Download MendeleyThe crystal structure of a new O-demethylase from Sphingobium sp. strain SYK-6
Harada, A., Kamimura, N., Takeuchi, K., Yu, H.Y., Masai, E., Senda, T.(2017) FEBS J 284: 1855-1867
- PubMed: 28429420
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/febs.14085
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
5X1I, 5X1J, 5X1K, 5X1L, 5X1M, 5X1N - PubMed Abstract:
In the cell, tetrahydrofolate (H 4 folate) derivatives with a C1 unit are utilized in various ways, such as for the synthesis of amino acids and nucleic acids. While H 4 folate derivatives with the C1 unit are typically produced in the glycine cleavage system, Sphingobium sp. strain SYK-6, which can utilize lignin-derived aromatic compounds as a sole source of carbon and energy, lacks this pathway, probably due to its unique nutrient requirements. In this bacterium, H 4 folate-dependent O-demethylases in catabolic pathways for lignin-derived aromatic compounds seem to be involved in the C1 metabolism. LigM is one of the O-demethylases and catalyzes a C1-unit transfer from vanillate (VNL) to H 4 folate. As the primary structure of LigM shows a similarity to T-protein in the glycine cleavage system, we hypothesized that LigM has evolved from T-protein, acquiring its unique biochemical and biological functions. To prove this hypothesis, structure-based understanding of its catalytic reaction is essential. Here, we determined the crystal structure of LigM in apo form and in complex with substrates and H 4 folate. These crystal structures showed that the overall structure of LigM is similar to T-protein, but LigM has a few distinct characteristics, particularly in the active site. Structure-based mutational analysis revealed that His60 and Tyr247, which are not conserved in T-protein, are essential to the catalytic activity of LigM and their interactions with the oxygen atom in the methoxy group of VNL seem to facilitate a methyl moiety (C1-unit) transfer to H 4 folate. Taken together, our structural data suggest that LigM has evolved divergently from T-protein.
Organizational Affiliation:
Structural Biology Research Center, Photon Factory, Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
