S-Adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolase (SAHase) is involved in the enzymatic regulation of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM)-dependent methylation reactions. After methyl-group transfer from SAM, S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (SAH) is formed as a byproduct, which in turn is hydrolyzed to adenosine (Ado) and homocysteine (Hcy) by SAHase. The crystal structure of BeSAHase, an SAHase from Bradyrhizobium elkanii, which is a nitrogen-fixing bacterial symbiont of legume plants, was determined at 1.7 Å resolution, showing the domain organization (substrate-binding domain, NAD(+) cofactor-binding domain and dimerization domain) of the subunits. The protein crystallized in its biologically relevant tetrameric form, with three subunits in a closed conformation enforced by complex formation with the Ado product of the enzymatic reaction. The fourth subunit is ligand-free and has an open conformation. The BeSAHase structure therefore provides a unique snapshot of the domain movement of the enzyme induced by the binding of its natural ligands.

PDB references: BeSAHase, complex with adenosine and cordycepin, 5m5k; complex with adenine, 5m65; complex with adenosine, 5m66; complex with 2 0 -deoxyadenosine and adenine, 5m67 S-Adenosyl-l-homocysteine hydrolase (SAHase) from the symbiotic bacterium Bradyrhizobium elkanii (BeSAHase) was crystallized in four ligand complexes with (i) mixed adenosine (Ado) and cordycepin (Cord; 3 0 -deoxyadenosine), (ii) adenine (Ade), (iii) Ado and (iv) mixed 2 0 -deoxyadenosine (2 0 -dAdo) and Ade. The crystal structures were solved at resolutions of 1.84, 1.95, 1.95 and 1.54 Å , respectively. Only the Ade complex crystallized with a dimer in the asymmetric unit, while all of the other complexes formed a crystallographically independent tetrameric assembly. In the Ado/Cord complex, adenosine is found in three subunits while the fourth subunit has cordycepin bound in the active site. In the Ade and Ado complexes only these ligand molecules are present in the active sites. The 2 0 -dAdo/Ade complex has Ade bound in two subunits and 2 0 -dAdo bound in the other two subunits. The BeSAHase fold adopted a closed conformation in the complexes with Ado, Ade and 2 0 -dAdo, and a semi-open conformation when cordycepin occupied the active site. An SAHase-specific molecular gate, consisting of residues His342 and Phe343, behaves differently in the different complexes, but there is no simple correlation with the ligand type. Additional small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments confirm the tetrameric state of the protein in solution. The main conclusions from this work are (i) that the SAHase subunit does not simply oscillate between two discrete conformational open/closed states in correlation with the absence/presence of a ligand in the active site, but can also assume an intermediate form for some ligands; (ii) that the shut/open state of the molecular gate in the access channel to the active site is not correlated in a simple way with the open/closed subunit conformation or empty/occupied status of the active site, but that a variety of states are possible even for the same ligand; (iii) that a cation (typically sodium) coordinated in an intersubunit loop rigidifies a molecular hinge and thus stabilizes the closed conformation; (iv) that BeSAHase in solution is a tetramer, consistent with the model derived from crystallography.

A one‐pot, two‐step synthesis of 5‐phenyl‐3‐(pyridin‐2‐yl)‐1,3,2‐oxazaphospholidine from linear precursor bis(diisopropylamino){2‐[(pyridin‐2‐yl)amino]‐1‐phenylethoxy}phosphine is achieved using a stereoselective intramolecular cyclisation. Application of a pure enantiomer {1‐phenyl‐2‐[(pyridin‐2‐yl)amino]ethanol} enabled partial diastereopurification by crystallisation. For all four diastereoisomers, the absolute configuration of the P‐centre was determined using X‐ray crystallography and correlative 31P NMR data. Stereochemically pure 5a was then used in nucleoside phosphitylation reactions with partial loss of stereopurity by retention of configuration on the phosphorus centre.

S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (SAH) hydrolases (SAHases) are involved in the regulation of methylation reactions in many organisms and are thus crucial for numerous cellular functions. Consequently, their dysregulation is associated with severe health problems. The SAHase-catalyzed reaction is reversible and both directions depend on the redox activity of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) as a cofactor. Therefore, nicotinamide cofactor biomimetics (NCB) are a promising tool to modulate SAHase activity. In the present in vitro study, we investigated 10 synthetic truncated NAD+ analogs against a SAHase from the root-nodulating bacterium Bradyrhizobium elkanii. Among this set of analogs, one was identified to inhibit the SAHase in both directions. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and crystallography experiments suggest that the inhibitory effect is not mediated by a direct interaction with the protein. Neither the apo-enzyme (i.e., deprived of the natural cofactor), nor the holo-enzyme (i.e., in the NAD+-bound state) were found to bind the inhibitor. Yet, enzyme kinetics point to a non-competitive inhibition mechanism, where the inhibitor acts on both, the enzyme and enzyme-SAH complex. Based on our experimental results, we hypothesize that the NCB inhibits the enzyme via oxidation of the enzyme-bound NADH, which may be accessible through an open molecular gate, leaving the enzyme stalled in a configuration with oxidized cofactor, where the reaction intermediate can be neither converted nor released. Since the reaction mechanism of SAHase is quite uncommon, this kind of inhibition could be a viable pharmacological route, with a low risk of off-target effects. The NCB presented in this work could be used as a template for the development of more potent SAHase inhibitors.

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