J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 262, Issue 24, 11446-11448, 08, 1987
The stereospecific labilization of the C-4' pro-S hydrogen of pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate is abolished in (Lys258----Ala) aspartate aminotransferase
S Kochhar, WL Finlayson, JF Kirsch and P Christen
Reconstitution of wild-type apoaspartate aminotransferase from Escherichia
coli with [4'-3H]pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate results in stereospecific
release of the pro-S C-4' 3H to the solvent. The reaction follows
first-order kinetics (t1/2 = 15 min at pH 7.5 and 25 degrees C), its rate
constant being similar to that found previously with mitochondrial
aspartate aminotransferase from chicken (Tobler, H.P., Christen, P., and
Gehring, H. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 7105- 7108). Substituting the active
site residue Lys258 by alanine via site- directed mutagenesis yields a
catalytically inactive enzyme (Malcolm, B. A., and Kirsch, J. F. (1985)
Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 132, 915- 921). This mutant enzyme fails to
release any measurable 3H from bound [4'-3H]pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate. The
data are consistent with earlier proposals that Lys258 is indispensable for
the ketimine/aldimine tautomerization, and corroborate the previous
conclusion that 3H exchange from enzyme-bound pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate
mechanistically corresponds to the deprotonation at C-4' of the ketimine
intermediate during the transamination reaction.