Biology subjects

Maturana, P.

Publications and source records attributed to Maturana, P..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Two activation heat capacity regimes underlie temperature-dependent catalysis in homologous archaeal ADP-dependent kinases

Enzyme activity increases with temperature up to a maximum, beyond which it declines, a behaviour traditionally attributed to thermal denaturation. However, some enzymes show activity decline well below the melting temperature. Macromolecular rate theory (MMRT) explains this phenomenon by introducing a negative activation heat capacity [Formula], reflecting a transition-state ensemble more conformationally restricted than the ground state. Recently, [Formula] has been shown to be temperature-dependent and proposed as a general catalytic feature, though its variation within and across homologous families from distinct thermal niches remains unexplored. We characterized the glucokinase activity of three homologous bifunctional ADP-dependent PFK/GK enzymes: MbPFK/GK from the psychrotolerant Methanococcoides burtonii, MmPFK/GK from the mesophilic Methanococcus maripaludis, and ancM, the inferred ancestor of the Methanococcales order, which displays enhanced thermostability. MmPFK/GK and ancM display two [Formula] regimes, with abrupt changes in kcat vs temperature: zero to moderately negative values at low temperatures, shifting sharply at elevated temperatures to highly negative values (-44 kJ mol-1 K-1 and -36 kJ mol-1 K-1, respectively), exceeding previous reports. Circular dichroism spectroscopy confirms that these extreme values reflect pre-melting conformational changes rather than denaturation. Despite being psychrotolerant, MbPFK/GK displayed the highest thermal stability [Formula] and a single [Formula] regime throughout all temperatures (-2.6 kJ mol-1 K-1). Domain-closure dynamics explain thermal adaptation and moderate-temperature [Formula] values; whereas the basis of the extreme high-temperature [Formula] values remain unknown. To account for these two regimes, we present a two-pathway model incorporating a conformational equilibrium in which free enzyme and enzyme-substrate complex populate two catalytically competent conformations.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2026

Structural, dynamic, and evolutionary determinants of substrate binding in the tetrameric 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase from Gluconobacter oxydans

6-Phosphogluconate dehydrogenases (6PGDHs) catalyze a key oxidative step in the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (oxPPP), a route essential for NAD(P)H generation and carbon metabolism in bacteria and eukaryotes. While the structural basis of substrate recognition is well established for long-chain dimeric 6PGDHs, the mechanisms used by short-chain tetrameric enzymes remain poorly defined. Here, we present a 2.0 [A] crystal structure of tetrameric 6PGDH from Gluconobacter oxydans (Go6PGDH) in complex with 6-phosphogluconate (6PG) and integrate it with evolutionary, computational, and functional analyses. The structure shows that, unlike dimeric homologs, tetrameric Go6PGDH does not undergo a domain-closure transition upon ligand binding. Instead, 6PG induces a compaction of the tetramer mediated by two conserved C-terminal elements: an inter-protomer ionic "lock" and an intra-subunit C-terminal "latch" that together stabilize a closed catalytic pocket. Molecular-dynamics simulations identify His328 as a central residue that couples C-terminal tail closure to direct ligand coordination, and mutagenesis analysis confirms its essential role in catalytic efficiency. Thermodynamic measurements reveal that 6PG binding is strongly enthalpy-driven, consistent with the formation of an ordered hydrogen-bonding and electrostatic network in the closed conformation. These findings define a substrate-induced quaternary-tightening mechanism unique to tetrameric 6PGDHs and illustrate how a conserved C-terminal module has been adapted across the family to regulate substrate binding and catalysis.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2025

Structure of Photosystem I-FCP from giant kelp uncovers drivers of antenna evolution across the red lineage

Brown algae and other red-algae-derived organisms such as diatoms are major contributors to global CO2 fixation via photosynthesis. To understand the photosynthetic function of brown algae, we obtained the structure of giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera photosystem I (PSI) with a fucoxanthin-chlorophyll-protein (FCP) antenna and compared it to known structures from the red-algal lineage. We identified differences in M. pyriferas antenna composition, architecture and chlorophyll networks, as well as a pronounced variation in transmembrane hydrophobic thickness across the PSI-FCP supercomplex, with implications for photochemical function. Our work lays the foundation to understand kelps high photosynthetic productivity, reveals new drivers of antenna conservation and diversification, and sheds light on evolutionary relationships between organisms of the red lineage.

biochemistry↗