Tài liệu Báo cáo khoa học: Effect of ionic strength and oxidation on the P-loop conformation of the protein tyrosine phosphatase-like phytase, PhyAsr docx
Effectofionicstrengthandoxidationonthe P-loop
conformation oftheproteintyrosine phosphatase-like
phytase, PhyAsr
Robert J. Gruninger
1
, L. Brent Selinger
2
and Steven C. Mosimann
1
1 Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Canada
2 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Canada
Enzymes that degrade myo-inositol-1,2,3,4,5,6-
hexakisphosphate (InsP
6
) are ubiquitous in nature and
have been identified in prokaryotes, protists, fungi,
animals, and plants [1,2]. InsP
6
is the most abundant
inositol phosphate in the cell, and has been implicated
in important cellular processes, including DNA repair,
mRNA export, RNA editing, cellular signaling, endo-
cytosis, and vesicular trafficking [3–6]. The generic
term phytase is applied to enzymes that hydrolyze
InsP
6
into inorganic phosphate and various lower
phosphorylated myo-inositols. The recently described
protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP)-like phytase from
Selenomonas ruminantium, PhyAsr, contains the PTP
active site signature sequence (HCX
5
RS ⁄ T), is structur-
ally similar to PTPs, and utilizes the same catalytic
mechanism as PTPs to hydrolyze phosphodiester
bonds [7,8]. Although the biological function of
these PTP-like phytases is unclear, they are the first
Keywords
ionic strength; oxidation; phytase; P-loop;
protein tyrosine phosphatase
Correspondence
S. C. Mosimann, Department of Chemistry
and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge,
Lethbridge, AB, Canada T1K 3M4
Fax: +1 403 329 2057
Tel: +1 403 329 2283
E-mail: steven.mosimann@uleth.ca
Database
The coordinates and structure factors for
the structures ofPhyAsr at ionic strengths
of 200, 300, 400 and 500 m
M and with the
catalytic cysteine oxidized to cysteine
sulfonic acid have been deposited in the
Protein Data Bank (entries 2PSZ, 3D1O,
3D1Q, 3D1H and 2PT0, respectively)
(Received 26 March 2008, revised 21 May
2008, accepted 27 May 2008)
doi:10.1111/j.1742-4658.2008.06524.x
The proteintyrosine phosphatase (PTP)-like phytase, PhyAsr, from Seleno-
monas ruminantium is a novel member ofthe PTP superfamily, and the
only described member that hydrolyzes myo-inositol-1,2,3,4,5,6-
hexakisphosphate. In addition to the unique substrate specificity of PhyAsr,
the phosphate-binding loop (P-loop) has been reported to undergo a con-
formational change from an open (inactive) to a closed (active) conforma-
tion upon ligand binding at low ionic strength. At high ionic strengths, the
P-loop was observed in the closed, active conformation in both the pres-
ence and absence of ligand. To test whether theP-loop movement can be
induced by changes in ionic strength, we examined theeffect that ionic
strength has onthe catalytic efficiency of PhyAsr, and determined the
structure ofthe enzyme at several ionic strengths. The catalytic efficiency
of PhyAsr is highly sensitive to ionic strength, with a seven-fold increase in
k
cat
⁄ K
m
and a ninefold decrease in K
m
when theionicstrength is increased
from 100 to 500 mm. Surprisingly, theP-loop is observed in the catalyti-
cally competent conformation at all ionic strengths, despite the absence of
a ligand. Here we provide structural evidence that theionicstrength depen-
dence ofPhyAsrandthe conformational change in theP-loop are not
linked. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the previously reported P-loop
conformational change is a result of irreversible oxidationofthe active site
thiolate. Finally, we rationalize the observed P-loop conformational
changes observed in all oxidized PTP structures.
Abbreviations
Cdc25B, cell division cycle 25 homolog B; InsP
6,
myo-inositol hexakisphosphate; PhyAsr, Selenomonas ruminantium protein tyrosine
phosphatase-like phytase; P-loop, phosphate-binding loop; PTP, proteintyrosine phosphatase; RPTPa, receptor proteintyrosine phosphatase
alpha; Yop51, Yersinia proteintyrosine phosphatase.
FEBS Journal 275 (2008) 3783–3792 ª 2008 The Authors Journal compilation ª 2008 FEBS 3783
examples of enzymes with a PTP fold that are capable
of hydrolyzing InsP
6
.
Initial structural studies ofPhyAsr revealed a unique
conformational change in the active site phosphate-
binding loop (P-loop) that takes place upon substrate
binding. This movement is distinct from the major
structural change in the general acid (WPD) loop of
many PTPs that accompanies substrate binding [9,10].
