Gv. Crichlow et al., Inhibition of class C beta-lactamases: Structure of a reaction intermediate with a cephem sulfone, BIOCHEM, 40(21), 2001, pp. 6233-6239
The crystallographic structure of the Enterobacter cloacae GC1 extended-spe
ctrum class C beta -lactamase, inhibited by a new 7-alkylidenecephalosporin
sulfone, has been determined by X-ray diffraction at 100 K to a resolution
of 1.6 Angstrom. The crystal structure was solved by molecular replacement
using the unliganded structure [Crichlow et al. (1999) Biochemistry 38, 10
256-10261] and refined to a crystallographic R-factor equal to 0.183 (R-fre
e 0.208). Cryoquenching of the reaction of the sulfone with the enzyme prod
uced an intermediate that is covalently bound via Ser64. After acylation of
the beta -lactam ring, the dihydrothiazine dioxide ring opened with depart
ure of the sulfinate. Nucleophilic attack of a side chain pyridine nitrogen
atom on the C6 atom of the resultant imine yielded a bicyclic aromatic sys
tem which helps to stabilize the acyl enzyme to hydrolysis. A structural as
sist to this resonance stabilization is the positioning of the anionic sulf
inate group between the probable catalytic base (Tyr150) and the acyl ester
bond so as to block the approach of a potentially deacylating water molecu
le. Comparison of the liganded and unliganded protein structures showed tha
t a major movement (up to 7 Angstrom) and refolding of part of the Omega -l
oop (215-224) accompanies the binding of the inhibitor. This conformational
flexibility in the Omega -loop may form the basis of an extended-spectrum
activity of class C beta -lactamases against modern cephalosporins.