@article {520,
	title = {Understanding nature{\textquoteright}s strategies for enzyme-catalyzed racemization and epimerization},
	journal = {Accounts of Chemical Research},
	volume = {35},
	number = {4},
	year = {2002},
	note = {ISI Document Delivery No.: 544TBTimes Cited: 65Cited Reference Count: 36},
	month = {Apr},
	pages = {237-246},
	type = {Review},
	abstract = {Epimerases and racemases are enzymes that catalyze the inversion of stereochemistry in biological molecules. In this article, three distinct examples are used to illustrate the wide range of chemical strategies employed during catalysis, and the diverse set of ancestors from which these enzymes have evolved. Glutamate racemase is an example of an enzyme that operates at an "activated" stereocenter (bearing a relatively acidic proton) and employs a nonstereospecific deprotonation/reprotonation mechanism. UDP-N-Acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase acts at an "unactivated" stereocenter and uses a mechanism involving a nonstereospecific elimination/addition of UDP. L-Ribulose phosphate 4-epimerase also acts at an unactivated stereocenter and uses a nonstereospecific retroaldol/aldol mechanism.},
	keywords = {ALDOLASE, CLASS-II, ESCHERICHIA-COLI, GLUTAMATE RACEMASE, IDENTIFICATION, L-FUCULOSE-1-PHOSPHATE, L-RIBULOSE-5-PHOSPHATE 4-EPIMERASE, MECHANISM, N-ACETYLGLUCOSAMINE 2-EPIMERASE, PHOSPHATE, RESIDUES},
	isbn = {0001-4842},
	url = {<Go to ISI>://000175175800005},
	author = {Tanner, M. E.}
}
@article {5183,
	title = {Catalysis and binding in L-ribulose-5-phosphate 4-epimerase: A comparison with L-fuculose-1-phosphate aldolase},
	journal = {Biochemistry},
	volume = {40},
	number = {49},
	year = {2001},
	note = {ISI Document Delivery No.: 500CJTimes Cited: 15Cited Reference Count: 15},
	month = {Dec},
	pages = {14772-14780},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {L-Ribulose-5-phosphate (L-Ru5P) 4-epimerase and L-fuculose-1-phosphate (L-Fuc1P) aldolase are evolutionarily related enzymes that display 26\% sequence identity and a very high degree of structural similarity. They both employ a divalent cation in the formation and stabilization of an enolate during catalysis, and both are able to deprotonate the C-4 hydroxyl group of a phosphoketose substrate. Despite these many similarities, subtle distinctions must be present which allow the enzymes to catalyze two seemingly different reactions and to accommodate substrates differing greatly in the position of the phosphate (C-5 vs C-1). Asp76 of the epimerase corresponds to the key catalytic acid/base residue Glu73 of the aldolase. The D76N mutant of the epimerase retained considerable activity, indicating it is not a key catalytic residue in this enzyme. In addition, the D76E mutant did not show enhanced levels of background aldolase activity. Mutations of residues in the putative phosphate-binding pocket of the epimerase (N28A and K42M) showed dramatically higher values of K-M for L-Ru5P. This indicates that both enzymes utilize the same phosphate recognition pocket, and since the phosphates are positioned at opposite ends of the respective substrates, the two enzymes must bind their substrates in a reversed or "flipped" orientation. The epimerase mutant D120N displays a 3000-fold decrease in the value of k(cat), suggesting that Asp 120{\textquoteright} provides a key catalytic acid/base residue in this enzyme. Analysis of the D120N mutant by X-ray crystallography shows that its structure is indistinguishable from that of the wild-type enzyme and that the decrease in activity was not simply due to a structural perturbation of the active site. Previous work [Lee, L.V., Poyner, R.R., Vu, M.V., and Cleland, W.W. (2000) Biochemistry 39, 4821-4830] has indicated that Tyr229{\textquoteright} likely provides the other catalytic acid/base residue. Both of these residues are supplied by an adjacent subunit. Modeling Of L-Ru5P into the active site of the epimerase structure suggests that Tyr229{\textquoteright} is responsible for deprotonating L-Ru5P and Asp 120{\textquoteright} is responsible for deprotonating its epimer, D-Xu5P.},
	keywords = {CLASS-II, CLEAVAGE, ESCHERICHIA-COLI, MECHANISM, MUTAGENESIS, PHOSPHATE},
	isbn = {0006-2960},
	url = {<Go to ISI>://000172608100006},
	author = {Samuel, J. and Luo, Y. and Morgan, P. M. and Strynadka, N. C. J. and Tanner, M. E.}
}
@article {5138,
	title = {The structure of L-ribulose-5-phosphate 4-epimerase: An aldolase-like platform for epimerization},
	journal = {Biochemistry},
	volume = {40},
	number = {49},
	year = {2001},
	note = {ISI Document Delivery No.: 500CJTimes Cited: 18Cited Reference Count: 45},
	month = {Dec},
	pages = {14763-14771},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {The structure of L-ribulose-5 -phosphate 4-epimerase from E. coli has been solved to 2.4 Angstrom resolution using X-ray diffraction data. The structure is homo-tetrameric and displays C-4 symmetry. Each subunit has a single domain comprised of a central beta -sheet flanked on either side by layers of alpha -helices. The active site is identified by the position of the catalytic zinc residue and is located at the interface between two adjacent subunits. A remarkable feature of the structure is that it shows a very close resemblance to that of L-fuculose-1-phosphate aldolase. This is consistent with the notion that both enzymes belong to a superfamily of epimerases/aldolases that catalyze carbon-carbon bond cleavage reactions via a metal-stabilized enolate intermediate. Detailed inspection of the epimerase structure, however, indicates that despite the close overall structural similarity to class II aldolases, the enzyme has evolved distinct active site features that promote its particular chemistry.},
	keywords = {CHEMISTRY, CLASS-II, CLEAVAGE, ENZYME, ESCHERICHIA-COLI, EVOLUTION, GALACTOSE, L-FUCULOSE-1-PHOSPHATE ALDOLASE, MECHANISM, SEQUENCE, SUPERFAMILIES},
	isbn = {0006-2960},
	url = {<Go to ISI>://000172608100005},
	author = {Luo, Y. and Samuel, J. and Mosimann, S. C. and Lee, J. E. and Tanner, M. E. and Strynadka, N. C. J.}
}