At near-physiological ionic strength, theP-loop of
PhyAsr adopts a catalytically inactive, open conforma-
tion in the absence of ligand, and a catalytically active,
closed conformation upon substrate binding [7]. P-loop
movements have been observed in PTPs as a result of:
(a) mutation [11]; (b) oxidative regulation [12–15]; and
(c) crystal contacts [16].
In a recent structural study, the conformational
change in theP-loop was not observed at high ionic
strength [8]. In this work, we examined the structure of
the PhyAsrP-loop as a function ofionic strength, and
upon oxidationofthe catalytic cysteine. We also
explored the possibility that PhyAsr is regulated by
reversible oxidation. Our examination ofthe P-loop
movement in PhyAsrand its comparison to several
PTP structures provides an understanding ofthe fac-
tors that influence P-loop movements within the PTP
superfamily. A comparison ofthe structural conse-
quences ofoxidation in PhyAsr cell division cycle 25
homolog B (Cdc25B), receptor proteintyrosine phos-
phatase alpha (RPTPa) and PTP1B suggests that oxi-
dation ofthe catalytic cysteine has predictable effects
on theconformationofthe P-loop, general acid loop,
and conserved active site arginine.
Results
Ionic strength affects the catalytic efficiency
of PhyAsr
To test the hypothesis that ionicstrength effects the
P-loop conformationof PhyAsr, we determined the
steady-state kinetic parameters at several ionic
strengths (Table 1). There was a seven-fold increase in
catalytic efficiency (k
cat
⁄ K
m
) and a nine-fold decrease
in K
m
as theionicstrength was increased from 100 to
500 mm. The increase in catalytic efficiency and
decrease in K
m
that was observed as a result of
increasing ionicstrength is consistent with the P-loop
movement occurring in this range. Alternatively, the
increase in ionicstrength may favorably alter the
electrostatic interactions between theprotein and
substrate, and enhance enzymatic efficiency. Further
increases in ionicstrength resulted in a decrease in
k
cat
⁄ K
m
, primarily due to an increase in K
m
.
Structure ofPhyAsr under low and high ionic
strength conditions
To examine the structural effectofionicstrength on
the P-loop, X-ray crystal structures ofPhyAsr were
determined at several ionic strengths, ranging from 200
to 500 mm (supplementary Table S1), using conditions
almost identical to those reported by Chu et al. [7].
Differences in the crystallization conditions are subtle,
and were necessary to produce optimal diffraction
quality crystals. The resulting space group, unit cell
and crystal contacts were identical to those previously
observed [7,8]. The structure of wild-type PhyAsr
(PhyAsr
I200
) was determined in the absence of a ligand
at low ionicstrength (Fig. 1A; Protein Data Bank:
2PSZ). Surprisingly, unlike the structure previously
determined under similar conditions (Protein Data
Bank: 1U24) [7], theP-loop was in a catalytically com-
petent closed conformation (Fig. 1B). Structures of
PhyAsr at ionic strengths of 300, 400 and 500 mm
(Protein Data Bank entries 3D1O, 3D1Q, and 3D1H,
respectively) were also determined, and in all cases the
P-loop adopted the closed conformation (supplemen-
tary Fig. S1). These results are consistent with the
P-loop conformation observed by Puhl et al. [8] at an
ionic strengthof > 2 m (P-loop residues 251–259
< 0.1 A
˚
rmsd), and indicate that the closed P-loop
conformation is stable over a broad ionic strength
range.
Structure ofPhyAsr upon oxidationof the
catalytic cysteine
A systematic comparison ofthe open P-loop confor-
mation in PhyAsr to all unliganded PTP structures in
the Protein Data Bank revealed that Cdc25B adopts a
roughly similar P-loopconformation upon oxidation
of the catalytic cysteine [14]. To test whether the move-
ment oftheP-loop in PhyAsr is due to oxidation of
the catalytic cysteine, we oxidized crystals of PhyAsr
Table 1. Effectofionicstrengthonthe hydrolysis of InsP
6
by
PhyAsr. The standard error is shown for at least six measure-
ments.
I (m
M) K
m
(mM) k
cat
(s
)1
)
k
cat
⁄ K
m
(mM
)1
Æs
)1
)
100 1.29 ± 0.24 515 ± 45 398 ± 82
200 0.76 ± 0.05 678 ± 19 893 ± 66
350 0.36 ± 0.03 608 ± 17 1675 ± 144
500 0.14 ± 0.01 369 ± 7 2599 ± 202
1000 1.00 ± 0.18 164 ± 13 163 ± 32
Effect ofionicstrengthandoxidationonPhyAsr R. J. Gruninger et al.
