Browsing by Author "Seefeldt, Lance C."

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Defining Electron Bifurcation in the Electron Transferring Flavoprotein Family
(2017-11) Garcia Costas, Amaya M.; Poudel, Saroj; Miller, Anne-Frances; Schut, Gerrit J.; Ledbetter, Rhesa N.; Fixen, Kathryn R.; Seefeldt, Lance C.; Adams, Michael W. W.; Harwood, Caroline S.; Boyd, Eric S.; Peters, John W.
Electron bifurcation is the coupling of exergonic and endergonic redox reactions to simultaneously generate (or utilize) low and high potential electrons. It is the third recognized form of energy conservation in biology and has recently been described in select electron transferring flavoproteins (Etfs). Etfs are flavin-containing heterodimers best known for donating electrons derived from fatty acid and amino acid oxidation to an electron transfer respiratory chain via ETF quinone oxidoreductase. Canonical examples contain a flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) that is involved in electron transfer as well as a non-redox active adenosine monophosphate (AMP). However, Etfs demonstrated to bifurcate electrons contain a second FAD in place of the AMP. To expand our understanding of the functional variety and metabolic significance of Etfs and to identify amino acid sequence motifs that potentially enable electron bifurcation, we compiled 1,314 Etf protein sequences from genome sequence databases and subjected them to informatics and structural analyses. Etfs were identified in diverse archaea and bacteria, and these clustered into five distinct well-supported groups based on amino acid sequences. Gene neighborhood analyses indicate that these Etf group designations largely correspond to putative differences in functionality. Etfs with the demonstrated ability to bifurcate were found to form one group, suggesting distinct and conserved amino acid sequence motifs enable this capability. Indeed, structural modeling and sequence alignments revealed that identifying residues occur in the NADH and FAD-binding regions of bifurcating Etfs. Collectively, a new classification scheme is presented for Etf proteins that demarcates putative bifurcating vs. non-bifurcating members and suggests that Etf mediated bifurcation is associated with surprisingly diverse enzymes.IMPORTANCE Electron bifurcation has recently been recognized as an electron transfer mechanism used by microorganisms to maximize energy conservation. Bifurcating enzymes couple thermodynamically unfavorable reactions with thermodynamically favorable reactions in an overall spontaneous process. Here we show that the electron transferring flavoprotein (Etf) enzyme family exhibits far greater diversity than previously recognized and we provide a phylogenetic analysis that clearly delineates bifurcating and non-bifurcating members of this family. Structural modeling of proteins within these groups reveals key differences between the bifurcating and non-bifurcating Etfs.
Electron transfer to nitrogenase in different genomic and metabolic backgrounds
(2018-02) Poudel, Saroj; Colman, Daniel R.; Fixen, Kathryn R.; Ledbetter, Rhesa N.; Zheng, Yanning; Pence, Natasha; Seefeldt, Lance C.; Peters, John W.; Hardwood, Caroline S.; Boyd, Eric S.
Nitrogenase catalyzes the reduction of dinitrogen (N2) using low potential electrons from ferredoxin (Fd) or flavodoxin (Fld) through an ATP dependent process. Since its emergence in an anaerobic chemoautotroph, this oxygen (O2) sensitive enzyme complex has evolved to operate in a variety of genomic and metabolic backgrounds including those of aerobes, anaerobes, chemotrophs, and phototrophs. However, whether pathways of electron delivery to nitrogenase are influenced by these different metabolic backgrounds is not well understood. Here, we report the distribution of homologs of Fds, Flds, and Fd/Fld-reducing enzymes in 359 genomes of putative N2 fixers (diazotrophs). Six distinct lineages of nitrogenase were identified and their distributions largely corresponded to differences in the host cells' ability to integrate O2 or light into energy metabolism. Predicted pathways of electron transfer to nitrogenase in aerobes, facultative anaerobes, and phototrophs varied from those in anaerobes at the level of Fds/Flds used to reduce nitrogenase, the enzymes that generate reduced Fds/Flds, and the putative substrates of these enzymes. Proteins that putatively reduce Fd with hydrogen or pyruvate were enriched in anaerobes, while those that reduce Fd with NADH/NADPH were enriched in aerobes, facultative anaerobes, and anoxygenic phototrophs. The energy metabolism of aerobic, facultatively anaerobic, and anoxygenic phototrophic diazotrophs often yields reduced NADH/NADPH that is not sufficiently reduced to drive N2 reduction. At least two mechanisms have been acquired by these taxa to overcome this limitation and to generate electrons with potentials capable of reducing Fd. These include the bifurcation of electrons or the coupling of Fd reduction to reverse ion translocation.IMPORTANCE Nitrogen fixation supplies fixed nitrogen to cells from a variety of genomic and metabolic backgrounds including those of aerobes, facultative anaerobes, chemotrophs, and phototrophs. Here, using informatics approaches applied to genomic data, we show that pathways of electron transfer to nitrogenase in metabolically diverse diazotrophic taxa have diversified primarily in response to host cells' acquired ability to integrate O2 or light into their energy metabolism. Acquisition of two key enzyme complexes enabled aerobic and facultatively anaerobic phototrophic taxa to generate electrons of sufficiently low potential to reduce nitrogenase: the bifurcation of electrons via the Fix complex or the coupling of Fd reduction to reverse ion translocation via the Rhodobacter nitrogen fixation (Rnf) complex.
