Crystal Structures of the Organomercurial Lyase MerB in Its Free and Mercury-Bound Forms
Bacteria resistant to methylmercury utilize two enzymes (MerA and MerB) to degrade methylmercury to the less toxic elemental mercury. The crucial step is the cleavage of the carbon-mercury bond of methylmercury by the organomercurial lyase (MerB). In this study, we determined high resolution crystal structures of MerB in both the free (1.76-{angstrom} resolution) and mercury-bound (1.64-{angstrom} resolution) states. The crystal structure of free MerB is very similar to theNMRstructure, but important differences are observed when comparing the two structures. In the crystal structure, an amino-terminal-helix that is not present in the NMR structure makes contact with the core region adjacent to the catalytic site. This interaction between the amino-terminal helix and the core serves to bury the active site of MerB. The crystal structures also provide detailed insights into the mechanism of carbon-mercury bond cleavage by MerB. The structures demonstrate that two conserved cysteines (Cys-96 and Cys-159) play a role in substrate binding, carbon-mercury bond cleavage, and controlled product (ionic mercury) release. In addition, the structures establish that an aspartic acid (Asp-99) in the active site plays a crucial role in the proton transfer step required for the cleavage of the carbon-mercury bond. These findings are an important step in understanding the mechanism of carbon-mercury bond cleavage by MerB.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) National Synchrotron Light Source
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Doe - Office Of Science
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-98CH10886
- OSTI ID:
- 980119
- Report Number(s):
- BNL--93037-2010-JA
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Biological Chemistry, Journal Name: Journal of Biological Chemistry Vol. 284; ISSN JBCHA3; ISSN 0021-9258
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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