Effect of anionic detergents on Azotobacter.
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Nitrogenase-catalyzed reactions using Ti(III) were examined under a wide variety of conditions to determine the suitability of Ti(III) to serve as a general nitrogenase reductant. Solutions prepared from H2-reduced TiCl3, aluminum-reduced TiCl3, TiCl2, evaporated TiCl3 from an HCl, solution, and TiF3 were evaluated as reductants. Three general types of reactivity were observed. The first showed that, below Ti(III) concentrations of about 0.50 mM, nitrogenase catalysis utilized Ti(III) in a first-order reaction. The second showed that, above 0.50 mM, the rate of nitrogenase catalysis was zero order in Ti(III), indicating the enzyme was saturated with this reductant. Above 2.0-5.0 mM, nitrogenase catalysis was inhibited by Ti(III) depending on the titanium source used for solution preparation. This inhibition was investigated and found to be independent of the buffer type and pH, while high salt and citrate concentrations caused moderate inhibition. [Ti(IV)] above 2.0-3.0 mM and [Ti(III)] above about 5.0 mM were inhibitory. ATP/2e values were 4-5 for [Ti(III)] at or below 1.0-2.0 mM, 2.0 from 5.0 to 7.0 mM Ti(III) where nitrogenase is not inhibited, and 2.0 above 7.0 mM Ti(III) where severe inhibition occurs. For nitrogenase-catalyzed reactions using Ti(III) as reductant, the potential of the solution changes with time as the Ti(III)/Ti(IV) ratio changes. From the change in the rate of product formation (Ti(III) disappearance) with change in solution potential, the rate of nitrogenase catalysis was determined as a function of solution potential. From such experiments, a midpoint turnover potential of -480 mV was determined for nitrogenase catalysis with an associated n = 2 value.
Site-directed mutagenesis and gene-replacement techniques were used to substitute alanine for the MoFe protein alpha- and beta-subunit phenylalanine-125 residues both separately and in combination. These residues are located on the surface of the MoFe protein near the pseudosymmetric axis of symmetry between the alpha- and beta-subunits. Altered MoFe proteins that contain an alanine substitution at only one of the respective positions exhibit proton reduction activities of about 25-50% when compared to that of the wild-type protein. The lower level of proton reduction also corresponds with decreases in the rates of MgATP hydrolysis. The MoFe protein which contains alanine substitutions in both the alpha- and beta- subunits did not exhibit any proton reduction activity or MgATP hydrolysis. Stopped flow spectrophotometry of the singly substituted MoFe proteins indicate primary electron transfer rate constants approximately an order of magnitude slower than what is observed for wild-type MoFe protein, while no primary electron transfer is observed for the doubly substituted MoFe protein. The doubly substituted MoFe protein is able to interact with the Fe protein as shown by chemical crosslinking experiments. However, this protein does not form a tight complex with the Fe protein when treated with MgADP-AlF4- or when using the altered 127delta Fe protein. Stopped flow spectrophotometry was also used to quantitate the first-order dissociation rate constants for the two component proteins. These results suggest that the 125Phe residues are involved in an early event(s) that occurs upon component protein docking and could be involved in eliciting MgATP hydrolysis.
In the presence of CO and under turnover conditions, Mo-nitrogenase generates three different electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signals. One of the signals, lo-CO, is an S=1/2 signal and occurs under low CO concentrations. The other two signals, hi-CO (S=1/2) and hi(5)-CO (S=3/2) displace the lo-CO as the CO concentration is raised above 0.05 atm. Irradiation of hi-CO with visible light at 12 K converts it into lo-CO. Using a series of color filters, the corrected action spectrum is determined and shown to contain 2-3 broad maxima in the region 350-730 nm. The conversion of lo-CO back into hi-CO is accomplished by warming the sample to 77 K for 5 min. Using this temperature cycle, the rate constant for the re-association of CO with lo-CO to form hi-CO is determined in the range 12-90 K. From these data, the activation energy for this reaction is calculated to be 3.9 kJ/mol. Identical irradiation of either lo-CO or hi(5)-CO induces no spectral change, showing that both of these states are photo-stable. The photo-stability of hi(5)-CO demonstrates that it is structurally different from hi-CO.
Nitrogen fixation in A. vinelandii and R. leguminosarum bacteroides shows identical characteristics with respect to the dependence on membrane energization, the sensitivity to uncouplers, the ATP/ADP-ratio, and the dependences on flavodoxinhydroquinone as electrondonor. Although we have been successful in preparing inside-out vesicles which can be energized, attempts to couple these membranes to N2-ase were still unsuccessful. One of the major problems could be the failure to energize these vesicles directly by ATP. Although subject to polymerisation after addition of MgCl2, it could be shown that the actual mol.wt. of the O2-stable N2-ase complex is about 300,000 in agreement with a 1:1:1 stoichiometry of the three constituent proteins, namely, component I, component II and the 2Fe-2S protein.
