The structure of glucose dehydrogenase from the extreme halophile Haloferax mediterranei has been solved at 1.6-Å resolution under crystallization conditions which closely mimic the ''in vivo'' intracellular environment. The decoration of the enzyme's surface with acidic residues is only partially neutralized by bound potassium counterions, which also appear to play a role in substrate binding. The surface shows the expected reduction in hydrophobic character, surprisingly not from changes associated with the loss of exposed hydrophobic residues but rather arising from a loss of lysines consistent with the genome wide-reduction of this residue in extreme halophiles. The structure reveals a highly ordered, multilayered solvation shell that can be seen to be organized into one dominant network covering much of the exposed surface accessible area to an extent not seen in almost any other protein structure solved. This finding is consistent with the requirement of the enzyme to form a protective shell in a dehydrating environment.Archaea ͉ x-ray structure ͉ water structure ͉ hydrophobic surface ͉ surface lysines

The structure of BPSL1549, a protein of unknown function from Burkholderia pseudomallei, reveals a similarity to Escherichia coli cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1. We found that BPSL1549 acted as a potent cytotoxin against eukaryotic cells and was lethal when administered to mice. Expression levels of bpsl1549 correlate with conditions expected to promote or suppress pathogenicity. BPSL1549 promotes deamidation of glutamine-339 of the translation initiation factor eIF4A, abolishing its helicase activity and inhibiting translation. We propose to name BPSL1549 Burkholderia lethal factor 1.

D-glutamate is an essential building block of the peptidoglycan layer in bacterial cell walls and can be synthesized from L-glutamate by glutamate racemase (RacE). The structure of a complex of B. subtilis RacE with D-glutamate reveals that the glutamate is buried in a deep pocket, whose formation at the interface of the enzyme's two domains involves a large-scale conformational rearrangement. These domains are related by pseudo-2-fold symmetry, which superimposes the two catalytic cysteine residues, which are located at equivalent positions on either side of the alpha carbon of the substrate. The structural similarity of these two domains suggests that the racemase activity of RacE arose as a result of gene duplication. The structure of the complex is dramatically different from that proposed previously and provides new insights into the RacE mechanism and an explanation for the potency of a family of RacE inhibitors, which have been developed as novel antibiotics.

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Analysis of the crystal structures of the free enzyme and of the binary complexes with NAD(+) and glycerol show that the active site of GlyDH lies in the cleft between the enzyme's two domains, with the catalytic zinc ion playing a role in stabilizing an alkoxide intermediate. In addition, the specificity of this enzyme for a range of diols can be understood, as both hydroxyls of the glycerol form ligands to the enzyme-bound Zn(2+) ion at the active site. The structure further reveals a previously unsuspected similarity to dehydroquinate synthase, an enzyme whose more complex chemistry shares a common chemical step with that catalyzed by glycerol dehydrogenase, providing a striking example of divergent evolution. Finally, the structure suggests that the NAD(+) binding domain of GlyDH may be related to that of the classical Rossmann fold by switching the sequence order of the two mononucleotide binding folds that make up this domain.

Toxoplasmosis causes significant morbidity and mortality and yet available medicines are limited by toxicities and hypersensitivity. Since improved medicines are needed urgently, rational approaches were used to identify novel lead compounds effective against Toxoplasma gondii enoyl reductase (TgENR), a type II fatty acid synthase enzyme essential in parasites but not present in animals. Fifty-three compounds, including three classes that inhibit ENRs, were tested. Six compounds have anti-parasite MIC 90 s 6 M without toxicity to host cells, three compounds have IC 90 s <45nM against recombinant TgENR and two protect mice. To further understand the mode of inhibition, the co-crystal structure of one of the most promising candidate compounds in complex with TgENR has been determined to 2.7Å. The crystal structure reveals that the aliphatic side chain of compound 19 occupies, as predicted, space made available by replacement of a bulky hydrophobic residue in homologous bacterial ENRs by Ala in TgENR. This provides a paradigm, conceptual foundation, reagents, and lead compounds for future rational development and discovery of improved inhibitors of T. gondii.

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Glutamate racemase (MurI, RacE; E.C.5.1.1.3) catalyses the cofactorindependent conversion of l-glutamate to d-glutamate, an essential step in the synthesis of components of the bacterial cell wall. The gene for RacE from Bacillus subtilis has been cloned and the protein expressed in Escherichia coli, puri®ed and crystallized in the presence of l-glutamate using the hanging-drop method of vapour diffusion with diammonium tartrate as the precipitant. The crystals belong to the monoclinic space group C2, with approximate unit-cell parameters a = 133.6, b = 60.1, c = 126.2 A Ê , = 117.6 . Consideration of the possible values of V M suggests that the asymmetric unit contains either two (V M = 3.75 A Ê 3 Da À1 ) or three (V M = 2.5 A Ê 3 Da À1 ) subunits. The crystals diffract X-rays to at least 2.1 A Ê resolution on a synchrotron-radiation source and are suitable for structural studies. Determination of the structure may provide insight into the molecular basis of substrate recognition and catalysis by this enzyme.