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Specificity and phenetic relationships of iron- and manganese-containing superoxide dismutases on the basis of structure and sequence comparisons

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Christophe Noel

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Abstract

The iron- and manganese-containing superoxide dismutases (Fe/Mn-SOD) share the same chemical function and spatial structure but can be distinguished according to their modes of oligomerization and their metal ion specificity. They appear as homodimers or homotetramers and usually require a specific metal for activity. On the basis of 261 aligned SOD sequences and 12 superimposed x-ray structures, two phenetic trees were constructed, one sequence-based and the other structure-based. Their comparison reveals the imperfect correlation of sequence and structural changes; hyperthermophilicity requires the largest sequence alterations, whereas dimer/tetramer and manganese/iron specificities are induced by the most sizable structural differences within the monomers. A systematic investigation of sequence and structure characteristics conserved in all aligned SOD sequences or in subsets sharing common oligomeric and/or metal specificities was performed. Several residues were identified as guaranteeing the common function and dimeric conformation, others as determining the tetramer formation, and yet others as potentially responsible for metal specificity. Some form cation-pi interactions between an aromatic ring and a fully or partially positively charged group, suggesting that these interactions play a significant role in the structure and function of SOD enzymes. Dimer/tetramer- and iron/manganese-specific fingerprints were derived from the set of conserved residues; they can be used to propose selected residue substitutions in view of the experimental validation of our in silico derived hypotheses.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Wintjens R, Noel C, May AC, Gerbod D, Dufernez F, Capron M, Viscogliosi E, Rooman M

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Journal of Biological Chemistry

Year: 2004

Volume: 279

Issue: 10

Pages: 9248-9254

Print publication date: 05/03/2004

Online publication date: 12/12/2003

ISSN (print): 1067-8816

ISSN (electronic): 1083-351X

Publisher: American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M312329200

DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M312329200

Notes: 0021-9258 Journal Article

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