Structure and Mechanism of Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase*

SCHEME 1 This conversion is the first committed step of gluconeogenesis in Escherichia coli and is part of the gluconeogenic pathway in virtually all organisms. In bacteria, such as E. coli, PCK is utilized during gluconeogenic growth when sugar levels are low (1). PCK is also an important enzyme in the glycolytic pathways of some organisms, such as Ascaris suum (2) and Trypanosoma cruzi (3), where it forms OAA from PEP, which in turn enters the citric acid cycle. In humans and other mammals, PCK is a central enzyme in carbohydrate metabolism, helping to regulate the blood glucose level. Gluconeogenic tissues, such as kidney and liver, convert lactate and other non-carbohydrate molecules to glucose, which in turn is released into the blood. The importance of PCK to carbohydrate metabolism in humans is such that it has been suggested as a potential drug target in the treatment of non-insulindependent diabetes mellitus (4). PCKs have been traditionally classified according to nucleotide specificity, with the ATP-dependent enzymes found in bacteria, yeast, Trypanomastid parasites and plants, and GTP-dependent PCKs in a variety of other eukaryotes and mammals (5). There are both important differences and similarities between ATPand GTPdependent PCKs. With the exception of bacterial PCKs, which are monomeric (6), most enzymes of the ATP-dependent class are multimeric, with two (7), four (8, 9), or six (10) subunits per enzyme, while known members of the GTP-dependent class are exclusively monomeric. While enzymes of either the ATPor GTP-dependent classes show significant (40–80%) amino acid sequence identity within their respective groups (11, 12), there is no significant overall sequence homology between the two classes of enzyme. Despite this lack of overall homology, both groups of PCKs contain similar NTP and oxaloacetate binding “consensus motifs” in their active sites, which likely play similar roles in substrate binding (which will be described in this review). Also, both GTP-dependent and ATP-dependent PCKs have been shown to possess lysinyl (13–17), argininyl (18, 19), and histidinyl (20, 21) residues at or near their active sites. The differences in nucleotide specificity and kinetic properties between ATPand GTP-dependent PCKs have led to the suggestion that they may be potential therapeutic targets in parasitic nematodes (22) and in Trypanomastid parasites such as T. cruzi (11). This minireview will focus on new structural results derived from the recent crystal structure determinations of native E. coli PCK (23, 24), its complex with ATP-Mg-oxalate (25), and the implications for the active site residues and catalytic mechanism of E. coli and other ATPand GTP-dependent PCKs. We also suggest revised nucleotide-binding sites and possible active site residues for the GTP-dependent PCK family. Other aspects of GTP-dependent PCK enzymology and genetics have been recently reviewed (26).