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A 2.8-kb DNA region, located immediately downstream of algD, contains the A. vinelandii alg8 and alg44 genes, whose sequences are highly homologous to those of the corresponding Pseudomonas aeruginosa genes. These genes occur on a transcript that does not include algD, and are transcribed from a promoter different from that transcribing algD; this is the fourth promoter described within the alginate biosynthetic gene cluster. alg8 and alg44 mutants were constructed and shown to be completely impaired in alginate production. Alg8 shares 28.20% identity and 38.09% similarity to Azorhizobium caulinodans NodC, a glycosyl transferase catalyzing the formation of beta-1,4 linkages. A topological model is predicted, which supports the idea of Alg8 being the polymerase responsible for alginate synthesis.
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In contrast to the wild-type MoFe protein, neither the alpha-195(Asn) nor the alpha-191(Lys) MoFe protein catalyzed N(2) reduction to NH(3), when complemented with wild-type Fe protein. However, N(2) was bound by the alpha-195(Asn) MoFe protein and inhibited the reduction of both protons and C(2)H(2). The alpha-191(Lys) MoFe protein did not interact with N(2). With the alpha-195(Asn) MoFe protein, the N(2)-induced inhibition of substrate reduction was reversed by removing the N(2). Surprisingly, even though added H(2) also relieved N(2) inhibition of substrate reduction, the alpha-195(Asn) MoFe protein did not catalyze HD formation under a N(2)/D(2) atmosphere. This observation is the first indication that these two reactions have different chemical origins, prompting a revision of the current hypothesis that these two reactions are consequences of the same nitrogenase chemistry. A rationale that accounts for the dichotomy of the two reactions is presented. The two altered MoFe proteins also responded quite differently to azide. It was a poor substrate for both but, in addition, azide was an electron-flux inhibitor with the 195(Asn) MoFe protein. The observed reactivity changes are correlated with likely structural changes caused by the amino acid substitutions and provide important details about the interaction(s) of N(2,) H(2), D(2), and azide with Mo-nitrogenase.
Reductive EPR and optical titrations of oxidized MoFe protein using reduced methyl viologen as reductant were used to quantitate the stoichiometry of the various spectroscopically and electrochemically distinct redox centers in the oxidized MoFe protein. Three centers were found to correlate with the EPR signal development (MoFe cofactor centers), and three centers were found to be independent of the EPR signal (P clusters) but to demonstrate distinct optical and kinetic properties. Oxidative EPR and optical titrations of reduced MoFe protein are reported which support the presence of three P-cluster centers. The optical titrations show a distinct change in kinetic behavior between the MoFe cofactor and P-cluster centers. Controlled potential coulometry demonstrates that incremental oxidation of reduced protein by methylene blue, thionine, or indigodisulfonate occurs specifically at three P-cluster sites. Subsequent oxidation by methylene blue and thionine (but not indigodisulfonate) causes the EPR signal to disappear. Three P-cluster sites, two EPR sites, and one presently uncharacterized site are suggested by the results of this study.
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The stoichiometry of the nitrogenase ATP-dependent H2 evolution and ecetylene reduction reactions using S2O4(2-) as an electron source was studied by various techniques. For each mole of S2O4(2-) oxidized to 2SO3(2-) by the enzyme-catalyzed reactions at 25 degrees and pH 8, 1 mol of H2 (1 mol of ethylene for acetylene reduction) and two protons are produced. Under these conditions, 4.5 mol of ATP was hydrolyzed to ADP and inorganic phosphate for each S2O4(2-) oxidized. ATP/S2O4(2-) (ATP/2e) values determined at 5 degree intervals from 10 to 35 degrees were found to go through a minimum at 20 degrees. This effect is explained in terms of possible enzyme structure modifications. Calorimetric measurements for the enzyme-catalyzed H2 evolution and acetylene reduction reactions gave deltaH values of -32.4 and -75.1 kcal/mol of S2O4(2-), respectively.
Exposure of sulfhydryl groups as indicated by titration kinetics is decreased under conditions where RNA polymerase exists as a dimer or higher aggregate (low salt), in the presence of Mn2+, or when bound to d(A-T). Incubation of phenylmercurisulfonate with RNA polymerase above pH 9.0 results in loss of d(A-T) binding ability. Poly(U) binding is more sensitive to sulfhydryl modification and is lost as pH's above 8.0. The presence of 4 mM Mn2+ has an obvious effect in stabilizing the polymerase-poly(U) complex when incubated with 10 muM phenylmercurisulfonate + 1 M urea. Incubation of the enzyme with the mercurial and urea results in disaggregation to subprotomeric forms and release of the alpha subunit. Similar treatment in the presence of 4 mM MnSO4 stabilizes the protomeric structure of the enzyme. During chain elongation the enzyme exists as a ternary d(A-T)n-enzyme-r(U-A)n complex in which the bound d(A-T)n is refractory to the destabilizing effect of the mercurial; however, further phosphodiester bond formation is inhibited. The results are defined in terms of a role which reflects the involvement of polymerase sulfhydryl groups in the various conformations necessary for subunit-subunit interaction, tight template binding and catalytic activity.