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Enzymatic Systems with Homology to Nitrogenase

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Book cover Nitrogen Fixation

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 766))

Abstract

Nitrogenase-like dark operative protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase (DPOR) is involved in the two-electron reduction of protochlorophyllide to form chlorophyllide during chlorophyll biosynthesis. Formation of bacteriochlorophyll additionally requires a structurally related enzyme system which is termed chlorophyllide oxidoreductase (COR). During DPOR catalysis, the homodimeric subunit ChlL2 transfers electrons to the corresponding heterotetrameric catalytic subunit (ChlN/ChlB)2. Analogously, subunit BchX2 of the COR enzymes delivers electrons to subunit (BchY/BchZ)2. The ChlL2 protein is a dynamic switch protein triggering the ATP-dependent transfer of electrons via a [4Fe–4S] cluster onto a second [4Fe–4S] cluster located on subunit (ChlN/ChlB)2. This initial electron transfer step of DPOR catalysis clearly resembles nitrogenase catalysis. However, the subsequent substrate reduction process was proposed to be unrelated since no molybdenum-containing cofactor or a P-cluster equivalent is employed. To investigate the transient interaction of both subcomplexes ChlL2 and (ChlN/ChlB)2 and the resulting electron transfer processes, the ternary DPOR enzyme holocomplex was trapped as an octameric (ChlN/ChlB)2(ChlL2)2 complex after incubation with non-hydrolyzable ATP analogs. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopic experiments of various DPOR complexes in combination with circular dichroism spectroscopic experiments of the ChlL2 protein revealed a detailed redox catalytic cycle for nucleotide-dependent DPOR catalysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Mikrobiologie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, D-38106, Braunschweig, Germany

    Jürgen Moser & Markus J. Bröcker

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  1. Jürgen Moser
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  2. Markus J. Bröcker
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Correspondence to Jürgen Moser .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Dept Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, 92697, California, USA

    Markus W. Ribbe

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Moser, J., Bröcker, M.J. (2011). Enzymatic Systems with Homology to Nitrogenase. In: Ribbe, M. (eds) Nitrogen Fixation. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 766. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-194-9_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-194-9_5

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-61779-193-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-61779-194-9

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