Gentamicin nucleotidyltransferase. Stereochemical inversion at phosphorus in enzymatic 2'-deoxyadenylyl transfer to tobramycin.

Gentamicin nucleotidyltransferase-catalyzed reaction of (Sp)-[alpha-17O]dATP with tobramycin produced 2"-(2'-deoxyadenosine 5'-[17O]phosphoryl)tobramycin. The configuration at phosphorus in this product was shown to be Rp by chemical degradation to chiral [17O, 18O]dAMP using a stereochemically defined procedure, and determination of the configuration at phosphorus in this product. Periodate-base treatment of 2"-(2'-deoxyadenosine 5'-[17O]phosphoryl)tobramycin followed by NaBH4 reduction produced (2-glyceryl)-[17O]dAMP, which upon snake venom phosphodiesterase-catalyzed hydrolysis in H(2)18O produced [17O,18O] dAMP. The configuration at phosphorus in this product was shown to be S by enzymatic phosphorylation to [17O,18O]dATP, adenylylcyclase (Bordetella pertussis)-catalyzed cyclization to 3',5'-cyclic [17O,18O]dAMP, and 31P NMR analysis of the ethyl esters. Since snake venom phosphodiesterase-catalyzed hydrolyses proceed with retention of configuration at phosphorus, (Sp)-[17O,18O]dAMP must have been produced from (Rp)-(2-glyceryl)-[17O]dAMP; and since the chemical degradation to the latter compound did not involve cleavage of any bonds to phosphorus, the initial enzymatic product must have been (Rp)-2"-(2'-deoxyadenosine 5'-[17O]phosphoryl)tobramycin. Therefore, nucleotidyl transfer catalyzed by gentamicin nucleotidyl-transferase proceeds with inversion of configuration at phosphorus, and the reaction mechanism involves an uneven number of phosphotransfer steps. Inasmuch as this is an uncomplicated two-substrate group transfer reaction, the mechanism probably involves direct nucleotidyl transfer from the nucleoside triphosphate to the aminoglycoside. The B. pertussis adenylylcyclase reaction was shown to proceed with inversion at phosphorus, as has been established for other adenylylcyclases.