Maria G. Rivas

The mechanism of formate oxidation by metal-dependent formate dehydrogenases.

Metal-dependent formate dehydrogenases (Fdh) from prokaryotic organisms are members of the dimethyl sulfoxide reductase family of mononuclear molybdenum-containing and tungsten-containing enzymes. Fdhs catalyze the oxidation of the formate anion to carbon dioxide in a redox reaction that involves the transfer of two electrons from the substrate to the active site. The active site in the oxidized state comprises a hexacoordinated molybdenum or tungsten ion in a distorted trigonal prismatic geometry. Using this structural model, we calculated the catalytic mechanism of Fdh through density functional theory tools. The simulated mechanism was correlated with the experimental kinetic properties of three different Fdhs isolated from three different Desulfovibrio species. Our studies indicate that the C–H bond break is an event involved in the rate-limiting step of the catalytic cycle. The role in catalysis of conserved amino acid residues involved in metal coordination and near the metal active site is discussed on the basis of experimental and theoretical results.

Effects of Molybdate and Tungstate on Expression Levels and Biochemical Characteristics of Formate Dehydrogenases Produced by Desulfovibrio alaskensis NCIMB 13491

Formate dehydrogenases (FDHs) are enzymes that catalyze the formate oxidation to carbon dioxide and that contain either Mo or W in a mononuclear form in the active site. In the present work, the influence of Mo and W salts on the production of FDH by Desulfovibrio alaskensis NCIMB 13491 was studied. Two different FDHs, one containing W (W-FDH) and a second incorporating either Mo or W (Mo/W-FDH), were purified. Both enzymes were isolated from cells grown in a medium supplemented with 1 μM molybdate, whereas only the W-FDH was purified from cells cultured in medium supplemented with 10 μM tungstate. We demonstrated that the genes encoding the Mo/W-FDH are strongly downregulated by W and slightly upregulated by Mo. Metal effects on the expression level of the genes encoding the W-FDH were less significant. Furthermore, the expression levels of the genes encoding proteins involved in molybdate and tungstate transport are downregulated under the experimental conditions evaluated in this work. The molecular and biochemical properties of these enzymes and the selective incorporation of either Mo or W are discussed.

Molybdenum Induces the Expression of a Protein Containing a New Heterometallic Mo-Fe Cluster in DesulfoVibrio alaskensis †

The characterization of a novel Mo-Fe protein (MorP) associated with a system that responds to Mo in Desulfovibrio alaskensis is reported. Biochemical characterization shows that MorP is a periplasmic homomultimer of high molecular weight (260 +/- 13 kDa) consisting of 16-18 monomers of 15321.1 +/- 0.5 Da. The UV/visible absorption spectrum of the as-isolated protein shows absorption peaks around 280, 320, and 570 nm with extinction coefficients of 18700, 12800, and 5000 M(-1) cm(-1), respectively. Metal content, EXAFS data and DFT calculations support the presence of a Mo-2S-[2Fe-2S]-2S-Mo cluster never reported before. Analysis of the available genomes from Desulfovibrio species shows that the MorP encoding gene is located downstream of a sensor and a regulator gene. This type of gene arrangement, called two component system, is used by the cell to regulate diverse physiological processes in response to changes in environmental conditions. Increase of both gene expression and protein production was observed when cells were cultured in the presence of 45 microM molybdenum. Involvement of this system in Mo tolerance of sulfate reducing bacteria is proposed.

Ligand Binding to Chlorite Dismutase from Magnetospirillum Sp.

Chlorite dismutase (Cld) catalyzes the reduction of chlorite to chloride and dioxygen. Here, the ligand binding to Cld of Magnetospirillum sp. (MaCld) is investigated with X-ray crystallography and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). EPR reveals a large heterogeneity in the structure of wild-type MaCld, showing a variety of low- and high-spin ferric heme forms. Addition of an axial ligand, such as azide or imidazole, removes this heterogeneity almost entirely. This is in line with the two high resolution crystal structures of MaCld obtained in the presence of azide and thiocyanate that show the coordination of the ligands to the heme iron. The crystal structure of the MaCld-azide complex reveals a single well-defined orientation of the azide molecule in the heme pocket. EPR shows, however, a pH-dependent heme structure, probably due to acid-base transitions of the surrounding amino-acid residues stabilizing azide. For the azide and imidazole complex of MaCld, the hyperfine and nuclear quadrupole interactions with the close-by (14)N and (1)H nuclei are determined using pulsed EPR. These values are compared to the corresponding data for the low-spin forms observed in the ferric wild-type MaCld and to existing EPR data on azide and imidazole complexes of other heme proteins.

The homopentameric chlorite dismutase from Magnetospirillum sp.

Chlorite dismutase (Cld) is a b-type heme containing enzyme that catalyzes the reduction of chlorite into chloride plus dioxygen. This enzyme has gained attention because it can be used in the development of bioremediation processes, biosensors, and controlled dioxygen production. In the present work, Cld was purified from Magnetospirillum sp. cells cultured anaerobically with acetate/perchlorate until stationary phase. Biochemical, spectroscopic and X-ray crystallography methods showed that Cld from Magnetospirillum sp. is a ~140 kDa homopentamer comprising ~27.8 kDa monomers. Preliminary X-ray crystallography studies confirmed the quaternary structure and the presence of one b-type heme per monomer. The EPR spectroscopic signature of the as-purified Cld samples is affected by the buffer composition used during the purification. Potassium phosphate buffer is the only buffer that affected neither the spectral nor the kinetic properties of Cld. Kinetic studies in solution revealed that Cld from Magnetospirillum sp. decomposes chlorite at high turnover rates with optimal pH6.0. A temperature below 10 °C is required to avoid enzyme inactivation due to cofactor bleaching during turnover, and to achieve full substrate consumption. Cld kinetic parameters were not affected when kinetic assays were performed in the presence of air or under argon atmosphere, but chloride is a weak mixed inhibitor that modifies the EPR signal of as-prepared samples.

