title: From ATP as substrate to ADP as coenzyme: functional evolution of the nucleotide binding subunit of dihydroxyacetone kinases.
abstract: Dihydroxyacetone kinases are a family of sequence-related enzymes that utilize either ATP or a protein of the phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS) as a source of high energy phosphate. The PTS is a multicomponent system involved in carbohydrate uptake and control of carbon metabolism in bacteria. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that the PTS-dependent dihydroxyacetone kinases evolved from an ATP-dependent ancestor. Their nucleotide binding subunit, an eight-helix barrel of regular up-down topology, retains ADP as phosphorylation site for the double displacement of phosphate from a phospho-histidine of the PTS protein to dihydroxyacetone. ADP is bound essentially irreversibly with a t((1/2)) of 100 min. Complexation with ADP increases the thermal unfolding temperature of dihydroxyacetone L from 40 (apo-form) to 65 degrees C (holoenzyme). ADP assumes the same role as histidines, cysteines, and aspartic acids in histidine kinases and PTS proteins. This conversion of a substrate binding site into a cofactor binding site reflects a remarkable instance of parsimonious evolution.
authors.affiliation: Departement für Chemie und Biochemie, Universität Bern, Freiestrasse 3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bächler
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Flükiger-Brühwiler
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Priska
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bähler
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Erni
mesh_terms: D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003067:Coenzymes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000502:physiology; D013379:Substrate Specificity / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D003067:Coenzymes; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D009711:Nucleotides; D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); C023132:glycerone kinase