Active site gating regulates substrate selectivity in a chymotrypsin-like serine protease. The structure of Haemophilus influenzae IgA1 protease

摘要

We report here the first structure of a member of the IgA protease family at 1.75Å resolution. This protease is a founding member of the Type V (autotransporter) secretion system and is considered a virulence determinant among the bacteria expressing the enzyme. The structure of the enzyme fits that of a classical autotransporter in which several unique domains necessary for protein function are appended to a central, 100 Å long β-helical domain. The N-terminal domain of the IgA protease is found to possess a chymotrypsin-like fold. However, this catalytic domain contains a unique loop D that extends over the active site acting as a lid, gating substrate access. The data presented provide a structural basis for the known ability of IgA proteases to only cleave the P/S/T rich hinge peptide unique to IgA1 in the context of the intact fold of the immunoglobulin. Based upon the structural data as well as molecular modeling, a model is presented that suggests the unique, extended loop D in this IgA protease sterically occludes the active site binding cleft in the absence of immunoglobulin binding. Only in the context of binding of the IgA1 immunoglobulin Fc domain in a valley formed between the N-terminal protease domain and another domain appended to the β-helix spine (domain-2) is the lid stabilized in an open conformation. The stabilization of this open conformation through Fc association subsequently allows access of the hinge peptide to the active site resulting in recognition and cleavage of the substrate.