Tryptophan Synthase Complexes: Evolution, Substrate Specificity, and Quaternary Structure
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Tryptophan Synthase Complexes: Evolution, Substrate Specificity, and Quaternary Structure DISSERTATION ZUR ERLANGUNG DES DOKTORGRADES DER NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN (DR. RER. NAT.) DER FAKULTÄT FÜR BIOLOGIE UND VORKLINISCHE MEDIZIN DER UNIVERSITÄT REGENSBURG vorgelegt von Florian Busch aus Kösching im Jahr 2015 Das Promotionsgesuch wurde eingereicht am: 29.5.2015 Die Arbeit wurde angeleitet von: Prof. Dr. Reinhard Sterner Unterschrift: This work was done in the period from November 2010 to May 2015 in the group of Prof. Dr. Reinhard Sterner (Biochemistry II, Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg). ‘It is apparent that our knowledge of the structure and function of this enzyme [the tryptophan synthase complex] is providing a glimpse of the sophistication that is feasible in natural protein design.’ Edith Miles TABLE OF CONTENTS I TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................... I LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................... V LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................... VII FORMULA INDEX .................................................................................................. VIII LIST OF COMMON USED ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................... IX PREFACE ................................................................................................................... 1 1 EVOLUTION OF THE PERMANENT TS ............................................................... 2 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 2 1.1.1 The heterotetrameric tryptophan synthase complex.......................................... 2 1.1.2 Catalyzed reactions ........................................................................................... 2 1.1.3 The reaction at the α-subunit ............................................................................. 3 1.1.4 The reaction at the β-subunit ............................................................................. 3 1.1.5 Subunits and subunit assembly ......................................................................... 4 1.1.6 Allostery within the TS ....................................................................................... 5 1.1.7 The TS as model system ................................................................................... 9 1.1.8 Ancestral protein reconstruction ...................................................................... 10 1.2 Remarks ....................................................................................................................... 10 1.3 Significance of this work ............................................................................................ 10 1.4 Results and discussion .............................................................................................. 12 1.4.1 Reconstruction of an ancient LCA TS.............................................................. 12 1.4.2 Cloning of LCA subunits .................................................................................. 13 1.4.3 Expression and purification of LCA subunits ................................................... 14 1.4.4 Structural integrity, thermal stability, and activity of LCA subunits .................. 15 1.4.5 Subunit assembly and activity of subunits within the LCA TS ......................... 17 1.4.6 Impairment of the β-reaction within the LCA TS .............................................. 20 1.4.7 Allosteric communication within the LCA TS ................................................... 23 1.4.8 Substrate channeling within the LCA TS ......................................................... 24 1.5 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 26 1.6 Ongoing research and future work ........................................................................... 28 2 SUBSTRATE SPECIFICITY OF β-SUBUNIT HOMOLOGS ............................... 29 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 29 2.1.1 Phylogenetic analysis of the TrpB enzyme family ........................................... 29 2.1.2 Abundance and properties of TrpB2 enzymes ................................................ 30 2.1.3 Hypothesis on the function of TrpB2 enzymes ................................................ 31 2.2 Remarks ....................................................................................................................... 31 2.3 Significance of this work ............................................................................................ 31 2.4 Results and discussion .............................................................................................. 33 2.4.1 Phylogenetic distribution of TrpB1 and TrpB2 enzymes .................................. 33 2.4.2 Comparison of conserved residues in TrpB1 and TrpB2 enzymes ................. 34 2.4.3 Cloning of TrpB1 and TrpB2 enzymes............................................................. 35 2.4.4 Expression and purification of TrpB1 and TrpB2 enzymes.............................. 36 2.4.5 Screen for the synthesis of β-substituted tryptophans ..................................... 37 2.4.6 Screen for the synthesis of tryptophan ............................................................ 38 II TABLE OF CONTENTS 2.4.7 Crystallization of ssTrpB2a .............................................................................. 40 2.4.8 Structure of ssTrpB2a with bound OPS ........................................................... 41 2.4.9 Cloning of TrpB2 variants ................................................................................ 43 2.4.10 Expression and purification of TrpB2 variants ................................................. 44 2.4.11 Binding properties of TrpB2 variants ................................................................ 44 2.4.12 Divergent evolution in the cystein synthase family .......................................... 45 2.5 Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 46 3 THE QUATERNARY STRUCTURE OF TRANSIENT TS ................................... 48 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 48 3.1.1 Structure of the permanent TS ......................................................................... 48 3.1.2 Structure of the transient TS ............................................................................ 49 3.1.3 The non-interacting enzyme ssTrpB2a ............................................................ 50 3.2 Remarks ....................................................................................................................... 50 3.3 Significance of this work ............................................................................................ 50 3.4 Results and discussion .............................................................................................. 52 3.4.1 Cloning of subunits of a transient and a permanent TS ................................... 52 3.4.2 Expression and purification of subunits of a transient and a permanent TS .... 52 3.4.3 Influence of different ligands on the transient TS ............................................. 53 3.4.4 Channeling within the transient TS .................................................................. 55 3.4.5 Phylogenetic analysis of the TrpA enzyme family ............................................ 62 3.4.6 Cloning of tvTrpA2* and tvTrpB2a ................................................................... 63 3.4.7 Expression and purification of tvTrpA2* and tvTrpB2a .................................... 63 3.4.8 Activity of tvTrpA2* and tvTrpB2a .................................................................... 64 3.4.9 Probing the formation of a transient TS ........................................................... 65 3.4.10 Specificity of the subunit interaction within transient TS .................................. 67 3.4.11 Identification of a common interface within transient TS .................................. 68 3.4.12 Cloning of chimera TrpB2 proteins .................................................................. 69 3.4.13 Expression and purification of chimera TrpB2 proteins ................................... 70 3.4.14 Structural integrity, thermal stability, and activity of chimera TrpB2 proteins ... 71 3.4.15 Analysis of chimera TrpB2 proteins for their ability to form a transient TS ...... 73 3.5 Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 74 IMPLICATION FOR TS EVOLUTION....................................................................... 77 4 SUMMARY .......................................................................................................... 79 5 ZUSAMMENFASSUNG ...................................................................................... 82 6 MATERIALS ....................................................................................................... 85 6.1 Instrumentation ..........................................................................................................