title: Intriguing conformation changes associated with the trans/cis isomerization of a prolyl residue in the active site of the DsbA C33A mutant.
abstract: Escherichia coli DsbA belongs to the thioredoxin family and catalyzes the formation of disulfide bonds during the folding of proteins in the bacterial periplasm. It active site (C30-P31-H32-C33) consists of a disulfide bridge that is transferred to newly translocated proteins. The work reported here refers to the DsbA mutant termed C33A that retains, towards reduced unfolded thrombin inhibitor, an activity comparable with the wild-type enzyme. Besides, C33A is also able to form a stable covalent complex with DsbB, the membrane protein responsible for maintaining DsbA in its active form. We have determined the crystal structure of C33A at 2.0 angstroms resolution. Although the general architecture of wt DsbA is conserved, we observe the trans/cis isomerization of P31 in the active site and further conformational changes in the so-called "peptide binding groove" region. Interestingly, these modifications involve residues that are specific to DsbA but not to the thioredoxin family fold. The C33A crystal structure exhibits as well a hydrophobic ligand bound close to the active site of the enzyme. The structural analysis of C33A may actually explain the peculiar behavior of this mutant in regards with its interaction with DsbB and thus provides new insights for understanding the catalytic cycle of DsbA.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des Protéines Membranaires, Institut de Biologie Structurale Jean-Pierre Ebel CEA/CNRS/UJF. 41, rue Jules Horowitz, 38027 Grenoble cedex 01, France.
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ondo-Mbele
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vivès
authors.forename: Amadou
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koné
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Serre
mesh_terms: D001665:Binding Sites; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007536:Isomerism; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009154:Mutation; D011392:Proline / Q000378:metabolism*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D019704:Protein Disulfide-Isomerases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D011392:Proline; D019704:Protein Disulfide-Isomerases