Squalene (SQ) is a key intermediate in hopanoid biosynthesis. Many bacteria synthesize SQ from farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) in three steps: FPP to (1R,2R,3R)-presqualene diphosphate (PSPP), (1R,2R,3R)-PSPP to hydroxysqualene (HSQ), and HSQ to SQ. Chemical, biochemical, and spectroscopic methods were used to establish that HSQ synthase synthesizes (S)-HSQ. In contrast, eukaryotic squalene synthase catalyzes solvolysis of (1R,2R,3R)-PSPP to give (R)-HSQ. The bacterial enzyme that reduces HSQ to SQ does not accept (R)-HSQ as a substrate.

Type 2 isopentenyl diphosphate:dimethylallyl diphosphate isomerase (IDI-2) catalyzes the interconversion of isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) in the isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway. The enzyme from Streptomyces pneumoniae (spIDI-2) is a homotetramer in solution with behavior, including a substantial increase in the rate of FMN reduction by NADPH in the presence of IPP, suggesting that substrate binding at one subunit alters the kinetic and binding properties of another. We now report the construction of catalytically active monomeric spIDI-2. The monomeric enzyme contains a single-point mutation (N37A) and a six-residue C-terminal deletion that preserves the secondary structure of the subunits in the wild-type (wt) homotetramer. UV–vis spectra of the enzyme-bound flavin mononucleotide (FMN) cofactor in FMNox, FMNred, and FMNred·IPP/DMAPP states are the same for monomeric and wt homotetrameric spIDI-2. The mutations in monomeric IDI-2 lower the melting temperature of the protein by 20 °C and reduce the binding affinities of FMN and IDI by 40-fold but have a minimal effect on kcat. Stopped-flow kinetic studies of monomeric spIDI-2 showed that the rate of reduction of FMN by NADH (k = 1.64 × 10–3 s–1) is substantially faster when IPP is added to the monomeric enzyme (k = 0.57 s–1), similar to behavior seen for wt-spIDI-2. Our results indicate that cooperative interactions among subunits in the wt homotetramer are not responsible for the increased rate of reduction of spIDI-2·FMN by NADH, and two possible scenarios for the enhancement are suggested.

Type 2 isopentenyl diphosphate:dimethylallyl diphosphate isomerase (IDI-2) converts isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) to dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP), the two fundamental building blocks of isoprenoid molecules. IDI-2 is found in many species of bacteria and is a potential antibacterial target since this isoform is non-homologous to the type 1 enzyme in Homo sapiens. IDI-2 requires a reduced flavin mononucleotide to form the catalytically active ternary complex, IDI-2·FMNH2·IPP. For IDI-2 from the pathogenic bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, the flavin can be treated kinetically as a dissociable cosubstrate in incubations with IPP and excess NADH. Under these conditions, the enzyme follows a modified sequential ordered mechanism where FMN adds before IPP. Interestingly, the enzyme shows sigmoidal behavior when incubated with IPP and NADH with varied concentrations of FMN in aerobic conditions. In contrast, sigmoidal behavior is not seen in incubations under anaerobic conditions where FMN is reduced to FMNH2 before the reaction is initiated by addition of IPP. Stopped-flow experiments revealed that FMN, whether bound to IDI-2 or without enzyme in solution, is slowly reduced in a pseudo-first-order reaction upon addition of excess NADH (kredFMN = 5.7 × 10–3 s–1 and kredIDI-2·FMN = 2.8 × 10–3 s–1), while reduction of the flavin is rapid upon addition of NADH to a mixture of IDI-2·FMN, and IPP (kredIDI-2·FMN·IPP = 8.9 s–1). Similar experiments with dithionite as the reductant gave kredFMN = 221 s–1 and kredIDI-2·FMN = 411 s–1. Dithionite reduction of FMN in the IDI-2·FMN and IPP mixture was biphasic with kredIDI-2·FMN·IPP (fast) = 326 s–1 and kredIDI-2·FMN·IPP (slow) = 6.9 s–1 The pseudo-first-order rate constant for the slow component was similar to those for NADH reduction of the flavin in the IDI-2·FMN and IPP mixture and may reflect a rate-limiting conformational change in the enzyme.

