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  • Title: Structure of the Mitochondrial Aminolevulinic Acid Synthase, a Key Heme Biosynthetic Enzyme.
    Author: Brown BL, Kardon JR, Sauer RT, Baker TA.
    Journal: Structure; 2018 Apr 03; 26(4):580-589.e4. PubMed ID: 29551290.
    Abstract:
    5-Aminolevulinic acid synthase (ALAS) catalyzes the first step in heme biosynthesis. We present the crystal structure of a eukaryotic ALAS from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this homodimeric structure, one ALAS subunit contains covalently bound cofactor, pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP), whereas the second is PLP free. Comparison between the subunits reveals PLP-coupled reordering of the active site and of additional regions to achieve the active conformation of the enzyme. The eukaryotic C-terminal extension, a region altered in multiple human disease alleles, wraps around the dimer and contacts active-site-proximal residues. Mutational analysis demonstrates that this C-terminal region that engages the active site is important for ALAS activity. Our discovery of structural elements that change conformation upon PLP binding and of direct contact between the C-terminal extension and the active site thus provides a structural basis for investigation of disruptions in the first step of heme biosynthesis and resulting human disorders.
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