Distal site aspartate is essential in the catalase activity of catalase-peroxidases.
Structural and biochemical characterization of aspartate 152 at the distal heme side of catalase-peroxidase (KatG) from Synechocystis PCC 6803 reveals an important functional role for this residue. In the wild-type protein, the side chain carboxyl group of Asp152 is 7.8 A apart from the heme iron and is hydrogen-bonded to two water molecules and a KatG-specific large loop. We have prepared the site-specific variants Asp152Asn, Asp152Ser, Asp152Trp, and Pro151Ala. Exchange of Asp152 exhibited dramatic consequences on the bifunctional activity of this unique peroxidase. The turnover number of catalase activity of Asp152Asn is 2.7%, Asp152Ser 5.7%, and Asp152Trp is 0.6% of wild-type activity. By contrast, the peroxidase activity of the Asp152 variants was 2-7 times higher than that of wild-type KatG or Pro151Ala. The KatG-specific pH profile of the catalase activity was completely different in these variants and exchange of Asp152 made it possible to follow the transition of the ferric enzyme to the redox intermediate compound I by hydrogen peroxide spectroscopically and to determine the corresponding bimolecular rate constant to be 7.5 x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1) (pH 7 and 15 degrees C). The reactivity of compound I toward aromatic one-electron donors was enhanced in the Asp152 variants compared with the wild-type protein, whereas the reactivity toward hydrogen peroxide was dramatically decreased. A mechanism for the hydrogen peroxide oxidation, which is different from monofunctional catalases and involves the distal residues Trp122 and Asp152, is proposed.
Institute of Chemistry, University of Agricultural Sciences, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria.
Christa
C
Jakopitsch
Markus
M
Auer
Günther
G
Regelsberger
Walter
W
Jantschko
Paul Georg
PG
Furtmüller
Florian
F
Rüker
Christian
C
Obinger
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism*; D002384:Catalysis; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000201:enzymology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology; D006418:Heme / Q000737:chemistry; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015394:Molecular Structure; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010544:Peroxidases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D006418:Heme; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D010544:Peroxidases; D002374:Catalase; C076136:catalase HPI