Crystal structure and kinetic mechanism of aminoglycoside phosphotransferase-2″-IVa

Acquired resistance to aminoglycoside antibiotics primarily results from deactivation by three families of aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes. Here, we report the kinetic mechanism and structure of the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase 2″-IVa (APH(2″)-IVa), an enzyme responsible for resistance to aminoglycoside antibiotics in clinical enterococcal and staphylococcal isolates. The enzyme operates via a Bi-Bi sequential mechanism in which the two substrates (ATP or GTP and an aminoglycoside) bind in a random manner. The APH(2″)-IVa enzyme phosphorylates various 4,6-disubstituted aminoglycoside antibiotics with catalytic efficiencies (kcat/Km) of 1.5 × 103 to 1.2 × 106 (M−1 s−1). The enzyme uses both ATP and GTP as the phosphate source, an extremely rare occurrence in the phosphotransferase and protein kinase enzymes. Based on an analysis of the APH(2″)-IVa structure, two overlapping binding templates specifically tuned for hydrogen bonding to either ATP or GTP have been identified and described. A detailed understanding of the structure and mechanism of the GTP-utilizing phosphotransferases is crucial for the development of either novel aminoglycosides or, more importantly, GTP-based enzyme inhibitors which would not be expected to interfere with crucial ATP-dependent enzymes.