title: Temperature dependence of the structure of the substrate and active site of the Thermus thermophilus chorismate mutase E x S complex.
abstract: Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of Thermus thermophilus chorismate mutase substrate complex (TtCM x S) have been carried out at 298 K, 333 K, and the temperature of optimum activity: 343 K. The enzyme exists as trimeric subunits with active sites shared between two neighboring subunits. Two features distinguish intersubunit linkages of the thermophilic and mesophilic enzyme Bacillus subtilis chorismate mutase substrate complex (BsCM x S): (i) electrostatic interactions by intersubunit ion pairs (Arg3-Glu40*/41, Arg76-Glu51* and Arg69*-Asp101, residues labeled with an asterisk are from the neighboring subunit) in the TtCM x S are not present in the structure of the BsCM x S; and (ii) replacement of polar residues with short and nonpolar residues in the interstices of the TtCM x S tighten the intersubunit hydrophobic interactions compared to BsCM x S. Concerning the active site, electrostatic interactions of the critically placed Arg6 and Arg63* with the two carboxylates of chorismate place the latter in a reactive conformation to spontaneously undergo a Claisen rearrangement. The optimum geometry at the active site has the CZ atoms of the two arginines 11 A apart. With a decrease in temperature, Arg63* moves toward Arg6 and the average conformation structure of chorismate moves further away from the reactive ground state conformation. This movement is due to the decrease in distance separating the electrostatic (in the main) and hydrophobic interacting pairs holding the two subunits together.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA.
authors.forename: Xiaohua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Bruice
mesh_terms: D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D001120:Arginine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D001665:Binding Sites; D002826:Chorismate Mutase / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D002827:Chorismic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D011487:Protein Conformation; D055672:Static Electricity; D013696:Temperature; D016963:Thermus thermophilus / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001120:Arginine; D002826:Chorismate Mutase; D002827:Chorismic Acid