Ethanolamine Ammonia-lyase Research Articles

Direct Participation of a Peripheral Side Chain of a Corrin Ring in Coenzyme B12 Catalysis.

The crystal structures of the B12 -dependent isomerases (eliminating) diol dehydratase and ethanolamine ammonia-lyase complexed with adenosylcobalamin were solved with and without substrates. The structures revealed that the peripheral a-acetamide side chain of the corrin ring directly interacts with the adenosyl group to maintain the group in the catalytic position, and that this side chain swings between the original and catalytic positions in a synchronized manner with the radical shuttling between the coenzyme and substrate/product. Mutations involving key residues that cooperatively participate in the positioning of the adenosyl group, directly or indirectly through the interaction with the a-side chain, decreased the turnover rate and increased the relative rate of irreversible inactivation caused by undesirable side reactions. These findings guide the engineering of enzymes for improved catalysis and producing useful chemicals by utilizing the high reactivity of radical species.

Electron spin-labelling of the EutC subunit in B12-dependent ethanolamine ammonia-lyase reveals dynamics and a two-state conformational equilibrium in the N-terminal, signal-sequence-associated domain

The B12 (adenosylcobalamin)-dependent ethanolamine ammonia-lyase (EAL) is a product of the ethanolamine utilisation (eut) gene cluster, that is involved in human gut microbiome homeostasis and in disease conditions caused by pathogenic strains of Salmonella and Escherichia coli. Toward elucidation of the molecular basis of EAL catalysis, and its intracellular trafficking and targeting to the Eut biomicrocompartment (BMC), we have applied electron spin-labelling and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy to wild-type (wt) EAL from Salmonella typhimurium, by using the sulphydryl-specific, 4-maleimido-TEMPO (4MT) spin label. One cysteine residue per active site displays exceptional reactivity with 4MT. This site is identified as βC37 on the EutC subunit, by using 4MT-labeling of site-specific cysteine-to-alanine mutants, enzyme kinetics, and accessible surface area calculations. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of 4MT-labelled wt EAL are collected over 200–265 K in frozen, polycrystalline water-only, and 1% v/v DMSO solvents. EPR simulations reveal two mobility components for each condition. Detectable spin probe reorientational motion of the two components occurs at 215 and 225 K with 1% v/v DMSO, relative to the water-only condition, consistent with formation of an aqueous-DMSO solvent mesodomain around EAL. Parallel trends in fast- and slow-reorientational correlation times and interconversion of the two populations with increasing temperature, indicate 4MT labelling of a single site (βC37). A two-state model is proposed, in which the fast and slow motional populations represent EAL-bound and free conformations of the EutC N-terminal domain. The approximately equal proportion of each state may represent a balance between EutC and EAL protein stability and efficient targeting to the BMC.

Mesodomain and Protein-Associated Solvent Phases with Temperature-Tunable (200-265 K) Dynamics Surround Ethanolamine Ammonia-Lyase in Globally Polycrystalline Aqueous Solution Containing Dimethyl Sulfoxide.

Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy of the spin probe, TEMPOL, is used to resolve solvent phases that surround the ethanolamine ammonia-lyase (EAL) protein from Salmonella typhimurium at low temperature (T) in frozen, globally polycrystalline aqueous solution and to report on the T dependence of their detectably rigid and fluid states. EAL plays a role in human gut microbiome-based disease conditions, and physicochemical studies provide insight into protein structure and mechanism, toward potential therapeutics. Temperature dependences of the rotational correlation times (τc; detection range, 10-11 ≤ τc ≤ 10-7 s) and the corresponding weights of TEMPOL tumbling components from 200 to 265 K in the presence of EAL are measured in two frozen systems: (1) water-only and (2) 1% v/v dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). In the water-only condition, a protein-vicinal solvent component detectably fluidizes at 230 K and melts the surrounding ice-crystalline region with increasing T, creating a bounded, relatively high-viscosity aqueous solvent domain, up to 265 K. In the EAL, 1% v/v DMSO condition, two distinct concentric solvent phases are resolved around EAL: protein-associated domain (PAD) and mesodomain. The DMSO aqueous mesodomain fluidizes at 200 K, followed by PAD fluidization at 210 K. The interphase dynamical coupling is consistent with the spatial arrangement and significant contact areas of the phases, indicated by the experimentally determined mean volume ratio, V(mesodomain)/V(PAD)/V(protein) = 0.5:0.3:1.0. The results provide a rationale for native chemical reactions of EAL at T < 250 K and an advance toward precise control of solvent dynamics as a tunable parameter for quantifying the coupling between solvent and protein fluctuations and chemical reaction steps in EAL and other enzymes.

