Assessing the Influence of Mutation on GTPase Transition States by Using X‐ray Crystallography, ¹⁹F NMR, and DFT Approaches

We report X-ray crystallographic and ¹⁹F NMR studies of the G-protein RhoA complexed with MgF₃−, GDP, and RhoGAP, which has the mutation Arg85′Ala. When combined with DFT calculations, these data permit the identification of changes in transition state (TS) properties. The X-ray data show how Tyr34 maintains solvent exclusion and the core H-bond network in the active site by relocating to replace the missing Arg85′ sidechain. The ¹⁹F NMR data show deshielding effects that indicate the main function of Arg85′ is electronic polarization of the transferring phosphoryl group, primarily mediated by H-bonding to O^3G and thence to P^G. DFT calculations identify electron-density redistribution and pinpoint why the TS for guanosine 5′-triphosphate (GTP) hydrolysis is higher in energy when RhoA is complexed with RhoGAP_Arg85′Ala relative to wild-type (WT) RhoGAP. This study demonstrates that ¹⁹F NMR measurements, in combination with X-ray crystallography and DFT calculations, can reliably dissect the response of small GTPases to site-specific modifications.