Bacteria at Work - Experimental and Theoretical Studies Reveal the Catalytic Mechanism of Ectoine Synthase
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2023_EctC_qmmm_rev_21_01_24.pdf (2.46 MB)
Date
2024-01-22
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Wiley
Abstract
Ectoine synthase (EctC) catalyses the ultimate step of ectoine biosynthesis, a kosmotropic compound produced as compatible solute by many bacteria and some archaea or eukaryotes. EctC is an Fe2+-dependent homodimeric cytoplasmic protein. Using Mössbauer spectroscopy, molecular dynamics simulations and QM/MM calculations, we determined the most likely coordination number and geometry of the Fe2+ ion and proposed a mechanism of the EctC-catalysed reaction. Most notably, we show that apart from the three amino acids binding to the iron ion (Glu-57, Tyr-84 and His-92), one water molecule and one hydroxide ion are required as additional ligands for the reaction to occur. They fill the first coordination sphere of the Fe2+-cofactor and act as critical proton donors and acceptors during the cyclization reaction.
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Citation
Chem. Eur. J. 2024, e202304163. https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202304163