No abstract

2 The abbreviations used are: N 7 -CH 3 dG, N 7 -methyl deoxyguanosine; N 7 -CH 3 2Ј-F dG, N 7 -methyl 2Ј-fluoro deoxyguanosine; 2Ј-F dG, 2Ј-fluoro deoxyguanosine; FAM, 6-carboxyfluorescein; FAPY, formamidopyrimidine; FPG, formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase; pol, DNA polymerase; hpol, human pol; O 6 -CH 3 dG, O 6 -methyl deoxyguanosine; UDG, uracil-DNA glycosylase; CID, collision-induced dissociation; ESI, electrospray ionization. cro ARTICLE

KatG is a bifunctional, heme-dependent enzyme in the front-line defense of numerous bacterial and fungal pathogens against HO-induced oxidative damage from host immune responses. Contrary to the expectation that catalase and peroxidase activities should be mutually antagonistic, peroxidatic electron donors (PxEDs) enhance KatG catalase activity. Here, we establish the mechanism of synergistic cooperation between these activities. We show that at low pH values KatG can fully convert HO to O and HO only if a PxED is present in the reaction mixture. Stopped-flow spectroscopy results indicated rapid initial rates of HO disproportionation slowing concomitantly with the accumulation of ferryl-like heme states. These states very slowly returned to resting ( ferric) enzyme, indicating that they represented catalase-inactive intermediates. We also show that an active-site tryptophan, Trp-321, participates in off-pathway electron transfer. A W321F variant in which the proximal tryptophan was replaced with a non-oxidizable phenylalanine exhibited higher catalase activity and less accumulation of off-pathway heme intermediates. Finally, rapid freeze-quench EPR experiments indicated that both WT and W321F KatG produce the same methionine-tyrosine-tryptophan (MYW) cofactor radical intermediate at the earliest reaction time points and that Trp-321 is the preferred site of off-catalase protein oxidation in the native enzyme. Of note, PxEDs did not affect the formation of the MYW cofactor radical but could reduce non-productive protein-based radical species that accumulate during reaction with HO Our results suggest that catalase-inactive intermediates accumulate because of off-mechanism oxidation, primarily of Trp-321, and PxEDs stimulate KatG catalase activity by preventing the accumulation of inactive intermediates.

Catalase-peroxidases (KatGs), the only catalase-active members of their superfamily, all possess a 35-residue interhelical loop called large loop 2 (LL2). It is essential for catalase activity, but little is known about its contribution to KatG function. LL2 shows weak sequence conservation; however, its length is nearly identical across KatGs, and its apex invariably makes contact with the KatG-unique C-terminal domain. We used site-directed and deletion mutagenesis to interrogate the role of LL2 and its interaction with the C-terminal domain in KatG structure and catalysis. Single and double substitutions of the LL2 apex had little impact on the active site heme [by magnetic circular dichroism or electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR)] and activity (catalase or peroxidase). Conversely, deletion of a single amino acid from the LL2 apex reduced catalase activity by 80%. Deletion of two or more apex amino acids or all of LL2 diminished catalase activity by 300-fold. Peroxide-dependent but not electron donor-dependent kcat/KM values for deletion variant peroxidase activity were reduced 20-200-fold, and kon for cyanide binding diminished by 3 orders of magnitude. EPR spectra for deletion variants were all consistent with an increase in the level of pentacoordinate high-spin heme at the expense of hexacoordinate high-spin states. Together, these data suggest a shift in the distribution of active site waters, altering the reactivity of the ferric state, toward, among other things, compound I formation. These results identify the importance of LL2 length conservation for maintaining an intersubunit interaction that is essential for an active site water distribution that facilitates KatG catalytic activity.