Squalene (SQ) is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of sterols in eukaryotes and a few bacteria and of hopanoids in bacteria where they promote membrane stability and the formation of lipid rafts in their hosts. The genes for hopanoid biosynthesis are typically located on clusters that consist of four highly conserved genes—hpnC, hpnD, hpnE, and hpnF—for conversion of farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) to hopene or related pentacyclic metabolites. While hpnF is known to encode a squalene cyclase, the functions for hpnC, hpnD, and hpnE are not rigorously established. The hpnC, hpnD, and hpnE genes from Zymomonas mobilis and Rhodopseudomonas palustris were cloned into Escherichia coli, a bacterium that does not contain genes homologous to hpnC, hpnD, and hpnE, and their functions were established in vitro and in vivo. HpnD catalyzes formation of presqualene diphosphate (PSPP) from two molecules of FPP; HpnC converts PSPP to hydroxysqualene (HSQ); and HpnE, a member of the amine oxidoreductase family, reduces HSQ to SQ. Collectively the reactions catalyzed by these three enzymes constitute a new pathway for biosynthesis of SQ in bacteria.

Farnesyl diphosphate synthase catalyzes the sequential chain elongation reactions between isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) to form geranyl diphosphate (GPP) and between IPP and GPP to give farnesyl diphosphate (FPP). Bisubstrate analogues containing the allylic and homoallylic substrates were synthesized by joining fragments for IPP and the allylic diphosphates with a C–C bond between the methyl group at C3 in IPP and the Z-methyl group at C3 in DMAPP (3-OPP) and GPP (4-OPP), respectively. These constructs placed substantial limits on the conformational space available to the analogues relative to the two substrates. The key features of the synthesis of bisubstrate analogues 3-OPP and 4-OPP are a regioselective C-alkylation of the dianion of 3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol (5), a Z-selective cuprate addition of alkyl groups to an α,β-alkynyl ester intermediate, and differential activation of allylic and homoallylic alcohols in the analogues, followed by a simultaneous displacement of the leaving groups with tris(tetra-n-butylammonium) hydrogen diphosphate to give the corresponding bisdiphosphate analogues. The bisubstrate analogues were substrates for FPP synthase, giving novel seven-membered ring analogues of GPP and FPP. The catalytic efficiencies for cyclization of 3-OPP and 4-OPP were similar to those for chain elongation with IPP and DMAPP.

Terpenoids are a large structurally diverse group of natural products with an array of functions in their hosts. The large amount of genomic information from recent sequencing efforts provides opportunities and challenges for the functional assignment of terpene synthases that construct the carbon skeletons of these compounds. Inferring function from the sequence and/or structure of these enzymes is not trivial because of the large number of possible reaction channels and products. We tackle this problem by developing an algorithm to enumerate possible carbocations derived from the farnesyl cation, the first reactive intermediate of the substrate, and evaluating their steric and electrostatic compatibility with the active site. The homology model of a putative pentalenene synthase (Uniprot: B5GLM7) from Streptomyces clavuligerus was used in an automated computational workflow for product prediction. Surprisingly, the workflow predicted a linear triquinane scaffold as the top product skeleton for B5GLM7. Biochemical characterization of B5GLM7 reveals the major product as (5S,7S,10R,11S)-cucumene, a sesquiterpene with a linear triquinane scaffold. To our knowledge, this is the first documentation of a terpene synthase involved in the synthesis of a linear triquinane. The success of our prediction for B5GLM7 suggests that this approach can be used to facilitate the functional assignment of novel terpene synthases.

