Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of pyridoxine 5'-phosphate oxidase complexed with flavin mononucleotide

The Arabidopsis locus AT3G03890 encodes a dimeric β-barrel protein implicated in heme degradation

Plant tetrapyrroles, including heme and bilins, are synthesized in plastids. Heme oxygenase (HO) catalyzes the oxidative cleavage of heme to the linear tetrapyrrole biliverdin as the initial step in bilin biosynthesis. Besides the canonical α-helical HO that is conserved from prokaryotes to human, a subfamily of non-canonical dimeric β-barrel HO has been found in bacteria. In this work, we discovered that the Arabidopsis locus AT3G03890 encodes a dimeric β-barrel protein that is structurally related to the putative non-canonical HO and is located in chloroplasts. The recombinant protein was able to bind and degrade heme in a manner different from known HO proteins. Crystal structure of the heme-protein complex reveals that the heme-binding site is in the interdimer interface and the heme iron is coordinated by a fixed water molecule. Our results identify a new protein that may function additionally in the tetrapyrrole biosynthetic pathway.

Immunohistochemical studies of brain pyridoxine-5'-phosphate oxidase

A total of six hybridoma cell lines, which produce monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against the sheep brain pyridoxine-5'-phosphate oxidase (PNP oxidase), were established. Isotype analysis revealed that all antibodies corresponded to the IgG 2B kappa subclass. Immunoblotting with various tissue homogenates indicated that all the mAbs specifically recognize a single protein band of 30 kDa. They also appear to be extensively cross-reactive among different mammalian and avian sources. These results demonstrated that only one type of immunologically similar PNP oxidase is present in all of the mammalian tissues tested. When the purified PNP oxidase was incubated with the mAbs, the enzyme activity was inhibited up to a maximum of 81%. Furthermore, these antibodies were successfully applied in immunohistochemistry in order to detect PNP oxidase in various regions of rat brain tissues. The immunoreactive neurons in PNP oxidase were found in cerebellar cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, paraventricular nucleus, cerebral cortex and ependyma. This result suggests that PNP oxidase may play an important role in the neuronal metabolism.

Active site structure and stereospecificity of Escherichia coli pyridoxine-5'-phosphate oxidase

Pyridoxine-5'-phosphate oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of either the C4' alcohol group or amino group of the two substrates pyridoxine 5'-phosphate and pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate to an aldehyde, forming pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. A hydrogen atom is removed from C4' during the oxidation and a pair of electrons is transferred to tightly bound FMN. A new crystal form of the enzyme in complex with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate shows that the N-terminal segment of the protein folds over the active site to sequester the ligand from solvent during the catalytic cycle. Using (4'R)-[(3)H]PMP as substrate, nearly 100 % of the radiolabel appears in water after oxidation to pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. Thus, the enzyme is specific for removal of the proR hydrogen atom from the prochiral C4' carbon atom of pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate. Site mutants were made of all residues at the active site that interact with the oxygen atom or amine group on C4' of the substrates. Other residues that make interactions with the phosphate moiety of the substrate were mutated. The mutants showed a decrease in affinity, but exhibited considerable catalytic activity, showing that these residues are important for binding, but play a lesser role in catalysis. The exception is Arg197, which is important for both binding and catalysis. The R197 M mutant enzyme catalyzed removal of the proS hydrogen atom from (4'R)-[(3)H]PMP, showing that the guanidinium side-chain plays an important role in determining stereospecificity. The crystal structure and the stereospecificity studies suggests that the pair of electrons on C4' of the substrate are transferred to FMN as a hydride ion.

X-ray structure of Escherichia coli pyridoxine 5'-phosphate oxidase complexed with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate at 2.0 A resolution

Escherichia coli pyridoxine 5'-phosphate oxidase catalyzes the terminal step in the biosynthesis of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate by the FMN oxidation of pyridoxine 5'-phosphate forming FMNH(2) and H(2)O(2). Recent studies have shown that in addition to the active site, pyridoxine 5'-phosphate oxidase contains a non-catalytic site that binds pyridoxal 5'-phosphate tightly. The crystal structure of pyridoxine 5'-phosphate oxidase from E. coli with one or two molecules of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate bound to each monomer has been determined to 2.0 A resolution. One of the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate molecules is clearly bound at the active site with the aldehyde at C4' of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate near N5 of the bound FMN. A protein conformational change has occurred that partially closes the active site. The orientation of the bound pyridoxal 5'-phosphate suggests that the enzyme catalyzes a hydride ion transfer between C4' of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and N5 of FMN. When the crystals are soaked with excess pyridoxal 5'-phosphate an additional molecule of this cofactor is also bound about 11 A from the active site. A possible tunnel exists between the two sites so that pyridoxal 5'-phosphate formed at the active site may transfer to the non-catalytic site without passing though the solvent.

X-ray structure of Escherichia coli pyridoxine 5'-phosphate oxidase complexed with FMN at 1.8 A resolution

BACKGROUND

Escherichia coli pyridoxine 5'-phosphate oxidase (PNPOx) catalyzes the terminal step in the biosynthesis of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP), a cofactor used by many enzymes involved in amino acid metabolism. The enzyme oxidizes either the 4'-hydroxyl group of pyridoxine 5'-phosphate (PNP) or the 4'-primary amine of pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate (PMP) to an aldehyde. PNPOx is a homodimeric enzyme with one flavin mononucleotide (FMN) molecule non-covalently bound to each subunit. A high degree of sequence homology among the 15 known members of the PNPOx family suggests that all members of this group have similar three-dimensional folds.

RESULTS

The crystal structure of PNPOx from E. coli has been determined to 1.8 A resolution. The monomeric subunit folds into an eight-stranded beta sheet surrounded by five alpha-helical structures. Two monomers related by a twofold axis interact extensively along one-half of each monomer to form the dimer. There are two clefts at the dimer interface that are symmetry-related and extend from the top to the bottom of the dimer. An FMN cofactor that makes interactions with both subunits is located in each of these two clefts.

CONCLUSIONS

The structure is quite similar to the recently deposited 2.7 A structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae PNPOx and also, remarkably, shares a common structural fold with the FMN-binding protein from Desulfovibrio vulgaris and a domain of chymotrypsin. This high-resolution E. coli PNPOx structure permits predictions to be made about residues involved in substrate binding and catalysis. These predictions provide testable hypotheses, which can be answered by making site-directed mutants.