Fe protein docking transduces conformational changes to MoFe nitrogenase active site in a nucleotide-dependent manner
(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2023-11) Tokmina-Lukaszewska, Monika; Huang, Qi; Berry, Luke; Kallas, Hayden; Peters, John W.; Seefeldt, Lance C.; Raugei, Simone; Bothner, Brian
The reduction of dinitrogen to ammonia catalyzed by nitrogenase involves a complex series of events, including ATP hydrolysis, electron transfer, and activation of metal clusters for N2 reduction. Early evidence shows that an essential part of the mechanism involves transducing information between the nitrogenase component proteins through conformational dynamics. Here, millisecond time-resolved hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry was used to unravel peptide-level protein motion on the time scale of catalysis of Mo-dependent nitrogenase from Azotobacter vinelandii. Normal mode analysis calculations complemented this data, providing insights into the specific signal transduction pathways that relay information across protein interfaces at distances spanning 100 Å. Together, these results show that conformational changes induced by protein docking are rapidly transduced to the active site, suggesting a specific mechanism for activating the metal cofactor in the enzyme active site.
The flexible N-terminus of BchL autoinhibits activity through interaction with its [4Fe-4S] cluster and released upon ATP binding
(Elsevier BV, 2021-01) Corless, Elliot I.; Muhammad Saad Imran, Syed; Watkins, Maxwell B.; Bacik, John-Paul; Mattice, Jenna R.; Patterson, Angela; Danyal, Karamatullah; Soffe, Mark; Kitelinger, Robert; Seefeldt, Lance C.; Origanti, Sofia; Bennett, Brian; Bothner, Brian; Ando, Nozomi; Antony, Edwin
A key step in bacteriochlorophyll biosynthesis is the reduction of protochlorophyllide to chlorophyllide, catalyzed by dark-operative protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase (DPOR). DPOR contains two [4Fe-4S]-containing component proteins (BchL and BchNB) that assemble upon ATP binding to BchL to coordinate electron transfer and protochlorophyllide reduction. But the precise nature of the ATP-induced conformational changes are poorly understood. We present a crystal structure of BchL in the nucleotide-free form where a conserved, flexible region in the N-terminus masks the [4Fe-4S] cluster at the docking interface between BchL and BchNB. Amino acid substitutions in this region produce a hyper-active enzyme complex, suggesting a role for the N-terminus in auto-inhibition. Hydrogen deuterium exchange mass spectrometry shows that ATP-binding to BchL produces specific conformational changes leading to release of the flexible N-terminus from the docking interface. The release also promotes changes within the local environment surrounding the [4Fe-4S] cluster and promotes BchL complex formation with BchNB. A key patch of amino acids, Asp-Phe-Asp (the ‘DFD patch’), situated at the mouth of the BchL ATP-binding pocket promotes inter-subunit cross stabilization of the two subunits. A linked BchL dimer with one defective ATP-binding site does not support protochlorophyllide reduction, illustrating nucleotide binding to both subunits as a prerequisite for the inter-subunit cross stabilization. The masking of the [4Fe-4S] cluster by the flexible N-terminal region and the associated inhibition of activity is a novel mechanism of regulation in metalloproteins. Such mechanisms are possibly an adaptation to the anaerobic nature of eubacterial cells with poor tolerance for oxygen.
