Crystal structure of a putative short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase from Paraburkholderia xenovorans

Paraburkholderia xenovorans degrades organic wastes, including polychlorinated biphenyls. The atomic structure of a putative dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) from P. xenovorans (PxSDR) was determined in space group P2₁ at a resolution of 1.45 Å. PxSDR shares less than 37% sequence identity with any known structure and assembles as a prototypical SDR tetramer. As expected, there is some conformational flexibility and difference in the substrate-binding cavity, which explains the substrate specificity. Uniquely, the cofactor-binding cavity of PxSDR is not well conserved and differs from those of other SDRs. PxSDR has an additional seven amino acids that form an additional unique loop within the cofactor-binding cavity. Further studies are required to determine how these differences affect the enzymatic functions of the SDR.