Effect of Acylation on the Structure of the Acyl Carrier Protein P

Acyl carrier protein is related with fatty acid biosynthesis in which specific enzymes are involved. Especially, acyl carrier protein (ACP) is the key component in the growing of fatty acid chain. ACP is the small, very acidic protein that covalently binds various intermediates of fatty acyl chain. Acylation of ACP is mediated by holo-acyl carrier protein synthase (ACPS), which transfers the 4'PP-moiety of CoA to the 36th residue Ser of apo ACP. Acyl carrier protein P (ACPP) is one of ACPs from Helicobacter plyori. The NMR structure of ACPP consists of four helices, which were reported previously. Here we show how acylation of ACPP can affect the overall structure of ACPP and figured out the contact surface of ACPP to acyl chain attached during expression of ACPP in E. coli. Based on the chemical shift perturbation data, the acylation of ACCP seems to affect the conformation of the long loop connecting helix I and helix II as well as the second short loop connecting helix II and helix III. The significant chemical shift change of Ile 54 upon acylation supports the contact of acyl chain and the second loop.