Protein chips are powerful tools as analytical and diagnostic devices for detection of biomolecular interactions, where the proteins are covalently or noncovalently attached to biosensing surfaces to capture and detect target molecules or biomarkers. Thus, fabrication of biosensing surfaces for regio- and chemoselective immobilization of biomolecules is a crucial step for better biosensor performance. In our previous studies, a regio- and chemoselective immobilization strategy was demonstrated on glass surfaces. This strategy is now used to regioselectively attach proteins to self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold surfaces. Recombinant green fluorescent protein (GFP), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and antibody-binding protein G, bearing a C-terminal CVIA motif, were prepared and a farnesyl analogue with an ω-alkyne moiety was attached to the sulfhydryl moiety in the cysteine side chain by protein farnesyltransferase. The proteins, modified with the bioorthogonal alkyne functional group, were covalently and regioselectively immobilized on thiol or dithiocarbamate (DTC) SAMs on a gold surface by a Huigsen [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction with minimal nonspecific binding. A concentration-dependent increase of fluorescence intensity was observed in wells treated with GFP on both thiol- and DTC-SAMs. The highly ordered, densely packed layer allowed for a high loading of immobilized protein, with a concomitant increase in substrate binding capacity. The DTC-SAMs were substantially more resistant to displacement of the immobilized proteins from the gold surface by β-mercaptoethanol than alkane-thiol SAMs.

The methylerythritol phosphate biosynthetic pathway, found in most Bacteria, some parasitic protists, and plant chloroplasts, converts d-glyceraldehyde phosphate and pyruvate to isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP), where it intersects with the mevalonate pathway found in some Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya, including the cytosol of plants. d-3-Methylerythritol-4-phosphate (MEP), the first pathway-specific intermediate in the pathway, is converted to IPP and DMAPP by the consecutive action of the IspD-H proteins. We synthesized five d-MEP analogues—d-erythritol-4-phosphate (EP), d-3-methylthrietol-4-phosphate (MTP), d-3-ethylerythritol-4-phosphate (EEP), d-1-amino-3-methylerythritol-4-phosphate (NMEP), and d-3-methylerythritol-4-thiolophosphate (MESP)—and studied their ability to function as alternative substrates for the reactions catalyzed by the IspDF fusion and IspE proteins from Agrobacterium tumefaciens, which covert MEP to the corresponding eight-membered cyclic diphosphate. All of the analogues, except MTP, and their products were substrates for the three consecutive enzymes.

Antibody arrays are a useful for detecting antigens and other antibodies. This technique typically requires a uniform and well-defined orientation of antibodies attached to a surface for optimal performance. A uniform orientation can be achieved by modification of antibodies to include a single site for attachment. Thus, uniformly oriented antibody arrays require a bioengineered modification for the antibodies directly immobilization on the solid surface. In this study, we describe a “sandwich-type” antibody array where unmodified antibodies are oriented through binding with regioselectively immobilized recombinant antibody-binding protein L. Recombinant proL-CVIA bearing C-terminal CVIA motif is post-translationally modified with an alkyne group by protein farnesyltransferase (PFTase) at the cysteine residue in the CVIA sequence to give proL-CVIApf, which is covalently attached to an azido-modified glass slide by a Huisgen [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction. Slides bearing antibodies bound to slides coated with regioselectively immobilized proL-CVIApf gave stronger fluorescence outputs and those where the antibody-binding protein was immobilized in random orientations on an epoxy-modified slide. Properly selected capture and detection antibodies did not cross-react with immobilized proL-CVIApf in sandwich arrays, and the proL-CVIApf slides can be used for multiple cycles of detected over a period of several months.

The MEP pathway, which is absent in animals but present in most pathogenic bacteria, in the parasite responsible for malaria and in plant plastids, is a target for the development of antimicrobial drugs. IspH, an oxygen-sensitive [4Fe–4S] enzyme, catalyzes the last step of this pathway and converts (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl diphosphate (HMBPP) into the two isoprenoid precursors: isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP). A crucial step in the mechanism of this enzyme is the binding of the C4 hydroxyl of HMBPP to the unique fourth iron site in the [4Fe–4S]2+ moiety. Here, we report the synthesis and the kinetic investigations of two new extremely potent inhibitors of E. coli IspH where the OH group of HMBPP is replaced by an amino and a thiol group. (E)-4-Mercapto-3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl diphosphate is a reversible tight-binding inhibitor of IspH with Ki = 20 ± 2 nM. A detailed kinetic analysis revealed that (E)-4-amino-3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl diphosphate is a reversible slow-binding inhibitor of IspH with Ki = 54 ± 19 nM. The slow binding behavior of this inhibitor is best described by a one-step mechanism with the slow step consisting of the formation of the enzyme–inhibitor (EI) complex.