The flexible N-terminus of BchL autoinhibits activity through interaction with its [4Fe-4S] cluster and relieved upon ATP binding
(Elsevier BV, 2020-11) Corless, Elliot I.; Imran, Syed Muhammad Saad; Watkins, Maxwell B.; Bacik, John-Paul; Mattice, Jenna; Patterson, Angela; Danyal, Karamatullah; Soffe, Mark; Kitelinger, Robert; Seefeldt, Lance C.; Origanti, Sofia S.; Bennett, Brian; Bothner, Brian; Ando, Nozomi; Antony, Edwin
A key step in bacteriochlorophyll biosynthesis is the reduction of protochlorophyllide to chlorophyllide, catalyzed by dark-operative protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase (DPOR). DPOR contains two [4Fe-4S]-containing component proteins (BchL and BchNB) that assemble upon ATP binding to BchL to coordinate electron transfer and protochlorophyllide reduction. But the precise nature of the ATP-induced conformational changes are poorly understood. We present a crystal structure of BchL in the nucleotide-free form where a conserved, flexible region in the N-terminus masks the [4Fe-4S] cluster at the docking interface between BchL and BchNB. Amino acid substitutions in this region produce a hyper-active enzyme complex, suggesting a role for the N-terminus in auto-inhibition. Hydrogen deuterium exchange mass spectrometry shows that ATP-binding to BchL produces specific conformational changes leading to release of the flexible N-terminus from the docking interface. The release also promotes changes within the local environment surrounding the [4Fe-4S] cluster and promotes BchL complex formation with BchNB. A key patch of amino acids, Asp-Phe-Asp (the ‘DFD patch’), situated at the mouth of the BchL ATP-binding pocket promotes inter-subunit cross stabilization of the two subunits. A linked BchL dimer with one defective ATP-binding site does not support protochlorophyllide reduction, illustrating nucleotide binding to both subunits as a prerequisite for the inter-subunit cross stabilization. The masking of the [4Fe-4S] cluster by the flexible N-terminal region and the associated inhibition of activity is a novel mechanism of regulation in metalloproteins. Such mechanisms are possibly an adaptation to the anaerobic nature of eubacterial cells with poor tolerance for oxygen.
Mechanical coupling in the nitrogenase complex
(Public Library of Science, 2021-03) Huang, Qi; Tokmina-Lukaszewska, Monika; Johnson, Lewis E.; Kallas, Hayden; Ginovska, Bojana; Peters, John W.; Seefeldt, Lance C.; Bothner, Brian; Raugei, Simone
The enzyme nitrogenase reduces dinitrogen to ammonia utilizing electrons, protons, and energy obtained from the hydrolysis of ATP. Mo-dependent nitrogenase is a symmetric dimer, with each half comprising an ATP-dependent reductase, termed the Fe Protein, and a catalytic protein, known as the MoFe protein, which hosts the electron transfer P-cluster and the active-site metal cofactor (FeMo-co). A series of synchronized events for the electron transfer have been characterized experimentally, in which electron delivery is coupled to nucleotide hydrolysis and regulated by an intricate allosteric network. We report a graph theory analysis of the mechanical coupling in the nitrogenase complex as a key step to understanding the dynamics of allosteric regulation of nitrogen reduction. This analysis shows that regions near the active sites undergo large-scale, large-amplitude correlated motions that enable communications within each half and between the two halves of the complex. Computational predictions of mechanically regions were validated against an analysis of the solution phase dynamics of the nitrogenase complex via hydrogen-deuterium exchange. These regions include the P-loops and the switch regions in the Fe proteins, the loop containing the residue β-188Ser adjacent to the P-cluster in the MoFe protein, and the residues near the protein-protein interface. In particular, it is found that: (i) within each Fe protein, the switch regions I and II are coupled to the [4Fe-4S] cluster; (ii) within each half of the complex, the switch regions I and II are coupled to the loop containing β-188Ser; (iii) between the two halves of the complex, the regions near the nucleotide binding pockets of the two Fe proteins (in particular the P-loops, located over 130 Å apart) are also mechanically coupled. Notably, we found that residues next to the P-cluster (in particular the loop containing β-188Ser) are important for communication between the two halves.
