Active Site Of Alkaline Phosphatase Research Articles

Design and Synthesis of Supramolecular Phosphatases Formed from a Bis(Zn2+‐Cyclen) Complex, Barbital‐Crown‐K+ Conjugate and Cu2+ for the Catalytic Hydrolysis of Phosphate Monoester

AbstractThe development of artificial mimics of natural enzymes such as hydrolases and phosphatases is one of the great challenges in bioorganic and bioinorganic chemistry and related sciences. Supramolecular strategies are one of the useful methods to construct artificial catalysts as mimics of natural enzymes and to understand their reaction mechanisms. Herein, we report on the formation of amphiphilic supramolecular phosphatases by the 2 : 2 : 2 self‐assembly of a bis(Zn2+‐cyclen) complex (cyclen=1,4,7,10‐teraazacyclododecane) containing a 2,2′‐bipyridyl (bpy) linker and one long alkyl chain (Zn2L3), 5,5‐diethylbarbituric acid (Bar) derivative functionalized with 1‐aza‐18‐crown‐6 ether and Cu2+ in a two‐phase solvent system (CHCl3/H2O). We hypothesized that crown ether moiety of the Bar‐crown ether conjugate would form complexes with alkaline ions and other metal ions such as Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, Mg2+ and La3+ in organic phase to mimic the Mg2+ found as the third metal ion in the active site of alkaline phosphatase (AP). The results indicate that the 2 : 2 : 2 : 4 complexes of Zn2L3, a Bar block equipped with the 18‐crown‐6 ether, Cu2+ and alkaline metal are constructed in a two‐phase solvent system. The resulting complexes have a higher hydrolysis activity for mono(4‐nitrophenyl)phosphate (MNP) in the presence of K+ than that in the presence of Li+, Na+, Rb+, Mg2+ and La3+ and a greater hydrolysis activity than our previous supermolecules having no crown ether part, suggesting that crown ether‐K+ complex located in close proximity to the Cu2(μ‐OH)2 core contributes to the acceleration of the MNP hydrolysis.

X-ray crystal structure of Vibrio alkaline phosphatase with the non-competitive inhibitor cyclohexylamine

BackgroundPara-nitrophenyl phosphate, the common substrate for alkaline phosphatase (AP), is available as a cyclohexylamine salt. Here, we report that cyclohexylamine is a non-competitive inhibitor of APs. MethodsCyclohexylamine inhibited four different APs. Co-crystallization with the cold-active Vibrio AP (VAP) was performed and the structure solved. ResultsInhibition of VAP fitted a non-competitive kinetic model (Km unchanged, Vmax reduced) with IC50 45.3 mM at the pH optimum 9.8, not sensitive to 0.5 M NaCl, and IC50 27.9 mM at pH 8.0, where the addition of 0.5 M NaCl altered the inhibition to the level observed at pH 9.8. APs from E. coli and calf intestines were less sensitive to cyclohexylamine, whereas an Antarctic bacterial AP was similar to VAP in this respect. X-ray crystallography at 2.3 Å showed two binding sites, one in the active site channel and another at the surface close to dimer interface. Antarctic bacterial AP and VAP have Trp274 in common in their active-sites, that takes part in binding cyclohexylamine. VAP variants W274A, W274K, and W274H gave IC50 values of 179 mM, 188 mM and 187 mM, respectively, at pH 9.8. ConclusionsThe binding of cyclohexylamine in locations at the dimeric interface and/or in the active site of APs may delay product release or reduce the rate of catalytic step(s) involving conformational changes and intersubunit communications. General significanceCyclohexylamine is a common chemical in industries and used as a counterion in substrates for alkaline phosphatase, a clinically important and common enzyme in the biosphere.

Catalytic Hydrolysis of Phosphate Monoester by Supramolecular Complexes Formed by the Self-Assembly of a Hydrophobic Bis(Zn2+-cyclen) Complex, Copper, and Barbital Units That Are Functionalized with Amino Acids in a Two-Phase Solvent System.

