Biochemical and Spectroscopic Studies of Epoxyqueuosine Reductase: A Novel Iron-Sulfur Cluster- and Cobalamin-Containing Protein Involved in the Biosynthesis of Queuosine

Biochemistry. 2015 Aug 11;54(31):4927-35. doi: 10.1021/acs.biochem.5b00335. Epub 2015 Jul 31.

Abstract

Queuosine is a hypermodified nucleoside present in the wobble position of tRNAs with a 5'-GUN-3' sequence in their anticodon (His, Asp, Asn, and Tyr). The 7-deazapurine core of the base is synthesized de novo in prokaryotes from guanosine 5'-triphosphate in a series of eight sequential enzymatic transformations, the final three occurring on tRNA. Epoxyqueuosine reductase (QueG) catalyzes the final step in the pathway, which entails the two-electron reduction of epoxyqueuosine to form queuosine. Biochemical analyses reveal that this enzyme requires cobalamin and two [4Fe-4S] clusters for catalysis. Spectroscopic studies show that the cobalamin appears to bind in a base-off conformation, whereby the dimethylbenzimidazole moiety of the cofactor is removed from the coordination sphere of the cobalt but not replaced by an imidazole side chain, which is a hallmark of many cobalamin-dependent enzymes. The bioinformatically identified residues are shown to have a role in modulating the primary coordination sphere of cobalamin. These studies provide the first demonstration of the cofactor requirements for QueG.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Bacillus subtilis* / chemistry
  • Bacillus subtilis* / genetics
  • Bacillus subtilis* / metabolism
  • Bacterial Proteins* / chemistry
  • Bacterial Proteins* / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins* / metabolism
  • Catalysis
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins* / chemistry
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins* / genetics
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins* / metabolism
  • Nucleoside Q* / biosynthesis
  • Nucleoside Q* / chemistry
  • Nucleoside Q* / genetics
  • Oxidoreductases* / chemistry
  • Oxidoreductases* / genetics
  • Oxidoreductases* / metabolism
  • Vitamin B 12* / chemistry
  • Vitamin B 12* / genetics
  • Vitamin B 12* / metabolism

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins
  • Nucleoside Q
  • Oxidoreductases
  • Vitamin B 12