Crystal Structure of an Alcohol Dehydrogenase from the Extreme Thermophile Thermoanaerobium brockii.

Abstract

The crystal structure of a thermophilic alcohol dehydrogenase (TBAD) has been determined in complex with sec-butanol as substrate to a resolution of 3.0 A. The enzyme is from Thermoanaerobacter brockii, a bacterium isolated from hot springs in Yellowstone National Park. This tetrameric enzyme has a melting temperature of 98 C. The structure consists of two domains, the catalytic domain and the cofactor-binding domain, with the active site located in a deep cleft at the domain interface. Factors important for the thermostability have been deduced by comparison with the crystal structure of a highly homologous mesophilic alcohol dehydrogenase from Clostridium beijerinckii (CBAD). The thermophilic enzyme has a more hydrophilic exterior, a more hydrophobic interior. a smaller surface area, more prolines, alanines, and less serines than CBAD. Furthermore, in the thermophilic enzyme the number of all types of intersubunit interactions is increased: more salt bridges, hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. All these effects combined can account for the 32 deg C higher melting temperature of the thermophilic enzyme.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 16, 1998
Accession Number
ADA358217

Entities

People

  • Menachem Shoham

Organizations

  • Case Western Reserve University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Amino Acids
  • Chemistry
  • Crystal Structure
  • Crystals
  • Enzymes
  • Hydrogen
  • Hydrogen Bonds
  • Hydrophilic Properties
  • Hydrophobic Properties
  • Molecules
  • National Parks
  • Neutral Amino Acids
  • Polyethylene Glycols
  • Statistics
  • Thermostability
  • X Rays
  • X-Ray Diffraction

Fields of Study

  • Chemistry

Readers

  • Materials Science and Engineering.
  • Microbial Pathology
  • Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry