Publications

• Structure of FAD-bound L-aspartate oxidase: insight into substrate specificity and catalysis.

  Bossi R.T., Negri A., Tedeschi G., Mattevi A.

  L-Aspartate oxidase (Laspo) catalyzes the conversion of L-Asp to iminoaspartate, the first step in the de novo biosynthesis of NAD(+). This bacterial pathway represents a potential drug target since it is absent in mammals. The Laspo R386L mutant was crystallized in the FAD-bound catalytically com ... >> More

  L-Aspartate oxidase (Laspo) catalyzes the conversion of L-Asp to iminoaspartate, the first step in the de novo biosynthesis of NAD(+). This bacterial pathway represents a potential drug target since it is absent in mammals. The Laspo R386L mutant was crystallized in the FAD-bound catalytically competent form and its three-dimensional structure determined at 2.5 A resolution in both the native state and in complex with succinate. Comparison of the R386L holoprotein with the wild-type apoenzyme [Mattevi, A., Tedeschi, G., Bacchella, L., Coda, A., Negri, A., and Ronchi, S. (1999) Structure 7, 745-756] reveals that cofactor incorporation leads to the ordering of two polypeptide segments (residues 44-53 and 104-141) and to a 27 degree rotation of the capping domain. This motion results in the formation of the active site cavity, located at the interface between the capping domain and the FAD-binding domain. The structure of the succinate complex indicates that the cavity surface is decorated by two clusters of H-bond donors that anchor the ligand carboxylates. Moreover, Glu121, which is strictly conserved among Laspo sequences, is positioned to interact with the L-Asp alpha-amino group. The architecture of the active site of the Laspo holoenzyme is remarkably similar to that of respiratory fumarate reductases, providing strong evidence for a common mechanism of catalysis in Laspo and flavoproteins of the succinate dehydrogenase/fumarate reductase family. This implies that Laspo is mechanistically distinct from other flavin-dependent amino acid oxidases, such as the prototypical D-amino acid oxidase. << Less

  Biochemistry 41:3018-3024(2002) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 1 other entry.

• Mechanistic characterization of Escherichia coli L-aspartate oxidase from kinetic isotope effects.

  Chow C., Hegde S., Blanchard J.S.

  l-Aspartate oxidase, encoded by the nadB gene, is the first enzyme in the de novo synthesis of NAD⁺ in bacteria. This FAD-dependent enzyme catalyzes the oxidation of l-aspartate to generate iminoaspartate and reduced flavin. Distinct from most amino acid oxidases, it can use either mole ... >> More

  l-Aspartate oxidase, encoded by the nadB gene, is the first enzyme in the de novo synthesis of NAD⁺ in bacteria. This FAD-dependent enzyme catalyzes the oxidation of l-aspartate to generate iminoaspartate and reduced flavin. Distinct from most amino acid oxidases, it can use either molecular oxygen or fumarate to reoxidize the reduced enzyme. Sequence alignments and the three-dimensional crystal structure have revealed that the overall fold and catalytic residues of NadB closely resemble those of the succinate dehydrogenase/fumarate reductase family rather than those of the prototypical d-amino acid oxidases. This suggests that the enzyme can catalyze amino acid oxidation via typical amino acid oxidase chemistry, involving the removal of protons from the α-amino group and the transfer of the hydride from C2, or potentially deprotonation at C3 followed by transfer of the hydride from C2, similar to chemistry occurring during succinate oxidation. We have investigated this potential mechanistic ambiguity using a combination of primary, solvent, and multiple deuterium kinetic isotope effects in steady state experiments. Our results indicate that the chemistry is similar to that of typical amino acid oxidases in which the transfer of the hydride from C2 of l-aspartate to FAD is rate-limiting and occurs in a concerted manner with respect to deprotonation of the α-amine. Together with previous kinetic and structural data, we propose that NadB has structurally evolved from succinate dehydrogenase/fumarate reductase-type enzymes to gain the new functionality of oxidizing amino acids while retaining the ability to reduce fumarate. << Less

  Biochemistry 56:4044-4052(2017) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 1 other entry.

• L-aspartate oxidase from Escherichia coli. I. Characterization of coenzyme binding and product inhibition.