We previously reported on the preparation of supramolecular complexes by the 2:2:2 assembly of a dinuclear Zn2+-cyclen (cyclen = 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane) complex having a 2,2′-bipyridyl linker equipped with 0~2 long alkyl chains (Zn2L1~Zn2L3), 5,5-diethylbarbituric acid (Bar) derivatives, and a copper(II) ion (Cu2+) in aqueous solution and two-phase solvent systems and their phosphatase activities for the hydrolysis of mono(4-nitrophenyl) phosphate (MNP). These supermolecules contain Cu2(μ-OH)2 core that mimics the active site of alkaline phosphatase (AP), and one of the ethyl groups of the barbital moiety is located in close proximity to the Cu2(μ-OH)2 core. The generally accepted knowledge that the amino acids around the metal center in the active site of AP play important roles in its hydrolytic activity inspired us to modify the side chain of Bar with various functional groups in an attempt to mimic the active site of AP in the artificial system, especially in two-phase solvent system. In this paper, we report on the design and synthesis of new supramolecular complexes that are prepared by the combined use of bis(Zn2+-cyclen) complexes (Zn2L1, Zn2L2, and Zn2L3), Cu2+, and Bar derivatives containing amino acid residues. We present successful formation of these artificial AP mimics with respect to the kinetics of the MNP hydrolysis obeying Michaelis–Menten scheme in aqueous solution and a two-phase solvent system and to the mode of the product inhibition by inorganic phosphate.

Extensive site-directed mutagenesis reveals interconnected functional units in the alkaline phosphatase active site.

Enzymes enable life by accelerating reaction rates to biological timescales. Conventional studies have focused on identifying the residues that have a direct involvement in an enzymatic reaction, but these so-called 'catalytic residues' are embedded in extensive interaction networks. Although fundamental to our understanding of enzyme function, evolution, and engineering, the properties of these networks have yet to be quantitatively and systematically explored. We dissected an interaction network of five residues in the active site of Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase. Analysis of the complex catalytic interdependence of specific residues identified three energetically independent but structurally interconnected functional units with distinct modes of cooperativity. From an evolutionary perspective, this network is orders of magnitude more probable to arise than a fully cooperative network. From a functional perspective, new catalytic insights emerge. Further, such comprehensive energetic characterization will be necessary to benchmark the algorithms required to rationally engineer highly efficient enzymes.

Differential effect of 4′-phenylchalcones on acid and alkaline phosphatases

Acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase are used as diagnostic tool for the identification of various diseased conditions. It has been reported that low levels of acid phosphatase and elevated levels of alkaline phosphatase are present in different cancerous conditions. In vitro enzyme-related studies emphasize the potential of therapeutic uses of various compounds. In the present work, we report differential effect of 4′-phenylchalcones on the activities of these two clinically significant enzymes. The data revealed that all the synthesized compounds were inhibitory to alkaline phosphatase compared to levamisole, whereas an activating effect has been observed on acid phosphatase. For example, compound, 1b, inhibited the alkaline phosphatase activity maximally up to 80 % at 1 × 10−3 M concentration, but activated the acid phosphatase up to 186 % at the same concentration. In addition, molecular modelling and docking of these compounds into alkaline phosphatase active site using iGemdock were performed in order to predict the affinity and orientation of the designed compounds at the active site and were compared with the established inhibitor levamisole.

Immobilization of alkaline phosphatase on solid surface through self-assembled monolayer and by active-site protection.

