Effects of cobalt-substitution of the active zinc ion in thermolysin on its activity and active-site microenvironment

Thermolysin is remarkably activated in the presence of high concentrations (1-5 M) of neutral salts [Inouye, K. (1992) J. Biocheim 112, 335-340]. The activity is enhanced 13-15 times with 4 M NaCl at pH 7.0 and 25 degreesC. Substitution of the active site zinc with other transition metals alters the activity of thermolysin [Holmquist, B. and Vallee, B.L. (1974) J. Biol. Chem. 249, 4601-4607]. Cobalt is the most effective among the transition metals and doubles the activity toward N-[3-(2-furyl)acryloyl]-glyeyl-L-leucine amide. In this study, the effect of NaCl on the activity of cobalt-substituted thermolysin was examined. Cobalt-substituted thermolysin, with 2.8-fold increased activity compared with the native enzyme, is further activated by the addition of NaCl in an exponential fashion, and the activity is enhanced 13-15 times at 4 M NaCl. The effects of cobalt-substitution and the addition of salt are independent of each other. The activity of cobalt-substituted thermolysin, expressed as h(eat)/K-m is pH-dependent and controlled by at least two ionizing residues with pK(a) values of 6.0 and 7.8, the acidic pK(a) being slightly higher compared to 5.6 of the native enzyme. These pK(a) values remain constant in the presence of 4 M NaCl, indicating that the electrostatic environment of cobalt-substituted thermolysin is more stable than that of the native enzyme, the acidic pK(a) of which shifts remarkably from 5.6 to 6.7 at 4 M NaCl. Zincov, a competitive inhibitor, binds more tightly to the cobalt-substituted than to native thermolysin at pH 4.9-9.0, probably because of its preference for cobalt in the fivefold coordination. The cobalt substitution has been shown to be a favorable tool with which to explore the active-site microenvironment of thermolysin.