KINETIC AND MUTAGENIC STUDIES OF THE ROLE OF THE ACTIVE-SITE RESIDUES ASP-50 AND GLU-327 OF ESCHERICHIA-COLI GLUTAMINE-SYNTHETASE

The role of Asp-50 and Glu-327 of Escherichia coli glutamine synthetase in catalysis and substrate binding has been interrogated by construction of site-directed mutants at these positions. Steady-state and rapid-quench kinetic methods were used to elucidate contributions of Asp-50 and Glu-327 to the K(m) values of all three substrates, ATP, glutamate, and NH4+, as well as to the enzymatic k(cat) value. Kinetic constants were obtained for the D50A enzyme using both Mg2+ and Mn2+ as activating metal ions; the data reveal that Asp-50 has a significant role in both substrate binding and catalysis as reflected by the increases in the K(m) values for NH4+ and the destabilization of both the ground state and the transition state for phosphoryl transfer. The D50E mutant was found to have activity with Mn2+ but very low activity with Mg2+, the physiologically important metal ion. The k(cat)/K(m) values for all three substrates were substantially altered by changing Asp to Glu. The steady-state results for the E327A mutant indicate a decreased k(cat)/K(m) value for NH4+ compared to that of the wild-type enzyme. The E327A-Mg2+ enzyme destabilizes the ground state of the ternary complex (E-ATP-Glu-NH4+) and the transition state for phosphoryl transfer while the E327A-Mn2+-enzyme provides greater stabilization for the ATP and glutamate complexes but destabilizes phosphoryl transfer steps in the ternary complex. Overall, these results suggest that Asp-50 is likely involved in binding NH4+ and may also play a role in catalyzing deprotonation of NH4+ to form NH3. Glu-327 participates in lowering the free energy of the transition state involved in formation of the positively charged tetrahedral adduct resulting from the condensation of gamma-glutamyl phosphate and NH3.