title: Mechanism of transfer of the methyl group from (6S)-methyltetrahydrofolate to the corrinoid/iron-sulfur protein catalyzed by the methyltransferase from Clostridium thermoaceticum: a key step in the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway of acetyl-CoA synthesis.
abstract: The methyltetrahydrofolate:corrinoid/iron-sulfur protein methyltransferase (MeTr) from Clostridium thermoaceticum catalyzes transfer of the N5-methyl group from (6S)-methyltetrahydrofolate (CH3-H4folate) to the cobalt center of a corrinoid/iron-sulfur protein (CFeSP), forming methylcob(III)amide and H4folate. This reaction initiates the unusual biological organometallic reaction sequence that constitutes the Wood-Ljungdahl or reductive acetyl-CoA pathway. The present paper describes the use of steady-state, product inhibition, single-turnover, and kinetic simulation experiments to elucidate the mechanism of the MeTr-catalyzed reaction. These experiments complement those presented in the companion paper in which binding and protonation of CH3-H4folate are studied by spectroscopic methods [Seravalli, J., Shoemaker, R. K., Sudbeck, M. J., and Ragsdale, S. W. (1999) Biochemistry 38, 5736-5745]. Our results indicate that a pH-dependent conformational change is required for methyl transfer in the forward and reverse directions; however, this step is not rate-limiting. CH3-H4folate and the CFeSP [in the cob(I)amide state] bind randomly and independently to form a ternary complex. Kinetic simulation studies indicate that CH3-H4folate binds to MeTr in the unprotonated form and then undergoes rapid protonation. This protonation enhances the electrophilicity of the methyl group, in agreement with a 10-fold increase in the pKa at N5 of CH3-H4folate. Next, the Co(I)-CFeSP attacks the methyl group in a rate-limiting SN2 reaction to form methylcob(III)amide. Finally, the products randomly dissociate. The following steady-state constants were obtained: kcat = 14.7 +/- 1.7 s-1, Km of the CFeSP = 12 +/- 4 microM, and Km of (6S)-CH3-H4folate = 2.0 +/- 0.3 microM. We assigned the rate constants for the elementary reaction steps by performing steady-state and pre-steady-state kinetic studies at different pH values and by kinetic simulations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Beadle Center, University of Nebraska, Lincoln 68588-0664, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seravalli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Ragsdale
mesh_terms: D000105:Acetyl Coenzyme A / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002384:Catalysis; D003013:Clostridium / Q000201:enzymology*; D045728:Corrinoids; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007506:Iron-Sulfur Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics; D008745:Methylation; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry*; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000737:chemistry*; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013763:Tetrahydrofolates / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D045728:Corrinoids; D007506:Iron-Sulfur Proteins; D011166:Porphyrins; D013763:Tetrahydrofolates; D000105:Acetyl Coenzyme A; D008780:Methyltransferases; C005984:5-methyltetrahydrofolate