Collective motions in glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase: influence of ligand binding and role in ammonia channelling and opening of the fructose-6-phosphate binding site.

The large protein motions of the bacterial enzyme glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase have been addressed using full atom normal modes analysis for the empty, the glucose-6-phosphate and the glucose-6-phosphate+glutamate bound proteins. The approach that was used involving energy minimizations along the normal modes coordinates identified functional motions of the protein, some of which were characterized earlier by X-ray diffraction studies. This method made it possible for the first time to highlight significant energy differences according to whether none, only one or both of the active sites of the protein were occupied. Our data favoured a specific motion of the glutamine binding domain following the fixation of fructose-6-phosphate and suggested a rigidified structure with both sites occupied. Here, we show that most of the collective large amplitude motions of glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase that are modulated by ligand binding are crucial for the enzyme catalytic cycle, as they strongly modify the geometry of both the ammonia channel and the C-tail, demonstrating their role in ammonia transfer and ligand binding.