alpha,beta-dideuteriobutyryl-CoA, reduced GAD/butyryl-CoA, and reduced GAD/crotonyl-CoA (in 50 mM potassium phosphate buffer, pH 7.6 at 4 degrees C). Reduction of GAD by butyryl-CoA is triphasic. The slowest phase is 100-fold slower than the preceding phase and appears to represent a secondary process not directly related to the primary reduction events. The first two fast phases are responsible for reduction of GAD. Reduction proceeds via a reduced enzyme/crotonyl-CoA charge-transfer complex. alpha, beta-Dideuteriobutyryl-CoA elicits a major deuterium isotope effect (15-fold) on the reduction reaction. Oxidation of GAD by crotonyl-CoA is biphasic. Oxidation proceeds via the same reduced enzyme/crotonyl-CoA charge-transfer complex seen during reduction. The oxidation reaction ends in a mixture composed largely of oxidized GAD species. From the data, we constructed a mechanism for the reduction/oxidation of GAD by butyryl-CoA/crotonyl-CoA. This mechanism was then used to simulate all of the observed kinetic time course data, using a single set of kinetic parameters. A close correspondence between the observed and simulated data was obtained.

3,4-Pentadienoyl-CoA, an allenic substrate analog, is a potent inhibitor of the flavoprotein pig-kidney general acyl-CoA dehydrogenase. The analog reacts very rapidly (k = 2.4 X 10(3) min-1) with the native oxidized enzyme to form a covalent flavin adduct probably involving the isoalloxazine position N-5. This species is inactive, but activity may be regained by two pathways. The allenic thioester can be displaced (k = 0.3 min-1) by a large excess of octanoyl-CoA substrate upon reversal of covalent adduct formation. Alternatively, the enzyme inactivator adduct slowly decomposes (t1/2 = 75 min) to form the strongly thermodynamically favoured 2,4-diene and catalytically active, oxidized enzyme. During this latter process 15-20% of the activity is irreversibly lost probably due to covalent modification of the protein. These data suggest that 3,4-pentadienoyl-CoA should be considered a suicide substrate of the acyl-CoA dehydrogenase. The mechanism of the reactions, and in particular the 3,4----2,4 tautomerization, are consistent with a catalytic sequence initiated by abstraction of an alpha-hydrogen as a proton.

cDNA clone for general acyl CoA dehydrogenase (GAD) was isolated from a rat liver cDNA expression library in lambda gt11 using anti-pig kidney GAD antibody. Size of the isolated cDNA was estimated to be 1.5-1.6 kb. By immunological analysis of fusion protein and epitope selection, the cDNA clone was identified as that containing the GAD gene. Partial amino acid sequence deduced from nucleotide sequence of the cDNA coincided with that of the pig kidney enzyme. The antibody cross-reacted with rat liver enzyme and molecular weights of these enzyme proteins were shown to be almost the same. All these results indicate that rat liver GAD shares a common structure with pig kidney enzyme.

The kinetic properties of general acyl-CoA dehydrogenase from pig kidney have been investigated using normal butyryl-CoA as well as an alpha-deutero, beta-deutero- and perdeutero-butyryl-CoA. In turnover catalysis, isotope effects of 2, 3.6, and 9 were found respectively. In the reductive half reaction the isotope effects were 2.5, 14, and 28 for the same substrates, and 21 for (2R,3R)-(2,3-D2)butyryl-CoA. No intermediates are apparent during the reduction of oxidized enzyme to the presumed complex of reduced enzyme and crotonyl-CoA. The results are interpreted as indicating a high degree of concertedness during the rupture of the alpha and beta C-H bonds. They are compatible with a mechanism in which simultaneously the alpha-hydrogen is abstracted as a proton, while the beta-hydrogen is transferred to the oxidized flavin as a hydride.

In vitro synthesis of general acyl CoA dehydrogenase [EC 1.3.99.3], one of the mitochondrial flavoenzymes, was carried out to elucidate its biosynthetic mechanism. Poly(A)+ RNA isolated from pig kidney was translated in vitro using wheat germ lysate system and the synthesized enzyme was immunoprecipitated by the antibody against purified pig kidney general acyl CoA dehydrogenase. The apparent molecular weight of the synthesized protein was estimated to be approximately 1,000 daltons larger than that of the mature enzyme, indicating that general acyl CoA dehydrogenase in pig kidney is synthesized as a precursor with a larger molecular weight.

Butyryl-CoA dehydrogenase from Megasphera elsdenii catalyzes the exchange of the alpha- and beta-hydrogens of substrate with solvent [Gomes, B., Fendrich, G., & Abeles, R. H. (1981) Biochemistry 20, 1481-1490]. The stoichiometry of this exchange was determined by using 3H2O label as 1.94 +/- 0.1 per substrate molecule. The rate of 3H label incorporation into substrate under anaerobic conditions is monophasic, indicating that both the alpha- and beta-hydrogens exchange at the same rate. The exchange in 2H2O leads to incorporation of one 2H each into the alpha- and the beta-positions of butyryl-CoA, as determined by companion 1H NMR experiments and confirmed by mass spectroscopic analysis. In contrast, with general acyl-CoA dehydrogenase from pig kidney, only exchange of the alpha-hydrogen was found. The beta-hydrogen is the one that is transferred (reversibly) to the flavin 5-position during substrate dehydrogenation. This was demonstrated by reacting 5-3H- and 5-2H-reduced 5-deaza-FAD-general acyl-CoA dehydrogenase with crotonyl-CoA. Only one face of the reduced flavin analogue is capable of transferring hydrogen to substrate. The rate of this reaction is 11.1 s-1 for 5-deaza-FAD-enzyme and 2.2 s-1 for [5-2H]deaza-FAD-enzyme, yielding an isotope effect of 5. These values compare with a rate of 2.6 s-1 for the reaction of native reduced enzyme with crotonyl-CoA. The two reduced enzymes (normal vs. 5-deaza-FAD-enzyme) thus react at similar rates, indicating a similar mechanism.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The flavoprotein medium-chain acyl coenzyme A (acyl-CoA) dehydrogenase from pig kidney exhibits an intrinsic hydratase activity toward crotonyl-CoA yielding L-3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA. The maximal turnover number of about 0.5 min-1 is 500-1000-fold slower than the dehydrogenation of butyryl-CoA using electron-transferring flavoprotein as terminal acceptor. trans-2-Octenoyl- and trans-2-hexadecenoyl-CoA are not hydrated significantly. Hydration is not due to contamination with the short-chain enoyl-CoA hydratase crotonase. Several lines of evidence suggest that hydration and dehydrogenation reactions probably utilize the same active site. These two activities are coordinately inhibited by 2-octynoyl-CoA and (methylenecyclopropyl)acetyl-CoA [whose targets are the protein and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) moieties of the dehydrogenase, respectively]. The hydration of crotonyl-CoA is severely inhibited by octanoyl-CoA, a good substrate of the dehydrogenase. The apoenzyme is inactive as a hydratase but recovers activity on the addition of FAD. Compared with the hydratase activity of the native enzyme, the 8-fluoro-FAD enzyme exhibits a roughly 2-fold increased activity, whereas the 5-deaza-FAD dehydrogenase is only 20% as active. A mechanism for this unanticipated secondary activity of the acyl-CoA dehydrogenase is suggested.