Systematic and quantitative analysis of protein-protein recognition between nonribosomal peptide synthetases investigated in the tyrocidine biosynthetic template

Biochemistry. 2003 May 6;42(17):5114-24. doi: 10.1021/bi034223o.

Abstract

We present a systematic and quantitative study of the protein-protein recognition between the three tyrocidine synthetases TycA, TycB, and TycC investigated with two artificial in trans assay systems, which had been previously developed: the "DKP assay system" for the interaction of TycA with TycB and the "L/D-Phe-L-Asn assay system" for the interaction of TycB with TycC. TycA-A(Phe)TE and TycB(3)-A(Phe)TE, which are used as donor enzymes, both provide D-Phe-S-Ppant, so that no substrate specificities interfered with the quantification of protein-protein recognition. We tested all donor/acceptor enzyme combinations between the two artificial assay systems for product formation activities as well as two hybrid enzymes, where the E-domains of TycA and TycB(3) had been exchanged against each other. Furthermore, four donor/acceptor protein fusions were constructed on gene level, resulting in dimodular proteins. We were able to show that the E-domains mediate protein-protein recognition in trans. Product formation of the different donor assayed with the two acceptor enzymes TycB(1)-CA(Pro)T and TycC(1)-CA(Asn)T/Te in trans was only obtained if the donor enzyme harbored the cognate E-domain. Interestingly, all in cis fusions (dimodular proteins) were active, giving strong evidence that unnatural protein-protein interactions can be "forced" by fusion of the distinct enzymes. Finally, we were able to detect product formation in the "DKP system" with engineered hybrid proteins where the A-domain of TycA had been exchanged against the isoleucine-activating A-domain of BacA(1) and the valine-activating A-domain of TycC(4), respectively. All of these findings are of high relevance for future NRPS engineering approaches.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / biosynthesis
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry
  • Base Sequence
  • DNA Primers
  • Kinetics
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Peptide Synthases / genetics
  • Peptide Synthases / metabolism*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Tyrocidine / biosynthesis*
  • Tyrocidine / chemistry

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • DNA Primers
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Tyrocidine
  • Peptide Synthases
  • non-ribosomal peptide synthase