A Single Amino Acid Change (Substitution of Glutamate 3 with Alanine) in the N-terminal Region of Rat Liver Carnitine Palmitoyltransferase I Abolishes Malonyl-CoA Inhibition and High Affinity Binding

We have recently shown by deletion mutation analysis that the conserved first 18 N-terminal amino acid residues of rat liver carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (L-CPTI) are essential for malonyl-CoA inhibition and binding (Shi, J., Zhu, H., Arvidson, D. N., Cregg, J. M., and Woldegiorgis, G. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 11033–11038). To identify specific residue(s) involved in malonyl-CoA binding and inhibition of L-CPTI, we constructed two more deletion mutants, Δ12 and Δ6, and three substitution mutations within the conserved first six amino acid residues. Mutant L-CPTI, lacking either the first six N-terminal amino acid residues or with a change of glutamic acid 3 to alanine, was expressed at steady-state levels similar to wild type and had near wild type catalytic activity. However, malonyl-CoA inhibition of these mutant enzymes was reduced 100-fold, and high affinity malonyl-CoA binding was lost. A mutant L-CPTI with a change of histidine 5 to alanine caused only partial loss of malonyl-CoA inhibition, whereas a mutant L-CPTI with a change of glutamine 6 to alanine had wild type properties. These results demonstrate that glutamic acid 3 and histidine 5 are necessary for malonyl-CoA binding and inhibition of L-CPTI by malonyl-CoA but are not required for catalysis.