title: Reversal of enzyme regiospecificity with alternative substrates for aspartokinase I from Escherichia coli.
abstract: The substrate specificity of aspartokinase I has been examined by using both steady-state kinetic analyses and phosphorus-31 NMR spectroscopic studies. Analogues in which the alpha-amino group is either derivatized or replaced are not substrates or inhibitors for the enzyme, indicating the importance of the alpha-amino group as a binding determinant. The alpha-carboxyl group is not required for substrate recognition, and the alpha-amide or alpha-esters are competent alternative substrates. In addition, beta-derivatized structural analogues, such as the beta-hydroxamate, the beta-amide, or beta-esters, were found to be viable substrates. This was unexpected since the beta-carboxyl group is the usual site of phosphorylation. The nature of the acyl phosphate products obtained from these beta-derivatized alternative substrates has been characterized by coupled enzyme assays, oxygen-18-labeling studies, and phosphorus-31 NMR spectroscopy. These beta-derivatized analogues are capable of productive binding to aspartokinase through a reversal of regiospecificity to make the alpha-carboxyl group available as a phosphoryl acceptor. Many, but not all, of these alpha-acyl phosphates have also been shown to be viable substrates for the next two enzyme-catalyzed steps in this metabolic pathway. This raises the possibility of producing enzyme-generated alternative substrates that can serve as antimetabolites for the downstream reactions in this biosynthetic pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Akron, Ohio 44325-3601.
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Angeles
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Hunsley
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Viola
mesh_terms: D001222:Aspartate Kinase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D001665:Binding Sites; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology*; D007700:Kinetics; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D010758:Phosphorus; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D010758:Phosphorus; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D001222:Aspartate Kinase