Differential signatures of bacterial and mammalian IMP dehydrogenase enzymes.

Journal Article · Tue Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1999 · Curr. Med. Chem.

OSTI ID:942616

Zhang, R; Evans, G; Rotella, F; Westbrook, E; Huberman, E; Joachimiak, A; Collart, F R

IMP dehydrogenase (IMPDH) is an essential enzyme of de novo guanine nucleotide synthesis. IMPDH inhibitors have clinical utility as antiviral, anticancer or immunosuppressive agents. The essential nature of this enzyme suggests its therapeutic applications may be extended to the development of antimicrobial agents. Bacterial IMPDH enzymes show bio- chemical and kinetic characteristics that are different than the mammalian IMPDH enzymes, suggesting IMPDH may be an attractive target for the development of antimicrobial agents. We suggest that the biochemical and kinetic differences between bacterial and mammalian enzymes are a consequence of the variance of specific, identifiable amino acid residues. Identification of these residues or combination of residues that impart this mammalian or bacterial enzyme signature is a prerequisite for the rational identification of agents that specifically target the bacterial enzyme. We used sequence alignments of IMPDH proteins to identify sequence signatures associated with bacterial or eukaryotic IMPDH enzymes. These selections were further refined to discern those likely to have a role in catalysis using information derived from the bacterial and mammalian IMPDH crystal structures and site-specific mutagenesis. Candidate bacterial sequence signatures identified by this process include regions involved in subunit interactions, the active site flap and the NAD binding region. Analysis of sequence alignments in these regions indicates a pattern of catalytic residues conserved in all enzymes and a secondary pattern of amino acid conservation associated with the major phylogenetic groups. Elucidation of the basis for this mammalian/bacterial IMPDH signature will provide insight into the catalytic mechanism of this enzyme and the foundation for the development of highly specific inhibitors.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
• Sponsoring Organization: SC
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 942616
• Report Number(s): ANL/BIO/JA-33049
• Journal Information: Curr. Med. Chem., Journal Name: Curr. Med. Chem. Journal Issue: 7 ; Jun. 1999 Vol. 6; ISSN 0929-8673
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: ENGLISH

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
AMINO ACID SEQUENCE
AMINO ACIDS
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
ENZYME INHIBITORS
ENZYMES
OXIDOREDUCTASES
RESIDUES
STRUCTURAL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS