farnesyl-pyrophosphate and aristolochene

Aristolochene synthase, a metal-dependent sesquiterpene cyclase from Aspergillus terreus, catalyzes the ionization-dependent cyclization of farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) to form the bicyclic eremophilane (+)-aristolochene with perfect structural and stereochemical precision. Here, we report the X-ray crystal structure of aristolochene synthase complexed with three Mg(2+) ions and the unreactive substrate analogue farnesyl-S-thiolodiphosphate (FSPP), showing that the substrate diphosphate group is anchored by metal coordination and hydrogen bond interactions identical to those previously observed in the complex with three Mg(2+) ions and inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi). Moreover, the binding conformation of FSPP directly mimics that expected for productively bound FPP, with the exception of the precise alignment of the C-S bond with regard to the C10-C11 π system that would be required for C1-C10 bond formation in the first step of catalysis. We also report crystal structures of aristolochene synthase complexed with Mg(2+)3-PPi and ammonium or iminium analogues of bicyclic carbocation intermediates proposed for the natural cyclization cascade. Various binding orientations are observed for these bicyclic analogues, and these orientations appear to be driven by favorable electrostatic interactions between the positively charged ammonium group of the analogue and the negatively charged PPi anion. Surprisingly, the active site is sufficiently flexible to accommodate analogues with partially or completely incorrect stereochemistry. Although this permissiveness in binding is unanticipated, based on the stereochemical precision of catalysis that leads exclusively to the (+)-aristolochene stereoisomer, it suggests the ability of the active site to enable controlled reorientation of intermediates during the cyclization cascade. Taken together, these structures illuminate important aspects of the catalytic mechanism.

Topics: Aspergillus; Binding Sites; Catalysis; Catalytic Domain; Cations, Divalent; Diphosphates; Hydrogen Bonding; Isomerases; Magnesium; Models, Molecular; Polyisoprenyl Phosphates; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; Sesquiterpenes; Stereoisomerism

The catalytic mechanism of the enzyme aristolochene synthase from Penicillium roqueforti (PR-AS) has been probed with the farnesyl diphosphate analogues 6- and 14-fluoro farnesyl diphosphate (1a and 1c). Incubation of these analogues with PR-AS followed by analysis of the reaction products by GC-MS and NMR spectroscopy indicated that these synthetic FPP analogues were converted to the fluorinated germacrene A analogues 3b and 3c, respectively. In both cases the position of the fluorine atom prevented the formation of the eudesmane cation analogues 4b and 4c. These results highlight that germacrene A is an on-path reaction intermediate during PR-AS catalysis and shed light on the mechanism by which germacrene A is converted to eudesmane cation. They support the proposal that the role of PR-AS in the cyclisation is essentially passive in that it harnesses the inherent chemical reactivity present in the substrate by promoting the initial ionisation of farnesyl diphosphate and by acting as a productive template to steer the reaction through an effective series of cyclisations and rearrangements to (+)-aristolochene (7a).

Topics: Catalysis; Cyclization; Fluorine; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Isomerases; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Molecular Probe Techniques; Penicillium; Polyisoprenyl Phosphates; Sesquiterpenes; Sesquiterpenes, Germacrane

Tobacco 5-epi-aristolochene synthase (TEAS) catalyzes the Mg(II)-dependent cyclizations and rearrangements of (E,E)-farnesyl diphosphate (PP) to the bicyclic sesquiterpene hydrocarbon via a tightly bound (+)-germacrene A as a deprotonated intermediate. With the native enzyme, only a few percent of the putative germacrene A intermediate is released from the active site during the catalytic cycle. 6-Fluorofarnesyl PP was designed and synthesized with the aim of arresting the cyclization-rearrangement mechanism en route to 5-epi-aristolochene. Indeed, incubation of (2E,6Z)-6-fluorofarnesyl PP with recombinant TEAS afforded (-)-1-fluorogermacrene A as the sole product in 58% yield. Steady-state kinetic experiments with farnesyl PP and the 6-fluoro analogue showed that the overall catalytic efficiencies (k(cat)/K(m)) are essentially the same for both substrates. 1-Fluorogermacrene A was characterized by chromatographic properties (TLC, GC), MS, optical rotation, UV, IR and (1)H NMR data, and by heat-induced Cope rearrangement to (+)-1-fluoro-beta-elemene. (1)H NMR spectra at room temperature revealed that this (E,E)-configured fluorocyclodecadiene exists in solution as a 7:3 mixture of UU and UD conformers. 1-Fluorogermacrene A underwent trifluoroacetic acid-catalyzed cyclization to give three 1alpha-fluoroselinene isomers at a rate estimated to be about 1000 times slower than that of the similar cyclization of (+)-germacrene A to the parent selinenes.

Topics: Alkyl and Aryl Transferases; Binding Sites; Catalysis; Chromatography; Cyclization; Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated; Kinetics; Models, Chemical; Nicotiana; Polyisoprenyl Phosphates; Sesquiterpenes; Sesquiterpenes, Germacrane; Spectrum Analysis; Stereoisomerism; Substrate Specificity

Analysis of the hydrocarbons produced during catalysis by mutants of aristolochene synthase from Penicillium roqueforti indicated that Trp 334 had a pivotal function for the efficient production of aristolochene from farnesylpyrophosphate most likely by stabilising the intermediate, eudesmane cation.

Topics: Catalysis; Cations; Isomerases; Penicillium; Polyisoprenyl Phosphates; Sesquiterpenes; Sesquiterpenes, Eudesmane; Tryptophan

The biosynthesis of several sesquiterpenes has been proposed to proceed via germacrene A. However, to date, the production of germacrene A has not been proven directly for any of the sesquiterpene synthases for which it was postulated as an intermediate. We demonstrate here for the first time that significant amounts of germacrene A (7.5% of the total amount of products) are indeed released from wild-type aristolochene synthase (AS) from Penicillium roqueforti. Germacrene A was identified through direct GC-MS comparison to an authentic sample and through production of beta-elemene in a thermal Cope rearrangement. AS also produced a small amount of valencene through deprotonation of C6 rather than C8 in the final step of the reaction. On the basis of the X-ray structure of AS, Tyr 92 was postulated to be the active-site acid responsible for protonation of germacrene A (Caruthers, J. M.; Kang, I.; Rynkiewicz, M. J.; Cane, D. E.; Christianson, D. W. J. Biol. Chem. 2000, 275, 25533-25539). The CD spectra of a mutant protein, ASY92F, in which Tyr 92 was replaced by Phe, and of AS were very similar. ASY92F was approximately 0.1% as active as nonmutated recombinant AS. The steady-state kinetic parameters were measured as 0.138 min(-1) and 0.189 mM for k(cat) and K(M), respectively. Similar to a mutant protein of 5-epi-aristolochene (Rising, K. A.; Starks, C. M.; Noel, J. P.; Chappell, J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, 1861-1866), the mutant released significant amounts of germacrene A (approximately 29%). ASY92F also produced various amounts of a further five hydrocarbons of molecular weight 204, valencene, beta-(E)-farnesene, alpha- and beta-selinene, and selina-4,11-diene.

Topics: Circular Dichroism; Escherichia coli; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Isomerases; Kinetics; Penicillium; Polyisoprenyl Phosphates; Recombinant Proteins; Sesquiterpenes; Tyrosine