Motifs and structural fold of the cofactor binding site of human glutamate decarboxylase

The pyridoxal‐P binding sites of the two isoforms of human glutamate decarboxylase (GAD65 and GAD67) were modeled by using PROBE (a recently developed algorithm for multiple sequence alignment and database searching) to align the primary sequence of GAD with pyridoxal‐P binding proteins of known structure. GAD's cofactor binding site is particularly interesting because GAD activity in the brain is controlled in part by a regulated interconversion of the apo‐ and holoenzymes. PROBE identified six motifs shared by the two GADs and four proteins of known structure: bacterial ornithine decarboxylase, dialkylglycine decarboxylase, aspartate aminotransferase, and tyrosine phenol‐lyase. Five of the motifs corresponded to the α/β elements and loops that form most of the conserved fold of the pyridoxal‐P binding cleft of the four enzymes of known structure; the sixth motif corresponded to a helical element of the small domain that closes when the substrate binds. Eight residues that interact with pyridoxal‐P and a ninth residue that lies at the interface of the large and small domains were also identified. Eleven additional conserved residues were identified and their functions were evaluated by examining the proteins of known structure. The key residues that interact directly with pyridoxal‐P were identical in ornithine decarboxylase and the two GADs, thus allowing us to make a specific structural prediction of the cofactor binding site of GAD. The strong conservation of the cofactor binding site in GAD indicates that the highly regulated transition between apo‐ and holoGAD is accomplished by modifications in this basic fold rather than through a novel folding pattern.