3D architecture and structural flexibility revealed in the subfamily of large glutamate dehydrogenases by a mycobacterial enzyme

Glutamate dehydrogenases (GDHs) are widespread metabolic enzymes that play key roles in nitrogen homeostasis. Large glutamate dehydrogenases composed of 180 kDa subunits (L-GDHs(180)) contain long N- and C-terminal segments flanking the catalytic core. Despite the relevance of L-GDHs(180) in bacterial physiology, the lack of structural data for these enzymes has limited the progress of functional studies. Here we show that the mycobacterial L-GDH(180) (mL-GDH(180)) adopts a quaternary structure that is radically different from that of related low molecular weight enzymes. Intersubunit contacts in mL-GDH(180) involve a C-terminal domain that we propose as a new fold and a flexible N-terminal segment comprising ACT-like and PAS-type domains that could act as metabolic sensors for allosteric regulation. These findings uncover unique aspects of the structure-function relationship in the subfamily of L-GDHs.