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Identification of an Intermediate Species along the Nitrile Hydratase Reaction Pathway by EPR Spectroscopy.

ABSTRACT: A new method to trap catalytic intermediate species was employed with Fe-type nitrile hydratase from Rhodococcus equi TG328-2 (ReNHase). ReNHase was incubated with substrates in a 23% (w/w) NaCl/H₂O eutectic system that remained liquid at -20 °C, thereby permitting the observation of transient species that were present at electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR)-detectable levels in samples frozen while in the steady state. Fe^III-EPR signals from the resting enzyme were unaffected by the presence of 23% NaCl, and the catalytic activity was ∼55% that in the absence of NaCl at the optimum pH of 7.5. The reaction of ReNHase in the eutectic system at -20 °C with the substrates acetonitrile or benzonitrile induced significant changes in the EPR spectra. A previously unobserved signal with highly rhombic g-values (g₁ = 2.31) was observed during the steady state but did not persist beyond the exhaustion of the substrate, indicating that it arises from a catalytically competent intermediate. Distinct signals due to product complexes provide a detailed mechanism for product release, the rate-limiting step of the reaction. Assignment of the observed EPR signals was facilitated by density functional theory calculations, which provided candidate structures and g-values for various proposed ReNHase intermediates. Collectively, these results provide new insights into the catalytic mechanism of NHase and offer a new approach for isolating and characterizing EPR-active intermediates in metalloenzymes.

SUBMITTER: Karunagala Pathiranage WL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8721871 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Identification of an Intermediate Species along the Nitrile Hydratase Reaction Pathway by EPR Spectroscopy.

Karunagala Pathiranage Wasantha Lankathilaka WL Gumataotao Natalie N Fiedler Adam T AT Holz Richard C RC Bennett Brian B

Biochemistry 20211129 49

A new method to trap catalytic intermediate species was employed with Fe-type nitrile hydratase from Rhodococcus equi TG328-2 (ReNHase). ReNHase was incubated with substrates in a 23% (w/w) NaCl/H2O eutectic system that remained liquid at -20 °C, thereby permitting the observation of transient species that were present at electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR)-detectable levels in samples frozen while in the steady state. FeIII-EPR signals from the resti ...[more]

PMID: 34843221

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Project description:BackgroundNitrile hydratases are enzymes involved in the conversion of nitrile-containing compounds into ammonia and organic acids. Although they are widespread in prokaryotes, nitrile hydratases have only been reported in two eukaryotes: the choanoflagellate Monosiga brevicollis and the stramenopile Aureococcus anophagefferens. The nitrile hydratase gene in M. brevicollis was believed to have arisen by lateral gene transfer from a prokaryote, and is a fusion of beta and alpha nitrile hydratase subunits. Only the alpha subunit has been reported in A. anophagefferens.Methodology/principal findingsHere we report the detection of nitrile hydratase genes in five eukaryotic supergroups: opisthokonts, amoebozoa, archaeplastids, CCTH and SAR. Beta-alpha subunit fusion genes are found in the choanoflagellates, ichthyosporeans, apusozoans, haptophytes, rhizarians and stramenopiles, and potentially also in the amoebozoans. An individual alpha subunit is found in a dinoflagellate and an individual beta subunit is found in a haptophyte. Phylogenetic analyses recover a clade of eukaryotic-type nitrile hydratases in the Opisthokonta, Amoebozoa, SAR and CCTH; this is supported by analyses of introns and gene architecture. Two nitrile hydratase sequences from an animal and a plant resolve in the prokaryotic nitrile hydratase clade.Conclusions/significanceThe evidence presented here demonstrates that nitrile hydratase genes are present in multiple eukaryotic supergroups, suggesting that a subunit fusion gene was present in the last common ancestor of all eukaryotes. The absence of nitrile hydratase from several sequenced species indicates that subunits were lost in multiple eukaryotic taxa. The presence of nitrile hydratases in many other eukaryotic groups is unresolved due to insufficient data and taxon sampling. The retention and expression of the gene in distantly related eukaryotic species suggests that it plays an important metabolic role. The novel family of eukaryotic nitrile hydratases presented in this paper represents a promising candidate for research into their molecular biology and possible biotechnological applications.