Retaining biological activity of a protein after immobilization is an important issue and many studies reported to enhance the activity of proteins after immobilization. We recently developed a new immobilization method of enzyme using active-site protection and minimization of the cross-links between enzyme and surface with a DNA polymerase as a model system. In this study, we extended the new method to an enzyme with a small mono-substrate using alkaline phosphatase (AP) as another model system. A condition to apply the new method is that masking agents, in this case its own substrate needs to stay at the active-site of the enzyme to be immobilized in order to protect the active-site during the harsh immobilization process. This could be achieved by removal of essential divalent ion, Zn2+ that is required for full enzyme activity of AP from the masking solution while active-site of AP was protected with p-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP). Approximately 40% of the solution-phase activity was acquired with active-site protected immobilized AP. In addition to protection active-site of AP, the number of immobilization links was kinetically controlled. When the mole fraction of the activated carboxyl group of the linker molecule in self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of 12-mercaptododecanoic acid and 6-mercapto-1-ethanol was varied, 10% of 12-mercaptododecanoic acid gave the maximum enzyme activity. Approximately 51% increase in enzyme activity of the active-site protected AP was observed compared to that of the unprotected group. It was shown that the concept of active-site protection and kinetic control of the number of covalent immobilization bonds can be extended to enzymes with small mono-substrates. It opens the possibility of further extension of the new methods of active-site protection and kinetic control of immobilization bond to important enzymes used in research and industrial fields.

197 INDUCED PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS (iPS) DERIVED FROM EQUINE UMBILICAL CORD CELLS USING LENTIVIRUS VECTOR Stemcca

Research on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) emerged to overcome the limitations of embryonic stem cells, such as ethical issues, security, compatibility, and availability. The nuclear reprogramming induced by viral vectors aims to induce differentiated cells to an embryonic pluripotent state. The iPS cells can be generated using retroviral vector expressing Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc, but produces much genomic integration (GI) which limit its use for therapeutic purpose. Alternatively, lentiviral vectors have been used to be safe and equally effective in producing iPS. Despite several cell types can be reprogramed, there is no information of which is the best cell type to be used in the generation of iPS. The umbilical cord is a reserve of multipotent mesenchymal stem cells and may present a greater reprogramming efficiency compared with fibroblasts in the generation of iPS. Here we describe the use of a single lentiviral vector composed by the combination of four transcription factors (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc) for the generation of iPS cells using equine umbilical cord (UC) cells. Therefore, samples were collected from 5 equine UC at birth. The umbilical matrices were subjected to enzymatic digestion in a solution of 0.004% collagenase diluted in PBS, and the cells obtained by filtration were plated in plastic culture bottles with 5 mL of DMEM supplemented with 20% fetal calf serum, antibiotics, and antimycotics, followed by incubation at 37°C in a 100% humid atmosphere at 5% CO2 in air. When the cells reached 40% of confluence and a concentration of 105 cells, these cells were transduced with 50 μL Human Stemcca cre-excisable constitutive polycistronic (oskm) lentivirus (EMD Millipore Corp., Billerica, MA, USA) produced according manufacturer's protocol plus 8 ng mL–1 polybrene (hexadimethrine bromide, Sigma, St. Louis, MO, USA). The culture medium was renewed 12 h after incubation. Five days after transduction, cells were transferred to murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) feeder layer and cultured for 14 days in a specific medium for iPS. The morphologically similar colonies to the embryonic stem cells were visualised after two weeks of infection. When the clones were well established two mechanical and two enzymatic passages were performed. Cells were re-expanded under new MEFs and submitted to alkaline phosphatase activity detection (Leukocyte Alkaline Phosphatase Kit, Sigma) according to manufacturer's recommendations. Briefly, cell cultures were fixed, incubated with a mixture of alkaline naphthol AS-BI with fast red violet LB. Red labelling insoluble deposits indicated the sites of alkaline phosphatase activity. In all cultures tested (n = 10) the expression of alkaline phosphatase was detected. The cell culture samples will still be tested for gene expression of pluripotency factors. The combination of all factors in a single transcript was efficient for reprogramming cells from the umbilical cord and allowed the derivation of mesenchymal cells in equine iPS. The use of a single lentiviral reprogramming vector represents a powerful tool for the study of iPS technology and its possible therapeutic application.

