3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase: participation of invariant acidic residues in formation of the acetyl-S-enzyme reaction intermediate.

Inactivation of HMG-CoA synthase by a carboxyl-directed reagent, 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC), in a concentration-dependent and substrate-protectable manner suggested that the active site contains reactive acidic amino acids. This observation prompted functional evaluation of 11 invariant acidic amino acids by site-directed mutagenesis. Characterization of the isolated synthase variants' ability to catalyze overall and partial reactions identified three mutant synthases (D99A, D159A, and D203A) that exhibit significant diminution of k(cat) for the overall reaction (10(2)-, 10(3)-, and 10(4)-fold decreases, respectively). D99A, D159A, and D203A form the acetyl-S-enzyme intermediate very slowly (0.0025, 0.0026, 0.0015 U/mg, respectively, measured at pH 7. 0 and 22 degrees C) as compared to the wild-type synthase (1.59 U/mg), where intermediate formation approaches rate-limiting status. Differences in substrate saturation do not account for impaired activities or rates of intermediate formation. The structural integrity of the purified mutants' active sites is demonstrated by their abilities to bind a spin-labeled acyl-CoA analogue (R.CoA) with affinities and stoichiometries comparable to values measured for wild-type synthase. The impact of three distinct amino acids on reaction intermediate formation supports a mechanism of acetyl-S-enzyme formation that probably requires formation and directed collapse of a tetrahedral adduct. (18)O-induced shift of the (13)C NMR signal of (13)C acetyl-S-enzyme demonstrates that an analogous tetrahedral species is produced upon solvent exchange with the acetyl-S-enzyme. Partial discrimination between the functions of D99, D159, and D203 becomes possible based on the observation that D159A and D203A synthases exhibit retarded kinetics of solvent (18)O exchange while D99A fails to support (18)O exchange.