TupA: a tungstate binding protein in the periplasm of Desulfovibrio alaskensis G20.

The TupABC system is involved in the cellular uptake of tungsten and belongs to the ABC (ATP binding cassette)-type transporter systems. The TupA component is a periplasmic protein that binds tungstate anions, which are then transported through the membrane by the TupB component using ATP hydrolysis as the energy source (the reaction catalyzed by the ModC component). We report the heterologous expression, purification, determination of affinity binding constants and crystallization of the Desulfovibrio alaskensis G20 TupA. The tupA gene (locus tag Dde_0234) was cloned in the pET46 Enterokinase/Ligation-Independent Cloning (LIC) expression vector, and the construct was used to transform BL21 (DE3) cells. TupA expression and purification were optimized to a final yield of 10 mg of soluble pure protein per liter of culture medium. Native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was carried out showing that TupA binds both tungstate and molybdate ions and has no significant interaction with sulfate, phosphate or perchlorate. Quantitative analysis of metal binding by isothermal titration calorimetry was in agreement with these results, but in addition, shows that TupA has higher affinity to tungstate than molybdate. The protein crystallizes in the presence of 30% (w/v) polyethylene glycol 3350 using the hanging-drop vapor diffusion method. The crystals diffract X-rays beyond 1.4 Å resolution and belong to the P21 space group, with cell parameters a = 52.25 Å, b = 42.50 Å, c = 54.71 Å, β = 95.43°. A molecular replacement solution was found, and the structure is currently under refinement.

Isolation and characterization of a new Cu-Fe protein from Desulfovibrio aminophilus DSM12254

The isolation and characterization of a new metalloprotein containing Cu and Fe atoms is reported. The as-isolated Cu-Fe protein shows an UV-visible spectrum with absorption bands at 320 nm, 409 nm and 615 nm. Molecular mass of the native protein along with denaturating electrophoresis and mass spectrometry data show that this protein is a multimer consisting of 14+/-1 subunits of 15254.3+/-7.6 Da. Mössbauer spectroscopy data of the as-isolated Cu-Fe protein is consistent with the presence of [2Fe-2S](2+) centers. Data interpretation of the dithionite reduced protein suggest that the metallic cluster could be constituted by two ferromagnetically coupled [2Fe-2S](+) spin delocalized pairs. The biochemical properties of the Cu-Fe protein are similar to the recently reported molybdenum resistance associated protein from Desulfovibrio, D. alaskensis. Furthermore, a BLAST search from the DNA deduced amino acid sequence shows that the Cu-Fe protein has homology with proteins annotated as zinc resistance associated proteins from Desulfovibrio, D. alaskensis, D. vulgaris Hildenborough, D. piger ATCC 29098. These facts suggest a possible role of the Cu-Fe protein in metal tolerance.

Highly selective tungstate transporter protein TupA from Desulfovibrio alaskensis G20

Molybdenum and tungsten are taken up by bacteria and archaea as their soluble oxyanions through high affinity transport systems belonging to the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters. The component A (ModA/TupA) of these transporters is the first selection gate from which the cell differentiates between MoO42−, WO42− and other similar oxyanions. We report the biochemical characterization and the crystal structure of the apo-TupA from Desulfovibrio desulfuricans G20, at 1.4 Å resolution. Small Angle X-ray Scattering data suggests that the protein adopts a closed and more stable conformation upon ion binding. The role of the arginine 118 in the selectivity of the oxyanion was also investigated and three mutants were constructed: R118K, R118E and R118Q. Isothermal titration calorimetry clearly shows the relevance of this residue for metal discrimination and oxyanion binding. In this sense, the three variants lost the ability to coordinate molybdate and the R118K mutant keeps an extremely high affinity for tungstate. These results contribute to an understanding of the metal-protein interaction, making it a suitable candidate for a recognition element of a biosensor for tungsten detection.

CHAPTER 3:Structure, Function and Mechanisms of Respiratory Nitrate Reductases

Respiratory nitrate reductases (Nars) are oxidoreductases that depend on complex cofactors that contain different transition metals. Nars are produced by microorganisms that can grow under denitrifying conditions and catalyse the first step of the denitrification, a geochemical process that involves the conversion of nitrogen oxoanions and oxides into dinitrogen (N2[g]). Nars are complex enzymes with an (αβγ)2 biological assembly. The α- and β-subunits harbour the Mo-bisPGD cofactor and iron–sulphur clusters, while the integral membrane γ-subunit contains two b-type haems. The latter are involved in the oxidation of the membrane quinol pool and the generation of a proton gradient that energises the bacterium cell. In the present chapter, we update some general aspects of molybdo-enzymes and the present knowledge on Nars. Firstly, the special chemical properties that make Mo an efficient O-atom transfer catalyst are briefly presented. Next, the classification of molybdo-enzymes into different families based on the structural properties of the active site is discussed. Then, we review in detail the structural and spectroscopic properties of each subunit comprising the Nar heterotrimer, as well as the complex regulation of nar gene expression, the metabolic role of Nars within the bacterium cell and some key aspects of the catalytic mechanism.