Acidophilic adaptations in the structure of Acetobacter aceti N5-carboxyaminoimidazole ribonucleotide mutase (PurE)

Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. 2004 Oct;60(Pt 10):1753-60. doi: 10.1107/S090744490401858X. Epub 2004 Sep 23.

Abstract

The crystal structure of Acetobacter aceti PurE was determined to a resolution of 1.55 A and is compared with the known structures of the class I PurEs from a mesophile, Escherichia coli, and a thermophile, Thermotoga maritima. Analyses of the general factors that increase protein stability are examined as potential explanations for the acid stability of A. aceti PurE. Increased inter-subunit hydrogen bonding and an increased number of arginine-containing salt bridges appear to account for the bulk of the increased acid stability. A chain of histidines linking two active sites is discussed in the context of the proton transfers catalyzed by the enzyme.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Acetobacter / enzymology*
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Arginine / chemistry
  • Binding Sites
  • Crystallography, X-Ray / methods
  • Escherichia coli / enzymology
  • Histidine / chemistry
  • Hydrogen Bonding
  • Intramolecular Transferases / biosynthesis
  • Intramolecular Transferases / chemistry*
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Folding
  • Protein Structure, Quaternary
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Protons
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Thermotoga maritima / enzymology

Substances

  • Protons
  • Histidine
  • Arginine
  • Intramolecular Transferases
  • N(5)-carboxyaminoimidazole ribonucletide mutase