title: Structural basis of the conversion of T4 lysozyme into a transglycosidase by reengineering the active site.
abstract: In contrast to hen egg-white lysozyme, which retains the beta-configuration of the substrate in the product, T4 lysozyme (T4L) is an inverting glycosidase. The substitution Thr-26 --> His, however, converts T4L from an inverting to a retaining enzyme. It is shown here that the Thr-26 --> His mutant is also a transglycosidase. Indeed, the transglycosylation reaction can be more effective than hydrolysis. In contrast, wild-type T4L has no detectable transglycosidase activity. The results support the prior hypothesis that catalysis by the Thr-26 --> His mutant proceeds via a covalent intermediate. Further mutations (Glu-11 --> His, Asp-20 --> Cys) of the T26H mutant lysozyme indicate that the catalytic mechanism of this mutant requires Glu-11 as a general acid but Asp-20 is not essential. The results help provide an overall rationalization for the activity of glycosidases, in which a highly conserved acid group (Glu-11 in T4L, Glu-35 in hen egg-white lysozyme) on the beta-side of the substrate acts as a proton donor, whereas alterations in the placement and chemical identity of residues on the alpha-side of the substrate can lead to catalysis with or without retention of the configuration, to transglycosidase activity, or to the formation of a stable enzyme-substrate adduct.
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratories for Key Technology, Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd., 1-13-5, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236 Japan.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuroki
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Weaver
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Matthews
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D017122:Bacteriophage T4 / Q000201:enzymology*; D001665:Binding Sites; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006031:Glycosylation; D006639:Histidine; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D007700:Kinetics; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009113:Muramidase / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D011487:Protein Conformation; D015202:Protein Engineering / Q000379:methods; D013912:Threonine
chemical_list: D013912:Threonine; D006639:Histidine; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases; D009113:Muramidase