Stabilization of Different Types of Transition States in a Single Enzyme Active Site: QM/MM Analysis of Enzymes in the Alkaline Phosphatase Superfamily

The first step for the hydrolysis of a phosphate monoester (pNPP(2-)) in enzymes of the alkaline phosphatase (AP) superfamily, R166S AP and wild-type NPP, is studied using QM/MM simulations based on an approximate density functional theory (SCC-DFTBPR) and a recently introduced QM/MM interaction Hamiltonian. The calculations suggest that similar loose transition states are involved in both enzymes, despite the fact that phosphate monoesters are the cognate substrates for AP but promiscuous substrates for NPP. The computed loose transition states are clearly different from the more synchronous ones previously calculated for diester reactions in the same AP enzymes. Therefore, our results explicitly support the proposal that AP enzymes are able to recognize and stabilize different types of transition states in a single active site. Analysis of the structural features of computed transition states indicates that the plastic nature of the bimetallic site plays a minor role in accommodating multiple types of transition states and that the high degree of solvent accessibility of the AP active site also contributes to its ability to stabilize diverse transition-state structures without the need of causing large structural distortions of the bimetallic motif. The binding mode of the leaving group in the transition state highlights that vanadate may not always be an ideal transition state analog for loose phosphoryl transfer transition states.

Ground State Destabilization by Anionic Nucleophiles Contributes to the Activity of Phosphoryl Transfer Enzymes

Author SummaryEnzymes use a variety of tools and strategies to enhance (catalyze) biological reactions; these include the use of general acids and bases, cofactors, and the employment of remote binding interactions to position substrates near reactive chemical groups. Phosphatases are some of Nature's best enzymes, affording exceptional rate enhancements to the biologically ubiquitous removal of a phosphate group from a substrate (dephosphorylation). The apparent challenge faced by nonspecific phosphatases is that their wide substrate specificity precludes the efficient use of remote binding interactions. Previous work suggested that phosphatases could use negatively charged chemical groups (anionic nucleophiles) at the active site to destabilize substrate binding without simultaneously destabilizing the transition state barrier—an elusive catalytic strategy known as preferential ground state destabilization. In this work, we test this ground state destabilization model of catalysis by removing the anionic active site nucleophile of alkaline phosphatase and observing the effects on the enzyme's affinity for a phosphate ligand. We find that alkaline phosphatase has an exceptionally strong affinity for phosphate, and provide clear evidence for ground state destabilization by the anionic active site nucleophile that, when present, forestalls substrate saturation and product inhibition, and enhances catalysis by at least a thousand fold.

Alkaline Phosphatase: IHC Dephosphorylation for Rapid Cancer Detection

According to the American Cancer Society, one third of women and half of men risk developing cancer in the United States. This results in a growing, critical effect on both social and economic aspects of society. Fortunately, researchers are developing simple, accurate tests for cancer detection. Many immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays use alkaline phosphatase (AP) to detect in‐vitro cancers. IHC assays use antibody‐enzyme conjugates that pair with primary antibodies specific to antigens on the surface of cancer cells. As the catalyzing enzyme, AP removes a phosphate from a substrate resulting in a color precipitate localized to cells expressing the specific cancer antigen. AP is a homo‐dimer phosphomonoesterase containing two Zn atoms and one Mg atom in each subunit; one Zn atom and the Mg atom maintain structure, and the other Zn atom works with Ser102 to remove a phosphate. The critical amino acids in AP's active site create the electrostatic environment needed for Ser102 to begin dephosphorylation. AP has many in‐vivo functions and laboratory applications, including calcification of cartilage as well as the synthesis, sequencing, and labeling of DNA. The Ironwood Ridge High School SMART (Students Modeling A Research Topic) Team has modeled AP, using 3D printing technology. By studying AP's structure and function, we are able to visualize its role as a chemical detector. Sponsored by a grant from NIH‐SEPA.

