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H Eklund

Publications and source records attributed to H Eklund.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Crystal structure of sorbitol dehydrogenase.

Sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) is a distant relative to the alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) with sequence identities around 20%. SDH is a tetramer with one zinc ion per subunit. We have crystallized rat SDH and determined the structure by molecular replacement using a tetrameric bacterial ADH as search object. The conformation of the bound coenzyme is extended and similar to NADH bound to mammalian ADH but the interactions with the NMN-part have several differences with those of ADH. The active site zinc coordination in SDH is significantly different than in mammalian ADH but similar to the one found in the bacterial tetrameric NADP(H)-dependent ADH of Clostridiim beijerinckii. The substrate cleft is significantly more polar than for mammalian ADH and a number of residues are ideally located to position the sorbitol molecule in the active site. The SDH molecule can be considered to be a dimer of dimers, with subunits A-B and C-D, where the dimer interactions are similar to those in mammalian ADH. The tetramers are composed of two of these dimers, which interact with their surfaces opposite the active site clefts, which are accessible on the opposite side. In contrast to the dimer interactions, the tetramer-forming interactions are small with only few hydrogen bonds between side-chains.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Substrate binding site of naphthalene 1,2-dioxygenase: functional implications of indole binding.

The three-dimensional structure of the aromatic hydroxylating enzyme naphthalene dioxygenase (NDO) from Pseudomonas sp. NCIB 9816-4 was recently determined. The refinement of the structure together with cyclic averaging showed that in the active site of the enzyme there is electron density for a flat aromatic compound. This compound appears to be an indole adduct, which in Escherichia coli is derived from tryptophan present in the rich culture medium. An indole-dioxygen adduct has been built which fits the electron density convincingly. Support for this interpretation was obtained from crystals of the enzyme purified from cells grown in the absence of tryptophan which had an empty substrate pocket. These types of crystals were soaked in indole solutions and the position of indole in this complex was similar to the corresponding part in the modelled indole-oxygen adduct. This suggests that a peroxide bound to iron end-on attacks the substrate and forms this intermediate. The substrate position has implications for the substrate specificity of the enzyme. Docking studies with indole, naphthalene and biphenyl inside the substrate pocket of NDO suggest the presence of subpockets where the one close to the active site iron is reserved for the binding of the aromatic ring which is hydroxylated upon catalysis. The plausible location for the binding of dioxygen is between this pocket and the catalytic iron. This is in accordance with the enantiospecificity of the products.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Redox signaling in chloroplasts: cleavage of disulfides by an iron-sulfur cluster.

Light generates reducing equivalents in chloroplasts that are used not only for carbon reduction, but also for the regulation of the activity of chloroplast enzymes by reduction of regulatory disulfides via the ferredoxin:thioredoxin reductase (FTR) system. FTR, the key electron/thiol transducer enzyme in this pathway, is unique in that it can reduce disulfides by an iron-sulfur cluster, a property that is explained by the tight contact of its active-site disulfide and the iron-sulfur center. The thin, flat FTR molecule makes the two-electron reduction possible by forming on one side a mixed disulfide with thioredoxin and by providing on the opposite side access to ferredoxin for delivering electrons.

Amino Acid Motifs↗
PubMed2000

The reduction of the Rieske iron-sulfur cluster in naphthalene dioxygenase by X-rays.

Naphthalene 1,2 dioxygenase (NDO) displays characteristic UV-Vis spectra depending on the oxidation state of the Rieske center. Investigations on crystals of NDO grown for X-ray diffraction experiments showed spectra characteristic of the oxidized form. Crystals reduced in an anaerobic glovebox using sodium-dithionite showed a characteristic reduced spectrum. Spectra of crystals (cooled to 100 K) after being exposed to X-rays for data collection showed spectra corresponding to a reduced Rieske iron center, demonstrating the ability of X-rays to change the oxidation state of the Rieske iron-sulfur cluster in NDO.

Crystallization↗
PubMed1999

Glycyl radical enzymes: a conservative structural basis for radicals.

The first structures of glycyl radical enzymes, the anaerobic ribonucleotide reductase from bacteriophage T4 and pyruvate formate lyase from Escherichia coli, have been recently determined. This work provides new insights into the structure and chemistry of glycyl radical sites.

Acetyltransferases↗
PubMed1999

Crystal structure of NAD(P)H:flavin oxidoreductase from Escherichia coli.

