Mechanism of Transfer of the Methyl Group from (6S)-Methyltetrahydrofolate to the Corrinoid/Iron−Sulfur Protein Catalyzed by the Methyltransferase from Clostridium thermoaceticum: A Key Step in the Wood−Ljungdahl Pathway of Acetyl-CoA Synthesis

The methyltetrahydrofolate:corrinoid/iron−sulfur protein methyltransferase (MeTr) from Clostridium thermoaceticum catalyzes transfer of the N5-methyl group from (6S)-methyltetrahydrofolate (CH3-H4folate) to the cobalt center of a corrinoid/iron−sulfur protein (CFeSP), forming methylcob(III)amide and H4folate. This reaction initiates the unusual biological organometallic reaction sequence that constitutes the Wood−Ljungdahl or reductive acetyl-CoA pathway. The present paper describes the use of steady-state, product inhibition, single-turnover, and kinetic simulation experiments to elucidate the mechanism of the MeTr-catalyzed reaction. These experiments complement those presented in the companion paper in which binding and protonation of CH3-H4folate are studied by spectroscopic methods [Seravalli, J., Shoemaker, R. K., Sudbeck, M. J., and Ragsdale, S. W. (1999) Biochemistry 38, 5736−5745]. Our results indicate that a pH-dependent conformational change is required for methyl transfer in the forward and reverse directions; however, this step is not rate-limiting. CH3-H4folate and the CFeSP [in the cob(I)amide state] bind randomly and independently to form a ternary complex. Kinetic simulation studies indicate that CH3-H4folate binds to MeTr in the unprotonated form and then undergoes rapid protonation. This protonation enhances the electrophilicity of the methyl group, in agreement with a 10-fold increase in the pKa at N5 of CH3-H4folate. Next, the Co(I)-CFeSP attacks the methyl group in a rate-limiting SN2 reaction to form methylcob(III)amide. Finally, the products randomly dissociate. The following steady-state constants were obtained: kcat = 14.7 ± 1.7 s-1, Km of the CFeSP = 12 ± 4 μM, and Km of (6S)-CH3-H4folate = 2.0 ± 0.3 μM. We assigned the rate constants for the elementary reaction steps by performing steady-state and pre-steady-state kinetic studies at different pH values and by kinetic simulations.