SITE-DIRECTED MUTAGENESIS OF FARNESYL DIPHOSPHATE SYNTHASE - EFFECT OF SUBSTITUTION ON THE 3 CARBOXYL-TERMINAL AMINO-ACIDS

Site-directed mutation was introduced into the gene for the farnesyl diphosphate synthase of Bacillus stearothermophilus. To investigate the significance of the three C-terminal amino acids, where arginine is completely conserved throughout the farnesyl diphosphate synthases of prokaryotes and eukaryotes, three kinds of mutant enzymes, R295V, D296G, and H297L, which have replacements of arginine-295 with valine, aspartate-296 with glycine, and histidine-297 with leucine, respectively, were over-produced and purified to homogeneity. All of the three mutant enzymes showed similar catalytic activities to that of the wild-type enzyme, indicating that the basic amino acids including the conserved arginine in the C-terminal region are not essential for catalytic function. They were also similar to the wild-type enzyme with respect to pH optima, thermostability, reaction product, and kinetic parameters for allylic substrates. However, their K-m values for isopentenyl diphosphate are approximately twice that of the wild type.