Flavin reductases use flavins as substrates and are distinct from flavoenzymes which have tightly bound flavins. The reduced flavin can serve to reduce ferric complexes and iron proteins. In Escherichia coli, reactivation of ribonucleotide reductase is achieved by reduced flavins produced by flavin reductase. The crystal structure of E. coli flavin reductase reveals that the enzyme structure is similar to the structures of the ferredoxin reductase family of flavoproteins despite very low sequence similarities. The main difference between flavin reductase and structurally related flavoproteins is that there is no binding site for the AMP moiety of FAD. The direction of the helix in the flavin binding domain, corresponding to the phosphate binding helix in the flavoproteins, is also slightly different and less suitable for phosphate binding. Interactions for flavin substrates are instead provided by a hydrophobic isoalloxazine binding site that also contains a serine and a threonine, which form hydrogen bonds to the isoalloxazine of bound riboflavin in a substrate complex.

Adenosine Monophosphate↗
PubMed1999

Structural basis for light activation of a chloroplast enzyme: the structure of sorghum NADP-malate dehydrogenase in its oxidized form.

Some key chloroplast enzymes are activated by light via a ferredoxin-thioredoxin reduction system which reduces disulfide bridges in the enzymes. We describe for the first time the structural basis for the redox activation of a chloroplast enzyme, the NADP-dependent malate dehydrogenase (MDH) from Sorghum vulgare whose structure has been determined and refined at 2.4 A resolution. In addition to the normal structural components of MDHs, the enzyme exhibits extensions at both the N- and C-termini, each of which contains a regulatory disulfide bridge which must be reduced for activation. The N-terminal disulfide motif is inserted in a cleft between the two subunits of the dimer, thereby locking the domains in each subunit. The C-terminal disulfide keeps the C-terminal residues tight to the enzyme surface and blocks access to the active site. Reduction of the N-terminal disulfide would release the stopper between the domains and give the enzyme the necessary flexibility. Simultaneous reduction of the C-terminal disulfide would free the C-terminal residues from binding to the enzyme and make the active site accessible.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Structure of Salmonella typhimurium nrdF ribonucleotide reductase in its oxidized and reduced forms.

The first class Ib ribonucleotide reductase R2 structure, from Salmonella typhimurium, has been determined at 2.0 A resolution. The overall structure is similar to the Escherichia coli class Ia enzyme despite only 23% sequence identity. The most spectacular difference is the absence of the pleated sheet and adjacent parts present in the E. coli R2 structure; the heart-shaped structure loses its tip. From sequence comparisons, it appears that this feature is shared with all other class Ib enzymes and, in this respect, is more like the mammalian class Ia enzymes. Both the oxidized and reduced iron forms have been investigated. In the ferric iron center, both iron ions are octahedrally coordinated and bridged by one carboxylate and one oxide ion. The ferrous form has lost the bridging oxide ion but is bridged by two carboxylates. Accompanying the change in redox state, helix E changes its conformation from one covering the metal center in the oxidized form to a more open reduced form. A narrow channel is opened which may permit easier access of oxygen to the ferrous iron site and to efficiently generate the tyrosyl radical.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Structure of an aromatic-ring-hydroxylating dioxygenase-naphthalene 1,2-dioxygenase.

BACKGROUND: Pseudomonas sp. NCIB 9816-4 utilizes a multicomponent enzyme system to oxidize naphthalene to (+)-cis-(1R,2S)-dihydroxy-1,2-dihydronaphthalene. The enzyme component catalyzing this reaction, naphthalene 1,2-dioxygenase (NDO), belongs to a family of aromatic-ring-hydroxylating dioxygenases that oxidize aromatic hydrocarbons and related compounds to cis-arene diols. These enzymes utilize a mononuclear non-heme iron center to catalyze the addition of dioxygen to their respective substrates. The present study was conducted to provide essential structural information necessary for elucidating the mechanism of action of NDO. RESULTS: The three-dimensional structure of NDO has been determined at 2.25 A resolution. The molecule is an alpha 3 beta 3 hexamer. The alpha subunit has a beta-sheet domain that contains a Rieske [2Fe-2S] center and a catalytic domain that has a novel fold dominated by an antiparallel nine-stranded beta-pleated sheet against which helices pack. The active site contains a non-heme ferrous ion coordinated by His208, His213, Asp362 (bidentate) and a water molecule. Asn201 is positioned further away, 3.75 A, at the missing axial position of an octahedron. In the Rieske [2Fe-2S] center, one iron is coordinated by Cys81 and Cys101 and the other by His83 and His104. CONCLUSIONS: The domain structure and iron coordination of the Rieske domain is very similar to that of the cytochrome bc1 domain. The active-site iron center of one of the alpha subunits is directly connected by hydrogen bonds through a single amino acid, Asp205, to the Rieske [2Fe-2S] center in a neighboring alpha subunit. This is likely to be the main route for electron transfer.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Structure of betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase at 2.1 A resolution.

