An evolutionary analysis identifies a conserved pentapeptide stretch containing the two essential lysine residues for rice L-myo-inositol 1-phosphate synthase catalytic activity

PLoS One. 2017 Sep 26;12(9):e0185351. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185351. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

A molecular evolutionary analysis of a well conserved protein helps to determine the essential amino acids in the core catalytic region. Based on the chemical properties of amino acid residues, phylogenetic analysis of a total of 172 homologous sequences of a highly conserved enzyme, L-myo-inositol 1-phosphate synthase or MIPS from evolutionarily diverse organisms was performed. This study revealed the presence of six phylogenetically conserved blocks, out of which four embrace the catalytic core of the functional protein. Further, specific amino acid modifications targeting the lysine residues, known to be important for MIPS catalysis, were performed at the catalytic site of a MIPS from monocotyledonous model plant, Oryza sativa (OsMIPS1). Following this study, OsMIPS mutants with deletion or replacement of lysine residues in the conserved blocks were made. Based on the enzyme kinetics performed on the deletion/replacement mutants, phylogenetic and structural comparison with the already established crystal structures from non-plant sources, an evolutionarily conserved peptide stretch was identified at the active pocket which contains the two most important lysine residues essential for catalytic activity.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Biocatalysis
  • Biological Evolution*
  • Catalytic Domain
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Lysine / metabolism*
  • Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
  • Myo-Inositol-1-Phosphate Synthase / chemistry
  • Myo-Inositol-1-Phosphate Synthase / metabolism*
  • Oligopeptides / chemistry
  • Oligopeptides / metabolism*
  • Oryza / enzymology*
  • Oryza / genetics
  • Phylogeny
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

Substances

  • Oligopeptides
  • Myo-Inositol-1-Phosphate Synthase
  • Lysine

Grants and funding

This work was supported by: 1. Department of Atomic Energy - D.O. No. 10/25/2010/RRF-R&D-II/3118, ALM; 2. Department of Biotechnology- BT/AB/05/02/2007-III, ALM; 3. Council of Scientific & Industrial Research- 09/015(0447)/2012-EMR-I, PB.