Hydroperoxides are reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are toxic to all cells and must be converted into the corresponding alcohols to alleviate oxidative stress. In Escherichia coli, the enzyme primarily responsible for this reaction is alkylhydroperoxide reductase (AhpR). Here, the crystal structures of both of the subunits of EcAhpR, EcAhpF (57 kDa) and EcAhpC (21 kDa), have been solved. The EcAhpF structures (2.0 and 2.65 Å resolution) reveal an open and elongated conformation, while that of EcAhpC (3.3 Å resolution) forms a decameric ring. Solution X-ray scattering analysis of EcAhpF unravels the flexibility of its N-terminal domain, and its binding to EcAhpC was demonstrated by isothermal titration calorimetry. These studies suggest a novel overall mechanistic model of AhpR as a hydroperoxide scavenger, in which the dimeric, extended AhpF prefers complex formation with the AhpC ring to accelerate the catalytic activity and thus to increase the chance of rescuing the cell from ROS.

2-Cys peroxiredoxins (Prxs) are a large family of peroxidases, responsible for antioxidant function and regulation in cell signaling, apoptosis and differentiation. The Escherichia coli alkylhydroperoxide reductase (AhpR) is a prototype of the Prxs-family, and is composed of an NADH-dependent AhpF reductase (57 kDa) and AhpC (21 kDa), catalyzing the reduction of H2O2. We show that the E. coli AhpC (EcAhpC, 187 residues) forms a decameric ring structure under reduced and close to physiological conditions, composed of five catalytic dimers. Single particle analysis of cryo-electron micrographs of C-terminal truncated (EcAhpC1 -172 and EcAhpC1 -182) and mutated forms of EcAhpC reveals the loss of decamer formation, indicating the importance of the very C-terminus of AhpC in dimer to decamer transition. The crystallographic structures of the truncated EcAhpC1 -172 and EcAhpC1 -182 demonstrate for the first time that, in contrast to the reduced form, the very C-terminus of the oxidized EcAhpC is oriented away from the AhpC dimer interface and away from the catalytic redox-center, reflecting structural rearrangements during redox-modulation and -oligomerization. Furthermore, using an ensemble of different truncated and mutated EcAhpC protein constructs the importance of the very C-terminus in AhpC activity and in AhpC-AhpF assembly has been demonstrated.

No abstract