Two Dynamical Regimes of the Substrate Radical Rearrangement Reaction in B12-Dependent Ethanolamine Ammonia-Lyase Resolve Contributions of Native Protein Configurations and Collective Configurational Fluctuations to Catalysis.

The kinetics of the substrate radical rearrangement reaction step in B12-dependent ethanolamine ammonia-lyase (EAL) from Salmonella typhimurium are measured over a 92 K temperature range. The observed first-order rate constants display a piecewise-continuous Arrhenius dependence, with linear regions over 295 → 220 K (monoexponential) and 214 → 203 K (biexponential) that are delineated by a kinetic bifurcation and kinks at 219 and 217 K, respectively. The results are interpreted by using a free energy landscape model and derived microscopic kinetic mechanism. The bifurcation and kink transitions correspond to the effective quenching of two distinct sets of native collective protein configurational fluctuations that (1) reconfigure the protein within the substrate radical free energy minimum, in a reaction-enabling step, and (2) create the protein configurations associated with the chemical step. Below 217 K, the substrate radical decay reaction persists. Increases in activation enthalpy and entropy of both the microscopic enabling and reaction steps indicate that this non-native reaction coordinate is conducted by local, incremental fluctuations. Continuity in the Arrhenius relations indicates that the same sets of protein groups and interactions mediate the rearrangement over the 295 to 203 K range, but with a repertoire of configurations below 217 K that is restricted, relative to the native configurations accessible above 219 K. The experimental features of a culled reaction step, first-order kinetic measurements, and wide room-to-cryogenic temperature range, allow the direct demonstration and kinetic characterization of protein dynamical contributions to the core adiabatic, bond-making/bond-breaking reaction in EAL.

Ethanolamine Catabolism in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 Is Regulated by the Enhancer-Binding Protein EatR (PA4021) and the Alternative Sigma Factor RpoN.

Although genes encoding enzymes and proteins related to ethanolamine catabolism are widely distributed in the genomes of Pseudomonas spp., ethanolamine catabolism has received little attention among this metabolically versatile group of bacteria. In an attempt to shed light on this subject, this study focused on defining the key regulatory factors that govern the expression of the central ethanolamine catabolic pathway in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. This pathway is encoded by the PA4022-eat-eutBC operon and consists of a transport protein (Eat), an ethanolamine-ammonia lyase (EutBC), and an acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (PA4022). EutBC is an essential enzyme in ethanolamine catabolism because it hydrolyzes this amino alcohol into ammonia and acetaldehyde. The acetaldehyde intermediate is then converted into acetate in a reaction catalyzed by acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. Using a combination of growth analyses and β-galactosidase fusions, the enhancer-binding protein PA4021 and the sigma factor RpoN were shown to be positive regulators of the PA4022-eat-eutBC operon in P. aeruginosa PAO1. PA4021 and RpoN were required for growth on ethanolamine, and both of these regulatory proteins were essential for induction of the PA4022-eat-eutBC operon. Unexpectedly, the results indicate that acetaldehyde (and not ethanolamine) serves as the inducer molecule that is sensed by PA4021 and leads to the transcriptional activation of the PA4022-eat-eutBC operon. Due to its regulatory role in ethanolamine catabolism, PA4021 was given the name EatR. Both EatR and its target genes are conserved in several other Pseudomonas spp., suggesting that these bacteria share a mechanism for regulating ethanolamine catabolism. The results of this study provide a basis for understanding ethanolamine catabolism and its regulation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. Interestingly, expression of the ethanolamine-catabolic genes in this bacterium was found to be under the control of a positive-feedback regulatory loop in a manner dependent on the transcriptional regulator PA4021, the sigma factor RpoN, and the metabolite acetaldehyde. Previously characterized regulators of ethanolamine catabolism are known to sense and respond directly to ethanolamine. In contrast, PA4021 (EatR) appears to monitor the intracellular levels of free acetaldehyde and responds through transcriptional activation of the ethanolamine-catabolic genes. This regulatory mechanism is unique and represents an alternative strategy used by bacteria to govern the acquisition of ethanolamine from their surroundings.

Isotopologue profiling of the listerial N-metabolism.