The three-dimensional structure of betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase, the most abundant aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) of cod liver, has been determined at 2.1 A resolution by the X-ray crystallographic method of molecular replacement. This enzyme represents a novel structure of the highly multiple ALDH, with at least 12 distinct classes in humans. This betaine ALDH of class 9 is different from the two recently determined ALDH structures (classes 2 and 3). Like these, the betaine ALDH structure has three domains, one coenzyme binding domain, one catalytic domain, and one oligomerization domain. Crystals grown in the presence or absence of NAD+ have very similar structures and no significant conformational change occurs upon coenzyme binding. This is probably due to the tight interactions between domains within the subunit and between subunits in the tetramer. The oligomerization domains link the catalytic domains together into two 20-stranded pleated sheet structures. The overall structure is similar to that of the tetrameric bovine class 2 and dimeric rat class 3 ALDH, but the coenzyme binding with the nicotinamide in anti conformation, resembles that of class 2 rather than of class 3.

Aldehyde Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed1998

The three-dimensional structures of two toxins from snake venom throw light on the anticoagulant and neurotoxic sites of phospholipase A2.

The three-dimensional structures of the class II anticoagulant phospholipase A2 (PLA2) toxin RVV-VD from the venom of Russell's viper, Vipera russelli russelli, and the class I neurotoxic PLA2 Notechis II-5 from the, Australian tiger snake, Notechis scutatus scutatus, were determined to 2.2 A and 3.0 A resolution, respectively. Both enzymes are monomeric and consist of 121 and 119 residues, respectively. A comparison of ten class I/II PLA2 structures showed, among other differences, that the beta-sheet of these enzymes (residues 76-83) is about 90 degrees less twisted in class I than in class II PLA2s. This, along with the insertion of some residues in the region 57-59 in class I enzymes (the elapid loop), could be the main reason for the significant difference in the anticoagulant and (presynaptic) neurotoxic properties between the two classes of PLA2. It seems apparent from sequence and structural comparisons that the toxic site of PLA2 responsible for the strong anticoagulancy of these toxins consists of a negatively charged part, Glu53, together with a positively charged ridge of lysine residues free for intermolecular interactions. These lysines differ between the two classes of PLA2.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Reactivity of the tyrosyl radical of Escherichia coli ribonucleotide reductase -- control by the protein.

Ribonucleotide reductase is a key enzyme for DNA synthesis. Its small component, named protein R2, contains a tyrosyl radical essential for activity. Consequently, radical scavengers are potential antiproliferative agents. In this study, we show that the reactivity of the tyrosyl radical towards phenols, hydrazines, hydroxyurea, dithionite and ascorbate can be finely tuned by relatively small modifications of its hydrophobic close environment. For example, in this hydrophobic pocket, Leu77-->Phe mutation resulted in a protein with a much higher susceptibility to radical scavenging by hydrophobic agents. This might suggest that the protein is flexible enough to allow small molecules to penetrate in the radical site. When mutations keeping the hydrophobic character are brought further from the radical (for example Ile74-->Phe) the reactivity of the radical is instead very little affected. When a positive charge was introduced (for example Ile74-->Arg or Lys) the protein was more sensitive to negatively charged electron donors such as dithionite. These results allow us to understand how tyrosyl radical sites have been optimized to provide a good stability for the free radical.

Amino Acid Substitution↗
PubMed1997

Binding of allosteric effectors to ribonucleotide reductase protein R1: reduction of active-site cysteines promotes substrate binding.

BACKGROUND: Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) is an essential enzyme in DNA synthesis, catalyzing all de novo synthesis of deoxyribonucleotides. The enzyme comprises two dimers, termed R1 and R2, and contains the redox active cysteine residues, Cys462 and Cys225. The reduction of ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides involves the transfer of free radicals. The pathway for the radical has previously been suggested from crystallographic results, and is supported by site-directed mutagenesis studies. Most RNRs are allosterically regulated through two different nucleotide-binding sites: one site controls general activity and the other controls substrate specificity. Our aim has been to crystallographically demonstrate substrate binding and to locate the two effector-binding sites. RESULTS: We report here the first crystal structure of RNR R1 in a reduced form. The structure shows that upon reduction of the redox active cysteines, the sulfur atom of Cys462 becomes deeply buried. The more accessible Cys225 moves to the former position of Cys462 making room for the substrate. In addition, the structures of R1 in complexes with effector, effector analog and effector plus substrate provide information about these binding sites. The substrate GDP binds in a cleft between two domains with its beta-phosphate bound to the N termini of two helices; the ribose forms hydrogen bonds to conserved residues. Binding of dTTP at the allosteric substrate specificity site stabilizes three loops close to the dimer interface and the active site, whereas the general allosteric binding site is positioned far from the active site. CONCLUSIONS: Binding of substrate at the active site of the enzyme is structurally regulated in two ways: binding of the correct substrate is regulated by the binding of allosteric effectors and binding of the actual substrate occurs primarily when the active-site cysteines are reduced. One of the loops stabilized upon binding of dTTP participates in the formation of the substrate-binding site through direct interaction with the nucleotide base. The general allosteric effector site, located far from the active site, appears to regulate subunit interactions within the holoenzyme.