Immobilized antibodies are useful for the detection of antigens in highly sensitive microarray diagnostic applications. Arrays with the antibodies attached regioselectively in a uniform orientation are typically more sensitive than those with random orientations. Direct regioselective immobilization of antibodies on a solid support typically requires a modified form of the protein. We now report a general approach for the regioselective attachment of antibodies to a surface using truncated forms of antibody-binding proteins A, G, and L that retain the structural motifs required for antibody binding. The recombinant proteins have a C-terminal CVIX protein farnesyltransferase recognition motif that allows us to append a bioorthogonal azide or alkyne moiety and use the Cu(I)-catalyzed Huisgen cycloaddition to attach the binding proteins to a suitably modified glass surface. This approach offers several advantages. The recombinant antibody-binding proteins are produced in Escherichia coli, chemoselectively modified posttranslationally in the cell-free homogenate, and directly attached to the glass surface without the need for purification at any stage of the process. Complexes between immobilized recombinant proteins A, G, and L and their respective strongly bound antibodies were stable to repeated washing with PBST buffer at pH 7.2. However, the antibodies could be stripped from the slides by treatment with 0.1 M glycine·HCl buffer, pH 2.6, for 30 min and regenerated by shaking with PBS buffer, pH 7.2, at 4 °C overnight. The recombinant forms of proteins A, G, and L can be used separately or in combination to give glass surfaces capable of binding a wide variety of antibodies.

The high selectivity of protein farnesyltransferase was used to regioselectively append farnesyl analogues bearing bioorthogonal alkyne and azide functional groups to recombinant Schistosoma japonicum glutathione S-transferase (GSTase) and the active modified protein was covalently attached to glass surfaces. The cysteine residue in a C-terminal CVIA sequence appended to N-terminally His6-tagged glutathione S-transferase (His6-GSTase-CVIA) was post-translationally modified by incubation of purified protein or cell-free homogenates from E. coli M15/pQE-His6-GSTase-CVIA with yeast protein farnesyltransferase (PFTase) and analogues of farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) containing ω-azide and alkyne moieties. The modified proteins were added to wells on silicone-matted glass slides whose surfaces were modified with PEG units containing complementary ω-alkyne and azide moieties and covalently attached to the surface by a Cu(I)-catalyzed Huisgen [3 + 2] cycloaddition. The wells were washed and assayed for GSTase activity by monitoring the increase in A340 upon addition of 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) and reduced glutathione (GT). GSTase activity was substantially higher in the wells spotted with alkyne (His6-GSTase-CVIA-PE) or azide (His6-GSTase-CVIA-AZ) modified glutathione-S-transferase than in control wells spotted with farnesyl-modified enzyme (His6-GSTase-CVIA-F).

The number of available protein sequences has increased exponentially with the advent of high-throughput genomic sequencing, creating a significant challenge for functional annotation. Here, we describe a large-scale study on assigning function to unknown members of the trans-polyprenyl transferase (E-PTS) subgroup in the isoprenoid synthase superfamily, which provides substrates for the biosynthesis of the more than 55,000 isoprenoid metabolites. Although the mechanism for determining the product chain length for these enzymes is known, there is no simple relationship between function and primary sequence, so that assigning function is challenging. We addressed this challenge through large-scale bioinformatics analysis of >5,000 putative polyprenyl transferases; experimental characterization of the chain-length specificity of 79 diverse members of this group; determination of 27 structures of 19 of these enzymes, including seven cocrystallized with substrate analogs or products; and the development and successful application of a computational approach to predict function that leverages available structural data through homology modeling and docking of possible products into the active site. The crystallographic structures and computational structural models of the enzyme–ligand complexes elucidate the structural basis of specificity. As a result of this study, the percentage of E-PTS sequences similar to functionally annotated ones (BLAST e-value ≤ 1e−70) increased from 40.6 to 68.8%, and the percentage of sequences similar to available crystal structures increased from 28.9 to 47.4%. The high accuracy of our blind prediction of newly characterized enzymes indicates the potential to predict function to the complete polyprenyl transferase subgroup of the isoprenoid synthase superfamily computationally.

