Mutation of the Conserved Domains of Two Inositol Polyphosphate 5-Phosphatases

Two short amino acid motifs, WXGDXNXR and PXWCDRXL, define a large family of inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatases. We tested the importance of seven of these conserved amino acids to substrate binding and catalysis by mutating each to alanine in the platelet 75 kDa inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase II (5-phosphatase II). Native and mutant forms of 5-phosphatase II were expressed in baculovirus-infected Sf9 cells, and the recombinant proteins were purified by Mono Q chromatography and studied for enzyme activity. Mutants D476A, N478A, D553A, and R554A had no detectable activity using all four known substrates for this enzyme. Mutants R480A, W551A, and I555A showed greatly reduced hydrolysis of Ins(1,4,5)P3 when compared to native enzyme [K m = 75 μM, V m = 8300 nmol of Ins(1,4,5)P3 hydrolyzed min-1 (mg of protein)-1]. Mutants W551A and I555A had a K m for Ins(1,4,5)P3 hydrolysis similar to that of the native enzyme (35 μM and 81 μM, respectively), suggesting that these amino acids do not play a role in binding substrate. By contrast, mutant R480A had both increased K m (634 μM) and decreased V m [855 nmol of Ins(1,4,5)P3 hydrolyzed min-1 (mg of protein)-1]. As judged by measurement of K m, mutant R480A retained normal binding of Ins(1,3,4,5)P4, suggesting that the arginine in motif 2 has a greater role in Ins(1,4,5)P3 binding than in Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 binding. Mutant I555A bound Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 with 8-fold reduced affinity. These mutations markedly reduced 5-phosphatase II hydrolysis of the three other substrates, Ins(1,3,4,5)P4, PtdIns(4,5)P2, and PtdIns(3,4,5)P3. We also tested a mutation comparable to D553A, D460A, in the 110 kDa form of the signaling inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase (5SIP110). 5SIP110 D460A had no detectable enzyme activity but retained the ability to bind GRB2. These results are consistent with a role for these conserved amino acids in substrate binding and catalysis.