The nitrogen (N-) sources and the relative contribution of a nitrogenous nutrient to the N-pool of the gram-positive pathogen Listeria monocytogenes are largely unknown. Therefore, (15) N-isotopologue profiling was established to study the N-metabolism of L. monocytogenes. The pathogen was grown in a defined minimal medium supplemented with potential (15) N-labeled nutrients. The bacteria were harvested and hydrolysed under acidic conditions, and the resulting amino acids were analysed by GC-MS, revealing (15) N-enrichments and isotopomeric compositions of amino acids. The differential (15) N-profiles showed the substantial and simultaneous usage of ammonium, glutamine, methionine, and, to a lower extent, the branched-chain amino acids valine, leucine, and isoleucine for anabolic purposes, with a significant preference for ammonium. In contrast, arginine, histidine and cysteine were directly incorporated into proteins. L. monocytogenes is able to replace glutamine with ethanolamine or glucosamine as amino donors for feeding the core N-metabolism. Perturbations of N-fluxes caused by gene deletions demonstrate the involvement of ethanolamine ammonia lyase, and suggest a role of the regulator GlnK of L. monocytogenes distinct from that of Escherichia coli. The metabolism of nitrogenous nutrients reflects the high flexibility of this pathogenic bacterium in exploiting N-sources that could also be relevant for its proliferation during infection.

The EutQ and EutP proteins are novel acetate kinases involved in ethanolamine catabolism: physiological implications for the function of the ethanolamine metabolosome in Salmonella enterica.

Salmonella enterica catabolizes ethanolamine inside a compartment known as the metabolosome. The ethanolamine utilization (eut) operon of this bacterium encodes all functions needed for the assembly and function of this structure. To date, the roles of EutQ and EutP were not known. Herein we show that both proteins have acetate kinase activity and that EutQ is required during anoxic growth of S. enterica on ethanolamine and tetrathionate. EutP and EutQ-dependent ATP synthesis occurred when enzymes were incubated with ADP, Mg(II) ions and acetyl-phosphate. EutQ and EutP also synthesized acetyl-phosphate from ATP and acetate. Although EutP had acetate kinase activity, ΔeutP strains lacked discernible phenotypes under the conditions where ΔeutQ strains displayed clear phenotypes. The kinetic parameters indicate that EutP is a faster enzyme than EutQ. Our evidence supports the conclusion that EutQ and EutP represent novel classes of acetate kinases. We propose that EutQ is necessary to drive flux through the pathway under physiological conditions, preventing a buildup of acetaldehyde. We also suggest that ATP generated by these enzymes may be used as a substrate for EutT, the ATP-dependent corrinoid adenosyltransferase and for the EutA ethanolamine ammonia-lyase reactivase.

Probing reversible chemistry in coenzyme B12 -dependent ethanolamine ammonia lyase with kinetic isotope effects.

Coenzyme B12-dependent enzymes such as ethanolamine ammonia lyase have remarkable catalytic power and some unique properties that enable detailed analysis of the reaction chemistry and associated dynamics. By selectively deuterating the substrate (ethanolamine) and/or the β-carbon of the 5′-deoxyadenosyl moiety of the intrinsic coenzyme B12, it was possible to experimentally probe both the forward and reverse hydrogen atom transfers between the 5′-deoxyadenosyl radical and substrate during single-turnover stopped-flow measurements. These data are interpreted within the context of a kinetic model where the 5′-deoxyadenosyl radical intermediate may be quasi-stable and rearrangement of the substrate radical is essentially irreversible. Global fitting of these data allows estimation of the intrinsic rate constants associated with CoC homolysis and initial H-abstraction steps. In contrast to previous stopped-flow studies, the apparent kinetic isotope effects are found to be relatively small.

