Product chain-length determination mechanism of Z,E-farnesyl diphosphate synthase

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2008 Dec 5;377(1):17-22. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2008.09.014. Epub 2008 Sep 13.

Abstract

cis-Prenyltransferases catalyze the consecutive condensation of isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) with allylic prenyl diphosphates, producing Z,E-mixed prenyl diphosphate. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis Z,E-farnesyl diphosphate synthase Rv1086 catalyzes the condensation of one molecule of IPP with geranyl diphosphate to yield Z,E-farnesyl diphosphate and is classified as a short-chain cis-prenyltransferase. To elucidate the chain-length determination mechanism of the short-chain cis-prenyltransferase, we introduced some substitutive mutations at the characteristic amino acid residues of Rv1086. Among the mutants constructed, L84A showed a dramatic change of catalytic function to synthesize longer prenyl chain products than that of wild type, indicating that Leu84 of Rv1086 plays an important role in product chain-length determination. Mutagenesis at the corresponding residue of a medium-chain cis-prenyltransferase, Micrococcus luteus B-P 26 undecaprenyl diphosphate synthase also resulted in the production of different prenyl chain length from the intrinsic product, suggesting that this position also plays an important role in product chain-length determination for medium-chain cis-prenyltransferases.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Alkyl and Aryl Transferases / chemistry*
  • Alkyl and Aryl Transferases / genetics
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Amino Acid Substitution
  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry*
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Base Sequence
  • Catalysis
  • Conserved Sequence
  • Dimethylallyltranstransferase / chemistry
  • Dimethylallyltranstransferase / genetics
  • Geranyltranstransferase / chemistry*
  • Geranyltranstransferase / genetics
  • Leucine / chemistry*
  • Leucine / genetics
  • Micrococcus luteus / enzymology
  • Micrococcus luteus / genetics
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutagenesis, Insertional
  • Mutation
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / enzymology*
  • Protein Structure, Secondary / genetics
  • Sequence Alignment

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Alkyl and Aryl Transferases
  • Rv1086 protein, Mycobacterium tuberculosis
  • Dimethylallyltranstransferase
  • Geranyltranstransferase
  • Leucine