Isotope-Edited FTIR of Alkaline Phosphatase Resolves Paradoxical Ligand Binding Properties and Suggests a Role for Ground-State Destabilization

Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase (AP) can hydrolyze a variety of chemically diverse phosphate monoesters while making contacts solely to the transferred phosphoryl group and its incoming and outgoing atoms. Strong interactions between AP and the transferred phosphoryl group are not present in the ground state despite the apparent similarity of the phosphoryl group in the ground and transition states. Such modest ground-state affinity is required to curtail substrate saturation and product inhibition and to allow efficient catalysis. To investigate how AP achieves limited affinity for its ground state, we first compared binding affinities of several related AP ligands. This comparison revealed a paradox: AP has a much stronger affinity for inorganic phosphate (P(i)) than for related compounds that are similar to P(i) geometrically and in overall charge but lack a transferable proton. We postulated that the P(i) proton could play an important role via transfer to the nearby anion, the active site serine nucleophile (Ser102), resulting in the attenuation of electrostatic repulsion between bound P(i) and the Ser102 oxyanion and the binding of P(i) in its trianionic form adjacent to a now neutral Ser residue. To test this model, isotope-edited Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to investigate the ionic structure of AP-bound P(i). The FTIR results indicate that the P(i) trianion is bound and, in conjunction with previous studies of pH-dependent P(i) binding and other results, suggest that P(i) dianion transfers its proton to the Ser102 anion of AP. This internal proton-transfer results in stronger P(i) binding presumably because the additional negative charge on the trianionic P(i) allows stronger electrostatic interactions within the AP active site and because the electrostatic repulsion between bound P(i) and anionic Ser102 is eliminated when the transferred P(i) proton neutralizes Ser102. Indeed, when Ser102 is neutralized the P(i) trianion binds AP with a calculated K(d) of ≤290 fM. These results suggest that electrostatic repulsion between Ser102 and negatively charged phosphate ester substrates contributes to catalysis by the preferential destabilization of the reaction's E·S ground state.

Thiacalix[4]arene as molecular platform for design of alkaline phosphatase inhibitors

Effect of thiacalix[4]arene platform on inhibition of alkaline phosphatase by macrocyclic phosphonate is presented in this article. Using tetrakis(dihydroxyphosphorylmethyl) derivatives we have found that phosphonate inhibitor on thiacalix[4]arene platform has displayed stronger inhibition properties towards alkaline phosphatases from bovine intestine mucosa, shrimp and human placenta than its structural calix[4]arene analogue. For elucidation of the molecular mechanism of the inhibition the tested macrocyclic compounds were docked computationally to the active site of alkaline phosphatase from shrimp. The role of thiacalix[4]arene platform in formation of the enzyme-inhibitor complex is discussed. Thiacalix[4]arene as molecular platform for design of alkaline phosphatase inhibitors

Inhibition of alkaline phosphatase by thioureido derivatives of methylenebisphosphonic acid

A series of thioureido derivatives of methylenebisphosphonic acid were synthesized by the reaction of aminomethylenebisphosphonic acid with the corresponding isothiocyanates, and their effect on the activity of alkaline phosphatases from bovine small intestine mucosa (BSIM) and human placenta was studied. It was found that (3-phenylthioureido)methylenebisphosphonate is approximately one order of magnitude more effective in inhibiting the activity of alkaline phosphatase from BSIM than the alkyl derivatives of thioureidomethylenebisphosphonic acid with methyl, ethyl, tert-butyl, or cyclohexyl substituents. The introduction of substituents into the benzene ring of (3-phenylthioureido)methylenebisphosphonate decreased the effect of the inhibitor on the activity of the enzyme. The affinity of (3-phenylureido)methylenebisphosphonate to the alkaline phosphatase of BSIM was also weaker as compared with the corresponding thioureidomethylenebisphosphonate. The insertion of thioureidobisphosphonates into the active site of alkaline phosphatase of human placenta by the method of molecular docking indicated that the methylenebisphosphonate residue and the substituted amino groups of the inhibitor are involved in the mechanisms of complex formation with the enzyme. It is supposed that the improvement of the inhibitory activity of (3-phenylthioureido)methylenebisphosphonate toward alkaline phosphatase of BSIM is due to the additional fixation of the phenyl substituent in the active site of the enzyme.

