Frens Pries

REPLACEMENT OF TRYPTOPHAN RESIDUES IN HALOALKANE DEHALOGENASE REDUCES HALIDE BINDING AND CATALYTIC ACTIVITY

Haloalkane dehalogenase catalyzes the hydrolytic cleavage of carbon-halogen bonds in short-chain haloalkanes. Two tryptophan residues of the enzyme (Trp125 and Trp175) form a halide-binding site in the active-site cavity, and were proposed to play a role in catalysis. The function of these residues was studied by replacing Trp125 with phenylalanine, glutamine or arginine and Trp175 by glutamine using site-directed mutagenesis. All mutants except Trp125-->Phe showed a more than 10-fold reduced kcat and much higher Km values with 1,2-dichloroethane and 1,2-dibromoethane than the wild-type enzyme. Fluorescence quenching experiments showed a decrease in the affinity of the mutant enzymes for halide ions. The 2H kinetic isotope effect observed with the wild-type enzyme in deuterium oxide was lost in the active mutants, except the Trp125-->Phe enzyme. The results indicate that both tryptophans are involved in stabilizing the transition state during the nucleophilic substitution reaction that causes carbon-halogen bond cleavage.

Activation of an Asp-124→Asn mutant of haloalkane dehalogenase by hydrolytic deamidation of asparagine

Haloalkane dehalogenase hydrolyses various 1‐halo‐n‐alkanes to the corresponding alcohols by covalent catalysis with formation of an alkyl‐enzyme intermediate. The carboxylate function of the nucleophilic aspartate (Asp‐124) that displaces the halogen during formation of the intermediate was changed to an amide by site‐directed mutagenesis (Asp‐124→Asn). Activity measurements and analysis of peptides containing the nucleophilic residue showed that the mutant enzyme was inactive, but that the activity increased by rapid deamidation of the asparagine residue, yielding wild type enzyme. There was no indication for isoaspartate formation during this process. The results suggest that a water molecule that is located close to the carboxyl function of Asp‐124 in the X‐ray structure is highly reactive and is responsible for the observed deamidation.

Genetics and biochemistry of 1,2-dichloroethane degradation

Dichloroethane (1,2-DCE) is a synthetic compound that is not known to be formed naturally. Nevertheless, several pure microbial cultures are able to use it as a sole carbon source for growth. Degradation of 1,2-DCE proceeds via 2-chloroethanol, chloroacetaldehyde and chloroacetate to glycolate. The genes encoding the enzymes responsible for the conversion of 1,2-DCE to glycolic acid have been isolated. The haloalkane dehalogenase and an aldehyde dehydrogenase are plasmid encoded. Two other enzymes, the alcohol dehydrogenase and the haloacid dehalogenase, are chromosomally encoded. Sequence analysis indicates that the haloacid dehalogenase belongs to the L-specific 2-chloroproprionic acid dehalogenases. From the three-dimensional structure and sequence similarities, the haloalkane dehalogenase appears to be a member of the α/β hydrolase fold hydrolytic enzymes, of which several are involved in the degradation of aromatic and aliphatic xenobiotic compounds.