title: Structural basis for natural lactonase and promiscuous phosphotriesterase activities.
abstract: Organophosphates are the largest class of known insecticides, several of which are potent nerve agents. Consequently, organophosphate-degrading enzymes are of great scientific interest as bioscavengers and biodecontaminants. Recently, a hyperthermophilic phosphotriesterase (known as SsoPox), from the Archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus, has been isolated and found to possess a very high lactonase activity. Here, we report the three-dimensional structures of SsoPox in the apo form (2.6 A resolution) and in complex with a quorum-sensing lactone mimic at 2.0 A resolution. The structure also reveals an unexpected active site topology, and a unique hydrophobic channel that perfectly accommodates the lactone substrate. Structural and mutagenesis evidence allows us to propose a mechanism for lactone hydrolysis and to refine the catalytic mechanism established for phosphotriesterases. In addition, SsoPox structures permit the correlation of experimental lactonase and phosphotriesterase activities and this strongly suggests lactonase activity as the cognate function of SsoPox. This example demonstrates that promiscuous activities probably constitute a large and efficient reservoir for the creation of novel catalytic activities.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Cristallographie et Modélisation des Matériaux Minéraux et Biologiques, CNRS-Université Henri Poincaré, 54506 Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elias
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dupuy
authors.forename: Luigia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Merone
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mandrich
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Porzio
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moniot
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rochu
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lecomte
authors.forename: Mosè
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Masson
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Manco
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chabriere
mesh_terms: D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D001051:Apoenzymes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020134:Catalytic Domain / Q000235:genetics; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D019641:DNA, Archaeal / Q000235:genetics; D007306:Insecticides / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D007783:Lactones / Q000378:metabolism; D008958:Models, Molecular; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D010755:Organophosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D044345:Phosphoric Triester Hydrolases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D048229:Sulfolobus solfataricus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D001051:Apoenzymes; D017931:DNA Primers; D019641:DNA, Archaeal; D007306:Insecticides; D007783:Lactones; D010755:Organophosphates; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases; C432003:N-acyl homoserine lactonase; D044345:Phosphoric Triester Hydrolases