title: High-level expression, purification, kinetic characterization and crystallization of protein farnesyltransferase beta-subunit C-terminal mutants.
abstract: Protein farnesyltransferase (FPT) is a 97 000 Da heterodimeric enzyme that catalyzes post-translational farnesylation of many cellular regulatory proteins including p21 Ras. To facilitate the construction of site-directed mutants, a novel translationally coupled, two-cistron Escherichia coli expression system for rat FPT has been developed. This expression system enabled yields of >5 mg of purified protein per liter of E.coli culture to be obtained. The E.coli-derived FPT demonstrated an activity comparable to that of protein isolated from other sources. The reported expression system was used to construct three beta-subunit C-terminal truncation mutants, Delta5, Delta10 and Delta14, which were designed to eliminate a lattice interaction between the beta-subunit C-terminus of one molecule and the active site of a symmetry-related molecule. Steady-state kinetic analyses of these mutants showed that deletion up to 14 residues at the C-terminus did not reduce the value of kcat; however, Km values for both peptide and FPP increased 2-3-fold. A new crystalline form of FPT was obtained for the Delta10 C-terminal mutant grown in the presence of the substrate analogs acetyl-Cys-Val-Ile-Met-COOH peptide and alpha-hydroxyfarnesylphosphonic acid. The crystals diffract to beyond 2.0 A resolution. The refined structure clearly shows that both substrate analogs adopt extended conformations within the FPT active site cavity.
mesh_terms: D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D017931:DNA Primers; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D051231:Farnesyltranstransferase; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008956:Models, Chemical; D016296:Mutagenesis; D010957:Plasmids; D011487:Protein Conformation; D051381:Rats; D013917:Thrombin / Q000378:metabolism