Stand-alone lipoylated H-protein of the glycine cleavage system enables glycine cleavage and the synthesis of glycine from one-carbon compounds in vitro

H-protein, one of the four component proteins (H, T, P and L) of glycine cleavage system (GCS), is generally considered a shuttle protein interacting with the other three GCS-proteins via a lipoyl swinging arm. We report that without P-, T- and L-proteins, lipoylated H-protein (Hlip) enables GCS reactions in both glycine cleavage and synthesis directions in vitro. This apparent catalytic activity is closely related to the cavity on the H-protein surface where the lipoyl arm is attached. Heating or mutation of selected residues in the cavity destroys or reduces the stand-alone activity of Hlip, which can be restored by adding the other three GCS-proteins. Systematic study of the Hlip-catalyzed overall GCS reactions and the individual reaction steps provides a first step towards understanding the stand-alone function of Hlip. The results in this work provide some inspiration for further understanding the mechanism of the GCS and give some interesting implications on the evolution of the GCS. Significance statementGlycine cleavage system (GCS) plays central roles in C1 and amino acids metabolisms and the biosynthesis of purines and nucleotides. Manipulations of GCS are desired to promote plant growth or to treat serious pathophysiological processes such as aging, obesity and cancers. Reversed GCS reactions form the core of the reductive glycine pathway (rGP), one of the most promising pathway for the assimilation of formate and CO2 in the emerging C1-synthetic biology. H-protein, one of the four GCS component proteins (H, T, P and L) is generally considered a shuttle protein interacting with the other three proteins via a lipoyl swinging arm. Here, we discovered that without P-, T- and L-proteins, H-protein alone can catalyze GCS reactions in both glycine cleavage and synthesis directions in vitro. The surprising catalytic activities are related to a structural region of H-protein which can be manipulated. The results have impacts on engineering GCS to treat related diseases, to improve photorespiration, and to efficiently use C1-carbon for biosynthesis.