Isopentenyl phosphate kinase (IPK) catalyzes the ATP-dependent phosphorylation of isopentenyl phosphate (IP) to form isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) during biosynthesis of isoprenoid metabolites in Archaea. The structure of IPK from the archeaon Thermoplasma acidophilum (THA) was recently reported and guided the reconstruction of the IP binding site to accommodate the longer chain isoprenoid monophosphates geranyl phosphate (GP) and farnesyl phosphate (FP). We created four mutants of THA IPK with different combinations of alanine substitutions for Tyr70, Val73, Val130, and Ile140, amino acids with bulky side chains that limited the size of the side chain of the isoprenoid phosphate substrate that could be accommodated in the active site. The mutants had substantially increased GP kinase activity, with 20–200-fold increases in kcatGP and 30–130-fold increases in kcatGP/KMGP relative to those of wild-type THA IPK. The mutations also resulted in a 106-fold decrease in kcatIP/KMIP compared to that of wild-type IPK. No significant change in the kinetic parameters for the cosubstrate ATP was observed, signifying that binding between the nucleotide binding site and the IP binding site was not cooperative. The shift in substrate selectivity from IP to GP, and to a lesser extent, FP, in the mutants could act as a starting point for the creation of more efficient GP or FP kinases whose products could be exploited for the chemoenzymatic synthesis of radiolabeled isoprenoid diphosphates.

Isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase (IDI) catalyzes the interconversion of isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP). These two molecules are the building blocks for construction of isoprenoid carbon skeletons in nature. Two structurally unrelated forms of IDI are known. A variety of studies support a proton addition/proton elimination mechanism for both enzymes. During studies with Thermus thermophilus IDI-2, we discovered that the olefinic hydrogens of a vinyl thiomethyl analogue of isopentenyl diphosphate exchanged with solvent when the enzyme was incubated with D2O without concomitant isomerization of the double bond. These results suggest that the enzyme-catalyzed isomerization reaction is not concerted.

Evidence for an unusual catalysis of protonation/deprotonation by a reduced flavin mononucleotide cofactor is presented for type-2 isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase (IDI-2), which catalyzes isomerization of the two fundamental building blocks of isoprenoid biosynthesis, isopentenyl diphosphate and dimethylallyl diphosphate. The covalent adducts formed between irreversible mechanism-based inhibitors, 3-methylene-4-penten-1-yl diphosphate or 3-oxiranyl-3-buten-1-yl diphosphate, and the flavin cofactor were investigated by X-ray crystallography and UV-visible spectroscopy. Both the crystal structures of IDI-2 binding the flavin-inhibitor adduct and the UV-visible spectra of the adducts indicate that the covalent bond is formed at C4a of flavin rather than at N5, which had been proposed previously. In addition, the high-resolution crystal structures of IDI-2-substrate complexes and the kinetic studies of new mutants confirmed that only the flavin cofactor can catalyze protonation of the substrates and suggest that N5 of flavin is most likely to be involved in proton transfer. These data provide support for a mechanism where the reduced flavin cofactor acts as a general acid/base catalyst and helps stabilize the carbocationic intermediate formed by protonation.

Substrate analogues for isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP), where the C3 methyl groups were replaced by chlorine, were synthesized and evaluated as substrates for avian farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPPase). The IPP analogue (3-ClIPP) was a cosubstrate when incubated with dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) or geranyl diphosphate (GPP) to give the corresponding chlorinated analogues of geranyl diphosphate (3-ClGPP) and farnesyl diphosphate (3-ClFPP), respectively. No products were detected in incubations of 3-ClIPP with 3-ClDMAPP. Incubation of IPP with 3-ClDMAPP gave 11-ClFPP as the sole product. Values of KM3-ClIPP (with DMAPP) and KM3-ClDMAPP (with IPP) were similar to those for IPP and DMAPP; however, values of kcat for both analogues were substantially lower. These results are consistent with a dissociative electrophilic alkylation mechanism where the rate-limiting step changes from heterolytic cleavage of the carbon−oxygen bond in the allylic substrate to alkylation of the double bond of the homoallylic substrate.

