Emil F. Pai

An Extremely Potent Inhibitor of Xanthine Oxidoreductase CRYSTAL STRUCTURE OF THE ENZYME-INHIBITOR COMPLEX AND MECHANISM OF INHIBITION

TEI-6720 (2-(3-cyano-4-isobutoxyphenyl)-4-methyl-5-thiazolecarboxylic acid) is an extremely potent inhibitor of xanthine oxidoreductase. Steady state kinetics measurements exhibit mixed type inhibition withK i and K i ′ values of 1.2 ± 0.05 × 10−10 m and 9 ± 0.05 × 10−10 m, respectively. Fluorescence-monitored titration experiments showed that TEI-6720 bound very tightly to both the active and the inactive desulfo-form of the enzyme. The dissociation constant determined for the desulfo-form was 2 ± 0.03 × 10−9 m; for the active form, the corresponding number was too low to allow accurate measurements. The crystal structure of the active sulfo-form of milk xanthine dehydrogenase complexed with TEI-6720 and determined at 2.8-Å resolution revealed the inhibitor molecule bound in a long, narrow channel leading to the molybdenum-pterin active site of the enzyme. It filled up most of the channel and the immediate environment of the cofactor, very effectively inhibiting the activity of the enzyme through the prevention of substrate binding. Although the inhibitor did not directly coordinate to the molybdenum ion, numerous hydrogen bonds as well as hydrophobic interactions with the protein matrix were observed, most of which are also used in substrate recognition.

Mammalian xanthine oxidoreductase – mechanism of transition from xanthine dehydrogenase to xanthine oxidase

Reactive oxygen species are generated by various biological systems, including NADPH oxidases, xanthine oxidoreductase, and mitochondrial respiratory enzymes, and contribute to many physiological and pathological phenomena. Mammalian xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) can be converted to xanthine oxidase (XO), which produces both superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide. Recent X‐ray crystallographic and site‐directed mutagenesis studies have revealed a highly sophisticated mechanism of conversion from XDH to XO, suggesting that the conversion is not a simple artefact, but rather has a function in mammalian organisms. Furthermore, this transition seems to involve a thermodynamic equilibrium between XDH and XO; disulfide bond formation or proteolysis can then lock the enzyme in the XO form. In this review, we focus on recent advances in our understanding of the mechanism of conversion from XDH to XO.

Mechanism of inhibition of xanthine oxidoreductase by allopurinol: crystal structure of reduced bovine milk xanthine oxidoreductase bound with oxipurinol.

Inhibitors of xanthine oxidoreductase block conversion of xanthine to uric acid and are therefore potentially useful for treatment of hyperuricemia or gout. We determined the crystal structure of reduced bovine milk xanthine oxidoreductase complexed with oxipurinol at 2.0 Å resolution. Clear electron density was observed between the N2 nitrogen of oxipurinol and the molybdenum atom of the molybdopterin cofactor, indicating that oxipurinol coordinated directly to molybdenum. Oxipurinol forms hydrogen bonds with glutamate802, arginine880, and glutamate1261, which have previously been shown to be essential for the enzyme reaction. We discuss possible differences in the hypouricemic effect of inhibitors, including allopurinol and newly developed inhibitors, based on their mode of binding in the crystal structures.

Crystal structures of inhibitor complexes reveal an alternate binding mode in orotidine-5'-monophosphate decarboxylase.

The crystal structures of the enzyme orotidine-5′-monophosphate decarboxylase from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum complexed with its product UMP and the inhibitors 6-hydroxyuridine 5′-phosphate (BMP), XMP, and CMP are reported. A mutant version of the protein, in which four residues of the flexible phosphate-binding loop180Gly–Gly190 were removed and Arg203 was replaced by alanine, was also analyzed. The XMP and CMP complexes reveal a ligand-binding mode that is distinct from the one identified previously with the aromatic rings located outside the binding pocket. A potential pathway for ligand binding is discussed.

Atomic resolution structure of the orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase product complex combined with surface plasmon resonance analysis: implications for the catalytic mechanism.

Background: Low binding affinity of product UMP is used to argue against substrate distortion contributing to orotidine-5′-monophosphate decarboxylase catalysis. Results: Atomic resolution structure and surface plasmon resonance analysis reveal strong repulsion between active site residue and UMP. Conclusion: Low UMP affinity does not disprove contribution of substrate distortion to catalysis. Significance: Substrate distortion can still be considered as a mechanistic feature of this most proficient enzyme. Orotidine 5′-monophosphate decarboxylase (ODCase) accelerates the decarboxylation of its substrate by 17 orders of magnitude. One argument brought forward against steric/electrostatic repulsion causing substrate distortion at the carboxylate substituent as part of the catalysis has been the weak binding affinity of the decarboxylated product (UMP). The crystal structure of the UMP complex of ODCase at atomic resolution (1.03 Å) shows steric competition between the product UMP and the side chain of a catalytic lysine residue. Surface plasmon resonance analysis indicates that UMP binds 5 orders of magnitude more tightly to a mutant in which the interfering side chain has been removed than to wild-type ODCase. These results explain the low affinity of UMP and counter a seemingly very strong argument against a contribution of substrate distortion to the catalytic reaction mechanism of ODCase.

Crystal structure of the CN-hydrolase SA0302 from the pathogenic bacterium Staphylococcus aureus belonging to the Nit and NitFhit Branch of the nitrilase superfamily.

The nitrilases include a variety of enzymes with functional specificities of nitrilase, amidase, and hydrolase reactions. The crystal structure of the uncharacterized protein SA0302 from the pathogenic microorganism Staphylococcus aureus is solved at 1.7 Å resolution. The protein contains 261 amino acids and presents a four-layer αββα sandwich with a chain topology similar to that of a few known CN-hydrolase folds. In the crystal, the proteins are arranged as dimers whose monomers are related by a pseudo twofold rotation symmetry axis. Analysis of the sequences and structures of CN-hydrolases with known 3D structures shows that SA0302 definitely is a member of Branch 10 (Nit and NitFhit) of the nitrilase superfamily. Enzyme activities and substrate specificities of members of this branch are not yet characterized, in contrast to those of the members of Branches 1–9. Although the sequence identities between Branch 10 members are rather low, less than 30%, five conserved regions are common in this subfamily. Three of them contain functionally important catalytic residues, and the two other newly characterized ones are associated with crucial intramolecular and intermolecular interactions. Sequence homology of the area near the active site shows clearly that the catalytic triad of SA0302 is Glu41-Lys110-Cys146. We suggest also that the active site includes a fourth residue, the closely located Glu119. Despite an extensive similarity with other Nit-family structural folds, SA0302 displays an important difference. Protein loop 111–122, which follows the catalytic Lys110, is reduced to half the number of amino acids found in other Nit-family members. This leaves the active site fully accessible to solvent and substrates. We have identified conservative sequence motifs around the three core catalytic residues, which are inherent solely to Branch 10 of the nitrilase superfamily. On the basis of these new sequence fingerprints, 10 previously uncharacterized proteins also could be assigned to this hydrolase subfamily. An animated interactive 3D complement (I3DC) is available in Proteopedia at http://proteopedia.org/w/Journal:JBSD:19