Effects of replacing active site residues in a cold‐active alkaline phosphatase with those found in its mesophilic counterpart fromEscherichia coli

Alkaline phosphatase (AP) from a North Atlantic marine Vibrio bacterium was previously characterized as being kinetically cold-adapted. It is still unknown whether its characteristics originate locally in the active site or are linked to more general structural factors. There are three metal-binding sites in the active site of APs, and all three metal ions participate in catalysis. The amino acid residues that bind the two zinc ions most commonly present are conserved in all known APs. In contrast, two of the residues that bind the third metal ion (numbered 153 and 328 in Escherichia coli AP) are different in various APs. This may explain their different catalytic efficiencies, as the Mg2+ most often present there is important for both structural stability and the reaction mechanism. We have mutated these key residues to the corresponding residues in E. coli AP to obtain the double mutant Asp116/Lys274, and both single mutants. All these mutants displayed reduced substrate affinity and lower overall reaction rates. The Lys274 and Asp116/Lys274 mutants also displayed an increase in global heat stability, which may be due to the formation of a stabilizing salt bridge. Overall, the results show that a single amino acid substitution in the active site is sufficient to alter the structural stability of the cold-active Vibrio AP both locally and globally, and this influences kinetic properties.

Ionizing Groups at the Active Site of the Alkaline Phosphatase from Ostrea cucullate

The ionizing groups at the active site of alkaline phosphatase (ALP, EC 3.1.3.1) from Ostrea cucullate were studied using kinetic methods. The ionization constant, p K e, of the ionizing groups at the active site of the enzyme was found to be 10.11 at 37.0°C and the organic solvent, dioxin, had no effect on the p K e. The standard dissociation enthalpy (Δ H o) was determined to be 10.57 kcal/mol (1 cal=4.18 J). The results show that the dissociation group of the enzyme active center is the ɛ-NH 3 + of lysine. Chemical modification of the enzyme by acetic anhydride and succinic anhydride demonstrates that the amino group is one of the enzyme's functional groups.

Alkaline Phosphatase Mono- and Diesterase Reactions: Comparative Transition State Analysis

Enzyme-catalyzed phosphoryl transfer reactions have frequently been suggested to proceed through transition states that are altered from their solution counterparts. Previous work with Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase (AP), however, suggests that this enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of phosphate monoesters through a loose, dissociative transition state, similar to that in solution. AP also exhibits catalytic promiscuity, with a low level of phosphodiesterase activity, despite the tighter, more associative transition state for phosphate diester hydrolysis in solution. Because AP is evolutionarily optimized for phosphate monoester hydrolysis, it is possible that the active site environment alters the transition state for diester hydrolysis to be looser in its bonding to the incoming and outgoing groups. To test this possibility, we have measured the nonenzymatic and AP-catalyzed rate of reaction for a series of substituted methyl phenyl phosphate diesters. The values of beta(lg) and additional data suggest that the transition state for AP-catalyzed phosphate diester hydrolysis is indistinguishable from that in solution. Instead of altering transition state structure, AP catalyzes phosphoryl transfer reactions by recognizing and stabilizing transition states similar to those in aqueous solution. The AP active site therefore has the ability to recognize different transition states, a property that could assist in the evolutionary optimization of promiscuous activities.

Do electrostatic interactions with positively charged active site groups tighten the transition state for enzymatic phosphoryl transfer?

The effect of electrostatic interactions on the transition-state character for enzymatic phosphoryl transfer has been a subject of much debate. In this work, we investigate the transition state for alkaline phosphatase (AP) using linear free-energy relationships (LFERs). We determined k(cat)/K(M) for a series of aryl sulfate ester monoanions to obtain the Brønsted coefficient, beta(lg), and compared the value to that obtained previously for a series of aryl phosphorothioate ester dianion substrates. Despite the difference in substrate charge, the observed Brønsted coefficients for AP-catalyzed aryl sulfate and aryl phosphorothioate hydrolysis (-0.76 +/- 0.14 and -0.77 +/- 0.10, respectively) are strikingly similar, with steric effects being responsible for the uncertainties in these values. Aryl sulfates and aryl phosphates react via similar loose transition states in solution. These observations suggest an apparent equivalency of the transition states for phosphorothioate and sulfate hydrolysis reactions at the AP active site and, thus, negligible effects of active site electrostatic interactions on charge distribution in the transition state.

