DOE PAGES title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: An N-nitrosating metalloenzyme constructs the pharmacophore of streptozotocin

Journal Article · · Nature (London)
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [1]
  1. Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)
  2. Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)

Small molecules containing the N-nitroso group, such as the bacterial natural product streptozotocin, are prominent carcinogens and important cancer chemotherapeutics. Despite the considerable importance of this functional group to human health, enzymes dedicated to the assembly of the N-nitroso unit have not been identified. In this work, we show that SznF, a metalloenzyme from the biosynthesis of streptozotocin, catalyses an oxidative rearrangement of the guanidine group of Nω-methyl-L-arginine to generate an N-nitrosourea product. Structural characterization and mutagenesis of SznF reveal two separate active sites that promote distinct steps in this transformation using different iron-containing metallocofactors. This biosynthetic reaction, which has little precedent in enzymology or organic synthesis, expands the catalytic capabilities of non-haem-iron-dependent enzymes to include N–N bond formation. We find that biosynthetic gene clusters that encode SznF homologues are widely distributed among bacteria—including environmental organisms, plant symbionts and human pathogens—which suggests an unexpectedly diverse and uncharacterized microbial reservoir of bioactive N-nitroso metabolites.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)
Sponsoring Organization:
Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award; Cottrell Scholar Award; Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Michigan Technology Tri-Corridor; National Cancer Institute (NCI); National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS); National Institutes of Health (NIH); Searle Scholars Program; USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI ID:
1497172
Journal Information:
Nature (London), Journal Name: Nature (London) Journal Issue: 7742 Vol. 566; ISSN 0028-0836
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
ENGLISH

References (77)