3784 FEBS Journal 275 (2008) 3783–3792 ª 2008 The Authors Journal compilation ª 2008 FEBS
with 100 lm H
2
O
2
for 45 min and solved the structure
of the oxidized protein (PhyAsr
ox
; Protein Data Bank:
2PT0). TheP-loop in PhyAsr
ox
adopts the open
conformation as a result ofoxidationofthe catalytic
cysteine to cysteine sulfonic acid (Fig. 2A). Least
squares superposition oftheP-loop main chain atoms
of 1U24 and our oxidized structure (0.16 A
˚
rmsd)
clearly shows that the open P-loop conformation
previously observed is identical to theP-loop confor-
mation after oxidationofthe catalytic cysteine (Fig. 2B).
Modeling the cysteine as cysteine sulfenic or sulfinic
acid in alternate conformations resulted in positive dif-
ference density around the oxygens and indicated that
the observed residue was cysteine sulfonic acid. After
obtaining the open P-loop conformation, we examined
the electron density of 1U24 using the deposited
structure factors. This analysis revealed relatively large
electron density and positive difference density
surrounding the sulfur atom, suggesting that the cyste-
ine was oxidized (supplementary Fig. S2). To verify
that the observed P-loopconformation was a result of
oxidation, we omitted theP-loop from 1U24 and
2PT0, carried out a refinement cycle, and calculated
omit maps. For both 1U24 and 2PT0, the model of
PhyAsr with a cysteine sulfonic acid produced the best
fit to the unbiased electron density (supplementary
Fig. S3A,B, respectively), again indicating that the
open P-loopconformation was a result ofoxidation of
the cysteine.
R258
OCS 252
A
R258
OCS252
B
Fig. 2. (A) TheP-loop is observed in the catalytically inactive, open
conformation upon oxidationofthe catalytic cysteine. The electron
density from a sigma-weighted 2F
o
)F
c
map is shown at a contour
level of 1r. The residue OCS 252 corresponds to the active site
cysteine oxidized to cysteine sulfonic acid. (B) Least squares super-
position ofPhyAsr with the open P-loop (green) (Protein Data Bank:
1U24) and with Cys252 fully oxidized (gray) (Protein Data Bank:
2PT0).
A
R258
C252
B
R258
C252
Fig. 1. (A) ConformationoftheP-loop at low ionicstrength in the
absence of ligand. TheP-loop is observed in the catalytically com-
petent conformation. The electron density from a sigma-weighted
2F
o
)F
c
map is shown at a contour level of 1r. (B) Least squares
superposition ofPhyAsr with the open P-loop (green) (Protein Data
Bank: 1U24) andPhyAsr under low ionicstrength conditions (yel-
low) (Protein Data Bank: 2PSZ). The rmsd oftheP-loop main chain
atoms is 1.18 A
˚
. All figures were generated with
PYMOL [31].
R. J. Gruninger et al. Effectofionicstrengthandoxidationon PhyAsr
FEBS Journal 275 (2008) 3783–3792 ª 2008 The Authors Journal compilation ª 2008 FEBS 3785
Comparison of contacts to theP-loop in the
unoxidized and oxidized conformations
To accommodate the larger size ofthe cysteine sul-
fonic acid, theP-loop must undergo a conformational
change. In the absence ofthe large P-loop movement,
the main chain amine of Gly255 makes a 2.32 A
˚
con-
tact with S
c
, a 2.21 A
˚
contact with O
d
1 and a 1.81 A
˚
contact with O
d
2 ofthe cysteine sulfonic acid. In addi-
tion to these contacts, there is a 1.82 A
˚
contact
between Gly255 C
a
and O
d
2 ofthe oxidized cysteine.
To further understand the structural consequences of
the P-loop transition that occurs upon oxidation, the
program contact [17] was used to compare all the
contacts made with the catalytic cysteine or cysteine
sulfonic acid that are less than 4 A
˚
(supplementary
Table S2). This analysis identified six contacts that are
made directly with the cysteine S
c
in the unoxidized
conformation. Oxidationofthe catalytic cysteine
decreased the contacts made to the cysteine S
c
but
resulted in the formation of 17 additional interactions
with the oxygens ofthe cysteine sulfonic acid (supple-
mentary Table S2). The large number of contacts made
with the cysteine sulfonic acid oxygens stabilized the
open P-loopconformation (supplementary Fig. S4).
