The importance of the negative charge of β-lactam compounds for the inactivation of the active-site serine DD-peptidase of Streptomyces R61

peer reviewedThe interaction between the Streptomyces R61 penicillin-sensitive DD-peptidase and deacetyl-cephalosporin C or its lactone derivative has been studied at different pH values. The results show the importance of an enzyme group of pK approximately equal to 9 which might form an ion pair with the free carboxylate of the former compound. This electrostatic interaction is shown to contribute to the formation of the first, non-covalent enzyme-inactivator complex by a factor of at least 50

Site-Directed Mutagenesis of the Streptomyces R61 Dd-Peptidase. Catalytic Function of the Conserved Residues around the Active Site and a Comparison with Class-a and Class-C Beta-Lactamases

The importance of various residues in the Streptomyces R61 penicillin-sensitive DD-peptidase has been assessed by site-directed mutagenesis. The replacement of the active Ser62 by a Cys residue yielded an inactive protein which was also unable to recognize penicillin. The activity of the Lys65 → Arg mutant with the peptide and thiol ester substrates was decreased 100-200-fold and the rate of penicillin inactivation was decreased 20 000-fold or more. The mutant thus behaved as a poor, but penicillin-resistant, DD-peptidase. The other studied mutations, the mutations Phe358 → Leu, Tyr90 → Asn, Thr101 → Asn, Phe164 → Ala, Asp225 → Glu and Asp225 → Asn had little influence on the catalytic and penicillin-binding properties. The Asp225 mutants did not exhibit an increased sensitivity to cefotaxime. The Phe164 → Ala mutant was significantly more unstable than the wild-type enzyme

The pH dependence of the active-site serine DD-peptidase of Streptomyces R61

Titration of the active-site serine DD-peptidase of Streptomyces R61 shows that formation of acyl enzyme during hydrolysis of the substrate Ac2-L-Lys-D-Ala-D-Ala and enzyme inactivation by the beta-lactam compounds benzylpenicillin, N-acetylampicillin and ampicillin relies on the acidic form of an enzyme's group of pK approximately equal to 9.5. It is proposed that protonation of a lysine epsilon-amino group facilitates initial binding by charge pairing with the free carboxylate of the substrate and the beta-lactam molecules. Lowering the pH from 7 to 5 has no effect on the second-order rate constant of enzyme acylation by benzylpenicillin and N-acetylampicillin but results in a decreased rate constant of acylation by ampicillin and Ac2-L-Lys-D-Ala-D-Ala. Protonation of the side-chain amino group of ampicillin and a decreased efficacy of the initial binding of the peptide to the enzyme seem to be responsible for the observed effects. Whatever the molecule bound to the enzyme, there is no sign for the active involvement of an enzyme's histidine residue of pK 6.5-7.0 in the hydrolysis pathway

Mechanism of action of β-lactamases and DD-peptidases

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