title: Evidence for a gem-diol reaction intermediate in bacterial C-C hydrolase enzymes BphD and MhpC from 13C NMR spectroscopy.
abstract: C-C hydrolase enzymes MhpC and BphD catalyze the hydrolytic C-C cleavage of meta-ring fission intermediates on the Escherichia coli phenylpropionic acid and Burkholderia xenovorans LB400 biphenyl degradation pathways and are both members of the alpha/beta-hydrolase family containing a Ser-His-Asp catalytic triad. The catalytic mechanism of this family of enzymes is thought to proceed via a gem-diol reaction intermediate, which has not been observed directly. Site-directed single mutants of BphD in which catalytic residues His-265 and Ser-112 were replaced with Ala were found to possess 10(4)-fold reduced k(cat) values, and in each case, the C-C cleavage step was shown by pre-steady-state kinetic analysis to be rate-limiting. The processing of a 6-(13)C-labeled aryl-containing substrate by these H265A or S112A mutant BphD enzymes was monitored directly by (13)C NMR spectroscopy. A new line-broadened signal was observed at 128 ppm for each enzyme, corresponding to the proposed gem-diol reaction intermediate, over a time scale of 1-24 h. A similar signal was observed upon incubation of the (13)C-labeled substrate with an H114A MhpC mutant, which is able to accept the 6-phenyl-containing substrate, on a shorter time scale. The direct observation of a gem-diol intermediate provides further evidence that supports a general base mechanism for this family of enzymes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK.
authors.forename: Jian-Jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Claudia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Blindauer
authors.forename: Timothy D H
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Bugg
mesh_terms: D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D001483:Base Sequence; D019117:Burkholderia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006867:Hydrolases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D006867:Hydrolases; C497337:MhpC protein, E coli; C062907:2,6-dioxo-6-phenylhexa-3-enoate hydrolase