Sustained activity of mammalian methionine synthase (MS) requires MS reductase (MSR), but there have been few studies of the interactions between these two proteins. In this study, recombinant human MS (hMS) and MSR (hMSR) were expressed in baculovirus-infected insect cells and purified to homogeneity. hMSR maintained hMS activity at a 1:1 stoichiometric ratio with a
K
act
value of 71 nM.
Escherichia coli
MS, however, was not activated by hMSR. Moreover, hMS was not significantly active in the presence of
E. coli
flavodoxin and flavodoxin reductase, which maintain the activity of
E. coli
MS. These results indicate that recognition of MS by their reductive partners is very strict, despite the high homology between MS from different species. The effects of hMSR on the formation of hMS holoenzyme also were examined by using crude extracts of baculovirus-infected insect cells containing hMS apoenzyme (apoMS). In the presence of MSR and NADPH, holoenzyme formation from apoMS and methylcobalamin was significantly enhanced. The observed stimulation is shown to be due to stabilization of human apoMS in the presence of MSR. Apoenzyme alone is quite unstable at 37°C. MSR also is able to reduce aquacobalamin to cob(II)alamin in the presence of NADPH, and this reduction leads to stimulation of the conversion of apoMS and aquacobalamin to MS holoenzyme. Based on these findings, we propose that MSR serves as a special chaperone for hMS and as an aquacobalamin reductase, rather than acting solely in the reductive activation of MS.
哺乳动物甲硫氨酸合成酶(MS)的持续活性需要MS还原酶(MSR),但这两种蛋白质之间的相互作用研究很少。在本研究中,重组人类MS(hMS)和MSR(hMSR)在杆状病毒感染的昆虫细胞中表达并纯化至同质性。hMSR以1:1的化学计量比维持hMS活性,其Kact值为71 nM。然而,大肠杆菌MS不受hMSR的激活。此外,在大肠杆菌黄素蛋白和黄素蛋白还原酶的存在下,hMS在活性上也不显著,这些蛋白质维持了大肠杆菌MS的活性。这些结果表明,尽管不同物种的MS具有高度同源性,但它们与还原伴侣的识别非常严格。此外,利用含有hMS缺失酶(apoMS)的杆状病毒感染的昆虫细胞粗提物,还研究了hMSR对hMS完整酶的形成的影响。在MSR和NADPH的存在下,从apoMS和甲基钴胺中形成完整酶的过程显著增强。观察到的刺激作用是由于MSR存在下人类apoMS的稳定性。单独的apo酶在37°C下相当不稳定。MSR还能在NADPH的存在下将水合钴胺还原为cob(II)胺,这种还原导致apoMS和水合钴胺转化为MS完整酶的刺激。基于这些发现,我们提出MSR作为hMS的特殊伴侣蛋白和水合钴胺还原酶,而不仅仅是在MS的还原激活中起作用。