A Novel Pathway for Bacterial Ethanolamine Metabolism

Ethanolamine, a major component of the cell membranes of bacteria and animals in the form of phosphatidylethanolamine, can be a source of carbon and/or nitrogen for many bacterial species. The canonical model for bacterial ethanolamine utilization (eut) requires the adenosylcobalamin-dependent enzyme ethanolamine ammonia-lyase, which catalyzes the conversion of ethanolamine to ammonia and acetaldehyde for cellular nitrogen and carbon, respectively. Here, we report discovery and characterization of a novel pathway for bacterial ethanolamine metabolism in organisms that lack canonical eut genes. We use molecular docking, enzymology, microbiology, and mass spectrometry to delineate a four-enzyme pathway for ethanolamine catabolism that terminates in glycine, a source of cellular nitrogen. Initially, a gamma-glutamyl synthetase catalyzes the ATP-dependent condensation of ethanolamine with L-glutamate to form γ-glutamyl-ethanolamide. Oxidation of the hydroxyl group of γ-glutamyl-ethanolamide by an alcohol dehydrogenase and subsequent oxidation of the resulting aldehyde by an aldehyde dehydrogenase leads to formation of γ-glutamyl glycine. Finally, hydrolysis of the γ-glutamyl glycine peptide bond by an amidohydrolase yields L-glutamate and glycine, which is assimilated as a nitrogen source. Using the Enzyme Function Initiative Enzyme Similarity Tool (EFI-EST) and Genome Neighborhood Tool (EFI-GNT), we show that a diverse set of organisms ranging from the Actinobacteria to the Proteobacteria possess the genetic capability for non-eut ethanolamine metabolism, with multiple apparent instances of non-orthologous gene displacement (NOD) between different phyla. This research was supported by US National Institutes of Health grant U54GM093342.

Resolution and Characterization of Chemical Steps in Enzyme Catalytic Sequences by Using Low-Temperature and Time-Resolved, Full-Spectrum EPR Spectroscopy in Fluid Cryosolvent and Frozen Solution Systems.

Approaches to the resolution and characterization of individual chemical steps in enzyme catalytic sequences, by using temperatures in the cryogenic range of 190-250 K, and kinetics measured by time-resolved, full-spectrum electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy in fluid cryosolvent and frozen solution systems, are described. The preparation and performance of the adenosylcobalamin-dependent ethanolamine ammonia-lyase enzyme from Salmonella typhimurium in the two systems exemplifies the biochemical and spectroscopic methods. General advantages of low-temperature studies are (1) slowing of reaction steps, so that measurements can be made by using straightforward T-step kinetic methods and commercial instrumentation, (2) resolution of individual reaction steps, so that first-order kinetic analysis can be applied, and (3) accumulation of intermediates that are not detectable at room temperatures. The broad temperature range from room temperature to 190 K encompasses three regimes: (1) temperature-independent mean free energy surface (corresponding to native behavior); (2) the narrow temperature region of a glass-like transition in the protein, over which the free energy surface changes, revealing dependence of the native reaction on collective protein/solvent motions; and (3) the temperature range below the glass transition region, for which persistent reaction corresponds to nonnative, alternative reaction pathways, in the vicinity of the native configurational envelope. Representative outcomes of low-temperature kinetics studies are portrayed on Eyring and free energy surface (landscape) plots, and guidelines for interpretations are presented.

Regiospecific formation of cobamide isomers is directed by CobT.

Cobamides, which include vitamin B₁₂ (cobalamin), are a class of modified tetrapyrroles synthesized exclusively by prokaryotes that function as cofactors for diverse biological processes. Cobamides contain a centrally bound cobalt ion that coordinates to upper and lower axial ligands. The lower ligand is covalently linked to a phosphoribosyl moiety through an alpha-glycosidic bond formed by the CobT enzyme. CobT can catalyze the phosphoribosylation of a variety of substrates. We investigated the ability of CobT to act on either of two nitrogen atoms within a single, asymmetric benzimidazole substrate to form two isomeric riboside phosphate products. Reactions containing asymmetric benzimidazoles as substrates for homologues of CobT from different bacteria resulted in the production of distinct ratios of two isomeric products, with some CobT homologues favoring the production of a single isomer and others forming a mixture of products. These preferences were reflected in the production of cobamide isomers with lower ligands attached in different orientations, some of which are novel cobamides that have not been characterized previously. Two isomers of methoxybenzimidazolylcobamide were found to be unequal in their ability to support ethanolamine ammonia-lyase dependent growth in Salmonella enterica, suggesting that CobT's regiospecificity could be biologically important. We also observed differences in pKa, which can influence the reactivity of the cofactor and could contribute to these distinct biological activities. Relaxed regiospecificity was achieved by introducing a single point mutation in an active site residue of CobT. These new cobamide isomers could be used to probe the mechanisms of cobamide-dependent enzymes.

Catalytic roles of substrate-binding residues in coenzyme B12-dependent ethanolamine ammonia-lyase.

