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Title: Examination of the roles of the cysteinyl residues of spinach phosphoribulokinase by site-directed mutagenesis

Conference · · FASEB Journal (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology); (United States)
OSTI ID:5312102
; ;  [1]
  1. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States) Univ. of Tennessee, Oak Ridge (United States)

The Calvin Cycle enzyme phosphoribulokinase (PRK) is reversibly deactivated by the formation of an intrasubunit disulfide bond between two active-site cysteines, Cys15 and Cys55. To determine whether these two residues have a role in catalysis, site-directed mutagenesis has been applied to a cDNA clone to individually replace the cysteines with serine or alanine. The remaining cysteines of PRK (Cys244 and Cys250) were similarly substituted. The mutant genes were expressed in Escherichia coli MV 1190. The specific activity of PRK in which Cys244 or Cys250 had been replaced was indistinguishable from wild-type enzyme. PRK in which Cys16 is changes to serine was about 90% as active as wild-type enzyme, while the alanine substitution was 45% as active. The Cys55 mutant proteins were more impaired, retaining only 5-15% of native activity. The K{sub m} of both ATP and ribulose 5-phosphate was determined for the C16S, C16A, C55S, and C55A enzymes. Only the K{sub m} of ribulose 5-phosphate for the position 55 mutants deviated significantly from that of wild-type enzyme, being elevated 4-fold in C55S and 8-fold in C55A PRK. These results identify Cys55 as the sole cysteine with a facilitative role in PRK catalysis and suggest that oxidative deactivation largely reflects loss of an active-site sulfhydryl rather than major conformational changes.

DOE Contract Number:
AC05-84OR21400
OSTI ID:
5312102
Report Number(s):
CONF-9104107-; CODEN: FAJOE
Journal Information:
FASEB Journal (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology); (United States), Vol. 5:4; Conference: 75. annual meeting of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), Atlanta, GA (United States), 21-25 Apr 1991; ISSN 0892-6638
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English