Enzymology
Inhibitors of a Na+-pumping NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase play multiple roles to block enzyme function
The Na+-pumping NADH-ubiquinone (UQ) oxidoreductase (Na+-NQR) is present in the respiratory chain of many pathogenic bacteria and is thought to be a promising antibiotic target. Whereas many details of Na+-NQR structure and function are known, the mechanisms of action of potent inhibitors is not well-understood; elucidating the mechanisms would not only advance drug design strategies but might also provide insights on a terminal electron transfer from riboflavin to UQ. To this end, we performed photoaffinity labeling experiments using photoreactive derivatives of two known inhibitors, aurachin and korormicin, on isolated Vibrio cholerae Na+-NQR.Identification of the binding sites for ubiquinone and inhibitors in the Na+-pumping NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase from Vibrio cholerae by photoaffinity labeling
The Na+-pumping NADH-quinone oxidoreductase (Na+-NQR) is the first enzyme of the respiratory chain and the main ion transporter in many marine and pathogenic bacteria, including Vibrio cholerae. The V. cholerae Na+-NQR has been extensively studied, but its binding sites for ubiquinone and inhibitors remain controversial. Here, using a photoreactive ubiquinone PUQ-3 as well as two aurachin-type inhibitors [125I]PAD-1 and [125I]PAD-2 and photoaffinity labeling experiments on the isolated enzyme, we demonstrate that the ubiquinone ring binds to the NqrA subunit in the regions Leu-32–Met-39 and Phe-131–Lys-138, encompassing the rear wall of a predicted ubiquinone-binding cavity.
