A kinetic scheme is presented for Lactobacillus casei dihydrofolate reductase that predicts steady-state kinetic parameters. This scheme was derived from measuring association and dissociation rate constants and pre-steady-state transients by using stopped-flow fluorescence and absorbance spectroscopy. Two major features of this kinetic scheme are the following: (i) product dissociation is the rate-limiting step for steady-state turnover at low pH and follows a specific, preferred pathway in which tetrahydrofolate (H4F) dissociation occurs after NADPH replaces NADP+ in the ternary complex; (ii) the rate constant for hydride transfer from NADPH to dihydrofolate (H2F) is rapid (khyd = 430 s-1), favorable (Keq = 290), and pH dependent (pKa = 6.0), reflecting ionization of a single group. Not only is this scheme identical in form with the Escherichia coli kinetic scheme [Fierke et al. (1987) Biochemistry 26, 4085] but moreover none of the rate constants vary by more than 40-fold despite there being less than 30% amino acid homology between the two enzymes. This similarity is consistent with their overall structural congruence. The role of Trp-21 of L. casei dihydrofolate reductase in binding and catalysis was probed by amino acid substitution. Trp-21, a strictly conserved residue near both the folate and coenzyme binding sites, was replaced by leucine. Two major effects of this substitution are on (i) the rate constant for hydride transfer which decreases 100-fold, becoming the rate-limiting step in steady-state turnover, and (ii) the affinities for NADPH and NADP+ which decrease by approximately 3.5 and approximately 0.5 kcal mol-1, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Dihydrofolate reductase has been purified from a methotrexate-resistant strain of Lactobacillus casei NCB 6375. By careful attention to growth conditions, up to 2.5g of enzyme is obtained from a 400 litre culture. The purification procedure, involving polyethyleneimine treatment, DEAE-cellulose chromatography and affinity chromatography on methotrexate-aminohexyl-Sepharose, operates on the gram scale, with overall yields of 50-60%. Elution of the affinity column by reverse (upward) flow was used, as it led to recovery of the enzyme in a much smaller volume. The enzyme obtained appears to be more than 98% pure, as judged by gel electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing, and gel filtration. It has a mol.wt. ofapprox. 17900 and a turnover number of4s-(5OmM-triethanolamine/400mM-KCI, pH7.2, 25°C) with dihydrofolate and NADPH as substrates.The turnover number for folate is 0.02s-1. Michaelis constants for a variety of substrates have been measured by using a new fluorimetric assay (0.361uM-dihydrofolate; 0.78 uM-NADPH), and binding constants determined by using the quenching of protein fluorescence (dihydrofolate, 2.25 x 106M-1; NADPH, >108M-1). The pH/activity profile shows a single maximum at pH 7.3; at this pH, marked activation by 0.5M-NaCl is observed.Dihydrofolate reductase (tetrahydrofolate-NADP+ oxidoreductase, EC 1.5.1.3) is responsible for maintaining the intracellular pool of tetrahydrofolate by reducing dihydrofolate (arising either by biosynthesis de novo or by the action of thymidylate synthetase on 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate) to tetrahydrofolate (Blakley, 1969). This enzyme is of considerable pharmacological interest as the site of action of a group of powerful chemotherapeutic agents, the 'anti-folates', which includes methotrexate, trimethoprim and pyrimethamine (Blakley, 1969;Baker, 1967).We are undertaking a detailed study of the binding of substrates, coenzymes and inhibitors to the dihydrofolate reductase from a methotrexate-resistant strain of Lactobacillus casei, principally by highresolution n.m.r. (nuclear-magnetic-resonance) spec-* Present address:

Two mutants of Lactobacillus casei dihydrofolate reductase, Trp 21----Leu and Asp 26----Glu, have been prepared by using site-directed mutagenesis methods, and their ligand binding and structural properties have been compared with those of the wild-type enzyme. 1H, 13C, and 31P NMR studies have been carried out to characterize the structural changes in the complexes of the mutant and wild-type enzymes. Replacement of the conserved Trp 21 by a Leu residue causes a decrease in activity of the enzyme and reduces the NADPH binding constant by a factor of 400. The binding of substrates and substrate analogues is only slightly affected. 1H NMR studies of the Trp 21----Leu enzyme complexes have confirmed the original resonance assignments for Trp 21. In complexes formed with methotrexate and the mutant enzyme, the results indicate some small changes in conformation occurring as much as 14 A away from the site of substitution. For the enzyme-NADPH complexes, the chemical shifts of nuclei in the bound coenzyme indicate that the nicotinamide ring binds differently in complexes with the mutant and the wild-type enzyme. There are complexes where the wild-type enzyme has been shown to exist in solution as a mixture of conformations, and studies on the corresponding complexes with the Trp 21----Leu mutant indicate that the delicately poised equilibria can be perturbed. For example, in the case of the ternary complex formed between enzyme, trimethoprim, and NADP+, two almost equally populated conformations (forms I and II) are seen with the wild-type enzyme but only form II (the one in which the nicotinamide ring of the coenzyme is extended away from the enzyme structure and into the solvent) is observed for the mutant enzyme complex. It appears that the Trp 21----Leu substitution has a major effect on the binding of the nicotinamide ring of the coenzyme. For the Asp 26----Glu enzyme there is a change in the bound conformation of the substrate folate. Further indications that some conformational adjustments are required to allow the carboxylate of Glu 26 to bind effectively to the N1 proton of inhibitors such as methotrexate and trimethoprim come from the observation of a change in the dynamics of the bound trimethoprim molecule as seen from the increased rate of the flipping of the 13C-labeled benzyl ring and the increased rate of the N1-H bond breaking.

A general method IS described for the stereospecific assignment of methyl resonances in protein NMR spectra based on selective deuteration procedures. A selectively deuterated dihydrofolate reductase from L case1 was prepared by incorporating stereoselectively deuterated L-leucine, (2S.4R)[5.5,5-'H,]leucine. By comparing the COSY spectra of the dihydrofolate reductase-methotrexate complexes formed using deuterated and non-deuterated enzyme the stereospecific assignments for resonances of all 13 leucine residues were obtained by noting the absence of cross-peaks in spectra from the deuterated protems.

The pyridoxal/ZH,O exchange reaction of the a-CH of amino acids is known to be accompanied by racemisation: Thus by using a D-ammo acid as the starting material any L-amino acid formed in the reaction will be essentially fully deuterated at its a-position. We have used this method to prepare a-deuterated L-valine and inco~rated this biosyn~eti~Ily into L. curei dihydrofoIate reductase. A comparison of the aCH-NH fingerprint regions of COSY spectra of deuterated and normal DHFR complexes allows one to identify cross-peaks from 15 of the 16 valine residues.

A selectively deuterated dihydrofoiate reductase from L. cusei has been prepared containing partially deuterated aromatic amino acids. This provides simplified 2D NMR spectra and allows signals from all 8 Phe residues to be identified. The pattern of deuteration is such that (i) the only cross-peaks detected in the aromatic region of the 2D COSY spectrum are those between the Phe 2',6' and 3',5' protons and (ii) chemical shift degeneracy in the aromatic region is removed thus allowing unambiguous assignment of cross-peaks in 2D NOESY spectra required for specific assignment purposes.