Ethanolamine ammonia-lyase (EAL) catalyzes the adenosylcobalamin-dependent conversion of ethanolamine to acetaldehyde and ammonia. 1-OH of the substrate is hydrogen-bonded with Gluα287, Argα160, and Asnα193 and 2-NH2 with Gluα287, Glnα162, and Aspα362. The active site somewhat resembles that of diol dehydratase. All five residues were important for the high-affinity binding of the substrate and for catalysis. The -COO(-) group at residue α287 was absolutely required for activity and coenzyme Co-C bond cleavage, and there was a spatially optimal position for it, suggesting that Gluα287 contributes to Co-C bond homolysis, stabilizes the transition state for the migration of NH2 from C2 to C1 through partial deprotonation of spectator OH, and functions as a base in the elimination of ammonia. A positive charge and/or the hydrogen bond at position α160 and the hydrogen bonds at positions α162 and α193 with the substrate are important for catalysis and for preventing a radical intermediate from undergoing side reactions. Argα160 would stabilize the trigonal transition state in NH2 migration by electrostatic catalysis and hydrogen bonding with spectator OH. Asnα193 would contribute to maintaining the appropriate position and direction of the guanidinium group of Argα160, as well. Hydrogen bond acceptors were necessary at position α162, but hydrogen bond donors were rather harmful. Glnα162 might stabilize the trigonal transition state by accepting a hydrogen bond from migrating NH3(+). The activity was very sensitive to the position of -COO(-) at α362. Aspα362 would assist Co-C bond homolysis indirectly and stabilize the trigonal transition state by accepting a hydrogen bond from migrating NH3(+) and electrostatic interaction.

Entropic origin of cobalt-carbon bond cleavage catalysis in adenosylcobalamin-dependent ethanolamine ammonia-lyase.

Adenosylcobalamin-dependent enzymes accelerate the cleavage of the cobalt-carbon (Co-C) bond of the bound coenzyme by >10(10)-fold. The cleavage-generated 5'-deoxyadenosyl radical initiates the catalytic cycle by abstracting a hydrogen atom from substrate. Kinetic coupling of the Co-C bond cleavage and hydrogen-atom-transfer steps at ambient temperatures has interfered with past experimental attempts to directly address the factors that govern Co-C bond cleavage catalysis. Here, we use time-resolved, full-spectrum electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, with temperature-step reaction initiation, starting from the enzyme-coenzyme-substrate ternary complex and (2)H-labeled substrate, to study radical pair generation in ethanolamine ammonia-lyase from Salmonella typhimurium at 234-248 K in a dimethylsulfoxide/water cryosolvent system. The monoexponential kinetics of formation of the (2)H- and (1)H-substituted substrate radicals are the same, indicating that Co-C bond cleavage rate-limits radical pair formation. Analysis of the kinetics by using a linear, three-state model allows extraction of the microscopic rate constant for Co-C bond cleavage. Eyring analysis reveals that the activation enthalpy for Co-C bond cleavage is 32 ± 1 kcal/mol, which is the same as for the cleavage reaction in solution. The origin of Co-C bond cleavage catalysis in the enzyme is, therefore, the large, favorable activation entropy of 61 ± 6 cal/(mol·K) (relative to 7 ± 1 cal/(mol·K) in solution). This represents a paradigm shift from traditional, enthalpy-based mechanisms that have been proposed for Co-C bond-breaking in B12 enzymes. The catalysis is proposed to arise from an increase in protein configurational entropy along the reaction coordinate.

Biological production of monoethanolamine by engineered Pseudomonas putida S12

Pseudomonas putida S12 was engineered for the production of monoethanolamine (MEA) from glucose via the decarboxylation of the central metabolite l-serine, which is catalyzed by the enzyme l-serine decarboxylase (SDC).The host was first evaluated for its tolerance towards MEA as well as its endogenous ability to degrade this alkanolamine. Growth inhibition was observed at MEA concentrations above 100mM, but growth was never completely arrested even at 750mM of MEA. P. putida S12 was able to catabolize MEA in the absence of ammonia, but deletion of the eutBC genes that encode ethanolamine ammonia-lyase (EAL) enzyme sufficed to eliminate this capacity.For the biological production of MEA, the sdc genes from Arabidopsis thaliana (full-length and a truncated version) and Volvox carteri were expressed in P. putida S12. From 20mM of glucose, negligible amounts of MEA were produced by P. putida S12 ΔeutBC expressing the sdc genes from A. thaliana and V. carteri. However, 0.07mmol of MEA was obtained per g of cell dry weight of P. putida S12 ΔeutBC expressing the truncated variant of the A. thaliana SDC. When the medium was supplemented with l-serine (30mM), MEA production increased to 1.25mmolMEAg−1 CDW, demonstrating that l-serine availability was limiting MEA production.

