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Title: Mechanism of pyranopterin ring formation in molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis

Abstract

The molybdenum cofactor (Moco) is essential for all kingdoms of life, plays central roles in various biological processes, and must be biosynthesized de novo. During Moco biosynthesis, the characteristic pyranopterin ring is constructed by a complex rearrangement of guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) into cyclic pyranopterin (cPMP) through the action of two enzymes, MoaA and MoaC (molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis protein A and C, respectively). Conventionally, MoaA was considered to catalyze the majority of this transformation, with MoaC playing little or no role in the pyranopterin formation. Recently, this view was challenged by the isolation of 3',8-cyclo-7,8-dihydro-guanosine 5'-triphosphate (3',8-cH2GTP) as the product of in vitro MoaA reactions. To elucidate the mechanism of formation of Moco pyranopterin backbone, in this paper we performed biochemical characterization of 3',8-cH2GTP and functional and X-ray crystallographic characterizations of MoaC. These studies revealed that 3',8-cH2GTP is the only product of MoaA that can be converted to cPMP by MoaC. Our structural studies captured the specific binding of 3',8-cH2GTP in the active site of MoaC. These observations provided strong evidence that the physiological function of MoaA is the conversion of GTP to 3',8-cH2GTP (GTP 3',8-cyclase), and that of MoaC is to catalyze the rearrangement of 3',8-cH2GTP into cPMP (cPMP synthase).more » Furthermore, our structure-guided studies suggest that MoaC catalysis involves the dynamic motions of enzyme active-site loops as a way to control the timing of interaction between the reaction intermediates and catalytically essential amino acid residues. In conclusion, these results reveal the previously unidentified mechanism behind Moco biosynthesis and provide mechanistic and structural insights into how enzymes catalyze complex rearrangement reactions.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Duke Univ., Durham, NC (United States). Medical Center. Dept. of Biochemistry
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Duke Univ., Durham, NC (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Inst. of Health (NIH) (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
1182324
Grant/Contract Number:  
W-31-109-Eng-38; GM074815
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 112; Journal Issue: 20; Journal ID: ISSN 0027-8424
Publisher:
National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC (United States)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
ENGLISH
Subject:
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; molybdenum cofactor; pterin biosynthesis; radical SAM enzyme; enzymatic rearrangement; cPMP synthase

Citation Formats

Hover, Bradley M., Tonthat, Nam K., Schumacher, Maria A., and Yokoyama, Kenichi. Mechanism of pyranopterin ring formation in molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1073/pnas.1500697112.
Hover, Bradley M., Tonthat, Nam K., Schumacher, Maria A., & Yokoyama, Kenichi. Mechanism of pyranopterin ring formation in molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis. United States. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1500697112
Hover, Bradley M., Tonthat, Nam K., Schumacher, Maria A., and Yokoyama, Kenichi. Mon . "Mechanism of pyranopterin ring formation in molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis". United States. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1500697112. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1182324.
@article{osti_1182324,
title = {Mechanism of pyranopterin ring formation in molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis},
author = {Hover, Bradley M. and Tonthat, Nam K. and Schumacher, Maria A. and Yokoyama, Kenichi},
abstractNote = {The molybdenum cofactor (Moco) is essential for all kingdoms of life, plays central roles in various biological processes, and must be biosynthesized de novo. During Moco biosynthesis, the characteristic pyranopterin ring is constructed by a complex rearrangement of guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) into cyclic pyranopterin (cPMP) through the action of two enzymes, MoaA and MoaC (molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis protein A and C, respectively). Conventionally, MoaA was considered to catalyze the majority of this transformation, with MoaC playing little or no role in the pyranopterin formation. Recently, this view was challenged by the isolation of 3',8-cyclo-7,8-dihydro-guanosine 5'-triphosphate (3',8-cH2GTP) as the product of in vitro MoaA reactions. To elucidate the mechanism of formation of Moco pyranopterin backbone, in this paper we performed biochemical characterization of 3',8-cH2GTP and functional and X-ray crystallographic characterizations of MoaC. These studies revealed that 3',8-cH2GTP is the only product of MoaA that can be converted to cPMP by MoaC. Our structural studies captured the specific binding of 3',8-cH2GTP in the active site of MoaC. These observations provided strong evidence that the physiological function of MoaA is the conversion of GTP to 3',8-cH2GTP (GTP 3',8-cyclase), and that of MoaC is to catalyze the rearrangement of 3',8-cH2GTP into cPMP (cPMP synthase). Furthermore, our structure-guided studies suggest that MoaC catalysis involves the dynamic motions of enzyme active-site loops as a way to control the timing of interaction between the reaction intermediates and catalytically essential amino acid residues. In conclusion, these results reveal the previously unidentified mechanism behind Moco biosynthesis and provide mechanistic and structural insights into how enzymes catalyze complex rearrangement reactions.},
doi = {10.1073/pnas.1500697112},
journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
number = 20,
volume = 112,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon May 04 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Mon May 04 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}

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