Structural, functional, and regulatory evaluation of a cysteine post-translationally modified Gcn5-related N-acetyltransferase

Abstract

Polyamines within the cell are tightly regulated by spermidine/spermine N-acetyltransferase (SSAT) enzymes. While several SSATs have been investigated in different bacterial species, there is still a significant gap in knowledge about which proteins are functional SSATs in many organisms. For example, while it is known that Pseudomonas aeruginosa synthesizes the polyamine spermidine, the SSAT that acetylates this molecule and its importance in regulating intracellular polyamines remains unknown. We previously identified a candidate Gcn5-related N-acetyltransferase (GNAT) protein from P. aeruginosa (PA2271) that could fulfill this role since it acetylates spermidine, but no further studies were conducted. Here, we explored the structure/function relationship of the PA2271 protein by determining its X-ray crystal structure and performing enzyme kinetics assays. We also identified active site residues that are essential for catalysis and substrate binding. As the study progressed, we encountered results that led us to explore the importance of four cysteine residues on enzyme activity and disulfide bond formation or modification of cysteine residues. We found these cysteine residues in PA2271 are important for protein solubility and activity, and there is an interrelationship between cysteine residues that contribute to these effects. Furthermore, we also found disulfide bonds could form between C₁₂₁ and C₁₆₅ and speculate that these residues may contribute to redox regulation of PA2271 protein activity.

Keywords: Cysteine Post-Translational Modifications; Disulfide Bonds; Gcn5-related N-acetyltransferase (GNAT); Loss of enzyme activity with freeze/thaw cycles; Polyamine; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Spermidine.