The gene encoding the cytochrome P450 CYP121 is essential for
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
. However, the CYP121 catalytic activity remains unknown. Here, we show that the cyclodipeptide cyclo(l-Tyr-l-Tyr) (cYY) binds to CYP121, and is efficiently converted into a single major product in a CYP121 activity assay containing spinach ferredoxin and ferredoxin reductase. NMR spectroscopy analysis of the reaction product shows that CYP121 catalyzes the formation of an intramolecular C-C bond between 2 tyrosyl carbon atoms of cYY resulting in a novel chemical entity. The X-ray structure of cYY-bound CYP121, solved at high resolution (1.4 Å), reveals one cYY molecule with full occupancy in the large active site cavity. One cYY tyrosyl approaches the heme and establishes a specific H-bonding network with Ser-237, Gln-385, Arg-386, and 3 water molecules, including the sixth iron ligand. These observations are consistent with low temperature EPR spectra of cYY-bound CYP121 showing a change in the heme environment with the persistence of the sixth heme iron ligand. As the carbon atoms involved in the final C-C coupling are located 5.4 Å apart according to the CYP121-cYY complex crystal structure, we propose that C-C coupling is concomitant with substrate tyrosyl movements. This study provides insight into the catalytic activity, mechanism, and biological function of CYP121. Also, it provides clues for rational design of putative CYP121 substrate-based antimycobacterial agents.
编码细胞色素P450 CYP121的基因对结核分枝杆菌至关重要,然而CYP121的催化活性仍然未知。本文表明,环二肽环(cYY)与CYP121结合,并在含菠菜铁蛋白和铁蛋白还原酶的CYP121活性测定中被有效转化为单一主要产物。反应产物的NMR光谱分析表明,CYP121催化cYY的两个酪氨酸碳原子之间形成一个分子内的C-C键,从而形成一种新的化学实体。cYY结合CYP121的X射线结构在高分辨率(1.4Å)下解析,显示一个cYY分子在大的活性位点腔中具有完全占据。一个cYY酪氨酸接近血红素并与Ser-237、Gln-385、Arg-386和3个水分子(包括第六个铁配体)建立了特定的氢键网络。这些观察结果与cYY结合CYP121的低温EPR光谱一致,显示血红素环境发生了变化,第六个血红素铁配体仍然存在。由于CYP121-cYY复合物晶体结构中参与最终C-C偶联的碳原子相距5.4Å,因此我们提出C-C偶联与底物酪氨酸运动同时进行。本研究为了解CYP121的催化活性、机制和生物学功能提供了洞察,同时为理性设计假定的基于CYP121底物的抗分枝杆菌药物提供了线索。