Publications

• Crystal structure and reactivity of YbdL from Escherichia coli identify a methionine aminotransferase function.

  Dolzan M., Johansson K., Roig-Zamboni V., Campanacci V., Tegoni M., Schneider G., Cambillau C.

  The ybdL gene of Escherichia coli codes for a protein of unknown function. Sequence analysis showed moderate homology to several vitamin B(6) dependent enzymes, suggesting that it may bind pyridoxal-5'-phosphate. The structure analysis of YbdL to 2.35 A resolution by protein crystallography verifi ... >> More

  The ybdL gene of Escherichia coli codes for a protein of unknown function. Sequence analysis showed moderate homology to several vitamin B(6) dependent enzymes, suggesting that it may bind pyridoxal-5'-phosphate. The structure analysis of YbdL to 2.35 A resolution by protein crystallography verifies that it is a PLP dependent enzyme of fold type I, the typical aspartate aminotransferase fold. The active site contains a bound pyridoxal-5'-phosphate, covalently attached to the conserved active site lysine residue Lys236. The pattern of conserved amino acids in the putative substrate binding pocket of the enzyme reveals that it is most closely related to a hyperthermophilic aromatic residue aminotransferase from the archeon Pyrococcus horikoshii. Activity tests with 10 amino acids as amino-donors reveal, however, a preference for Met, followed by His and Phe, results which can be rationalized by modelization studies. << Less

  FEBS Lett. 571:141-146(2004) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• Tyrosine aminotransferase catalyzes the final step of methionine recycling in Klebsiella pneumoniae.

  Heilbronn J., Wilson J., Berger B.J.

  An aminotransferase which catalyzes the final step in methionine recycling from methylthioadenosine, the conversion of alpha-ketomethiobutyrate to methionine, has been purified from Klebsiella pneumoniae and characterized. The enzyme was found to be a homodimer of 45-kDa subunits, and it catalyzed ... >> More

  An aminotransferase which catalyzes the final step in methionine recycling from methylthioadenosine, the conversion of alpha-ketomethiobutyrate to methionine, has been purified from Klebsiella pneumoniae and characterized. The enzyme was found to be a homodimer of 45-kDa subunits, and it catalyzed methionine formation primarily using aromatic amino acids and glutamate as the amino donors. Histidine, leucine, asparagine, and arginine were also functional amino donors but to a lesser extent. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the enzyme was determined and found to be almost identical to the N-terminal sequence of both the Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium tyrosine aminotransferases (tyrB gene products). The structural gene for the tyrosine aminotransferase was cloned from K. pneumoniae and expressed in E. coli. The deduced amino acid sequence displayed 83, 80, 38, and 34% identity to the tyrosine aminotransferases from E. coli, S. typhimurium, Paracoccus denitrificans, and Rhizobium meliloti, respectively, but it showed less than 13% identity to any characterized eukaryotic tyrosine aminotransferase. Structural motifs around key invariant residues placed the K. pneumoniae enzyme within the Ia subfamily of aminotransferases. Kinetic analysis of the aminotransferase showed that reactions of an aromatic amino acid with alpha-ketomethiobutyrate and of glutamate with alpha-ketomethiobutyrate proceed as favorably as the well-known reactions of tyrosine with alpha-ketoglutarate and tyrosine with oxaloacetate normally associated with tyrosine aminotransferases. The aminotransferase was inhibited by the aminooxy compounds canaline and carboxymethoxylamine but not by substrate analogues, such as nitrotyrosine or nitrophenylalanine. << Less

  J. Bacteriol. 181:1739-1747(1999) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 2 other entries.

• Branched-chain aminotransferase4 is part of the chain elongation pathway in the biosynthesis of methionine-derived glucosinolates in Arabidopsis.

  Schuster J., Knill T., Reichelt M., Gershenzon J., Binder S.

  As part of our analysis of branched-chain amino acid metabolism in plants, we analyzed the function of Arabidopsis thaliana BRANCHED-CHAIN AMINOTRANSFERASE4 (BCAT4). Recombinant BCAT4 showed high efficiency with Met and its derivatives and the corresponding 2-oxo acids, suggesting its participatio ... >> More

  As part of our analysis of branched-chain amino acid metabolism in plants, we analyzed the function of Arabidopsis thaliana BRANCHED-CHAIN AMINOTRANSFERASE4 (BCAT4). Recombinant BCAT4 showed high efficiency with Met and its derivatives and the corresponding 2-oxo acids, suggesting its participation in the chain elongation pathway of Met-derived glucosinolate biosynthesis. This was substantiated by in vivo analysis of two BCAT4 T-DNA knockout mutants, in which Met-derived aliphatic glucosinolate accumulation is reduced by approximately 50%. The increase in free Met and S-methylmethionine levels in these mutants, together with in vitro substrate specificity, strongly implicate BCAT4 in catalysis of the initial deamination of Met to 4-methylthio-2-oxobutyrate. BCAT4 transcription is induced by wounding and is predominantly observed in the phloem. BCAT4 transcript accumulation also follows a diurnal rhythm, and green fluorescent protein tagging experiments and subcellular protein fractions show that BCAT4 is located in the cytosol. The assignment of BCAT4 to the Met chain elongation pathway documents the close evolutionary relationship of this pathway to Leu biosynthesis. In addition to BCAT4, the enzyme methylthioalkylmalate synthase 1 has been recruited for the Met chain elongation pathway from a gene family involved in Leu formation. This suggests that the two pathways have a common evolutionary origin. << Less

  Plant Cell 18:2664-2679(2006) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]