The CYP74B and CYP74D divinyl ether synthases possess a side hydroperoxide lyase and epoxyalcohol synthase activities that are enhanced by the site-directed mutagenesis

The CYP74 family of cytochromes P450 includes four enzymes of fatty acid hydroperoxide metabolism: allene oxide synthase (AOS), hydroperoxide lyase (HPL), divinyl ether synthase (DES), and epoxyalcohol synthase (EAS). The present work is concerned with catalytic specificities of three recombinant DESs, namely, the 9-DES (LeDES, CYP74D1) of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), 9-DES (NtDES, CYP74D3) of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), and 13-DES (LuDES, CYP74B16) of flax (Linum usitatissimum), as well as their alterations upon the site-directed mutagenesis. Both LeDES and NtDES converted 9-hydroperoxides of linoleic and α-linolenic acids to divinyl ethers colneleic and colnelenic acids (respectively) with only minorities of HPL and EAS products. In contrast, LeDES and NtDES showed low efficiency towards the linoleate 13-hydroperoxide, affording only the low yield of epoxyalcohols. LuDES exhibited mainly the DES activity towards α-linolenate 13-hydroperoxide (preferred substrate), and HPL activity towards linoleate 13-hydroperoxide, respectively. In contrast, LuDES converted 9-hydroperoxides primarily to the epoxyalcohols. The F291V and A287G mutations within the I-helix groove region (SRS-4) of LuDES resulted in the loss of DES activity and the acquirement of the epoxyalcohol synthase activity. Thus, the studied enzymes exhibited the versatility of catalysis and its qualitative alterations upon the site-directed mutagenesis.

Catalysis by allene oxide synthases (CYP74A and CYP74C): Alterations by the Phe/Leu mutation at the SRS-1 region

The CYP74 family of cytochromes P450 includes four fatty acid hydroperoxide metabolizing enzymes: allene oxide synthase (AOS), hydroperoxide lyase (HPL), divinyl ether synthase, and epoxyalcohol synthase (EAS). All P450s have six substrate recognition sites (SRSs) in their structures. Some CYP74 mutations in SRSs leading to their interconversions including substitutions in "F/L toggle" (SRS-1 region) were reported before. For further elucidation of the role of this site in CYP74 catalysis, the effect of Phe/Leu mutation on the specificity of selected AOSs was studied in the present work. Mutant forms of ZmAOS1 (CYP74A19, Zea mays), LeAOS3 (CYP74C3, Lycopersicon esculentum), and PpAOS2 (CYP74A8, Physcomitrella patens) acquired partial EAS activity. Mutant forms of ZmAOS1 and PpAOS2 possessed additional HPL activities. The results validate the significance of the "F/L toggle" as a catalytic determinant of CYP74s, as well as the importance of the conserved Phe at this site for the AOS catalysis.

Structure-function relationship in the CYP74 family: conversion of divinyl ether synthases into allene oxide synthases by site-directed mutagenesis

Non-classical P450s of CYP74 family control several enzymatic conversions of fatty acid hydroperoxides to bioactive oxylipins in plants, some invertebrates and bacteria. The family includes two dehydrases, namely allene oxide synthase (AOS) and divinyl ether synthase (DES), and two isomerases, hydroperoxide lyase (HPL) and epoxyalcohol synthase. To study the interconversion of different CYP74 enzymes, we prepared the mutant forms V379F and E292G of tobacco (CYP74D3) and flax (CYP74B16) divinyl ether synthases (DESs), respectively. In contrast to the wild type (WT) enzymes, both mutant forms lacked DES activity. Instead, they produced the typical AOS products, α-ketols and (in the case of the flax DES mutant) 12-oxo-10,15-phytodienoic acid. This is the first demonstration of DES into AOS conversions caused by single point mutations.