Mechanism of N2 Reduction Catalyzed by Fe-Nitrogenase Involves Reductive Elimination of H2
(2018-02) Harris, Derek F.; Lukoyanov, Dmitriy A.; Shaw, Sudipta; Compton, Phil; Tokmina-Lukaszewska, Monika; Bothner, Brian; Kelleher, Neil; Dean, Dennis R.; Hoffman, Brian M.; Seefeldt, Lance C.
Of the three forms of nitrogenase (Mo-nitrogenase, V-nitrogenase, and Fe-nitrogenase), Fe-nitrogenase has the poorest ratio of N2 reduction relative to H2 evolution. Recent work on the Mo-nitrogenase has revealed that reductive elimination of two bridging Fe-H-Fe hydrides on the active site FeMo-cofactor to yield H2 is a key feature in the N2 reduction mechanism. The N2 reduction mechanism for the Fe-nitrogenase active site FeFe-cofactor was unknown. Here, we have purified both component proteins of the Fe-nitrogenase system, the electron-delivery Fe protein (AnfH) plus the catalytic FeFe protein (AnfDGK), and established its mechanism of N2 reduction. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy and mass spectrometry show that the FeFe protein component does not contain significant amounts of Mo or V, thus ruling out a requirement of these metals for N2 reduction. The fully functioning Fe-nitrogenase system was found to have specific activities for N2 reduction (1 atm) of 181 Â± 5 nmol NH3 min-1 mg-1 FeFe protein, for proton reduction (in the absence of N2) of 1085 Â± 41 nmol H2 min-1 mg-1 FeFe protein, and for acetylene reduction (0.3 atm) of 306 Â± 3 nmol C2H4 min-1 mg-1 FeFe protein. Under turnover conditions, N2 reduction is inhibited by H2 and the enzyme catalyzes the formation of HD when presented with N2 and D2. These observations are explained by the accumulation of four reducing equivalents as two metal-bound hydrides and two protons at the FeFe-cofactor, with activation for N2 reduction occurring by reductive elimination of H2.
Unraveling the interactions of the physiological reductant flavodoxin with the different conformations of the Fe protein in the nitrogenase cycle
(2017-08) Pence, Natasha; Tokmina-Lukaszewska, Monika; Yang, Zhi-Yong; Ledbetter, Rhesa N.; Seefeldt, Lance C.; Bothner, Brian; Peters, John W.
Nitrogenase reduces dinitrogen (N2) to ammonia in biological nitrogen fixation. The nitrogenase Fe protein cycle involves a transient association between the reduced, MgATP-bound Fe protein and the MoFe protein and includes electron transfer, ATP hydrolysis, release of Pi , and dissociation of the oxidized, MgADP-bound Fe protein from the MoFe protein. The cycle is completed by reduction of oxidized Fe protein and nucleotide exchange. Recently, a kinetic study of the nitrogenase Fe protein cycle involving the physiological reductant flavodoxin reported a major revision of the rate-limiting step from MoFe protein and Fe protein dissociation, to release of Pi . Since the Fe protein cannot interact with flavodoxin and the MoFe protein simultaneously, knowledge of the interactions between flavodoxin and the different nucleotide states of the Fe protein is critically important for understanding the Fe protein cycle. Here, we used time-resolved limited proteolysis and chemical cross-linking to examine nucleotide-induced structural changes in the Fe protein and their effects on interactions with flavodoxin. Differences in proteolytic cleavage patterns and chemical cross-linking patterns were consistent with known nucleotide-induced structural differences in the Fe protein and indicated that MgATP-bound Fe protein resembles the structure of the Fe protein in the stabilized nitrogenase complex structures. Docking models and cross-linking patterns between the Fe protein and flavodoxin revealed that the MgADP-bound state of the Fe protein has the most complementary docking interface with flavodoxin compared with the MgATP-bound state. Together, these findings provide new insights into the control mechanisms in protein-protein interactions during the Fe protein cycle.