The alkylsulfatase AtsK fro
m Pseudomonas putida S-313 belongs to the widespread and versatilenon-he
me iron(II)
![](/i<font color=)
mages/gifchars/alpha.gif" BORDER=0>-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase superfa
mily and catalyzes the oxygenolyticcleavage of a variety of different alkyl sulfate esters to the corresponding aldehyde and sulfate. The enzy
meis only expressed under sulfur starvation conditions, providing a selective advantage for bacterial growthin soils and rhizosphere. Here we describe the crystal structure of AtsK in the apo for
m and in threeco
mplexes: with the cosubstrate
![](/i<font color=)
mages/gifchars/alpha.gif" BORDER=0>-ketoglutarate, with
![](/i<font color=)
mages/gifchars/alpha.gif" BORDER=0>-ketoglutarate and iron, and finally with
![](/i<font color=)
mages/gifchars/alpha.gif" BORDER=0>-ketoglutarate, iron, and an alkyl sulfate ester used as substrate in catalytic studies. The overall fold ofthe enzy
me is closely related to that of the taurine/
![](/i<font color=)
mages/gifchars/alpha.gif" BORDER=0>-ketoglutarate dioxygenase TauD and is si
milar to thefold observed for other
me
mbers of the enzy
me superfa
mily. Fro
m co
mparison of these structures withthe crystal structure of AtsK and its co
mplexes, we propose a general
mechanis
m for the catalytic cycleof the
![](/i<font color=)
mages/gifchars/alpha.gif" BORDER=0>-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase superfa
mily.