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Biophysical and mutagenic analysis of Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus secondary-alcohol dehydrogenase activity and
D S Burdette1, F Secundo, R S Phillips
1Department of Biochemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI48824-1319, USA.
Abstract:
The Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus 39E adhB gene encoding the secondary-alcohol dehydrogenase (secondary ADH) was overexpressed in Escherichia coli at more than 10% of total protein. The recombinant enzyme was purified in high yield (67%) by heat-treatment at 85 degrees C and (NH4)2SO4 precipitation. Site-directed mutants (C37S, H59N, D150N, D150Eand D150C were analysed to test the peptide sequence comparison-based predictions of amino acids responsible for putative catalytic Zn binding. X-ray absorption spectroscopy confirmed the presence of a protein-bound Zn atom with ZnS1(imid)1(N,O)3 co-ordination sphere. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry measured 0.48 Zn atoms per wild-type secondary ADH subunit. The C37S, H59N and D150N mutant enzymes bound only 0.11, 0.13 and 0.33 Zn per subunit respectively,suggesting that these residues are involved in Zn liganding. The D150E and D150C mutants retained 0.47 and 1.2 Zn atoms per subunit, indicating that an anionic side-chain moiety at this position preserves the bound Zn. All five mutant enzymes had