Cobinamide production of hydrogen in a homogeneous aqueous photochemical system, and assembly and photoreduction in a (βα)8 protein.

Components of a protein-integrated, earth-abundant metal macrocycle catalyst, with the purpose of H2 production from aqueous protons under green conditions, are characterized. The cobalt-corrin complex, cobinamide, is demonstrated to produce H2 (4.4±1.8×10(-3) turnover number per hour) in a homogeneous, photosensitizer/sacrificial electron donor system in pure water at neutral pH. Turnover is proposed to be limited by the relatively low population of the gateway cobalt(III) hydride species. A heterolytic mechanism for H2 production from the cobalt(II) hydride is proposed. Two essential requirements for assembly of a functional protein-catalyst complex are demonstrated for interaction of cobinamide with the (βα)8 TIM barrel protein, EutB, from the adenosylcobalamin-dependent ethanolamine ammonia lyase from Salmonella typhimurium: (1) high-affinity equilibrium binding of the cobinamide (dissociation constant 2.1×10(-7)M) and (2) in situ photoreduction of the cobinamide-protein complex to the Co(I) state. Molecular modeling of the cobinamide-EutB interaction shows that these features arise from specific hydrogen-bond and apolar interactions of the protein with the alkylamide substituents and the ring of the corrin, and accessibility of the binding site to the solution. The results establish cobinamide-EutB as a platform for design and engineering of a robust H2 production metallocatalyst that operates under green conditions and uses the advantages of the protein as a tunable medium and material support.

Evidence that a Metabolic Microcompartment Contains and Recycles Private Cofactor Pools

Microcompartments are loose protein cages that encapsulate enzymes for particular bacterial metabolic pathways. These structures are thought to retain and perhaps concentrate pools of small, uncharged intermediates that would otherwise diffuse from the cell. In Salmonella enterica, a microcompartment encloses enzymes for ethanolamine catabolism. The cage has been thought to retain the volatile intermediate acetaldehyde but allow diffusion of the much larger cofactors NAD and coenzyme A (CoA). Genetic tests support an alternative idea that the microcompartment contains and recycles private pools of the large cofactors NAD and CoA. Two central enzymes convert ethanolamine to acetaldehyde (EutBC) and then to acetyl-CoA (EutE). Two seemingly peripheral redundant enzymes encoded by the eut operon proved to be essential for ethanolamine utilization, when subjected to sufficiently stringent tests. These are EutD (acetyl-CoA to acetyl phosphate) and EutG (acetaldehyde to ethanol). Obligatory recycling of cofactors couples the three reactions and drives acetaldehyde consumption. Loss and toxic effects of acetaldehyde are minimized by accelerating its consumption. In a eutD mutant, acetyl-CoA cannot escape the compartment but is released by mutations that disrupt the structure. The model predicts that EutBC (ethanolamine-ammonia lyase) lies outside the compartment, using external coenzyme B12 and injecting its product, acetaldehyde, into the lumen, where it is degraded by the EutE, EutD, and EutG enzymes using private pools of CoA and NAD. The compartment appears to allow free diffusion of the intermediates ethanol and acetyl-PO4 but (to our great surprise) restricts diffusion of acetaldehyde.

The Structural Model of Salmonella typhimurium Ethanolamine Ammonia-Lyase Directs a Rational Approach to the Assembly of the Functional [(EutB–EutC)2]3 Oligomer from Isolated Subunits

