Structural and biochemical investigation of two Arabidopsis shikimate kinases: the heat-inducible isoform is thermostable.

ABSTRACT: The expression of plant shikimate kinase (SK; EC 2.7.1.71), an intermediate step in the shikimate pathway to aromatic amino acid biosynthesis, is induced under specific conditions of environmental stress and developmental requirements in an isoform-specific manner. Despite their important physiological role, experimental structures of plant SKs have not been determined and the biochemical nature of plant SK regulation is unknown. The Arabidopsis thaliana genome encodes two SKs, AtSK1 and AtSK2. We demonstrate that AtSK2 is highly unstable and becomes inactivated at 37 °C whereas the heat-induced isoform, AtSK1, is thermostable and fully active under identical conditions at this temperature. We determined the crystal structure of AtSK2, the first SK structure from the plant kingdom, and con

SUBMITTER: Fucile G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3149186 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature