Allosteric Regulation of Substrate Channeling and Catalysis in the Tryptophan Synthase Bienzyme Complex

摘要

The tryptophan synthase α2β2 bi-enzyme complex catalyzes the last two steps in the synthesis of L-tryptophan (L-Trp). The α-subunit catalyzes cleavage of 3-indole-D-glycerol 3’-phosphate (IGP) to give indole and D-glyceraldehyde 3’-phosphate (G3P). Indole is then transferred (channeled) via an interconnecting 25 Å-long tunnel, from the α-subunit to the (β-subunit where it reacts with L-Ser in a pyridoxal 5’-phosphate-dependent reaction to give L-Trp and a water molecule. The efficient utilization of IGP and L-Ser by tryptophan synthase to synthesize L-Trp utilizes a system of allosteric interactions that (1) function to switch the α-site on and off at different stages of the β-subunit catalytic cycle, and (2) prevent the escape of the channeled intermediate, indole, from the confines of the α- and β-catalytic sites and the interconnecting tunnel. This review discusses in detail the chemical origins of the allosteric interactions responsible both for switching the α-site on and off, and for triggering the conformational changes between open and closed states which prevent the escape of indole from the bienzyme complex.