A Closer Look at the Spectroscopic Properties of Possible Reaction Intermediates in WT and Mutant (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl Diphosphate Reductase (IspH/LytB)

摘要

(E)-4-Hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl diphosphate reductase (IspH or LytB) catalyzes the terminal step of the MEP/DOXP pathway where it converts (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl diphosphate (HMBPP) into the two products isopentenyl diphosphate and dimethylallyl diphosphate. The reaction involves the reductive elimination of the C4 hydroxyl group, using a total of two electrons. Here we show that the active form of IspH contains a [4Fe-4S] cluster and not the [3Fe-4S] form. Our studies show that the cluster is not only the direct electron source for the reaction but that a reaction intermediate is bound directly to the cluster. This active form, has been trapped in a state, dubbed FeSA, that was detected in EPR spectroscopy when one-electron-reduced IspH was incubated with HMBPP. In addition, three mutants of IspH protein have been prepared and studied, His42, His124 and Glu126 (Aquifex aeolicus numbering), with particular attention to the effects on the cluster properties and possible reaction intermediates. None of the mutants affected the properties of the [4Fe-4S]⁺ cluster significantly, but different effects were observed when one-electron-reduced forms were incubated with HMBPP. Replacing the His42 led to an increased Km value and much lower catalytic efficiency, confirming the role of this residue in substrate binding. Replacing the His124 also resulted in lower catalytic efficiency. In this case, however, enzyme showed the loss of the [4Fe-4S]⁺ EPR signal upon addition of HMBPP without the subsequent formation of the FeSA signal. Instead, a radical-type signal was observed in some of the samples indicating that this residue plays a role in the correct positioning of the substrate. The incorrect orientation in the mutant leads to the formation of substrate-based radicals instead of the cluster-bound-intermediate complex FeSA. Replacing the Glu126 also resulted in lower catalytic efficiency, with yet a third type of EPR signal being detected upon incubation with HMBPP. ³¹P- and ²H-ENDOR measurements on the FeSA species incubated with regular and ²H-C4-labeled HMBPP reveal that the substrate binds to the enzyme in close proximity of the active-site cluster with the C4 adjacent to the site of linkage between the FeS cluster and HMBPP. Comparison of the spectroscopic properties of this intermediate to those of intermediates detected in (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-enyl diphosphate synthase and ferredoxin:thioredoxin reductase suggest that HMBPP binds to the FeS cluster via its hydroxyl group instead of a side-on binding as previously proposed for the species detected in the inactive Glu126 variant. Consequences for the IspH reaction mechanism are discussed.