Mirror “Base-off” Conformation of Coenzyme B 12 in Human Adenosyltransferase and Its Downstream Target, Methylmalonyl-CoA Mutase

Human adenosyltransferase synthesizes coenzyme B12, for the target mitochondrial B12 enzyme, methylmalonyl-CoA mutase. It binds B12 in the "base-off" conformation in both the Co2+ and Co3+ oxidation states as revealed by UV-visible and EPR spectroscopy although it lacks the signature DXHXXG motif found in other B12 proteins that bind the cofactor in this conformation. The "base-off" conformation, which is rare at physiological pH, mirrors that in the target enzyme, methylmalonyl-CoA mutase, which utilizes the product, AdoCbl. However, the coordination environment for cobalt in the two proteins is distinct, which is reflected in an approximately 40-fold difference in their affinity for the cofactor.