Investigations on the alkaline phosphatase catalyzed hydrolysis of phosphoramidates. Substituent effects and transphosphorylation

A new activity for an old enzyme: Escherichia coli bacterial alkaline phosphatase is a phosphite-dependent hydrogenase

Genetic analysis indicates that Escherichia coli possesses two independent pathways for oxidation of phosphite (Pt) to phosphate. One pathway depends on the 14-gene phn operon, which encodes the enzyme C-P lyase. The other pathway depends on the phoA locus, which encodes bacterial alkaline phosphatase (BAP). Transposon mutagenesis studies strongly suggest that BAP is the only enzyme involved in the phoA-dependent pathway. This conclusion is supported by purification and biochemical characterization of the Pt-oxidizing enzyme, which was proven to be BAP by N terminus protein sequencing. Highly purified BAP catalyzed Pt oxidation with specific activities of 62-242 milliunits/mg and phosphate ester hydrolysis with specific activities of 41-61 units/mg. Surprisingly, BAP catalyzes the oxidation of Pt to phosphate and molecular H2. Thus, BAP is a unique Pt-dependent, H2-evolving hydrogenase. This reaction is unprecedented in both P and H biochemistry, and it is likely to involve direct transfer of hydride from the substrate to water-derived protons.

Alkaline phosphatase revisited: hydrolysis of alkyl phosphates

Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase (AP) is the prototypical two metal ion catalyst with two divalent zinc ions bound approximately 4 A apart in the active site. Studies spanning half a century have elucidated many structural and mechanistic features of this enzyme, rendering it an attractive model for investigating the potent catalytic power of bimetallic centers. Unfortunately, fundamental mechanistic features have been obscured by limitations with the standard assays. These assays generate concentrations of inorganic phosphate (P(i)) in excess of its inhibition constant (K(i) approximately 1 muM). This tight binding by P(i) has affected the majority of published kinetic constants. Furthermore, binding limits k(cat)/K(m) for reaction of p-nitrophenyl phosphate, the most commonly employed substrate. We describe a sensitive (32)P-based assay for hydrolysis of alkyl phosphates that avoids the complication of product inhibition. We have revisited basic mechanistic features of AP with these alkyl phosphate substrates. The results suggest that the chemical step for phosphorylation of the enzyme limits k(cat)/K(m). The pH-rate profile and additional results suggest that the serine nucleophile is active in its anionic form and has a pK(a) of < or = 5.5 in the free enzyme. An inactivating pK(a) of 8.0 is observed for binding of both substrates and inhibitors, and we suggest that this corresponds to ionization of a zinc-coordinated water molecule. Counter to previous suggestions, inorganic phosphate dianion appears to bind to the highly charged AP active site at least as strongly as the trianion. The dependence of k(cat)/K(m) on the pK(a) of the leaving group follows a Brønsted correlation with a slope of beta(lg) = -0.85 +/- 0.1, differing substantially from the previously reported value of -0.2 obtained from data with a less sensitive assay. This steep leaving group dependence is consistent with a largely dissociative transition state for AP-catalyzed hydrolysis of phosphate monoesters. The new (32)P-based assay employed herein will facilitate continued dissection of the AP reaction by providing a means to readily follow the chemical step for phosphorylation of the enzyme.

Alkaline phosphatase is an almost perfect enzyme

The second-order rate constant, kcat/km, for catalysis of the hydrolysis of 4-nitrophenyl phosphate by alkaline phosphatase decreases with increasing viscosity in the presence of sucrose or arabinose, with a slope of delta[kcat/Km)0/(kcat/Km)]/delta(eta/eta 0) = 1.4 at pH 8.0, 25 degrees C. This is consistent with rate-limiting diffusional encounter of the substrate with active enzyme and indicates that alkaline phosphatase is a "perfect enzyme". However, the reported second-order rate constants of kcat/Km = 6.6 x 10(6) to 4.6 x 10(7) M-1 s-1 are smaller than the diffusional limit; this shows that only approximately 0.1-1% of the diffusional encounters are productive. The first-order rate constant, kcat, for rate-limiting hydrolysis of the phosphoenzyme intermediate at pH = 6 with saturating substrate concentration is independent of viscosity in aqueous sucrose solutions. This shows that sucrose does not destabilize the transition state for phosphoenzyme hydrolysis. However, at pH 8.0 product dissociation is rate limiting and kcat decreases with increasing viscosity in the presence of sucrose, with slopes of delta(k0/kobsd)/delta(eta/eta 0) = 1.2 in 0.04 M Mops buffer, 1.0 in 0.1 M Tris, and 1.2 in 0.67 M Tris buffer. This is consistent with rate-limiting diffusional separation of inorganic phosphate and of Tris phosphate from the enzyme. In contrast, glycerol causes a large decrease in kcat/Km at pH 8.0 and also decreases kcat at pH 6. This shows that glycerol decreases the rate by a solvent effect on the catalytic activity of the enzyme, as well as by increasing the viscosity.

