title: Structural studies of fatty acyl-(acyl carrier protein) thioesters reveal a hydrophobic binding cavity that can expand to fit longer substrates.
abstract: A knowledge of the structures of acyl chain loaded species of the acyl carrier protein (ACP) as used in fatty acid biosynthesis and a range of other metabolic events, is essential for a full understanding of the molecular recognition at the heart of these processes. To date the only crystal structure of an acylated species of ACP is that of a butyryl derivative of Escherichia coli ACP. We have now determined the structures of a family of acylated E. coli ACPs of varying acyl chain length. The acyl moiety is attached via a thioester bond to a phosphopantetheine linker that is in turn bound to a serine residue in ACP. The growing acyl chain can be accommodated within a central cavity in the ACP for transport during the elongation stages of lipid synthesis through changes in the conformation of a four alpha-helix bundle. The results not only clarify the means by which a substrate of varying size and complexity is transported in the cell but also suggest a mechanism by which interacting enzymes can recognize the loaded ACP through recognition of surface features including the conformation of the phosphopantetheine linker.
authors.affiliation: Krebs Institute for Biomolecular Research, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roujeinikova
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gilroy
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.forename: John B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Rafferty
authors.forename: Antoni R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Slabas
mesh_terms: D000213:Acyl Carrier Protein / Q000737:chemistry*; D001665:Binding Sites; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000737:chemistry*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011487:Protein Conformation
chemical_list: D000213:Acyl Carrier Protein; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D005227:Fatty Acids