We present evidence that the size of an active site side chain may modulate the degree of hydrogen tunneling in an enzyme-catalyzed reaction. Primary and secondary kH/kT and kD/kT kinetic isotope effects have been measured for the oxidation of benzyl alcohol catalyzed by horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase at 25 degrees C. As reported in earlier studies, the relationship between secondary kH/kT and kD/kT isotope effects provides a sensitive probe for deviations from classical behavior. In the present work, catalytic efficiency and the extent of hydrogen tunneling have been correlated for the alcohol dehydrogenase-catalyzed hydride transfer among a group of site-directed mutants at position 203. Val-203 interacts with the opposite face of the cofactor NAD+ from the alcohol substrate. The reduction in size of this residue is correlated with diminished tunneling and a two orders of magnitude decrease in catalytic efficiency. Comparison of the x-ray crystal structures of a ternary complex of a high-tunneling (Phe-93 --> Trp) and a low-tunneling (Val-203 --> Ala) mutant provides a structural basis for the observed effects, demonstrating an increase in the hydrogen transfer distance for the low-tunneling mutant. The Val-203 --> Ala ternary complex crystal structure also shows a hyperclosed interdomain geometry relative to the wild-type and the Phe-93 --> Trp mutant ternary complex structures. This demonstrates a flexibility in interdomain movement that could potentially narrow the distance between the donor and acceptor carbons in the native enzyme and may enhance the role of tunneling in the hydride transfer reaction.
Inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IM-PDH) controls a key metabolic step in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation. This step is the NAD-dependent oxidation of inosine 5 monophosphate (IMP) to xanthosine 5 monophosphate, the rate-limiting step in the synthesis of the guanine nucleotides. Two isoforms of IMPDH have been identified, one of which (type II) is significantly up-regulated in neoplastic and differentiating cells. As such, it has been identified as a major target in antitumor and immunosuppressive drug design. We present here the 2.9-Å structure of a ternary complex of the human type II isoform of IMPDH. The complex contains the substrate analogue 6-chloropurine riboside 5-monophosphate (6-Cl-IMP) and the NAD analogue selenazole-4-carboxamide adenine dinucleotide, the selenium derivative of the active metabolite of the antitumor drug tiazofurin. The enzyme forms a homotetramer, with the dinucleotide binding at the monomer-monomer interface. The 6 chloro-substituted purine base is dehalogenated, forming a covalent adduct at C6 with Cys-331. The dinucleotide selenazole base is stacked against the 6-Cl-IMP purine ring in an orientation consistent with the B-side stereochemistry of hydride transfer seen with NAD. The adenosine end of the ligand interacts with residues not conserved between the type I and type II isoforms, suggesting strategies for the design of isoform-specific agents.
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