The average B-factors oftheP-loop residues in the
unoxidized and oxidized structures were 14.3 A
˚
2
and
15.4 A
˚
2
, respectively. This is 4–5 A
˚
2
lower than the
overall B-factors ofthe structures (19.5 A
˚
2
), and indi-
cates that theP-loop adopts a stable conformation in
both the oxidized and unoxidized enzyme. To further
support our conclusion that the previously observed
open conformation is a result ofoxidationofthe cata-
lytic cysteine, we compared the contacts made to the
cysteine S
c
in 1U24 and our oxidized structure; we
found these to be nearly identical (supplementary
Table S2), further suggesting that the cysteine is
oxidized in 1U24.
Oxidation of cysteine affects theconformation of
several residues
The P-loop conformational change is primarily due to
a large shift in the / ⁄ w torsion angles in Ala254 (/
⁄ w = )88.7 ⁄ )19.7 to /⁄ w = )146.5 ⁄ 136.4) andthe w
torsion angle of Gly255 (18.9 to )157.9) upon oxida-
tion. This large rotation ofthe peptide bond between
Ala254 and Gly255 results in a 4.12 A
˚
movement of
Gly255 C
a
and a 2.27 A
˚
movement in Val256 C
b
,
which is accompanied by a rotation of 110
˚
about v
1
.
The highly conserved Thr259 undergoes a rotation
about v
1
of 123
˚
that breaks a hydrogen bond formed
with Cys252 Sc in the unoxidized conformation, and
results in the formation of two hydrogen bonds with
the main chain carbonyl oxygen of Gly257 and O
d
3of
the oxidized cysteine. This conformationof Thr259 is
also stabilized by Arg71, which normally makes a bid-
entate contact with the carbonyl oxygen of Gly255.
These movements away from the oxidized cysteine
increase the space inside theP-loop to accommodate
the large sulfonic acid group. The movements in the
P-loop main chain are accompanied by a rotation of
Ser106 v
1
by 172° to form a 3.09 A
˚
hydrogen bond
with the carbonyl oxygen of Gly255. This movement
breaks two hydrogen bonds that Ser106 makes with
the main chain carbonyl oxygen of Ala107 and the
Arg68 main chain amine in the unoxidized enzyme. It
also appears that the movement in Ser106 fills the void
that forms as a result oftheP-loop movement. The
P-loop conformation in the oxidized form results in a
rearrangement ofthe hydrogen bonding pattern seen
in the unoxidized form. Upon oxidation, the number
of hydrogen bonds formed with solvent doubles from
five to 10. Four ofthe additional solvent contacts are
made by the ordered water 461 (numbering in
PhyAsr
ox
), which makes two bidentate hydrogen bonds
with theP-loop main chain and O
d
1 and O
d
2.
Although there are movements in the P-loop, there
are no other major conformational changes in the
protein. Most notably, the loop containing the general
acid (Asp223) does not move upon oxidation. Unlike in
most PTPs, the general acid loop in PhyAsr cannot
undergo an open-to-close movement upon substrate
binding, due to the presence of a small b-barrel domain
that is unique to this proteinand is involved in
substrate binding [7,8]. No other residues in the protein
were found to be modified by the treatment with H
2
O
2
.
Structural consequences ofoxidation in the PTP
superfamily
Structures of PTP1B [13], Cdc25B [14], RPTPa [15] and
PhyAsr (this work) have been determined with the cyste-
ine oxidized to cysteine sulfenic (SO), sulfinic (SO
2
) and
sulfonic (SO
3
) acid. Interestingly, oxidationofthe cata-
lytic cysteine to SO, SO
2
or SO
3
has been found to have
different effects ontheP-loopconformation in different
enzymes. In PTP1B and RPTPa, theP-loop is
unchanged, whereas in Cdc25B, theP-loop adopts a
conformation that is similar, but not identical, to that
observed in PhyAsr (Fig. 3). Although the movements
in the P-loops ofPhyAsrand Cdc25B are not identical,
they both serve to provide room for the larger oxidized
cysteine. The key feature that dictates whether the
P-loop moves upon oxidationofthe catalytic cysteine is
the ability ofthe conserved active site arginine to move
Effect ofionicstrengthandoxidationonPhyAsr R. J. Gruninger et al.
3786 FEBS Journal 275 (2008) 3783–3792 ª 2008 The Authors Journal compilation ª 2008 FEBS
in a concerted fashion with the general acid loop
(Fig. 3). The general acid loop (WPD loop in PTP1B,
and RPTPa) also undergoes a large conformational
change in many, but not all, PTPs [9,10]. In the absence
of ligand, the WPD loop of PTP1B and RPTPa adopts
an open (inactive) conformation, and upon ligand bind-
ing, it adopts a closed (active) conformation (Fig. 3A).
