3D architecture and structural flexibility revealed in the subfamily of large glutamate dehydrogenases by a mycobacterial enzyme

Commun Biol. 2021 Jun 3;4(1):684. doi: 10.1038/s42003-021-02222-x.

Abstract

Glutamate dehydrogenases (GDHs) are widespread metabolic enzymes that play key roles in nitrogen homeostasis. Large glutamate dehydrogenases composed of 180 kDa subunits (L-GDHs180) contain long N- and C-terminal segments flanking the catalytic core. Despite the relevance of L-GDHs180 in bacterial physiology, the lack of structural data for these enzymes has limited the progress of functional studies. Here we show that the mycobacterial L-GDH180 (mL-GDH180) adopts a quaternary structure that is radically different from that of related low molecular weight enzymes. Intersubunit contacts in mL-GDH180 involve a C-terminal domain that we propose as a new fold and a flexible N-terminal segment comprising ACT-like and PAS-type domains that could act as metabolic sensors for allosteric regulation. These findings uncover unique aspects of the structure-function relationship in the subfamily of L-GDHs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry*
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Catalytic Domain
  • Cryoelectron Microscopy
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Glutamate Dehydrogenase / chemistry*
  • Glutamate Dehydrogenase / metabolism
  • Glutamate Dehydrogenase / ultrastructure
  • Kinetics
  • Models, Molecular
  • Mycobacterium smegmatis / enzymology*
  • Mycobacterium smegmatis / genetics
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Domains
  • Protein Multimerization
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry*
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Recombinant Proteins / ultrastructure

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Glutamate Dehydrogenase