The effect of kirromycin on the metal ion coordination in complexes of elongation factor Tu from Bacillus stearothermophilus as inferred from the 17O-55Mn superhyperfine interaction.

The binding of the antibiotic kirromycin to elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) leads to a severe line broadening of the Q-band manganese EPR lines of EF-Tu.Mn, EF-Tu.Mn.GDP, as well as EF-Tu.Mn.GDP.Pi indicating that the coordination sphere of the metal ion is changed by this interaction. The number of coordinated water molecules was determined from the 17O-55Mn superhyperfine coupling observable in H2(17)O enriched water; it is pH-dependent in the EF-Tu.Mn.GDP complex, at pH 6.8 probably four water molecules are coordinated with the protein bound manganese, at pH 8.4 one of the water molecules is replaced by a functional group from the protein. Independent of the pH, probably four and five water molecules are bound to the metal ion in the EF-Tu.Mn and in the EF-Tu.Mn.GDP.Pi complex, respectively. Kirromycin does not influence the number of water molecules bound to EF-Tu.Mn.GDP and EF-Tu.Mn.GDP.Pi, but leads to an increase of the number of water molecules coordinated to the metal ion in EF-Tu.Mn. The 17O-55Mn superhyperfine coupling constant in Mn(H2O)6 was determined from the EPR-spectra as 0.24 mT.