Phosphate Binding in the Active Site of Alkaline Phosphatase and the Interactions of 2-Nitrosoacetophenone with Alkaline Phosphatase-Induced Small Structural Changes

To monitor structural changes during the binding of P i to the active site of mammalian alkaline phosphatase in water medium, reaction-induced infrared spectroscopy was used. The interaction of P i with alkaline phosphatase was triggered by a photorelease of ATP from the inactive P 3-[1-(2-nitrophenyl)]ethyl ester of ATP. After photorelease, ATP was sequentially hydrolyzed by alkaline phosphatase giving rise to adenosine and three P i. Although a phosphodiesterase activity was detected prior the photorelease of ATP, it was possible to monitor the structural effects induced by P i binding to alkaline phosphatase. Interactions of P i with alkaline phosphatase were evidenced by weak infrared changes around 1631 and at 1639 cm −1, suggesting a small distortion of peptide carbonyl backbone. This result indicates that the motion required for the formation of the enzyme-phosphate complex is minimal on the part of alkaline phosphatase, consistent with alkaline phosphatase being an almost perfect enzyme. Photoproduct 2-nitrosoacetophenone may bind to alkaline phosphatase in a site other than the active site of bovine intestinal alkaline phosphatase and than the uncompetitive binding site of L-Phe in bovine intestinal alkaline phosphatase, affecting one-two amino acid residues.

Functional Insights Revealed by the Crystal Structures of Escherichia coli Glucose-1-phosphatase

The Escherichia coli periplasmic glucose-1-phosphatase is a member of the histidine acid phosphatase family and acts primarily as a glucose scavenger. Previous substrate profiling studies have demonstrated some of the intriguing properties of the enzyme, including its unique and highly selective inositol phosphatase activity. The enzyme is also potentially involved in pathogenic inositol phosphate signal transduction pathways via type III secretion into the host cell. We have determined the crystal structure of E. coli glucose-1-phosphatase in an effort to unveil the structural mechanism underlying such unique substrate specificity. The structure was determined by the method of multiwavelength anomalous dispersion using a tungstate derivative together with the H18A inactive mutant complex structure with glucose 1-phosphate at 2.4-A resolution. In the active site of glucose-1-phosphatase, there are two unique gating residues, Glu-196 and Leu-24, in addition to the conserved features of histidine acid phosphatases. Together they create steric and electrostatic constraints responsible for the unique selectivity of the enzyme toward phytate and glucose-1-phosphate as well as its unusually high pH optimum for the latter. Based on the structural characterization, we were able to derive simple structural principles that not only precisely explains the substrate specificity of glucose-1-phosphatase and the hydrolysis products of various inositol phosphate substrates but also rationalizes similar general characteristics across the histidine acid phosphatase family.

Glutamic acid residues as metal ligands in the active site of Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase

Four independent mutations were introduced to the Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase active site, and the resulting enzymes characterized to study the effects of Glu as a metal ligand. The mutations D51E and D153E were created to study the effects of lengthening the carboxyl group by one methylene unit at the metal interaction site. The D51E enzyme had drastically reduced activity and lost one zinc per active site, demonstrating importance of the position of Asp 51. The D153E enzyme had an increased k cat in the presence of high concentrations of Mg 2+, along with a decreased Mg 2+ affinity as compared to the wild-type enzyme. The H331E and H412E enzymes were created to probe the requirement for a nitrogen-containing metal ligand at the Zn 1 site. The H331E enzyme had greatly decreased activity, and lost one zinc per active site. In the absence of high concentrations of Zn 2+, dephosphorylation occurs at an extremely reduced rate for the H412E enzyme, and like the H331E enzyme, metal affinity is reduced. Except at the 153 position, Glu is not an acceptable metal chelating amino acid at these positions in the E. coli alkaline phosphatase active site.