Isoprenoid compounds are ubiquitous in nature, participating in important biological phenomena such as signal transduction, aerobic cellular respiration, photosynthesis, insect communication, and many others. They are derived from the 5-carbon isoprenoid substrates isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and its isomer dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP). In Archaea and Eukarya, these building blocks are synthesized via the mevalonate pathway. However, the genes required to convert mevalonate phosphate (MP) to IPP are missing in several species of Archaea. An enzyme with isopentenyl phosphate kinase (IPK) activity was recently discovered in Methanocaldococcus jannaschii (MJ), suggesting a departure from the classical sequence of converting MP to IPP. We have determined the high-resolution crystal structures of isopentenyl phosphate kinases in complex with both substrates and products from Thermoplasma acidophilum (THA), as well as the IPK from Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus (MTH), by means of single-wavelength anomalous diffraction (SAD) and molecular replacement. A histidine residue (His50) in THA IPK makes a hydrogen bond with the terminal phosphates of IP and IPP, poising these molecules for phosphoryl transfer through an in-line geometry. Moreover, a lysine residue (Lys14) makes hydrogen bonds with nonbridging oxygen atoms at Pα and Pγ and with the Pβ-Pγ bridging oxygen atom in ATP. These interactions suggest a transition-state-stabilizing role for this residue. Lys14 is a part of a newly discovered “lysine triangle” catalytic motif in IPKs that also includes Lys5 and Lys205. Moreover, His50, Lys5, Lys14, and Lys205 are conserved in all IPKs and can therefore serve as fingerprints for identifying new homologues.

Isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase (IDI) catalyzes the interconversion of isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP), the basic five-carbon building blocks of isoprenoid molecules. Two structurally unrelated classes of IDIs are known. Type I IPP isomerase (IDI-1) utilizes a divalent metal in a protonation−deprotonation reaction. In contrast, the type II enzyme (IDI-2) requires reduced flavin, raising the possibility that the reaction catalyzed by IDI-2 involves the net addition or abstraction of a hydrogen atom. As part of our studies of the mechanism of isomerization for IDI-2, we synthesized allene and alkyne substrate analogues for the enzyme. These molecules are predicted to be substantially less reactive toward proton addition than IPP and DMAPP but have similar reactivities toward hydrogen atom addition. This prediction was verified by calculations of gas-phase heats of reaction for addition of a proton and of a hydrogen atom to 1-butyne (3) and 1,2-butadiene (4) to form the 1-buten-2-yl carbocation and radical, respectively, and related affinities for 2-methyl-1-butene (5) and 2-methyl-2-butene (6) using G3MP2B3 and CBS-QB3 protocols. Alkyne 1-OPP and allene 2-OPP were not substrates for Thermus thermophilus IDI-2 or Escherichia coli IDI-1 but instead were competitive inhibitors. The experimental and computational results are consistent with a protonation−deprotonation mechanism for the enzyme-catalyzed isomerization of IPP and DMAPP.