  Mortarino M., Negri A., Tedeschi G., Simonic T., Duga S., Gassen H.G., Ronchi S.

  This paper reports the biochemical characterization of the flavoprotein L-aspartate oxidase from Escherichia coli. Modification of a previously published procedure allowed overexpression of the holoenzyme in an unproteolysed form. L-Aspartate oxidase is a monomer of 60 kDa containing 1 mol of nonc ... >> More

  This paper reports the biochemical characterization of the flavoprotein L-aspartate oxidase from Escherichia coli. Modification of a previously published procedure allowed overexpression of the holoenzyme in an unproteolysed form. L-Aspartate oxidase is a monomer of 60 kDa containing 1 mol of noncovalently bound FAD/mol protein. A polarographic and two spectrophotometric coupled assays have been set up to monitor the enzymatic activity continuously. L-Aspartate oxidase was subjected to product inhibition since iminoaspartate, which results from the oxidation of L-aspartate, binds to the enzyme with a dissociation constant (Kd) equal to 1.4 microM. The enzyme binds FAD by a simple second-order process with Kd 0.67 microM. Site-directed mutagenesis of the residues E43, G44, S45, F47 and Y48 located in the putative binding site of the isoallossazinic portion of FAD reduces the affinity for the coenzyme. << Less

  Eur. J. Biochem. 239:418-426(1996) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• Structure of L-aspartate oxidase: implications for the succinate dehydrogenase/fumarate reductase oxidoreductase family.

  Mattevi A., Tedeschi G., Bacchella L., Coda A., Negri A., Ronchi S.

  <h4>Background</h4>Given the vital role of NAD+ in cell metabolism, the enzymes involved in bacterial de novo NAD+ biosynthesis are possible targets for drug design against pathogenic bacteria. The first reaction in the pathway is catalysed by L-aspartate oxidase (LASPO), a flavoenzyme that conver ... >> More

  <h4>Background</h4>Given the vital role of NAD+ in cell metabolism, the enzymes involved in bacterial de novo NAD+ biosynthesis are possible targets for drug design against pathogenic bacteria. The first reaction in the pathway is catalysed by L-aspartate oxidase (LASPO), a flavoenzyme that converts aspartate to iminoaspartate using either molecular oxygen or fumarate as electron acceptors. LASPO has considerable sequence homology with the flavoprotein subunits of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and fumarate reductase (FRD).<h4>Results</h4>The crystal structure of the apoform of LASPO from Escherichia coli has been determined to 2.2 A resolution. The enzyme shows a novel fold for an FAD-dependent protein, comprising a three-domain structure: an FAD-binding domain with the dinucleotide-binding fold, a C-terminal three-helical bundle domain, and an alpha + beta capping domain, which is topologically similar to the small subunit of spinach ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase. The interface between the FAD-binding and capping domains defines a cleft in which the active site is located.<h4>Conclusions</h4>A number of strictly conserved residues present in all three domains indicate that LASPO, SDH and FRD share the same overall folding topology. Many of these conserved residues are in the FAD-binding site and active centre, suggesting a similar catalytic mechanism. Thus, LASPO, SDH and FRD form a class of functionally and structurally related oxidoreductases that are all able to reduce fumarate and to oxidise a dicarboxylate substrate. << Less

  Structure 7:745-756(1999) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• L-Aspartate oxidase, a newly discovered enzyme of Escherichia coli, is the B protein of quinolinate synthetase.

  Nasu S., Wicks F.D., Gholson R.K.

  In Escherichia coli, quinolinic acid, a precursor of NAD+, is synthesized from L-aspartate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate. This synthesis requires two enzymes, a FAD-containing "B protein" and an "A protein." The B protein has been purified 500-fold from E. coli cells. The enzyme behaves as an L-a ... >> More

