Structure of an insect delta-class glutathione S-transferase from a DDT-resistant strain of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae

Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. 2003 Dec;59(Pt 12):2211-7. doi: 10.1107/s0907444903018493. Epub 2003 Nov 27.

Abstract

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are a major family of detoxification enzymes which possess a wide range of substrate specificities. Most organisms possess many GSTs belonging to multiple classes. Interest in GSTs in insects is focused on their role in insecticide resistance; many resistant insects have elevated levels of GST activity. In the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae, elevated GST levels are associated with resistance to the organochlorine insecticide DDT [1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis-(p-chlorophenyl)ethane]. This mosquito is the source of an insect GST, agGSTd1-6, which metabolizes DDT and is inhibited by a number of pyrethroid insecticides. The crystal structure of agGSTd1-6 in complex with its inhibitor S-hexyl glutathione has been determined and refined at 2.0 A resolution. The structure adopts a classical GST fold and is similar to those of other insect delta-class GSTs, implying a common conjugation mechanism. A structure-based model for the binding of DDT to agGSTd1-6 reveals two subpockets in the hydrophobic binding site (H-site), each accommodating one planar p-chlorophenyl ring.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Anopheles / enzymology*
  • Binding Sites
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • DDT / metabolism
  • DDT / pharmacology
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / metabolism
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Glutathione / analogs & derivatives*
  • Glutathione / metabolism
  • Glutathione / pharmacology
  • Glutathione Transferase / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Glutathione Transferase / chemistry*
  • Glutathione Transferase / genetics
  • Glutathione Transferase / metabolism
  • Insect Vectors / enzymology*
  • Insecticide Resistance
  • Malaria / transmission
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Sequence Alignment

Substances

  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • DDT
  • Glutathione Transferase
  • Glutathione
  • hexylglutathione