Enhanced stereoselectivity in pig liver esterase catalysed diester hydrolysis. The role of a competitive nucleophile

The enantioselectivity of pig liver esterase catalysed hydrolysis of cis-N-benzyl-2,5-bis(methoxy-carbonyl)pyrrolidine (1) has previously been shown to be very dependent on the reaction conditions. Hydrolysis performed in media buffered with tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris) afforded a monoester with much higher optical purity than hydrolysis in media without Tris. Detailed product studies in a Tris-buffered medium have been performed using NMR-techniques and a 13C-labelled ester. The NMR-studies revealed the presence of (2S,5R)-N-benzyl-2-methoxycarbonyl-5-[[[2-hydroxy-1,1- bis(hydroxymethyl)ethyl]amino]carbonyl]pyrrolidine (4) as an intermediate, which together with the isolated product (2S,5R)-N-benzyl-2-carboxy-5-[[[2-hydroxy-1,1-bis(hydroxymethyl) ethyl]amino]carbonyl]pyrrolidine (3) suggested Tris as a competitive nucleophile to water. The increased enantioselectivity seen in the produced (2R,5S)-N-benzyl-2-methoxy-carbonyl-5-carboxypyrrolidine (2) was explained by the preference of Tris to react faster with one of the diastereomeric acyl enzymes over the other.

Catalysis of the hydrolysis of phosphorylated pyridines by alkaline phosphatase has little or no dependence on the pKa of the leaving group

Bacterial alkaline phosphatase is an active catalyst for the hydrolysis of N-phosphorylated pyridines, with values of the second-order rate constant kcat/Km in the range 0.4-1.2 x 10(6) M-1 s-1 at pH 8.0, 25 degrees C. There is little or no dependence of the rate on the pKa of the leaving group; the value of beta 1g is 0 +/- 0.05, which may be compared with beta 1g = -1.0 for the nonenzymic reaction. Phosphorylated pyridines do not have a free electron pair available for protonation or coordination of the leaving group. Therefore, this result means that the similar, small dependence on leaving group structure for the enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis of phosphate esters [Hall, A. D., & Williams, A. (1986) Biochemistry 25, 4784-4790) does not provide evidence for general acid catalysis or electrophilic assistance of leaving group expulsion. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that productive binding of the substrate, which may involve a conformational change, is largely rate limiting for turnover of the enzyme at low substrate concentrations.

Purification and properties of a novel arylmalonate decarboxylase from Alcaligenes bronchisepticus KU 1201

A novel decarboxylase which catalyzes an enantioselective decarboxylation of alpha-aryl-alpha-methylmalonates to alpha-arylpropionates has been purified from a soil bacterium Alcaligenes bronchisepticus KU 1201. The enzyme was purified 300-fold to homogeneity, judged from the analysis of N-terminal amino acid sequence, and found to be a monomeric enzyme of apparent 24 kDa. The enzyme catalyzes a decarboxylation giving alpha-arylalkanoates from substituted malonates such as alpha-arylmalonate and alpha-alkyl-alpha-arylmalonates. The decarboxylase is not a biotin containing enzyme because avidin have no influence on the enzyme activity. In addition, the enzyme does not require known co-factors (ATP, ADP and coenzyme A) for maximum activity. The enzyme activity was inhibited by sulfhydryl agents. The electronic effect of the substituents on kcat for the enzymic decarboxylation of arylmalonates has been studied. The logarithm of relative value of kcat gave a linear correlation to Hammett's sigma with a rho value of +1.9, for substituted phenylmalonates. Comparing the relative activities, it is clear that the enzyme prefers alpha-arylmalonates to alpha-aryl-alpha-methylmalonates. Thus, the enzyme was tentatively named as arylmalonate decarboxylase.

Characterization and cAMP inhibition of a lysyl-(N-epsilon-5'-phospho) adenosyl phosphoamidase in Dictyostelium discoideum

A lysyl-(N-epsilon-5'-phospho) adenosyl phosphoamidase activity has been identified in Dictyostelium discoideum. Conjugates, formed by coupling AMP via a phosphoamide bond to the epsilon amino group of lysine in avidin and tuftsin, served as substrate. Lysyl-N-epsilon-5'-phosphoadenosine and adenosine phosphoramidate (AMPNH) were substrates as well. The phosphoamidase liberated AMP from all four compounds but did not degrade cAMP. Approximately 90% of the phosphoamidase activity was inhibited competitively by 100 microM cAMP with an apparent Ki of 35 microM for all substrates.