title: Ab initio calculations on hidden modulators of theta class glutathione transferase activity.
abstract: The glutathione transferases decrease the pKa of glutathione, allowing its deprotonation and the formation of the more reactive thiolate anion. The thiolate is maintained in the active site through a weak conventional hydrogen bond first sphere interaction donated by a Tyr hydroxyl in the Alpha, Mu, Pi, and Sigma glutathione transferase classes that can be modified by other second sphere or indirect thiolate contacts. However, the Theta and Delta class isoforms use a Ser hydroxyl for stabilizing the GSH thiolate, and as such, have a different chemical system compared with that of the Tyr possessed by other classes. We have used high level ab initio methods to investigate this interaction by using a simple methanol methanethiol system as a model. The hydrogen bond strength of this initial first sphere interaction was calculated to be less than that of the Tyr interaction. A putative second sphere interaction exists in the Theta and Delta class structures between Cys or Ser-14 and Ser-11 in the mammalian Theta subclass 1 and 2, respectively. The effect of this interaction on the first sphere interaction has also been investigated and found to significantly increase the energy of the bond.
authors.affiliation: John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
authors.forename: J U
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Flanagan
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Board
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chelvanayagam
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002384:Catalysis; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular
chemical_list: C413545:glutathione S-transferase T1; D005982:Glutathione Transferase