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PubMed1971

Effect of nitrogenase components from mutant and wild-type strains of Azotobacter on the dilution effect of nitrogenase.

Nitrogenase activity exhibits a dilution effect. Evidence is presented that the reason for the dilution effect is that one of the component proteins of nitrogenase is limiting in preparations of this enzyme. The limiting component appears to be the non-haem-iron-containing protein (also called fraction II, iron protein, azoferredoxin), which is equivalent to the enhancement factor for nitrogenase activity present in extracts of nitrogenaseless mutant 22R1. A mathematical function of specific activity is described that is useful in describing nitrogenase. It takes into account the dilution effect and the exponential nature of the relationship between nitrogenase activity and enzyme protein concentration.

Azotobacter↗
PubMed2006

Evidence for a dynamic role for homocitrate during nitrogen fixation: the effect of substitution at the alpha-Lys426 position in MoFe-protein of Azotobacter vinelandii.

Although it is generally accepted that the active site of nitrogenase is located on the FeMo-cofactor, the exact site(s) of N2 binding and reduction remain the subject of continuing debate, with both molybdenum and iron atoms being suggested as key players. The current consensus favours binding of acetylene and some other non-biologically relevant substrates to the central iron atoms of the FeMo-cofactor [Dos Santos, Igarashi, Lee, Hoffman, Seefeldt and Dean (2005) Acc. Chem. Res. 38, 208-214]. The reduction of N2 is, however, a more demanding process than reduction of these alternative substrates because it has a much higher activation energy and does not bind until three electrons have been accumulated on the enzyme. The possible conversion of bidentate into monodentate homocitrate on this three electron-reduced species has been proposed to free up a binding site for N2 on the molybdenum atom. One of the features of this hypothesis is that alpha-Lys426 facilitates chelate ring opening and subsequent orientation of the monodentate homocitrate by forming a specific hydrogen bond to the homocitrate -CH2CH2CO2- carboxylate group. In support of this concept, we show that mutation of alpha-Lys426 can selectively perturb N2 reduction without affecting acetylene reduction. We interpret our experimental observations in the light of a detailed molecular mechanics modelling study of the wild-type and altered MoFe-nitrogenases.

Azotobacter vinelandii↗
PubMed1988

The vanadium nitrogenase of Azotobacter chroococcum. Reduction of acetylene and ethylene to ethane.

1. The vanadium (V-) nitrogenase of Azobacter chroococcum transfers up to 7.4% of the electrons used in acetylene (C2H2) reduction for the formation of ethane (C2H6). The apparent Km for C2H2 (6 kPa) is the same for either ethylene (C2H4) or ethane (C2H6) formation and much higher than the reported Km values for C2H2 reduction to C2H4 by molybdenum (Mo-) nitrogenases. Reduction of C2H2 in 2H2O yields predominantly [cis-2H2]ethylene. 2. The ratio of electron flux yielding C2H6 to that yielding C2H4 (the C2H6/C2H4 ratio) is increased by raising the ratio of Fe protein to VFe protein and by increasing the assay temperature up to at least 40 degrees C. pH values above 7.5 decrease the C2H6/C2H4 ratio. 3. C2H4 and C2H6 formation from C2H2 by V-nitrogenase are not inhibited by H2. CO inhibits both processes much less strongly than it inhibits C2H4 formation from C2H2 with Mo-nitrogenase. 4. Although V-nitrogenase also catalyses the slow CO-sensitive reduction of C2H4 to C2H6, free C2H4 is not an intermediate in C2H6 formation from C2H2. 5. Propyne (CH3C identical to CH) is not reduced by the V-nitrogenase. 6. Some implications of these results for the mechanism of C2H6 formation by the V-nitrogenase are discussed.

Acetylene↗
PubMed1993

The molybdenum and vanadium nitrogenases of Azotobacter chroococcum: effect of elevated temperature on N2 reduction.

During the reduction of N2 by V-nitrogenase at 30 degrees C, some hydrazine (N2H4) is formed as a product in addition to NH3 [Dilworth and Eady (1991) Biochem. J. 277, 465-468]. We show here the following. (1) That over the temperature range 30-45 degrees C the apparent Km for the reduction of N2 to yield these products is the same, but increases from 30 to 58 kPa of N2. On increasing the temperature from 45 degrees C to 50 degrees C, little change occurred in the rate of reduction of protons to H2; the rate of N2H4 production increased, but the rate of NH3 formation decreased 7-fold. (2) Temperature-shift experiments from 42 to 50 degrees C or from 50 to 42 degrees C showed that this selective loss of the ability to reduce N2 to NH3 was reversible. The effects we observe are consistent with the existence of different conformers of the VFe-protein at the two temperatures, that predominating at 50 degrees C being largely unable to reduce N2 to ammonia. (3) Measurement of the ratio between H2 evolution and N2 reduced to NH3 at N2 pressures up to 339 kPa for both Mo- and V-nitrogenases gave limiting H2/N2 values of 1.13 +/- 0.13 for Mo-nitrogenase and 3.50 +/- 0.03 for V-nitrogenase. Since for Mo-nitrogenase our measured value for the ratio at 339 kPa is the same as that derived by Simpson and Burris [(1984) Science 224, 1095-1097] at 5650 kPa, there appears to be little or no divergence from the predictions based on the apparent Km for N2. These data then suggest that there may be a fundamentally different mechanism for N2 binding to V-nitrogenase compared with Mo-nitrogenase. (4) We did not detect any N2H4 as a product of N2 reduction by Mo-nitrogenase over the temperature range investigated; however, at 50 degrees C this system reduced acetylene (C2H2) to yield some ethane (C2H6), in addition to ethylene (C2H4), a reaction normally associated with Mo-independent nitrogenases.

Azotobacter↗
PubMed2000

Comparison of the sequences of the Aspergillus nidulans hxB and Drosophila melanogaster ma-l genes with nifS from Azotobacter vinelandii suggests a mechanism for the insertion of the terminal sulphur atom in the molybdopterin cofactor.

The molybdopterin cofactor (MoCF) is required for the activity of a variety of oxidoreductases. The xanthine oxidase class of molybdoenzymes requires the MoCF to have a terminal, cyanolysable sulphur ligand. In the sulphite oxidase/nitrate reductase class, an oxygen is present in the same position. Mutations in both the ma-l gene of Drosophila melanogaster and the hxB gene of Aspergillus nidulans result in loss of activities of all molybdoenzymes that necessitate a cyanolysable sulphur in the active centre. The ma-l and hxB genes encode highly similar proteins containing domains common to pyridoxal phosphate-dependent cysteine transulphurases, including the cofactor binding site and a conserved cysteine, which is the putative sulphur donor. Key similarities were found with NifS, the enzyme involved in the generation of the iron-sulphur centres in nitrogenase. These similarities suggest an analogous mechanism for the generation of the terminal molybdenum-bound sulphur ligand. We have identified putative homologues of these genes in a variety of organisms, including humans. The human homologue is located in chromosome 18.q12.

Amino Acid Sequence↗