  In Escherichia coli, quinolinic acid, a precursor of NAD+, is synthesized from L-aspartate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate. This synthesis requires two enzymes, a FAD-containing "B protein" and an "A protein." The B protein has been purified 500-fold from E. coli cells. The enzyme behaves as an L-aspartate oxidase. In the absence of A protein, it converts L-aspartate to oxaloacetate. To our knowledge, no enzyme with this activity has been described previously. The enzyme displays some unusual properties. In its role as B protein in quinolinic acid synthetase, product formation (quinolinic acid) is linear with protein concentration; however, when it functions as an L-aspartate oxidase, product formation (oxaloacetate) is a parabolic function of protein concentration. The L-aspartate oxidase activity also shows marked substrate activation at substrate concentrations above 1.0 mM. The L-aspartate oxidase and B protein activities of the enzyme are inhibited by NAD+, which is competitive with FAD. The immediate reaction product of the enzyme has the same characteristics (rate of decay to oxaloacetate, and condensation with dihydroxyacetone phosphate to form quinolinate) as the unstable reaction product (iminoaspartate) formed from D-aspartate oxidase. A reaction mechanism for the A protein-catalyzed condensation of dihydroxyacetone phosphate and iminoaspartate to form quinolinate is presented. << Less

  J. Biol. Chem. 257:626-632(1982) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• L-aspartate oxidase from Escherichia coli. II. Interaction with C4 dicarboxylic acids and identification of a novel L-aspartate: fumarate oxidoreductase activity.

  Tedeschi G., Negri A., Mortarino M., Ceciliani F., Simonic T., Faotto L., Ronchi S.

  L-Aspartate oxidase is a monomeric flavoprotein that catalyzes the first step in the de novo biosynthetic pathway for pyridine nucleotide formation under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. In spite of the physiological importance of this biosynthesis in particular in facultative aerobic organi ... >> More

  L-Aspartate oxidase is a monomeric flavoprotein that catalyzes the first step in the de novo biosynthetic pathway for pyridine nucleotide formation under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. In spite of the physiological importance of this biosynthesis in particular in facultative aerobic organisms, such as Escherichia coli, little is known about the electron acceptor of reduced L-aspartate oxidase in the absence of oxygen. In this report, evidence is presented which suggests that in vitro fumarate can play such a role. L-Aspartate oxidase binds succinate and fumarate with Kd values of 0.24 mM and 0.22 mM, respectively. A competitive behaviour was observed for these two dicarboxylic acids towards iminoaspartate and sulfite ions. Photoreduction experiments suggest that fumarate and succinate bind at or close to the active site of the molecule. A new fumarate reductase activity of L-aspartate oxidase is reported using benzylviologen or L-aspartate as reductants and fumarate as oxidant. Steady-state kinetics for the oxidase and the fumarate reductase activity of L-aspartate oxidase were obtained using either fumarate or oxygen as electron acceptor and L-aspartate as electron donor. Finally, succinate was identified as the product of the L-aspartate:fumarate oxidoreductase activity using radiolabeled fumarate under anaerobic conditions. The results suggest that fumarate can be a valuable alternative to oxygen as a substrate for L-aspartate oxidase. << Less

  Eur. J. Biochem. 239:427-433(1996) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 1 other entry.

• Early steps in the biosynthesis of NAD in Arabidopsis start with aspartate and occur in the plastid.

  Katoh A., Uenohara K., Akita M., Hashimoto T.

  NAD is a ubiquitous coenzyme involved in oxidation-reduction reactions and is synthesized by way of quinolinate. Animals and some bacteria synthesize quinolinate from tryptophan, whereas other bacteria synthesize quinolinate from aspartate (Asp) using L-Asp oxidase and quinolinate synthase. We sho ... >> More

  NAD is a ubiquitous coenzyme involved in oxidation-reduction reactions and is synthesized by way of quinolinate. Animals and some bacteria synthesize quinolinate from tryptophan, whereas other bacteria synthesize quinolinate from aspartate (Asp) using L-Asp oxidase and quinolinate synthase. We show here that Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) uses the Asp-to-quinolinate pathway. The Arabidopsis L-Asp oxidase or quinolinate synthase gene complemented the Escherichia coli mutant defective in the corresponding gene, and T-DNA-based disruption of either of these genes, as well as of the gene coding for the enzyme quinolinate phosphoribosyltransferase, was embryo lethal. An analysis of functional green fluorescent protein-fused constructs and in vitro assays of uptake into isolated chloroplasts demonstrated that these three enzymes are located in the plastid. << Less

  Plant Physiol. 141:851-857(2006) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]