In oxidized PTP1B [12,13] and RPTPa [15], the posi-
tions ofthe active site arginine andthe WPD loop are in
the open (general acid) conformation. The general acid
loop and active site arginine in PhyAsr are not free to
undergo a similar conformational change [7,8]. As a
result, theP-loop must move to provide room for the
larger oxidized cysteine (Fig. 3A). In Cdc25B, Tyr428
and Met531 occupy the region that corresponds to the
general acid loop in PhyAsr, and prevent the active site
A
B
Fig. 3. (A) Divergent stereoview of a least squares superposition of unoxidized (yellow) (Protein Data Bank: 2PSZ) and oxidized (gray) (Pro-
tein Data Bank: 2PT0) PhyAsr, with oxidized PTP1B (light blue) (Protein Data Bank: 1OEO), and PTP1B with the general acid loop (GA) and
active site arginine in the closed, active conformation (orange) (Protein Data Bank: 1PTV). (B) Divergent stereoview of a least squares super-
position of unoxidized (yellow) (Protein Data Bank: 2PSZ) and oxidized (gray) (Protein Data Bank: 2PT0) PhyAsr, with unoxidized (red) (Protein
Data Bank: 1YMK) and oxidized (blue) (Protein Data Bank: 1YMD) Cdc25B.
R. J. Gruninger et al. Effectofionicstrengthandoxidationon PhyAsr
FEBS Journal 275 (2008) 3783–3792 ª 2008 The Authors Journal compilation ª 2008 FEBS 3787
arginine from moving. As a consequence of this steric
constraint, theP-loopof Cdc25B also undergoes a large
conformational change upon oxidationofthe catalytic
cysteine (Fig. 3B).
Sensitivity and reversibility ofPhyAsr oxidation
Many PTPs undergo reversible oxidation in vivo as a
regulatory mechanism. To examine whether the cata-
lytic cysteine in PhyAsr can be reversibly oxidized, we
performed an oxidation time course as described by
Denu & Tanner [18]. Treatment ofPhyAsr with
100 lm H
2
O
2
resulted in 33% ofthe enzyme being
inactivated after 10 min of treatment and 65% being
inactivated after 30 min. Incubation ofthe enzyme for
up to an hour with 100 lm H
2
O
2
did not further inac-
tivate the enzyme. Incubation ofPhyAsr with 1 mm
H
2
O
2
resulted in an 85% decrease in activity after
10 min and a loss of approximately 95% of its activity
after 30 min. Treatment ofPhyAsr with lower levels
(50 lm)ofH
2
O
2
also resulted in a loss of activity
(approximately 20% after 10 min). If the inactivation
of theprotein is due to the formation of a stable sulfe-
nic acid, sulphenyl-amide, or disulfide, then the addi-
tion of a reducing agent will restore enzymatic activity.
In all cases, the addition of 10 mm dithiothreitol did
not restore any enzyme activity indicating that the
inactivation is due to irreversible oxidation.
Discussion
Effect ofionicstrengthonPhyAsr catalysis and
P-loop structure
Changes in ionic have been observed to affect the cata-
lytic efficiency of some PTPs. For example, at high ionic
strength the k
cat
⁄ K
m
of Yersinia proteintyrosine phos-
phatase (Yop51) [19] and PTP1 [20] decrease by 24-fold
and 132-fold (respectively), primarily due to an increase
in the K
m
. The increase in K
m
was attributed to a weak-
ening ofthe electrostatic interactions between the sub-
strate andthe highly charged active site [19,20]. In
contrast to the findings with Yop51 and PTP1, increas-
ing theionicstrength from 100 to 500 mm enhanced the
binding of InsP
6
to PhyAsr (Table 1). Given the absence
of structural changes as a function ofionicstrength and
ligand binding, theeffectofionicstrengthon catalytic
activity is probably not of a structural nature. Instead,
we suggest that the enhanced catalytic efficiency is due
to the shielding of unfavorable electrostatic interactions
between the active site andthe highly charged substrate.
This is consistent with previous kinetic studies in which
mutation ofthe general acid, Asp223, to Asn resulted in
a 10-fold decrease in K
m
, which was hypothesized to be
due to unfavorable electrostatic interactions between the
more electronegative Asp and InsP
6
[8].
