Structural basis of regiospecificity of a mononuclear iron enzyme in antibiotic fosfomycin biosynthesis

J Am Chem Soc. 2011 Jul 27;133(29):11262-9. doi: 10.1021/ja2025728. Epub 2011 Jun 30.

Abstract

Hydroxypropylphosphonic acid epoxidase (HppE) is an unusual mononuclear iron enzyme that uses dioxygen to catalyze the oxidative epoxidation of (S)-2-hydroxypropylphosphonic acid (S-HPP) in the biosynthesis of the antibiotic fosfomycin. Additionally, the enzyme converts the R-enantiomer of the substrate (R-HPP) to 2-oxo-propylphosphonic acid. To probe the mechanism of HppE regiospecificity, we determined three X-ray structures: R-HPP with inert cobalt-containing enzyme (Co(II)-HppE) at 2.1 Å resolution; R-HPP with active iron-containing enzyme (Fe(II)-HppE) at 3.0 Å resolution; and S-HPP-Fe(II)-HppE in complex with dioxygen mimic NO at 2.9 Å resolution. These structures, along with previously determined structures of S-HPP-HppE, identify the dioxygen binding site on iron and elegantly illustrate how HppE is able to recognize both substrate enantiomers to catalyze two completely distinct reactions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / metabolism*
  • Bacteria / chemistry
  • Bacteria / enzymology*
  • Binding Sites
  • Cobalt / chemistry
  • Cobalt / metabolism
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Fosfomycin / metabolism*
  • Iron / chemistry
  • Iron / metabolism
  • Models, Molecular
  • Oxidoreductases / chemistry*
  • Oxidoreductases / metabolism*
  • Oxygen / chemistry
  • Oxygen / metabolism
  • Protein Conformation
  • Stereoisomerism
  • Substrate Specificity

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Fosfomycin
  • Cobalt
  • Iron
  • Oxidoreductases
  • 2-hydroxypropylphosphonic acid epoxidase
  • Oxygen