Theoretical studies on the mechanism of activation of phosphoprotein phosphatases and purple acid phosphatases suggest an evolutionary strategy to survive in acidic environments.

Dephosphorylation reactions of phosphoprotein phosphatases (PPPs) share a common catalytic cycle. In one stage of the cycle, the active site is regenerated through formation of a new nucleophilic μ-hydroxy moiety and reprotonation of the proton donor, His125 (numbered according to the protein phosphatase 1 sequence). To date the exact details of the mechanism of this step remain uncertain. On the basis of recurring observations in several crystal structures, we propose an activation mechanism in which dephosphorylation of PPPs proceeds mainly through proton transfer from the water molecule that bridges the metal ions to His125, which is mediated by another water molecule. Our calculations using hybrid density functional theory and B3LYP functionals support this activation mechanism. We also propose that Asp95 facilitates proton transfer by eliminating the energy barrier and the backbone carbonyl oxygen atom of His248 acts mainly to orient and stabilize the μ-hydroxo (or water molecule) through hydrogen bonding. Furthermore, on the basis of the structural similarities of the active sites of purple acid phosphatases (PAPs) and PPPs, we speculate that PAPs are activated by a dual proton transfer mediated by one water molecule. Our calculations support this hypothesis and indicate that the active site of PAPs can still be active in an acidic environment (in agreement with the acid phosphatase activity of PAPs). Therefore, the variant of the activation mechanism from PPPs to PAPs implies an evolutionary adaptation to acidic environments.