Site-directed mutagenesis of conserved aromatic residues in rat squalene epoxidase

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2007 Jan 5;352(1):259-63. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2006.11.014. Epub 2006 Nov 13.

Abstract

Squalene epoxidase catalyzes the conversion of squalene to (3S)2,3-oxidosqualene, which is a rate-limiting step of the cholesterol biogenesis. To evaluate the importance of conserved aromatic residues, 15 alanine-substituted mutants were constructed and tested for the enzyme activity. Except F203A, all the mutants significantly lost the enzyme activity, confirming the importance of the residues, either for correct folding of the protein, or for the catalytic machinery of the enzyme. Further, interestingly, F223A mutant no longer accepted (3S)2,3-oxidosqualene as a substrate, while Y473A mutant converted (3S)2,3-oxidosqualene to (3S,22S)2,3:22,23-dioxidosqualene twice more efficiently than wild-type enzyme. It is remarkable that the single amino acid replacement yielded mutants with altered substrate and product specificities. These aromatic residues are likely to be located at the substrate-binding domain of the active-site, and control the stereochemical course of the enzyme reaction.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alanine / genetics
  • Alanine / metabolism
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Conserved Sequence
  • Humans
  • Kinetics
  • Molecular Structure
  • Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
  • Rats
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Squalene Monooxygenase / chemistry
  • Squalene Monooxygenase / genetics
  • Squalene Monooxygenase / metabolism*

Substances

  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Squalene Monooxygenase
  • Alanine