title: Recombinant brain 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferases overexpression, purification, and identification of Lys-330 at the active site.
abstract: 4-Aminobutyrate aminotransferase (4-aminobutyrate: 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase EC 2.6.1.19) is a key enzyme of the 4-aminobutyric acid shunt. It catalyzes the conversion of 4-aminobutyrate to succinic semialdehyde. In an effort to clarify the structure-function relationships of 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase, we analyzed 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase cDNA from pig brain. The inclusion bodies were formed when recombinant 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase was overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The unfolded overproduced proteins, were purified by hydroxylapatite chromatography in the presence of urea and refolded by a sequential dialysis method. The renatured protein regained its catalytic activity. The lysyl residue at the 330 position of the amino-acid sequence serves as the anchoring site of the cofactor pyridoxal 5'-P. To verify the catalytic site of 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase, lysine 330 was mutated to arginine by site-specific mutagenesis. Overexpression and purification of the mutated 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase (K330R) were performed by the same method used the purification of wild-type 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase. The purified and renatured K330R protein did not show the catalytic activity of wild type 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase. Furthermore, the mutated protein did not show any absorption band over the spectral range of 320-460 nm characteristic of pyridoxal 5'-P covalently linked to the protein. From the results presented here, it is concluded that lysine 330 is essential for the catalytic function of the aminotransferase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Pukyong National University, Pusar, South Korea. ytkim@sun630cc.nfup.ac.kr
authors.forename: Y T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Churchich
mesh_terms: D000612:4-Aminobutyrate Transaminase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D008239:Lysine / Q000737:chemistry; D015394:Molecular Structure; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000612:4-Aminobutyrate Transaminase; D008239:Lysine