Structural insights into the catalytic mechanism of the microcystin tailoring enzyme McyI

Abstract The most common cyanotoxin microcystin is a cyclic heptapeptide produced by non-ribosomal peptide-polyketide synthetases and tailoring enzymes. The tailoring enzyme McyI, a 2-hydroxyacid dehydrogenase, converts (3-methyl)malate into (3-methyl)oxaloacetate to produce the non-proteinogenic am...

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Main Authors: Xiao Wang, Yue Yin, Wen-Long Cheng, Ya-Fei Duan, Yu-Shuai Li, Jia Wang, Mingzhu Wang, Huai-En Dai, Lin Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-04-01
Series:Communications Biology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08008-9
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author Xiao Wang
Yue Yin
Wen-Long Cheng
Ya-Fei Duan
Yu-Shuai Li
Jia Wang
Mingzhu Wang
Huai-En Dai
Lin Liu
author_facet Xiao Wang
Yue Yin
Wen-Long Cheng
Ya-Fei Duan
Yu-Shuai Li
Jia Wang
Mingzhu Wang
Huai-En Dai
Lin Liu
author_sort Xiao Wang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The most common cyanotoxin microcystin is a cyclic heptapeptide produced by non-ribosomal peptide-polyketide synthetases and tailoring enzymes. The tailoring enzyme McyI, a 2-hydroxyacid dehydrogenase, converts (3-methyl)malate into (3-methyl)oxaloacetate to produce the non-proteinogenic amino acid (3-methyl)aspartate. The reaction is NAD(P)-dependent but the catalytic mechanism remains unclear. Here we describe the crystal structures of McyI at three states: bound with copurified NAD, cocrystallized with NAD/NADP, and cocrystallized with malate or the substrate analogue citrate. An McyI protomer has unusual three nicotinamide cofactor-binding sites, named the NAD-prebound, NADP specific, and non-specific sites. Biochemical studies confirmed the NADP preference during oxidoreductase reaction. Molecular basis for McyI catalysis was revealed by the structures of McyI-NAD binary complex, McyI-NAD-NADP and McyI-NAD-malate ternary complexes, which demonstrate different opening angles between the substrate-binding domain and the nucleotide-binding domain. These findings indicate that McyI is a unique member of the 2-hydroxyacid dehydrogenase superfamily and provide detailed structural insights into its catalytic mechanism. In addition, the structural ensemble representing various binding states offers clues for designing enzyme for bioengineering applications.
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spelling doaj-art-014fe37cb2a04be39e00063e5de5e5df2025-08-20T03:10:10ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Biology2399-36422025-04-018111010.1038/s42003-025-08008-9Structural insights into the catalytic mechanism of the microcystin tailoring enzyme McyIXiao Wang0Yue Yin1Wen-Long Cheng2Ya-Fei Duan3Yu-Shuai Li4Jia Wang5Mingzhu Wang6Huai-En Dai7Lin Liu8School of Life Sciences, Anhui UniversitySchool of Life Sciences, Anhui UniversitySchool of Life Sciences, Anhui UniversitySchool of Life Sciences, Anhui UniversitySchool of Life Sciences, Anhui UniversitySchool of Life Sciences, Anhui UniversityInstitutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui UniversitySchool of Life Sciences, Anhui UniversitySchool of Life Sciences, Anhui UniversityAbstract The most common cyanotoxin microcystin is a cyclic heptapeptide produced by non-ribosomal peptide-polyketide synthetases and tailoring enzymes. The tailoring enzyme McyI, a 2-hydroxyacid dehydrogenase, converts (3-methyl)malate into (3-methyl)oxaloacetate to produce the non-proteinogenic amino acid (3-methyl)aspartate. The reaction is NAD(P)-dependent but the catalytic mechanism remains unclear. Here we describe the crystal structures of McyI at three states: bound with copurified NAD, cocrystallized with NAD/NADP, and cocrystallized with malate or the substrate analogue citrate. An McyI protomer has unusual three nicotinamide cofactor-binding sites, named the NAD-prebound, NADP specific, and non-specific sites. Biochemical studies confirmed the NADP preference during oxidoreductase reaction. Molecular basis for McyI catalysis was revealed by the structures of McyI-NAD binary complex, McyI-NAD-NADP and McyI-NAD-malate ternary complexes, which demonstrate different opening angles between the substrate-binding domain and the nucleotide-binding domain. These findings indicate that McyI is a unique member of the 2-hydroxyacid dehydrogenase superfamily and provide detailed structural insights into its catalytic mechanism. In addition, the structural ensemble representing various binding states offers clues for designing enzyme for bioengineering applications.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08008-9
spellingShingle Xiao Wang
Yue Yin
Wen-Long Cheng
Ya-Fei Duan
Yu-Shuai Li
Jia Wang
Mingzhu Wang
Huai-En Dai
Lin Liu
Structural insights into the catalytic mechanism of the microcystin tailoring enzyme McyI
Communications Biology
title Structural insights into the catalytic mechanism of the microcystin tailoring enzyme McyI
title_full Structural insights into the catalytic mechanism of the microcystin tailoring enzyme McyI
title_fullStr Structural insights into the catalytic mechanism of the microcystin tailoring enzyme McyI
title_full_unstemmed Structural insights into the catalytic mechanism of the microcystin tailoring enzyme McyI
title_short Structural insights into the catalytic mechanism of the microcystin tailoring enzyme McyI
title_sort structural insights into the catalytic mechanism of the microcystin tailoring enzyme mcyi
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08008-9
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