Division of Metabolism and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Steinwiesstrasse 75, CH-8032 Zurich, Switzerland.
Structural Genomics Consortium, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Build, Roosevelt Dr, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK.
Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 2019 Jun 1;1865(6):1265-1272. doi: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2019.01.021. Epub 2019 Jan 22.
Human methylmalonyl-CoA epimerase (MCEE) catalyzes the interconversion of d-methylmalonyl-CoA and l-methylmalonyl-CoA in propionate catabolism. Autosomal recessive pathogenic variations in MCEE reportedly cause methylmalonic aciduria (MMAuria) in eleven patients. We investigated a cohort of 150 individuals suffering from MMAuria of unknown origin, identifying ten new patients with pathogenic variations in MCEE. Nine patients were homozygous for the known nonsense variation p.Arg47* (c.139C > T), and one for the novel missense variation p.Ile53Arg (c.158T > G). To understand better the molecular basis of MCEE deficiency, we mapped p.Ile53Arg, and two previously described pathogenic variations p.Lys60Gln and p.Arg143Cys, onto our 1.8 Å structure of wild-type (wt) human MCEE. This revealed potential dimeric assembly disruption by p.Ile53Arg, but no clear defects from p.Lys60Gln or p.Arg143Cys. We solved the structure of MCEE-Arg143Cys to 1.9 Å and found significant disruption of two important loop structures, potentially impacting surface features as well as the active-site pocket. Functional analysis of MCEE-Ile53Arg expressed in a bacterial recombinant system as well as patient-derived fibroblasts revealed nearly undetectable soluble protein levels, defective globular protein behavior, and using a newly developed assay, lack of enzymatic activity - consistent with misfolded protein. By contrast, soluble protein levels, unfolding characteristics and activity of MCEE-Lys60Gln were comparable to wt, leaving unclear how this variation may cause disease. MCEE-Arg143Cys was detectable at comparable levels to wt MCEE, but had slightly altered unfolding kinetics and greatly reduced activity. These studies reveal ten new patients with MCEE deficiency and rationalize misfolding and loss of activity as molecular defects in MCEE-type MMAuria.
人甲基丙二酰辅酶 A 差向异构酶 (MCEE) 催化丙酸盐分解代谢中 d-甲基丙二酰辅酶 A 和 l-甲基丙二酰辅酶 A 的相互转化。据报道,MCEE 中的常染色体隐性致病性变异导致 11 名患者甲基丙二酸血症 (MMAuria)。我们调查了一组 150 名不明来源 MMAuria 的个体,发现了 10 名 MCEE 中存在致病性变异的新患者。9 名患者为已知无义变异 p.Arg47* (c.139C > T) 的纯合子,1 名患者为新型错义变异 p.Ile53Arg (c.158T > G) 的纯合子。为了更好地理解 MCEE 缺乏的分子基础,我们将 p.Ile53Arg 以及之前描述的两种致病性变异 p.Lys60Gln 和 p.Arg143Cys 映射到我们 1.8Å 结构的野生型 (wt) 人 MCEE 上。这表明 p.Ile53Arg 可能导致二聚体组装破坏,但 p.Lys60Gln 或 p.Arg143Cys 没有明显缺陷。我们解决了 MCEE-Arg143Cys 的结构,分辨率为 1.9Å,发现两个重要的环结构明显中断,可能影响表面特征以及活性位点口袋。在细菌重组系统中表达的 MCEE-Ile53Arg 以及患者来源的成纤维细胞的功能分析表明,几乎检测不到可溶性蛋白水平,球状蛋白行为缺陷,并且使用新开发的测定法,缺乏酶活性 - 与错误折叠的蛋白一致。相比之下,MCEE-Lys60Gln 的可溶性蛋白水平、展开特性和活性与 wt 相当,不清楚这种变异如何导致疾病。MCEE-Arg143Cys 的检测水平与 wt MCEE 相当,但展开动力学略有改变,活性大大降低。这些研究揭示了 10 名新的 MCEE 缺乏症患者,并将错误折叠和丧失活性合理化作为 MCEE 型 MMAuria 的分子缺陷。