Crystal structure of tetrahydrocannabinolic acid synthase from Cannabis sativaCrystal structure of tetrahydrocannabinolic acid synthase from Cannabis sativa

Structural highlights

3vte is a 1 chain structure with sequence from Cannabis sativa. Full crystallographic information is available from OCA. For a guided tour on the structure components use FirstGlance.
Method:X-ray diffraction, Resolution 2.75Å
Ligands:,
Resources:FirstGlance, OCA, PDBe, RCSB, PDBsum, ProSAT

Function

THCAS_CANSA Catalyzes the oxidative cyclization of the monoterpene moiety in cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), producing delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinolate (THCA), the major cannabioid in drug-type Cannabis plants. Can also use cannabinerolic acid as substrate, but not cannabigerol or cannabinerol.[1]

Publication Abstract from PubMed

1-Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) synthase catalyzes the oxidative cyclization of cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) into THCA, the precursor of the primary psychoactive agent 1-tetrahydrocannabinol in Cannabis sativa. The enzyme was overproduced in insect cells, purified, and crystallized in order to investigate the structure-function relationship of THCA synthase, and the tertiary structure was determined to 2.75A resolution by X-ray crystallography (R(cryst)=19.9%). The THCA synthase enzyme is a member of the p-cresol methyl-hydroxylase superfamily, and the tertiary structure is divided into two domains (domains I and II), with a flavin adenine dinucleotide coenzyme positioned between each domain and covalently bound to His114 and Cys176 (located in domain I). The catalysis of THCA synthesis involves a hydride transfer from C3 of CBGA to N5 of flavin adenine dinucleotide and the deprotonation of O6' of CBGA. The ionized residues in the active site of THCA synthase were investigated by mutational analysis and X-ray structure. Mutational analysis indicates that the reaction does not involve the carboxyl group of Glu442 that was identified as the catalytic base in the related berberine bridge enzyme but instead involves the hydroxyl group of Tyr484. Mutations at the active-site residues His292 and Tyr417 resulted in a decrease in, but not elimination of, the enzymatic activity of THCA synthase, suggesting a key role for these residues in substrate binding and not direct catalysis.

Structure and Function of 1-Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid (THCA) Synthase, the Enzyme Controlling the Psychoactivity of Cannabissativa.,Shoyama Y, Tamada T, Kurihara K, Takeuchi A, Taura F, Arai S, Blaber M, Shoyama Y, Morimoto S, Kuroki R J Mol Biol. 2012 Jul 2. PMID:22766313[2]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

References

  1. Sirikantaramas S, Morimoto S, Shoyama Y, Ishikawa Y, Wada Y, Shoyama Y, Taura F. The gene controlling marijuana psychoactivity: molecular cloning and heterologous expression of Delta1-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid synthase from Cannabis sativa L. J Biol Chem. 2004 Sep 17;279(38):39767-74. Epub 2004 Jun 9. PMID:15190053 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M403693200
  2. Shoyama Y, Tamada T, Kurihara K, Takeuchi A, Taura F, Arai S, Blaber M, Shoyama Y, Morimoto S, Kuroki R. Structure and Function of 1-Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid (THCA) Synthase, the Enzyme Controlling the Psychoactivity of Cannabissativa. J Mol Biol. 2012 Jul 2. PMID:22766313 doi:10.1016/j.jmb.2012.06.030

3vte, resolution 2.75Å

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