Mycobacterium tuberculosis Exploits a Heterohexameric Enoyl-CoA Hydratase Retro-Aldolase Complex for Cholesterol Catabolism

Biochemistry. 2019 Oct 15;58(41):4224-4235. doi: 10.1021/acs.biochem.9b00673. Epub 2019 Oct 7.

Abstract

Cholesterol catabolism plays an important role in Mycobacterium tuberculosis's (Mtb's) survival and persistence in the host. Mtb exploits three β-oxidation cycles to fully degrade the side chain of cholesterol. Five cistronic genes in a single operon encode three enzymes, 3-oxo-4-pregnene-20-carboxyl-CoA dehydrogenase (ChsE1-ChsE2), 3-oxo-4,17-pregnadiene-20-carboxyl-CoA hydratase (ChsH1-ChsH2), and 17-hydroxy-3-oxo-4-pregnene-20-carboxyl-CoA retro-aldolase (Ltp2), to perform the last β-oxidation cycle in this pathway. Among these three enzymes, ChsH1-ChsH2 and Ltp2 form a protein complex that is required for the catalysis of carbon-carbon bond cleavage. In this work, we report the structure of the full length ChsH1-ChsH2-Ltp2 complex based on small-angle X-ray scattering and single-particle electron microscopy data. Mutagenesis experiments confirm the requirement for Ltp2 to catalyze the retro-aldol reaction. The structure illustrates how acyl transfer between enzymes may occur. Each protomer of the ChsH1-ChsH2-Ltp2 complex contains three protein components: a chain of ChsH1, a chain of ChsH2, and a chain of Ltp2. Two protomers dimerize at the interface of Ltp2 to form a heterohexameric structure. This unique heterohexameric structure of the ChsH1-ChsH2-Ltp2 complex provides entry to further understand the mechanism of cholesterol catabolism in Mtb.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry*
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Biocatalysis
  • Cholesterol / metabolism*
  • Enoyl-CoA Hydratase / chemistry*
  • Enoyl-CoA Hydratase / metabolism
  • Fructose-Bisphosphate Aldolase / chemistry*
  • Fructose-Bisphosphate Aldolase / metabolism
  • Ligands
  • Microscopy, Electron
  • Models, Molecular*
  • Mutagenesis
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / chemistry*
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / genetics
  • Operon
  • Plasmids / genetics
  • Protein Multimerization
  • Protein Subunits / chemistry
  • Scattering, Small Angle
  • X-Ray Diffraction

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Ligands
  • Protein Subunits
  • Cholesterol
  • Fructose-Bisphosphate Aldolase
  • Enoyl-CoA Hydratase