Comparative Protein Structure Modeling Using MODELLER journal November 2007
Streptozotocin‐Induced Diabetic Models in Mice and Rats journal March 2008
Formation of the Pyridazine Natural Product Azamerone by Biosynthetic Rearrangement of an Aryl Diazoketone journal January 2009
Dioxygen activation by nonheme iron enzymes with the 2-His-1-carboxylate facial triad that generate high-valent oxoiron oxidants journal January 2017
Chemical Dissection of the Link between Streptozotocin, O-GlcNAc, and Pancreatic Cell Death journal August 2008
The nitrosoureas: carmustine (BCNU) and lomustine (CCNU) journal December 1982
Genotoxicity of Streptozotocin journal December 2002
Spectrophotometric Determination of Streptozotocin. journal June 1964
Structural Characterization of the Regulatory Proteins TenA and TenI from Bacillus subtilis and Identification of TenA as a Thiaminase II , journal February 2005
Crystal Structure of Dimeric Heme Oxygenase-2 from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 in Complex with Heme , journal March 2005
Heme Enzyme Structure and Function journal January 2014
Convergence of biological nitration and nitrosation via symmetrical nitrous anhydride journal May 2015
Downsides to the nitrate–nitrite–nitric oxide pathway in physiology and therapeutics? journal August 2008
Nitrate, bacteria and human health journal August 2004
Spectroscopic characterization of heme iron–nitrosyl species and their role in NO reductase mechanisms in diiron proteins journal January 2007
PCR-targeted Streptomyces gene replacement identifies a protein domain needed for biosynthesis of the sesquiterpene soil odor geosmin journal January 2003
Microbial biosynthesis of medium-chain 1-alkenes by a nonheme iron oxidase journal December 2014
Nitrosomonas europaea cytochrome P460 is a direct link between nitrification and nitrous oxide emission journal November 2016
Rapid and efficient site-specific mutagenesis without phenotypic selection. journal January 1985
Structure of the Chlamydia Protein CADD Reveals a Redox Enzyme That Modulates Host Cell Apoptosis journal April 2004
Reconstitution and Characterization of Aminopyrrolnitrin Oxygenase, a Rieske N -Oxygenase That Catalyzes Unusual Arylamine Oxidation journal September 2005
Clustal W and Clustal X version 2.0 journal September 2007
MEGA X: Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis across Computing Platforms journal May 2018
PROMALS web server for accurate multiple protein sequence alignments journal May 2007
IMG: the integrated microbial genomes database and comparative analysis system journal December 2011
Mauve: Multiple Alignment of Conserved Genomic Sequence With Rearrangements journal June 2004
Polder maps: improving OMIT maps by excluding bulk solvent journal February 2017
Promiscuous and Adaptable Enzymes Fill “Holes” in the Tetrahydrofolate Pathway in Chlamydia Species journal July 2014
Bacterial Nitric Oxide Synthases journal June 2010
Streptozocin-Based Chemotherapy in Patients with Advanced Neuroendocrine Neoplasms – Predictive and Prognostic Markers for Treatment Stratification journal December 2015
Studies on the biosynthesis of the antibiotic streptozotocin (streptozocin) by Streptomyces achromogenes var. streptozoticus. Feeding experiments with carbon-14 and tritium labelled precursors. journal January 1979
Comparative Protein Structure Modeling Using Modeller journal September 2006
Dioxygen Activation and Methane Hydroxylation by Soluble Methane Monooxygenase: A Tale of Two Irons and Three Proteins journal August 2001
Formation of the Pyridazine Natural Product Azamerone by Biosynthetic Rearrangement of an Aryl Diazoketone journal January 2009
Formation of the Pyridazine Natural Product Azamerone by Biosynthetic Rearrangement of an Aryl Diazoketone journal January 2009
Spectroscopic Characterization of Heme Iron—Nitrosyl Species and Their Role in NO Reductase Mechanisms in Diiron Proteins journal September 2007
An umbra-related virus found in babaco (Vasconcellea × heilbornii) journal May 2021
Dioxygen activation by nonheme iron enzymes with the 2-His-1-carboxylate facial triad that generate high-valent oxoiron oxidants journal January 2017
The nitrosoureas: carmustine (BCNU) and lomustine (CCNU) journal December 1982
Genotoxicity of Streptozotocin journal December 2002
Chemical Dissection of the Link between Streptozotocin, O-GlcNAc, and Pancreatic Cell Death journal August 2008
Structural Determinants for the Strict Monomethylation Activity by Trypanosoma brucei Protein Arginine Methyltransferase 7 journal May 2014
Spectrophotometric Determination of Streptozotocin. journal June 1964
Structural Characterization of the Regulatory Proteins TenA and TenI from Bacillus subtilis and Identification of TenA as a Thiaminase II , journal February 2005
Crystal Structure of Dimeric Heme Oxygenase-2 from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 in Complex with Heme , journal March 2005
Heme Enzyme Structure and Function journal January 2014
Convergence of biological nitration and nitrosation via symmetrical nitrous anhydride journal May 2015
Balancing repair and tolerance of DNA damage caused by alkylating agents journal January 2012
The nitrate–nitrite–nitric oxide pathway in physiology and therapeutics journal February 2008
Nitrate, bacteria and human health journal July 2004
Nitrate, bacteria and human health journal August 2004
Glutamic acid is a carrier for hydrazine during the biosyntheses of fosfazinomycin and kinamycin journal September 2018
Gramibactin is a bacterial siderophore with a diazeniumdiolate ligand system journal July 2018
Spectroscopic characterization of heme iron–nitrosyl species and their role in NO reductase mechanisms in diiron proteins journal January 2007
Diiron monooxygenases in natural product biosynthesis journal January 2018
PCR-targeted Streptomyces gene replacement identifies a protein domain needed for biosynthesis of the sesquiterpene soil odor geosmin journal January 2003
Quinone biogenesis: Structure and mechanism of PqqC, the final catalyst in the production of pyrroloquinoline quinone journal May 2004
Microbial biosynthesis of medium-chain 1-alkenes by a nonheme iron oxidase journal December 2014
Nitrosomonas europaea cytochrome P460 is a direct link between nitrification and nitrous oxide emission journal November 2016
Rapid and efficient site-specific mutagenesis without phenotypic selection. journal January 1985
Direct measurement of nitric oxide generation from nitric oxide synthase journal November 1997
Structure of the Chlamydia Protein CADD Reveals a Redox Enzyme That Modulates Host Cell Apoptosis journal April 2004
Reconstitution and Characterization of Aminopyrrolnitrin Oxygenase, a Rieske N -Oxygenase That Catalyzes Unusual Arylamine Oxidation journal September 2005
Clustal W and Clustal X version 2.0 journal September 2007
Prokka: rapid prokaryotic genome annotation journal March 2014
MEGA X: Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis across Computing Platforms journal May 2018
The HHpred interactive server for protein homology detection and structure prediction journal July 2005
PROMALS web server for accurate multiple protein sequence alignments journal May 2007
IMG: the integrated microbial genomes database and comparative analysis system journal December 2011
Mauve: Multiple Alignment of Conserved Genomic Sequence With Rearrangements journal June 2004
Polder maps: improving OMIT maps by excluding bulk solvent journal February 2017
Promiscuous and Adaptable Enzymes Fill “Holes” in the Tetrahydrofolate Pathway in Chlamydia Species journal July 2014
Draft Genome Sequence of Comamonas aquatilis Strain LK (= CSUR P6418 = CECT 9772), Isolated from the Planarian Schmidtea mediterranea journal February 2021
Complete Genome Sequence of Clostridium botulinum CJ0611A1, a Type A(B) Isolate Associated with an International Outbreak of Botulism from Commercial Carrot Juice journal January 2021
Bacterial Nitric Oxide Synthases journal June 2010
Streptozocin-Based Chemotherapy in Patients with Advanced Neuroendocrine Neoplasms – Predictive and Prognostic Markers for Treatment Stratification journal December 2015
Studies on the biosynthesis of the antibiotic streptozotocin (streptozocin) by Streptomyces achromogenes var. streptozoticus. Feeding experiments with carbon-14 and tritium labelled precursors. journal January 1979

Cited By (10)

Genomics‐Driven Discovery of NO‐Donating Diazeniumdiolate Siderophores in Diverse Plant‐Associated Bacteria journal August 2019
Nitric oxide as a source for bacterial triazole biosynthesis journal March 2020
In vitro Reconstitution of the Biosynthetic Pathway to the Nitroimidazole Antibiotic Azomycin journal July 2019
Genomics‐Driven Discovery of NO‐Donating Diazeniumdiolate Siderophores in Diverse Plant‐Associated Bacteria journal August 2019
Biosynthesis of the N–N‐Bond‐Containing Compound l ‐Alanosine journal January 2020
In vitro Reconstitution of the Biosynthetic Pathway to the Nitroimidazole Antibiotic Azomycin journal July 2019
Genomics‐Driven Discovery of NO‐Donating Diazeniumdiolate Siderophores in Diverse Plant‐Associated Bacteria journal August 2019
Biosynthesis of the N–N‐Bond‐Containing Compound l ‐Alanosine journal January 2020
The Biosynthetic Gene Cluster of Pyrazomycin—A C‐Nucleoside Antibiotic with a Rare Pyrazole Moiety journal November 2019
The l ‐Alanosine Gene Cluster Encodes a Pathway for Diazeniumdiolate Biosynthesis journal December 2019