The first steps of wood degradation by fungi lead to the release of toxic compounds known as extractives. To better understand how lignolytic fungi cope with the toxicity of these molecules, a transcriptomic analysis of Phanerochaete chrysosporium genes was performed in the presence of oak acetonic extracts. It reveals that in complement to the extracellular machinery of degradation, intracellular antioxidant and detoxification systems contribute to the lignolytic capabilities of fungi, presumably by preventing cellular damages and maintaining fungal health. Focusing on these systems, a glutathione transferase (P. chrysosporium GTT2.1 [PcGTT2.1]) has been selected for functional characterization. This enzyme, not characterized so far in basidiomycetes, has been classified first as a GTT2 compared to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae isoform. However, a deeper analysis shows that the GTT2.1 isoform has evolved functionally to reduce lipid peroxidation by recognizing high-molecular-weight peroxides as substrates. Moreover, the GTT2.1 gene has been lost in some non-wood-decay fungi. This example suggests that the intracellular detoxification system evolved concomitantly with the extracellular ligninolytic machinery in relation to the capacity of fungi to degrade wood.

Retinoic acid (RA), a metabolite of vitamin A, exerts pleiotropic effects throughout life in vertebrate organisms. Thus, RA action must be tightly regulated through the coordinated action of biosynthetic and degradating enzymes. The last step of retinoic acid biosynthesis is irreversibly catalyzed by the NAD-dependent retinal dehydrogenases (RALDH), which are members of the aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) superfamily. Low intracellular retinal concentrations imply efficient substrate molecular recognition to ensure high affinity and specificity of RALDHs for retinal. This study addresses the molecular basis of retinal recognition in human ALDH1A1 (or RALDH1) and rat ALDH1A2 (or RALDH2), through the comparison of the catalytic behavior of retinal analogs and use of the fluorescence properties of retinol. We show that, in contrast to long chain unsaturated substrates, the rate-limiting step of retinal oxidation by RALDHs is associated with acylation. Use of the fluorescence resonance energy transfer upon retinol interaction with RALDHs provides evidence that retinal recognition occurs in two steps: binding into the substrate access channel, and a slower structural reorganization with a rate constant of the same magnitude as the kcat for retinal oxidation: 0.18 vs. 0.07 s−1 and 0.25 vs. 0.1 s−1 for ALDH1A1 and ALDH1A2, respectively. This suggests that the conformational transition of the RALDH-retinal complex significantly contributes to the rate-limiting step that controls the kinetics of retinal oxidation, as a prerequisite for the formation of a catalytically competent Michaelis complex. This conclusion is consistent with the general notion that structural flexibility within the active site of ALDH enzymes has been shown to be an integral component of catalysis.

No abstract

Structural motions are key events in enzyme catalysis, as exemplified by the conformational dynamics associated with the cofactor in the catalytic mechanism of hydrolytic NAD(P)-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenases. We previously showed that, after the oxidoreduction step, the reduced cofactor must adopt a flipped conformation, which positions the nicotinamide in a conserved cavity that might constitute the exit door for NAD(P)H. However, the molecular basis that make this movement possible is unknown. Based on the pre-and postflip Xray structures, targeted molecular dynamic simulations enabled us to identify the E 268 LGG 271 conserved loop that must shift to allow reduced nicotinamide conformational switch. To monitor cofactor movements within the active site, we used an intrinsic fluorescence resonance energy transfer signal between Trp177 and the reduced nicotinamide moiety to kinetically track the flip during the catalytic cycle of retinal dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH1A2). Decreasing loop flexibility by substituting Ala for Gly271 drastically reduced the rate constant associated with this movement that became rate-limiting. We thus propose that the E 268 LGG 271 loop acts as a gatekeeper for cofactor flipping. Similar approaches applied to a CoA-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenase showed that cofactor flipping likely extends to the whole ALDH family, thus bridging the gap between the well-studied chemical steps and a conformational transition essential for catalysis.

Background: Conformational dynamics of the cofactor are essential for catalysis by hydrolytic ALDHs. Results: Crystallographic and kinetic data reveal the molecular basis for NADH release in MSDH, a CoA-dependent ALDH. Conclusion: Weaker stabilization of the adenine ring triggers early NADH release in MSDH-catalyzed reaction. Significance: First description of the mechanism whereby the cofactor binding mode is partly responsible for the kinetic behavior of CoA-dependent ALDHs.