Crystal structure of the active form of native human thymidylate synthase in the absence of bound substrates

Human thymidylate synthase (hTS) provides the sole de novo intracellular source of thymidine 5′‐monophosphate (dTMP). hTS is required for DNA replication prior to cell division, making it an attractive target for anticancer chemotherapy and drug discovery. hTS binds 2′‐deoxyuridine 5′‐monophosphate (dUMP) and the folate co‐substrate N5,N10‐methylenetetrahydrofolate (meTHF) in a pocket near the catalytic residue Cys195. The catalytic loop, which is composed of amino‐acid residues 181–197, can adopt two distinct conformations related by a 180° rotation. In the active conformation Cys195 is close to the active site, while in the inactive conformation it is rotated and Cys195 is too distant from the active site for catalysis. Several hTS structures, either native or engineered, have been solved in the active conformation in complex with ligands or inhibitors and at different salt concentrations. However, apo hTS structures have been solved in an inactive conformation in high‐salt and low‐salt conditions (PDB entries 1ypv, 4h1i, 4gyh, 3egy and 3ehi). Here, the structure of apo hTS crystallized in the active form with sulfate ions coordinated by the arginine residue that binds dUMP is reported. Apo human thymidylate synthase was crystallized using a low ammonium sulfate concentration. A sulfate ion at the interface between the two subunits favours the active conformation.