Jcm. Uitdehaag et al., X-ray structures along the reaction pathway of cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase elucidate catalysis in the alpha-amylase family, NAT ST BIOL, 6(5), 1999, pp. 432-436
Cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase) is an enzyme of the alpha-amylase
family, which uses a double displacement mechanism to process alpha-linked
glucose polymers. We have determined two X-ray structures of CGTase comple
xes, one with an intact substrate at 2.1 Angstrom resolution, and the other
with a covalently bound reaction Intermediate at 1.8 Angstrom resolution.
These structures give evidence for substrate distortion and the covalent ch
aracter of the intermediate and for the first time show, in atomic detail,
how catalysis in the alpha-amylase family proceeds by the concerted action
of all active site residues.