3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase intermediate complex observed in "real-time".

ABSTRACT: The formation of carbon-carbon bonds via an acyl-enzyme intermediate plays a central role in fatty acid, polyketide, and isoprenoid biosynthesis. Uniquely among condensing enzymes, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl (HMG)-CoA synthase (HMGS) catalyzes the formation of a carbon-carbon bond by activating the methyl group of an acetylated cysteine. This reaction is essential in Gram-positive bacteria, and represents the first committed step in human cholesterol biosynthesis. Reaction kinetics, isotope exchange, and mass spectroscopy suggest surprisingly that HMGS is able to catalyze the "backwards" reaction in solution, where HMG-CoA is cleaved to form acetoacetyl-CoA (AcAc-CoA) and acetate. Here, we trap a complex of acetylated HMGS from Staphylococcus aureus and bound acetoacetyl-CoA by cryo-coolin

SUBMITTER: Theisen MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC534525 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature