Ferrichrome is a hydroxamate-containing siderophore produced by the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus during infection. This siderophore includes N5-hydroxylated L-ornithine in the peptide backbone that serve as iron chelators. Af SidA is the L-ornithine N5-hydroxylase, which performs the first enzymatic step in the biosynthesis of ferrichrome. In this study, Af SidA was recombinantly expressed and purified as a soluble tetramer with a bound FAD cofactor. The enzyme demonstrated typical Michaelis-Menten kinetics in a product formation assay with respect to L-ornithine, but similar experiments as a function NADH and NADPH indicated inhibition at high coenzyme concentrations. Af SidA is highly specific for its substrate; however, it is promiscuous with respect to its coenzyme requirement. A multi-functional role of NADPH is observed since NADP+ is a competitive inhibitor with respect to NADPH and steady-state kinetic experiments indicate that Af SidA forms a ternary complex with NADP+ and L-ornithine for catalysis. Furthermore, in the absence of substrate, Af SidA forms a stable C4a-(hydro)peroxyflavin intermediate that is stable on the second time scale. Af SidA is also inhibited by several halides and the arginine-reactive reagent, phenylglyoxal. Biochemical comparison of Af SidA to other flavin-containing monooxygenases reveal that Af SidA likely proceeds by a sequential-ordered mechanism. / Master of Science in Life Sciences

SidA from Aspergillus fumigatus is an N-hydroxylating monooxygenase that catalyzes the committed step in siderophore biosynthesis. This gene is essential for virulence making it an excellent drug target. In order to design an inhibitor against SidA a greater understanding of the mechanism and structure is needed. We have determined the crystal structure of SidA in complex with NADP+, Ornithine, and FAD at 1.9 ? resolution. The crystal structure has provided insight into substrate and coenzyme selectivity as well as residues essential for catalysis. In particular, we have chosen to study the interactions of Arg 279, shown to interact with the 2'phosphate of the adenine moiety of NADP+ as well as the adenine ring itself. The mutation of this residue to alanine makes the enzyme have little to no selectivity between coenzymes NADPH and NADH which supports the importance of the ionic interaction between Arg279 and the 2'phosphate. Additionally, the mutant enzyme is significantly more uncoupled than WT enzyme with NADPH. We see that the interactions of the guanadinyl group of Arg279 and the adenine ring are also important because KM and Kd values for the mutant enzyme are shifted well above those of wild type with coenzyme NADH. The data is further supported by studies on the reductive and oxidative half reactions. We have also explored the allosteric effect of L-arginine. We provide evidence that an enzyme/coenzyme/L-arginine complex is formed which improves coupling, oxygen reactivity, and reduction in SidA; however more work is needed to fully understand the role of L-arginine as an allosteric effector. / Master of Science in Life Sciences