γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase-glutathione synthetase:: Domain structure and identification of residues important in substrate and glutathione binding

In most organisms, glutathione (GSH) is synthesized by the sequential action of distinct enzymes, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCS) and GSH synthetase (GS). In Streptococcus agalactiae, GSH synthesis is catalyzed by a single enzyme, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase-glutathione synthetase (gamma-GCS-GS). The N-terminal sequence of gamma-GCS-GS is similar to Escherichia coli gamma-GCS, but the C-terminal sequence is an ATP-grasp domain more similar to D-Ala, D-Ala ligase than to any known GS. In the present studies, C-terminally and N-terminally truncated constructs were characterized in order to define the limits of the gamma-GCS and GS domains, respectively. Although WT gamma-GCS-GS is nearly uninhibited by GSH (K-i similar to 140 mM), shorter gamma-GCS domain constructs were unexpectedly found to be strongly inhibited (Ki similar to 15 mM), reproducing a physiologically important regulation seen in monofunctional gamma-GCS enzymes. Because studies with E. coli gamma-GCS implicate a flexible loop region in GSH binding, chimeras of S. agalactiae gamma-GCS-GS were made containing gamma-GCS domain flexible loop sequences from Enterococcus faecalis and Pasteurella multocida gamma-GCS-GS, isoforms that are inhibited by GSH. Inhibition remained S. agalactiae-like (i.e., very weak). C-Terminal constructs of gamma-GCS-GS have GS activity (0.01-0.04% of WT), but proper folding and significant GS activity required a covalently linked gamma-GCS domain. In addition, site-directed mutants in the middle region of the gamma-GCS-GS sequence established that GS activity depends on residues in a region that is also part of the gamma-GCS domain. Our results provide new insights into the structure of gamma-GCS-GS and suggest gamma-GCS-GS evolved from a monomeric gamma-GCS that became C-terminally fused to a multimeric ATP-grasp protein.