Functional control of a 0.5 MDa TET aminopeptidase by a flexible loop revealed by MAS NMR

Large oligomeric enzymes control a myriad of cellular processes, from protein synthesis and degradation to metabolism. The 0.5 MDa large TET2 aminopeptidase, a prototypical protease important for cellular homeostasis, degrades peptides within a ca. 60 Å wide tetrahedral chamber with four lateral openings. The mechanisms of substrate trafficking and processing remain debated. Here, we integrate magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR, mutagenesis, co-evolution analysis and molecular dynamics simulations and reveal that a loop in the catalytic chamber is a key element for enzymatic function. The loop is able to stabilize ligands in the active site and may additionally have a direct role in activating the catalytic water molecule whereby a conserved histidine plays a key role. Our data provide a strong case for the functional importance of highly dynamic - and often overlooked - parts of an enzyme, and the potential of MAS NMR to investigate their dynamics at atomic resolution.