PNNL

Abstract

Methionine sulfoxide reductase enzymes MsrA and MsrB have complementary stereospecificies that respectively reduce the S- and R-stereoisomers of methionine sulfoxide (MetSO), and together function as critical antioxidant enzymes. In some pathogenic and metal reducing bacteria these genes are fused to form a bifunctional methionine sulfoxide reductase (i.e., MsrBA) enzyme. To investigate the impact of gene fusion on the substrate specificity and catalytic activities of Msr, we have cloned and expressed the MsrBA enzyme from Shewanella oneidensis, a metal reducing bacterium and fish pathogen. For comparison, we also cloned and expressed the wild-type MsrA enzyme and a genetically engineered MsrB protein. We report that MsrBA is able to completely reduce (i.e., repair) MetSO in the calcium regulatory protein calmodulin; in comparison only partial repair is observed using both MsrA and MsrB enzymes together at 25 °C. MsrBA has a twenty-fold enhanced rate of repair for MetSO in proteins in comparison with the individual MsrA or MsrB enzymes alone and respective 14- and 50-fold increases in catalytic efficiency (i.e., kcat/KM). In comparison, MsrBA and MsrA have similar catalytic efficiencies when free MetSO is used as a substrate. These results indicate that the individual domains within bifunctional MsrBA work cooperatively to selectively recognize and reduce MetSO in highly oxidized proteins. The enhanced catalytic activity of MsrBA against oxidized proteins and its common expression in bacterial pathogens is consistent with an important role for this enzyme activity in promoting bacterial survival under highly oxidizing conditions associated with pathogenesis or bioremediation.