Site-directed mutagenesis studies on the L-arginine-binding sites of feedback inhibition in N-acetyl-L-glutamate kinase (NAGK) from Corynebacterium glutamicum.

Arginine biosynthesis in Corynebacterium glutamicum proceeds via a pathway that is controlled by arginine through feedback inhibition of NAGK, the enzyme that converts N-acetyl-L-glutamate (NAG) to N-acety-L-glutamy-L-phosphate. In this study, the gene argB encoding NAGK from C. glutamicum ATCC 13032 was site-directed, and the L-arginine-binding sites of feedback inhibition in Cglu_NAGK are described. The N-helix and C-terminal residues were first deleted, and the results indicated that they are both necessary for Cglu_NAGK, whereas, the complete N-helix deletion (the front 28 residues) abolished the L-arginine inhibition. Further, we study here the impact on these functions of 12 site-directed mutations affecting seven residues of Cglu_NAGK, chosen on the basis of homology structural alignment. The E19R, H26E, and H268N variants could increase the I₀.₅ (R) 50-60 fold, and the G287D and R209A mutants could increase the I₀.₅ (R) 30-40 fold. The E281A mutagenesis resulted in the substrate kinetics being greatly influenced. The W23A variant had a lower specific enzyme activity. These results explained that the five amino acid residues (E19, H26, R209, H268, and G287) located in or near N-helix are all essential for the formation of arginine inhibition.