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Title: 3-Nitropropionic Acid is a Suicide Inhibitor of MitochondrialRespiration that, Upon Oxidation by Complex II, Forms a Covalent AdductWith a Catalytic Base Arginine in the Active Site of the Enzyme

Journal Article · · Journal of Biological Chemistry

We report three new structures of mitochondrial respiratory Complex II (succinate ubiquinone oxidoreductase, E.C. 1.3.5.1) at up to 2.1 {angstrom} resolution, with various inhibitors. The structures define the conformation of the bound inhibitors and suggest the residues involved in substrate binding and catalysis at the dicarboxylate site. In particular they support the role of Arg297 as a general base catalyst accepting a proton in the dehydrogenation of succinate. The dicarboxylate ligand in oxaloacetate-containing crystals appears to be the same as that reported for Shewanella flavocytochrome c treated with fumarate. The plant and fungal toxin 3-nitropropionic acid, an irreversible inactivator of succinate dehydrogenase, forms a covalent adduct with the side chain of Arg297. The modification eliminates a trypsin cleavage site in the flavoprotein, and tandem mass spectroscopic analysis of the new fragment shows the mass of Arg 297 to be increased by 83 Da and to have potential of losing 44 Da, consistent with decarboxylation, during fragmentation.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Director, Office of Science. Office of Basic EnergySciences; National Institutes of Health (NIH)
DOE Contract Number:
DE-AC02-05CH11231; NIHR01GM62563
OSTI ID:
891223
Report Number(s):
LBNL-59358; JBCHA3; R&D Project: 864U1E; BnR: 400412000; TRN: US0605325
Journal Information:
Journal of Biological Chemistry, Vol. 281, Issue 9; Related Information: Journal Publication Date: 03/03/2006; ISSN 0021-9258
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English