Archaea synthesize isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP), the essential building blocks of isoprenoid compounds, from mevalonate (MVA). However, an analysis of the genomes of several members of the Archaea failed to identify genes for the enzymes required to convert phosphomevalonate (PM) to IPP in eukaryotes. The recent discovery of an isopentenyl kinase (IPK) in Methanocaldococcus jannaschii (MJ) suggests a new variation of the MVA pathway where PM is decarboxylated to give isopentenyl phosphate (IP), which is phosphorylated to produce IPP. A blast search using the MJ protein as a probe revealed a subfamily of amino acid kinases that include the fosfomycin resistance protein fomA, which deactivates the antibiotic by phosphorylation of its phosphonate residue in a reaction similar to the conversion of IP to IPP. IPK genes were cloned from two organisms identified in the search, Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus (MTH) and Thermoplasma acidophilum (THA), and the His-tagged recombinant proteins were purified by Ni-NTA chromatography. The enzymes catalyze the reversible phosphorylation of IP by ATP, Keq = 6.3 ± 1. The catalytic efficiencies (V/K) of the proteins were ∼2 × 106 M−1 s−1. In the reverse direction, ADP was a substrate inhibitor for THA IPK, KiADP = 58 ± 6 μM, but not for MTH IPK. Both enzymes were active over a broad range of pH and temperature. Five compounds, dimethylallyl phosphate, isopentenyl thiolophosphate, 1-butyl phosphate, 3-buten-1-yl phosphate, and geranyl phosphate, were evaluated as alternative substrates for the MTH and THA IP kinases. All of the compounds were phosphorylated, although the catalytic efficiency was low for geranyl phosphate.

Organic substances were conceived as those found in living organisms. Although the definition was soon broadened to include all carbon-containing compounds, naturally occurring molecules have always held a special fascination for organic chemists. From these beginnings, molecules from nature were indespensible tools as generations of organic chemists developed new techniques for determining structures, analyzed the mechanisms of reactions, explored the effects conformation and stereochemistry on reactions, and found challenging new targets to synthesize. Only recently have organic chemists harnessed the powerful techniques of organic chemistry to study the functions of organic molecules in their biological hosts, the enzymes that synthesize molecules and the complex processes that occur in a cell. In this Perspective, I present a personal account of my entrée into bioorganic chemistry as a physical organic chemist and subsequent work to understand the chemical mechanisms of enzyme-catalyzed reactions, to develop techniques to identify and assign hydrogen bonds in tRNAs through NMR studies with isotopically labeled molecules, and to study how structure determines function in biosynthetic enzymes with proteins obtained by genetic engineering.

Abstract

The carbon skeletons of over 55,000 naturally occurring isoprenoid compounds are constructed from four fundamental coupling reactions: chain elongation, cyclopropanation, branching, and cyclobutanation. Enzymes that catalyze chain elongation and cyclopropanation are well studied, whereas those that catalyze branching and cyclobutanation are unknown. We have catalyzed the four reactions with chimeric proteins generated by replacing segments of a chain-elongation enzyme with corresponding sequences from a cyclopropanation enzyme. Stereochemical and mechanistic considerations suggest that the four coupling enzymes could have evolved from a common ancestor through relatively small changes in the catalytic site.

Chrysanthemyl diphosphate synthase (CPPase) catalyzes the condensation of two molecules of dimethylallyl diphosphate to produce chrysanthemyl diphosphate (CPP), a monoterpene with a non-head-to-tail or irregular c1′-2-3 linkage between isoprenoid units. Irregular monoterpenes are common in Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium and related members of the Asteraceae family. In C. cinerariaefolium, CPP is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of the pyrethrin ester insecticides. CPPase was purified from immature chrysanthemum flowers, and the N terminus of the protein was sequenced. A C. cinerariaefolium λ cDNA library was screened by using degenerate oligonucleotide probes based on the amino acid sequence to identify a CPPase clone that encoded a 45-kDa preprotein. The first 50 aa of the ORF constitute a putative plastidial targeting sequence. Recombinant CPPase bearing an N-terminal polyhistidine affinity tag in place of the targeting sequence was purified to homogeneity from an overproducing Escherichia coli strain by Ni2+ chromatography. Incubation of recombinant CPPase with dimethylallyl diphosphate produced CPP. The diphosphate ester was hydrolyzed by alkaline phosphatase, and the resulting monoterpene alcohol was analyzed by GC/MS to confirm its structure. The amino acid sequence of CPPase aligns closely with that of the chain elongation prenyltransferase farnesyl diphosphate synthase rather than squalene synthase or phytoene synthase, which catalyze c1′-2-3 cyclopropanation reactions similar to the CPPase reaction.