Structure and functional characterization of pyruvate decarboxylase from Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus

BACKGROUND: Bacterial pyruvate decarboxylases (PDC) are rare. Their role in ethanol production and in bacterially mediated ethanologenic processes has, however, ensured a continued and growing interest. PDCs from Zymomonas mobilis (ZmPDC), Zymobacter palmae (ZpPDC) and Sarcina ventriculi (SvPDC) have been characterized and ZmPDC has been produced successfully in a range of heterologous hosts. PDCs from the Acetobacteraceae and their role in metabolism have not been characterized to the same extent. Examples include Gluconobacter oxydans (GoPDC), G. diazotrophicus (GdPDC) and Acetobacter pasteutrianus (ApPDC). All of these organisms are of commercial importance. RESULTS: This study reports the kinetic characterization and the crystal structure of a PDC from Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus (GdPDC). Enzyme kinetic analysis indicates a high affinity for pyruvate (KM 0.06 mM at pH 5), high catalytic efficiencies, pHopt of 5.5 and Topt at 45 degrees C. The enzyme is not thermostable (T of 18 minutes at 60 degrees C) and the calculated number of bonds between monomers and dimers do not give clear indications for the relatively lower thermostability compared to other PDCs. The structure is highly similar to those described for Z. mobilis (ZmPDC) and A. pasteurianus PDC (ApPDC) with a rmsd value of 0.57 A for C? when comparing GdPDC to that of ApPDC. Indole-3-pyruvate does not serve as a substrate for the enzyme. Structural differences occur in two loci, involving the regions Thr341 to Thr352 and Asn499 to Asp503. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study of the PDC from G. diazotrophicus (PAL5) and lays the groundwork for future research into its role in this endosymbiont. The crystal structure of GdPDC indicates the enzyme to be evolutionarily closely related to homologues from Z. mobilis and A. pasteurianus and suggests strong selective pressure to keep the enzyme characteristics in a narrow range. The pH optimum together with reduced thermostability likely reflect the host organisms niche and conditions under which these properties have been naturally selected for. The lack of activity on indole-3-pyruvate excludes this decarboxylase as the enzyme responsible for indole acetic acid production in G. diazotrophicus.IS

The 1′,4′-iminopyrimidine tautomer of thiamin diphosphate is poised for catalysis in asymmetric active centers on enzymes

Thiamin diphosphate, a key coenzyme in sugar metabolism, is comprised of the thiazolium and 4′-aminopyrimidine aromatic rings, but only recently has participation of the 4′-aminopyrimidine moiety in catalysis gained wider acceptance. We report the use of electronic spectroscopy to identify the various tautomeric forms of the 4′-aminopyrimidine ring on four thiamin diphosphate enzymes, all of which decarboxylate pyruvate: the E1 component of human pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, the E1 subunit of Escherichia coli pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, yeast pyruvate decarboxylase, and pyruvate oxidase from Lactobacillus plantarum. It is shown that, according to circular dichroism spectroscopy, both the 1′,4′-iminopyrimidine and the 4′-aminopyrimidine tautomers coexist on the E1 component of human pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and pyruvate oxidase. Because both tautomers are seen simultaneously, these two enzymes provide excellent evidence for nonidentical active centers (asymmetry) in solution in these multimeric enzymes. Asymmetry of active centers can also be induced upon addition of acetylphosphinate, an excellent electrostatic pyruvate mimic, which participates in an enzyme-catalyzed addition to form a stable adduct, resembling the common predecarboxylation thiamin-bound intermediate, which exists in its 1′,4′-iminopyrimidine form. The identification of the 1′,4′-iminopyrimidine tautomer on four enzymes is almost certainly applicable to all thiamin diphosphate enzymes: this tautomer is the intramolecular trigger to generate the reactive ylide/carbene at the thiazolium C2 position in the first fundamental step of thiamin catalysis