title: Glycerol dehydrogenase. structure, specificity, and mechanism of a family III polyol dehydrogenase.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bacillus stearothermophilus glycerol dehydrogenase (GlyDH) (glycerol:NAD(+) 2-oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.6) catalyzes the oxidation of glycerol to dihydroxyacetone (1,3-dihydroxypropanone) with concomitant reduction of NAD(+) to NADH. Analysis of the sequence of this enzyme indicates that it is a member of the so-called iron-containing alcohol dehydrogenase family. Despite this sequence similarity, GlyDH shows a strict dependence on zinc for activity. On the basis of this, we propose to rename this group the family III metal-dependent polyol dehydrogenases. To date, no structural data have been reported for any enzyme in this group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The crystal structure of B. stearothermophilus glycerol dehydrogenase has been determined at 1.7 A resolution to provide structural insights into the mechanistic features of this family. The enzyme has 370 amino acid residues, has a molecular mass of 39.5 kDa, and is a homooctamer in solution.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Analysis of the crystal structures of the free enzyme and of the binary complexes with NAD(+) and glycerol show that the active site of GlyDH lies in the cleft between the enzyme's two domains, with the catalytic zinc ion playing a role in stabilizing an alkoxide intermediate. In addition, the specificity of this enzyme for a range of diols can be understood, as both hydroxyls of the glycerol form ligands to the enzyme-bound Zn(2+) ion at the active site. The structure further reveals a previously unsuspected similarity to dehydroquinate synthase, an enzyme whose more complex chemistry shares a common chemical step with that catalyzed by glycerol dehydrogenase, providing a striking example of divergent evolution. Finally, the structure suggests that the NAD(+) binding domain of GlyDH may be related to that of the classical Rossmann fold by switching the sequence order of the two mononucleotide binding folds that make up this domain.
authors.affiliation: Krebs Institute for Biomolecular Research, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Ruzheinikov
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sedelnikova
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Bullough
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Muir
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Gore
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Rice
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D001411:Geobacillus stearothermophilus / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D005990:Glycerol / Q000378:metabolism; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009243:NAD / Q000378:metabolism; D017510:Protein Folding; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D055672:Static Electricity; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013401:Sugar Alcohol Dehydrogenases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009243:NAD; D013401:Sugar Alcohol Dehydrogenases; C020672:glycerol dehydrogenase; D015032:Zinc; D005990:Glycerol