Structure of the E-1-Hydroxy-2-Methyl-But-2-Enyl-4-Diphosphate Synthase (Gcpe) from Thermus Thermophilus.
Rekittke, I., Nonaka, T., Wiesner, J., Demmer, U., Warkentin, E., Jomaa, H., Ermler, U.(2011) FEBS Lett 585: 447
- PubMed: 21167158 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.febslet.2010.12.012
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
2Y0F - PubMed Abstract: 
Isoprenoids are biosynthesized via the mevalonate or the 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol-4-phosphate (MEP) pathways the latter being used by most pathogenic bacteria, some parasitic protozoa, plant plastids, but not by animals. We determined the X-ray structure of the homodimeric [4Fe-4S] cluster carrying E-1-hydroxy-2-methyl-but-2-enyl-4-diphosphate synthase (GcpE) of Thermus thermophilus which catalyzes the penultimate reaction of the MEP pathway and is therefore an attractive target for drug development. The [4Fe-4S] cluster ligated to three cysteines and one glutamate is encapsulated at the intersubunit interface. The substrate binding site lies in front of an (αβ)(8) barrel. The great [4Fe-4S] cluster-substrate distance implicates large-scale domain rearrangements during the reaction cycle.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Institut für Klinische Immunologie und Transfusionsmedizin, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany.