JBC, Vol. 250, Issue 19, 7675-7681, Oct, 1975
Purification and characterization of shikimate kinase enzyme activity in Bacillus subtilis
L. Huang, A. L. Montoya and E. W. Nester
In Bacillus subtilis shikimate kinase enzyme activity can be demonstrated
when a small polypeptide forms a trifunctional complex with the
bifunctional enzyme 3-deoxy-D-arabinoheptulosonate-7-phosphate
synthetase-chorismate mutase. The shikimate kinase polypeptide whoch
carries the catalytic site has been purified to homogeneity by a five-step
procedure. The skikimate kinase was determined to have a molecular weight
of 10,000 by superfine Sephadex G-75 thin layer chromatography and by
calculation of the minimum chemical molecular weight from its amino acid
composition. This number corresponds closely to the molecular weight
determined by the mobility of the protein following electrophoresis on
polyacrylamide gels containing sodium dodecyl sulfate. The enzyme
aggregates with itself forming larger molecular weight proteins. Thes
aggregational pattersn depend on protein concentration and sulfhydryl
bridges. The enzyme activity is completely inhibited by EDTA and the
requirement for Mg2+ can be partially replaced by Mn2+, Ca2+, and Co2+. The
inhibition of shikimate kinase activity by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate is
reversed completely when the enzyme complex is treated with dithiothreitol,
suggesting the sulfhydryl groups may be involved with the active site. The
trifunctional complex is relatively unstable, and the nonidentical subunits
dissociate readily. This dissociation results in a 99% loss in shikimate
kinase activity and a 30% decrease in the chorismate mutase-DAHP synthetase
activities. Shikimate kinase activity is subject to a variety of controls.
It is inhibited by the allosteric effectors chorismate and prephenate, the
products of the reaction, ADP, and shikimate 5-phosphate. The activity
responds to changes in the energy charge of the cell. Because of the
variety of controls exerted on this enzyme, this member of the regulatory
complex may represent the key enzyme in the allosteric control of the
synthesis of the common precursors of aromatic acid synthesis.