Analysis oftheProtein Data Bank database identi-
fied at least 25 PTP structures that were determined in
the absence of a ligand in the active site. Least squares
superposition oftheP-loop main chain (starting at the
residue prior to the catalytic cysteine and ending after
the conserved arginine) resulted in rmsd values of
< 0.75 A
˚
(supplementary Table S3). In 23 of these
PTPs, theP-loop adopts the closed catalytically com-
petent P-loopconformation observed in PhyAsr. Two
exceptions were observed: (a) the apo structure of the
PTP1B Cys215Ser [11]; and (b) the mitogen-activated
protein kinase phosphatase 3 [16]. Interestingly, the
P-loop ofthe Cys215Ser mutant of PTP1B has also
been observed in the closed catalytically competent
conformation [10], whereas theP-loopconformation of
mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase 3 was
attributed to a crystal contact. These findings indicate
that in the absence of a ligand, theP-loop adopts the
closed conformation. The only other P-loop move-
ments that have been observed in PTPs are a result of
oxidation ofthe catalytic cysteine.
Sensitivity ofPhyAsr to oxidation
The low pK
a
of the active site cysteine in PTPs makes
this residue highly susceptible to oxidation [21,22].
Reversible oxidation is an important regulatory mecha-
nism in PTPs, and two mechanisms of reversible oxida-
tive regulation are known: (a) formation of a cyclic
sulphenyl-amide bond with the main chain amine
[12,13,15]; and (b) formation of a disulfide bond with a
backside [14] or vicinal cysteine [23]. As a result of form-
ing these bonds, the PTP active site undergoes dramatic
structural rearrangements. Oxidationofthe catalytic
cysteine results in the formation of a semistable cysteine
sulfenic acid that is rapidly converted to a disulfide or a
sulphenyl-amide. If the cysteine sulfenic acid cannot
form these reversible intermediates, it is rapidly oxidized
to sulfinic or sulfonic acid, andthe enzyme is irreversibly
inactivated [18]. Our examination ofthe sensitivity and
reversibility ofoxidation in PhyAsr indicates that this
protein is moderately resistant to oxidation, and that it
does not undergo oxidative regulation. The reversibility
and sensitivity to oxidation vary throughout the PTP
superfamily, and it has been suggested that some PTPs
have evolved an intrinsic resistance to oxidation [24].
Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) is readily oxi-
dized and has an active site that is narrower than, and
half as deep as (5 · 11 A
˚
opening, and 8 A
˚
depth), the
PhyAsr active site (6 · 14 A
˚
opening, and 14 A
˚
depth).
Effect ofionicstrengthandoxidationonPhyAsr R. J. Gruninger et al.
3788 FEBS Journal 275 (2008) 3783–3792 ª 2008 The Authors Journal compilation ª 2008 FEBS
In contrast, myotubularin-related 2 (MTMR2) is highly
resistant to oxidationand has an active site with a simi-
lar depth but a smaller opening (9 · 8A
˚
opening, and
13 A
˚
depth). Apparently, the size and shape ofthe PTP
active site not only influence substrate specificity [25],
but are also involved in resistance to oxidation.
Oxidation of PTPs andthe role of P-loop
flexibility
Conformational changes in theP-loopof PTPs have
been observed as a result of both reversible and irrevers-
ible oxidation events. The conformational changes
observed in PhyAsr are due to the irreversible oxidation
of the catalytic cysteine to a cysteine sulfonic acid. A
comparison ofthe structural consequences of oxidation
in PhyAsr to those in oxidatively regulated PTPs
(Cdc25B, RPTPa, and PTP1B) suggests that oxidation
of the catalytic cysteine has predictable effects on the
active site conformation. When the catalytic cysteine is
irreversibly oxidized, theP-loop will only move when
steric constraints prevent the movement ofthe general
acid loop andthe active site arginine. Interestingly, this
is also observed upon oxidation to the reversible sulfenic
(SO) form, an intermediate in the formation of a sulphe-
nyl-amide or disulfide [12–15]. The formation of a
reversible intramolecular covalent bond (sulphenyl-
amide or disulfide) requires the cysteine to undergo a
significant conformational change. For this to occur, the
P-loop must undergo a separate and distinct confor-
mation rearrangement regardless ofthe position of the
general acid and active site arginine. In summary, the
conformation oftheP-loop only changes: (a) when
the general acid loop and active site arginine are steri-
cally constrained; and (b) upon intramolecular bond
formation.
Experimental procedures
Purification and crystallization
The S. ruminantium phyA (PhyAsr) ORF (minus putative
signal peptide) was expressed as a translational gene fusion
in pET28b. Amino acids were numbered according to the
complete coding sequence ofthe S. ruminantium protein
sequence (AAQ13669), including the putative signal peptide.
