Fatty Acid Binding to the Allosteric Subunit of Cyclooxygenase-2 Relieves a Tonic Inhibition of the Catalytic Subunit

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Prostaglandin endoperoxide H synthase-2 (PGHS-2), also called cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), converts arachidonic acid to PGH2. PGHS-2 is a conformational heterodimer composed of allosteric (Eallo) and catalytic (Ecat) subunits. Fatty acids (FAs) bind to Arg-120 of Eallo increasing to different degrees, depending on the FA, the Vmax of its Ecat partner. We report here that movement of helical residues 120–122 and loop residues 123–129 of Eallo underlies the allosteric effects of FAs and allosteric COX-2 inhibitors, including naproxen and flurbiprofen. An S121P substitution in both PGHS-2 monomers yields a variant (S121P/S121P PGHS-2) that has 1.7–1.8 times the Vmax of native PGHS-2 and is relatively insensitive to activation by FAs or inhibition by allosteric inhibitors. The S121P substitution in Eallo is primarily responsible for these effects. In X-ray crystal structures, the Cα atoms of helical residues 119–122 of S121P/S121P PGHS-2 are displaced from their normal positions. Additionally, the S121P/S121P PGHS-2 variants in which Pro-127 and Ser-541 are replaced by cysteines spontaneously forms Cys-127 to Cys-541 cross-links between monomers. This is unlike the corresponding native PGHS-2 variant and suggests that S121P substitutions also unhinge the loop involving residues 123–129. We conclude the following: (a) the region involving residues 120–129 of unoccupied Eallo tonically inhibits Ecat; (b) binding of an activating FA (e.g. arachidonic, palmitic, or oleic acid) to Eallo or an S121P substitution in Eallo repositions this region to increase Ecat activity; and (c) allosteric COX inhibitors act by preventing FA binding to Eallo and additionally by relocating Eallo residues to inhibit Ecat.