Modulating electron density in the bound product, 4-hydroxybenzoyl-CoA, bymutations in 4-chlorobenzoyl-CoA dehalogenase near the 4-hydroxy group

The enzyme 4-chlorobenzoyl-CoA dehalogenase hydrolyzes 4-chlorobenzoyl-CoA (4-CBA-CoA) to 4-hydroxybenzoyl-CoA (4-HBA-CoA). Biochemical and crystallog raphic studies have identified a critical role for the dehalogenase residue Asp 145 in close proximity to the ligand's 4-hydroxy group in the structur e of the product-enzyme complex. In the present study the effects of site s elective mutations at Asp 145 on the product complex are explored by Raman spectroscopy. The spectral signatures of the WT-product complex, the large red shift in lambda(max), and the complete reorganization of the benzoyl ri ng modes in Raman data are absent for the D145E complex. The major spectral perturbations in the WT complex are brought about by strong electron "pull " at the benzoyl carbonyl and electron "push" by the side chain of Asp 145 near the 4-OH group. Acting in concert, these factors polarize the benzoyl' s pi-electrons. Since the Raman data show that very strong electron pull oc curs at the benzoyl's carbonyl in the D145E complex, it is apparent that th e needed electron push near the benzoyl's 4-OH group is missing. Thus, very precise positioning of Asp 145's side chain near the benzoyl's 4-position is needed to bring about the dramatic electron reorganization seen in the W T complex, and this criterion cannot be met by the glutamate side chain wit h its additional CH2 group. For two other Asp145 mutants D145A and D145S th at lack catalytic activity, Raman difference spectroscopic data for product complexes demonstrate the presence of a population of ionized product (i.e ., 4-O-) in the active sites. The presence of the ionized phenolate form ex plains the observation that these complexes have highly red-shifted absorba nce maxima with lambda(maxs) near 400 nm. For the WT complex only the 4-OH form is seen, ionization being energetically expensive with the presence of the proximal negative charge on the Asp 145 side chain. Semiquantitative e stimates of the pK(a) for the bound product in D145S and D145A indicate tha t this ionization lies in the pH 6.5-7.0 range. This is approximately 2 pH units below the pK(a) for the free product. The Raman spectrum of 4-dimethy laminobenzoyl-CoA undergoes major changes upon binding to dehalogenase. The bound form has two features near 1562 and 1529 cm(-1) and therefore closel y resembles the spectrum of product bound to wild-type enzyme, which underl ines the quinonoid nature in these complexes. The use of a newly developed Raman system allowed us to obtain normal (nonresonance) Raman data for the dehalogenase complexes in the 100-300 mu M range and heralds an important a dvance in the application of Raman spectroscopy to dilute solutions of macr omolecules.