Allosteric Regulation↗
PubMed1997

The three-dimensional structure of flavodoxin reductase from Escherichia coli at 1.7 A resolution.

Flavodoxin reductase from Escherichia coli is an FAD-containing oxidoreductase that transports electrons between flavodoxin or ferredoxin and NADPH. Together with flavodoxin, the enzyme is involved in the reductive activation of three E. coli enzymes: cobalamin-dependent methionine synthase, pyruvate formate lyase and anaerobic ribonucleotide reductase. An additional function for the oxidoreductase appears to be to protect the bacteria against oxygen radicals. The three-dimensional structure of flavodoxin reductase has been solved by multiple isomorphous replacement, and has been refined at 1.7 A to an R-value of 18.4% and Rfree 24.8%. The monomeric molecule contains one beta-sandwich FAD domain and an alpha/beta NADP domain. The overall structure is similar to other reductases of the NADP-ferredoxin reductase family in spite of the low sequence similarities within the family. Flavodoxin reductase lacks the loop which is involved in the binding of the adenosine moiety of FAD in other FAD binding enzymes of the superfamily but is missing in the FMN binding phthalate dioxygenase reductase. Instead of this loop, the adenine interacts with an extra tryptophan at the C terminus. The FAD in flavodoxin reductase has an unusual bent conformation with a hydrogen bond between the adenine and the isoalloxazine. This is probably the cause of the unusual spectrum of the enzyme. There is a pronounced cleft close to the isoalloxazine that appears to be well suited for binding of flavodoxin/ferredoxin. Two extra short strands of the NADP-binding domain probably act as an anchor point for the binding of flavodoxin.

Adenosine↗
PubMed1997

Crystallographic investigation of the dependence of calcium and phosphate ions for notexin.

The crystal structure of the neurotoxic phospholipase A2, notexin, revealed three binding sites for sulphate ions which were suggested to be phosphate binding sites of importance for the activity of the toxin. The present investigation shows that the sulphate ion bound to the major binding site alters the structure of residues 60-75. In the absence of sulphate and phosphate, the structure of this loop has a conformation which partly resembles the non-neurotoxic PLA2s. The affinity of notexin for phosphate is 17 microM, as measured by the increase in fluorescence at 345 nm. Since the concentrations of phosphate and sulphate ions in blood plasma are 3 and 1 mM, respectively, the binding site must be occupied under physiological conditions. This major sulphate/phosphate binding site explains the specific affinity labelling by pyridoxal phosphate. Pyridoxal phosphate binds to this anion binding site which allows the reaction with Lys-88 or Lys-89. The structure of notexin in the presence and absence of Ca2+ shows only small local structural differences.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1997

Ribonucleotide reductase--structural studies of a radical enzyme.

Ribonucleotide reductase contains a stable organic free radical essential for its activity located on a tyrosine residue in the small subunit of the enzyme called R2. The substrate binding site is, however, found in the catalytic subunit called R1. A long-range protein-mediated radical transfer pathway appears to be responsible for the delivery of the radical from the tyrosine in R2 to the substrate on R1. The active site is located deep inside the protein in a very stable beta/alpha-barrel structure and a hydrogen bonded system leads from the surface to Cys439 at the active site which is in excellent position to remove a hydrogen from the 3' of the ribose of a bound substrate nucleotide.

Escherichia coli↗
PubMed1996

Crystal structure of Arabidopsis thaliana NADPH dependent thioredoxin reductase at 2.5 A resolution.

Thioredoxin exists in all organisms and is responsible for the hydrogen transfer to important enzymes for ribonucleotide reduction and the reduction of methionine sulphoxide and sulphate. Thioredoxins have also been shown to regulate enzyme activity in plants and are also involved in the regulation of transcription factors and several other regulatory activities. Thioredoxin is reduced by the flavoenzyme thioredoxin reductase using NADPH. We have now determined the first structure of a eukaryotic thioredoxin reductase, from the plant Arabidopsis thaliana, at 2.5 A resolution. The dimeric A. thaliana thioredoxin reductase is structurally similar to that of the Escherichia coli enzyme, and most differences occur in the loops. Because the plant and E. coli enzymes have the same architecture, with the same dimeric structure and the same position of the redox active disulphide bond, a similar mechanism that involves very large domain rotations is likely for the two enzymes. The subunit is divided into two domains, one that binds FAD and one that binds NADPH. The relative positions of the domains in A. thaliana thioredoxin reductase differ from those of the E. coli reductase. When the FAD domains are superimposed, the NADPH domain of A. thaliana thioredoxin reductase must be rotated by 8 degrees to superimpose on the corresponding domain of the E. coli enzyme. The domain rotation we now observe is much smaller than necessary for the thioredoxin reduction cycle.

Amino Acid Sequence↗