Cytochrome P450cam catalyzes the hydroxylation of camphor in a complex process involving two electron transfers (ETs) from the iron-sulfur protein putidaredoxin. The enzymatic control of the successive steps of catalysis is critical for a highly efficient reaction. The injection of the successive electrons is part of the control system. To understand the molecular interactions between putidaredoxin and cytochrome P450cam, we determined the structure of the complex both in solution and in the crystal state. Paramagnetic NMR spectroscopy using lanthanide tags yielded 446 structural restraints that were used to determine the solution structure. An ensemble of 10 structures with an RMSD of 1.3Å was obtained. The crystal structure of the complex was solved, showing a position of putidaredoxin that is identical with the one in the solution structure. The NMR data further demonstrate the presence of a minor state or set of states of the complex in solution, which is attributed to the presence of an encounter complex. The structure of the major state shows a small binding interface and a metal-to-metal distance of 16Å, with two pathways that provide strong electronic coupling of the redox centers. The interpretation of these results is discussed in the context of ET. The structure indicates that the ET rate can be much faster than the reported value, suggesting that the process may be gated.

The energy landscapes of proteins are highly complex and can be influenced by changes in physical and chemical conditions under which the protein is studied. The redox enzyme cytochrome P450cam undergoes a multistep catalytic cycle wherein two electrons are transferred to the heme group and the enzyme visits several conformational states. Using paramagnetic NMR spectroscopy with a lanthanoid tag, we show that the enzyme bound to its redox partner, putidaredoxin, is in a closed state at ambient temperature in solution. This result contrasts with recent crystal structures of the complex, which suggest that the enzyme opens up when bound to its partner. The closed state supports a model of catalysis in which the substrate is locked in the active site pocket and the enzyme acts as an insulator for the reactive intermediates of the reaction.uring catalysis, an enzyme will traverse a conformational energy landscape that can be highly complex and easily changed by external factors, such as temperature, ionic strength, and crystallization. Cytochromes P450 (CYPs) are b-type hemecontaining monooxygenases found throughout the three domains of life. These enzymes catalyze the regiospecific and stereospecific hydroxylation of various aliphatic and aromatic compounds and are involved in a considerable number of metabolic processes, such as steroid biosynthesis and metabolism of xenobiotics in mammals. The CYP superfamily has been extensively studied over the past five decades, and an understanding of its mechanism is crucial for the development of pharmaceutical compounds that do not inhibit these enzymes. Under other circumstances, it is desirable to inhibit a CYP for therapeutic reasons. For example, compounds that inhibit CYP1B1 and CYP1A2 in humans have been proposed as promising anticancer agents (1). The archetypal member of this superfamily is CYP101A1 (more commonly known as P450cam) from Pseudomonas putida, which was the first CYP for which the 3D structure was determined by X-ray crystallography (2). P450cam catalyzes the hydroxylation of D-camphor to 5-exohydroxycamphor using two electrons, two protons, and molecular oxygen. Putidaredoxin (Pdx) reductase oxidizes NADH and transfers the electrons to Pdx, which, in turn, shuttles electrons to P450cam in two consecutive steps (3-5). This complex reaction is controlled by the enzyme to ensure an efficient coupling between dioxygen reduction and substrate hydroxylation and to avoid side reactions. P450cam must go through a cycle of several conformational and electronic states to perform its catalytic task (6).The first X-ray crystal structures of P450cam showed that the enzyme occupied a closed conformation, both in the presence and absence of substrate; therefore, it was unclear how the substrate was able to bind into the active site (2). Moreover, structures of the intermediates of the catalytic cycle were also in a closed conformation (7), leading to the idea that during the catalytic cycle, P450cam opens to bind camphor, closes to perform hydroxylation, and then re...

Paramagnetic lanthanides ions are broadly used in NMR spectroscopy. The effects of unpaired electrons on NMR spectral parameters provide a powerful tool for the characterization of macromolecular structures and dynamics. Here, a new lanthanide-chelating NMR probe, Caged Lanthanide NMR Probe-7 (CLaNP-7), is presented. It can be attached to protein surfaces via two disulfide bridges, yielding a probe that is rigid relative to the protein backbone. CLaNP-7 extends the application range of available probes. It has a yellow color, which is helpful for sample preparation. Its effects are comparable to those of CLaNP-5, but its charge is two units lower (+1) than that of CLaNP-5 (+3), reducing the change in surface potential after probe attachment. It also has a different magnetic susceptibility tensor, so by using both tags, two sets of structural restraints can be obtained per engineered cysteine pair. Moreover, it was found that the orientation of the magnetic susceptibility tensor is pH dependent (pK(a) ≈ 7) when a histidine residue is located in the neighborhood of the probe attachment site. The results show that the His imidazole group interacts with the CLaNP-7 tag. It is proposed that the histidine residue forms a hydrogen bond to a water/hydroxyl molecule that occupies the ninth coordination position on the lanthanide, thus breaking the two-fold symmetry of the CLaNP tag in a pH-dependent way.

The rise of multi- and even totally antibiotic resistant forms of Mycobacterium tuberculosis underlines the need for new antibiotics. The pathogen is resistant to β-lactam compounds due to its native serine β-lactamase, BlaC. This resistance can be circumvented by administration of a β-lactamase inhibitor. We studied the interaction between BlaC and the inhibitor clavulanic acid. Our data show hydrolysis of clavulanic acid and recovery of BlaC activity upon prolonged incubation. The rate of clavulanic acid hydrolysis is much higher in the presence of phosphate ions. A specific binding site for phosphate is identified in the active site pocket, both in the crystalline state and in solution. NMR spectroscopy experiments show that phosphate binds to this site with a dissociation constant of 30 mM in the free enzyme. We conclude that inhibition of BlaC by clavulanic acid is reversible and that phosphate ions can promote the hydrolysis of the inhibitor.

Paramagnetic NMR probes provide valuable long-range structural information on proteins and protein complexes. A new, stable, two-armed lanthanoid probe is reported that can be attached to a protein site-specifically via chemically inert thioether linkages.