This numbering scheme differs by 11 residues from that used
by Chu et al. [7], but is consistent with the numbering in Puhl
et al. [8]. Recombinant His-tagged PhyAsr was purified to
homogeneity by metal chelating affinity (Ni
2+
–nitrilotriace-
tic acid–agarose; Qiagen, Mississauga, Canada), cation
exchange (Macro-Prep High S; BioRad, Mississauga,
Canada) and size exclusion chromatography. The purified
protein was dialyzed into 10 mm ammonium bicarbonate
(pH 8.0), lyophilized, and stored at 253 K. Crystallization
experiments were conducted using sitting drop vapor diffu-
sion with drop ratio of 2 lLof30mgÆmL
)1
protein solution
and 2 lL of reservoir. Crystals were grown in 8–10% poly-
ethylene glycol 8000, 200–500 mm NaCl, and 50 mm sodium
acetate (pH 4.8). Crystals were cryoprotected using a solu-
tion containing the crystallization reagents and 25% glycerol.
The catalytic cysteine was oxidized by treating the crystals
with 100 lm H
2
O
2
for 45 min prior to freezing.
Data collection and structure determination
Data were collected at 100 K on beamline 8.3.1 at the
Advanced Light Source on crystals with approximate
dimensions of 0.1 · 0.1 · 0.4 mm. Data were integrated
and scaled with hkl 2000 [26], and structure refinement
was done with cns 1.0 [27]. The Asp223Asn structure (Pro-
tein Data Bank: 2B4P) [8] was used to solve the structures
of PhyAsr at ionic strengths of 200 mm (PhyAsr
I200
;
Protein Data Bank: 2PSZ), 300 mm (PhyAsr
I300
; Protein
Data Bank: 3D1O), 400 mm (PhyAsr
I400
; Protein Data
Bank: 3D1Q), and 500 mm (PhyAsr
I500
; Protein Data Bank:
3D1H), and with the catalytic cysteine (Cys252) oxidized
(PhyAsr
ox
; Protein Data Bank: 2PT0).
The space group and unit cell parameters ofthe crystals
used in this study were identical to those in 2B4P. The iso-
morphous nature ofthe crystals allowed us to use the coor-
dinates of 2B4P to calculate phases with the program sfall
[17]. Statistics for the data collection and refinement of
PhyAsr
I200
and PhyAsr
ox
are shown in Table 2. Statistics
for the data collection and refinement ofthe structure of
PhyAsr at ionic strengths of 300 mm, 400 mm and 500 mm
are shown in supplementary Table S1.
Kinetic assays
Kinetic assays were performed at 310 K using the standard
phytase assay as previously described [28], at ionic strengths
of 0.10, 0.20, 0.35, 0.50 and 1.0 m, using substrate concen-
trations ranging from 0.10 to 4 mm. This method was
found to give consistent, although slightly larger, kinetic
parameters then those obtained using the method of
Heinonen & Lahti [29]. The substrate’s contribution to
ionic strength was calculated assuming a net charge of )6
based onthe p K
a
values for InsP
6
[30]. Theionic strength
was calculated using the equation I =½
P
c
i
Z
i
2
, where I is
the ionicstrengthofthe solution, and c
i
and Z
i
are the con-
centration and charge of species i , respectively. The sum is
taken over all ionic species in the reaction or crystallization
buffer. Theionicstrengthofthe assays was standardized
using NaCl. Kinetic data were fitted to the Michaelis–
Menten equation using nonlinear regression (sigma-plot
8.0; Systat Software Inc., San Jose, CA, USA).
R. J. Gruninger et al. Effectofionicstrengthandoxidationon PhyAsr
FEBS Journal 275 (2008) 3783–3792 ª 2008 The Authors Journal compilation ª 2008 FEBS 3789
Oxidation sensitivity assays
The method of Denu & Tanner [18] was employed to
examine the sensitivity ofPhyAsr to oxidationand to
determine whether the enzyme is regulated by reversible
oxidation. PhyAsr (25 lm) was incubated with 100 lm or
1mm H
2
O
2
to oxidize the catalytic cysteine. Aliquots were
withdrawn 5, 10, 15, 30 and 60 min after addition of
H
2
O
2
, andthe reaction was quenched by the addition
of catalase. Theprotein was then either directly assayed,
or added to protein storage buffer containing 10 mm
dithiothreitol for 30 min and then assayed. The level of
inactivation was determined by comparing the specific
activity of oxidized PhyAsr to that of enzyme that had not
been exposed to H
2
O
2
. Phytase activity was measured at
310 K using the standard phytase as described previously
[28]. Kinetic assays were performed with theionic strength
standardized to 200 mm with NaCl.
