title: Wild-type phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthase (PRS) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis: a bacterial class II PRS?
abstract: The 5-phospho-α-D-ribose 1-diphosphate (PRPP) metabolite plays essential roles in several biosynthetic pathways, including histidine, tryptophan, nucleotides, and, in mycobacteria, cell wall precursors. PRPP is synthesized from α-D-ribose 5-phosphate (R5P) and ATP by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis prsA gene product, phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthase (MtPRS). Here, we report amplification, cloning, expression and purification of wild-type MtPRS. Glutaraldehyde cross-linking results suggest that MtPRS predominates as a hexamer, presenting varied oligomeric states due to distinct ligand binding. MtPRS activity measurements were carried out by a novel coupled continuous spectrophotometric assay. MtPRS enzyme activity could be detected in the absence of P(i). ADP, GDP and UMP inhibit MtPRS activity. Steady-state kinetics results indicate that MtPRS has broad substrate specificity, being able to accept ATP, GTP, CTP, and UTP as diphosphoryl group donors. Fluorescence spectroscopy data suggest that the enzyme mechanism for purine diphosphoryl donors follows a random order of substrate addition, and for pyrimidine diphosphoryl donors follows an ordered mechanism of substrate addition in which R5P binds first to free enzyme. An ordered mechanism for product dissociation is followed by MtPRS, in which PRPP is the first product to be released followed by the nucleoside monophosphate products to yield free enzyme for the next round of catalysis. The broad specificity for diphosphoryl group donors and detection of enzyme activity in the absence of P(i) would suggest that MtPRS belongs to Class II PRS proteins. On the other hand, the hexameric quaternary structure and allosteric ADP inhibition would place MtPRS in Class I PRSs. Further data are needed to classify MtPRS as belonging to a particular family of PRS proteins. The data here presented should help augment our understanding of MtPRS mode of action. Current efforts are toward experimental structure determination of MtPRS to provide a solid foundation for the rational design of specific inhibitors of this enzyme.
authors: Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Tuberculose (INCT-TB), Centro de Pesquisas em Biologia Molecular e Funcional (CPBMF), Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors: Ardala
authors: A
authors: Breda
authors: Leonardo K B
authors: LK
authors: Martinelli
authors: Cristiano V
authors: CV
authors: Bizarro
authors: Leonardo A
authors: LA
authors: Rosado
authors: Caroline B
authors: CB
authors: Borges
authors: Diógenes S
authors: DS
authors: Santos
authors: Luiz A
authors: LA
authors: Basso
mesh_terms: D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010754:Phosphoribosyl Pyrophosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012268:Ribose-Phosphate Pyrophosphokinase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
chemical_list: D010754:Phosphoribosyl Pyrophosphate; D012268:Ribose-Phosphate Pyrophosphokinase