Characterization of the amino acids from Neisseria meningitidis MsrA involved in the chemical catalysis of the methionine sulfoxide reduction step

Methionine sulfoxide reductases (Msrs) are ubiquitous enzymes that reduce protein-bound methionine sulfoxide back to Met in the presence of thioredoxin. In vivo, the role of the Msrs is described as essential in protecting cells against oxidative damages and as playing a role in infection of cells by pathogenic bacteria. There exist two structurally unrelated classes of Msrs, called MsrA and MsrB, specific for the S and the R epimer of the sulfoxide function of methionine sulfoxide, respectively. Both Msrs present a similar catalytic mechanism, which implies, as a first step, a reductase step that leads to the formation of a sulfenic acid on the catalytic cysteine and a concomitant release of a mole of Met. The reductase step has been previously shown to be efficient and not rate-limiting. In the present study, the amino acids involved in the catalysis of the reductase step of the Neisseria meningitidis MsrA have been characterized. The invariant Glu-94 and to a lesser extent Tyr-82 and Tyr-134 are shown to play a major role in the stabilization of the sulfurane transition state and indirectly in the decrease of the pK(app) of the catalytic Cys-51. Ascenario of the reductase step is proposed in which the substrate binds to the active site with its sulfoxide function largely polarized via interactions with Glu-94, Tyr-82, and Tyr-134 and participates via the positive or partially positive charge borne by the sulfur of the sulfoxide in the stabilization of the catalytic Cys.