title: The role of His143 in the catalytic mechanism of Escherichia coli aspartate aminotransferase.
abstract: In aspartate aminotransferase (AspAT), His143 is located within a hydrogen-bonding distance to Asp222 that forms a strong ion pair with the ring nitrogen of the coenzyme, pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) or pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate (PMP). His143 of Escherichia coli AspAT was replaced by Ala or Asn. The mutant enzyme H143A showed a slight increase in the maximum velocity of the overall transamination reaction between aspartate and 2-oxoglutarate, while H143N AspAT showed a decrease to 60% in the maximum rate of the overall reactions in both directions. In all of the half-transamination reactions with four substrates, aspartate, glutamate, oxalacetate, and 2-oxoglutarate, the catalytic competence as defined by kmax/Kd decreased by 3-18-fold upon replacing His143 by either Ala or Asn. The extent of the decrease varied from one substrate to another; it was largely contributed to by the decrease in affinities for all substrates. The equilibrium constants, [PMP-form] [keto acid]/[( PLP-form] [amino acid]), decreased by over 10-fold upon the mutations at position 143. Both H143A and H143N AspATs exhibited a considerably decreased affinity for 2-methylaspartate, an external-aldimine-forming substrate analogue, yet without appreciable alteration in the affinity for succinate and glutarate, which are non-aldimine-forming analogues. All these findings suggest that, although His143 is not essential for catalysis, it might assist the formation of enzyme-substrate complex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Chemistry, Osaka Medical College, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuramitsu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanase
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morino
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hiromi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kagamiyama
mesh_terms: D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D002384:Catalysis; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology*; D006639:Histidine / Q000235:genetics*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007700:Kinetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D011732:Pyridoxal Phosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D011733:Pyridoxamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
chemical_list: D006639:Histidine; D011732:Pyridoxal Phosphate; D011733:Pyridoxamine; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; C010627:pyridoxamine phosphate