ATP-independent substrate reduction by nitrogenase P-cluster variant

The P-cluster of nitrogenase is largely known for its function to mediate electron transfer to the active cofactor site during catalysis. Here, we show that a P-cluster variant (designated P*-cluster), which consists of paired [Fe4S4]-like clusters, can catalyze ATP-independent substrate reduction i...

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Veröffentlicht in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 2012-05, Vol.109 (18), p.6922-6926
Hauptverfasser: Lee, Chi Chung, Hu, Yilin, Ribbe, Markus W
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Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:The P-cluster of nitrogenase is largely known for its function to mediate electron transfer to the active cofactor site during catalysis. Here, we show that a P-cluster variant (designated P*-cluster), which consists of paired [Fe4S4]-like clusters, can catalyze ATP-independent substrate reduction in the presence of a strong reductant, europium(II) diethylenetriaminepentaacetate [Eu(II)-DTPA]. The observation of a decrease of activity in the rank ΔnifH, ΔnifBΔnifZ, and ΔnifB MoFe protein, which corresponds to a decrease of the amount of P*-clusters in these cofactor-deficient proteins, firmly establishes P*-cluster as a catalytically active metal center in Eu(II)-DTPA–driven reactions. More excitingly, the fact that P*-cluster is not only capable of catalyzing the two-electron reduction of proton, acetylene, ethylene, and hydrazine, but also capable of reducing cyanide, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide to alkanes and alkenes, points to a possibility of developing biomimetic catalysts for hydrocarbon production under ambient conditions.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.1202429109