Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39813274›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

Engineering dimer mutants of human geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase.

Sean J Ezekiel, Mackenzie Searle, Jaeok Park

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Sean J EzekielDepartment of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.ORCID 0009-0001-9192-3219
Mackenzie SearleDepartment of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
Jaeok ParkDepartment of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-8180-3950

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase (GGPPS), a key enzyme in protein prenylation, plays a critical role in cellular signal transduction and is a promising target for cancer therapy. However, the enzyme's native hexameric quaternary structure presents challenges for crystallographic studies. The primary objective of this study was to engineer dimeric forms of human GGPPS to facilitate high-resolution crystallographic analysis of its ligand binding interactions. Through site-directed mutagenesis, we disrupted the inter-dimer interactions required for hexamer assembly, generating three stable double-site mutants: Y246D/C247L, Y246D/C205A, and Y246K/C247L. Enzyme assays confirmed that all mutants retained wild-type catalytic activity under both saturating and subsaturating substrate conditions. Differential scanning fluorimetry showed that the mutant proteins had a ~10°C lower melting temperature than the wild-type enzyme but exhibited similar shifts in melting temperature in the presence of the known inhibitors risedronate and zoledronate. Crystallographic analysis of the Y246D/C247L mutant yielded a 2.1 Å resolution structure, providing detailed insights into the binding of isopentenyl pyrophosphate. Closer inspection also revealed the unexpected formation of intermolecular disulfide bonds connecting neighboring dimers, which may explain the enhanced crystallizability of the Y246D/C247L mutant compared to the wild-type and other mutants. These findings highlight the potential of the dimeric mutants as substitutes for wild-type GGPPS in future studies. Optimized dimeric mutants could serve as valuable molecular tools to further our understanding of the enzyme's structural and functional properties and aid in the rational design of novel therapeutic agents targeting GGPPS.

Indexed as

Geranylgeranyl-Diphosphate GeranylgeranyltransferaseMutationProtein EngineeringProtein MultimerizationCrystallography, X-RayDiphosphonatesHumansModels, MolecularMutagenesis, Site-DirectedDiphosphonatesGeranylgeranyl-Diphosphate Geranylgeranyltransferase

Identifiers

PMID39813274
PMCPMC11734896

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.