Acknowledgements
R. J. Gruninger receives doctoral funding from
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of
Canada (NSERC) and Alberta Ingenuity. L. Brent
Selinger and S. C. Mosimann are supported by grants
from NSERC, the Alberta Heritage Foundation for
Medical Research (AHFMR) andthe Canada Founda-
tion for Innovation (CFI). X-ray diffraction data were
collected at beamline 8.3.1 ofthe Advanced Light
Source (ALS) at Lawrence Berkeley Lab, under an
agreement with the Alberta Synchrotron Institute
(ASI). The ALS is operated by the Department of
Energy and supported by the National Institute of
Health. Beamline 8.3.1 was funded by the National
Science Foundation, the University of California and
Henry Wheeler. The ASI synchrotron access program
is supported by grants from the Alberta Science and
Research Authority and AHFMR. This work was
funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering
Research Council of Canada, Alberta Ingenuity, and
the Canada Foundation for Innovation.
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PhyAsr
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PhyAsr
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Data collection statistics
a
Space group P2
1
P2
1
Cell (A
˚
)(a, b, c ⁄ b) 45.9, 137.1,
80.0 ⁄ 102.8°
46.0, 137.9,
80.3 ⁄ 102.8°
Resolution (A
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) 50–2.0 50–1.7
Reflections (total) 217 582 205 871
Reflections (unique) 61 360 (4135) 90 985 (5219)
Complete (%) 93.8 (63.8) 89.9 (54.0)
Average I ⁄ r 15.6 (2.9) 23.7 (3.8)
R
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(%) 7.4 (22.8) 3.8 (23.7)
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Nonprotein 635 685
R
factor
c
0.199 0.177
R
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˚
) 0.006 0.009
rmsd angle (°) 1.22 1.24
B-Factors
Main chain B-factor 19.1 17.9
Side chain B-factor 19.9 21.1
Solvent B-factor 25.2 28.5
Ramachandran plot (%)
Most favored 91.6 91.8
Additional allowed 8.0 8.2
Generously allowed 0.4 0
a
Values in parentheses are for the outermost resolution shell.
b
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merge
=
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|I
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>|⁄
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=
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P
hkl
|F
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Supplementary material
The following supplementary material is available
online:
Fig. S1. The structure oftheP-loop in PhyAsr is
observed in the catalytically competent conformation
at ionic strengths of: (A) 200 mm (Protein Data Bank:
2PSZ); (B) 300 mm (Protein Data Bank: 3D1O); (C)
400 mm (Protein Data Bank: 3D1Q); and (D) 500 mm
(Protein Data Bank: 3D1H).
Fig. S2. Sigma-weighted electron density calculated
using the coordinates and structure factor amplitudes
deposited with theProtein Data Bank (1U24).
Fig. S3. Least squares superposition ofthe P-loops of
1U24, 2PT0 and 2PSZ fit into F
o
-F
c
omit electron
density.
Fig. S4. Oxidationofthe catalytic cysteine to cysteine
sulfonic acid (OCS-252) results in the formation of
many inter-residue contacts to the OCS-252 oxygens
and the P-loop.
R. J. Gruninger et al. Effectofionicstrengthandoxidationon PhyAsr
FEBS Journal 275 (2008) 3783–3792 ª 2008 The Authors Journal compilation ª 2008 FEBS 3791
Table S1. Data collection and refinement statistics for
the structure ofPhyAsr at ionic strengths of 300 mm
(PhyAsr
I300
), 400 mm (PhyAsr
I400
), and 500 mm
(PhyAsr
I500
).
Table S2. Comparison of all contacts less than 4 A
˚
between cysteine andtheP-loop in the structures of
PhyAsr.
Table S3. Least squares superposition of main chain
atoms oftheP-loop (HCX
5
RS ⁄ T) of PTP structures
determined in the absence of an active site ligand.
This material is available as part ofthe online article
from http://www.blackwell-synergy.com
Please note: Blackwell Publishing is not responsible
for the content or functionality of any supplementary
materials supplied by the authors. Any queries (other
than missing material) should be directed to the corre-
sponding author for the article.
Effect ofionicstrengthandoxidationonPhyAsr R. J. Gruninger et al.
3792 FEBS Journal 275 (2008) 3783–3792 ª 2008 The Authors Journal compilation ª 2008 FEBS
. Effect of ionic strength and oxidation on the P-loop
conformation of the protein tyrosine phosphatase-like
phytase, PhyAsr
Robert J. Gruninger
1
,. arginine.
Results
Ionic strength affects the catalytic efficiency
of PhyAsr
To test the hypothesis that ionic strength effects the
P-loop conformation of PhyAsr,