The gene encoding a nonoxidative decarboxylase capable of catalyzing the transformation of 2-hydroxy-1-naphthoic acid (2H1NA) to 2-naphthol was identified, recombinantly expressed, and purified to homogeneity. The putative gene sequence of the decarboxylase (hndA) encodes a 316-amino-acid protein (HndA) with a predicted molecular mass of 34 kDa. HndA exhibited high identity with uncharacterized amidohydrolase 2 proteins of various Burkholderia species, whereas it showed a modest 27% identity with ␥-resorcylate decarboxylase, a well-characterized nonoxidative decarboxylase belonging to the amidohydrolase superfamily. Biochemically characterized HndA demonstrated strict substrate specificity toward 2H1NA, whereas inhibition studies with HndA indicated the presence of zinc as the transition metal center, as confirmed by atomic absorption spectroscopy. A three-dimensional structural model of HndA, followed by docking analysis, identified the conserved metal-coordinating and substrate-binding residues, while their importance in catalysis was validated by site-directed mutagenesis.
IMPORTANCEMicrobial nonoxidative decarboxylases play a crucial role in the metabolism of a large array of carboxy aromatic chemicals released into the environment from a variety of natural and anthropogenic sources. Among these, hydroxynaphthoic acids are usually encountered as pathway intermediates in the bacterial degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The present study reveals biochemical and molecular characterization of a 2-hydroxy-1-naphthoic acid nonoxidative decarboxylase involved in an alternative metabolic pathway which can be classified as a member of the small repertoire of nonoxidative decarboxylases belonging to the amidohydrolase 2 family of proteins. The strict substrate specificity and sequence uniqueness make it a novel member of the metallo-dependent hydrolase superfamily.
Decarboxylase is one of the most important classes of enzymes involved in a large variety of catabolic and anabolic pathways. The majority of the decarboxylases utilize an organic cofactor or a transition metal coupled with dioxygen to activate their substrates leading to the removal of carbon dioxide (1). However, there is a small group of transition metal-dependent decarboxylases that carry out decarboxylation of various aromatic acids in a nonoxidative manner. These nonoxidative decarboxylases act on various lignin-derived compounds, such as 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (2), (carboxy)vanillic acid (3, 4), protocatechuic acid (5), ferulic acid (6), p-coumaric acid (7), and estrogenic phthalate (8). Likewise, oxygen-independent decarboxylases are also involved in the 2-nitrobenzoic acid degradation pathway (9, 10), the tryptophan catabolic pathway (11), and the thymidine salvage pathway (12).Nonoxidative decarboxylases, in general, can broadly be classified into two major groups depending on their oxygen sensitivity. Oxygen-sensitive decarboxylases, viz., 4-hydroxybenzoate decarboxylase (2), 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate decarboxylase (5), and indol...