Human glutathione transferase P1-1 (GSTP1-1) is polymorphic in amino acid residue 105, positioned in the substrate binding H-site. To elucidate the role of this residue an extensive characterization of GSTP1-1/Ile105 and GSTP1-1/Val105 was performed. Mutant enzymes with altered volume and hydrophobicity of residue 105, GSTP1-1/Ala105 and GSTP1-1/Trp105, were constructed and included in the study. Steady-state kinetic parameters and specific activities were determined using a panel of electrophilic substrates, with the aim of covering different types of reaction mechanisms. Analysis of the steady-state kinetic parameters indicates that the effect of the substitution of the amino acid in position 105 is highly dependent on substrate used. When 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene was used as substrate a change in the side-chain of residue 105 seemed primarily to cause changes in the KM value, while the kcat value was not distinctively affected. With other substrates, such as 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole and ethacrynic acid both kcat and KM values were altered by the substitution of amino acid 105. The constant for formation of the sigma-complex between 1,3, 5-trinitrobenzene and glutathione was shown to be dependent upon the volume of the amino acid in position 105. The nature of the amino acid in position 105 was also shown to affect the thermal stability of the enzyme at 50 degrees C, indicating an important role for this residue in the stabilization of the enzyme. The GSTP1-1/Ile105 variant was approximately two to three times more stable than the Val105 variant as judged by their half-lives. The presence of glutathione in the incubation buffer afforded a threefold increase in the half-lives of the enzymes. Thus, the thermal stability of the enzyme and depending on substrate, both KM values and turnover numbers are influenced by substitutions in position 105 of GSTP1-1.
Copyright 1998 Academic Press Limited.