Project description:Detailed spectroscopic and computational studies of the low-spin iron complexes [Fe(III)(S2(Me2)N3 (Pr,Pr))(N3)] (1) and [Fe(III)(S2(Me2)N3 (Pr,Pr))]1+ (2) were performed to investigate the unique electronic features of these species and their relation to the low-spin ferric active sites of nitrile hydratases. Low-temperature UV/vis/NIR and MCD spectra of 1 and 2 reflect electronic structures that are dominated by antibonding interactions of the Fe 3d manifold and the equatorial thiolate S 3p orbitals. The six-coordinate complex 1 exhibits a low-energy S(pi) --> Fe 3d(xy) (approximately 13,000 cm(-1)) charge-transfer transition that results predominantly from the low energy of the singly occupied Fe 3d(xy) orbital, due to pure pi interactions between this acceptor orbital and both thiolate donor ligands in the equatorial plane. The 3d(pi) --> 3d(sigma) ligand-field transitions in this species occur at higher energies (>15,000 cm(-1)), reflecting its near-octahedral symmetry. The Fe 3d(xz,yz) --> Fe 3d(xy) (d(pi) --> d(pi)) transition occurs in the near-IR and probes the Fe(III)-S pi-donor bond; this transition reveals vibronic structure that reflects the strength of this bond (nu(e) approximately 340 cm(-1)). In contrast, the ligand-field transitions of the five-coordinate complex 2 are generally at low energy, and the S(pi) --> Fe charge-transfer transitions occur at much higher energies relative to those in 1. This reflects changes in thiolate bonding in the equatorial plane involving the Fe 3d(xy) and Fe 3d(x2-y2) orbitals. The spectroscopic data lead to a simple bonding model that focuses on the sigma and pi interactions between the ferric ion and the equatorial thiolate ligands, which depend on the S-Fe-S bond angle in each of the complexes. These electronic descriptions provide insight into the unusual S = 1/2 ground spin state of these complexes: the orientation of the thiolate ligands in these complexes restricts their pi-donor interactions to the equatorial plane and enforces a low-spin state. These anisotropic orbital considerations provide some intriguing insights into the possible electronic interactions at the active site of nitrile hydratases and form the foundation for further studies into these low-spin ferric enzymes.

Project description:To determine how a substitutionally inert metal can play a catalytic role in the metalloenzyme nitrile hydratase (NHase), a reactive five-coordinate Co(III) thiolate complex ([Co(III)(S(2)(Me2)N(3)(Pr,Pr))](PF(6)) (1)) that resembles the active site of cobalt containing nitrile hydratase (Co NHase) was prepared. This was screened for reactivity, by using low-temperature electronic absorption spectroscopy, toward a number of biologically relevant "substrates". It was determined 1 will react with azide, thiocyanate, and ammonia, but is unreactive toward nitriles, NO, and butyrate. Substrate-bound 1 has similar spectroscopic and structural properties as [Co(III)(ADIT(2))](PF(6)) (2). Complex 2 is a six-coordinate Co(III) complex containing cis-thiolates and imine nitrogens, and has properties similar to the cobalt center of Co NHase. Substrate binding to 1 is reversible and temperature-dependent, allowing for the determination of the thermodynamic parameters of azide and thiocyanate binding and the rates of ligand dissociation. Azide and thiocyanate bind trans to a thiolate, and with similar entropies and enthalpies (thiocyanate: DeltaH = -7.5 +/- 1.1 kcal/mol, DeltaS = -17.2 +/- 3.2 eu; azide: DeltaH = -6.5 +/- 1.0 kcal/mol, DeltaS = -12.6 +/- 2.4 eu). The rates of azide and thiocyanate displacement from the metal center are also comparable to one another (k(d) = (7.22 +/- 0.04) x 10(-)(1) s(-)(1) for thiocyanate and k(d) = (2.14 +/- 0.50) x 10(-)(2) s(-)(1) for azide), and are considerably faster than one would expect for a low-spin d(6) six-coordinate Co(III) complex. These rates are comparable to those of an analogous Fe(III) complex, demonstrating that Co(III) and Fe(III) react at comparable rates when in this ligand environment. This study therefore indicates that ligand displacement from a low-spin Co(III) center in a ligand environment that resembles NHase is not prohibitively slow so as to disallow catalytic action in nonredox active cobalt metalloenzymes.

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Identification of an Intermediate Species along the Nitrile Hydratase Reaction Pathway by EPR Spectroscopy.

Publications

Identification of an Intermediate Species along the Nitrile Hydratase Reaction Pathway by EPR Spectroscopy.

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