Ethanolamine ammonia-lyase (EAL) is a 5'-deoxyadenosylcobalamin-dependent bacterial enzyme that catalyzes the deamination of the short-chain vicinal amino alcohols, aminoethanol and (S)- and (R)-2-aminopropanol. The coding sequence for EAL is located within the 17-gene eut operon, which encodes the broad spectrum of proteins that comprise the ethanolamine utilization (eut) metabolosome suborganelle structure. A high-resolution structure of the ∼500 kDa EAL [(EutB-EutC)₂]₃ oligomer from Escherichia coli has been determined by X-ray crystallography, but high-resolution spectroscopic determinations of reactant intermediate-state structures and detailed kinetic and thermodynamic studies of EAL have been conducted for the Salmonella typhimurium enzyme. Therefore, a statistically robust homology model for the S. typhimurium EAL is constructed from the E. coli structure. The model structure is used to describe the hierarchy of EutB and EutC subunit interactions that construct the native EAL oligomer and, specifically, to address the long-standing challenge of reconstitution of the functional oligomer from isolated, purified subunits. Model prediction that the (EutB₂)₃ oligomer assembly will occur from isolated EutB, and that this hexameric structure will template the formation of the complete, native [(EutB-EutC)₂]₃ oligomer, is verified by biochemical methods. Prediction that cysteine residues on the exposed subunit-subunit contact surfaces of isolated EutB and EutC will interfere with assembly by cystine formation is verified by activating effects of disulfide reducing agents. Angstrom-scale congruence of the reconstituted and native EAL in the active site region is shown by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Overall, the hierarchy of subunit interactions and microscopic features of the contact surfaces, which are revealed by the homology model, guide and provide a rationale for a refined genetic and biochemical approach to reconstitution of the functional [(EutB-EutC)₂]₃ EAL oligomer. The results establish a platform for further advances in understanding the molecular mechanism of EAL catalysis and for insights into therapy-targeted manipulation of the bacterial eut metabolosome.

Converging on a mechanism for choline degradation

In PNAS, Craciun and Balskus (1) combine biochemical intuition with modern genome mining techniques to discover the elusive enzyme responsible for catalyzing the degradation of choline ( 1 , Scheme 1). Choline is an essential nutrient in higher organisms that is required for the biosynthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and the head group of several phospholipids, and that serves as a source of the methyl groups for methionine and S -adenosylmethionine (2). In humans and other mammals, choline is catabolized to trimethylamine (TMA; 2 , Scheme 1) by symbiotic gut microbes, and irregularities in choline and TMA metabolism have been linked to liver and cardiovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, and deficiencies in fetal brain development (3⇓–5). TMA derived from choline is also a substrate for methanogenesis by marine microorganisms and, as such, contributes to global production of the greenhouse gas methane. Scheme 1. Mechanistic similarities in the catabolism of choline, ethanolamine, and glycerol; in each case, the bonds highlighted in red are cleaved by enzyme-mediated radical chemistry that results in a 1,2-migration. Scheme 2. Putative chemical mechanism of ethanolamine degradation by the adenosylcobalamin-dependent enzyme, ethanolamine ammonia lyase (EAL). To identify the unknown choline degrading enzyme, which has eluded researchers for more than a century, the authors postulated that the conversion of choline to TMA and acetaldehyde ( 3 , Scheme 1) may share mechanistic similarities to the well-studied catabolism of ethanolamine ( 4 , Scheme 1) to ammonia and acetaldehyde by bacterial enzymes encoded in the ethanolamine utilization ( eut ) gene cluster (6⇓–8). In ethanolamine degradation, C-N bond cleavage is carried out by the adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl)-dependent enzyme, ethanolamine ammonia lyase (EAL), encoded by the eutBC genes (6). After the EAL-catalyzed cleavage of the C-N bond of … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: vddonk{at}illinois.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1

Ethanolamine utilization in Vibrio alginolyticus

Ethanolamine is used as an energy source by phylogenetically diverse bacteria including pathogens, by the concerted action of proteins from the eut-operon. Previous studies have revealed the presence of eutBC genes encoding ethanolamine-ammonia lyase, a key enzyme that breaks ethanolamine into acetaldehyde and ammonia, in about 100 bacterial genomes including members of gamma-proteobacteria. However, ethanolamine utilization has not been reported for any member of the Vibrio genus. Our comparative genomics study reveals the presence of genes that are involved in ethanolamine utilization in several Vibrio species. Using Vibrio alginolyticus as a model system we demonstrate that ethanolamine is better utilized as a nitrogen source than as a carbon source.ReviewersThis article was reviewed by Dr. Lakshminarayan Iyer and Dr. Vivek Anantharaman (nominated by Dr. L Aravind).

Protein Motions Are Coupled to the Reaction Chemistry in Coenzyme B12‐Dependent Ethanolamine Ammonia Lyase

The role of protein dynamics in promoting catalysis is hotly debated. Infrared data from both ultrafast flash photolysis and stopped-flow studies show that not only does there appear to be vibrational coupling between the cofactor and protein in B12-dependent ethanolamine ammonia lyase, but also that there are significant protein motions coupled to the reaction that follows substrate binding (see picture).