Issue 39, 2017

Reaction mechanism of the metallohydrolase CpsB from Streptococcus pneumoniae, a promising target for novel antimicrobial agents

Abstract

CpsB is a metal ion-dependent hydrolase involved in the biosynthesis of capsular polysaccharides in bacterial organisms. The enzyme has been proposed as a promising target for novel chemotherapeutics to combat antibiotic resistance. The crystal structure of CpsB indicated the presence of as many as three closely spaced metal ions, modelled as Mn2+, in the active site. While the preferred metal ion composition in vivo is obscure Mn2+ and Co2+ have been demonstrated to be most effective in reconstituting activity. Using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) we have demonstrated that, in contrast to the crystal structure, only two Mn2+ or Co2+ ions bind to a monomer of CpsB. This observation is in agreement with magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) data that indicate the presence of two weakly ferromagnetically coupled Co2+ ions in the active site of catalytically active CpsB. While CpsB is known to be a phosphoesterase we have also been able to demonstrate that this enzyme is efficient in hydrolyzing the β-lactam substrate nitrocefin. Steady-state and stopped-flow kinetics measurements further indicated that phosphoesters and nitrocefin undergo catalysis in a conserved manner with a metal ion-bridging hydroxide acting as a nucleophile. Thus, the combined physicochemical studies demonstrate that CpsB is a novel member of the dinuclear metallohydrolase family.

Graphical abstract: Reaction mechanism of the metallohydrolase CpsB from Streptococcus pneumoniae, a promising target for novel antimicrobial agents

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
14 Dzi 2017
Accepted
26 Mud 2017
First published
26 Mud 2017

Dalton Trans., 2017,46, 13194-13201

Reaction mechanism of the metallohydrolase CpsB from Streptococcus pneumoniae, a promising target for novel antimicrobial agents

M. Monteiro Pedroso, C. Selleck, J. Bilyj, J. R. Harmer, L. R. Gahan, N. Mitić, A. J. Standish, D. L. Tierney, J. A. Larrabee and G. Schenk, Dalton Trans., 2017, 46, 13194 DOI: 10.1039/C7DT01350G

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