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Oxygen concentration regulates the expression of nitrogen fixation genes in the symbiotic bacterium Rhizobium meliloti. We demonstrate that two proteins, FixL and FixJ, that belong to the two-component family of regulatory proteins are necessary and sufficient for oxygen-regulated in vitro transcription of the two key regulatory genes, nifA and fixK. We show directly that FixJ is a transcriptional activator, working in conjunction with the RNA polymerase sigma 70 holoenzyme. Addition of FixL122, a soluble form of the sensor FixL protein, to the transcription assay enhanced FixJ transcriptional activity in response to low oxygen concentration. This enhancement of FixJ activity was correlated with FixJ phosphorylation.

The interactions of the phosphorylated derivatives of hydroquinone (HQN-P2), resorcinol (RSN-P2), 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (HBA-P) and 2, 4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (DHBA-P; phosphate group at position 4) with fructose bisphosphate aldolase were analysed by enzyme kinetics, UV/visible difference spectroscopy and site-directed mutagenesis. Enzyme activity was competitively inhibited in the presence of HQN-P2, RSN-P2 and HBA-P, whereas DHBA-P exhibited slow-binding inhibition. Inhibition by DHBA-P involved active-site Schiff-base formation and required a phenol group ortho to the aldehyde moiety. Rates of enzyme inactivation and of Schiff-base formation by DHBA-P were identical, and corresponded to 3.2-3.5 DHBA-P molecules covalently bound per aldolase tetramer at maximal inactivation. Site-directed mutagenesis of the active-site lysine residues at positions 107, 146 and 229 was found to be consistent with Schiff-base formation between DHBA-P and Lys-146, and this was promoted by Lys-229. Mutation of Glu-187, located vicinally between Lys-146 and Lys-229 in the active site, perturbed the rate of Schiff-base formation, suggesting a functional role for Glu-187 in Schiff-base formation and stabilization. The decreased cleavage activity of the active-site mutants towards fructose 1, 6-bisphosphate is consistent with a proton-transfer mechanism involving Lys-229, Glu-187 and Lys-146.

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Enolase (2-phospho-d-glycerate hydrolase, EC 4.2.1.11) catalyses the reversible dehydration of d-2-phosphoglycerate to phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and participates in both glycolysis and gluconeogenesis. In common with most glycolytic enzymes, enolases from a wide variety of organisms, including Archaea, Bacteria Enolase is a validated drug target in Trypanosoma brucei. To better characterize its properties and guide drug design efforts, we have determined six new crystal structures of the enzyme, in various ligation states and conformations, and have carried out complementary molecular dynamics simulations. The results show a striking structural diversity of loops near the catalytic site, for which variation can be interpreted as distinct modes of conformational variability that are explored during the molecular dynamics simulations. Our results show that sulfate may, unexpectedly, induce full closure of catalytic site loops whereas, conversely, binding of inhibitor phosphonoacetohydroxamate may leave open a tunnel from the catalytic site to protein surface offering possibilities for drug development. We also present the first complex of enolase with a novel inhibitor 2-fluoro-2-phosphonoacetohydroxamate. The molecular dynamics results further encourage efforts to design irreversible species-specific inhibitors: they reveal that a parasite enzyme-specific lysine may approach the catalytic site more closely than crystal structures suggest and also cast light on the issue of accessibility of parasite enzyme-specific cysteines to chemically modifying reagents. One of the new sulfate structures contains a novel metal-binding site IV within the catalytic site cleft.Abbreviations EV, eigenvector; FPAH, 2-fluoro-2-phosphonoacetohydroxamate; PAH, phosphonoacetohydroxamate; PDB, protein databank; PEP, phosphoenolpyruvate.

Interactions of phosphate derivatives of 2,6-dihydroxynaphthalene (NA-P(2)) and 1,6-dihydroxy-2-naphthaldehyde (HNA-P, phosphate at position 6) with fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase from rabbit muscle were analyzed by enzyme kinetics, difference spectroscopy, site-directed mutagenesis, mass spectrometry, and molecular dynamics. Enzyme activity was competitively inhibited by NA-P(2), whereas HNA-P exhibited slow-binding inhibition with an overall inhibition constant of approximately 24 nM. HNA-P inactivation was very slowly reversed with t(1/2) approximately 10 days. Mass spectrometry and spectrophotometric absorption indicated that HNA-P inactivation occurs by Schiff base formation. Rates of enzyme inactivation and Schiff base formation by HNA-P were identical and corresponded to approximately 4 HNA-P molecules bound par aldolase tetramer at maximal inhibition. Site-directed mutagenesis of conserved active site lysine residues 107, 146, and 229 and Asp-33 indicated that Schiff base formation by HNA-P involved Lys-107 and was promoted by Lys-146. Titration of Lys-107 by pyridoxal 5-phosphate yielded a microscopic pK(a) approximately 8 for Lys-107, corroborating a role as nucleophile at pH 7.6. Site-directed mutagenesis of Ser-271, an active site residue that binds the C(1)-phosphate of dihydroxyacetone phosphate, diminished HNA-P binding and enabled modeling of HNA-P in the active site. Molecular dynamics showed persistent HNA-P phosphate interactions with the C(1)-phosphate binding site in the noncovalent adduct. The naphthaldehyde hydroxyl, ortho to the HNA-P aldehyde, was essential for promoting carbinolamine precursor formation by intramolecular catalysis. The simulations indicate a slow rate of enzyme inactivation due to competitive inhibition by the phenate form of HNA-P, infrequent nucleophilic attack in the phenol form, and significant conformational barrier to bond formation as well as electrostatic destabilization of protonated ketimine intermediates. Solvent accessibility by Lys-107 Nz was reduced in the covalent Schiff base complex, and in those instances where water molecules interacted with Lys-107 in the simulations, Schiff base hydrolysis was not mechanistically favorable. The findings at the molecular level corroborate the observed mechanism of slow-binding tight inhibition by HNA-P of muscle aldolase and should serve as a blueprint for future aldolase inhibitor design.